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Tag: Katsina

  • Sokoto agog as Atiku flags off Northwest campaign

    The People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) on Monday flagged off the Northwest Zonal campaign of its Presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

    Kangiwa square, venue of the flag off has been a beehive of activities since the early hours of Monday.

    Read Also:2019 poll: Atiku meets Wike ahead of campaign kick off

    Already, the party’s chieftains , supporters and well-wishers from across the zone comprising of Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Zamfara have converged on the multipurpose venue.

    However, the Presidential candidate and his running mate, Peter Obi, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, governorship candidates, National chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, Senate President Bukola Saraki, serving and former PDP governors arrived the venue  at about 2pm.

  • Katsina speaker Abubakar Kusada wins Reps bye election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Alhaji Abubakar Kusada of the All Progressives Congress(APC) as winner of the bye-election into the House of Representatives .

    The election was conducted in the Kankiya/Kusada/Ingawa Federal constituency in Katsina state on Saturday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Kusada was the speaker of Katsina state House of Assembly before his  election today.

    Prof Adedayo Hamza, the returning officer who announced the result on Saturday in Kankiya said Kusada scored 48,518 votes to emerge winner.

    Alhaji Abdussamad Yusuf of PDP came second with 20,193 votes, while Nasiru Kankiya of the Peoples Redemption Party scored 1,810 votes as second runner-up.

    Abdullahi Umar of the Yes Electorate Solidarity (YES) got 221 votes.

    According to Hamza, the total number of registered voters in the constituency is 193,904, while the number of accredited voters was 74,242.

    The number of valid votes cast was 70,742 and rejected votes 2,331.The total number of votes cast was 73,073.

    Mr Festus Okoye, the INEC National Commissioner, advised political parties to intensify voter education and management of polling units.

    He commended the political parties, security agencies, mediamen and other stakeholders for the peaceful conduct of the bye election .NAN

  • Katsina releases N400m for S-Power employees’ stipends

    The Katsina State government has released N400 million for the payment of monthly stipends to 5,000 youths engaged in the newly introduced state-power programme tagged “S-Power”.

    The youths engaged in the programme, mostly holders of Nigeria Certificate of Education (NCE) and Diploma in Education certificates, have been deployed to primary schools to reduce manpower shortage there.

    Gov Aminu Masari, while inaugurating the programme in July 2018, had said that it was aimed at reducing redundancy and indolence among youths.

    Malam Lawal Buhari, Executive Chairman, Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), who spoke on the scheme in an interview with the Agency on Friday in Daura, said that the participants would be paid the four months stipend they were owed.

    Read Also: Fed Govt to rehabilitate Kastina roads

    “Each of the participants will receive N80,000 for the four months; the monthly stipend is N20,000 as indicated in their letters of engagement,” he said.

    He explained that payment would be at selected local education authority offices,  adding that the 34 local governments had been divided into 12 centres for that purpose.

    Buhari said that the state government had approved the engagement of additional 2,000 degree holders into the programme, to complement the teaching manpower in senior secondary schools.

    “Those in that category will be supervised by the ministry of education,” he said, adding that the recruitment exercise would soon begin.

    NAN

  • Katsina budgets N200b for 2019 fiscal year

    Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari yesterday presented an Appropriation Bill of N200.7 billion to the House of Assembly for the 2019 fiscal year.

    The estimate, tagged: Budget of Stabilisation, is lower than this year’s bill by N12.8 billion or 18.7 per cent, which stood at N211.4 billion.

    A breakdown shows that N148 billion or 73.7 per cent is earmarked for capital expenditure and N52.7 billion or 26.3 per cent for recurrent expenditure.

    For capital expenditure, N34.3 billion or 23 per cent will go for the Economic sector; N41.7 billion or 28 per cent for Social sector; N57.2 billion or 39 per cent for Regional Development and N5.9 billion or four per cent for Administration.

    Others are: N5.7 billion (4.1 per cent) for Debt Servicing, N984 million (0.6 per cent) for Judiciary; N515 million (0.3 per cent) for Legislature and N1.5 billion for Contingency.

    Recurrent expenditure has N22.9 billion (43 per cent) for Personnel Cost and N16.05 billion (30 per cent) for Overhead Cost.

    Presenting the appropriation to the Assembly, Masari said the Restoration Plan, which started at the beginning of the administration, will continue next year.

    The governor listed the priority sectors as education, health, water resources, agriculture, roads and environment.

    He said education will get N19 billion; health, N20.6 billion; water resources, N12.9 billion, while agriculture, roads and environment will get N10.5 billion, N20.2 billion and N24.6 billion.

    Masari added that a soft loan and grant from the Islamic Development Bank was in the offing.

    The governor said in anticipation of the loan, N9.3 billion had been reflected in the budget estimates.

    Speaker Abubakar Yahaya Kusada said the lawmakers would immediately begin sitting to deliberate on the appropriation for speedy passage.

    Kusada urged ministers, departments and agencies (MDAs) to cooperate by promptly availing themselves to defend their estimates when called upon to do so.

  • Kano partners UNICEF to tackle malnutrition

    Kano state government in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spent N350 Million last year, as intervention against malnutrition amongst children under five years, which UNICEF provided the same amount as marching fund.

    Another sum of N338 Million is also injected this year to counter the disturbing scourge of malnutrition in the state, of which UNICEF promises to also provide another marching fund for the same purpose.

    Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje stated this during an official launching of Kano State Comprehensive Modelling Project on Improvement of Diatery Diversity in the State .

    “We have all the kinds of food we need in our society for our consumption. All we need to do to run away from this health problem, is the knowledge of how to use such varieties. Which necessitates for awareness creation among our people,” he charged.

    A statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Abba Anwar said Ganduje urged stakeholders to put all hands on the deck to save the situation, emphasizing that, “Government is doing its best to continue liaising with all stakeholders, particularly traditional leaders, development partners and others, so as to checkmate the problem once and for all.”

    The governor acknowledges that, “This problem is with us, it is within us, it is a problem that we can solve and we must solve it. That is why we need to put heads and hands together and fight the painful scourge of malnutrition. All we need is commitment, persistence, public enlightenment and diligence.”

    Dangote Foundation according to the governor promised to provide over N1 Billion as intervention along that area of curbing malnutrition in the state.

    In her remarks the UNICEF Zonal Officer, Katsina, Miss Zohra Nissi, said the choice of Kano for the project was deliberate, looking at the efforts the state is making these years in curbing the disease.

    She added “This is a unique project which we are starting in Kano. As such the choice of Kano is deliberate. We choose Kano also because of the commitment of the state.”

    Nissi revealed that, “We need multi-sectoral approach in dealing with this problem. The sum injected in this project is $750,000. We will provide all the necessary technical support for the project.”

    The project started with Bichi and Sumaila as pilot local governments, which included traditional leaders who come from the areas. It was revealed that they started with the two local governments after sometime all other local governments would be included.

    Read Also

    Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, the state commissioner of health said that, “Malnutrition is a serious health challenge in developing countries. According to recent study stunting is in the increase. Which calls for serious action against it.”

    He listed some efforts being put by the state government in curbing the problem. “That we did a special week programme recently, in which we included malnutrition screening. To tell you how serious we are in dealing with the problem.”

  • Federal pensioners protest over non-payment of 36 pension arrears

    Over One thousand Pensioners under the auspices of All Federal Pensioners in Kano state Tuesday, staged a peaceful protest at the old campus of Bayero University Kano (BUK) over non-payment of 36-month, 33 per cent pension arrears which has led to the death of 300 pensioners within three years in the North west region of the country.

    According to their spokesman, Malam Muhammad Isa who is the chairman, Federal University Pensioners Association (FUPA), BUK chapter, the pensioners include retired workers from BUK, Federal College of Education, Kano, Dala Orthopedic Hospital, Federal College of Education, Bichi, Katsina, Gusau, Panshin as well as Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Kano.

    The protesters passed a vote of no confidence on Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), describing the activities of the body as fraudulent and unpatriotic.

    According to their spokesman, “We have no confidence in PTAD, especially the executive secretary who has adopted a selective manner of payment in favour Customs, Immigrations, Police and Prison services as well as paying the university of Lagos teaching hospital pensioners 12 months arrears last August.

    Read Also: Pensioners salute Obaseki’s drive to clear inherited arrears

    In an open letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari titled Mr. President Save our Soul, the federal pensioners lamented that, “we pensioners have served this country diligently, and we are aged and most of us are on medical drugs.

    “We are no longer employed and we don’t have any regular means of income. We can no longer pay our children school fees, we can no longer provide for our families. We massively voted for President Buhari in 2015 and we appeal to him to use his good office to ensure the release of funds for the payment of our arrears.”

    They added that, “Mr. President, we would like to express our lack of confidence on the executive secretary of PTAD and call on Mr. President to constitute a panel to investigate PTAD since its inception, what it took over, all other allocation made to it, its disbursement, the mode of the disbursement and also ascertain the claim of the executive secretary on the sources of the payments to those favoured sectors.

    The entire pensioners, who have been struggling in the last nine years for PTAD to settle our 33 per cent pensions arrears  want Mr. President to use his authority to prevail on PTAD to pay our outstanding 33 per cent pension arrears before the year runs out.”

    Some of the placards they carried with inscription: “Mr. President pay us our 33 per cent pension arrears of 36 months, General Buharia Save our soul, Federal pensioners are dying, our children are out of school because we have no money to pay their school fees,” “Mr. President, pensioners are hungry; no proper feeding,”

     

  • Police nab armed robbery/kidnap syndicate in Katsina

    The Katsina State Command of the Nigerian Police Force, on Thursday announced the arrest and busting of a notorious armed robbery/kidnapping syndicate and the recovery of two AK 47 rifles with breech nos: 1977h4719 and tk 6184 with ten (10) rounds of live ammunition, acting on a tip off.

    The Commissioner of Police Mohammed Wakili who made the disclosure while addressing news men at the command headquarters, said the Command arrested Umar Suleiman alias ‘MUSHODA’ or ‘ANARUWA’ aged 34yrs, of Mazoji village, Matazu LGA and one Sada Bala, alias ‘NA-IRAQI,’ ‘m’, aged 38yrs, of Sayaya village, Matazu LGA Katsina state,

    He said’’ a notorious syndicate of armed robbery suspect, who has been terrorizing Danmusa/Safana/Dutsinma LGA’s of Katsina and have also been on the wanted list of the Command for several armed robbery and kidnapping cases, were arrested, on 26/08/2017 at about 20:00hrs, as they invaded Hawan Dan-Maigyda village, along Kankara – Dutsinama road, Danmusa LGA of Katsina state and shot two persons’’.

    ‘’However, two of their members :Horon Anchau and Mohammed Bello alias ‘KIRI GORORE (all in prison custody) were arrested in connection with the crime ‘’

    The command also announced the arrest of 3 armed robbery suspects and recovered one g.3. Rifle with breech no. 0514503020 and five rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition based on a tip off and in collaboration with IGP monitoring and striking unit, it also succeeded in smashing a notorious armed robbery/kidnapping for ransom syndicate, that migrated from Dansadau LGA of Zamfara state to Unguwar Goga village, in Faskari LGA of Katsina state.

    Read Also: INEC projects 80m registered voters ahead of 2019 elections

    CP Wakil further maintained that during the raid on their criminal hideouts the command apprehended Usman Abdullahi aged 29yrs, of Unguwar Goga village, Faskari LGA, Sa’id Abdullahi aged 24yrs of the same address and Haruna Murni aged 26yrs of Ruwan Godiya village, Faskari LGA of Katsina State.

    He said’’ One G.3 Rifle with Breech No 0514503020 and five rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, The Suspects confessed to the commission of the offence. Investigation is ongoing with a view of arresting other members of their syndicate’’

    The Commissioner assured the people that his command will continue to deliver on its mandate of protecting the lives and property of the people of the state.

    He said ’’the Command has been achieving results in the fight against crime due to the synergy that exists between the security stakeholders and the cooperation of well meaning people in the state. We solicit for the continuation and sustenance of this synergy. ‘’

  • Ex-FERMA MD emerges APC Katsina Central Senatorial candidate

    A former Managing Director of Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Mr Kabir Barkiya, defeated three other candidates to emerge victorious at the APC Katsina State Central Senatorial Primary election.

    Barkiya defeated Senator Ibrahim Ida, Colonel Abdul-Aziz Yar’adua and Senator Umar Ibrahim Kurfi to emerge victorious.

    Read Also: FERMA completes 88 road projects captured in 2017 budget

    Dr Isal Adamu, the Chairman of the Senatorial Election Committee, announced the result on Wednesday in Katsina.

    Adamu said that Barkiya scored 1,466 vote and was followed by Abdul Aziz Yar’adua with 913 votes, while Senator Ibrahim Ida had 897 votes.

    “The current serving Senator, representing Katsina Central, got 141 votes to emerge the fourth person in the race,” he said.

  • Masari, Lado clinch APC, PDP tickets in Katsina

    Governor Aminu Bello Masari and Yakubu Lado were early Monday morning announced as the winners of the Guber Primaries for their parties, the All progressive Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, respectively.
    The Chairman of the Katsina State APC Gubernatorial Primaries Committee, Dr Isa Adamu, while announcing the result of the primary which held at the Muhammad Diko Stadium in Katsina, said Governor Masari scored 5,562 votes to beat his closest challenger Abubakar Ismailia Isa Funtua who polled eight votes and the third contestant who entered the race late: Garba Dankali had one vote.
    Dr Adamu further disclosed that the election was free and fair without blood letting and that none of the aspirant brought any formal complaints to his committee.
    He said ’’the total number of delegates to the election was 5959, while the number accredited to vote was 5627; there were 56 invalid vote casts’’
    In his acceptance speech the Governor commended the process which he said was transparent and called on his opponents to join him in building a new Katsina state and the party.
    He said “I promise the people and the party that I will not let them down .I shall work to unify the party and develop the state even to a greater level than it is now.’’
    ‘’I am also grateful to the members of the primaries committee who arrived the state at about 3am on Saturday morning for a job well done’’
    In another development, the PDP  at about 3am this morning announced Senator Yakubu Lado as the winner of its Guber primaries held at the premises of its party headquarters in Katsina.
    The Chairman of the PDP primaries committee, Senator Bala Adamu Kadiya while announcing the result of the election which according to him was contested by six  aspirants, showed that Senator Lado polled 33485 votes, to beat his closest challenger Architect Ahmed Yar’Adua who polled 233 votes with the other contestants scoring no votes, with the exception of Musa Natsuni who had one vote.
    Former governor of the state Barrister Ibrahim Shema, who stayed throughout the night to monitor the process, promised to fund the electioneering campaigns of Yakubu Lado.
    Earlier the state Chairman of the Party, Salisu Yusuf Majigiri denied bribery allegations which has been trailing the decision of the party to adopt the consensus arrangement which produced Lado, challenging any one with a proven evidence to come forward.

  • As NFF faces the future

    The coast is clear now that there is a new order in the administration of the beautiful game in the country, with the return of Amaju Pinnick and his board to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) following the successful elections held in Katsina, despite the dissenting views of those who believe that nothing good can come out of the Glasshouse, except they are in charge.

    Interestingly, the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) and the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) sent representatives to witness the elections. This is part of the criteria to validate the election. Besides, the Congress decided those who scaled the hurdle, not faceless people like we saw in the past that led to a stalemate. What this indicates is that we followed FIFA’s statutes to decide those who won.

    Indeed, the cordial manner in which those who lost the ultimate prize – NFF President -embraced the winner suggested that they were satisfied with the process. This is the clincher, which thankfully the winner described as a no victor, no loser scenario, meaning he is ready to work with everyone. It simply means victory for the beautiful game.

    Today, we have a football federation where majority of members partook in the country’s preparations for the Russia 2018 World Cup. And the board’s biggest niche was the ability to convince the private sector to key into its programmes in a bid to be financially solvent. Today, key members of the federation have been integrated into core committees in FIFA and CAF. They have transferred what they learned to the operations in the Glasshouse, so much so they clashed with the Sports ministry. No surprises because football is a money-spinner for those who know how to utilise its marketing windows.

    It is to the credit of the past board that Nigeria prosecuted the Mundial in Russia with little funding from the government. In fact, government cash got to the federation four days after the competition began. Surprised? Don’t be since the bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with governance would have contributed to the late release of the funds. The past board’s foresight in getting the private sector to handle problematic areas of the  World Cup campaign ensured that coaches’ and officials’ wages were paid promptly; players’ entitlements were paid upfront and this created the enabling environment for the team to prepare for the competition. It didn’t come as a surprise when the players raised their hands up to accept that they didn’t live up to expectation in the games against Croatia and Argentina, even though they beat Iceland, which isn’t in Nigeria’s class in terms of World Cup pedigree, with due respect.

    Preparatory to the Mundial in Russia, Nigeria played some of the best friendly games against renowned countries, such as England (June 2), Serbia (March 27), Argentina (November 14), Poland (March 23), Czech Republic etc. These games helped sharpen the players’ skills and showed other countries that we have the players to give them a good game anywhere in the world. Such markers are the difference between serious football nations and jokers. It won’t be surprising if in 2021 Nigeria approaches England or Serbia or even Argentina for the second time to come to our country for an international friendly game. It won’t be out of place if France, Brazil, Croatia, Belgium etc accept to play the Eagles to prepare for the Mundial in 2022.

    This writer has been thrilled by the synergy existing between the federation’s president and his first and second vice chairmen. The trio have struck a bond, especially now that some all-knowing members have been replaced. The exit of these members should bring peace to the board. It will also help the board to regain the confidence of the private sector.

    It was soul-lifting to see billionaires, such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola, rubbing minds with FIFA  and CAF presidents at the FIFA The Best Awards held in England on September 24. Amaju Pinnick has opened  a new vista for the board with this noble initiative because both men are big stage players and won’t let the opportunity of doing business with global brands, such as FIFA and CAF’s slip off.

    Indeed, it will be easier for Pinnick and his members to convince Dangote and Otedola that they can be trusted, based on the cordial relationship the president and his members have with FIFA and CAF. For such wealthy and successful businessmen, what counts for them is the international platform where these football ventures play. Associating their brands with FIFA and CAF in big sporting events, such as the World Cup, across all the cadres, Confederations Cup, Olympic Games’ soccer events and the Africa Cup of Nations, is one of the biggest forms of networking which both men would happily exploit.

    A notable football lover, Dangote is reportedly worth over $15 billion. Interestingly, he has not hidden his desire to buy over Barclays English Premier League side, Arsenal FC of London. A business relationship with FIFA and CAF and their business associates would enhance his chances of convincing Gunners’ fans that he has the wherewithal to take the team to greater heights.

    Convincing Dangote and Otedola to rub minds with international soccer buffs offers NFF the opportunity to talk to the billionaires. Little wonder Pinnick told the international media in London: “Alhaji Dangote is perhaps the biggest business brand in Africa, and one of Nigeria’s leading Ambassadors. I am very happy to be in a position to invite himself and Mr. Otedola to such an event of global stature and essence.

    “As a nation, it is important that we continue to showcase our best brands in all fields. Doing this enhances the stock of our country globally. Alhaji Dangote and Mr. Otedola were happy to meet the world’s top governors of football and the football governors were also happy to meet them.

    “Our objective as a Football Federation is to attain financial autonomy so that the Government can channel resources otherwise taken up by football into other critical sectors, and we believe that if we have persons like Dangote and Otedola partnering with Nigerian Football, we will get there faster,” said Pinnick, who is also the 1st Vice President of the Confederation of African Football.

    “The NFF has invited Alhaji Dangote to a couple of matches previously, including the friendly match with England in London before the FIFA World Cup in Russia, but he was unable to attend. Now, we are discussing with him on a relationship with Nigerian Football and he is showing immense interest.”

    “Football has tremendous capacity to be self –sustaining and even contribute significantly to the national GDP. That is the station we are targeting at the moment. I also want to use this opportunity to appreciate our other sponsors and partners, Coca Cola, Zenith Bank, Nigeria Breweries PLC, NIKE, Cadbury PLC, WAPIC Insurance, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, TGI, 1XBET, Peak Milk, Payporte for making us to attain the present 65 per cent private sector –funding status,” said Pinnick.

    Good talk, Pinnick. NFF should exploit the marketing windows in the sport to get funds to run our football seamlessly. It is the government’s responsibility to create the enabling environment for sports to thrive, build facilities and fund contingents to international competitions like other countries do.

    Getting into sensitive federations, such as the NFF should not be a platform for the boys to celebrate mediocrity, knowing that Nigeria has been at the biggest football fiesta, World Cup six times (1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018). No mean feat, especially with our players’ exploits in the European game till date. NFF shouldn’t be for people who want to go to the government cap in hand for funding. We should emulate the English FA, Brazil FA, Belgium FA, France FA, Germany FA and Argentina FA, to mention a few because our players outshine some of the talents from these civilised soccer nations in their European clubs. Our players have left the administrators in terms of development, hence, Pinnick’s and his members’ new templates for growth should be embraced wholesale. It is the way forward.

    Dangote is channelling all his energy in trying to buy Arsenal. But his chances of landing the Gunners’ looks almost impossible now, especially after Stan Kroenke, owner of Kroenke Sports Enterprises, completed his buyout of the North London club and is now the sole owner of shares in the club.

    The American billionaire agreed a £600million deal with Alisher Usmanov in August that took him beyond the 90 per cent ownership threshold after which he was obliged to buy all remaining shares.

    A statement from Arsenal Holdings PLC said: “Further to the announcement made by KSE, UK, Inc. on 28 August 2018 confirming the closing of its offer for Arsenal Holdings PLC, the compulsory acquisition by KSE of all of the Arsenal shares not assented to the offer completed on September 25 2018.

    “As stated in KSE’s announcement on 28 August, the trading in Arsenal shares on the NEX Exchange Growth Market will be withdrawn with effect from close of business today.”

    However, Dangote can be convinced by the Pinnick-led administration to help raise a football empire in Nigeria by investing locally. And to have Africa’s richest man involved in Nigerian football will be the a good deal.