The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Katsina

  • 240,000 out of school children in Zamfara – UNICEF

    The United Nation Children Education Fund (UNICEF) said it had identified 240,560 out-of-school children in three Local Government Areas of the state.

    The affected local government areas are Bukkuyum, Maradun and Zurmi.

    The Chief of UNICEF in charge of Sokoto Field office, Mohameden Fall disclosed this on Friday in Zurmi at the launching of cash transfer disbursement to parents of affected children under the UNICEF’s Educate A Child (EAC) project.

    He said the number was derived from the household mapping and listing of out-of-school children conducted in 2016 through the state Universal Basic Education Board when the number of out-of-school children was identified in the three LGAs.

    “In Bukkuyum, a total of 93,849 out-of-school children were identified with 41,134 males while 52,715 were females.

    “In Maradun 63,943 were identified with 28,963 males and 34,980 females while Zurmi has a total of 82,768 children with 38,286 males and 82,768 females,” he said.

    Fall also noted that the EAC project was bring funded by Qatar Foundation as personal initiative of Sheikh Nasser of Qatar and implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara state governments.

    According to him, the overall aim of the EAC was to extend the access to quality of basic education for 501, 749 out-of-school children across the four states by 2020.

    “We are targeting to reach out 10,347 in the first phase in Zamfara State, considering the alarming number of out-of-school children in the state.

    “We are calling on the state government to extend this programme to other local government areas,” he said.

    The project was initiated to assist households in sending their children and keeping them in school, in the benefiting communities who will receive an unconditional cash transfer of N8, 000 per child that falls between six and 11 years for the period of two years.

    “Cash transfer is one of the seven strategic interventions under the EAC to enable the government of the target states and UNICEF to reach more out-of-school children,” he said.

    He thanked the state government for the recent award of N1billion contract for school renovation and the release of over N1billion UBE counterpart funding on UNICEF intervention.

    In his remark, the state Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji thanked the UNICEF and Qatar Foundation for initiating the project.

    Birnin-Magaji said that the project was complementing the state government policy of promoting pupils enrollment and enhancement of basic education in the state.

    He said the state government was ready to continue to partner with the UNICEF and other development partners to improve quality education in the state.

    “The state government is committed to enhance teaching and learning in the state, from 2011 to date, we have renovated over 4,000 classrooms to reduce congestion of pupils.

    “We trained over 8,000 teachers and established 50 ICT centers across the primary and junior secondary schools in the state.

    “These efforts have increased our enrollment drive from 283,000 in 2012 to 600,000 as of now”, he said.

    Birnin-Magaji said the plan was one the ways to recruit more teachers and implement N18, 000 minimum wages for primary and junior secondary school teachers in the state.

    Earlier, the state SUBEB Chairman, Murtala Jangebe Commended the State Government and UNICEF for the project, saying that it would increase the pupils’ enrollment in the state.

    Jangebe said 3,449 children have been selected from the 14 communities to benefit from the assistance of N8, 000 under the project per term, per child.

    “We are disbursing N27 million as first phase to beneficiaries from Alawa, Kadage, and Doka communities from the three LGAs of Bukkuyum, Maradun and Zurmi respectively.

    “In each of the selected LGA, one community was chosen for the flag-off as first phase and we are going to continue with the remaining 11 communities”, he said.

    NAN

  • Katsina NDLEA laments poor funding, inadequate logistics

    The Katsina state command of the National Drug law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have cried out over poor government funding of operational activities and inadequate logistics which has hampered the successful prosecution of the drug war in the state

    The NDLEA coordinator in the state, Hajia Miriam Gambo Sani, told the Nation in an exclusive interview that the federal government have shown unserious attitude towards the current fight against drug abuse and drug related crimes in the state and country, adding that there are little chances of any success on the on-going war if the situation remains the same

    Hajia  Sani insisted further  that the attitude of governments both at federal, states and local levels, especially in the area of funding and provision of critically needed logistics, does not speak well of a country determined to win the drug war, against unrepentant addict and peddlers alike

    She said ’’we don’t have the requisite manpower, sufficient operational vehicles both at the state and the national headquarters of the agency, budgetary allocations to the agency have been dwindling over the successive years’’

    ‘’In Katsina for instance there are several local government areas and village outlets we have not visited or covered even for once due to manpower shortages and operation needs.

    ‘’ We have a situation where one area command covers 6 local government areas’’

    ‘’what happens in our head office is a reflection of the situation in the state commands. The federal government is not serious in fighting drug crime’’

    She further disclosed that the agency in collaboration with the state government and other siater security agencies are embarking on public enlightenment campaigns targeted at the youths, who according to her embrace the culture of drug abuse through peer groups and social contacts

    She called on the federal government and other tiers, to embrace the fight against drug crimes with renewed commitment and attention.

    She further alluded to a situation where the state can only boast of two operational vehicles to cover a state with a population of over 7 million people as very disturbing.

     

  • Is Katsina becoming one-party state?

    The recent All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Katsina State has raised many questions. The crowd was huge. Many Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains defected to the ruling party. AUGUSTINE OKEZIE, who witnessed the event, reports that the Northwest state is gradually becoming a one-party state.

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, fired the first salvo when he declared that the quality and number of defectorsto the ruling party showed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties in the Katsina State had fizzled out.

    It was at the recent APC rally in Katsina, the  state capital.

    Odigie-Oyegun said: “Let me take pride in welcoming the hundreds of thousands of people who are joining the APC. It shows PDP is dead and buried in Katsina State,”

    And while justifying the endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari for 2019 by the mammoth crowd at the grand rally, Oyegun added:

    “I have received a lot of decampees; this one today is special. Congratulations, the people of Katsina State. What I am seeing today is a sign that you approve of your governor, Aminu Bello Masari, and that this is the state of the president.

    “It is a sign that you also approve of what President Muhammadu Buhari is doing. I am going back to Abuja with the message that the people of this state and country are behind the president.”

    The governor, Aminu Masari, also described the defectors as distinguished Nigerians who had succeeded in their fields of endeavors were motivated by the successes of the party. The governor thanked Oyegun and the National Working Committee (NWC)  for honoring the state with their presence, and said Katsina people would do whatever that is necessary to ensure the success of APC in next year’s elections.

    He said  “We are working hard to ensure that between 80 to 90 per cent of the registered  Nigerian voters casts their votes for Buhari and the  APC,  we are  also determined to ensure that no part of the states will be left behind in the task of delivering  Nigerians from darkness.”

    The Chairman of the party, Alhaji Shittu, while introducing the 12 major defecting groups, led by Senator Ibrahim Muhammad Ida, and 343,860 others from various parties to the APC, said more defectors were on the way.

    However, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, while replying the APC Chairman on his claim that the PDP is dead, said Oyegun will regret the statement, adding that the process of ejecting the APC from Aso Villa and the states has  begun.

    Secondu,s who spoke in Duste, capital of Jigawa State at a rally to kick start the party’s mass mobilization, ahead of 2019, added that only a living and active party like the PDP can reclaim Nigeria

    He said: “Let him come here or call his governor ruling this state to give him report of what a dead party did in his state today”, The chairman said Nigerians have more than enough reasons why they should throw away the APC in their political life because it has been three years of hell and inactivity in governance.

    “All the indices in all sectors of our national life in the past three years show very clearly that the Nigeria situation is getting worse and the people cannot wait to see off the APC’’.

    The chairman of the PDP in Katsina State, Alhaji Salisu Majigiri, also  condemned the APC over its claim of one party state.

    He said:  ‘’How can they say we have one party state in Katsina, when they are boasting that the former Speaker of the House of Assembly decamped to their party, but we equally have in our fold, another former Speaker?’’

    “A party that has been in power for 16 years in the state, how can they say we are dead?’’

    The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Garba Sani, said rather than being decimated politically, the party is waxing stronger in popularity and electoral victory. He disclosed that the chapter will soon host its grand rally to welcome defectors from the APC and other parties

    Sani said: “Soon, we shall be welcoming decampees from other parties at a grand rally, even a big fish like Alhaji Ibrahim Lado, Danmarku from the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, and thousands of others shall be joining our party” in the last by-election in Marshi federal constituency, we scored up to 20,000 votes while the APC scored 27,000 votes.”

    According to observers, the PDP is down in Katsina. But, the party is not a complete write-off in the state, despite the fact that its visibility and vibrancy may have declined, compared to the ruling APC

    When the incumbency factor is considered along with the usual rush to belong to the party in power by indigenes, the APC is firmly on the driving seat and bent on retaining power.

    The opposition parties in the state are not relenting in their bid to bounce back. But, as an observer put it,  they have to work harder, if they want to upstage the APC in next year’s elections.

  • Security in Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara collaborate to tackle crime

    Security agencies in Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara states say they are collaborating to tackle criminality in their areas of operation.

    The formations that include; Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ) and NDLEA, told the News men that they were conducting joint security operations and sharing intelligence information on criminals to enable them to effectively combat crime.

    The Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, Mr Murtala Mani, said his command had effective collaboration with all security agencies in the state.

    Mani said through the command’s Spokesman, Cordelia Nwawe, that although the state was largely peaceful, it was working with other agencies on crime mapping and surveillance.

    “We have working synergy with Army, NSCDC, NDLEA, DSS and vigilance groups on tackling incidences of cattle rustling, kidnapping, armed robbery and other crimes.’’

    He said armed robbery, cattle rustling and kidnappings occurred mostly in Raba, Goronyo, Isa and Illela local government areas of the state.

    He, however, said that the cases were being effectively curtailed with combined efforts of other security agencies and communities.

    Also, Mr Babangida Dutsinma, State Commandant of NSDC in the state, said four security agencies were jointly conducting a special operation code-named ‘Operation Harmony’, in areas with high crime records in the state.

    Dutsinma said the NSCDC enjoyed massive support from the Army, Police, the Prisons Service and Immigration Service, using their facilities and officers for the training of its personnel.

    On its part, the police said a joint operation between security agencies in the state had resulted in dismantling many criminal gangs.

    The Spokesman of  the Police Command in the state, DSP Mohammed Shehu, said all the security agencies in the area were partnering to curtail crime.

    Mr David Abi, Commandant of NSCDC in the state, told the News men that the inter agency cooperation shared in the state was “marvellous,’’ adding that they ran “joint patrols with strong sense of patriotism, understanding, discipline and respect for one another.”

    Similarly, the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC in Kaduna State,Mr Orndiir Terzengwe, said collaboration between the various security agencies had helped to tackle incidences of kidnapping and armed robbery along Kaduna – Abuja Express way, Kaduna- Birnin Gwari Road, Kaduna-Zaria and Kaduna – Jos Road, and within some urban centres across the state.

    “Continuous joint raids of suspected black spots by NDLEA, NSCDC, Police and others, are gradually reducing consumption of hard drugs among youths, which is believed to be largely responsible for youth indulging in different crimes.

    Read Also: USAID partners Sokoto, Bauchi on primary health care

    “In situations where conventional security operatives are not available, vigilance groups’ effect arrest or assist security agencies with information on the whereabouts of suspected criminals, they render intelligence assistance.

    “The Espirit de Corps is commendable but there is need to improve on what is obtainable,’’ Terzengwe.

    Muhktar Aliyu, spokesman of the state Police Command, identified some security breaches in the state to include kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed robbery, activities of thugs and bandits.

    Aliyu said such crimes were being handled through effective joint patrols and operations.

    In Katsina State, the security agencies said they were holding regular meetings under the chairmanship of the Police Commissioner where they were appraising security issues and adopting strategies to confront them.

    Isah Gambo, spokesman of the state police command in the state, said they were conducting joint security patrols and operations, and sharing intelligence information to safeguard lives and property.

    Gambo disclosed that the command had set up a community policing unit to coordinate and set guidelines for communities engaged in providing security for their localities.

    According to him, a community policing committee has been going round the 34 local governments areas and discussing with community leaders on their security challenges with a view to addressing them.

    Sanusi Muazu, the Comptroller, Nigeria Prisons Service in the state, also said that the service had developed a strong synergy with all the security agencies operating in the state.

    Muazu said that they were working with the military, police and other security agencies, sharing intelligence information to ensure full protection of lives and property.

    NAN

  • Katsina trains 60 journalists on poultry, fishing, bee-keeping

    Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has emphasised the need for journalists to embrace vocational training to enable them have a sustainable livelihood after retirement.

    Masari said this known on Tuesday in Katsina during the opening ceremony of training of 60 members of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ ) on poultry, fisheries and bee-keeping.

    The training was organised under the Katsina State Economic Empowerment Directorate ( KASEED ).

    Masari, represented by his Special Adviser on Economic Empowerment, Alhaji Abdukkadir Mamman-Nasir said the trainees were expected to educate the public on the management of poultry, fisheries and beekeeping after the training.

    The governor said the participants would also be taught on entrepreneurship course after the training.

    According to him, after the course, there will be a test, adding that those who score 40 per cent and above will be given loans by the state government to start business as entrepreneurs.

    He said this was why the state government involved the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) and Bank of Agriculture ( BOA ) in the programme.

    Also speaking, the Director, Business Development in KASEED, Alhaji Abdurrahman Abdu-Zango, said journalists were selected for the programme because they were agents and medium of awareness creation in the society.

    In a remark, the Chairman of NUJ in the state, Alhaji Buhari Mamman, thanked the state government for organising the training.

    Mamman, who was represented by the Secretary of the council, Alhaji Hassan Dan-Ali, promised that participants would put what they have learnt during the training into practice.

    NAN

  • Katsina to employ 1,000 security guards for boarding schools – Masari

    THE Katsina State Government has approved the employment of 1,000 security guards for all boarding secondary schools to secure lives and property of students, Governor Aminu Masari said yesterday.

    Masari, speaking during the Third Convocation of the Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina said the decision was on the strength of the prevailing security situation in the country.

    “Even though Katsina is considered as one of the most peaceful states in the country, the government is not taking chances to allow students to be vulnerable to attacks by criminals,” he said, pointing out government is committed to protection of lives and property of the state’s citizens as well as the students.

    The governor recalled that when he assumed office in 2015, he made it clear that his mission was to recover the lost glory of the state in education and agriculture.

    He said his administration equipped existing schools, building new ones, increase the number of enrolment, recruiting qualified teachers and retraining of manpower to make the sector attractive.

    “‘We believe that a learned society that is attune to the demand of its time is a more successful one, that is why we continuously commit a huge percentage of the state budget to the education sector,’’ he said.

    Masari said  the state government from January 2018 to date, had awarded contracts for the rehabilitation and upgrading of Government Technical College Mashi at the cost of N277 million.

    He added that the government was spending N27.5 million to upgrade Government Day Secondary School, Yanduna in Baure Local Government Area.

    ‘‘The government also awarded the upgrading of Government Girls Boarding Secondary School, Rogogo in Zango Local Government at N263.1 million and the rehabilitation and upgrading of Government Girls Secondary School, Sandamu at N278.8 million.

    ‘‘The government also awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of Government Day Secondary School, Tama in Bindawa at N90.1 million,’’ he said.

    The governor revealed that the government was doing everything possible to improve the standard of its owned-tertiary institutions.

    Masari stated that his administration recently approved the recruitment of academic and non-academic staff for the Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina, and Isa Kaita College of Education, Dutsin-ma.

    The governor urged the management of the university to boost its internally-generated revenue through collaboration with the private sector and corporate bodies that support its course.

    ‘‘While this administration implores this institution to take alternative sources of revenue seriously, it is committed to provide the support to enhance its service delivery.’’

    He said the government would continue to release funds to cater for the running cost, such as staff training and development of the university.

    A total of 1, 397 students graduated from the university, out of which 1,290 bagged first degrees while 107 got their post-graduate degrees.

     

  • Katsina NDLEA arrests trailer loaded with codeine cough syrups

    The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ) has arrested a trailer loaded with 24,000 bottles of cough syrups containing codeine in Funtua local government area of Katsina State.

    The NDLEA State Commandant, Hajiya Maryam Gambo Sani disclosed this during a press briefing to newsmen on Tuesday in Katsina.

    She said that six persons were arrested in connection with the drug cargo. According to her, those arrested were the driver of the vehicle, his assistant and two conductors.

    Sani said other people arrested were the manager of SUNGLOW EQUITY NIG LTD who is suspected to be owner of the drugs and the salesman of the company.

    State governments north of Nigeria are generally suspicious of cough syrups containing codeine, as people buy abuse the codeine content, a kind of opiate like cocaine or heroin. Users get high on it, leading to many cases of drug addiction.

    According to reports, many users actually buy it when they cannot afford more expensive drugs such as heroin ( diamorphine ) or other opiate/opioid drugs.

    As an opiate, codeine is also used to treat pain and diarrhea. Internationally, codeine is not a banned drug.

    The Katsina state government is yet to make a law banning the use of the drug and it is unclear under which law the NDLEA will prosecute the suspects.

    The trailer was arrested by the NDLEA operatives at the company’s warehouse located in Dutsen-reme area.

    Read Also: NDLEA uncovers drug warehouses in Edo

    Sani said that the trailer came from Onitsha.

    She said that the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution.

    Sani also said that 12 students of tertiary institutions in the state were arrested for drugs related offences.

    The commandant said that the items seized from the students included 159 bottles of cough syrups with codeine, 160.6 grams of cannabis sativa and 50.7 grams of Rohypnol ( Roche ).

    She also said that a total of 186 persons were apprehended between January and March, 2018, for drugs related offences in the state.

    Sani said that 57.8 kilograms of assorted hard drugs and 25,254 bottles of cough syrups with codeine were seized from the suspects.

    She added that 8.4489 kilograms of psychotropic substances were seized from the suspects during the period under review.

    Sani urged the public to continue to assist the command in its efforts of fight against drug abuse and trafficking.

    NAN

  • 2018 UTME: Parents threaten to sue JAMB

    Some aggrieved parents of the candidates who sat for the on-going Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB are threatening to drag the board to court following lots of complaints that characterized the exercise in the state and the mal-functioning of the technical facilities deployed at some CBT centers which caused candidates to continue the examination, with only 20 minutes left for the submission of the papers

    Investigation by the Nation revealed that centers that were hardest hit by loads of technical deficiencies which led to last minutes changing of examination centers and cancellation of others, include: The Dialogue Computer Institute, AL-Qalam, Barda International School and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University all within the Katsina metropolis

    At AL-Qalam University there were cases of mal- functioning of the cyber system thereby causing most candidates to wait for hours before the situation could be rectified and writing their papers only with 20 minutes remaining for submission

    At Barda international school, the system kept fluctuating in the examination hall, as candidates were held up until the systems get restored eventually, but the remaining time according to them was insufficient for them to write anything meaningful.

    Read Also: JAMB directs UTME candidates to check results online

    A visibly angry parent who accompanied her daughter to the center and who doesn’t want to be named ,said she was afraid her daughter may not pass the examination as she wasn’t given sufficient time to write the paper due to the failure of the server

    She said’’ we may have to find a way to force JAMB to repeat this exercise, even if it involves going to court, because it’s no fault of ours that the equipments weren’t functioning’’

    Another parent who simply identified himself as Alhaji Mohammed whose ward wrote at the Barda International school, said that he a had already lodged a complaint with the state zonal  coordinator

    When contacted through the telephone for her reaction to these complaints from the parents and candidates, the state Coordinator for JAMB, Hajara Tambari, admitted experiencing technical hitches at the early stages of the examination in some centers, especially system failure which delayed the examination particularly in Al-Qalam University center on Friday March 8th

    She said’’ we are making sure things run smoothly and ensure a hitch free examination, yes we had technical challenges but they are being addressed’’

     

  • Underage voters: PDP asks INEC chair to resign

    Underage voters: PDP asks INEC chair to resign

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu to resign over registration of underage voters, mainly in Katsina and Kano states.

    But the electoral body had defended the action, saying its registration officials in those states were compelled to register minors under threats by community leaders in the areas.

    The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, carpeted INEC for failing to take decisive steps to restore the sanctity of its register, particularly in Kano and Katsina states.

    Rather, the party said the leadership of the commission has continued to offer puerile explanations of plans to investigate the anomaly, stressing that it took concerted outcry by well-meaning Nigerians for the commission to reluctantly accept responsibility for the illegality.

    “As you are aware, the INEC has been indicted for registering and issuing permanent voter cards (PVCs) to millions of underage persons, particularly in Kano and Katsina states.

    “You are also aware that it took a press statement from the PDP and concerted outcry by Nigerians before the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led commission reluctantly accepted responsibility for this illegality.

    “As we speak, the credibility of our electoral process under the current INEC is hugely in doubt.

    The nation was last Wednesday terrified by the commission’s Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, who announced that INEC registered minors because its agents were threatened by members of the communities in those states.

    “By this alarming and unpatriotic statement, INEC under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has completely discredited and disqualified itself and cannot be trusted to conduct a credible, free and fair general elections in 2019.

    “The import of this statement is that INEC under Prof. Yakubu is not firm in its acts and will consequently cave in and accept any form of irregularities once it is put under pressure by members of a voting community.

    “It goes to say that this INEC can readily announce false results, cancel elections, alter polling procedures and allow any irregularities during the 2019 general elections once it is threatened by the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any other group for that matter.

    If INEC is afraid of a voting community so much so that after registering minors, it still went ahead to process their data and issue them with valid voters card, then there is no way it can withstand the pressure and threat that we all know will be exerted by desperate APC forces, whose electoral strength, particularly in Kano and Katsina states, is now exposed to be based on underage voters”, the party said.

    The PDP demanded an immediate review of voters register, across the country, particularly in Kano and Katsina and also the revalidation of voters register to eliminate the names of all the minors.

    It insisted that no election must hold in these states until the register is sanitised.

    “In order to achieve this, we demand that the revalidation/sanitisation by INEC must be carried out under the supervision of all political parties, credible associations, reputable NGOs as well as the international community”, it added.

    The PDP also described INEC’s invitation to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (INEC) to help it monitor political parties’ campaign funds illegal and a Machiavellian way of suppressing opposition’s financial contributions and spendings.

    According to the opposition party, the invitation was a plot by the EFCC to detain, defame, intimidate and illegally block bank accounts of opposition members under the pretext of monitoring campaign funds.

    It insisted that only INEC has the statutory duty to monitor campaign funds, stressing that the commission cannot delegate this functions to any other government agency.

    “Nigerians have completely lost confidence in INEC under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and we urge him to take the path of honour and do the needful before it becomes too late”.

    The PDP also alerted the public to what it described as the culture of intolerance in the ruling APC at the centre and across the various states where the party exercises control.

    Citing Tuesday’s demolition of a building belonging to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi in Kaduna by Governor Nasir El-Rufai, the party said with this trend, properties belonging opposition figures and those perceived to pose threats to the re-election bid of some public office holders in the ruling party are now endangered.

    Detailing instances of such high-handedness in high places, the party said the government of the day was working to foist a fascist regime on the country.

    The party feared that if members of the ruling party could engage in vicious attacks against their fellow members, then it’s only a matter of time before they unleash havoc against opposition figures.

    Continuing, the PDP said, “In Adamawa, the state government has pulled down billboards and signposts belonging to opposition parties while harassing our members and perceived political opponents ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the state.

    “In January this year, Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima superintended over the demolition of PDP state secretariat in Maiduguri following the renewed popularity of our party in the state.

    “In Kogi, a property belonging to Senator Dino Melaye, who is known for his criticism of the APC derailed government, has been marked for demolition.

    “Today, despite our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association and speech, Nigerians now live in fear of this intolerant, overbearing, bigoted and dictatorial APC administration seeking to foist a fascist regime on our country.

    “How do we explain or justify the evil plan of the APC-led Federal Government to monitor citizens’ phone calls and social media communication, purportedly to check for hate speeches without any enabling law.

    “We advise the APC government to desist from this planned unconstitutionality, which threatens the very essence of democracy, especially plurality of opinions.

    “It is on this note that the PDP raises a rallying cry to all well-meaning Nigerians, civil society organizations and the international community to rise up and collectively condemn the anti-people actions and proclivities of this incompetent and imperious government, which has brought so much pain to our dear nation”.

    Read Also:INEC to investigate reports of under-aged voting

  • Katsina elders to reply Obasanjo, says Masari

    Katsina elders to reply Obasanjo, says Masari

    The Katsina State Elders Forum will soon reply former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s statement asking President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019, Governor Aminu Masari said yesterday in Daura.

    “The elders forum will consider the possibility of replying the recent letter (statement) by President Olusegun Obasanjo to Buhari.

    “We intend to place an advertorial in the national dailies to respond to the issues he raised,” Masari told reporters, shortly after he led the elders on a condolence visit to President Buhari in Daura.

    Masari said that the forum had studied the letter and would respond to its contents.

    “The response will not be long in coming; it will be very soon,” he said.

    Masari said that the elders were in Daura to condole with the President over the death of his two sisters – Hajiya Aisha Mamman and Hajiya Halima Dauda – and described their demise as “very saddening”.

    Among the elders who condoled with the President were Justice Mamman Nasir (rtd), Brig-Gen Ahmed Daku (rtd), Justice Sadiq Mahuta, Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouk Umar and Alhaji Dahiru Mangal.

    Also yesterday, Emir of Maradun in Zamfara, Alhaji Garba Tambari, said some traditional rulers across the country had resolved to ensure the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

    Tambari told reporters: All citizens who wish Nigeria well must support the re-election of the President “if he finally decides to seek renewal of his electoral mandate in 2019

    “Anybody who wishes this country good, who wishes this country well, will want Mr President to continue after 2019. So, we wish he will continue by the grace of God,’’ he said.

    The Emir stated that the re-election of the President in 2019 would ensure continuity in governance as the Buhari administration had recorded remarkable successes in the areas of security and fighting corruption and revitalisation of the economy.

    Tambari, who said he was in Daura on a solidarity visit to the President, lauded him for his selfless service to the country.

    He said the President had assured to tackling the problem of insecurity in some parts of Zamfara.