The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Keffi

  • Decision to retain monetary policy rate by CBN is good- Expert

    Decision to retain monetary policy rate by CBN is good- Expert

    An economic expert, Uche Uwaleke, has expressed support for the continued decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to retain the country’s Monetary Policy Rate (MPR).

    Uwaleke, an Associate Professor and Head of Banking and Finance at the Nassarawa State University, Keffi, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    The don noted that the rate of inflation in the country was higher than the policy rate; a development he said made the real interest rate in the economy to be in the negative.

    Uwalek explained that bringing down the MPR would further pull the interest rate into the negative territory which would not augur well, especially for foreign investments.

    He said: “The positive macroeconomic indicators witnessed in recent times are still fragile and vulnerable to oil price shock.

    “The Q2 GDP growth was chiefly driven by the oil sector.

    ‘’Similarly, improvement in capital importation was more from the highly volatile portfolio investment and retreating headline inflation is partly accounted for by baseline effect.

    “Besides, at 16.01 per cent (August), the inflation rate is significantly higher than the upper band of nine per cent set by the CBN.

    “Real interest rate in the economy is negative since the rate of inflation is higher than the policy rate.’’

    According to Uwaleke, one will have thought it was time to signal a gradual easing of the policy rate after being held at 14 per cent since July 2016, to tame high inflation and stabilise the exchange rate.

    He said that this was expected, considering the waning headline inflation, some level of stability in the exchange rate and the marginal positive growth in real GDP recorded in the second quarter.
    “A lower MPR is expected to translate to reduced lending rates, increased access to funds by the real sector and cheaper cost of capital for firms leading to more job opportunities.

    “ An accommodative monetary policy stance at this time is also expected to reduce the high cost of debt service by the government which has been crowding out public spending.

    “But this is not the case, as a reduced policy rate will not be beneficial for the country’s economy at the moment.’’

    According to Uwaleke, cognizance should be taken of the uncertainty in the global environment, especially the normalisation of interest rates in the United States.
    The don explained that the US environment had the effect of strengthening the dollar with adverse consequences for the economies of developing countries and the seemingly complicated Brexit negotiations.
    “Therefore, taken together, it does appear that the balance of risks is in favour of not tinkering with the policy configuration for the time being to give some more space for the policies to work.

    “ The primary mandate of the CBN, as spelt out in the CBN Act of 2007, is to maintain price and exchange rate stability, therefore, the decision to hold the rates is dictated by this obligation.’’

    The expert, however, noted that complementary fiscal policies were therefore required to bring about full employment and inclusive growth in the country.

    He said the implementation of the 2017 budget, especially the capital component in line with the government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, should be pursued with vigour.

    According to him, the effort will ensure the success of the economic recovery and growth plan.

    NAN reports that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBN retained the benchmark lending rate and other monetary policy rates against a backdrop of macroeconomic stability.

    The committee also retained 14 per cent, Cash Reserve Ratio at 22.5 per cent and Liquidity Ratio at 30 per cent and Asymmetric corridor at +200 and -500 basis points around the MPR.

  • FMC set to train pharmacists in skills development

    FMC set to train pharmacists in skills development

    Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi on Monday said
    it was set for skills development workshop for over 100 pharmacists across health facilities in the state for quality healthcare service delivery.

    Dr Sabi’u Adamu, the Head of Pharmacy unit of the centre, made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Keffi, Keffi Local Government of the state.

    He said that the five-day training was titled “Clerkship Skills Development Workshop: Advanced Pharmacotherapy and Hands on Pharmaceutical Care Provision.”

    Adamu, who is also the centre’s Director of Pharmaceutical Centre, said that the training
    would begin on Sept. 12 to Sept. 15 at the centre, which would bring together pharmacists within the centre and across health facilities in the state.

    He said “the training is for pharmacists in quality health care service delivery by equipping them with knowledge that will improve the health of patients.

    “They will be trained on new modern techniques of pharmacy as we are aware that modern form of pharmacy is now pharmaceutical care which places emphasizes on patients care.

    “Before now, it is only on drug administration but now it also include patients’ care as pharmacists need to be interested in what happens to patients after drug administration.”

    The pharmacy head advised patients against patronising unregistered drug stores, saying “patients must patronise only registered pharmacists; they need to buy their drugs from the pharmacy unit of the hospital in the interest of their health and to avoid buying sub standard drugs.”

    The head of department said the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) introduced by Dr Joshua Giyan, the Medical Director of the centre, had yielded fruitful results through improved revenue and availability of drugs.

    He commended Dr Giyan for the stride, which he said had impacted positively on the lives of
    patients and staff of the centre.

  • Police decry inadequate manpower, communication gadgets

    The Nasarawa State Police Command, on Wednesday, said it lacked adequate manpower and communication gadgets to tackle crime in the state.

    The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, made this disclosure in Lafia in a welcome address to the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Mr Shuaibu Gambo, who was on a two-day working visit to the state.

    “The command has a paucity of manpower, the problem that is compounded daily by the transfer of men in large numbers out of the command.

    “Presently, the command has a staff strength of 4,000 men to police the population of more than two million residents of Nasarawa; I believe this is grossly inadequate,” he said.

    According to him, the command also lacks adequate communication gadgets to effectively cover the entire state, gather and share useful information on crimes.

    “The command’s communication system does not cover half of the state for effective coordination of tactical operations across the state; there is the need to communicate with all divisions in the state.

    “Presently, some divisions as Keffi, Mararaba, Karu are cut off from the command headquarters,” he lamented.

    The CP also said that the command did not have enough patrol vehicles and a befitting office accommodation for officers of the command headquarters in the state.

    “We do not have enough patrol vehicles to patrol the state. The state is vast, as it takes up to four hours or more to travel from the state capital to some Local Government Areas.

    “Also, since the creation of the state in 1996, the command is still at the temporary site; the offices are dilapidated. When we had the first rain last week, virtually all the offices, including the commissioner’s office leaked,” he said.

    He noted that despite all the challenges, the officers had remained focused and committed to their performance for effective service delivery.

    Responding, the DIG, who is of the Department of Finance and Administration, assured that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Idris Ibrahim, was taking steps to improve on the welfare and working conditions of police personnel and other staff nationwide.

    “The issue of your welfare and working condition is very paramount to the IG; that is why he deemed it necessary to send all the DIGs to visit all commands under their jurisdiction for supervision.

    “I want to assure you that the IGP is doing all he can to provide better welfare packages and working conditions for you all,” he said.

     

  • FMC Keffi confirms Lassa fever case

    FMC Keffi confirms Lassa fever case

    Dr Giyan Joshua-Ndom, the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa state, has confirmed that a patient at the centre was suffering from a disease suspected to be Lassa fever.

    Joshua-Ndom told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the centre had reported the matter to the Ministry of Health as well as the Centre for Diseases Control, Abuja.

    “It is true that a suspected case of Lassa fever had been discovered at the centre with a male patient being its victim.

    “But, I want to use this medium to appeal to patients and members of the public to remain calm as necessary steps had been taken to avert the spread of the virus.

    “The patient with the suspected case of Lassa fever had been separated from other patients and we are on top of the situation to curtail the spread of the disease,” he said

    The medical director reaffirmed the commitment of the centre to continue with projects that had a direct bearing on the lives of doctors, other staff and Nigerians at large.

  • Nasarawa varsity begins issuance of certificates to graduates

    Nasarawa varsity begins issuance of certificates to graduates

    The Nasarawa State University, Keffi, has commenced  issuance of original certificates to the past six sets of its  graduates.

    Prof. Mohammed Mainoma, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, told journalists on Thursday in keffi, Keffi Local Government Area of the state.

    Mainoma said the original certificates of graduates of the institution from 2009 to 2015 were ready adding that interested graduates should apply for them through the office of the Registrar.

    “The usual procedure is that an institution will  only commence issuance of original certificates to its graduates after convocation is held.

    “The fact that the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, has not held convocation for those who graduated from the institution since 2009, does not mean they cannot get their original certificates.

    “So, the Senate and other organs of the university have already approved their results and the original certificates have been printed, awaiting graduates to come and collect them,” he added.

    Mainoma explained that graduates were not responsible for the inability of the university to hold convocation so they could not be made to suffer the consequences.

    “So many organisations had threatened to withdraw the services of our graduates for their inabilities to provide original certificates, hence, the need for this decision,”  he said.

    Mainoma said that the university was unable to hold its convocation due to financial constraint, adding that the institution was having a shortfall of over N100 million monthly to pay staff salaries.

    He added that the institution owed a debt of over N2 billion as allowances for both academic and non-academic staff of the institution since 2011.

    Mainoma, however, commended the Nasarawa and Federal Governments for supporting the university in terms of manpower development and provision of infrastructure.

    He said there were 13 TETFund projects in the university, out of which eight had been completed with five ongoing.

    Mainoma also said that over 100 staff of the university were currently undergoing various local and international training courtesy of TETFund.

  • NYSC to drive the Change Mantra- Buhari

    NYSC to drive the Change Mantra- Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme would be used to drive his administration’s change mantra.

    The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the president stated this at the swearing-in of 2016 Batch `A’ of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Keffi, Nasarawa state, Ise-Ekiti, Ekiti and Gusau in Zamfara.

    NAN reports that in Keffi (Nasarawa State), Buhari, represented by Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa state, said the Federal Government (FG) placed a high premium on the NYSC scheme.

    The President’s address was read in Ekiti by Mr Odunayo Adesoye, the Director of Youths, Ministry of Information, Youths and Sports Development, who represented Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti.

    Also in Keffi, the president’s speech was read by Alhaji Ishaq Galadima, Nasarawa state Commissioner for Youths and Sports on behalf of Gov. Tanko Al-Makura,

    The president said the scheme is useful because it had proved itself over the years to be a reliable vehicle in inculcating sacrifice and patriotism in Nigerian youths.

    “My dear corps members, the National Youth Service Corps which was established four decades ago has demonstrated its ability to remain relevant in the life cycle of the nation,” he said.

    The president said the Federal Government would continue to invest hugely in the youth.

    While the president decried the dwindling economy of the country, he assured that his administration would strive hard to ensure that challenges facing the nation’s economy would be a thing of the past.

    He, however, warned the new youth corps members to shun social vices such as cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, drug peddling thuggery, prostitution, terrorism, militancy, cybercrimes, bunkering and the get-rich quick syndrome.

    “I charge you to use the various NYSC Community Development Services platforms at the grassroots to carry out public enlightenment and mobilisation for change in behaviour, thinking, cultural orientation and outlook,” he said.

    According to the president, one of the disturbing problems inherited by this administration is increasing unemployment among the young people, and that will soon be a thing of the past.

    “Thousands of graduates from the higher institutions of learning get frustrated daily as they search for non-existing jobs.

    “This is why this administration is anxious to recover illicit wealth to channel them to productive economic venture to absorb thousands into employment,” Buhari said.

    The President also charged corps members to work with enthusiasm to better the lives of their host communities.

    In his address of welcome, EKiti NYSC Coordinator, Mr Tobechi Ibeh, urged the corps members to be hard working in order to build an egalitarian society for the nation.

    Ibeh restated the commitment of the NYSC scheme to attitudinal change that would make the youths to be self-reliant.

    NAN reports that no fewer than 1,581 corps members comprising 902 male and 679 female in the 2016 Batch `A’ were administered oath of allegiance by the Ekiti Chief Judge, Justice Ayo Daramola.

    Also, NYSC State Coordinator in Nasarawa state, Mrs Habiba Bappah, said that out of the prospective corps members who reported to camp, a total of 1,935 corps members were duly registered.

    “This number is made up of 835 males and 1,100 females ready to be sworn in today,” she said.

    She then urged the new corps members to participate actively and take various the training sessions seriously; as the sessions were mapped out to give them a better future.

    In Gusau, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara urged the 1, 600 corps members posted to the state to use the period of their service to acquire various entrepreneurship skills.

    According to Yari, who was represented by the state Commissioner of Youth, Skill Acquisition and Sports, Alhaji Abdullahi Gurbin-bore, these skills will assist them to be self reliant after the service year.

    “I call on you to use your service year to contribute to the development of our dear country by using the service period to enhance the national productivity,” he said.

    He advised the corps members to show respect to the values, culture and traditions of their respective host communities, while extending the benefits of national service to the grass roots level.

    Also, the Zamfara NYSC Coordinator, Alhaji Ballama Bello, said the three weeks orientation programme was one of the cardinals of NYSC.

    However, Bello urged the corps members to be obedient to NYSC rules and regulations and avoid crimes and other social vices.

    NAN reports that the swearing-in was conducted by Justice Awwal Gummi on behalf of the state Chief Judge, Justice Kulu Aliyu.

     

  • Emir of Keffi urges peace

    The Emir of Keffi in Nasarawa State, Dr. Usman Shehu-Yamusa 11, has urged people to be tolerant and live peacefully with one another, irrespective of religious, cultural and ethnic differences.

    The monarch, who paid a thank you visit to the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, in his Wadata Palace in Bida, Niger State, said for the country to move forward, Nigerians must ensure peace and unity.

    He said: “Peace and unity are tools for national development. So, Nigerians must strive to maintain them to enable the nation move forward.”

    Dr. Shehu-Yamusa vowed to consolidate on the achievements of his late father, Muhammadu Chindo-Yamusa, by collaborating with stakeholders and authorities to bring development to his emirate in particular, Nasarawa State and the country in general.

    He said he would carry on with the good attributes of his late father, aimed at moving Keffi kingdom forward.

    The Etsu Nupe told the Emir that his doors would be open for counselling and guidance that would enable the Emir pilot the affairs of his kingdom.

  • Shehu Usman-Yamusa is new Emir of Keffi

    Shehu Usman-Yamusa is new Emir of Keffi

    Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa on Monday announced the appointment of Dr. Shehu Usman-Yamusa as Emir of Keffi.

    Al-Makura made the announcement at a meeting with the State’s Traditional Council in Lafia following the death of the occupant of the stool, Mohammed Chindo-Yamusa on December 4.

    He said the appointment was with effect from Dec. 14.

    He explained that the new emir, who is the son of the deceased, was appointed by the king makers of Keffi Emirate Council.

    He added that the appointment came after a seven-day notice of the demise of the emir in line with extant laws and guiding instruments of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

    He said Usman-Yamusa of the Abdul-Zanga royal family scored five votes during the selection, while his opponent Mohammed Suleiman scored two votes.

    Usman-Yamusa, born on Nov. 4, 1966, holds a doctorate degree in Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development, of the International Islamic University, Malaysia.

    He also holds a Master of Law (ML) degree of University of Dundee, Scotland and Bachelor of law (LLB), of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto.

    Usman-Yamusa was a Senior lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

  • What I saw at Nassarawa varsity, Keffi

    What I saw at Nassarawa varsity, Keffi

    SIR: From the handful of universities we had in different parts of Nigeria barely a decade ago, the number has soared significantly over the years. The result is that wherever you go across Nigeria these days, a private or federal or state university is bound to be located somewhere nearby. It is, however, one thing to have a varsity; having a university that stands out in terms of good governance, infrastructure, laboratory, and high academic standard is a different ball game.

    It was against this backdrop that I travelled to the Nasarawa State University, Keffi in Nasarawa State, recently to visit my daughter-in-law. Although I had been to the school once or twice before now for sundry reasons, I hadn’t paid much attention to the place.

    Located along the Keffi –Akwanga highway, Nasarawa State University (NSU) occupies a relatively wide expanse of land on the outskirts of Keffi town.

    In terms of size, NSU is, in my view, not all that impressive. Particularly when compared with a number of other universities that one has been privileged to visit in recent years. But when you realize that the institution is relatively young, even as it grows in leaps and bounds, it becomes obvious that it needs time to develop according to expectations.

    Like any parent or student, however, want concerns me most is the quality of academic work available (or otherwise) here. When I sought her opinion, my girl said, in her usual melodramatic manner, that: “they are killing us o.” To which I inquired:” Killing you? How?” Her response: “The lectures are too much; there is hardly any space to breath or time to rest; it’s lecture, lecture, all the time.” What about strikes, riots, cultists and the like, I prodded. She shrugged. “So far, at least, I haven’t witnessed any such things here; I heard that the Vice Chancellor is a no-nonsense man who doesn’t allow such things happen here.”

    That, to those who know the NSU helmsman, Prof. Shamsudeen Amali, is hardly surprising, given that he had conjured a similar feat at his old duty post – the University of Ilorin. Prof. Amali had, through a dint of visionary leadership, exemplary human relations and deft shuffles, ensured that Unilorin remained largely unaffected by the chaos and madness of these seasons. Maintaining an open-door policy and acting like a father to both students and staff alike, he was said to have effectively tamed the monster of industrial crises in the hitherto restive school.

    Indeed, based on what I witnessed at the university that day, one dares say without fear of contradiction that Prof. Amali, the renowned administrator, scholar, leader and acclaimed professor of Theatre and Drama, has “transferred” his inimitable leadership and administrative acumen to NSU.

     

    • Hajia Jamila Mohammed

    Abuja