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Tag: KOGI

  • Kogi short of UNESCO’s education benchmark

    Despite the increase in the allocation to the education sector in the 2017 budget by the Kogi State government, from 7.7 percent in 2016 to 13.76 percent in 2017, stakeholders have flayed the government for the inability to move nearer the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s benchmark on education of 26 percent.

    Brainstorming at the “Citizens Dialogue on the 2017 Approved Kogi State Education, Agriculture and Health Sector Budgets”, yesterday in Lokoja, they bemoaned the inability of governments at both the state and federal levels to do the needful, because of the important role of education in the development of any nation.

    “The analysis of the approved budget has shown that there is an increase in the allocation to the education sector from 7.7 percent in 2016 to 13.76 percent in 2017. There was also an increase in allocation to agriculture from 2.7 percent in 2016 to 4.53 percent in 2017. Sadly, allocation to the health sector reduced from 7.65 percent in 2016 to 6.6 percent  in 2017.

    “Nigeria and Kogi State have also consistently failed to honour international commitments and benchmarks such as the Maputo Declaration on agriculture of a minimum of 10 percent,  Africa Union (AU) benchmark on health of 15 percent allocation and UNESCO bencmark on education of 26 percent allocation”, said Gift Owonipa, the Executive Director, Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID).

    “As citizens of Kogi State, we have also realized that we have a huge role to play in the implementation of the approved budget, especially now that Nigeria is witnessing dwindling oil prices and there is the urgent need to diversify our revenue source in the state.

    “Education is the bedrock of achievements of the developed societies. Improvement in education is necessary for the transformation of the Nigerian society. These improvements are needed in increased enrolment in the primary, secondary and tertiary level; improvements in learning outcomes and acquisition of skills and the conversion of the knowledge of science and technology that powers societal development.

    “There is therefore the need for continous improvements in the quantity and quality of resources available to the education sector if Nigeria is to meet its development vision and the 2030 agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, she added.

    The cross-section of participants called on government to take heed of the 26 percent UNESCO allocation benchmark for the education sector in the search for robust and sustainable development in Kogi State and Nigeria as a whole.

    A look at the Kogi State fiscal plan for the year shows that while the total budget stands at N174,851,544.523, with a recurrent expenditure proposal of N58,714,125.607 and capital expenditure of N166,137,418.916, total allocation to the ministry of education, science and technology is N5,632,773,767.

    A further analysis of allocation to the education sector in 2017 approved Kogi State budget showed a 68 percent increase in the allocation to the sector from N7,697,444, 205 in 2016 to N24,058,149,936 in 2017.

  • Kogi trains 105 officers on maternal, neonatal health

    Kogi trains 105 officers on maternal, neonatal health

    The Kogi Government on Monday commenced the training of 105 health officers to cater for women and children during its Maternal and Neonatal Child Health Week (MNCHW).

    The MNCHW week, slated for July 17 to 21, will hold in selected health facilities in communities across the state, according to Mr Bolarinwa Ogundusi, the Kogi State Nutrition Officer/MNCHW Focal Person.

    He said that the health workers, drawn from the 21 local governments, would undergo a two-day training programme and would be expected to train others so as ensure a large pool of workers for the MNCHW week.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the health officers included immunisation officers, nutrition coordinators, maternal child and health coordinators, malaria elimination officers and state technical facilitators.

    He said that the MNCHW week would witness free primary health care services for pregnant women and children aged 6 months and 59 months.

    “The aim is to reduce and eradicate maternal, infant mortality and morbidity rate in the state,” he said.

    He said that the training would also review the performances in the previous MNCHW, look at the gaps, weaknesses and strength, and try to improve on them and readjust where necessary.

    According to him, the MNCHW week will also focus on thematic areas like Vitamin A supplementation, malaria net distribution, antenatal care, immunisation, birth registration, family planning, deworming, various screenings, among others

    One of the trainees, Mr Michael Eseyin, from Mopamuro Local Government, told NAN that he had understood new ideas and benefited a lot from the refresher training.

    “It is a routine service that we render; we will go down to our various local government areas to train other health workers for effective implementation of the MNCHW,” Eseyin said.

  • Melaye asks court to stop release of council funds to Kogi

    Melaye asks court to stop release of council funds to Kogi

    •Senator: I want to be a councillor

    The crisis of confidence between Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and Senator Dino Melaye has taken a new dimension following a fresh suit by Melaye asking for a court order to stop the release of statutory allocations to the state’s 21 local governments.

    Melaye is praying the Federal High Court, Lokoja to restrain the Minister of Finance, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) from remitting the funds meant for the local governments until election is conducted into the councils.

    He said he is interested in being a councillor in Ijumu Local Government Area and the refusal of the state government to conduct election into the councils was affecting his ambition.

    He added that the absence of democratically-elected officers at the local government level has made the state government spend and dissipate the funds meant for the 21 councils.

    He said it was illegal for the governor to appoint administrators, trustees or sole administrators for the local governments in the state.

    The suit was filed at the Federal High Court, Lokoja.

    In an affidavit, which he personally sworn to, Melaye averred as follows:

    “That I was informed by my lawyer, Mr. Ajayi Jaiye Samuel, on the 5th day of May, 2017 at about 8pm while discussing the facts in this suit and my predicament arising from the refusal of the 6th defendant to conduct  Local Government Elections in Kogi State, I verily believe him to be true and correct as follows:

    (i) That it is improper to put in charge the administration of the 8th to 28th defendants, persons including civil servants, who are not democratically elected.

    (ii) That it is not proper for the 6th defendant to have refused to conduct Local Government Elections before and after the expiration of the tenure of the elected Local Government Councils of the 8th to 28th defendants.

    (iii) That there cannot exist validly constituted Joint Local Government Account Allocation Committee of Kogi State without democratically elected chairmen and councillors of the 8th-28th defendants.

    (iv) That is not proper for the 29th (CBN), 30th (the Minister of Finance)  and 31st (the FAAC) defendants to continue to release monies accruing to the 8th -28th defendants from the Federation Account to the 7th defendant without  democratically chairmen  councillors of the 8th-28th defendants.

    The senator said he filed the suit because he intended to be a councillor in Ijumu Local Government Area.

    He said: “As an astute politician, I am interested in contesting for a councillorship position in my Local Government Area, Ijumu and I am also interested in the outcome of the local government elections in all the local government areas of Kogi State, the 8th-28th defendants in this suit.”

  • Kogi: JAC suspends four-month strike

    The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of  the Trade Unions of Tertiary Institutions owned by the Kogi State Government has suspended its over four-month-old strike.

    The strike, JAC said, would be suspended for one month, to pave way for resolutions of outstanding issues with the government.

    Its Chairman Comrade Moses Balogun, who addressed a joint briefing at the Ministry of Education, Lokoja, called on his colleagues to resume work immediately.

    At the meeting were the Commissioner of Education Dr Tolorunleke Sunday; representatives of the Governing Councils of the state tertiary institutions, as well as the leadership of JAC.

    Tertiary institutions in the state, including Kogi State University, Ayingba; and Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, have remained under lock since January 3 when JAC declared an industrial action over some issues with the administration.

    Balogun, who addressed reporters at the end of their session,praised Governor Yahaya Bello for some of the steps taken, including the constitution of credible governing councils, which according him, led to the suspension of the strike.

    “We have agreed to suspend the strike for four weeks to allow issues that have not been fully addressed. We have consideration because 80 per cent of workers have been paid, and we agreed that the rest will be paid in the next two weeks.

    “We appreciate Governor Bello for constituting credible governing councils, who are not politically appointed, but drawn from universities across the country. We pray that God Almighty will continue to sustain him,’’ he said.

    The workers appealed to the government not to compromise on the agreement, adding that no worker in any of the state-owned tertiary institutions would be victimised as a result of the strike.

     

  • Recall: Melaye alleges forgery of collected signatures

    Recall: Melaye alleges forgery of collected signatures

    Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial district in the National Assembly says the signatures allegedly collected to influence his recall and forwarded to Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) were forged.

    Addressing newsmen on Sunday in Lokoja, Melaye who said investigations had revealed that even the dead signed the recall across the seven area councils of the senatorial district, described the process as fraudulent.

    Speaking through one of his legislative aides, Malam Abubakar Sadiq, the embattled senator said names and signatures of dead constituents were on the list.

    According to him, the name of a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, late Chief Rotimi Obadofin precisely from Iya-Gbede axis was on the list.

    “Let me also sound authoritatively that here in Lokoja Local Government Council, several others whose names and signatures appeared on the list of the signatories to this failed exercise were identified and known to us as being dead long before now.

    “Such people like late Abdullahi Abubakar, his immediate younger sister late Halima Lawal Abubakar and Ibrahim Adama of Unit Code 021, Adankolo Ring Road in Ward ‘A’, Lokoja Local Government Council.

    Also one late Salihu Black of Gegu-Beki town, Kogi Local Government Council who until his death was a biology teacher in Government Secondary School, Koton-Karfe, also appended his signature on the recall list.

    “This recall exercise was hatched in Kogi Government House due to the manner in which Senator Dino Melaye consistently challenges and engages the government over non-payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners for over 15 months; and also the constant closure of tertiary institutions ,” he stated.

    Senator Melaye also alleged that they claimed to have gotten over 188,000 signatories of electorates in Kogi West when the total vote cast, both valid and rejected, in the last senatorial election of 2015, was merely 111, 000 for all the candidates that participated.

    In a swift reaction, Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi said Senator Dino Melaye should stop worrying about INEC.

    Bello, who spoke through his chief Press Secretary, Mrs Petra Onyegbule, said facts about the constituents were with INEC which had the responsibility of verifying the signatures.

    “There is nothing for the distinguished senator to be worried about. INEC has set July 3, for the public verification of signatures and the date is around the corner; there is no point burning their energies all over the place”, Onyegbule said

    On the alleged collation signatures in Government House, the spokes person said it was absolutely false as no single signature was collated in Government House. (NAN)

  • Journalists: Be professional, patriotic -Bello

    Journalists: Be professional, patriotic -Bello

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has called on journalists to display high sense of professionalism, patriotism and discipline in their calling and avoid hate speeches and reports that tend to divide the nation.

    Bello made the call at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner with media executives and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Friday night in Lokoja.

    According to the governor, some reports in the media of late tend to polarize the nation.

    He urged that reports that tend to sabotage unity of the nation or divide the people and undermine the corporate existence of the country should be avoided to pave way for advancement and development of the country.

    “Avoid misrepresentation of facts and limit report of those things that tend to divide us even if it is true.

    “Continue to do your best; I am aware of the menace of social media which has overwhelmed the conventional media.

    “On governance, we had to take a bold step and put our political interests on the line to ensure that the right things are done. I am not unmindful of the circumstances that brought me in,’’ he said.

    On the recent staff verification and salary issues, the governor maintained that no genuine worker of the state would be shortchanged, adding that the backlogs of salary arrears were being cleared.

    He promised to create an environment more conducive for interaction to enable government to right the wrongs of the past, identify weaknesses and strengthen them for overall development of the state.

    Speaking earlier, the state Council Chairman of NUJ, Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Adeiza commended the governor for his courage and commitment to effecting necessary changes in various areas of the state economy.

    He commended Bello for the positive changes effected at the state-owned Graphic Newspaper and the Broadcasting Corporation (Radio-Kogi).

    Adeiza assured the governor of the continued cooperation of the NUJ, and urged him to create the enabling environment and provide support for journalists covering the state to discharge their duties effectively.

  • Kogi tackles 18-yr-old royal battle

    The crisis over the vacant stool of Ologori in Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area has continued to linger nearly two decades after the passing in 1999 of Oba Gaius Akerejola, who ascended the throne in 1990. The situation, akin to a dormant volcano that could erupt anytime, has created a schism in the socio-political relations between two clans. As things stand, they remain at loggerhead over who should produce the next Ologori, with the Eni clan accusing the Onu clan of scheming to impose their own as heir to a stool that they say never belonged to them. The Eni clan claims that the kingship has from inception rotated between two ruling houses (Udeji and Eminefo) from their side, and that the principle of rotation which they insist was smuggled in through Edict 10 (1998) under the military administration of the late Colonel Bzigu Lassa Afakirya, should not subsist.

    With both sides laying claim to the Ologori stool, the divide is threatening to manifest in parallel observation of important dates and events, including markets days and the age-long Ovia-Osese rite (initiation for maidens into womanhood).

    A resolution to the debacle however appears not too far, with the Kogi State government, under Governor Yahaya Bello making stating that it will address all such issues with “fairness, justice and due process”.

    The government reiterated this recently during the presentation of letters of appointment to 13 newly appointed traditional rulers between the grades of 2nd and 3rd class.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abubakar Ohere said that contrary to speculation in some quarters, the recent appointment of traditional rulers was based on fairness, justice and due process.

    He said, “The era of imposition of traditional rulers in any community is over. Appointment of any chief is now based on the Kogi State Chiefs Appointment, Disposition and Establishment of Traditional Council Law”.

    He called on the newly appointed chiefs to partner with the state government towards its ‘New Direction’ agenda, especially in the fight against crime, criminality and other forms of social vices in their domain.

    He urged them to support the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello, and assured of government’s commitment to improve on their welfare packages.

    The grouse of the Eni clan and those of their two ruling houses appear to have been woken by a letter titled, “Ogori Chieftaincy Tussle”, by Major-General Emmanuel Abisoye, the late Ogbajiri of Ogori, and addressed to the then Military Administrator of Kogi State, Col. Afakirya, also deceased.

    In the letter dated 25th September, 1997, Abisoye appraised the military administrator of a meeting with the chiefs and elders of Ogori, on both sides, on the dispute, “so as to find a permanent solution to the problem”, following which it was proposed that both divides jointly address a memo to Afakirya, “accepting a rotation of the stool, with Eni Clan now”.

    The proposal, wrote General Abisoye, “If accepted, shall make it possible for the current Ologori-elect to be formally installed. I shall be meeting with the two parties again to formally collect their joint decision in writing”.

    While it remains unclear whether or not the joint written decision of the parties got to the MILAD, Abisoye in follow-up correspondence to

    Afakirya, about a month later and with same title, notified the latter that the chiefs and elders of Ogori were now “agreeable to a rotation

    of the stool of Ologori between Eni and Onu clans, in the spirit of the ‘Wind of Change’ blowing throughout the state in the course of peaceful co-existence”.

    It continued, “The entire community shall therefore be eternally grateful for Your Excellency to cause an Administrative Panel to examine the wheretofore therein and thereafter formalize the decision with an Edict on Ogori Chieftaincy Rules and Regulation or words to that effect”.

    The Eni clan it appears repudiated the said agreement, challenging the said rotational arrangement which they presumably endorsed. More recently, they submitted a memo- outlining the position of the Ekarabome ruling house on the matter, to the Committee on the Review of Chieftaincy Matters, under the present administration in the state.

    In their position paper dated January 10, 2017 and signed by Chief S.K Obajulu and Prof. Olu Akerejola, chairman and secretary respectively, of the Eni Traditional Council, they maintained the course of their right in perpetuity, to the Ologori stool.

    They wrote, “The Ologori stool, it must be pointed out has been vacant since 1999, even though it has been one that has been bedeviled by over three decades of litigations. From cradle, the Ekarabome royal dynasty has ruled Ogori, as evident in the order of ascension to the throne in the last 300 years and never in the history of Ogori has the family tree of ruler-ship been broken or challenged. This is the more reason why the Ekarabome royal dynasty has been quite amazed with the mid-day demand of the Onu clan that the Ologori stool be rotated. Having failed in the various legal actions instituted up to the Supreme Court. None of the judgments obtained in competent courts upheld Onu’s claim to the Ologori stool.

    “In all the years that Ogori has existed, never has there been any individual picked from Onu clan as Ologori. The Ekarabome royal family would indeed need to be convinced that anyone from Onu clan…has ever reigned as Ologori, be it in the distance or near past…The Onu clan wants to circumvent the traditions of the land in respect of its leadership/kingship structure”.

    They expressed hope that the committee will undo the “knotty issues” and pave the way for a rightful Ologori to emerge, even as they pray it recommend the repeal of Edict 10 (1998), in respect of the stool, saying that it was “promulgated in bad faith, aimed at causing disaffection in Ogori.”

  • Court reserves ruling on Kogi’s N222m suit

    A lokoja High Court has reserved judgment till June 29, in a suit by Kogi State government against Globacom Nigeria Ltd.

    The government sued Globacom for its alleged refusal to settle an outstanding tax balance of over N222 million to its internal revenue service.

    Ruling on a preliminary objection raised by Globacom’s lawyer, Justice Henry Olusuyi struck out the objection for incompetence.

    Justice Olusuyi noted that the preliminary objection did not follow the laid down procedures, and so could be accepted.

    Lawyer to the state internal revenue service, Patience Ekele, filed a motion on notice, seeking the leave of court to compel Globacom to pay the outstanding tax balance.

    She said the 32-paragraph affidavit supported the motion deposed to by Alhaji Jubril Saidu, in-charge of tax drive and enforcement of the revenue service.

    According to her, no counter affidavit has been filed by the defendant, and she was yet to receive any document from its lawyer.

    She, however, urged the court to grant the application, saying what the revenue service was asking for is its due to the state as tax. Justice Olusuyi reserved judgment till June 29.

  • Teachers adamant as Kogi schools re-open

    Teachers adamant as Kogi schools re-open

    There seems to be no end in sight to the rift between Kogi State government and workers in its tertiary institutions. Teachers at the Kogi State University and Kogi State Polytechnic have rebuffed the directive to return to work. But, non-academic counterparts have since complied. MOHAMMED YABAGI reports.

    IN  defiance of the government’s directive, sfaff of the Kogi State University (KSU) and Kogi State Polytechnic (KOGI POLY) have refused to return to work since their school resumed on June 5. But their non-academic counterparts have since returned to work.

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said its members would return to work when the government meets its demands.

    The schools reopened after more than five months strike by state-owned tertiary institutions over non-payment of salary arrears. Six of the eight affected schools re-opened last month, but KSU and KOGI POLY remained closed until last week.

    The resumption was not without drama. The academic staff described the government’s directive as a “blackmail and intimidation”, vowing not to succumb to government’s threat.

    When government fixed the resumption date, the Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising the workers’ unions, held an emergency meeting, after which it issued a communiqué on June 1.

    In the communiqué, signed by its leader, Comrade Sunday Boluromi, JAC said it was disappointed with the government’s directive on the re-opening of the schools while talks on workers’ demands were going on. The committee said there was no reason for the workers to resume when their living conditions had deteriorated. It said many of the workers were traumatised by the prolonged staff screening which led to the withholding of salaries for  months.

    The communiqué reads: “JAC empathises with students, who have been at home for a long period. They should be reminded that JAC’s struggle is to save the soul of our education in the state. And we hope that, at the end of this painful strike, tertiary institutions owned by Kogi State would be better positioned to turn out qualified graduates.

    “There are evil machinations from some quarters to incite students against our members on resumption. Let it be clear to those behind this plot that, whatever goes around comes around. JAC is disappointed with government for its decision to prematurely retire some of our members. This is an outright violation of the extant Law of 65-year retirement age for staff of tertiary institutions.

    “Consequent upon the heartfelt intervention of our Governing Councils, JAC graciously constricted its 31-point request to five irreducible demands. This action is geared towards suspension of the ongoing strike. The demands are that the Visitor to our schools (Governor) should approve and implement the screening reports of the respective schools’ Governor Councils, because we have confidence in the members Governing Councils. Therefore, only their screening list is acceptable to JAC and any other list from anywhere shall be rejected.

    “We want salaries of all members, whether they are cleared or not, to be paid without further delay. The government must step up actions to provide the needs of each tertiary institution as submitted by their Governing Councils. Government must also honour the joint resolution reached by its representatives and JAC on March 24, 2017, which include reversal of the new tax rates and refund of January 2017 excess tax to tertiary institutions.

    “Our last demand is that, government must give definite date for the refund of excess tax collected from staff of Kogi State University and Kogi State College of Education. These are the conditions for peace and resolution of the crisis.”

    JAC made a case for disengaged workers, saying it was wrong to sack them despite the “convincing reasons” by heads of institutions for their retention. The committee described the pardon lists released by the government on May 31 and June 1, as a setback to any ongoing dialogue.

    JAC added: “Our members who had been cleared from the outset of the protracted staff screening exercise are now being victimised with threat of sack. This unwholesome act is another move by the cars in this government to destroy the gains made from the screening exercise.”

    The workers resolved that they could not be coerced to resume on June 5. They advised the government not to resort to threat and intimidation in resolving the impasse.

    The KSU chapter of ASUU, in a statement  titled: Between facts and fictions, said it would resist the government’s intimidation to coerce workers into resumption.

    Its chairman, Dr Gbenga Aina, said government did not show concern towards ending the strike, adding that there was no assurance of payment of workers’ salaries.

    He condemned the government’s claim that 95 per cent of salaries owed the academic staff of KSU had been paid, describing the claim as “fallacious and utterly misleading”.

    Aina said: “From available records, 275 workers, which represent 53.19 per cent of the 517 academic staff, are still being owed salary arrears ranging from three to 12 months. This figure is made up of tenure, sabbatical, contract staff studying overseas and 2015 employees.”

    He said only 46.81 per cent of academic employees had received salaries up to March 2017. He said the promise by the government to pay N50 million monthly to offset Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) owed was reneged on last December. This, according, negated the government’s assurance that it would increase the monthly installment of the EAA to N100 million with effect from January. He added that the outstanding payment was not captured in the state’s budget this year, wondering how the government wanted to pay the money.

    The ASUU chief said: “The ASUU, as a stakeholder in  university system, is desirous to see speedy resolution of the ongoing impasse. We, therefore, call on the KSU Governing Council and the Kogi State government to ensure the payment of all arrears of salaries and their components owed all our members before the strike can be called off.”

    When CAMPUSLIFE visited KSU on Monday, lecturers’ offices were locked. Students, who besieged lecture rooms, returned to their hostels in disappointment.

    The Students’ Union Government (SUG) leadership convened a congress, where they called on their lecturers and government to resolve their differences in the students’ interest.

  • Dangote, Kogi to partner on development

    The Dangote group is to partner Kogi  State for infrastructural development.

    The president, Aliko Dangote, stated this yesterday in Lokoja when he visited Governor Yahaya Bello.

    According to him, the Dangote Group is determined to partner the government in agriculture, security and solid mineral development, after a meticulous study of its New Direction Agenda.

    He described the policy outlay as people-focused.

    His words: “What we intend to do is to look at infrastructural facilities in the state and identify more areas where we can complement the government…”