The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kwara State

  • 2017 Hajj: Kwara Pilgrims Board warns drug traffickers

    2017 Hajj: Kwara Pilgrims Board warns drug traffickers

    The Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, says it is collaborating with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to ensure that no suspected drug trafficker is found among the 2017 intending pilgrims.

    Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh, the Executive Secretary of the board disclosed this on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in llorin.

    The secretary, who was reacting to the arrest of three pilgrims from Kwara in Saudi Arabia during 2016 pilgrimage, said the incident was regrettable and would not happen again in the history of the board.

    He said the NDLEA had assured the board of availability of modern scanning machines to detect suspected drug peddlers who might attempt to travel to the Holy Land from the state.

    According to him, any drug baron planning to travel with through the board should have a rethink, as adequate arrangement has been put in place to fish them out.

    Tunde-Jimoh advised intending pilgrims not to travel with Kola nuts or other substances outlawed by Saudi Arabia.

    He said the board had made arrangements to conduct series of enlightenment programmes to acquaint them with Hajj rites.

    According to him, the board has already secured befitting accommodation for the comfort of 2017 pilgrims in Makkah ,Madinah.

    Tunde-Jimoh warned the intending pilgrims from paying the balance of their Hajj fare through agents, saying payment should be made to only the banks designated by the board.

    NAN reports that a total of 2,168 pilgrims and 20 officials are expected to perform the 2017 Hajj from Kwara.

     

  • Osinbajo charges Nigerians to serve God, humanity

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has  urged Nigerians have not to relent in their service to God and humanity.
    Prof Osinbajo said this in Ilorin the Kwara state  capital  on friday at the funeral and thanksgiving service of the first Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Barnabas Sanyaolu Oloruntoba at Second ECWA Church, Amilegbe
    He said there is  close relationship between service to God and humanity, saying that anyone who serves God will be indirectly serving humanity.
    He described the deceased as a man who served God and humanity during his lifetime.
    The Acting President added  that the late Oloruntoba made significant contributions to national development, particularly in the agricultural sector.
    In his remarks, the Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed described the late Oloruntoba as a man who lived a life worthy of emulation.
    Governor Ahmed said the deceased would continue to live on because of his sterling virtues and contribution to humanity.
    In his sermon, the Reverend John Owoeye advised the congregation to live impactful life by preparing for death, saying that mortals would taste death.
    Reverend Owoeye also enjoined the congregation to imbibe virtues of uprightness to earn God’s favour in the day of judgement.
    Prof Osinbajo was accompanied by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and the Executive Director, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Mr. Segun Awolowo.
    Other dignitaries at funeral service include Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, wife of former  Vice President, Hajia Titi Abubakar and Minister of Finance, Benin Republic.
    Late Oloruntoba, the first Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and father in-law of President, African Development Bank and former Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Akinwumi Adesina died March 17th this year, at the age of 88.

  • Kwara commends NDIC for donating textbooks to schools

    Alhaji Musa Yeketi, Kwara Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development has commended the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for the books donated to schools across the state.

    Yeketi gave the commendation on Wednesday in Ilorin during the presentation of books by NDIC.

    The commissioner received on behalf of the school 75 textbooks comprising 35 for primary schools and another 35 for secondary school.

    The textbooks entitled:”The money tree and this little piggy”, were for both primary and senior secondary schools.

    Yeketi assured the representatives of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation that the schools would make judicious use of the books.

    He said that Kwara State Government was always ready to welcome philanthropists ready to boost the education standard in the state.

    The commissioner therefore assured NDIC representatives that the books would be distributed accordingly.

    The Director, NDIC, Mr Alabi Gabriel, who handed over the books, appreciated the effort of the state government in raising the standard of education.

    He promised that NDIC was ready to support the state government to further raise the education standard through distribution of teaching aids to schools.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaja Mariam Garba thanked the corporation for the donation.

    She expressed optimism that the books donated would improve the quality of education in schools across the state.

     

  • Two cattle rustlers to die by hanging in Kogi

    A Kogi High Court sitting in Okene on Thursday sentenced two trans-border cattle rustlers – Muhammed Lawal Jauro and Yusuf Sanni – to death by hanging.

    The duo got the sentence after Justice Josiah Majebi found them guilty of cattle rustling and culpable homicide.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused were arraigned on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide, contrary to various sections of the Penal Code.

    The prosecution had told the court that sometimes in January 2016, one Dauda Abdullahi made a report of a gruesome murder and theft of cows, belonging to one Haruna, in one of the farm centres in Okene.

    He said that upon investigation, the accused persons were arrested at Ajase-Ipo in Kwara State, while their leader, Awaijo Wetti, escaped and was still at large.

    The prosecution further submitted that the suspects, who had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges, later pleaded guilty.

    The prosecution quoted Jauro as saying in his statement that in December, 2015, one of his friends, Yusuf, a resident of Kabba junction, Zariagi, called him on phone and informed him that there were cows belonging to one Haruna, at a bush in Okene.

    “He further suggested that we should go and steal the cows. After that, our leader, by name Agwaijo Wetti, a resident of Tyre village along Okene-Auchi road, asked us to meet at the bush of Okene, which we did.

    “Myself, Yusuf, Ado and our leader, Agwaijo Wetti, gathered and, with our cutlasses, went to meet the owner of the cows and all of us machete him with cutlasses until he died.

    “Three of us then took control of the cows and took them to Ajase-Ipo in Kwara state,” Jauro was further quoted as saying.

    In his judgment, Justice Majebi declared that the confessions of the accused persons were weighty and admissible in determining the case against them.

    “The confessions of the respective accused persons are graphic, direct and the accused persons stated that after killing the deceased Haruna, they went with his cows to Ajase-Ipo where they were arrested and the cows were recovered in the bush where they kept them.”

    Majebi said that the not guilty plea by the accused during the trial could not be substantiated because the admission of the commission of the said offence by the accused persons in their respective statements was clear, specific and unambiguous.

    To believe their plea of not guilty, the jurist said “is to believe the holiness of a Bishop hanging a talisman on his neck.’’

    He held that the prosecution had satisfactorily established that the death of the deceased was caused by the convicts as there was “a nexus between the acts of the accused persons and the death of the deceased.”

    The judge sentenced them to 28 years each, on the first three count charges, and death by hanging on the fourth charge of culpable homicide.

  • Agriculture can take Nigeria out of recession – CIBN chairman

    Mr Abdulraheem Yusuf, the Chairman, Kwara chapter, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), on Wednesday, said the Federal Government’s agriculture intervention programme could take the country out of recession.

    Yusuf, who gave this hint while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin, added that the effective management of exchange rate could equally take the country out of recession.

    He therefore called on Nigerians to ensure that they added value to agriculture in all its ramifications in order to earn foreign exchange.

    “With food production and reduction in the level of corruption and unemployment, the government can get us out of the situation we have found ourselves,” he said.

    Yusuf said that the government also needed to police the borders more effectively to reduce smuggling.

    According to him, smuggling is harmful to the economy because people are making sacrifices to produce for export as well as for local consumption.

    “Regrettably, people still smuggle goods, so effective policing of our borders through the custom officers will help a lot to encourage local production,” he said.

  • Gov. Ahmed launches N907m KWASU new campus

    Gov. Ahmed launches N907m KWASU new campus

    Kwara state Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has launched the Ilesha-Baruba, Baruten local government area campus of the College of Agriculture of the Kwara state University (KWASU).

    The project will cost  a sum of N907 million.

    Ahmed explained that the siting of the college in the area was strategic to its agricultural practices especially in the area of livestock and crop farming.

    The governor said the agrarian nature of the area will provide students the opportunity to gain more insight into agriculture.

    He added that “as we are battling the issues relating to food insecurity and unemployment, it is important we provide cutting edge education to ensure we produce knowledgeable young commercial farmers and professionals as well as to provide all private sectors with required research for innovation and growth.

    “Specifically, the institution will also equip the agricultural sector with the knowledge, tools; wealth for farmers, input for industries and food security for all.

    “Having moved away from the sustenance and social service agriculture to more market driven approach, agric business is more than ever knowledge based and technology dependant”, he said.

    The governor asserted that agricultural sector has the potential to curb unemployment, build growth and create food security.

    “Based on this recognition, we have put in place strategy to promote agriculture business in Kwara state.

    “Our Offtaker demand driven agric scheme and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) have provided farmers opportunity to access capital, tools and expertise for their businesses at affordable rates.”

    He pledged his administration’s continued provision of incentives to enhance ability of farmers to compete at production market and increase their earnings.

    Said he: “However, this can only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace and security.

    “It is for this reason and the need to uphold the security of all residents and citizens that I’m really disturbed by the recent clash between farmers and herdsmen locally and across the state.

    “Let me assure you that my administration in partnership with security agencies will soon unveil new measures to eliminate these clashes across the state.

    “In the interim, I call on everyone, who feel aggrieved or that have suffered losses on account of such clashes to exercise patience and refrain from act of criminality while allowing the rule of law to take its due course”, he said.

    Earlier in her address, Hajia Aminat Ahmed, the state’s Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology explained that the reason for siting the campus in Ilesha-Baruba was resolved towards ensuring that Kwara produces the next generation of agricultural enterpreneurs, who would continue the agrarian revolution.

    She said that the project awarded to Unicontinental Engineering International Company Limited had a timeframe of 48 weeks.

  • Three to die by hanging for robbery

    An Ilorin High Court on Thursday sentenced three persons to death by hanging for armed robbery and attempt to murder  Prof. Abdullahi Onimisi of  University of Ilorin.

    The judge, Hon.Justice H. Saleeman, found the three accused persons, Opeyemi Esan (former driver to the university lecturer), Benjamin Musa and Oluwasegun  Ajiboye, guilty of armed robbery and convicted them under Section 1 (2) of the Robbery and Firearms Act, CAP  11, Law of  the Federation, 2004.

    The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kamaldeen Ajibade, who led the prosecution, had told the court that the former driver to the lecturer was sacked due to his unruly behaviour.

    Ajibade further said that because the ex-driver was aggrieved over his sack, he organised the robbery to retaliate.

    He also told the court that the ex-driver had in his confessional statement to the police, admitted that he recruited the two others from Lagos to help him deal with his former boss.

    “On Sept 10, 2016 at the Senior Staff Quarters, University of Ilorin, the accused persons, while armed with offensive weapons, including guns and machete, robbed one Prof. Abdullahi Onimisi and his family of their properties, including car, handsets, jewelries and other valuables”, the prosecution said.

    NAN reports that the prosecution called 10 witnesses and tendered 59 exhibits in the course of the trial to support its submissions.

    Delivering his judgement, Justice Saleeman held that the case of robbery and attempt to commit culpable homicide against the three accused persons had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

    “The society needs to do away with the likes of the accused persons in order to have a sane society,” he said.

    Consequently, Justice Saleeman convicted them as charged and condemned them to death by hanging.

     

  • Provide better service to Nigerians, Kwara Dep. Gov. urges NRC

    Kwara Deputy Governor, Peter Kisira, has called on the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to improve its quality of service in order to meet the transport needs of Nigerians.

    Kisira made the call when he received the Managing Director of the Railway Property Management Company Limited, Alhaji Abubakar Labaran, in Ilorin on Sunday.

    The Deputy Governor recalled how effective rail transport was in the sixties and seventies and called on the NRC to provide better service for the people.

    ‎He described railway as a reliable means of public transportation that should be readily available to the people.

    Earlier, Labaran said the team was in Kwara on routine inspection of land and landed property of the NRC in the state.

    He said that some foreign investors had indicated interest to invest in the development of the country’s railways to standard gauge system.

  • Kwara: Students protest non-payment of bursary, scholarship awards

    Kwara: Students protest non-payment of bursary, scholarship awards

    By Adekunle Jimoh

    On Wednesday, students of Kwara state origin congregated in their scores from various tertiary institutions (universities, polytechnics and colleges of education) in the country to stage a peaceful protest over the failure of the state government to pay their bursary awards since 2015.

    The protesting students carried placards that read: “governor Ahmed pay us our entitlements”, “students of Kwara origin are suffering”, “we did not vote for sufferings”, “please pay us our bursary”, among others.

    However, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor on Media and Communications, Dr. Muideen Akorede said that the state government is committed to paying the bursaries and scholarship awards.

    According to the governor, “In the 2017 budget proposal, which is currently before the State House of Assembly, the sum of N500m is earmarked for bursaries, while N450m is allocated for scholarship awards.

    “Despite the current financial situation, the government is focused on payment of salaries, pensions and infrastructure.”

    The expedition of the students started from the state police command, down to the state security service, and finally ended at the government house, Ilorin.

    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the leader of the protest, Mr. Sola Kamardeen criticised the lackluster attitude of the state government towards the growth and development of education in the state.

    He said, “it is disheartening that, since July 2015 the state government cannot pay us despite huge federal allocations that had been coming to Kwara.

    “We have written series of letters to the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed on the need to pay the bursary being owed us but to no avail”.

    He added that, apart from this, “we had met with the speaker of the house of assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, without any positive response and this had led us to stage a peaceful protest on the issue”.

  • Kwara to partner independent broadcasters

    Kwara to partner independent broadcasters

    The Kwara government says it will partner with the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters’ Association of Nigeria (FIBAN) in achieving common goals.

    Alhaji Mahmud Ajeigbe, the state’s  Commissioner for Information and Communications, said this in Ilorin when he received Desmond Nwachukwu, a  presidential aspirant in the association’s forthcoming national elections.

    He said the state government had been supporting the association as a  counterpart of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

    According to him, the profession has been a source of employment to the youth in the country and a platform for Information dissemination.

    He wished all the aspirants positive outcomes in the national elections, urging winners to be magnanimous in victory.

    Earlier, Nwachukwu had said that his campaign train was in the state to canvass for votes in the elections that would come up on Jan.  19.

    FIBAN, he said,  was an integral part of the media that government would need to incorporate in the information dissemination chain.

    Nwachukwu promised to engage members in training and re-training programmes to entrench professionalism if he emerged victorious.

    He commended the commissioner for his warm reception, saying no state had offered his team such hospitality.