The Nation Newspaper

Tag: kwara

  • Kwara to generate 20,000 jobs in agric

    Kwara to generate 20,000 jobs in agric

    Kwara State government is to generate 20,000 agro-related jobs annually to eradicate poverty and create wealth, especially among youths.

    Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed spoke when participants of Course 38 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State visited him.

    The governor said his administration identified agriculture as one of the keys of economic prosperity.

    He noted that it could improve people’s lives.

    The governor said about 50,000 Small Medium Enterprises had been empowered, adding that N2 billion would be injected into the scheme in three years, with priority on youths and women beneficiaries.

    “Our determination is to generate a successor-generation of commercial farmers driven by an entrepreneurial mindset for job and wealth creation.”

    He said poverty remained a dominant issue in the country, as the 2015 Human Development Index ranked Nigeria 152 of 188 countries in 2014.

    Leader of the NIPSS team Brig.-Gen. Daniel Chinoko said the team, which is Group 6 of the course, was in the state to understudy the government’s poverty reduction programmes and policies.

    Chinoko, who said the theme of Course 38 is ‘Strengthening institutional mechanism for poverty reduction and inclusive governance’, promised that the team’s report would be unbiased.

     

  • NAFDAC moves to check fake registration codes

    NAFDAC moves to check fake registration codes

    Mrs Roseline Ajayi, the State Coordinator for National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Kwara, said on Monday that the agency would descend on those parading fake NAFDAC codes.

     

    Ajayi stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.

     

    She said that NAFDAC would carry out periodic checks on imported and locally-manufactured products and urged manufacturers to make their products available for the exercise.

     

    “We know some people are using fake NAFDAC codes but they do not know that we have our codes for different products.

     

    “Through the check, we will be able to fish out those with fake codes.

     

    “We have some imported products around that bear NAFDAC numbers and some local products too which we categorised as sub-standard.

     

    “If the manufacturers know and importers are sure of what they are pushing into the market, they will subject it to NAFDAC scrutiny,’’ she told NAN.

     

    The coordinator, however, said that the problem of sub-standard products was minimal in the state.

     

    “I had the opportunity of interviewing some of our stakeholders and they often times accused us of being too stringent; that our requirements are too many compared to other states.

     

    “What we do is that we take samples of some of their products for test without telling them. So I can boldly say most of these products are measured up to standard.

     

    “To a large extent, Kwara is in good standing when it comes to product standard,’’ the NAFDAC chief said.

     

    Ajayi said that NAFDAC, under her administration, would intensify effort to sensitise the public on the need to patronise only registered products.

     

    She said that NAFDAC was the only agency saddled with the responsibility of assessing external and oral products, while others dealt with utility and household equipment.

     

    “We all work toward one purpose; we have the same aim and goal, there could be areas of overlap but certainly we are all working for the same purpose.

     

    “We scrutinise any product that can have any negative impact on health, whether external or oral,’’ she told NAN.

  • Cultists shatter Kwara peace

    Cultists shatter Kwara peace

    Cult groups, once restricted to campuses and other states, are now clashing on the streets of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, with chilling results, reports KUNLE JIMOH

    Cult-related clashes have claimed no fewer than 10 lives in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital since January. This is a chilling development in a state with a reputation for peace. At the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, Kwara residents enjoyed enviable peace. Cultists also kept their distance.

    Now, the picture is changing. Cult clashes have spread to the streets of Ilorin. Mid January, suspected cultists hacked to death a car wash operator, Bayo Ajia, though he was the alleged to be a notorious cultist.

    The police and state government said they were doing everything to crush crime and sustain peace in the peace.

    Penultimate weekend, a cult  clash reportedly claimed four lives in the state capital, though the police command said three persons died.

    Late last month, suspected cultists struck at Ikoko-Sakamo area of Ilorin, killing a man simply identified as Wasiu. Wasiu, in his 30s, it was gathered, who had reportedly fled the area to avoid being attacked, returned only to face those he dreaded, it was learnt. Like Ajia, he was also said to belong to a cult group. The gunmen reportedly numbering four were said to have arrived in the area in commando style, shooting the victim in the face, an eyewitness said.

    There was anxiety at the scene of the incident as residents and passersby scampered for safety.

    “It was like a theatre scene when the gunmen arrived,” the eyewitness said. “They started shooting and everybody around had to run away.  We didn’t know what happened, we only discovered that the style of operation of the gunmen appeared like they are cultists.

    “Before now, we had been observing Wasiu because his action too was suspicious. He might be a cult member; that is why he was away for some time now before yesterday’s incident.”

    The latest cult clash occurred at Babako, Ita-Amodu and Agbo-Oba areas of Ilorin metropolis between penultimate Saturday night and 4 o’clock on Sunday morning.

    Another person was said to have been hacked to death by suspected cultists in the Olunlade area, along Ilorin-Ajase-Ipo Road.

    The development, it was gathered, created tension in the affected areas while residents scampered for safety.

    Eyewitness account had it that one of the victims of the incident was a- 20-year-old boy allegedly  shot by the cultists.

    It was also gathered that members of the “Aiye” fraternity first struck at Baboko area of Ilorin around 9.30 pm on Saturday night allegedly killing two persons.

    In a reprisal attack, it was gathered that after that operation at Baboko the suspected cultists headed for  Ita-Amodu and Agbo-Oba in Ilorin on a revenge mission. This group also allegedly killed two persons in that reprisal attack.

    The state government and police command said they were would stem the tide of this unsavoury development. The state Commissioner of Police Sam Okaula recently paraded 13 suspected cultists. Items recovered from them included one cut-to-size gun, one locally made pistol and five cartridges.

    Mr. Okaula added that the state police had earlier declared two of the arrested suspects wanted.

    He said, “There were rival cult clashes here and there between Saturday and Sunday and some people lost their lives. But like I told you last time we will always be on top of the situation; we have effected the arrest of 13 of these notorious cultists. We shall go all out to arrest more of these suspects so that we can have peace in the state.”

    “We have directed District Police Officers (DPOs) and Area Commanders to be on top of the situation. We are going to carry out effective checks on motorcycles, as most of them are being used to commit crimes.

    “I use this medium to appeal to members of the public to continue to give us information especially with regard to these cultists…Enough is enough for these boys.”

    Also talking tough, the state governor Abdulfatah Ahmed warned cultists and law breakers that tough time awaited them, adding that there would be no hiding place for them

    Ahmed  said everything necessary would be done to ensure that peace in the state is not truncated by hoodlums. He also urged parents and guardians to take proper care of their wards.

    He said, “The law is very clear on crime. Anybody who is caught under any guise will face the wrath of the law as cultism is unacceptable in Kwara State.”

  • UniIlorin to render free education services

    UniIlorin to render free education services

    The Institute of Education, University of Ilorin is to provide free adult education and counselling services to its host community, Prof. Mudashiru Yusuf, the Director of the Institute, has said.

     

    Yusuf told newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara on Monday that the services, which would commence before the end of the year, was part of the university’s corporate social responsibility.

     

    “Efforts are on to bring back the self-sustaining extramural classes for candidates who have been failing in public examinations like the UTME and WAEC.

     

    “ The programme will be carried out as social services, its costs will be within the means of members of the University’s host community, “ he said.

     

    The director said that the institute would introduce diploma programmes in Human Kinetics, Health Education, Instructional Radio and Television, Arts and Craft, and Photography for School Certificate holders, and HND conversion programme.

     

    Yusuf explained that the expansion of the courses was part of the Institute’s mandate to add value to the socio-economic development of its host community.

     

    “We are planning a Community Counselling Centre, which is going to be a free service by the University.

     

    “Experts will be engaged to counsel on marital affairs, academic matters, job issues, mental health issues, and teenage affairs, “he said.

     

    Yusuf said the initiative was a joint effort of the university’s Counselling Unit, Centre for Supportive Services for the Deaf, Department of Health Education and the College of Health Sciences.

     

    “We want to give the community a standard extramural environment where students will be taught and not assisted to cheat like some centres are doing; we want to set the standard.

     

    “We are educators; we know the standard and we will not just be blaming others for doing what is wrong, we will establish the standard and then others will follow the standard,“ he said.

     

    According to him, the infrastructure required for the take-off of the programme “are on ground.”

     

    “We are discussing with the administration and we are calling experts to assess what we have on ground, and efforts are on to ensure that this place is put into very good shape,“ he said.

  • Lagos, Kwara rule at NTTF U-16 national league

    Lagos, Kwara rule at NTTF U-16 national league

    Lagos and Kwara States confirmed why they remain the best table tennis playing states in the country after their lads claimed the titles at the maiden Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) U-16 national league concluded at the weekend in Lagos.

    With this, another set of junior stars have been discovered from NTTF U-16 national league with Lagos’ Emmanuel Augustine and Kwara’s Sukurat Aiyelabegan becoming champions of the one-week tournament.

    The two players were never considered as favourites for the titles but records were thrown into the trash bin after the youngsters dazed most of their opponents to come out on top.

    Southpaw Augustine beat other top players to the overall title after garnering 84 points as well as the highest earning player with N25,000 as his total prize money for his efforts in the boys’ event.

    Like Augustine, Aiyelabegan topped the girls’ event with 66 points and a prize money of N16,000 for all her efforts in the tournament.

    Other players that made the top three in the boys’ event are Lagos’ duo of Jamiu Ayanwale and Qudus Surmer while in the girls’ cadre Aiyelegan was joined in the top three by Kwara’s Rofiat Jimoh and Lagos’ Zainab Surmer.

  • Fuel scarcity: NSCDC arrests Tanker driver in Kwara

    Fuel scarcity: NSCDC arrests Tanker driver in Kwara

    The Kwara Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Thursday confirmed the arrest of a Tanker driver over alleged diversion of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol.

     

    The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Mr Kunle Bilesanmi, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.

     

    Bilesanmi reiterated tha the transporter of the product was Conoil but that it belonged to Z.A. Imam along Sobi road in Ilorin East Local Government Area, whilst the product was allegedly diverted to Akkon Filling Station in Aboto Oja in Asa Local Government Area of the state.

     

    “Our men acted on a tip-off and we rounded them up on Wednesday.

     

    “We are doing the needful by following the waybill and we have ensured that the product has been delivered to the rightful owner (Z.A Imam) today (Thursday).

     

    “This is what has been happening that is causing hardship to the people of the state and we will not take it anymore,’’ Bilesanmi said.

     

    He said the truck had a 33,000 litre-capacity, but that it was actually carrying 11,000 litres of the product.

     

    The NSCDC spokesman said before the truck was apprehended, it had already offloaded 1,950 to Akkon, and that the remaining product had successfully been delivered to Z.A. Imam.

  • Saraki earned salary for four years after governorship tenure

    Saraki earned salary for four years after governorship tenure

    …Kwara denies paying Saraki after tenure

    The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja heard Wednesday  that the Kwara State Government continued to pay about N1.2million monthly as salary and pension to its former governor, Bukola Saraki three years after he ceased to occupy the office.

    Saraki was Kwara State governor between 2003 and 2011. But a prosecution witness in his false assets declaration trial before the CCT said on Wednesday that, although Saraki has been a Senator since May 2011, after the expiration of his second term as governor, the Kwara State Government only “stopped crediting his account with N1,165,466.12 monthly as salary and or pension on the August 31, 2015.”

    The state government however in a statement Wednesday night  denied paying Saraki salary after he left office in May 2011.

    Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold explained that Dr Saraki’s last salary was N291,474.00 for the month of May 2011.

    The witness, Michael Wetkas, an official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who opened his testimony on Tuesday as the first prosecution, continued Wednesday.

    Wetkas, led in evidence by lead prosecution witness, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), testified for about five hours, during which he gave details of transactions in Saraki’s three accounts operated in naira, dollar and pound sterling with the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).

    The witness gave details on how several funds, belonging to Kwara State, were allegedly diverted into Saraki’s private accounts both in Nigeria and abroad, with which he purportedly acquired property and liquidated some personal loans.

    Wetkas, who drew the tribunal’s attention to some suspicious transactions in the defendant’s accounts with GTB, noted that during investigation, it was discovered that the identity of those making payments into the accounts were deliberately hidden by the bank.

    The witness, who was part of the investigating team, said they discovered, during investigation, that most of the bank tellers for payment, were completed in similar hand writing, but without the address and phone numbers of the depositors.

  • Court remands farmer for killing wife’s lover

    Court remands farmer for killing wife’s lover

    A 25-year-old farmer, Mohammed Tanko, was on Tuesday ordered to be remanded in prison for allegedly killing his wife’s lover.
    Tanko of Gorobani village in Kaiama, Kwara, was charged before an Ilorin Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stabbing to death one Boka who he suspected to be having extra-marital affairs with his wife.
    The Prosecutor, Cpl. Abideen Oderinde, told the court that on Feb. 25, the accused assaulted Boka because he suspected him having sexual intercourse with his wife (Daya).
    In his words, “As a result, fight ensued between them and Mohammed Tanko stabbed Boka with knife and he died instantly.
    “Investigation conducted revealed that the accused callously stabbed Boka to death based on information he heard that the deceased had sexual intercourse with his wife,’’ Oderinde said.
    The prosecutor said the accused is facing a one-count charge of culpable homicide.
    He said that offence contravened Section 221 of Penal Code Law.
    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.
    The Magistrate, M. F. Adebola, ordered the remand of the accused at Federal Prison Oke-Kura, Ilorin.
    Adebola adjourned the case to April 14, for further mention

  • Rival cults clash claims four in Kwara

    Rival cults clash at the weekend reportedly claimed the lives of four persons in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
    The clash was said to have been caused by a supremacy battle between the two gangs.
    Last week Sunday, members of suspected cultists struck at Ikokoro/Sakamo area of Ilorin and killed a boy simply identified as Wasiu.
    The latest cult clash occurred at Babako, Ita-Amodu and Agbo-Oba areas of Ilorin metropolis between Saturday’s night and 4 a.m on Sunday morning.
    Another person was said to have been hacked to death by suspected cultists Olunlade area, along Ilorin-Ajase-Ipo road.
    The development, it was gathered, created tension in the affected areas while residents scampered for safety.
    Eye witness account had it that one of the victims of the incident was a- 20- year- old boy allegedly shot by the cultists.
    ‎It was gathered that, members of “Aiye” fraternity first struck at Baboko area of Ilorin around 9.30 p.m on Saturday night and allegedly killed two persons.
    After the operation at Baboko, the suspected cultists at Baboko area headed for Ita-Amodu and Agbo-0ba areas of Ilorin on revenge mission.
    This group also allegedly killed two persons in the areas where they clashed.
    When contacted, the spokesman of the state police command, Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the incident.
    “I can confirmed one person to you that has been killed by the suspected cultists and this happened at Babaoko area of Ilorin”.
    He said that “men of the state police command had taken his corpse to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH)”.
    According to him, henceforth, any one caught will be made to face the full wrath of the law”.

  • Suspected cultists kill one in Kwara

    Suspected cultists yesterday shot one person dead in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    The victim, identified simply as Wasiu, was said to have been killed near Ikokoro/Sakamo at 4pm.

    The victim, said to be in his 30s, had fled the area to avoid an attack, but recently returned.

    He was said to be a member of a rival cult group.

    It was learnt that Wasiu’s attackers comprised four gunmen who reportedly stormed the area in a commando style.

    They were said to have shot the victim at close range, which an eyewitness said was in the face.

    Residents and passersby scampered for safety as the gunmen attacked their victim.

    A source said: “It was like a movie scene, when the gunmen arrived. They started shooting so much that everybody had to run away. We didn’t know what happened; we only realised that the gunmen’s style appeared like they were cultists.

    “Before now, we have been observing Wasiu because his actions too were suspicious. He might have been a cult member. That is why he was away for some time before yesterday’s incident.”

    It was learnt that the remains of the victim were evacuated  by a relative before the police arrived on the scene.