The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Niger Government

  • Green Guards to prevent bushburning in Niger – Commissioner

    Green Guards to prevent bushburning in Niger – Commissioner

    The Niger Government on Monday said Green Guards had commenced patrol of the entire forests in the State to prevent bush burning.

    The Commissioner for Environment, Dr Aliyu Tangwagi, made this known during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.

    He advised people against burning the bush indiscriminately in the State.

    He said such practice could cause a negative effect on the environment, adding that the state government will not tolerate such misconduct from the residents.

    He said step had been taken to ensure the safety of forests as members of the Green Guards would arrest and prosecute those found setting the bush on fire.

    He stressed that the green guards had since embarked on patrol of the entire forests in the state.

    The commissioner solicited the support of traditional rulers to curb indiscriminate cutting down of trees and rampant bush burning in the state.

    He said that members of the green guards would continue to work with royal fathers to ensure maximum protection for the state’s forests.

  • Niger employs 500 forest guards

    Niger employs 500 forest guards

    The services of 500 green guards for effective patrolling and policing of forests in the state have been employed by Niger State Government.

    The Commissioner for Environment, Dr Aliyu Tangwagi, made this known in Minna on Wednesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said that the state government had spent N24 million for the payment of allowances to members of the green guards.

    Tangwagi said that the green guards had been trained on effective patrol of the forests in the state.

    The commissioner solicited for the support of traditional rulers so as to curb indiscriminate cutting down of trees in the state.

    He said that members of the green guards would continue to work with royal fathers to ensure maximum protection for the state`s forests.

    He also called on the mass media to do more in sensitising residents on the dangers involved in cutting down of economic trees.

    He said such enlightenment would go a long way in educating members of the general public to desist from arbitrary cutting down of trees.

  • Niger to stop payment of electricity debt over poor supply

    Niger State government has threatened to stop the payment of electricity debt to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) if the power outage in the state persists.

    The state Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Abdulmalik Cheche, who disclosed this while briefing journalists after the state executive council meeting on Thursday, said the power failure in the state had persisted despite government’s pleas to the power company to increase electricity supply.

    He said the state which hosts three Hydro power generation stations with 4,800 megawatts combined capacity (1,600MW each) should not suffer challenges of power outage, stressing that since AEDC has refused to increase electricity supply, the state government will stop all payment to the company.

    “It was resolved in the council that the state may decide to stop its own debt payment to the AEDC if the service they provide did not improve. The state has also resolved to stop provision of transformers since the power sector is no longer owned by the federal government but the private sector,” the commissioner stated.

    Cheche urged the people of the state to be patient on the matter, adding that government is planning for an alternative source of power supply.

    “We are calling on our people to continue to exercise patience as plans are under way to have an alternative state owned backup power supply that will be generated and distributed directly to the state,” he said.

     

  • Why NECO withheld candidates’ results – Niger Government

    Why NECO withheld candidates’ results – Niger Government

    Niger State Government on Tuesday said the cash crunch hitting the nation’s economy was responsible for its inability to pay the National Examination Council (NECO) examination fees which has led to the non-release of results of candidates that sat for the June/July 2014 Secondary School Certificate in the state.

    But the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state said the excuse given by the government will not stand, alleging that the money that should have been spent for such payment had been used for promotion of the 2015 ambition of one of the governorship aspirants of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The state’s Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Danladi Abdulhameed, while confirming the development in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Minna, said that inadequate cash flow from the Federation Account was responsible for the delay in payment of examination fees.

    Parents and Candidates that say for the examination have raised concern over the non release of the results six weeks after the examination body released the results nationwide.

    Abdulhameed said that out of the total bill of N294million, the state paid N100 million last month to NECO and assured that the balance of N194 million would soon be off set, as measures are being taken to effect payment.

    “This month we are going to settle all our outstanding debts. Therefore, I am appealing to our students and parents that this administration will continue with its free education programme to the end.

    “This year, government approved the sum of N688million to pay for internal and external examinations in the state. So far out of the N294million we owe NECO, we have been able to pay N100million and the remaining balance will be settled this month.”

    The commissioner regretted the development and appealed for the understanding of NECO, stressing that the state government has never owed the examination body since the scheme started.

    The APC Publicity Secretary, Jonathan Vatsa, condemned the insensitivity of the state government to the future of the candidates, accusing the government of squandering the state’s meagre resources to promote the political ambition of governorship and senatorial aspirants.