The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Niger Govt

  • Niger owes WAEC, NECO N664m

    Niger State government State said on Monday it is owning two major examination bodies in the country – the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) – N664 million.

    The state Commissioner of Education, Hajiya Fatima Magudu, said the debt was inherited by the government from previous administrations in the state.

    The Nation had reported that students in the state public schools have not been able to access their WEAC results due to debts owed to the examination body.

    Students and parents have besieged the WAEC office in Minna, demanding reasons why the results were not accessed and they were directed to the state Ministry of Education for explanations.

    However, the commissioner said N5million had been given to WAEC to offset this year’s bill to enable the students access their results.

     

  • Niger releases N25m to fight cholera outbreak

    Niger State Government has released N25 million to curtail the spread of cholera in the state.

    The disease has affected 120 persons in four local government areas in the state.

    The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mustapha Jibrin, who disclosed this on Wednesday in Minna, said the amount would be used for purchase of required drugs to curtail the outbreak.

    He said the affected councils include Gbako with 15 cases, Lavun (21) , Katcha (10) and Bida (74).

    The commissioner said 205 cases of gastroenteritis were reported in Agaie, Gurara, Lapai, Mokwa, Munya, Paikoro, Suleja, Tafa and Wushishi LGAs.

    “Niger State government has sent a rapid response clinical team to assist in the management of the outbreak. The state also dispatched outbreak team to the affected councils for assessment and active case search.

    “The state is collaborating closely with World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) to see that the menace stops. Samples are also being taken to confirm the causative organism.”

     

     

  • Niger football supporters club‎ appeals for N2.5 million

    The Nigeria Football Supporters Club‎, Niger Chapter, has appealed to the Niger Government to provide N2.5 million for the association to be inaugurated by the parent body.

    The Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Mohammed, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Minna.

    He said the chapter was still new and needed to be launched to lime light for it to participate in the National Executive Council meetings and in national elections.
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    ‎“Very soon, the Nigeria Football Supporters Club national executives will be coming to Minna to inaugurate the state’s chapter.

    “Our problem now is that we have no fund for the official launching, we have no official vehicles‎ and we need new musical instruments,’’ he said.

    Mohammed said that sometimes,‎ when the Super Eagles play their matches in Port-Harcourt, Uyo, Kaduna and the Abuja national stadium, they were constrained because they had no official vehicle.

    “There are some chapters like Delta, Enugu, Beyelsa and Anambra that their governors have purchased 18-seater vehicles to ease their movements,’’ he said.‎

    Mohammed said that they had band and trumpeters in the club but ‎what they needed desperately was 18-seater bus and other musical instruments.

    “If we are given these, it will aid us to go and cheer the Super Eagles in African and World Cup qualifiers.

    The chairman commended Gov. Sani Bello for his support in hiring vehicles that took them to Calabar in the past to support the Super Eagles.

    He said that hiring a vehicle was good but not sustainable and efficient ‎for such an association.

    Mohammed also said that Niger, Kaduna, Kano and Bauchi states were the catchment areas of Abuja and Kaduna Stadia in case other states did not come to cheer the national teams.

  • Niger govt. warns politicians against reckless statements

    Niger state government has advised Politicians to desist from making reckless statements that will worsen security challenges in the state.

    The government warned politicians not to capitalize on the security challenges in the state for their selfish agenda.

    Apparently referring to the statement by the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, Senator David Umaru that the government is doing nothing despite the number of people killed last year by herdsmen, the Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa said the government is working with the security agencies to tackle the upsurge  of kidnapping and cattle rustling in Rafi and Shiroro local government areas of the state.

    In a statement issued yesterday, the  Commissioner urged politicians in the state to join hands with the government in the roadmap to provide purposeful leadership.

    His words, “The Government has advised politicians not to worsen any security challenges by capitalizing on such situation for selfish political agenda but join hands with the government in the roadmap to provide purposeful leadership.”

    He said that the government was worried that people of questionable characters have capitalized on the border with the notorious Birni Gwari forest of Kaduna State to infiltrate the state but assured the people of the state that the government has mobilized security agencies to curb the rising trends.

    He however appeal to the people to cooperate with the security agents by offering useful information that will lead to the arrest of the criminals terrorizing innocent people of the area.

    The Commissioner reiterated that the government will always remain committed to making  sure that those perpetrating the criminal acts in Rafi and shiroro local government areas of the state were made to face the full wrath of the law.

    “As a government we are assuring security agencies of the government readiness to always cooperate them to rid the state of criminal activities and criminalities, because we understand the importance of their role to achieving our targeted development goals” Vatsa stated.

  • Niger Govt revokes 248 hectares of land around Zuma rock

    Niger Govt revokes 248 hectares of land around Zuma rock

    The Niger State Executive Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has revoked  248 hectares of land around the neighborhood of the famous Zuma Rock in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.

    The Governor explained that the natural endowment of the area needs to be preserved for collective benefit.

    The approval for the revocation was contained in a memo to Mr Governor which was signed by the State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Alhaji Haliru Zakari Jikantoro.

    According to the Commissioner, seven beneficiaries have been directed to return the grant or Certificates of Occupancy in their possession and settle amount outstanding within three months from the date of the revocation.

    Those affected include, Aso Savings and Loans Plc with 150 hectares, Minna Economic Regeneration Services with 50 hectares, Shelter Plus Nigeria Limited with 35 hectares, Grand Towers Plc with 10 hectares, U.A.I.A. Nigeria Limited and Umaru Bature with 3 hectares

    Jikantoro further stated that beneficiaries with proof of unexhausted improvement on their revoked plots may be entitled to compensation or alternative allocation of plot where appropriate.

    In a related development, the State Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Culture, Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa warned those engaged in local crushing and quarrying of granite behind the famous Zuma Rock to stop  or face the wrath of the law.