Tag: Niger

In a move aimed at mitigating the impact of fuel subsidy removal on people, Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State has revealed that the state government has acquired 200 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered buses for intra-state transportation.

Speaking at a dinner for members of the House of Representatives Press Corps, he also disclosed the upcoming signing of a memorandum of understanding with a rice mill factory in Kano state for the direct procurement of paddy rice cultivated in Niger State.

The governor who was until his election, a member of the House of Representatives, disclosed that his administration has awarded the contract for the construction of about 566 kilometres of roads across the state.

He said that 100 of the CNG buses will be deployed to ply the Suleja/Abuja route at a subsidised rate for workers, while 50 will be left in Minna and the remaining 50 shared between Kontangora and Bids.

The buses, he said will render free service to students.

While lamenting the backward nature of the state, Gov. Bago said Niger state has no business being a poor state considering its natural endowment, assuring that under his leadership, the resources would be adequately harnessed for the benefit of citizens

He said: “Niger State is the largest in terms of land mass in Nigeria, with about 76, 300 square kilometres of arable land. Niger State also has four Hydropower dams. That is Kianji, Jeba, Shiroro and Zungeru. We have the only white sand beach in West Africa, the Shagunu beach.

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“There is also Zuma rock and a lot more that people don’t know. I have come here today to tell you that with this partnership we are establishing, we need to spread the gospel. Let people understand where we stand. What people understand about Niger State is the issue of insecurity and insurgency.

“Yes, we cannot shy away from insecurity, it is a reality, but what percentage of our land is in that mess? Very insignificant. You cannot underscore the fact that lives are being lost, but we are working assiduously to make sure that everybody lives well in Niger State and in Nigeria at large.

“We are very ambitious as a government. We have already purchased about 200 CNG buses to commute for free students going to school and subsidized civil servants in Niger State. 100 buses will commute to Abuja and Suleja daily, while 50 will be in Minna and others will be spread between Kontangora and Bida.

“Secondly, we have awarded contracts for the construction of about 566km of the roads and we have started with groundbreaking. It is unprecedented in this state, we are so ambitious and by the grace of God, we will be there.”

On the MOU on rice production, he said despite Niger being rated as a leading producer of paddy rice in the country, the rice mills in the state were nothing to write home about.

He said: “I went for Peer review yesterday in Kano because Niger state is the largest producer of paddy rice in Nigeria but our rice mills are nothing to write home about. I heard of the largest rice mill in Africa situated in Kano and I went for Peer review and it is something that is massive.

“So how do we take comparative advantage of that? We will first aggregate this paddy and trade it off to these people instead of them coming here to carry it for almost free and our people are losing.

“We want to empower our local farmers with improved seedlings and inputs so that they can produce more tonnage and also make more money. We are going to have an MOU between Niger State Development Company and Gerawa rice mill for offtake of all rice paddy that we can control so that we are sure that our farmers don’t lose”, he said.

The governor emphasized the importance of collaboration in promoting accurate reportage and projection of a positive image of Niger State and said the state government will partner with the media and other relevant stakeholders for the development of the state.

He said: “Our story must be told and heard and the only way people understand our aims and objectives is when we speak our stories ourselves.”

Speaking on the two-day Green Economy Summit being hosted by the State government on Tuesday, Gov Bago said the summit will provide an opportunity for the state to harness its potential.

While saying that Nigeria was yet to explore the full benefits of a green economy, he said

Niger State has the largest congregation of shea trees in the world which has not been explored.

He said: “We are holding the first of its kind green economy summit because we have seen the comparative advantage we have in this state. So much money is out there and the only way we can access carbon credits is when we first aggregate our forests and trade them in exchange for the emission by multi-national companies.

“Niger State has the largest congregation of shea trees in the world. It is an endowment by God. These things nobody knows about are there but our women are on the farms, cutting them down to make firewood. We, however, need them to understand that we must protect our forests from deforestation and also promote afforestation.

“We have two major Rivers. One, on the left side, River Niger, and to the right side, River Kaduna. Niger is the only state with this endowment. You can navigate from Baro until you get to the Atlantic.

“So Niger state is not supposed to be poor. Now we have been given the opportunity to write history but we don’t want to write it alone.”

Chairperson of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Grace Ike commended the Governor for his efforts at improving the economy of the state.

Niger State governor, Muhammed Umar Bago, has said that the state government will prioritise issues of climate change to mitigate natural and man-made disasters in the state.

 Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day retreat for members of the House of Representatives Press Corps, the governor challenged the media to drive the advocacy on climate change which he said is one of the issues affecting the global economy today.

Represented by his Deputy, Yakubu Garba, Governor Bago said the realisation of the danger of climate change to the nation necessitated the state government’s decision to convoke a Green Economy Summit.

 He said “Since my assumption of office, we have raised the ante of informing the public about preventive measures to save lives and reduce damage to property and infrastructure. We are willing to collaborate with the media to drive this advocacy as well as work out strategies to put climate change issues on the front burner.

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 ‘Climate change is one of the biggest problems confronting nations today. In Nigeria, it is a matter of concern to governments and experts because it is happening at a very frightening level.

“We have problems of flood, desertification, environmental pollution, etc and despite efforts being made, the devastating effects of climate change are recorded yearly. Even part of the insecurity we face today is attributed to climate change, which deserves priority attention.

“Unfortunately, it seems some of these disasters are even under-reported. Perhaps, the media is not adequately equipped to handle this. I believe that as journalists who report from the parliament, where laws are enacted, it is essential that you acquire the necessary skills and tools to mainstream climate change.

“This can enable you to set an agenda for the Legislature and indeed the Executive. I hope that at the end of this retreat, you will all be better positioned to inform, educate and enlighten society on the implications of climate change.

 ” I, therefore, invite you to show more interest in issues of climate change. Do not concentrate on reporting politics alone but also pay due attention to climate change because it directly affects human welfare and condition of living.”

Justice Halima Abdulmalik, the Chief Judge of Niger State, has revealed that the state Judicial Service Commission terminated the employment of 32 judicial staff due to their involvement in corruption and corrupt practices in the past year.

Speaking at the special court session to mark the commencement of the 2023/2024 legal year of the High Court of Niger state on Tuesday, October 17, the Chief Judge also said that 32 staff retired in one year.

Abdulmalik, who gave a review of the 2022/2023 return of cases said that the state judiciary currently has a total of 3,418 pending, saying out of which 486 cases were freshly filed while 2,932 were brought forward from the 2021/2022 judicial year.

He said: “From the available statistics, it is apparent that on average, each Judge of the High Court has a total of 228 cases in his docket and 34 cases were disposed of per judge.

“For Magistracy, a total of 8,840 cases were filed, 5,478 were disposed of while 3,234 are pending while at the Sharia Court of Appeal, 61 appeals were filed, 27 were disposed of while 34 are still pending.”

Niger state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago in his address called on the judiciary to remain committed to the principles of justice, fairness and equality.

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Bago acknowledged that the judiciary plays a vital role in upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice for all thereby making the society stable while he emphasized the relentless efforts of the judiciary in protecting the rights of the citizens and maintaining the integrity of the legal system.

He noted: “We have witnessed the resilience of our legal system in the face of various challenges. The court has continued to dispense justice impartially and efficiently despite limited resources and a growing caseload”.

The Governor however called on them to ensure justice is timely and accessible, explore innovative strategies that would quicken the resolution of cases, and continue to promote ethical conduct and professionalism among others.

Niger’s junta has demanded that the head of the United Nations diplomatic mission there leave the country within 72 hours, accusing the U.N. of excluding Niger from its General Assembly last month.

The army officers who seized power in a coup in July did not have a representative at the meeting of world leaders in New York.

A U.N. spokesperson in Niamey said she had no immediate comment.

In a statement dated Oct. 10, Niger’s foreign ministry accused the U.N. of using “underhanded manoeuvres” instigated by France to prevent its full participation in the U.N. General Assembly and in subsequent meetings of U.N. agencies that were held in Vienna and in Riyadh.

As a consequence, the government has ordered U.N. resident coordinator Louise Aubin to leave, said the statement.

The junta is following a pattern seen in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, which also grew hostile to the United Nations and former colonial ruler France after their militaries seized power.

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Niger has already kicked out French troops and the French ambassador.

Burkina Faso expelled its U.N. resident coordinator last year and Mali ended a U.N. peacekeeping mission that had been there for a decade.

All three countries are struggling with an Islamist insurgency that has spiralled in recent years, prompting power grabs by army officers who promised to improve security.

The coups have been accompanied by accusations that France exerts too much influence in its former colonies, and a shift toward Russia as a strategic partner instead. France has denied exercising undue influence.

The United States has formally declared the military takeover in Republic of Niger as coup de’tat.

It consequently cut off more than $500m (£407m) in aid to the West African nation.

In July, the military ousted President Mohamed Bazoum – an ally of Western nations in the fight against jihadist insurgents.

Under US law, a formal designation of a coup requires that aid is suspended.

The US State Department ,according to BBC report, said: “assistance to Niger would only be resumed if the coup leaders ushered in a democratic government.

“It is understood that Washington will keep its troops in Niger for the time being.

“A US official said the troops were no longer actively helping Nigerien forces but would continue to monitor threats from jihadists.”

An official said last week that the US Embassy can continue to operate and the US military will be able to legally keep forces in Niger if a coup designation is made, US officials said.

But the Pentagon is still assessing how the change will impact the approximately 1,000 US forces stationed in the country, officials said.

US officials said it is unlikely that US forces withdraw completely, and some will probably stay in a more limited intelligence gathering role.

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“As we continue our diplomatic engagements to preserve civilian rule in Niger we are continuing to assess additional next steps but have nothing to preview at this time,” a State Department spokesperson said.

The administration could continue with life-saving and other kinds of assistance that are important for US security interests while simultaneously suspending other assistance to the government, including economic and security assistance. Those details are still being ironed out.

But, unlike some allies, the US had been reluctant to formally label the takeover as a “coup,” because it is a legal designation that would require the US to restrict certain forms of foreign aid to Niger – most notably, security assistance funding for Nigerien forces.

The coup designation could result in US funding and support for the Nigerien military being cut off, which the US military has sought to avoid – even as France announced last week that it was pulling all of its troops out of the country by the end of this year. The US has worked to support Nigerien forces for a decade to bolster their fight against terrorists in Africa’s Sahel region, and the US has several bases inside Niger from where it conducts counterterrorism operations

According to the US Embassy in Niamey, since 2012, the Pentagon and State Department “have provided Niger more than $350 million in military assistance equipment and training programs – one of the largest security assistance and training programs in sub-Saharan Africa.”

But US law requires that funds appropriated by Congress for training and equipping a foreign military must be restricted in the event that a “duly elected” country’s leader has been overthrown by that country’s military.

“There has been frustration in Congress with the administration’s lack of communication with the Hill, and the administration’s slow decision-making process,” a person familiar with the discussions said.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in Djibouti last week that the US still has “essentially the same footprint in Niger” as it did before the takeover, and has continued conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the purposes of protecting the US forces still stationed there. But, he said, the US has “not resumed any operations with the Nigerien forces.”

The US military mission in Niger is one of the main reasons why the US held off so long on legally declaring the situation a military coup d’etat, instead engaging in extensive diplomacy to try to reverse the Nigerien military takeover, officials previously told CNN. But those diplomatic efforts haven’t been successful, and the military is still in power.

“We’ve come very close to say, again, that this is an attempted coup,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on August 15 when asked why the US had not made the legal designation. “I think, by all means, from State Department, from DOD, from other levels of government, we are trying to work through this in a peaceful manner. As you know, Niger is quite a critical partner to us in the region.”

The Secretary of State could issue a waiver to reinstate the military aid once a coup is determined, but only if he decides that it is in the national security interest of the United States and consults with Congress first, according to the Congressional Research Service. Congress for the first-time last year incorporated the waiver into its 2023 omnibus spending bill.

Senior Pentagon officials believe that keeping a presence in Niger is vital to efforts to tackle terrorism in the region and believe that it’s feasible even amid the domestic political turmoil there. Several of the junta leaders have worked with and been trained by the US as part of the US’ security cooperation with the country, current and former officials told CNN, and Nigerien military leaders have not voiced anti-American sentiment or asked the US to leave.