The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Niger

  • NiMet predicts rains, thunderstorms for Monday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy skies over the central states of the country on Monday morning with prospects of rains over Abuja, Bauchi, Gombe, Jos, Jalingo, Niger, Yola and Kaduna cities.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Sunday also predicted day and night temperatures in the range of 27 to 33 and 17 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

    It added that localised thunderstorms were probable over the region in the afternoon and evening period.

    The agency predicted southern states would experience cloudy conditions over inland cities with intermittent rains over the coastal cities in the morning hours.

    It also predicted prospects of thunderstorm and rains over the region in the afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperatures in the range of 28 to 32 and 20 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.

    According to NiMet, Northern States will experience thunderstorms with cloudy morning over Maiduguri, Nguru and Potiskum, with day and night temperatures of 30 to 36 and 20 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.

    “Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over Maiduguri, Nguru, and Potiskum axis, while the entire region is likely to be cloudy.

    “There are indications of increased cloudiness with prospects of intermittent rains and thunderstorms over the country within the next 24 hours,” NiMet predicted.

  • Niger health status indices drop

    The health status indices of Niger State have dropped below zero per cent, a smart and mixed survey has revealed.  The survey which was carried out by the Save One Million Lives (SOML) revealed that the state is reading negative in the three indicators used to rate it.

    According to the survey, the state present baseline in Penta 3 Vaccine coverage is at -7.8 per cent, in the use of Long Lasting Insecticide Net for Children under the age of five, the state was rated -17.6 per cent while in having Skilled Birth Attendant, the rating of the state was -3.7 per cent.

    The State Technical Assistant of the Save One Million Lives, Mohammed Usman Alkali made this disclosure when the Center for Communication and Reproduction Health Serviced (CCRHS),  under the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH@Scale,) paid a visit to the Permanent Secretary of Niger State Planning Commission, Alhaji Usman Musa Dalau.

    Alkali urged the state government to look into adequate funding and prompt release of funds to the health sector to enable the state have some improvement before the next survey is taken later in the year.

    The Chairman of the Center for Communication and Reproductive Health Services (CCRHS), Dr. Aliyu Yabagi Shehu frowned at the inadequate funding for routine immunization and poor allocation of funds for family planning in the state.

  • Niger donates N5m to flood victims

    The Niger State government has donated N5 million to victims of Monday’s windstorm in Rafi Gora, Kontagora Local Government Area.

    Eight children died and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

    Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs Haliru Jikantoro, who made the donation during a joint condolence visit by members of the executive and legislature to the victims, said the money was for the victims to cater for their immediate needs.

    N1.6 million was given to the families of the eight children who died while the remaining N3.4 million would be shared by those who lost their homes.

    Jikantoro said other relief materials would still come from the government, who would do its best to prevent a recurrence.

    Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) Abdullahi Inga said over 100 houses were destroyed and seven women, between 16 and 18 years, died.

    He added that the body of one of the deceased, Malama Harisa Musa, was recovered on Tuesday and buried.

    Inga said his agency would intensify campaigns against building on waterways as it was a key factor in forestalling future recurrences.

  • UNICEF calls for increase in stakeholders commitment to issues affecting children

    The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has called for increased commitment of stakeholders in Niger, including families and communities, to issues affecting children.

    Dr Zakari Adam, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Kaduna, said on Wednesday in Minna during mid-year review meeting on UNICEF activities in Niger, that such commitment was necessary to ensure healthy development of children in the state.

    “We are calling on stakeholders to improve their commitment especially at family, community levels.

    “We need their support and commitment in areas we are having challenges such as understanding the population of the state and halting traditional practice by families towards children.

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    “A situation where children who are supposed to be in school are roaming the street begging because most parents refused to enroll them in school due to some traditional belief or practice, should be discouraged ,” he said.

    Adams appealed to Niger government to treat children issues using its domestic resources before seeking for external support.

    “The international environment is not favourable in terms of fund mobilisation for UNICEF, this is why we need the cooperation of government and relevant stakeholders in the state ” he added.

    The official urged the media to back up UNICEF efforts by providing necessary information to change the perspectives of families and parents concerning children.

    The objective of the meeting was to review the progress made in the implementation of  2018 work plan, and agree on priority activities in the next six months.

    It will also review the implementation of plans on early child enrollment, routine immunisation, child feeding and hygiene and prevention of violence against children.

    NAN

  • Flood Kills 10 in Niger

    ….9 Bodies Recovered, 1 still Missing

     

    Ten people on Monday evening were killed when a high current flood water swept them in its wake during a heavy downpour in Rafi Gora community and Angwar Nasarawa in Kontagora local government area of Niger State.

    Seven of the victims were girls between the ages of 16 to 18 years.

    The Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Inga who confirmed the incident said the Angwar Gora incident claimed seven lives, all girls adding that one other, Malama Harisa Musa is still missing as at the time of filing this report.

    He explained that the victims were at a spot in the lowland where they hawk wares adding that during the downpour, the high current flood water swept them in its wake.

    Among the victims of the incident include Hanifa Mansur, Fauziya Danlumu, Nana Bello Dankayi, Hadiza Auwali, Na’ima Usman, Rashida Sahabi and Khadija Salah while two victims of Angwar Nasarawa incident, Marayam Salihu and Yahaya Salihu were of the same parent.

    Read Also: Flood hits Makurdi

    He said that Yahaya Salihu age eight years had lost his slippers in the flood and his elder sister, Maryam, who was nearby tried recovering the slippers when the flood washed her away, in his attempt to rescue his sister, Yahaya also lost his life adding that the bodies of the two siblings have been recovered and interred.

    He said a boy survived by clinging on to a tree before rescue eventually came his way.

    Inga also said that seven bodies have been recovered from the Rafi Gora incident and have since been buried according to Islamic rites.

  • Police confirm 8 dead in flood in Niger

    The Police Command in Niger says eight persons have died  as a result of a downpour in Rafin-Gora village in Kontagora Local Government Area of the state.

    The Police Commissioner, Alhaji Dibal Yakadi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday that two bodies of the victims had been recovered.

    Yakadi said that the deceased were washed away by flood from the heavy rain which occurred on Monday evening.

    He added that the search and rescue operation was ongoing to recover the remaining missing bodies. (NAN)

  • $322m Abacha loot: Cash transfers to poor homes begin in July

    The Federal Government says it will commence disbursement of the recovered 322 million dollars Abacha loot through Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) to 302,000 poor households in 19 states in July.

    Mr Tukur Rumar, of the National Cash Transfer Office (NTCO), said this at a roundtable on assets recovery organised by the Swiss Embassy on Thursday, in Abuja.

    The event was organised to intimate citizens and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the efforts both nations were making on asset recovery after the Post-Global Forum on Assets Recovery (GFAR) held in Washington D.C. in Dec. 2017.

    At the forum, Nigeria made commendable commitments on beneficial ownership, tax transparency, asset recovery, transparency management of recovered funds and payments to victims of corruption.

    The states are: Niger, Kogi, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Kwara, Cross River, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarrawa, Anambra and Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) in Borno.

    According to Rumar, the benefiting households will receive N5,000 monthly and are derived from the National Social Register (NSR) that the 19 states are already on.

    He said the programme was designed to also train beneficiaries on livelihood skills, social skills and other programmes that would change their lives completely.

    Rumar, however, said that NCTO had been making payments to the 46,000 poor and vulnerable households across the 19 states since Dec. 2016, adding that the number had increased to 290,000.

    Mr Iorwa Apera, the National Coordinator, National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), said 503,055 households were already on the NSR register from the 19 states, adding that by July, there would be a social register for all the states of the federation.

    He said that of the Abacha loot, about 302,000 poor homes across the 19 states would be mined by the NCTO to begin to receive the Abacha loot.

    Apera told the participants that the Federal Government would begin with those states, because they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NASSCO to put in place certain infrastructure to empower the national register.

    “Some of the states delayed, but the other ones were quick enough to set up infrastructure that allowed us to start work there, but all the states are now on board as they have set up their state operating offices and donated office equipment to us.

    “As states come on board, we enroll and so they extend to the beneficiary register, and presently we are generating data in all the states now,’’ he said.

    Read Also: EFCC launches probe as $500m Abacha loot goes missing

    Mrs Linda Ekeator of the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment said the Abacha loot was invested in the social investment programme, because it was a programme that was already supported by the World Bank.

    She said that before the money was returned to Nigeria, there was an agreement with the Swiss government that it should be used for alleviating poverty and this was to be done with the supervision of the World Bank.

    The Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Eric Mayoraz said the 722 million dollars of the Abacha family money that was hidden in Switzerland was fully repatriated in 2005.

    He also said that the 322 million dollars that was repatriated in Dec. 2017, was money that was frozen by the Swiss Attorney-General, but was not domiciled in Switzerland, but in other countries, mainly Luxembourg.

    He, however, said measures had been put in place to ensure that Swiss banks were not used to hide stolen funds from other countries.

    “For possible new cases, the Swiss legislation has fundamentally changed.

    “The law in Switzerland does not allow bank secrecy anymore, and all banks and financial institutions have a due diligence duty to ask everyone coming with money where it is coming from.

    “That does not mean that there are no illegal or stolen assets now in Switzerland, but then there is another instrument I signed myself with the Nigerian Ministry of Justice and Switzerland two years ago on mutual legal assistance and this is for new cases.

    “Now, this agreement with our own Ministry of Justice and Nigeria is that there will be direct communication and exchange on mutual legal request and we are really collaborating with EFCC and other agencies in Nigeria,’’ Mayoraz.

    The Executive Director, ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, said for Nigerian citizens to not keep spreading rumours about the whereabouts of recovered loots, the government must be transparent in all the processes.

    He also said that CSOs should be given access to the social register to enable it monitor properly whether or not the beneficiaries received what was due to them.

  • Terrorism: Osinbajo urges policies to tackle poverty, illiteracy

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that enduring victory against violent extremism and terrorism can only be achieved through implementing policies that comprehensively tackle poverty, illiteracy and frustration.

    Osinbajo said that it was those factors that predispose individuals and communities to imbibing extremist beliefs and ideologies.

    He made the assertion on Thursday in Abuja, while declaring open the 7th meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the Community of Sahel-Sahara States – CED-SAD.

    “Indeed, the military aspect of the fight against terrorism is the short-term one; enduring victory will only come from swiftly and diligently building on military victory by implementing, over the long term, policies that comprehensively tackle the poverty, illiteracy and frustration that predispose individuals and communities to imbibing extremist beliefs and ideologies.

    “If there is one thing we have learned from our experience fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria, it is that the battle is as much social and economic as it is a military one.

    “But the narrative is worsened by the fact that violent extremism and terrorism do not walk alone, they are usually to be found interlinked with human trafficking, drug trafficking, illicit trade in drugs and arms, and various other forms of transnational organized crimes,’’ he said.

    The vice president said that within the community, security challenge had assumed new dimensions since the Arab Spring, with the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in Libya, proving to be a watershed moment.

    According to him, countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria have since then experienced an escalation of the twin global threats of violent extremism and terrorism, among others.

    The escalation of threats and vulnerabilities in the region, he said, had became an immediate and urgent security threat to the community.

    Read Also: Osinbajo urges monarchs to ensure peaceful co-existence

    He, however, said that it was encouraging that significant progress had been made to contain the terrorist challenges through the individual and collective actions.

    Osinbajo also noted that other elements that fuel violent extremism and terrorism were ecological threats of desertification and drought, as well as the phenomenon of forced human migration, among others.

    “Africa has historically been susceptible to desertification due to the preponderance of semi-arid, arid and hyper-arid lands.

    “Climate change and other factors collectively exacerbate these natural geographical conditions to make more than 319 million hectares of Africa vulnerable to desertification.

    “In the CEN-SAD Community, the Sahara desert is advancing southwards at an alarming rate of approximately 600 meters annually,’’ he added.

    Osinbajo urged leaders in the community to promote agreements and partnerships that “will enable the Community fully bridge our development gaps, and meet the rapidly growing needs of present and future generations.’’.

    He added, “It is certainly in our collective interest to act proactively in this regard, by enabling and catalysing the jobs and prosperity without which these battles cannot be lastingly won.’’

    Earlier, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali said that the security climate in the Sahel-Saharan States “is characterised by several internal threats and a lineage of organised cross-border crimes.’’

    He said that those threats posed challenge to internal security and stability of the states and the region generally.

    The minister, however, said that cooperation and collaboration by members’ states in the fight against insurgency and terrorism had yielded positive results.

    “For instance, the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) comprising of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, operating in the Lake Chad region against Boko Haram insurgency in collaboration with Nigeria’s Operation Lafia Dole forces have significantly degraded the Boko Haram terrorists,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Cholera: Niger approves N25m for surveillance

    The Niger Government, has approved N25 million for its Ministry of Health to continue with the ongoing surveillance on the outbreak of cholera and other related diseases.

    Dr Jibrin Mustapha, the Commissioner for Health and Hospital Management, made this disclosure at a press conference in Minna on Wednesday.

    Thee commissioner said that the money would be used to curtail the disease as well as prevent other outbreaks throughout the year.

    He said that so far, seven people had died of cholera since the outbreak of the disease was confirmed on June 19, even as 120 cases were reported from Bida, Gbako, Katcha and Lavun Local Government Areas of the state.

    Mustapha said that five among the cases tested positive to vibrio cholera, adding that 20 persons, who were on admission at the Umaru Sanda General Hospital Bida, were responding to treatment.

    The commissioner added that 205 cases of gastroenteritis had been reported in Agaie, Gurara, Lapai, Mokwa, Munya, Paikoro, Suleja, Tafa and Wushishi Local Government Areas.

    Read also : Six arrested for stoning governor

    He said a team comprising of the state health officials and partners such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), had visited Bida to ensure rapid responses to the situation.

    According to him, WHO is providing a technical support to ensure quick response to contain the outbreaks while UNICEF is supporting in coordinating strategic communication, health education and social mobilisation.

    “All these are the efforts being put in place to raise awareness and sensitise the people on the cholera outbreak.

    “We are also engaging the traditional institutions to further increase awareness on the outbreak within their domains.

    “Our district surveillance officers in the 25 Local Government Areas have been put on high alert to report any suspected case immediately,” he said.

    Mustapha said the state had put in place preventive awareness measures such as coordination, active surveillance, aggressive case management, infection prevention and control, community involvement and social mobilisation.

    He noted that the state had designated the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Umaru Sanda General Hospital Bida and Kutigi General Hospital, as focal referral centres to manage the outbreak and give free medical treatment to affected persons.

    Mustapha advised the people to report immediately to a nearby health facility, if they experience symptoms as vomiting, diarrhea, rapid dehydration, weakness, low pulse, reduced or no urination and muscle cramps.

    The commissioner urged the people to embrace good personal and environmental hygiene, consumption of hygienic food and clean water and dispose plastic bags containing faeces in latrines.

  • Update on Cholera: 10 confirmed dead in Niger

    The Council Secretary of Bida local Government Council in Niger state, Suleiman Sheshi has confirmed that 10 person’s have been confirmed dead in the outbreak of cholera in the local government council.

    He also disclosed that 60 cases have been confirmed to be recorded at the Umaru Sanda General Hospital in Bida.

    Read Also: Cholera outbreak hits Niger

    Suleiman who is also the Health Director of Bida Local government Council said he had visited some if the health centers in Bida and confirmed that the health centers also have patients with cholera.

    He however noted in dismay that there was only one medical doctor on call at the General Hospital during his visit noting that the general hospital also lacked medical consumables and adequate facilities to carter for the present health challenge.

    The Council Secretary appealed for the immediate intervention of the state government declaring that the present situation cannot be handled by the local government area alone.

    “Prompt action from your part will without any doubt, save a lot of lives presently at critical points of survival. “