The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Niger

  • Niger gov pledges prompt salaries

    Niger gov pledges prompt salaries

    Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has assured the entire state workforce of regular and prompt payment of salaries and allowances despite the lingering economic downturn.

    If it took his government to borrow to pay workers salary and allowances, he said, he was ready as according workers their dues is a first line priority of his administration.

    At the farewell ceremony for the former Chief Judge of the state in Minna yesterday, the governor said: “Under no circumstance should we deprive our workers, even if we have to borrow in view of the economic downturn to pay workers salary and allowances, we will do so. Payment of workers their dues is a first line priority of this administration.”

    The governor said the development was behind his decision to approve the release of funds for renovation of court rooms in the state and the prompt payment of workers, including the judicial workers’ salary and allowances since he assumed office. “Our strong believe in the welfare of our Judges informed the various renovations carried out in some courts recently. We also make sure that our five newly appointed High Court Judges were provided with cars and befitting accommodation.”

    He disclosed that in fulfillment of his promise to the judiciary, he had ordered immediate renovation of all the courts in the state and added that work had since commenced in some of the courts in the state.

  •  Bello assures Niger workers of prompt salary payment

    Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has assured the entire state work force of regular and prompt payment of their salary and allowances despite the lingering economic downturn.

    According to him, if it takes his government to borrow in view of the economic downturn to pay workers salary and allowances, he is ready to do it stressing that the payment of workers their dues is a first line priority of his administration.

    Speaking in Minna Wednesday during a farewell ceremony of the former Chief Judge of the state, the Governor said, “Under no circumstance should we deprive our workers, even if we have to borrow in view of the economic downturn to pay workers salary and allowances, we will do so. Payment of workers their dues is a first line priority of this administration”.

    The governor said this development informed his decision to approve the release of funds for the renovation of Court rooms in the state, as well as ensure the prompt payment of workers, including the judicial workers of their salary and allowances since he assumed office.

    “Our strong believe in the welfare of our Judges informed the various renovations carried out in some courts recently. We also make sure that our five newly appointed High Court Judges were provided with cars and befitting accommodation.”

    He commended the efforts of the retiring Chief Judge, Justice Fati Lami Abubakar in lifting the judiciary and instilling discipline in the sector.

  • Three suspected Fulani kidnappers killed in Niger

    Three suspected Fulani kidnappers killed in Niger

    The police in Niger State have killed three suspected Fulani kidnappers. They rescued five victims.

    The incidents occurred during two operations.

    It was learnt that two suspected Fulani men kidnapped three people in Abuja. Police detectives traced the suspects to Agaie in Niger State.

    Our source said during the rescue, the suspected kidnappers engaged the police in a gun battle, which led to their death.

    He said a few days later, three Fulani men reportedly attacked two houses in Lambata, Gawu Babangida, in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State and abducted two girls.

    The source said the suspected kidnappers, who kept the girls, aged 13 and 20, in a forest for four days, demanded N10 million ransom from their parents.

    He said the kidnappers had a brush with the police at the collection point of the ransom, resulting in a shootout, during which one of the abductors was killed. He added that another was shot in the leg and was arrested, while one escaped.

    The Nation gathered that the arrested kidnapper took the police to the forest where the girls were rescued.

    Confirming the incidents, police spokesman Bala Elkana said: “We are determined to rid the state of kidnappers.”

    He warned abductors to relocate “because the police will not give them any room to operate”, and advised residents to be security conscious.

     

  • Three Fulani Kidnappers killed in Niger

    Three Fulani kidnappers have been killed by Police in Niger state while five kidnapped victims have been rescued.

    The incidents took place in two separate operations within the state.

    It was learnt that two suspected Fulani men who had kidnapped three people from Abuja were traced to Agaie area of Niger state by police detectives.

    During the rescue mission, the kidnappers engaged the police in a gun battle which led to their death.

    Some days later, three Fulani men were said to have stormed two houses in Lambata, Gawu Babangida area of Gurara local government area of Niger state and whisked away two girls.

    The kidnappers who kept the girls in a forest for four days were said to have demanded for N10 million ransom from the parents of the two girls aged 13 years and 20 years.

    The kidnappers had a brush up with the police at the collection point of the ransom which led to a shoot out where one of the kidnappers was killed, another was shot in the leg was arrested while one escaped.

    The arrested kidnapper took the police to the forest where the girls were rescued.

    Confirming the incident, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Bala Elkana stated that the police in the state was determined to rid the state of kidnappers.

    He warned kidnappers in the state to relocate because the Police will not give them any room to operate while advising residents to be more security conscious.

  • Sokoto, Niger to run joint border schools

    A cluster of new schools with dual curriculum in English and French is to be jointly established at border towns by the Sokoto State-Nigeria and the government of Niger Republic.

    Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal announced this weekend, shortly after he attended the inauguration of President Mahamadou Issouffou in Niamey, the Niger capital.

    Tambuwal said the first school to come on stream before the end of 2016 will be sited in Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

    “The schools will promote cultural ties between the two governments and will train new set of students that will be proficient in both English and French,” the governor said.

    Tambuwal who also noted that the people of Sokoto have long cultural and historical ties with its neighbours across the border, assured that the government would introduce wide ranging policies that would enhance the ties.

    Noting that his administration  is determined to raise the standard of education in Sokoto State, the governor said the state of emergency declared in the sector in December last year, has made appreciable impact, as  its benefit would be felt for a long time.

  • Chad, Niger, Mali, others to set up anti-Islamist units

    Defence ministers from West Africa’s arid Sahel region have agreed to work together to establish special rapid reaction forces to counter the growing threat from al Qaeda and Islamic State-linked militants.

    At a meeting in Chad’s capital N’Djamena, defence chiefs from Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Mauritania pledged to form special units to respond quickly to threats and attacks from Islamist militants.

    “These groups, each composed of around 100 well-trained and very mobile men, will deploy in zones where the terrorists operate,” the G5 Sahel’s permanent secretary Najim Elhadj Mohamed said following the meeting at the weekend.

    He said the units, tailored after Spanish forces used against the Basque separatist group ETA, would receive training and support from both Spain and France.

    French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, during a visit to the region last month, promised to boost assistance to the Sahel countries in the wake of dramatic attacks on hotels in Burkina Faso and Mali claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

    Intelligence will be compiled at a threat analysis and early warning centre to be established in Mauritania, where the Sahel group also plans to create a special war college.

    Financing was expected to come from European Union funding already pledged to the Sahel nations, the regional body said.

    The G5 Sahel heads of state already called for the creation of a multinational force last year.

    French forces intervened in 2013 to drive back Islamist fighters after they seized Mali’s desert north a year earlier, citing concern that the area could become a launching pad for attacks on targets in Europe.

    However, the militants have since reorganised and launched a wave of attacks against local security forces, U.N. peacekeepers and civilian targets that has extended well beyond northern Mali and into neighbouring countries.

  • Photo: Fuel hustle bites harder

    Photo: Fuel hustle bites harder

    MOTORISTS QUEUING TO PURCHASE PETROL AT A FILLING STATION ON OLUSEGUN BOASANJO WAY, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY
    MOTORISTS QUEUING TO PURCHASE PETROL AT A FILLING STATION ON OLUSEGUN OBASANJO WAY, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY
    PETROL HAWKERS DISPLAY THEIR COMMODITY ALONG NNAMDI AZIKIWE EXPRESSWAY BETWEEN BANEX JUNCTION AND MABUSHI, AS PETROL SCARCITY CONTINUES IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY
    PETROL HAWKERS DISPLAY THEIR COMMODITY ALONG NNAMDI AZIKIWE EXPRESSWAY BETWEEN BANEX JUNCTION AND MABUSHI, AS PETROL SCARCITY CONTINUES IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY
    A MOTORISTS PURCHASING PETROL FROM HAWKERS ON THE OUTER NORTHERN EXPRESSWAY AT JAHI DISTRICT, AS PETROL SCARCITY CONTINUES IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY
    A MOTORISTS PURCHASING PETROL FROM HAWKERS ON THE OUTER NORTHERN EXPRESSWAY AT JAHI DISTRICT, AS PETROL SCARCITY CONTINUES IN ABUJA ON FRIDAY

  • Niger cracks down on illegal immigrants

    The Niger State command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), will soon kick off a campaign to flush out illegal immigrants in the state.

    The state Comptroller of the NIS David Adi said the influx of illegal immigrants poses a security risk to the state, but added that the exercise is not political.

    Speaking to The Nation in Minna, the state capital, Adi said, “We need to mop up and remove illegal immigrants from time to time in order for them not to become security threats to the state. There are many of them who do not have travel documents in Niger State as of today. Those without business have no business to be here.”

    The Comptroller did not say when the exercise would begin but that could be a tactic in order to catch the illegal immigrants off guard. He then said that all Divisional Immigration offices will be supervised and monitored to ensure that every officer does his duty effectively adding that any officer found wanting will be penalised.

     

  • Niger fiscal agency to probe ex-Governor Aliyu’s brother

    The Niger State Fiscal Responsibility Commission is to look into the books of the Niger State Development Company (NSDC), after being denied access to them in the last four years.

    NSDC, which was under the leadership of ex-Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu’s younger brother, Ahmed Sani Chiroma, was said to have allegedly refused to submit its reports in the last four years.

    The company was responsible of facilitating and driving investments in the state during Governor Aliyu’s tenure. It also collected revenue from the investments.

    The Acting Chairman of the Niger State Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Ahmed Lwafu, who sought an order from the House of Assembly, told the Speaker, Ahmed Marafa, that during the last four years, there was alleged impunity by powerful Ministry, Department and Agency (MDA) officials, who refused to give financial information to the commission.

    Lwafu alleged: “In the last four years, there was no time we requested information, especially about finance, from NSDC that we were given. There was a culture of impunity by powerful MDA officials, who refused to say how they operated and when we tried to get it by force, the powers that be stopped our probe.”

    The acting chairman narrated how the attorney- general allegedly stalled their quest to tackle non-compliance.

    “During these cases, we went to the attorney-general before any action could be taken to enforce and prosecute cases of non-compliance. The Ministry of Justice stalled this process.”

    Marafa directed the Clerk to write the agencies mentioned to forward the financial records, activities and other documents requested by the commission for scrutiny.

    He urged the acting chairman to report to him the findings of the reports.

  • Lagos, Delta, Osun, Niger get N160bn from pension fund for infrastructure

    A total of N160 billion out of the N5.1 trillion pension fund has been invested in four States Bonds towards infrastructure development as at September 2015.

    The States include Lagos, Delta, Osun and Niger State.

    This was made known in a report made available to The Nation by the National Pension Commission (PenCom).

    According to the report, these four States are able to benefit from the pension fund because they have implemented the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

    The report stated that pension assets totaling N160 billion was invested in State Bonds towards infrastructure development.

    It however showed that not all States have adopted the CPS.

    It read: “11 States and the FCT have commenced implementation while 11 States have enacted pension laws on CPS but are yet to commence implementation in the period under review.

    “Three States have enacted Laws, which need to be reviewed as they vary substantially from the provisions of the pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 while 12 States are at the bill stage.

    “Aside from the four states that benefitted from the fund in the period under review, other States that have implemented the CPS are Ogun, Jigawa, Zamfara, Rivers, Kaduna, Anambra, Enugu and FCT.

    “States that have enacted pension laws but are yet to commence implementation are Ekiti, Edo, Gombe, Ondo, Nassarawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Sokoto, Oyo, and Taraba while those who have enacted laws but need to be reviewed are Adamawa, Bayelsa and Kano”, the report stated.

    Meanwhile, Chairman of Premium Pension Limited, Aliyu Dikko adviced State Governors to comply with the CPS in other to access it for infrastructure.

    He noted that it is in their own interest to comply because once they comply, a lot of opportunities are opened to them.