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  • Aisha Buhari plans university to be named after husband

    Mrs Aisha Buhari, wife of the President, yesterday announced her plan to establish a private university to be known as  Muhammadu Buhari University.

    Mrs. Buhari, speaking at a town hall meeting in Yola organized by her in collaboration with some natives of Adamawa State said the planned institution would be established in collaboration with partners from Sudan and Qatar.

    But she did not reveal when or where it would be sited.

    Aisha who lamented the challenges facing education and various sectors in the state, called for active support of the state indigenes in complementing government efforts.

    She called for the establishment of Adamawa Development Trust Fund through which prioritized developmental projects can be financed and implemented.

    Also speaking, Ambassador Fati Ballah stressed the need for reconciliation and forgiveness among the people of the state and the setting up of a committee to come up with a blueprint for the development of the state.

    Alhaji Sadiq Daware, who spoke on agriculture at the meeting, noted that 80 per cent of the state land was arable and suitable for farming.

    He added that with River Benue which passes through the state, the state has the potential for massive irrigation and all year round farming programmes.

    Other speakers at the meeting included Prof. Shehu Iya of Modibbo Adama University, Yola, who spoke on education; Prof. Auwal Abubakar of Federal Medical Centre, Yola, who spoke on health; and Mrs Helen Mathias who spoke on women and youths.

    Others were Mallam Umar Abubakar who spoke on security; Gen. Buba Marwa on drugs; Sen. Silas Zwingina on Good Governance, and Dr Umar Bindir who spoke on Poverty.

    The meeting was also attended by politicians, particularly APC, PDP and ADC members in the state.

     

  • IGP to Christians: be security conscious

    The Acting Inspector-General of Police (Ag. IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has advised Christians to be security conscious as they celebrate Easter.

    The police chief also directed Assistant Inspector Generals of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) in sonal and state commands across the country to deploy their men adequately to vulnerable areas to ensure hitch-free celebration.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, by Force spokesman, Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), reads: “As part of measures to ensure a peaceful and incident-free Easter celebration, Ag IGP Adamu has directed AIGs of CPs in zonal and state commands across the country to deploy adequate intelligence, human and operational assets of the Force to ensure intensified routine patrols and protection of vulnerable points within their jurisdictions.

    Read also: Why Police are ineffective, by Acting IG Adamu

    “These include major highways, places of worship, residential areas, recreation centres, motor parks, financial institutions, government/private infrastructures and all places of public resort.

    “They are also directed to ensure that their officers and men conduct themselves in most professional manner, in line with extant laws and standard best practices before, during and after the festival.”

  • KEDCO spends millions to improve service delivery – MD

    The authorities of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), revealed that they have acquired modern operational facilities worth millions of Naira to boost the quality and range of power distribution with a view to improving consumers’ satisfaction.

    According to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna (Sardaunan Gombe), who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen, the newly acquired equipment would be commissioned for use in the first week of May.

    Gwamna stated that the company’s resolve to reduce complaints while improving the quality of service and ensuring that consumers get value for their money had necessitated such spending.

    He added that the equipment would boost the quality of power distribution and the capacity of KEDCO staff to respond to emergency calls while mitigating electrical faults.

    Read Also: Breaking: Train crushes two to death in Kano

    The KEDCO boss noted that,“in our quest to satisfy our customers and ensure that consumers get value for their money, we have acquired some electrical equipment and other operational vehicles to make service delivery swift and timely.

    “We have acquired 170 transformers comprising 500KVA 11, 500KVA 33, 300KVA 33, 300KVA 11. We also acquired 60 operational vehicles comprising Golf, Hilux, buses and ambulances. Also, hundreds of personal protective equipment, helmet, boots and gloves, reflective jackets, ladders and transformer cables were bought.

    “The transformers will solve the challenge of overloading which has been one of the complaints I had received recently and we have moved in that direction. So the new transformers will be used to jerk up the voltage levels and decrease the risk of electrical installation developing faults.

    “We are on course to see that we address all complaints by consumers as well as guarantee improvement in power distributions across KEDCO States,’’ he said.

    He stressed that all they had bought were as a results of KEDCO’s commitment to minimize complaints to the barest minimum while maximizing all efforts to get consumers happier than the previous years.

    He added that since KEDCO takes its customers as partner in progress, the customer should also play their part to pay their bills timely and completely.

     

  • ‘Company executives who mismanage employees’ pensions should be jailed’

    Company bosses, who mismanage their employees’ pensions could be jailed for up to seven years, Britain’s Work and Pensions’ Secretary, Amber Rudd, has said.

    She said displaying reckless behaviour towards pensions’ scheme will be seen as a criminal offence, adding that alongside a custodial sentence, authorities would have the ability to issue unlimited fines.

    She said: “To curb these freelancers playing fast and loose with your cash, I am going to make ‘wilful or reckless behaviour’ relating to a pension scheme a criminal offence, with jail terms of up to seven years for the worst offenders.

    “We will also give the courts powers to levy unlimited fines. So, if you run your company pension into the ground, saddling it with massive, unsustainable debts, we are coming for you.”

    Ms Rudd issued the stark warning following the BHS pensions scandal.

    A year after it was sold by Sir Philip Green for £1 in 2015, the retailer collapsed into administration, leaving a £571m pension deficit.

    Sir Philip later agreed to pay £363m towards it to end action against him by the Pensions Regulator.

    Treasury Chief Secretary, Liz Truss, backed Ms Rudd’s proposals, saying it was wrong Sir Philip could “play merry hell” with pensions.

    “It’s about saying that’s not acceptable, it’s not acceptable to play merry hell with the contributions workers have made over a period of time and essentially run off without making good the pensions you promised to those people in the future, and so we’ll take further sanctions,” she told Sky’s Ridge On Sunday.

    –Sunday Telegraph

  • Oyo steps up agric production with 33 excavators

    The Oyo State government has officially taken delivery of 33 Caterpillar Next Generation Excavators from Mantrac Nigeria Limited at a ceremony held at the governor’s office Agodi, Ibadan, the state capital.

    The 33 excavators were formally presented to the 33 local government areas by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    Present at the event was the Deputy Governor, Otumba Moses Adeyemo, top government officials, traditional and religious leaders. A delegation of Mantrac Nigeria Limited, the authorised dealer for Caterpillar Products and Services in Nigeria, led by its Public Sector Manager, Mr. Alex Nwoko was present for the formal hand over.

    In his address, Governor Ajimobi said: “The excavators were acquired in order to boost agricultural production, improve rescue operations, urban renewal and for other environmental intervention purposes.”

    He recalled that one of the excavators was effectively deployed for rescue operations during a recent building collapse in Ibadan. It helped in rescuing victims from the rubble.

    He said: “The latest investment is in addition to the 33 machinery earlier acquired. The earthmovers will be used by the 33 local government areas and the 35 local council development areas (LCDAs).”

    He noted that the equipment are of high quality, adding that “we are proud to be associated with you at Mantrac Nigeria, your products and your professionalism. The inauguration of the excavators is another unprecedented feat.”

    The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Bimbo Kolade said the acquisition of the excavators was not just another first in Oyo State, but in Nigeria.

    “There has not been a single government in Nigeria that has, at one time, inaugurated 33 excavators. These are not just excavators but the latest of their kind anywhere in the world. Indeed, this is another first for us. Each excavator comes with full automation, that is, it can be controlled so much so that it can only move within the desired limit,” he said.

    The Public Sector Manager, Mantrac Nigeria, Mr. Alex Nwoko described the occasion as “a great honour”

    “We are proud to say that this is the highest single investment by any state or Federal Government in road construction in over 20 years. So, we are happy to be part of this partnership.

    “It is also remarkable to note that the excavators are caterpillar next generation of excavators (NGE) and I am proud to announce that Oyo State government is one of its first and largest users in Africa.

    “It reduces maintenance cost by up to 25 per cent, increases operational efficiency up to 40 per cent and increases fuel efficiency by up to 15 per cent, over previous models. To ensure good return on investment, Mantrac Nigeria provides Caterpillar-backed service agreement, covering regular parts and service, two-year extended warranty as well as operators training.

    “As the machines are remotely located, the caterpillar advanced product link technology will ensure their effective monitoring from the state headquarters to help achieve equipment availability. We are committed to offering our support to ensure adequate return on this investment,” he said.

    The Chairman Ibadan North West Local Government Area, Bashorun Bosun Ajuwon, on behalf of his colleagues, promised to use the excavators judiciously.

  • How Nigeria can develop the dairy value chain

    The crop subsector dominates the Nigerian agri-business space at over 80 per cent, but the livestock sub-sector and particularly the dairy industry represents an important component of the agricultural economy also with great nutritional, social implications and economic potentials which have not been fully harnessed.

    Nigeria is the largest producer of livestock (cattle, sheep and goat) in West Africa but also the largest importer of processed milk in the region, spending a whooping sum of approximately $1.3 billion per annum for milk importation. The reason is that cows in Nigeria produces just about 1.5 to 2 litres of milk per day compared to cows in Kenya which produces up to 30 litres per day and cows in Israel which produces between 45 and 60 litres of milk per day.

    In Israel, there are over 520,000 sheep and goats, and the standards for ruminant dairy farming are just as high as the standards for cows. Israel’s goats produce over 11 million litres of milk every year. Similarly, in August 2018, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization introduced a new high yielding goat breed (Galla Buck) that can produce up to eight litres of milk a day, four times more than what other goats yield and is good for meat production. For Nigeria unfortunately, virtually nothing in terms of milk comes from Nigerian goats and sheep while many countries are exporting cheese.

    Aside milk production, cattle in many developed economies yield more beef than their Nigerian counterpart because they are reared in ranches and grow to be between 700 and 1000 kg, whereas the Nigerian cattle reared under the nomadic system never exceed 300kg as a consequence of the stress resulting from the archaic system of endless wandering.

    I have used the illustrations of Israel and Kenya to show that what a first or second world country (Israel) can do, a third world country (Kenya) can do the same. Concerning nomadic traditions, interestingly, Israel, Kenya and Nigeria have tribesmen with an age-long history of nomadic tradition; Israelis have the Bedouins, Kenyans have the Massai and Nigerians have the Fulanis. So, why are these two countries making waves in the dairy sector and Nigeria is lagging behind? For starters, it is not about the climate or weather; Kenya is more temperate (colder) than Israel, it is simply about the livestock management system.

    I shall highlight some of the steps that can be taken to increase milk production for Nigerian cows.

    Firstly, the raising of cows for milk production should be done under the intensive system of animal husbandry; in Kenya and Israel, cows are kept in specially built units all year round in order to better control feeding, watering, cleaning, medication and general management. Water is a major component of dairy production and cooling of cows is a major management activity for increased milk production especially in hot and arid regions like Nigeria. If cows are not cooled, it results to heat stress, which affects their health and productivity. Like most mammals, the dairy cow needs to maintain its core body temperature between 38.60C and 39.3oC. It is also advised to allow for 200-250 litres of water per cow per day in hot weather. These two important principles of dairy farm management cannot be achieved when cows are wandering about.

    Secondly, livestock farmers must select improved breeds of cows known or modified for the desired products. The same way crop farmers are advised to cultivate improved and high-yielding varieties of crops should be the way livestock farmers must go for breeds of animals specially bred for improved milk production. Although under good management practices, our local breeds can still produce up to five litres, however, breeds such as Holstein-Friesian cattle, Guernsey, Illawarra and others have been specially raised for milk production. I want to assume that the National Animal Production Institute (NAPRI) and the three agricultural universities would have developed breeds of cow for production of milk in Nigeria. Sadly, many research findings in the country are wasting in the shelves and are not transformed into economic value for the citizen.

    Thirdly, appropriate feed formulation must be used for milking cows, it is as simple as giving layers’ mash to birds kept for egg production. Formulating rations provides cows with the nutrients they need to stay healthy and optimize production. For example, a cow’s dry matter intake should be a minimum of 40 percent forage and no more than 60 percent grain; this cannot be gotten under the current system Nigerian cow are being raised. Finally, milking cows should be separate from the main herd in order to get the maximum management attention that they need.

    Although there are other advanced technical and management practices involved in managing cows for milk production, however, if Nigeria livestock farmers can adopt the simple concepts above, the country will be on the path to self-sufficiency in milk production.

     

    • Aguiyi is a researcher and writer. He writes via godswill.aguiyi@gmail.com.

  • Kwara teachers accuse leaders of sell-out

    Teachers under the aegis of Kwara State Concerned Teachers have accused the leadership of the state Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) of hobnobbing with the state government.

    The group said the NUT leadership has mortgaged the welfare and interest of its members.

    Speaking with The Nation, spokesperson of the concerned teachers, Mallam Abdulwahab Abubakar, therefore, urged the state incoming government to place a high premium on workers’ welfare to stabilise its administration.

    Abubakar said: “The motive of gathering is to tell the labour leaders in Kwara State that this is the time for them to come together and form a formidable power. The essence of having unions is to cater for the welfare of workers in the state.  But in Kwara State, it is as if labour leaders are not there for the workers at all.

    “The labour leaders have been hobnobbing with the government. This time around, we need virile and vibrant labour leaders that will fight for workers’ welfare in the state.

    “Besides, most of our benefits are being denied us. The benefits include leave bonus, promotion etc. Whenever these things are not being paid to workers, it behoves labour leaders to come out and demand for them. It is injurious to workers for labour and government to have a friendly relationship. In a situation where labour leaders and government have a good rapport, it means the labour leaders are not there for workers’ interest.

    “As we await the incoming government in the state, we want a formidable labour leader that will be there for the workers. The labour leaders in the state, candidly speaking, are not there for us.

    “I am making reference to NUT. NUT should close rank and form a formidable force so that teachers in the state will have relief.

    “Our advice to the incoming government is that it should take workers’ welfare as a priority.”

  • On APC’s near fall in Kano

    SIR: There was a huge sigh of relief in certain quarters of Kano when APC finally won the supplementary governorship election on March 23, after a rerun in 28 out of the state’s 44 Local Government Areas. Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje won the election to secure a second term after receiving a total of 1,033,659 votes, beating PDP’s Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf with a margin of 9,210 votes.

    On February 23, APC beat PDP in Kano, giving President Muhammadu Buhari over 2.4 million votes and winning all three Senate seats and 24 for the House of Representatives. It was a clear victory that was incontestable, and no complaint emanated from opposition parties. The governorship and state assembly elections on March 9 were however a different story. By whatever means, the PDP won some state assembly seats and gave the state governor a good run for his money. What could have accounted for this shocking result?

    Some observers however attributed PDP’s performance to absence of the Buhari factor. Others ascribed it to the dollar scandal that had rocked Governor Ganduje – thanks to his enemies. Yet others thought it was the political prowess of former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso. Buhari factor really played a significant role in APC’s victory in Kano. And after his victory many people didn’t care to vote again. The dollar videos indeed also affected Ganduje negatively. But if Kwankwaso’s popularity couldn’t help PDP in the first elections, how could it in the second?

    It really didn’t. Recall that PDP was forcefully taken over by the Kwankwasiyya apostle last year which he refashioned along a particular line of thought. Some followers of the group, which operates in a cult-like manner, are known to be political schemers who know how to win elections either fairly or otherwise. Some of these veteran schemers were allegedly unleashed to by all means win the elections for PDP on March 9.

    However, live coverage by FM stations exposed some of unwarranted behaviors of some politicians that day. As one of those who listened to the radio all day, we heard how women were mobilized and bribed with amounts ranging from a paltry N20 to N5000. How items like cooked rice and beans, a local snack called “awara,” sachets of pure water were distributed to induce voters. Some reports alleged several cases of multiple voting, as voter cards purchased from poor voters were issued in various centers to supporters of a particular party. The schemers allegedly connived with compromised INEC staff who allowed their supporters to vote repeatedly.

    We also heard how rowdiness was deliberately caused by youths who realized their party was losing, how they broke or snatched ballot boxes leading to cancellation of votes at some polling units. Vote buying was also so rampant and on a scale unprecedented in Kano history. Seeing what was happening and to earn money, some women were also reported to have declared their votes for sale and gathered in groups waiting for buyers.

    It was under this circumstance that PDP produced the good result. And if truth must be told both parties are suspected to have rigged the election, the first during the election proper and the other after realizing it was done for. In any case, hasn’t rigging become the normal way of winning elections in Nigeria today?

    So after realizing it was taken unawares and beaten by foul means, the other side decided to get even. After all, a desperate problem required a desperate solution. And a tit for a tat is a fair game any day. However, after seeing how grave the situation was, INEC opted to cancel results from several polling units. Thus Kano emerged among six states that had their elections declared inconclusive.

    Arguably, it was the best option that would ensure fair conclusion of the governorship election. Both parties were given another chance to prove their mettle in an atmosphere that was conducive. That APC finally won the rerun governorship election proved that it is the dominant party in the state. With all the 27 National Assembly seats and 27 out of 40 state House Assembly seats in its kitty, APC is definitely the majority party in Kano.

    It would therefore have been unfair and a situation that is prone to conflict if a minority party with only 13 members in the state assembly had won the governorship. This was a party that was deserted like a plague by virtually all its prominent stalwarts. They were people who could have used their influence in localities to make PDP win some seats genuinely.

     

    • Ado Umar Muhammad, Kano.

  • FEC okays N2.8b contract for digital decongestion of prison

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved N2.8 billion  contract for digital decongestion of prisons.

    The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami briefed State House correspondents at the end of a meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He was with the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, Minister of State Aviation, Hadi Sirika, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, and Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello.

    From the click of a button, Malami said that the stakeholders would be able to assess the daily situation of inmates in every prison in the country.

    The information to be obtained, according to him, include how many inmates in a prison on a daily basis, how many inmates have overstayed their sentences etcetera.

    Stressing that the system is to be operated by Prison staff, he said that it will also involve capturing the biometric of prison inmates across the country.

    He said: “At a point, it was said 70 percent of prison inmates across the prison formations in the country were awaiting trails. Arising from these concerns, the Federal Government has been working to come up with policies, legislation and associated programmes that are targeted at decongesting the prisons.

    “One of the policies put in place was the legislation of the criminal justice act, which has partially succeeded in addressing decongestion to an extent.

    “Recall that Mr. President had put in place an adhoc committee under the chairmanship of FCT Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, to move around the prisons in the country, look at the conditions and come up with suggestion.

    “So, we are also aware that by the Constitution, Mr. President is vested with the prerogative of mercy targeted at setting free inmates that satisfy certain conditions.

    “Arising from this, the office of the attorney general presented a memo today, which is web-based automated inter-connectivity system, which is a digitalised way of decongesting the prisons.

    “The idea is to digitally connect all the prison formations to the office of the attorney general of the federation, the police, prison service and indeed selected courts.

    “The essence is to have an idea on the daily basis what obtains at our prisons across the nation. So, at a glance at a click of the button, one can access what obtains at the prisons across the country,” he said.

    He added: “For instance, who is going to court today, who is being released today, those that have been in prison longer than their years of sentence, who is in prison that is not meant to be there?

    “This will aid stakeholders in decision making on a daily basis through digital process of inter-networking. This is against an adhoc committee moving across the country to have physical presence in prisons,” he stated.

    On allegations by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that Federal Government is plotting to reverse Rivers S/Court judgment, Malami said that it was freedom of speech taken too far.

    Malami said: “Regarding that was levelled against me by PDP, I think it remains an accusation. It has to remain so until proven through a judicial process.

    “But for me I think it is freedom of speech that has been taken too far.” he said.

    Udoma said that the Federal Government’s N24.38 trillion debt stock was sustainable.

    He said: “With regards to our debts, our debts are sustainable. We do have a revenue challenge and we are focusing on that. Once the revenues come up, it will be obvious that we don’t have a debt problem at all.

    “We are working on a number of initiatives to increase our revenues. We are looking at initiatives to widening the tax payers’ net. We are looking at initiatives to increase efficiency in collections.

    “We are looking at a single window, which will help to increase efficiency, custom collections. We are looking at many different ways to improve revenues.

    “The debts are sustainable, every nation borrows. We are working on increasing our revenues,” he added.

    Read also: FEC approves N2.8 billion digital prison decongestion contract

    Udoma said that the executive arm of government is happy with the focus of the National Assembly on the 2019 Appropriation bill.

    “With regard to the budget, we are happy to see the focus of the National Assembly on the budget and we look forward to whenever it’s passed and the executive receiving it.”

    He also said that FEC approved two contracts under the national social investment programme.

    “Both of them are under N-Power Built programme. The  N-Power Built programme is a non-graduate  programme that seeks to deliver accelerated training and certification skills to 75,000 Nigerians between ages of 18-35 years old.

    “It aims to build a high crop of highly competent and skilled workforce of technicians, artisans and service professionals, who will be trained and tooled and transitioned annually to take up jobs as electrical installation technicians, plumbing and pipe fitting installers, mason, carpentry and gentry experts, welders, fabricators, professional painters, built technicians and so on.

  • Army kills scores of terrorists in Damaturu attack

    THE Army has released details of Tuesday attempted attack on Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, saying several insurgents were killed in an ambush following credible information of the planned attack.

    According to Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Sector 2 Operation Lafiya Dole, Lt. Njoka Irabor, the superior firepower of the land troops with the support of the Air Component of Operation Lafiya Dole overpowered the terrorists, who suffered a heavy casualty.

    The troops recovered many items from the insurgents, including two gun trucks and anti-aircraft guns among others.

    Irabor’s statement reads: “Following credible information of planned efforts by Boko Haram terrorists to attack Damaturu, troops of Sector 2, Operation Lafiya Dole, successfully laid an ambush, which led to the extermination of many Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) that attempted to attack Damaturu, Yobe State, at about 5:15 pm, on Tuesday, April 9, 2019.

    “The vigilant troops effectively ambushed the criminals few metres ahead of Maisandari community at the outskirts of the city of Damaturu.

    Read also: Yobe PDP gov candidate concedes defeat, rules out court action

    “The terrorists were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the gallant troops and the well-coordinated air support, from the Air Component of Operation Lafiya Dole.

    “Consequently, many terrorists met their Waterloo, some were also wounded and the following items/equipment were recovered: two gun trucks; two anti-aircraft guns; one 60 Millimetre Mortar; four AK 47 Rifles; one General Purpose Machine Gun and 1,245 rounds of 7.62 mm (NATO).

    “Troops have embarked on the hot pursuit of the fleeing terrorists, mop up/combing of the general area is ongoing.

    “Further details and possible recoveries would be provided on completion of the mop-up operations.”