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Tag: Sokoto State

  • Sokoto donates N10m to NAOWA for the establishment of Creche, Nursery and Primary schools

    Sokoto donates N10m to NAOWA for the establishment of Creche, Nursery and Primary schools

    The Sokoto State Government has donated N10 million to the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) to support its efforts to establish Creche, Nursery and Primary School at Giginya Barracks in Sokoto.

    A statement signed by Special Adviser to the state Governor on Media and Public Relations, Malam Imam Imam, on Sunday said Gov. Aminu Tambuwal announced the donation when he received the executive members of the association in his office.

    Imam said the governor commended the group for its concern for the educational development of their members as well as its host community in the state.

    “People of Sokoto State have long standing and mutually-beneficial relationship with the military, and the present government will continue to appreciate all security agencies for their sacrifices to the nation.

    “You have made a request of N25 million to establish a crèche, nursery and primary school in Giginya Barracks.

    “The government will donate N10 million and I will lead efforts to mobilise other people to bring in their donations for this laudable project.

    “We will also continue to partner with you to improve the standard of living of our citizens,” the statement quoted the governor as saying.

    NAOWA’s Zonal Coordinator for Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi, Mrs Elice Nwosu, said the association had been involved in provision of social services targeted at women, youths, children and other vulnerable members of the society.

    “We are working with the vision of our National President, Mrs Ummah Burutai, to provide quality education, healthcare services and vocational skills to as many people as possible.

    “In Sokoto, we plan to establish a crèche, nursery and primary school and to renovate and re-open the NAOWA vocational skills acquisition centre for our members and members of our host community,” Mrs Nwosu said.

  • Sokoto approves N1.4bn township road projects

    Sokoto approves N1.4bn township road projects

    The Sokoto State Executive Council has approved the execution of road projects worth N1.4 billion within Sokoto metropolis and some selected locations across the state.

    The state Commissioner of Information, Alhaji Abdulkadir Jalil, disclosed this on Friday in a joint press conference on the outcome of the council’s meeting.

    Jalil said the projects aimed to improve the well being of the people of the state as well as fulfill the election promises of Gov. Aminu Tambuwal.

    He said the projects, whose contracts had been awarded, were spread among various sectors with execution period of between three and twelve months.

    He said legitimate contract award procedures were complied with and competent companies had were given the jobs.

    The state Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Bello Abubakar, said three major roads would be constructed within Mabera area of the state capital and would cost approximately N1.2 billion.

    “The Mabera roads include: Wali Bako Hospital-Tsohon Gida-Eastern Bypass road awarded to Habib Engineering Ltd. at the cost of N319 million.

    “The others are: Kantin Sani-Tsohon Gida junction road awarded to Mothercat Ltd. at the cost of over N262 million with a completion period of 12 months.

    “And Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital-Sabon Gida road leading to FGC which was awarded at the cost of just over N322 million,” Abubakar said.

    The commissioner said other road projects approved by the Council included Pepsi Cola to NTA junction along Garba Muhammad road awarded at the cost of over N127 million.

    He also said that Interchange road from CBN to Union Bank roundabout awarded to Roads Nigeria Ltd. would cost N59 million and construction of link road from Bodinga road behind Teaching Hospital to Argungu road was awarded at the cost of N86 million.

    He said others included reconstruction of Agaie road from Kaduna road to Garba Duba road in Sokoto town, N96m, and the construction of 18km Goronyo main road-Illela-Gadon Mata road in Goronyo Local Government Area to cost of over N290 million.

    On education projects, the state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Jabbi Kilgori, said the council approved the rehabilitation and expansion of Government Day Sec School in Tambuwal Local Government Area and Government Day Secondary School, Kofar Rini, at a combined cost of N309 million.

    He said the council had also approved the drilling of 12 solar boreholes in schools across the state, adding that four boreholes were to be constructed in each of the three senatorial zones in the state.

    The Commissioner of Water Resources, Alhaji Arzuka Tureta, said the council had approved the rehabilitation of water tanks with a capacity for two million gallons at Old Market Area of Sokoto town at the cost of N78.1 million.

  • Tambuwal directs immediate dispatch of relief materials to rainstorm victims

    Tambuwal directs immediate dispatch of relief materials to rainstorm victims

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Sunday directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately dispatch relief materials to rainstorm victims in Illela, Araba and Gadi communities in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident occurred on Friday as the heavy down pour was accompanied by strong wind which destroyed residential buildings, farmlands, livestock farms as well as farm produce.

    Alhaji Usman Danmadami, the leader of government delegation and Sokoto State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while commiserating with the victims urged them to see the incident as the Will of Allah.

    He said the state government would work with the local authorities to assist the victims in rebuilding the communities to enable them return to their normal activities.

    Danmadami prayed Allah to give the victims the strength to carry on in the trying moments while assuring them that all efforts would be made to rebuild their lives.

    “That is why Governor Tambuwal has directed SEMA to quickly deliver relief materials to them in order to cushion the hardship,’’ he added.

    Responding on behalf of the affected communities, Alhaji Sahabi Isa, the traditional council member of Illela, Wakilin Sarkin Rafin Illela, commended the governor for the support to the affected communities.

    Danmadami was accompanied on the visit by the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Mr Manir Dan’Iya, Government House Chief of Staff, and Mr Mukhtar Magori, among others.

  • Immunisation: Sokoto, UNICEF mull new strategies to woo residents

    Immunisation: Sokoto, UNICEF mull new strategies to woo residents

    Sokoto State Government and the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) plan to adopt new strategies in 2018 to upscale access to immunisation across the state.

    Current response to polio and other vaccinations across the state has remained “frustrating’’ in spite of concerted efforts to provide the service, UNICEF Chief Field Officer in Sokoto, Mr. Mouhuiddin Mohammed said on Friday.

    The official said in Sokoto during the mid-year review meeting on UNICEF-State Government Annual Work Plan, 2017, noted that to achieve the desired success, new advocacy programmes must be developed to reach out to the people.

    According to him, very low turnout of women and children for immunisation remain the greatest challenge which must be overcome.

    “The main challenge is the community engagement, because my observation is that government, UNICEF and the other development partners are trying their best.

    “They are making all the commitments to ensure that Sokoto and other states that are in critical stage of immunisation activities is free.

    “This is the reason the state government on its own part released its counterpart fund, as all the critical stages in immunisation are connected,” he said.

    “Community response is very frustrating, because in the health centres everything is there; we provide vaccines, other partners provide their vaccines, and it is free, these vaccines are free for the poor and the rich.

    “The health workers are there, but the behaviour of the people is not remarkable, if they do not readily bring their children, what will the workers do.’’

    Mouhuiddin said all partners in the programme would be involved in high level advocacy and community engagement to ensure that the people change their attitude to immunisation.

  • Sokoto uncovers 706 ghost, unqualified students for scheme

    Sokoto uncovers 706 ghost, unqualified students for scheme

    The committee set up by the Sokoto State Government to verify the actual number of students entitled for scholarship has uncovered 706 fake students and those not qualified for the scheme, thereby saving almost N30 million of tax payer’s money.

    Making this known while presenting the report to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal in Sokoto, chairman of the committee, Ambassador Shehu Wurno, said the committee visited 40 tertiary institutions within and outside the country and verified 14, 532 state indigenes qualified for scholarship.

    “We have confirmed that the sum of N544, 613,724.00 was the total cost of students registration for the year 2016/2017 academic session while the sum of N143,560,855.00 was calculated as allowances to the number of verified students totalling the sum of N688,174,579.00 amount owed as students registration and allowances for the current  2016/2017 session,” the chairman said.

    In his remarks, Governor Tambuwal said his administration will continue to give priority to the education sector. He said as part of government’s commitment to boost funding, education levy was introduced by the government where civil servants and political office holders are taxed to compliment other sources of funding.

    “We have so far saved the sum of N260 million through the education levy. We hope to liaise with the state consultative committee on revitilization of education, headed by Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad, to continue our work in the education sector,” Tambuwal added.

    The Governor assured that all the recommendation of the committee will be implemented by the government. While commending the members of the committee for a diligent job, Tambuwal said no investment in the education sector is too much to make.

    He equally tasked commentators to always cross check fact before going public, adding that proper checks and balances have been put in place to ensure transparent handling of all public funds in the state.

  • UNICEF to educate over 500,000 out-of-school children in four northern states – Official

    UNICEF to educate over 500,000 out-of-school children in four northern states – Official

    The UNICEF is assist in educating 501,574 out-of-school children (OOSC) in four northern states, by the year 2020, an official disclosed on Sunday.

    The Sokoto State project Coordinator of the UNICEF-funded Educate-A-Child (EAC) project, Dr Yahaya Maiyama, disclosed this in a meeting with stakeholders on the project in Sokoto.

    Maiyama said that the children would be drawn from Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara and Kebbi States.

    Maiyama said that the meeting was aimed at disseminating the results of community mapping and household listing of OOSC to key stakeholders in the state.

    “Our aim is to have more OOSC being enrolled into schools. As such, we are targeting three local governments areas each in Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara States while nine local government are to benefit in Kebbi state.

    “This selection was done based on the needs and the number of OOSC in the areas, as over 60 per cent of OOSC in Nigeria are in the Northern parts of the country.

    “Moreover, about 70 per cent OOSC were affected because of poverty and socio-cultural factors among the community,” he added.

    Maiyama also added that the project would increase access for the children and improve quality of teaching as well as learning environment in target states.

    He said,”UNICEF will work in close partnership with government agencies at the national, state, local governments and communities levels to ensure the success of the program.”

    In his remarks, the Sokoto state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Jabbi Kilgori, said the state government was fully committed to ensuring that no child is left without education.

    Kilgori, who was represented by the Director of Basic Education in the ministry, Alhaji Abubakar Sabo, said the state would continue to establish more schools in order to accommodate all OOSC in the state.

    “This is as well to boost the standard of education and facilitate increased enrollment in schools, for the development of the educational sector of the state,” he said.

    The commissioner commended UNICEF for choosing the state to benefit from the project and called on the benefiting communities to judiciously utilize the opportunity by sensitizing the people on the importance of child education.

    Speaking earlier, Mr Adebayo Oladayo, Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant of the project, said that 133,102 OOSC from Isa, Kware and Shagari local government areas of Sokoto state would benefit from the project.

  • Councillors deny plot to impeach LG Chairman in Sokoto

    Councillors deny plot to impeach LG Chairman in Sokoto

    Councillors in Sokoto North Local Government of Sokoto State have denied plotting to impeach the Chairman, Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the councillors made the denial when they spoke to newsmen in Sokoto on Thursday while reacting to social media posts on the alleged impeachment plot.

    Postings in the social media alleged that eight out of the 11 councillors had signed impeachment notice to remove the chairman.

    Speaking on the matter, the Councillor representing Sarkin Musulmi, ”B” ward, Alhaji Abdullahi Sidi, said,” there was never any plan to impeach the chairman.

    “The said deductions of taxes, educational and APC levies adduced to in the postings were legal and backed by a Circular from the Ministry for Local Governments.”

    Also, the councillor representing Waziri ” A” ward, Alhaji Kasimu Bashiru, said ”there was no any plan to impeach Ibrahim.

    “We were surprised to wake up this morning and see the social media awash with such obnoxious and destructive rumour being orchestrated by some retrogressive people who are bent on soiling the integrity of the chairman and the council.

    “There has never been any illegal deductions from our salaries, while our relationship with the executive is very cordial.

    “We are hereby pledging our loyalty to the three tiers of government and the APC.

    “We are also disassociating ourselves from the alleged plot which only existed in the mischievous imaginations of the authors.”

    In his reaction, the chairman denied siphoning the internally generated revenue of the local council or misappropriating the salary of any councillor as alleged.

    Ibrahim added,” the allegation stems from the evil machinations of some anti-people and anti-progress agents of doom.

    “I have already briefed my lawyers and if they don’t retract the postings, I will seek legal redress.”

  • Sokoto justice commissioner becomes SAN

    Sokoto justice commissioner becomes SAN

    Sokoto state has joined the list of privileged states to have for the first time in history, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) following the emergence of Barrister Suleiman Usman.
    He was among 29 others appointed by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) as announced by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hadizatu Mustapha on Thursday.
    The 46 year old SAN has been in the legal practice with ascending track record in since 2000.
    Usman, the current Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice in the state is the first indigenous and resident lawyer to rise to the position in the state.
    He graduated from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto in 1998 and enrolled at the Nigeria Law School between 1999 and 2000 when he was called to the Nigerian Bar.
    The newly appointed Senior Advocate also holds a Master of Laws from the University of Liverpool.
    Usman was a one time speaker of Kware local government between 1991 and 1993; Special Adviser to Sokoto state government on Legal Matters between 2003 and 2006; and Sokoto state delegate to the National Political Reform Conference in 2005.
    Before his appointment as Sokoto state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Usman was the Principal Counsel and Head of Practice at Gamzaki Law Chambers.
  • Sokoto guber tussle: Court affirms Tambuwal’s election

    Sokoto guber tussle: Court affirms Tambuwal’s election

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, affirmed the election of Aminu Tambuwal as governor of Sokoto State.

    The court dismissed the suit filed by Sen. Umar Dahiru, challenging the nomination of Tambuwal as the governor candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the April 2015 general elections.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawale dismissed the suit on the grounds that Dahiru failed to prove his claims that the APC primary elections in 2014, were conducted in violation of the party’s guidelines and constitution.

    “The plaintiff did not pin point in specific terms in what ways and manner the APC did not comply with its guidelines and constitution.

    Justice Kolawale had fixed June 23 to deliver judgment in the matter after listening to final arguments from counsel involved in the legal battle over the Sokoto State governorship seat.

    In his argument, counsel to Dahiru, Mr Roland Otaru ( SAN), urged the court to nullify and set aside the primary election that produced Tambuwal as candidate for the 2015 governorship election in the state.

    Otaru premised his arguments on the grounds that the constitution of the APC, the APC guidelines on the primary elections and the Electoral Act 2010 were “violently violated” in the conduct of the primary election.

    The counsel maintained that the primary election was conducted in breach of the relevant rules since verification and accreditation of delegates were not done in spite of the fact that they were mandatory.

    He urged the court to take a judicial notice of the list containing the names of the delegates who participated in the primary election and the report of the APC.

    The counsel said that there was no evidence of verification and accreditation in compliance with relevant laws.

    On his part, Mr Jubrin Okutepa (SAN), counsel to the APC, asked the court to dismiss Dahiru’s case on the grounds that his claims were inconsistent.

    Okutepa drew the court’s attention to the affidavit evidence of Dahiru prepared in 2015, where he admitted that accreditation of delegates was carried out.

    He said it was only in a further affidavit prepared in 2017, that he recanted his earlier position and said that accreditation was not carried out.

    According to him, a litigant must be consistent in his claim.

    He added that Dahiru failed to call delegates to give evidence that they were not accredited and that the court should as such presume that there was proper accreditation.

    “The case of the plaintiff is bereft of any evidential support to warrant any declaration to be made in his favor.”

    He urged the court to dismiss Dahiru’s case and uphold the nomination of Tambuwal.

    Mr Sunday Ameh (SAN), counsel to Tambuwal who aligned himself with the submission of Okutepa said it was too late for Dahiru who admitted that there was accreditation in 2015 to make a u-turn in 2017.

    According to Ameh, the period for primary election has expired in line with the 1999 Constitution, and as such, Dahiru’s case has become an academic exercise.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dahiru instituted a suit against the APC, Tambuwal and INEC, praying for an order of the court to nullify and set aside the Sokoto State APC primary election of 2014.

    He premised his suit on the grounds that its conduct contravened the Electoral Act 2010, the APC guidelines on the primary elections and the party’s constitution.

  • Sokoto releases N422m for payment of tuition

    Sokoto releases N422m for payment of tuition

    The Sokoto State Government, has released N422 million for the payment of tuition fees of its indigenes, studying at some local and foreign institutions.

    This information is contained in a statement signed by the Information Officer, Nura Maikwanci, Ministry of Higher Education and issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Friday.

    It said that students at Baze University, Abuja, got N118 million while N257 million was paid for the 2015/2016 academic session to students studying in various institutions in Sudan.

    In the same vein, the statement said N47 million was paid as tuition and upkeep allowance for students studying in Uganda.

    According to the statement, the gesture is in view of the State Government’s commitment to encourage the state indigenes to pursue higher education in various fields within and outside Nigeria.

    “It is imperative for the benefiting students to concentrate more on their studies; to justify the huge resources being expended on them by the government”.