The Chief Judge of Yobe State Hon. Justice Garba Musa Nabaruma yesterday inaugurated chairmen and members of the Local Government Elections tribunal in the state.
This is sequel to the forth coming Local Government Elections in Yobe State slayed for Febuary 11, 2017,
According to the Chief Judge, three trial tribunals and three appeal panels, one each of either for each of the senatorial zones of the state in line with the Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission and Local Government Elections Law 2002. He added that more panels will be constituted if the need arises.
Justice Nabaruma in his address told members of the tribunal to work hard and be patient but expeditious in determining cases because of the fix tenure of the offices in contention.
“…members have to be to exercise a lot of patience and perseverance because normal elections petitions rely on sumptuous documentary evidence which are sometimes brought in truck loads which they have to painstakingly go through individually,” Justice Nabaruma advised.
He expressed confidence in the chairmen and members of the tribunal, while calling on them not to be intimidated by politicians in the discharge of their duties.
To the new Magistrates, the Chief Judge tasked them to resist corrupt practices in the conduct of their official duties.
The chief Judge said their swearing in is coming at a time the Judiciary is under scrutiny by the society and task them to maintain the prestige of the noble profession.
“To the newly sworn in magistrates, I say you have come into the magistracy at a time when the entire judiciary is under serious scrutiny by the society which I know you are all aware of that.
“As you sit in Judgment over the rights and obligations of others and as you determine whether an accused is guilty or innocent, the society in which you live also judges you” Justice Nabaruma said.
According to justice Nabaruma, corrupt practices will discredit them and the whole judiciary making the society lose confidence in the entire system.
“The dividends of corrupt practices by judicial officers have the tendency of exposing you to a lifestyle that you may grow accustomed to but you cannot, in the long run sustain.
“The moment you assume that lifestyle, the lawyers and fellow judges and the society will know whether you like it or not and will hold you in contempt and will have no confidence in your ability to deliver fair decision”
Justice Nabaruma also tasks them to be courageous and fearless in the conduct of their judicial duties stressing that they should never be intimidated by anybody, no matter how highly placed.
He urges them to maintain very high standard of decency and decorum, hard work, punctuality, and to respect litigants and counsels who appear before them and to always avoid company of shady characters.
Tag: Yobe State
-
Yobe council elections tribunal inaugurated
-
‘Why Gaidam sacked information commissioner’
Facts have begun to emerge why Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam sacked his commissioner of Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Alhaji Aji Bularafa.
Though no clear reason was given why the commissioner was shown the way out, investigation, however, reveal that he was alleged to be holding secrets meeting with some group of politicians ahead of 2019 general elections.
Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam on Wednesday directed the Secretary to Yobe State Government Baba Malam Wali to relieve the commissioner of his position as a member of the State Executive Council with immediate effect.
In a statement issued by Shaibu Abdullahi, the Press Secretary to the SGG asked Mr Bularafa to hand over the affairs of the ministry to the permanent secretary with immediate effect.
The Statement reads: “His Excellency Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State has relieved Alh. Aji Yerima Bularafa of his appointment as a Hon. Commissioner ministry of information and culture and member Yobe state executive council with immediate effect.
“The governor has further directed he should hand over the affairs of his office to the permanent Secretary pending the appointment of a new commissioner”.This is the second time Gov. Gaidam has sacked Aji Yerima Bularafa as commissioner. In 2013, he was sacked for alleged anti-party activities but later recalled and appointed as Special Adviser in two capacities before his re-appointment as commissioner for information in 2015.
There are strong rumours that some politicians in the state from Abuja are grouping to scuttle whoever Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam will support as his successor come 2019.
Already, the APC is the state is divided between the Abuja group and the governor’s group otherwise regarded as Damaturu group.
The two times former Director General, Ibrahim Gaidam Campaign Organization in 2011 and 2015, former Commissioner of Works, Water Resources, Animals and Fisheries and Former Party Chairman of the defunct ANPP in the state now member representing Karasuwa/Nguru/Yusufari Federal Constituency Hon. Alhaji Yakubu Sidi Karasuwa has already declared his intention to run for the highest job in the state come 2019.
An impeccable source has informed that Karasuwa has personally informed Gov. Gaidam of his ambition to succeed him but indications are clearly that he may not be the preferred candidate of the governor.
Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam who is bid to leave Yobe Government House by May 2019 after he must have served out his two terms as governor is likely to engage in a political tussle with former governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim over the Zone A senatorial seat Sen. Bukar Abba is currently occupying for the third time in a roll.
Last month, Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam in a similar manner sacked his Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Kaigama Umar who served as his commissioner of Finance for almost six years. Kaigama’s fate was also attributed to allegations of secret political meetings in connection with 2019.
In his defence, Hon.Aji Yerima Bularafa told our correspondent on phone that the news of his sacking came as a surprise to him, adding that he is not aware of any secret meeting has attended either within on outside Damaturu.
Bularafa, however, said that he has taken his fate to Allah.
I honestly don’t feel bad because it is what Allah has destined and I can’t change it. My fate is in Him and I surely believe in His works,” Bularafa said.
A close source to the governor informed that he has warned all political appointees in the state that, “it’s too early to start engaging in politics of 2019”.
The source added that there are indications that more commissioners or any other political appointee would be sacked because the governor is very angry and serious over the issue.
-
Promise James, Yarhere join El Kanemi
El Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri have secured the services of Kano Pilllars defender Promise James and Warri Wolves striker Efe Yarhere, SportingLife understands.
The club’s media officer, Anthony Obaseki said James and Nyarere’s experiences in the league attracted the Borno Armies interest to bring the duo to Maiduguri for the next soccer season.
It is understood that the pair have reported at the team’s training camp in Maiduguri.
“Nyarere and James are few of the players that have shown interest to play for us this season. The technical crew look at their experience before invited them and the club have started process of signing them. They are with us now and training with the rest of the squad,” Obaseki said.
Obaseki also disclosed that both players and officials of the club will move to Yobe State next week for pre-season camping.
“We wanted to camp in Gombe State but we changed our mind because Gombe will host NNL Super Four. So the team will travel to Yobe next week for our pre-season preparation,” he said. -
NDE engages over 19,000 graduate trainees in Yobe
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Yobe State has engaged 19,780 graduate trainees in the state in the last 12 years.
The State Coordinator of the Program Malam Umar Yunusa disclosed this at opening session of five day training for Graduate Attachment Program (GAP) organized the NDE in the State.
Malam Yunusa disclosed that over the years, the NDE has systematical tried to solve the problem of unemployment across the country by training and sending out graduates to organisations whom in some cases are retained on permanent basis.
The Yobe State NDE boss called on the beneficiaries to take advantage of the program and make the best out of it so as to secure pensionable jobs from those organisations they are attached to.
He explained that 15 beneficiaries each were chosen from the three senatorial zones of the state, adding that the NDE through its inspectorate unit ensures that beneficiaries are monitored in their areas of assignment to rate their performance and other wise.
The representative of the Director General at the occasion, Engr. Haruna Idris who is also the Principal Public Works Officer of the NDE said the organisation is working at build a bank of trained unemployed graduates where employers can come in and hire professionals that they need.
He called on the beneficiaries to concentrate on the five days orientation training so as to reap the benefit of the scheme, stressing that, “only discipline and dedication will market them to those organisations that they are posted to. It is therefore an opportunity that they should not allow it pass by”.
-
EFCC Maiduguri office recovers N200 million
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) office in Maiduguri which extends its operations to Yobe State has within five months recovered the sum of not less than two hundred million Naira.
The Nation checks gathered that the EFCC office in Maiduguri though established since 2011 was shut down due to the insurgency in the state. But like other agencies, the commission resumes operations in the states last November with the improvement of the security situation in the state.
The Head of Operations of Maiduguri office Ibrahim Bappa in a Press Statement sent to our Correspondent in Maiduguri said the monies recovered are both for the Federal Government and individual victims through petitions received by the commission.
The statement read in part; “Since the office resumed operations in November, 2015, it has recovered the sum of ₦196, 670, 000:00 (One hundred and ninety six million, six hundred and seventy thousand) Naira only for the Federal Government of Nigeria and the sum of ₦2,800,000:00 (Two Million Eight hundred thousand) Naira only for individual victims as a result of petitions received and acted upon by the zone.
“The Commission is hereby, putting on notice to all businessmen and women who indulge in Economic and Financial Crimes to desist from such unwholesome acts or face the wrath of the Law as stipulated in the commission’s establishment Act.
“Also, the EFCC is urging the general public to report any public official suspected to have used his/her position to enrich him or herself or any individual living above him/her known means by way of writing petition to the Executive Chairman of EFCC through the Head of Operations Maiduguri zonal office, as no stone will be left unturned to bring such persons to justice. As we say “EFCC… Will get you Anywhere, Anytime!”
“The zonal office team hereby solicits your cooperation in executing its mandates in tune with the Change Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the statement reads.
-
We are rebuilding our lives – Yobe IDPs
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who relocated to their villages in Yobe said they have taken the challenge to rebuild their lives as normalcy had returned to the communities.
Malam Bukar Ali, a returnee IDP told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Gujba, Yobe, that over 70 per cent of people who fled the village had returned.
He said that “the presence of soldiers in the village had given us a sense of confidence and security to resettle and rebuild our lives.”
Malam Mohammad Zanna, another returnee, said the provision of food items and rehabilitation of boreholes by the state government had cushioned the hardship of the returnees.
He added that “when we came back, some of us were lucky to have our houses not destroyed but our major challenge was food and water because we abandoned our farms for two years, while the boreholes were vandalised.
“We are happy that the state government, through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has provided us with food items and rehabilitated the boreholes.”
The Yobe Government last Friday distributed 600 bags of rice, 300 bags of millet, 300 bags of beans, 400 cartons of Indomie noodles, 100 cartons of vegetable oil, 100 cartons of toilet soaps, 600 pieces of nylon mats and 200 pieces of blankets to the returning IDPs in Katarko and Gujba.
NAN reports that the five boreholes vandalised by insurgents had been rehabilitated and were currently serving the people.
Meanwhile, Malam Modu Wakil, a community leader, said that the people were making preparations to resume farming activities as the cropping season would soon set in.
He said “we are mostly farmers, we abandoned our farms for two years, we are now prepared to resume farming activities to rebuild our lives as normalcy has returned to our communities.”
-
Army general dead, others injured in auto crash
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Muhammed Aliyu, has been involved in a ghastly auto crash along Damaturu, Maiduguri road in Yobe State with some other officers.
One General is confirmed dead with the GOC critically injured. The identity of the dead General is yet to be ascertained.
The military were conveying the injured GOC to Jos, Plateau State for better medical attention.
Yobe State Deputy Governor, Abubakar Aliyu, the Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam Wali, State Police Commissioner, Zanna Muhammed were among the early sympathisers at the General Sani Abacha Specialist hospital where the victims were brought.
-
Yobe shut down school of nursing over students protest
The Shehu Sule School of Nursing in Yobe State has been shut down indefinitely following students protest in the school.
The Nation gathered that some section of the students embarked on a wild demonstration the withdrawal of 33 of their members that failed the final hospital exams in the school.
The demonstrators described the actions of the provost as “wicked and callous” calling for the removal of the provost.
Eyewitness inform that the students took over Gujba road opposite the Gen. Sani Abatcha Specialist Hospital in front of the school gate burning tires and barring motorists from passing through the route into the main town for more than two hours.
Some of the students accused the SUG of taking side with the school authority.
“We are disappointed with our own leadership because they are not in support of our struggle simply because the SUG president is not among the students that failed the exams so he doesn’t give a damn what happens to his fellow students.
“Our president is only interested in protecting his office rather than the interest of the students some of whom have been in this school for close to five years and are now withdrawn. Where would they start from now,” he asked
The Senior Special Assistant on Health to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, Dr. Bello Kawuwa told our correspondent on phone that he was able to calm down the students after listening to their cries.
Dr. Bello said that “the problems tabled by the students would be looked into. We don’t intend to drag this matter for too long so we are hoping to trash out the issues immediately so that peace will return to the school.”
Several calls to the provost of the school Musa Amshi and text message by our correspondent were not responded to.
The SUG president of the school Ishiaku denied any knowledge of the closure of the school.
-
128 killed in Yobe Boko Haram attack
GORE gory details of last week’s Boko Haram attacks on Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, emerged yesterday. No fewer than 128 people were killed, it was learnt.
Military and hospital reports indicated to Associated Press (AP) that 23 soldiers, eight policemen and 95 insurgents were killed in the five-hour long battle between the Islamic extremists and troops.
There has been no specific figure given by the military on the casualty , but the latest findings showed that the militants had a strong hand and caught troops by surprise.
The attack came after a lull and almost six months after the federal government imposed a state of emergency in Yobe along with Borno and Adamawa states.
Reporters saw that the extremists set ablaze four police command posts and an army barracks where they looted vehicles and weapons.
Police and witnesses said at least two civilians died — a man believed killed by the insurgents and a civil servant shot by soldiers for breaking the curfew.
Also yesterday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR) urged neigbouring countries to keep their borders open for Nigerians fleeing the escalating violence and who may be in need of international protection.
The Geneva-based agency also advised states against forced return of people to the region.
Spokesperson Dan McNorton told reporters: “Our recommendations are contained in a newly issued Return Advisory, which seeks to ensure that humanitarian and asylum principles are upheld in light of the worsening security situation in northeastern Nigeria.”
-
Peaceful Sallah in Yobe
For some time now, the joy and excitement that accompany Sallah celebrations in Yobe State had been absent, no thanks to the insecurity of life and property that enveloped the area. It was a security risk for people, especially children, to be seen outside let alone visiting during festive periods.
However, with the security checks put in place by the Federal Government when it declared a state of emergency in the state and two others, normalcy gradually returned to the troubled state owing to the military actions of the Joint Task Force (JTF) that waged war against insurgents.
It was gratifying that the just-concluded Sallah celebrations went without the ususal terror. Children trooped to the streets in joyful mood to celebrate and visited friends and relations.
In their new dresses, they savoured the fresh air on the streets of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. They wore make-ups, eye-catching shoes and spectacular eyeglasses as they called on friends and relatives.
Parents were equally not afraid to allow their children to leave the enclave of their home to roam the streets, visit their friends, relatives, family members and so on due to the improved security situation in the state.
In the last Sallah celebrations worshipers deserted the Eid praying grounds in the state capital, with many preferring to stay at home for fear of attack by the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
This year’s Eid celebration, however, witnessed hundreds of thousands of worshippers at different praying grounds in the state capital.
Our correspondent who was at the Yobe Mosque during the Eid prayers saw a huge crowd that turned out to perform the prayers. It was, however, observed that many worshippers were late for the two Rakat prayers due to the tight security checks to the entrance of the praying venues which include phase 1; Waziri Ibrahim; Nyarnya and Yobe Mosque.
Immediately the prayers were concluded, the Deputy Governor, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu headed straight to the WAWA Hall of the Government House, Damaturu which played host to orphans from YETIM Care Foundation and other dignitaries in the state.
While speaking to the gathering, Mr. Aliyu admonished leaders and followers to retrace their ways to Allah for a better society.
He regretted that the love shared on festive periods like Sallah among neighbours in the past has vanished. He called on such lost love to be renewed as a mark of brotherliness and love for one another for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
The Deputy Governor also urged the people for a more sober reflection on the Sallah day than allowing the day to pass like any other day.
“There are so many lessons we Muslims are supposed to draw from this celebration. We need to reflect more on this day instead of just eating and drinking like any other day.
“If we miss out on the importance of fasting that has brought us to this day, then we are missing out completely on the rewards that come with it,” Mr. Aliyu said.
The orphans from YETIM Care Foundation, after some quaranic citations, prayed for peace in the state and the country as a whole.
Mr. Aliyu also commended the security operatives for restoring peace in the state, even as he called on the people to be patient with the soldiers who he said are risking their lives for the people to have peace.
“I thank God that last Sallah; we did not witness this kind of turn out. But today, security has improved in the state. I must say that it is the commitment of the JTF. Let us be patient with these soldiers and co-operate with them. They take the bullet, risk their lives for us to have peace. So, why can’t we give them the co-operation they need. After all, they are doing it for our sake?” Mr. Aliyu said.
The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Yobe State chapter led by its chairman Rev. Garba Idi also paid Sallah homage to the Deputy Governor during which he stressed the need for religious tolerance. The state CAN leadership further praised the state government for the efforts made so far in restoring peace.
The Emir of Fika and the Chairman Yobe State Council of Chiefs His Royal Highness Mohammadu Abali Ibn Mohammadu also led a delegation of traditional rulers in the state to pray with the Deputy Governor on the Sallah celebration.
Addressing the traditional rulers, Mr. Aliyu advised them to step up enlightenment campaigns for more education of the youth so as to avoid keeping bad companies.
According to him, sound moral and religious upbringing and strict monitoring of children will go a long way in solving the insurgency problems, stressing that no parent will advise his child to follow bad company.
In his remarks, the chairman of Yobe State Council of Chiefs and the Emir of Fika regretted how the economy of the state has nose-dived due to the insurgency. The royal father called on the state government to come up with more youth-oriented programmes and other economic empowerment programmes to revive the economy of the state.
He also called on government to impose strict laws against indiscriminate felling of trees. He rather suggested that tree-planting campaigns should be encouraged to tackle desertification.