The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Yobe

  • Finally, Yobe council chairmen handover after The Nation report

    All of the 17 local government chairmen in Yobe state have finally handed over to the Directors of Personnel Management (DPMs) less than 24 hours after The Nation published their dilly-dallying on the directive of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam.

    The governor had directed the chairman on February 15th to hand over to the DPMs but only four of them compiled with the order as at Wednesday.

    Most of them were reportedly reluctant based on the belief that the governor could convert the handover order to appointing them as caretaker chairmen.

    But a source from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs confirmed to our correspondent in Damaturu on Thursday that all the chairmen have submitted their hand-over notes to the ministry.

    Some of the DPMs have also confirmed that they have taken over the affairs of the Local Government as directed by the Gaidam.

    Investigation revealed the governor was furious after receiving news of non-compliance of the local Government chairmen.

    He was said to have ordered the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to ensure the chairmen complied on Wednesday.

    One of the DPMs called last night to inform he was handed over the affairs of the Local Government by his former chairman at about 6.00pm on Wednesday.

    The Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Dawa Maigari also confirmed all the local government chairmen have handed over since Wednesday.

    He denied the chairmen refused to handover, saying: “It is not true that they refused to hand over as your report stated.

    “Even His Excellency called me after he read your report but I told him that they have handed over”.

  • Who wears the crown?

    WHO rules Nigeria over the next four years? That is the major task before voters as they go to the polls today to pick the country’s president in the biggest election ever in its history. Although a  total of 73 candidates are in the presidential race, according to the list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the contest from all indications will be a straight fight between the  incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the only candidates to have physically gone round the country to canvass for votes. It has been a tough duel; it is the race of their lives. But the odds seem to be in favour of Buhari with projections and poll experts tipping him to win the most votes.

    There are a total of 84 million voters registered for the elections and the March 2 governorship and state assembly elections. Buhari’s APC  is in control of the four states with the largest concentration of registered voters: Lagos 6.8m, Kano 5.4m, Kaduna 3.9m and Katsina 3.2m, and his popularity in the Northwest with 20.1million voters and Northeast with 11.2m voters is unrivalled. Poll projections suggest that in the Northeast,the President will win in Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe while Atiku is likely to win in Taraba. Adamawa, where Atiku comes from, is generally seen as a battleground between the two leading candidates, although many residents acknowledge Buhari as the brain behind the relative peace being enjoyed in the state now after many years of insecurity unleashed by Boko Haram.

    Most of the states in North Central – Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa- are regarded as battlegrounds but Buhari is tipped to win in Niger. The Northwest, especially Kano with its enormous votes, has always been Buhari’s comfort zone .His home state – Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara and Jigawa are all considered safe for him. Same goes for the Southwest where the APC is in control of the six states in the zone:Lagos,Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo. Atiku is projected to win in all the five Southeast states of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo, although Buhari is tipped to receive more votes in the zone than he did in 2015. Most of the states in the South-South are also projected to vote for Atiku. These are Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Cross River while Edo and Akwa Ibom are likely to cast their lot with Buhari. Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina have largest number of voters With  6,570,291 ,Lagos has the largest number of registered  voters for this year’s elections.It if followed by  Kano with  5,457,747, Kaduna with 3,932,492 and  Katsina  with 3,230,230. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it registered over 84 million voters for the elections .

     

    Following is the breakdown of  how voters were registered  state by state:

    Abia 1,932,892 Adamawa 1,973,083 Akwa Ibom 2,119,727 Anambra 2,447,996 Bauchi 2,462,843 Bayelsa 923,182 Benue 2,480,131 Borno 2,315,956 Cross River 1,527,289 Delta 2,845,274 Ebonyi 1,459,933 Edo 2,210,534 Ekiti 909,967 Enugu 1,944,016 FCT 1,344,856 Gombe 1,394,393 Imo 2,272,293 Jigawa 2,111,106 Kaduna 3,932,492 Kano 5,457,747 Katsina 3,230,230 Kebbi 1,806,231 Kogi 1,646,350 Kwara 1,406,457 Lagos 6,570,291 Nasarawa 1,617,786 Niger 2,390,035 Ogun 2,375,003 Ondo 1,822,346 Osun 1,680,498 Oyo 2,934,107 Plateau 2,480,455 Rivers 3,215,273 Sokoto 1,903,166 Taraba 1,777,105 Yobe 1,365,913 Zamfara 1,717,128

  • NGO to complement FG effort on peace building

    The Working Group on Women, Youth, Peace and Security in West Africa and the Sahel (WGWYPS-WAS) is set to commence its peace building campaign in some states in Nigeria.

    Mrs Bridget Affiah, Co-state representative of WGWYPS-WAS NG in Delta, said this on Tuesday during the official inauguration of the #Workingroupng4peace Campaign in Warri.

    Affiah said the campaign would be conducted in 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), adding that the objective of the NGO was to propagate peace, particularly in  violence prone states.

    She listed the states to include; Abia, Benue, Borno, Delta, Enugu, Gombe and Kaduna,.

    She said the others were Kano, Lagos, Kogi, Osun, Rivers, Plateau, Yobe and the FCT.

    According to her, the campaign was to further ensure increased awareness on the need to reduce violence especially against the vulnerable populations like the youth, women, children and the physically challenged persons.

    “WGWYPS-WAS was set up in April 2009 with the support of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) across 15 West African Countries and the Sahel.

    “WGWYPS-WAS NG with the hash tag, #workingroupng4peace was inaugurated in  December 2016 in Nigeria.

    “It is an all inclusive platform for experience sharing, analysis and participatory evaluation within the West African Region and the Sahel.

    ” It is also for the promotion and implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related ones on women and youth participation, conflict prevention mechanism and peace building,”she said.

    Affiah said the group recognised states where violence, hate speeches, conflicts and insecurity were prevalent, adding that there could be no meaningful development in a conflict situation.

    “We will try and see what we can do to achieve sustainable peace for sustainable development.

    ” We are going to be working with the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in Delta,” she said.

    Read Also:Breaking: INEC declares Benue guber election inconclusive

    Another Co-state representative, Mrs Rachael Ruppee, said other objectives of the NGO was to strengthen the capacity of members and bring skills together to achieve good result.

    “The aim is also to enhance information and knowledge sharing in peace, conflict and violence resolutions,” she said.

    One of the guests, Dr Agboro Andrew, said that peace and security was the collective responsibility of everyone.

    “There are a lot of issues right now in Delta, post political issues, cult issues and without peace the communities will be under developed.

    “A lot of companies are leaving the state as a result of issues related to conflict,” he said.

  • Presidential panel spends N10b on feeding Northeast IDPs

    The Federal government spent N10b on food for victims of insurgency in the Northeast in the last two years, it emerged on Tuesday.

    Due to the devastating effect of the Boko Haram insurgency on education in the region, the Presidential Committee on Northeast Initiatives (PCNI) is committing over N2b to support 67,000 students and 6,750 teachers to encourage conducive learning environment.

    The Education intervention programme was launched simultaneously on Monday in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

    Speaking in Abuja, PCNI Vice Chairman Tijani Tumsah disclosed that with about 1.7 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the region, a 25 kilograms food basket of seven items at a cost of N54, 000 is spent on a family monthly.

    “Food is a major consumer of our funds. In the last two and a half years, the PCNI has spent over N10b on food for the IDPs.

    “Before the inception of PCNI, there have been various interventions by various organisations but when we came on board, we have to coordinate and fill in gaps wherever they exist.

    “We now have about 1.7 million IDPs, before now, the figure was over 2 million.”

    Tumsah also said the panel’s intervention in the education sector of the region became imperative due to the massive damage done to the psyche and school attendance by the insurgency.

    On the Northeast Education Programme, the vice chairman said prior to the insurgency, the region was lagging behind other regions in all development indices but the situation was compounded by the insurgency that led to large scale destruction of infrastructures as well as the socio-economic life of the people.

    Read Also: IDPs can’t go home now – Ortom

    It was in view of this the PCNI conceived the idea of Education Support Programme whereby primary and secondary are targeted for assistance, he said.

    “Not all schools and students would be covered by the programme but only those with critical needs and so far we have identified 67,000 students and 6,750 in the State and Local Government Areas across the region.

    “The identification and selection was carried out in collaboration with Ministries of Education and individual school managements in the States and Local governments in the region.

    “About N800m has been committed to the three states where the programme was launched a couple of days ago and in a matter days, the other States in the region would follow suit.

    “The programme is designed to reduce the huge deficit recorded in that sector by encouraging a conducive learning environment for the children through provision of learning materials for the students and their teachers and equipment that would assist the school to meet its obligations to the children.

    “Even as reconstruction of the region is going on, it was our aim to ensure that the children are encouraged to go back to school and once they got back to school, they have aids to be able to have access to sound education as much as possible,” Tumsah said.

     

  • Army repels Boko Haram attack in Yobe

    Troops of 159 Battalion, Forward Operational Base (FOB), Sector 2, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, on Monday evening repelled attempted terrorists incursion into the border town of Kanama, Yunusari Local Government of Yobe.

    The Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Lt. Njoka Irabor made this known in a press statement issued in Damaturu.

    Irabor said “The terrorists came in at about 5:30pm and started shooting sporadically and vigilant troops of the FOB engaged them.

    “Consequently, the terrorists were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the gallant troops of 159 Battalion and the well-coordinated air support from the Air Component of Operation LAFIYA DOLE.

    Read also: Badagry prince forged signatures, forensic expert claims

    “This resulted in inflicting casualty on the terrorists, while some of them retreated with gunshot wounds.

    “The resilient troops have embarked on hot pursuit of the fleeing surviving attackers towards Niger Republic border.

    “Further details of the casualties on the terrorists and recoveries would be provided on completion of the mop up and pursuit operations”, he said. (NAN)

  • Buratai and the price for national honour

    I reflected intensely, on the presidential and national assembly elections held February 23, 2019. My thoughts meandered far and near.  The gory images of violence before and after the elections kept assaulting my psyche. I feared and dreaded February 23. I wanted to relocate to a neighboring country for safety.
    I wasn’t alone in this cage. Nigerians were generally apprehensive. The signposts of phobia were everywhere in the country and President Muhammadu Buhari knew it. Mr. President, a security czar of the military ilk, got the message clearly that conventional civil security alone cannot police Nigeria on Election Day and post-election period; the feverish days results are enthusiastically awaited.
    Buhari knew the army  is the only saving grace.  So, he called the COAS and leader of counter-terrorism in Nigeria, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai  to render assistance to regular civil security. Buratai complied with the instructions of his Commander-In-Chief (C-In-C).
    To this minute,  I can’t believe that the elections were not only peaceful, but free, fair and credible. The trouble shooters dreaded the sight of soldiers in obscure localities and the amassed weapons of mass destructions were not released on Nigerians.
    I know, the party thugs and their debased chieftains knew any such attempt could be met with stiffer response from the Army. And as far as I know Gen. Buratai, the culprits will not escape. They will be hunted to the remotest part of their ancestral villages or fortified dungeons.
    So, they never came out to ply their violent trade. And Nigeria is happier.  The election observers from the international community are more excited and have argued plausibly that Nigeria did not burst into flames anymore. They have commended the Nigerian Army and indeed, sister security agents for the marvelous job.
    I hate violence. I hate killings.  I hate public anger expressed with swords and daggers. I understand, there is no admissible theory which prescribes absence of conflict, where human beings co-exist.  But dialogue is usually the way out. Where angst rise to the point of violence, I detest it infinitely.  But Gen. Buratai and the Army he leads have saved us again.
    And it is the reason which has prompted me to scribble this piece. Gen. Buratai is always there at the hour of need.  He thinks Nigeria at all times. He thinks the security, peace and unity of Nigeria. I am hued from a military family. But in recent times,  no Army General has impressed me like Gen. Buratai.  Most of us may not understand, the inferno Nigeria faced until President Buhari came on board and  appointed Gen. Buratai as COAS with the silent message that “make  your troops available for internal security, anytime I so request.”
    We have remained the only country in Africa with multiple insecurity threats. Each time I reflect on it, I am always tempted to dismiss our nation, as a failed state. But when I look at President Buhari, he rekindles my hope and animates my faith in this country. He actions assures me that we shall not slide dangerously into perdition.
    Can we talk to ourselves or conscience? Can we ask reflective and soul-searching questions on why we are facing Boko Haram terrorism; violent secession agitations; militancy, armed banditry and cattle rustling, herders/farmer clashes and other numerous communal or insurrectional crises? Do we want peace in this nation?
    How do we look at ourselves and fraternity for the troubles we create and the blood we spill delightedly? And the one person bearing the brunt of  our senselessness is Gen. Buratai and his troops. They know nothing about it; they are not part of the secret meetings we hold in dark chambers or places to breach national security or kill ourselves.
     But soldiers are the ones paying for our evil. Many have lost their lives for us to be secured from the aggression of these demonic forces.   I am eternally grateful to the Army.
    Those who attempted to compromise the electoral process in the first round of the elections met their waterloo. Soldiers arrested and handed them over to the Police for prosecution. We enjoy post-election peace today because Gen. Buratai was the silent “emperor” or shadows of peaceful elections or the omniscient eye watching over the security of Nigeria.
    I don’t know when President Buhari is holding the next national merit award. But may I talk to my President publicly on this forum. Your Excellency, Sir, the COAS, Lt.Gen.  Tukur Yusufu Buratai is eminently qualified for the 2019 national merit honors in Nigeria.  I am a citizen of Nigeria from Nasarawa state and Gen. Buratai is my nominee.
     I am not passing this message through a third party. Mr. President, my political leader,  I am addressing you publicly and directly.  I won’t suggest the title of the national merit honours you will confer on Gen. Buratai. But I know,  if you grant my request, you will give him one of very best on behalf of Nigerians in appreciation of his service to fatherland.
    I can’t wait to see the next list of Nigerians for its national merit award. One name that must feature prominently is Gen.  TY Buratai. If Nigerians do not see his name, my President, Nigerians will query you.  He has justified himself in service to the nation from the first day he enlisted into the Nigerian Army.
    He is the first COAS staff, I know in Nigeria who clads himself with fighting garments and jump into the trenches and jungles to fight enemies of Nigeria alongside his troops.  His patriotism is unequalled. Politicians dread his shadows like a vampire because they know, he cannot be compromised or influenced,  no matter the amount in millions offered to him as bribe.
    Soldiers under his watch dare not go close to politics.  They are apolitical or neutral and any Army personnel who violate this rule, directive or code faces the most severe consequences.
    Buratai has proven to be a dependable ally of the C-in-C, President Buhari. He has dispensed himself as a soldier and leader  who can be trusted with any national assignment and he will deliver just the way it has been spelt.
    Some silent, undercover forces monitored the Army  to see their actions  on civil duty  during the elections, as it  concerns national security, but found no fault. Nothing was found! Rather, the Army’s roles have been acknowledged in stabilization of the polity and the electoral process. The report   in commendations of the Army is really awesome.  Gen. Buratai didn’t do this alone,  but with his commanders and lieutenants whom he has trained to think, reason and act like him all day.
    Even  Boko Haram insurgents who tried to stop the elections in the Northeast met stiff resistance from the Army and the elections held peacefully in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. Terrorists who again, tested the might of the Nigerian Amy these states were randomly captured by our troops who had laid ambush on them.
    I have no doubt that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. But  honour must be given to only those who have paid the right price. My President, Gen. Buratai has done a lot to stabilize our democratic journey and national security. As a citizen of Nigeria, please, Your Excellency, do me this favour; inspire Gen. TY Buratai and  his troops commanders with the next national merit honours awards.
    Odoma wrote this piece from Asokoro, Abuja.

  • Photos: Unprecedented crowd as Buhari campaigns in Borno/Yobe

    Despite security challenges in Borno and Yobe, there was a massive turn out at the APC presidential campaign held in Borno and Yobe on Monday.

  • Residents take self-imposed leave to welcome Buhari in Yobe

    Some residents in Damaturu have taken a day leave to receive President Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress (APC) who is on a presidential campaign visit to the Yobe capital on Monday.

    The residents, who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria on Monday, said the one-day leave would afford them the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the president while in the state.

    Alhaji Aliyu Mustapha, a provision seller at Bayan Tasha Business Centre, said he had locked his shop until after the president’s visit.

    “I am going to the main road where he will be passing through so that I can catch a glimpse of the president,” he said.

    Habu Habibu, an electric materials dealer, said: “today we are on a self-declared holiday to welcome the president until after the visit.”

    “Everyone on our street has closed his shop to welcome the president; we are so proud of him to have restored relative peace to the Northeast,” he said.

    Mohammed AbdulRahman of Zanna Zakariya Housing Estate, said: “we will support and re-elect Buhari for a second term for providing more dividends of democracy.”

    Read Also; Buhari campaign train arrives Maiduguri

    Meanwhile, security operatives have been deployed to all strategic locations in the metropolis to ensure safety and peace throughout the visit.

    NAN reports that there was no official declaration of a public holiday by the state government, but most of the state civil servants have not been to work, while most schools and business centres are closed.

    Some streets were cleaned, while the Damaturu Stadium, the venue of the campaign, was given a facelift as part of the preparation for the President’s visit.

  • Army neutralises Boko Haram insurgents in Yobe

    The 27 Task Force Brigade and Nigeria Army Special Forces School, Buni-Yadi, Yobe, on Sunday neutralised scores of Boko Haram insurgents who attacked the military base.

    Major Nureni Alimi, the Assistant Director, Public Relations, 27 Task Force Brigade, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.

    Alumi said many insurgents were killed, others received gunshot injuries while a cache of Anti-Aircraft ammunitions, bombs, Rocket Propelled Guns and two Gun trucks were recovered.

    “Troops of the 27 Task Force brigade and the Nigeria Army Special Forces school in Buni-Yadi, Gujba Local Government, Yobe successfully defeated Boko Haram terrorists that launched an attack on the military base” it said.

    Read Also: Troops kill two Boko Haram insurgents, rescue two women

    “The terrorists came to engage the Brigade around 4:15 p.m. on Sunday January, 20, 2019, daring the troops for almost two and half hours.

    “The gallant troops stood their ground and thoroughly dealt with the insurgents, the troops were in high spirit and jubilated at the victory with high morale,” it added.

    Alimi also disclosed that four soldiers sustained minor injuries and were presently receiving treatment in the Brigade medical facility.

  • 2019: INEC removes 2,500 dead persons from voters register

    Not fewer than 2,500 deceased persons have been removed from the voters’ register of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) in Yobe State ahead of next month’s general election, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Ahmad Makama has informed.

    Mr. Makama disclosed this on Tuesday at an interactive session with religious leaders at the commission’s conference room in Damaturu, Yobe State.

    According to him, the removal underwent a careful process which was carried out during the display of registered voters lists across the 1,718 polling units of the state where people identified names of the deceased.

    He said; “It’s our duty to remove those names, but before that, those who identified them were given forms to fill and signed before the affected names were removed”.

    The commissioner said the meeting was aimed at sharing ideas with religious leaders on the INEC arrangements and progress of the commission is making and solicit their support for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming election.

    Mr. Makama regretted that over 100,000 PVCs are still uncollected at various local government offices, just as he appealed to the religious leaders to sensitize their congregations by encouraging them to collect their PVCs.

    He added that the collection of the PVC will resume from 16th January to 21st January 2019 at ward level while collection will shift to INEC Local Government Headquarters from 22nd, January 2019 to 8TH February, 2019 where it will be stopped until after the general elections.

    He tasked on the religious rulers to educated followers of their faiths against hate speeches.

    The REC warned that INEC has put everything in place to mitigate vote buying by politicians.

    Both speakers at the event observed limited number of polling unit and distances voters face in trekking to cast their votes on election day.

    Read Also: INEC to move one million unclaimed PVCs to wards

    The representative of JIBWIS, Malam Ibrahim Damaturu, said the situation has affected the smooth voting by prospective voters across the state over the years.

    He called on INEC to investigate allegations of vote buying by politician who are believed to be unpopular in certain places.

    “We want the INEC to investigate this matter and take appropriate measure,” he said.

    Pastor Musa Ezekiel, representative of Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria Yobe State (CAN) praised the measures put by the electoral body to ensure a hitch free election.

    According to him, the Christian faithful in the state have been engaging in prayers and fasting to ensure that the elections come and go without any breach of security both in the state and across the country.