The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Zaria

  • AIB begins probe on crashed NCAT aircraft

    The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) said Sunday it has commenced investigations into the accident involving  a Tampico (TB9) aircraft marked 5N-CBP belonging to the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, which occurred on March 1, 2019 at Rumi forest, Sabon Birnin,Birnin Gwari Local Government Area , Kaduna State.

    Its spokesman, Tunji Oketumbi disclosed this in a statement.

    According to Oketumbi, who cited information from NCAT ; the aircraft was on a Test Flight  conducted by a Pilot and an Engineer.

    The aircraft, Oketumbi said  was “force landed” ,  at 14:40 as a result of an engine failure.
    He said there was no fatality after the forced landing.

    Oketumbi said : ” Our team of safety investigators have commenced investigation.”
    Sources hinted that the  pilot made a successful forced-landing about 7 nautical miles North-West of Kaduna  at Rumi forest, Sabon Birni,Birnin Gwari LGA, Kaduna State.

    After the accident, NCAT notified the  Accident Investigation Bureau in line with standard practice, as prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

    Meanwhile, reports suggested  that after the plane crashed and the pilot evacuated some armed bandits rushed to the scene  and rained bullets on the aircraft and set it on fire thinking that it was one of the jets in the fleet of the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) that had been bombarding their camps since the beginning of the year.

    Already NAF personnel, the Inspector General of Police and management of the school have been to the scene of the crash , but no official statement has been released on the matter.

  • FG approves N300m for NCAT

    The Federal Government ( FG ) has approved N300 million for the renovation of the existing hostels in the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria.

    Its Rector Captain, Abdulsalam Mohammed made this known on Wednesday in an interview with aviation reporters in Zaria.

    He said the renovation of the hostel was part of government efforts to upgrade facilities in the college hostels for the comfort and safety of the students.

    He said the government has concluded arrangements to build a 100 hostel bed for males and a 150 hostel
    bed for females under a Public, Private, Partnership deal.

    He said the infrastructure expansion is to handle the expected upsurge of students from within and outside the country.

    The NCAT Rector said the college was still in talks with the company billed to handle the project to ensure that whatever agreements reached was water-tight to avoid any problem that could put the college to disrepute.

    Captain Abdulsalam said since the college was designated as an International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, Regional Training Centre of Excellence (RTCE), it has gained more brand visibility for students from other West African countries.

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    According to him, there were few RTCEs in the world saying it takes a lot of efforts and process before any institution is recognized, adding that the college was doing everything possible to ensure that its status and accreditation is retained.

    On the acquisition of training aircraft, he said 2015 government gave approval for the acquisition of 20
    Diamond Aircraft, two twin engines DA42 and 15 Assembly engine DA 40 aircraft, adding one of the trainer aircraft was delivered in April 2017 as four additional aircraft were expected before the end of this year.

    He said additional four DA 40 aircraft, have been ordered.

    When delivered, the college, he said would have one DA 42 and five DA 40 in addition to the eight aircraft on its fleet.

  • Islamic Medical Association to establish hospital in Kaduna

    The Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN), Kaduna State Chapter, says it will establish a hospital to take care of health needs of Muslims and other people in the state.

    It’s Amir, Abubakar Isa-Balarabe said this to Newsmen on the sideline of a lecture organised by IMAN chapter of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), held at the hospital, Shika, Zaria on Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the lecture is entitled: “Appraisal of Politics and Unionism on Health Care Delivery in Nigeria.”

    The lecture was one of the series of activities lined-up for the association’s 5th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Health Week Programme for 2019.

    The Amir said the move to establish the hospital was born out of the desire to extend a helping hand to the less privileged especially in the area of healthcare services.

    “In the event of any problem, sickness or crisis, Muslims are always at the receiving end, because they don’t know where to go, they are the ones going about with hospital papers seeking for help.

    “Therefore, the move by IMAN ABUTH to render free medical services to people is actually a welcome development and the programme is progressively increasing annually.

    “Even in surgery, it has been scaled up to about 140 beneficiaries this year.

    “In line with this progressive achievements, by the grace of Almighty Allah, we want to establish our own hospital bearing IMAN in Kaduna State to cater for the health needs of people especially the less privileged,” he said.

    Isa-Balarabe said the hospital, if established, would not provide services free-of-charge, but subsidise its charges to enable the downtrodden access quality healthcare services.

    He appealed to well-to-do individuals of the society especially Muslims to meaningfully contribute towards the actualisation of the hospital for the common good of all Nigerians.

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    “I want our people to be mindful of the fact that there are many less privileged persons who cannot afford to pay for simple treatment in hospitals.

    “Prophet (SAW) said, we should love for our brothers what we love for ourselves. Some of us travel out of Nigeria for medical treatment of some sickness that could be treated here at home

    “Why shouldn’t they be treated here in Nigeria and convert the remaining funds into ‘Sadaqatijjariya’ so that other less-privileged can benefit from it?

    “The millions of Naira people spend on buying expensive cars, erecting mansions or incessant marriages that don’t last long would have been used on what will fetch them endless rewards from Allah,” he said.

    According to him, health is not the only area that requires assistance, one can extend a helping hand to education, skills acquisition and other meaningful areas toward uplifting the lives of the people.

    The Amir described investment on such kinds of ventures as Sadaqatijjariya, “a good act with consistent multiple reward”, hence the need for all to holistically invest to gain Allah’s reward.

    He, however, stressed that medical practitioners would not in anyway increase lifespan of a patient, but only help to relieve pains and suffering, adding that they treat but Almighty Allah heals.

    “As a health worker, you have an unwritten agreement with your Creator that you are going to serve humanity, so, apart from the physical work you do, through your ‘Taqawa’ (fear of Allah), you have served humanity.

    “Whenever you link your activity, your work or profession with reward from Allah, you know what you are doing.

    “I must seize this opportunity to call on our leaders to bear in mind that whatever position you are occupying if you don’t put Islamic touch on it, you are going astray.

    “Because Allah (SWT) said He did not create Man and Jinn except to worship Him, so whatever you do, do it as an act of worship,” he advised.

    The Amir observed that the socio-economic life of people was continuously deteriorating because they refused to put Almighty Allah in the fore of everything.

    While applauding the efforts of IMAN ABUTH for a wonderful job, the Amir enjoined all other chapters across the country to emulate the good gesture demonstrated by them.

    “We’ve seen a lot, we’ve touched hearts, we’ve done a medical caravan, we’ve done surgeries, we’ve seen how we lift the lives of the downtrodden,” he added.

    NAN reports that the IMAN ABUTH 2019 Health Week Programme, also offered free surgical and ophthalmic operation to 140 patients and attended to over 2,500 patients.

    It also offered free medical services to over 300 Almajiris and donated food, cardigans and other basic items to them at Hayin Katsinawa, Shika in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

  • Army to conduct bush exercise, advises residents to keep-off

    The Nigerian Army says its Nigerian Military School (NMS) in Zaria will conduct bush exercise from Monday, Dec. 3 to Dec. 12 and advised residents of the exercise areas to keep-off.

    The Army said in a statement in Kaduna on Friday.

    The statement was signed by Lt. Adekunle Adeyemi-Akinleye, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Nigerian Army/Nigerian Military School, Zaria, Kaduna State on Friday.

    “In line with the Nigerian Military School (NMS) Training Directives for the 2018/2019 Academic Session, the Final Bush Exercise for the SS3 Boys of the School is scheduled to commence from Monday 3 to Wednesday 12 December, 2018.”

    Adeyemi-Akinleye said the exercise was expected to hold within Chindit Cantonment, Hanwa and Shika Dam in Sabongari Local Government area and Karau-Karau in Giwa Local Government area.

    “The Exercise is tagged “EX DOGON-DUTSE”.

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    He said the exercise would be training activities on Map Reading, Day and Night Navigation, Watermanship/Boating, Skill at Arms and Tent Striking as well as Field Training Exercises that will involve firing of live ammunition using small arms.

    “The activities will climax to Camp Fire Night schedule for 12 Dec. 2018 at the NMS Parade Ground from 1830hrs – 2200hrs,” he said.

    According to Adeyemi-Akinleye, the authority has put in place safety precautions to ensure a safe and hitch free exercise.

    The Army image-maker called on residents around the exercise areas to go about their daily activities without any form of panic.

    Adeyemi-Akinleye, however, advised the residents to stay clear of the exercise areas during the period.

  • KDIRS, ABU Zaria to settle N6bn tax suit out of court

    A Tax Tribunal sitting in Kaduna on Thursday granted a request by the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to settle the 4-year long case of non-remittance of Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax, amounting to N6 billion out of court.

    The Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue had on January 16, 2014 instituted a case against the ABU for failure to remit the PAYE tax from 2007 to 2012.

    Counsel to the revenue service, Mr Francis Kozah, prayed the tribunal, chaired by Umar Adamu, to ask the institution to pay all outstanding arrears, including interest and penalty as stated by law.

    Kozah, however, told the tribunal that ABU had earlier requested for out-of-court settlement and that the board had agreed to hear them.

    He said that the sitting was scheduled for the first week of December.

    He also informed the tribunal of the change of nomenclature from Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue to Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KDIRS).

    This followed the passage of the Kaduna State Tax Codification and consolidation Law in 2016.

    Counsel to ABU, Mr M Garba, requested that the case be adjourned for four weeks to allow the parties sit and resolve the dispute.

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    Responding, the tribunal chairman regretted that the case had been on hold since January 2014 due to the non-constitution of the tribunal.

    Adamu said that if the parties failed to settle issue, the tribunal would take a decision to proceed to hear the matter.

    He then, adjourned the case to the second week of January 2019, adding that the parties would be notified of the substantive date in due course.

    Similarly, the tribunal also adjourned the case between KDIRS and Kaduna Polytechnic to December 12, over the institution’s non-remittance of PAYE to the tune of N3.4 billion to KDIRS.

    The amount was the cumulation of non-remittance of PAYE to the Kaduna State Government from 2007 to 2012.

    Counsel to Kaduna Polytechnic, Mr Andrew Nwako, appealed to the tribunal to give both parties two weeks to settle the issue out of court.

    Kozah, who represented KDIRS did not object and the chairman of the tribunal granted the request.

  • ‘85% of mad people in Nigeria are youths’

    Dr Aliyu Abubakar of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, has said that the youths account for about 85 per cent of mad people in Nigeria.

    Abubakar made the remark in a paper he presented at a sensitisation workshop for youths organised by Bizara Youth Development Association in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the paper is entitled: “Drug Abuse in Nigeria: Causes, Effects and Solutions.”

    Abubakar said: “According to a recent study, 85 per cent of mad people in Nigeria are youths within the age bracket of 18-38 years.

    “The major cause of mental challenge in Nigeria has gone beyond drug-abuse as the youths now inhale lizard feces, putting their noses into pit toilets, smoking matches, smoking dried horse feces and mixing lizard feces with dye powder.

    “Drug abuse disorder is a common problem affecting about 5 per cent of the of the world population with an estimated 10.2 per cent in the USA.”

    He recalled that in Nigeria, it was recently reported that about three million bottles of cough syrup containing codeine is consumed daily in Kano State and about six million bottles consumed in the North-West.

    Abubakar added that in 2016, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency reported that about 40 per cent of Nigerian youths engaged in drug-abuse.

    The medical doctor stressed that the consequences of drug-abuse include mental disorder, liver cirrhosis, lethargy and cardiovascular disorder among others.

    Abubakar added those those abusing drugs mostly drop out of school, engage in cultism, violence, arm-robbery, thuggery, rape, lawlessness, murders and are culturally disorientated.

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    In his speech, the Chairman, Bizara Youth Development Association, Malam Yahaya Nuhu advised parents to draw their children closer to monitor their movement and those they relate with.

    He advised government to introduce stiffer penalties against drug-dealers, fish them out and punish them accordingly.

    Nuhu advised the youths to be cautious of peer group influence and always ensure that they serve as worthy ambassadors of their families and communities.

    “Members of the society also have a role to play towards curbing the menace the of drug-abuse, especially by monitoring activities of the youths.

    “Additionally, community members can advise parents where necessary, and also supply vital information to relevant authorities for prompt action.”

  • Emir drums support for Girl-child education

    The Emir of Zazzau, Dr Shehu Idris on Thursday canvassed more support for girl-child education, saying it is necessary for societal development.

    The monarch made the remark when an NGO, Arewa Youth Trust Foundation paid him a courtesy call in his palace in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The Emir said: “it is of course true, if you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate the society, because she is a mother and the first teacher of a child.

    “Mother is a pace setter, foundation and pillars upon which children build their entire live, therefor, if she is educated, she will make sure she raise educated children, thereby liberating and emancipating the society from ills of illiteracy.”

    He urged parents to encourage their children including the girl-child to pursue both western and Islamic education for the benefit of not only their immediate family but also the society.

    Idris pledged his total support to individuals and groups holistically involved in promoting girl-child education, and in addressing the welfare of orphans and fighting drug abuse.

    He lauded the efforts of the Arewa Youth Trust Foundation at sensitising and creating awareness in the areas of health, education, peace building, social investment and advocacy on policies.

    “I am impressed by your gigantic efforts at designing and executing programmes that educate the youths to become useful to themselves and the society.

    “These are important and laudable programmes that would give the youths a sense of direction and a sense of hope for a brighter future,” the emir said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the NGO had organised series of sensitisation campaigns covering education, health, economy and peace building among others aimed at transforming the youths.

    Earlier, Chairman of the Foundation, Alhaji Fahad Ahmed-Chikaji told the emir that they were in his palace to thank him for accepting to be the Grand Patron of the organisation.

    “Your Royal Highness, we are here to seek royal blessing and to thank you for accepting to be the Grand Patron of our noble NGO, we are indeed grateful.

    “We also want to use this medium to highlight some of our activities which include; promoting girl-child education, assisting the orphans, fight against drug abuse and advocacy campaign against some diseases among others.”

    Ahmed-Chikaji promised that the foundation would sustain the series of programmes it runs for the benefit of youths, society and the nation at large.

  • El-Rufai task students on ethical behaviour, good values

    Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Sunday, tasked students on ethical behaviour and promoting good values that would enhance national growth and development.

    The governor stated this while speaking as Special Guest at the Speech and Prize Giving Day of UMRABS School, Tudun Jukun, Zaria, Kaduna State.

    El-Rufa’i , who was represented by Sheik Jamilu Albani, Special Assistant to the governor on Islamic Organisations, said good attitude in life is necessary for individual and societal development.

    The governor lauded the efforts of UMRABS for inculcating producing students that have excellent attitudinal values, but lamented that some private schools were shirking in their responsibility of inculcating good values and qualitative education of their students.

    The governor urged parents to stop sending their children to higher institutions in places with nobody to be serve as their guardian.

    “Doing so is negatively affecting the behaviour and education of some of the children,” he noted.

    Presenting a paper entitled: “Good Education and Moral upbringing”, the Guest Speaker, Malam Kabir Musa stressed the need for proper upbringing of children to ensure good future for them and the nation.

    Musa, who is the Director, Mu’az Bn Jabal Foundation Zaria, identified mosque as the first place of administration in Islam.

    He explained that during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) the mosque also served as place for teaching, learning, judgement and administration among others.

    In his speech, the Director of the school, Dr Isa Sa’idu said the main objectives of citing the school was to give students Islamic and western education.

    Sa’idu said the school had brought in new innovation in the way students write their final examinations.

    “As the tradition demands in Nigeria, some parents prefer to send their children to where they call ‘miracle centres’ to enable them get the requirement into universities.

    “Here, we don’t do that, a student has to work hard and earn the requirement himself without any assistance from anybody, this is our principle and it works.

    “Any of our students that gets good grades, it is as a result of his/her hard work. We are now graduating the third set of secondary school leavers.

    “As I am talking to you now we have no fewer than 15 students in Ahmadu Bello University and Bayero University, Kano and they are maintaining higher CGPA of first class or second class upper,” he assured.

    The director appealed to government to consider the possibility of providing assistance to private schools to enable them cut down the school fees charged parents.

    “If government can come in and assist us, like in the area of salary, if it can pay half of our salaries, we can reduce our school fees.

    “Government can also assist by supplying some materials being used in schools to ease some problems,” he said.

  • Army arrests two over alleged enlistment scam, impersonation

    The Nigerian Army on Sunday paraded two suspected recruitment racketeers, who had been posing as personnel, extorting potential recruits under the pretext to get them enlisted into the Depot Nigerian Army as recruits.

    The suspects (names withheld), were paraded at the Depot Nigerian Army Zaria, Kaduna State, by Lt. Adekunle Adeyemi, the Acting Army Public Relations Officer (APRO).

    “The attention of this noble institution has been drawn to activities of some fraudsters parading themselves in Zaria metropolis as military officers.

    “These suspects indulged in defrauding unsuspecting potential recruits of their hard earned money.

    “They use the social media and proxies to lure their victims to pay them money as inducement on the promise of assisting to get them recruited into the Nigerian Army,” the spokesman said.

    Adeyemi said that the suspects were among the recruitment racketeers arrested on July 29 around Chindit Countermen by the Depot’s Military Police.

    He said that their arrest was possible after some defrauded victims raised an alarm which led to immediate action that yielded positive result.

    “The arrested suspects claimed to be working in collaboration with the duo of Abubakar Sadiq Musa and Lawal Bala Abdullahi whom they said paraded themselves to be military officers and lure unsuspecting victims for the syndicate.

    “I want to state unequivocally that Abubakar Sadiq Musa and Lawal Bala Abdullahi who are currently at large were at no time officers of the Nigerian Army.

    “The arrested suspects attested in their confessional statements to have so far defrauded no fewer than eight potential recruits to the tune of N1.3 million which was shared among themselves,” Adeyemi said.

    The Army spokesman said that of the total amount extorted, only N163,000 was recovered from the suspects.

    He assured that recruitment into the Nigerian Army was free and only possible through a transparent and rigorous process which started from completion of online registration form and subsequent screening processes at the respective states’ recruitment centres.

    Adeyemi, therefore, called on the general public to be aware of the nefarious activities of fraudsters and resist the temptation of falling victims of fraudulent online social media platform that request for payment for easy enlistment.

    Speaking to newsmen, one of the suspects claimed to be residing in Rigasa, Kaduna while the other one claimed to be residing around Isa Kaita Road area of Kaduna.

    The duo, however, traded blame against one another, claiming that it was one that invited the other for the nefarious activities using a name of an army officer.

    NAN reports that there had been reports both of them confessed to have been collecting N250,000 from each of their victims for possible enlistment into the Nigerian Army.

  • Court remands varsity students for death of colleague

    A Minna Magistrates’ Court, has remanded three students in prison custody for allegedly beating and detaining their fellow student on suspicion that he stole an HTC handset, valued N32, 000.

    The accused persons are, Jibrin Attahiru and Idris Usman, both of the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University, Lapai and one other student, Shehu Abdullahi from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

    The three students were docked on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide, contrary to Sections 97 and 221 of the Penal Code law.

    The Police Prosecutor, Sgt. John Steven, told the court that one Mohammed Aliyu, the Chief Security Officer of IBB University Lapai, reported the matter at the station on July 24.

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    Steven quoted the complainant as alleging that on July 23, the accused persons suspected one Mubarak Sanusi, a student of the same institution, to have stolen an HTC handset, valued N32, 000 belonging to one of them.

    He said the accused persons picked up Sanusi and took him to their lodge, where they beat him up and detained him inside the toilet.

    According to him, Sanusi was said to have given up the ghost on the way to the General Hospital, Lapai, the following day.

    When the charge was read to them, they all pleaded not guilty.

    The prosecutor, thereafter, prayed the court for adjournment, as investigation into the matter was still ongoing.

    In her ruling, Magistrate Fati Auna, ordered the accused persons to be remanded in prison and adjourned the matter until Sept. 3.