The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Zaria

  • Building collapse claims 3 in Zaria, 7 others injured

    No fewer than three people have been killed, while seven others were injured following collapse of a two-story Islamiyya school building under construction at Unguwan Kaya, in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ugly incident occurred on Friday while construction work was ongoing at the building.

    Speaking with NAN at the scene of the event, Malam Abdul-Muminu Adamu, the Divisional Secretary, Nigerian Red Cross, Zaria branch said the incident was unexpected and very frightening.

    “Shortly when the incident happened, a good Samaritan called and informed us and we reported to the scene immediately.

    “When we came here, we were able to recover the bodies of two people and later recovered another body while seven other people were rescued alive.

    “The corpses of the deceased have been deposited at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika.

    “While the injured persons are also responding to treatment at the same hospital,” he said.

    Mr Paul Fedelix-Aboi, the Director of the state Fire Service described the development as unfortunate, saying that the actual cause can only be ascertained after investigation.

    He said, though the rescue operation is not part of their mandate, they were in the area to render possible assistance to rescued persons.

    Felix-Aboi attributed the recurrence of building collapse in Nigeria to attitude of Nigerians who always go for cheap labour.

    The director advised people to always employ the services of building professionals to put an end to building collapse in the country.

    On his part, the Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Ben Kure described the incident as sad and frightening.

    Kure said on receiving the report of the incident, men of the agency were mobilised to the site to render assistance.
    He said work was still on at the scene of the incident to remove all the concrete in case other victims were still lying under the collapsed building.

    Kure assured that the agency would on Saturday present assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured persons. (NAN)

  • Kaduna: NOA begins sensitisation electorate,forthcoming LGs elections

    The National Orientation Agency ( NOA ), in Kaduna State on Thursday commenced sesitisation of electorate on the forthcoming Local Government elections in the state.

    Alhaji Zubairu Galadima-Soba, Kaduna State Director of NOA, while launching the sensitisation programme in Zaria  said the essence of the exercise was to educate the electorate toward successful elections.

    The newsmen reports that the programme is tagged: Sensitisation and Mobilisation of Electorate Towards the 2018 Local Government Elections”.

    The newsmen also reports that the sensitisation is under “Change Begins With Me campaign on conservation and protection of public assets and critical infrastructure”.

    Galadima-Soba said the programme was geared towards free, fair, credible and hitch-free local government elections across the state.

    “Our duty in NOA is to sensitise the general public on government policies and programmes and in turn we take information whether good or bad from public to government.

    “In essence, we facilitate the flow of information from top to button and from button to top, therefore, election is not an exception, hence the need for this sensitisation’’, he said.

    The director advised youths to shun political thuggery, saying that such attitude was detrimental not only to the success of the elections but also to societal growth.

    He urged parents to ensure proper upbringing of their children, advising that they should be mindful of the fact that proper upbringing lies in their hands.

    Galadima-Soba encouraged the electorate come out en masse to exercise their franchise, saying that it was their legitimate right that no one would afford to miss.

    Read Also: Kaduna: Two mechanics face trial for alleged assault

    The director lamented the menace of drug abuse especially among the youths, adding that there was need for the society to take decisive action to reduce its spread.

    “We don’t need the security agencies to reduce the menace of drug abuse, it is our responsibility as parents and members of the society to take measures to reduce this ugly trend’’.

    In his speech, the Administrator, Zaria Local Government, Alhaji Tukur Abubakar-Yero stressed the need for people to cooperate towards a hitch-free local government elections.

    He lauded the courage and foresight of NOA for taking a bold step to organise the sensitisation programme.

    The newsmen reports that the sensitisation exercise drew participants from Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission ( KADSIECOM ), INEC, security agencies and Jama’atu Nasril Islam ( JNI ), Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN ) among others.

    The newsmen also reports that questions and answers were entertained during the programme.

    NAN

  • NGO trains 300 Adamawa traditional rulers on conflict resolution

    Managing Conflicts in Nigeria (MCN), an NGO, has trained no fewer than 300 traditional rulers, comprising District, Village and Ward Heads, on conflict resolution in Adamawa.

    The State Team Leader of MCN, Mr Abdulkadir Bello, made this known to our reporter on Monday in Yola.

    Bello spoke at a capacity building programme on conflicts resolution for traditional rulers and community leaders in Adamawa and Mubi Emirate Councils.

    He said the programme organised by Green Horizon, was funded by European Union (EU) and managed by the British Council.

    Bello said the traditional rulers were trained on traditional justice system in areas of mediation skills to handle conflicts such as land disputes, destruction of farm produce by cattle and inheritance, among others.

    The Technical Leader of MCN, Dr Ukoha Ukiwo, explained that the training was designed to strengthen community level conflict management mechanism, and enhance reconciliation and stability within communities affected by displacement, among other objectives.

    Speaking on behalf of Adamawa and Mubi emirate councils, the Dan Galadima of Adamawa, Alhaji Lawal Ribadu, and the Madaki of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Wambai, lauded the programme and re-iterated the commitment of the traditional institution to ensure the programme succeeded in addressing conflicts in their respective domains.

    Giving a breakdown of success so far recorded by the programme in the two benefitting emirates, Prof. Aminu Gurin of ABU Zaria said 457 disputes between January and March, this year

    According to him, the disputes comprised 213 from Adamawa emirate council and 244 from Mubi emirate council.

    He urged other traditional institutions to key into the programme to achieve sustainable peace and development in the country.

    NAN

     

  • Kano: 5,000 people to benefit from free medical outreach

    No fewer than 5,000 people are expected to benefit from the second edition of a free medical outreach for Ebira community resident in Kano.
    The programme is organised by the leadership of Ebira People’s Association, a socio-cultural body of Ebira Tao speaking group.
    A statement by Mr Mahmud Ozigi, the Chairman, Kano chapter of the association, said the programme would be declared open by the Ohinoyi of Ebira community in Kano, Alhaji Aliyu Abdulmalik, on April 21.
    “The open medical camp which is scheduled to hold at Ebira House, kilometre 10, Naibawa, Zaria Road, Kano, will attract no fewer than 5,000 people,” he said.

    Read Also: Kano: Egyptian investors to partner on meat processing project

    Ozigi explained that the targeted beneficiaries of the humanitarian gesture include adults and children from both genders of Ebira Tao extraction.
    According to him, not less than 10 medical doctors, 10 pharmacists and 15 nurses are billed to conduct the programme.
    He added that the outreach would focus on screening and medical treatment of common diseases or ailments.
    The chairman said that there would also be five minutes pep talk on non-pharmacological or lifestyle treatment of hypertension at the event.

    NAN

  • ABU Zaria refinery project suffers lack of funding

    The Ahmadu Bello University ( ABU ), Zaria is making efforts to establish conventional and standard locally-built refineries in Niger Delta to boost the nation’s refinery capacity, but the project is stalled because of lack of funding.

    Prof. Ibrahim Mohammed-Dabo, the Team Leader, ABU Refinery Project, made the disclosure in an interview with our reporter in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    Mohamed-Dabo, a Professor of Chemical Engineering said: “Our ultimate goal is to have a conventional and standard locally built refinery that can be refining Nigerian crude.

    “We are hoping if enough funding is made available to us to perfect what we have on ground; we shall be willing to build other ones that can be stationed in the Niger Delta.

    “This is where most of the Nigerian crude oil is produced. When new ones are built, we are going to train operators that will manage them,” he said.

    He recalled that the ABU mini refinery project started in 2011 when he wrote a research proposal to the university management for onward delivery to Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFUND ) for funding.

    “In monetary terms, the initial stage of the project was proposed to cost N18 million but to our surprise, only N1.8 million was approved for the project.

    “We initially wanted to abandon the project because the amount approved was so small, but being very passionate about it, we started the design and fabricated some components with that meagre amount.

    “Actually, it reached a stage that we had to use our personal money for the project. When we started installation at the site, we invited the university management to the site and they were very happy.

    “On appreciating what was done, the then Vice-Chancellor pledged that the university was going to support the project which they did by providing land, security, light and water,” Mohammed-Dabo said.

    He added that dedicated staff were employed purposely for the project, stressing that since then, the university had been very supportive.

    “As you know, refinery is made up of many units; the first unit to be put in place in any refinery are the desalting and crude distillation units.

    “These were the ones we designed, constructed, installed and operated with the support of the University.

    “The Raw Materials Research and Development Council ( RMRDC ), Abuja was approached to fund two units, which were the Naphtha Hydro-treating Unit ( NUH ) and the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit ( FCCU ).

    “The RMRDC is therefore sponsoring these units. We have completed both the design and fabrication components, we are now at the installation stage’” he said.

    According to him, the team is equally working on other units such as the Kerosene hydro-treating unit, Catalytic reforming unit, sour water stripping unit and flared gas recovery unit.

    He said what the team has achieved was solely sponsored by the ABU management toward ensuring the success of the project.

    On present state of the refinery at ABU, Mohammed-Dabo said three units have so far been completed.

    “As I have mentioned earlier, presently the refinery has completed three units which are the desalting unit, atmospheric and vacuum distillation units.

    “We are equally working on four of five other units which we hope before the fourth quarter of this year, we will commission them, God willing.

    “Building any technology is capital intensive; talk less of oil refining technology. It involves many trials before perfection.

    “There is the need to improve upon what has already been built and this involves money. We have been making efforts in this regard but up till now no funding secured yet,” he said.

    Mohammed-Dabo said they have approached PTDF, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, TETFUND and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board ( NCDMB ) without much success.

    He, however, said the good news was when the NNPC GMD visited the refinery. The GMD, Maikanti Baru promised to support with crude supply.

    “Again, last month we participated at the just concluded Nigeria International Petroleum Summit in Abuja where we showcased our project.

    “The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachukwu visited our exhibition booth and he was highly impressed with our efforts.

    “In view of what he saw, he promised to support the project. We have submitted our proposal hoping to hear good news from him,” he said.

    The professor said what was interesting during that summit was that many investors were willing to partner with his team, but said the team have to improve their technology before agreeing to engage private investors.

    The team leader appealed to the federal government to support the refinery project.

    “It is truly shameful that we are an oil producing nation but rely on importation of refined products.

    “Government has a role to play to develop this technology. Anywhere in the world, developing technologies is the responsibility of government.

    “It is only when it has reached a certain stage that private investors will come and partake. Nigeria is blessed with both human and material resources,” he noted.

    He stressed the need for concerted efforts to judiciously utilise the country’s abundant resources, saying that any country that wanted to develop technologically must try and develop technologies of its manufacturing sector.

    Mohammed-Dabo observed that Nigeria would never be self-sufficient or secured as long as it relies on foreign countries for technology.

    NAN

  • DPR seals filling stations in Zaria, Hunkuyi

    DPR seals filling stations in Zaria, Hunkuyi

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), North West Zone has sealed two filling stations located in Zaria and Hunkuyi Local Government Areas in Kaduna State for selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at N190 per litre.

    The department in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Mallam Rabiu Bello said the Zonal Operations Controller, Alhaj Isah Tafida led a team, accompanied by Civil Defence operatives, to the sealed stations in Zaria and Hunkuyi, where he directed a reversal to government approved price of N145/litre and monitored sales.

    According to the statement, “As penalty, the companies were charged N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) per pump to be paid directly into Federal  Government TSA account.

    “The stations were also suspended from lifting products for three months,” the statement read.

    The statement further said: “Tafida warned marketers who engage In sharp practices to desist or face stiffer sanctions, including withdrawal of their operating licences.”

    It assured of the agency’s resolve to intensify surveillance to ensure that products allocated to filling stations were delivered and sold to public at the government approved rate.

    The statement said that the agency had deployed it’s personnel to Zaria and other areas to monitor the sale of fuel in filling stations.

    DPR also appealed to the public to contact DPR through the telephone numbers provided on DPR website: www.dpr.org.ng if they observe any malpractices at any petrol filling station.

  • Kaduna allocates N3.8bn for new master plan

    Kaduna allocates N3.8bn for new master plan

    Kaduna State Government has allocated N3.8 billion to the state’s Geographic Information Service ( KADGIS ) for capital projects in 2018.

    The Reporter reports that the figure is contained in the state’s 2018 budget obtained from the state Planning and Budget Commission.

    According to the document, a total of N3.9 billion was allocated to the agency out of which N3.8 billion would be spent on capital project and N111.8 million for recurrent.

    A breakdown of the budget shows that N1.2 billion would be spent on design, installation, management and transfer of KADGIS and N397.8 million on survey and demarcation of news layouts.

    Read Also: Kaduna to spend N1.2bn on SDGs in 2018

    N800 million was also allocated for recovery of public Lands and compensation, while preparation of development of the Batch’ B’ Millennium City in the Eastern Sector of Kaduna got N451.2 million.

    The document added that N417.6 million would be spent on assessment for compensation for land and economic trees for four layouts of 500 hectare each in the eastern sector.

    It also said that preparation of 12 new layouts across the state would gulp N263 million, while N325 million would go to systematic property registration programme.

    “N255.5 would be spent on review of Zaria, Sabon-Gari and preparation of 18 other master plans and mappings,’’ it added.

    NAN

  • Herdsmen attacks: Be proactive, Ango tells FG

    Herdsmen attacks: Be proactive, Ango tells FG

    ….urges citizens to be vigilant

     

    Spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Professor Ango Abdullahi has called on federal and state governments to be more proactive in protection of lives and property of citizens across the country.

    Professor Abdullahi who is also a one time Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria said there was the need for the authorities to take more decisive steps to restore the security of lives and property of citizens especially those that were currently involved in herdsmen/farmer clashes in Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna, Zamfara and other parts of the country.

    He also advised the federal security agencies to step up their statutory responsibility of protection of national integrity.

    While he condoled all families and communities that have lost members and property, the Northern Elder urged the citizens themselves to be more vigilant.

    The Professor said, “Our forum recently met to review critical national developments, particularly as they relate to tensions around national security punctuated by killings in many parts of the country, and we condemned it and called for seriousness on the part of the security agencies in tackling the matter.

    “We condoling all the families and communities that have lost members and assets, and we demand the federal and state authorities to take more decisive steps to restore the security of lives and property of citizens.

    “Also all leaders must observe restraint and responsibility in the manner they exercise their powers to shape opinion and determine the responses of the citizens.

    “All communities must maintain vigilance over their relations with each other, and seek solutions that do not involve conflicts which in the end, leave all of us as losers.

    “We at the Northern Elders Forum will continue to seek all opportunities and avenues to engage leaders, governments and all stakeholders in the search for peace and security in the North and Nigeria”, he said.

  • Kaduna bans child fostering, adoption

    Kaduna bans child fostering, adoption

    Kaduna State Government has banned fostering and adoption of children due to abuses by orphanage homes in the state, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, has said.

    Baba said in an interview on Thursday in Kaduna that the government had discovered that some of the orphanages were conduits for trafficking and abuse of children.

    She said that the ban would remain in force until the government sanitise the system of adoption and fostering of children in the state.

    “When we came on board, we found out that people just turn their houses into orphanages and get these children, but won’t give them out for fostering or adoption.

    “Rather, they use them as a business to get donations and that is what they capitalise on to feed their own children.

    “We have also found out that children were being sold, so we felt that this is a very serious issue that needs our intervention.

    “We wrote to the governor seeking approval to stop fostering and adoption because we don’t know where the children are been taken to.

    “Some are being sold or trafficked, some are exposed to serious dangers; we even learnt that some of their organs are being sold.

    “So, for now we have stopped fostering and adoption.

    “We will seek justice for those children and some of those issues are already before the courts,’’ she said.

    The commissioner disclosed that in one of the cases, the ministry was dragged to court by a Ghanaian after it retrieved three children from him.

    “There is one Ghanaian man accused of buying three children in Zaria, we have collected these children from him but he took us to court and we are in court now.

    “The man is accused of buying the baby boy for N400, 000 and the baby girls for N350, 000.’’

    The commissioner explained that the ministry had drafted a regulatory framework to guide the operations of orphanages and as soon as it is ratified, the ban would be lifted.

    Baba said the ministry had undertaken the mapping of all orphanages in the state in conjunction with relevant government agencies.

    “As of now, we have the total number of orphanages in the state and their maps for easy tracking.’’

    On other activities, Baba said the ministry was battling with high number of teenage pregnancies and those who either sell off their babies or kill them after delivery.

    “We requested for shelter where we keep children on emergency or women that are bartered so as to undergo psycho-social and trauma counselling.’’

    According to her, the government will open a trauma centre in 2018 to offer 24-hour service to women and children.

    “We will have volunteer nurses and doctors, and also work with security agencies at the trauma centre.’’

    NAN

  • Kano State Assembly calls for removal of abandoned toll-gate in Kano

    Kano State Assembly calls for removal of abandoned toll-gate in Kano

    The Kano State House of Assembly has called on the state government to remove the uncompleted toll-gate on Zaria Road, in Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.

    The assembly made the call on Monday following a motion of urgent public importance moved in the house by the member representing Tarauni Constituency, Alhaji Abubakar Zakari.

    According to Zakari, the abandoned toll-gate located close to the state’s College of Education, has become a death zone for motorists, especially those coming from outside the state.

    Read also: One NDLEA operative killed, three others injured in Kano

    Zakari said that during the Christmas break, 11 people were killed in the area as a result of the structure.

    He said that the call had become necessary to avoid reocurrence of such accidents.

    “I lost 11 people from my constituency as a result of accident at the toll-gate, therefore, there is need for its removal, since its presence has no benefit to the state and the residents,” Zakari said.

    The motion was seconded by the member representing Kibiya Constituency, Alhaji Maifada Bello and adopted by the house.

    The assembly, therefore, urged the state government to remove the structure to allow free movement by motorists and to avoid further loss of lives.

    The plenary session, presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Abdullahi Ata adjourned till January 16 for further legislative functions.

    NAN