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Tag: Kaduna State

  • Kaduna: New Chief of Moroa gets staff of office

    Kaduna: New Chief of Moroa gets staff of office

    Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State on Saturday presented the staff of office to the new first class Chief of Moroa, Mr Isiaku Sambo.

    Sambo was appointed the new chief of Moroa by the governor on Dec.18, 2024 following the death of his father, Tagwai Sambo, after 58 years on the throne.

    Presenting the staff of office in Manchok, Sani stated that the emergence of the new chief was a testament to his competence and love for humanity.

    He enjoined the new traditional ruler to uphold the values of justice, fairness and equity in his affairs.

    The governor reiterated his administration’s resolve to sustain its ongoing rural transformation drive and give everyone a sense of belonging.

    In his remarks, the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sadiq Lagos, emphasized the critical role of the traditional institution in governance and peace building.

    Lagos called on the people of the Chiefdom to give the new chief all the necessary support and cooperation he needs to succeed on the throne.

    In his acceptance speech, Sambo thanked the governor and the Moroa traditional institution for finding him worthy to ascend the throne.

    Sambo promised to uphold the legacy of his late father in ruling over his people with integrity and fear of God.

    “I assure you all that we will work as a united team and put the overall interest of the people first in all we do,” he stated.

    Tagwai, who is the 5th chief of Moroa, was born on Aug.20, 1976.

  • How hoodlums killed Naval officer in Kaduna – Police

    How hoodlums killed Naval officer in Kaduna – Police

    The Police Command in Kaduna State, on Monday confirmed the alleged killing of a Nigerian Navy Officer, Lt.-Cdr. M. Buba by a hoodlum on Sunday at about 4:50 am.

    The command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, who confirmed the incident in Kaduna, said Buba was attacked and robbed near Kawo by the fly over.

    He said the yet-to-be identified individual had attacked the Naval Officer with a knife and robbed him of his mobile phones.

    According to him, the suspect was attempting to escape when an angry mob overpowered and beat him to death.

    Hassan told NAN that the late  Naval officer suffered stab wounds and was rushed to Manaal Hospital where he was declared dead by a Medical Doctor.

    He also disclosed that Mr Suleiman Dahiru , who attempted to help the late Naval officer was also stabbed in the hand and he was also receiving treatment .

    Hassan said, “The body of late Buba has been deposited at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital mortuary.

    “The deceased was in his black Toyota vehicle with registration number APP-745HT,  when the incident happened“.

    He said investigation and monitoring were ongoing in the general area to fish out the hoodlum.

  • Police nab 27 suspects in Kaduna

    Police nab 27 suspects in Kaduna

    The Police Command in Kaduna State, said security operatives stormed criminal hideouts in the Kawo Area of Kaduna and arrest 27 suspected criminals, recovered dangerous weapons and hard drugs.

    The command’s dpokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Monday in Kaduna.

    Hassan said, “The action was in line with the directive of the Commissioner of Police to identify, flush out and dismantle criminal elements threatening the peace in some designated areas.

    “The command had conducted series of raids in a joint operation with the Military, DSS, and Kaduna State Vigilante Service within Kawo Area and its surroundings, leading to the arrest of numerous suspects and the recovery of dangerous weapons.

    “On Sunday, at about 10:30pm, a joint tactical operation was launched in the nooks and crannies of Kawo and neighbouring areas.

    “This operation led to the arrest of 27 suspects, and a significant cache of dangerous weapons was recovered from them.

    ”Exhibits recovered during the operation included, knives, axes, cutlasses and large quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and other hard drugs.”

    He said the Commissioner of Police, (CP) Rabiu Muhammad,  had reiterated the command’s unwavering commitment in maintaining law and order across the state.

    He emphasised that Kaduna remained a peaceful state, and the Police would not allow miscreants or criminally-minded individuals to destabilise the peace of the state.

    Muhammad vowed, “Anyone with intentions to cause violence or disrupt public order is strongly advised to desist or vacate the state.

    “The police will continue to clamp down on miscreants and give them no breathing space within the state.”

  • Resident doctors halt strike in Kaduna

    Resident doctors halt strike in Kaduna

    The National Association of Resident Doctors, in Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, has suspended its six-day warning strike.

    The president of the chapter, Dr Josiah Yakubu, disclosed this  on Monday in Kaduna.

    Yakubu said the suspension followed an emergency congress on Saturday and a series of meetings and interventions, particularly by the national and state leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association.

    He said work would resume on Tuesday at the hospital by 8:00 a.m., while other resident doctors at the hospital would resume by 10:00 a.m.

    Yakubu added that the congress stated that since the commencement of their industrial action, the Secretary to the State Government had stepped into the situation to arbitrate on behalf of the state government.

    According to him, the leadership of the NMA had a follow-up meeting at the instance of the secretary to the Kaduna State Government.
    “This was unlike our first meeting, where, unfortunately, some of our members were issued with letters of termination of appointment as resident doctors. Some others were given warning letters with a notice of intention to terminate their appointments.

    “We have come to understand that the action was unilaterally taken by the management of Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital,” he said.

    Yakubu said the meeting with the medical association, which lasted for about two hours, enabled both parties to appreciate the issues of concern

    He said, “They highlighted the possible solutions towards reaching an amicable resolution of the industrial disharmony. This was in such a manner that the doctors are not shortchanged and that healthcare service delivery in the state is not compromised.”

    Yakubu said that the state government had accepted and acknowledged the veracity of all concerns and demands of the doctors and had made a commitment towards addressing them.

    He added, “The secretary to the state government appealed for a two-month duration to enable the government to practically initiate and resolve these concerns of manpower and remuneration of doctors in the state as demanded.

    “A cost implication of the transition from CONMESS 2014 to CONMESS 2024 had been drafted and submitted to the SSG for onward submission to the Governor for consideration.

    “A Memorandum of Understanding was jointly drafted to this effect, which the SSG, Chairman, NMA Kaduna State, NARD President, President, ARD Kaduna, and President, ARD BDTH co-signed.

    “The meeting ended with an expectation of these developments to be communicated to the congress of ARD Kaduna and ARD BDTH for appraisal.”

    He added that the leadership of NMA and NARD had also made a commitment to follow up on the entire process closely until all the demands were satisfactorily met.

  • NARD kicks over sack of Resident Doctors

    NARD kicks over sack of Resident Doctors

    The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has condemned the sack of some of its members by the management of the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna.

    The leader of the North-West Zonal chapter, Dr Abbas Ajayi, told NAN on Wednesday in Kaduna that the sack was unwarranted and unexpected.

    Recall that the management of the hospital on Monday terminated the appointment of the resident doctors in a letter signed by the Director of Administration. Illiyasu Yusuf.

    The management claimed that the resident doctors had exceeded their allowable duration of training and had reportedly shown lack of academic progress.

    This, the management maintained, was as it was stipulated in Sections 2 and 3 of the regulations governing residency training programme of the hospital without demonstrating progress.

    The letter also urged the resident doctors to refund N501,000 being 50 per cent of their June to December medical residency training fund paid to them, and handover all properties in their possession.

    Ajayi condemned the act, adding that flow charts for training were nonexistent at the hospital.

    He said: “People will spend additional years in training for no fault of theirs
    Some people will keep your proposal for months and not attend to it, and then the resident is to blame every time.”

    According to Ajayi, anytime the residents embark on strike, they will start sending sack letters.

    He said, “The interesting thing about this BDTH is that they are just eight years in residency.

    “Someone needs to tell the CMD that it is impossible for anyone to have overstayed residency in his centre if they started in 2018.”

    Also speaking, the hospital’s chapter Chairman, Dr Josiah Yakubu, said so far, six of the resident doctors had received their termination letters from the management.

    He added that from February to date, five doctors had resigned and more were going, saying, “this is because they have gotten better offers in states such as Kano, Katsina and Nasarawa.

    Yakubu said, ” In a residency programme, one is trained to become a Specialist and has to go for posting before writing his examination, both the first stage and second stage.

    ” But because we are understaffed, where you can find four or two doctors in a department, one will be due for posting and will be delayed by the management with excuses while rotations are also being delayed “

    He added that the association held a meeting with the Secretary to the State Government on Tuesday with the hope of negotiations.

    Yakubu said, “But we were told to call off the strike first. The government also threatened us with no work no pay.

    ” All we are asking is for the government to hear us and meet our needs.

    ” With this action, they are telling us that they don’t appreciate us. Let them bring back our members and employ more.”

    Reacting, the State Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed told NAN on Wednesday, “an agreement has just been reached between the state government and NARD, so they will be immediately reinstated.

    “The meeting that was held at the Office of the Secretary to the State Government was successful and an amicable resolution has been reached between both parties.”

  • NAFDAC uncovers expired beverages worth N35m in Kaduna

    NAFDAC uncovers expired beverages worth N35m in Kaduna

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted and uncovered expired beverages worth N35 million in Kaduna State.

    Addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Kaduna, Andrew Tamanuwa, Deputy Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, NAFDAC Kaduna Office, said that interception of the expired beverages followed a tip-off from a good samaritan on Sunday evening.

    Tamanuwa said a good samaritan informed NAFDAC that two buses and a golf wagon car were loaded with expired non-alcoholic beverages heading to Kwanar Dangora, Kiru LGA in Kano State.

    He, therefore, said NAFDAC investigation and enforcement operatives swung into action, intercepted the vehicles and arrested the owner of the expired non-alcoholic beverages.

    Tamanuwa said the NAFDAC operatives confiscated the products which comprised 700 packs of Schweppes and 300 packs of Fanta Orange flavour.

    He added that further investigation led to a warehouse at Bayajidda Road, Kaduna, where more expired beverages were discovered.

    Tamanuwa said the expired beverages included; 588 packs of schweppes, 3,508 packs of Coca-Cola, zero- sugar, and 87 packs of fanta orange flavor.

    He stated that the products expired in November 2024 and had beer evacuated to the agency’s warehouse, awaiting destruction.

    Tamanuwa said investigation was ongoing on the case in order to identify other culprits.

    He appealed to the public to report suspicious products, especially during the festive period to safeguard public health and protect Nigerians’ health.

    Tamanuwa reiterated the agency’s commitment to continuing vigilance against expired and harmful products, assuring Nigerians of its resolve to safeguard their health.

  • Zaria Poly staff unions threaten strike, issue 2-week ultimatum

    Zaria Poly staff unions threaten strike, issue 2-week ultimatum

    The Joint Action Committee of the staff unions of the Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria, Kaduna State have issued a two-week ultimatum to the state government to address its demand or risk an industrial action.

    The unions are demanding among others, the implementation of the requisite salary structure for academic and non-academic staff.

    They are also seeking the implementation of 65 years retirement age for non-academic staff in line with the statutory provisions of states and federal polytechnics.

    Malam Usman-Shehu Suleiman, Chairman of the committee, while speaking at a press briefing in Zaria on Friday, lamented obsolete equipment and poor infrastructure at the institution.

    Suleiman, who is also the Branch Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), said staff of NUBA Polytechnic were being paid with Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Scale (CONTISS), which was outdated since 2012.

    He said the union had approached the state government on the need to change CONTISS to the Consolidated Polytechnic and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS).

    “At the last meeting we had with  Gov. Uba Sani on Dec. 17, 2024, he promised to convert the CONTISS to CONFORCASS on percentage by the first quarter of 2025 and nothing was done in that regard,’’ he said.

    Suleiman said the unions were forced to issue the ultimatum having explored most of the available avenues without any fruitful results and the ultimatum  would be effective from May 31 to June 13.

    “At the expiration of this ultimatum, (June 13), if nothing is done, the unions will embark on a one-week warning strike, from June 16 to June 20 and subsequently proceed to an indefinite strike,’’ he said.

    Earlier,  Abubakar Aliyu-Shika, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), NUBA, Polytechnic branch, said the union has been agitating for the improvement of salary since 2009, almost 16 years ago.

    “We had many agreements with the state government over the matter and nothing was done besides just signing the agreement and complaints of paucity of funds.

    “The total staff strength of the polytechnic is little above 900 staff members and now the government had recruited 500 new staff, it means the financial situation had improved, hence our demands,’’ he said.

    Corroborating, Mr Hamdan Elisha, a lecturer at the school, said take-home of some lecturers at the polytechnic was as low as N64, 000 and described the situation as dire and obnoxiously saddening.

    According to Elisha, the poor remuneration was one of the major reasons why many lecturers find it very difficult stay.

  • Rainstorm wreaks havoc in Kaduna community

    Rainstorm wreaks havoc in Kaduna community

    A heavy rain accompanied by strong winds has wreaked havoc in Madakiya, a community in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna state.

    The storm, which occurred on Monday, damaged several homes, shops, electricity poles, as well as church and school buildings.

    Some affected residents who spoke with NAN on Wednesday said they were still assessing the extent of their losses.

    They appealed to the state government, charitable individuals, and organisations to come to their aid, as the damage was beyond their capacity to manage.

    Bitrus Yacham, whose roof was torn off, said he had temporarily relocated to a neighbour’s home while awaiting repairs to his own house.

    Also, David Haruna said any form of assistance would be appreciated as he tries to rebuild his damaged fence, noting that “times are hard”.

    Dr David Kantiyok, the district head of Madakiya, described the storm as the most severe the community had ever experienced.

    “Although there were no casualties, we have never witnessed such destruction in this community before.

    “We are appealing to the relevant authorities and well-meaning individuals to support those affected by this disaster,” he added.

  • Jealous girlfriend stabs boyfriend for cheating on her

    Jealous girlfriend stabs boyfriend for cheating on her

    A 23-year-old woman, Abigail Victor, was on Wednesday arraigned before a Kaduna Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend with a knife.

    Victor, a resident of Ungwan Sunday, Kaduna, was facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and causing injury.

    The Prosecutor, Insp Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on May 17 at Sabon Tasha, Kaduna.

    Leo said the defendant conspired with two others at large to beat her boyfriend, Dominic James, and also stab him with a knife in his shoulder.

    He said the defendant, who had a misunderstanding with the complainant, accused him of cheating on her.

    “In the process, she called two of her friends who came to the complainant’s house, beat him up and stabbed him.

    “It took the intervention of neighbours who came to the aid of the complainant and rushed him to a hospital. The offences contravene Sections 58 and 284 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.

    “Section 58 attracts a one-year prison term if found guilty, while Section 284 attracts a prison term of not less than five years if found guilty,” he said.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N200,000 with one surety in like sum.

    He said the surety must be a blood relation to the defendant and must present a three year tax clearance to the Kaduna State Government.

    Emmanuel adjourned the case until June 17 for hearing.

  • EFCC nabs ex-govt contractor over alleged N30bn fraud

    EFCC nabs ex-govt contractor over alleged N30bn fraud

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has arrested a former Kaduna State Government contractor and an official of Formal Act Legacy Limited, over alleged N30 billion fraud.

    EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this, in a statement, on Friday in Abuja.

    Oyewale said that the suspect was formerly a consultant with the state government but had his contract terminated due to alleged fraudulent activities.

    He explained that in spite of the termination of his contract, the official (names withheld) paraded himself as the authentic contractor to the 23 local government areas in Kaduna State.

    Oyewale said the official also allegedly defrauded Athena United Charity Foundation, FICCORD with affiliation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Office.

    According to him, the official has no less than 251 complaints received by the commission against him.

    ”It is also alleged that the suspect informed his victims that he had a 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kaduna State Government.

    ”The MoU, according to him ,is for the purpose of sourcing intervention grants from global donor agencies for the funding of LGA projects in the state and supporting the actualization of SDGs within the state.

    ”While investigations revealed that the suspect is not a consultant to UCF, his 2020 MoU with Kaduna State government was terminated by the state government in October 2023 as a result of default on the terms of the MoU by the suspect.”

    He said that in spite of the termination of the MoU, the suspect anll engaged in unauthorised award of fictitious contracts to the tune of approximately N30 billion.

    Oyewale alleged that the suspect did this by convincing his victims to supply items meant for construction of hospitals, motorised boreholes, hospital beds and mattresses, drugs and vaccines.

    He said the suspect would allegedly receive the items on behalf of the Kaduna State Government, sold some and diverted their proceeds to his personal use.

    ”From investigations, it was discovered that when he took delivery of the supplies, he would warehouse them, keep the local government areas in the dark about the delivery.

    “He does not also pay the contractors the value of what they supplied. It is also alleged that the suspect was selling contract award papers using proxies with whom he shared the proceeds.

    ”These fraudulent acts coupled with his unilateral alteration of the nature of the contracts and their terms, allegedly led to the termination of the MoU he had with the state government in 2023.”

    He said that items recovered from him included Toyota Hilux pick up vans, ambulances, buses, dispatch motorcycles, caches of drugs and vaccines for children, stacks of hospital beds and mattresses and heavy duty generators.

    ”Found in his office store are large quantities of tablets, capsules, syrups, infusions, ointments/creams; medical consumables that include hand gloves, syringes, and mucus extractor.”

    He said that the the commission was collaborating with NAFDAC and the Kaduna State Ministry of Health in the evaluation of the cache of medicines found in his storage facilities as well as in carrying out qualitative analysis on them.

    Oyewale said following the inspections, Umar Suleiman, Investigation and Enforcement Officer, Federal Tax Force, NAFDAC, confirmed that some of the drug manufacturers were registered with NAFDAC, while some were unregistered.

    He quoted Suleiman as saying that some of the medicines were still within shelf life, while some had expired with some being outright counterfeits.

    ”Corroborating the position of the NAFDAC official, Abubakar Balarabe, a pharmacist and Team Leader, Ministry of Health Kaduna State said that some of the medicines had expired.

    Balarabe noted also that the warehouse, where the medicines were stored, fell below standard.

    “The storage is not fit for any medicine because of the way and manner it was kept,” he said.

    According to Oyewale, the suspect will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.