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Tag: Niger State

  • Niger Gov. blames nation’s insecurity on climate change

    Niger Gov. blames nation’s insecurity on climate change

    Gov. Mohammed Bago of Niger has blamed the current insecurity in the country on the effect of climate change.

    The statement was made by the Niger state Governor at a retreat which was organised for members of the House of Representatives Press Corps in Minna on Friday.

    He said, “part of the insecurity we face today is attributed to climate change which deserves priority attention”.

    According to him, we have problems of flood, desertification, environmental pollution, and in spite efforts being made the devastating effects of climate change are recorded yearly.

    He said it was unfortunate that some of these disasters were underreported, adding that perhaps the media is not adequately equipped to handle it.

    “I believe that as journalists who report the parliament where laws are enacted, it is essential that you acquire the necessary skills and tools to mainstream climate change.

    The governor said that this would enable the media to set agenda for the legislature and indeed the executive.

    He said the government of Niger under his leadership would prioritise climate change to mitigate natural and manmade disasters.

    This he said informed the decision to convoke a Green Economy Summit slated for Oct. 24 to 25.

    “Since my assumption of office, we have raised the ante of informing the public about preventive measures to save lives and reduce damage to property and infrastructure.

    ” We are willing to collaborate with the media to drive this advocacy as well as work out strategies to put climate change issues on the front burner, ” he said.

    He said at the end of the retreat, journalists would be better positioned to inform, educate and enlighten the society on the implications of climate change.

    Earlier, Grace Ike, the Chairman of the corps, said “the Niger’s Green Economy is here while other States are lamenting the effects of climate change, this is a landscape step to position the state”.

    She commended Bago’s innovative ideas in the area of economy and security, adding that the media played a significant role in the development of the society.

  • 22 persons drown as boat capsizes in Niger, six bodies recovered

    22 persons drown as boat capsizes in Niger, six bodies recovered

    About 22 passengers drowned on Monday in a boat mishap in Niger State.

    It was gathered that the victims were going from Kasabu village in the Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State to Yauri in Kebbi State, on Monday morning when the boat capsized due to a downpour accompanied by heavy wind.

    As of Tuesday night, a search and rescue team had only recovered six bodies, including that of a Kebbi pastor, based in Niger State.

    According to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, most of the victims were going to transact at the Monday Market in Yauri, Kebbi State when the incident occurred.

    The spokesman for NSEMA, Hussaine Ibrahim, said most of the victims were believed not to have worn lifejackets.

    “We received a report from our desk officers in Agwara of the boat incident that occurred on Monday between 11am. and 12am.

    “Since morning, there has been serious rain there and it has made it difficult for the search and rescue team to achieve much results.

  • Boat capsizes with 22 passengers in Niger -NSEMA

    Boat capsizes with 22 passengers in Niger -NSEMA

    A boat carrying about 22 passengers on board from Kasabu village in Agwara local government area of Niger to Yauri in Kebbi has capsized.

    Alhaji Salihu Garba, overseeing Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), disclosed this in Minna on Monday.

    He said that the agency received a report of the boat mishap that occurred on Monday between 11am and 12 pm.

    According to him, a survivor of the mishap said that the boat has about 22 passengers on board.

    He said that search and rescue operations was ongoing by the local divers and boat owners under the supervision of the agency’s desk officer in Agwara.

    He said no passenger has been recovered yet, adding that the mishap happened on Yauri market day.

    Garba added that only after the market would families be able to declare their missing relatives.

    He explained that it takes about 24 hours for any drowned person to surface atop water.

    He attributed the cause of the incident to water hyacinth coupled with strong waves.

     

  • CAN encourages Nigerians to remain united for a better Nation

    CAN encourages Nigerians to remain united for a better Nation

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger has admonished Nigerians to reflect more on what unites the country rather than what divides it.

    Rev. Bulus Yohanna, Chairman of CAN in Niger, stated this at the 63rd Independence Day prayer session organized by the state chapter of CAN in Minna.

    Yohanna in his message tagged: “Let us focus on what unites us more as a people,” expressed the need for Nigerians to live as an indivisible entity where peace, justice, equity and fairness abound.

    “As we pray and intercede for our nation today and always, I advocate the need for us to reflect more on what unites us as a people rather than what divides us.

    “The oneness of Nigeria remains more advantageous despite the challenges we are facing as a nation,” he said.

    He also advised Nigerians to remain supportive either as individual or collectively towards nation-building to move the country forward.

    According to him, we need to propagate unity, irrespective of our political, religious and ethnic divides, and to rally round Gov. Umar Bago who has so far shown commitment and resilience to revamp the state.

    He urged the governor to remain resolute in ensuring residents enjoyed unprecedented transformation, especially in the area of security of lives and property and the state economy.

    Bago said his administration would do everything humanly possible to ensure rapid development in the state.

    Bago, represented by Mrs Elizabeth Shaba, Commissioner for Micro, Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Niger, called for collective efforts in ensuring peaceful coexistence in the state.

  • Niger College of Education becomes 63rd state-owned university

    Niger College of Education becomes 63rd state-owned university

    The Niger State University of Education in Minna has been upgraded into a fully recognized university in the country, and is now the 63rd state-owned university in the country.

    The move was spurred by the State Government’s request for the activation of the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) earlier recognition of the institution.

    The NUC had officially acknowledged the establishment of Niger State University of Education, Minna, as a university in the Nigerian University System in a letter dated 8th May 2015 (Ref. No. NUC/ES/31/Vol. 69/349).

    However, this recognition was subject to the incoming administration’s formal written concurrence to retain the university, a step that was not finalised by successive administrations in Niger State.

    Following the State Government’s formal request, conveyed in a letter dated 20th August 2023 (Ref GHNS/S/221), which included essential strategic documents like the University Law, Academic Brief, and Physical Master Plan, the NUC revalidated the recognition.

    “Effective from Thursday, 28th September 2023, Niger State University of Education, Minna, is now recognized as the 63rd state-owned university and the 270th university in the Nigerian University System,” a letter by the NUC read in part.

    The Commission has assured its full support to the university and encouraged the state government to continue to partner with it for professional and technical advice which it is mandated to provide on the establishment, sustainable funding, and operation of universities.

    Furthermore, relevant bodies including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been duly notified of this development.

  • FG to create Resettlement City for 22,000 IDPs in Niger State – Dr Betta Edu

    FG to create Resettlement City for 22,000 IDPs in Niger State – Dr Betta Edu

    By Wevole Ezin

    The Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Betta Edu has assured the displaced persons in Niger State that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will provide a resettlement city for IDPs in Niger state as part of medium term plans to renew the hopes of over 22,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

    Dr. Edu who was received by the First Lady of Niger State, Hajiya Fatima Umar Bago during her One Day Working visit to the state disclosed this.

    She presented empowerment starter packs to the IDPs who passed through the N-Scale Training of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), distributed Food relief materials and Inspected UNICEF made-swift classrooms for out of school children who are IDPs at Gwada camp in Shiroro LGA of Niger state.

    She expressed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s concern over the rate of out-of-school children, adding that education is crucial to wiping out poverty in the country and assured the IDPs of Federal Government interventions, inclusion into the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) and National Social Register.

    During her speech, Hajiya Fatima Umar Bago commended the President’s initiative to support the state government in fighting insecurity and addressing the challenges of IDPs in the state.

    Complimenting their effort, the Niger State Commissioner, for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Ahmed Suleiman hinted that they have 22,071 IDPs in the state.
    According to him, insecurity has affected eleven of the twenty-five LGAs adding that many residents have stopped farming due to bandit raids.

    “The state government is now faced with the challenge of delivering all essential amenities, aside from the huge funds allocated to fighting insecurity,”

    “Our educational institutions, especially primary and secondary schools, which serve as provisional refuge for the displaced persons, are now overstretched and our children’s academic programmes are being disrupted”, he said.

    Responding, Dr Betta Edu assured the IDPs that the Federal Government is putting in place stringent efforts to end banditry, terrorism and other forms of security challenges in the country. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent me here to see the situation on ground and start intervention as soon as possible. He assures you all that hope has come and that he will provide durable solutions to the lapses experienced in all the IDP Camps in Niger State and across the Nation.

    “We have seen a couple of things, especially regarding your unsatisfactory living conditions. We are here to evaluate the situation and ensure that we intervene to change things for the better.
    We are considering resettling the IDPs here because of the insecurity in their various places; we are optimistic that resettling them in Shiroro will be better for now.”

    “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured his commitment to provide a resettlement city where everyone who is displaced can live so that you can be safe and your children can also go back to school.” She affirmed.

  • Death toll in Niger’s boat accident rises to 30

    Death toll in Niger’s boat accident rises to 30

    The Niger Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) on Monday said the death toll from Sunday’s boat mishap in Mokwa Local Government Area had risen to 30 from 24.

    Alhaji Garba Salihu, NSEMA’s acting Director  General, made this known in an interview in Minna.

    He said that the agency had so far rescued 30 persons in Gbajibo area where the incident occurred.

    ”Yesterday, I told you that we have recovered 24 corpses, but that same day it later increased to 26 dead bodies.

    ”Today, we recovered four more corpses, making 30 in all,” Salihu said.

    The acting director general said that 27 of the deceased were women, while three were male children.

    Salihu dispelled the rumour making the rounds that 100 passengers boarded the ill-fated boat.

    “For now, nobody knows the number of passengers on that boat. Many people entered the boat, so knowing the actual number of passengers on board will be difficult,” he said.

    Salihu said that the agency had stopped searching for the victims of the boat mishap, pending when the need arose.

    The victims were from Gbajibo, Ekwa and Yankyade communities who were on their way to their farms at the other side of river Niger (old Gbajibo) when the incident occurred.

  • Tribunal fires Prof Jerry Gana’s son from House of Reps

    Tribunal fires Prof Jerry Gana’s son from House of Reps

    The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal on Monday, sacked the son of Prof. Jerry Gana, Rep Joshua, from the House of Representatives.

    Rep Joshua Audu Gana was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Edati/Lavun/Mokwa Federal Constituency of Niger State in the Feb. 25 general elections.

    Gana, who won the election with 47,942 votes as against 40,003 votes scored by the candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr Abdullahi Usman Gbatamagi, was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Dissatisfied with the declaration, the APC and its candidate, Gbatamagi, through their Counsel, Johnson Usman, SAN, challenged the return of Gana.

    The petition is via a petition number:EPT/NG/HR/06/2023 on the ground that the election was invalid by reason of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022 in that the margin of win was less than the permanent voter cards (PVCs) collected in the polling units where elections did not hold or were cancelled.

    Delivering the judgment on Monday, the three-member tribunal headed by Justice Sylvester Godspower agreed with Mr Usman’s arguments.

    The tribunal proceeded to invalidate votes in the 26 polling units of the constituency, thereby reducing the votes of Gana to 46,494 votes while that of Gbatamagi now stood at 39,159 votes, leaving the PVCs collected in the affected polling units at 14,411.

    The tribunal consequently set aside the Certificate of Return issued to Joshua Gana by INEC and ordered the commission to conduct a supplementary election in the 26 polling units within 90 days of the judgment with a view to determining the winner of the election.

  • Niger State thrown into mourning as boat accident leaves 24 dead

    Niger State thrown into mourning as boat accident leaves 24 dead

    The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), says it has recovered 24 corpses and rescued over 30 persons in a boat mishap that occurred on Sunday in Mokwa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

    Alhaji Garba Salihu, Acting Director-General, NSEMA, who disclosed this on Sunday in Minna said: “NSEMA received a report of a boat mishap that occurred between 7.30am to 8am this morning between Jebba and Kainji Dam in Gbajibo area of Mokwa local government area.

    “The agency, in collaboration with the Mokwa local government authority and the community local divers, is conducting a search, rescue and recovery operation at the scene of the incident.

    “So far, 24 bodies have been recovered while over 30 persons have been rescued as the operation is still ongoing”.

    Salihu said that over 100 persons were said to be on board the boat when the incident occurred.

    He said that the victims who are from Gbajibo, Ekwa and Yankyade communities were going to their farms at the other side of the River Niger (old gbajibo).

    Meanwhile, the state governor, Alhaji Umaru Bago, has expressed shock over the incident, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Bologi Ibrahim.

    The statement said that Bago described the incident as terrible and undesirable, saying “this is quite a shocking and sorrowful situation to the people of the affected communities and I share in their sorrow. I pray that Allah will grant the deceased Aljannah Firdausi.”

    While commiserating with the families of the victims, the Governor directed NSEMA to do the needful to ameliorate the sufferings of the people.

    The Governor also prayed that Allah would comfort the families of the deceased and grant quick recovery to those injured.

    He, however, reiterated the importance of the use of life jackets when boarding a boat and for people to desist from overcrowding boats.

  • Tribunal upholds election of ex-Niger governor

    Tribunal upholds election of ex-Niger governor

    The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the election of Abubakar Sani-Bello as Senator representing Niger North Senatorial District.

    Justice Angela Otaluka delivered the judgement in Minna on Wednesday.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Sani-Bello of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of the election held on Feb. 25.

    Sani-Bello, the immediate former governor of Niger, defeated his closest rival Shehu Abdullahi, the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Abdullahi, however approached the tribunal challenging the declaration of Sani-Bello as winner, on the premise that  the election was marred by irregularities, including multiple voting.

    In his petition, Abdullahi prayed the court through his counsel Mr Hussaini Garba to nullify Sani-Bello’s election and declare him winner, having scored the highest number of valid votes.

    In the over three hours judgement, Otaluka said that the tribunal, having reviewed the whole proceedings, ruled that the petitioner had failed in totality to prove the issue of over voting raised in the petition.

    She also said that the petition lacked merit and dismissed it in its entirety.

    The tribunal uphold the election of Sani-Bello, and directed the petitioner to give N250,000 as cost to the respondent.

    Similarly, the tribunal has upheld the election of Sen. Peter Ndalikali of the PDP, representing Niger South Senatorial District.

    Sen. Mohammed Bima of the APC had filed a petition against Ndalikali’s election, claiming that he scored the highest number of valid votes during the Feb. 25 national assembly election.

    Bima prayed the tribunal to nullify the election of Ndalikali and declare him the rightful winner of the election.

    Otaluka while dismissing the petition, declared that the allegations raised by Bima were not substantiated, and dismissed the petition for lack of merit.