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Tag: north

  • Northern Govs hail Tinubu’s landmarks in combating insecurity

    Northern Govs hail Tinubu’s landmarks in combating insecurity

    … regret unprecedented security challenges in Niger, Katsina, Zamfara, Plateau and Kaduna states

     

    The Northern States Governors’ Forum has hailed President Bola Tinubu over his landmarks in effectively combating insecurity in the northern axis of Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports this was contained in a communique issued at the end of the Forum’s meeting on Tuesday held in Kaduna.

    The communique signed by the chairman of the Forum, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had 12 point highlights where the participants stated:

    “The Federal Government under the dynamic, focused and courageous leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which has demonstrated total commitment to winning the war against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.

    “The Forum expressed deepest sympathy and collective support to the Governments and people of Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Plateau and Zamfara States over the unprecedented security challenges currently affecting the States and resolved to stand in solidarity with them during these difficult times.

    “The Human Capital Development is critical to the progress and prosperity of the region and expressed concern that the region currently bears the burden of having the highest number of out of School Children in the World. The Forum committed itself to invest massively in education and skill development, health care and social services in order to address the menace.

    ” The Forum received report of a Committee to review the Report of the Technical Committee on the New Nigeria Development Company. The Forum resolved that members should study the report for consideration at the next meeting of the Forum.

    “The expected role of New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) on the revitalization of the economy of the Northern States. The Forum accordingly resolved to invest in critical infrastructure that are capable of unlocking the huge industrial and economic potentials of the North.

    “The Forum noted that climate change, unsustainable agricultural practices and population growth posed significant challenges to the region. The Forum resolved to adopt holistic approach that promote environmental conservation, sustainable agriculture and responsible resource management to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the people and preserve the national heritage of generations yet unborn.

    ” The Forum received a presentation from Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and World Bank Team. The Forum noted achievements in areas of system strengthening, project management, infrastructure and structure emplaced and challenges as regards project implementation and expected areas of support. The Forum assured the AGILE and World Bank Teams of their sustain support and requested them to FastTrack the process of upscaling the programme.

    ” The Forum received on Courtesy Call from the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF). The Forum noted the resolve of the Board of Trustees to harmonise activities of various interest groups as well as voices, speaking and acting on behalf of the region. The Forum further resolved to support and encourages the Board of Trustees towards the realisation of the objectives of the founding fathers of the Arewa Consultative Forum.

    “The Forum also received a report from the Coalition of Northern Group on the security in Northern Nigeria. The Forum commended the Group for its commitment to the security of the Northern region and pledged to work together with the Group.
    11. The Forum commended its own leadership for engaging with the National Security Adviser, Service Chiefs, Coalition of Northern Civil Society groups and other relevant stakeholders in charting a way forward for sustainable peace and stability in the North.

    “The Forum commended the Chairman of the Forum for his inspirational leadership and commitment towards advancing the interest of the North. The Forum also commended the host Governor for his sustained effort in hosting the meetings of the Forum.

  • Katsina Elders’ Forum not speaking for North – Matawalle

    Katsina Elders’ Forum not speaking for North – Matawalle

    The views of Katsina Elders’ Forum has been described as not reflecting the position of Northern Nigeria on the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

    Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said that it was wrong for the elders to make such statements.

    The former Zamfara governor said that what Northern Nigeria needs now is the security of lives and property, which the President is committed to provide.

    He also warned that anything capable of truncating the nation’s democracy and setting the North against other regions would not be tolerated by the government.

    The forum had issued a warning to Tinubu over the decision of his administration to relocate some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria to Lagos.

    It also disagreed with the relocation of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the issue of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport expansion project in Katsina.

    The elders had asked the President to reverse the decisions or risk losing the support of the North in the 2027 general election.

    Matawalle described the threat by the forum as an empty one and contrived to cause hatred, disunity, and to set Northern Nigeria against their brothers and sisters from other parts of the country.

    “President Tinubu is for all Nigerians and he has no interest or agenda against any of the six geopolitical zones of the country.

    “The Renewed Hope Agenda of the president is geared towards setting things right for the realisation of maximum economic development, security, and welfare of all Nigerians,” he said.

    The minister said that the elders have lost their people’s confidence when they failed to support the aspiration of their own to win the state for All Progressives Congress party in 2023.

    “Do Katsina elders have the right to speak on behalf of Northern people? How can the elders who failed to support the President and their own, the former President Muhammadu Buhari to win Katsina State, make such a reckless statement on behalf of Northern people?

    “Katsina elders have forgotten how they betrayed Buhari and President Tinubu by their failure to ensure that President Tinubu wins the majority of votes in their state in the 2023 presidential election.”

    He urged the elders not to truncate the existing peace and harmony between the north and other regions through such statements.

    “When former President Buhari’s Minister of Transportation decided to locate the Transportation University in the former President’s hometown, Daura, other Nigerians did not protest against that decision.

    “(This is because) they believed it was in the interest of unity and peaceful coexistence of the country.

    “I, therefore, strongly advise the Katsina elders to think twice and stop heating up the polity, but rather concentrate on what binds Nigerians and Nigeria as an entity for the development of our dear country,” the Minister said.

  • Employers now rejecting NYSC members in Northeast

    Employers now rejecting NYSC members in Northeast

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has expressed concern over the rejection of corps members by some employers in the North-East region.

    The NYSC Director in charge of the zone, Mr Garinvwa Ishaya, stated this at a one-day Corps Employers’ Forum, on Monday in Yobe

    The theme of the workshop is: “Deepening Corps Employers Participation towards Improved Welfare And Security of Corps Members”.

    He said the trend was discouraging to the corps members and the scheme, adding that they should be accorded enabling environments in their places of primary assignment to contribute to the social and economic development of the country.

    “The scheme was established to add value to our socio-economic development as a nation and it has made a tremendous impact in further uniting the country.

    “We passionately appeal to employers to always accept corps members deployed to their organisations for the prosperity of the scheme and the nation at large.

    “Employers are expected to make statutory welfare provisions for corps members to cover their transportation and accommodation,” he said.

    He, therefore, urged state governments to provide decent accommodation for the corps members and sought the support of local council chairmen towards promoting the objectives of the scheme.

    The NYSC North-East zonal office is supervising Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, Yobe and Borno.

  • Northern Nigeria has potential to feed the nation – Don

    Northern Nigeria has potential to feed the nation – Don

    The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Prof. Abdulkarim Muhammad, has said that Northern Nigeria has the potential to feed the nation and export to other parts of the world if good policies are implemented by the Government.

    Muhammad made this known on Thursday in Kano during the Regional Food Science and Technology Summit, organized by the Nigerian Institute of food Science and Technology, Northwest chapter.

    The University don who described the theme, “positioning Northern Nigerian Food for the Global market”, as apt, said that northern Nigeria has great agricultural potentials due to its abundant arable land.

    “If properly developed and harnessed, it will not only satisfy our domestic needs but make Nigeria a global force in food within a short time,” he explained.

    Muhammad further decried how the country abandoned the production of crops like Rice, Cassava Maize, and Sorghum among others, even with the comparative advantage it has.

    He urged the federal government to give priority to agriculture because it is capable of turning around the nation’s economy due to its multiplier effects.

    The vice chancellor appealed to governments at all levels, to faithfully implement policies on agriculture.

    Earlier, the chairperson of the Nigerian Institute of food Technology, Northwest chapter, Dr Zahra’u Bamalli, said the programme was aimed at improving food production in the north.

    According to her, “the theme of the conference signifies the importance of leveraging our culinary heritage, indigenous ingredients, traditional knowledge to create innovative and high-quality global competitive food products.

    “We must explore avenue for value addition, address issues related to food safety and quality, adopt sustainable production practice and enhance the marketing and distribution network to carter to the demand of an evolving global market,” she said.

    Bamalli explained that the conference was aimed at fostering collaboration among researchers, industry professionals, policy makers and other stakeholders.

    According to her, through collaborations, they can collectively work towards developing practical solutions and strategies that will elevate the northern Nigerian food industry to new heights.

  • 2023: Don’t vote for northern candidates, SMBLF cautions delegates

    2023: Don’t vote for northern candidates, SMBLF cautions delegates

    Few days to the national conventions of the political parties, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has cautioned delegates of all political parties, and true lovers of democracy, to reject presidential aspirants from the North, and only vote for those from the South during the party primaries.

    The group of politicians and professionals from the South declared that on no condition should southern politicians accept the position of Vice President, as that would amount to a shameful committal of present and future generations of Southern Nigeria to senseless political vassalage.

    These were part of the resolutions which the forum reached after its crucial meeting that deliberated extensively on the State of the Nation, particularly the worsening insecurity and the political intrigues heralding the 2023 General Elections.

    In a communique released at the end of the meeting, the SMBLF reiterated its stance on the principle of zoning and power rotation between the North and the South, as the basis on which the Nigerian Federation has been premised since Independence in 1960. The group stated unequivocally, that the zoning and rotation of the Presidency of Nigeria are fundamental to the future existence of the country.

    Accordingly, the forum condemned, in strongest terms, the apparent plots by the two main political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of their presidential primaries, to jettison the time-honoured principle of rotation, which has traditionally served as the glue holding together the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    The group warned that the reported permutations by the main political parties to foist northern presidential candidates on the nation would be a grave misadventure, with grim consequences on national concord and harmony.

    It further insisted that, in observance of the principles of justice, equity, fairness and political inclusiveness, the South, and particularly, the South East Zone, being the third leg on which Nigeria’s political trajectory had revolved, should produce the next President of the country in 2023.

    According to the group, power rotation to the South East region, would bring the Igbo quest for full reintegration and reconciliation, since the end of the Civil War in 1970, to full realisation.

    The SMBLF commended a number of northern governors who have demonstrated great patriotism by their public support for the rotation of the presidency to the South and urged
    other well-meaning northern leaders, who believe in the oneness of Nigeria, to support this cause, because therein lies the unity and progress of the country.

    On the worsening state of insecurity and rampaging violence across the country, the Forum warned that Nigeria was descending into a state of total disorder and lawlessness, with attacks on innocent people resulting in kidnapping, loss of lives and destruction of properties in different parts of the country.

    The group accused the Federal Government and its Security Agencies are not doing enough to arrest the situation, whereby people can no longer travel safely either by road, rail or even by air to Kaduna and some other major cities.

    It condemned the frightening but unimaginable level of security challenges in Kaduna State despite the heavy presence of military commands and installations in the State. The SMBLF also condemned the recent bombing of the Kaduna-Abuja bound train as well as the brazen attack on motorists on the Abuja-Kaduna Road about two days ago, adding that on both occasions, innocent lives were lost while several people were wounded with many abducted by the terrorists.

    The communique was signed by the leaders of the forum namely its Chairman, Chief Edwin Clark; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Leader of Afenifere (South West); Professor George Obiozor, President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide (South East); His Excellency, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman (Rtd.), Leader and Dr. Pogu Bitrus, President, Middle Belt Forum (Middle Belt); as well as Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, FNSE, National Chairman, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF (South-South).

  • PDP has agreed to rezone 2023 presidency to North – Babangida

    PDP has agreed to rezone 2023 presidency to North – Babangida

    Babangida Aliyu, a former governor of Niger State, has said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has agreed to rezone its presidential ticket to the North.

    Aliyu said the party decided to rezone the presidency to the North following requests from some Nigerians.

    He spoke while hosting the Atiku Support Organization (ASO) on a visit

    He noted that the party had decided to reconsider its earlier stance that anybody can contest for the presidency in 2023.

    The former governor expressed the belief that the organization would be successful.

    “In our zoning agreement, we have agreed to rezone it to the North as requested by others but we have agreed and written openly as a result of what has happened that any candidate from any part of the country can now contest this election,” he said.

    The PDP chieftain urged the group to meet with stakeholders across the country and ensure that Atiku emerges the flag bearer of the party.

    Atiku is believed to be gearing up to contest for the presidency in 2023.

  • Northern region is bleeding, youth group declares

    Northern region is bleeding, youth group declares

     

    A coalition of Northern Youths on Friday protested against the threat of insecurity in the region.

    The protesters, under the Coalition of Concerned Northern Nigerian Groups, demanded an immediate end to the killings going on in the region.

    They also lamented the killing of over 40 bus passengers at Gidan Bawa village in Sokoto State.

    Speaking to journalists, one of the leaders of the group, Zainab Ahmed, said the northern part of Nigeria was bleeding owing to the incessant killings in the region.

    She said, “We are here to call on the Nigerian government that the North is bleeding and enough is enough. We are tired of burying our women, children, and men. Our crops are being razed by bandits.

    “We are here to tell the government to secure our lives. We bury hundreds of people on a daily basis yet there is no action, not even ‘sorry’ from our leaders. We are here because we are angry. Because we are children of Baba Buhari, we feel that he has neglected us.

    “We called on our followers to vote for Buhari in 2019 for the next level and this next level is killing us. We are dying; this is not what we voted for.”

     

     

     

     

  • No single day passes without people being killed in North, Sultan cries out

    No single day passes without people being killed in North, Sultan cries out

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, and the CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, have lampooned the Federal Government for the poor management of the nation’s security.

    Following the recent escalation of attacks in the Shinkafi axis of Sokoto, they called for a collective and coordinated approach to solve the nation’s security problems.

    Speaking in Abuja at the 4th Quarter 2021 Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, on Thursday, the Sultan said everything was not right with the country, citing the increased level of crime and criminality across the federation.

    The Sultan said, “If I continue talking about the insecurity in the North, we will not leave this room, some few days ago, we are witnesses to the media report on how people were killed in a bus in Sokoto, even though the figure is not correct, but even one life is important, there is no single day that passes without people being killed in the North especially in the North West now, but we don’t hear it.

    “Let’s not deceive ourselves, everything is not alright, I have said this so many times, and to know that you have a problem, you have part of the solution. The earlier we rise up to the occasion, come together, the better for us.”

    Citing the recent threat letter by bandits to Christians in Zamfara state, the Sultan also came hard on the security agencies for not doing enough to investigate and authentication the source of violent message.

    He lamented that the lack of due diligence by the police before informing Christians of the planned attack on Churches in Zamfara could have frightened worshippers and dampened their faith.

    Sultan said, “When I saw a note that the bandits are threatening Christians in Zamfara, I asked what is the work of our security agencies? Why will they come out and make such comment when they have not verified it? You are making people to be more frightened.

    “I will not stop going to mosque to pray because I saw in a paper that if I go to mosque I will be killed, let me be killed. I must die. So, Christians should not be afraid of going to church to worship because an anonymous person is threatening them.”

    While advocating for a new approach and strategy to address some of the challenges in the country, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar said some religious leaders have been part of the major problems the nation is facing.

    “We have to be careful in the way we handle, say and do things as religious leaders. We are not political leaders. Therefore, we have to be wary of what we say, where and how we say such things, because our followers will definitely believe in what we say. They will believe and feel that it is from the Holy Koran or the Holy Bible.

    “We cannot go on telling things to people without thinking that they will believe. We cannot go on saying things that we know we don’t have full knowledge of,” the monarch cautioned.

    On his part, Ayokunle who co-Chairs NIREC with the Sultan, described the nation’s highways as “den of kidnappers and a no-go-area for travellers.”

    He wondered why the security forces could not trace the kidnappers to their hideout and rescue the victims.

    According to him, “Travelling from one point to another by road in particular have become a very great risk, kidnapper are everywhere and they don’t only come out to kidnap but also to kill, so you don’t know who the next victim is going to be.

    “Why should these people be killing and hiding people in our territory without being challenged, why should it be easy for them to hide people somewhere within the state and the security agencies in the state within few days or weeks will not be able to fish them out?”

    Above all, the CAN President called for increase in intelligence gathering; urging the public to also volunteer information to the security agencies to help the tracing and apprehension of the criminals.

    He also advocated for increased investment in the military to enhance their performance, and warned the security forces to purge themselves of elements who aid and abet criminality in the country.

    In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, called on Christians and Muslims to join hands to fight terrorism and insecurity.

    “No terrorist can be a religious person and no religious person can be a terrorist. We must come together now to pray and fight those who have waged war against humanity in Nigeria,” Omonokhua noted.

  • For the PDP, the North of Atiku, Saraki and Tambuwal, has it

    For the PDP, the North of Atiku, Saraki and Tambuwal, has it

    By Mideno Bayagbon

    (08055069059 Whatsapp)

     

    For the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South of Nigeria, when it comes to the 2023 presidential elections, hands are raised up, in total surrender! Forget the recent election of former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu, a Middle belter, as the new chairman of the party. Under normal circumstances, that election would have been a pointer to where the PDP wants to zone its presidential slot to: Southern Nigeria. But except something dramatic happens in the immediate near future, the hope of the PDP fielding its presidential candidate from the South is, currently, a pipe dream. The settled decision is that the PDP will field a northerner, no matter from what zone its main rival, the the All Progressives Congress (APC) picks its candidate from. The focus of the strategic thinkers of the party is on how to present a united front that is solid enough to defeat the ruling APC in the elections of 2023.

     

    It is true that some aspirants in the south have subtly and even overtly indicated interest in running for the office. Two South South Governors, Nyesom Wike and Udom Emmanuel have joined a few South Easterners in showing half interest in vying for the office. The Distinguished Anyim Pius Anyim, a former Senate President, has vowed to contest for the office whether the PDP zones the office to the East or not. How this will play out eventually is up for conjecture. The feeling is that the former Secretary to Government of the Federation is positioning high while hoping to be picked for the vice presidential slot. The party’s political king makers, spoken to are still at sea, without a clue whether Peter Obi wants to run for the office or again wants to position for the office of Vice President to any northern candidate the party will throw up.

     

    Above, notwithstanding, it is an open secret in the party that Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike has a seemingly solid arrangement with Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to pair up to vie for the office. But Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, current governor of Delta state has his eyes on either going back to the Senate and working to emerge as Senate President or fight it out with Wike and Emmanuel to be vice president to a Tambuwal or Atiku. That is, if the party zones the VP position to the South South zone.

     

    What is, however, becoming very clear in the party, is that leading aspirants have emerged out of about seven northern candidates who are angling for the position. The three leaders who have emerged in the race are Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Abubakar Saraki and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal. But for his age, which many currently see as a huge draw back, the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, would have been head and shoulders above Saraki and Tambuwal. Nevertheless, it is as if a repeat of the 2014 presidential primaries of the party is going for an encore, as the then three leading candidates are yet the three front runners as the road to the race shortens.

     

    Atiku Abubakar will be 76 in 2023, and should he win the election, he will be 80 years old in 2027 when he will be due for reelection. Many leaders in the PDP are worried that though he is still seemingly very strong for his age, they ask if an old man is what Nigeria needs now to confront the many hydra-headed problems which the government of General Muhammadu Buhari has foisted on the nation. While most acknowledge that, with his pedigree, an Atiku presidency will likely throw up a mixture of solid professionals and capable politicians to take hold of strategic points of the economy, they nonetheless still nurse doubts about the impact his age will have on governance. This is where a Bukola Saraki and Aminu Tambuwal come into serious reckoning.

     

    Bukola Saraki, no doubt has had his eyes on the presidency for a long time. He has tried to build a formidable structure, nationwide, in preparation for the primaries which are just a few months away. Among his many strategic thrust include building a team of like minded Nigerians who came out, recently, to claim they are bent on rescuing Nigeria from the deadly morass into which it has sunk with the seemingly nepotistic administration of the current occupier of Aso Rock. Though he has tried not to show his hands there, it is nonetheless clear to political observers that should he fail to win the candidacy of the PDP, this will be a platform he hopes to use to try and achieve his ambition.

     

    The group without a clear ideological leaning is bent on wresting power from the old oligarchs of the north represented by President Buhari. The fear among this group is that the country can break if no urgent measures are taken to keep it one. That is why there have been attempts by them to make it a national movement. But as at the last count, it is still heavily dominated by politicians in the middle belt and the core north generally.

     

    But two major issues stand in Saraki’s way. First, he is currently without a home base. Kwara, where he was once king has been swept from under his feet. The Otoge Movement which his enemies in Aso Rock and in Kwara sponsored against him had such a devastating effect that in large part of the state, those who used to hail him now openly call for his crucification.

     

    Also, though he lays claim to the Fulani heritage, and though he is a moslem, he is still viewed with suspicion in some sections of the north who do not fully accept him as one who will go all out to protect the interest of the elites packaged as the interest of the north. They see him more as a Yoruba man than as a Fulani even though he has in recent years tried to play down his name Bukola in preference for Abubakar. But as a former governor and a former Senate President, there is no doubt that Saraki has build a large friendship base across the country that he can depend on to run for the office.

     

    Aminu Tambuwal is another kettle of fish altogether. He is one of the aces the system in the north is holding close to its chest. He has had his eyes on the presidency for the past ten years or so. He had to be persuaded to take the governorship of Sokoto state before the 2014 primaries so that the north can present a united front behind Buhari. With his major pedigree as Speaker of the House of Representatives, the below par performing governor of Sokoto state, as stated earlier, pushed his luck too in the 2018 PDP primaries but was defeated by Atiku Abubakar who had some Generals whose intervention at the primaries helped to sway it to the former Vice President. Before then, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who thought he had the party in his pocket because he was the major financial of its operations, and also because he had a large swathe of the party executives on his side, had wanted to swing it to the Sokoto state governor.

     

    Tambuwal has since concentrated his efforts in building a core group of supporters in the north. All former and current National Assembly members receive one Tambuwal largesse or the other on a regular basis as a way of building a core of loyalists who can help swing the critical, deciding votes during the party’s primary, coming up in the next few months.

     

    Tambuwal of course has tried to build a group of loyalists in most critical sectors of Nigeria’s political economy. He has tried to even put in place a group of journalists too who will look after his interest in the media. He is positioning as the candidate of the core north and his chances may not be affected by the lack of significance his administration has made in the affairs of Sokoto state.

     

    What will shock people as the days go by, is that should the road become too rocky for him in the PDP to achieve his ambition, Tambuwal, who is a governor under the PDP can easily switch and position himself in the APC to vie for the post if eventually it becomes inevitable that it is the north which will present the candidate of the APC for the elections in 2023.

     

  • BREAKING: PDP NEC approves zoning national chairmanship slot to north

    BREAKING: PDP NEC approves zoning national chairmanship slot to north

    The National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved the recommendation of its committee to zone the position of national chairman to the North.

    National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, briefed journalists about the decision after the NEC meeting, which was held in Abuja on Thursday.

    Based on the decision, all positions in the party currently occupied by people from the South will go to the North and those occupied by people from the North will go to the South.

    The PDP NEC also retained the scheduled date for the party’s convention.

    It is scheduled to take place on October 30 and 31.

    More details later