Son Of Late Emir Ado Bayero Becomes Emir Of Bichi, As Youth Protest

May 11, 2019

The son of late emir of Kano, Alhaji Dr. Ado Bayero in the person of Aminu ado Bayero is one of the beneficiaries of the recent splitting of the Kano Emirate into four. Aminu received his letter today, Saturday as Emir of Bichi.

Others who received their letters, even as youth staged protest at the Kano Emir’s palace over the state government decision to split the Emirate are Ibrahim Abulkadir as the Emir of Gaya; Tafida Abubakar as the Emir Of Rano and Abubakar Ibrahim II as the Emir of Karaye.

While the governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje was inaugurating the new Emirs, youths were at the Kano Emir’s palace protesting over the creation of the new Emirates which they said is politically motivated and that the process should be immediately halted by the Governor.

Senate President of Gwale Youth Parliament, Khalid Sunusi Kani, speaking to reporters said: “the reason we are doing the protest is that we are not satisfied with the decision of the Executive Governor of Kano State with the creation of four additional emirates in Kano state.

“We consulted with different youths from different Local Government Areas in Kano State and we have observed that majority of the youths in the state with the approval of the creation of new Emirates.”

Khalid Kani condemned the creation of the new Emirates, adding that the decision is “politically motivated and borne out of self-interest,” while also calling on the Governor to reconsider and immediately stop the process.

“We are not happy because we believe the bill that was signed by the Governor, which was instituted by Ibrahim Salisu of Kano State House of Assembly, is politically motivated and born out of self-interest.

“That is why we called on the Kano state to reconsider the request because it is contrary to popular opinion. As far as we are practising democracy, we told them popular opinion must be respected.”

Source: SaharaReporters.

Gov Ganduje Dares Court, Says The Law Creating New Emirates Is Irreversible

Editorial staff

May 11, 2019

Kano State governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has made it clear that irrespective of how judiciary views the recent creation of four new Emirates in Kano, the law passed by the State Assembly and to which he has assented remains irreversible.

Ganduje, who spoke at a ceremony organized by the newly appointed Emirs for the four Emirates in Kano said that the new law had already been gazetted by the state government printer on the same day.

The governor said that the creation of the emirates, in all its ramification, was well rooted in a strong foundation, adding that the law now is irreversible.

The governor also gave reasons for the creation of the new emirates in the state, saying that Kano is too big in size and population to have a single, centralised emirate council.

“The challenges of development are too many, they are too weighty to be left in the hands of a highly-centralised traditional institution,” said the governor.

He said that historically, Kano’s traditional rulers had been independent of one another, noting that the government took this factor into consideration.

He appealed to the new traditional rulers to assist the government in addressing the issues of education, health care delivery, security and agriculture in their various domains.

He tasked them to take records of strangers and new comers in their midst, to ensure that every child in their domain attends a school, to push their people to devote themselves to commercial agriculture as well as to ensure that their people take due advantages of the health facilities in their domains.

The governor asked the people to support the new dispensation even as he directed all the district heads and Ulamas in their respective domains to go and pay homage to the new monarchs by Monday.

In his appreciation, the new Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, pledged his determination to serve the people of his emirate, while promising to continue with the legacy of his father.

He called on the people in his domain to support the government of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to achieve its objectives of serving the people.

Similarly the new Emir of Rano, (Sarkin Rano) Alhaji Tafide Abubakar Il, said that they are ready to work and cooperate with Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi in the Council of Traditional Rulers in the state while assuring that the new emirs would continue to give their support to the Ganduje’s administration towards the realisation of its goals.

The Emir of Gaya, (Sarkin Gaya), Alhaji Abdulkadir Gaya, said that he would prioritise the fight against drug abuse among youths in his domain.

Presidency To PDP: You Are Bad Loser

Editorial staff

May 11, 2019

The Presidency has described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as bad loser, whose leadership would hail judiciary when it wins a case in court and condemns judiciary for being under the influence of some forces when it loses a case.

“The PDP praised the verdict of the Osun gubernatorial election tribunal because it favoured them, but they are now singing a different tune because they lost their appeal. We cannot keep changing the definition of an independent judiciary to suit our political convenience and bias without ultimately creating chaos in the system.”

The Presidency, in a statement today, Saturday, by the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, condemned the PDP for embarking on media smear campaign against the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa.

“Reports claiming that an agency of the government, the Department of State Services, DSS has indicted Bulkachuwa of corruption are the latest of this sponsored campaign aimed at causing disaffection between the Executive and the Judiciary, the two arms of government that had operated smoothly under the present dispensation.”

Garba Shehu admitted that the PDP and its candidates are free to exercise their right to challenge the results of the 2019 presidential election, but that it is unacceptable to drag the name of the President or other organs of the executive branch into the campaign of character assassination against the President of the Court of Appeal.

“The DSS doesn’t conduct its duties in the manner so described and you can’t use a fake security report to drag the presidency into a smear campaign against the President of the Court of Appeal.

“Attacking judges because the outcomes of cases don’t favour you and keeping quiet when the verdict is in your favour smacks of insincerity, double standard and mischief.

“Intimidating and impugning the character of judges in order to force them to bow to blackmail is against the spirit of an independent judiciary.

“If the PDP continues to blackmail and smear judges with fake news stories, we will ultimately find ourselves dealing with a situation where judges may be afraid to handle cases, thereby creating delays in the dispensation of justice.

“If the presidency had any influence on election petition tribunals, APC candidates wouldn’t have lost a single case before the courts.”

JAMB Releases Results, Withholds Over 34,000, Blacklists 116 Exam Centres

Greenbarge Reporters

May 11, 2019

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of 1,792,719 candidates out of the 1,886,508 who sat for the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examinations in April.

Announcing the results in Abuja on Saturday, the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede said 34,120 that the results are being withheld, including the results of 15,145 candidates which are being further clarified as ‘identical twins and siblings.’

He explained further that 59,667 candidates were absent during the exams.

“A total of 1,826,839 sat for the UTME. Today, we are releasing the results of 1,792,719 candidates.

“Some 34,120 results are being withheld, including the results of 15,145 candidates being further clarified as identical twins and siblings.”

The board said that the UTME, which was conducted between April 11 and 17, 2019 across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, was painstaking, describing it as a success story.

The JAMB registrar disclosed that 116 exam centres have been blacklisted, including a Computer-based Test centre in Akokwa in Delta State which bribed exam officers with N1.7m.

“We have recovered the payment voucher and the concerned staff are being investigated, but they claimed that they received the bribe because their lives were in danger,” Oloyede stated.

He noted that the exams recorded multiple registrations, pointing out that a candidate, for instance, registered 23 times for the examination.

“A total of 116 centres have been de-listed or suspended. Out of this number, 18 have been sanctioned by the Governing Board of JAMB with suspension for between one and three years for registration-related misconduct.”

He directed candidates to send ‘RESULT’ to the short code, 55019, on their handsets, adding that they did not need to patronise a cyber cafe to check their results. Punch

Labour Minister Narrates How NLC President Led Hooligans To Traumatize Him And Neighbors

Greenbarge Reporters

May 11, 2019

The minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige has narrated the invasion of his Abuja residence by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, leading some hooligans.

Reacting to the account given by the labour leader which was published in some national dailies, Dr. Ngige described it as very unfortunate misleading because the scenario that emerged on Wednesday was that “I was woken up at 5 am by my wife who reported to me that the security men were having problems with some strange fellows at the gate of the house. And that some people were also on the walls of my home, that they arrived there by 4:30am.

“When the security people accosted them, they discovered that it was the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress himself that came physically with two tankers, one laden with petroleum, the second was half empty. One was put at the gate of my house and the second at the gate of my neigbour’s house.

“When I heard the story it was very strange. When I looked from upstairs I saw that the tankers were actually blocking the entrance to my house. I came down and asked for the chief detail who told me the whole story. And it emerged that they even had a scuffle with the president of the NLC when they were struggling for the key to the tanker.

“So I went back and made some calls to the Commissioner of Police FCT, Director SSS and also the Federal Road Safety to see if they could move the vehicles.

“Picketing does not mean that you go to peoples private residence because you don’t know who occupies there. For example in my home, my wife, my children and the children of my domestic staff and security personnel were trapped. My neigbour, his wife and children couldn’t go out. It is obstruction, it is against the law of the country. Then putting a tanker with petrol is arson, the place can be caught on fire, the entire street could have engulf on fire. I don’t know what to say.

“That is not trade unionism, that is hooliganism. I have been preaching that you cannot exchange hooliganism for trade unionism. Trade unionism means you dialogue, you discuss, you talk. That is why we call it social dialogue because you must continue to talk if you are government you continue to talk, if you are Labour you continue to talk with your employer and if you are employers you continue engaging them.

“So, I was surprised to read about thugs and people hospitalised, people beaten. I have tried to do some investigations and enquiries and from my preliminary enquiry and the reports I got, it looks like the NLC people disagreed with the people they brought to my house. I understand that they were contracted to work till 10am which is council time, the aim being to obstruct me from going to council. I left my house at 8 o’clock, a friend picked me up and I was able to make it to council.

“So, I am very very distraught, my family is traumatised, the people in my house are traumatised, my domestic staff with families are traumatised, even my neigbour and his wife couldn’t do their business for the day. Those tankers were removed around 6pm.”

Asked if he was planning to take any action, the minister said: “my neigbour said he is going to take legal action. I will also take legal action, illegal actions are actionable, nobody is above the law.

“Their grouse is the inauguration of the NSITF board. We had fixed the date for April 18th and they invaded the place with thugs and disrupted the function. We had postponed the function and said we were going to fix another date for inauguration but since then, they have been maligning my character and integrity because I am the Labour minister. And they forget that according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention, I am what they refer to as the competent authority. Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Secretary to the Government of the Federation will not come and do Labour matters. But, it is an obtuse thing we have here.

“The Labour people led by Wabba feels that they are secondary arm of government and he answers president of NLC, so he equates himself with the president of Nigeria. But there is only one sovereign authority of Federal Republic of Nigeria and for today by the grace of God, is President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The Act setting up the NSITF gave Labour two nominees, private sector under NECA two nominees. Labour appropriated the two for NLC and made a nomination and government has also made a nomination. What we are doing now is that we have proposed and the government has approved a fit and neutral person, not a government officer, not a Labour coloured man and not a private sector man. That is what obtains in tripartitism and we exhibited it for you all to see under the national minimum wage tripartite committee.

“Ms. Amal Pepple is a neutral person that has experience and background as a former permanent secretary, former minister of housing, former head of service of the federation and even a former clark of the Senate. So she was a round peg in a round hole. We are also going to put a square peg in a square hole. We are going to go ahead and inaugurate the board, we will not have any further distractions on this and we are consulting to fix a date for the inauguration immediately.”

Asked if Kokori was not a neutral person, Ngige responded: “I did not recommend him. I am the minister permitted by law to do that recommendation and I am telling you unequivocally that I did not recommend him, simple.”

Asked if he had anything personal against Kokori, he said: “nothing. I am following the law. I cannot recommend a labour coloured person, I did not recommend him and I am not foolish to do so. And if I am not foolish to do so, NLC should not arm twist me, blackmail me into a submission. I am not a man who will submit to blackmail and you will floor him, no!”

Kano Emir, Sanusi, Is Supposed To Report To Council Chairman – Gov Ganduje

Greenbarge Reporters

May 10, 2019

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has made it clear that as governor, he has nothing to do with the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II.

Answering reporters questions at the Presidential Villa, Abuja in respect of the recent split of the Kano Emirate that clipped the Emir’s power, Governor Ganduje swore that there was no bad motive in doing so.

“It is not vendetta. I am not against him. In fact, he is supposed to be reporting to the local government chairman according to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “It is the local government chairman that is suppose to discuss issues with him not the governor. So this is celebrated by the people of Kano and we will make sure that the new Emirate Councils are effective in terms of developing Kano State.”

He stressed that the act of splitting the Emirate is to take Kano to the next level “and we need active participation of the traditional system, especially in the areas of education, security, agriculture. We need the effectiveness of the traditional rulers.

“By discentralising it, we are following history. Years back even before the 800 years you are referring to, the situation was not that. So if something developed 800 years ago, things are also developing now and there will be another 800 years. So look at the history.”

Gov Okowa Describes Godwin Emefiele’s Role As CBN Governor As Legendary

Greenbarge Reporters

May 9, 2019

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has described the role played by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele during the turbulence in Nigeria’s economy as legendary even as he congratulated him on his reappointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement today, Thursday, by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu in Asaba, the governor extolled the leadership qualities and astute contributions of Emefiele to the economic development of Nigeria since he was appointed in 2014.

According to Governor Okowa, the CBN governor is an `illustrious son of Delta’, whose remarkable contributions to the banking industry in Nigeria remained legendary and worthy of emulation.

“Mr. Emefiele is an illustrious son of Delta in whom we are well pleased. His astute contributions to the development of the banking industry and the Nigeria economy is legendary and worthy of emulation.”

Governor Okowa emphasized that as a distinguished son, Emefiele has had a remarkable but turbulent first term as CBN Governor, where he successfully played a critical role to steer the Nigerian economy out of recession.

“On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I congratulate Mr Godwin Emefiele on his reappointment for a second term as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,” he said.

The Governor commended President for finding Emefiele worthy to be reappointed.

Kwara University Shut Down, As Police Move In Over Looming Crisis

Editorial staff

May 9, 2019

With the appearance of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria police on the campus of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, the institution authorities have decided to send the students home for the meantime.

In a statement today, Thursday, the deputy vice-chancellor (Academics) of the university, Professor Sakah Mahmud, said: “I want to re-emphasize that this measure is to ensure the security of our great campus. I am in touch with the Pro-Chancellor and Council Chairman, and he indicates total support that closing the campus at this time is desirable.”

According to Professor Saka Mahmud, the action was taken following ultimatum by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Wednesday to the state government on the appointment of an acting vice chancellor for the university, condemning the directive given to the vice-chancellor, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, to proceed on terminal leave before expiration of his tenure in July 2019.

Part of the statement reads: “Because of recent developments in our state and in the University and our students’ reactions to the Government’s appointment of an Acting Vice Chancellor in which the students gave a 24 hour ultimatum to government, the University Management (and three University Members of the Governing Council) met yesterday, Wednesday, 8 May, 2019 and decided to temporarily close the university until further notice as a preventive measure against any possible disturbances.

“Thank God that exams have been completed and gradings are still ongoing, with some lecturers already uploading their grades.

“Staff and students should leave the University quietly and ensure the safety of property and life.

“Reports reaching me indicates that a contingence of police (in vehicles belonging to KWIRS) were being driven towards the campus and it took some intervention to get them to return to Ilorin.

“KWASU does not want any situation in which the ongoing temporary crisis which would be safely and easily resolved by the grace of God lead into the loss of any life.

“Please take your luggage and other personal properties and go home safely until further notice. Please, this decision goes into effect immediately.

“The Office of Campus Safety is hereby notified and to please monitor everywhere to ensure peace and safety on campus.”

UN Appoints Emir Sanusi Of Kano As Advocate For Sustainable Development Goals

Editorial staff

May 9, 2019

The United Nations (UN) has appointed the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II as one of the new Advocates for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Emir joined 16 others who the UN Secretary General, António Guterres appointed as influential public figures from across the world.

The US Scribe, in a statement today, Thursday in New York, said that the appointment was sequel to the UN Member States agreement to accomplish the SDGs by 2030.

The appointees are to romote the goals, raise awareness with new audiences; maintain global commitment and call for greater ambition and scalable action to achieve the SDGs objectives by 2030 among others.

Police Declare: End To Crimes In Sight, Rescue 5 Kidnapped Chinese Nationals, Others

Editorial staff

May 9, 2019

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu has declared that the end to violent crimes, including the spate of kidnapping is in sight, even as his officers rescued five kidnapped Chinese nationals and others.

The IGP rolled out what is termed as new Counter-Kidnapping operational strategies to speedily bring to an end the current internal security challenges being experienced in some parts of the country.

A statement today, Thursday, by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba said that the new strategies, which are purposeful and intelligence-driven are targeted at identifying, locating and dismantling kidnapping gangs across the nation and bringing the kidnappers and their collaborators to justice. The statement said that that the measure has been designed to complement and strengthen the ‘Operation Puff Adder’ currently going on in several States of the Federation.

“The operation will involve the deployment of undercover operatives, decoy operations and high-level tactical missions with active participation of operatives drawn from the conventional Police Units, the Force Intelligence Unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS), the Special Anti-kidnapping Squads and the Police Tactical Units comprising the Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) and the Special Forces.”

The statement said that Police operatives from ‘Operation Puff Adder’ meanwhile, have successfully rescued unhurt, 27 kidnap victims including five Chinese nationals.

It said that the Chinese citizens who were earlier kidnapped on 15^th April, 2019 in Bobi, Niger State were safely and successfully rescued on May 5 from a forest in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, following painstaking investigative efforts, including both air and ground surveillance. The statement said that two of the kidnappers died from injuries sustained during exchange of gun fire with the Police in the course of the rescue mission.

“Twenty-two other kidnap victims were rescued in Zamfara State and other parts of the country.

“In addition, between January 2019 and the 1^st week of May, 2019, a total of 270 suspected kidnappers were arrested, 275 suspected armed robbers were arrested and 105 assorted weapons plus a large cache of ammunition recovered.

“The IGP, while commending the general public for their understanding and supports so far, reassures the Nation that the end to violent crimes and other sundry criminal activities is in sight. He promises that the Force under his leadership will continue to work with other relevant stakeholders in the task of making Nigeria safer and better.”

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