Northern Region Bloggers

17/07/2020

Today i rejoice with the millions well wishers across the Globe to wishes a great and exemplary Mother a worthy of emulation, a mother, an inspiration and woman of rare wisdom. happy birthday to a mother of GMK Hajjia Farida Barau Hajjia Zeenatu Mama. An icon of the people. A mother with vision, intellectual and talent. A very supportive mother whom everyone runs to with their troubles which he always have solutions to.
Who always embracing his people. Wishing you many more beautiful, prosperous and fulfilling years ahead. May we celebrate many more birthdays. God bless you Maaa. Age with unlimited grace.

Once Again Happy birthday Maaa and Jumaat Mubarak.

15/06/2020

Security men Arrests one of those that attacked Kadisau village in Faskari local Government of Katsina State

15/06/2020

DA ƊUMI-DUMI: Ƴan Najeriya Wake Son Kudi?

Rundunar ƴan sandar jihar Katsina, tace zata bayar da ladar Naira milyan biyar 5,000,000.00 ga duk wanda ya bada bayani akan yadda za'a k**a Adamu Aliero ko kuma ya kawo masu gawar sa.

Aliero wanda shi ne jagoran waɗanda s**a kai hari a garin Kadisau na ƙaramar hukumar Faskari ta jihar, harin da yayi sanadiyyar kashe sama da mutane 20, Adamu Aliero ɗan asalin ƙauyen ƴan Kuzo ne dake ƙaramar hukumar Tsafe ta jihar Zamfara, kuma ya haɗa kai da manyan ƴan ta'adda ne domin kai hari a kauyen Kadisau.

Kamar yadda Kwamishinan ƴan sandan jihar ya bayyana, yace bayanai sun nuna cewar Aliero ya kitsa kai harin ne saboda ƴan sanda suna riƙe da ɗan sa mai suna Suleiman k**ar yadda za kuga hoton Adamu Aliero da ɗan sa Suleiman a nan ƙasa.

To al'umma sai a bazama neman wannan gawurtaccen ɗan ta'adda Adamu Aliero domin kawo shi a mace ko a raye domin samun wannan babbar lada ta Naira milyanbiyar 5,000,000.00.

Masu karatu me zaku ce akan hakan?

13/06/2020

Edo Primary: Why we disqualified Obaseki — APC

The All Progressives Congress has explained why its disqualified Governor Godwin Obaseki from contesting the Edo state primary of the party slated for June 22.

Obaseki was disqualified alongside two other aspirants, Chris Ogiemwonyi and Mathew Iduoriyekemwen while the party cleared former secretary to the state government, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Pius Odubu and Osaro Obaze.

Addressing newsmen at the party’s National Secretariat, the chairman of the Screening committee, Prof. Jonathan Ayuba said Obaseki was disqualified due to discrepancies in his A levels results which “he obtained from the Institute of Continuous Education in Benin.”

Ayuba who read out the reports openly before presenting it to Oshiomhole said the task was a difficult job to handle, adding that they applied fairness and justice during their work.

The Chairman of the committee said that Obaseki only presented a “To whom it may concern letter from the Institute but there is no result as evidence he graduated for the institution”.

The panel also picked holes in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC Certificate and the testimonial of the institute of continuing education Benin city submitted by Governor Obaseki.

Ayuba-led panel also said that the decision by both Obaseki and Iduoriyekemwen to drag the APC and the national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to court in defiance to the provision of the APC constitution as another basis for its decision.

The panel also said it disqualified another aspirant, Chris Ogiemwonyi for ‘inconsistency in the names he presented to the committee.’

Speaking with newsmen, Ogiemwonyi expressed his displeasure about his disqualification, saying he will appeal the decision.

“What is the difference between Chris and Christopher?” he asked.

While receiving the reports of the screening committee, Oshiomhole said any of the aspirants that is not satisfied with the report can submit their grievances to the appeal committee.

29/05/2020

12/04/2020

TARIHIN MAI COVID-19 A KANO

Rahotanni sun nuna cewar mutumin da aka tabbatar ya kamu da cutar Covid 19, a Kano, Dan asalin karamar hukumar Birnin Kano ne, ya taba rike mukamin kwamishina sau 2,kuma ya taba zama Jakadan Nigeria a kasar Algeria.

Abin damuwar shine yaushe ya kamu kuma daga Ina ya Samo, mutum nawa yayi mu'amulla da su, tun daga iyali da barorinsa da abokan sa.
A lokacin da jikin sa yayi tsanani ya kwanta ne a wani asibiti me Zaman kansa a Nasarawa GRA(Lamido Crescent) kuma likitoci sun duba shi, sun kuma duba wasu marasa lafiyar. A cikin wadanda s**a duba shi akwai wani likita wanda Bayan da ya duba shi ya kuma yi aiki a wani asibitin gwamnati dake wata karamar hukumar a Kano.

Abin fargaba anan shine, shin meye matsayin wannan likita, ya kamu ko kuwa? Idan har (abin Allah Ya kiyaye) ya kamu to ya matsayin dimbin wadanda ya duba a Wancan kauyen da na fada, wasu ya sallame su, wasu yana cigaba da duba su har lokacin da aka Gano cewar wannan Ambassada ya kamu.

Yanzu Haka rahotanni sun bayyana cewar an Kira wannan likita domin a killace shi kuma ayi masa gwaji.

Akwai Jan aiki a gaban muhukuntan mu, wajen yin aiki tsakani da Allah da kaucewa siyasantar da batun wannan annoba. Ina rokon hukumomin mu da su dage wajen tabbatar da Hana shigowa Kano ta barauniyar hanya.

Allah ya bashi lafiya ya kiyaye mu, ya kuma sa muga karshen wannan matsala. Allah gamu Gare ka, ba zamu iya ba, Allah ka Iya mana. Allah Ka yafe mana zunuban mu.

Daga: Nasiru Salisu Zango

12/04/2020

Innalillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji'un 😭😭😭

Sun karbi kudin Fansa kimanin naira Miliyan 3,80000 kuma sun kasheshi

wannan Saurayi da kuke gani Sunan sa Sadiq Sulaiman Dan jihar Bauchi ne a Karamar Hukumar Ningi masu Garkuwa da mutane ne s**a sace shi, kuma s**a nemi a basu kudin fansa har naira Miliyan 3,800000 kuma an aike musu da kudin amma karshe s**a kasheshi.

Sai dai kissan da s**a masa ana zargin cewa shi mamacin ya gane masu Garkuwan ne wanda sanadin haka yasa s**a kasheshi Domin ana zargin Lamarin yana cike ne da cin amana na Aboki da Dan'uwa k**ar yanda rihoton da aka aiko mana ke nunawa kuma tuni aka Cafke wanda ake zargin Domin Binciko hakikanin abinda ya faru.

Allah ya jikansa ya kuma tona asirin wa yanda s**a aikata wannan mummunan aikin.

✍️✍️Falalu Lawal

05/03/2020

02/02/2020

How we made money selling children we stole — Suspects

By Ifeanyi Okolie

Operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, Led by DCP Abba Kyari have smashed a child trafficking syndicate, which specialized in Stealing little children from their homes and selling them to waiting buyers. 12 of the suspects were arrested while so far, six of the abducted children have been recovered by the IRT operatives.

Members of the syndicate operating in several states in the country including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, were in several groups, one of which involved a couple, Ifeoma Ebony and Emmanuel Onyekwere, who goes around the country stealing the children and sell to middle-men, who then sell to people in dire need of children.

It was learned that Ebony, a mother of two and her boyfriend Onyekere, abducted several children from their homes in Abia, Enugu, Abuja and Edo State, which they sold to their buyers identified as Blessing Nwankwo, Chioma Nike and one Onwa, whose real name were yet unknown, They sold the children for prizes Ranging from N250,000 and N450,000 each depending on the gender and Physical Condition Of the Child.

They were said to have ran into trouble after they stole two little children from their parents at Tunga Maji and Gwagwa areas of Abuja respectively and sold them to Nike at the rate N300,000, each. But the father of the stolen child at Gwagwa area of Abuja identified simply as Olobo, reported the abduction of his child to the police. The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, then directed his operatives at the IRT, headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari to investigate.

The operatives from the Abuja office debriefed Mr Olobo, who disclosed to them that Ebony and her husband Onyekwere rented an apartment in the compound where he resided with his family and they became close to his wife who had 2 Children and one one-year-old baby.

He said one week after staying with them, Ebony who pretended to be fond of assisting his wife carry her child, deceived her that she wanted to go and plait her hair and before they knew what was happening Ebony and her husband had absconded with their daughter.
A source who spoke to vanguard disclosed that based on the information Mr Olobo provided about the suspects, the operatives launched a man-hunt for them and trailed them to Asaba, Delta State, where they were arrested. Their confession assisted the operatives in arresting the receivers, Nwakwor and Nike, who sold the abducted children to people who needed them. The source also identified other suspects arrested as Onyinye Benjami, Ngozi Okoli, Nwokocha Okoli, Ndiya Kalu and Esther Ihiediwa.

When Vanguard interviewed 32-year-old Ifeoma Ebony, a native of Ogbolafor area of Enugu State, she blamed her involvement in child abduction and trafficking on her inability to get a proper education.
She said; “I didn’t attend secondary school, because my father married two wives and he couldn’t send me to school as he had so many children he couldn’t cater for.
“I was married off to an old man at a very young age and the old man died two years into our marriage leaving me with two children. When things became difficult for me and my children after the death of my husband, I took my children to my mother in the village and I travelled to Abuja to engage in prostitution.
“I spent seven years as a pr******te in Abuja, before one of my friends advised me to relocate to Oba town in Anambra State that I would make more money doing prostitution in that town.
“I took the advice and relocated but after one year, a girl known as Ogula from Benue state told me that a nurse asked her to look for someone to get pregnant and when she delivered, the child would be taken from her and she would be paid.
“I told her that I could not do such because I have two children and I was not ready to get pregnant again. She then took me to her village where She stole a female child and handed over to me. But while I was leaving with the child I was arrested by some security men and taken to prison where I spent six months.

“This incident was in 2017 and while in prison, I met one Ada who had finished serving her term who then gave me her number while she was leaving.
“I called her when I was released and she gave me a job at her shop in Umuahia, Abia state where she sold drinks. One of her customers known as Onwa approached me and said he had contacts of people who could buy children between the ages of one and three.

“I informed one Chibuzor who is Ada’s brother who stole a child and we gave it to Onwa. He took away the child but refused to pay us our money.
“At that time, I already had a boyfriend known as Emanuel Onyekwere. Onwa then contacted me three months later, pleaded for forgiveness and said he would pay me N500,000 for any child between the ages of one and two.

“My boyfriend, Onyewkere, then went to his village, stole his sister’s two-year-old child and we contacted Onwa, but this time we followed him down to Enugu State where the child was sold to an old woman driving a Toyota Camry and she paid us the sum of N250,000.

“Onwa warned us to only steal children on the road because if we were caught we would be burnt. He advised that we should move regularly to new areas, rent an apartment and after stealing a child we should leave the area and move to another place.

“So, we went to Akuke area of Enugu where we rented an apartment and we succeeded in stealing two children who were between the ages of two and four years from a man known as Onyeka, who maltreated me while I worked as a pr******te in Abuja.

“Onyeka was a very rough guy when I knew him in Abuja, it was the police that chased him out of Abuja. Unfortunately, I ran into him in Enugu and he was happy and he introduced me to his wife and we became friends.
“
I visited them regularly in their house and I became familiar with their children, Ada and Chinonso. I studied their area for three months and when I discovered that the coast was clear,
“I made away with the children and sold them to Onwa for 450,000 each.

Emmanuel and I then relocated to Abuja and rented an apartment at Tungamaji area. We stole a woman’s child who was our neighbour
“The woman left her child in my care while she went to the market. Myself and Emmanuel quickly packed our things and fled with the child who we sold to one Chioma, whom we met through Onwa, for the sum of N300,000.
“We rented another apartment at Gwagwa area of Abuja, where we stayed for two weeks and I stole a one-year-old baby whom we sold to Chioma for N300,000. We then left Abuja and ran to Ipoba Hill area of Edo State and rented an apartment there.
“There, we stole a child belonging to a woman who was sick and could not take proper care of the child. The child used to come to our own compound to play, so I stole the child, took her to Chioma who paid us N300,000.

“We spent most of the money on food, clothes and other frivolities. Before we were arrested, my boyfriend and I had decided to quit, but there was this woman known as Blessing who contacted us and requested for five children between the ages of one and two years. I gave her a bill of N2million and she paid instantly.
“Since we had decided to quit, Emmanuel and I used the money to rent a two-bedroom flat, furnished it and we removed our sim cards, so Blessing couldn’t reach us anymore. My children are between 16 and 17 years old, if they are stolen I will not be happy”, she narrated

On his part, Emmanuel Oyekwere, 32, a native of Isialagwu North, Abia State, said his quest to build a house for his mother got him into the business; “I am a tailor, I am not yet married and I didn’t go to school. It was Ifeoma who I met where she was working as a pr******te that lured me into this business of stealing little children.

“Things weren’t good for me and my family had no house in the village and she assured me that the business would fetch me money to build a house for my mother.
“Then, I went to my village and stole my sister’s son Victor and we sold him to an old woman who accosted us at Holy Ghost Church in Enugu State. I pretended like I was praying when we got to the church and I didn’t let anyone notice what we were doing because the boy looked so much like me. I was paid N250, 000.
“People knew I was the last person seen with the child and they have been calling me to bring their child. They even threatened to kill me if I didn’t bring back the child. Onwa then took me to a native doctor who prepared fake charms for me that would make my people leave me alone and he took the N250,000, I was paid for the child. I then recruited one of my friends known as Aboy, and we moved to Enugu State where he stole three children, one from his village, two from Enugu and we sold them for N900,000.

“I stole a total number of eight children, I am crying because I can’t go to my village, all the money, I made I can not do anything with it. If not for this Ifeoma that got me into this business, I wouldn’t have been in this mess.”

Narrating her own story, Chioma Nike, 46-year-old, divorcee, said she lost her marriage of 22-years because she had no child with her estranged husband, and after she got pregnant for a man she met in Ghana, her husband rejected it and sent her packing.
She said she had a male child for the Ghanaian and when her son grew up, he started asking for a sister. She then approached the child welfare office in Umuhaia so she could adopt a female child.
She said she met a woman she identified as Mummy Ohabiam, who told her that she would link her to a syndicate that could help her get children and all they needed to do was to perfect adoption papers from the welfare office.
“She told me the cost and I couldn’t afford it, so I contacted one Mummy Idian Emeka, who had approached me earlier for two children.
“After I got the link, I got two children from Ifeoma and I sold them to Mummy Idian for N800, 000 and I got N200,000 as my share. Ifeoma also sold four other children to me, which I sold to several people.

“I have returned three and I am yet to get the last one. I sold two of the four children to one Mummy Onyiyechi, and they have been returned. I sold one other to Mummy Blessing and other one to one Monica.
“Please have mercy on me, I will not do it again. All my colleagues in this business have all ran away. Please have mercy on me”, she pleaded.
In her own confession, Blessing Nwankwo, a nurse and graduate of School of Health Technology Aba and a native of Beden area of Abia State, said “I have worked in several hospitals and I have a maternity home for which I have been trying to get approval and registration for a long time but I couldn’t get it.

“I went into buying and selling of babies through the wife of our Catechist who did not have a child for a long time and had been saving money for a child. I contacted Chioma, who brought a girl and the child that was one year old and we paid her the sum of N550,000, but I collected N800,000 from the Catechist’s wife and I made N300,000 as my profit.

“Later, Chioma brought Ifeoma to me that she owned a maternity home in Enugu State and if I see anyone who needed a child for adoption I should contact her.
“I then contacted some of my relations and friends who were looking for children and they paid me the sum of N2million for five children, with the promise that I would bring my relatives to Enugu to perfect the adoption documents for the children after the payment had been done but they disappeared when they got the money.
“Their phone lines were switched off and I didn’t even know that Ifeoma had links with the first child that was sold to me. It was when I was arrested that I knew that the children were stolen.”

Idian Kalu, 52, who hails from Abriba Abia State, in her confession said; “I have four children, I reside in Aba Town. I have a friend who was barren and was looking for a child.
“I told her that I would help her adopt a child at the welfare, then I linked her to Chioma, and she started coming to my house. She told me that there was an old woman who had a home where we could adopt children.
“I indicated my interest and she brought a child for me and I gave it to my sister who needed it and paid N550,000 though I collected N650,000 and I made N100,000 profits, that was in 2016.

“But in 2017, Chioma called again and said two female children were available for adoption, I contacted people who had told me that they needed them and I took the girls and paid Chioma the sum of N550,000 each”, she lamented

01/02/2020

Zainab Abdullahi (Indomie) one of the Stars of Kannywood.
opera.com Jan 30, 2020 8:11 PM

There is a great hope for Zainab Indomie acting career after her comeback to the Kannywood industry. She has been in the news recently due to negative public and media scrutiny about her lifestyle which made her to keep a low profile in the industry. But she is now back on her feet and has now buried those negative comments on her, sheis now ever strong motivated and ready to give the public her best. She has maintained her beauty, flawless complexion and calmness.

Zainaib Abdullahi popularly known as Zainab Indomie was born on may 17, 1986. She was born and raised in Abuja but originally hails from Sudan. She has diploma in computer science.

Zainab joined the movie industry in 2008 and gained recognition at a very tender age, she featured in Waliyan, Ali, Garinmu, Da zafi, Yer Agadez, Adon Gari, Hadizalo, Raliya, Romeo and Jamila.

She said she had a good appetite for watching film while growing up and each day she comes back home, she always does her home work diligently, finished it then goes out to watch films with her friends. Her exposer to to alot of Indian and Kannywood films motivated her to join the movie industry.

We wished her success in her acting career as she tries to break all barriers.

01/02/2020

Kaduna Poly sacks HOD over harassing female student

Kaduna State Polytechnic Management has terminated the appointment of a former Head of Department, Civil Engineering, Danjuma Alhassan for allegedly harassing a female student of the institution.

The lecturer’s sack was contained in a letter issued on Friday by ‎the ‎Deputy Registrar, Information & Protocol‎ for the Registrar, Samuel Obochi‎.

According to Mr Obochi, the Governing Council ‎of the Polytechnic terminated the Lecturer’s appointment after holding its 91st regular meeting on January 30.

01/02/2020

NYSC: KUDOS TO BABA

President Buhari has decided to pay N33, 000 to Corp members monthly as allowances. This is really great.

Nigeria has a lot of money for its citizens to enjoy and live comfortably, only that such resources have landed in few hands to the detriment of the poor and the downtrodden.

My advice to the corpers is that they should be wise enough to save at least N10, 000 per month so as to kickstart a business of their own by the time they complete their one year Service.

Meanwhile, kudos to the old man.

31/01/2020

AISHA BUHARI TA JINJINAWA NAMIJIN KOKARIN MARIGAYIYA MARYAM BABANGIDA.

An yabawa uwar gidan tsohon Shugaban kasar Najeriya Marigayiya Hajjiya Maryam Ibrahim Babangida visa kirkiro ofishin Uwar gidan shugaban kasa da tayi a zamanni mulkin mijinta. Ta kirkiri ofishin ne domin wayarwa da Mayan da suke karka kai da kuma kawo musu ci gaba a yan kunan su.

Shi dai wannan yabo ya fito ne daga bakin uwar gidan shugaban kasa Dr Aisha Muhammadu Buhari a wurin bikin cika shekara 10 da rasuwar Maryam Babangida Wanda ya gudana a ranar laraba 30 ga watan Junairu na wannan shekarar ta 2020 a birnin taraya Abuja.

Shirin mai taken IYAYEN KASA ya samu alartar matan tsofafin shugaban kasa domin farfado da tarihi na 2020

Mai magana da ya'un uwar gidan shugaban kasa Batista Aliyu Abdullah yace uwar gidan shugaban kasa ta kara yabawa Mrs Babangida bisa kirkiro hukumar kula da hakkokin mata a matsayin wani ginshikin da zai kawo ci gaba cikin kasa, Wanda zai jawo raayin mata ta yadda zasu tsarawa kansu rayuwa mai in ganci. Ta kara da cewa duk Matan shuwagabannin da s**a biyo baya suna kirkiro wusu shirye shirye masu mahimman ci domin Gwamnatin mazajen nasu tayi nasara.

Da take magana akan shirinta na jinkan al'ummma mai suna FUTURE ASSURED, Mrs. Buhari tace ya maida hankali ne akan kalubalen da mata suke fuskanta a wurin comma wasu muradunsu k**ar su Lafiya, jindadi, walwala da farin ciki yara da mata, da karfafawa mata da matasa karfin gwiwa aka su dogara da kuma samawa mata da yan mata ilimi mai da kare hakin yaya mata.

Mrs. Buhari ta bayyana damuwarta akan rikicin kabilanci sa shayeshaye a cikin al'umma Najeriya, kuma tayi kira game da kara dagewa wurin gano fita ko kuma hanyar da zakawo karshen wannan masifa.

Mrs. Buhari ta yabawa yar gidan tsohon shugaban kasa mai suna Ms. Aisha Babangida dan rike manufofin ( akidar) babarta da ta rasu wand aka bayana ta zakarn matan Najeria na wannan zamani.

Uwar gida Mrs. Uche Azikwe ta gano da kjma yabawa wasu shirye shirye da uwar gidan shugaban kasar Mrs Buhari ta kirkiro, Mrs. Uche taba uwar gidan shugaban kasa shawar kan ta kauce ma duk wani zargi marar kyau, alhalima ta ci gaba da jajircewa akan matan Najeriya.

Mrs. Azikwe ta kidaya abubuwanda da tafahimta a lokacin da suke a kan gadon mulki, su dai matayen shugabannin kasa masu bada shawarane kuma k**ar matukin jirgina sama ne da mai temaka masa Wanda ba zama yake ba kamr Wanda aka dauko kuma wannan shine al adarsu har gobe.

A cikin wani faifana bidiyo tsohon shugaban kasa Babangida yayi kyakyawan yabo ga tsohuwar matar tashi marigayiya Maryam Babangida.

Uwar gidan shugaban kasa ta samu rakiyar matar matemakin shugaban kasa, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, Dr. Hajo Sani, Babbar matemakiya ta musamman ga shugaban kasa a kan harkar gudana da mulki da kjma jin dadi da walwalar mata (Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Administration & Women Affairs), Uwar gidan tsohon gwamnan Nasarawa, Dr. Mairo Tanko Almakura, matemakiya ta musamman ga shugaban kasa akan manufofin dorewar zaman lafiya a Afirika, (Special Assistant to the President on African Peace Keeping Mission) da sauransu.

Wanda ya fasarar
Muhammad Murtala Musa D Provost
Junairu 30th, 2020

31/01/2020

BREAKING!
18-year-old man allegedly rapes his 70-year-old grandmother in Plateau

NAN, Friday, Jan 31, 2020

The police in Plateau on Friday confirmed the arrest of an 18-year-old man, Marvellous Luka, who allegedly r***d his 70-year-old grandmother.

The police officer in charge of the case, Insp. Mulleng Alex, said that Luka, lives in Dangu-gu Village, Ampang West District of Mangu, Plateau.

Alex said that the suspect has been charged and would soon appear before a High Court in Pankshin, Plateau for trial.

The police alleged that the suspect in his ”confessional” statement, said that he attacked his grandmother in her room while sleeping.

“I was ‘s*xually charged and I couldn’t help myself at that moment and resorted to having s*x with her, so.

“My grandmother cried for help but I overpowered her and had my way.

“She tried holding me down but i escaped and ran to a market where i push wheel barrow for a living.

“I later saw a group of people who came after me, beat me up and handed me over to the police.

“It is the devil’s handwork, I want my grandfather and the elders in my village to forgive me,” he said.

Also speaking, Mrs Mary Samuel, who witnessed the attack, said she heard the victim’s call for help while fetching water from the tap.

”I was shocked at what I saw. I tried to hold him down but he escaped. I raised an alarm and he was later apprehended in a market where he works.

”I took a wrapper which was on the floor and covered the woman,” she said. (NAN)

30/01/2020

08/01/2020

2023 Presidency: You either go for Biafra or Nigeria, ACF scribe warns Igbos

The Secretary-General of northern political and cultural association Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr Anthony Sani, has advised the Igbo community that agitating for Biafra nationhood and the Nigerian Presidency in 2023 cannot be pursued at the same time.

He admonished the Igbo people that Nigerians more broadly would be too scared to entrust them with the Presidency in 2023 if they are seen to also be agitating for secession from the federation.

The ACF scribe had reacted in a Facebook post to a letter written by one Frederick Nwabufo to Isa Funtua about the Igbo and the 2023 presidency.

Sani characterised the Igbo as smarting from what he called “superiority and inferiority complexes,” accusing them of playing both victim and entitled, whilst cautioning them that “democracy is a contest of ideas and reason and is never a bullfight.”


Sani’s posted [edited for clarity] reads:

“When I read a letter by one Frederick Nwabufo on page 18 of The Nation newspaper of today, 7th Jan 2020, under the caption “Isa Funtua, Igbo and 2023 presidency” in which the author berated Isa Funtua of being an arrogant man who suffers from a sense of entitlement, I wonder the wisdom.

“As far as I am concerned, it is Igbo who is obsessed with a sense of entitlement by their insistence that it is their turn to produce the president in a country which boasts of over 250 ethnic nationalities. Igbos suffer from both superiority and inferiority complexes.

“At one point, they tout their superiority by claiming to be over and above any other nationality in Nigeria because they are better at the use of their superior commercial acumen for trade.

“At another, they play the victim by crying of marginalization the most. Power in a multi-party democracy is never secured through threats and intimidation, nor is it obtained by jeremiads out of pity.

“This is because democracy is a contest of ideas and reason and is never a bullfight.

“Igbos cannot agitate for separation and hanker for president by still expecting the country would not be scared of voting them for the presidency.

“Igbos may wish to recall that Senator McCain lost the elections because he had [Mrs Palin] who was governor of the state of Alaska. This was also because her husband was accused of attending a meeting of separatists who wish the state of Alaska to leave [the] USA and join Russia.

“I do not see how somebody from Scotland, Catalan, Quebec, Aceh or Xinjiang could dream of being voted president of their countries. Reason: Such a person would most likely play Gorbachev.

“So when Isa Funtua says Igbo should belong, he meant “belong to where the majority [is]”. That is to say, Igbo must develop their winning game plan by reaching out to build bridges and break barriers.

“The North does not comprise the caliphate alone but is very diverse. In fact, the caliphate today is not ruled by the ruling part

05/01/2020

Inside Katsina School Where Students Share Hostels with Rats

Thisday News

Francis Sardauna reports that years of neglect by successive administrations have left the students of Government Technical College, Funtua, Katsina State with no option than to share their hostels with rats.

Adamu Bakori (not real name) lay helpless on a mat spread on the floor inside a ramshackle examination hall, which was converted to a hostel at Government Technical College, Funtua, headquarters of Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Bakori is one of the 1000 students that share this dilapidated accommodation with uncountable number of rats and bats. This scenario, according to him, has been their lot for the past five years.

Bakori, who could not control his emotion while narrating their ordeal to THISDAY wept while he said: “I will not return to this school again after this first term holiday. We sleep on the floor for lack of beds, amidst rats and bats.

“We don’t sleep during the rainy season because whenever it rains, water enters our classrooms and hostels. We always pray against rain because if it falls today, we will bail water from our classes and hostels for many hours.”

Our correspondent, who visited the school, was greeted with the strong and unbearable reek of rat and bat faeces.

The school, which was established to provide qualitative secondary education in the areas of Building, Painting, Wielding and Fabrication, Radio and Television to teeming youths from Funtua and its environs, is now in a horrible condition.

The college, located about four kilometres away from Funtua city, has its 13-year-old bulwark collapsed, triggering phobia among students that one day hoodlums would attack them.

It was observed that parts of the school buildings were in various stages of collapse and ruin. The six blocks of hostels are completely unusable.

Due to the dilapidated structures in the school, its management was forced to convert some of the classes including the school examination hall to hostels.

The beat-up hotels and classrooms have no beddings, thereby forcing five per cent of the students to sleep on mats spread on the floor even as they pray against rainfall, as stated by Bakori.

He said: “We barely sleep whenever it rains. The rain enters our hostels so we remain awake removing water”. They (teachers) have converted most of our classrooms to hostels, still it is not enough for the population.”

Moreover, it was observed that the school’s toilets do not function, compelling both students and some of the teachers to practice open defecation, against the recent declaration of state of emergency on sanitation by the state government.

The laboratories—physics and chemistry -are dilapidated and most of the books in the library were either stolen or have become outdated. Also, student performances in the West African Senior Secondary School (WASSCE) Examination worsened, with most failing to secure at least three credits to proceed to a higher institution.

THISDAY also reliably gathered that due to the poor state of the school, newly posted teachers and other staff decline to report, preferring to lobby for transfer to one of the newly renovated schools in the state.

A credible source in the school told our correspondent that the state government had sent its officials to ascertain the condition of the school “for more than five times but nothing has been done uptil date.”

He condemned the deplorable condition of the school and urged the state government to ensure its quick rehabilitation.

“This school needs total rehabilitation because all its classrooms, toilets, kitchen, hostels and examination hall are in states of disrepair. There are no adequate beds for students, as most of them do spread their mats on floor and sleep.

“Only senior students sleep on the dilapidated beds, leaving the junior ones with no option than to spread their mats on the floor and sleep. We have about 1,000 students with few desks for them to sit and receive lessons,” he explained.

The source added: “Due to inadequate classrooms in this school, the school management converted the Physics and Chemistry laboratories to classes. These students find it difficult to sleep during rainy season because whenever it rains water enters their classrooms and hostels.

“The school also need examination hall because the initial one has been converted to students’ hostel. The worst aspect of it all is that even the examination hall-cum-hostel has torn roof, so once it is raining students scamper for their safety.

“Another challenge that the school is facing is lack of toilets. As I speak to you, 99 per cent of students in this school are practicing open defecation which is unhygienic and totally unacceptable for a civilized state like Katsina.”

He, therefore, appealed to the state government, under the leadership of Governor Aminu Bello Masari, to save the school from imminent collapse, adding that most of the structures in the school were in dire need of repair.

Another resident of the town, who is also the National President of Arewa Youth Development Association in 19 states, Imrana Nas described the school as deteriorating, stating that the same situation was currently bedeviling Government College Funtua, Governor Masari’s alma mater.

He said: “This is the same situation the students of Government College Funtua, where Governor Aminu Masari graduated from are facing. The situation of the school is very bad.

“It is quite unfortunate if you come to Funtua and somebody should tell you this is Government College Funtua. Enter the school and see the state of its classrooms, virtually all the classrooms are dilapidated and are occupied by snakes.

“This is the school where His Excellency, Aminu Bello Masari, who was a former speaker of the House of Representatives and now a governor in the second tenure graduated and this is where he became what he is today.

“If somebody tells you that this is the school where the governor graduated from, you would not even believe it, because it is unbelievable. What is he thinking or doing? Is it not a shame for someone to say this is the former school of an executive governor?

“We are appealing to His Excellency to come to the aid of the school because it needs total overhauling. Let him come and renovate the classrooms for effective learning to take place.”

However, effort made by THISDAY to reach the Katsina State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Badamasi Lawal Charanchi for comment was futile as he did not answer telephone calls or reply text messages sent to his telephone lines.

Meanwhile, Governor Masari’s administration has rehabilitated 1,620 schools and constructed 464 new ones to tackle the menace of inadequate classrooms across the state.

In the case of deficiency of teachers, the administration had recruited about 1,957 teachers for primary schools and transferred some that have teaching qualification in the local government system into classrooms.

The administration is determined to salvage the situation on the shortage of teaching personnel, as it had recruited additional 7,500 teachers through it social investment programme (S-power) and the government has continuously embarked on quality in-house teachers’ training programmes in synergy with global partners and donor agencies.

The educational strides of the present administration in the state had significantly changed the dilapidated structures and lack of manpower it met in 2015 as stated by Governor Masari in his recent interview with THISDAY.

He said: “The average population was about 99 per class and there were some cases they had up to 200 and above as reported in a class that was designed to take maximum of 45 to 50.

“At that time we needed additional 19,000 classrooms in order to accommodate all the children. We all have deficiency in terms of qualified teachers who were 13,000. We had lack of chairs and desks of 28,000.

“We really started from an informed position. We say okay, what we will do in addition to provision of classrooms is first, let us rehabilitate existing structures and see that they become schools, because then they were not schools.”

Despite these numerable achievements in the education sector, Government Technical College, Funtua is in dire need of total rehabilitation, hence the need for the ‘people’s Governor’ to beam his Restoration searchlight on the school.