News

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Governor of Jigawa State, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, has approved the appointment of Haneem Muhammad Sanusi as the new Emir of Dutse.

Governor Badaru’s approval was sequel to the recommendation of the Dutse Emirates kingmakers.

According to a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, three persons contested for the royal seat. However, the seven kingmakers had unanimously voted for Sanusi’s emergence.

The new Emir succeeded his father, Nuhu Muhammad Sunusi who passed away in an Abuja hospital last week.

By Aisar Fagge

The Management of Khadija University Majia has appointed Professor Umar Muhammad Sani Indabawa as the new Acting Vice Chancellor of the university.

A statement issued by Kabiru Zubairu, the Information and Protocol Officer (IPO) of the university, relayed the news to journalists on Saturday.

The statement said Professor Umar’s appointment was a result of voluntary resignation of Professor Hassana Sani Darma on 24th of January, 2023.

It added, “This is to inform the university community and the general public that, The Chairman Board of Trustees of Khadija University Majia, His Royal Highness, The Emir of Kazaure, Alhaji Najib Hussaini Adamu (CON), has approved the appointment of Professor Umar Muhammad Sani Indabawa as Acting Vice Chancellor of Khadija University Majia with effect from 1st February, 2023.

“Professor Umar’s appointment was a result of voluntary resignation of Professor Hassana Sani Darma on 24th of January, 2023.

“Before his appointment, Professor Umar Muhammad Sani Indabawa, was the immediate former Coordinator, Police Academy, Wudil and also a Professor of Chemistry.

“On behalf of the university community, we wish to sincerely congratulate Professor Umar Muhammad Sani Indabawa for his appointment,” the statement concluded.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government as regards the hardship caused by the new currency redesign.  

Mr Obi made the appeal in the early hours of Sunday in a tweet via his official Twitter handle.

The redesign of Nigeria’s currency has enthroned scarcity of Naira notes and caused severe hardship to Nigerians who are unable to get cash to carry out their daily transactions. 

Mr Obi, while pleading with Nigerians, said currency redesign is not peculiar to Nigeria, and it comes with long-term economic advantages despite the initial inconveniences. 

He tweeted: “The currency redesign is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is an exercise that comes with some inconvenience and pain, but it has significant long-term economic and social benefits. Even though there are improvements that can be made, I urge Nigerians to bear with the CBN and Federal Government with the hope that the general populace and Nigeria will harvest the gains that will come with the reforms.”

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The manager of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) branch in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, was detained on suspicion of interfering with the dispensing of cash to customers through Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

According to a statement made on Friday by Azuka Ogugua, the ICPC’s spokeswoman, the cash bundles were deposited into the ATMs while still wrapped, and as a result, they could not be disbursed through the machines.

She said, “The ICPC Compliance Team in Osogbo has busted an FCMB in Osogbo, Osun State, where some ATMs were loaded with cash with their wrappers un-removed, thus preventing the cash from being dispensed.

“The Team therefore directed that the wrappers be removed, and the cash loaded properly.

“However, when a follow-up visit was undertaken the following day to ascertain the level of compliance, the Team discovered that one of the ATMs was still loaded with the wrappers un-removed. The Operation Manager of the Bank was arrested and taken in for questioning.”

The ICPC added that the individuals who were detained are providing the Commission with information to aid investigations and dismantle any organised crime groups engaged in the hoarding or sale of the altered notes.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Darul Erkam Foundation has fully sponsored three indigenous students of Kano state for undergraduate studies in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Aliyu Yusuf, the Director Public Enlightenment, Ministry of Education Kano State, disclosed this in a statement Friday.

Yusuf said the youths were sponsored following their outstanding performance in the just concluded Reading Competition of the Biography of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

He added in the statement, “The 3 sponsored students are Muhammad Nasiru Dantiye from Asal College, Fadima Musa Haruna from Kuntau Academy and Al-Amin Sani from Governor’s college.

“In addition to their sponsorship, Muhammad Nasiru Dantiye, who emerged as the overall winner of the reading competition, got a Prize of N700,000 and a Trophy, Fatima Musa Haruna received N650,000 and a Trophy for emerging in the 2nd position, while Al-Amin Sani who emerged the 3rd position received N600,000 and a Trophy.

“Speaking during the presentation of the awards at the coronation Hall of the state government House, Kano, the Commissioner of Education, Rt Hon. Ya’u Abdullahi Yan’shana expressed gratitude to Darul-Erkam Foundation for the kind gesture.

“The Commissioner noted with great pleasure the various humanitarian activities been rendered not only in Kano but in other states by the Darul-Erkam Foundation, saying only Allah the most gracious can reward them.

“Rt. Hon Yan’shana said he was much happier than any one of you here because this achievement has been recorded during my stewardship as the Commissioner of Education” 

“While congratulating the sponsored students for the height they have attained, he urged them to be good ambassadors of the state and their parents when they found themselves in Istanbul.

“To other participants of the reading competition who also revised different consolation prizes and medals, the Commissioner said they should not be reluctant as more opportunities are coming to their way, stressing that all of them should put into practice what they have read in the Biography of our Noble Prophet.

“In their separate remarks, the Chairmen of Murat Huda Vendigar Vafki Foundation and that of Darul-Erkam Foundation disclosed that the reading competition was part of the Humanitarian activities of the foundations aimed at boosting the reading culture of the participants as well as inculcating the practices of the life of the Prophet Muhammad SAW in their day to day activities.

“During the award presentations, all the participants were given a medal and cash prizes ranging from N5,000 to N200,000 depending on their performance,” the statement concluded.

By Uzair Adam Imam

A former Secretary to the Lagos State Government in the Second Republic, Chief Olorunfumi Bashorun, said the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cash policy is making a dangerous and destructive history for Nigeria.

He stated that since CBN was established in 1959, and I was a foundation staff, no governor has taken Nigeria for a ride as Emefiele.

Bashorun, who disclosed this in a statement he personally signed on Thursday, asked the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, to resign immediately.

He said in the statement, “I have just read online a directive from the CBN governor that banks should pay a maximum of N20,000 out to customers on presentation of the teller.

“It is now clear that the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, is making a dangerous and destructive history for Nigeria. Since CBN was established in 1959 (and I was a foundation staff), no governor has taken Nigeria for a ride as Emefiele.

“The multiplier effect of his rather evil directive is to close down all businesses in Nigeria, and further add to the hardship Nigerians are experiencing in recent times.

“I make bold to state that unless this oppressive directive is withdrawn within the next 48 hours, Nigerian masses will have no choice than to rise and compel the government to take positive action to reverse it,” he stated.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Plateau State, Bartholomew Onyeka, has asked the residents to join hands with the police and fight insurgence in the state by showing their support.

Onyeka stated that maintaining control over the state depends on mutual trust with the residents.

He disclosed this Thursday in Jos while delivering a keynote address at a one-day retreat for human rights stakeholders organised by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC).

He said, “As attractive as the concepts of intelligence-led policing or technology-driven policing could be, the reality remains that no police agency either in the advanced or developing climes can succeed in its mandate without the consent, support and trust of the citizens they are engaged to serve and protect regardless of how well equipped, trained or motivated they may be.

“The point being emphasised here is that police legitimacy draws from public consent and trust, and the lack of effective partnership between the police and the public can only sustain ineffective policing and engender insecurity within the community.

“Generally speaking, the security situation across Plateau State has been relatively stabiliSed. The reality is that the current concerted operations of the police and other security agencies in the state have engendered a dispersal and relocation of some of the criminals out of the state,” he stated.

By Aisar Fagge

The Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) alongside China Sinoma International Engineering (CSIE) have signed an agreement to build a six million tons per annum cement plant in Itori of Ogun state.

Alh. Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc, made this disclosure during the signing ceremony.

Dangote stated that he signed the agreement alongside the Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects & Portfolio Development, DIL, Devakumar Edwin.

While China Sinoma Engineering, on the other hand, was represented by its Group President, Yin Zhisong, and the company’s chairman, Liu Renyue.

Dangote said that the new integrated cement plant at completion would strengthen the local production capacity of Dangote Cement and bring its local capacity to 41.25 million tons per annum and total African capacity to 57.6 million tons per annum.

He further stated that the Nigeria’s capacity to export cement would also be increased, the development that would enable more diversification and foreign exchange inflows for the economy.

He also noted that the project would further develop the domestic economy through creation of thousands of indirect and direct jobs and drive economic development in the Itori axis.

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed commercial banks across the country to start paying the new naira notes to customers over-the-counter to ease the plight of Nigerians. 

In a statement on Thursday signed by the bank’s Director of Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi, CBN stated that “We have equally noticed the queues at Automated Teller Machines across the country and an upward trend in the cases of people stocking and aggregating the newly introduced banknotes they serially obtain from ATMs for reasons best known to them”. 

“Also worrisome are the reported cases of unregistered persons and non-bank officials swapping banknotes for members of the public, purportedly on behalf of the CBN”. 

The apex bank has assured Nigerians that the queues at ATMs will end soon. However, Nigerians have continued to express their dismay over the scarcity of the new naira notes.

• News Desk

Oyo State branch of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has waded into the case of rape inside the mosque in Ibadan where a Muslim woman was raped inside a mosque by one Idris, a.k.a. Kesari Rekereke.  

In a press statement released on Wednesday, 1^st February 2023, by Ustadh Ibrahim Agunbiade, the ambassador of MURIC in Oyo State, the group warned that the case must not be swept under the carpet.

MURIC confirmed that the suspect is Kesari Rekereke. The group further noted that Kesari Rekereke is the son of a transport union leader known as Almajiri of the Oyo State National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).  

The Islamic human rights organisation called for the prosecution of Idris and warned that the case must not be swept under the carpet. Although MURIC commended the police for arresting the culprit, it maintained that justice must not only be done in this case, it must be seen to have been done.

The group also appealed to Muslims in the state to refrain from attempting any reprisal attack.