News

By Abdulaziz Isah Bagwai

After the Asr prayer on a rainy Monday, Jummai, who was pregnant, was sweeping her courtyard when her daughter Laure returned from the river, where she went to fetch the water they would use for the chores. “Assalamu alaikum,” Laure greeted as she entered the house and poured the water she fetched in a rubber bucket into a large pot.

Jummai, an all-female mother of five, had prayed endlessly during the day and night for a male child, and since the miracle of this pregnancy, her prayers have doubled. She’d often wake up in the middle of the night to remind God of her prayers and to jokingly remind Him that He’d promised to answer good prayers. Hers was.

One night in September, Jummai began her labour with low and intensifying moans that woke Baban Laure, her husband, whose sleeping groans filled the noiseless room. “What’s happening? Are you well?” He inquired in a low, creaking tune. She couldn’t answer him, but in her moans, he understood she was calling God for aid into her large tummy, and when he grabbed his torchlight, he saw that she was holding the belly tightly.

Baban Laure rushed to his neighbour, Rakiya, a traditional birth attendant. Upon their arrival, Rakiya confirmed that it was labour, but the condition was beyond her basic skills; hence, he should take his wife to the primary health care facility in Bagwai.

Amidst preparation, Jummai continued to bleed, and Baban Laure suggested that “if not for the bleeding, we could manage to wait until the morning when the staff of our health post come.” Baban Laure suggested this to Rakiya, who was engrossed in controlling the seemingly unending bleeding. Baban Laure said they could only travel to Bagwai on bikes that night of misery because the only person who had a car wasn’t in town.

Jummai gave birth to a beautiful baby boy at around 4:00 a.m., whom she was unable to see immediately until the day broke. “Where’s my baby?” She asked. But the strolling tears in Rakiya’s eyes told her everything. The baby is dead, she understood, with a bit of desperation in her face. When the birth attendant was telling Rakiya to report on time in emergency cases like this because the baby died as a result of oxygen starvation, which was, of course, due to the excess blood she had lost, she understood that her baby was a boy. Before Rakiya arrived at her bed to calm the tears that formed rivers in her eyes, she lay there stranded, unconscious, and was admitted for two weeks!

What is behind the pause of Kwajale Comprehensive Health Center’s construction project?

Had this project been completed and launched today, there would’ve been a 24-hour medical service in this village, which could’ve saved the life of Jummai’s baby boy that she had wished and prayed for. 

“This project has put light on many faces in Kwajale, for it was initiated when our clinic and the services we rendered were insufficient for the community,” said Saifullahi, a healthcare worker at Kwajale Primary Health Post.

“When the construction started, we were assured that it wouldn’t take long to be completed, and we agreed to their assertion because they worked with an enthusiastic speed,” Saifullahi continued.

Who are the contractors?

It was a federal government project awarded in 2007 by the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) to Mathan Nigeria Limited. This indigenous engineering company had quietly touched the lives of Nigerians long before it got caught in the eye of the storm because an April 2nd, 2012, Premium Times report stated that “Abandoned N37 billion health centre projects rot away nationwide.” However, “the contractor Mathan Nigeria Limited is insisting on a variation of the original contract sum.”

However, on October 24th, 2023, Platform Times reported that “After 16 years, ALGON disburses equipment to [an] abandoned hospital in Ogun [State].” Although this report might’ve meant ALGON was on another different project with a different contractor, the report continued to read, “The equipment, which was part of a federal government project awarded in 2007, was delivered to the health centre on Monday by a contractor, Mathan Nigeria Limited.”

Why the failed project in Kwajale is different

“We’re a little bit far from Bagwai [town], and we do not have good roads; referred patients suffer a lot [in the day, not to mention at night, and even in the dry season, speak less of the rainy season] along the way.” Malam Umar, a community member, lamented.

“We’ve been given classes to continue with our activities because the building meant for the primary health post has been under renovation for years now, but no progress has been made yet,” said Malama Aisha, the head of Kwajale Health Post.

“A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the United Nigerian Youth Forum (UNYF), has urged the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, other security agencies, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the contractor handling the construction of health centres across the country. The forum accused the contractor, Mathan Nigeria Limited, of abandoning the N57 billion contract, which the forum said had led to the deaths of many Nigerians.” Leadership news report.

Ali Muhammed, the UNYF’s spokesperson, alleged that the contractor’s negligence had caused the deaths of hundreds of expectant mothers who ought to have safely delivered their babies at the health facilities if the projects had been completed on time.

For 17 years now, the remedy for the continued pain like Jummai’s in Kwajale is still uncalled for; no medical condition is manageable at night in Kwajale, their bad roads are yet the same, and patients still suffer along the bicycle-and-motorcycle-only road.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said that Nigeria is failing because someone transferred Lagos template to Abuja.

Momodu, who did not mention name, stated this during an interview on Channels TV.

He criticized the composition of the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu, who was Lagos governor from 1999 to 2007 and touted as laying the development structure in the coastal state.

The former PDP presidential aspirant stated that he would struggle to name 10 current ministers alongside their accomplishments before their appointment, adding that those close to the president could not tell him the truth because their lives depend on him.

Momodu said, “Today, God is my witness, if you ask me to name 10 ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet and to tell you what they did or did not do before they were appointed, I will struggle.

“That is the truth. Look, what we have today is that someone transferred the Lagos template to Abuja and that’s why we are failing.

“Nigeria parades some of the greatest human beings on planet earth. I have travelled a bit. There is nowhere up to Australia that I did not meet Nigerians doing great things. Where are those people?

“In today’s Nigeria, it’s either you are the son of, the daughter of… Nigeria cannot continue to operate on the basis of compensation. I must compensate my friends and former schoolmates. No!”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigeria Customs Service has initiated a partnership with the US Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) in curbing the influx of illicit drugs and arms into Nigeria.

In a recent interview, Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi revealed that discussions with CBP officials in Washington DC focused on enhancing operations to counter increasingly sophisticated criminal gangs.

Adeniyi showed the potential benefits of integrating AI and geospatial intelligence, following his attendance at a conference in San Diego on the topic.

He expressed enthusiasm for the forthcoming collaboration, citing a needs assessment to determine priorities.

Regarding tariff adjustments aimed at addressing food prices and inflation, Adeniyi acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s authority to modify tariffs on imported goods, as empowered by the Nigeria Customs Service 2023.

The Customs Service reaffirmed its commitment to disrupting smuggling networks and combating illicit trade through intelligence-driven strategies.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Department of State Services (DSS) has disrupted a child trafficking syndicate, apprehended a 17-year-old young woman and her sponsor, and rescued a 4-year-old girl named Aisha, who was abducted from Nguru in Yobe State. 

The Kano office of the DSS said the Kano State Hisbah officials handed over the abducted 4-year-old girl, Aisha, to them after they suspected that there was no connection between the abducted baby and her.

The DSS noted that after receiving the abducted 4-year-old Aisha and her abductor, they traced the man behind the child trafficking from neighbouring states and subsequently sold in the Southern part of the country.

The DSS said after interrogation of the 17-year-old lady, she confirmed to them that the man whom she knows, selling groundnuts close to her home, introduced her to the abduction of the 4-year-old Aisha and promised her that nothing would happen to her.

The ringleader of the children’s abductors confirmed that the kidnapping of the 4-year-old Aisha was the third nefarious act he had perpetrated from Nguru.

“Luck ran out of me after I used this lady to get Aisha for me and brought her to Kano, where I normally collect the abducted children and pay off the abductors while I move on with my partners”, he confessed.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Ahmad Bola Tinubu has pleaded with the aggrieved Nigerians, especially the youths who are planning a national protest over the high cost of leaving to shelve the planned action, saying there is no need for it.

The President also assured those behind the planned national protest that he has heard their grievances and is working seriously to ensure that all their concerns are addressed.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, conveyed the President’s plea while speaking with State House correspondents after he his meeting with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Minister said that at the meeting with the President, general issues on the country were discussed and the President said he was working assiduously to ensure that the country’s economy is placed in a good position.

He said, ‘We discussed the issue of the country in general and Mr President has asked me to again inform Nigerians that he listens to them, especially the young people that are trying to protest.“

Mr President said he listens to them and takes what they say seriously and he is working assiduously to ensure that this country is good not just for today but also for the future.

“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that, he asked them to shelve that plan and he has asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas, he has listened to them.

By Uzair Adam Imam

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially signed the North West Development Commission Bill into law.

The Daily Reality reports that the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, announced this to journalists on Tuesday during a meeting at his office in the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

As the sponsor of the bill, Senator Barau expressed his gratitude to the President for recognizing the challenges faced by the people of the Northwest zone and enacting the bill into law.

Sen. Barau said, “Mr President has signed the North West Development Commission Bill into law. It is a body that is going to assist the development of the zone.

“Today is the happiest day of our lives. We have been praying that this commission be established. Now is the time to enhance the wellbeing and development of the North West zone.

“This means that the President has the political will to develop this country. I call on Nigerians to be patient with the President.

“He has done well for us and we appreciate what he has done. This means that he is a leader to trust,” he stated.

By Uzair Adam Imam

A Kano High Court has adjourned the fundamental rights suit filed by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and seven others against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) due to the commission’s failure to file necessary responses.

The applicants, including NNPP, Dr. Ajuji Ahmed, Dipo Olayanku, Ahmed Balewa, Chief Clement Anele, Lady Folashade Aliu, Eng. Buba Galadima, and Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, are seeking to stop the EFCC from arresting them.

At the hearing, EFCC’s counsel, Mr. Idris Ibrahim-Haruna, requested an adjournment, citing the need to file responses.

Despite being served with court processes on June 10, 2024, the EFCC had failed to file responses within the allotted five-day period.

Justice Yusuf Ubale granted the adjournment and scheduled a new hearing date for October 24, ordering the EFCC to file their responses before then. This development comes after the court previously granted an interim order stopping the EFCC from arresting Kwankwaso and the other applicants.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigerian Senate has unanimously passed the amended National Minimum Wage Act, paving the way for a significant increase in the minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

The bill, transmitted by President Bola Tinubu, rapidly progressed through the first, second, and third readings, and was approved by the Senate in a matter of minutes. 

Following a thorough clause-by-clause examination in the Committee of the Whole, the National Minimum Wage Bill was passed, aiming to raise the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000.

This new amount was agreed upon by the Nigerian government and the Organised Labour leadership. 

President Tinubu had urged the Senate and House of Representatives to expedite consideration of the bill, also proposing to reduce the review period for the national minimum wage from five years to three years. 

The bill’s passage marks the end of a prolonged dispute between the government and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), which led to industrial action.

The new law promises a substantial improvement in the minimum wage for Nigerian workers. 

As President Tinubu noted, the increased minimum wage represents a crucial step towards enhancing the welfare of Nigerian workers.

By Uzair Adam Imam

A group of youths and women under the Concerned Southern Borno Citizens (CSBCs) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the All Progress Congress (APC), and the Senate to reverse the removal of Senator Mohammed Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Senate.

The group, comprising various clubs and associations in Borno State, gathered at the NUJ Press Centre in Maiduguri to show their support for Senator Ndume.

Comrade Bulama Sawa, National Chairman and spokesperson of CSBCs, called on the APC National Working Committee to reconsider its decision to remove Senator Ndume and to rescind the request for him to withdraw from APC membership.

The removal followed Senator Ndume’s comments on Arise TV on July 12, 2024, where he criticized the nation’s issues of hunger and insecurity under President Tinubu’s administration.

This led to his replacement by Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North) as Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation.

The group praised President Tinubu for initially recognizing Senator Ndume’s contributions by appointing him as Majority Chief Whip.

They highlighted his positive impact on Southern Borno, including mentoring youths and sponsoring education.

They condemned the APC’s decision and passed a vote of confidence in Ndume, urging President Tinubu to avoid political vendetta and uphold voices speaking the truth.

By Anwar Usman

Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has expressed concern over the rising cases of out-of-school children, poverty and other socioeconomic problems in the North, stating that the region was on the verge of collapsing if the leaders do not come together to find solutions to the challenges.

Sani raised the alarm during a courtesy visit by the National Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mamman Usman to Kaduna State.

He said, “This new executive committee has emerged at a time of great challenges. We are confronted with difficult developmental and security questions. Criminal elements have been laying siege to communities in the North and reversing our progress on multiple fronts. Our development deficits are scary and require urgent attention.

“In 2022, the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Bureau of Statistics launched its most extensive measure of multidimensional poverty. The survey revealed that 63% of persons living within Nigeria (that is about 133 million people) are multi-dimensionally poor. 65% of the poor (that is 86 million people) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South.

He further states that, “The North is not succeeding in any in the area of Education. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) puts the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria at 18.3 million. Of this outrageous number of out-of-school children, about 70% are in the North of Nigeria. This is quite disturbing and must worry all of us who still care for the North and Nigeria in general.“

As I mentioned earlier, insecurity in the North has retarded developments in the critical sectors. a lot of farmers cannot access their farms. Food insecurity now confronts us directly. Child and maternal mortality are on the increase. Our infrastructure has decayed. The moves to address our infrastructural deficits are equally threatened by insecurity.

“For the North and move decisively to change these negative development indices. Unfortunately, what we see in the North is the promotion of toxic politics, opposition for opposition’s sake, and “pull him down syndrome.

“We indulge in endless blame games, devoid of attempts at soul searching or introspection. We have failed to ask ourselves some vital questions. Where did the rain start beating the North? Who are those complicit in the underdevelopment of the North?

“The Arewa Consultative Forum has a major role to play in building this required consensus for the best approach to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing Northern Nigeria. ACF must make efforts to refocus the attention of our people. Let us de-emphasise politics and focus on development. Let us gear our efforts towards overcoming the threats with all the energy we can muster”.