News

By Muhammad Aminu

A Nigerian based agro-allied company, Silvex International, in partnership with a UK and US based Kingston Organic and Regen Farm have trained 220 farmers from Kano and Jigawa States on climate smart agriculture in Ajingi Local Government Area of Kano State.

At least 30 field officers were equally trained in the programme.

This was made known in a statement by the Vice President-Nigeria Operations, Kingston Organic PLC, Sunusi Bature.

Bature said that the programme is part of the Silvex’s preparation for the full scale implementation of this new innovation of producing organic foods in Nigeria.

The training conducted in Ajingi Local Government with 220 farmers and 30 field coordinators from Kano and Jigawa States focused basic concept of the regenerative agriculture, digital platform for farmers and contract farming.

The statement reads: “The farmers were sensitized on the techniques involved in producing organic food items with a priority given to hibiscus, sesame seed and groundnut. The participants are expected to step down the training to other farmers across the two states of Kano and Jigawa.”

“Silvex International Limited with the support from the British FCDO LINKS Project has already enrolled thirty thousand (30,000) farmers in its digital platform for the regenerative and climate smart agriculture in Kano and Jigawa states and it’s expected to onboard up to one hundred thousand farmers by the end of 2022.”

“The digital platform gives access to real time and verifiable data on the farmers and their activities at the farm, which include farm size, socio-economic profile, weather condition, date of planting, projected date of harvest and expected yield.”

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

An investigation by the United Kingdom media regulatory agency, Ofcom, has shown that women are more prone to online attacks than men. 

According to the study, women are wearier of their online presence and prone to discriminatory, hateful and trolling content. They also feel less able to have a voice and share opinions online than their male counterpart. 

Ofcom then calls for technology firms that build sites and apps used by millions of people in the UK to act and make online space safer for women and girls.

Also, according to the study, women from minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely to be affected by their painful online experiences. 

“The message from women who go online is loud and clear. They are less confident about their personal online safety, and feel the negative effects of harmful content like trolling more deeply.

“We urge tech companies to take women’s online safety concerns seriously and place people’s safety at the heart of their services. That includes listening to feedback from users when they design their services and the algorithms that serve up content,” says Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s Chief Executive.

By Muhammad Sabiu

A Nigeria Customs Service post in Mil Takwas hamlet, a few kilometres from Katsina town, was ambushed by a group of gunmen known locally as bandits.

The attack took place around 1 a.m. on Monday, according to multiple sources and the Nigerian Customs Service in Katsina.

The criminals approached the checkpoint on motorcycles, according to Shamsu Magama, a resident of Magama Jibia.

They arrived from the Bugaje village forest and halted a commercial vehicle on its way to Jibia. On the spot, the driver was murdered. He claimed that after that, they rode their motorcycles towards Mil Takwas.

Another community member claimed that the customs officers were attacked because the bandits figured that if they went to the hamlet without chasing the Customs officials away, they would be able to repel the onslaught.

He claimed that four customs vehicles had been set ablaze.

Katsina is one of the northwestern states brutally hit by the criminal activities of the bandits operating in the region.

By Muhammad Aminu

The senatorial candidate for Kano Central district under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdulsalam Abdulkarim, popularly known as A. A. Zaura, has vowed to put an end to the domination of Kano politics by the duo of Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau.

A.A. Zaura emerged as the candidate of the APC for Kano in the just concluded primary election.

The APC candidate made the vow while addressing jpurnalists in Kano in his campaign office.

He said joining forces between the two former governors would only hasten their end politically.

“Shekarau and Kwankwaso, who are joining forces in the forthcoming General Elections, should know that their times are up politically and they should go and rest”, he said.

According to Zaura, “Before the so-called two political giants – Shekarau and Kwankwaso – wake up from their slumber, I will defeat them on the day of our election and this is a promise.”

“Although I humbly respect the dou of Ibrahim Shekarau and Kwankwaso as my former bosses and two former Kano State Governors, but that is by the way, because it will not stop me from beating them hands down on the day of the election.”

Zaura, who had wanted to contest governor of Kano State rescinded and opted for senator, would square it up with the incumbent Senator and former Kano State governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.

“Before, I was facing the entire Kano but now I’m facing only 15 Local Government Areas, so the likes of Shekarau and Kwankwaso should know that their political era is over. They should go and rest.”

He said that his emergence as the candidate of the APC proved to his adversaries that their campaign of calumny against him did not work.

“Despite what they did to me, I’m extending my hands of cooperation to them. They should come and join the winning train because ours is the winning team God’s willing.

Commenting on the APC’s zoning of the president, Zaura said despite his loyalty to Tinubu, he would respect the ultimate decision of his party as a loyal party member.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

An online media platform, Nigeria Health Watch, has organised a workshop on promoting media adoption on Solutions Journalism (SOJO) in Kano state.

The one-day workshop titled “Integrating Solutions Journalism Practices in Media Production in Kano State” took place Saturday, May 28, 2022, at the GearHub, 45 Lamido Crescent, Nassarawa GRA, in the state.

The intent of the workshop was said to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and networks they would need to consciously discover and report stories about people’s responses to social issues in their news bulletins and other forms of reporting.

However, solutions journalism is understood to mean investigating and explaining how people try to solve widely shared problems.

The idea was reportedly aimed at adding rigorous coverage of solutions rather than just reporting problems as “responses to problems are also newsworthy”.

Speaking at the event, the convener, Misbahu El-Hamza, stated that there was a need for journalists to embrace solutions journalism (SOJO) instead of the normal way of just reporting issues.

However, El-Hamza lamented that many people resisted patronising news to escape heartbreaking reports that ended in scaring people.

The participants that graced the event included journalists from various media organisations from Kano State.

By Muhammad Aminu

Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura popularly known as A.A. Zaura has emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kano Central senatorial district primary election.

A. A. Zaura polled highest number of votes, 758, to defeat his main challenger Senator Bashir Garba Lado who scored 77 votes to become a distant second.

Announcing the result Saturday evening, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura who was the Chairman Electoral committee said A. A. Zaura returned elected after securing the highest number of votes.

The Star earlier reported that Sen. Lado accused Gov. Ganduje of manipulation the election for the benefit of A. A. Zaura, which he called on President Buhari and National leadership of the APC to correct the wrongs.

The other aspirants who would have participated in the process, stepped down from the contest following pressure from Gov. Ganduje.

The other two senatorial districts of Kano North and South are have single APC aspirants each.

By Muhammad Aminu

Former National Youths Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Barr Ismail Ahmed has withdrawn his aspiration to contest for Kano Central senatorial district.

Barr Ahmed announced his withdrawal on Saturday at the Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium, where the primary election is taking place.

A one-time presidential adviser to Buhari on Youths, Barr Ahmed, said Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje prevailed on him to withdraw from the contest earlier today, to which he obliged in the interest of the APC in the state.

Meanwhile, another aspirant and former senator representing Kano Central, Bashir Garba Lado, has accused Gov. Ganduje of manipulating the process to favour one of the aspirants.

Senator Lado alleged that Gov. Ganduje instructed party delegates and other stakeholders in the primary election to vote for his anointed aspirant, Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura.

He said the conversations and instructions conveyed to delegates and other stakeholders can be retrieved from Gov. Ganduje’s and Kano State APC Chairman’s phone calls made from 11:am Saturday.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, Inspector General of Police and other heads of security agencies to intervene to ensure a free and fair primary election is conducted to avert any possible breakdown of law and order as a result of governor’s interfere.

Like other states across Nigeria, APC in Kano is conducting primary elections for the three senatorial districts in the state, but the contest is heated in Kano Central between Gov Ganduje’s ally A. A. Zaura and Senator Lado while Aspirants for Kano South and North senatorial districts are unopposed.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has trained 18 covid-19 vaccine champions on identifying, tracking and countering Covid-19 related fake news on social media platforms.

The program tittled “Public Education on COVID-19 Vaccine Project” was aimed at sensitizing the public on the importance of covid19 vaccine and the need to take it with a view to promoting uptake of the vaccine.

Supported by MacArthur Foundation, the centre is reportedly working with 18 partner organizations and social influencers to enlighten the public about the vaccine through various activities and programmes.

However, COVID-19 is a communicable respiratory disease that terrorises the entire wold, leading to the death of number of people and set the nationwide economic back.

The details on the event was in a statement signed Saturday, May 28, 2022, by the coordinator of the campaign, Mal. Hamza Ibrahim.

The statement reads in part: “CITAD received 93 applications from young people who want to be champions and 18 of them were selected from six northern states – Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Borno, Plateau and Kogi State and trained for two days.”

“After their training they embarked on daily campaigns on the vaccine on social media. They submit reports of their campaigns at the end of every month and the reports are shared with panel of judges who review and assess and subsequently select the best three.”

“So, there is competition among the vaccine champions every month and the best three winners are selected and rewarded with gifts. This month, Hadiza Aliyu from Kano emerged in the 1st position and got Hisense refrigerator. Ashafa Abdulkadir from Kaduna and Hauwa Shettima from Bauchi State were the 2nd and 3rd position. They received plasma television and mini laptop.”

It is not known whether there will be another new competition for Covid-19 vaccine champions after this campaign has ended.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Former media aide of President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, has rejected the outcome of the primary election, which was conducted on Saturday. 

In a press statement on Sunday, May 28, 2022, Ahmad gave reasons for denouncing the outcome. 

According to him, the electoral process was marred with irregularities that threatened the election’s credibility.

He alleged that delegates, who were mostly his supporters, were denied entrance to the election venue and consequently could not cast their votes. 

“To the best of my knowledge, election at the primaries stage requires delegates to cast their votes, and a winner emerges with the majority votes. It, therefore, implies that there could not have been any voting process that occurred considering majority of the delegates were neither allowed to vote nor even granted access to the venue.” He stated.

Ahmad also said he was denied entrance to the voting area, which almost culminated in violence.

“On my arrival to the venue as an aspirant too, I was denied access to the voting area. My supporters who were around the premises for the primaries resisted the unjust treatment I was given and attempted insisting on my entrance into the voting area.” He said. 

Ahmad contested for the APC’s ticket to represent the people of Gaya/Ajingi/Albasu Federal Constituency and lost to the incumbent lawmaker, Mahmud Gaya, in the controversial election.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

President Muhammadu Buhari’s former media aide, Bashir Ahmad, has disclosed why he had to leave the venue of the ruling party’s primary election.

According to him, he left the venue because of the security of the majority of delegates, which was being compromised by the presence of thugs. 

Ahmad stated this on his verified Facebook account on Friday, May 27, 2022. 

“As an aspirant, I left the venue of [the] primary election for Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu Federal Constituency because of the security of our majority delegates, if want to compete with the best, thugs shouldn’t be part of any election. A dakace mu [Wait for us]! “He posted

Ahmad had earlier resigned from the president’s media team to vie for the position of member in the Green Chamber, the country’s House of Representatives.

As at the time of fielding this report, the election result has not been announced.