News

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Scotland has passed a law pronouncing period products free for all its citizens. The landmark legislation is the first of its kind in the world. 

The Members of Scottish Parliament, MSPs, have unanimously approved the Bill in November 2020 to combat period poverty

According to a report by BBC, local authorities now have a legal duty to provide free items such as tampons and sanitary pads to “anyone who needs them”.

 The bill, now known as the Period Products Act, was introduced by Labour MSP Monica Lennon, who has advocated to end period poverty since 2016. 

Lennon said: “Local authorities and partner organisations have worked hard to make the legal right to access free period products a reality.

“This is another big milestone for period dignity campaigners and grassroots movements which shows the difference that progressive and bold political choices can make.

“As the cost-of-living crisis takes hold, the Period Products Act is a beacon of hope which shows what can be achieved when politicians come together for the good of the people we serve.”

By Muhammad Sabiu

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will resume talks today, over their protracted strike, with representatives of the Federal Government.

The meeting, according to the organization’s president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, is meant to discuss on one of the seven topics that ASUU is protesting about and “That’s the issue of renegotiation,” Osodeke said.

The chairman stated this in a Channels Television’s Politics Today yesterday Monday.

It is about “the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement. It’s not just about wages. It has to do with the system. The structure, the autonomy and other issues and how to fund universities.

“The government has reduced it to just salaries alone. But if they had looked at the whole agreement and implemented it, we would not be talking about funding.” Osodeke added

It can be recalled that on February 14, ASUU shut down public universities citing as their reason the Federal Government inability to respect prior agreements that both sides had made in their previous face-offs.

The issues of contention include funding for the revitalization of public institutions, earned academic allowances, the University Transparency Accountability Solution, promotion backlogs, among other grievances.

By Uzair Adam Imam

No fewer than 350 houses and food items were destroyed by the flood at three communities in the Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The incident that occurred over the weekend rendered many people homeless and washed away food items.

Abubakar Ghani, the spokesman for the state emergency management agency, confirmed the development Monday.

Ghani stated that the villages affected include Shiyar Ajiya, Makers and Runji, but said no life was lost during the disaster.

The Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Tambuwal symphatized with the people of the area.

He also assured them that the state government would provide relief materials to them as soon as possible.

The Daily Reality recalls heavy downpour has wreaked havoc in Jigawa communities, leading to the destruction of many houses, shops and prosperities worth millions of naira in the areas.

The Daily Reality reported that the communities affected included; Hadejia, Kafin Hausa, Kiri-Kasamma and some parts of Garun-Gabas, Tandanu and Bulangu of Jigawa state respectively.

Professionals have argued that there would be more flood in Nigeria in the next two months because of the climate change.

The Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof Mansur Bako Matazu, has warned Nigerians to brace up for more rains in the next two months.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has suspended its General Secretary, Joyce Oduah, over what it called “gross misconduct”.

This is coming after an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the association held on Monday, August 15, 2022.

The NEC meeting was presided by the 1st Vice President of the association, Mr John Aikpokpo-Martins, after the president , Mr Olumide AKpata, had voluntarily withdrawn from the meeting.

The major allegation levelled against Mrs Oduah was her solitary withdrawal of notices for the amendment of the NBA constitution, an action which has thrown the members of the association into pandemonium.

Troubles started for Mrs Oduah on Friday when the NBA President, Mr AKpata, issued a disclaimer annulling the withdrawal of the notices for the NBA constitution amendment .

By Uzair Adam Imam

One of the released victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, Hassan Aliyu, said the bandits used to preach them and encourage them to pray.

Aliyu disclosed that, while in captivity, they didn’t have problem with prayer as bandits allowed and encouraged them to pray. The man disclosed this to Daily Trust in an interview, adding that “there was no problem about prayers; we were never harassed in any way.”

He added, “It was just the feeling that you were not free because wherever you wanted to go you must take permission. Whatever you want to do you must ask for permission. The only time you don’t ask for permission is when you want to interact among yourselves.”

Aliyu further recounted how the bandits used Qur’an to preach to them, adding that the incident was quite interesting as the bandits gave room for interaction and questions.

He added, “I recall a particular issue where somebody said there was a verse in the Qur’an that, ‘You should call people to religion with wisdom.’ And asked why they were doing what they were doing.

“The preacher replied that there were nowhere two verses collided in the Qur’an. That before anyone is labelled an infidel, such a person must have been taught about Islam first.

“We disagreed. It was quite interesting. They would come in the night or during the day and we would interact. They would ask questions or you ask them questions and they would answer happily,” he stated.

The Daily Reality recalls that on March 28, a Kaduna-bound train was stormed by gunmen. The attack led to the death of several persons while many were injured and others abducted.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has reappointed his former media aide, Bashir Ahmad, as Special Assistant on Digital Communications.

Bashir Ahmad took to his verified Facebook account on Sunday August 14 , 2022, to announce his reappointment. He thanked the president for another chance to serve in his administration

He said: “Alhamdulillah! This is an honor. Thank you Baba Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for finding me worthy again and again, this time as your Special Assistant on Digital Communications. I will continue being a good ambassador of your administration, Baba.”

Bashir Ahmad had complied with Buhari’s directive to ministers and aides contesting elections to resign in June. He then contested the APC primary election to represent Gaya Federal Constituency and lost the election.

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

Residents of Rigasa, a major support base of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have cried out over the gully threatening to swallow up the community. The gully had swept away many houses in its paths, rendering many residents homeless.

The Daily Reality observed that areas badly affected by the erosion include Layin Cinema, Unguwar Yan Kilishi, Makera, Tarotaro and Madaki Habu Street. With heavy rainfall, the branches of the erosion are spreading fast as a vast expanse of land is caving in, threatening more houses.

The Secretary-General of Rigasa Development Forum, Mr Sani Ibrahim, who spoke on behalf of the affected communities, pleaded that concerned authorities should come and end the innumerable damages the gullies had done to them.

He said the gully had already cut them off from accessing each other and some other parts of Rigasa town. Another resident, Mr Umar Ahmad, said, “We no longer send our children on errands anymore, and worst still, the people in government, who came to canvass for votes, have abandoned us”.

Findings by The Daily Reality showed that the gully has cut off many routes making life unbearable for the hundreds of residents. A signpost in one of the areas has indicated that the Federal Ministry of Environment had previously awarded the contract in the past. The community is on the edge of the precipice and may be cut off from other communities if nothing is done urgently.

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The acting Vice-Chancellor of Kaduna State University (KASU), Kaduna, Professor Abdullahi Musa Ashafa, has advised students of the university to be focused, hardworking and law-abiding in order to graduate in record time and with good grades and character.

Prof. Ashafa gave the advice yesterday while addressing the beneficiaries of the Need-Based and Merit Scholarship Award of Kaduna State Government. He said that though the university had quality academic and non-academic workforce to train them, they must play their part by studying hard, be disciplined and law abiding.

While thanking the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loan Board and the Government of Kaduna State for their consistent support to KASU students, he said students must not only read widely to learn, grow, understand and apply what they have learnt, but must also be prepared to take full advantage of opportunities that might come their way to succeed in every aspect of life.

Recently, the Kaduna State Government under Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’i awarded the sum of one hundred and fifty eight million five hundred and thirty thousand naira scholarship to best performing students of the university.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has promised to resolve the lingering strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Atiku spoke at the youths programme on “Intergenerational Synergy on Government”, organized by PDP to mark the 2022 International Youth Day celebration in Abuja on Friday, August 12, 2022. 

The former vice president argued that education is a fundamental right which every youth needs for their growth, and he would do the needful when elected president 

“This is because education is fundamental to your growth. It doesn’t matter whether you are in politics, business or any sector. The fundamental right of every youth or every citizen is to be educated.” He said

Atiku criticized the government and boasted that he had invested in education for three decades. He then pledged to work with university authorities to end the strike. 

“I take very strong exception to the strike by ASUU and the government’s inability to resolve the crisis. I have been investing in education for the past thirty years. I pledge I will work with university authorities to end these incessant strikes that are causing unacceptable harm to the ability of our children to get an education.”

ASUU has been on strike since February 14, consequent of which most public universities have been shut down.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Department of Mass Communication, Kano State Polytechnic, organised a one-day lecture series to prepare their students about the dynamic nature of 21 century journalism.

The event Thursday had three guest speakers who discussed on the topics; The 21st Century Mass Communication Students by Associate Professor, Mainasara Yakubu Kurfi, Head of Mass Communication Department, Bayero University, Kano.

The remaining two were: Crime and Judicial Reporting by Comrade Abbas Ibrahim, Chairman Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kano and Reading: A pathway to Entrepreneurial Journalism by Mal. Badamasi Aliyu.

Speaking after the event, the convener, Malam Aisar Salihu Musa (Aisar Fagge) said, the essence of the event was to prepare students about the new skills of 21st century journalism.

He added that the event would also help the upcoming journalists develop a critical and entrepreneurial mindset which will enable them to excel in their choosen career.

In his words, Aisar stated, “The emergence of new media technologies, the ICT and the user-generated-content have transformed the way news is produced, consumed and distributed. So there is a need for our students to know about these changes in the practice of 21st century journalism.

“Not only that, there is also a need to introduce our students into entrepreneurial journalism, especially in a country where job opportunities are rare; a country with a massive unemployment problem where majority of the youths are roaming the street without job.

“So the students need to know that they can get job for themselves by learning new skills assisted by the internet. Students could be content creaters, content developers, writers, advert practitioners, copywriters, public speakers,” he stated.

In his paper: “Reading: The Pathway to Entrepreneurial Journalism,” Mal. Aliyu said, by reading, you can become whatever you want in life. You can write well, speak good because of reading good books. Knowledge and skills are buried in books. Explore them and be what you want to be. I got 4 million naira as a result of the book I read “How to write a business plan.

The event was graced by the academic and non-academic staff across the Kano Poly schools, lecturers from Bayero University, Kano, Federal University Dutsin-ma, Al-Qalam University, FCE Kano and former students among others.

The Head of Department, Mass Communication, Kano State Polytechnic, Malama Binta Muhammad Lawal, ably represented by one of the lecturers, Malam Salihu Sule Khalid, commended the event.