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Education News

Excitement In Borno As 4,945 Almajiri Schools Benefit From Zulum’s N734m Cash Support And Food Palliative

By Abdulkareem Haruna

It was another joyous moment in Borno state, on  Thursday, Feb 23, when Quranic pupils, (popularly known as Almajirai), from 4,945 Tsangaya ( Quranic schools) benefitted from Governor Babagana Zulum’s   N734 million, cash largesse, study books and food grains.

The 4,945 schools were listed from across the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Borno State. 

These massive support came from the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme with the   collaboration of Borno State Universal Basic Education Board (BOSUBED) and Borno State Arabic and Tsangaya Education Board (TEB).

The TEB regulates the almajiri schools system.

The distribution took place at the Ramat Square in Maiduguri and it was attended by thousands of Sangaya and Islamiya teachers and students. 

Governor Zulum made a symbolic presentation of cheques of bearing the grants to beneficiaries.

The funds were to improve conditions of learning at benefiting Sangaya schools in Borno State.

Zulum explained that about 190 Islamiya and Sangaya centres, each of them with over 400 students, was allocated N300,000, 527 centres with between 201 to 400 students received N250,000 each; 2,540 centres with between 51 to 200 students received N150,000 each while 1,649 centres with 50 students and below, each received N100,000. 

Besides the monetary support, each of the 4,945 Sangaya schools benefited from 6,330 bags and cartons of food which comprised of over 2,000 bags of rice, 1,100 bags of maize, 850 cartons of Spaghetti, 1,600 cartons of Macaroni, 480 gallons of groundnut oil and 300 gallons of palm oil.

Aside food, other materials were distributed and they included 29,480 copies of the Holy Quran, 1,800 copies of Hadith, 30,068 pieces of mats, 112,892 sets of school uniforms, 41,300 mosquito nets, 8,100 pieces of slades (allo), 424,896 pieces of exercise books and 450 packs of pencils.

Participants at the event

Other items included 12,300 copies of books 1, 2 and 3 (Bintu wa Dal) Kanuri language textbooks, 69,300 copies of a textbook (Mukoyi Karatu Da Rubutu), 8,100 Kanuri mathematical textbooks, (Kitwu Isawube Fuwurawabe) and another 11,000 Kanuri textbooks called Kitawu Kirabe Fuwurawabe.

Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi who was represented by the northeast zonal coordinator, Abdullahi S. Jarma commended Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for his outstanding reform of basic education in Borno.

Executive Chairman, Borno State Universal Basic Education Board (BOSUBED), Prof. Bulama Kagu, and Chairman of Borno Sangaya and Islamiyya Board, Shiekh Arabi Abulfatahi, in their separate remarks, expressed appreciation to the governor, for according special attention to their establishments by approving their respective demands whenever necessary.

The event was attended by the Secretary to Borno State Government, Usman Jidda Shuwa, along with commissioners, special advisers and other top government officials.

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Business & Economy News Uncategorized

Nigeria’s Former Presidents, Heads of Government Give Stern Order To CBN On #NairaNote

The Nigerian National Council of State (NCS) has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to take urgent steps to arrest the scarcity of cash across the nation.

CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele was advised to make new naira notes available or re-circulate old naira notes to ease the suffering of Nigerians.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami who was escorted. by Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba) briefed State House Reporters on outcomes of the meeting. 

AG Malami told journalists that two major issues were deliberated upon at the meeting.

He said the NCS deliberated on the level of preparedness for the general elections. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba, assured the nation’s leaders of sufficient readiness to conduct a hhitch-freepoll for nation.

On the new monetary policy, including the re-designing of some denominations of the naira, which evoked reactions, the Council concluded that the CBN should do more to ensure there is circulation of sufficient cash in the system to relieve the unnecessary pains people have so far gone through because of the policy. 

“So by way of conclusion, the two major resolutions that were driven, arriving from the deliberations of the Council, are one that we are on course as far as election is concerned and we are happy with the level of preparation by INEC and the institutions,” Malami said.

“Two, relating to the naira re-designed policy, the policy stands, but then the Council agreed that there is need for aggressive action on the part of the Central Bank, as it relates to the implementation of the policy by way of ensuring adequate provision being made with regard to the supply of the naira in the system,” he said.

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News Security

Corpse of Unidentified Boy Found By A River Bank in Maiduguri

Corpse of an unidentified boy was found in the morning of Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, near a river bank in Maiduguri, the Borno state, security sources said. 

Though details of how the boy died has not been established, those who closely observed his corpse assumed he could be in his early teens. 

The corpse was discovered by people in the neighborhood of Lagos bridge river around  Galtimari Bololo river behind Allamin Daggash mosque. 

Some personnel of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) who supervise the security of the neighborhood said the body was seen inside the water after it was floated to the bank of the drying river. 

The exposed parts of boy’s corpse, especially his face, legs and hands were seen to have been peeled.  

Unit Chairman of CJTF, Yusuf Mohammed, who spoke to some journalists, said  the bruises on the corpse’s face could be due to bites by fishes in the water. 

The CJTF unit commander lamented that both underaged and grown up children from unknown locations of Maiduguri usually troop to play around the river.

Last year, the corpse of a half naked young woman was also found near the same river. Though the manner in which her corpse was dumped  seemed suspicious, the corpse was later identified as a mentally disturbed lady who lived in the home of some notable family in the state. 

Two young men were later arrested in connection with the deceased lady’s case after ascertaining that her corpse was dump dumped into the water at night. Details of how the case was handled by the police has remained sketchy even though some local security sources familiar with the case said the arrested suspect had since been freed. 

The Ward Head of Galtimari Bololo, Bulama Bamai, who also visited the scene where the body was found, appealed to the state government to intensify security patrol in the area while calling on parents to be mindful of the places their children usually wander to. 

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News Politics

How INEC Officials Deliberately Deny Us PVC in Borno, ‘Obidiets’, Others Allege

Originally published in The Humanitarian Times

A convergence of aggrieved citizens, including supporters of the Labour Party and other political groupings in Borno state, have on Sunday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of intentionally withholding their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in a grand plot to bar them from voting in the coming elections. 

This weighty allegation was coming on the last day the electoral body allowed for the issuance of PVC. 

INEC had extended the PVC collection date from January end to Feb.5, 2023, to allow those who are yet to retrieve their voting cards to do so. Despite the deadline elongation, many Nigerians who claimed to have duly registered as voters said they are yet to see their PVCs. 

Led by one Ishyaku Yakubu, a senior member of the Obidient movement and card-carrying member of the  Labour Party (LP), the group said thousands of registered voters have not been able to receive their PVCs after days of frequenting the collection centers. 

The group blamed INEC and its officials for the setback even as they claimed to have copious evidence to prove that some INEC officials have been paid to deny particular categories the right to vote. 

The group said the INEC officials were primed to deny them the chance to collect their  PVC until the exercise ended. 

The INEC has denied this allegation. 

But Engineer Yakubu,  who was accompanied by a large number of individuals who are yet to collect their PVC, said

“thousands (including myself) who have been going to the INEC offices for collecting their PVCs registered under the most difficult situations and inconvenience are yet to get it.”

“INEC has previously announced to the media that all PVCs are ready for collection and lament how Nigerians are not coming out; meanwhile, we queue up at their offices and ward levels to get PVCs only to be told “your PVC is not ready, come back in 3 days, come back in one week” and stories like that. 

“We have reasons to believe there is a sinister plan to disenfranchise thousands of people as there appears to be no reason for holding up the PVCs. We and many others who registered, transferred, and r requested for replacement of lost/damaged cards, particularly last year (2022) between May and July, have not been given their PVCs. 

“Today is the final deadline, according to INEC, and people are being asked to go and come back,” he said. 

“We have it on record where an INEC staff in charge of issuing PVCs in one of the polling wards saying that those who registered during the last window of registration should forget about voting in 2023; that we should wait till 2027 because they know whom we are going to vote for,” said Yakubu. 

INEC Denies Allegations

The Borno REC had, in a phone interview with reporters, denied any alleged plot by INEC to bar registered voters from getting their PVC.

He said those unable to get their PVCs “are among those who engaged in multiple registrations detected and  automatically canceled, and so would not get their PVCs based on the Electoral Act 2022.”

“We are not printing the PVCs; the PVCs are being printed in Abuja; this is the reality.”

The REC, who had announced two weeks ago that there were over 161,000 PVC yet to be collected in Borno state, said on Sunday that he is yet to receive an update on the number left uncollected after the one-week extension. 

“I’m supposed to get the update on the number of uncollected PVCs by  6 pm today,” he said. 

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News Politics

Borno’s Only Female House of Reps Candidate In Opposition Getting More Popular In Rural Areas

Originally published by The Humanitarian Times

Aishatu Adamu Abdullahi, a well-known humanitarian worker and House of Representative candidate in the coming 2023 general election, is leaving no stone unturned in her quest to represent her people at the National Assembly.

Mrs. Abdullahi is the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for the House of Representatives seeking to occupy the Chibok, Damboa Gwoza federal constituency of Borno state.

The philanthropist and humanitarian worker is the daughter of the late Audu Sankara of Izge and the granddaughter of Lawan Hamadina of Gwoza.

Mrs. Aishatu Abdullahi is the only female politician from the opposition that has come out with a total commitment to challenge the candidate of the ruling APC.

Dissatisfied with the way elected officials in Borno state “are handling the affairs of the people living in displacement,” the young politician, who has seen it all while working in the humanitarian sector, said she jas to join the race to rescue her people from the years of sufferings.

She is the second female politician in Borno state, after Rep Zainab Gimba of the APC, that will appear on the ballot as a candidate for the Federal House of Reps.

Unperturbed by the fact that she would be slugging it out with a strong candidate for the APC, Aisha said she hoped to emerge victorious as she earns the people’s love to win.

She hopes to champion the cause of women and children even when voted for.

“As a person coming from the front-line state of Borno, my core interest shall be legislating laws that will give special consideration for women and children affected by armed conflict,” she said.

The school teacher turned humanitarian worker and now politician, Aisha, said she would commit her time at the lower house of the National Assembly to strengthening extant laws that guarantee free and compulsory education for women and children.

“I’ve told my people that I will do everything to see that I bring support to them in the area of agriculture and animal breeding because that is the mainstay,” she said.

“I come from a humble background, and I hope to use my private time to ensure that our people are lifted out of extreme poverty and illiteracy. Those too old to return to school shall undergo skills acquisition training to enable them to start their chosen business. This promise cannot be difficult to fulfill because I have spent most of my adult life providing care and support for the vulnerable group through my non-profit community-based organization.”

She said she chose SDP as her political party because “it is the only party left in Nigeria that is genuinely democratic and progressive.

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Business & Economy News Uncategorized

Borno CSO Breaks Silence on New Naira Notes Suggests Way Out

Orginal by The Humanitarian Times

The Network of Civil Society organizations in Borno state, (NECSOB) has added its voice to the widespread condemnation that trails the #NewNairaNote controversy in the country.

NECSOB said though currency redesign is a common occurene glibally, Nigeria’s version is “wrongly timed and ill-preparedness on the part of the authorities.

In view of that, the civil society body find it imperative to make the follwing recommendations as a way out the nasty situation.

Members of the public should as a matter of necessity embraces the new development and devices every legal means necessary that will facilitate their transaction.

All commercial centers and public service providers (such as hospitals…) should as a matter of urgency create online payment platforms and POS devices to ease people’s hardship.

Security operative (DSS,EFCC…) should intensify in bringing sanity into these currency related crimes.

CBN should also make available to the public the daily allocations to commercial Bank branches in every state for accountability.

Network Providers should also try and upgrade their services to accommodate the abrupt pressure on these facilities.

Commercial Banks should also upgrade their servers to enable for smooth online transactions.

We also called on POS operators to deceased from illegal transactions that is exploiting unsuspected members of the public.

All filling stations should be compliant with the new cashless policy by providing e-payment devices across their dispensing pumps.

The general public are enjoined to remain Law abiding and carryout their activities within the provisions of the law.

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Education News Politics Uncategorized

2023: Zulum Wins The Hearts of Askira, Chibok, Damboa People – Commissions Uncommon Projects

Original by The Humanitarian Times

Governor of Borno state has recently taken his campaign trail to the southern local governments of the state where he commissioned several capital projects executed by his administration in the past three years.

Top among the projects that have further endeared him more to the electorates is the mega water which has the capacity to store and distribute 1,250,000 litres of water at Mboa village in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.

Mboa, a village is located 5km from Chibok town, The newly commissioned water project is expected to serve over 40,000 residents of not just Mboa village but also of Chibok town and neighboring communities.

Officials said the water facility has a storage capacity of a 750,000-litre surface tank and a 500,000-litre overhead tank with water sources from 20 motorised boreholes.

“Access to portable water has been one of the major challenges of Chibok town,” Zulum said.

Zulum commissioning projects

“During our electioneering campaign, we promised you that if elected we shall address the water problems you face. This night we are here to commission a multi-million naira project which was executed to provide Chibok and its environs with water.”

Commissioner of Water Resources, Tijjani Alkali, explained that the water project is powered by 36,000 watts of solar and a 100 kva generating set.

New Schools for Damboans, Askiras

Governor Zulum’s working campaign tour moved to Gumsuri, a ward in Damboa LGA, to commission a senior secondary school on the same Monday night.

The governor commissioned a new junior secondary school in Askira town with classroom to contain about 1,000 students.

Each student of the new schools was handed art of uniforms, reading and writing materials as well as bicycles to ease transportation especially for those coming from distant places.

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News Politics

Journalist Known As Advocate of Female Education In Northern Nigeria Dies in Stampede

Popular Sokoto female journalist and advocate of girl child education, Aisha Maina, has died in a stampede.

Until her death, Mrs Maina was the Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state on female education. She was his media aide before her last appointment.

She died in a stampede that occurred during
Presidential rally of the People Democratic
Party (PDP) which took place in Sokoto state on Tuesday, January 31.

Sources familiar with the sad news said Mrs Maina “was caught ina stampede that occurred at the exit gate
of Giginya Stadium, the venue of the rally.”

An online news platform quoted the Chairman of Forum of Special Advisers,
Ibrahim Magaji Gusau, confirming Maina’s death.

Mr. Gusau said the deceased was was rushed to the
Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto for treatment after the stampede where she eventually passed away.

Details of the nature of injury that led to her death has not been made public.

Magaji described his colleague as “hardworking and
energetic; we were together a night before the rally and we were putting finishing touches to some of the items for the event.”

The deceased politician was the former chairperson of the
National Woman Journalists Association of Nigeria (NAWOJ), Sokoto state chapter.

She was also the former Special Adviser to
Governor Aminu Tambuwal on New Media before being moved to Female Education
Board.

She is survived by three children and aged parents.

How she died

A motorcyclist fell down from his bike at the exit way of the stadium and that caused a
serious stampede, with people falling upon one another and she happened to be there.

“She died few minutes after her admission.
Even during the rally, we were together, not
knowing that would be our last meeting,” Mr Gusau said.

Categories
News Security

Breaking: New Theater Commander Takes Over Military Operations in Nortbeast Nigeria

A new Theater Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, a military operation against Boko Haram terrorosm in Northeast Nigeria, Major General Ibrahim Ali has taken over tour of duty today.

General Ali takes over from Major General Chris Musa who had been on duty since June, 2021.

General Musa’s 19 months tour of duty at the Theater saw the most dramatic moment since the creation of the Theater in 2015 when thousands of Boko Haram terrorists surrendered to troops .

However, General Musa said despite the feat, the successes are just a scratch on the surface of the issue on the ground.

He called on troops to see Boko Haram as enemies of the state and ensure they live up to their sworn role as protectors of the nation by taking the war to the nooks and hideouts of the terrorists.

The general who is taking over as the Commander Infantry Corp, Jaji, in Kaduna state said his regrets in the past 19 months was the death of a General and other troops during the course of operations.

The new TC said he would build upon the successes of his predecessor.

More details later …

Categories
Business News

#New₦‎: Petrol Stations in Maiduguri Close Shop To Avoid Customers With Old Notes

There has been a sudden scarcity of fuel in Maiduguri on Friday as operators of fuel filling stations stopped selling their products as a strategy to evade collecting old naira notes which they fear they might not be able to bank before January 31.

Many filling station who were seen the previous days selling petroleum products or their tankers discharging more petrol into their reservoirs had refused to open on Friday.

The situation had caused motorists to begin buying from road side vendors at exorbitant rates of ₦‎500 or ₦‎450 per liter.

About 90 percent of petrol marketers have sold way above the official pump price. Throughout 2022, fuel will be sold at the independent markers’ filling station for ₦‎300, except at the few significant marketers, which require a day or two in the queue to buy at the official pump price.

The old naira note scare has now come to worsen the situation in Maiduguri.

A black market fuel vendor said, “they have fuel but don’t want to sell in exchange for old naira notes; that’s why they shut down – even I will stop selling by Sunday so that I won’t end up with dude notes.”

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