Category: News

Prominent Northern Nigeria youth leaders, led by the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Youth Chiefs of Nigeria (CTYCN), Alhaji Abdulhamid Haleru (Sarkin Samarin Nigeria) and its Secretary, Amb. Danjuma Usman Tanze (Sarkin Samarin Wamba) have outlined pragmatic steps towards the empowerment, advancement, and development of youth in Nigeria.

Using the instrumentality of traditional institutions, the CTYCN hopes to prepare youths across the country to enable them take advantage of and benefit from the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The CTYCN Chairman and Sarkin Samarin Nigerian, made this known when he led a delegation of yohng traditional Chiefs on a courtesy call to His Royal Highness, Alhaji Iliyasu Bashar, the Emir of Gwandu, Kebbi State, at his palace.

He maintained that “a functional education system and the acquisition of bankable skills were key to sustainable youth empowerment especially in the face of rising unemployment. You, our traditional rulers, with your vast influence and control can, therefore be instrumental to making this a reality, that is why we seek to partner with you.

“We are set to give our best towards advancing the cause of the teeming Nigerian youths without recourse to one’s region or religion.
As the Chairman of the Council, I want to say that we are prepared to partner, cooperate and collaborate with relevant stakeholders to give youths the necessary exposure and opportunities to enable them excel”.

Responding, the Emir of Gwandu, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Iliyasu Bashar thanked the youth leaders for deeming it fit to pay him a courtesy visit and expressed the readiness of the Gwandu Emirate Council to partner with CTYCN and indeed any group towards the development of youths in the state and the country in particular.

According to the monarch, “it is always an honour when young men with vision and mission come calling on us. As traditional rulers, we have a great deal of work to do but we cannot do it alone. This partnership and many others to come will therefore be welcomed by the Emirate and given the needed support”.

Alhaji Abdulhamid Haleru, a seasoned youth leader and philanthropist known for his patriotic zeal for youth development was recently crowned the Sarkin Samarin Nigeria and named the Chairman of CTYCN because of his sterling leadership qualities.

He was accompanied on the courtesy call by the Secretary of the Council, Comrade Usman Tanze and numerous Council members with a brief stop at the palace of His Royal Highness, .Alhaji Ibrahim Bello, the Emir of Gusau, Zamfara State.

Senator Nora Ladi Daduut has donated relief materials to internally displaced per­sons (IDPs) in Mangu ,Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau state. .
It could be recalled that several communities were attacked in this three local government councils recently by gunmen leading to several lost of lives and destruction of properties leaving several people displaced .

Our correspondent reports that food items, con­sisting of several bags of rice, cartoons of Maggie ,clothings and other valuables, were distributed to the dis­placed at their various camps in the three local government councils .
Daduut who represented Plateau South Senatorial District in the 9th National assembly in Mangu paid a condolence visit to the paramount ruler of Mangu ,Da John Putmang Hirse .

According to her ” ,I am here to commiserate with the People of Mangu Local government council over the unfortunate attacks that happened in the Council recently .”

” These series of attacks have inflicted a lot of pains on the People of Mangu Local government . ”

” The victims really need a lot of relief materials to cushion the effects of this pains ,and I have come today in my small way to present these ,items .

In her words ” I recall that my friend and colleague Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu ,the first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria came to Plateau State last year 2023 after the April – June 2023 monumental attacks which resulted in great losses of lives and properties , through her NGO ,the Renewed Hope Initiative ,she was able to provide relief of 500 Million Naira ,i wish to highly commend her for that intervention and wish to appeal to other Philanthropist to come to the aid of these victims .”

Prof Daduut added that ” The zeal of our first lady to uplift women out of poverty can not be underestimated, the launch of her initiative underscores the importance of empowering our womenfolk as an integral part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s economic policies.

She also lauded a business man Mr Vincent Ejibe for his efforts .

”We should also embark on fervent prayers for divine intervention, for God to prevent the recurrence of this killings, as well as the repose of the souls of the deceased persons.”

She also appealed to Government and security agencies to ensure improvement in the security surveillance so that normalcy would return in several communities of Plateau .

She extended her condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the attacks

Daduut added, “No words can alleviate the pain they are enduring, but please know that our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.”

Responding , the Paramount ruler of Mangu Da John Putmang Hirse commended Senator Daduut for the gesture and prayed God to reward her ..

He said “Despite the fact that you are no longer in office you are still coming to show love to the people of the Council .”

The Royal Father said Senator Daduut was passionate about the People of Plateau and was always concerned about the insecurity in Mangu as she raised several motions while in the Senate .

Hirse lamented that the crisis in Mangu was not religious as been speculated but purely Landgrabbing .

” What happened to us in Mangu was unexpected ,as several villages were overran by Gunmen ,we are peaceful people ,the only weapon we have is prayers .”

He added that most of the attacks on communities in the LGA were unprovoked

Also speaking at the occasion ,Mr Sohotden Mathias, the IDP Camp Director thanked the Senator for providing succour to Victims of the crisis .

He called on Government to tackle insecurity so they displaced persons can return back to their ancestral homes .

In Bokkos local government council, Daduut presented the food items to the victims who were situated at the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN Central) in Bokkos LGA .

Senator Daduut appealed to the Ministry of Humanitarian affairs to come to the aid of the victims by providing the much needed relief materials .

Responding Bishop Ayuba Matawal ,the Chairman welfare committee of the Displaced Persons in Bokkos Local government lauded Senator Daduut for her kind gestures .

He lamented that over 18,000 persons were displaced following the attacks of several communities in the local government council recently .

Matawal lamented that most of the Displaced Persons are farmers and they would love to return back to their ancestral homes as the farming session is fast approaching .

The Senator also donated food items to victims of the attack in Barkin Ladi Local government council of the state.

By Daniel Edu

Stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector have called on the federal government to take immediate measures to stabilize the exchange rate, warning that the sector is at risk of complete collapse. The appeal was made during a roundtable discussion organized by the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) in Oyo State, with the theme “The impact of the high cost of drugs on patients and the healthcare system: The pharmacist’s stand.”

Panellists at the event, held in Ibadan, expressed concern that the depreciation of the naira has had adverse effects on the pharmaceutical sector. They highlighted the potential for further increases in the prices of medical products if the exchange rate instability is not addressed promptly, urging the government to intervene.

Adebayo Gbadamosi, Chairman of ACPN, emphasized that the high cost of pharmaceuticals is a complex challenge requiring a multifaceted approach. He stated that the roundtable was convened to address the pressing issues facing the sector.

Pharmacist Taofik Odukoya highlighted the challenges the sector faces due to inflation in the country, emphasizing the need to address the issue promptly to ensure the affordability of drugs for the public.

Pharmacist Sam Ebuka Ejiofor noted that the fall of the naira is contributing to the increasing prices of pharmaceutical products, affecting both individuals and businesses in the sector.

Aderemi Omotosho, another pharmacist, urged the federal government to stabilize the naira, pointing out that the pharmaceutical industry is grappling with inflation across all sectors. He emphasized the importance of a stable exchange rate to mitigate the challenges faced by manufacturers.

Amidu Rahmon highlighted the impact of exchange rate instability on pharmacy businesses, noting the fluctuating prices within a single day. He stressed the urgency of addressing the situation to secure the future of the pharmaceutical sector.

During Tuesday’s plenary session presided over by Speaker Jibril Falgore, the Kano State House of Assembly issued a directive for three state agencies – Kano State Road Traffic Agency, Kano State Primary Health Care Agency, and Kano Printing Press – to refund a total of N260 million, which the Assembly alleges was misappropriated by these entities.

Accusing the agencies of mishandling allocated funds and revenues generated, the Assembly emphasized the importance of proper financial management in all government ministries, agencies, and parastatals, warning of sanctions for non-compliance.

Chairman of the House Committee on Public Account, Mohammed Tukur, expressed dismay over financial irregularities within government agencies, citing instances where funds earmarked for COVID-19 response and social welfare initiatives were unaccounted for. Tukur also highlighted questionable expenditures, such as the allocation of N200 million for the construction of 100 pit toilets, which he described as a significant capital investment.

Furthermore, Tukur criticized the previous administration for neglecting to conduct audits of public accounts for six years, resulting in a backlog of unaudited expenditures.

In response to these findings, Majority Leader Lawan Husain proposed a motion to compel the Auditor General and Accountant General of the state to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, as well as to facilitate the recovery of misappropriated funds by the affected agencies.

The agreement between the Federal Government and cement manufacturers to reduce cement prices to between N7,000 and N8,000 has been met with disapproval from developers in the construction industry.

Dr. Aliyu Wamakko, the President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, expressed dissatisfaction with the reduction, citing its adverse effects on the economy. He highlighted the previous promise by the CEO of BUA Cement to lower prices to N3,500, emphasizing the discrepancy between the pledge and the current negotiation outcome.

Wamakko argued that a price above N5,000 would not positively impact the economy or alleviate the housing deficit, suggesting that the price should ideally be lowered to N5,000 to facilitate meaningful progress in addressing housing challenges.

Similarly, Toye Eniola, the Executive Secretary of the Association of Housing Corporation in Nigeria, criticized the negotiation outcome, stating that the proposed prices would render housing unaffordable for the poor and widen the housing deficit gap. He advocated for the adoption of local building materials to reduce costs and mitigate the impact of high cement prices.

Sola Enitan, CEO of Cromwell Professional Services International Limited, labeled the reduction as insufficient, warning of potential repercussions such as increased rents if housing construction becomes financially unfeasible due to high cement prices.

Jide Odusolu, CEO of Octo5 Holdings, questioned the feasibility of BUA Cement’s earlier promise to sell cement at N3,500 per bag, suggesting that low-income earners should benefit from government-funded social housing projects. He proposed measures to address challenges such as gas shortages and emphasized the transition to concrete production as an alternative to cement reliance.

While cement manufacturers justified the pricing decision by highlighting challenges such as gas shortages, import duty, smuggling, and poor road networks, developers and industry stakeholders remain skeptical about the impact of the negotiated prices on the housing sector and the economy at large.

Civil servants in Niger State have embarked on an indefinite strike following the directive issued by the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) due to the state government’s failure to address their demands.

The strike action was initiated after negotiations between the labour unions and the state government reached an impasse.

NLC State Chairman, Idrees Lafene, and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Ibrahim Gana, instructed civil servants to cease work indefinitely, citing the government’s reluctance to engage in meaningful discussions concerning workers’ welfare and the state’s affairs.

In response, the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, acknowledged the impending strike and expressed the government’s commitment to resolving the issues through dialogue. He assured the public of the administration’s dedication to addressing contentious matters in the state’s interest.

However, despite assurances of a meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, aimed at resolving the impasse, efforts to reach Lafene for updates on the outcome of the meeting were unsuccessful.

Subsequently, a source within the labour union, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the anticipated meeting did not occur, signaling that the strike would proceed as planned.

Efforts to obtain further information from the Information Officer of the SSG, Tanko Lawal, proved futile as his phone line remained inaccessible.

As the strike commences, the union has urged its branches to mobilize members for full compliance, emphasizing the importance of solidarity in advocating for improved welfare and addressing the concerns of Nigerians.