The Congress of Northern Nigeria Christians, CNNC has Inaugurated 14 standing Committees to spearhead the formulation of policies and programmes in line with the aims and objectives of the body.
At the ceremony in Kaduna on Saturday, the Chairman of the Congress, Prof. Adamu Baikie said the committees which would serve as the engine room, would produce a working document to direct the affairs of the Congress for maximum results.
He asked them to undertake an in-depth study of the current realities and integrate them into what was already on ground and also marshal resources for effective policy implementation.
While urging the members to vigorously embark on membership mobilisation, Prof Baikie directed that issues of health, women and youth affairs should be on the front burner of the Congress.
On politics, the CNNC expressed concern over continued discrimination on appointments on religious ground and the non-teaching of the religious knowledge in schools in some States in the region.
Prof. Baikie however reiterated the Commitment of the Congress to collaborate with government, traditional rulers and other faith to ensure Peace and harmony among the people.
In an exhortation, Rev. Barnabas Arastus of the House On the Rock, Kaduna encouraged members of the Committees to embrace the responsibilities placed on them with all sense of commitment and faithfulness so as to leave a legacy for future generation.
Arastus noted that the Inauguration came at a right time in Northern Nigeria where, according to him, Christians are facing prosecution.
The clergy man therefore charged them to go all out to attain success for the benefit of the entire Christians.
Responding on behalf of the members, Chairman Security committee, General Sylvester Audu promised to ensure that the confidence reposed in them by the Congress would be zealously guided.
He also assured that the committees would do their best to uphold the objectives of the Congress for all members to feel the impact.
The Committees whose membership was drawn from various fields of human endeavour, include Education headed by Prof. Olu Jegede, Politics Prof Patricia Donley, Security Gen Sylvester Audu, Women Affairs Mrs Ene Ede while Communications and Information Technology is headed by Reuben Buhari .
Coordinator, AMDF Sekyen Dadik addressing the conference, while others L-R Prof Pate Of the Bayero Univ. Kano, Perm Sec, Kad State MOH Dr Shehu Makarfi and Mr. Bolaji Adepegba of DevComs at the event.
Coordinator, AMDF Sekyen Dadik addressing the conference, while others L-R Prof Pate Of the Bayero Univ. Kano, Perm Sec, Kad State MOH Dr Shehu Makarfi and Mr. Bolaji Adepegba of DevComs at the event.
By Joseph Edegbo:
Participants at an annual conference on a theme ” Africa’s Rising Population: Media as a Tool for Harnessing Demographic Divident have said that population growth can be an asset if properly managed.
The assertion is contained in a communique issued at the end of the 2018 Africa Media Development Foundation, Media Africa Conference held in Kaduna -Nigeria, on Tuesday December 11th.
The participants were convinced that an increasing population increases demand for goods and services which in turn could lead to prosperity and faster industrialization.
Understanding the dynamics and structure of population, the communique said, is important in national planning and development; as it will help in expanding opportunities and resources to take care of rising population.
Other recommendations by the conference are that, a nation can appropriately tap its human resources by equipping the population with education and creative skills for faster societal growth and development.
“Government should ensure that population correspond with available resources, by allowing a population that could be cared for, which could be achieved with effective family planning.
“Government should lower the present dependency ratio, increase labor, human capital, productivity and savings.
“The media should drive national discourse on demographic dividends and highlight critical issues that will spur relevant stakeholders to action.
“Media organisations and journalists should key in to development journalism which lay emphasis on reporting issues that contribute to the improvement of the quality of human lives.
“The media should stimulate interest in the general public on population dynamics; promote public ownership of population issues; and support communities to address such issues.
“Media practitioners should key in the Sustainable Development Goals enunciated by the United Nations, thereby strengthening commitment by engaging policy makers on issues relating to population dynamics.
“Journalists should collaborate with Civil Society Organisations who have a vast trove of information and resources that journalists need to generate stories that will make impact.
“Journalists should shift attention from government-centered stories to people-centered stories and always call for action with a view to improve governance.
“Journalists should write stories within the ethical boundaries of the profession with the larger picture in mind, particularly on what benefits societies and the people, and not individuals.
“Journalists should key into online media which provide multimedia platforms and enable the integration of social media platforms in reporting development issues which assures of wider coverage.
The participants had earlier taken a general overview of the conference that -:
“Africa’s rising population has dominated the region’s development conversations. Nigeria being the most populous country in the region and 7 in the world is projected to have the third largest population in the world by 2050. Despite the country’s population growth, Nigeria has continued to lag on development indicators. This raises the question as to whether Nigeria’s current and future population composition is a benefit or a burden.
“The conference highlighted the place of media in contributing to the demographic discourse. This is because the role of the media is key in harnessing Nigeria’s demographic dividends. However, it is noted that there must be conscious and deliberate efforts to advance the understanding of demographic discourse among media practitioners and equip them with needed information and skills to actively report on issues around it.
“The conference also aimed at equipping the media to put Nigeria’s rising population at the front burner of national discourse to draw attention and push government and stakeholders to do the needful. It raised constructive issues and set the tone for media to continue its responsibility of agenda setting for policy m
“Rising population is a global economic and political issue, with Africa as the fastest growing population in the world, growing from 289 million in 1961 to 1 billion in recent years. This represents 350 per cent increase in 50 years.
“With about 3 per cent annual population growth rate, Nigeria is the fasted growing population in the world and projected to be the most populous country in the world by 2050.
“65 per cent of the over 190 million Nigeria’s population are dependents, with millions of out of school children, and huge unemployed youth and that rapid population growth increase dependency ratio.
“Nigeria’s population is higher than available resources; job supply higher than demand, which leads to wide spread poverty, low quantity and quality of food supply.
“Low quantity and quality of food production leads to inadequate nutrition, responsible for retarded brain development among younger generation, thus leading to low productivity and slow industrialization.
“Inability of to equip, manage and utilize available material and human resources remain a challenge, and unmanaged population growth leads to political and social conflicts among different ethnic, religious and social groups.
“There is poor reportage on demographic issues because most media organisations and journalists do not have relevant in-depth knowledge on demography, challenges and prospects”.
The 2019 APC electioneering Campaign has been launched in Kaduna under “a carefully prepared plans to go back to the people and secure another democratic mandate”, said El-rufai.
To this end, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has given a marching order to members of the APC Campaign Council who serve as the coordinating body to pull together the energy, passion and enthusiasm of members and supporters of the party for victory in the coming elections.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai was speaking at the launch of the campaign which was witnessed by an unprecedented mammoth crowd on Wednesday in Kaduna, NorthWest of the country.
The earth quaking campaign crowd featured presentation of flags by El-Rufai to candidates vying for various elective offices.
According to the Governor, each APC candidate knows that getting the party flag is just the trigger for the hard work of engaging with and convincing citizens in every constituency to vote for the party.
“No election is won until the people have cast their votes. There is no room for complacency. We must work harder than we did in 2015 to campaign and get out the vote.
“In 2015, we campaigned as outsiders, making the case that we had the programmes, the people and the competence to govern Kaduna State better. The voters accepted our argument. In government, we have been guided by the manifesto of the APC, doing the things we promised. We have made tough choices and accomplished much for our people. A lot remains to be done to overcome the legacy of neglect and waste that held down the state. But we have a proud record to run on.
“We ran on our record of attainments in human capital development and governance innovations during the local government elections. In those elections, the people gave us their resounding backing. It was our first test of popular support, and it showed that ordinary people know who is standing for them. We do not take that for granted. Therefore, we will campaign even harder.
“It is clear that the political forces that were soundly defeated in 2015 have ganged up again. We must mobilise our people to again reject them at the ballot.
“The struggle to empower ordinary people and to make their lives better requires that the party of the people should continue in government. The APC has worked hard to begin fixing the rot left behind by 16 years of PDP misrule and neglect, but there is a lot more to do to clean up the mess and reset the country on the path to stability and prosperity.
“The APC government has anchored its agenda on Putting People First. The APC in Kaduna State has since May 2015 focused on running an equal opportunity government in Kaduna State. We have tried to empower our citizens. By anchoring our governance agenda on putting people first, we are making lives better and reordering the priorities of government to focus on human capital development.
“Our programme in the state has aligned with that of the Federal Government which has devoted considerable resources in its social intervention programmes, from school feeding to conditional cash transfers.
“At the centre of the APC’s human capital development programme are Education and Health. We have been resolute about expanding access to Education. We are driven by a firm conviction that we are obliged to provide decent public education to give the children of ordinary people a platform for social mobility. In pursuit of this goal, we have taken decisive action, faced down vested interests and devoted resources to improving public education. We have recruited 25,000 new primary school teachers to replace the 21,780 who did not meet the standards expected of those who teach our children. We have also ensured that the benefits of those disengaged are being settled by the local government councils from their share of proceeds of the latest Paris Club refunds.
“We have doubled primary school enrollment. We have spent money to fix schools, providing furniture, better classrooms, water and sanitation. We are rebuilding schools where necessary. It is an expensive exercise in terms of the resources required. It is even more costly in terms of the political threats we continue to receive that we will lose the elections because we dared to stand with the children of the poor. In fact, you are all aware that our opponents are promising the failed teachers that they will recall them. For us, some things are above politics. And we trust that ordinary people can distinguish between opportunism and responsible governance.
“The APC government has ensured that Basic Education is truly free in Kaduna State public schools. For girls, it is free all through the first twelve years of school, up till the completion of senior secondary school. By abolishing hidden fees and levies, we save parents in Kaduna State over N3bn every year. We have provided uniforms and raised the quality of meals in boarding secondary schools. In selected secondary schools, we are running a pilot programme that involves giving students computer tablets instead of printed textbooks. The performance of the 15,000 students, mostly girls, using the tablets, will be compared with those taught with more traditional methods going forward.
“We have begun the recruitment of 7600 more teachers for secondary schools. This is in addition to the 2200 teachers of English, Mathematics and the Sciences that we recruited in 2016.
“In the Health sector, we have taken decisive action to improve health outcomes for our people. We are reducing infant and maternal mortality, increasing life chances for mothers and their babies. This progress has been anchored on our project to renovate and equip 255 PHCs, to make them better able to offer antenatal care, and offer safer deliveries. Health care for under-5 infants and pregnant women is free in our hospitals. We have recruited 1,200 health professionals and are on the verge of recruiting 3000 more to strengthen the primary health care system.
“Since 2017, we have been providing cash cover for treatment of senior citizens for diabetes and hypertension in our public hospitals. We have also enacted the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme in our state, which will enable every citizen that subscribes to go to any hospital and be treated without having to pay out of pocket, effective early 2019.
“For our youths, programmes like KADSTEP, KADAT and KADEEEA offer alternative routes to skill acquisition and financial support for the enterprising. Our BATCs are being revamped and converted to Community Skills Development Centres (COSDECs) to provide skills and self-employment as alternatives to white-collar jobs.
“This is apart from our determined efforts to attract investments, create direct and indirect jobs and grow the economy of our state. Our efforts in the economic front were rightly recognised in the World Bank 2018 report on Subnational Ease of Doing Business which showed that Kaduna State is the most improved state in the Ease of Doing Business. Our reforms in land administration, construction permits, adjudication of disputes and business registration have moved Kaduna State from 24th position overall in 2014 to first in 2018, thus making Kaduna State the easiest place to do business in Nigeria! This government has attracted no less than USD 500m of investments into the state in the last three years.
“The Kaduna State Government is not leaving anyone behind. Our policy of putting people first is comprehensive and all-embracing. We will not let our citizens down.
“The task in 2019 is to continue to work for the upliftment of our people. We cannot allow the people whose ideology is looting to return to power. The PDP has nothing to offer the people of Kaduna State and the rest of Nigeria. Over 16 years, they left most of the 4250 primary schools in very bad conditions. Many did not have toilets, roofs, windows or doors. They left schools where more than half of the peoples have no desk or chairs. In some schools, the percentage of pupils sitting on floors is as high as 90%. The PDP left terribly bad health indices, with high maternal and infant mortality, and low investments in infrastructure. Many primary health centres were left as just buildings, with neither staff nor equipment.
“We are correcting all this mess. We are tackling fraud and waste. We have rescued of our local governments from bankruptcy. We inherited a system where many of them had to be rescued every month by the state government before they can pay salaries. We are reforming the public service. We have implemented TSA, brought discipline to public finances. We have been innovative and bold.
“In spite of all the threats and reckless boasts that we will suffer at the polls, the APC won the local government elections in Kaduna State convincingly. We successfully introduced the first electronic voting system in Nigeria and our people embraced it. We have run an open government, dedicated to delivering results and being accountable.
“Our people can see that we stand for them. The youths and the women have seen our programmes and they can recognise that we seek to empower not to create dependence. The people of Kaduna State know who has completed and commissioned the 150million litres per day Water Treatment Plant of the Zaria Water Project. They know that the APC has doubled internally-generated revenue without increasing tax rates. The youths see themselves in the number of young persons in the government. Our women know that five of our 14 commissioners are women, something never before seen in the state. They see other women heading our key agencies. They use our investments in hospitals. And they know that the APC is Putting People First and leaving no one behind!
“Let us spread the message and by our efforts persuade our people of Kaduna State to once again vote for the party of the people. Kaduna State has always voted for our leader Muhammadu Buhari. Let us repeat the feat in 2019 and vote APC SAK!, said El-rufa’i.
Department for International Development (DFID) in partnership with Children’s Fund says it has averted severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among 1.24 million children in Borno and Yobe states, North-east of the country.
It attributed the situation to the nine-year insurgency in the Northeast which prevented farmers and herdsmen from crops and livestock production for sale and distribution.
UNICEF’s Nutrition Officer, Dr. Martin Jackson disclosed this in a paper he presented on DFID support and childhood development and protection workshop held in Yola, Adamawa state.
Jackson also said that integrated nutritional projects are targeted 12 Local Government Areas in Borno and Yobe states, while the SAM pilot projects are located in Shani and Nangere councils targeting 38,700 children suffering from malnutrition.
He explained that the multi sectorial pilot project on malnutrition was to integrate “basic nutrition responses” to humanitarian crisis in the insurgency affected states.
His words: “As the DFID about to enter last quarter of projects implementation, 200,000 cartons of ready to be use therapeutic food (RUTF) were procured for distribution to 240,000 children with severe acute malnutrition.”
He said that 38, 700 children drawn from insurgency region and suffering from SAM, have already been treated.
Speaking on childhood development and protection, the UNICEF’s Nutrition Officer said, “The 32, 300 identified pregnant and lactating women are each currently receiving monthly cash transfer of N5, 000.
“Community members in the councils of Shani and Nangere were also provided with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities to guard against preventable diseases of cholera, polio, diarrhea, meningitis, malaria, measles and hepatitis.
“This is to sustain the nutritional status of both children and their mothers for a minimum period of 12 months and before weaning their babies.”
He said that over 195,000 pregnant women in the insurgency affected states also received iron/folate supplements.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has expressed readiness to partner with the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Channel 5 Abuja, and other media organizations to keep residents and indeed, all Nigerians abreast of developments in the Territory.
Bello described the media as an indispensable instrument of democratic governance that has contributed much to the development of the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister stated this when the new General Manager of the station, Hajiya Fatima Abbass Hassan, led her management team on a courtesy visit to the Minister.
Bello expressed confidence in the ability of the new leadership to take the station to a higher level.
While congratulating Hajiya Fatima, the Minister commended NTA for its unique capacity building and careers progression plan which sees young officers grow to take up responsible positions in the authority.
He also observed that NTA has raised a fine crop of people heading the NTA station.
The Minister thanked the management for the support FCTA has enjoyed over the years, while pledging to continue to support NTA Channel 5, and indeed, the media in the discharge of their functions.
Earlier, the GM, Hajiya Fatima Abbass Hassan, had commended the Minister for his astute administrative quality in his ability to manage human and material resources for the overall development of the FCT.
Mrs. Abbass also expressed the resolve of the management of the station to stand by the Minister in the discharge of his duties to the people.
Hajiya Fatima appealed for support to the station to effectively cover the Territory, especially in the area of its day to day operations.
Determined to ensure a peaceful conduct of the electoral process in the country, before, during and after the 2019 general elections, a one day media roundtable on ‘Stop Violence Against Women in Politics has been held in Kaduna, northern Nigeria.
Executive Director, Stop Violence Against Women In Politics, Mrs Rebecca Sako John, said the programme was strategically organized for the media as a way of sensitizing the public especially women, youth and the vulnerable to know their roles during the entire process for a peaceful and harmonious electoral process for enhanced democracy.
She noted that women and the vulnerable always suffer during any violence thereby discouraging them from full participation in politics.
Sako John observed that in spite of the significant population of women in electing elective public offices at all levels of governance in the country, they are not considered in electing them into sensitive positions of governance.
She highlighted socio-cultural factor as a main challenge the women faced as they are not considered for elective position in certain sections in the country, adding that women also suffer from voter apathy as some of them are being directed against their conscious to vote candidates directed by their spouses.
She explained that the NGO was collaborating with other stakeholders like the religious and traditional leaders as channels to reach their subjects as ways to enlighten them on peaceful election in all parts of the country.
The Executive Director stressed the need for security agents to curb violence during the campaigning period.
She lamented that women suffer physical, sexual and psychological harm resulting to death, stigmatization, emotional, among others harms they are confronted with before, during and after elections.
She assured that the NGO would continue to sensitize stakeholders for a better understanding towards ensuring a peaceful and harmonious coexistence during electioneering campaigns.
At the local government level, she said, representatives would be chosen to educate them by the NGO, pointing out that they will in turn go and sensitize their people on what is expected of them towards ensuring election free society.
A Kaduna High Court in Northwest Nigeria has struck out a case of alleged breach of fundamental rights brought before it by a business man, Alhaji Umaru Gana and Environmental Engineering Construction Nig .Ltd.
Gana and the Company were challenging their invitation by the Police following a case of criminal Breach of trust, cheating and issuance of dud cheques lodged against them by Wing Comdr. Tukur Lawan Fage
Gana was said to have issued dud cheques with the face value of #30,000,000 and #77,500.000 to Gadawur Global Investment Ltd for executed contract.
In his affidavit, Gana said the contract over which the cheques were issued was purely civil in nature devoid of crime and that his life was under a serious threat and his fundamental right about to be violated by the Police at the instance of the respondents including those he issued the dud cheques.
But counsel to the Respondents, Barrister, Kabir Mohammed told the Court that the application by Gana challenging the invitation was brought with the aim of shielding from Prosecution and therefore urged the Court to refuse the application.
He stated that not every detention that fundamental right of a citizen is breached and that the Applicants were only invited by the Police and not arrested.
In the ruling, Justice E.Y. B Lolo said the law as it stands
today is that only a singular person can apply for the enforcement of their
right and not multiple persons.
The Judge also noted that the 2nd Applicant in the matter is a limited Company adding that he was puzzled by that.
“I am not aware that in the enforcement of fundamental rights a juristic person is envisaged to possess those rights by the framers of the said law”.
For this reason therefore, the Judge ruled that the application as constituted is incompetent and accordingly struck out.
However, counsel to the Applicants, Barrister I.H Mohammed said they would appeal against the ruling.
Other Respondents were Wing Commander Tukur Lawan Fage rtd, Abayomi Balogun, SQN Ldr. Sani Dabo rtd, and Kaduna State ComPol.
As the general elections in Nigeria draw closer, the Electorates have been advised to vote for individuals and not political parties which have no manifestos and ideologies.
Kaduna State Secretary of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Shuaibu Ali Yamusa gave the advice at a news conference in Kaduna while unveiling the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Umar.
He stated that leadership was about people, their feelings, welfare, security and economic freedom which the PRP Administration if voted into power would provide.
The party’s candidate, he said, has requisite knowledge, integrity and dynamism to bring about genuine solution and development to the State.
“It is our conviction and that of many other citizens that only the PRP candidate has the skills and resolve to tackle the many burning issues of the State. This would be done by collective participation and fairness to all. It will be government of the people and by the people”, he said.
