Gombe (Nigeria) — The Gombe State Chapter of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has secured the release of 6 inmates from the Gombe main Prisons and visited remand homes as part of activities to mark 2017 Law Week.
Chairman of the Law Week Committee, Obel Yaji, stated this to newsmen shortly after the releases of the inmates in Gombe on Wednesday.
He said that the association decided to embark on such activities to mark this year law week.
According to him, this year law week has activities like visitation of prisons, remand home and in the evening we should be having a football match between official and private lawyers.
“In the prisons we just finish, we confer with the prisoners, then told them that is an act of God to be here and equally the two holy books have told us to visit those in prisons, those in need and those on hospital beds.
“And in the course of visit we sample among them those that committed minor offences like theft, belonging to gang and being in possession of weed we settle their fines in the sum of 28,500 along with compensation which were given by the court”, he said.
According to him, on Thursday morning they have lectures and in the night dinner all as part of their activities for this year.
He added that they donated food and non food items to remand home to assist the children.
A Kenya police report says six police officers have been killed by herders in volatile Laikipia County, where at least 40 people have died this year due to clashes over land.
News24 reported that the herders from the Pokot Community opened fire at the Laikipia Nature Conservancy and killed the officers.
The officers were inside a pair of vehicles and part of a unit that works to prevent livestock thefts. The report says four other officers were wounded in the attack.
Hundreds of semi-nomadic herders invaded private ranches late last year to save their cattle from a prolonged drought.
The Laikipia Farmer Association says the herders now are camping on its members’ land and trying to take it over.
The Nigerian Government has released details of payment of over N243bn to states as refund of over-deductions on Paris Club, London Club Loans and Multilateral debts on the accounts of States and Local Governments arising from 1995-2002.
The payments totaling N243, 795,465,195.20 were made to the 36 States including the the Federal Capital Territory.
A statement by the director of information, Federal Ministry of Finance, Salisu Na’inna Dambatta, explained that the approval for the release of fund was given by the President on May 4, 2017.
According to the statement, the funds were released to State Governments as part of the wider efforts to stimulate the economy and were specifically designed to support states in meeting salary and other obligations, thereby alleviating the challenges faced by workers.
“The releases were conditional upon a minimum of 75 per cent being applied to the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions for States that owe salaries and pension.
“The Federal Ministry of Finance is reviewing the impact of these releases on the level of arrears owed by State Governments. A detailed report is being compiled for presentation to the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, as part of the process for approval for the release of any subsequent tranches,” the statement noted.
Below are the details of the State by State breakdown of the second tranche payment:
Fadama III, a World Bank project, has disbursed 52 approved Community Action Plan targeting 2080 households across Gombe state in northeast Nigeria, to the tune of N353, 315, 351. 00, in line with the North-East initiative of the federal government to revitalize agriculture.
State Project Coordinator, Habiba Mohammed, Tuesday told journalists that the intervention was meant to further ginger the youth to take to agriculture.
She gave a breakdown of the disbursement to include N103 m in food assistance, N223 m in livelihood support, and N31 towards supporting capacity building and advisory service.
Habiba said the first disbursement exercise saw 600 households benefiting from agricultural livelihood, food assistance, non-farm agricultural inputs, capacity building and advisory services.
“Most of these communities have since planted and are expecting a bumper harvest. For those that were given small ruminants, the story is very encouraging,” she said.
State Project Coordinator, also directed the staff of the agency to fast track the disbursement across all the 13 local government areas of the state.
A community leader, the Bala Waja, Danjuma Mohammed Danjuma, commended the Fadama III project for impacting positively on the lives of the people.
He commended the agency for carrying along traditional rulers in the implementation of the project.
The snake circling a hill, behind 7 round huts is the Totem of Tangale people of Gombe State, Nigeria
By Rambi Ibrahim Ayala
Preamble
There has been an ongoing discourse on the place of Snake as a Totem in the history and heritage of the Tangale Nation. This submission is by no means about the entire history of the Tangale Nation to which I admit that other eminent scholars within our fold have done justice to it, I have listened to and read a number of such discourse on our most cherished heritage as a people and thought I should also add my voice to the avalanche of literatures on the various aspects of our culture. I have in the past written about the Sociological Implications of Certain Rites Associated with Tangale Marriage; here I have chosen to write on
THE SNAKE as our TOTEM.
An academic engagement of this nature will require that we briefly define certain basic concepts so as to clearly elucidate on the subject matter.
Culture
Various definitions by several authors have been ascribed to it, a look at some of them reveal that Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
The Center for Advance Research on Language Acquisition goes a step further, defining culture as shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are learned by socialization. Thus, it can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the group.
De Rossi posits that, “Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things,”
The summation of these definitions in my view is that culture is the totality of a people’s way of life handed down from generation to generation and as a student of Anthropology I am not unmindful of the fact that Culture is dynamic but not withstanding it retains certain basic elements of its being.
TOTEM
According to an online dictionary, Totem is a natural object or an animate being, as an animal or bird, assumed as the emblem of a clan, family, or group. It is an object or natural phenomenon with which a family or sib considers itself closely related. Totem is a representation of such an object serving as the distinctive mark of the clan or group.
A Brief History Of Snake As A Tangale Totem
Notable Tangale Authors/Historians such as Rev. Samaila Kure, Ankale Tilling Yelyel, Sariel, Usaini Gwani and Dr.Tadi among others in addition to oral tradition are ubiquitously unanimous on the belief that the Tangale people migrated from Yemen through what is now Borno State. Due to constant tribal wars, they had to keep on moving from one place to another. They settled in seven different places before they came to their present location. Some of the places where they settled include Sanum Kude (Big San) near Ngazargamu and Kupto. At Kupto they were together with the Bolewa, Waja, Songom, Kare Kare, Tera, Longuda, and some of the present neighboring tribes. It was at Kupto that the tribes parted ways to search for new land and shelter. Many of them moved into mountainous areas because they were safer places to settle, this development brought the Tangale Nation to its present empire.
The main thrust of this discourse is the Snake which serves as the Tangale Totem. Oral tradition has it that on these migratory paths our Ancestors were guided, guarded and directed by this totem, it forms an integral part of the Tangale heritage hence becomes synonymous to the identity of people, just as no one could repudiate the ascriptions of names such as Ballin, Molsurou, Kelthu, Shiton, Kalya, Tongou, Bome, Ashiyo, Yila, Mela, Kulong, Lamela, Melendu and so on as names synonymous or exclusively Tangale in origin or Kolbitbit as our dance so also the Snake as a Totem.
I don’t want to go into the latter day postulations/assaults being ferociously waged by some religionists in our land against the Totem which I consider very offensive as well as misleading to our essence as a people and an insult to our TANGLENESS, as you may have observed, I have tried to limit the discussion to the identity of Tangle prior to the advent of “civilization”, the coming of other religions in this case Christianity and Islam with their different beliefs on the Tangale soil but should I be somersaulted into that, be rest assured that I will be ever more than ready to share my thoughts on that as well. Let me conclude that we have a responsibility to preserve and protect our cultural identity or else we shall wake up tomorrow and find out that Tangale and all that makes us unique as a people become extinct and confined into the dustbin of history and I say, YAN KAYE!,
Executive Chairman of ATAR Communication Nigeria Limited, Tijjani Ramalan, has tasked governor Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna State in northern Nigeria, to open his doors to advise from eminent indigenes of the state.
“It is in your best interest as a leader and also take note that the crop of your advisers who rally around you calling you Mallam are not helping matters,” Ramalan advised El-Rufai.
Responding to the letter written to the ‘Kaduna Restoration Group’ by Samuel Aruwan, the governor’s spokesman, Mr. Ramalan said, “Though his write-up touches some areas outside my personality, I hereby response on only issues relating to Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan.
Aruwan had responded harshly to a letter by the Restoration Group calling on Gov. El-Rufai to run an open government. Aruwan had tagged key leaders of the group as non-indigenes of Kaduna state.
On the concept of digitization of Kaduna State Media Corporation, KSMC, Ramalan said, “The accusation on the issue of conflict of interest where ATAR Communications Nigeria Limited can be a Consultant to the KSMC digitalization is in bad faith by the Kaduna State Government. The concept of the consultancy project started in 2007 and signed in 2011 while the Liberty Television came on board in 2014 and is still offering services to the Kaduna State Government and Nigeria at large.
“The concept of Digitalization of KSMC started in 2007 during the era of Governor Namadi Sambo. However, the contract for consultancy was duly awarded to ATAR Communications Nigeria Limited during the tenure of Late Mr. Patrick Yakowa after all due process compliance including the State Assembly ratification in its sitting of 19th October, 2011 and that of the State Executive Council in its sitting of 25th May, 2011.
“The approval was conveyed to ATAR Communications Nigeria Limited through an award letter signed by the then Commissioner of Information (Alh. Saidu Adamu) dated 26th May, 2011.
“The scope of work as contained in the signed agreement consist of the Assessment and Technical Evaluation visits to KSMC sites. Feasibility studies. Production of Designs and Bill of Quantities. Project Supervision, Monitoring, Evaluation and Certificate of all Installations. Building Construction supervision with State Ministry of Works. Factory Pre-inspection of Equipment visit in China. Customs clearing and forward of Containers to Kaduna KSMC Site.
“On the 25th of May, 2012, a request for advance payment having completed the Technical Assessment and Evaluation visit to the proposed KSMC TV sites and the 23 LGs Areas for full coverage of the entire state with China Potevio Engineers. Developing the Kaduna State Topography report on proposed KSMC TV Sites in the State.
“Geological Survey on all the proposed KSMC TV Sites in the State. Soil Test for all KSMC Proposed TV sites for the erection of towers. Visits to Kano and Jos to inspect public and Private TV Stations sites with Potevio China Engineers. Production of designs and Bill of Quantities of the project that led to the signing of Commercial Contract Agreement on the 2nd May, 2011 between the Kaduna State Ministry of Information and China Beijing Great Dragon information Technology Co. Ltd China at the project cost of USD $32.6M.
“Production of Building Designs of the Proposed TV sites in the State. Feasibility/Technical report on the assessment visit to the 23 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State. Legal opinion and reports by Templars – Lagos, an Independent Legal Firm as required by the Chinese Exim Bank on the Draft Loan Agreement for Citic Bank China and EXIM Bank of China which ATAR Communications Nigeria Limited paid on behalf of Kaduna State Government.
“Foreign visits to China with the Kaduna State Government officials to negotiate the Draft and Loan Contract in February, 2012 with Citic Bank China, Potevio and EXIM Bank of China which was fully financed by ATAR Communications Nigeria Limited.
“With the above, the position of ATAR Communications Nigeria Limited is that there was a Legally Signed Contract with the Kaduna State Government on the Digitalization Project of the KSMC which is subsisting and that was why the Governor approved the part-payment of N17 million after the confirmation of successful completion of 75% of the scope of work.
“It is our believe that a so called transparent Government of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai cannot afford to pay the sum of N 17million to a Contractor that has no contract with them. In this regard, we may have to seek for the enforcement of our right in the Court of Law for the resolution of our Legal Dues, the Subsisting Contract and the balance payment of N84,248,939.12. May I rest my case at this point.
On the issue of his resignation as KADFAMA Chairman, Mr. Ramalan explained, “The issue of my resignation as KADFAMA Chairman in December, 2016 was based on the fact that there was undue interference of the activities of the Board and the running of the agency by the Adviser to the Governor on Investment, Mr. Jimi Lawal.
“The board was not left to be independent of itself but teleguided by the Special Adviser in question. He gives directives to the D.G unilaterally including the aborting of the bidding process of the Asset Register Consultancy Project to favour an unknown company which he claimed to be recommended by the World Bank.
“These were not acceptable by me because I cannot afford to be used as rubber stamp for some dubious transactions on behalf of Kaduna State by Mr. Jimi Lawal as the Board Chairman hence my resignation honourably.
On the award of contract to his son, the Executive Chairman noted, “The process for the award of contract to renovate KADFAMA Head Office awarded to my Son’s Company preceded my appointment as the Chairman of KADFAMA Board.
“There was never a Memo by the D.G KADFAMA to the Board during my tenure. This information is therefore misleading and mischievous which I strongly welcome any investigation on the matter. The little information I gathered from my son was that his company responded to an advert of the job by purchasing tender documents on the 26th of July, 2016. After passing all the relevant due process, the head quarters of his company was inspected and verified by officials of the Kaduna State Government on the 23rd September, 2016.
“Subsequently, his company was awarded the renovation contract by the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authoirty (KADSPPA) on the 22nd December, 2016. While the agreement was signed by the two parties on the 16th January, 2017. To put on record there was no contract award approved by the Board within the three (3) sittings of the Board during my short stay.
“The issue of the contract for the provision and maintenance of communication equipment handled by ATAR Communications Nigeria Limited has been on since 2009. We have designed, supplied, installed and maintained Motorola Communication System for the Operation Yaki from 2009 to the last administration until your administration came on board in 2015.
“It is sad that since your emergence as Governor of Kaduna State, the issue of Communication equipment for the security surveillance of the State has been neglected. Though a professional proposal was submitted to your office on 15th October, 2015 for the upgrading and maintenance of the Operation Yaki Communication Network in the State which will be compatible with the existing communication network of the Army, Police and Operation Yaki outfit in the State.
“However, the Government discarded this professional proposal and allowed the Coordinator of Operation Yaki to purchase new communication equipment that is not compatible with the existing Network as such the Communication Network in the State is now down as there are no links between the Headquarters and other substations around the State. This is now a big challenge in the fight against Terrorism, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the State.
“My reaction to the appointees of the Governor that are non indigenes and of questionable and dubious character holding sensitive position was actually the views of the majority party faithfuls of the APC and most people of the State.
“I am still of the opinion that the State Governor should copy the Federal Government’s Local Content and Community empowerment policy which is similar to the Late Northern Premier’s policy of Northernisation in public offices of the region and which policies is now used by the Niger Delta Governors, IOCs to reduce Militancy and Regional Agitation.
“This cannot be same with the appointment of people like Jimi Lawal, Muyiwa Adekeye and Martins Akamaze. One of the danger of this is absence of the heavy voice of Kaduna State at the National Council of Information because of the scraping of the Ministry of Information to favour the appointment of Muyiwa Adekeye, as your Special Adviser Media and Communications which I still maintain is not in the interest of Kaduna State.”
Four Boko Haram terrorists on Monday willingly deserted their hideouts and surrendered themselves to 120 Task Force Battalion of the Nigeria Army at Goniri.
Among them was a high-profile terrorist, Konto Fanami, the Ameer of Kafa hideout of the Boko Haram terrorists group that operates along Ajigin-Talala-Mungusum axis.
Spokesperson of the Nigeria Army, Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, said, during preliminary interrogation, they confirmed that they abandoned terrorism because of incessant hardship, realizing that they were misled by their terrorist group leaders.
According to him, they further stated they were also erroneously misinformed and brainwashed about Islam and the Nigerian military and the society generally.
“The remorseful surrender terrorists regretted their involvement in terrorism and marveled at the courtesies and humane treatment accorded them by the military on surrendering.
“We call on those remnants of Boko Haram terrorists to follow suit and renounce the devilish creed as adequately arrangement has made to receive all those that voluntarily renounce terrorism and surrender themselves and will be treated humanely,” Usman said in a statement.
Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Monday announced the establishment of a 1-million-dollar Venture Capital to boost the Creative Industry.
The Minister made the announcement at the opening of the two-day Creative Industry Financing Conference holding in Lagos, saying 20 people, each investing $50,000, are expected to help make up the required amount.
While expressing optimism that more investors will come forward, he said, so far, five people have volunteered to invest $50,000 each.
According to the Minister, the $1-million Venture Capital would provide seed money for young and talented Nigerians to set up businesses in the Creative Industry.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Minister said the conference, which is being jointly organized by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the Think Tank Media, was conceived with a view to taking the Creative Industry into a golden era of smooth access to short and long term financing.
”From my interactions with Industry stakeholders since assuming office, one issue has stuck out like a sore thumb: lack of access to financing is a major bane of the Industry. Instead of just lamenting over this, we have decided to tackle the problem headlong, hence the decision to host this conference.
”I have no doubt that at the end of the series of events here, we will be able to come out with a way forward that will surely boost the Industry,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said the government is paying a great attention to the Creative Industry because of its capacity to create 1 million jobs in three years, boost the economy and allow the creative talents of the youths to blossom.
He listed the efforts so far made to re-position and transform the Industry as including the landmark National Summit on Culture and Tourism, held in Abuja last year; the Creative Industry Roundtable held in Lagos last week, and the MoUs signed with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the British Council and the Bank of Industry.
The conference was declared open by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.
Those in attendance include the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Aisha Abubakar; Minister of Information and Communication from the Republic of Niger, Hadjia Koubra Sani and many Industry stakeholders, including Film and Music Producers, Artists, Copyright lawyers and representatives of Banks.
