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MUIDEEN OLANIYI SAAWUA TERZUNGWE, ABUJA & SHEHU UMAR, GUSAU ABDULLATEEF ALIYU, LAGOS MARYAM AHMADU-SUKA & FARUK SHUAIBU, KADUNA LUBABATU I. GARBA . PETER MOSES, ABEOKUTA RAPHAEL OGBONNAIYE, ADO-EKITI SHEHU UMAR, GUSAU MARYAM AHMADU-SUKA & FARUK SHUAIBU, KADUNA
Onlookers in Kaduna observe the damage on the Kaduna-Zaria express road after a sinkhole occurred, affecting an old bridge on Sunday. The lane damaged by the sinkhole has been barricaded by authorities PROF. FOLUSO LADEINDE ABUBAKAR AUWAL, SOKOTO
NEWS
INEC Backs REC As PDP Maintains There Was No Meeting Between Obaseki, Igini
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 8:40:08 AM
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed confidence in the ability of the officials of the commission to be non-partisan and to successfully conduct the September 9 governorship election in Edo State.
He told journalists on Tuesday in Abuja that the commission is standing by the Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, over an allegation that he was planning to rig the elections in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State.
Daily Trust reports that the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Media Campaign Council, Mr. John Mayaki, and Col. David Imuse accused Igini of receiving a bribe from the PDP to swing the polls in its favour. However, Igini has denied any plot with the PDP in Edo State to rig the forthcoming governorship election.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also denied the allegations, while advising the APC to apply the brakes in what it termed ‘its all-out attacks on the nation’s critical democratic institutions’ such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary.
Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, gave the advice in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
According to Osagie, “APC’s endless vilification of critical democratic institutions in the country must stop. Edo people are tired of waking up to torrents of APC’s attacks on these institutions on the pages of newspapers on a daily basis. If it is not INEC today, it will be the judiciary.
“In its latest attack on INEC, APC concocted a story that INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, met with Governor Godwin Obaseki in Benin City. Clearly, the APC is taking its frustration, resulting from its low public rating, on everyone and anyone that is not ready to do its bidding.â€
The governor’s aide declared: “there was no meeting of any kind between Governor Obaseki and Mr. Mike Igini, the INEC REC.â€
Osagie noted: “After a cursory look at the newspapers, one would think that the forthcoming election in Edo State is between APC and the rest of the world, because the party has vilified and misrepresented the judiciary, INEC, the Benin Chamber of Commerce Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BENCCIMA), royal and notable families in Edo State as well as traditional institutions, like a loose cannon.â€
The Allegations
Imuse accused Igini, a former Edo REC, of meeting with Governor Obaseki at his private residence in Benin to perfect the rigging plot.
“On August 27, we received reliable information on a secret meeting between Igini and Obaseki.
“Around 3am, Igini was seen driving into the private residence of Obaseki in Benin in company with two other known allies of Edo governor, one of whom was identified as Anselm Ojezua (former factional Chairman of APC in Edo State, who is an ally of Obaseki).
“At the meeting, Igini, Obaseki and other top PDP allies designed and examined ways and strategies to rig the outcome of the September 19 governorship election in Edo State with an exclusive focus on the production of fake ballots and the inducement of recruited INEC’s ad hoc staff, to aid the success of the rigging plans.
“Already, before the meeting, we received information, backed with proof, on Igini’s illegal conscription of youth corps members who would be playing vital roles in the conduct of the election as ad hoc staff.
“Some of the corps members volunteered information on how they were contacted by Igini and offered deals to help the PDP at the poll, in exchange for cash benefits.
“Igini was quoted by them to have personally assured them of their safety and protection against prosecution, if they accept the offer to rig the election in favour of the PDP and Obaseki.
“We also obtained photographs of Igini at Protea Hotel, Benin, where visiting National Commissioners of INEC were lodged, apparently running the errands of Obaseki and the PDP.
“He (Igini) was overheard at the hotel discussing the Edo governorship election and the recruitment of ad hoc staff. We dare Igini to deny his presence at the hotel and we shall immediately supply pictorial evidence to members of the public.
“We wish to state clearly to the public and INEC that Igini has, by his actions, declared himself an obstacle to a free and fair election in Edo State.â€
More Stories
INEC Backs REC As PDP Maintains There Was No Meeting Between Obaseki, Igini
2023 Talks: Buhari’s Seat Not Yet Vacant – Uzodinma
Zamfara APC Crisis: Buni Committee Orders Expulsion Of Marafa Faction Chair
Zoning Of Presidency To South Not In Dispute — APC Chieftain
Torture: Woman Who Burnt Househelp’s Genitals Remanded
Orphan Burnt By Guardian For Defecating In Her Pants
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state
POLITICS
2023 Talks: Buhari’s Seat Not Yet Vacant – Uzodinma
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 5:04:24 AM
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has hinted that there is no need to start talking about the zoning of the presidential seat ahead of 2023 since the position of President Muhammadu Buhari is not yet vacant.
Uzodinma spoke on Tuesday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting to seek the assistance of President Buhari on his state matters, especially the challenge of erosion and to thank him for the ongoing projects in the South-East geo-political zone.
The governor said since Nigeria practised partisan democracy and not tribal democracy, it was the job of political parties to determine the factors to consider in the choice of presidential candidates.
Asked his view on the position of Senator Orji Uzor-Kalu that any person could contest the presidential ticket on the APC platform as it didn’t recognise zoning despite agitation in the South-East zone to produce the president come 2023, Uzodinma said: “You know the position is not vacant now, there is a sitting president and we are practising partisan democracy and not tribal democracy.
“So, the emergence of presidential candidate will come on party by party basis, not tribe by tribe basis.
“But if there are other internal factors that will form part of the considerations for parties taking a decision, of course, that will be entirely the job of the leadership of those political parties and I think that is the right thing to do.â€
Uzodinma, while responding to the question on his current relationship with former governor Rochas Okorocha, said: “On the issue of Okorocha, the former governor is my brother, my very good brother in whom I am well pleased.
“I have no issue with him, the only thing is that he is now the former governor and I am now the current governor.
“Once we understand that, we don’t have any issue.â€
He expressed optimism on the chance of the APC in the coming Imo North Senatorial District by-election in view of the new entrants and the growth of the party in the South-East geo-political zone.
The governor also said with the completion of the automation of the pension process in the state, pensioners would heave a sigh of relief.
Governor of Yobe State and Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mai Mala Buni
POLITICS
Zamfara APC Crisis: Buni Committee Orders Expulsion Of Marafa Faction Chair
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 5:01:21 AM
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee led by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has ordered the expulsion of Alhaji Sirajo Garba from the party.
Garba is chairman of the Senator Kabir Marafa’s faction of the APC in Zamfara State.
A letter dated August 26, 2020, addressed to the Zamfara State chairman of the party signed by the APC National Secretary, Sen. John J. Akpanudoedehe, said Garba flouted the directive of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The APC NEC had on June 25, 2020, passed a resolution directing members of the party not to institute any court action and to withdraw their cases in court to explore the internal conflict resolution mechanisms of the party.
But the APC national leadership, in the letter obtained by our correspondent, expressed worry that despite the directive of NEC and subsequent steps taken by the party to ensure compliance, there had been several court cases by party members seeking the dissolution of the caretaker committee and state congresses in complete disregard of the directive of NEC.
The letter reads in part: “The leadership of the party has decided to invoke the provisions of Article 21 of the party’s constitution against members of the party who have flouted the directive of NEC.
“The caretaker committee hereby directs that the relevant executive committee in your state chapter should immediately set up a disciplinary committee to commence and complete the process of suspension and expulsion of Alhaji Sirajo Garba from the party.
“You are expected to forward to the National Secretariat all records of the disciplinary proceedings against Alhaji Sirajo Garba for disobeying the directive of NEC.
“It is important that the disciplinary procedures to be undertaken must be consistent with the right to fair hearing as enshrined in the party’s constitution.â€
A panel constituted to take disciplinary action against Senator Marafa’s faction of the APC in the state held its inaugural sitting on Tuesday, the Secretary of the committee, Barrister Bello Umar Gusau told Daily Trust yesterday.
Barrister Gusau, who is also the state’s former commissioner for Justice, said the panel which had been constituted was yet to take any action on 140 members of the party.
He said an announcement had been made about the sitting of the committee on the matter and that all the local government offices of the party had been notified.
Reacting, yesterday, Senator Marafa’s faction of the party, through its factional publicity secretary, Alhaji Bello Bakyasuwa, said nobody had sent any information on the party’s action to them.
Bakyasuwa said: “As I’m speaking to you, we are right now at the party’s headquarters in Abuja to ascertain the veracity of the letter indicating our expulsion that we saw being circulated on social media.
“If you are talking about the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that all court cases should be withdrawn, I will remind you that our litigation predated Mr President’s directive.
“We saw the letter on social media and we were not called or handed the letter.
“So, to us, that letter is as worthless as “akara†wrapping sheet.
‘Even if it is true, we are supposed to be called and addressed.
‘Therefore, I can tell you that we are authentic members of the party.â€
POLITICS
Zoning Of Presidency To South Not In Dispute — APC Chieftain
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:57:00 AM
A former publicity secretary of the APC in Lagos, Joe Igbokwe, Tuesday, said rotational presidency would continue to operate in the country until Nigeria becomes “a nation.â€
He insisted that power must return to the south in 2023 for peace and stability to reign in the country.
Igbokwe, who is the apex leader of Ndigbo APC in Lagos, spoke on the sidelines of the conferment of award of excellent leadership on him by the Youth Wing of Ndigbo APC.
According to him, zoning is an unwritten constitution which would subsist until Nigeria truly becomes a united nation.
He carpeted those agitating for power to remain in the North, stressing that every region has competent candidates to push forward for the presidency.
The APC chieftain also said the party was not leaving anything to chance in the forthcoming by-elections in the state despite not having any viable opposition.
AREWA TRUST
Torture: Woman Who Burnt Househelp’s Genitals Remanded
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:54:52 AM
Senior Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Gabasawa, Taiwo Road, Kaduna, has ordered that Mrs. Yemi Awolola, who is standing trial for inflicting bodily pain on a 14-year-old house help, Princess Michael, be remanded in a correctional facility until September 10, 2020, when the case will be transferred to a high court.
Senior Magistrate Court 3 sitting in Gabasawa had, on July 13, adjourned the child torture case levelled against Mrs Awolola (first defendant) and two minors (second and third defendants) with court registration case number: KMD/204XB/2020, till August 27, 2020, for hearing.
The presiding Magistrate, Court 1, Benjamin Hassan, after reading the appeal to the three defendants both in English and Hausa languages, pointed out that, in relation to section 207 of the Penal Code, it is only a high court that can entertain the matter as magistrate courts lack jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, Counsel to the three defendants, Ali Ibrahim Omachi, told journalists outside the courtroom that there was an effort to resolve the matter outside the court leveraging on plea bargain as enshrined in Nigerian laws.
He said, “The case is now before a new Magistrate because the first Magistrate has been transferred to another court.
“The new Magistrate graciously acquitted the two minors to bail because of their age and the comment from the correctional services that they don’t have the facility to keep them.â€
Also speaking, the immediate past Chairperson, International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) who is the complainant, Barrister Bukola Ajao, said, “Everything is going to start afresh when the high court takes over.â€
Reacting to the development within the court premises, Executive Director, Center for Resolution and Study of Domestic Violence, Prof Hauwau Evyn Yusuf, said justice must be served even though there is a process to resolve the matter through a plea bargain.
“Having been involved in this case from scratch, my expectation is that justice will be served.
“We will want to see the terms of the plea bargain for us to know whether we are moving in the right direction.
‘Of course, acceptability of plea bargain is embedded in Nigerian Laws and as such, you cannot deprive the defendant of making plea bargain,†she said.
Mrs Yemi Awolola had, on 3rd July, 2020, allegedly ordered her daughter (a minor and second defendant) and another house help (a minor third defendant) to hold the hands and legs of Princess Michael; her 14-year-old house help while she used a lighter to burn her genitals and buttocks over allegation of stealing her foodstuff.
KANO CHRONICLES
Orphan Burnt By Guardian For Defecating In Her Pants
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:50:25 AM
A seven-year-old orphan was last week inflicted burnt injury by her guardian in Panshekara, Kumbotso Local Government of Kano State, Chronicle reports.
The guardian, Hadiza Muhammad, allegedly burnt her niece Aisha Muhammad with a hot iron because she defecated on her pants.
It was gathered that Association for Social Vices Prevention, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), intervened in the case to ensure justice for the innocent girl.
The co-founder of the NGO, Ms Rakiya Ladan, said that she learnt about Aisha’s condition when she visited another victim of torture at the Murtala Mohammed Specialists Hospital.
“I went to visit Namama at Murtala Mohammed Hospital who was rescued after being chained at home for seven years.
‘A security guard told me that another girl was in the hospital of the same torture as Namama.
“I quickly went to see her and confirmed the horrible condition she was in,†she added.
She said when they traced Aisha’s address they found that the guardian had run away.
Reacting to this, the state Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Zahra’u Muhammad Umar, said government would ensure that Aisha’s guardian faces the wrath of the law for her action and would cater for the little girl throughout her life.
FILE PHOTO: Some participants at the flagg off of ‘1 person 4 trees’ campaign of OXFAM Proact project in Kebbi State
KANO CHRONICLES
Desert Encroachment: Jigawa Begins Planting Of 2.5m Trees
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:47:28 AM
The Jigawa government, on Monday, began planting of 2.5 million tree seedlings to mitigate the adverse effects of desert encroachment.
The 2.5 million assorted tree seedlings were produced during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov Muhammad Badaru performed the tree planting ceremony at Andaza Village in Kiyawa LGA of the state.
The tree seedlings include 800,000 Eucalyptus Camadulensusi (Turare), 800,000 Neem (Maina), 545,000 Moringa (Zogale), 100,000 Keshia, 100,000 Acacia Senegal (Karo) and 55,000 African locust beans (Dorawa).
Others are 20,000 Baobab (Kuka), 20,000 (Fanshawa), 20,000 Mahogany (Madachi) and 20,000 Cashew.
The governor said the state had produced and distributed 10 million assorted seedlings in the last four years.
Badaru said Jigawa, being one of the frontline states threatened by desert encroachment, would continue to emphasise the need for production of seedlings and planting of trees.
According to him, the state government had embarked on the establishment of shelterbelts in frontline LGAs, restoration of forest reserves and planting of trees on newly constructed roads.
NAN also reports that some tree seedlings were distributed to the LGAs, emirates, non-governmental organisations and others, to plant in their respective areas.
Badaru urged benefitting communities to ensure that the planted seedlings would be nurtured for the benefit of all.
Asuspected cultist, 25-year-old Segun Olorunwa, who operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Lagos State Police Command arrested on August 10, 2020, has revealed how he and his fellow members of an unlawful cult gang, the Eiye Confraternity, killed four members of the rival Aiye cult group in Lagos.
Olorunwa, who claimed to have joined the cult group to spite his grandfather, said he rose to become the group’s hit man in less than three years of his membership.
He said his grandfather had always treated him like an outcast, which he maintained led him into bad company.
The suspect narrated, “So far, I have killed four rival cultists, all Aiye members.
“I killed Ijebu, Michael and Sunday in Jakande Estate.
Aiye members always want to oppress people.
“They assume they are superior to other groups.
“One of them, Ijebu, always threatened all of us.
‘I killed him during a clash against our members.
“He was running to escape on that day.
“I chased him, caught up with him and used a cutlass on him until he died.
“For Michael, I shot him with a gun at Isheri Osun, while I strangled Sunday to death during a separate clash.
“I killed the fourth person at Ikorodu.â€
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, told our correspondent on phone on Tuesday that Olorunwa was arrested following a cult clash in the Denton area of Lagos.
Elkana said the suspect would be charged to court at the end of investigation.
EKO TRUST
Ogun Records 92,400 Teenage Pregnancies In 4 Years
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:41:14 AM
A survey conducted by the Adolescents 360 (A360), a project within the purview of the Society for Family Health (SFH), has revealed that Ogun State recorded 92,400 teenage pregnancies between 2016 and 2020.
The Adolescent 360 is a four-year project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children Investment Foundation Fund and implemented by the Population Services International (PSI) and the Society for Family Health (SFH) in Nigeria.
The project is aimed at developing new and innovative approaches for designing programmes to improve the sexual and reproductive health of adolescent girls between ages 15 and 19 in Nigeria.
The Adolescents Sexual Reproductive Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator of the A360 project, Adejumoke Oluwayinka, disclosed Tuesday at an “agenda for adolescent dissemination†meeting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, that between 2017 and 2020, the group reached out to 28,340 adolescent girls, out of which 18,776 adopted modern family planning methods.
She attributed the high rate of teenage pregnancy, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents to poor government’s investment in youth health, education and empowerment.
The project, according to her, was implemented in eight states – Kaduna, Nasarawa, Edo, Delta, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos – while its implementation took place in the two local government areas of Abeokuta South and Ado-Odo/Ota, Ogun State.
She disclosed that only few adolescents in the state had access to sexual and reproductive health services, saying, “Early sexual debut continues to persist, with 4.4 per cent boys and 5.3 per cent of girls having had sex by the age of 10.â€
In his address, the Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, noted that a lot of unwanted pregnancies had been salvaged through the project, just as some girls had been taken out of the streets through empowerment.
EKO TRUST
Woman, 55, Asks Court To Dissolve 16-Year-Old Marriage Over Threat To Life
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:36:54 AM
A 55-year-old woman, Helen Otokiti, has asked a customary court in Ado-Ekiti to dissolve her 16-year-old marriage to her husband over an alleged threat to her life.
Helen told the court yesterday that the husband, Stephen Adebayo Otokiti, had ordered her to pack out of their matrimonial home or he would “waste†her life.
“Since the husband said I should leave the house and threatened my life, I am not ready for any relationship again,†the petitioner declared.
Helen said trouble started in January 2019 when two of her sister’s children came to stay with them temporarily “but my husband did not want to see themâ€, adding he accused her of not informing him initially of the children’s visit.
“When settlement became impossible and threats to life were involved, my people asked me to look for a place to stay.
“On August 2, 2019, I left the house for him,†she said.
A witness, Mr Victor Adebisi Osuntoyinbo, informed the court that many people had made efforts to settle the quarrel between the couple without success “as the husband insisted his wife would no longer live with him in their matrimonial home.â€
Osuntoyinbo supported the dissolution of the marriage.
The president of the court, Mrs Olayinka Akomolede, adjourned the matter till September 22, 2020 for evidence.
Enrolment taking place in one of the nomads’ settlements in the state
NEWS
Despite Odds, Zamfara Takes Education To Hard-To-Reach Nomadic Settlements
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:33:58 AM
The Universal Basic Education Board in Zamfara State, through its Better Education Service Delivery For All (BESDA) model has enrolled about 34,000 almajirai and 7,000 nomadic children as part of the plan to ensure basic education for all children of school age in the state.
The arrangement for the programme started in 2017 but it actually took off in September 2019.
It is supported by the World Bank.
Its objects include increased access to equitable education and provision of functional literacy, Yusuf Abubakar Mafara, Director of Social Mobilisation of the board, said.
He said eight local government areas were selected for the intervention – Bungudu, Bukuyyum, Bakura, Talata Mafara, Maradun, Gusau, Gummi and Kaura Namoda, 35 Tsangaya schools were selected in each of the local government areas except Gusau and Bungudu that have 36 schools each.
“In total, we have 282 Tsangaya schools and in each of them, almajirai between the ages of 6 and 12 that have not been attending formal school were enrolled.
“We told their instructors that there was nothing wrong in them learning Qur’anic and at the same time giving them qualitative basic education.
“And we are getting the support of the instructors of the Tsangaya schools because they understand what we mean by the new model.
“We called and enlightened them about the new model and we have no problem with them,†Yusuf said.
Speaking on the mode of teaching the almajirai, the Director, Social Mobilization of the board, said they had recruited teachers most of them with NCE qualification to teach the almajirai.
The teachers were identified and recruited through the emirate councils.
“The teachers are placed on monthly stipends.
The almajirai, their instructors and even their parents are happy about the new model and are giving their maximum support and cooperation to the system,†the director said.
On whether they plan to expand the model beyond their current target, the director said the BESDA model had the lifespan of six years and it accommodates nomadic children and girl-child.
“Our goal is to deliver basic education to these children and after that, they proceed to Junior Secondary school.
“And I can tell you that after the primary school education, the children will seek to go further, especially the brainy ones among them,†he added.
On how the board made inroads in reaching out to nomadic children despite the security challenges, he said they got the cooperation of some nomads, who volunteered to sensitise the people by meeting them in the hard-to-reach areas.
“In the eight local governments we intervened, we constructed several nomadic schools of one-block of three classrooms with office.
“We built them in about 36 Fulani settlements.
“Initially, we targeted about 720 children but we now have more than 4000 nomadic children enrolled.
“The parents of the children gave us additional 3,000 children, making the number to soar to 7,000.
“Of course, we faced security challenges but despite that, we made inroads in reaching out to them to educate them.
“The parents of the children themselves want us to include them in the programme, so there is a collaboration between the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board, the Agency for Adult Education, and the Agency for Nomadic Education on the other hand to achieve this.
“We are making plans to educate the parents themselves because this would be a step towards reaching the children and we are succeeding,†he said.
Comrade Abdulsamad Gidado Idris, the Secretary-General of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and Fulbe Nanee Faame and Ta’alim Foundation in the state.
He told our correspondent that despite the challenges they faced, they were successful in ensuring that the message reached the nomads in the hard-to-reach areas.
Sometimes on our way to the Fulani settlements in the hard-to-reach areas, we would be confronted by gun-totting men asking us who gave us the audacity to come to the forests.
“But, because we were involved in the programme and we speak Fulfulde to them, they would allow us to have access to their communities or settlements.
“I have written books to assist this noble cause,†Gidado said.
“Parts of what we did to woo their cooperation and support is that the food vendors, the teachers and even the tailors sewing uniforms were selected from the benefitting communities,’’ he said.
Onlookers in Kaduna observe the damage on the Kaduna-Zaria express road after a sinkhole occurred, affecting an old bridge on Sunday. The lane damaged by the sinkhole has been barricaded by authorities
NEWS
Day 60yr-Old Kaduna-Zaria Road Yawned
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:32:24 AM
One moment the road seemed fine, the next, a gaping hole appeared in it, creating traffic mayhem on the road linking two major towns in the state.
As heavy traffic built up along the Kaduna-Zaria express road on Sunday evening, many assumed it was because of a collapsed bridge following heavy downfall.
In the light of the Monday morning sun, it became immediately clear that the bridge was partly intact, but a huge sinkhole had developed on one lane of the road close to the junction of Kaduna International Trade Fair complex.
By that time, authorities had cordoned off the affected lane but it did not deter children and other inquisitive minds from swarming the area to see the sudden damage done to the 60-year-old section of the Kaduna-Zaria express road and bridge.
Motorcyclists who are usually stationed by the junction of the Kaduna International Trade Fair told our correspondents that the section of the road had caved in shortly after two trailers packed with cement plied the road which then led to a circular crack that later caved in.
Suleiman Umar, one of the motorcyclists, said there was no prior depression on the road before the trucks passed.
“The damage led to heavy traffic late into the night as vehicles coming to or leaving the state had to use one lane while it rained heavily.
“But motorcycles and tricycles operators continued to ply the affected road but with caution,†he said.
He further said, “You know this road was built during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.
“It is an old road so I believe the road is becoming weak due to its usage over time.â€
Similarly, Haruna Ahmadu, another motorcyclist who saw the incident occur said causality was prevented because no car was passing through at the time.
“The road used to be busy in the evening but as luck would have it, there was no car on that lane at the time.
“A mentally unstable woman had just passed the area when it occurred,†he said.
Ahmadu explained that because law enforcement authorities were on ground to enforce the use of one lane, motorcycle and tricycle operators now drop off passengers who live in communities by the trade fair on the other lane to cross over to their destination.
“This is because motorcycle riders now find it difficult to go the distance and turn to access communities by the lane which has been cordoned off.
“What we do now is to drop off our passengers by the other side and they don’t like it because it is dangerous due to the congestion,†he said.
By the time our correspondents visited the scene, officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps were diverting motorists to the opposite lane, which at that time was not congested.
According to the corps in Kaduna, about 40 personnel have been deployed to man the road to avoid traffic gridlock and accidents while the diversion is in place.
The Sector Commander of Kaduna FRSC, Corps Commander Hafiz Muhammad said of the 40 personnel, 30 have been deployed between Barakallahu to Mararraban Jos while another 10 are stationed to man the road after Mararraban Jos.â€
“So that in a stretch of 15 kilometres.
“We have about 40 personnel, we are going to ensure that there is route lining, which is spacing personnel at 10 meters intervals on both sides of the traffic since one lane has been closed as a result of the damage,†he said.
While inspecting the damage to the road, the Controller, Federal Ministry of Works, Kaduna State, Engineer Finbarr Zirra assured residents that work will commence immediately to fix the road.
Eng. Zirra said the increase in water level due to constant rainfall was what caused the cave in adding that the filling of the section that caved in had been undermined, which created a hollow between the laterite and the compacted soil.
Onlookers in Kaduna observe the damage on the Kaduna-Zaria express road after a sinkhole occurred, affecting an old bridge on Sunday. The lane damaged by the sinkhole has been barricaded by authorities“Over time, the reaction was not able to hold the pressure as vehicles plied the road,†he said.
He, however, maintained that water was the cause of the incident adding that, “looking at the slab by the drainage, it is all protected, so I believe it is from beneath the water that the problem began to occur which was not visible until it caved in and for it to be hollow like this, it means it did not happen suddenly, but over some time.â€
According to the Controller, the road and bridge were constructed about 60-years-ago, adding that the Military administration of Ibrahim Babangida had dualised it in 1987 but stressed that the lane which caved in had been the original road and has held its own for about 60-years until Sunday.
He said at the time the road and the bridge were constructed, technology was not advanced.
“The technology did not make provision for what we call transition slab, because when a bridge is constructed, you have about 5 meters transmission slab so that even if it is undermined, that concrete can hold it.
“But during that time, it was just asphalt.
“If the material was concrete, it could transcend, but asphalt does not have that ability that is why it caved in,†he said.
“The laterite side has been removed.
“We are going to put boulders within the transition length of the bridge, we will also look at the scope of the work, articulate it to know the area where we are going to work and how much time it will take to be fixed,†he said.
Eng. Zirra said even the agency was mindful of the rain and hope that the weather will be friendly for the reconstruction work to commence.
He assured that the repair work will be more sustainable adding that; “we have a bridge department and every year, we do what is called bridge inventory of all our bridges.
“In fact, along this axis, there are some of them that, based on [structural] integrity, have to be reconstructed.â€
Our correspondents observed that by evening, congestion had begun to build due to rush hour but the FRSC Sector Commander, Hafiz Muhammad said because of the diversion, traffic will definitely be heavy.
“In order to be preventive and proactive, we decided to do route lining and be strict so that multiple lanes will not be formed as whenever you have multiple lanes, it becomes chaotic and there will be gridlock.â€
“We envisage that we will experience inpatient driving, so we will do enlightenment and subtle enforcement if the need arises.
“For vehicles that will breakdown on the road, especially trucks, we are collaborating with Julius Berger and the Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Agency (KASTLEA) to have a standby towing vehicle so that such vehicles can be immediately moved to avoid unnecessary holdup.â€
He urged road users to be patient and have confidence in the personnel working to see that the problem is rectified.
For now, motorist plying the road will experience serious inconveniences until the road is fixed.
Fintech app Esusu
IT WORLD
Fintech App Esusu: The Low-Hanging Fruit To Developing Good Financial Credit Record
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:28:42 AM
There is an app for everything in today’s technology world. Rotational Savings (Esusu or AjỠin Yoruba, Adashi in Hausa, and Etoto or Isusu in Igbo) now has its own digital app by the name Esusu.
Thanks to Wemimo Abbey and his Esusu Financial, Inc. co-founder Samir Goel.
The financial technology (fintech) industry in Nigeria is advanced and could easily become one of the best in the world if it continues to evolve as it has in the past decade.
Incorporating Wemimo’s innovation can only enhance this prospect.
According to Adedamola Agboola of Blackenterpise.com: “Raised by a single mother, Wemimo attended one of the better public schools in Lagos, but he (Wemimo) said he wouldn’t have been able to afford the tuition had his mother not participated in rotational savings.
“Now living in America, the 26-year old wants to help immigrants, students, and low-income families save.â€
Esusu Financial describes itself as “a leading financial technology platform helping individuals save money and build credit.â€
This enterprise, which was founded in 2016, has attracted some investments, including from Next Play Ventures, an entity that is led by Chairman and former CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner.
For the most part, Nigeria is still a cash-based economy, meaning that your purchases are mostly done in cash, as opposed to credit.
People pay cash to buy everything, including buying or building a house, even when the cost is in several hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Obviously, money so dispensed cannot be invested to build real wealth, for example, by taking advantage of compounding interests.
Moreover, accumulating capital for all but the low-cost items is hard to do.
Big price items are thus beyond the reach of the average person – everywhere in the world, and particularly in developing countries.
Countries such as the US depend heavily on access to credit to function financially, both at the government and individual level.
Although buying on credit can be undesirable in many situations, and can easily be abused and irresponsibly utilized, there are situations where access to credit may be a lifesaver, as well as the only means of creating substantial wealth.
Fortunately, the Nigerian government has recognized this, though this is a relatively new development when compared to more developed economies like the US.
At any rate, you need to be “credit-worthy†in order to be attractive to creditors.
This is where credit bureaus come in.
These are agencies, such as the CRC Credit Bureau Limited in Nigeria, that collect and research individual or corporate credit information and sell it for a fee to potential creditors, to help them (the creditors) decide whether or not to issue credit.
According to CRC, the data collected on you “captures when a credit account is opened, credit repayment history, the amount of credit you have available, the amount of credit you are using, outstanding debts, details on public records like bankruptcy, tax liens, etc.â€
Now, Wemimo and Samir are saying that the financial responsibility embodied in a successful rotational savings (Esusu) arrangement should help you build your credit record and enhance your chances of obtaining credit for bigger price items and wealth creation.
This has not been the case before for people participating in Esusu cooperative financing.
So, this is a useful innovation by Wemimo and Samir.
Let’s look at the traditional Esusu model, to better appreciate the digital innovation.
According to research by Evans Osabuohien and Oluyomi Ola-David from Covenant University, the Esusu practice is believed to have originated among the Yoruba people of Nigeria, and to have spread from there to other parts of Africa, the Caribbean Islands, and among immigrants in the US.
These students describe the practice among the Yorubas as follows: “A group of people team up to contribute a fixed and equal sum of money at specific intervals – daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly or bi-monthly – enabling each member to collect the entire sum in rotation.
When everyone in the group has benefited from the pool, a new rotation cycle is launched.â€
Evans and Oluyomi also point out that “in urban areas, the Yorubas distinguish between Esusu and Ajá».â€
For the latter, a professional collector, the Alajá», goes around to collect contributions,†and they describe AjỠ– and certainly Esusu – as being more personal than the formal financial system.
Digital Esusu mimics the traditional approach.
To use the platform, your bank account will be linked to the Esusu app, which automatically debits the contribution amount from your bank account on an agreed date.
Reportedly via Evolve Bank & Trust, a Memphis-Tennessee, USA-headquartered bank, Esusu holds the withdrawn money in an account but ultimately wires the sum to the account of the person whose turn it is to collect.
When participants fulfill their contributions, a report is sent to the credit bureaus to alert them that the individual has paid on time, which goes into the individual’s positive credit-building record, as each payment is seen as fulfilling a loan obligation to the group of participants.
Rent payment is usually not reported to credit bureaus, even in the US.
Esusu has changed this for its users that rent, by having their rent payments reported to credit bureaus, again to boost their financial score.
Nigerian credit bureaus can certainly piggyback on digital Esusu.
NEWS
4 Journalists Promoted To Directors General In Sokoto
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AT 4:22:10 AM
Four journalists were among 12 civil servants recently promoted to director generals in Sokoto State.
They are; Lawal Sadiq who was the Director, Rima Television and Abubakar Usman Junaidu who was a former Director of Information in the Ministry of Information and later Director, Administration of Rima Radio.
Others are: Usman Buhari Sani and Jelani Haliru Bawa who were all staff of the state media corporation before their new appointment.
It would be recalled that four journalists were made permanent secretaries by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal in 2019.
Swearing in the new directors general, Tambuwal said their appointment was based on merit; their track records in the state civil service.
He urged them to continue to contribute their quota to the development of the state.
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Abdulsh
Edo Election
~2.8 mins read
POLITICS
Buhari Urges Responsible Behaviour As Edo Governorship Poll Holds Saturday
SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 AT 6:55:18 AM
The people of Edo State will tomorrow, Saturday, September 19, 2020, go to the poll to elect a new governor that will run the affairs of the state in the next four years.
According to the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), out of 14 political parties that registered for the election, 12 are fielding candidates.
The election is expected to be keenly contested by the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Godwin Obaseki, and the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Adeleye Oyebade, said the police would deploy three police officers and personnel of other security agencies to each of the 2,627 polling units across the 192 wards in the 18 local government areas (LGAs) in the state to ensure effective manning and guarantee free, fair and peaceful election.
Out of 2,210,334 registered voters in the state, only 1,726,466 have picked up their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) to enable them to cast votes.
A total of 483,868 are yet to collect their PVCs.
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