Gov. Bagudu calls for adoption of vernacular for teaching in schools

Gov. Alhaji Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, has called for the adoption of vernacular for teaching and learning in Nigerian schools to fast track development.

This call was contained in a statement issued by Alhaji Abubakar Mu’azu, the Press Secretary to the governor in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday.

Bagudu made the call when he attended the annual Hausa cultural week held at the Adamu Augie College of Education in Argungu.

The statement expressed the belief that that the adoption of vernacular in teaching and learning would facilitate the development required especially in science and technology.

The governor said the use of Hausa language would assist to promote peace and understanding among the people as well as create the needed rapport between the government and the governed.

He lauded the management and students for the annual Hausa cultural festival that had sustained cultural values, beliefs and tradition over the years.

Jigawa Govt. to empower 400 youths to cultivate 200 hectares of rice

The Jigawa Government says it will soon empower 400 youths to cultivate 200 hectares of rice in Birninkudu Local Government Area of the state.

Alhaji Jamilu Usaman-Danmalam, the Special Assistant to Gov. Muhammad Badaru on Rice Production and Value Change, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Thursday.

Usaman-Danmalam said that the youth would be engaged to grow rice on the state government-owned Farara-Zuma Fadama site in Birninkudu.

According to him, government has concluded all arrangements for this exercise; all the inputs are on ground.

‘‘We are now compiling the names of the beneficiaries and as soon as we are through we will just distribute the items for them to commence.

‘‘This is part of our plans to empower and encourage youths to go into farming.

‘‘The gesture is to enable the beneficiaries become self-reliant, it is also to make agriculture attractive and acceptable to youths in the state,’’ he said.

He explained that the gesture was to encourage dry season rice production under the state’s government cluster/group farming initiative.

The governor’s aide added that youths would be clustered whereby two young persons would cultivate one hectare of land.

He said that the state government would provide the youth with seeds, fertiliser, insecticide, including, 200 prices of water pumps at subsidised prices.

Jamilu-Danmalam further told NAN that 200 tube wells had been sunk by the government at the FADAMA site to ensure availability of water for rice cultivation.

The special assistant said that the names of the beneficiaries were undergoing screening, and assured them that the government would bring off-takers to buy rice produced by youths.

He said the youth would pay back the soft loan after they must have cultivated and sold the rice.

‘‘After the exercise, the up off-takers will come and buy from the youths, then we will take our money for the provided farm inputs and they will get their share too,’’ he said.

(NAN)

Dogara pledges to push for Pensioners settlement

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara on Wednesday said the House will meet with the Executive to work out a definite plan towards offsetting N200 billion pension due to retired public workers.

Dogara said this when he received a delegation from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

He said that the House would invite all key players in charge of pension in the country, to appear before the House next week and explain their plans to off-set the arrears.

Citing section 173 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, he stressed that it was the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure that pension earned by the pensioners were paid as at when due.

The Right of a person who works in the public service of the federation to receive pension and gratuity shall be regulated by law.

Obviously, we have done our own part of the bargain, which is the enactment of the  Pension Reform Act of 2014.

If pension is a Right and pensioners must be paid, it means that the Federal Government is indebted and if it is paid, the government is not doing a favour to anybody, he said.

Dogara emphasised that the fight against corruption in public service wouldl be greatly enhanced by prompt payment of pensions.

According to him, this will reduce the temptation to divert public funds by civil servants for use after etirement.

Earlier, The National President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Dr Abel Afolayan, had appealed to the National Assembly to ensure that sufficient funds were provided to cater for pension liabilities in the 2017 budget.

Afolayan also appealed that pension should be put on’ First Line’ charge, just as he solicited the assistance of the Speaker to facilitate the payment of outstanding 18 months arrears of the 33 per cent pension increase.

The House had last week passed a resolution urging the Federal government to offset all pension arrears owed pensioners since 2014.

(NAN)

Gaani Cultural Festival

Gaani cultural festival has fostered relations among the residents of some border communities in Borgu, Kwara State, and the citizens of the Republic of Benin.

Borgu extends from the northeastern and eastern bank of River Niger to the rain forest in the heart of the South West geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

Historians recall that following the 1898 Anglo-French pact, Borguland was partitioned into British and French Borgu, which fell within the domains of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin respectively.

They note that the inhabitants of the neighbourhood are variously referred to as Bariba and Borgawa by their Yoruba and Hausa neighbours respectively.

The historians observe that the residents of the area are not a homogeneous group, adding that they are, nonetheless, brought together by their ruling class who share the same ancestry.

These factors notwithstanding, Gaani fiesta is celebrated annually among the Bartonum of the old Borgu Empire in Baruten and Kaima Local Government Areas of Kwara, Borgu in Niger; and Nikki, a community administered by Borgou Department of the Republic of Benin.

Gaani festival attracts people from Kishi and Igboho in Oyo State, New Bussa, Yashikira, Okuta, Gwanara and Ilesha-Baruba in Niger State; and Nikki, Paraku, Kandi, Kounde and Segbana in the Republic of Benin.

Anthropologists note that Gaani, a popular festival among the people of some border communities in Nigeria, is usually celebrated during Eid-el-Fitr and Eid-el-Kabir Muslim festivals.

They, however, observe that the uniqueness of the festival lies in its ability to promote fraternal relations between some Nigerians and their kinsmen in the Republic of Benin.

According to them, wherever any edition of the festival is taking place, citizens of the two countries in the border region will cross the border to celebrate it.

Alhaji Sabi Idris, the Emir of Gwanara in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara, says that the festival remains a unifying factor among the people of the border communities.

He says that although the colonial powers partitioned Africa, making parts of the old Borgu Empire to fall within the Republic of Benin, the festival remains a potent platform for strengthening unity among the Bartonum.

According to Idris, Gaani festival begins in Nikki town, the headquarters of the old Borgu Empire, every year.

He says that other emirates under the empire, majority of which are in Nigeria, will subsequently announce their festival days based on their hierarchical positions in the empire.

On this day, the elderly will converge on the palace and praise singers will perform; prince and princesses will also come home from their various places to meet and interact till dawn.

The real festival day is Saturday when the emir will visit’ the ancestors early in the morning, offer prayers and some sacrifices for the peace and development of the communities.

Activities resume in the festival arena later in the afternoon and the monarch will deliver the message of the year to the people, while cultural activities will begin.

The festival features horse riding skills, different cultural dances and acrobatic displays, among others.

The third day is for the departure of guests and in some cases, some distinguished personalities are honoured with traditional titles.

The emir, however, urges the government to support the festival, insisting that it will serve as a good platform for promoting peace and unity in the country.

Story by Usman Aliyu

North-East farmers expect bumper harvest—FAO

Farmers in North-Eastern Nigeria, supported by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) say they are looking forward to a bumper harvest.

According to the farmers, this is as a result of the quantity and quality of crops some of them have started harvesting so far.

Mr Emeka Anuforo, the National Communication Officer of FAO in Nigeria said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.

Anuforo said a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Community Based Agricultural and Rural Development Programme (CBARDP) in Borno, Salisu Ngulde said most of the crops were grown by women who make up 40 per cent of the project.

“The farmers have already started harvesting their crops from the dry season interventions and have food for their families, while they sell part of the produce to make some money.

“They are now able to get income, save feeding costs and have surplus in the home to take care of other basic needs for a few months,’’ Ngulde who is also FAO implementing partner in the state said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FAO is collaborating with the governments of Belgium, Ireland and Japan to support the farmers.

Anuforo described the intervention as very successful and expressed the hope that more funds would be made available to take care of the larger number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees, female-headed households, youths and the host communities who were in dire need of support.

He said that Abba Mursi, one of the beneficiaries of the interventions, who fled his community in Bama after an attack two and half years ago and took refuge in Gongulong Bulamari village said he desired to return home to a productive life, all thanks to FAO.

Mursi said that he was thankful for the WASH borehole, seedlings and fertilizers given to them by FAO in January.

According to him, his carrot farm is doing well, less than three months after they received the support which helped him to farm during the dry season.

“I am also grateful to the Gongulong Bulamari people for accepting me and giving me access to a farmland where I hope to eke out a living.”

Anuforo said that Mele Muktar, another beneficiary originally from Koshabe, in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno, who had only been on the FAO-supported farm for one month was also hopeful of a bumper harvest.

“What I received was a complete package from FAO, we get food support from a number of organisations but this agricultural assistance means everything to me,” he said.

He said that FAO provided capacity building skills, vegetable seeds, fertilizers ànd irrigation support as part of its dry season interventions in support to IDPs, returnees and vulnerable host families in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

Anurofo said the farmers, mostly youths and women were already looking forward to a good harvest and the early signs of a good harvest were evident in the crisp and fresh carrots, huge cabbages and other vegetables being gathered from the fields.

“Vegetable seedlings like carrot, okra, amaranths, sorrel/Roselle, onions, tomatoes, pepper, watermelon and cabbage were given to each farmer in a master kit for food security, nutrition and livelihoods as well as incomes.

The statement also quoted Bukàr Tijani, the FAO Assistant Director- General and Regional Representative for Africa as “urging stakeholders to find durable and sustainable solutions to tackle the root causes of the crisis situation’’.

Tijani said especially that which affects livelihoods and incomes of the people.

According to the acting FAO Representative in Nigeria, Nourou Tall, supporting vulnerable host communities, displaced populations and returnees in north-east Nigeria to resume their agriculture activities will pave the way to durable solutions.

“Agriculture cannot be an afterthought, it is the starting point for the implementation of longer-term activities that contribute to strengthening the population’s resilience,’’ he said.

(NAN)

Tobacco and Alcohol consumption causes Oral Cancer

Dr Omolara Uti, an Associate Professor of Community Dentistry at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), on Wednesday said that tobacco use and consistent heavy consumption of alcohol could cause oral cancer.

She said that oral cancer, which was otherwise known as mouth cancer, was one of the diseases handled by dentists and had mortality, compared to other mouth-related diseases.

Oral cancer is problematic in the mouth because many people do not detect it in time, such that by the time the patient presents it, it is usually too late.

Tobacco use in any form, either by smoking, chewing, sniffing or deeping it in the month, may cause oral cancer; also heavy consumption of alcohol has been known as a cause of oral cancer.

When the two substances are now combined together, it becomes very dangerous because one will help to potentiate the effort of the other.

They have a synergistic relationship that can make it cause oral cancer, and we also have the effect of sunlight, especially in Caucasians, Uti said.

The professor said that deficiencies of iron, fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamins A, C, and E, could also lead to the causes of oral cancer.

Other causes might be genetic disposition and also the Human Paploma Virus, which is found in female genital warts, now found in the mouth due to oral sex, can also cause mouth cancer,’’ she said.

According to her, oral cancer presents itself like a harmless ulcer in the mouth that is non healing, after two weeks, a painless lump, then the teeth becomes suddenly mobile.

It can also present like a white plague in the mouth, which is known as leukoplakia, so if anyone is experiencing any of these symptoms, there is a need to see a dentist.

These are signs that it could be cancer of the mouth and there are different modalities for treatment, which could be either chemotherapy drugs or radiation and also surgery.

The survival rate for oral cancer is 50 per cent, but when early treatment is instituted, survival rate can improve to as high as 80 per cent, she said.

Uti, however, advocated for early presentation of any kind of usual ulcer or changes in the mouth, to enhance early diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer in Nigeria.

(NAN)

Senate exonerates Saraki, Melaye

The Senate on Wednesday, exonerated the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki over his alleged involvement in the importation of an SUV Range Rover bullet proof car.
This followed the commendation of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions which investigated the allegation and found him not culpable.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Saraki denied importing any bullet proof car contrary to the report before the Senate.
Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Sam Anyanwu, presented the committee’s report at plenary session which exonerated Saraki of any wrong doing.
Anyanwu said “the name of the Senate President was not mentioned anywhere in the Bill of lading or any document whatsoever connected with the importation or purchase of the SUV Range Rover.
We observed that he did not import any SUV Range Rover as corroborated by all respondents.

This story was cooked up with intent to embarrass the Senate President, the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly.
“That the complainant did not conduct due diligence before bringing the matter to the floor of the Senate.”

The report similarly confirmed that Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi) obtained a first degree in Geography from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Anyanwu said since Ndume failed to cross-check facts before presentation at plenary session, he had brought the integrity of both Melaye and the Senate into disrepute.

He said the committee consequently recommended sanction against Ndume for not being a patriotic representative of the Senate, and should serve as deterrent to others.

The Deputy President of Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, said great lesson had been learnt. “We should investigate matter before we allege them”, he said.
Ekweremadu commended the committee for a thorough investigation within the given time frame.

We look forward to a more united Senate. We should work for the betterment of the Senate”, he said.

(NAN)