Headlines
Northern elders kick against Nigeria’s breakup
By Nasiru Yusuf
Bashir Othman Tofa, a former presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) party during the annulled June 12, 1993 election said the North would never seek the break up of Nigeria as a country.
Mr Othman-Tofa disclosed this on Sunday during the inauguration of students’ wing of Northern Youth Groups, organised by Coalition of Northern Youth held at Bayero University, Kano.
He said the North has never agitated for the break up of the country, hence, it does not have any plan in the event of secession.
He advised Northerners to exercise patience in building the unity of the country, as they are the root of Nigeria’s unity.
“If you examine the situation, you would find out it is only in Northern Nigeria that there is no agitation for break up of this country. It is Northern Nigeria that doesn’t have any specific plan of its own, in case Nigeria is divided. This means we have absolute confidence that being together is the best thing for all of us.
“If you look at our population and what we have together is more than what anyone can hope for. So to try to destroy this is certainly lose-lose situation. That is why we here in the North would never say we do not want to live in this country. We know that people called us name, they do all sort of things. And our responsibility is to exercise patience to make sure we guide this country to the kind of unity and progress we need to develop into a better country and even become a nation state,” Mr Tofa said.
The elder statement, noted that, the unity of the country is sacrosanct, adding that the North has been playing the role of encouraging the unity of Nigeria “That is why we are the root of this country. If the root is up rooted, the tree will not be there. So we like to be patient, we like to encourage Nigerians to love their country to be united and tolerate one another. So that we can build a kind of country we like to build.”
In his address former Chief of Staff to former senate president Bukola Saraki and member of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed expressed disappointment in the leadership style of Northern peoples who hold various political offices in the country.
According to him, Northerners who hold different political positions had failed to address the region’s problems, adding that they woefully failed to live up to their billings in areas considered to be of paramount importance for the region.
He stated that northerners are aggrieved by the leadership style of those who are calling the shots in respective positions of authority, adding that people of the region would not wait until 2023 to vote them out.
“We are disappointed with our northern leaders at all levels. We will not wait until 2023 to vote them out. We will be putting pressure on them to correct their mistakes of tackling the problem of insecurity, poor quality of education and health, problem of economy among others.
“Henceforth, we will no longer vote any leader who deceived us. We want leaders who would go there to protect the interest of the North,” he said.
He however called on northern youth to ask governors of the region to protect the interest of Fulani herdsmen and livestock assets of the North.
He noted that while southerners were asking the Fulani to vacate their region, northern governors should provide shelter for them back in the North.
Highlights of the occasion include inauguration of three regional coordinators for Northwest, Northeast and North central geopolitical zones.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA) has recorded 37% increase in number of its enrolees in the last 15 months.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Executive Secretary of the Agency Dr. Rahila Aliyu Mukhtar revealed this during a consultative engagement with organised labour on how to improve the healthcare service in the scheme.
She explained that, the primary services accessed by the enrolees under the scheme from 2022 to second quarter of 2024 stands at 1,852,485, while secondary healthcare services accessed stands at 28, 932 across the engaged healthcare providers.
In his remark, the Commissioner State Ministry of Health Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf assured government support and commitment toward the successful implementation of the scheme and general improvement of healthcare services.
On his part, the State Head of Service Alhaji Abdullahi Musa said Kano state government government attached priority attention to the welfare of workers, adding that, the Contributory Healthcare scheme was not meant for workers alone but all residents of Kano.
He also solicited the support and cooperation of labour unions in order to move KSCHMA to greater height.
Also speaking the chairman Nigeria labour Congress (NLC) Kano state council Comrade Kabiru Inuwa, said that, the union being the major contributor of the scheme would not fold it arms while their members suffered in accessing the needed care.
He reiterated their commitment to ensure that their members received what they deserved by the healthcare providers.
Highlight of the event include paper presentation and group work on implementation of the scheme; challenges and recommendation.
A statement sent to KANO FOCUS by the public relations officer of the agency Nura Muhammad Yusuf said the workshop was conducted with support from FCDO Lafiya.
Aminu Abdullahi
The United Nations Children’s Fund has trained over 40 educational stakeholders under the Educational and Youth Empowerment Project (EYE).
KANO FOCUS reports that the participants undergone two day training on school safety, security, and climate literacy to ensure effective teaching and learning as well as safety of schools in the North West.
The state education facilitator of EU EYE, Aisha Abdullahi, said that the programme is funded by the European Union and supported by UNICEF, while the education partners such as the federal and state ministry of education, SUBEB, and other education stakeholders implemented the program.
She explained that the two-day programme is to train EYE teachers from various local governments and schools who will step down the training to their colleagues on school safety.
On his part, Cacsar Akuduke Executive Director of Talents in Children Promotion, said a lot of schools are not safe, and the program tends to address the shortcomings, building more knowledge and awareness among the stakeholders in education in the provision of the necessary guidelines as contained in the minimal standard for safe schools.
He added that although there are no cases of violence or serious attacks in schools in Kano State, the training will assist the participants with precautionary measures.
In his message, the Kano State Commissioner of Education, Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa, who was represented by the Director of Education Support Services, Hajiya Halima Sadiyya Tukur, said that their efforts have significantly and vividly improved access to quality education for many children, particularly those in underserved communities by addressing challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, teacher training, and gender disparities in education, adding that UNICEF has helped in creating a brighter future for these young learners.
The commissioner said the positive changes resulting from government initiatives will undoubtedly have a long-term effect on the lives of children and the overall development of the state.
He corroborated that their commitment to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn and thrive is commendable.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
A Kano based Non-Governmental Organisation, Bridge Connect Africa Initiative has launched Women Against Violence Empowerment through Sustainability (WAVES) project – a five month capacity building initiative focused on supporting survivors of gender-based violence, those at risk, and women involved in small-scale agribusinesses in Kano State.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Chief Operating Officer of the group, Fatima Musa Aliyu unveiled the project on Tuesday.
She said, “We are dedicated to protecting women and girls from all forms of violence. Over the past five years, BCAI has been a leading advocate for women and girls in Kano State, addressing gender-based violence and other harmful practices that disproportionately affect them.
“Supported by the Government of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CPRLI), the WAVES project aims to foster a thriving ecosystem of empowered women in Kano, promoting economic security and combating gender-based violence (GBV) through training in GBV prevention, financial literacy, business development, and sustainable agricultural practices.
“According to UNICEF, women and girls face significant gender Inequalities, with 1 in 3 women reporting experiences of GBV. Between November 2022 and February 2023, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) recorded 171 cases of GBV.
“According to another report by the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Kano State Chapter, Kano State WARAKA Sexual Assault Refferral Center documented over 4,000 cases of sexual violence in the last five years.”
She added that evidence shows that societal norms, economic challenges, and even climate change are some of the factors among others that keep many women trapped in cycles of poverty and dependence, increasing their risk of gender-based violence. While some seek survival through small-scale agribusiness, their efforts are often hindered by limited skills and market access, leading to continued vulnerability and exploitation.
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