Headlines
‘Kidnapping in Nigeria poses greater threat than terrorism’
By Nasiru Yusuf
An Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Baba Muhammad has said the threat posed by rampant kidnapping is higher than that of terrorism in Nigeria.
He said Nigeria, especially the northern part, is witnessing a wave of kidnappings, perpetrated by bandits collecting ransom, amounting to millions of naira from innocent citizens.
Speaking at a graduation dinner, organized by the 2019 Class of Masters in Public Relations (MPR) of Bayero University Kano (BUK), held at Chinese Palace in Kano on Saturday, Mr Muhammad revealed that the criminals have now employed news tricks using social media platforms.
According to him, the issue of kidnapping and banditry has taken a huge toll on the country to the extent that even security personnel are not spared by the dastardly act, disclosing that the bandits have employed new technique of recruiting members via social media.
“These bandits no longer engage in physical recruitment where they used to recruit almajiris as members. They are now sophisticated enough to recruit members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and others. They use these platforms to recruit members.
“So, the only way to counter their tricks is to be knowledgeable enough and be on those social media platforms. If they are on Facebook, be on Facebook, if they are on Twitter, be on Twitter.
“As a PR practitioner, you must widen your horizon and be versatile in order to use your profession in checking the menace of insecurity in this country,” he advised
Mr Mohammad also called on PR practitioners to contribute their quotas in checking the menace of kidnapping and terrorism.
On his part, a former spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Sani Usman Kuka-Sheka, shared experience on how he countered Boko Haram propaganda using his PR profession.
He said at the beginning of Boko Haram insurgency, people in the Northeast were afraid to call the name of “Shekau” and “Boko Haram”, adding that he used certain techniques to make the people understand that the insurgents are ” simply criminals”.
“If a video of an attack appeared, I used to spend about 10 hours to analyse it. The missing link between Boko Haram propaganda and the government is communication.
“Boko Haram engaged international Hausa news media like the BBC, VOA, RFI etc to speak in Hausa. When I realized that, I also engaged same media platforms to counter that propaganda in Hausa.
“That was how people got to know the real Boko Haram. I used my PR knowledge to change the narrative because people in the Northeast were insinuating that Boko Haram members are invincible. They have more than one life,” he said
Mr Kuka-Sheka added that, “On the part of the soldiers, I used techniques to keep them brave and in high morale. There was a time when a battalion was attacked 17 times, but I used communication techniques to keep the soldiers strong to the extent that there was a time they killed over ninety insurgents in a day.
“These are the techniques I used to change the soldiers to fighting machines. In this light, I want the graduating students to know that PR is not done in media only. It can be successful in every human endeavor,” he advised.
The retired brigadier-general also recalled how Borno elders once threatened to sue him in the course of his official duty.
He said a suicide bomber intercepted in Maiduguri once told the military that it was her father who took her to Boko-Haram to be used for attack.
In his address, Professor Umaru Pate, the Dean, School of Post-Graduate Studies, BUK charged public relations practitioners to embrace different social platforms in reaching their publics.
He said many opportunities await PR practitioners as universities would soon start looking for them to teach at the proposed department of Public Relations as approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Also speaking the National president of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Sirajo Zubairu urged the MPR graduates to join the institute to enable them become professional PR practitioners.
He said the institute would give “special consideration” to those who want register with the NIPR.
Nasiru Yusuf
Kano State government has demanded a one per cent special status in the Federal revenue allocation formula.
KANO FOCUS reports that the demand was made in a memorandum presented by the Secretary to the State Government and head of Kano state delegation, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, (Wazirin Gaya), during the North West Zonal Public Hearing on the review of the current vertical revenue allocation formula organized by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission in Kaduna on Monday.
Alhaji Alhaji noted that the demand is genuine, justifiable and in no way controversial considering the enormous responsibilities the state is currently shouldering due to high influx of people displaced or affected by insecurity in neighboring states including Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto and others.
He also highlighted the status of the state as the most populous in the country, its cosmopolitan and heterogeneous nature as “mini Nigeria”, as well as being the commercial hub for the north that attracts and accommodates people from all parts of the country and beyond, as other reasons for the demand.
The Secretary to the State Government therefore urged the federal government to positively consider the special status demand so as to support the development of Kano particularly in the areas of agriculture, trade and commerce and manufacturing as “it will translate into rapid development for the country generally.
“Our reasons are for the development of Nigeria as a whole”. He added.
The SSG further noted that the current revenue sharing formula is skewed largely in favour of the federal government to the detriment of states and local governments as the federating units, which he described as uneven, unfair and unjust.
He noted that the decision of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to review the current revenue sharing formula, in line with its statutory constitutional responsibilities, is commendable as it is long overdue in view of the changing political, economic, social and ecological realities in the country.
Alhaji Usman Alhaji further noted that despite taking the lion’s share, the federal government could not effectively and adequately discharge most of its responsibilities in states, like ensuring security and provision of healthcare services which, he said, were left for the states to take care of.
” The insecurity and violence in the North can be link to the uneven distribution of the national wealth. …Some have too little while others have too much to spend. As federating units, no one should be left in dare need “, he added.
While noting that states spend more than the federal government on healthcare and other services in addition to huge expenditure for the police and DSS, he suggested that states should have larger share in the revenue allocation formula.
The SSG therefore, on behalf of Kano State Government, proposed a new sharing formula of 41 percent for Federal Government, 34 percent for states and 24 percent for local governments while the 13 percent derivation should be maintained.
The Kano State delegation to the North West Zonal public hearing comprise commissioners, Special Advisers, top civil servants, traditional leaders, representatives of CSOs, NGOs and students organizations.
Other states that presented memoranda at the occasion include Jigawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
Hukumar Hisbah ta ce za ta bude makarantar koyon zamantakewar aure a Jihar Kano cikin , a watan Nuwambar wannan shekara.
KANO FOCUS ta ruwaito babban kwamandan hukumar, Muhammad Haruna Sani Ibn Sina ne ya bayyana hakan a zantawarsa da gidan rediyon Freedom.
Ibn Sina ya ce, a matakin farko zabi ne ga wanda ke da sha’awar shiga, amma a nan gaba za su yi kokarin ganin an mayar da shi doka ga duk mai son yin aure a Kano.
“Kaso 75 daga cikin korafin da mu ke karba kan matsalolin aure ne, wannan ne ya sanya muka samar da makarantar don ba da horo.
“Matsalar yawaitar mutuwar aure a kullum karuwa take musamman a Kano, don haka makarantar za ta samar da hanyoyin dabarun koyar da ilimin zamantakewar aure,” cewar Ibn Sina.
Kazalika, kwamandan ya kara da cewa za su shigar da kudiri gaban majalisar dokokin Jihar don tilasta wa ma’aurata shiga makarantar.
Ibn Sina, ya kuma kara da cewa horaswar ba iya mata za ta tsaya ba, har da maza za a basu damar shiga don samun daidaito da raguwar matsalolin.
Matsalar aure a Jihar Kano na ci gaba da zama babbar kalubale musamman kan yadda Hisbah ke fama wajen warware su.
Nasiru Yusuf
Governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has offered a teaching job to a blind person, Dahuru Abdulhamid Idris, who has been teaching voluntarily.
KANO FOCUS reports Ganduje has directed that Mr Idris to be deployed to Tudun Maliki Special Education School.
“You are a role model, whose visual impairment does not stand as a stumbling block for your development.
“You are taking the right step in your life. The Kano state government is giving you automatic employment of teaching. And I have directed the state Commissioner of Education to post you to Tudun Maliki Special Education School.” He said
It will be recalled that Daily Trust Newspaper did a comprehensive report of the Blind person and his Contributions to his Community despite his disability.
The report attracted a lot of comments and Sympathy from different people.
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Hisba za ta tilastawa ma’aurata shiga makarantar nazarin zamantakewar aure a Kano
Kano Govt offers employment to blind volunteer teacher
Dalilin da ya sa muke Maulidin shan kauri – Alkarmawi
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Aminu Ado Bayero appointed chancellor of Al-Istikama University
Saudi Airlines resumes operation at Aminu Kano International Airport
