Headlines
Strike: ASUU accuses ministers, AG of frustrating agreements
Nasiru Yusuf
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has on Thursday accused the Ministers of Labour and Employment, Education and Accountant General of the Federation of frustrating the ASUU and Federal Government’s series of discussion.
Kano Focus reports that the union also slammed President Muhammadu Buhari over what it described as irresponsive posture by the President to the lingering strike.
The Kano Zonal Coordinator of the union, Mahmud M. Lawan made this known while addressing journalists on the lingering strike in the country.
According to him, “the Kano Zone of ASUU is compelled to unfortunately call a spade a spade on the current prolonged impasse between the Federal Government and the union.
“It is noteworthy for the patriotic people of Nigeria to know that the union has noticed that the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment which is supposed to serve in conciliatory capacity has instead, become a government propaganda machine throughout the engagement and has woefully failed in its mandate to mediate dispassionately.
“Worse in performance in this matter is the office of Minister of Education who has failed to mediate adequately between the union and the office of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The most unfortunate distraction is the use of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF to frustrate all the previous ASUU-FGN agreements reached so far.
“The Zone is equally worried on the irresponsive posture of the office of the President on the future of education and youth in our dear nation,” Lawan said.
The Union body also accused the government of the use of hunger, starvation and deprivation by withholding their salaries to forcefully enrolled it members in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, which it vowed to consistently reject.
Strike: ASUU accuses ministers, AG of frustrating agreements
ASUU denounces FG for lying about salary payment
ASUU denounces takeover of KUST institute by Ganduje
The Zonal Coordinator however called on the Federal Government to instead pay it members through a software internally developed by the academics, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAs) and also revitalize the universities to bring to an end the lingering strike.
Nasiru Yusuf
A Kano State High Court has disçharged and acquitted two suspected armed robbers accused of killing their victim, Bako Zangina, an offense punishable by death.
Kano Focus reports that Justice Suleman Namalam held that though the court has no doubt that the accused are criminals having been convicted previously, the prosecution has failed to estabilish the ingredient of the offence beyond reasonable doubt in the instant case.
The accused Isyaku Umar otherwise known as ‘Small’ and Ibrahim Suleiman were arraigned in court on three counts charges of conspiracy,attempted armed robbery and culpable homicide punishable by death.
The two accused have been in custody since October 2007 for the alleged killing of Bako Zangina.
The court held that while the prosecution established the death of the victim, it failed to establish three ingredients of offense linking the identity of the accused to the crime thereby creating doubt.
The trial judge held that failure of the prosecution to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt left the court with no option than to discharge and acquitt the two accused.
The two accused persons have been in detention for over 13 years and have previously been tried and convicted for armed robbery.
Nasiru Yusuf
Kano State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Program has won the twin National Tuberculosis and Leprosy awards for the year 2020.
Kano Focus reports that, the awards were announced by the Nigeria National TB, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control program during the Annual Review meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital.
Kano get the award as the state with highest consistent quarterly TB case notification for 2020 and the highest TB testing laboratory using GeneXpert Machine.
This is the first time the state have won such National TB and Leprosy Awards.
Nasiru Yusuf
The federal government has on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mota-Engil Group for the construction of US$1.959 billion Kano-Maradi Standard gauge railway line.
Kano Focus reports that the Minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi signed on behalf of the federal government while the Managing Director, Mota- Engil, Antonio Gvoea signed on behalf of the contracting firm.
The new railway corridor which is to be located in northern Nigeria will run through Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states and through Niger Republic territory as far as Maradi.
Other cities to benefit directly from the passage of the rail route are Danbatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina and Jibiya.
A statement signed by Eric Ojiekwe, Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation noted that the 283.750-kilometre rail line besides developing freight and passenger transport, “will be integrated with road transport to make a great contribution to the local economy as well as an important development in the social sector.”
The project duration is for 36 months and the contract type is Engineering, Procurement and Construction.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajani; Director, Legal Services, Pius Oteh; Managing Director, Mota-Engil Group, Antonio Gvoea; Head of Legal, Mota- Engil Group, Cameron Beverley; Magajin Garin Kano, Muhammad Wada; Director, Mota-Engil Group, Kola Abdulkarim; Vice President, Mota-Engil Group, Mohammed Abdul-Razaq; Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Tuggar; Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman among other personalities.
Mota-Engil is a Portuguese conglomerate with diverse interest in construction, transportation, public works, port operations, waste, water and logistics with presence in 23 countries spread across Africa, Europe and Latin America.
Kano High Court acquits 2 suspected armed robbers detained for 13 years
Kano wins national award in the fight against TB, leprosy
FG signs US$1.959bn Kano-Maradi railway project
Police bust Kano phone snatching syndicate, arrest suspects
Loss of allocation documents
Stop the Axe: Kano Zoological and Botanical Garden next on line of destruction
Ganduje pays condolence visit to Kwankwaso, tips of turbanning Baaba to succeed his late father
Police arrest gunman who abduct a German after killing his escort
‘We’ll rig elections and nothing will happen’- Kano APC chair
