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NCC Commiserates with Family of Ex-Board Chair, Ahmed Joda

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Ahmed Joda

 Nasiru Yusuf

The Board, Management and Staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have commiserated with the family of the late Ahmed Joda, former Chairman, Board of Commissioners of the Commission.

KANO FOCUS reports that in a condolence letter on Friday, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC. Umar Garba Danbatta, on behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) describes the demise of late Joda, OFR, CON, HLR, who died on Friday 13th of August, 2021 at the age of 91, as an irreparable loss to the entire nation.

Extolling the deceased’s virtues, Danbatta observed that Joda was “a nation builder, a consummate statesman, an administrator per excellence, a dedicated philanthropist, an egalitarian patriot, a fountain of inspiration, an honest and hardworking person during his lifetime.

According to Danbatta, late Joda “will, indeed, be remembered by all Nigerians, particularly the staff of the Commission and the people of Adamawa State.”

He said the Commission will remember the legacy and foundation Joda laid as the Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission for a decade, and “how he led in setting the tone for the exponential growth in telecommunications service provision in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.”

“Our thoughts and sympathy are with the entire family at this grieving period, while we pray for his soul to continue to rest in perfect peace. May the Almighty Allah grant him Jannatul firdaus and also give the entire family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. Please accept our most heartfelt condolences,” he said in the letter.

Born in Yola in 1930, Alhaji Joda, was a retired first-class Federal Permanent Secretary, who served as the Chairman, Board of Commissioners of NCC for 10 years, commencing from 2001 when the commercial launch of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) service started in Nigeria.

The Board, under Joda’s 10 years chairmanship, set the tone and foundation for the digital revolution in Nigeria, which has positioned the sector as a major contributor and enabler to overall socio-economic and political transformation in the country till date.

Late Joda was recipient of multiple national and international honours and other prestigious awards, recognizing his outstanding performance and contribution to the development of Nigeria.

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Hajj 2024: Gov Yusuf approves N1.4bn subsidy for 2,900 intending pilgrims

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Hajj

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has paid N500,000 for each Kano intending pilgrim who will perform this year’s Hajj under the umbrella of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Director General of the Board, Alhaji Lamin Rabiu Dan Baffa, disclose this while briefing journalists on Wednesday.

He said the Kano State Government took the decision with regards to the recent increase of the Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria which was attributed to the instability of the forex exchange rate.

“We consider the current economic hardship people are facing and the increase of Hajj fares is a great challenge to many intending pilgrims, that’s why we came up with the subsidy initiative to alleviate the sufferings of intending pilgrims,” he said.

Dan Baffa urged all intending pilgrims to ensure that they pay the balance before March 28, 2024, as directed by NAHCON.

The Director General maintained that those to benefit from the Hajj subsidy are those who have already paid part-payment to the board, saying over 2,900 intending pilgrims have already made their part payment with the board.

Recall that early this week, NAHCON announced the increase of Hajj fares with N1,918,032.91, which makes the total Hajj fares N6,617,032.91.

Meanwhile, fresh intending pilgrims are required to pay N8,254,464.74 as the full Hajj fare for this year, as required by NAHCON. Lamin Rabiu Dan Baffa, disclose this while briefing journalists on Wednesday.

He said the Kano State Government took the decision with regards to the recent increase of the Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria which was attributed to the instability of the forex exchange rate.

“We consider the current economic hardship people are facing and the increase of Hajj fares is a great challenge to many intending pilgrims, that’s why we came up with the subsidy initiative to alleviate the sufferings of intending pilgrims,” he said.

Dan Baffa urged all intending pilgrims to ensure that they pay the balance before March 28, 2024, as directed by NAHCON.

The Director General maintained that those to benefit from the Hajj subsidy are those who have already paid part-payment to the board, saying over 2,900 intending pilgrims have already made their part payment with the board.

Recall that early this week, NAHCON announced the increase of Hajj fares with N1,918,032.91, which makes the total Hajj fares N6,617,032.91.

Meanwhile, fresh intending pilgrims are required to pay N8,254,464.74 as the full Hajj fare for this year, as required by NAHCON.

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Coalition reviews Kano 2024 budget, captured 557 citizens driven projects in education, health sectors

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, government officials and journalists have identified 557 citizens driven projects in 2024 approved budget.

KANO FOCUS reports that the group shared the findings during a validation session of the 2024 budget analysis held recently in Kano.

Presenting the findings Sulaiman Ismail from Hasken Kano said the state government has approved 426 citizens driven prproject in education sector in 2024 budget with a total value of N61. 01bn representing 13% of the total budget.

He observed that personnel expenditure witnessed a significant increase of 77 % compared to that of 2023 approved budget.

Presenting a paper titled Health Sector Citizens Analysis, Akibu Hamisu of the Kano budget working group pointed out that, the state government had set aside over seventy two billion Naira, representing over 16% of the total budget in health sector.

He said out of the 273 projects designed by the health sector, 131 were identified as citizens driven, 37 projects were allocated to urban communities and 68 were captured under rural communities.

Others who presented findings include Comrade Safiyanu Lawan Bichi and the secretary of the House Standing Committee on Higher Education, Kano State House of Assembly Muhammad Lawal.

In their goodwill messages, Khalid Mustapha from the Kano State Ministry of Planning and Budget (MoPB), described the session as a welcome development.

Umma Muhammad Rakana of PLANE project and Mohammed Jibril from Lafiya commended the collaboration between development partners and Kano State Ministry of Budget and Planning.

Earlier in his welcome address, the state partnership facilitator, PERL FCDO, Yunusa Hamza explained that the session was organized to present and validate findings from the budget analysis conducted by citizens group recently.

KANO FOCUS reports that the sessions ‘ tagged presentation and validation of the citizen’s analysis of the 2024 budget with stakeholders was supported by Partnership to Engage Reform and Learn (PERL) Partnership for Learning for All In Nigeria (PLANE) and Lafiya project.

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Dantiye Advocates for Synergy Between LG Information Officers and Health Personnel

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In a significant step towards bolstering public health communication and response mechanisms, Commissioner of Information Baba Halilu Dantiye held a pivotal meeting today with a delegation from the Ministry of Health.

KANO FOCUS reports that this was contained in a statement issued by Sani Abba Yola Director Special Duties
Kano State Ministry of Information.

In a statement the Commissioner stated that the meeting centered on the imperative need for seamless collaboration between information officers across the 44 local government areas and health personnel from both the local government and the Ministry of Health.

Dantiye emphasized the need for a coordinated approach to swiftly confirm outbreaks, ensuring that only verified information is relayed to the public.

“Ensuring the public’s health and safety requires a unified effort from both the information sector and the health sector,” Dantiye remarked. “By working hand in hand, we can ensure that information regarding disease outbreaks is not only accurate but also serves to empower communities to take appropriate preventive measures,” he added.

Dantiye, who promised the support of the Ministry of Information to achieve desired objectives, explained that the meeting served as a platform to explore strategies for enhancing communication channels between information officers and health personnel at both the local and state levels.

In his remarks, the leader of the delegation from Kano State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Gano, Deputy Director Manpower and Training, Team Leader Tuberculosis and Leprosy, expressed their commitment to fostering a culture of collaboration and synergy among stakeholders involved in public health and information dissemination.

Dr. Gano affirmed the Ministry of Health’s dedication to supporting initiatives that promote the seamless integration of information dissemination and public health efforts at the grassroots level.

In a similar development, the State Commissioner of Information also received a delegation from UNICEF led by Ogu S. Enemaku, Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, UNICEF Kano Field Office.

Enemaku said the visit was to renew the sense of purpose and determination to foster closer collaboration between the Ministry of Information and UNICEF, with a shared commitment to safeguarding public health and promoting accurate and reliable information dissemination.

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