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Insecurity, economy: Don’t blame Buhari, blame yourselves for deteriorating situation – Group slams NASS
Nasiru Yusuf
A group under the auspices of Non State Actors Consultative Forum, NOSACOF has challenged lawmakers plotting the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari not to blame the President for the growing insecurity and economy challenges among others bedevilling the country but blame themselves for being part of the problems and watch the situation deteriorate to current level.
KANO FOCUS reports that the convener of NOSACOF, Abdulrazaq Alkali while addressing newsmen on the plot to impeach the President, said they know that Buhari is weak and has failed, but the NASS have also failed to carry out their roles of oversight function due to their incompetency to find lasting solution to the menace.
Alkali however maintained that the impeachment plot was ochestrated by aggrieved ruling party, APC members who lost their seats in the party primaries.
According to him, “We the members of Non State Actors Consultative forum (NOSACOF) feel a sense of responsibility to lend our voice on this issue in defence of democracy and the unity of Nigeria.
“The economic and security challenges bedevilling Nigeria as a nation have got worse in recent months. More and more Nigerians have fallen below the poverty line, and terrorism by bandits and faceless terrorist acting against defenceless citizens have continued with little resistance from the Nigeria’s security apparatus. Inflation is on the rise, and citizens are finding it very difficult to keep up cost of living. There have been a lot of fingers pointing, as well as accusations and counter accusation between citizens and the government as well as between warring ethnic nationalities. It is indeed a very trying time for Nigerians!
“Amidst all these turbulence, legislative chambers in Nigeria are most at times full of dramas due to the incompetent behaviour of some the legislators, a dangerously new twist have started
to untold in the National Assembly, where some members of the opposition and some disgruntled members of the ruling party are making moves for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari and fuelling accusations and sentiments against the president and his team in order to get backing from Nigerians. However, in doing so, they have failed to look at the failures of both national assemblies (house and senate) and how their incompetence’s have contributed to the worsening economic and security the situation in Nigeria.
“We can all agree that the current security problems of Nigeria today have been as a result of accumulation of years of incompetence, selfishness, greed, injustice and corruption perpetrated by mostly political leaders who are shielded by ethnic and religious entities, a weak and corrupt Justice system and to some extend by common citizens. As such despite some weakness on the part of President Muhammadu Buhari, it will be unjust to lay all the blame on his table and start calling for his impeachment, rather the legislators have also failed to carryout the oversight functions on the various security arms of the government despite billions of dollars budgeted for security.
“We are fully aware that we have numerous reports about how the public funds budgeted for the procurement of arms were being diverted and a number of times this legislators failed to call the people responsible to come and account before nigerians. As we are aware, they are part of the problem because majority of them focused their attention on befriending the head of these agencies in their chase for getting contracts and other financials gains.
“Similarly, they secured more debts for this country. A president cannot secure any debt without approval of the NASS. And they have done that a number of times. Now they have left us with over burden of debts.
“Secondly, we have come to realize the move to impeach the president is orchestrated by mostly members of the ruling APC who lost out at the presidential primaries and senatorial of the paty. Most of those in the forefront of the impeachment struggle are agents of some defeated candidates that will benefit if the president is impeached. While there are others supporting the impeachment out of sheer frustration to pull down the APC since they won’t return to the red chambers having been defeated earlier in the contest,” Alkali said.
He however cautioned against the impeachment plot noting that such move is capable of plunging the country into worse internal conflicts and chaos.
“The impeachment plot will create a high-level chaos that is capable of completely plunging the country in worse internal conflicts, it may never recover from.
“It is very clear that promoters of the impeachment just want to serve a selfish motive and interest. It is imperative for well meaning Nigerians not to allow themselves to be played by the selfish interest of a few, whose action will worsen the fragile situation in this country.
“It is very important for Nigerians to exercise caution and allow democratic process to take place through
proper electoral transition, the general election is just around the cormer, and the current administration will leave less than a year from now.
“We advise Nigerians to vote for competent leaders for both executive and legislative positions and to make sure that those we voted for next will put the interest of citizens first in everything they do,” Alkali however said.
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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