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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.
Kano state governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has raided a warehouse where over 1,000 bags of maize were distributed by the state government as palliatives were diverted and hoarded.
Kano Focus learned that the governor busted the warehouse, located at the Sharadaan industrial area of Kano City on Saturday.
The governor, was visibly angry after seeing how the 10kg bags of maize meant for poor people were emptied and the maize grains re-bagged in larger unmarked bags, apparently to be sold in the open markets.
It could be recalled that over 200,000 bags of food items had been distributed by Mr Yusuf, a few months ago to vulnerable people to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.
It is understood that Governor Yusuf vowed to uncover and punish the persons behind the diversion and hoarding of the relief materials.
….. Set aside Six Billion for Six 6,000 Beneficiaries
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
In fullfilment of one of the campaign promises as contained in his blueprint, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano state has Saturday flagged-off the first tranche of settlement of death benefits to deceased civil servants and gratuity of pensioners to about six thousand (6,000) beneficiaries who exited from the civil service and deceased workers between 2016 and 2019 totalling billion naira at an elaborate occasion that was held at Coronation Hall Government House.
KANO FOCUS reports that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf said the payment was possible despite meagre resources, inherited empty treasury and competing developmental projects as the government had blocked leakages of public funds siphoning and more viable projects for people of the state.
A statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to the governor Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa quoted Yusuf saying his administration was highly concerned with the plight of pensioners especially those at the lower level as they are the end receipients of the economic hardship occasion by the removal of fuel Subsidy in the country.
The Governor added that to ensure the continuation of the settlement of the backlog, 10 billion naira was propose in the state next year’s budget for more inclusion of gratuity and death benefits of bereaved families of deceaseds civil servants to enjoy their legitimate entitlements.
He made a clarion call to the receivers of the funds, to make judicious use of what they collected and invest wisely in lawful businesses for more incomes to cater for their day to day needs and other necessities of life.
In his submission, the deputy governor and Commissioner for local governments and Chieftaincy affairs, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo appreciated the selection of beneficiaries with not more than 3 million at the state level, 1.5 million at local governments levels all within grade level 1-6.
The Executive Chairman of Kano State Pension Trustees Fund, Alhaji Habu Muhammad Fagge, said the commencement of liquidating the backlog and ensure prompt payment of gratuity and death benefits was a clear indication of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s zeal to better the lives of pensioners and provide succur to the families of deceased civil servants.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano state government has announced that out of the 138,430 tested for HIV, 4,728 have been found to be positive from January 2023 to date.
KANO FOCUS reports that with this figure, it indicates that a total of 46,732 persons are living with the disease and receiving treatment in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, made this known on Friday while delivering a speech at the commemoration of this year’s World AIDS Day in Kano.
He, however, disclosed that the state has improved its strategies to halt mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS by successfully conducting tests for 95 percent of all pregnant women during their first ANC visit, out of which only 0.04 percent are found positive.
He stated, “We have tested a total of 138,430 people for HIV and found 4,728 positive and have successfully initiated new 4,140 HIV-infected persons on ART from January 2023 to date.”
He noted that “Currently, the state has 46,732 people living with HIV receiving treatment.
“We have improved our strategies to halt mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS by successfully conducting HIV testing for 95 percent of all pregnant women during their first ANC visit, out of which only 0.04 percent turned HIV positive,” the Commissioner stated.
Dr. Ladan further explained efforts by the state in managing the situation where he said, for the first time, the state has achieved a state HIV budget target of 3 percent, N2 billion, of the total health budget in the proposed budget submitted to the Kano state Assembly.
The event themed “Let Communities Lead” was in collaboration with the USAID in Kano as well as other partners.
He said that the state government appreciated the support of partners like USAID, LHSS, NEPWHAN, and KanSLAM for their advocacy engagements towards achieving the KSACA’s budget.
Earlier, the Director-General of the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA), Dr. Usman Bashir, said SACA has brought on board 600 persons living with AIDS to benefit from the free healthcare service package introduced by the state government.
Dr. Bashir then hinted that “Most of the beneficiaries are children of those who died of HIV, as well as those children living with the disease.”
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Gov. Yusuf flag-off settlement of death benefits, gratutity to Kano pensioners
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