​Fedpoly Bauchi Alumni Association Elects New Officials

Habila Victor, Bauchi

The Alumni Association of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi has elected its new executive council and a representative into the Governing Council of the Polytechnic for the first time in over two decades.

Announcing the results of the election over the weekend, Chairman of the Alumni Electoral Committee, Ahmed Babayo, said 417 voters were accredited for the election where graduates of the polytechnic votes in the new officials.

Babayo announced that Abubakar Adamu Modibbo has been elected unopposed into the Governing Council of the Polytechnic as representative of the Alumni having scored 402 votes.

The Chairman of the Electoral Committee also announced that Comrade Usman Mansur Muhammad was elected Chairman unopposed having bagged 403 votes while Ahmed Ladan defeated Osie Emeka to the seat of Vice Chairman of the Association with 213 votes against 191 votes.

Gambo Tanimu Ibrahim of the Public Relations Unit of the Polytechnic was elected Secretary General of the Association unopposed with 400 votes and Hashimu Zakari Ya’u was elected Assistant Secretary General unopposed with 391 votes.

Muhmmed Rabi’u Muhammed clinched the seat of Financial Secretary of the Alumni Association with 410 votes having emerged as the sole candidate for that office while Ogune Vitoria emerged as Treasurer having amassed 400 votes.

The Chairman of the Electoral Committee commended the cooperation and support they enjoyed from all the alumni of the institution from their inauguration to announcement of winners of the election.

 He however announced that the Electoral Committee is hereby dissolved having accomplished its terms of reference.

The newly elected officials of the Alumni Association were sworn-in immediately after they were declared winners.

Abubakar Adamu Modibbo, the newly elected representative of the Alumni into the Governing Council of the institution, vowed to work tirelessly for the overall improvement of the welfare of the Alumni of the Polytechnic.

Modibbo promised to reposition the public image of polytechnic graduates through active policy formulation and collaboration among members of the Governing Council of the polytechnic.

On his part, Comrade Usman Mansur Muhammed, the newly elected Chairman of the Alumni, promised to ensure that, before his tenure elapsed, he put in place a structure for the Alumni having been inactive for over 20 years.

Comrade Usman promised to mobilise resources needed to address campus accommodation challenges bedeviling the polytechnic for many years.

​National Gas Expansion Programme: President Buhari to launch autogas scheme Dec 1

Driven by its desire to reduce high reliance on petrol and achieve a cleaner environment, the Federal Government gas concluded plans to launch Nigeria’s autogas scheme in Abuja on December 1, 2020.

In his presentation – Natural Gas: The Catalyst for Nigeria’s Economic Renaissance – at the stakeholders’ engagement over the weekend in Lagos obtained by Vanguard, Chairman, National Gas Expansion Programme, NGEP, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, said the scheme would be launched virtually by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim said that the autogas scheme and increased domestic utilization of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) would create about 12.5 million direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians.

He said: “We need about 500, 000 conversion engineers in the next 90 days to ensure that the retrofitting of the vehicles go as planned. Fifty conversion centres are currently upgrading for mass conversion and training.

“Already, over 30,000 vehicles are already running on dual fuels in Nigeria. NGEP would also train 10 entrepreneurs from every local government area in the country in the areas of burners, cookers, accessories production, and development of MDCs.

“The 90 days training is being undertaken by the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board and the Petroleum Trust and Development Fund. These entrepreneurs will get their own foundries for manufacturing and will thereafter train others as time goes on.

“The scheme aims at training entrepreneurs in the techniques, skills and production of domestic gas accessories -burners, cookers, stoves and kiosks for the LPG micro-distribution centers.”

He also said: “The trainees would acquire the skills to build small scale foundries at the local government levels, appreciation of basic metallurgy, acquire the skill of the art, science and practical skills of fabrication, learn business management and marketing techniques, learn the principles and practices of Health Safety and Environment issues and understand the principles of Quality Management and assurance.

“NGEP would make use of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, and Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board; NCDMB trained accredited Welding engineers and technicians as trainers and facilitators.

“NGEP would also use of sales and marketing trainers, Quality Management experts from the National Quality Infrastructure Forum, Safety experts from the Nigerian society of safety as well as the Standard Organization of Nigeria and safety device experts from the Nigerian LPG Association.

“The remunerations of the trainees and the upkeep allowances of the trainees shall be borne by the PTDF and NCMB during the period of training. The NCDMB shall be responsible for financing the starter pack kits made of welding machine accessories and basic tools to be given to the trainees upon graduation. The various state Governments shall be responsible for the initial patronage of the products of the graduates of the training scheme.

“The NGEP shall develop a marketing network incorporating LPG cylinder manufacturers, LPG accessories traders and marketers, and the micro-distribution centers to aid the market penetration of the products of the NGEP training scheme.

“The NGEP shall also facilitate the collaboration of the scheme with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and the Association of Local Government of Nigerian (ALGON) with a view to achieving market expansion at the grassroots levels in the country.”

He added: “The period of training shall be 90 days across designated workshops/technical schools in each geo-political zones as follows: South-South, South – East, South – West, North – Central, North – East and North West. The use of classroom teaching and practical techniques involving group and individual guided learning and practical sessions.”

​Buhari describes as insane Boko Haram killing of farmers in Borno

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief over the killing of farmers on rice fields at Zabarmari in Jere Local Government of Borno, describing the terrorist killings as insane.

The president made the condemnation in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Sunday.

President Buhari said the government had given all the needed support to the armed forces “to take all necessary steps to protect the country’s population and its territory.”

Buhari said: “I condemn the killing of our hardworking farmers by terrorists in Borno State.

”The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings. My thoughts are with their families in this time of grief.

”May their souls Rest In Peace.”

About 43 farmers were murdered while an unspecified number of others were unaccounted for when Boko Haram insurgents launched attacks on rice fields at Zabarmari.

Nine of the victims were believed to be settlers in search of greener pasture from Zamfara, seven from Kebbi and eight from Sokoto State while the remaining were indigenes of Zabarmari town.

The victims would be buried today (Sunday). (NAN)

​Explosion rocks Wike’s father’s church in Rivers

An explosion has rocked a church said to be owned by the father of Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, in Port Harcourt.

It was gathered that over five youths had invaded the church identified as Christain Universal Church International on 25 Azikiwe Street Mile, 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt and detonated the explosive suspected to be Dynamite, on Saturday night.

A source who spoke in confidence said the explosive blew up and shattered some parts of the church building.

It was also gathered that three of the boys were apprehended and handed over to the Police, by vigilante who were on guard.

Meantime, operatives of Eagle crack, an outfit of the state police command, Mopol 19 and other security agencies have taken over the area.