Bauchi Gov Commissions Environmental Science Laboratory

Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi state has on Monday commissioned the first environmental science laboratory in the state, designed to test 15 environmental core components.

Commissioning the project at the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency, BASEPA headquarters, the Governor said modern environmental science facility will serve as a reference centre for testing the quality of core environmental components which include water, soil and plants.

According to him, the laboratory will also serve as a one-stop-solution centre for analysing and safe custody of samples gathered from the environmental scan.

Governor Bala Mohammed directed BASEPA to conduct environmental scan for the state to highlight both existing and anticipated environmental problems across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

The governor opined that the move was to identify vulnerable groups,  measure the magnitude of the problems, proffer solutions in accordance with the Best Management Practices as well as provide costs estimates for implementation of the proffered solutions.

” I am happy to inform you that, the sophistication associated with the installed capacity in the laboratory allows for a test of a minimum of 15 parameters of each of the core environmental components listed above.”

“This, is but a platform for enriching lives in the context of a well-protected environment hence, the aspiration of every progressing society. We do everything within the context of the environment”, the governor stated.

The governor who argued that no sustainable development could be achieved without being mindful of the environment, said his administration is not only safeguarding the environment, but also improving it for future generation.

Governor Bala Mohammed who recalled that, the administration had inherited unwholesome environment from the previous administration, said so far, the state government has recorded gigantic improvement in waste management through construction of modern and durable waste collection centres.

“It is strong fact that makes environment our priority. Government knowing fully well the need for evidence and empirical data in dealing with emerging environmental problems, we join the global trend of responding to issues based on scientific facts.”

The governor said the state government is currently formulating favourable policies that will clearly outline and inform the citizens of the state about their roles and responsibilities in ensuring clean environment.

He said the draft of Bauchi State Waste and Pest Management Policy which is currently under review by relevant stakeholders and recent directives for environmental sanitation exercise in the entire state are parts of effort to achieve clean environment.

The governor was also conferred an award of excellence “Clean-Up Nigeria”, which rated the State as the cleanest in the north east.
The governor who expressed gratitude to the organisation for the honour, also assured that his administration will sustain the development.

​We’re not Lazy, Kaduna Communities Youth Cries Out

By Habila Victor, Kaduna.

Youth from Chikun Local Govt. and Kaduna South Local Govt. Areas of Kaduna State have debunked the allegations that youth from the communities are lazy, rather opportunities are not given to them to prove their mettle by policy makers.

They stated this during a town hall meeting involving the two councils organized by Accountability Lab Nigeria, (ALNG), in Kaduna on Saturday.

The participants who  bare their minds at the meeting, said it wasn’t as if youth in these Councils are lazy or uneducated, but that their communities are backward as a result of lack of government’s  presence .

Earlier, Team Lead, Civic Action  ALNG, Mr  Shiiwua Mnenga, had informed the gathering that the Inclusion project is designed to give voice to voiceless  particularly the women, People with Disability (PWDs) and the youth.

He urged participants to bare their minds on what affects them in their communities, and what they needed government to do, to ensure every citizens benefits from government’s infrastructure.

The District Head of Makera, Alhaji Shehu Tijjani, who spoke through his Ward Head, Alhaji Yahaya Musa, said the meeting was a right step in the right direction.

He however advised his subjects to always communicate issues affecting them to adequate authorities.

In the same vein, the District Head of Gwagwada, Alhaji Shittu Abdullahi, who was ably represented by Alhaji Umar Hassan, appreciated ALNG for the gathering describing it as apt and prayed such would be sustained.

A participant, 38 year-old widow, Alheri Ibrahim, lamented that poor Nigerians are the ones who filed out early to vote during elections; unfortunately this same group rarely benefits from government infrastructure.

“I’m a widow with 2 children with no visible source of livelihood. I survive with my children via little help from good spirited Nigerians.  

Mrs Ibrahim called on governments at all levels to look into the plights of women, especially the widows, youth, PWDs, who according to her, suffered most.

Also, the National President of People with Diasability, (PWDs), Alhaji Rilwanu Mohammed, expressed dismay over non representation of policy makers at the event.

“I expected government officials to be part of this town hall meeting where citizens interact face-to-face and express their feelings, problems and expectations to them. 

“Unfortunately, we are here as participants non of the policy makers is in attendance and I doubt if our messages today will get to them as they are not here,” he said.  

He cautioned the government to see the issue of #ENDSARS as a warning sign to come out to address issues concerning the masses in the country.

Chikun and Kaduna South LGAs are chosen for the pilot programme of Inclusion Project by a None-Governmental Organizatation, ALNG, seeking to ensure every Nigerians benefits from government’s infrastructure.

​N554m grass-cutting scandal: EFCC re-arraigns ex-SGF, Babachir Lawal

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday re-arraigned former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, before an Abuja High Court at Maitama, over alleged complicity in grass cutting contract fraud to the tune of about N554 million.

Lawal, who served as SGF under President Muhammadu Buhari between August 27, 2015, and October 30, 2017, entered fresh plea of not guilty to an amended 10-count charge the EFCC preferred against him and six others.

The other six Defendants that were also re-arraigned by the anti-graft agency, are; younger brother to the former SGF, Hamidu Lawal, Suleiman Abubakar, Apeh Monday and two companies – Rholavision Engineering Ltd and Josmon Technologies Ltd.

The ex-SGF was among other things, alleged to have connived with the other Defendants and illegally diverted a contract the Presidential Initiative for North East, PINE, awarded for the removal of grasses in Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps, to his own company.

Meanwhile, the Defendants, who pleaded innocent to the amended charge read to them before trial Justice Charles Agbaza, persuaded the court to retain the bail conditions it earlier handed them.

The defendants were initially docked before the court on February 12, 2019.

Their re-arraignment yesterday followed the demise of the former trial judge in the matter, Justice Jude Okeke.

The trial had already proceeded with EFCC calling its witnesses, before Justice Okeke’s death on August 4, 2020.

Following the development, the case-file was re-assigned to Justice Agbaza for the trial to commence de-novo (afresh).

Late Justice Okeke had on February 13, 2019, granted the Defendants bail to the tune of N50 million each, with one surety in like sum.

The court equally seized their international passports, even as it barred them from travelling out of the country without permission.

Justice Agbaza slated January 20, 2021, to restart their trial.

Some of the counts in the charge marked CR/158/19, read: “That you Engineer Babachir David Lawal while being the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and a director of Rholavision Engineering Ltd, on or about the 7th of March, 2016 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did knowingly hold indirectly a private interest in the consultancy contract awarded to Rholavision Engineering Ltd for the removal of invasive plant species and simplified irrigation to the tune of N7, 009,515.96 (Seven Million, Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifteen Naira and Ninety Six Kobo only) by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) through the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

“That you Engineer Babachir David Lawal while being the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and a director of Rholavision Engineering Ltd on or about the 4th of March, 2016 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did knowingly hold indirectly a private interest in the contract awarded to Josmon Technologies Ltd but executed by Rholavision Engineering Ltd for the removal of invasive plant species and simplified irrigation to the tune of N272,524,356.02 (Two Hundred and Seventy Two Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty Six Naira and Two Kobo only) by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation through the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 12 of Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

“That you Engineer Babachir David Lawal while being the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and a director of Rholavision Engineering Ltd on or about the 22nd August, 2016 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did knowingly hold indirectly a private interest in the contract awarded to Josmon Technologies Ltd but executed by Rholavision Engineering Ltd for the removal of invasive plant species and simplified irrigation to the tune of N258,132,735.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Eight Million, One Hundred and Thirty Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty Five Naira only) by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) through the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

​INSECURITY: APC govt has not done well —Senate spokesperson

The lawmaker representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Senator Basiru Ajibola, yesterday, took a swipe at the All Progressives Congress, APC, led Federal Government over the poor handling of the security challenges saying it has not done well.

Reacting to the massacre of farmers in Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists, Ajibola, who is the Senate spokesperson, restated his call for overhauling the country’s security architecture and urged the executive arm to look into the propriety of retaining the Service Chiefs.

Speaking on a radio programme tagged: ‘Frank Talk’ in Osogbo, Osun State, he said the Federal Government has not done well in securing the lives and property of Nigerians.

His words: “I will say with all modesty, humility that I am afraid and in line with my oath to the constitution, our government is not doing well at all in the area of security. Section 14 of the Constitution stated that security and welfare should be the primary purpose of government. You will discover that security is even mentioned before welfare, a society that is not secure cannot talk about welfare. Our administration, I am not blaming anybody, I am blaming us as an institution, we have not done well in the area of security.

“We have not done what we ought to do. The killings of farmers in Borno State is so scary that I find it very hard to sleep, it is scary when you see innocent farmers been brought down in those circumstances. With that lamentation, I think I will reiterate the call of the National Assembly that the Executive should look into the question of the propriety of retaining the service chief. This has been a resolution that the Senate has passed to the executive arm.

“There is a need to dismantle the over-centralised unitary security architecture of Nigeria. I have sponsored a bill on State Police; it is before the Constitutional Review Committee. The executive needs to work to decentralize the Nigeria Police operationally and budgetary along the zonal line and structure. If we are not doing this, we will just be wasting time over the issue of security.

“We also need to look into the area of the economy; it is an integral issue when it comes to security. Our economic issue has now even been exacerbated, the country has entered into a recession, food items are now expensive, and unemployment is getting scarier. Rather than talking about politics, we need to take the issue of governance seriously; we need to think outside the box on security. We cannot have security for a very large country like ours in this unitary system.

“The EndSARS crisis really put forward the need to have a decentralised structure. A situation where hoodlums destroyed property and loot others unchecked showed that we have not done well. I think there is still time to take the bull by the horn for our party to redeem itself and give what the Constitution demands of us (Security and Welfare) to our people.”

​Lies used against IPOB to justify Obigbo massacre — Kanu

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday, alleged that outlandish concoctions and outright lies were used against IPOB to justify the Obigbo massacre.

Mazi Kanu also alleged that the Nigerian Army Defense Headquarters is obstructing independent investigations into the #ObigboMassacre, adding that the Federal Government of Nigeria, Rivers State Government and the Nigerian Army have always used lies to vilify IPOB, while using kid gloves for terror franchise groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP and herdsmen who have continued killing innocent people.

Mazi Kanu, in a statement through IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful, said that he has challenged the Nigerian Army Defense Headquarters to allow independent investigation into the #ObigboMassacre if they know that Army is not lying against IPOB.

His statement read: “If all the outlandish concoctions and outright lies against IPOB used to justify ObigboMassacre were true, why is the Nigerian Army Defense Headquarters obstructing independent investigations? Governor Nyesom Wike demonized Obigbo people just to kill them and sadly, the killings are still ongoing but no action was taken by International Criminal Court – ICC, US Ambassador to Nigeria, UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, EU Mission to Nigeria, etc.

“It is now clear the international community no longer cares about victims of state orchestrated mass murder like what obtained in Obigbo. Appealing to the moral sense of responsibility of conscientious civilised nations no longer work. Perhaps, they want survivors of these brutal massacres all over Nigeria to go into armed resistance.

“Meanwhile, the much ‘respected’ terror franchise like Boko Haram, ISWAP, herdsmen and bandits are busy chopping off the heads of rice farmers in Borno. The cowardly bunch of murderers in uniform only have power over unarmed citizens.

“Countries like the United States of America, especially those apologists for impunity in Nigeria at the US State Department, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Turkey and European Union that supply arms to Nigeria are equally culpable in the murder of innocent people at Obigbo in Rivers State and Lekki toll gate in Lagos State.”