The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has commenced the distribution of food items donated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief
By Ezra Musa
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has commenced the distribution of food items donated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to 1,750 vulnerable households in Jigawa.
Mrs Zubaida Umar, Director-General NEMA, during the inauguration of the distribution on Saturday in Hadejia said it was to support the vulnerable citizens and to cushion the economic downturn.
NAN reports that the leadership of the Saudi Arabia-based KSrelief has been providing humanitarian aid and relief to those in need outside the Kingdom’s borders.
Represented by the Director, Special Duties, Fatima Kassim, Umar said that the donation of the food was timely, as it coincided with the Holy month of Ramadan.
She said, “Each household will get a total of 59.8kg of food items, including rice (25kg), beans (25kg), masa vita flour (4kg), tomato paste (2kg), vegetable oil (2 litres), seasoning cube (0.8kg) and salt 1kg.”
Umar urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the items to give succour to their families.
She added, “The humanitarian footprints of KSRelief had impacted several disaster hot spots in Nigeria affected by land-use conflicts, communal crisis and banditry.”
Umar commended the Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, and the Prime Minister, Mohammad Bin Salman for the support, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
On his part, Haruna Mairiga, Executive Secretary, SEMA, Jigawa said, “This show of compassion has confirmed the long historical and brotherhood relationship that exists between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.”
He also commended NEMA for the collaborative effort with the agency and urged the beneficiaries to use the items judiciously.
The Emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, commended King Salman and KSrelief for the gesture, saying that it came at the right time due to the economic hardship being experienced.
He urged the beneficiaries to extend the love to others around them by sharing what was given to them especially in this hard time.(NAN)
Former Vice President of Nigeria and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential flag bearer in the last general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has called on Nigerians to emulate the virtues of love and sacrifice which characterised the life of Jesus Christ.
In a message released by his Media Office in Abuja to mark the Easter celebration, the Waziri Adamawa described those two qualities as essential to the unity that Nigeria so desperately needs at this time when vested and provincial interests threaten to tear our nation apart.
“This Easter, we join our Christian brothers and sisters in Nigeria and across the world to celebrate the essence of the festivities. This commemoration is a time for deep reflection as it marks the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is a time to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need.
“It is also a time for all of us — regardless of faith, or ethnicity — to come together to pray for the peace of our nation. We must all remain constant in our efforts to promote unity,” Atiku said.
He expressed the belief that Nigeria shall rise and overcome her national challenges.
“Our shared experiences are bringing us to the conclusion that no matter what the forces of evil can do, when we are united in good conduct, we shall prevail,” Atiku said.
The Waziri Adamawa also encouraged Nigeria’s leaders to use the opportunity of the Christian celebration of Easter to reflect on their stewardship to the people and to the nation.
“Our leaders at all levels should follow the virtues that define this season – sacrifice, love, and charity – and come together to help all Nigerians resolve the differences that divide us.
“We must not allow those who seek to divide us to pretend as if our problems are as a result of another ethnic or religious group,” he said.
Ambassador Joe Keshi has been elected the National President of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria. This was announced via a press statement dated March 27, 2024 issued by Ambassador Martine Gereng-Sen, Publicity Secretary of the association.
Also elected 1st and 2nd National Vice Presidents respectively were Ambassador Lai Laseinde and Ambassador Haruna Wando, while Ambassador Ali Ocheni was elected Secretary General.
In his acceptance speech, Keshi said the association will continue to cater for the welfare of members in addition to providing sound advice to the Federal Government on foreign relations.
He said his leadership will help the Nigerian government advance and deepen the nation’s foreign policy.
The association has over 300 members who served the country in various diplomatic missions abroad as well as those who attained directorate levels at the headquarters in Nigeria.
Ambassador Keshi has over 35 years working experience in the highest level of Government serving as
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, The
Presidency; Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Nigeria, The Hague, The Netherlands; as well as Consul
General of Nigeria, Atlanta, Georgia.
He holds a B. Sc in political science from University of Ibadan Nigeria; an M.A. in Administration and Development from Institute of Social Studies, the Hague, Netherlands and Post-Graduate Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy from Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos, Nigeria.
He was a former Chairman of United Bank for Africa, and he is currently the Director-General of the BRACED (Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Delta) Commission, a socio-economic development organisation of the six South-south states.
Not desperate, never agitated, not rebellious, not a mischief-maker, Chief (Architect) Gabriel Aduku exited this world of desperation,
By Theophilus Abbah
Not desperate, never agitated, not rebellious, not a mischief-maker, Chief (Architect) Gabriel Aduku exited this world of desperation, agitations, rebellion, and mischief on March 10, 2024, few weeks after his 80th birthday. He was an unexplored treasure to humanity, a rare human resource and a man with a candle that shone in Nigeria’s pitch darkness. His calmness, his speeches, salted with grace, and carefully chosen diction could calm any storm. He had a still small voice even in turbulence. Architect Aduku’s presence was a commanding power in every atmosphere where he was found. For decades, he was typically identifiable in his white flowing gown and red cap. The late Chief (Arc) Aduku would ‘never hurt a fly’. His demeanor was not the story of weakness, but more of focus. Obviously, these attributes facilitated his creative ingenuity in the execution of architectural and leadership projects, for which he was transcendental.
Only recently, on January 25, 2024 at the Daily Trust Annual Dialogue, a day before he flew to the United States, never to return, as was characteristic of him, he demonstrated his uncommon passion for the North where he was born, educated, practised architecture, managed multiple business ventures and participated in politics for development. It is on record that before he was elected as the Chairman of the elite Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in 2023, a body that conceived developmental agenda for the whole of northern Nigeria, the late Chief Aduku had conceived and enumerated an avalanche of projects that could elevate the North from being the country’s poverty capital to a prosperous, viable and enviable region in Nigeria and Africa. For him, the potential for the emancipation of the North was embedded in its natural endowments: waterways, mineral deposits, human resources, and pragmatic politics.
Over the brief period he served Nigeria as Minister of State for Health in 2007-2008, Chief Aduku set in motion the process of eradicating one of the major killers of the young and old in Nigeria – malaria. At that time malaria killed a record 300,000 babies annually, more than HIV did. In his drive to see it eradicated, Chief Aduku went to a renowned professor of Environmental and Insect Toxicology, Don Pedro Kio, who was lecturing and conducting researches at the University of Lagos, to understand the history and the strategies other countries adopted to tackle malaria from the colonial era up to that dispensation.
After the study, Chief Aduku came up with an approach that would have primarily ensured that insects were knocked off at larva stage through environmental management, as well as biological and chemical controls. Other strategies included indoor residual spraying (IRS) and insecticide treatment nets (ITN). The plans also included the deployment of satellite imagery to achieve photo-maps highlighting breeding sites.
The plan to eradicate insects that transmitted malaria from Nigeria was elaborate, but it could not be implemented as Chief Aduku’s tenure was truncated by controversial charges in a cesspool of corruption, for which he was later discharged and acquitted by both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court on November 9, 2009.
Though his dream of eradicating malaria from Nigeria was aborted by political intrigues, Chief Aduku’s passion the for the development of the North and, indeed Nigeria, considering the low hanging opportunities in the region remained undaunted. In a press interview, Chief Aduku discussed the vision behind the creation of the North Central Peoples Forum (NCPF).
The late Chief Aduku was not comfortable about the half-hearted dredging of the River Niger and Benue, considering the economic benefits of the two rivers that spread across Nigeria. In the interview Chief Aduku said, “I have written to our colleagues, the Arewa Consultative Forum, to take it [dredging of Rivers Niger and Benue] up with President, Muhammadu Buhari. But from the records so far, especially since the beginning of Independence till now, every government has been saying that it would try to dredge the river. But over the years, the dredging has not seen the light of day. I have been on this issue since 2012. In 2018, I went to Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to raise it, but up till now, there is a lackadaisical attitude towards it. I personally would like to see Rivers Niger and Benue come upstream. All Nigerians must think about it because the fruits in it are enormous…”.
The late architect had said further that “The North Central Zone is full of development tools that can be used to harness the whole country together. Iron and steel is one big issue. But for the past 30 years, it has been abandoned. That was a project that would have landed the country in a full global iron and steel economy apart from other local market opportunities that it would have offered the people for economic prosperity. Since 1983 when it became moribund, it has not received any appreciable support to resuscitate it. The economic benefits of iron are so enormous and do not need much cry for it to be given attention…”
It was not only the moribund iron and steel company that was a source of concern to the late Aduku. He spoke about several others: “There are over 40 mineral resources under the soil. Kogi has a lot of them. Instead of leaving them to banditry exploitation, the right people must be engaged to maximize them for economic prosperity. In Niger State, you have the Kainji Dam… The Jeba Paper Mill could be resuscitated to maximize its economic potential. But we prefer to be importing papers from countries that are not blessed with rich vegetation like ours because papers come from wood. The newspaper industry spends staggering amounts of money on the importation of papers. If we can develop our paper mills, we, too, can become an exporter of papers and a source of supply to the newspaper industry and then, our economy can be better for it…”
Chief Aduku was never dormant politically. Active over the years, he left some remarkable footprints. He was not only a member of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) but served as the State Chairman in Benue and pioneer Chairman of NRC in Kogi State where his contributions led to the emergence of the late Prince Abubakar Audu as the Governor of the state under the flag of NRC. He was also a member of the defunct Democratic Party of Nigeria; and one of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). To his credit, the late Chief Aduku designed the logo of the PDP as it is known today. He could be simply described as a silent political juggernaut. Apart from being involved in politics, he was an entrepreneur, having established several companies. He was an active participant in the Organized Private Sector (OPS) in Nigeria. He chaired the boards of several national companies. His roles in some of the entities included Senior Partner, Archcon Nigeria (Architects), 1972-84; Chairman, Nigeria Merchant Bank Limited, 1977-80; Chairman, United Nigeria Insurance Company Limited, 1980-83; Director, Beecham Limited, 1980; Executive Chairman, Archcon Nigeria (Architects); Chairman/Director, Kapital Insurance Limited; Chairman, Benro Packaging Company; Executive Chairman, ARCHCON Nigeria Limited; Chairman. AGY Nigeria Limited; Member of Council University of Maiduguri, 1976-80. The list is endless.
Many young Nigerians may have heard about Chief Aduku being described as an architect, but they are unaware of the impact he had made in the sector. He was one of the earliest architects to emerge from Northern Nigeria and had served as Vice President and President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. He would later become the Chairman of the board of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. He also served as Council Member, International Union of Architects (1993 – 1999).
Some of the outstanding architectural projects his company Archcon Nigeria executed include the followings: 500-bed General Hospital at Gbagada, Lagos; master planning and design of faculty buildings at the University of Sokoto; Bauchi State Government Secretariat; multi-storey building at Northern Nigerian Investment Limited, Kaduna; residence of the Nigerian ambassador in Germany, Bonn; and private residence of the late President Shehu Shagari.
Others are the premises of Savannah Bank, Kaduna; United Bank for Africa, Zaria and Makurdi branches; 60-staff standard design for Union Bank of Nigeria; First Bank of Nigeria, Bauchi; Bank of Commerce and Industry; Kaduna International Trade Fair Complex; military buildings, Military Cantonment, Jaji, Kaduna; second aircraft hangar, classrooms and jet simulator complex for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre, Zaria; office complex of NICON Insurance Plc, Abuja; Benue State Government Secretariat, Makurdi, new Lokoja General Hospital; Maitama District Hospital, Abuja, and Karu General Hospital, Abuja. He was indeed an enviable icon in the architectural profession.
The late Chief Aduku hailed from Anyigba in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. He was born into the family of the late Pa Aduku Agwuye Aga and Mrs Ajetu Aduku on February 3, 1944. He was the Amana Ogochi I of Igalaland, a title bestowed upon him by Atta Igala. He attended Qua Iboe Mission School, Idah; Okene Secondary School, Okene; and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained both B.Sc and M.Sc Architecture in the 1970s.
He devoted the later part of his life to the service of God and humanity. He led several campaigns against political violence, armed thuggery and other vices in Igalaland. He was Chairman of Kogi East Elders Council, a post he held till his passage to glory. A very notable role he played for the Igalaland was his challenge of the 2006 population census in which the Igala were shortchanged in their majority population position in the state and Nigeria at large. He stood for and spoke the Igala voice up to the Appeal and Supreme Courts, until the case was thrown out. However, this did not go down well with a section of Kogi State.
The late Chief Aduku was happily married to Lydia Iye Aduku and, as stated in the Bible, “Blessed is the man whose quiver is filled with children”. The union is happily blessed with six children. He was a loving husband, a caring and darling father and a philanthropist who put smiles on the faces of orphans and widows. He saw many indigent students through school via admissions and payment of tuition fees, both at home, abroad and across religions. The late colossus equally contributed immensely to the growth of the church having served as an Elder in the United Evangelical Church till his exit from this world. It is on record, too, that he sponsored many Muslims on Hajj. He was widely travelled, having visited many countries of the globe. He loved playing golf and reading, especially at his spare time.
Though the Igala nation and Nigerians who interacted with Chief Aduku are mourning his death, it is apparent that he made social, political and economic imprints that will remain indelible for decades after his exit. May his soul rest in peace. Theophilus Abbah lives in Abuja
As Christian faithful across the globe celebrate Easter, a day set aside to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the death, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dauda Ali Biu has congratulated all Christians across the country.
Assistant Corps Marshal Jonas Agwu, mni, Corps Public Education Officer, FRSC Headquarters, Abuja disclosed this in a statement Saturday.
Agwu revealed that in his official message to Christians in Nigeria, Dauda Biu urged the motoring public to imbibe the teachings and lessons of love and compassion that surround the Holy week and the purpose of the resurrection of Christ.
He emphasised that the wanton destruction of lives and properties on the nation’s highways resulting from people’s impatience would been avoided, if people properly imbibe the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
Dauda Biu admonished the faithful as well as members of the general public not to jettison the rules in the course of the celebration, but to continue to observe them in order to build on the gains so far made by the Corps’ in its mission to make the highways safer for all to use.
Speaking further, the FRSC Corps Marshal urged the celebrants to use the period of the celebration to offer special prayers for our country while restating the commitment of the Corps towards sustaining its present successes in road crash reduction.
He disclosed that Commanding Officers across the country have been given directives to be on the alert during the celebrations, to provide all necessary support to members of the public and to particularly attend to whatever emergencies that may arise.
He called on members of the public to join the FRSC in its ongoing campaigns for safer road environment by promptly reporting any road and other emergencies they notice to the FRSC Call Centre through the toll free line: 122 or directly to the studio of the National Traffic Radio through the telephone lines:08052998090 or 09067000015.
The newly appointed Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council (ENTRC) His Royal Majesty Igwe Samuel Asadu of Edem-ani Ogwugwu community in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State says he will ensure adequate welfare for traditional rulers in the state.
Asadu made the pledge in Nsukka on Saturday in a remark during a brief reception by Edem-ani people on his arrival at Edem-ani after his appointment by Enugu State Government as the new Chairman of traditional rulers in Enugu State.
Enugu State Government had in a statement signed by Prof Chidiebere Onyia, the Secretary to the State Government on Thursday announced Gov Peter Mbah’s approval of Asadu as the new Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council..
Asadu took over from His Royal Majesty Igwe Lawrence Agubuzo the former Chairnan.
Asadu said he would ensure adequate welfare of traditional rulers who are custodians of people culture and traditions in the state.
“As the new Chairnan of the council, I will ensure adequate welfare for traditional rulers in Enugu State.
“ENTRC will key into the economic development policies and programmes of Mbah’s adminstration to move the state to greater heights.
“I will mobilise traditional rulers to give unalloyed support to the governor to enable him to achieve his good visions to the state,” he said.
The new Chairman expressed appreciation to Mbah and the entire people of the state for finding him worthy to pilot the afairs of traditional rulers in the state.
“I will ensure my appointment adds more value to traditional institution in the state.
“I see my appointment as a call to service and I will do that to the best of my ability as well as bring speed and momentum to the system.
“The people of Enugu State is lucky to have Mbah as their governor because he has demonstrated high capacity and ingenuity in harnessing human and natural resources in the state
“I will mobilise traditional rulers in the States in support of Mbah’s administration as well as key into the economic development plans of the state,” he said.
He urged traditional rulers in Enugu State to open their minds for change, I will work to ensure that their welfare is improved upon to enable them to take care of themselves and discharge their duties comfortably,” he said.
In a remark Mrs. Grace Onyishi, the acting Town Union President of the community said that Edem-ani people were happy on the appointment of Igwe Asadu as the Chairman of traditional rulers in Enugu State and decided to come out en mass to receive and celebrate with him.
She thanked the state governor for the appointment and expressed optimism that Igwe Asadu would bring his wealth of knowledge and innovation to bear in repositioning the traditional institution in the state.
Speaking, Edeoga David Ajibor, the Eldest (Onyishi) man in the community who was represented by Ozor Matthew Ezea said that it is a blessing and thing of joy that their traditional ruler had been appointed as the Chairman of traditional rulers in Enugu State.
He promised that the community would give the Asadu their maximum support to enable him to excel in this service to humanity.
In a remark, Mr Kenechukwu Omeje, Youth President of the community said that the community was not surprise on the appointment of Asadu as the Chairman of traditional rulers council by Enugu State Government because of his superlative performance as traditional ruler.
“Edem-Ani youths are happy and excited with the elevation of our amiable traditional ruler, that is why we rolled out drums and turned out en mass to welcome and celebrate with him,” he said.
In an interview with our reporter, His Royal Highness Igwe Herbert Ukuta, the Traditional ruler of Iggah Community in Uzo-Uwani LGA, who was appointed as the 3rd Deputy Chairman of ENTRC.
Ukuta thanked Gov Mbah for appointing Igwe Asadu as chairman as well as other members of the council to pilot the affairs of traditional rulers in Enugu State.
He described the appointment of Asadu as one of the great things that had happened to Nsukka zone in particular and Enugu State in general.
“Asadu is intelligent, enlightened, widely traveled and has the capacity to take the traditional institution in the States to a greater height.
Ukuta, urged all traditional rulers n the state to give Asadu the necessary support to enable him achieve his good vision.
Highlights of the occasion were display of different dancing troops and masquerades from Edem-ani
On behalf of the 108 APC Non-Serving Senators Council,we extend our heartfelt birthday wishes to our esteemed President,leader and Colleague,Distinguished Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR.
As our President, you have consistently demonstrated the ability to confront challenges head-on,inspiring us to follow your lead.
As the Jagaban warrior, you have fearlessly led our country on the economic war, chatting a path towards prosperity and growth.Under your leadership,Nigeria’s stance on the global stage is undergoing a profound strengthening.
As fellow members of the APC Non-Serving Senators Council, we stand united in our commitment to support you in your endeavors.Together we will continue to work tirelessly to advance the interests of our party and the Nigerian people.
Happy Birthday, Mr President! May the Almighty Allah continue to keep you in His Guidance.
Mustapha Habib Ahmed : Those who are appointed at the pleasure of the President, to sensitive and critical Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are offered a unique opportunity to make a mark in the polity by impacting positively on the citizenry and populace.
But public service is increasingly becoming a thankless job in Nigeria where it has now become the norm for political appointees to be hounded and demonized when they leave office.
This happens many times because there is always scant proof of performance. Nigerians are often confounded by what political appointees do or achieve while in office. The question that roils their minds, to borrow a leaf from the annual lawyer fest convened years ago by the late Efere Ozako, is – wetin government appointees dey do sef?
That is, however, one question very few would ask of Mustapha Habib Ahmed, the immediate past Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Appointed to head the emergency agency on May 31st, 2021, Habib Ahmed sat in the saddle up until his handover to the incumbent Director General, Mrs. Zubaidah Umar who was appointed on March 15, 2024.
At the hand over-over ceremony on March 20, 2024, Mustapha Habib Ahmed displayed the same uncommon traits that have defined his tenure at NEMA with a proper and precise hand-over session to his successor.
‘Proper’ and ‘precise’ are two words that come to mind when you think of Mustapha Habib Ahmed, the multi-lingual business administration graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Born in Kaugama, Jigawa state in 1970, Ahmed studied at Federal Government College, Kaduna and Focus Tutorial College, Lagos before proceeding to ABU for his undergraduate degree.
An astute and successful businessman, his professional career saw him excel in communication and supply chain in engineering before rising to the position of Director of Finance and Administration at the Sealag Alliance Nigeria Ltd. He would later become the Managing Director of Rapid Engineering Company Limited both in Lagos.
His political sojourn was no less stellar with stints as Member Board of Trustees (BOT) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Member, Directorate of Logistics, APC Presidential Campaign Council, National Chairman of the Buhari Support Group, member of the Presidential Campaign Council in 2019 etc.
His appointment as the DG of NEMA was loudly applauded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) which noted that his appointment was more than a reward for party loyalty but a “recognition of selfless service to the country, attributes which clearly describe your persona. We trust in your capacity to acquit yourself creditably well in your new assignment.”
Skeptics may well have seen those words as mere platitudes issued by political colleagues but a consideration of Mustapha Habib Ahmed’s stewardship will show clearly that the businessman, technocrat and politician acquitted himself creditably over the course of his almost three year stint at NEMA.
Immediately after the hand-over, Habib Ahmed was joined by his successor and members of staff of NEMA for group photographs and farewell outside the brand new premises of NEMA. It was a telling moment because the building, which was hitherto abandoned for six years, was brought to completion by Habib Ahmed thus bringing all departments and units under the same roof.
But he did not just deliver a building; he delivered a world class disaster management facility boasting the very best amenities – Emergency Situation Room, GIS Laboratory, Nigeria Mission Control Centre (MCC) for tracking of distressed aircrafts and ships, Emergency Call Centre, Staff Clinic, and Library.
Speaker after speaker showered encomiums on the outgoing DG and from their tributes what came across was a man who led from the front with a leadership style that can easily be encapsulated under four broad themes: Co-ordination, Collaboration, Capacity building and Communication.
Coordination: Disaster management is about proactive co-ordination of disparate strands. During his time at NEMA, Habib Ahmed ensured that focus was placed on ensuring that the tools which facilitate co-ordination and the discharge of their mandate were available, fully maintained and in tip-top shape.
The Hytera modern communication system was deployed to enable real time communication and live streaming of events from incident sites both in Nigeria and abroad for a better coordinated disaster response; Medical Intensive Care Units (MICU) Ambulances, Search and Rescue Boats, extrication equipment and operational vehicles were procured to strengthen the capacity of NEMA Search and Rescue teams in all the six zones’ while the NEMA Air Wing comprised of the Fixed Wing Cessna Citation Air Ambulance and Bell 22 Helicopter which had been grounded for five years were revived to enhance capacity for Search and Rescue and medical evacuation.
Coordination also went beyond hardware to include processes. The launch of the NEMA Service Charter in 2023 was to help institutionalise and operationalise processes with a formal document that encapsulates and articulates NEMA’s obligations to its service users in terms of benchmarks and information dissemination.
During his tenure, NEMA also developed a comprehensive national Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2024-2030) and Action Plan (2024 – 2027) that addresses and puts in context the evolving landscape of risks and challenges facing Nigeria
The Special National Economic Livelihood Emergency Intervention (SNELEI) was a special intervention aimed at supporting the long-term recovery of the nation through the distribution of relief materials such as food and non-food items like water pumps, mattresses, and agricultural supplies.
Proper and precise coordination were key to the successes recorded in the evacuation of stranded Nigerians from various hotspots; Sudan, Libya, Ukraine, India, Dubai and Turkey and it was a delighted Mustapha Habib Ahmed who announced at the conclusion of evacuations from Sudan on 28 July, 2023 that “we have not lost one Nigerian life, which is most important to us.”
Collaboration: Mustapha Habib Ahmed’s savvy, urbane and national outlook as a politician, businessman and student who lived and studied in different parts of the country was obvious in his uncanny ability to forge partnerships and facilitate collaborations during his time at NEMA.
On Thursday August 10, 2023 NEMA reconvened the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF), a meeting of multi-sectoral stakeholders comprising agencies of Government, international organisations and the United Nations systems was predicated upon the recognition of coordination and collaboration as vital components of disaster management.
Under his leadership, NEMA emphasised Nigeria’s triple response structure and aligning NEMA to that structure ushered in a hitherto unseen level of collaboration between NEMA and national, state and sub-national level actors. NEMA and State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) were for once, true partners in progress.
But collaboration wasn’t limited to emergency agencies. NEMA under Ahmed prioritised engagement with national-level agencies like the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) by paying attention to their annual predictions and forecasts especially the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) respectively. This led to the comprehensive mitigation of the effects of flooding in 2023.
That collaboration also extended to bilateral and multilateral cooperation and partnerships with participation at various global fora in fulfillment of Nigeria’s commitment to international protocols. NEMA participated and represented Nigeria in the midterm review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015 -2030 held between 18th and 19th May, 2023 at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, USA and fostered collaborative partnerships with the United States, Madagascar and others.
Capacity building: A veritable sponge for knowledge, Mustapha Habib Ahmed placed a premium on capacity building and knowledge sharing during his tenure and he was sector, nationality and structure agnostic. Doctors, soldiers, students, community volunteers, journalists, nurses, voluntary organisations, all received emergency response and disaster management especially as first responders.
Under his leadership, NEMA facilitated a training program on Incident Command System (ICS) and Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the US Forestry Service.
A ground-breaking collaboration with the Disaster Management Centre of Bournemouth University saw NEMA hosting an Executive Disaster Management Course which focused on finding ways to enhance the capacity of disaster responders.
Communication: There is a common saying attributed to Stuart Britt and it goes like this: Doing business without advertising is like winking at someone in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.
During his tenure at NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed showed, without equivocation, that he is not one to wink in the dark. He was a master of communicating plans, processes, initiatives, knowledge and impact.
Under his watch, NEMA’s website was unarguably the most vibrant website of any MDA in Nigeria. Reports on the agencies activities and initiatives were shared copiously and timeously keeping stakeholders informed while the DG’s X (formerly Twitter) handle provided a weekly run-down of his itinerary and activities something not commonly seen in these climes.
The communication of NiMEt and NIHSA’s predictions and forecasts captured as “the downscaling of disaster early warning measures to grassroots for effective live-saving early actions” ensured that the devastation from the floods of 2022 did not repeat itself in 2023.
After his formal handover, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, presented a comprehensive, precise and proper scorecard on March 25, 2024, highlighting how his activities at NEMA impacted the nation in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
In his scorecard published on social media, Ahmed thanked his colleagues and collaborators at NEMA while emphasising the agency’s “significant transformation, elevating itself to the forefront of disaster management not only within Nigeria but across the entire West African sub-region.”
He noted that even though “Nigeria’s disaster risk profile and the resulting humanitarian outcomes, stemming from both natural and human-induced disasters, have experienced a notable upward trajectory” the effects have been meditated, moderated and minimised considerably because of NEMA’s proactivity under his leadership.
Mustapha Habib Ahmed’s example is not just a humble invitation for scrutiny and corroboration, it is also an example of the standard all public officials and political appointees should aspire and be held accountable to.
**Toni Kan, a PR and developmental expert writes from London.
The newly formed Alliance of civil society groups who work to expose the truth behind the tactics of violent extremist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, have spoken about the utter disregard for human life and respect for the Islamic faith both Boko Haram and ISWAP have in response to recent atrocities.
Intended as a wakeup call to all those engaged in the fight to defeat violent and extremist groups in Nigeria and beyond, the Truth Alliance are exposing the truth behind recent kidnappings describing them as “very destructive to the fabric of our once peaceful society” after describing violent extremist groups as “morally bankrupt” for lying to the people of Nigeria who continue to suffer every day from their acts of violence that leaves a trail of destruction and death.
Ahmad Mustapha, a member of the Truth Alliance said, “violent extremist groups always conveniently find ways to hide the truth about what they do. They are always out to harm innocent people, they lie, the cheat and they commit all sorts of crimes against every member of the society. They claim to represent Islam, but the truth is far from that.”
Commenting on the death of innocent Muslim worshippers after a recent suicide bombing in Northeast of Nigeria, some members of the Truth Alliance described the killings as having no part in Islam, revealing instead their “utter disregard for those who choose to worship during the Holiest month of the year.”
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has assured 2024 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia of a hitch-free exercise.
The FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, gave the assurance at a one-day seminar for officials and intending pilgrims, at the permanent Hajj camp, Bassan Jiwa, in Abuja on Saturday.
Mahmoud, who was represented by her Chief of Staff, Dr Abdullahi Isah, said that the administration was proactive in ensuring that all intending pilgrims complied with relevant policies to participate in the spiritual journey.
This, she said, was in spite of the challenges imposed by new policies introduced by Saudi Arabia and relevant authorities for the 2024 exercise.
To achieve this, the minister said that the administration introduced the seminar aimed at educating the officials and intending pilgrims about the possible challenges of the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
This, according to her, attest to the seriousness of the administration’s desire towards recording more successes in the exercise.
“It is the conviction of the current administration that the pilgrimage to the holy land is a journey of a lifetime which every Muslim with all the means is enjoined to partake.
“The present administration remained committed in doing everything possible to ensure that FCT contingent gets the best treatment compared to any other state of the federation or even the world in all ramifications,” she said.
Mahmoud said that the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board had begun implementation of strategies to actualise the success of this important religious obligation.
She identified some of the strategies as orientation and education of intending pilgrims, radio enlightenment programmes, and medical screening.
Others, according to the minister, are inoculations and other programmes organised to address possible obstacles that may hinder the success of the Hajj operation.
“I am, therefore, convinced that with the commitment of the entire officials, coupled with full-fledged conduct of our intending pilgrims both at home and in the holy land.
“This year’s Hajj operation, in spite of all possible challenges, would by the grace of Allah, be rated higher than the previous ones,” the minister said.
The Director, FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Malam Abubakar Evuti, said that the board had conducted two phases of education and orientation exercises, adding that the radio enlightenment programme would commence after fasting.
Evuti added that the board registered low turnout of intending pilgrims for the 2024 exercise due to the high cost of hajj fares.
He, however, said that the board would continue with its line of activities in accordance with the efforts by the FCT administration.
This, he said, would ensure optimum service delivery, so that the intending pilgrims would attend Hajj Mabrur. (NAN)
