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Boko Haram attacks Yobe military base, kills soldier

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Boko Haram attacks Yobe military base, kills soldier

Suspected Boko Haram terrorists about midnight of Saturday attacked a military base in Gujba town, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, killing a soldier.

The Yobe State Police Command spokesman, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, who confirmed the attack to The According, said a military patrol vehicle was also torched by the suspected terrorists.

Reliable local sources told The According that the suspected insurgents, who stormed the town by 12 midnight, shooting sporadically and subsequently attacking the military base, were later repelled by troops who chased them out to the surrounding bush.

A resident of Gujba, Modu Bahna, while narrating his ordeal, said, “They (suspected terrorists) stormed the town some minutes after midnight, shooting sporadically and the majority of us took to our heels into the surrounding bushes for dear lives.”

Another source at Gujba, Dala Bukar, said, “The attackers did not kill any civilian or looted food or other essential commodities stores.

“They only attacked the two patrol vehicles in the military base where a soldier was killed.”

Confirming the attack, the police spokesman, Abdulkarim, said, “The only thing I can confirm to you now is the attack, a soldier was killed and troops and CJTF engaged the suspected terrorists.”

The Maiduguri-Damaturu-Gujba-Biu Road, The According could recall, has been suffering a resurgence of attacks by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in recent months.

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New constitution requirement for national development

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New constitution requirement for national development

The majority of Nigerians agree that the 1999 Constitution should be discarded and a new one written to accommodate the political, cultural, and economic realities in the country. As a country, we cannot get it right, politically, and achieve economic and technological development when our country’s administration is based on a military contraption called the 1999 Constitution.

As we make efforts to make Nigeria better, a new constitution should be written to address our country’s multifarious problems. One of those problems is the citizens’ right to contest for elective positions in the areas where they are domiciled. For example, an Igbo man, who was born and bred in Kano, and does his business there, should be eminently qualified to contest for elective posts in Kano.

For our country to move forward, matters regarding the National Assembly should be tackled holistically by the constitution. Must we completely copy the presidential system of government without adapting it to suit our country’s cultural peculiarities? Left for me, I prefer a unicameral legislature to a bicameral legislature to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria. It is quite disturbing that federal lawmakers receive humongous pay for doing little. The wages they receive are a huge drain on our finances. Reducing lawmakers’ wages will make the National Assembly less attractive and reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria. Today, both the green and red chambers of the National Assembly have become a stamping ground for superannuated former state governors.

Another matter hindering our country’s development is election litigation. It will be in our national interest if it is enshrined in our constitution that all post-election litigations should be concluded before state governors and the President are sworn in. Concluding electoral litigations before they are sworn in will prevent them from being distracted while they are leading the people.

It is commonplace in our country for a governor who came into office via judicial means to discontinue the programmes of his predecessor in office. And it is not unlikely that he will annul all the political appointments made by his predecessor. These disruptions in the leadership of a state will hinder the economic, technological, and political growth of the state. Another vexatious matter that has always cropped up during national discourse is the creation of more states. However, the fact is that most states in the country are not economically viable. They depend on the centre for sustenance as they are always financially insolvent.

Therefore creating more states in Nigeria will bring about the niggling problems of boundary demarcation and sharing of jointly owned assets. The sharing of jointly owned assets and boundary demarcation can breed acrimony between the people of the two states, which may result in violence and bloodshed. So why should new states be created at this time when the bond of our unity is tenuous and fragile, and when most of the states in Nigeria are economically unviable and financially insolvent?

The right thing to do now is to create more local government areas in Nigeria to address the problem of the imbalance of local government areas in the country. The comparisons made between Lagos and Kano states show that Lagos State was shortchanged in the creation of local government areas. This necessitated the creation of more local government development areas in Lagos State by Bola Tinubu when he was the governor of the state.

More local government areas should be created to correct the imbalances in the number of local government areas in the country to bring government nearer to the people at the grassroots. Efficient and autonomous local government areas in Nigeria will be a fillip to the nation’s rapid development.

  • Chiedu Okoye can be reached via 08062220654

Many feared killed as Plateau youths clash over disputed land

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Bandits kill seven, injure scores in Plateau market attack

Several people have reportedly been killed and houses burnt following a clash between rival youths in the Mikang Local Government Area of Plateau State.

It was learnt that many people were also injured during the clash said to have started on Saturday night between Taroh and Motola youths in the locality and lasted until the early hours of Sunday.

The state Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms, confirmed the development to According Metro in Jos on Sunday.

The commissioner, who blamed the ugly situation on disputed land in the area, said, “I have just called the Mikang Local Government Chairman over the issue who told me that it is something that could have been avoided and not allowed to escalate to the point that people lost their lives; and at the moment, there are persons receiving treatment at the hospital.

“It started as a result of a dispute over land. According to the LG chairman, the land in question cannot even produce six bags of rice, and you know when people are attached to their land, they can go the extra mile, and it is something they could have controlled their nerves, but somehow, it got to a point where others too joined them and houses were burnt down, and people were maimed.

“But as it is, the affected areas have gotten relative peace because the Divisional Police Officers in Mikang, Lantang North, and LGAs have come together to address the problem. So, the LG chairman has been on the matter since 8am today (Sunday) to pacify the people and to make them see the need to embrace peace.”

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Minister canvasses syringe importation ban

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Minister canvasses syringe importation ban

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, has called for a total ban on the importation of needles and syringes to encourage local production and help to grow the nation’s economy.

Alausa stated this during his visit to the Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited Syringe factory in Ogun State, according to a statement on Sunday signed by the Resident Media Consultant of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Sayo Akintola.

Alausa, according to the statement, visited the factory with the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Doris Uzo-Anite; the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, the United Nations Deputy Secretary General, among others.

The minister reaffirmed the determination of the Federal Government to provide the necessary support to the local manufacturing sector to enhance its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product.

He affirmed that the restructuring of syringe and needle production in Nigeria aimed to guarantee the availability of high-quality products manufactured by Nigerians to generate lucrative employment opportunities for Nigerians.

The minister implored NAFDAC to ensure that unbridled importation of syringes did not hamper the development of the local industry through unhealthy competition.

“Don’t give them any more authorisation to import. We need to protect the local industry through the backward integration model aimed at enhancing the local capacity,’’ he said.

On her part, the NAFDAC DG reiterated the need for a holistic approach by relevant agencies of government to solve the problem of substandard falsified medical devices coming into the country through the ports.

According to her, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency has also been directed to patronise local manufacturers of syringes to provide employment opportunities for Nigerians through the expansion of operations of the Nigeria manufacturing companies.

Adeyeye said the NPHCDA was given the last import order in December 2023.

“However, for the local manufacturers, we are doing hand-holding with our syringe companies. Hand-holding, means we are working with them by correcting whatever we find wrong or inappropriate in their operations,” she said.

On his part, the Chairman of Mikano International, the parent company of Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited, Mr Mofid Karameh, said the company was poised to revolutionise the landscape with its aim to restore Nigeria as the premier hub in Africa.

The Managing Director of Afrimedical, Mr Akin Oyediran, also emphasised the company’s plans to manufacture high-quality syringes not only for Nigeria but also for some neighbouring countries.

BoI launches programme to tackle food insecurity

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BoI launches programme to tackle food insecurity

The Bank of Industry has launched a palliative food programme to cushion the effect of economic challenges Nigerians are facing.

Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, who launched the programme at the BoI’s head office in Lagos, recently, said the move came on the heels of the current administration’s effort to support the vulnerable.

The minister stated, “The launch of the BOI Palliative programme is a strong commitment to food security. We are seeking ways to address the food insecurity issues currently being faced in the country. The Federal Government is aware of the skyrocketing food prices and is working with relevant stakeholders in the food value chain to address this challenge.”

According to the Managing Director, BOI, Dr Olasupo Olusi, the development finance institution is working closely with the Federal Government to ensure that the palliative gets to the targeted beneficiaries across the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory starting in Lagos and Abuja.

He said that the bank would be engaging its food processing customers for the purchase of food items at affordable prices while also working with all the state governors for the sharing/donation of the purchased food items.

BOI recently launched the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme, which provides N50,000 grants to qualifying small businesses across various sectors nationwide.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the country’s inflation stood at 31.70 per cent in February, driven majorly by food inflation, which was 37.92 per cent.

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Aiyedatiwa, Akinterinwa campaigners bicker over billboards destruction

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Aiyedatiwa, Akinterinwa campaigners bicker over billboards destruction

Ahead of the April 15 governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, the Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation, on Sunday, alleged that the destruction of its billboards by thugs suspected to be supporters of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Both Aiyedatiwa and Akinterinwa are among the APC governorship aspirants in Ondo State.

In a statement on Sunday by its spokesperson, Mr Segun Ajiboye, the Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation called on Aiyedatiwa to rein in his supporters and caution them against further destruction of Akinterinwa’s billboards.

However, the Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers, through its Director of Publicity, Mr Kayode Fasua, denied the allegation, describing it as falsehood and a ploy to drag the name of the governor in the mud.

But the WACO, which recalled that many of the Akinterinwa’s billboards were allegedly destroyed by Aiyedatiwa’s supporters during the visit of President Bola Tinubu to the state in February, said Aiyedatiwa had yet to fulfill his promise to look into the matter.

The Akinterinwa group said, “Recall that we equally raised the alarm back in February when the governor’s thugs unleashed mayhem on the people during President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the family of the late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. While the governor vowed to bring to book those behind the heinous attacks, it is not surprising that nothing has been heard of the case since.

 “The actions of the governor and his thugs have continued to bring the name of our great party into disrepute, while other political parties in the state stand on the sidelines watching and plotting how to exploit the situation.

“Again, we want to use this opportunity to urge leaders of the APC in Ondo State and at the national level to caution Governor Aiyedatiwa before he destroys the party in the state. We also call on all security agencies, including the police and the DSS to ensure the safety of supporters of other aspirants and their properties across the state.”

But the director of Aiyedatiwa’s campaign group, Fasua, described the claim by WACO as an attempt to discredit the governor.

“They are alleging the destruction of their principal’s billboards by political thugs loyal to the governor but display a sheer lack of smartness in cooking up the lie. For instance, a single proof of identification of where the thugs reside as base, and who their commander is, are never cited in the gale of accusations.

“What is clear to all, however, is that most of the deified billboards under reference appear inferior, suggesting that they were poorly erected and of weak gait. Remember that this is the rainy season accompanied by whirlwinds, thus justifying the time-tested saying that all pretensions will collapse.

“Rather than drag the good name of Aiyedatiwa into apparent internal dishonesty in their camp, they are best advised to set up a probe panel within their tent, to find out who cut the corners, “ Fasua stated.

Police in manhunt for fleeing nurse over failed abortion

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Police in manhunt for fleeing nurse over failed abortion

A yet-to-be-identified nurse in Oke-Owa in the Ijebu Ode area of Ogun State is currently on the run after allegedly carrying out an abortion on one Deborah Sokoya.

According to the information made available to According Metro by a police source, the said abortion failed, leading to serious bleeding and the subsequent hospitalisation of the victim.

Our correspondent further gathered that Sokoya had earlier informed her partner, identified as Peter Balogun, that she would be paying a visit to her elder sister, known as Mutiat Sokoya.

After reaching Mutiat’s house located in the Iperin area of Ijebu-Ode, According Metro learnt from the source that Deborah was lured by her elder sister to the location where the alleged abortion was carried out.

This, according to the police, led to uncontrolled bleeding, and the victim was subsequently taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, when contacted about the incident on Saturday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, said a preliminary investigation showed that the boyfriend who reported the matter had also financed a separate abortion on the same girlfriend as far back as 2023.

She added that both Mutiat and the boyfriend of the victim, Balogun, had been detained for interrogation.

Odutola said, “At about 6pm on March 20, 2024, one Peter Balogun approached the Igbeba Police Division over the termination of his unborn child. He said his girlfriend visited her elder sister in Oke-Owa in Ijebu-Ode, where a nurse was said to have performed an abortion on her without Deborah or his consent.

“The abortion reportedly failed, and this led to serious bleeding and subsequent hospitalisation. Our officers visited the victim in the hospital, where she is responding to treatment. We have arrested the sister who took her for the abortion.

“Our preliminary investigations further showed that the complainant had also financed another abortion on the same girlfriend in September 2023. He is being interrogated as well.

“However, efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing nurse and others who participated in the abortion.”

Operators link rising slums to shortage of affordable houses

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Operators link rising slums to shortage of affordable houses

Operators in the built environment have blamed the rising slums in the country on the shortage of affordable houses for the less privileged.

In an exclusive interview with The According, the Executive Secretary of the Association of Housing Corporation of Nigeria, Toe Eniola, said families facing economic hardship were resorting to slums for housing due to unaffordable rents or the shame of returning to villages empty-handed.

He said, “With the current economic reality, people are seeking alternative means of survival, and it is not out of context to see families opting for slums as alternative housing if they could not afford soaring rents any longer.

“Those who could no longer cope may opt to go back to the village, while those who could not face the shame of returning to the village without anything tangible to show may have to resort to slum settlement. Is it normal? No, because everyone as a citizen deserves habitable housing, and in the absence of any that is affordable, the poor need to breathe and have no choice but to settle in slums.”

Similarly, the Managing Director of Fame at Oyster & Co. Nigeria, Femi Oyedele, said due to a lack of adequate housing options, people were forced to reside in slums.

He noted, “The predicament of those moving to slums is not a consequence of their actions but rather a compelled search for a suitable place to dwell. If their current living conditions fall below standards and are unsuitable for human habitation, it is the responsibility of the government.

“People do not voluntarily choose to reside in slums as an alternative to adequate housing, rather, they are compelled by circumstances beyond their control. When we designate a product as a fundamental necessity, it implies that individuals cannot function without it. A home is essential for providing shelter and rest.

“If the government fails to fulfill its responsibility of ensuring decent housing for its citizens, individuals may find themselves forced to reside in substandard conditions, including sleeping in gutters. It is not the shame of the people but the shame of the government that people cannot afford decent accommodation befitting human beings.”

Speaking on the health implications, an estate surveyor, Olorunyomi Alatise, stated that slums were not an alternative means to housing in the long run.

He remarked,” While slums can serve as housing for the impoverished when no affordable alternatives are available, residing in such areas carries significant health and safety hazards. Slums typically feature substandard construction, inadequate access to essential services like clean water and sanitation, and may be situated in perilous locations.

“Additionally, they often exhibit elevated levels of crime and violence, and residents may face limited opportunities for employment and advancement. While some individuals may turn to slums out of necessity, they are not a viable long-term housing solution.”

Sign of harsh economic reality

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Sign of harsh economic reality

THE shutdown of nearly 1,000 manufacturing industries between January 2023 and now is an uncomfortable reality of the parlous state of the Nigerian economy, which is tottering on the verge of collapse. The industrial sector is highly impacted by the crisis in the economy with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria reporting that 767 manufacturers shut down operations, while 335 became distressed in 2023.

According to MAN, exchange rate volatility, extreme inflation, epileptic power supply, and depleting purchasing power, among other economic challenges, are some of the impertinent factors that have worsened the investment climate.

Thus, capacity utilisation in the sector has declined to 56 per cent amid rising interest rates and scarcity of forex needed to import raw materials and machinery. The inventory of unsold products increased to N350 billion, and real growth dropped to 2.4 per cent in the same period.

The exchange rate volatility has hit the country badly with the naira losing over 25 per cent of its value by June 2023, just two weeks after President Bola Tinubu took over, falling to N632 per $1 from N463 per $1 the previous month after the Central Bank of Nigeria abolished the multiple exchange rate window and temporarily halted interventions in FX markets. The currency reached an all-time low of N1,680.50 in February 2024 and traded at N1,382 per $1 as of March 21.

On the back of the steep rise in food prices, the headline inflation rate rose to 31.70 per cent in February, up from 29.90 per cent in January.

The woes of the manufacturers are compounded by a high level of insecurity in most regions of the country manifested in mass abductions, banditry, and killings, which made a lot of regions in the country ‘no-go’ areas for distributors of manufactured goods. According to the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, between January and October 2023, 7,046 people were killed in violent attacks across Nigeria.

Another major impediment to manufacturing in the country is the abysmally poor power generation and distribution system with Nigeria able to generate a miserly 5,000 megawatts. It distributes just a little over 3,000MW to a population of 220 million. The cost of generating alternative power by MAN member-companies was N639 billion between 2014 and 2021.

Nigeria has one of the world’s highest volume gas reserves but is struggling to use it to generate electricity to power homes and industries. To halt the dangerous exit of manufacturing concerns from the country, the government needs to sort out the power sector fast.

A good way to start will be a deliberate policy to utilise most of the gas being flared to generate electricity, while the distribution companies must be given to more competent investors who will not only invest in the business but bring modern technologies and serve consumers and allow them to pay for only what they consume.

Nigeria has poor infrastructure with inadequate and dilapidated road and rail networks. Massive investments must be made to develop roads and rails with the private sector and international investors playing a key role.

The current losses being declared by many companies on the backdrop of naira volatility must be halted, while multiple taxations by the three tiers of government should be urgently addressed to give manufacturers a breathing space.

The forex crisis and the other problems bedevilling the Nigerian economy have made international airlines charge exorbitantly high airfares. Breweries and cement manufacturers, among others, have been raising the prices of their products to cope with the rising cost of production, while attacks on and looting of trucks delivering goods to some parts of the country must be halted.

The federal, state, and local governments should create an atmosphere conducive to the private sector to create jobs.

Speaker commends Tinubu, Sani over Kaduna schoolchildren’s freedom

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Speaker commends Tinubu, Sani over Kaduna schoolchildren's freedom

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has lauded President Bola Tinubu over the release of the schoolchildren abducted in the Kuriga community of Kaduna State.

Governor Uba Sani, on Sunday morning, broke the news of the release of the students, saying they were unharmed.

Gunmen had, on March 7, 2024, invaded Kuriga, a community in Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State, and abducted the students.

Since the incident, efforts have been made to ensure their safe release so they can be reunited with their parents.

The combined efforts of security agents paid off as Sani announced the release of the students on Sunday

A statement issued by the Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Musa Krishi, quoted Abbas as saying that Tinubu is living up to the task of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.

The statement read, “We commend Mr President and the Kaduna State Governor for their relentless efforts, which culminated in the release of the students. Governor Uba has demonstrated good leadership.

“We commend the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, for the role he played in the release of the students.

“We equally commended the security agencies, especially the military, for their determination and commitment in the release of the Kuriga students.”

The lawmaker, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State, however, urged the armed forces to be more steadfast and determined in their operations, as well as ensure the rescue of other Nigerians captured by criminal groups in different parts of the country.

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