At least 60 homes and property worth millions of naira have been destroyed in Nasarawa State after a heavy downpour in two of the state’s Local Government Areas.
The Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA) director general, Zachary Allumaga, stated this while addressing newsmen in Lafia on Saturday, September 30, 2023.
He explained that floods in the two LGAs of Lafia and Toto in August left numerous residents homeless and destroyed the victim’s belongings.
The DG claimed the Federal University of Lafia’s off-campus student houses were impacted by the Lafia flood disaster, and valuables such as computers, mattresses, books, food, and other items were destroyed.
File video: Flooding in Kogi
Allumaga added that additional flooding was reported in Toto LGA, where over 60 homes were submerged and numerous properties were destroyed.
The NASEMA DG noted that preparations were underway to supply relief supplies to the affected towns and the Federal University off-campus in Lafia.
He further explained that the flooding in Toto LGA was caused by gully erosion.
Read The ICIR extensive reporting on flooding in Nigeria tagged FLOOD SERIEShere!
Toyin Falola Prize, organised by Lunaris, invites applications from African creative writers for its 4th edition.
The Prize was created to honour the historian and professor, Toyin Falola.
This year’s topic is Sacred, which will be interpreted generally in religious, secular, mysterious, moral, and treasured meanings. Sacred may or may not be about purity and consecration. What is holy can be physical, psychological, or political, says the organisers in the application call.
Interested African creative writers should submit short stories between 1,500 and 4,500 words, and writers between 15 and 35 can submit entries for the Toyin Falola Prize.
The winner will receive $1000 and an invitation to the BIGSAS Festival of African and African Diasporic Literatures at Bayreuth in Germany, while the shortlisted entries will get $100 each.
Applicants can send their entries to prize@lunaris.com.ng with the submission title: TOYIN FALOLA PRIZE 2023 SUBMISSION.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved an additional N25,000 to the “average worker’s” salary.
He announced this while delivering his Independence Day address to Nigerians on Sunday, October 1.
The President said the wage rise would take effect within six months.
Update:
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has promised to increase the minimum wage for ‘average workers’ in Nigeria by N25,000 for the next six months as part of efforts to cushion the effects of some reforms by his administration.
He disclosed this on Sunday, October 1, while delivering a speech commemorating Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day anniversary.
“Based upon our talks with Labour, businesses and other stakeholders, we are introducing a provisional wage award increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation. For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional N25,000 per month,” he said.
Noting that states have received funds to provide relief packages for residents, he promised a reduction in transport costs by introducing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses across the nation, which he said would operate at a fraction of current transport prices.
Although he did not disclose a definite date for introducing the buses, Tinubu said efforts were being made to hasten the process.
“The new CNG conversion kit will start coming in very soon, as all hands are on deck to fast-track the usual lengthy procurement process. We are also setting up training facilities and workshops across the nation to train and provide new opportunities for the transport operators and entrepreneurs,” he added.
The harsh living conditions in Nigeria have worsened following some reforms introduced by the Tinubu-led administration, including the removal of petrol subsidy and exchange rate unification.
Transport costs and prices of goods and services have increased, leading to protests by the Nigeria Labour Congress.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared an indefinite strike beginning on Tuesday, October 3, due to the federal government’s failure to alleviate the hardships caused by the reforms.
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria! 🇳🇬 On this special day, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and rich culture of our great nation. May the spirit of unity and progress continue to guide us toward a brighter future. Let's work together to build a Nigeria we are all proud of.… pic.twitter.com/W4j2gYdpUv
HEADS of drug law enforcement agencies in Africa have demanded the creation of specialised courts to hear drug issues and other cases of organized crimes on the continent.
This was one of the suggestions at the 31st Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLAF), which ended on Friday, September 29, in Abuja.
In a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, the body stated that African governments should consider establishing national specialized courts and asset recovery offices to deal with organised crime and money laundering, and to support tracking down, recovering, and managing criminal proceeds.
The forum recommended the use of some of the regional and international cooperation instruments namely West African Network of Central Authorities and Prosecutors (WACAP), the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network for Southern Africa (ARINSA), and the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network of West Africa (ARINWA) to support the goals.
The group also urged governments in African countries to promote cooperation and sharing of best practices in the confiscation of proceeds of crime, including drug-related cases.
“Governments should adopt adequate legal and regulatory frameworks on virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies, to prevent and combat their use for drug-related crime and money-laundering,” part of the statement read.
Other recommendations adopted by the HONLAF working group during the annual meeting include asking African governments to develop and implement drug policy responses that address, indirectly or directly, the environmental impact of illicit crop cultivation, drug manufacture and drug use, taking into consideration their positive and negative effects.
STAKEHOLDERS in the health and humanitarian sector have called for implementing policies on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for women in conflict areas in Nigeria.
Participants of a stakeholders consultative meeting held in Abuja on Friday, September 29, agreed on the need to address policy gaps and promote access to reproductive healthcare for women, especially in conflict areas.
The event was organised by the Theodora Anavhe Adamu Foundation (TAAF) and was focused on women in the North-Eastern part of the country.
The meeting focussed on “Addressing Gaps in Policy and Access to Reproductive Health Rights for Women in Conflict Context”
Convener of the meeting, Odion Ikyo, pointed out that women and children were at the receiving end of sexual abuses resulting from insecurity in Nigeria.
Ikyo, a Reproductive Health Rights Advocate, presented research carried out in the North-Eastern states which showed that access to sexual and reproductive health care in the region had been relatively low.
She told The ICIR that the event aimed to develop actionable plans that could close policy gaps affecting service delivery in sexual and reproductive health care.
“I believe that policies affect a whole lot. No matter how great my idea is to change things, if there are no favourable policies, it would even go far. So, since some lawmakers were represented here, we are hoping as we send this to the ministries and the National Assembly, they will be able to come back to review all these laws and check if they need to strengthen the mechanisms they have or train more service providers,” she said.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Betty Edu was represented by Mfawa Usani, who urged subnational governments to complement the federal government’s efforts in addressing the issue.
“Most of those government sectors are not doing what they should do. And that is as if the government is not working. No matter what we want to do at the federal level, if the state and the local government are not replicating our efforts, the government will not work. That is where the gap is. That is why it looks as if the policies are not working,” she said.
She urged the various government sectors to be more proactive in health and reproductive rights issues.
Those present at the event include representatives of the Ministries of Women Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Foreign Affairs, the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and some lawmakers.
A Federal High Court in Kano ruled on Friday, September 29, that the state government pay N30 billion as compensation to the Incorporated Trustees of Massallacin Eid Shop Owners following the demolition of their buildings in June.
High Court Justice Samuel Amobeda ruled that the demolition exercise was illegal.
The compensation includes N10 billion in damages for violation of the applicants’ rights to life, dignity, and ownership of property, and N20 billion for highhandedness, impunity and disregard for the rule of law exhibited by the government during the process.
The state government embarked on a demolition spree under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf a few days after his inauguration, pulling down several shops, offices and other buildings worth billions of naira.
Yusuf said the properties being demolished were government lands sold off to private individuals by his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje. He also said the exercise fulfilled his campaign promises, adding that residents were satisfied with his actions.
However, many have insisted that the exercise was politically motivated and a vendetta mission against the previous government.
The ICIRreported that many state residents who lost their buildings to the exercise felt they were being targeted for belonging to the opposition party. Yusuf denied the allegation.
Following the ruling on Friday, the state Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General Haruna Dederi said the ruling would be appealed on several grounds, including that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case.
“The action that was instituted at the Federal High Court was by way of enforcement of fundamental rights, and issues that border on title were not even dealt with in that judgement. We have already prepared every paper, and we are going ahead to file an appeal against that petition because it’s a judgment that cannot stand.
“We are going to contest that at the Court of Appeal, and the land use decree is very clear about the governor’s powers over land in the state and more particularly in urban areas. It is a decision the court has passed, and we did not agree with,” Dederi said.
Meanwhile, The ICIRreported how the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sacked the state Governor Yusuf on September 20.
The tribunal consequently declared the All Progressives Congress candidate, Nasir Gawuna, as the winner of the March 18 governorship poll in the state.
The tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Yusuf of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) and give it to Nasiru Gawuna.
The three-person panel presided over by Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total votes.
The court declared the deducted votes invalid because the ballot papers were not stamped or signed.
The tribunal had earlier on Monday, August 21, reserved a ruling on a petition filed by the APC against Yusuf’s victory.
Chinese-affiliated miners operating under the licences of Eso Terra Investment Limited and Majelo Global Resources Limited, plundered the country’s natural resources at Kurebe and other surrounding villages while bribing armed bandits faction of Dogo Gide. For WikkiTimes, YAKUBU MOHAMMED unearthed the dark world of terrorism funding fueling insecurity in Niger State.
Despite the presence of terror groups — Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and the bandits’ faction of Dogo Gide — illegal mining activities continued in Kurebe and other surrounding villages, even after many residents deserted the axis following double-edged attacks from the military and terrorists.
Claiming to have acted upon intelligence, the Nigerian Air Force killed at least 14 villagers in Kurebe, including minor girls and a woman. The operations in April and August last year mistargeted the unharmed locals, leaving the terrorists unhurt.
The survivors of the military attacks fled to Udawa, a neighbouring community in Kaduna, and other places in Niger State. But the terrorists stayed back, making money from the illegal mining activities and demanding little from farmers who fell prey to them at times.
A local miner, *Yeri, believes the terrorists demanded less from their victims because they get more money from the mining activities. Two other local miners corroborated him but were afraid of speaking [in detail] about it.
Into the dark world of terrorism funding
Local miners who worked with the companies explained that there are three mining sites in the axis — one at Maikanwa, another at Santali and the other at Dagbace. One of the mined stones, Konzites, would be packaged in cement sacks and transported to Udawa, later to Lagos and finally, to China. The transportation chain was confirmed in a video obtained by Wikki Times.
On many occasions, the terrorists had seized the mined stones and stalled operations until they were bribed with millions of naira and motorcycles, the local miners revealed.
“When we finished excavating, the terrorists would not allow us to take the stones out until they were given money amounting to N5 million or more,” *Yeri disclosed.
*Yeri / Yakubu Mohammed
“The owners of the companies would be notified, and the money would be gathered for the terrorists,” he added. “It’s a recurring event; even motorcycles were taken to them. That’s the truth, but they don’t want it to be exposed, and they don’t want it to end.”
Miners dialogued with Dogo Gide’s mother
Yeri revealed how delegates were sent to dialogue with Dogo Gide’s mother at Palalli, a village where she gave birth to the kingpin about thirty years ago, WikkiTimes gathered.
“They visited Dogo Gide’s mother, and they discussed with her to talk to her son to allow people to do their work…,” he recalled. “At first, we were afraid of them, but now it has become part of us. We are no longer afraid of them. As I am talking to you now, I swear to God, even if it’s a hundred of them on the road, I will go.”
This was not the first time the terror kingpin’s mother would intercede between civilians and her terror son. She had done that many times, locals, including community leaders said. For instance, she took part in the negotiation for the release of students kidnapped from Federal Government College, Yauri in Kebbi state.
In an audio clip exclusively obtained by WikkiTimes, Ibrahim Usman Adam, one of the leading actors involved in coordinating illegal mining in the axis, confessed the dialogue with the terror kingpin’s mother before operations could begin at the sites.
Ibrahim, according to local miners, doubles as site manager for Eso Terra.
The mining company, trying to exonerate itself, stopped paying from its pocket; forcing local miners into hard labour to extract stones that would be sold to grease the terrorists’ palms.
“So the bandits were paid N3 million every week,” one of the local miners said.
When confronted with our findings on September 9, Ibrahim declined to comment. Initially, he denied affiliation with Eso Terra and Kurebe community. He would later open up when our reporter told him about the hard evidence at our disposal.
Bags of mined stones transported to Udawa, Kaduna State / Yakubu Mohammed
“I am not working with Eso Terra now. It was then,” he said, briskly, advising that further questions be channelled to government authorities.
“You can go to Shiroro and meet the chairman to ask questions about the communities. Even though my company works in Kurebe, you can not ask me,” Ibrahim yelled.
Also, Metteden Abba Abdulrahman, a director at the company, denied ever operating at Kurebe. Although the director did not deny knowing Ibrahim, he said he had never worked with him.
“I know Ibrahim as a normal person. He’s not my site manager,” Abdulrahman said over the phone.
He explained that the “self-acclaimed” site manager came to him, about three years ago, alongside one Ali Arzuka and “their Chinese” investors.
“They wanted us to partner with them, but I realised their style of mining was not up to standard,” he told WikkiTimes. “So Eso Terra has no business with bandits or the community.”
He claimed Ibrahim and the “his Chinese” used his title to gain access to the community.
“At the time, my title was about to expire, and we could not go ahead with the partnership,” he clarified.
Abdulrahman noted that there are laws guiding mining activities, and his company would not do anything at the expense of any community.
Research conducted by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based analytical group, revealed how Chinese companies bribed terrorist groups in some parts of the country to access mining sites.
SMB Intelligence shared its findings with The Times, a British newspaper, revealing videos of militant leaders boasting how powerful they had become that Chinese miners working in their strongholds had to pay “rent”.
“These guys are perfectly willing to pay off whoever needs to be paid off and have no qualms about it…,” Ikemesit Effiong, SBM’s head of research, had said.
A former commissioner among the syndicate?
Samaila Ibrahim Kuta, a former commissioner of youths and sports in Niger State, has been into local mining for a while, some local miners who had worked with him said.
The former commissioner, popularly known as Datti Majelo, owns Majelo Global Resources Limited, WikkiTimes can report. He had some time, last year, partnered with the other company to further plunder the resources in the community.
Samaila Ibrahim Kuta, CEO Majelo Global Resources Limited / Facebook
Unlike Eso Terra, Kuta, the local miners said, doesn’t have an excavator. “His company used dynamite to blast the rock,” said a local miner. “And that is why he joined hands with them [Eso Terra].
The partnership, according to our source, had fetched him N125 million between last year to now.
Kuta also feigned innocence when contacted. “I don’t have a licence or mining operation in Kurebe area,” he said via WhatsApp on September 10. “I can grant you an interview on this.”
When contacted a day after, he said “there is no evidence” concerning his operation in the area “because I am not working in that area and there is no evidence.”
The former commissioner admitted he had once operated in the area. “The last time we went there was before this insecurity — that was like 10 years ago,” he claimed.
Datti told WikkiTimes Eso Terra’s Ibrahim and Arzuka “were the ones operating in the area.”
Asked about his partnership with the duo, he said there was nothing like such.
“We don’t have partnership per se. What happened was that they encroached into my licence before it expired,” claimed Datti. “So I got information that they were working in my area under my licence.”
He continued: “I reported the matter to the Federal Mines Officer last year, and that was the first time I saw Ibrahim and Aruka. We met with Mine Officers in Minna and the district head of Allawa.
“The mining officer said there was no way he could confirm my claim that they were working under my license until he visited the area and he said the area is not accessible. I said it is not a place I can also go, but I remembered vividly, Ibrahim said they can visit the place.”
Kuta, however, declined to comment when further grilled about how the allegedly fetched him millions of naira within a year.
Companies defied govt order
Kurebe-Udawa border, a road leading to the mining sites/ Yakubu Mohammed
Last year, the immediate past administration of Abubakar Sani Bello suspended mining activities in three local councils — Shiroro, Munya and Kagara — prone to bandits’ attacks. But mining continues unchecked in the unsafe sites.
The suspension was in reaction to an attack on a mining site at Ajata Aboki, Gurmana ward, Shiroro LGA, where scores [including security operatives] were killed. The primed terrorists also kidnapped four Chinese workers and some civilians.
The incumbent government of Mohammed Umaru Bago reiterated the suspension, vowing to end illegal mining activities exacerbating insecurity in the state.
However, the governor and some of his cabinet members had a meeting with some of the actors including Ibrahim, Arzuka and some Chinese investors on Tuesday, September 5. While pictures from the meeting were exclusively obtained, WikkiTimes could not gather details of what was discussed.
Mohammed Umaru Bago, Niger State Governor and Ibrahim Usman Adam, one of the leading actors in the illegal mining industry
The governor and his cabinet members with some Chinese investors led by Ibrahim and Ali Arzuka
Arzuka also denied working with Eso Terra and in Kurebe. “We have a licence to go the place but it is not safe for us,” he claimed. But he confirmed his affiliation with a Chinese mining company: Ming Xin Mineral Separation Nigeria Ltdincorporated in Jos South LGA, Plateau State.
But his words were not true, WikkiTimes understands. Sometime in July last year, Arzuka represented Eso Terra in a meeting attended by youths and community leaders from Kurebe village.
In the centre: The governor and Arzuka shaking hands
The meeting, according to youth and community leaders, was held at Aske Hotel along Neteco Road, Tunga in Minna, Niger State. At the meeting, issues of signing a community development agreement were discussed. But the things agreed upon — construction of school, road and borehole — were frustrated by worsening insecurity, Shehu Yahaya, a Kurebe monarch whose jurisdiction covers the mining sites, said.
State ministry worried
Adamu Garba Musa, Director of Mining in the Niger State Ministry of Solid and Mineral Resources, said the ministry is baffled by the fact that mining activities thrive in such an unsafe setting.
“We heard of Eso Terra through the chairman of Kurebe youth association,” he told WikkiTimes by phone. He believes the company seemed to have obtained a title from the federal government and refused to show its presence to the state ministry.
“We forwarded the petition [written by the youth association] to the Federal Mining office in Minna [Niger State capital] to give us information about those companies. Up to now, they haven’t told us anything,” he explained.
The director said his ministry had invited the mining companies three weeks ago, but they “refused to show up.”
“We don’t even know they have an agreement with bandits,” Musa said in reaction to our findings. “We also ask that question: If bandits are disturbing people, how come the company is working successfully?”
Asked what action the ministry will take regarding what we unearthed, Musa said: “We will just make a recommendation to the necessary authority… to tell them this is what is happening. That the mining company they gave a title is working hand in hand with bandits.”
Further checks show that Eso Terra and Majelo Global Resources Limited Global Services were accredited by the federal government, data pulled from the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office (NMCO), revealed.
The data confirmed the presence of the companies in Shiroro LGA. NMCO is a body responsible for the administration and management of mineral titles under the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
Daniel Garba Gadzama, the Federal Mines Officer (FMO) at the Federal Ministry of Mineral Resources in Niger State explained he knows the companies but did not know they were operating.
“They came to me about two years ago with a licence and I gave them a commencement letter, but I don’t know the way they were operating as you told me now,” Gadzama explained, adding the area the miners were operating is “not secure.”
The FMO said he would share our findings with his director in Abuja.
A staffer at the Federal Ministry of Mineral Resources who spoke to WikkiTimes in confidence said Eso Terra did not have even a file in the office.
Yahaya, the monarch, said he was not aware the mining company was bribing terrorists. Yet, he confirmed its presence in the banditry-torn community.
The monarch begged the government to end the insecurity ravaging his community.
Umar Ango, the Chairman of Kurebe Youth Development Association (KUYUDA) corroborated the monarch. “I don’t know whether the company bribes the terrorists, but we know they are illegally operating in our community and we are not benefitting anything,” he said, noting the youth association has reported and petitioned the companies.
In a WhatsApp chat with WikkiTimes, the governor said his administration would investigate our findings.
“Thank you very much, we’ll investigate this report accordingly,” he wrote. “We’re already ahead in combating all mining activities in the state. In a short time from now, you’ll feel our impact, Insha Allah.”
Names with asterisks were altered and concealed for security reasons.
MANY rural schools in Kano state face dire conditions, with crumbling structures and inadequate furniture. However, this is not the only concern. The lives of the students are equally at risk due to the absence of perimeter fencing. Added to these concerns are the risk of kidnapping and a spike in the incidence of sexual assault, particularly on female students.
In dealing with these challenges, the state government initiated projects to build sturdy fencing and renovate classrooms and other measures in schools in the state. Among these projects, through the ministries of education and works and infrastructure, the government approved the construction of new classroom blocks and renovation of existing classrooms in Dawakin Tofa, Dambatta, Albasu, Nasarawa, Dawakin Kudu and Warawa local government areas in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 budget.
Contract award information obtained from the Kano state public procurement website revealed that these projects have been awarded and funds released. All the projects have been tagged as 100 per cent completed.
However, investigations revealed that some contractors have not fulfilled their tasks, leaving students in unsafe conditions, Hafsah Bello Bahara reports.
As the car came to a screeching halt, the driver barely managed to stop hitting the 10-year-old girl who dashed in front of him with no warning. She shut her eyes, frozen in fright, in the middle of the road as the driver corrected his course and sped away, spewing insults at her for being so careless. The girl was in tears as her friends led her away from the road and back into the classroom.
This time, by sheer luck, an accident was avoided but the pupils of Ganduje Nomadic Primary School will always be in danger of being in a similar situation as long as there is no fence surrounding their school.
Fatima Muhammad, a Basic 5 pupil, the worried sister of Aisha who almost got hit on the road, expressed her fears: “Aisha is my only sister. My parents will never forgive me if something happens to her. I try to keep her away from the road, but she doesn’t listen at all,” she said.
Fatima tearfully revealed that her mother was against sending young Aisha to school because of the road, but their father was convinced that, at 16, Fatima would be able to keep Aisha out of trouble. Unfortunately, her best efforts are proving inadequate.
Ganduje Nomadic primary school with no perimeter fencing and just by the roadside: Pix by Hafsat Bello Bahara
Ganduje Nomadic Primary School lies next to the highway that connects Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, LGA, with the Metropolis. It is a fairly new, well-equipped structure in Ganduje village, a small farming community. Residents of Ganduje rely heavily on farming and cattle rearing.
The school was established to give children in the community access to quality education. However, the absence of a fence despite the school has caused parents with young children a lot of concern, thereby restricting their young children who should be enrolled in primary school from attending the school.
According to information from the 2022 Open Contract Data Standard (OCDS) of the Kano State Public Procurement site, the Ministry of Education awarded N15,660,965.17 to AD2 Integrated Technical Nigeria Limited for the construction of a perimeter wall fence around the school.
However, a spot check revealed the project has not been done. During a visit on June 13, the reporter observed the pupils playing close to the road despite the teachers’ best efforts to keep them off the road. Some members of the community rode their noisy motorcycles through the school on their way to their destination while the pupils were playing.
Ganduje Nomadic primary school with no perimeter fencing and just by the roadside: Pix by Hafsat Bello Bahara
A teacher in the school, who does not want to be named, is greatly concerned about how the lack of fencing affects the education of his young pupils.
“The children don’t pay attention while lessons are going on, they like looking at all the cars passing on the road. And that is not the only concern. Without a fence the safety of the students is at risk, they run onto the road while playing. Thank God there has never been a casualty but, still, with the state of insecurity we live in, we don’t have control over the students’ movement. Once the bell rings, some of them sneak out without permission.”
“The contractor came to measure the place and even brought some equipment. We were so happy the wall would finally be constructed but he never came back again. We don’t know what went wrong but we are still hopeful the wall will be completed someday”.
Malam Bello is a Nomad whose only child, Garba, used to be enrolled in Primary 3 at Ganduje Nomadic Primary School, but his father revealed to this reporter why he pulled him out of school.
“They came and convinced us to let our children attend school but they don’t teach them anything, I have over 50 heads of cattle to take care of and Garba is my only male child so he needs to learn the family business, but I let him go to school and then people kept telling me they saw him with his friends running around in the bush or at the motor park causing mischief. That is why I removed him from the school, if he is going to sneak around anyway, it’s better to run after the cattle”
Bello is not the only parent that expressed concern. Habibu Tukur has a tire patching business a stone’s throw away from the school. He had this to say.
“The cars and bikes that pass by are always speeding and the children are always running around by the road. I have to keep chasing them away. Just a month back, one boy was almost hit by a bus I was the one that rescued him. They really need to fence the school because children don’t listen no matter how many times you tell them not to go near the road.”
The contract award information published on the Kano public procurement site indicates the job included the construction of a perimeter wall fence, gate and gatehouse. The bill of quantity specifies that the contractor is supposed to construct a 439.60M × 300 M perimeter wall fence, an entrance gate and a gatehouse as well as fix barbed wire across the fence.
The reporter went around the entire school premises, but there was no sign of work being done; the foundation has not even been dug.
Who is the contractor responsible for the project?
A quick search on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) portal and NGcheck revealed that AD2 Integrated Technical Nig Ltd was registered in November 2015, with an address at 127 Sabuwar Tukur, Opp Fatima Private School, Dutse, Jigawa state. The reporter reached out to a colleague who resides in Dutse to help locate the company at the given address, but it could not be found.
Furthermore, this reporter sent an email to the company’s email address as provided in the Kano OCDS contract award information, but the email bounced back, showing “Address not found, your message wasn’t delivered to binalinig@gmail.com, because the address couldn’t be found, or is unable to receive mail.”
Email address not found.
The company was not found at the address gotten from the CAC record.
The search revealed the directors of the company are Adamu Dalha and Dalha Abubakar. Online searches for “Engineer Adamu Dalha”, revealed a LinkedIn profile of one “Engr Adamu Dalha” as an employee of the Jigawa State Ministry of Works and Transport.
Further research online showed that there is a previous corruption allegation against the director of AD2 integrated technical services for procurement fraud and direct breach of the civil service law.
It was established that “Engr Adamu Dalha” of AD2 Integrated Technical Services is the same man employed by the Jigawa State Ministry of Works and Transport. Therefore, he is in direct breach of the Fifth Schedule, Section 2 (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which provides that “without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph, a public officer shall not, except where he is NOT employed on full-time basis engage or participate in the management or running of any private business, profession or trade, but nothing in this sub-paragraph shall prevent a public officer from engaging in farming.”
The reporter secured Dalha’s phone number from the registration information provided by the National Institution of Civil Engineers. Dalha eventually reached out to the reporter following a series of phone calls and message seeking information. He affirmed he is, indeed, the director of AD2 Integrated Technical Services and when asked about why the contract awarded to his company by the Kano State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport was not executed, he said he could not help the reporter.
“I am not in the best position to speak on this issue, one of my staff handled the contract directly and he will give you all the information you need,” Dalha said.
He later sent the contact information of one Muhammad Tahir, who explained that the school had called him after the reporter visited to inform him that questions were being asked about the contract. He claimed that work subsequently started on the project and sent pictures to the reporter as proof. When asked why the project was delayed, he said the government did not release the funds for the project on time. The reporter requested evidence of payment, but he has failed to provide it as of the time of filing this report.
Apparently, the contractor had rushed to the site to commence work on the project after being told that a journalist had come around asking questions.
How contract was awarded to non-existent contractor:
A similar situation presented itself in Government Secondary School, GSS, Dambatta, where the Kano State government in 2022 awarded a contract for the renovation of classrooms, construction of additional blocks and supply of students’ furniture to Madatai Enterprises at the sum of N32,062,835.42. However, the project was not executed.
GSS Dambatta serves over 3,000 students for both day and boarding sessions. As such, the non-execution of this project affects the education and well-being of a vast student body.
Based on the bill of quantity obtained from the Kano state public procurement site, the project involved “renovation of Block A&B, renovation of 4 classrooms and library, complete admin block, construction of 6-seater toilet, renovation of a 2-seater toilet, as well as supply of 120 pieces of 3-seater student furniture. All ceilings are to be changed, fix all doors and windows and add all necessary fittings, fix tile floors, replace damaged hardwood, fix all electric fixtures and paint the blocks.”
Jabiru Muhammad Lawan is a product of this school and currently teaches at his alma mater, and he expressed concern about the deplorable condition of the school.
“We have a serious shortage of benches in this school, most of them are broken, and our ceiling is in a tatter, you will be teaching in class and birds will burst out and start flying over your head. How can you expect students to learn in this condition,” he said.
When asked if any renovation has been done recently, Jabiru Muhammad said, “the last renovation done in this school was in 2018. The furniture and painting you see today was done by our old students’ association, they always help us out when we need it.”
He appealed to the government to ensure this project is completed so the students can learn comfortably like their peers who attend private schools.
The reporter observed that the doors and windows in most of the classrooms are broken, and the walls are crumbling. However, for the students of GSS Dambatta, this is not the only concern.
GSS Dambatta PC; Hafsat Bello Bahara
Shu’aibu Hussaini, a SS2 student, spoke of other concerns.
“When it rains, water leaks from the ceiling and drenches us. Our lab equipment is outdated, and we need our hostel to be renovated but what worries me the most is some part of the wall has crumbled, and some people use it to enter the school at will. I don’t feel safe staying here anymore.”
Shu’aibu’s concern about safety is not unfounded, as the insecurity bedevilling this country has affected a lot of students. Some have been kidnapped, while others became casualties of the cruelty of insurgents. At a point, the Kano State government had to close down some of the schools in the outlining areas to ensure student safety.
A search of the CAC showed that Madatai Enterprises is not a registered entity and is ineligible for contract awards under the law.
Matadai Enterprise not found on CAC record
The award of a contract to Madatai Enterprises, a non-existent contracting company, contravenes Sections 417–424 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, which state that “every company must make and deliver their annual returns to the CAC every year”.
It also contravenes Section 16 of the Public Procurement Act 2007. Section 16 Subsection 6(d) states: “All bidders, in addition to requirements contained in any solicitation documents, shall have fulfilled all their obligations to pay taxes, pensions, and social security contributions.
Also, the contract awarding agency contravened Section 31 (4d), of the Kano Public Procurement Law, KPPL, which stipulates that a tender would be rejected if “the bidder is in arrears regarding payment of due taxes, charges, pensions, or social insurance contributions, unless such bidder has obtained a lawful permit with respect to the allowance or difference of such outstanding payments in instalments.”
The sordid tale continues in GGSS Yar gaya
The Government Girls Secondary School, GGSS, Yar gaya, Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, which was established 30 years ago, serves over 2,000 students. Yet they grapple with inadequate classrooms.
The school had to be divided into morning and afternoon sessions to accommodate the needs of the students as some classrooms are uninhabitable.
The Kano State government awarded the renovation of the other classes to Brixcom Engineering and Consultancy Services in 2019. The date of completion of the project was set at March 30, 2020, yet, more than three years later, the renovation is yet to be completed. A check on the June 21, 2023 revealed the classes in disrepair, with broken windows and a dilapidated ceilings.
During a visit to the school, this reporter observed an abandoned and incomplete structure. The two-classroom block have not reached the lintel level, so the students are not able to use it for learning. The construction of the classrooms was part of a constituency project that started in 2008 during the Ibrahim Shekarau administration that was abandoned, leaving the structure at the mercy of the elements.
Only a single block of classrooms seemed to be in good condition, while the rest were in disrepair, exposing students to poor learning conditions.
The blocks of classrooms abandoned. Photo: Hafsat Bello Bahara
GSS Yar gaya; PC Hafsat Bello Bahara
Danjuma Ishaq, a product of GSS Yar Gaya decided to come back and teach after he earned his degree but he laments how the quality of education is declining in the school due to an inadequate number of classrooms.
“We had to divide the school into batches because we don’t have enough classes, the ones we are managing are getting worse by the day, but these learning hours are not enough for our students to get the proper education they deserve.”
“There hasn’t been a government project done in this school in all the years I’ve worked here. In 2022 Agile Project helped us renovate three blocks and the principal office but the other blocks are in deplorable condition. The roof is about to cave in, and I fear for the safety of the students.”
The newly renovated classes gleamed with a fresh coat of paint in the early morning sun, a sad contrast to the dilapidated block of classrooms next to it. Many students expressed an interest in studying in the newly renovated classes but sadly not all of them were opportune to learn in the fresh-smelling fully furnished classroom.
The lack of a conducive environment has caused some of the students to stop coming to school. Some of the students this reporter interacted with said that their number keeps dwindling, especially during the afternoon sessions as some of their classmates choose to use their time playing football on the streets rather than come to school, while others cited the time clashes with Islamiyya (Islamic education school) that predominantly holds in the evenings in Kano state as the reason they do not come to school regularly.
Ahmad Jamilu is one of the students whose attendance has worsened ever since the two-shift system was initiated. He told this reporter, “My Islamiyya operates Monday to Wednesday and my parents will never let me miss it. So, I only come to school on Thursday and Friday. I copy notes from my friends, and I do the homework I miss but I am always left behind. I used to be one of the first twenty after exams but in my last results I was the 36th position.”
The situation is even worse in Government Girls Arabic Secondary School (GGASS), Albasu, where there were over 2,000 students but due to the closure of some boarding schools by the Kano State government in 2021 as a result of insecurity, only about 200 students were in attendance when the reporter visited.
This reporter observed that the classrooms are crumbling, there are cracks on the walls, the roof has caved in, and the floor is in tatters.
The state of classroom at Government Girls Arabic Secondary School (GGASS), Albasu: Photo Hafsat Bello Bahara.
Yusuf Idris Muhammad, the Vice Principal of the school, said that no renovation has been done in the school other than a single block of classrooms that was renovated by AGILE Project. He said the school fell into further disrepair when it was shut down due to insecurity but when the school was reopened for the use of the students who are indigenes of Albasu local government, they found it difficult to cope because no repairs were done to make this school habitable.
“We are not able to use some of the classrooms because they are uninhabitable and infested by birds and rodents, there are no benches for the students to sit on, and all our lab material for practical have gone bad and we can’t use them anymore.“
Currently, only SS2 and SS3 classes run in the school, which is a critical stage in the secondary school system because of WAEC and JAMB examinations. But with no proper lab equipment and poor condition of infrastructure, the students are not getting the education they deserve.
Muhammad appealed to the government to reopen the school completely so students in the community could get back to school.
“Right now, students in the junior section have to travel far to the neighbouring communities to study, but if the government renovates and reopens the school, we can save their future because with the economic hardship some parents can’t afford to give their children transport for the long journey to Panda to attend school.
The renovation of this school was awarded to Brixcom Engineering and Consultancy services in 2019; however, the project was not done.
How contractor abandoned project halfway
It is not only in GGASS Albasu that Brixcom Engineering and Consultancy services failed to deliver a project. The same fate has been suffered by GSS Kawaji in Nasarawa Local Government. The school is in one of the urban local governments in the state, serving students from Kawaji, Dakata and Bridget.
The renovation of a block of classrooms in GSS Kawaji was captured by the Kano state government in 2019 through the Ministry of Education. However, a spot check revealed the project has been abandoned halfway.
The principal and teachers at the school refused to speak to the reporter regarding the project. However, the principal who refused to give his name, revealed that the renovation began during his tenure in 2020, but it abruptly stopped due to the COVID-19 lockdown and was never resumed.
This reporter observed that the renovations done already need an update three years later, the aluminium roofing sheets fixed on the classes are contorted due to heavy wind and the ceilings in the classrooms have holes in them.
Maryam Lawal is a building and contracting expert. When shown pictures of the current state of the classrooms she said she could not “determine if the contractor did a shoddy job or not without seeing the bill of quantity.”
She continued, “However, I can say there is clear evidence of poor workmanship in this renovation. It looks to me like the contractor just painted the ceilings without changing them and, that is why there are holes already but to be fair this might be due to lack of enough funds. Most contractors, especially those that do government contracts, find it hard to access the funds to do the quality work needed, so they end up having to hire inexperienced labour and use substandard materials.”
GSS Kawaji in Nasarawa Local Government.GSS Kawaji; PC Hafsat Bello Bahara
The classrooms also lacked benches, so the students have to sit on the cold, hard floor to learn. With the current rainy season, they are sometimes soaked to the bone from sitting on the wet floor which can impact on their health.
Idris Rogo, a renowned educationist from the Department of Education, Bayero University,Kano, said that “lack of proper infrastructure and conducive learning environment has a direct bearing on the performance of a child, this is why we see the mass failure of this children from rural areas in government-sanctioned exams.”
“A child will learn more when he is in a safe environment and has all the facilities he needs to succeed. If the funds dispensed by the government to fix these schools were prudently managed and the project well executed, the renovated schools would provide a conducive learning environment for thousands of pupils in these schools but the deplorable conditions of most public in the state is truly disheartening”
Status of Contractor:
The repair and renovation of GSS Yar Gaya, GSS Kawaji and GGASS Albasu was awarded to Brixcom Engineering and Consultancy services for the sum of 22,834,673.74 on 27/12/2019. The renovation was supposed to be completed in 12 weeks. According to the open contracting document obtained from the Kano state Public Procurement site, 8,474,667.94 was initially paid to the contractor at the beginning of the project out of the 22,834,673.74 budgeted for the project.
A status on the CAC portal revealed the status of the company as inactive. An inactive CAC status could mean a number of things. It could be as a result of the agency not updating a company’s status due to administrative bottlenecks. In that case, that would not be the company’s fault. But it could also mean that it has not been filing returns to CAC, which would be a breach of the law.
Awards of contracts to an inactive company contravenes the Public Procurement Law of 2007, which states that: “A bidder may have its bid or tender excluded if the bidder is in arrears regarding payment of due tax, charges, pensions or social insurance contributions unless such bidders obtain a lawful permit in respect to allowance, the difference of such outstanding payments or payment thereof in installments.”
A search revealed that Brixcom Engineering and Consultancy became a registered entity on 14th April 2016 and the shareholders are Yunusa Adamu Dangwani, a known personality who served as the chief of staff to the Kano state governor in 2011-2012 and also as the commissioner of water resources 2012-2015. Other shareholders include Sani lawan Atana and Hilal Bashir.
The secretary of Brixcom Engineering and Consultancy, Hilal Bashir, in an interview with the reporter claimed to have completed the renovations in GGASS Albasu and GSS Yar gaya, adding that the only project not completed is the renovation of GSS Kawaji, which was halted because the government refused to pay their fees.
Bashir said the current state of the schools despite completing their renovation is due to government oversight.
“When we went to do the renovation, we had specific classes we were supposed to focus on, our contract was not for the entire school so all those dilapidated classrooms you saw in the school were not done by us. The classrooms the government gave us to renovate we did it successfully as per the specifications on the bill of quantity; the main issue we had was the non-completion of payment which is why we stopped without finishing GSS Kawaji, ” he stated.
”The ministry officials came to inspect the projects when we finished and marked it completed, so I don’t know why the people at the school are claiming we didn’t do the projects.”
He speculates that since they did the project during COVID-19 lockdown period, the school was not in session so the teachers and students were not aware of when the renovation was ongoing.
Hilal showed the reporter pictures taken while the company’s staff was carrying out the renovation but when the reporter requested the bill of quantity for the projects, he claimed that years have passed and he no longer has a copy readily available.
Madari, Kano lawmaker awarded contract, claims it’s his donation
In 2019 the Kano state government under the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure awarded the contract for the construction of one block Islamiyya classroom type E in Katarkawa, Warawa LGA to Kwore Nig Ltd at the sum of N6,700,792.56.
A visit to the small village of Katarkawa revealed over 100 students crammed into two small classrooms that were constructed.
The furniture in the classes were engraved “donated by Hon Labaran Abdul Madari.”
A search for the contractor on CAC portal unearthed the beneficial owner of Kwore Nig Ltd was Labaran Abdul Madari, serving law marker representing Warawa LGA in the Kano State House of Assembly since 2007.
Madari claims to have donated the chairs despite using government funds to execute it.
Screenshot of CAC portal, Katarkawa islamiyya primary school PC; Hafsat Bello Bahara
An indigene of Warawa, Labaran Abdul Madari has held many principal positions in the State House of Assembly. He served as Chief Whip for three years. His primary responsibility was to ensure due process is followed by members of the House.
The contract was awarded to his company in 2019 when Labaran Abdul Madari was serving as the Majority Leader in the State House of Assembly, a clear violation of the Nigerian constitution that prohibits public officials from engaging in business other than farming.
There is a clear influence by the lawmaker to be awarded this contract by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure as investigation revealed that his company Kwore Nig Ltd was awarded almost all the contracts for constituency projects carried out in Warawa LGA in 2019.
Screenshot of 2019 constituency project for Warawa LGA under ministry of works.
Clearly, both the contractor and the procuring entity’s actions contravene sections of the law; furthermore, Section 87(1) of the law provides that “any natural person who contravenes any provision of this law commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment of one to five years or an option of fine from a minimum of N100,000 to N500,000 or both
When our reporter spoke to Madari on the phone, he said that he executed the project and he has no comment regarding breaching the procurement law. He would answer no further questions.
Ministry ignores FOI
A Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, request was written and sent to the ministries of Education and works and Infrastructure on June 26, 2023, seeking an explanation on the non-execution of the projects despite tagging them as completed on official documents and also to get a clear picture of how the contract was awarded to a lawmaker as well as a non-existent company.
FOI request sent out
FOI request sent out
The request was acknowledged, but the ministry claimed the FOIA 2011 is a federal law and has not been domesticated in Kano, therefore, they are not liable to comply with the request.
The 1999 Constitution quotes the right to education as a cardinal fundamental human right. However, according to UNICEF, Kano has over 1.5 million out-of-school children; this is a result of lack of access to quality education, especially in rural areas.
There are over 1,000 students in these schools whose future is in jeopardy due to the inability of these companies to complete these projects and the lack of proper oversight by the supervising ministries.
This report republished from Premier Radio is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).
THE World Medical Association’s President, Osahon Enabulele, has bemoaned inadequate doctors in Nigeria, which arises from brain drain.
Speaking as a guest speaker at a public lecture organised by the Federated Chapel of the Edo Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin City, Edo state capital, on Thursday, September 28, the former president of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) said Nigeria had fewer than 100,000 registered doctors, out of which he said 50,000 practised in Nigeria.
He noted that for Nigeria to meet the World Health Organisation’s standard of doctors to patients ratio, the country must employ not less than 250,000 medical doctors.
“The present situation, by international standards, a doctor should be assigned to less than 600 patients, but in Nigeria’s case, a doctor attends to over 3,000. So Nigeria needs over 250,000 doctors to cope with the current reality.”
“There are less than 100,000 registered doctors in Nigeria. Let’s say it is 98,000 doctors. According to the last update, out of these 98,000, only 50,000 are practising in Nigeria.”
According to him, the remaining doctors have migrated to practise outside the nation due to the poor remuneration, adding that some left the profession.
Enabulele further listed various challenges confronting Nigeria’s health system, including insufficient funding, inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, workplace conditions, compensation, brain drain, economic issues, inflation, and inefficiencies in healthcare.
“Because of these problems, senior doctors (consultants) are moving out of Nigeria in drove because of greater remuneration,” he added.
He explained that achieving a robust healthcare system in Nigeria lies in a strong political commitment from Nigerian leaders to fulfil the Abuja Declaration, which advocates dedicating 15 per cent of the national budget to healthcare.
He therefore advocated for improved political will, empowerment of healthcare workers, enhanced working environments, acknowledgement of the value and professionalism of medical practitioners, and ensuring competitive wages to transform the health sector’s narrative.
“There is a need to establish a Health Service Commission that would better administer the health system and drive medical manpower, training, best human resource, develop plan among others,” he submitted.
The ICIR, in October 2022, reported that hundreds of health workers, including doctors and nurses, left Nigeria for greener pastures and that the country lost nearly 9,000 doctors to the United Kingdom (UK) and other countries in three years.
The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has explained why his team received N5 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Oyedele’s explanation was contained in a statement titled, ‘Clarification regarding the money provided by the FIRS to the Joint Tax Board to fund the activities of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee,’ shared on his X social media handle on Friday, September 29.
He said his committee was aware of a recent report regarding the funds transferred by the FIRS to the Joint Tax Board (JTB) for his team.
“All the expenses of the Committee are properly documented and available for audit. We collect receipts for fuel, stationeries, and virtually every Naira that we spend to the extent possible. Over N4 billion of the said funds transferred by the FIRS to the JTB for the Committee’s work is yet to be spent and very much intact in the JTB account.”
Oyedele revelation came following the statement made by the immediate past executive chairman of FIRS, Muhammad Nami, on his X handle to counter a report by TheCable, alleging that he approved N11 billion “suspicious” payments after his exit from office.
President Bola Tinubu sacked Nami and replaced him with Zacch Adedeji, who currently leads the organisation in an acting capacity.
In a series of tweets on September 28, Nami faulted the report, explaining that the FIRS indeed paid N5 billion to the Joint Tax Board to fund the activities of the presidential tax committee two months before he left office.
“For clarity, the items listed in the Cable Newspaper Report were part of the N16 billion outstanding commitments contained in our handover note,” he explained.
According to the report, Nami, after his disengagement, approved N6 billion as payments to several contractors and consultants and moved N5 billion to the account of the JTB.
Further shedding light on the N5 billion received, Oyedele assured that the Committee would be responsive, prudent and accountable with every Naira of public funds entrusted to his members.
He hinted that the Committee’s budget includes provisions for a national “Data for Tax” project, which he said the JTB had been championing for over two years.
“The project was presented to the National Economic Council in 2022 and was meant to be funded by the Federal Government and the 36 states. However, it stalled due to lack of funds. Given the importance of the project to the effective reform of our tax system, it was included in the Committee’s budget.
“Other expenses included in the Committee’s budget, which has the approval of the National Assembly, include setting up of offices for the Committee in Lagos and Abuja, payment of salaries for the full-time staff engaged by the Committee, travels and other logistics for over 70 members representing more than 40 institutions and stakeholder groups mapped to six different sub-committees, more than 30 secretariat personnel and over 40 students across the country,” Oyedele stated.
He added that the Committee’s budget covered planned stakeholder engagements with various sectors and interest groups, international engagements and the understudy of some leading tax regimes around the world for one year, being the lifespan of the Committee.
