KOGI State governor Yahaya Bello, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Muritala Ajaka, traded blames over alleged assassination attempts on Saturday, June 3.
While the Kogi State government accused Ajaka of attempting to kill Bello, following an attack on the governor’s convoy, the SDP said the governor was behind an attempt to kill its candidate, Ajaka.
Earlier on Saturday, Bello’s convoy was attacked by thugs along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
The state government issued a statement after, saying Ajaka was responsible for the incident, which occurred near the naval base, a few kilometres from Lokoja, the state capital.
According to a statement by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, the incident left many injured, including security operatives who foiled the attack.
The commissioner said the attack occurred at 12:30 pm after Ajaka’s convoy blocked the road.
Ajaka is a former national deputy publicity secretary of the APC. He defected to the SDP after he was disqualified from participating in the APC guber primaries in April.
He was adopted as the SDP candidate two weeks after.
Fanwo, the Kogi information commissioner, alleged that Ajaka’s armed thugs shot at the governor’s convoy with rifles and shotguns.
“The gunmen suspected to be political thugs of the SDP, having sighted the convoy of Bello approaching, blocked the road and started shooting at the convoy.
“A Tundra branded with the logo and flags of the party also blocked the governor’s vehicle, and the occupants were armed with rifles and shotguns.”
He, however, noted that the governor left the scene injured.
He also said security operatives who sustained injuries in the attack were sent to medical centres for treatment.
“But thank God our governor left the scene unscathed, and there is no cause for panic.
“Some security aides and others attached to the governor sustained some degrees of injuries and have been rushed to medical facilities for attention.”
The commissioner urged the people of Kogi State to stay calm while security agents handle the incident.
He assured that those behind the attack would be brought to book as the state government would ensure that there is law and order in the state.
The commissioner also noted that “the governor has warned that no APC member should be involved in any reprisal attack as insecurity from any quarter will be met with stiff penalties”.
Meanwhile, the SDP has also claimed that Ajaka escaped assassination by the whiskers after his motorcade was attacked by gunmen personally led by the governor, Yahaya Bello, on Saturday afternoon.
According to a statement signed by Faruk Adejo Audu, Director of Communications, Muritala Yakubu Organisation, the governorship aspirant “only survived by the power of God”.
“Mr Ajaka, who was on his way to keep an appointment with the Mai Geri, a first-class traditional ruler of Lokoja and the Attah Igala in Idah, decided to abort the journey and return to Abuja after conferring with the Commander of the Lokoja Naval Base,” the statement said.
The statement claimed the state governor’s car was parked a few meters in front and was used to barricade the road while the gunmen attacked Ajaka.
“This again is another low score by Mr Yahaya Bello in the exercise of crude power and brute force.
“Bello is on record to have unleashed guns and gunmen on several citizens during his eight years draconian rule. Several persons have been killed by his hoodlums during electioneering, while others are missing.
“Ajaka, until recently, was a member of the APC who was forced out of the governorship nomination by Mr Yahaya Bello, who used minions and proxies to obtain an injunction from a Lokoja High Court restraining him from participating in the primaries.
“The brute action today is obviously a continuation of Bello’s desperation to stop Ajaka from continuing in the election.”
The SDP appealed to President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate that his administration will not permit the brigandage of the last eight years, which had led to the deaths of thousands of Nigerians.
“Election is still five months away, but if Mr Bello does not get a strong signal that violence would not be allowed in the new administration, several of our citizens will be killed by his thugs and gunmen before the polls,” the statement released by the SDP added.
THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has written to all its affiliate unions to mobilise members for the nationwide strike scheduled to commence on Wednesday, June 7.
The labour union called for the strike to revolt against the increase in the cost of fuel prices.
NLC affiliates include the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), among others.
The ICIR had reported that the President, Bola Tinubu, had declared that “fuel subsidy is gone” in his inaugural speech on Monday, May 29.
He noted that the subsidy was unsustainable and rising costs could not be justified as resources dwindled.
“We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment in Public infrastructure, education, healthcare and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions,” Tinubu added.
The ICIR also reported that with this declaration, fuel queues have resurfaced. Also, the fuel pump price and transportation costs have almost tripled.
Opposing the high cost of petrol, NLC, in a letter issued by its General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, asked the national leadership of the affiliate unions to mobilise their members for the action and ensure full compliance with directives.
The NLC said services in both the public and private sector are expected to be fully withdrawn by Wednesday.
“Please be informed that the nationwide action will commence on Wednesday, 7th June 2023. To this effect, all National Leadership are expected to mobilise their members for the action and ensure full compliance with the directives as services in both the public and private sectors are expected to be fully withdrawn by Wednesday, 7th June 2023.
“All Presidents and General Secretaries are expected to help ensure the implementation of the decisions of the National Executive Council,” the NLC said.
The ICIR reported that the NLC is to commence a nationwide strike on Wednesday, June 7, if the Federal Government fails to reverse the hike in the fuel pump price.
NLC President Joe Ajaero announced the decision in Abuja on Friday, June 2, after an emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC).
The NLC NEC at the meeting issued the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) an ultimatum to reverse the new pump price by Wednesday, June 7, failing which the union will embark on the nationwide strike.
Ajaero said the decision was taken to force a reversal of the removal of fuel subsidy by the government.
According to him, the decision to embark on strike was prompted by the pains Nigerians are going through following the increase in the cost of petrol, otherwise known as premium motor spirit (PMS), after the Federal Government removed subsidy for the product.
THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) demolished the UTC shopping complex in Area 10, Abuja, on Saturday, June 3.
UTC, one of the most popular shopping centres in the FCT, is widely regarded as the major hub for various forms of printing and allied businesses in the nation’s capital.
Traders at the trading complex allege that there was no prior notice of demolition, although they had been instructed to move into an incomplete structure nearby for the remodelling of the market.
Chairman of the Traders Union at the market Bright Nnanna accused the FCTA of not carrying traders and stakeholders along in its plans to remodel the market and described the alternative structure provided as inhabitable.
“Fuel subsidy has just been removed. Where do you expect people to turn to? This is not a government that has the people at heart,” Nnanna said.
Another trader Hussaina Raji was spotted trying to salvage what was left of her property from the rubble. She described the demolition exercise as inhumane.
“I own shop C10 here. This is where I do my business, this is where I feed my family from. I was not informed that they are coming. They feel less concerned because they are not affected. They still have the guts to arrest a person in this situation. That is inhumane! They are not being fair to us,” she said.
Trader at UTC market, Hussaina Raji
Chairman Shop Owners Association in the market, Godfrey Ojarikre, said they had filed a case against the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in court, and parties involved were ordered to maintain the status quo.
He said the FCT minister, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Abuja Investment Company, and real estate development company Urban Shelter, among others, were co-defendants in the suit.
“The matter is already in court. All the parties were duly served. There was no notice whatsoever. We built these shops with our own money, and the government did not even bother to invite us for once to any meeting for dialogue,” Ojarikre said.
He alleged that the real estate development company, Urban Shelter, played a pivotal role in the demolition of the market, as the organisation was interested in remodelling the market.
“Bala Abdullahi Kwato, the Director, Infrastructure with Urban Shelter, is the one behind all these. The day he wrote a petition against some of our men to the Zone 7 Police Station, that is when we sensed that this type of thing will happen one day,” Ojarikre added.
The ICIR reached out to Urban Shelter over the allegations, but the company’s phone lines did not connect until this report was filed.
Efforts to reach the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister Ikharo Attah were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls until press time.
In April, traders at the market staged protests at the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and the FCTA secretariats against the planned demolition of the market.
KANO State governor Abba Yusuf, on Saturday, June 3, commenced the demolition of illegal structures in different parts of the state.
The first of such buildings to be demolished, a three-storey structure, is located on the Race Course Playground in the Nasarawa GRA area of the state.
The structure is said to be among buildings belonging to the state government that were ‘illegally’ sold to private individuals during the Abdullahi Ganduje administration.
The governor also promised to demolish more illegal structures erected on plots of land meant reserved for schools, graveyards, markets and hospitals.
Yusuf, who was present during the demolition in the early hours of Saturday, was led to the exercise by the police commissioner, Muhammed Gumel.
The new governor had in his inaugural address given an order to security agencies in the state to immediately take over all public properties sold by the administration of the former governor, Ganduje.
“I am announcing, today, that all these public places and assets that were immorally plundered and sold by the Ganduje administration should be taken over by law enforcement agencies, led by the police, the DSS, Civil Defence, and Hisbah pending the final decision of government,” he said.
Speaking further on the development on Saturday, June 3, the governor said his administration has set measures in motion to reclaim all encroached land on the identified public places that were used to erect illegal structures.
He said: “In the early hours of Saturday, we witnessed the implementation of the first step in our pursuit to restore sanity to the Kano State Urban Development Masterplan.
“With the demolition of the illegal structure at the Race Course playground, we have set in motion to reclaim all encroached land on the identified public places that were used to erect illegal structures by private individuals or groups.
“I have also directed the demolition of all the illegally erected structures in schools, mosques, play-grounds, graveyards, markets and hospitals, to ensure strict adherence on the urban planning, beautification and safety of people.”
He called on residents of the state to exercise patience, assuring that his administration is committed to the actualisation of a prosperous Kano.
HUMAN rights lawyer Femi Falana has said the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCLtd) does not have the power to fix the prices of petroleum products, going by provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Falana said this when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, June 2.
Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), submitted that it is only the President that has the power to fix the prices of petroleum products.
The NNPC has metamorphosed into a limited liability company, NNPC Limited.
To that extent, Falana said, NNPC, like Total, Exxon Mobil and Shell, is now operating in the oil industry and cannot announce an increase in the prices of petroleum products.
“That duty is vested in the government, and that is what I mean,” he maintained.
The ICIRreported that the NNPCLtd had on May 31 adjusted the pump price of petrol across its retail outlets following President Bola Tinubu’s announcement that subsidy is gone.
Falana pointed out that a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja, which has not been set outside, in a suit between Bamidele Aturu and the minister of petroleum resources (name not given), and delivered by Justice Adamu Bello (retd), held that nobody has the right in Nigeria to fix the prices of petroleum products apart from the government.
“So, ask the NNPC, where have you got the powers to fix the prices of petroleum products. The price of petrol this time around, from N185 thereabout to N540? How? The clarification is important,” Falana said.
The human rights activist further explained that the visible market forces, as claimed by the NNPCLtd, could not fix the price under the Nigerian Constitution and the PIA.
“Under the current situation which we have found ourselves, since ministers have not been appointed, the President is running the country and only the President can so decide for now.
“There is no provision in our law for market force to determine the prices of any product in the country,” Falana said.
Falana argued that NNPCLtd by its statement issued on May 31, assumed the position to fix petrol prices.
The NNPCLtd had in the statement signed by its chief corporate communications officer, Garba Deen Muhammed, explained it was adjusting prices upwards “in line with current market realities”.
“Prices will continue to fluctuate to reflect market dynamics,” NNPCLtd stated.
ANAMBRA State governor Chukwuma Soludo, says his administration has introduced a bill for a law to ban sand mining near erosion-prone areas.
He said poor environment management is one of Anambra’s significant challenges that must be tackled.
Soludo disclosed this at a town hall meeting on erosion control and management on Friday, June 2.
The meeting, held at Oko civic centre in Anambra, involved stakeholders drawn from five communities affected mainly by erosion
Soludo noted that pending the full adoption of the law, he will be signing an Executive Order prohibiting sand mining near erosion-prone areas.
At the meeting, Soludo asked communities to join the state government in preventive erosion measures.
According to him, poor attitude towards the environment on the part of residents was a major factor in ecological problems in the state.
He said most residents expect the government to do everything instead of contributing their quota.
“The environment is Anambra’s most serious existential threat. The fifth finger of my administration’s manifesto is based on the environment, towards green, clean, planned markets, communities, and cities to make our environment sustainable,” the governor said.
“As an individual, what have you done today and tomorrow to combat the erosion threat?” he said.
He said gully erosion which largely contributed to the flooding experienced in 2022, occurs in 146 Anambra communities.
According to him, the rate of erosion in the state is 81.5 per cent and should be reduced to at least 80 per cent.
“Active gully erosion is occurring in 146 Anambra communities which constitutes 81.5 per cent. The five communities assembled here today are at the epicentre of gully erosion. If we do enough of what we are meant to do, the erosion rate will be reduced to 80 per cent.”
The governor called for sensitisation of the residents, prohibiting sand mining and the creation of standard water channels, noting that there are active measures that can be adopted to achieve the reduction.
“An action plan on sand mining law, regulation, and enforcement, community sensitisation, revenue collection, a statewide awareness campaign, designing roads for proper water channelisation and building catchment pits, among other things, shall be established.
“We already have a draft environmental law that will help to punish offenders.
“Anambra is heavily impacted by two natural disasters: flooding and gully erosion, controlling flooding alone will consume over N900 billion, which is Anambra’s total budget for many years.
“There would be marching funds for the five communities that will provide designated places where the government can begin tree planting to combat erosion,” he added.
Meanwhile, Anambra was among the states that were heavily flooded in 2022. About 300 communities in six local government areas in the state were submerged in water.
While flooding is frequent in the state, the 2022 flooding is the highest since 2012.
IMMEDIATE past Minister of Women Affairs Pauline Tallen has said she was not officially invited or quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as she visited the anti-graft agency of her own volition.
In a statement released on Saturday, June 3, the ex-Minister said her visit to the EFCC was aimed at clearing certain allegations against her, which she described as false.
“At about 9pm yesterday, news began circulating that I had been arrested by the EFCC. This fake news was carried by several media outlets who were either mischievous or misguided. I would like to state that I went to the EFCC on my own accord to address the very false allegation made against me recently,” Tallen noted.
It was reported that the ex-Women Affairs minister was arrested and questioned by the EFCC in Abuja over allegations of money laundering.
According to a report, a source within the EFCC said Tallen was being investigated for misappropriation and diversion of funds to the tune of N2 billion.
“The ex-minister arrived at our Abuja Zonal Command (not the headquarters), on invitation, at about 12.00 p.m., but she’s still being grilled by investigators of the Commission as at 8:30 p.m.
“She’s being investigated for alleged misappropriation of funds and corrupt enrichment to the tune of N2 billion, and part of the money was allegedly diverted from the African First Lady Peace Mission Project,” the source was quoted as saying.
In the statement, however, Tallen said though allegations of fraud against her had been in the open previously, she refused to address them earlier out of respect for former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Firstly, the decent and appropriate action, should this have been a genuine enquiry, would be to write to the Ministry for Women Affairs to enquire about any funds sent to the Ministry.
“To immediately jump to the open without any proper formal correspondence is highly unprofessional, portrays a lack of respect for the Ministry of Women Affairs and injurious to my person and character,” Tallen noted.
The ICIR contacted the spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwajaren, over the issue, but he had not responded to messages at the time of filing this report.
This is the second time within a week that a former minister will visit the EFCC office and come out to deny reports that the development was connected to corruption allegations.
The ICIRreported on Friday, June 2, that a former Ekiti State governor Kayode Fayemi, refuted reports that he is being investigated by the EFCC over an alleged N4 billion fraud.
Fayemi, The ICIR had reported, was questioned at the zonal command office of the EFCC in Kwara State, on Thursday, June 1.
His questioning reportedly followed an earlier invitation extended to him by the anti-graft agency last month to address allegations of money laundering amounting to N4 billion levelled against him.
However, Fayemi, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ahmad Sajoh, on Friday, June 2, said the alleged misappropriation of N4 billion was not raised during his discussions with EFCC officials on Thursday.
He claimed that the visit was solely in response to what he described as a frivolous petition from a group aiming to tarnish his reputation.According to him, he was allowed to leave a few hours after he arrived and answered questions at the Commission’s office.
“We wish to note, too, that contrary to the news that made the rounds about a purported N4b fraud case against Dr Fayemi, no such allegation was raised in his conversation with the EFCC.
“All he did was respond to a frivolous petition from a faceless group, the so-called Ekiti Patriotic Coalition, which we strongly believed is a front for some anti-Fayemi politicians, who are trying to soil the former governor’s good name and image,” the statement said.
As a part of the efforts to improve the productivity of teachers in public schools in Kano State, the State government, through Kano State Ministry of Education, disbursed over N150 million for repair and renovation of over 16 government secondary schools staff quarters in different local governments areas. However, most of these renovation jobs were not implemented, while others were shabbily executed by the contractors. In this investigation, our reporter, Lukman Abdulmalik, visited five schools in several council areas and reports.
On April 31, 2023, on a visit to Government Girls Arabic Secondary School (GGASS), Sumaila, some teachers were sighted coming out from dilapidated staff housing situated in an uncultivated part of the school.
The staff houses were in a very poor state, with hole–ridden walls, leaking roofs and ceilings and often shared with rodents and other animals, while bushes and trees overgrew other abandoned houses nearby.
Some teachers who spoke to the reporter decried the shortage of accommodation, noting that the few buildings which they manage to occupy are totally dilapidated and uninhabitable. Due to the lack of appropriate staff housing, most of the teachers in the school have sought transfer to schools in other local government areas, while some have left their job to pursue other businesses.
Front gate of GGASS Sumaila; Photo Credit: Lukman Abdulmalik
Sunusi Aliyu, a Senior Master at the school told this reporter that for over 45 years of the school’s existence, no renovations took place until 2020. Even then, he disclosed, the 12 staff houses were shabbily painted without any repairs on the physical part of the buildings.
“Honestly, we are in a horrible condition, due to the buildings the staff are managing are inhabitable. We have recorded so many disasters due to rainfall because the buildings still use casting roofing that were built by the white men.
“Due to the cracks on the wall, you could see the outer part from most of the rooms.
“About 15 years ago a total of 22 staff quarters were destroyed due to wind and heavy rainfall. Seeing that we have no place to stay again, we packed out from the school and started staying in the town of Sumaila. Some teachers live in their family houses while others rented apartments.
“However, due to the distance of the teachers from the school premises, the state government painted 12 staff quarters without any repairs or appropriate renovation,” he said.
A shabby renovation of staff quarters at GGASS Sumaila. Photo Credit: Lukman Abdulmalik.
Aliyu said the staff quarters also have no electricity, portable water and other amenities that make a house habitable.
“Due to the limited houses we have, it has also affected the students, because some of the teachers that reside far away from the school find it hard to report to their duty post,” he added.
Aliyu added that “The lack of adequate accommodation has hampered teachers’ productivity, as most teachers are now too lazy to come to work due to the distance from their house to the school. The lack of housing has hinder our job performance, which led to high levels of stress among teachers due to heavy workload by covering other teachers syllabus who have left their duty post.
“It has also led to poor students’ academic performance and sometimes resulted in indiscipline among students, because there is poor supervision of students due to a shortage of teachers in the quarters.
Dilapidated staff quarters in GGASS Sumaila. Photo Credit: Lukman Abdulmalik.
“Poor housing also has led to poor management skills, poor teaching which has a profound effect on students by exposing them to poor teaching, in which they may also lose interest in learning and become disengaged.
“All these are caused due to the lack of adequate accommodation for teachers.”
Mallam Abdulkadir, Chief Security Officer of GGASS Sumaila, who also resides in the staff quarters, recounts the nightmare of living there.
“Our staff quarters have nothing to write home about because all the buildings are in disrepair. The renovation they did in 2020,was painting and changes of door, which are currently in bad state.
“They removed our heavy-duty doors and fixed bad iron doors for us, which in less than a year have started falling apart.
He also recounted a near tragic incident that could have led to the loss of his wife, arising from the poor state of the house they live in.
“In 2021, after the shabby renovation of the quarters, it rained heavily and my house was leaking due to bad roofing. Unfortunately, the wind was so strong that the roof fell on my wife while she was praying in her room.
According to information from the 2020 Open Contract Data Standard (OCDS), the Kano State Ministry of Education awarded the contract for the repair and renovation of Government Girls Arabic Secondary School Sumaila to B.M Petroleum & Transport at a sum of N22,929,752.82.
The contract was for the repair and renovation of the staff quarters, include fixing of the broken walls, tiling of floors, fixing of roofing, electrical wiring and painting.
However, this investigation shows that a substandard renovation job was executed as only 12 of the staff quarters were merely painted, without any repairs carried out.
During a visit to the site, this reporter observed the roofing was only partly done, the floors, plasters and walls are cracking badly while windows and doors installed were of poor quality.
One of the school teachers told this reporter that the poor condition of the staff quarters has a direct bearing on the high teacher turnover witnessed by the school and also affects the students’ learning, noting all the senior staff houses are completely dilapidated except the one which the school director lives in.
Who is the contractor?
Data from the Open Contract Data Standard of the Kano State Public Procurement Bureau website on the project for the renovation and repairs of GGASS, Sumaila gives that the contractor’s details as B.M Petroleum and Transport Co Ltd, “located at no. 10, Hotoro opposite NNPC, behind IPMAN office, Kano”.
Registration information obtained on B.M Petroleum and Transport Ltd obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and NG-Check.com showed that the major activity of the company, which was incorporated in 2013, is petroleum exploration and mining, but the status of the company reads “Inactive,” meaning that it had not been filing returns, among other infractions. The CAC describes an inactive firm as one that has not been filling its annual returns up-to-date.
Is B.M Petroleum and Transport Co Ltd. linked to Kano ex-commissioner, LG Chairman?
The registered address of B.M Petroleum and Transport Co Ltd in Kano could not be traced. A visit by this reporter, who spoke with residents around the location in Hotoro, confirmed that the address was invalid.
However, the CAC, the state agency that provides information on registered companies in Nigeria, indicates that one of the directors of B.M Petroleum and Transport Co Ltd is Muhammad Baffa, who is Kano State’s former commissioner of Science, Technology and Innovations between 2019 and 2020.
However, he was elected the chairman of Takai local government Aaea of Kano State in January 2021 and is still in office till date.
It was discovered that company in which Baffa is a director was awarded the contract when he was the Commissioner of Kano State Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, raising concerns of an obvious conflict of interest, among others.
Other names listed as directors include Abubakar Shehu, Akilu Baffa, who is said to be the biological son of the council chairman, and Yazid Muhammad.
When contacted over his alleged link to the company, Muhammad Baffa did not respond. From May 2 until the time of going to press, he was contacted five times via phone call, text messages and WhatsApp messages. He failed to pick his calls or respond to messages. For example, on 17th of May, a message was sent to him via WhatsApp requesting if B.M Petroleum and Transport Co Ltd., is linked to him, but Baffa read the message but failed to respond.
Speaking to this reporter about the renovation, Abubakar Shehu, a director at the contracting firm, said that the staff quarters were renovated according to the standard of the Kano State Ministry of Education.
Caption; Contract voucher of B.M Petroleum and Transport Co Ltd.
He attested that “we renovated GGASS Sumaila in 2020, and we didn’t only paint it, we also changed the doors and roofing of the houses.
“Before we were certified for the completion of the renovation, the Kano State Ministry of Education supervised the project from beginning to the end, the contracting company was the one in charge of fueling and feeding the supervisors from the State Ministry of Education.”
Sordid Tales of GGSS Yar Gaya
Boys Quarters (BQ) of GSS Yargaya
As in GGASS Sumaila, at the Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Yar Gaya, in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, teachers also suffer lack of maintenance in their quarters. As part of integrating teachers with their students to improve the quality of education the OCDS 2020 contract captured the repair and renovation of the Yar Gaya school staff quarters.
The project was initiated by the Kano State Ministry of Education at a sum of N35,003,944.87 million and awarded to AD2 Intg. Tech Nig. Ltd an unregistered company as verified by CAC.
However, the project was not executed release as all the houses are in bad state while others have been completely damaged.
A visit by this reporter showed that the houses, which are less than 20, including the dilapidated ones, with Boys Quarters (BQ) that have become a haven for reptiles. Teachers of GGSS YarGaya are managing to stay in the premises to look into affairs of the students.
Caption; Pictures showing the non-execution of repairs and renovation of staff quarters in GGSS Yar Gaya. Photo Credit: Lukman Abdulmalik.
It was gathered that since the school was established more than 30 years ago, no single renovation has been carried out on it.
But GGSS YarGaya is not the only school shortchanged by the non existent AD2 Intg Tech Nig Ltd. The company also got repair and innovation jobs at GGSS Albasu, in Albasu LGA, and GGSS Kwa, the only Government Girls Secondary School in Bichi LGA.
This reporter discovered that there was no renovation at the staff houses in both schools, despite release of funds to AD2 Intg Tech Nig Ltd, according to the Kano OCDS contract award information document.
GSS Yargaya
Speaking to this reporter, Hafsat Aliyu Usman, SS2 student of GGSS YarGaya expressed her worries on how the non-execution of the teachers staff quarters affects student.
“I have been a student since JSS 3, throughout this years I have been suffering as a student most especially when the school was boarding before the Kano State Government made it a day school.
“The teachers are not enough to teach the students, as most of the time some have to take more than 4 subjects, while sometimes we spend the whole day without learning anything”.
She further recounted her misery during her boarding days in school.
“There was a time when I was sick, suffering from malaria and typhoid. The students in our hostel raised an alarm, but there was no teacher to come to my rescue, until the following day, because most of the teachers are no longer residing in the school premises due to poor houses.
“Not only bad houses, our hostels are also in poor conditions, as most of the buildings are dilapidated with rotten ceilings, bad floors and sometimes we share rooms with reptiles.”
Salisu Abdullahi, a teacher in the school, told this reporter that he hardly comes to school to teach due to the distance from his house to the school.
He lamented that “I barely come to school thrice in a week, I have been teaching for over 14 years, I have never witnessed any renovation in the school staff quarters.
“All the buildings have collapsed including the school director’s house, if not some staff uses their salary to repair the little they can.
“Personally, I can’t stay in quarters because my house is completely dilapidated, so it’s inhabitable. I rented an apartment outside the school which I paid N20,000 per annum.
“My distance from the school premises has reduced my productivity immensely, because I don’t teach my subject regularly and this has also affected the students”, he elaborated.
GGSS Kwa: Teachers lament using salaries to renovate houses
At GGSS Kwa, teachers lamented over the poor state of the staff housing. This reporter learnt that only four teachers are left in school, as over 15 have sought transfer to other schools due poor staff welfare, including accommodation.
Zubair Aliyu, who has taught in GGSS Kwa for over 15 years, said the school was established in 1978 and till date no innovation or upgrade has been carried out on the staff quarters.
GGSS Kwa. Photo Credit: Lukman Abdulmalik.
He added that “On various occasions I have led the school team to source for projects and intervention for the renovation of our houses from the state government, but after it’s been approved they will divert the project.
“However, the remaining four houses were renovated with our own salaries, due to the government saying we don’t pay rent, so we should take care of the houses by ourselves.
“All the roofings are casted one, which they have been in bad condition, for that we usually use cartons to replace some parts of the broken ceilings.
Non-execution of staff quarters renovation, led to dilapidation of staff houses in GGSS Kwa. Photo Credit: Lukman Abdulmalik.
Aliyu lamented that lack of teachers in the school has also contributed to the low student turnout due to the teachers being insufficient.
Zaituna Abubakar, SS1 student of GGSS Kwa lamented that the lack of sufficient teachers due to poor accommodation has affected their learning negatively as the teachers are not giving them more attention like before.
She revealed that “most times we just come to school without learning anything, almost all the teachers are no longer staying in the school as their houses are dilapidated.
“We hardly covered our syllabus for the term, so most students performed poorly in the exams. Sometimes a single teacher will handle more than five subjects, which is improper.
“Sometimes I would rather hawk Awara (Soya cake) than go to school.”
Contractor who handled projects could not be found
In an effort to locate AD2 Intg. Tech Nig Ltd., the company that won the renovation contract for the schools in Yar Gaya, Albasu and Kwa, at a sum of N35,003,944.87 million, this reporter reached out to a colleague who resides in Dutse to help locate the company in the given address, but it could not be found.
Furthermore, this reporter sent a mail message 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 ad2@hotmail.com, because the address couldn’t be found, or is unable to receive mail.”
Caption; Email sent AD2 Intg Tech Nig Ltd
However, the award of contract to AD2 Intg. Tech Nig. Ltd., an unregistered company, contravenes section 16 (6) (d) (e) of the PPA titled ‘fundamental principles for procurements.’ This also contravenes sections 417 – 424 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, titled ‘Annual Returns.’
However, the Kano State Public Procurement Bureau reacted that “we don’t ask for contractors’ annual returns, our agency only requires contractor’s CAC number and Tax identification number for clearance, in order to secure contracts.”
A civil and criminal litigation lawyer, Isah Abdulazeez Umar, observed that awarding contracts to unregistered companies is illegal and a contravention of Section 57 (2) of the 2017 Public Procurement Act and could even attract money laundering cases against the perpetrators of the said practices.
The lawyer added that though the law does not specifically point out the offence of an agency like the SRRBDA for awarding contracts to a company that doesn’t exist, he explained that if a company doesn’t exit, it means that documents submitted by the bidders are fake, and therefore, against the public procurement law.
He said the agency’s offence could be traced to Section 58 (4c), which states, “The following shall also constitute offences under this act directly, indirectly, or attempting to influence in any manner, The procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of procurement contracts is against using fake documents.”
Furthermore, the act provides punishment for the agency in Section 58 (5) thus: “A person who by carrying out his duty as an officer of the bureau or any procuring entity contravenes any provision of this act, commits an offence liable on conviction to the cumulative punishment of a term of imprisonment of not less than five years without the option of fine.”
Kano State Ministry of Education Spent N29 Million on Non-existent Staff Quarters
But AD2 Intg. Tech Nig. Ltd.is not the only phantom company that got contracts from the Kano Ministry OF Educations. In 2020’s OCDS contract award information, a contract in the sum of N29,883,481.30 was awarded to CNL COULDRON NIG. LTD purportedly located at shop 6, Dan Marayah Maiduguri Road, Hotoro, Kano for renovation and repair works at GGSS Zakirai staff quarters in Gabasawa LGA.
A series of checks at the CAC on the company showed that it does not exist. What is more bizarre about the contract awarded to CNL Couldron Ltd is that it was for a non-existent job as there are no staff quarters in GGSS Zakirai.
GGSS Zakirai
A visit to the school by this reporter showed that it is a day and not boarding school, thus has no staff quarters to be repaired or innovated.
In an interview with the Senior Admin Officer who also doubles as Biology teacher at the school, Mahmud Sani Abba, he confirmed: “we have no staff quarters in GGSS Zakirai due to it being a day school.
Mahmud Sani Abba, Senior Admin Officer, GGSS Zakirai, During an interview with this reporter. Photo Credit: Lukman Abdulmalik.
“The lack of staff quarters has not reduced teacher’s performance, because all the teachers live within the town and Gabasawa LGA.”
A visit to the location address provided by the contractor on the OCDS award information document, showed that the company does not operate from the plaza. Residents of the area and shop owners in the plaza claimed not to know such a contractor.
This reporter also sent a mail provided by the contractor in the contract award information document, but the response was that “Address not found” “Your message wasn’t delivered to wangerian@gmail.com because the address couldn’t be found, or is unable to receive mail.”
Ministry keeps mum despite FOI
On May 3rd, 2023, in an effort to seek information and clarification from the Kano State Ministry of Education, this reporter sent a Freedom of information Act, FOIA, request on why the sum of N22,929,752.82 was awarded to B.M petroleum & transport, the company of a commissioner and current Takai LGA Chairman to repair and renovate staff quarters at GGSS Sumaila.
Another FOIA request was sent to the ministry on the release of N29,883,481.30 million to CNL COULDRON NIG. LTD to renovate and repair GGSS Zakirai staff quarters in Gabasawa LGA, which the school has no staff quarters.
The FOIA request sought to know why the repairs and renovation of GGSSS Yargaya, GGSS Albasu and GGSS Kwa was not executed after awarding N35,003,944.87 million to AD2 INTG. TECH NIG. LTD
Caption; Picture of acknowledged FOI by Kano State Ministry of Education on 3rd May 2023. Photo Credit: Lukman Abdulmalik.
The FOIA request was acknowledged by the ministry at the time it was delivered by this reporter. After a week a follow-up was made but the ministry is yet to provide feedback regarding the questions three weeks after as at the time of filing this report. The access to information law allows for seven days for requests to be attended to.
Implication for Kano State
Awarding contracts to unverified, inactive and unregistered companies negate Section 16 of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
Apart from violating procurement laws, the shoddy handling of projects by inactive or unregistered companies may undermine and wipe out gains recorded towards achieving Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations.
The Goal 4, is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. According to UNICEF, no fewer than 70 per cent of Nigerian children are suffering from learning poverty, due to lack of quality or sustainable development for the teachers.
The ambition to achieve SDG 4 by 2030 for Nigeria is a high one, and the World Bank has estimated that the country needs a 14 per cent allocation from its Gross Domestic Product to meet the target.
Therefore, awarding contracts to unknown companies may forfeit the little funding currently committed to achieving these goals.
Lack of staff houses Impede teachers’ productivity – Expert
Dr. Auwalu Halilu, the Kano State Coordinator, Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All, (CSACEFA), said lack of staff housing can impede teachers’ productivity.
‘Some of the benefits of this type of teachers accommodation include increase in social motivation, increased motivation to achieve learning outcomes through collaboration, helps gain knowledge from each other through practice and reinforcement, strategy where students change roles, improvement in academic achievement, improvement in cognitive gains, provides a more one-on-one relationship for learning, is an economically and educationally effective intervention for both students, and gives the teachers a way to accommodate a diverse classroom of learners with different reading levels in content areas.
“If implemented correctly, peer tutoring can be a successful inclusive accommodation (strategy) that engages students simultaneously with their teachers in school because students can access their teachers at any moment,” Halilu said.
This report first published on Daily Focus, is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR.
ALL roads leads to Wembley Stadium, today (Saturday) for the final of one of the most historic football tournaments in the world – the English FA Cup – between Manchester City and Manchester United.
The competition which is open to all clubs in all the 10 tiers of the English league system is the oldest national football competition in the world.
Ahead of the match between Manchester City and Manchester United, The ICIR takes a look at the prize money at stake for the winners of the competition.
The winner will receive two million Euros while the runners-up goes home with 1 million Euros.
Below is the FA’s Prize Fund at different stages of the competition.
In this 2022/2023 season, Manchester City has already been crowned champion of the English Premier League, (EPL).
Manchester City Manager, Pep Guardiola has said his team’s target to win the treble – the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
“We are playing a top team today; we know this and we are ready. Manchester United know how to win and we will have to fight for absolutely everything today. However, I trust my players and I can see it in their eyes: they want to win this trophy.
“To be here as Premier League champions is amazing for us. To win the title five times in six years is something very special. We try to be consistent and work hard every day, but I never imagined we could win five in six, especially in this country where the standard is so high. Every single week it is so tough and so demanding. The consistency my players have shown is extraordinary, and I’m incredibly proud of all of them. I am the luckiest manager in the world!
“And next week we have a Champions League final to look forward to. To be playing Inter in Istanbul in the final of Europe’s most beautiful competition is going to be amazing for this football club,” he said.
Also, Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag said he aims to get a second silverware for the club, adding that his boys will give every single bit of their energy to make sure they leave Wembley with the trophy.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for this group of players and staff to win our second piece of silverware and create a new moment of history for this great football club. If we stick to our game plan, follow our own rules and draw extra strength from our amazing supporters, then I have every confidence that we can achieve our aim today and take another big step forward in our journey together.”
Ten Hag added that the strong bond that has developed between the team and the fans is one of the most pleasing things about the season.
According to him, this connection will be more important than ever at Wembley, in the Emirates FA Cup Final with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.
“We know that we will have to be at our very best against an excellent opponent. We have already shown that we are capable of this because our Premier League win over City in January was one of our best performances so far this season. So, we know what is required, and we know the standards we have to reach.
“I can say with certainty that Pep will not be expecting an easy fixture this afternoon because we have shown repeatedly that we have the ability to cause problems for every team.”
IT is a weekend and you will want to relax. Here are some Nollywood and Hollywood movies you can watch to make it a perfect weekend.
SISTÁ
The life of a single mother becomes increasingly challenging when the father of her children re-enters their lives, capturing their undivided attention and overshadowing her presence.
Directed and written by Biodun Stephen, SISTÁ is a Nollywood drama that tells the story of a single mother. It stars great actors and actresses from Nigeria including Kehinde Bankole, Deyemi Okanlawon, Bisola Aiyeola, Adediwura Adesegha, among others. The movie which was released in August 2022 in Nigeria has a 9.2/10 on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) and lasts for 1 hour 34 minutes. It can be streamed on prime video.
PASSPORT
Passport. Source: Wikipedia
The film revolves around the intertwined lives of Oscar and Kopiko, two individuals seeking excitement but existing in different realms of loneliness. Oscar, en-route to the airport with his uncle, intends to return to the UK to visit his ailing mother.
Unfortunately, during the car ride, Oscar’s bag containing his travel passport is stolen by a group of street individuals named Mighty and Tobee. Desperate to retrieve his passport and make it in time for a crucial job interview in the United Kingdom, Oscar must seek the aid of Kopiko, a tomboy residing in the ghetto. Together, they must collaborate closely to ensure Oscar doesn’t miss his flight.
Meanwhile, Kopiko, a tomboy who grew up in the impoverished neighbourhood with her sister and sick mother, witnesses the lack of progress and development in her community. This fuels her aspiration to become the community’s chairperson, envisioning a brighter future. However, she faces fierce competition from Terminator, who also vies for the position.
The movie was released on September 2022 in Nigeria and runs for 120 minutes. It was directed by Dimeji Ajibola, written by Abodi Ogba and produced by Vincent Okonkwo.
Among the casts are, Mercy Johnson, Jim Iyke, Zubby Micheal and Jide Kosoko. The movie has 8.4/10 ratings on IMDB and can be streamed on Netflix.
THE TRADE
The Trade. Source: IMDb
Featuring stars like Blossom Chukwujekwu, Rita Dominic, Chiwetalu Agu, Mercy Aigbe, Denola Grey among others, “The Trade” is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged drama that delves into the dark underbelly of human trafficking.
The film follows the intertwined stories of three characters: Sarah, a young woman who falls prey to a human trafficking ring; Mark, an undercover agent determined to bring down the criminal network responsible for the trade; and Maria, a survivor who has managed to escape and seeks justice for herself and others.
The film was released in January, 2023. It was directed and written by Jide Osiberu and can be streamed on Prime Video as well.
Plane
Plane. Source: Wikipedia
In a heart-pounding turn of events, Pilot Brodie Torrance becomes a beacon of hope as he skillfully navigates his aircraft away from a deadly lightning strike.
However, the gripping tale truly unfolds when Torrance is compelled to make a daring landing on an island ravaged by war. Little does he know, surviving the turbulent descent was merely the start of an arduous journey.
As a group of treacherous rebels seizes control and holds the majority of passengers hostage, Torrance finds himself in a race against time.
With no one else to rely on, he must forge an unlikely alliance with Louis Gaspare, a convicted murderer being transported by the FBI. Together, they must summon every ounce of courage and resourcefulness to outwit their captors and secure the freedom of the innocent.
Plane is an electrifying action thriller movie released in 2023, directed by Jean-François Richet. The gripping screenplay was crafted by Charles Cumming and J. P. Davies.
The film boasts an exceptional cast including Gerard Butler, Mike Cotler, Yoson An, and Tony Goldwyn. The captivating storyline revolves around a skilled pilot (Butler) who forms an unlikely alliance with a prisoner (Colter) in a daring attempt to rescue their fellow passengers from a perilous land they were forced to make an emergency landing in.
SANCTUARY
Theatrical Release poster. Source: Wikipedia
After inheriting his father’s hotel chain, Hal finds himself in a difficult situation as he attempts to bring an end to his long and covert relationship with Rebecca, who happens to be a dominatrix.
As the night unfolds, a tense battle of wills ensues between them, each fighting to maintain control and gain the upper hand. Their struggle for power and dominance becomes the central focus, creating a fraught and intense atmosphere throughout the night.
Sanctuary is an intense American psychological thriller film that was released in 2022. The movie is directed by Zachary Wigon and features a screenplay written by Micah Bloomberg. Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott take on the lead roles, delivering captivating performances.
