By Ahmed Mohammed, Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government will have to shell out over N3 billion for the successful take off of hundreds of new districts and village heads created two months ago by Governor Isa Yuguda, a committee said yesterday.

Sa’idu Ibrahim Jahun, chairman of the 15-member committee set up by the government on the new traditional domains, said this while submitting his committee’s report to Governor Yuguda in Bauchi.

“The state will require the sum of N3.34 billion to successfully run the traditional institution at the district and village level, following the creation of additional ones by the present administration in the state,”Jahun, who is the Galadiman Bauchi and District Head of Zungur, said.

He said the billions would be used to cover salaries, emoluments and other allowances as well as provision of vehicles, office accommodation and construction of new palaces and guest houses for the 133 district and 657 village heads in the state.

Jahun said the committee was set up to look at the possibilities of immediate take off of the newly created 96 districts and 456 village heads in the state. He said the new traditional institutions will take off this month and will culminate with the turbaning of new district and village heads in December.

He explained that the committee recommended the upgrading of districts and village heads that are currently on grade level 13 and 09 to grade level 14 and 10 respectively.

Responding, Governor Yuguda reiterated the determination of his administration to ensure the smooth take off of the newly created districts and village heads.

He said when his administration came in in 2007, it found many reports that were not implemented, hence the need for the government to attach importance to the creation of the new traditional institutions which is part of the yearnings and aspiration of the people of the state.

On August 8, Yuguda signed two laws creating the Sayawa chiefdom and more than 500 other additional chiefdoms across the state.

The governor also last week appointed 1070 political aides, whose salaries and other perks could cost the state more than a billion naira yearly, provoking criticism from opposition politicians.

By Nuruddeen M. Abdallah & Turaki A. Hassan

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) is organising a conference that will address the recurrent ethno-religious violence, Boko Haram militancy, industrialisation, almajiranci and other challenges facing the region. The event is scheduled for December 5 and 6 this year.

The Chairman Contact and Mobilisation Committee of the conference, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Gusau, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja when he led other members of the socio-cultural organisation to the Media Trust corporate headquarters on a courtesy visit.

Gusau explained that the present situation in the North was not acceptable to the ACF, which made the proposed conference not only expedient but inevitable. “In view of the general insecurity in the North and other parts of the country, ACF is left with no option than to put its house in order. We cannot afford to be left behind in the scheme of things. We realised that under our revered leader, the late Sardauna, nobody dared say I am a Muslim or a Christian; everybody lived together in peace and the nation was moving forward. But now things have changed to the level that we are now at each other’s neck,” he said.

The ACF delegation has also paid a similar visit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal yesterday.  The leader of the delegation said that “we in the North must be part of the progress and development of the country. We have fought for the unity of this country and it must be sustained. Time is now and ACF has come up with the conference to address the problems facing the entire North.”

He said that the conference would gather all stakeholders in the region that include serving and former heads of state, serving and former state governors, leaders of the federal and state legislatures, retired justices of the federal and state high courts, businessmen, traditional and religious leaders, among others.

Gusau explained that ACF cannot accept a situation whereby other regions were developing its people and resources while the North is busy under developing itself through violence under whatever guise.

By Mohammed Aminu

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111 , has called on the Federal Government to identify individuals behind the Boko Haram debacle and engage them in dialogue with a view to resolving the issue.

Speaking during a dinner with journalists in his palace in Sokoto on Sunday, the monarch maintained that by identifying the leadership of the sect, it would enable the Committee on Security Challenges in the North-east set up recently by government to urge the military and the sect to stop hostilities and embrace dialogue.

He noted that many innocent people were killed in Borno State in the last few months, pointing out that, dialogue is very critical because even wars are fought to keep peace.

The monarch chided those individuals who are calling on the federal government not to dialogue with the sect, saying they don’t want peace to reign in the country.

According to him, the situation in Borno is very complex because those behind the violence are not known and as such the onus is on the committee to look out for the leadership of the sect and engage them in talks in order to identify their demands.

“The situation in Borno is very complex; you cannot dialogue with somebody you don’t know, so the committee should look out for the leadership of the sect and find out what are their terms. They should try to find who are their leaders and spokesmen and reach an accord with them in order to have a ceasefire,’

“In fact, the committee should find a way to appeal to the leadership of the sect to stop bombing and come out from their hiding place while the Joint Task Force should also ceasefire in order to stop the bloodshed. Talking is very important and is critical to finding an amicable solution to the violence,” the monarch advised.

The Sultan observed that field operation was the most difficult aspect of military operations due to the fact that the members of the religious sect are not known.

He described the wanton killing of innocent citizens as pathetic and stressed the need for the JTF to adhere to the rules of engagement in order to minimise casualties.

On Islamic banking, the monarch emphasised that most people are struggling to meet up with their basic needs and lack the money to patronise such banks.

He described Islamic banking as an economic venture and wondered why Nigerians are dissipating their energy on the matter while at the same time ignoring myriad of problems bedeviling the polity.

“We have a lot of problems and most people cannot even have three square meals. There are problems of electricity, lack of food, poverty and increase in price of food items. Let us face the real problems and try to tackle them. Forget about Islamic banking, catholic banking or Jewish banking and leave it to those who want it,”

“Actually, I don’t see it as any issue that will generate controversy and what I know is that so many political leaders who happen to be Christians are not even against Islamic banking,” the monarch averred.

He, therefore, urged journalists to be professional and patriotic while discharging their assignments by refraining from acts capable of tarnishing the image of the country.

The Sultan added that the role of the media is very critical in the economy of any nation, hence the need for journalists to avoid reports that will create disharmony and conflict in the polity.

By Kabiru Tsakuwa

“Humanness and justice are the means by which to govern properly. When government is carried out properly, people feel close to the leadership and think little of dying for it.”

SUN TSU

“…the behavior of a prince must be tempered by humanity and prudence so that over-confidence does not make him rash or excessive distrust makes him unbearable”

Niccolo Machiavelli

One quality that differentiate democracy from fascism, communism and all forms of dictatorships is the freedom of choice it accord the people to decides who should  represent them in any capacity through the instrumentality of the ballot box. It also constitutionally guarantees them inalienable right to free speech.

Based on that, the last gubernatorial election in Kano was conducted in a very conducive atmosphere devoid of rancour and needless acrimony. But   whether the outcome which purportedly returned kwankwaso elected, truly represents the wishes of the electorates is entirely another matter. And since the case is a subject of ongoing litigation, we have no liberty to speculate and preempt the outcome as that remains within the purview of a   competent court of jurisdictions!

Of grave concern however, has been the new dimension, conduct of governance appears to be taking since the advent of the present administration in Kano.  Barely two months after inauguration had frustrations and gnashing of teeth appears to have set in throughout the troubled state. Things no longer add-up in the vibrant city. Even die-hard PDP supporters are now lamenting how their hope was dashed so quickly. And why not, given that people that were used to taking so many things for granted especially in the last four years by way of responsive administration suddenly found their entire lives turned upside down in less than a 100 days in Office!

But this is by no means surprising especially if we consider the tendencies and character traits of the current gladiators at the helm of affairs. Indeed what do we expect to see, where humility  has totally given way to arrogance; compassion to hard-heartedness; team spirit to single minded folly; forgiveness to vindictiveness; respect for elders whose vast repository of wisdom can be utilized effectively for the common good to morbid scorn and  responsive and knowledge based governance to primitive proclivities?  The end results can never be palatable I suppose!

So far, many Kano workers have been put on edge, just waiting for the unknown. None is sure of what will be his fate tomorrow. Salaries and pension that used to come as at when due in no distant past has become a recurring monthly struggle; and developmental projects which help to placed Kano ahead of its peers are all put on hold for no cogent reason. Any wonder that within a span of just two month, the reigning party appears to have lost every iota of goodwill and thing have been falling apart in Kano since then?

Instead of continuity which every patriotic Kano indigene yearn for and expect, the man at the center of the storm elect to draws more enemies to himself. I think someone should help save Kano and its people from kwankwaso, because he seems to be on self destruct mode. And if the unfortunate trend continues, he definitely risks falling into political oblivion!

In the count down to the last election, youth most of whom were in the cradle eight years ago and our innocent mothers were naively deceived into voting the party in power. Today, they are asking question as to what has befallen them lately. Unfortunately, they were so young in the case of the former and uninformed in the case of the latter to be able to expertly locate the loci and properly gauge the tangent and understand and recall what transpires from 1999 to 2003 in Kano. But those of us who are in the know have try our possible best; because we know that by its nature, a leopard never change its spot no matter what!

Furthermore, the ambiance in Kano today did not give cause for celebration. Lamentations arising from disillusionments that presently enveloped the state courtesy of maladministration of the kwankwaso led government are so thick as to be cut with a very sharp knife. Worse, his minders appears incapable of doing the right thing, having ensconced their selves in highfalutin ground, and oozing out foul and gutter language laced with tinge of arrogance in the name of defending the in defendable.

Something drastic need to be done therefore, to save Kano and its good people from current stagnation and confusion as a consequence of a vindictive leader who’s every step point in the wrong direction!

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