Dr. Kagu replaces former Gov. Gaidam’s inlaw as head of state Scholarship board, predecessor may be named commissioner

Dr. Kagu

The Director Centre for Disaster Management at Yobe State University, Dr. Abubakar Kaga has been appointed as the new Executive Secretary of the State Scholarship Board.

Dr. Kagu who is currently the Special Assistant to the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan  on Legal matter will replace Musa Mustapha, who was appointed by the former Governor Ibrahim Gaidam after the former governor got married to his daughter, an undergraduate Medical Student in Sudan.

There are however high speculations that Mohammmed Mustapha, the former governor’s father-law will be named in Gov. Mai Mala’s cabinet as the Honorable Commissioner to represent Damaturu.

The appointment of Dr. Kagu is contained in a statement from the office of the Secretary to Yobe State Government signed by Abdullahi Shauibu, the Press Secretary to the SSG also announced the appointment of Dauda Mohammed Gombe as the State Representative Regional Stabilization Facility of the North-East of United Nation Development Program(UNDP).

“His Excellency the Executive governor of Yobe State, Hon. Mai Mala Buni has approved the appointment of Dr. Abubakar Bukar Kagu as Executive Secretary Yobe State Scholarship Board.
“Similarly, His Excellency has approved the appointment of Dauda Mohammed Gombe as the State Representative Regional Stabilization Facility of the North - East of United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).
“All the appointments take immediate effect” the statement said.

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Counter insurgency: Maiduguri to host International Workshop on Civil–Security relations

Worried by the deteriorating relationship between the security agencies, the civilian population and humanitarian actors working in the north-eastern part of Nigeria devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency, the  Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management  and Social Development has concluded arrangement to host  an International  Workshop on ‘Improving Civil-Security Cooperation(CIESEC) in the Northeast Theatre of Conflict’.

The International Workshop which is scheduled to take place between 6^th -8^th November, 2019 in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, one of the epicentres of the Boko Haram crisis will pull together experts from Government, Military, Academia, Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and the International Community on one table to address the issues and proffer solutions to a better synergy among the actors in the theatre.

The high level engagement according to a statement from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs,  Disaster Management and Social Development  is expected to come out with the following outcomes:

i). Identify issues that hinder information sharing and common priorities and complementarity between

security institutions and humanitarian organisation

ii). To recognize challenges in implementing the existing CISEC frameworks and to put forward strategies to overcome such challenges.

iii). To outline a plan of action defining the responsibility of security institutions and humanitarian agencies in implementing the proposals on cooperation.

ImpactOnlineNigeria recalled that the frosty relationship and growing mistrust among the civil population, the security and humanitarian actors in the northeast has adversely affected smooth coordination of humanitarian activities at the expense of the affected population.

The failing relationship has even led to military sanctions on some INGOs who are allegedly  accused of working with the insurgents to sabotaging military operations in the region.

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UN Women empowers 1,770 women on different skills in Borno/Yobe

One of the beneficiaries learning to operate the rice mill machine

UN Women, an entity of the United Nation for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment has trained has trained a total of 1,770 women in Borno and Yobe as part of its post conflict economic empowerment program of women in the Northeast.

The training which is funded by the Government of Japan is being implanted  by Search for Common Ground, one of the implementing  partners of UN Women is targeting two local governments in Borno comprising Jere and Mafa while Bade Local Government is selected from Yobe for the program.

The Program Manager of Search for Common Ground and Gender Specialist Mrs Tamwakat Golit said the program is aimed at strengthening the resilience of women in the post conflict states of Borno and Yobe so as to make them self reliant both economically and to also equip them to make choices and decision in politics and conflict management.

“These women are being trained on improved parboiling technology of Rice paddy and income generating activities of their choices ranging  from sewing, knitting, Gardening, cap making, poultry, Groundnut processing etc.

“Search has also supported these women by training them on micro enterprise, cooperative management and climate smart technology. We have  established  them into cooperatives to enable them  build strong networks to support each other, earn and save money and influence decisions in their homes and communities,” Mrs. Golit explained.

She also added that,  “the women have been  provided  with start-up equipment and supplies ranging from Groundnut processing machines, sewing and knitting machines and supplies, soap and cap making materials etc to enable them sustain their livelihoods and that of their families”.

The Program Manager noted that, her organization has quickly key into the Nigeria Government policy of Made-in-Nigeria products by  installing  300kg/h rice milling machine and a 22KVA standby generator in Bade for the processing of quality home grown rice as a result of the closure of border against  the importation of rice and other items.

The state of the art rice milling machine according to her is been managed by the women within the community. The  machines she added has the capacity to  separate chaff, husk and stone from rice and polishes the rice free from stones for easy consumption.

 As part of its core mandate, Mr. Golit announced that, the women will be further trained and their leadership skills built in conflict management  and conflict to enable them advocate for change and gender equality in their communities”.

UN Women is an entity within the United nations which was created by the UN General Assembly in 2010 for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

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DPR lunches public campaign on usage of petroleum products, seals off 2 filling stations, 9 pumps in Borno/Yobe

DPR lunches  public campaign  on usage of  petroleum products, seals  off 2 filling stations, 9 pumps in Borno/Yobe

DPR boss for Borno/Yobe with other DPR officials

The Department of Petroleum Resources(DPR) Maiduguri Zonal office has embarked on the public education and enlightenment of marketers and the general public on the dangers of handling and usage of petroleum products.

The Zonal Office which covers Borno/Yobe took the campaign to filling stations across the two states where some safety tips and flyers were distributed to the public as well as some pasted at the fuel station to sustain the public awareness campaign on the handling and usage of petroleum products.

The campaign which was more or less peaceful however did not spare some erring fuel stations that were found wanting for various reasons ranging from under-delivery, bad house-keeping and non adherence to safety measures.

Our correspondent observed that most of the fire extiguishers at the filling stations were not working. The DPR asked them to replaced them or face heavy sanctions in the next visit.

In Maiduguri, the Borno State capital where the campaign was conducted on Wednesday, Mala Sheriff filing Station was sealed off while a total nine pumps in four filling stations were also sealed off for dispensing fuel.

In Damaturu, Yobe Statex, Zandan filling Station which applied for renovation and were still caught selling fuel by the team of DPR officials with journalists during the campaign was also sealed off from operations.

The Zonal Comptroller of DRP for Borno and Yobe Idris Ali  Zoka informed that no filling station is allowed to sale while it has applied for renovation and such application is given approval.

“We have been able to sealed one filling station that is supposed to be closed for renovation but they have not closed. They are still selling the product and there is still some substantial product in the filling station and we are coming to evacuate it for safety of the station and for the renovation to take place,” Mr Zoka explained.

Zadan filling station sealed in Damaturu

Speaking on the campaign, Mr. Zoka said; “We are trying to enlighten the marketers as well as the customers that are coming into the filling station. We have given some posters most filling stations and we are going to find another time to come and have a chat with the filling station owners and the media to give more enlightenment. We are also trying to create some jingles in the traditional languages on the dangers of using and handling petroleum products”.

He also mentioned that a DPR office will soon be coming on stream in Damaturu, Yobe State so as to strengthened the operations of the organization in the state, adding that, “ Yobe is the only state in the northeast that does not have a DPR office and we hope that it be coming up before the end of this year of first quarter of next year”.

Mr. Zoka disclosed that incidences of fire accidents at the filling stations across Borno and Yobe are quite insignificant as even the ones recorded are not devastating.

“For quite sometimes, we have had accident free incidences at the filling stations in Borno/Yobe. We have not seeing quite a dramatic fire cases. Probably in Maiduguri, we have had one or two filling stations but one cannot say it’s devastating. But we are hoping that, the petrol filling station owner will do their best for the safety of their property and the general public,” he explained.

He regretted that the Boko Haram crisis has affected their frequent engagement with marketers but however announced that the DPR still meet with them through their union like the IPMAN.

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