Politics
Niger crisis: Don urges ECOWAS to prioritize diplomatic solutions
He stressed the need for the Commission to embrace dialogue and diplomatic response to the situation.
“The best way is for the leaders to sit down to negotiate through diplomatic response to achieve an amicable political solution.
“In some cases you buttress your diplomacy with a show of force but the most stable way of resolving the crisis is through dialogue.
“This is not the first time we are having similar things, there are a lot of instances when either ECOWAS, African Union (AU) or United Nations promote dialogue and negotiations between the coup leaders and the third force want to negotiate.
“And when you reach that conclusion sometimes it is so stable.
“The irony of it is that, in this case, many of the people who are now calling for war or intervention in Niger, actually if you look at them, they too staged coups in their countries. Some were military leaders who have now ‘civilianise’, some are civilians but they staged civilian coup by distorting the constitution, and by getting themselves into office for so many years.
“We have not exhausted all those options yet, we have to exhaust those options first before opting for war.
“And in any case, war should not be an option,” he said.
According to Fagge, people welcome democratic government because it allows for freedom of expression and it comes about as a result of the concept of the people and also it is the people that decide who would rule them.
“Democracy is important in the eyes of the people. It is a government that engenders development. This is because it is accountable to the people, it promotes development and peace.
“Once you have people there are bound to be differences,” he said.
Fagge warned that the conflict portends serious economic implications for both the country and the region at large, adding the closure of Nigeria’s borders with Niger Republic compounded the problem of hunger and poverty among its citizens.
“Nigeriens get most of their things here and Nigeria is also bearing the brunt of this decision.
“It has been estimated that Nigeria loses not less than N13 billion every week by stopping trade with Niger.
“And there are speculations that Nigeria and Niger trade is a formal trade that accounts for over N170 billion annually.
“While the informal trade between the two countries accounts for over N580 billion annually.
“So, when you put these things together, it range from N900 billion to about N1 trillion that we are going to lose in terms of trade.
“Most of the people to be affected are Nigerians who are business people transacting all sorts of businesses with Nigeriens.
“This has serious economic implications for both countries and for the region as a whole,” he said
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The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, has distributed 13 buses to tertiary institutions in Kano State to enhance teaching, learning and institutional mobility.
The buses were presented to selected universities, colleges of education, polytechnics and secondary institutions to ease transportation challenges faced by staff and students during academic, administrative and extracurricular activities.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Bichi said the intervention was aimed at supporting educational institutions to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.
According to him, education remains the bedrock of development and requires sustained support to thrive.
“Providing these buses is our modest contribution towards creating an enabling environment for learning and academic excellence in Kano State,” he said.
Bichi, who represents Bichi Federal Constituency, noted that the initiative aligned with his commitment to attracting meaningful interventions to the education sector through his legislative responsibilities.
“As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I consider it a duty to ensure that institutions in Kano State benefit from opportunities that enhance their capacity,” he added.
Details of the distribution showed that Bayero University, Kano; Northwest University, Kano; and Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, each received two buses, while the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, also received two buses.
Other beneficiaries include Yusuf Maitama Sule University of Education, Kano; Kano State Polytechnic; Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education; Ibrahim Ayagi Science Secondary School, Dawakin Tofa; and Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies, which each received one bus.
Representatives of the beneficiary institutions expressed appreciation for the gesture, describing it as timely and impactful.
One of the officials said the buses would significantly reduce transportation challenges and support academic fieldwork, student movement and official engagements.
Stakeholders described the distribution as a demonstration of the dividends of democracy and called for sustained collaboration between lawmakers and educational institutions to further strengthen education in Kano State.
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Kano State House of Assembly and the Bauchi State House of Assembly have agreed to strengthen cooperation aimed at improving lawmaking processes and reforming revenue administration in both states.
The resolution was reached when members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, led by the Chairman, Committee on Finance, paid a courtesy visit to the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Jibril Ismail Falgore.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Speaker’s Spokesperson, Kamaluddeen Shawai on Wednesday in Kano.
Falgore, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Butu -Butu, commended the Bauchi lawmakers for the visit and reaffirmed the Kano Assembly’s commitment to deepen collaboration in legislation, House procedures and revenue-related reforms.
Falgore who responded to a condolence message from the Bauchi delegation, said the Kano Assembly was still mourning the loss of two of its members and appreciated the show of solidarity.
He also assured the delegation that the Kano State Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) Revenue Harmonization Law of 2016 remained in force and was available for review by the Bauchi Assembly.
Earlier, the Majority Leader of the Kano State House of Assembly, Lawal Hussain Dala, said the harmonised tax law was enacted to eliminate multiple taxation and enhance efficiency in revenue collection.
Dala recalled the long-standing relationship between Kano and Bauchi states, noting that Bauchi had influenced Kano’s political development since the era of Malam Aminu Kano, with both states benefiting from shared legislative experiences.
Similarly, the Clerk of the house,, Alhaji Bashir Diso, emphasised the importance of the harmonised tax law to both states and thanked the Bauchi delegation for the visit.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Committee on Finance, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Tanko Nura, commended the performance of Kano’s Appropriation Committee and other standing committees.
He said the visit was aimed at exchanging ideas and seeking approval to obtain a copy of the harmonised tax law for study and possible implementation in Bauchi State.
The document, he explained, would be studied in detail with a view to assessing its applicability and potential implementation in Bauchi State, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the state’s fiscal framework and enhance revenue generation for sustainable development.
“We are committed to working together, learning from Kano’s achievements over the years and doing what is best for our people,” Tanko said.
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The Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Jibril Falgore, has condemned the killing of a woman and her six children in the state, describing the incident as barbaric and heartbreaking.
Falgore, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kamaluddeen Shawai, said the arrest of three suspects by the Nigeria Police Force was a welcome development toward ensuring justice for the victims.
He urged security agencies to carry out thorough investigations to ensure that all those involved in the crime were brought to justice.
The Speaker commended the swift response of the police, noting that crimes of such nature must not be allowed to go unpunished in the state.
“This shocking incident committed against an innocent woman and her children is painful and unacceptable. While we commend the police for arresting suspects, investigations must be exhaustive until justice is fully served,” he said.
Falgore aligned himself with the call by the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for prompt and transparent handling of the case to reassure residents of the government’s commitment to protecting lives and property.
He assured that the Kano State House of Assembly would continue to support security agencies in their efforts to maintain peace and security across the state.
The Speaker expressed condolences, on behalf of the Assembly, to the families of the victims, the government and the people of Kano State, urging residents to remain calm and law-abiding.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and asked Allah to grant their families the fortitude to bear the loss.
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