Connect with us

General

Zulum, Shehu of Borno Urge FG to Expedite Alau Dam Rehabilitation

Published

on

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has called on the Federal Government to expedite the rehabilitation and expansion of the Alau Dam to avert a recurrence of last year’s devastating floods in the state.
Zulum made the call on Friday in Maiduguri when he received the Shehu of Borno, Dr Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, who led a traditional Sallah homage to the Government House.
He said the slow pace of work on the dam project was worrisome, especially as the rainy season had already begun.
“After the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and expansion of the dam, which we all attended, the truth is that the work is not progressing as expected,” the governor said.
“The last time I visited the President, I informed him about the true state of the project. I will not relent; I will continue to follow up. I have also informed the Vice President.
“In the meantime, the Secretary to the State Government has set up a committee to provide immediate intervention at the dam,” he explained
Maiduguri and surrounding local government areas witnessed severe flooding in September 2024 following the collapse of the dam. In response, the Federal Government approved N80 billion for its reconstruction and expansion. The project was formally flagged off in March 2025.
Zulum reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to connecting all local government headquarters in the state to the national grid before the end of his tenure. He also promised extensive road rehabilitation once the Pulka quarry plant is operational.
“These are two critical issues dear to me,” he said. “I assure Your Royal Highness that all local government headquarters will be connected to electricity before my tenure expires, Insha Allah. On road infrastructure, insecurity has been a major challenge, but we remain committed. We have procured 40 new Howo tipper trucks, and once the Pulka quarry plant is completed, we will embark on massive road rehabilitation across the state.”
The governor also thanked the people of Borno for their continued support and cooperation with his administration.
Earlier, the Shehu of Borno stressed the need for urgent action on the Alau Dam project, noting that the first phase should have been completed by now.
He cited the recent flooding in Mokwa, Niger State, as a reminder of the dangers of delay.
“We witnessed the catastrophic flooding in Maiduguri on Sept. 10, 2024, and we do not want a repeat,” he said. “The Federal Government must act immediately.”
The monarch also urged the governor to continue engaging the Federal Government on oil exploration in Tuba, road rehabilitation, and electricity connectivity for more local government areas
During the visit, Zulum also received delegations from the University of Maiduguri, Kashim Ibrahim University, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Kashim Ibrahim University Teaching Hospital, the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, and the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Azare, who paid similar Sallah homage.

About The Author

General

NGO celebrates women as Katsina peace champions

Published

on

By

 

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Gender Awareness Trust (GAT) has commended women across Katsina communities for their contributions towards promoting peace and security.

The GAT’s State Coordinator, Muhammad Maifada, made the commendation on Friday during a sensitisation exercise at the palace of the District Head of Shinkafi, Abdurashid Abubakar.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was organised in collaboration with UK International Development, SPRING, and Tetra Tech International Development.

Maifada said that the sensitisation programme, which featured participation of about 13 community leaders, was part of activities to commemorate the 2026 International Women’s Day.

He noted that studies have shown the significant contributions women make in enhancing security within communities, particularly through the provision of vital information to security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

Maifada further emphasised that parents and religious leaders also have a vital role to play, noting that they were close to the people and serve as permanent community leaders.

According to him, they are in a strategic position to help promote peace, guide the public on security measures, and inform citizens on appropriate channels for reporting issues in order to protect their communities.

He, therefore, called on members of the public to understand that everyone had a role to play in ensuring security and peace, stressing that each individual could contribute in different ways toward safeguarding their communities.

According to Maifada, GAT supported Women peace and security implementation committee members to carry out community sensitisation to inclusive peace-building.

Maifada further revealed that GAT also operates in Kaduna, while in Katsina State its activities cover Batagarawa, Kaita, and Katsina Local Government Areas.

“Among the key activities of the organisation is raising community awareness on the importance of women’s participation, particularly in matters relating to security and peace-building.

“The organisation is also advocating against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), a menace that affects women and children in the state,” the Coordinator said.

In his remarks, the District Head, who is also the Turaren Katsina, expressed gratitude to God for the choice of his district to host the celebration marking the International Women’s Day.

He also acknowledged the positive impact of the organisation’s activities within the community and pledged continued support and cooperation to ensure sustained peace and security across Katsina state.

NAN

About The Author

Continue Reading

General

KNSG targets over 3.5m Ramadan meals, commends hygiene at cooking centres

Published

on

By

 

Kano State Government says it is targeting the distribution of more than 3.5 million meals under its 2026 Ramadan feeding programme across the state.

The Commissioner for Religious Affairs and Chairman of the Ramadan Feeding Programme, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani, said this while inspecting designated cooking centres responsible for preparing and packaging meals for beneficiaries.

Tijani said the inspection was aimed at assessing hygiene conditions, quality of ingredients and the general cooking process at the centres.

According to him, the team focused on cooking facilities and packaging processes rather than distribution points.

“We visited some of the major contractors responsible for preparing large quantities of meals daily for the programme.

“One of the companies we inspected feeds about 25,000 people daily, while others also prepare between 13,000 and 25,000 meals each day,” he said.

He explained that the programme targets the preparation of about 115,000 meal packages daily throughout the 29 days of Ramadan.

The commissioner said the meals would be distributed across the eight metropolitan Local Government Areas of the state.

Tijani commended the contractors for maintaining good hygiene standards at the cooking centres.

“We inspected the kitchens, the environment and the packaging process to ensure that the food meets the required hygiene standards.

“We are satisfied with what we saw. The level of cleanliness and the quality of the food being prepared are commendable,” he said.

He added that government officials had intensified monitoring to ensure quality control throughout the programme.

According to him, the supervision has helped address earlier concerns about food quality recorded at the beginning of the exercise.

“For the past two weeks, we have been visiting different centres to monitor both the quantity and quality of meals being prepared,” he said.

Tijani also said the government had resolved cases where some individuals attempted to divert food meant for designated distribution centres.

He noted that the situation had been addressed in collaboration with local authorities, adding that such cases had reduced significantly.

The commissioner said the cooking centres were also complying with the dietary standards approved by the state government.

“We checked the ingredients being used, including cooking oil, seasoning and meat, and they meet the required standards,” he said.

Tijani described the 2026 Ramadan feeding programme as one of the most organised in the state, noting that the government would continue to monitor the exercise to ensure its success.

About The Author

Continue Reading

General

Tinubu campaign group donates N11m, rice to Katsina APC Officials

Published

on

By

A political support group, Tinubu/Dikko Assured (TDA 2027) has on Wednesday donated ₦11 million in cash and 95 bags of rice to party executives of the All Progressives Congress in Katsina.

The distribution, which took place in Katsina, was aimed at supporting party leaders and stakeholders during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Director-General and founder of the group, Umar Ahmad-Zayyad, said the distribution exercise would be supervised by members of the TDA State Steering Committee.

Represented by the TDA State Coordinator, Khalil Aminu, the D-G said the gesture was part of the group’s continued commitment to strengthening the party structure from the grassroots while supporting loyal party executives.

He further assured that the structure of the party in Katsina Local Government and the state in general, remains intact, adding that it had mobilised ahead of future political engagements.

Ahmad-Zayyad described the outreach as part of a sustained effort to consolidate party unity and reinforce grassroots mobilisation in line with the objectives of the Tinubu/Dikko 2027 Project.

He described Ramadan as a period of sacrifice, compassion and generosity, adding that the initiative was designed to cushion the economic burden on party officials and their families during the fasting period.

According to the breakdown provided at the ceremony, five bags of rice and ₦500,000 were distributed across each of the 12 Wards in Katsina Local Government Area.

In addition, 15 bags of rice and ₦2 million were presented to the Katsina Local Government Executives to support their activities and welfare.

Similarly, 20 bags of rice alongside ₦3 million were handed over to the State Party Executives as part of the broader intervention package.

Party leaders who received the items expressed appreciation to Ahmad-Zayyad for what they described as a timely and thoughtful intervention.

Other beneficiaries who spoke at the occasion pledged their continued loyalty and support to the party’s leadership at both the state and national levels.

NAN

About The Author

Continue Reading

Trending