AREWA Report
A Publication of the Sun Publishing Limited on Northern States
From TIMOTHY OLANREWAJU, Maiduguri
A little boy of, not more than three years, sat majestically on a donkey ridding on this sunny day on a highway along Shani-Yola axis, northeast Adamawa State. Obviously enjoying his ride, he whistles repeatedly and occasionally shouts in ecstasy to the admiration of two teenagers; both boys, walking behind him in the middle of other cattle carrying woods and other belongings wrapped with clothes. “He’s happy moving to another place,” one of the teenagers later told the reporter.
Just some 100 metres away, a lanky man holding a long stick drives herd of cows out of the highway. A middle age woman who was later introduced as his wife also pushes a not-very-healthy cow from the roadside. This is a family of Fulani nomads, apparently moving into another area in search of pasture or green for their animals.
“We want to go pasturing in another area,” the man who later introduced himself as Buba, said.
Like every other parts of Nigeria, rainy season is on in the northeast and this has ushered in the planting seasons by farmers. The presence of many men, women and teenagers on various farmlands along many roads in this area making ridges, tiling the soil or planting is a pointer to the fact that farmers are back to farms. But Fulani nomads like Buba say the only way to avert clashes is to move out of farming area. “We don’t want problem, so we move out to places with no farmlands,” he said.
But does he or any of his family have idea of their destination? “No” he said, adding, “we’re just moving.” He however declined to answer the reporter’s further probing on his nomadic life.
Buba and his family were not the only herders moving from the locations to another area, hundreds of nomads are doing same as the planting season begins and land becomes greenish in the northeast states. Within the stretch of the over 150 kilometres road from the southern part of Borno to Adamawa State, many herders were seen moving with their cattle in search of pasture. Some of them who spoke to Daily Sun maintained they won’t allow their cattle graze on farmlands.
“Typical Fulani nomad or herder often move from their location as soon as farming season commences because their lives revolve around their cattle, Sadiq Adamu, a Taraba-based journalist, told Daily Sun.
Adamu who was a herder in his younger days in the 70s leading his granny’s into the bush in Taraba State said Fulani nomad moves each time anything threatens his cows. “To a Fulani man, cow is a symbol of status. Without cows, people see him as nothing. He makes sure his cattle eat and drink water even before he does same, nothing matter to him except the well-being of his cattle. If food is insufficient in an area or grazing by his cows could cause problem which may make him lose one, he moves immediately elsewhere,” he said.
Then, why the incessant herdsmen and farmers’ clashes in some parts of the country? Adamu insisted a Fulani herder is non violence. “He’s only interested in the welfare of his cattle. He carries only long stick for support, to drive the cattle to the right path and defend himself against snake or other wild animals but not to kill,” he said. He urged the authority to probe the killer herders, describing the development as sad.
Faleke leads dignitaries to Ogidi Day Festival
From tunde omolehin, Sokoto
Kogi State Governorship contender and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Mr. James Abiodun Faleke will lead dignitaries from various walks of life to grace this year’s Ogidi Day Festival in Ogidi-Ijumu, Kogi State.
The Festival comes up at the Community Hall Grounds, Agegbe, Ogidi, Ijumu Local Government Area, Kogi State on Saturday, June 18, 2016.
Ahead of the festival, Faleke, who is billed to be the Chairman of the day, has embarked on the palliative repair of the 16 kilometre Kabba-Ogidi-Ayere Road.
Also expected at the event are the former Deputy Chief of Staff in the Obasanjo Presidency, Prince Olusola Akanmode, father of the day; Otunba Gani Adams of the O’odua Peoples Congress; Ms Diana Chen, Chief Executive Officer, CIG Motors, Lagos; Mr. Eniola Bello, Managing Director, Thisday Newspapers, Lagos and Mr. Tajudeen Ayo Yusuf, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Capital Market.
The occasion which marks the official presentation of the new yam is also used by the community to raise funds for various development projects in the ancient community.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Ogidi Development Union, organizers of the programme, Otunba Shuaib Ipinmisho, in a statement in Lokoja said cultural troupes from Lagos, Edo, Ekiti and Osun States will join their local counterparts to thrill the audience at what he termed the nation’s biggest culture event in June.
Prominent indigenes of the community and organisations deemed to have contributed to its development in the course of the year will be honoured with various awards while the Ologidi of Ogidi, Oba Rabiu Oladimeji Sule will also present honourary chieftaincy title to various dignitaries on the occasion.
The yearly Ogidi Day Medical Outreach organized by the ODU and Ripples Foundation, a United Kingdom based Charity will be held to conduct tests and give free drugs to the people of the community.
This year’s event will also feature a Youth Connect Night at which the popular hip hop artiste will entertain guests at an all night show and a mountain climbing expedition to the famous Oroke Oda which offered refuge to the people of the community during the Nupe raids of the late 19th century.
Ex-Super Eagles players storm Bauchi for Boko Haram victims charity match
From Paul Orude, Bauchi
The vitims of Boko Haram insurgency scattered across the country will soon heave a sigh of relief as a cream of big-wig Ex-Internationals converged on Bauchi for a charity football match on Friday June 3, 2016.
According to Daily Sun correspondent, the novelty match was organised to raise awareness on the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by Boko Haram crisis with a view to collaborating with government and other stakeholders to give them the needed succour.
The charity football match brought together some of the retired big names of the famous Dream Team 1 that dazzled at the USA 94 World Cup under the tutelage of Clemens Westerfof, the Super Eagles of that era who went on two years later, coached by Bonfere Jo, to trounce football superpowers namely Brazil and Argentina to win the gold medal for football at the Atlanta 96 Olympics Finals
Indeed it was a reminisces of that memorable era as the history making former Super Eagles were assembled in Bauchi for the charity match, coined Play It Again!, specially hosted by the Bauchi Sate Government and organised by Earth Green Concept, a non-governmental organisation with support from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
It is hoped that the event would kick-start another genuine effort to galvanise support to assist those displaced by insurgency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa and to some extent Gombe and Bauchi States during the infamous onslaught of Boko Haram.
One of the organisers, Ibrahim Tafawa Balewa, explained to Arewa Report that the ex-internationals were brought to Bauchi for the match to create awareness campaign to support IDPs in the country.
Balewa, son of late former Nigeria’s ambassador to Japan and nephew to the late Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, said he was happy with the huge turn-out and success of the event saying it was the beginning of a concerted effort to bring succour to the IDPs most of whom are living in abject conditions.
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, Sports loving people of Bauchi State and football fans trooped to the Bauchi International airport to welcome the former Super Eagle stars as the excitement was heightened with news that JJ Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo was among those being expected in Bauchi.
The fans were disappointed that Kanu and Okocha were billed to arrive the next day but were pleasantly happy with the familiar names that arrived at the airport and were taken to Government House, Bauchi and warmly received by the sports loving Governor Mohammed Abubakar and some of his tops aides.
Governor Abubakar said that the state was hosting more than one million, IDPs, stressing that poverty and ignorance fuelled the activities of insurgency in the north-eastern part of the country.
He said: “The effect of insurgency is felt by states like Bauchi State because of the multiplier effect of the displacement of persons who are now finding succour in the state. Indeed, rebuilding infrastructure is a very important aspect of your mission in the northeast, but addressing the underlying factors of insurgency is much more important than rebuilding infrastructures”
After a sumptuous dinner at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, the ex-internationals visited some camps of the IDPs in the state to see firsthand some of the situations the displaced were passing through in their own country.
With the experience serving as a food for thought, most of them in a sober mood proceeded to Yankari Games Reserves to experience of the greatest tourist attractions of the states and perhaps the country and spent the night in there.
At 4:00 in the evening of the next day, being Friday June 3, the 15,000 capacity Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium came to live as the ex-internationals namely were introduced to lock horns against Bauchi State Old Stars.
With the invitation cards given by the ministry of Youths and Sports exhausted, the stadium was full to capacity as football enthusiasts, Governor Abubakar, his deputy Engineer Nuhu Gidado and other top government officials were pleasantly entertained by the retired footballers who have not lost their swagger, speed and agility.
Those of the Dream Team 1 lined up were Kanu Nwanko, known as Papilo, Austine Eguorvon, Victor Ikpeba, known as the Prince of Monaco, Sani Kaita, son of the soil Patrick Pascal, Motiu Adepoju nicknamed the headmaster, Peter Rufai also known as Dodo Mayan who was tending the goal post.
Others are Emmanuel Emunike, Ben Iroha, Iferanyi Udenze, Tijanni Babangida and Ike Shorumnu who replaced Rufai in the second half. Not minding the downpour, which only served to retire the hitherto scorch sun with a friendly cold weather, Babangida in the second half slot in a gold past the Bauchi Old Stars goal keeper with a fine pass from Ikpeba as the charity match ended 1-0 in favour of the visitors.
Those big names in the Dream Team 1 missing from the charity match in Bauchi were Samson Siasia, currently on assignment with u-23 Dream Team 1V in preparation for the Olympics finals in Rio, Brazil later this year, Daniel Amokachi, known as The Bull for his strength against the opposition in his playing days, Nigeria’s mercurial midfield maestro and perhaps the most popular Nigeria footballer till date Austine J Okocha , Julious Aghahowa, Injured Goal keeper Joseph Dosu and Pius Ikedia among others.
“Today is one of my best days as a football fan. I really enjoyed it” says Ishaq Khalid of the BBC Hausa Section who was at the stadium to watch and cover the charity match.
“It is still like a dream to me,” Babawo Chelsea, a football fan harped. “I grew up watching them on the television but today I am privileged to meet them. I would have loved to see Okocha who didn’t come but I am happy that I saw Kanu, Peter Rufai, Amunike and Ikpeba. These were men that made us proud to be Nigerians”
“Catering for the Boko Haram victims is not the responsibility of the government alone. For me as an ex-international I decided to honour this match because we all have a role as Nigerians to give succour to the IDPs who are our brothers and sisters, especially the children among them,” Babangida the goal scorer told Arewa Report after the charity match, whose proceeds will be used to assist the IDPs.
21-year-old man wants to be youngest pilot in Sokoto
From Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
21-year old Ahmad Sada Suleiman, recently graduated from the prestigious International College of Aviation, Ilorin Kwara State as a certified private pilot.
While this feat represents an uncommon achievement by every measure, the Sokoto born youngster, however, dreams of becoming the youngest aircraft pilot from his state.
Narrating his experience, he recalled that he started nurturing the dream of flying as a professional pilot at the tender age of 10.
His words: “Then in primary school, I always admired pilots. I remember that, anytime I saw a plane in the sky, I wished I was its pilot. Since then, my passion for the job has remained undiluted.
He said his love for flying inspired his observant parents, in 2014, to quickly enrol him into the International College of Aviation, Ilorin Kwara State.
“In August 2014, I was enrolled as a trainee pilot at the International College of Aviation, Ilorin, Kwara State. The course was an intensive one and lasted from August 2014 to December 2015”.
“After the training, I passed all the prescribed examinations and flight tests and was certified as a qualified private pilot. The certificate was issued to us by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
Suleiman said his experience was exciting though he acknowledged that it was characterised by a mixture of fright and anxiety, particularly while on air.
“I could remember vividly each of the take-offs. Quite frightening, the speed of the aircraft….. You know it was a lighter aircraft and you will feel as if the gravitational force was pulling you down. After that, you start the manoeuvres, like the banging, the turnings, the climbing and the descending….. oh my brother”
“ I could remember right inside the cloud, on one occasion and my instructor encouraged me to open the window of the aircraft a little and feel the cloud, which I did. I tell you the cloud was like snow or chalk-like particles and very chilled” he said.
“After sometimes, I began to gain confidence and have some control that made me to try little bit manoeuvres like banging to the left and right, climbing and descending. At first, it was a bit scary, but later it became fun to us”
In spite of his licence as a private pilot, Suleiman’s dream to fly higher may still far beyond his reach. This is because in line with the professional rules and ethics, a certified pilot must possess advanced licence before he or she could fly a bigger aircraft.
“As a private pilot licence holder, you cannot fly a bigger aircraft unless you are a commercial pilot licence holder” he explained.
He disclosed that a reputable aviation college in the United Kingdom is set to admit him as a pilot trainee in July this year, if only he could meet the financial commitment involved.
“Flying Time Aviation, Brightron City, United Kingdom, has offered me a full-time admission to study, which will lead to obtaining the desired Commercial Pilot Licence. The course will commence on 11th July 2016.
“I have written officially to my state governor, His Excellency. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to sponsor my program..
“The letter was submitted through the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) sometimes ago. If the scholarship is given, I believe it will not only be beneficial to me but to the entire state and Nigeria as a whole. I will definitely make Sokoto State proud, “he said.
Kaduna has become our home –Eze Igbo
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
There is a popular saying that Igbo people are everywhere and wherever the Igbo man cannot be found, then there is a reason to stay away from such a location.
This view was reechoed in Kaduna State, recently, by the District Head of Doka, and Bunun Zazzau, Alhaji Tijjani Muhammad, during the presentation of the Eze Igbo Kaduna, Igwe Sylvanus Aneke to the traditional institution of Kaduna State.
The event was attended by the district head of Kabala, Alhaji Yusuf Ladan, the district head of Kakuri, and the Barden Kuduna Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Tijjani.
Others who attended included the district head of Sabon Gari and Kachallan Zazzau, Alhaji Ya’u Isah and the district Head of Ungwan Muazu and the Chika Soron Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu Idris.
Speaking earlier, Alhaji Tijjani Muhammad, who is the spokesman of district heads from Kaduna State within Zazzau Emirate, observed that, “if there were no Igbo people in Kaduna State, maybe, many tribe may not have been resident in the state.
Earlier, the monarch appreciated the ceremony. He prayed for the health of the people and the peace and the unity of the nation in general.
He described the state as safe and peaceful adding that his kinsmen have found a home living in the state even as he recalled that many of the Igbo people in the state grown their businesses to empire in the state.
“We have no other home than Kaduna. Kaduna is our home. Many of us have spent over 40 years in Kaduna, so if any one says Kaduna is not our home, then where is our home:
Speaking also, the President, Igbo Community Welfare Association ( ICWA), Kaduna State, Mr. Chris Nnoli, disclosed that the community in the state consisted of town unions and local government associations from Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo States, including all the other Igbo speaking states in Nigeria.
He added that, “Our association is an umbrella body for Igbo people living in Kaduna metropolis, Jaji, Birnin Gwari, Pambegua, Jere, Kasuwan Magani” he added.
He regretted that the ceremony was coming a little bit late, but stressed that “It was better to be late than never” while adding that, “the failure to do what we are doing today earlier than now was not intentional”
“You may recall that our immediate past Eze and father, the Late Igwe C. Ihejiahi passed on to eternity in 2009, and immediately after the one year mourning period, the position of Eze-Igbo, Kaduna was declared vacant under the President General, Chief B.P Mbakobu, who later handed over to Chief A.C Ameachi, the immediate past President of our Association who superintended the election and installation of our Eze-Igbo.
He said that the Eze-Igbo of Kaduna State, emerged from a process that was free and fair and was installed in 2012 adding that, “The Eze-Igbo Kaduna chairs a council, made up of the Igwe, the Onowu, Chief P.C Eze, and other council members, who assist him to administerf the people.
“We, as a community, pledge to continue to be loyal, to live in peace with our host community,” he stated.
Cholera, drought, loom in Katsina
From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
A report by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted late onset and early cessation of rainfall in parts of Katsina State. The report also predicted less than normal rainfall in the affected areas of state.
Apart from leading to likely reduction in production tonnage for farmers, the report identified other socio-economic implications of the prediction to include varying degrees of influence on livestock, water resources management, health, transport and construction as well as on environment and disaster risk management.
Presenting the report tagged “Katsina State 2016 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction,” at a ceremony in Katsina last Friday, Minister of State (Aviation), Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika, described the forecast as an invaluable tool to decision making in the state.
He stated that the prediction provides critical information to enhance informed decisions, especially for policy making, planning and operations in the various rainfall sensitive sectors of the economy.
According to him, “we cannot afford to ignore such early warning because of the dire consequences. Neglecting such forecasts in the past has led to crop failures and replanting which is usually a burden to our peasant farmers.
“It is important for all stakeholders to use this science-based forecast to manage the risks associated with irregular rainfall so as to reduce the negative impacts on rainfall dependent” he added.
According to the report, the 2016 rainfall prediction for the Katsina State indicates that onset of the growing season is expected to begin from June 1 to July 5, 2016 while the earliest onset of the growing season is June 1 in Dandume, Danja and Kafur
The report also indicated that the latest onset of the season is predicted to be July 5 in Daura, Mai’Adua and Dandume.
While the growing season is predicted to end between September 27 and October 27 with Kafur having the latest cessation of October 27, the report further noted that the growing season is predicted to end earliest in Kaita, Mashi and Rimi, on September 27 with other parts of the state having their cessation dates lying between these two dates.
The report also indicated that the 2016 rainfall accumulation for the state is expected to vary between 500-600mm in the northern parts while it is expected to be slightly above 1000mm in the southern parts and the lowest amount of rainfall of about 547mm is expected in Kaita and Mashi and the highest of about 1054mm of rainfall is expected i Kafur and Danja.
For livestock, according to the report, the drier-than-normal condition predicted around Katsina, Mashi, Kaita, Safana, Musawa is expected to create water stress in small ponds making animals to go far in search of drinking water.
The report said that, “below normal rainfall predicted for Kaita, Jibia, Mashi, Mani, Rimi and Jiabia is likely to result to less prospects of water availability for domestic needs and agriculture especially in Anjiwa and Jibia Dam. There is need for continuous monitoring of dams around Malumfashi, Bakori and Funtua.
The warmer-than-normal temperature predicted for most parts of Katsina State may lead to hotter days and nights. There is likelihood of higher incidences of Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis, skin rashes and heat stroke.
At the peak of the rainy, health authorities should watch out for water contamination such as cholera, diarrhoea and water-borne diseases.
In 2016, the water harvesting potential for irrigation farming in Katsina State is higher in southern parts of the state than in other parts. The potential was highest in places like Safana, Musawa, Kankara, Malumfashi, Faskari,, Bakori, Funtua, and lowest in places like Kaita, Mashi, Mani, Jibia, Katsina, Daura and Bindawa.”
The report equally estimated that the mosquito bite index will be extreme in the northern part of the state down to Bakori and Funtua in the south while the rest of the south is expected to be under a high mosquito bite index in the month of July.
The malaria severity index is however expected to be medium in most parts of the state except for places like Safana, Dan-Musa, Matazu, Musawa, Kankara and Funtua where low severity is expected.
In a message he sent at the ceremony, Governor Aminu Bello Masari said that he considered drought, desertification and land degradation as the most pressing environmental problems facing Katsina State. Represented by the Deputy Governor, Manir Yakubu, Masari said that, “they affect the pattern of life and general living conditions of both rural and urban communities.”