Tag: North East

APC N’East meeting erupts over solo endorsement of Tinubu

Aminu Imam
APC N'East meeting erupts

…Sparks tensions around VP’s omission A high-level meeting of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in the North-East geo-political zone ended in chaos yesterday, after a controversial endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term failed to acknowledge Vice-President Kashim Shettima, a prominent son of the region. Held in Gombe State, the gathering brought together key APC figures including ministers, governors, lawmakers, and national party leaders. Tensions flared when APC’s National Vice-Chairman (North-East),  Mustapha Salihu, openly declared support for Tinubu’s re-election bid without mentioning Shettima, triggering outrage among delegates. Eyewitnesses…

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Military bans unauthorised drone use in North-East over security concerns

Aminu Imam
Military bans drone

The military joint task force in the North-East region has issued a directive banning the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, across the region. The Air Component Commander of ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, U.U. Idris, who disclosed this to newdmen yesterday, highlighted the security risks associated with operating drones without prior approval. Idris criticised both government agencies and private individuals for failing to obtain the necessary approval for drone operations, which he said poses significant threats to security. He urged strict compliance with the directive to maintain…

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‘FG has abandoned our region’ – North-East governors

Aminu Imam
North East governors

State Governors from Nigeria’s North-East geo-political have bemoaned the neglect of the region when it comes to siting and allocations of Federal Government capital projects. The Governors disclosed that the region has over the years been sidelined in term of construction and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure, especially roads and railway, along the economic corridors that links the North-East sub-region to the rest of the country, Their complaints and reservations were contained in a communique issued by the North-East Governors’ Forum at the end of its 10th Meeting of the Forum,…

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“We have dislodged insurgents’ strongholds in N’East, N’West” – Army

Aminu Imam

…As DHQ tells terrorists, commanders: “You’re dead men walking” The Nigerian Army says it has dislodged insurgents’ from their various strongholds in North-East, North-West regions of the country and a few areas in Niger State. Commander, Training and Doctrine Command Nigerian Army (TRADOC) in Niger State, Maj.-Gen. Kevin Aligbe, disclosed this during the 2023 West African Social Activities (WASA) in Minna, the State capital. Aligbe said few insurgents raising their ugly heads in the State had been dislodged, adding that the war against insurgency had progressed steadily and effectively in…

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Insecurity: “Influx of bandits are invading our lands” – North-East Govs. cry out

Aminu Imam

The North East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) has raised concern over the influx of bandits in some states in the sub-region. The concern is contained in a communique issued at the just-concluded 8th meeting of the forum in Maiduguri, Borno State. The Forum, which called for the Federal Government’s urgent intervention, said the bandits were those flushed by the military in other parts of the country, who were now moving towards the sub-region, particularly Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba States. “While acknowledging the relative success recorded against insurgency, a new dimension of…

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“N/East poorer than Chad, Niger Republics” – Shettima

Aminu Imam

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, has said that the North-East region is poorer than Chad and Niger Republics if the region were to be treated as a nation. The Vice-President stated this at the weekend, while speaking in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, when he flagged-off palliative distribution for states in the region by the North East Development Commission, (NEDC). While lamenting the region’s challenges, the former governor of Borno State said the North-East is poorer than Chad and Niger Republics if they were to be treated as a nation. Shettima said…

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‘1.6m children out-of-school in North-East’ – UNICEF

Aminu Imam

The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), has warned that 1.6 million children in the North-East region are not attending school. UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Maiduguri, Borno State, Phuong Nguyen, revealed this on Wednesday, during a Foundation Literacy and Numeracy in the North-East seminar held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. She said: “At least 1.6 million children are out of school in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. Of those in school, 72% cannot read a simple text after grade 6. Without acquiring appropriate foundational and transferable skills, children…

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North-East ‘one step away from famine’ – UN

Aminu Imam

The United Nations, (UN) has warned that about 4.3 million people were facing severe hunger this year in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, the three States worst-affected by insurgency. Over 40,000 people have been killed and two million more displaced in fighting between the security agencies and the terrorists’ group, including Boko Haram, over the last 14 years. UN humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, said the international community must act fast to prevent the situation becoming even more catastrophic.

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UNICEF: Over 700, 000 children in North-East will suffer acute malnutrition in 2023

Aminu Imam

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that more than 700,000 children in north-east Nigeria will need treatment for acute wasting in 2023. This was contained in an issued statement on Monday by the UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate. He said the agency has partnered with the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) to tackle issues of waste and disease outbreak in conflict areas in the North-East. Munduate said the agencies inaugurated a programme, which will target about 88,000 people, as well as nearly 50,000 children battling…

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N146bn fraud allegation rocks North-East Development Commission

Aminu Imam

Two transparency groups have threatened to drag the leadership of the North-East Development Commission, (NEDC), to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, (ICPC) over the alleged mismanagement of N146.19 billion. The groups, People Advocacy for Transparency and Accountability (PATAI) and Al-Mushaid Initiative for Transparency and Accountability (AITA) gave the NEDC up to March 15 to respond to the allegations. PATAI executive chairman, Francis Bassey, and AITA president, Aminu Majidadi, issued the ultimatum during a joint news conference on Thursday in Abuja. According to them,…

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