HammerTimes News Online

Tag: #Bauchi State

  • Bauchi State Assembly will pass the Child Rights bill into law in weeks, says Speaker

     

    The Bauchi State House of Assembly will accelerate passage of the Child Rights Bill  Speaker Abubakar Suleiman has said.

    Suleiman made this known at an Orientation Workshop organised by Plan International Nigeria for members of the house in Abuja on Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bauchi state is the only state in Nigeria yet to domesticate the Child Rights Act passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003.

    Suleiman, who promised an end to the lingering bill before the house, said the house would immediately look into the bill to ensure its passage at the convergence of the house.

    “We are here today for a special assignment that is aimed at passing a decision to better the lives of our children.

    “I want to tell us that we are committed about these issues and the delay in not passing the bill has come to an end.

    “I want to assure us that immediately we go back home, we are going to pass the bill into. The first reading has been done, we will ensure we go through the second and third reading and thereafter pass the bill into law,” he said.

    The speaker assured Plan International Nigeria and other development partners of the house readiness and commitment to projects that would see to the advancement of the people of the state.

    Earlier, the Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, Mr Charles Usie, said that the orientation was necessary to bring the new members in speed to the passage of the child rights law.

    Usie said Plan International Nigeria through its Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (ASPIRE) project was providing advocacy and technical support to the state’s legislators to prepare the ground for the ratification of the child rights law.

    ” The Child Rights Act is a law that seeks to protect the rights of children in Bauchi state. Majority of the members of the house are new, about 90 per cent of them are new and it is important that we give them an orientation.

    “In the last dispensation, the bill has already gone through the first reading so new members have come in and it is right that we give them an orientation to bring them up to speed,” he said.

    He said in May 2022, the organisation had engaged the Ministry of Women Affairs in Bauchi State on the status of the Child Protection Bill for the state, and declared interest to support the process.

    He said the Ministry informed Plan that it had already developed the first draft of the document, but would require the support of Plan International to support with the validation and finalisation of the document to facilitate submission to the State House of Assembly.

    He, therefore, said that in the last quarter of 2022, Plan International supported the validation and finalisation of the document, including supporting the process of submission to the State Legislators, with a pledge to continue the support until the passage of the bill into law and signed by the Executive Governor.

    Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Chief Magistrate, Amina Ahmed called on the house to look into the grey areas of the bill, especially as it has to do with the ‘Bauchi State Child Protection Law’, as to what was obtainable at the national.

    Garba said that the bill which has 28 parts and 255 sections would go a long was in addressing the issues affecting children in the state.(NAN)

  • Bauchi 10th Assembly: Sulaiman re-elected as speaker

    The members of the 10th Bauchi State House of Assembly on Tuesday re-elected Abubakar Sulaiman of People Democratic Party (PDP-Ningi central).

    Sulaiman was the speaker of the 9th assembly and the chairman of the conference of speakers in the country.

    The leadership of the 10th assembly emerged through nominations and consensus.

    The lawmakers also elected Mr Jamilu Barade as the deputy speaker.

    The election was conducted during the inauguration of the new members at the chamber of the assembly.

    The speaker’s election followed his nomination by a member representing Jammare  Constituency, Mubarak Haruna.

    He was seconded by Auwal Hassan, a member representing Shira Constituency.

    Both the speaker and his deputy were sworn in by the Clerk of the House, Mr Umar Gital.

    In a remark, Sulaiman appreciated the members for having confidence and trust in him to preside over the 10th assembly, adding that all members would be treated equally irrespective of political parties.

    He also appreciated Gov. Bala Mohammmed of Bauchi for giving the 9th assembly needed attention and support, saying “we expect the same in the 10th assembly”. 

    The house has 31 members with 22 from PDP, eight from the All Progressive Congress and one from the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP).

  • Kwankwaso’s coordinator dumps NNPP for PDP in Bauchi State


    Dr Babayo Liman, the Bauchi State Coordinator of the Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has dumped the party for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Liman, who is also the North-East Zonal Secretary of the party announced his resignation at a news conference on Monday in Bauchi.

    “I want to formally inform the general public, especially members of the NNPP in Bauchi State, North-East and Nigeria at large, that I have resigned as a member of the NNPP.

    “I have also resigned as the Zonal Secretary of the North-East as well as member and coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council of the NNPP presidential candidate, Dr Rabiu Kwnkwaso.

    “Let the general public know that I have withdrawn my membership from the NNPP,  I am no more with the NNPP from today,” he said.

    He said that he ditched the NNPP for the PDP alongside large numbers of his supporters, adding that the party lacked structure to win elections in the country.

    He said that his decision to switched camp also stemmed from internal crisis, flagrant disregard of the rule of law and lack of unity among members due to poor leadership of the party.

    According to him, the NNPP’s leadership poorly managed its affairs resulting to emergence of various factions.

    He, therefore, convassed votes for the PDP and its candidates at all levels in the forthcoming election.

    Also speaking, Yusuf Marafa, Ward Chairman of the PDP, Makama Sarkin-Baki in Bauchi Local Government Area of the state, welcomed the defectors.

    He described PDP  as the most organised party than any other political party, and conducted its affairs like a family.

    He pledged that the party would accommodate and ensure equal treatment of its members. 

  • Bauchi: 20,000 dumps APC for PDP

    No fewer than 20,350 members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have dumped the party for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State.

    The Special Assistant, Political Matters to Gov. Bala Mohammed said this while receiving the decampees at an event held on Saturday in Bauchi.

    According to him, the decampees are from the 20 local government areas of the state.

    One of the decampees, Bala Zungur said the development was informed by the feat achieved by the ruling PDP in the state, especially in the area of infrastructure development.

    He said the Bala Mohammed’s administration had constructed thousands kilometers of urban and rural roads, schools, hospitals and other viable projects designed to improve the lives of the people of the state.

    He said the decampees comprised APC stakeholders and party leaders across the electoral wards, adding that they would support the PDP to enable it to consolidate on the gains recorded in the state.

    Zungur urged the PDP leadership at state and national levels to fully integrate them into the party with justice, equity and fairness, and pledged support for its candidates in the forthcoming genedal election.

    “We left the APC because it failed to address numerous internal crisis which might result to electoral defeat in the 2023 general election.

    “The decampees in this place have worked and supported APC for eight years, but the party seems to be going astray without bearing, we finally returned to the PDP to move the state forward.

    “1,000 people across the 20 LGAs defected to the PDP, and they are all here with us,” he said, and urged the governor and leadership of the party to protect the interest of the decampees.

  • 5 killed, 12 injured in Bauchi auto crash

    Tragedy struck on Saturday when five persons were killed in an auto crash in Kili village of Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi state.

    Yusuf Abdullahi, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), disclosed this in a road traffic report in Bauchi on Saturday.

    The FRSC boss who said that the accident involved one Toyota Hiace Hummer bus and one Peugeot Boxer, revealed that 12 others were seriously injured with bruises, while four others were unscathed.

    According to him, the accident occurred around 1:37pm and it took the personnel of the corps barely nine minutes to arrive at the scene of the crash to clear the site.

    He attributed the cause of the crash to speed violation and dangerous driving.

    “Twenty one people were involved in the road crash and there were 16 male adults and five female adults.

    “Five people lost their lives on the spot and these were three female adults and two male adults, while 12 others were seriously injured. These include 10 male adults and two female adults,” he said.

    Abdullahi also explained that both the injured and the corpse of the deceased had been evacuated to the General Hospital, Darazo, for medical attention and deposition in the Morgue.

    The sector commander, however, advised road users to always be conscious of traffic rules and regulations while plying the roads.

    He further urged vehicle owners and drivers to ensure they have good tyres, move on average speed, make routine vehicle maintenance and sound state of mind while driving. 

  • 5 killed, 12 injured in Bauchi auto crash

    Tragedy struck on Saturday when five persons were killed in an auto crash in Kili village of Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi state.

    Yusuf Abdullahi, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), disclosed this in a road traffic report in Bauchi on Saturday.

    The FRSC boss who said that the accident involved one Toyota Hiace Hummer bus and one Peugeot Boxer, revealed that 12 others were seriously injured with bruises, while four others were unscathed.

    According to him, the accident occurred around 1:37pm and it took the personnel of the corps barely nine minutes to arrive at the scene of the crash to clear the site.

    He attributed the cause of the crash to speed violation and dangerous driving.

    “Twenty one people were involved in the road crash and there were 16 male adults and five female adults.

    “Five people lost their lives on the spot and these were three female adults and two male adults, while 12 others were seriously injured. These include 10 male adults and two female adults,” he said.

    Abdullahi also explained that both the injured and the corpse of the deceased had been evacuated to the General Hospital, Darazo, for medical attention and deposition in the Morgue.

    The sector commander, however, advised road users to always be conscious of traffic rules and regulations while plying the roads.

    He further urged vehicle owners and drivers to ensure they have good tyres, move on average speed, make routine vehicle maintenance and sound state of mind while driving. 

  • 2023: Bauchi APC guber candidate promises to re-engineer political landscape 

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, Amb. Sadique Baba Abubakar has promised to re-engineer the political landscape to bring the needed development, if elected.

    Abubakar stated this during the fundraising dinner and unveiling of his manifesto on Friday in Abuja.

    According to him, over one million children are out of school in the state, with only 26 per cent school attendance.

    “We have about 1,549 pregnant women that are dying every 100,000 births.

    “These are terrible figures; and what we simply want to do is to re-engineer the political landscape in Bauchi State so that people will have a sense of ownership.

    “The people must understand that the state is all about them and the only way you can do this is to reverse those terrible figures.

    “We want to get these 1.4 million children back to school. We want to do everything we can to show support for our women and empower the youth to boost the employment rate in the state.

    “By doing these, women and youths will have the skills and capacity to contribute to the development of the state,” he said.

    Abubakar, who is also a retired Chief of Air Staff (CAS), decried the abysmal agricultural production in the state, stressing that he would re-engineer the process to boost productivity.

    According to him, when agricultural production is high, industry would blossom and boost the economy.

    On security, Abubakar said security has different dimension which include physical, economy and social security.

    “This boils down to what I was talking about. It has to do with the opportunity of going back to school, having good health and capacity to involve in agriculture and make money.

    “As soon as you tackle those issues, you will discover that it will impact positively on security. On the physical security, we are going to work with all security agencies and the narratives in Bauchi State will change for the better”.

    In his remarks, former Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Ameachi described Abubakar’s candidature as God’s blessing to the people of the state.

    “He has the fear of God and has a good character, so he will make a good governor. Hold me responsible, if he fails as a governor”.

    Also speaking, former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Amb. Tukur Buratai said he had worked with Abubakar in Rivers, adding that he could testify to his capacity in security and protection of oil facilities.

    “Now that Bauchi has oil, God has brought someone who has the experience in security and protection of oil resources. He has the ability to move Bauchi State forward”.

    Similarly, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami urged the electorate to vote for Abubakar.

    “The only good thing that the people of Bauchi could do to themselves is to vote for Abubakar”.

    He recalled that in 2015; when President Muhammadu Buhari took over power, Boko Haram insurgents were in control of 17 local government areas of Borno, but Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff, decimated the terrorists.

    “I urge us all to come out massively and collectively vote for him to move the state forward. I also urge you to support him sufficiently”.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that highlights of the occasion was the unveiling of the 23-page manifesto and financial donations.

    NAN reports that APC big wigs, ministers, former service chiefs, captains of industries, among others attended the event. (NAN)

  • NLC advocates Health Insurance for Bauchi private sector

    The Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Bauchi Council, Mr Danjuma Saleh, has advocated for the enrollment of private sector workers into the Health Insurance Programme.

    This, he said, would  reduce out of pocket spending and increase access to healthcare for all.

    Saleh stated this while receiving members of a Bauchi-based Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO) named Journalists for Public Development Initiative (J4PD) on an advocacy in Bauchi.

    He said that the state council of the NLC had concluded all agreements to enroll state public servants onto the scheme.

    He, however, reiterated commitments  to engage the private sector and maintain the tempo in ensuring that health insurance became priority,

    “We have signed all agreements with the Bauchi State Health Contributory Management  Agency (BASCHMA).

    “Two per cent will be deducted from each public servant’s salary every month,” he said.

    He called on J4PD to create awareness to the general public on the state and Federal health contributions for a healthy society.

    Earlier, the state’s Coordinator of J4PD, Ms Elizabeth Carr,  said that J4PD, was in partnership with a USAID funded Project titled “Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE)”.

    According to her, it is being implemented by the Center for Social Justice (CSJ).

    She said  they had developed an advocacy brief on the state’s Health Insurance Programme in its efforts to give prospective clients, the state government and other non state actors   insights on the benefits of the  health insurance.

    She said that globally, the health insurance system was viewed as a way to achieve Universal  Health Coverage (UHC) for all. 

    The  coordinator appealed to the NLC Chairman and his management team to become champions of the health insurance scheme, not only to their immediate constituencies, but also engage the private and informal sector for enrollment.

  • Bauchi: Flood destroys 100 houses, farmlands in Darazo LGA

    The Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (BASEMA) says no fewer than 100 houses and several farmlands have been destroyed by devastating floods in the Darazo Local Government Area of the state.

    The Acting Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Bala Lame, told Newsmen on Saturday in Bauchi that the flooding was caused by three days of persistent rainfall in the area.

    He expressed concern on the level of destruction of houses and farmlands in the local government.

    “We have received a report that the flood destroyed many households with over 100 houses damaged.”

    Lame said the management had already visited the affected area and carried out an assessment on the level of damage caused by the flood and would write a report for possible intervention.

    He said there was no reported case of death, injury or case of missing persons during the flooding.

    “However, the affected people are living with their relatives in the town or nearby settlements that were not affected,” he said.

    The acting director-general cautioned the public against building on waterways and dumping refuse in drainages

  • Bauchi: Flood destroys 100 houses, farmlands in Darazo LGA

    The Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (BASEMA) says no fewer than 100 houses and several farmlands have been destroyed by devastating floods in the Darazo Local Government Area of the state.

    The Acting Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Bala Lame, told Newsmen on Saturday in Bauchi that the flooding was caused by three days of persistent rainfall in the area.

    He expressed concern on the level of destruction of houses and farmlands in the local government.

    “We have received a report that the flood destroyed many households with over 100 houses damaged.”

    Lame said the management had already visited the affected area and carried out an assessment on the level of damage caused by the flood and would write a report for possible intervention.

    He said there was no reported case of death, injury or case of missing persons during the flooding.

    “However, the affected people are living with their relatives in the town or nearby settlements that were not affected,” he said.

    The acting director-general cautioned the public against building on waterways and dumping refuse in drainages