Author: Olusegun Oshin

NAN-AE-1

Agric

Dutse, Feb. 17, 2017 (NAN) The Chairman of Cluster Farmers Group in Miga Local Government of Jigawa, Malam Muhammad Yunusa, says over-reliance on oil will be reduced if only government will be sincere and supports agriculture.

Yunusa stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Friday.

He said that in the early 70s agriculture was the mainstay of the economy but it was later neglected.

The chairman commended the present administration of Governor Muhammad for introducing cluster farming in the state.

According to him,  the gesture is a right step in the right direction toward revamping agriculture, generate employment and boost the economic.

Farmers, he pointed out, had seen the difference between the modern and tradition farming introduced by the state government in the cluster programme

Yunusa said that they were able to get a lot of yield and they got a lot of money through the sales of their produce.

He stated that if government support people living in the grassroots in agriculture, there would be no need for rural/urban migration.

“Through agriculture, people will gainfully get something doing without moving to cities looking for white collar jobs,” he said (NAN)

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Edited by Felix Nwadioha

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Training
By Abdullahi Shugaba
Dutse, Feb. 14, 2017 (NAN) The Jigawa Local Government Service Commission (JLGSC) has set aside N8.4 million for training 52 workers in the 27 local government areas of the state.

The JLGSC Executive Secretary, Alhaji Kabiru Sugungu, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Tuesday.

Sugungu said that the beneficiaries would be Higher National Diploma (HND) holders who would need to acquire degrees to have the opportunity to rise up to grade level 17 in the state civil service.

“A person with HND is not allowed to be promoted beyond level 14,” he noted.

Sugungu said that the commission would pay N160, 000 to each of the beneficiaries.

According to the executive secretary, the beneficiaries would be screened by the commission.

He said that affected workers would be expected to spend only two years. (NAN)

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(Edited by Joseph Edeh/Ijeoma Popoola)

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Winner

By Abdullahi Shugaba

Dutse, Feb. 14, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Dutse has emerged winner of the Inter-Media Football competition organised by the Jigawa Council of NUJ.

The NUJ Chairman in the state, Malam Sunusi Madobi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Tuesday.

Madobi said NTA defeated Radio Jigawa 1-0 to win the competition, which was organised for all chapels of NUJ in the state.

He said the chapels that participated in the competition included  NTA Dutse, Radio Jigawa, Freedom Radio, Horizon Radio and the Jigawa State Ministry of Information.

The chairman said the competition was organised to foster unity and understanding among practicing journalists in the state.

Madobi announced that the competition was the first of its kind since the creation of the state in 1991.

He commended all the chapels that participated in the competition.

He said the council would seek for sponsors to enable it to organise more of the competition in future. (NAN)
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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim

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Bakeries
By Abdullahi Shugaba
Dutse, Feb. 13 , 2017 (NAN) The Chairman, Bread Bakers Association of Nigeria, Jigawa Chapter, Alhaji Yunusa Muhammad, said on Monday that over 100 bakeries had closed down in the state, due to high cost of baking materials.

Muhammad told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse that the development had brought about unemployment among the youth in the sector.

He explained that a bag of sugar, which used to cost N7, 000, now sells for N20, 000, while a bag of flour has risen to N11, 000, from N8, 000.

He said that the price of butter had jumped from N5, 000 to N10, 000, while the price of groundnut oil had also increased from N4, 000 to N15, 000.

According to Muhammad, the price of baking salt has increased from N2, 000 to N4, 500, while the cost of wrappers, fire wood and other baking materials are on the high side.

He said that the increase in the prices of ingredients, had forced many bread bakers to close shop, because they could not continue.

The chairman appealed to the Federal and State Governments to support members of the association with soft loan through the Bank of Industry, to enable them to stay in business.

Muhammad said, “the present economic recession has brought untold hardship to many of our members, because most of us cannot properly feed our families now”. (NAN)
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Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Felix Ajide

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Farming
By Abdullahi Shugaba
Dutse, Feb. 13, 2017 (NAN) The All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Jigawa chapter, on Monday, lauded the State Government for supporting 14,350 farmers on cluster farming.

The association’s chairman, Alhaji Mai Jaga, gave this commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse.

Jaga said that the modern farming technique had impacted positively on the farmers.

According to him, the support of the Agriculture Extension Workers, has also impacted modern techniques of farming on them.

“Farmers now know atmospheric changes and the quantity of fertiliser or farm inputs they are expected to apply to their crops.

“Farmers collect seedlings and other farm inputs on loan and pay back after harvest.

“The farming inputs being subsidised include: herbicides, insecticides and fertiliser.

“In fact, cluster farming is very rewarding because we are able to pay the loans, feed our families and sell the surplus from our harvests,” he said.

According to him, they cultivate improved variety of rice, wheat, sesame, groundnuts and millet. (NAN)
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Editing by Joseph Idika/Yemi Idris-Aduloju

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Kidnapper

Dutse. Jan 10, 2017 (NAN)  Jigawa Police Command said on Friday that it had apprehended one Sawudi Abdusamad,  whom, along with others, allegedly kidnapped  a Village Head and his brother.

Spokesperson of the command, Supr. Abdu Jinjiri, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Abdusamad was arrested after the police received a tip-off on their hideout.

The spokesperson said the suspect and others , now at large, had allegedly kidnapped the Village Head of Kijin Ward in Gwaram Local Government Area , Alhaji Mamuda Dauda and his brother, the Ward Head, Alhaji Wada Dauda.

Jinjiri said that when the police got some useful information, they were traced to a thick  forest in Gwaram, adding that about seven other culprits escaped.

He stated that the police were intensifying efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects at large.

Fielding questions from NAN, the suspect, aged 50, confessed to committing the act, but sought for forgiveness, promising never to engage in such unwholesome act.

Abdussamad said that two of his friends called Ilu and Mairaliya influenced him into joining them to be  kidnapping people, which they told him was the quickest way of making “fast money”.

He said that when policemen raided their hideout in the forest, his friends escaped with the N2million ransom they collected before they releasing the Village Head and his brother.

The suspect said this was the first time he was engaging in the act and therefore begged for leniency as he had two wives and two children to look after.(NAN)

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NAN-H-138
Abdullahi Shugaba
Planning
Dutse, Feb. 8, 2017 (NAN) Alhaji Nura Muhammad, the Director, Finance and Administration, Jigawa Rehabilitation Board, said on Wednesday that the screening of People Living With Disabilities (PLWD), was in preparation for payment of Social Security Allowance.

Nura disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse.

He explained that after the screening, the board would present the names for the approval of Gov. Muhammad Badaru for necessary action and payment.

According to the director, the board is working on the screening of applicants from the 27 Local Government Areas of the state.

Nura announced that successful candidates would be contacted by the board.

“This is a very difficult task; we must be very careful in our screening and planning as it involves expenditure.

”Each physically challenged person would receive N7, 000 as Social Security Allowance, and we are planning to add more beneficiaries,” he added. (NAN)
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Edited by Felix Ajide

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NYSC
By Abdullahi Shugaba
Dutse, Feb. 2, 2017 (NAN)  National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members currently undergoing orientation course across the nation, have been advised to be law-abiding and respect the traditions and cultures of their host communities.

NYSC Director General, Brig.- Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, gave the advice Thursday in Dutse, while addressing the 2016 batch B, stream two, corps members deployed to Jigawa.

He urged the corps members to be diligent and discharge their duties in accordance with the NYSC rules and regulations in their places of primary assignments.

He enjoined corps members to avoid unnecessary journeys and to always move in groups to avoid harassment from dubious members of the society.
Kazaure noted that the Jigawa Orientation Camp was the best in the country and therefore commended the state government for a good job.
Earlier in his remarks, State Coordinator of NYSC in  Jigawa, Mr Michael Amolo, had told the D-G that the orientation camp was acclaimed to be the best in the country with modern facilities.

Omolo however said that chalets in the camp were in need of expansion to accommodate more corps members.

He also said that the multi-purpose hall in the camp needed to be expanded, stressing that the present capacity could accommodate only 2,300 corps members. (NAN)
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Edited by Lydia Beshel/

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Land
Abdullahi Shugaba
Dutse, Feb. 1, 2017 (NAN) The Jigawa Government has inaugurated a five-man committee headed by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan to ascertain its landed property in four states.

The Commissioner for Information, Youth Sports and Culture, Alhaji Bala Ibrahim made the disclosure  in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) in Dutse on Wednesday.

Ibrahim said that the property were located in Kano, Kaduna, Lagos and Abuja.

He said that the committee included Secretary to the State Government, Alh Abdulkadir Fanini, Commissioners for Commerce, Alhaji Aminu Sidi, Land Housing and Urban Development, Alhaji Aminu Babura and Mr Hussaini Garingabas.

The commissioner said that the Executive Council approved the committee during its weekly meeting.

He said that the committee was charged with the responsibility of studying the report submitted to the council by a committee on verification of state owned landed property and come up with far reaching recommendations.

Bala said that the Executive Council has also noted with great appreciation the resolution of the Northern Governors’ Forum to create an economic structure and fund to enable states to establish financial institutions to cater for their interests.

“It is against this background that the council has approved the payment of N50million monthly beginning from January 2017 as part of the agreed minimum contribution by each of the 19 Northern states to an account to be created by the forum,” he said. (NAN)
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Edited by Maureen Atuonwu/Felix Ajide

NAN-HG-9
By Abdulahi Shugaba
Employment
Dutse, Feb. 1, 2017 (NAN) The Jigawa Commissioner for Health, Dr Abba Zakari said the state government would employ 450 health workers to provide healthcare services at the grassroots.

Zakari, who stated this in an interview with the New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Wednesday, disclosed that over 2,000 applicants had submitted applications for the job.

“The cadre to be recruited includes senior and junior community workers, laboratory technicians, environmental technicians and dental technicians, among others.

“Those seeking for the employment will write examination and it is only those that passed that will be considered.

“I therefore advised applicants not to bribe anybody because everything will be based on merit,” he said.

The commissioner explained that the need for the recruitment became imperative in view of the shortage of primary health care providers at the grassroots.

Zakari said that they would also recruit more doctors, nurses and pharmacists for the tertiary facilities in the state.

He appreciated the efforts of some volunteers at community levels, adding that priority would be given to them if they passed the examination.

The commissioner said that it was the determination of Gov. Muhammad Badaru’s administration to provide efficient and effective healthcare services to people of the state. (NAN)

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(Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo)