By Peter Uwumarogie

The National Population Commission (NPC) has assured that the 2023 National Population and Housing Census will be the best ever conducted in the history of the country.

NPC’s Federal Commissioner in Gombe State, Mr Abubakar Danburam stated this in Gombe on Tuesday during the inauguration of a 16- member Advocacy and Logistics Committee for the 2023 Population and Housing Census in the state.

Danburam said with the efforts so far made by the commission as well as the digitalisation of the exercise, the 2023 census would be better than any one conducted in the nation’s history of conducting census.

He said with the commission leveraging technology and modern approach to conducting census, there was no doubt that the 2023 exercise would be an improvement on the ones conducted in the past by the commission.

He said the priority of NPC in conducting accurate, reliable and acceptable census was as a result of the importance of census for development planning and other interventions that would help improve citizens’ wellbeing.

According to him, the 2023 census will address the irregularities associated with previous exercises.

“I can remember very well the 1963 census, there were lots of irregularities due to lack of development. The 1973 census, there was little improvement compared to that of 1963.

“Subsequent censuses came up with a lot of improvements. The current census to be conducted, from the level of demarcation, is digital.

“It is so because we are now matured enough to use the satellite image. The satellite image was used for the demarcation and the demarcation is called the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD),” he said.

He explained that the EAD was the foundation of the current census: “This demarcation was done meticulously and neatly. Every part of this country has been demarcated, no leftover, no overlap.

“This is giving us all the assurance that the census to be conducted will be digital and hopefully the best census conducted so far in this country.”

While inaugurating the 16-man Committee, Manassah Jatau, the Deputy Governor of Gombe State who doubles as the chairman of the committee, said the 2023 census would provide vital information about the socio-economic variables of the nation’s population.

Jatau advised the commission to take proactive measures to curb the threat of manipulation during the exercise as the NPC was working to conduct a credible census that would meet best global practice.

“The digital census is most likely to eliminate previous bottlenecks such as political, religious and cultural sentiments associated with accurate census in the country over the years.

“However, we should note that it is human beings that control and sometimes manipulate these machines that were meant for ease of carrying out tasks, jobs more accurately, with great precision,” he said.

To his committee members, the chairman said their duty was to enlighten, sensitise and get the support of residents of Gombe State towards the successful conduct of the exercise in May. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Salif Atojoko

By EricJames Ochigbo

No fewer than 1,500 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) were on Monday empowered by Sir David Osunde Foundation.

The foundation said at its 31st annual Special Easter Monday Celebration in Abuja that the beneficiaries were drawn from across the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items distributed included wheel chairs, crutches, white canes, clothes, foodstuffs and educational grants, among others.

In his speech, the Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, His Grace, Ignatius Kaigama, noted that the foundation has been consistent in it’s support of PWDs irrespective of tribe or religion.

He admonished Nigerians that instead of fighting over religion, tribe or politics, they should channel their energies into building a society where PWDs will feel at home and loved.

Kaigama, who celebrated mass at the event, said instead of thanking God, a lot of able bodied people engaged in crimes like kidnapping and killings of even Internally Displaced Persons.

“This is a duty that needs to be done; we sometimes waste so much time on things that do not matter; this foundation is calling our attention today.

“We are so concerned about very big projects that are of national and international value, but when it comes to the people who matter, people who just need basic things to survive, we are lacking.

“We are invited to a work of love and charity; helping the sick, works of mercy; I am calling on everyone to get engaged,” he said.

Kaigama said there are over 1.3 billion PWDs in the world, as such a lot of work needed to be done to support them to be self reliant.

Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, commended the foundation for helping the less privileged for more than 30 years.

“We must do all we can to share what God has given us with the disadvantaged, and to touch lives,” Tallen said.

Dr Anthony Osunde said apart from the items donated, some of the PWDs were trained on liquid soap production and business logo design, among others.

Osunde called for the setting up of a ministry to cater for people with disabilities in all the states and FCT. (NAN)

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Edited by Abdulfatai Beki/Maharazu Ahmed

By Kazeem Akande

The Oluwa Chieftaincy  Family of Lagos and Apapa has announced the appointment of Madam Iyabo Odedairo (Nee Oluwa) of  Idewu Ruling House as the Olori Ebi (Head of the Family), pending the appointment of a new Chief Oluwa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the appointment was concluded at a meeting organised by  Alhaji Ganiyu Durojaiye, a prominent member of the Asalu  Ruling House, held in Agege on Sunday.

The meeting was to deliberate on the vacuum created by the demise of the former family head, Late Chief Mukaila Oluwa (ODOFIN).

Durojaiye  said that the family of  Oluwa of Lagos and Apapa had in attendance representatives of four of the five Ruling Houses in the family.

According to him, the principal members of the Adogia (Amore) Ruling House were not in attendance.

“We have appointed Madam Iyabo Alake Odedairo (nee Oluwa) of Idewu Ruling House as the Olori Ebi of the family,” Durojaiye said.

Durojaiye added that it was pointed out that in the absence of a Chief Oluwa, the Olori Ebi (in consultation with the principal members of the family) manages family property and assets pending the appointment of a new Chief Oluwa.

He said that by operation law, the eldest family member amongst the five heads of the Ruling houses becomes the  Olori Ebi, and that except on account of ill health and fitness for service,  the family may appoint a person other than the eldest as the Olori Ebi of the family.

He said that the family, therefore,  presented for consideration the three eldest members of the family; namely: Alhaji Samsideen Oluwa, 92 years, in absentia; Alhaja Modina Ibrahim Oluwa (Asalu), 89, and Madam Iyabo Alake Odedairo (nee Oluwa), 87-year-old.

Durojaiye said  that having considered the criteria for the appointment of the family head as stated in the rules, Odedairo was unanimously agreed upon as the head of the Oluwa chieftaincy family in Lagos and Apapa.

NAN reports that there are five Ruling Houses in the family namely: Odofin, Idewu,  Asalu, Faro and Adogia (Amore). (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

By Kingsley Okoye

Chief Kenneth Gbagi, Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Delta, has appealed to the election petition tribunal in Asaba to disqualify the Governor -elect, Sheriff Oborevwori over alleged forgery.

He also sought the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege; Labour Party Candidate (LP) Ken Pela; the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate Mr Great Ogboru, on the ground of violation of the 2022 Electoral Act.

Gbagi, a former Minister of Education, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

The SDP candidate in the March 18 governorship election, had filed a 79-page petition against the governor-elect and the other frontline candidates, seeking for their disqualification .

Gbagi in a certified true copy petition with No. WPT/DL/GOV/2023 to the tribunal, alleged that the candidates, in their attempts to meet the constitutional requirements of eligibility for 2023 governorship election, presented forged documents while filling the INEC forms.

He said the forged documents included multiple sworn statutory declaration of age and affidavits, inconsistency of names of some of the candidates, perjuriously swearing of affidavits.

Other electoral infraction alleged to be committed by the candidates also included lying under oath, claims of possessing and non possession of various academic qualifications and alleged financial impropriety by one of the candidates, among other infractions.

He also hinged his call for their disqualification on the alleged degrees of electoral malpractice at the march 18 poll in Delta.

He listed the alleged malpractice to include over voting, vote buying induced by the candidates.

He said there were situations where the total number of votes recorded and allotted were more than the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collected by voters that exceeded the number of registered voters in the polling unit.

Other alleged infractions, according to him, included alteration of some results sheets which did not reflect on the duplicate copies given to party agents, mutilation of form EC8As, polling units without corresponding voting points result sheets, over and under balloting, among others.

“I am a candidate, and I am saying, we are candidates of these election, but this people who are candidates ought not to be candidate and the tribunal is the appropriate place.”

The SDP candidate, consequently in the petition, urged the tribunal to declare non and void and of no effect, the Certificate of Return issued by INEC to the candidate of PDP as the winner of the governorship election in Delta State.

He further urged the tribunal to withdraw the Certificate of Return and issue a fresh certificate to him as duly qualified and elected governor.

“For those of us, who contested and participated, I am the only one on the list that is qualified.

“The election has been held, marks were allocated to us, my prayer is that they were not qualified, and I should be declared as the winner of the election because I am the only qualified candidate in the first instance,” he said.

He said it was the right time to bring up the matter as records and experience showed that pre election cases most times do not go far.

“Go back to the Electoral Act, I could not have raised an objection on issue of a candidate of a party that I am not a member.

“Every one who went to pre-election matter, none of them went any where, this is the appropriate time, to raise this issue,” he said

Meanwhile, effort to get reaction of the Chief Press Secretary to the Delta Governor -elect, Mr Dennis Otu, was unsuccessful as he didn’t respond to the WhatsApp message request for his reaction. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

===========
Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

By Gregory Mmaduakolam

The Evergreen G6 Club, a Non-Governmental Organisaion (NGO) has donated some food items worth N300,000 to Rachel’s Home for the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Kurudu, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Bamidele Olujobi, the President of the Club, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

Olujobi , represented by the Secretary of the club, Mr Philip Akpa, said that the items donated to the orphanage home included bags of rice, cartons of indomie noodles and cartons of spaghetti

Other food items are yams, toiletries, bags of salt, kegs of groundnut oil, palm oil, bags of beans and beverages.

According to Olujobi, needs of the vulnerable and orphans should not be left for only the governments and the owners of the organisations.

He said God Almighty had blessed the members of the organisation and they were now giving back to the society.

“Some of these homes like Rachel’s Home for Orphans and Vulnerable Children provided the opportunity for us to give back to the needy and the vulnerable in the society.

“Particularly this period every member of this club, who is a Christian, is celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ which is Easter and this is the period, where every child will need a touch of a parent and need for somebody to celebrate with them.

“So, we said we should come here to celebrate Easter with them in a way they will not feel the absence of their biological parents , as we are standing in as their parents today,” he said.

Olujobi, said the club had given scholarships to several vulnerable and indigents students up to university level, adding that eight students were recently registered for WAEC and NECO exams by the organisation.

He explained that the club had previously visited the Old Peoples Home in Kardo, FCT and Apo Mechanic Village as well as the orphanage home in Masaka in the Nasarawa State.

He said the club has annual projects it carries out every year in order to assist the vulnerable and the needy and had donated item like braille for the school of blind.

He urged the Federal Government to pay more attention on supervision and monitoring of the orphanage homes and schools for the vulnerable in order to check the incidence of child’s trafficking and kidnapping.

Olujobi, also advised the governments to establish vocation facilities such as tailoring, mason, carpentry and barbing salon where these vulnerable and needy children could be trained as well as paying of school fees for them.

He also called on the Federal Government to reduce the issues of banditry and terrorism which always gave rise to orphans and vulnerable children who lost their parents as a result of these factors.

Dr Oladele Oluayinka, Chairman, Project Committee of the club, said the club had 30 financial members who had the passion to help the need and vulnerable, “hence they came together to form the club in order to assist them”.

Oluayinka, said since the establishment of the club in 2011, it had spent over N5 million in order to provide succour for the needy and vulnerable children.

Earlier, Mr Pedro Odewu, Admin Director, of the orphanage home, thanked the club and expressed satisfaction for the food items it gifted to the home.

He urged the federal and state governments to come to their aid; as they have over 83 children; infants and adolescent who required a lot of monies and personnel to take care of them. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==========
Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By  Ali Baba-Inuwa

The latest disbursement of N320.3 billion as intervention fund for public tertiary institutions is yet another evidence of President Muhammadu Buhari’s desire to improve higher education in the country.

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) said in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke that the 2023 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) disbursement to tertiary institutions is the highest in 30 years.

“If there is any administration that many Nigerians are not fair to, it is the President Muhammadu Buhari administration which has been accused of ignoring the education sector.

“But the latest information from TETFund has once more shown how insincere many of the critics of the administration have been in their assessment.

“We have been constantly assailed with tales of poor funding of public tertiary institutions but the facts on ground have continued to put a lie to that claim as seen in the latest TETFund approvals to the schools.

“According to the TETFund Executive Secretary, the 2023 allocation to tertiary institutions is N320 billion which represents the highest disbursement to the institutions since the Fund was created 30 years ago.

“For the avoidance of doubt, each federal university is to get N1.154 billion, the polytechnics get N699.3 million each while colleges of education are to receive N800.8 million each for 2023 alone.

“This is unprecedented and it goes without saying that there has never been a time in Nigeria’s history that public institutions of learning got this much even at the height of the various oil booms of previous administrations, ” the group added.
BMO said that public institutions of learning got more funding in the Buhari years than at any time in the nation’s history.

“We make bold to say with the benefit of publicly available information that yearly allocations on President Buhari’s watch to these schools have consistently been higher than previous years.

“The Buhari-era disbursement to public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education totalled N1.702trillion compared to N1.249trillion disbursed from the inception of the fund in 1993 to 2014.

“But that of 2023 clearly stood out, and like officials of the ministry of education we hope that beneficiary institutions would use the intervention funds judiciously”. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa

The Evergreen G6 Club with the children  at Rachel’s Home for the Orphans and Vulnerable Children  Kurudu, Abuja

By Gregory Mmaduakolam

The Evergreen G6 Club, a Non-Governmental Organisaion (NGO) has donated  some food items worth N300,000 to Rachel’s Home for the Orphans and Vulnerable Children  Kurudu, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Bamidele  Olujobi,  the President of the Club, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

Olujobi , represented by the Secretary of the club, Mr Philip  Akpa, said that the items donated to the orphanage home included bags of  rice, cartons of indomie noodles and  cartons of spaghetti

Other food items  are yams, toiletries, bags of salt, kegs of groundnut oil, palm oil, bags of beans and beverages.

According to Olujobi, needs of the vulnerable and orphans should not be left for only the governments and the owners of the organisations.

He said God Almighty had blessed the members of the organisation and they were now giving back to the society.

“Some of these homes like Rachel’s Home for Orphans and Vulnerable Children provided the opportunity for us to give back to the needy and the vulnerable in the society.

“Particularly this period every member  of this club, who is a Christian, is celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ which is Easter and this is the period, where every child will need a touch of a parent and need for somebody to celebrate with them.

“So, we said we should come here to celebrate Easter with them in  a way they will not feel the absence of their biological parents , as we  are standing in as their parents today,” he said.

Olujobi, said the club had given scholarships to several vulnerable and indigents students up to university level, adding that eight students were recently registered for WAEC and NECO exams by the organisation.

He explained that the club had previously visited the Old Peoples Home in Kardo, FCT and Apo Mechanic Village as well as the orphanage home in Masaka in the Nasarawa State.

He said the club has annual projects it carries out every year in order to assist the vulnerable and the needy and had donated item like braille for the school of blind.

He urged the Federal Government to pay more attention on supervision and monitoring of the orphanage homes and schools for the vulnerable in order to check the incidence of child’s trafficking and kidnapping.

Olujobi, also advised the governments to establish vocation facilities such as tailoring, mason, carpentry and barbing salon where these vulnerable and needy children could be trained as well as paying of school fees for them.

He also called on the Federal Government to reduce the issues of banditry and terrorism which always gave rise to orphans and vulnerable children who lost their parents as a result of these factors.

Dr Oladele Oluayinka, Chairman, Project Committee of the club, said the club had 30 financial members who had the passion  to help the need and vulnerable, “hence they came together to form the club in order to assist them”.

Oluayinka,  said since the establishment of the  club in 2011, it had spent over N5 million in order to provide succour for the needy and vulnerable children.

Earlier, Mr Pedro Odewu, Admin Director, of the orphanage home, thanked the club and expressed satisfaction for the food items it gifted to the home.

He urged the federal and state governments to come to their aid; as they have over 83 children; infants and adolescent who required a lot of monies and personnel to take care of them.(NAN) www.nannews.ng

==========

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on Sunday in Abuja called on the Sokoto State government and security agencies to stop alleged killings of innocent pastoralists in the state.

Its National Secretary, Malam Bello Aliyu-Gotomo, stated that wanton killing of innocent pastoralists was going on in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of the state.

“The killings, which started about a week ago, have continued unabated and more than 16 pastoralists have been killed by members of an outlawed vigilance group.

“ Reports reaching MACBAN headquarters in Abuja indicate that the killings are continuing around Tsola Bale village and its surrounding areas.

“Five pastoralists have been held hostage by the vigilance group in the last one month and all efforts to free them had been resisted,’’ he stated.

He alleged that pastoralist communities were recently attacked by bandits in the area and four pastoralists were killed, making the communities vulnerable to activities of bandits and the vigilantes.

“We alert the state government that activities of the vigilantes in the past had only resulted in heightened reprisals from bandits who have been unleashing terror in the surrounding areas.

“Security agencies in charge of these areas should do more to protect innocent people who are continuously harassed by the criminal vigilantes or rural bandits.

“We believe the security agencies have the wherewithal to put a stop to this dastardly act of cowardice against unarmed civilians,’’ Aliyu-Gotomo added. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Alli Hakeem