On behalf of the Katsina State, the state Deputy Governor Alhaji Mannir Yakubu has received an interim report on the state Economic and Investment Summit and Ground breaking ceremony of Funtua Integrated Textile and Garment Park to be hold in the state.

The Director General, Katsina Investment Promotion Agency Alhaji Ibrahim Tukur Jikamshi led members of the Committee in the presentation of the report at the Conference Hall of the Deputy Governor.

Receiving the report from the committee, katsina state deputy governor Alhaji Mannir Yakubu said this year’s Economic Summit will be different from the previous one as it will focus on the two major projects.

Those according to him are the Funtua Integrated Textile and Garment Park and Green Economic Zone along Jibia road, Katsina.

Alhaji Mannir Yakubu noted that about two hundred hectares out of the Eight hundred hectares for the development of the Green Economic Zone have been developed by the state.
He said the efforts was to ensure realization of the two major projects which he described as keys to the Economic Development of the State.

While assuring of Katsina State Government’s commitments towards ensuring successful deliberation of the summit, the Deputy Governor commended the committee for a very good submission.
Earlier the Director General of the state Investment Promotion Agency Alhaji Ibrahim Tukur Jikamshi reviewed the last Katsina State Economic Summit organised in 2016.

Alhaji Ibrahim Tukur jikamshi also reviewed the agenda of the Summit to be hold from Day one to the last Day of the occasion as well as funding arrangements for the programme.

About two hundred million is expected to be spent for the conduct of the Summit.
Among the development partners for the Summit are the United Nation Industrial Development Organisation, Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment and Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority.

Others include Investment and Technology Promotion Office Nigeria, United Nations Development Programme, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission.

Katsina State Deputy Governor Qs Mannir Yakubu said the recent refunds of payments for the Hajj 2020/2021, totaling N768,930,455.30 to 599 to intending pilgrims is a further demonstration of the commitment of Governor Aminu Bello Masari administration to openness and accountable leadership.

The 2020/2021 Hajj was cancelled by the Saudi authorities due to the new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The state deputy governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Musa Kallah on Wednesday night, noted that “the welfare of pilgrims and residents will continue to remain the prioritised of the state government.”

Alhaji Mannir Yakubu explained that measures were taken by the Masari administration to ensure that no intending pilgrim was shortchanged or under paid.

He added that the measures taken by the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, include a pre-verification exercise, which led to the display of names of pilgrims and the amount they paid at all zonal offices prior to the refunds.

Alhaji Yakubu’s reaction came after the Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a civil society orgainsation that reports Hajj activities, commended the policies adopted by Katsina State government for the implementation of the refunds to intending pilgrims.

He said that the state government will continue to give all necessary assistance and guide to the intending pilgrims whenever the need may arise.

The Deputy Governor commended the efforts of the state Pilgrims Welfare Board officials under the Executive Director for successfully conducting the refunds to intending pilgrims for 2020/2021.

The Executive Director of Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare, Alhaji Suleiman Nuhu Kuki, had in press released in August given details of the refund exercise to the general public.

According to him, the refunds were in five batches as the board refunded the sum of N407,834,977 to 331 intending pilgrims in the first batch, with N176,085,477.65 released to 134 intending pilgrims in the second batch, while a total sum of N77,330,000.00 paid to 63 intending pilgrims in the third batch.

In the fourth batch the board refunded 67 intending pilgrims with a total sum of N80,040,000.00 and N27,640,000.00 for 24 intending pilgrims in batch five.

The board has refunded a total of N768,930,455.30 in the five batches to a total of 599 intending pilgrims.

In continuation of its ward tour, the APC support group for Andy Uba has intensified its efforts in sensitizing APC faithfuls in the wards in Onitsha North Local Government areas on the need to close ranks and work with concerted efforts towards achieving victory for the party at the forthcoming governorship elections in the state.

Addressing a cross-section of residents and party faithfuls in Ward I, a member of the APC National Campaign Committee for Anambra Elections and 2-time member of the House of Representatives for Onitsha Federal Constituency, Hon Gozie Agbakoba, reiterated the straitegy of polling booth-by-polling booth mobilisation system, stressing that party members should work assiduously towards winning their polling booths at the polls.

Hon Agbakoba who is also a BOT member, ward-to-ward ambassador (WWA) explained that past electoral data was being studied to identify areas of voting where the party did not perform well in order to redress the situation.

He stated that the party agent would be adequately provided with all necessary logistics and security to enable them discharge their duties effectively.

Hon Agbakoba disclosed that the group would soon organise a sensitisation/harmonisation workshop at the Sharon Hall, Onitsha.

In his contribution, the zonal coordinator APC Ward-To-Ward Ambassadors (WWA) South East Zone, Comrade Akunwata Ejor Ojiba, called for all hands to be on deck towards ensuring the success of the Andy-4-Govenor Project.
Chief Ojiba, who is a former governorship candidate of ACPN in the 2017 governorship election in Anambra State, expressed confidence in the victory of Andy Ubah in the November 6th elections considering current political evection favour of APC.

He reminded the party faithful that verifiable data would determine individual performances at the various polling units.

He described Senator Andy Ubah as the divine game changer that would rescue the state from the present visionless leadership and collapse infrastructures.

In this speech, the local government coordinator, APC Support Group for Andy Ubah, Hon Victor Mba, decried double crossing and betrayal attitude among some unscrupulous members of the party and warned that it would no longer be business as usual in the present political set-up.

He admonished prospective party agents to sit up and ensure they discharge their assignments diligently and strive to win their polling units and wards.

Hon Mba urged the party faithful to guide their voter’s cards jealously and shun any financial inducement from opposition parties.

He urged APC members of the ward to remain courageous and focused, adding that they would be adequately equipped with working tools and logistics at the polling unit level.

The coordinator for Ward I APC Support Group for Andy Ubah, Hon Fidelis Nkwocha expressed delight at the attendance of APC chieftains at the interactive session and pledged to reliable efforts in ensuring victory for the party at the ward.

Earlier, an APC stakeholder in Onitsha North LGA, Chief Nnabuenyi Jude Oniah called for concerted efforts of all factions of the party, adding that all the factions should unite and eschew divisive tendencies.

According to Chief Oniah, all should close ranks and work with unity of purpose towards realising the Andy Ubah for Governor aspiration.

He advocated the adoption of polling-unit-by-polling-unit, door-to-door and family-by-family canvassing strategy.

In an efforts to end incessant casualties resulting from road mishaps in the state, the Katsina state Government has inaugurated Katsina Road Safety Advisory Council.

During the inauguration on Wednesday, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State said the council is an advisory body to the the Technical Working Group (TWG) which is expected to drive the Nigerian Road Safety Strategy III (NRSS III) from 2021 to 2030 in the state.

The Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Qs. Mannir Yakubu, said the body is a replica of the National Advisory Council on Road Safety (NARSAC) at the national level.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Ibrahim Musa Kallah in a statement on Wednesday said the Governor noted that the Council is expected to fashion out for the state a robust strategy that will give birth to an enduring road safety in the state.

The Governor then urged members of the council to serve as a guide for the technical working group (TWG) to make katsina state roads the safest in the country where traffic crashes should result to no death cases or casualties.

He charged the stakeholders and the General public to make road safety everyone’s business, as captured in the NRSS III.

In the same vein, the Governor urged local Government Councils to leverage on the feat to ensure the  take-off of the program in their respective local Government areas by inagurating the local government road safety advisory council.

He called on members of the council to put in their best  to see that the menace of road traffic crashes become a thing of the past in the state and the country at large.

Members of the council include the state Deputy Governor, who is the chairman, and the State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Other members are the Commissioner of Justice, Commissioner of Finance, Commissioner for Education, Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Commissioner for Environment, the State Planning Commissioner, and representative of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE).

Earlier, the Katsina State Sector Commander of the FRSC, A. S. Tanimu, said the Nigerian Road Safety Strategy III (NRSS III)  2021 – 2031 is a second edition of an action plan to improve road safety in Nigeria to align the country’s safety management approach with global best practices.

He said the programme is designed to promote the application of five pillars  matrix to the decade of action  for  Road safety which is the application of the safe system approach to Road safety.

He enumerated the five pillars five pillars to include, road safety management, safer road and mobility, safer vehicle,
safer road users, and post-crash response or care.

Ahead of the November 6th Governorship Elections in Anambra State, All Progressives Congress (APC) faithfuls under the aegis of APC Support Group for Andy Uba 4 Governor in Onitsha North has embarked on a door-to-door sensitization exercise to mobilise eligible voters.

The group wants unregistered eligible voters to obtain their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) to enable them to cast their votes during the forthcoming Governorship elections on the state.

Addressing a mammoth crowd that converged at ward 15, Onitsha North Local Government Area, the local government coordinator of the group, Hon Victor Mba expressed delight at the massive attendance of the party faithful, despite the heavy rainfall.

He admonished members of the ward to shun divisive tendencies and work with unity of purpose towards ensuring victory for Senator Andy Uba and the forthcoming November 6 guber polls.

He emphasized the need for all hands to be on deck and work assiduously for the revaluation of the Andy Uba Projects.

He disclosed that adequate campaign materials and logistics would soon be distributed to all the wards in a transparent manner based on polling unit-by-polling unit system in order to avoid fairy tales.

Hon Victor Mba, charged members of the party in ward 15 to endeavor to mobilize at least 50 potential voters each, stressing that the forthcoming APC Ward Congress in the state would be determined by individual efforts and input to the current campaign for the voting of the party, the polls. He further urged the members not be distracted by financial inducement from opposing parties, pointing out that he has been funding the activities of the group with his personal money to enable the group function effectively. He appealed to stakeholders of the party to embrace inclusive campaign strategy by uniting all factions and aggrieved members.

In his contributions, an opinion leader in the ward, Hon Ikechukwu Agbu enjoyed members of the ward to turn a new leaf and correct past mistakes in the discharge of their duties during elections.

Hon Agbu who is a security consultant urged the party faithfuls to eschew selfishness and personal interest and work diligently for common good and success for the party. According to him, “It is better to identify with power at the centre for the overall interest and benefit of Ndi-Anambra.

Also speaking, the Ward coordinator, ward 15, APC support group, Hon Sunday Obidiaso expressed confidence that APC would sweep the polls at the ward and called for determination, hard work and extensive mobilization of voters at the polling unit level among the members.

In his vote of thanks a local government coordinator of the group, Hon Ernest Anyaduba observed that the party was poised for victory judging from the member of frontline politicians who have decamped from their parties to APC recently.

It was another Monday with a difference, August 16, 2021 as the National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon Alabi Kolade David recieved one of the frontline Civil Society groups in his Bariga Council Headquarters in Lagos State.

The coilition, Good Governance Network, led by its President, who equally doubles as the publisher of the CSO News Watch, Commrade Ogakwu Dominic Ogakwu in company of Hon. Wilson Wale when the duo paid a courtesy call the the ALGON National President.

Part of the high point of the visit was the honour and presentation of the maiden edition of CSO News Watch magazine to the Executive Chairman of Bariga Local Council and in his capacity as the ALGON National President.

The honour has been described as another testimony of his value-oriented administration in that dual capacity, pareticulary as he was honoured with a Certificate of performance as the most accomplished National President of ALGON.

Our correspondent in a statement by the the ALGON media office, members of the National Executive Council (NEC), Board of Trustees (BOT), as well as the entire Management and Staff of ALGON National Headquarters congratulated Hon. Alabi on the recognition and wished him a more purposeful leadership as bothe the council chairman and ALGON National President.

Japan’s foreign minister on Monday met with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo.

Toshimitsu Motegi and his delegation discussed with Egyptian officials “ways of strengthening bilateral relations, as well as exchanging visions on the most prominent regional issues of common concern,” according to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

“We shared our concern about the current situation in Afghanistan and agreed to cooperate with Egypt which has an influence on the Islamic world so that this issue does not become a factor of further turmoil,” Motegi said in a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

The two countries, during the meeting agreed on the need to reach political solutions to the crises in the region.

They affirmed the need for continuing consultation and coordination between the two sides in the different international forums, especially in terms of the joint efforts to prepare for the upcoming Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) set to be held in Tunisia next year.

The Egyptian president President Abdel Fattah Al-sisi in an earlier meeting asked that his greetings be conveyed to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Sisi also congratulated the Japanese people for successfully hosting the latest Olympics in Tokyo.

Standing by the coffee machine as he does each morning, a hotel waiter had swapped his usual dark tie for a bright red.

“My vote helped swing it,” he slipped to AFP with a wide smile, eyes twinkling.

Outside Lusaka was electric. UPND supporters that had gathered just after Hichilema’s victory was announced were still parading through the capital, more and more people joining them as the morning went on.

Every other person was wearing red — a beanie, a t-shirt, UPND print wrapped around women’s waists and heads. Jubilant supporters screeched by in minivan taxis and pickup trucks, beeping the wheel and leaning excitedly out of the vehicles. Most shops and street stalls were closed, shutters pulled tightly shut.

On a usually bustling commercial street off Cairo Road, two women were having a quiet celebratory drink in one of several empty mobile credit booths lining the street.

“Of course we are happy but we are a bit afraid, people are misbehaving,” said Katy Mtonga, 25, who had decided not to open her cellphone accessory store across the road.

“I hope Lungu accepts the situation,” she added, as fervent groups of UPND supporters ran past, chanting and waving sticks in the air. Some groups carried coffins drapped in Lungu-printed fabric.

Several police vehicles drove by, sirens blasting, as armed soldiers milled around. Another woman turns up to look for credit with no luck. She has been trying all morning.

“Too many people are running up and down we can’t even work, that’s why all the shops are closed,” Mtonga’s friend Karen Mutandi, 25, explains. “People are scared of coming into town.”

Next door, Martin Muchaili, 43, has still set up his portable passport photo stand.

“I wasn’t surprised, I knew (Hichilema) would win,” said Muchaili, a soft-spoked bearded man in a faded UPND beanie. He explains that “PF cadres” forced vendors to pay for spots in markets or on sidewalks, fuelling resentment. They would also tax minivan drivers for picking up passengers from bus stops.

Many mobile credit booths, market stalls and bus stops had been vandalised overnight.

“That’s the biggest mistake (the PF) made,” he said. “They gave cadres too much power.” “I am confident Lungu will leave,” he added. “Zambians are peaceful, we don’t like fighting.”

Behind Muchaili’s display of passport photos is a stationary shop, one of the only open on the street.

Sarah Mumba, 23, sits behind the counter, eyes slightly puffy from lack of sleep. She had stayed up until the final results were announced and briefly joined street celebrations.

“The last election was not free and fair,” Mumba told AFP. This time “the numbers don’t lie”, she added. “I don’t have any issues with the way (the ECZ) handled the vote.”

A customer, 45-year-old Cornelius Bwalya, walks in to purchase pens and paper for his car repair shop. “We needed change,” he said. Hichilema “made promises”, now we will have to see “whether our issues will be dealt with, the economy and general business”.

• ‘Finally, he has done it!’ –

Thousands of Hichilema supporters flocked onto the streets of Lusaka, erupting into song and dance, cheering and waving party flags.

The celebrations continued into dawn, as hundreds of people congregated outside Hichilema’s house in a leafy suburb of the capital.

“I am so excited, finally he has done it! Tonight we are celebrating Bally’s victory,” said 21-year-old Rosemary Malunga, referring to Hichilema by his nickname, which is slang for “father”.

Hundreds also took their victory lap to the entrance of the presidential residence, where soldiers and police kept guard.

On Saturday, as ballots were being counted, Lungu claimed the vote was neither free nor fair, but his objections gained little traction.

International election observers have commended the polls’ transparent and peaceful organisation, which saw a turnout of around 70.9 percent — a huge jump from 57.7 posted in the 2016 polls.

But they also criticised restrictions on freedom of assembly and movement during campaigning.

• Democracy boost? –

Observers saw the election as a referendum on Lungu’s rule, which saw plummeting living standards and deepening repression in the country of more than 17 million.

Hichilema enjoyed the backing of 10 opposition parties, which threw their weight behind his United Party for National Development (UPND). Legislative and local elections were held alongside the presidential ballot on Thursday.

Kenya’s former prime minister Raila Odinga congratulated Hichilema for a “decisive victory”.

“Amidst an unprecedented public health challenge, the Zambian people have made Africa proud for conducting a successful election,” Odinga tweeted.

The election, he hoped, strengthens Zambia’s democracy “and reminds fellow Africans elsewhere that nothing is impossible”.

Despite occasional episodes of political violence, Zambia has earned a reputation for stability. Every transition of power has been peaceful since the former British colony adopted its multi-party system in 1990.

“Zambians have lived up to be true democrats. It’s a different African story,” Ringisai Chikohomero, researcher at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, told AFP.

The National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Alabi Kolade David, the National Executive Council (NEC) across Nigeria as well as the Board of Trustees led by Odunayo Ategbero have commended the members of the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force for restoring sanity, maintaining Law and Order after Thursday’s invasion of ALGON’s national office in Abuja. 
Speaking in a statement issued by his Media Office in Abuja, the ALGON National President described the the action of one Abdullahi Maje who mobilised thugs to break into the Headquarters of ALGON in Maitama, Abuja, as “another example hooliganism.” 
He said that ALGON is a well structured Association with men and women of honour who are law abiding and have ample respect for the rule of law and as such will never join issues with detractors, even when the red line is crossed, but will always be on the side of the law. 
He said that the gentle disposition of the present leadership with it’s crop of intellect and celebral Chairmen “should not be misconstrued or taken for granted for any one to smear the Association.” 
It will be recalled that the Suleja Local Government Chairman, Hon Abdullahi Maje (who is not a NEC Member) has at several times made unsuccessful attempts to break into the Headquarters of ALGON with all manner of lies and circulating misleading information bothering on the leadership of the Association.
In his reaction, the Chairman Board of Trustees of ALGON, Hon Odunayo Ategbero described the action of Abdullahi Maje as “distractionary to the on-going transformation in the Association.” 
He said that ALGON is one and indivisible and has never had it so good and peaceful than now under the Alabi leadership. 
He pledged the continued support of members of Trustees to ALGON while insisting that absolute loyalty to the Hon. Alabi’s leadership is not negotiable.
In his own reaction, on behalf of the National Executive Council members, the National Organising Secretary, Hon. Ezekiel Rabuet of ALGON Adamawa along side his Kano ALGON counterpart Hon. Muhammad Bappa Takai Sanidescribed Maje’s continued disturbance to ALGON as “unfortunate”, calling for an end to “such irresponsible act.” 
Deputy National President, Hon. Jega Marshal Shehu who arrived shortly after the incident, condemned the incident, hailing the security agencies and insisted that ALGON under Alabi will “remain even more united and  focussed to continue to pilot the affairs of the Association.” 
In the meantime, while the National Office said it has taken audit of the extent of damage during invasion on Thursday, normalcy has since been restored with official duties in progress.