Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has drawn the attention of the Technical Committee on security for the 19 Northern states to focus attention on finding solutions to the four critical and lingering problems rocking the region.
These include banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and Boko Haram insurgency.
The governor was speaking at the opening of the maiden meeting of the technical committee on security for the 19 northern states held at the General Muhammadu Buhari Government House, Katsina state.
The governor while asking the committee to make suggestions on how to control the land borders as most of the problems rocking the country are being imported daily from the neighboring countries believes that traditionally since the creation of Nigeria, there were some tribal and religious tensions, boundary disputes as well as communal clashes in some parts of the country.
He enjoined the committee to also look at the overall picture of why the committee was set up and come up with broad solutions vis-à-vis the peculiarities of each state.
Governor Aminu Masari has asked the military to prove its might by intervening and dealing decisively with bandits who believe they can trouble the peace of Katsina State using firearms.
Mr Masari made the call Speaking when he received a delegation of military top officers who were on a courtesy visit to the governor at the General Muhammadu Buhari Government House, Katsina state.
The governor assured the military that he will continue to support them and other security agencies to ensure that peace is restored in the state entirely.
He states that the support from his government is part of its responsibility in a bid to protect the lives and property of the general citizens.
Governor Masari noted that failure on the part of governments to put in place some long term plans to curb bandits activities, have led to the current situation in the state.
He however, promised that his government will do all it can to ensure that the banditry issues are put to check, with adequate plans that will contain future occurrences.
Governor Aminu Masari on Wednesday swore in fourteen special advisers for Katsina State.
Of the number, ten are returnees while four are newly appointed.
The four new special Advisers are: Bashir Dayyabu for international donor agencies, Lawal Tanimu Saulawa for labour, Kabir Sha’aibu for political affairs and Abdullahi Mahuta for legislative matters.
Others include are, Hamza Muhammad Borodo, Dr Abba Abdullahi and Abdu Habu Dankum.
Speaking shortly after taking the oath of office and that of allegiance by the appointees, Governor Aminu Masari explained that the reappointment of the ten special Advisers had demonstrated a certificate of confidence on them by his administration.
The Governor stated that the four new special Advisers were appointed to fill the need for realignment and readjustment in the executive council to meet challenges of development.
By this development, he revealed that there would be the creation of new ministries to fast_rack governance in the state.
To the four new special Advisers, the governor said that they may be new members of the state executive council but not new to APC administration in the state.
He, therefore, charged them to put people first in all their conducts in office, stressing that their attitude would make or mar their offices.
The Governor requested the appointees to limit celebrations in respect of the insecurity situation, although relative peace had according to him been restored through the signing of the peace deal with leaders of suspected armed bandits.
He also spoke at length on the need for education of children of the farmers and Fulani herdsmen for insecurity challenges to be overcome.
He appealed to both farmers and Fulani herdsmen to embrace the culture of educating their children adding that they should not sale farmlands or cattle to marry off their children.
The swearing-in ceremony witnessed the attendance of the Deputy Governor, Quantity Surveyor, Mannir Yakubu, the speaker of Katsina state House of Assembly, Tasi’u Zango, members of the state house of assembly, the Chief Judge, Justice Musa Danladi, the Grand Khadi, Alhaji Al-Hafiz Abubakar and the secretary to the government of Katsina state, Dr Mustapha Inuwa.
Others include the state chairman of the APC, Alhaji Shitu Shitu and the Katsina based business mogul, Alhaji Dahiru Bara’u Mangal among others.
Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has said the decision of the State Gubernatorial Elections Tribunal upholding his election as the right and courageous one.
He said the verdict to dismiss the petition filed by the PDP Gubernatorial candidate, Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke and his party had also vindicated the Katsina State electorates who overwhelmingly freely gave him their mandate in the March 2019 General Elections.
He explained that he had always believed that the tribunal would rule in his favour because all the issues raised in the petition were absolutely baseless.
While thanking the good people of Katsina State for giving him their mandate and keeping faith with his government, he assured them that his second term would avail them even more dividends of democracy.
The Katsina state governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition filed by Senator Yakubu Lado challenging the election of Mr. Aminu Masari as the Governor of Katsina State.
The tribunal on Saturday ruled that the petition lacked merit.
In a split decision of two to one, the tribunal held that the petitioner failed to prove the allegation of substantial non-compliance to the electoral act in the conduct of the election.
However, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Alli Jos, in a dissenting judgement allowed the petition and ordered a fresh election in the state. His dissenting judgment was read by another member of the panel.
The petitioner had filed his petition in March 2019 and hearing commenced in May.
The petition was highly contentious, forcing a change in sitting venue from Katsina to Abuja.
The petitioner, senator Yakubu Lado of the PDP had asked the tribunal to overturn the declaration of governor Aminu Masari of the APC.
He predicated his petition on the grounds that Governor Masari falsified his age and academic qualifications in the affidavit submitted alongside his INEC nomination form.
The tribunal in the final analysis held that evidence of witnesses from 1-50 and some others is of no probative value since they confirmed that they gave their statements in Hausa language and the Hausa versions are not before the tribunal.
In his continued quest for a lasting end to the oft recurring deadly banditry that has turned some parts of Katsina State into a slaughter house of sorts, Governor Aminu Bello Masari has engaged his counterpart in the Prefecture of Maradi, in the neighbouring Niger Republic, Alhaji Zakari Umaru.
Governor Masari, whose delegation included Secretary to the Government of the state, Dr. Mustafa Mohammed Inuwa, led three fellow Nigerian Governors in the persons of Muhammadu Bello Matawallin Maradu, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Senator Atiku Bagudu of Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states, respectively.
At the meeting issues of cross border banditry and other forms of criminality were addressed.
This is coming in tandem with Masari’s ongoing reconciliation overtures with ‘commanders’ of the various disparate camps of the bandits who have turned eight of the 34 local government areas in the state their regular deadly assault targets. These assaults often result in multiple deaths and destruction of properties running into millions in worth.
These target local government areas are Dandume, Sabuwa, Faskari, Kankara, Danmusa, Safana, Batsari and Jibiya, all contagious to expansively famous Rugu forest.
Buoyed by the obvious success of the ongoing rapprochement with the local bandits, Governor Masari expressed confidence that the Maradi security talks would be no less successful, reinforcing the huge stride made in that respect in Katsina State.
The Prefecture of Maradi, which provides the window through which smuggled arms, ammunition, foreign insurgents and bandits often sneak into Nigeria, is border to the four North West states of Nigeria.
The meeting according to the Governor is expected to be of great impact towards restoring peace not only in the affected LGAs but also the entire 34 LGAs in the state.
He believes that the security of lives and property of the Katsina citizens lies not only in the hands of government or security personnel alone but also everyone.
The Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman called for collective efforts in curbing and fighting the menace.
He therefore appealed to the state House Assembly to ensure speedy passage of the the signed mandatory death sentences for cattle rustling and kidnapping bill into law.
Governor Aminu Masari has signed into law mandatory death sentence for anyone convicted of cattle rustling or kidnapping in Katsina State.
Similarly, the offence of rape carries the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment in addition to a fine and compensation to victim.
Theses decrees come on the heels of recent attacks in the state, the latest being the attack on three communities in Dan Musa, Faskari and Batsari local government areas leading to the death of 26 people.
In reaction to the killings President Muhammadu Buhari had summoned Governor Masari and ordered the Security Chiefs to investigate the killings.
President Buhari directed Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu and Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin to constitute an assessment team to intervene immediately in the state and bring feedback.
The President specifically, instructed the security chiefs to find out how the operation was carried out by the perpetrators, not minding the Holy month of Ramadhan, and put in place structures to prevent future occurrence.
President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari over recent security challenges in the state.
According to a statement made by Femi Adesina, Governor Masari was received in the State House on Wednesday 22nd of May, 2019.
The President’s media aide in his communique on Thursday, did not however, state categorically what the meeting’s outcome was.
Masari’s summoning comes on the heels of recent attacks in some ares within Katsina State, the latest being an attack on three communities in Dan Musa, Faskari and Batsari local government areas leading to the death of 26 people.
In reaction to the killings President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the Security Chiefs to investigate the killings.
The President who received the report of the killings with shock assured Nigerians that the government will restore peace and stability in the polity.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President directed Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu and Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin to constitute an assessment team to intervene immediately in the state and bring feedback.
The announcements of the results of the governorship election held in 29 states of the federation on Saturday, March 9, 2019, have continued across the country.
While the poll in a few states has been declared inconclusive for various reasons, there have been upsets in some places, as well as predicted outcomes in others.
In Kwara State, the declaration of Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the governorship election in the state, has not only ended the reign of the PDP government there but effectively uprooted the Saraki political structure from the state, at least for the next four years.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq.
Mr. Abdulrasaq polled 331,546 votes to beat his closest rival, Razak Atunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 114,754 votes to emerge second.
The PDP in the Kwara State appears to have taken the defeat in its strides, with Senator Bukola Saraki, the PDP governorship candidate, Rasaq Atunwa, and the serving state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, congratulating the winner of the election.
Perhaps, the emergence of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the next governor of Lagos may not have come as a surprise to many, given the political dynamics in the state.
What may appear as a surprise is the margin of defeat suffered by his opponent in the race.
Mr. Sanwo-Olu won the election in what could be described as a landslide, having polled a total of 739,445 votes to beat his closest rival Mr. Jimmy Agbaje of the PDP who polled a total of 206,141 votes, with a difference of 533,304 votes.
Notwithstanding, Mr. Agbaje has also congratulated his APC counterpart.
Ogun State proved to be a state to watch with keen interest in the run-up to the governorship election owing to the intrigue and drama that characterized the state’s politics and campaigns.
Many had thought the APC candidate, Dapo Abiodun, would come out of the fray with a bloody nose, in the face of the controversy that surrounded his emergence as the party’s governorship candidate in the state, and the subsequent defection of some members of the party to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) supported by the incumbent, Ibikunle Amosun.
The APC candidate, however, emerged victorious having polled 241,670 to defeat his closed opponent, Adekunle Akinlade of the APM who scored 222,153 votes.
The PDP has demonstrated that Enugu State, and indeed the South East geo-political zone, remains one of its strongholds in the country and may not prepare yet to let it slip from its grip.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (file)
The incumbent governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has been re-elected to pilot the affairs of the state for another four years, having beaten his closest opponent in the race by the wide margin of 439,512. He scored a total of 449,935 votes against 10,423 votes polled by Mr. Ayogu Eze of the APC.
Like in Enugu State, the PDP remains in control of Abia State, with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu being declared the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state, Professor Damian Ozurumba, said he secured 261,127 votes, more than double the 99, 574 votes his closest rival, Uche Ogah of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled.
The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti finished third, with 64,366 votes.
The states in the North West zone also remain in the firm grip of the APC. One of them is Jigawa State under Governor Badaru Abubakar who has been re-elected for another four years.
(File) Jigawa State Governor, Badaru Abubakar.
The governor who contested the election on the platform of the APC was declared the winner on Sunday, having polled a total of 810,933 votes to defeat his closest rival from the PDP, Aminu Ringim, who got 288,356 votes.
In Niger State, Abubakar Bello, also of the APC has been re-elected, governor.
He polled 526,412 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Umar Nasko of the PDP who polled a total of 298,065 votes.
The Returning Officer, Professor Angela Miri, announced the result in Minna, the state capital, saying Governor Bello was declared the winner and returned elected having polled the highest votes in the election.
Although the opposition PDP described the result as unacceptable, the results showed that the APC won all the 25 local government areas in the governorship election.
Majority of the voters in Gombe State decided on Saturday to switch their loyalty to the APC as they voted to have Muhammad Yahaya of the APC emerge winner of the governorship election in the state.
The influence of a sitting PDP governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, was not enough to swing the election against Yahaya, as he scored 364,179 while PDP’s candidate, Senator Bayero Nadafa, scored 222,868.
The PDP seems to have made up for its loss of Ekiti State to the APC in the South West in the governorship election in 2018.
Oyo State returned to the fold of the opposition PDP, which was in control of the state before Governor Abiola Ajimobi led the APC to victory in the state in 2011.
PDP’s governorship candidate, Seyi Makinde won the election with 515,621 votes to defeat his closest rival, APC’s Bayo Adelabu who scored 357,982 votes, ending APC’s eight-year dominance of Oyo politics.
Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has relieved the Commissioner of Education in the state, Professor Halimatu Idris, of her appointment with immediate effect.
This was revealed in a statement issued and signed on Thursday by the senior special assistant to the governor on media, Abdu Labaran Malumfashi.
According to the statement, Governor Masari thanked Professor Halimatu for the services she rendered as a commissioner in a “Letter of Appreciation and Disengagement” personally signed by him, and December 21, 2017.
He said her “contributions for the development of the education sector in particular and the government, in general, cannot be over emphasised”.
The governor added that during her term as commissioner, schools were rehabilitated and upgraded while new ones were constructed.
He also said teachers were trained and the atmosphere was made more conducive to learning and teaching in the state.
Masari, however, said Halimatu’s disengagement was due to taking into account the fact that political activities leading to elections would commence early in 2018.
He said: “it has become necessary for the government to bring more active politicians on board so as to fasten activities of governance.”
On behalf of the government and the people of the state, the governor wished Professor Halimatu God’s guidance in her future endeavours.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday hosted the Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, and some northern Senators at his home in Daura, Katsina State.
The lawmakers, from the Northern Senators Forum, who were received by the President are Senators Kabiru Gaya, Mustapha Bukar, Abdullahi Adamu and Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan.
Governor Masari led the Senators who were in the state for a retreat, scheduled to hold on Tuesday, to the President’s hometown, where they held a meeting behind closed doors.
Senator Gaya told reporters after the meeting that the lawmakers discussed good governance and national unity with the President without giving further details.
Pictures of the visit by the President’s personal photographer, Bayo Omoboriowo, shows the President happily welcoming his guests and posing for photos with them.
President Buhari had travelled to his hometown on Thursday at the end of his two-day visit to Kano.
He is, however, scheduled to attend the ‘One Planet Summit’ in Paris, France on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, along with over 50 world leaders.
L-R: Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan; Senator Abdullahi Adamu; Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari; President Buhari; Senator Mustapha Bukar, and Senator Kabiru Gaya in Daura, Katsina on Sunday, December 10, 2017
