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Fire Outbreak:Nigeria Lost N3 Trillion In 2021

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Nigeria lost N3 trillion to 2,845 fire outbreaks in 2021, Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola has said.

Aregbesola made this known on Wednesday while decorating the newly promoted Deputy Controllers-General (DCGs) of the Federal Fire Service (FFS).

The minister also said that the FFS saved properties worth N18.9 trillion, 587 lives and rescued 260 persons from raging fire.

He said that in 2021, the FSS responded to 2,845 SOS distress-calls.

“In sum, the stock of the FSS has grown in leaps and bounds as the agency has contributed significantly to national security in the protection of lives and property,” he said.

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Aregbesola noted that the reason for achieving such feat was because between 2015 and now, the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari committed more resources into the service compared to since its creation in 1901.

“The attention and resources devoted by the Buhari administration since 2015 is more than whatever has been put into it since its establishme in 1901.

“Between 2015 and 2020, the Federal Government provided 106 modern firefighting trucks to the service.

“In 2021, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) also approved the procurement of some equipment and have since been procured and deployed.

“N10.4 billion infrastructure upgrade comprising of 44 firefighting engines, 15 water tankers, 15 rapid intervention fire engines (not conventional ones) that can go into the nooks and crannies to respond to distress-calls and 20 basic life support ambulances,” he said.

He also said that 17 firefighting officers were sent to Belarus for advanced trainer-training course.

These officers, he said, are the master trainers that will be training other officers on modern firefighting, disaster and emergency management.

Aregbesola commended the immediate past Controller-General of the service, Alhaji Liman Ibrahim, for his visionary leadership and invaluable contribution to the service, saying he will miss working with him.

“I must not fail to commend and thank the erstwhile C-G, for his innovation, industry and perspicacity. He is the human instrument of the revolutionary changes at the FSS.

“His capacity to grasp issues and policies and make them actionable is legendary. I will miss working with him. I thank him for his invaluable services to the nation through the FSS.

”I pray that he will be happy and fulfilled in retirement and have resounding success in his endeavours,” Aregbesola added.

The minister condemned the rising incidents of criminals, hoodlums and touts who indulge in attacking firemen and their equipment while attending to fire emergencies.

He, however, noted that the service had now developed capacity to effectively contain and deter them.

One sad reoccurring phenomenon, he added, is touts and miscreants attacking firemen and their equipment whenever they respond to fire emergencies.

“This is deplorable and totally condemned.

“For this purpose, we have worked out modalities on armed escorts accompanying firemen on assignment, for the protection of their lives and the equipment,” the minister stressed.

Aregbesola congratulated the newly decorated DCGs, adding that DCG Karibo Samson will continue to lead in acting capacity until a substantive Controller-General was appointed.

“I will like to congratulate the newly appointed Acting C-G and DCGs being decorated, Karibo Samson, Jaji Abdulganiyu, Agunloye Oluokun and Agu Kanny.

Samson, he added, will mount the saddle of the service in acting capacity until a substantive CG is appointed.

“It is of particular interest to me when the acting C-G said he joined the service as a fireman. It means the service is an equal opportunity employer; every fireman has the potential to become the CG.”

Responding on behalf of newly promoted officers, acting C-G of the service, DCG Samson thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the confidence reposed in them.

He promised that they would not disappoint Nigerians in discharging the statutory responsibility to the public. (NAN)

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Governor Yusuf Pays Over 3 Billion for Secondary School Students to Sit for NECO, NABTEB, NBAIS

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The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has expended over 3 billion naira for 141,175 (one hundred and forty-one thousand, one hundred and seventy-five) Kano students who passed the 2024 qualifying examinations to sit for this year’s WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS (2025).

In a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Information, Ibrahim Adam, it was noted that the Commissioner for Education, Ali Haruna Makoda, announced to newsmen in Kano that the State Ministry of Education had released the results of the qualifying examinations for secondary school students in Kano.

These students are studying under the Kano State Teachers Service Board and the Science and Technical Schools Board, where 75 percent of them qualified to write the senior school certificate examinations of WAEC, NABTEB, NECO, and NBAIS (for Arabic students).

Ali Haruna Makoda stated that the students eligible for payment by the Kano State Government under Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf are those who scored five credits and above.

The Commissioner maintained that all secondary school principals and directors should notify their students of their results so that the state government can effect the payment.

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The 2025 qualifying exams for WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB will enable the students to sit for their 2025 examinations required for admission into tertiary education.

Ibrahim Adam, the Special Adviser to Governor Yusuf on Information, said that since the inception of the administration in May 2023, it has settled registration fees for Kano indigent students for WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS.

The Special Adviser pointed out that apart from settling the fees, Governor Yusuf’s administration has also paid huge outstanding debts for WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB left behind by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration.

He also said it is part of Governor Yusuf’s declaration of a state of emergency on education and an effort to mitigate the high number of out-of-school children that have bedeviled the state.

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NWDC Cancels Foreign Scholarship Scheme, Backs FG’s Local Education Policy

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The North West Development Commission (NWDC) has announced the cancellation of its foreign scholarship application process in response to a new policy directive from the Federal Government prioritizing local education.

In a statement issued by the NWDC management on Thursday, May 8, 2025, the commission confirmed that the cancellation is in line with a recent federal directive urging public institutions to focus on strengthening educational capacity within Nigeria.

“This decision follows the Federal Government’s announcement on May 7, 2025,” the statement read. “We are fully committed to aligning our programs and initiatives with national priorities, especially those aimed at promoting local content and indigenous capacity building.”

The Federal Government’s directive was conveyed through a press statement signed by Mrs. Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education. The statement emphasized the need to redirect resources towards improving domestic institutions and ensuring more Nigerians have access to quality education at home.

“The policy is designed to reduce reliance on foreign academic systems and bolster Nigeria’s educational sector by investing in local universities and training institutions,” Mrs. Folasade said in the official release.

The NWDC reiterated its support for this policy, noting that it will explore new avenues to support educational and human capital development within the region. “The commission will provide updates on further opportunities and programs in due course,” the NWDC statement concluded.

The move is expected to impact hundreds of applicants who had hoped to pursue studies abroad under the commission’s sponsorship but may now need to consider domestic options supported by the commission in future initiatives.

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Erosion Control :Governor Yusuf Disburses Over N600 Million Compensation

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Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has disbursed over N600 million to residents of Bulbula and Gayawa who were affected by the ongoing Erosion Control Project.

A statement released on Thursday by the Governor’s Spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, said that the disbursement was organized by the Kano State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (Kano-ACReSAL), under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The event took place at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano.

According to the statement, the project involves the construction of reinforced concrete channels, bioremediation buffers, and other robust erosion control infrastructure.

This initiative aims to reclaim degraded land and restore safety to the affected areas. It is being executed through a collaboration between the state and federal governments, with support from the World Bank.

The statement further elaborated that the project will also strengthen surveillance through the engagement of community vigilantes and the installation of solar streetlights to deter criminal activity that had previously thrived in the abandoned gully area.

In his address, Governor Yusuf stated:
“Today marks a significant step forward in our collective journey to restore dignity, security, and prosperity to the communities of Bulbula and Gayawa.”

He continued:
“I am deeply honored to be here to personally present compensation cheques to the Project Affected Persons (PAPs) under the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the Bulbula-Gayawa Erosion Control Project in Nasarawa and Ungogo Local Government Areas.”

The Governor urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the funds, emphasizing:
“Every cheque presented today is a message that the government of Abba Gida-Gida stands with its people, especially during times of hardship and displacement.”

“The compensation being disbursed today is based on thorough enumeration, community engagement, and due diligence. Our approach ensures that every affected citizen is recognized, documented, and fairly treated in accordance with global best practices,” he assured.

Governor Yusuf lamented that:
“The Bulbula-Gayawa erosion menace has brought untold hardship to many. It has claimed farmlands, damaged homes, displaced families, and turned once-thriving neighborhoods into unsafe zones.”

The Governor pledged his administration’s continued support throughout the project’s lifecycle, reiterating that no community would be left behind in the development process.

Governor Yusuf expressed his appreciation to the implementation team under the ACReSAL Project, traditional rulers, community representatives, and relevant stakeholders for their transparency, professionalism, and relentless efforts in ensuring the successful compensation exercise.

 

Some beneficiaries, Jibril Abdullahi Jibril and Fatima Haruna, expressed their gratitude to the state government for the intervention. They recalled years of advocating for the project, which had been unsuccessful until the present administration took action.

 

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