Traditional rulers from Niger commiserate with Gov. Buni over floods and killings in Mafa

By: Yahaya Wakili

A delegation of traditional rulers from the Niger Republic has commiserated with the government and people of Yobe State over the floods and Mafa incidents that claimed lives and properties in some parts of the state.

The Emir of Maine-Soroa and leader of the delegation, Abdou Katiella Gasso, said in Damaturu that as good neighbors, they were obliged to identify with the state at such trying moments.

He said the people of Yobe State and the Niger Republic are closely related through culture, religion, and intermarriages; “therefore, what affects one automatically affects the other.

Responding, Governor Mai Mala Buni CON commended the traditional rulers for the show of love, care, and concern.

“I commend you for maintaining the traditional ties between our people; this would be encouraged and promoted, he assured.

Traditional rulers from Niger commiserate with Gov. Buni over floods and killings in Mafa

Bego calls for rejuvenated action in the information ministry

By: Yahaya Wakili

Yobe State Commissioner of Home Affairs, Information, and Culture, Hon. Abdullahi Bego, has said that the present administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni CON remained committed to rejuvenating the information sector, hence the need for the staff of the ministry to rededicate themselves to service for effective information dissemination as well as keeping people abreast of the government policies and programs.

Bego disclosed this when he visited the zonal office of the ministry in Potiskum, the headquarters of the Potiskum local government area.

While addressing the staff of the zonal office, the commissioner said he decided to visit the office with a view to interacting with them and assessing their condition of service as well as mode of operations for improvement.

He commended the staff of the zonal office for their resilience and perseverance despite challenges, assuring that the ministry will work towards addressing some of their challenges, adding that the visit has given him the opportunity to not only interact with the staff but to also understand their challenges for a way forward.

“His Excellency the Executive Governor of Yobe State, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON Chiroman Gujba, is always ready to support us with a view to making the people of the state abreast of government policies and programs at all levels,” Bego said.

The commissioner assured that the ministry will continue to prioritize the training and retraining of the staff for efficient service delivery.

Earlier briefing the Commissioner, the zonal information officer, Malam Ishaku Mamman Gurara, described the visit as a clear indication of his passion and concern toward making information management effective across the state.

“The zonal information office Potiskum produced many information commissioners, most of whom are bona fide indigines of the town, but officially only two visited this office in 1994 and 1997, respectively, and that was Alhaji Dauda Fika and Alhaji Goni Fika, all of blessed memories.” Gurara added.

According to him, “since then, never at all has any commissioner visited us until your visit now, sir. Your visit, sir, has proven to us that we now have a strong and vibrant leader ready to regain and reinvigorate the lost glory of the office.

“Once more, honorable sir, we are sincerely speechless by seeing you, the permanent secretary as well as the Director of Information Service, in our midst just to interact with us and hear our problems with a view to solving them, he said.

The Commissioner was accompanied by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Mohammed Bala, and the Director of Information Services, Alhaji Ali Musa Yawale, and after interactions with the staff, the Commissioner took time to inspect the office structure, among others.

Bego calls for rejuvenated action in the information ministry

Korean Film Festival Returns to Nigeria After COVID-19 Break

By: Michael Mike

The Korean Embassy in Nigeria has commenced the Korean Film Festival in Nigeria after it went on break during the CIVID-19 pandemic.

The latest edition is the 12th Edition of the festival and was hosted at the Silverbird Cinema, in Abuja between 19th September to 21st September 2024 with several movies screened.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Korean ambassador to Nigeria, Kim Pankyu, expressed delight with the return of the festival after it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He said: “I have come to deeply feel that South Korea and Nigeria share a strong cultural affinity, especially in their love for music and dance.

“Due to this cultural affinity, various elements, such as fashion and cuisine, along with music, are resonating in Nigeria.

“Particularly, there has been a significant surge in the spread of dramas and films.”

He added that: “Along with the global hit ‘Squid Game’ in 2021, the most-watched drama series on Netflix Nigeria in 2022 was ‘Alchemy of souls’.

“Thus, I have come to realise the importance of introducing Korean films to Nigeria, one of the world’s top 3 film-producing countries.”

Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Mr Obi Asika, said millions of Nigerians had fallen in love with K-pop [Korean music] and K-drama [Korean drama].

He said Nigeria would continue to learn from the Koreans to improve its entertainment industry.

Korean Film Festival Returns to Nigeria After COVID-19 Break