News
Goya District, Desertification, and the Reality of Tree Planting
Goya District, Desertification, and the Reality of Tree Planting
By: Balami Lazarus
My pen and I have been longing to write about Goya District, one of the homes of the Kare-Kare people, whose traces are also found in Jigawa and Bauchi states. The kare-kare are known to be a peaceful group of people who have made their marks in the fields of education and business.
Let me lightly inform you that Goya District was created in 1990. The district is part of the Fika Emirate Council in the Fika local government of Yobe State. Pharmacist Alhaji Garba Abdullahi Daya (1932–2022) was the first district head.
It was interesting living with the Dayas as young men in the 1980s and 1990s, where we related well as family friends and neighbors. As neighbors, we were privileged to have near-free drugs and treatments for our minor ailments because Bappa, as he was fondly called, was a respected pharmacist and CEO of Daya Pharmacuetical Chemist Limited Maiduguri. And was always there for us in our needs for our medical attention. The creation of Goya District was a new dawn for the Dayas, where the head and some members of the family relocated to Daya, the headquarter of Goya District.
The human environment has been the most comfortable place to live, where plants and animals formed part of the eco-system as a driving force for human existence. Similarly, the World Environment Day of June of every year has been set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness among the citizens of the world about the importance of the environment and its positive impact on mankind through its eco-system as a change driver.
This year’s theme, “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience,” was taken seriously with passion by the Goya District for the protection of their environment. The district organized a tree planting campaign recently for land restoration and the control of desertification. This effort was supported by the newly installed district head, Alhaji Musa Garba Daya. “My domain is vast and open, prone to desertification, and we are at the threat of desert encroachment; therefore, tree planting is one of the solutions for checking and controlling desert encroachment.”
Desert encroachment, land degradation, and drought are some of the environmental factors affecting some parts of Yobe and Borno states that are lying on the fringes of the simi-arid Sahara desert. One of the above is a natural phenomenon affecting these areas with its yearly advancement. However, human initiatives and efforts towards desertification control in Goya District go beyond yearly activity. “For us in Goya, it will be a continuous activity. Tree planting and care of our environment are paramount.”.
World Environment Day has always been a ceremonial activity, but my findings on Goya, the Council, and the people show that trees like Neem, Malmo, and Hybrid Mango trees are desperately needed. “Our common goal of making Goya greener and more sustainable for Goya and its people with your help, whether in the form of monetary donations, seedlings, or your active involvement in our Goya District Landscape Restoration Initiative, is welcomed.”.
It is true that our environment needs our collective care and attention if we, as people, take cues from the Goya District Initiative. The beauty of our environment is that humans and animals will benefit from the natural engineering of the eco-system.
Balami, a publisher/columnist (8036779290).
Goya District, Desertification, and the Reality of Tree Planting
Career Progression Courses Are Now Mandatory for Promotion in NSCDC, Insists Audi
By: Michael Mike
The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi has announced that henceforth, career progression courses are now mandatory prerequisites for the promotion of personnel in the agency.
The Commandant General disclosed this in a keynote address he delivered at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NSCDC Cooperative and Investment Society at the National Headquarters, Abuja.
He maintained that all the NSCDC training institutions are given a new phase lift and training curricular for all cadres developed, and currently awaiting full implementation.
The CG also announced that his administration is committed to ending stagnation in the Corps for personnel on grade level 14 and below; he explained that beneficiaries have been paid arrears and applauded President Bola Tinubu for all the support as he tasked Corps personnel to justify the gesture through hard work.
On the welfare of staff, the NSCDC helmsman, who is the grand patron of the society, commended the National Headquarters executive for their programmes in providing succour and palliative for members and warned that misappropriation of funds in the society won’t be condoned but sanctioned accordingly.
Speaking earlier, the President of NSCDC National Headquarters Cooperative Society Limited, Assistant Commandant of Corps, ACC Aina Oladeji Jones, expressed gratitude to the CG and Management team for all the support to the cooperative in their four-year tenure, citing the 90 houses completed and ongoing work in some at the Kuje Housing Estate.
Continuing, he said from a membership of 1500 the society is now over 1,800 and disclosed that a philanthropist has pledged to assist fund the Streamview Hotel and Resort Project to conclusion.
Other highlights of the AGM were the presentation of goodwill messages by a Deputy Director of FCT Cooperative, Segun Salako and a representative of Corrections Cooperative Multipurpose Limited, CSC Okechukwu Edward, as well as the presentation of cheques to retirement beneficiaries and next of kin of deceased NSCDC members who were in the Cooperative and Investment Society Limited.
Career Progression Courses Are Now Mandatory for Promotion in NSCDC, Insists Audi
News
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
By: Michael Mike
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has said Nigerians should not fear of delay in collection of international passport as at present there are over 80,000 passport booklets waiting to be issued.
The Minister, speaking at a media parley in Abuja on Friday, said in recent time the passport booklet in reserve have not gone below 50,000.
He said all backlogs of passports have been cleared, noting that the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) no longer owe its service providers regarding printing and supply of passports.
Tunji-Ojo said: “We now have about 80,000 passports in stocks, both the 32 pages and the 70 pages.”
He promised that Nigerians in diaspora would henceforth enjoy seamless acquisition of passports, especially those in United States, Canada and United Kingdom, disclosing that this would come into effect as the Federal Government activates Automated Application system by October.
The Minister said: “Henceforth Nigerians in the diaspora would not need to travel from one country to another to obtained Passports, saying the era of wasting working hours, resources and risking their lives on long journey is gone.
“We are going to do a pre-launch of this automated systems very soon. And by October they will be fully operational. We have a situation in London where we have 16,000 Nigerians applying for Passports, and the capacity of our systems in the Embassy is about 200.
“But now that we have this systems in place, Nigerians would not have to embark on different journeys across the world for Passport acquisition,” Tunji-Ojo said.
Tunji-Ojo while justifying the increase in passports fees, said it is a matter of cost benefits analysis especially “when you look at the rate of dollar compared to naira”.
He also said the increase didn’t affect the cost of passports outside Nigeria, adding that the increase was only about 45 percent.
He noted that the government is not exploiting Nigerians but only increased to cover the cost of procurement of passports.
“If at all government should subsidize anything, I don’t think it should be passports. The increase is just from N35,000 to N50,000 naira. No increase outside Nigeria.”
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
Bobrisky: FG Suspends Senior Prison Officers
By: Michael Mike
The federal government has suspended some senior officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service over an allegation infractions raised by Idris Okuneye (alias Bobrisky)
A statement on Thursday by the Secretary, Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Board. Ja’afaru Ahmed read:
“Following the viral video trending on social media on alleged infractions by Officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service relating to Mr. Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has suspended forthwith the following Senior Officers of the Service:
“Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos State; and
“Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Maximum-Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos State;
“Also, the Board has suspended ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Afikpo, Ebonyi State, for allegedly accompanying a convicted inmate out of the Custodial Centre to a location outside the facility.”
In another related development, the Board has equally suspended another Senior Officer of the Service, Iloafonsi Ikechukwu, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kuje- Abuja, for allegedly receiving monies on behalf of an inmate.
Ahmed said: “The suspension of these Officers is to allow for further investigation on the various allegations while assuring that the outcome would be made public when concluded.”
Bobrisky: FG Suspends Senior Prison Officers
Career Progression Courses Are Now Mandatory for Promotion in NSCDC, Insists Audi
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
Bobrisky: FG Suspends Senior Prison Officers
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