Commissioner Maigari speaks on the security situation in Yobe

By: Yahaya Wakili

The Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission representing Yobe State, Hon. Jibrin Maigari, has revealed that within the 6 years of His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni’s CON, the issue of security has become a history in Yobe; therefore, His Excellency deserves a salute on this very important aspect.

Maigari disclosed this to newsmen shortly after presenting federal permanent and pensionable appointment letters to indigenes of Yobe State at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Potiskum.

He said, When the governor took over, the issue of security was very glaring and very threatening, but now you can go around in all 17 local governments without any challenges or hindrances.

“But he said, He didn’t stop there; he will continue to make sure that the flashpoint in the Geidam area, Tarmuwa, and Gujba are addressed properly through the collaborative effort of our army, police, civil defense, and the community vigilante people,’ Maigari said.

According to Maigari, the federal character was established to create fairness, equity, and transparency in the conduct of employment in federal MDs and also to monitor and add the second mandate in terms of federal government development projects across the country.

On his achievements, Maigari said, Actually, the tenure of a commissioner is five years, and we are now winding off, but the actual number of appointees cannot be exactly said because at the initial stage there was no proper record keeping, and the number of employees also included the military and paramilitary.

Jibrin Maigari further said, In the military, there is almost an annual program of engaging almost 200 young Yobeans to be recruited into the Nigerian Army; likewise, the police recruit a similar number, but in the MDs, the recruitment is based on which MDs have the approval and which MDs have the space and budgetary space to recruit.

We have challenges because most of the institutions that are recruiting are teaching hospitals, federal medical centers, and such institutions, likely because of the effort of the federal government to expand both primary and tertiary health care, and sometimes we get a limited number of Yobeans who are studying medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, and other health-related programs.

“The substantial number of Yobeans that apply for a space in the MDs are considered during the period of 5 years, but our consideration across the 17 local government areas is that almost in all the 17 local governments, the reasonable number of their citizens were employed and were heavily working in the various states,” Maigari added.

Commissioner Maigari speaks on the security situation in Yobe

NEDC opens new office, hands over 7 projects to YOSG

By: Yahaya Wakili

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has handed over seven completed projects to the Yobe State government as well as inaugurated its new state office in Damaturu, the state capital.

The ceremony was performed by the State Minister for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, and accompanied by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Muhd. Alkali, and other top senior officers of the commission.

The minister revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” is driving the reconstruction and rebuilding of Nigeria’s northeast while ensuring balanced national progress. Adding to that, recently the president created five additional development commissions, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, who initiated the establishment of the North East Development Commission.

“The federal government’s initiative aims to reduce regional disparities and accelerate sustainable development across the geopolitical zone of our dear country Nigeria and also underscores the federal government’s commitment to the region under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” Maigari said.

The minister further said, We are proposing the Northeast Regional Airline, which will link our states and neighboring countries to stop the terrorism of unconnectivity. Also, we are proposing the North East Rail line; the North East Pharmaceutical company intends to produce essential drugs locally and reduce the dependency on imports.

Maigari said, We have proposed for the North East Integrated Pick Milk and Poultry Company to support food security and job creation, and we also propose the North East Civil Engineering Company to construct infrastructural development, as well as the North East Power Generation and Distribution Company to close the energy access gap that occurred in our industries in the six states and beyond.

“We are deliberately ambitious with the purpose and next propose gigantic projects, and I believe with the strongest of convictions that with the unwavering support of your colleagues, the North East Governors Forum will come to push and reposition the northeast to become a vigor of recovery, resilience, and prosperity.

In his remarks, Governor Mai Mala Buni, CON, of Yobe State, ably represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Baba Mallam Wali, mni, has commended the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for what they have done, adding that they have done very well.

Baba Mallam Wali further said, NEDC has done a lot of things that impacted positively on the lives of our people, and requested the NEDC to construct three roads, which he said is very critical to address the problem of insecurity in the state.

NEDC opens new office, hands over 7 projects to YOSG

DIGITAL RIGHTS: EU, ASF FRANCE SUPPORT FIGHT AGAINST CYBERBULLING IN NIGERIA

By: Michael Mike

Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF) France with the support from the European Union (EU) in conjunction with the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), through it e- RIGHTS Protect has called for more strength to fight against cyberbulling and digital rights violation in Nigeria.

This was made known at the grand finale of the national inter-school digital rights competition organized by ASF under it E-RIGHTS platform last Tuesday in Abuja.
After a thorough engagement by various schools across the country, four schools from different States and zone were qualified to the final, namely Kano State, Lagos, Imo and FCT.

In the keenly contested competition, the Sonmori Senior Comprehensive High School, Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos State emerged as the winner, followed by FCT, Imo and Kano respectfully. The winner takes home the sum of one million Naira with support also from the eRights project to empower what they are doing in terms of digital literacy.

ASF France, Nigeria County Director, Angela Uwandu Uzoma, explained that, the competitions is more than celebration of talents, but celebration of courage, consciousness and commitment. She said, the occasion is not just to shaping conversation of the students, but to shaping their future.
She further said “The eRights project aims at promoting digital rights, not just for the adults, but also for the children, ensuring that the children are not left behind in this conversation. So children are themselves today participating in putting out empowering videos, messaging to discourage cyberbullying, to say no to cyberbullying because of the attendant effects and the harms that it can cause”

“The Cybercrimes Act, which was recently revised, amended particularly with Section 24, which was amended in 2024, to ensure that the government addresses some of these issues
“The government needs to do more. And we’re seeing that this Act, which ordinarily should protect citizens, to empower them to create a safe space for engagement, ensure that people are able to express themselves freely as guaranteed by the Constitution, including children” she added.

Also, the EU representative at the event, Program Manager, CSO, Human Rights and Youth, Mrs. Wynyfred Achu-Egbuson, believed that, the competition will bring to the understanding of Yong people that they have a responsibility towards not only protecting their rights but also protect the rights of other people who use the digital space.
She further said, the issues surrounding digital rights in Nigeria and other developed countries of the West is dynamic. Therefore, the issues of legislations and regulation towards digital rights is developing, the situation is dynamic and ever changing

DIGITAL RIGHTS: EU, ASF FRANCE SUPPORT FIGHT AGAINST CYBERBULLING IN NIGERIA