NEWS
Tourism: Stakeholders Seek Upgrade of Tafawa Balewa’s Tomb
Stakeholders in the tourism sector have advocated upgrade of the tomb of Nigeria’s sole Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa to attract more visitors.
Some of the stakeholders who spoke in Bauchi, said the mausoleum needed total rehabilitation in line with international standards, to make it more attractive to visitors.
Balewa’s tomb is one of the monuments, heavily patronised by tourists in Bauchi State.
It was declared a national monument on Aug. 29, 1979 by the then military administration.
The construction of the tomb and the building enclosing the grave began in 1977 and inaugurated in July 1979.
Within the enclosure are reference library, gallery, mosque and grave of the former Nigerian leader, often referred to as the Golden Voice of Africa.
Balewa was born in December 1912 in Bauchi, and started his education at a Qur’anic school in Bauchi town and later attended Katsina College, now (Barewa College).
On completion of his secondary education in 1933, he returned home and started teaching at the Bauchi Middle School where he rose to the position of headmaster in 1941.
In 1944, Balewa went to University of London’s Institute of Education, and on his returned he was appointed Inspector of Schools.
His political sojourn started in 1946 when he was elected into the Northern Nigeria House of Assembly, and in 1951 elected as the Vice President of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC).
The party nominated Balewa to Lagos as Member of Parliament in 1952. He was appointed Minister of Works and Transport in the same year.
In 1957 the NPC won election with majority of the MPs and Balewa was elected as Prime Minister.
At independence in 1960, Balewa became the Prime Minister of the independent Nigeria and re-elected in 1964. He was killed alongside other prominent Nigerian leaders during the Jan. 15, 1966 coup.
Mr Mukhtar Baba, a librarian at the mausoleum, said the library and gallery are prone to flooding that submerged the facility during raining season due lack of drains.
He said construction of drains and remedial project would check perennial flooding in the facility.
The librarian called for the provision of modern gadgets to digitise its operations.
“Provision of IT equipment will transform our operation from analogue to digital which is obtainable across the globe.
“Through digital application photos and other personal belonging of the late prime minister could be showcase on TV screen and other IT appliances.
“This is imperative to ensure safe keeping and preserve quality of the items,” he said.
He said it would also enhance awareness creation to educate the people on the facility so as to attract more visitors.
Mohammed Akuyam, a senior tour guide at the tomb, said the edifice was designed to reflect the simple life Balewa lived.
Akuyam said the “darkness greeting visitors’’ at the entrance to the tomb signifies hardship encountered by Balewa and his colleagues in the struggle to gain independence from the British colonial administration.
He said the light shining through a thin window by the right hand side after the first darkness, represents rays of hope for the nation to be freed from colonial administration.
“The second darkness on the corridor to the tomb signifies struggle continues for Nigeria’s independence, while the full brightness illuminating the tomb’s courtyard signifies attainment of Nigeria’s independence in 1960,” he said.
On the rough staircase leading to the tomb, Akuyam said, it signifies hardship experienced by Nigerians under the colonial administration, while the smooth one symbolises freedom enjoyed after attaining self-rule.
The intercessions on the pathways to the grave, reflects crises and civil disorder that greeted Balewa’s assassination.
He said: “The colours on the walls of the tomb represents different ethnic groups in Nigeria, and the late Balewa served those interests at heart and tried to unite them as one nation.
“The open roof of the tomb signifies the open-mindedness of the late Prime Minister and the simple life he lived.”
According to him, the tomb is in good condition and recording high number of visitors, especially students who are on excursion to learn and see some of the personal belongings of the late prime minister.
According to the tour guide, visit to the tomb is free, but adult visitors to exhibition section (gallery) are charged N100 per head and N50 for children.
He disclosed that over 7,000 students from schools across the country visit the tomb annually.
The tour guide also said that 75 students of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPS), Kuru, Jos, were on study tower at the tomb in September, 2021, while 22 foreign students or tourists also visited the tomb last year.
He listed important personalities that visited the tomb to include former President Olusegun Obasanjo on July 16, 1999,
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, in September 2011, and former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in May, 2022, among others.
Akuyam, however, said that the tomb was renovated in 2012 by the National Commission for Museum and Monuments, while the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) upgraded the gallery.
“All the personal belongings of the late prime minister kept in the gallery are in good condition.
“We have over 20 staff working in the tomb, including guides, cleaners, receptionists as well as auditorium and library personnel.
“The tomb is being managed by the Bauchi State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, while the gallery is under the National Commission for Museum and Monuments,” he said.
Also commenting, Muhammad Yusuf, General Manager, Bauchi State Tourism Board, called for review of laws governing the control and ownership of the monument to enhance good management of the all-important national asset.
Yusuf said the measure was imperative to fast track upgrade of the tomb to meet international standard, raise tourism potentials and attract more visitors.
For his part, Mr Ibrahim Isa, a tourism expert, who corroborated earlier Yusuf, opined that Balewa’s tomb was being maintained effectively by the relevant authorities.
He said the review of the extant laws on such monuments is critical to ensure protection of tombs of other national heroes. (NAN)
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Ishaya Tanko has confirmed the sad death of 8 students of the University to a road crash involving their Toyota bus with a truck in the metropolitan city of Jos.
He disclosed that one of the students was being prepared for surgery in the early hours of Thursday at the Jos University Teaching Hospital while others were receiving medication at the Bingham Teaching Hospital.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Plateau State Command disclosed that the accident occurred opposite Unity Bank Zaria Road, Jos, at around 2:30 am.
The Plateau State Sector Commander of the Corps, Olajide Mogaji explained that seven people lost their lives on the spot, while another victim died in hospital, bringing the total number of fatalities to eight.
According to the Command’s statement, the crash involved a trailer and a bus, which was carrying eleven passengers, all male students of the University of Jos, opposite Unity Bank Zaria Road, Jos, at around 2:30 am.
Mogaji said eyewitness accounts revealed to the corps emergency teams that the bus was speeding and engaged in wrongful overtaking, leading to the loss of control and the crash.
The Sector Commander has appealed to drivers to avoid night trips, excessive speed, and dangerous driving, saying, “The government needs you alive, and wants you to live life to the fullest in this festive season and beyond.”
The FRSC noted that the incident is still under investigation, while urging the public to report crashes or road emergencies to their toll-free emergency number 122 at all times for prompt responses.
The victims were said to have been coming back from a welcome special party for new students when the unfortunate incident occurred with the vehicle carrying the male students while the other vehicle carrying the female students escaped the tragedy.
UNICEF Hails Bayelsa as Champion of Primary Healthcare Devt in Nigeria
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Bayelsa State Government for its deliberate efforts at improving primary healthcare delivery, especially in the area of immunization in recent years.
The Country Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, gave the commendation, on Wednesday, when she led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa.
Saeed said what she saw during her visit to some health facilities and her random interactions with some mothers in the state, corroborated the positive reports UNICEF has been receiving about Bayelsa in terms of immunization.
The special UN envoy, who described Bayelsa as champion of healthcare delivery and a shining spot in the country, noted that the state has achieved an impressive performance in its immunization indices from 2021 to date.
She attributed the improvement in the health indicators of the state to purposeful leadership, commitment and accountability being provided by the present administration.
While assuring the Bayelsa of UNICEF’s readiness for collaboration to improve nutrition for children as well as unlock resources for healthcare development in the state, the Country Rep, however, urged the Governor Douye Diri-led administration to sustain its efforts in the health sector.
She said, “We are really impressed with what Bayelsa is doing… Bayelsa State has also committed its financing of immunization campaigns from the state budget, and a special one (immunization) in-between.
“Also there is a monthly allowance and support you have continued to give from GAVI. These are some of the things that have really increased the number of immunized children and improved the performance of the state.
“In 2021, the number of children not immunized in Bayelsa was 71 percent; that means seven out of ten kids were not immunized. But between then and now, there is a big difference due to the leadership, commitment and accountability we are seeing in Bayelsa State.
“You have been a champion of primary healthcare and a champion of immunization. And I really look to have Bayelsa not only a champion of states in Nigeria but in our continent and the globe.”
In a response, Governor Douye Diri represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, reaffirmed the determination of his administration to prioritize investments in the health sector.
He said plans were underway to review the state primary healthcare board law with a view to not only sustaining the extant primary healthcare funding model but also expanding it through effective private sector contributions, especially from corporate organizations operating in the state.
Diri thanked the Country Rep, Ms Wafaa Saeed, for her kind words of encouragement and also acknowledged the support of UNICEF, WHO, Bill Gate, Dangote Foundation and other development partners, noting that Bayelsa could not have recorded its present achievements in the health sector without their collaboration.
His words: “We also want to thank you profusely for supporting our programme. We thank UNICEF, the WHO, Bill Gate Foundation, Dangote Foundation and others for your support. We really appreciate what you have done for our state.
“As a government, we know where we are going. A man who knows where he is going cannot be misled. We are focused and will continue to redouble our efforts in the health sector.
“You talked about sustainability. That is very important to us, and so, we are looking at the principal law, which is the Primary Healthcare Development Board Law. We are looking at some areas of that law to bind the hands of whoever that comes after us.
“That is to ensure that even if the administration after us will not have the motivation and passion to provide leadership for primary healthcare like the present governor is doing, the law will compel them to do so.”
The UNICEF Country Representative was accompanied on the visit by the Chief of Field Service, Judith Leville, UNICEF Health Consultant, Dr. Makio Perekeme, the Chief Field Officer, Anselm Audu and a health specialist, Eghe Abe, among others.
Mutfwang Pledges Support for Minister of Defence in Fight against Insecurity
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), assuring him of his total and unwavering support in the collective effort to defeat insecurity in Plateau State and across Nigeria.
The Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, Gyang Bere on Thursday disclosed that the Governor has expressed delight over Gen.
Musa’s appointment, describing it as a “strategic and timely decision” in confronting the country’s intricate and evolving security challenges.Mutfwang noted that the Minister’s vast experience and proven professionalism would significantly strengthen ongoing national security interventions.
“We must now focus on finding solutions to the challenges confronting us. Whatever has happened in the past should not deter us. The time has come for all of us to join hands and holistically address our security concerns,” Mutfwang emphasized.
The Governor reiterated his support for the establishment of State Police, acknowledging concerns about possible abuses, but stressing that the nation must collectively develop safeguards and ensure operational efficiency.
Gen. Christopher Musa expressed gratitude for the Governor’s visit, assuring him of a robust and productive collaboration in addressing security concerns in Plateau State and the country at large.
He commended Governor Mutfwang for hosting the Plateau Unity Christmas Carols and Praise Festival, describing it as a unifying initiative.
COAS Urges NMS Students to Uphold Discipline, Excellence, Promises Better Learning Environment
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged students of the Nigerian...
Gov Adeleke Didn’t Join APC Because Osun People Already Hated the Party – Jackson Ojo
Share…Says Defectors to Ruling Party Will Regret By Mike Odiakose, Abuja A former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC),...
COAS Charges 3,439 New Army Recruits on Loyalty, Discipline
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu (NAM), has charged 3,439 newly trained...
CBN Revamps Agric Guarantee Scheme, Targets Smallholder Farmers
Share The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched a major overhaul of the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF),...
Okonjo-Iweala, Others Urge Youths to Drive Reforms, Strengthen Civic Action
ShareNational leaders have challenged youths to lead Nigeria’s renewal, warning that meaningful change now depends on young citizens organizing, demanding...
Eight Students Die, Three Injure in Jos Road Crash
ShareFrom Jude Dangwam, Jos The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Ishaya Tanko has confirmed the sad death...
ShareUNICEF Hails Bayelsa as Champion of Primary Healthcare Devt in Nigeria From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa The United Nations Children’s Fund...
EFCC Seeks Stronger Alliance with CSOs, Media in Anti-corruption Fight
ShareThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called for deeper collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the media...
ShareMutfwang Pledges Support for Minister of Defence in Fight against Insecurity From Jude Dangwam, Jos Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang,...
FRSC Deploys New Sector Commander to Benue
ShareThe Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Thursday, announced the deployment of Corps Commander (CC) Kehinde Dahunsi as new commander...