The Death Toll of New Nigerian Newspaper Retirees waiting for payment of their benefits from Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) has reached 110 on Sunday with the death of Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo Yola, who was the first son of late Alhaji Mai Borno ex Central Bank Governor of Nigeria.

A statement on NSGF Beneficiaries Whatsapp platform by his bossom friend Magaji lsa Hunkuyi said he died in the early hours of today Sunday 6th April, 2025 at Federal Medical Centre Yola, after a brief illness.

“Inna lillahi wainna alaihun rajihun Aliyu Modibbo Yola died at early hours of today Sunday at Federal Medical Centre Yola. May the Almighty Allah forgive his sins and grant him Jannatul Firdausi Amin” Hunkuyi prayed.

“He was in the NNN desk and was later transferred to Yola, Adamawa state his home town as state Editor NNN after the death of his Father Alhaji Aliyu Mai Borno a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN who’s his photo is in N1000 note.
The last time we spoken on telephone, about four days ago, he prayed that “may Allah help us to collect our benefits from Northern Governors with our hands” He added.

Recounting his relationship with late Aliyu Modibbo, in the early 1980s when he was working at the Newsroom of the NNN in Kaduna, while he Magaji Isa Hunkuyi was reporting for National Concord and later transferred to Yola in 1992 as chief correspondent of the National Concord where they met and maintained a more close relationship the relationship continued even after l was posted to Taraba State as a principal reporter by the New Nigerian Newspaper.

He said he and late Aliyu had spoken for the last time few days ago before his phone was switched off.
According to him, he tried Aliyu’s line luckily the line was on but a strange voice answered the call.
“Where is the owner of the phone? but the person who answered the call calmly said the owner of the is my father and he died at about 4am today Sunday.
May the Almighty Allah forgive his sins and grant him Jannatul Firdausi Amin.” Hunkuyi said

Last week Saturday, the death of Ado Umar at Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital Tudun Wada Kaduna brought the total number of beneficiaries awaiting payment from Northern Governors to 109.

Reports say that the number of beneficiaries in dear need of medical attention is 35.

Northern States Governors Forum under Governor Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State raked in 7 billion naira after selling New Nigerian Newspaper properties in the name of paying NNN beneficiaries but until now no penny has been paid out of the 2.5 Billion naira owed the retirees.

Meanwhile recent interactions of New Nigerian Newspaper Elders Forum with the Northern States’ Governors Secretariat suggests that efforts may have been underway to pay the retirees however no specific time frame was stipulated

President Bola Tinubu will visit some of the area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to identify with rural dwellers as part of activities to celebrate his second year in office.

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike stated this after he inspected some ongoing projects in Kwali, Gwagwalada and Bwari Area Councils in Abuja on Saturday.

Wike said that Tinubu would visit some of the area councils to inaugurate some of the completed projects across the FCT.

“Mr President will not only inaugurate projects in the city. He will also visit at least one or two area councils so that the people will be happy that, yes, he identified with them.

“We are going to work that out.

We can assure you that at least, he will go to Gwagwalada, Kwali,  and Bwari. We are going to make sure that Mr President comes to identify with his people,” he said.

The minister explained that the ongoing projects in satellite towns were in line with Tinubu’s directive that development should be extended beyond the city centre to rural areas and satellite towns.

“Today we have gone around to three satellite towns in three area councils.

“One is Gwagwalada where we are constructing the Market Road, the Aguma Palace Road and the Radio House Road, which will all be inaugurated by the grace of God, to celebrate Tinubu’s second anniversary.

“We went to A2 to Pai, a 15 kilometre road in Kwali Area Council. You can see how beautiful the road is.

“They have done about 13 kilometers of asphalt wearing course. The project will also be completed and handed over to us for Mr President’s second year in office,” Wike said.

The minister also inspected ongoing  road projects in Bwari, with a dual carriageway in Ushafa, extending to War College and the community among others.

He expressed optimism that the road projects would be completed and handed over in May for inauguration.

Speaking about the quality of the projects, Wike said: “We are happy. Look at A2 to Pai Road; look at the one in Gwagwalada and Ushafa; these are quality jobs done by quality contractors.

“So, we are happy that we are keeping to standard and that is what is important, not just giving out infrastructure, give out quality infrastructure that will make the people happy.

“I am confident that these projects will turn the economy of these areas around,” the minister said. (NAN)

The Federal Government on Saturday announced an emergency situation at the Eko Bridge, Lagos,  that almost warranted a closure.

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, made the announcement during an inspection tour of the bridge.

“We had a very terrible situation at Eko Bridge with one of the pier caps totally damaged, and again, I was only told last night.

According to the minister, a dredger hit the pier cap and destroyed the pier and many rods.

“Pier caps are to bridges what the legs are to human beings.

“What is holding that section are only rods. Some of the roads were damaged also.

“I immediately directed divers to be deployed,” he said.

He said that he also got into a smaller boat and went under the water to know the level of damage below the water.

According to the minister, a whole pier was totally removed by the accident.

“I was going to announce shutting down of the bridge but I have looked at it and there is something we can do, though  very delicate, to restore it.

“There will be no need of shutting down but it is an emergency situation,” he said.

He said that he had directed the contractor handling the bridge repair on what to do.

The minister, who also inspected the Third Mainland Bridge, expressed satisfaction at the progress of work there.

“We have inspected the Third Mainland Bridge, and Carter Bridge, both being handled by Julius Berger, and we are satisfied with the work.

“I can say that the work on Third Mainland Bridge is about 50 per cent completed, and that of Carter Bridge, about 70 per cent completed.”

He said that the slab on the Third Mainland Bridge had deflection compelling its closure against articulated vehicles.

Umahi said that Julius Berger insisted that there was a new design to tackle that and would want designers from the Federal Ministry of Works to go with its team to Germany to look at the new design.

“We will nominate four people who will go to Germany and look at the new design method and then, we will approve,” he added.

Earlier, Mr Ghassan Kaadi, the Project Coordinator for Build Well, the contractor handling the Eko Bridge rehabilitation project, said that the project was 75 per cent completed.

“All the asphalt has been done. All the bearing has been changed.

“We are changing, right now, the remaining of the expansion joint.

“We have 1,000 meters of expansion joint. We are at 700 right now.

“The solar light, is almost 90 per cent done,” he said.

He added that 2,500 metres of the 6,000 concrete handrail had been done.

Mr Thomas Christ, Regional Manager, West, Julius Berger Plc., the contractor handing Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge repairs, said that the company was aware of how critical the bridges were in connecting motorists and commuters from Lagos Island to Lagos Mainland.

“ That is why we are working here with  the best engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works.

“We did some investigations under water and above the water on the quality and the structural integrity of the bridges.”

He said that Julius Berger was working with engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works to find out the best solution to the bridges.

He said that the company was intensifying efforts to finish the works as fast as possible and make the bridges sustainable. (NAN)