NEWS
#EndSARS Protest: Kwara Releases N180.775m to 48 Businesses
From Alfred Babs, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has presented cheques for grants to 48 business operators whose shops were looted during the October #EndSARS protest in Ilorin, the state capital.
A statement signed by Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the governor said that the total grants awarded to the business owners stood at N180, 775,000 in line with the recommendations of the committee.
The government had in November engaged an independent insurance adjuster and empanelled an 11-person committee, including civic groups and representative of the business owners, to fact-check claims submitted by 342 businesses who filled an online form to benefit from a N500m SME Recovery Fund establish to support the victims.
It said that of the 342 firms who registered, only 64 turned up for verification out of whom the committee established 48 for compensation while 8 injured vigilantes manning the looted Cargo Terminal were also captured for some support.
The Governor presented cheques to all the affected businesses on Wednesday in the Ilorin, with the highest beneficiary getting a grant of N17m, the middle earner getting N15m, and the lowest getting N100,000 as recommended by the adjuster and the committee.
The governor said, “We really sympathise with you and we regret that such a thing ever happened to businesses.
We do not have the capacity to give you everything you have lost but this is our token of support to encourage you not to give up,” AbdulRazaq remarked just before handing them their cheques.
He said the government is always willing to help businesses to grow as part of its efforts to build an economy outside of the civil service that is currently the biggest labour demographics in the state.
“The trouble emanating from #EndSARS incident has come to pass but it left a lot of victims behind and you are some of the victims.
It is not your fault that your businesses were damaged but as an entrepreneur, we believe in what you are doing,” he said.
“We want to turn Kwara from being civil service state to be an enterprising state and entrepreneur like you must be encouraged.
We want more people to do what you are doing and if we give you the confidence to stay and rebuild your businesses in Kwara, more people would be encouraged. You are pathfinders, you are setting pace and showing the ways to others who want to achieve in life.
“Government cannot provide all the jobs but it should be providing the right atmosphere for ease of doing business. That is why we feel very strongly about encouraging you to achieve what you need to do. So, those of you that have started repositioning yourselves, we wish you well and thank you.”
Deputy Governor and Chairman State SME Recovery Fund, Kayode Alabi, who was represented by the Acting General Manager, Kwara State Social Investment Programme, Mohammed Brimah, said the occasion was in fulfilment of the government’s pledge to support affected business operators.
“Let me congratulate Your Excellency and the entire citizens of Kwara State for this laudable feat by taking the bold step to reduce the suffering of the affected shop owners occasioned by #EndSARS protest.
This is in line with avowed commitment of the present administration to create enabling environment and eliminate all forms of constraints especially the SMEs in the state,” he said.
NEWS
Police Warn Against Violence During Ramadan Cultural Show
The Police in Kano State on Monday warned youths against perpetrating violence at the Ramadan, particularly during the “Tashe” cultural activities.
The cultural show usually starts during the middle of the holy month and ends few hours before the commencement of the Sallah.
The event is an Hausa cultural show staged during the Ramadan period when people, especially young men and women, dramatise certain cultural norms in form of comedy.
The Commissioner of Police, Usaini Gumel, gave the warning during an interactive session with traditional rulers, community leaders, religious authorities and influential youth leaders in the state, held at the Police Officers Mess, Miller Road, Bompai, Kano.
The session was part of the command’s efforts to ensure a peaceful “Tashe” during the current Ramadan fast.
Gumel assured that proactive security measures had been taken on the build-up to the event.
He said that Area Commanders of the Metro, Central, and Dala as well as SPOs Jakara, Kwalli, Gwale, Nassarawa, Dala, Mandawari in Kano metropolis had briefed him on “the unhealthy practice by some miscreants.
He said such misreants usually took advantage of the show to derail from the practice and promote insecurity.
He warned those planning to perpetrate such act to desist, as adequate security measures had been deployed at the identified locations, and that stringent strategies would be employed to checkmate the situation.
“We have also reached out to traditional rulers in the affected LGAs in the metropolis to preach peace among the youth participating in the show, to desist from any act capable of bringing confusion before, during and after the Ramadan period.
“We have also taken concrete security measures to deal with any person or group of people that take advantage of promoting Tashe cultural show to breach any security during the Ramadan days.
“Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) are also directed to identify and reach out to prominent people/youths that organise Tashe and to beam the necessary searchlight against any form of violence in the state,”Gumel said.
Furthermore, he said the command had increased surveillance and patrols in some identified areas where youths tended to exploit the show to promote nefarious activities.
He said the command’s intelligence units had also increased vigilance for collecting and putting into action relevant information to pre-empt likely emerging security threats.
“These proactive approaches are to allow the command to adequately and swiftly respond to early warning signs of potential breach of security and maintain peace and order.
The commissioner said the command was confident of surmounting the challenges posed by those category of youths that might exploit the show to unleash violence during the fasting period.
“Ultimately, our goal is to create a secure and harmonious atmosphere for all residents of Kano State.” (NAN)
NEWS
Voice, Data Services Affected by Undersea Cable Cuts Restored – NCC
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says the voice and data services affected by the cable cuts have been restored.
NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Reuben Muoka, stated this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.
Muoka said that services were restored, following its disruption on March 14, which affected data and voice services due to cuts in undersea fibre optics on the coasts of Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal.
“We are pleased to announce that services have now been restored to approximately 90 per cent of their peak utilisation capacities,” he said.
Muoka said that all the operators who were impacted by the cuts had taken recovery capacity from submarine cables which were not impacted by the cuts.
According to him, mobile network operators (MNOs) have assured the commission that data and voice services will operate optimally, pending full repairs of the undersea cables.
He said that the MNOs had managed to activate alternative connectivities to bring the situation back to normalcy.
“We extend our appreciation to telecom consumers for their patience and understanding during the downtime caused by the undersea fibre,” he said. (NAN)
NEWS
Borno: Non-Academic Staff Union Seeks Public Understanding Over Strike Action
The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) branch of Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) has appealed for public understanding over its decision to embark on strike action.
The appeal was made by the branch Chairman, Mr Musa Liman, who spoke to Newsmen on the impact of the strike action in UNIMAID.
Liman said the action, which was nationwide, was in compliance with its national body’s directives to protest the alleged unfair treatment of the union members by the Federal Government.
The Chairman, who said the action was also to save public universities from collapse, noted that the level of compliance in UNIMAID was impressive.
“I want to thank our members for the almost 100 per cent compliance and to urge them to remain calm, peaceful and wait for further directives.
“If you observe, places like senate building, bursary, works department, exams and records, fire service, and many other places in the university are closed for the seven day strike,” Liman said.
He explained that it was only the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) of the university that said it would be joining the strike action on Wednesday. (NAN)