NEWS
Kukah Warns Against ‘anti-Fulani’ Campaign

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has warned against blanket demonisation of herdsmen, especially of the Fulani stock, warning that such actions could be preamble to a breakout of violent confrontation.
The bishop said hate speech often precedes any genocide experienced in history.
Speaking yesterday at a colloquium on fake news and hate speech organised by the Olusegun Obasanjo Centre for African Studies, an arm of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), he said Nigerians “have to be very careful” before the situation degenerates beyond control.
He likened the uproar and profiling of the Fulani to what happened to the Igbo leading up to the Nigerian civil war between 1967 and 1970.
“If it is Fulani today, yesterday it was the Igbos,” he said.
Reacting to the recent controversy on the use of picture of a herdsman on the Nigerian passport booklet, Kukah said he was almost swayed by the fake news, before he got a copy of the passport himself.
The cleric displayed his passport to illustrate the content and debunk the insinuations that it carried only a picture of a herdsman.
“When I look at my passport, it has the coat of arm and map of Nigeria. Then right in front of the data page where all my information is, I have the Bini. I am not a Bini man, but I am eminently proud of this. I didn’t even know it was here, because I had to go through the passport page by page.
“When I opened the passport the first thing I saw was Zuma Rock, then I see Tiv dancers. Who gave them permission to put Tiv dancers? Then I got to next page, before I came to this poor Fulani man who is standing with his cows. Suddenly, this is the only thing we have chosen.
“Why is it exciting? It is exciting because this is the time for us to ‘hate’, literally tag every Fulani as a herdsman. We are on a very dangerous precipice,” he said.
Kukah said it was time for those in the position of leadership to tame the situation.
“Those who lead us should better stand up and tell us where we are going,” he said.
In his opening remarks, NOUN’s vice chancellor, Abdalla Adamu, said liberalisation of the media space by technology provided opportunity for easy spread of fake news and hate speech.
He lamented increase in hate speech in the polity which, he said, will not augur well for the society.
“What we see are labels over crimes. The moment you start talking about labels, you are breeding hate speech,” Adamu said.
In her contribution, former journalist and politician, Chris Anyanwu, also bemoaned “too much of this hate and bile stuff” warning that it could consume the country if not properly tackled.
“We have to be careful not to use our own hands to set our own house on fire and someone will sit there in Russia laughing,” she said.
NEWS
NLC, TUC commend Gov. Sani for inclusion, assures of fair palliative distribution

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have commended Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna state for his pro-people policies and determination to ensure fair distribution of palliatives to the people of the state.
The Chairman of NLC, Kaduna state chapter, Ayuba Suleman, and his TUC counterpart, Abdullahi Alhassan Danfulani, who led other labour and trade union representatives, made the commendations during the flag off of Palliative Distribution in Dankande, Igabi local government area (LGA).
The event was organized to commence the first phase of the Kaduna state government palliative distribution of 50kg bags of rice to 210,000 vulnerable households across the 23 LGAs of Kaduna state.
Speaking at the event, the NLC Chairman appreciated the Sani administration for its commitment and inclusion of key stakeholders in the formulation of the Kaduna State Government Palliative Distribution Committee, describing it as an evidence of open governance system.
“We have all witnessed today that the palliatives are very much available. We have been with the KDSG Palliative Committee from the beginning.
“The recommendations we made regarding the modalities for distribution of the palliative have been adopted by the Kaduna State Government with our involvement, consent and understanding.
“We lauded Gov. Sani’s government for inclusion as key stakeholders such as Labour Groups, People Living With Disabilities, market women, JNI and CAN are all members of the Palliative Distribution Committee and even at the Local Government Distribution level, these critical stakeholders are also involved,” he said.
He pledged that the palliatives will get to the most vulnerable.
On his part, the TUC Chairman, Abdullahi Alhassan Danfulani, also applauded the governor for including all groups in the decision-making process, stating that Gov. Sani has workers and vulnerable groups at the forefront of key policies and programmes.
“We appreciate the governor for his commitment, because since the beginning of his administration, “he has carried us along, we have worked together closely.
“We also appreciate the Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, who is also the Chair of the Committee, for her diligence in carrying out the tedious work of making sure that logistics are in place for a successful rollout.
“On our part, we will make sure that our team members follow every distribution truck till they get to their targeted destinations,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, Gov. Sani said this is the first phase of the three-phase palliatives distribution plan, where 50kg bags of rice will be distributed to identified households.
The Governor added that the Police and the Department of State Service (DSS) are leading security arrangements to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of the palliatives.
He also called on the people of the State to give their maximum support and cooperation to the Palliatives Distribution Committee to ensure a hitch-free exercise.
NEWS
Military budget: CDS seeks minister’s support

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, on Tuesday solicited the support of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning in ensuring adequate budgetary allocation to the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
The Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, said in a statement that the CDS made the request when he paid a courtesy call on the minister, Sen.
Abubakar Bagudu, in Abuja.Musa said the request was aimed at aiding the military in the discharge of its constitutional mandates unhindered, as well as the completion of ongoing projects.
He also call on the minister to assist the armed forces to address the accommodation deficit in military barracks and bases by making allocation for that purpose in the budget.
The CDS assured the minister of the military’s commitment to rid the country of criminals and make Nigeria and Nigerians safer.
In his response, the minister appreciated and commended the armed forces for their pivotal role in stabilising the situations in different parts of the country bedeviled by insecurity in spite of some constraints.
Bagudu assured the CDS of the ministry’s readiness to support the armed forces, adding that the budget cycle must consider critical security challenges.
He also expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s ability to surmount all the security challenges bedeviling the country.
NEWS
Commission trains 150 Nomadic Youth, Women on Skills Acquisition

The National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) has trained 150 nomadic youths and women across Anambra, Delta, Katsina, Osun, Yobe and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on livestock production, hair dressing and fashion designing.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof.
Bashir Usman, made this known during a three-day capacity training which began on Tuesday in Kaduna.The Secretary, represented by the Director, Extension Education and Skills Development, NCNE, Dr.
Abdu Umar Ardo, explained that the training will play a vital role in addressing food security and youth restiveness in the country.According to him, empowering youths and women is the means through which they are assisted to succeed in life .
He said the gesture will also give them the opportunity to develop the ability they need to become role models who can influence their communities and earn a living for socio-economic and sustainable livelihoods development.
“Youths and women empowerment is of importance to both the nation and the
empowered. With youths and women empowerment, the future prosperity of the country is secured because these are the people that are future entrepreneurs of any nation.
“When they are empowered, through need based skills, the society becomes a good place for all to live,” he said.
“They will assist in the economic activities of the society where they find themselves and in turn, both families and the entire nation benefit.
“The commission’s initiative of empowering youths and women through Vocational Education and Value Orientation can go a long way in reducing poverty percentage of many rural societies, restiveness, social vices such as cattle rustling, kidnapping, raping, rural banditry, piracy and incessant conflicts leading to wanton destruction of lives and properties.
“Empowerment with skills and acquisition training is basically to ensure poverty eradication, good education standard, job creation, good governance, security/crime reduction, national growth, technological development and employment, wealth creation and self-reliance.”
He therefore urged the participants to be more determined in ensuring that 3.5 million out-of-school nomadic children are enrolled in schools.
He further urged the Kaduna State Government and other States in the Country to provide adequate teachers and infrastructure for Nomadic Primary Schools as well as include the training of Nomadic Youths in their programmes.