The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has declared Monday, December 31, as a public holiday in the state, to enable residents to offer a special prayer for the repose of the soul of former President, Shehu Shagari.
This was contained in a statement by Tambuwal’s Director General, Media, and Public Affairs, Malam Abubakar Shekara, and issued to newsmen on Saturday in Sokoto.
The Governor said that the declaration followed consultation with the Sultanate Council.
“The state government, therefore, requests Imams across Sokoto and the general public to dedicate the day for special prayers for the repose of the soul of the former President and for peace and progress of the nation at large.
“The government also directs all flags at public and private premises be flown at half-mast in honor of the late former President, Shehu Shagari,” the statement read.
The Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu, has resigned his position.
Aliyu, who is the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2019 election, reportedly submitted his resignation letter to the state House of Assembly on Tuesday over alleged threats of impeachment.
His resignation may not be unrelated to the defection of Governor Aminu Tambuwal from APC to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“I, therefore, wish to extend my sincere appreciation to Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Assembly members and the entire people of Sokoto State for the support accorded me during my service.”
Aliyu, 48, and a former Commissioner for Health in the state may be battling for the governorship seat with Tambuwal.
However, Tambuwal’s name was not on the list of governorship candidates released by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as he contested but lost at the PDP presidential primary.
Two hundred and fifty-two Special Advisers and Special Assistants appointed under Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s administration have resigned their positions.
The affected aides said their resignations were informed by the recent decision of the Sokoto State Governor to dump the All Progressives Congress, the party which they are bona fide members of in the state.
They stated that their resolve to remain in APC will not allow them to function in their respective positions under Tambuwal’s government.
Addressing journalists on Sunday in Sokoto, the spokesman of the SAs, Hon. Dasuki Haske, also said their decisions were hinged on their loyalty to the party.
“We deem it fit to state categorically that we are not ready to join Governor Tambuwal in his new party. That was what informed our decision. We will remain in APC and there is no going back.
“We are members of APC before taking up our appointments as SAs and it was based on the membership values that we were given such positions. Now, we have resigned because the governor has not performed well since inception to justify our support for him.
“We want to assure that we will work for the success of APC in the state come 2019 general election. We will work for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and our state party leader, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko,” Haske said.
Another speaker, Abdullahi Ahmad Sokoto, said all the ex-aides will work for the success of APC in the state.
He added that the party remained the one to beat in any election.
Also speaking, a former Special Assistant, Hajia Rabi Tudunwada, alleged that she and other aides of the governor were called and compelled to swear with Holy Qur’an to secure their promise to defect from APC before they could be paid their August salary.
Hajia Tudunwada disclosed that some of them had refused to be part of the oath, which informed their decision to resign from their respective positions.
She posited that both PDP and Governor Tambuwal will be rejected in the forthcoming general elections by the electorate.
Responding, the state APC chairman, Hon. Isah Achida, thanked the affected Special Advisers and Assistants for their loyalty to the party.
He also promised them rewards for their
“steadfastness and commitment to the party.”
“We thank you for being loyal to the party and we are assuring you of equal treatment as loyal party members.
“We have taken cognizance of your loyalty and commitment,” Achida stated.
But Governor Tambuwal media aide, described their resignation as “a reaction and an after thought.”
Reacting to the mass resignation of Special Advisers and Special Assistants of his principal, Abubakar Shekara, the Director-General, Media and Publicity to Governor Tambuwal, disclosed to COLOSSUS GISTS that their positions were of no effect to the administration of Sokoto State.
Shekara said,
“Their resignation was a reaction to their sacking, conveyed to them earlier in the day, which made them to rush to the press.
“They had earlier stormed the cabinet office, demanding for their August salary, which was being sorted out.
“Their appointment was terminated to enable them to get involved in partisan politics without ethical or moral dilemma.”
Source
The PUNCH
The Sokoto State Command of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has discovered some bakeries using prohibited Potassium Bromide and Saccharine substances in Sokoto metropolis.
The State Coordinator, Malam Hamis Yahaya, told Newsmen on Wednesday in Sokoto that equipment and substances were confiscated while the outfits were shut by the agency’s officials.
Yahaya said following the development, the state command summoned emergency meeting with members of Bakers Association in Sokoto State on Tuesday and issued guidelines and prohibitions while other general matters on food consumption compliance were discussed.
He reiterated that the agency would continue to pursue its mandates of safeguarding people’s health through routine surveillance, inspections and awareness campaigns and urged people to always patronise finished consumables with NAFDAC registration.
“We ensure routine inspections on sachet water, bakeries and other consumables factories as well as raiding markets and points of selling finished products while conducting analysis of the products,’’ Yahaya said.
The coordinator said the agency shared cordial working synergy with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Security Service (DSS), Police, Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and others through enforcement and information sharing.
According to him, NAFDAC partnered with traditional and religious institutions as well as educational institutions in conducting educational awareness campaigns on dangers of fake drugs, adulterated foods and other regulations on consumables. He solicited for increased media partnership in executing the agency’s mandates, to safeguard people’s health and urged members of the public to assist the agency with useful information, to achieve the desired results.
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) said the ban on Shiite processions by the Sokoto state government is discriminatory and illegal.
President of IMN media forum, Ibrahim Musa in a statement yesterday said the statement credited to Sokoto state Commissioner of Justice that ‘There are ongoing activities of Shiite members in the state, that could cause public disorder’ is totally unsubstantiated as the last three processions of the movement was devoid of such.
He said the movement is aware of attempts by the security agencies to carry out false flag attacks in the name of IMN, adding that, “This will not make us shy away from our responsibility of exposing their vile attempts.
“We will like to reiterate to the general public of our commitment to peaceful assembly and protests not only in Sokoto but the nation in general. “We therefore call on the Sokoto state government to rescind its decision to split the blood of innocent people during our peaceful processions.
It shouldn’t tarnish the image of Sokoto state that has been adjudged to be most peaceful since the inception of Tambuwal’s administration.”
Soon, insecticide treated mosquito nets will be a must have for men planning to get married in Sokoto State. The item will be made a compulsory part of bride price for potential husbands before they are allowed to take the bride.
A yet-to-be ratified law in Sokoto State is aimed at making the process legal. The law will also mandate the couple to undergo testing for sickle cell gene and enroll for a state community contributory health scheme to reduce the cost of medical treatment, Daily Trust reported.
Commissioner for Health in the state, Balarabe Kakale said the measures were meant to reduce the menace of the diseases in Sokoto. The commissioner revealed further that the law will make it compulsory for the potential bride and groom to undergo HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B test before they are legally joined together.
The state health ministry is to sponsor a private bill before Sokoto legislature. A seminar to unify the position of the law, Islam, and culture on premarital testing will precede the law.
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