The Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board today Monday said it would begin registration of intending pilgrims for 2019 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in all the 23 local government areas of the state on Wednesday, November 21.
The Overseer of the Board, Hussaini Tsoho–Ikara, made the disclosure on at a press conference in Kaduna.
The board overseer called on prospective pilgrims to present themselves physically, during the exercise because no registration would be by proxy.
He also warned that intending female pilgrims would only be registered when they come along with male guardians (Mahram), in line with Saudi Arabian government’s regulations.
He also warned the committees set up for the registration, to adhere strictly to the registration guidelines.
The overseer called on all intending pilgrims to pick their guarantors before being registered, in order to avoid pilgrims absconding in the Holy Land.
He added that the guarantor must either be a Jumuat Mosque Imam, a District Head or a Civil Servant, not below Grade Level 12.
According to the guidelines, new pilgrims will be given priority during the registration exercise.
He warned that pregnant women and old people with nobody to accompany them will not be registered.
He said old-timers, who had performed the hajj in the last four years, must pay additional 2,000 Saudi Riyals or its equivalent.
“This must be paid before being registered, in line with Saudi Arabia authority’s new guidelines,” he said.
Intending pilgrims are to pay a minimum N800,000 and maximum of N1.5 million as deposits in a designated bank account.
NAN
The Senate President Bukola Saraki has said Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is suffering from diarrhea of the mouth.
Punch reports that this was in response to El-Rufai’s critical comments of the Senate President.
The Kaduna State Governor had alleged that some of the names of defectors announced by Saraki at the plenary on Tuesday had not given their notice of defection.
He had said Nigeria has never had a bad Senate leadership like the one led by Saraki.
We have never had a bad Senate leadership like this one by Bukola Saraki. Some people whose names were mentioned among those who defected said they never authorized it.
We know those who cannot win elections in their homes. Many of them found themselves in the National Assembly by riding on the back of Buhari.
Some of them won the elections because of the presidential and parliamentary elections held on the same day.
Saraki, speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said:
El-Rufai is a known careless talker. He is a man suffering from diarrhoea of the mouth. You (one of our correspondents) report the National Assembly on a daily basis. Is it possible for the name of a senator to be announced as having defected without him or her signing the letter communicating same to the Senate President?
We challenge el-Rufai to mention the name of any senator whose name was announced without his or her consent. He (el-Rufai) is a divisive element, an expert hero worshipper and noisemaker.
He worshipped (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo once the way he is now worshipping (President Muhammadu) Buhari, and now he is on the forefront of abusing the former President. It will soon be the turn of Buhari to be rubbished by el-Rufai. He did the same to ex-Vice President Atiku (Abubakar).
At least one student died while other 55 other students of Government Girls Secondary School, Kawo, in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State were hospitalized at General Hospital, Kawo, over cholera outbreak the hit their school.
Confirming the development to newsmen during his assessment of the situation to the school, on Monday, Commissioner for Education in the state, Jafaru Sani said, the situation had been put under control.
According to him, 55 students of the school were admitted at the general hospital, 15 already discharged while 40 others were still on admission.
He said,
“The situation is under control. When we heard about the report, I called the commissioner for health and human service who immediately ordered the authority of Kaduna North local government to deploy health workers to the school immediately.
“The ministry of health has also made provision for a make shift control centre within the school in case of any other case for the diagnosis if the need arises”, he also added
Earlier, Officials of the Red Cross Nigeria, who were at the school in collaboration with other emergency organisations to put the situation under control, said 42 students affected were having diarrhea and vomiting as a result of unhygienic environment.
The officials of state’s Ministry of Health and Principal of the school, who were on ground, however, declined to comment on the issue.
But, Deputy Director, Disease Control Centre, Ibrahim Suleiman, told Daily Sun that he could only confirm 39 who have been evacuated from their hostels to the hospital.
According to Suleiman,
“We have 39 cases on admission due to diarrhea and vomit. We are yet to confirm the real cause but there are a lot of contamination around the water source the students are using which may be a serious contributory factor.
“Apart from these 39 students on admission, we are also investigating another 89 cases apart from diarrhea and vomiting.”
A parent, simply identified as Ibrahim, confirmed to Daily Sun that the well, which is the only water source for the students, was littered with excreta because the overhead tank in the school was not working thereby making it difficult for the students to use the toilet facility in the school.
“My daughter was affected. The school hygiene was too poor. There is excreta around the well where these children are getting water from”, he added.
This is coming even as the state government was trying to revamp educational sector of the state with concentration on boarding schools across the state aiming at providing qualitative education for Kaduna children.
President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, backed the Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-rufai over the latter’s plan to sack over 21,780 teachers who recently failed the competency test conducted by the state government.
Buhari and El-Rufai Buhari made the backing while speaking at the State House in Abuja during a special retreat of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on the challenges facing the Education sector in Nigeria themed: “Education in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects”.
According to Buhari, the future of the Nigerian students would be at stake if teachers fail the very examinations which they are supposed to set for the students. “Being an orphan, I still feel that boarding school moulded me. I spent nine year in boarding school, three in primary school and six in secondary school. “In those days, teachers treat students like their own children.
If you did well, they will tell you, you didn’t, they wouldn’t spare the rod. “When I finished my secondary school, I didn’t work for a day, I refused to work for a day. I left home, I refused to work in the local government, and then I joined the army. “And then I listened to one of the Nigerians I respect, he said after his training here in Nigeria and the United States, he went to his alma mater, his primary school to see what he could contribute.
I won’t mention his name but when he went, he couldn’t differentiate between the students, the children and the teachers. “And what el-Rufai is trying to do now is exactly what that man told me about 10 years ago. It is a very serious situation when teachers cannot pass the examination that they are supposed to teach the children. It is a very tragic situation we are in, and this our gathering is one of the most important ones in this administration.”
The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has disclosed that his ambition to seek reelection as governor in 2019 has the anointing of President Muhammadu Buhari.
El-Rufai made the disclosure while speaking in a radio interview in Kaduna.
He noted that with the endorsement of the President, he would definitely seek re-election.
The governor stressed that he got Buhari’s blessing shortly before he briefed him on his intention recently.
He, however, stated that those interested to contest can come out as the “constitution of our party allowed for primaries to elect a standard-bearer.”
According to El-Rufai, he is ready to face anybody in a free contest in order to emerge as the party’s flag bearer.
El-Rufai said, ”It was after I have finished briefing him that he (President) gave me the nod to seek re-election together with my deputy.
”It equally allows for a consensus candidate if the majority of the party members agreed on a consensus candidate.”
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has reassured Igbos living in the state of their safety.
The governor’s reassurance is coming just three days to the October 1 deadline which a coalition of Arewa Youths gave the Igbos living in the North to vacate the region in the interest of peace.
Although the Arewa youths have withdrawn the ultimatum, the state government says it is not leaving anything to chance in ensuring the safety of all residents irrespective of their tribe or religion.
Governor El-Rufai, who briefed journalists on Thursday through his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, assured the Igbos that adequate security arrangement has been put in place to ensure their safety.
He also said a State High Court had already issued a warrant for the arrest of members of the Arewa youths who signed the quit order to bring them to justice.
Kaduna, like some states in the country, has suffered several conflicts over the years which have claimed many lives property, especially in the southern part of the state.
The state government is, however, asking all residents to go about their lawful business, reiterating its resolve to put a stop to the crises.
The government asked the people to uphold and respect their neighbors and report any suspicious activity or person to security agencies.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai led administration has declared the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, as illegal. The government also said that it will not pay for days lecturers of the state owned university did not work.
El-Rufai’s spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement lamented the ongoing action, noting that there was no dispute between the government and the striking lecturers.
“The Kaduna State Government is in receipt of communication from the Kaduna State University, KASU branch of ASUU, confirming that the branch has joined the nationwide strike because they are full members of the national union”, he said.
“This is unacceptable to the state government. It is an anomaly that employees can be on strike without declaring a dispute with their employer.
“It bears restating that Nigeria is a federation of states, and no trade union can alter this federal reality by imposing on an employer state government the terms that federal employees have agreed with the Federal Government.
“The Kaduna State Government is not affected, or bound by any dispute, disagreement or agreement ASUU may have with the Federal Government. As a sub-national entity, the Kaduna State Government is separate from the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Constitution of Nigeria clearly attests to this.
“It is the considered view of the Kaduna State Government that the KASU branch of ASUU has embarked on an unlawful strike. Therefore, the Kaduna State Government is not liable for salaries and allowances for the period of the unlawful strike.
“The government shall proceed to initiate the necessary disciplinary steps in accordance with Kaduna State Public Service Rules with respect to the individual acts of commission or omission of those that choose to join or persist in an unlawful strike”, the statement added.
Chocolate City boss, Audu Maikori has sued Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for gross violation of his human rights. In a suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/385/17) filed by his lawyers, Ballason’s Chambers at the Federal High Court, Abuja, Maikori is seeking damages to the tune of N10billion.
According to details of the suit, which came up for hearing before the trial judge, Hon. Justice John Tsoho on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, Maikori is praying the court to enforce his fundamental rights against undue harassment and intimidation by the Kaduna State government, the State Governor and the Nigeria Police.
Recall that Maikori was arrested by the Nigeria Police on charges of incitement, based on a petition by the Kaduna State Government.
He was eventually released on bail and cleared of any complicity by the Police Force Headquarters.
He was, however, re-arrested and whisked to Kaduna, after Governor El-Rufai publicly vowed to prosecute him during the Social Media Week 2017.
Maikori was detained for four days, before he was charged to a Kaduna State Magistrate Court.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
