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Gov. Uba Sani Pledges Free Education for All Children

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The Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to providing free basic and secondary education for every child in the state.

Sani made the pledge during the unveiling and maiden scholarship awards ceremony of the SKAID Foundation in Kaduna yesterday.

Governor Sani emphasised that education is the cornerstone of human capital development, stating that “When we invest in the education of our young people, we are laying the foundation for a prosperous future.”

“Our administration is committed to ensuring that every child in Kaduna State enjoys free basic and secondary education, guaranteeing twelve years of uninterrupted and quality education.

” No child in Kaduna State will be left behind, regardless of economic status or circumstances of birth,” the governor said.

Speaking on SKAID Foundation scholarship, Sani praised the initiative as a crucial tool for fostering a generation of educated, skilled, and empowered citizens.

He noted that such efforts would support the state’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in education.

The governor encouraged scholarship recipients to seize the opportunity, emphasising that the initiative would not only uplift individuals but also strengthen communities.

“Your commitment to human capital development and community-driven progress will undoubtedly contribute to the lasting transformation of Southern Kaduna and the entire state,” he added.

In his welcome remarks,Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai (rtd), Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the SKAID Foundation, echoed the governor’s sentiments.

Bobai reiterated the foundation’s belief that every child, irrespective of their background, deserves access to quality education.

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“Your success not only paves the way for your own future but also serves as a beacon of light for others facing similar challenges,” Bobai told the scholarship recipients.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Ishaya Bamaiyi Musa-Dawai, a 200-level student from the Faculty of Law at ABU Zaria, commended the SKAID Foundation.

He noted that the foundation is paving a path of excellence, which must be revered and supported due to the hope and solid foundation it is establishing.

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Umahi denies owing N200m during governorship campaign

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The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, on Thursday denied owing a businesswoman, Mrs Tracynither Ohiri, N200 million for promotional materials she supplied during his 2014 governorship campaign.

Umahi denied the allegation while fielding questions from journalists during his tour of the Independence Bridge in Lagos.

He said: “When I left office and then became a minister, she was going about saying that I owe her N200 million in 2014.

“The entire election in 2014 for me to be a governor did not cost me up to N100 million; so, how would campaign material be N200 million?”

He challenged Ohiri to provide evidence of any contract, proof of funds withdrawn, and bank statements to support her claim.

“Where is the contract paper? Where did you draw the money from? Can you publish your account where you withdrew the money?

” At least, you would have used up N150 million. Can you publish it.

” I think that woman is sponsored. I saw what she did to three other governors.

“I had thought it was a mental case, so I didn’t bother but I think some people that have been castigating me that we destroyed their property, staging protests, have bought into the matter.

“That is why I am going to legally teach whoever is the sponsor some lessons,” he added.

The minister said that he had instructed his lawyers to initiate legal proceedings against Ohiri, seeking damages.

On alleged sexual harassment, Umahi said that no such thing happened.

Umahi expressed concern over the potential implications of an such an allegation.

He said that some unserious ones were beginning to think that accusing men of sexual harassment would be the way to go.

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The minister advised women to rise up against the trend, which he described as unfortunate.

“We will use this one to teach a lesson.”(NAN)

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Coalition Accuses Gov Lawal Of Betraying Minimum Wage Agreement

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A coalition of civil society organisations under the umbrella of Zamfara Patriotic Citizens has strongly criticised Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal for allegedly failing to honour the tripartite agreement on the implementation of the minimum wage.

The group has described his actions as a betrayal of the oath of office and the constitution he swore to uphold.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its chairman, Arc Aliyu Umar Gusau, the group accused Governor Lawal of disregarding the consensus reached by the tripartite committee, which had set the minimum salary for Grade Level 1/1 at 86,600 naira after deductions, with the highest salary for Grade Level 16/1 fixed at 312,560 naira.

However, according to the group, civil servants were instead paid significantly lower amounts, with some senior officers receiving as little as 115,000 naira.

The organisation called on organised labour unions to shut down the state until the issue is addressed, stressing that the governor’s actions undermine the welfare of Zamfara’s workforce.

It also noted that previous administrations, including that of former Governor Bello Matawalle, had implemented salary adjustments transparently, ensuring that workers benefited from proper salary tables and circulars.

“This is not the first time salaries have been increased in the state, and there are established salary structures that should guide such payments,” the statement read.

“However, Governor Lawal has chosen to ignore these guidelines, leading to discrepancies in payments. Some civil servants in Grade Level 07 received 71,500 naira, while those in Grade Level 13/4 were paid only 78,650 naira—far below the agreed rates.”

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The group further alleged that the governor had deliberately deceived labour leaders and senior officials by allowing discussions on salary adjustments only to later approve what it called a “mischievous consequential adjustment.”

Aliyu alleged that Dauda instructing a select group of officials to add only 3,000 to 5,000 naira to senior civil servants’ salaries, branding it a “clear manifestation of ingratitude and lack of administrative knowledge.”

The statement warned that salaries and wages are protected by constitutional provisions, and any violation could warrant legislative action.

It called on the Zamfara State House of Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Lawal for what it described as a “serious crime against the state.”

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INEC Not Partisan In Failed Recall Of Natasha – Spokesperson

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has denied being partisan in handling the failed recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Rotimi Oyekanmi, who was on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, explained how the Commission handled the process.

“In the case of the Kogi Central District, we received a petition and a cover letter and of course what Nigerians were saying was that we were taking sides,” Oyekanmi said on the programme.

“But what happened was that in the covering letter, the representatives of the petitioners did not include their address as required in our regulations and guidelines and what we just did was to ask them to supply their address, it has nothing to do with the petition.

“And of course, there is nowhere in the law where INEC is asked to reject a petition just because the cover letter did not contain the address. So, there was no hanky-panky in what we did.”

Earlier on Thursday, INEC rejected the petition to recall Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, saying that it has not met the requirements.

The electoral commission said the petition to recall Senator Natasha did not meet constitutional requirements.

Senator Natasha was suspended for breaching Senate rules, prompting some of her constituents to initiate her recall. They claimed the move was to ensure their constituency did not lack representation following the suspension of the 45-year-old senator.

Asked whether there could be a repeat of the recall process, the INEC spokesperson said the law did not specify if the process could be repeated and how many times.

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“The law just talks about the threshold, the threshold meaning that if you want to recall, you must have, in addition to your petition, 50 per cent plus one signatures. The law did not specify how many times you can undertake that,” he said.

The lawmaker has made headlines in recent months after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, a claim the Akwa Ibom lawmaker has equally denied.

She was thereafter suspended by the Red Chamber for violation of its rule of conduct.

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