Cubinks NEWS

Pupils in a class without facilities A seasoned governance and human development expert, Dr Otive Igbuzor has identified lack of monitoring, accountability and transparency in the system, as the major factors militating against the progress of the nation's waning education sector and called for a holistic and well-thought-out approach to reverse the trend. Igbuzor who made this known at a one-day parley with Correspondents and Media Executives in Kaduna Nigeria, spoke extensively on the root causes of corruption, the need for probity in the education sector, budget analysis as well as education as key to human development. The one-day sensitization program put together by Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LANW/LEADS) alongside Mac Arthur Foundation, harped on 'enhancing reportage on Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) projects in the state as well as Public Procurement Process in the sector' to strengthen accountability and transparency in the...

  Bala John Takaya (2nd Left) at a function recently By Nasiru Jagaba Again, with rude shock, death has come upon us in the early hours of Sunday, 27th May, 2018. It is with deepest regret that the Middle Belt Youth Wing of Middle Belt Forum mourns the death of our President, Father, Mentor, and a tireless advocate of equity, fairness and justice, Dr Bala John Takaya, the President of Middle Belt Forum has silently closed the door of life and departed from us, never to return.  68 years old Takaya, an unparalleled University Senior Lecturer, a distinct politician who served as the  Secretary to State Government of the old Gongola State, a member of the 1987 Political Bureau. On the fight to restore democratic system of governance, he worked hand in hand with Chief Solomon Lar. Also, in 1999 he was the governorship candidate of the All People’s Party, APP later ANPP.  He is much esteemed in the community of Middle Belt and generally recognized as on...

Senator Shehu Sani at plenary  By EDDY OCHIGBO N igeria is a nation being micromanaged consistently by people who believe governance and leadership is their exclusive right. It is quite mind blowing to be privy to Nigeria's hard won democracy; hard won because the military had clung to power and didn't want to let go.  A good number of players survived the clampdown, some lost their lives, loved ones and in some cases everything. In a nation whose only history lessons is rarely improved and the knowledge of its state as a federal republic shrouded; many may have to declare by themselves the role they played to remain relevant and stamp their names on sand of time. I am eternally grateful to the participation of young people towards the growth of the Nigerian nation. At the wake of the return to democracy the very best did not make it in, it was rather people who were part of the khakicracy that had access to the most ‘opportunities’ to preside over affairs of ...

By Yusuf Goje                                                              A legislature expert, Ambassador Chibuzo Okererke, has called for the immediate amendment of the National Assembly Commission Act, Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, and States Pension laws which empower former governors and their deputies presently serving as senators and ministers to earn double salary under the guise of pension. Chibuzo who made this call in Kaduna penultimate week, at a civil society/media roundtable organized by Centre-LSD, stressed that "some provisions of these laws are a problem to Nigeria and should be amended forthwith". "It is a conspiracy by the political elite against the people", Chibuzo said, revealing that available records show that about 40 billion naira has been spent on double salaries for the officia...

el-Rufai: Voting at his polling unit  BY NASIRU JAGABA  F irst of all, let me start by congratulating the Citizens of Kaduna State, for violence free election in the local government polls. The peaceful conduct of the citizens in Kaduna despite the happenings that had shown clearly the desperation of persons in the corridor of power to manipulate, overturn the result refused to give in to the chaos but rather responded with all sense of maturity and confidence in the sanctity of the ballot. Had Kaduna responded in similar desperation as shown by the institutional riggers, perhaps curfew would have been slammed in several areas which would have created the perfect cover for the malpractices to happen. The hate speeches and incitement from the top government officials in Kaduna state government did not end on the platforms for the campaigns alone but went further to reflect in the exercise that held. There are several accounts going round about thugs accompanyin...

Yams harvested for market By YUSUF GOJE T he Technical Assistant to the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on Quality Control and Standardization, Mrs Heather R. Akanni, has adjudged Nigerian yams to be of high quality, debunking claims by some section of the media that the first exported products of yam were rejected due to poor quality. She stated that: “Nigerian yams were not rejected because of quality, but due to the long period it took to arrive its destination, some of the products got spoiled along the way. Unfortunately, some of the media outfits only chose to harp on a baseless standpoint that they were rejected". She disclosed that, "the law banning yam export is being reviewed and presently at the second reading stage in the National Assembly”. In ensuring that our yams continue to meet the international standards, she said, clustering of farmers to ensure that only approved certified yam seeds were made available to them is...

Voters in Jema'a follow results to collation Centre at Kafanchan By Dangwa Danjuma   T wenty-four hours after closure of balloting in the Saturday May 12, polls in the state, Returning Officers in some of the LG areas are no where to be found. Cubinks investigations reveal  that election results for all the 255 wards of all the Local Government  areas would  have been collated before now, were it not for the absence of the runaway  Returning Officers. "The returning officers have left election officials, party agents with tensed voters stranded at polling units; and are nowhere to be found. In Jema’a, 5 wards namely Aso, Atukun, Badeh, Takau and Maigizo have turned in their results to the Local Government collation Centre and could not find the Local Government returning officer to receive the result",  fumed one of  the frustrated voters. Our Correspondent gathered  that the situation is not different in Birnin Gwar...