Abdulhamid Al-Gazali

Journalist / editor @YerwaExpress /@Yerwaexpresskan and a #ScienceCommunicator @AfricanSciLit

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

Manga emerges winner of Yobe Spelling Bee, wins N1m, other prizes https://t.co/abWYZv3cM0

[Wole Soyinka Centre @WSoyinkaCentre]

Did you miss the #WSCIJConversation titled 'Food inflation in Nigeria: Is the media reporting the issues?'

Click https://t.co/J5JnxvZrTV to listen.

@Genderstrategy @AdeolaFayehun @africamediafdn @YEN_Editorials @wfm917 @thecableng @TheICIR @NAMIP_MDIF @daily_trust @CJIDAfrica

[Abdulhamid Al-Gazali @algazali04]

The 2024 @WSoyinkaCentre Media Lecture Series to celebrate the 90th birthday of Prof Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in literature, holds on 13 July.
🕒 10:00am WAT
📍Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos
Visit https://t.co/3bePCyn7tF for more information.#WSCLecture

[Abdulhamid Al-Gazali @algazali04]

@EngrBababe @DanBorno @masuzafi @bundi58 https://t.co/NPj5b4MOdW

[Abdulhamid Al-Gazali @algazali04]

@Fandabe Sorry. Media mischief

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

Social media, @ProfZulum and teachers salary: A defense by @algazali04

Social media has picked Gov. Zulum this past two days to run his course of scrutiny and cancel campaign. He is receiving snooks over payment of salaries to primary school teachers. In Nigeria, public figures, especially politicians, have to learn to live with the social media and how netizens use it to catch fun, by growing a thick skin and not allowing it to distract them from what is before them.

Truly, when one looks at everything happening in the country, it would seem that the only 'dividends' Nigerians derive, forcefully even, from the compromise called Nigeria is how her people catch cruise on these platforms over all sorts of issues. I mean things are truly hard—foodstuff, petrol, electricity… everyone needs an outlet to put out the rage inside of him or her.

A few screenshots of salaries reportedly paid to primary school teachers have been circulating in these platforms, with users using it to take the governor to task. To some, it was an unraveling story of the governor’s real form. Some said he is just a creation of media propaganda and his media team, and that he is, beyond that, nothing more than the average Nigerian politician. There is nothing not yet said, and I think some of these castigations are unfair.

First of all, I sympathize with these workers who are paid this meager salary. It is unbelievable that in this difficult times, people depend on salaries as little as N6, 000. The only relieving thing is that many of our local populaces across here and elsewhere hardly rely on one source of income, as they either farm, rear animals or trade. Otherwise, nobody can survive on this.For instance, one of them said he is doing a PhD but is paid N15, 000. This is an interesting case because how did he sponsor his master's degree and now PhD with that 'chicken change'? He is definitely not solely reliant on N15, 000 a month, and must have been doing other things to support himself. With all due respect, it is foolish of him, if he still continues to work with this salary, because if I were him, I will look for another job. So, my relief is that they have other sources. It is only sad that in Borno, this is not also entirely obtainable given the level of Boko Haram’s destruction of the rural economy and livelihood--farming, livestock and trade is very difficult.

But a teacher is supposed to be paid well not relative to anything other than to uphold the prestige of the teaching profession and to incentivize him or her to invest in building the needed manpower for the future. So when one looks at all these things, it is highly indefensible and even insensitive to the plight of these teachers to rationalize this matter; but I think blames should be fairly and appropriately apportioned.

Primary schools are primarily under local government control and not the state. As such, the welfare of primary school teachers is the business of local government councils. We are all aware of the structural problem Nigeria is facing as a result of the crisis in the local government system. It has almost collapsed, thanks to decades of neglect and arm-twisting by state governments. This manifests today in various forms, but particularly in the high level of insecurity, low economic productivity and decline in internal revenues across the country. Most local governments lack the capacity to identify, manage and/or prevent local socio-economic and political crises; as such allow it to fester until they grow out of proportion and spread into our cities. It is the tier of government that we hardly scrutinize but it is interestingly the bane of most of our problems.

Read more: https://t.co/nTT2wsy9jh

[Abdulhamid Al-Gazali @algazali04]

@AS_MUAZU I love that

[Abdulhamid Al-Gazali @algazali04]

Mun fa cigaba da karatun mu na Tarihin Borno. Please watch, share and subscribe

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

Karatu na 005 a cikin Tarihin Borno

Cigaban vidiyo: https://t.co/9BvMdxqSxd

[Abdulhamid Al-Gazali @algazali04]

RT @YerwaExpress: Some of the inspirational quotes of Mr. @Tonyoelumelu at the NBA Conference

There is no one in this distinguished gathe…

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

Rescued #Chibok girl wants to be reunited with man she married in Sambisa

After about ten years of captivity, Mary Nkeki got her freedom from Boko Haram captivity. She was one of the Chibok #School Girls kidnapped by #Boko Haram in 2014.

But despite what she must have gone through while in their custody, Nkeki now wants to be reunited with her husband, who she married at #Sambisa Forest.

Her first husband was killed in a #military operation at a time she could not remember now. She had two kids with him, who are now also dead.

Following that, she married Adam, her present husband.

During the difficult times at the forest, she said Adam assisted her, as far as to the point of saving her life.

There was no enough food. No access to basic healthcare. There was just nothing to have a decent living. Adam, supposedly one of her captives, was the only one offering to support and care about her condition.

Even though she was forced to marry him, she said seeing his kindness, it was not too hard for her to accept to spend the rest of her life with him.

However, marrying him was not the end of her suffering.

Increasing military raids and factional crisis made life difficult in Sambisa, this time including her husband. Supplies were not forthcoming; there is constant fear of #airstrikes and military bombardments.

This forced them to flee and surrender to troops of 81 Task Force Battalion in #Dikwa Local Government Area, joining over a hundred thousand who left before them.

She was taken separately with her husband, who would have to undergo profiling before his hand-over to the government for de-radicalization or other necessary actions.

But her primary concern now is to be allowed to stay with her husband.

'I am still married, and I want to be reunited with my husband,' she said.

'He was a Boko Haram member before but he ‘repented’ now and we escaped together through Dikwa before the military rescued us.

'We were separated at Dikwa town after I told the military I am a Chibok school girl. I was airlifted by the military #helicopter from the town to Maiduguri; that was how I lost contact with my husband,' she added.

Mary also said she is not interested in school again.

Her reason?

‘I am afraid, I may be abducted again,’ the visibly traumatized lady said.

'I have forgotten everything I learned from school because we were held in captivity for nine years, and I don't want to go back to school because I'm afraid of being abducted again.'

Mary Nkeki was presented to the press on Monday by Major General Gold Chibuzi, the theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai.

She is the sixteenth recently rescued by the #troops.

[HumAngle_ @HumAngle_]

Fuel Price Crisis: Is Inflation Killing The Roadside Restaurant, And Millions Of Women’s Jobs?

https://t.co/K2MmICeGnP

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

BREAKING: North East Operation Hadin Kai has rescued another Chibok School girl Mary Enkeki from Sambisa Forest, the total number of the recently rescued girls is 17.

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

'I escaped with my husband in the night, we told the terrorists that we are travelling and we decided to escape in the night, we reached Dikwa before Nigerian Army rescued us,' says Mary Enkeki, Chibok school girl rescued August 14 and presented today by troops.

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

BREAKING: Operation Hadin Kai has rescued another Chibok School girl named Mary Enkeki from Sambisa Forest. The total number of the recently rescued girls is now 17.

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

ALL illegal properties will go down - Wike’s welcome statement

The newly sworn in Minister of FCT has vowed to bring down all illegal structures.

He made this known few hours after his inauguration by President Bola Tinubu.

The former Rivers governor said all buildings that negate the FCT’s master plan should await a certain demolition.

All those people who are distorting the master plan of Abuja, too bad! If you know you’ve built where you’re not supposed to build, it will go down.

“Be you a minister or ambassador, if you know you have developed where you are not supposed to develop, your house must go down.

“Those who have taken over the green areas to build, sorry, our parks must come park. The green areas must come back. If you hate green, you hate yourself.


“Those who have taken over the parks and green areas as where you now do restaurants, we would not accept that. It will go down.

“And all those people who are doing land racketeering, that period is over. And those that the government have allocated lands to them and they refused to develop, the land is gone.

“I’m going to revoke them because I don’t understand how land that you may have paid for N200,000, you now begin to find who will buy it for N2 billion. Who does that?

“We will take back our land and give to those who want to develop. And you must sign that you must develop at a certain time.”

[Abdulhamid Al-Gazali @algazali04]

😉

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

Kiss on lips by Spanish FA chief a sexual assault, fans go wild

Spanish football federation chief, Luis Rubiales has drawn heavy criticism in his home country for kissing footballer Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth after the World Cup final in Sydney.

Spain’s women beat England 1-0 to lift their first World Cup but the scenes before the trophy presentation left many in Spain uneasy, including government ministers.

“It is a form of sexual assault that we women suffer every day and that has been invisible until now and we must not normalise it

“Consent is key. Only a yes is a yes,” Spain’s Equality Minister Irene Montero wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Minister of Social Rights, Ione Belarra also wrote about the incident on X.
“We are all thinking: if they do this in front of the whole of Spain, what will they not do in private? Sexual violence against women must end,” she remarked.

Rubiales hugged all of Spain’s players but the 45-year-old also kissed Hermoso on the mouth after embracing her and kissing her on the cheek.



“I didn’t like it,” the 33-year-old said.
Spain’s World Cup triumph came in spite of a huge row between the squad and coach Jorge Vilda over his methods.

“Some players boycotted the squad before the tournament in protest but Rubiales stuck by his coach.
Rubiales also defended himself over the kiss, telling Radio Marca, “The kiss with Jenni? There are idiots everywhere. When two people share an unimportant gesture of mutual affection, you can’t pay attention to the crap that’s being said.”

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

#Borno govt gives general update ob #security, palliatives, development

The Government of Borno State has said it has, so far, received over 100, 000 Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters, farmers, women and children in the state in a general update it issued to the public.

This was achieved under the government's disarmament, demobilization, deradicalisation, rehabilitation, reconciliation and reintegration programme to provide a 'root and branch' approach to ending the Boko Haram #insurgency.

Prof. Usman Tar, the newly appointed commissioner of information and internal security, disclosed this in a statement Friday morning.

He said out of the over 100, 000, over 50% are women and children, about 42% are captive farmers and less than 8% are conscripted fighters and commanders.

Prof. Tar explained that, under the programme, the government has reintegrated 6,900 minors and low risk individuals to their communities in six batches.

He also gave update on the resettlement of internally displaced persons, distribution of palliatives, internal security and development in the state.

IDPs & refugees resettlement

While speaking on the resettlement of internally displaced persons, IDPs and refugees by the government, he said scores of them have been resettled.

'So far, #IDPs/refugees have been successfully settled in their towns and villages in parts of northern and central Borno.

'Resettlement of #IDPs to remote locations is being implemented in the longer term, subject to reconstruction of houses and improvement of security on the ground,' the commissioner said.

Distribution of palliatives

Prof. Tar also said the government has since last week started distribution of food items as palliatives to cushion the hardship people are going through following the removal of fuel subsidy months ago by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to him, the palliatives were distributed across the population in rural, peri-urban and urban settlements.

'With the additional support of N5 billion by the Federal Government, the government is ramping up additional distribution to alleviate the suffering of the citizens,' the commissioner said.

Security

In its effort to reduce the criminal and gangsterism activities in the state, a few weeks ago, the state government had launched a hunt on 'Marlian thugs' a group of young people who are fuelling the activities of criminalism in the state, Prof. Tar explained.

In so doing, he explained that many people were arrested and the criminal activities in the state have subsided significantly.

'In Maiduguri, the "Marlian thugs" are being curtailed through concerted surveillance, apprehension and prosecution of suspects.

'A synergy between the theater command, law enforcement agencies, communities and civil volunteers (Civilian JTF) has decimated the threats of youth bulge, associated violence and criminality,' he explained.

Rural development and sustainable livelihood

'With the advancement of the rainy season, rural agriculture is thriving. Citizens are empowered to engage in sustainable livelihood in the agricultural value chain, cottage industry and small businesses.

'The aim is to restore communal pride, and self-sufficiency in rural livelihood,' the commissioner added.

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

What delegation of @ecowas_cedeao said after meeting Niger military leader, Abdourahmane Tchiani as well as @mohamedbazoum

[Abdulhamid Al-Gazali @algazali04]

Thanks!

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

@yunusabz - YUNUSA BUNU
@M_I_ELBILDAD - MUHAMMAD ISA EL-BILDAD
@algazali04 - ABDULHAMID AL-GAZALI
SAEED ABUBAKAR

Terrific Work!!!

👏👏👏

[Abdulhamid Al-Gazali @algazali04]

Uhum, for what reason, if I may ask?

Is not too late, if things got out of hand, restore a part of the subsidy, say 40 or 50 % as other countries ve done. Even now, subsidy must have been paid some way since petrol is averagely 1.3 USD in global market.

[Yerwa Express News @YerwaExpress]

SUBSIDY REMOVAL:
NEC sets up AD-HOC committee to liaise with labour union leadership

Urges State Governments to upscale distribution of palliatives

Mourns military personnel killed in Niger State

In a bid to create a forum for dialogue towards resolving issues surrounding the petrol subsidy removal across the States, the National Economic Council (NEC) has constituted an Ad-hoc Committee to engage with the leadership of labour unions.

The decision was reached at the 135th meeting of NEC chaired by the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima in Abuja on Thursday.

The committee comprises the Nigerian Governors Forum Chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Governor of Anambra State,Chukwuma Soludo; Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; PDP Governors Forum Chairman, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.

Vice President said the committee will liaise with the leadership of labour unions in the country to find a way forward on the emerging issues in the interest of the nation.

Council also received progress reports on the ongoing nationwide distribution of rice, grains, fertilizer, other items to States and N5 billion financial support, provided by the Federal Government and commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their interventions.

Council then noted various interventions by State governments and urged them to upscale the distribution of palliatives towards alleviating the suffering of citizens especially the vulnerable groups.

NEC also mourned the death of some military personnel in Niger State and observed a minute silence in honour of deceased, while commiserating with their families.

 Below are other highlights of the meeting:

Excess Crude Account from 19th July to 14th August, 2023, $473,754.57

Stabilisation Account from 18th July to 14th August, N30,346,557,405.12

Natural Resources Account from 18th July to 14th August 2023, N115,175,616,159.65

PRESENTATION OF PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF FLOOD DISASTER ACROSS THE STATES IN NIGERIA BY GOVERNOR OF KOGI STATE  

The Governor at the 128th NEC Meeting held on 20th October, 2022, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum and Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, drew attention of Council to the devastating effect of the 2022 flooding which affected about 31 States of the Federation that had resulted in the loss of over 600 lives, displacement of millions of people, destruction of hundreds of thousands of houses and submersion of thousands of hectares of farmlands and appealed for urgent intervention from the Federal Government to address the impact of the menace on the people and infrastructure.

Consequently, Council resolved to setup a 5-man Ad-hoc Committee on flooding comprising of Governors of Jigawa, Kogi, Anambra, Bayelsa, Lagos and Yobe State. The following were also coopted into the Committee:

Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning

Honourable Minister of Water Resources

Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development

Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management

Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria

Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

The Terms of Reference of the Committee was to “Review the current flooding situation in the country and design a template for compensation of victims”.

The Committee had its inaugural meeting on Thursday 10th November 2022 at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat. Highlight of the Meeting were as follows:

The Committee acknowledged the urgency of the assignment and hence the need to expedite action in order to table a draft report at the next NEC Meeting.