Author Archives: MOONLIGHT NEWS

BY COMRADE MUSA MOHAMMED

musamohdeen@gmail.com, moonlightnews15@gmail.com

+2348038895334

In a federation like Nigeria, development and growth of the country does not only depends on the leadership of the president who is at the center. State governors are also key in ensuring growth and development. In my view, leadership at the state level is even more important than that of the central government because Nigeria is a heterogeneous nation with different tribes and culture.

Over the years, all the states in Nigeria have been ruled by different people. Since Nigeria got her independence in 1960 and started practicing federalism, the achievements and accomplishments of some of our governors has been documented in different journals, books and even magazines.Governor Malam Nasiru Ahmed Elrufai Executive Governor of Kaduna State is an example of an accountable and responsible governor.

Nasiru Elrufai is one of the governors that contributed greatly to the development of education in Kaduna state.

It’s in record that Governor Nasiru Elrufai gave free public primary and secondary education.

Governor Nasiru Elrufai may not be the best governor kaduna State has ever had, but I must confess that he is one of the most performing amongst all the state governors in Nigeria currently despite with the security challenges across the state, but he’s been able to put in place necessary administration and results oriented programmes.

He is not like other governors that talks too much and not put their words into execution.There are other wonderful things not mentioned here. He may not be perfect but he is one of the best the kaduna State has had.
In leadership, Malam Nasiru Elrufai has been doing well.

In fact, i think he is one of the best governors Kaduna state has ever had since the state was created.If you want to mention governors in Nigeria that talk and do exactly what they say, Governor Elrufai is one of them. He is one of leaders that actually had a plan for his people before taking up the power to lead.

Governor Nasiru Elrufai has really achieved a lot as the governor of Kaduna state. This is apparently true as almost all the people of the state are in support of this leadership.
This does not, however, dispute the fact the he has also made mistakes as governor at some points.

He is indeed, one of the best governors.I strongly believe he is going to do more great things in Kaduna State before the end of his tenure with the kind of spirit he has.

The governor did well for the education sector by laying a solid foundation for the educational development of the state.

Elrufai knows and appreciates the value of education in the socio-economic development of the society.

He therefore not only identified education sector as a top priority of his administration as second to security, but also made education the centre-piece of his administration’s policies and programmes; hence his decision to invest massively in the sector in order to make kaduna work again and expand the horizon of good governance and accountable leadership in the state anchored on agenda.

With this commitment Gov. Nasiru Elrufai swung into action to fulfil his promises to the people. In his steadwardship amidst limited resources, intimidating debt profile and battered economy that depended solely on federal allocations and poor internally-generated revenue, Elrufai succeeded in changing the face of education in Kaduna with so many successes recorded.

So, governor Nasiru Elrufai deserve to be commended for introducing visitation panel to higher institutions in the state, rehabilitations of schools, classrooms, constructions of more schools across the state, offering of automatic employment to the best graduating students in all tertiary institutions in the state, career elongation for teachers among others.
His administration approved promotion of teachers, reward some teachers in order to encourage others and train teachers on how to be in tune with what is in vogue across the world

Residents of Taraba State on Thursday described the national honour conferred on Governor Darius Ishaku, as Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) as an encouragement for a failed Nigeria.

Residents who spoke to journalists in Jalingo, the state capital challenged that the governor after seven years in office, he only succeeded in marrying out his four children.

Hon. Sani Ayuba, Obadiah Agbu, and Garba Mahmud Garba both said the national award confer on the governor was a mistake that is capable of encouraging underdevelopment that may lead to a failed Nation.

They appealed to President Muhammedu Buhari to withdraw the honour from Governor Darius Ishaku.

“Governor Ishaku does not merit the national honour award, he is the least performing governor in Nigeria, and his achievements within the last seven years was getting married for his children.

“Taraba has never been this bad until 2015 to this moment where almost every working institution that was bringing revenue to the government is dead.

“The governor doesn’t even stay in the state to know the plight of the people, he comes into the state only for two functions which are, to get the state House of Assembly’s nod to borrow and to take charge of the federal government monthly subvention to the state.

“Taraba state debt profile had risen to over N200b as against N56b before 2015. We don’t know what the governor has done with all the money he borrowed. The 191kms of ruler road projects embarked on by the governor since 2015 are still yet to be completed and some of the roads are not even up to 30 percent completed.

“The only completed project of the governor in the state is the Green House which has already gone moribund since 2020 with 200 staff of the project automatically disengaged.

“The state water project that the governor has been bragging of is a word Bank assisted program. We wish to appeal to President Buhari to withdraw the honour on governor Ishaku for the interest of good governance in Nigeria” They justified.

Responding to the citizen’s call against the governor, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Bala Dan Abu said that those challenging the national honour of Governor Darius Ishaku were ungrateful citizens.

Dan Abu, however, explained that the infrastructure revolution of the governor in the state earned him the position in President Buhari’s search for developmental-minded Nigerians for the award.

we have decided to back Sen. Uba Sani because this is a man with an interest in human investment. 

Comrade Musa Mohammed has described the All Progressive Congress (APC) governatorial candidate, Senator Uba Sani, as the best among other candidates vying to succeed the governor of Kaduna state, Malam Nasiru Elrufai, in 2023.
The kaduna political analyst and media Publisher, Comrade Musa Mohammed, stated this during an interaction with some APC members in Kaduna on Wednesday ahead of the 2023 general election, according to a statement made available to newsmen. 
Musa stressed that Uba Sani was more competent than other frontline governatorial candidates, adding that the issues we are facing the state were beyond “social media noise”.
He said, “what we need is a governor that understands how a sane system works. A governor that knows his onions- What to create, what to correct, what to eradicate and then the result. What we have so far including Isa Ashiru Kudan, Hunkuyi are candidates who just make noise on social media.
“The solution and the true solution to having a working system that would benefit all is no one else but Uba Sani.”

Comrade Musa assured Sen. Uba sani that the people with registered PVC are ready to work and vote for him based on his credible track record and ability to perform excellently well in his legislatative capacity.

“We have seen what you have done in your legislatative capacity and in all sectors as well. These are the reasons why we have chosen to back you to become kaduna state governor come 2023.
“We have our own future to look out for and we see that you are capable of protecting our future and charting a new course for our dear state, particularly in the education sector which we believe if properly addressed, all other issues can be fixed.
“Again, we have decided to back Sen. Uba Sani because this is a man with an interest in human investment. His primary goal is to see everyone doing fine in a sane system where businesses are thriving and an average or low-class person can start up a business and it will blossom. This is me blowing his trumpet that he is capable of making our economy the best in Nigeria.”
He also urged the people regardless of their religion or tribe to support Uba Sani who he described as young, strong and willing to serve kaduna state heartedly.

“We will continue to mobilise the youths to participate in the coming poll and leave social media”.
“Let me guarantee you that ours is not a campaign of religion or tribe and as such, we are head hunting for the best to join Sen. Uba Sani in rebuilding kaduna state and it is a task only the youth can do” he noted. 

Group under umbrella of Pan Nigeria Professionals (PNP) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for coffering the Honours of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) on the Mallam Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company and now the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).

President Muhammadu Buhari today presented national honours to 447 Nigerians and friends of the country at the International Conference Centre in Abuja .

The group which described the honour as “well deserved” said it is timely and apt considering the manner Kyari has deployed administrative prowess to reform NNPC Ltd .

The Pan Nigerian Professionals,who stated this is a Statement signed by its Chairman , Dr. Yusuf Ahmadu Danbatta, said the honour will no doubt encourage the NNPC Ltd boss who , “In few years into his stewardship made significant increase to the national crude oil reserves to achieve the 40,000 billion barrel target through focus and commitment” to do more .

The GMD’s efforts to revive refineries and decision to collaborate with relevant security agencies to clamp saboteurs are part of reasons he has achieved great feat in turning around fortunes of NNPC Ltd .

In the statement, the group however said it singled out Mele Kyari for commendation because ; “For the first time in the history of NNPC, the company made and declared profit,which Kyari achieved through the area of financial transparency via the audited financial statements of the NNPC LTD, with the Company recording its first ever profit in its 44 years history.

” The decision to make public the Corporation’s Monthly Financial & Operations Reports (MFOR) in line with his TAPE vision was part of reasons NNPC LTD was placed as the only national oil company that publishes its financial and operations reports monthly globally.

“We decided to also identify with Kyari on this occasion for making frantic efforts to tackle the problem scarcity via importation of huge quantity of petrol that bridged the supply gap created with normalcy returning and incessant scarcity disappeared.

The Statement further reads : “His efforts to fight oil theft has yielded results as disclosed during the Senate’s joint committees on Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream) and Gas, that “within six weeks, 395 illegal refineries have been deactivated, 274 reservoirs destroyed, 1,561 metal tanks destroyed, 49 trucks seized and a 4-kilometres illegal oil connection line from Forcados Terminal into the sea – which had been in operation undetected for nine years – detected.

” As group professionals in Nigeria we are happy that it was under his leadership that he Petroleum Industry Act provides for the transitioning of the NNPC into a fully commercial entity, a Limited Liability Company incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), known as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd.

“Against all odds ,he was able to champion reforms in the upstream sector, sustaining oil output, boosting its subsidiary, implementing the National Gas Expansion project, AKK pipeline project, NLNG Train 7 FID, facilitating power projects, efficient crude oil lifting contract and ultimately instilling transparency in the corporation with introduction of Transparency Accountability and Performance Excellence(TAPE) in the Industry.

The group equally commended the President for recognizing Nigerians who have worked hard to put the country back on the lane of progress and development .

By Janet Francis, Jalingo

In Taraba State, aggrieved members of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), have denounced the primary election that produced Latifu Kolawale Abiola as the party’s Presidential flag bearer for the 2023 election.

The protesters in large numbers who staged the street in Jalingo, the state capital, protested against the primary election that was held on the 5th of June 2022 and demanded that the NWC should as a matter of urgency return the party’s presidential ticket to Patience Ndidi.

The state Secretary of the party and leader of the protest, Mr. Samuel Emmanuel said that the exercise was a complete fraud, adding that imposition of candidate and godfatherism is not the PRP ideology.

According to him, the exercise suffered from substantial non-compliance with the Constitution of the party, the Electoral Act 2022, and the party’s guidelines for the conduct of the
primaries.

The protesters were sighted carrying placards with different inscriptions, disowning Latifu Kolawale Abiola as the party’s Presidential candidate, chanting “Patience Key is our rightful choice.”

They further described the declaration of Abiola by the NEC as the winner of the primary as a fabrication, a deliberate act to misguide the delegates and undermine the integrity of the process in his favor.

“It is such an undemocratic act perpetuated by the leadership of the party at the national level that has continued to give the supporters of Madam Patience Ndidi Key a cause for concern.

“PRP is our party, and we will stick to it and make sure that Nigeria becomes great by the intervention of our party, but we must first put our house in order and show true democracy.

“Therefore, this is our prayer that the leadership of the party should give back the mandate of Patience Ndidi to her and immediately withdraw the nomination filed in favor of Kola Abiola.

“We described the presidential primary on 5th June 2022 that brought in Latifu Kolawale Abiola as illegal, it was not an election as it did not follow the guidelines of the party or the electoral law, this is because of the unlawful interference of the NEC.

They also called on the members of NEC to please return their mandate which is Patience Ndidi as the party’s presidential candidate for the forthcoming election.

They, however, appealed to the National Working Committee of the to intervene in the matter to forestall an impending crisis.

HON. BELLO ELRUFAIA Trustworthy and Incorruptible.

BY COMRADE MUSA MOHAMMED SHABA WARD 1, KADUNA NORTH musamohdeen@gmail.com, moonlightnews15@gmail.com+2348038895334

I want to go on record as calling on the people of Kaduna North Federal Constituency to support Hon. Bello Elrufai as member federal house of representatives come 2023.

 Bello Elrufai is the most capable candidate to represent kaduna north federal constituency.

He is honest, reliable, and willing to serve the citizens of Kaduna North Federal Constituency heartedly.

I believe Bello Elrufai, is the person best qualified to be the next  legislative member to present his constituency comes 2023.Beyond a doubt, he is the most qualified person to run for the house of representative position.In all he does, BELLO ELRUFAI exemplifies honesty, fairness, and thoughtfulness.

He will use those qualities to rebuild and transforms kaduna north federal constituency.

Kaduna North Federal constituency needs BELLO ELRUFAI, and he needs you. Vote for him as the member house of representative in the forth coming elections 2023.

The people of Kaduna North should choose Bello Elrufai as candidate to go for the house of representative.

He acquired a great deal of experience dealing with grassroot politicians, local, and state and at National level which make him gained respect from the public as well as the law makers and government officials.

Many people admired for his selfless services to humanity.

“He acquired respect and admiration for his generosity, intelligence, and dedication to a good cause.
With proud enthusiasm, people of KADUNA NORTH should support BELLO ELRUFAI as member House of Representative come 2023.

BELLO ELRUFAI well-known commitment to serve the less privileged heartedly will promote an atmosphere of openness in the area of public service. 
If you want to see honest people in government,  support BELLO ELRUFAI for KADUNA NORTH house of representative election 2023.Over these past time, the public have had the opportunity to observe and evaluate the perspectives and agendas of the various candidates in the upcoming elections.

Hon. BELLO ELRUFAI honest, pragmatic, and hopeful insight into the community’s problems and needs, and his willingness to examine the issues and listen closely to the public’s questions and concerns, sets him far apart from the other candidates’ expected techniques and talk.

I am hoping for your success

By Comrade Musa Mohammed

It is now a double whammy for the member kaduna state house of assembly representing Doka/Gabasawa and former majority leader of the house, Rt. Hon.

Haruna Inuwa Dogo (Mabo), who lost the APC state assembly ticket, decamped to the new political party NNPP, Making all frantic effort to be the NNPP flag bearer in the forth coming 2023 general election as the winner of the Doka/ Gabasawa NNPP House of Assembly primaries, Haruna Kabir Danbirni, refused to step down for him.

Haruna Mabo, who represents Doka/Gabasawa in the state assembly, contested and lost a bid to secure the APC house ticket, where Aminu Lawal (Anti) emerged the winner, but Mabo didn’t concede defeat that’s why he decidedcamp to NNPP.

The serving member said was desperately to secure the NNPP House ticket to contest for the forthcoming 2023 general election.

REACH-24 gathered that since the winner of the state assembly primaries refused to step down, the serving member is now mounting pressure on the state and national to get the state assembly ticket.

All effort by Hon. Mabo’s cronies to convince Haruna Danbirni to step down for him failed as the state assembly candidate insisted that he won’t withdraw.

According to reliable sources, Haruna Mabo was secretly given the INEC form by the NNPP headquarters to fill for submission, although he didn’t submit himself for party screening and didn’t participate in the state assembly primary election which took place in Kaduna.

In the primaries, Haruna Danbirni, who was the sole candidate, got the highest votes and emerge as winner.

Senator Uba Sani has felicitated with the Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli on the 2nd anniversary of his ascension to the throne, saying his reign has brought development, sustainable peace, and rising honour for the emirate and the state as a whole.

The Emir marked his 2nd anniversary of his coronation as the Emir of Zazzau.

The Senator in a statement by Comrade Musa Mohammed, said “On behalf of the government, people of Kaduna central senatorial district and kaduna state, I congratulate His Royal Highness the Emir of Zazzau and the Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of chiefs Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli on his 2nd year anniversary of his rise to the venerable throne of Zazzau.

“Zazzau under His Royal Highness has not only emerged as one of the most populous and fastest-growing metropolia in recent years, it has indeed been peaceful while recording appreciable impact. There is no denying the laudable contributions of His Royal Highness to these remarkable milestones. Indeed, his generosity and wise counsel are acknowledged by all.

“I, therefore, congratulate His Royal Highness on the 2nd anniversary of his ascension of the throne and pray Almighty Allah, who crowns all kings, to grant him a long, successful and enduring reign in good health. I also congratulate the entire Zazzau emirate on the anniversary of the Mai Martaba Sarki.”

His Highness Alhaji Muhammad Munnir Jaafaru congratulate the Emir of Zazzau, His Royal Highness ,Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli on the second anniversary of his accession to throne.

In his message, the Madakin Zazzau expresses, in His personal name and on behalf of the Zazzau people, His warm congratulations to the Emir of Zazzau, imploring Allah the Almighty to grant him good health, tranquility and long life, and to the brotherly Zazzau people further well-being and prosperity, under the wise leadership of His Royal Highness Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli .

In a statement, Madakin Zazzau said: “It is a testament to your wisdom and leadership charisma that in only two year, you have been able to establish yourself as a unifying figure for Nigerians of all walks of life and calling, both in Zazzau and the nation at large.

A HEARING BETWEEN THE NATIONAL BOARD FOR ARABIC AND ISLAMIC STUDIES (NBAIS) AND THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE IS AN INTIMIDATION STRATEGY AND CONSCIOUS MANIPULATIONS OF FACTS …

A hearing between the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) and the National Assembly committee which took place on 19th September 2022, is a sconscious manipulation.

The hearing, which took place at the National Assembly Complex, was to interrogate issues of revenues and remittances of NBAIS.

This press release is clearly a response to this well orchestrated attempt to destabilize the NBAIS activities/programmes and the registrar from being focused on his determination to leave a long lasting legacy for generation unborn.

The senate committee on finance led by Senator, Olamilekan Solomon Adeola, in its usual grandstanding of putting the cart before the horse and apportioning blames ‘harsh-hosted’ the management of the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS).

The Senate committee projected statistics without having a comprehensive understanding of the revenues that were generated, how the money was used, or perhaps even what percentage of the anticipated cash eventually reached the NBAIS’ account.

And this is an intimidation strategy and conscious manipulations of facts adopted by the committee members, whereby NBAIS registrar, Prof. Mohammad Shafi’u Abdullahi on the orders of Senator Adeola was asked to switch off his microphone midway when he tried to clear issues of revenues and remittances of the agency.

How could one be expected to explain, and clear issues when no attempt was made to avail the person an opportunity to do so? How could facts and figures be proven when a head of a government agency was ordered to switch off his mic? It was a simple psychological warfare strategy aimed at taking your target off-balance and thus having an edge over your target.

The Senate committee brandished figures without detailed knowledge of revenue that accrued, how funds were utilized and possibly how much of the expected revenue hit the purse of the NBAIS.

This is not to deny the fact that there are many government chief executive officers whose stewardships to the Nigerian people are still questionable. But in the case of the senate committee on finance and NBAIS, the committee denied itself and Nigerians the opportunity to be availed of that stewardship report by the management of NBAIS.

The national Assembly committee allowed itself to be swayed by emotions and thus created room for any discerning mind to puncture its allegations with facts and figures. Invariably, one could still believe that the intimidation strategy adopted by the committee was a deliberate action aimed at being heard, hailed, seen and held as a pro-people committee.

“Following the incident, I delved to ascertain if the claims by the senate committee chairman and his team during the agency’s budget performance hearing were anything to write home about. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the session was laden with more fuss than a fact-finding exercise.

The Prof. Safiu Abdullahi was one of the chief executives invited by the committee to make a presentation on the agency’s annual budget performance. During the hearing, the committee had made several allegations suggesting injudiciousness in the management of funds that accrue to the agency.

“Senator Adeola alluded that ASUU strike was a result of reckless spending and a lack of accountability by university authorities. He went as far as suggesting that the federal government should withdraw from funding the salaries of lecturers since according to him, the universities’ authorities have not been accountable for the revenues that accrue to them.

Instead of explanation around the figures brandished by the committee, he was confronted with questions that did not seek to unravel the issues on hand, but were laden with sensational questions such as ‘Is it the Federal Government that funds your agency 100%?’ A question that suggests that the committee did not fully understand the workings of the agency vis-a-vis revenue generation, utilization and remittance. Even though the registrar accepted that the agency was fully funded by the government, the question was as irrelevant as the confrontation.

Another question that tended towards sensationalism rather than fact-finding is the question of whether N410 Million were recorded as collected by the agency for the year 2022.

If the committee was diligent and willing to get facts rather than arouse sentiments, they would have ascertained how the ‘controversial’ sum of N410 Million was collected from the state governments and private individual schools across the country.

“They would have understood firsthand that owing to the non-payment of the students’ examination fees by some state governments from 2018 – 2021, the agency was plunged into huge debt burdens with their contractors, and suppliers of examination materials.

Why didn’t the Senate committee unravel that and possibly aid the agency in its efforts at debt recovery from the state governments running into hundreds of millions of Naira?”.

Arewa Media Practitioners have took time to investigate the activities f the National Board For Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS). The Association comprises of both Muslims and Christians that are actively involved in the practice of journalism for decades, we faulted the senate Committe.

The registrar no doubt, he is a God~fearing man that has refused to be disturbed by threats. We encourage a dispassionate investigation and report, devoid of emotions rather than what appears to be a clandestine moves to thwart a quiet revolution that is meant to restore the NBAIS to its original mission and vision. Truth, according to Uthman Dan Fodio is an open wound, only conscience can heal it.

Mischief makers, detractors and enemies of the NBAIS must realize that their campaign of calumny against the the board has failed and will always failed.

NBAIS remains a spectacular success story and nothing can change all the evidence of dramatic progress and development in the past and present.

This has obviously not gone down
well with the system as some of them have vowed to fight the registrar.

In fact, the Registrar should be commended, he has achieved massive development and repositioning for which he is being applauded.

In conclusion, we challenge authorities outside the management to undertake an independent investigation on happenings in the NBAIS. Both members of Academic and Non academic staff should be interviewed to have an informed position and not this, we understand clearly that it’s an intimidation strategy to undermine the efforts of the registrar and the NBAIS to turn things around.
Enurf is enurf.

Signed:

Arewa Media Practitioners
Northern Muslim and Christian Journalists Forum
Youth Media Forum
4.West Africa Educational Writers Association (WAEWA)
Arewa Publishers
Lead Times Africa Foundation For Research and Development.
Africa Crime Reporters Association (ACRA)
Media Focus and Transparency Group