Cloned Nigerian Anchor

Author: Chike Ozohili

  • Set Nigeria on prosperity path, Adesina tasks Tinubu

    Set Nigeria on prosperity path, Adesina tasks Tinubu

    *Say Nigeria has no reason to be poor

    African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has urged President Bola Tinubu to wake up to his responsibilities and set the country on the path of prosperity.

    In his keynote address at the Business Day Chief Executive Officers (CEO) Forum on Thursday in Lagos, the AfDB President noted that until Nigeria wakes up from its slumber, the country will continue to stagnate economically.

    According to his address titled: “The Day the Lion Roared! Making Nigeria a Global Industrial and Economic Giant”, the AfDB helmsman said the country had no reason to be a poor country.  

    ”’The day that Nigeria wakes up and becomes a lion king, everything will change for its people; and everything will change for all of Africa.

    ”Nigeria should never be a poor country; and Nigerians are tired of being poor.

    “For now, Nigeria is developing too slowly and well below its potential. The challenge is for the lion to roar. Then we will have the making of an economic giant.

    “The key for that is for Nigeria to have an Industrial Revolution,” he said.

    Adesina said the share of manufacturing in the GDP of Nigeria had hovered around seven percent in the past decades.

    According to him, the nation has not been able to extricate itself from the comatose of its industrial manufacturing sector to unleash the fullness of its potential.

    “The performance of the manufacturing sector in the past five years has been poor. Between 2015-2017 the sector declined by -1.5per cent, -4.3per cent and -0.2per cent.

    ”This is in sharp contrast to the dynamic and rapid performance of manufacturing in Asian countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, India, and China.

    The manufacturing sector of Nigeria represents only three per cent of the total revenue from exports, but accounts for 50 per cent of imports in the country.

    “Instead of being forward-looking in expanding the share of the manufactured goods in its total export revenue, Nigeria focuses on the model of import substitution,” Adesina said.

    Adesina said further that the country has a manufacturing sector that cannot develop to compete globally, but limits itself to “survival mode” and not a “global manufacturing growth mode”.

    He said a well-developed and policy-enabled manufacturing sector, with export orientation will spur greater innovation, industrial policy for export market development, and structural transformation of the economy.

    He said rather than being consumed with conserving foreign exchange, the focus should shift to expanding foreign exchange through greater export value diversification.

    African countries, including Nigeria,  he said have had policies, templates, and programs for industrialization and expanding industrial manufacturing for decades, but there is a huge gap between policy ideas and actions.

  • Right regulatory policies will attract oil sector investments– Seplat CEO

    Right regulatory policies will attract oil sector investments– Seplat CEO

    The Chief Executive Officer, Seplat Energy Plc, Mr. Roger Brown, has said that the upstream and midstream sectors of the petroleum industry are in need of critical funding if it is to develop into a world-class sector and also attract investments.

    Speaking at the ongoing 2023 Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference (NOG) conference in Abuja, the Seplat CEO said that attracting funding is dependent on regulatory reforms, fiscal terms restructuring among several other policy initiatives.

    Brown explained: “Nigeria needs more success stories to attract more investments to the upstream sector. We need to solve the insecurity dilemma around the country’s pipeline infrastructure, enforce clarity and separation of powers among regulatory authorities, work closer with field operators to resolve host community issues, and amend fiscal terms of PSCs/PSAs to include more incentives for asset partners.

    “We also need to improve fiscal terms on gas contracts to support uptake at market reflective prices and improve efficiency and capacity of the Nigerian electricity value chain in order to aid higher uptake of domestic gas supply.”

    Whilst also speaking on the things investors look out for in Nigerian companies in the quest for gas development in the country, Brown said financially strong companies with robust balance sheets, low debt, and credible access to international capital markets have an edge.

    “Other factors are stock market listing and the associated need for governance, with a preference for dual-listed companies such as Seplat, where equity can be traded in liquid markets; international accountability and transparency in reporting, particularly as it relates to ESG reporting, with good commitment to sustainability; and good relationships in-country with government, regulators and local communities.”

    According to Brown, the company remains committed to creating and sustaining values in the Nigerian upstream sector and has continued to do so via a strong investment work plan, host community development, partnerships with the government, and aggressive human capital development.

  • NCAA suspends operation of Max Air’s B737 aircraft fleet

    NCAA suspends operation of Max Air’s B737 aircraft fleet

    The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operations of all Boeing 737 aircraft in Max Air fleet.

    The suspension was issued through a letter dated July 12 titled “Suspension of Parts A3 and D43 of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air with immediate effect”

    The letter was signed by Captain Ibrahim Dambazau, Director, Operations Training and Licensing, NCAA, on behalf of Captain Musa Nuhu, Director General (NCAA).

    Part A3 deals with the airline’s aircraft authorisation and D43 deals with Aircraft Listing of the operations specification issued to Max Air Ltd.

    “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) hereby suspends Parts A3 (Aircraft Authorisation) and D43 (Aircraft Listing) of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air Ltd. with regards to the operations of the Boeing B737 aircraft type in your fleet.

    “With the above suspension, you are to immediately suspend the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft in your fleet,” the letter read in part.

    The NCAA listed several occurrences that involved B737 aircraft in the fleet of the airline that promoted its action.

    The aviation regulator, in the letter, said it had constituted a team of inspectors to conduct an audit of the airline.

    It added that the results of the audit must be found satisfactory by the authority prior to considering the restoration of the operation specifications to the organization to further operate the aircraft type.

  • Charge Emefiele or release him, Court orders DSS

    Charge Emefiele or release him, Court orders DSS

    A Federal Capital Territory High Court has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to charge Godwin Emefiele, suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to court if they have criminal allegations against him.

    Hamza Muazu, the presiding judge, said the former CBN governor should be released on bail if he is not taken to a competent court within one week.

    On June 9, President Bola Tinubu suspended Emefiele and asked him to transfer his responsibilities to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, deputy governor, operations directorate.

    The day after, the DSS announced that Emefiele was in its custody for “some investigative reasons”.

    Through his lawyer, Joseph Daudu, Emefiele filed a suit against the DSS and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), seeking an enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

    Tijjani Ghazali, counsel to the AGF, stated that the first respondent is challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case brought before it by the applicant.

    He said Emefiele’s arrest and detention by the DSS is an administrative decision of an arm of the executive.

    The DSS also challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the suit, insisting that there is a subsisting order of a chief magistrate court for Emefiele’s detention.

    Delivering judgement on Thursday, Muazu held that Emefiele’s continued detention without trial, amounts to a gross violation of his fundamental human rights.

    The judge, however, held that Emefiele failed to prove that his arrest, detention, and investigation were unlawful since it was based on a valid court order.

    “Detention, no matter how small, can amount to a breach of fundamental rights,” Muazu said.

    “Though I am in sympathy with the applicant (Emefiele), but my sentiment will not go far to deliver judgment by granting all the reliefs sought by the applicant.

    “The applicant has not shown that his arrest, detention, and investigation were unlawful.

    “However, I am concerned that the application is not without merit. The applicant is entitled to a fair hearing.

    “At this point, the continued detention of the applicant cannot be justified in the absence of any charge against him.

    “At the very least, justice demands that applicant should be released on administrative bail.

    “Consequently, I hereby make an order, directing the respondents to within one week, charge the applicant to court or release him on administrative bail.”

  • Akpabio assures Turkiye of sustained bilateral relations with Nigeria

    Akpabio assures Turkiye of sustained bilateral relations with Nigeria

    Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has assured the Turkish Government of Nigeria’s readiness to sustain bilateral agreement reached between both countries.

    According to him, the agreements are on education, health and military collaboration to fight terrorism and insecurity.

    Akpabio promised that the 10th Senate would do everything humanly possible to ensure that the age-long bilateral relations and collaboration in critical sectors continued in the overall interest of both countries.

    He stated this while receiving the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Hidayet Bayraktar, in Abuja.

    Akpabio said: “On behalf of the leadership of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “I welcome you to the Senate, we are very happy and delighted to receive you and your team in the Senate.

    “Nigeria and Turkey have very cordial bilateral relationship in the areas of education and military.

    “Both countries are currently being faced with insecurity and terrorism, but you have the experience and that is why you have been able to deal with it in a decisive manner.”

    He stressed that no nation can do it alone, as there is need for cooperation and collaboration in the area of healthcare and other sectors and not only in military hardwares.

    “We need each other to overcome our security challenges and I commend the Turkish Parliament for standing by its people to fight terrorism and insecurity,” he said.

    Akpabio emphasised the need for the people to be united to fight terrorism and insecurity in Africa.

    “We will be delighted to visit the Turkey Parliament for exchange of parliamentary ideas.

    “The Senate will do everything to ensure that this cooperation continues in the overall interest of the two countries,” the president of Senate assured.

    Earlier, the Turkish Ambassador congratulated Akpabio on his emergence as the President of the 10th Senate.

    He assured the Senate leadership of improved bilateral relations between Nigeria and Turkey, and more support from the Turkish government in order to improve on the diverse sectors of Nigeria’s economy.

    In another development, the Senate President also received Rev. Father Innocent Jooji of the Abuja Catholic Diocese.

    Jooji, who stood in for the Arch Bishop of Abuja, Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, said he came to deliver a congratulatory message on behalf of the Archbishop to Akpabio, on his emergence as the President of the Senate.

    He assured the Senate President of more prayers for his success, his family and the National Assembly at large.

    He prayed for a better Nigeria under the current leaders at all levels.

  • Amaechi’s leadership style weakened APC in Rivers – Okocha

    Amaechi’s leadership style weakened APC in Rivers – Okocha

    A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha, has insisted that former Governor of the State and one-time Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi’s ineptitude, not only divided the party in the state, but weakened its chances of wrestling the governorship seat from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Chief Okocha, who said this during a chat with journalists Wednesday in Abuja, added that Amaechi’s style as APC leader in the State was the reason why the party performed very poorly in the state.

    “I can say that categorically, I can say that with verifiable facts that he was the reason why APC faltered in Rivers State. His nuances, his demeanour, didn’t point to a party that will grow.

    “You cannot know all and do all in a democracy. You gather people in a democracy and allow them to ventilate. You don’t reel orders because you are managing human beings. Human beings are special species. A human being decides to sit in one place for years but the day you make a law compelling him to sit in that place goes away.    

    “His attitude, his ineptitude, personal idiosyncrasies never pointed to a party that will grow. He divided the party himself. He said with 300 people I will win elections in Rivers State, who does that” he said.

    Okocha, who was the Chief of Staff to Amaechi, explained that after the former Governor lost the APC presidential primaries to President Tinubu, he abandoned the party and worked for Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the PDP. He also accused Magnus Abe, former chieftain of the party in the state for abandoning the party in its very trying times.

    National Chairman Protocol and Logistics Committee of the defunct Tinubu/Shettima Grassroot Independent Campaign Council (TSGICC), disclosed that the decision of the immediate past Governor of the state, Nyesom Wike to work for President Tinubu was a face saver for the party in the state.

    According to him, if not for Wike, APC would not have gotten 25 per cent in the state.

    Wike had openly declared that he worked for Tinubu because he wanted power to return to the south.

    “He never took part in the struggle to ensure the emergence of Tinubu. When it mattered most you abandoned the man. You never believed in the course. They ran away. So, what are they laying claims to,” he queried.

    He insisted that former Governor Wike deserved a ministerial position for the work he did for the party during the presidential elections.

  • N3bn Fraud: Counsel’s absence stalls Elixir Management’s arraignment

    N3bn Fraud: Counsel’s absence stalls Elixir Management’s arraignment

    The absence of the counsel to Elixir Asset Management Limited, Elixir Investment Partners Limited, along with two of their Directors Clara-Bittinger Mshelia-Whyte and Sarah Ogbemudia has stalled the arraignment of the accused persons. 

    The case was subsequently adjourned to October 9th, 2023 for arraignment. 

    They had been dragged before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on allegations of fraud to the tune of over N3b.

    When the matter came up before Justice Yelim Bogoro of Court 5, the court was informed that the counsel to the defendants was unavoidably absent due to Ill health. 

    The Presiding Judge, apparently displeased that the counsel to the accused did not formally inform the court of his ill health described his actions as discourteous to the court and subsequently adjourned the case to October 9, 2023 for arraignment.

    Bogoro said: “That is not a very good presentation that the counsel will not reach out to the court. Their counsel is supposed to be here to defend them.

    “He cannot stay in Abuja and claim he has a stomach upset. The defence has not written to the court that he is ill which is discourteous. I will adjourn this matter till 9th October and he should ensure that he is in court on that date”. 

    During the last adjourned date, the defendant, Mshelia-Whyte and Ogbemudia failed to honor the court invitation, which made Justice Bogoro to grant the wish of the counsel from the office of the Attorney General Moshood Adeyemi, to issue the defendants criminal sermon and set a date for the next appearance for July 11, 2023.

    In a four count charge brought against the companies and their promoters by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, they are accused of offering for subscription an unregistered product ‘Elixir Treasury Product’ valued at over N3b to the investing public including Toyota Nigeria Ltd, Kaduna Industrial and Finance Company and others.

    According to the charge, the defendants are alleged to have committed a felony to wit: with the common intent conspired among themselves together with Samuel Aikhonbare, Christopher Edordu and their other staff to do an illegal act by luring the investing public including Toyota Nigeria Limited and others by offering them an unregistered product called ‘Elixir Treasury Product’ and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of Criminal Code Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    The defendants are also alleged to have conspired among themselves to do an illegal Act- diversion of Investment funds belonging to the investing public including Toyota Nigeria Limited, Kaduna Industrial and Finance Company and others and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of Criminal Code Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    “That you Elixir Investment Partners Ltd and Clara-Bittinger Mshelia-Whyte both of No. 95 Medical Guild Close, V/I Lagos on or between the year 2019 and 2021 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did commit a felony to wit: diversion of investment funds to the tune of N3,213,700,150 belonging to the investing public including Toyota Nigeria Limited, Kaduna Industrial and Finance Company and others. You thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 383 (2) (f) of Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 390 (7) of the same Act” The Charge stated. 

  • Plateau Crisis: Troops eliminate 3 bandits in Mangu, recover weapons

    Plateau Crisis: Troops eliminate 3 bandits in Mangu, recover weapons

    Troops of the Nigerian Army 3 Division, who were deployed to quell the crisis in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau, on Wednesday neutralised three bandits in the area.

    The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, made this known in a statement in Abuja.

    Nwachukwu said the troops obliterated the criminals when they gallantly fought through an ambush staged by the bandits, while responding to a distress call in Mangu general area.

    He said the troops recovered three AK 47 rifles, 14 rounds of 7.62 mm special rounds, one motorcycle and a Constabulary Police Identity card after successfully clearing the ambush.

    According to him, the troops are currently on the trail of some of the bandits who escaped with gunshot wounds during the fire fight. 

  • Group reveals plot by Gov Bello to abduct, frame SDP candidate, Yakubu Ajaka

    Group reveals plot by Gov Bello to abduct, frame SDP candidate, Yakubu Ajaka

    The Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka Campaign Organization has alleged a disturbing plot involving Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and certain security chiefs which is aimed at suppressing the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Governorship Candidate, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka.

    In a press statement signed by the group’s Director, Communications, Faruk Adejoh-Audu and made available to the NIGERIAN ANCHOR, the group said there is a conspiracy to abduct Ajaka and transport him to Lokoja, where he would be falsely implicated in fabricated charges and potentially face detention or even assassination.

    The details of this sinister plan, according to them, is part of an orchestrated effort to arraign Alhaji Ajaka before a Lokoja Court hastily, ensuring his indefinite incarceration. Remarkably, the State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Adeshina Yusuf, who had previously shown reluctance to investigate the campaign organization’s petition regarding an attempted assassination against Mr. Bello and his group of thugs and gunmen, is now reportedly tailing Ajaka at the behest of Governor Bello.

    “Details of the plan which began manifesting on Tuesday included hastily arraigning Alhaji Ajaka before a Lokoja Court to legally seal the plot to incarcerate him indefinitely.

    “In furtherance of the plot, the State Commissioner of Police Hakeem Adeshina Yusuf who had obstinately refused to investigate our petition of attempted assassination against Mr Bello and his band of thugs and gunmen who attacked our motorcade on June 3, 2023 is now stalking our candidate at the behest of Mr Bello to accuse him of been the aggressor in the attack.

    “Some gunmen in Mufti appeared at an address on Khartoum Street in Wuse, Abuja at about 12:30 pm Tuesday claiming they have been detailed by Mr. Yusuf to arrest Alhaji Ajaka for attempted assassination, gun possession, and terrorism as a result of the same attack carried ours by Mr. Bello and his gunmen.

    “Already Mr. Bello has put some of his friendly media editors and social media influencers on cue to disparage the SDP Candidate through stories and commentaries that will portray the candidate as a violent man,” the statement read in part.

    See the full Statement Below:

    FRESH PLOT BY KOGI GOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO AND SECURITY CHIEFS TO SUPPRESS SDP CANDIDATE ALHAJI MURTALA YAKUBU AJAKA UNCOVERED

    The Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka Campaign Organization has uncovered a dastardly conspiracy between some security chiefs in Kogi State to abduct the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Governorship Candidate, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka to Lokoja and frame him with trump-up charges with the aim of clamping him into detention and possibly assassinate him.

    Details of the plan which began manifesting on Tuesday included hastily arraigning Alhaji Ajaka before a Lokoja Court to legally seal the plot to incarcerate him indefinitely.

    In furtherance of the plot, the State Commissioner of Police Hakeem Adeshina Yusuf who had obstinately refused to investigate our petition of attempted assassination against Mr. Bello and his band of thugs and gunmen who attacked our motorcade on June 3, 2023, is now stalking our candidate at the behest of Mr. Bello to accuse him of being the aggressor in the attack.

    Some gunmen in Mufti appeared at an address on Khartoum Street in Wuse, Abuja at about 12:30pm Tuesday claiming they have been detailed by Mr. Yusuf to arrest Alhaji Ajaka for attempted assassination, gun possession, and terrorism as a result of the same attack carried ours by Mr Bello and his gunmen.

    Already Mr. Bello has put some of his friendly media editors and social media influencers on cue to disparage the SDP Candidate through stories and commentaries that will portray the candidate as a violent man.

    This elaborate plot is an obvious manifestation to stop the escalating popularity of the SDP Candidate in the November 11, Governorship Elections.

    Mr. Bello is a Governor whose administration has gained notoriety for violence, framing up opponents, and compromising the institutions of the polity to gain an advantage in the elections.

    Alhaji Ajaka has no record of violence whatsoever at any time in his political career, but in the last four months, the candidate and members of his campaign team have been at the receiving end of State violence from Federal security agents who have been obviously compromised to torment political rivals of Mr. Bello.

    We have cried out to all the relevant agencies of the state to rein in Mr. Bello and get him to play by the rules of engagement of electioneering to no avail.

    Where in the world is an interested party in an election allowed the pleasure to arrest opponents and clamp them into detention to prevent them from campaigning?

    This plot was hatched after a campaign outing by Alhaji Ajaka at Idah during which a mammoth crowd never before recorded in the history of rallies in Kogi State came to receive him.

    In the last Presidential and National Assembly Elections Governor Bello took several bizarre measures to intimidate the then-main opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state by deploying earth-moving equipment to dig craters on several streets leading to polling units in the Central Senatorial District of Kogi State.

    The intimidation was so effective that the PDP had to cancel its campaign flag-off rally in the said Central Senatorial District.

    Two weeks ago, he procured security agents in the state to extra-judicially execute Mallam Kabir Bala aka Okwo, a thug he freed from prison and unleashed on defenseless citizens of the state at the dawn of the 2019 Elections. Okwo was among about 20 thugs he freed from custody across the state to use for violence and electoral mayhem in 2019.

    The moment Okwo was executed Mr Yusuf the police commissioner accused him of several heinous felonies. Yet Okwo was a revered member of the party who was even inaugurated by Mr. Bello as the Ofu LGA Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council.

    He was also one of the 67 delegates to the APC National Convention. At no time was he ever accused, invited, or arrested for any crime since 2019 until he openly renounced violence and announced his support for Alhaji Ajaka before he was hunted down killed, and then accused of various violent crimes.

     In the last four years, many citizens of the state have been murdered in cold blood in the build-up to elections or on Election Day the most heinous which was the procurement of a police helicopter to shoot at voters from the air on November 16, 2019.

    Mr. Bello has succeeded so far in this campaign of violence with the active connivance of the security forces in the state.

    The brazen effort to frame up a governorship candidate on trumped-up charges and use the state’s intimidated judiciary to keep him out of circulation is a new low in   Bello’s notorious desperate antics of electoral repression.

    Once again we are calling on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call this outlaw of a governor to order since we cannot press charges against him due to his executive immunity.

    Using the state institutions of compliance to suppress opponents in an election with the force of arms is akin to coup d’etat and we hereby task the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Tinubu to forestall such unconstitutional desperation even from the governor produced by his party.

    But we invite the world to take note that if anything untoward happens to Ajaka Mr Bello, The Nigerian Police, the Directorate of State Security (DSS), and the Nigerian Navy who have been eager participants in this unconscionable and unconstitutional act of repression despite our outcries be held to account.

    Faruk Adejoh-Audu

    Director, Communications, July 11, 2023.

  • Kano Govt spends N1.5bn on NECO registration fees

    Kano Govt spends N1.5bn on NECO registration fees

    *Give scholarships to 1,100 post-graduate students

    The Kano State Government has spent N1.5 billion on payment of National Examination Council (NECO) registration fees of 57,000 students of various secondary schools in the state.

    This is contained in a statement by Alhaji Ibrahim Shuaibu, the Press Secretary to the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Aminu Gwarzo, in Kano.

    He said Governor Abba Yusuf made the disclosure while opening the commencement of the examinations at Rumfa College in the metropolis.

    Represented by Gwarzo, Yusuf noted that payment of the fees was part of his government’s policy to reposition the educational sector for optimal performance.

    He charged the benefiting students to put in their best for better results in the examination to justify the government’s huge investment in their academic pursuits.

    ” You need to put in your best and remain committed so that you can come up with good results on the examination, that can make the state and your family happy and proud of you,” he said.

    In his remarks, the Commissioner for Education, Malam Umar Doguwa, announced that a committee was set up by the state to assess boarding schools earlier shut down with a view to reopening them.

    He commended the state government for enhancing its schools’ feeding programme, saying more furniture would soon be provided to the schools.

    Meanwhile, the KanoState Government has also concluded plans to sponsor 1,100 post-graduate students to study in local and overseas universities.

    The State Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr Yusuf Kofar-Mata, made the disclosure at a news briefing in Kano.

    The state government recently announced the opening of a portal where first-class degree holders can apply for postgraduate scholarships to study in both local and foreign universities.

    Kofar-Mata said a nine-member committee has been inaugurated by the state government to screen applicants.

    “We received 1,200 applications out of which over 800 were screened, including classified and unclassified degree holders.

    “One thousand and one hundred students would be sponsored for the first batch. The committee is still inviting and screening the applicants.

    “The restoration of this policy by the administration of Gov. Abba Kabir-Yusuf is not only targeting the Kano citizenry to get postgraduate certificates but also to expose the youthful exuberance of our teeming youths internationally to enable them to acquire new skills,” he said.