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Science Laboratory, Government Day Technical College Tafawa-Balewa

Dogara’s collapsing model schools built in 2020

Three years ago, the Universal Basic Education Commission released the sum of N97 million to three companies for the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms in the federal constituency represented by Yakubu Dogara in Bauchi State.

The money was part of a N1 billion consistency project of the former speaker of the House of Representatives who currently represents the area at the National Assembly.

Quickfix Property Limited, Delta Force limited and Maridiq Nigeria Limited received the money for the construction and rehabilitation of schools in the area, according to Budeshi, an open contracting platform.

At the Government Day Technical College in Tafawa-Balewa, no single project has been executed despite the school being listed as one of the beneficiaries of the intervention project.

Mr Jatau Daniel, principal of the technical college told WikkiTimes that the school had been neglected for years, adding that he was not aware that it was billed to receive such intervention.

But it is not only the Government Day Technical College in Tafawa-Balewa whose classrooms renovation and construction are up in the air despite money being released by UBEC. Investigations by WikkiTimes show that other schools that were listed as beneficiaries either got shoddy construction or none.

Built in 1978, the Government Day Technical College Tafawa-Balewa is the only technical school in Dogara’s constituency, but the school has deteriorated, leaving more than 1400 students in a poor learning environment without basic amenities.

The principal said the last building in the school was constructed about 20 years ago and renovation has been done through the contributions of the Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA).

“I have had the privilege of meeting with Hon. Yakubu Dogara last year,” Mr Daniel said. “I tabled all the challenges faced in the school and how the school is on the verge of total collapse. After receiving my proposal, we have not gotten any response from him till date after telling me he will get back to us.”

Inside the school, cracks appear in-between the walls, inviting reptiles and insects into the classrooms.

“See how bad the school looks,” said exasperated Mr Emmanuel Barau, head of sciences laboratory in the school.

Science Laboratory, Government Day Technical College Tafawa-Balewa

Students suffer the neglect. At Samuel Alheri’s classroom, the ceiling is about to cave in. The windows and floor of the classrooms are all broken. The students sit four per chair with some lapping each other. “The chairs are not enough to accommodate all of us,” Alheri said.

“Throughout last term, we could not have physics class because we don’t have a physics teacher,” Alheri told WikkiTimes.

“I am in the computer science department. I only go to the lab with other students where we just sit for a while and then return back to our classes,” said Idi Miyaki, Alheri’s classmate.

“We don’t have a computer science teacher,” Miyaki continued. “No light or generator to even power the few computers, I don’t know anything about computer. I am just here wasting my time. As soon as we close, I just rush to the farm where I can make meaningful use of my time.”

Another school in the area, Central Primary School was listed as a beneficiary in the zonal intervention project by UBEC, but like the technical school, no construction was ever carried out despite money being released to the contractor.

In 2018, a contract for the construction of a block of three classrooms was awarded to Maridiq Nigeria Ltd, the same company that also got a contract for that of the technical college. It was awarded at N19 million.

The most recent block of two classrooms in the school was built in 2016 which was done under the Sustainable Development Goals’ intervention project.

“Look at all the roofs falling apart with so many classrooms, not in use,” Mary Maikomo, a native of Tafawa Balewa town, pointed out. “They are so dilapidated and not habitable for learning”, she added.

Mr Emmanuel Iliya, youth leader of Zaar Youth Development Association, ZAYODA told WikkiTimes that children in the area deserve a better school and quality learning to secure their future.

“You can see the pitiable state of the school,” Iliya said. “It’s at the mercy of God. This is a school that has graduated a lot of prominent people in this country, and the school in its bad look has lost its entire legacy.”

However, at Nahuta Primary School in Tafawa-Balewa, another beneficiary of the zonal intervention project, the contract was executed but was incomplete. A block of three classrooms was constructed but the supply of teaching materials and furniture was left out.

The block was built within three months, according to Mr Amos Bature, the head teacher at the school. It was hastily and poorly done with the doors and windows looking out of shape.

The contract was awarded to Quickfix Property Limited for N19 million failed to supply classroom furniture and teaching materials as contained in the contract.

“I just wish Hon. Yakubu Dogara will come and see for himself and then tell the public how proud he is of the school,” Mr Bature said. “Primary schools are supposed to give a foundation to children especially these ones in rural communities. These children have to suffer what their counterparts in urban cities enjoy.”

Shoddy And Incomplete Projects

At Government Junior Secondary School located at the roadside, a few metres away from Bogoro main town, a three-classroom block has been built by Quickfix Property Limited but without teaching aids and furniture as spelt out in the contract.

“Being in a rural community, we sometimes use the money paid by the student as PTA levy to buy attendance booklets and even some of the textbooks we use in the school,” said Mrs. Bilhatu Daniel, principal of the school.

“We were only given 80 pieces of 40 leaves exercise books in a school of 398 students,” Mrs Daniel continued. “My pain is not just as a teacher or the principal of the school, but as a mother, seeing children with brighter future in such a mess with little or no hope of getting the best basic education they need at this age and time.”

QuickFix Property Limited also constructed a three-classroom block at Upper Basic Primary School in Shall Gwartar, the only benefiting school in Dass Local Government Area.

But the building which was constructed last year is already falling apart with its foundation exposed and the walls already tearing into different parts, just as the floor in the classes already broken, leaving the newly erected classes in a wretched state.

Dogara’s collapsing model schools built in 2020

The structure was erected in the first quarter of 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown. It was awarded at N19 million.

Ya’u Yusuf, the PTA Chairman of Upper Basic Secondary School, Shall Gwartar and Yusuf Gambo, a volunteer guard told WikkiTimes that the construction was done in two months, and it started collapsing immediately after the erection.

“The contractor was using substandard materials. We saw it for ourselves,” they said.

“I personally stopped them, and they went to tell the Honorable himself,” Yusuf said. “After some days, they returned back to continue their work with the same materials and at this point, I had to allow them.”

Yusuf described the building as a death trap to students, adding that they feared that the building would finally collapse at any time.

“There has never been a time when leaders are so greedy and selfish as now,” Yusuf said. “They can eat up everything allocated to a rural community without any fear or conscience.”

Haruna Danladi, village head of Shall Gwantar, could not hide his disappointment when describing to WikkiTimes how students sit on bare floor to learn.

“We have no option,” he said. “We only accept what they give to us no matter how bad or good it looks. The award of a contract by the government is usually for their own profit not for the benefit of the community. If not, quality and durable materials would have been used in a school.

“When they come to carry out the project, they never seek our advice. They just begin work and so we just sit aloof and watch them.”

The principal of the school, Mr. Sulaiman Yunusa who shared his experience with WikkiTimes explained how teachers struggle to maintain the school with zero support despite hefty allocations that come with the intervention project.

“We never received any book or teaching materials from anyone,” he said.

Gwarangah, Dogara’s Home Town also neglected

Outsiders would assume that the hometown of a former speaker of the House of Representative who has been in the House for over 17 years would have basic amenities like good roads, constant power supply, pipe-born water, and standard schools as well as primary healthcare facilities.

But it is the opposite. The racketeering in the execution of the school projects in other communities did not also spare Gwarangah, his village. In comparison to other schools in Bogoro, Dass, and Tafawa-Balewa where the 2018 projects were either not carried out or poorly executed, a block of three classrooms was constructed by Delta Force Ltd.

“I am Dogara’s Uncle and the principal of this school, as well as the NUT chairman of the local government,” said Mr Gideon Gambo, who said that the new building belongs to the primary school which share premises with the secondary.

“Here in Gwarangah Junior Secondary school, as the principal, I have to buy chalk which we use because from SUBEB they only give us one carton of chalk for the whole term. How do you expect us to use just one carton in a term? So, we resort to taking money from the PTA levy which the students pay terminally to buy chalk which we use in our classes.

“Imagine students preparing for junior WAEC and other exams, no library and no textbooks. At what point is the government supposed to come in and help these children. In the whole of this community, no single ICT centre and this is the community which produced the number four citizen in this country.”

The purported ICT centre in the community has been converted to an APC warehouse used by Dogara. The building which has an APC logo, the political party of Dogara, is behind his house.

A peep into Dogara’s house shows several undistributed stashed tricycles. Members of the community told WikkiTimes that the books meant to be distributed to the schools in the area had been stashed inside Dogara’s house as well.

Contractors Operate in the Shadow

The contractors that executed the N1 billion Dogara Models Schools project mostly operate in the shadow as no trace of their offices in either Bauchi, the seat of government or at Dogara’s constituency.

Search conducted by WikkiTimes on Corporate Affairs Commission’s website shows that the three companies that were awarded the contracts – Quickfix Property Limited, Delta Force Engineering Limited and Maridiq Nigeria Limited were all incorporated. Further efforts to confirm the companies’ profiles and other necessary information through the paid service, was not successful as the companies only have physical addresses in Abuja. But there are no emails or phone numbers. The companies do not have functional websites nor any active social media accounts for public engagement.

Expert Faults Project, Claim Amount, Inflated

An expert in quantity survey and lecturer at the Department of Quantity Survey who doubles as the Current ASUU Chairman, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, (ATBU) argued that the pictures shown to him by WikkiTimes purportedly built at N19 million were highly inflated.

“With these pictures, you have just shown me, considering the cheap labour and already available land to carry out the project, the amount said to be spent on this project is shoddy and questionable,” Dr Inuwa Ibrahim.

“N19 million only is a lot of money, and for a structure said to be erected in 2018 of such standards, such amount is enough to give us around three to four of such blocks of three classrooms of which there was no fencing and other sophisticated equipment needed,” he said.

A proprietor of one of the biggest secondary schools in Bauchi, who doesn’t want her name mentioned, corroborates Dr Inuwa regarding the inflated cost of the Dogara’s model schools.

She said N19 million will enable her erect another private school.

“If given N19 million I can comfortably open another branch and erect like six to seven classrooms of a good standard because I already have the land.

“I may not be so particular to tell you the actual cost of my school and the maintenance, but it is my pleasure to let you know that N19 million will give me a new section and some change (additional money) to pay salaries of my staff for some months.”

She said N19 million “is a lot of money which can be used to build a standard school with ultra-modern science equipment that can be compared to some schools in some bigger schools.”

Dogara, UBEC, Ignore Interview, FOI Request

A freedom of information request sent to the official email address of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC by WikkiTimes requesting the commission’s response on its findings were not responded to days after it was sent. WikkiTimes also contacted the spokesperson of the commission Mr David Apeh requesting an official response regarding the commission’s shoddy execution of Dogara’s projects. Mr David requested the reporter to send an official email requesting comments, but days after the reporter sent the email, it fell on deaf ears, just as repeated calls to remind him about the earlier correspondences was equally ignored.

Several calls and text messages to Yakubu Dogara and his spokesman Turaki Hassan were not replied.

Dr Aliyu Tilde, a former Bauchi Education commissioner who was contacted before he was sacked by his principal, Governor Bala Mohammed also declined to answer questions about the projects. Instead, he referred WikkiTimes to State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB).

“I do not handle education projects in LGAs. Please contact the State Universal Basic Education for any clarifications,” said Tilde in a text message.

Then SUBEB directed WikkiTimes to speak with its director of planning, Dr. Aliyu Abdulrashed who said UBEC would be most appropriate in answering the questions relating to the projects.

“We are only the beneficiary,” he said. “We are not the supervising body or the awardees of the contract, and so if you need any information about the project, you should reach out to the Universal Basic Education Commission.”

This story was produced in partnership with Civic Media Lab under its Grassroots News Project with support from the National Endowment for Democracy.

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Christian Association Declares Day Of Prayer To Tackle Growing Insecurity In Oyo

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Oyo State chapter has declared Friday as a day of prayer against insecurity in the state and the country.

This was part of resolutions reached on Monday, between the state government and CAN during a stakeholders' meeting.

The state government, represented by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, and the Executive Assistant on Administration, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe and CAN agreed to go spiritual during the meeting, as the Christian body vowed to hold a special praise, worship and prayer session to intercede for the state on Friday, July 2.

The state government had met with Islamic and traditional leaders, where it was unanimously agreed that they would all work together to improve security.

Olatunbosun noted that the state government resorted to seeking the intervention of religious stakeholders to forge a new front against insecurity in the state, Vanguard reports.

“In a bid to renew our efforts against insecurity, Oyo state has been working tirelessly against insecurity in recent times. We have purchased needed gadgets and vehicles for security agents in the State and we will do more.”

"However, we cannot do it alone, we apparently need to change our strategies and work with you religious stakeholders in the state.

“We are meeting Christians and Christian body for a specific reason, which is to trigger a religious war against the devilish act of banditry, abduction, and insecurity in the state.

“This government seeks to secure the state from insecurity and we will do so regardless of the state of the nation.

“And as we redouble our efforts, we will never allow insecurity to divide us— this is why we have engaged representatives of all religion in the State: Christian, Muslim, and traditional Worshippers," he said.

CAN Chairman in the state, Apostle (Col) Joshua Akinyemiju, said the body in partnership with the Chaplain of the state government house will commence a powerful intercession for the state.

“Yes, insecurity is not exclusive to Oyo State, but we believe as Christians, we will not give in. We will intensify our efforts to pull down the stronghold of the enemy,” he said.

There is growing insecurity in Oyo State worsened by attacks (killing and kidnapping) by suspected Fulani herdsmen, cult wars, and violence involving road transport workers.

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Ex-Nigerian Leader Who Oversaw Biafran War, Gowon Leads Prayer Against Insecurity, Others In Nigeria

Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon says that with collective and concerted prayers from all Nigerians irrespective of religion or ethnicity, the country will win the war against armed banditry, kidnapping and other social ills bedevilling the corporate existence of the country.

Gowon made the assertion at a one-day prayer rally to seek God’s intervention held at the Calvary Life Assembly, Nomansland, Kano.

Optimistic that Nigeria will overcome the worrisome disability confronting it, he urged the Christian faithful not to renege on their faith in God.

“We need God intervention to bail us out of the predicaments facing us as a nation.

“Our gathering in Kano today is an expression of our love and faith in our country Nigeria for God to hear our prayer and heal the land.

“We are bringing before our Lord the myriads of our problems: insecurity, banditry, murders, political, economic and social problems. God, help us find solution to all these problems that have given our country a bad image.

“Lord, hear our sincere confession of our wrongs in the past and present and forgive us as a people and nation. We ask for forgiveness and mercy. Lord, heal our nation and heal us individually and collectively,” Gowon, who is the chairman and convener of Nigeria Prays, said.

As Head of State, Gowon presided over the controversial Nigerian Civil War in 1967.

The Civil War is listed as one of the deadliest in modern history, with some accusing Gowon of crimes against humanity and genocide.

Gowon maintains that he committed no wrongdoing during the war and that his leadership saved the country.

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Presidential Amnesty Programme Moves To Stop Monthly N65,000 Stipend For Ex-Niger Delta Militants

The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) has said it is high time the ex-agitators graduated from the mentality of receiving N65,000 monthly stipends.

Speaking to leaders of the second phase amnesty programme in Yenagoa at the weekend, Dikio regretted that the ex-agitators had allowed the stipends to stop them from harnessing their entrepreneurial potential.

Describing the stipend as inadequate, he challenged the ex-agitators to wear their thinking caps and key into PAP's vision of making them successful entrepreneurs to enable them to exit the stipend regime.

He said it was only reasonable to end the Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) aspect of the programme to begin a post-DDR phase of the scheme.

Dikio said for the region to move forward, the scheme must be changed from 'amnesty' to the Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme (NDSP).
He said with the current status "there are things we can't do and there are countries we can't enter".

He said: "We must establish the Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme. We must change that name, terminate the DDR, and open another thing. I have operated DDR in Cameroon and Angola. As far as this name 'amnesty' remains, there are things that we can't do and there are countries we can't enter. We can't make progress sitting in one place. My job is to make you think beyond the N65,000 mentality."

He said the PAP was offering a platform to the ex-agitators through the cooperative model to enable them to develop and own functional businesses, adding that all the beneficiaries of the scheme must organise themselves under cooperatives.

"You must think of how you can graduate from stipends after 11 years. I am offering you a platform. You have to form yourselves into cooperatives. You are better than this stronghold of N65,000," he said.

Dikio also asked the ex-militants and other youths in the Niger Delta to stop blocking major roads for protests and issuing ultimatums to oil companies to leave the region.

He said such public display of violent behaviour was part of the reasons why most persons outside the region claimed the Niger Delta was not safe.

"This kind of behaviour is making people say it is not safe here. I was to organise a workshop and I chose Port Harcourt, Owerri, and Warri. But they turned it down and I said I would not hold the conference in Abuja. If you are not choosing any of the venues then keep your conference. They later chose Port Harcourt.

"We must all begin to think of how to bring companies back to the Niger Delta. If they are not here, your PhD is in vain. We have told you that after your scholarship, you must work first for Niger Delta for two years. It is up to you and me to make the Niger Delta a better place.

"We will graduate the programme to Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme. Do you want to stay in a house where the landlord wakes up every time and asks you to leave? Then why are you quick in giving oil companies a quit notice?

"Why will you go and block roads? What about the people passing through the road? If you want to prosper, do you open your shop or close it? You must open it," he added.

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Presidential Amnesty Programme Moves To Stop Monthly N65,000 Stipend For Ex-Niger Delta Militants

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Pastor RUGA Osinbajo: Nigeria’s New Chief Tax Collector! By Bayo Oluwasanmi

Vice-President Pastor RUGA Osinbajo is Nigeria’s new chief tax collector assigned to levy and collect taxes from giant tech and digital companies like Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Speaking on behalf of Buhari’s despotic government, Pastor RUGA said Buhari regime will utilize its legal provisions to collect taxes on giant tech and digital companies in Nigeria. Pastor RUGA is known for executing failed projects: RUGA, open grazing routes, n-Power, Tradermoni, etc. This latest assignment will suffer the same fate.

By imposing punitive taxes on tech giants and digital companies is going through the back door to control the internet. It is certain that the multiplier effect of such prohibitive taxes will trickle down to consumers. Why do we want to tax ideas? How do we tax exchange of ideas in the market place of ideas? Buhari’s government has never disguised its opposition to social media. The regime is so scared of social media for exposing the evils being perpetrated by the government.

I beiieve this latest move is an attempt to regulate or control the internet for political motives: (1) To ban opposition activists from mobilizing their followers on line. (2) To contain the information that is critical of the regime. (3) To spy on Nigerians to identify potential dissenters.

Taxes collected from other sources - VAT, personal income tax, corporate tax, property tax, gasoline tax, etc., were never utilized for any meaningful purposes. Instead, the big sharks and whales of corruption siphoned every kobo. So, what’s the need to collect new taxes that will end up in the pockets of the thieves?

Pastor RUGA, what happened to Buhari-Osinbajo campaign promises of: two million jobs every two years, two million public housing units every two years, 24/7 uninterrupted supply of electricity, healthcare, safety and security, end of Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists? Instead of fighting for these and many more, Pastor RUGA is busy chasing the shadow up and down. He’s busy expanding tyrannical scope of the oppressive Buhari regime.

Pastor RUGA, you have embarrassed and humiliated yourself enough. Stop poking fun at yourself. Take the honorable exit from Buhari’s reign of terror - return to the classroom at UNILAG. Your students are waiting!

bjoluwasanmi@gmail.com

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Nigerian Government Arraigns Whistle-blower Who Exposed Governor Masari's N52billion Security Vote Fraud In Katsina

Mahdi Shehu

The Nigerian government has arraigned a businessman, Muhammad Mahdi Shehu, who petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged multi-billion naira fraud by the Katsina State Government before a Federal High Court sitting in Kano.

Shehu had in July 2020 petitioned the EFCC to investigate Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state for alleged misappropriation and misapplication of over N52 billion spent as security vote in the state from June 2015 to April 29, 2020.

Mahdi Shehu

He claimed that the daily attacks by bandits in the state call for serious questions on sincerity in the security management by the state government.

Instead of working on the petition, Mahdi was arrested for allegedly inciting the public against Masari, his government, and the secretary to the state government, Mustapha Inuwa.

Shehu, who was arraigned on six counts on Monday of alleged Criminal Defamation, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The Prosecution Counsel in the case, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Simon Lough, while presenting the charges before the court, accused the whistle-blower of an alleged violation of his bail conditions and publishing 32 new defamation episode from March to June 28, 2021, against Governor Bello Aminu Masari on the internet. See Also Legal Mahdi Shehu, Katsina Whistleblower, Granted Bail 0 Comments 3 Months Ago

The case with the title, “FG vs Muhammad Mahdi and Dialogue Global Ltd”, has one count against Mahdi who accused Masari of squandering N52 billion of Katsina Treasury Funds.

Count two of the charges alleged that Mahdi accused Masari during an interview granted on Freedom Radio Station of allegedly squandering billions of naira belonging to the state.

Count three of the charges bordered on an allegation against Masari by Mahdi who accused the governor of approving N500 million for the All Progressives Congress' meetings in Abuja. See Also Human Rights Katsina Court Stops Arrest Of Human Rights Activist, Mahdi Shehu 0 Comments 6 Months Ago

After carefully listening to all the charges against him, Muhammad Mahdi pleaded not guilty to all of them.

The Presiding Judge, Justice A. Lima adjourned the case to July 26 and 27, 2021 for hearing.

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