Fresh violence hits Zamfara, 3 people beheaded as Ag. Gov. escapes death

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The acting governor of Zamfara State, who is also the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Sanusi Garba Rikiji, escaped death by the whiskers at the Tudun Kuya in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of the state on Friday, following a mob attack on his convoy by Hausa youths said to be protesting compensation paid to families of three Fulani youths killed by vigilance groups in the village.

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Health Technology Student impregnates, kills 17-year-old girl in Zamfara

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26-year-old student of health technology has been arrested by the police in Zamfara State for allegedly abducting, impregnating and killing a 17-year-old girl, Bela’u.

The suspect, Bello was arrested following the death of the girl after he took her to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gusau, in an effort to stop excess bleeding by the victim, resulting from alleged attempt to abort a five-month-old pregnancy.

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2013 Hajj: Zamfara drops 366 intending Pilgrims

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The Zamfara Government on Wednesday announced that it would drop 366 intending pilgrims to the 2013 Hajj in Saudi Arabia. The Deputy Governor and Chairman of the state Task Force Committee on Hajj, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, stated this in Gusau after the committee’s meeting. He told newsmen that the reduction was a result of the 20 per cent cut in the number of pilgrims performing this year’s Hajj by the Saudi Authorities. Wakkala said the situation would bring down the number of Zamfara pilgrims from 4,088 to 3, 712. He disclosed that over 5000 intending pilgrims had registered with the committee and that a total of 4,441 had paid their fares for the trip to Saudi Arabia. The deputy governor assured that those performing the Hajj for the first time would be given priority, while those that missed the chance to travel would be given high consideration in 2014. Wakkala said that the state government had made adequate arrangements for the success of this year’s pilgrimage.

Former Gov Of Zamfara State, Ahmed Yerima Arrested In Kaduna

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Former Governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Yerima has been arrested by the Kaduna State Police Command.  Although details of the arrest are sketchy at the moment, LEADERSHIP gathered that Yerima was picked up following his responses in an interview on the FRCN Kaduna Hausa programme, Hanu Da Yauwa, where he reportedly made sensitive comments on politics in Nigeria generally.  A reliable source told LEADERSHIP that the action was taken following an order from Abuja,  He is currently being interrogated by the state Commissioner of police

64 Dead, 302 Injured In Zamfara Road Accidents

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Zamfara State Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Sector Commander, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar, has said that  64 persons died in 102 road traffic accidents involving 121 vehicles in Zamfara during the Ember months last year.

Abubakar made the fact known in an interview with newsmen in Gusau yesterday, pointing out that the situation was in spite of the intensive safe driving public awareness campaign by FRSC. He said 302 persons sustained various degrees of injuries in the accidents and attributed the high death toll to reckless driving by commercial vehicle drivers.

Zamfara to boost education with two percent deduction from contracts

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Zamfara State Government is to establish a law compelling all its contractors to give two per cent of their contract sum in order to boost the education sector.

Governor Abdulaziz Yari said this on Wednesday while receiving individual reports on education from all the emirate councils in the state, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

He explained that already, he had sent a bill to the state house of assembly requesting the legislators to review the law on the deductions from one per cent to two per cent as mandatory tax deductions from state government contracts, which would be added to education development in the state.

The governor, who set up the emirates’ education committees three weeks ago, noted that the state government could not handle educational development in the state alone.

Yari said with contributions received from contracts and other sources, it would allow the state government service other sectors such as healthcare, road construction, improvement of social welfare and provision of good drinking water.

He said from the reports submitted, the state government was now saddled with the responsibility of educating a total of 548,000 primary school aged children.

“So, we will have to review this year’s budgetary allocation to the education sector to about N5 billion, including collections from the Universal Basic Education Commission, in order to meet the target,” he said.

Yari said that various projects were currently ongoing under the Ministry of Education as well as that of science and technology, such as the building of staff quarters, expansion of schools and provision of furniture and learning materials.

The governor, who also set up a nine-man committee headed by Prof. Abdullahi Shinkafi, urged the committee to compile a summary of all the emirates’ submissions within three days in order to allow the state government start execution.

He also warned contractors handling projects under the sector to speed up and finish the projects or face the consequences.

He gave the contractors the next 30 days within which to finish their projects or have the projects transferred to more competent contractors.

Yari said that the state government had paid up all its contractual obligations, adding that funds meant for the payment of on-going projects had been in the state government coffers for the last seven months.

He said “anyone who completes his work, will be paid immediately.”

NAN reports that the concern of the governor on the development of the education sector had led to the setting up of a high-powered committee in 2011 to assess the problems of primary education.

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Source : punchng[dot]com