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Ganduje lambasts Yusuf over court papers theft claim

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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, on Thursday, described as ridiculous and unreasonable the insinuation by the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, that he (Ganduje) hired miscreants masquerading as protesters to break into the state high court and steal some ‘sensitive documents’ relating to his (Ganduje’s) corruption trial.

The Yusuf-led state government filed at least two corruption charges against Ganduje, including one in which the ex-governor, his wife, Hafsat, son, Umar and others were accused of $413,000 and N1.38bn bribery.

In a statement on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Ganduje said Yusuf’s claim about stolen court documents called into question his capacity to handle Kano State’s security and judicial system.

Describing Yusuf’s claim as disingenuous, Ganduje said even if miscreants took away the documents in the court’s custody, what about the copy with the government’s lawyer handling the case?

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Yusuf had on Wednesday told newsmen in Kano that ‘enemies of the state hired undesirable elements’ to vandalise the state high court, considered one of the state’s historic public buildings, and carted away the corruption charges files of the APC national chairman.

The governor made the statement after he paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the court, which was vandalised by hoodlums during the recent nationwide anti-hunger protests.

According to him, it was obvious that the vandals were on a sponsored mission.

But Ganduje’s aide said they found the allegation as preposterous and baseless.

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He said, “It is laughable that governance has been reduced to a huge joke in Kano where a state government could condescend low to suggesting that demonstrators broke into a court and carefully selected documents relating to the trial of the APC national chairman, handpicked and take them away in this digital age.

“No discerning mind will buy into this pedestrian propaganda. What happened to the documents with the government’s lawyers? The state government is bereft of ideas on how to run the affairs of the state and has always resorted to churning out myriads of corruption allegations against Ganduje and his family, who served the state diligently.

“This claim is nothing more than a desperate attempt by Governor Yusuf’s administration to divert attention from their culpability in the violence that erupted in the state. The insinuation that such critical documents could be carted away during a protest is a clear indication of the state’s growing incompetence in handling both security and legal matters.

“Governor Yusuf should understand that the words and actions of leaders carry weight and have dire consequences. We stand with the people of Kano and call on all well-meaning citizens to remain calm and law-abiding while the authorities conduct their investigations.”

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FG announces April deadline for completion of East-West Road

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The Federal Government has directed the contractor handling the Eleme section of the East-West Road to expedite drainage work to meet the April deadline for completion.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the directive during an inspection of the ongoing 15km road upgrade from Eleme Junction to Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.

While commending Reynolds Construction Company Nigeria Limited for the quality of work done, Umahi insisted that the drainage must be prioritised to ensure timely completion.

“RCC has done very well. The work completed in the past two months is more than what was done since the project started. However, the project slowed down significantly when the site manager went on leave. I’m happy to see him back and satisfied with the quality of work RCC is delivering,” Umahi stated.

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He emphasised the need to test existing road shoulders before excavation, warning against unnecessary digging for financial gains.

“The existing shoulder has to be tested throughout. I don’t want them digging up areas filled with sharp sand and stone base just to increase costs. If they don’t test it and request approval for any section they dig, they won’t get paid,” he warned.

Umahi also observed that drainage construction had either stopped or slowed significantly, urging the contractor to redesign and precast drainage systems for quicker installation, even during the rainy season.

“I’m happy with the project’s progress, and I believe they will complete the carriageway by the end of April. However, if drainage work is not completed, the project remains unfinished. They must accelerate drainage work to ensure we clear this carriageway by April,” he stated.

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The minister further directed that any section of the road that has remained untouched for 21 days after concrete casting should be opened to commuters to ease traffic congestion.

“Anywhere that has stayed 21 days since concrete was cast should be opened to road users, starting today. This concrete technology will ensure the road lasts between 50 and 100 years without maintenance or reconstruction. It is a signature project of President Bola Tinubu,” he added.

Umahi also inspected the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway, Section IV (Aba–Port Harcourt), which is being handled by the Chinese Construction Engineering Company.

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Reasons behind extreme heat conditions in FCT, Niger, Kogi – NiMet

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The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has given reasons for the high temperatures residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, Kogi and few other states are currently experiencing.

The current maximum temperature in the listed states is 40°C and the minimum is 23°C.

The Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) released last month by the agency shows that most of the northern and central states would record day-time temperatures ranging between 37°C and 40°C, while parts of Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Plateau states in the North as well as Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, part of Cross River and Delta states in the South are expected to record temperatures ranging between 34°C and 37°C this month.

The agency attributed the high temperatures to climate change and advised Nigerians to embrace a lifestyle switch.

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Residents of the states experiencing high temperatures are advised to avoid exposure to direct sunlight between noon and 3 p.m.

There are also indications that this year may be hotter than last year, which was described as the hottest year.

NiMet’s Director of Weather Services, Prof. Vincent Weli, announced this while speaking on phone with The Nation yesterday. He said: “Everything is embedded in the climate change theory. Every experience we are having now is a result of climate change. The hotness, in general, is because of climate change.

“Abuja, Lokoja, and Minna are located within the same ecological zone and these towns share the same weather pattern. Whatever happens to Lokoja will affect Minna and Abuja because they are in the same route of the flow of wind and also lie within the same climatic zone. Also, these towns have the same vegetation pattern.

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“So, since they are within the same climatic belt, everything that affects Minna and the FCT will affect Lokoja accordingly. The heat is affecting everywhere, not just these towns mentioned. We said last year was the hottest in the history of the earth but this year already is trying to beat it to become the hottest.

“So, as the year increases, it’s obvious that we are going to have higher temperatures. I don’t know where we are headed with this trend, but something needs to be done to reverse the trend.”

To make the best of the situation, Prof. Weli said: “What can reverse the trend is for us to encourage every activity of man that will reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, such as the use of electric cars, solar power and planting of trees.

“These will be other sources of energy other than the use of diesel and petrol and other hydrocarbon compounds that we use as sources of power. Also, we should plant more trees to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The more we plant trees, the more we reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the more we increase the oxygen.”

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The NiMet director urged residents of the affected states with high temperatures to take necessary action to overcome the hot weather.

He said: “In order not to experience what we call heat stroke, people should drink more water often, keep themselves off the direct impact of sunlight between 12 p.m (noon) and 3 p.m. If people do not expose their bodies to the direct impact of sunlight, it will reduce water loss from the system.

“So, people should drink more water than necessary. Otherwise, their systems will be dehydrated, and that will cause secondary health issues.”

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JAMB begins sales of  2025 direct entry forms March 12

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Registration for this year’s Direct Entry (DE) form will begin tomorrow, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said.

The board said the registration process is crucial for those who possess degrees, diplomas, or A-Level certificates and wish to advance their education at their preferred universities.

JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, announced this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

The statement said the announcement for the commencement of the DE sales followed the successful conclusion of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) application sales, which ended on Saturday, March 8.

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“During this period, JAMB recorded a total of 2,030,627 registrations for the 2025 UTME, along with 200,115 for the Mock-UTME and 630 applications for the trial mock,” the statement said.

It added: “JAMB has emphasised the importance of adhering to all entry requirements, warning that serious penalties will be imposed on applications containing false declarations. A special committee will verify all submitted Advanced A-Level Qualifications, and any fraudulent results will lead to prosecution. Additionally, institutions are encouraged to directly verify certificates before considering admissions.

“Registration can only be done at JAMB Professional Registration Centres (PRC).”

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