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Eid-El-Kabir: Sultan Felicitates With Muslims, Nigerians

Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of thr Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSICIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar has felicitated with the Nigerian Muslims on the occasion of 2019 Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
In a statement by Professor Salisu Shehu, Deputy Secretary General, NSCIA, the Sultan prayed to Allah to grant faithfuls the opportunity to witness many more of it.
The statement read, “the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, felicitated with the Nigerian Muslim Ummah and indeed the entire Muslim world on the auspicious occasion of the 1440 AH ‘Eidel Adha celebrations. We beseech Allah to grant us the opportunity to witness many more of it.
“According to the Sunnah of the noble Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Muslims who are not on pilgrimage in the Holy Land are encouraged to fast on the day of ‘Arafat and engage themselves in acts of worship and veneration to Allah, believing that with sincerity of intentions, He will forgive their transgressions and overlook their short-comings of the preceding and succeeding years as well as admit them to His Jannah.
“We, therefore, ask Allah to accept our ‘ibadat, increase our ‘iman and grant us protection, contentment and grateful hearts throughout the first ten days of this month and most especially on the Arafat Day.
“Fellow servants of Allah, in celebrating this year’s ‘Eidel Adha, we must not lose sight of the moral and spiritual reasons for the Season. ‘Eidel Adha is a period of introspection and soul searching. It symbolizes sacrifice, which was sufficiently demonstrated by our patriarch – Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH).
“Making sacrifice for the collective good of all and posterity (a key component that is missing in our national life, which is partly responsible for the quagmire we have found ourselves in) is one of the major themes for ‘Eid. Our patriarch was willing to let go (sacrifice) that which he cherished most – his only son, Isma’il — as sacrifice in obedience to Allah’s dictates. (Q37:102)
“In the same vein, the Council fervently appeals to our millions of brothers and sisters to continue to emulate the example of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) in making the needed sacrifice to keep the country united and to honour the labour of our heroes past.
“The Council is worried that the security situation in the country has degenerated rapidly from a state of benign manageability to that of intractable malignancy in recent times. This situation, which seems to preoccupy the attention of the Federal Government at the expense of other issues in the socio-political and economic spectra, appears increasingly problematic.
“The situation is further exacerbated by the political polemics and hate speeches by separatists disguised as statesmen, which have greatly undermined social cohesion and eroded our shared values as Nigerians.
“The Council hereby calls on the Federal Government to be decisive in dealing with those who are bent on heating the polity with hate speeches in the country, no matter how highly placed they may be.
“It is on this note that we urge Muslims in the country to be security conscious while they also remain very prayerful as they celebrate ‘Eidel Adha. NSCIA appeals to the relevant authorities to beef up security for all Nigerians especially in the places of worship and places of important events and gatherings during the Eid celebrations.
“The Council calls on all Muslims in Nigeria to be good ambassadors of Islam as we continue to promote peace, and eschew all forms of any anti- social behaviour that may be inimical to peace, national cohesion and stability.
“Finally, we beseech Allah to restore peace and stability to all the troubled parts of our great country and the world at large. Also, we pray that Allah grant our President, Muhammadu Buhari, sound health and divine wisdom to lead our great nation to enviable heights.
“Once again, ‘Eid Mubarak and taqabalaLlaahu minnaa wa minkum!”
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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