Articles by Godwin Enna,Toby Moses

Technology

Katsina Governor Radda Reshuffles His Cabinet

Katsina State governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has carried out a major shake-up in his cabinet, redeploying several commissioners and appointing two new special advisers in a move aimed at strengthening governance and improving service delivery across the state. In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, the reshuffle exercise takes immediate effect and was designed to realign the administration’s focus in line with its ‘Building Your Future’ Agenda. As part of the changes, Hon. Adnan Nahabu has been named Commissioner for Higher, Vocational and Technical Education, while Prof. Ahmad Muhammad Bakori, formerly of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, now heads the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development. Hon. Aliyu Lawal Zakari has been moved from the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to the Ministry of Agriculture, and Hajiya Zainab Musa Musawa has been redeployed from Basic and Secondary Education to the Ministry of Special Duties. The shake-up also saw Hon. Yusuf Suleiman Jibia takes charge as Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, while Engr. Surajo Yazid Abukur becomes the new Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development. In another key appointment, Hajiya Aisha Aminu, former Director-General of the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), now assumes duty as Commissioner for Women Affairs. Governor Radda also approved the appointment of Hajiya Hadiza Abubakar Yar’Adua as his Special Adviser on Nutrition and Welfare Services, and Isa Muhammad Musa as Special Adviser on Cultural Orientation. Governor Radda congratulated the new appointees and urged them to view their appointments as a call to renewed service rather than a reward. He emphasised the need for loyalty, efficiency, and alignment with the administration’s development vision. “This cabinet reshuffle is part of our effort to enhance coordination, deepen expertise, and accelerate the delivery of critical government programmes in education, health, agriculture, youth development, women empowerment, and social welfare,” the statement quoted the governor as saying. The governor expressed confidence that the new structure would inject fresh energy into his administration and strengthen its capacity to meet the needs of Katsina State people.

Technology

FUDMA Gets New Vice Chancellor

The Governing Council of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) in Katsina State has appointed Professor Mohammed Khalid Othman as the new substantive Vice Chancellor of the institution. The announcement was announced by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Ali Abubakar Jatau, after the 36th Special Meeting of the Council held at the Grand Amber Hotel and Suites, Dutse, Jigawa State. According to Jatau, Prof. Othman emerged after a rigorous and transparent selection process involving 17 shortlisted applicants, drawn from a pool of 28 candidates and three additional nominees identified by the Search Team. The Council considered the top three performing candidates before eventually approving Prof. Othman’s appointment. Born on July 22, 1962, in Bindawa Local Government Area of Katsina State, Prof. Othman is an Agricultural Engineer with a distinguished academic and administrative record. He obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. degrees from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he also served in various academic and leadership capacities. He is a former Executive Director of the National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (NAERLS), ABU Zaria, and until his appointment, he served as an internal member of the FUDMA Governing Council, representing the Senate. Prof. Othman, who is married with nine children, brings to the office decades of experience as a scholar, researcher, and administrator.

Technology

10-yr-old Girl Rescued After 7 Years Of Abuse In Kaduna

A 10-year-old girl from Wuna Zhide, Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State, who was subjected to years of abuse by her caregiver in Rigasa, Kaduna State, has been rescued and reunited with her biological father through the intervention of Save the Children International (SCI) under the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) campaign. The girl, who was handed over to her caregiver, identified as Fatima Mamud, at a tender age, reportedly suffered physical assault, starvation, and emotional trauma for about seven years before she escaped. She was discovered by the Save the Children team while they were carrying out routine child protection monitoring in the Ungwan Makama area of Rigasa. According to SCI Case worker, Zanab Abdulkarim, the child fled her caregiver’s home after enduring another round of beating and hunger. She was found wandering and in distress before being taken into protective custody of the Mai Ungwan. The Mai Ungwan Hayin Torotoro, Ungwan Makama, Lawal Abdul Fatima, commended the Save the Children team for their continuous efforts in rescuing and reuniting children who are victims of abuse or neglect. “We have seen several similar cases in this community. When this particular girl was brought to me, she insisted she did not want to return to her caregiver. I immediately requested that her biological father should come personally to take her home,” he said Lawal noted that the SCI intervention has helped reunite many children with their families and called for greater vigilance among parents and neighbors to report suspected cases of abuse. The Child Protection Committee (CPC) chairman in Rigasa, Salisu Sali’u, also confirmed that the area recorded numerous cases of child abuse daily. “We receive close to 10 cases of child abuse in a single day,” he said. “Many of these children either flee from home due to maltreatment or are found wandering the streets. We are working closely with security agencies to stop such acts.” Sali’u urged parents to take full responsibility for their children’s welfare and to avoid sending them to live with relatives, stepmothers, or guardians without supervision. The girl’s father, Danladi Usman, described the incident as “deeply unfortunate,” saying he had trusted the caregiver to provide education and care for his daughter. “I thought I was helping her by sending her to the city,” he said. “I never imagined she was going through such suffering. I thank Save the Children and the ECW campaign for saving her life and reuniting us.” The incident in Rigasa highlighted the growing trend of informal child fostering and its dangers in northern Nigeria, where many children are sent to live with extended relatives or acquaintances under promises of better care but end up in exploitative situations. Community leaders and child protection advocates continued to call for stronger collaboration between local authorities, civil society, and families to ensure children’s safety. “This is not an isolated case,” said CPC chairman Salisu Sali’u. “We must all stand up to protect children. No child should suffer in silence.”