Metro

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2023 METRO

Poverty alleviation: AMAC women receive financial support in Nyanya

By Stanley Onyekwere

No fewer than 250 indigent women from different communities across Nyanya/Karu ward of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), have received cash donations, to help boost their businesses and support their families.

Presenting the gifts to beneficiaries in Abuja over the weekend, the Zonal Secretary, North Central, of the All Progressives Congress, Hon Yakubu Muhammed Adamu, said the global economic crisis calls for more intervention for women, as they are more likely to transfer the benefits to their families.

Adamu, who explained that the initiative is an annual project of his wife, which started nine years ago, noted that it has so far supported over a thousand vulnerable women and widows in the Nyanya/Karu ward, empowering them with entrepreneurial capita and skills that can enable them become self reliant.

He lauded the qualities of the APC Senatorial candidate for FCT, Hon. Angulu Dobi, said the 2 time chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council and former Secretary of the FCT Transport Secretariat, is a seasoned and committed grassroot politician who will contribute to the success of the party in the forthcoming election.

Also, some political heavyweights from the APC who graced the event, urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the money to expand their businesses while supporting their families.

In her remarks, the FCT Minister of State Dr Ramatu Aliyu, commended Hon. Adamu for the initiative to empower women whom she recognised as critical to political victory.

The minister, who was represented by her Special Assistant on Political Matters, Abubakar Adenike, used the opportunity to call on women to support the party in the forthcoming general elections.

Similarly, the Chairman of the FCT chapter of APC, Hon Abdulmalik Usman, commended the Zonal Secretary and his wife for the laudable project which he said is reflective of the humane ad Progressives nature of the APC.

He urged participants and beneficiaries to ensure victory of the APC at the national assembly, pledging that the APC candidates will push for laws that will allow for more seats for the FCT in the national assembly.

“The opposition has been in the national assembly for years now, but how many laws have they sponsored asking for more seats for FCT residents or even mayoral seat for Abuja? They are just there for their own personal interest. With the APC at the Senate and House of Representatives, I assure you that we will get more slots at the national assembly and push for mayoral position for Abuja.”

Not left out, Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Community Relations, Hon. Yamawo Tanko, who commended the Yakubu’s for the initiative, said it inspire him and others to replicate same in their respective communities, thereby reducing poverty in the Territory.

He also used the occasion to other stakeholders to contribute towards reducing poverty, through touching the lives of the downtrodden around them.

On his part, the Senatorial candidate of the APC seeking to occupy the FCT lone-seat at the Nigerian Senate, in the forthcoming 2023 general elections, Hon. Angulu Dobi, described the gesture as a laudable intervention that would help improve the welfare of the people of FCT.

Dobi, however, stressed that it will not longer be business as usual where the opposition sits tight at the red chamber.

Rano petroleum station at Gwagwalada on fire It started when the tanker carrying fuel was about to offload the PMS yesterday .

School Administrators, students tasked on early resumption practice

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Mandate Secretary, of the FCT Administration’s Education Secretariat, Malam Sani El-Katuzu, has admonished School Administrators to initiate measures and policies that will make all students , both Day and Boarding resume school on the first day of resumption, after holidays.

El-Katuzu specifically advised pupils and students that waste first week at home, to change their attitude, so as to not disrupt their learning process. He gave the charge during inspection tour of schools in Kwali Area Council, to ascertain level of resumption compliance in Abuja, also encouraged students to shun every vices like bullying, drug abuse, stealing, Cultism, and take their studies seriously to become great in life.

The Secretary who rated the schools visited average in the turn out of pupils and students on the first week of resumption for the second term of the 2022/2023 academic session , however appealed to parents and guardians to always prepare their wards ahead of resumption to avoid delaying them.

He added that the FCT Administration is not unaware of the difficulties some parents go through, but insisted that they do their best to ensure that the students don’t miss out in test and first week lessons.

“Our observation in City Center is that students resume almost immediately. But unfortunately in Kwali,we have some little difference. The resumption is not too poor, but actually not too good. We expect a situation where students turnout will be more than 60%”

“We have spoken to the school Administrators to use their initiative to see that they introduce policies that will attract students to resume school immediately. However, we are also aware that because of the security situation, especially in Kwali and Abaji, sometimes, resumption is not as immediate as expected.

“But, that not withstanding, we will continue to talk to school Administrators to ensure that students resume on time” El-Katuzu explained.

On his part, the Principal Government Science Technical College Kwali, Mr. Oyawale Olusegun noted that most of the parents whose children were yet to resume, gave excuses that they have not being able to prepare their children back to school due the impart of the harsh economic realities.

He said:” nearly 50% are yet to resume; the reason being that some parents are complaining that they are yet to prepare fully for the coming of their children. But we started lesson since on Monday, February 9”.

Not left out, the Principal of the Kwali Government Secondary School, Ogonye Yakubu Shadrach, who revealed that the school has a total number of 1200 students, said over 1100 have resumed and lessons commenced since Monday with first test written by students on every subject.

According to him: “ The Students population so far is within the range of 95% turnout.The total number of students is 1200.

“ We went round the classes and the classes are almost filled up. The first two days were used for opening test. After the test teaching commenced fully”.