As Muslims worldwide commence the 2025 Ramadan fasting, the Jigawa State government launched its annual Ramadan Feeding Programme to provide meals for over 5.3 million people during the holy month.

While the initiative may appear to be some form of support for the indigent, it transcends mere charity, encompassing empowerment, job creation, poverty alleviation, and fostering economic growth and development.

According to the economic theory of the multiplier effect, one dollar spent on fiscal stimulus eventually creates more than one dollar in growth. Government intervention in economic processes is important for battling unemployment, underemployment, and low economic demand.

This theory appeared to be a classical interpretation of the Jigawa state government’s Ramadan Feeding Programme.

The programme’s unique approach lies in its mechanism: sourcing food items locally, preparing meals within beneficiary communities, employing local cooks—primarily women—and implementing robust monitoring and supervision systems. These features distinguish it from conventional feeding schemes.

When Governor Malam Umar Namadi approved the allocation of over N4.8 billion for the programme, some critics, seemingly disconnected from societal realities and lacking human compassion, were quick to condemn the initiative.

However, engaging with such narrow-minded persons is neither relevant nor necessary. Anyone with a sense of empathy, regardless of social, ethnic, or religious background, understands the significance of providing even a single meal to those in need.

Imagine the impact of feeding hundreds of thousands of underprivileged individuals who spend the whole day fasting, uncertain about their next meal. Even for those who do not believe in the divine, such a feeding arrangement deserves commendation.

The government is responsible for supporting citizens in fulfilling their moral and spiritual obligations, not just their economic and material needs.

Reflectively, the Jigawa State government, under Governor Namadi’s leadership, first introduced the Ramadan Feeding Programme in 2024, shortly after the removal of fuel subsidies. The initiative was further enhanced and expanded for 2025.

Under the 2025 programme, two feeding centres were established in each of the state’s 287 political wards, with additional centres set up in higher institutions and major markets. A total of 690 vendors were contracted to supply cooked meals directly to these centres.

The programme has also created employment opportunities for 3,312 women cooks selected from within the beneficiary communities. Each centre will serve meals to over 265 people daily, with the approved menu including Kunu, Kosai, and Jollof Rice. For 30 days, the program will feed 185,000 people every day.

While briefing the 30 selected food vendors tasked with managing the programme across the state’s 30 constituencies, Governor Namadi emphasised that all vendors were chosen based on merit and are Jigawa State indigenes.

Governor Namadi directed the vendors to ensure that all food items are sourced locally within their constituencies. For instance, a vendor from Auyo is prohibited from sourcing ingredients from Hadejia. Additionally, vendors were instructed to hire cooks from outside their families to broaden the program’s economic impact.

The governor reiterated that the feeding programme aligns with his administration’s policy of empowering citizens through entrepreneurship. The initiative is designed to promote prosperity and growth by stimulating local economies and creating sustainable livelihoods.

The programme is overseen by the Office of the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. Auwal Dalladi Sankara, while the feeding exercise is managed by a 40-member committee chaired by the State Commissioner for Basic Education, Hon. Yunusa Danzomo.

Commissioner Sankara disclosed that all food vendors underwent comprehensive training and sensitization to ensure the delivery of high-quality meals to beneficiaries.

The state government has equally approved a speacial package of food items to be distributed to all civil servants as Ramadan gesture.

In collaboration with local government chairmen, the ministry also trained women cooks, emphasizing personal and environmental hygiene during food preparation and beyond.

The government has adopted stringent measures to ensure the delivery of hygienic and nutritious meals to beneficiaries.

Governor Namadi assured vendors and cooks that the program would economically empower them while warning against any breaches of public trust.

He vowed to take decisive action against any violations of contractual agreements or compromises in the quality of meals provided.

The Jigawa State Ramadan Feeding Program stands as a testament to the government’s commitment to holistic development, combining compassion and a welfarist approach with strategic economic empowerment. It is a model that other states and nations could emulate to address both immediate needs and long-term growth.

 

 

A university lecturer in Ekiti State, Israel Dada, has been left in shock and outrage after a notorious robber, identified as Ayomide, mysteriously escaped from police custody after allegedly stabbing his wife, Mary, multiple times inside their home at the Bode Thomas Housing Estate, Ogbomoso Road, Ofameta, Oyo State.

In an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, the devastated husband made a heartfelt appeal to Nigerians, particularly the police hierarchy, to ensure justice was served by tracking down and re-arresting the escaped suspect so he could face the full weight of the law.

TheNigerian Metro gathered that the suspect, notorious for robbery and theft, was apprehended by community members shortly after he attacked the woman with a sharp knife on February 1, 2025, stabbing her multiple times and leaving her fighting for her life.

Although the suspect was handed over to the police after a successful manhunt by some residents, the distraught husband was shocked and dismayed when officers at the Atiba Police Division informed the family that the suspect had escaped custody.

Dada lamented, “She had several deep cuts and was bleeding profusely. The community caught him and took him to the police station. The police told us they took him to the hospital.

“But to our shock, on Monday morning, they claimed he had escaped from the hospital where he was receiving treatment when an officer was watching him. How does a violent robbery suspect just disappear from police custody? The police have not explained. I suspect they connived with his relatives to set him free.

“The suspect was not even taken to a government hospital. This is injustice. There is a conspiracy to keep this criminal away from prosecution, and I demand justice for my wife.”

Sharing her harrowing experience in a separate interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, Mary recalled, “I got back from Ibadan around 4:30 p.m. and opened our gate when our small dog suddenly began barking uncontrollably. I kept talking to it, unaware that the robber was inside the house, silently watching me the whole time.”

She told TheNigerian Metro that her instincts kicked in when the barking didn’t stop, forcing her to begin to check the compound, but before she could react, the suspect appeared with a knife.

“As I raised my head, this boy was already in front of me. He held a knife to my neck and said he would kill me if I made a sound. Before I could think, he started stabbing me. He stabbed my forehead and nose more than 10 times.

“I begged him to tell me what he wanted, but he kept stabbing me. He took my purse with just N4,000 and then, before running away, stabbed me in the eye! I stumbled out of the house, bleeding everywhere until a resident of the estate rushed me to the hospital. I have not been myself since then.”

Efforts to get an official response from the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, proved futile as he neither answered calls nor responded to text messages, but a senior officer at the Atiba Police Division confirmed to TheNigerian Metro that the suspect broke the handcuffs and escaped while receiving treatment.

“The suspect was badly beaten by the community and was unconscious. He was handcuffed at the hospital, but the officer guarding him left in the morning to change his clothes. Before he returned, the suspect had broken free from the handcuffs and vanished,” the officer disclosed.

The cop added, “We have gone to his father’s house, but the man said he had disowned him. His grandmother also refused to help. We are working tirelessly to re-arrest him and will not rest until he is caught.”

TheNigerian Metro reports this is not the first time a suspect has mysteriously vanished from police custody. In 2024, one of the alleged killers of Chinedu Ukwu, a teenager who was fatally stabbed on April 3 in Arochukwu, Abia State, also reportedly escaped from detention.

Despite the family’s relentless calls for justice, the suspect remains at large, with no concrete explanation from the state police division.

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken another dimension as the camp loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday conducted the South-South PDP Zonal Congress in Calabar, Cross River State, despite a court order against the exercise.

This is even as the National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP said the party is not in any way involved in the said gathering in Calabar.

PDP insisted it has not conducted its South South Zonal Congress.

According to report the recent development comes amid an order of the court against the conduct of South-South Zonal Congress.

A High Court in Port Harcourt had issued an interim injunction preventing the South-South Zonal Congress from taking place in Cross River or anywhere else in Nigeria.

The case was brought by Tony Ejiogu, a PDP member from Ward 3 in Etche Local Government Area, and Field Nkoro, a former Vice-Chairman of the South-East PDP.

However, DAILY POST learnt that Wike participated and even voted as well at the Congress in Calabar, which also had in attendance the ex-Governor of Cross Rivers State, Donald Duke.

Lere Olayinka, media aide to Wike, disclosed this on Saturday via a post on his X handle.

“FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, voting at the South-South PDP Zonal Congress going on in Calabar, Cross River State,” Olayinka wrote.

Responding to the development on behalf of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, stated that the party has not conducted its South South Zonal Congress and it has yet to communicate a date for the exercise

“The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a reported social gathering in Calabar, Cross River State, where the organizers falsely claimed same to be the South South Zonal Congress of the PDP.

“To the contrary, the PDP states in clear terms that it has not conducted its South South Zonal Congress neither is it in any way involved in the said gathering in Calabar.

“For emphasis therefore, the PDP states that it has not conducted its South South Zonal Congress and it has yet to communicate a date for the exercise.

“The PDP calls on all party members in the South South Zone, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Security Agencies and the Media to disregard any gathering or outcome of any such gathering in Calabar, Cross River State purported to be the South South Zonal Congress of the PDP.

“Our Party will in due course and through its official channels communicate a new date for the conduct of the South South Zonal Congress.

“The NWC commends the PDP South South State Governors, other leaders, critical stakeholders and members of the Party in the Zone for their loyalty and steadfastness toward the unity, stability and growth of the Party in the South South Zone and the nation,” a statement released by the PDP spokesman read.

Ekiti State Government said on Thursday that the existing legal structure in the state does not recognise Shariah court or Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel.

The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Dayo Apata, stated this in a statement on Thursday, in reaction to news reports about the first public sitting of Ekiti State Shariah Panel.

According to the reports, the Shariah panel resolved two marriage disputes last week.

The Sharia panel was quoted as saying it aimed to provide arbitration based on Islamic jurisprudence.

But Apata, in the Thursday statement, said laws in the state do not recognise Sharia court, stressing that the existing judicial structure is adequate to address all kinds of disputes.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji-led’s administration described the development as a plot by the opposition to score political points against him ahead of next year’s election.

The AG cautioned against activities that could negatively affect the state government’s policy of peaceful coexistence among residents.

The AG said, “There is an existing legal structure in Ekiti State (i.e. Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal and High Court) that has been handling issues relating to Islamic, Christian and traditional marriages and inheritance without any rancour or agitation.

“The government will not compromise on any action that may hinder the prevailing peace and fester hostility in the state”.

The AG said the Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel was not in the judicial structure of the state, noting that “arbitration and/or mediation issue is a quasi-judicial matter, which is regulated by law” in the state.

Apata said, “The Sharia Courts in the North are equivalent to the Customary Courts in the southern part of Nigeria. Wherein appeals from Sharia Courts in the North go to the Shariah Court of Appeal, the state similarly has the Customary Court of Appeal that hears appeals from the Customary Courts.

 “The Customary Courts and the Customary Court of Appeal can effectively take care of any customary issues arising from Yoruba traditional marriages, Islamic marriages and Christian marriages, especially the ones that were not backed-up by the statutory marriages which can only be dissolved by the states High Courts throughout Nigeria.”

According to the AG, the government is not unmindful of the fact the race for the 2026 governorship election is gathering momentum in Ekiti State and opposition members who cannot fault the performance of the state government have resorted to all sorts of unethical practices.

The AG advised religious leaders to “be wary of being used as tools by politicians and fifth columnists because the government will not hesitate to invoke the full weight of the law to protect the constitution of the federation and maintain peaceful co-existence in the state.”

The development in Ekiti comes about a month after the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria announced plans to inaugurate a Sharia court in the Oyo town of Oyo State.

The announcement generated a widespread outcry, following which the council postponed the Shariah Court inauguration indefinitely.

Addressing the issue, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, said Shariah Court would only be allowed in the state if it was consistent with the provisions of the Constitution.

“About the establishment of Sharia court in Oyo town, people may try, but for us, I swore to uphold our laws and the Constitution of Nigeria.

“If their actions are within the law, fine, if not they should expect that I will insist the law must be followed,” Makinde said.

The opposition has accused the Federal Government of failing to explain what happened to the N234bn released for the aborted national census because it diverted the money for the 2023 electioneering campaign.

Under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Population Commission proposed a budget of approximately N800bn for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

By May 2023, a total sum of N224bn had already been disbursed, in addition to N10bn approved in October 2020 for Enumeration Area Demarcation across 546 Local Government Areas.

Originally scheduled for May 2023, the census was postponed to allow the next administration to provide input.

However, 17 months into his presidency, President Bola Tinubu has not announced a new date for the exercise, raising concerns about the implications for governance, economic planning and resource allocation.

Speaking with Sunday TheNigerian, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, claimed that the current administration might not have an answer to what happened to the money released.

According to him, it was obvious from the start that census money released by the of Buhari administration was originally meant to prosecute and tilt the 2023 election in favour of the ruling party.

He said, “In the last eight years of Muhammed Buhari, this issue of census has come up, and we have never seen it happen. Most of the years, the money released for census matters either just fly away or get swallowed by snakes. Yet, we have never seen any census conducted.

“In a saner clime, census is held every five years or thereabouts. But in Nigeria, it takes about 10 or 20 years to conduct one. Again, in the case of Nigeria, monies are budgeted almost every year.

“Now, if that chunk of money was released a few months before the election but failed to hold and nobody accounted for it, it does not take anyone to decipher why the money disappeared. It was obviously used to execute the election and the person in charge of the population census has not come out to tell us what happened to the money.

“Has the money been returned to the Central Bank or is it cooling in one house? We expect the security agencies to demand and request the money. What has happened to it? If the money has not been used or appropriated, it should be returned to the coffers of the Federal Government.”

But the ruling party kicked, saying there was no iota of truth in the allegation.

Reacting in an interview with our correspondent, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Duru explained that the census programme was a national assignment that was on course and would eventually be facilitated by the APC administration.

He said, “I do not see any concern. I believe that is something that will happen and I know it will happen shortly. We cannot have any provision in the budget without capturing the population of the country and where the people are resident. So, it’s something that we require, and I know efforts are ongoing to ensure it happens.

“We cannot continue to play politics with critical data that is required to enable the government to provide comprehensively and adequately for the people of this country. Do we need a population census to know the demography and numbers of Nigerians today? Yes, we do. But should it be an event? I do not think so.

“I believe it is something that must be updated hourly, daily, monthly and yearly. We should not wait for an event, a particular time, to determine the number of Nigerians in the country. The population is so critical for data, budgeting and provisioning of what Nigerians need.

“In providing the dividends of democracy, we cannot afford not to have that data done. There should not be any hullabaloo about it. It is something that can’t even be done without setting a milestone or a deadline on when this can be done.”

The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to set an example by utilising Nigeria’s healthcare facilities for his medical needs instead of travelling abroad.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, stated that such a move would encourage Nigerians to trust the nation’s health institutions and curtail the country’s long-standing issue of medical tourism.

But the ruling All Progressives Congress warned Obi not to incite Nigerians against President Tinubu, particularly with his claim that the President had failed to address the worsening economic and security challenges in his first 18 months in charge.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Obi urged the President to consider using facilities like the National Hospital in Abuja or any of the Federal Medical Centres across the country.

“It is time for you to visit our national hospitals. For instance, consider conducting your next medical examination at one of our National Hospitals or regional FMCs in Sokoto, Birnin Kebbi, Calabar, Umuahia, or Akure, among others,” Obi said.

“This will allow you to assess the state of healthcare facilities available to Nigerians. It will also help you understand the condition of our hospitals and clinics, enabling you to make informed decisions on how to upgrade and make them more efficient.”

In the past 18 months of his administration, President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have collectively undertaken 42 trips across 27 countries, spending over 180 days abroad.

Tinubu alone has spent 124 days abroad, visiting 16 countries on 29 trips, prompting speculation that some of these trips, particularly to France, were for medical reasons.

Obi stressed the need for President Tinubu to take responsibility as a leader by addressing critical issues firsthand.

 He also urged the President to travel by road to experience the state of the nation’s highways.

“You can take short trips, for example, from Calabar in Cross River State to Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, a distance of less than 100 km, or from Benin in Edo State to Warri in Delta State,” Obi suggested.

He recalled a similar instance during his tenure as governor when he took former President Olusegun Obasanjo on a federal highway trip from Awka to Onitsha.

He said, “You can take short trips, for example, from Calabar in Cross River State to Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, a distance of less than 100 km, or from Benin in Edo State to Warri in Delta State. I recall taking President Olusegun Obasanjo on a trip from Awka to Onitsha on a federal highway when I was the Governor of Anambra State.

“That journey prompted him to immediately approve the reconstruction of parts of the road by the Anambra State government, with subsequent reimbursement by the federal government. Such actions are immensely valuable.

“Make both impromptu and planned visits to our tertiary institutions, where our children and future leaders are being trained, are essential to familiarize yourself with the available infrastructure, facilities, and amenities. These visits will provide valuable insight into whether the resources of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund are being utilised optimally and what is needed to sustain the education system.”

On political matters, Obi dismissed speculation about a merger with the Peoples Democratic Party or the New Nigeria People’s Party.

His clarification came two days after NNPP’s presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, denied knowledge of any such pact.

Obi emphasised that he had no formal agreement with any political party but rallied all lovers of democracy to unite and oust the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.

Reacting however,  in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC accused Obi of hypocrisy, saying his New Year’s message is ‘misleading and appears intended to score cheap political points.’

Morka emphasised that the claim portrayed the former governor as a leading ‘doomsayer’ at a time when all indicators show the country is rebounding in significant measure across all sectors.

He said, “In reality, 18 months later, the economy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has shown a steady record of progress. Despite these and other initial beneficial outcomes of ongoing reforms, the administration is doubling its effort to ensure their fullest benefits for the transformation of our country.

“It is a thing of irony that Obi, who now arrogates to himself to be omniscient and philosopher’s stone, when it comes to our nation’s challenges, left no record of significant achievement, let alone transformation of any kind, in his eight-year tenure as Governor of Anambra State.

“Like his co-travellers in the PDP, Obi’s obsessive pessimism and endless but futile effort to incite public outrage against the administration is borne out of the realization that Tinubu is unwittingly cementing their political irrelevance by his visionary and full-throttle reform.

“Under the banner of the Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu is dutifully turning our nation’s fortunes around. We urge Nigerians to remain confident of better days ahead.”

The chairperson for the Epe Local Government Area in Lagos State, Surah Animashaun, has described the vandalisation of newly installed electricity cables in the area as a setback to an effort aimed at restoring the LG to the national grid.

Animashaun, in a statement made available to TheNigerian Metro by her media office on Sunday, stressed that the action had left several communities in the LG in darkness.

She added that communities like Ererufu village between Ketu and Itokin, and also at Temu, Araga, and Sala, were affected by the vandalism.

The statement read, “The Eko Electricity Distribution Company and the entire Epe indigenes express grave concern over the recent vandalisation of electric cables in Ererufu village and other areas, as part of the ongoing electrification restoration aimed at enhancing the lives of residents in the Epe Local Government Area.

“This wanton act of destruction not only undermines the progress of the restoration of electricity but also poses a significant setback to the socio-economic development of the entire Epe division.

“The cables, recently installed by the EKEDC, were meant to bring much-needed electricity to Epe Local Government and its environs, thereby improving the living standards and economic prospects of the residents.

“However, the senseless act of vandalism threatens to deprive the town of this vital infrastructure, which was implemented at a significant cost to the Epe LG, EKEDC, stakeholders and the good people of Epe Division,” Animashaun said.

While stressing the need for residents to ensure that national facilities such as the electricity cable were adequately protected, she urged members of the security agencies to ensure the protection of critical national assets.

The LG boss stressed that communities that engaged in vandalism would often bear the brunt of their actions.

She continued, “We urge these agencies to collaborate closely with local communities and other stakeholders to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

“It is imperative for the Epe residents and other communities to understand the grave implications of such a dastardly act. While neighbouring town and its surroundings would continue to revel in consistent and uninterrupted electricity, Epe town would remain entrenched in perpetual darkness.

“But, without adequate protection of infrastructure, the goal of bringing light to the Epe LG and its environs will remain elusive, hindering progress and development of the council area and its environs.”

She, however, assured the community of her commitment to restore the electricity before the festive period.

“The Epe LG, EKEDC and others remain committed to restoring the electricity and calls upon all stakeholders, including community leaders and residents, to join hands in safeguarding the infrastructure that is crucial for the well-being and prosperity of the entire local government area of Lagos State,” she appealed.