AFNews World

REBUTTING THE REGRESSION NARRATIVE: KANO’S TRUE DEVELOPMENT TRAJECTORY By Aminu Hussaini In recent commentary portraying Kano State as a place where development is allegedly “in reverse,” facts have been sacrificed on the altar of political rhetoric. Such claims, repeated by some commentators including Garba Mohammed, do not withstand scrutiny when measured against the visible, verifiable and ongoing development outcomes across Kano State. The assertion of regression collapses the moment one steps outside social-media SoundBits and examines realities on ground. Kano is not declining. Kano is undergoing a deliberate, people-centred rebuilding process whose results are increasingly evident. Infrastructure: Development You Can See, Not Just Talk About - One of the loudest claims of regression is that Kano’s infrastructure has stalled. This is demonstrably false. Across the metropolis and major towns, rehabilitated and newly constructed roads have eased mobility, reduced travel...

Islamic Groups Caution Muslim Leaders Against Meddling in Tax Reform Matters A coalition of Islamic groups has cautioned Muslim leaders and clerics across the country against undue interference in ongoing tax reform discussions, warning that such matters are technical, constitutional and should be handled by relevant government institutions. The groups, under the umbrella of the Coalition of Islamic Organisations for National Development (CIOND), made their position known in a statement issued on Wednesday, stressing that tax reform policies are economic and administrative issues that should not be politicised or religiously coloured. According to the statement, signed by the coalition’s National Coordinator, Sheikh Abdulrahman Musa, while Islam encourages justice, accountability and fairness in governance, it does not support the distortion of public policy debates through sentiments that could inflame religious tensions. “The issue of tax reform is a national economic mat...

Group Dismisses Dangote’s Claims Against NMDPRA Chief, Passes Vote of Confidence on Farouk The Forum for Good Governance and Economic Development (FGGED) has dismissed recent claims allegedly made by the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, against the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, describing the allegations as unfounded, misleading and capable of undermining regulatory stability in the petroleum sector. In a statement issued today and made available to Journalists, the forum said it had carefully reviewed the claims attributed to Dangote and found them to be “lacking in factual basis and unsupported by regulatory or operational realities within the downstream petroleum industry.” The Forum in the Statement signed by its  Secretary,Dr. Abraham Japhet further passed a vote of confidence on Engr. Ahmed, commending his leadership of the NMDPRA and his commitment to ...

Coalition Dares Dangote to Name His Preferred NMDPRA CEO Amid Pressure Allegations A  group has challenged billionaire industrialist, Aliko Dangote, to publicly disclose who his preferred candidate for the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) would be, amid allegations of attempts to forcefully edge out the current CEO, Engr. Farouk Ahmed. The group, operating under the banner of the Coalition for Market Transparency in Energy Reform, alleged in a statement on Wednesday that sustained pressure against the NMDPRA leadership was driven by vested interests seeking to reverse ongoing efforts to open Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector to healthy competition. “If Mr. Dangote succeeds in pushing out Engr. Farouk Ahmed, Nigerians deserve to know whose interests the next NMDPRA CEO will serve,” the group said. “Will the successor be a regulator for the market or a proxy for private commercial inte...

How Dr. MB Shehu is Transforming RMAFC to a World-class Institution  By Salisu Ibrahim  Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), a key Institution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is becoming more visible and impactful in its pursuit of fair and equitable distribution of the nation's resources.  Thanks to the visionary leadership of its Chairman, Dr Muhammad Bello Shehu whose strategic approach to leadership, good governance and accountability is leaving a transparent and accountable footprint in the Commission's fiscal operations. The country is now witnessing a robust fiscal operations in fulfilment of the Commission's Constitution role. The Constitution has mandated RMAFC to monitor revenue accruals and disbursements as well as determine  remuneration for public office holders. This task is by no means daunting, yet the Commission's management under the Chairmanship of Dr. Muhammed Bello Shehu is up and doing in meeting up with...

Ganduje's Independent Hisbah Initiative, a recipe for dangerous politicization of religion  By Aminu Hussaini  _"Nigeria's history is replete with examples of how religious tensions can escalate into violence and instability. In this opinion, the writer examine the proposed Independent Hisbah initiative by Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, former Governor of Kano State, and warned that at moments of national anxiety, leadership is revealed not by noise but by restraint."_ In an era when insecurity stalks daily life and the national mood is brittle with fear, any political actor who toys with public order, pursues disaster. This is why the recent push to create an “independent Hisbah Fisabilillah” by former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje deserves no applause, but serious public scrutiny.  Let us be clear: this is not a debate about faith, morality or the place of religion in society. Kano has long negotiated the coexistence of culture, belief and gove...