By Suleiman Yakubu

At least 35 people, including six journalists and religious and community leaders, were among the task team members inaugurated recently to pilot the war against malaria with the theme: "Zero Malaria Starts With Me", in Niger State.
The committee members were officially inaugurated during a two-day intensive meeting held at the conference hall of the Haske Hotel, Minna.
The task team committee members were sworn in by the Head of Advocacy of the National Malaria Elimination Programmes (NMEP), Mr. Raphael Onyilo.
The head of advocacy therefore charged the task team to not only discuss achievements of the past but also take the assignment as a challenge and ensure that malaria diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies were adhered to by all persons, as well as focus on the use of mosquito nets.
While noting that malaria is a killer disease that has claimed the lives of many pregnant women and children below the age of nine, he warned that people should always go for a diagnosis because there are different feverish conditions.
He therefore urged the task team members, especially the media, to ensure that this year's fight against malaria elimination campaign programmes reach the nooks and crannies of the state.
The head of advocacy for the national malaria elimination programmes therefore appealed to the team members to reach out to the state government, well-to-do individuals, and political office holders.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director of Public Health at the Niger State Ministry of Primary Healthcare, Dr. Idris Ibrahim, advised the general public to always go for medical diagnosis or check-ups at dispensaries closer to them instead of taking any malaria drug without a prescription. The director also appreciated the turnout of the invited personalities to organise the meeting despite the short notice.
Also in her vote of thanks, the State Coordinator for Malaria, Mrs. Amina Zimro Edward, appreciated the commitment of the invited guests and their profound respect for the ministry.
She then requested the task team to increase the visibility of the public domain understanding and implementation of community development and evaluation, pointing out that the exercise was targeted towards prevention and diagnosis that is focused on empowering communities in Africa.

By Suleiman Yakubu

Niger State Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Lawal Adamu Maikano, has said that Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago was committed to the state urban renewal policy by matching his words with action.
The commissioner, who stated this while interacting with journalists in his office on Thursday, also disclosed that the governor has a tall dream for the state that can only be achieved by opening up the state, hence the rationale behind the urban renewal policy.
He observed that with the urban renewal, a lot of potential will be harnessed and utilised for the benefit of the state and Nigerlites, as well as creating job opportunities.
Maikano pointed out that urban renewal was one of the four cardinal areas of the present administration and that, with the zeal with which the governor was pursuing it, it was achievable.
"You can testify from the ground-breaking ceremony for the Minna urban renewal project today that the governor is a man of his words.
"He has demonstrated his commitment by matching his words with action," said the Commissioner.
He said despite the paucity of funds, the state chief executive has continued to demonstrate his commitment to developing the state by thinking outside the box, adding that they were carrying out government activities and still making some savings.
He further added that part of the governor's dream was a revenue target of about N120 billion annually, saying that with the mechanism put in place, it would be achieved.
He also observed that the conversion of the abandoned famous Shiroro Hotel to the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) Teaching Hospital will boost manpower production in the health sector of not only Niger State but the entire Northern region of the country.
Hon. Adamu Maikano revealed that the funds to carry out these projects were lying fallow, as the government intends to use IGR, development partners, as well as facilities from banks to fund the projects.
According to him, a lot of commercial banks have lined up to seek the government's assistance in taking facilities from them because of the commitment and sincerity of purpose they have seen from the present administration.
He added that the good thing about the contracts Governor Umar Bago is giving out is that they come with job opportunities for the teeming skilled and unskilled unemployed youths in the state, as they will form the majority of the labour force of the contracting construction companies.
He disclosed that in the Minna urban renewal project to be handled by CCECC Construction Company, over 300km of road will be rehabilitated and reconstructed with new road openings, while the Bida Ring Road project will be handled by Arab Contractors Construction Company.
The commissioner said security was one of the critical campaign promises of the present administration, and the governor was making frantic efforts towards improving the internal security of the state, recalling that the moral booster given to security agencies in the state through the provision of vehicles had assisted greatly in curbing the menace of youth restiveness in Minna and its environs.
He added that the Governor was desirous of seeing people in the internally displaced people (IDP) camps return to their various homes to continue with their normal lives, which, according to him, will soon come to fruition.
He also appealed to media practitioners in the state to project the image of the government in a positive light, as according to him, the government of Umaru Bago was for everybody in the state.