By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse

In an effort to curb malaria prevalence among boarding school students in Jigawa state, an insecticide Treated Net (ITNs) manufacturing company “BASF” has donated mosquito nets to the students of Science and Technical College, Hadejia of the state.

Speaking while presenting the mosquito treated nets BASF Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Country Cluster, West Africa, Dr Jean-Marc Ricca, said the gesture is to protect the students against malaria while in school.

The chief executive officer explained that it is also to complement the state government and other partners efforts in reducing prevalence of malaria in the state and the nation in general.

According to him “I’m happy to present 800 number of ITNs to you as part of our contribution to prevent and curb prevalence of malaria especially in these rainy season where staganent water and grasses that bread mosquito are all over. We would also retrieve old nets from the students to be recycled for other uses”.

Dr Jean-Marc Ricca added saying that the exercise will be an opportunity for the students to discover recycling for cleaner environment”
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He noted that the mosquito treated nets donation is not part of the main ITNs distribution to households in the state, but a new component of it called ‘End of Life’, under which old nets are retrieved from communities for recycled for cleaner and healthy environment.

Also, the Director Nature Conservation, Ministry of Environment, Mr Ibrahim Lawan, commended the manufacturer’s for retrieving the old nets for recycling as they are not degradable.

Lawan, who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Nura Ibrahim, indicated that the state government is also collaborating with NGOs and other partners in recycling such non degradable materials for cleaner environment.

He explained that in order to make the environment clean, such materials are being collected and taken to industries for recycling purposes.

On his part, the Director Pharmaceutical Services, Ministry of Health, Pharm. Rabiu Yakubu, also commended the firm for supporting the state in the fight against malaria.

Yakubu indicated the gesture will go a long way in protecting the students against malaria.
The director, who spoke on behalf of the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Mohammad Kainuwa, called on the beneficiaries to ensure that they sleep under the nets in order to achieve the desired goal.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Deputy Head of Student of the college, Usman Harisu, commended the firm for the gesture.

Immediate past Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated that despite the situation in the country, he is pleased that more Nigerians have taken to the farm to grow more food so as to bring down the prices of food in the country.
Speaking to journalists shortly after joining the Emir of Daura, Dr Faruk Umar Faruk, to observe the Eid prayer at the township Eid ground on Sunday,Buhari also used the occasion to appeal to all citizens to make Nigeria Self-reliant. “Let us grow our own food. We have shown that we can do it. This is not the time to relent when we see prices going up. Let us buy what is produced in the country.

“The foundation of a prosperous and stable country has been laid by successive governments, and I encourage our youth, in particular, to continue to play an active role in various nation-building efforts.”
The former president said there was need to look into the problem of uncontrolled population growth in the country, saying the situation has become a matter for concern.
“There is a need for greater discussion and awareness about this problem, (uncontrolled population growth) as well as a need to invest more in education and health.”

The President who wished all Nigerians a Happy Sallah, also prayed that this special festival of Eid-el-Kabir will bring joy, prosperity and wonderful health to everyone.

Deputy governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Faruk Lawal Jobe, has explained why the Katsina State Government is planning to sponsor select indigenes of the state to study medicine in Egypt.

Chief Press secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed in a statement quoted the Deputy Governor to have indicated that indigent students are sent for studies overseas to ensure that Katsina students who attended public schools are given opportunity to advance their studies.

Jobe spoke when he commissioned a borehole project drilled by an Abuja-based Charity organization, NEAR Foundation in Radda village of Charanci local government.

He explained that each of the 34 local government areas of the state were given the chance to produce candidates for the foreign medical study programme.

Identifying health as one of the priorities of the Governor Dikko Umaru Radda-led administration, Jobe said the recent official trip to the United States by his principal – Governor Radda, has yielded the donation of 10 containers of medical equipment, worth about N2 billion to the state government.

He lauded the NEAR foundation for a water project being executed at the Radda community.

Earlier, the Chairman of the foundation, Muhammad Abubakar, said apart from the water project, their charity organisation is currently organizing a medical outreach at Charanci Comprehensive Health Centre, from where it will proceed to Ingawa local government.

Abubakar, who assured that their foundation will sustain the program, also promised that they would provide scholarship to brilliant Katsina students.

In his vote of thanks, the Village Head of Radda, Alhaji Kabir Umar, thanked the charity organisation for the water project.