Nation
THE STATES
Kaduna
The vice-chancellor of Kaduna State University (KASU) has decried the non-release of the N500 million take-off grant for the development of the institution’s Kafanchan campus.
The Vice-Chancellor had told the Kaduna State governor Namadi Sambo that the development had slowed down the execution of projects for the smooth take-off of the campus.
Abdulahi said the grant was included in the 2009 budget, but had not been released, and that no single work has been done at the site.
He said the dilapidated former Government Secondary School, Kafanchan and site of the campus had been taken over by weeds, while part of it had been converted to farmland by the residents of the area.
Zamfara
The Zamfara State Government has spent N35.8 million on the rehabilitation of roads across the state.
Managing Director of Zamfara Road Maintenance Agency (ZAROMA), Alhaji Tukur Rafi who disclosed in Gusua, at a lecture on “Maintenance Culture of Public Infrastructure,” organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) said the agency had conducted a survey on the state of the roads and discovered that they were plagued by faulty designs, inadequate drainage system and pot holes.
Ajaokuta
The Federal Government of Nigeria have been commended for its resolve to complete the Ajaokuta-Warri rail line.
National President of the Association of Steel Workers, Mr Otori Maliki who made the commendation, said that the development showed government’s commitment to developing the sector.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government, through the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had recently approved N36 billion for the rehabilitation and construction of the remaining 22km rail line and six stations along the route.
According to Maliki, the Ajaokuta-Warri rail line, constructed in 1994, needs to be repaired, following vandalism and dilapidation, which occurred over time, since the project commenced.
Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has opposed the application filed by former Director-General, National Arts Gallery, Joe Musa, praying an Abuja high court to quash the corruption charges brought against him and four others.
Specifically, Musa and his co-accused were arraigned by the EFCC for alleged misappropriation of funds belonging to the National Arts Gallery.
But in an application argued by Musa’s counsel, Kolawole Olewookere, he submitted that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against him.
Olowookere argued that “a thorough examination of the proof of evidence attached to the charge would s how that there is nothing linking the accused person to the alleged offence contained in the 12 count charge.”
In his response, counsel to the EFCC, Steve Odiase, asked the court not to grant Musa’s application, insisting that the accused had a case to answer.
Odiase argued that Musa was trying to use the court to shield himself from prosecution over the alleged fraud.
Everyone must answer for his misdeed and that is exactly what we have called the accused person to do,” he submitted.
The court will on December 10 rule on whether or not to discontinue the trial.
Kwara
The two billion naira Kwara State Advanced Diagnostics Centre (KWSADC), Ilorin, may be ready by the end of April next year, according to the state’s commissioner for health, Oladimeji Hassan.
Already, a part of the contractual agreement was sealed on Monday while parties to the pact promised the readiness of the centre “in five months” time.
The centre, when completed, would be comparable to any of its kind in the world. Services of renowned experts in diagnosis would be sought towards accurate and early detection of ailment.
Hassan spoke yesterday in Ilorin, during the opening of a seminar on emergency obstetrics care and life-saving skills for health care providers, organised by university of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.
Kogi
The Kogi State House of Assembly has put on hold the job of four local government council chairmen for two months for failure to comply with the state’s financial regulations.
Investigations have shown that the decision of the House was sequel to the adoption of a report from the office of the state’s Auditor-General for local governments.
The report which was presented by the House Committee Chairman on Finance and Appropriation, Alhaji Abdullahi Ali, accused the chairmen of failing to submit their reports from 2006 to 2008 for which they were initially queried on.
Yobe
At least, 1,200 plots recently allocated for commercial and residential purposes in Damaturu and Potiskum towns have been revoked by the Yobe State government.
The commissioner for lands and survey, Alhaji Samaila Gadaka who announced the revocation in a statement in Damaturu, said the revocation was with immediate effect.
He stated that the state governor, Ibrahim Gaidam approved the revocation, following the detection of massive irregularities in the allocation.
The statement also said that the affected plots were allocated without adherence to due process and advised those who had commenced development on them to stop work with immediate effect.
Minna
The chairman, Global 2000 and former Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) has declared Nigeria free from the guinea worm disease scourge.
The former head of state who disclosed this in Minna, Niger State during a courtesy call on Governor Babangida Aliyu, said the country had been rid of the disease through the combined efforts of the Federal, State and local governments, as well as those of Global 2000.
Gowon recalled that that former president of the United States (US), Jimmy Carter invited him in 1987 to join in the fight against the scourge of the disease, through is non-Governmental Organisation, Global 2000.
He stated “the number of people afflicted by the disease stood at 650,000 for a long time, which did not go up or down, showing its seriousness on the health of our people in 21 states.”
The Global 200 chairman further stated that the situation was very pathetic, as the disease afflicted both the old, the productive group and the children, reducing their capacities to engage in productive venture.
He said Global 2000, through the various state governments in the affected states, began massive public enlightenment and provisions of good drinking water to the endemic areas.
Gowon, noting that boreholes, local drugs and filtration clothes were provided, posited that the efforts yielded fruits, as the country had been rid of the disease.
Taraba
The wife of the president, Hajiya Turai Yar’Adua has urged policy makers to bring to bare issues that would reduce child and maternal mortality rate in the country.
The First Lady who made the call during her one-day advocacy visit to Taraba State, also recalled that statistics have shown that Nigeria has a very high child and maternal health problems in the world.
Turai pointed out that the North-East zone where Taraba state falls into, has the highest maternal mortality rate when compared with other geo-political regions in the country.
She said the advocacy visit is to sensitise policy makers, women folk and the public of the need to ensure that pregnancy and delivery do not pose threat to lives of mothers and the new born.
According to her, the visit was also to encourage children to develop full potential to contribute to the nation’s socio-economic development, and called on policy makers, royal fathers, religious leaders and parliamentarians in the country to support policies and laws that could promote good health for women and children in the country.
The first lady, who commended the effort of the federal government in the implementation of the Integrated Maternal new born and child health strategy, said it is a key government initiative towards ensuring universal coverage of maternal newborn and child health intervention in the country.
She also commended the debt relief funded maternal and child health progress and the midwifery service scheme launched recently in Abuja.
Borno
The cholera outbreaks in Biu and Gwoza, Borno State, have spread to Maiduguri, the state capital and the neigbouring Jeve Local Council killing six people, including two children.
Also, three persons have been confirmed dead and several others hospitalised as a result of cholera outbreak in Karim-Lamido Local Council of Taraba State.
The spread of the water borne disease, according to Director of Disease Control in the Borno State Ministry of Health, Dr. Abubakar Sadik, was caused by drinking of contaminated water and poor personal hygiene.
The fresh outbreak brought to a total 78 those who have lost their lives, as 72 cholera patients last month died in Gwoza, Dikwa and Madube, a border community with Adamawa State.
Confirming the fresh outbreak, health commissioner, Zubairu Maina, told The Tide that in Biu alone, about 65 people were killed at the cholera treatment centre.
Oyo
The peace deal brokered among People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains in Oyo State by the Senator Ike Nwachukwu-led committee may have collapsed followed renewed disagreements over alleged dissolution of the state party executive.
Although the Nwachukwu committee was silent on the status of the controversial party executives allegedly handpicked by the late Oyo PDP chieftain, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, it however set up a 19-member harmonisation committee to oversee the affairs of the party along with a newly constituted elders council.
But while the duo of Senator Lekan Balogun and Senator leader Teslim Folarin maintained that the state party executive council stands dissolved, former Governor Kolapo Ishola and the state secretary of PDP, Bashiru Akanbi, said the executive remained intact.
Balogun argued that since there was no party executive in place in the first instance, there was nothing to dissolve by the peace panel.
His words: “first, there was an injunction restraining the conduct of the congress that purportedly gave birth to this illegal executive, an injunction that the powers that be at that time ignored which rendered whatever they did at the so-called congress a nullity and was reechoed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) letter of July 23, 2008 confirming this illegal status.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the Nigerian Military is committed to facilitating sustainable food security in the country through the establishment of farms.
Musa said this in Abuja yesterday during the unveiling of the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products Logo.
He noted that the agricultural sector played crucial role in guaranteeing food security which was requisite for sustainable national security.
He said that the adverse impact of climate change, environmental degradation and conflict across some parts of the country had continuously threatened food security with dire consequences on national security.
According to him, to address this, the Defence Headquarters in May 2023, conceptualised the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative.
“This is with the aim of keying into the federal government’s efforts at addressing food security challenges in the country.
“The initiative which aligns with the ‘People Centric’ policy thrust of my leadership concept is aimed at creating job opportunities and enhancing rural infrastructural development while significantly contributing to food security in the Country.
“Considering the extensive consultation, planning and preparation made by the committee thus far, I am optimistic that the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative will have a positive transformative impact on host communities while enhancing national security.
“With similar initiatives replicated across the country, I envision a future characterised by modernised farming techniques in which the agricultural sector significantly contributes to economic growth and national development.”
The CDS enjoined all members of the Armed Forces and the general public to embrace the initiative and maximise its associated gains.
He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, for his sterling leadership and relentless pursuit of national peace, security and economic prosperity.
He also appreciated the efforts of members of the committee who worked assiduously to actualise the initiative.
Earlier, the Chairman, Defence Farms Committee,