Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Adamawa State Government has spent over N223 million to pay 2009 NECO and WAEC examination fees for students from the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Mr Gabriel Adama, disclosed this in Yola recently at a news conference.
He said: “I want to say that it was, however, a big loss for us because over 90 per cent of the students failed the examination.’’
Describing the situation as unacceptable, the commissioner
said that out of the 28,000 students who sat for the examination, only seven per cent of them got the required credits including English and Mathematics.
Bauchi
A lecturer , Prof. Sulaiman Bogoro of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, (ATBU) Bauchi, has said that auditing of public and private agencies was crucial for accountability and promotion of good governance.
Bogoro made the statement in a paper he presented on Tuesday at the Conference of the body of Federal and State Auditors-General in Bauchi.
He said accountability and transparency in leadership are necessary as without them, some leaders or heads of organisations engage in secrecy and corrupt manipulation of the system.
Ekiti
Hundreds of giant-sized posters of President Goodluck Jonathan for President in 2011 have flooded major streets in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
The Tide’s source reports that the posters carried the message “Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for 2011 Presidential election. Let us encourage him for peaceful co-existence in Nigeria, courtesy of Ekiti New Era Forum”.
The posters are posted on electricity poles, stationery vehicles and some buildings in the metropolis.
The posters, which had PDP logo and the picture of Jonathan are on major streets such as Fajuyi round about, Okesa, Governor’s office road, Iyin road, Okeyinmi, secretariat road among others.
FCT
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has instituted more than 50 cases and got more than 100 convictions in the last two years.
Mrs Farida Waziri, the Chairman of EFCC, made the statement in Abuja on Monday during an interaction with newsmen.
“ We can conveniently boast that we inherited about 10 profile cases when we took over about two years ago.
“We have not only instituted 50 high profile cases, we have secured over 100 convictions with a record of recovery that towers above 3.5 billion dollars and over 1,200 cases pending in court.”
Jigawa
The Jigawa government has inaugurated a six-man committee to implement its sanitation policies and promote good hygiene, Alhaji Abdulkadir Jinjiri, the Commissioner for Community Development and Rural Infrastructure, said on Friday.
He told newsmen in Dutse that the committee was formed to utilise the 2009 Millennium Development Goals Conditional Grant Scheme for the implementation of sanitation and good hygiene policies.
He explained that the committee would carry out advocacy and sanitation visits to policy makers, political, religious and traditional rulers in order to gain support for sanitation and hygiene promotion at local governments and community levels.
Kaduna
The Christian Community, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has organised a memorial service in remembrance of the first indigenous Vice Chancellor and Registrar of the university.
A statement issued by the institution’s Information and Protocol Officer Bitrus Galmaka, stated that the duo were late Prof. Ishaya Audu and late Michael Angulu, the first indigenous vice chancellor and registrar respectively
It noted that the memorial service was “to honour these pioneers of the Christian community whose services and sacrifices contributed immensely to the foundation laying of ABU’’.
It indicated that 27 others, whose ages ranged from 70 and above, were also honoured for their meritorious sacrifices in the service of the institution.
Kano
Thousands of Qur’anic pupils, known as “Almajiris,” have moved out of Kano metropolis due to the commencement of the rainy season, Tide’s source reports.
The pupils, majority of whom came from Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi and Kaduna states and parts of Kano states, left the commercial town to engage in farming in their respective communities.
Investigation by the source in Kano shows that the almajiris have deserted most of the areas they were usually seen begging for alms, since the exodus began about two weeks ago.
Such places included restaurants, motor parks, mosques and markets, where only pockets of them could now be sighted loading goods, washing plates and begging.
Kwara
Dr. Hammed Ali, Kwara Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, has called for the construction of more prisons as a panacea for decongesting prisons in the country.
Ali made the call on Monday when he paid a courtesy visit to the Comptroller of Prisons in the state, Mr. Olatunde Olayiwola, in llorin.
Ali suggested that private organisations should be involved in the construction and management of prisons.
“If about 227 prison houses in Nigeria accommodate 50,000 inmates and out of these about 42 per cent are awaiting trial suspects, then we need more prison houses”, he said.
Lagos
The Dangote Group says local production of iron rods and steel would reduce the incidence of building collapse and other construction failures in the country.
Mr. Sankasu Balasubramania, Technical Director of the group, disclosed this to journalists who were on a facility tour of Dangote Steel Rolling Mills in Osogbo on Sunday.
He said that the increasing of building collapse and construction failures would be tackled through production of quality iron rods locally.
Balasubramania said that Dangote Steel Rolling Mill, which would commence production in October, this year, would produce over 350,000 tonnes of quality steel products annually.
Osun
Mrs. Omolola Oyinlola, wife of Osun Governor, has expressed concern over the increasing cases of teenage pregnancy among secondary school girls.
She expressed the concern during a sensitisation visit to St. Mary’s Grammar School, Iwo, Osun.
Oyinlola, who is the initiator of Women and Children Development Initiative Foundation (WOCDIF), called on stakeholders to join hands with her to stem the tide.
The Tide’s source reports that the visit is part of her awareness campaign on teenage pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, cancer and maternal/child mortality.
Oyo
The Association of Fish Farmers and Aqua-culturists of Nigeria (AFFAN) in Oyo State, has called on the Federal Governments to create special silos for maize and soya beans.
The Chairman, Mr Peter Farinto, told newsmen on Tuesday in Ibadan that the two crops formed the major raw materials for the production of local fish feeds.
“If government could store the raw materials, an enabling environment would be created for the sustenance of the fish farming business which depended largely on fish feeds, to boost local production,” Farinto said.
Plateau
The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) has cautioned against illegal mining, saying the lead poisoning in Zamfara that reportedly killed 163 persons, was regrettable.
The MAN National President, Sani Shehu, told newsmen in Jos, that the incident, which occurred in Anka and Bukkuyum Local Government Areas of Zamfara was “purely a result of illegal mining”.
He said, “most minerals contain one level of impurity or the other. Some of these impurities are radio-active in nature. Some of them release poisonous gases that are not visible.
“That is why when you are operating a formalised form of mining, issues like safety, radioactivity and other poisonous gases will be discussed and addressed”, he cautioned.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Prof. Musa Maitafsir, has said that the government plans to ban begging in the area.
Maitafsir said the plan will come into effect only after all the destitute persons have been brought under a scheme where they would be paid monthly stipend.
The commissioner disclosed that the government was currently spending over N45 milliioon on 7,000 destitute persons every month.
He told newsmen in Sokoto that each of the beneficiaries was being given N6,500 monthly.
“This gesture has been on for about two years and it will be sustained to alleviate the suffering of the less privileged persons.
“More of them will soon be brought under the scheme introduced by Governor Aliyu Wamakko to reduce the menace of begging in the state”, Maitafsir said.
In a bid to meaningfully engage secondary school students in Ogoniland during the Christmas holidays and beyond, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has trained them on petroleum jelly and liquid soap making.
This is even as the Project has partnered with the National Orientation Agency(NOA) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) to keep the students away from crime and other related social vices during the Yuletide, by giving them pep talks that would put them on their toes during the period.
This came to the fore as HYPREP recently organised an Ogoni Young Men Mentorship programme and life skill workshop with the theme, ‘Career Coaching: Developing The Young Minds’ at Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The beneficiaries of the programme are essentially members of environmental clubs in 13 schools in four local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme.
At the event, both NOA and NDLEA gave career talks to the students, aimed at keeping them off social vices like drug abuse and addiction as well as negative peer influences through out the Christmas holidays and beyond.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof NeinibariniZabbey said the Project deemed it necessary to invite the National Orientation Agency and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) to speak to the students in order to shield them from negative peer influences as they are preparing to go for the Christmas holidays.
He explained that the workshop would enable the students to know when the signs of the negative peer influences start coming.
Zabbey, who was represented at the occasion by HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee, said the Project is not only going to train the beneficiaries but also give them the tools and skills that would grow them in the future so that they would start making money for themselves.
Also addressing the students, the Rivers State Coordinator of the National Orientation Agency(NOA), Mr Young Ayo-Tamuno expressed delight for meeting young minds, to discuss issues on values, describing it as a great opportunity.
He noted that there are seven values which constitute the role and commitment of the government towards the citizenry and another seven core values which constitute the code for the citizens.
While commending HYPREP for organising the event, Ayo-Tamuno said team work is key to making Nigeria a better place for all, as both the government and the citizens have their respective roles to play, with each staying committed and focused.
The Chief Programme Officer of NOA, Mr Henry Ayede was the one who actually mounted the rostrum and drilled the students on the seven core values embodied in the National Value Charter for citizens, and stressed the need for them to imbibe them and put them to practice as they grow up.
Ayede listed the values to include discipline, duty of care, leadership, tolerance and respect, transparency, environmental awareness and resilience.
He also underscored the need for the students to imbibe the spirit of hard work and dignity of labour, contending that while hard work and dedication contribute to success, every job can contribute to national development.
According to him, dignity in labour is the foundation of success.
On his part, Mr Bill Ebiokpo of the Media/ Advocacy Unit of NDLEA, who represented the Bori Area Commander of the agency, advised the students to guard against drug abuse and addiction, which he said have far reaching consequences.
The Principal of the Senior Secondary of Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Barrister Bob Agbozi thanked HYPREP for organising the programme, which he said enriched his knowledge and that of the students on the core values guiding the society, saying inculcating such values in young people and teaching them practical skills have contributed immensely to the greatness of advanced countries and even countries like Rwanda in Africa.
He noted that the career coaching would change the behavioral pattern of the students particularly during the Yuletide.
He also thanked NOA for the career talks and urged it to replicate the programme in other places, not only in schools but also in market places.
The training of the students on petroleum jelly and liquid soap making was anchored by an expert, MrsLekpa Abel, with HYPREP workers lending a helping hand.
It was, indeed, a practical session with the students, who came face to face with the production materials of the products.
Donatus Ebi
It was celebration galore as the people of Isu Community in Etche Local Government Area of River State held a civic reception in honour of the Council Chairman, Dr Uzodinma Nwafor .
The epoch- making ceremony which took place recently at the community ancestral home saw the attendance of the political class, the clergy, opinion leaders, the academia, youths, women, elders and chiefs gather to honour their brand new chairman.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Etche Local Government Council, Dr Uzodinma Nwafor expressed gratitude to the people for according him such honour, saying it shows their unwavering support to the development of Etche.
Nwafor announced the readiness of his administration to embark on electrification of Ozuzu clan including Isu community.
The Etche council boss also said the market at Isu will be reconstructed to improve the economic life of the people.
He revealed that the two projects will commence in January as efforts are on to mobilise the contractors.
Nwafor told the mammoth crowd that his major concern remains, peace and unity of the entire Etche, saying security of lives and property remains top on his agenda as no meaningful development can thrive in an atmosphere of violence.
He urged parents to encourage their wards and children to refrain from violence and embrace peace. “Let us allow Etche to be at peace .Don’t allow any body to use you set Etche ablaze. Parents advise your children to stay away from crime .We must stay in peace and unity. Our children must shun violence ,it can’t take us anywhere as a people ,” he declared.
He thanked the people for their support as well thank their son, former commissioner for Energy ,Okey Amadi for being a Pilar of his political sojourne.
Earlier, the Isu opinion leader and Principal, Community Secondary School, Mgbosomini in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area, Mr Chijioke Amadi said the honour done Etche chairman was a collective division of his people.
Amadi described the council boss as an illustrious son who has contributed immensely to the wellbeing of the community.
He declared that his community and the entire Etche will keep supporting him because he is doing well.
Amadi urged the people to keep praying for him and the Rivers State Governor to succeed in delivering dividends of democracy.
Senate has set up an adhoc committee to investigate the demolition of buildings in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT by the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, just as it summoned the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, to appear before it to explain the reasons behind the demolitions, which have left many residents stranded
The resolutions followed a motion by Senator Ireti Kingibe ( FCT), who expressed concern over the illegal demolition of structures in the nation’s capital and called for an immediate stop to further demolitions.
The Red Chamber particularly ordered the FCDA to halt ongoing demolitions of property in the Territory within the next two weeks pending the report of its adhoc committee constituted to probe the issue.
The adhoc committee, to be chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, has the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru; Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Monguno, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, Senator Sahabi Ya’u, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Senator Idiat Adebule and Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, as members.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who announced the composition of the committee, gave it two weeks to submit its report.
Akpabio while reading the resolution of the Senate, said: “The Senate urges the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to stop further demolitions of structures, except those ordered by courts of competent jurisdictions, until the adhoc committee constituted by the Senate to ascertain the propriety or otherwise of the exercise concludes its investigation and interface with the FCT administration within the next two weeks.”
Kingibe in her lead debate said that in recent times, the demolition exercise in the FCT was no longer based on reasons that necessitated the demolition.
She urged the Senate to be further concerned that the current demolition in the FCT was not in line with due process of court orders to demolish.
“As such, a cross section of individuals had suffered untold hardships occasioned by massive demolition, which has led to a loss of properties worth billions of naira.
“Also concerned that at the moment, an estate by name, Messrs Paulosa, for which late Colonel Paul Osakpawan Ogbebor is the chairman, is currently under revocation and demolition. And from reliable information, the said plot of land was allocated to him in 1984 with requisite title document.
“And further concerned that the owner of this estate was a patriotic Nigerian who served the nation meritoriously and one of the first intakes of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, with registration Number 001,” Kingibe said.
She urged the Senate to accordingly resolve to urge the FCT administration to halt the ongoing revocation and demolition of the said property, “as it does not fall within the purview of the reasons for the massive demolition being carried by the FCDA.”
Senator Kingibe also advocated thatall demolitions should follow due process while the Senate set up a committee to investigate the matters arising from the demolition.
However, Senator Sunday Karimi ( Kogi West) in his contribution said the Senate needs to hear from the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, before ordering a halt to the demolitions.
“If you look at this motion, the presenter said, a specific land allocation was mentioned belonging to one Paul Ogbebor.
“We don’t know anything about this thing and we are just coming because of this to tell the minister to stop?
“There is need to investigate this matter before giving any directive. We must hear from the minister. But we have to hear before we say stop demolition.
“Let’s hear from the Minister. You cannot shave a man’s head at his back. We need to hear from the Minister,” Karimi said.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central), however disagreed with Karimi, saying that the request that the Senate should call on the FCT minister to halt further demolitions was in order.
He said: “Mr. President, with respect I disagree with Mr. Karimi. I think we need to be fair to everyone. There is before us an allegation that says certain steps are to be taken which will culminate in demolition. Are we saying that we should allow the place to be demolished while we are trying to look into it?”
In his response, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio agreed with the chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, saying “my thought is in line with yours. If we just say, continue the demolition, and then we start investigation, what are we then investigating?”
He, thereafter, read the resolution of the Senate calling on the FCT Minister to halt further demolitions of property in the FCT pending the investigative report of its adhoc committee chaired by the Deputy Senate President.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi