Adamawa

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Nomadic Settlement in Adamawa, Dr. Louis Mandama has said that government is resolved to stem any crisis between farmers and nomads in the state.

He gave the assurance on Monday in Yola, on the heels of a threat allegedly made by some nomads, asking farmers in Song Local Government Area to ensure that they harvested their crops before December 15.

Mandama told newsmen that though the ministry had not received any official report on the threat letter, he was aware that the state House of Assembly had waded into the issue.

Mandama said that officials of the ministry were making efforts to ensure peaceful coexistence between farmers and herdsmen across the state.

Benue

Governor  of Benue State Gabriel Suswam has advised youths to embrace entrepreneurship, saying that white collar jobs are difficult to secure.

Suswam gave the advice in Makurdi  while inaugurating the Royal Shopping Mall built by Mrs Helen Torkula, wife of the Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Alfred Torkula.

He stressed the administration’s desire to continue to rehabilitate dilapidated infrastructure to boost economic growth in the state.

According to him, the state government under his leadership, has provided an enabling environment for businesses to thrive by ensuring that lives and property are adequately protected.

Ekiti

The Ekiti State Government has called on owners of undeveloped plots of land in the state to clear them immediately or risk losing such lands.

It noted that bushes on the undeveloped lands had become haven to criminals in the state.

The state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, in a statement said that government was not pleased with the many pockets of bushes that abound in the state capital particularly.

He noted that the bushes, apart from being used as hideouts by miscreants to carry out their nefarious activities, do not portray a good image for the state capital.

Afuye tasked owners of the undeveloped plots as well as other citizens in the state to imbibe the habit of clean and healthy living.

FCT

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie has blamed Nigerian universities for failing to advise students on the needs of the labour market.

Okojie made the statement in Abuja on Monday at the inaugural meeting of the National Labour Market Information Systems (NLMIS).

He said that the lack of regular advice to the Nigerian Universities System on graduate needs of the labour market had led to a mismatch, thereby, aggravating the unemployment situation in the country.

He said that the quality and focus of training offered by the universities were not in tune with the needs of the society and that the situation had led to a high rate of unemployment.

Gombe

There was low turnout of women in parts of Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State at the on-going vaccination against Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM).

Our correspondent, who monitored the exercise in Kumo, headquarters of Akko Local Government on Tuesday reports that the women, who turned out for the exercise were few.

Akko Local Government Council, Primary Health Care Coordinator, Miss Lois Lakurbe, said women in Kumo East ward refused to come out based on the instructions given to them by their husbands.

She said that when she noticed the problem, she decided to deploy a team of vaccinators who went from house to house to immunise them.

“Initially, that was not the arrangement, the vaccinators were supposed to be stationed in all the health centres in the local government so that people will go and meet them.

Kano

A sickle cell anaemia patient, Hajiya Bilkisu Hassan, has appealed to the Kano State Government to establish special centres for the treatment of the disease.

She told newsmen in Kano on Tuesday that the provision of the facilities was necessary to provide drugs to the patients to enable them to effectively manage the disease.

Hassan said sickle cell patients needed serious counselling, support and assistance.

“We want Gov. Rabi’u Kwankwaso to emulate his Katsina State counterpart by establishing such centres to cater for sickle cell patients in the state.

“When established, such centres will only take care of sickle cell patients, because of the peculiar nature of the disease.”

Kebbi

The Birnin Kebbi Local Government chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has appealed to the state government to absorb the 1,000 unemployed NCE holders in the council.

The NUT Chairman, Mallam Sarki Zaki, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday that the graduates had been idle for two years.

He said that the employment of NCE holders into teaching jobs would reduce the dearth of teachers currently being experienced in the area.

Zaki described the condition of the unemployed graduates as pathetic, noting with regret that most of them were roaming the streets and exposed to anti-social activities.

Lagos

Head of Civil Engineering Department at Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,  Prof. Olubayo Olateju said the property industry in Nigeria did not record the anticipated improvement this year.

Olateju said in an interview on Tuesday in Lagos that the impact could be measured by the level of transactions and construction done during the year.

“Globally commercial real estate transactions and constructions, considered key indicators of economic activities, have started to show signs of recovery, but this have not fully been experienced in Nigeria,” he said.

Nasarawa

No fewer than 100 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Agwatashi, Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa have defected to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

The defectors were received at the CPC’s office in Agwatashi,amid pomp and ceremony.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, the duo of Samuel Agena and Baba Ado explained that their decision to join the party was informed by the leadership style of Gov. Tanko Al-makura.

Niger

An outbreak of diarrhoea has claimed two lives in Bangi headquarters of Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.

The Permanent Secretary in the Health Ministry, Dr Ibrahim Chindo, told newsmen in Minna on Tuesday that only two persons died as a result of the outbreak of the disease, contrary to claims that eight persons lost their lives.

He said the ministry had deployed its personnel and medical supplies to the town to contain the possible spread of the disease and treat the victims free of charge.

“I have directed that a query be issued to the affected health officials for not reporting the outbreak to the ministry on time.

“We have also advocated for the prompt report of any outbreak to the ministry, so that necessary investigations are carried out and medications supplied to the affected communities to contain the outbreak.”

Plateau

The Plateau Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (PLACCIMA) has announced the cancellation of the annual Jos Trade Fair due to the security challenges in the state.

“The security situation does not seem to be improving much, and we are compelled to cancel the trade fair,” Mr Yusuf Sarumi, PLACIMMA’s Vice-President, told newsmen in Jos.

He said the chamber had to take the decision because of constant threats to lives and property.

“With the spate of bombings everywhere, we don’t want to endanger the lives of the exhibitors, participants and organisers. We have shifted the activity to next year and hope that the security situation would have improved.”

Sarumi noted with regret, the disappointment stakeholders might suffer, saying the decision was “in the best

interest of all’’.

He, however, commended stakeholders that had participated in planning the event, and appealed to them to “understand and bear with us”.

Yobe

Director of the Yobe State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (YOSACA), Hajiya Farida Mamudo says the agency is to recruit traditional birth attendants to complement the fight against the disease, ahead of the 2015 target.

Mamudo said  in Damaturu in an interview with newsmen that the agency would train the attendants on safe practises in handling maternal and child health care, to prevent the spread of the disease.

“This is one of the key activities contained in our work plan for 2012, to boost safe maternal and child delivery across the state. “

She explained that the plan would also provide testing kits, anti-retro viral drugs and food supplements, to health centres in the state to combat the scourge, “for appreciable progress towards the 2015 target.