Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Adamawa, Alhaji Mohammed Ngada, has urged electorate in the state to make the necessary sacrifice to ensure a hitch-free governorship election on Saturday.
Ngada made the call in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Yola.
He urged the electorate to be peaceful, orderly and law-abiding for a successful poll.
According to him, the agency has gone round the 21 Local Government Areas of the state to mobilise the people for a peaceful election.
“We have been telling them to exercise patience, to spare that one day. Those who will be going to their farms please let them spare that day.
“Those who will be going about their normal business places, let them spare that day to go and vote for the candidate of their choice.”
Bauchi
A Nigerian-US based Consultant on Good Leadership, Alhaji Bashir Bugaje, has challenged public servants to provide good and transparent leadership in order to enhance the quality of governance in the country.
Bugaji gave the challenge in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Bauchi.
He said that with good leadership skills, the current security challenges being faced in the country would be overcome.
According to him, leadership is critical to the performance of any government.
“It will enhance the art and science of leadership and to a greater extent, management and at the end of the day, these are qualities that we’ll live all our lives even when we leave the services of the government.”
FCT
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) secretariat is developing investment and policy briefs for states across the federation.
This is in addition to developing a comprehensive labour relations programme at state level to smoothen relationship between workers and governors.
The Director General of the Secretariat, Mr Asishana Okauru, gave the information to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
He added that the secretariat recently launched a website to serve as a digital information hub for the policies and programmes of the 36 state governors.
The director general said the website was designed in collaboration with the Department for International Development (DFID).
Gombe
The Gombe State Government says it will continue to partner with newsmen in information dissemination and publicity of government programmes.
The Commissioner for Information, Rev. Habu Dawaki, made government’s intention known in Gombe on Thursday, when he visited the Gombe State office of NAN as part of his familiarisation tour of media establishments.
Dawaki said that he would revisit the suspension of subscription to news services by the state owned media organisations by previous administration with a view to ensuring closer collaboration with the agency.
The commissioner, who expressed delight over the operations of the agency in the state, solicited its cooperation in publicising the programmes and policies of the government.
Kano
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has donated drugs worth millions of naira to four hospitals treating victims of the recent bomb attacks in Kano metropolis.
Presenting the items to the representatives of the hospitals in Kano on Thursday, the Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Sani Sidi, said the gesture was aimed at assisting the victims.
The benefitting hospitals are Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Nasarawa Hospital, Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital and Dala Orthopedic Hospital.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government has earmarked N1 billion for the empowerment of women to participate in agricultural activities in the state.
the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajia Asmau Abdullahi, said this on Thursday in Katsina, shortly after defending the ministry’s 2012 budget before the State House of Assembly Committee on Appropriation.
She said the government had initiated three programmes to encourage women to participate in agricultural activities like fishery, poultry farming and planting of moringa trees.
Abdullahi said the women that would be selected to participate in the programmes, would be selected from the 34 local government areas of the state.
Kebbi
The Kebbi Government says it has spent N200.6 million in the past four years to assist people in the state living with disabilities to become self-reliant.
Alhaji Abdulnasir Argungu, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Saidu Dakingari on Matters of People Living with Disabilities, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi that N52 million was spent annually on the programme.
He said that his office in collaboration with the state’s Social Security Welfare Agency, had distributed 500 tricycles, 500 wheel chairs and 400 bicycles to a total of 1,400 beneficiaries.
Argungu said that 8,000 bags of grains, comprising 6,000 bags of assorted rice and 2,000 bags of cereal as well as bundles of textile materials were given to the disabled persons.
Lagos
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has said that the more than new 500 transformers kept at the National Theatre, Ignamu, Lagos, will soon be installed within the Eko electricity distribution network.
NDPHC Managing Director, Mr James Olotu, told newsmen in Lagos that the transformers were to boost power supply within the network.
He denied insinuations that the transformers, known as High Voltage Distribution System (HVDS), were abandoned.
“The poles will soon be delivered. It is wrong to say the transformers were abandoned. They are transformers meant for the Nigerian Independent Power Projects (NIPP) and are to be installed within the Eko distribution network.
Niger
The Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has called for tolerance and mutual respect among Nigerians for peace and stability in the country.
Abubakar made the call in Minna, when he led a team of traditional rulers on a solidarity visit to Gov. Babagingida Aliyu of Niger at the Government House.
The Etsu Nupe said that Nigerians must learn to tolerate and respect each other’s value system in the interest of peace.
Ogun
The National Council of Muslim Youths Organisations (NACOMYO) advocated the sustained use of community policing to complement government’s efforts at tackling the nation’s security challenges.
The call was contained in the orgnisation’s Maulud Nabiyy celebration message signed by its National Secretary, Alhaji Kamal’ddin Akintunde, and released in Abeokuta.
While canvassing for a well-equipped police with sophisticated and modern day equipment, NACOMYO called for community policing because of the enormity of the security challenges.
The group also said it was important for all Nigerians to have the best interest of the nation at heart irrespective of religious or political affiliations.
NACOMYO stressed the need for the political class to imbibe sound and robust democratic values while jettisoning sentiments detrimental to the nation’s interests.
Plateau
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 11, for the conduct of the re-run election in Dogo-Agogo polling unit of Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency.
INEC Chief Public Affairs Officer in Plateau, Mr Bencyn Ikpe, disclosed this to newsmen in Jos on Thursday.
“The security situation has improved and we are going to hold the re-run election on February 11, 2012,’’ he said.
The election, ordered by the Court of Appeal, had earlier been scheduled for January 18, but was postponed for security reasons.
The re-run is between Peter Akujah (PDP) and Suleiman Kwande of the DPP.
The re-run order followed an appeal by Akujah against the verdict of the State Election Petition Tribunal, which had nullified his victory in the April election and declared Kwande winner.
Sokoto
The Acting Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Lawalli Zayyaba, has urged members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) to help in sustaining peace and unity in Nigeria.
“The members of the Guild have great roles to play in the sustenance of peace, unity and tranquillity in Nigeria,” he said on Saturday in Sokoto when he received the standing committee of the Guild on a courtesy call.
“You came to Sokoto when interesting political development had occurred and that was why I am standing before you as the acting governor of the state.
“God gives and takes leadership to whom He wishes at the time He wants. But even if elections are to hold today, Wamakko will surely win by the grace of God”.
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,
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