Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The Benue State House of Assembly has directed former Chairman, Ukum Local Government Area, Mr David Sevav to refund N25 million, following an audit report which indicted some officials in local government councils in the state..
Sevav is to pay the money into the treasury of the council’s cooperative thrift within one month with evidence of payment to be submitted to the Committee on Public Accounts.
The House also directed the Sports Officer of Apa LGA, Mr Matthew Ofenkwu to refund N2 million to the coffers of the local government within one month.
The House gave the directive during a debate of the report of the Auditor-General on activities of Local Government Counclis from 2008 to 2010.
Borno
Borno State Police Command has denied media reports on alleged killing of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Gwoza Local Government Area by suspected terrorists.
Some media organisations had reported that the DPO and his deputy were killed during an attack by suspected terrorists recently.
But Mr Dideon Jibrin, the spokesman of the command, said in a statement in Maiduguri that the story was untrue.
“I wish to state for the avoidance of doubt that at no time was the DPO or his deputy killed by suspected terrorists.
“The story is absolutely untrue,” Jibrin said.
FCT
An Abuja Grade 2 Area Court has sentenced a labourer, Abbah Lawal, to two months imprisonment for stealing a generator under the guise of assisting a trader to salvage his property from fire.
The trial judge, Ahmed Ado, sentenced Lawal, after he pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of theft.
Ado said the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others who might want to engage in such act.
He, however, gave the convict an option of N2000 fine.
Gombe
Gombe State Government has acquired and installed equipment worth N200 million for the full take-off of Gombe State University Medical College.
The Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr. Isa Wade, made the information known in an interview with newsmen in Gombe.
“The equipment which we bought for N200 million have been delivered and some of them are being put into use for the training of students,” he said.
According to Wade, the governor has approved another N50 million for the purchase of furniture, laboratory equipment and other facilities for the college.
Kaduna
The Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, Kaduna State, has lauded the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for developing and reviewing its 87 curricular and 356 instructional materials in engineering, science, business and technology.
Alhaji Adamu Aliyu-Shika, the Institute’s Rector, said this at a one day training workshop on curriculum and instructional materials organised for technical and vocational education teachers by the institute.
He said that without the support of NBTE, being the supervisory body of polytechnics and other similar institutions, the success achieved would not have been possible.
Aliyu-Shika explained that the workshop was primarily designed to enhance the curricular of technical and vocational education teachers’ programmes.
Kebbi
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission says it has embarked on inspection of the ongoing Federal Government projects in the six geo-political zones.
It’s Commissioner, Alhaji Zakari Sada, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
Sada said that the inspection was part of measures to ensure strict compliance to budget implementation.
He said the commission embarked on tour of Federal Government projects in the six geo-political zones “to obtain assess compliance to financial commitment of the government.
Kwara
The newly appointed Secretary, Board of Fountain University, Osogbo, Mr Yinka Yahaya has called for the establishment of more universities in Nigeria.
Yahaya made the call in Ilorin while speaking with journalists.
He said that the establishment of more universities would ease the difficulty Nigerian students faced in seeking admission for higher education.
According to him, more universities will enhance the development of human capital and accelerate national development and technological breakthroughs.
Lagos
The China Machinery Engineering Corporation, managers of Phase 2, Omotosho Power Plant, Ondo State, says it has completed the 500mw plant.
The Managing Director of the company, Mr Liu Zhao-Long, told newsmen in Lagos that all the four turbines were functioning.
“The project had been completed but the official commissioning will take place later this month. It will be commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan.
“We have finished work on Omotosho Phase 2. The four turbines are contributing 500 Mega Watts to the national grid.”
Nasarawa
The House Committee on Finance and Appropriation in Nasarawa State House of Assembly says it increased the 2013 budget of N107 billion by N3 billion.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Philip Gyunka, made this known while presenting its report on 2013 budget in Lafia.
Gyunka said the addition would facilitate the conduct of local government election, provide infrastructure for rapid development and fertilisers to boost food production in the state.
“The committee has added N3 billion to the budget of N107 billion earlier presented by Gov. Tanko Al-Makura, to ensure adequate provision of infrastructural facilities across the state.
Niger
The Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Jibrin Ndajiwo, has said that inadequate funding of the judiciary by the federal and state governments was responsible for delays in justice delivery.
Ndajiwo made the statement in Minna at the opening of the 39th Joint Conference of Chief Judges, Grand Kadis and Presidents, Customary Courts of Appeal of the Northern States and FCT.
According to him, there is no compliance with Section 121(3) of the 1999 constitution.
The section states: “Any amount standing to the credit of the judiciary in the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state shall be paid directly to the heads of the courts concerned.’’
Ogun
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo last Wednesday urged Nigerians to take advantage of public institutions that were established for their benefits.
Obasanjo said this in Abeokuta while playing host to the Commissioner, Public Complaint, Commission in Ogun State, Mr Wale Banjo and his team.
He said that one of such institutions was the Public Complaints Commission established to intervene and investigate acts of injustice and victimisation of any citizen free of charge.
“Most citizens do not make use of this opportunity probably because they do not know enough about the commission,” he said.
Oyo
A 25-year-old, Tijani Bilia, was remanded in prison custody for stealing an iron rod valued at N150,000.
The defendant was arraigned on a one- count charge of stealing before a Senior Magistrates’ Court.
The prosecutor, Insp. Aliu Samad, told the court that the defendant stole the iron rod belonging to one Babatunde Oladele.
Samad said the incident occurred last Friday at 10:00am at Oluyole Estate in Ibadan, adding that the offence contravened section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. II Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.