Nation
THE STATES
Abuja
The Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), says the Nigerian Tourism Investors Forum and Exhibition (NTIFE), will focus on funding for the development of tourism in the country.
The maiden exhibition of the body which will hold from May 21 to May 22 in Abuja, is expected to feature seminar and exhibition of Nigerian tourism and hospitality destinations.
The National President of the association, Chief Samuel Alabi, told newsmen that the two-day event would address the issue of funding as a vital element in promoting development and maintenance of tourism products and destinations.
He, however, urged the Federal Government to give the tourism sector a commensurate attention given to the oil sector as a way of diversifying the nation’s economy.
Adamawa
The Chairman of Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Malam Mohammed Bako, says that a female police constable has been killed while three persons in detention were released by gunmen who attacked the Mayo-Belwa Police Station recently.
Bako made the disclosure while touring the scene of attack, saying that the gunmen used Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) in the attack.
“A female police constable, Rahila Azoko, was killed while a policeman was injured during the assault on the Divisional Police Station.
“Three civilians, including a security man, were also injured in the attack on banks.’’
Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has said that it spent about N10 billion to renovate and provide facilities at the Yankari Game Reserve.
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Isa Yuguda, Mr Ishola Michael, stated this in Yankari, Bauchi State, while briefing members of the state chapter of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and Heads of Media Organisations.
Michael explained that the renovation, which started in 2005 during the tenure of the past administration, had been on-going, adding that the reserve now wore a befitting look.
According to him, when completed, the reserve will be leased out to private organisations or individuals for efficient management that will ensure the recouping of the money spent.
NAWOJ Chairperson in Bauchi, Hajiya Kaltume Shall later told newsmen that heads of media organisations in the state were includd in the programme because of their contribution to the development of journalism.
Benue
A 29-year-old man, Levi Achivin, has been arraigned before a Makurdi Magistrates’ Court, charged with illegal possession of firearm and criminal conspiracy.
The Police Prosecutor, Mr Omaye Ujata, told the court that an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Abdulsalami Busari, arrested the accused while on patrol along Airforce Base in Makurdi.
Ujata said that Busari handed Achivin over to the State CID where one locally-made pistol and six live ammunitions were found on him.
Ujata said that the accused hails from of Tongov in the Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue.
During interrogation, the accused admitted committing the offence.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service announced the arrest of 182 illegal aliens in Zaira.
The state Comptroller, Mr. Hamman Abdullahi-Yerima, told journalists shortly after the operation in Zaira, that the raid was to rid the state of illegal immigrants.
The comptroller said that arrangement had been made to repatriate them to their respective countries.
Those arrested had neither valid travel documents nor entered Nigeria through established controlled posts.
Abdullahi-Yerima attributed the influx of aliens to the country’s porous borders, saying thousands of motorcyclists were moving people illegally along the Nigeria/Niger border.
Kano
The Kano State Government has said it spent N238 million on the third batch of mass wedding for 1,000 couples in the state.
Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso announced this at a reception in honour of the couples held at the Government House in Kano.
Kwankwaso said government came up with the idea after counselling from Islamic clerics.
“They stressed the need to ease the hardship being encountered by the less privileged in the society who are in dire need of marriage.’’
The government gave out N20,000 to each bride to start a small scale business to complement the efforts of their husbands.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (KPHDA), has received drugs worth N2.5 million from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency(NPHCDA) to combat outbreak of measles.
The Executive Director of KPHDA, Dr Abubakar Koko, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi recently that the drugs were distributed to primary healthcare clinics to combat the disease.
He said that the donation of the drugs from the NPHCDA was timely considering the fact that measles outbreak had been recorded, and had resulted into the isolation of victims.
Koko said that health personnel had been deployed to all local government areas of the state to combat the disease.
Kogi
President Goodluck Jonathan has called on the new Attah-Igala, Idakwo Ameh-Oboni II, to use his reign to bring peace, unity and development to the kingdom and the country.
The president made the call at the inauguration and presentation of first class staff of office to the new Atta Igala in Idah by Goveror Idris Wada of Kogi State.
Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro, congratulated the monarch, and prayed for his peaceful and successful reign.
Presenting the staff of office to the Attah, Wada said the appointment followed due process and laid down rules, traditions and culture of the people.
Lagos
The Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods, has said that it had sealed about 30 illegal patent medicine stores in the Ajah-Lekki area of the state.
A statement in Lagos by the Lagos State Ministry of Health said that the state government was worried about the dangers posed by illegal drug hawkers.
It quoted the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adesina as saying that their nefarious activities needed to be urgently curtailed.
The statement alerted members of the public to the risks and dangers of purchasing drugs from hawkers.
“The shops were sealed for offences ranging from sales of drugs without licence from the regulatory authorities, to failure to relocate from a market area/adherence to the mandated distance between a patent medicine shop and the market place, among others.
Nasarawa
The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Nasarawa State, Mr Abayomi Akeremale,has enjoined residents to join hands in providing security for lives and property, as it was a collective responsibility.
He stated this when he inaugurated a police post which was upgraded to a Divisional Police Station in Azara, Nasarawa State.
According to Akeremale, various security agencies need the support of all Nigerians in discharging their constitutional responsibilities.
He advised the traditional rulers, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) and the public to always furnish the police with useful information on activities of suspected criminals.
Akeremale said there was no hiding place for criminals in the state as the command was more determined to track them down and bring them to justice.
Ogun
The Board of Technical and Vocational Skills in Ogun State has advised students in institutions of higher learning to embrace technical and vocational skills.
The Chairperson of the board, Mrs Doyin Ogunbiyi, who gave the advice, said that acquiring skills would prevent students from depending desperately on white collar jobs after graduation.
Ogunbiyi spoke at a seminar organised by the Icon of Change Initiative, a non-governmental organisation at the Tai Solarin University of Education in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
She said that technical and vocational education was important part of higher education which all students must embrace to live fulfilled life styles.
She said that students should engage themselves in handiwork while in school for them to become useful, noting that the state government was making efforts to give priority to vocational education.
Oyo
The Police in Oyo State have arrested Alhaji Abass Oloko, a former vice-chairman of the State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim Wing) over alleged murder.
The Tide gathered that Oloko was picked up by the police at his house in Ibadan after policemen had laid an ambush for him .
Oloko was arrested in connection with the attempted killing of Chief Ayodele Adigun, a former Secretary to the State Government during the administration of former Governor Rasheed Ladoja.
The Tide learnt that Oloko was also being held in police custody as a suspect in the murder of one of Adigun’s guards on March 26.
Gunmen had invaded Adigun’s Ikolaba residence on March 26 and frantically searched the house for the former SSG.
Adigun was, however, lucky to have escaped unhurt since he was away to Ado Ekiti, in Ekiti State with former governor Rashidi Ladoja to formally inaugurate the state chapter of the Accord Party.
The state command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs Olabisi Ilobanefor said that Oloko was under interrogation over the murder of Adigun’s guard.
“We are interrogating him and if he is found culpable, your guess is as good as mine; he will face the music and be charged to court.
Zamfara
The Federal Government has said that it would soon dredge River Benue up to Yola fringes in Adamawa State.
Information Minister, Labaran Maku announced this at a town-hall meeting in Gusau as part of the on-going Good Governance Tour to Zamfara State.
Maku said the government had concluded arrangement for dredging that would pass through Benue and terminate in Yola.
He stated that the Federal Government had attained 50 per cent in the modern rail line project, which would at the end link up Kano and Abuja through Kaduna.
The minister explained that the tour was aimed at showcasing projects and programmes being executed by the different tiers of government and projecting same to the rest of the world.
While commending the Zamfara Government for ensuring peace in the state, Maku assured that the Federal Government would revive all collapsed dams in the country, open up new ones in Benue and Taraba.
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.