Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The board of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, last Thursday approved the establishment of an outreach centre in Mbatyerev, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue.
The Chairman of the board, Sen. Emmanuel Nwaka, said during a press briefing in Makurdi at the end of its facility tour that the approval was to meet up with the medical needs of the rural dwellers of the state.
He said that the board had also discovered that the FMC was the major source of health care service delivery in Benue.
According to him, “the Federal Government, through the FMC, is meeting up its responsibility of bringing quality medical services closer to the rural dwellers’’.
The board chairman explained that the exact amount needed for the entire project was not yet known as the work was done in accordance with funds released by the Federal Government.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board last Wednesday inaugurated a 132-member committee to facilitate training of prospective pilgrims in the state.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), had allocated more than 3,000 seats to the state for the 2013 Hajj exercise.
The Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Sani Alhassan, who inaugurated the committee, said the gesture was to ensure proper training of prospective pilgrims on the basic tenets of Hajj exercise.
Alhassan said the committee was made up of males and females selected from the 27 local government areas of the state.
According to him, the state government has adopted proactive measures to improve the well being of the pilgrims and ensure a hitch-free Hajj.
In a remark, Alhaji Falalu Gantsa, chairman of the board, urged the facilitators to ensure proper training of the prospective pilgrims in accordance with the guidelines set by the board.
Malam Muhammad Yusuf, who spoke on behalf of members of the committee, pledged to be fair and just in the discharge of their duties.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government says it will spend N1.3 billion to dualise Nagogo Township Road and upgrade Barhin Housing Estate Road in Katsina metropolis.
The Commissioner for Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Maikudi, made this known when he briefed newsmen on the outcome of the state executive council meeting in Katsina last Thursday.
Maikudi said that the dualisation of Nagogo Road would gulp over N1billion, while the upgrading of Barhin Housing Estate Road would gulp N300 million.
He said that work on the three kilometres Nagogo road was awarded to Borini Prono Nig. Ltd. with a completion of period of 15 months.
The commissioner said that the 11.5km Barhin Road was awarded to CDC Nig. Ltd. with a completion period of six months and reiterated the commitment of government to the development of the state.
Kogi
The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, has called on Nigerian women to champion the cause of peace in finding a lasting solution to the security challenges in the country.
The first lady made the call in Lokoja last Thursday while addressing delegates to the 15th regular meeting of the National Council on Women Affairs and Social Development.
She called for more women participation in addressing the remote causes of the widespread violence now pervading some parts of the country.
Mrs Jonathan called on women to rise up with the firm resolution of providing an environment where peace could reign and women rights freely-expressed.
She said that, although women had achieved appreciable progress in the country, they should still work towards the attainment of the 35 per cent affirmative action across board.
Kwara
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State on Poverty Alleviation, Hajia Sarat Adebayo has urged women to strive to be role models and shun begging for alms.
Adebayo who made the appeal last Thursday in an interview in Ilorin, said that women should shun begging on the streets and government offices since the state government was committed to their welfare.
Adebayo urged them to be productive and to engage in entrepreneurial activities instead of begging.
“There is no gain in begging. It is unchristian and unislamic for women to go about begging instead of engaging in productive activities.”Women should uphold their dignity inwardly and outwardly by striving to be role models at all times,” she advised.
Adebayo also urged them to look inward on how they could add value to the people around them.
Lagos
The Lagos State Scholarship Board says the state government has approved N160.1 million for the payment of bursaries to its indigenes in tertiary institutions.
The Secretary to the Board, Mrs Yetunde Jegede, said on Thursday in Lagos that the amount covered the 2011/2012 academic session.
Jegede said that out of the total sum, N63.4million was for the state indigenes in Lagos State University (LASU) adding that for now the board would immediately pay LASU students and others thereafter.
According to her, the indigenes are expected to bring their scholarship award letters, school identity cards and two passport photographs.
“They are also to provide a progress report for the respective year duly stamped and signed by their school authorities,” she said.
Jegede said that the board would soon begin the documentation of the state indigenes for the 2012/2013 academic session.
Nasarawa
The 2012 Batch ‘B’ corps members posted to Nasarawa State concluded their service year last Thursday without the usual passing out parade and fun-fare.
The NYSC State Coordinator, Mr Stephen Alabi, said the ceremony was shelved because of the security challenges facing the state.
According to him, certificates are being presented quietly to the outgoing corps members simultaneously across all the zonal headquarters in the state.
Alabi said a total of 2,871 corps members successfully completed the service year and would be given Certificates of National Service.
In his remark, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Angama Weibey, congratulated the corps members for their meritorious service.
He assured them that the state government would always provide an enabling environment for those, who would want to start their post-service life in the state.
Ondo
Rector, Sacred Heart Catholic Minor Seminary, Akure, Rev.fr Valentine Omolakin, has urged government at all levels to return schools belonging to missionaries.
Omolakin who made this known at a press conference in Akure on Thursday ahead of its Sacred Heart Feast, scheduled for June 7, said it would help to achieve the purpose for which the schools were created.
The cleric noted that Gov. Olusegun Mimiko had promised to set-up a panel to look into the issue of returning schools to the missionaries.
Mimiko, he said, made the promise when the Papal Nuncio, Augustin Kasuja, visited the country in August 2012.He noted that there was a difference between a Catholic School and a Minor Seminary.
“The return of schools to the missionaries is long overdue in Ondo State and it should not be politicised,” he said.
Oyo
Retired Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, former governor of Western Region and Chairman of the Governing Council, University of Ibadan, has called on residents of Oyo State to support government in its transformation efforts.
Adebayo made the call when he led members of the council on a visit to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi in Ibadan on Thursday.
Adebayo said Ajimobi had given the education sector a boost, adding that the university had benefited from the educational initiatives of the state government.
Responding, Ajimobi said the state government attached much importance to education because of its belief that no nation could develop without quality education for its youths.
Zamfara
Two persons have been confirmed dead while 20 others were injured following a rainstorm which destroyed over 300 houses on Tuesday in Gusau.
Executive Secretary of Zamfara Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Atiku Maradun, said this in an interview on Thursday in Gusau.
Maradun, who spoke on behalf of Alhaji Musa Kwatarkwashi, Special Adviser on the state governor on Emergency Management, said that the adviser had already visited the affected areas namely Abarma, Janyau Fulani, Gidan Dutse, Gada Biyu and Unguwar Danfodio.
According to him, two girls, aged 11 and 15 were killed in the incident, adding that the residents also lost foodstuffs and animals.
He said that the Agency was compiling a report on the disaster for submission to the state and federal governments for immediate assistance and appealed to the victims to plant trees around their homes to minimise the effect of such disaster.
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.