Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The Borno State Government plans to create a special task force to ensure timely completion of various projects in this year’s budget, an official said in Maiduguri last Wednesday.
In a statement he issued, a Special Adviser to the state governor, Malam Isa Gusau, said Governor Kashim Shettima announced the plans while presenting the state’s 2014 budget proposal.
Shettima had presented to the State House of Assembly in Maiduguri, last Tuesday, a budget proposal of N178.5 billion.
“Shettima announced that a special task force, with extant powers, is likely to be created. “The task force is to have the mandate of accelerating the speed of projects to ensure timely completion in 2014,’’ Gusau said in the statement.
Gombe
Gombe State Police Command has confirmed that a gang killed two persons and injured one in Ceceniya quarters of Gombe.
Spokesman of the command, DSP Fwaje Atajiri, said in Gombe that the attack took place last Tuesday at about 11.45 p.m.
Atajiri said that a group of criminals attacked and killed their victims in Gombe Wednesday, metropolis with various dangerous weapons.
He described the incident as unfortunate, calling on the public to always report suspicious movements and promised a handsome reward for any one that could feed the police with information about the criminals.
Jigawa
As Nigerians celebrate the new year, farmers in Hadejia, Jigawa, have expressed hope for bumper harvest in the next cropping season.
A cross section of farmers in Hadejia last Wednesday, also hoped that the country would experience total peace and prosperity in 2014.
A farmer, Malam Ali Makintari, expressed optimism that farmers would record high yields in 2014 “in view of the application of new farming techniques and farmers’ support programmes initiated by the federal and state governments.’’
Makintari said he recorded a bumper harvest in 2013 due to prompt availability of fertiliser and other inputs, adding “we hope that the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) programme initiated by Federal Government will be expanded to include other farmers.”
Katsina
About 4,000 patients with various eye diseases from 11 local government areas of Katsina South Senatorial District have received free eye treatment in Funtua.
Special Assistant to Katsina State Deputy Governor on Special Duties, Alhaji Qassim Muhammad, said last Thursday in Funtua that the exercise, tagged “Free Eye Camp’’, took place from December 26 to December 31, 2013.
Muhammad said the treatment was conducted by a team of 14 doctors from Abasar Foundation in Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with Ihsan Yardam Vakfi Foundation from Turkey.
He said the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Garba, facilitated the exercise and sponsored all the required logistics used for the exercise and disclosed that the six day exercise was a milestone that enhanced the health of the people, especially the elderly from the rural communities in the state.
Kebbi
The Gwandu Local Government Area in Kebbi State last Thursday, said it had earmarked N35.7 million to boost water supply in the area.
Chairman of the area, Alhaji Juli Dangi, said in Gwandu that the council would drill 30 additional boreholes in Gwandu, Dalijan and Kambaza districts.
Dangi said the council had drilled 20 open wells in remote areas to augment the existing water projects initiated by the state government.
He said the council would continue to provide social services to improve the living condition of the people “in line with our mandate as representatives of the people” and
commended the state government for constructing one of the best health facilities in the area.
Kwara
Some religious leaders in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, last Wednesday, urged Nigerians to reflect on the significance of the New Year celebration and collectively proffer solutions to the nation’s challenges.
The Bishop of The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Omu-Aran, Rt. Rev. Phillip Adeyemo, urged Nigerians to embrace love, peace and unity in the New Year and he appealed to citizens to check their shortcomings in the previous year and re-dedicate themselves to God in the New Year.
Adeyemo urged politicians and civil servants to shun corrupt practices, ungodliness and other acts capable of retarding the growth of the nation.
The President of the Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Kwara Chapter, Prophetess Bosede Adimabua,urged wealthy Nigerians to extend their assistance to the poor and those with disabilities.
Lagos
A Muslim cleric in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Alhaji Haroon Daya-Biu, has urged Muslims and Christians to embrace the peace and live in unity in 2014.
Daya-Biu, who is the Head of “Ratibi Imam” in Epe, gave the advice last Tuesday night at a special prayer, tagged “Tahajjud Night’’, to mark the end of 2013.
In his message, Daya-Biu appealed to both Christians and Muslims to live in unity and embrace the peace to enhance progress in the country and urged adherents of both religions to show love to one another.
“Muslims love peace, Islam does not preach violence and we are peaceful people. “That is why we are going to use this prayer to pray for the peaceful coexistence of Muslims and our Christian brothers and sisters,” he said.
Nasarawa
No fewer than seven persons have died from cholera at Badawa-Galadima ward in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, an official of the council has said.
The Head of Health Department of the local government, Alhaji Ma’azu Doka, said in Kano on Wednesday that 68 patients were now receiving treatment.
Doka said 29 of them were at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) Kano, while the remaining 39 were outpatients.
“The outbreak, which started five days ago, has so far claimed seven lives. “We have also treated more than 71 persons, particularly those with cases that are not severe,’’ he said.
Ogun
For the umpteenth time, Iwoye-Ketu community leaders in Yewa North area of Ogun State have called on Federal and Ogun governments to intervene in the provision of road and other infrastructure in the border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic.
The traditional ruler, Oba Ademola Aremu, made the appeal last Tuesday, while conducting newsmen and leaders round the road and parts of the 20,000-strong community.
He decried what he called abject neglect of the community by previous administrations in the state, saying, “the neglect is dehumanising and unfortunate.’’
Oyo
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has granted amnesty to five condemned prisoners, total release and state pardon for four convicts who are on life imprisonment as well as amnesty to 12 convicts who are on various terms of imprisonment for misdemeanors.
In a statement issued by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ojo Adebayo , the amnesty was in commemoration of the New Year.
According to the Attorney-General, the amnesty was an exercise of the governor’s power to grant prerogative of mercy to convicts as conferred by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 under section 212(1) of the Constitution.
The State Attorney-General said the governor is empowered to pardon, free, grant respite or substitute a severe punishment with lesser one as a form of amnesty for convicts, and by sub-section (2) of that section, can exercise that power on the advice of the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
Plateau
Two officers in the Plateau State Police Command, Usman Adamu and Saad Ibrahim, both Chief Superintendents of Police (CSP) last Wednesday in Jos, received the State Commissioner of Police awards for dedication to duties and excellence in crime prevention.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Chris Olakpe who decorated the officers, said they were honoured for their consistency in high performance in their line of duties.
Olakpe, who described Adamu as the engine room of the command’s administration department, extolled him for discharging his duties without complaining.
The commissioner also said Ibrahim, who is the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Laranto Police Station, had consistently and tenaciously been fighting crime in his area.
Responding on behalf of the recipients, Adamu said they were ready to work tirelessly for the progress of the command.
Taraba
Acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar, last Wednesday, said his loyalty to his ailing boss, Governor Danbaba Suntai, was consistent and unshakable.
Umar, who made the disclosure in his New Year broadcast in Jalingo, said he was only holding brief for his principal, pending the time the governor would fully recover and capable of resuming full duties as governor.
The acting governor listed some of his achievements to include the completion of work on Jalingo-Sunkani-Garba Chede Road and the completion and inauguration of Takum General Hospital.
Others, he added, include the connection of Suntai Village, the governor’s country home, to the national grid, as well as the state’s House of Assembly Service Commission Complex.
L-R: Former Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Adamu Muazu; Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, Mr Johnkennedy Opara and Commissioner, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Ambassador Abdullahi Bage, during arrival of the last batch of Christian pilgrims in Abuja, last Friday. Photo: NAN
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.