Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Director of National Orientation
Agency (NOA), Hajiya Jummai Bello, has called on the people of the state to imbibe the spirit of peaceful co-existence.
Bello who said this in Bauchi last Tuesday, during an interview said that no meaningful development could take place in an atmosphere of rancour and hatred.
She said the agency was committed to sensitising the people of the state on the need to use cultural diversities as a tool for the development of the state.
“Our campaign is geared towards the propagation of the Federal Government’s transformation agenda. We try to entrench positive attitude, peaceful co-existence among people due to the decay that cut across the strata, “ she said.
Borno
Eighteen persons were feared dead after suspected Boko
Haram militants attacked a community along the Alau Dam -Alau Ngawo Fate in Jere Local Government Area of Borno on Sunday night.
A village head in the area, Malam Ibrahim Modu,told newsmen that the attackers invaded the community at about 10p.m. last Sunday before carrying out their evil act.
He said the invaders divided themselves into groups with some attacking residents while others set fire on the houses.
The spokesman for the 7 Division of Nigerian Army, Col. Mohammad Dole, confirmed the attack.
Ekiti
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
on Monday warned residents of the state against indulging in hard drugs.
The State Commander of the NDLEA in Ekiti, Mr Bamidele Akingbade, who gave the warning in an interview in Ado-Ekiti assured that said the agency would step-up efforts toward sensitising residents on the dangers of indulging hard drugs.
The agency, he said, would partner with some radio and television stations in the state in its public enlightenment drive.
He said the sponsored radio and television programmes would also educate the public on the dangers of cultivating, selling and smoking Indian hemp and urged the residents of the state to expose drug peddlers in their midst to the appropriate authorities.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government said it spent N75 million
on nomadic education in 2013.
A statement signed by the Alhaji Ali Manu, the Executive Secretary of the state Agency for Nomadic Education, in Dutse indicated that N36.6 million was spent on the construction of eight blocks of classrooms, headmaster’s offices and furniture.
The statement said that N9.3 million was used to procure and distribute instructional materials to all the schools in the state.
It said that N7.2 million was spent on the renovation of two blocks of classrooms in Guraja nomadic school and N6.2 million on furniture in its nine zonal offices.
Kano
The Kano State Government has approved money for
media campaign against increasing rate of rape cases in the state.
The state Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Maliki Kuliya, told newsmen in Kano last Monday, that the measure was necessary in order to sensitise the public on the problem as no fewer than 100 rape cases were recorded in Kano state between November and December, 2013.
He urged parents and Islamic scholars to take up the challenge by sensitising their wards and members of the public on the alarming rate of the menace in the state.
“The most disturbing thing is that most of the suspects are people that are known to the victims. So parents need to watch where their children go to or whom they relate with,’’ he said.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government last Monday distributed
reflective jackets, helmets and boots to 3,500 registered commercial motorcyclists operating in the state.
Distributing the items to the beneficiaries in Katsina, the Chairman, Committee on Sanitisation of commercial motorcyclists and tricycle operators, otherwise known as ‘’Okada and Keke NAPEP’’ in the state, Alhaji Alhassan Muhammad, said that the items were given free of charge.
Muhammad said that the beneficiaries were selected from the 34 local government areas of the state, adding that the gesture was aimed at regulating the operations of commercial motorcyclists in the state.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Chairman of Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders and Owners Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) in the state, Alhaji Dikko Kofar-Sauri, commended the state government for the gesture.
Kogi
The Kogi State Government last Monday said it had or
dered for 40 new trucks as part of efforts to strengthen the activities of the State Sanitation and Waste Management Agency.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Abudulrama Huya, said in Lokoja that the trucks, on arrival, would be deployed to 40 strategic locations to ensure clean environment.
He said the vehicles would come in from China and Germany, adding that the state government would engage more people to clean the streets to enhance cleanliness in the state.
The Managing Director of the State Waste Management Board (SWMB), Mrs Florence Joseph, also said that the agency had only three trucks and urged people in the state to be patient as the delivery of the new trucks would positively impact on their operations.
Niger
Eleven members of J’amatul Izalatul Bidia Wa Ikamati
Sunnah (JIBWIS) from Kebbi lost their lives in an auto crash in Suleja, Niger, on Sunday.
The accident occurred when the victims were returning to Kebbi after attending an education appeal fund programme in Abuja.
The unit commander of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Edwin Nwokike,in Suleja, told newsmen that the incident involved a Toyota Hiace bus conveying members of JIBWIS from Abuja to Suru in Kebbi and a Volkswagen Gulf car coming from Minna and going to Suleja.
The unit commander said that the driver of the Gulf car was alone and died on the spot; nine passengers in the Toyota bus also died on the spot, and one other died in the hospital, while nine sustained injuries.
Ogun
The Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Olatokunbo
Olopade, last Monday in Abeokuta charged Magistrates in the state to be proactive and firm while shunning corruption in the discharge of their duties.
She advised the magistrates to carry out researches so as to be in tune with the latest trends in the legal profession, stating that the magistracy was an important and vital part of the judiciary because of its closeness to the grassroots.
She regretted that magistrate courts were becoming “a grave source of embarrassment and a sign of failure of the criminal justice system,’’ attributing delays in trials to the poor attitude of some magistrates to work.
Ondo
Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has urged
chiefs and people of Akure kingdom to support and cooperate with the new regent of the land, Princess Adetutu Adesida.
Mimiko said during a homage to the regent last Monday in Akure that the supports would bring more peace and development in the kingdom.
He said that the reign of the late Oba Adebiyi Adesida, although very short, brought an “unprecedented development” to the land in the areas of sustainable peace and infrastructure development.
The governor said that the late monarch enjoyed tremendous support from his subjects and stressed that he was able to record more successes because of his tenacity of purpose and zeal to develop Akure and make it a befitting state capital.
Plateau
The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission
(PLASIEC) has cleared 574 persons to contest chairmanship and counsellorship positions in the January 30 local government elections.
The commission’s chairman, Peter Dalyop, said in Jos that 39 persons did not scale through the screening exercise.
Some of the chairmanship candidates who were not cleared include Mrs Rose Yakubu Chollom, the All Peoples’ Congress (APC) candidate for Barkin-Ladi Local Government and her Vice, Dung Stephen.
Zamfara
The Emir of Kaura-Namoda, Zamfara State, Alhaji Ahmad
Asha, has warned village and district heads in the emirate against all forms of corrupt practices.
The emir who gave the warning when he addressed the traditional rulers in Kaura-Namoda said it was only by shunning corruption that they would earn the respect of their subjects.
He particularly warned them against tampering with the financial assistance given to the less privileged known as Zakkat by the state government and disclosed that the emirate would inaugurate a monitoring committee to ensure that the funds were not tampered with.
Nation
Party Chieftain Hails LG Boss’ Dev Strides
Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwuche has extolled the sterling leadership being provided by the Chairman of the council, Hon Iyeko Okporo, describing it as unprecedented.
Hon Chukwuemeka described the council chairman as God-sent, considering his achievements in just 100 days in office.
The PDP chieftain said the chairman has rekindled the hope and trust of the people in grassroots governance.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for enabling his people to have his replica at Akinima.
He explained that the solar water project, the Late Eze Ekpeye Logbo 11 palace fencing, generator house rebuilding and town hall, all in Odiereke Ubie Community can best be described as the hallmark of true leadership.
He said the projects have direct bearing on the basic needs of the people who have suffered untold hardship and bad governance until the saviour came into office.
“ It is thunderous, as you can see the organic support and show of love to the performing chairman. Our people are overwhelmed seeing one of their own touching lives in a special way. As a community ,we have been in the past years without drinking water, but just two months in office, the chairman has provided not just drinking water, but a well-treated solar water project. Okporo is God-sent, no wonder he is nicknamed such. We have compared notes with other chairmen in the past and came to the conclusion that what he is doing in 100 days is overwhelming. Governor Fubara has made us proud by allowing a level playing field that necessitated the emergency of the chairman. You can see the women, men, youths and traditional rulers all saying one thing. God bless Governor Fubara for giving us our own. We owe him prayers and unwavering support,” he said.
In her welcome address, the Ward 9 councillor, Hon Catherine Uriah showered encomiums on the chairman for addressing the basic needs of the people in just 100 days in office.
Hon Uriah also thanked the Governor for allowing the will of the people to prevail in the just concluded local government elections which produced the God fearing chairman.
She said the people of Ward 9 as well as Ahoada West are pleased with the chairman because he is doing well.
She said the people will go to length to show support to him in his determination to redefine governance at the grassroots.
Nation
Group Plans Pilot Farm Programme For 50 Schools
A community-based non-governmental organisation, The Peoples Encouragers Initiative, is planning a pilot farm project for 50 schools in both Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
Executive Director of the organisation, Chukwuma Abraham disclosed this at the recent International Human Rights Day celebration at Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Abraham said the proposed programme which gulps the sum of N45million was intended to bring the youths back to the land and make them self-reliant.
“We hope to mobilise the factors of production inherent in all the schools through this programme to achieve two basic objectives of building self reliant youths and to create a viable and sustainable stream of income for our schools,” he said.
He said the programmme will also keep the youth busy and impact farming skills, stressing that each of the participating schools is expected to nominate at least two members of staff to coordinate and supervise the programme while10 students will be elected as executive members to administer the programmme on a day to day basis in their various schools.
“Every school has a sizeable portion of arable land to carry out the programme of establishing a functional farm in their chosen area of interest. We are hoping to mobilise an estimated N45 million to enable us set up the pilot farms across the 50 schools within Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas,” he said.
He said the celebration was to draw attention of both the Nigerian government and the international community to the issue of human rights violation, adding that findings by the organisation has shown that insecurity and youth unemployment worsened over the past few years as a result of the insecurity that engulfed the Orashi region of the State. We also found out that the high level of cultism and social unrest within our environment is mostly fuelled by the high use of illicit drugs among the youths. This programme will afford us the opportunity to take a tour through the universal declaration of human rights and reinforce on our youths the understanding that substance abuse can lead to crime, crime can lead to jail term and criminal record can blight their future dreams and life for ever,”he said.
Also speaking, the representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Ikporo Freedom urged the students to shun all forms of anti-social behaviours especially during the holiday season.
He also warned them against joining bad groups and stressed the need for the organisation to include private schools in the programme.
The Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Council, Hon Ezu R .C . Hezekiah represented by his Deputy, Hon Ununuma Odoi pledged the support of the council to the programme.
He also urged other groups in the area to emulate The Peoples Encouragers Initiative by organizing programms that will impact on the lives of the people.
John Bibor
Nation
NCSU Flays Police Take Over Of Rivers PDP Secretariat
The Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has condemned the take over of the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers State by the police, saying the action is against the tenets and principles of the rule of law.
This is even as the union has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call to order the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike for allegedly orchestrating and instigating the crisis rocking the PDP in the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the condemnation in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the police have no right to take over the PDP secretariat, as a ploy to provide cover and protection for members of the state executive of the party loyal to Wike, who were recently sacked by a court of competent jurisdiction in the State.
According to him, the action of the police is in clear defiance of a court ruling sacking the party executives at all levels in the State, instead of taking steps to enforce same.
He regretted that the police have consistently been showing that they are not appreciative of the logistic support Governor SiminalayiFubara has been extending to them, by openly demonstrating their bias, loyalty and allegiance to Wike and his supporters, contrary to their rules of engagement, which uphold and recognise absolute neutrality.
He said the Minister is wasting his time if he thinks that he could destroy the State by orchestrating and instigating needless crisis that is capable of making the State ungovernable, and appealed to President Tinubu to call him and his supporters to order.
Commenting on the fate of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the State, who defected from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Osumah said their fate is apparently sealed, as the Supreme Court had already given judgment in a similar case, saying, Wike is merely wasting his time by using the lawmakers against Governor Fubara, and causing unnecessary problem in the State.
He said if the Minister and his supporters do not retrace their steps and give peace a chance, the NCSU would have no choice than to mobilise all civil servants in the State, to troop out to the streets and protest against them.
The labour leader stressed the need for the police to vacate the PDP secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, and respect the High Court ruling which declared the congresses of the party in the State null and void.
While reiterating the need for President Tinubu to call Wike to order, Osumah said the President cannot continue to fold his arms and watch the Minister continuously make frantic efforts to destroy his State.
He also carpeted those blaming Governor Fubara administration for the recent gruesome murder of a Chief Security Officer(CSO) and his son in Igwuruta Ali community, saying those making such insinuations and attributing the sad incident to security lapses on the part of the state government, are missing the point.
He noted that by empowering the police in the State with several operational vehicles and other logistics, it was expected that the police would reciprocate the gesture, by living up to their constitutional obligation of protecting lives and property in the State, contending that Governor Fubara has been playing his part of guaranteeing security in the State.
He said the State is generally peaceful and safe, and challenged those criticising the Governor to cast their minds and attention to what is happening in other parts of the country, where killings and other social vices have become the order of the day.
Osumah cited as an example the recent killings in Ebonyi State by Fulani herdsmen as well as incidences of kidnapping and banditry in several other States of the federation, and wondered if Governor Fubara could be held responsible for such anomalies.
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