Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in
Adamawa State, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi, has donated six buses to the party in the state.
Presenting the buses in Mubi, Abdullahi, who is the Sardauna of Michika in Adamawa State, said the gesture was to strengthen the party in the state.
He urged members of the party to close ranks and empower the party to reclaim its leading position in the state.
Abdullahi, a retired federal civil servant, said the support and goodwill he enjoyed from the people of the zone during his days in service, prompted him to join politics to repay them.
Bauchi
Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has congratu
lated the new Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Ima Niboro, on his appointment.
This is contained in a statement issued in Bauchi by Mr Ishola Michael, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor.
Yuguda also congratulated the Directors-General of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Mr Shola Omole, and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Alhaji Ladan Salihu.
The governor said that the media had played a vital role in shaping the minds, impression and actions of people, and urged the new chief executives to use their positions for the development of the nation.
Borno
The Borno State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, has Saturday, denied having any rift with Governor Kashim Shettima over the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Mustapha denied the alleged rift, which he said was making the rounds when he paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Biu, Alhaji Mustapha Aliyu, in his palace.
He said it was not true that he had teamed up with former Borno Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, to take over the control of APC in the state.
The deputy governor said the rumoured disagreement with his boss was the handiwork of mischief makers.
Ekiti
A bricklayer, Mr Adewale Omole has abandoned his
wife in a ‘spiritual home’ after he heard that she was expecting triplets in Ado Ekiti.
Narrating her story, Mrs Abosede Omole, who already had two children, told newsmen that her husband abandoned her and the babies.
She said that her husband started behaving strange after she went for a scan in Lagos where she was told that she was expecting triplets.
Abosede, who gave birth on Friday at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), said “my husband abandoned me even before I gave birth and he has refused to perform his responsibility as father.
Gombe
The Police Command in Gombe State says its officers
killed three armed robbers during a patrol on the Gombe-Dukku road on recently.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the command, DSP Fwaje Atajiri, disclosed this to newsmen in Gombe.
He said the police also recovered four guns, 307 live ammunition and two vehicles from the robbers during a joint operation with police men from Bauchi State.
Atajiri said that the vehicles recovered were one Honda Accord and a Toyota Avalon which were suspected to be stolen from Lagos-Ibadan axis.
“Upon seeing a police vehicle, they opened fire and the police returned fire and the ground battle lasted about 45 minutes on the Gombe-Dukku road on Friday.
“Three of them were killed; we recovered four arms, 307 live ammunition and two vehicles, one Honda Accord and one Toyota Avalon,.
“ The men were believed to have stolen the vehicle from Ibadan-Lagos axis,” he said.
The spokesman said that the police were intensifying efforts to arrest other members of the gang who escaped.
Kaduna
The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna
State has elevated 23 Ph.D holders to the status of professors.
This is contained in a statement issued in Zaria, by the institution’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, Dr Sama’ila Shehu, and made available to newsmen.
According to the statement, besides the professors, the management also approved the elevation of 41 others as readers and principal research fellows of the institution.
“At the 460th regular senate meeting of January 30, the vice-chancellor announced the promotion of 23 professors and 41 readers as approved by the Governing Council of the University.”
Kwara
The Kwara State, college of Education (COED),
Ilorin, last Saturday matriculated 4,000 students for the 2013/2014 academic session. The newly admitted students would study in 30 departments and three schools .
Addressing the students, the Provost of the college, Dr Isiaka Opobiyi ,urged them to use the opportunity to achieve excellence in their educational pursuit.
He warned them against acts such as cultism, drug abuse, examination malpractice, indecent dressing and drunkenness.
Opobiyi also urged the students to face their studies to excel in their academic pursuit.
Lagos
The Grand Matron, Christian Association of Nige
ria (CAN), Alimosho Local Government Area, of Lagos State Mrs Beatrice Egunleti, has urged wealthy Nigerians and philanthropists to support the less privileged in the society.
She made the appeal at the inauguration of her non-governmental organisation, “Project Care”, held at the Bible Baptist Church, Egbeda, Lagos.
Egunleti said she was putting in place a welfare outreach to empower the less privileged and integrate them into the society.
“When we come together, we can arrest the situation by turning around lives that would have been wasted”, she said.
Ondo
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
in Ondo State, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has expressed satisfaction with the turnout of people for the party’s ongoing membership registration.
Akeredolu, a former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), spoke in Owo shortly after he registered as a member of APC.
The one-time President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) registered at Ward 5 Unit 6 in Ijebu area of the town.
“The turnout is overwhelming. We have to send for more materials because of the turnout.
“People are already geared for change … Nigerians are ready for change,” he said.
Plateau
Sen. Gyang Pwajok has commended the Special Task
Force (STF) over the arrest of 16 cattle rustlers, saying that the feat will restore peace to troubled Plateau North.
Pwajok (PDP-Plateau North), who made the disclosure when he reacted to the arrest, said that bursting the racket would “certainly reduce future excuses for such attacks’’.
“We expect a huge reduction in such attacks, except if the conflict merchants come up with new excuses,’’ he said.
He added, however, that the STF must go beyond the cattle racket and identify the killer squads behind the killings in Plateau.
Sokoto
President Goodluck Jonathan has said that PDP will work
to lead Nigeria to greatness.
Jonathan was speaking in Sokoto at a grand reception organised for a former governor of the state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, who defected to PDP with his supporters from APC.
“The PDP is the only party that is stable and it will continue to uphold the tenets of democracy.
“The PDP respects the rule of law at all levels and we respect the constitution,” he said.
Jonathan said PDP was the number one party in Nigeria and would continue to be so.
He further said that the Federal Government under the party would continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.
Zamfara
Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State has warned
political parties against the use of thugs in the state, ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Yari gave the warning when he received Alhaji Mamman Sule, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in-charge of Zone 10, at the Government House, Gusau.
The governor said the warning became imperative “as the nation prepares for the 2015 general elections.
“The Zamfara government will not tolerate any thuggery. This warning is particularly for politicians who engage youths in thuggery just to intimidate the opposition.
“We will strongly use the law to stop such people even if they are members of the ruling APC in the state.’’
![L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on Water Resources, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, member of the Committee, Sen. Joshua Lidani, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Aviation, Mr Bayode Boluwaji, Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe and Chief Engineer, SSC Nigeria Limited, Mr Etim Frank, during inspection of Kashimbilla multi-purpose dam in Taraba last Monday.](http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/FRED120214-NAT-7-300x178.jpg)
L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on Water Resources, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, member of the Committee, Sen. Joshua Lidani, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Aviation, Mr Bayode Boluwaji, Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe and Chief Engineer, SSC Nigeria Limited, Mr Etim Frank, during inspection of Kashimbilla multi-purpose dam in Taraba last Monday.
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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