Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
A former Governor of Adamawa State, Mr Boni Haruna,
said that the era of imposing candidates on the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was over.
Haruna, who is also the Minister of Youth Development, told newsmen in Yola that the state now had a reformed PDP where everyone was carried along.
“We are now going to play by the rules. It is not going to be like what happened in 2002.
“We will go back to the original formula of PDP in 1999 where people emerged through the popular will and not through the manipulations of structures by those in positions,” the minister said.
Borno
The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zannah
Mustapha, has urged the military to redouble efforts in ending the Boko Haram menace for peace to reign in the country.
Mustapha gave the advice at a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Maiduguri.
Mustapha expressed gratitude to the military for the efforts in maintaining peace in the state, in spite of numerous suspected Boko Haram attacks in the area.
“We commend the role of the military in fighting the Boko Haram insurgency.
“Your presence has made us to remain in the state.
“Everybody will have fled if not for your presence,” he said.
Ekiti
The National Conscience Party (NCP) has named Mr
Ilesanmi Bankole as its governorship candidate for the June 21, election in Ekiti State.
The announcement came just as INEC closed party primaries in the state.
Our correspondent reports that Bankole, a retired civil servant with the National Board for Technical Education, (NBTE) was elected by a total of 51 ward delegates through a “yes” vote since he was the only aspirant.
The event started with the accreditation of delegates, which lasted for one hour, after which the candidate was nominated and ratified by the entire house.
FCT
The Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gusau (Rtd)
has called for greater collaboration among the armed forces in the fight against insurgents in the country.
Gusau made the call in Abuja at a dinner and award night to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and also to honour the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Badeh, on his elevation.
The minister commended the Nigerian Air Force for its support and participation in “operations” within and outside Nigeria.
He said that the force, in the last 50 years, had proved itself to be a competent force to rely on and reckon with.
Gombe
The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
in Gombe State has arrested two suspected traffickers with 7.1 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Mr. Aliyu Adole, Commander of the agency, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Gombe State recently.
He said that one of the suspects was arrested along Gombe-Kano road with the substance which led to the arrest of the other suspect.
“My patrol team intercepted a bus coming from Kano with a young man found with cocaine, in an attempt to question him, he ran into bush before he was arrested.’’
Adole further said that investigation had been concluded, and they would be charged to court for prosecution.
The commandant called on the people of the state to assist the agency with useful information that would lead to the arrest of such people before they destroyed their lives.
He advised parents, traditional and religious leaders to ensure that their children and wards were properly guided.
Kano
The Kano State Government said that it had trained 632
youths on modern poultry farming.
Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, who announced this in Kano at the graduation of the trainees, said that the training was organised to empower youths in the state.
The governor said that the beneficiaries were selected from the 44 local government areas and were trained for one week with the aim of eradicating poverty among the youth.
Kwankwaso also presented an economic empowerment package of N129, 000 each to 500 of the trainees.
Kogi
Suspected kidnappers have abducted two of the children
of the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Lawal.
Our correspondent gathered that the abductors invaded the Speaker’s residence at about 4 a.m., scaled the fence and broke into the house at Okengwe in Okene Local Government Area.
The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Speaker, Mr Austin Akubo, told newsmen that three of the abductors entered the house.
“The abductors demanded for the children: Ogirima, 7, and Hafeez, 3, and also made away with other valuables.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board
(SUBEB) says it has concluded arrangement to employ teachers to fill existing vacancies in primary schools in the state.
The Executive Chairman of the board, Malam Abdulkarim Abdullahi, made this known in an interview with newmen in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Abdullahi said that the employment of teachers by the board would help to improve the standard of education in the state and the country at large.
He said Governor Tanko Al-makura had done much to improve the standard of education, especially in the classrooms construction and renovation of the existing ones.
Niger
The Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Fati Abubakar,
has ordered the release of four inmates serving various sentences at the Suleja Prisons.
Abubakar released the inmates, who had between four days and two months left to complete their sentences, during her visit to the prison.
The released inmates, Salisu Mohammed, Mohammed Ibrahim, Francis Okon and Lawal Yakubu, had been convicted of offences of theft, joint act, criminal trespass and conspiracy.
Abubakar advised the inmates to be useful to themselves and the society at large and to change from their old ways.
Ogun
The management of Olabisi Onabanjo University
(OOU), Ago-Iwoye, has failed to honour the invitation of the Ogun House of Assembly over the feud between OOU and its medical students.
Our correspondent reports that OOU management was invited over the breakdown of an agreement reached with the final year medical students and their parents on additional school fees.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Saburi Adesanya, at a stakeholders meeting on March 3, was quoted as saying that the graduating medical students, who had paid the mandatory six-year school fees, should pay a “one-off” N40, 000 development levy.
The students claimed that the school had breached an agreement by directing them to pay extra tuition fees to cover the extra time they spent in school.
Plateau
The chairman, Bokkos Local Government Area
of Plateau State, Mr Monday Kassa, has appealed to traditional rulers in the area to ensure peaceful co-existence among all the ethnic groups in their domains.
Kassa made the appeal at a joint peace and reconciliation meeting of Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the area in Bokkos.
The meeting followed the series of clashes recorded in the area in recent times, with the last one occurring in Angwan Kwano community in Maikatako Distrct.
Kassa described as unacceptable, the clashes between herdsmen and farmers as well as the attacks on citizens of the council by unknown gunmen which often claimed lives and property.
Taraba
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC) has called on Taraba State residents to be vigilant always and report suspicious persons to the security agencies in the state.
The State Commandant of the corps, Mr. Deteer Andy, made the call in Jalingo, at the swearing- in ceremony of the newly-elected officials of NSCDC Cooperative Society in the state.
Andy said that security was everybody’s responsibility and should not be left in the hands of security agents alone.
“It is the responsibility of everybody to report suspected individuals or things around him or her to security agencies for immediate action,” he said.
L-R: Secretary to Oyo State Government, Mr Ismail Alli, Deputy Governor, Moses Adeyemo, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, former Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, Mr Bayo Fatusi and Senator Emmanuel Onwe, during former Governor Kalu’s visit to the governor in Ibadan recently.
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.