Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Former military administrator of Lagos and Borno states,
Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd), last Friday, declared that he was in the governorship race of Adamawa State under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to secure its ticket and win the seat for the Party in the bye election slated for October 11 this year.
He added that he was not afraid of other aspirants, especially Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, being touted as the anointed candidate for the race.
Marwa, who was fielding questions with news men at the National Secretariat of the PDP in Abuja after submitting his nomination form, said, “I’m the candidate to beat in the race for the PDP ticket for the Adamawa State Governorship contest.”
Bauchi
Three policemen were, last Thursday night, killed by
unknown gunmen at a checkpoint at Tilden Fulani in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
It was gathered last Friday that the slain policemen were with two other colleagues on a patrol duty who, however, were not at the scene when they were attacked by the assailants.
Sources, including Toro council area officials, told journalists that the policemen were attacked between 10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m. when the two who escaped the attack had gone to eat.
“Five policemen went out for duty last (Thursday) night. It was raining as of that time, but on reaching their regular checkpoint, two of them went into the town to eat, while three stayed behind. But, unfortunately, before they returned, their colleagues had been attacked and killed,” an official of Toro council area, who did not want to be named, told journalists.
Benue
Senate President, David Mark, and the Registrar of the
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde have stressed the need for a functional education of Nigerian youths as the antidote to the various problems confronting the nation.
They attributed the problems facing the nation including insurgency, violence, armed robbery and drug abuse among others to illiteracy.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President, Mr. Paul Mumeh, on Sunday, said Mark and Ojerinde spoke in Otukpo, Benue state on Sunday.
Mumeh explained that the event was the closing ceremony of the 2014 Prof. Odusola Ojerinde ( late wife of the JAMB Registrar memorial golf tournament.
Borno
Force Headquarters, yesterday, confirmed that following
the deadly attack by suspected Boko Haram fighters on the Mobile Police Training School, Gwoza, last week, 35 of its officers were still missing.
The police, however, noted that search and rescue efforts had led to the recovery of scores of policemen, adding that the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, had ordered the tightening of security in police formations across the country to prevent future attacks.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu, in this regard, said, “Following the attack launched by insurgents on the Gwoza Training camp of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Suleiman Abba has since ordered the tightening of security around all police facilities in the country in addition to efforts made to further protect the lives of all people in Nigeria and their properties.
FCT
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has appointed Corps
Commander Stella Uchegbu as the new Corps Public Education Officer to replace Assistant Corps Marshal Jonas Agwu who is now Zonal Commanding Officer in charge of Zone RS7, Abuja at Gwagwalada.
Until her new assignment, Stella Uchegbu, who is a seasoned and thoroughbred officer, was the Nodal Officer at the FRSC SERVICOM Unit at the Abuja national headquarters, during which the Corps received commendable ratings for consistent compliance with SERVICOM principles.
Jigawa
The Jigawa Government says it has trained 238 traditional
rulers on alternative dispute resolution across the state.
The Chairman, Jigawa Justice Sector and Law Reform Commission, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, made the disclosure at a one-day conference on Traditional Justice System in Dutse.
Abubakar explained that the monarchs were trained on Nigeria’s legal system, record keeping, human rights issues and development of code of ethics.
He said another batch of 191 traditional rulers comprising council members and district heads from the five emirates council were currently being trained across the state.
Kwara
As the 2015 general elections draw near, labour leaders,
civil society activists, academics and politicians in Kwara State have resolved to elect leaders with vision and progressive ideas, noting that they would expand the political space to enable the election of competent leaders.
Speaking after a colloquium held in Ilorin tagged: ‘The Need for Progressive Leadership in Kwara State” and organised by The Leaders Institute, Professor Hassan Saliu of the University of Ilorin; former minister, Dr. Amina Ndalolo; former bank executive, Princess Shola Adedoyin and Vice-President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Issa Aremu, all agreed that the event was auspicious and the theme was a right step in the right direction.
Lagos
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm
over a plan by unscrupulous and apparently-hired hands to relaunch the acronym battle against the party by seeking to register three new parties that bear the acronyms of the same parties that merged to become the APC.
In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said those behind the phantom parties, who are apparently working at the behest of people who have a mortal fear of the APC, have applied to INEC to register the Allied Council of Nigeria (ACN); Advanced National Patriotic Party (ANPP) and Conservative People’s Congress (CPC).
Oyo
Some ministers from the South-West geo-political zone
flocked the pro-Jonathan rally held at Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Saturday by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN).
The group urged President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to run for a second term in office, come 2015.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, who received the collection of booklets from the Chief of Staff to the President, retired General Jones Arogbofa, commended the people of the zone for the love and support expressed to Mr. President.
Sokoto
As part of efforts to prevention of Ebola virus disease, a
public lecture was yesterday held in Sokoto with a call on relevant authorities to enhance surveillance at the nation’s borders to prevent infected persons from entering into the country.
Traditional/religious leaders, health personnel, airport officials, students, security and law enforcement operatives and various other groups thronged the Sultan Maccido Institute of Quranic Education for the programme organised by the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto and the State’s Ministry of Health.
Speaking at the occasion, the Director of Port Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Nasiru Gwarzo noted the need for coordinated response to stop the spread of the disease.
He said the federal and state governments and other stakeholders were ensuring required partnership to stop the menace of the Ebola virus disease.
Taraba
A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Jalingo, Friday adjourned
the case between the Taraba State University and staff members of the State College of Education, Zing, over the occupation of staff quarters till August 25 for further hearing.
The university is praying the court to grant it permission to evict the staff members of the college from the quarters, arguing that all the structures of the college, including the quarters, had been given to the university by the state government.
When the case came up for hearing, counsel to staff members of the college, Saleh Wakili, tendered an application, asking the court to join the Taraba State government and the college of education in the case, saying they were the owners of the disputed property.
Yobe
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe State
yesterday said that the dismissal of alleged impeachment plot against Governor Ibrahim Gaidam by the state lawmakers has diffused tension among the citizenry.
Yobe state Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Bakabe, made the submission in a statement made available to journalists.
“The party commended the timely response of the legislators to the allegation and also passed a vote of confidence on the governor,” Bakabe said.
“As the ruling party in the state, APC has a sitting governor, three senators, six members of House of Representatives, 24 members of the State House of Assembly and 17 local government chairmen.
He listed the projects to include roads, healthcare delivery, functional education and employment opportunities for the benefit of the people.
Members of the state House of Assembly on Tuesday 19 August dismissed rumours that they had perfected plans to impeach Gaidam.
L-R: Governor Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State, Executive Secretary, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Ado Mohammed and Chairman, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan-Illelah, at the presentation of UNICEF and EU Medical Support Materials for Maternal and Child Health Care in Birnin Kebbi, last Friday.
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.