Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), North-East Zone,
has commended the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu, for campaigning for peaceful co-existence among the various religious and ethnic groups in the state.
The zonal chairman of the association, Rev. Shuaibu Byel, gave the commendation when he led other leaders of the association on a courtesy visit to the emir.
He said the current campaign for religious tolerance initiated by the emir was commendable, especially now that the country was preparing for the March 28 and April 11 general elections
He recalled that prior to the postponement of the elections several people had relocated to their places of origin for fear of being attacked.
Byel said: “your peace initiative which is aimed at strengthening unity between the Church and the host community is already yielding fruit.
Borno
The Borno State Government has advised Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) whose communities had been reclaimed by the military to exercise restraint in rushing back home.
This is in view of the fear of dangerous reptiles and landmines planted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in such communities.
The Commissioner of Housing and Rural Electrification in the state Dr Haruna Mishelia, gave the advice while addressing newsmen in Maiduguri.
Mishelia said that though it was the wish of the state government for IDPs to return home quickly, a number of measures had to be taken to safeguard their lives after returning home.
“You will agree with me that there is no place like home. It is the wish of government to see the IDPs return home as quickly as possible.
FCT
The Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria
(RTEAN) says it will establish more Welding Schools across the country.
National President of the Association, Chief Musa Shehu, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Shehu said the idea of opening the schools became necessary due to the need for certified pipe welders who could work in the union’s car workshops across the country.
“We want to open an institute for training pipe welders, not ordinary road side welders. The pipe welders are highly needed in vehicle assembling centres.
“There is already a workshop which the Ministry of Works handed over to us; so the welding training school will be introduced in the workshops located in the six geopolitical zones in the country.
“We want to make sure that there is an Assembly Plant in the workshop, Completely Knocked Down (CKD) plant where vehicle parts will be fixed and assembled,” he said.
Gombe
Governor Kashim Shetima of Borno has commended the gallantry of the Nigerian military in recapturing some of the areas that were taken over by Boko Haram.
Shetima made the commendation in an interview with newsmen in Gombe recently.
He said that government would give the military all the moral and logistic support to accomplish the set goals.
“We commend them for the gallantry they have displayed in recovering some of the lost territories. We can only give them all the moral and logistic support for them to accomplish their goals.
“They have families, blood in their veins and are risking their lives for us to have sound sleep.
“I think they deserve to be commended not to be condemned, they need our support’’, he said.
According to the governor, Borno is the largest state in the federation in terms of land mass and the insurgents had a territory of more than 69,000 square kilometres.
Kogi
The President of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop
David Oyedepo, has urged Christians to earnestly pray for God’s choices to emerge at all levels of leadership in the forthcoming elections.
Oyedepo made the call at a monthly programme of the church tagged “One Night with The King” on Saturday morning in Lokoja.
The Bishop, in his sermon titled “Engaging the Prayer of Faith For Fulfillment of Prophecy’’, urged Christians to pray that God’s will should prevail in the elections.
“We must commit the elections to God’s hands for His will to be done and I am sure He will rescue this nation.
Kebbi
The PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kebbi State, Gen.
Bello Sarkin-Yaki (rtd.), has donated 175 metal
detectors to 68 religious organisations and four emirate councils in the state to enhance security.
The Special Adviser to the state governor on Religious Affairs, Malam Zakariya Yeldu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi recently.
Yeldu said that a committee to facilitate the distribution of the donated items had been constituted.
He said the 21 local government councils in the state would receive three metal detectors each while 68 pieces of the detectors would be distributed among the four emirates.
Yeldu said the metal detectors for the 17 registered religious organisations would be deployed to enhance security in mosques and preaching centres across the state.
Kwara
No fewer than one million people are to benefit from
the ongoing Community Health Insurance Scheme in Kwara State.
The Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed on Media and Publicity, Dr Muyideen Akorede, made this known in Ilorin during an interview with newsmen.
Akorede said the development was in line with the government’s commitment to the provision of quality, affordable and accessible healthcare services.
He explained that the development was also a giant step in the government effort to transform the health sector.
He also disclosed plans to renovate additional five hospitals to further move health centres closer to the people.
On education, he said 400 blocks of classrooms had been constructed while 120 were to be refurbished in line with global best standard.
He explained that these plans could only be realised if the people voted massively for the All Progressives Congress and refused being distracted by the antics of opposition who had little or nothing to offer.
Lagos
An Igando Customary Court in Lagos has dissolved a
20-year-old marriage between Olayiwola Ajayi and his wife, Isiwa, over battery by wife.
The President of the court, Mr Rasak Adeyeri, held that both parties were no longer husband and wife and they were free to go their separate ways.
Ajayi, 72, a retired civil servant, had alleged that his wife always threatened his life through beating, among other things.
“My wife is fond of beating me, she beats me on any slight provocation, I am tired of being brutalised.
“A day cannot pass without her laying her hands on me, I am afraid she may kill me one day if I still continue in the marriage,’’ Ajayi said.
Nasarawa
The traditional ruler of Obi community in Nasarawa
State, has appealed to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from his area to come back home as the area is now peaceful.
Orume made the appeal at Obi in an interview with newsmen recently.
The royal father expressed sadness over the unfortunate crisis witnessed in the area, but urged all those who fled for safety to return home.
He said that the area was now safe and peaceful, and urged those who fled to return to their ancestral homes.
He said that their return would facilitate the success and equitable distribution of relief materials to every IDP of the area.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on all Internally Displaced Persons to come back to their homes.
“It has been discovered that many are yet to return maybe out of fear. So I want to assure all those who are yet to return that Obi is now safe and secured.
Sokoto
Former President Shehu Shagari has appealed to Ni
gerians to pray for peace, progress and political stability in the country.
Our correspondent reports that Shagari was speaking while receiving the All Progressive Congress ( APC) Presidential candidate, Gen. Mohammed Buhari, at his resident in Sokoto
He said that only prayers by Nigerians would pave way for meaningful development in the country.
Shagari expressed appreciation for the visit and wished the general well.
Speaking earlier, Gen Mohammed Buhari congratulated Shagari for attaining the age of 90.
He prayed to God to continue to guide , protect and give the former President , good health.
Taraba
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship can
didate in Taraba State, Chief David Kente, has denied the rumour making the rounds that he has stepped down from the race.
“I want to make it clear that I have not and will not step down for anybody,” Kente said in Jalingo at a press conference.
Represented by Mr David Adekoya, his Special Assistant (SA) on Media and Publicity, Kente described the rumour as “the handiwork of mischief makers.’’
“I did not also return to the PDP as being speculated by some mischief makers who are obviously intimidated by my popularity among electorate,” he said.
Kente urged his supporters to ignore the rumour and turnout en masse on April 11 to give him the mandate to make a difference in the governance of the state.
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.