Nation
THE STATES
FCT
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) last
Wednesday urged Christians and Muslims to co-exist peacefully in the interest of national unity.
Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the President of the association made the call during a one day interactive session with religious leaders, political parties and security agencies in Abuja.
Our correspondent reports that the event was organised by “Think Nigeria Christian-Muslim Movement’’, an NGO.
Oristejafor said the two main religious bodies should ensure that their members were guaranteed protection in the country.
“ We must make a commitment to each other publicly, that Christians are safe in Muslim-dominated areas and Muslims are also safe in Christian-dominated areas,” he said.
Gombe
The Director of the Lake Chad Research Institute
(LCRI), Maiduguri, Dr Oluwasina Olabanji, has said that Nigeria will produce 1.5 million tonnes of wheat by 2017 as part of efforts to reduce the importation of the commodity.
Olabanji made this known at this year’s Wheat Farmers’ Field Day at the Dadin Kowa Irrigation Dam in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State.
Olabanji said the institute planned to cultivate 150,000 hectares of wheat using 75,000 wheat farmers in 2015/2016 season, while production would increase to 300,000 hectares in 2017.
“The wheat value chain aims at increasing productivity of wheat from two tonnes per hectare in 2013 to five tones to six tonnes per hectare by 2017and national production from the current 150,000 tonnes to 1.5 million metric tonnes in 2017 and to transform the wheat to major high income generation industrial crop for farmers.”
Kano
The Emir of Daura in Katsina State, Alhaji Farouk
Umar Farouk, last Wednesday described the newly constructed Kano city gates as monuments to be preserved and safeguarded.
He made the remark while inaugurating the gates situated at different locations in Kano.
He said, “Daura and Kano are sharing many things in common given the revered status of the former being the origin of the seven Hausa states of which the latter is a prominent member.’’
He said preservation of cultural heritage made people to remember their identity and progeny, adding that the gates were symbolic monuments depicting the city’s ancient treasures.
Kogi
A senior Medical Consultant Ophthalmologist, Fed
eral Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, Dr Osayande Osawe, has urged governments to increase awareness to prevent blindness through glaucoma.
He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lokoja on the sidelines of this year’s World Glaucoma Week.
Osawe emphasised the need to prevent our eyes from glaucoma rather than seeking for cure, adding that glaucoma is incurable.
He said it was difficult defining glaucoma because of its complexity in the manner in which it attacked and made the eyes to become blind.
Kwara
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State
has reiterated his administration’s commitment to partner with non-governmental organisations in promoting infant and maternal healthcare in the state.
Ahmed restated this commitment at the inauguration of Maternity Referral Centre built by Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited in Ilorin last Wednesday.
The project was executed in partnership with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company in collaboration with Kwara State Government.
Ahmed described the project as an intervention that would give birth to hope and midwife succour, especially in rural and district communities.
The governor said the significance of the referral centre laid in the fact that child and maternal health was a major index of any efficient system.
According to him, pregnant women and infants are some of the most vulnerable in the society, especially in rural communities.
Lagos
The Arewa Traditional Institution in Lagos last
Wednesday said it was not part of its values for a Sarki to go about visiting and attending political rallies and meetings.
At a news conference in Lagos, the Sarki Hausa of Lagos, Alhaji Aminu Yaro-Dogarai, advised anyone with such an exalted position to play the role of a father and not to be partisan.
He frowned at the activities of some people he called impostors, who were trying to smear the image of the institution.
Yaro-Dogarai said it was disheartening to see people claiming to hold the exalted and highly esteemed office of the traditional Arewa institution visiting and attending political rallies and meetings wearing full traditional regalia.
“It is dishonorable for a bonafide Sarki institution to participate in active partisan politics,’’ he said, noting that it should rather act as a father to all politicians, irrespective of their political class or affiliation.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), has appealed to Labaran Maku, the former Minister of Information, to return to the party in the interest of the state.
Senator Solomon Ewuga, Director General, PDP governorship Campaign Organisation, made the appeal on behalf of the party at a media briefing last Wednesday in Lafia.
He urged Maku to jettison his governorship ambition on the platform of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and return to the PDP which he said, ‘kept him in public service for 14 years.’
He said that the APGA governorship flag bearer should appreciate God and the PDP for the special favour bestowed on him.
Ewuga expressed dismay that Maku had made the PDP which developed his political career his enemy by using religion and ethnicity to sow seed of discord amongst the people of the state.
Niger
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration
and Control (NAFDAC) in Niger State has stopped the mop up of tomato pastes suspected to be dangerous for consumption.
It said it stopped the mop up following instructions from its national headquarters to avoid panic among the people.
An official of the agency, Mr Dadi Mullah, told newsmen in Minna last Wednesday that it was awaiting directives from the headquarters to resume the mop up.
The agency started the mop up of the suspected killer tomato pastes in circulation in the state on Tuesday.
“The management of NAFDAC is strategising on how to mop up these products without causing market panic.”
Ogun
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun
State chapter, yesterday commended the Federal Government for reducing electricity tariff by 50 per cent.
The President of the association, Mr Wale Adegbite, told newsmen in Ota that the “step was a welcome development’’.
Adegbite said that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had finally listened to the complaints of manufacturers.
“But, what the NERC has done is to reverse the increase the commission did in January, so it is not really a reduction,’’ he said.
Adegbite said that there was need for the Federal Government to create enabling environment like provision of stable electricity, good roads and adequate security.
R-L: Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State; Yoruba Leaders, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Prof. Dupe Olatubosun and Dr Frederick Fasehun, at a post National Conference Summit in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: NAN
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.