Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi State Governor-elect, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar of Apc and his wife react after he was announced winner of the governorship election in Bauchi recently
Bauchi
A Local Church Council (LCC) of the Evangelical Church
Winning All (ECWA), has held special prayers to seek God’s intervention for a smooth handover on May 29.
Our correspondent learnt that the prayers were held during the LCC two-day revival service which ended on Saturday at ECWA II, Bauchi.
The Local Overseer, Rev. Shuaibu Byal, told newsmen shortly after the prayers that consistent prayers were needed for God’s intervention to deepen Nigerian democracy.
Byal said that with the handover day less than a week away, there was need for Christians and Muslims to pray for smooth transition.
According to him, it is only God that will ensure a smooth transition from President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration to the incoming Government.
Borno
The Borno State government, has commended the Federal
Government for setting up an Inter-ministerial Assessment Committee for rehabilitation of structures damaged by Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.
The state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mustapha Zanna, gave the commendation when he received members of the committee who were on a visit to Maiduguri.
Zanna said that the constitution of the committee was timely as it would provide avenue for the commencement of work in affected communities.
He added that, “the setting up of the committee is timely because our people are due to start going back to their communities following the liberation of their communities by soldiers.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, the Director of Search and Rescue of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), had told the deputy governor that the visit was to assess damages done by the insurgents in the state.”
FCT
The Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),
Mr Emeka Ezeh, has warned newly recruited procurement officers to follow due process in the award of contracts or risk going to jail.
Ezeh gave the warning in Abuja when he led the 130 procurements officers’ in-training on a tour of Kuje Medium Security Prisons.
Represented by Mr James Akanmu, Director, Research and Training, Ezeh said that being a procurement officer was a sensitive position.
He, therefore, urged the officers to refrain from corrupt practices and any act that could tarnish their reputation.
The BPP boss informed the officers of the provisions of sub-section 5 of Section 38 of the Public Procurement Act.
According to him, the act states that “any government official upon conviction of contravention of the Public Procurement Act will be sentenced to not less than five calendar years”.
Gombe
The National Association of Persons with Disabilities
(NAPW) last Monday, appealed to the Federal Government to organise a special skills acquisition training programme for its members across the country.
The Chairman of the Association in Gombe State, Alhaji Ali Goro, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Gombe State.
He said that such training would help its members and also assist the less-privileged amongst them, who relied on street-begging for their livelihood.
“We are appealing to the Federal and Gombe State Governments and some of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), to come out with special packages for our members.”
Jigawa
Electricity consumers in Hadejia, Jigawa State last Monday
decried the epileptic power supply in the area.
Our correspondent reports that Hadejia and its environs had been facing persistent outage in the last three weeks.
The poor power supply had affected businesses and made life unbearable, a situation a cross section of the residents who spoke to newsmen in Hadejia, described as worrisome.
A resident, Aminu Umar, said the persistent power outage has made life difficult due to the prevailing hot weather.
He said that the situation had forced many families to sleep outside, inspite of the ravaging mosquitoes and other pests.
Kano
The Federal Government has approved the establishment
of two specialised universities, President Goodluck Jonathan has said.
Speaking at the 31st convocation of the Bayero University, Kano, recently, Jonathan said the universities were the Marine University and the Federal University of Health Sciences.
Jonathan, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okoje, said the decision was borne out of the government’s desire to give more students with the requisite qualifications the opportunity to access quality education.
He said that in spite of the numerous challenges, the Federal Government would continue to support the education sector to empower the youth.
Kwara
The Senator -elect representing Kwara South Senatorial
District, Dr Rafiu Ibrahim, yesterday, assured victims of Owode market fire disaster in Offa of adequate succour.
He gave the assurance in Offa while speaking to newsmen after inspecting shops gutted by the inferno.
Ibrahim said he would contact relevant emergency management agencies to provide immediate assistance to the victims.
He pledged to seek the intervention of the Federal Government and the National Assembly, describing the fire incident as a monumental loss to the people and the state at large.
Niger
The Niger State Police Command has said that it deployed
7,000 personnel in Minna to ensure a hitch-free inauguration of the state Governor elect, Alhaji Sani Bello, on May 29.
This is contained in a statement in Minna by the Commissioner of Police Mr Olusola Amore .
“We have deployed no fewer than 7,000, personnel in strategic areas of the venue of the ceremony and Minna to ensure adequate security coverage of the event,’’ Amore said.
He enjoined the good people of the state to continue to be law abiding and to support the Police in protecting lives and property.
Amore commended the media for its balanced reportage before, during and after the 2015 general elections in the state.
Ondo
Pastor Richard Adesoji of Gospel Faith Mission International
in Okitipupa on Sunday, advised Nigerians to be fervent in prayers for a smooth and hitch-free transition to new government.
Adesoji gave the advice in an interview with newsmen shortly after he delivered a sermon on “The Journey to the Promised Land”.
He recalled that the biblical Israelites faced series of difficulties before getting to the Promised Land, but through prayers to God, they got to the Promised Land which God prepared for them.
Adesoji likened Nigerians to the biblical Israelites, saying that Nigerians would definitely get to the Promised Land “if they pray and seek God’s face“.
Sokoto
Youth Leader of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto
State, Malam Musa Isa, has pleaded with the party leaders to entrench internal democracy in the party to ensure its success in future elections.
He made the call in Sokoto while speaking with newsmen.
Isa identified lack of internal democracy and disrespect for the founding members of PDP as the major factors responsible for the failure of the party in the last general elections.
“The new comers to the party have no regard for the founding members of the party.”
“New members who defected to the party from various political parties were given more regards than the founding members that stayed and promoted the lofty ideals of the party,’’ he said.
Taraba
Former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilous Danjuma,
last Saturday inaugurated two bridges worth N500 million along Takum-Katsina Ala Federal Highway in Taraba.
The project is meant to curb the frequent accidents on the road as a result of the collapse of the bridges.
“The project started when I noticed the deplorable state of the bridges and realised that they had become death traps and a major cause of serious disabilities in the society over the years.
“We worked closely with the ministry and other relevant bodies and today, the challenges are over and I am glad this is over,” Danjuma said during the inauguration ceremony.
He observed that the road had not been given any serious attention since the end of the Nigerian Civil War.
He called on the Minister of Works to award the contract for the construction of the road to a competent civil engineering company.
Yobe
The Jamaatul Izalatul Bidiah Wa Ikhamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS)
an Islamic sect in Yobe State has advised parents against exposing their wards to wrong religious teachings.
Its Deputy Chairman, Malam Babagana Kyari, gave the advice in Damaturu at the closing ceremony of a Quranic recitation event.
“Our experiences in Yobe and Borno states have taught us to be vigilant of friends and associates of our wards, their schools, teachers and behaviours.
“This Quranic recitation competition has promoted true teachings of the holy Quran and unity among the Muslim community across the state,” Kyari said.
He urged all parents to scrutinise the type of schools and religious knowledge being imparted to their wards to avoid the type of insurgency plaguing the North East of Nigeria today.
In his speech, the Chairman of the State Council of Clerics, Sheik Haruna Gashua, commended security operatives for improving the security situation in 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.