Nation
THE STATES
L-R: Archdeacon, Diocese of Lagos West Anglican Communion, Venerable Christopher Ayejoto, Celebrant and Director, Finance and Account, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Mr Okeowo Oderinde, Special Guest, Mrs Adetoun Henry-Ajomale, celebrant’s wife, Mrs Atinuke and Priest, Anglican Communion, Revd. Kayode Okun, at the 2015 Family Harvest of the Anglican Communion in Lagos, yesterday.
Adamawa
The Adamawa Government is to launch enlightenment posters
on the ongoing fight against the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.
The state Commissioner of Information, Malam Ahmad Sajoh, disclosed this in Yola in an interview with newsmen.
Sajoh said the enlightenment programme being spearheaded by the ministry involved educating the public on how to identify Boko Haram suspects, particularly suicide bombers.
The commissioner lauded the relative peace in the state since the last bombing incident that took place more than one month ago.
He also commended the people of the state for complying with the security directives issued by the government.
“Since the last bombing incident on Nov. 10, we have recorded relative peace in the state.
“We have reviewed the security situation and we are satisfied with the level of compliance with security measures by the public.”
Ekiti
An Ikole-Ekiti Customary Court has dissolved a one-year old
marriage between Ayodele Olukayode and his wife, Kikelomo, over the wife’s lack of proper care for the husband.
The husband had sought for divorce in a suit filed against his wife on November 17 on the grounds that the 12-month-old union had broken down irretrievably.
Olukayode told the court that he sought for divorce because his wife had adopted a negative lifestyle.
He added that his wife had no respect for him, other members of his family, and was always fighting him on minor domestic issues.
The plaintiff further told the court that there was no child between them.
Kikelomo, however, denied the allegation against her, saying that she cared for the plaintiff and gave due respect to him and his family.
FCT
President, Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Services of Ni
geria, Mr Ashamu Fadipe, has called on the Federal Government to review the Tourism Master Plan which was produced in 2006.
Fadipe, a former Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on the sidelines of a workshop tagged: “Mainstreaming Tourism into Economic Agenda of Government”.
The workshop was organised by the Department of Domestic and Eco-Tourism Promotion and Control, Federal Ministry of Information and culture, Abuja.
“In 2006, Nigeria produced a Tourism Development Master Plan; the master plan articulates the tourism resources of the country ranging from natural endowments, cultural and historical resources.
“This was divided into five tourism clusters for the purpose of development and making it a preferred tourism destination in Africa.
“In each of the clusters, there is a flagship project proposed and this flagship was never done in any of the five clusters,’’ he said.
Jigawa
A member of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Kais
Abdallah, has donated 100 mattresses to the General Hospital, Malammadori.
Abdallah disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Malammadori.
The legislator, who represents Malammadori constituency, said he had also donated pillows, blankets and blood pressure test kits to the hospital.
He said he was also planning to distribute drugs and consumables to the 23 health facilities in the area.
“We are taking assessment needs of the clinics to assist them with drugs and equipment,” he said.
Kebbi
Deputy Speaker of Kebbi State House of Assembly, Alhaji
Buhari Aliero, said that he had distributed 90 forms for admission into tertiary institutions to indigent students in his constituency.
Aliero stated this in an interview with newsmen in Aliero.
He said that the gesture was to promote educational zeal in indigent children in his Aliero constituency.
He disclosed that he gave out 50 University Matriculation Examination forms and 30 other forms for those seeking admission into the state-owned school of Nursing and Health Technology.
Aliero said that if the students gained admission, they would receive monthly allowance from him while in school.
He said that his gesture was based on the fact that education remained the bedrock of development of any society, adding that it was, therefore imperative for him to contribute to human capital development through such assistance.
Lagos
An Igando Customary Court in Lagos saved a 40-year-old
marriage between Mrs Margret Kehinde ,60, and her septuagenarian husband, Francis Kehinde , over alleged infidelity.
Our correspondet reports that the Court President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, after several adjournments and interventions, successfully resolved the marital differences between the couple.
Omilola admonished the respondent to turn a new leaf and he urged the couple to maintain peace.
“I urged both of you to go home and continue to love each other and live in peace.” he said.
Mrs Margret Kehinde, 60 and a trader, had pleaded with the court to end her 40-year-old marriage over her husband’s infidelity.
The petitioner said that her 70-year-old husband, Francis, for whom she bore four children, was fond of bringing several women into their matrimony home.
“My husband comes home with different women and they sleep on our matrimonial bedroom, and he will tell me to excuse them by relocating to the guest room.”
Nasarawa
The Police have arraigned a commercial driver, Bitrus Matthew,
38, in a Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court on a three-count-charge of mischief, breach of trust and cheating.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Adaji, told the court that the complainant, Cpl. Friday Enumaje, attached to ‘A’ Division Police Station, Mararaba, reported the matter on December 12.
Adaji said that the complainant entrusted his Toyota Camry car to the accused for commercial purpose, with an agreement of remitting N15, 000 weekly.
He said that the accused used the car for two weeks, and did not remit the money as agreed, instead he ran away with the said car to an unknown destination.
The prosecutor said that the accused was seen on December 9 with the car and he was arrested.
He said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 327, 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.
The accused denied committing the crime.
The Presiding Judge, Mr Albert Maga, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 and a surety in the like sum.
Ogun
The Ogun State Commissioner for Housing, Mrs
Oluwasegun Abiodun said on Thursday that the ministry proposed N3.74 billion as its capital expenditure for the 2016 fiscal year.
Abiodun spoke while defending the ministry’s 2016 budget proposal before the Ogun House of Assembly in Abeokuta.
The commissioner also said that the ministry proposed 10 hectares of housing estates in 12 locations across the state.
He listed the locations as Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ifo, Ijebu-Ode, and Ado- Odo Ota, among others.
“In terms of urban renewal, the ministry intends to embark on the urbanisation of Akute Isheri area of the state in the next fiscal year; the project is termed `Mitros City’ development.
“As part of the state government’s efforts towards industrialisation, housing project is a dedicated infrastructure in order to attract new business at Agbara Industrial Estates, “she said.
Osun
Two men, Olarewaju Omokehinde,50, and Abode Adigun, 38,
were on Thursday arraigned in an Osogbo Magistrates’ Court, over alleged N800,000 fraud.
Omokehinde and Adigun, of no fixed addresses, are facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Lamide Rasak, told the court that the accused persons committed the offences on April 14 at about 12:00p.m. along Omokehinde St. in Osogbo.
Rasak said the accused persons tricked one Mr Kayode Lawal by obtaining N800,000 from him with promise to lease a building to him for business activities.
He said the offences contravened Sections 422, 421 and 383 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun, 2003.
The accused persons denied committing the offences.
The defence counsel, Mr Beatrice Akande, prayed the court to grant the accused persons bail in liberal terms.
Oyo
Govwenoe Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State said NYSC members
must contribute to national unity and cohesion for Nigeria to achieve the dreams of its founding fathers.
Ajimobi said this at the close of the orientation course for the Batch ‘B’ Corps members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp on the Iseyin-Okeho road.
Represented by his deputy, Mr Moses Alake-Adeyemo, Ajimobi advised the corps members to keep Nigeria as one indivisible nation.
“I commend your patriotism and commitment to duty since the beginning of your orientation about three weeks ago.
“ It shows that you are ready to ensure that Nigeria remains one and by God’s grace nothing will separate us.
Plateau
The Special Task Force (STF) in charge of security in Plateau
State has confirmed the killing of 12 persons in an attack on Kwata community in Jos South Local Government.
Capt. Ikedichi Iweha, STF Spokesperson, told the newsmen in Jos that several others were injured in the attack that took place recently.
Iweha said that the STF personnel rushed to the area of the attack when it was alerted but the perpetrators had disappeared.
“By the time we arrived there, the attackers had carried out their heinous act and left; we just evacuated the injured and the dead and rushed them to Plateau Hospital, where health officials confirmed 12 persons dead.
Zamfara
The Zamfara State Government last Thursday said it had spent
N58 billion on rural electrification and semi-urban water projects.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Alhaji Muttaka Rini, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Gusau.
Rini said N41 billion was spent on the provision of electricity to 80 rural communities, while the remaining N17 billion was committed to semi-urban water scheme across the state.
He said the projects were executed in collaboration with the 14 local government councils of the state, which contributed 50 percent of the project cost.
He said the state government would continue to execute meaningful projects to improve quality of lives of the people in rural areas.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the Nigerian Military is committed to facilitating sustainable food security in the country through the establishment of farms.
Musa said this in Abuja yesterday during the unveiling of the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products Logo.
He noted that the agricultural sector played crucial role in guaranteeing food security which was requisite for sustainable national security.
He said that the adverse impact of climate change, environmental degradation and conflict across some parts of the country had continuously threatened food security with dire consequences on national security.
According to him, to address this, the Defence Headquarters in May 2023, conceptualised the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative.
“This is with the aim of keying into the federal government’s efforts at addressing food security challenges in the country.
“The initiative which aligns with the ‘People Centric’ policy thrust of my leadership concept is aimed at creating job opportunities and enhancing rural infrastructural development while significantly contributing to food security in the Country.
“Considering the extensive consultation, planning and preparation made by the committee thus far, I am optimistic that the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative will have a positive transformative impact on host communities while enhancing national security.
“With similar initiatives replicated across the country, I envision a future characterised by modernised farming techniques in which the agricultural sector significantly contributes to economic growth and national development.”
The CDS enjoined all members of the Armed Forces and the general public to embrace the initiative and maximise its associated gains.
He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, for his sterling leadership and relentless pursuit of national peace, security and economic prosperity.
He also appreciated the efforts of members of the committee who worked assiduously to actualise the initiative.
Earlier, the Chairman, Defence Farms Committee,