Nation
THE STATES
L-R: Bauchi State Governor Muhammed Abubakar, Bauchi State Chairman, Nigeria Legion, Capt. Musa Yakubu (Rtd) and Commander 33, Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, Brig.-Gen. Alexander Dusu, at the opening of 2016 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Apple Week in Bauchi, yesterday
Adamawa
The Acting Executive Secretary, Nigeria Shippers Coun
cil, Mrs Dabney Shalhoma, has donated relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa.
Making the presentation in Gombi town, Shalhoma said the gesture was aimed at identifying with the IDPs and given them a sense of belonging during the yuletide.
Shalhoma, who hails from Garha village, said she was also a victim of Boko Haram insurgency, adding that she lost some of her relations and properties to attacks by the insurgents.
She said: “It is regrettable and sad that human begins are experiencing this kind of situation caused by other human beings.
“It is unfortunate that the most defenceless people are the victims of this dastardly act.
Ekiti
The wife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Feyisetan Fayose,
has assured women of more government oriented programmes this new year.
Our correspondent reports that Mrs Fayose gave the assurance while presenting gifts to the babies of the year in Ado-Ekiti.
The governor’s wife said that women would enjoy more dividend of democracy through different programmes that would be initiated to carter for their welfare.
She however advised expectant mothers to patronise government hospitals to enjoy the quality service delivery from the medical workers.
The first baby of the year was born at Basic Health Centre, Aisegba-Ekiti to the family of Mr and Mrs Hassan at 12:03 a.m., weighing 3.5kg.
FCT
The Federal Government says it will digitalise the opera
tions of the Federal Civil Service in 2016 to forestall altering of vital documents by some officials.
The acting Head of the Civil Service (HOS) of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja, when she paid an unscheduled visit to some Ministries and Government Agencies.
She said the visit was to monitor the level of staff punctuality to duty, especially after the Christmas holidays.
“It was necessary for me to come round today with some of my permanent secretaries when I observed the scantiness in some offices after the Christmas holidays.
“The essence is to find out what is really happening,’’ the acting HOS said.
Kano
Kano State’s Head of Service, Alhaji Auwal Na’iya, said
plans are underway to introduce Contributory Healthcare Insurance Scheme for Civil servants in the state.
Na’iya announced this at a one day workshop organised by Nigerian Health Insurance Scheme, Kano State office in Kano recently.
He said the scheme would ensure an effective and sustainable healthcare system for the state workforce and their dependents.
“This arrangement is being made through the office of the Head of Service in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Justice.”
He said a Bill on Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency would be sent to the State House of Assembly for consideration.
Katsina
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Katsina command,
said on Wednesday that it had generated over N4.9 billion in the last 12 months.
Alhaji Gidado Bala, the area controller, who disclosed this at a news conference in Katsina, however said that the command realized N4.5 billion in 2014.
The controller said the command had intercepted goods with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N134 million within the period.
The items, according to him, include 178 used vehicles, 133 used motorcycles, 4,929 bags of rice, 11,844 Jerry cans of vegetable oil and 1,490 bales of textile materials.
Others are 1,134 cartons of pharmaceutical products, 2,599 cartons of spaghetti and 1,750 bags of mosquito coil.
Jigawa
The Emir of Kazaure in Jigawa State, Alhaji Hussaini Adamu,
recently in Kazaure charged parents to ensure proper upbringing of their children.
Adamu made the call at a civic reception organised by the Kazaure community to honour the Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Sulaiman Adamu, and 114 other prominent personalities.
He said that it was imperative for parents to enrol their wards in school and support them to pursue higher education.
“It is imperative to invest in education of our children, especially girl child.
“We must instil discipline, good moral virtues and ensure proper education of the young ones to achieve sustainable development,” he said.
Lagos
The Lagos State University (LASU) has directed its staff to
resume the signing of nominal roll before the fifth day of every month to ensure payment of their salaries.
This is contained in the university’s official bulletin made available to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos.
According to the bulletin, the directive is meant for both the academic and Non-academic staff.
The bulletin said the members of staff must henceforth resume the signing of the nominal roll in their various faculties, colleges, schools, departments, centres and units from January 2016.
“The university management also reiterates that as it is the practice, failure to submit the nominal roll by the 5th of every month by any faculty, college, school, department, centre or unit will lead to the forfeiture of salary of the concerned staff for that month”.
Nasarawa
The Mada Development Association (MDA) in Nasarawa State
has appealed to the State Government to construct a palace for the first-class traditional ruler of Mada, Mr Samson Gamu-Yare.
Mr Josiah Musa, the Chairman, Care Taker Committee of the association, made the call during the inauguration of MDA’s newly elected officials and launching of its 2016 Almanac in Akwanga.
Our correspondent reports that the Chun-Mada is the paramount traditional ruler of Mada nation in Akwanga local government area of the state.
It was learnt that the traditional ruler has been using his personal residence as palace since his appointment in July 2013 by Gov. Tanko Al-Makura.
Niger
Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State has congratulated a
former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, on his 76th birthday celebration.
In a statement, issued by Malam Jibrin Ndace, the Chief Press Secretary of the Governor, in Minna, Bello described Kutigi as a towering judicial colossus, moral crusader and paragon of virtues.
The governor lauded the exemplary leadership demonstrated by Kutigi as the Chairman of the National Conference in 2014 and described the assignment as a selfless service to Nigeria and humanity.
He said the intellectual capacity and vast experience of Kutigi enhanced the performance and credibility of Nigeria’s judicial system.
Plateau
The Paramount Ruler of Pyem Chiefdom Mr Charles
Mato, in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau, has declared a State of Emergency on education in his domain.
Speaking to newsmen in Gindiri Mato explained that the educational backwardness of the chiefdom informed the decision.
The traditional ruler said the chiefdom had decided to establish a technical school to train her people on various engineering courses.
“I have to declare state of emergency on the education sector in my chiefdom because we discovered that we have to do something drastic and immediate to save the situation.
“We have decided to set up a technical school which will serve as an avenue for our wards to study engineering courses such as mechanical, civil and electrical and also crafts, “ he said.
Sokoto
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Isa Local Gov
ernment of Sokoto State has commended the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) for postponing the local government elections until further notice.
Chairman of the Party in the area, Alhaji Awaza, made the commendation in Isa, the headquarters of the council during a rally organised by the party.
“The gesture by the commission is a welcome development as it will enable the commission to organise free, fair, transparent and acceptable polls.
“The action is indeed a right step in the right direction and all the political parties and stakeholders were happy when the commission heeded to our persistent pleas in this direction.
“ We will use these periods of the postponement of the polls to reconcile all aggrieved members due to the recent primary polls’’, he added.
Yobe
Yobe State Emergency Management Agency
(SEMA) has organised a circumcision ceremony for boys aged from five years to 10 years at Pompomari Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Damaturu.
The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Alhaji Musa Jidawa, said 60 boys were circumcised according to the tradition and custom of the people.
“Circumcision of boys as we all know is the first initiation (rite) of the boy to manhood which is his right and we have just given them this right today,” Musa said.
The secretary said some of the boys lost their parents to Boko Haram attacks on their villages, while others were with their parents in the camp.
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.