Nation
THE STATES
Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno inspecting the scene of suicide bombing at the Molai-umarari in Maiduguri on Wednesday.
Benue
Sen. David Mark has urged the youth of Agatu in Benue
to refrain from embarking on reprisal attacks over the destruction of their communities by Fulani herdsmen.
Mark made the appeal in Aila community, in Agatu local government area of Benue when he visited communities destroyed by the Fulani herdsmen.
Mark expressed shock at the level of destruction in the communities but said reprisal attacks were not necessary as two wrongs would never make a right.
He appealed to the youths to maintain peace and remain law-abiding and promised to report his findings to the government for quick action.
“The attacks on the communities are calculated and unnecessary; the magnitude of destruction is unimaginable.
Bauchi
Wife of Bauchi State governor, Hajiya Hadiza
Abubakar, has expressed concern over the low enrolment of girls into schools in the state.
Hadiza noted that the 36 per cent enrolment figure for girls in the state was unacceptable.
The governor’s wife, who inaugurated new officials of an NGO, High Level Women Advocates (HLWA), in Bauchi, said she was committed to reducing the deficit.
She said that her NGO, Bauchi Sustainable Women Economic Empowerment and Peace Initiative (B-SWEEP), would collaborate with all stakeholders, to address the problem.
Hadiza commended the Bauchi State government for declaring a state of emergency in the education sector and allocating lion share to education in the 2016 budget.
Jigawa
Residents of Dutse in Jigawa have decried sudden in
crement in prices of sachet water also known as “pure water’’ in the state.
A cross section of residents who spoke with our correspondent, said 100 per cent increment was unreasonable.
Malam Dauda Ismail said that a bag of sachet water had risen from N60 to N120.
Ismail explained that though he didn’t know why the sudden increase, but that sachet water was the only brand he could afford and was not supposed to go beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Another resident who gave his name as Usman Abba said that the producers of sachet water deliberately increased the prices because of high demand due to the hot weather.
Abba noted that a sachet water he used to buy for N5 was now N10.
Kaduna
The presiding pastor of Assembly of God Church,
Nassarawa Road, Kaduna, Mr Solomon Kasuwa, has urged Christians to continue to pray for peaceful co-existence and development of Nigeria.
Kasuwa made the call in a sermon to mark the ten-year anniversary of the annual convention of Assemblies of God Overcomers Rendezvous.
“Rendezvous is an agreement to meet at a certain time and place and I want to strongly call on Nigerians not to relent in their effort in coming together for the purpose of upliftment and prayers for our leaders and country.
“Prayer is the way forward and I urge all Nigerians to love one another, to ensure peace and unity among the people, irrespective of their religious inclination.”
Kano
The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), in
Kano State Alhaji Umar Doguwa, said he was forced to sign and address a news conference threatening disciplinary action against former state governor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso.
Our correspondent recalls that the APC Chairman had addressed a press conference where the party accused Kwankwaso of hiring thugs to insult Governor Abdullahi Ganduje during a condolence visit to Ganduje’s home town.
Doguwa made the clarification while addressing a news conference in Kano recently.
“I felt duty bound to unequivocally make it clear to our esteemed followers that the previous press statement read and signed by me was not written and made by my humble self.
Lagos
The Nigerian Navy in Lagos has handed over to the
rightful owners an oil tanker it rescued from pirates in February.
At the handing over ceremony, Commordore Abraham Adaji, the Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, said the six pirates arrested in connection with the hijack would be prosecuted after investigations.
“‘The suspects will be prosecuted accordingly and the ship owners have undertaken to bring crew members to come and testify if they are required in the course of investigation.
“The release of the vessel does not signify an end to the prosecution of the pirates that are currently under investigation,” he said.
Adaji said international and civil police authorities had joined in the investigation since the hijacked oil tanker was rescued on February 22.
Nasarawa
Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) said it had
put in place measures to alleviate plight of widows of policemen and vulnerable children across the country.
National President of the association, Mrs Agharase Arase, made the disclosure in Lafia, shortly after meeting with POWA members, women police officers and children.
Arase was represented by Mrs Jerusha Katso, wife Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
She said that available statistics indicated that the number of police widows and vulnerable children was increasing across the country.
“We thought it wise to put in place palliatives that will address the suffering of the increasing number of widows in the association due to the demise of their husbands,” she said.
The association’s president said that her visit to the state was to meet and boost the morale of orphans and widows of police officers.
Niger
A 40-year-old armed robbery kingpin on the wanted
list of the military in Zamfara and Sokoto States has been arrested by security agents in Niger State.
The man, identified as Liman Muhammad, was arrested in Keteringi village of Bida local government area of the state, after a year on the run.
Senior Special Assistant to Niger Governor on Security, Mr Iliyasu Bawa, told newsmen in Minna that the suspect had evaded arrest in the two states.
Bawa added that the arrest was through a joint effort between the security men and the Miyetti Allah Kautal-Hore, the umbrella body of Fulanis in the country.
The governor’s aide disclosed that information about the suspect’s whereabouts was released to security agents by a woman.
Ondo
The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Ondo
State said that it had prosecuted 40 persons for allegedly selling fake and substandard goods.
The Coordinator of the organisation, Mr Paul Oke, told newsmen in Akure that SON also helped 20 consumers to either retrieve from the dealers, the money they paid for the substandard goods, or be supplied with quality goods as replacement for the substandard ones.
He said that the dealers were prosecuted for selling products, which did not carry SON’s cap.
“We have prosecuted 40 offenders for engaging in businesses involving fake and substandard products in recent years.
“Any product without SON’s cap is seized and the seller or merchant prosecuted. The person, on conviction, pays a penalty to the Federal Government,’’ he said.
Oke advised consumers to send all complaints on substandard products to the organisation to enable it achieve its mandate.
Osun
The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has urged
President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun to rescind his plans to dismiss 1,083 workers of Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Osogbo.
The Chairman of JOHESU in Osun, Mr Afolabi Abiodun, made the appeal while speaking with newsmen in Osogbo.
He alleged that the plans to sack the workers had reached an advanced stage, while the yet-to-be-delivered termination letters of the workers had already been written by the hospital’s management board, on the order of the state governor.
Abiodun stressed that at this juncture, only Buhari’s intervention could save the situation and prevent the planned workers’ sack.
Oyo
The Law Students’ Association (LSA), Lead City
University(LCU), Ibadan, would at its 2016 Law Week give special recognition to the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, late Chief Ajibola Ige and Oba Lamidi Adeyemi—the Alaafin of Oyo.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, the Public Relations Officer, LSA, LCU and made available to newsmen.
It said that the choice of the personalities was in recognition of their legacies and immeasurable contributions to the society.
It said that the week would commence with a ‘legal walk’ round the campus in the early hours of Monday.
The statement said a public lecture to be presided over by Justice Nonyerem Okoronkwo of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, was also slated for the day.
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.