Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa State command of the National Drugs
Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed the arrest of 20 suspects involved in hard drugs.
The state Commander of the agency, Mr Yakubu Kibo, confirmed the arrest in an interview with newsmen in Yola.
He explained that 61.465 Kg of hard drugs were recovered from the suspects.
Kibo said that the suspects were arrested in a raid at Yola Abattoir and Central Motor parks.
He said that the command has commenced raid operations on suspected drug abuse joints in Yola.
Borno
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) said it recovered more than N196 million on financial crimes during various operations in Borno State between November 2015 till date.
The EFCC Head of Operation in the state, Ibrahim Bappa disclosed this in a statement.
He said the commission also recovered N2.8 million for victims as a result of petitions received and acted upon in the zone.
“As part of efforts to cleanse our country of economic and financial crimes, the commission has made reasonable monetary recoveries to the Federal Government and still has many cases undergoing investigation.
“The commission is hereby putting on notice to all businessmen and women who indulge in economic and financial crimes to desist from such unwholesome acts or face the wrath of the law”, he said.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State command of the Federal Road Safety
Commission (FRSC) said it had inspected 1,630 commercial vehicles for compliance with the installation of the Speed Limiting Device.
The corps’ Sector Commander in the state, Mr Angus Ibezim, said this in an interview with newsmen in Dutse
FRSC began the advisory enforcement of the installation of the device on commercial vehicles on October 1.
Ibezim, however, said the level of compliance among commercial drivers across the state was not encouraging.
He, therefore, said that the corps would collaborate with various transport unions and other relevant stakeholders , including religious leaders and traditional rulers to ensure compliance.
Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai has earmarked
N440 million to service the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in the 2017 budget proposal sent to House of Assembly for approval.
A copy of the budget indicated that the amount will be used for the construction and equipping of three women skills acquisition centres in the three senatorial districts.
According to the proposed budget, renovation and re-equipping of Zaria children’s home will consume N80 million.
According the budget breakdown, the renovation of the Gazara Reformatory School will cost N25 million and N80 million for the construction and equipping of kitchen suite for children at Magajin Gari.
Kogi
The Kogi West Chairman of Wood Loggers Association,
Mr. Kayode Obayan has appealed to Governor Yahaya Bello to lift the ban placed on wood felling in the state.
Obayan, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Lokoja.
The chairman said the ban was affecting the wood business, adding that the business was gradually becoming a thing of the past in the state.
He urged the government to reconsider its position on the ban placed on logging across the state, saying those in the business and Kogi residents had resorted to buying wood from neighbouring states.
Obayan said the ban had crippled wood businesses among his members, and called on the state government to help mitigate their suffering.
Kwara
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has prom
ised that his administration would do everything possible to empower the youth.
A statement issued by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr Muyideen Akorode, indicated that Ahmed made the promise in Washington DC, U.S.
Ahmed said he was aware of the pains the youth were going through, especially their inability to secure decent jobs.
He urged the people of the state, especially the youth, not to give up hope in spite of the economic challenges in the country.
Nasarawa
Organised labour in Nasarawa State has rejected the
payment of workers’ salaries in percentages by the state government.
The Auditor of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and spokesperson for the state Public Joint Negotiating Council, Mr Yusuf Sarki-Iya, announced the workers’ decision immediately after a meeting in Lafia.
He said the meeting was aimed at briefing the State Executive Council and Administrative Council members on the recent development in respect of the payment of workers in the state.
Sarki-Iya added that it was to keep them informed about the efforts of the labour leadership was making since last week that workers received their September salaries in percentage.
Niger
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Niger State
command, says 147 people were killed and 915 injured in 361 road crashes in the state between January and September.
The FRSC Sector Commander, Mrs Susan Ajenge, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Minna on Thursday.
Ajenge said 74 of the accidents were fatal, while 265 were serious and 22 were minor road traffic crashes.
She also said that 23,096 drivers were arrested and made to pay fines for various traffic offences across the state.
The sector commander said the offences included overloading, speeding, using bad tyres, dangerous overtaking as well as underage persons on the wheel.
Ogun
Government activities were grounded in Ogun State
as civil servants commenced indefinite strike over non-remittance of over 12 months deductions from their salaries.
The development followed a directive issued by the Joint National Public Negotiating Council on Monday.
The entire secretariat at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, was deserted by workers with only top civil servants including permanent secretaries and directors seen at their duty posts.
Workers across the council areas in the state also joined in the strike, while public schools and court rooms remained under lock and key.
Ondo
Three bills have passed through second reading to
the relevant committees for screening in Akure, during a plenary session of the State House of Assembly.
The bills are: Amendment to Ondo State 2016 Appropriation; and establishment of Ondo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency.
The third bill was seeking for a law to make provision for the establishment of the Ondo State Urban Water Sector, Ondo State Water Corporation, and Ondo State Regulatory Commission.
The session was presided over by the Speaker, Mrs Jumoke Akindele, who passed the bills to second reading and subsequently relevant committees for thorough screening, after unanimous votes of support by the members.
Oyo
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office, says it has recovered over N57 million from suspected fraudsters in nine months in the zone.
The EFCC zonal officer, Mr Akaninyene Ezima, told newsmen in Ibadan that 80 suspects were arrested within the period, and eight of them were already facing trials.
He said that activities of the commission were not limited to official corruption cases.
The EFCC officer said that the commission was at advanced stage in the investigation of some advance fee fraud cases and other financial crimes.
Plateau
A Jos Magistrates’ Court has sentenced an ex-con
vict, Philip Hassan, to seven months imprisonment for burglary and theft.
The convict, a mechanic residing in Yingi area of Jos, was convicted for stealing jewelry valued at N300,000.
Hassan, who was earlier discharged from prison on Aug. 8, was convicted for criminal conspiracy, trespass, mischief and theft.
The magistrate, Mrs Helen Danboyi, handed down the sentence after the convict pleaded guilty and begged the court for mercy.
In his plea, Hassan attributed his act to the work of the devil and current economic hardship.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State House of Assembly has confirmed
the appointment of Justice Bello Abbas as the Chief Judge of Sokoto state.
The confirmation followed the resolution of members after his screening.
Abbas’ confirmation followed a motion moved by the Assembly leader, Alhaji Garba Bello (APC- Yabo) urging his colleagues to confirm the appointment.
He said the Assembly’s action would be in compliance with the provision of section 271 sub-section (1) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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.