Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange, last Tuesday said that the House would consider an upward review or harmonisation of pensions in the state to reflect the present economic realities.
Ikyange made the promise when pensioners from the 23 local government areas in the state staged a peaceful protest within the premises of the assembly.
He said that such review was necessary so that the entitlements that pensioners in the state would be receiving would reflect the present economic realities.
The speaker on behalf of the state legislators sympathised with the pensioners over the delay in the payment of their entitlements.
He said that despite the dwindling revenue of the state, he would ensure that the government improved their conditions.
Borno
A non-governmental organisation, Empower 54, says it has begun distribution of fortified nutritional meals and drugs to 140,000 Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) in 19 camps in Maiduguri.
The Tide reports that Empower 54 is an international humanitarian organisation empowering underprivileged Africans, IDPs and refugees through education, health, and self-sufficiency programmes.
Founder of the organization,Mrs Modupe Ozeolua, told newsmen during the distribution of relief materials and drugs to IDPs at Muna garage in Maiduguri, that her organisation had transported foods and drugs worth $3 million to the IDPs.
“Since 2003, we have transformed lives of thousands of underprivileged Africans through our programmes called “Health reforms”
“We conduct free medical missions, distribute medical equipment to under-equiped hospitals and conduct medical seminars to encourage exchange of knowledge between visiting medical personnel and indigenous medical teams.
Kaduna
The Controller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede last Monday said the service was ready to deploy its personnel to Kaduna State International Airport for effective security checks after the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in March.
The controller general told The Tide in Kaduna State after a visit to the airport, that he was impressed with the work going on there.
“I am impressed with the job going on, the airport authority have shown us where immigration arrival and departure gates will be, and based on that we are going to intensify our preparations to arrive on time.”
Babandede, who also visited the Air Border Unit of the service also announced plans to resuscitate it after it was closed down for over 10 years.
“We have problem with it being abandoned for over 10 years, amd since I came on board nine months ago, I want to see the boarder patrol functional.
“The reason for the resuscitation is very simple in a country like Nigeria. Air boarder patrol done by immigration is the best under peace and stability.
Kogi
The Kogi State Government has employed 100 forest guards for effective policing of forests across the 21 local government areas of state.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, disclosed this last Tuesday in Lokoja at the training programme organised for the newly recruited forest guards.
She said that the recruitment process had been concluded, while the 100 guards, who were engaged, had undergone different stages of training.
”We have invited qualified resource persons from Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan, and National Parks, Abuja, who have been engaging them since last week with regard to their duties as forest guards.
Kwara
The Emir of Ilorin, Dr Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, says traditional rulers will continue to rally support for President Muhammadu Buhari for the success of his administration.
The Emir stated this when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, paid him a courtesy visit in his palace in company with six other ministers.
The Tide reports that the visit was on the side-lines of the Federal Government Town Hall meeting for the North Central zone held on Monday in Ilorin.
The monarch said: “Speaking on behalf of majority of traditional rulers of this county, we will offer help anytime and anywhere we are called upon.
Nasarawa
The Chairman of Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Malam Abdullahi Adeka, says the leadership of the union has not mortgaged the collective interests of the workers in the state.
Adeka said last Tuesday in Lafia that the leadership of the union had struggled to ensure government pay workers in full instead of the percentage payment proposed by government.
The workers in the state had accused the union leadership of not presenting their position to a committee set up after the July to August 2016 industrial action over system of salary payment.
Adeka explained that the resistance of the union to the salary cut led to the setting up of the tripartite committee after the strike.
Ogun
The Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Plc., Mrs Ibukun Awosika, has urged youths to contribute to national development by “ thinking outside of the box.’’
Awosika gave the advice in Abeokuta last Tuesday at the maiden edition of the Ogun State Youth Convention with theme: “Ogun Youths: Exploring New Frontiers.”
Awosika spoke on the topic: “Improving the Mindset and Ethical Values of Ogun Youths Toward Positive Development.” She encouraged the youths to take ownership of the challenges around them and find solutions to them for their sake and the good of the country at large.
Osun
The Osun State House of Assembly has rejected the 2017 budget proposal of N192 million by the State Property Development Corporation over non compliance with the appropriation law.
The budget was rejected last Tuesday in Osogbo when the management of the corporation appeared before members of the assembly to defend the fiscal proposal.
In his remarks, the House Committee Chairman on Finance and Appropriation, Mr Kamil Oyedele, said the agency had not been working in line with its yearly budget.
Oyo
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State yesterday commenced Bio-metrics data capture and identification card project for tradesmen and artisans in the state.
Ajimobi made this known in a statement issued last Monday in Ibadan by the Commissioner, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun.
Arulogun said that the state Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives, Mrs Taibat Adeyemi-Agba stated that the bio-metrics programme would hold at Trans Amusement park, Ibadan by 11.00am.
The statement quoted the commissioner as saying “biometrics and data capturing will avail the Oyo state government information that will serve as the database for providing commercial incentives and welfare packages for the various groups in the state’’.
”The state government will also use the data captured during the exercise for local content in awarding jobs and contracts in the state.’’
Plateau
The Plateau State Government says it will retrieve N76. 8 million from 101 workers that stayed in service beyond their terminal dates.
Commissioner for Information and Communication, Malam Muhammad Nazif, made the disclosure on Monday in Jos, at the ministry’s monthly press briefing.
“101 persons are to make a combined refund of N76. 8 million for staying in service beyond terminal dates.
“They were fished out after BVN matching service for state employees and pensioners was carried out.”
The commissioner said that a total of 579 persons, including the 101 that overstayed in service, were taken off the salary payroll, saving N68.6 million monthly for the state.
He gave the other reasons for taking some people off salary payroll to include improper documentation, underage and improper placement.
Taraba
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Yola, last Tuesday assured that sale of petrol by black marketers would soon disappear.
The Zonal Controller of DPR for Taraba State and Adamawa Mr Mohammed Alaku, told newsmen in Yola that scarcity of the product being experienced had been brought under control.
He said that the synergy between the department and the security agencies would soon yield positive result of curbing the activities of black marketers.
He also said that more petrol stations were dispensing the product and urged members of the public not to patronise black marketers.
”The fuel scarcity here is under control and the issue of black market will soon be over.
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.