Nation
THE STATES
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Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government is to partner with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to improve on the capacity of the youth for job creation through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Governor Mohammed Abubakar said this, in a statement signed by the Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Abubakar Al-Sadique, and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Bauchi.
“Worried by the state of unemployment and the need for governments to diversify their sources of income, the governor unveils plans by the Bauchi State Government to partner with the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA.
“To use the untapped opportunities provided by the Information and Communication Technologies, which will improve the capacity of unemployed youths and make them not only self-reliant but employers of labour”, he said.
FCT
The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu congratulated Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, describing him as a very dependable ally of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister’s congratulatory message, is contained in a statement issued by Mr Victor Oluwadamilare, his Special Assistant on Media on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to Shittu, Osinbajo is a God-sent able lieutenant to Buhari in the task of salvaging the country at this critical period of our national life.
“The Acting President had not disappointed the All Progressives Congress (APC), on which platform he was jointly elected with President Buhari and several millions of Nigerians in discharging his duties.
Kano
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, says all hands should be on deck to ensure that democracy offers the best opportunity for good governance and nation building.
Aregbesola, made this known in a statement by his Media Aide, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, in Osogbo on Thursday.
According to the governor, leaders are not just elected to massage their ego, but rather, they are responsible for the development of the people.
The governor called on political scientists in the country to be more focused on taking assertive positions on issues of national interest as a means of contributing to national development.
He described politics as a primal activity which any society that wanted development and progress should do everything possible to get right.
Katsina
A member of the Katsina state House of Assembly, Malam Nasir Yahaya (APC- Daura), has donated 8,000 exercise books and 200 sets of school uniforms to pupils in 52 primary schools in his constituency.
He told The Tide on Thursday in Daura that the headmasters of benefiting schools received the items directly.
Yahaya said the gesture was to promote education in the grassroots, adding that, all schools in his constituency would soon benefit it.
The lawmaker also provided medical assistance to 500 patients at the General Hospital and a Comprehensive Health Centre in Daura.
Yahaya, said that, he gave money to some patients for purchase of drugs as well as assisted others with surgeries on different ailments.
Kebbi
The Acting Managing Director of Bank of Industry, Mr Waheed Olagunju, says the bank will give N1 billion in loans to small and medium-scale enterprises in Kebbi State.
Olagunju made the promise when he visited Kebbi Governor Atuku Bagudu in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday.
He said the bank would give the loans at highly concessional terms, while the state would advance the loan at five per cent interest rate.
He said the bank would partner with the state to support agricultural production, especially processing and packaging of agricultural products.
Kwara
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has advocated constant training for Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS) to ensure quality healthcare delivery.
Ahmed, made the call in Ilorin on Wednesday at the 1st Annual Scientific Conference of the Kwara branch of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria.
The governor said that the state government established the Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre to acknowledge the importance of laboratory investigation in medical treatment.
He, however, noted that the procurement of modern facilities would not achieve its desired purpose without constant training.
He added that, “it is pertinent to state that the existence of diagnostic and research laboratory and laboratory personnel without constant training may not achieve the desired purpose for the laboratories.
Lagos
The Federal Government is committed to continuous training of personnel on issues that bothered on maternal health in the country, a government official, Mr Greg Izuwa, has said.
Izuwa, who is a family health expert in the Federal Ministry of Health, made the assertion in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
He spoke on the sidelines of the unveiling of Nollywood actress, Stephaine Linus-Okereke, as the Regional Ambassador on Maternal Health in West and Central Africa Regions.
Izuwa, also the deputy director said that such training was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve maternal and child health.
Izuwa said, “The Federal Government is doing a lot to improve the lives of women and girls.
Niger
A Lokoja Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded two brothers, Adamu Yahaya, 20 and Mumuni Yahaya, 25, in prison custody over the death of five fellow Fulani herdsmen.
The duo are accused of using machetes to kill the five persons.
Mr Levi Animoku of Lokoja Chief Magistrate’s Court I, gave the remand order after the duo appeared before him on Thursday.
Animoku held that the charges of culpable homicide against the two herdsmen carried death penalty upon conviction, and declared that Section 341(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) precluded the court from granting bail in the circumstance.
Ondo
A 29-year-old man, Abdulahi Makinde, last Thursday appeared before an Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing N10,000 cash and a mobile phone of an accident victim.
The Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Suleiman Adebayo, said that the money and the phone, worth N3, 500, belonged to one Mr Agunbiade Victor, an accident victim rushed to the police clinic for treatment.
Adebayo alleged that, the accused person committed the offence on March 1 at about 10.00 a.m. at the police clinic in Akure.
According to the Prosecutor, the offence contravened Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol.1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence.
Oyo
Oyo State Government, has warned herdsmen operating in the state to desist from carrying guns and other dangerous weapons.
The government gave the warning in a communiqué issued at the end of the State Inter-Religious/Ethnic Committee (OYSIREC) meeting in Ibadan last Sunday.
According to the communiqué, any herdsman caught with guns and dangerous weapons would be treated as criminals and prosecuted accordingly.
OYSIREC was inaugurated by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state on March 9, in Ibadan.
The committee comprised religious, ethnic and community leaders as well as security agents and it is to proffer solutions to ethnic and religious conflicts in the state.
Plateau
Prof. Sabastian Maimako, Vice Chancellor (VC), University of Jos, has solicited the support of the Plateau House of Assembly toward rebuilding the institution’s burnt library.
Maimaiko, made the appeal on Thursday in Jos, when he led the school’s management team on a courtesy visit to the the Speaker, Mr Peter Azi.
The Tide reports that, the library complex, which houses faculties of social sciences and management sciences, was gutted by fire on Oct. 8, 2016.
Maimako, described the fire disaster as “very devastating”, and disclosed that the destruction was “very massive”.
He said that, it would cost the school “a huge fortune” to rebuild the burnt edifice.
Taraba
The Ussa Development Association in Taraba on Thursday commenced the rehabilitation of the 5-km Takum – Ussa road to ease the suffering of motorists in the area.
The economic road linking the area with some parts of the state and the country has been in a terrible state for nearly two decades.
Speaking with The Tide correspondent at the site, the Chairman of the Association, Mr Mamri Ndeiri, said grading the road was part of the association`s activities to complement government’s efforts.
He said the road was critical to revenue generation as no fewer than 15 trucks loaded with timber and other farm produce ply the road daily to other parts of the country.
Nation
Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina
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.
Nation
Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three
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.
Nation
AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition
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.