Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), said it has trained 24 health workers in Borno State, on measures to prevent malnutrition among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Mr Walton Beckley, said this on Thursday at the closing of a workshop on malnutrition for health workers in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Maiduguri.
Beckley explained that the training was to teach mothers and caregivers ways to utilise their meagre resources to provide adequate nutrition for the children.
He said also that the objective was to sensitise health workers in IDPs camps so they in turn could use the information to educate mothers on how to prevent malnutrition in their children or wards.
Ekiti
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) is collaborating with the six states in the South West to improve healthcare delivery in rural areas.
The partnership manifested at the commencement of a three-day workshop on Tuesday at Ilupeju Ekiti for healthcare workers from Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti and Edo states.
Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the Social Mobilisation Technical Committee for UNICEF Assisted Programmes in Ekiti State, Mr Sunday Aribatise, explained that the objective of the workshop was to develop Nutrition Briefs for Primary Healthcare workers.
According to him, the collaboration was also aimed at promoting exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding at all levels.
FCT
Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) arrested 33,327 persons and secured the conviction of 4,406 persons for violating environmental laws between 2012 and 2016.
Head of Information and Outreach Unit of AEPB Mr Muktar Ibrahim, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
The information officer, however, said that the exact figure of persons who were arrested in 2013 could not be made available because of some factors.
Ibrahim said that the board had been educating FCT residents on the dangers of street hawking as well as other environmental violations.
He said that the board had collaborated with the Social Development Secretariat (SDS) of FCT Administration (FCTA) to effect the arrests.
Jigawa
The Comptroller, Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Jigawa State Command, Alhaji Magaji Ahmad, has commended the state government for renovating a satellite prison in Babura Local Government Area of the state.
Ahmad made the commendation on Wednesday when he paid a courtesy visit to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Adamu Abdulkadir.
A statement issued by Alhaji Isma’il Ibrahim, media aide to the SSG, quoted Ahmad as also lauding Gov. Muhammad Badaru for the construction of a juvenile centre for rehabilitation of minors involved in criminal offences.
The statement said the comptroller had during the visit also acknowledged the allocation of a piece of land for the relocation of Birnin Kudu Satellite Prison in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of the state.
Kano
The Kano State government has strengthened surveillance after recording cases of cerebral spinal meningitis (CSM) and Lassa fever in some local government areas (LGAs), an official said Thursday in Kano.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabiru Getso, told newsmen that this has also led to government taking urgent measures to ensure proper control.
He said 20 suspected cases of meningitis were reported in eight LGAs, with only four of the cases being confirmed.
The commissioner listed the LGAs as Dala, Tarauni, Municipal, Tudun Wada, Gwale, Bebeji, Ungogo and Kumbotso. Getso further revealed that the state has also recorded two confirmed cases of Lassa fever in Tudun Wada LGA.
Katsina
Katsina State Government says it will collaborate with NGOs and Diabetes Association of Nigeria (DAN) to sensitise its people on the dangers associated with the disease.
The Governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari stated this on Monday during the anniversary and book launch by the state Chapter of the DAN in Katsina.
“Government will partner with the organisations to carry out aggressive enlightenment campaign on how to curb the spread of diabetes disease in the state.
“The state government is ready to lead the organisations to embark on education of the citizens to be conscious of this killer disease.
Kebbi
Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State has called on the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the menace of Almajiri and the clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
The governor made the appeal when he received a delegation from the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons led by its Federal Commissioner, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq in Birnin Kebbi. He also called for a lasting solution to the Almajiri system of education and ways of living.
According to the governor, the almajiri problem is a systemic problem that needs continuous attention of the Federal Government.
Kogi
Sen. Ahmed Ogembe, representing Kogi State Central, on Thursday, said he had trained to empower no fewer than 200 women and youths from five local governments in the Central Senatorial District of the state.
Ogembe told newsmen in Okene that the training for empowerment was intended to reduce poverty among the people in his district.
“It is my utmost desire to see that my people are happy and comfortable, especially in this period that our country is facing economic challenges. “This empowerment training is meant to make you independent, be job providers, rather than job seekers.
Lagos
Eight women believed to be sex workers, who allegedly solicited sex at a public place, were on Thursday brought before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
They were, however, released on N400, 000 bail.
The eight women,Jessita Nelson, 25; Chinyere Elon, 25; Cynthia Nwoke, 38; Taiwo Ali, 45; Abigal Moses, 29; Ifeanyi Okoro, 30; Chiwendu Anah, 40; and Ivie Osasa, 25 are facing a charge of soliciting for immoral purpose.
They all denied the charge. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Christopher Okoliko told the court that Nelson and Elon committed the offence on March 27 at about 12.30 a.m. on Babs Animashaun Road, Surulere, while the six others committed the offence on March 27 at about 12.00 .a.m. along Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere.
Niger
The Federal Government has been urged to build water treatment plants in perennial rivers in rural areas to avert water borne diseases.
Dr Samuel Ibrahim, a senior lecturer in Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, made the call on Thursday in Lapai in an interview with newsmen.
Ibrahim, an expert in domestic water resources, Department of Geography and Regional Planning said that such treatment plant would be able to solve water problem among the rural dwellers.
“Rural dwellers are more vulnerable to epidemics because of poor quality of water at their disposal, “he said.
He explained that the water treatment plant would be veritable if built close to perennial rivers as a preventive measure against water borne diseases.
Oyo
An Oyo State Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan, has remanded two men, Uba Opara, 35; and Tunde Adepoju, 27; in prison for alleged armed robbery.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Kehinde Durosaro, Tijani, said the accused should be remanded in Agodi Prisons and the case file sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
Durosaro-Tijani adjourned the case till May 22.
The accused, whose addresses were not given, are facing a two -count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Adewale Amos, had told the court that the accused committed the offences with others still at large on January 14, at about 2 .p.m. at Taye Soyege Street, New Bodija, Ibadan.
Plateau
The Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has inaugurated 285 newly constructed classes in primary and junior secondary schools, as part of efforts to improve the quality of education.
SUBEB Executive Chairman, Prof. Mathew Sule, while inaugurating some of the classes in schools located in the Northern Senatorial Zone, on Thursday, said that government was out to “balance quality and quantity”.
“We want to improve access to education without compromising quality,” he said.
The chairman said that adequate facilities were being provided to schools to improve the learning environment, and admonished teachers to always put in their best.
Yobe
Suspected cases of Cebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) have been reported in Fika and Nguru Local Government Areas of Yobe State.
Dr Bello Kawuwa, the state Commissioner for Health, confirmed this to the newsmen in Damaturu , saying that the cases are under investigation.
“We are still investigating the cases to determine whether they are CSM; the outcome of the investigation will provide us with the true position,” he said.
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.