Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency has vaccinated 1,400 inmates and 240 prisons’ staff against Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM).
The Chairman of the agency, Mr Adamu Gamawa, made this known in Bauchi State last Thursday in an interview with newsmen.
According to him, the proactive measure is to prevent the occurrence of the disease among prison inmates in view of the congestion in the prisons.
He said that the measure would be replicated in similar public facilities to prevent the spread of the disease.
Borno
The Victims Support Fund (VSF), last Thursday, said it was set to support 17,000 pupils affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State.
The VSF Executive Director, Prof. Sunday Ochoche, disclosed this at the launch of distribution of educational materials in Benisheikh, headquarters of Kaga Local Government of Borno.
Ochoche said beneficiaries would be drawn from 30 primary schools in six local governments devastated by the insurgency, namely Gubio, Chibok, Askira/Uba, Konduga, Kaga and Magumeri.
He added that the distribution and proper use of educational materials such as school bag and others would improve the quality of education not only in insurgency affected areas, but the entire state.
FCT
The Federal High Court, Abuja, last Thursday reserved ruling on whether or not it will reverse its order on witness protection in the ongoing trial of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu to April 25.
Justice Binta Nyako, on March 27, insisted that she would not review her judgment on the issue of protecting the identity of the witnesses as long they were security operatives.
“I will not vary my order on protection of security operatives; It is either they wear a mask or are behind a screen.
“Security operatives need to be protected not because of this case but because of the future, and so as long as the witnesses are security personnel, they will be taken behind a screen,” Nyako said.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KAD-SIECOM) says it would engage no fewer than 25,000 ad-hoc staff, to conduct election into the 23 local government councils in the state.
KAD-SIECOM Commissioner for Public Affairs and Information, Prof. Andrew Nkom, made the disclosure to newsmen last Thursday in Kaduna.
Our correspondent reports that preparations for the local government polls was coming barely two years, after the APC-led administration of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, took over the affairs of the state.
When Governor El-Rufai assumed office in May 2015, he promised to run an autonomous local government system, with funds disbursed directly to the council accounts.
However, the local council areas had so far been run by Interim Committees, appointed after every six months by the state government.
El-Rufai said, recently, that the local government elections would be conducted within the next four months.
Katsina
No fewer than 44,000 children were targeted for immunisation against Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in Katsina State, an official has said.
The Executive Chairman, Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (KSPHDA), Dr Maawuyya Aliyu, made this known at Barawa village, Batagarawa Local Government Area at the launch of the immunisation exercise.
He said that immunisation would be conducted in the affected communities of Batsari, Batagarawa, Jibiya, Faskari and Funtua local government areas.
He further said that over 6,000 children would be immunised in Barawa village alone.
“The vaccines are only meant for the affected communities, so as to curtail its spread to other parts of the state.”
Kogi
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised alarm over possible outbreak of Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in Kogi State, urging the state government and relevant stakeholders to be proactive.
The state Acting Chairman of NMA, Dr Godwin Tijani, spoke in Lokoja last Thursday, while reacting to the recent reported cases of meningitis in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Technical Assistant (Communication), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Lawal Bakare, had on Monday declared that the Federal Government was making efforts to stop the disease from spreading.
Bakare said the government had activated an Emergency Operations Centre to manage the ongoing outbreak of the disease in five North-West states.
Kwara
The Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has directed its College of Agriculture to facilitate clearing and allocation of land to all students interested in farming.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, gave the directive on Thursday during his visit to the college as part of his tour of the colleges in the university.
Na’Allah also asked the college to collaborate with the Department of Works and Physical Planning to commence the project in earnest.
He said the initiative was aimed at encouraging students, regardless of academic disciplines, to tap into opportunities abound in the agric sector.
ult
Lagos
A 28-year-old man, Abiola Okanlawon, who allegedly defiled an 11-year-old girl, was last Thursday arraigned in an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.
Okanlawon of no fixed address was arraigned on a two-count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse and indecent assault.
The accused entered a “not guilty” plea.
The prosecutor, Insp. Moses Uademevbo, said that the accused committed the offences sometime in March 2016, at No. 158, Railway Line in Mushin, Lagos.
Uademevbo alleged that the defendant had unlawful carnal knowledge of an 11-year-old girl.
Nasarawa
A 17-year-old boy last Thursday appeared before a Mararaba Upper Area Court, Nasarawa State, charged with attacking a trader, Mohammed Bello, and inflicting injuries on him.
Ibrahim, who resides at Nyanya, Abuja, and is facing a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, trespass, mischief and causing hurt, denied committing the offences.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Steve Kwaza, told the court that the accused and one Danhayiya Abu, who is still at large, committed the offences on March 30, at 12.30 p.m.
“The defendant entered the shop of one Mohammed Bello at Ruga Market, Mararaba, destroying most his valuable properties, the cost of which is yet to be ascertained.’’
Ogun
Chancellor, Covenant University (CU), Ota in Ogun State, Dr David Oyedepo, has appealed to intellectuals to ensure they communicate to their listeners in the language they will understand.
Oyedepo stated this last Thursday in Ota at the university’s inaugural lecture series.
A professor of Stylistics, Christopher Awonuga, delivered the lecture tagged: “What does this text mean: Stylistics and the process of interpretation.’’
Oyedepo said that no matter how intelligent and knowledgeable a man is in a particular field, once he could not put his message across to his listeners meaningfully, he could not be said to have communicated to them.
Ondo
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State last Thursday, promised to give scholarships to students of the state who excelled at the recently concluded National Junior Engineers, Technicians and Sciences (JETS) competition.
Akeredolu made the promise during the presentation of trophies won by the students at the 20th edition of the competition in Akure.
He assured that government would continue to monitor the progress of the students.
“This means a lot to the state and we owe you a lot of responsibility. I appeal to you not to rest on your oars, you have just started.
Osun
The Yeyeluwa (queen) of Ife, Wuraola Ogunwusi, has called for the return of brotherly love between the Yoruba and Arewa communities which existed before the recent communal dispute in Ile-Ife.
The queen made the call when she visited the communities in Enuwa and Sabo, Ile-Ife, Osun, on Thursday to commiserate with them on the recent clash in which some persons died and properties were destroyed.
At Enuwa, Wuraola was received by the committee that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, set up to look into the crisis.
“Peace is sacrosanct and we should pursue it with all we have because violence has nothing to be gained from rather, it will destroy what has been laboured to achieve,” she said.
Oyo
Director of Public Health, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr Oyewole Lawal, last Thursday confirmed two suspected cases of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in Ojoo, Akinyele Local Government Area.
Lawal made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan. “Our Surveillance Committee has reported two patients in the Hausa Community of Ojoo area of Ibadan, who manifested some symptoms of CSM.
“The two suspects arrived Ibadan from the Northern part of the country and they manifested some symptoms of CSM.
“We have beefed-up tracking and increased surveillance efforts in all primary healthcare centres at the local government levels, secondary healthcare level and all the private hospitals around Ojoo.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the Nigerian Military is committed to facilitating sustainable food security in the country through the establishment of farms.
Musa said this in Abuja yesterday during the unveiling of the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products Logo.
He noted that the agricultural sector played crucial role in guaranteeing food security which was requisite for sustainable national security.
He said that the adverse impact of climate change, environmental degradation and conflict across some parts of the country had continuously threatened food security with dire consequences on national security.
According to him, to address this, the Defence Headquarters in May 2023, conceptualised the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative.
“This is with the aim of keying into the federal government’s efforts at addressing food security challenges in the country.
“The initiative which aligns with the ‘People Centric’ policy thrust of my leadership concept is aimed at creating job opportunities and enhancing rural infrastructural development while significantly contributing to food security in the Country.
“Considering the extensive consultation, planning and preparation made by the committee thus far, I am optimistic that the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative will have a positive transformative impact on host communities while enhancing national security.
“With similar initiatives replicated across the country, I envision a future characterised by modernised farming techniques in which the agricultural sector significantly contributes to economic growth and national development.”
The CDS enjoined all members of the Armed Forces and the general public to embrace the initiative and maximise its associated gains.
He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, for his sterling leadership and relentless pursuit of national peace, security and economic prosperity.
He also appreciated the efforts of members of the committee who worked assiduously to actualise the initiative.
Earlier, the Chairman, Defence Farms Committee,