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THE STATES
Benue
The Benue State Police Command last Tuesday arraigned a 32-year-old man, Raphael Tyokua, over alleged criminal conspiracy, illegal possession of firearms, house breaking and theft.
Tyokua was arraigned before a Makurdi Upper Area Court 2.
According to the prosecutor, Mrs Omaye Ujeta, one Kputu Orya, who resides behind ‘E’ Division Police Station, Makurdi, reported the matter at ‘E’ Division Station, Makurdi.
Ujeta quoted Orya as saying that Tyokua, a resident of Anta village, Makurdi conspired with two others still at large, broke into his office at Aggo School, along Abua King Shuluwa Road, Akpehe in Benue, and robbed him.
She further quoted Orya as saying that the accused and his accomplices entered into the office through the ceiling, and stole two hp laptops with their chargers, valued at N110,000 and N45,000 cash.
FCT
An FCT Area Court Judge, Abubakar Sadiq, last Tuesday sentenced a driver, Mubarack Umar, to eight months imprisonment for stealing a tricycle.
The court sentenced Umar, 23 of Galadimawa village, Abuja, after he pleaded guilty to a count charge of theft.
The court, however, gave him N40,000 option of fine.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Dalhatu Zannah, had told the court that on July 4, one Ayuba Musa of Kado Life Camp, Abuja, reported the incident at the Utako Police Station.
Zannah said that Musa reported the matter for proper investigation which led to the arrest of the convict.
According to Zannah, the convict committed the offence on July 3 at about 10 p.m. along Obafemi Awolowo expressway, Jabi.
Gombe
Farmers in Gombe State have commended the state government for its procurement and sale of fertiliser at subsidised rates to farmers in the lead up to the 2017 farming season.
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo recently announced that a bag of NPK fertiliser would be sold at N4,800 and a bag of Urea fertiliser at N5,800, as against their prevailing market prices of N8,500 and N5,800 respectively.
Some of the farmers, who spoke to newsmen in Gombe last Tuesday, expressed delight at the development.
One of the farmers, Malam Bala Garba, said that the subsidy came at the right time, particularly when many farmers were in dire need of fertiliser for their crop to grow.
Garba said that the gesture would boost their productivity and promote the food security of the state and the country at large.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government says it has treated over 29,000 cases of acute malnutrition in children in the last six months.
The State Nutrition Officer, Mr Saidu Umar, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Jos at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s mid-year review meeting.
Reports say that the review meeting organised by the UNICEF Field Office in Bauchi was aimed at reviewing the UNICEF’s activities in various sectors working in Plateau and Jigawa States.
Umar said that the treatment was carried out in 64 Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres in 12 local government areas of the state.
Kwara
The Kwara State Government says it spent N360 million in subsidising farm inputs given to farmers under the N1 billion Agriculture Intervention Scheme.
The Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Mr Bamidele Adegoke, said this in Ilorin on Tuesday while presenting seedlings and other inputs to members of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
He said that the state government would also support farmers in land clearing and ploughing of about 2,500 hectares of land in different parts of the state under its Off-takers Demand Driven Agric Scheme.
The commissioner said the state government was committed to diversifying the state’s economy by creating agro-allied jobs and provision of input for industries.
Lagos
The Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency(NiMet), Prof. Sani Mashi, has faulted calls in some quarters for the creation of a separate and parallel Climate Change Agency (CCA).
Mashi, who made this known while speaking with newsmen in Lagos last Tuesday, said the establishment of such body would amount to a duplication of functions already being carried out by NiMet.
He said NiMet was established by an Act of Parliament in 2003, to provide weather services in marine, environmental and bio-meteorology for climatic and human health activities.
According to him, all stakeholders were in agreement that it had been carrying out this role both effectively and efficiently, and therefore, saw no reason for the creation of a new body with similar functions.
Nasarawa
A 27-year-old applicant, Maria John, was last Tuesday arraigned in an Upper Area Court, Masaka, Nasarawa State, for allegedly aborting a six-week-old pregnancy.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Frank Swem, told court that the accused committed the offence on July 7, at about 6.30 p.m., in Akwango, Masaka.
Swem said that the matter was reported by the accused’s boyfriend, Kingsley Ephraim, at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Masaka, on the same date.
He also said Ephraim told the police that his girlfriend (Maria), who was six weeks pregnant for him, told him that she had aborted the pregnancy.
Niger
A Magistrates’ Court in Minna last Tuesday sentenced a 25-year-old security guard, Musa Isah, to three months imprisonment for stealing N500 from an accident victim.
Isah was arraigned on a count charge of theft, contrary to Section 287 of the Penal Code.
The Police Prosecutor, Insp. Gunduma Ibrahim, told court that the convict, residing at M.I. Wushishi Estate in Minna committed the offence on July 15 at about 4 p.m.
Ibrahim said the convict went to a fatal accident scene in Minna under the guise of rescuing the victims.
Ogun
The Police in Ogun State last Tuesday brought eight men before an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ota, for allegedly belonging to a secret cult called ‘EYE’ Confraternity.
The accused persons were: Adewale Ibrahim (23), Ajasa Olalekan (28), Adams Ahmed (28), Ojeniyi Michael (29), Remilekun Subaru (27), Oyelumade Gbenro (29), Ezra Jackson (24), and Akinyelu Kunle (26).
According to the Prosecutor, Cpl. Mustapha Abdulkareem, the accused persons, with no fixed addresses, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and unlawfully belonging to a secret cult.
The prosecutor told the court that the accused persons, and others still at large, committed the offences on July 13, at about 3.00 a.m. at Ilogbo, Ota.
Ondo
A 48-year-old security guard, Sola Ikumapayi, was last Tuesday in Okitipupa, Ondo State, discharged and acquitted of the offence of assaulting and injuring his son after hitting him with a glass cup.
An Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court which gave the ruling, however, fined him N20,000.
The Magistrate, Mr Banji Ayeomoni, warned the accused to refrain from committing such criminal act in future.
The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault brought against him.
Earlier, Police Prosecutor Zedekiah Orogbemi told the court that the accused committed the offence on July 12 at 8.00 a.m. at Akinloye Estate, Okitipupa.
According to Orogbemi, the accused threw a glass cup at his son, who was running away from him following a squabble.
Plateau
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has advised media content managers to be very wary of what they sent out to the public as that would determine Nigeria’s direction.
Mohammed, in a speech at the National Broadcasting Commission’s 2017 Summit, last Tuesday in J0s, said that media content was like food in the body.
“Food is a necessity, but not every food is good for the body.
“It is often said that we are what we eat. Junk food is unhealthy for our health.
“It follows, therefore, that junk information is not good for our health, stability and growth as a nation.
“Content managers must thus be very sensitive; they must always weigh the possible impact of what they broadcast or publish, to the stability and development of our country,” he said.
Sokoto
A committee set up by the Sokoto State Government to verify the actual number of students entitled to its scholarship says it has uncovered 706 “ghost” students.
Its Chairman, Mr Shehu Wurno, announced this on Tuesday in Sokoto, when he presented the committee’s report to Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
Wurno said that the committee visited 40 tertiary institutions within and outside the country where it verified and confirmed 14,532 students as qualified for the scholarship.
“We have also confirmed that N544,613,724 is the total cost of students registration for the year 2016/2017 academic session, while N143,560,855 is the allowances to the verified students.
“We have also verified and confirmed that N688,174,579 is the actual amount owed as students registration and allowances for the current 2016/2017 session,” he said.
Tambuwal, who thanked the committee for its efforts, restated his administration’s resolve to give top priority to the education sector.
In a bid to meaningfully engage secondary school students in Ogoniland during the Christmas holidays and beyond, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has trained them on petroleum jelly and liquid soap making.
This is even as the Project has partnered with the National Orientation Agency(NOA) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) to keep the students away from crime and other related social vices during the Yuletide, by giving them pep talks that would put them on their toes during the period.
This came to the fore as HYPREP recently organised an Ogoni Young Men Mentorship programme and life skill workshop with the theme, ‘Career Coaching: Developing The Young Minds’ at Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The beneficiaries of the programme are essentially members of environmental clubs in 13 schools in four local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme.
At the event, both NOA and NDLEA gave career talks to the students, aimed at keeping them off social vices like drug abuse and addiction as well as negative peer influences through out the Christmas holidays and beyond.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof NeinibariniZabbey said the Project deemed it necessary to invite the National Orientation Agency and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) to speak to the students in order to shield them from negative peer influences as they are preparing to go for the Christmas holidays.
He explained that the workshop would enable the students to know when the signs of the negative peer influences start coming.
Zabbey, who was represented at the occasion by HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee, said the Project is not only going to train the beneficiaries but also give them the tools and skills that would grow them in the future so that they would start making money for themselves.
Also addressing the students, the Rivers State Coordinator of the National Orientation Agency(NOA), Mr Young Ayo-Tamuno expressed delight for meeting young minds, to discuss issues on values, describing it as a great opportunity.
He noted that there are seven values which constitute the role and commitment of the government towards the citizenry and another seven core values which constitute the code for the citizens.
While commending HYPREP for organising the event, Ayo-Tamuno said team work is key to making Nigeria a better place for all, as both the government and the citizens have their respective roles to play, with each staying committed and focused.
The Chief Programme Officer of NOA, Mr Henry Ayede was the one who actually mounted the rostrum and drilled the students on the seven core values embodied in the National Value Charter for citizens, and stressed the need for them to imbibe them and put them to practice as they grow up.
Ayede listed the values to include discipline, duty of care, leadership, tolerance and respect, transparency, environmental awareness and resilience.
He also underscored the need for the students to imbibe the spirit of hard work and dignity of labour, contending that while hard work and dedication contribute to success, every job can contribute to national development.
According to him, dignity in labour is the foundation of success.
On his part, Mr Bill Ebiokpo of the Media/ Advocacy Unit of NDLEA, who represented the Bori Area Commander of the agency, advised the students to guard against drug abuse and addiction, which he said have far reaching consequences.
The Principal of the Senior Secondary of Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Barrister Bob Agbozi thanked HYPREP for organising the programme, which he said enriched his knowledge and that of the students on the core values guiding the society, saying inculcating such values in young people and teaching them practical skills have contributed immensely to the greatness of advanced countries and even countries like Rwanda in Africa.
He noted that the career coaching would change the behavioral pattern of the students particularly during the Yuletide.
He also thanked NOA for the career talks and urged it to replicate the programme in other places, not only in schools but also in market places.
The training of the students on petroleum jelly and liquid soap making was anchored by an expert, MrsLekpa Abel, with HYPREP workers lending a helping hand.
It was, indeed, a practical session with the students, who came face to face with the production materials of the products.
Donatus Ebi
It was celebration galore as the people of Isu Community in Etche Local Government Area of River State held a civic reception in honour of the Council Chairman, Dr Uzodinma Nwafor .
The epoch- making ceremony which took place recently at the community ancestral home saw the attendance of the political class, the clergy, opinion leaders, the academia, youths, women, elders and chiefs gather to honour their brand new chairman.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Etche Local Government Council, Dr Uzodinma Nwafor expressed gratitude to the people for according him such honour, saying it shows their unwavering support to the development of Etche.
Nwafor announced the readiness of his administration to embark on electrification of Ozuzu clan including Isu community.
The Etche council boss also said the market at Isu will be reconstructed to improve the economic life of the people.
He revealed that the two projects will commence in January as efforts are on to mobilise the contractors.
Nwafor told the mammoth crowd that his major concern remains, peace and unity of the entire Etche, saying security of lives and property remains top on his agenda as no meaningful development can thrive in an atmosphere of violence.
He urged parents to encourage their wards and children to refrain from violence and embrace peace. “Let us allow Etche to be at peace .Don’t allow any body to use you set Etche ablaze. Parents advise your children to stay away from crime .We must stay in peace and unity. Our children must shun violence ,it can’t take us anywhere as a people ,” he declared.
He thanked the people for their support as well thank their son, former commissioner for Energy ,Okey Amadi for being a Pilar of his political sojourne.
Earlier, the Isu opinion leader and Principal, Community Secondary School, Mgbosomini in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area, Mr Chijioke Amadi said the honour done Etche chairman was a collective division of his people.
Amadi described the council boss as an illustrious son who has contributed immensely to the wellbeing of the community.
He declared that his community and the entire Etche will keep supporting him because he is doing well.
Amadi urged the people to keep praying for him and the Rivers State Governor to succeed in delivering dividends of democracy.
Senate has set up an adhoc committee to investigate the demolition of buildings in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT by the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, just as it summoned the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, to appear before it to explain the reasons behind the demolitions, which have left many residents stranded
The resolutions followed a motion by Senator Ireti Kingibe ( FCT), who expressed concern over the illegal demolition of structures in the nation’s capital and called for an immediate stop to further demolitions.
The Red Chamber particularly ordered the FCDA to halt ongoing demolitions of property in the Territory within the next two weeks pending the report of its adhoc committee constituted to probe the issue.
The adhoc committee, to be chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, has the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru; Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Monguno, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, Senator Sahabi Ya’u, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Senator Idiat Adebule and Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, as members.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who announced the composition of the committee, gave it two weeks to submit its report.
Akpabio while reading the resolution of the Senate, said: “The Senate urges the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to stop further demolitions of structures, except those ordered by courts of competent jurisdictions, until the adhoc committee constituted by the Senate to ascertain the propriety or otherwise of the exercise concludes its investigation and interface with the FCT administration within the next two weeks.”
Kingibe in her lead debate said that in recent times, the demolition exercise in the FCT was no longer based on reasons that necessitated the demolition.
She urged the Senate to be further concerned that the current demolition in the FCT was not in line with due process of court orders to demolish.
“As such, a cross section of individuals had suffered untold hardships occasioned by massive demolition, which has led to a loss of properties worth billions of naira.
“Also concerned that at the moment, an estate by name, Messrs Paulosa, for which late Colonel Paul Osakpawan Ogbebor is the chairman, is currently under revocation and demolition. And from reliable information, the said plot of land was allocated to him in 1984 with requisite title document.
“And further concerned that the owner of this estate was a patriotic Nigerian who served the nation meritoriously and one of the first intakes of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, with registration Number 001,” Kingibe said.
She urged the Senate to accordingly resolve to urge the FCT administration to halt the ongoing revocation and demolition of the said property, “as it does not fall within the purview of the reasons for the massive demolition being carried by the FCDA.”
Senator Kingibe also advocated thatall demolitions should follow due process while the Senate set up a committee to investigate the matters arising from the demolition.
However, Senator Sunday Karimi ( Kogi West) in his contribution said the Senate needs to hear from the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, before ordering a halt to the demolitions.
“If you look at this motion, the presenter said, a specific land allocation was mentioned belonging to one Paul Ogbebor.
“We don’t know anything about this thing and we are just coming because of this to tell the minister to stop?
“There is need to investigate this matter before giving any directive. We must hear from the minister. But we have to hear before we say stop demolition.
“Let’s hear from the Minister. You cannot shave a man’s head at his back. We need to hear from the Minister,” Karimi said.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central), however disagreed with Karimi, saying that the request that the Senate should call on the FCT minister to halt further demolitions was in order.
He said: “Mr. President, with respect I disagree with Mr. Karimi. I think we need to be fair to everyone. There is before us an allegation that says certain steps are to be taken which will culminate in demolition. Are we saying that we should allow the place to be demolished while we are trying to look into it?”
In his response, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio agreed with the chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, saying “my thought is in line with yours. If we just say, continue the demolition, and then we start investigation, what are we then investigating?”
He, thereafter, read the resolution of the Senate calling on the FCT Minister to halt further demolitions of property in the FCT pending the investigative report of its adhoc committee chaired by the Deputy Senate President.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi