Nation
THE STATES
FCT
The police last Thursday in Abuja arraigned a hair stylist, Mr Martin Asayande of Mpape, before a Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court for allegedly cheating his employer.
The police prosecutor, Francis Tanko told the court that Asayande cheated Charles Daniel, who runs the Sleek Salon in Wuse 2 on March 28.
Tanko said that sometime in Dec. 2012, Asayande collected a loan of N50, 000 from Daniel on an agreement that N10, 000 would be deducted monthly from his salary.
He said Asayande paid N10, 000 for the month of December and absconded with the balance of N40, 000 until March 29 when he was arrested.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.
Gombe
Ashaka Cement Company in Gombe State said it had trained and resettled 70 youths on various skills acquisition as part of its corporate social responsibility initiative in host communities.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the trainees in Ashaka on Thursday the Managing Director, Mr Neeraj Akhoury, said the idea was conceived two years ago when he assumed office.
Learning and Development Manager of the company, Malam Tukur Lawal, who also oversees the training, commended the participants for conducting themselves in a good manner.
He said the 70 started well, while one of the participants died after a brief illness and that the participants would be issued two certificates, one from the company and one by the Federal Ministry of labour.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State government said last Thursday in Dutse that it vaccinated more than 600,000 cattle, sheep and goats in the last four months under a comprehensive animal vaccination exercise.
Miko said that 430,050 cattle were vaccinated against contagious pneumonia, while 212,123 sheep and goats were immunised against ruminants’ diseases.
He explained that other animals such as dogs were also vaccinated against rabies across the 27 local government areas of the state in the ongoing exercise.
Miko said the vaccination was designed to control outbreak of contagious animal diseases and encourage livestock production.
Kano
Eminent persons, including the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, last Thursday attended a special prayer for sustainable peace and stability in Kano state and Nigeria.
The prayer, which was organised by the Kano State government in collaboration with the Kano Emirate Council, was also attended by the state Deputy Gov., Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and members of the state executive council.
The session witnessed the recitation of the Holy Qur’an, after which the chief Imam prayed for peace, stability and the security of lives and property nationwide.
Kebbi
The Kebbi Urban Development Authority (KUDA) has embarked on evacuation of drainages in the metropolis to prevent flood in the coming rainy season.
General Manager of KUDA, Alhaji Aliyu Galadima ssaid in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, that the measure was to avoid the devastation by flood this year as predicted by NIMET.
Galadima said that drainages in flood prone areas at Rafin Atiku and Sabuwar kasuwa had been cleared while the clearance would be sustained in other urban centers.
He said the authority was against construction of structures along areas prone to flood and lamented that farmlands had been transformed into buildings without authorisation.
Kwara
The Third Eye Group, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), last Thursday said it raised N6 million for the rehabilitation of some primary schools in IIorin Emirate.
The Chairman of the NGO, Dr Yusuf Lawal, said in an interview in IIorin, the fund, which was contributed by members of the group, would be used to rehabilitate some public primary schools in the IIorin emirate.
He said the money would be used to provide infrastructure, teaching aids and other education materials for the selected schools in five local government areas of the emirate.
Nasarawa
The Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Suleiman Dikko, last Thursday promised to decongest prisons in the state.
Addressing inmates during a visit to Keffi Prison, Dikko said,“Decongestion of prisons cannot be handled by the judiciary alone. It needs the collaboration of the Police, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and other stakeholders.’’
He called on magistrates and area courts judges to apply the necessary sections of the law before remanding accused persons in prison custody.
“Some of the inmates are unjustly and unconstitutionally remanded,” he said.
Ogun
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) last Thursday said availability of ICT facilities at the grassroots was key to the attainment of Vision 20:2020.
The Director-General of NITDA, Prof. Cleopas Angaye, made the remark at the inauguration of eight ICT centres facilitated by Abiodun Akinlade, a member representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency.
Angaye said that the NITDA would continue to focus on provision of ICT in rural areas to enhance internet penetration and deployment of ICT services in the rural areas of the country.
Ondo
An Akure Magistrates’ Court last Thursday remanded a 32-year-old policeman, Alonge Abdul, in prison custody for allegedly killing one Mrs Segi Olajiga.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Charity Adeyanju, ordered that the accused be remanded in Olokuta Prison, pending an advice from the office of the Ondo State Director of Public Prosecutions.
Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, ASP. Ayodele Atandeyi, told the court thatthe accused person unlawful killed Olajiga, noting that the accused committed the offence on April 2, at about 6:30 p.m. at Plaza Hotel Junction in Akure.
Oyo
The late Publisher of the Nigerian Tribune, Chief Oluwole Awolowo, approved the payment of the National Minimum Wage for staff of the media house on his sick bed.
The Managing Director of Nigerian Tribune, Mr Edward Dickson, disclosed this on Thursday in Ibadan when a three-man delegation of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) visited the media house on a condolence visit.
The team, which was led by NGE president, Mr Femi Adesina, had as members Mr Isaac Ighure, the Secretary of the guild, and Mrs Funke Egbemode, the Social/Publicity Secretary.
He said the late scion of the Awolowo family was committed to staff welfare in the 27 years that he was in charge of the Tribune titles.
Plateau
The Plateau State Government has banned brothels operation and directed operators to immediately close them.
The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Abraham Yiljap, said in Jos on Thursday after the weekly State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Jonah Jang, that government had never endorsed the operations of the brothels.
He stressed that revenue officers had always been cautioned against visiting such areas to source revenue and described brothels as “detrimental’’ to the spiritual well being of the Plateau people.
Taraba
The Federal Government says it will register 25, 000 farmers in Taraba under the 2013 National Farmer’s Registration exercise.
The North East Zonal Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Samuel Adaji, made this known in an interview in Jalingo on Thursday.
Adaji said the ministry had released at least 12, 000 forms to each of the 16 Local Governments since the commencement of the exercise on March 20.
He said the registration, which would be conducted at ward levels, was in line with the Federal Government’s transformation agenda and he assured of gender balance in the enumeration exercise, saying women interest was captured.
Zamfara
The Fadama III programme Coordinating Department in Zamfara, has disbursed N4.2 million to 1,000 Fadama User Groups to undertake community development projects.
The state Coordinator, Alhaji Aliyu Altine, disclosed this on Thursday while inaugurating some of the projects in Shinkafi. The projects inaugurated includes eight blocks of market stalls, eight VIP toilets and a modern slaughter room.
He said the programme had provided 550 tube wells and wash bores, 2,250 water pumps, as well as 825 sets of work bulls to various fadama groups in the state.
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.