Nation
THE STATES
L-R: Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Olabisi Onabanjo University, Comrade Egberongbe Taiwo, SSANU Chairman, University of Ibadan, Comrade Wale Akinremi, SSANU Secretary, Western Zone, Comrade Abdussobur Salaam and SSANU Chairman, Delta State University, Comrade Goodluck Ohwavborua, at a news confernce by Western Zone of SSANU on the main report of committee on NEEDS assessment of Nigerian Public Universities in Ibadan, recently.
Adamawa
Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State has assured
the people of the state of justice and fairness in the provision of basic social amenities.
Nyako gave the assurance when he addressed the chairmen of the 21 local government councils of the state in Yola.
The governor said that in spite of the political and man-made challenges facing the state, his administration had performed wonderfully well in the provision of social amenities in all parts of the state
He expressed worry over the negative activities of some politicians, who he said, invoke “tribal sentiment’’ to score cheap political points.
Borno
No fewer than 1,500 blind persons from across the country
took part in a special prayer for peace in Borno.
Alhaji Mai-Bukar Abacha, the chief of the blind in the state, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri.
Abacha said the prayer session was an annual event organised by the blind as part of their contributions to the restoration of peace and harmony in the state and the country.
He said prayer was essential in ending the current security challenges in the northern region and the country in general.
FCT
A Grade 1 Area Court sitting in Gwagwalada in the FCT
has sentenced a 19-year-old man, Badamasi Abdullahi, to four months in prison for trespass and theft.
The presiding judge, Alhaji Hassan Muhammed, however gave him an option of fine in the sum of N8,000 and ordered him to pay N50,000 in compensation to the nominal complainant.
“For the fact that the accused has no previous criminal record, he is hereby convicted as charged.
“He is therefore sentenced to a month imprisonment for the charge of criminal trespass or to pay N3,000 in fine.
Jigawa
Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has
urged politicians to promote peaceful coexistence for the unity of the country.
Abubakar made the call when he visited Gov. Sule Lamido of Jigawa in Dutse.
He stressed that peace was important for the development of any society, pointing out that there will be no nation without peace.
“Where ever we are, we must make peace and this is also applicable to politics.
“We, as people must avoid violence and if there is any difference among us, there are procedures to follow – like the judiciary”, he said.
Kaduna
The Chairman, National Union of Road Transport
Workers (NURTW), in Kafanchan Mr Silas Kabruk, says sanctions await members who fail to participate in the ongoing membership registration exercise.
Kabruk told newsmen in Kafanchan that the union would take measures to ensure that all its genuine members were adequately covered in the registration.
He said the exercise was aimed at ensuring sanity in the system and cut down on road crashes among other reasons.
“We also want to get rid of unprofessional drivers by ensuring that every commercial driver register with the union,’’ Kabruk said.
Kano
A former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Alhaji
Abdullahi Gwarzo, has commended Gov. Rabi’u Kwankwaso of Kano State on the successful merger of the PDP splinter group with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The commendation is contained in a statement signed by the former deputy governor and made available to newsmen in Kano.
“I wish to congratulate His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State on the successful merger of new PDP with APC.
“This is a great achievement to the people of Kano State and a boost to democracy.’’
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government has earmarked N5.9 billion
for the rehabilitation and construction of township roads in Yauri, Koko/Besse, Maiyama and Shanga Local Government Areas of the state.
Governor Saidu Dakingari announced this in a message to the flag-off of the first phase of the project in Yauri recently.
Represented by his deputy, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, the governor said the road projects were initiated to enhance socioeconomic activities in the affected areas.
“The rehabilitation and construction of the roads by this administration was without borrowing money, and we would ensure prompt payment of the contract,’’ Dakingari said.
Kwara
The IIorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union
(IEDPU) has called on the Federal Government to repair Jebba-BodeSaadu highway.
The president of the union, Justice Saka Yusuf, made the call in a statement made available to newsmen in Ilorin.
He said there is an urgent need to repair the road to enhance social and economic activities between the people of the north and the south.
According to him, the road which links the south with the northern part of the country is in a state of disrepair and has become a death trap.
Lagos
The former Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress
of Nigeria (TUC), Mr John Kolawole, has urged employers to allow their workers join the union to avoid industrial crisis.
Kolawole told newsmen in Lagos State that “it is against the Nigerian Constitution for employers to stop their employees from joining a union of their choice.
“It is the right of every worker by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention and the Constitution of Nigeria to associate or belong to any organisation of their choice.
“Belonging to a union in any work place does not disturb the smooth running of that organisation. It only enhances productivity,’’ he said.
Nasarawa
A task force set up by the Nasarawa State Ministry of
Health has shut down six private clinics in Kadarko village, Obi Local Government Area of the state for allegedly operating illegally.
The Chairman of the task force, Dr. Damina Ali, told newsmen in Lafia that four proprietors of the clinics were handed over to the police.
He explained that all the clinics were operating without licence, equipment and trained health personnel.
Ogun
One Bola Mukaila, 38, was has been arraigned before
an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court for selling fake wines valued N300,000 to a customer.
The police prosecutor, Insp Augustine Ozimini, told the court that the offence was committed in Omida area of Abeokuta on September 5 at about 3:00 p.m.
Ozimini said the accused sold fake Hennessy, Jack Daniels and Remy Martins wines worth N300,000 to one Remi Abiodun.
“The accused, who owned a wine shop, mixed fake with original wines and sold cartons of them to Abiodun knowing that they were fake.
Sokoto
The National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA), has donated relief materials to victims of this year’s flood disaster in seven local government areas of Sokoto State.
The items included rice, millet, maize, blankets, detergents, roofing sheets, cement, nails, mats and mattresses, among others.
The Zonal Coordinator of the Agency, Alhaji Musa Ilalla, presented the materials through the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Sahabi Gada.
Ilalla said the gesture was not compensation but a support to alleviate the sufferings of the victims.
Yobe
The Yobe State Government has urged contractors handling various road projects in the state to take advantage of the relative peace attained to speed up work and recover time lost to insecurity.
The state Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Lawan Shettima, told newsmen in Damaturu that government was committed to early completion of the projects.
He observed that some of the projects could not be executed within the scheduled time frame due to security challenge.
“We thank God for the relative peace attained and urge our contractors to mobilise more equipment and manpower to the various sites to hasten completion of the projects,” 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.