Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government says its decision to pardon four out of the 20 former local government chairmen indicted by a government White Paper for corrupt practice was not “politically motivated”.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Al-Mustapha Suleiman, made the clarification in Bauchi in an interview with newsmen.
The indicted former chairmen are Alhaji Muhammed Hassan of Katagum Local Government, Alhaji Tukur Adamu of Kirfi, Alhaji Bello Arabi from Alkaleri and Alhaji Garba Magaji, Darazo Local Government.
Gov. Isa Yuguda had on Thursday granted amnesty to 18 convicts and the four former local government chairmen indicted for embezzling public funds in the last administration.
Borno
An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Bashir Mustafa, was last weekend shot dead in his Gwange, Maiduguri residence, by gunmen suspected to be members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect.
An eyewitness, told newsmen in Maduguri that the cleric was shot with one of his students, Alhaji Dunoma, who had visited him.
“The cleric and Dunoma were inside the house when we saw two men approach the house on a motorbike.
“They packed the bike outside and went straight to meet them inside where they opened fire on them.
FCT
As the world marks the World Post Day, the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) last weekend in Abuja presented the 2010 Definitive Postage Stamps to promote Nigeria’s tourism potential.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Dora Akunyili, the Minister of Information and Communications, commended NIPOST for its initiative to key into the “Re-branding Nigeria” project through the production of the stamps.
Akunyili, represented by Mr Lagdam Ndam, Director, Research and Production in the ministry, noted that NIPOST, over the years had promoted the best of Nigeria’s cultural life, arts and history through postage stamps.
“All over the years, postage stamps are regarded as effective means of supplying information about a country’s history, people and culture.
Kaduna
Vice-President Namadi Sambo has said that President Goodluck Jonathan will be fair to all Nigerians if elected in 2011.
Sambo gave the assurance last weekend in Kaduna while inaugurating the Jonathan-Sambo 2011 North- West Zonal Campaign Office.
He said that the agenda of their administration was to restructure all the major sectors of the economy so as to attain the goals of Vision 20:2020.
The vice-president stressed that the administration was determined to make the country a comfortable place for all citizens, irrespective of where they came from.
Sambo appealed to the people of the North-West geopolitical zone region to vote for Jonathan in the 2011 presidential election, assuring them that there were specific development programmes earmarked for the region.
Kano
Participants at a workshop on Planning and Budgeting, have asked state governments to set up anti-corruption agencies to facilitate smooth budget planning and implementation.
In a communique issued at the end of the five-day workshop in Kano last weekend, the participants noted that corruption was “a major impediment to budget planning” in Nigeria.
The communique, which was signed by Malam Maikano Bashir, a Principal Assistant Secretary in the Kano State Deputy Governor’s Office, also urged State Houses of Assembly to pass the Fiscal Responsibility Bill into law to give legal backing to new planning and budgeting initiatives.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government will devote the N650 million it won in the 2007-2008 Award for Good Performance in UBE Implementation to the decongestion of some primary schools, an official said.
Alhaji Nuhu Kuki, the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), announced the plan on Saturday in an interview with newsmen in Katsina.
He said that apart from the decongestion of the schools, the money would also be used for other school projects across the state.
Kebbi
Kano State governor Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau has donated N25 million to assist victims of the recent flood disaster in Kebbi State.
He made the donation last weekend in Birnin Kebbi when he visited his Kebbi counterpart Alhaji Saidu Dakingari.
Shekarau, who led a large delegation to Birnin Kebbi, said the donation was to show brotherly concern for fellow human beings.
“The monetary donation is aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by the flood victims and we sincerely hope and pray for the avoidance of future disasters,” he said.
Gov Saidu Dakingari, who received the donation, commended the government and people of Kano State for the assistance and pledged that the money would be judiciously utilised.
Lagos
A total of 108 ships are scheduled to berth in Lagos ports in October, our correspondent reports.
The shipping position released by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Lagos last weekend showed that many of the ships would be laden with containers, vehicles and petroleum products.
According to the shipping document, 15 of the ships are bringing in various petroleum products, mostly petrol, and are already waiting for clearance to berth.
Eighteen others are carrying bulk cargoes such as fish, fertiliser, bulk cement, bulk urea, bulk salt and containers.
Ogun
A business mogul, Chief Jimoh Ibrahim, last weekend pledged to construct a building worth N50 million for Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta (MAPOLY).
Ibrahim announced the donation when he was conferred with the honourary fellowship of the polytechnic during its 13th convocation ceremony.
He said that the building would be known as “Olusegun Obasanjo Privatisation Centre’’.
Ibrahim said that the project would be jointly financed by five of his companies — Global Fleet, Nigeria Re-insurance, Air Nigeria, NICON Insurance and NICON Hotel.
Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State also received an honourary fellowship of the institution during the convocation.
Osun
The Osun Government has recruited 600 teachers to fill vacant positions in public primary schools in the state, Prof. Wale Oladipo, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) said.
Oladipo said in a statement obtained by our correspondent last week in Osogbo that the recruitment would improve the standard of basic education in the state.
The newly employed teachers, he said, had already collected their letters of appointment and had been posted to primary schools across the state.
The SUBEB chairman also called on other qualified teachers seeking employment to come to the board for application forms to fill positions expected to be vacated by retiring teachers next year.
Sokoto
The Federal Government says plans have reached advanced stage for the reconstruction of the access
road to Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, that was destroyed by flood in August.
Mr Chris Ogiewonyi, the Minister of State for Works, made the information known last weekend in Sokoto shortly after inspecting the road.
Ogiewonyi, who also inspected the Sokoto-Ilela road that links Nigeria with Niger Republic and promised that work would soon begin on the road.
More than 20 villages were washed away in Sokoto State following floods that ravaged 20 villages across six local government areas and rendered more than 8,000 people homeless.
The floods washed away more than 4km of the access road and a bridge to the university and connecting seven local government areas to Sokoto town.
Plateau
President Goodluck Jonathan last weekend inaugurated a new Governor’s Lodge and office for Plateau.
The President, who is in Plateau on a two-day visit, also inaugurated an overhead bridge in Kabong which was built at N2.8 billion.
Jonathan, who lauded the Plateau government for building the bridge he described as “very strategic’’, also thanked the Government for naming a road after him.
The 25km road named after Goodluck Jonathan, is a federal road which the State Government rehabilitated.
“The bridge is the only flyover bridge in Plateau and the best in the North-Central Zone; it will remain a landmark to the entire nation,’’ he said.
Yobe
ACN Chairman in Yobe Mai-mala Buni last Sunday advised the electorate to stop non-performing politicians aspiring for the Governorship House from getting elected.
Buni told newsmen in Damaturu that “Yobe has peculiar problems of desertification and drought, but docile lawmakers could not make any impact on those problems.
“Some of these politicians are now aspiring for the governorship which must be resisted because of their incompetence.
“It will be disastrous to entrust the future of the state in the hands of people who could not sponsor bills to impact on the lives of the people while at the National Assembly,” he said.
Buni, who is also the chairman of the coalition of political parties in the state, noted that political parties would sensitise their members against “aspirants who cannot deliver to improve the lives of the people’’.
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.
According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.
The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”
“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.
“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.
” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.
The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.
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