Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa Universal Basic Education Board (ADSUBEB) has distributed more than 17,000 textbooks to public schools in Mubi-North Local Government Area of the state.
The Education Secretary of the local government, Alhaji Ahmed Dan-Rimi, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Mubi in Adamawa.
Dan-Rimi said that the books were distributed to more than 80 primary and junior secondary schools in the area.
He said that 13,844 textbooks were distributed to 66 primary schools, while 20 post-basic schools received 3,634 books.
The education secretary further disclosed that the board also distributed teachers’ guide and other instructional materials to the schools.
“The books consist of English, Mathematics, Science, Literature, Social Studies, and Integrated Science books, among others,” Dan-Rimi said.
According to him, the gesture is part of efforts to implement the nine-year basic education curriculum in the state successfully.
Ekiti
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, has threatened to remove any Divisional Police officer (DPO) who makes himself inaccessible to members of the public.
Balogun made the threat yesterday while parading 23 robbery suspects, including a 65-year-old woman, Victoria Faturoti in Ado-Ekiti.
He promised not to allow the politicisation of the arrest and detention of any of the robbery suspects, who have been terrorising the people of Ido-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area.
The police commissioner emphasised that the suspects would be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.
Balogun explained that he was quite aware of the politics behind the statement allegedly made by some suspects, pointing out that investigations would be conducted to ascertain the veracity of their claims.
He assured the people of the state that all the dangerous weapons being used by robbers would be mopped up before the 2011 general elections.
According to him, all the divisional police offices of the command had been placed on alert.
FCT
The Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA) says it is making efforts to utilise the expertise of Nigerians living abroad for national development.
The Director General of the directorate, Mr Sule Bassi, said this in Abuja yesterday at the directorate’s merit award.
Bassi said that “out of more than 32 million Africans living outside their countries, 17 million are Nigerians.
“For Africa to develop Africans must take the bull by the horns, we need to harness our human resources and we need to encourage them to contribute to the development of the continent.”
He said that technical cooperation was an indispensable factor in any development effort, adding that African technocrats must be given due recognition.
Bassi said that the award was put in place as a policy to recognise hard work and excellence.
He said: “We are here to celebrate excellence in service.
“We are here to celebrate integrity in mandate delivery, honesty, loyalty and team work.”
Kaduna
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Kaduna State recorded 37 accidents during the third quarter of 2010.
The commission’s Public Relations Officer in Kaduna State, Malam Yunusa Ibrahim, made this known in an interview with our correspondent in Kaduna yesterday.
He said that the commission recorded 13 accidents in September and eight accidents in October, November and December, respectively.
Ibrahim said that the number of accidents so far recorded during the year was lower than that of 2009, which was put at 404 accidents.
He attributed the decrease to the enlightenment campaign, sensitisation workshops, lectures and seminars on traffic rules and regulations.
Kano
Kano-based Islamic Scholar, Sheik AbdulJabbar Kabara, has decried the continued poor performance of students in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE).
“As a scholar, I am worried about the continued recording of poor results in the SSCE by our students.
The trend must not be allowed to continue,” Kabara said in an interview with newsmen in Kano yesterday.
The cleric opined that majority of candidates who perform poorly in public examinations were those from “poor parentage”.
“You will discover that most of those who record poor results in these public examinations are children of the poor, because the wards of the well-to-do attend quality schools here in Nigeria and abroad,” he said.
Kabara also opined that children of the rich were taught by better-qualified teachers with better facilities in their schools; hence they performed better in public examinations.
Kabara, therefore, identified poverty as one of the causes of poor performance of students in public examinations.
Lagos
Authorities of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, have appealed to the institution’s striking lecturers to suspend their action in the interest of their students.
That LASU lecturers, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), have been on strike for more than three months.
Mrs Anthonia Oyeniyi, LASU’s Head of Information and Public Relations, made the appeal in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos.
According to her, it is only the lecturers that can resolve their disagreement with the state government, a problem which has halted academic activities in the school.
The lecturers are protesting against the non-implementation of 53.3 per cent enhanced pay for lecturers as negotiated by ASUU with the Federal Government in 2009.
Osun
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Osun Chapter, has commended Gov. Rauf Aregbesola on his plans to revive the state agricultural sector.
Alhaji Raheem Adeniji, the state Chairman of the association, gave the commendation yesterday in Osogbo while reacting to the 2011 budget proposals presented by the governor.
Aregbesola in his first budget presented to the state House of Assembly on Wednesday, gave indication of his plans to revive the agricultural sector.
The governor said that the government would acquire 1,000 hectares of farmlands in each of the 30 local government areas.
He said the farmlands would be cleared and ploughed before being allocated to interested and practicing farmers.
Under the plan, government, Aregbesola said, would purchase farm produce directly from farmers to prevent wastage and have surplus for sale outside the state.
The governor said his administration would encourage commercial farming by assisting farmers who engaged in commercial farming to access bank loans.
Oyo
A Factional Leader of the NURTW in Oyo State, Alhaji Lateef Salako (a.k.a Eleweomo) has been killed in Ibadan during the Local Government Congress of the PDP on Thursday.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Baba Bolanta, confirmed the death of Salako to newsmen during the PDP local government congress in Ibadan.
He, however, said he could not give details, saying that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Area had been summoned to brief him on the incident.
Salako (a.k.a Eleweomo) was reportedly killed at IDC Primary School, Olunloyo area of Ibadan during the party congress of Ona Ara Local Government Area on Thursday.
His remains have been deposited at the State Hospital Mortuary, Adeoyo.
trouble started when the motorcade of the Senate Leader, Sen. Teslim Folarin, arrived at the venue of the congress.
Sources told our correspondent that argument arose as to whether the deceased union leader was a delegate to the congress or not, because he allegedly introduced himself as a delegate.
Sokoto
Sokoto State Government has earmarked N 5.1 billion for the execution of various projects in the agricultural sector in 2011.
Gov. Aliyu Wamakko said this in Sokoto yesterday while presenting the 2011 budget proposals to the state House of Assembly.
He said government would accord priority to the agricultural sector in order to consolidate, sustain and improve on the level of achievements so far recorded in the sector.
Wamakko promised that government would embark on the rehabilitation and expansion of all irrigation schemes destroyed by floods in all parts of the state.
“Protection of farmlands near riverbanks flooded annually, especially the troublesome Maimasuka farm site will be given attention,’’ he said.
Wamakko added that construction of flood control structures would be pursued with vigour.
To ensure food security, Wamakko said his administration would buy assorted grains for the state Strategic Grains Reserves Programme.
Yobe
Yobe Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, yesterday presented an appropriation bill of N64.2 billion for the 2011 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly.
The budget represents a decrease of 1.4 per cent over the N65 billion budgeted in 2010.
Christened “budget of Sustainability”, Gaidam told the legislators in Damaturu that the state had N2.7 billion in its account as an opening balance carried forward to 2011.
The governor said the state was expected to generate N34.8 billion from the federation account in 2011.
Gaidam added that N6.7 billion was expected from Value Added Tax while N9 billion would come from the excess crude oil.
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