Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Only two small scale enterprises in Bauchi have met the Centre Bank of Nigeria guidelines for its intervention loans to operators in the sector, an official has said.
The Chairman of the National Association of Small Scale Industries, Alhaji Tijjani Jallaba, told newsmen in Bauchi yesterday that one other enterprise was on the verge of meeting the requirements.
He named the two enterprises as Gambo Marafa and Baba Buba, adding that Fatima Idris Enterprises was in the final stage to qualify for the loan.
“The reasons for the low patronage of the loan is the tight condition set by the CBN.
‘’ If you see what is encompassed in the scheme, you will realise that the CBN has introduced a good programme that will help to transform small scale businesses into profitable ventures.
Borno
The 21 Army Brigade, Maiduguri, has placed its men on red alert following the spate of killing of soldiers by unknown gunmen in Borno.
Lt. Abubakar Abdullahi, the Brigade’s Spokesman, told newsmen in Maiduguri that the army lost four of its officers in separate attacks last week in Maiduguri metropolis.
He said that “most of the victims were killed because of some lapses.
“The officer who was shot on Sunday at Jajeri was killed because he left the company of his colleagues, contrary to military discipline, while the officer shot on Tuesday at the State Low Cost Estate was sick.
“His assailants trailed him in the evening and took advantage of his condition by shooting him near a mosque.”
Abdullahi said that the officer was not part of the current military operations in the state, which made him unprepared.
He added that the army had always placed its men on red alert for eventualities, especially with the recent attacks.
Ekiti
An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered that a 27-year-old man, Akindele Ebunjobi, be remanded in prison for allegedly stabbing his brother to death.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr R.A. Adegboye, gave the order on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, after Ebunjobi appeared before him and pleaded not guilty to one-count charge of murder.
The police prosecutor, Mr Ajiboye Bayo, told the court that the accused person on January 11, at about 10.30 p.m., at 29 Oke Odo Street, Osan-Ekiti, stabbed his younger brother Olaniyi Ebunjobi, to death.
Bayo said that the accused stabbed Olaniyi on his back and neck during an argument, and that the incident was said to have taken place in Osan-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area Ekiti State.
FCT
The Freedom Party of Nigeria (FPN) on Wednesday called on INEC to adhere strictly to its timetable in order not to cause problem for the entire electoral process.
Chief Frank Ohwofa, the National Chairman, who made the call in Abuja during an interview with newsmen said there was no need to allow political parties to go against the existing timetable.
According to him, any favour to a political party will dash all hopes of Nigerians on credible polls.
“There should not be any favouritism to any political party because it will cause lacuna for the entire electoral process.
“Any alteration will otherwise dash all aspirations of Nigerians for credible elections as our hopes on the credibility of Prof. Attahiru Jega will also decline.
“If a waiver can be granted to any party, INEC must grant same to other parties too,’’ he added.
Gombe
The Gombe State Police Commissioner, Mr Orubebe Ebikeme, has warned that parents in the state will henceforth be held responsible for the misbehaviour of their children.
Ebikeme gave the warning in Gombe yesterday at a news conference following the continued breach of the peace in the past one week by some notorious youths known as “Kalare”.
He said, “Parents owed it a duty to the society to monitor and control the behaviour of their children.
Jigawa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Jigawa says no fewer than 692,335 eligible voters in the state have so far been registered in the ongoing voter registration.
The Head, Department of Public Affairs and Monitoring, Alhaji Surajo Kore, told newsmen in Dutse that the figure was collated since the commencement of the exercise on January 15 up till January 18.
“Though, there were some hiccups in the first three days, things have improved tremendously in terms of the speed of the machines,” he said.
Surajo explained that the Commission projected more than 1.7 million eligible voters to be registered in the state, based on the previous exercise, especially in 2006.
Katsina
A 28 year-old man, Sama’ila Garba of Sabuwar Kofa quarters in Katsina, on Thursday bagged one year jail term and 100 strokes of the cane for fornication.
The police docked Garba before Sharia Court I, Katsina, for the alleged offence.
The arraignment of the accused followed a complaint lodged by one Hussaina Isa, also of Sabuwar Kofa quarters, on November 12, 2010, alleging that Garba impregnated her.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Abubakar Mamman, said the complainant also alleged that the accused lured her to have sex with him, which resulted to a pregnancy and subsequent delivery of a baby.
However, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge, accepting that he had an affair with the girl.
Kebbi
All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kebbi chapter, will screen farmers that will benefit from the newly introduced CBN N1billion commercial agricultural credit scheme.
The Chairman of the chapter, Alhaji Bello Kalgo, who stated this on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi while addressing the farmers.
He said the screening was also to ensure prompt repayment of the loan, for other farmers to benefit and for the expansion of the scheme.
Kalgo said that besides boosting farmers’ productivity, the scheme would also provide more employment opportunities for them as well as increase the revenue accruing from their farming activities.
The chairman said that the state government had guaranteed the loan with no interests attached.
He promised the farmers of the readiness of the association to attract more supports for them such as timely release of fertiliser, modern farming implements, seedlings and pesticides, especially in areas devastated by flood last year.
Ogun
The yesterday Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Ijebu-Ode Catholic Diocese, has cleared 40 plots of land for fish farmers in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state.
Mr. Felix Adesiyan, the Diocesan Agricultural Development Programme Coordinator, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Ijebu-Ode yesterday.
Adesiyan explained that the move was aimed at encouraging more people, especially youths, to embrace fish farming and also to solve the problem of inadequate land for fish farming in the community.
He said that each of the farmers registered with the commission would be given a piece of land for a period of five years, adding that the land would attract a token rent of N5,000.
Plateau
Brig.-Gen. Hassan Umaru, the Commander of the Special Task Force (STF) in Jos, on Wednesday appealed to the people of Plateau to be patient with the soldiers maintaining the peace in the state.
Briefing newsmen on the series of protests launched against the STF in recent times, Umaru said the force was trying to restore peace to the state.
The Tide’s source reports that one of such protests was launched on Monday at Farin Lamba, Vom, while another was recorded at Abattoir within Jos metropolis on Wednesday.
“We are trying to restore peace, but the way and manner people are talking against us is not encouraging.
“The women protest is not encouraging at all and we want to suggest that people should not allow themselves to be used because the peace of the state should be paramount to all,” he said.
Yobe
Two officials of INEC participating in the ongoing registration of voters in Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe have suffocated.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Malam Sadiq Musa, who confirmed the story, told newsmen in Damaturu yesterday that the men died on Monday and Wednesday.
Musa said that the officials failed to switch off the power generator while sleeping in their room close to the Registration Centre after working for hours.
He named the deceased as Abdulhamid Mustafa, an Inspector with Immigration Department and Aliyu Abubakar, Principal Officer with INEC’s head office in Damaturu.
The fumes filled the room in the night and they suffocated; one person died immediately while the other died the next day in a hospital, ‘’ he said.
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