Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
An Upper Area Court in Jimeta, Yola, has sentenced two single mothers to six months imprisonment for attempting to sell their daughters.
The convicts, Sharon Julius and Helen Awoke, both of Ghana Street in Demsawo ward of Yola, were charged for abandoning and showing cruelty to their children, an offence contrary to sections 237 and 238 of the penal code.
They were arrested by the police when they approached the proprietor of a day care centre in Yola and proposed to sell their little daughters at N200,000 and N150,000.
The women pleaded guilty and begged for leniency, saying they were forced by poverty and neglect to engage in the act.
Delivering judgement, Justice Danladi Mohammed sentenced them to six months imprisonment each with an option of N20,000 fine each.
Borno
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has announced the appointment Chief Kester Ogualili, an Igbo man, as his special adviser on community relations.
Ogualili is the first southerner to have such a political appointment in the state.
A statement signed by the Director of press affairs in the Borno Government House, Alhaji Usman Chiroma said 24 other special advisers were also appointed.
They include the former NLC Chairman in the state, Comrade Garba Ngamdua.
Shettima described the appointees as credible persons that were carefully chosen to help in the development of the state.
“I quite believe that the calibre of personalities that I appointed as my special advisers will work hard to contribute to the development of the state,” the governor said.
FCT
The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, says it is working in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment to produce a “robust climate change policy” for the country.
Head Energy and Environment Group, National Centre for Technology Management, Dr Olalekan Aquila made the disclosure in Abuja on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen.
“It is in view of this that the Ministry of Science and Technology in partnership with the Ministry of Environment plans to produce a robust climate change policy that will stand the test of time,” he said.
According to him, the partnership will involve joint development of technologies on renewable energy and that of fossil fuel exploitation.
Gombe
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has been called upon to hasten the appointment of a deputy governor.
This followed the vacuum created by the death of the former Deputy Governor, Mr David Albashi on November 4 in Germany.
A PDP Stalwart Bature Cromwell made the call in Gombe on Thursday in an interview with newsmen in Gombe.
Cromwell, a former Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Kaltungo Local Government Council, said the appointment would eliminate the “hullaballoo” that is likely to arise as a result of the delay.
“The delay would heat up the polity and create bad blood among the people.
He urged the governor and the party to hasten the decision and make the right choice.
Jigawa
The first batch of Jigawa Pilgrims from Saudi Arabia returned home on Wednesday en-route Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.
The Executive Secretary of Jigawa Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Sani Muhammed told newsmen in Dutse on telephone that all necessary arrangements had been put in place to ensure the safe arrival of the pilgrims.
Muhammad explained that the delay in the arrival of the pilgrims before now, after the completion of their spiritual obligations in the holy land was due to long queue at the security check point of the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah.
He explained that the first batch of pilgrims who returned on Wednesday were those from Kiri Kasamma, Gagarawa, Guri, Kaugama and Gwaram Local Government Areas of the state.
Kano
Seven foreign countries have indicate interest to participate in the forthcoming 32nd Kano International Trade Fair.
The seven countries are China, India, Egypt, Senegal, Niger Ghana and Cameroun.
The Director-General of Kano Chamber of Commerce Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Hajiya Fatima Mohammed disclosed this to the newsmen in Kano.
“So far we have registered about 80 participants at the event and we are expecting not less than 200 more,” she said..
The KACCIMA chief said that the theme of this year’s trade fair is “Policy stability: a Hope for Industrial and Economic Development”.
Lagos
Former Director with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Dr. Omolara Akanji has said uncertainty and imperfect knowledge of the economy by operators contributed to the nation’s monetary policy challenge.
Akanji, who was the director in charge of Trade and Exchange, said this at the bi-monthly forum organised by the Finance Correspondent Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Lagos.
The former director spoke on the topic “An Overview of Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism in Nigeria”.
She said that the underdeveloped financial market and cash-based payment system was another challenge affecting the monetary policy transmission.
Akanji said that the informal sector had a lot of influence in the monetary policy management and needed to be captured for the implementation of cashless economy initiative.
Niger
The Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) has called for the diversification of the nation’s economy to guarantee economic prosperity instead of over dependence on the oil and gas sector.
The call is contained in a communiqué issued after the North Central Zonal meeting of RMFAC on economic diversification and enhanced revenue generation in Minna.
It said that the previous studies on the diversification of the economy should be put to use by the various levels of government in line with the present administration transformation agenda.
Ondo
The Ondo State Government on Wednesday in Akure flagged off the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW), aimed at reducing mortality among children under five years as well as ensure safe delivery among pregnant women.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko said at the occasion that tremendous success had been recorded in the past rounds of the exercise.
The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Kola Ademujimi, said the week strategy was aimed at scaling up a package of key maternal, neo-natal and child survival interventions that had been proven to reduce high neo-natal and child mortality in the country.
He said the interventions that would be implemented during this month’s round of the MNCHW were immunisation.
Plateau
The Plateau State Chapter of the League of Veteran Journalists has appealed to Governor Jonah Jang to rehabilitate the Plateau State Publishing Corporation to end the untold hardship faced by workers in the company.
The league in a statement on Wednesday in Jos said that it was worried over the dwindling fortunes of the company, publishers of the Nigerian Standard Newspapers.
In the statement signed by the league’s protem Chairman, Mr Gideon Barde, the league urged the government to take urgent steps to fund the corporation.
It noted that the corporation had remained a legacy within the North Central Zone, employing a significant number of journalists in the country.
Stating its neutrality in political matters, the league said that its objective was to enhance the quality of the journalism profession.
It also lamented the prolonged closure of the Jos Campus of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism which serves as a training ground for journalists in the northern part of the country.
Yobe
A vehicle tyre burst in Damaturu on Wednesday caused pandemonium as people scampered for safety thinking it was a bomb explosion.
Gun shots followed the tyre busts, as security operative tool positions to avoic the November 4 blasts which led to the death of scores of people in Yobe.
The commissioner of Police in the state, Alhaji Suleman Lawal confirmed the incident late on Wednesday, saying the tyre bursts had scared most people in the state.
Lawal said the police had been directe4d to avoid shooting inthe air in order not to cause further panic except when confronted by any physical threat.
Our Correspondent recalls that bombs explosions rocked the metropolis on November 4, destroying the Police Command Headquarters, Police Anti-Terrorists Squad, Federal Secretariat, First Bank of Nigeria branch and some churches.
Zamfara
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Musa Sada, says the ministry will provide extension services to artisanal miners in Zamfara to teach them best practices in mining business.
A statement by Mr Marshal Gundu, Deputy Director, Press, in the ministry quoted the minister as saying that the artisanal miners were being exposed to standard best practices in mining operations, “especially as it applies to gold mining and processing”.
The statement said that the ministry would also carry out sensitisation campaign in the state to enlighten the rural populace in the mining communities on the dangers of inappropriate mineral processing and illegal mining.
The statement said prospective miners should use safety gadgets as provided for in the mining regulations to enable them to carry out mining activities with minimum risk.
It urged the artisanal miners to formalise the process currently being undertaken by the ministry to form mining cooperatives for the purposes of securing small-scale mining lease and to benefit from the extension services.
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
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the Nigerian Military is committed to facilitating sustainable food security in the country through the establishment of farms.
Musa said this in Abuja yesterday during the unveiling of the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products Logo.
He noted that the agricultural sector played crucial role in guaranteeing food security which was requisite for sustainable national security.
He said that the adverse impact of climate change, environmental degradation and conflict across some parts of the country had continuously threatened food security with dire consequences on national security.
According to him, to address this, the Defence Headquarters in May 2023, conceptualised the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative.
“This is with the aim of keying into the federal government’s efforts at addressing food security challenges in the country.
“The initiative which aligns with the ‘People Centric’ policy thrust of my leadership concept is aimed at creating job opportunities and enhancing rural infrastructural development while significantly contributing to food security in the Country.
“Considering the extensive consultation, planning and preparation made by the committee thus far, I am optimistic that the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative will have a positive transformative impact on host communities while enhancing national security.
“With similar initiatives replicated across the country, I envision a future characterised by modernised farming techniques in which the agricultural sector significantly contributes to economic growth and national development.”
The CDS enjoined all members of the Armed Forces and the general public to embrace the initiative and maximise its associated gains.
He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, for his sterling leadership and relentless pursuit of national peace, security and economic prosperity.
He also appreciated the efforts of members of the committee who worked assiduously to actualise the initiative.
Earlier, the Chairman, Defence Farms Committee,