Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
A total of 33,049 people from 571 households were affected in the recent Adamawa flood disaster.
The Secretary of the state Emergency Relief Committee, Alhaji Abubakar Mahmud, said while briefing newsmen that the number was for the nine worst affected Local Governments along the river banks while reports from remaining 12 local government areas of the the state that were not seriously affected was being compiled.
He said that four people lost their lives along with 13,372 livestock in the nine Local Governments, comprising Yola North, Yola South, Demsa, Fufore, Numan, Lamorde, Girei, Shelleng and Guyuk.
Mahmud also said that over 1000 hectares of farmland was affected by the flood in the nine local governments, adding that the state government had expended over N500 million in assisting the flood victims across the state.
He said his committee would soon commence disbursing the N500 million released by the Federal Government after categorising the affected local governments.
Bauchi
The Bauchi State government will create additional 20,000 jobs in 2013 to cater for unemployed women and youths, Alhaji Aminu Hammayo, the commissioner for Finance, has said.
Hammayo who made this known in Bauchi at a roundtable discussion with stakeholders on the state’s 2013 budget, he said the jobs would be created through the public works programme, whcih had been adopted as a model by the Federal Government in the Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P).
Hammayo also said that various measures would be taken to curb over spending on overhead cost and other recurrent expenses in 2013.
The commissioner said that the savings from such measures would be channelled to sectors such as water, healthcare as well as new access roads for rural farmers.
Ekiti
The Ekiti Government in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday distributed Severe Acute Malnutrition treatment materials to five referral centres to be administered free on children of five years and below.
The referral centres are University of Ado Ekiti Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti as well as the specialist hospitals in Ikere, Ikole and Ijero.
The Chairman, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Sule Lawal, said while handing over the materials to the hospitals that malnutrition was a life threatening condition which required urgent treatment.
The Permanent Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs Folakemi Falore, commended the centres for giving the cases serious attention, thereby reducing acute malnutrition in the state.
Responding on behalf of the recipient hospitals, the Head of Department, Nutrition, at Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti, Dr Onyema Clifford, pledged to make good use of the items. (NAN)
Kano
Four private hospitals have been sealed for alleged illegal operations and unhygienic conditions in Kano State, a statement said on Wednesday.
The Public Relations Officer of the state Ministry of Health, Malam Isma’il Gwammaja, stated that they were closed by the Private Health Institution Unit of the ministry. The hospitals are; Pasly by nature health centre, Amana Hospital, Sarki hospital as well as Annur Hospital, all in the state capital.
The Senior Special Adviser to the state Governor, Dr Salisu Ibrahim, led the monitoring team that shut down the hospitals. Pasly by nature health centre was shut down because it use unauthorised herbal medication to treat patients, while Sarki hospital lacked the conducive atmosphere to operate.
Amana hospital lacked qualified personnel, while Annur violated the regulations of health care service delivery.
The statement warned that the State Government would not tolerate any unwholesome practices, especially as it regards health care delivery.
Katsina
Residents of Malumfashi local government of Katsina State on Wednesday appealed to the Katsina State Government to rehabilitate township water supply systems to ease persistent water scarcity in the area.
Speaking in separate interviews in Malumfashi, a cross-section of residents expressed displeasure over the situation.
A resident, Malam Sanusi Zubairu-Khalifa appealed to the state government to hasten the repairs of the damaged pipes as well as overhaul the water board operation.
Zubairu-Khalifa explained that the situation had increased domestic expenses, noting that the population of water vendors also increase daily due to the water scarcity.
Kogi
Kogi State Government has promised to assist victims of the recent flood disaster staying outside the relief camps.
According to the statement, signed by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Yabagi Bologi, Awoniyi said the Government would ensure equity in whatever assistance it would render to the victims.
He said that government was updating the records of all the victims in all parts of the state, adding that no one would be left out.
Awoniyi said that many of the relief camps would soon undergo reorganisation with those in public schools to be relocated to allow for normal academic activities to resume.
He advised farmers, who lost their farmlands to the floods, to be patient as government was already taking steps to provide them with seedlings and other inputs.
The deputy governor said that affected buildings were being enumerated to enable the government take appropriate decisions on their suitability for occupation.
Kwara
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, says the state is financially buoyant to meet its obligations.
Ahmed, who made this known in Ilorin during a monthly interactive session, “The Governor Explains”, said the State Government had paid salaries, contractors and settle other claims.
“There is no magic in our financial viability other than the fact that we have been able to manage our expenditure within our revenue profile,” he said.
He assured that no local government council would sack its workers as they had streamlined their expenditure portfolio to manageable size to avoid past experiences.
Ahmed said his administration had spent N70 million to repair Ajasse-Ipo-Erin-Ile Road, a federal road which linked the state with Osun State, promising to extend the intervention to other federal roads.
He said contract for the construction of Kaiama-Kisi Road, which links parts of Kwara North senatorial district, would be awarded soon.
He said the State Government was releasing N30 million monthly to the state Road Maintenance Agency to ensure a pot-hole-free road in the State.
Ahmed said his administration had spent more than N40 million on relief materials for the victims of the recent flood disaster.
He, however, commended the Federal Government for releasing N300 million as relief fund for the affected persons in the state.
LagoS
The former President of the Nigeria Power Lifting Federation (NPF), Fred Ine, last Thursday urged the three tiers of government to enact enabling sports policies to attract corporate partnership.
In an interview In Lagos, Ine observed that most investors in the country have long neglected interest in sports because there wee no binding policies in place.
“Sports development in the country is not the sole responsibility of government. It should be complementary between the government, individuals and corporate entities.
“But because there are no binding policies in place, corporate bodies in the country are operating the way they deemed fit,’’he said.
According to Ine, government should make it mandatory for corporate outfits to adopt any sport of their choice, to relieve the government of unnecessary burden.
Oyo
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has advised agrochemical dealers to adhere strictly to proper handling and administration of their products to avoid food poisoning.
NAFDAC Director, Narcotics and Controlled Substances Directorate, Mr Hashim Yusuf, gave the advice at a workshop organised for the dealers in Ibadan on Wednesday.
The sensitisation workshop was organised by NAFDAC for members of the West Agro Input Dealers Association (WAIDA).
Yusuf was represented by Mrs Ngozi Onuorah, the Deputy Director, Narcotics and Controlled Substances Directorate of the agency,
The director said that the inappropriate storage and handling of agrochemicals had harmful effects on human beings, animals and the environment.
Plateau
The Military Special Task Force keeping the peace in Plateau State, announced last Thursday that it has killed two persons believed to be assailants who attacked Kura falls village in Barkin Ladi.
The assailants attacked the village last Thursday. The STF spokesman, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, told newsmen in Jos that the STF men also recovered a baby belonging to a couple, who were believed to be killed by the assailants. The helpless baby, he said, was rescued in a nearby bush.
Mustapha said that the attackers had killed three persons, including a couple, while few other persons sustained injuries.
The spokesman expressed concern over the incessant attacks on villages in Barkin Ladi and Riyom in spite of the spirited efforts to ensure peaceful coexistence amongst the villagers, and warned that the STF would not condone that.
Taraba
The Taraba Deputy Governor, Malam Garba Umar, last Wednesday directed committees handling the distribution of relief materials to victims of the recent flood disaster in the state to begin distributing them.
Umar gave the directive in Jalingo while inspecting warehouses in which the materials were kept. The materials include food items, building materials, textiles, farming implements and fishing materials. The materials were bought with the N400 million provided to the state by the Federal Government to assist the victims in six local government areas.
Umar said a telecommunication company, MTN, the Red Cross and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had donated relief materials to the victims.
Zamfara
Bakura Emirate Council in Zamfara State, has donated drugs worth N1 million to cater for children affected by malnutrition in the area.
The Emir of Bakura, Alhaji Bello Muhammad, presented the drugs to the Director, Primary Healthcare, Bakura Local Government area, Alhaji Ahmad Suleman, last Thursday.
He said that donation was informed by the council’s concern over the health conditions of women and children, noting that the donation was also meant to draw the attention of policy makers to the plight of the children.
“From the reports I have received from the community, the management of malnourished children is worrisome. “There is need for collaborative efforts to reverse the trend,” the emir said.
He added that the emirate had also received complaints from the State Coalition for Maternal and Child Health “on the pathetic state of malnourished children in the area”.
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.