Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State has
appointed Justice Nathan Musa as the new Acting Chief Judge of the state. At the swearing-in of the Acting Chief Judge in Yola on Monday, Nyako congratulated him on the appointment and urged him to be fair and honest in discharging his duties, he said:
“Your appointment is based on merit, following your successful record in the state judiciary.’’
The governor urged the judiciary to join hands with other arms of government to move the state forward.
Bauchi
Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi had called on
Nigerians to pray that the security challenges facing the country should end in 2013.
Yuguda, who made the call recently in his New Year message, said that this would enhance the effort made toward achieving lasting peace in the country.
He called on citizens of Bauchi to make a New Year resolution toward a peaceful co-existence among their brothers and sisters irrespective of religious, cultural or political differences.
“While we usher in the New Year, I urge you to use the occasion to assess your performances in the last one year and pray for better and prosperous 2013.
Benue
Makurdi residents have resolved to pray for God’s
intervention concerning the security challenges facing the country instead of relying on leaders in 2013.
‘Our security is in the hands of the Lord, we would go to him, cry to him, petition him, and appeal to him for the forgiveness of the sins of Nigeria, we know our God, He would never let us down.
“We would serve God wholeheartedly from 1st January 2013 so that he would intervene in our security challenges in the country.
“We would pray so that God will change the minds of our leaders and they would fulfill their promises.”
Ekiti
The police in Ado-Ekiti last Monday arraigned five
men, Sola Bamikole, Adedayo Adedoyin, Seun Awoyemi, Ayo Adeosun and Blessing Adedayo before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ court for allegedly stealing cat fish.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Caleb Leranmo, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Dec. 24, at about 4:00 a.m. at Odo-Aremu Sreet, Ado-Ekiti.
Leranmo alleged that the accused unlawfully broke into the beer parlour of one Madam Lucky restaurant and stole fresh cat fish from the pond.
Leranmo said the offence contravened section 390 (g) of the Criminal Code Cap. C 16, Vol. 1 of Ekiti State of Nigeria.
FCT
The Federal Government will save about N300
billion annually on the importation of wheat through the use of 20 per cent cassava flour for bread production.
Mr Labaran Maku, the Minister of Information, announced this on Monday in Abuja at a news conference, while briefing newsmen on the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2012.
Maku said the amount spent on wheat importation had so far been brought down by N200 billion following the improvement in the production and processing of cassava flour.
He said the government was exploring agriculture as major area to create jobs and wealth generation.
Gombe
The family of Alhaji Jalo Ganga, the Gombe
lawmaker who was kidnapped on Sunday in Gombe, has resorted to praying and fasting for his release.
The elder brother of the legislator, Alhaji Yayaji Ahmed-Ganga, made this known while speaking with newsmen in Gombe recently.
He said family and friends of the legislator embarked on prayer to seek God’s intervention in the kidnap which had put friends and relations of the legislator in a pathetic situation.
He said the family had not had any communication with their brother and appealed to the kidnappers to release him.
Jigawa
An acute fuel scarcity in Dutse and its surroundings
has left motorists frustrated in long queues at filling stations.
The situation has negatively affected free flow of vehicular and human movement and brought hardship to the people.
Our source, who went round some fuel stations on Tuesday, reports that because of the non-availability of fuel in major filling stations, there are long queues of vehicles at NNPC retail stations which have stocks.
Meanwhile, in the thriving black market, a litre of petrol sold at N150.
Lagos
A Muslim cleric in Epe Local Government Area of
Lagos State, Mr Olademeji Kaka, has urged Muslims and Christians to embrace peace and unity in the new year.
Kaka, who is the Imam of Lagbade Central Mosque, gave the advice recently night in a special prayer, tagged, “Tahajjud Night’’, to mark the end of year 2012.
He called on Muslims and Christians to collectively observe one day of fasting and prayer for the peace and unity of the country.
“Muslims love peace, Islam does not preach violence and we are peaceful people and that is why we are going to use this prayer to pray for the peaceful coexistence of Muslims and our Christian brothers and sisters.
Plateau
Youths protesting against Sunday killing of their
peer by stray bullet in Kuru, near Jos, last Monday destroyed the only bridge in the area.
Capt. Salisu Mustapha, the STF media officer made this known in an interview with newsmen in Jos on Monday.
Mustapha said: “the youths have destroyed one part of the bridge, only one part is passable and vehicles must queue up to take their turns from opposite directions.’’
He confirmed that one youth was hit by a stray bullet on Sunday, but rejected the youths’ position that the bullet was fired by soldiers.
Sokoto
Alhaji Umar Mohammed, the Chairman of Isa
Local Government, Sokoto State, has advised the people to form vigilance groups to assist security agencies in confronting security threats.
Mohammed told newsmen in Sokoto that the agencies needed intelligence reports to apprehend criminals. “
This is greatly important as the system would help in crime prevention. “
The task of ensuring the safety and security of lives and property is a collective duty of all Nigerians,” he added.
Yobe
The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Yobe State said four
insurgents had been killed and 59 suspects arrested in an operation in Yindiski area of Potiskum Local Government.
A statement by Lt. Eli Lazarus, JTF spokesman, stated that one policeman died and a soldier, who sustained injury, was receiving treatment.
The statement said “four AK 47 rifles, one double barrel gun, 16 magazines and 380 rounds of ammunitions were recovered’’.
It said other items recovered in the operation included two gas cylinders and materials used for improvised explosive devices.
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.