Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Ministry of Environment said recently in Bauchi that it planned to establish three new markets within the metropolis.
A Director in the Ministry, Alhaji Umar Abulkadir, told newsmen that the measure was being taken to reduce congestion in market places.
Abdulkadir said that the proposal, which was submitted few months ago, still awaited the approval of Governor Isa Yuguda.
He said that the ministry intended to establish the facilities for trade in various commodities to make the environment conducive to members of the public.
“Three new markets were proposed and we are waiting for the approval so that the traffic and other congestion will be reduced in market areas.
Ekiti
Ekiti State Environmental Health Workers recently apprehended no fewer than 41 persons for violating environmental laws.
The apprehended persons were immediately tried by the Ado-Ekiti State Environmental Mobile Court.
The trial Magistrate, Mr Bayode Owoeye, who sentenced the violators to jail terms ranging from five days, one month and two months, however, gave the convicts an option of fine, ranging from one thousand to three thousand naira.
The Prosecutor, Mrs Olubunmi Atobiloye, told newsmen that those apprehended committed the offence on February 23, at various locations in Ado-Ekiti.
FCT
The Good Tidings Church International, Abuja donated one bore hole each to five communities in the FCT last Saturday, to provide potable water to the communities.
The bore holes, valued at two million naira each, were built and donated to the communities to mark the 50th birthday of the Senior Pastor of the church, Mr Dayo Olutayo.
The benefiting communities are Angwan Gede in the Kuje Area Council, Zuba Motor Park Community in Gwagwalada Area Council and Kaba Community in the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Others are Angwan Pawa, Nyanya in the Abuja Municipal Area Council and Koroduma, otherwise known as One-Man Village in Nasarawa State.
Kaduna
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to provide relevant infrastructure to promote national economic growth.
The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, gave the pledge last Saturday in Kaduna at the opening of the 34th edition of Kaduna International Trade Fair.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Dauda Kigbu, the minister said the government would provide trade fair complexes, shopping malls and modern abattoirs in the geo-political zones to boost domestic and international trade and investment.
According to him, the federal government is conscious of its social and economic responsibilities to Nigerians and the international community.
Kebbi
Deputy Inspector-General of Police (A) Operations, Suleiman Fakai, has tasked the Kebbi Police Command to ensure proper environmental sanitation within the office premises and barracks.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Chukwu Ikechukwu, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi that the DIG was on an on-the-spot assessment of police formations in line with directives of the Inspector-General, Mohammed Abubakar.
Ikechukwu said the deputy inspector-general also inspected the command headquarters at Gwadangwaji and the barracks.
He said the aim of the inspection was to assess and eventually upgrade police facilities, to enhance performance.
Kwara
The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has paraded three suspects arrested for allegedly siphoning diesel at a telecommunications installation in IIorin.
The suspects were caught siphoning diesel at a telecommunications mast located at Kuntu in the IIorin West Local Government Area of the state.
The Commandant of the NSCDC in Kwara, Mr Gana Yerima, at a news conference gave the names of the three suspects as Azeez Dosunmu, Ango Abdullahi and Abdulkareem Agaka, all residing in the Ilorin.
He said that Dosunmu and Abdullahi were private security men attached to the mast, while the third suspect Agaka was the receiver of the stolen diesel.
Lagos
The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), says it started the rehabilitation of Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway since February 11.
The FERMA Zonal Coordinator (South West 2), Mr Oladipo Fagbamila told newsmen in Lagos, that the repair work would be completed in three weeks.
Fagbamila said that three of the agency’s engineers had been deployed to work simultaneously on the deplorable portions of the highway to speed up the repairs.
“Two of the engineers are working on the Lagos side and one in Ogun side of the expressway.
Nasarawa
The popular Orange Market at Mararaba in Nasarawa State was thrown into pandemonium on Saturday, following the burning of shanties in the market by suspected hoodlums, our correspondent reports.
A resident in the area, Mrs Julie Efreme, told newsmen that her husband’s shop, where he sold furniture and electronics was just one of many shops burnt.
She said that she and her husband were unaware that traders were supposed to remove their shanties in the market after the traders recently contributed money to get a two-month extension on the shanties.
“The shop was full to the brim and he was not able to bring out a single thing, everything got burnt.
Ogun
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun last Saturday expressed the determination of his administration to enforce strict compliance with the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the state.
Amosun spoke in Sagamu while monitoring the level of compliance during the February sanitation exercise.
He noted that the environmental sanitation programme was introduced in good faith, to ensure that the residents lived in a clean and safe environment.
Oyo
Chairman, Ibadan Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Oluseun Abimbola, has described the suspension of two judges by the National Judiciary Council (NJC) as encouraging.
Abimbola made the statement in Ibadan in an interview with the newsmen recently.
“I am really encouraged by the decision of the NJC; it is an exceptional decision and a step taken in the right direction to redeem the image of the judiciary.
“The standards and conduct expected of judges are usually high and these have been brought to bear on the decision of the NJC.
Plateau
The Chief Medical Director of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Dr Ishaya Pam, has described Nigerians’ tendency to rush abroad for every ailment as “wasteful and very unnecessary’’.
Pam spoke to newsmen in Jos on Sunday in an interview.
“Most of such medical journeys are purely psychological. Some are even products of ignorance because the treatment being sought for is something some hospitals in Nigeria can provide at the cheapest rates.
“The truth is that people travel abroad for conditions that can be treated here either because of lack of confidence in our health system or because the resources are available to them.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government said last Saturday it spent N3 billion to execute various Millennium Development Goals projects in its 23 local governments within three years .
The state Commissioner for Local Governments, Alhaji Faruk Malami, told newsmen in Sokoto that the projects were on health, water supply, women and youths empowerment .
According to Malami, several hospitals and primary health centres have been rehabilitated and constructed, while others were equipped .
“ Several other health facilities were also upgraded to the status of general hospitals and others were expanded.
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.