Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa State Government has reiterated it’s commitment to play a leading role in achieving the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The State Coordinator of MDGs, Alhaji Adamu Garbajo, made this known on Thursday in Yola at the opening ceremony of the MDGs Conditional Cash Transfer training workshop.
Garbajo said that efforts had been made to achieve the objectives of the MDGs in the areas of health, education, water supply, sanitation, agriculture and human development.
Ekiti
Five persons, including two women, on Thursday appeared before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court over alleged possession of a human head.
The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Ebenezer Ewuola, gave the names of the accused as Bakare Itunu (F), Jamiu Aremu, Akeem Abdul, Odekunle Fatai and Kikelomo Bello (F).
Ewuola told the court that the accused committed the offence in March at 53 Iyere St., Erio-Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Area of the state.
Ewuola said the offence contravened sections 517, 242 and 329 (a) of the Criminal Code Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
Jigawa
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa State on Thursday arrested a suspected seller of cannabis and hard drugs (name withheld).
The Commandant of the agency in the state, Alhaji Mohammed Gidado, told newsmen in Dutse, that the suspect was arrested in Gumel Local Government Area of the state around 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday.
He said the arrest followed an intelligence report by men of the command operating in the area, adding that the suspect was found with 655 wraps of cannabis, three sachets of Diazepam (10 mg) and three sachets of Rohyphonol Flunitrazepam (1mg), popularly known as Roti.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government and the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) on Thursday agreed to jointly provide N2 billion loan to support small holder farmers to improve food production.
The Managing Director of the bank, Dr Mohammed Santuraki, made this known at a media briefing after he met with Governor Saidu Dakingari, in Birnin Kebbi.
Santuraki said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the loan would be formally signed soon by the two parties.
Kogi
Arrangements have been concluded for the installation of Ndakwo Ameh Oboni as the new Attah Igala on April 27.
Briefing newsmen in Idah on Thursday, the Chairman of the Coronation Planning Central Committee, Dr Ahmadu Ali said that the ceremony would take place at the ancient palace ground at Idah.
Ali, who is also the Ochada Attah Igala said that Gov. Idris Wada would present the staff of office to the new monarch.
He said that the historic event was unique and important to the Igalas because many of them would be witnessing such an occasion for the first time in 67 years.
Kwara
The Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Issa Kayode, on Thursday charged health officials in the state to adopt the strategy of timely disease surveillance and control to promote a healthy population.
Kayode made the call in Ilorin at a sensitisation meeting on disease surveillance organised for health officials in the 16 local government areas of the state.
He said that the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa had adopted a strategy called “Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR)”.
According to him, the IDSR aims to create functional disease surveillance system in African countries which will generate information for timely action on control of diseases.
Lagos
A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday fixed April 30 for hearing in the case of 15 Russian sailors charged with illegal importation of arms and ammunition. The case, which was slated for hearing, could not go on due to the absence of the trial judge, Justice Okechukwu Okeke. No reason was given for his absence.
The accused include Zhelyazkov Andrey, Captain; Savchenko Sergel, Chichkanov Vasily, Varlygin Igor, Komilov Alexander, Lopatin Alexey and Baranovskly Nikolay.
Nasarawa
The Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Christian Pilgrim Welfare Board, Mr Clement Odeh, has urged youths in the state to embrace peace.
Odeh made the call on Wednesday during a reconciliatory meeting of all the ethnic groups in the state initiated by the Board in Lafia
“It is only when people agree to forget the ugly experience of what happened during the communal crisis and have accepted to forge ahead that lasting peace will be achieved. “If there is no peace, no meaningful development would be achieved,’’ he said.
Ogun
The Ogun State Police Command said on Thursday that it impounded 35 vehicles across the state within five days for violating the law against using tinted glasses.
The spokesman of the Command, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, said in an interview with newsmen in Abeokuta that the command would intensify its efforts toward enforcing the order which, according to him, was from the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar.
He said the command was also clamping down on vehicles with fake registration numbers, warning that owners of such vehicles would be classified as criminals.
Ondo
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has challenged security operatives in Ondo State to tackle the spate of abduction of innocent persons in the state.
In a statement signed by the Vice President of NUJ Zone B, Mr Dele Atunbi, in Akure, the union observed with concern that “in the last two weeks, three women had been abducted in the state for ransom with just only one of them out of the crucible”.
“While noting with deep sense of concern the pains and agonies of these women in the fangs of their abductors, the union is alarmed that the security operatives have not been able to unravel any of these incidences.
Oyo
The Court of Appeal in Ibadan has adjourned to June 13 hearing on the motion filed by the former governor of Ogun State Otunba Gbenga Daniel. The court could not sit on Thursday due to the inability of the judges to form a quorum.
The lead counsel to Daniel, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, said he was not disappointed that the court was unable to sit; “We came here to do our own work, but unfortunately the court is not sitting because two of their Lordships are busy somewhere else on some important assignments. “It happens like that. Sometimes you come and your cases are done; sometimes your cases are not done, but the reason given by the court is a genuine one,” he said.
Daniel was dragged before an Abeokuta High Court by the EFCC on a 38-count charge of alleged financial misappropriation and conversion of state land to personal use.
Plateau
The Plateau State Government has rejected claims that the recent clashes in Wase and Langtang areas were communal strife between two tribal groups.
Commissioner for Information, Abraham Yiljap, said in Jos on Wednesday, after a state security meeting that reviewed the hostilities that had enveloped the southern part of the state in the past four days.
Yobe
Yobe State Government on Thursday approved N192.5 million for the procurement of ballot papers and other electoral materials for the June 2013 local government elections in the state.
The State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Goni Fika, stated this while briefing newsmen after the state executive council meeting in Damaturu.
He explained that “the council approval N192.5 million being request from the State Electoral Commission for procurement of ballot papers and other electoral materials for the local government election”.
Zamfara
The Coalition of Maternal and New Born Child Health, an NGO, has commended the Zamfara State Government for making provision for nutrition in the 2013 budget.
The State Coordinator of the coalition, Mallam Ibrahim Tudu, made the commendation on Thursday in an interview with newsmen in Gusau, said “we have succeeded after various struggles and complaints to the government, now the government has provided it under the State Ministry of Health’’.
He said the budget would contribute a lot to solving malnutrition problems in the state, and explained that the coalition, in collaboration with Save the Children International, had also organised various seminars and workshops for members of the coalition and journalists.
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.