Connect with us

Nation

THE STATES

Published

on

Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government last Thursday, said it spon
sored 2,308 Christian Pilgrims to Israel between 2007 and 2013.
The Chairman of the state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rev. Shuibu Byel, said in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi, that 257 Christians were sponsored in 2007; 306 in 2008; 224 in 2009; 299 in 2010; 385 in 2011; 418 in 2012 and 419 in 2013.
The chairman commended Gov. Isa Yuguda for the gesture and urged the state government to continue to carry everybody along in spite of religious, cultural and political differences.
“His emphasis was that we should go there and have quality time with God and pray for the country for peace and tranquility. “Generally, I will tell you that the governor has been generous, kind and supportive of the Christians Pilgrims Welfare Board”, he said.

Borno

The new Emir of Shani in Borno, Alhaji Nasiru Mailafiya,
has  promised to be fair and just to his subjects by following the legacies of his late father.
Mailafiya made the pledge Sunday shortly after he was installed at the Emir’s Palace in Shani, headquarters of Shani Local Government Area of Borno as the Emir of Shani.
He suceeded his late father, Alhaji Muhammadu Mailafiya, who died on December 31, 2013 in an Indian hospital.
The new emir said “I promise to carry everyone along in the emirate as the emir of Shani.
“I also promise to follow the footsteps of my late father in the discharge of my responsibilities as the father of the people.’’
FCT

The Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro last Sunday in
Abuja, said there were internal mechanisms for resolving issues within a ministry and other paramilitary agencies under it.
Moro made the disclosure while reacting to questions by newsmen about a suit filed against him and Dr Ade Abolurin, the Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the termination of their appointments as unlawful, null and void and that the defendants should be ordered to reinstate them and to pay all their entitlements from the date of termination.
Moro said the ministry and the corps had carried out a verification exercise and found that many officers were improperly employed into the corps.

Gombe

President, Al-Mustapha Peace, Unity, Development Ini
tiative (APUDI), Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, says his organisation will empower majority of the 22 million unemployed Nigerian youths with skills.
Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer to late former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, who made this known while speaking with journalists in Gombe on Sunday said the organisation was compiling the list of youth organisations across the country with a view to assisting the unemployed youths with skill acquisition and other entrepreneurship development schemes.
According to him, after the data of the unemployed youths is compiled, he will make a comprehensive report on which group of youths would be assisted by local, state or the Federal Government.
Al-Mustapha added that some of the unemployed youth would be assisted by national and international donor agencies noting that no country or society would develop if its youths were jobless.
Kaduna

Frontline politician, Alhaji Balarabe Musa says the time
table released for the 2015 general elections has given reasonable time for the conclusion of litigations before the inauguration of elected officials.
He said the time given was “reasonably enough” to dispose of all cases that would arise from the election “provided the judiciary would do its work dispassionately”.
According to him, before now some of the politicians have been campaigning discreetly with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not calling them to order.
The former Kaduna State Governor and leader of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) was however pessimistic of a free, fair and credible election.
“The impunity with which the laws are ignored and consistency of election rigging in the country will make it very difficult to have a free, fair and credible election.”

Kebbi

Governor Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State has provided
financial assistance to families of 12 members of the Islamic group, Jama’atu Izalatul Bidi’a Wa’iquamatu Sunnah (JIBWIS), who died in a ghastly motor accident on the Abuja-Suleija Road, on January 19.
A  statement issued by Alhaji Abubakar Mua’zu, the chief press secretary to the governor, in Birnin Kebbi last Sunday did not, however, indicate the amount provided to the beneficiaries.
The victims, who were from the Zuru Local Government Area of the state, were returning from Abuja, after attending a function when they died in the crash.
The release said the governor had since condoled with the families of the deceased noting that the governor had commended the group for its peaceful propagation of Islam, as well as the existing peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians in Zuru.
Kwara

Some religious leaders in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, have
commended President Goodluck Jonathan, for signing into law the same-sex marriage prohibition bill recently passed by the National Assembly.
The Bishop of The Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s, Omu-Aran, Rt. Rev. Phillip Adeyemo, said the president had the right to protect the sovereignty of the country and also sustain the values of its cultural heritage and practises.
Prophetess Bosede Adimabua, the President of the Women’s Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Kwara Chapter, said President Jonathan’s action deserved praises from Nigerians.
Pastor Alex Adefikayo of the 2nd ECWA Church, Agamo, Omu-Aran, said the passage of the same sex marriage prohibition bill was a move in the right direction.
Ondo

Chief Medical Director, Mother and Child Hospital,
Akure, Dr Adesina Akintan, said last Sunday that the hospital recorded 7,962 safe deliveries and 1,231 caesarean operations in the last one year.
Akintan, who made this known in an interview in Akure, said that the hospital was specifically established to reduce infant and maternal mortality in the state.
He noted that the hospital always witnessed an average of 20 safe deliveries per day, which amounted to 600 child deliveries per month.
The chief medical director noted that the hospital had impacted positively on infant and maternal care services in the state and beyond.

Plateau

A PDP Woman Leader and its ex-officio member in the
North-West Zone, Mrs. Naomi Waziri, has applauded the nomination of Mrs. Lawrencia Malam as minister, saying that it was “very encouraging’’.
“The appointment of Mrs Malam is a huge encouragement to women ready to serve their local communities and Nigeria; the nominee has been a great role model for the womenfolk, especially in the rural areas,’’ Waziri said in Jos on Sunday.
Mrs. Malam, a ministerial nominee from Kaduna, is among the 12 persons awaiting confirmation by the Senate.
Waziri said that the appointment of a woman from Kaduna State was a testimony to the growing belief that women were indeed capable of contributing effectively to national development.
She promised that the entire women in the North-West of the country would rally round the nominee toward a successful tenure as minister, and advised her to pay special attention to the plight of Nigerian rural women.

Sokoto

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, last  Satur
day, urged leaders at all levels to seek for knowledge on leadership.
Abubakar, who was represented by Alhaji Isma’il Abubakar, District head of Gumbi, said “it is very necessary for the leaders to seek for knowledge for that will give them the right way of leading the society.
The Sultan commended the author for the sacrifice he made to remind the people of the importance of knowledge in leadership.
Speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu, commended the author for the gesture saying “the book touches the lives of the people in the society.”
The author said that he wrote the book as his contribution towards entrenching good leadership in Nigeria.

Families of 2002 victims of Ikeja Bomb blast in a peaceful protest in Lagos last Monday. Photo: NAN

Families of 2002 victims of Ikeja Bomb blast in a peaceful protest in Lagos last Monday. Photo: NAN

Continue Reading

Nation

Party Chieftain Hails LG Boss’ Dev Strides

Published

on

Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwuche has extolled the sterling leadership being provided by the Chairman of the council, Hon Iyeko Okporo, describing it as unprecedented.
Hon Chukwuemeka described the council chairman as God-sent, considering his achievements in just 100 days in office.
The PDP chieftain said the chairman has rekindled the hope and trust of the people in grassroots governance.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for enabling his people to have his replica at Akinima.
He explained that the solar water project, the Late Eze Ekpeye Logbo 11 palace fencing, generator house rebuilding and town hall, all in Odiereke Ubie Community can best be described as the hallmark of true leadership.
He said the projects have direct bearing on the basic needs of the people who have suffered untold hardship and bad governance until the saviour came into office.
“ It is thunderous, as you can see the organic support and show of love to the performing chairman. Our people are overwhelmed seeing one of their own touching lives in a special way. As a community ,we have been in the past years without drinking water, but just two months in office, the chairman has provided not just drinking water, but a well-treated solar water project. Okporo is God-sent, no wonder he is nicknamed such. We have compared notes with other chairmen in the past and came to the conclusion that what he is doing in 100 days is overwhelming. Governor Fubara has made us proud by allowing a level playing field that necessitated the emergency of the chairman. You can see the women, men, youths and traditional rulers all saying one thing. God bless Governor Fubara for giving us our own. We owe him prayers and unwavering support,” he said.
In her welcome address, the Ward 9 councillor, Hon Catherine Uriah showered encomiums on the chairman for addressing the basic needs of the people in just 100 days in office.
Hon Uriah also thanked the Governor for allowing the will of the people to prevail in the just concluded local government elections which produced the God fearing chairman.
She said the people of Ward 9 as well as Ahoada West are pleased with the chairman because he is doing well.
She said the people will go to length to show support to him in his determination to redefine governance at the grassroots.

Continue Reading

Nation

Group Plans Pilot Farm Programme For 50  Schools

Published

on

A community-based non-governmental organisation, The Peoples Encouragers Initiative, is planning a pilot farm project for 50 schools in both Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
Executive Director of the organisation, Chukwuma Abraham disclosed this at the recent International Human Rights Day celebration at Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Abraham said the proposed programme which gulps the sum of N45million was intended to bring the youths back to the land and make them self-reliant.
“We hope to mobilise the factors of production inherent in all the schools through this programme to achieve two basic objectives of building self reliant youths and to create a viable and sustainable stream of income for our schools,” he said.
He said the programmme will also keep the youth busy and impact farming skills, stressing that each of the participating schools is expected to nominate at least two members of staff to coordinate and supervise the programme while10 students will be elected as executive members to administer the programmme on a day to day basis in their various schools.
“Every school has a sizeable portion of arable land to carry out the programme of establishing a functional farm in their chosen area of interest. We are hoping to mobilise an estimated N45 million to enable us set up the pilot farms across the 50 schools within Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas,” he said.
He said the celebration was to draw attention of both the Nigerian government and the international community to the issue of human rights violation, adding that findings by the organisation has shown that insecurity and youth unemployment worsened over the past few years as a result of the insecurity that engulfed the Orashi region of the State. We also found out that the high level of cultism and social unrest within our environment is mostly fuelled by the high use of  illicit drugs among the youths. This programme will afford us the opportunity to take a tour through the universal declaration of human rights and reinforce on our youths the understanding that substance abuse can lead to crime, crime can lead to jail term and criminal record can blight their future dreams and life for ever,”he said.
Also speaking, the representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Ikporo Freedom urged the students to shun all forms of anti-social behaviours especially during the holiday season.
He also warned them against joining bad groups and stressed the need for the organisation to include private schools in the programme.
The Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Council, Hon Ezu R .C . Hezekiah represented by his Deputy, Hon Ununuma Odoi pledged the support of the council to the programme.
He also urged other groups in the area to emulate The Peoples Encouragers Initiative by organizing programms that will impact on the lives of the people.

John Bibor

Continue Reading

Nation

NCSU Flays Police Take Over Of Rivers PDP Secretariat

Published

on

The Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has condemned the take over of the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers State by the police, saying the action is against the tenets and principles of the rule of law.
This is even as the union has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call to order the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike for allegedly orchestrating and instigating the crisis rocking the PDP in the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the condemnation in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the police have no right to take over the PDP secretariat, as a ploy to provide cover and protection for members of the state executive of the party loyal to Wike, who were recently sacked by a court of competent jurisdiction in the State.
According to him, the action of the police is in clear defiance of a court ruling sacking the party executives at all levels in the State, instead of taking steps to enforce same.
He regretted that the police have consistently been showing that they are not appreciative of the logistic support Governor SiminalayiFubara has been extending to them, by openly demonstrating their bias, loyalty and allegiance to Wike and his supporters, contrary to their rules of engagement, which uphold and recognise absolute neutrality.
He said the Minister is wasting his time if he thinks that he could destroy the State by orchestrating and instigating needless crisis that is capable of making the State ungovernable, and appealed to President Tinubu to call him and his supporters to order.
Commenting on the fate of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the State, who defected from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Osumah said their fate is apparently sealed, as the Supreme Court had already given judgment in a similar case, saying, Wike is merely wasting his time by using the lawmakers against Governor Fubara, and causing unnecessary problem in the State.
He said if the Minister and his supporters do not retrace their steps and give peace a chance, the NCSU would have no choice than to mobilise all civil servants in the State, to troop out to the streets and protest against them.
The labour leader stressed the need for the police to vacate the PDP secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, and respect the High Court ruling which declared the congresses of the party in the State null and void.
While reiterating the need for President Tinubu to call Wike to order, Osumah said the President cannot continue to fold his arms and watch the Minister continuously make frantic efforts to destroy his State.
He also carpeted those blaming Governor Fubara administration for the recent gruesome murder of a Chief Security Officer(CSO) and his son in Igwuruta Ali community, saying those making such insinuations and attributing the sad incident to security lapses on the part of the state government, are missing the point.
He noted that by empowering the police in the State with several operational vehicles and other logistics, it was expected that the police would reciprocate the gesture, by living up to their constitutional obligation of protecting lives and property in the State, contending that Governor Fubara has been playing his part of guaranteeing security in the State.

 

He said the State is generally peaceful and safe, and challenged those criticising the Governor to cast their minds and attention to what is happening in other parts of the country, where killings and other social vices have become the order of the day.
Osumah cited as an example the recent killings in Ebonyi State by Fulani herdsmen as well as incidences of kidnapping and banditry in several other States of the federation, and wondered if Governor Fubara could be held responsible for such anomalies.

Continue Reading

Trending