Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The former Commissioner for Environment in Benue State,
Dr Eugene Aliegba, says for meaningful economic growth to be achieved, the state should invest in agro-allied industries.
Aliegba said this last Saturday in Makurdi, at a news conference to announce his disengagement from the services of Benue State to pursue his governorship ambition in 2015.
Aliegba said if given the opportunity to serve the state at higher level, he would attract foreign investments into agriculture especially in the fields of processing.
Aliegba, an associate Professor of Political Science, said he had acquired enough experience both as an academician and as a politician to proffer solution to issues confronting the state.
Borno
The Borno State government has commended the mili
tary for the professional manner it had handled the security challenges facing the state.
State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, made the commendation when he visited the newly established 81 battalion of the Nigerian Army in Gashigar town of Mobbar Local Government Area of the state.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to the fight against terrorism, promising to support the military and presented a cash gift to the battalion in appreciation of the efforts of officers and men.
Responding, the commander of the battalion, Lt.-Col. Musa Mohammed, said that the unit was created after last month’s suspected terrorism attack, which claimed some lives and property in the area.
FCT
The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said gov
ernment would fast track the process of connecting Nigerians in the rural areas to the national grid.
Nebo stated this while rounding off the 6th Power Summit/Civil Society Forum in Abuja last Saturday.
Nebo restated that the power sector reform was to ensure sustainable energy delivery to Nigerians through increased power generation, transmission and distribution.
The minister held that with the successful sale of government owned distribution and generation companies, the ministry was almost getting to the end of the power reform process.
According to him, Federal Government’s privatisation of the power sector has been globally adjudged as very transparent and pledged to continue to ensure that the new owners provided effective service to Nigerians.
Jigawa
Fire last Saturday burnt students’ hostel in the Federal
Government College (FGC), Kazaure, in Jigawa State.
Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa State, Mr Muhammad Gidado, told newsmen that the inferno razed down the hostel completely.
Although he did not adduce any reason for the fire outbreak, the commandant said it took fire men more than one hour to put it out so that it did not spread to other buildings.
“It took more than one hour for the NSCDC, police, fire fighters and staff of the college to put out the fire and rescue the students’’, he said.
Gidado advised people to be extra careful when using fire.
Kaduna
An Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Mai-Shawi, last Sunday
cautioned people against reprisal attack, following the assassination of Sheik Muhammad Albani, a popular Islamic scholar in Zaria.
Speaking in Zaria during late Albani’s funeral prayer, Mai-Shawi said the plea became necessary in view of the tension caused by the sudden death of the popular cleric.
Mai-Shawi, who is the chief Imam of “Darul Hadith”, a school established by the deceased, said that although the death of Albani was painful, everything should be left to God.
Kano
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Kano State chap
ter, last Saturday appointed a caretaker committee to oversee its affairs.
The committee was announced after a meeting of the party elders held at the Government House, Kano State, and presided over by Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso last Friday night.
Those appointed included a former Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Gwarzo, as Chairman, and Alhaji Adamu Sumaila as Secretary, Alhaji Abbas Sani, Assistant Secretary; Mr Bashir Karaye, Public Relations Officer (PRO); Alhaji Salisu Abba, Treasurer, and Alhaji Murtala Garo as Organising Secretary.
Others were Alhaji Rabi’u Bako, Youth Leader; Hajiya Maryam Kofar-mata; Woman Leader, and Alhaji Sa’adu Hassan, Ex-officio member.
Speaking after the meeting, Kwankwaso urged the party members to give the caretaker officials the necessary support and cooperation to enable the party succeed in the state and the country at large.
Kebbi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),
said on Saturday that it impounded 392.06 kilogrammes of cannabis and diazepam in 2013 in Kebbi State.
The agency’s Commandant in the state, Mr Okon Ulo, said in Birnin Kebbi State that 108 persons were convicted while 17 suspects were awaiting tial.
According to the statement, 25 per cent of hard drug abusers and traffickers were youths, stressing that the agency and stakeholders would reverse the trend.
It said NDLEA had established drug treatment and counseling centres in Birnin Kebbi and Zuru where patients were trained to acquire skills adding that the Zuru Treatment Centre had collapsed due to lack of facilities.
Kwara
Some members of Ifedawapo community in Ita-Alamu, a
suburb of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, last Saturday threatened to stop paying their monthly electricity bills until the power supply was improved in the area.
The placard-carrying protesters with different inscriptions, including “NEPA give us light regularly”, went to a divisional office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in the area where they registered their grievances over the state of power supply in the community.
The Chairman of the community, Alhaji Lateef Lawal,said that the community had been grappling with erratic power supply for the past four months adding that several complaints made on the issue had yet to bear fruit.
The chairman said the people were not in the organisation’s office to unleash violence but make their problems known to the authorities, urging the power company to adjust in its supply and distribution.
Lagos
The Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican
Communion, Rev. James Odedeji, last Sunday urged clerics to be humble and diligent in their service to God.
Odedeji gave the advice at the installation of a new Dean and six Canons of the church at the Archbishop Vinning Memorial Anglican Church, Ikeja, Lagos.
The cleric urged the ordained Dean and Cannons to work as evangelists adding as ministers of the gospel, you must beware and be watchful, anybody can afford to do anything but you are expected to make lots of differences.
There are so many distractions in the church; beware of derailment. A lot of priests have fallen because they were not watchful. “God rewards good and faithful servants,” he said.
Oyo
The Oyo State Government will on February 14 and
February 15 hold the second edition of “Samodun Festival’’ to showcase the diversity of Yoruba culture.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs Adetutu Adeyemi, said yesterday in Ibadan that the festival was aimed at promoting unity across the South-West states.
The commissioner said that the festival, with the theme: “Asa Parapo’’ was geared toward utilising culture as platform to reawaken business, tourism development, entrepreneurship and youths development in the state.
Highlights of the event, she added, would include a cultural festival parade, youths talent in culture, cultural displays and food tourism by the governor’s wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi.
Sokoto
Former Secretary to the Zamfara State Government,
Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin-Tsaba, said the proposed National Conference would help Nigerians to understand and accommodate their differences.
Ibrahim said in Sokoto State last Saturday that it was necessary to discuss with each other so as to appreciate mutual differences and seek out ways to live with them.
“Nigerians come from diverse backgrounds – religion, culture and ethnicity. We should come together, understand these differences and accommodate them’’, he said.
He held that the unity of the nation should never be compromised during and after the conference.
The former SSG described the conference as a welcome development, and stressed that it would make Nigeria stronger and better.
Nation
Party Chieftain Hails LG Boss’ Dev Strides
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.
Nation
Group Plans Pilot Farm Programme For 50 Schools
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
Nation
NCSU Flays Police Take Over Of Rivers PDP Secretariat
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.
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