Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The Borno State Government has donated N200,000
to each victim of the recent insurgency attacks in Kilde and Gashigar communities of Mabar Local Government Area of the state.
Chief Of Staff (COS) to Governor Kashim Shettima, announced the donation on behalf of the government in Maiduguri when he addressed people from the area.
He said that the assistance was offered to lessen the hardship being faced by the victims.
Kyari said that the gesture as in line with the governor’s directive to disburse N30 million as donation in sympathy with the victims.
FCT
The President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Femi
Adeshina, has called on INEC to be impartial in disseminating information to the media to ensure credible elections in 2015.
Adeshina made the call at the Strategy Meeting on Media and the 2015 Elections Agenda organised by Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) in Lagos.
“INEC must be seen to be truly independent and impartial in all ramifications to ensure that come 2015, we have a peaceful and transparent elections in Nigeria,” Adeshina said.
He stressed the need for INEC to enforce the provisions of the Electoral Act in an impartial way to enhance transparency in the conduct of political parties in the country.
Jigawa
The Chairman, Interim Committee in Hadejia Local
Government, Jigawa State, Alhaji Ahmad Abdullahi, has urged workers to support the council to fast track sustainable development of the area.
Abdullahi made the call at the inauguration of the committee in Hadejia.
The chairman also urged communities in the area to support the committee to enable it to effectively manage the affairs of the council.
He assured that the committee would be transparent and fair in the discharge of its duties.
Kaduna
The International Federation of Women Lawyers
(FIDA), Kaduna State branch has expressed worry over the increasing cases of rape in the state.
The FIDA Chairperson, Mrs Sidikat Adegboye, who said this when he spoke with newsmen said the figure against the vice had not been won in the state.
She, however, attributed this deficiency to dearth of correct statistical data on cases of rape and administrative bureaucracy in the state judiciary system.
“The fight against rape in Kaduna State is far from a battle won; as rape cases are now on the increase on a daily basis.
Kebbi
About 4,000 qualified candidates are to benefit from
the distribution of free Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) forms valued at N16 million by the Kebbi State Government.
The Executive Secretary, Kebbi Scholarship Board, Alhaji Sahabi Birnin-Yauri, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Birnin-Kebbi.
He said that the forms would be distributed to secondary school students who graduated between 2010 and 2013 with minimum of five credits including English and Mathematics.
Birnin-Yauri said that zonal inspectors would identify the five best students in each secondary school in their zones and provide them with the forms.
Kwara
Kwara
The University of Ilorin says it expelled no fewer than 51
students for various acaemic offences in the last two years.
The university’s spokesman, Mr Kunle Akogun, told newsmen in Ilorin that the exercise was a routine one.
According to him, it is meant to sustain the rich tradition of the university in line with character and learning.
Akogun said that their offences ranged from being members of secret cults to bribing lecturers to upgrade their scores after examinations.
Lagos
An unemployed man, Saka Afeez, 21, who allegedly stole
property worth N120,000 belonging to a church, was arraigned in Lagos.
Afeez, whose address is unknown, is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, burglary and theft at an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
The Prosecutor, ASP Godwin Eze, told the court that the accused committed the offences on February 15, at about 1:30 a.m. at 22, Mojirade St., Shibiri, Ajangbadi, Lagos.
He said that the accused unlawfully entered into Rain Day Christian Assembly and stole a speaker and an amplifier engine, both valued at N120,000.
Nassarawa
Governor Umaru Al-Makuraof Nassarawa State has
urged exporters in the country to explore and exploit the export potentials of the state.
He made the call in Lafia at a one-day sensitisation seminar organised by the North Central Coordinating Office of the Nigerian Shippers Council with the theme: “Tapping the export potentials of Nassarawa State”.
Al-Makura, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr Emmanuel Yaji, said the state was endowed with enormous solid minerals, including high quality precious stones, semi-precious stones and precious metals.
Others are metallic and non-metallic minerals as well as mineral fuel that are of high economic value.
Ogun
A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Isabo, Abeokuta, has
remanded a 26-year old welder, Dare Ojo, for allegedly defiling a three-year old girl.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Anthony Araba, ordered that Ojo be remanded in Oba Prison.
The prosecutor, Insp Banji Sangotokun, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on February 15 at Ogunji Estate, Somorin in Abeokuta.
He said the accused, a friend to the girl’s father, defiled and inflicted serious injury on the minor.
Ondo
The Ondo State Direct Labour Agency in
Akure said it had completed 49 projects across the state in five years.
The Chairperson of the agency, Mrs Mobolaji Suara, told newsmen that the projects ranged from the construction of markets to health centres.
“We have completed about 49 projects across the state in the last five years in the markets, auto marts, mechanic villages and emergency health centres.
“We are also into the construction of public buildings as long as they have positive effects on the people.
Plateau
The Plateau State Government has called on
the electorate not to allow desperate politicians to buy their voters’ cards during election
The state Commissioner for Information, Mrs Olivia Dazyem, made the call during a sensitisation campaign for Plateau South Senatorial District in Shendam for the February 25 council election in the state.
“Your voter’s card is your weapon of electing a credible representative to any elective position and should be guarded jealously not to allow anybody deprive you of it.
“As electorate, you should not allow desperate politicians buy off your voters cards; doing that means selling off your conscience and the right to elect the leader of your choice, “ she said.
Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar
III has urged politicians to ensure peace in the country as the nation approaches the 2015 elections.
Abubakar made the appeal in Sokoto when the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu paid him a courtesy call.
“So much acrimony and mudslinging is now going on in Nigeria and there is the need to stabilise the nation’s polity.
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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