Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Police command in Bauchi said it had arrested 10
suspected rustlers in the state.
The Spokesman of the command, DSP Haruna Mohammed, said this while briefing newsmen in Bauchi.
Mohammed said the rustlers include Yusuf Abdulkadir, Dare Karimu, Mamuda Sulai, Abdulkadir Usman, Ali Sulai, Maiwada Jahono, Buba Ali, Hassan Sale, Sale Jakudu and Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed.
He said the suspects were arrested on Dec. 10, at about 2:40 p.m. by police detectives attached to Dass Division with the help of Danga Vigilante Group.
Mohammed said the suspects had before their arrest engaged the police in fierce exchange of gunfire at Dajin Village,Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas.
Benue
Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State said he had
kept his promise to the people of Masev, Ihiarev, Nongo Development Association (MINDA) by ensuring that Mr Terhemen Tarzoor, a youth from the area, would succeed him.
Suswam stated this while playing host to MINDA Youths Emancipation Moment at the Government House, Makurdi.
our correspondent reports that Tarzoor won the December 8 governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
“We in Benue have decided to hand over power to the youths because they represent our future.
“The same thing is happening in the United State of America, Britain, among others, where youths are doing very well in leadership positions by ruling the biggest countries in the world, he said”.
Ekiti
An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ekiti State,
has remanded three accused persons, Sunday Daramola,20, Tope Olatunji,27, and Seun Adeniyi, 20, in prison for allegedly raping a teenager.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Bamikola Olasunkanmi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Dec.8 at Okeoja St., Igbemo -Ekiti.
Olasunkanmi alleged that the accused persons, on the said date, unlawfully gang raped the girl, inflicting grievous harm on her.
According to him, the offence is punishable under Section 516 and 358 of the Criminal Code Law, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
He added that the case file had been forwarded to the office of the State Directorate of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
Kano
The Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO)
has concluded all the necessary arrangements to import 100, 000 pre-paid meters for distribution to customers in 2015.
The Managing Director of the company, Alhaji Jamilu Gwamna, made this known at Customers’ Interactive Session on Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) in Kano recently. Our correspondent reports that the forum was organised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to sensitise electricity customers on the CAPMI.
He said the measure was necessary in order to reduce incessant complaints by customers on crazy billing as well as to ensure effective service delivery.
“Even though, they may not be enough, but we can start with this number since we will continue to bring them in batches,” he said.
Gwamna said the company had also planned to invest in solar power but the issue of land was the major challenge facing the company.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has voted in
favour of autonomy for local government councils in the country and the abolition of states’ electoral commissions.
In a unanimous decision, the house said that scrapping electoral commission in the states and autonomy for local government councils were in the interest of peace and grassroots development in the country.
our correspondent reports that the decision was part of the assembly’s contribution to the amendment of the nation’s 1999 Constitution.
Presenting the matter earlier, Speaker of the assembly, Alhaji Musa Mohammed, urged members to consider the bill above personal interest.
Moving the motion on both issues, the Deputy Majority Leader of the house, Mr Yahaya Usman, said, “My colleagues, in the interest of peace and speedy development across the country, there is need for the autonomy for local governments.
“This is because local governments are closer to the people at the grassroots.
Niger
The Niger State Government says it has distributed 128
motorcycles to agricultural extension workers in the state, to ease their mobility.
Managing Director of the Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Authourity (NAMDA), Alhaji Baba Madugu, made this known in Minna.
He said that the programme was in collaboration with the international donor agencies, adding that it would improve the dissemination of modern technologies among rural farmers.
Madugu said that female extension workers would also get 20 per cent of the motorcycles.
“This is the second phase of the distribution of 128 units of motorcycles to our extension workers, who are the front line staff of delivering the mandate of NAMDA.
Ogun
Mr Tunde Awolana, the General Manager of Ogun State
Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC), said the corporation required N608 million to function effectively in 2015.
Awolana disclosed this in Abeokuta while defending the 2015 budget proposal of the corporation before the Ogun House of Assembly.
He said the corporation was expected to generate N200 million as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) with a recurrent expenditure of N298 million and N310 million for capital expenditure.
The general manager explained that the capital projects would include improving the signal strength of its AM and FM channels in order to increase the audience base and media rating.
On her part, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs Yewande Amusan, presented a total expenditure of N547 million for 2015.
Sokoto
Sokoto State Government has donated six 36-seater
buses to three tertiary educational Institutions in the state.
The institutions include the state university, state polytechnic and the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto.
Presenting the vehicles in Sokoto, Wamakko said each of the institutions was given two buses.
He said the vehicles were provided to alleviate transportation problems of the Institutions, adding, “the buses will also help in boosting their sources of revenue and reduce heavy dependence on government.
“I must express my appreciation to the various leaders of the institutions for their contribution in boosting standard of education in the state.”
Taraba
The Taraba State Command of the Nigeria Immigration
Service (NIS) has repatriated 11 nationals of the Niger Republic who were residing in the state illegally.
The NIS State Comptroller, Mr Habibu Haruna, disclosed this at a news briefing in Jalingo.
Haruna said the immigrants were arrested because they entered into the Takum axis of the state without valid traveling documents.
He said the aliens did not have the required traveling documents as stipulated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The comptroller, who was represented by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Solomon Gisilambe, said that the presence of the foreigners raised fears amongst residents of Takum.
Zamfara
The Zamfara State Eye Centre, Gusau, has treated 15,000
patients of various eye diseases from 2012 to date.
The Assistant Chief Nursing Officer in charge of the centre, Alhaji Lawwali Hassan, said this in an interview with in Gusau on recently.
Lawwali said that the centre had recorded many successes in the treatment of various eye diseases.
According to him, the centre was owned by the state government but funded by Sightsavers International which provided medication and other components needed for the operation.
“The centre is established within King Fahd Abdul’aziz Women and Children Hospital, Gusau, and the patients mostly treated are those suffering from cataract, while others are with trauma and foreign body removal.
L-R: Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State and PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
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.