Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Most Reverend Samuel Abidoye, Chairman and
Spiritual Head, Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (CSMC) Worldwide, has called on Nigerians to seek God’s intervention to curb insurgency in the country.
Abidoye’s call is contained in a New Year massage made available to newsmen in Bauchi.
He emphasised that Nigerians should embrace love as well as seek God’s intervention towards surmounting the current security challenges and other socio-economic problems confronting the country.
Abidoye observed that Nigeria was suffering from lack of love and harmony among her people.
He opined that the dearth of love among Nigerians had given birth to distrust, intolerance, hatred and unwarranted violence among the citizens of this country.
Benue
No fewer than 1,000 delegates are expected at the
annual Conference of National Directorate of Religious Education for Catholic Dioceses of Nigeria scheduled to hold in Makurdi between January 12, 16.
The conference will be hosted by the Abuja Ecclesiastical Province which comprises the dioceses of Makurdi, Otukpo, Idah, Lokoja ,Lafia, Gboko, Katsin-Ala and the Arch Diocese of Abuja.
The Provincial Chairman of the conference, Rev Godwin Agberagba, disclosed this to newsmen in Makurdi.
Agberagba said the conference, which would review the religious education Curriculum in schools owned by the church, would take place at the Pope John Paul Pastoral Centre, Makurdi.
He said the review would set the stage for effecting changes in catholic school programmes in the country.
Jigawa
Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State says the
Federal Government is owing the state government more than N17 billion.
Lamido disclosed this while addressing supporters at the PDP governorship campaign rally in Hadejia.
He said that the amount was accrued in respect of various federal government projects executed by the state government.
Lamido explained that the delay in the reimbursement of the money was hindering “completion of viable projects initiated by his administration.
“The Federal Government is owing Jigawa government over N17 billion.
“I demand payment of the money to facilitate completion of the ongoing projects or else it will linger to the next dispensation,” he said.
Kano
The death has occurred of the renowned Second
Republic politician in Kano State, Alhaji Ammani Inuwa.
Inuwa died in the early hours of Monday at his residence in Fagge Quarters at the age of 78, after a protracted illness.
The announcement of his death was made by his eldest son, Alhaji Animu Ammani, in Kano on Monday.
He said his father just returned from a medical trip abroad and that he had taken a similar trip to Saudi Arabia in recent times.
Late Inuwa started his political journey during the days of the Northern Elements Progressives Union (NEPU) and later the Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP).
The late political icon became popular at the peak of the present political dispensation which made one of the most popular names in the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
During the tenure of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, he defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after realising that he and his supporters were no longer relevant in the APC.
Kebbi
The National Union of Local Government Employees
(NULGE) in Kebbi State has urged the state government to hasten the payment of outstanding leave grants to local members.
The state Chairman of the union, Alhaji Bello Barade, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
Barade said that the government is owing members two years outstanding leave grants.
“We were not paid the 2013 and 2014 leave grants and even in 2012 we were paid half of the amount,’’ he said.
According to him, the state government workers had been paid their leave grants while local government employees had not been paid.
The chairman said that the members would not relent on their agitation until they were settled.
Kwara
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
in Kwara State, Dr Yunus Lawal, has warned politicians to eschew bitterness for the success of the 2015 general elections.
Lawal, who is also the Chairman, Governing Council of the Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, made the remark during an interview with newsmen in Ilorin.
The chieftain, who is a veterinary doctor, noted that no meaningful development could be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour, acrimony or hatred.
He, therefore, urged politicians to give peace a chance before, during and after the polls.
Lawal also advised politicians and their followers to shun destructive tendencies and other acts capable of truncating democracy in the country.
Nasarawa
The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in
Nasarawa State said that it would embark on house-to-house and neighbour-to-neighbour campaign for success in this year’s general elections.
Mr Umbugadu Sunday, the party’s Coordinator, Neighbour-to-Neighbour Campaign organisation, said this in Akun while addressing supporters of the party in Akun development area of the state.
He said that the strategy would enable the party to win all seats in the upcoming election in the state.
He called on the people of the state to vote only leaders of unquestionable character in the country.
Plateau
A peace forum convened by the National Orientation
Agency (NOA) in Jos has urged warring Fulani and Maughavul youths in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State to embrace peace.
Our correspondent reports that law and order broke down in the council following the discovery of a headless body believed to be that of a Maughavul indigene.
This had pitched Maughavul youths against their Fulani neighbours who they accused of being behind the incident.
But at a stakeholders meeting convened by NOA, leaders of both ethnic groups in attendance sued for peace.
The NOA Director, Mr Bulus Dabit, who read the resolution of the forum, said that the leaders had decided to embrace dialogue in resolving the issue.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government security outfit, “Sokoto
Marshals Corps’’, said it had prosecuted more than 100 motorcyclists for violating traffic rules in Sokoto city and its environs in the last two months.
The Commandant of the outfit, ACP Sa’idu Madawaki, disclosed this at a news conference in Sokoto when he reviewed the outfit’s activities since it took off in November 2014.
He said the accused motorcyclists were prosecuted and convicted to various jail terms, adding that most of them were arrested for violating traffic lights, routes violation and related offences.
He noted that “some of them were also arrested for assaulting our personnel operating along the various roundabouts and inter- sections in the city.’’
Taraba
The Head of Service of the Federation, Mr Danladi
Kifasi, has urged people of Taraba State to vote for credible and tested candidates that would introduce change and ensure development in the state.
He made the call in Jalingo at a breakfast organised in his honour by Global Achievers Group for Jonathan 2015.
The head of service told his audience that what Taraba and indeed Nigeria urgently needed were credible and tested candidates,saying people should not mind the ethnic or religious backgrounds of candidates but what they could offer.
He said what Taraba and Nigeria urgently required was development in terms of basic amenities and infrastructure.
L-R: Sen. Oluremi Tinubu; Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, wife of former Lagos State Governor, Mrs Abimbola Jakande and Chairman, Premier Lotto Ltd, Chief Keshington Adebutu, at the 2,600 days in office of Governor Babatunde Fashola, recently
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.