Adamawa

The Adamawa Vocational Technical Training Centre (VTTC), Mubi, has trained 140 motor mechanics in the last six months, as part of effort to provide employment to the youth.

Some 300 youths are currently undergoing a three-year intensive auto-mechanic and electrical training programmes at the centre.

The Senior Technical Instructor, Sama’ila Yerima, told newsmen in Mubi yesterday that the graduates were exposed to modern technical skills to enhance their operations.

Yerima said the graduates were selected from among the semi-skilled road-side mechanics in Mubi-North and South Local Government Areas of the state.

“The trainees received training on various aspects of auto-mechanic.

“The programme is designed to impart relevant knowledge and skills as well as to promote specialisation among road-side mechanics,” he said

Yerima explained that the training was provided free to the beneficiaries.

“More than 300 students are currently undergoing Ordinary National Diploma (OND) technical courses at the centre.

“All the workshops and laboratories have met the standard set by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE),” he said.

Yerima, stated that the centre was also paying N5,000 as monthly allowance to each of the 300 students.

According to him, the measure is to encourage more youths to enrol into its programme.

He urged state governments in the North-East zone to take advantage of the programme and enrol their youths into the centre.

FCT

Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) Chieftain Muhammadu Buhari (CPC) has promised Nigerians better leadership if voted into government as the country‘s president in 2011.

Buhari made the promise in Abuja while collecting the party‘s expression of interest and presidential nomination forms.

In a statement signed by Mr Dennis Aghanya, the National Publicity Secretary Buhari said that he would offer desired leadership if he emerged winner at both the party’s primaries and the general elections.

He thanked Nigerians for their solidarity and support, which, he said, he had enjoyed over the years and assured the party members that victory was “definitely theirs’’.

He stressed the need for them to protect their votes to ensure that their dream of enthroning good leadership in the country was transformed into reality.

He charged the party‘s members to come together to ensure victory at all levels in the general elections.

Sen. Rufai Hanga, the party‘s National Chairman, however, assured Buhari of the party’s preparedness “ to go into the 2011 general elections with all eyes wide open’’.

Kaduna

Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State has challenged stakeholders in the education industry in the northern part of the country to intensify efforts toward educational development in the area.

The governor gave the challenge at the 18th Annual General Meeting of  Zazzau Emirate Development Association (ZEDA), held at Kongo Conference Hotel, Zaria .

He said: “The problem of education in this part of the country has for long been fundamental and requires the attention of well-meaning individuals and organisations such as ZEDA.

“This will complement government’s efforts at moving the sector forward.

“We have to adopt to changing situations of the time, particularly with regard to information communication transformation technology.

“We must realise that we live in a rapidly changing world and change is a weapon of advancement.

“We cannot compete favourably and be part of a better tomorrow if we insist only on using yesterday’s methods as we are living in an age of transformation.”

In his speech, the Cairman, ZEDA Central Working Committee, Dr Alimi Bello said the association was established to complement government’s efforts in educational development.

He noted that the association solely depended on donations from individuals for all its programmes.

Katsina

Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State has called on politicians to avoid politics of violence, bitterness and rancour in their campaign.

Shema made the call at the weekend in Katsina at the inauguration of 52 campaign vehicles donated by his political associates to facilitate the governor’s second term bid in the 2011 election.

He told hundreds of PDP members to shun violence and concentrate on issues that would bring about positive changes in the state.

“I don’t believe in politics of bitterness or defamation of character, therefore nobody amongst you should insult anybody in the name of politics.

“For the past three and a half years, I have never insulted anybody because I believe that God gives power to whom He had chosen,’’ Shema said.

Shema commended the donors of the buses and motorcycles and reiterated his determination to continue with the developmental projects in the state.

Earlier, Hajiya Mairo Yar’Adua, the elder sister of late President Umaru Yar’Adua, declared the support of the Yar’Adua family to the candidature of Gov. Shema.

Kebbi

The Arewa Gabas Development Area Council in Kebbi State has spent N43.6 million on the provision of amenities and youth empowerment.

The Sole Administrator, Alhaji Abubakar Noma, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi at the weekend that boreholes and cement wells were provided to communities.

According to him, abattoirs were also provided in Yeldu and Jar-Kukah while a mosque was rehabilitated and cemetery fenced

He said four vulcanising machines, 22 tonnes of cement, 30 Zinc roofing sheets, 175 mats, 500 kettles and five generators were provided as empowerment to the unemployed.

“The provision of such equipment is to enable people to be self-employed as well as to cushion the hardship they faced ” he explained.

Lagos

Mr Chibikem Okpara, a Lagos-based lawyer, yesterday called for the promotion of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a vital component of the justice delivery system.

Okpara, who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, said that ADR had helped in resolving many disputes outside the courtroom.

He said that the idea for ADR arose following the delays and frustration faced by many people in courts, adding that it was used to solve the problem of succession when the immediate past Sultan of Sokoto, died in a place crash.

“However, ADR should not be seen as an alternative in the sense that it complements litigation,’’ Okpara said.

He explained that in ADR, “an expert on the issue under dispute is appointed by the parties to adjudicate over the matter to the satisfaction of all concerned’’.

Ondo

The Ondo State Government has called on unemployed youths to align with one of the numerous skills acquisition programmes in the state.

The Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Alhaji Yekini Olanipekun, made the appeal in an interview with  newsmen in Okitipupa in Ondo State.

Olanipekun described as unfortunate a situation where youths now preferred riding commercial motorcycles (Okada) to acquiring skills from any of the centres provided by the state government.

“Youths are no longer going to the skill acquisition centres that we have in all the 18 local government areas of the state.

“We have observed that they instead prefer riding Okada to going to study and acquire skills that will be useful to them and others,” he said.

Olanipekun said that the state government in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency recently held a session aimed at sensitising the youths on windows of opportunities for wealth creation.

He said that the government was planning to empower those youths, who took their training seriously before the end of December.

“What we are going to do before the end of the year is that those that have attended these skill acquisition centres will be empowered.

“We are going to give them sewing machines, welding machines and so on; they should go and learn something from these skill acquisition centers,” the commissioner said.

Olanipekun said that the government was working out modalities to create jobs for youths with requisite skills, adding, “this explains the essence of the skills acquisition centres”.

Plateau

Former Sports Minister Damishi Sango, who is seeking to unseat Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau in 2011, says he will support the incumbent if he picks the PDP ticket.

“We are more interested in the democratic process; if Jang defeats the eight of us who are challenging him in a free and fair process, we shall support him,’’ Sango told newsmen in a telephone interview.

Jang’s eight rivals are working together and have collectively promised to eventually agree on one person to wrestle the ticket from the retired airforce officer.

The aspirants, known as the G-8, featured in each others’ declarations and would normally tell their supporters that their game plan for picking the ticket was up their sleeves.

Sango, who spoke in Jos on Sunday, declared that the eight aspirants, which also include Deputy Governor Paulen Tallen and business magnet Chris Giwa, were politicians who “know what we are doing’’.

He said that they could agree on who to step down for “a day before the convention and quickly communicate same to their supporters’’.

Sango, however ruled out the possibility of a committee to adopt a consensus candidate as recently done by the Northern Political Leaders’ Front that threw up Atiku Abubakar, who floored three others, including former Military President Ibrahim Babangida.