Adamawa

The Emir of Mubi in Adamawa, Alhaji Isa Ahmadu, has advised teachers to ensure proper upbringing of their pupils.

The emir gave the advice on Monday in Mubi at a student parade organised by Islamic schools, as part of the activities to mark the Eid-el-Maulud celebration.

He stressed the need for teachers to emphasis discipline for the good and moral upbringing of the pupils.

Ahmadu said, “The lack of discipline is largely responsible for the political and socio-economic problems in the country.

“We must emphasis discipline and morality to address the growing social vices in the society.’’

He also urged teachers to adopt more practical measures toward imparting knowledge in students and urged students to dedicate themselves to their studies.

Borno

The National Deputy Chairman of African Liberation Party (ALP), Alhaji Abba Kale has in Maiduguri called on Nigerians to support President GoodLuck Jonathan continuity bid.

· Kale in an interview with newsmen told the people to vote him in the April general polls.

· He said the Jonathan PDP led administration had initiated many developmental projects across the country and should be re-elected to complete them.

· He said an attempt to vote for any other party’s candidate would send Nigeria back to the starting point as the leadership will start all over again.

FCT

Chief Ambrose Owuru, the presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), says credible, free and fair elections will avert civil revolution in Nigeria.

He said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja and made available to the newsmen.

Owuru said that except the leadership of the nation was allowed to be determined by Nigerians through their votes, civil revolution might take place.

“There is a civil revolution now cutting across Africa. It might visit Nigeria if care is not taken,” he said.

Owuru, who is also the national chairman of the party, explained that credible, free and fair elections would oust bad leaders who had held the nation to ransom.

He attributed the socio-economic under-development of Nigeria to bad leadership.

Gombe

The Federal College of Horticultre, Dadinkowa in Gombe, has donated 265 books on enhanced farming techniques to farmers and secondary schools in Baure and Hinna towns.

At the presentation ceremony in Hinna, the Provost of the College, Dr Umaru Gurama, told representatives of the two communities the books would enhance the skills.

He identified areas the books would add value to the beneficiaries to include poultry, fisheries, livestock, vegetable, fruits and ornament production, among others.

According to him, if the farmers use those books as guide, their farm output will be enhanced, thereby boosting food production in the state and the country at large.

The provost said that his institution had assigned coordinators in each of the college’s outreach centres to assist farmers in comprehending the contents of the books for effective application.

Kaduna

The North-West zonal office of the PDP has declared that it recorded huge success at its presidential campaign in Kaduna.

The Tides source recalls that the PDP held its presidential campaign rally in Kaduna on February 10.

The zonal secretary of the party, Mr Baba Lawal-Aliyu, told the source in Kaduna that executives from the seven states, the NWC, the governorship, National and State Assembly flag bearers attended the rally.

“It is malicious and deliberate mischief by some idle minds that the rally was poorly attended.

“It is also a complete falsehood that the poor attendance cause feud between Gov. Patrick Yakowa and Vice President Namadi Sambo,’’ he said.

Kogi

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Kogi has called on the state government to evolve a people-oriented tax policy that will lessen the burden on its workforce.

The Chairman of the association in the state, Dr Attah Ahmed, told newsmen that the state government should revert to the old tax policy and maintain the status quo to avoid further recourse to strikes and industrial unrest.

The chairman said that prior to the recent development, the state had been deducting one per cent of the workers’ net pay, which was about 10 per cent of the basic salary.

He explained that under the new tax regime, between 18 per cent and 20 per cent of the net pay of the workers, amounting to about 40 per cent of the basic salary, was being deducted monthly, adding that the implication was grievous.

Kwara

Twenty seven students from various tertiary institutions under the aegis of the National Association of Kwara State Students were recently arraigned before an Ilorin Magistrates’ Court over ‘violent’ protest.

The 27 persons are also being accused of criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation, criminal force and assault on public servants.

The Tide’s source reports that other charges brought against them include mischief and disturbance of public peace, which run contrary to sections 97, 397, 267 and 113 of the Penal Code.

The source recalls that the students were arrested on Friday in the course of a protest for non-payment of their 2009/2010 bursary allowances by the Kwara Government.

According to the Police First Information Report (FIR), the students during the protest criminally conspired to destroy a Nissan Primera with registration number AL285 MUN and a Volkswagen Golf (AW693APP).

Lagos

Some financial experts have urged the Federal Government to adopt policies that would create the enabling environment to attract foreign investment.

The experts, who gave the advice in separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos, called on the government to revamp ailing sectors, especially the power sector.

Dr Tunde Adeoye, a lecturer in the Department of Economics, University of Lagos, said that the problem of epileptic power supply must be solved for the survival of ailing industries as well as generate employment.

“For Nigeria to be successful economically, the power sector must be given urgent attention to ensure stable electricity in the country,” he said.

Adeoye said that the government needed to fast track the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to end the challenges of power supply in the country.

Security is another critical area that the experts said needed to be tackled.

Niger

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger has urged people in the state to vote enbloc for President Goodluck Jonathan, during the April elections.

Aliyu made the call in Minna, at the inauguration of his campaign team tagged: “Talba-2011’’.

“We must vote for President Jonathan if we want to attract federal projects to Niger.

“If you vote for PDP all round, your Governor can walk to the Villa to ask for anything,” Aliyu declared.

He tasked the campaign organisation to ensure that the party got two million votes of the total 2.5 million registered in the state.

The governor re-affirmed his administration’s commitment to a hitch- free election.

Aliyu also called on the electorate to ensure a PDP-controlled House of Assembly, to ease governemnt activities.

Oyo

The Federal High Court in Ibadan, has vacated the interim injunction restraining INEC from listing Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala as a contestant in April polls.

The Tide’s source recalls that Alao-Akala was elected in the governorship primaries conducted by the ruling PDP on December 31, 2010 at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.

Three aspirants, Chiefs Wole Oyelese, Yekinni Adeojo and Hazeem Gbolarunmi and 34 others, had on February 1, secured an injunction restraining INEC from listing Alao-Akala and others as the party’s candidates from the primaries.

In vacating the order, Justice Johnson Shakarho said that since the plaintiffs and Alao-Akala were seeking elective posts in the PDP, they should go to INEC to harmonise their positions.

Plateau

Striking medical and health workers in Plateau, have suspended their industrial action for two weeks.

Mr. Richard Gbawuan, Secretary, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), disclosed this to newsmen in Jos.

He said that the suspension was to make room for negotiations with government.

The Tide’s source reports that the latest action, which took effect from February 14, followed series of meetings with the various groups involved.

“We also took into consideration the effect of the protracted industrial action on the citizens of the state,’’ Gbawuan said.

The source reports that health workers are seeking a harmonised salary structure and the Consolidated Health salary scale (CONHESS).

Yobe

The Coalition of Political Parties in Yobe has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide helicopters for timely delivery of materials and supervision at the Nigeria-Niger border areas during the April elections.

Malam Bala Mohammed, the Chairman of the coalition, told newsmen in Damaturu that the provision of the helicopters was necessary in view of the difficult terrain of such areas.

He said the helicopters would not only facilitate the transportation of materials but also stem the problem of non-participation of citizens in the elections as well as ensure safety of poll materials, officials and observers.

Zamfara

National Assembly PDP caucus from Zamfara, on Tuesday called for peaceful campaigns in the state towards the April general elections.

Senator Sahabi Yau (PDP-Zamfara) who spoke on behalf of the group at a news conference in Abuja, said that the security situation in the state was worrisome.

He blamed the current insecurity situation in the state on the dangerous activities of some politicians.

“We, therefore, call on the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the State Security Service and other security organs to take note of these issues we have raised,’’ he said.