Adamawa

No fewer than 500 women have benefited from the vocational and skill acquisition programme initiated by the Maiha Local Government in Adamawa during the last two years.

The Coordinator of the programme, Hajiya Zainab Abdullahi, told newsmen in Maiha last Tuesday that the measure was to empower women and enhance their economic wellbeing.

She said the beneficiaries were trained on aquaculture, poultry, livestock and crop production as well as tailoring, soap making and groundnut oil processing.

Abdullahi said the local council had distributed soft loans, sewing machines and other working tools to enable the women to set up their businesses and engage in gainful productive activities.

Bauchi

Bauchi State Ministry of Water Resources sunk 500 boreholes in various parts of the state between 2007 and 2011.

The outgoing Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Bukar Bayero, made the announcement on Tuesday in Bauchi while handing over the affairs of the ministry to the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Yerima Yusuf.

He said that most of the boreholes were sunk in rural areas to ease the water problem faced by the people.

Bayero said that some of the boreholes were sunk in hospitals and schools in various locations in the state.

He advised Governor Isa Yuguda to appoint credible people as commissioners to enable the government to sustain and improve on its achievements so far.

Borno

The Borno co-ordinator of NAFDAC, Malam Adamu Sabo, in Maiduguri called on the producers of foods to avoid adulteration or be ready to face the consequences.

Sabo, who made the call in an interview with newsmen, noted that palm oil, groundnut oil, fruits and other food items were being adulterated by the sellers to maximise profit.

He said the adulteration was harmful to human health, pointing out that such act affected the functions of body organs.

Adamu said the agency would not accept any thing other than a high level of hygiene in the production of food items.

Ekiti

A 32-year-old man, Mr Gabriel Adeniyi, last Tuesday appeared before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrate’s court charged with the vandalism of equipment belonging to the PHCN in Ado-Ekiti Business District.

Our Correspondent reports that the accused person was allegedly caught vandalising the company’s transformer located along Oke-Ila Street in Ado-Ekiti.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Ewuola Ebenezer, told the court that the accused person and two others, now at large, were arrested by the police at midnight on Feb. 12 while vandalising the equipment.

Ebenezer, a corporal, said that the accused person had committed an offence punishable under Section 509 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 30, Volume 2, Laws of Ondo State, as applicable to Ekiti State.

FCT

Miss Dupe Shittu, a seamstress in Utako Market, last Tuesday, pleaded with an Abuja Customary Court to order a judicial separation from her 22-year-old relationship with Mr Isaac Omolua.

Shittu also wants the court to give her custody of the three children that came from the relationship and to restrain Omolua from abducting them.

She told the court that Omolua, who is above 60 years, was a polygamist with three wives and 10 children.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government has warned residents against the dumping of refuse in drains, on rail tracks and highways, warning that it would deal with anyone violating the directive.

Mr. Zakariah Shamaki, the state Commissioner for Environment, gave the warning in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna last Tuesday.

Shamaki said that notorious dump sites had been identified and would soon be cleared.

He disclosed that the state government had cleared 20 out of the 49 dump sites discovered last year.

He expressed concern over the indiscriminate dumping of refuse and said that the state government would apply appropriate measures to stop the act.

Katsina

Alhaji Yakubu Wada, acting chairman of Malumfashi local government in Katsina State on Monday enjoined youths to participate in community development programmes.

Wada made the call while addressing group youth associations at voluntary dredging of Malumfashi dam embarked by youths associations aimed at enhancing water storage and water passages.

He said community development efforts would enhance development as government have enormous burden and called on wealthy individuals and organisations to assist such initiatives.

Kobbi

The Kebbi Department of Fire Services has said that two persons died in the 44 fire incidents it recorded between January and April.

The State Director of Fire Services, Alhaji Garba Zagga, said in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday that about 85 per cent of the fire incidents were caused by electrical faults.

Zagga told newsmen that Jega, Aliero, Birnin Kebbi and Koko/Besse local government areas recorded the highest number of fire incidents.

He said that the two deaths recorded were in Koko/Besse Local Government Area, while 13 houses and property worth N800,000 were lost in Barbarejo in Suru Local Government Area.

Kwara

Dr Aishat Saka of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital says Nigeria records 114 deaths in every 1,000 births.

Saka said in an interview with the newsmen in Ilorin last Tuesday that the maternal mortality rate in Nigeria was 948 per 100,000 live births.

She said adequate maternal nutrition was essential for new born babies and advised nursing mothers to embrace exclusive breast-feeding with a view to improving the intellectual capacity of their children.

Saka said adequate nutrition was a major determinant of health and growth as well as the determinant of the intellectual capacity of the child.

Logos

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has begun the clearing of waste from water bodies in the state, Mr Ola Oresanya, the Managing Director, has said.

Oresanya told Journalists in Lagos that the project was ongoing in Lekki, Badagry, Ikorodu, Iddo, Snake Island and Oworonshoki.

He expressed the hope that that the exercise would enhance the preservation of aquatic life.

“We have commenced a routine operation of waste collection and disposal from across lagoons in the state.

Niger

The Niger State Government has spent N1 billion on the purchase of 13,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser for sale to farmers on subsidy, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Aminu Yusuf, has announced.

He told newsmen that the purchase was part of government’s efforts to boost food production in the state.

Yusuf said the NPK brand of fertiliser would be sold at a subsidised rate of N2,500 per bag against the N4,800 market price, while the Urea brand would be sold at N2,100 per bag against the market price of N4,500.

Plateau

Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau has approved the appointment of Mr Gyang Pwajok as his new Chief of Staff.

The appointment is contained in a statement signed by Mr Atang Azi, the Permanent Secretary, Policy and General Services, in Jos last Tuesday.

It said that the appointment was with immediate effect.

Until his appointment, Pwajok was the Director-General, Research and Documentation in the governor’s office.

The new Chief of Staff replaces Mr Ignatius Longjan, who is now Deputy-Governor elect.

Sokoto

Alhaji Bala Yabo, member-elect, Sokoto State House of Assembly, has promised to introduce a scholarship scheme for all qualified pupils in his constituency.

Yabo told newsmen in Sokoto that the measure would complement the effort of the state government in its resolve to provide qualitative education in the state.

He said education remained a tool needed to fight poverty and all machinery had been put in place to ensure youths acquired western education, to enable them to contribute positively to the development of the area.

“We must at this material time begin necessary modalities that will make our future generation relevant in the task ahead,” he said.

Taraba

The Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) in Taraba has accused men of inciting Nigerians against one another, and causing religious crisis in the country.

Hajiya Zainab Galadima, the Chairperson of the association, made the accusation in an interview with newsmen in Jalingo.

According to her, the Islamic religion considers all human beings as equal before God.

She said that she could not understand why men used the religion as an instrument for division.

“My understanding of the Islamic religion is that all human beings are equal before God.

“The closest person to God is the one who is righteous, not the one that belongs to a particular religion.

Zamfara

Prices of beans have increased by about 15 per cent in Gusau, Zamfara.

A survey conducted by Our Correspondent in grain markets in Gusau on Tuesday showed that a bag of beans, which was N8, 000 four weeks ago, now sells for between N9,000 and N9,500, depending on the quality of the grains.

Also a measure of beans, which was N250 last month, now costs between N260 and N270.

Mallam Muhammadu Kabiru, a beans dealer, told Our Correspondent that they expected the high prices to come down any moment from now.