FCT

An optometrist, Dr Kingsley Ekemiri, says carrots, water melon, stockfish and fresh fish are important nutrients for improved sight.

“Nutrient is a very important component of our vision in the sense that when we eat properly, we tend to improve our visions said in Abuja.

“Basically carrot has what is called the carotene, a very important component of the retina; when you eat a lot of carrots, it tends to improve the immunity and the healthiness of your retina that makes you see much better.

“Stockfish and also fresh fish are very important nutrients for your vision, so also is red oil which is palm oil because it contains what is called retinol,’’ he said.

He advised people to desist from frying red palm oil, as such destroys the nutrients that aid vision.

Gombe

In a bid to promote aforestation in Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, an NGO, Prof. Abdullah Mahadi Foundation, has presented 500 tree seedlings to the local government council.

Presenting the seedlings in Deba in Gombe State last Monday, Prof. Abdullahi Mahadi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Gombe State University, said the gesture was also aimed at curtailing soil erosion.

Mahadi urged the people to imbibe the culture of planting trees to protect the environment, and said that the foundation was formed to inculcate the love of nature, particularly trees in children.

The vice-chancellor said that some of the trees being presented would soon be extinct, hence the need to preserve them.

Kaduna

The Federal Government has in the last three years spent N120 billion on the implementation of MDG programmes, according to the Director of MDGs, Mr Oluwole Edun.

He announced in Kaduna at the 13th meeting of Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) Focal Persons that more than 30 million people had benefited from the 30,000 projects executed under the MDGs in the country.

“The CGS is one of a number of initiatives, which have in the past years improved planning, projects management, governance and accountability.

“There has also been a major boost in capital investments in key MDG sectors, in particular health, education, water and sanitation,” he said.

Edun noted that a recent evaluation of the programme had shown tremendous success in many projects, but that there were still challenges in implementation, investment branding, monitoring and reporting, maintenance and sustainability of completed projects.

He said that some states did not adhere to the provisions guiding the CGS procurement process and financial management, which had affected the effectiveness of the investments.

Edun said the MDGs had received proposals from states totaling more than N87 billion in addition to other areas of attention, such as education, health delivery, water and sanitation.

He said the states would soon be invited to commence pre-disbursement requirements, while the CGS to local government areas would soon commence in 113 councils.

Kano

Two persons suspected to be hired assassins have killed a prominent Lebanese motor spare parts dealer, Mr. Gaffar Shamsuddeen in Kano.

An eye witness said, that the incident happened on Thursday around 2.30pm at the deceased’s shop located on the popular Ahmadu Bello Way in the city.

According to the eye witness, the hoodlums stormed the deceased’s shop at No. 139 Ahmadu Bello Way on a motorcycle.

The suspects were said have arrived at the shop, but the deceased, who was said to have returned to Kano from Lebanon on Wednesday, was not in the shop.

But just as the men were about to leave the shop, Shamsuddeen returned and as he tried to enter the shop, one of the hoodlum shot him on the chest.

Kebbi

An Islamic scholar, Alhaji Isma’il Diri, has called on Muslims to seek divine blessing through goodwill to mankind on “the Night of Majesty” during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Diri, who addressed a public gathering in Birnin Kebbi urged Muslims to sustain the lessons learnt during the Ramadan for blessing on the special night in the last ten days.

“Any Muslim who seeks God’s blessing on that night needed to do the right things as contained in the Holy Qur’an during and indeed after the Ramadan period.

He enjoined Muslims to pray for peace unity, a God-fearing leadership and peaceful co-existence.

Kwara

Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki has described the death of former military Vice President Augustus Aikhomu as a great loss to Nigeria.

The former governor of Kwara and senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District said in a statement in Ilorin that Nigerians would remember Aikhomu, a retired Navy Admiral, for his contributions to the socio-economic development of the country.

The statement, issued by Saraki’s Media Assistant, Mr. Akintoba Fatiregunm, said Nigerians would miss Aikhomu’s advice in the efforts of the present administration to transform Nigeria.

Saraki described Aikhomuas a detribalised Nigerian, who used his position to improve the lives of the people.

Niger

The Niger State government is to undertake a census of primary health care facilities in the state to determining the physical state of the structures, facilities and staff manning them.

Dr Aliyu Shehu, the Executive Director of Niger State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NSPHCDA), made this known in Minna.

He said 1,530 primary healthcare facilities had been transferred to the agency by the local governments in the state, adding that the agency would undertake their baseline study.

“The baseline study will determine the exact number of PHC facilities, state of the physical structures, equipments and facilities and the staff manning them.

Plateau

The Plateau State Government realised N353.6 million as revenue from vehicle number plates and drivers’ licences in the last three and a half years, Dr Rauta Jat, the Chairman, Plateau Board of Internal Revenue, announced in Jos.

A breakdown of the figures shows that the board generated N116.23 million in 2008; N101.70 million in 2009 and about N99.29 million in 2010.

The board collected N36.34 million between January and June this year, adding that N118.10 million was realised from the sale of number plates, N77.16 million from drivers’ licences, while N58.93 million was raked in as motor vehicle registration fees.

Sokoto

The Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto has embarked on the building of a 50-room hotel in Abuja, its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu has said.

Shehu told newsmen in Sokoto that the project, consisting of 42 double rooms and eight suites, would cost N321 million, while the project had reached 80 per cent completion.

“The major challenge for any university in Nigeria is the desire to achieve high quality with limited resources.

“That is why we have to always explore more ways to boost our internal revenue-generation capacities,” he said.

He explained that although education was expensive, “if you want quality, you have to invest and there are no two ways about this.”

Taraba

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has led a Kenya-based American investor to inspect about 30,000 hectares of marshy land in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State for possible commercial rice cultivation.

Obasanjo, was accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and Governor Dambaba Suntai of Taraba State.

The former president described the investor, Mr. Calvin Burgess, as a friend to Nigeria.

Yobe

Mrs. Maryam Abdullahi, Secretary, Mamudo Women Vegetable Farmers Association in Yobe, said the group recorded more than 200 per cent profit in the last six months.

Abdullahi, told newsmen in Mamudo village in Yobe last Monday that the support rendered by Fadama III coordinators assisted the women to increase their profit.

She said that the Fadama III office assisted the group with N280,000 after an initial contribution of N120,000 to expand and improve facilities in their vegetables farms.

“We expanded our farms from 0.8 hectares to 2.1 hectares. We also used the extra funds to construct and rehabilitate concrete wells and procured water pumps for use on our farms,” she said.