Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Torrential rainfall which resulted to flooding have submerged several houses and bridges in some parts of Yola, the capital of Adamawa.
The rainfall, which lasted for seven hours, damaged houses and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
Our correspondent reports that the worst hit areas of the town includes Yolde-Pate, timber market, Damare, Shagari quarters, Wuro Hausa, Jambutu and Unguwan Tana.
At Yolde-Pate, some big culverts that linked the area with other parts of Yola town were submerged.
As a result of this, residents in flooded areas were stranded as they were unable to relocate to safer areas.
Bauchi
The Conditional Cash Transfer Programme of the Bauchi State Government for girl-child education has gulped N50 million within the last five years.
The Chief Coordinator of the Programme, Alhaji Karijo Buba made this known on Tuesday in Giade.
The programme is being undertaken in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) .
Buba made the disclosure while distributing letters of invitation to participate in the programme to some selected girls in Darazo, Dambam, Giade, Kirfi, Zaki and Dass local government areas of the state.
Buba said that the programme commenced in 2007 with 260 schools in the six local government areas as a pilot programme.
According to him, 9,880 girls between the ages of eight and 15 years in 245 schools have so far benefited from the programme.
The coordinator said that each of the beneficiaries was being paid N5,000 per term to enable them finance their education within the five year period stipulated by the programme.
Borno
The Borno State Government will soon embark on the spraying of farmlands with chemicals to prevent their invasion by Quela birds and grasshoppers.
Alhaji Usman Zannah, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, made this known on Thursday when he visited the state’s chemical store in Dalori, Maiduguri.
He said that the government had already mobilised the technical staff and other workers of the ministry for the programme.
“We have already begun the mobilisation of the technical staff and others needed for the smooth take-off of the programme.
“The essence is to protect farmlands from the yearly attacks by the invading birds and grasshoppers,’’ he said.
Zannah said that the government was according priority attention to the development of the agriculture sector because of its enormous potential.
“Government believes the sector has great potential of ensuring food security and providing employment for the teeming unemployed youths in the state,” he said.
FCT
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said in Abuja on Monday that it was set to carry out a major restructuring of political boundaries for the 2015 general elections.
Mr Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega, made this known in an interview with newsmen.
Idowu said that consensus building and legislative work were crucial considering the intricacies surrounding the delineation exercise.
He noted that the exercise was expected to come with some major proposals and alignments that might shape the politics of the country.
Our correspondent recalls that INEC’s inability to carry out the delineation before April’s general elections was due to limited time available to the new leadership of the commission to prepare for the elections.
“If you understand the intricacies of delineation, it takes a lot of consensus building and legislative actions.
Kaduna
Mr Musa Tete, the Coordinator of World Bank’s N1.4 billion contract, awarded for the construction of 132 bridges in Kaduna State, says that the project is 80 per cent completed.
Tete, who oversees the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) in Kaduna State, made this known on Thursday, while speaking with newsmen in Kaduna.
He said that 112 river crossing bridges across the 23 local government areas of the state had been completed.
Tete said that 30 projects, including the construction of culverts and bridges, were still ongoing.
Lagos
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has urged estate management companies to immediately transfer all electricity distribution services to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) distribution companies.
Mr Chijioke Obi, Manager, Legal Licencing and Enforcement of NERC, made the plea on Monday at an enlightenment campaign held for estate developers and Lagos residents.
Obi also urged the distribution companies to seek the commission’s approval for the regularisation of the power supply arrangement in the estates.
Ibrahim said that the commission would embark on enlightenment campaign for Nigerians and estate developers in the six geo-political zones to ensure prompt payment of their electricity bills.
The commission, he said, would also address all the issues and complaints from both the estate developers and residents on the newly introduced Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO).
Nasarawa
No fewer than 845 ‘ghost’ workers have been discovered in the Nasarawa Civil Service, with 325 other staff found to have overstayed.
This is contained in a report of a screening, verification and computerisation of payroll and personnel records of ministries, departments and agencies conducted in the month of August.
Presenting the report to Gov. Umaru Al-makura on Thursday in Lafia, the Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji. Shuaibu Ahmed, said that 21,405 staff were on the payroll of the state government with a wage bill of N1.93 billion before the exercise was conducted.
He said the 845 perceived ‘ghost’ workers were those who did not turn up for the screening or had no files and were collecting N62.9 million as salaries monthly.
Niger
The Niger State Government needs about N50 billion to boost its water supply in the next five years, the “Committee on Lasting Solution to Water Supply Problem’’ has declared.
The committee made this known in a statement issued in Minna by its spokesman, Mr Ilya Garba.
It said that the amount would be used for the development of the infrastructure, as well as for the operation and maintenance of water facilities.
It, however, said that due attention ought to be paid to the management of the water facilities across the state so as to achieve regular water supply to the citizens.
The committee said that the adoption of short, medium and long term measures to tackle the people’s water supply problems would reduce the hardship which the people faced in having access to potable water.
It also stressed the need to grant the water board greater autonomy to enable it discharge its responsibilities to the people without any hitches.
Sokoto
Alhaji Muktari Mapia, the Deputy Treasurer of PDP in Sokoto State, has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Plateau to stop the cycle of killings going on there.
He made the call on Thursday, while speaking with newsmen in Sokoto.
He stressed that the declaration of a state of emergency was considered imperative because the state government had failed to find a lasting solution to the protracted ethno-religious crises in the state.
Mapia said that intensified security activity was needed to tackle the chaotic situation in Plateau, adding that it had the tendency of threatening the peace of the entire country.
He called on the government to make concerted efforts to restore order in Plateau, while bringing the perpetrators of the killings in the state to justice.
Zamfara
The new Chairman of the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Murtala Jangebe, has ordered the suspension of all bank loans negotiated for teachers by the board.
Jangebe gave the directive in Gusau during a meeting with the education secretaries of the 14 local government councils in the state shortly after assuming duty.
He directed the board’s director of finance to write all commercials banks to stop any further action on the release of loans to the teachers.
The chairman warned that any bank which granted any loan in the name of the board as a guarantor would be doing so at its own risk.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rivers state has declared a one day fasting and prayer to seek divine intervention on the political crisis rocking the state.
The Association said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt.
State chairman of the Association,Most Rev. Dokiboeriya B. Kaladokubo said the fasting and prayer which holds February 5th at the Ecumenical center Abonnema wharf was in furtherance of the Association peace, advocacy, good governance and political stability in Rivers state.
He said the Association has observed with disappointment the dangerous trend and and gradual descent of governance in Rivers state into uncertainty and near oblivion, adding that the trend has exposed Rivers citizens to insecurity, economic hardship, loss of livelihood and the destruction of lives and property.
Kaladokubo said the association has also watched with dismay the unfolding political crisis in the state, stressing “what we see today is not merely a disagreement among political actors,it is a dangerous drift that threatens the very foundation of governance, peace, security and the collective well-being of our people”
According to him,”as the custodians of the spiritual and moral conscience of Rivers state,we can not remain silent while the state is pushed steadily towards chaos, institutional breakdown and avoidable suffering
“We are not oblivious of the fact that Rivers state like some other states in the federation often experience tension between the Executive and the Legislature “adding”when disagreement escalate they can hinder governance, delay budgets ,erode public trust and impede peaceful, constructive development”
The Christian body stressed the need for parties involved in the conflict to seek for peaceful resolution, stressing that as Christians and children of God “we should seek the path of peace and reconciliation as Christ Himself taught us”it said
The Association further encourage the both arms of government to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and prioritize good governance in Rivers state
“We also advised all the parties in these conflict to call their supporters to exercise restraint in all their utterances and de-escalate tension in the interest of peace in Rivers state ”
CAN also described as disturbing the role some elder statesmen and individuals in the state have played and continue to play in the crisis when they should have serve as voices of wisdom, restraint and unity
“Rather than guiding the process towards peace, some have taken sides,fueled division and encouraged instability becoming more dangerous than those currently holding power”,it said.
John Bibor
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