Adamawa

No fewer than 27 organisations have declared their readiness to campaign for the re-election of Gov. Murtala Nyako of Adamawa on the PDP platform in 2012.

The party’s Chairman in the state, Alhaji Mijinyawa Kugama, made the announcement at the inauguration of the office of the Adamawa Consensus Forum for the Nyako/Ngilari 2012 Support Group.

Kugama said the emergence of the growing number of interest groups clamouring to work for the re-election of Nyako was a welcome development and a testimony of his good performance in transforming Adamawa.

“As far as we are concerned in the PDP, this is a pointer that Nyako’s team is a winning one that is just waiting for 2012 to renew its mandate with ease.”

In his remarks, Nyako lauded all those working to ensure PDP’s victory and gave assurance that his administration would continue to ensure fairness to all parts of the state in terms of development projects in line with the party’s manifesto.

He said the PDP had been good to the Adamawa people at all levels and its re-election would ensure continued provision of democracy dividends.

‘’Some say PDP will lead Nigeria for 60 years. As for the people of Adamawa we won’t mind PDP ruling for 600 years.’’

Bauchi

Bauchi State House of Assembly has approved the request earlier submitted to it by Gov. Isa Yuguda to appoint Directors-General but warned him against incurring additional fund for the exercise.

The approval followed reports of an ad hoc committee earlier set up by the House under Alhaji Hassan Ningi to investigate if the request was in line with the nation’s constitution.

Ningi, in his reports at the House plenary session on Thursday, presided over by Speaker Yahaya Miya, said that Yuguda had the power to appoint personal aides under the 1999 Constitution.

He told the legislators that the committee, in the course of its investigations, discovered that under Section 208 (2) D of the amended 1999 Constitution, the governor has the power to appoint personal staff and ascribe any name to them.

Miya observed that the appointment of directors-general ranked below the special advisers but placed above senior special assistants to the governor.

He, therefore, advised that since they were above special assistants, the nominations must be submitted to the House for confirmation.

FCT

A don, Prof. Saleh Dauda, has  called on African leaders to embrace constitutionalism in governance to enhance peace in the continent.

Dauda, who teaches political science and international relations at the University of Abuja, made the call in Gwagwalada, FCT, while reacting to the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Thursday.

Gaddafi, who ruled his country for 42 years, was killed on Thursday in Sirte, his home town, while trying to escape from being captured by rebels, who had been fighting to overthrow his government.

Dauda told newmen that the Libyan people revolted against Gaddafi because he denied them their fundamental human rights.

Dauda, therefore, called on African leaders to ensure that the wishes and desires of their people were given utmost attention because, according to him, the quest for change is a global phenomenon.

He also called on politicians in the continent to see political office as a call to service “within a specific period”.

Gombe

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Gombe State is to engage the services of 1,052 ad-hoc staff for the conduct of the Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency bye-election fixed for October 22.

The INEC Administrative Secretary in Gombe State, Alhaji Mohammed Giro, told newsmen in Gombe that 20 permanent staff would be involved in the election.

Giro said that the training of the ad-hoc staff, most of them NYSC members has, commenced  adding that voting would take place in 317 polling units in the two local government areas of Balanga and Billiri.

The administrative secretary said, “We are fully prepared for the conduct of election and had already assigned all ad-hoc staff to all the polling units.

“They are expected to report to their places of assignment as soon as their training is concluded. We are also in possession of non-sensitive election material and the sensitive ones will arrive in Gombe on Thursday.

Kaduna

The National President, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Mr Mohammed Auwal-Ibrahim, says colleges  of education are critical to the production of quality teachers in the education system.

He spoke with journalists shortly after the opening of an expanded National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the National Delegate Conference of COEASU held at the Federal College of Education (FCE) Zaria last Thursday.

Auwal-Ibrahim observed that colleges of education were the necessary path toward the production of sound teachers, “while teachers are central to the educational development of any nation’’.

“Growth and development of any sector of the nation’s economy lies on the quality of teachers to produce the basic manpower needed in the sector,” he said.

He appealed to government to accord special attention to teacher-education with a view to graduating quality teachers, who would in turn contribute to national growth and development.

Kano

An economist, Dr Aminu Ahmed, has advised the non-oil producing states in the country to diversify their revenue base and explore the potential of solid mineral resources.

Ahmed told newsmen in Kano that the diversification of Nigeria’s revenue sources would safeguard the nation from plunging into economic crisis.

He noted that there were over 400 sites with various mineral resources in commercial quantities across the country, adding, however, that “the main problem to our economic growth is the lack of political will”.

He stressed that successive governments had failed to explore the enormous potentials and opportunities existing in the solid minerals sector, resulting in the country’s over-dependence on oil.

Ahmed, who identified diamond, gold, gypsum, limestone and glass as some of the country’s solid minerals that were in high demand in the international market, said that the minerals could also be processed locally.

Kwara

Wife of Kwara Governor, Mrs Omolewa Ahmad, has called on political office holders in the state to make use of her Charity Foundation’s free health care to enhance the health care delivery of the people.

Ahmed, the initiator of LEAH Charity Foundation, said this in Ilesha Baruba in Baruteen Local Government Area of Kwara on Wednesday during the inauguration of Clinic-On Wheel Programme.

She said that the clinic-on-wheel programme became necessary due to the increasing rate of malaria, diabetes, blindness and hypertension in the state.

The clinic-on-wheel programme is a mobile clinic that affords the people the opportunity to access health care services from the team of medical experts going round the communities.

The Kwara first lady said, “LEAH Charity Foundation is offering free drugs for newly diagnosed malaria cases, provision of free prescription eye glasses and free cataract operation.”

She pointed out that the medical team would be around for some weeks moving round the three districts of the local government area.

Lagos

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it is not against any meeting with the Federal Government, its ministers or agents, but insists that such meeting must have a clear agenda.

Mr Owei Lakemfa, the Acting General Secretary of NLC, said this on Saturday in a statement made available in Lagos.

Lakemfa said he was reacting to the meeting allegedly held between the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr Emeka Wogu, and some labour leaders in Abuja on October  20.

He said that the leadership of NLC boycotted the meeting because there was no clear agenda.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that labour is not averse to any meeting with the Federal Government, its ministers or agents,’’ he said.

Nasarawa

Nasarawa  State Governor Umaru Al-makura, on Wednesday submitted four separate requests to the state House of Assembly, including the one asking for the confirmation of his proposed 18-man cabinet.

The governor also asked the legislature to approve his proposal to appoint 20 special advisers.

The requests were presented to the House by the Majority Leader, Assemblyman Godiya Akwashiki (PDP-Nasarawa Eggon West).

The requests include the legislature’s consideration and approval of the 2011 Supplementary Appropriation Bill, which aims at capturing expenses that are not reflected in the 2011 budget.

Others are a bill seeking the amendment of the Remuneration of Political and Public Office Holders and a bill for the Establishment, Structure, Composition, Finance and Functions of Local Government System (Second Amendment).

After some intense debate, the House resolved to prune down Al-makura’s request for 20 special advisers to 15.

Niger

No fewer than 11 pregnant women from Niger have been barred from performing this year’s Hajj by the State Pilgrims Welfare Commission.

The Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Mamman Mohammad, announced this in an interview  with  newsmen in Minna on Wednesday.

He said those disqualified were detected following the thorough screening of female prospective pilgrims.

Mohammad said the commission’s medical team detected the women during the screening preparatory to their departure to Saudi Arabia.

He said the screening was a success as all the pregnant women, who had attempted to beat the exercise, were detected and barred from the Hajj.

Mohammad said barring such women from the pilgrimage was due to the health hazard that could be encountered during the exercise.

He said it was in line with the guidelines of the Saudi Arabian Government and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) that forbade them from undertaking the Hajj.

Mohammad said the state lost seven seats as penalty from NAHCON over the inability to detect some pregnant women during the 2010 Hajj operation which resulted in miscarriages.