Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), says it will partner with the private sector to fast-track the development of historical and social monuments in the country.
The Director-General of the commission, Malam Yusuf Usman, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen.
He said the participation of the private sector would complement government’s funding towards the maintenance of the monuments.
Usman explained that government was providing the enabling environment that would make the private sector to take the maintenance of monuments and museums as a social responsibility.
“It is true that there is no much money that is provided for the maintenance of monuments across the country. But what government does is to provide some funding – that is seed money, to be able to generate interest among the private sector who can come in to participate in the maintenance of this important national edifices.
“So, we are hopeful that the private sector will join us to do this especially where it can be a form of their social responsibility since private sector is about profit and our monument and heritage resources are not for profit in terms of naira and kobo but in terms of the value that they add to our wellbeing as a people.’’
Benue
President Goodluck Jonathan has commissioned N2.6 billion water plant in Otobi, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue.
In his speech at the occasion, the President commended Governor Gabriel Suswam for establishing water projects in the state.
He said such projects would not only assist in reducing the incidence of water borne diseases, but would also address the water and health needs of the cluster communities they were meant to serve.
“More than 30 per cent diseases are water borne and by the construction of this water project, you have solved not only the water needs of the people, but also taken care of their health needs,” Jonathan said.
Earlier, Gov. Suswam, who conducted the President round the site of the project, said the construction of the water plant was in fulfillment of his campaign promises to the people.
FCT
Chairman, Abaji Area Council of the FCT, Alhaji Yahaya Mohammed on Thursday advised residents to ensure clean environment by evacuating waste and materials that could harbour rats in their houses.
Mohammed gave the advice in Abaji at the opening of a community awareness sensitisation programme on the prevention of Lassa fever organised by the council.
The council boss, who was represented by Dr Basil Magaji, Head of Health Department, said the awareness programme became necessary following reported cases of outbreak of Lassa fever in some parts of the country.
He said the programme was part of the council’s commitment to ensure clean environment and healthy living among residents.
Mohammed called on residents to take advantage of health facilities across the wards in the council, meant for routine immunisation to prevent the six child-killer diseases.
Kaduna
The Polio Technical Consultant to the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr Zikrullah Giwa, said last week that Nigeria recorded four cases of wild polio virus in the past 10 weeks
Giwa who made this known at a meeting in a forum in Kaduna, said the cases were recorded in Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno and Zamfara states.
“In 2012, Nigeria has four cases of wild polio virus in four states compared to four cases in three states for the same period in 2011.’’
According to him, the current National Epidemiology the country recorded 62 cases of the wild polio virus in 2011 in eight states.
Giwa stated that the total number of “circulating vaccine derived polio virus’’ (cVDPV2) was 35 in 10 states of the federation in 2011.
“In 2012, Nigeria has zero cVDPV2 compared to five cases in four states for the same period.”
Kebbi
A prominent member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Kebbi, Alhaji Adullahi Muslim, has returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Muslim was registered along with 1,500 supporters on Thursday at the Nasarawa Ward by the PDP Ward Chairman, Alhaji Bande Mainama.
Muslim was a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the PDP between 1999 and 2011and later defected to the CPC.
He said his decision to return to the PDP was due to lack of internal democracy in CPC.
“I was disowned by CPC through a court affidavit.”
He explained that he was back into the PDP in order to contribute his quota to the socio- economic development of the state.
Kwara
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has promised to effectively use the excess crude oil funds to develop the infrastructure in the state.
Represented by his Deputy, Mr Peter Kishira, the governor made the promise at the flag-off of the 2012 Excess Crude Oil Funds projects held at Share.
He said that the funds would be channeled to priority areas of need “for the sustenance of our people and communities’’.
According to the governor, the funds would also be utilised to reposition all the local governments areas and to develop water project, power generation, schools, health, road networks, youth empowerment, agriculture, scholarship and traditional institution.
Kogi
The immediate-past Chief Whip of the Kogi House of Assembly, Alhaji Suleiman Babadoko, has denied hatching plots to impeach the Speaker, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello.
Addressing newsmen in Lokoja last Babadoko, who represents Lokoja 1 Constituency, dismissed as unfounded, the allegation that he held discussions with four principal officers of the house to perfect plans for the removal of the Speaker.
He explained that his meeting with the principal officers centred on how to rally support for the state governor, Capt. Idris Wada, to stabilise the new administration.
The lawmaker said he took the step to ward off plans by the opposition to pressurise INEC to conduct fresh governorship
Lagos
Some lawyers in Lagos have called for the involvement of more women in the judicial activities.
The lawyers made the call as part of the activities marking the International Women‘s Day.
The Day is marked worldwide on March 8 every year, to celebrate the political, social and economic achievements of women.
Nasarawa
The traditional ruler of Doma in Nasarawa, Alhaji Ahmadu Aliyu-Ogah, has urged the people of the area to cut down on the amount of bride price on their daughters to encourage young suitors.
He gave the advice recently while addressing Imams in Doma and its environs
“The minimum amount payable as bride price is N7,660, which is most blessed in the sight of Allah,’’ he declared.
Aliyu-Ogah, who is the Andoma of Doma, said most young men of marriageable age were scared of approaching ladies for marriage because of the high price being demanded by their prospective in-laws.
Niger
Former INEC Chairman, Prof Maurice Iwu has called on the National Assembly to ensure the quick passage of the bill that sought to protect traditional medicine and regulate access to genetic resources.
Iwu, who is the Chairman of the Bio-resources Institute of Nigeria, made the appeal during a mini national stakeholders forum on the draft legal document on the Act.
The Act is to provide for “The Protection of Traditional Knowledge Regulation of Access to Genetic Resources and Related Matters”.
He said if the bill was passed into law, it would ensure proper regulation of trado-medicine practice in the country, thus leading to the creation of jobs for millions of Nigerians as well as wealth creation.
Ogun
The Ogun Government says it will provide loans for women to make them financially independent.
Mrs Elizabeth Sonubi, the state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs, said this at the 101st International Women Day celebration in Abeokuta last Thursday.
“Government has set up loans, empowerment kits and programmes to help empower our women so as to reduce hunger and poverty,” Sonubi said.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun, attended the programme.
The programme had as theme: “Uplifting Women: Empowering Rural Women to End Hunger and Poverty.’’
Plateau
Local Government workers in Plateau have accepted to collect half of the N18,000 minimum wage owing to paucity of funds, according to Mr Jibrin Bancir, the state’s Nigeria Labour Congress Chairman.
Bancir told newsmen last Thursday in Jos that the Local Governments have, however, agreed in principle to pay the new wage.
“We have seen the monthly subventions of the councils from the federal allocation and have noticed indeed that the money is not enough to pay the minimum wage.
“What we have agreed with the council managements and the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs is that the councils should be paying 50 percent of the increment pending when their revenue status gets better.”
The Nigerian Law School says out of the 1, 561 candidates who sat for the December examination, 880 passed.
The Director-General of the School, Prof. Isa Ciroma, SAN, made this known yesterday in Abuja, while presenting the new wigs to the Body of Benchers at the 2020 Call to the Bar ceremony.
“Four others were from previous Bar examination,’’ he said, adding that the new wigs had met all the required and set conditions by the Council of Legal Education.
“I am happy to affirm that they all have exhibited good manners and decorum during their training.
“They have also been groomed in the best ethics and ethos of our noble profession.
“The screening committee of our distinguished body carefully perused the records of each of the aspirants and found them worthy to be presented for the Call to the Nigerian Bar.’’
Ciroma said that the school had begun a special remedial course for students from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
“The programme began on June 28, at the Nigerian Law School Headquarters, Bwari, Abuja. We thank all distinguished members of the Body of Benchers, for their support,’’ he said.
The Chairman, Body of Benchers, Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, congratulated the new wigs and charged them to adhere to the provision of rules regarding the profession at all times.
“As a lawyer, you are an officer of the court and accordingly, you are not to do any act or conduct yourselves in a manner that will obstruct or adversely affect the course of justice.
“The practice of Law is not a right but a privilege. It is a privilege that can be lost should you fail to live up to the requisite professional standards imposed upon you by virtue of your entry into the community of lawyers.
“You must, therefore, strictly adhere to the provisions of the Rules of the Professional Conduct and maintain best practices at all times.’’
He stressed that the Body of Benchers Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee was always determined to discipline any lawyer found wanting or breaching set rules of the profession.
Rhodes-Vivour said that the committee had been carrying out its mandate “in a just and fair manner’’ without giving any room for compromise or ill-will.
He said that between January and July, the committee disbarred six lawyers and suspended some for between two and four years, while one lawyer was admonished during the period.
Rhodes-Vivour advised the graduates to continue to update their knowledge on both statute and case law in order to attain more understanding on especially, international jurisdictions.
In 2020, the Council of Legal Education said that out of a total of 2,515 students who participated in the examinations, 1,864 passed the Bar Final Examinations conducted in January.
The director-general who described the performance as outstanding, said that among the 1, 864 students who were successful, only five made First Class while 632 others failed the examinations.
“Candidates graded in First Class are five, Second Class Upper 77, Second Class Lower are 633, those who got pass marks are 1,067 and those with Conditional Pass are 82.
“632 candidates failed the examination, 17 were absent and 2 results are withheld.”
Chiroma further explained that only 0.2 per cent made First Class, 3.06 per cent made Second Class Upper, 25.17 per cent made Second Class Lower and 42.42 per cent passed.
He said other performances include a 3.26 per cent for those with conditional pass, 25.12 per cent failed the examinations, 0.7 per cent were absent and 0.8 per cent results are being withheld.
Web of Heart Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, says it has trained and empowered more than 300 returning migrants, youths and internally displaced persons on job creation.
Its Executive Director, Mrs Bose Aggrey, made the declaration yesterday in Lagos at the graduation of its “Create and Start Module’’ trainees.
The graduating trainees were awarded certificates and given grants facilitated by some investors and soft loans from banks after six months of training to identify and analyse business ideas and opportunities.
“We taught them how to articulate their business ideas into plans; introduced them to investors and equally assisted them to get bank loans.
“It is an opportunity for the participants to put themselves together either to get employed or to become employers,’’ she said.
“We introduced investors to the participants when they were pitching and some of them are already getting grants.
“We are working with two banks so they can provide soft loans at low interest rates for the participants,’’ she added.
In his remarks, Mr Peik Bruhns, Team Leader of the firm of consultants that conducted the training, said the company had reached out to train 5,000 Nigerians on Micro, Small and Medium scale Enterprises in six months
He said this was done in collaboration with nine organisations, including Web of Heart Foundation.
“I will like to stress the importance of working with returnee migrants because Web of Heart Foundation focuses on assisting them to reintegrate into society.
The Zamfara State Police Command has refuted a story that 60 passengers travelling along Sokoto – Gusau road on Sunday, July 25, were kidnapped by bandits.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Shehu, in a statement, yesterday, said the story was inaccurate and a calculated attempt by some mischief makers to create fear and apprehension into the minds of the general public, especially the commuters.
“The attention of Zamfara State Police Command has been drawn to a story trending on social and conventional media that armed bandits blocked Sokoto – Gusau Road, and abducted 60 people travelling from Sokoto to Abuja.”
The statement said, “For the avoidance of doubt and purpose of clarity, the command was informed that a large number of armed bandits blocked a Toyota bus vehicle, belonging to the Sokoto State Mass Transit and abducted 11 passengers who were travelling from Sokoto – Abuja along Sokoto – the accurate report of the incident. On Sunday, July 25, 2021, Gusau Road in Bakura LGA.”
According to the statement, the Police Tactical operatives attached to Operation Restore Peace were alerted, and they quickly mobilized to the location and dislodged the hoodlums who blocked many vehicles for abduction, adding that the road was instantly cleared for motorists and other road users and reinforced more police operatives to improve the security and safety of the commuters.
The statement noted that in the course of mopping up the scene, a Toyota bus vehicle belonging to Sokoto State Mass Transit was sighted empty and it was revealed that 11 passengers, including the driver were abducted and taken to the bush before the arrival of the police.
It said the operatives further embarked on search and rescue operation in the surrounding bush with a view to rescuing the kidnapped victims, stressing that two persons who were left far behind with other hoodlums were abandoned by their captors for fear of being neutralised by the Police operatives, the remaining nine victims were taken to the forest.
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