Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government has procured 21,300 tonnes of assorted fertiliser worth N2.2 billion for distribution to farmers in the state for 2012 Cropping season.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Tasiu Muhammed, disclosed this in Bauchi while briefing newsmen on the activities of the Ministry in the past 12 months.
Muhammed said that that 5,000 tonnes of Urea was procured at the cost of N580 million while 1,500 tonnes of NPK had been blended by the state fertiliser company.
He further explained that the Federal Government allocated another 14,800 tonnes of the commodity valued at N1.62 to the state.
He said that the commodity would be sold to farmers in the state at 50 per cent subsidy through the e-wallet system.
According to the farmers, the state had registered more than 300,000 farmers under the scheme, adding that arrangements had been concluded to commence the sale of the commodity.
Borno
The Borno State Government on Tuesday said that it would sanction teachers found to be absent from school.
The Commissioner of Education, Comrade Inuwa Kubo, said this when he paid an unscheduled visit to the Shehu Garbai Secondary School, Maiduguri. Kubo expressed shock over the poor attendance by both the school management and teachers.
“I am disappointed with what I have seen today at the school. “It is really disheartening to say that neither the school principal nor any of his two vice had reported to duty as at 7.30 a.m.,’’ he said.
Kubo, who waited for about 30 minutes for the principal to show up, then presided over the school morning assembly during which he interacted with the students in the absence of the principal.
He advised the students to face their studies diligently to justify huge government expenditure.
FCT
The Federal Government should not hesitate to sanction anybody found culpable in the June 3 Dana plane crash in Lagos, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has said.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Danladi Zhin, the ALGON National Publicity Secretary, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Kuje, headquarters of the Kuje Area Council of the FCT on Tuesday.
“We encourage the Federal Government to go a step further to ensure that any agency, airline or individual indicted at the end of government investigation is brought to book with a view to avoiding future occurrence,” the statement said.
It said that the constitution of an investigative panel by the Federal Government would unravel the cause of the crash, which claimed the lives of the 153 passengers on board the ill-fated plane.
The statement called on regulators in the aviation industry to ensure strict compliance with aviation regulations, and advised airline operators to ensure routine maintenance of their fleets and do proper checks on aircraft before departure.
Gombe
The Director of the State Security Service (SSS) in Gombe State, Mr Bitrus Asher, announced on Tuesday that unknown gunmen had killed a retired officer of the SSS, Malam Aliyu Abubakar in Gombe.
Abubakar was shot by the gunmen in Yulunguruza Quarters in Gombe at about 6.30 p.m. on Monday while Abubakar was performing ablution in his friend’s house.
The director said the deceased was shot in the back and was immediately taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, where he died.
Asher said the deceased was buried on Tuesday and that security operatives in the state were investigating the matter.
He said that no arrest had been made on the incident.
Kaduna
The New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN) Company resumed production on Monday after a 4-month strike by its workers. The workers had in February embarked on an indefinite strike over non-payment of outstanding salary arrears and other allowances.
The Managing Director of the company, Malam Tukur Abdurrahman said in Kaduna that the company had released its first publication in four months.
Abdurrahman said he was satisfied with the turn-out of workers and commended them for their commitment and the interest shown in the progress of the company.
He said the company would continue with its publication as issues on the outstanding salary arrears that led to its closure were almost resolved.
Kwara
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State says cultural revival among various ethnic groups in Nigeria is the panacea to the nation’s multi faceted problems.
Fayemi said this in a lecture entitled: “Federalism and the quest for national integration and development in Nigeria” organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to commemorate its Law Week on Monday in Ilorin.
“Nigerians lost their culture of dialogue in a period when militarisation and the primacy of force had become state policy,” he said.
He added that unemployment and poverty were the immediate causes of increased violence in the country.
The governor advocated for the country’s return to the culture of dialogue, saying: “this may not necessarily culminate in a sovereign national conference, but opportunity to discuss issues.
Ondo
The police in Akure have arraigned two men before an Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court on a six-count charge of conspiracy, fraud, stealing, defacing of beacon pillar and breach of peace.
The accused, Oluwole Abiodun, 55 and Adedeji Olusegun, 60 were said to have committed the offence with others at large sometimes in 2011. They were accused of committing the offence of felony to wit: removing boundary mark with intent to defraud.
The offences were allegedly committed at various times at plots 1-3; block A on the State Industrial estate on Ilesa Road, Akure. They were also accused of converting N4 million, being proceeds of plots 1-3, block A on the State Industrial estate to their use.
The property was said to belong to Ind/Chem Technologies limited and Samson Adebayo.
The police prosecutor, ASP Pelumi Adejuwon, said the offence was contrary to and punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. I Laws of Ondo State 2006.
The accused persons were also said to have unlawfully defaced four beacon pillars lawfully erected as indications of boundary of land belonging to Ind/Chem Technologies limited and Samson Adebayo.
Oyo
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has urged the Federal Government to confer the GCFR award on the late Chief MKO Abiola.
Ajimobi made this known in a release issued in Ibadan on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Festus Adedayo.
The governor said that the Nigerian nation should see the late business mogul as a symbol of democracy and the martyr who laid down his life for the democracy enjoyed today by Nigerians.
“To have continued with this perennial silence on the democratic feat that Abiola wrought through his sheer bravery and belief in Nigeria would show to the whole world that we are an ungrateful nation.
“ But for Abiola and his bravery in choosing to die rather than allow his mandate to be exchanged for the biblical mesh of portage, we would perhaps still be in the bondage of military rule and crying out for democratic salvage,” the governor said.
He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for seeking to name monuments after Abiola, Ajimobi.
Plateau
The new Sector Commander of the (FRSC) in Plateau, Mr Sunday Maku, has called for stronger collaboration among security agencies.
Maku made the call during a courtesy visit to the Plateau Command of the Nigeria Immigrations Service (NIS) in Jos, Monday.
He said that a stronger tie would enhance the duties of the agencies toward protection of lives and property in Plateau and reduce incidences of breach of law among the populace.
The sector commander noted with satisfaction that the issue of “inter-security” rivalry no longer existed.
The State Comptroller of Immigration, Mr Gambo Wuyep, assured the sector commander of the cooperation of his command in his assigned duties.
He said that the NIS would contribute its quota for the good of the state and the nation.
Taraba
The Taraba Police Command has arrested five persons in connection with ethnic clashes between the Bachama and Fulani people at Badun in Lau Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Amos Olaoye, who confirmed this to newsmen on Monday in Jalingo, said the persons were arrested with machetes, bows and arrows.
“On June 9, a group of armed men suspected to have come from neighbouring Adamawa State launched an attack on Badun and burnt down three houses.
“No one was hurt in the attack. The five persons arrested are under interrogation at the state command,’’ he said.
Olaoye added that normalcy had been restored in the affected area as investigations continued.
An Enugu State High Court, presided by Justice I. K. Okpe yesterday remanded two siblings allegedly involved in the murder of makeup artiste, Ijeoma Nneke, in Enugu Correctional Center.
The prosecuting counsel, Mrs Ngozi Ikem-Okoye. informed the court that the prosecution also had an application that sought the leave of the court to call additional witnesses in the matter.
However, the defence counsel, Mr C. U. Okafor, in response, said that the application was unnecessary as the accused had yet to take pleas.
Okafor held that the case was not yet before the court, adding that the prosecution did not seem to be ready to prosecute the case.
Delivering judgment, Okpe adjourned the case until August 25 for ruling on the application to call additional witnesses.
Recall that the two siblings were alleged to have conspired to kill Ijeoma on November 11, 2020, at 66 Ozubulu Street, Independence Layout, Enugu.
They were also alleged to have killed the victim by forcing her to drink poisonous substances and thereafter poured acid all over her body.
A Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday criticised the Department of State Services (DSS) over failure to produce in court the 12 persons arrested at the residence of Yoruba nation’s agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a ruling, also ordered the DSS to produce the applicants in court in the next adjourned date.
The Tide learnt that Justice Egwuatu had, on July 23, ordered the DSS to produce the detainees in court yesterday.
The order followed a fundamental right enforcement suit that the lawyers to the detained applicants, Pelumi Olajengbesi, filed on their behalf, pursuant to Section 32(1) and (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) as well as Sections 6(6), 35 and 36 of 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The 12 persons, who had been in the DSS detention since July 2, are; Abdullateef Ofeyagbe, Amoda Babatunde (Aka Lady K), Tajudeen Erinoyen, Diakola Ademola, Abideen Shittu, and Jamiu Noah.
Others are Ayobami Donald, Adelabe Usman, Oluwafelumi Kunle, Raji Kazeem, Taiwo Opeyemi and Bamidele Sunday.
The Tide source reports that the DSS had, on July 1, confirmed that its operatives stormed Igboho’s home in Ibadan, arrested about 13 suspects; including a female and 12 males.
It also disclosed that two people were killed in the raid.
However, at the resumed hearing yesterday, Counsel to the DSS, I. Awo, informed the court that the applicants could not be brought because the service procured an order to hold the detainees.
Awo based the absence of the 12 detainees on the grounds that investigations into the circumstances that led to their arrest at Mr Igboho’s home were ongoing.
He hinted that of the 12 detainees on the court’s order, only three were being held by the DSS.
The lawyer listed the three detainees in the DSS custody to include: Amoda Babatunde (Aka Lady K), Diakola Ademola and Bamidele Sunday.
Reacting, Olajengbesi, urged the court to reject the service’s explanation as it was in contempt of the court’s order.
“The apparent affront on the authority of the court by the DSS cannot be justified,” the applicants’ lawyer argued.
He urged the court to discountenance the purported detention order that was procured by the DSS, arguing that it was not a Certified True Copy (CTC).
The lawyer prayed the court to admit his clients to bail.
Olajengbesi also informed the court that he had been denied access to his client, and urged the court to make an order in that regard.
Ruling, Egwuatu charged the DSS to purge itself of such a negative public perception as it did not paint a good picture of Nigeria before the international community.
He then ordered the security outfit to produce the detainees and show cause why they should not be granted bail.
“An order is hereby made directing the respondent (DSS) to allow the applicants’ counsel have access to the applicants, and the respondents are ordered to produce the applicants on the next adjourned date,” he said.
He adjourned the matter until August 2 for continuation of hearing.
Former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi and one of the two factional governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Valentine Ozigbo, have begged stakeholders and members of the party to unite for easy victory during the November 6 election in the state.
Obi and Ozigbo spoke yesterday in Awka, during a reconciliation meeting of the party, which was summoned by Ozigbo to reunite members of the party, after the rancour caused by the holding of two primary elections by the party on June 26, which produced Ozigbo and Senator Ugochukwu Uba.
Obi, while speaking at the meeting called on everyone to come together and work for the victory of the party in the forthcoming governorship election, saying that the primary was over and should be done with.
“I’m ready to beg all the aspirants for us to win the election. This candidate must win this election and we will not run away in our State because of anyone. I will win my local government and that is my assurance, nothing will stop us from winning the governorship election. Anambra must not go back to what it used to be.
“PDP has the best candidate for this election and we are going to win it, we have a formidable candidate and we need a formidable team to win it. I’m committed to PDP 24 hours and the party’s governors in the country are committed to winning the Anambra State election. It is our own election and we will win it,” the former governor said.
Ozigbo, in his address, reeled out the efforts he had made in reconciling every member and aspirants but regretted that the litigations in the party had held it down, adding that the party’s legal team was not relenting in evacuating the obstacles.
“I didn’t win the primary, but PDP and Anambra won. We’re one family but we are going to unite soon. Our enemies are not within, but outside PDP. PDP is a platform that will bring Igbo together, nobody should weave in what is happening now. We’re going to occupy the government house by the grace of God.
“The major reason for the gathering is to thank you for what you did and thank you for what you will do in the coming days because the real battle is coming. We are not celebrating because the real celebration will come on November 6. There’s a need for us to go into the governorship battle as a united family.
“I’ve visited my co-aspirants and I received positive vibes from Senator Uche Ekwunife, Hon Chris Azubogu, Dr Obiora Okonkwo, Dr Godwin Maduka, Mr Godwin Ezeemo and others.
“What I want to tell you now is that every other party in this State is counterfeit from APGA to APC to YPP and that is why I’m begging all our stakeholders to have faith in me and I won’t disappoint them.
“They should forgive and forget and I’m ready to make every sacrifice for all of us to come together. We want to make the founder of PDP, late Dr Alex Ekwueme, proud whereever he is and that’s the assurance I gave the daughter, lady Chidi Onyemelukwe, when we spoke before the meeting.
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