Bauchi

Bauchi State Government has spent N2 billion to procure essential text books for schools in the state, the Deputy Governor Alhaji Sagir Saleh, said.

Saleh stated this at the inauguration of the 2012 Professional Teachers’ Development Programme  in Bauchi.

Saleh, who represented Governor Isa Yuguda, said that apart from the textbooks, the government had also provided 600 hand pumps, 260,000 twin desks and recruited 2,000 teachers.

According to him, 2,000 blocks of classrooms and toilets were either constructed or renovated to improve the standard and quality of education in the state.

Benue

The General Manager (GM), Benue State Environmental Sanitation Agency (BENSESA), Mr Ediga Akpa,has attributed his inability to create a green and serene environment in the State to lack of fund.

The GM said the agency needed N30 million to meet her task of keeping the state clean.

Akpa pointed out that the money would be used to procure equipment that could be used in cleaning and sanitising the state.

He also lamented that the agency was understaffed, adding that at present the agency had only 16 staff.

He said that BENSESA is a revenue generating agency and that if properly financed, would provide huge revenue and employment opportunities for the state.

Borno

In its bid to encourage school enrolment, the Borno Government said it will soon commence the distribution of free uniforms to students in public schools.

Governor Kashim Shettima stated this when he paid an unscheduled visit to the Government Girls Technical College (GGTC), Damboa, in Borno.

Shettima also said the state government had put in place mechanism to improve on the quality of food to students in public schools.

“By next month, our new feeding arrangement will take off in public schools where the quality and quantity of food given to students will be improved upon. The state government will also provide all needed learning materials to schools to enhance teaching and learning environment”, he said.

FCT

Nigerians have lauded the introduction of “Drink the Content: Destroy the Can (DCDC)’’ by the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

The agency launched the campaign against the background of the use of cans by criminals to make explosives.

An official of Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr Dayo Akinola, said that all Nigerians must ensure that they destroyed cans after consumption the contents.

He said that if all patriotic Nigerians supported the campaign, the use of cans in the making of bombs would reduce drastically.

Gombe

A Bogo Magistrates’ Court in Gombe  granted bail to a 21-year-old man, Mohammed Musa, who was arraigned for criminal conspiracy and witchcraft.

Musa is of Tumu village in Pindiga District, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.

Reading the First Information Report (FIR), the Prosecutor, Mr Bako Shekari, said the accused had, on June 26, at about 4 p.m., conspired with one Jarma, now at-large, to commit the offences.

Shekari said that the accused used witchcraft and inflicted sickness on one Ya’u Abdullahi, of same address, adding that that made the victim unable to walk.

The accused pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him and asked the court to grant him bail.

Jigawa

Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State has advised governors of states in the Northern part of the country to invest more in agriculture to tackle poverty in the region.

Yakowa, who gave the advice when he visited his Jigawa counterpart, Alhaji Sule Lamido, in Dutse  noted that the North is blessed with natural resources such as solid minerals and fertile soil for agriculture.

“We are endowed with natural resources, the north has potential in all sectors but unfortunately, the region is now faced with challenges of terrorism and ethno-religious misunderstanding. We, the governors from the north must come together to restore the hope and values of the region for the benefit of the people that elected us.”

Kaduna

Kaduna State is to spend its allocation of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) on security and agriculture, a top government official said on Monday.

The Information Commissioner, Alhaji Sa’idu Adamu, said this to newsmen in Kaduna after a special executive council meeting that deliberated on a report from its committee on subsidy reinvestment. The committee is headed by the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero.

Adamu said that other sectors that had been identified for reinvestment were health, education, women and youth empowerment as well as the provision of infrastructure.

Kano

Twelve of the 40 members of Kano State House of Assembly have protested against the amendment of the Ramadan and Ram bonus law of the state by the Assembly.

The House in Kano  amended the law by making it optional for the state government to pay the bonus.

AlhajiAbdulwahab Garba, a Member of the Public Service Committee, made the view of the 12 known to newsmen after the House amended the law.

“The House had earlier amended the law and given approval for only civil servants on grade levels 01- 13 to benefit from the bonus”.

He said the 12 legislators, including two from the ruling PDP, would support the workers if they chose to challenge the amended law in the court.

Kebbi

Governor Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi has approved the constitution of a committee to conduct staff audit of local education authorities in all the local government areas across the state.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Alhaji Abubakar Dakingari, announced this in Birnin Kebbi.

He said the 12-member committee, to be headed by Sen. Abubakar Abdullahi, has one month to come out with its findings, adding that the committee was mandated to look into the nominal rolls, verify staff appointments as well as the grade levels and steps of each staff of local education authorities.

According to the governor’s spokesman, the committee’s report will facilitate the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage at the local government level.

Kogi

Kogi State Government has been advised to formulate risk reduction and emergency preparedness policy to forestall risks, hazards and disaster situations.

The advice was given in a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day interactive meeting of stakeholders on ‘Human Security in Conflict Emergencies in Kogi State’ organised by Action Aid on Monday in Lokoja.

The session was organised in collaboration with Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID).

Other particpants included the Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Lokoja , stakeholders from Adavi and Igalamela Local Government Areas, Civil Societies, security agencies and the media.

Lagos

Governor  Babatunde Fashola of Lagos  inaugurated the board of the state Office of Disability Affairs responsible for protecting the interests of people with special needs.

The seven-man board includes a blind person and three crippled people. The boarded is headed by Mrs Tolulope Animashaun.

Fashola said at the inauguration in Ikeja that the board and the office should ensure that people with disabilities were not discriminated against.

The governor said that although Nigeria’s Constitution prohibited all forms of discriminations against people with disabilities, the society had not done much to adequately protect their interests.

He said that the government enacted the People with Disabilities Law in 2011 in an effort to correct the imbalance.

Ondo

A chieftain of the Labour Party in Ondo State, Dr Kayode Ajulo, has advised the Ondo State House of Assembly to enact laws to check electoral malpractice.

Ajulo said  in Akure that such laws had become imperative to curb the excesses of lawless politicians.

He said such laws should classify electoral offences and recommend severe punishment that would discourage people from committing electoral offences in the state.

“Some desperate politicians have succeeded in subverting the wishes of the electorates in our society. “This ugly situation has made them unaccountable to the people while occupying public offices because they are not the choice of the people,’’ Ajulo said.

Osun

As part of its plan to provide adequate security for tourists and investors, the Osun Government is to create a data base on all hotels in the state.

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Mr Sikiru Ayedun, disclosed this  while briefing news men on the activities of his ministry.

Ayedun said the exercise would enable government to monitor the activities of the hotels and provide adequate security for their customers.

He said the recent inspection of some hotels in the state revealed that most of the attendants, receptionists, bar men and managers did not have adequate training for the hospitality business.