Benue

The Benue House of Assembly, has directed the state government to establish functional fire service stations in its three senatorial zones.

This followed a motion by Mr Baba Odeh of Otukpo/Akpa constituency which urged the government to embark on the project to save lives and property.

Odeh said the stations should be located in Gboko, Katsina-Ala and Otukpo local government areas.

He said the motion was necessary because the main station located in Makurdi with two sub-stations were inadequate to cater for the state.

Ekiti

The Ekiti State Government last Thursday disbursed N18.9 million to 126 law students.

The students received N150,000 each as their 2012 bursary allowance.

At a ceremony in Ado-Ekiti, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Dr Eniola Ajayi, said that the gesture was in line with the eight-point agenda of the present administration in the state.

The commissioner, who presented cheques to the beneficiaries, advised them to be prudent in the use of the allowance.

FCT

An Information Technology expert, Mr Kio Bestman,  last Thursday in Abuja advised computer training institutes in the country to run certification programmes.

Bestman in an interview with newsmen said that was the only way the Nigerian IT training centres could remain relevant in the global IT market.

“Our computer schools should run certification programme. Whether you have a B.SC or not, certification mean you are competent enough to use that platform.

“If it is website design, you have a certification programme. If it is Microsoft office, you have Micro-office specialist certification. If it is networking you also have networking certification.

Gombe

The Chairman of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Gombe State chapter, Dr Raymond Dankoli, last Thursday in Gombe called on members of the public to take precautionary measures to curtail the effects of harmattan on their health.

Dankoli, who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Gombe, noted that the harmattan period comes with several health challenges, especially respiratory tract infections because of the dust .

“The risk of respiratory tract infection is higher during the period, hence the need for precaution.

“Children are more vulnerable; therefore parent should make sure that they take precautionary measures.”

Jigawa

The Jigawa Executive Council has approved N186 million for the procurement of laboratory equipment and the execution of other school development projects in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Banbandi Ibrahim, disclosed this last Thursday in Dutse while briefing newsmen on the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting of the State Executive Council.

Ibrahim said of the N186 million, N110 million would go to the procurement of laboratory equipment for distribution to all senior science secondary schools across the state.

He said that N33 million was earmarked for the rehabilitation of hostels at the College of Remedial and Advance Studies, Kafin-Hausa.

Kaduna          

A Kaduna Sharia Court has sentenced one Babangida Ibrahim, 33, to six months imprisonment for stealing a motorcycle at a mosque in Kaduna,

Ibrahim had stolen the motorcycle on November 20, removed its number plate but was arrested at a police check- point in the city for riding without number plate.

According to Police Prosecutor, Cpl Bitrus Kwaji, subsequent investigation revealed that Ibrahim had stolen the motorcycle.

Katsina

The Joint Consultative Forum (JCF) of the three tertiary institutions in Katsina State, has given three weeks ultimatum to the government to meet its demands or its members will embark on strike.

The three state-owned tertiary institutions are Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina, Isah Kaita College of Education, Dutsinma and Yusuf Bala Usman College of Legal and General Studies, Daura.

The forum comprised of both academic and non-academic staff of the institutions.

The Chairman of the forum, Malam Tukur Dahiru, and the Secretary Malam Muttaka Mamman, gave the warning last Thursday in Katsina in a statement they signed and issued to newsmen.

Kwara

The Kwara House of Assembly has passed the Asset Management Bill 2012.

The Clerk of the House, Mr Oyetunde Oyeniyi, announced the passage of the bill after reading it for the third time on the floor of the Assembly.

The bill seeks to protect the state government’s asset and liabilities in ministries and parastatal agencies against theft and vandalism.

It also spells out penalties for anybody or group of persons who damages or steals government property.

Lagos

Assistant Director, Lagos Zonal Inspector, Directorate of Police Education, Mrs Esther Gbadegesin,  last Thursday said that affordable and qualitative education would make the nation develop faster.

Gbadegesin made the observation in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

She explained that making school fees affordable would give the children more opportunities to acquire education.

“When more children are given the opportunity to be educated as a result of affordable school fees, our society would develop faster,” she said.

Ogun

A Mathematician, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, has called on all levels of government to declare a ‘State of emergency‘ on the teaching and learning of Mathematics in the country.

Arigbabu, Dean of College of Science and Information Technology, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), ljebu-Ode, Ogun, made the call while delivering the 2nd Inaugural lecture of the University.

The dean, who is also a Professor of Mathematics, spoke on the Topic: “Beyond The Cuboid: lmperatives For An Aids-Free, Mathematically Literate Society”.

Osun

A Climatologist, Prof Temi Ologunorisa, has identified ICT as a useful tool in the management and mitigation of the effects of climate change in communities.

Ologunorisa said at an International Conference on “Climate Change and ICT”, held at the Osun State University, Osogbo, that ICT development would help in reducing hazards associated with climate change.

The conference was jointly organised by the Xavier University, USA, International Centre for IT Development, USA, and Osun State University’s Centre For Climate Change and Environmental Research, to showcase the importance of ICT in disaster management.

“Climate change and its associated problems, such as sea level rise, flooding, erosion, desertification and heat, are gradually becoming issues of concern to us all.

Plateau

The Plateau Government said it would set up family courts in order to protect the right of children in the state

Plateau Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Edward Pwajok, told newsmen in Jos last Thursday that the court would assist in curtailing many injustices against children.

“The protection of rights of children in our society today is very vital, and should not be neglected because they are the leaders of tomorrow.

“This suggests why we in Plateau will not be left behind in struggling to give our children a better future,” he said.

Zamfara

The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) in Zamfara has urged women in the state to participate actively in political activities and other developmental programmes.

President of the society, Hajiya Larai Ibrahim, made the plea last Thursday in Gusau at a sensitisation programme organised for women activists in the state.

It was jointly organised by the Gender Awareness Trust and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Ibrahim said that traditional and religious impediments had hindered women’s participation in politics and governance, adding that it was responsible for gross gender inequality in the state.