Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State said that his adminis
tration spent more than N40 billion to establish 14 technical schools in the state.
Nyako who announced this in Damare, Girei Local Government Area, during a visit to the newly established Agricultural Skills Acquisition School, said the 14 schools specialised in various aspects ranging from engineering, carpentary and agriculture.
He said the Damare school was strictly established to provide students with the necessary qualitative skills in agriculture, to meet the current challenges of modern agriculture.
According to him, “students will get the type of training you get in Europe”, and explained that a trainee of the school in fishery for instance, after graduation, would be able to produce 20 tons of fish from a 20 square metre pond.
“ For somebody taught how to handle cow, such person can make N1 million from a single cow per annum, unlike the normal herdsman who roams around with 50 cows, but can not make N50, 000 per annum, “ Nyako said.
Benue
Cult activities have taken a turn for the worse in Makurdi, the Benue
capital with many persons losing their lives in recent days.
At least four persons were killed by cultists within the past one week in Makurdi.
One James Adangbe, a final year student of History at the Benue State University, Makurdi was hacked to death by a group of cultists on January 12 at his residence at Modern Market Area in Makurdi.
Other killings that took place at the weekend were at Inikpi Street in High Level, Opposite Federal Secretariat and behind Makurdi Community Secondary School where the victims were said to have been stabbed and shot to death.
Confirming the incident, the DPO of ‘D’ Division Police Station, SUPOL. Arit Ekpe, said that the corpse, a boy identified as Tavershima Aluna, who was killed and dumped behind the Community Secondary School had since been identified by his relations and taken to the mortuary.
The Assistant Police Public Relations Officer, ASP. Alaribe Ejike, said that they were aware of the killings by cultists, saying that the police had mapped out strategies to tackle the problem.
Gombe
The Gombe State Ministry of Health is to conduct a survey to
determine the number of local government areas with cases of Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia.
Dr Obiageli Nebe, the Assistant Director and Coordinator
of the National De-worming Programme in the Federal Ministry
of Health, made this known in Gombe, when she visited the state’s commissioner of health on Monday.
Nebe said the aim of the survey, was to identify and treat those who had contracted the disease, adding that she was in Gombe to conduct a training exercise for those who would carry out the survey.
The Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya, said the State Government had distributed drugs, worth over six million naira to some 15,000 persons who had schistosomiasis in Galdamawo Village in the Kaltungo Local Government Area.
Ishaya appealed to the Federal Government to extend the survey to Taraba and Adamawa, because Galdamawa Community, shared boundaries with the two states.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government has donated N60 million to the Nigeria
Legion to enbale it to improve the wellbeing of its members.
The state Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, announced the donation at the Armed Forces Emblem, Appeal Fund and Remembrance Day in Dutse, Tuesday.
Lamido, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad, said the gesture would assist the legionnaires to assuage difficulties experienced while in retirement.
The Chairman, Jigawa chapter of the Nigeria Legion, Alhaji Lawan Isa commended the government for its support to the organisation.
Isa called for proactive measures to hasten the release of monthly subvention provided to the chapter by the state government.
Kano
The Kano State Hisbah has called for partnership with parents in a bid
to end the persistent abuse of the girl-child in the state.
The Deputy Commander of the Hisbah in charge of Special Service, Barr. Yusuf Nabahani, made the call in an interview in Kano, said the abuse of the young girls in the state had reached an alarming proportion.
Nabahani said, “I would like to use this opportunity to call on the parents to take good care of their children to know their whereabouts, friends and monitor their movements.
“The number of cases being received by the board involving girls is terrible and unless the movements of our youths are checked, the repercussions will not be good.”
He explained that a research recently conducted by the board indicated that hawking exposed most of the young girls to such abuses, and appealed to people in the state to complement the efforts of Hisbah in checking girl-child abuse.
Kaduna
Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Ramalan Ibrahim
has said that the N8.7 billion budget for the ministry would be dedicated to ensuring food security.
Ibrahim said while defending the 2013 budget before the state House of Assembly on Tuesday that the ministry would ensure adequate provision of fertiliser and other farming inputs.
He told the house that the ministry had paid for all the fertiliser supplied to the state last year and would procure more for early distribution to farmers.
Officials of the Bureau for Religious Affairs were also at the assembly to defend their budgets.
Permanent Secretary, Christian Matters, Rev. Billy Felix said the main focus of the bureau was to ensure peace and stability in the state.
Kebbi
The prompt intervention of officers and men of the Kebbi
State Police Command on Monday saved the lives of officials at the office of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Birnin Kebbi.
The office was attacked by scores of irate ‘okada’ riders who were protesting alleged maltreatment of their members.
The FRSC Sector Commander in Kebbi, Mr Seyi Daniel, confirmed that about 300 angry commercial motor cyclists attempted to manhandle road safety marshals and burn the FRSC office.
He said the dispute was sparked off when commercial motor cyclists conveying two other passengers violated traffic rules by following the wrong lane to avoid arrest.
Daniel explained that in the process, they were knocked down by an on coming vehicle.
Kogi
Kogi State of Assembly on Tuesday directed its Committee on
Local Governments to investigate alleged sack of 450 workers of Adavi Local Government on the recommendations of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission.
The directive followed the adoption of a motion, under urgent public importance, presented by Abdullahi Lawal (PDP-Adavi), at a plenary session in Lokoja.
Lawal urged the house to intervene in the matter, to ascertain its true position.
He said that the ICPC had in a letter dated July 31, 2012, recommended that the affected workers should be sacked based on a petition it received.
Nasarawa
The leadership of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ
(ERCC) Nassarawa, has appealed to the Nasarawa State Government to come to the aid of displaced persons in the state.
Administrative Secretary of the Church, Rev. Jerry Modibo, said that the appeal had become imperative due to the increasing number of displaced persons in the ERCC camp in Nassarawa Eggon and other parts of the state.
Modibo condemned the communal clash in some parts of the state, saying, “it has led to the destruction of lives and properties worth million of Naira.’’
He called on the state government, civil organisations and other spirited individuals to assist the displaced persons with relief materials, and urged the people to forget their differences and unite for meaningful development to take place.
Niger
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger said the State Government
would enact a law to curb the menace of street begging in the state.
Aliyu made the announcement at a one-day workshop on “Street Begging in Niger State, its Menace and the Need for Regulation’’ in Minna.
“We don’t want people to think that begging is a career. Therefore, we are directing the Niger State Law Reform Commission to come up with a legal framework to curb the menace of street begging in the state,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Dr Ibrahim Imam, the Head of the Department of Languages at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, cited the Holy Qur’an Chapter 70 verses 24 to 25, saying that begging leads to self-disgrace and loss of honour.
Imam, who is the guest speaker, said Islam only allowed persons, who had incurred huge debts and those, who suffered from disasters or misfortunes to beg.
Ogun
The Ogun House of Assembly has ordered commercial and private
motorcycle riders to obtain official rider’s permit before February 28.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, Hon. Salmon Adeleke, announced this in Abeokuta on Tuesday during a meeting to resolve all issues pertaining to the issuance of the rider’s permit.
Adeleke said that a consulting firm appointed by government would begin the enforcement of the order on March 1.
The resolution was borne out of the crisis between the firm and members of Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycles Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria and Amalgamated Motorcycle Rider’s Association of Nigeria.
Plateau
The Industrial Fund (ITF), says it trained 360,000 people in various
fields and trades in 2012.
The Director-General, Prof. Longwas Wopmuk said Tuesday in Jos that the fund trained 10,000 persons in each of the 36 states.
“Some of the people received three months rigorous training in skills acquisition and other important trades that assisted them to become self employed,’’ she said.
Wopmuk said that the fund would continue to assist trainees to secure capital to start their own businesses through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) loan scheme.
He stressed that the idea was to reduce the high level of unemployment and disclosed that the Federal Government had also agreed with ITF’s proposal to establish three special skills training institutions.
Zamfara
A corps member serving with the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, Dr
Umar Shuaib, has donated drugs and mosquito nets worth N750,000 to pregnant women and children in Zamfara.
Shuaib, who made the donation at the King Fahad Women and Children Hospital, Gusau, said that the gesture was to reduce maternal mortality in the state.
The corps member said that it was necessary for pregnant women, especially those in the rural areas to access ante-natal healthcare for safe child birth.
He said that insufficient public enlightenment, poverty and lack of access to medical facilities had remained major impediment to the state government’s effort to reduce maternal and child mortality.
An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre is set to be established in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema /Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The initiative is being championed by the Omoku People’s Forum, a global association of Omoku elites, under the leadership of its President-General, Dr. George Ada Ubah.
As part of efforts to ensure the successful execution of the project, a prominent son of Omoku, Chief (Barr.) Dennis Masi, has been appointed by the Forum as the Chairman of the ICT Centre Project Committee, entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating and driving the initiative to fruition. Upon completion, the ICT Centre is expected to serve as a major hub for the training and empowerment of youths in digital and technological skills, equipping them to actively participate in the increasingly technology-driven global environment.
The project is also widely regarded as a significant step towards positioning Omoku as an emerging ICT hub within Rivers State, fostering innovation, digital literacy, and economic development in the region.
Concerned Rivers Chiefs For Peace And Development has said it formation was not politically motivated or has any links to political parties or candidates.
The group which said this at a media briefing at Abuloma in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area said it’s formation has nothing to do with politics.
According to the text for the briefing jointly signed by Chief Boma Kele Oyika it’s chairman and Chief Inemo T Ikama Deputy Secretary General said the organization is expected to focus on conflict Resolution, community engagement, collaboration with government and private sector actors
‘it mandate also includes promoting peace building initiative, supporting local economic empowerment programms and strengthening traditional institutions in our state and beyond as partners in governance ”
It said the body is led by a team of respected traditional leaders serving as trustees
“Their collective leadership reflects a blend of experience cultural authority and grassroots connection
“Key elements considered vital for addressing long standing,socio economic and security challenges in the region”
The release further says ” the formation of this organization comes at a time when communities in Rivers state continue to navigate between issues ranging from youth unemployment, environmental concerns and intermittent conflicts amongst the traditional rulers and beyond
“By bringing together influential traditional figures under a unified platform, the group aims at serving as stabilizing force while advocating for inclusive development policies ” it said
It also described its emergence as a new chapter in grass roots leadership and regional development
Earlier, chairman of the body, Chief Boma Kele Oyika said the organization will work with relevant authorities to promote peaceful coexistence in the state, reduce crime and promote economic development.
He said it is open to all Chiefs from the 23 local government areas.
The Chairman of The Nigeria Delta Chamber of Commerce, Trade, Mines and Agriculture NDCCTMA,Ambassador Idaere Gogo Ogan and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ) Dr Samuel Ogbuku have challenged Niger Delta entrepreneurs to close the gap in Gross Demostic Products (GDP) differences between the region and that of the South Western part of the country by coming home to invest.
The two leaders spoke at a business round table organized by NDDCTMA in Port Harcourt
Chairman of NDDCTMA Ambassador Idaere Gogo Ogan, said to close the gap between the south west region which he said has a GDP seize of about #59 trillion and that of the Niger Delta which is about #34 trillion was to massively invest in the region.
He said no other persons can do this except sons and daughters from the region.
“For me I believe in statistics,I believe in data and everyday I looked at the data concerning development in Nigeria and from the GDP point of view, the South West has #59 trillion, that is the seize of the south west region economy, the second region following them is the Niger Delta region with GDP seize of #34 trillion,so there is a yearning gap of #25 trillion that separates the south west and the Niger Delta region, that is why we are here”
Ogan said the region has the capacity to close the gap and even surpassed it but regretted that indigenes of the region have chosen to ignore it in terms of investment.
“We need to close that gap .If we close that gap and even surpassed it,all the negative problems of militancy and unemployment will automatically erase “he said
Ogan said the event was organized to remind the people that past efforts of militancy and agitations have not led the region to any where
“That is why we are gathered here in this room “he said.
Also speaking Managing Director/Chief Executive officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission( NDDC) Dr Samuel Ogbuku urged indigenes of the region not to use the problem of insecurity as an excuse to continue to deny the region of investment as every part of the country have in one time or the other experienced crisis.
Ogbuku said most indigenes have displayed high level of unpatriotism towards the region by taking investments that would have benefited the people to either Lagos or Abuja.
“With little threat we have left the city,we have gone to Lagos,we have moved our families to Abuja and Lagos
“If you go round GRA all the property, you will see,”to let to let”most of them are now empty “he said.
The NDDC MD said despite the fact that people from the region are doing well in the oil and gas, banking and other sectors, its impact are not being felt at home because they are stationed outside the region.
He said time has come for potential investors from the region to have a change of heart by coming home to invest.
John Bibor
