Benue
The Benue State Director of  Environment, Mr Daniel
Iorshagher, has advised Nigerians to plant trees in order to control environmental degradation, desertification and climate change challenges in the country.
Iorshagher  said last   last Thursday in Makurdi, that  trees serve as measures against the growing effects of climate change, desertification and other environmental challenges.
He noted that the felling of trees for firewood and illegal logging had impacted negatively on the environment, adding “We depend much on wood for cooking and other furniture needs at the expense of the oxygen it would give us. “If trees are removed excessively, we would be producing an imbalanced environment in the country.’’
The director said that the ongoing deforestation had exposed the state to environmental hazards.

Gombe
Residents of three communities in Yamaltu/Deba and
Kwami Local Government Areas of Gombe State, have been cut-off from the rest of the state following the collapse of the Lubo bridge.
The bridge, located in Yamaltu/Deba council, collapsed on Tuesday, after several hours of rain.
The affected communities include Diffa, Lubo and Kinafa in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government, as well as Daban Fulani in Kwami Local Government.
Motorists, passengers and pedestrians from the communities are facing difficulties travelling in and out of the area, as the situation had forced them to detour through Gaji-Bauchi-Malam Sidi road to reach Gombe, a resident, has said.
Kogi

The Chairman of the Board of Federal Medical Cen
tre, Lokoja, recently commended the Kogi State Government, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, on its free medical scheme for rural dwellers.
Abubakar, who gave the commendation when he led members of the board on a courtesy visit to Gov. Idris Wada.
He said that the scheme had helped in bringing quality healthcare to the doorstep of  people at the grassroots.
He urged the government to sustain the scheme, considering that its benefit was not quantifiable and also commended the governor for opting to receive treatment in a local hospital when he was involved in an auto accident on Dec. 28, 2012.
He expressed appreciation to the state government for its assistance to the hospital and pleaded with the governor to help in fast-tracking the release of the Certificate of Occupancy  (C of O) for the hospital’s permanent site.
Wada in his response expressed satisfaction with the services being rendered by the hospital and promised that the issue of C of O would be addressed very soon.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Culture and Tour
ism, Allhaji Gambo Lawal, last Thursday said that the fourth coming state cultural festival, was designed to promote peace and unity among diverse ethnic and religious groups in the state.
Lawal said in an interview in Kaduna that the festival scheduled to commence on August 26, would bring together different cultural groups to show case their rich cultural values and promote tourism.
The commissioner, commended the state government for sponsoring the festival, saying that the best performing groups and individuals would receive awards.
He disclosed that seven standing committees had been inaugurated, including security committee, to ensure the success of the event.
The state cultural festival has run for over three decades and remains one of the key tourism events in the state.
Kwara
An Economic and Financial Crime Commission
(EFCC) counsel, Mr Wahab Shittu, has called for establishment of more anti-corruption agencies instead of merging the available ones.
Shittu said  in Ilorin that unless everybody was enlisted in the fight against corruption, getting rid of the societal defect might be a mirage.
The legal practitioner, who is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lagos, noted that ”corruption remains the only impediment to the development of Nigeria”.
He urged the government to show more political will and monitor each of the stages of a fight against corruption to prevent compromise and  he alleged that each of the stages of process in litigation against corrupt practice, investigation, prosecution or adjudication was being compromised.
“If we must win the battle against corruption, we will need to monitor the monitors. “Police that conduct investigations must be monitored so that they do not compromise; lawyers that prosecute and judges that adjudicate need monitoring too,” he said.

Lagos

Rear Admiral  Ibok Ibas, Flag Officer Commanding, West
ern Naval Command, Lagos, has said Nigerian Navy would collaborate with the navies of other African countries to tackle insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.
Ibas told newsmen in Lagos last Thursday that maritime security challenges facing African countries required regional collaboration and support to overcome.
Ibas announced that an international conference of all African navies and maritime experts to discuss best ways to secure African waters and trade would be hosted by Nigeria from August 27 to August 28 in Lagos.
The naval chief said the conference was expected to provide credible and sustainable solutions to the various challenges.
Niger

No fewer than 2, 000 students of the Niger State College
of Education, Minna and some community members were on Wednesday screened for malaria as part of efforts to curb the disease.
The college Chief Nursing Officer, Alhaji Sani Sanda, said in Minna that out of the number, 150 tested positive to malaria parasite, including three lectures.
He said that the patients who were referred to the school clinic had been treated as the state Ministry of Health had supplied drugs to the clinic to support the programme.
He said that 50 pregnant women received free treated mosquito nets, while members of the neighbouring community also benefited from the rapid malaria test and treatment.
Sanda commended the state Ministry of Health for the free testing kit, drugs and the nets made available, adding that the college and the ministry would intensify the sensitisation of the general public to the dangers of malaria and also curb maternal mortality rate.

Osun

Patients with orthopaedic problems have been advised
to visit hospitals for proper diagnosis and treatment instead of rushing to traditional bone setters.
The former Head, Orthopaedic Department, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, Prof. Lawrence Oginni, gave the advice during an interactive session with members of the institution’s Newsletter Editorial Board recently.
Oginni also advised  patients coming to the hospital to cultivate the habit of patience to allow medical personnel to carry out necessary investigations instead of believing that nothing was being done during investigation.
He noted that it was this feeling of neglect which patients have that was making the traditional bone setters to persuade them to withdraw from orthodox treatment.

Plateau
Senator  Gyang Pwajok of Plateau State has declared that
Nigeria’s collective survival was being challenged by current security challenges and warned politicians against “playing politics with sensitive security matters’’.
Speaking at the dialogue, sponsored by the Canadian Embassy, is organised by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, an international outfit, the Senator said that politicians would be “gravely mistaken’’ if they ever assumed that conflict would simply come to a halt “once APC, PDP, APGA or any other political contraption ascends to power at any level’’.
Pwajok regretted that Nigeria’s leaders had consistently disregarded early warnings and even outcries that foreign elements were involved in the Plateau crises, and expressed relief that the federal government had woken by closing up the porous borders.
The law maker advised communities participating in the mediation talks to have open minds and be frank in their submissions, and advised that memories of past sufferings, the presence of orphans and the plight of victims, should not obstruct forgiveness.

Zamfara

Zamfara State Hisbah Commission, has arrested 50 un
der aged girls caught frolicking in the night in Gusau, its Chairman, Malam Aminu Aliyu, has said.
Aliyu told newsmen in Gusau that those caught were mostly under 18, and daughters of some rich people in the city.
He said that following a tiff-off, officials of the commission raided various spots in Gusau, where the girls and their male escorts operate, to effect the arrest.
“The girls were meeting men to commit sinful acts, particularly at night”, he said, adding that the male escorts took to their heels on sighting the hisba officials.
The chairman disclosed that the the commission had written letters inviting the parents of the girls for counselling before their wards would be released to them.