Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The first batch of Christian pilgrims from Bauchi State last Sunday left for Abuja on their way to Jerusalem for pilgrimage.
The state Head of Service and the leader of the delegation, Mr Abdin Dalla-Gin, said while addressing the prospective pilgrims that arrangements had been concluded to stop any pilgrim from defecting in Israel.
Dalla-Gin also called on the pilgrims to pray for peace in the state and Nigeria at large.
He said government had given the assurance the operation would be hitch-free.
Borno
Senator Ali Ndume (PDP-Borno), says, said security agen
cies in the country have the capacity to end the insurgency in the North East.
Ndume, who made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, also urged the security agencies to take proactive measures to end the Boko Haram insurgency.
“Boko Haram is a calamity that befell our country but I think our security agencies have the capacity to end the whole thing in a short time.
“I think the problem we are having is that of strategy. The security agencies need to apply new strategy to end the problem’’, he said.
Ekiti
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, has warned
against any effort to distort the history of the Yoruba race so as not to jeopardize the people’s culture and misinform the younger generation.
The monarch gave the warning in Ado-Ekiti last Monday, at the launch of “Ekiti Historical and Royal Compendium”, a book written by all traditional rulers in Ekiti State.
Sijuade lamented that those involved in the distortion of the history of the Yoruba people had reduced the race to a “laughing stock”.
The Ooni said that for centuries, the Yoruba race had no “other source than the cradle, Ile-ife”, regretting, however, that many facts about the existence of the race had been distorted.
FCT
The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) said
it had constituted a task team to complete ongoing rehabilitation of roads to ensure they became functional throughout the Christmas season.
The Chairman of the agency, Mr Jide Adeniji, told newsmen in Abuja that the team would specifically ensure that the rehabilitated roads were free for motorists especially during the festive season.
“We have already constituted a task team for free passage of vehicles during the yuletide for the 34,120 kilometre-road network.
“Last year I went on air and said if there is a failure nobody should take Mr President for such a failure, they should hold me responsible. And by the special grace of God most of the roads are passable”.
Gombe
Malam Umar Adamu, Chairman of the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU), Gombe State University (GSU) chapter, has expressed concern over the exodus of Nigerian students to other countries for studies.
Adamu, who criticised the situation, said in Gombe last Monday that it was not for the educational development of the country. He expressed concern over the movement of the students to other countries that had lesser quality of staff.
He said the problems in the education system in the country was attributable to incessant and lingering crises in the sector.
The chairman advised government to honour its agreement with the union to restore confidence in the system.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State command of the Nigeria Security and
Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has in its custody, a 23-year-old man (name withheld) who allegedly threatened to kill his father.
The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr Muhammad Gidado, newsmen in Dutse that the suspect was arrested in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The commandant said “the father told us that the suspect came home drunk and he (the father) tried to counsel him to desist from taking drugs.
“The suspect then brought out a knife and threatened to kill the father if he did not leave him alone.’’
Kaduna
The Federal Government, said the planned deregulation
of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry was to ensure availability of products to Nigerians.
The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, said this in Kaduna during an inspection tour of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).
Maku said deregulation was the best solution to problems in the sector.
He added that middlemen and other players in the industry had taken advantage of government’s monopoly in the industry to shortchange the country.
Kwara
A group, the Magaji/Alangua Forum in Ilorin, has called
on politicians in Kwara to shun politics with bitterness in order to ensure steady development of the State.
The group made the call in a statement signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Abdulwahab Issah, and made available to newsmen in Ilorin.
The statement said the high chiefs in five local government areas of the emirate, including Issah, the Alajagusi of Ajagusi in Asa LGA, appealed to the politicians to bury their differences.
In the statement, the chiefs urged the politicians to work together in peace and harmony in the interest of the people and the development of the state.
Lagos
A Catholic cleric, Rev. Father Philip Obasi, has described
advent “as a time of repentance and holiness in preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ.’’
Obasi, an Associate Parish Priest, Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Alaba, Lagos, made the remark while delivering his homily.
The homily was delivered at St. Anthony Catholic Church out-station, Okoko in a Holy Mass to commemorate the second week in advent.
He called on Christians to imbibe the virtue of repentance, so as to demonstrate true Christian faith.
“‘It is a time for repentance and holiness, in preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. There is need for Christians to have deep sober reflections on their daily lives.
Nasarawa
Governor Umar AI-Makura of Nasarawa State has presented N21.4 billion Supplementary Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly for consideration.
Majority Leader of the House, Mr Godiya Akwashiki, who presented the governor’s letter, said the bill was to address the security challenges facing the state.
The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Ahmed Musa, directed the Clerk to schedule the bill for further legislative action.
Governor AI-Makura had on December 2, 2012, submitted a budget estimate of N107 billion for 2013.
Niger
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has ordered the enforcement of the traffic law banning the operations of commercial motorcyclists in Minna from Jan. 2, 2014.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Danladi Ndayebo, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, made available to newsmen in Minna.
The statement said adequate arrangements had been made to cushion the effect of the ban.
It added that the Ministry of Transportation had received 1,000 tricycles in addition to eight units of 18-seater buses.
Ogun
The Ogun State government said that it had earmarked N400 million and flood control in 2014.
The state Commissioner for Envrionment, Mr Ayo Olubori, made this known in Abeokuta while defending the 2014 budget proposal of the ministry at the House of Assembly complex.
Olubori also said that the ministry had proposed N513 million for the purchase of trucks for effective service delivery adding that the ministry would construct 8,303-metre-long drainage channels across the three senatorial districts of the state.
The commissioner put the targeted for 2014 at N157.3 million while N2.2 billion had been budgeted as total expenditure.
He further said that N878 million was budgeted as recurrent expenditure while N1.3 billion was earmarked for capital expenditure.
Plateau
Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Jos has called on Christians to emulate people with exemplary lives like former South African President, Nelson Mandela.
Kaigama made the call during his pastoral visit to the Church of Immaculate Conception (CIC) Parish, Zaramaganda, Jos.
The Archbishop said that by emulating good people, their legacy would continue to impact on society.
“The Catholic Church had long identified such and had been immortalising people that lived righteous and exemplary lives as saints.
Nation
Gombe Opens Bid For Construction Of Three-Arm Zone Project
Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation has opened bids for the construction of three arms zone complexes within the Gombe Capital Special Development Zone which held at the Ministry’s conference hall.
Speaking while presiding over the bid opening proceedings, the Commissioner, Engr. . Usman Maijama’a Kallamu assured the bidders that the bid opening would be carried out using procurement process which is based on specific regulations that are credible, fair, and transparent.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alh. Idris Yambiu Buba said that the Ministry will continue to align itself for optimal results in the implementation of government policies and projects in line with Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s commitment to bringing development to the State.
While assuring the bidders of a transparent process, the SSA to the Governor on Special Project, Arch. Yakubu Mamman thanked Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his foresight in infrastructural development of the State, adding that government is committed to ensuring that all bidders had an equal chance to participate and compete based on merit to maintain standards and specifications.
Nation
Gov Mbah Signs Bill To Establish Teaching Hospital In Enugu
Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, yesterday, signed the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Teaching Hospital Bill 2024 into Law, promising to expedite action to actualise the teaching hospital immediately to provide quality training and healthcare services in the Enugu North part of the State and the State in general.
Mbah, while commending the Enugu State House of Assembly for accelerating action on the processing and passage of the Executive Bill, said that establishing SUMAS Teaching Hospital was in line with his manifesto.
He said, “What we have done by signing into law the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences Teaching Hospital Bill is that we now have in place a legal framework to immediately begin to put in place all that is required to upgrade SUMAS to a teaching hospital. This is part of our campaign promises and we are committed to delivering on that expeditiously.
“We believe that the importance and significance of siting a teaching hospital in our Enugu North zone can never be lost on us. So, we are not going to spend any time in making sure that everything that is necessary and required to upgrade and get the teaching hospital operational is put in place. With this Law, we are going to redouble our commitment and our efforts to achieve that.”
He assured the Governing Council and the Management of SUMAS of his continued support, adding that his administration would equally be counting on their pedigree and contacts to bring the teaching hospital to fruition in record time.
“We are going to continue to support you and we are also going to continue to count on your experience, network, and profile in raising resources to actualize the project.
“This year alone, we are going to spend 33 per cent of our budget on education. This underscores the importance of education to this administration. So, be sure to come to us whenever there is a need. We are going to support you because we are interested in education and we are investing heavily in it,” he said.
On his part, the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu, who also spoke at the Bill signing witnessed by the Chairman of SUMAS Governing Council, Msgr. Obiora Ike, and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. James Ogbonna, and top hierarchies of the institution, commended Governor Mbah’s speed and faithfulness in delivering on his campaign promises. He assured that the House of Assembly was ever ready to fast-track every executive bill that would impact positively on the state and its people.
“We promised we are going to support this administration by doing our job expeditiously to ensure that there is no delay in your delivery of democracy dividends to our people. Therefore, the SUMAS Teaching Hospital Bill received expedited hearing and today you have the signing of the bill into law,” he stated.
Nation
Ododo Applauds Security Agencies Over Rescue Of 43 Bus Passengers
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo has applauded security agencies in the State for their efforts in the rescue of 43 bus passengers.
The Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Ismaila Isah disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
The statement noted that the governor welcomed the news of the release of the abducted bus passengers in Okehi Local Government Area of the State and called for sustained collaboration between security agencies and local communities to improve intelligence gathering and prevent crime and criminality in all parts of the state.
Ododo commended the caretaker chairman of Okehi LGA, Mr Amoka Eneji, the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Professional Hunters, Ebira Local Hunters Group and other security agencies for their intervention, which led to the rescue of the passengers who were abducted outside the state.
“Governor Ododo also commends the response of security agencies to the robbery incidence in Felele area of Lokoja and called for more urgency in addressing cases of insecurity in any part of the state.
“The Governor reassured the people of the state that his administration will not relent in its efforts in deploying maximum resources to ensure that all communities in the state remain unsafe for criminal elements.”
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