Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, last Friday offered to partner with the Bauchi State Government to boost youth development.
Al- Mustapha , who is the President, Unity and Development Initiative (APUDI), an NGO, made the plea when he led members of the management team of the organisation on a courtesy call to the Bauchi State Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda ,in Bauchi.
He said that the organisation was creating new opportunities that would promote the well being of the younger ones.
Yuguda, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Musa Gumli , appealed to Al-Mustapha to take all that had happened to him as an act of God and forgive all those that erred.
Benue
The Executive Director, Environment and Climate Change Amelioration Initiative, an NGO, Mrs Victoria Esa, last Tuesday warned against bush burning and indiscriminate felling of trees.
Esa who gave the advice in an interview in Makurdi said bush burning and indiscriminate felling of trees were contributing to deforestation, erosion and global warming.
She urged the forestry departments at the state and federal levels to intensify efforts at reducing the massive felling of trees across the country.
Esa enjoined Nigerians to plant trees and flowers and nurture them to maturity in order to mitigate the effect of deforestation and its attendant consequences on the socioeconomic lives of the people.
FCT
The Chairman of Bwari Area Council in the FCT, Mr Peter Yohanna, has called on politicians, especially those in leadership position, to make judicious use of resources at their disposal, to promote grassroots development.
Yohanna who gave the advice on Monday in his address at the conferment of the award of “Friendliest Chairman” on him by the Bwari chapter of the Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators Association of Nigeria urged political office holders to be more prudent in the use of resources to ensure even spread of social amenities in the country.
Yohanna said that eradicating poverty was not only through hard work, but also by making use of available resources judiciously to solve problems affecting the people and advised the political class to always seek divine intervention in the face of leadership challenges, in order to be able to find solutions to the problems of the country.
Kano
Kano State Government has ordered polio workers to conduct house-to-house immunisation in the 44 local government areas of the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran, who gave the directive on Monday while monitoring the exercise in Garun Malam, Bebeji and Madobi local government areas said the workers should not wait for parents to bring their children to them for immunisation but to ensure that they entered the houses and immunise each of the targeted children.
He, however, commended parents for bringing their children below five years for immunisation centres and also commended traditional and religious leaders as well as voluntary organisations for working to ensure the success of the immunisation.
Katsina
The Katsina State House of Assembly last Tuesday passed the 2014 appropriation bill of N113.3 billion.
The passage followed the report on the budget presented by the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Alhaji Abdu Danshehu.
The state government, had in December 2013, presented the budget of N113.6 billion with a surplus of N609 million before the House.
The House, however, made some minor adjustments by reducing the budget to N113.3 billion with a surplus of N259 million.
Danshehu commended the various ministries and parastatals agencies for the way and manner they defended their budgets before the committee.
Kebbi
The Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Sama’ila Mera, last Tuesday called on Kebbi State Government to enter into partnership with the Republic of Rwanda to develop the tourism potentials in the state.
Mera, made the call in Argungu when he received the Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Joseph Habineza, during a courtesy visit to his palace.
He said the partnership would favour the state, “considering the fast rate of recovery of Rwanda after its internal crisis”.
The emir noted that Rwanda had taken measures that have enhanced the country’s tourism, turning it into a major source of revenue.
Kogi
More than 10,000 unemployed graduates have applied to fill 60 vacancies at the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service.
A competent source in the service said in Lokoja on Tuesday that the service had advertised for applications from suitably qualified candidates to be engaged as Revenue Trainee Officers noting that about 900 of the applicants had First Class and Second Class Upper Division degrees as well as Distinction and Upper Credit at HND level.
It was gathered that government embarked on the recruitment drive to harness fresh brains following its resolve to reposition the service for operational efficiency in conformity with international best practises in tax administration.
Kwara
Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara State on Tuesday presented a list of 16 nominees to the state House of Assembly for confirmation as commissioners in the state executive council.
The governor’s request contained in a message read by the Speaker of the House, Mr Rasaw Atunwa, during plenary was in consonance with Section 192, Sub-section 125 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The nominees are Mr Amos Aboyeji from Oyun Local Government Area; Alhaji Issa Kayode, Moro; Alhaji Aliu Mohammed, Asa; Alhaji Shaaba Umar, Edu; and Alhaji Abubakar Mora, Kaima.
Ondo
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Zone B, has advocated better wage for all media practitioners across the country.
A statement by the zonal Vice President, Mr Dele Atunbi on Monday in Akure described the monthly take home of media practitioners as a “slave wage’’.
According to the union, the disparity in the take home of media practitioners and other civil servants is economic dehumanisation, deprivation and marginalisation.
It pointed out that the media in collaboration with other well-meaning Nigerians fought for the independence of the country.
Osun
A peace advocate, Mr Ajibola Owolabi, has described the directive by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to its National Assembly members to block all executive bills as “counterproductive’’.
Owolabi, the Executive Director of Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI), an NGO, said in Osogbo on Monday that the essence of formation of political associations was to mobilise the people and make them conscious of the ideal of good governance.
According to him, party politics should not be personalised at the detriment of the people if the political party really exists for the wellbeing of the people adding that blocking a budget would portray a political party as anti-people.
Oyo
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Ladoke Akintola, University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin, and two others have won the 2013 African Growth and Development Policy Modelling (AGRODEP) innovative grant.
According to a statement from the Vice-Chancellor’s office and made available to newsmen last Monday in Ogbomoso. Gbadegesin, Prof. Joshua Ajetumobi of LAUTECH’s Agricultural Economics and Extension Department and Prof. Olusanya Ajakaiye of the African Centre for Shared Development and Capacity Building, Ibadan won the grant.
Plateau
The Public Complaints Commission in Plateau State resolved 301 cases and recovered N82 million for complainants in Plateau last year, the commission said in a statement in Jos on Tuesday.
Its Director of Investigation, Mrs H.H. Isandu, said it received a total of 598 complaints in the year with 297 cases still pending.
Of the monies recovered, the statement said that some were unpaid salaries while others were terminal benefits and recoveries from breaches of trust.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government last Friday in Sokoto conducted a mass wedding for 125 couples.
The wedding prayer (Fatiha) conducted at the Government House, Sokoto was presided over by Gov. Aliyu Wamakko and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, who was represented by Alhaji Rilwanu Bello, the Magajin Rafin Sokoto.
Wamakko said that the gesture was aimed at further reducing the problems associated with the high number of unmarried youths and urged the new couples to uphold the trust reposed in them by the state government.
Taraba
The Acting Governor of Taraba, Alhaji Garba Umar, on Monday in Jalingo signed the 2014 Appropriation Bill of N83.33 billion into law.
The budget figure was reviewed by the House of Assembly from N79.66 billion to N83.33 billion.
Umar said that N41.70 billion of the budget was for recurrent expenditure, while N41.63 billion was earmarked for capital expenditure.
The Alliance Française Port Harcourt in conjunction with the Embassy of France Nigeria over the weekend joined the globe to campaign against the 2025 gender- based violence (GBV) with the theme: “16 Days of Activism Against Gender- Based Voice”
The event which took place at the event Hall of the Alliance Française Port Harcourt was in collaboration with the Female in Gaming Network, ( FIGN) and partnership with Nexal a body that seeks to promote online safety and responsible digital behaviour.
The Tide reports that the project which was aimed at promoting digital safety and girls inclusion in Gaming, with the initiative tagged ‘Gameover Gender- Base Violence’was part of the global campaign against gender- based Violence.
The activity which experienced a flavour of festivity was full of fun and excitements as participants took part in tournaments on popular digital games such as Mario kart and EAFC 25, with an intent to creating safer and more inclusive digital spaces.
The Director of the Alliance Française Port Harcourt, Mrs Marina Lacal said that these activities were designed to encourage inclusion of girls, team work and fair play on online gaming spaces, saying that the gaming world reflects these inequalities, where female players are often under represented.
According to her the main objectives of the initiative was to provide a supportive environment for girls and female in gaming network.
“GameOverGBV” is a project created to reshape this landscape by offering an innovative inclusiveness of girls on online digital Gaming community and digital environments that provide opportunities for creativity, learning and connection, but also fight against Gender-Based Violence Digital Gaming,”she said
She however, explained that the Digital Game, sport competitions, was launched to strengthen social and digital skills through games, workshops, and raise awareness among all young participants about respect, equality and digital citizenship.
The Tide News reports that in Port Harcourt, the competition brought together 100 young participants from three major universities: University of Port Harcourt, ( UNIPORT),Ignatius Ajuru University of Education(IAUE) and Rivers State University (RSU)as well as students from four selected secondary schools, Oginigba comprehensive Secondary.School, Vine lnternational, Virgo predicanda lnternational, and Excellent Montessori Secondary school.
“This is an approach where girls and boys can learn, play and collaborate in a more respectful and safe space for young women, while ensuring a safe, enjoyable and respectful digital environment. It also expose young women to cyberbullying, exclusion, sexist comments and online hate,” Mrs. Lacal said.
Earlier, a game developer Sophia Nei and her. team had engaged participants in an interactive session with the theme: “Can Video Games Be Safe Spaces For Girls?”
However, Mrs Nei and her team educated the girls on the benefits and violence on online digital gaming and urged them ( participants)to learn to say ‘No’ to Online hate, sexist and cyber bullying, while encouraging them(students) to stand up for themselves by reporting such issues to the appropriate authority.
Highlight of the competition was the awarding of prizes to winners by the Director of Alliance Française, Mrs Marina Lacal.
