Benue
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State said
that 33 aspirants had indicated interest to contest the governorship election on the platform of the party in 2015.
The Benue State Chairman of PDP, Dr Emmanuel Agbo, told newsmen in Makurdi that the party’s primaries must be free and fair.
Agbo said that all members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party had resolved to ensure that all candidates were given equal opportunities.
“33 aspirants have so far indicated their interest to contest the party’s governorship ticket in the forthcoming election.
Ekiti

No fewer than 21 political parties will participate in the
Ekiti State governorship election coming up on June 21.
The Ekiti State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission,(INEC) announced this in a statement in Ado-Ekiti recently.
Speaking to newsmen on the list, the spokesman of the Commission in the state Taiwo Gbadegesin said the list might  not be  final as some more might  still show interest while some that had already indicated interest might  choose to opt out.
He said INEC would not give special preference to any of the political parties, saying a level playing ground would be accorded all of them in every of its activities and actions.

FCT

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administra
tion and Control (NAFDAC) has warned the public against indiscriminate consumption of energy drink for  health reasons.
The Director, Pharmacovigilance and Post Market Surveillance Directorate of the agency, Mrs Adeline Osakwe, gave the warning in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
According to her, energy drinks are supplements that contained high caffeine and carbohydrate which are made to make a person hyper active.
“The effect of the caffeine in energy drink makes people to get high, to be stimulated and of course, it makes the person’s heart to beat faster”, he said.
“It can have adverse effects, especially when the person over uses them and it accumulates in the system. The caffeine in it can lead to increase in blood pressure.

Jigawa

The National Agency for Food And Drug Administra
tion and Control (NAFDAC) has threatened to close down any packaged water factory that failed to comply with water quality standard.
The state Director of the agency in Jigawa State, Mr Olaniran Olakunle, gave the warning at a meeting with members of the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP) in Dutse.
Olakunle said that NAFDAC would not spare any manufacturer of packaged water who produced unclean water.
”The penalty for not complying is closure of the factory and withdrawal of NAFDAC licence,” he said.
He explained that the agency had introduced Annual Monitoring of Water Quality Standard and Compliance for all water manufacturing facilities across the country.

Kaduna
No fewer than 50 journalists with different eye diseases
have benefited from free eye screening in Kaduna State.
The free eye screening was organised by the Kaduna state chapter of Nigeria Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ) recently.
The screening was to assist journalists overcome challenges associated with sight to enable them discharge their duties more effectively.
Mrs Juliana Oyoyo, the state chairperson of NAWOJ, said the free screening was to help journalists who used computers daily in the course of their work to correct whatever challenges they might have with their eyes.

Kebbi

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Office
in Kebbi State says it has executed 152 projects in 21 local government areas in the state.
The Consultant of the projects, Dr Balarabe Isah, made this known to newsmen in Aleiro Local Government Area when he inspected the projects.
He said that 122 projects were newly constructed while 30 were rehabilitated.
“The projects comprised solar-powered boreholes for water supply to rural communities and construction of staff quarters for staff at the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) centres.”
Isah said that the projects were 100 per cent completed, especially, water supply projects, adding that 90 per cent completion was recorded in the provision of staff quarters that had yet to be furnished.

Kwara

The Landmark University, Omu-Aran in Kwara State
is to partner with the British Council for educational development, Mrs Ngozi Osueke, the institution’s Corporate Affairs Officer, has said.
Osueke told newsmen in Omu-Aran that discussions on modalities and platform for the partnership was almost concluded.
According to her, the partnership became necessary for the institution to expand the scope of its academics and more importantly its agrarian revolution initiative.
“The university, in order to expand its major focus on its agrarian revolution, is currently working out the modalities for an all encompassing partnership with the British Council.

Lagos

The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS)
said it sealed 15 companies in the last two weeks for failing to remit N34.7 million personal income taxes of their workers.
The Head, Distrain Unit, of LIRS, Mrs Folasade Coker-Afolayan, said this last Sunday in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
She said that the tax liabilities were for period ranging from one year to three years.
Coker-Afolayan reiterated that tax payment was a civic responsibility of citizens whose proceeds were being used by government to provide the infrastructure.
“Tax is a major source of government revenue. It enables government to provide infrastructure and improve citizens’ standard of living,” she said.

Ondo
The police have arraigned a 52-year-old man, Osagbeue
Chuks, in an Akure Magistrates’ Court for impersonation, unlawful possession and theft of books from Ondo State High Court library.
The prosecutor, Insp. Martins Olowofeso, alleged that the accused stole the books on March 12 from the library in Akure.
“The accused stole 12 copies of different volumes of the Nigeria Supreme Court case books valued N400,000, property of Ondo State High Court of Justice.
He said that the accused impersonated a lawyer in order to gain access to the  library.

Ogun
Ogun State Government has begun the distribution of
Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) to residents across the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Olaokun Soyinka, said that community members had been given net cards during a nine-day household mobilisation held between February 21 and March 1.
He said that the collection of nets would be between March 15 and 19 at respective distribution points across the 20 Local Councils Areas of the state.
Our correspondent reports from some distribution points that residents thronged the venues in large number queuing to collect the nets.

Oyo

The Group Managing Director, Odu’a Investment Com
pany Ltd., Mr Adebayo Jimoh, has called for the adoption of “we-can-do-it” mind-set of the Koreans as a means of developing the nation’s human capital.
Jimoh made the call, while delivering the Distinguished Alumnus Lecture organised by the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, Ibadan.
Our correspondent reports that the lecture was entitled: “Challenges of Human Capital Development”.
He said that in addition to educating the people, the promotion of an entrepreneurship culture would assist the nation in becoming a technological base driven nation.

Plateau
President Goodluck Jonathan has commended Governor
Jonah Jang, for his strides in transforming Plateau.
Jonathan, represented by Vice President Nnamdi Sambo, gave the commendation in a thanksgiving service to mark the 70th birthday of Jang in Du, Jos South Local Government Area recently.
He said that the achievements of Jang had impacted positively on the lives of the people of Plateau.
“Jang has transformed the state through various projects in the health, agricultural, education and in the construction of roads, and in the construction of the very first flyover in the state”, he said.

Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Lawalli Zayyana, speaking at the opening of a conference organized by the Faculty of Science, Sokoto State University, in Sokoto, last Monday.