Nation
THE STATES
Senate President Bukola Saraki (left) welcoming the British High Commissioner, Mr Andrew Pocock who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja last Friday .With them are Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu (2nd left) and Sen. Dino Melaye.
Benue
Some farmers in Benue State have urged the state gov
ernment to establish marketing boards in order to check excesses of middlemen who buy off their farm produce.
They told newsmen in Makurdi that they are suffering in the hands of such middlemen, who offer them peanuts for their produce.
A rice farmer, Mr Bernard Yuhe, said such marketing boards would help curtail the excesses of middlemen who were bent on short-changing farmers.
He noted that the activities of middlemen had discouraged farmers from embarking on large scale farming because they were not getting the desired monetary value for their farm produce.
Mrs Cecilia Atim, a groundnut farmer, said they faced enormous challenges in the hands of middlemen, who buy off their produce to re-sell to major marketers outside the communities.
Borno
The National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA) said on Thursday that it had commenced distribution of drugs in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri.
The agency said this was part of its efforts to enhance the living conditions of the displaced persons.
The NEMA Information Officer in the North-East, Mallam Abdulkadir Ibrahim, said this in a statement in Maiduguri.
Ibrahim said that the Zonal Coordinator of the agency, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar, conducted the distribution of the items in all the 22 IDPs camps in Maiduguri, on behalf of the Director-General, Alhaji Mohammed Sidi.
Ibrahim said that NEMA was also collaborating with Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other stakeholders to ensure adequate welfare for IDPs.
FCT
The Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action
(PRAWA), an NGO, has called for proper rehabilitation and empowerment of prison inmates in order to evolve a better and safer society.
The Executive Director of PRAWA, Mrs Uju Agomoh, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Agomoh, who decried prison congestion in Nigeria, stressed the need for the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) to do more in prison de-congestion by rehabilitating inmates in line with international best practice.
She called for the expansion and upgrading of the NPS vocational skills acquisition programme for inmates so as to serve as a source of empowerment for them.
She said apart from the rehabilitation of inmates, there should be adequate focus on training and capacity building for prison officials, police officers and other stakeholders in the criminal justice sector.
Jigawa
The Fulbe-Fulako Association of Nigeria, a Fulani so
cial group, said on Wednesday that it had concluded arrangements to plant 2.5 million neem seedlings to combat desertification in Jigawa.
Alhaji Y’au Muhammad, the National Vice Chairman of the association, made this known while briefing newsmen on the activities of the association in Dutse.
Muhammad said the exercise would be conducted in all nomadic settlements across the 27 local government areas of the state, adding that the initiative was part of the association’s corporate social responsibility in the state.
He said the association would employ casual workers from among nomadic children to be responsible for the growth of the seedlings.
Kaduna
A total of 114 condemned inmates at Kaduna Central
Prison, the Controller, Mr Abubakar Garba, said in Kaduna.
Garba made the disclosure when Governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State visited the prison at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The controller said that 11 of the condemned inmates, including a woman, were from Kaduna State.
He, however, appealed to the governor to commute the death sentence of the 11 inmates to life imprisonment in line with section 212 of the Constitution.
The controller expressed concern that over 800 out of the 1,000 inmates were awaiting trial at the prison constructed since 1915 meant for only 547 prisoners.
Lagos
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has said
that the policy thrust of his administration would be centered on community development.
Ambode, represented by his Deputy, Dr Oluranti Adebule, made this known at the Lagos House, Alausa during a meeting with members of the Neighbourhood Watch and Community Development Committees (CDC) in the state.
He said that his administration would give back government to the communities.
The Governor also appreciated the contributions of the Neighbourhood Watch members to the maintenance of law and order in the communities.
He said that there was need for them to embark on self-appraisal in order to ensure that the members live up to the expectations of the public.
Nasarawa
Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Suleiman Dikko, has
appealed to Governor Umaru Al-Makura to give urgent attention to the welfare of retired judges in the State.
Dikko made the appeal at a Valedictory Special Court Session in honour of retired and late superior judges in the state.
Dikko added that the welfare of judiciary staff would not have been a problem if the judicial arm of the government in the state was given financial autonomy.
He, however, promised to put machinery in place to reposition the judiciary in order to ensure speedy administration of justice in the state.
Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Lafia Branch, Mr Gabriel Akaka, prayed for the retirees and wished them well in their future endeavours.
Ondo
Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has re
iterated his administration’s commitment to ensure environmental protection and cleanliness in the state.
Mimiko stated this while speaking with newsmen after a road walk to celebrate the World Environment Day (WED) with the state executive members in Akure.
The road walk began from Government House in Alagbaka en route Oba Adesida road and terminated at the Cathedral junction in the state.
The governor said that his administration would ensure that Akure, the Ondo State capital, remained the cleanest city in the country.
He said that the road walk became important to sensitise the people on the need to keep their environment clean and protect it, especially major roads and streets.
Mimiko further commended the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Sola Ebiseni, and his team for their commitment to the sustainability of the cleanliness of Akure and other towns in the state.
Oyo
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
in a combined six hours joint operation has raided and destroyed 24 hectares of cannabis plantation in Oyo state.
The joint operation was conducted by operatives from the NDLEA, the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Others were the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Oyo State Ministries of Natural Resources and Forest Reserve.
The operatives invaded and destroyed the illicit plantation at Seriki Centre of the Gambari Forest Reserve.
The NDLEA’s state Commander, Mrs Faboyede Omolade, described the operation as a major break through which would greatly impact on the fight against drug abuse.
Omolade said: “By June 28, the NDLEA will observe the United Nations Day Against Illicit Trafficking and Drug Abuse.
Plateau
A don of the University of Jos, Prof. Chikaike Ogbonna
of the Department of Community Medicine, University of Jos, has advised poultry farm owners to keep their environments clean to avoid the spread of Zoonotic.
Speaking at the 70th inaugural lecture of the University he said that Zoonoses were age long threats to human existence.
According to him, Zoonotic are diseases that are naturally and primarily transmissible from animal to humans.
The don said human beings who were in contact with animals on a daily basis were prone to the disease.
Ogbonna noted particularly that poultry farms in Nigeria were indiscriminately and widely spread both in rural and urban communities.
He said those engaged in this business have little or no knowledge on skills for bio-safety, saying that this was reason Avian Influenza had become one of the deadliest pandemic in human history.
Taraba
Some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Mutum-
Biyu, Taraba State, have called on the Federal and State Government to provide security for them to return home.
Malam Yusuf Akata, the spokesperson of the IDPs, told newsmen in Mutum-Biyu, near Jalingo, that they were tired of staying in the camp.
Akata said more than 2,500 people were forced out of Wukari in January. 2014, following series of attacks on the town.
He said life was increasingly becoming unbearable for them due to lack of basic facilities at the camp.
Akata also said that their children had been out of school for more than a year, adding that they had lost many of their relations to common illness due to lack of access to medical care.
The Executive Director, Sahara Group, Kola Adesina, has called on various stakeholders to promote energy access in Africa, as lack of energy costs Nigeria and other African countries over $110billion annually.
He also urged the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the need to galvanise the interest and support of various stakeholders to promote equitable global trade relations and energy access in Africa where almost 600 million live without electricity.
Adesina, who spoke on ‘Redirecting the World Trade Organisation’ at the virtual 2021 Horasis Global Meeting, said deploying multilateral engagements would help circumvent the status quo that has made global trade relations “somewhat lopsided.”
Horasis is one of the foremost annual meetings of the world’s leading decision-makers from business, government, and civil society.
Speaking on access to power in Africa, Adesina said the WTO should explore collaborating with the various stakeholders to accelerate the pace of technology needed to make alternative power cheaper and more accessible to the consumers.
Africa is home to 17 per cent of the world’s population, but accounts for just 4 per cent of global power supply investment.
On a per capita basis, power supply investment in Africa ranks among the lowest in the world and lack of energy costs the continent over $110billion annually.
“The Environmental Impact Analysis of conventional power sources should be the focal point of conversations with African presidents as well as key political and business leaders to ensure their support and agree to a collective and sustainable solution template.
“The WTO must ensure that multilateralism guides its decision-making. The countries of the world are not all on the same pedestal, there should be consideration for the poor countries.
“The WTO should create a system where countries come together to create a united front to handle the issues the world is facing,” he said.
Adesina explained that multilateral strategies would create “elastic solutions” that can be adapted with respect to the unique challenges and opportunities across global trade blocs.
He argued that while sustainability should be the ultimate driver of development, concessions need to be in place to effectively manage the current challenges of less developed continents.
He stated, “Africa still suffers from the twin challenge of access versus affordability of electricity. We all need each other to solve the global challenges we face as individual countries and the world.
“A strong commitment is needed to maintain open and free trade; to keep open borders and to help the poorest countries, particularly least developed countries, survive the economic shock created by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The Horasis session noted that with protectionism gaining steam globally, the WTO would need to reinforce its influence on stabilizing global trade negotiations.
Experts expect that the WTO, under the leadership of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala would spearhead effective reforms that would make the organization play a strategic role in promoting equity and transparency in the quest for global sustainable development.
The Management of the University of Ilorin says the institution is interacting with the Association of Landlords within its communities to ensure the protection of students.
Dean, Student Affairs, Unilorin, Prof. Lanre Ajibade, at a news conference in Ilorin yesterday assured that no stone would be left unturned toward ensuring safety of students.
According to Ajibade, the University has been engaging in consistent interactions with the landlord association of the communities to ensure students who live in the area enjoy the best treatment possible.
He said that although no fresh and returning student of the University was set to resume the 2021/2022 academic session, many live off campus, particularly within Tanke and the neighbouring communities,
He recalled the recent murder of a female student of the University and said management had been working vigorously with security agencies to ensure perpetrators of the heinous act were prosecuted.
The dean noted that the University was working assiduously with all the security agencies and other stakeholders within and outside the institution to ensure the safety of the community.
The University’s Chief Security Officer, Mr Abdulwasiu Oyewo, also said that his personnel were working day and night to provide maximum security in the area.
Oyewo said that the security officers were in constant patrol of the environment, adding that vehicles with tinted glasses and without registration number would not be allowed on campus.
Also, Officer-in-Charge of the Intelligence Unit in the University’s Security Division, Mr Ali Na’Allah, said that the unit would continue to engage in discreet information gathering on campus.
A 22-year-old unemployed man, Akinwunmi Rotimi, yesterday appeared in a Magistrates’ Court in Ota, Ogun for allegedly stealing two iPhones, an Hp Laptop and other valuables.
The police charged Rotimi, whose address was not provided, with two counts of burglary and stealing.
The Prosecution Counsel, Cynthia Ejezie, told the court that the defendant also stole N240,000.
Ejezie said that the defendant committed the offence on April 3 at about 4 a.m.at No.6 Ayoola Adeyinka, off Tetiku road, Owode-Ijako, Ota.
He said that the defendant broke into the house of the complainant, Mrs Adeleye Anike.
She said that the police from the Sango-Ota Police Station, tracked one of the phones to the defendant.
The offence, the prosecutor said, contravened the provisions of sections 383 (1) and 412 of the Criminal Code Vol.11, Laws of Ogun, 2006.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The counsel to the defendant, Mr Ambrose Aisedion, prayed the court to grant the defendant bail in the most liberal terms.
Magistrate Shotunde Shotayo admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N250, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Shotayo ordered that the sureties reside within the court’s jurisdiction and be gainfully employed with two-year tax payment to Ogun Government.
The case was adjourned until June 17 for a definite hearing.
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