Nation
THE STATES
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State (middle), Acting President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Garba Muhammad (2nd left) and members of the Guild, during a courtesy visit to the Governor in Sokoto on Friday. Photo: NAN
Adamawa
The Grand Khadi of Adamawa Sharia Court of Appeal,
Justice Mohammed Mahmood, has urged proprietors of private schools in the state, to place humanitarian interest above financial benefit profit in their operations.
Mahmood made the call at the graduation ceremony of Ahmadu Ribadu College, Yola.
Mahmood, who was the chairman of the occasion, said providing education was a service to humanity and should not be reduced to ‘profit-making venture’.
The Grand Khadi,who was represented by the Registrar, Shariah Court of Appeal, Barr. Hashimu Suleiman, urged government to always monitor the operations of private schools, to ensure standard.
He lauded Ribadu College for remaining one of the best private schools in the state, and urged its management to sustain the standard.
Bauchii
Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State, has
pledged to pay workers’ salaries when due to enable them carry out their responsibilities.
Abubakar made the pledge in Bauchi while exchanging views with members of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), led by its Chairman, Mr Hashimu Gital.
He emphasised that the state government would pay workers’ salaries promptly after settling debts inherited from the previous administration.
Abubakar assured them that he would continue to engage the organised labour to enable it to contribute its quota to the development of the state.
He said that the administration would exhibit prudence and transparency in handling the resources of the state at its disposal and execute people-oriented projects.
The governor commended the labour movement in the country for its role during the electoral process that ushered in the new administration into office.
He, therefore, urged the workers in the country to support the new administration to enable it to excel.
FCT
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has commenced
investigations into alleged police misconduct in the country in line with its constitutional mandate.
In a statement, the head, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, the Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission, Mr Ikechukwu Ani said that the action followed several reports in the media and the public on allegations of unlawful police actions.
It said that all police officers involved in serious cases of misconduct would henceforth appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the commission.
“The chairman of the commission has directed that cases of gross police misconduct should subsequently be treated with dispatch,“ he said.
It said that the commission was already looking into three cases of alleged police misconduct across the country.
“They are an alleged brutalisation of an eight month pregnant woman at the Satellite Area of Lagos State who was said to have lost her pregnancy due to an alleged police indiscretion.
Gombe
Head of Forestry unit of Yamaltu/Deba Local Govern
ment Council in Gombe State has confirmed the killing of a notorious hippopotamus in Dadinkowa dam that has been terrorising the community for the past two years.
He told newsmen in Gombe that the bulky animal, apart from terrorising people, had also been destroying crops and fishing facilities of fishermen in the area.
“We discovered it about two and half years ago, but unfortunately, it has become very notorious and dangerous to people. “The community wrote to the local government council, complaining about the threat of the animal and we forwarded same to the Ministry of Environment, seeking the approval of the Governor to take action.
“We received the approval last week, and decided to go hunting for it, an exercise that took us one week before the animal was finally spotted.
Jigawa
Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State, has ap
proved the dissolution of the executive committee of the state chapter of Youth Council of Nigeria (YCN).
This is contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Adamu Abdulkadir,which was made available to our correspondent yesterday in Dutse.
It said the dissolution was with immediate effect.
The statement quoted Abdulkadir saying that the dissolution followed a conflict rocking the council.
It explained that a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the council had been constituted.
Kaduna
The Nigerian Air Force has promised to build the capac
ity of its personnel to enable them to deal with the current security challenge in the country.
The Chief of Air Staff, AVM Sadiq Abubakar, made the promise when he addressed the officers and men of the Nigeria Air Force Base (NAF), in Kaduna.
He also stressed that the new leadership of the air force would lay emphasis on personnel capacity, maintenance and stability of airplanes.
The air force chief, who was on familiarisation visit to the base, said he would undertake in depth assessment of their needs in order to strengthen their capacity to meet the challenges of the time.
Kano
The Kano State Government says fertilisers will hence
forth be distributed through Community Reorientation Committee (CRC), which had replaced the Mobile Phone Distribution System.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Yusuf Gawuna, made this known to newsmen in Kano recently.
Represented by Public Relations Officer to the Commissioner, Alhaji Garba Yunusa, Gawuna said the fertilisers would also be distributed to farmers at subsidised rate of N3,500 per bag instead of its market price of N5000.
“The new method of distribution is aimed at ensuring that the fertilisers reached the local farmers.
“The distribution through the CRC would foster effective delivery of the commodity to the grassroots farmers’’, he said.
Lagos
Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has approved the
release of N11 billion to offset all pension liabilities in the state accrued since 2010.
This is contained in a statement by the state’s Head of Service, Mrs Shade Jaji, in Lagos.
Jaji said that the move was to bring succour to all retirees in the state’s public service.
She said that release of the fund was also part of measures by government to find a holistic solution to payment of pension to retirees under the PAY AS YOU GO scheme.
She added that accrued pension rights due to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme would also be taken care of.
Nasarawa
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has
tasked members of the public to report irresponsible and corrupt officers to higher police authorities for disciplinary action.
Arase, represented by the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG), Research and Planning, Mr Christopher Katso, gave the charge at a meeting with members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
He said that the new concept of policing in Nigeria was geared toward adequate involvement of the public in line with international best practice.
“One of the critical tools needed for effective policing is information and members of the public are in a better position to supply these information since police officers cannot be everywhere at all times,” he said.
Osun
The newly appointed Chancellor of the Obafemi
Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has assured its management of his readiness to partner with other stakeholders to improve the university.
This is contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, made available to newsmen, in Ile-Ife.
Abubakar, who is also the Etsu Nupe, said this when the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole, led his management team to pay a courtesy call on him and presented to him his letter of appointment from the Federal Government.
The monarch lauded the administrative ingenuity of the university led by Omole.
He promised to put in his best to do more and build on the achievement of his predecessors, adding that it was a rare privilege for him to be appointed as the chancellor of a first-class, world-rated university like the OAU.
Plateau
Stakeholders have criticised the Nigerian education sys
tem, describing the processes leading to securing admission into the tertiary institutions as “exploitative’’.
Some of them, who spoke with newsmen in Plateau, Benue and other states in the North-Central geo-political zone, held that the hurdles were not only expensive, but energy-sapping and strenuous.
Gunsling Yarlings, Chairman, Plateau Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, said that there were too many examinations before admissions are offered, especially into the universities.
“The process starts with the purchase of the JAMB form, for which you must buy a scratch card and look for a cybercafé, to fill out the form.
“After the examination, which may be in some far away state, the candidate will have to buy another scratch card, to check the result.
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.
