L-R: Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja 11, wife of the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Melva Perez De Trejo, Ambassador of Cuba, Carios Trejo Sosa and Deputy Ambassador, Miriam Morales Palmero, during a reception organised by the Ooni for African Ambassadors and other countries that claim Yoruba Descent, at the Cuban Embassy in Abuja on Thursday.

Bauchi

Eighty inmates of Bauchi Prison have completed a train
ing programme on preparation of detergents and cap washing, organised  by a corps member, Mr Sani Imam.
Speaking with newsmen at a ceremony organised for the inmates to display their new-found talent, Imam said the aim of the skills acquisition programme was to make the inmates productive upon release from prison.
“It is not easy for even graduates to secure employment now, talk-less of those released from prison.
“The little skills acquired here can make them to be self-reliant and they can also impart same knowledge on others after leaving the prison.
“Cap washing is a flourishing trade, especially in the far North, where the mode of dressing of most people is gown and cap,” he said.
In his remarks at the occasion, Bauchi State Co-ordinator of NYSC, Malam Musa Abubakar, noted that the trades were not capital intensive for any beginner and as such affordable to delve into.

FCT

The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Com
mission (NCPC), Mr John-Kennedy Opara, said  that the commission recorded an increase of 65 per cent in pilgrimage self-sponsorship in 2015.
Opara said this when he featured the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum, the flagship programme of the agency in Abuja.
He said that Christian pilgrimage operations had hitherto been sponsored 100 per cent by the Federal and State Governments, adding that the withdrawal of government sponsorship made the commission to emphasise self-sponsorship.
According to him, even though there has been a steady decrease in terms of the total number of pilgrims, the commission has been recording increase in terms of the number of self-sponsored pilgrims.

Kaduna

The United States of America has  commenced training
exercise of at least 750 soldiers selected from various units of the Nigerian Army, battling Boko Haram.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 145 Battalion training, at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry (NASI), Jaji, the U.S. Ambassador James Entwistle, emphasised the need for other nations to join Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.
He said the training was a right step and the best approach to addressing the prolonged Boko Haram attacks in the north-eastern part of Nigeria.
”Nigeria, U.S. partnership extends beyond immediate gains, we need to work together to rebuild the North-East. We are two great democracies and we do many great things together,” he stressed.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, said “the excellent relationship has led to several joint initiatives one of which is the commitment of the United States and her military to assist Nigeria in professionalising our security forces.K

Kebbi

The All Progressives Congress(APC) in Kebbi State has
announced the suspension of a member of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Sani Idris (Zuru constituency).
The APC Public Relations Officer in the state, Alhaji Sani Dododo, made this known to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi recently. Dododo said that the suspension was for alleged insubordination and disrespect to the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Samaila Yombe. Dododo, who is also a member of the Central Working Committee of the state APC, said the suspension was sequel to a report of the Zuru Local Government executive council on the incident.
He said the party would not tolerate any incident bordering on disrespect to leaders and elders of the party in the state.
“The party will not condone indiscipline and disrespect to leaders and duly constituted authority”, he said.

Lagos

Two Eko Hotel and Suites staff and a cab driver,  have
been charged before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos over alleged theft of chickens worth N55, 000.
The accused were, however, granted bail in the sum of N100, 000 each with two sureties in like sum.
Olabode Jacob, 40, a steward, Sunday Ossoua, a gardener, 40 and Rapheal Addoho, a cab drive, 42 are facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Ingobo Emby, told the court that the accused committed the offences on February 12, at Eko Hotel and Suites, No. 14/15, Adetokunbo Ademola St., Victoria Island, Lagos.
He said that the accused allegedly conspired and stole the chicken, property of Eko Hotel and Suites.
“The accused were nearly lynched when they were caught and that would have been breach of peace,” he said.
Emby said that the offences contravened Sections 285 (7), 166 (d) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
“The Magistrate, Mr W. A. Balogun, ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and their addresses verified.
He adjourned the case to March 10 for mention.

Oyo

A total of 4,117 students have matriculated at The Poly
technic, Ibadan, for the 2015/2016 academic session.
A breakdown of the figure indicated that 2,500 were admitted for the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) while 1,617 were admitted for the Higher National Diploma (HND) in the five faculties. The Faculties are Engineering, Communication Studies, Environmental Studies, Financial Management Studies and Sciences. The Rector of the institution, Prof. Olatunde Fawole,  said that 59, 254, candidates made the polytechnic either their first or second choice for the OND while 6, 379, sought admission for HND. “ Out of this staggering number of applicants, only very few candidates were admitted, “ he said.  Fawole admonished the newly admitted students to keep away from associations that would tarnish their image and that of their families.

Ogun

The Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) has called on the Fed
eral Government to rescue the nation’s economy from collapse, due to the dwindling revenues of government.
The Chairman of the YUF, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Gbonigi, made the call at a meeting of the group, held at the country-home of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in Ikenne-Remo in Ogun.
Gbonigi said that the unofficial devaluation of the naira at the foreign exchange market was a pointer to the urgent attention the economy needed to arrest projected inflation.
He said that millions of jobs were already under threat, due to forex downturn and fall in crude oil price.
The chairman, therefore, urged the Federal Government to formulate policies to restore investors’ confidence in the Nigerian economy.
Plateau

Fire has gutted the female section of the Jos Central Mosque.
Our correspondent, who visited the scene of the inci
dent, observed that large flames had swallowed most parts of the entire Mosque.
The flames and smoke also covered houses and shops in the vicinities.
Mr Emmanuel Abu, spokesman of the Plateau Police Command, described the fire as “very serious and unfortunate”.
He said that a vehicle parked beside the Mosque caught fire and it spread to the Mosque.
“For now, we can confirm that no one was caught in the fire, but we have despatched our men to the scene to protect property.
“Once an incident like this happens, there are miscreants always taking that as an advantage to steal.
“We want to make sure that such did not happen,” he said.

Sokoto

The World Bank has earmarked over 100 million dollars
for girl child education in five northern states in Nigeria, Dr Tunji Adekola, an official of the bank, said.
Adekola disclosed this in Sokoto at the inauguration of the state chapter of the Nigeria Partnership for Education Project.
He listed the benefitting states as Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa and Kaduna.
Adekola said that the four-year project was aimed aimed at improving access to and quality of basic education, especially for the girl-child in the states.
“The project is also aimed at improving the issue of equity in education as well as ensuring uniformity in access for all to education.
“This is the bring back the out of school children to schools and also improve gender parity between boys and girls,” he said.

Zamfara

Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State says he has  never spent public funds on any foreign trip, challenging critics to prove him wrong.
The governor, who spoke through his Information and
Culture Commissioner, Ahaji Umar Jibo Bukkuyum, also explained that what he had done and was still doing, was to move the state forward developmentally.
He said instead of spreading unfounded rumours, people, should pray for the leaders to succeed in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The commissioner added that contracts for a number of roads to be constructed in the state had been awarded by the government in addition to the ones that had been completed, stressing that recently over N1 billion was released for payment of WAEC and NECO for students.