Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) office in Benue State will train 2,691 youths on digital marketing skills, according to Mrs. Magdalene Dura, a Special Adviser to the Governor.
Dura, adviser on Development Cooperation, SDGs and NEPAD, told newsmen on Friday in Makurdi that the training would commence on April 4.
She said that the digital marketing skills would enable the youths acquire more skills in ICT and food technology, to enhance the processing of food items for exportation.
The official said that the training was in partnership with Google Nigeria, through its vendor, Mind the Gap, on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis.
Borno
The police in Borno State last Sunday confirmed that three suspected male suicide bombers were killed in separate foiled attacks in Muna and Dusuman village at the outside of Maiduguri.
The spokesman of the state police command Mr Victor Isuku disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri.
Isuku said that the first incident happened around Muna garage near the entrance of the city when two suspected male bombers were killed.
“Today, at about 0438 hour, two male suicide bombers detonated Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) strapped to their bodies near Alhaji Bukar Gujari Filling station in Muna Garage area at the entrance of Maiduguri.
“All the bombers died instantly without killing anybody”, Isuku said.
FCT
The Federal Government on Tuesday urged Nigerian youths to key into various vocational skills acquisition programmes as a way of unlocking their potentials and reducing unemployment in the country.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, made the call in a statement signed by Mr Samuel Olowookere, Deputy Director of Press in the ministry.
Ngige said this in Kano while addressing the graduands of the Ganduje Auto-Mechanic Training and Empowerment Scheme, Kano Zonal staff and management of parastatal under the ministry and the Industrial Training Funds.
“Training of the youths in vocational trade is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari led administration’s cardinal objective on youth entrepreneurship and job creation.
Katsina
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State , said N417 million has been spent on digitization of the state television station (KTTV).
Masari announced this during the formal launching of digitisation of the state owned television station in Katsina.
“The government is ready to pump millions of Naira to make KTTV meet up the international television standard,’’ he said.
“We are ready to invest to make all our state media stations to provide 24 hours service as its being done by international media houses.
“We are ready to provide standard equipment as well as cameras that will make the state television station a centre of excellence,’’ he said.d.
Kogi
The Kogi State Government last Sunday confirmed a case of Lassa Fever in Angwan Kura Community, in the old market area of Lokoja, the state capital.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu, disclosed this in a statement.
He said a patient (male) who is a resident of Angwan Kura, Lokoja, reported at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja, with signs and symptoms suggestive of haemorrhagic fever.
Audu said: “this is to inform the general public that there has been a confirmed case of Lassa fever in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Lagos
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) last Friday said its men had arrested two travellers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos with cocaine and heroin.
Spokes person of the NDLEA, Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju, said in a statement in Lagos that one of the suspected drug traffickers hid cocaine in his boxer shorts and his luggage, while the other ingested heroin.
Ofoyeju said that one of them claimed to be an importer of jewellery, while the other said he was an auto parts dealer.
The NDLEA spokesperson said that cocaine, weighing 750 grammes, was found with the jewellery importer, while the auto parts dealer ingested 94 wraps of heroin, weighing 1.595kg.
Nasarawa
Rev. Dave Denji, of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ (ERCC), Glory Land, Lafia, Nasarawa State has challenged members of the media to stand for the truth and be committed to integrity, honesty and fairness.
He made the call during a thanksgiving and special prayer service for journalists and other media workers across the state.
Denji who, spoke on the topic “Tell the Truth” and quoted Proverbs 23.23 urged journalists to fight for the truth and take the issue of truth seriously.
“I urge journalists and media workers to always tell the truth no matter the situation they found themselves.
Ondo
The Ondo State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to constructing more roads in rural areas.
The Deputy Governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi, made the pledge while inspecting the construction of Sabomi-Idi-Itala – Irele link road in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.
Ajayi said the administration of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu had started fulfilling its campaign promises barely one month in office.
The deputy governor said the administration understood the pains residents of the area had been going through in transporting their farm produce to markets.
Osun
Fifty-four students of the Osun State University emerged with first class honours in the 2016/2017 academic session.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Labode Popoola, made this known at a news conference on Saturday at the university’s main campus, Osogbo.
Popoola said that the first class students and 1, 182 others would be awarded first degrees at the university’s convocation on April 6.
The vice chancellor said that 512 students made second class (upper division), 539, second class (lower division) and 129, third class.
Oyo
The wife of the governor of Oyo State, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has urged women not to relent in praying for the peace and stability of Nigeria.
The governor’s wife said this on Sunday during the quarterly prayer rally organised by the Women Intercessory Network (WIN) held at the Government House Arcade, Ibadan.
Ajimobi said the current economic recession in the country was a passing phase and expressed optimism that there would soon be a turnaround of the economy for the better.
She lauded the efforts of the present administration in its women oriented programmes and policies in the state.
Ajimobi, who reiterated the importance of prayers and fasting said that WIN, had served as a platform for shaping the state through consistent and strategic prayers.
Sokoto
A Coalition of Sokoto State Youths Associations (COYASS) has urged Nigerians to vote out corrupt politicians in 2019.
The Coordinator-General of the coalition, Mr AbdulRahman Umar, made the call while addressing newsmen in Sokoto State on Saturday.
“Nigerians have a myriad of choices in 2019. These include using the ballot papers to vote out any corrupt politician and this will help in consolidating the current gains of the anti corruption fight.
“ President Muhammadu Buhari is totally committed to taming the menace and a number of glaring achievements had so far been achieved in this direction.
“While hailing the president for achieving this feat, the coalition is cautioning against complacency.”
Umar welcomed the whistle blower’s policy introduced by the Federal Government.
He noted that the policy was already yielding fruits and advised that it should be strengthened with a view to making it more efficient.
Zamfara
Rep. Lawali Hassan, representing Anka/Talata-Mafara Federal Constituency in Zamfara State, has donated drugs worth N 1.8 million to the victims of meningitis outbreak in his constituency.
The state Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Sulaiman Gummi, had recently announced the outbreak of meningitis in all the 14 local government areas of the state.
No fewer than 80 people have lost their lives, while 500 patients are receiving treatment in health facilities across the state since the outbreak of meningitis.
The lawmaker, who presented the items through his foundation, “Dan’iya Foundation”, said that it was aimed at complementing both the State and Federal Governments’ efforts in tackling the menace.
Also, the foundation coordinator, Alhaji Yahayya Aliyu-SFawa, while presenting the drugs on behalf of the lawmaker, said that it was part of the donor’s contribution to tackle the outbreak.
Nation
Gombe Opens Bid For Construction Of Three-Arm Zone Project
Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation has opened bids for the construction of three arms zone complexes within the Gombe Capital Special Development Zone which held at the Ministry’s conference hall.
Speaking while presiding over the bid opening proceedings, the Commissioner, Engr. . Usman Maijama’a Kallamu assured the bidders that the bid opening would be carried out using procurement process which is based on specific regulations that are credible, fair, and transparent.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alh. Idris Yambiu Buba said that the Ministry will continue to align itself for optimal results in the implementation of government policies and projects in line with Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s commitment to bringing development to the State.
While assuring the bidders of a transparent process, the SSA to the Governor on Special Project, Arch. Yakubu Mamman thanked Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his foresight in infrastructural development of the State, adding that government is committed to ensuring that all bidders had an equal chance to participate and compete based on merit to maintain standards and specifications.
Nation
Gov Mbah Signs Bill To Establish Teaching Hospital In Enugu
Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, yesterday, signed the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Teaching Hospital Bill 2024 into Law, promising to expedite action to actualise the teaching hospital immediately to provide quality training and healthcare services in the Enugu North part of the State and the State in general.
Mbah, while commending the Enugu State House of Assembly for accelerating action on the processing and passage of the Executive Bill, said that establishing SUMAS Teaching Hospital was in line with his manifesto.
He said, “What we have done by signing into law the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences Teaching Hospital Bill is that we now have in place a legal framework to immediately begin to put in place all that is required to upgrade SUMAS to a teaching hospital. This is part of our campaign promises and we are committed to delivering on that expeditiously.
“We believe that the importance and significance of siting a teaching hospital in our Enugu North zone can never be lost on us. So, we are not going to spend any time in making sure that everything that is necessary and required to upgrade and get the teaching hospital operational is put in place. With this Law, we are going to redouble our commitment and our efforts to achieve that.”
He assured the Governing Council and the Management of SUMAS of his continued support, adding that his administration would equally be counting on their pedigree and contacts to bring the teaching hospital to fruition in record time.
“We are going to continue to support you and we are also going to continue to count on your experience, network, and profile in raising resources to actualize the project.
“This year alone, we are going to spend 33 per cent of our budget on education. This underscores the importance of education to this administration. So, be sure to come to us whenever there is a need. We are going to support you because we are interested in education and we are investing heavily in it,” he said.
On his part, the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu, who also spoke at the Bill signing witnessed by the Chairman of SUMAS Governing Council, Msgr. Obiora Ike, and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. James Ogbonna, and top hierarchies of the institution, commended Governor Mbah’s speed and faithfulness in delivering on his campaign promises. He assured that the House of Assembly was ever ready to fast-track every executive bill that would impact positively on the state and its people.
“We promised we are going to support this administration by doing our job expeditiously to ensure that there is no delay in your delivery of democracy dividends to our people. Therefore, the SUMAS Teaching Hospital Bill received expedited hearing and today you have the signing of the bill into law,” he stated.
Nation
Ododo Applauds Security Agencies Over Rescue Of 43 Bus Passengers
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo has applauded security agencies in the State for their efforts in the rescue of 43 bus passengers.
The Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Ismaila Isah disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
The statement noted that the governor welcomed the news of the release of the abducted bus passengers in Okehi Local Government Area of the State and called for sustained collaboration between security agencies and local communities to improve intelligence gathering and prevent crime and criminality in all parts of the state.
Ododo commended the caretaker chairman of Okehi LGA, Mr Amoka Eneji, the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Professional Hunters, Ebira Local Hunters Group and other security agencies for their intervention, which led to the rescue of the passengers who were abducted outside the state.
“Governor Ododo also commends the response of security agencies to the robbery incidence in Felele area of Lokoja and called for more urgency in addressing cases of insecurity in any part of the state.
“The Governor reassured the people of the state that his administration will not relent in its efforts in deploying maximum resources to ensure that all communities in the state remain unsafe for criminal elements.”
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