Bauchi

Former Governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Muazu has been barred from holding political office for 10 years by the state government. He is also to refund N2.6bn which he allegedly misappropriated while in office.

The ban on Muazu and others who saved in his cabinet followed the Isa Yuguda administration’s acceptance of the white paper of Justice Bitrus Sauya commission of inquiry while probed the activities of industries, parastatals and agencies during his tenure.

Muazu’s deputy, Abdulmalik Mahmud however escaped the ban but he will refund N74 million to the state government. Also banned from holding public offices were former 20 local council chairmen who are to refund N740 million to the state purse.

Also affected is former commissioner for Finance Haruna Alfa Ahmed who was banned for 10 years and ordered to refund N2 billion.

Taraba

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been urged to as a matter of urgency declare vacant the seat of the only All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) member in the Taraba State House of Assembly Hamman Adanu Abdullahi who has decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party.

In a statement made available to journalists in the state capital, the chairman of the party Hamilla Suleiman decried the attitude of the lawmaker and called on INEC to urgently declare the seat vacant.

Abdullahi who is the only ANPP member in the House, last Saturday decamped from the party that brought him to lime-light to joint he ruling PDP.

Citing relevant portions of the constitution, Suleiman faulted Abdullahi’s defection, saying it was not a result of division in his former party or merger of two or more political parties or faction Suleiman said the decampment can only be possible in a situation where there is chaos in the ANPP.

Ekiti

The Ikole Descendants Association Ibadan branch, has described Ikole Local Government Area as the most appropriate location for the new university proposed by the Governor Segun Oni’s administration.

The group in a communiqué issued at Ibadan and signed by Chief S. A. Olominu stated that siting the university in Ikole LGA would promote distributive justice and equitable distribution of the dividends of democracy.

The group stated that it considers the rumoured intention of government to site the university in Elfaki as unjustifiable because of  its closeness to Iworoko that hosts the university of Ado Ekiti as well as the federal medical centre in Ido Ekiti.

It promised that a high powered delegation be sent to the governor and the Ekiti State House of Assembly on the above issue.

It observed that the association was not oblivious of the on- going contention on the location of the university of Education, saying it does not intend to benefit from any community’s misfortune.

The union said it is highly concerned about the continued marginalisation of the towns and cities in the defunct Ekiti North Local Government of which has been the headquarters.

Kwara

The Kwara State Acting Chief Judge, Justice Tunji Bamigbola has asked judicial officers in the state to accord priority attention to bail applications with a view to accelerating the country’s prison decongestion drive.

He also asked the officers to expedite action on speedy completion of criminal cases in their respective courts in the interest of justice.

The Chief Judge dropped the hint over the weekend during the visit of the State Criminal Justice Committee to the Ilorin Federal prison on jail delivery exercise.

“We have to warn all of us judicial officers, magistrates; area court judges especially that in communal cases as in all other cases, there should not be delay at all. Criminal cases should not be adjourned for more than two weeks.”

“Also, we should give priority to bail applications, infact, recently, the CJN, issued a circular that once you have a bail application before you, it should be given utmost attention because it should not be a pre-trial punishment” he said.

Justice Bamigbola however, commended the prison officials for “taking good care of the inmates” and making them “good citizen” after completing their jail terms.

The committee, however, released eight awaiting trial inmates for offences ranging from house breaking, theft, assault and trespass.

Bamigbola, who advised the released inmates to learn one trade or the other, admonished them to desist from crime in their own interest. He also promised to make the committee’s visit to the prison as regular as possible.

Damaturu

To meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UN-MDU) on housing for all by 2015, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State, has indicated his intention to construct 406 additional housing units with the recapitalisation of Yobe savings and loans scheme so that the people could have access to funds build their houses and complement governments an achieving affordable and decent shelter.

All the completed housing units are, however, to be sold on an owner occupier housing scheme (OHS) at 50 per cent subsidy. The governor made the declarations yesterday in Damaturu, while laying the foundation stone for 256 housing units on the Maiduguri-Gashua road.

He said apart from meeting the UN-MDG on housing for all, the provision of decent shelter gives psychological satisfaction and improves the efficiency and productivity of workers.

He disclosed that as the state government continues to accord priority to the housing sector, the construction of 406 houses, including the 256 units being awarded to 128 indigenous construction firms, is to promote healthy living and sense of fulfillment for enhanced performance and productivity.

He said that over 1,485 housing units have been completed by the state government and the Yobe State Housing and Property Development Corporation.

He therefore urged the committee for the 256 housing units to work as a team with the contractors handling the N1.024 billion projects.

Kaduna

To meet the 6,000 megawatts target by December the federal government has committed N43.28 billion to the rehabilitation of the nation’s power plants, minister of state for Power Nuhu Wya, has disclosed.

Wya  spoke last Thursday at the Joint annual General Meeting of the Kaduna branches of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

In the paper titled, “Federal Government’s target of generating 6,000 megawatts of electricity by December 2009, A mirage or reality, the minister assured that government would meet the target.

According to him, following the result of the technical appraisal carried out on the nation’s power plants, the government expended N43.27bn on the rehabilitation of existing power facilities.

This he said was expected to generate about 1,500 megawatts. The minister also disclosed that N10.21bn and N11.50bn were injected into the rehabilitation of the nation’s transmission and distribution infrastructure in that order.

Wya noted that the current poor state of electricity supply has had a debilitating effect on the socio-economic development of the country, saying unavailable and inadequate power supply had been identified as the biggest problem to the conduct of business in Nigeria.

Kano

The only panacea for national development is a total transformation of the education sector, with good packages that would promote qualitative education for the Nigerian youth.

The wife of the first National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Ambassador Mary Lar made assertion in Kano during the closing ceremony of Teachers’ Professionals Development Programme (TPDP) held in the ancient city powered by her pet project, aunty Mary literacy project.

Ambassador Lar urged individuals, agencies and the government to invest hugely on education to save Nigeria from running shot needed hands to steer the ship of the nation in the nearest future.

She further stated that Nigeria is in dire need of quality leaders and called for stringent efforts at giving quality education to our youths who are the leaders of tomorrow.

The envoy who was one time Nigeria’s Ambassador to Switzerland urged Nigerians to reflect candidly on the quality of leaders they would vote in 2011 election.

She charged the youths of the country to shun vices capable of truncating their education and life endeavour, adding that there was need for parents to pay more attention to the upbringing of their children.

Niger

The kidnapped Niger State permanent secretary, Alhaji Adamu Umar  returned to his family after been in captive for one week in far away Warri in Delta State.

Looking so frail in a white Kaftan and a black slippers, Umar was abducted at Dikko junction  on his way from Zaria, was driven to the Government House at about 5.30p.m by the State Commissioner for Police Zuokumor after his released by security operatives in Warri.

Recounting his ordeal in the hands of his captors, Umar who was so grateful for the divine intervention over his freedom said that he was abducted at about 7.45p.m after buying palm oil at Dikko junction before he was abducted and taken to Warri.

Umar who was to be received by the state governor Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu at about 11.00a.m  had the reception delayed due to his inability to catch a flight from Benin to Abuja.

“If you see me cry, it simply means I am over joyed  I did not cry in the hands of my captors. For one week we have been under control of these men of the underworld. Today, I thank Almighty Allah that I am back in one piece with my family. I am grateful to all those who saw to my release. I thank you all” Umar said.

Speaking during the brief reception, the SSG condemned kidnapping, describing it as an act against humanity, adding that the dastardly act should not be encouraged.

Ogun

Ogun State House of Assembly has described an oil magnate, hotelier and philanthropist, Alhaji Esho Jinadu, as a responsible and law abiding citizen.

The lawmakers said the allegations of criminal conducts leveled against him were not only baseless but flowed from an unwarranted organised campaign of calumny being weighed against him by faceless group in Ogun and urged him to sue anybody that accused him of any criminal charges.

Esho, an emerging political kingmaker in Ogun and whose rising profile is causing not a small jitters in the top echelon of the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, had petitioned the House, notifying it of the attempt by some people within the state PDP to malign his character with a  view to rubbishing his philanthropist gestures to the mass of the people in rural areas.

The House committee on ethics, justice and public petition, led by the deputy speaker, pastor Remmy Hassan, while presenting  the committee’s report said the politician had been cleared of alleged stealing of children by the law enforcement agency.

While explaining that all the parties were invited including the petitioner during the meeting by the committee, it found out that the people accusing the politician of wrong doings were faceless people.

The speaker, Mr Tunji Egbetokun who allowed members of the House to adopt the report asked for comment where all members unanimously adopted the report.

Lagos

It was a drama of sorts Saturday at the blue roof of the Lagos State Television (LTV) Ikeja, venue for the celebration of Governor Babatunde Fashola, (SAN), 900 days in office as the governor and artisans brainstormed on issues that would further reposition the sector to be more efficient.

The event which was well attended by top government officials, party chieftains, also drew representatives of the various operators in the sectors including market women, carpenters, hair dressers, among others.

Addressing some of the issues raised by participants at the forum, Governor Fashola said the contribution of the sector had been one of the major backbones that have sustained the nation’s economy.

He said, “very often, people have made the mistake to think that you are poor. But I will never fall into that error because I know or at least you have fair sense of your contribution to the state and national economy.” He added that their little savings in the bank that they have no control over provide cash with which various banks satisfy the cash needs of the economy.