Borno

The need to offer assistance to the orphans and the less privileged in the society in order not to increase the crime rate of the country has been emphasised by a health maintenance organisation.

The company which asked corporate bodies to make it a point of duty to share a though for this group in our midst at its award of the health insurance hospital cards to children of the Fatimah Al-Sheriff Motherless babies an orphanage run and managed by the Borno State government, said the society would be better if the group is not allowed to go wayward.

Presenting the card which offer the orphans a comprehensive health cover, the managing director of the company Chief G. Idowu said the gesture was part of the company’s social responsibility aimed at giving succour to the less privileged.

The managing director who was represented by one of the company’s directors, Engineer Adegbeyi also revealed that the donation was part of the company’s commitment to the promotion of quality healthcare in the country, noting that multi-field provides comprehensive medical cover to all disadvantaged children in the country.

Ondo

Two ballot boxes  stuffed with thumb printed papers were last Saturday allegedly recovered in the vehicle conveying the Senator representing Ondo State central district in the upper chamber of National Assembly Senator Gbenga Ogunniwa during the bye-election of the Akoko-South West and Akoko South East Federal Constituency.

Ogunniwa who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs was in the vehicle along with Akoko North East and North West federal constituency Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye and Temitayo Fawehinmi of the Ondo East and Ondo West Federal Constituency.

The wine coloured Peugeot 407 marked MFR 333 was later taken along with two other similar bands with covered number plates, two police vehicles with mobile policemen and two buses with suspected thugs to Kese police station.

Abuja

Telecommunication companies in the country may face stringent penalties if they fail to confer with National Environmental Standards and Regulatory Agency (NESREA) on the installation of their mast.

The agency’s threat came on the heels of a court judgement ordering Kaduna-based telecommunication company Helios Towers to dismantle and remove its mast from residential premises in Kaduna where it was installed.

NESREA’s Legal Adviser, Mr. Kola Odugbesean, who spoke to The Tide on the matter said the company not only breached the regulatory laws guiding the location of masts by installing it without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), it ignored warnings and pleadings from NESREA to relocate the facility, which led to the judicial action.

He stated that NESREA had resolved that henceforth, it would start prosecuting organisations and their chief executives found violating the EIA act and all extant environmental laws and regulations.

Kwara

More Close Circuit Television Cameras (CTCs) are being acquired by the Kwara State Government as a measure to combat crime in the state.

Governor Olusola Saraki who dropped the hint during an inspection of overhead bridge constructed by his administration along Post Office/Murtala Mohammed Way, Ilorin, told reporters that unless adequate security of lives and property was guaranteed, the provision of infrastructure would be an exercise in futility.

We want more of the CTCs to be installed in Ilorin and indeed, the entire state so that crime could be promptly recorded and consequently taken up at the auspicious time for proper investigations.

“The experience in other parts of the world has assisted greatly in reducing crime. Even if you look at the crime records in our state since the installation of CTCs a few months ago, one can see a drastic reduction. In other words fighting crime offensively is better than fighting crime defensively.”

Ekiti

The Ekiti State House of Assembly has passed about 16 bills including one that protects the rights and matters affecting persons with disabilities in the state.

Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Olatunji Odeyemi lauded his colleagues for passing 16 bills into law in one year.

Odeyemi, in a chat with reporters, said apart from the six bills signed into law by the governor, 10 others are awaiting the signature of the state chief executive, adding that another 19 bills were in the process of being passed by the legislature.

According to him, the current crop of legislators in Ekiti State, which can best be described as an indivisible entity despite their different political backgrounds, worked tirelessly to come up with empirically verifiable successes.

Signing the disability law, which, was among the eight others assented to by the Governor Segun Oni reiterated the commitment of his administration to the well-being of all physically challenged people in the state, adding that the new law would be fully implemented.

Apart from making it mandatory for any department of government to have persons with disabilities in two percent of its workforce, the new law also provides that: “Every person with disability, who is an indigene of Ekiti State shall be entitled to automatic scholarship at all levels.”

Zamfara

Governor Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi of Zamfara State last Saturday announced cabinet reshuffle which affected six commissioners and four Special Advisers.

A statement made available to newsmen and signed by director of press to Shinkafi, Adamu  Katuru, said those affected by the development include Dr. Na’Allah Isah who moves from the Ministry of Lands and Survey to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Isyaku Zuma was moved from the Finance  Ministry to that of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs while Engineer Kabira Marafo was moved from the Water Resources to that of Education.

The statement revealed that Bashir Madaiu who held forth at the Ministry of Education before the exercise will now be incharge of the Ministry of Lands and Survey, while Tukur Dangaladima  has been moved from Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to that of Water Resources.

It said Alhassan Shinkafi who was recently cleared by the State House of Assembly will assume duty as the new commissioner of Finance similarly, Aliyu Adamu Tsate who was incharge of Budget and Economic Planning Ministry will be given a new schedule in due course.

Kebbi

All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) in Kebbi State has last Saturday said it would boycott the Kebbi Central Senatorial bye-election slated for December 19, this year because of alleged massive rigging by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and lack of confidence on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Lagos

The ultimatum issued by Lagos State Government on striking workers of the State University has failed following action by the union not to resume work in the school.

The labour unions of the institution had declared that their members would not resume work until the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hussain Lateef is suspended for alleged corrupt practices pending the outcome of further investigations.

The unions comprised of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institution (NASU).

The unions in a statement said “the university governing council and visitors were deceitfully misled into believing that the VC was turning LASU around.

In contrast to this positive perception held about the VC he has turned LASU into his personal empire/business venture and a slave enclave.”

Kaduna

The Kaduna Government has debunked claims made by the Action Congress in the State over the whereabout of the Governor, Namadi Sambo.

Governor Sambo has been away from the state since the Sallah holidays without any official explanation by the government regarding his whereabouts until some sections of the state raised eyebrows.

However, the Kaduna State Chapter of the Action Congress (AC) through its publicity secretary, Mohammed Soba had alleged that, “since assumption, of office, Governor Sambo has been exhibiting traits of administrative truancy by frequently absenting himself from the seat of power.”

The party therefore called on the Commissioner of Police, Tambari Mohammed to immediately declare Governor Sambo missing,” in line with international convention as the whereabouts of the governor is not known to the citizens of Kaduna State and there is no official explanation on his absence from the seat of power.”

The party further asserted that the state is too big to be kept in the dark over the absence of its chief executive.

Adamu also described the AC’s comment as a display of crass ignorance, adding that the governor was on an official assignment outside the country contrary to the assertion of the opposition elements in the state.

The AC spokesman insisted that the governor should be declared missing having stayed out of the state for days without any official explanation.

Sabo declared, “presently Namadi Sambo is out of the country for a pleasure trip with a sizeable number of Kaduna State Executive Council members using the state’s time and resources without any explanation.”