Nation
THE STATES
Ogun
Ogun State Government says it has concluded plans to establish mini power plants that will generate 47 megawatts of electricity at N7.2 billion in the first quarter of 2010.
Governor Gbenga Daniel made the announcement in Abeokuta, while receiving a Chinese delegation and officials of CSI Nimbo Electrical Company, a manufacturer of power plants.
Gov. Daniel said government had concluded arrangements to send 20 public servants, including technicians, engineers and administrators to China to acquire necessary skills in the assemblage and management of mini plants.
Gombe
Gombe State Judiciary said it has disposed-off 17, 153 civil and criminal cases while 2,733 were still pending in the state high and Area courts in the year under review.
The State Chief Judge, Mr Hakila Heman, who disclosed this during the celebration of the 2009/10 legal year in Gombe stated that a total of 19,886 cases were registered in the last legal year as against the preceding year where 19,380 cases were recorded in the state.
Justice Heman said that 2,723 cases were still pending in the state high courts and courts of Appeal Seasons were held in Gombe Dukku and Kaltungo respectively.
He also said that the yearning of establishing registry courts in the state had been taken care of as the state judiciary had obtained the license to establish courts that would oversee marriage contract agreements in the state.
Kaduna
Kaduna state government has denied claims that it is marginalising the Southern part of the state, describing statements credited to some indigenes of the area as “bizarre and mischievous.”
Addressing journalist on the issue, Deputy Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa said all the actions of Governor Namadi-Sambo, do not harbour sectional, primordial or parochial interests.
Yakowa said despite pledges to develop all sections and all sectors of the state, the government takes special interest in providing social amenities in the southern part of the state as a way of fulfilling promises made by the Governor during his campaigns for gubernatorial seat in 2007.
Bauchi
The ill-health of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who is receiving treatment in far way Saudi Arabia, has taken a toll on the act of governance in Bauchi State as the Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda now shuttles between Abuja and Bauchi a development that has slowed down activities at the Government House over last couple of weeks, investigation has revealed.
The development, according to the investigation, was caused by the fact that Yuguda, like his Kebbi State counter part, is the son-in-law to the country’s first family, a situation that is already creating anxiety in the state capital.
While that is going on, investigations have revealed that some of the major projects embarked upon by the administration as soon as it came to power in 2007 including the Ningi Buna Road, Alkakri-Futuk Road as well as the State Secretariat (press centre) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) have all been abandoned.
Kwara
Kwara State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki yesterday denied recent media reports that he was owing the sum of N8.4 billion being outstanding debt of three companies allegedly linked to him.
The governor, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Mr Mas’ud Adebimpe, described the claim as frivolous, mischievous and a calculated attempt to mislead the unsuspecting public and drag his name into the mud.
The governor was reacting to a paid advertorial sponsored by a group called Renaissance professionals in some national dailies of Monday and Tuesday December 7 and 8, 2009, respectively.
According to the governor’s spokesperson, the group had alleged that Dr Saraki owned three companies Linkers Nigeria Limited, Skyview Properties and Joy Petroleum, which all enjoyed the controversial waivers from Intercontinental Bank Plc.
“To put the records straight, it is no longer news that Dr Saraki had resigned his appointment as a director in all companies where he had interests, including the two mentioned in the paid advertorials Linkers Nigeria Limited and Skyview Properties Limited just as he is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the two companies as portrayed by the faceless group.
“Neither the governor nor any member of his family was at any time whatsoever a shareholder or director of Joy Petroleum Limited,” the statement said.
“As regards the other two companies, we wish to state that Linkers Nigeria Limited, which was alleged to be owing the sum of N1.89 billion, has paid N1.7bn, which amounted to over 90 per cent of the loan,” the statement explained.
“Regarding Skyview Properties, the purported loan was a “margin facility,” which gave the total control of the management of the said shares, for which the loan was secured to the bank in addition to the value of the shares, the company went ahead to pay N343 million.
FCT
Senate’s proposal to establish a joint monitoring board of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate allegations of corruption against the anti-graft bodies, received the disapproval of the EFCC chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri.
The monitoring board, which the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, is proposing to include in its amendment of the EFCC an ICPC Acts, according to Senator Solo Akinyede, chairman Senate Committee, would comprise secretaries of both agencies.
But speaking at a session on Wednesday, where she defended EFCC’s 2010, N7.68bn budget, Naziri stated that while she was not against being monitored, she warned that care must be taken to ensure that the proposed body does not create additional problems for the fight against corruption.”
Ogun
A lecturer at the University of Agriculture Abeokuta (UNAAB), Prof Philips Adetiloye, has urged the Federal Government to deregulate the salaries of public servants alongside the planned deregulation of oil sector.
Making the call at a news conference in Abeokuta, Adetiloye said it would amount to “dishonesty” if the government did not review the salaries and wages of the workers alongside the oil deregulation policy.
He argued that the only antidote to corruption in the public service and institutions was the payment of justifiable wages and salaries to workers.
Borno
The federal government has been accused of paying lip service to the proposed reform of the Nigerian Police even as the insecurity of lives and properties in the nation has been hinged on the need to have a “new” police.
This was the view expressed at the workshop organised by a pro-human rights group, Cleen Foundation in Maiduguri where the federal government was advised to be more committed to the proposed reforms of the Nigeria Police as the only alternative to move the force from its conventional policing to scientific one.
At the workshop which was to enlighten policemen on issues bordering on human rights, the deputy-executive director of the foundation, Oluwakemi Okonyodo said government ought to be serious and committed to the reforms of the police.
Lagos
In its bid to ensure a clean and healthy environment, the Lagos State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Konsadem Consortium to develop the 1st Modern Integrated Solid Waste Management System in Lagos.
The Integtrated Solid Waste Management site according to the governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), located in the Epe area of Lagos will be designed to accept a maximum 900 tons municipal waste daily.
Accordingly, the system to be established comprises of a material recovery facility where glass, plastics, paper and metal are processed for recycling.
In addition, a composting facility for the conversion of food scraps and green waste such as wood and foliage, into organic soil conditioners and a bale fill facility for storing all residual waste in an environmentally friendly manner.
Oyo
It was a weekend of sadness and agony in the camp of former Oyo State governor, Rasidi Ladoja as 19 persons believed to be his supporters perished along Ado-Awaye-Okeho road on their way to a funeral ceremony.
The victims included, former women leader of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mrs Bose Adedigba, Hakeem Adokola, Tajudeen Afolabi, Toyin Adeyemi among others.
The former governor, devastated by the incident hurriedly returned home from a social outing and cancelled all forms of meetings and appointments in sympathy and condolence with the fallen aides.
Osun
Federal Government has mapped out a ten-year education plan as part of the commitment to restructuring and repositioning the educational sector in response to some identified challenges.
Speaking Saturday at the 37th Convocation of Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile Ife, President Musa Yar’Adua, who was represented at the occasion by the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, noted that the federal government will soon come out with strategies.
According to the president, the strategies which has been initiated was aimed at making the universities in the country globally competitive, and also make it more liberal and affordable.
Yar’Adua said in the short term, in addition to the increased statutory allocation of funds to education in the national budget, it has streamlined the educational Trust Fund to achieve enhanced focus on the education sector.
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.
