Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), has urged the Federal Government to punish perpetrators of the Plateau crisis and other crisis in the country.
This is contained in a communique issued at the end of the first quarter meeting of the council held in Bauchi, Friday.
It sated that punishing the perpetrators, promoters and facilitators of the crisis would serve as deterrent to others.
The council urged government to compensate victims of crisis and other disturbances to enable them to mitigate the effects of their losses.
It also resolved to “caution reckless religious preachers who conduct inciting sermons without regard to the feelings of others and therefore fan the embers of religious misunderstanding and disturbances.”
Damaturu
The Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Waziri, says the new concept of community policing will drastically reduce crime rate in the society.
He told newsmen in Damaturu that the concept would be all inclusive with crucial roles for every member of the community to play in maintaining peace.
He explained that the system afforded the community the opportunity of checking the activities of the police too.
“It is a system where everyone will be a stakeholder in maintenance of law and order.”
The minister said there would be massive transformation in the police with improved commitment to providing security to lives and property.
He noted that the police was making efforts to face the challenges of the 2011 elections.
FCT
The Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) on Friday in Abuja expressed displeasure over the demolition of the 500 year-old Kofar Na’isa Gate by the Kano State Government.
Mr Umaru Aliyu, the President of ARCON, made the council’s feelings known while speaking with newsmen on the sideline of this year’s “Architects Colloquium.
The gate was demolished last week by a construction firm to pave way for the expansion of a state road, which leads to the Emir’s Palace.
It would be recalled that during the reign of Sarki Gijimasu, a 17-km perimeter fortress was built around Kano City (the old city) with Kofar Na’isa Gate as the main gate leading to it.
According to a Kano-based historian, Alhaji Maje Gwangwazo, Kofar Na’isa means “I can do it or I can prove my mettle’’.
Ibadan
Sports enthusiasts and other eminent Nigerians on Thursday showered encomiums on the late Vice-Chairman of the defunct Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Chief Nathaniel Idowu.
At the wake-keep ceremony, which drew a large crowd at his Iyaganku GRA residence in Ibadan, Idowu’s death was described as not only a loss to Oyo State, but also to the whole country.
Idowu, a renowned sports financier, died at Cromwell Hospital, London on February 20 at the age of 75.
Popularly called “Okanlomo of Ibadanland,’’ the late Idowu was until his death, an industrialist and sports financier.
He was also a staunch supporter of the Super Eagles and the national female teams.
The deceased was particularly noted for his annual sponsorship of the N. O. Idowu Under-18 soccer competition.
Ilorin
The Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board said more than 1,000 people from the state had obtained forms for this year’s pilgrimage.
The board’s Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdulhameed, who said this in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin on Friday, added that the board would ensure a hitch-free Hajj.
Abdulhameed urged the intending pilgrims to pay up the N400,000 deposit on time.
“We started selling the forms more than a month ago and we are now in April. We don’t have enough time left because we have to start making preparations, so people should pay up in good time,” he said.
The chairman explained that the N400,000 was arrived at as a fair deposit because about N360,000 would be remitted to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Abuja.
Jos
The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Aladesanmi, has advocated regular exchange of visits among royal fathers in order to build bridges of unity across the country.
Ewi, who spoke when he visited the Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Buba, in Jos on Thursday, said traditional rulers must work together to ensure Nigeria did not become a failed state.
He said traditional rulers, as custodians of the people’s culture, should always live up to the expectations of their subjects in times of crisis.
“We need to encourage regular visits among ourselves at the royal fathers’ level so that we can build the bridge of friendship and unity across the country.
“ This is what we can do to move this country forward.
“It is only when we the royal fathers work together as one that this country can be peaceful, progressive and be secured for all.
Kaduna
Alhaji Ibrahim Bio, the Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), said the commission would offer scholarships to deserving athletes.
Bio made the pledge in Kaduna at the closing ceremony of the first underage championship organised by the commission.
The championship was held at two venues, Kaduna and Ibadan between April 17 and April 22. The six geo-political zones participated in the competition, which featured Taekwondo, Athletics and Boxing.
He said the award of scholarships was to promote the overall development of the athletes.
“The National Sports Commission will take over the training programmes of the athletes and ensure the provision of qualitative education through the award of scholarships to them to ensure their all round development,” he said.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government will spend N68 million to address the perennial flooding in Malumfashi, an official has said.
Mr Danjuma Alti, the Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Works and Housing, disclosed this in Malumfashi on Friday in an interview with newsmen.
Alti said government had constructed a drains protector in Malunfashi and was constructing a canal outside the town to divert the ‘Asha da lafiya’ stream which always wreaked havoc in the area.
He noted that when the canal project, which would cost the state N68 million was completed, the entire water of the Malumfashi stream that passed through the town would flow outside it so that the flood would be avoided.
The permanent secretary disclosed that the canal project, which comprised two box-bridges, was awarded to the Boriri Prono company and would be completed before the rains set in.
In May 2009, three people died, 450 houses were destroyed and many families rendered homeless in Malumfash as a result of flooding.
Lagos
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, says the new oil industry local content bill just signed into law will generate about 30,000 jobs in five years.
She made the assertion on Friday in Lagos in a statement released by Mr Levi Ajuonuma, the Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The statement quoted the minister as saying that the law had far-reaching implications for the issues of technological advancement and long-term cost effectiveness.
She said the law would take care of post amnesty programmes in the Niger Delta and improve the impact of the oil and gas industry on the nation’s GDP.
Alison-Madueke said the law would transform the industry from a major importer of goods and services to an industry “that sources a substantial proportion of its inputs locally”.
Our correspondent reports that the bill was signed into law on April 22 by the Acting President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, alongside the nation’s N4.6 trillion budget for 2010.
Sokoto
Kebbe Local Government Council in Sokoto State has embarked on developmental projects that would gulp N287.4 million, its Chairman, Alhaji Bala Kokani, said.
Kokani disclosed this on Friday in Kebbe, headquarters of the local government when a team of journalists under the auspices of the state council of the NUJ visited the area as part of the monitoring of projects across the state.
The chairman said 40 per cent of the total amount had since been paid to the various contractors as mobilisation fees and listed the projects to include 10 solar powered boreholes which would cost about N 100.74 million.
The boreholes, he added would be located in Dukura, Gaddace, Guru, Tungar-Lambo, Kuchi, Gurundi, Indare, Tune, Fakku and Runtuya-Yamma.
He explained that N99.07 million would be spent in the construction of 10 upgraded dispensaries in Sangi, Arusaya, Gadace, Karma, Nasagudu, Ungushi, Umbutu, Fakku, Dukura and Girkau.
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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