Nation

THE STATES

Published

12 years ago

June 14, 2010

Abuja

Mr Mohammed Adoke, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), has charged leaders and Muslims to seek Qur’anic knowledge.

He said that Qur’anic knowledge was necessary to enable the beneficiaries to contribute meaningfully to national development.

The AGF gave the advice on Saturday in Abuja at the 8th Executive Walimatul-Quran graduation and merit award presentation of Al-Habibiyah Academy.

Adoke told reporters at the graduation ceremony that seeking Qur’anic knowledge would guide positively the conduct of leaders in nation building.

Adamawa

Two infants, their mothers and seven other people have been confirmed dead in a ghastly motor accident on the Numan –Gombe road.

The Adamawa Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Habu Dauda, disclosed this to newsmen in Yola on Friday.

He said the accident occurred on Thursday at about 2 P.M. at Kwanan Bashokini in Lamurde local government area of the state.

He said the cause of the accident, which involved four commercial buses and one Opel car traveling from Yola to Gombe, was still being investigated.

Dauda said nine people, including the two infants and their mothers, died on the spot while the remaining two gave up on the way to hospital.

He disclosed that 27 wounded persons, 11 women and 16 men, were receiving treatment at the Numan General Hospital.

Bauchi

UNICEF has called on stakeholders to tackle the menace of child labour worldwide.

It is estimated that 150 million children, aged between five and 14 years, find themselves in the unfortunate position.

UNICEF said this in a statement in Bauchi on Friday ahead of Saturday’s 11th World Day against Child Labour.

It said child labour, is caused by poverty, compromised children’s education and safety.

“We know that progress against MDGs in education, poverty, gender and HIV and AIDS are being systematically undermined that no single policy will unilaterally end child labour.

“Evidence has shown that an effective, coherent response to child labour requires a mix of decent work employment measures and child sensitive social protection systems.

Kaduna

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, is to regularise its haphazard academic calendar, the new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, said.

Mustapha made the pledge while addressing the University Senate at its 427th regular meeting, held at the Senate Chambers in Zaria on Friday.

He expressed concern over the manner in which the calendar was being run in the institution, saying: “we shall work assiduously to regularise it.”

Mustapha appealed to the university community to put all hands on deck to take the institution to greater heights.

While describing his appointment as an act of God, he said his mission was to serve the university faithfully and to the best of his ability.

Kebbi

Some farmers in Kebbi have expressed anxiety over the delay in the sale of fertilisers for the current cropping season.

Only two weeks ago the state executive council approved the release of N3.3 billion for the purchase of 33,000 metric tonnes of the commodity for the 2010 farming season.

Mohammed Gula,a resident of Kalgo Local Government Area said the delay in the sale of fertiliser, seedlings and chemicals had forced some farmers to seek for the commodity in neighbouring states.

“The rainfall has commenced in earnest and the more we delay in the application of fertilisers we stand the chance of recording low harvest and the only option now is to purchase from elsewhere,” he said.

Kano

The Kano State Police Command has arrested four suspected armed robbers,who have been terrorising people within and outside the state.

A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), SP Baba Azare, gave the names of the hoodlums as Lawal Yahaya and Sani Umar,all of Kurnar Asabe quarters, Kano.

The rest,the release said,were John Sunday from Kaduna State, and Sani Yakubu of Sallare quarters,Kano.

He said that the suspects were arrested in Maiduguri, Borno, by detectives from the Kano State Command on June 9.

Investigation reveals that they masterminded and participated in a series of armed robberies in the recent past in the state,” the statement added.

It said some GSM handsets and a locally-made pistol were recovered from the robbers.

Katsina

Six persons sustained injuries while many buildings were destroyed during a heavy rainfall accompanied by windstorm in Funtua local government area of Katsina State.

Four pupils of Focus Nursery and Primary School sustained injuries while two others were injured at Sa’a Clinics where a roof was blown off.

Areas mostly affected are Tudun Wada, Unguwar Dandaji, Makera and Unguwar Dahiru.

Some victims, Malam Muhammadu Maibindiga, Malam Jailani Zakariya, Malam Rabi’u Hassan and Yahaya Haruna described the incident as “ the will of Allah.’’

They commended the efforts made by the council and the law enforcement agencies to mitigate their suffering and appealed for state government’s intervention.

They also prayed for God’s protection against a recurrence.

Kwara

The Kwara Government has awarded N30 million contract for the construction of a new cemetery and three other projects.

The projects include 16 units of boys’ quarters at the Judges’ Quarters being constructed in Ilorin, the fencing and painting of the office of the state’s Surveyor-General and the revision of the state’s local government maps.

The Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Dr Adebayo Ishola, disclosed this in Ilorin on Friday.

He stressed that the need to provide a befitting and secured resting place for departed souls informed the construction of the new cemetery.

Lagos

No fewer than 150 residents of Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area in Lagos State, have benefited from an empowerment programme initiated by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Sarah Sosan.

Items such as grinding machines, sewing machines and crates of soft drinks were given to the beneficiaries.

Sosan told the beneficiaries in Lagos on Friday, that the gesture was a demonstration of government’s commitment to its economic empowerment programme.

She said the programme, the sixth in the series, was designed to reduce unemployment and bring the dividends of democracy to the grassroots.

“The essence of our empowerment programme is to touch the lives of the people, especially those at the grassroots.

Niger

No fewer than six persons were killed in an auto crash at Farin Doki Village on the Minna-Suleja road on Thursday night.

The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Minna, Mr Emmanuel Abe, said in a statement that the incident occured when a luxury bus and a Toyota Corolla car collided head on.

The statement said that six of the victims, including a woman died instantly at the scene of the accident while one person sustained injuries.

It attributed the accident to bad weather and dangerous driving, calling on the public to check the Minna General Hospital mortuary for identification and collection of the corpses.

Osun

The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) International School, Ile-Ife, has donated N150,000 to an NGO for the care of the mentally ill.

The Principal of the school, Mrs Ronke Adeniyi, presented the money on behalf of the school to the Foundation for the Care and Rehabilitation of the Mentally Ill (CAREMI) on Friday in Ile-Ife.

Prof. Rogers Makanjuola, former OAU Vice Chancellor, established the foundation 10 years ago to assist patients with mental problems.

She appealed to corporate bodies, institutions and the rich to always extend hands of fellowship to the poor and physically-challenged members of society.

Sokoto

Alhaji Abdullahi Wali, the Sokoto State Head of the Civil Service, has warned that the government will soon wield the big stick to curb truancy among civil servants.

Wali issued the warning in Sokoto, on Friday, in an interview with newsmen after paying unscheduled visit to some Ministries, Departments and Parastatal Agencies (MDAs).

He said: “The recalcitrant behaviours of some civil servants are unbecoming and it will no longer be tolerated by the state government.”

“We have to make sure that the workers abide by the rules and regulations of the civil service. The service is being governed by these laws.”

Yobe

The Yobe Chapter of the Water and Sanitation Media Network (WATSANMN), has called on the state government to provide latrine facilities in schools to meet the UNICEF approved ratio of 50 pupils to one latrine.

A communiqué issued at the end of a training workshop for media practitioners, organised by the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme in Damaturu regretted that there were inadequate latrines in schools.

“There is need for Yobe Government to encourage the establishment of public toilets at motor parks, markets and strategic places,’’ the communique said.

Nation

Yobe: Former APC Guber Candidate, 1,000 Others Defect To PDP

Published

2 days ago

January 21, 2022

The Tide

A former All Progressives Congress (APC) 2019 gubernatorial candidate in Yobe State, Dr Aji Kolomi, was among hundreds of members of the ruling party who joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently.
He was welcomed into the PDP’s fold alongside hundreds of his supporters at the main opposition party’s secretariat in Damaturu, the state capital.
PDP’s Publicity Secretary in Yobe, Hon. Salihu Mohammed Baba, in a statement, claimed that after the party has kicked off “Operation Flush APC In The State”, it has received over 1,000 APC loyalists into its fold.
He said the new entrants, comprising of men and women, were mostly from Abasha, Layin PS and Malaria areas within the metropolis.
“As the operation continues steadily, we welcome the new entrants into our great party the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), and urge our teeming youth to answer the clarion call by joining PDP for better Yobe and Nigeria”, he appealed.

Nation

Abdulsalami Abubakar Warns Against Increase In Fuel Price

Published

2 days ago

January 21, 2022

The Tide

Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has warned against an increase in fuel price.
Speaking at the 19th Daily Trust Dialogue in Abuja, he said an increase in fuel price will push millions of Nigerians into poverty.
He said this following the recommendation issued by the National Economic Council for fuel price to be pegged at N302 per litre.
The former Head of State said, “Insecurity in the country is worsened by our dear economic situation. Unemployment and underemployment remain at a high level. Over 18 million Nigerians are still caught up in needless poverty. All of these tend to have negative effects on security. In fact, Nigeria now faces a full security crisis that is confounded by the COVID-19 global pandemic and the banditry in many states in Northern Nigeria.
“Most of these have disrupted the final value change across the country and negatively impacted the ability of Nigeria to produce, process, and distribute.
“There is a continuous rise in the prices of food items beyond the reach of many Nigerians. On top of all these, fuel prices are expected to rise significantly in the coming months as announced last November. We all know that when this happens, it will push many millions of Nigerians into poverty.”
On insecurity, Abdulsalami stated that the situation has overstretched the country’s security forces and has led to the death of thousands.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Nigeria is once again at crossroads. Insecurity remains the single, most difficult challenge for the country. The Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, violence in the South-East, kidnappings and abductions of travellers across many states all continue to fester in the land.
“In addition to these, ethnic, communal and religious conflicts are rearing their head again in many parts of the country. All of these have greatly challenged and overstretched our security forces. This has caused thousands of deaths and millions of internally displaced persons in the country over the past years,” he said.

Nation

Osun APC Chairmen Forum Accuses Aregbesola Of Championing Crisis

Published

2 days ago

January 21, 2022

The Tide

The Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Party Chairmen in Osun State Local Government Council Areas has cautioned the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to stop henceforth the disturbance of the political peace of the State.
The APC party chairmen who spoke through their chairman, Rufus Awotidoye, on Tuesday, after a meeting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, stated that the conduct of Aregbesola constituted an obvious distraction to the administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
Awotidoye disclosed that the Interior Minister’s affirmation in Ilesa last Friday “of being the brain behind the obnoxious, leprous and antagonistic pressure group within the state APC self-styled, The Osun Progressives (TOP), was unfortunate and needless.”
They praised the quick and prompt condemnation by the State chairman of the Party, Prince Gboyega Famodun, of the needless outburst of Aregbesola, stating that they were in agreement with the chairman’s timely response.
The local APC party chairmen, however, charged the governor to invoke his vast constitutional powers to deal with whoever is constituting a clog to the lawful performance of his official duties.
They warned Aregbesola to stop taking advantage of the gentle nature of the governor to foment trouble and crisis in Osun State each time he visits the State.
They reminded the Interior Minister that his ministerial appointment should be a source of blessing to the people of the State and not the other way round.
The local APC chairmen, who cautioned Aregbesola to desist from distracting Governor Oyetola from performing his statutory duties, accused him of being responsible for all the atrocities being performed against the sitting Governor and his government by the leadership of his militant political group in the state.
They asked the Interior Minister why he has chosen to be the tormentor-in-chief of Governor Oyetola when it’s on record that the governor as his Chief of Staff gave him a hundred per cent support for the eight solid years he ran the administration of the State.
The furious APC local chairmen told Aregbesola that “enough is enough, you should stop riding roughshod on the State as if Osun is a conquered territory of yours.
“There were functional politicians in the state before your foray into the political terrain of the state.
“You should stop playing God who possesses the absolute power to install governors in the State, as all powers belong to God Almighty.
“When it’s apparent that you could not allow any kind of such seditious act against your administration when you were in government, one wonders why you are doing the same to the focused administration of Governor Oyetola.”