Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government has concluded plans to construct six new hospitals in the state to further boost its healthcare services. 

Governor Isa Yuguda, dropped the hint in Bauchi, while receiving a delegation from the Federal Ministry of Health, led by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Linus Aleachi. 

Yuguda said that the proposed hospitals were in addition to the existing 23 hospitals in the state, which were fully-equipped with modern facilities. 

He urged the Federal Ministry of Health to establish a kidney transplant unit in the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi considering the high number of patients with kidney-related diseases. 

Ekiti

Yam farmers in Irasa-Ekiti, have said that agricultural subsidy would boost yam production and ensure the attainment for food security in the country.

 Speaking with newsmen in Irasa-Ekiti, a suburb of Ado-Ekiti, the leader of the Irasa-Ekiti Yam Farmers Association, Alhaji Jimoh Audu, urged the state government to provide farmers with fertiliser, agro-chemicals and tools at subsidised rate.

According to him, members of the association are the first to harvest yam between June and August annually across the country.

He also called on the government to provide access roads to farms as well as means of transportation of agricultural produce.

FCT

The Ministries of Agriculture and Science and Technology  should create the necessary awareness for greater cultivation of ‘acha’, a medicinal crop.

Mrs Funke Odeyemi, a Senior Technologist, with the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO),  made the call while speaking with newsmen at Kwali, FCT.

Odeyemi described ‘acha’ as a medicinal cereal crop recommended for diabetics because of its low glucose content.

She, therefore, urged the government and agricultural extension workers to create greater awareness about the crop among farmers.

According to her, the crop is currently cultivated only in Plateau state as farmers in other parts of the country are not aware of its economic importance.

Gombe

Malam Mohammed Suleiman, a sales officer with the Gombe Ministry of Agriculture, has been dragged before the Gombe State Fertiliser Distribution Monitoring Committee for allegedly diverting 300 bags of fertiliser.

The fertlisers were said to be meant for farmers in Gombe local government area.

The Councillor representing Bolari West Ward in Gombe, Malam Kabir Sakuwa, told the committee members at the Gombe Council Secretariat that the officer illegally diverted the fertiliser and sold same in the open market.

The sales officer confirmed diverting the fertiliser and selling same, but insisted that he did so because his own share was not included in the consignment being distributed.

Jigawa

Senator Ahmed Zakari, the Chairman of the Movement for the Creation of Hadejia State from Jigawa State, says the creation of the proposed state is long overdue.

Zakari said in an interview with newsmen in Dutse on Tuesday, that the agitation for the new state from old Kano State started in 1982.

He said the people made their submission to the National Assembly and the state was shortlisted before the military take-over of government in 1983.

Zakari said the people renewed their demand in 1991 but the military government at the time instead created Jigawa.

Kano

Prof. Ibrahim Garba, the Vice-Chancellor of the Kano State University of Science and Technology(KUST), Wudil, Kano State, has warned students of the institution against drug abuse.

Garba gave the warning on Tuesday, in Wudil at the opening ceremony of a workshop on “Substance Abuse”, organised by the Students’ Affairs Department of the institution.

He said, “The university is an arena for academic activities and will not tolerate drug abuse and other vices among students.”

The vice-chancellor also called for collaboration among parents, teachers and other stakeholders to fight drug abuse and other vices “in order to attain a better society”.

Katsina

The Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Agency has advised intending Muslim pilgrims who partly paid  their Hajj (pilgrimage) fares to complete the payment before July 28 or risk losing their seats.

In a statement, the  agency’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Ibrahim Ango, in Katsina on Tuesday said 

the advice was necessary to enable the agency to remit the money to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

Ango explained that the advice followed the recent announcement of the Hajj fares, adding that completing the payment would enable the agency to begin necessary preparations for the pilgrimage.

Kebbi

The Kebbi State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has appealed to the state government to immediately pay the 12.5 per cent pay hike due to teachers in the state.

The NUT Chairman in Kebbi, Mr Danlami Riba, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.

Riba said that the pay hike was approved by the state government since last year, but was not implemented.

He said, “Teachers have been expecting the pay hike since then and hope that payment will now be made with the arrears.’’

The NUT chairman said that the government had implemented the 27.5 per cent pay hike for qualified teachers.

Riba commended the Kebbi Government for the priority it gave to the education sector.

Kwara

The Kwara State  Government has said that it will curb the menace created of Nigerian beggars on the streets of Ilorin, the state capital.

The State Commissioner for Social Development, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Dele, said this in Ilorin on Monday, in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin.

He said the government had opened discussions with the officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on how to tackle the problem.

The Commissioner gave assurance that the government would enforce the law which makes street begging illegal to tackle the problem.

Niger

Governor Muazu  Babangida State of Niger  has urged his colleagues to invest in human capital and not on themselves as a way of securing the future generation.

He stated this in Minna at the 1st State Level dialogue and Policy Sensitisation Workshop organised by the Nigeria Governors‘ Forum (NGF) and the UNDP.

Babangida spoke while addressing his colleagues on their part in sustainable development, poverty reduction and achievement of MDGs in the country.

He said that unless his colleagues learnt to draw a line between party politics and governance, achieving sustainable development and the MDGs would remain a mirage.

 He noted that some governors used fund budgeted for social development projects to service their party stalwart and political godfathers.

Ogun

An Ogun-based lawyer, Dr Oloruntoba Mamora, has advocated life jail for any convicted kidnapper.

Mamora told newsmen in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun  that the punishment would likely reduce kidnappings and assassinations in the country.

He said that the issue of kidnapping had assumed a new dimension and that it needed urgent attention from the government.

Osun

The Osun State Government says it will set up an education task force that will maintain high standards in public and private schools in the state.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr Fatai Kola-Hassan, disclosed the plan on Tuesday, in Osogbo, at a meeting with the executive members of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Osun chapter.

He said the task force would take appropriate actions on those operating illegal private schools and put an end to difficulties encountered in obtaining licences to operate private schools.

He called on NAPPS executives to submit names of illegal private schools in the state to the ministry for appropriate sanctions.

Plateau

The people of Plateau State have began one month period of prayer and fasting to seek God’s intervention in the crisis that has engulfed the state in recent times, a statement said.

The programme was announced by Governor  Jonah Jang, the statement, issued by Mr James Manok, the Director of Press Affairs, in Jos, said.

The decision by the government followed a fresh attack on Maza, a village in Jos North local  government area, on Saturday.

Seven people were killed and 10 others injured in the attack, which took place at 10p.m., while a church and many other houses were burnt in the incident.

Zamfara

The Zamfara State Government has re-awarded the contract for the international cargo airport in Gusau at the cost of N10 billion, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, said.

Aliyu made this known in Gusau while conducting engineers from Sigma Construction, the firm handling the project, on a site inspection.

He said that in spite of the financial difficulties, the government attached high priority to  the project because of its economic importance and promised that it would be completed on time.

He urged the construction firm to ensure that the government got value for its money, adding that the government would ensure steady funding for the project to enable the contractors to finish the job on time.