Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has advised staff to partner with local communities and governments at all levels for the needed support to generate more revenue.
The Executive Chairman, Mrs Ifueko Okauru, gave the advice at the opening of the North East Region Enlarged Management and Town Hall meeting of the organisation in Yola.
Ifueko also called for the cooperation of states and local governments in the zone, to show commitment to off-setting all tax arrears within the shortest possible time and to avoid situations where arrears piled up again.
Bauchi
Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has approved N597,000 as maximum Hajj fare for intending pilgrims in the 2010 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Alhaji Ibrahim Ninge, the Permanent Secretary in the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, made this known on Saturday in Bauchi while addressing newsmen.
Ninge also said that the sum of N582,000 was approved as medium fare while N488,000 was approved as minimum fare.
He explained that each pilgrim in the three categories would be given 750 dollars, 1,000 dollars and 1,500 dollars respectively as Basic Traveling Allowances (BTA).
He called on intending pilgrims who had already made deposits with officials of the board in the 20 local government councils to complete the payment before July 28, 2010.
Benue
FRSC’s “Operation Eagle Eye” will this month focus on the violation of the over loading regulation, driving with worn-out tyres and non-possession of spare tyres nationwide.
Mr Osita Chidoka, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, made the disclosure in Makurdi, on Friday, while flagging off the operation.
He said the FRSC would continue to invest in call centres and ambulance services to ensure safety on the road.
Chidoka, who was represented by Mr Bake Kwaga, the Zonal Commanding Officer in Markurdi, expressed readiness to involve mobile courts in the prosecution of erring traffic offenders on the spot.
Borno
The Borno State Government on Friday warned its pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to avoid prostitution, child labour and other negative vices.
“We have observed that some Nigerian women are of the habit of staying back in Saudi Arabia after the pilgrimage with the intent to engage in some activities that are negative in nature,”Hajiya Hauwa Mai-Musa, Commissioner for Women Affairs, said at Train-the-Trainer workshop in Maiduguri.
She was speaking at the North East workshop for women group on this year’s pilgrimage, added that some women also engaged in child trafficking to Saudi Arabia.
Mai-Musa said that rather than indulge in criminal activities in Saudi Arabia, the pilgrims should return home and engage in lawful businesses.
Ekiti
As part of its efforts to provide quality healthcare delivery, the Ekiti State Government is to redistribute more health workers to rural areas, Governor Segun Oni has said.
Oni said this on Friday, in Ado-Ekiti, when the people of Ilokun-Ekiti led by Onilokuno of Ilokuno-Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Jegede paid him a courtesy visit.
He said that the efforts would also combat the inadequacy in the number of qualified health personnel in the rural areas.
The governor noted that the inability of past administrations in the state to ensure fair play in the distribution of the available human resources in the sector led to the drought of qualified health workers in the rural areas thereby putting communities in the areas at a disadvantage .
FCT
Vice-President Namadi Sambo, has given an assurance that the execution of the Zungeru hydropower plant will be fully financed through appropriation.
He said this had become imperative in view of the fact that concessionary loans had yet to be sourced for the project.
Sambo made the disclosure at a meeting of the co-ordinating ministries, consultants, contractors and stakeholders handling the Mambilla, Zungeru and Gurara phase two hydropower projects at the State House.
The meeting was to address issues bordering on the provision of adequate hydropower supply in the country.
Kebbi
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in Kebbi State plans to collaborate with the youth corps members to expand the scope of tree planting in the state.
Dr Kasim Ahmed, the agency’s coordinator in the state, announced this in Birnin Kebbi while addressing batch ‘B’ NYSC members posted to the state.
He said the agency would engage corps members posted to rural communities to embark on tree planting to protect the environment even as the agency would seek the cooperation of corps members to create awareness among the people on the relevance of tree planting and the need to discourage tree felling.
Lagos
An NGO, Gender-Based Violence Response Network (GBVRN) on Friday, in Lagos ,called for a multi-level approach to stem the spate of child sexual abuse in Nigeria.
Its Programme Officer on Human Rights Education, Miss Kate Ibeanusi, told newsmen that sexual assault and harassment of underage female children had become rampart.
“The increasing reports of cases of child sexual abuse in the state are a worrisome development that needs urgent concerted efforts to stem the tide,’’ she said in a statement.
Ibeanusi disclosed that at least 24 cases were reported between April and June.
Niger
A Minna Chief Magistrate Court on Friday, sentenced one Ayuba Umar of Suleja town in Niger, to two years imprisonment with hard labour, for extortion.
Umar was convicted on a charge of extorting N72, 000 from one Patrick Marshal of Otunsha Hotel, Keffi in Nasarawa.
Umar was charged with “systematically extorting the money from the complainant after series of telephone calls threatening to assassinate him if he refused to cooperate’’.
The Police Prosecutor, Mr Ahmed Danladi, told the court that Umar committed extortion punishable with death under section 294 of the Penal Code.
He told the court that from May 9 to July 9, 2010, Umar called Marshal on phone consistently, saying that he was hired to assassinate him
Ondo
An official of the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr Adeyemi Sarumi, has called on the state government to introduce sex and moral education into the school curriculum.
Sarumi, who is also a supervisor in the state Motherless Babies Home, made the call while speaking with newsmen on Friday in Akure.
According to him, adequate sex education for children will facilitate prevention of unwanted pregnancies and loss of lives among youths.
He also called for sensitisation of adults on fami
ly planning and sex education, while students should abstain from sex to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Osun
The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile- Ife, authority has dismissed allegations of its involvement in a recent students’ clash in the institution as false.
During the clash, some students reportedly sustained injuries during the clash which erupted in the university on July 12.
Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, the Public Relations Officer of university, told newsmen in Ile-Ife on Saturday, that it was the management that rescued some students from the spot of the attack.
Olanrewaju said that efforts were being made to reconcile the students with a view to restoring peace.
Meanwhile, a pressure group, the United Action For Democracy (UAD), Osun Chapter, has expressed reservations over the incident.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government has awarded contract for the rehabilitation of the state Rima Radio at the cost of N120 million.
The Commissioner for Information, Malam Dahiru Maishanu, told newsmen in Sokoto, on Saturday, that the contract included the construction of perimeter fencing, rehabilitation of the entire structures and upgrading of the studios.
Maishanu said the project was aimed at giving the premier radio station in the north west a facelift.
He said the government had also embarked on projects worth N178 million to upgrade the state-owned newspaper company.
Yobe
The Yobe State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Asmau Kolo on Friday, said 85 women master trainers selected across the state had been trained in five skill acquisition programmes for economic empowerment.
The commissioner made the disclosure to newmen in Babangida, Tarmuwa local government area, at the graduation of 35 women trainees from zone ‘A’.
She said that the women were trained on soap, cream, liquid soap, room freshner and balm making.
“The women are mostly housewives whose economic status is low. They have been trained to train others in their localities for a wider coverage on skill acquisition”.
Zamfara
The Zamfara State Government has introduced a dress code for female teachers in academic institutions in its bid to inculcate discipline in the education sector.
Alhaji Isa Maru, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, said in a statement that the state government was disturbed by the upsurge of indecent dressing among female teachers.
Under the new dress code, female teachers must be dressed in a reasonable outfit that could guarantee them respect, not only among staff and students, but by the general public. Isa said that, “henceforth, it is prohibited for any teacher to dress indecently, especially in ‘half-naked wears’ during school hours.
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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