Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to sustain its policy of subsidising fertiliser and other farm inputs
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Prof. Sheikh Abdallah, gave the assurance recently in Yola at the opening of the 1st General Assembly of Nigerian farmers organised by the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
Abdallah said government was aware of the challenges facing agriculture and would do its best to address them.
He said that Federal Government had procured about 900,000 tonnes of fertiliser for the 2010 farming season.
Bauchi
Minority tribes in Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local Government Areas of Bauchi State, have appealed to the people of Bauchi-South Senatorial District to allow them produce the next senator from the zone in the interest of political balancing.
The minority tribes made the call through their spokesman, Alhaji Ali Wakili, in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi.
The Bauchi-South Senatorial District comprises seven local government areas out of the 20 council areas of the state. They are Bauchi, Alkaleri, Dass, Kirfi, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro and Toro Local Government Areas.
Benue
The Rt. Rev. William Avenya, the Auxiliary Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, on Saturday urged 13 newly ordained priests of the Church to be committed to their calling.
Avenya was delivering a sermon at the ordination of the priests at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral, Makurdi, saying the call to the priesthood was a call to humility.
“Jesus addressed his disciples and told them that those who want to be first must be last, and those who want to be great must be servants.
“The spirit of God is given to the ordained for the benefit of the people of God, for the salvation of the people of God.
FCT
A review of the Land Use Act will enhance the productivity of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), according to its Managing Director, Mr. Terver Gemade.
Gemade, speaking at the Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said it had become imperative to remove the bottlenecks associated with land acquisition.
The Tide’s source reports that the Land Use Act, enacted in March, 1978, transferred the title and ownership of land from individuals and communities to the government.
The managing director said the authority would not urge the abrogation of the Act.
Kaduna
Mr Jonathan Kish, a Member representing Kaura Constituency at the Kaduna State House of Assembly, said he had supplied hospital equipment worth more than N150 million to some hospitals.
The Tide’s source reports that the equipment were supplied in collaboration with an International NGO, “Project Cure”.
Kish said this while speaking at a constituency briefing held at the local government secretariat, Kaura, in Kaduna State, on Saturday.
He said the equipment were supplied to Kaura General Hospital and Turaki Buga Memorial Hospital, Kagoro.
Kano
Kano State Government has inaugurated its N945 million liaison office in Abuja.
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, said the building would be fully commercialised to generate revenue for the state.
“ When we came in 2003, this was one of the few projects that we put on the drawing board and although we started it we were unable to complete it during our first term in office.
“But with God on our side, we were able to complete the project in this second tenure to the joy of every indigene of the state,’’ he said.
Katsina
The PDP in Katsina State on Saturday raked in N324 million at its fund raising and foundation laying for its permanent secretariat in the state.
The highest donation of N50 million came from the Chief Launcher, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, whose company, Afdin Construction Coy, won the contract for the secretariat.
Other donors included members of the House of Representatives from Katsina, N30 million; Alhaji Manir Abukur, N20 million; Alhaji Abdulaziz Maigoro, N20 million; and Senators from Katsina, N15 million.
The state political appointees, the state and local government civil servants donated five per cent of their salaries each which amounted to N120 million.
Speaking at the launch, President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by his Special Adviser (Political), Dr Akilu Indabawa, commended PDP for taking a bold step to construct its secretariat in Katsina.
Kebbi
Arewa Local Government in Kebbi has been meeting with health officials from Niger Republic on ways to avoid outbreak of diseases, the sole administrator, Alhaji Nurudeen Usman, says.
He told newsmen in Kagiwa that regular meetings were held to ensure effective conduct of Polio immunisation, adding that the cooperation “has assisted in preventing the spread of the disease”.
“We share ideas on eradication of Polio and diseases as people from both sides engaged in similar socio-economic activities with common market, same cultural background and inter-marriages,” he said.
He said people from both sides often travelled for business and social activities as they “relate well in line with ECOWAS treaty”.
Lagos
Engineering and Construction workers have urged the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission not to exclude them from benefiting from the minimum wage being worked out by the Federal Government.
The Justice Alpha Belgore-led committee set up by the government on new minimum wage for Nigerian workers recently recommended N18,000 as the minimum wage.
The proposal, if approved by the executive and legislative arms of the Federal Government, must be implemented by all employers in private and public sectors with up to 50 workers.
Ondo
The Ondo State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture has advised the state Ministry of Agriculture to ensure proper disbursement of the N1 billion World Bank loan to farmers.
The chairman of the Committee, Mr Idowu Adebusuyi, who gave the advice on Friday in Akure at a news conference, said the Assembly had given approval to the ministry to disburse the loan.
Adebusuyi said the Committee had also advised the ministry to ensure that only farmers benefited from the loans, warning that the money should not be disbursed outside the farming season to avoid diversion of the fund to other uses.
Oyo
Two Action Congress chairmanship candidates in Oyo, Akinyemi Akinlabi and Femi Adelakun, have called for the doctrine of necessity to enable the appeal tribunal in the state to hear their case.
In a petition to the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Bolajoko Adeniji, the candidates said the call followed the strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) which affected their case.
A statement by the party’s Director of Publicity, Mr Wasiu Olatunbosun, in Ibadan on Friday, said the doctrine would enable the election appeal tribunal to dispense with their cases against the candidates of the People Democratic Party (PDP).
Plateau
PDP pioneer National Chairman, Solomon Lar has cautioned individuals claiming to be speaking for the north against portraying the region as “sectional and parochial”.
Lar told newsmen in Jos that such “self-acclaimed” leaders were “anti-democratic elements and enemies of the north”.
“I am constrained to restate that some undemocratic characters are trying to make the north look sectional and parochial.
“I find it necessary to state here that such an impression is not true of the north; national interest, fairness and unity are our guiding principles in the north,’’ he said.
Osun
The Osun State Commissioner for Land, Mr Ayo Akinsomi, says the scarcity of land for young farmers is due to lack of coordination among the three tiers of government.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo, the commissioner said ideally, land should not be a barrier to young farmers.
Akinsomi said the country had enough land for the purposes of agriculture and other economic activities in accordance with the Land Use Act.
Akinsomi observed that scarcity of land usually arose because of coordination problems, stressing that ‘‘coordination among government authorities is the solution”.
Using Malaysia as an example, Akinsomi explained that the country achieved its present feat with the establishment of the Federal Land Development Agency (FELDA).
Zamfara
The wife of the deputy governor of Zamfara, Hajiya Aisha Moukhtar, is dead.
Alhaji Habib Alhassan, the press secretary, to the deputy governor, who announced the demise on Friday in Gusau, said Aisha died at Daula hospital in Gusau on Friday after a brief illness.
The late wife of the deputy governor, who died at the age of 28, left behind one child and her husband, the statement stated.
Gov. Mahmud Shinkafi, traditional rulers, politicians and top government officials were among the hundreds of people who attended the funeral prayer.
Nation
Party Chieftain Hails LG Boss’ Dev Strides
Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwuche has extolled the sterling leadership being provided by the Chairman of the council, Hon Iyeko Okporo, describing it as unprecedented.
Hon Chukwuemeka described the council chairman as God-sent, considering his achievements in just 100 days in office.
The PDP chieftain said the chairman has rekindled the hope and trust of the people in grassroots governance.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for enabling his people to have his replica at Akinima.
He explained that the solar water project, the Late Eze Ekpeye Logbo 11 palace fencing, generator house rebuilding and town hall, all in Odiereke Ubie Community can best be described as the hallmark of true leadership.
He said the projects have direct bearing on the basic needs of the people who have suffered untold hardship and bad governance until the saviour came into office.
“ It is thunderous, as you can see the organic support and show of love to the performing chairman. Our people are overwhelmed seeing one of their own touching lives in a special way. As a community ,we have been in the past years without drinking water, but just two months in office, the chairman has provided not just drinking water, but a well-treated solar water project. Okporo is God-sent, no wonder he is nicknamed such. We have compared notes with other chairmen in the past and came to the conclusion that what he is doing in 100 days is overwhelming. Governor Fubara has made us proud by allowing a level playing field that necessitated the emergency of the chairman. You can see the women, men, youths and traditional rulers all saying one thing. God bless Governor Fubara for giving us our own. We owe him prayers and unwavering support,” he said.
In her welcome address, the Ward 9 councillor, Hon Catherine Uriah showered encomiums on the chairman for addressing the basic needs of the people in just 100 days in office.
Hon Uriah also thanked the Governor for allowing the will of the people to prevail in the just concluded local government elections which produced the God fearing chairman.
She said the people of Ward 9 as well as Ahoada West are pleased with the chairman because he is doing well.
She said the people will go to length to show support to him in his determination to redefine governance at the grassroots.
Nation
Group Plans Pilot Farm Programme For 50 Schools
A community-based non-governmental organisation, The Peoples Encouragers Initiative, is planning a pilot farm project for 50 schools in both Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
Executive Director of the organisation, Chukwuma Abraham disclosed this at the recent International Human Rights Day celebration at Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Abraham said the proposed programme which gulps the sum of N45million was intended to bring the youths back to the land and make them self-reliant.
“We hope to mobilise the factors of production inherent in all the schools through this programme to achieve two basic objectives of building self reliant youths and to create a viable and sustainable stream of income for our schools,” he said.
He said the programmme will also keep the youth busy and impact farming skills, stressing that each of the participating schools is expected to nominate at least two members of staff to coordinate and supervise the programme while10 students will be elected as executive members to administer the programmme on a day to day basis in their various schools.
“Every school has a sizeable portion of arable land to carry out the programme of establishing a functional farm in their chosen area of interest. We are hoping to mobilise an estimated N45 million to enable us set up the pilot farms across the 50 schools within Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas,” he said.
He said the celebration was to draw attention of both the Nigerian government and the international community to the issue of human rights violation, adding that findings by the organisation has shown that insecurity and youth unemployment worsened over the past few years as a result of the insecurity that engulfed the Orashi region of the State. We also found out that the high level of cultism and social unrest within our environment is mostly fuelled by the high use of illicit drugs among the youths. This programme will afford us the opportunity to take a tour through the universal declaration of human rights and reinforce on our youths the understanding that substance abuse can lead to crime, crime can lead to jail term and criminal record can blight their future dreams and life for ever,”he said.
Also speaking, the representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Ikporo Freedom urged the students to shun all forms of anti-social behaviours especially during the holiday season.
He also warned them against joining bad groups and stressed the need for the organisation to include private schools in the programme.
The Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Council, Hon Ezu R .C . Hezekiah represented by his Deputy, Hon Ununuma Odoi pledged the support of the council to the programme.
He also urged other groups in the area to emulate The Peoples Encouragers Initiative by organizing programms that will impact on the lives of the people.
John Bibor
Nation
NCSU Flays Police Take Over Of Rivers PDP Secretariat
The Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has condemned the take over of the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers State by the police, saying the action is against the tenets and principles of the rule of law.
This is even as the union has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call to order the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike for allegedly orchestrating and instigating the crisis rocking the PDP in the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the condemnation in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the police have no right to take over the PDP secretariat, as a ploy to provide cover and protection for members of the state executive of the party loyal to Wike, who were recently sacked by a court of competent jurisdiction in the State.
According to him, the action of the police is in clear defiance of a court ruling sacking the party executives at all levels in the State, instead of taking steps to enforce same.
He regretted that the police have consistently been showing that they are not appreciative of the logistic support Governor SiminalayiFubara has been extending to them, by openly demonstrating their bias, loyalty and allegiance to Wike and his supporters, contrary to their rules of engagement, which uphold and recognise absolute neutrality.
He said the Minister is wasting his time if he thinks that he could destroy the State by orchestrating and instigating needless crisis that is capable of making the State ungovernable, and appealed to President Tinubu to call him and his supporters to order.
Commenting on the fate of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the State, who defected from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Osumah said their fate is apparently sealed, as the Supreme Court had already given judgment in a similar case, saying, Wike is merely wasting his time by using the lawmakers against Governor Fubara, and causing unnecessary problem in the State.
He said if the Minister and his supporters do not retrace their steps and give peace a chance, the NCSU would have no choice than to mobilise all civil servants in the State, to troop out to the streets and protest against them.
The labour leader stressed the need for the police to vacate the PDP secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, and respect the High Court ruling which declared the congresses of the party in the State null and void.
While reiterating the need for President Tinubu to call Wike to order, Osumah said the President cannot continue to fold his arms and watch the Minister continuously make frantic efforts to destroy his State.
He also carpeted those blaming Governor Fubara administration for the recent gruesome murder of a Chief Security Officer(CSO) and his son in Igwuruta Ali community, saying those making such insinuations and attributing the sad incident to security lapses on the part of the state government, are missing the point.
He noted that by empowering the police in the State with several operational vehicles and other logistics, it was expected that the police would reciprocate the gesture, by living up to their constitutional obligation of protecting lives and property in the State, contending that Governor Fubara has been playing his part of guaranteeing security in the State.
He said the State is generally peaceful and safe, and challenged those criticising the Governor to cast their minds and attention to what is happening in other parts of the country, where killings and other social vices have become the order of the day.
Osumah cited as an example the recent killings in Ebonyi State by Fulani herdsmen as well as incidences of kidnapping and banditry in several other States of the federation, and wondered if Governor Fubara could be held responsible for such anomalies.
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