Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government says its decision to pardon four out of the 20 former local government chairmen indicted by a government White Paper for corrupt practice was not “politically motivated”.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Al-Mustapha Suleiman, made the clarification in Bauchi in an interview with newsmen.

The indicted former chairmen are Alhaji Muhammed Hassan of Katagum Local Government, Alhaji Tukur Adamu of Kirfi, Alhaji Bello Arabi from Alkaleri and Alhaji Garba Magaji, Darazo Local Government.

Gov. Isa Yuguda had on Thursday granted amnesty to 18 convicts and the four former local government chairmen indicted for embezzling public funds in the last administration.

Borno

An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Bashir Mustafa, was last weekend shot dead in his Gwange, Maiduguri  residence, by gunmen suspected to be members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect.

An eyewitness, told newsmen in Maduguri that the cleric was shot with one of his students, Alhaji Dunoma, who had visited him.

“The cleric and Dunoma were inside the house when we saw two men approach the house on a motorbike.

“They packed the bike outside and went straight to meet them inside where they opened fire on them.

FCT

As the world marks the World Post Day, the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) last weekend in Abuja presented the 2010 Definitive Postage Stamps to promote Nigeria’s tourism potential.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Dora Akunyili, the Minister of Information and Communications, commended NIPOST for its initiative to key into the “Re-branding Nigeria” project through the production of the stamps.

Akunyili, represented by Mr Lagdam Ndam, Director, Research and Production in the ministry, noted that NIPOST, over the years had promoted the best of Nigeria’s cultural life, arts and history through postage stamps.

“All over the years, postage stamps are regarded as effective means of supplying information about a country’s history, people and culture.

Kaduna

Vice-President Namadi Sambo has said that President Goodluck Jonathan will be fair to all Nigerians if elected in 2011.

Sambo gave the assurance last weekend in Kaduna while inaugurating the Jonathan-Sambo 2011 North- West Zonal Campaign Office.

He said that the agenda of their administration was to restructure all the major sectors of the economy so as to attain the goals of Vision 20:2020.

The vice-president stressed that the administration was determined to make the country a comfortable place for all citizens, irrespective of where they came from.

Sambo appealed to the people of the North-West geopolitical zone region to vote for Jonathan in the 2011 presidential election, assuring them that there were specific development programmes earmarked for the region.

Kano

Participants at a workshop on Planning and Budgeting, have asked state governments to set up anti-corruption agencies to facilitate smooth budget planning and implementation.

In a communique issued at the end of the five-day workshop in Kano last weekend, the participants noted that corruption was “a major impediment to budget planning” in Nigeria.

The communique, which was signed by Malam Maikano Bashir, a Principal Assistant Secretary in the Kano State Deputy Governor’s Office, also urged State Houses of Assembly to pass the Fiscal Responsibility Bill into law to give legal backing to new planning and budgeting initiatives.

Katsina

The Katsina State Government will devote the N650 million it won in the 2007-2008 Award for Good Performance in UBE Implementation to the decongestion of some primary schools, an official said.

Alhaji Nuhu Kuki, the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), announced the plan on Saturday in an interview with newsmen in Katsina.

He said that apart from the decongestion of the schools, the money would also be used for other school projects across the state.

  Kebbi

Kano State governor Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau has donated N25 million to assist victims of the recent flood disaster in Kebbi State.

He made the donation last weekend in Birnin Kebbi when he visited his Kebbi counterpart Alhaji Saidu Dakingari.

Shekarau, who led a large delegation to Birnin Kebbi, said the donation was to show brotherly concern for fellow human beings.

“The monetary donation is aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by the flood victims and we sincerely hope and pray for the avoidance of future disasters,” he said.

Gov Saidu Dakingari, who received the donation, commended the government and people of Kano State for the assistance and pledged that the money would be judiciously utilised.

Lagos

A total of 108 ships are scheduled to berth in Lagos ports in October, our correspondent reports.

The shipping position released by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Lagos last weekend showed that many of the ships would be laden with containers, vehicles and petroleum products.

According to the shipping document, 15 of the ships are bringing in various petroleum products, mostly petrol, and are already waiting for clearance to berth.

Eighteen others are carrying bulk cargoes such as fish, fertiliser, bulk cement, bulk urea, bulk salt and containers.

Ogun

A business mogul, Chief Jimoh Ibrahim, last weekend pledged to construct a building worth N50 million for Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta (MAPOLY).

Ibrahim announced the donation when he was conferred with the honourary fellowship of the polytechnic during its 13th convocation ceremony.

He said that the building would be known as “Olusegun Obasanjo Privatisation Centre’’.

Ibrahim said that the project would be jointly financed by five of his companies — Global Fleet, Nigeria Re-insurance, Air Nigeria, NICON Insurance and NICON Hotel.

Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State also received an honourary fellowship of the institution during the convocation.

Osun

The Osun Government has recruited 600 teachers to fill vacant positions in public primary schools in the state, Prof. Wale Oladipo, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) said.

Oladipo said in a statement obtained by our correspondent last week in Osogbo that the recruitment would improve the standard of basic education in the state.

The newly employed teachers, he said, had already collected their letters of appointment and had been posted to primary schools across the state.

The SUBEB chairman also called on other qualified teachers seeking employment to come to the board for application forms to fill positions expected to be vacated by retiring teachers next year.

Sokoto

The Federal Government says plans have reached advanced stage for the reconstruction of the access

road to Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, that was destroyed by flood in August.

Mr Chris Ogiewonyi, the Minister of State for Works, made the information known last weekend in Sokoto shortly after inspecting the road.

Ogiewonyi, who also inspected the Sokoto-Ilela road that links Nigeria with Niger Republic and promised that work would soon begin on the road.

More than 20 villages were washed away in Sokoto State following floods that ravaged 20 villages across six local government areas and rendered more than 8,000 people homeless.

The floods washed away more than 4km of the access road and a bridge to the university and connecting seven local government areas to Sokoto town.

Plateau

President Goodluck Jonathan last weekend inaugurated a new Governor’s Lodge and office for Plateau.

The President, who is in Plateau on a two-day visit, also inaugurated an overhead bridge in Kabong which was built at N2.8 billion.

Jonathan, who lauded the Plateau government for building the bridge he described as “very strategic’’, also thanked the Government for naming a road after him.

The 25km road named after Goodluck Jonathan, is a federal road which the State Government rehabilitated.

“The bridge is the only flyover bridge in Plateau and the best in the North-Central Zone; it will remain a landmark to the entire nation,’’ he said.

Yobe

ACN Chairman in Yobe Mai-mala Buni last Sunday advised the electorate to stop non-performing politicians aspiring for the Governorship House from getting elected.

Buni told newsmen in Damaturu that “Yobe has peculiar problems of desertification and drought, but docile lawmakers could not make any impact on those problems.

“Some of these politicians are now aspiring for the governorship which must be resisted because of their incompetence.

“It will be disastrous to entrust the future of the state in the hands of people who could not sponsor bills to impact on the lives of the people while at the National Assembly,” he said.

Buni, who is also the chairman of the coalition of political parties in the state, noted that political parties would sensitise their members against “aspirants who cannot deliver to improve the lives of the people’’.