Adamawa

Malam Isa Aminu, a health practitioner, has advocated proper education of communities on the use of mosquito treated nets.

“This is to enhance the malaria control programme in the country,” Aminu said on Saturday in an interview with newsmen in Mubi, Adamawa State.

He said the enlightenment was necessary to promote the malaria control programme.

Aminu said the measure would encourage the proper use of the nets and control prevalent cases of malaria in the country.

“The high prevalent rate of malaria was due to poor sanitation and lack of community education on how to use the nets effectively.

“Most families in rural settlements are wary of using the treated nets,” Aminu said.

Bauchi

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), has urged Nigerians to participate actively in environmental sanitation activities to curb water borne diseases in the country.

Hajiya Jummai Bello, the NOA Director in Bauchi State, made the call in a statement signed by the agency’s Head of Information and Publication, Malam Danmusa Muhammad, in Bauchi yesterday.

Bello said the call became necessary due to the importance of environmental sanitation to the health, social, economic and moral well-being of the people.

She added that this call was also based on the prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) that there would be heavy rainfall in the country this year and its implication to the environment.

Benue

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benue said yesterday in Makurdi that it had set up a committee to address the issue of unpaid allowances of its ad hoc staff.

Mr Jacob Ayanda, the INEC Assistant Director, Public Affairs, announced the setting up of the committee when the ad hoc staff staged a protest over the non-payment of their allowances for election duty.

The protesters, mainly male students of higher institutions within and outside the state, had participated in the just concluded general elections as presiding officers.

They alleged that the female presiding officers were paid, while their male counterparts were left out.

Ekiti

The Ekiti State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said in Ado-Ekiti that it arrested 935 motorcyclists between January and April for various traffic offences.

Mr Francis Udoma, the Sector Commander, told newsmen that the command’s special patrols apprehended 210 of the traffic offenders in January, 406 in February and 222 in March, with the remaining 97 arrested in April.

He said the lawbreakers were arrested at various locations across the 16 local government areas of the state and noted that their offences ranged from number plate violation and overloading to failure to use safety helmets.

FCT

Electricity supply in the country has grown by 1,000 megawatts since President Goodluck Jonathan  assumed power a year ago, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Dr Sam Amadi, Chairman of the Commission, said this in a letter to Jonathan yesterday, congratulating him on his success in the April presidential election.

Amadi attributed the level of stability in electricity supply in  the country to the president’s commitment to ensure safe, stable and adequate electricity  supply.

Katsina

Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has accessed the N1.2 billion year 2010 UBE intervention from the state government and UBEC for the implementation of its programmes.

Alhaji Sule Kuki, the Executive Chairman of the board, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Katsina on Saturday.

Kogi

The Federal College of Education, Okene in Kogi is to commence degree programmes in education from the 2011/2012 academic session.

A lecturer at the institution, Malam Musa Jibrin, disclosed this on Friday in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi.

He spoke at the end of this year’s three-day Teachers Professional Development Workshop for Universal Basic Education (UBE) Teachers  and Managers in the state.

Jibrin, who also coordinated the workshop, said the degree programmes were aimed at producing quality teachers for the Basic Education Programmes.

He said that the education sector would take a nose dive if teachers were not adequately trained.

Lagos

The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted N260 million worth of unregistered pharmaceuticals and packaged food at the Seme border.

Sources close to the agency told newsmen on Saturday that acting on a tip-off, operatives at the Seme border intercepted a truck conveying a 2×20 feet container load of unregistered pharmaceuticals.

“NAFDAC operatives at the border have intercepted a large quantity of unregistered pharmaceuticals and packaged foods worth N260 million,” the NAFDAC sources said.

Niger

About 1,670 students of the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna have benefited from the entrepreneurship training in the university, Dr Oladiran Abubakar, the coordinator, has said.

Entrepreneurship lecture tagged ‘Competency based on Economy through the Formation of Enterprise’ (CEFE) was a sponsored programme of the university by the German Government through its GTZ project.

Abubakar, on Saturday in Minna while welcoming a delegation of German Embassy officials on a tour to review its project in the state, said that the programme had impacted positively on both staff and students.

“Till date, more than 400 students have benefited from five to seven day intensive training conducted during various coaching sessions.

“About 1,760 students have benefited from attending entrepreneurship lectures tagged CEFE integrated curriculum,’’ he said.

According to him, 23 lecturers are trained and are delivering CEFE integrated curriculum in their various departments.

He added that a staff of the university had been certified CEFE master trainer, adding that many of the beneficiaries were potential master trainers

On the benefits of the training, he said that it has helped to change the mind set of many students.

He added that six departments out of the 35 departments in the university were at present offering the entrepreneurship training in their departments.

Plateau

A Batch B corps member, Dr Francisca Ekwuruibe, has conducted free eye screening on 500 pupils of St Paul’s Township Primary School, Jos.

Ekwuruibe, who is an optometrist, told newsmen yesterday that she was moved because majority of eye patients were children.

According to her, most of the pupils with undetected eye challenges are usually labelled as unintelligent by their teachers, because they can’t read what is written on the board.

“This visual screening exercise would detect such pupils. Free eye medications and glasses will be given to those with minor eye impediments for correction.

“Pupils with severe impediments will be given referral letters to JUTH for further management,” she said.

Ekwuruibe advised parents to always feed their children and wards with food and fruits rich in Vitamin A, which helps in improving eye sight to minimise sight-related issues.

She advised them to be very observant of their wards, especially those who go very close to the television system while watching.

“Parents should also watch out for children who usually complain after walking under the sun.

“Once these defects are not identified and treated on time, most of the cases could degenerate into various complications which may lead to blindness if not properly managed,” she said.

Sokoto

Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has urged Journalists in the country to be objective and fair in their reportage.

Wamakko made the call on Saturday in Sokoto at the 2011 maiden congress meeting of the Nigeria Union Of Journalists ( NUJ), Sokoto State council.

Wamakko, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Dangusau, added: “This is the only way journalists can work in line with the laid down ethics of this noble profession.

“The press can make or mar any society and those in the profession should tread with caution in order not to go astray.’’

Wamakko commended journalists in the state for their steadfastness and urged them to sustain the existing cordial relationship between them and the state government.

He also stressed the need for the journalists to give top priority to development journalism and rural reporting.

The Commissioner for Information, Malam Dahiru Maishanu, promised that the state government would implement the proposed media salary anytime it is approved by the Federal Government.

Maishanu also promised to continue to improve the working condition of journalists in state-owned media organisations.

He challenged the Nigerian media to always portray the nation to the outside world in good light.

The Zonal Director of the NTA Sokoto Network centre, Alhaji Dayo Salawu, represented by the Assistant Director of News , Alhaji Abubakar Ahmed, urged members of the union to be united and disciplined .