THE STATES

Bauchi

The Bauchi State Fadama 111 Office says it has disbursed N58 milion to Fadama Community Associations (FCAs) in the state between January and March 2011.

The State Coordinator, Mr. Ali Garba, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi recently.

Garba said that the money was disbursed to FCAs in the 20 local government areas of the state.

He urged the benefiting associations to make judicious use of the fund to enhance their economic well-being.

Benue

Mr. Terseer Tsumba, Speaker of Benue House of Assembly, recently congratulated members of the House who were successful in the Assembly election.

He also appealed to his colleagues who lost in the election to put in their best in their new endeavours.

Tsumba, who made the remarks in Makurdi, said that those who fought the battle and won as incumbents needed to be supported.

He urged the members to continue to co-operate with one another in the House so that their names would be written in gold.

Ekiti

The ACN said recently that it would work with President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposed unity government if he followed democratic norms acceptable to the party.

The Chairman an of the party in Ekiti State, Chief Jide Awe, made this known in Ado-Ekiti recently while addressing reporters.

Awe said that  ACN did not see anything wrong in joining the government of the President-elect if it was to add value to governance and move the nation forward.

According to him, Jonathan will have to first convince the party that he will not derail from the good attributes which made him secure the votes of people in ACN strongholds.

FCT

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Monday in Abuja called on INEC to conduct a comprehensive study of the 2011 elections to identify successes and failures.

Mr. Auwal Rafasanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, and spokesman of the group, made the call at a news conference.

He said the exercise would serve as a guide to INEC in conducting future elections.

Gombe

The Independent National Elecoral Commission (INEC) recently cancelled the governorship and State House of Assembly elections at the Jankai polling unit in Gombe metropolis.

Mr. Godfrey Miri, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State, told nesmen that the elections had to be cancelled because voting commenced in the unit ahead of the scheduled time of noon.

“We received reports that voting had commence in the unit as early as 8 am. Consequently, we sent our men who confirmed the early commencement of voting, as a result, the elections in the unit had to be cancelled.

“Apart from commencement of voting ahead of schedule, we discovered a lot of under aged voters in that polling unit,” he said.

Kano

The incoming Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso administration will sustain the implementation of the Sharia legal system in Kano State, a party official said.

The Chairman of the Publicity Committee of the State Chapter of PDP, Alhaji Gambo Danpass, made the statement in Kano on Monday in an interview with newsmen.

Danpass said “the PDP government under Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso will continue to pursue the Sharia code with an approach better than the one being implementated by the out-going ANPP administration in the state.

“It was Dr. Kwankwaso who started Sharia during his first tenure as governor of the state, and so, he cannot truncate what he initiated”.

Katsina

Musawa  Local Government Council of Katsina State says it has designed programmes to sanitise the operations of food vendors and patent medicine dealers in the area.

The Council’s Director of Water and Sanitation Department, Alhaji Adamu Hussaini, told  newsmen recently in Musawa that the programmes were aimed at promoting public health.

Hussaini said the council had introduced special teams of trained environmental health officers that monitor the activities of food vendors and patent medicine stores across the area.

Kwara

An IIorin-based lawyer, Mr. Razaq Gold said recently that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had justified the confidence reposed in it by conducting credible elections in Nigeria.

He told newsmen in Ilorin that the Professor Attahiru Jega-led commission had shown the world that Nigeria was a leading light in Africa.

“The successful conduct of the general elections by INEC has shown that Nigeria is blessed with people who can organise credible elections contrary to the beliefs of many.

Lagos

A 41-year-old civil servant, Mr. Afeez Ojedele, on Tuesday urged the Mushin Grade “a” Customary Court to dissolve his 13-year-old marriage to Risikat, as both of them had remarried.

Risikat, who concurred with the petitioner, also pleaded with the court to end the marriage, saying “My heart now belongs to somebody else”.

Ojedele had told the court that Risikat packed out of their matrimonial home in February 2005, following a misunderstanding between them.

He adjourned the case till August 31 for further hearing and ordered the petitioner to pay Risikat N5,000 for the upkeep of their younger son.

Nasarawa

Nasarawa State governor elect Tanko Al-Makura has promised to be fair and just to every citizen of the state irrespective of tribe and religious affiliation.

Al-Makura made the promise on Sunday when newsmen paid him a courtesy visit in Lafia to congratulate him on his election victory.

“I promise that my government will not bear any prejudice against anybody, I will also make sure I do justice and be fair to all the citizens of Nasarawa State,’’ he said.

“Let us forget about our differences, politically, religiously and culturally and come together to lift Nasarawa up.

“Let us also put aside the struggle and propaganda behind us, as election has come and gone and let us now focus on the development of the state.”

Oyo

The Federal Government has expressed concernover the frequent occurrence of road accidents on Nigerian roads, resulting to loss of lives and material resources.

Alhaji Muhammad Sidi-Sani, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), made the announcement at a sensitisation workshop, held for stakeholders in Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) management recently in Ibadan.

Sidi-Sani who was represented by the South West Zonal Coordinator of the NEMA, Mr. Iyiola Akande, said the agency had decided to organise the workshop with a view to reducing loss of lives on Nigeria roads.

Plateau

The Labour Party’s Publicity Secretary in Plateau State, Mr. Sylvanus Namang, says the party will not congratulate Governor Jonah Jang over his election victory.

Jang defeated Pauline Tallen, his deputy and LP candidate, in the just-concluded governorship election to secure a second-term tenure.

Namang told newsmen in Jos recently that the LP would not congratulate Jang as it would mean consenting to “a wrong”.

“We have all the information on how the governorship poll was manipulated in favour of Jang and I don’t think it is politically right to congratulate him.

Sokoto

President Goodluck Jonathan has been called upon to lay emphasis on workers’ welfare to enhance their productivity.

Dr. Shehu Sidi, the Head of European Languages, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Sokoto recently.

“Paying attention to the welfare of the nation’s workforce will ensure the smooth implementation of Federal Government’s programmes,” Sidi stressed.

Zamfara

Zamfara State governor-elect Abdulazeez Yaei Abubakar has promised to run an open government that will accept criticism as a check and balance mechanism for good governance.

Yari made the promise at his Talata Mafara residence recently when executives of Zamfara council of the NUJ paid him congratulatory visit.

He noted that for any administration to be transparent, the Media must be allowed to function without undue censorship.

“I will make my administration open for advice and criticisms so that where I am right, the Media will encourage me and where I am wrong, I will be criticised,” he said.