THE STATES

Ekiti

The 26 member Ekiti State House of Assembly last week unanimously passed the state’s Freedom of Information (FOI) and three other bills.

The passage of the bill, sponsored by Governor Kayode Fayemi, makes Ekiti the first state to pass an FOI bill.

The lawmakers also passed the “Ekiti State Bonds, Votes and Securiteis bill 2011” and Ekiti State Transport and Special Projects Bill 2011.

Also passed was the Ekiti State Local Government Adminstration Amended Bill 2011.

Debating the merit of the FOI bill, many members of the assembly commended the governor’s courage in personally championing the cause of the bill.

They said the fact that the governor sponsored and pushed for the passage showed that he was ready to run an open government.

FCT

Dr Idris Omede, the National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), says breast-feeding can reduce the incidence of breast cancer.

Omede told newsmen last Friday, in Abuja, that breast feeding could reduce the incidence of breast cancer because of a hormone inside the blood stream.

“Once you have a break in hormonal interplay, the tendency is that the stimulus that would cause breast cancer is a bit suppressed,’’ he said.

He explained that the longer a mother breast feeds, the more her chances of not having breast cancer.

“One that breast feeds for one or one-and-half year has less chances of having cancer than someone that breast feeds for six months,’’ he added.

Gombe

Dr Abubakar Joshua, the epidemiologist in the Gombe State Ministry of Health, says some communities are still rejecting the polio vaccine in spite of the aggressive awareness campaign by the authorities.

He told newsmen in Gombe, last Friday, that some communities had held to their belief that the vaccine could cause infertility.

He named Kuri, Zambuk, Dadinkowa and Doso towns in Yamaltu-Deba local government area as the places where the rate of rejection was high.

Joshua, however, lauded the efforts of traditional rulers, whom he said had shown a lot of commitment in seeing to the success of the polio immunisation.

Kano

A group, the Joint Association of the Physically Challenged, on Saturday, called on the Kano State Government to renovate the three rehabilitation centres in the state.

The Chairman of the association, Alhaji Aminu Ahmed, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Kano.

Ahmed also urged the government to expand the rehabilitation centres located at Mariri, Bela and Tudun Maliki.

“The facilities at the centres are gradually becoming inadequate for our members largely due to the increasing number of inmates as well as shortage of rooms and facilities”.

Lagos

The Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos has spent over N350 million on capital projects in the last three years.

The Chairman of the council, Mr Sabiu Omolaja-Adelaja, told newsmen last Saturday, in Lagos that the sum was spent on the provision of health facilities, education, infrastructure and empowerment of farmers.

He said the council, which generates less than N500,000 as internally generated revenue, would ensure improvement in the socio-economic development of the area.

The council boss, who commended the state government for its financial support, added that investments had been made in youth empowerment, education, health care, infrastructural development, scholarship and rural projects.

Omolaja-Adelaja said that the council has also provided free school uniforms and exercise books to schools in the area in addition to the free primary health care service put in place.

Niger

The Niger Government is to collaborate with the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to revive the train service between Minna and Kaduna.

The Permanent Secretary, Niger Ministry of Transport, Malam Umar Bawa, said this last Friday in Minna while speaking to newsmen.

Under the arrangement, he said the train would take off from Minna to Kaduna on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7 a.m.

“We have commenced the rail service with a view to identifying the problems on the route and correcting them to ease the transportation needs of our people.

“The state government has released over N100 million to the Nigeria Railway Corporation to enable it revive the local train service to exclusively serve communities on the Minna-Kaduna route,’’ he said.

Osun

Oba Adebukola Alli, Alowa of Ilowa in Osun, standing trial for raping a 23-year-old NYSC member, was on Friday remanded in prison custody.

When the case came up at an Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court, the lead defence counsel, Mr Victor Opara, sought for the vacation of an earlier order of June 24, which placed his client on house arrest.

Opara argued that the court’s order that a government doctor should attend to the monarch at his palace had not been complied with as no doctor came to treat him.

He expressed fear that the life of the traditional ruler might be in danger in view of his poor health condition.

Oyo

No fewer than 28 officers and 267 men of the 2 Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army, Ibadan, last Saturday participated in a sanitation exercise to mark the Army Week.

The Division’s General Officer Commanding (GOC) , Maj.- Gen. Muhammed Abubakar, said the exercise was aimed at sensitising residents on the need to maintain a clean environment.

Represented by Col Thomas Eze, the Garrison Commander, Abubakar said the army had over the years enhanced civil-military relations through social interaction and public-oriented projects.

He said the army regarded the civil communities around the barracks as next door neighbours and would continue to maintain cordial relationship with them.

The GOC, who said this year’s celebration was significant because it had various sporting events for youths, added that this was a reassurance that there was a future for the country.

Plateau

Mr Jacob Wongdem, the Permanent Secretary in the Plateau State Ministry of Health, has announced the outbreak of cholera in some parts of the state.

Wongdem, who earlier denied the outbreak of the disease, told newsmen in Jos last Thursday that it had killed 10 people.

He added that 370 people had also been infected by the disease, reported in Jos South, Jos North, Mangu, Shendam, Barkin Ladi and Pankshin local government areas.

“It is a bad situation, but the ministry is already doing everything to control and stem the ailment”, the permanent secretary said.

He attributed the outbreak to poor sanitary conditions and the consumption of contaminated fruits and unwashed vegetables.

“The state government is worried that lives have been lost in the unfortunate cholera outbreak. We have dispatched surveillance teams to every nook and cranny of the state to contain the outbreak”.

Sokoto

The Sokoto State Governemnt said on Friday that it had purchased 14,000 tonnes of fertilizers worth about N1.5 billion for this year’s farming season.

The Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Jabbi Kilgore, told newsmen in Sokoto that already, various committees had been inaugurated to ensure smooth sale of the product to deserving farmers.

He said that 9,000 tonnes of NPK brand would be sold at N1,800 per bag while 5,000 tonnes of UREA would be sold to farmers at N1,700 per bag.

He explained that the secretaries of the 23 local government of the state would serve as chairmen of the distribution committees in their various areas.

Kilgore explained that effective measures had been taken to ensure the commodity got to rural farmers.

Yobe

The Yobe Government has engaged the services of 20 consultants for the Damaturu Specialist Hospital.

The state’s deputy governor, Alhaji Abubakar Ali, told newsmen on Saturday in Damaturu, that the consultants were engaged from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

“We engaged consultants in the critical areas of General Surgery, Radiology, Internal Medicine, Gynaecology and Paediatrics, reflecting the clinical needs of our people”.

Abubakar said that there would be five consultants in all the medical fields to meet the medical needs of the people.

“Government is worried about the rigours of our people in moving their sick relations to seek medical attention and services in Maiduguri, Gombe and Abuja,’’ he said.