THE STATES

Bauchi

The Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and Leprosy (BACATMA), has begun collaboration with traditional rulers to curb the menace of malaria in the state.

The Chairman of BACATMA, Muhammed Sambo, made this known in Bauchi during a meeting with key malaria control agencies.

Sambo named NGOs and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) as other bodies whose support had been enlisted.

The meeting was held under the auspices of BACATMA, in collaboration with Human Progressive Union, Kofar Gabas, Bauchi, Progressive Union and Fasaha Women Group of Jama’ are.

Borno

The Petrol filling stations have reopened in Maiduguri after the NNPC rescinded its decision to relocate the Maiduguri depot to Gombe for security reasons.

The state chapter of the Independent Petroleum Markers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and other unions in the petroleum sector had last Saturday embarked on a strike over the relocation of the depot.

The Maiduguri Depot Manager, Alhaji Mohammed Bello, said in a statement in Maiduguri that the relocation order had been reversed.

“We refer to our earlier memo dated July 26 on the relocation of the depot to Gombe and to inform you that the NNPC management has approved the retention of the depot in Maiduguri.

Ekiti

Four men were on Tuesday in Ikere-Ekiti arraigned for alleged possession and selling of explosives.

The men, Monday Audu, Olagoke Fabusola, James Ogunjimi and Gabriel Ogundola were arrested on July 24 for allegedly selling the explosives.

The Police Prosecutor, Cpl Ajiboye Adebayo, urged the court not to grant bail to the accused because of the serious nature of the case, and asked that they be remanded in prison custody.

Counsel to the accused, Mr Christopher Omokhafe, pleaded with the court to grant bail to his clients, since police investigation into the case had been concluded.

FCT

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC), has said that no religious group in Nigeria will go to war over the Islamic Banking issue.

In a statement on Tuesday in Abuja Oloyede, said, “I support the statement of the Secretary-General of Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) that no Muslim worth the name is ready to go to war because there is nothing to war about”.

He said that since the issue of Islamic banking came to the front burner some months ago, many Nigerians had expressed divergent views “ranging from the ludicrous, mischievous and ignorant to the unimaginably extreme”.

Kogi

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), in collaboration with the Kogi State Government, is to create 5,000 jobs within the next 12 months.

Alhaji Isah Ichaba, the state’s Head of Service (HOS), disclosed this in Lokoja at the opening ceremony of a four-day Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop for Enterprises Development Officers of the directorate from the Northern Zone.

Ichaba, who was represented by Mr Timothy Aliyu, the Permanent Secretary, Establishments, said that unemployment constituted one of the most serious developmental problems facing the country.

He said that considering the rate at which school leavers and graduates were being produced yearly, the unemployment situation might deteriorate further, if maximum support and encouragement was not given to the NDE to train youths for self-employment.

Kwara

The Kwara Government has appealed to residents to desist from dumping refuse indiscriminately but to complement the efforts of the government in bringing about a clean and green environment.

The Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Mr Samuel Bamishaye ,made the appeal during an inspection tour of communities affected by flooding and flood prone areas.

Areas affected are Agunbelewo Community, Olorunsogo, Geri Alimi and Sawmill.

Bamishayesaid the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into gutters and drains had prevented easy flow of water in some part of Ilorin.

The commissioner charged all citizenry to clear all drains and debris around them to prevent loss of lives and property as had been the case in most parts of the country.

Lagos

Dr Olapade Agoro, Chairman, National Action Council (NAC), has described the controversy surrounding the proposed six-year single tenure for president and governors as a waste of time.

Agoro told newsmen in Lagos that President Goodluck Jonathan “should focus more on the myriad of problems facing the nation rather than the issue of tenure”.

He said: “The proposal is highly unnecessary for now. It is diversionary and confusing. It is fighting the wrong war at the wrong time and for a wrong cause.

“Nigeria has a myriad of problems including food security, insecurity, energy problems and a huge debt profile — all demanding the attention of government”.

Niger

Some angry  youths in Izom village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger have protested against power outages in   the community in the last five days, blocking the Minna-Suleja highway for more than two hours.

The youths chanted war songs and declared a war with the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

The youths had ordered travellers to hoist leaves on their vehicles as a mark of solidarity with them.

The development kept commuters stranded till the police intervened to clear the road.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of Suleja PHCN Business Unit, Malam Adamu Mohammed, attributed the power cut to a N30million debt that the community owed the company.

Osun

Fourteen suspected cult members have been arrested at the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, the Media Relations Officer of the Institution, Mr Tope Abiola, said in Osogbo on Monday.

Abiola told newsmen that the arrest was made on Sunday by a combined team of security agencies in the school with the collaboration of the community vigilance group.

He said the suspects had converged on the community for an undisclosed operation, armed with dangerous weapons, such as guns, cutlasses, axes, clubs and charms, when they were caught.

“It is believed that they came from different Institutions for the undisclosed operation and suspected to be members of Axe Men Confraternity, “Abiola said.

Plateau

The Plateau State  House of Assembly on Tuesday increased the membership of the committee probing the sack of the state Auditor-General, Mr Barnabas Achaka, from three to five.

Gov Jonah Jang, last week in a letter, urged the legislature to endorse the removal of Achaka, alleging that he was unable to audit the state accounts in the last eight years.

The House had constituted a three-man committee to study an earlier report presented by the immediate past legislators about the matter.

The committee is made up of Messrs Diket Plang, Zainab Dogo and Yakubu Choji.

Sokoto

Sheik Yusuf Alibawa, a Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, has tasked Muslims to use the Ramadan fasting period to pray for God’s intervention in the activities of the country.

Alibawa told newsmen  in Sokoto that prayers would enable the country to overcome the security challenges threatening its peaceful co-existence.

“We need prayers among all Nigerians, irrespective of religions differences, for God’s intervention for peace, progress and political stability.”

He also called on Muslims to embark on special prayers, calling on God to instil His fears in the minds of Nigeria’s political leaders.

“We must collectively work together to sustain the corporate existence of our country by promoting religious tolerance and understanding.”