Adamawa

Ahead of the 2012 governorship election in Adamawa, many supporters of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku are staging a return to the ruling PDP.

Many aggrieved loyalists of Atiku had left the party in protest over the conduct of the PDP presidential primaries that ushered in President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s flag bearer in the April polls.

It was also gathered that the influx into the PDP in the state may not be unconnected with reports in the local media indicating that Atiku had directed his supporters to work for the party’s success in the forthcoming council and governorship elections.

The spokes man of the former vice president, Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed the development last Saturday, saying Atiku had always stressed the need for a united PDP in Adamawa.

Bauchi

As the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan marks 100 days, some residents of Bauchi town have called for a complete overhaul of the security system.

The residents told the newsmen that while the administration had done well so far in some areas, the security situation had been a source of concern.

They said the achievements of the administration had been over-shadowed by the frequent ‘‘bombings and ethno-religious conflicts’’.

AlhajiAbdullahi Tanko, the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, Bauchi State, said the situation was gradually de-generating and might get out of control if not checked.

Mr Austine Tsenzughul, a Bauchi-based journalist, lauded the efforts of the Federal Government toward tackling the security problem by increasing the number of police personnel.

Borno

Three persons were feared dead following a riot which broke out in Biu Local Government Area of Borno last Friday.

Eyewitnesses told newsmen in Biu that the crisis began after some suspected militants killed a military officer.

“Soldiers stationed in Biu stormed the township immediately the news filtered to them and began shooting indiscriminately,” Malam Isa Shehu, a witness said.

“No fewer than three persons were shot during the incident while dozens of shops were also set ablaze by the rampaging soldiers.

“But the incident led to mass riot as dozens of unemployed youths cashed in on the situation to ransack the town,” he said.

Shehu said the youths also destroyed some places of worship and government buildings during the riot before the military authorities took control.

FCT

Special Adviser says terrorism is contrary to Nigeria‘s traditional value

Dr Sarah Jibril, the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, said last Friday that acts of terrorism and senseless killings were contrary to Nigeria‘s traditional and cultural values.

Jibril made the remarks in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, insisting that Nigerians were peace loving people.

“Acts of terrorism through suicide bombing, improvised explosive devise and other forms of senseless killings and destruction are very profoundly unethical and represent everything contrary to the tradition, culture and religious values of Nigeria,’’ the statement said.

It said that Nigerians were not only peace loving people, but were very receptive and caring to foreign nationals and establishments in their midst.

Jigawa

A forum of students from states in the northern part of the country has pledged to play a role in tackling the mass failure of students from the area in the Senior Secondary School examinations.

This was contained in a communiqué issued last Friday in Dutse, Jigawa, at the end of the maiden meeting of the National Presidents of Northern States Students Forum (NAPNSSF).

The forum, which was formed recently and inaugurated in Jigawa, consists of presidents of the National Association of Students from the 19 states in the northern part of the country.

According to the communiqué, the rate of failure of students from states in the northern part of the country in WAEC and NECO was disturbing.

It said that as students in higher institutions from the area, they would play their part in changing the situation.

Kano

Elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the implementation of his economic transformation agenda.

The veteran politician, said in Kano last Saturday that he was satisfied with the steps so far taken by the president towards realising the agenda.

Yakasai, who was the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters to former President Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic, also commended the president for constituting an economic team of tested hands.

“By appointing the Economic Management Team under the leadership of our renowned international financial expert, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the president has taken the right step in the right direction.’’

Katsina

Katsina State Government has ordered the arrest of one Aminu Lawal, an accountant with the Kurfi Local Government Council of the state, over alleged diversion of the council workers’ salaries..

The order was contained in a statement issued last Friday in Katsina and signed by Alhaji Sani Makana, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

The statement directed the Local Government Services Commission to suspend Lawal, pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter.

According to the statement, Lawal, an accountant in the works department, is being accused of diverting the council workers’ salaries for August.

It warned that the ministry would not tolerate any case of misconduct, pointing out any staff of the commission found wanting would not be spared.

Ogun

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has hinged the defeat suffered by the party in the South -West Zone during the April general elections on indiscipline among PDP members.

Obasanjo, who is the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, spoke last Saturday at the South-West Zonal Meeting of the party held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

“Absolute indiscipline and gross violation of the party’s constitution was the bane of our party during the last general elections,’’ he said.

He also attributed the poor performance of the party during the elections to strong internal strife as well as lack of commitment and loyalty to the party.

The former president, however, encouraged PDP members in the zone to learn from the past and forge ahead.

Sokoto

Thirteen lives have been lost to gastro-enteritis within the last two weeks in Sokoto State, Alhaji Abdullahi Maigwandu, the State Commissioner for Health, said last Saturday.

Maigwandu told  newsmen that the disease was localised to six local government councils in the state.

He listed the councils as Gwadabawa, Rabah, Wurno, Goronyo, Dange/Shuni and Tambuwal.

Maigwandu pointed out that the 13 deaths were recorded as at Friday (September 2) from the more than 726 cases recorded.

He said that the casualties included males and females as well as children and adults.

Taraba

The T.Y. Danjuma Foundation last Friday distributed relief materials to the victims of the recent flood disaster in Taraba.

Presenting the items to the victims at the three Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps in Jalingo, the organisation’s Executive Director, Ms Thelma Ekiyor, said the donation was under the organisation’s “Quick Impact Grant Scheme.”

Ekiyor said it was necessary to promptly attend to the immediate needs of the victims because Taraba was the Foundation’s “home state”.

“Seeing people who have lost everything calls for the support of all Nigerians. Private Institutions and individuals should work with the government to assist the victims in flood affected states,” she said.

Yobe

A cross section of Nigerians in the North East geopolitical zone, has advised the Federal Government to instal scanning equipment on all highways across the country to check proliferation of arms.

This was the consensus of a group of people who spoke to journalists in an interview.

One of them,  Alhaji Musa Habu , a Damaturu resident said last Friday that the scanning machines would assist security operatives to detect hidden arms and its movement across the country.

“Security operatives will remain helpless without the necessary working tools to check trucks and lorries that are heavily loaded with goods and possibly carrying hidden arms.

“Government should also mount the x-ray machines at all border posts and, the highways to check the contents of all vehicles as a measure to curb arms smuggling into the country” he observed.