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Adamawa

Suspected armed robbers on Sunday killed two students of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, a statement from the university stated.

The statement, issued by the Deputy Director of Information of AUN, Mr Innocent Okorie, named the students as Mr Levi Nyat and Mr Abaagu Charles.

The statement said the incident occurred at a barbecue (suya) spot, near Jimeta main market, where the suspected robbers snatched a car belonging to one of the victims.

The President of AUN, Dr Margee Ensign said she was deeply saddened by the incident, which led to “the untimely death of the two students in the prime of their lives”.

Benue

Four traditional rulers in Guma Local Government Area of Benue on Monday appeared at a Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court for complicity in the violence in Agasha village in May.

The rulers, Chiefs Joseph Chekwu, Simon Agah, Ikyowe Adebur and Gideon Tiev are charged with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, inciting disturbance and causing death by fire.

The prosecutor, Mr Godwin Ebonyi, said that the actions of the suspects contravened sections 97, 221, 114 and 337 of the Penal Code.

Ebonyi told the court that Mr Stephen Kpev, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Tarka Local Government Council, reported at the State CID Department that the accused conspired with youths to set Agasha community ablaze.FCT

FCT

The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, said on Monday that the Federal Government would take concrete steps to address the deplorable state of education and the problem of mass failure in Secondary School Certificate Examinations.

Speaking with State House correspondents shortly after briefing President Goodluck Jonathan on the plans of her ministry for the next four years, Rufai said that the issue of improving the quality of education and easy access to education would be the areas of priority for the ministry.

“We have just mentioned to the President that the ministry is going to focus on two main areas — the issue of access and equity and the issue of standard and quality assurance.

Jigawa

Alhaji Hanati Yakubu, the Jigawa Commissioner for Water Resources, said on Monday in Dutse that the state needed N6.2 billion to boost water supply in the state capital.

Yakubu told newsmen that the figure was arrived at after a survey carried out by the government.

He explained that due to the low water level in Dutse, the water would be sourced from Cintirimawa River, a distance of 50 km from Dutse.

The commissioner said that because of the huge capital outlay, the state would seek financial assistance from the Federal Government to finance the project.

Kebbi

The National Teachers Institute (NTI) in Kebbi has commenced a capacity building workshop for 2,491 teachers on new teaching methodologies under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The state NTI Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi, said that the training programme was organised jointly by the MDGs Office and the NTI.

He said that 50 resource persons had been deployed to the training centres located in Birnin Kebbi, Argungu, Bunza, Yauri and Zuru, adding that the programme recorded nearly 96 per cent attendance.

He said 1,753 participants were primary school teachers while the remaining 738 teachers were JSS teachers who would receive training on four subjects, including English language, Social studies, Integrated Science and Mathematics.

Kogi

Work on the Neem-based organic fertiliser plant established by the Kogi government has been completed and ready for inauguration, an official said.

Dr Abdulkarim Abubakar, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, made the statement in Agbeji-Anyingba, Dekina Local Government Area, on Monday during an inspection tour of the plant site.

He said the plant had undergone a test-run within the last three months after its completion and was ready for inauguration.

He said the construction of a road network within the plant site was the only constraint to the inauguration.

Kwara

A university lecturer, Prof. Wole Ogundele, has expressed worry on the possibility of some local languages, including Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, going into extinction in about 50 years time.

Ogundele who is the Director of the Black Culture and International Studies Centre at Osogbo in Osun, gave the warning in Ilonn on Monday at the inauguration of the Black Culture and Arts Foundation.

Bemoaning the inability of government to develop the nation’s languages, Ogundele advised the Federal, State and Local Governments to explore ways oftransfonning the nation’s arts and culture to create wealth and employment opportunities.

According to him, government at all levels in Nigeria have failed to tap the abundant resources in arts and culture but have instead, succeeded in making Nigerian culture look fake and second­hand.

Lagos

The National President, Ijaw Youth Development Association (IYDA), Mr. Amassoma Daniel, in Lagos has called for the review of the scheme for the training of Niger Delta ex-militants.

At an event organised by the Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG) to celebrate President Goodluck Jonathan’s 100 days in office, Daniel said that the amnesty programme was being poorly implemented.

In an interview with newsmen, he said that “we have discovered that those undergoing the various trainings are not well equipped for self-sufficiency.

He said that there was the need to review the training module of the amnesty programme.

Niger

The World Bank has earmarked N120 million for the execution of community development projects in Niger, the General Manager of Community and Social Development Projects, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, has disclosed.

Addressing the maiden meeting of the board of the organisation in Minna last Monday, Abubakar said that only N38.7 million of the sum had been accessed by communities benefitting from 62 approved micro-projects.

He blamed the inability of communities to access the funds to non-adherence to the bank’s guidelines and slow execution of projects.

Osun

A political scientist, Prof. John Ayoade, has said that the way salaries of public servants were fixed violated the principle of true federalism.

Ayoade stated this in a lecture he delivered  last Monday as part of the activities lined up for the 20th anniversary of the creation of Osun State.

He called on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the practise of true federalism and argued that the Federal Government should allow every state to fix its workers’ salaries on the basis of productivity and ability to pay.

He observed that the failure of the country to address the problem of structural imbalance had been the bane of the Nigerian federalism.

The don argued that fixing a uniform salary might result to the problem of overpaying some workers while underpaying others within the same country.

Taraba

Mrs Josephine Zirder, the President, Tailor Made Tours Limited (TMT) Israel, a company that facilitates the movement of Christian pilgrims in the Holy land, has pledged to sponsor five members of Taraba cultural troupe to pilgrimage.

Zirder made the pledge on Tuesday in Jalingo at a meeting with the board members of the state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board (CPWB).

Zirder and other management staff the company were visibly thrilled at the performance of the troupe during the meeting.

“We thank God for making it possible for us to be in Nigeria. We are excited at the warm reception accorded us, especially in Taraba.

“The performance of the cultural troupe has particularly been wonderful. TMT will sponsor five members of the troupe to perform during the 2011 Christian Pilgrimage in the Holy land.”

Zirder said their visit was to build a strong relationship between Nigeria and Israel as well as to commend Nigerian Pilgrims for always being peaceful and loving while on pilgrimage.

Sokoto

Alhaji Lawal Zayyana , the Speaker of Sokoto State House of Assembly, says the Assembly has embarked on the review of the state’s dormant and obsolete laws .

“The review is to make the laws to be in tune with the contemporary time and improve on the internally-generated revenue base of the state,’’ Zayyana told newsmen in Sokoto last Monday.

He said some of the affected laws had been in use for two to three decades.

“The exercise is going on smoothly and it will be completed soon. This action is intended to improve the provision of the needed services to the people,’’ he stated.

According to him, the review of the laws will directly bolster the revenue base of the state and rather than the state depending solely on the monthly allocation from the federation account.

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Party Chieftain Hails LG Boss’ Dev Strides

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Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwuche has extolled the sterling leadership being provided by the Chairman of the council, Hon Iyeko Okporo, describing it as unprecedented.
Hon Chukwuemeka described the council chairman as God-sent, considering his achievements in just 100 days in office.
The PDP chieftain said the chairman has rekindled the hope and trust of the people in grassroots governance.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for enabling his people to have his replica at Akinima.
He explained that the solar water project, the Late Eze Ekpeye Logbo 11 palace fencing, generator house rebuilding and town hall, all in Odiereke Ubie Community can best be described as the hallmark of true leadership.
He said the projects have direct bearing on the basic needs of the people who have suffered untold hardship and bad governance until the saviour came into office.
“ It is thunderous, as you can see the organic support and show of love to the performing chairman. Our people are overwhelmed seeing one of their own touching lives in a special way. As a community ,we have been in the past years without drinking water, but just two months in office, the chairman has provided not just drinking water, but a well-treated solar water project. Okporo is God-sent, no wonder he is nicknamed such. We have compared notes with other chairmen in the past and came to the conclusion that what he is doing in 100 days is overwhelming. Governor Fubara has made us proud by allowing a level playing field that necessitated the emergency of the chairman. You can see the women, men, youths and traditional rulers all saying one thing. God bless Governor Fubara for giving us our own. We owe him prayers and unwavering support,” he said.
In her welcome address, the Ward 9 councillor, Hon Catherine Uriah showered encomiums on the chairman for addressing the basic needs of the people in just 100 days in office.
Hon Uriah also thanked the Governor for allowing the will of the people to prevail in the just concluded local government elections which produced the God fearing chairman.
She said the people of Ward 9 as well as Ahoada West are pleased with the chairman because he is doing well.
She said the people will go to length to show support to him in his determination to redefine governance at the grassroots.

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Group Plans Pilot Farm Programme For 50  Schools

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A community-based non-governmental organisation, The Peoples Encouragers Initiative, is planning a pilot farm project for 50 schools in both Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
Executive Director of the organisation, Chukwuma Abraham disclosed this at the recent International Human Rights Day celebration at Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Abraham said the proposed programme which gulps the sum of N45million was intended to bring the youths back to the land and make them self-reliant.
“We hope to mobilise the factors of production inherent in all the schools through this programme to achieve two basic objectives of building self reliant youths and to create a viable and sustainable stream of income for our schools,” he said.
He said the programmme will also keep the youth busy and impact farming skills, stressing that each of the participating schools is expected to nominate at least two members of staff to coordinate and supervise the programme while10 students will be elected as executive members to administer the programmme on a day to day basis in their various schools.
“Every school has a sizeable portion of arable land to carry out the programme of establishing a functional farm in their chosen area of interest. We are hoping to mobilise an estimated N45 million to enable us set up the pilot farms across the 50 schools within Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas,” he said.
He said the celebration was to draw attention of both the Nigerian government and the international community to the issue of human rights violation, adding that findings by the organisation has shown that insecurity and youth unemployment worsened over the past few years as a result of the insecurity that engulfed the Orashi region of the State. We also found out that the high level of cultism and social unrest within our environment is mostly fuelled by the high use of  illicit drugs among the youths. This programme will afford us the opportunity to take a tour through the universal declaration of human rights and reinforce on our youths the understanding that substance abuse can lead to crime, crime can lead to jail term and criminal record can blight their future dreams and life for ever,”he said.
Also speaking, the representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Ikporo Freedom urged the students to shun all forms of anti-social behaviours especially during the holiday season.
He also warned them against joining bad groups and stressed the need for the organisation to include private schools in the programme.
The Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Council, Hon Ezu R .C . Hezekiah represented by his Deputy, Hon Ununuma Odoi pledged the support of the council to the programme.
He also urged other groups in the area to emulate The Peoples Encouragers Initiative by organizing programms that will impact on the lives of the people.

John Bibor

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NCSU Flays Police Take Over Of Rivers PDP Secretariat

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The Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has condemned the take over of the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers State by the police, saying the action is against the tenets and principles of the rule of law.
This is even as the union has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call to order the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike for allegedly orchestrating and instigating the crisis rocking the PDP in the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the condemnation in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the police have no right to take over the PDP secretariat, as a ploy to provide cover and protection for members of the state executive of the party loyal to Wike, who were recently sacked by a court of competent jurisdiction in the State.
According to him, the action of the police is in clear defiance of a court ruling sacking the party executives at all levels in the State, instead of taking steps to enforce same.
He regretted that the police have consistently been showing that they are not appreciative of the logistic support Governor SiminalayiFubara has been extending to them, by openly demonstrating their bias, loyalty and allegiance to Wike and his supporters, contrary to their rules of engagement, which uphold and recognise absolute neutrality.
He said the Minister is wasting his time if he thinks that he could destroy the State by orchestrating and instigating needless crisis that is capable of making the State ungovernable, and appealed to President Tinubu to call him and his supporters to order.
Commenting on the fate of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the State, who defected from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Osumah said their fate is apparently sealed, as the Supreme Court had already given judgment in a similar case, saying, Wike is merely wasting his time by using the lawmakers against Governor Fubara, and causing unnecessary problem in the State.
He said if the Minister and his supporters do not retrace their steps and give peace a chance, the NCSU would have no choice than to mobilise all civil servants in the State, to troop out to the streets and protest against them.
The labour leader stressed the need for the police to vacate the PDP secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, and respect the High Court ruling which declared the congresses of the party in the State null and void.
While reiterating the need for President Tinubu to call Wike to order, Osumah said the President cannot continue to fold his arms and watch the Minister continuously make frantic efforts to destroy his State.
He also carpeted those blaming Governor Fubara administration for the recent gruesome murder of a Chief Security Officer(CSO) and his son in Igwuruta Ali community, saying those making such insinuations and attributing the sad incident to security lapses on the part of the state government, are missing the point.
He noted that by empowering the police in the State with several operational vehicles and other logistics, it was expected that the police would reciprocate the gesture, by living up to their constitutional obligation of protecting lives and property in the State, contending that Governor Fubara has been playing his part of guaranteeing security in the State.

 

He said the State is generally peaceful and safe, and challenged those criticising the Governor to cast their minds and attention to what is happening in other parts of the country, where killings and other social vices have become the order of the day.
Osumah cited as an example the recent killings in Ebonyi State by Fulani herdsmen as well as incidences of kidnapping and banditry in several other States of the federation, and wondered if Governor Fubara could be held responsible for such anomalies.

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