Adamawa

The Adamawa Government plans to set up a communication hotline linking the office of the governor with traditional rulers and their communities to effectively combat violent crimes across the state.

Gov. Murtala Nyako unveiled the plan when he addressed traditional rulers who paid him Sallah homage at Government House, Yola.

Nyako said the hotline would also link first class traditional rulers with their district and ward heads so that any security threat could be reported immediately for prompt action.

He said that a hotline already existed between him and heads of security agencies in the state, noting that the hotline helped in frustrating the bandits who attacked banks and police stations in Gombi town last week in their attempt to rob the banks.

Bornu

Alhaji Sa’idu Pindar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the April general elections in Borno State, has died.

Pindar died in an auto crash on the Kano-Abuja expressway on Wednesday, family members said.

Malam Ibrahim Biu, a relative of the deceased,  said in Maiduguri on Thursday that the politician died on his way to Abuja for an engagement.

Pindar, a one-time Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, was the running mate of Alhaji Mohammed Goni, the PDP governorship candidate in the state.

Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno described Pindar’s death as ‘’shocking and a great loss to the state’’.

Gombe

The Gombe State NLC is to commence strike on Thursday following its inability to reach agreements with the government on the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage.

This is contained in a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) of NLC on Wednesday in Gombe.

The communique was signed by its chairman, Mr Ahmed Maisaka. According to the document, the council deliberated on the directive of the National Executive Council to proceed on an indefinite strike September 1, if an agreement is not reached on or before August 31.

The statement which expressed labour’s dismay on the inability of the state government to reach an amicable resolution on the minimum wage, stated that there was no going back on its action.

Kano

Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, senior counselor at Kano Emirate, has given the assurance that the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, will carry out all the Eid-el-Fitri durbar celebrations as is usually done.

In a statement on Wednesday, Sanusi, who is the “Wambai of Kano’’, urged the people to attend all the durbar celebration which usually lasts for three consecutive days.

He explained that the only amendment to the Durbar celebration’s calendar was the emir’s visit to the Government House which normally took place on the third day of the celebration.

The amendment, according to him, is that instead of the emir to visit the Government House, the governor would now pay a visit to the emir to congratulate him for the Eid-el-Fitri celebration.

Katsina

The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir, on Wednesday in Katsina, said that attacks on traditional and political leaders as being experienced in the country was not Islamic.

Kabir, who paid a traditional sallah homage to the Gov. Ibrahim Shema, said “attack on traditional and political leaders in some parts of the country after the last presidential polls was unIslamic and condemnable “.

He noted that politics was all about opinion which provided every one the right to choose, and urged youths in the country not to go on rampage because of elections.

The emir also condemned the act of rumour mongering which according him, was one of the causes of violence.

He noted that the door of his emirate council was open for people to offer useful advice rather than castigating leaders and spreading rumours which could lead to political violence.

Kebbi

The Kebbi Government has earmarked N155.6 million for the establishment of an onion processing factory in Aliero.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Sani Kanya, told  newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday that the factory would process raw onions into bottles and tin containers.

He said the idea was to preserve onions for a longer period of time and reduce the loss suffered by onion producers, especially when there was no market for the commodity.

Kanya said the factory would also help in encouraging farmers to produce the commodity in higher commercial quantity.

He added that the factory would employ 65 workers in addition to some experts who would be deployed from the state ministry of agriculture.

Kwara

The Kwara Agricultural Development Project (KWADP) has hailed the federal government’s intervention in the agriculture sector, saying that it is yielding positive results.

Mr. Sunday Atanda, the Managing Director of the agency, made the observation while speaking in Ilorin on Thursday.

Atanda noted that the government’s investment in the Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP) had catapulted Nigeria to become the world’s number one cassava producer, with about 42 million tonnes annually.

Acoording to him, the investment provides employment to rural dwellers and ensures food security.

Nasarawa

Gov. Umaru Al-makura of Nasarawa said on Thursday that his administration had no plan to retrench workers in view of the implementation of the new national minimum wage as was being speculated.

Al-makura stated this in Lafia while playing host to the leadership of organised labour in the state who paid him a Sallah homage.

He assured workers that efforts would be intensified toward improving their welfare, adding that “the N18,900 minimum wage is only a tip of the iceberg.”

Al-makura stressed the need to strengthen the existing relationship between the state government and the NLC and called on labour leaders to ensure that workers reciprocate government gesture through efficient service delivery.