Adamawa

Tenants, occupying the 52 low-cost housing units at Mubi in Adamawa, have pleaded with the State Government to reconsider the quit notice issued them by government in the interest of justice and fairness.

A spokesman for the tenants, Malam Umar Belel, told newsmen that the quit notice came as a surprise and a shock to the residents who over the years were hoping that the government’s policy of owner-occupier applied to all residents of government housing estates in the state.

“In Yola and Numan towns, the houses were given out on owner-occupier basis but to our surprise the good gesture was denied us and instead we were served quit notices, saying we should vacate the houses we live in for more than a decade with immediate effect”, Umar lamented.

Bauchi

Alhaji Yahaya Jalam, the Permanent Secretary, Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency, says the State Government has set up a committee to redesign urban centres in the state.

Jalam told newsmen in Bauchi on Saturday that the committee was set up, following the expiration of an earlier master plan for the development of urban centres in 1998.

He said the committee would draw a renewed urban planning for Bauchi, Misau, Azare, Ningi, Jama’are and Dass townships, considering recent environmental challenges being faced by the state.

He disclosed further that structures that were constructed on either public drains or water ways in the areas marked for development would be demolished after the committee might have submitted its reports.

Borno

There was another bomb explosion on Saturday morning at the Ruwan Zafi area of Maiduguri metropolis, the second explosion in four days, an eyewitness has said.

The eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity to newsmen in Maiduguri, said that the bomb was planted on the highway leading to Gamboru-Ngala.

“The bomb detonated when a truck driver drove on it but we thank God that nobody died,” the eyewitness said.

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Borno State, Mr Simeon Medenda, said that the bomb was set on a tree branch before it was detonated and that there was no casualty.

FCT

Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Olusola Obada, said in Abuja that Nigerian women were looking forward to attain 50 per cent gender equality in appointments.

She spoke when the African Women Leaders Think Tank, led by the Regional Director, Dr Remi Aribisala, paid her a courtesy visit.

Obada said the 50 per cent gender equality was welcome, adding that the women were looking forward to that, “and one day, we will get there.’’

“Never in the history of this nation that any president has done so much for women like President Goodluck Jonathan.’’

She said that the President promised women 35 per cent, “ he must have surpassed that by now and appointments are still coming.’’

Kaduna

Mr Dogo Makama, the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, says the State Government has spent N138 million on fire-fighting vehicles.

Makama told newsmen in Kaduna on Saturday that the vehicles were capable of fighting fire outbreaks in high-rise buildings.

He said the agency had also begun rehabilitation of fire-fighting machines at fire service stations in Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan for effective disaster management.

The executive secretary said the agency would develop a contingency plan for future disaster management in response to series of disasters that had affected the Kaduna metropolis and its environs in the past.

Katsina

Some farmers involved in the IFAD-assisted Community-Based Agricultural and Rural Development Programme (IFAD-CBARDP) in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina, have called for the expansion of the seed multiplication strategy.

Alhaji Sule Yusuf, the Chairman of the groundnut and soya beans association, told newsmen on Saturday in Bakori, Katsina State, that farmers recorded increased harvest and profit using improved seeds.

Yusuf explained that the improved seed was farmer-friendly and stressed the need to expand the programme to enable more farmers, especially those in the rural areas to benefit.

“Farmers recorded increased gain by using improved soya beans and groundnut seeds supplied by the programme,’’ Yusuf said.

Lagos

Some university lecturers on Saturday in Lagos expressed concern over the continued security challenges in the country.

The lecturers told newsmen that the level of insecurity had become worrisome in recent times and appealed to the Federal Government to urgently proffer a solution.

Dr Kazeem Bello, a lecturer in the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan said that the bombing of the United Nations building, Abuja, showed that the government should do more on security.

Bello said that Nigeria had an image deficit which needed to be redeemed if the country must move forward, adding that the fundamental problem of national security has not been addressed.

Niger

The Anglican Bishop of Minna Diocese, Rt. Rev. Daniel Yisa, has charged the nine newly ordained priests and a deacon to fashion their lives in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

This charge was contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Minna and signed by Mr George Fashe, the Diocesan Communicator.

“You should fashion your lives in accordance with the precepts as you love and serve the people,” Yisa was quoted as saying.

He also advised them to work with members of their churches, caring for the young and the old, the strong and the weak, as well as the rich and the poor.

He admonished them to preach God’s forgiveness to the penitent sinners as they pronounce God’s blessings and perform other duties entrusted to them in the church diligently.

Nasarawa

Local government workers in Nasarawa State will soon receive the new N18,000 minimum wage, Alhaji Abdullahi Oji, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government and Community Development, has said.

Oji told newsmen in Lafia on Friday that local government and development area workers were not excluded from receiving the new wage by the state government.

He said that 12 local government councils had already prepared and submitted their payment vouchers and allied documents, adding that the ministry had given the remaining local government councils up to the end of this week to submit their payment vouchers.

The permanent secretary said that “once the relevant documents are properly sorted out, the ministry will commence payment within the next few weeks.”

Plateau

The Plateau caucus in the House of Representatives has opposed calls for the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, following incessant conflicts in Jos and its environs.

The caucus, which comprised of Reps Jonathan Aminu, Bitrus Kaze, Emmanuel Goar, Peter Akujah and Beni Lar, expressed its position at a news conference in Jos on Friday, saying that such advocates of emergency rule were misguided.

“It is highly suspicious that they singled out Plateau State for persecution notwithstanding the precarious security situation in many parts of the country, including post-election violence and bombings.

“We make bold to state in unmistaken and unequivocal terms our determination to resist any attempt to plunge our state into another round of confusion; Plateau State cannot be treated as a scapegoat,” the lawmakers said.

Sokoto

Sen. Jibril Gada, a former Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, has urged the Federal Government to evolve concrete measures to assist Nigerian farmers.

Gada, who made the call in Sokoto on Saturday in an interview with newsmen said the measures should include agricultural programmes and the provision of adequate fertiliser and other inputs.

“The measures should include plausible agricultural programmes and policies as well as loans.

“The loans should be given only to genuine farmers nationwide,” he said.

Gada underscored the need for the involvement of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in programmes meant for farmers, noting that the association had been recognised by all levels of government as the apex farmers’ body.

According to him, agricultural schemes and loan packages were often “messed up by bureaucrats and politicians”.

The former minister also stressed the need for a conducive environment for Nigerian farmers to produce more food and encourage foreign direct investment in the sector.

Zamfara

A Zamfara Local Shari’ah Court has ordered the amputation of the right hand of two men for stealing a farm bull.

The convicts are Auwalu Abubukar Tsaure, 23, and Lawali Musa Tsaure, 22.

They were convicted for stealing the bull valued at N130,000 and which belonged to one Bawa Maiguru in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of the state.

Alhaji Muhammadu Gusau, a Higher Sharia Court Judge of Nasarawa Mailayi, said that the prosecutor proved beyond doubt that the two accused were guilty of the offence.

He said the accused persons would be punished according to the Sharia Law.

“The court arrived at the amputation sentence after careful consideration of the fact that the convicts are mature and stole the bull from a confined place.

“The cost of the stolen item exceeds one-quarter of gold gramme and their consistent plea of guilt.”

Gusau ordered that the amputation would be done in public on October 8 , the local market day of Nasarawan Mailayi for people to witness and to serve as deterrent to others.

The judge said that the offence was contrary to Section 144 of the Zamfara State Shari’ah Penal Code Law.