Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Members of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Adamawa House of Assembly have assured Governor Murtala Nyako of their block votes ahead of the party’s primaries for the state governorship election in 2012.
The development was sequel to a motion moved by Alhaji Umaru Ahmadu, the Majority Leader of the House and member representing Madagali Constituency.
The motion was seconded by Mrs Wilbina Jackson (PDP-Guyuk).
Moving the motion, Ahmadu said all the 20 PDP members in the Assembly had mandated him as their leader to present their position and resolved to give Nyako full support at the party’s governorship primaries and main election.
He said the governor had delivered in all sectors of the economy in his first tenure and deserved to continue in office for a second term.
The lawmakers passed the motion at their session presided over by Speaker Ibrahim Sadiq,
Nyako and a former lecturer, Dr Umar Ardo, have been cleared by PDP for its primaries scheduled for October 24.
Benue
Prof. Chukwudi Obinne of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has stressed the need for adequate sensitisation of farmers on various aspects of agriculture to ensure food security in the the world.
Obinne, who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Makurdi, said that farmers in developing countries did not receive the relevant training in farming.
The professor also said that if farmers were encouraged to venture into mechanised farming through necessary incentives, the level of food production would drastically improve.
He said that adult farmers got weaker because of the manual labour associated with agriculture and because they had little understanding of new technologies available to them to improve production.
FCT
The Senate Committee Chairman on Science and Technology, Sen. Robert Boroffice, has assured the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Senate’s cooperation to boost its programmes.
Boroffice gave the assurance on Monday, in Abuja, in an interview with newsmen at the opening of a workshop on the International Space Weather Initiative.
He said that the committee, which was made up of committed members, would do its best to address the challenges facing the sector.
“Working with the Ministry of Science and Technology, we are sure that we would be able to ensure that adequate funding is provided for the sector. ’’
He said that the committee would equally collaborate with the Executive arm of government to develop the sector.
Jigawa
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has indicated interest to partner with Jigawa government on job creation.
The UNDP Resident Representative, Mr Douda Toure, gave the indication when he paid a visit to Gov. Sule Lamido in Dutse on Monday.
Toure said the organisation would collaborate with the state government on job creation for the youth and women.
He said that UNDP was also willing to cooperate with the government in other areas to enhance development in the state.
In his response, Lamido said the state government would partner with UNDP and other interested organisations in its drive to boost development in the state.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Chapter of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Kaduna have suspended their planned strike over the non-implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage in the state.
Addressing newsmen, the Chairman of the NLC in the state, Mr Adamu Ango, said the strike was suspended because of the agreement between labour and the government over the new table which covered grade levels nine to 17 that were excluded from the previous chart.
Ango said the two unions had agreed and adopted the new table after studying it and decided on the suspension of the proposed strike.
Kano
The Parent-Teacher Association of Gwammaja Model Primary School in Dala Local Government Area of Kano State has donated 50 chairs and two sets of computer to the school.
Presenting the items, the Chairman of the association, Alhaji Isa Salihu, said similar donations of books and other teaching materials had been made to the school in the past.
He advised the Education Department of the local government to deploy additional teaching staff and strive to provide a conducive atmosphere for learning in the school.
Receiving the chairs and computers on behalf of the school, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Yakubu Adamu, reiterated the commitment of the state government to raise educational standards.
Kogi
The Chief Judge of Kogi, Justice Nasir Ajanah, has decried the poor performance of lower courts in the determination of cases brought before them.
Speaking at a special court session to herald the commencement of the 2011/2012 Legal Year in Lokoja, he said that courts in the state received 29,096 cases in the out-going year, out of which 15,150 were disposed of.
The remaining 13,919 cases, he added, were allowed to spill over to the new legal year, noting that a great percentage of the carry-over were from the lower courts.
Ajanah said that of the 1,845 cases pending in the state High Courts in the out-going year, 1,210 were fully determined, leaving 635, while the 38 magistrates’ courts received 3,768 cases, and disposed of 1,920.
Lagos
The Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) has passed a resolution to organise a public hearing on the planned removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government
To this end, the House has raised a seven-man committee to organise the hearing, scheduled for October 27.
In a motion moved on the floor of the House by Mr Sanai Agunbiade (ACN-Ikorodu I), the lawmakers expressed concern over moves to remove fuel subsidy in 2012.
The committee chaired by Agunbiade, includes Mr Rotimi Olowo (Somolu I), Mr Yishawu Gbolahan (Eti-Osa), Mr Hodewu Avoseh (Badagry II) and Mr Hakeem Masha (Lagos Island).
Others are Mr Sultan Adeniji-Adele (Amuwo-Odofin) and Mr Abiodun Tobun (Epe II).
Niger
Governor. Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has said the State Government had so far spent about three billion naira on Millennium Development Goals MDGs projects between 2008 and 2009.
Aliyu made the remark while receiving an award of‘“The International Millennium Development Ambassador” by Global Educator for All Initiative at Government House, Minna, saying the money was expended on quick-win projects and conditional cash transfer.
He cited some constraints militating against the country in meeting its MDGs’ targets by 2015, expressing the hope that the country could meet the target five years after the deadline.
Ogun
Small-scale farmers under the aegis of Association of Small-scale Agro-Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN), Ogun State Chapter has decried poor funding of agriculture by the three-tiers of government in the country.
They, however, urged governments at all levels to increase budgetary allocation to agriculture to avert food crisis in the country.
The farmers were gathered in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun yesterday to examine the theme for the 2011 World Food Day: “Food Crisis: From Crisis to Stability”.
They said that there was an urgent need for government at all levels to invest more in agriculture to avert looming food crisis.
Mrs Ireti Disu, the Assistant Director of Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Ijebu-Ode Catholic Diocese, said that the poor funding of agriculture had resulted in increased prices of food.
Plateau
A Federal High Court sitting in Jos yesterday discharged and acquitted six suspects accused of participating in the January 20 crisis in the Plateau capital.
The suspects are Alhassan Mohammed, Abubakar Samaila, Abubakar Shuaibu, Buhari Dahiru, Ibrahim Musa and Nasiru Idris.
They were charged with terrorism after allegedly participating in the crisis in which many lives were lost and property worth millions of naira destroyed.
A federal Prosecution Counsel, Mr Gbenga Walington, had earlier told the court, presided over by Justice Ambrose Allagoah, that he could not press charges against the accused.
He said that he was in a “precarious situation,’’ having failed to trace the military officers who arrested the suspects on the day the violence erupted.
Yobe
More than 8,000 youths in Yobe are beneficiaries of the World Bank credit facility under FADAMA III programme, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has said.
The governor made this known when participants of the National Defence Course 20 visited him at the Government House, Damaturu.
He said that the programme, geared toward dry season farming, had been part of the measures taken by his administration to improve the economic status of people at the grass roots.
He pointed out that the scheme, designed to to encourage self-reliance, was also a source of revenue for the state government.
Gaidam said the government was also developing a Gum Arabic plantation to check desert encroachment and that there were youth empowerment farms in the 17 local government areas of the state.
On measures to boost the state’s internal revenue, he said government had constructed a 3-Star Hotel in Damaturu apart from organising local festivals.
Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has commended the efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) to apprehend and prosecute the immediate past governors of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.
This is just as she also hailed the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for ceding 14 properties that were initially forfeited to the federal government to the government and people of Enugu State.
Reacting to Bello’s excuse for not honouring the EFCC’s invitation, the lawmaker emphasized the need for the commission to investigate other corrupt public officials to avoid the impression that their actions against former governor were meant to witch hunt him.
In a now-viral video, the EFCC chairman had claimed Belloh told him that a female senator (name withheld) allegedly gathered journalists to humiliate him anytime he was at the agency’s Abuja office for interrogation.
“I called Yahaya Bello, as a serving governor, to come to my office to clear himself. I shouldn’t have done that. But he said because a certain senator had planted over 100 journalists in my office, he would not come.
“I told him that he would be allowed to use my private gate to give him a cover, but he said my men should come to his village to interrogate him,” Olukoyede was quoted as saying.
But Senator Natasha in a statement signed by her Chief Press Secretary, Arogbonlo Israel and issued at the weekend in Abuja, reminded Yahaya Bello of the importance of respecting Nigeria’s laws and constitution, given his former position as the chief security officer of Kogi.
“I was surprised to hear that Yahaya Bello evaded the invitation from the EFCC, despite having served as Kogi’s former chief security officer. As a former governor, he should understand the importance of respecting Nigeria’s laws and constitution.
“It’s a well-known fact that ‘he who comes into equity must come with clean hands’. As such, I advise him to honour the invitation and clear his name while he still has the chance.
“I’d also like to take this moment to appreciate the diligence of the EFCC in handling the case so far. No Nigerian is above the law, and therefore the agency must see this case through to the end if they are to gain the trust of both Nigerians and the international community in the fight against corruption,” she said.
Worried over the latest depreciation of the Naira against major foreign currencies, the Senate through its Committee on Finance, has stated that the Legislature is exploring a range of policy options to mitigate the impact of Naira depreciation and foster economic stability in the country.
These, according to the committee, in a statement signed by its chairman, Senator Sani Musa (APC Niger East) and released yesterday, includes robust oversight of fiscal policies, engagement with key stakeholders, and the formulation of targeted interventions to support key sectors of the economy.
Senator Musa said the statement became necessary “to address the current state of the economy and the need for concerted efforts at tackling the instability and continuous depreciation of the Naira.”
This is even as he hoped that the “economic managers will adhere strictly to the norms and standards set by this administration to ensure that we achieve the desired outcomes in taking Nigeria to its economic growth and prosperity”, pledging the support of the National Assembly to the executive arm of government to achieve the set goals.
He, however, urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and resilient as they navigate these uncertain times, saying “together, we can overcome the challenges facing our economy and chart a path towards prosperity for all.”
The statement titled: “State of the Nation Economy and Naira Depreciation’, reads “The Nigerian economy is facing significant challenges, exacerbated by both internal and external factors.
“Despite efforts to stabilize and bolster economic growth, the numerous initiatives and bold but necessary steps and policy decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, the persistent depreciation of the Naira against major foreign currencies has become a pressing concern.
“The recent depreciation of the Naira underscores the need for proactive measures to safeguard the stability and resilience of our currency.
“The Senate Committee on Finance is closely monitoring the situation and is committed to working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to implement effective policies and strategies.
“It is imperative that we address the root causes of Naira depreciation, including but not limited to fluctuations in global oil prices, fiscal deficits, and structural imbalances in the economy.”
The Senator, representing Rivers West Senatorial District at National Assembly Sen.Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has advocated for legislative backings to enforce immunisation as a pre-condition for admission into nursing, primary and secondary schools in Nigeria.
Banigo made the assertion recently in a statement to commemorate this year’s week-long immunisation campaign in line with the World Health Organisation advocacy.
Banigo, a Harvard-trained Public Health personnel, explained that such legislation would strengthen the National Immunisation Policy in the administration of vaccines, saves lives, helps in the child normal growth, prevents serious illness and disabilities such as poliomyelitis .
The former Deputy Governor of Rivers State who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), noted that Nigeria must attain at least, 90 percent vaccine coverage for all childhood and adolescence; stressing that a fully vaccinated child should have received BCG, Mussels and three doses of DTP and Polio .
She emphasised the need for collective efforts by stakeholders in the campaign against preventable diseases .
The theme for this year’s World Immunisation Week is “Humanly Possible: Saving Lives Through Immunisation” while the national theme is “Vaccine Works For All”.
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