Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Ahead of 2012 governorship election in Adamawa, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the education of voters in the state.
The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Kassim Gaidam, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Yola.
Kassim said that the voter education exercise was necessary as part of requirements of the Electoral Act.
He explained that continuous voter registration would start on Nov. 15 and would last for seven days after which the register would be displayed for claims and objection.
The REC cautioned against multiple registration, pointing out that those eligible to register this time around were those not captured in the last registration and those, who had attained the age of 18 years.
Bauchi
Fulanis in Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro LGAs of Bauchi State say 12 of their members have been illegally arrested by soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Jos.
Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro LGAs have been bedevilled by religious and communal crises in recent years.
Several people were recently said to have been ambushed and killed in overnight attacks in villages in the area.
The Spokesman of the community, Alhaji Muhammad Tukur said in Bauchi on Thursday while addressing newsmen that the JTF had allegedly been arresting and intimidating members of the the community in the area.
Tukur, a former member of Bauchi State House of Assembly said the 12 people were arrested on Wednesday at Tandum market in Bogoro LGA..
Borno
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno has announced the appointment of Chief Kester Ogualili, an Igbo man, as his special adviser on community relations.
Ogualili is the first southerner to have such a political appointment in the state.
A statement signed by Alhaji Usman Chiroma, director of press affairs in the Borno Government House, said 24 other special advisers were also appointed.
They include the former NLC chairman in the state, Comrade Garba Ngamdua.
Shettima described the appointees as credible persons that were carefully chosen to help in the development of the state.
“I quite believe that the calibre of personalities that I appointed as my special advisers will work hard to contribute to the development of the state”, the governor said.
FCT
President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Mr Mustapha Bulama has stressed the need for available, modern equipment for quality control of road projects in the country.
He made the appeal on Wednesday at an interactive session with directors of civil engineers/highways in federal and states’ ministries of works on the deplorable state of Nigeria roads.
Bulama said the interactive session was important to discuss the engineering profession in Nigeria, which has been inundated and embarrassed by the rate of failure of engineering projects.
“It has become the order of the day in recent times that no sooner has a road project been commissioned, it begins to fail”.
Gombe
The Gombe State Government has awarded contracts for the construction of 17 township and some rural roads at N11 billion.
The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Works, Alhaji Abubakar Bappa, told newsmen that 12 of the roads in Gombe metropolis would gulp N3.5 billion, while the remaining five which would cost N7.5 billion, were located in the local government areas.
He said those in the rural areas were Ture-Awak Road in Kaltungo Local Government Area, which would cost N1.8 billion, Billiri-Kamu Road in Billiri Local Government Area, at N2.2 billion and Gona-Tukurma Road in Akko Local Government Area at N1.8 billion.
Jigawa
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) of Arab Academy of Science Technology and Maritime Transport Studies Alexandria, Egypt, Dr. Alsunosi Balbaa says the academy will collaborate with Jigawa Government to promote education in the State.
Balbaa made the pledge on Friday in Dutse when he paid a courtesy call on the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Haruna Wakili.
The DVC was in the commissioner’s office to brief him on the progress of 48 students of Jigawa origin studying medicine, engineering and maritime transport in Alexandria.
Balbaa said the academy was impressed with the students’ performances and was ready to admit more students who would want to study in the institution.
In this response, Wakili thanked the DVC for the visit, which he explained, would not only reinforce educational cooperation between Jigawa State Government and Egypt, but would also cement the mutual cooperation between Egypt and Nigeria.
Kaduna
A member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Muhammad Ali, on Saturday said he empowered 102 people with various skills to be self reliant.
Ali (CPC-Kawo), told newsmen in Kaduna that the beneficiaries included 82 women and 20 male youths.
He said they were trained in paint, detergent, candle, pomade and soap making, among others.
“The beneficiaries were trained under our Human Resource Development and Empowerment Initiative and in line with the manifesto of our great party, the CPC”.
The Tide gathered that the beneficiaries would have graduated under batch ‘B’ of the programme on November 27, at the Arewa House, Kaduna.
The legislator urged his colleagues, other elected and appointed political office holders to reduce unemployment in the country by making the citizenry self reliant.
Kebbi
The Kebbi Government is to plant 3.2 million trees next year as part of efforts to expand the scope of the campaign to combat desert encroachment in the state.
The state’s Acting Director of Forestry, Mr Ibrahim Kegudu, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Monday that plant seedlings would be distributed free to people in the state for planting.
He said the government had this year distributed 441,000 seedlings to the public as part of the coordinated attempt to curb the menace of decertification.
Kegudu said the seedlings being distributed include economic tress which were raised from the 15 existing nurseries in the state.
The acting director disclosed that the government had established an eight-kilometre shelter belt along the Dagingari.
Kogi
The National Financial Secretary, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Dr Tunde Arosanyin, has advised farmers in Kogi to judiciously utilise the 70 tractors and N1 billion micro-credit facility granted them by the state government.
He told newsmen in Lokoja that the N1 billion micro credit facility had been delayed for almost three years before it was finally released by the government.
Arosanyin said three categories of beneficiaries, including 150 commercial farmers, 500 cooperative groups of 10 members each and some 750 individual farmers were going to benefit from the grant, and advised them to use the facility for the intended purposes.
Lagos
The Fisheries Association of Nigeria (FISON) has urged the Federal Government to properly fund the fishing sector to boost local production.
Dr Aba Abdullah, the National President, FISON, told newsmen on Monday in Lagos that government should fully support the sector to increase local fish production.
Abdullah said that the current national demand for fish products was 2.6 million tonnes per annum but that the country could only produce less than one million tonnes.
He said that climatic changes along with other factors had considerably reduced local fish production.
Oyo
An Ibadan Chief Magistrates’ Court has sentenced an 18-year-old boy, Ayobami Erinfolani, to eight months in jail for stealing and intent to commit felony.
The prosecutor, Foluke Adedosu, had told the court that the accused on Saturday at Alubarika Street, Odinjo Muslim area of Ibadan, entered the premises of one Sadeeq Adebola and Momoh Adesewa.
She said Ayobami committed the offence with the intention of stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 412(2) of the criminal code 38 Vol II of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.
Plateau
The management of Jos University Teaching Hospital Football Club (JUTH FC) has blamed its relegation from the Premier League on the Jos crisis.
Mr Shola Alao, the club’s media officer, told newsmen last Wednesday in Jos that the crisis had adversely affected the club.
Aloa said that there were times the club played its matches without holding training sessions as a result of the security situation in the state.
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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