Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Muhammed has appealed to traditional rulers to join the Federal Government’s renewed effort in the fight against human trafficking and child labour.
Muhammed made the appeal on last Thursday in Yola when he paid an advocacy visit to Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Mustapha, in his palace.
He said that traditional rulers had a vital role to play in the campaign against human trafficking and child labour in view of their positions in the society.
The Minister said that checking the menace of human trafficking and child labour was one of the protocol endorsed by ECOWAS Heads of Governments.
Mustapha urged government to always carry the tradit
Benue
The Benue Commissioner of Police, Mr John Haruna,has warned politicians in the state against acts capable of breaching the peace.
Haruna handed down the warning in Makurdi while briefing newsmen on the activities of the command in combating crime in the state.
He warned that the police would deal decisively with any politician who engages in nefarious activities to promote selfish and divisive interest.
The commissioner said that policemen had been deployed to identified flashpoints and on the highways to contain criminal activities and road accidents.
Haruna lamented that the state was almost “being consumed in cultism”, and announced plans by security agencies to curtail the menace, including the perennial clashes between farmers and cattle rearers.
FCT
Bwari Area Council has expressed its determination to sanitise the area through recycling of waste and wealth generation.
Mr. Haruna Labaran, the Head of Department of Environment in the council, told newsmen in Bwari, FCT, that the exercise would cover Ushafa, Dutse, Kubwa, Dei-dei, Dawaki and Mpape.
He said the decision to recycle waste was informed by the reckless manner people went about the collection, transportation and disposal of waste without regard to environmental health standard.
According to him, poor environmental standard is responsible for up to 75 per cent of the diseases that are ordinarily preventable.
The head of department urged residents to comply with the directive, noting that the exercise would open up the area for economic activities and development.
Gombe
Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State Governor has presented a budget of N93.3 billion to the state House of Assembly for the 2012 fiscal year against its N79.4 billion for the 2011 fiscal year.
Presenting the budget, tagged “Budget of Reality”, the governor said that the budget would be financed from a total revenue of N50 billion.
He said that the government hoped to collect N4.6 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), while N40 billion was estimated to be from statutory allocation.
Dankwambo added that N3.4 billion would come from excess crude oil, N1 billion from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), N500 million from Exchange Rate Gain and N500 million from other sources.
He noted that the total budget deficit for the year would be N1 billion.
Jigawa
The newly established Federal University, Dutse, has admitted 350 students, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jibrila Amin, has said.
Amin said during the foundation laying ceremony of Computer Laboratory Complex of the university that the school admitted 200 students as directed by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
He said the institution submitted 150 additional names to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for harmonised admissions expected to be published soon.
Kano
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says 280 persons were killed and 2,433 others injured in road traffic accidents in Kano State between January and December.
The Sector Commander, Mr Ahmed Kogari, told newsmen in Kano last Thursday that the figures resulted from 770 accidents during the period under review.
He said that there was a reduction in the accident figure this year compared with last year’s figure, which he did not give.
“We are able to achieve this through intensive public enlightenment campaigns, enforcement of traffic rules and regulations as well as continuous surveillance, monitoring and patrol activities.”
Kebbi
The National Programme on Immunisation (NPI), in Kebbi has identified cases of missed children on immunisation days as the major reason for emergence of fresh polio cases.
.This is contained in a statement signed by the Kebbi NPI Manager, Hajiya Saudatu Abdullahi and made available to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
The LGAs that had high percentage of missed children during immunisation included Gwandu 49.3 per cent, Jega 19.2 per cent, Maiyama 19.2 per cent, Arewa 16.6 per cent, Ngaski 14.3 per cent.
The state chairman of ALGON and Binrin Kebbi LGA, Alhaji Musa Dan-Ilela, blamed the programme for not including the councils at the initial stage.
Lagos
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) last Thursday cautioned labour leaders in political offices to guide against anything that would undermine industrial relations in the country.
Mr Solomon Onaghinon, Secretary General, ASCSN, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Onaghinon expressed worry that most labour leaders appointed into political offices, often get involved in negative means of settling industrial disputes.
Onaghinon said that such means of resolving disputes was against industrial relation practice and could weaken labour movement.
Oyo
The Kola Daisi Foundation (KDF) has donated an ambulance to the Kola Daisi Centre for Primary and Community Health being managed by the University College Hospital (UCH),Ibadan.
Speaking at the event in Yemetu, Ibadan, the Chairman of KDF, Prof. Niyi Osuntogun, said the ambulance would assist the health centre in conveying patients to the hospital during emergencies.
Osuntogun commended the founder of the centre, Chief Kola Daisi, saying his philanthropic activities were worth emulating.
“Wealthy Nigerians should emulate the good works Chief Kola Daisi has done in the course of rendering selfless service to humanity,’’ he said.
Plateau
The Plateau Government is to appoint caretaker committees for its local government councils in January preparatory to election, Mr. Alexander Mwolwus, Special Adviser to Governor Jonah Jang on Political Affairs, has said.
The tenure of the current council officials expires January 15, 2012, but the amended Electoral Act has yet to be passed into law.
“Since the tenure of the incumbent officials will lapse between Jan. 15 and 17, 2012, the governor shall have no alternative but to appoint caretaker committees that will take charge,’’ the official told newsmen in Jos.
Mwolwus explained that the new electoral law would empower the PLASIEC to conduct local council polls within 30 days.
He explained that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was already preparing for the election with its congresses beginning on Jan. 4.
Meanwhile, Mr Peter Daylop, Chairman, Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), has said that the Commission was still awaiting the new Electoral Act.
Sokoto
The Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto has quashed the judgment of the Kebbi State Governorship Election Tribunal which nullified the election of Gov. Usman Dakingari.
Reacting to the verdict,Dakingari advised his supporters to be moderate in celebrating court’s judgment and called on the opposition parties to join his administration in moving the state forward.
Justice Laraba Mohammed, who led three other members of the tribunal, had on Nov. 13, nullified Dakingari’s election and ordered a fresh one within 90 days.
Justice Amiru Sanusi, who led four other Justices of the court, ruled in favour of Dakingari and set the judgment of the lower court aside.
Mr Ogene Nero, counsel to the CPC and its gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Gari-Malam, said they will appeal against the judgment at the Supreme Court.
The Kebbi State Chairman of the CPC, Alhaji Suleiman Nasiha, also said the party would appeal against the judgment within the 21 days stipulated by law.
Zamfara
Former Commissioner for Finance in Zamfara, Danbuba Mohammed says lack of focus on medium and long-term development plans by governments is responsible for socio-economic crisis in the country.
Mohammed made the statement in an interview with newsmen in Gusau shortly after Governor Abdulaziz Yari presented the state’s 2012 budget of N120.8 billion to the House of Assembly.
.He said the budget captured the essence of consistency and continuity in government policies, adding that it had also raised public hopes and expectations.
“This is the first time in several years that we are witnessing a medium-term development strategy captured in the budget with practicable ideas on how to actualise the plan for concrete development.’’
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”.
-
News4 days ago
We’re Open To Partnerships To Enhance Status Of Rivers People -Fubara
-
Nation4 days ago
Banigo Decries Malaria Prevalence
-
Business15 hours ago
LASG Makes Over N500m From Traffic Offences
-
Education12 hours agoVC Demands Improved Power Supply For University
-
Rivers4 days ago
Ekpeye Traditional Rulers Seek Help For Odiemudie Community
-
Business4 days agoEazipay Offers Zero-Interest Loans To 150,000 SMEs, Employees
-
Business14 hours ago‘Foreign Shipowners Deprive Nigeria Of $9.2bn Annually’
-
Opinion12 hours ago
The Value Of Books And Reading