Adamawa

Women Education Empower Initiative (WEEIN), an NGO, says it trained 120 women in different skills in Adamawa.

Addressing the trainees at their graduation ceremony in Yola, the Chairperson of WEEIN, Hajiya Zainab Nyako, urged them to make good use of the training, to become self-reliant.

Nyako, who is also the wife of the Adamawa governor, urged them to form cooperative societies, to enable them source loans and assistance to establish their businesses.

She said WEEIN would assist them secure registration with relevant bodies and organisations, such as NAFDAC for their products.

Benue

The Commissioner for Education in Benue State, Dr Elizabeth Ugo, has charged the host community of the College of Advanced and Professional Studies (CAPS) to support the college to enable them benefit from the institution.

Ugo made the call in Makurdi at a meeting between the college management and the host community.

The commissioner was represented by Dr Jem Tor-Anyiin, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry.

She said the institution needed absolute peace to enable it to operate effectively for the overall benefit of the state in particular and the country at large.

Ekiti

The Ekiti State Government has concluded arrangements to provide jobs for 1,500 youths under its Youth Commercial Agriculture Development Programme (YCAD).

The move is aimed at reducing unemployment in the state and ensuring that agriculture contributes 50 per cent of the state’s Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR).

The initiative is also intended to turn the Farm Settlements in the state into Centres of Excellence in Agriculture and ensure all-round production of cash crops in the state.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Babajide Arowosafe, disclosed these in an interview with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti.

FCT

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has advised Nigerians to ensure they know their HIV/AIDS status before planning marriage.

The Director General of the agency, Prof. John Idoko, told newsmen in Abuja that most Nigerians would usually wait until they were about going into marriage before they go for tests to know their status.

“Nigerians should not wait until when planning their marriage or when they are sick before knowing their status. It is advisable to go for voluntary counselling and testing early.

Kano

A Kano-based environmentalist, Malam Haruna Balarabe, has advised residents to clear their drainage ahead of the rainy season.

Balarabe, who gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Kano said that it would prevent the state from being flooded during the season.

“Everybody has an obligation to contribute to the environment and prevent it from being affected by disasters because disasters affect everyone,’’ he said.

Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested four suspected drug traffickers, including two men who ingested 124 wraps of liquid cocaine sealed in condoms.

NDLEA spokesperson,  Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju said in a statement issued in Lagos that the liquid cocaine, weighing 3.3kg, was poured into male condoms before it was ingested by the suspects.

The statement added that the two suspects excreted 70 and 54 wraps of the oily cocaine.

Niger

Governor of Niger State  Babangida Aliyu  has promised to sponsor interested directors in the state civil service to obtain masters degree in their fields of specialisation.

Aliyu made this known in Minna during an interactive session with Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the service.

He expressed the hope that the gesture would impact positively on their service delivery.

According to him, directors with more than five years before retirement from service will receive full grant, while those with less then three years will receive half of the cost of their education.

Oyo

The Oyo State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr Yunus Akintunde, says the 50 roads being constructed by the state government will be inaugurated in May.

Akintunde said this while inspecting construction work on the Wakajiye, Isebo–Papa, Olosan and Ajibode Alfonso-Apete roads in Ibadan.

The commissioner, who expressed satisfaction with the level of performance of the contractors, appealed to benefiting communities to monitor the projects to ensure quality jobs.

He said the ongoing road and bridge projects would cost N11 billion, adding that the initiative was to make life more meaningful to the people of the state.

Sokoto

The Federal Government has spent more than N5 billion on the 35 Model Almajiri Schools established nationwide, since the project began in December 2010.

The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETF), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, told newsmen in Sokoto that the schools were not part of the 51 currently being constructed by the Universal Basic Education Commission.

Yakubu, who was in Sokoto for the inauguration of one of the schools on Tuesday by President Goodluck Jonathan, said the schools were located in the 18 northern states and that 10 of the schools had boarding facilities.

Taraba

The Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Authority has donated a block of hostel worth N22.5 million to the Government Secondary School, Jalingo.

The Acting Chairman of the Authority,  Mr Collins Kalabare, made the donation in Jalingo on behalf of the two countries.

He said the donation of the female hostel was one of the numerous benefits in the cooperation between the two sister countries which shared common economic interest in their Joint Development Zone (JDZ) in the Gulf of Guinea.

Yobe

The Yobe Commissioner for Agriculture,  Alhaji Idi Gubana has said that a comprehensive transport system and fertiliser distribution network would be provided for farmers, this cropping season.

The commissioner disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Damaturu.

He explained that ministries of Agriculture, Youth Development and Local Government Affairs “were working on a convenient means of transport for farmers across the state in view of the ban on motorcycles”.

Idi said that arrangements had reached advanced stage to provide farmers with alternative transport in the 17 local government areas in the state.

Zamfara

The Acting Governor of Zamfara, Alhaji Ibrahim Wakkala, has ordered the demolition of part of the on-going water treatment plant at Talata Mafara over non-adherence to contract specifications.

Wakkala ordered the demolition after an inspection visit to the project site.

The project, which was awarded at N6.7 billion, is expected at its completion, to provide five million gallons of treated water to Talata Mafara, Maradun, Bakura and Maru Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

The acting governor expressed reservation on the competence of the contractor handling the job.

Wakkala also directed that part of the project must be demolished and adjusted to meet the specified standard.

He said that engineering consultants handling the projects had raised observations over the contractor’s violation of contract agreement, which made the government to take action to forestall poor job completion

He said the government would not compromise quality and standard in any job it awarded in line with its principle of transparency and accountability.

Wakkala directed the State Ministry of Water Resources to invite the company for further discussions so as to ensure that every part of the project was done in accordance with the design and contract agreement.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Adullahi Abdulkadir said the project consisted of a five million gallon capacity water treatment plant, laboratory, office complex and a staff canteen.

He said the project was first awarded by the immediate past administration to supply water toTalata Mafara and Maradun LGAs, pointing out that it was reviewed and expanded to cover Maru and Bakura LGAs.