THE STATES

Adamawa

Vice-President Namadi Sambo has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to good governance and delivery of dividends of democracy to the citizenry.

Sambo gave the assurance on Saturday at a grand reception organised for Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the National Chairman of PDP in his home town of Mayo-Kalaye in Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa.

The  reception was packaged by members of PDP from the North-East geo-political zone to honour the party’s national chairman.

He said it was based on the government’s commitment to deliver on its campaign promises that the administration had focused on power, agriculture, education, among other sectors of the economy.

In his remarks, Gov. Babangida Aliyu, of Niger State and  Chairman of Northern Governors Forum, who spoke on behalf of PDP governors, described Tukur as a responsible elder that would add value to the party.

In his address, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, said his new position was an opportunity for him to offer selfless service and to provide President Goodluck Jonathan and his team the needed support to deliver on good governance.

The PDP national chairman called for unity among Nigerians so that the nation could make progress in all fields of human endeavours.

Bauchi

The wife of the FCT Minister, Hajiya Aisha Muhammed, on Saturday distributed poverty alleviation materials to 120 women and youths in Alkaleri town in Bauchi State. The materials include sewing machines, welding machines and knitting machines.

Distributing the materials to the beneficiaries, Muhammed promised to work to reduce poverty and idleness among the people, especially in Alkaleri Local Government Area and Bauchi State.

Muhammed, who is the founder of Al-Muhibba Foundation, which distributed the materials, said the foundation started as an NGO that focused attention on the rehabilitation of cemeteries.

She noted cemeteries were the final resting places of all human beings and added that she decided to expand the project to cover skill acquisition, particularly among women and youths.

Mohammed condemned youths who allowed themselves to be used as political thugs instead of going to school to be educated or be involved in other useful ventures.

She promised to extend the services of the foundation to other parts of the state. “Al-Muhibbawill extend its services to Gamawa and Darazo local government areas as part of our determination to cover the entire state,’’ Mohammed said.

In her remark, Hajiya Aisha Yuguda, the wife of Gov. Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, commended Muhammed for offering such services to her immediate constituency.

The governor’s wife, represented by Mrs Lydia Shehu, a Director in Bauchi State Ministry of Women Affairs, said she would collaborate with any organisation in efforts to improve the standard of living of the youth and women.

Jigawa

The residents of Dutse in Jigawa last Saturday celebrated the first rainfall for the year.

A cross section of residents who spoke to newsmen in Dutse on Saturday, said they had now ‘heaved a sigh of relief’.

Mrs Zainab Abubakar, a house wife and a resident, said that the rainfall would cool the hot temperature experienced in the town in the last couple of months.

She explained that the heat before the heavy downpour on Saturday had made their homes uncomfortable for them.

Another resident, Malam Ahmed Yakubu, expressed delight on the rainfall and said that he hoped that the rain would continue because of what the family had gone through as a result of heat.

Many Dutse residents were heard congratulating themselves over the rain even as the downpour, which started at about 1:30 a.m., lasted for two hours. It was accompanied by windstorm.

Kaduna

Some youths stormed the Zaria Police Station on Saturday to protest the alleged killing of one Abdullahi Nura by a middle age man, over a N250 snatched from a girl.

The  protesting youths demanded that the suspect, who was in police custody be handed over to them. It took the intervention of the Emir of Zazzau, Dr Shehu Idris, to disperse the crowd.

According to our source,  the youths were aggrieved because they claimed that this was not the first time the suspect had committed murder in Zaria.

One of the youths said that the suspect allegedly snatched N250 from a young girl sent on errand by her parent, adding that the deceased asked the suspect why he took the money from the girl.

Katsina

The Katsina State chapters of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), have called on Imams and clerics to continue to mobilise their followers for peaceful co-existence.

The associations made the call on Saturday in Katsina at a joint meeting on mutual understanding and maintenance of peace between their members.

The chairmen of JNI, Alhaji Isa Dodo and his CAN counterpart, Dr Adewale Adediran, said Imams and clerics should, in their sermons, mobilise and encourage their members to embrace each other so as to ensure continued peace in the state and the nation at large.

According to them, Katsina has been one of the most peaceful states in the federation, “but we need to maintain that peace by enlightening our followers on the importance of peaceful co-existence among ourselves’’.

Nasarawa

The Police have recovered three locally-made pistols in    Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Corlineuos Ocholi, made this known in Lafia last  Saturday.

Ocholi said the pistols were recovered by “some good people’’ in Lafia East, when they were cutting grass in their premises.

“The pistols were believed to have been buried in the premises by some unknown persons.’’

Ocholi said that the police had been drafted to the area to keep surveillance, pointing out that the police had commenced investigations to fish out those behind the act.

He, however, appealed to the public to always furnish the police with necessary information that would assist in ensuring that law abiding citizens slept with their two eyes closed.

Osun

Govenor  of Osun  Rauf Aregbesola on Saturday in Osogbo urged youths to support the campaign against polio across the state.

He made the call while flagging off the “Youth Polio Awareness Campaign 2012”, organised by the Ministry of Health.

The governor said it was necessary to step up campaign on the deadly disease’s prevention even though the state had not recorded any case of poliomyelitis in the last four years.

He said the programme involved the immunisation of every child under the age of five, adding that this was to forestall any possible outbreak in the future.

Aregbesola said his administration placed priority on the health of the state’s citizens and urged community leaders, market women and religious bodies to help mobilise mothers to embrace the programme.

Sokoto

The  Chairman of Silame Local Government in Sokoto State Alhaji Mani Maishinko, has said that his administration spent N4 million in the rehabilitation of four boreholes in Silame, Gande, Katami and Kobudo towns.

Maishinko told newsmen in Silame on Saturday that the local government also expended N1 million monthly in the maintenance of the boreholes.

He said the local government also constructed eight open dug wells at more than N6 million.

‘’All these excluded several other projects being carried out by the state and Silame local governments aimed at providing adequate potable water for the people.

“Water is life and if you provide it regularly and adequately for the people, you have solved most of the water borne diseases.’’

Zamfara

The Zamfara State Anti-Corruption Commission has commenced investigation on a petition against top government official over alleged fraud and breach of trust

Seventeen aggrieved persons petitioned the commission, claiming that one Alhaji Dandosara, believed to be close to Zamfara State government collected a total of N472,000 from the petitioners, promising to secure them jobs.

The chairman of the commission, Dr Atiku Balarabe said while briefing newsmen that Dan Dosara collected N27,000 from each of the 16 victims to secure them teaching appointments.

He added that the suspect also collected N40,000, eight chickens, 150 pieces of eggs and cooking oil from the 17th victim, with a promise of securing for him appointment as Judge under the state judiciary.