THE STATES

Adamawa

Governor  Murtala Nyako of Adamawa has approved the appointment of Mr Musa Kaibo as the new Head of Service of the state.

A statement issued last Friday in Yola by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Kobis Thimnu, said the appointment is with immediate effect.

It said Kaibo’s appointment was as a result of the retirement of his predecessor, Alhaji Othman Mohammed.

Until his appointment, Kaibo was the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Head of Service.

FCT

The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, has assured that the July 14 governorship election in Edo would be credible, free and fair.

The special adviser gave the assurance last Friday in Abuja while addressing newsmen on the forth-coming governorship election.

Gulak also promised that election materials would be distributed to all polling units on time to enable the electorate to exercise their franchise without hindrance.

On the recent court judgement reinstating elected local councils in Imo State, Gulak said that Gov. Rochas Okorocha had no constitutional power to dissolve the councils,  adding that the court had done the right thing by re-instating the council chairmen.

The tenure of the council officials had not expired when they were told to go in June last year by the governor. A transitional committee was subsequently appointed to replace the 27 council chairmen. According to Gulak, the appointment of caretaker committees for local government councils is unconstitutional.

Kaduna

Governor  Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State has urged politicians to imbibe the spirit of togetherness to bring true national unity to the country.

At a dinner organised by the State Government to mark the end of the 2012 Nigerian Army Day Celebration, NADCEL in Kaduna last Friday, Yakowa  said he had watched with keen interest the spirit of togetherness of the military, which other groups should emulate.

He commended the role the military and other security agencies played in bringing peace to the state and said the government and people of Kaduna were indebted to them.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Outsole Obadiah, said the country was proud of the army, and  urged them to continue to distinguish themselves where ever duty calls either within the country or outside.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, said NADCEL had showcased what the army had been doing in the past two years.

Katsina

The Katsina State chapter of the Joint Health Sector Union has expressed concern over alleged imposition of high tax on its members.

The Chairman of the union, Alhaji Aminu Usman, said  in Katsina last  Friday that the introduction of the new tax regime had reversed the benefit workers derived from the new salary structure.

The chairman said “the union wanted to make it clear that this is not acceptable.’’

Usman also called on the government to pay six months outstanding arrears to health workers in local government areas in the state.

He  however, acknowledged that the state government had implemented the Consolidated Medical Salary and Consolidated Health Salary Structure for its members.

The union reaffirmed its support for the three-week ultimatum given by the Nigeria Medical Association for the state to improve the deteriorating condition of health sector or face an industrial action.

Kebbi

Kebbi State Director of Information, Alhaji Garba Hamisu, has advised journalists in the state to shun sensationalism and uphold professional conduct.

The director, who gave the advise last Friday, in Birnin Kebbi in an interview, assured journalists that the ministry of Information would furnish them with relevant information for dissemination to the public.

“Journalists have serious challenge in the current democratic dispensation. Their reports and criticisms of government activities should be objective, fair and factual,’’ he said.

Hamisu appealed to journalists to shun materialism and give priority to rural coverage to enable people in rural areas offer meaningful advise to policy makers that would improve their standard of living.

“If you want to make quick money, then this profession is the wrong place for you, but you can excel and gain recognition and respect through proper conduct”, he added.

Lagos

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Umar Manko, on Sunday said that 244 suspected armed robbers were arrested by the command in the first half of this year.

Manko said that the arrest of the ring leaders of the various robbery gangs in the state remains one of the biggest achievements of the command during the period under review.

He said that 160 guns and 948 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the suspected armed robbers who had been terrorising the state.

The Police chief said also that out of the 54 cases of robbery recorded during the period, 59 suspected armed robbers were shot dead while five policemen lost their lives in the various encounters with the robbers.

Manko added that 239 vehicles were snatched at gun points, 227 vehicles removed from where they were parked while eight vehicles were driven away by drivers during the period.

Ondo

The Ondo State Government has reiterated its commitment to the care and protection of orphans and vulnerable children in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Rotimi Adelola, said this last Friday in Akure while inaugurating the quarterly meeting of the state Technical Committee on Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

Adelola noted that the response to the plight of orphans and vulnerable children was largely driven by the state government.

He said the meeting was to develop guidelines for the implementation of intervention measures for the care, support and protection of orphans and vulnerable children in the state.

The committee, he added, would “provide a clear understanding of the guiding principles, define roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders to enhance collaboration and strategic partnership”.

Osun

Osun State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts has urged the executive secretaries of local government councils to explore ways and means to increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of their respective councils.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr Rasheed Olalekan, gave the charge while meeting with the Executive Secretaries and the management of six councils which appeared before it last Friday in Osogbo. The local government councils were Olorunda, Osogbo, Odo-Otin, Orolu, Irepodun and Ife-East .

Olalekan stressed the importance of IGR to the overall development of their local government areas in particular and the state in general if they work hard at improving their revenue profile.

Plateau

The leadership of the PDP in Plateau State has given its 19 members in the State House of Assembly three months to open their constituency offices.

The State Chairman of the party, Dr Haruna Dabin,  said  in Jos that the directive became necessary as the party believed it would aid its effort in the forthcoming elections, especially at the local government level.

He said that the flags of the party flying at those constituency offices would help in consolidating the gains of the party as the offices would provide party loyalists a place to hold regular meetings.

Dabin lamented that currently, only seven second time Assemblymen out of the 19 PDP elected members of the Assembly had constituency offices in the state.

“Only seven of them, who are second time legislators’ already have offices, we have 19 members in the Assembly.”

The PDP chieftain said that the directive which, would surely be complied with, was to enable the party to be prepared for major political events in the state that may soon unfold.

Zamfara

The Chairman of Gusau Local Government Area in Zamfara, Alhaji Lawali Mada, says the council will meet President Goodluck Jonathan’s December 2012 deadline on polio eradication.

Mada who made the pledge last Friday, at the launching of the second round of immunisation against polio at the palace of the Emir of Gusau, said the council had made all necessary arrangements toward meeting the objective.

He said the people of the area had been adequately mobilised through enlightenment campaigns conducted by health workers in collaboration with the information unit of the council to achieve the goal.

The Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Kabir Danbaba, said the Emirate Council had already mobilised all village and ward heads to sensitise their people for the success of the exercise, and expressed confidence that the polio disease would be eradicated from the area before December, this year.

The representative of World Health Organisation, Atiku Mai-ahu, urged the local governments in the state to be more committed in the renewed efforts by the Federal Government toward eradicating polio.