Benue

The Speaker, Benue House of Assembly, Mr David Iorhemba, has called on Muslims in the state to use the period of Ramadan to pray for peace and security of the state.

Iorhemba made the call on Tuesday in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Yakubu Imanche, in Makurdi.

He said that there was the need for Muslims to pray for peace because they were in a state of grace in which anything they requested from God would be answered.

The speaker also urged them to sustain the long-existing peaceful and cordial relationship with their Christian counterpart in the state.

Iorhemba enjoined the Muslims to imbibe the teachings and lessons of the period such as self-discipline, kindness and sacrifice so as to attract blessings from God.

Gombe

Students of the Gombe State University on Tuesday

staged a peaceful protest against an alleged plan to remove the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abdullahi Mahdi.

The students gathered at the school’s premises at around 4 p.m., chanting songs in support of Mahdi.

The President of the Gombe State Student Union, Malam Abubakar Kalafi, said that Mahdi had instilled discipline in both staff and students of the institution.

Kalosi said the vice chancellor had created a conducive atmosphere for learning in the university, adding that the peaceful coexistence in the university was a testimony of his leadership qualities.

The students alleged that a prominent member of the University’s Governing Council was spear-heading the planned removal of the vice chancellor.

Mahdi was appointed vice chancellor of the institution about eight years ago.

Jigawa

The Jigawa government has awarded N22 million contract for the construction of ultra-modern archive and gallery.

The Director, History and Culture Bureau, Alhaji Dan-Iya Uba, said in Dutse on Tuesday, that  more than N18 million was earmarked for the construction of the archive while N4 million was set aside for the rehabilitation of its theatre.

He said adequate provisions were made in the 2012 budget to facilitate smooth running of the project.

“The archive will serve as library, documentation and research centre to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the people of the state. “The renovation of the theatre will also enable the cultural troop and dancers from the state to rehearse and organise plays,” he said.

He added that the state government had concluded arrangement to construct a central gallery to enable all the five emirates present their heritage.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday further relaxed the 24-hour curfew imposed on the state from midnight to 5a.m.

Governor  Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State, who announced this during a meeting with the Committee on Inter-Religious Harmony, said this following improved security situation in the state.

Yakowa said the curfew was reviewed to allow free movement throughout the state, adding that the security operatives would continue with their work.

He commended the people for the sustenance of peace and further urged them to continue to cooperate with the security agents and be law-abiding.

The governor also urged them to use the period of Ramadan to pray for peace and progress in the country.

Katsina

Workers of three tertiary institutions in Katsina State

on Monday embarked on an indefinite strike to protest alleged failure of the state government to meet their demands.

The institutions are: Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Isah Kaita College of Education, Dutsinma and Yusuf Bala Usman College of Legal and General Studies, Daura.

The Joint Consultative Forum (JCF) of the workers unions in a statement issued in Katsina said members of the Academic and the Non academic Staff Unions of the three institutions had joined the industrial action.

The statement was signed by Mallam Tukur Dahiru, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic (ASUP) and five others.

Kwara

The Chairman of the Kaiama Local Government Area in Kwara, Alhaji Abubakar Sidiq,  has appealed to the Federal Government to rehabilitate the Kaiama-Kishi road.

He said that the road, which links communities in Kwara and Oyo states, would contribute significantly to the economic development of the area.

Sidiq, who made the call in Kaiama in an interview described the present state of the road as deplorable, saying “it is now a death trap”. He said commuters using the road had to contend with potholes and difficult terrain “which usually make plying the road a nightmare”.

Lagos

A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Rotimi Olowo, said the House would soon pass a bill that would ensure proper and regular maintenance of public infrastructure in the state.

Olowo told newsmen in Ikeja that the House was working on a Facilities and Maintenance Bill that would ensure scheduled maintenance and rehabilitation of roads and other public infrastructure, as and when due.

Olowo, the chairman of House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, said that the bill became necessary to improve the functionality and life span of the facilities.”If we don’t put in place a maintenance schedule, these public infrastructure would collapse in no time,” he said in Lagos.

He advised Lagos residents to desist from throwing refuse into gutters to avoid blocking the drainage system and prevent flooding.

Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Government has expressed its determination to promote cassava production in the state to stem hunger and lessen import dependency.

Governor  Umaru Al-Makura said this on Tuesday in Lafia at the inauguration of the Growth Enhancement Scheme for cassava farmers in the state.

Al-Makura, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Ahmed Tijjani-Usman, said that his administration would make the cassava value chain development a priority, to encourage increased productivity among farmers in the state.

He also pledged the government’s commitment to providing farmers with the necessary agricultural input to enhance their productivity.

Ondo

The Ondo State House of Assembly on Tuesday asked the state government to tackle the encroachment on land belonging to public schools.

The Assembly gave the directive in Akure during its plenary which followed a motion by Mr Olatunji Dairo of Owo II Constituency.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Dare Emiola, who presided over the session, directed the House Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the Committee on Education to convene a meeting with principals of public schools to stop the practice.

Osun

Governor  Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has called on stakeholders in the education sector to embrace the culture of endowment as a means of funding universities.

Fayemi made the call on Monday at the second convocation lecture of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Osogbo, entitled: “Repositioning the Nigerian Universities within a Dynamic Global University System; Changes and Prospects.”

The convocation programme, which began with a press conference on Wednesday, is expected to end with the award of degrees today.  Fayemi said universities should also explore scholarly resources, particularly books and journals, to promote scholarship.

He lamented the state of libraries in Nigerian universities, saying the situation had constituted one of the biggest impediments to the flowering of ideas and development of world-class scholarship.

The governor also advised universities to source for foreign partners that would help in facilitating access to online publications, particularly journals for scholars and students.

Plateau

The Plateau Government has commiserated with the families and surviving victims of Sunday’s devastating flood in some communities within the Jos metropolis.

The Commissioner for Information, in a press statement on Tuesday in Jos, described the flood as Pastor Abraham Yiljap, “devastating, painful and unfortunate’’.

He recalled with regret that the flood resulted in the death of persons and missing of many others.  “Government is saddened by this unexpected natural phenomenon which has brought grief to the people in its wake, “ he said.

Yiljap said that the Governor Jonah Jang had ordered the State Relief Committee to take steps in providing immediate relief for the surviving victims.

He added that the governor had urged all citizens of the state to pray against any situation that would bring further pain and discomfort on the people.

Our correspondent  recalls that the flood killed 16 persons and left several others missing with houses and other property worth millions of naira destroyed in its trail.

Sokoto

The Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, on Tuesday said that the State Government had spent N50 million to purchase drugs and medical facilities for its General Hospitals.

Aliyu said the measure was part of the State Government’s commitment to provision of qualitative health care services to the people.

He said the state drug revolving scheme would continue to be accorded priority attention to ensure effective health care delivery in the state.

The commissioner said a committee that would ensure equitable distribution of the drugs and medical facilities had been set up.

The commissioner urged the people of the state to always keep their environment clean to prevent outbreak of diseases.