Benue

The Benue State House of Assembly has  summoned the Commissioner for Information and
Orientation, Mr Conrad Wergba, over his utterances.

The decision followed a motion moved by Mr Audu Sule (PDP
Agatu Constituency) and seconded by Mr Ianna Jato, (PDP Katsina-Ala East
Constituency).

Sule, who is also the chairman of the House Committee on
Information, told the Assembly that on Aug. 3, the commissioner issued a
statement which discredited members of the House.

He added that on August
8, 2012, in a publication titled “The Alternative”, the commissioner
alleged that the legislators were out to thwart the efforts of the government
and also accused the state legislators of “arm twisting” the  government because of their “selfish and
pecuniary motives”

In their separate contributions, Mr Benjamin Adanyi,
Christopher Afaor, Terkimbi Ikyange and Paul Biam alleged that the commissioner
misled the people through his comments, and lamented that the action was a
deliberate ploy to tarnish their reputation.

Borno

The University of Maiduguri has  denied media reports that it had extended its
resumption date for both new and returning students by three months.

The university’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Mohammed
Ahmed, said this in a statement in Maiduguri.

He said although it was true that the management had
cancelled one academic session due to the prevailing security challenges, the
action did not affect other academic programmes of the institution.

He explained that the university would re-open on September
3, for the first semester of the 2012/2013 session in line with its calendar.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Senate of the university at
its meeting on June 28, 2012, approved the calendar of dates and events for the
2012/2013 session.  “According to the
calendar, registration for first semester 2012/2013 session for all students
will commence on September  3, and end on
September 22, while lectures will begin for all students on September 24,
2012,” he said.

Gombe

The Chairman, Joint Association of Physically Challenged
Persons in Gombe, Alhaji Ali Goro, has called on the state government to create
job opportunities for educated members of the group.

He said  in Gombe that
out of the 12,298 physically challenged persons in the state, only 358 were
educated.

Goro said that out of the learned ones, only eight were
gainfully employed while the remaining 350 were not, adding that creating job
opportunities for them was the only way to discourage them from begging, as
well as encourage others to go to school.

He also appealed to the government to provide free education
at tertiary levels for the physically challenged.

Goro said that in spite of their participation in
electioneering and elections, no member of his association has been appointed
into any public office.

Jigawa

Thirty persons living with HIV and AIDS, have entered into
marriage contract under the couple match making scheme initiated by the Jigawa
Action Committee on AIDS (JISACA).

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Bashir Ahmad, said
in Dutse  recently that the measure was
to control the scourge in the state.
Ahmad said that the agency in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN), had so far trained 50 HIV positive women on various trades.

Ahmad further identified stigma as responsible for the spate
of HIV/AIDS transmission among the rural dwellers in the state, which had risen
to 2.8 per cent.

The executive secretary said that poor attitude and lack of
education on the scourge were also exposing the positive living persons to more
difficulties, adding that the agency had embarked on enlightenment campaign to
sensitise communities on the scourge with a view to reducing the stigma,
enhance care and offer support services to HIV positive persons.

Kano

The Coordinator of the Legal Aid Council in Kano State,
Alhaji Abubakar Umar, has  called for
adequate funding of the organisation to enable it to discharge its duties
effectively.

Umar made the call in an interview in Kano, stressing that
inadequate funding and the lack of operational vehicles were hampering the
activities of the agency.

“Lack of operational vehicles and inadequate funding are
some of the factors militating against the smooth operation of the agency.

“There are more than 184 courts, including Sharia,
Magistrates’ and higher courts in the state and we have to attend to some cases
outside the state capital,’’ he said. According to him, workers of the agency
find it difficult to travel to other local government areas because of the lack
of transportation facilities. “You know we are dealing with indigent clients
and sometimes we have to assist them with our own money,’’ Umar said.

Kano

The women’s wing of the Kano State Hisbah Commission  donated clothes and pieces of jewellery to
widows and orphans ahead of the Eid-el-Fitr Sallah celebration.

A representative of the group, Zahra’u Umar, who delivered
the items to the beneficiaries, emphasised the importance of assisting the
needy, especially during the Ramadan period.

Zahra’u, who explained that the recipients’ names were
forwarded to the group for assistance by the representatives of their
communities, enjoined wealthy individuals to emulate the gesture.

One of the recipients, Hauwa Umar, thanked the group and
prayed that God rewards the sponsors. Another beneficiary, Ibrahim Isma’il, who
is an orphan, said:“I had no hope of having new clothes until I was given this
one today and may God bless the donors.”

The group donated clothing materials to 99 widows and 54
orphans ahead of the Sallah celebration.

Kaduna

The poverty alleviation scheme introduced by the wife of
Kaduna State Governor  Mrs Amina Yakowa,
was not meant to score a political point.

The Interim Management Committee Chairperson, Sabon-Gari
Local Government, Hajiya Amina Dalhatu said this  in Sabon-Gari   during the distribution of some materials at
the council secretariat recently.

No fewer than 44 women from 11 wards of the local government
received either a sewing or knitting machine each.

Dalhatu said the gesture was aimed at empowering with a view
to reducing their reliance on their husbands for survival.

She explained that the scheme touched several aspect of
poverty alleviation. While calling for the support of all, the council boss
urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the items to achieve the set
goals.

Kebbi

The Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) in Kebbi , has
warned motorists against illegal use of government, private and commercial
vehicle number plates.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Sector
Commander, Mr Seyi Daniel, in Birnin Kebbi, he said motorists found indulging
in the act would be penalised.

The statement said the commission was determined to end the
illegal use of number plates in the area, especially to prevent criminal
activities.

It urged members of the public to call the attention of the
commission when such illegality was observed, and also advised motorists to
ensure that their vehicles’ tyres were of good quality to prevent accidents,
especially during the rainy season.

It also called on motorists to obey traffic signs on the
highways. “The commission would not relent in curtailing road accidents as well
as the violation of traffic rules,” the statement added.

Kogi

Human and vehicular movements have been light in Okene, Kogi,  as an uneasy calm pervaded the town where 19
worshippers were killed at the Deeper Life Bible Church at the Eikha-Adagu area
on Monday by gunmen.

The Commissioner of Police in Kogi, Mr Mohammed Katsina,
said on Wednesday that four persons had been arrested in connection with the
killings. Shops, banks, eateries and filling stations were closed as well as
the Federal College of Education and the Kogi State Polytechnic. Travellers,
who normally spent some 30 or more minutes to navigate the traffic in the town,
spent only about five minutes on Thursday.

Niger

The Niger Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA), Alhaji Abdulahi Abdul,
said the Nigerian Army has intercepted one Johnson Adedokun with 90.50
kilogrammes of substances suspected to be Indian hemp. Adedokun was arrested at
a roadblock along Minna-Suleja highway.

Abdul, who made the disclosure while speaking in Minna, said
that Adedokun hailed from Ondo State. He said that, Adedokun, who is 40 years
old, was transferred to the agency by the authorities of the 31 Artillery
Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Minna that arrested him.

Abdul commended the Nigeria Army for the cooperation, and
urged people in the state to provide useful information on illicit drug dealers
to the command.

He warned parents to monitor their wards as they were the
most vulnerable in the usage of the drugs in the society.

He said that the command, in July, arraigned 10 suspects at
the Federal High Court, Minna, who were convicted to various jail terms while
other cases were still ongoing before the court.

Ogun

An Ogun State-based legal practitioner, Dr Oloruntoba
Mamora, has lamented the poor salary been paid young lawyers by law firms in
the country.

Mamora, who made the observation in an interview in
Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, said that most big law firms were fond of exploiting
young lawyers and paying them peanuts.

Mamora noted that despite the fact that most big firms had
enough money to pay the young lawyers well, they still subjected them to
inhuman treatment by underpaying them.

He, however, called on the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to
do everything within its power to ensure that young lawyers were treated with
respect and dignity.

“It is a very sad situation. Some of the old lawyers make
millions of naira but they still find it difficult to part away with N10,000 as
salary for young lawyers. “They do not care about others because if they do,
they will not be treating the young lawyers badly,“ he said.

Plateau

The Plateau State House of Assembly has summoned three
commissioners to appear before it at its next sitting.

The commissioners, who are expected to respond to charges of
contempt against the House, include commissioners of finance, water resources
and chieftaincy and local government affairs.

The assembly had accused the commissioners of negligence in
the discharge of their duties and refusal to answer summons of house committees
carrying out oversight functions on ministries.

The Speaker, Mr John Dabwan, who issued the summons in Jos,
said that the refusal of the commissioners to honour the invitation was “sheer
contempt’’.

A member of the House, Hon. Gondina Sambo, had in a motion
of urgent public importance, which received unanimous support of members,
accused the three officers of rebuffing summons of various committees.

Also to appear before the assembly is the Chairman of the
Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission who is expected to explain
delays in the conduct of local government polls.