Benue

An Anglican Bishop, Bishop Nathan Inyom, has appealed to the management of Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) to take relief materials to other flood displaced persons who were not in the camps.

Inyom told our correspondent  in Makurdi that most of the displaced persons were not in camps but were staying with relatives who were not affected by the flood.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr Adikpo Akpatse, had in an earlier interview with newsmen, confirmed that more than 80 per cent of the flood victims were staying outside the camps.

The bishop argued that “by tradition, our people do not like staying in camps, they prefer to stay with relatives, so, such people should be given the relief materials.”

He maintained that the materials were meant for all displaced persons and not restricted to those living in the camps.

Borno

The Borno State Government is to construct township roads in Maiduguri with interlocking blocks, Governor Kashim Shettima announced in Maiduguri.

Shettima who made the announcement while inspecting equipment acquired by the government for the project explained that the use of interlocking blocks was to save cost and provide employment for unemployed youths in the state.

He said that the state had already taken delivery of 12 heavy duty lorries, pay-loaders and rollers for the take-off of the project.

“We are trying to embark on mass construction of township roads, using interlocking blocks.

Ekiti

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State says that the Federal Government owed the state N6 billion over the construction of some federal road projects.

Fayemi made the statement while addressing the people in Ado-Ekiti as part of events to round off the second anniversary of his administration.

Fayemi said the state was now ranked the least in terms of material and child mortality owing to the good governance he had put in place, pointing out that the state had the highest life expectancy in Nigeria owing to his ability to provide quality leadership that was devoid of rancor and unnecessary political upheavals that dogged the state in the past.

The governor said that he had been able to give the people hope in spite of a N40 billion debt and uncompleted projects his administration inherited from the past administration.

FCT

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in Abuja has expressed concern over the high cost of governance in the country and called for a review. .

ICAN President, Mr Adedoyin Owolabi expressed the view at the opening ceremony of the 42nd ICAN Annual Accountants Conference in Abuja.

Owolabi said government needed to “urgently” revisit the cost of governance which had continued to take its toll on public funds.

“Here lies the justification and urgent need for the merger of related public sector institutions, as recently recommended by the Steve Oronsaye committee so that they can deliver on their mandate,” he said.

He added: “We must take those painful but necessary decisions that will lead us to where we desire to be as a nation by the year 2020.”

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Police Command has denied involvement in the killing of 22 persons at Dogon-Dawa village in Birnin Gwari Local Government on Sunday.

The denial followed media reports alleging that some senior police officers led the attack.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Olufemi Adenaike told newsmen in Kaduna that no police officer was at the scene of the attack.

Kano

Warawa Local Government Council in Kano State, has donated food items worth millions of naira to victims of the recent flood disaster in the area.

Our correspondent  reports that the items include 200 bags of rice, 200 bags of maize and 150 jerrycans of vegetable oil, among others.

The council’s Interim Management Officer, Mr Salisu Bebeji disclosed this in an interview with newsmen  in Kano.

Bebeji said that the items were distributed on October 12, to the affected persons in five villages of the area and noted that the state government had donated some relief materials to the victims to alleviate their sufferings.

The officer urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the commodities to cushion the effect of the disaster.

Katsina

HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has dropped from over three per cent to two per cent in Katsina State, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA), Dr Muntari Hassan, has revealed.

Hassan made the revelation in Katsina when members  of the state’s Youth Coalition Against AIDS, Drugs and Violence  called on him.

He said that the reduction of the infection was achieved through continuous public enlightenment and sensitisation by the agency and some non-governmental bodies.

Hassan noted that the assistance being provided by various counseling and testing centres had also facilitated the reduction of the infection in the state.

“In 2008, there were only nine counseling and testing centres in the state but now the number of such centres had increased to 52”.

Kebbi

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Works and Housing has given a three-month ultimatum to the contractor rehabilitating the Jega- Koko/Besse road in Kebbi State to either complete it or have the contract revoked.

The committee’s Deputy Chairman, Rep. Ali Wudil issued the ultimatum when he led other members on an inspection visit to the project site.

Contract for the 60 km-road rehabilitation project was awarded by the Federal Government at N966.8 million.

Wudil bemoaned the slow pace of work at the site and complained about the contractor’s attitude to work.

Kwara

The Kwara State Police Command in Ilorin paraded three suspects for alleged illegal possession of firearms.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Fabode, told newsmen that the accused were arrested by intelligence operatives of the ‘B’ Division in Ilorin on suspicion of belonging to a gang of thieves.

Fabode said that when the accused persons were searched, one locally made pistol, two live cartridges, two motorcycle receipt booklets and two stamps were recovered from them.

Lagos

The Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS), Onne, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, withdrew the admission of 55 trainees, including four women, for alleged certificate forgery.

The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Naval Training Command, Apapa, Rear Admiral Azubuike Ajuonu, made the fact known to newsmen in Lagos.

Azubuike said that the suspects had been handed over to the police in Port Harcourt for further investigation,   adding that if found guilty, the trainees, who spent three months in the school, risked seven years imprisonment.

The FOC said that the command had a process of weeding candidates with fake school certificates through verification from various examination bodies.

“The verification is a continuous process, nobody will come to navy with false certificate and nobody will come to navy with a brother’s certificate.

Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Bala Wada-Adamu, has told civil servants in the country to always update their knowledge through research and training.

Wada-Adamu told our correspondent  in Lafia that the advice became necessary to make the workers to meet global demands of actualising an effective civil service.

He spoke shortly after a reception in honour of Mr Mohammed Ramalan, the retiring director of building in the ministry.

The commissioner, who elaborated on the benefits of being a dedicated staff, advised civil servants to put in their best while in service.

He explained that “good work never goes in vain,” noting “there is reward for every hard work we do.”

Niger

The Niger State Environmental Protection Agency (NISEPA) says it has introduced a buy-back programme towards evacuating empty sachet water packs off the streets.

The General Manager of the agency, Dr Yakubu Yandai  told our correspondent  in Minna that the programme was aimed at preventing environmental hazards.

“We have commenced a programme known as ‘Buy-back empty sachet water packs and used plastics from consumers.

“The programme will start with three environmental clubs in public secondary schools in Minna, which will buy-back the wastes and bring them to us for recycling.

Ogun

The Ogun State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has promised to make this year’s edition of the Ojude-Oba festival, scheduled for October 28, a memorable one.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Culture and Tourism, Miss Busola Ogundele made the pledge at a media briefing on the event in Ijebu-Ode.

Ogundele said the festival had placed the Ijebus and the state as a whole on the international map, pointing out that the annual event had also attracted tourists and investors to the state.