Bauchi

The Chief Matron, Bauchi State Urban Maternity, Hajiya Fatima Dangambo, has said that health workers were being counselled on tolerance for better service delivery.

In an interview in Bauchi, Monday she said there was the need for counselling to improve relations between health workers and patients’ relatives, who often rain abuses on health workers at their duty post.

Dangambo said that such issues which were related to free drugs for women and under-five children had being on going in the state.

“We have to counsel our staff to be tolerant and not make such abuses stop them from performing their duties because such words will not have any impact on them physically”, he said.

FCT

The Director-General, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Mrs Joy Bob-Manuel, on Tuesday in Abuja reiterated the commitment of the council to provide legal aid to the indigent.

Bob-Manuel made the call at a sensitisation campaign organised by the council to create awareness on its activities.

She said the campaign was a nationwide project meant to sensitise Nigerians of their right to seek legal services and the readiness of the council to provide free legal aid to them.

According to her, the processes involved in getting the services of lawyers in the council are not complicated, adding that the major requirement was a written application.

Gombe

No fewer than 2,806 patients were admitted at the Snake Bite Treatment and Research Centre, Kaltungo, Gombe State from January to November, 2012.

The Medical Officer in Charge of the centre, Dr Habu Ballah, made this known in an interview in Kaltungo on Tuesday.

He said of the figure 33 patients died owing to the delay in reaching the centre, while four others died on arrival at the centre.

Dr Ballah recalled that 316 patients attended the centre in 2011, saying the existing figure was higher owing to factors such as flooding, lack of awareness of treatment at the centre and increase in farming activities.

He said apart from the state, patients were brought from Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi, Adamawa, Jigawa, Kano, Yobe and even Cameroun.

Jigawa

Residents of Dutse, Jigawa on Tuesday described President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the state as a positive step to fast track the rapid development of the state.

A cross section of the residents in Dutse, said that the visit was a ‘’welcome development’’.

Alhaji Garba Abbas, a teacher, said that the two-day official visit by the president would attract federal projects to the state.

A Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Isa Haruna, said the visit would enable the president to meet his people and assess their needs.

Kaduna

The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), in Kaduna State, on Tuesday ordered local council workers protesting delay in salary payment to return to work.

Comrade Shehu Abubakar, the President of the union gave the order after a close door meeting with NULGE officials of Kaduna North Local Government.

The meeting followed protest by members of the union of the local council, which began on Monday, over delay in the payment of their three months salaries.

Kaduna North, Igabi, Sabon Gari, Kaduna South and Kaura Local Governments have been unable to pay the salaries of their workers for months due to inadequate funds.

Abubakar said the state government and the union were meeting on the matter, and assured the workers that the issue would be resolved amicably. He advised members of the union to always follow due process in demanding for their rights.

Kogi

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has commended the prompt response mechanism instituted by the Kogi Government toward handling internally displaced persons in relief camps.

The Director, Emergency Risk Management and Humanitarian Response, Dr. Brennan Richard, gave the commendation on Tuesday, when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Idris Wada. Wada was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mr Yomi Awoniyi.

Richard said that the health impact associated with the flood could be devastating, if not properly managed.

Kwara

The Kwara Government said it planned to create 16 additional parastatals in the state to energise its activities.

This is contained in a release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Abdulwahab Oba, in Ilorin, Monday.

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said this when he received the Chairmen of Boards of parastatals and agencies who paid him a courtesy call in Government House, Ilorin. According to him, the parastatal will be sixteen new boards and with over members.

The governor said they would be charged with the responsibility of running various segments of government to ensure efficiency in service delivery among others.

Nasarawa

The Chairman of Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC) Dr Abdullahi Modibo,   has assured all political parties in the state of a level play ground in the forthcoming local election.

Modibo gave the assurance in an interview in Lafia on Tuesday

The chairman, however, appealed to the electorate to come out enmass and vote for the candidates of their choice during the exercise, adding that their votes would count.

He also assured all the constants that the poll would be free, fair and credible.

Niger

As part of its Four-Year-Strategic Plan for the education sector, the Federal Government on Tuesday launched a capacity building programme for teachers in English Language, Mathematics and Science.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, who was launching the programme in Suleja, Niger State, said the programme followed a needs assessment carried out in selected secondary schools in the 36 states and the FCT.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike said that every effort would be made to ensure that resources provided were used regularly to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

Ogun

A 33 year-old mechanic, Mr Yemi Oyeniyi, fled his matrimonial home in Abeokuta, following a scan revelation that his wife was carrying triplet.

The mechanic’s wife, Mrs Esther Oyeniyi, said her hospital bed that her five year-old marriage had earlier produced two children.

She said that her husband absconded since June 3, 2012 when the result of the scan revealed that she was carrying triplet.

She described the disappearance of her husband as worrisome, saying that the development had forced her to relocate to Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Oke Yidi in the metropolis.

Oyo

Three commissioners were dropped from the from the Oyo State Executive Council in a cabinet reshuffle in Ibadan, Monday.

The reshuffle was announced by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Waheed Olajide, after the council meeting. Olajide also announced the swapping of portfolios by some commissioners.

He said that those dropped include, Alhaji Yunus Akintunde; Works and Transport, Mr Bosun Oladele; Information and Orientation and Mr Kazeem Adedeji, Trade, Investment and Cooperatives.

Plateau

Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State on Tuesday in Jos signed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) bill into law.

While performing the ceremony, Jang warned against the diversion of relief materials meant for victims of emergencies.

Stakeholders, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had severely criticised Plateau over its inability to establish a SEMA, in spite of its numerous man-made and natural disasters.

Shortly after signing the bill, the governor said:“I believe this bill I signed into law is holistic and positioned to be relevant to the present realities of global trends in disaster management.

Sokoto

Electricity Consumers Association, Sokoto State chapter, on Monday, demanded the payment of N1 billion as compensation from the PHCN for allegedly disrupting electricity supply to the state in the last three days.

Electricity workers in the state carried out their threat of disconnecting the state at the expiration of a two-week ultimatum to Governor .Aliyu Wamakko to apologise over an alleged manhandling of one of their colleagues, an allegation which the governor had since denied.