FCT

The Executive Director of Conscience Nigeria (CN), Mr Tosin Adeyanju, has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to reposition itself to fight corruption as the integrity of the judiciary is waning.

Adeyanju said in Abuja that the council’s role in restoring the integrity of the judiciary could not be overemphasised.

He explained that this was because of the composition of the council with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, as its head.

The executive director said that the menace of corruption had assumed an unimaginable proportion in Nigeria that even the judiciary widely regarded as the citadel of justice was in it.

“Unfortunately, the present reality of deep-rooted corruption or the perception of it, appears to undermine the credibility of judiciary in the eye of Nigerians.

Gombe

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last Monday said it would execute a project in one of the schools at Dukku Emirate in Gombe State as part of the bank’s intervention programmes in education.

The CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido, disclosed this during a visit to the Emir of Dukku, Alhaji Haruna Rasheed in Dukku. Lamido told the Emir to identify the school where the bank would execute the project.

“We have good news. The Central Bank of Nigeria is embarking on projects in schools this year. “We will like the emir to name a school in Dukku so that we will embark on the project,” he said.

Sanusi commiserated with the new emir over the death of his father, Alhaji Abdulrasheed and congratulated him on his appointment.

Jigawa

Chairmen of the 27 local governments in Jigawa on Tuesday donated 54 motorcycles to the policemen posted to their respective domains.

The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Salisu Ndarawa, made the presentation in Dutse on behalf of the chairmen.

Ndarawa said that the gesture was to assist the policemen to carry out their duties effectively at the grassroots.

He said the chairmen contributed money to purchase the motorcycles in order to ease the operation of the policemen deployed to their areas.

“From our calculation, each of the 27 local government areas will get two motorcycles,” he added.

Katsina

About 50 youths participated in a cycling competition organised by the Ingawa Local Government Council in Katsina State on Tuesday.

The race which covered a distance of 24 kilometres from the roundabout at Ingawa town, attracted many spectators from within and outside of the area.

Presenting prizes to the winners of the competition, caretaker chairman of the local government, Alhaji Hussaini Dambo said that the aim of the competition was to enhance unity among the youths of the area.

Dambo, who was represented by a councillor, Alhaji Lawal Murtala, also said the cycling race would enhance the physical fitness of the participants.

He called on the youth to engage in sporting activities, assuring that the council was ready to assist them in that direction.

Kebbi

The Kebbi Government has released N90 million for the payment of registration fees for indigent students studying at Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.

The Executive Secretary of the state Scholarship Board, Alhaji Murtala Yauri, in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday that the amount would be remitted to the university.

He said that the board would also ensure payment of fees for students in other institutions to ensure their studies were not disrupted.

He said that education was free in the state “and we expect beneficiaries to justify the resources invested in them.’’

Yauri said the board would not delay the payment, stressing that each beneficiary would be paid through the banks.

He said the board had also purchased the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) forms worth N2.5million for free distribution to qualified indigent candidates.

“Only those with minimum requirement would be considered,” he said.

Lagos

A 20-year-old man, Seyi Martins, who allegedly stole a laptop and some personal effects, was on Tuesday charged before an Apapa Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Martins allegedly broke into a house and stole the items worth N197, 000 according to the prosecution. The accused, who lives at Maza Maza area in Ojo on the Lagos-Badagry expressway, is facing a two-count charge of unlawfully breaking into a premises and stealing.

The prosecutor, Cpl. John Iberedem, told the court that the accused scaled the fence of Mrs Kate Ukabia’s house in her absence and gained entry into her room, where he stole a plasma TV, a laptop and a mobile phone valued at N197, 000.

Iberedem said the offences which were committed on January 22 at 1.00p.m. at No. 15, Church St. Dansa Village, Tedi-Ojo, contravended Sections 285 and 409 ofthe Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State.

Nasarawa

Governor Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State said on Tuesday that a stakeholders’ meeting would be convened to proffer solution to the lingering crisis in the state.

He stated this when he visited Barkin Abdullahi to sympathise with the people and to ascertain the level of destruction in the area.

The governor condemned senseless killings among the different ethnic groups of Agatu, Eggon and Fulani over issues which dialogue could resolve.

Al-Makura stressed the need for people to live in peace with one another, in spite of their differences.

“We strongly need this unity if we are to continue to forge ahead as an indivisble entity”, he said.

Niger

The Niger/Kwara/Kogi Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has generated N451.7 million as revenue last year, the Area Controller, Alhaji Aminu Dangaladima, has said.

Dangaladima who said that the amount was about 25 per cent higher than the command’s set target of N360 million, attributed the feat to the support and co-operation of motor dealers in the states during a stakeholders meeting held in Minna.

The controller urged the dealers to impress on their customers to pay the correct customs duty for their imported vehicles before plying the roads to avoid embarrassment.

He said the command had been adjudged as the most improved command by the customs high command and was given an award for their achievement last year on its revenue collection efforts and enforcement.

Ogun

The Justice, Development and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun, disbursed N14 million micro-credit loans to farmers in the state in the last one year, an official said.

The Assistant Coordinator, the Diocesan Agricultural Development Programme of the commission, Mrs Cordelia Obi, disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday in Ijebu-Ode.

Obi said that the loan was given to the farmers to promote sustainable and improved agricultural development in the area.

She said that the loan was disbursed to 35 farmer groups in Ogun East senatorial district, adding that the department had 60 farmer groups.

Osun

The Osun State Government said it would assist pig farmers as part of efforts to promote agriculture activities.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security in the state, Mr Wale Adedoyin, made the pledge at a meeting with members of the Pig Farmers Association of Nigeria in Osogbo.

Adedoyin urged the farmers to form cooperative societies to enable them access government interventions, and said the government would provide high breed pigs to farmers as well as construct modern abattoir where the farmers would process and package pig meat.

According to the commissioner, the State Government is ready to assist pig farmers through stocking and feeding.

He directed them to present their proposals within two weeks to his office for appropriate action.

Taraba

The Acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar, has pledged to overhaul the state-owned media houses for effective coverage of the state.

He made the pledge when he met with Alhaji Abdullahi Garba, the Chairman of state’s Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Monday in Jalingo.

Our correspondent reports that the two state-owned broadcast media outfits, Taraba Television and Taraba Broadcasting Service go on air for less than two hours a day.

The Acting governor also announced donation of two 18 seater buses to the union to ease movements of journalists in the state.

He explained that the first bus would be provided by the end of February while the second would be given by the end of March.

Earlier, the NUJ Chairman appealed to the acting governor to intervene in the problem plaguing the state-owned media houses.