THE STATES

Bauchi

The Federal Government says education is the most potent tool for social change.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Macjohn Nwaobiala, made the declaration in Bauchi at the opening of the plenary session of the Joint Consultative Committee on Education.

Nwaobiala said that education was the most potent means of precipitating societal change.

He described the theme of the meeting, “strengthening the institutional management of education for quality service delivery”, as apt because the country was striving to achieve its goals of providing qualitative education.

FCT

The police have arraigned an Abuja-based businessman, Shaibu Usman, before a Karu Upper Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly hitting and removing Kasimu Umar’s teeth.

Police prosecutor Silas Nanpan told the court that Usman allegedly assaulted Umar of Nyanya, Panteka, Abuja, on July 23, 2012

Nanpan said that Usman attacked Umar in his shop in Nyanya.

“Umar was attending to a customer in his shop when Usman came out from nowhere and hit him on his mouth and in the process, removed his two front teeth.

Kano

The Kano State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a pedestrian by gunmen at Na’ibawa area of Kano last Monday.

The command’s spokesman, ASP Magaji Majiya, confirmed the incidence to newsmen, saying that it took place around 8.00 p.m.

According to him, some gunmen attacked a pharmaceutical shop at Na’iabawa and a passerby was shot dead while one was injured and taken to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

He, however, said that investigations had since begun and tight security had been enforced in the affected area with restricted movement of people.

Kogi

Kogi  State Deputy Governor Mr Yomi Awoniyi, has said that the state is ready to cooperate with the police to sustain the prevailing peace and security in the area.

This is contained in a statement issued by Awoniyi’s Press Secretary, Mr Michael Abu, in Lokoja.

The statement said the deputy governor made the remark when he received Mr Hilary Opara, the new Commissioner of Police posted to the state.

The deputy governor lauded the role played by the Nigeria Police in the maintenance and sustenance of peace and security in the state.

Kwara

The University of Ilorin Librarian, Dr Joseph Omoniyi, has  identified laziness among students as one of the factors responsible for the poor reading culture in the society.

Omoniyi was speaking in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin.

He said the problem of poor reading culture was a systemic problem that required a systemic approach to address.

According to him, the western society is a literate one, but that the African society is still predominantly oral where most people spread information through the word of mouth rather than through writing.

Lagos

The spokesman for Lagos State Land Bureau, Mr Adebisi Moshod, has appealed to those seeking Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) to always approach the bureau with genuine documents.

Moshod told newsmen in Lagos recently that the bureau was not unduly delaying the issuance of C of O.

He alleged that many applicants presented fake documents and that some took long time to provide necessary credentials required by the state government.

According to Moshod, the issuance of C of O generally does not take long when genuine documents are presented.

Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Government has called on English Language teachers to address the challenge of mass failure in the subject in the secondary schools across the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, Hajiya Zainab Abdulmumuni, made the call in Keffi at a workshop organised for English language teachers in the state.

While lamenting the mass failure of students in English Language examinations in the state, she attributed the failure to the attitude of some teachers handling the subject.

According to her, there is need for English Language teachers to realise that English being the country’s official language must be taught with every sense of responsibility.

Ogun

A total of 30,000 jobs have been created in Ogun through the FADAMA III Agricultural Project, Dr Seemthamby Manoharan, the Head of the World Bank/ Federal Government Supervision team, has said.

Manoharan, who announced this when he led a delegation of the team to the state, said the project had recorded a huge success in many states of the country, including Ogun.

He said that this had enhanced favourable consideration of the Federal Government’s request for additional funding of the project by the bank.

Manoharan, however, appealed to defaulting states to pay their counterpart funding, saying that failure to do so could hinder the full realisation of the objectives of the project.

Oyo

A 28-year-old man, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, was last Tuesday  arraigned before an Ibadan Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing the sum of N116,000.

The Prosecutor, Mr Ade Adebusuyi, told the court that the defendant, being a staff of Collins Group Limited, Mokola area, Ibadan, allegedly failed to remit the money for the sales of Agricultural chemicals to the company.

Adebusuyi said the money belonged to one Vincent Okonli, and that the incident happened on December 24, 2012, at about 2:00 pm.

Osun

Governor  Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, says he would create an enabling environment for peace, unity and harmonious co-existence among all religious faithful.

Aregbesola made the statement recently in Osogbo at a thanksgiving service to mark the completion of the 2012 pilgrimage to Israel..

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, urged the people to always appreciate God in any circumstances. they might find themselves.

He lauded the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Nigeria Inter-Religion Council (NIREC) for sustaining peace in the state.

Plateau

Consumers of locally brewed alcohol popularly known as “burukutu’’, risk cancer, hepatitis and others, diseases, Dr. Fabong Yildam, a doctor of family medicine, has said.

Yildam, who works with the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos, told newsmen, that the local brew “predisposes one to malnutrition, alcohol-induced hepatitis and various types of cancer’’.

“That local brew inhibits the breakdown of nutrients into usable molecules by decreasing secretion of digestive enzymes from the pancreas.

“It impairs nutrient absorption by damaging the cells lining the stomach and intestines and disabling transport of some nutrients into the blood.

Sokoto

Mixed reactions in Sokoto State have trailed the recent merger of the major opposition parties in Nigeria which led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Former Governor of Sokoto State , Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa told newsmen in Sokoto recently I am a member of the merger talks representing my party, ANPP and I support the merger .

“ The merger is not the problem but those who are trying to run the new mega party may be the problem

‘’ For the mega party to succeed, we must all set aside our selfish interests and save the Nigerian masses ,’’ he added .