THE STATES

Bauchi

The management of NIGAZ company has said that River Kolmari, situated between Bauchi and Gombe States border, is capable of producing 10 Megawatts of electricity for the nation.

A representative of the firm, Mr Andrey Maslov, said this in Bauchi while presenting the feasibility studies the company conducted in conjunction with the Northern Nigeria Development Company (NNDC).

The feasibility was presented to the Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Sangir, and other stakeholders.

Sangir said that 25 million dollars (N3.89 billion) was required for the whole project which was expected to be completed within 15 months to 18 months from the date of commencement.

 

FCT

The Budget Office of the federation has denied issuing any directive to ministries, departments and agencies to ignore the implementation of the 2013 appropriation bill.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Francis Ojiah, Director, Administration, Budget Office, in Abuja.

“We wish to state categorically that this is absolutely untrue.

“At no time since the passage of the 2013 budget and subsequent assent by Mr President, did the budget office issue such a directive,” it said.

 

Gombe

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Aminu Tambuwal, has performed the foundation laying ceremony of the N2.7 billion International Conference Centre (ICC) in Gombe State.

Tambuwal commended Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State for initiating the construction of the centre and other projects executed in the state.

He said the governor’s efforts were in line with the PDP’s manifesto of peace and development.

“You are all aware that Gombe State is the second least in terms of federation allocation but the projects the governor has executed show that there is prudence and accountability in the state,” he said.

 

Kaduna

The Kaduna State University, Kaduna, last Saturday graduated 1,705 students from 2008/2009 and 2011/2012 sessions.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Barnabas Qurix, announced this during the maiden convocation of the institution.

Ourix said 14 students graduated with first class honours.

He said the candidates graduated from mathematics, computer science, bio-chemistry and other departments.

 

Kano

The Kano State Government I says  a total of 1,600 women were trained in poultry production in the state in the past two years.

The governor of the state, Alhaji Rabi’u Kwankwaso, made the disclosure at the graduation ceremony of the sixth batch of 600 women, who received training on poultry production at the Kano Poultry Institute in Tukui, Kano.

He said the trainees were selected from 16 out of the 44 Local Government Areas in the state, pointing out that the remaining 28 council areas would soon take their turn.

Kwankwaso gave an assurance that the State Government would continue to support beneficiaries of all its empowerment programmes.

 

Kwara

Dr Emmanuel Ojo of the Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin, has accused Nigerian lawyers of not doing enough in the fight against corruption.

The political scientist told newsmen in Ilorin that lawyers, through frivolous applications, frustrated anti-graft cases in court.

“The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), is not really helping matters in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

“The lawyers manipulate the court system on grounds of technicalities to secure frivolous adjournments, thereby frustrating the polity and encouraging corruption.”

 

Lagos

Former Chairman, Ikeja branch of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Mr Chukwuemeka Eze, has called on federal and state governments to strictly enforce the tax laws.

Eze made the call while speaking in an interview with newmen in Lagos.

He said that strict enforcement of the tax laws would encourage compliance and ultimately improve revenue generation in the country.

Eze said that it would be difficult to achieve optimally in terms of revenue generation from taxes when the laws regulating them were not properly enforced.

 

Nasarawa

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Office, in Obi local government area of Nasarawa State, has advised communities in the state to ensure proper maintenance of projects executed in their domains.

The Technical Assistant Officer in the council Mr Ahmed Musa, gave the advice during an inspection of various MDGs projects in the area.

Musa said: “The government has played its part by executing these various projects in order to fight poverty and hunger.

“I urge various communities in this area to complement government’s efforts by safeguarding these projects executed in your communities.

 

Ogun

Two 100 level students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNNAB), were killed last Friday by a hit-and-run motorist currently at large.

An eyewitness account said that the incident happened at about 7.30 p.m. in front of Isolu Muslim High School, Alabata, about a kilometre away from FUNNAB.

The driver of the vehicle, a golden colour jeep, was said to be on top speed and trying to avoid a collision with a vehicle from the opposite direction, when he suddenly swerved and ran into the students, who were said to be returning home from school.

 

Ondo

The Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida, has commended the Ondo State Government for its urban renewal and beautification projects in Akure and other major towns.

Adesida gave the commendation in Akure, while speaking with newsmen.

He noted that the administration of Governor  Olusegun Mimiko had performed creditably in many areas.

The monarch particularly extolled the administration for transforming Akure into a modern state capital.

Adesida, who is  the Chriamn of Ondo State Council of Traditional Rulers, stressed that he was happy that Akure had experienced a remarkable transformation, especially in the area of infrastructure.

 

Plateau

Women in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State failed to attend the free medical treatment organised by the Special Task Force (STF) maintaining peace in the state.

The medical outreach was organised by the task force as a strategy for creating mutual co-existence amongst the people of the state.

A representative of the women, Mrs Naomi Dalyop, said they refused to avail themselves of the service for fear of being poisoned by the military personnel.

“A lot of women refused to show up here because we were told that the drugs that would be given to us at this free medical outreach would be poisoned.

“So many of us have this notion that if we show up here, we might not return alive to our various homes.

 

Taraba

The permanent site for Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Taraba will soon be ready for commissioning, the site engineer, Mr. Shaba Owolabi, has said.

Owolabi, who spoke on behalf of the construction company handling the project, Eurobel International, stated this on Monday in Jalingo in an interview with newsmen.

He said the project, which began in November 2012, would be handed over to the board by March 23 as scheduled.

Owolabi commended the state’s JAMB coordinator, Mrs. Veronica Ayuba, for her “unflinching support” towards the completion of the project.