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Ekiti

President Goodluck Jonathan, has assured that the
Federal Government will construct an airport and a secretariat in Ekiti State.
The President made the remarks in Ado-Ekiti while reacting to the request by Governor Kayode Fayemi during his one-day visit to the state.
According to the governor, Ekiti State is the only state among the six created in 1996 that is yet to have a Federal Secretariat.
Fayemi also complained that the non take-off of the airport project promised by the Federal Government was slowing down the pace of economic activities in the state.
He urged the President to facilitate the refund of the money spent by the state government on the construction and rehabilitation of some federal roads in the state.

FCT

The Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican
Communion), Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, left Abuja last Sunday at the head of Nigeria’s 470-man delegation to Kenya, to attend the second Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which opened on October 21.
While in Nairobi, Okoh, will join leaders from Anglican Provinces in Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, UK and  the U.S. to discuss the future of the Anglican Communion.
GAFCON was established in 2008 as a result of the strange teaching of western churches of the Anglican Communion, particularly on sexual preferences and homosexuality.
The maiden conference took place in Jerusalem in 2008, the same year Nigerian bishops pulled out from the Lambert Conference, the once-a-decade meeting of all Anglican bishops.
In a prayer and fasting session on October 15 in Abuja, Okoh urged Anglicans in Nigeria to pray for the security and success of the conference in Nairobi.

Kaduna

Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State has released
N710 million for the payment of leave and transport grants to all civil servants in the state.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Director-General on Media and Publicity  to the Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, in Kaduna last Friday.
It said N195 million had also been released for the payment of scholarships to all indigenes in tertiary institutions.
The statement said that the state government had paid N120 million for the six years arrears of grants owed staff of the Kaduna State Water Board between 2005 and 2011.

Kano

The Kano State Government has promised to recover all
the money involved in the poorly-executed contracts for the construction of classrooms in the state capital.
This is contained in a statement signed by Alhaji Usman Bello, the Deputy Director (Press) in the office of the Deputy Governor, and issued in Kano recently.
It said the Deputy Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje who is also the Acting Governor, made the promise when he visited the schools.
The statement said the schools are the Special Primary Schools at Fagge, Gobirawa and Dandago in Kano State.

Kwara

The Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission
(KWSIEC) last Sunday  expressed  its readiness to conduct Saturday’s local council elections in the state.
The Chairman of the commission, Dr  Uthman Ajidagba, told newsmen  in Ilorin that  necessary machinery had been put in place to ensure a credible exercise.
He said security agencies and other stakeholders had  been contacted  to ensure a successful  conduct of the election.
Ajidagba, however, said only three political parties had signified  intention to participate in the election.
He listed  the parties as Social Democratic Party, Labour Party  and Peoples Democratic Party.

Lagos

A former member of the National Assembly, Mr Ehiogie
West-Idahosa, has lauded Governor  Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, for making kidnapping a capital offence in the state.
West-Idahosa, who represented Ovia North-East and South-West Constituency in the House of Representatives, said this while speaking with newsmen in Lagos.
“I am convinced that death penalty for kidnappers will definitely send the signal that the state is not ready to accept criminality,’’ West-Idahosa said.
He, however, said the law would only be successful if it would be properly implemented by the appropriate security agencies.
In its reaction, a human rights group, the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), opposed the law, saying it would not deter kidnapping in the state.

Ogun

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Ogun State
Hospital in Ota, Dr Babatunde Banuso, has called on the State Government to build more male wards in the hospital.
Banuso who made the call while speaking with newsmen in Ota, said the move would help to increase the intake of patients.
He added that there should be deliberate effort by the government to ensure that good amenities were in place to supplement the existing ones.
“The government needs to build additional male wards to avoid the hospital turning down emergency cases.
“We also need adequate facilities to save the lives of patients who require urgent attention in the hospital,’’ the CMD said.
Ondo

A fatal auto crash that happened at Igbara Oke,
Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State has claimed four lives while 14 others sustained injuries.
Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Commander in charge of field operations, in the state, Mr Joseph Ojerinde, confirmed the incident in an interview with newsmen in Akure last Sunday.
The officer said that the accident that happened at 6.30 p.m. was as a result of reckless driving by one of the drivers.
He said that the auto crash involved a Mazda bus, with registration number Lagos KSF 706 XF carrying 18 passengers and a Honda Accord saloon car with number AA 239 GBH.
“The two vehicles involved in the crash had a head-on collision.
Plateau

Medical authorities in Plateau State have confirmed
an outbreak of cholera in Namu village in the Qua’pan Local Government Area of the state.
Namu, a village at  the Plateau and Nasarawa states border, hosts displaced people in the violent crisis that broke out in the Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
“Yes, there has been an outbreak of cholera in Namu village, eight people have been killed while 61 others have been hospitalised,’’ the Plateau State Epidemiologist, Dr Raymond Yuryit, said in Namu recently.
Yuryit spoke when he received the Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Alhassan Barde, who had gone to assess the situation.
He said that those hospitalised had been diagnosed with the disease and had been admitted into various health centres.
Sokoto

The Sokoto State Government last Sunday said it
would spend over N2.86 billion on various projects in primary and junior secondary education sub-sectors.
The Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Ibrahim Dingyadi, said this in an interview with newsmen in Sokoto.
Dingyadi  said  all the projects would be executed under the 2012/2013 FGN/ Sokoto State Government Intervention Funds initiative.
He said N1.95 billion  would be spent on the construction of three model primary schools in Sokoto city and its environs.

Zamfara

The Police Command in Zamfara State says it has
started investigation into the attack on the motorcade of the acting Governor of the state, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, last Saturday.
The Public Relations Officer (PPRO), for the Police Command in the state, DSP Lawal Abdullahi made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen in Birnin-Magaji .
Abdullahi, who described the attack as “unfortunate”, said that the police would not fold its arms and allow such unbecoming behaviours by the youths.
He said that the police had deployed troops of mobile and regular police to maintain peace in the area.
The police image maker assured that anyone found involved in the attack would face “the full wrath of the law’’.

 L-R: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, wife of the Governor of Benue State, Mrs Yemisi Suswan and  Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, at the Conference of Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (Cowlso) in Lagos,  yesterday Photo: NAN

L-R: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, wife of the Governor of Benue State, Mrs Yemisi Suswan and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, at the Conference of Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (Cowlso) in Lagos, yesterday
Photo: NAN

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Rivers Deputy Governor Hails PH City One Love For Humanitarian Gesture

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Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.

Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.

She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.

Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love  has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.

The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.

Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.

 

He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.

Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.

He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.

According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.

Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.

Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them

 

John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah

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We’ll Partner Private Sector to Industrialize Rivers State – Fubara …Hints Revitalization of Ahoada, Trans Amadi Industrial layout

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Rivers State Governor , Sir Siminialayi Fubara says the industrialization of the state remains a key drive of his administration.
Speaking through Director General of the Rivers  State Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside at the Shell Gas Limited and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) Investors Forum held in Port Harcourt, Fubara stressed that public /private partnership is key to revive production in the state.
“We are ready to partner Shell Gas Limited to revive manufacturing in Rivers State at Ahoada Industrial Park, and the new Port City project, including the proposed Bonny Industrial Park which will grow industries along the Bonny corridor” he declared.
Part of the scheme, he further stated is to collaborate with Shell Gas Limited and the private sector to transform Rivers State into a major manufacturing hub in the South of Nigeria.
Commending Shell and MAN for leading the frontline, Sir. Fubara said,” the time to act is now  and thank God Shell is taking the lead to prioritize gas.”
The governor opined that the gas sector provides huge investment opportunities to drive the state economy as the world is gradually shifting towards gas and other environment friendly energy, while urging stakeholders to evolve an actionable gas policy for the state.
Earlier in his remarks, Shell Gas Limited Head of Gas Distribution, Mr. Chukwuka Amos-Ejesi said it is high time the state utilized its huge gas resource.
“Today gas offers investors opportunities and raises the value chain as it boosts production for industry users,” Amos-Ejesi said.
The Shell Gas Distribution executive said the company seeks to support manufacturing by adopting a user friendly approach that allows manufacturers to grow profitably with affordable cheaper energy.
He explained that natural gas provides huge potentials and aligns with federal government  policy of gas utilization.
Chairman of MAN Rivers and Bayelsa Branch, Elder Vincent Okugu described gas as the backbone of manufacturing.
He said the forum has become timely and key to address the pressing energy provision to boost production in the sector, as he lamented the high costs borne by manufacturers in sourcing energy alternatives.
In her remarks, Chairperson of  the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture, Dr. Chinyere Ngozi Nwoga commended Shell for the forum which she described as a bridge to reduce gap of energy provision for manufacturers.
Ngozi Nwoga said the transition to natural gas has become imperative, stressing that pipeline gas offers cheaper and smooth energy provision for industries.
Former MAN chairperson for Rivers and Bayelsa States, Mrs Emilia Akpan was of the view that the quest to provide cheap energy should be driven with technical manpower, as she emphasized  need for Rivers State to recreate its economy.
By Kevin Nengia
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SheVentures Open Zero-interest Loan Applications for Women Entrepreneurs

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First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to N10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.
The facility provides loans ranging from N500,000 to N5 million under a general category, and N5 million to N10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.
Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB),  Yemisi Edun,  said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.

“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively. Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.

“This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs”, Edun said.

Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo said access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs.

 

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