Bauchi

The first batch of Christian pilgrims from Bauchi State last Sunday left for Abuja on their way to Jerusalem for pilgrimage.

The state Head of Service and the leader of the delegation, Mr Abdin Dalla-Gin,  said while addressing the prospective pilgrims that arrangements had been concluded to stop any pilgrim from defecting in Israel.

Dalla-Gin also called on the pilgrims to pray for peace in the state and Nigeria at large.

He said government had given the assurance the operation would be hitch-free.

Borno

Senator Ali Ndume (PDP-Borno), says, said security agen

cies in the country have the capacity to end the insurgency in the North East.

Ndume, who made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, also urged the security agencies to take proactive measures to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Boko Haram is a calamity that befell our country but I think our security agencies have the capacity to end the whole thing in a short time.

“I think the problem we are having is that of strategy. The security agencies need to apply new strategy to end the problem’’, he said.

Ekiti

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, has warned

against any effort to distort the history of the Yoruba race so as not to jeopardize the people’s culture and misinform the younger generation.

The monarch gave the warning in Ado-Ekiti last Monday, at the launch of “Ekiti Historical and Royal Compendium”, a book written by all traditional rulers in Ekiti State.

Sijuade lamented that those involved in the distortion of the history of the Yoruba people had reduced the race to a “laughing stock”.

The Ooni said that for centuries, the Yoruba race had no “other source than the cradle, Ile-ife”, regretting, however, that many facts about the existence of the race had been distorted.

FCT

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) said

it had constituted a task team to complete ongoing rehabilitation of roads to ensure they became functional throughout the Christmas season.

The Chairman of the agency, Mr Jide Adeniji, told newsmen in Abuja that the team would specifically ensure that the rehabilitated roads were free for motorists especially during the festive season.

“We have already constituted a task team for free passage of vehicles during the yuletide for the 34,120 kilometre-road network.

“Last year I went on air and said if there is a failure nobody should take Mr President for such a failure, they should hold me responsible. And by the special grace of God most of the roads are passable”.

Gombe

Malam Umar Adamu, Chairman of the Academic Staff

Union of Universities (ASUU), Gombe State University (GSU) chapter, has expressed concern over the exodus of Nigerian students to other countries for studies.

Adamu, who criticised the situation, said in Gombe last Monday that it was not for the educational development of the country.  He expressed concern over the movement of the students to other countries that had lesser quality of staff.

He said the problems in the education system in the country was attributable to incessant and lingering crises in the sector.

The chairman advised government to honour its agreement with the union to restore confidence in the system.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State command of the Nigeria Security and

Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has in its custody, a 23-year-old man (name withheld) who allegedly threatened to kill his father.

The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr Muhammad Gidado, newsmen in Dutse that the suspect was arrested in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The commandant said “the father told us that the suspect came home drunk and he (the father) tried to counsel him to desist from taking drugs.

“The suspect then brought out a knife and threatened to kill the father if he did not leave him alone.’’

Kaduna

The Federal Government, said the planned deregulation

of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry was to ensure availability of products to Nigerians.

The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, said this in Kaduna during an inspection tour of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).

Maku said deregulation was the best solution to problems in the sector.

He added that middlemen and other players in the industry had taken advantage of government’s monopoly in the industry to shortchange the country.

Kwara

A group, the Magaji/Alangua Forum in Ilorin, has called

on politicians in Kwara to shun politics with bitterness in order to ensure steady development of the State.

The group made the call in a statement signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Abdulwahab Issah, and made available to newsmen in Ilorin.

The statement said the high chiefs in five local government areas of the emirate, including Issah, the Alajagusi of Ajagusi in Asa LGA, appealed to the politicians to bury their differences.

In the statement, the chiefs urged the politicians to work together in peace and harmony in the interest of the people and the development of the state.

Lagos

A Catholic cleric, Rev. Father Philip Obasi, has described

advent “as a time of repentance and holiness in preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ.’’

Obasi, an Associate Parish Priest, Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Alaba, Lagos, made the remark while delivering his homily.

The homily was delivered at St. Anthony Catholic Church out-station, Okoko in a Holy Mass to commemorate the second week in advent.

He called on Christians to imbibe the virtue of repentance, so as to demonstrate true Christian faith.

“‘It is a time for repentance and holiness, in preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. There is need for Christians to have deep sober reflections on their daily lives.

Nasarawa

Governor Umar AI-Makura of Nasarawa State has presented N21.4 billion Supplementary Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly for consideration.

Majority Leader of the House, Mr Godiya Akwashiki, who presented the governor’s letter, said the bill was to address the security challenges facing the state.

The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Ahmed Musa, directed the Clerk to schedule the bill for further legislative action.

Governor AI-Makura had on December 2, 2012, submitted a budget estimate of N107 billion for 2013.

Niger

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has ordered the enforcement of the traffic law banning the operations of commercial motorcyclists in Minna from Jan. 2, 2014.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Danladi Ndayebo, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, made available to newsmen in Minna.

The statement said adequate arrangements had been made to cushion the effect of the ban.

It added that the Ministry of Transportation had received 1,000 tricycles in addition to eight units of 18-seater buses.

Ogun

The Ogun State government said that it had earmarked N400 million and flood control in 2014.

The state Commissioner for Envrionment, Mr Ayo Olubori, made this known in Abeokuta while defending the 2014 budget proposal of the ministry at the House of Assembly complex.

Olubori also said that the ministry had proposed N513 million for the purchase of trucks for effective service delivery adding that the ministry would construct 8,303-metre-long drainage channels across the three senatorial districts of the state.

The commissioner put the targeted for 2014 at N157.3 million while N2.2 billion had been budgeted as total expenditure.

He further said that N878 million was budgeted as recurrent expenditure while N1.3 billion was earmarked for capital expenditure.

Plateau

Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Jos has called on Christians to emulate people with exemplary lives like former South African President, Nelson Mandela.

Kaigama made the call during his pastoral visit to the Church of Immaculate Conception (CIC) Parish, Zaramaganda, Jos.

The Archbishop said that by emulating good people, their legacy would continue to impact on society.

“The Catholic Church had long identified such and had been immortalising people that lived righteous and exemplary lives as saints.