THE STATES

Bauchi

The diverse ethnic and multi-religious communities of Yelwa, Kagadama, Gwallameji and Lushi of Birshi-Miri District, Bauchi, Bauchi state last Saturday celebrated six years of living together in peaceful co-existence.

The programme was organised by Muslim and Christian Youth Movement for Peace in conjunction with Birshi-Miri Concern Citizens Forum.

In his speech, Mr Yusuf Kumsu, the Chairman, organising committee of the programme, explained that the event was organised to celebrate six years of peaceful co-existence among the diverse ethnic groups in the communities.

The state Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda expressed joy for the lasting peace being enjoyed in the state in spite of the current security challenges affecting the neighbouring states and commended the organisers of the event as well as religious and community leaders for the wonderful initiative.

 

Benue

Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, last Sunday, said some yet to be identified criminals, under the guise of Fulani herdsmen have been attacking and killing Tiv indigenes in the state.

Governor Suswam, while briefing journalists at the end of a security meeting held at the new banquet hall in Makurdi, said “some criminals are the ones attacking Benue communities, not Fulani herdsmen.

The governor added that the security meeting became necessary following the continued attack and killing of innocent Benue citizens in Guma, Gwer West and Makurdi.

Suswan said a committee had been raised, chaired by a Retired Permanent Secretary, Mr Moses Anagende, and 11 members to recommend ways of arresting the criminals. He said the committee has one week to submit its report.

 

Kano

The Kano State Government is to deploy sanitary in-spectors to all the 44 local government areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, who disclosed this in an interview in Kano after the monthly sanitation exercise in some parts of the state, expressed dismay over the sanitary condition of some areas.

He specifically indicted owners of some business outfits for operating without regards to basic rules of hygiene.

Abbas also said sanitary inspectors to be deployed to the council areas would be empowered with the necessary skills to ensure the discharge of their duties.

 

Katsina

Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State last Sunday said the state’s Local Government elections would be conducted in the first quarter of 2014.

Shema who disclosed this in Katsina at a state PDP zonal meeting said the elections date would be announced in January for the political parties to begin preparations

The governor, who was represented by Sen. Umar Tsauri, said all the materials needed for the exercise were on ground.

The   34 local governments in the state were being managed by caretaker committees as a result of the expiration of the tenure of elected council officials early in 2011.

“The elections will take place next year, God willing, because everything has been put in place,’’ Shema said.

 

Kogi

Kogi State Deputy Governor, Mr Yomi Awoniyi, has called on Nigerians to strive for legacies that would outlive their stay on earth.

Awoniyi made the call last Saturday at the funeral of Mrs Elizabeth Bello, former Chief Nursing Officer in Egbe, Yagba East Local Government Area of the State.

Awoniyi, who described death as a compulsory end for all mortals, held that it was unfortunate that people now lived without thinking of leaving good legacies behind.

He said the deceased would be remembered for putting smiles on the faces of women whom she medically assisted to achieve conception and delivery and called on the family she left behind to take solace in her good works and be consoled by the testimonies about her life.

 

Kwara

The Chairman of Irepodun Local Government Council in Kwara State, Alhaji Luqman Owolewa, on Sunday, said the council discovered 339 “ghost workers’’ on its monthly pay roll.

Owolewa said in Omu-Aran, headquarters of the council, that an audit committee would soon be set up to scrutinise the council’s pay system.

He said the audit committee became necessary in order to fish out more “ghost workers’’ and correct other anomalies in the council’s pay process.

The chairman said that the result of his assessment of the workers few weeks after assumption of duty showed that out of the 839 workers on the council’s pay roll, only 500 were genuine staff members.

 

Nasarawa

The traditional ruler of Shafa Abakpa Community in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Hussaini Kyafi, has urged the Federal Government and wealthy Nigerians to promote the country’s cultural heritage.

Kyafi stated this on Sunday at Shafa Abakpa, in the Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, during the 2013 Irewha Hunting Festival, an annual event which unites all the community’s tribes and brings members of the community together.

Kyafi said the event was a cultural heritage and traced its origin to the first settlers in the community, who were all hunters.

Special Adviser to the Nasarawa State Governor on Legislative Matters, Mr Musa Yusuf,  said the event reminds Nigerians of their cultural values and virtues.

 

Niger

The Nupe Land Community Association for Grassroots Transformation has renewed its agitation for the creation of Edu State.

The Secretary of the association, Alhaji Baba Wachiko, who renewed the agitation in Bida on Sunday, said the new state, to be carved out of Niger, Kogi and Kwara states, “will cater for the needs of Nupe speaking people.”

Wachiko, who made the call in a paper he presented at the summit of the association, said the creation of the new state would serve as panacea for the socio-political and economic empowerment of the Nupe people.

He said “this agitation should not be treated as an exclusive affair of the Nupe speaking people. Rather, it is about the present and future status of Niger State which every reasonable Nigerlite should be interested in. The creation of a new state from the present Niger State is long overdue.

 

Lagos

The Lagos State Government said it had spent N1billion to support no fewer than 400 graduate farmers to set up their own farms.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Co-operatives, Mr Gbolahan Lawal,  said in Lagos that the beneficiaries were those trained under the state’s Agricultural Youths Empowerment Scheme(AGRIC-YES).

The commissioner said that the essence of the programme was to create a generation of modern farmers, while creating job opportunities and promoting food security.

Lawal said that the programme was fully residential, adding that the government only recently inaugurated 200 units of two-bedroom apartments at the programme site, to improve the living standards of participants.

 

Osun

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has pledged to restore the lost glory of Modakeke in 2014.

Aregbesola made the promise in a message to the 28th Modakeke Ako-ri-aaye Day Celebration and Launch of N500million Community Development Fund, Saturday.

The governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Fatai Kolawole, said more local governments would be created.

He said this issue, which had been before the Osun Assembly, would be actualised and would surely favour the people of Modakeke.

 

Plateau

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, last Monday donated foodstuffs to widows of policemen killed while on duty in the Plateau command.

The Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe, who represented the IGP, said the items was to enable them celebrate the New Year.

Olakpe said the items included a cow, 30 bags of rice and eight cartons of vegetable oil, stating that the items were for 30 widows that lost their bread winners in the line of duty within the past 12 months.

Responding on behalf of the widows, Mrs. Nandi Edache, commended the IGP for the gesture and called on the IGP to accelerate the payment of their husbands’ benefits to enable them settle their children’s school fees.

 

Sokoto

The Sokoto State Government last Sunday announced plans to sponsor 200 students to pursue various degree programmes in Cyprus and Pakistan.

Gov. Aliyu Wamakko disclosed this at the Yabo Local Government Area of the State when he inaugurated some projects executed by the Old Boys’ Association of the Sarkin Kabi Shehu Model Primary School, Yabo.

Wamakko said that the students were expected to depart Sokoto for Cyprus and Pakistan in January 2014.

He commended the members of the association for executing the projects and appealed to others to emulate them.

Wamakko stressed the need for all and sundry to complement the government’s efforts in providing a conducive atmosphere for effective teaching and learning.