THE STATES

Adamawa
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) last Tuesday
promised to sharpen the skills of INEC staff on effective report writing.
The Director-General of the fund, Prof. Longmas Sambo, made the pledge in Yola while declaring a three-day workshop for electoral officers opened.
He said the workshop was aimed at improving the knowledge, skills and attitude of the trainees in report gathering and writing, especially during elections.
Represented by Alhaji Jibrin Bukar, the Yola Area Manager of the Fund, Sambo said that the workshop was coming ahead of the 2015 general elections.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Kasim Gaidam, ssaid that the training would be a continuous exercise aimed at building working capacity of the staff for effective service delivery.

Bauchi
The European Union has pledged to support the
Bauchi State Government in the areas of health, agricultural processing and electricity, to improve the living standard of the people.
The union’s Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria, Mr Michel Arrion, said this when he visited Governor Isa Yuguda at Government House, Bauchi last Tuesday.
Arrion said that he was in Bauchi to familiarise himself with the state, the needs of the people and to also identify areas of co’operation with the state government.
He said that having gone round to assess the rate of development in the state, the union had decided to support the state in the areas of power, health and agro-processing.

Borno
An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Modu Mustapha, said it
was wrong for individuals to coerce non-Muslims into embracing Islam without their consent.
Mustapha, reacting to the reported conversion of abducted Chibok girls to Islam by Boko Haram sect, said Islam had a distinct way of converting non-Muslims to the religion.
Mustapha said it was stated in the Quran that there was no compulsion in Islam.
Another scholar, Sheikh Ibrahim Suda, corroborated Mustapha’s position, saying that Islam was a religion of peace.
A preacher, Malam Suleiman Bagobiri, contended that the insurgents were only out to damage the image of Islam by their activities.

Ekiti
The  Chairman of   Africa Democratic Congress
(ADC)  in Ekiti State,  Mr Tunji Ogunlola, says his  party would win  the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.
Ogunlola said in Ado-Ekiti that the party had nominated a credible candidate, Mr Bola Oroko, as flag bearer  in the  governorship election, adding that he would transform the state.
The chairman  also said that  the party was committed to a  free and fair election devoid of violence, adding
that the party was determined to promote  mechanised farming as well as  put in place  cottage industries to create jobs for unemployed graduates.
According to him, the party will introduce free education from primary to secondary school level   while agriculture will be made compulsory in the school curriculum.
FCT

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reiterated the Federal
Government‘s commitment to the security of lives and property of Nigerians, in spite of the security challenges.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Olisa Metuh, said this when the Forum of PDP Zonal Publicity Secretaries paid him a visit in Abuja.
Metuh, while reacting to the spate of insurgency in the country and the abduction of the Chibok School girls, said that the PDP was saddened by the development.
He added that though Nigerians might be expecting more from the PDP as the ruling party but  the party was a better alternative for Nigerians.

Gombe

Funakaye Local Government Council in Gombe State has spent
N100 million on the execution of projects in the area.
The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Usman Ribadu, who disclosed this in an interview last Tuesday in Gombe said the projects were provided in all the 10 wards of the area based on the development needs of each ward.
He recalled that Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo had undertaken a constituency tour of all the local government areas of the state where each ward presented its development needs to him.
Ribadu said that it was based on those presentations that the projects were allocated for each of the 206 polling units in the state.
The chairman said the projects comprised of culverts, wells, bore holes, maintenance of health facilities, rehabilitation of veterinary clinics and educational facilities.

Katsina

No fewer than 28,386 people have so far registered for various
mass literacy programmes in Katsina State.
The Acting Executive Director of the state Agency for Mass Education, Alhaji Ahmad Doki, said on Tuesday in Katsina, that the programmes include: Basic and Post Literacy Classes, Integration of Quranic Education, Literacy by Radio, Women Vocational Class and Continuing Education.
He said that the agency had engaged 1,500 facilitators for all the programmes while the state government has spent N50 million on the payment of allowances of the facilitators.
Doki said that each of the 34 local government areas had at least one centre established in rural areas to reach the targeted people.

Kebbi
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of  Zone
10, Mr Bala Hassan has warned police personnel in the zone against extra judicial killings.
Hassan gave the warning last Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi while addressing officers and men of Kebbi Police Command.
He commended the Kebbi command of the police for the low crime rate in the state and urged the personnel to sustain the trend.
In a remark, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Benjamin Onwuka, said that the 4,425 policemen currently serving in the state were inadequate for effective policing.
Kwara
The Kwara State Government says it will  need about
N70 billion for the provision of adequate road infrastructure in the state in the next three years.
Dr Amuda Kannike, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, said this last Tuesday in Ilorin while briefing newsmen on government’s  N23 billion bond.
The forum was  convened to explain  why the administration and the one preceding it took  N17 billion bond  in 2009, N10 billion bond  in 2012 and another N23 billion bond  in 2014.
Also present at the briefing were the state Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Ademola Bannu, and Mr Yomi Ogunsola, the Senior special Assistant  on Investment Promotions and Strategy to the Governor.
Others present  were the Senior Special Assistant  on Media to the Governor, Dr Muyideen Akorede,  and the Chief  Press Secretary to the Governor, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba.

Lagos

Some politicians  in Lagos  State have expressed their
support for a new revenue sharing formula proposed by the National Conference Committee on Devolution of  Powers.
The committee had on May 5 proposed that 42.5 per cent of the revenue should be allocated to the Federal Government, 35.0 per cent to states and 22.5 per cent to local governments.
Presently, the Federal Government gets 52.68 per cent, the states get 26.7 per cent and 20.60 per cent goes to local governments.
The Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Nkem Lemchi, said that the proposed revenue sharing formula was one that could promote grassroots development.
Malam Auwal Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), an NGO, said the proposal would reduce over concentration of resources at the centre.
Nasarawa

Governor  Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has
been called upon to offer more political positions to the Yoruba community and other non-indigenes with considerable amount of residence in the state.
Leader of the group, Mr Bola Oduleye, made the request last Tuesday in Lafia when he led his members on a courtesy called on Mr Ezedinma Nonso, Special Adviser to the Governor on National Integration.
Oduleye said that offering more political positions to non-indigenes would boost their confidence and offer political appointees the opportunity to contribute to socio-economic development of the state.
He commended the governor for appointing two non-indigenes into his administration, saying like Oliver Twist, they would want him to do more.

L-R:Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Political and Legislative Powers Bureau, Mr Folami Muslim, Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed, Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Secretary to the State Government, Dr OlurantiAdebule and General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (Lasema), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, at the 2nd Lagos Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Summit in Lagos, recently.