Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno State (4th right) with members of the State chapter of Niger Delta Peoples Forum that paid him a solidarity visit in Maiduguri last Friday.

Bauchi
A Principal Shari’ah Court in Bauchi State has ordered
Malam Abdullahi Shira, former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Isa Yuguda, to pay N71.5 million to one Adamu Aliyu, a printer.
The Principal Sharia Court Judge, Malam Mohammed Aliyu gave the verdict in Bauchi last Tuesday.
The court had been told that Aliyu printed 400,000 copies of books for the former governor’s aide without being paid.
The judge said that the court had no option but to issue the order since the defendant had agreed that he ordered the plaintiff to print the books.
Aliyu also ordered that the defendant should commence the payment by installments from the end of June 2014 adding that the defendant should pay the plaintiff N15 million monthly until the debt was liquidated.

Borno

The police command in Borno State, have presented N16
million cash to families of 16 policemen who died in May after suspected insurgents attacked Ngala, headquarters of Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Council in Borno.
The Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Alhaji Lawal Tanko, who presented the cash at a ceremony in Maiduguri, Thursdays said the money was donated by the Borno State Government to provide relief to the affected families, pending when their death benefits would be released.
He assured that the command was determined to ensure the success of the ongoing war against terrorism by putting in more efforts.
The commissioner also presented N200,000 each to each of the four policemen injured during the attack.

Ekiti

All election materials for the June 21 gubernatorial election
in Ekiti State will get to the 16 local government areas of the state two days before election date.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti, Alhaji Halilu Pai, gave the assurance at a security meeting with Ekiti traditional rulers in Ado-Ekiti last Tuesday.
Pai said all non-sensitive materials were already in the state and were being distributed to all the local government areas adding that, sensitive materials are still being kept with security agents, and will be distributed at least two days before the election date.
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti, Mr Felix Uyanna, said his men were ready to provide adequate security for lives and property of all citizens before, during and after the election.
He also said the police would leave no stone unturned to ensure prompt arrest and prosecution of people who might want to cause mayhem in the state.

FCT

The House of Representatives has mandated its relevant
committees on security-related matters to meet with the nation’s security chiefs, to introduce explosive detection devices on the highways.
A resolution adopted at the house in Abuja squel to a motion by Rep. Emmanuel Jime (APC-Benue) which was unanimously adopted without debate when put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Emeka Ihedioha.
The motion was entitled: “Need to introduce Explosives Detection Devices/Portals on the Highways in Lieu of Manual Checkpoints in place”.
The house said its decision was based on the need to forge a better appreciation of what was needed to effect changes at check points so that the changes would be in line with modern trends.
It said that the installation of the devices would also guard against the physical inspections by security personnel at check points.

Gombe

The Gombe State Government last Thursday rewarded
some out-going batch ‘B’ members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), with N440,000, in recognition of their service to humanity.
Assistant Director, Corps Discipline and Reward in the state office of the NYSC, Mr Jingi Denis, who disclosed this to newsmen recently in Gombe, said 18 Corps members received N20,000 each.
He said that another corps member with outstanding performance, received N50,000, while the best female corps member, was given N30,000.
He said that 30 others also received letters of commendations from the state NYSC Coordinator for their contributions during the service year and disclosed that four corps members were to repeat the service year for absconding from their places of primary assignment.

Jigawa
The Emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, last Tuesday,
urged community leaders to support the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in its campaign against illegal aliens in the state.
The emir who made the call when the Controller of NIS in Jigawa, Alhaji Idris Jere, paid him a courtesy visit in Hadejia said the call was necessary in order to support the service “to fish out illegal aliens out of the country.
Abubakar also urged the people of the state to cooperate with immigration officers to enable them to discharge their duties effectively and called for continued prayers for peace, unity and prosperity in Nigeria.
Earlier, Jere had told the emir that he was on familiarisation tour and sought for the emir’s support in carrying out his assignments.

Kwara
Prof. Adekunle Olorundare of University of Ilorin in Kwara
State said Information Communication Technology (ICT) was gradually changing the age-long role of classrooms.
Olorundare, a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, said last Tuesday in Ilorin that students should be careful of how they used ICT “because it is capable of robbing them of quality education.
He said, “The Internet is the unrivalled source of information on virtually any topic and subject on earth and its use will undoubtedly reduce the role of teachers and a more creative role for learners. “However, its use makes students lazy, as they will not even endeavour to read through and find out how an answer to their questions is reached. They go about copying and pasting.’’

Nasarawa

The Nasarawa  State Government said last Wednesday that
it would partner a private agro-allied company to boost organic rice production technology in the state.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources, Mr Danladi Madaki, made this known during a visit to Kereksuk Rice Demonstration Farm in Tunga, Awe local government area of the state.
The commissioner, who was represented by Mr Timothy Maji, Director, Agric and Engineering Services, expressed satisfaction with the new technology being introduced by the firm to boost rice production.

Plateau

With strange diseases hitting more roving cattle, the
National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, has advised herdsmen to form cooperative societies, with a view to establishing ranches.
NVRI boss, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed, who gave this advice while speaking in Jos recently said: “Many cattle have been killed recently by diseases that are multi-faceted; it means that the cows must be kept around one place to secure them as free ranching is getting more risky.
He said that forming cooperative societies would enable the herdsmen to access financial facilities from banks to grow grass, treat the environment, access vaccinations and keep the livestock constantly in good health.

Ogun
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in
Ogun State last Thursday in Abeokuta, inaugurated an inter-agency advisory committee on voter education and publicity recently.
Mr Sam Olumekun, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, said the body would assist the commission in promoting voter education and sound democratic practices.
He said the committee named “Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (NICVEP) was formed as enshrined in sections 2 and 153 of the Electoral Act (as amended), amongst others.
The REC said the worrisome and alarming level of apathy and the number of rejected votes in past elections had necessitated the development.

Osun

A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Osogbo last Tuesday
remanded an 18-year-old gate man, Papa Abdullahi, in prison over alleged rape.
Chief Magistrate Olusola Aluko, who ordered the remand of the accused in Ilesha Prison, also directed his counsel, Mr Taiwo Awokunle, to file a formal bail application on behalf of his client and adjourned the case till July 15.
Earlier, the prosecution, Asp. Wilson Mereti, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 24 at about 12.30 p.m. at Slava Company Staff Quarters, Prime Area, Osogbo.
Mereti alleged that the accused went into the staff quarters of Slava Company where he was a gateman and raped a staff member.
He said the accused overpowered his victim and had unlawful sexual intercourse with her.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Oyo

Olusegun Abatan, the Secretary of The Nigerian Union
Pensioners (NUP), South-West Zone, has urged the Oyo State Government to embrace the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Abatan said in Ibadan recently that the Contributory Pension Scheme would solve the challenges associated with payment of workers’ entitlements.
He said the state government had been unable to pay retired teachers their pension and gratuity since 2011, adding that unless the state government keys into the Contributory Pension Scheme, it will be difficult to pay workers’ pension in the next five years.
“Workers are retiring every week and government is not employing new hands to replace them, so it will be difficult to pay pension of workers,” he said.
Responding to the claims, Busari attributed government’s challenge to the fraud that took place in the pension board.