THE STATES

Adamawa

Despite the public holiday declared by the Adamawa
State Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd.), the seven-man panel set up by the outgoing Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, began sitting in Yola last Monday.
Though the public holiday   was to cover Monday and Tuesday  but members of the panel commenced sitting at the popular Hotel J&J Holiday Villa in Yola, the state capital, amid tight security provided by both land and air troops.
When the governor announced the public holiday on Sunday, he said the period would be devoted to prayers by the citizens and civil servants in view of the insecurity in the state but many had believed the move was to stave off the impeachment process against him.
Mammadi had last Friday set up the panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct levelled against the governor and his deputy, Mr. James Ngilari. The acting CJ set up the investigative panel as requested by the Adamawa State House of Assembly.

Bauchi
Troops have taken the battle to Boko Haram insurgents,
destroying their bases in Balmo Forest, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said yesterday. Balmo is on the fringes of Sambisa Forest where over 200 Chibok girls are believed to be in captivity.
The military also confirmed that 44 insurgents were killed in encounters with troops in Kerenoa. The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, in a statement in Abuja, said the encounters between troops and the insurgents occurred at the weekend.
The statement said: “Troops have cleared and taken over Balmo Forest in a military operation that lasted throughout the weekend. Prior to the operation, Balmo Forest, stretching from Bauchi through Jigawa states, with links to the fringes of Sambisa Forest, was used by terrorists as bases and hideouts for launching attacks.
“Terrorists and armed gangs operating in the forests were completely routed out while some were captured during the operation. Among those captured were two foreigners who are suspected to be mercenaries. Also captured are several weapons and equipment, including power generating sets, communication equipment, vehicles, motorcycles, foodstuff and kitchen utensils.” It added.

Benue
Primary school teachers in Benue State, last Monday,
resumed classes after nine months of strike.
Our source who went round some public primary schools in the capital city of Makurdi also learnt that pupils abandoned classes. Teachers who resumed work sat in groups to share their experiences during the prolonged strike.
Speaking on their resumption, the head teachers of the visited schools,  Mrs Esther Zaaya, Rebecca Yugh and Laadi Ngbegha respectively expressed optimism that the pupils might turn up before the week runs out.
The chairman of Parents/Teachers Association (PTA), CAC Nursery/Primary School, Wadata, Samson Oga, said he and other members had been going around to sensitise parents to ensure that their children/wards returned to school.

Gombe
Nigerian police recently uncovered a plot to bomb a
secondary school in the restive northeastern city of Gombe by defusing a car laden with explosives that had been abandoned there, a spokesman said.
Police bomb experts found 12 improvised explosives concealed in a car that was abandoned on the premises of the state-run Pilot Secondary School, following a tip-off, Fwaje Attajiri told newsmen.”Our ordnance experts discovered 12 IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in the trunk of the car left in the vicinity of the school after we were alerted,” he said.
“The explosives had the capacity of causing maximum damage and would have caused huge casualty had they detonated in the school with a high student population,” he said.
Attajiri said an investigation had been launched to establish who was behind the foiled attack, refusing to say if Boko Haram Islamists can be blamed.Boko Haram, which means Western education is forbidden in local Hausa, has carried out deadly attacks on schools in the volatile northeast as part of a five-year insurgency aimed at establishing an Islamic state in the north.

Kaduna

Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Nuhu Bajoga, has said
no opposition party, including, the All Progressives Congress (APC), can win governorship and other elections in the state in 2015, saying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will sweep all elections in the state in 2015.
The deputy governor., who stated this at the weekend in Kwoi, Jaba Local Government Area of the state, during the party’s stakeholders’ meeting, said no opposition could challenge the PDP in the state.
He said despite moves by the new opposition party to obstruct the growing influence of the PDP, the ruling party had strategised on the modalities to counter the opposition.
He pointed out that the feat recorded by PDP since the return of democracy would be repeated because the party had remained the same since it was formed about 16 years ago.
Oyo
At least six persons, including a pregnant woman, were
crushed to death in an auto crash that occurred at Agbala junction area of Ibadan in Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State, recently.
Three vehicles were said to be involved in the accident that occurred some minutes past 7am.Although, the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, confirmed that three people, including a woman died, eyewitnesses said there were six casualties. There were also four people, including a child, who were seriously injured.
The accident happened on the ever-busy Ife Ibadan Road when a commercial car, with number plate, YNF 963 AA, reportedly crossed the road unexpectedly while the on coming vehicles ran into it.Confirming the accident, Mr. Abiodun Akinlade, the Egbeda Unit Commander of the FRSC said:
“The accident happened around 7:30 am on Ife Ibadan road at Agbala junction. It involved three vehicles, including Nissan Micra with number plate.
Osun

Some traditional rulers from Osun State have given
reasons why Oduduwa State must be listed among the 19 states recommended by the National Conference for creation by the Federal Government.
The proposed states listed by the conference to be created are Aba, from the present Abia State, Katagum from Bauchi State, Ijebu from Ogun State, Amana from former Sardauna Province, Apa from Benue State, Anioma State from Delta State, Savannah from Borno, Etiti from South-East, Njaba/Anim from Anambra and Imo States, Gurara from Kaduna, Ghari from Kano State,  Adada, New Oyo from Oyo State, Orachi from Rivers State, Ogoja from Cross River State and Kanji  from Kebbi and Niger States.
But the traditional rulers, in their memo to the leadership of the conference, said it would amount to injustice if states were created in the country without acceding to their demand.
Ondo

Academic and commercial activities at Rufus
Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) and the entire Owo town were  halted  following a protest by students of the institution over hike in school fees.
It was gathered that the students resolved to protest the conditions attached to writing exams and the recent unified test introduced by the management of the institution, after a students’ union stakeholders meeting held last Sunday.
Following the new fees introduced by the management, full time students, who are natives  are expected to pay  over N60,000, non-natives are to pay over 70,000, while newly admitted students are expected to pay over 90,000.
It was learnt that the management had directed that the students should commence a unified test effective from yesterday with the condition that only students who had paid their school fees would be allowed to write the test.
The development, however, provoked the students, who took to the streets yesterday  morning, blocking the institution’s gate and preventing lecturers and other members of staff from gaining entry into the school premises.

Sokoto

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad
Abubakar III, said politicians were the main problem of Nigeria, stressing that the rising violence in the country had been caused by the undue struggle by politicians to position themselves ahead of the 2015 elections.
Speaking during a chat with reporters at a Ramadan dinner held in his palace in Sokoto Sunday night, the monarch maintained that the rising wave of violence and wanton killing of innocent citizens was geared towards the 2015 elections.
He pointed out that the incessant killing of innocent citizens was all politics, saying politicians were behind the myriad of problems ravaging the country.
“We are shedding too much blood of innocent Nigerians and God will not be pleased with us when we keep on shedding innocent blood because their cries mean a lot,” he said.
He said Nigerians must put aside their religion and ethnicity and come together to tackle the problems of the country.

Executive Secretary, National Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Mr Kennedy Opara (left), presenting a gift to Governor Saidu Dakiingari of Kebbi State, last Monday. Photo: NAN