THE STATES

Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government has designed a quick
response mechanism to assist victims of religious, communal and other disasters in the state. The measure followed the influx of more victims from the crisis prone areas to the state due to insurgency and other disasters.
Stakeholders at a meeting in Bauchi designed a framework on how to effectively manage the programme and resolved to conduct a feasibility study at the places the displaced persons were residing to ascertain the number of the victims for necessary assistance.
Speaking, a representative of the International Resolve Committee, Mrs. Elizabeth Bawu, said the programme would focus attention on rendering support to health, education and social needs of victims.
Bawu said: “Statistics has shown that more than five million insurgency victims were displaced to Bauchi State and some neighbouring states, hence there is the need to provide support and intervention from government and development partners”.

Benue

Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, has assured the
people of the state  that the state government is taking precautionary measures to ensure there is no outbreak Ebola disease in the state.
Suswam, who spoke to newsmen yesterday, hinted that already, the state Ministry of Health had sent doctors to the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja to get the kits in case of any outbreak in the state.
While appealing to the people of the state to be calm and go about their normal activities without fear, the governor said even though the disease is highly contagious, it is not airborne and could not be contacted unless one came in direct contact with an infected person.
Reminded that there are thousands of bats daily hovering over the Government House in Makurdi, Governor Suswam said the bats had been there even before the state was created and had not caused any problem.
“The bats have been here before Aper Aku became governor and we have not had any case of Ebola in the state. Even those who eat bats, so long as they cook it well, I don’t think it can cause any problem for them,” he said.

FCT

The Chairman, Black Creations International, a Pan African
trade and investment organisation based in the United States, Dr Joseph Brown-Diogo, says the organisation has discovered a rock with a replica of Nigeria’s physical map.
He said in a statement in Abuja last Tuesday that the rock was discovered on July 7, 2013 by a team called the “Destination Nigeria”, sponsored by the organisation.
Brown-Diogo claimed that “the spectacular rock formation in Rayfield  Jos, Plateau State, depicts the geographical map of Nigeria. This eighth wonder of nature signifies nature’s replica of God’s divine plan for Nigeria, displayed on a rock formation of more than 10,000 years old”.
He said the organisation had named it “Unity Rock” with a view to solidifying the unity of Nigeria and packaging it as a potential tourist site that could boost Nigeria’s image and generate income for the tourism sector.

Kebbi

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an NGO, last
Tuesday said it would train 5,000 rice farmers in Kebbi State on modern methods and technology of rice production.
The Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Sahabi Augie, said in Birnin Kebbi that the training was part of the NGO’s efforts to boost commercial rice production and contribute to food security in the country.
He said the association had shortlisted farmers from Bagudo, Suru, Jega, Bunza and Argungu Local Government Areas as potential beneficiaries of the training.
Augie said after the training, the NGO would provide farmers with improved seedlings, fertilizer, pesticides, water pumping machines and qualified extension workers, among other logistics support.
He called on the selected farmers to make judicious use of the knowledge they would acquire from the training and commended the NGO for choosing Kebbi as one of the two states to host the pilot programme.

Kwara

Tragedy struck, yesterday morning in Ilorin, when a Pastor
who was a volunteer member of his Community Development Association, was drowned in a flood while creating pathway for the water’s free flow in front of his house. The over 10-hour rain in the state capital started about midnight lasting till about 11am, yesterday.
The deceased, according to residents in Kilanko area of the state capital, where the incident happened, used to create water channels whenever there was such heavy rain.
The pastor whose name was yet to be ascertained at press time, was going about his past time when he slipped and fell into the gutter and the flood carried him away. Unfortunately, there was nobody to rescue him.
It was when the rains subsided some 30 minutes later that the residents discovered that the pastor was missing. A search party was quickly set up which later found him dead inside a gully, about 500 metres from his house. Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident. He said his remains had been deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH, morgue.

Lagos

The Lagos State Government has started compiling a
comprehensive list of all persons who may have had contact with the female doctor infected with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The doctor contracted the disease from the Liberian national, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, when she battled to save his life at the First Consultants Medical Centre, a Lagos-based hospital, before his death two weeks ago.
Speaking at a press briefing yesterday in Lagos, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said the contact tracing was part of measures to contain the spread of the dreaded virus.
Idris, who addressed the conference alongside his Special Duties counterpart, Dr. Wale Ahmed, urged members of the public to be vigilant and careful in relating with people who are facing health challenges.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps, (NSCDC), has returned N495,000 recovered from an alleged 75-year-old  fraudster, Alhaji Aliyu Yahaya, in Ringim Local Government Area of the State, to the owners.
The suspect, alleged to have defrauded 11 unsuspecting graduates who wanted to work as task force officers with the state government, was arrested by officers of NSCDC following a tip off.
The suspect had confessed during interrogation that the money he collected was remitted to one retired police officer in Kaduna State after taking his commission of N5,000 per person.
The Jigawa Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr. Mohammed Gidado, said the suspect would face prosecution and warned that extortion of the people would not be tolerated in the state.
Nasarawa

The Minority Leader, Nasarawa State House of Assembly,
Mr. Tanko Maikatako, says President Goodluck Jonathan’s efforts to amicably settle the dispute between the lawmakers and Governor Umaru Al-Makura were rejected.
“The President’s efforts toward peace were not successful due to selfishness among the lawmakers,” Maikatako, a member of the All Progressives Congress, who represents Lafia Central Constituency,  said last Wednesday in Lafia.
According to him, Jonathan had appealed to the lawmakers to opt for dialogue rather than impeaching Al-Makura, but that the legislators insisted on removing the governor.
“The President met with us and appealed to us to go back and meet with the governor to iron out the issues, but the members refused.We don’t know why it happened that way. If the President himself, the PDP leader in the country, appeals to his colleagues to return to Nasarawa, meet the governor to iron out issues, they should have come back,” he opined.

Osun

Former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola sealed
yesterday his renunciation of the People Democratic Party (PDP), which he urged the people to reject at the poll on Saturday.
Oyinlola, now of the APC, was all smiles as he danced and sang at the party’s rally ahead of the governorship election. He said the electorate should not vote PDP’s candidate Iyiola Omisore.
Clad in complete All Progressives Congress (APC) customised agbada at the party’s mega rally at Osogbo Township Stadium, the former governor said there was no project the ruling party at the federal level had executed in Osun to deserve the people’s vote.
In a speech brimming with anecdotes, Oyinlola, an Okuku prince, swore with sanctity of the royal crown to further authenticate his claims, as he tasked would-be voters to cast their votes wisely.

Oyo

Head of Service of Oyo State, Mr Williams Adesoji Eniade,
whose appointment was recently approved by the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has resumed duties.  Eniade was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youths and Sports.
Eniade appointment was made public by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr Festus Adedayo. He succeeded Alhaji Tajudeen Aremu.
Born on April 31, 1959, Eniade obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from the University of Ibadan in 1981 and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Obafemi  Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1997.
Eniade, a 2012 graduate of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, joined the services of the Oyo State Government on February 8, 1983 as Administrative Officer II and rose through the ranks to become a Permanent Secretary on July 3, 2009.
Congratulating him on the appointment, Governor Ajimobi charged him to discharge his duties with     integrity dedication, diligence and professionalism.

Jigawa State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mahmoud (right), with Emir of Ringim, Alhaji Sayyadi Mahmoud, during his visit to the Emirate over flood disaster last Sunday.