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THE STATES

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FCT
The non-inclusion of young people in the National
Honours list has been criticised by the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC).
A statement by the President of CYC, Mr Ahmed Adamu, said young people were disappointed for not making the list of the awardees.
“Young people are disappointed for not being included among the list of Nigerians to be awarded with the national honour. There are thousands of young people who excel in different areas both within and outside Nigeria. Young people make up majority part of the country’s population, and we should not be marginalised,” he said.
“Recognising young people with this kind of award is one of the best ways to encourage and inspire youth who have made it and those who are working hard to succeed respectively.
“We want young people to be active players in politics and governance, and that is why, CYC members are demanding for 30% allocation of elected and appointed political positions. We want young people to be inserted in the list of the recipients of the national honour award.”

Jigawa
More facts have emerged as to why the Chairman of
the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih and other top leaders of the party were in Dutse, to see the Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido.
Leaders of the party, it was learnt, were not fully convinced that Lamido, who was part of the seven governors that formed a splinter group within the party last year and until last week was being peddled as nursing the ambition to contest the presidential ticket of the PDP with Jonathan, had fully reintegrated into the party.
The governor, sources said, was placed top on the list of those the party felt had to be interrogated to find out their grievances with a view to working out ways to fully reabsorb them and ensure their loyalty for the success of the party in 2015.
The PDP it was learnt feels some of its governors might work for the opposition parties if they are not properly managed.

Kano

The Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribu
tion Company (KEDCO),   Alhaji Jamilu Gwanna, has read a riot act to its staff, warning that the company will not hesitate to sack any worker, who fails to   discharge his duties efficiently.
Gwanna, who warned members of staff that the company would no longer tolerate negligence of duty, during a five- day induction programme for the 360 newly recruited staff and old ones, urged the staff to brace up   so as to ensure that customers were satisfied at all times.
His words, “we have competition in terms of other distribution companies; every distribution company is trying to ensure that they are the best. Now, in our area of operation, we are a monopoly here, in terms of our own objective, in our own setting, it is not to have over-populated workforce.
According to him, our cardinal objective is to have a 24-hour power supply to our customers, so, we have to start somewhere and we all know the challenges that we are facing and our main target is to have power generation through increased power supply and this involved huge investment and planning.

Katsina

A young man suspected to be a cable vandal was elec
trocuted yesterday, while attempting to operate on a transformer in Katsina metropolis.
Our correspondent gathered that the victim was found lying dead beside the transformer situated opposite the Katsina State Arts and Culture Bureau.
A resident of the area said vandals had been removing cables from the transformer and that the people had had to replace the wires on several occasions.
A staff of the bureau, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said his office had repaired the transformer over four times due to activities of vandals.
The corpse of the suspect was taken to the Katsina General Hospital.
Kwara

A new set of female medical students of the University
of Ilorin yesterday joined the list of beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme instituted by Media Trust Limited, publishers of the Daily Trust, Weekly Trust, Sunday Trust and Aminiya.
The beneficiaries were presented with their cheques at a ceremony held at the College of Health Sciences located at the permanent site of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).
Under the medical scholarship scheme instituted by the company seven years ago, ten female students from three benefitting universities are selected annually and awarded scholarship of N100,000. They are to receive the amount until the completion of their medical training.
Other benefitting universities are the University of Maiduguri and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
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Lagos

The police authority in Lagos State yesterday reiter
ated its resolve to enforce the Government Traffic Law which outlawed the use of commercial motorcycles on major roads within the metropolis.
The state Commissioner of Police, Cornelius Kayode Aderanti, in a statement said the operation of Okada riders on some roads in the metropolis remained banned.
He called on the leadership of Okada unions in the state to advise their members to respect the laws of the land or face the law.
“It would be recalled that the Lagos State government in 2012 amended its road traffic law which expressly banned and restricted motorcycles from plying some specific routes. However, the police command has observed with total dismay that some Okada riders do not have any iota of respect for the laws of the land, as they have continuously and flagrantly breached this traffic law,” he added.
He said that anyone or group of persons arrested flouting the laws of the state would be prosecuted.

Ogun

Residents of Ikenne Local Government of Bayelsa State
have been assured that the abandoned Sagamu-Ikenne road dualisation will be completed very soon.
The assurance was given by the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, during the continuation of his tour to council areas in the state.
It would be recalled that the road project was started by the immediate past administration in the state.
Governor Amosun promised that his administration would not relent in its effort at providing infrastructure development for the people of the area.
He described the council area as a “federal” local government because it is the local government of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Oyo

As political parties warm up to present candidates for
various elective positions in the 2015 general elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Oyo State, has vowed to conduct its primaries in such a transparent and democratic manner that would encourage the emergence of only the best among many aspirants, who would not only contest and defeat candidates of other parties but also perform creditably in their respective positions throughout their tenure of office.
Making this assertion in a statement issued by its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olawale Sadare, APC assured that it would soon begin to issue Expression of Interest forms to members, who nurse ambitions to occupy various political offices in the next political dispensation “as guidelines for the smooth conduct of primaries are almost ready and would be made public any moment from now.
“As a party to beat in any election, APC in Oyo State, is mindful of the expectation of the general public, particularly, as it affects presentation of competent, credible and promising candidates for the available 32 seats in the State House of Assembly, 14 seats in the House of Representatives, three seats in the Senate and the coveted governorship seat. In all of this, we can proudly say that our party has more than enough men and women members, who have the wherewithal to deliver on their respective mandates if entrusted.

Osun

A High Court in Ilesha, Osun State, has sentenced a
30-year-old man, Obafemi Kolawole, to life in prison for raping a 19-year-old pregnant woman.
State prosecutor, Rachel Ojimi, told the court that Kolawole attacked the woman in her house, raped her and shaved her pubic hair which he forced into her mouth. Rachel further said Kolawole poured gin into her mouth.
A medical report obtained from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo was presented as evidence against him.
Justice AbdulKareem AbdulKareem found Kolawole guilty and sentenced him to life in prison. He also mandated the prison officials to ensure that he was  whipped daily as part of his punishment.

Plateau

Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has expressed
concern over the “silent killings and attacks still taking place in some villages in the state.”
Jang, who spoke when the Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, led a delegation of religious and community leaders to his office, called on communities affected to expose criminals living among them.
He lamented that the hinterland was still facing security challenges and urged the archbishop and his team to extend their dialogue and reconciliatory meetings to the areas.
“I have been very concerned about the silent killings still going on in the villages; yes we are now enjoying peace in Jos, but the villages are not enjoying peace.

L-R: Frsc Sector Commander, RS 4.1, Plateau Command, Mr Sunday Maku, representative of Plateau State Governor, Mr Abubakar Dashe and Zonal Commanding Officer, Mr Yakubu Attah, at the Public presentation of Frsc Zone 4 in-house Magazine in Jos, recently.  Photo: NAN

L-R: Frsc Sector Commander, RS 4.1, Plateau Command, Mr Sunday Maku, representative of Plateau State Governor, Mr Abubakar Dashe and Zonal Commanding Officer, Mr Yakubu Attah, at the Public presentation of Frsc Zone 4 in-house Magazine in Jos, recently. Photo: NAN

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Rivers Deputy Governor Hails PH City One Love For Humanitarian Gesture

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Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.

Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.

She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.

Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love  has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.

The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.

Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.

 

He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.

Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.

He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.

According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.

Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.

Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them

 

John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah

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We’ll Partner Private Sector to Industrialize Rivers State – Fubara …Hints Revitalization of Ahoada, Trans Amadi Industrial layout

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Rivers State Governor , Sir Siminialayi Fubara says the industrialization of the state remains a key drive of his administration.
Speaking through Director General of the Rivers  State Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside at the Shell Gas Limited and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) Investors Forum held in Port Harcourt, Fubara stressed that public /private partnership is key to revive production in the state.
“We are ready to partner Shell Gas Limited to revive manufacturing in Rivers State at Ahoada Industrial Park, and the new Port City project, including the proposed Bonny Industrial Park which will grow industries along the Bonny corridor” he declared.
Part of the scheme, he further stated is to collaborate with Shell Gas Limited and the private sector to transform Rivers State into a major manufacturing hub in the South of Nigeria.
Commending Shell and MAN for leading the frontline, Sir. Fubara said,” the time to act is now  and thank God Shell is taking the lead to prioritize gas.”
The governor opined that the gas sector provides huge investment opportunities to drive the state economy as the world is gradually shifting towards gas and other environment friendly energy, while urging stakeholders to evolve an actionable gas policy for the state.
Earlier in his remarks, Shell Gas Limited Head of Gas Distribution, Mr. Chukwuka Amos-Ejesi said it is high time the state utilized its huge gas resource.
“Today gas offers investors opportunities and raises the value chain as it boosts production for industry users,” Amos-Ejesi said.
The Shell Gas Distribution executive said the company seeks to support manufacturing by adopting a user friendly approach that allows manufacturers to grow profitably with affordable cheaper energy.
He explained that natural gas provides huge potentials and aligns with federal government  policy of gas utilization.
Chairman of MAN Rivers and Bayelsa Branch, Elder Vincent Okugu described gas as the backbone of manufacturing.
He said the forum has become timely and key to address the pressing energy provision to boost production in the sector, as he lamented the high costs borne by manufacturers in sourcing energy alternatives.
In her remarks, Chairperson of  the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture, Dr. Chinyere Ngozi Nwoga commended Shell for the forum which she described as a bridge to reduce gap of energy provision for manufacturers.
Ngozi Nwoga said the transition to natural gas has become imperative, stressing that pipeline gas offers cheaper and smooth energy provision for industries.
Former MAN chairperson for Rivers and Bayelsa States, Mrs Emilia Akpan was of the view that the quest to provide cheap energy should be driven with technical manpower, as she emphasized  need for Rivers State to recreate its economy.
By Kevin Nengia
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SheVentures Open Zero-interest Loan Applications for Women Entrepreneurs

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First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to N10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.
The facility provides loans ranging from N500,000 to N5 million under a general category, and N5 million to N10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.
Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB),  Yemisi Edun,  said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.

“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively. Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.

“This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs”, Edun said.

Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo said access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs.

 

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