THE STATES

FCT

The Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company
(AUMTC)) says it has concluded plans to improve the safety of its passengers by regularly monitoring its drivers.
Mr Tunde Akintola, the company’s Head of Marketing and Communication, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja yesterday.
Akintola said that the company had improved its customer care services in the interest of passengers.
“We are in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to give daily pep talks to our drivers on the basic tenets of driving.
“We also mandate our drivers to properly check their vehicles every morning before they set out. This is to ensure comfort and safety of our passengers,’’ he said.

Gombe

Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has
promised that his administration would deliver more dividends of democracy to the people of the state next year.
Dankwambo, who made the promise at the 9th Tangale Cultural Festival “Pissi Tangle”, said “I want to assure you that we will continue to do our best and ensure that we provide social amenities for the development of our people’’.
He said his administration would provide comfortable environment for the people and contribute its very best to the development of the state and Nigeria in general.
The governor said by January 2015 more roads would be constructed in the area, adding that the design of the roads had been completed.
He said the state government would also build the Tal General Hospital which he said would cost N1 billion.

Kwara

The President of Living Faith Church (Winners
Chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo, says the ministry has six million members in 147 nations across the world.
Oyedepo made the disclosure at a breakfast meeting with members of Omu-Aran Government Secondary School Old Boys Association (OGSSOBA) at the Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara.
Oyedepo, the Chancellor of Landmark and Covenant Universities and also a member of OGSSOBA, said that the figure was ascertained at the recent convention of the church.
He advised members of old boys association to rededicate themselves to arresting infrastructure decay in all colleges and institutions across the length and breadth of the country.
“No amount is too small or too big toward the growth, progress and development of the schools,” he said.
Mr Segun Adeniyi, the newly elected president of the association, described Oyedepo as a living legend of the nation’s education sector.

Lagos

The presidential candidate of the KOWA Party, Prof.
Oluremi Sonaiya, has advised Nigerians to elect candidates of credible character, come 2015.
Sonaiya gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
“Everybody talks; the real issue is who will match their talk with action,’’ she said.
The candidate said political office seekers should have a passion for truth, justice and fairness to all, with the conviction that “righteousness exalts a nation and corruption is a reproach and destroyer”.
According to Sonaiya, intending leaders should be concerned with the issues that have bedeviled the country such as unemployment, decayed infrastructure and poor electricity supply among others.
Nasarawa

Mr Labaran Maku, a former Minister of Information,
has given the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) one week to correct anomalies in the party’s governorship primary in the state.
Maku gave the warning while addressing youths in Wakama Village of Nasarawa-Eggon Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
He said that he had already written a petition to the appeal panel set up by the national headquarters of the party challenging the outcome of the primaries.
He mentioned the irregularities that occurred during the primary to include shortchanging of delegates names in many LGAs, intimidation and threatening of delegates, among others.
According to him, the fraud committed in the recent PDP governorship primaries in the Nasarawa state is worse than the one committed at party’s primaries in the state in 2007.

Ogun

A 32-year-old man, Oke Oladipupo, who allegedly
obtained N350, 000 under false pretence, was yesterday docked before a Sango-Ota Senior Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State.
Oladipupo, who lives at No. 21, Daniel St., Iyana-Iyesi in Sango-Ota, is facing trial for allegedly obtaining the money from one Mr Kolawole Soyinka, on the pretext of clearing a car for him.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Mustapha Abdulkareem, said that the accused committed the offence on June 7 at No. 2, C.A.C. St., Ewupe, in Sango-Ota.
Abdulkareem alleged that the accused obtained N350, 000 from the complainant under the pretext of assisting him to clear a car from Lagos Port.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes Sections 319 (a) and 419 of the Criminal Code Vol. 1, Revised Laws of Ogun, 2006.
Osun

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has called for
the sustenance of peace in Modakeke in the Ife East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
Aregbesola made the call in a message he sent to the 29th Modakeke Akoraye Day Celebration and launching of N500 million Community Development Fund at Modakeke.
The governor, who was represented by Mr Wahab Adeniji, member, Local Education Authority Board, Modakeke, said peace was imperative for any sustainable development to take place.
“My administration is determined to ensure that infrastructure is provided in every part of the state, including Modakeke,’’ he said.
Earlier, Mr Tajudeen Oke, the National President of Modakeke Progressive Union, called on the Osun government to provide basic infrastructure in the area.
Sokoto

Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has
inaugurated three committees to devise strategies of ensuring total victory for the APC in the 2015 general elections in the state.
Our correspondent reports that the committees were for campaign , reconciliation and contact.
The 33-man state campaign committee is chaired by Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, a one time gubernatorial candidate of the defunct DPP in the 2011 elections while the APP governorship running mate, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, will serve as secretary.
The reconciliation committee is headed by a former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Morocco, Amb. Shehu Wurno, with Dr Yakubu Maccido as Secretary, while the contact committe has the former state chairman of the defunct DPP , Alhaji Umarun Kwabo, as chairman.

Taraba

The PDP Governorship Candidate in Taraba State and
ex-Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Darius Ishaku, has pledged to boost the state’s economy with increased tea production if elected.
Ishaku made the pledge at a news conference shortly after a reception in his honour by supporters and party faithful in Takum recently.
“Taraba is the most resourceful state in Nigeria due to its huge agricultural and mineral resources.
“I want to assure you that coffee production alone can sustain the state’s economy, let alone the entire tea production potential of the state.
“I, therefore, assure the people of the state that I will make use of private partnership to resuscitate the Kakara Tea Factory on the Mambilla plateau.

Zamfara

The Zamfara Co-ordinator of National Directorate of
Employment (NDE), Alhaji Muhammad Alhassan, said that the directorate, under its various programmes, assisted 1,427 people in 2014.
Alhassan told newsmen yesterday  in Gusau that NDE, funded by the Federal Government, was meant to provide employment to the unemployed youths nationwide.
According to him, the Zamfara office of the directorate empowered and employed 1,427 youths under its various programmes, including Graduate Coaching Scheme, Graduate Attachment Scheme and National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS).
The co-ordinator said under the schemes, all the beneficiaries were empowered from January to date.

L-R: Out-going Ambassador of Sebia, Mr Rifat Rondic; President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Aminu Wali, during the visit of the out-going Ambassador to the Presidential Villa Abuja, recently.