THE STATES

Borno

The National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA) has said that its weekly intervention at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri was to address complaints of food shortages.
The NEMA North-East Coordinator, Alhaji Muhammad Kanar, said this in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri.
Kanar said the aim of the exercise was to ensure that the materials supplied by the agency actually got to the IDPs.
“We realised that there is a gap in the camps in the area of food supply leading to persistent complaints by the displaced persons.
“So, we have decided that henceforth, we will be supplying varieties of materials including foodstuff to each IDPs camps on weekly basis,” he said.
Kanar said that the agency would also monitor the distribution of the items.
“The new arrangement came into being as a result of complaints that some managers of the camps were short-changing the IDPs in the distribution of the materials,” he said.

Gombe

The Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) has said that the commission would  provide adequate security for polling unit officers during the general elections.
The INEC National Commissioner in charge of Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba, Dr Nura Yakubu, made this known in Gombe.
Yakubu spoke with newsmen at the training of 300 ad hoc staff engaged by the commission for the poll.
He said that the security threat was the major reason why the election was rescheduled.
“In each of the polling unit, there will be three policemen with other security personnel and within 300 perimeters there will be armed police men.
“And off course there will be military patrol on the Election Day because movement will be restricted,” he said.

Jigawa

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN),
Dutse Study Centre, says it has matriculated 158 students for the 2015/16 academic session.
The Director of the centre, Alhaji Abdulahi Dogo, announced this in an interview with newsmen in Dutse last Wednesday.
Dogo urged the newly admitted students to study hard and justify the confidence reposed in them and also obey the rules and regulations of the institution.
He explained that NOUN was the same as the conventional universities and its certificates were accepted and recognised nationally and internationally.
The director announced that NOUN students regularly participated in Open Distance Learning (ODL) not only in Nigeria or Africa but worldwide.

Kaduna

Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State has appealed
to the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) Kaduna State chapter to call off its ongoing strike.
Yero made the appeal when he swore in Justice Nasiru Sadiq, as a judge of the state High Court at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, in Kaduna.
He said the demands of the judiciary workers would only be addressed through negotiation which could only hold after the union must have  suspended its strike.
“Let me use this opportunity to appeal to JUSUN to call off the strike. We cannot use strike to resolve this matter because it is an internal problem.
“We promise to do our best to give you what you are asking for”, he said.

Kano

Bayero University, Kano has said that Vice President
Namadi Sambo had  offered N5 million scholarship to 100 students of the institution.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Director, Public Affairs of the institution, Ahmad Shehu,  in Kano.
The statement said Sambo awarded the scholarship in his capacity as a private citizen of Nigeria.
“The beneficiaries cut across various faculties and departments; each of the beneficiaries will get N50,000,’’ it said.
It said the scholarship would be disbursed to the beneficiaries in April after the University’s Indigent Scholarship Award Committee concluded the screening exercise.
“The university will continue to remember and cherish such humanitarian gesture from wealthy individuals, who award scholarship to indigent students of the university,’’ it said.

Kebbi

Governor  Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State, has approved
the appointments of heads of four parastatal agencies in the state.
The Director of Press to the governor, Alhaji Abubakar Mu’azu, said this in a statement issued to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
He said the appointments were with immediate effect.
He said that those appointed include Alhaji Muhammad Abdullahi, Director, state School of Nursing and Midwifery and Sulaiman Sauwa, General Manager, state Agricultural Supply Company.
Alhaji Sanusi Illo was appointed Programme Manager state Agricultural and Rural Development Agency and Mohammed Aljannare was appointed General Manager, Urban Development Authority.

Kogi

Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajanah, has
stressed the need for court buildings to be adequately equipped with modern infrastructure and communication facilities to enable judges administer justice equitably without distraction.
He made the remark at the inauguration of the newly-constructed complex of Grade 1 Area Court in Odu-Ogboyaga, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi.
“Court buildings must command respect; be hallowed and exude some degree of confidence for judicial pronouncements to be respected, honoured and effective,’’ he said.
Ajanah also stressed the need for judges to be diligent and uphold the integrity of the judiciary in all circumstances to command the respect of litigants and the society.
He described the inauguration of the court complex as “fulfillment’’ of a programme he conceived some years ago to bring justice closer to the people.
Kwara

The Special Adviser on Women Affairs to Kwara  State
Governor, Mrs Abiola Adimula, said Government had released N100 million to empower women in the state.
Adimula announced this at a forum to mark the International Women Day 2015 in Ilorin recently.
She explained that the money was a revolving loan to boost the economic capacity of women in the state.
Wife of the governor, Omolewa Ahmed, said the  present administration in the state was committed to the wellbeing of the people.
In a message, Omolewa said the LEAH Foundation had achieved a lot in improving the life expectancy of the people through its various health initiatives and awareness programmes.

Lagos

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Mrs Oluwafunmilayo
Atilade, has sought the support of the state lawmakers over financial autonomy for judiciary and the appointment of more judges.
Atilade, who spoke during a courtesy visit to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said that the state judiciary was groaning under inadequate allocation of funds.
The chief judge pleaded for the intervention of the assembly to bring more development to the state judiciary.
She said that lack of adequate funding had been a challenge to the development of the judicial arm of government in the state.
The chief judge said that her great vision would not be achieved, unless there was financial independence for the judiciary.
‘‘I have come to seek the assistance of the speaker and the house concerning financial autonomy for the judiciary in Lagos State and the appointment of more judges, she said.

Ondo

Vice President Namadi Sambo has  reiterated his
commitment towards the development of the nation and transformation agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, if elected for second term on March 28.
Sambo, running mate to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), affirmed this during an interactive with leadership of Muslim Ummah, South West, Edo and Delta in Akure last Wednesday.
Prayers were said for the security of the nation and the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming elections.
Secretary General of the League of Imams and Alphas, Aladesewa, commended Jonathan for the transformational projects embarked upon in the country.
He decried the menace of the deadly Islamic sect, Boko Haram in the North Eastern part of the nation.

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris; Oba of Lagos, Oba Riliwan Akiolu; Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; Chairman, Lagos State House Committee on Health, Suru Avoseh; Apex Nurse in Lagos, Mrs Abosede Oluwabuyede and Special Adviser to Lagos Governor on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adeshina, during the inauguration of Cardiac and Renal Centre at the General Hospital, Gbagada in Lagos recently. Photo: NAN