Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State (right), congratulating a newly appointed Permanent Secretary, Mr Renos Kabiny, during the swearing-in of six permanent secretaries and Six Special Advisers in Gombe State, recently. Photo: NAN

Bauchi
President Goodluck Jonathan said that the Federal
Government would set up a referral hospital in each of the six geo-political zones of the country.
Jonathan, who stated this while inaugurating a 400-bed capacity Specialists’ Hospital in Bauchi, said the effort was to discourage medical tourism abroad.
“As a Federal Government, we have plans to set up referral hospital in each of the six geo-political zones in the country.
“When established, Nigerians will go to these zones for medical attention, instead of going outside the country, “he said.
He added that the federal government would also set up a technical team to come up with strategies on how to properly manage hospitals in the country.

Benue
President of the Senate, David Mark has  reiter
ated his commitment to the creation of Apa State for the Idoma people of Benue.
Mark announced the commitment while addressing the electorate in Ogbadibo Local Government Area, Okpokwu Local Government Area and Ado Local Government Area as he continued his campaign tour of Idoma land.
He urged the people to re-elect him to the senate to enable him work towards the realisation of creation of the proposed Apa State.
He also charged them to vote for candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he described as the future of Nigeria.

Borno

The Borno State Government has presented 450
vehicles to members of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
Speaking at the presentation in Maiduguri, Governor Kashim Shettima, said the initiative  was to cushion the effects of attacks by Boko Haram insurgents on commercial vehicle operators in the state.
Our correspondent reports that the vehicles comprised of 400 Sharon buses and 50 Golf Salon cars.
He said that beneficiaries were expected to repay only 50 percent of the total cost of the vehicles.
“Each of the Sharon buses was  purchased at a cost of N1.1 million.
“But the beneficiaries are to repay only N550,000 to the government through their union officials over a monitored period,” Shettima said.

Gombe
Residents of Gombe State yesterday urged secu
rity agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take measures which would ensure the neutrality of their officials in the general elections.
In an interview with newsmen they said that the neutrality of the commission and security operatives in the electoral process would contribute to the attainment of free, fair and credible polls in the country.
An expert on Development Communication in the city, Malam Umar Abba, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the authorities of the security agencies and INEC to ensure that their officials remained non-partisan in the elections
He said that he was optimistic that the success level of this year’s polls would be higher than what was recorded in 2011, going by the level of sensitisation and awareness of the electorate.
Jigawa

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) says it rescued
five men and a teenager from suspected traffickers in Birnin-Magaji border town, Babura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The state Comptroller of NIS, Mr Isah Jere, announced this while addressing newsmen in Dutse.
Jere said that investigation showed that the rescued men were being transported to Europe through the Niger-Libya axis.
According to him, unfortunately, the traffickers escaped and abandoned their victims before the arrival of officers and men who were on patrol of the area.
“The ugly trend has become more pronounced these days because of the quest for worldly materials among the youth,” Jere said.
The NIS chief said that his command would not relent in its efforts in the fight against illegal immigrants and human trafficking.
Kebbi
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kebbi State, Alhaji Abdullahi Zarewa, said the electoral body distributed 95.05 per cent Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the state ahead of  Saturday’s elections.
Zarewa said this in Ambursa, Kebbi State, during a sensitisation programme organised by the commission for the electorate in the area.
He said that out of 1.4 million registered voters in the state, 1.3 million had been issued with their PVCs.
The INEC commissioner said that 13,500 ad hoc staff had been trained to participate in the elections.
He said that on the day of voting, special concessions would be accorded to the elderly and people living with disability.
Zarewa said that there would be separate queues for men and women on election day in line with religious and cultural values of the people.

Ogun

A university lecturer, Dr Olusegun Peleyeju, has urged
the Federal Government and stakeholders in education sector to invest more in the sector, to fast-track development in the country.
Peleyeju, a Senior Lecturer, Department of Education and Management, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijebu-Ode, told newsmen that much still needed to be done in this sector.
The don, however, lauded the standard of education in Nigeria, in spite of the challenges being faced in the sector.
He said that for the nation to compete favourably in the future, education advancement remained paramount.
“While government is focusing on providing an enabling environment and the required infrastructure, our teachers too must utilise capacity building opportunities and build themselves,” he said.

Oyo

Ahead of  Saturday’s presidential poll, a traditional ruler
in Oyo State, Oba AbdulGaniyu Adekunle,  has appealed to Nigerians to shun violence  during and after the general elections.
Adekunle,  the Aseyin of  Iseyin,  in Iseyin Local Government Area of the state  made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in his palace.
The monarch said it was necessary for all Nigerians to behave and act in accordance with the laws governing the electoral process.
“I am a monarch of all, and ordinarily, kings do not support any candidate or political party.
“ We have a duty to appeal to our people to comport themselves.
“It is very important for all of us  who can talk to our teeming youths  to do so now so that desperate politicians will not turn them into instruments of  violence.
“ My message is that everyone should abide by the rules during the elections and the result of the elections should also not lead to violence, he said.

Plateau
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Plateau
State Chapter, Mr Gunshin Yarlings, has called for the reintroduction of teachers’ training colleges in the state in order to ensure production of quality teachers.
Yarlings, who spoke in an interview with newsmen in Jos, said reintroducing teachers’ training institutions was the only way to ensure training of quality teachers in Plateau.
He said that the poor rating of Plateau at the last Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations was an indication that there was an urgent need for concerted efforts to train teachers through the training colleges.
He noted that before the abolishment of the Grade II Teachers’ Certificate, students performed excellently in their various examinations.
“The abolishment of the Grade II Teachers’ Certificate culminated to the poor standard of education we are getting now, as seen in students’ performance during SSCE and other examinations,” he said.
Taraba
The Taraba State Government said it had concluded plans to
construct  32 Almajiri Schools in the state.
The Director of Nomadic Education, state Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Hussain Kabri, said this in an interview with newsmen in Jalingo.
Kabri said this would complement the two existing Almajiri schools established by the Federal Government in the state.
He said the decision was imperative in view of the growing number of Almajiris in the area.
“A recent survey conducted by the state government indicates that there are over 4000 Almajiri’s of primary school age in Jalingo, Sardauna, Mutum-biyu, Ibi and Gashaka areas.
“The two Almajiri schools built by the federal government in Mutum biyu and Jalingo can only cater for 150 students in those areas.
“Therefore, we are planning to build two Almajiri schools in each of the 16 council areas of the state, so that we can capture thousands of other Amajiris that have no access to western education,” he said.