THE STATES

Ekiti

An expert on guidance and counselling, Mrs Bola Adeniyi,
has urged parents and guardians to be vigilant in order to  protect their children against kidnappers.
Adeniyi, who spoke with newsmen on Tuesday in Ikole, Ekiti State, on the recent reported cases of kidnapping of children, stressed the need for adequate protection of underage children.
“Adequate protection of children is the primary parental responsibility of a rational human being with kids and it is imperative for parents to ensure that their young ones are well protected against unpleasant occurrences.
“Loopholes where these agents of satan can use to penetrate into our family such as engagement of strange persons as house maids, drivers and guards  should be blocked.
“Hawking by  underage children should be discouraged and movement of strange faces around our premises should be reported to security operatives without delay,“ she said.

Gombe

The Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board in Gombe State  has
offered automatic seats   to 506 intending pilgrims out of  the  1,934  allocated to the state for the 2015 Hajj exercise.
The Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Usman Gurama, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Gombe on Tuesday.
He said that those who got the automatic tickets were  declared qualified after  the screening exercise of 2014  but  were unable to get the slots.
Gurama said that the board had promised  to give them slots in this year’s exercise  without undergoing another screening.
“ We resolved last year  that since the seats were not enough and the people were many, we promised to start with them this year.
“We have gone round to all the local government areas in the state and distributed the bank teller to them,’’ he said.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State Command of the Nigerian Security and
Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has recorded 232 cases of criminal assault, sexual abuse and other offences in the first quarter of 2015.
The Commandant of the Corps, Mr Muhammad Gidado, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Dutse.
Gidado said the cases also involved debt recovery, family disputes, commercial, communal, land and tenancy disputes.
He said other cases had to do with vandalism, fuel diversion, drug peddling, public nuisance and criminal trespass.
He said some arrests were made through the combined efforts of the command’s detectives.
The commandant said 51 of those arrested had been convicted; seven cases were transferred, while others were still pending.
Kaduna

A Fulani community leader, Alhaji Dodo Oroji has appealed
to the incoming administration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to address the problems of grazing reserves and stop cattle rustling in order to save fulani herdsmen in the country.
Oroji made the appeal in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Kaduna.
He said it was important to properly tackle the two problems which had resulted in conflicts, avoidable deaths and loss of means of livelihood to hundreds of cattle breeders cross the country.
Oroji advised the government to devise a new policy to settle the herdsmen in one place, so as to maximally tap the economic benefit of their vocation.
“Once you halt cattle breeders from migrating from one country to another in search of food for their animal and families, you not only ensure their safety but also have the opportunity to tap the vast economic benefits from their occupation.”
Lagos

The Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture
(LSCAC), on Monday said it would host a Hall of Fame night in the last quarter of the year to immortalise past heroes.
The Director of LSCAC, Mrs Saidat Otulana, told newsmen in Lagos that it was essential to celebrate individuals who were instrumental to the development of state.
Otulana, who declined to mention those to be honoured, said the council would make a burst of each of the heroes and heroines to be honoured.
The director added that the contributions and achievements of everyone to be honoured at the night would be engraved on their burst for future reference.
According to her, among heroes celebrated in the past was Orlando Martins Award Trust Fund, established in 1988 but which, she said, was now moribund.
Nasarawa

Residents of Lafia on Tuesday called for an im
proved synergy between the executive and legislative arms of government, to enhance harmony and rapid development of the state.
The forth Nasarawa State House of Assembly was dominated by the PDP with 20 members as against four by APC which produced the chief executive.
The trend has now changed after the 2015 general elections as the APC won 18 seats, leaving the remaining six to PDP in the assembly.
A cross-section of the residents, who spoke with our correspondent including a lawyer, Samuel Simon, observed that the PDP-led assembly’s tenure was characterised by conflict with the executive due to political differences.

Ogun

A 47-year-old man, Solomon Ojo, was on Mon
day arraigned in an Ota Senior Magistrates’ Court in Ogun over alleged rape of his daughter.
Ojo, who lives at No. 15, Abinuyo St., Ijoko, in Ota, is facing a one-count charge of rape.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Rosemary Brown, told the court that the accused committed the offence sometime in 2013 at about noon at his residence.
Brown said that the accused forcefully had carnal knowledge of his daughter (name withheld).
She said that the offence committed contravened Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Vol. 1, Revised Laws of Ogun State, 2006.
The Magistrate, Miss Temitope Adebutu, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Plateau

The Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS) on Mon
day said it collected N1.84 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) between January and March.
The Chairman of the service, Mr Pam Samuel told newsmen in Jos that the amount fell below expectation.
“If you look at what we generated in the first quarter of this year, it fell short of the N2.18 billion we raked in the corresponding period of 2014,’’ he said.
Samuel blamed the short fall to non-payment of salaries of workers, whose Pay as You Earn (PAYE) accounted for the bulk of the service’s revenue.
The PSIRS chairman, in his analysis, said about N875 million was collected as PAYE and N658 million from Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
He said that January recorded the highest collection during the period, accounting for about N838 million of the total amount while February recorded the lowest with N501 million.
Sokoto

Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has assured
Nigerians that the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari will not fail the nation.
‘The APC-led Federal Government under Buhari will strive to meet the expectations and yearnings of Nigerians, irrespective of religious, ethnic or cultural differences,’’ he said.
Wamakko spoke on Monday in Sokoto when the members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state paid him a courtesy visit.
‘’Buhari will ensure social justice, adherence to the rule of law, youth and women empowerment, improvement of security and the power sector.
‘’ All Nigerians will be treated equally and fairly under Buhari; the electorate in the country as well as the international community will find Buhari to be a worthy democratic leader.’’ he added.
Zamfara

The Zamfara State Government on Monday said it would
offer skills training to 75,000 women in the state, to enhance their economic wellbeing.
Hajiya Balkisu Bungudu, the Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, said in an interview with newsmen in Gusau.
The commissioner explained that the mass training was in fulfilment of the promises made by Gov. Abdul’aziz Yari to support the women to live productive lives.
She said that the beneficiaries would mostly be widows, divorcess, orphans and other less privileged women in the state.
‘’We will train them in trades like sewing, knitting, grinding, tailoring, shoe making, weaving, fish and poultry farming, pomade making, soap and jelly processing, computer literacy among others.
‘’After the training we will give them capital to start their businesses so that they will take care of themelves’’, the commissioner said.

L-R: NLC Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Chris Uyot, President Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and NLC General Secretary, Comrade Peter Ozo-Esa, during Governor Oshiomhole’s courtesy visit to NLC President in Abuja last Tuesday. Photo: NAN