THE STATES

Gov. Samuel Ortom Of Benue State (left), welcoming the Primate, Anglican Communion of Nigeria, Most Rev. Nicholas Ukoh, during the visit of Bishops of the communion to the Governor in Makurdi, recently

Adamawa

The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in
Adamawa, Alhaji Yamusa Shuaibu, said the governor may appoint more than 20 commissioners into the state executive council.
Shuaibu who spoke in an interview with newsmen in Yola, said the action was to give a sense of belonging to every constituency in the state.
Shuaibu who did not give the total number of nominees in the list, said 10 slots were reserved for technocrats.
He explained that the decision to have technocrats in the cabinet was in line with the recommendations of the State Transition Committee.
“The list consisted of 10 technocrats; there are some ministries that need to be handled by the technocrats, if we are to progress,” Shuaibu said.

Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has distributed 72 motor
cycles and assorted improved seedlings to Agricultural Extension Officers and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in order to boost food production in the state.
Dr Illiyasu Gital, Programme Manager, Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BSADP), made this known on Sunday in Bauchi in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi.
Gital explained that 50 of the motorcycles were purchased by the state government, while the Federal Government donated 22.
He further explained that the motorcycles donated by the Federal Government were allocated to the sub-zonal offices, to be used by extension officers.

Ekiti

The Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti,
Prof. Isaac Asuzu,  said contractors handling projects for the new universities were largely responsible for the slow pace of development of the institutions.
Asuzu stated this in Oye-Ekiti when a team of journalists monitoring the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) projects in tertiary institutions visited the university.
He said contractors handling various projects have been delaying giving one excuse or the other in spite of the huge sums that were being released by TETFund.
The VC expressed the determination of the new universities to develop fast and meet up with their counterparts as well as attain global standards.

FCT

An Abuja Federal High Court has granted bail to former
Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako, his son, Sen. Abdulazeez Nyako, and two others, charged with N40 billion fraud by EFCC.
The accused were arraigned by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday and remanded in its custody, pending the hearing of their bail application filed by their counsel, Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN).
The trial judge, Justice Evoh Chukwu, while delivering ruling after hearing arguments from defence counsel Agabi and EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacob (SAN), granted the four accused bail in the sum of N350 million each.
Chukwu also ordered that each accused person must provide two sureties or alternatively, one surety who must be a director in any Federal Government establishment.

Jigawa
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),
Jigawa Command, has said it had arrested a syndicate that specialised in stealing goats in Birnin-Kudu Local Government Area, Jigawa.
The Commandant of corps, Malam Muhammad Gidado, told newsmen in Dutse that seven members of the syndicate were arrested at their hideout in Rumbun Wuya, near Birnin-kudu.
Gidado said the suspects were arrested for stealing a goat belonging to Malam Kanku Wuroji of Rumbun Wuya village.
He said the suspects confessed to be members of a gang that had been terrorising members of the community.
Kaduna

The Anglican Bishop of Wusasa Diocese in Zaria,
Kaduna State, Rt. Rev. Ali Buba-Lamido, has advocated death penalty for corrupt public office holders.
He made the call at the Sixth Synod of the Wusasa Diocese of the Anglican Communion, held in Zaria, Kaduna State.
According to him, the death penalty option is the only way to put public officers in Nigeria in check.
Buba-Lamido said the call became imperative in view of the fact that corruption could kill more people than a conventional weapon.
“If our leaders know that they would be prosecuted if found corrupt they would be on their toes to avoid corrupt practices,” he said

Lagos
The Federal Government is collaborating with the UN
Special Envoy on Global Education to ensure security in all schools in the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr MacJohn Nwaobiala, disclosed this in an address he delivered at the annual Speech and Prize -Giving Day ceremony of King’s College Lagos.
The permanent secretary, who was the special guest of honour at the event, said the collaboration was aimed at providing a pragmatic response to the protection of schools.
He added that it was also to prevent future attacks in schools across the country.
According to him, the initiative is equally in a bid to ensure uninterrupted education for the Nigerian-child.

Niger
The Niger Government has declared curfew in Paiko
Local Government Area of the state following a violent clash between Hausa and Gwari youths that left one person dead.
This is contained in a statement signed on Saturday by Dr Ibraheem Dooba, Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello.
The statement urged the citizens to be law abiding, eschew violence and demonstrate the abiding peace for which the state was known for.
Our correspondent learnt that aside the one person that was confirmed dead, many people were injured as cars and buildings were also destroyed.

Ogun
A university lecturer, Dr Dapo Odukoya, has urged the
new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acting Chairperson, Mrs Amina Zakari, to emulate and sustain Prof. Attahiru Jega’s legacy.
Odukoya, a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijebu-Ode, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Ijebu-Ode last Sunday.
He said Jega had not only raised the bar for INEC in the preparation and conduct of elections in the country, but also served with integrity and sincerity of purpose.
He added that “Jega’s INEC must be scored high for political neutrality and integrity.
Plateau
A Jos-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr
Garba Pwul, has urged federal and state governments to step up efforts in curbing insecurity in the country.
He made the call in an interview with newsmen  in Jos.
He said government needed to do more in checking the increasing number of attacks on innocent Nigerians by insurgents.
The legal luminary was reacting to Sunday’s planting of bomb in ECWA Church in Tudun Wada, near Federal Secretariat, Jos, by unknown persons.
Pwul condemned the action in strong terms.
He said “even though the problem has been rooted over time and no one expects a miracle to happen overnight or expects a sudden seizure of violence and insecurity, there should be proactive and stringent measures toward tackling the menace.

Taraba

The Deputy Controller in charge of Jalingo Prison in
Taraba State, Mr John Ali, has appealed to Governor Darius Ishaku, to assist in the relocation of the prison.
Ali said there was need to move the prison to a more spacious and conducive environment within the state capital.
The deputy controller, who made the call when he addressed newsmen in Jalingo, said the present location of the prison had been swallowed up by urbanisation.
He expressed regrets that there were residential structures surrounding the prison which was built about 99 years ago.
He said relocation of the prison to a spacious environment would enable its management to embark on better rehabilitation and reformation programmes for the inmates.
Ali noted that due to the constraint of space, the prison which ideally had capacity for 250 inmates, was currently housing over 600 inmates.

Yobe

Yobe Emergency Management Agency has disbursed
N61.8 million to 87 traders who lost their properties to insurgency and fire outbreaks.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Alhaji Musa Isa, while disbursing the money in Damaturu, said 87 persons affected by fire disasters and insurgency attacks in 2014 and early this year benefited from the assistance.
He said the assistance was intended to provide succour to victims of the disaster to re-engage in their trades.
Musa advised other victims and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to be wary of fraudsters selling forms purportedly issued by SEMA for similar assistance.
Alhaji Muhammadu Kalli, chairman, Damaturu Local Government Council, advised beneficiaries to invest wisely into their businesses.