THE STATES

Deputy Governor Martins Babale of Adamawa State (right) inaugurating the UNHCR Relief Office in Yola recently. with him is the Assistant High Commissioner on Refugees of UNHCR,Mr Volker Turk.

Bauchi
The Director, Leprosy and Tuberculosis Control in Bauchi
state, Dr Yakubu Abdullahi, has advised parents to immunise new born babies with Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine to prevent Tuberculosis (TB).
Abdullahi gave the advice in an interview with newsmen  in Bauchi.
He said the diagnosis of tuberculosis in under- five children was often difficult due to the specimen collected from them.
He said that children could be diagnosed with the two various types of tuberculosis, which includes exposing the child to infected person and poor ventilation.
Other causes of the disease are overcrowding, malnutrition, immunity status, prolonged use of steroids and Cytotoxic drugs.

Gombe
The Gombe State Police Command has urged residents
of the state to be security conscious and prayerful during and after the Easter celebration.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Mohammed Padah, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Gombe on Thursday.
He said that the command had put measures in place to ensure protection of lives and properties of the citizenry.
“There is need for everybody to be security conscious while going about their normal businesses.
“ Adequate security has been put in place in conjunction with other security agencies in the state to ensure peace and security,’’ he said.

Kaduna
Governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State has pledged
to offer quality service to the people irrespective of historical, ethnic or religious orientation.
El-Rufai made the pledge in Kafanchan, shortly after the endorsement of a peace declaration by 29 communities in five local government areas of the state.
The Kafanchan Peace Declaration was at the instance of Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD).
“We recognize everyone as a citizen of Kaduna State and in accessing social services, have no regard for his or her historical, ethnic and religious orientation.
“ We as a government are pursuing an investment strategy anchored on our conviction that the private sector is the engine of job creation and growth.

Katsina
The member representing Katsina South Senatorial Zone,
Sen. Abu Ibrahim has commenced skill acquisition training for 1, 775 persons from the zone.
Speaking at Malumfashi Training Centre the scheme focal person, Malam Babanyara Mailikelike, said beneficiaries comprised men and women across all ages from the 11 local governments that made up the zone.
The focal person said that between 150 and 180 beneficiaries were selected from political wards in each of the 11 local government areas.
Mailikelike said beneficiaries were trained on production of soap, perfume and cream, livestock and poultry keeping, food and animal feeds processing as well as interior decoration.

Jigawa
The Jigawa Government has constituted an 11-member
committee to verify construction of township roads and payment of compensation to those whose structures would be affected by the projects.
Malam Isama’I Ibrahim, the Public Relations Officer, Office of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said this on Thursday while speaking with newsmen in Dutse.
Isama’I said that the SSG, Alhaji Adamu Abdulkadir, who inaugurated the committee, urged members to discharge their duties with the “fear of God’’.
The spokesperson said that aside from identifying the number of structures to be affected and pay compensation, the committee would also verify the authentic persons involved.
According to him, the committee will cost the compensation payments, and if possible, review the compensation rate.
Lagos
A 59-year-old businessman, Mr Joseph Olatunde, has
filed for divorce at an Igando Customary Court in Lagos State over his wife’s alleged shameful act.
Joseph, in his application, is seeking for the dissolution of his marriage to his wife, Kemi Olatunde , whom he said had gained a reputation as a street-fighter.
“My wife, who is a pastor, an evangelist, a church interpreter and women leader, fought with nine persons in a day in our street wearing only a bra and a tight.
“She fought from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., during which residents of the street were begging her to stop but she refused.
“ I also pleaded with her but she cursed and I was ashamed of myself.
“I had to take her pictures with my cell phone when she was fighting in the public with only the brassier covering her body and sent it to her family.” he said.

Nasarawa

A Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court, Aso Pada, Nasarawa
State, has ordered the remand of a student, Joseph Olowo, charged with trespass and attempted theft.
Olowo, 24, who resides at Mararaba, is facing a two-count charge of trespassing on private property and attempt to commit offence of stealing.
The judge, Mr Albert Maga, ordered the remand of the defendant following an oral application made by the prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Adaji.
Maga ordered that the defendant be remanded in police custody till April 5 when his bail application would be considered.
Adaji had objected to the bail on the grounds that the defendant was not a first time offender and had a pending case of theft to which he was admitted to bail on March 11.
Earlier, the prosecutor had told the court that Ameh Emmanuel of Behind Kapda Market, Mararaba, reported the case at the ‘A’ Division Police Station, Mararaba, on March 18.
Ogun

More than 2,500 residents of Ogun have benefitted from
the free health initiative organised by the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari.
Our correspondent reports that the initiative included checking of Body Mass Index, screening of the eye and blood sugar level as well as distribution of free eye glasses and drugs.
The programme, which was meant to cater for 2,500 persons, saw more than 5,000 in attendance.
Speaking at the flagging off ceremony, Buhari said the programme was to cater for the health of young and old Nigerians.
The wife of the President, who was represented by Dr Abdulrahaman Kamal, said she had also organised similar initiatives targeted at women and children, particularly those hinterlands.
Ondo
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)
says its members will work with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to obey the new safety idea.
Mr Folajimi Akinifesi, the Chairman of NURTW in Ondo state, told newsmen on Thursday in Akure that FRSC officials had briefed them on the safety device.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, says: “A speed limiter is a governor used to limit the top speed of a vehicle.’’
Akinifesi said: “Our members will comply with the speed limiter because it is a safety precaution to reduce frequent road mishaps.
“Most of the accidents are caused by speeding, reckless driving and careless overtaking.

Osun
The Osun House of Assembly said it was determined to
outlaw street trading and illegal markets in the state.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Najeem Salaam, said this at plenary in Osogbo during the consideration of a bill on street trading and illegal markets.
Salaam said it would become an offence for any person to engage in street trading or to operate an illegal market in the state once the bill was passed into law.
He said the law would ensure a clean environment, adding that this was one of the cardinal aims of the government.
Salaam, who noted that street trading had claimed many lives on the highways, added that the bill, when passed, would check this.
Sokoto

Head of the committee, Malam Lawal Maidoki said in
Sokoto that the gesture was to reduce burden on the poor and enhance their wellbeing.
He said, “the gesture is part of the monthly allocation being given by the state government to assist the less privileged among our society, to ease their suffering and ensure healthy and productive citizens.’’
The chairman explained that part of the money was used for the medication and rehabilitation of some mentally deranged persons.
Zamfara
An Islamic organisation, the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah
Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), says  it has spent more than N100 million on developing its Islamic Centre in Guzape District, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Sheikh Yusuf Rigachikun, the Deputy Chairman, National Ulama’u Council of JIBWIS, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Gusau.
Rigachikun said the N300 million worth project started last year when the organisation signed the project contract agreement with an indigenous construction company, Coxa Integrated Limited (CIL).
He explained that the centre was aimed at providing a befitting facility for Muslims in the FCT and the country at large for knowledge acquisition and other religious activities.