Former Senate President, Sen David Mark(4th left), his wife Helen (left) cutting cake with some National Assembly members, during the Thanksgiving Mass in honour of Sen. Mark’s 68th birthday in Otukpo, Benue State last Friday.

Borno

The Nigerian Army has announced the re-opening of the
Maimalari Cantonment Mammy Market, Maiduguri, three years after it was closed down due to insurgency.
Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, made the announcement at the launch of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Investment Initiatives for Barracks Community in Maiduguri.
Ezugwu said that re-opening the market was to alleviate the sufferings of the barracks community which had been negatively affected by the long closure.
He also distributed N1 million soft loans to 10 women corporative groups as well as 10 tricycles to 10 barrack youths as part of the initiatives.
He said that the women were expected to use the money as start-up capital for their own businesses while the tricycles would provide jobs for the unemployed beneficiaries.

Benue

A Makurdi Magistrates’ Court  remanded five men in
prison custody for conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearms.
The defendants, Henry Agene, Samuel Orne, Alabar Simon, Terzungwe Tyonginengen and Aondohemba Ahungwaor, all of Vandeikya Local Government Area, Benue, were arrested following a tip-off on March 18.
The Prosecutor, Cpl. Adama Owochio, said that they were arrested by the Operation Zenda surveillance team led by Insp. Philip Yankyaa.
Owochio said that the team was on a special duty at Vandeikya with some youths that were granted amnesty by the Benue state  government.
He said the team received information that the defendants were in a hideout at Mbarumum village in Kwande, manufacturing, selling arms and ammunition.

FCT

An Abuja-based legal practitioner, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-
George (SAN), has decried the delays in the conclusion of criminal cases in the country.
Akinseye-George told newsmen  in Abuja that it was not good that courts were unable to conclude criminal cases in due time.
“We only hear when cases are filed or when suspects are arraigned, especially wealthy suspects and we also hear when they are admitted to bail.
“But we rarely hear when the cases are concluded; that is a big embarrassment to our criminal justice system.’’
Akinseye-George commended the judges for their hard work, but decried unfruitful results because of the use of interlocutory appeals that stall trial cases.

Kano

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
has donated relief materials worth millions of Naira to the Mariri Boarding Primary School, Kano State, for Borno children orphaned by insurgency.
The school was established by the immediate-past Governor of the state, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, to cater for 100 selected children. The NEMA North-West Zonal Coordinator, Alhaji Musa Ilallah, said the items were donated to support the pupils whose parents were killed during the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno.
“We were here in the school some months ago for an assessment to establish the needs of the school.

Kebbi

A team of medical personnel from Uganda have
concluded a nationwide study tour on the success of prevention of Postrartum Haemorrhage and maternal mortality in Nigeria.
Our correspondent  reports the team, led by the Ugandan Director-General of Health, Dr Jane Agenghad, had been in the county to study Nigeria’s success on the dispensation and effectiveness of the Misoprostol drug. The drug prevents incessant bleeding during child delivery.
Agenghad, who led a delegation of Ugandan Association of Family Health on a tour to Kebbi, told Governor Atiku Bagudu  that the team would interact with communities and nurses in the state.

Niger

The Niger Government has called on the Federal
Government to complete the Baro Inland Port project.
Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger, who made the call  during a visit to the site, said it would boost economic activities in the country.
He said that the state would make the road accessible while awaiting the Federal Government’s intervention.
“The road to the port is very bad; it is extremely bad and I understand the Federal Government has awarded the contract to construct a new road.
“I have directed the state Ministry of Works to grade the road as well as construct culverts pending when the Federal Government will commence the work to make it more motorable,” he said.
Bello said that a committee had been set up to look into the activities in Baro and advised the state on how the Federal Government could expedite  action on the realisation of the inland port.

Osun

Striking medical doctors in Osun under the aegis of
Association of Medical and Dental Officers, have suspended their seven months industrial action.
The chairman of the association, Dr Isiaka Adekunle confirmed the suspension of the strike in a telephone interview with newsmen in Osogbo.
He said the doctors would report for duty on Monday..
Adekunle told our correspondent that though the government was yet to meet any of their demands, their decision to resume work was in response to appeals from well-meaning people of the state.
He, however, said that the association would continue to dialogue with the government.
Adekunle said the association took the decision to call off the strike at its Annual General Meeting held on March 30.

Plateau

The Plateau House of Assembly Special Committee on
Solid Minerals has condemned the neglect of Zurak, a community in Wase local government area of the state, by mining companies.
The Chairman of the committee and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Yusuf Gagdi made the condemnation  after inspecting mining sites in the community.
According to Gagdi, the effect of the exploration by the miners has turned the community to an “eyesore.’’
He said the total neglect of the host community by the companies with regards to non compliance with the rules of engagement was unacceptable, warning that they must do the needful.
The lawmaker expressed concern over the environmental degradation as well as poor infrastructure in the community.
Our visit to these sites today have made us see things for ourselves, and it is a confirmation of the complaints we have been getting from the community.”

Sokoto

Chairman-elect, Sabon-Birni Llocal Government Area of
Sokoto State, Alhaji Idris Gobir, has promised to provide farm inputs at subsidised rates to youths and women to increase agricultural production.
Gobir told newsmen in Sokoto that the master plan on how to provide farm inputs had been drawn and was only awaiting implementation.
“We are just waiting to be inaugurated and move into action in providing qualitative leadership that will improve on the living standard of our people, “ he said.
He opined that engaging youths and women in agriculture would enable them to be self-reliant and contribute positively towards the nation’s quest for food sufficiency.

Taraba

Taraba Government said its new Log tax regime was to
increase the state internally generated revenue profile.
Chief Press Secretary (CSP) to Governor, Alhaji Hassan Mijinyawa, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent  in Jalingo on Sunday.
Hassan said with the new tax regime, trucks conveying a particular variety of log called Madrid would be charged N400,000.
He noted that the Madrid logs which were in high demand were exported to China and other Asian countries.
Hassan said government was looking inward and cashing in on large expanse of timber cultivation that was found in many local government areas of the state.

Yobe

The Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Emergency
Management Agency, Alhaji Musa Jidawa, has advised response groups to work as partners rather than competitors to avoid duplication and wastes.
Musa told newsmen in Damaturu  that the emergency response actors had constituted a forum to coordinate areas of intervention to avoid over lapping and duplication.
Musa, who is also the chairman of the forum, listed the actors as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Red Cross, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), World Food Programme (WFP), the UNICEF and Action against Hunger, among others.

Zamfara

The Police Command in Zamfara has arrested Alhaji
Muhammadu Danmliga, the Village Head of Wabi in Maru local government Area, over alleged connection with the killing of 13 persons. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Sanusi Amiru, told newsmen  in Gusau that the killing of the 13 followed a meeting held in the village head’s house on March 24 by members of the outlawed ‘Yansakai group.’
According to him, 13 persons were allegedly killed at Tubgar Wabi, a neighbouring Fulani settlement on the evening of that day.