THE STATES

Benue

The Chancellor, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Rev. Fr.
John Ikponko, has decried the failure of many state governments to pay workers their salaries on the pretext of paucity of funds.
Our correspondent  reports that about 27 states were unable to promptly pay workers their monthly salaries.
According to Ikponko, the plight of the workers should be addressed without further delay.
He spoke while delivering a sermon at the Saint Theresa’s Catholic Church, High Level, Makurdi .
“ Every worker deserves his or her wages at the end of the month.”
“A worker deserves his wages even the Holy Bible said this. It is very disheartening to see my parishioners suffer untold hardship due to government’s inability to pay salaries”, he said.
FCT

Chief Executive Officer, Richland Academy, Dawaki,
Abuja, Mrs Erinma Ugbor,  has advocated compulsory childhood acquisition of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and literacy skills.
Ugbor, who spoke with newsmen at the sidelines of the First Graduation and Prize Giving Day of the school, said that childhood education was crucial to human development.
She said that early years and primary education were the foundation period during which children developed good study of habits, moral values, reflective abilities, self-discipline and basic learning skills in literacy and ICT skills.
“ We all know that early years’ foundation is very important; what you do not teach a child between the ages of six months and six years, the child will find it difficult to acquire it later.’’
She said that what made the school different from other schools was its balanced British-Nigeria curriculum.

Gombe

The police command in Gombe State would introduce
career development programme aimed at preventing crime and other social vices among children, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Austin Iwar, said.
He made the disclosure in Gombe when he received the children of Royal Academy who were at the command on a courtesy visit.
Iwar said that the career development was aimed at moulding the children at a tender age.
He added that “it will also deal with social problems directly or indirectly” and give children the perspective toward positive future.
Kano

The Nigerian Army has confirmed the killing of at least
16 Boko Haram insurgents during an attack on their base at Rann, Kala Balge local government area of Borno State recently.
The acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman confirmed this in a statement that was made available to newsmen.
Usman said the insurgents stormed the troops location carrying different sophisticated arms and ammunition including Improvised Explosive Devices.
“Yesterday evening remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in their numbers attacked our troops location at Rann, Kala Balge local government area of Borno State.  “The terrorists came with Motorcycles Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (MCBIED), Anti-Aircraft Guns and other weapons at about 5:00 p.m.
Kwara

A technical staff with the lbadan Electricity Distribution
Company (lBEDC) in llorin has been electrocuted.
Eyewitnesses told our correspondent in llorin that the deceased, Rasheed Garna, was electrocuted while carrying out repair work on a damaged breaker in llorin.
The eyewtnesses said the incident happened at the lBEDC transmission station at the Sawmill area of llorin.
Scores of symphatisers were sighted at the residence of the deceased located at Egbejila in Ilorin.

Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
has arraigned a 25-years-old man, Seun Shehu, for being in possession of 200 grammes of Indian hemp.
Shehu, a scavenger, pleaded guilty to the charge of drug peddling in a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Justice Abdulazeez Anka ordered that the accused be remanded in custody and adjourned the case till September 15 for review of facts.
Our correspondent reports that following the guilty plea, the prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, prayed the court to remand the accused. The prosecutor had stated that the accused committed the offence on May 25 at Igbero Road, Lekki, Lagos.
Nasarawa

Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, has threat
ened to recruit fresh graduates to replace workers in the state currently on strike over non-payment of their salary.
The governor issued the threat in Nassarawa Eggon at the celebration of the 35th coronation anniversary of Aren Eggon, Dr Bala Angbazo.
He, however, appealed to the workers to return to work, recalling that the state was among the first in the country to implement the N18,000 minimum wage in 2011.
He commended the Aren Eggon for his contributions toward the sustenance of peace in the state and urged the people to support the government and the traditional rulers in the effort, regardless of religious and political affiliations.

Niger

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
has paraded three suspects who were caught with a human head in Niger State.
The Commandant of NSCDC in the state,    Mr Philip Ayuba,  told newsmen in Minna that the suspects were arrested in Mokwa local government area of the state.
He said that the suspects aged 34, 35 and 24 hail from Ekpa village in Mokwa.
“ I invited you here to see three suspects that we arrested on the ground of possession of a human head. “After we arrested them, they confessed to us that they own the human head,’’ he said.
Ogun

The Ogun State Police Command says it has arrested 40
suspects in various parts of the state in connection with the killing of 11 people during cult clashes at Emuren, Sagamu.
Our correspondent  reports that armed suspected cult members had on Thursday unleashed terror on the town, killing 11 people.
The command’s spokesman, SP Muyiwa Adejobi, told newsmen that the suspects were picked up at Emuren, Ago Iwoye, Ijebu Igbo, Ota and Sagamu.

Osun

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State said the
ongoing restructuring and reforms in all the state-owned tertiary institutions were not aimed at retrenching workers as being speculated.
Aregbesola said this at the inauguration of a N140 million e-Library and N34.4 million ultra-modern lecture hall at the state College of Education, Ila-Orangun.
The governor, who described the speculation as baseless, said the idea behind the restructuring exercise was not to witch-hunt but to improve the quality of lecturers.
He said his administration would not do anything that would inflict pains on workers and residents of the state.
“The restructuring is aimed at bringing up the quality of the lecturers.
“ I must also add that the government has no intention of witch-hunting or victimising anyone for his or her religious, political or ideological leaning.

Sokoto

A late night flood yesterday  destroyed no fewer than
52 houses in Wurno, headquarters of Wurno local government area of Sokoto State.
The Chairman of the Local Government Council, Alhaji Abdulkadir Jelani, disclosed this in Sokoto while addressing newsmen.
Jelani, who attributed the incident to a down pour, also said: “ The problem was aggravated by the blockage of some drains in the town and its environs.
‘’This was also precipitated by the indiscriminate dumping of refuse and dumping of heaps of firewood in them.’’
The chairman said that the victims were now squatting with neighbours, relatives and other sympathisers.

Yobe

Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State said that the    state government had commenced the process of returning over 300,000 displaced persons to communities hitherto held by Boko Haram insurgents.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, said this in Damaturu when the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, paid him a courtesy visit.
He said the state government had set up various committees to facilitate the safe return of all the displaced persons to their communities.
Geidam called for the support of all relevant authorities, including the Army, to ensure that the environment was safe for the inhabitants to return.
He said the efforts of security agencies had made the areas, hitherto held by the insurgents, safe for the return of the displaced persons.