Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The Benue State House of Assembly yesterday passed the 2016 supplementary appropriation bill of N3.8 billion submitted to it by Governor Samuel Ortom in December 2016.
The bill is made up of N1.8 billion supplementary recurrent expenditure, as well as N2 billion supplementary capital expenditure.
Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange, announced the passage, after a clause by clause consideration of the report of the House Standing Committee on Appropriation.
Ikyange directed the House Committee on Finance to liaise with the Ministry of Finance, Accountant-General and the Board of Internal Revenue Service, to address complaints of delayed remittance of the mandatory 75 per cent to revenue generating ministries, departments and agencies.
FCT
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Imo State topped the number of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) applications with 103,122 in 2016.
The figure is reflected in an NBS report on “ JAMB Admitted Candidates by State and Gender within Faculty’’ released last Monday in Abuja.
According to the report, three states – Imo, Osun, Oyo – top the list of those with the highest number of JAMB applications in 2016, following the applications of statistics by state of origin.
The report stated that Osun recorded the highest applications with 83,569 applications, while Oyo recorded 81,630 applications.
Meanwhile, the report stated that Yobe, Zamfara and FCT recorded lowest applications with 12,268; 7,303 and 5,089 respectively.
Kano
A Kano Magistrates’ Court yesterday slammed a N500,000 bail to Safiyanu Abubakar (47), for alleged forgery and obstructing of public officers from performing lawful duties.
Abubakar who resides at Sultan Road Nasarawa GRA Kano, is being tried for criminal trespass, forgery, criminal intimidation and obstruction of public officers from performing lawful duties.
According to the Prosecutor, Insp. Haziel Ledafowa, the accused committed the offence some time between 2012 to 2013, at Nasarawa GRA Quarters Kano.
He said the accused illegally trespassed and occupied a Kano State Government Quarters, No GP 405 Lafiya Road, Nasarawa.
Katsina
A Katsina State High Court recently granted a former Governor of the state, Ibrahim Shema and three others N1 billion bail and one reliable surety each.
Others standing trial with the former governor are, former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Sani Makana, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Lawal Safana and former ALGON Chairman, Lawal Dankaba.
The accused persons are standing trial for alleged conspiracy, forgery and diversion of public funds amounting to N11 billion.
Justice lbrahim Bako granted bail to the accused person in a ruling he delivered at the resumed hearing of the trial.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government recently said it would construct an international onion market at Aliero Local Government Area of the state.
Alhaji Abubakar Dakingari, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Atiku Bagudu, quoted the governor as making the promise during a visit to Aliero last Monday.
He said the governor, who addressed onion farmers and marketers at the onion market in Aliero, promised that the international market would be established in the area considering the abundance of the commodity in the area.
“The commodity is being transported to other parts of the country and neighbouring countries of Benin and Niger Republic in commercial quantities,” he said.
Kogi
Chairman, Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Appropriation and Budget Monitoring recently, said that the House Mr John Abah, would ensure effective implementation of 2017 state’s Budget.
Abah, who spoke with journalists at the end of the Budget Defence by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Lokoja also said the budget would be passed within few days.
He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the budget defence by the MDAs, an exercise he said started on February 8.
“We got impressive reports from the MDAs.By the grace of God, we will do some amendments based on the defence we had and within the shortest time possible.
‘’We are going to pass the budget so that with the new direction, government will hit the ground running for 2017,” he said.
Kwara
Opposition parties in Kwara State have kicked against the extension of tenure of the 16 local government caretaker chairmen by the state government.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed had last Tuesday, extended the tenure of the Transitional Implementation Committee for the local councils in the state by three months.
The caretaker committees were inaugurated on November 15, 2016, and were to serve for three months, which expired on February 14.
The governor, in a letter to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, said the extension was to ensure continuity of administration pending the conduct of elections into the local councils.
Lagos
No fewer than 171 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya last Tuesday aboard a chartered Nouvelair aircraft with registration number TS-1NB.
The aircraft landed about 4.18pm at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
It was reported that another batch comprising 161 Nigerians, had earlier on February 14 also voluntarily returned from the North African country where they had been stranded enroute Europe.
The new set of returnees were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.
They were received at the Hajj Camp area of the airport by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) , the National Agency for the Protection of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.
Nasarawa
Nasarawa State University chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it is opposed to the financial autonomy granted the institution by the state government.
The chairman of the chapter, Dr Nghargbu K’tso, said this recently when he paid a courtesy call on the state House of Assembly Committee on Education in Lafia.
K’tso said that the union opposed the financial autonomy because the university “is a public institution” that should be properly funded by the state government.
He appealed to the Assembly to ensure that the institution was properly funded to improve its standard of education and for the overall development of the state.
Ogun
The Ogun State House of Assembly yesterday summoned the management of the state’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Bureau of Transportation over the collection of riders’ permit in the state.
The Assembly had asked the agencies to appear before it on Friday.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Suraj Adekunbi, issued the summon while responding to the presentation by his deputy, Mr Olakunle Oluomo, who spoke under motion for adjournment citing order 19 rule of the House.
Adekunbi said that there was need for the two agencies of government to maintain the status quo in relation to the collection of riders’ permit until all issues surrounding this was resolved.
Sokoto
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has re
leased N 1.2 billion for payment of accumulated gratuities from 2010 to retired staff of local government councils in Sokoto State.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Alhaji Mannir Dan’Iya, said this on Monday in Sokoto.
According to him, all approved funds have been released and payments are being effected accordingly.
Taraba
The National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) in partnership with Taraba State Government, last Tuesday began training of Community Based Targeting (CBT) Team for Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer programme.
The National Coordinator of NASSCO, Mr Peter Papka, said the trainees would be sent to the six selected local government areas in the state to identify the poorest and vulnerable persons to benefit from the programme.
Papka listed the six selected LGAs in the state as Karim Lamido, Sardauna, Ardo Kola, Gassol, Takum and Ussa.
Ogene of Asa Asi Asaga Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Andrew Enemuwa, has expressed gratitude to the Governor of the State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for the award of the contract for construction of Igiri- Ubimini-Egbeda-Elele road project.
Eze Enemuwa said the people of the local government are proud associating with a visionary leader like Governor Fubara whose interest in the development of his people knows no bounds.
The monarch, also the Secretary of Ogba Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Council said the unprecedented crowd of ONELGA people that attended the event shows that Governor Fubara is greatly loved and cherished by the people.
The Eze Dike Di Nu Obi of Ogbaland said the presence of the traditional rulers at the event speaks volumes.
The Okene Asa Kaka urged the people of the area to support Governor Fubara to attract more development to the local government area.
As Nigeria marks 10 years anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok girls, the United Nations Children Fund( UNICEF) has put the number of abducted children at different schools within the last 10 years in Nigeria at 1,680.
The organisation said this at an event it organised in conjunction with the Faculty of Media and Communications Studies in the University of Port Harcourt to mark the 10 years anniversary of Chibok girls abductions.
According to UNICEF release read by Communication officer, UNICEF Nigeria Dr Mrs Ijeoma Onuoha Ogwe, 180 children were killed within the period under review due to attacks on schools, while an estimated 60 school Staff were kidnapped,14 killed and more than 70 attacks on schools.
It urged the Nigerian Government and security agencies to intensify effort towards the rescue of the 90 remaining Chibok girls.
UNICEF described the Chibok girls saga as a wakeup call to the severe risks children face in their pursuit of education
‘Today, reflecting on this tragedy and other recent abductions, it is evident that our efforts to safeguard our children’s future must be amplified
“Given this alarming statistics, we must address not only the symptoms but also the root causes of this crisis,” it said.
UNICEF also said that the threat of abduction of students is severely affecting children’s learning.
“As at 2021, over one million children were afraid to return to school and in 2020, around 11,500 schools were closed due to attacks”, it said.
It called on the government and the international community to ensure that all schools have the resources and tools to fully implement the minimum standards for safe schools, focus on the most vulnerable regions and address critical gaps in safe schools infrastructure.
UNICEF also called for preparedness for natural disasters, conflicts and comprehensive approaches to violence against children.
Others include, strengthening law enforcement and security measures to protect educational institutions and communities from attacks and abduction, prioritising education and child protection in national policies and budget allocations to create a safer, more inclusive environment for all Nigerian children and ensure the continuity of education and learning when schools are shut through multiple learning pathways such as radio and TV programme and through digital platforms the Nigerian learning Passport.
Ogwe said UNICEF is working with the Nigerian Government to ensure that every child can access safe learning environment.
“The agency has supported the inauguration of state safe school steering committees and the drafting of state costed implementation plans for safe schools in 13 States.
“It also provides school grants, safety kits training and awareness raising to accelerate the implementation of the minimum standards for safe schools.
“As we remember the Chibok girls and all children whose rights to education have been compromised, let this somber anniversary serves as a catalyst for change”, UNICEF said.
Speaking with The Tide, Dr Nwachukwu Ginikanwa said the anniversary should serve as a wakeup call to the authorities to take the issue of security seriously.
John Bibor
As the one year anniversary of the Governor Siminalayi Fubara administration in Rivers State draws closer, a former Chairman of Eleme Local Government Council, Amb.Oji Ngofa, says the Governor has rekindled the hope of Rivers people.
Amb. Ngofa said within the one year of the administration, the Governor has shown a sense of connecting the people and the government unlike the immediate past administration led by Chief Nyesom Wike.
The former Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) explained that within one year, Rivers people are seeing a visionary leadership whose imagination is essentially focused on the desire to improve the lives of the people, with the sole aim of creating an economy where everyone can participate.
Speaking in an interview in Port Harcourt, the forrmer Ambassador said Governor Fubara has been able to engage relevant stakeholders and sectors of the State which, according to him, remains the hallmark of leadership.
He emphasised that with Governor Fubara, no doubt, Rivers State is in safe hands, saying with Governor Fubara, there is the likelihood that the State would be greater than other States.
He noted that the Governor’s vision to develop and give capacity to the people in order to participate in the economy as well as creating the enabling environment for business to flourish in the State, coupled with his peaceful nature, have all combined to endear him to the people.
Amb Ngofa said real power comes from how well one is connected with the people through good leadership, and the people on their own voluntarily surrender to you just as Governor Fubara has demonstrated within the past one year, stressing that that has informed his decision as an astute politician just like all well-meaning Rivers people to align with the Governor in order to move the State forward .
He described Governor Fubara’s milestones in infrastructure, human capital development, health and agriculture as monumental.
Amb Ngofa urged the Governor to ensure his revitalisa- tion programme on Songhai Farms extends to Buguma and Andoni fish farms and Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), and expand on the initiative, as it is critical in job creation for the teeming youths of the State.
“ In his one year in office as governor, Rivers people have seen the difference in terms of governance and total departure from self. Now Rivers people are having easy access to their governor. His focus is on policies and programmes that are capable of revitalising the economy aimed at improving the wellbeing of Rivers people, not just one man. Projects are springing up in all parts of the State, not necessarily in Port Harcourt and Obio,/ Akpor. All in just one year despite the distractions”, he said.
The Port Harcourt ring road loan to small skill medium businesses are one of the biggest achievements of his administration
Aleto- Woji road abandoned by the last administration had been carried on by a government that has interest of the people at heart
Despite the destruction ,he had demonstrated sense of focus on his primary duties as a governor
We are not just seeing monumental projects ,Rivers people are seeing total commitment to create an economy that will enable Rivers people to have a hold on there lives especially with projects like revitalizing Shonghai ,plaintain farms .
It is critical focusing on human capital development .I am aware of his programme of revitalising the economy ,state owned industries through public private partnership
Rivers people hope had been rekindled and those of us who are critic to the governor Wike led administration had been vindicated
Urging Eleme people to support the administration of governor Fubara to achieve their common dream which is development.
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