THE STATES

Adamawa
The President of National Union of Adamawa State Students (NUADSS), Danladi Jonah, has appealed to the state government to resume the payment of scholarship to Adamawa State students in tertiary institutions.
Jonah made the appeal Thursday in an interview with The Tide in Yola.
Jonah said that Adamawa students in tertiary institutions  had been finding it difficult since the suspension of scholarship six years ago.
“Adamawa students in tertiary institutions have not been receiving government scholarship for the past six years; things are hard for our students as you know Adamawa is among the states seriously affected by insurgency.

Bauchi
Bauchi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Halima Muqadas has called on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to be posting to her ministry, all corps members that studied health related courses.
Making the call when the State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Afolayan Adeola  visited her last Thursday, the commissioner said post such corps members to her ministry would add to existing human resources needed to boost healthcare delivery in the state.
Muqadas noted that various communities had been seeking for such corps members, hence the need for  ministry to coordinate their posting so as to take care of their welfare.
“We will prefer all corps members that studied health-related courses to be posted to the Hospital Management Board because the hospital board coordinates issues of human resource and posting.

Ekiti
For allegedly threatening to kill a counsel, Mrs Adeola Adetayo, two accused: Adefemi Awe, 58 and Taiwo Okunade, 33, appeared in an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court lastThursday.
The accused, whose addresses were not given, are facing two-count-charge of breach of peace and threat to life.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Monica Ikebuilo, told the court that the two accused conspired with one other to commit the offence on February 2 in Fajuyi area of Ado-Ekiti.
Ikebuilo further said that Awe and Okunade threatened to kill Adetayo for being the counsel in a case against their brother.

Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government says it has disbursed N375 million loan to farmers to accelerate paddy rice production.
The Commissioner of Agriculture, Alhaji Kabir Ali, said this at the inauguration of the pilot rice trading Centre project in Auyo, Jigawa.
Ali said the loans were disbursed to registered farmers under the Farm Cluster scheme during the last cropping season.
He explained that fertiliser, seeds, chemicals and farm inputs were given to the farmers under a soft loan revolving scheme designed to enhance agricultural financing.

Kaduna
The President of Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union (SOKAPU), Mr Solomon Musa, last Thursday said the union was not a religious or tribal organisation but a body pushing for the development of all communities in the area.
Musa made the declaration during a consultative meeting with Global Peace Foundation, an NGO, seeking for dialogue to end the crisis in the area.
“SOKAPU is not for the protection of Baju, Fulani, Atiyap, Ham, Hausa and any other tribe, but is for the protection of all people in southern Kaduna regardless of where you come from; but we will protect defend and be fair to everybody.

Kano
The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested 958 beggars for allegedly violating the law banning street begging on major streets in the state’s capital.
Malam Musa Tsangaya, in charge of the anti-begging unit of the board, told newsmen in Kano State that 203 of the arrested people were children, while 755 were adults.
“Our men arrested 958 street beggars around Bank Road, Civic Centre, Dangi Junction, Lugard Road and Magwan Junction violating the law, banning street begging in the Kano metropolis.

Kebbi
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has allocated 4,105 hajj seats to Kebbi State for the 2017 hajj exercise, a top official has said.
The Executive Chairman of the state Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Alhaji Bala Sakaba, made this known to newsmen on Thursday in Birnin Kebbi.
Sakaba spoke after meeting with the 21 local government sole administrators on preparations for the exercise.
“The commission has directed us to commence collecting hajj fare deposits from intending pilgrims from last month and to complete the collection at the end of February 2017.

Kwara
Traders in Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara  State last  Thursday   called for the establishment of a modern market  to boost the economic development of the community.
The Market Leader  in the council area, Mrs Mogbonjubola Awoniyi, made the call  during an inspection visit  to  markets in Omu-Aran.
Awoniyi was accompanied by a team led by Mr Olushola Babalola, the Coordinator of the  National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) in Kwara South Senatorial District.
She said the establishment of  a  modern market by the state government in partnership with the council was long overdue.

Nasarawa
A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting at Masaka in Nasarawa State last Thursday revoked the bail granted to a security man, Peter Callitus, 23, for failing to appear in court .
The Magistrate, Mr Victor Manga, revoked the bail after the Prosecutor, Mr Frank Swem, announced that the defendant refused to appear in court as instructed.
Swem said that the accused always absented himself in court.
“This was not his first time of exhibiting such habit.
“He is much aware that his case is slated for today, I tried to reach him and his number was not going.
“I also called his surety who told me that he was not in town,’’ he said.

Niger
Head, Accident and Emergency Unit, General Hospital, Minna, Niger State, Dr Hauwa Kolo, has advised the state government to revisit its position on commercial motorcycle riders in the state.
Kolo gave the advice in an interview with newmen in Minna lastThursday.
She said that the advice became necessary in view of the alarming rate of accidents among commercial motorcyclists in Niger and the need to check the development.
“There is need for the authorities to check and caution commercial motorcycle riders.
‘’This is because at the rate they get injured; there will come a time when the hospitals will run out of space to accommodate them,’’ she said.
The state government, on August 8 2016, placed restriction on the movement of motorcycles in the state capital, Minna and some other towns based on insecurity.

Ondo
A 30-year-old carpenter, Saheed Osuolale, was last Thursday brought before an Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State, over alleged assault and malicious damage of property worth N95,000.
Osuolale is facing a two-count charge of assault and malicious damage.
Police Prosecutor Zedekiah Orogbemi told the court that the accused had on January 1 at about 11.00 a.m. at No. 17, Akinfolarin Str., Okitipupa, assaulted a woman, Ayinke Bolajoko, following a misunderstanding between them.
“The accused also used a saw to inflict injuries on the complainant.

Osun
Members of the Osun State House of Assembly last Thursday passed a vote of confidence on the Speaker, Mr Najeem Salaam, over what they described as “his quality leadership style”.
The assembly members commended the leadership of the house when they appeared before the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation to defend the 2017 budget proposal in Osogbo.
The N3.2 billion budget proposal was presented to the committee by the Leader of Government Business, Mr Timothy Owoeye.
In his remarks, Mr Kamil Oyedele, the House Committee Chairman on Finance and Appropriation,  said the manner in which the Speaker had been directing the affairs of the assembly had translated to peaceful coexistence between the executive and the legislative arms of government in the state.

Oyo
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State last Thursday in Ibadan inaugurated bio-metric data capturing and identification card project for artisans and tradesmen.
The governor expressed optimism that the project would bring greater development to the economy of the state and boost activities of the artisans and tradesmen.
The Tide reports that Tradesmen and Artisans Association of Nigeria, Oyo State chapter has 45 members associations.
Ajimobi said that the project, when completed would be of great benefit to government, the public, artisans and tradesmen.

Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto State, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has again assured parents that the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is safe for Nigerian children.
The Tide reports that Abubakar spoke in Sokoto last Thursday at a one-day Round Table Discussion on Polio Eradication (PEI).
The meeting comprised media professionals and other stakeholders.
He said that the vaccine had been globally tested by seasoned medical experts and clerics and it was found to be efficacious.
Represented by Alhaji Bello Abubakar, the District Head of Hamma’ali, the sultan said: “the vaccine properly protects the children from getting infected from the debilitating disease and other child killer diseases’’.
“Our children should be fully immunised against the child killer diseases like measles, tetanus and diphtheria, among others.’’