THE STATES

Borno
Residents of Maiduguri on Saturday celebrated the first rainfall of the year recorded in the town, expressing relief that the excruciating hot weather would subside.
Report has it  that, some areas like Bulumkutu and  Baga road recorded heavy downpour, while Custom and Tashan Bama axis in the state capital recorded drizzles with heavy storm.
The rain, which started around 4:30 p.m and lasted for about 45 minutes, followed days of hot weather that hit over 45 degree Celsius.
Malam Nafiu Dansabo, a resident, said the rainfall took everybody by surprise.
“I was never anticipating seeing rainfall at this moment. I guess it was because of the unbearable heat.
“The weather was very hot; even the water in the tap is very hot. I have been sleeping outside for the past one week because of heat,” he said.

FCT
The Women Advocates for Vaccine Access (WAVA) on Wednesday, commended the quick response and synergy among the various government agencies in dealing with the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in the country.
Dr Chizoba Wonodi, National Convener, WAVA, said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja last Wednesday.
She said, there are coalition of over 40 civil society organisations (CSOs), working to ensure equitable access to vaccines for all Nigerians.
Wonodi also said, WAVA was gratified at the motion by the Senate that called for free Meningitis C vaccination and support to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) through appropriation of a supplementary budget.
“WAVA members have expressed their delight with the manner in which the FMoH, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners responded to the epidemic by ensuring adequate coordination, awareness creation and social mobilisation.
“We are also happy with case management, infection prevention and control, active surveillance and reactive vaccination in the affected states,” the WAVA National Convener said.

Jigawa
The Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board (JSPWB), said it has screened no fewer than 1,300 intending pilgrims in preparation for the 2017 Hajj exercise.
The Public Relations Officer of the board, Alhaji Ibrahim Hashim, disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with  Journalists  in Dutse.
Hashim said about 1,000 of the pilgrims have paid their N1 million deposit for the exercise, adding that the money had been remitted to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCO).
He called on other intending pilgrims to pay their deposits in order to enable the board process their visa on time.
The Tide  recalls that NAHCON allocated 2,677 seats to the state for 2017 Hajj exercise.
The board has so far distributed 1,699 of the seats to the 27 Local Government Councils of the state.

Kaduna
Drivers in Kaduna yesterday  manhandled an officer of Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTELEA) over alleged unprofessional conduct.
The drivers alleged that, the official’s action caused an accident which involved two motorists on Yakowa Road,  Kaduna.
The accident, which  involved a Volkswagen Golf Station Wagon car and a Toyata Camry Salon car, occurred at 8 a.m. around NNPC Junction and ignited a protest by the drivers which caused a traffic jam more than an hour.
The driver of the Golf car, Mr Isiaku Zubairu told newsmen that, the KASTELEA official had ordered him to park and that in an attempt to obey, the official  held onto the car steering.
Zubairu said, while he was reversing to park properly, the official, who thought that he wanted to flee, held the steering and the vehicle swerved onto the road and hit the Camry  coming behind.

Kwara
Governor  Abudulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, said on Sunday that economic situation in the country was the reason Local Government election was postponed and tenure of the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC), extended.
The governor made this known at the monthly meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ilorin.
According to him, local governments in the state were just getting stabilised in meeting basic requirement of their workers.
“To attempt any election at that level of governance now will mean an additional pressure on their meagre resources of the state,” he added.
The governor, therefore, promised to use the expected 25 per cent of the Paris-London loan refund to assist the local government offset part of their outstanding salary arrears.

Lagos
The Vice-Chancellor of the Covenant University, Prof. Aderemi Atayero, on Tuesday said that, the University’s Board had instituted an endowment fund of N1billion to promote its  newly-introduced globalisation programme.
Atayero told newsmen in Lagos that globalisation was a concept coined by the institution as part of its vision of becoming one of the top ten universities in the world.
“The Board of Covenant University recently endowed N1 billion to any project from either Faculty or  Students of the University that meets the criteria of globalisation.
“The concept of globalisation came about after we have looked at our immediate environment, looked at the present problems in Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa and Africa in general.
“We then started thinking of how we can provide solutions to these problems, through scientific approach, to proffering solutions to these problems, and by so doing getting global relevance.

Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly on Tuesday summoned the Special Adviser to Governor Tanko Al-Makura on Gender and Disability Matters, Hajiya Hajara Danyaro, over alleged payment of constituency allowances to the members of the state legislature.
Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, Speaker of the House, gave the directive on Tuesday, for the appearance of the aide before the house.
The summon followed Mr. James Dangana (APC-Doma) motion on an allegation under a Matter of Public Interest during the house proceeding in Lafia.
Balarabe-Abdullahi directed the Clerk of the house to communicate the resolution to Danyaro to appear on April 11 by 8.30 a.m., adding that, her alleged statement was capable of inciting the public against the house.
“By this invitation, we want to give the Special Adviser to Governor  Al-Makura on Gender and Disability Matters, fair hearing over her allegation that the house has been receiving constituency allowances and because of that, members have been marrying more wives.

Ondo
Governor  Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State last Tuesday, said his predecessor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, should be appreciated for leaving behind immense achievements to be built upon.
Akeredolu, made the assertion during his courtesy visit to Oba Victor Kiladejo, the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom in Ondo town.
The governor said that, people of the state had good reasons to be proud of Mimiko due to his monumental achievements, including the medical village in Ondo.
“The medical village is one of the best in Nigeria. Government is a continuum and we will continue where he stopped,” he said.
Akeredolu solicited the cooperation of Ondo indigenes toward the success of his administration.
He also promised to look into the issue of land grabbers with a view to resolving the problem.

Plateau
Rep. Simon Arabo (PDP, Kd), has urged security agencies to adopt stringent measurses to flush out bandits hiding in bushes, hills and mountains in different parts of southern Kaduna.
“Victims of attacks on southern Kaduna have always said that the bandits usually run into surrounding bushes, hills and mountains. Security agencies should comb these areas and flush them out,” Arabo told newsmen, on Tuesday in Jos.
He advised the security agencies to work with local vigilante teams, saying that, their knowledge of the terrain would be useful in the search for the attackers.
Arabo, whose village, Kikoba in Kauru Local Government, came under heavy attack on November 13, 2016, advised security agencies to be proactive by taking the fight to the bandits.

Sokoto
A member of the House of Representatives from Sokoto State (APC-Sokoto), Alhaji Abdussamad Dasuki, last  Sunday distributed empowerment materials to no fewer than 1,000 women and youths.
The materials were distributed to one hundred groups, each with ten members include, sewing and grinding machines, as well as generators.
Similarly, the lawmaker donated N 30,000 to each of the groups, amounting to N3million.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dasuki, who is representing  Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly, said that, the gesture was aimed at alleviating the sufferings of some of the members of his constituency.
He said, “The gesture is part of efforts to fulfill our promises to the electorate.