THE STATES

Benue
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, has said that the state followed due process in the passage of the open grazing prohibition bill and its signing into law.
This clarification was contained in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Godwin Akor, and made available to newsmen last  Tuesday in Makurdi.
In the statement, Ortom made the disclosure while receiving the leadership of Makurdi Catholic Diocesan Laity Council at the Benue Peoples House.
He maintained that anyone, who was not satisfied with the law should go to court and not to think of creating anarchy.
The governor thanked the Catholic Church for standing firmly behind the present administration, adding that, the bishop in-charge of the diocese had always encouraged him on matters concerning development, especially security.

Borno
The Police Command in Borno State has confirmed the death of two persons in a suspected Boko Haram attack along the Maiduguri-Damboa highway.
Mr. Damian Chukwu, the Borno Police Commissioner, who confirmed this on Tuesday said that, the dead persons included a police man and a truck driver.
“You would recall that since the Maiduguri-Damboa highway was reopened, motorists ply the road strictly on military escort.
“Initially, it was only the military that provides the escort, but later the police was invited to join”, Chukwu said.
He said that the convoy left Maiduguri with the military in the front while the police was at the rear.

Ekiti
An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court last Tuesday dissolved the 24-year-old relationship between a septuagenarian, Julius Rotimi, and his partner, Oluwatoyin, 49.
We report that the relationship was dissolved on grounds of incessant fighting, nagging, going out without the petitioner’s consent, regular cursing and threats to life by the wife.
The President of the Court, Mr. Joseph Ogunsemi, in his judgement, observed that the relationship had broken down irretrievably and consequently terminated their cohabitation.
Ogunsemi ruled that the education of the child should be funded equally by both parties.
He also ordered the respondent to vacate the house of the petitioner immediately and remove her belongings within seven days.

FCT
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu last Tuesday, expressed concern over a reduction in the number of Nigerians with access to water and sanitation, describing it as unacceptable.
Adamu, said this at a Stakeholders Meeting of Water and Sanitation Development Partners on Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH), in Abuja.
Quoting a World Bank WASH Sector report, the minister said, it was saddening to note that Nigeria’s sanitation indices show an overall decrease in access to water and sanitation, saying no effort must be spared at reversing this trend.
“Nigeria’s sanitation is in critical condition, only 29 per cent of Nigerians have access to improved sources of sanitation, 130 million Nigerians used unimproved sanitation facilities or practice open defecation.

Gombe
Advocacy Group for Family Planning in Gombe State, an NGO, on Tuesday called for a special budgetary allocation for Family Planning (FP).
The Secretary of the group, Malam Alhasan Yahya, made the appeal in Gombe, during a courtesy call on the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya.
Yahya, noted that there was no budgetary allocation for FP in the state’s 2017 budget.
He said there was need for financing, improved quality access and utilisation of planning commodities and services in the state.

Lagos
External examinations such as the West African Senior Secondary Examination (WASSCE), have helped to reform prisoners in the country, a Nigeria Prisons Service official has said.
The Controller of Prisons, Lagos State Command, Mr Tunde Ladipo, told newsmen in Lagos last Tuesday, that prison education had helped inmates to be useful after jail terms.
“Participation in external examinations, such as WASSCE is designed as a form of reformation to empower prisoners after jail terms.
“Some of them who are illiterates are given primary and secondary education before they are allowed to sit for WASSCE.
“Those that have the intention to further their education are also given the opportunity to study at the National Open University (NOUN).

Nasarawa
Former information minister and APGA National Secretary, Labaran Maku, has appealed to Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State to pay workers’ salaries so as to end their strike.
“The workers have practically shut down the state for more than a month now. Schools, offices and even industries have been closed down. The state government should act immediately,” Maku told newsmen last Tuesday, in Lafia.
He said that, it was “wrong” for government to remain silent over a strike that had dragged on for more than a month, and declared such posture as “insensitive”.
“The governor should show that he is sensitive to workers’ welfare and pay them their dues.
“Salaries have not been paid for six months, while no worker has been promoted in the last six years.

Ogun
Members of Ogun State  House of Assembly Committee on Works and Infrastructure on Tuesday, expressed satisfaction over the level of work done on the 35- kilometre Sango-Ijoko-Agbad-Akute Road currently undergoing construction.
The Committee Chairman, Mr Olayiwola Ojodu, gave the verdict, when he led other members on an on-the-spot assessment tour of the road as part of their oversight functions.
Ojodu said that the road, which would have five flyovers, would, when completed, ease  traffic congestion and also promote socio-economic activities in the area.
”The exercise has been quite interesting, so far so good. With what we have seen in terms of the quality of work done, as a committee we are satisfied,” he said.

Ondo
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, last Tuesday said  his administration would check the disproportionate percentage in budgetary allocation to capital and recurrent expenditures.
Akeredolu said this  in Akure, while signing the 2017 Appropriation Bill into law.
He said, the huge deficit in various sectors is  needed to be addressed, adding that this informed the move to redress the  imbalance between recurrent and capital expenditures.
“This bill has provision of N170,846,580,000 billion broken into Debt Service (Principal) N8.127 billion, Statutory Transfers N8.374 billion, Recurrent Expenditure N95.159 billion and Capital Expenditure N59.187 billion.

Oyo
The Oyo State chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), has urged lawmakers across the country to extend their economic empowerment programmes to farmers.
Mr Olujimi Ayinla, the state AFAN Chairman, who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan on Tuesday, urged the legislators to also spearhead efforts to fast-track the growth of the agricultural sector.
He noted that, the economic empowerment schemes of the lawmakers usually involved donation of motorcycles, hair dryers, grinding machines, refrigerators and sewing machines, among others, to their constituents.
”I have never seen any senator or member of the House of Representatives donating tractors or fertiliser to farmers in their constituencies, as part of their empowerment programmes.

Taraba
Taraba State House of Assembly Speaker, Abel Diah last Tuesday cautioned members of the public against politicizing the anti-open grazing bill currently before the House.
Diah, made the appeal in Jalingo, when he received a delegation of Taraba Farmers Protection Assocation, led by its Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Bitrus, who paid a solidarity visit to the lawmakers.
“Contrary to speculations that, the bill is targeted at a particular ethnic group, its intention is to promote peaceful coexistence and reduce clashes between farmers and grazers,” Diah stated.
The Speaker regretted that some sections of the bill were being altered or misinterpreted to cause mischief, and advised anyone interested in the bill to get a certified true copy from the House of Assembly.

Yobe
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), last Tuesday appealed to stakeholders to support the rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in Yobe with education, safe living condition and economic rehabilitation.
Mr Gabriel Idoko, Head UNHCR in the state, made the appeal at the commemoration of the 2017 World Refugee Day in Damaturu.
He said: “The displaced persons deserve to continue with their education and provided with safe living conditions.”