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THE STATES

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Adamawa
A lawmaker representing Yola North Constituency in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Sulaiman Alkali, last Saturday presented 12 cows, 80 bags of rice, cartons of spaghetti and gallons of cooking oil to party leaders in his constituency.
Presenting the items at a ceremony  in Yola, Alkali, an All Progressives  Congress (APC) member, said the gesture was to enable the leaders to celebrate Sallah with the electorate in their various areas.
“It is always good to assist party leaders at a time they will be hosting the electorate in their respective communities,” he said.
While wishing members of his constituency a happy Eid, the lawmaker urged them to be  security consciousness during the Sallah period.

Borno
The Eid-El-Fitr festivities were celebrated peacefully in most states of the North East, as security was tightened in Borno and Yobe State, two states worst hit by the activities of insurgents.
According to reports, vehicular movements were restricted in the two states for certain period, to avert any ugly incident, especially during the congregation prayers.
Borno Police Command had announced total ban on vehicular movement during the prayer time, resulting in the closure of most roads in the metropolis.
Security personnel were also deployed to all prayer grounds to screen worshippers thoroughly at the entrance.
Some worshippers interviewed commended the security agents for their efforts in ensuring absolute security at the prayer grounds.

FCT
The Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu has called on Muslim Ummah to sustain the virtues of endurance, discipline and love imbibed during the holy month of  Ramadan.
Ekweremadu made the call in his Eid el-Fitr message to the Muslim Ummah on Saturday signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Uche Anichukwu.
He said: “I congratulate the Muslim Ummah on the successful completion of the Ramadan Fast.
“It is also my hope that the virtues imbibed in the holy month are sustained beyond the Ramadan and brought to bear in our personal lives and efforts at nation building.
“Fasting in itself is a lesson in endurance, discipline, holiness, and religious adherence.

Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government has donated 18 rams and five cows to the state command of Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) for distribution to inmates in the state for Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
The NPS spokesman in the state, Mr Adam Muhammad, confirmed this to newsmen in Dutse last Saturday.
Muhammad said the animals were distributed among the 11 prisons in the state.
He added that the government also donated two cows and four rams to officers and men of the command.
He commended the Jigawa Government for the kind gesture.
According to him, it would enable the inmates and officials to celebrate the Sallah happily.

Kano
The Kano State Government has urged residents of the state to maintain a good sanitation culture with or without close monitoring from authorities.
The Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ali Makoda gave the charge shortly after inspecting the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Kano last Saturday.
The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Sagir Wali, expressed dismay over non-compliance attitude from some motorists in the city.
“As Muslims, the people of the state are expected to develop the environment culture even without restriction.

Katsina
The Katsina State Government says it will immunise no fewer than two million children during the next round of Immunization Plus Days (IPDs).
The Assistant Health Educator, Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mr Abba Musa, made this known on Saturday in Katsina at a media focus group meeting.
Musa said that the exercise meant for children below five years, would be conducted between July 8 and July 11 across the state.
The health official said that the team of vaccinators would be going from house-to-house to administer the Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) to the targeted children in all the 34 local government areas.

Kogi
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has called on journalists to display high sense of professionalism, patriotism and discipline in their calling and avoid hate speeches and reports that tend to divide the nation.
Bello made the call at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner with media executives and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), last Friday night in Lokoja.
According to the governor, some reports in the media of late tend to polarise the nation.
He urged that reports that tend to sabotage unity of the nation or divide the people and undermine the corporate existence of the country should be avoided to pave way for advancement and development of the country.

Lagos
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State says efforts are being made to create additional centres for Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in 13 local government areas of the state.
The Administrative Secretary of the commission in Lagos State, Dr Mustapha Mudashiru, made this known in an interview with  newsmen last Saturday in Lagos.
He said the commission had pushed for more centres, especially in 13 of the 20 council areas in the state to reduce crowd in existing centres.
He added that “we requested for additional centres, particularly for some peculiar local governments in Lagos State to further address some of the challenges facing CVR  in a metropolitan city like Lagos.

Nasarawa
Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), Nasarawa State Command, has taken over Sandaji Medical Centre, Lafia, to provide medical services at affordable rate to patients and improve on their health status.
The State Commandant of Corps, Mr Bala Joshua, made this known on Saturday when he took journalists and other management staff of the corps on assessment tour of the hospital in Lafia.
He said that the aim of the assessment of facilities in the hospital signified official take-over of the hospital by the management of the state command of the corps.
“We felt that we should officially notify the media and the public on the take-over of medical activities at Sandaji hospital by our command to provide health services to the people at affordable rate.

Niger
The Catholic Bishop of Minna Diocese, Bishop Martin Uzoukwu, has emphasised the need for Nigerians to live as a family and desist from inflammatory statements that could jeopardise the nation’s unity.
He said this in an interview with newsmen in Minna last Saturday, noting that the recent development of hate speeches was unfortunate.
He said “God has reason for bringing us together; we should love one another, irrespective of our religious, ethnic and political differences.”
Uzuokwu said if concerted efforts were put in place in utilising the abundant mineral resources in the country, Nigeria would be a force to reckon with in the world.

Plateau
The Police Command in Plateau State deployed 2,900 officers and men to ensure hitch-free Eid-el fitr celebration.
The Command’s Spokesperson, ASP Terna Tyopev, told newsmen in Jos last Saturday that police would mount absolute surveillance in areas considered to be flash points and other strategic positions during and after the celebration.
He said “we have also organised an operational order to maintain law and order during and after the Sallah celebrations.
“We have identified some flash points in the state, and our men will be stationed in those areas to ensure that people celebrate the sallah peacefully.

Sokoto
The Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, says it has dismissed a lecturer (names withheld), for altering students’ results.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, told newsmen in Sokoto last Saturday, but declined to mention the affected lecturer’s full details.
Zuru said “that management of the university took that drastic action to serve as deterrent to others.
“The action is to remind academic and non academic staffers of what might happen if they try such an act.

Yobe
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Damaturu, Tarmuwa, Gujba and Gulani and Yobe, have lauded Rep. Abdullahi Kukuwa, for the construction of 10 boreholes and classrooms to facilitate resettlement in the displaced communities.
The spokesman of IDPs, Alhaji Adamu Gulani, stated this in an interview with newsmen  in Damaturu last Saturday.
He said that the boreholes constructed by Kukuwa, representing Damaturu/Gulani/Gujba/Tarmuwa federal constituency, had complemented those built by the state government in the affected communities.
Adamu said that the existing water facilities in the communities were destroyed by the insurgents thereby creating water scarcity in the areas.

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Rivers Deputy Governor Hails PH City One Love For Humanitarian Gesture

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Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.

Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.

She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.

Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love  has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.

The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.

Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.

 

He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.

Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.

He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.

According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.

Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.

Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them

 

John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah

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We’ll Partner Private Sector to Industrialize Rivers State – Fubara …Hints Revitalization of Ahoada, Trans Amadi Industrial layout

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Rivers State Governor , Sir Siminialayi Fubara says the industrialization of the state remains a key drive of his administration.
Speaking through Director General of the Rivers  State Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside at the Shell Gas Limited and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) Investors Forum held in Port Harcourt, Fubara stressed that public /private partnership is key to revive production in the state.
“We are ready to partner Shell Gas Limited to revive manufacturing in Rivers State at Ahoada Industrial Park, and the new Port City project, including the proposed Bonny Industrial Park which will grow industries along the Bonny corridor” he declared.
Part of the scheme, he further stated is to collaborate with Shell Gas Limited and the private sector to transform Rivers State into a major manufacturing hub in the South of Nigeria.
Commending Shell and MAN for leading the frontline, Sir. Fubara said,” the time to act is now  and thank God Shell is taking the lead to prioritize gas.”
The governor opined that the gas sector provides huge investment opportunities to drive the state economy as the world is gradually shifting towards gas and other environment friendly energy, while urging stakeholders to evolve an actionable gas policy for the state.
Earlier in his remarks, Shell Gas Limited Head of Gas Distribution, Mr. Chukwuka Amos-Ejesi said it is high time the state utilized its huge gas resource.
“Today gas offers investors opportunities and raises the value chain as it boosts production for industry users,” Amos-Ejesi said.
The Shell Gas Distribution executive said the company seeks to support manufacturing by adopting a user friendly approach that allows manufacturers to grow profitably with affordable cheaper energy.
He explained that natural gas provides huge potentials and aligns with federal government  policy of gas utilization.
Chairman of MAN Rivers and Bayelsa Branch, Elder Vincent Okugu described gas as the backbone of manufacturing.
He said the forum has become timely and key to address the pressing energy provision to boost production in the sector, as he lamented the high costs borne by manufacturers in sourcing energy alternatives.
In her remarks, Chairperson of  the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture, Dr. Chinyere Ngozi Nwoga commended Shell for the forum which she described as a bridge to reduce gap of energy provision for manufacturers.
Ngozi Nwoga said the transition to natural gas has become imperative, stressing that pipeline gas offers cheaper and smooth energy provision for industries.
Former MAN chairperson for Rivers and Bayelsa States, Mrs Emilia Akpan was of the view that the quest to provide cheap energy should be driven with technical manpower, as she emphasized  need for Rivers State to recreate its economy.
By Kevin Nengia
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SheVentures Open Zero-interest Loan Applications for Women Entrepreneurs

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First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to N10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.
The facility provides loans ranging from N500,000 to N5 million under a general category, and N5 million to N10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.
Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB),  Yemisi Edun,  said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.

“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively. Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.

“This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs”, Edun said.

Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo said access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs.

 

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