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Borno
A 16-year-old Internally Displaced Person (IDP) in Maiduguri, Miss Maryam Muhammad  has called for upward review of the quantity of foodstuffs provided to IDPs by the government.
Maryam told newsmen at the IDPs camp in Maiduguri that she could hardly feed herself in the camp, as the food ration was not enough.
She said that the food ration given to them was not enough to meet the needs of members of her household.
“My parents were killed when the insurgents sacked my village in Monguno Local Government Area.
“There are six children in the family; two boys and four girls. Presently, we are taking shelter in the camp.
“The food ration given to us is too small to meet our needs. The food is expected to last for 30 days, but it only serves us for about 20 days,” she said.

FCT
The establishment of Police Public Relations School will strengthen the capacity and capabilities of spokespersons of the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris has said.
Idris made the statement in Abuja at the commencement of five-day training for spokespersons of state and zonal commands and the inauguration of the Police Public Relations School.
He said that when fully operational, the school was expected to train officers in the 12 zonal commands, 36 states commands, among others.
The I-G said that the force was making efforts to change public perception of the police by striving to do away with unethical behaviours.

Jigawa
The Jigawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board says it has completed the transportation of the intending pilgrims from the state  to Saudi Arabia.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the board Alhaji Ibrahim Hashimmade the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Dutse.
He said the last batch of 390 intending pilgrims departed the Dutse International Airport last Tuesday at 12.31 a.m. through Max Air Ltd.
Hashim said with the last transportation, the Airline had transported a total of 1,481 pilgrims from the state to Saudi Arabia in an exercise that began on August 18.
Meanwhile, Governor Muhammad Badaru of the State who bade the intending pilgrims farewell, urged them to shun any act that would contravene the laws of Saudi Arabia, throughout the exercise.

Kaduna
No fewer than 6,205  pilgrims from Kaduna State have been transported to Saudi Arabia for the 2017 Hajj, the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has said.
The board’s spokesman, Yunusa Abdullahi told newsmen last Tuesday in Kaduna that the pilgrims were transported in 17 flights.
He said  that 4,349 males and 1,856 females were transported by the two airlines engaged by the board.
Medview Airline, he said, had so far transported 3, 996 pilgrims in 13 flights, leaving the company with 545 more intending pilgrims to complete the exercise.
Abdullahi also said that Max Air had completed the transportation of all the 2,209 passengers allotted to the company.

Kwara
The wife of the Governor of  Kwara State, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed last Tuesday  said youths,  as change agents  must strive to acquire the necessary skills that would prepare them as  future leaders.
The governor’s wife made the call in Ilorin at the opening of the annual youth camp of  the  South West Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN).
Ahmed, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Ayinke Saka said youths should never allow themselves to be used as agents of destruction.
The governor’s wife, who commended the organisers of the programme, noted that the forum would serve as platform for  moulding and reshaping the minds of youths.

Lagos
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said last Tuesday that lack of scientific Audience Measurement System was responsible for the underdevelopment of the nation’s broadcasting sector.
The minister stated this in Lagos at the third International Summit on Digital Broadcasting in Nigeria organised by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON).
He noted that audience measurement system was key to fostering growth of the broadcasting industry and making Digital Switch Over (DSO) sustainable for all stakeholders.
“We need an objective and scientific audience measurement system that articulates value of the content to consumers, as well as value of the audience to advertisers, particularly in the television sector”, he said.

Niger
The Nigeria Police Force said it had arrested 26 suspects for kidnapping, armed robbery, rape and unlawful possession of prohibited fire arms in Lambata area of Niger State.
The force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja last Tuesday on the arrest.
He named the suspects as Isa Umar, Nuhu Yahaya, Sanda Saleh, Ali Ali, Okechukwu Atama, Mohammed Aliyu, Haruna Adamu, Adamu Bello, Abubakar Iliyasu, Safiyu Mohammed, among others.
Moshood said that the suspects who operated at different areas were arrested between August 8 and 22 in Niger.
He said that items recovered from them include: Four Ak 47 rifles, cutlasses, cell phones, wrist watches, military camouflage and personal effects of their victims.

Ondo
The Ondo State Government has appealed to the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to end the boundary dispute between Ondo and Ogun States.
The state Deputy Governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi made the appeal last Tuesday in Akure when the NBC officials who were in the state for ethnographic study on boundary crisis between the two sister states, paid him a courtesy visit.
Ajayi appealed to the officials to do justice to the study while he assured them of adequate security, among other logistics for the smooth conduct of the week-long exercise.
The NBC officials were in the state to conduct ethnographic studies on the four local governments involved in the boundary crisis in Ondo State.
The affected councils are Ondo West, Odigbo, Okitipupa and llaje Local Government Areas.
Ajayi, who assured the officials that the state government was ready for a peaceful conduct of the exercise noted that  Ondo State  is the most peaceful state among the Niger-Delta states .

Oyo
An Oyo State High Court  last Tuesday  granted bail to an Ibadan-based broadcaster, Oriyomi Hamzat  and four others accused  of  the murder  of a teenager.
Justice M.I.  Sule granted  each defendant  bail in the sum of  N2 million  with two sureties in like sum.
Sule said one of the sureties must be a civil servant on Grade Level 14 while the other must be a business man.
The case was first heard at an Iyaganku Magistrates’  Court on August  1.
It was, however, transferred to the high court as the magistrates’ court had  no jurisdiction to hear the case. .
Hamzat , 37;  Idowu Ibrahim , 27;  Mohammed Bashir, 31;  Taiwo Olaronke ,23;  and Yusuf  Toheeb Ajisafe, 23, were all arraigned  on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.
The Prosecutor, Insp Sunday Fatola,  told the court that the defendants  conspired  among themselves to commit murder.

Plateau
A former  Chairman of the  National Population Commission (NPC),  Chief Sumaila Makama has urged journalists to promote peace and unity in the country through proper reportage.
Makama gave the advice at the inauguration of the new executive of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Plateau State.
According to him, the press as the fourth estate of the realm has much to do  in setting  an agenda that would promote the growth and development of Nigeria.
“As the fourth estate of the realm, I have no doubt that you have all it takes to unite this country through your reportage.
“You can set  an agenda that will promote peace and unity in this country.
“You can use your pen to defend individual freedom and liberty because the pen is mightier than the sword”, Makama said.

Zamfara
The Zamfara State Government has not paid gratuities to its retirees or death benefits to survivors of its late workers in the last 10 years, according to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Chairman of the state chapter of the NLC, Mr Bashir Marafa told newsmen  in Gusau last Tuesday that the state currently owes the retirees N4 billion following its failure to meet the obligations since 2008.
Reports says that the NLC, last Monday, gave the state government a 21-day ultimatum to meet the workers’ demand or risk “an indefinite total strike”.
Marafa wondered why the state government did not deploy the bailout funds and Paris Club refunds to settle the liabilities as directed by the Federal Government.
“Our conclusion is that the monies were either diverted or mismanaged because workers’ annual and promotion increments have not been effected, while pensioners and retirees benefits have remained unsettled” he said.

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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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