Borno

The United Nations says it has distributed fertiliser, seeds and other inputs to 1.2 million farmers displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.

The UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Peter Lundberg told newsmen in Maiduguri that the gesture was to assist farmers who had returned to their homes in liberated communities.

Lundberg disclosed that the UN and its partners were currently providing food support to 1. 3 million displaced persons on monthly basis in the region.

He said that the measure was part of a comprehensive support programme to enhance food security and tackle humanitarian crisis occasioned by the insurgency.

“For the UN, food security situation is one of the major issues,” he said.

FCT

A combined military training organised by the United States Air Force (USAF) Command in Europe in partnership with the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) has opened in Lagos.

The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja. Adesanya said the week-long programme with the theme: “Aeromedical Evacuation and Medical Deployment”, began last Monday at the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja.

He said the programme would bring together countries in Africa to simulate a combined security and humanitarian environment.

Declaring the programme open, Governor Akinwumi Ambode, said the combined training was a welcome development.

Kano

A Kano Chief Magistrates’ Court recently ordered the remand of a teenager, Abdul Ibrahim  in prison custody for allegedly defiling an eight-year-old boy. Ibrahim, 18, who lives in Brigade Quarters in Kano, is facing a charge of defilement.  The Prosecutor, Sgt. Pogu Lale, told court that one Umar Jibrin of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano, reported the case at the Gwagwarwa Police Division in Kano on June 1.  Lale said that on May 31 at about 7:00 p.m., the accused deceived and lured the boy to his brother’s shop situated at Brigade Market, Kano.

“The defendant deceitfully had canal knowledge of the boy and gave him the sum of N30,” he said.

Kebbi

Staff of Kebbi State House of Assembly last Monday embarked on an indefinite strike over the non-payment of their allowances for the past three years. It was gathered that the strike stalled the activities of the House as the workers’ chants made it impossible for the members to communicate, forcing a quick adjournment. Chairman, Kebbi State chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammed Garba, who briefed newsmen on the action, said that workers were left with no other option after pleas to management yielded no fruits.

“We have pursued the payment of these allowances for the past three years.

“We have made several appeals and held meetings with the leadership of the House on the issue but to no avail,” he said.

Kwara

Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdul Ganiyu Ambali, has pledged to hand over a better institution than he inherited five years ago, to his successor.

Ambali, whose five-year tenure ends on October 15, 2017, disclosed this during an interview with newsmen last Tuesday in Ilorin. The vice-chancellor noted that his administration had done its best towards sustaining the legacies of the founding fathers of the University.

 He added that he had also succeeded in maintaining an uninterrupted academic calendar as well as ensuring peace on campus.

Lagos

No fewer than 62 juvenile offenders and 67 inmates with disabilities held at Kirikiri Female Prisons and Kirikiri Medium Prisons, Lagos, were recently released on the orders of the State Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade. She said her intervention particularly at the female prisons was part of efforts to address the problem of under-aged offenders being locked up in prisons across the state. Our correspondent reports that Atilade had on August 1 released 80 juvenile offenders held at Badagry Prison, Lagos, for sundry offences.

Nasarawa

The Joint Union of Tertiary Institution (JUTI) has called on the Nasarawa State Government to enrol its workers in the contributory pension sheme.

The Chairman of the union, Mr Ariks Bashayi told newsmen in Lafia yesterday that the call became necessary  in view of the problems that had beset the existing pension scheme. “Under the current pension scheme, a lot of our staff who retired from service more than firve years ago have not been able to receive pension or gratuity, he explained. Bashayi also urged the managements of all the Nasarawa state owned tertiary institutions to allow their workers to join the contibutory pension scheme.

The College of Education Akwanga (COEA); State Polytechnic Lafia; College of Agriculture Lafia; and Nasarawa State University in Keffi are some of the state-owned tertiary institutions.

Niger

The Niger State House of Assembly has pledged to enact laws that would ensure an environment conducive to woo investors to the state.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Alhaji Ahmed Marafa, made the pledge in Minna during the 2017 Niger State Investment Summit which had as its theme: “Impact Investing for Advancing Agricultural Economy and Innovation.”

Oyo

A divorce-seeking housewife, Risikat Ojo, says her husband, Mathew Ojo, deserts home whenever Eid-el-Kabr and other festivals draw nearer in order not to spend money during the festival periods.

      Risikat testified recently in an Idi-Ogungun Customary Court, Agodi, Ibadan, in a divorce suit she filed against her husband.

“My lord, Ojo did not pay my dowry and was in the habit of abandoning me at home and pack out to unknown destination whenever Ileya festival and other festivals draw nearer.

Plateau

The Plateau State Police Command has advised motorists to protect their vehicles with security gadgets.

It advised motorists to protect their vehicles with steering and pedal locks in addition to inscribing  their vehicles’ registration numbers on the two windscreens, side mirrors and other  parts. The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Terna Tyopev, gave the advice in a statement made available to newsmen last Tuesday in Jos. According to Tyopev, the advice became necessary because of the rising incidents of car theft in the state.

“We have observed with so much concern the rising spate of car theft within Jos and the environs, this is mainly because people park their vehicles with any form of security”, he said.

Sokoto

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State last Tuesday urged corps members posted to the state to consider themselves as agents of change.

Tambuwal made the call at the closing of 2017 Batch ‘A’ stream II, NYSC orientation camp in Sokoto State. The governor urged them to freely mingle with the communities as well as engage actively in activities that would contribute toward economic development of the state. The Governor, represented by State Head of Service, Dr Abubakar Bello, urged corps members to also strive toward eradication of poverty, fight against corruption, drugs abuse and other social vices.

Zamfara

Chairman, Zamfara State Council of  Chiefs, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, has attributed low turnout of electorate to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) and participate in Continuous Voters Registration in the state to insecurity.

Attahiru, who is the Emir of Anka, stated this at his palace, Anka, last  Tuesday, when he received in audience the state  committee on mobilisation and awareness creation on the collection of PVCs. The 14-man committee was led by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji. The emir noted that insecurity situation faced by the state had resulted to underdevelopment in various sectors, including PVC registration.