The family of Mr Kayode Ogunlusi in Ayegunle-Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Monday lost their children after taking a cassava meal prepared by the family.

Our correspondent reports that five other members of the family, who also ate the cassava meal, are now on admission at the emergency unit of the University of Ado-Ekiti Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti.

Ogunlusi, the father of the deceased children, who only regained consciousness after receiving medical attention, said the family ate the cassava meal on Sunday night as dinner.

He explained that few hours after taking the meal, two of the children started vomiting, while one became unconscious.

The father, who disclosed that the food was prepared by his wife,

Abosede, said members of the family were later taken to a private hospital in the town for initial treatment by their neighbours.

FCT

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Tuesday called on the federal government to address unemployment as a means of checking insecurity in the country.

Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator, HURIWA, told newsmen in Abuja that unemployment was the major cause of crime in the country.

He demanded for the establishment of a data collection unit at the Ministry of Labour and Productivity to ensure that accurate record of unemployed youths were kept.

Onwubiko added that paying unemployed youths some stipend would contribute to the fight against crime.

He urged the federal government to implement people’s friendly policies that would create the enabling environment for school leavers and graduates to be gainfully employed.

Kano

Alhaji Ibrahim Yakasai,  the Kano State Commissioner for Commerce, Tourism and Industries, has advised the Council of Chambers of Commerce to collectively develop the industrial sector to achieve vision 20:20-20.

The commissioner gave the advice on Monday at the opening of the third meeting of the Nigerian Council of Chambers of Commerce in Kano.

Yakasai said Kano State as a pace setter in all aspects of human endeavour, had repositioned it’s economy in spite of the economic meltdown.

He added that a clear testimony was the prevailing peace and tranquillity in the state, adding that it was the driving force for peaceful co-existence and the development of commerce and industries.

Kwara

The Kwara Government said it had so far spent N2.5 billion on the installation of 725 transformers in various communities between 2003 and date.

The Commissioner for Energy, Alhaji Zakari Mohammed, said this in Ilorin recently while answering questions from newsmen on the activities of his ministry.

The commissioner said the purchase and installations of transformers by the state government was the highest any government had done for its communities in the country.

Mohammed said that the second phase of the government rural electrification project would commence in the next two weeks with the distribution of transformers to 105 rural communities.

Lagos

Prof. Osita Eze, the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) has advocated for capacity development of Foreign Service Officers (FSO) to enable them actualise the country’s foreign policy.

In an interview with newsmen in Lagos, Eze contended that the expertise of the officers was required to reposition Nigeria on the world scene.

“Nigerian government needs to adequately empower, train and retrain FSO to enable them discharge their assignments creditably and promote the country’s foreign policy,’’ he said.

The Director-General said that Nigeria, being the “anchor’’ of the African continent, should strive to create an environment that would enhance her leadership position.

Ogun

 Absence of regular medical check-ups and stress have been identified as major causes of the upsurge in premature deaths in Nigeria.

Dr Samuel Adeloye, an Ijebu Ode-based medical practitioner made the observation on Tuesday at a symposium, organised by an NGO, “Save Lives First”.

Adeloye, who noted that most Nigerians were in the habit of working beyond their capacity without regular check-ups, said the situation had led to the untimely death of many.

He explained that the economic situation in the country had forced many to engage in desperate searches for extra income at the expense of their health conditions, describing it as “an unfortunate situation”.

Osun

The Osun Coordinator of NAPEP, Mrs Funmi Akinyemi, said on Monday that a new programme tagged Village Economic Solution had been introduced to create jobs.

Akinyemi who announced this in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo, said the programme was designed by NAPEP to assist the less-privileged.

According to her, under the programme, interested youths are expected to form a cooperative societies, to enable them to benefit from the stimulus package.

She said the federal government had provided funds for disbursement to some identified well-organised and serious minded youths as a revolving loan scheme.

Akinyemi said the scheme was different from other conventional government programmes because it was rural people-friendly and targeted at assisting young villagers with skills.

Oyo

The Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture wants 20 per cent allocation to each local government council to be used for agricultural development.

To this end,  the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Kunle Ishola, told journalists in Ibadan that the ministry had proposed an amendment to the bill on local government matters in this regard.

Ishola said the bill, if passed into law, would make it an offence for any council to divert money meant for agriculture to any other area.

He complained that the fees charged at the federal government’s grain silos located in the Monatan area of Ibadan were too high just as the prices of grains sold there.

Plateau

The Plateau  Commissioner of Police, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba has embarked on a familiarisation tour of police formations in Jos, following the gradual return of peace in the city.

A statement signed by the Plateau Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asp. Mohammed Lerama, said that during the tour, the commissioner would meet and address officers and men of the force.

It noted that the commissioner would also meet with members of vigilance groups and the Police Community Public Relations Committee (PCRC) in the state.

The statement said that Aduba would pay a courtesy visit to important personalities in the police formations, local government chairmen and traditional rulers.

The command appealed to the public to remain calm, maintain peace and to continue to consolidate on the peaceful atmosphere so far achieved in the state.

Yobe

 The National Directorate of Employment in Yobe has trained 150 widows, orphans and vulnerable persons on various vocations for self-employment.

 The Coordinator, Alhaji Adamu Ba’ aba made the  disclosure on Monday in Damaturu during an interview with the newsmen.

He said, the directorate had trained 30 people in rural agricultural development, 50 in sewing, 10 in waste management, 50 in ICT and 10 in interior decorations.

“The graduates in agricultural development have been given loans totalling N2.9 m for livestock farming in cattle, goat, sheep rearing and fish farming,’’ he said.

Adamu noted that, the widows trained in weaving, sewing, shoe and beads making had been given working tools worth N1.9m for the take off of their business ventures.