Bauchi

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Bauchi State trained more than 35,000 people in different trades and skills, its Coordinator, Alhaji Shuaibu Mohammed, has said.

Mohammed who  disclosed this  in Bauchi last Friday during a ceremony to disburse resettlement equipment to graduates of vocational skills on loan, urged the beneficiaries to ensure good use of the equipment and the timely repayment of the loan.

The coordinator explained that this would enable others, especially youth, who were either idle or just roaming the streets, to benefit.

In his speech, the NDE Director-General, Malam Abubakar Mohammed, said the allowances of both trainer and trainees would be reviewed upwards as soon as funds were made available by the Federal Government.

Borno

Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai, Shehu of  Borno,  said last Friday that awareness on compulsory insurance policy should be taken down to the local councils  to enable people at the grassroots understand its importance.

Garbai stated this when the Board of Directors of the National Insurance Commission paid him a courtesy visit in Maiduguri.

“On the Issue that brought you to Maiduguri, my advice is that it requires wider publicity, the publicity should not be limited to Maiduguri alone or its environs. It has to go to various  local governments and we have 27 local governments,’’ he said.

He added that a small committee should  be formed to continue reminding the people on the need for the compulsory insurance policy, especially as it focused most on the third party.

FCT

The Ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs, says youths, who will be trained on empowerment programmes in the Niger-Delta, will enroll in nine skill acquisition centres in June, 2011.

The Press Secretary, Mr Fidelis Osammor,  disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

The ministry had collected 13,000 applications from the youths to be trained to acquire skills in oil and gas, maritime and agriculture sectors.

He said the building of the skill acquisition centres in nine states of the Niger Delta, was ongoing and would be completed in June, 2011 as agreed between the ministry and the contractors.

Gombe

Governor Mohammad Goje of Gombe State on Friday directed council chairmen in the state to commence the implementation of free health care services for pregnant women and children under five years.

Issuing the directive at Lalaipido Town in Shongom local government area of Gombe State at the official launching of the Maternal and New-born Child Health Week (MNCHW), Goje said the implementation was with ‘immediate effect’.

The governor said that the state government started implementing the free-health services programme some years ago and that there was need for the councils to do same at the grassroots level to complement the efforts.

The governor also directed that all necessary arrangements should be made for the inauguration of the state’s taskforce on immunisation, headed by the Emir of Kaltungo, Alhaji Sale Muhammad.

Kaduna

The Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Authority (JDA) has executed 28 educational projects in Nigeria worth more than  N560 million.

The Chairman of  the organisation, Amb.  Sa’idu Pindar, said this during the inauguration of  a security fence and gate-house at Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Samaru, Zaria.

Pindar said the projects were spread across 28 states of  the federation, adding that JDA would cover the 36 states.

In his words, “we want to cover the remaining eight states in Nigeria so that the entire country will benefit from our projects. Each of  these projects has a minimum and maximum budget of between N15 and N25 million. This indicates that each of the projects averagely costs N20 million.

                                    Katsina

The Katsina State Education Fund spent over N66 million in training 10,000 secondary school students who failed WAEC/NECO examinations in the last 12 years in the state.

The Director-General of the fund, Alhaji Umaru Ali, told newsmen in Katsina that the training was to enable the students to qualify for university admission.

He explained that the fund is an NGO focusing in training secondary school students who have deficiencies in their examinations to get a minimum of five credits through either of its two special training programmes, namely; Continued Education and JAMB Clinic.

According to Ali, over N48 million have been spent on its continuing education programmes since inception in 1999 and  that more than 5,000 students have so far benefited from such training while  many of them have gained entry into universities. .

Kebbi

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Office has executed 6,504 community development projects nationwide in the past three years.

 The Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on MDGs, Hajiya Saudatu Sani, made the disclosure on Friday, in Birnin Kebbi, at the inauguration of some MDGs projects. The 22 projects inaugurated by the Chairperson were facilitate by the MDGs Office and Alhaji Abdullahi Farouk, a House member representing Birnin kebbi, Bunza and Kalgo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Gov. Saidu Dakingari who spoke at the occasion urged other politicians to emulate the lawmaker in the provision of social services that would add value to the lives of the people.

He said he would support individuals and groups toward the  actualisation of the MDGs programmes,”especially in the health, education and agriculture sectors”.  

Lagos

John Utaka, a Nigerian International with Portsmouth in the English Premier League, has announced his intention to float a Foundation to empower indigent children and youths in the country.

Briefing journalists last  Thursday in Lagos, the Portsmouth striker said that the decision for the ‘John Utaka Foundation’ was stimulated by the need to give something back to society. 

”I believe that giving back to the society is very essential because I was in the system before I travelled abroad where I started playing my professional football.

Education is a human right and it should not  be denied any child,” he said. Utaka said that the foundation would work in partnership with other organisations like Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to empower the youth through providing them scholarships.

He said that while the foundation’s focus would be providing formal education, nevertheless, it would also be empowering  the youths through work placements and vocational training.

Ogun

The Ijebu-Ode local government of Ogun State on Friday, inaugurated an environmental task force to enforce the relevant laws in the area.The task force, comprising 90 youths, is to ensure sustainable clean environment and check environmental pollution in the area. In his inaugural speech, the chairman of the council, Mr. Mufutau Oseni, said the task force was constituted due to the increase in environmental pollution.

Oseni also noted that the unwholesome activities of some residents  had destroyed the beauty of the area.

He said that members of the task force had been specially trained to cover all the nooks and crannies of the local government, adding that the operation of the force had legal backing.

The chairman urged the task force to discharge their duty without fear or favour and warned the people to desist from flouting sanitation laws as  sanctions awaited offenders, no matter their status in society.

Earlier, the leader of the task force, Mr.Bolaji Odunusi, promised that they would discharge their duties diligently.Odunusi urged the members to eschew violence,  acts of rudeness or disobedience to the constituted authority.

He also appealed to the community leaders to enlighten their people on the need to maintain peace and cordiality whenever the task force visited their areas.

Sokoto

Alhaji Mohammad Abubakar, Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, says the command is working in conjunction with the Sultanate to check the menace of hooligans in the state.

Abubakar told newsmen in Sokoto on Saturday, that the command would continue to partner with the traditional institution towards the improvement of security and cordial relationship among the people.

He acknowledged the immense support of the sultanate in the efforts at checking nefarious activities and improving the sense of security among the populace.

Abubakar said that a comprehensive list of area boys had been submitted to the sultanate council to ensure their proper rehabilitation and reintegration into the society.

                                    Jigawa

The Executive Secretary, Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board (JSPWB), Alhaji Suleiman Usman, says the state government has approved the fares for this year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Usman  told newsmen last Friday in Dutse, that the fares would be as announced by the National Hajj Commission.

He said that each intending pilgrim would pay 750 dollars (about N482, 679.33) for economy class; second class passengers would pay 1,000 dollars ( N516.766.83) while first class passengers would pay 1,500 dollars ( N591, 769.43).

Usman urged all intending pilgrims in the state to contact officials of the state Pilgrims Welfare Board in their respective local government areas and zones for necessary arrangement.

He said that the board had also made necessary arrangements for Islamic clerics who would give lectures on how pilgrims were expected to conduct their spiritual and moral obligations while in Saudi Arabia.