Bauchi

The Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (BARUWASSA) says it has spent over N480 million in providing 300 water and sanitation facilities in the state in the last four years.

The Programme Manager of the agency, Malam Garba Magaji, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi last Monday.

According to him, the projects, funded by UNICEF, have been provided in 50 primary schools each in Dass, Kirfi, Darazo, Giade, Zaki and Dambam Local Government Areas of the state.

He explained that the projects involved the provision of 50 water and sanitation facilities in each of the six benefiting local governments.

Ekiti

Farmers in Ekiti State have appealed to the Federal Government to ban the importation of rice as part of efforts to boost local production of the commodity.

The farmers, under the aegis of the Association of Small-Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSPIN), made the appeal on Monday in Ado-Ekiti at the inauguration of the state chapter of the group.

Mr Mabinuori Adeleke, National Vice-President of the association, insisted that placing a ban on rice importation would encourage local rice farmers to boost production.

He said that rice farmers in the state were contemplating sponsoring a bill at the National Assembly to outlaw the importation of rice.

FCT

The FCT Fadama office has so far disbursed N94.2 million to community farming associations in the territory, for assets acquisition, input support and capacity building.

Mr Usman Adangara, the Information Officer, FCT Fadama III Project, disclosed this on Monday in Gwagwalada in an interview with newsmen.

He said the office had also registered 732 Fadama User Groups (FUG) and 61 Fadama Community Associations (FCA) in the territory.

According to him, 41 out of the 61 FCA have developed their Local Development Plans(LDPs), adding that 22 of the plans had been approved by the Local Fadama Committees (LFCs), headed by the area council chairmen.

Gombe

The Radiation Medicine Complex at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gombe, was commissioned last Monday, with the Medical Director, Dr Aliyu Elnafaty, describing it as the most equipped and first of its kind in the country.

Elnafaty said on the occasion that the complex offered the latest technology in radiation and had been inspected by the regulatory authority and certified to meet the FMC’s compliance level.

He said the facility was long overdue, considering the prevalence of cancer-related afflictions in the North-East zone of the country.

“Before, patients with cancer had to travel to the National Hospital in Abuja or the Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital in Zaria for such services.

Kaduna

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday appealed to prospective pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to be worthy ambassadors of the country.

Its Deputy Director in Kaduna, Mr Dennis Nwosu, told newsmen that the agency was undertaking an inspection at the airports to stop pilgrims from leaving the country with uncertified products.

He said only prescribed drugs for those on medication were allowed, and reminded the pilgrims that food and grains were prohibited.

“People can use this opportunity to smuggle illicit drugs which, when discovered, may tarnish the image of our country,” he said.

Kwara

A 38-year-old man, Tunde Isah, was last Monday arraigned in Ilorin for allegedly stealing a generator set worth N18,000.

The accused, of No 7, Ode Ajada, Agbaji area of Ilorin, was docked before an Ilorin Magistrate’s Court presided over by Mr Abdullahi Bello.

Isah pleaded not guilty to the one count charge of theft.

The magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N10,000 with two sureties in like sum.

According to the Police First Information Report (FIR), a complainant, Kehinde Ibrahim, of Olorunsogo, Gaa- Akanbi, Ilorin, reported the case to the police on October 17.

The report alleged that the accused came to the complainant’s shop to steal the generator worth N18,000.

Lagos

A motor spare parts importer, Osaretin Ehiogie, was yesterday arraigned in Lagos for allegedly defrauding a foreign-based Nigerian of automobile parts valued N6.2 million.

Ehiogie, 50, is standing trial before Chief Magistrate, Mrs Oyindamola Ogala of the Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

The prosecutor, Insp. Eshiet Eshiet, told the court that Ehiogie had a business deal with one Roland Lawrence, based abroad, to supply him (accused) motor parts for sale in Nigeria.

Eshiet said the accused collected the vehicle parts at the Apapa ports and sold them, but refused to remit the proceeds to the complainant.

The accused pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The case was adjourned till November 15 for further hearing.

Nasarawa

The Federal Government has been called upon to provide orphans and vulnerable children with free education from the primary to secondary school levels.

The Secretary, Association of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (AOVC), Nasarawa Chapter, Mr Ibrahim Samaila, made the call in Lafia on Monday.

He said the state governments should make a special financial commitment to enhance the activities of the association.

Presenting a paper entitled “Overview of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Nigeria” at a workshop, Samaila said that OVC constituted 31 per cent of the children population in Nigeria.

He said if nothing was done to curtail the situation, the number may double by the end of this year as projected by the UNICEF.

Samaila commended Gov. Akwe Doma for ensuring that such children were given hope and support in the society.

Osun

The Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo last Monday remanded two persons, Kasim Adegbite, 24, and Dele Johnson, 35, for allegedly dealing in Indian hemp.

Adegbite and Johnson were arraigned for unlawfully dealing in 330g and 6.8kg of cannabis sativa, popularly known as Indian hemp respectively.

Plateau

The Dutch government is “very concerned” about the peace and security situation in Nigeria, the Royal Netherlands Embassy said yesterday.

Mr Bert Ronhaar, the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, made the remark during a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Sunny Tyoden.

“The Dutch government has a policy of promoting peace and security across the globe and we are particularly interested in peace in Africa and our major concern is Nigeria.

“That is why we spend tax payers’ money to fund peace and security projects in Nigeria by facilitating the functions of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Management and Peace Building in the University of Jos,” he said.

Sokoto

Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, the Sokoto State Governor, has urged the Federal Government to revive the nation’s agricultural sector.

Wamakko made the appeal in Sokoto last Monday when he kicked off the distribution of a N1 billion agricultural loan scheme, under the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme, the CBN-CACS of the Federal Government.

“The Federal Government has the wherewithal to revive the sector. This is being done in other parts of the world.

Yobe

Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe said last Monday that his administration would collaborate with religious groups to combat the escalating incidences of cholera in the state.

Speaking at the launch of a N20 million education appealed fund in Damaturu, Gaidam said the role of religious leaders was significant and necessary in creating awareness on hygiene.

He said the outbreak of cholera in the state was caused by peoples’ ignorance about cleanliness and non-compliance with environmental laws.

Earlier, the leader of Islamic group that organised the launch, Sheik Haruna Gashua, said it was organised to expand mosques and provide opportunities to educate the people.

He appealed to Muslims to assist the government in ensuring peace and stability in the state.

Zamfara

A suspected cholera outbreak in Government Girls Secondary School (GGASS), Gusau, has killed at least two students of the school.

The infected students were kept in an isolated area within the premises where they received treatments from medical personnel from the state ministry of health.

Gov. Mahmud Shinkafi paid a sympathy visit to the school last Monday.

Addressing the staff and students, Shinkafi wished the patients quick recovery and prayed to God to avert future occurrence.

He also prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead.