Nation
The State
Kano
Kano State Government has urged the State board of Internal Revenue to find ways of generating more funds to augment its receipts from the Federal Government.
The State Commissioner for projects, monitoring and evolution, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba said at a meeting with officials of the board that the effort became necessary in the light of short falls in funds that the state received from the federation account.
Speaking through a statement from the office of the Project Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate in Kano the commissioner urged the board to support the government to successfully execute its programme.
Sokoto
Sokoto state government has sacked Alhaji Isa Bajini the ‘Galadima Garri who is a senior councilor in the sultanate councilor Bajini was also relieved of his membership of the state council of chiefs.
This information was contained in a statement signed by Malam Sani Umar the Media Assistant to Governor Aliyo Wamakko.
The statement said the state government and the sultanate council were only responding to the yearnings and aspiration of the people.
Taraba
Shelter Development Nigeria Limited has called on Taraba State Government to ensure adequate maintenance of the Jolly Nyame International Sprots Complex in Jalingo.
The call was made by a representative of the company’s managing director, Engr. Mohammed Tahir, at the finale handing over of the sports complex to the state Government by the company.
According to him, the complex has modern sporting facilities, and can seat 16,000 people. He said with the finale completion and handing over, of the project to the state government, Taraba can now serve as a hosting centre to any international sports event in the country.
Zamfara State
The Zamfara State Zakkat Endowment board has set aside N91 million for the construction of 28 schools to facilitate educational development among less privileged communities in the state.
The Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Atiku Sani Maradun, said on Thursday in Bungudu during presentation of cash donations to some less privileged that five out of the 28 schools have been completed at a cost of N16.2 million.
He gave the benefitting communities, as Madidi in Bungudu, Yargadaje in Zurmi, Jangeru in Shinkafi, Abarma in Gusau and Mabangala in Talata Mafara Local Government councils of the state.
He said the second phase of the project would cover Tsafe, Kauran Namoda, Maru Maradun and Anka Local Governments and is expected to be completed with in the next six months.
He said that the project was conceived out of the desire to encourage indigent communities to learn both Islamic and western education through the conventional school system.
The schools he said would be handed over to the communities under the supervision of the Ministry for Religious Affairs after completion, for proper co-ordination and guidance.
He also said that the board has contributed N15m to orphans and physically challenged persons under its small scale business support scheme across the state.
Speaking at the occasion, Governor Mahmuda Shinlkafi commended the board for its commitment to the welfare of their professional responsibility to the society.
While speaking at the occasion, senior environmental officer with KEPA, Mrs Maureen Oyedoja, expressed satisfaction and commended the ACPN members for willingly destroying the expired drugs.
Ogun
Pro Chancellor of the Olabisi Onobanjo University (DOU), Ago Iwoye Ogun State otunba Alex Onabanjo has attributed the rot in the university system to the lack of managerial exposure and training of successive vice chancellors.
Speaking as the guest lecturer in the maiden public lecture of the correspondents chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ibadan, Onabonjo decried the politicisation and ethnicisation in the appointments of vice chancellors and the constitution of governing councils of the nation universities stating that merit and vision have been sacrificed.
In the lecture entitled “Taking the public universities to the next level, the managerial challenged, Onabonjo said that politicisation of the appointments have robbed many universities of purposeful leadership.
He advised both the federal and state governments to always look for individuals who are successful in the business world to complement whatever theoretical knowledge academic and non academic members possess.
According to him, the primordial considerations has led to the emergence of universities leadership that lacked managerial abilities, purpose and vision complement the ideal of the founding fathers of tertiary education in the country.
Kaduna
Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) in partnership with the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA) have destroyed expired drugs and related products worth N2.9 million.
Speaking shortly after the destruction the chairman of ACPN, Kaduna State chapter, Mr Alphonsus Okoye said that the products destroyed included anti-cancer drugs, anti-biotics, anti-malaria, cough preparations and analgesics, among others.
He further explained that the expired drugs and related products were submitted to the association by its members to be destroyed based on the demands of pharmacy ethics.
According to him “this is an annual exercise aimed at safeguarding the health of the public by preventing them from accessing expired drug products.”
Okoye appealed to the government at all levels of always patronize registered pharmacies for their drugs so as to avoid buying expired ones and also called on the management of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to ensure that Nigerians access drugs only from NHIS accredited pharmacies.
He also advised pharmacist to continue to submit expired drugs to the association for destruction as part of their professional responsibility to the society.
While speaking at the occasion, senior Environmental officer with KEPA, Mrs Maureen Oyedoja, expressed satisfaction and commended the ACPN members for willingly destroying the expired drugs.
Lagos
Worried by the menance of land speculators (Omonile), the Lagos State House of Assembly has urged the State Security Service (SSS) to assist the government in arresting the trend, especially around Ikorodu.
Speaking at the weekend when he and other members of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, visited the Director of SSS, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, the committee chair, Hon. Ipoola Omisore, said the activities of the land speculators could throw the state into chaos.
“We need to look at the Ikorodu axis on the Omonile issue; it is very explosive and capable of causing crisis in the state,” Omisore said.
He spoke on the need for state police to enhance security.
Replying, Abubakar said the service recognised the importance of legislature and was prepared to enhance security.
“We share information with various states and federal agencies to aid the security situation not only in Lagos but throughtout the country,” Abubakar said.
On land speculators, the Director said it was within the purview of the outfit and “and we have been doing a lot about that and we are sure that by God’s grace we shall surmount”.
Abubakar praised the state government for its support for the security agencies, adding “we will continue to do our best to improve the situation.
Oyo
Oyo State Commissioner for establishment and poverty Alleviation, Jeleel Agboola has stressed the need for skill acquisition among women, describing it as a veritable tool for driving away hunger and creating sustainable employment among the womenfolk.
Agboola who said this at a poverty reduction workshop also urged for attitudinal change among the womenfolk, if the effort of the government to reduce poverty must have the desired effect.
The commissioner also urged the womenfolk and the youths to embrace acquisition and thus become self reliant, stressing that the focus on women was deliberate due to their sensitive nature and home support.
“Women constitute a large percentage of the population of this state and playing significant economic roles in the family as opposed to the past when they are limited to just taking care of children.”
In her goodwill message, of the event, the wife of the Oyo State Governor Mrs Oluwakami Alao-Alala lamented the second class role being conferred on the women by political office holders in the country, insisting that they constitute an important stake in the democratic project of the country.
“Clearly, empowering women through capacity building is on essential step to confronting the challenges of poverty and hunger” she said.
Abuja
The South South parliamentary caucus in the House of Representatives, has urged the federal Government not be in a haste to withdraw the Joint Military Taskforce ( JTF) deploy to the Niger Delta until it has been fully ascertained that there were no armed groups anymore in the region.
Secretary to the caucus Hon. Daniel Reyenieja said there should be a limit to the amount of pressure interest groups can bring upon government when it comes to issue of national security.
Reyenieju who spoke to newsmen in Abuja said that every Nigerian should applaud the amnesty programme and the success achieved so for, stressing that urging for the immediate withdrawal of the military from the region w’re doing so move out of the euphoria of the moment than out of the knowledge of the red security situation in the region.
“This is a national security issue and we cannot force the federal government to take certain decisions without considering their implications.
The decision to disown the militant groups was taken by the government in the best interest of the citizenry and as such when the peace has been achieved, to a relative height, government knows what to do.
He also said that the Niger Delta is so vast and so polarized that there are certain parks of the region that would not want the military to move out yet, because of the peculiar security situation prevalent in such places over the years.
An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre is set to be established in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema /Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The initiative is being championed by the Omoku People’s Forum, a global association of Omoku elites, under the leadership of its President-General, Dr. George Ada Ubah.
As part of efforts to ensure the successful execution of the project, a prominent son of Omoku, Chief (Barr.) Dennis Masi, has been appointed by the Forum as the Chairman of the ICT Centre Project Committee, entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating and driving the initiative to fruition. Upon completion, the ICT Centre is expected to serve as a major hub for the training and empowerment of youths in digital and technological skills, equipping them to actively participate in the increasingly technology-driven global environment.
The project is also widely regarded as a significant step towards positioning Omoku as an emerging ICT hub within Rivers State, fostering innovation, digital literacy, and economic development in the region.
Concerned Rivers Chiefs For Peace And Development has said it formation was not politically motivated or has any links to political parties or candidates.
The group which said this at a media briefing at Abuloma in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area said it’s formation has nothing to do with politics.
According to the text for the briefing jointly signed by Chief Boma Kele Oyika it’s chairman and Chief Inemo T Ikama Deputy Secretary General said the organization is expected to focus on conflict Resolution, community engagement, collaboration with government and private sector actors
‘it mandate also includes promoting peace building initiative, supporting local economic empowerment programms and strengthening traditional institutions in our state and beyond as partners in governance ”
It said the body is led by a team of respected traditional leaders serving as trustees
“Their collective leadership reflects a blend of experience cultural authority and grassroots connection
“Key elements considered vital for addressing long standing,socio economic and security challenges in the region”
The release further says ” the formation of this organization comes at a time when communities in Rivers state continue to navigate between issues ranging from youth unemployment, environmental concerns and intermittent conflicts amongst the traditional rulers and beyond
“By bringing together influential traditional figures under a unified platform, the group aims at serving as stabilizing force while advocating for inclusive development policies ” it said
It also described its emergence as a new chapter in grass roots leadership and regional development
Earlier, chairman of the body, Chief Boma Kele Oyika said the organization will work with relevant authorities to promote peaceful coexistence in the state, reduce crime and promote economic development.
He said it is open to all Chiefs from the 23 local government areas.
The Chairman of The Nigeria Delta Chamber of Commerce, Trade, Mines and Agriculture NDCCTMA,Ambassador Idaere Gogo Ogan and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ) Dr Samuel Ogbuku have challenged Niger Delta entrepreneurs to close the gap in Gross Demostic Products (GDP) differences between the region and that of the South Western part of the country by coming home to invest.
The two leaders spoke at a business round table organized by NDDCTMA in Port Harcourt
Chairman of NDDCTMA Ambassador Idaere Gogo Ogan, said to close the gap between the south west region which he said has a GDP seize of about #59 trillion and that of the Niger Delta which is about #34 trillion was to massively invest in the region.
He said no other persons can do this except sons and daughters from the region.
“For me I believe in statistics,I believe in data and everyday I looked at the data concerning development in Nigeria and from the GDP point of view, the South West has #59 trillion, that is the seize of the south west region economy, the second region following them is the Niger Delta region with GDP seize of #34 trillion,so there is a yearning gap of #25 trillion that separates the south west and the Niger Delta region, that is why we are here”
Ogan said the region has the capacity to close the gap and even surpassed it but regretted that indigenes of the region have chosen to ignore it in terms of investment.
“We need to close that gap .If we close that gap and even surpassed it,all the negative problems of militancy and unemployment will automatically erase “he said
Ogan said the event was organized to remind the people that past efforts of militancy and agitations have not led the region to any where
“That is why we are gathered here in this room “he said.
Also speaking Managing Director/Chief Executive officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission( NDDC) Dr Samuel Ogbuku urged indigenes of the region not to use the problem of insecurity as an excuse to continue to deny the region of investment as every part of the country have in one time or the other experienced crisis.
Ogbuku said most indigenes have displayed high level of unpatriotism towards the region by taking investments that would have benefited the people to either Lagos or Abuja.
“With little threat we have left the city,we have gone to Lagos,we have moved our families to Abuja and Lagos
“If you go round GRA all the property, you will see,”to let to let”most of them are now empty “he said.
The NDDC MD said despite the fact that people from the region are doing well in the oil and gas, banking and other sectors, its impact are not being felt at home because they are stationed outside the region.
He said time has come for potential investors from the region to have a change of heart by coming home to invest.
John Bibor