Nation
THE STATES
Borno
Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, has called on local government chairmen in the state to do all within their powers to protect government property in their domain against attacks by Boko Haram.
Speaking, when he visited the Pivot Irrigation project in Konduga, Yumirgo and Gora in the Askira -Uba and Shani Council Areas, the governor charged the 27 caretaker council chairmen in the state to provide security operatives, especially police, civil defence corps and vigilante groups to man all the ongoing and completed projects in their domains.
He disclosed that most attacks on public infrastructure in the state were done by the opposition, stressing that government would not fold its hands and watch.
FCT
An Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court last Thursday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a 38-year-old woman, Safiya Ahamed and her 19-year-old son, Aminu Mohammed for jumping bail.
The two are facing a four-count charge of joint act, criminal force, assault and battery in a case now in its second year.
The accused are alleged to have beaten up their neighbour, Miss Vivian Ani, at their residence at No. 11, Carnival Street, Jikwoyi Phase 1, Abuja, sometime in October 2011.
Senior Magistrate Celestine Odo issued the warrant after the accused failed to appear in court either in person or by proxies for the third time in violation of their bail terms.
Gombe
The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) is to distribute nine million Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) in three states of the federation for the control of malaria.
The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of the NMCP, Mrs. Bilhatu Jarmai, made this known to newsmen in Gombe last Thursday.
Jarmai, who is also the Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association (NIFAA) Focal Person for Malaria, said the nets would be distributed in March in Kogi, Osun and Delta States.
According to her, those states did not get the nets when they were distributed.
Jigawa
Jigawa State Polytechnic last Thursday matriculated 1, 366 students for the 2012/2013 academic session.
The Rector of the Polytechnic, Prof. Garba Goje, urged the new students to be dedicated to their studies and be obedient to the school’s Authority.
Garba warned that any student that was not serious with his studies would be shown the way out of the institution.
He said that the matriculation was designed to welcome new students to the institution as well as to tell them the rules and regulation of the school.
Kano
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has returned to Kano from the routine medical checkup in the United Kingdom.
Our sources said that the Emir arrived at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on board an aircraft around 7 pm.
Bayero was received on arrival at the Airport by retired Brig.-Gen. Idris Danbazau, the state Commissioner for Special Duties, and other top government officials.
Others who were at the airport were members of the Emirate Council and traditional rulers from the 44 Local Government areas of the state.
Kaduna
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) last Thursday educated cattle breeders on the need to observe safety and road signs to prevent road crashes.
Our sources said that members of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), the Ministry of Agriculture, and other stakeholders participated in the one-day safety awareness forum.
The Kaduna Sector Commander of FRSC, Corps Commander Olumide Olagunju, said the forum was held to educate Fulani cattle rearers on the need to imbibe the culture of safe road use.
Kogi
A Deputy Political Editor with the Guardian Newspaper, Mr. John Ogbodo, was last Thursday killed in a ghastly motor accident on the Ajaokuta-Anyigba Road in Kogi State.
Ogbodo was travelling in a Siena Space Wagon bus with four other journalists when the accident occurred.
According to reports, the journalists were travelling to Awka, Anambra, to cover the convocation lecture of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University scheduled to be delivered by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ikweremadu.
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr. Garba Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, said the accident occurred at Achijili village, near Ayingba.
Katsina
The annual Katsina State Agricultural Show has been re-introduced after 21 years, the Managing Director, Katsina State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KTARDA), Alhaji Abashe Sa’idu, has said.
Sa’idu, in an interview with newsmen in Katsina last Thursday, said the show, which was last held in 1992, would hold between March 3 and March 5.
The managing director, said the show, tagged “Katsina State 2013 Agricultural Show,’’ would hold in Kafinsoli town in Kankia Local Government Area of the state.
“The re-introduction of the agricultural show followed the state government’s commitment to promoting the agricultural sector of the state’s economy,’’ he said.
Kwara
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State last Thursday in Ilorin called on the nation’s youths in tertiary institutions to be innovative in their field of studies.
Ahmed made the call during the First Kwara State Tertiary Education Summit entitled, “Repositioning Tertiary Education in Kwara State.”
The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Elder Peter Kisira, said his administration was committed to providing the necessary technological equipment for proper training in tertiary schools.
Lagos
An Agege Customary Court in Lagos last Thursday dissolved a 23-year-old marriage of a medical doctor over battery and infidelity on his part.
The Court President Emmanuel Sokunle, held that the union of Dr Billy Ojelam and Amaka has broken down beyond repair.
He said that Billy failed to show up in court throughout the proceedings in the divorce suit filed by Amaka on October 23, 2012.
“The court was informed that the doctor filed a similar suit in another customary court when we were still handling the very matter.
Nasarawa
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Mr. Yunana Iliya, has urged the CPC-led government in the state to step up efforts at providing basic amenities to the people.
Iliya gave the advice while reacting to the recent protest by students of the state university over water scarcity in the institution in Lafia on Thursday.
He said until basic infrastructure, such as water and electricity promised by the State Government were provided, “the much needed change the people yearned for will only be a farce’’.
The chairman commiserated with the families of students who lost their lives during the protest and sympathised with the injured.
Plateau
The Chief Medical Director, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Dr. Ishaya Pam, has urged the Federal Government to establish a Lassa fever diagnostic centre in Plateau.
“The first case of the fever was diagnosed in Plateau in the late 1960 when some medical workers died after looking after a Lassa fever patient that came from Lassa village in Borno.
“The state has recorded some cases over time; so it is only very important to establish a diagnostic centre for the ailment here to serve the north. We have made a request to the Federal Government and it is receiving attention.
“For us to increase the survival rate of the victims, it is important that we have a diagnostic centre that will particularly serve the middle belt region because quick diagnosis is very important,’’ Pam said in Jos last Thursday.
Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has commended the efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) to apprehend and prosecute the immediate past governors of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.
This is just as she also hailed the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for ceding 14 properties that were initially forfeited to the federal government to the government and people of Enugu State.
Reacting to Bello’s excuse for not honouring the EFCC’s invitation, the lawmaker emphasized the need for the commission to investigate other corrupt public officials to avoid the impression that their actions against former governor were meant to witch hunt him.
In a now-viral video, the EFCC chairman had claimed Belloh told him that a female senator (name withheld) allegedly gathered journalists to humiliate him anytime he was at the agency’s Abuja office for interrogation.
“I called Yahaya Bello, as a serving governor, to come to my office to clear himself. I shouldn’t have done that. But he said because a certain senator had planted over 100 journalists in my office, he would not come.
“I told him that he would be allowed to use my private gate to give him a cover, but he said my men should come to his village to interrogate him,” Olukoyede was quoted as saying.
But Senator Natasha in a statement signed by her Chief Press Secretary, Arogbonlo Israel and issued at the weekend in Abuja, reminded Yahaya Bello of the importance of respecting Nigeria’s laws and constitution, given his former position as the chief security officer of Kogi.
“I was surprised to hear that Yahaya Bello evaded the invitation from the EFCC, despite having served as Kogi’s former chief security officer. As a former governor, he should understand the importance of respecting Nigeria’s laws and constitution.
“It’s a well-known fact that ‘he who comes into equity must come with clean hands’. As such, I advise him to honour the invitation and clear his name while he still has the chance.
“I’d also like to take this moment to appreciate the diligence of the EFCC in handling the case so far. No Nigerian is above the law, and therefore the agency must see this case through to the end if they are to gain the trust of both Nigerians and the international community in the fight against corruption,” she said.
Worried over the latest depreciation of the Naira against major foreign currencies, the Senate through its Committee on Finance, has stated that the Legislature is exploring a range of policy options to mitigate the impact of Naira depreciation and foster economic stability in the country.
These, according to the committee, in a statement signed by its chairman, Senator Sani Musa (APC Niger East) and released yesterday, includes robust oversight of fiscal policies, engagement with key stakeholders, and the formulation of targeted interventions to support key sectors of the economy.
Senator Musa said the statement became necessary “to address the current state of the economy and the need for concerted efforts at tackling the instability and continuous depreciation of the Naira.”
This is even as he hoped that the “economic managers will adhere strictly to the norms and standards set by this administration to ensure that we achieve the desired outcomes in taking Nigeria to its economic growth and prosperity”, pledging the support of the National Assembly to the executive arm of government to achieve the set goals.
He, however, urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and resilient as they navigate these uncertain times, saying “together, we can overcome the challenges facing our economy and chart a path towards prosperity for all.”
The statement titled: “State of the Nation Economy and Naira Depreciation’, reads “The Nigerian economy is facing significant challenges, exacerbated by both internal and external factors.
“Despite efforts to stabilize and bolster economic growth, the numerous initiatives and bold but necessary steps and policy decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, the persistent depreciation of the Naira against major foreign currencies has become a pressing concern.
“The recent depreciation of the Naira underscores the need for proactive measures to safeguard the stability and resilience of our currency.
“The Senate Committee on Finance is closely monitoring the situation and is committed to working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to implement effective policies and strategies.
“It is imperative that we address the root causes of Naira depreciation, including but not limited to fluctuations in global oil prices, fiscal deficits, and structural imbalances in the economy.”
The Senator, representing Rivers West Senatorial District at National Assembly Sen.Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has advocated for legislative backings to enforce immunisation as a pre-condition for admission into nursing, primary and secondary schools in Nigeria.
Banigo made the assertion recently in a statement to commemorate this year’s week-long immunisation campaign in line with the World Health Organisation advocacy.
Banigo, a Harvard-trained Public Health personnel, explained that such legislation would strengthen the National Immunisation Policy in the administration of vaccines, saves lives, helps in the child normal growth, prevents serious illness and disabilities such as poliomyelitis .
The former Deputy Governor of Rivers State who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), noted that Nigeria must attain at least, 90 percent vaccine coverage for all childhood and adolescence; stressing that a fully vaccinated child should have received BCG, Mussels and three doses of DTP and Polio .
She emphasised the need for collective efforts by stakeholders in the campaign against preventable diseases .
The theme for this year’s World Immunisation Week is “Humanly Possible: Saving Lives Through Immunisation” while the national theme is “Vaccine Works For All”.
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