Benue

Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State has assured trainees from the state of access to loans to start small scale enterprises.

Suswam gave the assurance in Makurdi at the inauguration of theUultra-Moderne entrepreneurship development centre built to serve states in the North Central zone.

The states include Benue, Kogi, Nassarawa, FCT, Plateau and Kwara States.

Suswam said his administration was committed to youth empowerment, stressing that funds would be available to the youths “as soon as they have completed their training at the centre”.

FCT

Chairman, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa, Mr Sylva Waribugo, has described the figures declared for the council in the 2006 National Population and Housing Census as grossly inaccurate.

Waribugo stated this while testifying before the Census Tribunal last Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the 130,966 figure declared for the area did not represent the exact inhabitants in the area, adding that some of the communities were omitted during the exercise.

According to him, 300 communities in the council area were not captured by enumerators during the exercise.

Gombe

Farmers in Gombe State have lauded the efforts of the Federal Government in the distribution of subsidised fertiliser with free improved rice seeds to each registered farmer.

Some of the beneficiaries gave the commendation in separate interviews with newsmen in Kwadon area of Yamaltu/Deba local government area.

They said that each farmer had received three bags of fertiliser at N3, 000 each with a free 50-kilogramme bag of improved variety of rice seed.

Malam Hassan Ahmadu, a farmer, said the Federal Government’s gesture had helped them to cushion the effects of last year’s floods.

Jigawa

Some expectant mothers in Kiyawa, headquarters of Kiyawa local government area of Jigawa State, have commended the Partnership for Transforming Health System (PATHS-3) for renovating the maternity clinic in the area.

The PATHS-3 project, supported by the British Department for International Development (DFID), had initiated various programmes to enhance ante-natal care services in rural communities in the state.

Some of the projects executed under the PATHS-3 programme in the clinic include the renovation of the labour room, wards and upgrading of water supply system.

A cross section of the women, who spoke to newsmen in Kiyawa last Tuesday, said the rehabilitation had encouraged them to attend ante-natal clinic.

Katsina

No fewer than 339 workers of local government councils in Katsina State will benefit from in-service training this year, Chairman of the state Local Government Service Commission, Alhaji Abdulkarim Abubakar has said.

Abubakar, who announced this in Katsina, while presenting funds to some of the beneficiaries, said government had earmarked N29.7 million for the training.

He said that out of the amount, N14.8 million would be paid to 176 workers under the first phase, while the others would receive their money “in due course”.

He urged the local governments to ensure that only genuine workers benefited from the exercise.

Kogi

Kogi Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi has appealed to the Presidential Committee on Floods to provide more funds to meet the challenges of rehabilitating flood victims in the state.

He said that the funds would also help in the reconstruction of affected infrastructure.

A statement issued last Tuesday in Lokoja, by his Press Secretary, Mr Michael Abu, said the deputy governor made the appeal when he appeared before the committee in Abuja.

He noted that more funds from the Federal Government would enable the state government to meet the challenges posed by the devastation in the state.

Kwara

A man, Tunde Akanbi, last Tuesday, told an Ilorin Area Court that he was often provoked into beating his wife because she had no respect for him.

His 31-year-old wife, Iyabo, had urged the court to dissolve the marriage on the ground that her husband was temperamental.

The complainant told the court that her husband was often angry at the slightest provocation.

“My husband will at times beat me in the midst of our neighbours whenever he is upset,” she said.

Nasarawa

Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has commended the state’s Amirul-Hajj team for the successful conduct of the 2012 pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Makura gave the commendation when he received the report of the 2012 Hajj operation from the Chairman of the team, Ahmed Aboki, in Lafia.

The governor thanked members of the team for serving the state in that capacity despite their tight schedules.

“I acknowledge your worthy contribution and for taking the responsibility with diligence in serving your father land.’’

Ogun

The Ogun State government has advised teachers in public schools to ensure timely compilation of examination marks to enable students collect their results before proceeding on vacation.

The Commissioner for Education, Mr Segun Odubela, gave the advice in Remo while monitoring the on-going second term unified examinations in public secondary schools in the state.

He said the advice became necessary to enable students and parents study the document before schools resumed for the third term.

Odubela added that the academic time-table was fashioned in a way that would give examiners ample opportunity to mark the scripts before the end of each term.

Plateau

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has decried the misuse of mobile phones as a tool for examination malpractice.

The NOA Director in Plateau State, Mr Musa Chantu said this during the agency’s campaign against examination malpractice at Government College, Jos.

“Handset is meant to assist in bridging the hitherto communication gap within the society as the world is striving toward globalisation.

“It is rather unfortunate that most students usually misuse the rationale of having access to this communication gadget.

Oyo

An Ibadan Senior Magistrates’ Court has sentenced one Ayobami Adeoti, 35, to six months imprisonment for stealing a mobile telephone handset.

The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Kehinde Omotosho, who handed down the judgement without option of fine, said that Adeoti should serve his term with hard labour.

Our source said that the accused, who was arraigned on March 6, 2012, had pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Cpl. Sunday Ojeleye, told the court that Adeoti stole a Nokia C2 handset, valued at N8,000 belonging to one Ode Beatrice at City Centre Hotel at Mokola in Ibadan.

Zamfara

The Zamfara Government has introduced the e-payment system to curtail sharp practices in revenue generation, the Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue, Alhaji Mustapha Isa, said.

In a statement in Gusau Isa also said that the government had ordered the immediate stoppage of payments through officials of the Internal Revenue Board.

He said that the measure was in tune with global practice of electronic monitoring transactions.

The chairman also said that the new system would assist the state to improve its internal revenue base to enable it service its development strategies.