Nation
THE STATES
Chairman, Tribunal of Inquiry into Collapsed Buildings in Lagos, Mrs Abimbola Ajayi (left), presenting the report of the tribunal to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State last Monday.
Photo: NAN
Benue
Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State last Mon
day charged auditors to curb corruption in the country by living up to their responsibilities.
Suswam gave the charge in Makurdi at the National Conference and Annual Meeting of the Committee of Heads of Internal Audit Department in Nigerian Universities (CHIADINU).
The governor said that corruption was affecting private or public sectors, reminding them that it was only auditors that could stem the ugly trend.
He also enjoined them to evolve strategies at checking misapplication of funds in all public and private organisations. .
In his keynote address, Prof. Richard Anao, said that the prolonged ASUU strike had far-reaching implications on the country’s university system.
Borno
The Borno State Government has appealed to the
United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) to include women victims of gender violence in its humanitarian service in the state.
Governor Kashim Shettima made the appeal while receiving Mrs Victoria Achenfon, the UNFPA country representative, in his office in Maiduguri.
Shettima said the gesture would help in rehabilitating women who suffered different kinds of gender violence due to the current security challenges in the state.
“Several young women have suffered different kinds of gender violence due to the insurgency facing the state.
FCT
The Auxiliary Bishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja,
Rt. Rev. Anselm Umoren, has called on Christians to be grateful to God in spite of the challenges around them.
Umoren gave the exhortation in his homily at the Harvest Thanksgiving and Bazaar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Gwarinpa, Abuja last Sunday.
He said the fact that they were alive was worthy of celebration, adding: “you may have food but not alive to eat.
“Let everything be an expression of all that God has given to you. If you are grateful, God will bless you for appreciating His blessings in your lives,’’ he said.
Jigawa
Thousands of youths under the umbrella of National
Volunteer for Lamido 2015 took to the streets of Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, protesting the arrest of two sons of Jigawa state governor, Sule Lamido, by officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), last week.
The two sons, Mustapha and Aminu Sule Lamido, were arrested last Thursday at their residences in Kano for alleged N10 billion money laundering.
Efforts by Governor Lamido and his associates to see that the EFCC released the two accused on bail proved abortive.
The state coordinator of National Volunteer for Lamido 2015, Malam Musa Gambo Guri, who addressed the crowd in Dutse, said the arrest was political, aimed at tarnishing the image of the governor.
Kaduna
Not less than 3,500 intending pilgrims from Kaduna
State will depart Kaduna for Abuja to perform this year’s Christian pilgrimage in Israel.
The Chairman, Board of Directors, Kaduna state Christian Pilgrims Board, Mr Buba Lamido, made the disclosure in Kaduna State at a sensitisation programme for the intending pilgrims.
He advised them to adhere to religious regulations in Israel, eschew extravagance and pray for Nigeria.
He said that the pilgrimage was meant to transform the moral and spiritual lives of Christians and urged the intending pilgrims to report cases of illness to the board before their departure from Abuja.
Kano
The Kano State Government has sponsored 251 senior
civil servants for the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) workshop and examination to enable them to acquire quality administrative and managerial skills.
The state’s Head of Service, Dr Umar Minjibir, disclosed this at the launch of the 19th Batch ASCON workshop and examination at the Murtala Mohammed Library, Kano, last Monday.
He also said that the state government had sponsored 10 officers from the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning to pursue a master’s degree programme at the Regional Centre for Training in Aero Space Surveys (RECTAS), Oyo State
In his remarks, the Director-General of ASCON, Mr A. A. Peters, who was represented by a Director, Dr Tahir Fagge, said that the two-week management workshop would broaden the intellectual scope of the participants.
Kebbi
The Kebbi Government has established a shelter belt
covering 140 kilometres as part of the ongoing regional Great Green Wall afforestation programme, an official said last Monday.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Alhaji Katuni Sanusi, made the disclosure in Birnin Kebbi in an interview with newsmen.
Sanusi also said the programme was executed under the SURE-P projects scheme and in conjunction with the Federal Government.
He said the efforts made by the state in this regard had helped it in recording remarkable progress in the area of environmental protection.
“In addition to the established shelter belt, an additional 84 kilometres of shelter belt had been established in desert-prone areas,” the permanent secretary said.
Sanusi however advised the public against cutting down trees, in view of their long-term benefits, warning that violators would be prosecuted.
Kwara
The Kwara State University, Malete, has matriculated
1,127 new students.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, in his address, said that the new students were part of the 9,500 candidates, who applied for admission into the university.
He stressed that the university had academic excellence, institutional integrity, equity and diversity as its core values.
He said that these core values would serve as a catalyst for the intellectual growth and personal development of the students.
Lagos
No fewer than 135 buildings collapsed in Lagos in the
last seven years, the state’s Tribunal of Enquiry on Building Collapse said lastMonday.
The chairperson of the tribunal, Mrs Abimbola Ajayi, said this while presenting the tribunal’s report to Governor Babatunde Fashola in Ikeja.
The tribunal was constituted by the state government on May 20, following the spate of collapsed buildings in the state. It had a mandate to unravel the causes of the problem and come up with recommendations within three months.
Ajayi said that 130 cases were recorded before the tribunal was inaugurated while five buildings collapsed after it was set up.
Niger
The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment
Programme (SURE-P) has set aside N15 billion to pay allowances of unemployed graduates participating in its Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS).
Head of its GIS, Mr Akubo Adegbe, disclosed this to newsmen in Minna during an interactive session.
Adegbe said each of the 50,000 participants to be recruited for the internship programme would earn N25,000 monthly.
He said the scheme was aimed at providing participants with requisite experience in various disciplines preparatory to securing jobs.
Ogun
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State last Mon
day called for proactive measures toward eradication of quackery and ethical misconduct in the media industry.
Amosun made the call in Abeokuta at the 2013 Press Week organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun council.
The governor was represented by Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy said that journalists were crucial to the national stability, good governance and promotion of democratic ideals.
Amosun advocated collaboration between leadership of NUJ, Nigeria Police and the State Security Service (SSS) in tracking down fake practitioners.
Sokoto
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Sokoto State
Chapter, has introduced a programme for the free treatment of 2,000 diabetic patients monthly.
The programme tagged: “Collaborative Community Health Programme’’ was flagged off on Sunday at Gagi, near Sokoto in Sokoto South Local Government Area.
The programme will cover the 23 local government areas in the state.
It was jointly organised by the state chapter of the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Aid Group of the Jama’atul Nasril Islam and the Minarat Science Academy, Gagi-Sokoto.
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”.
-
Niger Delta3 days agoRSG Seals Two Hospitals In Bonny …Set To Inaugurate Anti-Quackery Committee
-
Entertainment3 days ago
Davido Narrates How His Song Became President’s Ringtone
-
News8 hours agoSpeak Truth To Power, Prof Omotola Tells Journalists
-
Politics7 hours agoBayelsa Repositioning Local Councils For Service Delivery – D’Gov
-
News3 days agoN5.2trn Debt: FG Recovers N57bn From 10 MDAs
-
Editorial3 days agoThat Odili’s Health Centre Gesture
-
Nation11 hours agoWIW: Banigo Advocates Legislative Impetus
-
News8 hours agoLet’s Fight To Save Rivers’ Soul Together