Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, displaying his registration card shortly after registering as a member of All Progressives Congress (apc) in Jada town, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State last Wednesday. Photo: NAN

Benue

T

he Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC), Benue State Command, says it arrested 50 suspected human traffickers in 2013.

The Commandant, Mr Steven Lar said last Tuesday in Makurdi that the suspects were transporting children to other parts of the country for child labour.

Lar said that the chidren were being trafficked from Tarka, Guma and Ushongo Local Government Areas of the state when officials of the NSCDC who were on surveillance of government infrastructure in the area, apprehended them.

He stated that the suspects were immediately handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking of Persons (NAPTIP) for prosecution.

Lar said that the command was collaborating with other security agencies in the state to secure lives and property of the people.

FCT

T

he Chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr
Yunusa Tanko,  has described as “unjust” the composition of the delegates to the National Conference.

In an interview in Abuja last Tuesday, Tanko condemned the structure in which only five out of the 25 registered political parties were allocated 10 delegates.

The modalities released by the Federal Government showed that the five major parties with representation in the National Assembly are to nominate two delegates each to represent them at the National Conference.

Tanko, who is also the National Chairman National Conscience Party (NCP), said if all the political parties were invited by the government, then every view would be reflected.

Gombe

G

ombe State Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDS
(GOMSACA), is to commence resource mapping as part of measures to identify HIV and AIDS stakeholders in the state.

Project Manager, GOMSACA, Dr Suraj Abdulkarim, said in Gombe last Tuesday, that everybody had a stake in the struggle to control the spread of HIV and AIDS.

He explained that one of the major challenges of GOMSACA, was that the local government councils, were not fully committed in the fight against the scourge, in spite of their significance as major stakeholders.

Abdulkarim further said that, testing and screening centres in the state, would be increased, particularly in rural communities adding “We want universal coverage; every health facility would have a testing section.” he said.

Jigawa

T

he Jigawa State government has earmarked N200 mil
lion for payment of registration fees of the 2014 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) for its indigenes in the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Alhaji Abdullahi Hudu, who disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday in Dutse said the amount would cover for students sitting for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), the National Examination Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) exams in 2014.

He said that no fewer than 16,500 students had so far been registered for WAEC in all secondary schools in the state noting that the gesture was part of government’s efforts to address illiteracy in the state and prepare youths for future leadership challenges.

Kaduna

T

he Director of  Kaduna State Fire Service, Mr Adamu
Kadams has urged people in the state to stop harassing firemen and preventing them from discharging their duties.

The director made the appeal in an interview last Tuesday in Kaduna. He was reacting to series of attacks on the firemen by residents whenever the officials responded to distress calls.

The director urged the state government to recruit more firemen to replace those that died or were retired, so as to bridge the manpower shortage being experienced by the service.

He said the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) was also working on a plan to sensitise the public on the importance of cooperating and supporting fire fighters to carry out their duties without molestation.

Kano

T

he Kano State House of Assembly has elected a new
Speaker following the resignation of the former, Alhaji Gambo Sallau. The new Speaker is Alhaji Ishaku Danja, who was until last Tuesday’s election, the Deputy Speaker.

The  Majority Leader, Alhaji Hamisu Chidari, is now the Deputy Speaker. The House had also elected Alhaji Kabir Alhassan as the new Majority Leader to replace Chidari.

The former speaker who announced his resignation in a broadcast in Kano last Tuesday, said his decision was based on political reasons.

Sallau and three other members had on Monday announced their decision in a local radio station to remain in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Kwara

A

griculture and Allied Employers’ Union of Nigeria
(AAEUN) has inducted farmers of the informal sector as its members, according to Mr David Ehindero, the Chairman of the union.

Ehindero said last Tuesday in Ilorin that the union’s constitution empowered it to accommodate farmers in the informal sector for the diffusion of agricultural technology.

The chairman, who is also the Director, Agriculture House, explained that the house had become an embassy for stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

Ehindero said that the new inductees were expected to make judicious use of opportunities available to them as members and also stressed the need for the new members to embrace agricultural insurance.

Lagos

T

he Nigerian Navy has requested for more conces
sions in the purchase of Excess Defence Articles and other maritime security hardware from the U.S. Government.

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, made the plea at the opening ceremony of Exercise OBANGAME Express 2014, the final planning conference, held in Lagos.

Jibrin urged the US to expand its current training support to the West African sub-region, to cover a wider area of human capacity development, as well as the number of beneficiaries.

He noted that the US government and its allies have been making concerted efforts to enhance the capability of the Golf of Guinea nations to monitor and protect their territorial waters.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the conference, the Exercise Director, Capt. Nancy Lacore, said 22 countries would participate in the exercise, billed for April.

Nasarawa

T

he synergy between the Nasarawa Agriculture De
velopment Programme (NADP) and the Federal Government in providing farming inputs to farmers has improved agricultural activities in the state.

The acting Programme Manager of the programme, Mr Stephen Kpama said last Tuesday in Lafia during the planning meeting of the agency for the 2014 that the synergy focused on the provision of farm inputs and engagement of extension workers to educate farmers.

According to him, the agency has put the necessary measures in place to consolidate on the achievements recorded as a result of the partnership and urged the staff of the agency to complement government’s efforts, in spite of the challenges they were facing.

Niger

T

he Niger State Government last Tuesday said it had
paid N5 billion as compensation to affected communities and individuals in the state for using their lands.

The Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Dr Peter Sarki, told journalists in Minna that the state government did not acquire land forcibly from the people.

He said that government intended to acquire land along the new Maitumbi-Maikunkele bypass for public interest adding that the acquisition of land was not limited to Minna alone but also to major towns in the state.

Oyo

T

he Oyo State House of Assembly last Tuesday
cleared four additional commissioner-nominees submitted to it for approval by the executive arm.

Tuesday’s clearance has brought to 23 the number of commissioner-nominees approved by the House.

Those who cleared at Tuesday’s plenary were Prof. Nureni Tanimowo, Kolade Abimbola, Azeez Adeoye and Ajiboye Omodewu.

Speaking before the confirmation of the nominees, the Speaker, Alhaja Monsurat Sunmonu (APC-Oyo), urged members of the House to confirm or reject the nominees.

Plateau

T

he Commissioner of Police in Plateau State, Mr Chris
Olakpe, has honoured a Fulani leader, Alhaji Bello Lamido, for saving the life of a Berom man.

Presenting the award in Jos, on Tuesday Olakpe said Lamido had protected the Berom man from attack by angry Fulani youths, when the man strayed into Ropp village of Barkin Ladi Local government last year at the height of the Plateau crisis.

He commended the Fulani leader for his display of patriotism, saying his action is worthy of emulation by all warring factions in the state.

Olakpe called on other traditional rulers in the state to emulate “the good conduct of the Fulani leader” and always guide their youth against taking laws into their hands.