Adamawa

Nigerians need to develop interest in reading books and  learning history to develop their future, veteran Actor/Producer, Zack Orji, has said.

Orji spoke with The Tide’s Source  in Lamurde, Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa recently.

He said majority of Nigerians tended to forget things easily except if they were made into entertainment forms, such as films, and so it was necessary to capture history in movies.

“One of the tragedies that have befallen this country today is that Nigerians don’t read. Give the typical Nigerian a book and a movie, they would pick the movie and abandon the book,” Orji said.

The actor said learning and capturing the culture and lifestyles of other tribes in the country could form a true picture of national cohesion.

Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government has recruited more than 2,030 medical personnel to boost its health care services.

Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, told The Tides Source  in Bauchi that the exercise was aimed at rejuvenating the health sector.

He said those employed were nurses, laboratory scientists and 30 Egyptian doctors who specialised in different fields of medicine.

Muhammad said more than 30 state-of-the-art ambulances were also purchased and distributed to the 23 general hospitals in the state.

He said government had embarked on the rehabilitation and re-equipping of the more than 24 primary health centres in the 20 local government areas.

Muhammad said all the 23 general hospitals had been provided with new generators to ensure steady power supply.

Ekiti

Mrs Clara Anekwe, the NYSC Coordinator in Ekiti State, has urged members deployed to the area to be part of the re-branding programme of the federal government.

Anekwe stated this on Tuesday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp at Ise/Orun during an interactive session with 2010 batch “A” corps members currently undergoing orientation.

The Tide’s Source reports that 2,200 corps members deployed to the state are participating in the orientation programme.

The coordinator, who described the NYSC members as “the future leaders”, counselled them to imbibe the re-branding programme for a better society.

She said “My dearest corps members, Nigeria is re-branding now. As future leaders of our great nation, the re-branding must start with you.

“What you profess in the light, do not go against it in the dark. Our collective aspiration must produce a better society. In the next three weeks, let us come together to fashion a course for a New Nigeria.”

Katsinaa

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) plans to open 15 area offices in the country.

The NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Maharzu Tsiga, told The Tide’s source  in Katsina that the project was to decentralise the operations of the scheme to enhance its efficiency.

He said an NYSC area office would be opened in each of the six geo-political zones and nine other states before the end of April.

Tsiga said the NYSC Governing Board had approved the establishment of the offices, adding that the exercise would be for the benefit of the corps members.

He declared: “The establishment of the area offices is to ensure the security, welfare and comfort of corps members.

“It will also enable the administrators of the scheme to play their statutory responsibilities so that the dream of the founding fathers of the scheme will be realised”.

Kebbi

The Kebbi State Government has released about N363 million to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), as its counterpart fund for 84 community development projects in the state.

Alhaji Garba Argungu, the IFAD Project Manager in the state, The Tide’s source  in Birnin Kebbi that four projects would be executed in each of the 21 local government areas.

He said the projects would be executed in phases, adding that each benefiting community would receive N1.2 million for the execution of the first phase of the projects.

According to him, each of the four communities, Gomozo, Alelu, Tafkin-Kada and Sadam-Razai, in Jega Local Government Area, had already received their share of N1.2 million for the execution of projects initiated by them.

He said the money would be utilised for the execution of capital projects such as schools, dispensaries, rural roads and water supply as well dry season fish and irrigation farming activities.

Kwara

The Kwara   Government on Monday in IIorin commenced the annual mass vaccination of local chickens in selected communities.

The exercise is being carried out under the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Rural Poultry Bio-security Improvement Scheme (RUPBIS).

Prof. Mohammed Gana-Yisa, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, said government had released N1.5 million on to support the exercise.

He said various poultry inputs worth more than N3 million supplied by some international agencies were also released.

Gana-Yisa said the Bio-security Improvement Scheme was an intervention strategy put in place by the Avian Influenza Control Project in 2008 in 12 pilot communities spread across six local government areas.

Osun

Capt. Stephen Mamvong, Commandant of  the NYSC camp in Ede, Osun State, on Tuesday warned  corps members against stealing.

Mamvong  said the warning became  necessary against the backdrop of  previous incidents of stealing involving corps members.

He told The Tide’s source  in Ede that  any  corps member caught stealing would face the full weight of the law.

‘‘We are here to give leadership qualities by demonstrating practically that leaders are supposed to lead by examples of virtuous living and not to steal or rob.

‘‘The corps members must start practising this now so that by the time they go out, they will not start manipulating figures in the public service.

‘‘They must check thieves in their midst by being wary of those who steal their things,’’ he said.

Plateau

A middle aged man, Sunday Rimnil, who routinely embarked on a binge, was found dead on Monday in Chigwong, Plateau, in a gutter.

Relations told The Tide’s source, Monday, that Rimnil was a drunk, and had lost so much weight, even as he was constantly cautioned on the bad effects of excessive drinking.

The victim’s uncle, Mr Moses Dakyil, told the source that Rimnil was found in a gutter near the market in the early hours of Monday, when he did not return home the previous day.

According to him, Rimnil’s wife was the breadwinner of the family as her husband spend most of his time drinking.

Zamfara

Alhaji Aminu Marafa, an Islamic scholar in Zamfara, has called for more legislations that would encourage economic empowerment of women in Nigeria.

Marafa, Director- General, Islamic Orgnisations and Quranic Schools in Zamfara, said in Gusau on Tuesday at a three-day training programme on modified life saving skills for community health extension workers.

The scholar noted that “self- imposed traditional and cultural beliefs that had nothing to do with religion, have over time impeded the progress of women in Nigeria, especially in the northern states“.

Marafa further said that “unless the government, especially the legislative arm, enact laws that will release women from the burden of such cultural beliefs, their social lives will continue to be trampled upon”.