Bauchi

Traditional rulers in Bauchi State have expressed displeasure over the inability of the Federal Government to accord the traditional institution a specific role in the country’s constitution.

The Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Yunusa Danyaya, expressed the rulers’ displeasure when Vice President Namadi Sambo paid homage to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, on Saturday in Bauchi.

Our Correspondent reports that Danyaya received the Vice President on behalf of the Emir of Bauchi, who was on a medical trip abroad.

“It is necessary to provide a constitutional function for the country’s traditional rulers in view of their role as custodian of the culture and tradition of the people,’’ he said.

The emir reiterated the resolve of the country’s traditional rulers to continue to support the efforts of governments at all levels to transform the country and ensure sustainable peace and unity.

Ekiti

The Ekiti Government has described the death of Mr. Dipo Okunmuyide, the Correspondent of the national Life Newspaper as devastating and a great loss to the state.

Our Correspondent reports that Okunmuyide, 47, died on Monday at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) during treatment, following an auto crash in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday.

The deceased, who had an accident with his car, was initially treated at the Ado-Ekiti Teaching Hospital, where he was referred to the University College Hospital, Ibadan for further treatment.

On his way to Ibadan on Monday, the ambulance conveying him developed a fault. He was subsequently, taken to OAUTH where he died.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Taiwo olatunbosun, in Ado-Ekiti said the government received the death of Okunmuyide with great shock.

FCT

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in Abuja on Saturday elected a new set of leaders, with Comrade Olawale Ajani emerging as the new President of the council.

Our Correspondent  reports that members of the council converged in Abuja on Wednesday for its congress, culminating in Saturday’s elections.

In the polls which were a re-run of the council’s 2008 elections that were cancelled, Ajani polled 150 votes to beat nine other contestants with Balarabe Rufa’i the closest with 112 votes.

Twenty-two other posts were contested for, including deputy president, six zonal vice-presidents, secretary-general, assistant secretary-general, treasurer, internal auditor, seven zonal ex-officio and four others.

Esse Gerald beat Cosmos Akpan to the deputy president’s post after scoring 242 votes as against his rival’s 123, while Saleh Alhassan was elected Secretary-General after beating Salihu Abdullahi 305 – 88.

Gombe

No fewer than 11 persons were on Friday burnt beyond recognition in Jekadafari, Gombe State, when a petrol tanker went out of control and smashed into buildings and vehicles.

Our Correspondent reports that nine others were seriously injured, while 40 houses and business shops were destroyed and burnt in the resultant inferno.

Mr. Fidelis Osakwe, Sector Commander of the Federal Raods Safety Commission (FRSC) in Gombe, confirmed the accident in an interview with newsmen.

He said that when the driver lost control of the tanker, with registration number Taraba XB 157 TRR, it rammed into parked vehicles and buildings.

Dr. James Madi, Chief Medical Director of the Specialist Hospital, Gombe, gave the casualty figure as “more than 11 dead”.

Kano

The Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST) in Wudil, near Kano, has yet to hold its first convocation 10 years after its establishment.

According to the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, the institution has, however, graduated five sets of students totalling more than 500 within the period.

“But such products have not been ‘honoured’” Garba told newsmen yesterday in Wudil.

“Convocations are part of the stautory functions of the University meant not only to honour the graduating students but also to honour other members of the society who have distinguished themselves in their chosen field of endeavour”, he said.

“The convocation would have given the University the opportunity to showcase itself to the outside world because it will enable us to tell people what we are and what we do”, he said.

Garba noted that one of the consequencies was that most people in the country were not aware the existence of the KUST.

“This is not good for us,” he said.

Nevertheless, the Vice-Chancellor said the University’s authorities had put a machinery in motion for the institution to hold its maiden convocation for its past graduates.

He said the school had around 4,000 students studying various courses in science and technology, and added that the courses had been accredited by the National universities Commission.

Kaduna

Effective advocacy will enhance a successful implementation of the school health programme in the country, a public health expert, Dr Esiet Umem, has said.

Umem made the observation in a paper entitled “The Role of Stakeholders in School Health and Resource Mobilisation for School Health Programme”, which he presented in Kaduna on Friday.

Our Correspondent  reports that the expert presented the paper at the National Coordination Meeting of School Health Stakeholders and Capacity Building of Officers on Monitoring and Evaluation of the programme.

He said effective advocacy would help the stakeholders to get all the input needed to implement a successful school health programme, noting that funding was the least of all the resources.

“You need to mobilise your resources and I have to be frank with you, money is the least of your resources because I hear some stakeholders complaining of lack of funds and budget allocation. 

Umem further told the stakeholders to identify the key actors who would turn their advocacy work around, saying “you must be willing to be open.

Quoting Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, Umem said “to move the world, you must move yourselves”.

Reacting to the presentation, Mr Bisi Agberemi, a UNICEF water and sanitation specialist, told the stakeholders to develop an informal way of passing their messages to policy makers, saying money was not everything.

Lagos

A new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) has been appointed to take over from Mr Moses Ogbeh, the former Resident Electoral Commissioner, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Mr Femi Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), who announced this, did not, however, disclose the identity of the new commissioner but said that the name would be announced officially.

Our Correspondent  reports that Ogbeh was recently disengaged following a directive from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters.

Meanwhile, addressing members of staff and well wishers at a get-together organised to send him off at the weekend, Ogbeh called on INEC and all Nigerians to make votes count in the 2011 election.

Ogbeh said that he had trust in the integrity and antecedents of the newly appointed INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to move the nation forward.

He advised Jega to study the handover notes of the outgoing INEC officials to enable him deal with difficult terrains in the country during the 2011 elections.

Commenting on his performance as REC in Lagos, Ogbeh said that the 2007 elections in the state was adjudged free and fair by the international community.

Niger

Governor David Jang of Plateau has said that his administration is collaborating with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to ensure the export of coffee produced in the state.

Jang made the disclosure on Friday in Minna at the ongoing 8th Niger National Trade Fair, which started on June 22, in the Niger capital.

After inspecting the stands of the 17 local government areas from Plateau at the fair, Jang said, “we grow apple and coffee and our coffee has proven to be one of the best in the world.

“We have up to nine local government areas in Plateau that grow coffee in large quanity.

Plateau

Alhaji Ahmed Maje, a member of the House of Representaitves, representing Wase in Plateau, has cautioned against violent reactions over the delay in swearing in Mohammed Zakari as Wase Council Chairman.

Zakari, a member of the AC, was on June 3, declared winner of the 2008 Council elections by the Plateau State Local Government Appeals Tribunal, following his appeal against the declaration of the PDP candidate, Abubakar Mohammed, as winner.

Zakari has, however, not been sworn in since then.

Angered by that delay, some youths in the area recently threatened to go on rampage to force the State Government to swear in Zakari.

Sokoto

Two persons in Faido village, Yabo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, have lost their lives after eating a meal of beans treated with pesticides, the council’s Chairman, Alhaji Bala Musa, said yesterday.

Musa told newsmen in Yabo that the incident had also led to the hospitalisation of 17 others.

He said the dead persons and those hospitalised were from the same family, and that the incident occurred around 5.30 p.m. on Thursday.

“The deceased are males aged 21 and 22 years, and 16 of the 17 hospitalised persons have since been discharged, while the remaining one is not in a critical condition,” Musa explained.