Bauchi

Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has said he is to offer permanent appointments to all casual workers in the state.

He made the announcement last Wednesday in Bauchi when staff members in the Bauchi State Government House, paid him a congratulatory visit in his office.

Yuguda assured them that he would no longer work with any casual worker, saying that he would make every casual staff member of staff a permanent worker.

“Apart from the bona fide indigenes who are staffers, anybody who has lived up to seven years in every state is an indigene state according to the 1999 Constitution,“ he said

He urged junior workers in the state to improve themselves by acquiring more skills through higher education to enable them  get promotions in their work places.

Ekiti

An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded six suspects in prisons custody for alleged murder of one Miss Salewa Ojo.

The suspects are Oladipo Ebenezer, 45; Aluko Folorunsho, 39; Owolabi Ebenezer, 30; Dada Nathaniel, 29; Owolabi Alaba, 26; and Dada Felix, 34.

They were alleged to have murdered the deceased by shooting her with a gun at Iludun-Ekiti in Ilejemeje Council Area on April 25.

FCT

A 42-year-old man was last week arraigned for an alleged attempt to steal N1,555,000 from the account of one Saidu Bayero.

Olusegun Apalara of Itire Road, Lagos, appeared before Chief Magistrate Hafsat Soso of the Abuja Magistrates’ Court on a three-count charge of joint act, theft and forgery.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Abdul Alhassan, told the court that on April 28, Bayero reported at the station that Apalara and one Olufemi, now at large, connived and stole his UBA cheque slip.

She adjourned the case to May 31 for further hearing.

Jigawa

The Jigawa Government has approved N1 billion to boost large scale commercial agriculture in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Aminu Abdullahi, announced this last Wednesday in Dutse while addressing newsmen after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting.

Abdullahi explained that the money would be disbursed in form of Agricultural Credit Scheme for farmers to go into commercial farming.

He added that the move represents government’s commitment to boosting agriculture as one of the major ways to tackle poverty in the state.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Zonal Command of the FRSC has cautioned motorists on hazards associated with driving in the rainy season in order to save lives and property.

Its Commanding Officer, Mr Samuel Obayemi, last Thursday in Kaduna said that the caution was aimed at reducing casualties of road crashes during the wet season.

Obayemi said motorists should desist from using second-hand tyres during the season as the tyres could lose their grip due to the wetness of the road, thereby resulting in brake failure.

Kano

Kano State Governor-elect, Dr Rabi’u Musa-Kwankwaso, has said that he will not encourage the production and circulation of films capable of polluting the culture and religion of the people.

“We will, through the state Censors Board, ensure that films produced or circulated here do not negate our people’s religion and culture.”

Kwankwaso made the statement when he received the members of the executive of Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPAN), who came to congratulate him on his electoral victory, in Kano on Thursday.

Lagos

A visual artist, Alimi Adewale, on Thursday said it was absurd for some religious bodies to regard arts as occultism.

Adewale told newsmen in Lagos that some churches misunderstood artworks to be symbols of occults.

He regretted that the situation had led to poor appreciation of artworks in Nigeria.

Adewale said that churches should appreciate visual arts “because their windows are designed with artworks.

“Even Muslims should appreciate abstract designs.

Nasarawa

Fifty inmates of Lafia Prisons have benefitted from an Information Communication Technology programme, organised by Business Information and Training Centre (BITC), Lafia, .Mr Lawarence Adenitan, the Centre Manager, said.

Adenitan made the fact known in Lafia when a delegation of the German Embassy visited the centre last week to review some programmes supported by the German Government in the state.

He said that 25 inmates were currently undergoing the same training and that since 2007, no fewer than 3,382 inmates had benefitted from different training programmes, organised by the centre.

Ogun

Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger last week, told political office holders to ensure judicious use of public resources for the good of the people.

Aliyu gave the advice while receiving visitors in his residence and identified indiscipline among political office holders in managing public fund as the bane of some politicians.

He advised them to be sincere in managing public funds as the people were always monitoring how their leaders utilised public funds.

He said that only prudent management of public resources among political office holders would showcase their integrity and enable them to retain the support and loyalty of the electorate.

Plateau

Vehicle owners in the Jos metropolis are experiencing biting fuel scarcity, forcing many of them to patronise black-marketeers.

Our correspondent who went round the Plateau capital reports that long queues were seen at the filling stations which had fuel in stock.

Tamen Fredrick, a driver waiting to buy fuel at the Mobil Filling Station opposite the Plateau Polytechnic, Jos Campus, told NAN that he had being in the queue since 6 a.m. but had not been served.

Sokoto

The Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Soro, said that officers and men of the command were on red alert to ensure peaceful co-existence in the state.

Soro told newsmen in Sokoto that already operational order on how to effectively manage the entire state had been mapped out.

“We have deployed well trained officers for intelligent gathering in and out of the metropolis on foot patrol to enhance security situation in our state,” he said.

He called for active participation from the stakeholders in ensuring peace, progress and political stability of the state.

Yobe

Civil servants in Yobe are celebrating the 65 per cent subsidy on housing granted them by the state government.

Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe announced the package on the 500 housing units that the government sold to the workers on owner/occupier basis.

The governor, who announced the subsidy at the May Day celebration on Sunday, said the gesture was aimed at empowering the workers on home ownership.

Our correspondent reports that Gaidam directed that the beneficiaries pay 35 per cent of the prices of the houses.

Those allocated government quarters between 2006 and 2010 and were initially offered 50 per cent subsidy would also pay 35 per cent instead.

Zamfara

The Secretary of the Election Petitions Tribunal in Zamfara, Hajiya Hannatu Bello, says   no petition has been filed at the tribunal in respect of the April 9 National Assembly elections.

Bello  made the disclosure to newsmen in Gusau.

She said  as at April 30, the expiration of  the 21 days of grace for filing grievances arising from the National Assembly elections in Zamfara, not a single petition was received by the tribunal.

Bello also said the tribunal had yet to receive any petition regarding the governorship and State House of  Assembly elections.

She, however, said the tribunal was expecting petitions on the governorship and  House of Assembly elections held on April 29  before the expiration of the 21-day  time limit for collection of  petitions.