Adamawa

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Adamawa has arrested six suspects for allegedly vandalising PHCN cables in Yola town.

Parading the suspects, comprising a man, Mohammed Adamu, and five minors he used for the operation, the state Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Goodluck Asibi, said the minors were caught after vandalising a cable behind Yola Technical College.

Asibi said the minors subsequently led the defence corps patrol team to Adamu, their sponsor.

The commandant alleged that Adamu had been using the minors for such activities after which he usually gave them some stipend of between N1,000 and N2,000.

The Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, has advised parents to rise up to the challenge of ensuring proper upbringing of their children and impacting them with moral values.

The emir, who is also the Chairman, Kaduna State Council of Emirs and Chiefs, gave the advice in Zaria at the traditional  fast breaking dinner with the people of the area to mark the 10th day of Ramadan.

Idris said parents had a significant role to play in inculcating moral values in the society, through proper upbringing of their children and wards.

He said such efforts would go a long way in curbing youth restiveness, thereby making the society safe for all.

“It is the duty of parents to ensure that their wards exhibit high sense of discipline and become committed to what will move the society forward,” he added.

Bauchi

Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has submitted 18 names of commissioner-nominees to the state House of Assembly for screening and clearance.

Mr Adoji Disina, the member representing Disina Constituency in the House announced this  in Bauchi during a plenary session.

Disina told the House that the submission of the list was in accordance with the 1999 Constitution and urged his colleagues to prepare toward the screening of the nominees.

He announced Alhaji Abubakar Faggo, (Shira), Tasiu Abubakar (Katagum) and Hajiya Talatu Muhammed (Itas Gadau) and Mahiru Maiwada (Torro) former Speaker and the former commissioners for Information, Women Affairs and Rural Development as some of nominees.

They include Alhaji Aminu Hamayo (Misau) former Finance Commissioner, Dr Sani Mallami (Bauchi), Alhaji Muhammed Mai-jama’a (Bauchi), Sani Muhammed-Gura (Ningi) and Mustapha Hassan (Ganjuwa).

The Tide source reports that after a lengthy deliberation, the members agreed to commence the screening of the nominees.

Katsina

The Code of Conduct Bureau has warned the newly appointed commissioners in Katsina State to declared their assets to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.

The State Director, Mr. Simon Abu, gave the warning at a news conference in Katsina.

He said the warning became necessary in view of the fact that only two of the 16 new commissioners have so far declared their assets before they took over the affairs of their respective offices.

He said, “according to the bureau’s laws, all political appointees must declare their assets before swearing-in, but majority of the appointed commissioners have yet to declared their assets.

Kebbi

The Kebbi State Government says it will provide relief to 35 compounds affected by flood in Masama community in Gwandu Local Government Area.

Governor Saidu Dakingari, who visited the flooded area also directed the Sole Administrator of the area, Muhammadu Juli, to embark on the clearance of drains in the town to avoid further loos of property.

He also directed the state urban development authority to commence the clearing of drains and illegal structures in major towns.

The District Head of Masama, Alhaji Al-Mustapha Masama, told the governor that the absence of systematic drainage system, had exposed the area to flood during the rainy season and appealed to authorities to ensure a reversal of the problem.

Ondo

The Police Command in Ondo State says 2,900 graduates in the area have applied for the advertised posts of Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and Inspector of Police.

This is contained in a statement signed by the command’s Spokesman, Mr Adeniran Aremu, and made available to our correspondent last Wednesday in Akure.

It stated that examination and screening of applicants would hold between August 15 and  Aug. 20.

All applicants are to report at the command headquarters along Igbatoro Road, Akure  for the interview.

It warned all applicants to desist from any act that could disrupt the exercise.

Osun

The Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) has said that only 15 per cent of the 160,000 kilometres of roads in the country are good.

RAMP, an offshoot of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture made the disclosure at its Annual Retreat and Review Meeting in Osogbo.

Mr Ubandoma Ularamu, the National Coordinator, said that the 15 percent covered both the secondary and tertiary roads in the country.

According to him, the larger population of Nigerians lives in the rural areas even as about 70 per cent of the Local Government Roads are bad.

“Out of over 160,000 kilometres of secondary and tertiary roads in Nigeria, with an average registered network of 4,000 kilometers per state, only about 10 – 15 per cent is paved.

Oyo

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has identified the well-being of  children and women as a crucial health indicator for the progress of the Nigerian  society.

Ajimobi stated this at the signing ceremony of the 2011-2012 Programme Implementation Agreement (PIA), with the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in Ibadan on Wednesday.

He said that his administration would work with UNICEF and other development partners to ensure that matters affecting women and children were given priority.

The governor said that government would deliver institutional framework to guarantee the rights of children to survival, adding that women would be empowered in realisation of the set goals.

Ajimobi reminded the meeting that with just four years to the target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the challenges were enormous.

Plateau

A statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Shedrack Best, said a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Isa Song, was named Special Adviser on Legislative matters.

Also appointed were former Governor Joshua Dariye’s Chief of State, Alexander Molwus, as the Special Adviser on Political Affairs, and Mr. Ayuba Dangwong, a former Plateau correspondent of the Nation Newspapers, Special Adviser on Media.

Dangwong took over from Dauda lamba, who was appointed Special Adviser on Legal Matters.

Sokoto

Sokoto State Government has spent about N20 million to purchase laboratory equipment  for the Sultan Abdulrahman School of Health Technology, Gwadabawa.

Alhaji Abdullahi Maigwandu, the Commissioner for Health, told our correspondent in Sokoto last Thursday that the government accorded priority to the promotion of health knowledge.

“We will ensure the availability of basic health facilities to enable the school to produce well qualified health personnel to manage our existing health institutions.”

He explained that the ministry would also encourage health personnel to acquire more knowledge for the development of the health sector.

Maigwandu called on the staff of the ministry to complement the effort of the state government in the promotion of the sector.

Taraba

The Taraba Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources says it is worried about the low level performance of the World Bank assisted Fadama programme in the state.

The state government has, therefore, set up a monitoring and evaluation committee under a newly established unit to continually assess the activities of the implementation of the programmes in the state.

The Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Mr Anthony Jellason told newsmen  in Jalingo last Wednesday that a lot of lapses had been observed in the implementation process over the years.

Jellason said that the state government had decided that before releasing its counterpart fund, the monitoring and evaluation committee, made up of experts in various fields, must be in place.