Benue

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) hasintroduced cargo delivery services in Benue State.

The Area Postal Manager in Benue, Mrs Mmayen Ujong, made the announcement at the inauguration of a post office cargo outlet for Mbayion Community in Gboko Local Government Area of the state.

Ujong explained that the cargo delivery service would include the postage of farm produce such as yams, rice and oil.

Others include Expedited Mail Service, bulk post and parcel post.

Borno

The Borno State Government has said it would overhaul the Sanda Kyarimi Zoological Garden, Maiduguri, in a bid to attract more patronage.

The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, on a visit to the garden said that the garden had lost its status as the main tourists attraction in the state capital.

Mustapha gave the assurance that the state government would address the problem by putting in place mechanism to revive the garden.

He said: “The garden used to be the main centre of attraction for visitors in the past, but unfortunately, the situation has changed for the worst now”.

Kaduna

Seventeen workers of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State, have been relieved of their appointments by the authorities of the institution.

The Acting Registrar of the institution, Malam Ahmed Kundila, announced this in a special news bulletin issued in Zaria.

The bulletin reads: “The Governing Council of ABU at its (Regular) meeting held on January 25 and 26, 2013, considered the report of the senior staff disciplinary committee on some cases of staff discipline referred to it by the management.

“The nature of the offences ranged from violation of study fellowship, leave of absence  to gross misconduct.”

Kano

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said that the proposed plan by the PDP to amend its constitution would not succeed.

Atiku made the remarks while fielding questions from newsmen after he paid a courtesy call on Governor  Rabi’u Kwankwaso, at the Government House, Kano.

“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives any interested Nigerian the right to contest for any position of his or her choice.

“It is also unconstitutional as far as the PDP constitution is concerned. Nobody should stop anybody from contesting for an election,” he said.

Kebbi

The Yauri Local Government of Kebbi State has started pro-active measures to prevent the outbreak of measles and meningitis in the state.

The council Chairman, Alhaji Bala Mohammad, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi that adequate drugs had been procured against the child-killer diseases.

He said that a centre to cater for victim of the diseases had been established while health awareness enlightenment campaigns had been intensified.

Mohammad, who did not disclose the amount involved, said there was no outbreak of measles in the area, adding that threats of any outbreaks would be guarded against.

Kwara

The Federal Ministry of Education in Ilorin has  inaugurated a Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme for the 2013/2014 session.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyat Rufai in a speech, said that selected students in six states in the North central zones including the FCT would be interviewed for the programme.

She said that the sholarship programme was as a result of the partnership the country had with its international agencies on education exchange programme.

Lagos

The absence of the judge last Tuesday stalled hearing in a case of production of a killer teething syrup preferred against the Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) charged the company with producing an adulterated teething syrup –My Pikin – before Justice Okechukwu Okeke of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Trial in the case was to continue last Tuesday, but Okeke was not available. He was said to be at a conference in Abuja. The trial will now continue on April 15.

Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, has arrested 62 suspected fake corps members, including a nursing mother, at an illegal orientation camp.

The Commandant, Mr Andekin Musa, told newsmen in Lafia.

He said men of the command, acting on a tip-off, arrested the fake corps members last  Sunday at a hidden camp near Government Secondary School, Tammah in Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.

He said among those arrested were 44 females and 18 males.

According to him, one Mr Chinedu, believed to be the coordinator and director of the camp, is still at-large.

Ondo

The Federal Government has in Akure advised the Ondo State Government to make the provision of water supply its priority.

The National Commissioner, Strategic Communications, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Dr Adewumi Abitoye gave the advice while fielding questions from newsmen in Akure.

Abitoye was speaking shortly after leading a team on inspection of the Owena dam and water treatment site.

He expressed concern over the shortage of water supply despite the enormous investment made in the execution of the Owena Multi-purpose Dam and the multi-billion Naira water treatment plant in Igbaraoke in Ifedore LGA of the state.

Ogun

Ogun State  Government will pay more attention to the prevention of non-communicable diseases,  the Commissioner for Health, Dr Olalokun Soyinka, has said.

The commissioner said this in Abeokuta at a three-day Cardio Metabolic Care Clinic Plan Capacity building programme organised for health workers in the state.

Soyinka said that some of the non-communicable diseases included diabetes and hypertension.

He bemoaned the high rate of diabetic patients in the country, saying that an average Nigerian family owns a diabetic patient.

Osun

The Fiscal Responsibility Commission, has  commended the contractor handling the on-going construction of the Gbongan-Iwo road in Osun State.

The commendation was made in Gbongan, Osun, by the Commissioner representing the South-West in the commission, Dr Adewunmi Abitoye, who visited the project site.

Abitoye, however, attributed the slow pace of the project to inadequate funding.

Our correspondent reports that the 30.2 kilometre Gbongan-Iwo road was awarded in 2011 at over N7 billion.

The budgetary allocation for the project since 2011 had been N500million, resulting in the current 31 per  cent execution.

Oyo

The Managing Director of Odu’a Investment Company Limited (OICL), Mr Adebayo Jimoh in Ibadan said that the Sketch Newspaper was not dead, but “ resting.’’

Jimoh said this at the public presentation of a report by the Odu’a Group-Ex-Sketch Staff Reconciliation Committee on the paper’s crisis.

‘‘Sketch is not dead, but only resting and waiting for a messiah to revive it,’’ Jimoh said.

The Odu’a-Ex-Staff of Sketch Press Limited Reconciliation Committee was set up in September 2012 to look into complaints of the former workers.

Zamfara

The Zamfara State Government is to relocate three communities living in flood-prone areas, as part of measures to avert loss of lives and property due to incessant floods in the state.

The Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Mukhtar Lugga, said at a news briefing  in Gusau that the government would relocate residents of Jangeru and Dole villages in Shinkafi, and parts of Moriki in Zurmi Local Government areas.

He, however, said that the relocation was being hampered by the delay in the release of the state’s share of Ecological Fund by the Federal Government.