Blog

Polio: Jigawa to immunize 1.6 children
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Immunisation
By Muhammed Nasirbashir
Dutse, Oct. 17, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa Government says it will immunise over 1.6 million children against polio in the ongoing polio immunization campaign in the state.
Dr Kabiru Ibrahim, Executive Secretary of the state Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHDCA), disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Dutse.
Ibrahim said that adequate personnel had been engaged to conduct the exercise simultaneously across the 27 local government areas of the state.
He commended traditional and religious leaders as well as other stakeholders in the state for their support and cooperation for the smooth conduct of the exercise.
Ibrahim also expressed satisfaction at the level of compliance by parents and urged husbands to allow their wives to take their children to health facilities for the routine immunisation.
He also appealed to parents to co-operate with the officials in order to ensure a smooth conduct of the exercise.
Ibrahim said the exercise was to ensure that all children in the state were immunised against the disease.
NAN reports that the weeklong immunisation commenced on Oct. 15. (NAN)
MNB/HS/WOJ
(Edited by Halima Sheji / Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-AE-2

MoU

By Muhammad Nasir

Dutse, Oct. 17, 2016 (NAN) Jigawa Government and Vetek Nig. Ltd., a private estate developer, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build 2,000 units of affordable houses in Dutse, the state capital.

The state Head of Civil Service (HoS), Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa, who signed the MoU on behalf of the state government, said that 500 hectares of land was already approved by the government for the project.

Inuwa said that the gesture was part of efforts by the administration to address housing deficit among civil servants in the state.

“Government alone cannot provide accommodation for all its civil servants. For instance, since the creation of this state, only 40,000 houses had been provided by the different governments.

“That is why this government is keen to partner private investors to put the state in proper perspective.

“That is why private investors have to be invited and the government will continue to open its doors to welcome the private-sector in housing delivery to reduce the deficit,’’ he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Mr Simon Imen, said that the houses would be built for low and middle-income earners– who constitute majority of the labour force.

Imen said that the housing complex, made up of two and four bedroom apartments, would be provided with school, clinic, water, electricity, shopping mall and mechanic village.

He said the houses would be given to civil servants at eighty per cent discount, adding that the firm intended recouping its investment through services it would continue to render after the completion of the estate.

“We will give out the houses with eighty per cent discount, but we intend to recoup our money through the essential services we intend to provide in the area.

“Such services we intend to provide are school, clinic, water, electricity, shopping mall and a mechanic village, all these are necessary in our lives,” he said.

In his remark, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Usman Yau, thanked the Jigawa government and the company for the gesture, pointing out that it would go a long way in addressing the accommodation challenges of civil servants.

He also assured the firm that civil servants would occupy all the houses on completion. (NAN)

MNB/IS/BOS

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Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

1. The African Heritage Institution organises course on Econometrics Methods for Policy Analysis in Enugu.
2. Opening ceremony of the meeting of elders of Southern Nigeria holds in Umuahia.
3. Abia Coordinator of NOA holds news conference in Umuahia on ‘’the Change Begins with Me’’ campaign.
4. Information Minister Lai Mohammed presents a lecture at NIPSS, Kuru, near Jos.
5. Taraba SEMA distributes relief materials to IDPs in Gassol, Taraba.
6. Commissioner for Agriculture speaks with Newsmen on measures taken by the state government to curb post-harvest losses by farmers in the state.
7. Mr Shaarik Zafar, the US Special Representative to Muslim
   Communities, holds news conference in Kano.
8. Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria organises a training in Kaduna on budget tracking.
9. Gov. Al-Makura of Nasarawa State meets with leaders of organised labour unions in Lafia.
10. Leaders of farmers/herdsmen groups meet in Karu.
11. Niger State University, Lapai, organises seminar on women empowerment.
12. All Progressives Congress Governors Forum meets in Ibadan.
13. EFCC arraigns a former banker in Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti, for allegedly operating a fake polytechnic.
14. Olojo Festival continues in Ile-Ife.
15. FCT Chief Judge Ishaq Bello visits Kuje Prisons
16. Ex-Governor Joshau Dariye of Plateau alleged case of diversion of N1.16 billion ecological funds continues in an FCT High Court.
17. Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court continues hearing in a case of alleged fraud filed against Moses David and two others
18. An FCT High Court, Apo, hears a case of alleged culpable homicide filed against a 37-year-old ex -police man.

19.An FCT High Court, Kubwa, continues hearing in a case of alleged robbery preferred against Ishak Barnabas and four others.

20. Presidential advisory committee against corruption present reports to mark one year anniversary

Commission trains 81 financial officers on budgeting, financial crisis control
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Training
By Mahammad Nasirbashir
Dutse, Oct. 17, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa State Local Government Service Commission has trained 81 financial officers on budgeting and financial crisis control in local government administration.

The commission’s spokesperson, Malam Najib Umar, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Monday.

Umar said that participants at the two-day training were drawn from each of the 27 local government areas, noting that the beneficiaries included directors of budget, accountants and assistant treasurers in the local governments.

He said the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad who declared the training open, said that the exercise was to equip local government financial officers with knowledge of prudent management of funds.

“The workshop has come at the right time when governments at various levels are working tirelessly to ensure transparency in budget process,” Muhammad said.

Umar said the commission’s Chairman, Alhaji Kabiru Hassan, identified integrity and trust as vital tools in fighting corruption, saying that the workshop reflected the cardinal objectives of the current administration under the leadership of Gov. Muhammad Badaru.

“The government is determined to reposition the state in terms of prudence and transparency in the management of public resources ,” he said (NAN)
MNB/MA/OFN
Edited by Felix Nwadioha

NAN-ELS-1

Awards
By Chilee Agunanna
Dallas (U.S.), Oct. 17, 2016 (NAN) The founder of the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA), Mr Anderson Obiagwu on Monday said the awards were instituted to provide an international platform for African artistes.
Obiagwu made the statement during the event ceremony which held at the Dallas Convention Centre, Texas, in the US.
He said African artistes were marginalised by international awards, hence the need for an authentic international African platform to showcase African artistes to the world.
“There is nowhere like Africa in the world, that is why we are here and we are promoting African music.
“BET (Black Entertainment Television) has been in business for so many years and we have an African category, but our artistes do not grace the stage– that is the reason why we decided to give our artistes from Africa this platform.
“This started like a passion, and then turned to a movement, and we are not even there yet; we are still going to get better, just be patient with us.
“If you are an artiste in Africa and you are invited to come and grace this stage, nobody is going to pay you to do this, this is for us,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, which is the third edition, was hosted by comedian Basket and Cynthia Bailey of the ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’.
There were 25 categories of awards and Nigeria led the winners’ table with nine awards including: Artist of the year – Flavour; Best Male West Africa – Olamide.
The other winners were– Best collaboration: “Reggae Blues”- Harrysong ft., Kcee, Olamide, Iyanya; Crossing Boundaries with Music – Wizkid; Song of the year – Tecno; and Best Video Director – Patrick Elis.
Nigerians also won Best Rap Act – Phyno; Best African DJ USA – Dj Dee Money; and Music Producer of the year – Masterkraft.
From the rest of Africa were: Best Female West Africa – Efya; Best Male North Africa – Amr Diab; Best Female North Africa – Ibtissam Tiskat.
Others were, Best Male Central Africa – C4 Pedro; Best Female Central Africa – Daphne; AFRIMMA Video of the year – Bisa Kdei; Best male Southern Africa – AKA; and Best Female Southern Africa – Chikune.
The next awards were, Best African Group – Sauti Sol (Kenya); Best Gospel Act – Willy Paul (Kenya); Best Male East Africa – Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) and Best Female East Africa- Akothee (Kenya).
The rest of the awards were Best Dancehall Act – Shatta Wale; Carribean Artist of the year – Machel Montano; Best African Dancer – Brenda Derry (Cameroon), and Best Newcomer – Harmonize (Tanzania). (NAN)
ICA/ACO/BOS
Edited by Oluleye Abiodun/Dele Bodunde

NAN-HG-1
Eyes
By Maureen Ojinaka-Nwanosike
Enugu, Oct. 17, 2016 (NAN) An Ophthalmologist, Dr Nkiru Akaliwe, has advised Nigerians above 40 years to do regular eye check up to ascertain the true status of their eyes.

Akaliwe, a consultant at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

She called on Nigerians to maintain a healthy living by eating more vegetables and fruits so as to prevent visual impairment.

According to her, the eye is very important in human body. Blindness can be treated while some cannot.

The consultant, however, explained that many people in the developing countries were losing their sight to cataracts which could be easily treated.

She noted that glaucoma, which was another type of eye disease, gradually caused blindness without the patient knowing.

Akaliwe said that 285 million people globally have eye problems and from the figure, 39 million from developing countries like Nigeria, were blind.

She advised people with eye problems to avoid buying medicated glasses without the prescription of an Ophthalmologists, saying, “it is dangerous to use medicated glasses not recommended by an expert’’. (NAN)
OJI/IS/OFN|
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz//Elix Nwadioha

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Book

By Modupe Seriboh

Ibadan, Oct. 16, 2016 (NAN) A former Speaker of House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba, will on Wednesday join the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, to launch a book on Nigeria’s history in Ibadan.

Others expected at the launch, according to a statement by the organisers, are founder of Lagos Business School, Prof. Pat Utomi, and Mrs Elizabeth Fagunwa, wife of foremost writer of Yoruba fables, D. O, Fagunwa,

The statement, signed by Dr Festus Adedayo, former Special Adviser on Media to a former governor of Oyo state, in Ibadan, said that the event would take pl ace at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan.

The book is titled “Of Rusts and Gold: Snippets of History, A Collection of Thoughts on Yoruba Cultural and Political History, Contemporary Nigerian Politics.’’

The book is written by Mr Femi Kehinde, a prolific writer, politician and former member of the House of Representatives.

The book chronicles the lives and times of many Nigerian politicians of the First Republic, including Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Ladoke Akintola and their spouses. (NAN)

MAM/COO/OPI

Edited by Olisa Ifeajika

LAST CONTROL NUMBERS

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Spiritual
Benin, Oct. 16, 2016 (NAN) The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) says it will from next week, embark on a seven-day spiritual action over the country’s economic and social-political crises affecting the well-being of Nigeria.

In a statement, the President of the PFN, Rev. Felix Omobude, said the Christian faithful would converge on Benin from Oct. 24.

Omobude said he would lead thousands of Christian clerics and faithful within and outside Nigeria to commit and re-dedicate the affairs of Nigeria into the divine hands of God.

The one week convention, with the theme “Reigning in Life”, will take place at the headquarters of Gospel Light International Ministries-New Covenant Gospel Church, Benin.

Omobude said notable speakers at the seven days prayer, praise and worship, would include immediate past President of CAN, Ayo Oritsejafor, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Simeon Okah and Dr Enock Setima.

Omobude, who is also the President General of Gospel Light International Ministries (GLIM), disclosed that the call to prayer event was part of the annual convention of New Covenant Gospel

The special prayers will be offered to help Nigeria overcome its pressing needs and problems, particularly the challenges of economic recession, terrorism, violent crimes, kidnapping and corruption.

The PFN President disclosed that it was the will of God for Nigeria and Nigerians to be better so that they could reign in life and enjoy the goodness of God.

“It is our expectation that Nigerians in particular and Nigeria as a whole, will witness the mighty visitation of God during and after the convention.

“Issues bothering on the welfare and safety of this nation as well as her progress and development will be handled in prayers.

“There shall be a harvest of miracles, signs and wonders.

” We have God’s assurance that the lame shall walk, the blind shall see, the deaf shall hear and the captive set free.

“There shall be healing galore for all manners of people and the church will be strengthened,” he said. (NAN)
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Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

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Bank

Kano, Oct. 16, 2016 (NAN) Kano State Government said on Sunday it would establish a data bank for easy accessibility of all companies in the state.

The Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Tourism in the state Alhaji Mohammed Rabiu, dropped the hint during an inspection tour to some selected industries in the state.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Alhaji Shehu Sani, made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Kano

Rabiu said that the ministry had commenced designing and printing of data forms containing relevant information required from macro, micro, small and medium industries.

“One of the cardinal directives of Gov. Ganduje’s administration is revitalisation of industries by providing enabling environment for the industries to operate smoothly across the state,’’ he said.

The commissioner said that apart from the Independent Power Plant Project which would soon be inaugurated, the governor recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dangote and Black Rheno.

He said that the MoU was to provide 100 megawatts of solar energy for the benefit of industries in the state.

He urged the private sector in the state to compliment the effort of the government by employing the indigenes to curtail unemployment. (NAN)

BO/COO/OPI

Edited by Cecilia Odey and Olisa Ifeajika