Blog

NAN-H-26
Locusts
By Mohammed Mamman
Damaturu, Oct. 3, 2016 (NAN) Alhaji Mustapha Gajerima, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Environment in Yobe, on Monday said a rapid response team had been constituted to monitor and tackle swarms of locusts threatening harvests in the state.

Gajerima made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu.

He said that the ministry had sprayed many farmlands against the invasion of locusts and other pests in six local government areas of Damaturu, Yunusari, Bursari, Yusufari, Giedam and Machina.

Gajerima said, “The ministry used motorised and manual methods to spray and tackle the swarms of locusts in good time before they invade the farms.

“In anticipation of possible outbreak of the pests, the state government made early preparation by procuring chemicals in readiness for the emergence of pests and promptly sprayed the affected areas.”

The commissioner said that the team would continue to monitor the movement of pests for quick response to check their menace.

He said that the early preparations and proactive measures taken by the state government had saved many farmlands from the harmful effects of pests on the crops.

“We are happy to have contained the pests and saved the farms for bumper harvests by our farmers which will increase food security and boost economy,” the commissioner said.

He added that the state government would assist farmers with ready made markets to buy off their excess crops for the state’s Strategic Grains Reserve Programme to save for the rainy days.

“This will save farmers from the hands of shylock marketers, who will buy the grains at low prices, create artificial scarcity, then sell at exorbitant rates and cause inflation,” Gajerima said.(NAN)
MM/DUA/GOK
(Edited by Dada Ahmed/controlled by Olagoke Olatoye)
=========

NAN-S-12

Match

By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus

Ilorin, Oct. 3, 2016 (NAN) The second semi-final match of the 2016 Men’s Federation Cup Competition will now take place at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Oct. 15 instead of this Sunday.

A statement on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) website quoted NFF’s Head of Federation Cup, Emmanuel Adesanya, as saying the Oyo State Football Association requested for the shift.

“We got a request for a shift from the earlier date of Sunday, stating that

the Oyo State Government would make use of the venue on Saturday, Oct. 8 and Sunday, Oct. 9.”

The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) reports that the match is between two-time CAF Champions League winners and seven–time Nigerian champions Enyimba FC of Aba and Nasarawa United of Lafia.(NAN ) 

(Edited and Controlled by Olawale Alabi)

NAN-H-21

Protest

Yola, Oct. 3, 2016 (NAN) Some  836 hospital support staff in Adamawa have appealed to the state government to pay them their salaries, which have accumulated over 27 since they were employed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the staff comprised  cleaners, securitymen, drivers, record keepers as well as laboratory and theatre attendants  employed in 2014.

Addressing newsmen in Yola on Monday, the workers said none of them had been paid since they were employed and appealed to the state Governor, Alhaji Jibrilla Bindow, to intervene and end their sufferings.

The Spokesman for the workers, Malam Ibrahim Auwal, said they had complained to the Ministry of Health and a committee was set up to address the issue.

“We were screened by a committee which retrieved our permanent and pensionable employment letter and replaced it with temporary appointment.

“We were given personal subhead number with the assurance that we would be captured in September salary but report reaching us is that the voucher of September salary to be paid this week did not include us.

“We want Gov. Bindow to intervene in this matter to end our sufferings as we are aware that  we were captured in the bailout money collected by the state government,” Auwal said.

He said that the  836 of them had the capacity to ground activities in government hospitals if their plight was not attended to.

“Doctors and nurses are being paid while we are being ignored; government needs to know that if we go on strike there will be no work in the hospitals.

“If we don’t work, there will be no admission in  hospitals.”

He accused the committee set up to verify them of creating more confusion by omitting the names of 173 people and adding other new names to the list.

“We are 836 but the committee after the screening omitted the names of 173 people and again went ahead to submit the list of 998 people creating more confusion as the commissioner of Health refused to sign leading to the setting up of another committee to look into the complaint.”

An official source in the Ministry of Health who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ministry had done the needful and added that “everything is now with the Ministry of Finance which should pay them.” (NAN)
YMU/JCE
========

Edited by Chukwudi Ekezie

NAN-H-3o
Holiday

By Muhammad Bashir

Dutse, Oct. 3, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa Government has declared Tuesday, Oct. 4, as public holiday to mark the beginning of the  Islamic New Year, 1438 A.H.

This is contained in a statement issued by Alhaji Isma’il Ibrahim, the Public Relations Officer, Office of the State Head of Civil Service (HoS), in Dutse on Monday.

Ibrahim said the state government had congratulated the people of the state on the occasion.

It also congratulated the Muslims around the world, for witnessing the New Year.

The government also advised workers and citizens of the state to pray for continued peace and prosperity in the state and Nigeria.

“During this day, it is expected that all public servants and the entire people of the state will pray to Almighty Allah for continued peace,’’ the government said.

It also urged the people to pray for the economic prosperity of the state and Nigeria, and be law abiding. (NAN)
MNB/DUA/AMY

=============

Edited by Dada Ahmed and Abdullahi Yusuf

Lagos motorists, commuters want FG to repair Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road
NAN-H-23
By Grace Alegba
Road
Lagos, Oct. 3, 2016 (NAN) To ensure a free flow of traffic and save man-hours to gridlock, road users, including commuters and motorists have appealed to the Federal Government to repair the failed sections of the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that the urgent rehabilitation of the bad portions of the road would save users the trauma of wading through traffic jams daily lasting several hours.
A NAN correspondent, who took a trip on the highway observed that no fewer than 18 pot holes are causing gridlock on both sides of the dual carriageway between Iyana-Ipaja and Ile Zik Bus Stops in Ikeja, apart from the damage to vehicles.
However, a crater at Dopemu Bus Stop on the Oshodi-bound carriageway which had been causing gridlock had been filled with crushed stones.
NAN also reports that that the road shoulders, that is, the edges at Ile Zik toward Oshodi has also failed and have developed to gullies.
The craters are usually flooded after rainfalls to compound gridlock on the axis, while craters on the road shoulders between Dopemu and Iyana-Ipaja have also caused a slow down.
At peak periods in the mornings, motorists spend hours between Iyana-Ipaja and Ikeja Along Bus Stops because of the deplorable condition of the road, a journey of about 10 minutes.
Also, four drainage slabs on the Oshodi bound carriageway has collapsed causing unsuspecting motorists diverting to Egbeda from the junction to get stuck.
A truck driver, Mr Aliyu Bolarinwa told NAN that the entire highway needed urgent rehabilitation.
“Between Sango and Oshodi it is hard not to find some bad portions on this road. If it is not pot holes, it is drainage problems. Government should repair the entire highway,’’ he said.
Bolarinwa also appealed to the government to urgently replace the damaged drainage slabs on the Egbeda link road which had caused several accidents.
An engineer, Mr Michael Aghedo, also told NAN that government should repair the bad portions and construct lay-by at various bus stops on the highway to reduce pressure on the main carriageway.
“The traffic on this axis is high because it is an inter-city road, but there is no single lay-by on the road, so vehicles use the road shoulders as vehicles stops to either pick or drop passengers.
“As long as there are no lay-bys, the failures on the road shoulders will continue. The design problem should be corrected and capture the drainage system to expand them,’’ he said.
A retired civil servant, Mrs Hassana Shuaibu, called for the resuscitation of the Public Works Department of the Federal Ministry of Works to tackle the problem of road maintenance.
She said that the nation lacked the culture of routine maintenance which the agency was noted for in the 70s up till 90s.
A transporter, Mr Shehu Kelechi, urged the government to fill the potholes on the highway to avert accidents.
“Last week I witnessed an accident at Cement bus stop and what caused it was that the driver ran into a ditch and skidded off the road; the vehicle was damaged and that is the problem transporters face daily.’’ (NAN)
GA/DA
======
Edited & controlled by Dele Akinsola

NAN-H-24
Celebration
By Felicia Imohimi
Abuja, Oct. 3, 2016 (NAN) Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Niger Ibrahim Ladan says the state government is celebrating the country’s Independence Day to infuse national consciousness in the citizens.

“We owe it a duty in the spirit of patriotism to commemorate this day because it will avail us the opportunity to raise awareness on its importance, especially to the younger generation that are almost losing out of its significance in our history as a nation.

“By celebrating it, we can individually and collectively contribute our quota to the development of our state and by extension, the nation,’’ he said in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.

According to him, knowing the significance of the Independence Day will check youth restiveness and moral degradation among other factors that are posing a huge challenge to nation building.

“The fact that we have survived as a nation for the past 56 years in the face of overwhelming challenges and that we have finally found our voices as citizens of this great country is a great achievement,’’ he said.

He called on Nigerians to use the celebration of Independence Day to rededicate themselves to the service of the nation.

“We should rally round the present administration that is focused, decisive and progressive to consolidate on the achievements we have so far recorded in the areas of provision of some basic infrastructure.

“These include good roads, resuscitating our schools, reviving the healthcare delivery system, youth and women empowerment initiatives and security, among others,’’ he said.(NAN)
FUA/KAY
=======

Edited by Kayode Olaitan

NAN-ENT-17
Music
By Ajibola Olaniyi
Osogbo, Oct.3, 2016 (NAN) A music expert, Dr Sola Babalola, on Monday in Osogbo, described the Yoruba language, as a very poetic African language in terms of content.

Babalola made this assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

On the growth of music in Africa and Nigeria in particular, Babalola recalled the achievements of some Yoruba music legends and the huge success they had attained in the music world.

The retired don noted that the Yoruba language in terms of diction and expression, “remains the richest in content,” attributing this to the worldwide acceptance of some of its music legends.

The music teacher listed King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Victor Olaiya and a host of others, who had carved a niche for themselves in different Yoruba music genres all over the world.

He noted that it was this amazing poetic content of the language that made millions of non-Yoruba fans, especially in the diaspora, enjoy musics, rendered in Yoruba

The ex-university lecturer said the growth of the hip-hop and other forms of music in Nigeria, had their roots deep in Yoruba language, which marked the poetic essence of the language.

Babalola said that the Yoruba language had been widely used in the composition of the hip-hop music more than any other African language, especially in Nigeria.

“The users of Yoruba language, experts and researchers alike, should explore these prospects to advance the coast of the language, especially in the entertainment world,” Babalola said. (NAN)
DOO/KOO/YEMI
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa

Controlled by Yemi Idris-Aduloju

NAN-H-22
Waste-to-wealth
Lagos, Oct. 3, 2016 (NAN) Determined to give a fillip to its waste-to-wealth project in a bid to create more jobs, the Lagos State Government says it is collaborating with a Holland-based company to harness the waste.
Already, the state has begun gas production from waste dumps.
Mr Olumuyiwa Adejokun, the Executive Chairman, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that the project would be a public-private initiative.
“It is a veritable option to adopt in recycling our waste which we generate daily in thousands of tons.
“Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration has invited a company from Holland whose speciality is on converting waste to wealth to create jobs for both old and young.
“We are expecting them anytime form now to come and collaborate with us on the project,’’ said the LAWMA boss, who took over in 2016.
According to Adejokun, the state-owned enterprise is not to recycle waste, but to encourage recyclers as private initiatives.
“It is not for LAWMA to recycle waste, but to encourage recyclers; for example, we have WeeCyclers owned by the Abiolas.’’
LAWMA was inaugurated following the industrialisation and urbanisation of Lagos with the resultant high volume of waste which became an intractable problem for local councils in the state to manage.
Lagos was branded the “dirtiest’’ capital in 1977 when Nigeria hosted “FESTAC ’77’’, and consequently in April 1977, the first waste management outfit in West Africa was inaugurated known as Lagos State Refuse Disposal Board (LSRDB) under Edict 9 of 1977, with Powell Duffen Pollution Control Consultants of Canada as managers.
In 1981, its name was changed to Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (LSWDB) because of the added responsibilities for industrial-commercial waste collection and disposal, drain clearing and disposal of derelict/scrapped vehicles.
In 1991, the board was re-christened LAWMA via Edict No. 55 with the mandate of collecting and disposing municipal and industrial waste as well as providing commercial waste services to state and local councils in the state.
Ex-Gov. Bola Tinubu’s administration had in 2001 had partially commercialised its operations through private sector participation concept, a fall-out of the 2nd Lagos State Economic Summit tagged “Ehingbeti 2001’’.

Adejokun said LAWMA as a regulatory agency, “regulates, monitor and sanction operators as the referee playing the same game with players under the PSP.’’
“We collect waste which is supposed to be done by the PSP operators, we monitor their activities and give them guidelines and tell them what to do and when they fail to do so we sanction them.’’
On heaps of disused tyres dotting the Lagos landscape, the LAWMA helmsman said the tyres were being mopped up across the metropolis for shredding, adding “it can be used for tarring roads instead of allowing some unscrupulous people to rethread and re-sell them as `tokunbo’ tyres.’’
He warned citizens against burning tyres or using it to burn animal or cow skin to process it to “ponmo’’ for consumption, describing it as hazardous to human health and polluting the environment.
Adejokun disclosed that more than 17,000 tons of waste were being generated daily in the state as a result of the ever increasing population of the mega city.

On the activities of scavengers, he said the scavengers at the various landfill and dumpsites in the state were stealing government’s revenue.
“We have got them to form an association and register with us. Each scavenger pays N2, 000 — 50 per cent goes to the government and 50 per cent to their association.’’ (NAN)
OKU/DA
=======
Edited & controlled by Dele Akinsola

NAN-H-18
Empowerment
By Lizzy Agbaji
Abuja, ) Oct. 3, 2016 (NAN) The Victim Support Fund (VSF) has empowered over 1,000 women, particularly those widowed by Boko Haram, through its Women Economic Empowerment Prorgramme (WEE).

Prof. Sunday Ocheche, Executive Director, VSF, made the fact known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.
He said the programme, one of VSF’s core agenda, was aimed  at improving the livelihood of women, particularly those who lost their husbands and breadwinners through insurgency.

Ocheche said the programme was meant to address the priority needs of affected women by training them in various skills with cash support to set up small businesses.

“The selected women were trained in a savings and loans programme after which they were shared into various groups according to their various vocations and given a grant of N20,000 to start their own business.

“We have recorded a lot of success stories and the women are excited for being financially independent and engaged in different activities.
“The various groups meet periodically to monitor the progress being made, encourage, advise and give psychological support to each other,’’ Ocheche said.

He said WEE was a pilot project of VSF which would scale up and spread to reach more women in different states.
The executive director said the fund had recorded a great milestone within the year in the insurgency affected states of the Northeast in the education support project and health system strengthening.
He listed the agriculture economic empowerment, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the northeast as part of its huge successes.
According to him, as part of its core programmes, VSF has embarked on the rebuilding and renovation of public structures and social amenities that were destroyed by Boko Haram.
He said the reconstruction would facilitate the re-establishment of local governance and restoration of basic social amenities which would help create an enabling environment for the return and recovery of returning IDPs.
He said VSF donated N250 million for the rebuilding of over 40 structures and facilities in Dikwa, Borno, to facilitate the return of IDPs.
He noted that N35 million was also donated to hospitals for the free treatment of victims of insurgency and assisting over 20,000 school children to gain access to educational materials.
Ochehe said recently, VSF pledged its commitment toward the rebuilding of Buni Yadi, Yobe, during the visit of the state deputy governor to the organisation.
He said that the visit was timely because making meaningful progress in the reconstruction of the northeast required partnership, collaboration, technical and capacity support. (NAN)
LIZ/ASS/JCE
=========
Edited by Chukwudi Ekezie

NAN-H-10
Teaching
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Ilorin, Oct. 3, 2016 (NAN) The Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, has advocated teaching children in elementary class with native languages for the preservation of the languages.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ilorin that teaching children in elementary classes with English language was a defeat of the essence of education.

“We as Nigerians are deceiving ourselves and a lot of educational institutions are also deceiving themselves.

“If you go to pre-primary schools, you see kids being taught in English, it a total defeat of a whole essence of education.

“So, the government must wake up to its responsibility that we must preserve our culture and tradition, because there is no culture without language.

“The dignity of a human being is embedded in the totality of his identity and culture and as Nigerians we are losing that dignity.

“Most Nigerians now want to be like whites, you see kids sagging and they don’t even speak their language.

“I am absolutely in support of schools redirecting themselves to the reality of using our languages in schools,’’ he said.

The vice-chancellor advised parents to desist from speaking English language to their children at home.

“The parents too should stop speaking foreign languages to their children because charity begins at home.

“A parent who knows the importance of his language will not send his children to schools where they speak English in elementary school. So, we need to bring ourselves back,’’ Na’Allah said.(NAN)
BAY/KAY
========

Edited by Kayode Olaitan