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DAILY TRUST
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sokoto路路workers路sell off cars FromRakiya.A.Muhammad, Sokolo LESS than a month after the SokOlo Stale government distributed cars on loan to some civil servants in the state, some of the beneficiaries are reported to be selling off the vehi-
des. The vehicles are being sold at give away prices, it was learnt. Some of them are worth over N 1.4 million bUI were given 10 the workers at the rale of about N1.2m but are reportedly being sold at about N800,000.
II was gathered thaI some of beneficiaries who already had cars are selling the new ones to meel other needs. It would be recalled that the slate governmenl had abo~t three weeks ago under its N 1.6 billion vehicle purchase and refurbishing .
loans scheme, distributed a total of A1haji Abdullahi Wali, said the state 600 vehicles to workers from grade government would investigate the levels 10 to 16. The vehicles include matter. Wali who noted that the 50 Kia Cerato, 100 Kia Rio, 200 government's gesture was aimed at Hyundai Accent and 250 Hyundai alleviating the workers' transport problem, said they should not act ilO. Commenting on the development, the state Head of Service, "in a way that would defeat the aim.
Dankwambo urges end to medical workers'strike GOVERNOR Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has appealed to medical workers in the state to call-off their current strike. He made the appeal in Gombe on Saturday al the swearing in ceremony of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Bage, the Head ofService, Mr Eli Ekeme and Chief of Staff, Government House, Alhaji Allmed Yayari. The health workers had been on strike for the past four months. Dankwambo said calling off the strike would give him the opportunity to address Ihe wo rkers' grievances and to settle the matter once and for all. The governor stated that the administration would always ensure that qualified and responsible persons were appOinted to head sensitive pOSitions. He enjOined the newly appointed officers to always . work harmoniously with their colleagues to ensure the proper implementation of government's programmes and policies. "The newly sworn-in functionaries and indeed, all public ary last year, the college was not and civil servants must strive to able to pay up to June. Thereafensure prudent and transparter the resources were available we managed to pay the arrears of ent management of resources by six months. And from that time adhering strictly to due process. we have not been able to gather As well as adhering to guidelines and fmancial regulations pertainenough money to continue payirig to handling of public funds ing the PPA. It's not that we don't 'vant to pay, we will pay when and other resources entrusted in their care," he said. Bage, who was we have the resources", she said. reappointed, thanked the goverMrs Muhamamd said the mannor for the confidence he reposed agement did not deduct any cash from the normal salary, but only on him and the others, promising that they would put in their best. started to reflect the deducted (NAN) amount in the salary arrears.
Strike paralyses activities at FCE Kano Fromlubabatu I. Garba, Ka no ACTIVITIES at the Federal College of Education Kano have been ". paralyzed by the current strike by the academic staff union. The union recently began an indefinite strike pver non-payment of peculiar academic allowance and other issues. The chairman of the union, Malam Bashir Ibrahim, said beside the non-p'a fment of ti,e allowance, the union was also demanding an explanation for the
non-implementation of promotion in year 2010 and the illegal deduction of7.5% pension. "They should pay our conference claims for last year and our arrears of SIWES should be paid among other things", he said. Bashir decried the behavior of the institution's management, noting that they had been writing to the them about their demands but the management remained adamant. "When we realized that the management was not intending to 'respond to our demands, we
proceeded to write to the college's governing council which directed them to settle us but still the management refused to comply with the council's directive~ he said. . Provost of the institution, Dr. (Mrs) Rabi J. Muhammad, said though government approved payment, it did not back it up with the money, saying they directed all the institutions to generate the money internally and pay. "When the government gave this directive sometime in Janu-
Chime hails Anyim's appointment From Tony Adibe, Enugu ENUGU State Governor,Sullivan Chime, yesterday said the recent appointment of Senator Anyim Pius Anyim as Secrelary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was another demonstration of President Goodluck Jonathans resolve to bring N igeria on the path of rapid and sustainable development. Governor Chime who stated this in a re lease signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Chulcwudi Achife, said the president exhibited a high l!,vel of wisdom in his choice of Senator Anyim, pointing out that it showed his comm itment to promoting merit and propriety over other considerations in making appointments at the highest level of government. Noting that Senator Anyim is "a most befitting head to wear the cap", Governor Chime observed that the former Senate President would bring his vast experience as a political .
. administrator to bear on the discharge of his duties, noting that the nation stands to gain a lot from his service. He further said the new SGF enjoyed a lot of goodwill and friendship across the nation on account of his sterling performance during his days as Senate PreSident, emphasising that the nation needs a man with such credentials to man the sensitive pOSition. Chime also thanked President Jonathan for considering the South East zone worthy of prodUCing the occupant of the exalted office, adding that this would further cement the overwhelming support and solidarity he has been enjoying from the people of the region. The governor enjOined Anyim to go about his official duties with h is usual diligence and broad mindedness, noting that he was confident that Anyim would set new standards and carve a distinctive niche for himself in the records of occupants of the office.
Delta approves more societies forN 1bn agric loan THE Delta State government says it has approved an additional 480 farmers' co-oper ative societies to benefit from the Federal Government's Nl billion agriculture loan. Mr. Jonathan Ochonogor, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural ResoUrces, who disclosed this in Asaba, said the approval had brought the number of beneficiaries to 680. Ochonogor told newsmen in an interview that the increase in the number of beneficiaries from 200 to 680 was necessitated by the receipt of more applications. He said the government received an additional 1,257 applications out of which 480 were
selected. Ochonogor said the state had satisfied all the conditions for accessing the loan, adding that on the average, 27 co-operative societies from each of the 25 LGAs of the state got approval to access the loan. He said the loan would attract nine per cent interest rate per annum, and that Zenith Bank had been deSignated to handle the disbursement and management of the loan scheme. , 'The government has Signed the necessary documents to ensure that the loan is repaid through direct deductions from the state's allocation from the Federation Account 路 AUocation Committee (FAAC);' Ochonogor said. (NAN)