DAILY TRUST
Th ursday, May 19, 2011
Victimization:路/Yobe PDP has no groundsto go to court' From Hamza Idris, Maiduguri THE Senior Special Adviser to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam on Inter Party Affairs, AJhaji Mai Mala Buni, yesterday said the Yobe State chapfer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has no
grounds to'challenge the alleged victimization of civil servants in the state in court. Chairman of the PDP in the state, Alhaji Abba Gana Tata, had at a news conference in Damaturu on Monday, threatened to take the Yobe State government to court over alleged
victimization of civil servants who supported the PDP during the recently concluded elections. But speaking to newsmen on Tuesday, Buni said, "We. have said it again and again that the PDP is looking for attention after their dismal outing at the polls.
I can assure yo u that even if they were suspended actively particigo to court, they will be defeated pated in politics. And we have because they don't have grounds sufficient evidence to meet them in court. The PDP just wants to to challenge the action of the divert the attention of the govgovernment': He said the civil service rule ernment which is keen on conwas clear on the issue of politics, solidating its gains through peoadding that, "AU the people that - pie oriented projects."
Bornogovernment faultsNPCsurvey on education FromYahaya Ibrahim, Maiduguri 路 THE Bomo State government yesterday faulted the education data survey conducted by the National Population Commission (NPC) which revealed that 72 per cent of children between the ages of 6 and 16 in the state had never attended school. The state Commissioner for Information in the state, Inuwa Bwala while speaking with our correspondent in a telephone interview, challenged the NPC to come out with specific details on the number of households and families in the state. Bwala, who said the figure is ridicu ous' called on the NPC to conduct another survey with the supervision of the state officials. He maintained that in Southern Bomo alone, 90 per cent of children within the age range are attending school. Bwala further said that the last population censors result was not acceptable to the state and that it is being contested in court. The NPC had on Monday while presenting the 2010 Nigeria Education Data Survey said 72 per cent of children in the state have never attended school.
tJSAI Durged to create Physically challenged persons market for irrigation prot est in Ondo From Adewale Giwa, Akure allow \he protesters to see the governQr,. Sokotoresidents owe' farmers they barricaded the entrance to the goverFromSadeeq Aliyu, Gusau THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been urged to look into the possibility of creating a viable market for Bakolori irrigation furmers in Zamfara State. The Director of Irrigation in the Zamfara State MinistryofAgriculture, Albaji Yusha'u Shi' itu made the call . at the opening of workshop for water users association organized by the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority in collaboration with USAJD at Mafara. Alhaji Yusha'u, who said the training was aimed at sensitizing farmers on the importance of forming farmers association and the strategies for sustaining them, stressed the heed for good market which he said would motivate farmers to produce adequate food for domestic and international consumption. The Managing Director ofUSAJD Market, Mr. Timothy Preewit said their mission was to motivate farmers towards establishing sustainable and independent farmers' cooperative associations and to sustain the cordial relationship between farmers and extension workers. He also emphasized USAJD determination towards producing enough food to fight hunger and reduce poverty. Managing Director of the Sokoto Rima River Basin, Albaji Lawal Maidoki commended USAID for organizing the workshop and the Zamfara government for assisting Bakolori irrigation farmers, particularly through the repairs of dike and canals and supply of farm inputs.
HUNDREDS ofphysicaUychallenged persons in Ondo State, yesterday stormed the state's govepl0r's office in Akure, to protest what it described as the insensitivity of government to their plight. The disabled persons, who carried placards with various inscriptions, accused the state government of negligence. They accused the state government of not employing any of them into the state civil service. Our correspondent reports that because the security operatives refused to
nor's office to prevent anrlme from gaining entrance. It took the intervention of the state's Cotnniissioner for Women Affairs, . Kehiilde Momoli, who addressed them, urging them to calm down. . Speaking with journalists, the spokesperson of the physically challenged persons, Segun Aderibigbe said the Mimileoled government was neglecting them. "We have been neglected by the Mirnileo-led administration. They have refused to assist us whether in cash or kind. We are tired of this; he said.
Hoodlums attack INEe office in Kogi From lsiaka Wakili, lokoja THE office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State has been vandilized by unknown persons. The Assistant Electoral Officer ill the local government, Mr. Ahmed Gcholi, who confirmed the incident to newsmen yesterday, said the hoodlums tied the security man on duty before carrying out the operation around II :OOpmat the weekend. It路was gathered that over 119 computers, digital cameras and vital documents were
carted away. Meanwhile, .chairman of the local government, Mr Benjamin Okolo condemned . the act, saying those behind it would be brought to book. Narrating his ordeals in the hands of the hoodlums, the security officer at the lNEC office, said the mission of the hoodlums, who he said were more than 17, was merely to cart away computers and documents. Spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Okasanmi Ajayi, who also confmned the incident, said no arrest has been made, bilt added that the command had begun investigations into the matter.
PHCN N550m From Rakiya A.Muhammad, Sokoto THE Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) says residents of the state are owing the Marina Business Unit, Sokoto, over N550 million. The Business Manager of the unit, Engineer Yusuf Mohammed, who disclosed this in Sokoto, yes..terday said the debtors include companies, private individuals, ministries, agencies and parastatals. He lamented that the average monihly revenue target of the unit was about NI20 million but that only about N 50 million is collected monthly. Mohammed said of the over 37,000 customers in the unit, oniy about 27,000 are active. Mohammed, who noted that the situation was adversely affecting their daily operations, stressed the need for customers to settle their debts to help PHc:N improve on its services to customers. He said the unit has stepped up efforts to recover the debts.