Bayelsa Water Schemes In its determination to achieve its water for all progranune, Governor Trrnipre Silva of Bayelsa State, has released N38 million for the operation of 13 rural water schemes and two regional waterworks. Commissioner for Water Resources, Chief Kuroghoekegha Francis, clisclosed this ' on Friday in Yenagoa in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria. He said operation of the rural water schemes would be carried out in collaboration with community development committees. In pursuance of this objective, Francis said the various CDCs in the affected communities had been directed to liaise with technical officers in the ministry to undergo a 3-day training workshop. He said the aim of the workshop was to train personnel that would opera te · and maintain ~,e mral water facilities.
A/Thorn FADAMA 111 Groups FADAMA 111 benefiting groups in Uman Local Government Area of Akwa Thorn State have increased from 25 to 45, the desk officer for the project, Mrs. Grace Umoh, has said. Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria at Idu, the Uman Council headquarters, Umoh disclosed that the local government had also paid its counterpart fund of N2 million for 2008. According to her, the local government area is, however, still indebted to the programme for ~,e year 2009, 2010 and 2011, adding that the project, which started in 2007, would terminate in 2012. Umoh further disClosed that the groups were expected to draw a grant of N1.1 million each for their activities, which include vegetable, cassava, plantain, pineapple, oil palm and rice farming.
4 Sisters Charged for Assault Four sisters. were on Friday arraigned before a Shomolu Magistrates Court in Lagos for allegedly beating and biting their co-tenant in the face. Adeola Olaofe (35), Isiaka Olaofe (29), Bosede Olaofe (26) and Funmi Olaofe (22) are facing a two-count charge of assault and breach of peace before Magistrate Mrs. B.O.Osunsanml. The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police A. Adegoke, told the court that the accused persons assaul ted Eiiro Daniel by inflicting injury on the complainant's right eye. He said the offences, which were committed on April 4 in LadiLak area of Shomolu, Lagos, were contrary to sections 351 and 356 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State. The accused persons p leaded not guilty.
Residents Tasked on Sanitation Kaduna State ·Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Zakari Sharnaki, on Friday charged residents in the state to sanitise their environment. He gave the task in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna, saying environmental sanitation was one of the best ways to prevent malaria and other related diseases. The commissioner remarked that that refuse clearance and waste management should be a collective responsibility between the government and the residents. He said public support would complement the efforts of the state goverruilent in solving incliscrirninate waste disposal.
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ANPP's Party to Beat, Says Sheriff overnor Ali Modu Sheriff of Bomo State has said whether in or out of government, he would ensure that his party, the All Nigeria People's Party delivers the dividends of democracy to the people of the state. He said the end of his eight years administration in the state does not Si~fy the end
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Fmm Michael O/ugbode i" Mairl"g"ri ANPp, Alhaji Kashim Shettima to the people of Chibok and Askira/Uba at a campaign rally. He said the ANPP would continue to ensure the infrasbuctural and sodo economic development · of ~,e Southern Borno people,
noting that the region remains the strong hold of the ANPP'. ,· and he will be expecting block votes from the zone. The governor, who immediately directed the consbuction of boreholes in Chibok town and environs, revealed that the General Hospital in Chibok and the offidal residential quarters of the district
b~;~a:;~~gs~~~r.:~ Dangote Assures Shareholders of Burnber Returns The governor said the ANPP with or without him at o;~ the state the helm of af£~o has a clearly laid out programme to bring good to the state. He told the people not to worry, saying there was an end in sight to the Borno State project that he su;;.ermtended over ' the last elg t years. Sheriff made this assurance, while presenting the governorship candidate of the m '
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reSident of Dan~te G Alb .. . roup, hasal' assured0 Dangote, Dangote Cement's shareholders of bumper . returns on their investment in the company, espedally as its pl.ant in Ibeshe, Ogun State commences production of six million metric tons. Besides its Ibeshe plant, Dangote said its plant in Obajana was also putbng fin- _
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ishing touches to its new third line, which when completed in the second quarter woUld push the production capadty of the plant to 105 million metric tons per year. A statement from the company said "Our shareholders will surely reap bountifully, especially now that our expansion activity is nearing its completion level. I can assure you that we are very mindful ofour shareholders and will ensure
15 States Benefits from UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA Grant he Canadian By Ndubuisi Ugah . International Development Agency Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River imd has made a grant of Akwalbom. CAD21 million available Speaking on the grant, the through United NationS UNICEF Representative in Population Fund, World Dr. Suomi Sakai, said: Nigeria, Health Organisation and "one of the key challenges for United Nations Children and is to strengthen essen.. Nigeria Educational Fund, to .assist 'the tial plimary healtli services so federal government and Its thar all women and newborns partners m improving the lives of women and yourfg children. . may benefit from core, life-sav.. ing.interventions." . Specifically, Sakai said: "as in gathered partners, we are fully committhe next five years (2011-2015), ted to support the government this grant would be impleof Nigeria to fine-tune primary mented as a joint programme healtfi services and help comby WHO, UNFPA and munities adopt sale, essential UNICEF in 15 states induding practices to protect the lives of Ule Federal Capital Territory . women and new born babies." The 15 states to be covered While noting that: "The by the programme are Sakoto, CIDA grant represents a signifKebbi, Kaduna , Borno, icant boost to re-energise e£forts Gombe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Lagos , Ogun, Imo, to ,improve ma ternal and new-
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born health", Sakai noted that "Nigeria has shown a positive trena in lowering mortality rates since targets were set at the' MiUennium Summit in 2(.00, but acceleration is needed fot the country to meet the health-related millennium development goals, that is a reduction by two thirds in child, mortality and by three quarters of the maternal mortality ra tio."
they are happ), with the performance of their com~any and also on w h at goes to em in terms of returns on their invesbnent," he said. Speaking also, Special Adviser to Dangote, Engr. Joseph Makoju, said the increased production will lead to more revenue for the company and the shareholders would be better for it, noting that invesbnent in Dangote stock is the best invesbnenl
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the shareAccording to him, "by the middle of this year, when Ule new lines in Obajana and lbeshe start production, the local capadty and output will be far more than tlie local demand of cement and thai will set the pace for exportation of our products. This ,,,ill lead to increased products, more revenue for the compan)' and better returns for the shareholders."
Akala, Retired Judges Disagree over Benefits
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YO State governo.r, Adebayo ATao-Akala, has disagreed with the ag~eved retired jUdges who had dragged him to cowt
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heads in the local government will soon be completed. The governor also assured the people of Askira-Uba of the readiness of the state government to CQnunence the consbuction of Lassar-Yaffa Lassa, Wamdeo-Chull / Mussa roads in two weeks time by deployiP.g the state road maintenance agency..
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From Tunde Salmi illlbadtlll
over the non-payment of their severance allowance. The retired judges, comprising Um.e chiet judges, two acting dlief judges and six oUler judges, wlio served for decades in the state's judidary, had taken the governor to cowt for refUSing to pay the money several months after their exit from service. The litigants are Nurudeen Adekola, Olayiwola Adio, Ruth Oyetunde, Afolabi Adeniral 01agoke Ige, Karimu. Jimol-.. Lambe Arasi, Akin Sandi'. Atilade Ojo, Sinl0n Akintol.. and Theophilus Adenirall (deceased). At the start of legal fir<'works on the face-<Jff 5etween the governor and the retired judges, Akala ·told the court that he was not under any obligation to pay the severance benefits of judges that retired from Ule state.