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Chibok girls’ issue shameful-Soyinka
From Abdul-Hameed Oyegbade, Osogbo
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has described the case of missing Chibok girls as shameful to the nation as he lamented the
inability to rescue them.
He was speaking at the inauguration of Government High School in Ejigbo, built by the admiration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola and
named after him.
The Nobel Laureate enjoined leaders in the country to ensure that children are brought up with a feeling that no religion is superior to the
other. He said all hands must be on deck to ensure that school children are not divided along religious lines for a better Nigeria.
“It is a shame that the nation cannot account for over 200 girls in Chibok, I sympathize with the religious policy of governments in schools, children must not be brought up with a feeling that religion inhibits knowledge.
“In schools, we need not distinguish our children, the fatalistic religious holiness and the holier than thou attitude must be reduced among our students”, he said.
Governor Aregbesola in his remarks said given the lean resources of the state, the cost of the school was huge but that it was a worthy investment.
He said within the first quarter of next year, his
government would also commission another set of schools in the same category.
?He stressed that no government can overspend on the education of the people, saying ?education is human development and the primary way any
family can get a lasting benefit from government.
? Aregbesola said it was befitting that Osun named the school after Soyinka whom he described as an excellent product of public education and a distinguished academic who brought honour
to Yorubaland, Nigeria, Africa and the black race with his Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.
Tiv traditional council meets over Tor-Tiv’s death
From Hope Abah, Makurdi
Members of the Tiv Traditional Council in Benue State were in Government House Makurdi yesterday for a meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom who confirmed the sudden death of the paramount ruler, Dr. Alfred Akawe Torkula.
The Tor Tiv’s spokesman, Godwin Ber, had debunked news of his death Monday, saying it was peddled by mischief makers.
But Governor Ortom told newsmen that details of the death and a formal announcement would soon be made public.
“As I talk to you, members of the Tiv traditional council are on their way from Gboko to Makurdi to formally announce the passing away of the paramount ruler,” he said.
The 71 year-old Tor-Tiv who assumed the throne on April 21, 1991 was the chairman of the Benue State Council of Chiefs. He was the Pro-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University, Umudike in Abia State.
Set up special courts to try corrupt officers-Nnaji
By Sherifat Amako
The National Coordinator, House-to-House Women Care Group International, Chief Mrs Funmi Uzo Nnaji, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to set up special courts to ensure speedy trial of corrupt public officers.
Nnaji said in a statement yesterday that a situation where the trial of corrupt public officers was wittingly or unwittingly allowed to drag for many years encourages corruption as perpetrators are sure to go free by taking advantage of the complicated judicial process.
While noting that the fight against corruption would not be easy, she expressed confidence that with President Buhari’s anti-corruption credentials, the days of looting public treasury are over.
She assured the president of women’s support as they are very pleased with his work so far. She announced that the organisation would soon embark on a 40-day fasting and prayer session to seek God’s guidance and protection for the present administration. Nnaji urged the president not to be deterred by the agitations in some parts of the country, especially that of MASSOB, which she said was self-driven and targeted at distracting the president from his fight against corruption.
Lalong to revive ailing industries
From Lami Sadiq, Jos
Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong yesterday said his administration’s economic empowerment programme was aimed at reviving the state’s ailing industries, promoting cottage industries and providing start up capital for petty traders.
Lalong’s representative, Deputy Governor Sonni Tyoden, said at the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN) national congress in Jos that his administration was determined to provide an enabling environment for businesses through effective policy formulation and implementation.
The governor added that the capacities of cooperative societies to access the Central Bank of Nigeria’s micro, small and medium enterprises fund (MSMEDF) would be enhanced and the bottle necks that frustrate people’s access to the funds would be checked.
“I am sure that the content of this workshop will lead deliberations towards finding a reliable cooperative financial system and guarantee access to the CBN’s N220billion warehouse funds for micro, small and medium enterprises development,” he said.
Lalong urged cooperative societies in the country to come forth with practical recommendations from the workshop on how to facilitate the process of enhancing capacity, providing jobs and generating employment for the growing number of unemployed youths in the country.
BPE raises hope on power, lauds Kaduna Electric
By Daniel Adugbo
The Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) has expressed optimism that better days lie ahead in the Nigerian electricity supply industry.
A team of the Bureau’s officials on a post- privatization monitoring visit to the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company led by Mr. Ahmed Shitu, described what they saw and heard in the course of their assignment in the franchise area of Kaduna Electric as “re-assuring”.
A statement from the company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Abdullazeez Abdullahi, quoted Shitu as commending the management of the company for remaining focused and committed to its pre-bidding commitments to the BPE.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director/CEO of Kaduna Electric, Engineer Garba Haruna, reaffirmed the commitment of the core-investor to the business plan submitted to the BPE during the pre-bidding process. He disclosed that though Kaduna Electric was the last company to be privatized among the 11 distribution companies, the company had been able to upgrade or install and commission 11 injection sub-stations, with three others in advanced stage in the about one year of being taken over.
Engineer Garba also disclosed that the company recently procured 40 Hilux operational vehicles and 1500 motorcycles to further enhance its operations. The BPE officials after scrutinizing the books of the company, also visited the sites of some projects recently executed by the company, the new service centre in Sardauna Crescent in central Kaduna metropolis and inspected the operational vehicles.