The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has appealed the judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Makurdi Division, which declared null and void the union’s state council election, held on July 3, last year.

Chairman of the Benue State Council of the union, Martins Kajo, directed the caretaker committee to nominate a five-man Electoral Committee to conduct election into the Benue State Council of the union within 14 days from the date of the congress.

Read Also: Gbazueagu: Acrimony can derail 2023 election

The court also restrained the National President of NUJ, Chris Isiguzo, National Secretary Shuaibu Leman and former Vice-President Zone D, Wilson Bako, from interfering in the conduct of the election or participating or visiting the venue of the congress and the election to be conducted by the caretaker committee.

In the notice of appeal filed by Chief Caroline Mbafan Ekpendu (PhD) of the Iveren Chambers, on behalf of the NUJ on June 1, 2022, at the Court of Appeal in Makurdi, on five grounds, the union said it was dissatisfied with the judgment of Justice Essien, stating that the learned Judge erred in law by assuming jurisdiction in the matter where there was no evidence of proof of personal service of the originating summons on Apuu Iorember and James Shim, Chairman and Secretary of the Electoral Committee respectively for the NUJ election of July 3, last year.

The Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has disbursed N500 million in loans to 4,630 farmers in Nasarawa State from 2017 to date.

The Head of Project Monitoring and Remediation Office in Nasarawa State Office Mr Noel Dilli made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lafia yesterday.

He said the farmers were given the loans to assist them in the production of different farm produce, to harvest and process the product for value addition.

Dilli explained that 3,000 farmers got the loan in 2017/2018, 500 got in 2018/2019, while in 2020, 1, 130 farmers got the loan respectively.

He said nothing happened in 2019 as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic that ravaged the entire globe which Nigeria was also affected.

Dilli regretted that, despite the laudable efforts to assist farmers to boost production, more than 80 per cent of the beneficiaries in the state were yet to repay their loans.

“Lack of repayment of the loans has brought a setback to the programme, thereby affecting chances of more farmers to benefit from the facility.

Read Also: NIRSAL guarantees N266.97b bank loans in five years

“So, we have set machinery in motion to recover the loans that were supposed to be paid back within six months,” he added.

He appealed to farmers to always repay whatever loan they collected for the overall development of the country.

The Assistant Manager of Agricultural Value Chain-production and Integration Services (AVC-PIS) of NIRSAL Plc Onerno Obaseki commended stakeholders for their participation and useful suggestions at the meeting.

Obaseki urged farmers to embrace the NIRSAL’s approach to farming as a business to move from peasant to sustainable agri-business.

She assured farmers that if they embrace the approach of farming, it would help in ensuring food security in the country.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Musa Mohammed representing Rice Millers’ Association of Nigeria commended NIRSAL for their intervention in the agricultural sector.

He added that the intervention had improved productivity in farming and processing of harvested produce. He appealed for more investments in the sector to enable the country to become self-sufficient in food production.

The meeting had in attendance farmers from the 13 local government areas of the state, processors and the media among others.

Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya yesterday warned against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and blocking of waterways in the Gombe metropolis as the rain approaches.

The governor, who stated this while on an inspection tour of the ongoing gully erosion control and road projects in the state capital, warned those removing soil from drainage lines to desist from doing so.

Read Also: 34 states operate open dumping in Nigeria – Report

He said the menace of the removal of soil along drainage lines by surface water runoff has been one of the serious environmental problems affecting the state capital; causing destruction of properties worth millions of Naira and disruption of businesses.

The governor explained that there are more than 200 active gullies across Gombe State and most of them are within the vicinity of the state capital.

“You’ll recall that we had already executed the Gombe State University-Malam Inna erosion control works in collaboration with the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) with a view to addressing severe gully erosion problems in the short term, reducing vulnerability to soil erosion and climate variabilities in the medium term, such as our afforestation programme and the Gombe Goes Green Project,” he said.

Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has sworn in eight judges.

The governor supervised the swearing-in of the new judicial officers yesterday in Yola. He pledged his administration’s resolve to strengthen the judiciary in every way possible.

Those sworn in included Momsisuri Bemari Odo and Evaristus Paul for Customary Court as well as Magaji Chiroma and Ibrahim Barkindo for Sharia Court.

Others are Ishaku Yakubu Haliru, Felix Daniel Nzarga, Abbas Adamu Hobon and Maxwell Tartius.

Fintiri, at the swearing-in which took place at the Banquet Hall of Government House Yola, said his commitment to the well-being of the judiciary is premised on his avowed vision to make the tenets of democracy the bedrock of justice and equity so that the common man can have a genuine hope of better things to come.

Read Also: Fintiri pledges sustained agric schemes in Adamawa

“This is why this oath-taking should not be seen as a mere ceremony, or just a matter of formal procedure but a re-affirmation of each one of your Lordships’ commitment to serving God by serving humanity in the Temple of Justice.

“I hope to see that, by accepting to serve, you will work tirelessly to see that our courtrooms become temples of justice not that of despair, hopelessness and helplessness.

“I am confident that with your long sojourn on the lower Bench or in the Bar, whichever may be the case, you all have what it takes to drive a new phase in our Judiciary,” Fintiri said.

He told the judges that the cumulative effect of the oath they had just subscribed to precludes partiality or favouritism and professes neutrally in striking a balance on the scale of justice.

“Thus, having accepted this call of duty, it is expected that transparency, discipline, and efficiency should be the watchwords,” Fintiri said.

Speaking on behalf of the judges, Justice Ishaku Haliru explained that the judiciary is always expected to operate in line with the justice system.

Haliru commended Governor Fintiri for supporting the third arm of the government. He assured the governor of their uncompromising duty for the good of seekers of justice.

The Plateau State Coalition of Civil Society Organisations and Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) has commended Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong for assenting to the Violence against Person Prohibition (VAPP) Act, 2022.

Addressing reporters in Jos yesterday the facilitator of CSOs Coalition Gad Peter, alongside the Coordinator of WRAPA, Mohammed Ibrahim, hailed Governor Lalong and other stakeholders for ensuring that expedient actions were taken that led to the assent for VAPP Act.

The coalition also urged the state government to ensure a quick gazette of VAPP law, so that those that might be affected will benefit from it.

Read Also: Lalong charges NIPSS nominees to find solution to LG administration

The CSOs further solicited the speedy establishment of the gender and equal opportunity commission to ensure the implementation, action, and monitoring of not just the Plateau State gender and equal opportunities law, but also the VAPP Act.

He said: “This will go a long way in addressing the most serious issues most Nigerian laws are faced with, which is the issue of non-implementation.

He explained that constituting the board of the Gender Commission will portray an excellent image of the inclusive nature of the Governor Lalong administration.

“This will amplify his HeforShe nature and put him and his administration in positive national and international limelight.

Mohammed explained that the objective of the model laws is to sustain and advance a prudent engagement for the implementation of the GEO and VAPP law in Plateau State as well as a roadmap on a strategic mechanism to develop and update the estimated budget for implementation of the laws.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) yesterday flagged off free eye surgery for Cataract patients in the Kwali Area Council.

The Secretary of the FCT Secretariat for Health and Human Services, Dr Abubakar Tafida, who launched the programme at the Kwali General Hospital, said the first set of 500 indigent patients would benefit from the programme.

He noted that efforts to sustain the programme would be intensified with the support of development partners and other stakeholders.

While he revealed that the programme may not continue to be free in the future, he explained that the cost would be made affordable to patients.

His words: “We took up the issue with the minister who approved that 500 patients should be operated free. As we continue with this activity, we hope it will culminate in the development of a high volume cataract surgery centre in Kwali.

Read Also: ‘Not every fibroid requires surgery’

“Even if it will not be free after some time, it is going to be cost-effective.”

Dr Halima Kyari, an Ophthalmologist at UAUTH and a partner of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness said the stakeholders were given the needed attention to the programme because the patients have lost their sight and economic well-being.

She said that some of the patients that have benefited from the free surgery have been blind for 10 years.

Kyari said the partners provided all the consumables which complemented the efforts of the FCTA.

Also, the Paramount Ruler and Etsu of Kwali Dr Aliyu Shaban commended the FCT Administration for extending such a pro-poor programme to his domain.

He also appealed to the FCTA that the programme is sustained and possibly extended to other rural communities where many indigent cataract patients are found.

Two beneficiaries of the free surgery, Wando Samuel and Evelyn Okoye testified to the effectiveness of the programme, saying that the surgery has restored their sight and productive life.

A group within the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), the APC National Coalition for Mass Mobilisation, (NATCOMM), has urged  members across the country, not to engage the party leadership on issues that may cause unnecessary distractions.

The group said  the Abdullahi Adamu-led NWC must be allowed  to focus on the tasks of rebuilding the party and the next year’s  general elections.

In a statement  in Abuja yesterday  by  it’s  National Coordinator, Comrade Musa Ali Otigba, the group lauded the efforts of the Adamu-led NWC so far, describing them as commendable and in the right direction to develop the party.

Comrade Otigba frowns at  the activities of some  members of NWC fighting the leadership in the media,  urging them to desist from such acts and join hands with the party to face the challenges ahead.

Read Also: NWC members accuse party chair Adamu of taking unilateral decisions

He reminded them of how the cracks in the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC that eventually ended the regime at that time, started.

“This is how the cracks in the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC began  with small complaints by a member of the team, we thought it was a joke and before we knew it, it began to spread until it eventually ended that regime unceremoniously. We don’t want that to happen again. We must do everything within our powers to avoid that scenario from repeating itself, especially now that we have the general elections ahead of us”, Musa Otigba stated.

‘’We, want to advise our leaders at all levels to avoid unnecessary conflicts at this critical time. And where there are conflicts, we must be ready to explore the party’s internal settlement mechanisms instead of going to the media which cannot help to settle the issue but rather escalate it.

‘’We hereby appeal to  members across the country to support the new NWC under the  leadership of  Senator Abdullahi Adamu, so that together, we can achieve victory for our party at all levels in the upcoming  general elections’’, Otigba added.

Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari on Tuesday flagged off the first flyover Interchange Road Network in Katsina State. It is estimated to cost N4, 327,129, 296, 55. It is located at the Sarki Abdulrahaman Way by GRA Roundabout, Katsina.

While at the flag-off, Masari declared that Katsina has now joined the league of states with embedded flyovers in their state capitals.

He also recalled the establishment of a committee for urban renewals in 2015, which envisaged accelerated development of strategic urban towns in Katsina State, including Katsina, Malumfashi, Daura; Funtua, Dutsinma and so on, which has brought accelerated urban developments in the state to reality.

The governor further said the contractor has already been mobilised with half of the contract sum of 50 per cent and that the project is expected to be completed before the handing over the date of May 29.

Read Also; Masari to political elite: ensure Nigeria’s survival, growth

He said: “The plan by the present administration for a new Katsina City project is constrained by paucity of funds. We hope that the incoming administration will continue with the project.

“Incessant security attacks and the support programs to victims of banditry attacks also consumed the dwindling resources of the state and depleted the pursuit of the urban renewal projects.”

The Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Alhaji Tasiu Dahiru Dandagoro, said the earlier interchange projects at Kofar Kaura are 80 per cent nearing competition while the project at Kofa Quaya is 40 per cent.

He further announced the completion period for the GRA interchange flyover to take 12 months while the Kofar Kaura project will be completed in the next three months.

He said: “Apart from the interchange projects, the state government has also awarded the contract for the construction of Massanawa-Kofar Quga Road with seven months completion period.”

The contractor handling the GRA Interchange project, Marakat Nigeria Limited represented by Mr Maoin Ghostine, apologised to the host communities for the several inconveniences they may experience during the construction work, promising that the company will deliver the project on schedule.