The Nation Newspaper

Tag: kwara

  • Kwara confirms another Lassa Fever case

    Kwara confirms another Lassa Fever case

    Kwara state government has confirmed another case of Lassa fever in the Ifelodun local government area of the state.
    Speaking with withe reporters in Ilorin,  the state capital after the state executive council meeting, the commissioner for Information, Mallam Mahmud Ajeigbe, said that father of the 10 year old boy that earlier tested positive to the disease was the second person to be infected.
    The first case happened last week in Babanla, Ifelodun local government area of the state.
    The commissioner, who allayed fears of the outbreak among people in the state, said that the state government was on top of the situation.
    He said that the development called for better hygiene among people, adding that the government was committed to ensuring healthy living among its citizens.
    The commissioner said that nomadic nature and ignorance of the affected people had compounded challenges posed by the disease.
    He added that treatment and isolation centres had been set up at Omu Aran, Ajase and Babanla health facilities with necessary infrastructures.
    Also speaking, the senior special adviser to the governor on media and communications, Dr. Muideen Akorede, said that 400 cases of certificate forgery had been discovered in the ongoing certificate verification exercise among civil servants in the state.
    The governor’s aide, who said that the culprits of the forgery case would be dealt with according to civil service rule, advised others yet to be identified to exit the state civil service before they could be detected.
  • Kwara receives N2.5bn from FAAC August allocation

    Kwara receives N2.5bn from FAAC August allocation

    Kwara Government on Wednesday said it received N2.5 billion as its federal allocation for August as against the N3.6 billion it received in July.

    The State Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu, said in a statement in Ilorin that the allocation was N1.1 billion lower than that of July.

    Banu said the money was made up of N1.7 million as statutory allocation, while Value Added Tax (VAT) attracted N761 million.

    He also said that the 16 local government councils in the state got N1.8 billion as allocation for August as against the N2.6 billion they received in July.

    Banu said that out of the N1.8 billion, the councils got N1.424 billion as statutory allocation, while Value Added Tax attracted N432 million.

  • Police arrest 11 for cult-related killings in Kwara

    Police arrest 11 for cult-related killings in Kwara

    The police in Kwara State have arrested 11 suspects for cult-related killings and clashes, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    NAN learnt the suspects were nabbed by operatives of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID).

    A police source told NAN in Ilorin yesterday that those arrested were suspected members of Eiye and Aiye confraternities.

    The source said the suspects were nabbed at their hideout in Kulende, Ilorin, following an order for their arrest by Police Commissioner Ado Lawan.

    Police spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the arrest.

    He said the command would not relent until the state was rid of cultism and other crimes.

    NAN recalls Ilorin Emirate Descendant Union (IEDPU) had revealed that nearly 30 people had been killed by cultists in the last six months.

    The National President, Alhaji Abdulhammed Adi, who spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting in Ilorin, decried rise in cult-related killings.

  • 11 arrested over cult-related killings in Kwara

    11 arrested over cult-related killings in Kwara

    The police in Kwara have arrested 11 suspects  over cult-related killings and clashes in the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    NAN gathered that the suspects were arrested by  operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID).

    A police source told NAN in Ilorin on Monday that those arrested were suspected  members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities.

    According to the source, the suspects were  arrested at their hide out in Kulende area of  Ilorin following a marching  order for their arrest  by the Police Commissioner, Ado Lawan.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi,  confirmed the arrest of the 11 suspects.

    He said the police would not relent  until the state was rid of cultism and other crimes.

    NAN recalls that the Ilorin Emirate Descendant Union (IEDPU) had revealed that nearly 30 people had been killed  by cultists within the last six  months.

    The National President of the union, Alhaji Abdulhammed Adi, who spoke at a stakeholders meeting  in Ilorin, expressed concern on the rise in  cult-related  killings in the state.

  • Kwara confirms one case of Lassa Fever

    Kwara confirms one case of Lassa Fever

    Kwara state Health Commissioner, Suleiman Alege on Friday said there a confirmed case of Lassa Fever in the state.

    The victim of the disease is a-ten year old boy of Babanla,  Ifelodun local government area.
    It was reported last week that a ‘strange disease, had claimed scores of lives in Oro-Ago, also in Ifelodun local government area of the state.
    But the state government  described the report as mere rumours, adding that it had sent samples to virology centre in Lagos. 

    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, the commissioner said “like I told you before that we had sent samples to Virology Research Center, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). The results of the investigation of the samples are out.
    “And as a state we don’t need to hide anything. I can authoritatively confirm to you that one of the samples taken from Babanla Primary Health Centre, Ifelodun local government area is confirmed to be positive of Lassa Fever.
    “A ten year old boy is the unfortunate victim. As  I am speaking with you our medical team is moving their immediately.  Basically to monitor the situation on ground, look at the patient and for people that have had contact with the patient. We will continue to brief you on the happenings on ground.
    “We will create isolation centre in Omu-Aran General Hospital. I want to inform you that the information has gotten to Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and other necessary partners. We are working together as a team to nip the disease in the bud.
    “On the Oro-Ago axis, the other four samples are negative,” Alegbe stated.
  • No mysterious disease in Kwara, says commissioner

    No mysterious disease in Kwara, says commissioner

    Dr Atolagbe Alege,  the  Commissioner for Health in Kwara,  says no outbreak of a mysterious disease had been recorded in the state.

    Alege made the clarification on Thursday in Ilorin  while reacting to a report of an outbreak of a mysterious  disease at  Oro-Ago in  Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

    A report had made the rounds  that a strange disease was ravaging the Fulani community in the town, with infected victims defecating a  black substance and vomiting  blood before dying.

    But the Commissioner dismissed the report, saying there was no such disease  in the state.

    “The ministry sees it as a rumour because we deployed a response team comprising of  an epidemiologist, directors of public health and the  disease surveillance response team,” he said.

    He said  experts at the ministry in company with   a team from the World Health Organisation visited Oro-Ago where they met with elders and community leaders.

    Alege  said the team found no such mysterious disease affecting the Fulani population in the area.

    The commissioner also said the response team had  taken samples  from some sick people at Abanisi and ECWA hospitals  in Oro- Ago, adding that there was no confirmed mortality.

    He, however, confirmed  yellow fever, diarrhea and malaria in the community.

    “The governor has directed the general hospitals across the state to be on standby in case of any unforeseen occurrence,” he said.

    Alege further disclosed  that the result of the sample earlier taken from the community and  was expected to arrive in Ilorin on Thursday was delayed.

    He said the government would communicate the result as soon as  examination was conducted on it,  adding that there was no need for panic.

  • Kwara Assembly bans strip clubs in hotels

    Kwara Assembly bans strip clubs in hotels

    The Kwara State House of Assembly has banned strip clubs or nude parties in all government and private-owned hotels in the state.

    This order followed a motion, “Banning Nude Parties in Hotels in Kwara”, moved by the House Leader, Hassan Oyeleke (APC, Esa Sawo).

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Assembly had drilled the management of state-owned Kwara Hotel and operators of eight others over allegations of operating strip clubs.

    The Speaker, Ali Ahmad, while reading the resolution of the House, directed hoteliers in the state to desist from organising such clubs.

    Ahmad advised hoteliers to acquire Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) sets to monitor activities in their hotels and report any individual or group perpetrating such evil acts.

    He directed the state Hospitality and Tourism Development Board to implement its operation “Show Your Identification Cards” by hoteliers and lodgers as a way of ensuring sanity.

    The Speaker urged the government to empower relevant agencies to carry out periodic supervision of activities in hotels to checkmate the unholy acts.

  • Kwara to deploy solar energy to villages, SMEs to boost economy – Ahmed

    Kwara to deploy solar energy to villages, SMEs to boost economy – Ahmed

    The Governor of Kwara, Abdulfatah Ahmed, says the state government plans to deploy solar energy systems to villages, small scale businesses and key government establishments to boost electricity supply.

    He made the disclosure on Sunday when he received the National President, Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria, Otunba Dele Akintola at the Government House, Ilorin.

    According to the governor, the plan, when materialised, will also enhance economic activities of the state.

    He said the move would provide alternative source of energy supply to critical sectors of the state economy, instead of waiting endlessly for energy supply through the current hydro-thermal energy source.

    “Those to benefit from the proposed solar energy systems include Water Corporation, hospitals, villages, small businesses and isolated critical government areas.

    “Energy is the most important ingredient and determinant of economic growth and development of any country in the world,” the governor said.

    Ahmed said the first phase of Light up Kwara had commenced with the erection of street light across major roads within Ilorin, the state capital.

    He promised to extend the solar powered street light to other towns in the second phase.

    Speaking earlier, Akintola said he was at the Government House to acquit the governor about the readiness of some investors to build solar power stations in the state.

    He appealed to the governor to consider the proposal and provide two 250 hectares of land for the proposed project.

    Akintola said that the project would create employment opportunities for the teeming youth and boost the state economy.

    He also said the United Nations was supportive of states or countries investing in the reduction of environmental pollution and appealed to the governor to buy into the proposal.

  • Kwara rice ready for harvest by November, says Commissioner

    Kwara rice ready for harvest by November, says Commissioner

    The Kwara Government said on Thursday that by November it would begin to harvest the rice cultivated by its small holder farmers under CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

    Mr Adegoke Bamidele, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources , disclosed this in Ilorin while receiving a Community Scorecard on smallholder farmers’ accessibility to Agriculture financing in Nigeria.

    The scorecard was presented by the Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE), a partner of Actionaid Nigeria.

    Also speaking, Malam Ahmed Mohammed, the Director, Agricultural Engineering and Services in the ministry, said the government started programme with the cultivation of 50 hectares of rice at Tsada Tshonga in Edu Local Government Area of the state.

    Mohammed explained that the state keyed into the programme under the Hyst Global Business Limited/Anchor Borrower programme.

    Hyst is a rice milling company based in Abuja.

    He added that another 3,000 hectares would be cultivated across the state in the dry season.

    “The plan is to ensure that Kwara produce enough rice to feed the whole North-Central states.

    “N1 billion has just been approved for that by the state House of Assembly,” he said.

    The commissioner also stated that another N1 billion is being disbursed to “off-taker’’ farmers under the state’s Off-taker Demand Driven Agricultural Loan scheme.

    According to him, the scheme will involve the allocation of land, agricultural inputs and funds for the labourers.

    He said that the state government had approved the purchase of 20,000 tonnes of fertilizer for onward distribution to farmers under the scheme.

  • IBEDC begins free distribution of pre-paid meters in Kwara soon

    IBEDC begins free distribution of pre-paid meters in Kwara soon

    The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) says it will soon commence the free distribution of pre-paid meters to electricity consumers in Kwara.

    Mr Asaju Kolawole, the company’s Regional Communication Officer, spoke on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area.

    Kolawole said that the meters being purchased for N37, 000 by electricity consumers now, would be distributed free.

    According to him, IBEDC is in the process of completing the distribution of those already paid for before the commencement of the free distribution.

    He warned electricity consumers not to pay for new pre-paid meters.

    “We are going to commence the free distribution of the meters to every category of consumer very soon.

    “Contrary to the notion that we don’t want to give out meters, the mere fact that consumers don’t have meters affects us the more.

    “So, it is beneficial to the company that all households have meters, considering the level of energy lost to lack of meters,’’ he said.

    Also, Mr Waliu Sanni, the Business Manager, IBEDC Omu-Aran District, said that over 600 pre-paid meters had been distributed free within the district.

    Sanni said that the company had also embarked on data capturing of electricity consumers toward improving good relationship with consumers.

    “The data capturing of consumers was geared toward achieving an effective service delivery to our numerous consumers in the district,’’ he said.

    Sanni urged electricity consumers to always adhere strictly to the electricity regulations like putting off the unused appliances to reduce energy wastage.

    He also called for prompt payment of electricity bills to ensure the sustenance of regular energy supply to the area.