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The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos again adjourned until July 31, for adoption of final written addresses in a petition filed by Rep. Timothy Golu.

Golu is challenging the declaration of Mr Yusuf Gagdi, by INEC as duly elected representative of Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam (PKK) Federal Constituency in NASS election of March 9.

The tribunal fixed he date, following an application by Golu’s lead Counsel, Mr Sunday Oyawole, asking for more time to server other parties in the matter with his written address that demands a reply.

The tribunal had heard the arguments of all the parties involved including INEC and had fixed July 24 for adoption of their respective written addresses.

But when the case came up the adoption of written addresses, Oyawole, told the court that he had some challenges at serving some of the respondents with a copies.

“My Lord, we have already prepared our written address, ready for adoption, but then we have some challenges at serving all the respondents with copies

“The rules say we must serve all respondents, who in turn must reply us before it can be presented and adopted.

“In view of the circumstance, we wish to apply for a short adjournment to enable us to do the needful more so that we are still within time,” Oyawole pleaded.

All respondents’ counsel, who confirmed the position of the issue before hand didn’t object to the application.

The tribunal, however, frowned at the application, ad it noted such application wouldn’t have been necessary if the needful was done.

“We are not comfortable with the delay at presentation and adoption of your written addresses.

“On the last adjournment date, we all agreed to present and adopt all written addresses today.

“Anyway, we are giving you people another chance but make sure you don’t fail because we won’t grant such indulgence again, ” the tribunal warned. (NAN)

The European Union (EU) through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday handed over a renovated Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Bachaka community to the Kebbi State Government.

Mr Umar Sani, the in-charge of the facility, said the three blocks of 27 rooms facility also have 15 functional toilets within the building and four outside.

He added that the project also included a solar powered borehole feeding the entire building with portable water.

Sani said the renovation was completed at a cost of N31.158 million and was one of the several recently completed across the state to provide access to PHC in Kebbi State.

Bachaka, which is 110 km from the state capital, is a border community in Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi.

The renovation work, which came under the EU funded Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria (MNCHN) project was aimed at taking healthcare delivery to hard-to-reach areas.

Sani said the building was established in 1999, as a dispensary and was later transformed into a PHC in 2003.

He said the renovated works included plastering of the entire building, changing of all the doors, windows and roofs, remodeling of the toilets, fixing of all plumbing works, well tiled, complete rewiring and other fittings.

He however appeal for the provision of an ambulance for the centre, saying “because of our situation here we need the ambulance for emergency”.

The district Head of Bachaka, Alhaji Yakubu Maiyaki expressed happiness over the gesture by the EU and UNICEF to his community.

He said the development of the centre means that people would no longer go to Argungu and neighboring Niger Republic for medical help.

“We really appreciate the European Union and UNICEF for renovating this centre. On our part, we are going to inaugurate a committee for the maintenance of the place.”

The Bachaka Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Muhammed Hamidu, said the renovation has brought change to the place.

Hamidu, who was represented by the Councillor, Bachaka Ward, Mr Bashir Shafiu, said that it would encourage patients to visit the centre as well as other people from neighboring the Niger Republic.

He commended the efforts of the donor agencies in renovating the place, adding that it has given the centre a facelift which can be upgraded to a general hospital.

The Kebbi Government on Wednesday dissolved the 21 local government councils’ chairmen following the expiration of their tenure on July 24.

Alhaji Abubakar Dakingari, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Atiku Bagudu, made this known in a statement in Birnin Kebbi.

“The Kebbi State Government has directed all chairmen of local government councils to hand over the affairs of the local governments to the Secretary of Local Government of their area,” Dakingari said.

He said the action followed the expiration of the tenure of local government chairmen and councilors on July 24.

“An official circular from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Umar, indicated that the chairmen and councilors were elected for two- year tenure.

”They were also sworn into office on the 24th of July, 2017,” he said.

Dakingari said the state government appreciated the outgoing chairmen and councilors for their selfless contribution to the development of the grassroots.

“The governor wished the outgoing chairmen and councilor Allah’s guidance in their future endeavour,” Dakingari said. (NAN)

The NLC has urged the Federal Government to use the stick and carrot approach in handling the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IML) and protest by its members.

The NLC National President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, in a statement on Wednesday said that doing that was “no sign of weakness.’’

Waba expressed sadness over the destruction of both private and public property, injuries and deaths arising from confrontation between the police and members of the movement otherwise known as `Shi’ite.’

News Agency of Nigeria reports that members of the movement have been protesting the prolonged detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky; and his wife, Zeenah.

Both El-Zakzaky and wife have been in custody since 2015.

Wabba noted that the bloody conflict on Monday would not be the first or second or even third by members of the sect.

“While we support government’s right and duty to maintain law and order, we equally urge it to do so with the benefit of its previous experiences in dealing with sects.

“We call upon the government with every sense of responsibility and concern for our national security, to deal imaginatively with the issue of El-Zak-Zaky whom it has kept in detention in defiance of a court order to release him from detention.

“We expect the government to be firm but flexible, use the stick and carrot approach. It is no sign of weakness.”

The labour leader, while urging leadership and members of the sect to eschew violence, stressed that they should be guided at all times by fundamental principles and practices of peaceful protest.

He said the exercise of the right to protest which the organised labour has routinely exercised in spite of occasional objections had helped in strengthening democracy in no small way.

“In the years of those protests, it was guided by discipline (even in the face of provocation) and principles of peaceful engagement.’’

Waba urged security forces to be guided by the rules of engagement, saying that it was reprehensible and completely objectionable to turn against peacefully- protesting people.

NAN recalls that the Presidency had said the case involving the leader of the Shiites, Ibrahim El Zakzaky, is no longer in the hands of the Federal Government.

“As far as this country’s Ministry of Justice is concerned, the case involving El-Zakzaky is no longer in its domain,” President Muhammadu Buhari spokesman, Garba Shehu said in a statement.

“The Federal Government no more has hands in the matter and to that extent, the government at the centre can be said to be clear of any alleged violations of court orders as being trumpeted everyday,” he added.

El-Zakzaky was charged with murder in April 2018. His alleged offence took place during the December 2015 clash between the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and a convoy of Nigeria’s army chief, Tukur Buratai.(NAN)

The Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr Jamilu Gwamna, has said that the power deal signed between the federal government and German-based company, Siemens would revolutionise the power sector in Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Kano, Gwamma commended the federal government for signing the electricity road map agreement noting that it would resuscitate the power sector.

The statement signed by Malam Ibrahim Shawai the Head of Corporate communications of KEDCO, the MD said the agreement upon implementation would open up opportunities for the nation.

“Going by the terms of the agreement, if the deal is successful, millions of jobs will be created automatically and the manufacturing sector will come back to life.

“The power sector has been neglected for too long.

“Several attempts made by previous administrations had failed and huge money allocated for the sector was embezzled, with no power to commensurate with what was spent.”

Gwamna said the German-based company, Siemens, was known for quality and professionalism in view of the impact made in the power sector in Egypt.

“With 7000MW by 2021 and 11000MW by 2023, we may not solve all the problems in the sector but it will bring about a positive change that will do the magic in the manufacturing sector, rural development and industrialization,’’ he said.

He added that with improved power capacity, a lot of agro-industries would emerge and every other sector would witness the impact.

The MD noted that cost of doing business would reduce to the barest minimum.

He, therefore, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure strict monitoring of the deal to avoid hijacking and going the way of other failed power agreements signed in the past.

Gwamma appealed to the other arms of government to support the move and work towards the success of the project.

Buhari on Monday witnessed the signing of the Electricity Road Map Agreement which was a fall out of a meeting the President had held with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel on August 31, 2018. ( NAN)

Two female intending pilgrims in Katsina had their dream of performing this year’s pilgrimage, scuttled,  as a test conducted on them indicated they were pregnant.

Alhaji Muhammad Abu-Rimi, Executive Director of Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, told newsmen on Wednesday that the pilgrims were discovered to be pregnant as they were about to depart for Saudi Arabia.

He said that sequel to the discovery, they were prevented from traveling to the Holyland.

‘’The day these two female intending pilgrims were to be transported to the Holy land, we conducted a pregnancy test on them, which indicated positive, meaning that they are pregnant.

‘’We want people to know that the reasons for preventing pregnant women from going for Hajj, is to save them and what is in their womb from suffering,’’ he said.

He also said that the airlift of the intending pilgrims to the Holy land was going on smoothly as over 2,072 pilgrims had already been transported.

‘’The problems we normally encounter is issuance of visas; now, Saudi Arabian authorities have simplified the process because we print it here; we do not need to go to anywhere to get it,’’ he said.

He urged pilgrims to abide by the rules and regulations of Saudi Arabia governing the conduct of the pilgrimage.

Abu-Rimi further urged the pilgrims to desist from spreading rumour, as the Board was committed to enhancing pilgrims’ welfare. (NAN)

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Tuesday mourned the death of a corps member attached to the Channels Television, Precious Owolabi, during the Shi’ites’ protest in Abuja on Monday.

A statement by Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, Director of Press and Public Relations, NYSC, the corpse of the deceased has been retrieved from the morgue of the National Hospital, Garki, Abuja, and dispatched to to his family in Zaria.

“NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, led other management staff to the morgue of the National Hospital, Garki, on Tuesday morning to retrieve the corpse.

” It was retrieved and sent by an official ambulance to his parents in Zaria, Kaduna State,” Adeyemi stated.

She added that the NYSC was saddened by the unfortunate death of the corps member.

The news Agency of Nigeria reports that the late Owolabi has already been buried.

“The management is deeply saddened with the sudden and unfortunate death of Owolabi, FC/18C/5226, while on an official assignment during the Shi’ites’ and Police clash in Abuja.

“We join the entire Owolabi family in this moment of grief and pray that the Almighty God console them and repose the soul of the departed,” Adeyemi said.

She said the director-general was said to have described the incident as “a sad day for the NYSC family.”

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that another corps member serving with the Leadership Newspapers, was also hit by a stray bullet during the protests and is currently recuperating at the National Hospital.