PDP GOVERNORS' FORUM

By Anselm Okolo It has been a telling story, but returning Sokoto state on the path of economic prosperity through agriculture had always been a cardinal ambition of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal from the first day of his assumption of office as governor of the state. “You will all agree with me that the mainstay of our state’s economic activities lies in agriculture” he told a team of journalists on a fact finding tour of the state recently. “It is the business of every town and every home” he noted while pointing out that “Allah SWT has bestowed us with mass arable land for variety of crops for both domestic use and commercial purposes”. What he did not envisage, he told the team, was that to achieve his ambition he would have to virtually re-start from point zero. First, he had to deal with the issue of poor data on the sector and the capacities and inadequacies of key players engaged in real agriculture. A Technical Committee on a research driven Framework for Agricultural Develop...

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has activated the newly inaugurated Bayelsa State Molecular Laboratory, Research and Diagnostic Centre as a COVID testing laboratory in the country. The facility, which was inaugurated by Governor Douye Diri on Tuesday, brought the number of NCDC accredited laboratories in the country to 66 in 34 states. The NCDC in a letter signed by the Laboratory Network Advisor, Celestina Obiekea, and addressed to the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Health, stated that the laboratory had fulfilled the necessary requirements for a molecular laboratory to test for COVID as well as met all successful validations and optimisations. It further explained that the state will be responsible for procurement of consumables, equipment and other materials while the NCDC will support it with reagents and tests kits. "This is to officially inform you that having fulfilled the necessary requirements for a molecular laboratory to test for COVID and all successful v...

- Lists Agric, SMEs As Priority Areas The newly constituted Bayelsa State cabinet on Wednesday held its  maiden meeting a day after the commissioners were sworn in. Governor Douye Diri presided at the meeting during which it stated that the administration would focus on developing agriculture and small and medium scale enterprises. To actualise this, Governor Diri directed the Commissioners in charge of Agriculture and that of Trade, Industry and Investment to brace up for the tasks ahead. Addressing journalists after the meeting held at the Executive Council Chambers in Government House, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Ayibaina Duba, said the governor emphasised the need to change the value system and orientation of Bayelsans for them to be more productive and self-reliant. Mr. Duba said the governor challenged the new cabinet members to realise that they had enormous responsibilities that require their creativity and ingenuity to deliver the prosperity agend...

Governor Bello Mohammed (Matawallen Maradun) condoles the families of all the deceased persons who lost their lives following a ghastly accident near Chafe Town in the state.  Similarly, the Governor directed for the observance of a three days mourning in honour of the departed souls. More over, all flags should fly at half mast.  The accident occurred on 26th August around 5:30pm when a truck lost control and crushed four saloon cars, instantly killing about 14 passengers.  The accident occurred few minutes after Governor Bello Mohammed has passed the point on his way back to Gusau from Abuja where he met with President Muhammadu Buhari on an official appointment.  Governor Bello Mohammed received information of the accident before reaching Gusau and he immediately returned to the scene and ordered for the quick conveyance of the corpses to Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau.  Visibly worried, the Governor directed for immediate contact with the famili...

The Chairman of Sokoto State Taskforce On Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization who is also the Deputy Governor of the state, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, has lauded the efforts of Governor Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal that has resulted in the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of Nigeria as free from the wild polio virus.  Dan'iya congratulated Governor Tambuwal on the milestone achievement saying he has been one of the front runners in advocating for the eradication of the wild poliovirus in Nigeria through his proactive collaboration with foreign and local agencies to ensure that the state and the country are rid of the virus.  He said “if you recall, years back Governor Tambuwal invited Alh. Aliko Dangote, the  founder of Dangote Foundation and the co- founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation from the US to Sokoto to see the first hand efforts the State Government in collaboration with Sultanate Council have made in making sure the wild poliovirus ...

Governor Bello Mohammed (Matawallen Maradun) has said that his state will soon be among the richest states in Nigeria if his plans are supported by the Federal government. He expressed this optimism when he visited the Head Office of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Abuja. Governor Matawalle who described poverty as vehicle to massive and pervasive sickness said his administration is doing everything possible to improve the earning capacity of the government and his people. "We are also building health facilities at the grassroots so that the hinterland can have access to primary health care. So far, we have equipped all our 23 General Hospitals with brand new ambulances and health equipments to boost our secondary healthcare system" Matawalle revealed. He disclosed that his administration is building 147 Primary Healthcare Centers, one each for the Wards in the state. The facilities he added, will contain 50 beds each and will be provided with a tricycle ambulance. Go...

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel has sent his congratulations to Dr. Sunday Mbang (CON) the Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist  Church of Nigeria  on the occasion of his 84th Birthday.   In a Birthday wish released by his Chief Press Secretary and Senior Special Assistant, Media- Ekerete Udoh, the Governor  message read thus “On behalf of the Government and the good people of Akwa Ibom State, I write to felicitate with you on the occasion of your 84th Birthday.   Your Eminence, you have been a blessing to our dear State, our Nation and in particular, my Administration since May 29th, 2015. You have blessed us with the gift of your wise counsel, admonishing those elements that are inimical to the growth of our State and celebrating peace, security and development which in the main form the linchpin of our governance philosophy.   As the Leader of  the Fathers in Faith in our State, you stood ramrod straight, lending the moral authority which your ...

    …Advocates For Declaration of State of Emergency in Flashpoints   Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has appealed to the federal government to step up its level of regional engagements with neighbouring West African states with Nigeria on security if a holistic approach to tackling all security threats arising from the country’s closeness to these countries were to be addressed.  This is as he advocated cautiously for the declaration of a state of emergency in all flashpoint areas bothered or threatened by any form of criminality.  Gov. Tambuwal made the appeal Tuesday when he spoke as a guest at the presentation of a state study tour report by Syndicate 4 participants in the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) Course 13 at the National Institute of Security Studies (NISS) at Bwari, Abuja. According to the governor, taking into cognizance the observation of the Syndicate that Sokoto state is one of the states in the country with a por...

The 1.5 MVA Injection Sub Station procured and installed for the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA) by the administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has been commissioned. Speaking while commissioning the project, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu said his understanding of power as the life wire of any broadcast station propelled him into embarking on the project to enable the station serve the state better through information dissemination. Dr. Ikpeazu, who expressed joy that what seemed a mirage 30 years ago has become a reality, urged the management of BCA and the host community to protect and nurture the sub station to serve them better.  He thanked the management and staff of the BCA for the marvelous job they are doing in propagating the policies and programmes of his administration and general dissemination of information and commended them for supporting the government to teach Abia school children through the radio class room.  In a welcome address, the Director General of...

Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri Monday flagged off construction of a new sixty-bed capacity cottage hospital in Shellegn with a pledge to also construct two kilometres of township road in Shellegn and complete the abandoned Kiri Shellegn road. The governor at an event that held in Shellegn during his one day official visit to the area said the ceremony could not have come at a better time than now, when the world is grappling with the public health challenge occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, government is challenged by the lack of secondary healthcare facility in the area and the massive support his administration has been enjoying from the good and peace loving people of Shelleng, he decided to build a befitting cottage hospital for the community. He revealed that government has purchased and distributed hospital equipment to primary health care facilities in the twenty one local government areas in addition to construction of health facilities at Primary and Secondary ...

Bauchi State Government is to re-establish an administrative framework for grazing reserves and cattle routes to ensure effective land management in the state by ending communal clashes. Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed disclosed this on Tuesday evening while receiving the report of the Administrative Committee of Inquiry set up on land dispute between farmers and herders in Misau Local Government Area of the state.  The governor who recieved the report of the committee at the Council Chamber, Government House, Bauchi, said his administration will also reposition the state's master plan as part of strategy for tackling land disputes.  He declared that his administration will not accept or agree on the illegal allocation of lands and grazing reserves to individuals without following due process.  He said already the state government has constituted a committee to work out modalities of addressing illegal allocations of lands across the twenty Local Government Areas of the...

Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri Tuesday laid the foundation for the construction of a new 60-bed capacity cottage hospital in Lamurde Local Government Area as part of his unrelenting resolve to revive the health sector in the state. The governor while speaking during the event in Lamurde said the project is the beginning of the provision of numerous democracy dividends to the people of the area by his administration. Governor Umaru Fintiri said having taken stock of secondary healthcare facility in the area and in fulfilment of his administration's Health Sector Reform Agenda, he decided to build a befitting cottage hospital for the community. This according to the governor is part of his unrelenting commitment to revive the health sector as a key strategy to the realization of the health related Millennium Development Goals.   He described the project as one of the major steps in the promise he made to spare no effort to restore the lost glory of Adamawa State adding that his a...