BRIEFSBORNO State government has employed 1,500 youths with a monthly salary of N20,000. The youths would work under the state's Environmental Vanguard and Youth Empowerment Scheme (BEVYES). Speaking yesterday at the launch of the scheme at Government House, Maiduguri, Governor Kashim Shettima said the initiative is a conscious policy of addressing poverty, unemployment and environmental degradation in the state. He added: 'To fully address poverty, unemployment and environmental degradation, we had to procure 40 compact trucks, dustbins and many other environmental clean up tools for the employed youths.'He charged the youths to be committed.'NJADVARA MUSAGovt Empowers 198 Women WithGenerators, FreezersWIFE of Oyo State Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, at the weekend, distributed materials to 198 women across the state as part of efforts towards making them self-reliant.The items, distributed at the Adamasingba, Ibadan, venue of the programme, included deep freezers, generating sets and cash.Mrs. Ajimobi, while speaking at the occasion, described women as agents of change, urging them not to make themselves redundant but strive to make positive impact, not only in their respective families, but also in the society at large.She noted that the empowerment of women has become necessary in order to enable them to contribute their quota to development of the state.Mrs. Ajimobi commended the state government through the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Development, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation for striving to empower women and lift them above poverty level.In her remarks, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Atinuke Osukoya, decried the high rate of poverty among women in the state, stressing need to urgently provide succor for them through empowerment programmes.The commissioner commended the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, for creating an enabling environment for women to make positive impact in the development of the state as part of his administration's transformation agenda.Two of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Ayinla Temilade and Mrs. Oluwabunmi Olalere, who could not hide their feelings, expressed appreciation to the state government for counting them worthy of the initiative.Colours Of Nigeria Exhibition ForMay 20-25AN exhibition of paintings by Israel Benamaisia will hold in the Gallery of the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, from Sunday, May 20-25, 2012. Special Guest of Honour is Prof. Wole Soyinka; Guest of Honour is High Chief Edem Duke, Minister for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation. Second Guest of Honour is Mrs. Evelyn Oputu, MD Bank of Industry. Other guests include the DG Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Orientation and the DG National Gallery of Art.Special Olympics Nigeria HostsPatron's CocktailALL is set for the Patron's cocktail of Special Olympics Nigeria, which holds this evening at the Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos.The annual event appreciates patrons, sponsors and other stakeholders and celebrates athletes with physical challenges.According to the National Director, Special Olympics Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Bolumole, 'this annual cocktail is always packaged as an avenue to thank all our patrons, sponsors and other stakeholders that have, in one way or the other, added value to our course of giving hope to this wonderful and gifted children that have brought glory to Nigeria from competitions all over the world, despite their disability.'The cocktail is also an avenue for potential supporters of Special Olympics Nigeria to get acquainted with its activities.Special Olympics Nigeria is the largest Nigerian non-profit organisation that provides platform for sports training and athletic competition for children with intellectual disability.It currently serves more than 10,000 persons with intellectual disability and operates in five geo political zones of the country.House Of Assembly Passes Four BillsFrom Charles Ogugbuaja, OwerriTHE Imo State House of Assembly at the weekend passed four bills.They are: bill for establishment, structure, composition, finance, function and administration of Imo State autonomous communities; bill to amend the Imo State traditional rulers and autonomous communities and allied matters 2006 as amended; bill extending the life of Imo State Appropriation Law Number 1 of 2011; and the 2012 appropriation bill.The House approved the sum of N179.2b for the year ending December 2012.The bills were passed after sessions presided by Speaker, Chief Benjamin Uwajimogu.Govt AgencyCanvasses Support For New Electricity TariffFrom Joke Akanmu, AbujaTHE National Orientation Agency (NOA) has urged Nigerians to support proposed increase in electricity tariff by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC), saying consumers would be the ultimate beneficiaries of the policy.Director General of NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri, stated this during a courtesy call by the Keana Community Development Association (KCDA), led by its Chairman, Mr. Zaradeen Ciroma, and the former Minister of State for Justice, Mr. Musa Abdullahi.The Director General explained that the aim of the policy is to instill discipline in usage of public utilities.He noted that since the rich spend more on electricity, monies they pay would be used to subsidise power supply to the poor.He said the policy would not be implemented until prepaid meters are installed in all houses.This, he said, would ensure that consumers do not pay more than they consume under the new regime.The NOA boss appealed to community-based associations to assist government in sensitising members on benefits of the new tariff regime, urging the public not to allow mischievous persons influence them into opposing the policy.Cocoa Farmers Partner Govt On ProductionCOCOA farmers have commenced a partnership programme with the federal government to boost production in the country.Briefing some newsmen in Efraya in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State after a 3-day conference on 'Cocoa in Etung LGA and its Opportunities for Improvement', organised by Farming World and MPP9 recently, the National President of Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) Mr. Sayina Riman, said cocoa production in Nigeria 'has been slow on the upward climb'.In view of this, he said: 'What we are doing is having a private public partnership with the federal government. We have always had programmes with government but right now what we are working with the federal government to increase production to 500,000 metric tons a year. Presently, we are producing between 250,000 and 300,000 metric tons a year. In the next three to four years, I think we will get there'.Riman said: 'The problem in the cocoa business has been lack of collaboration with true stakeholders of cocoa. Government has also not been good at business. Cocoa production is a labour intensive venture, and only stakeholders who understand it can be supported to increase it. I think that is a major problem.'NAFDAC Commissions Secretariat For DirectorateDIRECTOR-GENERAL of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, at the weekend, commissioned a new secretariat for its Enforcement Directorate department.Speaking in Lagos at the ceremony, Orhii said efforts have been made to improve on infrastructure so that the agency could meet international standards.'Since the Enforcement Directorate left the Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi after a fire incident in 2003, the unit has not been functioning adequately until I took it upon myself to provide a permanent and befitting office for all directorates of the agency.'He noted that management had also embarked on capacity building for its personnel through local and international training to improve their regulatory skills.On incidence of fake drugs, Orhii said measures had been put in place to identify fake drugs by using Mobile Authentication Services (MAS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system for verification of regulated products and mini-lab test kits for speedy evaluation of medicines.'OLUWAKEMI AJANI
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