THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its civil society allies have vowed to embark on an industrial action if the Federal Government reappointed Prof, Maurice Iwu, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The Lagos State government has received $4.2 million, about N630 million, grants from a World Bank-assisted programme, under the National Fadama Development Project, NFDP, to boost food production for the period of five years.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Chief. Enock Ajiboso, disclosed this yesterday at media briefing on the activities of the state ministries in the last three years.

According to Ajiboso, the grants was sequel to the impressive performance of the state government under NFDP II which led to inclusion under Fadama III that would cover all the local governments in the state.

His words: “The state has been allocated $4.2 million (N630 million) for a five-year period with more than 85 percent of the fund as grants to farmers to ensure their development and capacity building.

“The local government chairmen are the heads of the local Fadama committee with approving power for sub-projects to be implemented.”

Ajiboso explained that over 60,000 farm families were to benefit directly from the project implementation while about 43,000 households were expected to benefit indirectly.

The commissioner, who said the project had commenced, urged managements of councils and beneficiaries to take advantage of the laudable project in ensuring sustainable food production in the state.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has set up a five-man committee to probe alleged illegal deductions from the state and local government joint account, just as it set out guidelines to reposition local governments for optimum performance.

Former Lagos Island Local Government Chairman, Chief Lukman Ajose, was Wednesday sentenced to eight years imprisonment for enriching himself by fraudulently converting the money belonging to the council for seminars and courses which he never attended.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has reiterated his directive that no National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, member posted to any of the state government establishments, including ministries, parastatals and schools should be rejected, just as the state government has raised allowances to corps members who are posted to the state public service.

The United States embassy in Nigeria said Wednesday that it had raised its security alert status because of
“continuing worldwide terrorist threats against U.S. citizens”.

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC Wednesday released the certificate of returns to the All Nigeria Peoples Candidate for the 2007 senatorial election for Anambra North, Chief Alphonsus Oba Igbeke, more than one week after he was declared the substantive winner of the election by the Court of Appeal, Enugu.

By Emma Amaize & Festus Ahon

OZORO—THE people of Isoko  in Delta State have adopted the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State for a second tenure, while demanding that more projects be executed by the state government for the ethnic nationality.

Giving reasons for the adoption of the governor at a rally by Isoko Advancement [...]