Reinstate Skin Cancer Treatment Albino Begs FG

The Albino Foundation (TAF) urged the Federal Government
to, as a matter of urgency, reinstate the treatment process it
started in 2007 with the Foundation to help prevent skin
cancers amongst persons with albinism in the country

This is necessary because without the programme,
an average of death of two or three Nigerians with albinism
die every month from skin cancer.
Disclosing this to newsmen in Abuja, Founder, Chief
Executive Officer, TAF, Mr. Jake Epelle, said, “We started a
project in 2007 with the Federal Government which is the
Skin Cancer prevention and treatment project.”
According to him, “The Obasanjo adminstration adopted
that project. So far, we have treated about 2, 520 patients
we have referred to the National Hospital. That project has
been ongoing until the current administration. I got a firm
promise from the current administration that they will
continue.

Kaduna: State Of Emergency Declared in Kaduna State

State of Emergency has been declared in Kaduna by the State Police Command.
The Command's spokesman, DSP Zubairu Abubakar told
News Agency of Nigeria that the move was to stem the
increasing cases of kidnapping in the State.
And also said that a special term of anti-kidnap squared has been
formed to track and dislodge the criminal gangs in the
State.
According to DSP Zubairu, the declaration of the State of
emergency was by the orders of the Inspector General of
Police, Mr Solomon Arase.
The Police spokesman appealed for support from the public
in the renewed effort to rid the State of criminals.
Several people in towns and villages have been kidnapped
for ransom in the last three months across the twenty three
Local Government Areas of the State.
In some of the high profile kidnap cases, a Colonel of the
Nigerian Army, Samaila Inusa was killed by his abductors
hours after he was held last month.
Similarly, the Vice President, United Church of Christ in
Nigeria, Reverend Iliya Anthony died in the hands of his
abductors.
The President of the Church, Reverend Emmanuel Dziggau
and Reverend Yakubu Dzarma who were abducted with the
slain cleric were later released.
DSP Abubakar said that the police had made several arrests
and commenced prosecution of some of the suspected
kidnappers.

Osun State: Doctors Call Off Their 7 Months Old Strike

It would be recalled that doctors working with Osun State
Hospital Management Board and those attached to Ladoke
Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital,
Osogbo, embarked on industrial action to reject payment of
modulated salaries among other grievances.
All efforts to broker peace between the two parties on the
matter had met brick wall, as the doctors rejected all
entreaties and treat to bring them back to work.
However, in a letter addressed to the State Head of Service
signed by the State Chairman of OSAMDO, Dr. I. Adekunle,
copies of which were obtained by the newsmen, the doctors
said the decision to suspend the strike was arrived at after
considering the rising cases of avoidable deaths among the
indigenes of Osun State.
The Association also noted the efforts of the Speaker, Osun
State House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salaam and some
eminent medical practitioners in resolving the industrial
crises.
Speaking to Radio Nigeria correspondent on the
development, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Medical
Association, Dr Suraj Ogunyemi explained that members of
OSAMDO have decided to restrategise, adding that part of
the new strategies is the suspension of the strike with
immediate effect.
Corporate

Nassarawa State: Governor Al-Makura Donates N20m For Inauguration Of Orange Market

. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Saturday
inaugurated a new multi-million naira vegetable and
grocery market (Orange market) at Mararaba, Karu Local
Government Area.
Al-Makura, while inaugurating the over 4,000 shops market,
lauded the traders in the popular 'Orange' market, recently
gutted by fire for taking the initiative of building the new
market christened "TA'AL community market."
The Governor decried the incessant fire disasters,
congestion and criminal activities in the old market.
He said that he had promptly directed the issuance of
Certificate of Occupancy and granted waivers on land fees
to the traders in 2015 when notified of their intention to
build the new market.
He said that government had during an inspection visit in
2015, donated N20 million towards the provision of
electricity and drains to make the market more habitable.
Al-Makura said market development was priority policy of
his administration as it would open a new vista of business
opportunity, create jobs and boost revenue generation in the
state.
He said the market would encourage farmers to engage in
the cultivation of perishable fruits and vegetables.
He also announced the donation of additional N20 million
towards the provision of more facilities in the new market.
According to him, government will sink five boreholes in the
market to provide water supply as well as build a medium
size fire station to tackle incidence of fire outbreaks.
He said government would construct a watch tower to
enhance security in the market.
The governor also pledged to ensure weekly evacuation of
refuse from the market through the Nasarawa Urban
Development Board (NUDB) to boost sanitation in the
market.
Al-Makura, therefore, urged other stakeholders to emulate
the traders by complementing government’s efforts at
providing public facilities.
Earlier, Chairman of the new community market, Alhaji Aliyu
Ibrahim, thanked the State Government for the support
towards the construction of the new market.
He said six traders’ association collaborated to reconstruct
the old orange market.

According to him, the new market has 3,000 lock up shops,
over 1,000 open shops and 20 warehouses.
He, however, called for more government interventions
toward the provision of more facilities in the market.

Prices For Petrol And Kerosene Retained: PPPRA

 On the news making the rounds that the agency
would increase the pump-price, Iyoyo urged members of the
public to ignore such rumour, as prevailing market
indicators do not support such. Her words: “PPPRA is
resolutely committed to the sustenance of its reform
initiatives, in order to further guarantee adequate supply of
products nationwide. We therefore assure Nigerians of our
total commitment to service delivery, in the quest to deliver
on our mandate to the people of Nigeria.” She also called on
motorists to desist from panic buying as PPPRA is working
hard with other sister-organizations to ensure that the
current supply and distribution challenges are resolved
within the coming days
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency
(PPPRA) has reiterated that the benchmark retail price of
premium motor spirit (PMS) will remain at N86.00 for the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and
N86.50 for the other marketing companies. The agency also
announced that the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources,
Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, has approved the release of
the second quarter allocations for the supply of premium
motor spirit, commonly known as petrol. In a statement
signed by the Manager Corporate Services, Lanre Oladele,
the agency said NNPC, has 41.73 per cent of the total
allocation, while the rest of the oil marketing companies got
a total allocation of 58.27 per cent. “The agency is retaining
the retail prices of N86.00 for the NNPC, and N86.50 for the
other marketing companies. “The pump price of household
kerosene (HHK) also remains unchanged from what it was
in the last quarter. Therefore, marketers are advised to
ensure that there is no price distortion in their respective
retail outlets,” Oladele said. He said PPPRA would,
however, continue to monitor the global oil market
performance, and come up, at the appropriate time, with
reasonable changes consistent with the newly adopted
price modulation principles. The PPPRA Acting Executive
Secretary, Sotonye Iyoyo, therefore, appealed to all depot
owners to strictly adhere to the prevailing truck-out policy
put in place by the agency, to ensure that petroleum
products get to their designated retail outlets across the
country.

She also warned that adequate sanctions would be
meted out to any depot-owner found to be hoarding
products.