TheNewsGuru

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  • Exclusive: Reps reject Innoson jeeps, to spend N5bn on Toyota Camry

    Exclusive: Reps reject Innoson jeeps, to spend N5bn on Toyota Camry

    The House of Representatives would spend a whooping N5 billion to purchase 2020 Toyota Camry for Reps after they outrightly rejected Innoson made in Nigeria Jeeps.

    Each of the cars will cost $35,130, which is equivalent of ₦12,541,410 naira only.

    While 400 pieces of it would cost the sum of $14,052,000, which is equivalent of ₦5,107,902,000.00 naira only.

    In most cases the House purchases 400 pieces to accommodate other top civil servants.

    After a two hour executive session on Tuesday, it was reliably gathered that the 360 member House rejected the idea of buying Innoson Jeeps as official vehicles.

    Recall that in the 8th House, members had rejected same Innoson Jeeps and opted for Peogeot 508.

    The Yakubu Dogara led House had to immediately change course which led to late arrival of the cars which came in batches.

    The Femi Gbajabiamila led House in the last seven months had developed a proactive approach to solve problems, “this may not pose any problem,” a source confided in TNG.

    He said “as it’s we cannot do otherwise other than to support the collective decision of all members”.

    Special Features of the car:

    * It has plenty of active safety features, and some of the best fuel economy estimates in the segment.

    * A smallish trunk and noticeable cabin noise are among its few faults.

    Pros & Cons

    * Great fuel economy

    * Engaging ride

    * Generous list of standard features

    * Good predicted reliability rating

    * Below-average trunk space

    * Noisy cabin.

  • VIDEO: Watch moment First Lady broke down in tears over gassing in Zambia

    VIDEO: Watch moment First Lady broke down in tears over gassing in Zambia

    The First Lady of Zambia, Esther Lungu was on Tuesday overwhelmed, and consequently wept bitterly over the spate of gassing of households, which has been reported in five Provinces of the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mrs. Lungu was caught crying during the official opening of the first-ever Esther Lungu Foundation Trust (ELFT) economic empowerment workshop held at the Trust’s Secretariat in Lusaka.

    Criminal gangs in Zambia had launched a wave of attacks on civilians by using a special gas to make their targets dizzy, eventually immobilising them; and then, attacking them.

    Tension gripped Zambia’s capital Lusaka, Thursday, instigated by the spate of gassing of households, which has so far been reported in five Provinces, including Copperbelt, North Western, Central and Southern.

    Several hundreds of people have been hospitalised after being gassed by the unknown people in the night.

    But, according to investigation, most deaths recorded have been as a result of mob justice, a trend that has seen suspects being burnt alive and cars as well as other properties burnt.

    In Lusaka, five people have been killed by angry mobs in just two days, forcing the government to unleash soldiers on to the streets to curb riots.

    TNG learnt three people were killed by mobs, Thursday, on suspicion that they were behind the gassing while the other two were killed a day earlier, leaving some police officers seriously wounded from the clashes with protesting mobs.

    The development sparked a hoax after a pupil shouted “gas” at Arthur Wina School at Lusaka’s Chalala area, leading to commotion and a stampede as all pupils of the school jostled for safety.

    “After receiving the report of alleged gassing at Arthur Wina School between 12 00 hours and 12 30 hours, it has been established that the whole issue came about as a result of a false alarm raised by a pupil in the grade nine class in question who shouted “gas.”

    “This brought about commotion and stampede as all the pupils jostled for safety. Therefore, as Zambia Police, we dismiss the report of alleged malicious administering of chemical substance reported at the said school and state that the whole scenario was as result of an alarm which led pupils to panic. It was a hoax,” Zambia Police Spokesperson, Esther Katongo said.

    According to Katongo, a mob went on to damage Mumbwa Road Police Post, with various private properties reportedly damaged by the mob.

    “In the early hours of yesterday, members of the public in Kanyama attacked and killed an unknown male person on suspicion of being one of the people spraying households with chemical substances.

    “They also blocked some roads in the area. Police responded to the report and after picking the body with the view of taking it to UTH, the mob charged and blocked the road and begun throwing all sorts of objects at the officers.

    “As a result, they damaged the Police vehicle for Kanyama Police and further went and caused some damage on the newly constructed police station in the area and a Police House. Later, around 10:30 hours, a mob in Kanyama West damaged a Police post and killed one member of the public.

    “Another mob went and damaged Mumbwa Road Police Post. Various private properties have been damaged by the mob and are yet to be quantified. The irate members of the public in Chawama’s John Howard descended and killed an unknown male adult who was later burnt and later attacked police officers at the Police Station and seriously injured some officers who were on duty.

    “Another disturbance was recorded in Lusaka’s Chaisa area but quick response by police saved the situation from deteriorating. As a result of the confrontation in Chawama and Kanyama, we recorded casualties from both sides,” Katongo said at a media briefing.

    She said among the suspects arrested yesterday was a 14-year-old Juvenile of Luangwa compound who allegedly gassed Northmead Primary School.

    “We received a report of suspected Malicious Administering of poison with intent to cause harm at Northmead Primary School at 12:00 hours. The police picked up a Juvenile suspect of Luangwa compound aged 14 years who allegedly went to Northmead Primary School and sprayed a substance in Room Five (for Grade Seven) thereby, affecting pupils who were learning and four were affected and were taken to Shimizu Clinic in Garden compound for treatment. The suspect is in police custody and the substance has been taken for laboratory analysis,” Katongo said.

    Meanwhile, Zambia has deployed soldiers to suppress the wave of attacks.

    “The president has directed the army to be on the streets,” Vice President Inonge Wina told legislators on Friday during parliamentary question time in the capital, Lusaka.

    The move to send the military into the streets came after the assaults prompted panicked rioting, the lynching of three suspected attackers on Thursday and a warning from the United States embassy.

    The criminal gangs spray a gas that makes their targets dizzy before they attack, according to local media reports.

    “We cannot continue to see people being terrorised,” Wina said.

    “These are terrorists’ crimes that the state must respond to in a manner that befits terrorists’ crimes. They are meant to make the country ungovernable and we will find the culprits,” she said.

    Police have said they are probing “incidences of malicious administering of chemical substance on innocent citizens by criminals”.

    The vice president said the attacks, which initially started in the northern Copperbelt region before spreading to Lusaka, were fuelled by fake news being peddled on social media.

    “The gassing of innocent Zambians is a very un-Zambian phenomenon and is being fuelled by social media,” she said.

    At least six Facebook posts referring to the alleged incidents have been shared hundreds of times and viewed thousands more in the last few days, according to the AFP news agency.

    Details in the posts have varied, from claims of vigilante attacks against alleged perpetrators to the use of old images lifted from unrelated online reports.

    The attacks have prompted the US embassy in Lusaka to issue a security alert.

    “Rumors of ritualistic killings and residential gassings have led to incidents of civil unrest and vigilante justice in multiple provinces throughout the country,” it said in an alert issued on Thursday.

    “Reports of rioting and civil disturbances are increasing in some provinces, to include Lusaka,” the US embassy added.

  • NCDC speaks on Coronavirus link to broiler chicken

    NCDC speaks on Coronavirus link to broiler chicken

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has debunked a rumour being shared on social media that the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) can be spread through broiler chickens.

    NCDC Director General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja said the centre was aware of the rumour and emphasised that the information was completely false.

    “The public is advised to disregard this rumour and discourage further spread.

    “Scientists are working on identifying the animal source of this new virus.

    “Currently, there is no known link between the virus and broiler chickens,” he said.

    He, however, advised Nigerians that for accurate information on COVID-19 or disease outbreaks in Nigeria, they should visit : www.ncdc.gov.ng
    Twitter and Facebook- @NCDCgov.

    “Other Contacts_ *NCDC Toll-free Number: 0800-970000-10*
    *SMS: 08099555577*
    *WhatsApp: 07087110839,” he said.

    He reiterated that to reduce the risk of spread of coronavirus, Nigerians should adhere to the following measures:

    “Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water. Cover your mouth and nose properly with handkerchief or tissue paper when sneezing or coughing.

    “You may also cough into your elbow if a handkerchief is not available.

    “Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing, avoid self-medication, report to the nearest health facility when you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms.

    “Healthcare workers are always advised to observe standard infection prevention and control measures when attending to patients and take a travel history.

    “As the situation is evolving, this advisory will be updated as more information becomes available,” he said

  • Senate moves to check medical brain drain in Nigeria

    Senate moves to check medical brain drain in Nigeria

    The Senate on Tuesday moved to check the rising emigration of medical and health professionals from Nigeria to developed countries.

    This followed the consideration of a bill for second reading at plenary seeking to establish the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta.

    Sponsor of the bill, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun (APC -Ogun), in his lead debate said establishment of specialised medical universities have become imperative,given the high demands for medical and health professionals in Nigeria.

    He said “Many reports suggest that the number of Doctors, Dentists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and Bachelor’s Degree-prepared Nurses are not adequate to handle increasing population and healthcare of Nigerians.

    “The rising wave of external migration of medical and allied health professionals seeking greener pastures in more developed countries further compound the problem.”

    The lawmaker lamented that the mass emigration of required professionals from the country had resulted in the near extinction of some disciplines offered by Nigerian universities.

    “Furthermore, some critically needed health professionals such as physical and occupational therapists, medical engineers, psychotherapists, and others are just not adequately produced in the country.

    “Indeed, some of the disciplines are on the verge of extinction due to the mass migration of these professionals”, Amosun said.

    He warned that unless measures were introduced to check the situation, health indicators may continue to decline in the absence of interventions to tackle the trend.

    “More Doctors and health professionals leaving the country has led to a shortage of Nigerian Doctors and specialized health care practitioners.

    “This has resulted in a heavy strain and disaffection among those remaining.

    ” It is equally creating a fast rising personnel deficit in the country’s health sector, as statistics show that there is a ratio of one doctor to one hundred patients especially in our public hospitals”, he said.

    The lawmaker, however, expressed optimism that Universities of Medicine and Medical Sciences would provide the chance to train health professionals as they would have flexibility especially for creative program expansion.

    Similarly, the Senate also considered a bill seeking to give legal backing to the University of Health Sciences, Otukpo.

    The bill was sponsiredy Sen. Abba Moro (PDP – Benue ).

    Moro said the bill if eventually passed into law by the 9th Assembly, would address the dearth in admission of students aspiring to study Medicine and Allied Sciences in Nigeria and supply of the needed manpower in the country’s health sector.

    “It is pertinent to mention here that the teeming Nigerian population puts enormous strain and stress on the national infrastructure and available Health Personnel.

    “The Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, when established, would bridge the gap of the challenges of inadequate health professionals in Nigeria”, the lawmaker said.

    The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, referred the bills considered during plenary on Tuesday to the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND for further legislative work, with a directive for it to report back in four weeks.

    The Committee is Chaired by Sen. Ahmed Baba Kaita (APC-Katsina ).

  • Insecurity: Gbajabiamila seeks China’s support for Nigeria

    Insecurity: Gbajabiamila seeks China’s support for Nigeria

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has sought the support of the Peoples Republic of China to end insecurity in Nigeria.

    The Speaker noted that both Nigeria and China have been having good economic and political relationships, saying there was a need to establish strong military ties between the two countries with a view to ending insecurity.

    Speaking when he received the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China Mr Zhou Pingjian, on a courtesy call in his office in Abuja on Tuesday, Gbajabiamila said Nigeria needs help at this time from wherever it could get it.

    “What I’ll implore you is on the military relationships. Our biggest problem right now is the issue of insecurity, and we’ll be happy to get help now from wherever we can.

    “So, in terms of military ties, we’ll be happy to get help from you at this time,” Gbajabiamila said.

    On the epidemic of coronavirus, Gbajabiamila commended the Chinese Government for all the measures it has taken so far to contain the virus and avoid its spread to other parts of the world.

    He said Nigeria would continue to support China in any way it could to end the virus, adding that there was a need for proper enlightenment to avoid panic among the people.

    The Speaker noted that China is a very important trade partner with Nigeria, calling for stronger ties both economically and politically.

    “Yours is a very important trade partner. As you said, 19bn dollars is quite a big chunk of money. We look forward to a robust economic and even political relationships. Our country will continue to ensure that the relationship is good.

    “You have the issue of coronavirus, and we commend you for what you’ve done so far. You’ve been proactive so far. You built a 1000-bed hospital in about a week and another 1600-bed hospital.

    “We know that all these things are temporary but necessary measures. You did address the issue of misinformation and all of that. But we must always recognise the fact that there will always be fear of the unknown.

    “We met with the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) ‎here. The DG gave us the same assurances that you gave us. With the measures taken, I know in no time it will go. But whatever that caused it in the first place should be addressed.

    “We’re here to support you even if it’s morally so that you’ll continue to fight this disease.”

    Gbajabiamila then presented a letter of condolence to the Chinese Ambassador for onward transmission to the Speaker of the Peoples Congress of China.

    The Chinese Ambassador, Mr Pingjian, had earlier told the Speaker that his country considers Nigeria as a very important trade partner, especially with the recent trade volume between the two countries rising to around 19 billion US Dollars.

    While calling for the continuous peaceful relationship between the two countries, Mr Pingjian said China would continue to support Nigeria in every way possible for the country to achieve her set goals.

    Speaking on the coronavirus epidemic, the ambassador said the Chinese Government has been doing a lot and has taken enough measures to contain the disease.

    So far, he said, no Nigerian living in China was infected with the disease, noting that his country would do everything possible to protect foreign nationals resident there.

    According to the Chinese mechanism, he said, if there is any case of foreign national being infected, the embassy will be communicated, but that no such thing has happened in the case of Nigeria.

    “We’ll protect the lives and properties of Nigerians in China,” he said, adding that his country has the competence, capacity and will to contain the epidemic and that China would emerge stronger from the epidemic.

  • NNRC set to launch Benchmarking Exercise Report for 2019

    …report to cover 2017 to 2019

    The Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) will on Thursday launch the 2019 Benchmarking Exercise Report (BER) and hold a Policy Dialogue in Abuja.

    The Report presents the biennial findings from an assessment of Nigeria’s petroleum sector which covers from 2017 to 2019.

    The BER which identifies petroleum sector progress and areas for improvements empowers stakeholders to advocate for best practices within their various spheres of work in the sector.

    It assesses Nigeria’s petroleum sector against 12 Precepts to offer guidance on key decisions faced by the government, beginning with whether to extract resources in the first place, and ending with decisions that determine how generated revenue can produce maximum good for citizens.

    The 2019 Report provides an update on the last two years of petroleum sector governance, examined gaps in sector transparency and reported changes.

    The dialogue will focus on its overarching precondition for effective petroleum resource management; precept 1 determining whether Nigeria’s ‘strategy, legal and institutional framework governing the petroleum sector ‘secures the greatest benefit for citizens through and inclusive and comprehensive national strategy, clear legal framework and competent institutions.’

    According to Tengi George-Ikoli, the Program Coordinator, Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC), “the release of the Report comes at an opportune time given the recent reforms instituted by the government and the omnibus reform in the form of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) being championed by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources”.

    Adding that “the governance gaps have been well articulated in the 2019 BER and we believe that if appropriately addressed in the bill and subsequently implemented, Nigeria would have made appreciable improvement captured with a ‘green’ in areas where it largely still remains at a ‘red’.

    From the findings, there were marginal changes from the 2017 BER with 10 ‘ambers’ and 2 ‘reds’ being recorded.

    ‘ The ‘reds’ have persisted against precept 5 and 6, the precepts that assesses the impacts of extraction on host communities and the commercial effectiveness of the national oil company; NNPC.

    The major focus of the dialogue will be on those areas where there have not been any forms of improvement as captured with ‘reds’, notably precepts 5 and 6 and the other two precepts that will be affected when the PIB is passed; precepts 3 and 4.

    ‘The four key benchmarks Nigeria must attain and focus on as it targets reforms are the Natural Resource Charter (NRC)’s precepts 3, 4, 5 and 6 consecutively which ask pivotal questions on whether the government encourage efficient exploration production operations, and allocate rights transparently’, ‘does the current fiscal framework enable the government realize the full value of its resources consistent with attracting necessary investment, and should be robust to changing circumstances?’, ‘does the government pursue opportunities for local benefits and account for, mitigate, and offset the environmental and social costs of resource extraction projects?’ and ‘is the national oil company accountable, with well-defined mandates and an objective of commercial efficiency?.’

    It is the NNRC’s belief that if all these questions are adequately tackled, Nigeria has the potential to compete more effectively globally and stands a chance of raising some of its 100 million poor citizens out of poverty.

    We hope to see these tenets guide the government as it makes its decisions and pushes to reform the petroleum sector to boost economic growth and wealth for the nation.

  • Queen Elizabeth’s nephew set to divorce wife of 26 years

    Queen Elizabeth’s nephew set to divorce wife of 26 years

    The Earl of Snowdon, the nephew of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, and his wife of 26 years are to divorce.

    The Earl, David Armstrong-Jones, is 21st in line to the throne and has two grown-up children with wife Serena, the Countess of Snowdon.

    “The Earl and Countess of Snowdon have amicably agreed that their marriage has come to an end and that they shall be divorced,” the BBC quoted a spokesman for the couple as saying.

    The Earl, who has a furniture company under his professional name David Linley, is the son of the queen’s sister Princess Margaret, who died in 2002, and photographer Lord Snowdon, who died in 2017.

    The news comes after a tough few months for the queen.

    Prince Harry and wife Meghan plunged the royal family into crisis last month when they announced they were cutting back on official duties.

    The queen’s second son, Prince Andrew, stepped down from public duties in November over his connections to U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was facing charges of trafficking underage girls for sex when he killed himself last year.

    Earlier in February, the queen’s eldest grandson, Peter Phillips, and wife Autumn, said they were divorcing after 12 years of marriage.

  • NNPC, JV partners disburse $360m for Ogoni Clean-up

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its Joint Venture Partners have disbursed 360 million dollars toward the Ogoniland Clean-Up project as recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

    The Joint Venture (JV) Partners are Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Total Exploration and Production of Nigeria (TEPNG) and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

    The Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Malam Mele Kyari, disclosed this in a statement signed by its Acting spokesman, Mr Samson Makoji, in Abuja on Monday.

    Kyari spoke during a presentation to the House of Representatives Committee on Environment and Habitat at the National Assembly.

    Represented by the NNPC Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, Mr Roland Ewubare, he said that funding was not the challenge of the Ogoniland clean-up project.

    He added that NNPC and its JV partners were up to date in their financial remittance to the clean-up project fund based on the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) framework.

    “Ogoni clean-up is a massive issue and NNPC and its JV partners are ready to fund the project as prescribed by the UNEP Report.

    “We have so far disbursed $360million out of the 900million dollars recommended.

    “The disbursement was based on the standards set, which required that we release funds based on the implementation parameters of the clean-up exercise,” Kyari said.

    He noted that though NNPC and its JV partners were not responsible for the implementation of the clean-up, all stakeholders must come together to ensure that the project was carried out successfully.

    Kyari added that the implementation of the clean-up was very important as the exercise would enable the restoration of land, water and the economic well-being of the people in the area.

    He decried the misinformation about the Ogoniland clean-up and urged the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to ensure that the narrative was corrected for the effective implementation of the project.

    A member of the House Committee who was a former Minister of Environment, Hon. Aishatu Jibrin Dukku, applauded the NNPC and its JV partners for their commitment to the Ogoni clean-up project

    She urged all other stakeholders to join hands with HYPREP to ensure the successful clean-up of the area.

    Also, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Environment and Habitat, Hon. Johnson Oghuma, expressed commitment of the current leadership to ensure full implementation of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland for the common good of the people of the area.

    It would be recalled that the UNEP Report on Ogoniland clean-up had estimated an initial clean-up costs of over 1billion dollars for the first five years of a 25 to 30-year process.

  • NBTI DG inspects incubation facilities in Lafia, Makurdi

    Mr Mohammed Jibrin, Director-General (DG), of National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), has embarked on inspection of facilities at Lafia and Makurdi incubation centres.

    Mr Reuben Shagu, Head of Media and Public Relations, NBTI, made this known in a statement on Monday.

    Shagu said Jibrin had on Friday, paid a post commissioning visit to Lafia centre and a pre-commissioning inspection visit to Makurdi centre on Saturday.

    According to him, the purpose of the Lafia visit was to inspect the facilities that were commissioned in September 2019, in order to ascertain the level of operations and areas of improvements.

    The media aide said the visits accorded the DG the opportunity to familiarise with the “areas that needed more attention and areas he felt entrepreneurs needed to be guided.

    “Most especially, Jibrin hinted on the need to begin to train the entrepreneurs on how to write their own business personal plans.’’

    The DG said if entrepreneurs wrote their own business plans by themselves, it will enable them know best methods of implementation, rather than have their business plans written by someone else.

    He tasked the centre manager in charge of the Lafia technology incubation centre, to ensure things worked out well so that entrepreneurs could be up and doing in their businesses.

    According to Shagu, Jibrin also inspected the incubation unit facility which enables entrepreneurs start a business, and also helps them nurture the business to grow and become competitive.

    He said the DG also inspected the mechanical workshop, the laboratory and the electrical workshops, which were all well equipped according to global best practices.

    “These workshops assist the entrepreneurs who do not have the money to go outside the centres to do what needs to be done, like analysis on the products they are to carry out, among others.

    “The mechanical workshop is there for entrepreneurs who are into fabrication, who do not have some certain equipment that they can make use of in their fabrication.

    “These equipment are there in the centre and they are availed the opportunity to use this equipment free of charge by the Federal Government,’’ he said in the statement.

    The NBTI DG also urged staff of the centres to make judicious use of Federal Government’s investments in their respective centres.

    The high point of the visit on Friday was a courtesy visit to Gov. Addullahi Sule of Nassarawa State.

    Sule expressed appreciation over the visit by Jibrin and his team of Directors.

    The governor expressed his government’s willingness to give maximum support to the technology incubation centre in Lafia for the benefit of his people.

    The directors on the DG’s entourage were Dr John Oni, Director, Post Incubation and Extension Services and Mrs Hussaina Bakari, Deputy Director in charge of Operations, Shagu disclosed in the statement.

  • We have technologies that can bring immediate jobs — NBTI DG

    Mr Mohammed Jibrin, Director-General (DG) of National Board for Technology Incubation(NBTI), says the board is ready to bring in technologies that will create immediate jobs to support hardworking and performing governors.

    Jibrin said this on Monday in Abuja during a courtesy visit by Dr Aishatu Umar, Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Gombe state.

    The DG said there were also other technologies which could be deployed to create wealth for the people which to him, formed the real political strategy of governance that should happen.

    “People should be empowered; people should be happy, and productive. A situation should be created such that when one wakes up in the morning he will find a place to go,’’ he said.

    Jibrin, who enumerated several ongoing projects in Gombe which were near completion, said he was happy to note that science, technology and innovation on agricultural activities specifically took place in the technology incubation centre.

    He said the development was an added encouragement to the board because in 2016 it fabricated 10 threshers for threshing post harvest products in the premises of Ministry of Agric in Gombe.

    He also said the threshers were distributed to cooperative groups and in total there were over 100 beneficiaries.

    The DG disclosed that more were still demanded and he had sent a consultant to find out how the previous machines were utilised and he got the report that the people were happy.

    Jibrin informed the visitors that he had recently posted a new and experienced centre manager to Gombe upon the recommendations of management.

    He further said he wanted the Gombe centre to be more active, hence his advice to the new manager on the need to ensure stronger linkage to the state government.

    The DG pledged collaborations with the Honorable commissioner in order to move the programme forward and to realise its aims and objectives.

    Earlier, Dr Aishatu Umar, the Commissioner, said she came to solicit collaboration, synergy and technical advice from the NBTI.

    She said one of the objectives and manifestos of Gombe governor as part of his drive for science and technology was establishment of technology incubation centres in each local government area in Gombe state.

    “We have just commissioned an industrial park of over 10,000 hectares. You can see why we are here; and for it to be viable, technology incubation must be improved,’’ she said.

    She added that the people of Gombe needed to be sensitised in order to facilitate the establishment of 11 incubation centres in the 11 local government areas of the state.