By Suleiman Yakubu

Chanchaga Local Government Council, in an expanded monthly security stakeholders meeting, has rolled out measures to curb youth restiveness and insecurity, including a ban on some business activities harbouring criminals in the local government area, especially at odd hours of the day.
The Council Chairman, Hon. Aminu Yakubu Ladan, made this disclosure while briefing journalists on the resolutions reached during the meeting, which took place at the council secretariat in Minna Wednesday.
He said they have discovered that some criminal elements take advantage of late-hour operations by some business owners, particularly eateries, to hide and plan their operations from such places, saying henceforth no business owner within Chanchaga local government will be allowed to operate beyond midnight.
The Council Chairman equally requested that all commercial motorcycle riders (Okada) should cease operations by midnight daily, adding that anyone caught violating the directive would be made to face the law.
Following the recent killing of a health worker in the Fadikpe community of the local government area, the council chairman disclosed that part of the resolutions reached was that all social gatherings taking place within the communities should end by 5 p.m., and where it has to go beyond 5 p.m., the organisers of such events should take it to event centres such as the Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre or its equivalent, where effective security is in place.
The Council Chairman also said the stakeholders had observed that the activities of scavengers within communities were constituting a nuisance and breeding criminals, and as such, "Scavengers operating in communities outside of their designated locations, Sabon Gari/PZ and Panteka, are hereby banned and given a 30-day ultimatum to vacate the areas."
"Any violator of these directives will be considered a default and will face the consequences of the action accordingly," said the council chairman.
He also reminded those engaging in terrible activities and disturbing the peace of the public to desist from that, as the shoot-at-sight order given by the state governor, Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago, was still in place for anyone seen going about with dangerous weapons and harming innocent people.
Hon. Aminu Ladan added that those selling hard drugs within the local government area should retire and surrender before the council gets to them, because according to him, the council will soon constitute a taskforce that will be saddled with the responsibility of checking the activities of drug vendors in the local government.
He thereafter urged the people of the local government area to go about their lawful businesses for their daily livelihood, assuring that the council under his leadership was leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the local government was rid of criminal elements disturbing the peace of the public.
Chanchaga local government area has had its fair share of issues of insecurity, particularly youth restiveness, which has claimed some innocent lives, including those of a health worker and local security personnel.  

By Suleiman Yakubu

The Federal Government has been called upon to increase funding for research institutions to enable them to produce scientific equipment needed for national development. 
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Niger State Council, Comrade Abu Nmodu, made the call yesterday when he led other executives of the union on a courtesy visit to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the Scientific Equipment Development Institute, SEDI, in Minna.
The chairman, who emphasised the need for increased funding to Scientific Equipment Development Institutes to facilitate research and production of science and technical kits needed by educational institutions in the country, said adequate funding of such institutes was necessary because of the important role being played by science and technology in the advancement of the country.
Abu Nmodu, who appreciated the contributions of SEDI in the production of educational kits for categories of schools, advised the management to partner with NUJ to guarantee effective publicity of its activities.
He then called on the MD of SEDI to assist the union by providing IBB Pen House Minna with solar power panels and training journalists on ICT to enhance their performance.
Responding, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of SEDI, Professor Baba Ndaliman, appreciated NUJ officials for the visit, assuring that journalists would be captured in its maiden ICT training while IBB Pen House Minna would be provided with solar power panels when the finances of the organisation improve.
He said the institute was established in 1992 with the mandate to carry out research on products used by schools, hospitals, and industries, adding that they have trained people in glassblowing, woodwork, wielding fabrication, and ceramics.
He explained that plans were on to train youths, women, and people living with disabilities on 10 different skills to fully utilise the Muhammadu Buhari Entrepreneurship Development Centre established in 2022 by the institute.
Professor Baba Ndaliman revealed that SEDI has carried out corporate social responsibility for the host communities to improve their standard of living and also enhance their education and health facilities.