By Suleiman Yakubu

To avert the outbreak of diseases and natural disasters such as floods, the Niger State House of Assembly has urged the executive arm of government to reintroduce the monthly sanitation exercise.
During the order of the day at the 8th sitting of the assembly, the member representing Chanchaga Constituency, Hon. Mohammed Abubakar, raised a motion in that respect, which was seconded by the member representing Gbako, Hon. Yahaya Abubakar.
The member representing Chanchaga lamented over the spate of refuse dumps littering the state capital and other major cities, which he said was putting the state under serious health hazard and environmental disaster.
According to him, "unclean environments and flooding can trigger disease outbreaks such as lassa fever, cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, and so on."
He added that Section 5 Subsection 1 of the Niger State Environmental Protection Agency (Amendment) Law 2011 provided for the Governor to declare any Saturday of the month as an Environmental Sanitation Day.
After deliberations on the motion, the House unanimously agreed on it, and it was adopted and affirmed.
However, another motion calling on the executive arm of government to put mechanisms in place for the reopening of schools closed as a result of insecurity was stepped down until the House Committees were formed.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, assured the members that the committees would be put in place next week.
Meanwhile, Hon. Muhammad Sani Idris, who moved the motion, said that with the various committees in place, it will give the motion a wider prospect, saying that he was worried over the number of children staying at home as a result of the school closures.
Hon. Sani Idris said that what was needed to reopen the schools was to have all relevant stakeholders involved in the process.

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Niger State Governor, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, has vowed to find a lasting solution to the festering land dispute among the people of the Doko community, which has claimed several lives and property.
The governor made the promise when he received a delegation from the Public Complaint Commission (PCC), led by the Federal Commissioner, Barr. Bala Mohammed, at the Government House, Minna.
The governor, who noticed with dismay the havoc caused as a result of the farmland dispute, said his administration would nip it in the bud.
Concerning the concerns raised about the activities of the Niger State Transport Management Agency (NSTMA), the governor disclosed that terms of reference for the agency and other relevant departments under the ministry of transport will be provided to avoid conflict, as his government will not condone insubordination and indiscipline.
Speaking on the issue of giving waivers on government land, he said the era of land waivers was gone, as he would strengthen land administration in the state and use it for the common good of the people.
He commended the Judiciary and the Nigeria Police for supporting the PCC in carrying out its national assignment.
Governor Umaru Bago assured that all the issues raised will be given quick and needed attention and that his administration will ensure strong collaboration with all federal establishments in the state.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Federal Commissioner, PCC, Barr. Bala Mohammed, said their visit was to congratulate the governor and to identify areas of collaboration with the administration.
The commissioner drew the governor's attention to some disturbing issues such as the farm land dispute in Doko, the highhandedness of staff at NSTMA, the plight of pensioners, the leadership tussle leading to the unauthorised allocation of shops at the Kure Ultra Modern Market, Minna, and the rehabilitation of the link road to the market, about which he said the commission has received many complaints.
He said the commission, which serves as an ombudsman, was willing to partner with the government for effective governance.
Barr. Bala Mohammed said the commission now has a police detachment as its enforcement unit, explaining that the judiciary has also allocated two courts to hear cases coming from the commission.
While commending the governor for his effort towards supporting the National Examination Council (NECO), Barr. Mohammed requested that he ensure deliberate synergy with all federal government establishments in the state for the benefit of the people.