NAN-H-47

Chronicle

Calabar, May 10, 2008 (NAN) The Cross River

government has that said it will partner with a

successful private Newspaper in the country

to revamp the state owned Nigerian Chronicle.

Gov. Liyel Imoke made this known on Friday

night at an interactive session with newsmen

in Calabar

He said introduction of private interest in the

state newspaper was to shore up its dwindling

performance.

Imoke said the partnership between the state

and the private newspaper would be targeted

at injecting vibrant and entrepreneurial

management and improvement in the

quality of the Chronicle newspaper.

``Until such partner is found, the state

government will not invest more funds in

the newspaper,'' he said.

Chronicle -- 2

Imoke said: ``I cannot now approve funds for

the purchase of equipment for the newspaper

when basic issues of manpower, management

and others have not been addressed.

``For instance, the management may ask

that we buy Gestetner 101 for printing, that is

what they need to do well, only for the partner

that we may bring in letter to tell us that we

should not have bought 101, but 1001.

``The government cannot put funds for capital

things in the newspaper anymore until we

find the private partner and the newspaper

is new lease of life and focus.''

To demonstrate that the state newspaper was

not meeting government's expectation, Imoke

hinted that soon, the government would start

publications of a news gazette to disseminate

information on its activities to the rural areas.

Chronicle -- 3

According to him, the circulation of the

Nigerian Chronicle in the state was

unsatisfactory and we cannot watch it

dwindle further.

Imoke said the ``gazette'' would be printed

in black and white with about 5,000 copies

weekly.

``It is going to be strictly on activities of

government and for the information of the

rural people and other areas in the state,''

the governor explained. (NAN)

OPI/VI/EU

=======






Guinea-worm: Council to get 26 boreholes

NAN-H-48

Guinea-worm

Abakaliki, May 10, 2008 (NAN) Twenty-six

additional water boreholes are to be sunk

in various communities in Ezza North Local

Government Council of Ebonyi before the

end of this year.

The Chairman of the council, Mr Ikeuwa

Omebe, made this known today in

Abakaliki in an interview with the News

Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Omebe said the project to be co-funded by

UNICEF, WHO, Carter Centre and the

council was aimed at tackling new cases

of guinea worm recently recorded in the

area.

``The decision to sink 26 boreholes came

after our participation at the 8th Regional

conference on Draunculasis eradication by

WHO, UNICEF and Carter Centre in Abuja

recently,'' he said.

It will be recalled that Ebonyi is among the

guinea worm endemic States in South/East

zone of Nigeria with fresh cases of the

disease discovered about a year ago.

Guinea-worm -- 2

The council chief said efforts were underway

to also rehabilitate non-functional boreholes

within the area to enhance access to safe

drinking water to residents.

Omebe, who also spoke on the council's

plans to step up agricultural programme,

said soft loans would be granted to

genuine farmers at a low interest rate.

He said a five-man agricultural committee

had been set up to identify those who would

benefit from the facility and announced that

the tractor hiring service of the council had

been reactivated.

The council chairman said arrangement had

been concluded to buy fertilizers and other

inputs to boost farming activities and urged

the people to take advantage of the

programme. (NAN)

FEO/VI/EU

=======




NAN Home News Service

====================
Saturday, May 10, 2008

======================
Dateline: News Log:

======== =======
H-1.Lafia: Tivs in Nasarawa call for

linguistic representation

on state radio

H-2.Abeokuta: Ogun takes delivery of 3,600

tonnes of fertiliser

for 2008 farming season



H-3.Ikeja: Skypower disengages 300

workers



H-4.Asaba: FERMA fixes bad roads on

federal highway in Delta



H-5.Asaba: Drug abuse encourages

resistance,says medical

director

H-6.Jesse

(Delta): Oil leak at Jesse destroys

aquatic life



H-7.Bauchi: Ineffective HIV/AIDS

campaign responsible

for increased TB - official



H-8.Bauchi: FG earmarks N1b for solar

power bore holes



H-9.Aba

(Abia State): Nigeria earned N35

billion from export of

finished leather in 2007



H-10.Dutse: Lawyers to fight for

entrenchmentof democracy --

NBA Chairman

H-11.Inorin/Ajigba,

(Delta): NDDC commissions N34

million electricity projects

H-12.Ekpoma

(Edo) : Fire wrecks havoc in

Ekpoma



H-13.Makurdi: NDLEA seizes 53.9 kg of

Indian hemp



H-14.Ado-Ekiti: Association frowns at

profiteering by

foodstuff sellers



H-15.Abuja: 55,000 women die annually

in Nigeria -- Ibrahim

H-16.Owerri: Soludo, Obiozor for Gov.

Ohakim's first anniversary

lecture

H-17.Ekpoma

(Edo): Odogwu advises AAU

graduates

H-18.Makurdi: Benue to hands off

moribund companies



H-19.Calabar: Unqualified CRUTECH

lecturers to be deployed to

COE, Akamkpa -- Imoke

H-20.Lokoja : Gov. Idris returns from foreign trip,

resumes duty on Monday



H-21. Abuja: Nigeria's economic development

will reduce regional poverty--EU

H-22. Effurun

(Delta): Soyinka cautions on rule of law

H-23. Mubi

(Adamawa): Motorcyclists: FRSC seeks

Emir's intervention

H-24. Abuja : Nigeria can generate $5b from

cashew annually -- Association

H-25. Abuja: Power Sector: Committee concludes

field work

H-26. Abuja: Cashew nut is good for the heart --

Doctors

H-27. Bauchi: LG election records low turnout

H-28. Abuja : NUC accredits 1,657 programmes in

17 years -- Okojie

H-29. Owerri: Erosion threatens Nwankwo Kanu's

Alma Mater

H-30. Mubi

(Adamawa): LG chairman tasks contractors

H-31. Ado-Ekiti: Consumers decry bread scarcity in Ekiti

H-32. Aba

(Abia): UNIDO to set up Common Facility

Centre in Kano

H-33. Owerri: Kanu Nwankwo's alma-mater under

erosion threat

H-34. Abuja: Odey wants Catholic women to

mediate in Niger Delta

H-35. Maiduguri: Sen. Yale gives 200 doses of anti

snake venom

H-36. Maiduguri: Sign-on fees: El-Kanemi warriors

FC gets N17m

H-37. Ikeja: LASIEC will give date for council

elections --Commissioner

H-38. Asaba: DSIEC declares 6 chairmanship

candidates unopposed



H-39. Abigborodo

(Delta): Gov. Uduaghan fails to cast vote in

council polls

H-40. Asaba: Late arrival of polling materials

mar Delta council polls

H-41. Asaba: Police arrest 6 armed men near Delta

electoral office



H-42. Lagos: Agriculture, security priorities

- Governors

H-43. Ijebu-Ode

(Ogun): Obasanjo, Abdulsalami, Bankole,

bid Daniel's mother farewell

H-44. Awka: Retired civil servants to get monthly

pensions -- Okeke

H-45. Epokma

(Edo): Edo Students to enjoy bursary awards

H-46. Aba

(Abia): Shoe producers in centre call for

micro credit

H-47. Calabar: C/ River govt to partner to revamp

Chronicle

H-48. Abakaliki: Guinea-worm: Council to get 26

boreholes