Nation

THE STATES

Published

17 years ago

January 7, 2010

Abuja

A pastor of the Christ Embassy, Mr. Henry Idugboe, has sued an old generation bank in the country (name withheld) to court over allegations of negligence and breach of trust, seeking the sum of over N100 million compensation as damages he suffered owing to the financial institutions negligence.

He instituted the action before an Asaba High Court following the decision of the bank to honour cheques of Stephen Iduogbe and Sons Limited (second plaintiff), which did not carry his signature as required by the mandate card.

According to the mandate card issued to the bank, Idugboe, who is incharge of the Suleja branch of the Christ Embassy, is a compulsory signatory to all transactions made by Stephen Iduogbe and Sons Limited, a firm used to operate the Iduogbes family business.

Piqued by the bank’s alleged deposition to honour cheques of the family company, which did not contain his mandatory signature, the pastor has beseeched the court.

Benue

State chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Dr Emmanuel Agbo, is under intense pressure from the Ohimini local government chapter of the party over the senatorial bid of General Lawson Onoja.

Agbo has been accused of anti-party activities, factionalisation of the party and illegal adoption of Onoja for the 2011 Benue South senatorial seat.

In a communiqué issued by some leaders of the party in the local government, led by Col. Idu Enonche (rtd), who addressed a press conference at the weekend in Otukpo, the stakeholders claimed that Agbo’s alleged endorsement of Onoja was illegality.

They also maintained that the so-called caucus meeting held at Onoja’s Otukpo residence during which he was allegedly endorsed was illegal and excluded key members of the party from the local government.

The communiqué, which was signed by 21 prominent PDP members from the area, accused Agbo of factionalising the party in Ohimini.

Ekiti

Ekiti State Government is to establish a School of Mid-wifery at Orun-Ekiti in Ise-Orun Local Council of the state, the state governor, Mr. Segun Oni has said.

A statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, said Ono, who made this known at Ise-Ekiti while commissioning a hospital building donated by Hon. Titi Akindahunsi of the House of Representatives said students of the school would make use of facilities of the general hospitals at Ise and Emure for their practical work.

Oni, who explained that the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ado-Ekiti could not presently meet the admission requirement of the people of the state, said government would totally transform general hospitals at Ise and Emune, preparatory for the take-off of the proposed School of Mid-wifery at Orun-Ekiti.

Gombe

Gombe State Governor, Danjuma Goje, has said that the outstanding sign-on fees for Gombe United Football Club would soon be paid.

Goje, who spoke at the grand finale of Sarkin Yakin Gombe Football tournament, said plans have been concluded to settle all the arrears owed the club.

To this end, he asked the club to consolidate on their past performances whereby they have recorded success at both national and continental fiesta adding that the government was poised to boost their morale.

The governor also promised to provide a bus for the team with a view to addressing their transport problems, adding that the gesture was to show the commitment of the state towards sports development.

He further expressed the determination of the government to identify hidden talents who could become future Okochas and Kanus in the international football encounters.‘

Kano

Parents in Kano State have decried the increasing deviant attitude among the youth, blaming the situation on their access to the internet and satelite television contents.

Salihu Ahmad, a resident of Gwangwazo quarters in Kano, told the newsmen that youths have unrestrained access to foreign values through the internet.

He noted that government in collaboration with parents, must check the trend and prevent young people from becoming radicals.

Umar Muhammed of far away area of the city said: “I face a lot of problems controlling my five male children because of peer influence.”

He said all his children are males and keeping them at home has been a very difficult task.

He added that they behave in ways that conform to the unwholesome attitudes of their friends.

Another resident, Habibu Ismail, described the situation as “very disturbing” saying youngsters, especially boys, prefer football and other naughty behavour to study.

He, however, advised parents to join hands and watch over their children for effective results instead of allowing them to be transformed by negative external influence.

Kaduna

Former Governor of Kaduna State and Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has tasked Nigerians to assess the performance of public office holders at various levels by the quantum of facilities they provide to Nigerians.

Makarfi was apparently disturbed by the self-assessment by public office holders who roll out dubious statistics of performance to deceive the electorate.

According to the former governor, who spoke in Kaduna in an interview at the weekend, the nation’s electorate should monitor how the allocation of funds to all governments at various levels are utilised, otherwise the problem of non-performance among public office holders will continue.

“This has really been the problem that has been confronting us… of course in terms of performance of government, it has been uniformly above average. The task of the last action of the National Assembly in extending expenditures on the 2009 appropriation to 31st March, which means the budget performance will be about 75 to 85 per cent can be realised.”

Lagos

A fire incident in Lagos at the weekend claimed the life of 85-year-old Alhaja Afusat Orisunmibare at Ikorodu on the outskirts of Lagos.

The inferno, which broke out at the victim’s family bungalow at No.14 Odugate street. Ikorodu, reportedly choked the aged woman to death.

Lagos police command’s spokesman, Frank Mba, who disclosed this, added that another elderly woman, Mrs. Abeni Kamson, sustained serious injuries in the incident and “was rushed to the general hospital where she is being treated.”

He added: “the aged woman has already been buried according to Islamic rites. The fire is suspected to have been caused by candle light.”

Ogun

All on-going road projects in Ogun State will be completed before the present administration quits office in 2011.

The Director of Information and Site Publicity Secretary of the Ogun State Road Management Agency (OGROMA), Abiodun Awere, gave this assurance in a recent press statement.

Awere quoted the Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, who is also the Special Adviser to the governor on Works and Infrastructure, Kehinde Osikoya as saying that efforts are on to complete on-going road projects in line with the year 2010 budget of the state government.

“The road projects completion include Ayetoro road in Abeokuta, dualisation of Ondo road in ijebu-Ode, dualisation of Obafemi Awolowo road, Ikenne, dualisation of Ilo-Awela road, Alisiba road in Sango Ota and some roads in the Ojodu Abiodun/Berge axis”, he said.

Osun

Action Congress (AC) in Osun State has called on the police and other security operatives investigating the gruesome murder of Jonathan Ogundere, one of the lawyers to Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola in the on going trail of the April 14, 2007 governorship election to make their preliminary findings public.

The party in a statement signed by its Director of Research and Strategy, Sunday Akere, said the development would assist in clearing the air on the insinuation that the killing has political undertone.

The party said it is surprised that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is lacking political motives to the incident.

Akere said the party decided to break its earlier resolve not to join issues with the PDP on the incident which it described as unfortunate, adding that, the “PDP is seeking to win undeserved sympathy and distract the security operative from digging deep into the root of the matter to conceal facts and cover ups”.

Plateau

Ahead of the 2011 general elections in Nigeria, members of Plateau State Youth Vanguard have appealed to the electorate to turn their back on failed and fraudulent politicians.

The group said its advice was prompted by the unfolding ugly political drama in the state where past leaders who threw Plateau into avoidable crisis and looted the treasury were set for a comeback.

Meanwhile, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has charged the people of the state to remain faithful to its cause in the New Year by being peaceful with all.

Jang, who spoke during the cross-over service of the EBOMI prayer city in Jos, Plateau State, said he had rededicated the state to God in the New year. He assured that God had taken control of security in the state and as such peace had returned to Plateau.

Zamfara

Over 100 patients with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) have been treated and empowered by Zamfara State government, wife of the state governor, Hajiya Saratu Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi, has disclosed.

The governor’s wife made the disclosure at the weekend in Gusau, the state capital, while receiving delegates of a non-governmental organisation, Engender Health, a partner of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/AQUIRE FISTULA.

She also said the state in collaboration with USAID, had taken necessary measures to improve on maternal and child healthcare delivery.

According to her, in addition to free treatment given to the VVF patients, they were also empowered with new skills to make them self-reliant.

Hajiya Shinkafi further explained that each of the discharged VVF patients received a new sewing machine and N10,000 as start up capital for their sewing trade.

Nation

HYPREP Marks 15 Years Of UNEP Report, Highlights Major Cleanup Milestones

Published

1 day ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.

In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.

The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.

According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.

Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.

In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.

The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.

Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

1 month ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

1 month ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.