Nation
THE STATES
Abuja
The Minister of Agriculture of Egypt, Mr Amin Abaza, said the just concluded Agri-business and Agro-industries conference in Africa would pave way for a more effective South-South cooperation.
Abaza said such cooperation would place Africa as a global player in agriculture during an interview with The Tide’s source in Abuja.
He said that Africa had potential in untapped natural resources and if well harnessed with the proper cooperation, would result to “tremendous’’ benefits for Africa.
“I am a great believer in Africa and I think that this century is going to be Africa’s century. We have plenty of potential, plenty of untapped resources.
“And really by working together and having a south-south cooperation we will just reap the benefits of all the potential in Africa that we have not yet been able to use effectively,’’ Abaza said.
He noted that the main challenge for Africa was infrastructure, such as power, roads, ports and lack of funding.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has promised to ensure efficient and full implementation of the N69.6 billion 2010 budget.
Mr Ayodele Michael, Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, made the promise on Thursday in Abuja in an interview with the newsmen
He said the House would re-invigorate its oversight functions to achieve the objective.
Michael noted with regret that the implementation of the 2009 budget fell bellow expectation.
“The House will on quarterly basis, summon the state Ministry of Finance and Board of Internal Revenue to give detailed analysis of the implementation of the budget.
“We will also embark on budget tracking to ensure full implementation of the budget.
“Last year’s revised budget of N58 billion was averagely implemented, but I can assure you that this year, the budget will be closely monitored to ensure full implementation,” he added.
The House had on Feb. 23 passed the budget.
Kaduna
A Sanitation Consultant, Dr Comfort Olayiwola, has called on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) officers to engage in purposeful data-gathering to address the challenges facing the sector.
Olayiwola made the call in Kaduna while fielding questions after her presentation on the “Draft WASH Communication Strategy in Nigeria’’ at the three-day zonal stakeholders’ workshop.
“The communities keep more data better than all of us. Go and ask ‘WASH’ committees, they will show you a book containing dates, times and what they have done.
“But when you go to the office, you forget to do the same. How do we get the data back?
“You should keep records properly; you should package the data and present it to your local government chairmen and governors.
“This will serve as evidence. When you have concrete evidence; you can tell them to go and see the progress of work and challenges in the communities,’’ she said.
Olayiwola said that the development of the communication strategy remained a collective effort.
Kebbi
The Joint World Bank Assisted/Kebbi Community and Social Development Project (KBSCDP), will spend N1 billion on community micro- development projects in 2010.
The KBSCDP General Manager, Malam Usman Abubakar, told The Tide’s source in Birnin Kebbi on Friday that the World Bank granted N750 million as loan, while the state government released N300 million.
He said “we recieved N100 million out of N300 million expected from the state.”
He added that the project development plans comprised three micro-projects to be identified by benefitting communities.
According to him, each benefitting community is to contribute 10 per cent in cash or project execution materials.
Kogi
The Police Command in Kogi had arrested a bus driver with 16 bags of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, announced this while parading 14 suspects arrested from different parts of the state for different offences at the command headquarters in Lokoja on Thursday.
Abubakar, an employee of Olamaboro Local Government, said the driver was arrested at Ogori-Magongo.
He said the bus driver claimed that a man (not named) hired his vehicle marked Kogi: LG 86 LAM, to convey the substance from Alayere-Akure, Ondo State, to Anyigba in Kogi.
In an interview with The Tide’s source, the suspect said the man hired him from the park to carry gari but he later discovered that the bags contained Indian hemp.
The suspect said that he decided to go back but the man assured him that he would settle policemen on the road.
Lagos
The Lagos chapter of Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) has urged Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to find lasting solution to the problem of power supply.
Mr Duro Kuteyi, the Chairman of the association in Lagos State, told The Tide’s source that improvement in power generation and distribution would enhance the growth of small and medium scale businesses.
He urged the acting president to make the power sector his priority, saying the sector appeared to be one of the greatest challenges facing the growth of the nation’s economy.
“Stable and regular electricity supply will boost the economy and eliminate all the risks including health hazards, associated with other sources of power, such as pollution, suffocation and environmental degradation,’’ he added.
Kuteyi said constant power supply would reduce substantially, the cost of production being incurred by the small and medium scale businesses.
He also advised the acting president to take decisive action on the issue of security and deteriorating state of the Nigerian roads.
Ogun
The Ogun Government says it will no longer absorb beneficiaries of the Federal Teachers Scheme (FTS) in its teaching service.
Chief Sina Adejobi, Chairman, Ogun Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), made the announcement recently in Abeokuta in an interview The Tide’s source.
The scheme was introduced in 2006 by the Federal Government to address the dearth of qualified teachers in the nation’s primary schools.
Under the scheme, fresh graduates of NCE and degree holders are engaged on two years teaching service in public primary schools in all the 36 states and FCT, after which state governments are encouraged to absorb them with full employment.
Adejobi, however, explained that the state government already had 21,000 teachers who were NCE and degree certificate holders, considered to be adequate for its teaching service.
Oyo
There must be transparency in governance and business for the creation of jobs in Nigeria, .
Prof. Dafe Otobo of the University of Lagos said in Ibadan on Thursday.
Otobo, a professor of business, made the call at a two-day seminar organised by Labour Writers’ Association (LAWAN) on the topic, “‘the impact of Economic Crisis on Employment”.
He said the unemployment rate would increase if effective management was not incorporated in governance and in the workplaces.
“‘There will be declining turnover and more people will be laid off if managers of various organisations do not help to shape the already bad economy,’’ he said.
Otobo said it was regrettable that the impact of globalisation had taken its toll on organisations which had no choice but to retrench workers to remain in business.
Otobo urged the government to embark on measures that would create jobs to improve the economy and make life better for the people.
Sokoto
Alhaji Abdullahi Maigwandu, the Special Adviser to Sokoto state Governor on Pilgrims Affairs, says that woman, who are three months pregnant, will not be allowed to perform the 2010 Hajj.
Maigwandu also says that intending pilgrims, aged 65 and above, or 15 years and below, will not be allowed to perform the Hajj.
The Tide’s source reports that Maigwandu gave this directive on Wednesday in Sokoto at a meeting with the officials of the agency and those of the 23 local governments of the state .
The meeting was convened as part of the preparations for the 2010 Hajj exercise in the Holy land.
“We shall no longer tolerate a situation where any of our pilgrims will violate the laid down principles guiding the conduct of Hajj exercise,” he said.
The President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide and the Mgboh XIII of the Mgboh Royal Family of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze (Barrister) Godspower Onuekwa, penultimate Friday celebrated his 80th birthday with pomp, pageantry and fanfare.
The celebration, which commenced with a symposium organised in his honour at Rivers State University on Thursday, August 21,2025, got to a resounding climax on Friday at Suntai Event Centre in Port Harcourt, where people from all walks of life, including business associates, friends, well-wishers, relatives, community folks, traditional rulers, and admirers, gathered to pay glowing tributes to the celebrant.
Before then, a well attended thanksgiving service was held that same Friday at Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo, to honour him and return gratitude to God Almighty for the fruitful and eventful life and accomplishments of the Emohua leader and icon.
The service which was officiated by Rt Rev Wisdom Budu Ihunwo, Bishop of Niger Delta North had other renowned and respected clerics like Most Rev(Dr) Blessing Enyindah, Dean, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Rt Rev(Dr) Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, Bishop, Diocese of Niger Delta; Rt Rev Innocent Ordu, Bishop, Diocese of Evo; and Ven Solomon Eze Nelson, Archdeacon, Okoro-Nu-Odo; among others lined up as officiating ministers.
The service lived up to its billing, as it featured powerful and soul-lifting praise and worship; point-blank prayers; and beautiful renditions, which electrified the entire atmosphere, essentially packaged to thank God for the life of the celebrant.
However, the crowning moment actually came when the who is who, the crème de la crème of the society, thronged the terraces and fabulously decorated expansive hall of Suntai Event Centre, to celebrate Eze Onuekwa, amid accolades, aplomb and panache, wining and dining, and clinking of glasses with him and all.
The chairman of the colourful ceremony, Chief Evans Woherem, who was represented by Eze(Prof) Christian Akani of the prestigious Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, praised the celebrant for his youthfulness in spite of clocking 80 years, generosity, humility, humaneness and selfless services to the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, the Niger Delta and Nigeria, and called on all and sundry to emulate his good legacies and simple disposition towards life and existence.
Goodwill messages also poured in in torrents to underscore and salute the doggedness, resilience, astuteness and uniqueness of the endearing life of the celebrant, with Prof Emenike Wami, the Ochia Ohna Ikwerre(XIV), taking the lead.
Prof Priye Iyalla, the wife of late renowned writer, novelist and playwright, Dr Elechi Amadi, held the audience spellbound as she masterfully reeled out the profile of the celebrant, amid intermittent applause from the crowd.
The Tiv Community from Benue State, resident in Rivers State, were not left out, as they honoured and decorated Eze Onuekwa in their complete traditional regalia.
Cultural displays from Baptist Church, Rumuowhor; ADNA Wogbuji Dancing Group, Egbeda; Tiv Dancing Group; and Promoter Eze and Rumu-Mgboh Emohua Wrestling Group, equally added colour and grace to the occasion, with the celebrant and his wife, Dame Ann Onuekwa, joining them to wriggle their waists and bodies in ecstasy.
In his response, the highly elated celebrant, Eze Onuekwa thanked all those gathered to celebrate with him, saying, celebrations would never cease in their homes, and attributed everything he represents in life, including his modest accomplishments to God.
Eze Onuekwa, while addressing newsmen, harped on the need for hard work among the youths and members of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, as a way of sustaining and giving meaning to the motto of the organisation, which he noted is anchored on peace, unity and progress.
He specially thanked God for sustaining his life, and for making everything possible for him and his family, saying, he was joyous that he has today become an octogenarian and elder statesman in Rivers State.
His son and medical practitioner, Dr Samuel Chizia Onuekwa expressed delight that people from far and near had come together to celebrate the father, whom he described as a role model and great inspirator.
He said it was a good thing that the children were celebrating their father when he is alive, stressing that the last time Eze Onuekwa was celebrated in such magnitude was 20 years ago, during his 60th birthday celebration, and prayed God to grant him many more years in good health.
Among dignitaries who graced the event were Senator Andrew Uchendu; Chief Sampson Agbaru; Prof Emenike Wami; Dr Peter Didia; Eze(Prof) Samuel Ugo Onyeka; and a host of others. Justice Iche Ndu(rtd); and C O Kattey were among personalities that attended the thanksgiving service, while the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof Isaac Zeb-Obipi led the academics who graced the symposium, alongside Eze G A O Omodu.
As the 100 Ogoni youths trained by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Creative Arts close out their training on Tuesday at the Theatre Arts Department, University of Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has urged the beneficiaries to use the skills acquired to ensure that the Ogoni stories are told and heard in the right way.
The trainees, who had completed a four- month training in script writing, film production and make-up are beneficiaries of the HYPREP sustainable livelihood programme, aimed at providing high demand skills to Ogoni youths in the lucrative creative arts and entertainment industry.
Zabbey described the Creative Arts training as well as other programmes and interventions as HYPREP’s strategic sustained effort to create alternative sources of livelihood.
”Targeted capacity building for Ogoni youths and women remains a central strategy in HYPREP’s livelihood restoration and improvement efforts. Our goal is to reach every part of the Ogoni community and ensure that no group or talent pool is left behind. This training is a deliberate step to empower young people who aspire to make their mark in the creative and entertainment industry”, he said.
While commending the trainees for producing four short films within the training period, one of which was premiered at the ceremony-Dirty Festival, the Project Coordinator noted that the training would serve as a springboard into the industry, and enable them earn a living, become entrepreneurs, and open new doors of opportunities for themselves and their communities. The three other movies are Open Pain, Bomu and Green War.
He enjoined them to utilise their skills and platforms to promote civic responsibility, peace, and environmental sustainability, urging them to ensure that Ogoni is heard in the right way, speak for HYPREP and highlight the progress being made in implementing the recommendations of the UNEP Report.
Other speakers at the event, including the Director of Technical Services of HYPREP, Prof. Damian-Paul Aguiyi; Dr Ovunda Ihunwo, Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt; Chief Douglas Experience, the Project Coordinator of Halibiz Consult Limited; and Mrs Josephine Nzidee, Head, Sustainable Livelihood of HYPREP, all applauded HYPREP for the training, and charged the trainees to maximise the opportunity.
The trainees were later presented certificates of participation.
Visibly elated Ms Lebee Tornwe, one of the beneficiaries, thanked HYPREP and the Project Coordinator for offering the trainees the rare opportunity to acquire skills in the creative arts and entertainment industry, and expressed delight that Dr Ihunwo and Halibiz Consult Limited gave their all in grooming them.
With the wrapping up of the Creative Arts training(100), HYPREP has trained 230 Ogoni youths in high demand skill sets ,viz; seafaring(100); and aviation (30). The Project will this year, commence training in other skill areas, including Mechatronic, Aviation, Full-Stack Development, Commercial Diving, Underwater Welding and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Still in the offing is the training for Ogoni Persons Living with Disabilities in five skill sets- fish farming; basic computer skills; photography; fashion and design; and shoemaking in line with their Needs Assessment and HYPREP’s policy of inclusivity.
The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) had called on stakeholders to work collaboratively towards the development and empowerment of Ogoni youths.
NYCOP made the call in a communique issue over the weekend after an emergency Congress in Port Harcourt and signed by its President, Comrade Raymond Nwibani Marcus.
In the communique, NYCOP endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s appointments of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees (BOT) members of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), particularly Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah as Chairman of HYPREP’s BOT.
It respectfully appealed to the President to consider appointing a representative from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) under the leadership of Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, being the pioneering social vehicle for Ogoni advocacy since the inception of the Ogoni struggle, adding that it would significantly contribute to the decision-making process.
The body commended the overall management of HYPREP and urges the President to continue funding the HYPREP project.
NYCOP furthermore recommended considering the conversion of HYPREP from a project to a full-fledged agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The communique also stated that NYCOP thanked President Tinubu for establishing the Federal University of Environmental Technology, and for appointing key staff, forming a dialogue committee, and initiating infrastructural projects like the Eleme axis of the East-West Road and the Bonny-Bodo Road, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and economic prospects.
In solidarity with the Renewed Hope Agenda, the endorsed President Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying it believes his leadership embodies the aspirations of the Ogoni people and Nigerians at large.
“After thorough consideration of the Disciplinary Committee’s report, NYCOP resolves:
” To indefinitely suspend Comrade Nade Nade Burale from his position as Secretary General due to misconduct.
“To declare Comrade Saviour Imeabe persona non grata on Ogoni youth issues, given his actions’ potential to instigate crisis in Ogoni and beyond” the communique stated.
NYCOP in his resolution issued a 7-day ultimatum to former HYPREP BOT Chairman Mike Nwialeghi to explain the $100 million HYPREP fund investment, warning of potential litigation.
NYCOP reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ogoni youth interests and preventing personal aggrandizement.
According to the communique the resolutions demonstrate NYCOP’s efforts to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth.
“We will no longer tolerate any individual or group using the name or issues of Ogoni youth for personal aggrandizement.
” Our mandate is clear: to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth” the communique said.
NYCOP passes a vote of confidence in Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah, acknowledging his impeccable credentials and credibility to lead the BOT of HYPREP effectively.
Kiadum Edookor
