Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Bauchi State, Sen. Iliya Audu, says the commission requires more than 4,074 Direct Data Capturing Machines (DDCMs) for the forthcoming voter registration.
Audu stated this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi, saying each of the polling units in the state would be allocated a machine for the exercise.
There are 4,074 polling units, 212 registration areas and 2,130,557 registered voters in the state.
The REC said that when the voter registration was conducted last in 2008, there was only one machine which led to omission of names, adding that the forthcoming exercise would be comprehensive.
He said that INEC was compiling names of corps members serving in the state to be engaged for the registration.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has appealed to the Presidency to accord it preferential treatment when considering where to site the proposed federal university meant for the South West Zone.
The Assembly’s plea followed the recent approval by the Federal Executive Council at its last meeting to establish six federal universities in each of the six geo political zones of the country.
The Ekiti House of Assembly Speaker, Mr Tunji Odeyemi, in a statement issued on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, said: “Ekiti State is the most qualified to host a federal university in the zone.”
The statement signed on behalf of Odeyemi by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Rotimi Ajisola described Ekiti State as the academic basket of the nation and reservoir of intellectuals for most tertiary institutions in the country, but added that the state had long been marginalised in the area of federal presence.
FCT
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called on the media and the private sector to collaborate with it in managing disasters.
A statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr Yushau Shuaib, said the Director General of the Agency, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Sidi, made the call at the end of a consultative meeting of the executive held in Ibadan at the weekend.
The meeting, chaired by Sani-Sidi, noted the need for the private sector to participate fully in stakeholders’ meetings as well as the involvement of the media as major stakeholders instead of attending the meetings as reporters.
The statement said participants at the meeting urged NEMA to speed up the process for the establishment of National Council on Disaster Management.
It said the council would attract representations from stakeholders to provide policy guidelines for efficient and effective decision-making on disaster-related issues.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government will soon set up a committee to work out modalities for improved internal revenue generation, Governor Patrick Yakowa has said.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after inspecting projects in Zone III, Kaduna Southern Senatorial District, Yakowa said the committee would evolve ways of generating more funds to complement the revenue from the Federation Account.
He said the state government had done a lot in terms of projects implementation but noted that it required more money to undertake additional projects.
According to him, allocations from the Federation Account to the various states and local governments have dropped substantially, making it difficult for them to execute their projects.
Kano
As the Eid-el Kabir begins tomorrow, many Muslims in Kano have thronged to rural markets in search of cheaper rams, an investigation by The Tide reveals.
The rising cost of rams in Kano made it necessary for low income earners to go to rural markets where the cost of livestock is less.
Yesterday at Wudil, Gaya and Kachako markets, many customers said they came from Kano and Gusau to buy rams which they said were cheaper.
A civil servant, Malam Kabir Abubakar, said he travelled to Wudil ram and sheep market from Kano to buy his sallah ram as “the prices in Kano are prohibitive”.
“Only the super rich can afford a ram in cities because the ones I saw were from N50,000 and above,” he said.
Katsina
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Katsina State has warned parents against allowing their under-age children to drive during the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The Sector Commander, Mr Habu Dauda gave the warning in Katsina over the weekend at a joint meeting of the commission’s officials, traditional rulers and other security agencies.
The sector commander, who was represented by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Muntari Fago, warned that any under-age child caught driving or riding motorcycle during the sallah period and beyond would be arrested and the vehicle impounded.
He said the warning was necessary in view of the rampant accidents usually recorded in the state capital and other major towns during festivities.
Kebbi
Medical practitioners should encourage people to exercise themselves physically to avoid hypertension, a consultant neurologist at the Usmanu dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, Dr Salihu Balarabe, has advised.
Balarabe gave the advice in Birnin Kebbi during an interactive session on the topic “Hypertension, a killer disease”, organised by the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
He said regular physical exercise and medical check-up were remedies for hypertension, noting that a survey on the disease conducted by the WHO indicated that one billion people were diagnosed to be hypertensive globally.
The NMA Chairman, Dr Aliyu Illo, said the session was designed to sensitise the public to the dangers posed by hypertension and how to avoid it.
Kogi
As Muslims rush to buy food items in preparation for Eid el-Kabir, the prices of rams, chickens and catfish have increased in Lokoja.
Conversely in Onitsha, Anambra, traders are complaining that low patronage had forced down the prices of the animals.
A market survey conducted by our correspondent at the Felele Market in Lokoja on Friday, showed that a big ram sold for between N50,000 and N70,000 as against N55,000 and N60,000 last year.
A medium ram which sold for between N25,000 and N35,000 last year, is now being sold for between N40, 000 and N48,000.
Similarly, a small ram which sold for N11,000 last year, is now being sold for between N15,000 and N20,000.
Mallam Abubakar Sani, the Chairman of ram and goat sellers association in the market, attributed the hike in price to “greedy motorists’’ who he accused of arbitrarily increasing transportations cost whenever there were festivities.
Lagos
A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Wole Diya, has attributed the delay in the passage of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill by the House to inadequate lobbying by the sponsors.
Diya told newsmen in Lagos on Saturday that Rep. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a key sponsor of the private bill, had been unable to lobby the lawmakers well enough to pass the bill.
“It is not good enough to present a private bill before the House and expect it to sail through with ease.
“You have to lobby all the members, particularly the opposition.
“I am in strong support of the FoI Bill but what can I do alone in the House that has hundreds of members?” said Diya, who represents the Lagos East Constituency.
He urged Dabiri-Erewa to intensify effort in lobbying members of the House to accept and pass the bill.
Nasarawa
Pastor Jeremiah Kalejaiye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has attributed Nigeria’s low level of development to the lack of fear of God in political actors and government officials.
He said this on Friday in his sermon at the 9th annual Holy Ghost Service organised by the RCCG.
In the sermon entitled “King of Kings”, Kalejaiye declared that if government officials had the fear of God in them, the country would attain greater heights.
Quoting Psalm 111, verse 10, the pastor stressed that the fear of God was the beginning of wisdom, adding that anyone who did not fear God would always be deficient in wisdom.
“In our society today, it is unfortunate to note that the fear of man has replaced the fear of God and this is the beginning of the problems we have in Nigeria today.
Niger
The high cost of animals, especially rams, may prevent some Muslims from Bida and its environs in Niger from performing the sacrifice for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Our correspondent in the area who visited some animal markets yesterday reports that the price of rams was exorbitant and many Muslims might not have the means to buy them.
An average ram which cost N10,000 last year now costs about N18,000, an increase of N8,000 or 80 per cent against last year’s price. A female goat, which was sold at about N6,000 last year now costs N10,000 this year, while a male goat that cost N8,000 last year costs between N13,000 and N15,000 this year.
Strategic regulators and other stakeholders have expressed satisfaction with the pace, quality and magnitude of work carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Ogoniland, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
In their separate speeches at the 2025 4th quarter key regulators / asset owners meeting held in Port Harcourt, the strategic stakeholders commended HYPREP for the significant milestones achieved with excellent efficiency and transparency, demonstrating capacity and commitment to sustaining collaboration with development partners for the overall success of the Project.
The regulators particularly lauded HYPREP for the landmark success in the implementation of the land and shoreline remediation, mangrove restoration, provision of reticulated potable water, the various sustainable livelihood programmes, donation of ambulances to health facilities in Ogoni, the construction of Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, as well as the ongoing Ogoni Power Project, adding that their independent field reports have shown proofs of HYPREP driving even beyond its mandates.
The goodwill messages were made by representatives of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Centre for Environment and Human Rights Development (CEHRD), Society for Women and Youths Affairs (SWAYA), Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN), Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), and Federal Ministry of Environment. Others are the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Rivers State Ministry of Power, the Rivers State University, the Rivers State Ministry of Water and Rural Development, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
Following the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit’s presentation on the status of HYPREP projects, participants offered feedback on areas of concern. They reassured HYPREP and the people of Ogoni of their continued support for the Project’s success. They also suggested that the quarterly review meeting be sustained as it enables them to report, evaluate and proffer solutions to areas of concern.
Participants also commended HYPREP for improved community and stakeholder engagement and for adding to what they saw the previous time. “We commend HYPREP for the quality work done at sites. The progress is phenomenal, because HYPREP is scoring good grades, above average,” Prof. Iyenemi Kakulu from Rivers State University said.
In his speech at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who was represented by Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, Director of Technical Services, commended the regulators and asset owners for their cooperation with the Project, and for making themselves available for fieldwork and the regular review meetings.
Prof Zabbey reiterated HYPREP’s commitment to best practice in waste management, particularly waste generation and disposal, calling on the Regulators for adequate logistics support, saying HYPREP’s priority is to focus on the core recommendations by UNEP, especially, remediation(soil, shoreline) mangrove restoration, provision of potable water, interventions in public health care services and sustainable livelihood for the people.
The Project Coordinator further highlighted the status of the Project, the successes achieved across all thematic areas, and assured that HYPREP will soon complete most of the ongoing projects and roll out others. He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to review the progress of the Ogoni cleanup, ensure quality control, and foster effective collaboration.
Consequently, the quarterly key regulators/asset owners meeting is HYPREP’s strategic stakeholder management model, further underscoring the Project’s commitment to transparency, partnership for development, and accountability, all of which are harbingers of effective project delivery.
Speaking to newsmen, HYPREP Project Support Lead and representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr Ehioze Igbinomwanhia, described his involvement with HYPREPas an encouraging and insightful experience, saying, the Project is implementing a wide range of projects across Ogoniland, spanning immediate remediation works as well as livelihood support initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of affected communities.
Engr Igbinomwanhia emphasised that Renaissance Africa Energy remains fully committed to supporting the objectives of the Ogoni cleanup project, noting that the company has a long history of collaboration with HYPREP.
He added that the partnership has been characterised by continuous learning, adaptation and a willingness to respond to observations and recommendations aimed at improving outcomes.
He further emphasised the importance of safety in all project operations, particularly given the challenging terrain and operating conditions in Ogoniland.
He noted that safety is treated as a critical priority and that contractors are continually reminded to maintain high safety standards, stressing that lessons learnt from previous operational challenges like the collapse of the water tank in Gwara Community are being applied to strengthen safety practices and overall performance.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
