Nation

THE STATES

Published

15 years ago

January 21, 2011

Adamawa

The Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa, has appealed to the electorate to ensure the safety of their voters’ cards, to guide against possible mutilation.

The emir made the call at a voter enlightenment and advocacy campaign in Gude District of Mubi-South Local Government Area on Wednesday.

Isa advised voters to handle their cards with utmost care and protection.

“Safeguard your voter’s card the same way you keep your money and other valuables. The card is your right to vote, therefore you must ensure its safety,” Isa said.

He cautioned the people against multiple registration, adding that such unpatriotic acts would invalidate their registered cards and make them to loose their voting rights.

Borno

The Borno State Government on Wednesday promised free transportation to Nigerians affected by the recent border adjustments with Cameroon Republic to enable them to register in the ongoing voter registration.

Governor Ali Modu Sheriff made the promise shortly after undergoing the registration process at Ngala, headquarters of Ngala Local Government Area of the state.

He said the free transportation would be offered some communities such as Dara, which had been seeded to Nigeria after the International Court of Justice Ruling.

“We are going to provide transport to convey villagers from the communities nearest the registration centers to enable them to register as eligible voters.

“It is our responsibility as government to take care of our brothers,” he said.

Sheriff expressed dismay at the slow pace of the registration exercise.

“I do not know why it takes so long to register a single individual. I wonder if we will be able to get all eligible Nigerians registered before the deadline,” he said.

FCT

The Inspector General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim, has given contractors handling police projects one month from Jan. 7 to fulfil their contractual obligations or face prosecution.

Ringim’s warning is contained in a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Olusola Amore, on Wednesday in Abuja.

The statement said that there was no sign that the contractors had executed 350 projects for which N4.6 billion had been released, adding that 17 of the projects had been abandoned.

It said that N4.7 billion was earmarked for the execution of projects at the various police formations and commands across the country.

“It is observed that several projects for which initial payments have been made have been executed outside the contract’s specifications, while many others have not been executed in spite of the payments,” it added.

The statement warned that contractors who had collected funds for contracts they failed to execute or those who executed projects outside the contracts’ specifications would be arrested and prosecuted.

Kaduna

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has written the Federal Government explaining the re-opening of schools operated by the Catholic Church during the period of the registration of voters.

The Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, the Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, made the fact known in an interview with newsmen on the re-opening of Catholic schools in Kaduna State.

Ndagoso said the Conference had explained its position on the losure ordered by the Federal Government on Thursday, January 6.

He said it was regrettable that the government did not follow due process in giving the directive and added that if stakeholders were consulted, the Church would have complied.

He said Catholic schools in Kaduna State would abide by the decision of the Conference in the matter.

The Federal Government had ordered the extension of the resumption date of public and private primary and secondary schools in the country till Jan. 30 when the registration would end.

Many schools were due to re-open on Jan. 10 after the Christmas and New Year holiday but had to call off their resumption plans in compliance with the order.

The archbishop said the method the government adopted in giving the directive was “undemocratic”, pointing out that stakeholders in the education sector should have been consulted before the decision was taken.

“The point we are making is that, as stakeholders we should be consulted on an issue that affects our schools.

“Our schools are not under government subvention and our premises are not being used for the registration. Why should our students stay at home?,” he asked.

Katsina

The contractor handling the rehabilitation of the Katsina-Jibia-Kauranamoda Road may withdraw from site over the continued delay in the payment of his entitlements.

The Federal Controller of Works in Katsina State, Mr Aliyu Mohammed, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Katsina on Wednesday.

He said that the contract was awarded about two years ago at a cost of over N3.9 billion.

He said that the non-payment of the contractor was responsible for the delay in completing the project.

Mohammed said “the contractor handling the construction has been able to achieve much in the past one year despite the delay in paying him for jobs done.

“This is the reason why the contractor is threatening to stop work and if that happens, it will cause a major setback to the entire project.”

The controller explained that a total of N20 million was also required for the payment of compensation to people whose lands were acquired for the expansion of roads in Jibia and Zurmi Towns.

Mohammed said: “we are trying to ensure that the payment is made to the affected persons as promised within the next few days”.

When completed, the road is expected to boost socio-economic activities in Katsina and the neighbouring Zamfara State.

Kwara

The people of Offa Local Government Area of Kwara have pledged to support INEC to ensure the success of the ongoing voter registration.

The Secretary of Offa Descendants Union (ODU), Mr Dele Abolarin, made the pledge in Offa yesterday during a sensitisation workshop on the registration.

Abolarin said the community was determined to give the necessary support to INEC to perform its duties without fear, favour or hindrance.

Vice Chairman of Offa Local Government, Mr Adebola Afolabi, urged the participants to use the knowledge to sensitise the people on the need to participate in the exercise.

This, he said, would enable them to elect leaders of their choice in April general elections.

Lagos

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), says there is no going back on the government’s plan to privatise the power sector before the end of second quarter of 2011.

The Director-General, Ms Bolanle Onagoruwa, told newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos, that the only way to ensure success in the power sector was through effective privatisation.

Onogoruwa urged both the local and foreign investors to show more interest in the ongoing bidding to get credible companies that could champion the effective distribution and generation of power.

The director-general said that the ongoing privatisation process would be driven by greenfield private sector investments.

She said that the citizens would benefit from the reform through stable and consistent electricity supply that would significantly boost economic activities for jobs creation, improving living standards and education.

“Government has come to the unequivocal acceptance and conclusion of the fact that only private sector investment in the sector can give the desired result.

“The process will satisfy Nigeria’s yearnings for stable power supply because government alone cannot afford to make all capital investments required in the sector to satisfy the energy needs of the people,” she said.

Oyo

The people of Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo have called on INEC to provide them with more DDC machines to enable them register and vote in the forthcoming general elections.

Some of the communities include Olodo, Oki, Alagbon, Arubiewe, Olojo, Opa Musa, Kumopayi, Oriile, Ominiade, Aba Oku, Ogundipe and Galili, among others.

A resident in one of the communities, Mr Ganiyu Zaiyanullahi, told newsmen Egbeda, Oyo State, yesterday that the only DDC machine in their centre could not cope with the large turn-out of people.

“There are more than 20 communities in the area, all of which are densely populated due to influx of people from Ibadan.

“We wake as early as 4.00a.m. to go and register at the Community High School; but we meet people who had been there since 1 a.m. while others say they slept there.

“In fact, many of us are now thinking of going to Ibadan to register since the only machine here cannot cope with the crowd.

Zaiyanullahi, therefore, called on INEC to review its operation and deploy more machines to the rural areas to cope with the large turnout of people who want to be registered.

Plateau

Governor Aliyu Doma of Nasarawa has installed Joel Aninge as the Odyong Nyankpa, a first-class title in Panda development area of the state.

The chieftaincy was upgraded to a first-class status by the Abdullahi Adamu-led administration in 2007 but was not officially installed.

The presentation of the staff of office to the traditional ruler was made on Wednesday in Panda by Doma.

Speaking during the presentation, Doma said the Odyong Nyankpa Chiefdom deserved the first- class rating, considering the contributions of its people to the development of the state.

He said the government was committed to respecting and recognising traditional institutions.

He assured the people that the government would continue to create an enabling environment for traditional rulers to function as agents of social mobilisation, community integration and harmony.

Responding, the newly-installed chief thanked the state government for its developmental strides, and urged his people to turn out en masse and register as voters.

Aninge challenged the people to avoid the mistakes of the 2006 population census by turning out to register as voters.

The installation of the Odyong Nyankpa has brought the number of first-class chiefs in Nasarawa to 14.

Yobe

Yobe Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, has assured the people that the current political activities and the forthcoming general elections will to slow down projects initiated by his administration.

Geidam gave the assurance in Bukarti in Yobe on Wednesday while answering reporters’ questions after he had registered as a voter in Bukarti.

He said: “Government will not suspend funding of any project because of politics.

“The contractors also have no reason to abandon any project because government has been living up to its contractual obligations by paying them as soon as their certificates of job completion are raised.” The governor warned that government would not tolerate poor quality work from the contractors.

“Projects must be executed in accordance with the stipulated agreement for government to get value for its money,” Geidam stressed.

He expressed satisfaction with the improvement recorded with the INEC DDC machines being used in the ongoing voter registration.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

9 hours 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

9 hours 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.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

9 hours ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.