Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
A National Transformation Party (NTP) Senatorial candidate in Adamawa North, Alhaji Musa Bulama, has pledged to address the problems of unemployment and water scarcity, if elected in April.
Bulama told newsmen in Mubi, Adamawa, that he intended to tackle the challenges in health and infrastructure through proactive legislation.
He commended INEC for the successful conduct of the voter registration.
INEC had registered more than 63 million voters for the April general elections in the country.
Bulama said the Commission had displayed high sense of political acumen and professionalism in the conduct of the exercise.
“The high participation and coverage recorded in rural areas is a clear indication of the Commission’s readiness to conduct free and fair polls,” Bulama said.
Benue
Succair is on the way for many orphans in Benue State as the Rose of Sharon Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), is set to establish schools in the state.
The founder of the NGO, Mrs Folorunso Alakija, disclosed this last Thursday while addressing newsmen in Makurdi said adequate arrangement had been made to ensure that widows in the state were given the needed support that would better their lives and that of their children who often suffer as a result of the lost of their bread winners.
Alakija explained that in view of the challenges widows face, Rose of Sharon foundation would train two children of each widow from primary school up till tertiary institution in order to lessen their burden.
She said “we take two children from every family and train them from whatever level they begin like from primary to tertiary level with the hope that those people that we train will goback to help their families.
Alakija said the foundation has 18 Orphans which it currently caters for, 21 students who are receiving university education and empowered about 2000 others in the state.
Ekiti
The Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim had blamed politicians in Ekiti State over the location of a federal university in which three persons were reportedly dead and several others injured.
Ringim passed the blame last Friday expressing displeasure over a burnt police post and two operational vehicles of the force at Ido-Osi.
The police chief said that the incident was sequel to the death of three persons who lost their lives at Ikole-Ekiti when demonstrators against the location of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, attacked the Federal Government College Ikole-Ekiti, injured four students of the College and vandalised the school.
In his words “the demonstration was against the rumoured relocation of the Federal University from Ikole to Oye-Ekiti. Information from the Ministry of Education however confirmed that the federal university was originally located at Oye-Ekiti, with Prof. Chonedu Nebo as the Vice-Chancellor.
FCT
Community Emergency Response Initiative (CERI), an Abuja-based NGO, has trained more than 70 residents of Karu and Jikwoyi communities in the FCT on Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach and effective management of solid waste.
Mr. Benson Attah, CERI’s Executive Director, disclosed this on Wednesday in Karu during a training workshop.
He said the workshop was organised for the people of Karu and Jikwoyi due to lack of effective management of solid waste in the two communities.
He expressed the hope that the training would help the people imbibe the practice of safe hygiene and proper management of solid waste.
Kwara
Students under the aegis of the National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS) and the police on Friday clashed in Ilorin.
Scores of the students staged a Peaceful Protest over non-payment of their 2009/2010 annual bursary allowance but the protest turned violent as the students in the early hours of Friday Prevented free flow of traffic in parts of Uorin town, particularly, the ever busy Murtala Mehammed Way and Ahmadu Bello Bourlevard, the road leading to the State Government House.
Confirming the incident, the State Police Spokesperson, Ezekiel Dabo revealed that 16 students have been arrested adding that about three police officers were wounded in the process.
Lagos
Students of the Lagos State University (LASU) on Thursday raised alarm over growing cases of ritual killing and armed robbery along LASU/Iba road and other communities around its main campus at Ojo, Lagos. Some of the students told the newsmen that the frequent killings and robberies posed great threat to their lives and their academic pursuit.
Mr Senapon Ajasa, speaker of the institution‘ Students Union Government, told reporters that no fewer than 10 people have been killed in LASU area in the last two months by suspected ritual killers.
The student leader said that the development had thrown the entire university community into panic as students and other people around the campus now live in fear.
“Everybody, particularly the students, is afraid. Ritual killers who remove body parts of their victims after killing them have made LASU/Iba expressway and adjoining communities unsafe.
Niger
A Maiduguri High Court last Wednesday granted bail to 65 suspected Boko Haram members arrested over the recent killings in Borno.
The suspects were charged with holding unlawful assemblies in Bolori, London Cikin, Gwange and Dala wards in Maiduguri the Niger State Capital and its environs and breaching public peace. The prosecutor, Mr Abdullahi Izge, told the court presided over by Justice Wokil Gana that the action contravened the penal code.
Izge urged the court to adjourn the case to enable him to produce additional charges against the suspects.
The counsel to the accused persons, Baba Waziri, opposed the prayer, saying the case could only be adjourned if the suspects were granted bail.
Ondo
Ondo State Government said it has injected over N3.9 billion into its community development programme, in two years.
Disclosing this to journalists, the state commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services, Mr Clement Faboyede said the projects include classrooms, community health centres, Solar Power, borcholes, markets among others.
He said the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko would be commissioning over 308 “Quick Win Projects’ to mark his second tenure and commended the administration for the creation of the ministry, which he said was meant to cater for people in the rural communities.
Oyo
Eight men were arrested in Ogbere Onilanta area of Ibadan, Oyo State Capital, in connection with the stampede caused by the rumour of poisoned food allegedly served by the agents of Governor Adebayo AkoAkala to School Children.
Although residents of the community protested at the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan last Thursday evening, alleging that policemen raided their children at Elekuro High School, Ogbere. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Adisa Bolanta, said eight adults were arrested for vandalizing a car belonging to a woman conveying food to a school to serve teachers at a meeting.
The police boss said the women narrowly escaped being lynched for no just cause pledging that the suspects would be prosecuted.
Plateau
Five people were killed and nine others injured last Friday night in a fresh attack suspected to have been carried out by Fulani herdsmen, who made away with about 30 cows at the quarters of the federal College of Land Resources Technology Kuru, in Jos South Local Government Area of Platean State.
It was gathered that the stolen cattles belonged to the Chief Security Officer of the institution, haruna Danjuma, who was among the five victims.
Others who lost their lives in the incident include the Sccountant of the school, Mr Audu Chube, his wife and a four-year-old daughter and the electrician of the institution.
Yobe
Despite the flamboyant launch of its campaign in the three geo-political zones in the North, there are probably fears among the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that it might lose Yobe State and a few others to the opposition.
Also, there might be a battle to the finish between the PDP and the opposition in Nasarawa, Kwara, Yigawa and Kaduna State.
Investigation showed that out of the 19 state in the North, 16 are being controlled by the oppositions including Kano and Borno by the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP) and Banchi, Katsina and Kebbi States where the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has gained tremendous acceptance by the populace.
Zamfara
The Zamfara Government has said that it would soon set up an incinerating plant for the conversion of waste to wealth.
Alhaji Sada Ibrahim, the Director-General, Zamfara Environmental Health Sanitation Agency, said this on Thursday in an interview with journalists in Gusau.
Ibrahim said that the government had already built a “waste transfer loading centre’’ in Gusau, where waste products would be separated for recycling.
According to him, Zamfara generates 5,000 tonnes of waste daily, which will be converted into fertiliser, plastics and other products for domestic uses.
He also said that the government had procured four additional trucks for the evacuation of refuse to the site.
Ibrahim said that the project was aimed toward industrialising the state and creating employment opportunities for unemployed youths.
He also said that it would help improve the revenue base of the state and check the spread of diseases such as typhoid, malaria and cholera.
The Presiding Bishop of Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, Bishop Victor Uzosike, has described love as the bedrock of human existence, family stability and societal harmony, stressing that without love, nothing meaningful can thrive.
Bishop Uzosike made this assertion while speaking to journalists during the wedding ceremony of his daughter, Praise Uzosike, to Architect Chibuzor Akubueze on Saturday, December 20, 2025. The solemnisation was held at the Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, and was attended by dignitaries from across Nigeria and beyond.
According to the cleric, love is not only the foundation of relationships but also a powerful force that determines the success of individuals, families and communities.
“If you do not love a place, that place will not bless you. If you do not love your children, they will not be useful to you. If you do not love your family, your family will become a strange island to you. What you do not love, you do not have. Love is the key,” he said.
Reflecting on his family’s journey, Bishop Uzosike said God’s love had sustained them through seasons of challenges and triumphs, noting that unity had remained their greatest strength.
“We have stayed together as one family. God has shown us love in miraculous and mysterious ways, especially during difficult times,” he stated.
Describing the wedding as an amazing and beautiful experience, the bishop expressed appreciation for the show of love from his daughter’s friends, many of whom travelled from the United Kingdom and Ghana to attend the ceremony. He revealed that some of them personally paid for their flights and accommodation, which he described as a rare display of genuine friendship.
He also disclosed that his first daughter, who lives in Manchester, United Kingdom, with her husband, could not attend the wedding due to tight schedules, but noted that she remains happily married and fulfilled.
While thanking guests for honouring his family with their presence, prayers and goodwill, Bishop Uzosike said he felt proud and grateful to God.
“One of the greatest gifts God can give to a man is children who are sound in all ramifications. My children can see, hear, speak and walk. That alone is enough reason to be grateful,” he said.
He praised the bride, describing Praise as an exceptional achiever who had distinguished herself academically. According to him, she completed secondary school at 15, graduated with First Class honours at 19, and earned distinctions in her MBA as well as her first and second master’s degrees.
“For a long time, people believed that highly educated women may not marry early or at all. Today, Praise has proved otherwise. She has made her mother and me very proud,” he said, describing her as a rare gem.
Bishop Uzosike also expressed joy over his son-in-law, whom he described as God-fearing, disciplined and professionally sound.
“He is well brought up, passionate about God and morally upright. His parents did a great job. My wife, Pastor Esther, also did an excellent job,” he added.
The wedding ceremony attracted prominent personalities, including the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof. Ngozi Odu; the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Ayemeyie; and several senior clerics.
Bishop Fidelis Ugbong officiated the solemnisation, while Apostle Chika Onuzo delivered the sermon, identifying communication, sex and money as key factors that can strengthen or weaken marriages.
Prof. Ngozi Odu also prayed for the couple and paid glowing tributes, drawing admiration from attendees.
The reception, held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Port Harcourt, was equally colourful. Justice Matilda Ayemeyie proposed the toast, describing marriage as not always a bed of roses and emphasising patience, commitment and understanding.
The event was chaired by Chief Henry Nwabugo and attended by notable personalities, including retired Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili; Apostle David Zilly-Aggrey; Hon. Otunba Jumbo; Nze Best Anele; and Prof. Henry Ogiri, among others.
Guests were entertained with dance performances by the couple, while the parents’ outing added elegance to the celebration. The master of ceremonies, Ambassador Kingsley, kept the audience engaged with humour and interactive sessions.
Overall, the wedding was a remarkable blend of spirituality, culture and celebration, marked by love, joy and unforgettable moments.
Nation
2027: APC Chieftain Predicts Tinubu’s Victory …Says Bayelsa Stakeholders Supporting President en masse … IPAC Knitted Together, Working In Synergy With His Office
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), in Bayelsa State and Special Adviser to the State Governor on Inter-Party Relations, Dr Jackson Ebi Suokiri has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would secure landslide win in the 2027 Presidential polls.
The Governor’s Aide stated this in Yenagoa, the state capital on Wednesday while fielding questions from newsmen against the backdrop of Tuesday’s pioneer Stakeholders meeting of the party convened by the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri as leader of the Party in the State upon his recent defection late last year.
He averred that Party stakeholders in the state were prepared to give the President the massive support needed to return elected, come 2027 following his sterling trajectory of performance and qualitative leadership prowess.
Dr Suokiri stressed that the reason for the governor’s swapping of party was in the best interest of the state, while also noting that the governor took the right decision as there was no need continuing with opposition politics even as the state has to align with the national government for rapid socioeconomic and political advantages for the state and its people.
“Governor Diri’s defection like you’ve personally heard him saying was for the best interest of our state, Bayelsa. When you’ve a President performing well at the national level and being very supportive to your state as a governor, I don’t think you’ve to be in an opposition party anymore, but rather align with the centre.
“Diri is a bridge builder. He is at peace with everybody and willing to work with all, irrespective of party affiliations or political differences for the interest of the state.
“As Stakeholders we’ve resolved to collectively work to return President Tinubu elected for second term in 2027. And you can see the Governor is not pressuring anybody or the structure of his former party, the PDP to defect like he has done.
“The PDP structure in the state is still intact, and for the APC, his new Party even as current leader in the State, he has been working with the structure and everybody he met on ground, hence you can see that the APC Caretaker Committee led by Dr. Dennis Otiotio has been maintained at the pioneer Stakeholders meeting convened by the Governor.
“But you must also know like you’ve seen and I’ve previously said that Governor Diri has outperformed expectations of Bayelsans in all sectors, be it economy, infrastructure, health, education, etc.”, he said.
Meanwhile, as against insinuations that some political parties were not working with the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Party Relations, the Governor’s Aide has revealed that as it were currently, all the 19 registered political parties with presence in the state are working in unity with his office as members of the Inter-party advisory council (IPAC).
“IPAC is working in unity with my office. Before the Governor’s defection the only party that wasn’t working with my office was the APC. But since after his formal defection, the APC and even those other parties that were either sympathetic to the APC, the governor’s new party or the PDP, his former Party are all now working together with my office as members of IPAC”, Suokiri added.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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