Nation

THE STATES

Published

15 years ago

August 17, 2011

Adamawa

No fewer than 13 families in Shuwa District in the Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa, have been displaced by flood, the Sole Administrator of the Development AreaAlhaji Suleiman Duhu has said.

Duhu told the newsmen that several hectares of farmlands had also been destroyed by floods in Mayo-Wandi and Kirchinga Villages, following a heavy down pour last Thursday.

He said that the rain which lasted for about six hours caused the Kwasagama River to burst its banks, submerging houses and farmlands.

Duhu said that the flood destroyed maize, millet and sorghum plantations and washed away part of the Shuwa-Kwirchinga-Tzuyal access road.

He said that most of the displaced families are now residing with their relatives in the area.

The sole administrator said that the development area would monitor the villages, to ascertain.

Bauchi

Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State last Friday swore in 16 commissioners and 20 advisers as members of the state executive council.

The immediate past Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Alhaji Abubakar Faggo, who lost his bid to return to the House in the April general elections, was among the new cabinet members.

Yugudaalso swore in 19 Local Government Caretaker Chairmen, while the 20th person was absent on health ground.

Shortly after the appointees took the oath of office, the governor said that the commissioners and advisers were chosen on merit.

He said that the cabinet members were personally selected by him unlike in the last dispensation when most of the former commissioners and advisers were imposed on him by his political associates.

Ile-Ife

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has said that ObafemiAwolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, Osun, would soon perform open heart surgery.

Chukwu made the statement during an assessment visit to the hospital preparatory to the inauguration of the Federal Government/VAMED projects in the institution.

The minister said the medical team for the surgery had been trained and nearly all the equipment needed installed.

He also said that DNA analysis could be done by both the OAUTHC and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and called on Nigerians to make effective use of the facilities instead of going overseas for medical treatment.

Taraba

The PDP in Taraba has called on residents of the state to show understanding on the delay in filling up the ministerial slot meant for the state.

The Chairman of the party in the state, Dr Abdulmumini Vaki, made the call in an interview with a correspondent on Saturday in Jalingo.

Vaki assured that the state would eventually get its slot.

People of the state through their representatives, unanimously rejected the nomination of the immediate former Minister of Water Resources, Mr Obadia Ando, by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Vaki gave an assurance that Gov. Danbaba Suntai and Jonathan were committed to appointing an acceptable person to replace Ando.

The party chairman also debunked rumours making the rounds that plans were on to impeach the state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sani Danladi.

“It is baseless. Mind you, the PDP and the state’s assembly are one family.

Jos

Sen. Gyang Dantong has advised Nigerian leaders to emulate Britain’s handling of the London protests to rid the nation of incessant violence.

“Insecurity and crises are worldwide, but what matters is the way we handle such situations,’’ Dantong told newsmen in Jos on Sunday.

“The perpetrators of the London violence have been arrested, tried and sent to prison, unlike in Nigeria where those arrested were usually freed.

“If anyone had said that London will be insecure today, no one would have agreed, but that is the reality.

“So, you can see that the handling of the violence is the difference; In London, hundreds have been arrested, charged to court and jailed; The rioters have been taken off the streets and away from the society.

Kaduna

A cleric of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG) Revelation Sanctuary, Barnawa, Kaduna Pastor Chucks Godswill on Sunday urged Nigerian leaders to reposition themselves for selfless service.

Godswill said this while delivering a sermon entitled “Reposition Yourself”, stressing that it aimed at encouraging Nigerians on what seemed hopeless in the nation.

The cleric said that if the leaders repositioned themselves for selfless service, there would be a better Nigeria.

He urged leaders at all levels to work according to what they were called for, stressing that “selfless service

is the only motto to moving the nation forward.’’

Katsina

A 19-year old man, Aminu Usman, was on Friday found dead and hanged on an iron bar in front of the residence of one Alhaji Adis’s in Sha’iskawa quarters in Katsina metropolis.

An eyewitness said that the body of Usman was discovered shortly after the Muslim morning prayers.

The witness said residents of the area were confused as they never heard sounds of struggling from the deceased before his death.

The deceased had taken his pre-dawn meal (Sahur) and washed two sets of clothes few minutes before he was found dead.

The deceased, said to be a secondary school leaver, was described as ‘ ‘quiet’’ and never seen engaged in a fight with anyone.

Kebbi

The coordinator of the Kebbi office of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Alhaji Yahaya Fanna, has alerted the public of the sale of sub-standard tyres and other products in the state.

Fanna, who visited the Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the state,Alhaji Umar Babuga, in Birnin Kebbi, cautioned the public on the purchase of sub-standard products, especially for domestic use.

He solicited the support of the NOA in enlightening the public to be wary of the products they purchased.

He said in addition to sub-standard tyres, torch lights and electric cables were among the sub-standard products sold in the markets.

Lagos

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has said that 80 babies have been delivered since the 59th Annual Convention of the church began on Monday.

Adeboye, who made the announcement at the Redemption Camp on Saturday, said 37 of the babies were boys while 42 were girls.

The pastor, who expressed happiness over the development, said “the boys are catching up with the girls’’.

Delivering a sermon titled “The seven categories of progress,” the clergyman urged Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of Jesus Christ by submitting to Him.

Maiduguri

Hajiya Nana Shettima, the wife of the Borno State Governor, on Saturday presented food items to members of the Muslim Widows and Orphans Association in Maiduguri.

She donated several bags of rice and sugar.

Speaking at the event, Shettima pointed out that the gesture was in fulfilment of Islamic teachings of assisting the needy, particularly during the Ramadan.

“As a woman I always feel touched when I remember the pains the less-privilege go through trying to get food in the current harsh economic situation in the country.

“I decided to make the presentation during the month because Ramadan is a period of sober reflection, repentance and charity.”

Shettima urged widows and those who were yet to be members of the association to register so they could be eligible to benefit from government’s assistance to the group.

Minna

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger last Saturday pledged to sustain the state’s polio-free status for the next 10 years.

Speaking during a one-day sensitisation campaign against polio at the palace of the Emir of Minna, Aliyu said the state would strengthen its primary healthcare system to take proactive action on polio eradication and other routine immunisation.

“We must sustain the efforts of the past two years of a zero polio state and ensure that we achieve the total eradication of polio among our citizenry”, he said.

He called on stakeholders to continue to support the effort to sustain the gains already recorded in the fight against polio and sustain the momentum for the next 10 years.

Osogbo

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun on Friday assumed the portfolio of Commissioner for Works in the state cabinet, while his Deputy Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, took charge of the Ministry of Education.

The governor announced the appointments during the inauguration of a 14-member cabinet in Osogbo.

He urged his colleague commissioners in other ministries to perform their duties well.

Aregbesolaurged the Commissioners to draw inspiration from the late Chief obafemi Awolowo, the Premier of the defunct Western Region, who belived that his cabinet was one that “any head of government in the world will be proud of”.

Quoting Awolowo, the governor said his team was “a well knit, highly disciplined and fanctically loyal team”.

Yola

The Adamawa Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ADCCIMA) has declared that Savannah Sugar Company, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, has no case to answer in the compensation dispute between the sugar company and its host community.

Nation

Kwara Community Residents Flee Over Persistent Bandits’ Attacks

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Omugo Community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have deserted their homes due to persistent bandit attacks.
The Tide’s source reports that the once lively community has turned into a ghost town with only a few domestic animals left.
Reports indicate that the recent bandits’ attack on the Omugo ECWA Church via Oro-Ago, led to the abduction of eight worshippers including the wife of the pastor in charge.
Three persons escaped out of the eight abductees with a N1billion ransom placed on the remaining victims in captivity. The community could only gather N1million which was rejected by the bandits.
Last week, the armed bandits invaded Oro-Ago community, killed one vigilante man identified as Baba Ibeji and injured his younger brother known as Ajere.
A Point of Sales, PoS, shop directly opposite the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, Divisional office, was broken into by the bandits.
The gunmen also attacked the NSCDC office and sprayed bullets on the facility, though no casualty was recorded.
In earlier attacks on Oro-Ago environs, armed bandits ambushed a convoy between Oro-Ago and Oke-Ayan in Ilere district of Ifelodun Local Government Area and killed two local hunters on escort duty.
On Saturday, there was tension in Oro-Ago following a security alert that armed bandits were regrouping to launch fresh attacks on the community.
All security formations were, however, placed on ‘Red Alert’ to forestall the planned attack.

Nation

Acting Provost Dismisses Alleged Missing Equipment Claims at Rivers Health College

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2026

The Tide

The Acting Provost of the Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology, Dr. (Mrs.) Peace Chigozirim Amadi has refuted claims circulating in the media suggesting that laboratory equipment went missing from the college.

In a recent statement, Dr. Amadi described the reports—particularly those attributed to certain publications—as false and misleading. She emphasized that all laboratory equipment at the college remain intact.

“I am here to set the record straight. No laboratory equipment disappeared from my college. Nothing is missing,” Dr. Amadi said, challenging anyone with contrary claims to provide evidence, including the names of the equipment and their supposed locations.

She further noted that the college recently underwent an accreditation exercise, during which significant investments were made in laboratory equipment. According to Dr. Amadi, these items are fully accounted for, and the college maintains a robust security system to protect its assets.

“Everything is intact. Nothing disappeared. The information being circulated is false and should be discarded,” she reiterated.

Beyond addressing the allegations, Dr. Amadi also called on media practitioners to exercise professionalism and verify stories before publication. “I want to plead with journalists to always verify their stories. Junk journalism does not help anyone. No matter the information you receive, it is important to hear the other side before publishing,” she said.

While social media posts have occasionally raised concerns about various issues in the region’s health education sector, including extortion and examination malpractice at related institutions, there is no independent evidence from credible news sources confirming that equipment went missing from Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology.

The college, a public tertiary institution based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is accredited to offer a variety of health-related programs, including Nursing, Midwifery, Laboratory Technology, and Environmental Health. It has consistently emphasized integrity, safety, and transparency in its operations.

Dr. Amadi’s statement seeks to reassure the public, students, and stakeholders that the college remains secure, well-managed, and free from the alleged equipment losses, while urging journalists to prioritize accuracy in reporting.

Nation

HYPREP Reaffirms Commitment to Safe Water Supply In Ogoni

Published

1 week ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

As the world commemorates World Water Day, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has reaffirmed its commitment to providing potable water across Ogoni communities, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on the Ogoni Environment.

In a statement issued by its Project Coordinator, Nenibarini Zabbey, on March 22, 2026, HYPREP noted that this year’s theme, “Water and Gender,” alongside the campaign slogan, “Where Water Flows, Equity Grows,” underscores its resolve to extend potable water supply beyond oil-impacted communities to all Ogoni communities.

Zabbey emphasized that access to clean water is a fundamental human right, adding that HYPREP remains committed to ensuring inclusive and equitable water access across the region.

He disclosed that the agency has successfully provided potable water to over 43 communities in Ogoni, while ongoing Phase 3 water projects are expected to benefit an additional 17 communities. He also highlighted steady progress on windmill-powered water projects in less populated areas, particularly in Khana Local Government Area.

According to him, the K-Dere Water Project, which is over 99 percent complete, will be commissioned in the coming weeks, even as work continues on other water schemes across Ogoni.

Zabbey further noted that HYPREP’s interventions are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.

To ensure sustainability, he explained that the agency has adopted a joint management model involving host communities, the Rivers State Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development, and the Rivers State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RSSTOWA). He added that Water Consumers’ Associations have been established in communities such as Nchia and Eleme, alongside training programmes conducted in collaboration with non-governmental organisations.

The Project Coordinator stressed the importance of community ownership and protection of water facilities, echoing the call by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, for residents to safeguard the infrastructure provided in their areas.

Zabbey expressed optimism that the ongoing efforts will significantly improve access to safe drinking water, reduce waterborne diseases, and enhance public health outcomes across Ogoni communities.