Nation

THE STATES

Published

15 years ago

October 10, 2011

Adamawa

The National Centre for Islamic Thought, Adamawa branch, has called for the adoption of true federalism system in Nigeria.

The group’s call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its eight annual seminar in Yola and signed by the secretary of the centre, Adamu Dodo.

“The seminar in session agrees that Nigeria must consider the idea and adoption of true Federalism as the only solution for current situation in the country,’’ the statement, in Yola recently, stated.

It called for inter-religious dialogue aimed at peaceful co-existence among Nigerians

It advised Muslim to encourage their children to seek both Islamic and Western education and to live in peace with one another and shun criminal and immoral acts.

Borno

The Borno State Government said on Wednesday that it would reactivate the 67,000 hectares South Chad Irrigation Project (SCIP) located on Lake Chad shores.

The project, which was conceived by the Federal Government in the 70’s, had been abandoned for years.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno, who visited the site, said he would collaborate with the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA) to revive the project.

Shettima promised to inject the needed funds to actualise the revitalisation of the project.

He lamented that the project had been allowed to degenerate over the years in spite of its great economic potentials to the country.

FCT

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Merit Awards (NMA), Prof. Oluwafeyisola Adegoke, has said that inadequate budgetary provision is hindering research institutes from carrying out research and development in the country.

Adegoke made the disclosure in Abuja on Thursday in an interview with newsmen

“Nigeria is the only country I know of in the whole world where there is no research support. When you take a place like the U.S, the National Institute of Health alone in the U.S, the budget to support research is more than Nigeria’s national budget every year.

The board chairman appealed to the Federal Government to increase allocation to the NMA to enable it carry out its functions effectively.

According to him, the NMA has concluded plans to liaise with Nigerians all over the world to see how to promote excellence and to improve Nigerian universities as well as research institutes.

To this end, he said the organisation had set up the “NMA Policy Committee’’ that would take an in-depth assessment of critical issues affecting the country with a view to providing solutions to them.

Gombe

Twenty National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) batch ‘B’ members have received awards for meritorious service in Gombe State.

Mr Igyuse Manasseh, the Coordinator of the scheme in the state, announced the awards in Gombe in a message to the passing-out of the 1,003 corps members posted to the state.

Manasseh, represented by the Head of Mobilisation of the NYSC in the state, Mr Ochi Onyike, said the recipients were recognised for their tremendous contributions to the social and economic growth of the communities where they served.

He said the scheme would continue to recognise such efforts and urged serving corps members to strive to excel in their places of primary assignment.

The coordinator attributed the low-keyed passing-out ceremony to the security challenges facing the nation, saying “the security situation in the country calls for greater caution and proactive measures to forestall unnecessary loss of lives.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission (JISIEC), has fixed January 28, 2012 for the conducting of local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Sani Ahmed, who made the disclosure to newsmen on Wednesday in Dutse, urged political parties to conduct their primaries in time and submit the names of their candidates to the commission not later than December 23 this year.

He said the commission would screen and verify the candidates to ensure that they were qualified for the positions they were contesting for.

The chairman told political parties in the state to cooperate with JISIEC to achieve free, fair and credible elections in the state.

Ahmed who promised to be fair and just to all political parties, noted that the election would be held in 3,527 polling units and 187 wards across the 27 local government areas in the state.

Katsina

Katsina State police command has arrested a 25-year-old man, Mannir Goma, for allegedly raping an 80-year-old woman in Matazu local government. .

Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed, the state’s Commissioner of Police, confirmed the arrest in Katsina recently while parading 15 other criminals, including armed robbery suspects arrested across the state.

He said that the suspected rapist was arrested last week in Yelwa village shortly after raping the woman.

The police boss added that Goma had confessed that he committed the dastardly act, which seriously injured her, noting that she had been receiving treatment at Matazu Health Centre.

Mohammed disclosed that the command had also arrested nine suspected armed robbers at different times in Kankara, Batagarawa, Katsina, Musawa and Malumfashi local government areas.

Lagos

The Lagos State Chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) on Wednesday appealed to the Lagos State Government to intervene in the planned removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

CLO Chairman Ehi Omokhuale made the plea during a courtesy call on Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN).

He said that there was a need for the state government to join in pleading with President Goodluck Jonathan to shelve the idea.

President Goodluck Jonathan, in a letter on Tuesday to the National Assembly conveying his administration’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework, said that the Federal Government would begin the removal of fuel subsidy next year.

The president said that removal of the subsidy would free up about N1.2 trillion in savings, part of which could be deployed to providing safety nets for the poor to ameliorate the effects of the subsidy removal.

Niger

The Acting Governor of Niger, Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto, has attributed the recent mass failure of the state’s students in external examinations to the unprofessional attitude of teachers in the state.

Ibeto made the observation during the celebration of this year’s World Teachers Day on Wednesday in Minna.

“The level of our students’ mass failure in examinations is a clear indication of the poor quality of teaching and learning in our schools,’’ he said.

Ibeto particularly urged primary and secondary school teachers to be more dedicated, resourceful and committed to their duties.

Ogun

The massive drift of Nigerian students to study abroad is a huge challenge to education planning in Nigeria, Dr Taiwo Edun, a lecturer at the Olabisis Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye in Ogun, has said.

Edun who made the remark on Wednesday in Ijebu-Ode in an interview with newsmen said that the lack of confidence in the quality of education in Nigeria by parents was responsible for the massive exodus of students.

Osun

The Osun State Government on Wednesday approved a 75 percent increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) paid to health workers in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akele, announced the increment while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council Meeting in Osogbo.

Government’s announcement of the increment in CONMESS came just as health workers in the state called off their strike after fruitful negotiations with the state government.

Dr Oluwole Fabiyi, the Chairman, Osun Coalition of Health Workers, directed all the affected workers to immediately go back to their duty posts.

Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, represented the state government at a meeting where a truce was reached.

Sokoto

Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has called on Muslim pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for this year’s hajj to pray for God’s intervention in the affairs of Nigeria.

He made the call on Wednesday, while addressing 520 prospective pilgrims at the Sultan Abubakar International Airport in Sokoto.

Wamakko said that Nigeria was in dire need of prayers for God’s guidance in the task of building a virile nation.

“We need you to pray fervently for our country to overcome the security challenges facing it,’’ he said.

The governor advised the intending pilgrims to refrain from taking prohibited items to the Holy land, adding that they should also respect the traditions and laws of Saudi Arabia.

Taraba

Mr Jonah Kataps, the NLC Chairman in Taraba, has said that the state’s education sector is in serious crisis.

The labour leader made the remark in a goodwill message to teachers during the celebration of the World Teachers’ Day in Jalingo on Wednesday.

He stressed that the state of education in Taraba would continue to deteriorate unless the state government initiated pragmatic measures to overhaul the education sector.

Kataps said that the WAEC and NECO results of the state’s schools had been abysmally poor in the last three years, adding that the results reflected the rot in the education system.

He, however, apportioned a substantial portion of the blame to the government, saying that a situation where some secondary schools had only the principal and one or two teachers was unacceptable.

“We need the immediate recruitment of at least 5,000 teachers,’’ he said, adding that 407 post-primary schools in the state had only 2,169 teachers.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

4 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

4 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

4 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.