Nation
THE STATES
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.
Youths from five local government areas in Northern Cross River State have concluded a one-week warning protest and blockade of the dilapidated Ikom-Wula-Obudu federal highway over the weekend.
They have vowed to resume the road blocks if by this week the authorities do not intervene to fix the road.
More than five thousand locals, mostly youths from Obanliku, Etung, Obudu, Ikom and Boki LGAs trooped out everyday for one week, used palm trees to block the highway to draw state and federal government’s attention to their plights, requesting the repair of a road has has been unmotorable for about 40 years.
They warned that if they do not see any actions from the state or federal governments, they will resume their Plan B protest, stop revenue collections and make governance unpalatable.
The youths also warned that without interventions on the road which has claimed several lives, including that of last week when a pregnant woman died with her baby in the full glare of the protesters because of the terrible road, no election can hold in the area next year.
One of the leaders of the No Road , No Election protest, who is also the Abo Youths in Boki LGA, Dr Martins Assam said both the federal and state governments have neglected the region, which generates more than 70 percent state revenue from agriculture.
He said if machinery is not deployed by next week, they will not have any option than to embark on unpalatable and disastrous protest, and stop revenue collections in the area.
“Last week we had only a warning strike for one good week. We’ll embark on a more elaborate, disastrous one-month blockade of this highway until they intervene. We call on our Governor and representatives in the National Assembly to act now by impressing on the federal government to immediately fix this road else. We’re not asking for two much but to be treated as human beings.”
Another protester, Clinton Obi from the Etung axis said, “We’ve been neglected for 40 years. This Ikom-Obudu federal highway had been impassable. The government has removed its concentration from our plights. By this one week protest, we want action on this road otherwise the next phase of protest will be costly.”
Reverend Father Francis Amaozo, priest in charge of St. Nicholas parish in Nashua, Boki LGA said, “I have also been a victim of this very deplorable road. Enough is now enough. We’ve been betrayed by our representatives and other leaders, so that we in this axis have become endangered species on this road. I have lost some many members on this road.”
Member, representing the Boki-Ikom federal constituency of the state in the House of Representatives, Bisong Victor Abang had pleaded with the locals to be a bit more patient with the government as action will commence shortly.
Nation
UNIPORT VC Receives Inaugural Lecture Brochure As Professor Highlights Urgent Need For Drug Repurposing In Malaria Fight
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof Owunari Georgewill, last Thursday received the inaugural lecture brochure from the Inaugural Lecturer, Professor Udeme Georgewill, during a ceremony at the university’s Centre of Excellence attended by academics, researchers, students, and distinguished guests.
Delivering her lecture, Professor Udeme Georgewill described the occasion as the culmination of years of dedicated research, teaching, and service to humanity. He explained that his work as a pharmacologist has consistently focused on finding practical, affordable, and scientifically sound solutions to health challenges that disproportionately affect developing countries, particularly malaria, which remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing public health concerns.
She noted that Nigeria continues to bear one of the heaviest malaria burdens globally, accounting for a significant percentage of worldwide cases and deaths. The disease, largely caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite and transmitted through Anopheles mosquitoes, remains especially dangerous for children under five years and pregnant women, threatening not only present populations but unborn generations. Despite years of intervention efforts, malaria continues to strain families, health systems, and the national economy.
Prof Georgewill empha-sised that while Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies such as Artemether-Lumefantrine remain the gold standard for malaria treatment, emerging resistance patterns pose a serious challenge. He explained that drug resistance is a survival mechanism of the parasite, enabling it to adapt and reduce the effectiveness of medications designed to eliminate it. According to her, instances where patients do not feel better after initial treatment sometimes lead to repeated dosing or the search for injectable alternatives, practices that can worsen resistance and complicate treatment outcomes.
Against this backdrop, she advocated strongly for drug repurposing as a strategic and urgent response. Drug repurposing, he explained, involves identifying new therapeutic uses for already approved and widely available medications. He likened the concept to “old wine in new wineskins,” stressing that medicines already proven safe for certain conditions can be carefully re-evaluated and optimised for new roles in malaria management. This approach, she argued, offers advantages such as reduced research timelines, lower development costs, and faster clinical application compared to developing entirely new drugs from scratch.
She disclosed that her research had progressed from laboratory investigations to clinical evaluations, where his team is studying combinations involving Artemether-Lumefantrine and Ivermectin to determine their effectiveness in improving treatment outcomes and possibly reducing transmission. Clinical trials are ongoing, and findings will be communicated upon completion of regulatory processes. However, he cautioned strongly against self-medication, warning that misuse of drugs without proper diagnosis and prescription can lead to organ damage, treatment failure, and increased resistance.
Referencing global health commitments, Prof Georgewill highlighted Sustainable Development Goal 3.3, which seeks to end epidemics of malaria and other major infectious diseases by 2030. She questioned whether the goal remains attainable under current realities, especially with growing resistance and funding gaps. He also referred to strategies of the World Health Organisation aimed at drastically reducing malaria incidence and mortality while pushing toward elimination in several countries.
Looking ahead, she revealed that her team is building comprehensive research databases to support artificial intelligence-driven drug repurposing. He stressed that the integration of artificial intelligence, molecular docking, and advanced screening technologies is transforming global drug discovery, and Nigerian researchers must be equipped to participate competitively in this evolving scientific landscape.
In her recommendations, she called for the establishment of a National Centre for Drug Repurposing to coordinate research efforts and leverage artificial intelligence in identifying new indications for existing medicines. He urged policymakers to simplify and accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries into clinical application, ensuring that scientific breakthroughs benefit the public more efficiently. She also appealed to the university and relevant authorities to increase funding and modernise laboratory infrastructure, including high-throughput screening facilities, to strengthen Nigeria’s position in global biomedical research.
The lecture concluded with expressions of gratitude to God, the university leadership, colleagues, students, and guests, as the event underscored the University of Port Harcourt’s commitment to research excellence and its role in addressing critical public health challenges facing Nigeria and the wider world.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Niger State Chapter, has rejected the proposed Niger State Hisbah Directorates Bill, describing it as controversial and capable of deepening religious division in the state.
In a statement signed by the State Chairman, Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, and made available to The Tide’s source yesterday, the association urged Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago not to assent to the bill if it is passed by the State House of Assembly.
The bill, sponsored by the member representing Chanchaga Constituency, Hon. Mohammed Abubakar, seeks to establish a Hisbah Directorate in Niger State.
CAN warned that the legislation could be perceived as discriminatory against Christians and may heighten tension in the religiously diverse state.
“Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, we, the entire Christendom in the state, wish to draw your attention to what could easily create division among the people you govern,” the statement read in part.
The association questioned the necessity and benefits of the proposed law, asking what economic or social value it would add to the state.
It further argued that existing security agencies, including the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, already have constitutional mandates to maintain law and order.
The Christian body also faulted the legislative process, disputing claims that it was consulted during a public hearing on the bill.
It insisted that it was neither invited nor notified of any such engagement, despite being a critical stakeholder in the state.