Nation

THE STATES

Published

14 years ago

December 23, 2011

Adamawa

The Federal Polytechnic Mubi Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), has elected an eight-member executive council to run its affairs.

A statement signed by Mr. Stephen Stanley, said the election followed the removal of Mr. Innocent Ephraim the former Vice-Chairman and five others.

The statement said the congress unanimously endorsed the impeachment of the former officials and replaced them with the new elected members.

It added that the newly elected officials had already been inaugurated.

According to the statement, some of those elected are Mr. Stephen Stanley, as chairman, Muhammad Lawal, vice-chairman, Ndidi Camilia, secretary and Hussaini James, as assistant secretary.

Benue

The reconstituted Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Benue, on Monday refused an oral application brought by ACN governorship candidate Prof. Steve Ugbah, for the consolidation of his application with that of Prof. Daniel Saror of ANPP against Gov. Gabriel Suswam.

Ugbah on Monday made the oral application for consolidation through his counsel, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), at the commencement of the pre-trial session on both petitions.

Both Ugba and Saror had petitioned against the governor on the grounds that he was wrongfully returned by INEC as the winner of the April election.

Ugbah is also claiming that the elections were marred by electoral malpractices while Saror alleged that the governor had no Secondary School certificate, and as a result was not qualified to contest.

Their petitions were however dismissed by the Justice Munir Ladan’s Tribunal on the grounds of technicalities.

FCT

The National Coordinator of the One Nigerian, One Emblem Project, Dr. Kenneth Kalu has appealed to Nigerians to support the campaign to give military retirees better living conditions.

Kalu made the appeal on Monday in Abuja at a news conference on the preparation for the sale of the 2012 emblem for the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration.

He said that every emblem purchased by a Nigerian was a donation to the Nigerian Legion, adding that the project was a charity drive meant to uplift a segment of the society.

Kalu noted that the Nigerian Legion was unpopular in the country but promised that the organisation would promote the body to make it popular.

Gombe

The National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has suspended elections into the executive of the Gombe State Council of the union, earlier scheduled for Tuesday.

Briefing newsmen on Monday night in Gombe, the National President of the Association, Asabe Baba-Nahaya, said the suspension of the election was based on petitions written by some members of the association.

Baba-Nahaya also said that the office of the Vice President, Zone E and the Gombe State Council did not inform her of the election.

She said that the state executive did not follow established procedure in forming the election credentials committee, hence the need to resolve certain issues before the election.

Also in a press release, the NAWOJ president said the shift in the election date “is based on the petition received by the National Secretariat and the rancour currently going on in the association in the state.’’

Kano

Participants at the just concluded three-day retreat for management staff of the Centre for Management Development (CMD) have appealed to the Federal Government to fund research institutes in the country.

A communiqué signed by the Director-General of the center, Dr Kabiru Usman, said on Tuesday that the effectiveness of the institutes was tied to adequate funding.

The communiqué identified research activities as crucial for national growth and development, and urged the Federal Government to formulate policies that would enable the institutes to be result-oriented.

Lagos

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Monday inaugurated an eighth-member task force to develop strategies for the eradication of poliomyelitis among the populace.

At the inauguration in Ikeja, Fashola said that the state had not recorded any case of polio in the last three years and that the task force was aimed at maintaining the record.

Fashola said the state would soon carry out joint polio immunisation and sensitisation activities with Ogun to ensure that the achievements of both states were not set back by migration.

The governor called on all stakeholders to do their best to eliminate polio from the country.

The task force is headed by the state Commissioner for Health, Mr Jide Idris.

Niger

Two rice mills are to be built in Badeggi and Wushishi in Niger State under a Public Private Partnership arrangement, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adeshina, said in Minna on Monday.

Adeshina said the projects were in addition to the rehabilitation of the old rice mill in Badeggi.

The minister said when he paid a courtesy call on Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger that the ministry would work closely with the Niger government toward boosting rice production.

He said the ministry would construct one Agro-Industrial Estate in Minna in conjunction with the state government to process 6,200 tonnes of rice per annum.

Adeshina said a market for the farmers would be constructed in Bida to warehouse fresh produce and market on favourable conditions to consumers.

He also said that one-stop shops and agricultural input centres would be constructed in Bida, Wushishi, Salka and Mokwa towns in 2012.

Osun

The Osun State Government has employed 12 Nursing Tutors as part of its efforts to strengthen the personnel in the health sector.

Gov. Rauf Aregbesola made the disclosure at the inauguration of the “Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme” in Osogbo on Tuesday.

Represented by Mrs Temitope Ilori, the Commissioner for Health, the governor said the services of nurses were indispensable in any health conscious society.

According to him, nurses are key players in the restoration of a healthy living, which is one of the six-point integral action-plan of his administration.

“Nurses are essential in ensuring that government’s plan for the provision of effective health care for the people is successful,” Aregbesola said.

He recalled that his administration had recently approved the implementation of the new medical salary scale known as Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for health workers.

Plateau

An Upper Area Court in Jos has sentenced a commercial motorcyclist, Federick Adamu, 30, to six months imprisonment for stealing a motorcycle.

Adamu stole a motorcycle estimated to cost N50,000 belonging to his friend, one Michael Anthony, contrary to section 287 of the Penal Code.

The court, however, gave the convict an option of N3,000 fine.

The Judge, Malam Mustapha Hassan, had said that the prosecution convinced the court beyond reasonable doubt that the accused committed the offence.

Hassan said that the court relied heavily on section 157(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) that stipulated quick judgemnet for any persons that pleaded guilty to his or her offence.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Mr Shuaibu Tambaya, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on November 22.

Sokoto

The Federal Government in collaboration with the Sokoto State Government have commenced comprehensive rehabilitation of dilapidated primary schools in the state.

The Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board ( SUBEB), Alhaji Umaru Nagwari, told newsmen in Sokoto on Tuesday that the rehabilitation would gulp N2 billion.

“The Federal Government will contribute N1 billion while the Sokoto State Government will contribute N1 billion for the project.

“Arrangements have been concluded for the commencement of the state-wide project, aimed at giving a general face-lift to the primary schools in the 23 local government areas of the state.

“Most of the primary schools are currently in a sorry state and Gov. Aliyu Wamakko got worried during his just –concluded state-wide tour.”

Nagwari said the contract for the rehabilitation would be given to competent persons and companies who would do a good job.

Yobe

Four persons suspected to be assembling explosives in Damaturu on Monday sustained injuries, the Yobe State Commissioner of Police (CP), Alhaji Lawal Tanko, has confirmed.

The commissioner told newsmen in a telephone interview that one was apprehended at the site with wounds, while three others escaped with wounds.

He said “the police had intensified its searchlight to arrest the three suspects.”

Tanko added that the police had also made some recoveries “and we are still collecting the details on the incident.”

The Yobe capital was on November 4, rocked by series of bomb blasts and gun shots which resulted in the death of several security men and civilians.

However, normalcy had returned, with residents going about their normal businesses.

Nation

HYPREP Reaffirms Support For Ogoni Youths …Organises Workshop For Undergraduates

Published

2 days ago

July 18, 2025

The Tide

In pursuit of its strategic human capacity development initiatives, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has restated its commitment to supporting Ogoni youths to maximally benefit from its projects and programmes that align with their visions and aspirations.

The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who gave this indication during the second edition of the international career enhancement and employability workshop organised by the Project for undergraduates and fresh graduates of Ogoni ethnic nationality in Port Harcourt, assured the participants of its commitment to continually initiate programmes that support their visions and aspirations.

He noted that the workshop reaffirms the Project’s commitment to inclusiveness and continuous skills development, as strategic pillars in its efforts to restore and improve livelihoods in Ogoniland.

He said the workshop was aimed at equipping the Ogoni youths with relevant career skills and empower them with employability tools, to ensure that HYPREP’s gains extend beyond remediation into long-term transformations, stressing that the Project is committed to supporting their dreams.

”HYPREP is committed to supporting your dreams through targeted initiatives, such as this workshop and we will explore ways to empower you with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed.
I want to emphasise that this workshop is not just about enhancing your career prospects; it is also about building a community of young people and equipping you to make a positive impact in your communities. As you benefit from HYPREP’s interventions (and the experiences of the facilitator), I challenge you to take the message of peace and constructive engagement to your communities and live accordingly,” he said.

Zabbey further assured that HYPREP would continue to stand with Ogoni youths by supporting their aspirations through targeted workshops and broader livelihood initiatives that prioritise their development, noting that the Project believes in them and remains committed to creating platforms where their potential can be nurtured and realised.

The Project Coordinator enjoined them to continue to contribute to the success of HYPREP.

The second edition of the career enhancement and employability workshop had Dr Akanimo Odon and Dr Chioma Okonkwo as facilitators, while the participants were drawn from the four Ogoni local government areas.

Among other modules, participants at the two-day workshop were provided with tips on ways to explore opportunities in seemingly challenging situations, discover themselves, convert hobbies and interests into passion and profits through three career e-routes and understand the power of networks and partnerships.

Participants were also given useful nuggets, career resources of time and skills, and career resources of funding, especially how to access foreign scholarships and funding.

At the closing, HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, urged the participants to earnestly pursue their passions and commit to their dreams.

Meanwhile, the participants expressed gratitude to HYPREP for organising the workshop, which they described as impactful and transformative.

HYPREP has continued to be intentional in its efforts to prioritise human capacity development in Ogoni through such workshops and trainings. This year, the Project will be rolling out trainings in high demand skill areas like mechatronics, underwater welding, commercial diving, full-stack development and GIS, targeting the youths as major beneficiaries and giving them a fair head start and comparative advantage in a highly competitive environment.

Nation

NIPR Practitioners Urge To Go Beyond Traditional Media Relations To Strategic Leadership Functions

Published

2 days ago

July 18, 2025

The Tide

The Public Relations practitioners across Nigeria have been charged to go beyond the perceived roles of media relations and protocol services to strategic leadership functions that is crucial to shaping and transforming the nation.

In his message at this year’s (2025) World Public Relations Day, with the Theme: ” Building Bridges, Navigating Polarisation” In Port Harcourt, The National President of the Nigeria Institution of Public Relations Dr. Ike Neliaku expressed delight to address members and guests on this special day, pointing out that the day offers a an opportunity to reflect on the journey over six decades since Public Relations formally birthed in Nigeria.

He maintained that this year’s world Public Relations day gives opportunity to members to reflect on the actions and inactions towards the development of the profession and to boldly develop new frontiers for a greater institution.

The NIPR president explained that the values of Public Relations particularly in areas of fostering relationship, strengthening leadership and advancing good governance remain a key -through effective and goal- oriented communication.

Earlier, The Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, (RSU) Prof. Isaac zep-Obipi being represented by the Deputy VC admin Prof. Victor Akujuru throw challenge to NIPR members to rebranding and portray the state in good light, standing that RSU remains a state owned institution that have not witness any strike in the passed fifteen years.

Also in his speech, the state chairman NIPR Rivers Chapter Rev. Francis Asuk described world Public Relations day as a day set aside to pay attention to the works of public relations globally indeed that relationship is important that the world is crying about in rebuilding relationship due to the collapsed of the value systems at family, society and world level of human existence.

” At the highest level of human existence relationship has become imperative for all practitioners to come together and build bridges to navigates those Polarisation” he said.

In a related development,the keynote speaker Rev (Fr.) Prof. Walter C.Ihejirika, said the media has a lot to do especially on its role of enlightenment to the public about the role and function as a key element in the development of a better society.

Prof. Ihejirika who is the Dean faculty of Communication and Media Studies , University of Port Harcourt, stressed that when media practitioners navigate on the area of strategic communications with a goal, then the public will be better informed and know that they have a responsibility for the large society, “because if the large society is not good, the organization cannot function effectively.”

Nation

Alumni, Others Launch Campus Care Initiative In Port Harcourt

Published

2 days ago

July 18, 2025

The Tide

The Madonna University Alumni Association Rivers State Chapter in partnership with Rotary Club of Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt Downtown and Nigerian Immigration Service have launched Campus Care Initiative at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic Rumuola Port Harcourt.

Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday in the inaugural edition of the Campus Care Initiative, at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic the Chairman of Madonna University Alumni Association Rivers State Chapter (MUAARIV) Dr Iheanyichukwu Wopara said that the program is aim to empowered the youth of Nigerians and also to give them the right direction in life.

He said Campus Care Initiative is a testament to the association commitment to giving back to the society and empowering the next generation of leaders.

According to him the program is designed it demands across all sectors, physical health, mental health, sexual health and even the environment adding that the focus of the Association is to give back to the society the best way they can.

” We have been carrying out different humanitarian activities and outreach which includes medical outreach and the girl child campaign.

” We gave academic support to three students and also three international passports, free medical outreach, pads to girl child and condoms to the boy child and there is also introduction to ICT training that will commence soon in the campus, “he said.

Kiadum Edookor