Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Executive Director of the National Primary HealthCare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Mohammed, has attributed increased cases of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) to poor attendance of ante-natal care by women.
Mohammed made the statement on Saturday at Talba Village, in Jama’are Local Government Area of Baucghi State while inaugurating a 40-bed Primary Health Centre built by NPHCDA.
He said most VVF patient at Ningi VVF Centre were girls between the ages of 14 and 17 years.
He urged husbands to always encourage their wives to attend ante-natal clinic and also to send their wives to nearby health facilities during delivery to avoid becoming victims of VVF.
Mohammed said that the Talba cenre was conceived in 2009 when the agency discovered that the area lacked such health facilities.
He said midwives would be posted to the centre while equipment for the centre had already been acquired and would soon be delivered to the centre for the full take-off of the centre.
He said that the inauguration of the centre would reduce maternal and child mortality in the area considering the long distance between Talba and Jama’ are General Hospital.
Ekiti
Ekiti State Government is to provide N3.2 billon to improve water and sanitation in the state, Governor Kaode Fayemi has announced in Ado Ekiti.
Speaking at a stakeholders forum on water supply, Fayemi said government had already provided N100 million to improve sanitation in 2011.
He said his administration was working towards improving the existing water scheme as well as the construction of new ones, adding that strategies were being worked out to provide a sustainable water supply system.
One of the strategies is the engagement of development partners such as the World Bank, European Union and the African Development Bank, he said.
FCT
An optometrist with the Bwari General Hospital, Dr Ochei Louis, has condemned the use of eye drops, without prescription.
He said speaking to newsmen in Bwari on glaucoma, the eye disease that makes people blind.
“ I believe from my experience as an optometrist that the cause of glaucoma is the poverty level of so many Nigerians.
“They indulge in self medication, some just ask their friends the name of drugs they used for certain eye problems and go for them instead of getting their eyes properly checked by an optometrist.
“Glaucoma is an increase in the pressure of the eye, ‘hypertension’ of the eye so to say, and there are two types; open and closed angle glaucoma, which is a silent killer that can make one blind within a short time.”
He said a combination of things resulted in this high pressure of the eye, especially when the tube where the eye fluid is supposed to flow through is blocked, the pressure could build up.
Gombe
The Gombe State 2012 Hajj Committee has suspended the sale of forms for this year’s pilgrimage in Gombe town until further notice, says the Chairman, Alhaji Yaya Hammari.
Hammari told newsmen in Gombe that the decision was taken due to the rowdy situation created by intending pilgrims at the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.
Six women sustained serious injuries following a disagreement among pilgrims on the modalities for the sale of the forms.
He explained that while some of them wanted the officials to use a list compiled the previous day, others insisted they should use the queue, leading to a serious disagreement.
According to him, the applicants abandoned the queue and forced themselves into the premises of the board and in the process, pulled down the gate leading into the premises.
Jigawa
Traders in Dutse are counting their losses due to power outages, our correspondent reports.
A cross section of traders who spoke to our correspondent in Dutse on Sunday said they had lost a lot to the outages.
A fish seller, Mrs Ifeoma Obi, said due to unstable power supply, she had to sell fish worth N400 for half the price because of a lack of preservation equipment.
Obi said the fish got rotten after five days of power outage. “I did not make up to N3,000 from the N8,000 I spent purchasing a carton of fish”.
Another trader, Malam Ali Adamu, who sells soft drinks, complained of low patronage which he attributed to the power problem.
Kaduna
Director-General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Mallam Yusuf Usman, said efforts were underway to boost the Nok area as a World Heritage site.
Usman, who disclosed this on Saturday during a stakeholders meeting with the Nok local community in Kaduna State, said it was in line with the proposal of National Tourism Master plan.
“Unfortunately, the Nok archaeological sites became victims of unprecedented looting especially in the nineties when some of these sculptures were illegally exported.
“The need to embark on scientific studies became very urgent in the face of this threat.’’
Usman said the commission entered into a partnership with the institute for African Archaeology and Archaeo-botany of the Goethe University Frankfurt in 2005.
Kogi
Kogi Director of Primary Health Care, Dr Funmi Balogun has warned against the non-challant attitude of some mothers to immunisation programmes against the major five child killer diseases.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Lokoja, Balogun observed that some mothers took the BCG immunisation at birth, only for them to ignore others.
She said the essence of immunisation was to avoid the child-killer diseases and check infant mortality rate.
Balogun also urged mothers to immunise their children against diphtheria, measles, polio and yellow fever, among others.
The director said that the first phase of the immunisation programme for this year had just been concluded adding that the second phase would soon commence.
The PHC director also decried the lack of awareness among mothers to register their babies with the National Population Commission (NPC) at birth, obtain birth certificates and help government have accurate data on population.
Lagos
Some youths, operating small-scale businesses in the Lagos metropolis, have complained about the high cost of doing business owing to the current epileptic public power supply.
Some of the youths, who spoke in separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos, said public power supply remained a major challenge to efforts to sustain their businesses.
Mr Anthony Emmanuel, a Pay-phone operator who also charges phone batteries in the Kakawa area of Lagos Island, said that PHCN electricity supply was inadequate and that it was negatively affecting his business.
Niger
The Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru, has matriculated 1,376 students for the 2011/2012 academic session.
In his speech at the occasion, Alhaji Mohammed Garba, the Rector of the Polytechnic, warned the students not to be involved in cultism.
Garba warned that the management of the institution would not hesitate to dismiss any student found to be involved in cultism, instead of facing his/her academic pursuit.
He also warned that students who did not attain 75 per cent attendance in their lectures would not be allowed to sit for their examination.
Oyo
The Publicity Secretary of Ansar-ud-deen Society of Nigeria, Alhaji Muibi Adebanjo, has urged the National Assembly to evolve appropriate legislation that would revamp the education sector.
Adebanjo told newsmen in Ibadan that the development of the education sector was being hindered by inconsistencies in policies and discrimination.
He said the inconsistencies were caused by changes which came with the transition from military rule to pluralist democracy.
“ Ghana ’s educational policy has been consistent over the years since independence, hence the high quality remains,’’ he said.
Adebanjo, who is also the Chairman, Al-ilmu Schools, further condemned the discrimination against certain categories of certificates in favour of university degrees.
He further said: “Where do we put the remaining one million students that would not be catered for in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination if only 500,000 students would be provided admission. ’’
Adebanjo appealed to government at all levels to ensure that the existing educational institutions were adequately equipped for practicals and research.
Plateau
The Plateau Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has arrested a café operator, who allegedly issued a fake Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination registration slip to a candidate in Jos.
Mr. Desmond Agu, the Commander, told newsmen that the candidate, Vincent Bello, was also arrested.
“The duo were parties to a fake UTME registration slip and shall be investigated,’’ he said.
Bello had earlier presented the slip for Saturday’s UTME examination but was sent out of the hall and immediately arrested at the Plateau Polytechnic Centre I after it was discovered that the slip was fake.
A distraught Bello led the NSCDC officials to the café, where the operator was also picked.
Agu said that the owner of the café, located in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government of Plateau, had disowned the slip and claimed that the candidate lied against him.
He said that the fake slip was the only incident recorded during the examination and scored JAMB 98 per cent for conducting what he described as “the most successful UTME test“ in the country.
Sokoto
Secretary Aliyu Magatakarda Advocacy Group (AMAG) an NGO, Alhaji Abubakar Yabo, on Saturday called for intelligence sharing among security agencies in the fight against terrorism.
Yabo told newsmen in Sokoto that collaborative effort would enable the security agencies check the activities of the terrorists.
He said that information sharing among the security agencies will enable them come out with great ideas in confronting the security challenges without hindrance.
He expressed confidence in the ability of the security officers to tackle the nation’s internal security challenges.
Yabo called for the re-training of security officers to update their knowledge to ensure productivity.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing the safety of the seafaring profession and upgrading maritime institutions to international standards.
Speaking at the 2025 World Seafarers’ Day celebration in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, organised by NIMASA, with the theme, “My Harassment-Free Ship.
He said that this year’s theme “speaks to our collective duty to make every ship a safe and respectful workplace noting that harassment and bullying have no place in our maritime industry.
The Minister further emphasised the importance of continuous training and retraining to ensure seafarers remain competitive and employable.
Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari, emphasised that seafarers are the backbone of international trade, facilitating the smooth transportation of goods and services across the globe.
He stressed the need to eliminate all forms of violence, harassment, and bullying against seafarers.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, emphasised the need for the maritime community to prioritise the welfare, safety of seafarers and maintain zero tolerance for harassment.
According to the DG, “Today provides opportunity for the Maritime Community to honor seafarers globally for their immense contribution to both domestic and international trade, powering the blue economy and connecting nations across oceans”.
He said that this year’s theme was particularly apt, as it was a call to action to “ensure that our seafarers feel safe, are valued and protected while at sea because the ship is not just their place of work; it is their temporary home. It must therefore reflect the highest standards of dignity and professionalism fostering zero tolerance for harassment”.
He declared that NIMASA must continue to play its part in ensuring that Nigeria contributes effectively to regulations affecting seafarers, as Nigeria remains the highest contributor of seafarers in Africa. “Our men and women sail on vessels in our domestic waters and also globally. This will continue to grow through the Nigerian Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) and the effort of our Maritime Training Institutions.
‘At the recently concluded 113th session of the International Labour Conference held in Geneva, seven (7) amendments to the MLC 2006 code addressing a broad range of issues affecting seafarers, including the recognition of seafarers as key workers, improved protection against ship board violence and harassment, enhanced access to shore leave and repatriation and updated medical and occupational safety standards were approved by an overwhelming majority.
These seven (7) amendments reflect collective global effort to align maritime Labour standards with the evolving landscape of global shipping.
I, therefore, call on shipowners, operators and crewing agencies to begin to review their operational manuals to align with these amendments ahead of the expected entry into force in December 2027. Our seafarers must be able to report grievances without fear of retaliation, while also ensuring protection against vexations or malicious complaints.
He added that NIMASA will play its role by establishing clear policies and procedures for preventing and addressing harassment on Nigerian-flagged vessels, ensuring confidential reporting channels for incidents of harassment and that reports are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
“Today is a clear reminder to us all – government, employers, unions, shipowners, and civil society- that seafarers should not be left alone in their struggles. They look up to us to help them foster a culture of zero tolerance on ships to protect their dignity”, he stated.
He also assured that under his leadership, NIMASA will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly the renewal of entries into force by ship owners, operators, and relevant agencies come December 2027.
Stakeholders drawn across the four local government areas of Ogoniland in Rivers State, have expressed delight over the excellent performance of the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey within the past two years, describing him as a true patriot, who has been showing leadership in delivering service to the people.
The stakeholders, who gave the indication in their separate goodwill messages during the mid-term stakeholders engagement and scorecard presentation organised by HYPREP in Port Harcourt, scored the Project Coordinator high on the Ogoni cleanup and the overall implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland.
The President of KAGOTE and Board member of the Ogoni Trust Fund, Hon Emma Deeyah, particularly commended Zabbey for turning around the fortunes of the Ogoni people, as they are now having value for the money earmarked for the cleanup project, describing the Project Coordinator as “one of our best.”
He noted that Zabbey has done well on the saddle, working very hard, being an administrator and leader with listening ears, striving assiduously to meet the yearnings and expectations of the people.
He said the Ogoni cleanup is a journey that has just begun, stressing that he was happy that the Project Coordinator is not on the saddle to amass wealth but to deliver and achieve results, and appealed to the Ogoni people to continue to give him their support.
On his part, member representing Gokana/Khana Federal Constituency in the National Assembly and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities, Rt Hon Dumnamene Dekor, said HYPREP under the watch of Zabbey is working with renewed vigour, and thanked the Project Coordinator for driving the Ogoni cleanup project with passion.
He noted that the funds dedicated and earmarked for the project are running out, disclosing that he was working on an Executive Bill, to facilitate the work of HYPREP.
While stressing the need for the people to take full responsibility of all the projects sited in their communities, Dekor regretted that some beneficiaries had sold the starter packs presented to them by HYPREP, while the water facility provided in his Bierra community has been vandalised.
The King of Tai Kingdom, King Samuel Nnee, said HYPREP under Zabbey as Project Coordinator has been delivering on its mandate, describing him as a square peg in a square hole, who has given hope to the Ogoni people.
The monarch urged the Ogoni people to give the Project Coordinator the necessary support.
The Paramount Ruler of Barako Community and member of the Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt, Mene Kadilo Kabari, said Zabbey has always demonstrated that he is a true patriot by carrying along Ogoni people from all strata of the society, describing him as a performing Project Coordinator.
He noted that the bane of HYPREP before now had been the conflict between the Project Coordinator and the Minister of Environment, saying, under Zabbey, Ogoni people can now see what unity of purpose can achieve.
He expressed delight that the water facility which was the first commissioned by HYPREP in his community is functioning optimally following the solar-powered system installed by the Project.
The King of Eleme Kingdom, King(Dr) Philip Osaro Obelle thanked HYPREP’s management team for all that it is doing in Ogoniland, stressing that the Project was built on the graves, bellies and blood of Ogoni sons and daughters who lost their lives during the Ogoni struggle.
He, therefore, advised HYPREP “not to deviate from the expectations of our heroes but to do those things that would benefit Ogoni people for the betterment of Ogoniland.”
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Netherlands, Hon Oji Ngofa said HYPREP has been like the government of Ogoniland, and harped on the sustainability of all the projects.
According to him, Zabbey has been giving HYPREP a human face.
Former Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof Barineme Fakae applauded Zabbey for the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, and stressed the need for the implementation of the recommendations of its technical committee which recently submitted its report.
According to him, if the project succeeds, Ogoni people are going to succeed.
Chief Priscillia Vikue, on her part, thanked Zabbey for his outstanding performance, saying, the women of Ogoni are very happy with what he is doing in Ogoniland.
While scoring the Project Coordinator highly on his performance, she said the women are happy because Zabbey knows what he is doing with HYPREP.
“You went to school.You did not cut corners.You are a square peg in a square hole.You have engaged women and the youths. We have seen what you have done. And we give you A1”, she said, and challenged Zabbey to see how more women would participate in the project and also how to sustain it.
In his remarks, the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey said the mid-term engagement is important because “it allows us to present tangible evidence of progress in the Ogoni cleanup effort, reinforce accountability, deepen transparency, and most importantly, enables HYPREP to interact directly with the communities and stakeholders who are the heartbeat of this project.”
He noted that the scorecard presentation is designed to show what HYPREP has achieved across key thematic areas, what challenges it is currently grappling with, and what the road ahead looks like, saying, “it is a moment for stocktaking and for re-affirming our shared commitment to the success of the Ogoni cleanup project”.
According to him, HYPREP has recorded commendable progress in the implementation of its core mandates in line with UNEP recommendations and the directives in the official gazette establishing HYPREP.
Donatus Ebi
The South-South representative of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Board, Rt. Hon. Aboh Uduyok, has concluded his one-day official visit to Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Rumuola, Rivers State, with the unveiling of the Mass Communication Department classroom building. The project was executed under the 2021 TETFund intervention project.
During the unveiling of the project, Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rt. Hon. Uduyok commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to the educational sector and praised the polytechnic’s management for utilising TETFund resources judiciously.
He noted that the quality of ongoing projects met approved specifications, and expressed satisfaction with the institution’s progress.
The TETFund representative stated that his visit was aimed at familiarising himself with beneficiary schools, assess fund utilization, and identify challenges.
He assured the school management that he would convey their requests for constructing engineering works and hostel accommodations to the board and notify them of any approval.
Rt. Hon. Uduyok explained that the TETFund Board is not initiating new projects this year, except where necessary, due to presidential directives. However, he commended the institution for the commendable quality of both completed and ongoing projects.
In his welcome address, the Rector of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Dr. Moses S. Neebee, thanked the TETFund representative for visiting, and highlighted the institution’s successes and challenges. He requested support for hostel accommodations and engineering works, emphasising that a higher institution without hostels is akin to a glorified secondary school.
Dr. Neebee while briefing the visitor on the institution’s progress, noted that it currently runs 21 National Diploma programme and five Higher National Diploma courses. He disclosed that the school accessed the 2021 TETFund release in full but faced challenges with the 2023 fund due to harsh economic conditions and bid process delays, which increased project costs. The Rector pleaded for assistance in securing additional funds for the 2023 intervention release.
Akujobi Amadi