Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has requested the assistance of the Benue Government to get the National Assembly to approve its Rice and Cassava Value Chain Programme.
The IFAD Country Programme Manager in Nigeria, Miss Atsuko Toda, made the request when she led a Supervision team monitoring the IFAD-assisted Rural Finance Institution Building (RUFIN) programme’s projects in the state on a courtesy visit to Gov Gabriel Suswam.
RUFIN is a seven-year programme designed to improve the performance of non-bank rural finance institutions to enable them to develop to sustainable Rural Microfinance Institutions (RMFIs) in the 12 participating states.
The goal of the programme is to improve the income, food security and general living conditions of poor rural households, particularly women-headed households, youth and the physically challenged.
Atsuko appealed to the governor to help expedite the approval process, saying that the state would benefit from the programme. According to her, the programme will attract more funding to micro-finance institutions in the state.
FCT
The Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) last Thursday expressed disappointment over the spate of allegations of bribery rocking the National Assembly.
The National Chairman, Mr Sam Nkire, made the condemnation in an interview in Abuja, described the allegations “as not only shameful but also a terrible commentary on the nation’s legislative institution”.
According to him, it is quite disgraceful that the leadership of both legislative houses have never sanctioned members implicated in any of these allegations.
He called on the leadership of the National Assembly to redeem its image by suspending all those members who had cases to answer.
The chairman said this had become imperative in order not to leave the public with the impression that it condoned corruption. “ The NASS should realise that the public is anxious to know what steps it will take in respect of its members implicated in the power, SEC and fuel subsidy probes,” he said.
Jigawa
The Jigawa Government, has procured 3,000 tonnes of assorted fertiliser worth N359 million for sale to farmers during this year’s cropping season.
The Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Alhaji Babandi Gumel, disclosed this in Dutse last Thursday in an interview after the state executive council meeting.
Gumel said the fertiliser bought included NPK, Urea and organic fertiliser for farmers’ use to increase agricultural production.
He explained that NPK and Urea would be sold to farmers at the cost of N2,500 per bag, while organic fertiliser would be sold at N1, 900 per bag adding that fertiliser would be sold to farmers at different locations across the state.
Gumel also announced the termination of the contract for the supply of fertiliser given to Allied Range and Fuldu Nigeria Ltd. for failure to supply fertiliser at the stipulated period of one month.
Kano
A former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Air Vice Marshal Muktar Mohammed, has called for collective efforts of the people to fight corruption in the country.
He made the call at a one-day sensitisation workshop organised for the senior management officers of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano on Thursday.
The workshop was organised by the Anti-corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the hospital, in collaboration with the zonal office of ICPC in Kano.
Mohammed said the appeal was necessary because of the level of corruption in the various sectors in the country.
According to Mohammed , there is the need for Nigerians, irrespective of their religious or political inclination, to support the anti-corruption crusade.
Zakari urged the participants to make the best use of the forum, to ensure that their various departments were corrupt free.
Kaduna
The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) centre in Kaduna, last Thursday honoured 150 voluntary blood donors.
The North West Zonal Coordinator of the service, Dr Abigail Bozegha, told journalists in Kaduna that the honour was part of activities to mark this year’s World Blood Donor Day, commemorated on June 14.
Bozegha explained that the donors were given various gifts items in appreciation of their sacrifice to save the lives of other people.
She urged Nigerians to embrace the culture of voluntary blood donation to prevent further unwanted deaths in the country resulting from blood shortages. The coordinator said the centre had collected 1,500 pints of blood in the first five months of the year.
Bozegha said the blood was screened and distributed to needy patients within the period under review. “In Kaduna State with an estimated population of 6.7 million people, about 67,000 people should serve as blood donors,’’ Bozegha said.
Katsina
Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State last Thursday appointed Alhaji Usman Daudawa as the new Managing Director of the state’s Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KTARDA).
Daudawa’s appointment followed the removal of the erstwhile Chief Executive, Dr Abba Jamo.
Jamo’s removal is contained in statement issued in Katsina by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Service, Alhaji Dalha Adamu.
The same statement named Daudawa as his replacement. It did not give any reason for Jamo’s removal.
Jamo was redeployed as director to the Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) Department of the state’s Ministry of Agriculture as the director.
Kogi
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) last Thursday began the assessment of emergency provisions in public and high valued buildings in Kogi.
The exercise started in Lokoja with the assessment of emergency provisions in the state secretariat complex by officials of NEMA, Red Cross and the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA).
The assessment will later be extended to other high valued and public buildings in the state.
The officials assessed the adequacy and state of alarm systems, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, exit doors, provision for disabled in emergency situations and first aid box and facilities at the staff clinic. The exercise also featured the demonstration of emergency staff evacuation drill for workers.
Commenting on the exercise, the Coordinator of Abuja Zonal office of NEMA, Mr Ishaya Chonoko said that the exercise was part of the agency’s response to current wave of terrorism and disasters in different parts of the country.
Kwara
A mobile court in Kwara State last Thursday convicted 34 drivers in Ilorin for violating various traffic rules.
The Magistrate, Mr Shuaib Olanikewu, convicted 34 of 35 accused drivers arraigned before him, while the 35th accused person, an NYSC member, was cautioned and discharged.
The convicts were fined from N1, 000 to N4, 000 depending on the type of offence committed.
The offences committed by the drivers included failure to use sea belts, overloading and driving without the driver’s licence, among others.
Most of the drivers were convicted of failure to use seat belts.
Commenting on the development, Mr Christopher Ademoluti, the Kwara Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said the exercise would continue to mitigate the level of road crashes in Kwara.
Plateau
The Plateau Government last Thursday threatened to stop forthwith, the payment of salaries of striking local government workers in the state.
The workers embarked on strike action two weeks ago to press home their demand for the full payment of the N18,000 minimum wage as against the half salaries they have been receiving since January.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Alhaji Aminu Kofar-Soro, last Thursday warned officers and men of the corps against misuse of fire arms.
Kofar-Soro said that the command would not tolerate any form of misuse of fire arms as any one found wanting would be sanctioned.
He said that the fire arms must be used to safeguard government property against vandals and enhance the security situation of the state.
The commandant said that the command had already drafted an effective operational order that would enable the officers to discharge their primary assignments without hindrance.
He called for the support of the members of public by giving intelligence reports about their communities.
Taraba
The Taraba Coordinator of the National Teachers Institute (NTI), Malam Saidu Yusuf, has decried the state’s low enrolment in the institute’s programmes, despite the number of unqualified primary school teachers.
Yusuf said in Jalingo in an interview that unqualified teachers in public schools in the state were not utilising opportunities provided by the institute to update their knowledge in recent trends in education development and teaching skills.
He said the National Certificate of Education (NCE), which was the minimum qualification for teaching in primary schools, had continued to elude such teachers because of their inability to improve themselves.
Yusuf, therefore, advised the unqualified teachers to enrol for NCE courses to enable them meet the minimum qualification to teach in primary schools.
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.
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.
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.
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