Nation

THE STATES

Published

14 years ago

July 9, 2012

Bauchi

Bauchi State Agency for the Control of AIDS, has paid the dowry of 152 couples living with HIV/AIDS who were married from 2008 to date.

Malam Usman Zico, Chairman of the state chapter of Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria said this in Bauchi. He spoke at the inauguration of the second phase of the HIV/AIDS Programme Development Project (HPDP-2).

Zico said that the agency paid between N20, 000 and N30, 000 as dowry for each couple who got married during the period.

He said that the effort was not in vain as the marriages had, according to him, “produced an impressive number of babies that tested negative to the HIV virus”.

The chairman urged the agency to continue the good work and called on other organisations to emulate the gesture.

Ekiti

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti has ordered queries to be issued to workers of Ilejemeje Local Government Council who were absent during his unscheduled visit to the council.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olayinka Oyebode, said the state’s Local Government Service Commission had been directed to issue the queries.

The statement said the governor gave the directive when he discovered that only 42 of the entire staff of the council were at work when he visited the secretariat.

Also absent during the governor’s visit were the Director of Administration, the Treasurer as well as majority of the staff.

Kano

The Kano State Chapter of the NLC, is to declare its stand soon on the alleged plan by the state government to stop payment of ‘Ram Bonus’ to civil servants.

The Chairman of the NLC in the state, Mr Isa Danguguwa, made the disclosure in an interview in Kano on Thursday.

A law was enacted by the state’s House of Assembly during the immediate-past administration to pay workers 50 per cent of their basic salaries every year before Eid-el-Kabir celebrations. The bonus is to enable workers to buy rams for the festival.

The state government recently sent a bill to the state’s assembly, seeking an amendment of the law to make it optional for the government to pay the bonus.

He said the NLC was yet to be communicated officially on the issue and “as soon as we do, we shall take the appropriate step ’’.

Kebbi

The World Bank-assisted Community and Social Development Project in Kebbi has spent N573.7 million to execute 260 projects in rural communities, the General Manager, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, said.

Abubakar told the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Habibu Aminu, in Birnin Kebbi that the communities contributed 10 per cent of the cost of each project.

He said that the programme was introduced in 2009 to address development issues in the areas of education, electricity supply, health, water, environment and sanitation.

Abubakar explained that 103 of the projects had been completed while 90 others were in various stages of execution.

Kwara

Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara says his administration will partner with the World Bank to tackle unemployment in the state.

Ahmed said this in Ilorin while declaring open a meeting with a World Bank group, Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operations (YESSO).

The governor was represented by his deputy, Mr Peter Kisira.

Ahmed said 2,730 youths had been placed in the Kwara Bridge Empowerment Scheme (KWABES) for one year and would be offered permanent employment.

He also said that his administration had designed numerous programmes to tackle unemployment in the state.

Kogi

The Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, has urged members of the House to shun corrupt practice and guard against being lured into taking bribes during their oversight functions.

Bello made the call in Lokoja at the plenary when the House resumed from a four-week recess to commence the second legislative session of the Fifth Assembly.

The speaker said: “I urge you to learn from the recent happenings in our political environment and guard against any conduct that could portray the House in bad light.’’

Bello enjoined them to discharge their assignments with all sense of commitment and responsibility.

Niger

The Niger Government has appointed a 40-man committee to plan the fund raising for the construction of a church and a mosque in the Three Arms Zone in Minna.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Alhaji Hamidu Kuta, made the disclosure to newsmen after the state executive council’s meeting.

He said that designs for the two places of worship had been completed and that the appeal fund, which the government would support would ensure the prompt completion of projects.

Kuta said that government had also planned to assist Muslims to break their fast during the 2012 Ramadan.

Ondo

A chieftain of the Labour Party in Ondo State, Chief Yemi Adetoyinbo, has advised youths in the state to shun violence during the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Adetoyinbo said in Akure that youths in the state must reject any call to cause trouble during the election.

“As future leaders of the state and the country, youths have a stake in the Nigeria project.

“ They must not allow any politician in whatever garb to lure them into violence,” he said.

Plateau

The General Manager, Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), Mr Mathias Hata, said that the 1974 Jos master-plan as been reviewed.

Hata said in Jos that the review, completed last month, would prepare the city to fit into the current wave of infrastructural developmental strides.

According to him, reviewing the plan became imperative to enable the JMDB to meet its statutory mandate.

He said that the master-plan would be reviewed regularly “to meet up with the development and growth of the city’’.

Sokoto

The Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Ado Muhammad, has said that the agency has procured vaccines worth N6 billion to ensure effective immunisation of children nationwide.

Muhammad told newsmen in Sokoto that the vaccines would be distributed to the 36 states and the FCT for routing immunisation.

According to him, the Federal Government has made adequate provision for the immunisation of over six million children nationwide, annually.

“So the recent reports in some media that there was a vaccine stock out was untrue, unfounded and baseless,’’ he stressed.

He said that over two million vaccines were distributed across the country for the fifth round of the National Immunisation Plus-Days which commenced on Wednesday.

Taraba

Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, president of the National Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), has described the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as the apex of the print media.

Abdullahi said this in Jalingo when the national executives of the institute paid a courtesy call on the Jalingo station of NAN.

“I wish to state without mincing words that NAN is the apex of the print media. Most media organisations in the country depend largely on news and news materials from you (NAN).

“No print media has the strength and capacity of covering events in the country and beyond like NAN. If NAN is down, majority of Nigerian media organisations will be down,’’ he said.

Zamfara

Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara last Wednesday warned the new local council chairmen in the state against truancy.

The governor gave the warning in Gusau at the inauguration of the 13 local government chairmen elected on June 23.

Yari advised the new chairmen to brace up for the challenges of making life better for their people, adding that the victory of the ANPP in the elections showed that the people had confidence in the political leadership of the state.

He said that the government would continue to support the autonomy of the local government councils through prompt release of their statutory allocations.

The governor, however, said that the state government would closely monitor the utilisation of the funds and would deal with any council official found guilty of financial impropriety.

Nation

Kwara Community Residents Flee Over Persistent Bandits’ Attacks

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2026

The Tide

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.

Nation

Acting Provost Dismisses Alleged Missing Equipment Claims at Rivers Health College

Published

3 days ago

March 30, 2026

The Tide

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.

Nation

HYPREP Reaffirms Commitment to Safe Water Supply In Ogoni

Published

1 week ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

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.