Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Disturbed by the nuisance caused by stray domestic animals
on major streets of Yola, the Adamawa Ministry of Environment, has warned of severe penalties
if their owners failed to keep them indoors.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mrs Arziki Sawa, gave the
warning in an interview on in
Yola.
Sawa said that a stiff penalty awaited anyone that failed to
abide by the directive. “We are advising domestic animals owners, especially
those within the state capital, to keep them indoors or face the wrath of the
law. “The ministry will confiscate any animal found wandering on the streets,
or causing destruction to farm produce,” the commissioner said.
She expressed concern over the presence of animals in the
state capital which, had resulted in
serious daily traffic jams, stating that the ministry had embarked on public
enlightenment programme on the need to keep animals indoors.
Ekiti
Governor Kayode
Fayemi of Ekiti State has said that his
administration has no reason to interfere with the dispensation of justice in
the state because of his strong belief in the rule of law.
The governor stated this
at AwoEkiti during a thanksgiving service for the appointment of Justice
Daramola as the Chief Judge of the state.
Fayemi, who spoke on the series of court cases that the
state government lost at the Ado Ekiti High Court, reiterated the commitment of
his administration to upholding the rule of law, adding that he would never do
anything that would undermine it.
He said it was normal for the state government to lose court
cases if the facts on the cases were not well presented before the judges, and
expressed optimism that judges would always attend to cases in fairness and
justice in accordance with the rule of law.
FCT
The Founder of EJAYES Charity Organisation, an NGO, Dr
Ijeoma Nduka, has said that more than
1,000 Nigerians have benefited from the free medical treatment organised by the
group.
Nduka made this known in an interview during a week-long free medical treatment at
Gwagwalada Town Clinic, Abuja.
According to her, the National Poverty Eradication Programme
(NAPEP) in collaboration with the oganisation, were carrying out the exercise
in different rural communities.
She said patients were examined and treated of stroke,
hypertension, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and other common illnesses.
Nduka said majority of the patients diagnosed were not aware
of the diseases in their system.
“Health is not a privilege; it’s a right hence being poor
does not stop one from having quality healthcare,” Nduka said.
Gombe
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has approved N22
million for the rehabilitation of victims of the recent flood disaster in the
state capital.
Permanent Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency
(SEMA), Mr. Kelmi Lazarus, said this in
an interview in Gombe that the flooding claimed four lives and displaced over
200 people in the affected areas.
He explained that the money would be used to provide relief
materials to give succour to the displaced persons.
“The governor gave the approval for the rehabilitation of
the displaced people so that they will bounce back to reckoning. “The gesture
is also to enable them to be reintegrated into society and to have a sense of
belonging,’’ he said.
Kano
The Anti-Bomb disposal unit of the Kano State Police Command
has recovered and defused 996 different calibre of Improvised Explosive Devices
(EIDs) from January 20 to date.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, made this
known while briefing newsmen in Kano.
Idris explained that the EIDs, which were recovered from
different parts of the state, were successfully detonated without causing any
injury or damage whatsoever. “If these items had gone off, only God knows the magnitude
of devastation they would have caused in the state,’’ he said.
Idris said after screening of the suspects, 92 were charged
to court while the remaining 16 were released. According to him, the command
has also arrested nine suspected armed robbers within the last two weeks in the
state.
Kebbi
The acute shortage of staff has forced the Kebbi Urban
Development Authority (KUDA) to secure approval for the deployment of prison
inmates to clear blocked drainage canals in the metropolis, an official has said.
A heavy rainfall in Birnin Kebbi a week ago, resulted to
flooding which claimed two lives and destroyed buildings and other household
property. The General Manager of the Authority, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu, said in
Birnin Kebbi that the deployment of the
inmates was aimed at preventing further damage.
Aliyu also said that the organisation had set up
verification, assessment and resettlement committees to proffer solutions to
the problem of flooding.
Kogi
The Police in Kogi have said that only 16 suspects are in
custody over the August 6 killing of 19 worshippers at the Deeper Life Bible
Church and two soldiers at Okene town on August 7.
Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mr
Simon Ile, who confirmed this to newsmen
on Sunday in Lokoja, said that investigations had commenced to determine the
level of culpability of those arrested.
According to him, those who have nothing to do with the
crisis will be set free. He confirmed that the immediate past Chairman of Okene
Local Government, Mr Yahaya Karaku, was among those being detained but said
that the man was not shot in the leg as rumoured. Karaku currently serves as a special adviser
to Governor IdrisWada.
Also speaking on the security situation in Okene, the
Commandant, Command Army Record, Lokoja, Maj.-Gen. Alphonsus Chukwu, refuted
the allegation of brutality against soldiers on duty in the town.
Kwara
Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara State and the Sultan of
Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, are among dignitaries that will grace the
maiden Shaykh Adam Al-Ilory International Conference scheduled for between
August 24 and August 28.
The conference, being organised by the Faculty of Arts,
University of Ilorin, focuses on “ The Life and Works of Shayk Adam Abdullahoi
Al-Ilory.
Briefing newsmen on the programme in Ilorin , the Chairman,
Main Organising Committee, Prof. Charles Bodunde, said participants would be
drawn from Egypt, Kuwait, Germany, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Malaysia.
Bodunde, who is also the Dean of the Faculty of Arts,
described Al-Ilory as an icon for all religions, adding that he stood for faith
and justice. He commended members of the
committee for their commitment and urged them to remain steadfast.
Lagos
The Deeper Life Bible Church said although it was mourning
the Okene masacre victims, it would not be deterred by the enemies of the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
The church secretary, Pastor Jerry Asemota, said this at the combined Sunday
Worship Service of some districts in Lagos held at the International Bible Training
Centre.
The pastor said that “what comes to mind at a time like this
was reprisal”, but added that the church would not do that. He said the church
“will take up the weapons of Truth which is the word of God and the weapons of
prayer that will bring us victory”.
He recalled that the Okene masacre was not the first mass
murder of members of the church, noting that six of its members in Mubi, Borno,
were killed by gunmen in 2011.
Nasarawa
Labour movements in Nasarawa State have issued a one week ultimatum
to the state government to reverse the new tax system, which it recently
introduced in the state or face industrial action.
In a statement jointly signed by the state NLC Chairman, Mr
Asoloko Maku, and his TUC counterpart, Mr Agbashi Gabriel, the unions condemned
the new tax regime.
They also condemned the removal of the names of some civil
servants from the payroll, as well as the demotion of others with effect from
August 2012.
When contacted, the Commissioner of Finance, Mainoma, said
that the tax table in use in the state was not the one approved by the Personal
Income Tax Act 2011.
Plateau
A 25-year-old herbalist, Aliyu Idi, has been arraigned before an Area Court in
Jos for alleged criminal trespass, criminal force and intimidation.
Prosecutor Ashiru Ibrahim told the court that on August 10
Mohammed reported that the accused trespassed into his children’s room and
fought them over some unstated feud.
Ibrahim further said that some neighbours intervened to
separate the fight but the accused followed Alhaji Mohammed to the mosque and
threatened to stab him. “My lord the
accused intimidated the complainant in the mosque during the morning prayers
and that made it difficult for him to concentrate throughout the payer
session,’’ he said.
He said the offence contravened Sections 349, 255 and 390 of
the Penal Code Law. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge against him
and applied to the court for his bail.
The judge, Malam Mustapha Hassan, refused the application
for bail and ordered the accused to be remanded in prison. He adjourned the
case to September 21 for hearing.
Sokoto
Chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (
CNPP), Sokoto State chapter, Alhaji Abba Sidi,
has commended the efforts of the state government in tackling security
threat to the state. Sidi said this in an interview in Sokoto.
He said the provision of 60 Toyota Hilux patrol vehicles and
state-of-the-art communication equipment to the state police command would help
in addressing any security threat in the state.
According to him, the current security challenges in the
state could only be tackled through effective security network. The chairman
called on the state police command to adopt security strategies to sustain the
peace in the state.
He said the people of the state expected high
professionalism by the officers and men of the command in dealing with any
persons or groups found disrupting the peaceful co-existence among the people.
Taraba
The Taraba Commissioner for Environment and Urban
Development, Mr Danfulani Kwetaka, has
appealed to Jalingo residents to refrain from indiscriminate dumping of refuse
in order to check erosion.
Kwetaka said in Jalingo that most of the erosion problems
affecting the streets of Jalingo were caused by the dumping of refuse in water
channels by residents.
“I move round the town to check the areas that we got
reports of heavy erosion and we discovered that people indiscriminately dump
refuse in drains. “When you do things right by dumping refuse in the right
places, the magnitude of erosion in the town will be reduced, “ he said.
The commissioner, however, gave an assurance that the
government had taken notice of the affected areas with a view to addressing the
problem. “We have taken notice of all the affected areas and we are doing
everything possible to tackle them, “ he said.
The President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide and the Mgboh XIII of the Mgboh Royal Family of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze (Barrister) Godspower Onuekwa, penultimate Friday celebrated his 80th birthday with pomp, pageantry and fanfare.
The celebration, which commenced with a symposium organised in his honour at Rivers State University on Thursday, August 21,2025, got to a resounding climax on Friday at Suntai Event Centre in Port Harcourt, where people from all walks of life, including business associates, friends, well-wishers, relatives, community folks, traditional rulers, and admirers, gathered to pay glowing tributes to the celebrant.
Before then, a well attended thanksgiving service was held that same Friday at Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo, to honour him and return gratitude to God Almighty for the fruitful and eventful life and accomplishments of the Emohua leader and icon.
The service which was officiated by Rt Rev Wisdom Budu Ihunwo, Bishop of Niger Delta North had other renowned and respected clerics like Most Rev(Dr) Blessing Enyindah, Dean, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Rt Rev(Dr) Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, Bishop, Diocese of Niger Delta; Rt Rev Innocent Ordu, Bishop, Diocese of Evo; and Ven Solomon Eze Nelson, Archdeacon, Okoro-Nu-Odo; among others lined up as officiating ministers.
The service lived up to its billing, as it featured powerful and soul-lifting praise and worship; point-blank prayers; and beautiful renditions, which electrified the entire atmosphere, essentially packaged to thank God for the life of the celebrant.
However, the crowning moment actually came when the who is who, the crème de la crème of the society, thronged the terraces and fabulously decorated expansive hall of Suntai Event Centre, to celebrate Eze Onuekwa, amid accolades, aplomb and panache, wining and dining, and clinking of glasses with him and all.
The chairman of the colourful ceremony, Chief Evans Woherem, who was represented by Eze(Prof) Christian Akani of the prestigious Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, praised the celebrant for his youthfulness in spite of clocking 80 years, generosity, humility, humaneness and selfless services to the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, the Niger Delta and Nigeria, and called on all and sundry to emulate his good legacies and simple disposition towards life and existence.
Goodwill messages also poured in in torrents to underscore and salute the doggedness, resilience, astuteness and uniqueness of the endearing life of the celebrant, with Prof Emenike Wami, the Ochia Ohna Ikwerre(XIV), taking the lead.
Prof Priye Iyalla, the wife of late renowned writer, novelist and playwright, Dr Elechi Amadi, held the audience spellbound as she masterfully reeled out the profile of the celebrant, amid intermittent applause from the crowd.
The Tiv Community from Benue State, resident in Rivers State, were not left out, as they honoured and decorated Eze Onuekwa in their complete traditional regalia.
Cultural displays from Baptist Church, Rumuowhor; ADNA Wogbuji Dancing Group, Egbeda; Tiv Dancing Group; and Promoter Eze and Rumu-Mgboh Emohua Wrestling Group, equally added colour and grace to the occasion, with the celebrant and his wife, Dame Ann Onuekwa, joining them to wriggle their waists and bodies in ecstasy.
In his response, the highly elated celebrant, Eze Onuekwa thanked all those gathered to celebrate with him, saying, celebrations would never cease in their homes, and attributed everything he represents in life, including his modest accomplishments to God.
Eze Onuekwa, while addressing newsmen, harped on the need for hard work among the youths and members of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, as a way of sustaining and giving meaning to the motto of the organisation, which he noted is anchored on peace, unity and progress.
He specially thanked God for sustaining his life, and for making everything possible for him and his family, saying, he was joyous that he has today become an octogenarian and elder statesman in Rivers State.
His son and medical practitioner, Dr Samuel Chizia Onuekwa expressed delight that people from far and near had come together to celebrate the father, whom he described as a role model and great inspirator.
He said it was a good thing that the children were celebrating their father when he is alive, stressing that the last time Eze Onuekwa was celebrated in such magnitude was 20 years ago, during his 60th birthday celebration, and prayed God to grant him many more years in good health.
Among dignitaries who graced the event were Senator Andrew Uchendu; Chief Sampson Agbaru; Prof Emenike Wami; Dr Peter Didia; Eze(Prof) Samuel Ugo Onyeka; and a host of others. Justice Iche Ndu(rtd); and C O Kattey were among personalities that attended the thanksgiving service, while the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof Isaac Zeb-Obipi led the academics who graced the symposium, alongside Eze G A O Omodu.
As the 100 Ogoni youths trained by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Creative Arts close out their training on Tuesday at the Theatre Arts Department, University of Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has urged the beneficiaries to use the skills acquired to ensure that the Ogoni stories are told and heard in the right way.
The trainees, who had completed a four- month training in script writing, film production and make-up are beneficiaries of the HYPREP sustainable livelihood programme, aimed at providing high demand skills to Ogoni youths in the lucrative creative arts and entertainment industry.
Zabbey described the Creative Arts training as well as other programmes and interventions as HYPREP’s strategic sustained effort to create alternative sources of livelihood.
”Targeted capacity building for Ogoni youths and women remains a central strategy in HYPREP’s livelihood restoration and improvement efforts. Our goal is to reach every part of the Ogoni community and ensure that no group or talent pool is left behind. This training is a deliberate step to empower young people who aspire to make their mark in the creative and entertainment industry”, he said.
While commending the trainees for producing four short films within the training period, one of which was premiered at the ceremony-Dirty Festival, the Project Coordinator noted that the training would serve as a springboard into the industry, and enable them earn a living, become entrepreneurs, and open new doors of opportunities for themselves and their communities. The three other movies are Open Pain, Bomu and Green War.
He enjoined them to utilise their skills and platforms to promote civic responsibility, peace, and environmental sustainability, urging them to ensure that Ogoni is heard in the right way, speak for HYPREP and highlight the progress being made in implementing the recommendations of the UNEP Report.
Other speakers at the event, including the Director of Technical Services of HYPREP, Prof. Damian-Paul Aguiyi; Dr Ovunda Ihunwo, Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt; Chief Douglas Experience, the Project Coordinator of Halibiz Consult Limited; and Mrs Josephine Nzidee, Head, Sustainable Livelihood of HYPREP, all applauded HYPREP for the training, and charged the trainees to maximise the opportunity.
The trainees were later presented certificates of participation.
Visibly elated Ms Lebee Tornwe, one of the beneficiaries, thanked HYPREP and the Project Coordinator for offering the trainees the rare opportunity to acquire skills in the creative arts and entertainment industry, and expressed delight that Dr Ihunwo and Halibiz Consult Limited gave their all in grooming them.
With the wrapping up of the Creative Arts training(100), HYPREP has trained 230 Ogoni youths in high demand skill sets ,viz; seafaring(100); and aviation (30). The Project will this year, commence training in other skill areas, including Mechatronic, Aviation, Full-Stack Development, Commercial Diving, Underwater Welding and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Still in the offing is the training for Ogoni Persons Living with Disabilities in five skill sets- fish farming; basic computer skills; photography; fashion and design; and shoemaking in line with their Needs Assessment and HYPREP’s policy of inclusivity.
The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) had called on stakeholders to work collaboratively towards the development and empowerment of Ogoni youths.
NYCOP made the call in a communique issue over the weekend after an emergency Congress in Port Harcourt and signed by its President, Comrade Raymond Nwibani Marcus.
In the communique, NYCOP endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s appointments of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees (BOT) members of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), particularly Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah as Chairman of HYPREP’s BOT.
It respectfully appealed to the President to consider appointing a representative from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) under the leadership of Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, being the pioneering social vehicle for Ogoni advocacy since the inception of the Ogoni struggle, adding that it would significantly contribute to the decision-making process.
The body commended the overall management of HYPREP and urges the President to continue funding the HYPREP project.
NYCOP furthermore recommended considering the conversion of HYPREP from a project to a full-fledged agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The communique also stated that NYCOP thanked President Tinubu for establishing the Federal University of Environmental Technology, and for appointing key staff, forming a dialogue committee, and initiating infrastructural projects like the Eleme axis of the East-West Road and the Bonny-Bodo Road, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and economic prospects.
In solidarity with the Renewed Hope Agenda, the endorsed President Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying it believes his leadership embodies the aspirations of the Ogoni people and Nigerians at large.
“After thorough consideration of the Disciplinary Committee’s report, NYCOP resolves:
” To indefinitely suspend Comrade Nade Nade Burale from his position as Secretary General due to misconduct.
“To declare Comrade Saviour Imeabe persona non grata on Ogoni youth issues, given his actions’ potential to instigate crisis in Ogoni and beyond” the communique stated.
NYCOP in his resolution issued a 7-day ultimatum to former HYPREP BOT Chairman Mike Nwialeghi to explain the $100 million HYPREP fund investment, warning of potential litigation.
NYCOP reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ogoni youth interests and preventing personal aggrandizement.
According to the communique the resolutions demonstrate NYCOP’s efforts to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth.
“We will no longer tolerate any individual or group using the name or issues of Ogoni youth for personal aggrandizement.
” Our mandate is clear: to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth” the communique said.
NYCOP passes a vote of confidence in Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah, acknowledging his impeccable credentials and credibility to lead the BOT of HYPREP effectively.
Kiadum Edookor
