Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The Benue House of Assembly, has directed the state government to establish functional fire service stations in its three senatorial zones.
This followed a motion by Mr Baba Odeh of Otukpo/Akpa constituency which urged the government to embark on the project to save lives and property.
Odeh said the stations should be located in Gboko, Katsina-Ala and Otukpo local government areas.
He said the motion was necessary because the main station located in Makurdi with two sub-stations were inadequate to cater for the state.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State Government last Thursday disbursed N18.9 million to 126 law students.
The students received N150,000 each as their 2012 bursary allowance.
At a ceremony in Ado-Ekiti, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Dr Eniola Ajayi, said that the gesture was in line with the eight-point agenda of the present administration in the state.
The commissioner, who presented cheques to the beneficiaries, advised them to be prudent in the use of the allowance.
FCT
An Information Technology expert, Mr Kio Bestman, last Thursday in Abuja advised computer training institutes in the country to run certification programmes.
Bestman in an interview with newsmen said that was the only way the Nigerian IT training centres could remain relevant in the global IT market.
“Our computer schools should run certification programme. Whether you have a B.SC or not, certification mean you are competent enough to use that platform.
“If it is website design, you have a certification programme. If it is Microsoft office, you have Micro-office specialist certification. If it is networking you also have networking certification.
Gombe
The Chairman of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Gombe State chapter, Dr Raymond Dankoli, last Thursday in Gombe called on members of the public to take precautionary measures to curtail the effects of harmattan on their health.
Dankoli, who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Gombe, noted that the harmattan period comes with several health challenges, especially respiratory tract infections because of the dust .
“The risk of respiratory tract infection is higher during the period, hence the need for precaution.
“Children are more vulnerable; therefore parent should make sure that they take precautionary measures.”
Jigawa
The Jigawa Executive Council has approved N186 million for the procurement of laboratory equipment and the execution of other school development projects in the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Banbandi Ibrahim, disclosed this last Thursday in Dutse while briefing newsmen on the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting of the State Executive Council.
Ibrahim said of the N186 million, N110 million would go to the procurement of laboratory equipment for distribution to all senior science secondary schools across the state.
He said that N33 million was earmarked for the rehabilitation of hostels at the College of Remedial and Advance Studies, Kafin-Hausa.
Kaduna
A Kaduna Sharia Court has sentenced one Babangida Ibrahim, 33, to six months imprisonment for stealing a motorcycle at a mosque in Kaduna,
Ibrahim had stolen the motorcycle on November 20, removed its number plate but was arrested at a police check- point in the city for riding without number plate.
According to Police Prosecutor, Cpl Bitrus Kwaji, subsequent investigation revealed that Ibrahim had stolen the motorcycle.
Katsina
The Joint Consultative Forum (JCF) of the three tertiary institutions in Katsina State, has given three weeks ultimatum to the government to meet its demands or its members will embark on strike.
The three state-owned tertiary institutions are Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina, Isah Kaita College of Education, Dutsinma and Yusuf Bala Usman College of Legal and General Studies, Daura.
The forum comprised of both academic and non-academic staff of the institutions.
The Chairman of the forum, Malam Tukur Dahiru, and the Secretary Malam Muttaka Mamman, gave the warning last Thursday in Katsina in a statement they signed and issued to newsmen.
Kwara
The Kwara House of Assembly has passed the Asset Management Bill 2012.
The Clerk of the House, Mr Oyetunde Oyeniyi, announced the passage of the bill after reading it for the third time on the floor of the Assembly.
The bill seeks to protect the state government’s asset and liabilities in ministries and parastatal agencies against theft and vandalism.
It also spells out penalties for anybody or group of persons who damages or steals government property.
Lagos
Assistant Director, Lagos Zonal Inspector, Directorate of Police Education, Mrs Esther Gbadegesin, last Thursday said that affordable and qualitative education would make the nation develop faster.
Gbadegesin made the observation in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
She explained that making school fees affordable would give the children more opportunities to acquire education.
“When more children are given the opportunity to be educated as a result of affordable school fees, our society would develop faster,” she said.
Ogun
A Mathematician, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, has called on all levels of government to declare a ‘State of emergency‘ on the teaching and learning of Mathematics in the country.
Arigbabu, Dean of College of Science and Information Technology, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), ljebu-Ode, Ogun, made the call while delivering the 2nd Inaugural lecture of the University.
The dean, who is also a Professor of Mathematics, spoke on the Topic: “Beyond The Cuboid: lmperatives For An Aids-Free, Mathematically Literate Society”.
Osun
A Climatologist, Prof Temi Ologunorisa, has identified ICT as a useful tool in the management and mitigation of the effects of climate change in communities.
Ologunorisa said at an International Conference on “Climate Change and ICT”, held at the Osun State University, Osogbo, that ICT development would help in reducing hazards associated with climate change.
The conference was jointly organised by the Xavier University, USA, International Centre for IT Development, USA, and Osun State University’s Centre For Climate Change and Environmental Research, to showcase the importance of ICT in disaster management.
“Climate change and its associated problems, such as sea level rise, flooding, erosion, desertification and heat, are gradually becoming issues of concern to us all.
Plateau
The Plateau Government said it would set up family courts in order to protect the right of children in the state
Plateau Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Edward Pwajok, told newsmen in Jos last Thursday that the court would assist in curtailing many injustices against children.
“The protection of rights of children in our society today is very vital, and should not be neglected because they are the leaders of tomorrow.
“This suggests why we in Plateau will not be left behind in struggling to give our children a better future,” he said.
Zamfara
The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) in Zamfara has urged women in the state to participate actively in political activities and other developmental programmes.
President of the society, Hajiya Larai Ibrahim, made the plea last Thursday in Gusau at a sensitisation programme organised for women activists in the state.
It was jointly organised by the Gender Awareness Trust and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Ibrahim said that traditional and religious impediments had hindered women’s participation in politics and governance, adding that it was responsible for gross gender inequality in the state.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has announced that the mangrove wetlands in Ogoniland have been officially designated a Ramsar Site of International Importance by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The designation, according to HYPREP, underscores the global ecological significance of Ogoniland’s mangrove wetlands and highlights ongoing restoration efforts aimed at addressing environmental degradation in the area.
In a press statement issued by the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, the recognition was described as a major milestone for the agency, the people of Ogoni and other stakeholders working towards environmental restoration in the region.
Zabbey explained that the mangrove wetlands, which cover more than 31,700 hectares, consist of islands, tidal creeks, mudflats and mangrove forests that support a wide range of biodiversity. The ecosystem provides habitat for several species including fin fish, shellfish, crustaceans, crocodiles, turtles and the endangered grey parrot.
He noted that beyond biodiversity conservation, the wetland also provides essential ecosystem services such as fisheries production, flood control, water purification and carbon storage. According to him, the international recognition will further support local livelihoods, promote ecotourism and bring global attention to the region.
The HYPREP coordinator disclosed that the designation followed a meticulous process that began in 2024 when the project submitted a memorandum to the National Council on Environment seeking support for the recognition of the Ogoni wetlands as a Ramsar site.
Following the council’s review and approval, the Honourable Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, formally wrote to the Ramsar Convention Secretariat requesting international recognition of the wetlands.
After a comprehensive ecological assessment, the Ramsar Secretariat granted the designation, officially recognising the Ogoniland wetlands as one of the world’s sites of international importance.
Zabbey said the recognition would strengthen ongoing environmental restoration efforts in the area and encourage stronger conservation measures and sustainable management of the wetlands for the benefit of present and future generations.
He added that the designation also fulfils a key recommendation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, marking another significant step in the implementation of the report’s recommendations.
The HYPREP project coordinator reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to restoring the Ogoni environment through the remediation of oil-polluted land, shorelines and mangrove ecosystems.
He also called for collective responsibility and stakeholder support to sustain the progress of the Ogoni cleanup programme and facilitate the development of a comprehensive and sustainable management plan for the Ogoni mangrove wetlands.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Mrs Lauretta Davies-Dimkpa, has attributed the successes of the 12-day programme organised for adolescent girls aimed at eliminating Female Genital Mutilation(FGM) in some parts of the State to the ability of the respective stakeholders to take ownership of the programme.
Mrs Davies-Dimkpa, who dropped the hint in an interview at the end of the programme in Elele-Alimini Community in Emohua Local Government Area on Saturday, said the event had a buy-in component, an ownership mentality, whereby facilitators, staff, and everyone involved took ownership of the project.
She explained that the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had packaged a series of training sessions for adolescent girls aimed at ending the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in some communities across the State.
According to her, the initiative was designed to educate young girls on the harmful effects of the practice and empower them to become advocates against it within their communities.
She noted that the programme, which lasted for several weeks, targeted adolescent girls from different local government areas where the practice is still prevalent, stressing that
data collected by UNICEF and the Ministry revealed that Female Genital Mutilation is still practised in some parts of the State, prompting the need for intensified sensitisation and community engagement.
Mrs Davies-Dimkpa explained that the programme adopted a “train-the-trainer” approach where adolescent girls were educated on the dangers of the practice and encouraged to share the knowledge with their peers, families and communities.
“This is a programme by the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation with support from UNICEF and UNFPA to train adolescent girls towards ending Female Genital Mutilation, which is still practised in some local government areas,” she said.
She further explained that each participating local government area had a three-day training session, with the exercise running for a total of 12 days.
The local government areas, where the programme took place, she noted, included Ahoada West, Abua-Odual, and Emohua, adding that the initiative is part of broader efforts by the state government and development partners to eliminate harmful traditional practices and protect the rights and wellbeing of girls.
She revealed that prior to the training of the adolescent girls, the Ministry and its partners had also engaged community facilitators, including older women and men, to sensitise them on the dangers associated with Female Genital Mutilation.
According to her, the involvement of community leaders and adults is essential in addressing the cultural and social factors that sustain the practice.
Speaking on the response of the participants, the permanent secretary expressed satisfaction with the level of engagement and enthusiasm shown by the girls throughout the training sessions.
She noted that many of the participants said they were learning about the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation for the first time.
“The girls are between the ages of 12 and 17 and from the interactions we had with them, they were very excited. Some of them are hearing these things for the first time and never knew that the practice is harmful,” she said.
She expressed optimism that the knowledge gained from the training would enable the girls to serve as advocates for change within their communities.
She added that the Rivers State Government, alongside its partners, would continue to intensify efforts and expand community-based interventions aimed at ending the practice across the State.
Meanwhile, the participants for Emohua Local Government Area were drawn from Elele-Alimini, Egbeda, Rumuji, Ibaa, Rumuekpe, Rumuakunde, Eligbarada, and Ogbakiri Communities.
The participants,who spoke in separate interviews described the training as eye-opening, noting that it helped them better understand issues surrounding adolescent health, personal hygiene, reproductive health, and the harmful consequences of Female Genital Mutilation.
Favour Azukwu from Rumuekpe community, said the programme provided a deeper understanding of the dangers associated with the practice, particularly its impact on the health and wellbeing of girls and women.
She explained that the training sessions exposed participants to the medical, social and psychological effects of Female Genital Mutilation, including severe bleeding, infections and complications during childbirth.
She revealed that she personally experienced the practice at the age of 12 and suffered heavy bleeding afterwards, an experience that has strengthened her determination to advocate for its eradication.
According to her, many communities still practise Female Genital Mutilation because it is perceived as a cultural tradition, despite the dangers associated with it.
“I do not support Female Genital Mutilation because there are many dangers involved. I experienced severe bleeding when it was done to me as a child.
Another participant, Glory Ken, a 16-year-old secondary school student from Rumuji community, said the programme broadened her understanding of several important topics affecting adolescents.
She explained that beyond the discussion on Female Genital Mutilation, the training also focused on issues such as personal hygiene, reproductive health, peer education, and self-care.
According to her, the sessions helped participants understand the importance of making informed health decisions and supporting one another as peer educators.
“I learned about many things that affect young people in society and how to take care of myself. I also learned that Female Genital Mutilation is harmful to our health. The message I am taking back to my community is that this practice should stop,” she said.
Also speaking, Goodness Kenjika Nyeche described the programme as very impactful.
She noted that the training equipped participants with the skills and confidence to educate others about the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation.
She said she plans to organise sensitisation among adolescents in her community, particularly girls between the ages of 10 and 19, to ensure they understand the dangers associated with the practice.
“I learned many things from this programme and I feel very good about it. I will educate other young girls in my community and help them understand why Female Genital Mutilation should not continue,” she said.
For Queen Dike from Ibaa community, the programme helped clarify misconceptions surrounding the practice.
She explained that in some communities, the practice is still referred to as circumcision and is viewed as part of cultural identity.
She said the training helped participants understand that Female Genital Mutilation involves the cutting or removal of parts of the female genital organs and that it has serious health consequences.
She stressed that awareness and education are key to ending the practice, especially among communities that continue to uphold it as tradition.
“I think the programme is very helpful because many people still believe it is part of culture. More awareness is needed so people can understand why it should stop,” she said.
Another participant, MyJoy Echika Amadi, said the programme provided critical information about adolescent health and the dangers associated with Female Genital Mutilation.
She described the initiative as enlightening and said it encouraged young people to become advocates for change in their communities.
According to her, participants were encouraged to use various platforms such as churches, peer groups, schools and community gatherings to spread awareness about the harmful effects of the practice.
“This programme has enlightened us about the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation. I will do my best to create awareness in my community and encourage people to stop the practice,” she said.
Many of the participants emphasised that the knowledge gained during the programme has empowered them to challenge harmful traditions and promote healthier practices among young people.
They also called on the Rivers State Government, development partners and civil society organisations to sustain the sensitisation campaigns and extend the training to more communities across the State.
According to them, empowering young people with the right information will play a critical role in eliminating Female Genital Mutilation and protecting the rights, health and dignity of girls in Rivers State.
The participants expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, UNICEF and UNFPA for organising the programme and for investing in the wellbeing and future of adolescent girls in the State.
