Nation

THE STATES

Published

13 years ago

May 15, 2013

Adamawa

The American University of Nigeria (AUN) has graduated 289 students at its fifth convocation ceremony held last Saturday in Yola.

Speaking at the convocation, the President of the university, Prof. Margee Ensign, said that the university since its inception nine years ago had centred on community-based services and development.

She said the university was committed to helping the community and society achieve equitable and sustainable prosperity, and disclosed the university’s sustainability initiative was one of its many developmental projects.

On the insecurity in the country, Ensign said that the university had attained a meaningful development where it had become a major sponsor of peace initiative groups, including the popular Adamawa Peace Council.

She explained that the group was assisted with a view to fostering peace and harmony in the state and in the region. “The goal is to assist young people to acquire the knowledge and skills, needed to work or start their own small businesses,” Ensign said.

FCT

Residents of EFAB Estate in Mbora District, Abuja, have lauded the remedial work on a deep gully caused by excavation work in the area.

Sammyal Construction Company was awarded contract by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to build infrastructure at Mbora District, close to EFAB estate.

It was said to have abandoned the site after excavating the terrain and clearing shrubs and trees which later caused gully erosion in the area.

A resident, Mr Obed Amazu, commended the company and the FCDA for coming to the aid of the residents.

Another resident, Mr John Shamaki,commended the government for addressing the environmental challenge which threatened more than 60 families.

Shamaki said the gully would have escalated if nothing had been done, noting that some residents had relocated to other parts of the FCT due to the threat posed by the gully.

The managing director of the company, Mr Sammy Adigun, said the company had to fill the ditch as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Adigun said the people needed to be assisted because the provision of infrastructure is for the people to live comfortably.

Jigawa

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa, on Thursday arrested three randy commercial motorcycle operators for alleged sexual abuse of two minors.

The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr Muhammad Gidado, told newsmen that the suspects were nabbed after they allegedly had canal knowledge of two teenage girls in Birnin Kudu.

He claimed that the suspects (names withheld) had enticed the girls with gifts and money to have sex with them. ‘’We are not bringing rape charges against the suspects because the girls were not forced to consent to sex. ‘’Based on investigation, beside the suspects, the girls admitted having sex with other men,’’ he said.

According to him, the suspects have admitted to having sexual intercourse with the minors on several occasions.

The commandant added that preliminary medical check up at the General Hospital, Dutse, indicated that the girls’ virginity had been tampered with over long period of time.

Kano

More than 249,858 children under five years of age have been immunised against polio and other childhood killer diseases in Fagge Area Council in Kano Municipal, an official said on Saturday.

The Health Coordinator of the Council, Hajiya Fatima Mohammad, said last Saturday in an interview that the exercise would make it possible for more children to be immunised considering that the people had accepted the programme through mass sensitisation by the council.

‘’The large turnout in the previous exercise was the outcome of the state government’s commitment to eradicate the childhood killer diseases in all the area councils of the state. “Fagge keyed into this objective and got this great result from the last exercise,’’ she said.

The coordinator said that Fagge Council was always collaborating with major stakeholders, such as district and ward heads, parents as well as health officials and other ad hoc staff.

Kwara

The Kwara State Committee on Flood Disaster and Rehabilitation has began advocacy visits to flood-prone areas to persuade the people to vacate river banks. The committee’s chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Dabarako, is leading the group on the visit that started on Friday in Shonga in Edu Local Government Area.

Dabarako, who is also the Head of Service of the state, urged the monarch to assist in persuading residents to vacate river banks and move upland before heavy rain sets in.

The chairman said the advocacy visit had become imperative in view of the warning by the Federal Government that the nation will witness heavy rains in 2013.

Responding, the Etsu Shonga described the havoc created by 2012 flood in his domain as devastating, and thanked the state and the federal government for providing immediate succour to the 2012 flood victims in the area.

Lagos

Chief Maxi Okwu, who emerged National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), at the party’s national convention held in Awka, Anambra, on April 8, has faulted INEC’s recognition of Chief Victor Umeh as the new Chairman of APGA..

Okwu said in Lagos last Saturday that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s recognition of Umeh was unacceptable to the party.

However, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Enugu on April 7, restored Umeh as the National Chairman of the party after he was previously restrained from parading himself in that capacity by an Enugu High Court on February 10.

INEC on May 9, intervened in the crisis, recognising Umeh as chairman of the party.

Nasarawa

Governor Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State has given assurance that those fanning the embers of violence in the state will not go unpunished.

The governor gave the assurance in a statement issued on Sunday in reaction to the killing of 30 policemen at Alakyo village by the Ombatse militia, said “The state government will not watch while some disgruntled individuals hold it to ransom and turn the state into theatre of death, undermining the development efforts of this administration.”

“We have had enough bloodshed in Nasarawa, those who are hell-bent on sabotaging our efforts will not go unpunished. “It is unfortunate that some people still perpetrate evil against their fellow human beings at a time when the state has begun to count the gains of democracy. “The crisis has no religious colouration as been speculated by some section of the media; some people are just bent on destroying the state because they feel they are not in power,” he said.

Niger

Gov Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has dissociated himself from posters depicting him to be seeking the PDP presidential ticket for the 2015 election.

Aliyu distanced himself from the posters in reaction to the news of the seizure of the posters by security agents in Kaduna, at a one-day North Central Zonal Security Awareness Workshop in Minna.

The governor said that he had not ordered anyone to produce any poster for him and that he had no intention of doing so yet, adding that as a loyal member of the party, he would abide by the party’s guideline of June 2014 deadline before making any pronouncement of my political ambition.

Aliyu said he had earlier on ordered the removal of the posters of governors Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers and Sule Lamido of Jigawa, which flooded the state about a week ago, in keeping with the party’s directive.

Ondo

More civil servants in Ondo State have offered to retire voluntarily from service as a result of the on-going staff screening embarked upon by the government to expose “ghost’’ workers.

The Head of Service, Mrs Kosemani Kolawole, said last Thursday in Akure that the screening which kicked off in the 18 local government areas of the state had led to the discovery of 6,000 junior “ghost’’ workers and 3,500 senior “ghost’’ workers.

Kolawole said that the government conducted the screening when it realised that many workers had falsified their ages to remain in service beyond their normal retirement age.

She said that the government had discovered that some local governments officials had inflated leave bonuses by N310 million, adding that instead of N540 million they request for N850 million annually.

According to her, workers who came in through the back door will go, while those who have attained 60 years of age will also leave to allow the injection of new blood into the service.

Osun

The Osun Government has directed its ministries, departments and agencies to replace old number plates on official vehicles with new ones without further delay.

Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, gave the directive in a statement in Osogbo last Saturday.

The new number plate is bearing the re-branded official designation of the state, “Land of Virtue.’’

The secretary also directed all those having governor’s office vehicles with old number plates to contact the Department of Special Services in the Bureau of Cabinet and Special Services.

“This is with a view to exchanging the old number plates for the new official number plates,’’ the statement directed.

Plateau

The National Zoological Garden Jos on Saturday organised a special and unique 50th birthday party for two chimpanzees popularly known as ‘Bobby and Paulina.’

Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monument ( NCMM), Mr Yusuf Usman, said that the birthday was the first of its kind in Africa.

Usman who was represented by Mrs Caroline Ezeokeke, Curator, National Museum, Jos said that there was the need to develop consciousness to protect animals and for them not go into extinction.

Director, Monument, Heritage and Sites of NCMM, Dr Areo Biodun,said that the essence of the celebration was to accord the two animals the respect they deserved by being among few lucky ones in the world that lived that long.

Director, Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) University of Jos, Prof. Naomi James-Rogu, in her remarks commended the management of the zoo for taking good care of the animals.

James-Rogu, a Professor of Zoology, advised the management of the zoo to organise a Zoo Week to educate students and the general public about animals.

She pledged the cooperation of the university in partnering with the zoo in providing the necessary assistance it might require.

Timothy Nyam of the Plateau Tourism Cooperation presented a paper entitled “Unity and Conservation”.

Yobe

The PDP in Yobe State has said that the defection of some politicians from the party to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) will not affect the party’s fortunes in the state.

The PDP chairman, Alhaji Lawan Karasuwa, said in a statement on Friday in Damaturu that the politicians left the party because they failed to actualise their personal and selfish programmes.

Some PDP chieftains, including former members of the National Assembly, former deputy governor and several others, defected to ANPP on Thursday.

The statement, however, said the exit of the politicians had resolved the internal squabbles within the party, adding that their exit would go a long way in repairing the damage done to the party.

The statement also emphasised the party’s support to President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. “The party is very proud of the abundant dividends of democracy provided by the Jonathan administration,’’ it stated, adding that PDP is unwavering in its commitment and readiness to ensure the party’s victory in the state.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.