Nation
THE STATES
Benue
The board of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, last Thursday approved the establishment of an outreach centre in Mbatyerev, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue.
The Chairman of the board, Sen. Emmanuel Nwaka, said during a press briefing in Makurdi at the end of its facility tour that the approval was to meet up with the medical needs of the rural dwellers of the state.
He said that the board had also discovered that the FMC was the major source of health care service delivery in Benue.
According to him, “the Federal Government, through the FMC, is meeting up its responsibility of bringing quality medical services closer to the rural dwellers’’.
The board chairman explained that the exact amount needed for the entire project was not yet known as the work was done in accordance with funds released by the Federal Government.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board last Wednesday inaugurated a 132-member committee to facilitate training of prospective pilgrims in the state.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), had allocated more than 3,000 seats to the state for the 2013 Hajj exercise.
The Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Sani Alhassan, who inaugurated the committee, said the gesture was to ensure proper training of prospective pilgrims on the basic tenets of Hajj exercise.
Alhassan said the committee was made up of males and females selected from the 27 local government areas of the state.
According to him, the state government has adopted proactive measures to improve the well being of the pilgrims and ensure a hitch-free Hajj.
In a remark, Alhaji Falalu Gantsa, chairman of the board, urged the facilitators to ensure proper training of the prospective pilgrims in accordance with the guidelines set by the board.
Malam Muhammad Yusuf, who spoke on behalf of members of the committee, pledged to be fair and just in the discharge of their duties.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government says it will spend N1.3 billion to dualise Nagogo Township Road and upgrade Barhin Housing Estate Road in Katsina metropolis.
The Commissioner for Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Maikudi, made this known when he briefed newsmen on the outcome of the state executive council meeting in Katsina last Thursday.
Maikudi said that the dualisation of Nagogo Road would gulp over N1billion, while the upgrading of Barhin Housing Estate Road would gulp N300 million.
He said that work on the three kilometres Nagogo road was awarded to Borini Prono Nig. Ltd. with a completion of period of 15 months.
The commissioner said that the 11.5km Barhin Road was awarded to CDC Nig. Ltd. with a completion period of six months and reiterated the commitment of government to the development of the state.
Kogi
The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, has called on Nigerian women to champion the cause of peace in finding a lasting solution to the security challenges in the country.
The first lady made the call in Lokoja last Thursday while addressing delegates to the 15th regular meeting of the National Council on Women Affairs and Social Development.
She called for more women participation in addressing the remote causes of the widespread violence now pervading some parts of the country.
Mrs Jonathan called on women to rise up with the firm resolution of providing an environment where peace could reign and women rights freely-expressed.
She said that, although women had achieved appreciable progress in the country, they should still work towards the attainment of the 35 per cent affirmative action across board.
Kwara
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State on Poverty Alleviation, Hajia Sarat Adebayo has urged women to strive to be role models and shun begging for alms.
Adebayo who made the appeal last Thursday in an interview in Ilorin, said that women should shun begging on the streets and government offices since the state government was committed to their welfare.
Adebayo urged them to be productive and to engage in entrepreneurial activities instead of begging.
“There is no gain in begging. It is unchristian and unislamic for women to go about begging instead of engaging in productive activities.”Women should uphold their dignity inwardly and outwardly by striving to be role models at all times,” she advised.
Adebayo also urged them to look inward on how they could add value to the people around them.
Lagos
The Lagos State Scholarship Board says the state government has approved N160.1 million for the payment of bursaries to its indigenes in tertiary institutions.
The Secretary to the Board, Mrs Yetunde Jegede, said on Thursday in Lagos that the amount covered the 2011/2012 academic session.
Jegede said that out of the total sum, N63.4million was for the state indigenes in Lagos State University (LASU) adding that for now the board would immediately pay LASU students and others thereafter.
According to her, the indigenes are expected to bring their scholarship award letters, school identity cards and two passport photographs.
“They are also to provide a progress report for the respective year duly stamped and signed by their school authorities,” she said.
Jegede said that the board would soon begin the documentation of the state indigenes for the 2012/2013 academic session.
Nasarawa
The 2012 Batch ‘B’ corps members posted to Nasarawa State concluded their service year last Thursday without the usual passing out parade and fun-fare.
The NYSC State Coordinator, Mr Stephen Alabi, said the ceremony was shelved because of the security challenges facing the state.
According to him, certificates are being presented quietly to the outgoing corps members simultaneously across all the zonal headquarters in the state.
Alabi said a total of 2,871 corps members successfully completed the service year and would be given Certificates of National Service.
In his remark, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Angama Weibey, congratulated the corps members for their meritorious service.
He assured them that the state government would always provide an enabling environment for those, who would want to start their post-service life in the state.
Ondo
Rector, Sacred Heart Catholic Minor Seminary, Akure, Rev.fr Valentine Omolakin, has urged government at all levels to return schools belonging to missionaries.
Omolakin who made this known at a press conference in Akure on Thursday ahead of its Sacred Heart Feast, scheduled for June 7, said it would help to achieve the purpose for which the schools were created.
The cleric noted that Gov. Olusegun Mimiko had promised to set-up a panel to look into the issue of returning schools to the missionaries.
Mimiko, he said, made the promise when the Papal Nuncio, Augustin Kasuja, visited the country in August 2012.He noted that there was a difference between a Catholic School and a Minor Seminary.
“The return of schools to the missionaries is long overdue in Ondo State and it should not be politicised,” he said.
Oyo
Retired Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, former governor of Western Region and Chairman of the Governing Council, University of Ibadan, has called on residents of Oyo State to support government in its transformation efforts.
Adebayo made the call when he led members of the council on a visit to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi in Ibadan on Thursday.
Adebayo said Ajimobi had given the education sector a boost, adding that the university had benefited from the educational initiatives of the state government.
Responding, Ajimobi said the state government attached much importance to education because of its belief that no nation could develop without quality education for its youths.
Zamfara
Two persons have been confirmed dead while 20 others were injured following a rainstorm which destroyed over 300 houses on Tuesday in Gusau.
Executive Secretary of Zamfara Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Atiku Maradun, said this in an interview on Thursday in Gusau.
Maradun, who spoke on behalf of Alhaji Musa Kwatarkwashi, Special Adviser on the state governor on Emergency Management, said that the adviser had already visited the affected areas namely Abarma, Janyau Fulani, Gidan Dutse, Gada Biyu and Unguwar Danfodio.
According to him, two girls, aged 11 and 15 were killed in the incident, adding that the residents also lost foodstuffs and animals.
He said that the Agency was compiling a report on the disaster for submission to the state and federal governments for immediate assistance and appealed to the victims to plant trees around their homes to minimise the effect of such disaster.
Strategic regulators and other stakeholders have expressed satisfaction with the pace, quality and magnitude of work carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Ogoniland, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
In their separate speeches at the 2025 4th quarter key regulators / asset owners meeting held in Port Harcourt, the strategic stakeholders commended HYPREP for the significant milestones achieved with excellent efficiency and transparency, demonstrating capacity and commitment to sustaining collaboration with development partners for the overall success of the Project.
The regulators particularly lauded HYPREP for the landmark success in the implementation of the land and shoreline remediation, mangrove restoration, provision of reticulated potable water, the various sustainable livelihood programmes, donation of ambulances to health facilities in Ogoni, the construction of Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, as well as the ongoing Ogoni Power Project, adding that their independent field reports have shown proofs of HYPREP driving even beyond its mandates.
The goodwill messages were made by representatives of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Centre for Environment and Human Rights Development (CEHRD), Society for Women and Youths Affairs (SWAYA), Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN), Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), and Federal Ministry of Environment. Others are the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Rivers State Ministry of Power, the Rivers State University, the Rivers State Ministry of Water and Rural Development, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
Following the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit’s presentation on the status of HYPREP projects, participants offered feedback on areas of concern. They reassured HYPREP and the people of Ogoni of their continued support for the Project’s success. They also suggested that the quarterly review meeting be sustained as it enables them to report, evaluate and proffer solutions to areas of concern.
Participants also commended HYPREP for improved community and stakeholder engagement and for adding to what they saw the previous time. “We commend HYPREP for the quality work done at sites. The progress is phenomenal, because HYPREP is scoring good grades, above average,” Prof. Iyenemi Kakulu from Rivers State University said.
In his speech at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who was represented by Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, Director of Technical Services, commended the regulators and asset owners for their cooperation with the Project, and for making themselves available for fieldwork and the regular review meetings.
Prof Zabbey reiterated HYPREP’s commitment to best practice in waste management, particularly waste generation and disposal, calling on the Regulators for adequate logistics support, saying HYPREP’s priority is to focus on the core recommendations by UNEP, especially, remediation(soil, shoreline) mangrove restoration, provision of potable water, interventions in public health care services and sustainable livelihood for the people.
The Project Coordinator further highlighted the status of the Project, the successes achieved across all thematic areas, and assured that HYPREP will soon complete most of the ongoing projects and roll out others. He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to review the progress of the Ogoni cleanup, ensure quality control, and foster effective collaboration.
Consequently, the quarterly key regulators/asset owners meeting is HYPREP’s strategic stakeholder management model, further underscoring the Project’s commitment to transparency, partnership for development, and accountability, all of which are harbingers of effective project delivery.
Speaking to newsmen, HYPREP Project Support Lead and representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr Ehioze Igbinomwanhia, described his involvement with HYPREPas an encouraging and insightful experience, saying, the Project is implementing a wide range of projects across Ogoniland, spanning immediate remediation works as well as livelihood support initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of affected communities.
Engr Igbinomwanhia emphasised that Renaissance Africa Energy remains fully committed to supporting the objectives of the Ogoni cleanup project, noting that the company has a long history of collaboration with HYPREP.
He added that the partnership has been characterised by continuous learning, adaptation and a willingness to respond to observations and recommendations aimed at improving outcomes.
He further emphasised the importance of safety in all project operations, particularly given the challenging terrain and operating conditions in Ogoniland.
He noted that safety is treated as a critical priority and that contractors are continually reminded to maintain high safety standards, stressing that lessons learnt from previous operational challenges like the collapse of the water tank in Gwara Community are being applied to strengthen safety practices and overall performance.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
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