Nation

THE STATES

Published

12 years ago

November 4, 2013

L-R: Former Governor Of Bauchi State,Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, Bauchi State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hajia Amina Katagum, Vice President Namadi Sambo and Governor Isa Yuguda, during the inauguration of fertilizer blending company in Bauchi last Saturday.

Borno

The Nigerian Army says it has destroyed two
suspected operational vehicles of the Boko Haram sect in the ongoing operations in Maiduguri.
The spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Lt.-Col. Mohammed Dole, announced this in a statement.
Dole said that the destruction was to clear the insurgents terrorising motorists on high ways in Borno State.
“We have been able to identify camps used by the terrorists in planning attacks against motorists and innocent villagers in Kaga Local Government Area of the state.

Ekiti
A 31-year-old man, Joseph Idowu, has divorced his
wife, Omolara, for insulting his landlord.
Idowu had filed a suit before an Ikole Customary Court in Ekiti on August 31, seeking the dissolution of his five-year-old “mere association“, which was blessed with two children.
The plaintiff told the court that Omolara insulted his landlord when he was trying to settle a dispute between the couple, and later moved out of his house because she got annoyed for being corrected.
The woman, who denied the allegation, gave her evidence on oath to the effect that she did not insult their landlord.

Kaduna

The Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Alhaji
Usman Tahir, has constituted a seven-man adhoc committee to investigate alleged abuse of recruitment guidelines by the Zaria District office of Nigeria Railway Corporations (NRC).
The investigation was prompted by a motion moved on the floor of the assembly by Alhaji Yakubu Soja (APC-Zaria Kewaye) on alleged abuses in the recruitment of junior staff on grade levels 01-06 by the district office.
According to him, the recruitment violated the provisions of the Federal Civil Service, which provided that such vacancies be filled by applicants where the government offices were located.
Soja informed the members that applicants from Zaria district of the NRC had been sidelined from the exercise.

Katsina

The Katsina State Government has approved N159
million for the repairs of all damaged rural electrification projects across the state.
The General Manager of the state Rural Electrification Board (REB), Alhaji Abdullahi Tanwa, disclosed this at a press briefing in Katsina.
Tanwa said the resolution for the repairs of the projects followed Governor Ibrahim Shema’s directive to that effect, adding that it was to enhance power supply to rural areas.
According to him, some of the rural power installations were damaged by windstorms and car accidents, while “others were vandalised or stolen by unscrupulous persons”.

Kebbi

The National Association of Fish Farmers in Kebbi
State has started updating the database of its members as it gets set to provide soft loans and equipment to them.
Its Chairman, Alhaji Hussaini Raha, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi that the database would enable the association to obtain loan from a bank so as to expand the scope of fish farming in the state.
Raha said the association has 2,145 major fish pond owners located in Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Bagudo, Shanga, Yauri and Ngaski local government areas that have high production of tilapia and cat fish.
He said there were 4,000 artisans and 300 cooperative societies registered under the association.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State Government has earmarked about
N2 billion for the construction and renovation of schools in the state.
A permanent member of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Bala Ahmad, made this known during the award of the contract in Dutse.
Ahmad said that the projects would cover Early Child Care, Primary and Secondary Schools, and would be funded under the 2012/2013 Universal Basic Education Commission intervention fund.
He said the projects were meant to provide conducive environment for teaching and learning in the schools.

Lagos

Two sales assistants were charged before an Igbosere
Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, over alleged theft of their employer’s goods valued at N469,500.
The accused — Isaiah Uduak, 19, and Esther James, 37 — whose addresses are unknown, are standing trial on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, receiving of stolen money and theft.
The duo pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
But the prosecutor, Cpl. Okete Ejime, told the court that the accused committed the offences sometime between August and September at House L10, Road 13, Close 16, Victoria Garden City Estate, Lagos.

Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Government has granted pardon to
three prisoners serving various jail terms in the state.
Notice of the pardon is contained in a statement issued by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Innocent Lagi, in Lafia.
The statement quoted the attorney general as saying the inmates were freed from the Lafia, Nasarawa and Wamba prisons respectively.
Lagi noted that the government pardon was in accordance with Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

Ogun

The Ogun Commissioner for Forestry, Mr Ayo Olubori,
in Abeokuta said the ministry had generated N116.6 million between January and June of this year.
Olubori said this when members of the state House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Forestry paid an oversight visit to the ministry.
“The ministry, however, generated this figure out of the N375 million proposed for the same period,’’ he said.
The commissioner further said the ministry raised 450,000 tree seedlings of various species between January and April.

Osun
The Osun State House of Assembly says the 2013
budget performance by ministries, agencies and parastatals of the state government is “below average’’.
The House Committee Chairman on Finance and Appropriation, Mr Kamil Oyedele, made the observation when the budget and planning office of the governor presented budget performance of the organisations between January and September.
Oyedele said the statistics given by the budget office showed that the 2013 was “poorly implemented”.
He said it was time for the organisations to buckle up and be more aggressive, to generate revenues for effective implementation of the budget.

Oyo

The wife of the Oyo State Commandant of the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mrs Foluke Obafaiye, has described the home as the bedrock of peace.
She spoke in Ibadan while inaugurating the state’s chapter of the Civil Defence Officers Wives Association (CDOWA) at the command’s headquarters.
According to Obafaiye, the choice of CDOWA’s motto, “Peace at Home; Peace in the Nation,” showed the importance attached to peace at home.
“Peace is associated with growth and development in any society, but before the society knows peace at all, the home is the starting point.

Yobe
The Yobe State Government has inaugurated trucks and
equipment worth N361 million procured for the construction of roads through direct labour in the state..
Gov. Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, who inaugurated the equipment in Damaturu, said it would be used for the construction of short roads linking villages and towns.
He said the direct labour programme would hasten execution of road projects and save cost.
Gaidam expressed satisfaction with the quality of the equipment saying, there is value for money in the machines.

Zamfara
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Zamfara State
has dewormed 102 children of Gusau Orphanage Home as part of activities marking its 2013 Physicians’ Week.
The Chairman, Dr Sunday Onazi, said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that the inmates lived a healthy life.
He pointed out that it was important to deworm children regularly to protect them against malnutrition.
“If worms are allowed to grow in children, they would eat up most of the important nutrients in their body and then diseases such as malnutrition will take over.”

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.