Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
A People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees
member, Prof. Jibril Aminu, last Monday, called for provisions in the constitution to check defection by elected political office holders in the country.
Aminu, a former Senator, said at a rally in Yola that the ongoing constitution review should consider forcing elected office holders to leave office whenever they defected from the party that brought them to office.
He also called for the removal of immunity clause and the inclusion of stiffer penalty for corruption practice.
Ekiti
The Director-General, Ekiti State Centre for Arts and
Culture, Mrs Yetunde Fosudo, said that cultural festivals could be utilised to enhance the wellbeing of the people.
She said this in an interview with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti.
Fosudo said that cultural festivals were a potent means of celebrating the people and their cultural heritage.
“Culture is a way of life of the people and their communities.
“Cultural festivals serve as means whereby people display and showcase their culture and ways of life to the world,’’ she said.
FCT
The Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission
(CAC), Alhaji Bello Mahmud, said in Abuja that the CAC’s goal was to be able to register companies within two hours, anywhere in Nigeria.
Mahmud in a lecture: Nigeria’s New Business Environment and CAC’s Intervention,’’ said it had been able to reduce the period of registration of companies from five days to 24 hours.
The registrar-general, at the 3rd Annual Seminar for Trade and Investment Correspondents and Editors, said that its activities had helped to expose “the wonder banks“ in the country.
“Our collaboration with the EFCC, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other financial agencies have exposed over 370 `wonder banks` out of 400 ones that were investigated.
Gombe
The Gombe State Government has empowered 233
trainees in various skills with equipment and funds in Dukku and Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Areas of the state.
The beneficiaries were trained under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Office.
Special Adviser to Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo on MDGs, Alhaji Adamu Audi, announced this at the graduation ceremony of the trainees in Deba, headquarters of Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.
Jalingo
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) last Monday said that
it had trained 1000 youths on welding, cell phone repairs and yam flour processing in Taraba.
The ITF Area Manager, Yola Office, Alhaji Saleh Garba, said in an interview in Jalingo that the training started in September and was held in Jalingo, Wukari and Bali local government areas.
Garba said that the objective of the training was to empower the youths to start their own businesses so as to reduce attention on civil service.
“The reality is that there is too much competition in acquiring a public service job these days.It is in the interest of the youth to embrace entrepreneurship; by so doing, they will certainly be self-reliant,” Garba said.
Jigawa
A member representing Dutse Constituency in Jigawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Sada, has donated an 18-seater Peugeot bus to people with disabilities in the state.
Sada, who was on wheel chair while presenting the bus, said the gesture was to ease the peoples’ movement.
He said “the bus donation will ease the movement of my brothers and sisters that were living with disabilities like me.’’
The lawmaker said movement was one of the greatest challenges of such group of persons, adding that the bus would enable them to move freely within and outside the state.
Kaduna
Vice President Namadi Sambo has described late former
Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State as selfless and patriotic leader.
Sambo said this at a one-day public lecture to commemorate the first year memorial of the former governor.
He said Yakowa rendered patriotic service to the state and country as a whole. “He dedicated his entire life to the advancement of mankind.’’
“He brought to bear his experience on any assignment given to him’’, he added.
Sambo said the gathering of personalities from all walks of life was a testimony of the lives Yakowa touched positively throughout his life time.
Kano
Some former employees of Nigeria Airways in Kano State
staged a peaceful protest over non-payment of their entitlements for 20 years.
The protesters, who thronged their former office on Bank Road in Kano at about 2p.m., carried placards with inscriptions as: “pay us our entitlements’’, “we are dying.’’
The National Vice Chairman, Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Airways Branch, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu, said the protest was informed by the failure of the Government to pay their entitlements.
According to him, over 900 of their members have so died of frustration while a number of them are still battling with one sickness or the other at home.
Kwara
Not less than 1, 755 teaching and non-teaching staff,
across the 16 local government areas of Kwara State, converged on Ilorin to sit for the 2013 promotion examination.
The Executive Chairman, Kwara State Teaching Service Commission, Alhaji Umar Aboki, told newsmen that the promotion examination was to ensure that the teachers were able to impart quality knowledge on their students.
He said that the conduct of promotion examinations was a constitutional provision.
“This is a democratic government where every segment of the society should benefit from the dividends of democracy.
“Through promotion, civil servants would benefit from the dividends of democracy,” he said.
Lagos
A former Chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Nigerian
Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mr Jide Ologun, has urged the electorate to ask politicians credible questions about the 2015 election.
Ologun spoke with newsmen in Lagos recently.
“Definitely, the elections will hold but I am appealing to the electorate to ask questions concerning where Nigeria will be in 20 years.’’
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Government in collaboration with
the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) said 1000 youths were trained on various vocational skills under the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP).
Governor Umaru Al-Makura made this known at the graduation of the trainees in Wamba on Monday.
Al-Makura said the state government was poised to curb restiveness through a robust youth empowerment programme.
He said that vocational skill acquisition was crucial to the nation’s transformation agenda, adding that it would engender a technology-driven economy and fast track diversification from oil.
The governor said the youth were trained in furniture making, welding and fabrications as well as electrical installation.
Osun
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State last Monday
presented a bill for the creation of 27 additional local government development councils in the state to the state House of Assembly.
Presenting the bill, Aregbesola said the essence of the creation of more councils was to bring government closer to the people at the grassroots.
He said that the current councils in the state could not bring the desired results.
The governor said this was because they were too large to achieve what the administration intended to achieve through the councils.
Oyo
The National Missioner, Ansar-ud-deen Society (ADS),
Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Ahmad, has declared that the Boko Haram insurgency is a collective embarrassment to all faiths in the country.
Ahmad, who spoke with newsmen, in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, said the group represented no religious interest, adding that their objective had yet to be known.
He said that it was difficult to know in whose interest they were fighting as they had attacked all faiths.
“I state unequivocally that Islam is different from Boko Haram. We don’t know who they are, their sponsors and why they are killing people.
Sokoto
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Sokoto
State chapter, said it had concluded plans to start giving tractors to large-scale farmers in the state as loans.
The Chairman of the association, Alhaji Murtala Gagado, made the disclosure in a telephone interview with newsmen in Sokoto State.
He said the association, in conjunction with a Kaduna-based firm, Kaka Nigeria Ltd., was set to give out 50 tractors, worth N340 million, to large-scale farmers as loan.
According to him, each tractor will be given to the beneficiaries on loan at the cost of N6.8 million.
L-R: Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111 and Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-alao, at a reception to mark Governor Ajimobi’s 64th birthday in Ibadan last Monday.
Photo: NAN
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
-
Politics2 days agoPFN Rejects Call For INEC Chairman’s Removal Over Genocide Comments
-
Rivers2 days agoFasthire, PHCCIMA, CIPM Host CareerFest 2026 In PH
-
Sports2 days agoEnekwechi wins Orlen Cup in season opener
-
Sports2 days agoFalconets, Senegalese Lionesses arrive Ibadan for qualifier
-
Politics2 days agoHoodlums Disrupt LP-ADC Defection Event In Lagos
-
Sports2 days agoSimba open Nwabali talks
-
Education2 days agoBUK Taps Content Creators to Expand Its Digital Footprint
-
Niger Delta2 days agoTinubu, Jonathan, Diri Pay Last Respect To Ewhrudjakpo