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THE STATES

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Adamawa
The District Head of Yola in Adamawa State,
Alhaji  Sa’adu Bawuro, has urged traditional title holders in his domain to  sensitise students in the area on the dangers of violence.
Bawuro made the call when he visited  Yelwa Primary School in Yola South Local Government Area.
He  urged title holders to take the sensitisation campaign to primary and secondary schools in their domains to enlighten students on the dangers of violence.
He said the  move  had  become necessary in view of the prevailing insecurity ravaging the  state and other North Eastern states.

Bauchi
Justice Rabi Umar of the Bauchi State High Court has
ordered the Police Commissioner in Kaduna State and the DPO in Saminaka to pay one Gideon Okoh the sum of N1 million for unlawful detention.
Passing the judgement in Bauchi, Umar said that the arrest and detention of the applicant on the orders of the DPO and on the insistence of the commissioner violated his fundamental human rights.
She therefore ordered that the duo and one Alhaji Sabo Gidan-Dutse to jointly pay the money to the applicant.
The judgment also added that apart from the N1 million, the DPO should refund additional sum of N5,000 taken from the applicant as bail money and N1,000.00 taken unlawfully.

Ekiti
Campaigns for the June 21 governorship election in
Ekiti State will formally begin on March 23, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said recently.
The INEC office in the state disclosed this in a Time Table and Schedule of Activities for the election released in Ado-Ekiti and made available to newsmen.
It also gave April 1 as the date for the collection of forms for the election by political parties.
According to the commission, verification of voters status will hold between March 7  and March 9, while Continuos Voters Registration (CVR) will take place between March 12 and March 17.

FCT

The police have started taking strategic proactive mea
sures to ensure peaceful elections in 2015, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mba, said recently.
Mba made the disclosure when he paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Director, Editorial Operations, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Mr Isaac Ighure, in Abuja.
He said that “beyond the internal preparations that we are doing, we are actually taking other proactive measures to ensure that we have hitch-free 2015 elections.
“We are also maintaining very strong surveillance on our campuses.”

Kaduna

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has
restated its commitment to ensure the success of ongoing power sector reforms in the country.
The Chairman, TCN Board, Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim gave the pledge while inspecting facilities of Kaduna Transmission Company.
Represented by a member of the board, Prof. Peter Akper, the chairman said the reform was key to achieving national growth and development.
“We must emphasise that the government takes the power reforms very seriously; because it is the only key that we have to achieving our developmental objectives generally,” he said.
Kwara
A university teacher, Prof. Shehu Jimoh, has identified
polluted value system, disfunctional education, corruption and insecurity as some of the challenges facing Nigeria.
Jimoh, a former Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of IIorin, made the observation in IIorin while speaking with newsmen.
He noted that the education system was not functional, stressing the need to review and re-engineer the system to restore its lost value
The don called on government to tackle the challenges facing the country for more development to be attained.

Lagos
The police in Lagos State have arraigned a 43-year-old
lawyer, Yinka Oluwole, who allegedly stole N10 million from his client.
Oluwole, who resides at No. 1, Jolaosho St., Obanikoro, Lagos, is standing trial before an Oshodi Magistrates’ Court.
He was charged with stealing and obtaining money under pretext.
The Prosecutor, Cpl. Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that the accused and one David Okoro, still at large, stole the sum from Mr Femi Onamusi.
Olatunde said that the theft occurred on October 10, 2013, at No. 5, Obalodun St., Ilupeju, Lagos.

Niger
The management of Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai
in Niger State, has matriculated 2,222 students into its various programmes for  2013/2014 session.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ibrahim Kolo, said at the university’s 8th Matriculation ceremony in Lapai that the new students constituted the largest number of students ever matriculated by the university.
He said the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences had 545 matriculating students; Natural Sciences, 470 students; and Education and Arts, 783 students.
Kolo said the Language and Communication Studies had 298 students, Agriculture; 75 students, while Faculty of Applied Science and Technology; 52 students each.

Ogun
The Ogun State Police Command says it has placed one
Bisi Onigogo on its “wanted list’’ for allegedly beating his daughter, Yemi, to death.
This was contained in a statement by the command’s spokesman, Mr Muyiwa Adejobi, issued last Tuesday in Abeokuta.
Adejobi said Onigogo allegedly committed the crime on March 3 at Ogbere in Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.
He said that Onigogo was annoyed over his daughter’s misbehaviour and allegedly beat her to death, and escaped immediately he noticed she was dead.
Ondo
The Osun State House of Assembly has con
doled with its Ondo State counterpart  over the demise of its Speaker, Samuel Adesina.
The Deputy Speaker of Osun State Assembly, Mr Akintunde Adegboye, who led a delegation to Akure, described the late speaker as a leader,  who contributed to the development of Ondo State.
According to Adegboye, the late speaker must  be immortalised for creating a harmonious relationship between the executive and the lawmakers.
He expressed regrets at the  loss to the people of the state, and urged the lawmakers to maintain the existing peace the deceased had enthroned.

Oyo
A former Chairman of  Odua Investment Com
pany Ltd, Chief Sarafadeen Alli,  has  urged  pharmacists  to  refrain from aiding criminal activities.
Alli  made the observation  at the opening ceremony of the 30th  anniversary of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan.
According to him,  pharmacists should refrain from directly or indirectly  abetting criminal activities or  conspiring with drug traffickers.
Alli, who spoke as the guest speaker on  “Pharmacy Practice in Relations to Nigerian Law,’’  said pharmacists had responsibilities to the profession, colleagues,  clients  and the public.

Taraba
The Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) said
it would prosecute motorists with old number plates and drivers licence as from July 1.
Corps Commander, Clement Oladele, who is the Head, Advisory and Planning Unit of the Corps, stated this in Jalingo at a workshop to sensitise motorists on the need to switch over to the new policy.
Oladele noted that the workshop became necessary given the fact that the June deadline to phase out the old system was fast approaching.
“Nigerians are aware that  October 1, 2013  was set as deadline for them to switch over to the new licence and number plate following the launch of the new policy by President Goodluck Jonathan, but for some reasons the deadline was shifted to June, 2014.

Former Secretary to Sokoto State Government, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi (left), with Governor Aliyu  Wamakko, during an APC stakeholders meeting in Sokoto last Monday.

Former Secretary to Sokoto State Government, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi (left), with Governor Aliyu Wamakko, during an APC stakeholders meeting in Sokoto last Monday.

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REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

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

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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.
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Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

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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.
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