Nation

THE STATES

Published

11 years ago

July 28, 2014

Adamawa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has
said that the commission is yet to decide on when to conduct the governorship election in Adamawa state following the recent impeachment of the governor and the resignation of his deputy.
Also, the commission said that it is yet to be formally informed of the impeachment of Muritala Nyako as governor and the resignation of James Ngilari as the deputy governor.
The constitution mandates that a governorship election should be conducted within 90 days of the impeachment of the governor.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, disclosed this during a dialogue with Media Professionals in Abuja, where he justified the drafting of military to maintain peace in Ekiti state and advocated that military also be drafted to maintain peace in the August 9 governorship election in Osun state.
Borno
Eleven women have been delivered of babies at the two camps
established by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for people displaced from Damboa as a result of the capture of the town last weekend by the Boko Haram insurgents.
NEMA also revealed on Thursday that it has registered about 10000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the two camps established in Biu town, about 100 kilometres away from Damboa town.
In a statement by the Northeast zonal information officer of the agency, Mallam AbdulKadir Ibrahim, who revealed that the agency had deployed two truckloads of relief materials to Biu to take care of the IDPs, revealed that the ten of the women had normal deliveries at the camps while a lone woman had to be taken to the General Hospital, Biu where she was delivered after a Caesarean Session (CS).
Ibrahim said the newly delivered mothers were apart from the normal relief materials, also given some toys, feeding bottles and baby food for the needs of the newly delivered babies.
Ekiti
Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has criticised the House
of Assembly for passing the bill for creation of 19 additional local governments in the state.
The Assembly on Wednesday approved the creation of 19 additional councils following the adoption of the report of the ad-hoc committee set up to work on the bill seeking the creation of the new councils.
In a statement in Ado-Ekiti by the State Publicity Secretary, Kola Oluwawole, said the action was illegal because there is a suit seeking to stop the LCDAs and also wondered why the Assembly increased the number of the proposed LGs from 18 to 19 when referendum was conducted for 18 LGs.
Oluwawole said, “We are still in court challenging the legality of the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission and the body went ahead to organise an illegal referendum. The Assembly added more illegality to an illegal act by increasing the number of the councils. We are restating the fact that both State Independent Electoral Commission and Assembly are into illegal acts.
Jigawa
The Jigawa Government on Thursday said it earmarked N1.8
billion for the construction of senate building and Vice Chancellor’s lodge at the state university, Kafin-Hausa.
The Commissioner for Information, Youth and Sports, Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse that the money was approved during the state executive council meeting on Wednesday.
He said N1.6 billion was set aside for the construction of the senate building, while N128 million would be used for the construction of of the vice chancellor’s residence.

Kaduna
A former National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party and
Nigeria’s Ambassador-at-Large, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has described the recent bomb blasts in Kaduna State, which killed about 82 innocent Nigerians, as “most barbaric and unholy.”
Tukur, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said it was more painful that the perpetrators of such heinous crime against humanity could carry out such action during the month of Ramadan.
He said no right-thinking person would like to take the lives of innocent people away against the teaching and doctrines of Christianity and Islamic injunctions and called on those “behind these dangerous acts against humanity” to have a re-think and return to the path of religious and social rectitude.
Tukur said, “The perpetrators of these acts are not thinking of the consequences of their actions against God and humanity. The damage they have done to human race are irreparable and condemnable. The Boko-Haram sect do not belong to any religious organization since every religion in the world clearly condemn murder of fellow human being in any form, shape or ramification.”
Kano
A non governmental organization (NGO), under
the aegis of Health Initiative Forum (HIF), yesterday in Kano, commended Resident Doctors in Kano and Kaduna states who voluntarily went back to work following the bomb blasts that rocked the two ancient cities.
Chairman of the group, Alhaji Bala Danladi, during a chat with reporters, observed the human feeling in the hearts of the doctors that participated in the rescue operations and their leadership in the affected states.
“Despite their perennial disagreement with the Federal Government, these doctors believe that the strike action should not stop them from showing love to Nigerians under such emergency situations. We also believe that Nigerian doctors are not enemies of Nigerians as some elements were trying hard to make us believe,” he stated.
While commending the widely circulated statement of the President of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD), Dr Jibril Abdullahi, immediately after the happening of Kaduna blasts, the group urged federal government to make a second thought on her stand on the doctors’ demands.

Nasarawa
The Chief Judge of Nasarawa State Justice
Suleiman Dikko, last Friday inaugurated a seven-member panel to investigate the allegation of gross misconduct levelled against Governor Umaru Al-Makura by the state assembly.
The state lawmakers had on July 23, passed a resolution directing the Chief Judge to set up the probe panel within seven days in line with the provisions of the constitution.
Inaugurating the panel on Friday in Lafia, Dikko said that setting up of the committee was in line with the state assembly’s request to appoint a seven man panel to investigate the governor.
Those in the panel are MalamYusuf Usman (Chairman); Malam Mohammed Sabo Keana; Rev. Joel Galadima; Alhaji Abdul Usman; Mr Samuel Chaku; Malam Mohammed Sani Usman and Pastor Daniel Chaga as members.
The chief judge urged the members to discharge their duties in line with Section 188, Sub-section 1-11 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Ondo
The remains of the late Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Bamidele
Aturu, were buried in his hometown, Ogbagi Akoko, Ondo State, last Friday.
Scores of sympathisers, including human rights activists, legal practitioners, members of the organised labour , were in attendance to witness the burial service.
His corpse was moved into the venue of the burial programme around 10.25 by the casket bearers and followed by a song rendered by members of the Redeemed Christain of God (RCCG) who came to honour one of their own. Aturu was an Assistant Pastor in the church.
The officiating minister, in his sermon, said death is an inevitable end for every human, hence, the need for people to move closer to God
He described Aturu as a dogged fighter and a fearless lawyer who stood for justice and equity,urging the younger ones to emulate his virtues.
Osun
The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has gone to
the courts to challenge the powers of President Goodluck Jonathan to deploy troops to Osun State for the August 9 governorship election.
The party said it was also seeking to oust the power of the Inspector-General of Police Mr. Muhammed Abubakar, to impose a curfew on any part of the state during the election.
In a statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the actions were aimed at avoiding a repeat of the massive harassment, intimidation and arrest of opposition politicians witnessed during the Ekiti State governorship election, and to prevent any illegal lock down of Osun State, which turned out to be a ploy to pigeon-hole opposition politicians, while allowing PDP members to move around freely during the polls.
The party urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take concrete actions to ensure that all the candidates in the August 9 governorship election in Osun State are provided with a level playing.

Plateau
The crisis rocking the Plateau State chapter of the
All Progressives Congress deepened last Thursday as some aggrieved members locked out some executives and other stalwarts of the party who were holding a meeting at the secretariat.
The party had been enmeshed in crisis over the outcome of its state congress, especially the chairmanship position, which a former aide of the former Governor, Joshua Dariye, Mr. Latep Dabang won.
The outcome of the exercise was hotly contested by the former interim state chairman, Senator John Shagaya and another member, Amos Gombi, who had earlier petitioned the national secretariat.
However, the new twist occurred following an attempt by the Dabang-led executive to hold a meeting at the party secretariat for the nomination, but was prevented from doing so by some aggrieved members of the party.

Governor Sule Lamido (left) of Jigawa State with the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Sunusi, during Sallah in Dutse, yesterday.

Nation

HYPREP Reaffirms Support For Ogoni Youths …Organises Workshop For Undergraduates

Published

2 days ago

July 18, 2025

The Tide

In pursuit of its strategic human capacity development initiatives, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has restated its commitment to supporting Ogoni youths to maximally benefit from its projects and programmes that align with their visions and aspirations.

The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who gave this indication during the second edition of the international career enhancement and employability workshop organised by the Project for undergraduates and fresh graduates of Ogoni ethnic nationality in Port Harcourt, assured the participants of its commitment to continually initiate programmes that support their visions and aspirations.

He noted that the workshop reaffirms the Project’s commitment to inclusiveness and continuous skills development, as strategic pillars in its efforts to restore and improve livelihoods in Ogoniland.

He said the workshop was aimed at equipping the Ogoni youths with relevant career skills and empower them with employability tools, to ensure that HYPREP’s gains extend beyond remediation into long-term transformations, stressing that the Project is committed to supporting their dreams.

”HYPREP is committed to supporting your dreams through targeted initiatives, such as this workshop and we will explore ways to empower you with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed.
I want to emphasise that this workshop is not just about enhancing your career prospects; it is also about building a community of young people and equipping you to make a positive impact in your communities. As you benefit from HYPREP’s interventions (and the experiences of the facilitator), I challenge you to take the message of peace and constructive engagement to your communities and live accordingly,” he said.

Zabbey further assured that HYPREP would continue to stand with Ogoni youths by supporting their aspirations through targeted workshops and broader livelihood initiatives that prioritise their development, noting that the Project believes in them and remains committed to creating platforms where their potential can be nurtured and realised.

The Project Coordinator enjoined them to continue to contribute to the success of HYPREP.

The second edition of the career enhancement and employability workshop had Dr Akanimo Odon and Dr Chioma Okonkwo as facilitators, while the participants were drawn from the four Ogoni local government areas.

Among other modules, participants at the two-day workshop were provided with tips on ways to explore opportunities in seemingly challenging situations, discover themselves, convert hobbies and interests into passion and profits through three career e-routes and understand the power of networks and partnerships.

Participants were also given useful nuggets, career resources of time and skills, and career resources of funding, especially how to access foreign scholarships and funding.

At the closing, HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, urged the participants to earnestly pursue their passions and commit to their dreams.

Meanwhile, the participants expressed gratitude to HYPREP for organising the workshop, which they described as impactful and transformative.

HYPREP has continued to be intentional in its efforts to prioritise human capacity development in Ogoni through such workshops and trainings. This year, the Project will be rolling out trainings in high demand skill areas like mechatronics, underwater welding, commercial diving, full-stack development and GIS, targeting the youths as major beneficiaries and giving them a fair head start and comparative advantage in a highly competitive environment.

Nation

NIPR Practitioners Urge To Go Beyond Traditional Media Relations To Strategic Leadership Functions

Published

2 days ago

July 18, 2025

The Tide

The Public Relations practitioners across Nigeria have been charged to go beyond the perceived roles of media relations and protocol services to strategic leadership functions that is crucial to shaping and transforming the nation.

In his message at this year’s (2025) World Public Relations Day, with the Theme: ” Building Bridges, Navigating Polarisation” In Port Harcourt, The National President of the Nigeria Institution of Public Relations Dr. Ike Neliaku expressed delight to address members and guests on this special day, pointing out that the day offers a an opportunity to reflect on the journey over six decades since Public Relations formally birthed in Nigeria.

He maintained that this year’s world Public Relations day gives opportunity to members to reflect on the actions and inactions towards the development of the profession and to boldly develop new frontiers for a greater institution.

The NIPR president explained that the values of Public Relations particularly in areas of fostering relationship, strengthening leadership and advancing good governance remain a key -through effective and goal- oriented communication.

Earlier, The Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, (RSU) Prof. Isaac zep-Obipi being represented by the Deputy VC admin Prof. Victor Akujuru throw challenge to NIPR members to rebranding and portray the state in good light, standing that RSU remains a state owned institution that have not witness any strike in the passed fifteen years.

Also in his speech, the state chairman NIPR Rivers Chapter Rev. Francis Asuk described world Public Relations day as a day set aside to pay attention to the works of public relations globally indeed that relationship is important that the world is crying about in rebuilding relationship due to the collapsed of the value systems at family, society and world level of human existence.

” At the highest level of human existence relationship has become imperative for all practitioners to come together and build bridges to navigates those Polarisation” he said.

In a related development,the keynote speaker Rev (Fr.) Prof. Walter C.Ihejirika, said the media has a lot to do especially on its role of enlightenment to the public about the role and function as a key element in the development of a better society.

Prof. Ihejirika who is the Dean faculty of Communication and Media Studies , University of Port Harcourt, stressed that when media practitioners navigate on the area of strategic communications with a goal, then the public will be better informed and know that they have a responsibility for the large society, “because if the large society is not good, the organization cannot function effectively.”

Nation

Alumni, Others Launch Campus Care Initiative In Port Harcourt

Published

2 days ago

July 18, 2025

The Tide

The Madonna University Alumni Association Rivers State Chapter in partnership with Rotary Club of Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt Downtown and Nigerian Immigration Service have launched Campus Care Initiative at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic Rumuola Port Harcourt.

Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday in the inaugural edition of the Campus Care Initiative, at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic the Chairman of Madonna University Alumni Association Rivers State Chapter (MUAARIV) Dr Iheanyichukwu Wopara said that the program is aim to empowered the youth of Nigerians and also to give them the right direction in life.

He said Campus Care Initiative is a testament to the association commitment to giving back to the society and empowering the next generation of leaders.

According to him the program is designed it demands across all sectors, physical health, mental health, sexual health and even the environment adding that the focus of the Association is to give back to the society the best way they can.

” We have been carrying out different humanitarian activities and outreach which includes medical outreach and the girl child campaign.

” We gave academic support to three students and also three international passports, free medical outreach, pads to girl child and condoms to the boy child and there is also introduction to ICT training that will commence soon in the campus, “he said.

Kiadum Edookor