Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has vowed to flush out
ghost workers from the state civil service and put in place strategies at providing quality service and prudence.
State Head of Service, HoS, Mr. Abdon Dalla Gin, spoke while declaring open a five-day capacity building training on Human Resources Management for civil servants organised by the Public Sector Governance Reform and Development Project in collaboration with Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, ASCON.
According to him, the administration was determined to ensure that only genuine civil servants were in its payroll through proper documentation.
He said: “The state government was able to surmount the ghost workers syndrome in the state through the provision of Data Bank for all civil servants in the state including pensioners. This training is aimed at equipping the officers with requisite knowledge that will not only enhance their skills but also assist them in ensuring effective service delivery and it will also expose them to information technology system.
Borno
No fewer than 200 members of the Boko Haram Is
lamic sect, were reportedly killed, yesterday, in a battle with soldiers of 7 Division, Nigerian Army when the sect members in their hundreds attempted to launch attack on Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.
Also, more than six vehicles including an armoured tank with Arabic inscription; Rocket-Propelled Launchers, anti-aircraft guns, assorted number of AK-47 rifles with ammunition were recovered from the terrorists by the troops.
Konduga is South-East and about 42 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital which had witnessed series of deadly attacks in the past. Last Friday, more than 100 insurgents, who attempted to invade the town, were killed by the troops in a gun battle before seizing many of their vehicles, arms and ammunition.
A statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye said: “In an attempt to regain the momentum they lost in Konduga last week, Boko Haram terrorists again attacked Konduga last Tuesday night. However, the terrorists were denied their objective by vigilant and gallant Nigerian Army troops. During the fight, several terrorists were killed and those fleeing Konduga with gunshot wounds were being pursued.
FCT
The Federal Government, last Monday, said it has “con
tained” the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country.
This is even as the government has described as ill-conceived, the recent strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), especially when the nation’s health sector was under threat.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute, spoke in Abuja, recently while briefing directors, deputy directors at a meeting with the Head of Service of the Federation, Mr Danladi Kifasi.
Kifasi had asked Awute to enlighten the top echelon of the Federal Civil Service on the Ebola outbreak and precautionary measures to take, in order to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.
Jigawa
Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, says the state
will not support President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid until promises made to the state in 2011 are kept by the president.
He said all the four promises made before the 2011 elections by the president have not been fulfilled by the Federal Government.
The governor, in an interview with BBC Hausa radio on Tuesday said that the state expected to be compensated for its support to Jonathan in 2011.
He mentioned the unfulfilled promises as “the cargo airport, which the president stated there would be six of them in the whole country, and promised us that one would be in Dutse.”
Kaduna
Chairman, Board of Nigerian Railway Corporation
(NRC), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has assured Nigerians that transforming railway system was President Goodluk Jonathan’s topmost priority.
Tukur said this in an interview with journalists shortly after inspecting railway facilities during a familiarisation tour to the Railway Northern District in Kaduna recently.
He said: “President Goodluck Jonathan had intensified efforts toward transforming the railway system to give it a new and dynamic face.
“With the determination of Mr President, board, management and the entire staff we will rebuild an enviable railway system in Nigeria.”
Kaduna
A former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim
Coomassie, has urged Northern leaders to tackle the security challenges facing the North.
Coomassie, who is the chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), gave the advice at the emergency meeting of the ACF with Northern non-governmental organisation leaders in Kaduna recently.
“We must salvage the North and by extension the whole nation, our success will usher vista of hope, respect, unity and cooperation in the North,’’ he said.
According to him, if we fail to save the north, all of us will go down in history as those crops of leaders who have mortgaged the future of their progeny.
The former police boss called on the northern leaders to speak with one voice, adding: “we must all speak not as members of our individual groups but as members of the Arewa family’’.
Kwara
Minister of National Planning and Deputy Chairman,
National Planning Commission, Dr. Suleiman Olanrewaju, has advised members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Kwara State to bury their differences and unite to be able to win the 2015 general elections.
He spoke at the palace of Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Sulu Gambari, where he went to pay homage to the traditional ruler ahead of a PDP reception in his honour in Ilorin.
He said: “This is the first time Kwara State, as a government, will be in the opposition to the political party at the centre in the last 20 years, and we should take advantage of this golden opportunity.
“We all know that there is nothing as good as being with the party at the centre. We should, therefore, not miss 2015; we should, therefore, put our house in order and win Kwara State for PDP in the coming elections.”
Olanrewaju also cautioned that no member of PDP in the state should engage in politics of bitterness capable of causing breach of peace in any part of the state and also solicited for prayers of the royal father for peace in the state.
Lagos
The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA),
last Monday, blamed the Lagos State Government for blocking the median drain while constructing a diversion to Alimosho Road on Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway.
Mr Kehinde Afolabi, the FERMA engineer in charge of Lagos West, said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Afolabi said though the state government obtained permission to create the diversion while rehabilitating bridges on the axis, it was expected to restate the road to its original position.
According to him, lined drain that is supposed to discharge water from the road median was tampered with by the state government.
He said a drain channel on the road median, which connected the one that discharged water to the road shoulders, was blocked with crushed stone materials.
Nasarawa
Police in Nasarawa State are investigating a group of
male students of the state polytechnic, after they allegedly gang-raped a 200-Level student. The students are suspected to be members of a cult group.
Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred shortly after the victim returned from a trip.
Sources said the student returned to school with a lot of money and that she stayed out with the suspected rapists at a drinking joint, where “they all had a good time”.
She was said to have left the group after a quarrel ensued among them. She was, however, unable to gain access to her room as her roommate refused to open the door because she returned late.
Plateau
No fewer than 1,274 intending pilgrims from Plateau
State for this year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, have been declared free of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, as well as other deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS.
State Executive Secretary, Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Salisu Musa, disclosed this yesterday in Jos during the farewell address for the 2014 intending Pilgrims.
Addressing the intending pilgrims, Alhaji Musa said the state government in conjunction with the board had put in place all basic requirements that would guarantee smooth pilgrimage in the holy land.
According to him, “Out of the 1,274 intending pilgrims, 924 are self sponsored while the State and local governments sponsored 350. Adequate arrangements have been made in the areas of transportation, accommodation and medical facilities. Not only did the governor approve the sponsorship of some medical personnel but sufficient drugs have been purchased to be used in our clinic while in the holy land. The airlift of pilgrims is expected to start today (Wednesday) and the movement will be in three batches.”
L-R: Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State, Director General, mdgs, Precious Gbaneol and Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja, recently. Photo: NAN
The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended the orderly conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state and urged schools to sustain the standard.
Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation on Tuesday during a monitoring tour of selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and environs where the WAEC exam is ongoing.
The commissioner, who was accompanied by directors and monitors from the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere at the centres visited.
“The students conducted themselves properly and wrote their papers under conducive conditions. Invigilators and supervisors also performed their duties professionally,” he stated.
Nwagor noted that the Rivers State Government had invested heavily to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the examination across the state
He urged candidates to reciprocate government’s effort by shunning all forms of examination malpractice and focusing on their studies.
“Government has done so much to ensure successful examinations in our schools. Students should take advantage of it by remaining focused,” the commissioner said.
While no case of malpractice was recorded in the centres inspected, Dr. Nwagor warned that any principal, teacher, invigilator, or official caught aiding malpractice would face strict sanctions in line with regulations.
He also commended school administrators, teachers, WAEC officials, and security personnel for upholding the integrity of the process.
Centres visited included County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri; Government Secondary School, Borokiri; and Pabod Model Secondary School.
Rivers State University and the Otonti Nduka Foundation for Values Education jointly hosted a two-day National Conference on 8 and 9 May 2026 to examine the state of values in Nigeria.
The two days conference held at Rivers State University convocation arena brought together academics, policymakers, legal experts and education leaders under the theme _“Trends and Challenges in Upholding Values in Nigeria.”_
The gathering focused on policy gaps, curriculum reform, and the role of ethics in public service and education.
The event opened on Friday with remarks from Vice Chancellor Prof. Chief Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who stressed the need to address declining moral and civic values across Nigeria’s education and public sectors. A book of abstracts for the plenary sessions was also presented to participants.
Key speakers included former Attorney General Chief Dr Kanu Agabi, SAN; NERDC Executive Secretary Prof. Shehu Salisu; Prof. Hauwa Imam, FNAE, of the University of Abuja; former Rivers SUBEB Chairman Ven Dr Fyneface Akah, ; former NIMASA DG Dr Hon. Dakuku Adol-Peterside; and RSU Director of ICT Prof. Sunny Orike.
Discussions centered on integrating values education into schools, tertiary institutions and public institutions, alongside the impact of technology on moral development among young Nigerians. Panel and plenary sessions produced practical recommendations for curriculum and policy reform.
On Saturday, the foundation marked its centenary with the unveiling of the book _Otonti Nduka in History_, launched by Chief Engr. Grant Offor, FNSE. The Nigerian Academy of Education held a ceremonial procession led by its President Prof. Olu Jegede and the Ikwerre Professors Forum.
In a communiqué, participants called for stronger collaboration between government, civil society and academia to mainstream values education nationwide. They recommended reviewing teacher training curricula and expanding digital platforms to promote ethical civic engagement, with the foundation pledging to share the outcomes with education authorities for implementation.
Dignitaries present included Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide as Chief Host, Prof. Emeritus Chief T. Uzodimma Nwala, the Ikenga 1 of Mbaise and first philosophy student of Prof. Otonti Nduka, alongside scholars and community leaders.
Amadi Akujobi
