Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government says it would establish an
agency for Tsangaya Integrated Qur’anic Education system to ensure sustainability of the programme in the state.
Tsangaya is an Islamic education system where pupils were made to live with a scholar for the purpose of learning and memorising the Holy Qur’an.
The Governor of Bauchi State, Malam Isa Yuguda, said in Bauchi that the proposed bill for the establishment of the agency for such an education system had been drafted and would soon be submitted to the state’s House of Assembly for deliberation.
He made the disclosure when the Director-General of the Tsangaya Education System, Saiyadi Dahiru, and other officials visited him in Government House, Bauchi.
Earlier, Dahiru had told the governor that the visit was to thank him for supporting Quar’anic education in the state.
He said the Yuguda-led administration was the only government that addressed the plight of almajiris, as well as the welfare of Qur’anic teachers in the state.
Benue
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) in Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom, said he was ready to face any litigation against him by the ruling PDP.
Our correspondent reports that Ortom decamped to the APC after losing the PDP governorship ticket to Terhemen Tarzoor in December 2014.
Ortom told newsmen at the premises of NKST Church in Makurdi, where he attended the ordination of some pastors, that he had not committed any crime to be scared of anybody.
The APC governorship candidate said as a law-abiding citizen, he was available to be served any court order at any time.
He said he had briefed his lawyers on the matter and was prepared to face the PDP in court.
Ortom wondered why the PDP instituted legal action against him when he had already left the party.
Borno
The Nigeria Union of Fishermen And Sea Food Dealers
(NUFAS), Borno State chapter, has lauded Lake Chad Basin Commission, N’djamena on its fish support programme to the union.
The chairman of the union, Alhaji Abubakar Namandi, gave this commendation in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri.
He said that the union members had received support under the Chad Republic Sustainable Development Programme to boost their production.
Namandi said the union had received fish farming inputs including 200 units of ‘chorkor’ oven for fish smoking, fish drying trays, water testing kits and containers for storage of fresh fish and about 5,000 fish nets.
He said that the gesture had led to an increase in local fish production from 650, 000 to 1.5 million metric tonnes annually.
Namandi said that the union had successfully registered more than one million members, comprising of local fishermen, fish dealers, producers, marketers and processors across the 27 Local Government Areas.
FCT
Justice Maureen Esowe of the National Industrial Court in
Abuja has fixed March 18 to deliver judgment in a case of replacement without benefit instituted against Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
Our correspondent reports that 580 former employees of the company filed a suit on forceful replacement on September 24, 2014, against their former employer.
The judge gave the date after the final hearing in the case last Thursday.
The replaced workers members are seeking an order of the court for the payment of their benefits and entitlements, having worked for their employer for many years.
During the hearing, the Claimants’ Counsel, Mr Omar Musa, argued that the workers ought to have been compensated and paid some benefits for the period they had worked for the company.
Musa argued that although their employer had complied with Section 11 of the Labour Act of one month’s notice or payment in lieu as adduced by the defendant’s counsel, the sacked workers still had other claims.
Lagos
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has
postponed indefinitely its election at the Lagos State University (LASU).
The Chairman of LASU chapter of ASUU, Dr Adekunle Idris, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Idris said that the union took the decision at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Abia State University, Uturu.
“ASUU NEC has resolved that no election will hold in LASU to change the present leadership until all the pending rancours in the chapter are resolved,” Idris said.
The union leader said that the tenure of the present leadership was supposed to elapse in March.
Idris said that the decision of the NEC was to prevent some people from taking advantage of the election to super-impose themselves as leaders of the union in the chapter.
He said that the NEC would send delegates to meet with LASU’s Visitor, Governor Babatunde Fashola, its Governing Council and senate to resolve all issues between the authorities and the union.
Kano
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in
Kano State last Wednesday said it had distributed 3,731,775 permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), representing 75 per cent of the cards delivered to the state.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Minkaila, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Kano.
He said the commission had registered 4,975,701 voters in the state, adding that the turnout of people, especially women was impressive.
“The number of women that turned out to collect their PVCs is encouraging,“ he said.
He called on residents to encourage their wives and daughters to collect the cards before the March 8 deadline.
“With the extension of time for the distribution, the commission is expected to record higher number of collection before the deadline,“ he said.
Katsina
The Police in Katsina State have killed two suspected cattle
rustlers and recovered 533 cows from the hoodlums, from January to date.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Bala Zamasanchi, disclosed this in Katsina while briefing newsmen on the achievements of the command during the period.
Zamasanchi said the cows were recovered around Funtua and Rugu forest in Safana and Batsari Local Government Areas of the state.
He said the police had also arrested 15 suspected cattle rustlers during the period.
He said 67 sheep were also recovered from the rustlers.
According to him, the police have arrested 30 notorious armed robbery suspects, and that 22 of them have already been charged to court.
Nasarawa
The Emir of Lafia in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Isah Mustapha-
Agwai 1, has honoured the wife of the state governor, Hajiya Salamatu Al-Makura, with the traditional title of Jaruman Mata Jaah Nasarawa’’ for her contribution to the development of women in the state.
Mustapha-Agwai said at a brief ceremony in his palace in Lafia that the emirate council would continue to honour indigenes of the area for their contrubution to the development of the emirate.
According to him, “those that are given traditional title are people of proven integrity and as well as those that showed concern to the development and socio-economic well being of the people of the emirate”.
He said that the gesture would encourage other people to live an exemplary life for the general good of the state.
The monarch appealed to the wealthy individuals to always assist the less-privileged ones in the society.
Oyo
All Farmers Association of Nigeria, (AFAN) Oyo State
branch, has urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to assist in curtailing the spread of the bird flu in the state.
Chairman of the association, Mr Olumide Aina, made this call in an interview with our correspondent in Ibadan.
He said that in view of the losses experienced by many poultry farmers recently in the state, the association had approached the ministry for help.
“We don’t know the cause of the disease, but it is really affecting the sales of livestock in the market.
“We are hopeful that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture will respond fast enough in checking the deadly disease,” he said.
Aina, however, appealed to poultry farmers to be calm, saying, “with help on the way, I believe that the disease will soon become a thing of the past.”
Zamfara
The Zamfara State chapter of All Progressives Congress
(APC), has condemned the February 16 attack on APC supporters at the launching of the party’s gubernatorial campaign in Okrika, Rivers.
The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Alhaji Sani Gwamna, made the condemnation in Gusau while addressing newsmen.
“It is unfortunate that unidentified gunmen attacked our party supporters who were innocent and armless politicians and in a legitimate campaign,“ he said.
Gwamma described the attack as ‘blessing’ to the people of Rivers who he said, “are in desperate need of change to bring development to the state.’’
The party spokesman urged the people of the state and other APC supporters to remain calm, adding that indications showed that the forthcoming elections in the state would favour the party.
Governor Babatunde Fashola of lagos State, with his Ogun Stated counterpart, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, during APC rally in Lagos recently.
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
