Connect with us

Nation

THE STATES

Published

on

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State (middle), Acting President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Garba Muhammad (2nd left) and members of the Guild, during a courtesy visit to the Governor in Sokoto on Friday.        Photo: NAN

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State (middle), Acting President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Garba Muhammad (2nd left) and members of the Guild, during a courtesy visit to the Governor in Sokoto on Friday. Photo: NAN

Adamawa

The Grand Khadi of Adamawa Sharia Court of Appeal,
Justice Mohammed Mahmood, has urged proprietors of private schools in the state, to place humanitarian interest above financial benefit profit in their operations.
Mahmood made the call at the graduation ceremony of Ahmadu Ribadu College, Yola.
Mahmood, who was the chairman of the occasion, said providing education was a service to humanity and should not be reduced to ‘profit-making venture’.
The Grand Khadi,who was represented by the Registrar, Shariah Court of Appeal, Barr. Hashimu Suleiman, urged government to always monitor the operations of private schools, to ensure standard.
He lauded Ribadu College for remaining one of the best private schools in the state, and urged its management to sustain the standard.
Bauchii

Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State, has
pledged to pay workers’ salaries when due to enable them carry out their responsibilities.
Abubakar made the pledge in Bauchi while exchanging views with members of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), led by its Chairman, Mr Hashimu Gital.
He emphasised that the state government would pay workers’ salaries promptly after settling debts inherited from the previous administration.
Abubakar assured them that he would continue to engage the organised labour to enable it to contribute its quota to the development of the state.
He said that the administration would exhibit prudence and transparency in handling the resources of the state at its disposal and execute people-oriented projects.
The governor commended the labour movement in the country for its role during the electoral process that ushered in the new administration into office.
He, therefore, urged the workers in the country to support the new administration to enable it to excel.

FCT

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has commenced
investigations into alleged police misconduct in the country in line with its constitutional mandate.
In a statement, the head, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, the Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission, Mr Ikechukwu Ani said that the action followed several reports in the media and the public on allegations of unlawful police actions.
It said that all police officers involved in serious cases of misconduct would henceforth appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the commission.
“The chairman of the commission has directed that cases of gross police misconduct should subsequently be treated with dispatch,“ he said.
It said that the commission was already looking into three cases of alleged police misconduct across the country.
“They are an alleged brutalisation of an eight month pregnant woman at the Satellite Area of Lagos State who was said to have lost her pregnancy due to an alleged police indiscretion.
Gombe

Head of Forestry unit of Yamaltu/Deba Local Govern
ment Council in Gombe State has confirmed the killing of a notorious hippopotamus in Dadinkowa dam that has been terrorising the community for the past two years.
He told newsmen in Gombe that the bulky animal, apart from terrorising people, had also been destroying crops and fishing facilities of fishermen in the area.
“We discovered it about two and half years ago, but unfortunately, it has become very notorious and dangerous to people. “The community wrote to the local government council, complaining about the threat of the animal and we forwarded same to the Ministry of Environment, seeking the approval of the Governor to take action.
“We received the approval last week, and decided to go hunting for it, an exercise that took us one week before the animal was finally spotted.

Jigawa

Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State, has ap
proved the dissolution of the executive committee of the state chapter of Youth Council of Nigeria (YCN).
This is contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Adamu Abdulkadir,which was made available to our correspondent yesterday in Dutse.
It said the dissolution was with immediate effect.
The statement quoted Abdulkadir saying that the dissolution followed a conflict rocking the council.
It explained that a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the council had been constituted.

Kaduna

The Nigerian Air Force has promised to build the capac
ity of its personnel to enable them to deal with the current security challenge in the country.
The Chief of Air Staff, AVM Sadiq Abubakar, made the promise when he addressed the officers and men of the Nigeria Air Force Base (NAF), in Kaduna.
He also stressed that the new leadership of the air force would lay emphasis on personnel capacity, maintenance and stability of airplanes.
The air force chief, who was on familiarisation visit to the base, said he would undertake in depth assessment of their needs in order to strengthen their capacity to meet the challenges of the time.

Kano
The Kano State Government says fertilisers will hence
forth be distributed through Community Reorientation Committee (CRC), which had replaced the Mobile Phone Distribution System.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Yusuf Gawuna, made this known to newsmen in Kano recently.
Represented by Public Relations Officer to the Commissioner, Alhaji Garba Yunusa, Gawuna said the fertilisers would also be distributed to farmers at subsidised rate of N3,500 per bag instead of its market price of N5000.
“The new method of distribution is aimed at ensuring that the fertilisers reached the local farmers.
“The distribution through the CRC would foster effective delivery of the commodity to the grassroots farmers’’, he said.
Lagos

Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has approved the
release of N11 billion to offset all pension liabilities in the state accrued since 2010.
This is contained in a statement by the state’s Head of Service, Mrs Shade Jaji, in Lagos.
Jaji said that the move was to bring succour to all retirees in the state’s public service.
She said that release of the fund was also part of measures by government to find a holistic solution to payment of pension to retirees under the PAY AS YOU GO scheme.
She added that accrued pension rights due to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme would also be taken care of.

Nasarawa

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has
tasked members of the public to report irresponsible and corrupt officers to higher police authorities for disciplinary action.
Arase, represented by the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG), Research and Planning, Mr Christopher Katso, gave the charge at a meeting with members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC)  in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
He said that the new concept of policing in Nigeria was geared toward adequate involvement of the public in line with international best practice.
“One of the critical tools needed for effective policing is information and members of the public are in a better position to supply these information since police officers cannot be everywhere at all times,” he said.

Osun

The newly appointed Chancellor of the Obafemi
Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar,  has assured its management of his readiness to partner with other stakeholders to improve the university.
This is contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, made available to newsmen, in Ile-Ife.
Abubakar, who is also the Etsu Nupe, said this when the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole, led his management team to pay a courtesy call on him and presented to him his letter of appointment from the Federal Government.
The monarch lauded the administrative ingenuity of the university led by Omole.
He promised to put in his best to do more and build on the achievement of his predecessors, adding that it was a rare privilege for him to be appointed as the chancellor of a first-class, world-rated university like the OAU.

Plateau

Stakeholders have criticised the Nigerian education sys
tem, describing the processes leading to securing admission into the tertiary institutions as “exploitative’’.
Some of them, who spoke with newsmen in Plateau, Benue and other states in the North-Central geo-political zone, held that the hurdles were not only expensive, but energy-sapping and strenuous.
Gunsling Yarlings, Chairman, Plateau Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, said that there were too many examinations before admissions are offered, especially into the universities.
“The process starts with the purchase of the JAMB form, for which you must buy a scratch card and look for a cybercafé, to fill out the form.
“After the examination, which may be in some far away state, the candidate will have to buy another scratch card, to check the result.

Continue Reading

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

on

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.
Continue Reading

Nation

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

Published

on

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.
Continue Reading

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

on

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.
Continue Reading

Trending