Nation
THE STATES

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.
Nation
Key Regulators, Asset Owners Impressed With HYPREP’s Milestones
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.
Nation
Maternal Mortality: RSG Identifies 6 High Risk Local Government Areas
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
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