Nation
THE STATES
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (right), presenting certificate to the new Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, during the Oba’s coronation in Ibadan on Friday . With them is the Oba’s eldest wife, Alhaja Rafiat Adetunji.
Bauchi
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Wikki Spring Water
Company, Mainamaji, Bauchi State, Mr Ojile Alfa says the company has engaged 2,050 youths working for the company.
Alfa announced this at the commissioning of the company in Mainamaji, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Alfa said that the company was currently producing 5,000 bottles of water per hour but could produce 40,000 bottles in eight hours.
He further explained that the company produced 80,000 sachet water per hour while it was working to provide additional two production lines.
The CEO called on the state government to re-construct the two-kilometre road linking main entrance to Yankari Games Reserves to Badara, to motivate the villagers who were sugar cane farmers.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State Government says it has expended over
one billion naira (N1 billion) on ecological projects between October, 2015 and February, 2016
The State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Bisi Kolawole told newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, that seven of the projects had been completed, while three were ongoing.
He said that the projects executed include dredging of stream channels, construction of access culverts and reconstruction of failed culverts.
Kolawole, who frowned at the careless attitude of the citizens to their environment, appealed to them to compliment the efforts of the state government at ensuring a clean environment.
“The attitude of our people to their environment is not encouraging because there are so many culverts that were blocked with waste and filth thrown inside them by the people.
“I want to appeal to our people that they should complement the efforts of the state government by ensuring that they clear their drains at least once or twice a month.
“If our people can inculcate that attitude of cleanliness, the state will be clean and government will have less work to do.
FCT
The Director of FCT Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board
(FMPWB), Malam Muhammad Bashir, has pledged to ensure hitch-free 2016 Hajj operations in the territory.
Bashir gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
He said as part of early preparations for the 2016 Hajj, the board held preliminary discussions with service providers such as accommodation and feeding providers in Mecca.
“Immediately after the 2015 Hajj, we began preparations for the 2016 by reviewing our performance in order to improve the standard of future operations.
“We reviewed all aspects of the operations to make sure that we identify what we did perfectly and where we were found wanting.
“This was to enable us to adjust where necessary and to improve the 2016 Hajj exercise,’’ Bashir said.
Gombe
The Inspector- General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase,
has been urged to prosecute the police officer who reportedly shot and killed Sadiq Yunusa, a student of Government Science Secondary School, Gombe.
The Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Bem Angwe, made the call in a statement issued by Chief Press Officer of the commission, Fatimah Mohammed in Abuja.
The statement, which said that Yunusa was shot by a policeman on Friday, described the death as senseless.
It urged the Inspector- General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, to ensure that the officer responsible was prosecuted in line with the relevant laws.
It also appealed to officers and men of the police force to always abide by the rules of engagement while on duty.
Kaduna
The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) on Tuesday
said it had released new high-yield cowpea (beans), maize, groundnut and sorghum’s varieties to farmers in Kaduna state.
An IAR Director, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar, made the disclosure at the IAR’s 2016 Annual Cropping Scheme Meeting held in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Our correspondent reports that the meeting had “Revamping Agriculture for Economic Growth and Sustainability’’ as its theme.
“Our research scientists, together with technicians and technologists conducted different researches covering; genetic improvement of our mandate crops, crop production, irrigation, farm mechanisation, crop production management practice, economics and extension.
“The institute had projected the university and the country in positive light through developing and releasing two cowpea (beans) varieties (SAMPEA 16 and SAMPEA 17) which are striga tolerant, alectra and drought resistant.
Kano
The Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO)
has appealed to its consumers to exercise patience over the drop in power allocation.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the company, Muhammad Kandi and issued to newsmen in Kano recently.
It said that current generation profile had descended to less than 3, 697 MW against the peak of 5, 074 MW achieved earlier in February.
“The management of KEDCO hereby calls on all its customers not to panic as concerned authorities in the sector are working assiduously to address the problem”, the statement said.
The statement quoted the company’s Chief Technical Officer, David Omoloye as attributing the situation to poor gas supply to generation companies (GenCos) in the country.
Kogi
A food processing company, Ahiaba Global Resources
Limited in collaboration with U.S-based Techno Serve said it had commenced production of cashew juice from cashew apples in Kogi State.
The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Stephen Ahiaba,disclosed this at the inauguration of the processing plant in Ochaja, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi.
“The initiative, apart from adding value to cashew production in the state, is part of efforts to improve on the national economy and curb unemployment among youths and rural women.
“Farmers in the rural areas will no longer harvest cashew nuts and waste the apples as they have now been trained on how to preserve them for our company to process,’’ Ahiaba said.
Nasarawa
The Curator, National Museum and Monuments in
Nasarawa State, Mrs Elizabeth Kefas, says the major challenge confronting the commission is the lack of a gallery or museum to display its works.
Kefas told newsmen in Lafia that it was important for the commission to have a gallery or a museum where it could display the state’s cultural heritage for the public.
She said that such a gallery would also help to protect the cultural heritage of different ethnic extractions that abound in the state.
“The diverse ethnic groups in the state have a lot of artifacts which can be displayed.
Osun
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to
both the Federal and state governments to allocate more funds for the upgrade of government-owned hospitals.
The Osun State chairman of NMA, Dr Suraj Ogunyemi, told newsmen in Osogbo that the upgrade would create opportunities for more medical doctors to be employed.
Also, it would afford the hospital managements the opportunity to train and retrain existing ones and recruit new ones for housemanship, Ogunyemi said.
According to him, most doctors cannot get placement for their internship in government-owned hospitals because of their poor and deplorable states due to underfunding.
Oyo
Students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan have staged a protest
over the introduction of insurance and ICT fees in the institution.
Our correspondent reports that the placard-carrying protesting students were seen matching from the south campus to the north campus chanting solidarity songs.
The students also barricaded all the entry points into the campus, making it impossible for people to gain entry.
The students were also demanding for the presence of the student union president whom they accused of being behind the introduction of the fees.
Sokoto
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, has
announced that card reader machine would be used in the conduct of this month local government election in the state.
The governor made the announcement in Binji Local Government Area at the commencement of the APC campaign in Sokoto North Senatorial district.
He said that the state would set new standard by being the first state in Nigeria to use the new voter card and the card reader machine to conduct the local government poll.
Taraba
A retired officer of the State Security Service, Mr Hosea
Danjuma, has been abducted by gunmen at his residence in Baisa, headquarters of Kurmi Local Government Area of Taraba.
The Caretaker Chairman of the council, Mr Steven Agya, confirmed the development in an interview with newsmen in Jalingo.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has announced that the mangrove wetlands in Ogoniland have been officially designated a Ramsar Site of International Importance by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The designation, according to HYPREP, underscores the global ecological significance of Ogoniland’s mangrove wetlands and highlights ongoing restoration efforts aimed at addressing environmental degradation in the area.
In a press statement issued by the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, the recognition was described as a major milestone for the agency, the people of Ogoni and other stakeholders working towards environmental restoration in the region.
Zabbey explained that the mangrove wetlands, which cover more than 31,700 hectares, consist of islands, tidal creeks, mudflats and mangrove forests that support a wide range of biodiversity. The ecosystem provides habitat for several species including fin fish, shellfish, crustaceans, crocodiles, turtles and the endangered grey parrot.
He noted that beyond biodiversity conservation, the wetland also provides essential ecosystem services such as fisheries production, flood control, water purification and carbon storage. According to him, the international recognition will further support local livelihoods, promote ecotourism and bring global attention to the region.
The HYPREP coordinator disclosed that the designation followed a meticulous process that began in 2024 when the project submitted a memorandum to the National Council on Environment seeking support for the recognition of the Ogoni wetlands as a Ramsar site.
Following the council’s review and approval, the Honourable Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, formally wrote to the Ramsar Convention Secretariat requesting international recognition of the wetlands.
After a comprehensive ecological assessment, the Ramsar Secretariat granted the designation, officially recognising the Ogoniland wetlands as one of the world’s sites of international importance.
Zabbey said the recognition would strengthen ongoing environmental restoration efforts in the area and encourage stronger conservation measures and sustainable management of the wetlands for the benefit of present and future generations.
He added that the designation also fulfils a key recommendation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, marking another significant step in the implementation of the report’s recommendations.
The HYPREP project coordinator reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to restoring the Ogoni environment through the remediation of oil-polluted land, shorelines and mangrove ecosystems.
He also called for collective responsibility and stakeholder support to sustain the progress of the Ogoni cleanup programme and facilitate the development of a comprehensive and sustainable management plan for the Ogoni mangrove wetlands.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Mrs Lauretta Davies-Dimkpa, has attributed the successes of the 12-day programme organised for adolescent girls aimed at eliminating Female Genital Mutilation(FGM) in some parts of the State to the ability of the respective stakeholders to take ownership of the programme.
Mrs Davies-Dimkpa, who dropped the hint in an interview at the end of the programme in Elele-Alimini Community in Emohua Local Government Area on Saturday, said the event had a buy-in component, an ownership mentality, whereby facilitators, staff, and everyone involved took ownership of the project.
She explained that the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had packaged a series of training sessions for adolescent girls aimed at ending the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in some communities across the State.
According to her, the initiative was designed to educate young girls on the harmful effects of the practice and empower them to become advocates against it within their communities.
She noted that the programme, which lasted for several weeks, targeted adolescent girls from different local government areas where the practice is still prevalent, stressing that
data collected by UNICEF and the Ministry revealed that Female Genital Mutilation is still practised in some parts of the State, prompting the need for intensified sensitisation and community engagement.
Mrs Davies-Dimkpa explained that the programme adopted a “train-the-trainer” approach where adolescent girls were educated on the dangers of the practice and encouraged to share the knowledge with their peers, families and communities.
“This is a programme by the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation with support from UNICEF and UNFPA to train adolescent girls towards ending Female Genital Mutilation, which is still practised in some local government areas,” she said.
She further explained that each participating local government area had a three-day training session, with the exercise running for a total of 12 days.
The local government areas, where the programme took place, she noted, included Ahoada West, Abua-Odual, and Emohua, adding that the initiative is part of broader efforts by the state government and development partners to eliminate harmful traditional practices and protect the rights and wellbeing of girls.
She revealed that prior to the training of the adolescent girls, the Ministry and its partners had also engaged community facilitators, including older women and men, to sensitise them on the dangers associated with Female Genital Mutilation.
According to her, the involvement of community leaders and adults is essential in addressing the cultural and social factors that sustain the practice.
Speaking on the response of the participants, the permanent secretary expressed satisfaction with the level of engagement and enthusiasm shown by the girls throughout the training sessions.
She noted that many of the participants said they were learning about the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation for the first time.
“The girls are between the ages of 12 and 17 and from the interactions we had with them, they were very excited. Some of them are hearing these things for the first time and never knew that the practice is harmful,” she said.
She expressed optimism that the knowledge gained from the training would enable the girls to serve as advocates for change within their communities.
She added that the Rivers State Government, alongside its partners, would continue to intensify efforts and expand community-based interventions aimed at ending the practice across the State.
Meanwhile, the participants for Emohua Local Government Area were drawn from Elele-Alimini, Egbeda, Rumuji, Ibaa, Rumuekpe, Rumuakunde, Eligbarada, and Ogbakiri Communities.
The participants,who spoke in separate interviews described the training as eye-opening, noting that it helped them better understand issues surrounding adolescent health, personal hygiene, reproductive health, and the harmful consequences of Female Genital Mutilation.
Favour Azukwu from Rumuekpe community, said the programme provided a deeper understanding of the dangers associated with the practice, particularly its impact on the health and wellbeing of girls and women.
She explained that the training sessions exposed participants to the medical, social and psychological effects of Female Genital Mutilation, including severe bleeding, infections and complications during childbirth.
She revealed that she personally experienced the practice at the age of 12 and suffered heavy bleeding afterwards, an experience that has strengthened her determination to advocate for its eradication.
According to her, many communities still practise Female Genital Mutilation because it is perceived as a cultural tradition, despite the dangers associated with it.
“I do not support Female Genital Mutilation because there are many dangers involved. I experienced severe bleeding when it was done to me as a child.
Another participant, Glory Ken, a 16-year-old secondary school student from Rumuji community, said the programme broadened her understanding of several important topics affecting adolescents.
She explained that beyond the discussion on Female Genital Mutilation, the training also focused on issues such as personal hygiene, reproductive health, peer education, and self-care.
According to her, the sessions helped participants understand the importance of making informed health decisions and supporting one another as peer educators.
“I learned about many things that affect young people in society and how to take care of myself. I also learned that Female Genital Mutilation is harmful to our health. The message I am taking back to my community is that this practice should stop,” she said.
Also speaking, Goodness Kenjika Nyeche described the programme as very impactful.
She noted that the training equipped participants with the skills and confidence to educate others about the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation.
She said she plans to organise sensitisation among adolescents in her community, particularly girls between the ages of 10 and 19, to ensure they understand the dangers associated with the practice.
“I learned many things from this programme and I feel very good about it. I will educate other young girls in my community and help them understand why Female Genital Mutilation should not continue,” she said.
For Queen Dike from Ibaa community, the programme helped clarify misconceptions surrounding the practice.
She explained that in some communities, the practice is still referred to as circumcision and is viewed as part of cultural identity.
She said the training helped participants understand that Female Genital Mutilation involves the cutting or removal of parts of the female genital organs and that it has serious health consequences.
She stressed that awareness and education are key to ending the practice, especially among communities that continue to uphold it as tradition.
“I think the programme is very helpful because many people still believe it is part of culture. More awareness is needed so people can understand why it should stop,” she said.
Another participant, MyJoy Echika Amadi, said the programme provided critical information about adolescent health and the dangers associated with Female Genital Mutilation.
She described the initiative as enlightening and said it encouraged young people to become advocates for change in their communities.
According to her, participants were encouraged to use various platforms such as churches, peer groups, schools and community gatherings to spread awareness about the harmful effects of the practice.
“This programme has enlightened us about the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation. I will do my best to create awareness in my community and encourage people to stop the practice,” she said.
Many of the participants emphasised that the knowledge gained during the programme has empowered them to challenge harmful traditions and promote healthier practices among young people.
They also called on the Rivers State Government, development partners and civil society organisations to sustain the sensitisation campaigns and extend the training to more communities across the State.
According to them, empowering young people with the right information will play a critical role in eliminating Female Genital Mutilation and protecting the rights, health and dignity of girls in Rivers State.
The participants expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, UNICEF and UNFPA for organising the programme and for investing in the wellbeing and future of adolescent girls in the State.
