Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The African Union Commission has commended the Federal
Government for proper management of the more than two million Internally Displaced Persons in the North East.
Commissioner for Political Affairs, African Union Commission, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, made the commendation during an inspection visit to Malkohi IDPs camp in Yola recently.
Abdullahi, who led the officials of the commission to the camp, said that they were impressed with the way and manner Nigerian government was actively intervening in all aspect of humanitarian assistance to the IDPs.
“I have travelled to many parts of the continent but this is the only place (Nigeria) I find government at federal and state levels are actively intervening in all aspects of assisting and helping the IDPs.
“This is very unique for the Nigerian government”, she said.
Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has announced the 2016 Hajj
fares for all intending pilgrims in the state.
Alhaji Abdullahi Hardawa, Executive Secretary, State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board announced the fares in Bauchi in an interview with newsmen.
Hardawa said that the state government has approved N1,028, 68.92 as minimum fare, N1, 077, 318.92 for medium fare and N1,175, 818. 92 as maximum fare.
Hardawa said that all intending pilgrims from the state had already made minimum deposits of N850, 000.
He said that intending pilgrims wishing to pay for the minimum fare would pay a balance of N178,068.92, while those wishing to pay for the medium and maximum fares are expected to pay N227,318.92 and N325,818.92 balance respectively.
Hardawa said that all the intending pilgrims were expected to complete payment in their respective registration centres before the end of Ramadan Fast to enable the board complete necessary arrangements.
Borno
The Nigerian Army, said it relocated the 2nd Commanding
Officers’ Workshop from Enugu to Maiduguri to further enhance its operations against Boko Haram terrorism in the North-East.
The Chief of Training, Maj.-Gen. Hassan Umaru, and Logistics, Nigerian Army Headquarters Army, Abuja made the clarification at the closing of the workshop in Maiduguri.
“The workshop was supposed to be held in Enugu, but in the wisdom of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), we decided to relocate it to Maiduguri.
“This is because we want to apply ourselves to the anti-insurgency operation that we are conducting here,” Umaru said.
He expressed optimism the participants would add value to the anti-terrorism war at the end of the workshop.
“The set of officers are from 82 Division in Enugu and its environs.
FCT
The Federal Government has announced the dissolution
of the Executive Management of Niger Delta Power Holding Company of Nigeria Limited.
Notice of the dissolution is contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Babachir Lawal, in Abuja.
He then directed the Managing Director of the company, Mr James Olotu, to handover immediately to Mr Chiedu Ugbo, who had been appointed as Acting Managing Director of the company.
According to the SGF, all Executive Directors of the company and the General Manager, Audit, are to handover immediately to the most senior officers in their respective departments.
Kaduna
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said the
Nigerian Army headquarters had adopted holistic approach in addressing the infrastructural decay in its barracks and other institutions across the country.
Buratai said this while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after inaugurating two newly built blocks of hostels for students of the Nigerian Army School of Artillery in Kachia, Kaduna State.
He said the infrastructure gap in the barracks would require consistent intervention over a period of time for the situation to improve.
Buratai said the present Army command under his watch had embarked on massive renovation of existing structures as well as the construction of new buildings to ameliorate the situation in the barracks.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government has announced the portfolios
of the seven newly appointed members of the StateExecutive Council that were sworn-in last week.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Press secretary to the governor, Abubakar Dakingari and made available to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
According to the statement, Alhaji Maigari Abdullahi Dakingari is Commissioner of Higher Education ; Alhaji Abubakar Besse, Commissioner forYouths and Sports and Alhaji Zailani Yauri for Budget and Economic Planning.
Others are, Alhaji Umar Usman Kambaza,Commissioner for Health ; Alhaji Musa Kalgo, Information and Culture ;Alhaji Muhammad Gado, Environment and Alhaji Garba Dandiga, Ministry of Agriculture.
Kogi
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has renamed the
Kogi State University, Ayangba , after the late first civilian governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu.
Bello announced the change in the name of the 15- year-old university during a statewide broadcast to mark his victory at the state governorship election petition tribunal.
He said that naming the university was the ultimate honour that could be done to the memory of the late colourful politician who ruled the state twice as the civilian governor from 1991 to 1993 and 1999 to 2003.
Audu himself established the university in 2001 and named it Prince Abubakar Audu University but his successor , Alhaji Ibrahim Idris changed the name to Kogi State University in 2004.
Justifying his decision to restore the university to its original name, Bello said that Audu laid a solid foundation for the growth and development of the state.
Kwara
A cleric, Rt. Rev. Philip Adeyemo, has called for the election
of a leader with high humility and genuine spiritual intent as the next president for the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Adeyemo told our correspondent in Omu-Aran, Kwara, that the need for a leader who could not be easily subjected to unwarranted external influence informed the call.
Our correspondent reports that the tenure of the incumbent CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, ends in July paving way for the election of a new leader.
Adeyemo, who is the Bishop of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Omu-Aran Diocese, Kwara State, noted that anybody who aspired for any position must be spiritually, ethically and theologically sound.
He decried the situation where CAN administration was polarised along political affiliations and undue government interference contrary to laid down rules and regulations.
According to him, such a person should have nothing less than two-third of churches in Nigeria under its close supervision and should be a disciplined man who can pass the “temptation of money’’.
Lagos
The Comptroller of Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command
of the Nigeria Customs, Lagos, Mr Benjamin Aber, has urged officers of the command recently trained by the military to bring to bear on their jobs the skills acquired.
Speaking on the four-week just concluded capacity building training for 65 officers of the command, Aber noted that the training would enhance the officers’ jobs.
Aber told our correspondent that the training would help to sharpen the skills of the command’s enforcement officers.
“The officers were trained on weapon handling, assembling and range to enable them to combat smugglers’ activities.
“Since I resumed at the KLT command, I introduced a format to make the command the best that others will emulate,” he said.
Niger
The Niger State House of Assembly, has dismissed
insinuations that it is a rubber stamp of the executive arm of government in the state.
The Speaker, Ahmed Marafa, made the statement in Minna while speaking to newsmen on the activities of the Assembly in the past one year.
Marafa said the House was made up of legislators with conscience and high integrity, adding that nobody was interfering with or controlling the affairs of the House.
“In our one year in office, we have proved beyond reasonable doubt that the eighth legislature is an assembly with a difference.
Ogun
The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Security and
Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). has arrested two members of a syndicate which specialises in pipeline vandalism on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The command also recovered a total of nine vehicles and seven motorcycles from the suspects as well as 3,000 jerry cans in an operation at Oluwo-Ifote village in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.
Our correspondent reports that the two male suspects were aged 33 and 21.
It was gathered that other members of the syndicate fled when NSCDC operatives stormed a thick forest in Oluwo-Ifote where fuel was being scooped from a vandalised NNPC pipeline.
Plateau
A Jos High Court has granted bail to Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, a
former governorship aspirant in Bauchi State.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on Thursday arraigned Adamu before Justice Yakubu Dakwak of State High Court II on charges of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
Also charged along with Adamu was his company, Solid Unit Nig. Ltd, for allegedly collecting the sum of N23, 431, 000 from one Olajide Olaleye, for the supply of iron ore and zinc which were not delivered.
The prosecution counsel, Mr Banjamin Manji, told the court that the action of the accused contravened section 8 (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Law of 2006.
Nation
HYPREP Marks 15 Years Of UNEP Report, Highlights Major Cleanup Milestones
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3
Nation
REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product
Nation
Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians
-
Editorial2 days agoThat Oshiomhole’s Call On FG’s Road Projects
-
Education2 days ago
Environmental Education Remains Critical Tool To Address Environmental Challenges Says Experts
-
City Crime2 days agoTinubu Appoints Ex-Tide Staff Registrar Of Chartered Chemists
-
Education2 days ago
UNIPORT VC Receives Probe Report on Student Union Crisis
-
Oil & Energy2 days ago
NCDMB, BOI Unveil $100m Nigerian Content Equity Fund …Set To Invest $5m In Oil Firms
-
Business2 days ago
PTDF Committed To Tinubu’s Development Plan – CEO
-
Politics2 days ago
Yilwatda’s Birthday Outreach Demonstrates Leadership – Kefas
-
Oil & Energy2 days ago
Civil Society Demands Accountability over N60Billion AKS Oil Producing Communities
