Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Governor Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State, has di
rected all contractors who abandoned their contracts to return to site with immediate effect.
The governor gave the directive in Yola at a meeting with the management of Skip Engineering Nigeria Ltd, a contracting company in Yola.
He said that though his administration was not interested in digging into the past, all contractors that collected part of their contract funds and disappeared must go back to their sites.
He said that the directive became necessary to enable the people, who are the direct beneficiaries of the contracts reap the dividends of democracy.
Benue
A social critic and Finance Consultant, Mr Nath Apir,
has advised Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to sack non-performing political appointees in his administration for efficient service delivery.
Apir gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Makurdi.
According to him, such cabinet shake-up will inject vibrancy in government, stimulate economic growth and enable political stability.
He expressed regret that most sensitive political positions in the state were given to people with neither requisite knowledge nor experience in the portfolios assigned to them.
Ekiti
Some farmers in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State
have expressed worry over delay in accessing the Federal Government’s guaranteed loan and other farms inputs.
The farmers, under the banner of ‘Congress of Farmers’, headed by Mr Ezekiel Ishola, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Oye-Ekiti . Ishola said that the farmers depended on the Federal Government’s promise to assist them with funds to boast their farming activities.
“Our members have registered under various agriculture programme of the Federal Government since 2015 and have been expecting the government to disburse the soft loans as promised. “Many of us abandoned other sources we used to access funds with the hope that the soft loan from the Federal Government would serve us better, but our expectations are yet to materialise.
Gombe
The Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Kenndy
Ishaya, says the 177 nurses and midwives serving in the state are grossly inadequate.
Ishaya spoke in Gombe when he received accreditation team from the National Council of Nursery and Midwifery
He said the nurses and midwives were working in 22 hospitals including the army, police and House of Assembly clinics.
“The workforce is grossly inadequate, considering increase in population following influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) into the state,’’ he said.
Ishaya said before 2011 the College of Nursing and Midwifery in the state was graduating only five nurses and midwives, but later increased to 30 annually.
Kaduna
The Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU),
Zaria, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, says the teaching of Mathematics must be simplified, to arrest the phobia of the subject among students.
Garba made the suggestion in a message to the 53rd Annual Conference of Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN) held at the ABU main campus in Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State.
The Vice Chancellor said that the Federal Government must design new strategies to improve teaching methodology to make mathematics easier to comprehend by students.
He attributed the failure of the subject in WAEC and NECO to poor teaching methodology, adding that the teachers must also be retrained, to improve their teaching ability.
Kebbi
Flynas Air Services says it has successfully transported
22,435 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from seven states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Official Agent of the air carrier, Alhaji Umar Kaila, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi that the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) allocated 22,435 pilgrims to the company.
He explained that “we were allotted 22,435 pilgrims by NAHCON; the pilgrims were from Abuja, Bauchi, Kaduna, Gombe, Borno, Adamawa, Niger and Kwara states and we successfully transported them to Saudi Arabia on scheduled.”
The agent said that the company was able to accomplish the assignment on time despite the challenges it encountered in the process.
Kogi
Kogi State House of Assembly has directed the state
Ministry of Works to furnish it with list of abandoned projects in the state since its creation in 1991.
The assembly gave the directive in a resolution after debate on a motion by Sunday Shigaba (PDP-Bassa) calling on the state government to reconstruct the abandoned Oguma-Sharia Bridge, which collapsed last year.
Shigaba noted that the abandoned bridge had caused untold hardship to his constituents as it was affecting economic life of the people
He said that the immediate past government of former Gov. Idris Wada awarded contract for the reconstruction of the bridge towards the end of his tenure.
In their various contributions, Linus Eneche (PDP-Olamaboro), Godwin Osuyi (PDP-Ogori-Magongo) and John Abba (PDP-Ibaji) said reconstruction of the bridge would boost economic activities and revenue generation.
Kwara
The Kwara State Government has reaffirmed its deter
mination to partner with relevant stakeholders to alleviate the sufferings of vulnerable children and physically challenged in the society.
Hajiya Ayinke Saka, the state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, said this in Ilorin when she received members of a Non Governmental Organisation, Passionate Heart Empowerment Foundation, who paid her a visit.
Saka said that the ministry was saddled with the responsibility of catering for vulnerable children and physically challenged people in the society.
According to her, government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility, hence the need for stakeholders and relevant organisations to partner with it to improve the lives of the people.
She then sought the collaboration of the NGO to assist in attending to the needs of abandoned children at recreation centres.
Osun
An expert in peace and conflict resolution, Dr Goke
Adesiyan, has advised the Federal Government to constitute a conflict resolution panel, to end incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria.
Adesiyan, who gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo, noted that the clashes were becoming “dangerous” and needed to be tackled to ensure peaceful coexistence.
According to him, a conflict resolution panel is necessary to aggregate the diverse interests of the warring factions and set up terms of engagement to address differences.
“It is so disheartening that this is happening now, when the level of insurgency in the country is becoming more worrisome and unbearable.
Oyo
A commercial motorcyclist, Azeez Kehinde, who pleaded
guilty to the theft of a motorcycle, has been sentenced to three months imprisonment in Ibadan.
An Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court said the convict should serve the term with hard labour at Agodi Prisons.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Abdulateef Adebisi, who gave the verdict, said the court had no option than to sentence the motorcyclist since he had pleaded guilty.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Sunday Fatola told the court that Kehinde stole a motorcycle valued at N60, 000, property of a man, Sanya Salau, at Ajeigbe area of Challenge, Ibadan.
Plateau
The special committee set up to look into the activities
of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), says with adequate equipment, the board could generate N1.2 billion annually.
Chairman of the committee and Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Fabian Etonk, said this while submitting its report in Jos.
JMDB is a parastatal under the Housing and Urban Development ministry.
Sokoto
Sokoto State Government has concluded the transpor
tation of its 4,750 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2016 Hajj.
Our correspondent reports that the pilgrims were transported to the Holy Land through the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, in ten flights.
The Director-General, Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, expressed happiness over the successful conclusion of the pilgrims’ airlift which began on August 10. “We had in all, conducted ten flights to the Holy land and none of our intending pilgrims had faced any problem during the security and immigration screenings, either in Nigeria or Saudi Arabia.
“All our pilgrims are conducting their hajj rites without any hindrance in the Holy cities of Medina and Mecca.”
Nation
Zabbey Emerges Social Impact Man Of The Year 2025 …Reaffirms Commitment To Ogoni Transformation
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, has been named Social Impact Man of the Year 2025 by Daily Independent Newspapers.
The award was presented at the Independent Awards 2025 Silver Jubilee Edition held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, as part of activities marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary of editorial excellence.
Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Independent Newspapers, Steve Omanufeme, said the award recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and transformative impact in their respective fields. He explained that recipients emerged through a rigorous process involving public voting, editorial board scrutiny, and assessment by a panel of judges.
Omanufeme noted that Zabbey’s selection reflects his outstanding contributions to environmental restoration and community development in Ogoniland through the Ogoni cleanup project.
With over two decades of experience spanning research, advocacy, capacity development, and administration, Zabbey has, within three years of leading HYPREP, implemented people-focused initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and restoring degraded ecosystems.
Under his leadership, the project has reportedly created more than 7,000 direct jobs and facilitated the training of thousands of youths and women in high-demand skills, including mechatronics, cybersecurity, commercial diving, underwater welding, and data analytics.
HYPREP has also trained over 5,000 beneficiaries across 21 vocational skill areas, providing start-up kits to support entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
In the area of environmental sustainability, the agency has established 31 environmental clubs in secondary schools and trained 2,500 youths with International Maritime Organization (IMO) certification to support shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration efforts.
The project has recorded significant ecological milestones, including the cleanup of over 1,000 hectares of shoreline and restoration of 560 hectares of mangroves. This progress contributed to the designation of Ogoni mangrove wetlands as a Ramsar Site of international importance.
Beyond environmental remediation, HYPREP has expanded its social intervention programmes to include educational grants and scholarships for over 1,000 students, support for small and medium-scale enterprises, and skills training for persons living with special needs.
Infrastructure and healthcare development have also featured prominently, with ongoing projects such as the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, a Cottage Hospital, the Ogoni Power Project, and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration. The agency has further strengthened emergency healthcare delivery by donating five ambulances to medical facilities in the region.
Additionally, potable water has been provided to more than 40 communities, alongside the construction of wind-powered water systems in underserved areas.
Speaking on the award, Zabbey described it as a validation of HYPREP’s integrated approach to environmental restoration, healthcare improvement, and economic empowerment.
“We remain committed to delivering a cleanup that not only restores the environment but also improves livelihoods in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
HYPREP, in a statement, expressed appreciation to the management of Independent Newspapers for the recognition, the Federal Ministry of Environment for its oversight role, and the Ogoni communities for their continued support and collaboration.
The agency was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland and restore areas impacted by oil pollution.
Nation
Rivers State Judiciary Counters NBA National Position over Contempt Ruling, Says Judge Acted Within the Law
The Rivers State Judiciary has faulted the Nigerian Bar Association National over its March 26, 2026 press release condemning the jailing of a lawyer for contempt, insisting the trial judge acted lawfully to protect the court’s integrity.
In a rejoinder issued by Chief Registrar High Court,David D. Ihua-Maduenyi, Esq., the judiciary said it was necessary to “set the records straight” following reactions to the NBA’s statement on the contempt conviction of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin.
Titled: “JUDGES MUST NOT BULLY LAWYERS OR
ABUSE POWER TO PUNISH FOR CONTEMPT AS A TOOL
FOR INTIMIDATION OF LAWYERS”
RE: IN THE MATTER OF CONTEMPT OF COURT BY MRS.
LOVINAH UGBANA BENJAMIN
IN SUIT NO.
PHC/301/2016 CORAM C. NWOGU J., OF THE HIGH
COURT OF RIVERS STATE.
The state judiciary explained that case in question is Suit No. PHC/301/2016 before Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the Rivers State High Court, where Mrs. Benjamin served as defence counsel.
The statement read thus
“We are compelled to make this rejoinder regarding the
incident of the conviction for contempt and subsequent
unconditional discharge of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin,
Learned Counsel for the Defendants in the above suit by Hon.
Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the High Court of Rivers State in
order to set the records straight, and not allow the
misinformation, misconception and reactions arising from the
NBA National Press Release in the matter to fester as reality or
truth.”
In the suit under reference wherein the said Learned
Counsel appeared for the Defendants, the Learned Counsel
attempted to mislead the Court by her signed and filed final
written address, by knowingly and falsely presenting non-
existent facts and evidence of a witness. When confronted by the
Court, she admitted that what she stated in her final written
the address was not true and she was unapologetic.”
“The to uphold the dignity and integrity of the Court, which the
said Learned Counsel treated with clear and brazen contempt, the
Court after following due process, convicted her for contempt and
sentenced her to prison for 3 days only, instead of the 3 months
statutory term due to passionate plea from the Bar.”
“According to the statement the suggestion of the NBA National in paragraph 10 of the
Press Release under reference that “where a court considers
counsel’s conduct improper, the proper course is to invoke
recognised disciplinary mechanisms, including referring
counsel to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee
(LPDC), rather than resorting to summary punitive measures”,
is not an invariable rule because the act of the Defence Counsel
constitutes contempt in facie curiae which the Court can punish
instantly, hence the action of the Judge is not an abuse of power
or an act of intimidation.”
“Nevertheless, due to the numerous calls from respected
members of the Bar to the offices of the Chief Registrar and the
Honourable Chief Judge for the release of the said Learned
Counsel, and the intervention of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
delegation led by its Chairman, Mrs. Cordelia U. Eke to the Judge.
in his Chambers in the morning of 26/03/2026 where the
delegation upon learning the true facts of the incident, apologised
and pleaded for the release of the said Learned Counsel.
“The Judge
having accepted the apology signed a production warrant and
upon her production in court and oral application by Mrs. Cordelia
U. Eke, discharged her unconditionally that same morning.”
The statement further stated that It is therefore shocking to read later that day the NBA
National Press Release signed by its President and Secretary, Mazi
Afam Joseph Osigwe (SAN) and Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara respectively,
fiercely threatening and hastily advocated the following ultimata and
the immediate release of the affected
Counsel.
:That the Hon. Chief Judge of Rivers State
immediately investigate the circumstances
surrounding this incident and take
appropriate administrative action.
That appropriate disciplinary steps be taken
by the National Judicial Council, where
necessary.
That the remand of Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana
Benjamin under the circumstances be
condemned and set aside”
“That all NBA branches in Port Harcourt and
its environs and all legal practitioners
boycott the proceedings before the Court of
Hon. Justice Nwogu for a period of 7 days if
Mrs. Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin is not
released within 24 hours.
“It seems to us that it is either the NBA Port Harcourt Branch
leadership did not relate the true position to the NBA National or
if they did, the NBA National decided to speak daggers, not peace
to impugn the Judge as a villain.
“We find the position of the NBA National on this subject very
offensive and embarrassingly raising a feeling of acrimony against
the Judge in particular, and the High Court bench of Rivers State
in general. We categorically state that the Hon. Justice Chinwendu
Nwogu is one of our respected and respectful Judges with
unblemished integrity.
We view this Press Release as an isolated departure from the
enterprising and amiable leadership of the NBA National,
especially its President, whom we hold in high esteem and
admiration.”
“Whilst we appreciate the concern of the NBA National in
bringing attention to the event of 25th March 2026, we assure that
the Bench and the Bar in Rivers State remain veritable partners
in the administration of justice.
“We firmly restate that the Bench in Rivers State holds the Bar
in high esteem and this event would not disrupt the cordial
relationship between the Bench and the Bar.”