Nation

THE STATES

Published

9 years ago

February 24, 2017

Benue
The Benue State House of Assembly yesterday passed the 2016 supplementary appropriation bill of N3.8 billion submitted to it by Governor Samuel Ortom in December 2016.
The bill is made up of N1.8 billion supplementary recurrent expenditure, as well as N2 billion supplementary capital expenditure.
Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange, announced the passage, after a clause by clause consideration of the report of the House Standing Committee on Appropriation.
Ikyange directed the House Committee on Finance to liaise with the Ministry of Finance, Accountant-General and the Board of Internal Revenue Service, to address complaints of delayed remittance of the mandatory 75 per cent to revenue generating ministries, departments and agencies.

FCT
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Imo State topped the number of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) applications with 103,122 in 2016.
The figure is reflected in an NBS report on “ JAMB Admitted Candidates by State and Gender within Faculty’’ released last Monday in Abuja.
According to the report, three states – Imo, Osun, Oyo – top the list of those with the highest number of JAMB applications in 2016, following the applications of statistics by state of origin.
The report stated that Osun recorded the highest applications with 83,569 applications, while Oyo recorded 81,630 applications.
Meanwhile, the report stated that Yobe, Zamfara and FCT recorded lowest applications with 12,268; 7,303 and 5,089 respectively.

Kano
A Kano Magistrates’ Court yesterday slammed a N500,000 bail to Safiyanu Abubakar (47), for alleged forgery and obstructing of public officers from performing lawful duties.
Abubakar who resides at Sultan Road Nasarawa GRA Kano, is being tried for criminal trespass, forgery, criminal intimidation and obstruction of public officers from performing lawful duties.
According to the Prosecutor, Insp. Haziel Ledafowa, the accused committed the offence some time between 2012 to 2013, at Nasarawa GRA Quarters Kano.
He said the accused illegally trespassed and occupied a Kano State Government Quarters, No GP 405 Lafiya Road, Nasarawa.

Katsina
A Katsina State High Court recently granted a former Governor of the state, Ibrahim Shema and three others N1 billion bail and one reliable surety each.
Others standing trial with the former governor are, former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Sani Makana, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Lawal Safana and former ALGON Chairman, Lawal Dankaba.
The accused persons are standing trial for alleged conspiracy, forgery and diversion of public funds amounting to N11 billion.
Justice lbrahim Bako granted bail to the accused person in a ruling he delivered at the resumed hearing of the trial.

Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government recently said it would construct an international onion market at Aliero Local Government Area of the state.
Alhaji Abubakar Dakingari, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Atiku Bagudu, quoted the governor as making the promise during a visit to Aliero last Monday.
He said the governor, who addressed onion farmers and marketers at the onion market in Aliero, promised that the international market would be established in the area considering the abundance of the commodity in the area.
“The commodity is being transported to other parts of the country and neighbouring countries of Benin and Niger Republic in commercial quantities,” he said.

Kogi
Chairman, Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Appropriation and Budget Monitoring recently, said that the House Mr John Abah, would ensure effective implementation of 2017 state’s Budget.
Abah, who spoke with journalists at the end of the Budget Defence by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Lokoja also said the budget would be passed within few days.
He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the budget defence by the MDAs, an exercise he said started on February 8.
“We got impressive reports from the MDAs.By the grace of God, we will do some amendments based on the defence we had and within the shortest time possible.
‘’We are going to pass the budget so that with the new direction, government will hit the ground running for 2017,” he said.

Kwara
Opposition parties in Kwara State have kicked against the extension of tenure of the 16 local government caretaker chairmen by the state government.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed had last Tuesday, extended the tenure of the Transitional Implementation Committee for the local councils in the state by three months.
The caretaker committees were inaugurated on November 15, 2016, and were to serve for three months, which expired on February 14.
The governor, in a letter to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, said the extension was to ensure continuity of administration pending the conduct of elections into the local councils.

Lagos
No fewer than 171 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya last Tuesday aboard a chartered Nouvelair aircraft with registration number TS-1NB.
The aircraft landed about 4.18pm at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
It was reported that another batch comprising 161 Nigerians, had earlier on February 14 also voluntarily returned from the North African country where they had been stranded enroute Europe.
The new set of returnees were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.
They were received at the Hajj Camp area of the airport by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) , the National Agency for the Protection of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

Nasarawa
Nasarawa State University chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it is opposed to the financial autonomy granted the institution by the state government.
The chairman of the chapter, Dr Nghargbu K’tso, said this recently when he paid a courtesy call on the state House of Assembly Committee on Education in Lafia.
K’tso said that the union opposed the financial autonomy because the university “is a public institution” that should be properly funded by the state government.
He appealed to the Assembly to ensure that the institution was properly funded to improve its standard of education and for the overall development of the state.

Ogun
The Ogun State House of Assembly yesterday summoned the management of the state’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Bureau of Transportation over the collection of riders’ permit in the state.
The Assembly had asked the agencies to appear before it on Friday.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Suraj Adekunbi, issued the summon while responding to the presentation by his deputy, Mr Olakunle Oluomo, who spoke under motion for adjournment citing order 19 rule of the House.
Adekunbi said that there was need for the two agencies of government to maintain the status quo in relation to the collection of riders’ permit until all issues surrounding this was resolved.

Sokoto
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has re
leased N 1.2 billion for payment of accumulated gratuities from 2010 to retired staff of local government councils in Sokoto State.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Alhaji Mannir Dan’Iya, said this on Monday in Sokoto.
According to him, all approved funds have been released and payments are being effected accordingly.

Taraba
The National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) in partnership with Taraba State Government, last Tuesday began training of Community Based Targeting (CBT) Team for Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer programme.
The National Coordinator of NASSCO, Mr Peter Papka, said the trainees would be sent to the six selected local government areas in the state to identify the poorest and vulnerable persons to benefit from the programme.
Papka listed the six selected LGAs in the state as Karim Lamido, Sardauna, Ardo Kola, Gassol, Takum and Ussa.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

6 hours ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

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.

Nation

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

Published

6 hours ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

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.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

6 hours ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

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.