Nation

THE STATES

Published

9 years ago

March 10, 2017

FCT
The House of Representatives has stressed the need to strengthen the security structure in Aba, Abia State, and to address the gruesome murder of Aba residents.
This was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Prestige Ossy (Abia-APGA) at the plenary on Tuesday.
Moving the motion earlier, Ossy said that the entire security structure in Aba had practically collapsed.
He said the unfortunate turn of event had left the commercial city at the mercy of daredevil criminals, kidnappers and ritualists.
The lawmaker said that in the last couple of months, the undesirable elements who had infiltrated the city in large numbers had been ceaselessly unleashing mayhem, inflicting pains and untold sufferings on the people.
He said that on February 24, Chief Kalu Dieke, was kidnapped and gruesomely murdered by suspected kidnappers with his body dismembered and dumped around the notorious Orji Uzor bridge.

Jigawa
The Jigawa State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (JACCIMA) has approved the removal of its President, Alhaji Shehu Sanusi, from office.
The chamber’s Vice-President II, Alhaji Yahaya Ibrahim, confirmed the development in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Dutse.
Ibrahim said the removal was with immediate effect.
He, however, did not give reasons for the removal.
According to him, the JICCIMA’s Vice President I, Alhaji Muhammad Muktar, has taken over the affairs of the chamber, pending election of a substantive president.
The Tide recalls that Sunusi was elected on May 21 last year as president, while Muktar and Yahaya were elected as deputy president I and II.

Kano
The Kano/Jigawa Customs Area Command on Friday in Kano destroyed expired items worth millions of Naira.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Commands Public Relations officer, Mr Danbaba Isah and made available to newsmen in Kano.
According to the statement, the burnt items include expired foreign rice, computer scraps and expired bubble gum.
Others were harmful and expired drugs including Dizapam, Heragra, Tranadol tablets and 250 cartons of expired liquid Indo food.
According to the statement, the Command’s Area Controller, Mr Abutu Onaja led in the destruction of the expired items which took place in the premises of the command’s warehouse.
“The destruction of the expired materials was approved and directed by the Comptroller General of Customes, Retired Col Hameed Ali.
“The exercise was witnessed by relevant government agencies operating in Kano state,” he said.

Kaduna
The Bank of Agriculture says it has secured 1.118 million dollars grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for its capacity building and institutional strengthening projects.
In a statement made available on Tuesday in Kaduna, Oluremi Olaoye, the Corporate Communication Manager of the bank, said the projects would enable the bank to sufficiently serve the Nigerian rural dwellers’ financial needs.
According to Olaoye, AfDB will to provide 987,510.30 dollars, or 88.12 per cent of the amount, while the bank of would provide 130,997.03 dollars or 11.88 per cent as matching grant.
The grant would be used to finance programmes that would lead to the expansion of the bank’s target clientele, which is currently small due to low institutional capacity.

Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government has earmarked N898 million for the rehabilitation of the 4.5 million cubic litres capacity Dukku Water Works.
The state’s Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Alhaji Bala Kangiwa,signed the agreement with a Chinese company, Zhonghao/Brosino Investment, in Birnin Kebbi recently.
“The N898million contract was awarded to the Chinese firm and the project is expected to be completed within 18 months,” he said.
He said the rehabilitation was necessary in view of the ageing of the water works constructed in 1970.
“Some of the equipment were affected by erosion, and could not take high pressure to deliver water to the tanks for onward supply to the town.
” We will also rehabilitate our old water works in other areas in order to complement the Dukku Water Works, “he said.

Kogi
The Wife of Kogi State Governor, Mrs Rashida Bello, has urged wives of local government adminstrators in the state to initiate programmes that would have positive impact on the lives of women in the area.
Bello gave the advice at the grand finale of a three-day retreat organised for the wives of local government administrators and other women leaders in the state in Lokoja on Tuesday.
The governor’s wife further advised them to have understanding and adequate knowledge of their responsibilities to enhance their performance.
“This retreat is meant to create an atmosphere that will ensure the integration, cooperation and relationship between my office and wives of local government administrators.
“It is germane to the development of every family and by extension, the development of council areas, state and Nigeria as a nation.

Kwara
The Kwara State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the N160.9 billion appropriation bill of the state.
The bill was passed at the plenary after the House Committe on Finance and Appropriation approved on the budget estimate.
The budget, which was presented by Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed on December 29, 2016, represents an increase of N25.6 billion or 18.9 per cent over the original proposed N135,264,529,461 estimate presented to the House by the governor.
The recurrent expenditure of the budget stands at N70.8 billion, while the capital expenditure is N90.1 billion.
Prior to the passage of the fiscal document, some amendments were made to the report of the Finance and Appropriation Committee.
Speaking after the passage of the budget, the Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, said the House jerked up the budget size above the figure tabled by the state governor to expedite action on some ongoing projects.

Lagos
The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the new Lagos- Ibadan standard gauge railway project would be completed in 2018.
Osinbajo said at the ground breaking ceremony of the Segment II Lagos- Ibadan standard gauge rail track on Tuesday in Lagos.
“The acting president said that it was important to have a viable self-sustaining and improving railway services.
“The development will cut across the country; the Federal Ministry of Transportation has completed the feasibility study for up to 13 routes across the country to identify state capitals and major commercial centres.
“We should begin to see significant activities in this regard very soon.
“The fast and efficient railway service is scheduled to be completed by December 2018,” Osinbajo said.
He added that it was part of the promises made by the president during the campaign period.

Nasarawa
A housewife, Mrs Felicia Akinshola, 34, has pleaded with a court in Nasarawa State to dissolve her marriage over alleged inability of her husband to pay her bride price.
Felicia, who is also a business woman also told the Upper Area Court in Mararaba, to dissolve the union because her husband, Mr Akin Akinshola, “is irresponsible”.
She informed the court that she had been living with Akin for more than six years and that the marriage was blessed with three children yet the man could not pay her bride price.
According to her, Akin, who is also a business man, has failed in his duty as a husband and father.
“Akin has not paid my dowry in accordance with Yoruba tradition and every effort put across to enable him pay has proved abortive.

Niger
The Niger State House of Assembly has cautioned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) against extra budgetary spending without recourse to the House for approval.
The House Committee Chairman on Labour and Productivity, Mr Malik Bosso, gave the warning on Friday when the head of the state civil service appeared before the committee for defence of the 20?17 budget proposal.
Bosso said that many MDAs were in the habit of spending money without approval, adding that the Assembly would take drastic measures against erring MDAs.
“We will no longer accept any spending outside the budget; we have resolved to take actions against any MDA that is found guilty.
“We will take measures against such spending because it is unconstitutional,” he said.

Ogun
The Chairperson of the Economic Community of West-African states (ECOWAS), Ellen Johnson -Sirleaf, has called on serving and former African presidents to establish presidential libraries as part of efforts to preserve the rich history of Africans.
She made the call in Abeokuta, Ogun on Saturday, at the inauguration of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).
The ECOWAS chairperson said the call had become necessary to enable Africans tell their stories from their own perspectives and avoid distortion of facts about their history.
Johnson-Sirleaf said that such libraries would help the governments to preserve records of their past for future generation.

Plateau
The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington, has commended Plateau Government’s efforts towards restoring peace to the crises-ridden state.
Symington, who spoke on Tuesday in Jos, at the beginning of high level dialogue on justice and security, promised that his country would support the efforts toward permanent peace in the north-central state.
The dialogue was organised by the West Africa Network for Peace Building, in partnership with the Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA), with the support of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

Nation

EFCC Holds Stakeholders Engagement Party With Media, CSOs

Published

3 days ago

December 1, 2025

The Tide

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Port Harcourt zonal command has held a one-day capacity workshop with some selected media organisations and civil society organisations in the state

The one-day capacity workshop was aimed at strengthening existing relationships among the media and the civil society organisations in the state with a view to improving the existing relationships among the graft agency and the media.

Speaking at the event the zonal commander of EFCC, MR. HASSAN SAIDU, said the
initiative is part of the Commission’s ongoing commitment to strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders, particularly the media and civil society, in our collective fight against economic and financial crimes , adding that the decision to organize this workshop underscores the strategic importance the EFCC places on the roles of the media and the CSOs as watchdogs of the society.

According to him,all over the world, the partnership between anti-corruption agencies, the media, and civil society has been instrumental in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance, noting that the collaboration is even more imperative in Nigeria given the scale and sophistication of economic crimes we contend with.

“Let me take this opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the invaluable support you have given to the EFCC over the years.

Your consistent focus on our work through reporting, advocacy, and public engagement has helped to sustain the momentum of our preventive and enforcement efforts.”

The EFCC’s mandate is both engaging and arduous. I say this because the landscape of economic crime is dynamic and your duty to report and interpret these developments requires diligence, patriotism and integrity.”

He posted that It is in recognition of these challenges that the Commission introduced a Specialized Workshop Series on Economic and Financial Crimes Reporting for journalists, adding that the commission has expanded this initiative to include civil society organizations to further demonstrate their belief in an inclusive and collaborative anti-corruption framework.

“As you are aware, Port Harcourt remains Nigeria’s treasure base of the Nation and a fertile ground for various forms of economic and financial crimes, ranging from pipeline vandalism, foreign exchange scams and business email compromise to investment and property fraud, and crude oil theft.”

The EFCC zonal commander averred that the 2025 edition of the workshop is Understanding Cryptocurrency Fraud and other Emerging Financial Crimes and Prosecution of Financial Crimes: Issues, Challenges and Way Forward , adding that
It is imperative for us to note that the surge of Cryptocurrency Fraud and other related offences in the Nigeria’s Cyberspace is becoming alarming hence, as part of the efforts of the EFCC to nip this menace and eradicate these crimes from Nigeria Cyberspace there is need for synergy with relevant Stakeholders, that is the reason why the Commission has chosen these topics to educate, create awareness and discuss arising issues that will yield more significant results as the EFCC tackles the spate of these crimes.

“We must work together to intensify public sensitization. Your platforms- print, broadcast, digital, and community-based- are essential in equipping Nigerians with the knowledge to make informed decisions and avoid falling prey to scammers. ”

He reiterated that the fight against economic and financial crimes is not the sole responsibility of the EFCC or other anti-corruption agencies. It is a collective national duty, meaning all hands must be on deck , stressing that
We owe it to our country and, indeed, the global community to expose and confront corrupt practices wherever they exist.

“The media must continue to hold public institutions accountable, while civil society must deepen civic engagement and promote transparency at all levels.
The EFCC remains committed to building a stronger and more effective partnership with all stakeholders in the fight against corruption. he stated.

Earlier In his presentation on cryptocurrency-related crimes, CSE Coker Oyegunle, Head of Advanced Fee Fraud, explained that digital assets are increasingly being used for money laundering, identity theft, phishing, malware attacks, and ransomware, most of which involve untraceable crypto payments.

He noted that Nigeria now has a coordinated regulatory framework involving multiple agencies. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) serves as the lead regulator under the Investment and Securities Act 2025, defining digital assets as securities and licensing virtual asset service providers.

Our correspondent reports that other topics presented during the workshop include prosecuting Financial crimes: Issues, challenges and the way forward and the role of CSOs and media in driving a preventive frame work.

Nation

RSU Blames Poor Funding for Failure to Meet Academic Targets as 1,356 Set for Combined Convocation on Saturday”

Published

3 days ago

December 1, 2025

The Tide

The management of Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt, has stated that poor funding has hindered the institution’s ability to meet its expected academic targets.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, made this statement during a press briefing held at the institution on Monday in Port Harcourt, ahead of the week-long 37th and 38th combined convocation ceremony scheduled for Friday and Saturday this week.

Prof. Zeb-Obipi emphasized that poor funding continues to be a major challenge limiting the institution’s ability to meet its targets, adding that they trust the state governor, Sir Fubara Siminalaye, who is the visitor to the university, will continue to strengthen and support them.

He noted that the state governor has demonstrated his commitment to supporting the university, recently approving N700m for the ongoing NUC accreditation.

The Vice-Chancellor stated that the university faces deficits in classrooms, staff accommodation, and student hostels, with the infrastructure gap widening, and existing lecture halls and laboratories requiring renovation.

“We are prioritizing phased upgrades based on program needs,

He added that the university is short-staffed, having lost staff to retirement, death, and changes in job or place of work, and that new programs, departments, and faculties have been created to meet the contemporary needs of society.

Mean while,a total of 13,242 students are set to graduate in the combined convocation, with 10,648 undergraduates, 1,356 Master’s degree students, 700 postgraduate diplomas, and 538 Doctors of Philosophy.

The Vice-Chancellor also used the opportunity to list some achievements of his administration, including the creation of new directorates, completion of abandoned laboratories, and upgrades in the faculty of sciences, made possible with support from the Tertiary Education Technology Fund (TETFund).

He expressed appreciation to the governor and visitor to the university, Sir Siminalaye Fubara, for approving his appointment and promised to justify the confidence placed in him.

Nation

MOSIEND Calls For RSG, NDDC, Stakeholders’ Intervention In Obolo Nation

Published

3 days ago

December 1, 2025

The Tide

The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has decried the neglect of communities in Obolo Nation and others in the Niger Delta Region

MOSIEND also called on the stakeholders to empower the youths in skill acquisition and other meaningful ventures to better their lives

This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn, alongside Asarama Clan Chairman, Comrade Amos Zebedee Udu, and Unyeada Clan Chairman Comrade Owen Wilson Ngere monitored by our correspondent

The spokepersons underscores the urgent need for government agencies and development partners to respond decisively to the dire state of basic amenities in the area.

MOSIEND leaders in Obolo Nation lamented the absence of potable water, electricity, access roads, and other functional public infrastructures in the clans

“What is troubling is that these complaints continue to echo without corresponding action from the Rivers State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission, and the oil companies operating in and around the area”.

According to the MOSIEND leaders, the situation has reached a point where community members, particularly youths and women, require deliberate intervention to rebuild livelihoods and restore hope.

They also emphasised the need for empowerment programmes, vocational training, and investments in local economies that depend heavily on fishing and trade.

The Clan leaders call for provision of small engine boats for fishermen and the construction of proper market spaces for the communities

Asarama Clan Chairman, Comrade Udu noted that the community participates fully in electoral processes yet continues to live without clean water or electricity.

He insisted that the clan is not benefiting as they ought to from any MoU with oil companies nor from NDDC projects, raises concerns about the fairness and inclusiveness of development planning in the state.

Equally troubling is the account from Unyeada Clan Chairman, Comrade Owen Wilson Ngere, who highlighted the alarming state of Unyeada Primary School, where children are forced to learn on bare floors without desks, chairs, or basic sanitation facilities.

” For a region that hosts oil and gas activities, such conditions are unacceptable and should concern all stakeholders”.

The Unyeada Clan Commended NDDC for the installation of solar lights in the communities, noting that the project is not enough for the entire community as they
appeal for more of the solar project in the area

While the leaders expressed appreciation to Governor Siminalayi Fubara for the ongoing construction of roads in the area, and to the local council Chairman for the provision of potable water in some communities, .

“Obolo Nation has shown remarkable restraint and continues to maintain peace, as noted by the MOSIEND Coordinator”.

“The issues highlighted are not demands for luxury,but are basic necessities that every community in the Niger Delta deserves.

“The time for promises has passed; what Obolo communities need now is visible, sustained, and inclusive development.

Chinedu Wosu