Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The Borno State Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA) has unveiled “Operation Zero Pothole” to repair roads in the state.
The Chairman of the agency, Alhaji Satomi Ahmad told newsmen in Maiduguri that the road repairs project was on major towns in the state.
Ahmad said the agency had completed arrangements to commence work on the roads in Maiduguri metropolis, adding that similar projects would be executed in Biu town.
He listed some of the roads to be fixed to include Post Office-Industrial Court, Jidari-Polo and Pompomari-Jidari.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has sent letter of protest to the Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu over the arrest and detention of the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Toyin Ojo and the Accountant General, Mrs. Yemi Owolabi.
In the letter, the Assembly described the arrests of Ojo and Owolabi as “premeditated, malicious, politically motivated, contemptuous and unconstitutional in all ramifications;” saying it smacked of “gangsterism by an agency that derives its power from the constitution but acts in clear contempt of the rule of law.”
The letter, which was dated October 2 and signed by the Speaker, Mr. Kolawole Oluwawole was delivered at the EFCC’s Abuja office last Tuesday.
FCT
Mrs. Patience Jonathan has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to treat her the way her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan treated Aisha Buhari when he (President Buhari) lost the 2011 presidential election.
Patience, who is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said this in a statement by her Chief Press Secretary, Belema Meshack-Hart recently.
The former first lady said she was being probed because of the prominent role she played during the build-up to the 2015 elections.
Patience had described Buhari who was the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress as a brain-dead man.
Kaduna
Resident doctors in Kaduna State have begun an indefinite strike over “ the sorry state” of healthcare facilities in state government hospitals.
President, Association of Resident Doctors in the state, Dr. Joseph Jokshan said at a press briefing in Kaduna that the state government had not responded to any of the doctors’ demands issued 21 days ago.
He said that the doctors were pained to begin the strike, but “unfortunately, we cannot effectively carry out these tasks in the current sorry state of our healthcare facilities.”
Jokshan listed issues that prompted the strike to include poor funding, equipping and staffing of hospitals and non- provision of living environment for medical, health workers and patients.
Kano
The Kano State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with the Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Nigeria (IBFIN) recently organised a sensitisation workshop for journalists in the state on the Fundamentals of Islamic Economy, Banking and Finance.
The Managing Director of the IBFIN, Alhaji Sani Aminu said the aim of the one-day workshop was to enhance the knowledge of the journalists on the importance of non-interest banking in the country.
He said the purpose of choosing journalists to benefit from the training was due to their importance and contributions towards the development of the nation’s economy.
“When you educate a journalist, you educate the entire people because they are enlightening and educating and informing the general public.
Kebbi
Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State has promised to provide skills acquisition equipment and other materials to inmates of the two prisons in the state with a view to properly rehabilitating them.
Bagudu made the promise in Birnin Kebbi while donating tailoring machines to the inmates of the two prison inmates in the state.
The governor urged the inmates to consider their incarceration as an act of God meant to reform them and not to abuse their personality.
He called on them to change their attitudes, before and after the expiration of their prison terms.
Kogi
Kogi State Government has solicited the co-operation of media organisations in the state to help in sensitising the people on the need to obey environmental sanitation laws.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya made the call in an interview with newsmen in Lokoja.
According to Osikoya, the call is necessary because the media remains a critical stakeholder to the society and the ministry, adding that it also touches the life of everybody and affects people in several ways.
Kwara
Kwara State Government has received N3.5 billion as its share of the federal allocation for September.
The state Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu who disclosed this in a statement in Ilorin said the amount was an increase over the N2.5 billion it got in August.
Banu gave the breakdown as N2.7 billion being statutory allocation and Value Added Tax (VAT) of N813 million, totaling N3.5 billion.
The commissioner said that the 16 local governments in the state received a combined allocation of N2.5 billion for September, against N1.8 billion they got in August.
Lagos
The Migrants Reintegration Centre in Ibeju-Lekki, near Lagos has rehabilitated no fewer than 100 Nigerians deported from various countries in the past four years.
The operator of the centre, Mrs Bose Aggrey told newsmen in Lagos that the deportees were mostly people, who went abroad in search of greener pastures.
Aggrey, who is also the founder of the Web of Hearts Foundation said that she had been collaborating with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMI) in looking after the returnees.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Government says it has sponsored 19 medical and engineering students who are indigenes of the state in United Kingdom and Ukraine universities.
The Executive Secretary of Nasarawa State Scholarship Board, Mr Suleiman Abdulwahib disclosed this in an interview with newsmen recently in Lafia.
Abdulwahib said that over N160 million was spent on foreign scholarship to 16 indigenes of the state who studied medicine and engineering courses in Ukraine from 2007 to 2012.
He added the government had also spent over N33 million on three indigenes who did their post graduate programmes in UK from to 2016.
He explained that although presently, the state did not have any foreign students, it was working out modalities to award scholarships to indigenes to study in foreign countries.
Oyo
Private hospitals, mission homes and traditional birth attendants in Ibadan are recording tremendous increase in patronage following the on-going nationwide strike by health workers.
Reports indicate that the health workers’ strike which began September 20 had affected normal medical services in federal government-owned hospitals and the 54 teaching hospitals in Nigeria.
A survey of patronage in some private hospitals in Ibadan revealed that there was a high increase in the number of in- and out-patients at these hospitals.
At Ibadan Central Hospital, a senior nursing officer who pleaded for anonymity said that the hospital had been treating an average of 76 new patients daily since the strike began.
Plateau
The War Against Indiscipline (WAI) Brigade has trained 85 volunteers to fight indiscipline and corruption in Plateau State according to the State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Bulus Dabit.
Dabit told newsmen last Monday in Jos that the volunteers went through three months of rigorous training that armed them to tackle the two vices and also inculcate values of patriotism into the society.
“The trainees are ready to serve Nigeria; they are ready to be engaged by the Police for community policing and intelligence gathering,” he said.
He said that the WAI volunteers also known as Community Support Brigade could also augment the efforts of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in the fight against drugs abuse.
“Some communities have become notorious for crimes as well as drugs sale and intake”.
Strategic regulators and other stakeholders have expressed satisfaction with the pace, quality and magnitude of work carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Ogoniland, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
In their separate speeches at the 2025 4th quarter key regulators / asset owners meeting held in Port Harcourt, the strategic stakeholders commended HYPREP for the significant milestones achieved with excellent efficiency and transparency, demonstrating capacity and commitment to sustaining collaboration with development partners for the overall success of the Project.
The regulators particularly lauded HYPREP for the landmark success in the implementation of the land and shoreline remediation, mangrove restoration, provision of reticulated potable water, the various sustainable livelihood programmes, donation of ambulances to health facilities in Ogoni, the construction of Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, as well as the ongoing Ogoni Power Project, adding that their independent field reports have shown proofs of HYPREP driving even beyond its mandates.
The goodwill messages were made by representatives of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Centre for Environment and Human Rights Development (CEHRD), Society for Women and Youths Affairs (SWAYA), Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN), Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), and Federal Ministry of Environment. Others are the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Rivers State Ministry of Power, the Rivers State University, the Rivers State Ministry of Water and Rural Development, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
Following the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit’s presentation on the status of HYPREP projects, participants offered feedback on areas of concern. They reassured HYPREP and the people of Ogoni of their continued support for the Project’s success. They also suggested that the quarterly review meeting be sustained as it enables them to report, evaluate and proffer solutions to areas of concern.
Participants also commended HYPREP for improved community and stakeholder engagement and for adding to what they saw the previous time. “We commend HYPREP for the quality work done at sites. The progress is phenomenal, because HYPREP is scoring good grades, above average,” Prof. Iyenemi Kakulu from Rivers State University said.
In his speech at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who was represented by Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, Director of Technical Services, commended the regulators and asset owners for their cooperation with the Project, and for making themselves available for fieldwork and the regular review meetings.
Prof Zabbey reiterated HYPREP’s commitment to best practice in waste management, particularly waste generation and disposal, calling on the Regulators for adequate logistics support, saying HYPREP’s priority is to focus on the core recommendations by UNEP, especially, remediation(soil, shoreline) mangrove restoration, provision of potable water, interventions in public health care services and sustainable livelihood for the people.
The Project Coordinator further highlighted the status of the Project, the successes achieved across all thematic areas, and assured that HYPREP will soon complete most of the ongoing projects and roll out others. He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to review the progress of the Ogoni cleanup, ensure quality control, and foster effective collaboration.
Consequently, the quarterly key regulators/asset owners meeting is HYPREP’s strategic stakeholder management model, further underscoring the Project’s commitment to transparency, partnership for development, and accountability, all of which are harbingers of effective project delivery.
Speaking to newsmen, HYPREP Project Support Lead and representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr Ehioze Igbinomwanhia, described his involvement with HYPREPas an encouraging and insightful experience, saying, the Project is implementing a wide range of projects across Ogoniland, spanning immediate remediation works as well as livelihood support initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of affected communities.
Engr Igbinomwanhia emphasised that Renaissance Africa Energy remains fully committed to supporting the objectives of the Ogoni cleanup project, noting that the company has a long history of collaboration with HYPREP.
He added that the partnership has been characterised by continuous learning, adaptation and a willingness to respond to observations and recommendations aimed at improving outcomes.
He further emphasised the importance of safety in all project operations, particularly given the challenging terrain and operating conditions in Ogoniland.
He noted that safety is treated as a critical priority and that contractors are continually reminded to maintain high safety standards, stressing that lessons learnt from previous operational challenges like the collapse of the water tank in Gwara Community are being applied to strengthen safety practices and overall performance.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
