Nation
THE STATES
Abuja
A pastor of the Christ Embassy, Mr. Henry Idugboe, has sued an old generation bank in the country (name withheld) to court over allegations of negligence and breach of trust, seeking the sum of over N100 million compensation as damages he suffered owing to the financial institutions negligence.
He instituted the action before an Asaba High Court following the decision of the bank to honour cheques of Stephen Iduogbe and Sons Limited (second plaintiff), which did not carry his signature as required by the mandate card.
According to the mandate card issued to the bank, Idugboe, who is incharge of the Suleja branch of the Christ Embassy, is a compulsory signatory to all transactions made by Stephen Iduogbe and Sons Limited, a firm used to operate the Iduogbes family business.
Piqued by the bank’s alleged deposition to honour cheques of the family company, which did not contain his mandatory signature, the pastor has beseeched the court.
Benue
State chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Dr Emmanuel Agbo, is under intense pressure from the Ohimini local government chapter of the party over the senatorial bid of General Lawson Onoja.
Agbo has been accused of anti-party activities, factionalisation of the party and illegal adoption of Onoja for the 2011 Benue South senatorial seat.
In a communiqué issued by some leaders of the party in the local government, led by Col. Idu Enonche (rtd), who addressed a press conference at the weekend in Otukpo, the stakeholders claimed that Agbo’s alleged endorsement of Onoja was illegality.
They also maintained that the so-called caucus meeting held at Onoja’s Otukpo residence during which he was allegedly endorsed was illegal and excluded key members of the party from the local government.
The communiqué, which was signed by 21 prominent PDP members from the area, accused Agbo of factionalising the party in Ohimini.
Ekiti
Ekiti State Government is to establish a School of Mid-wifery at Orun-Ekiti in Ise-Orun Local Council of the state, the state governor, Mr. Segun Oni has said.
A statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, said Ono, who made this known at Ise-Ekiti while commissioning a hospital building donated by Hon. Titi Akindahunsi of the House of Representatives said students of the school would make use of facilities of the general hospitals at Ise and Emure for their practical work.
Oni, who explained that the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ado-Ekiti could not presently meet the admission requirement of the people of the state, said government would totally transform general hospitals at Ise and Emune, preparatory for the take-off of the proposed School of Mid-wifery at Orun-Ekiti.
Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Danjuma Goje, has said that the outstanding sign-on fees for Gombe United Football Club would soon be paid.
Goje, who spoke at the grand finale of Sarkin Yakin Gombe Football tournament, said plans have been concluded to settle all the arrears owed the club.
To this end, he asked the club to consolidate on their past performances whereby they have recorded success at both national and continental fiesta adding that the government was poised to boost their morale.
The governor also promised to provide a bus for the team with a view to addressing their transport problems, adding that the gesture was to show the commitment of the state towards sports development.
He further expressed the determination of the government to identify hidden talents who could become future Okochas and Kanus in the international football encounters.‘
Kano
Parents in Kano State have decried the increasing deviant attitude among the youth, blaming the situation on their access to the internet and satelite television contents.
Salihu Ahmad, a resident of Gwangwazo quarters in Kano, told the newsmen that youths have unrestrained access to foreign values through the internet.
He noted that government in collaboration with parents, must check the trend and prevent young people from becoming radicals.
Umar Muhammed of far away area of the city said: “I face a lot of problems controlling my five male children because of peer influence.”
He said all his children are males and keeping them at home has been a very difficult task.
He added that they behave in ways that conform to the unwholesome attitudes of their friends.
Another resident, Habibu Ismail, described the situation as “very disturbing” saying youngsters, especially boys, prefer football and other naughty behavour to study.
He, however, advised parents to join hands and watch over their children for effective results instead of allowing them to be transformed by negative external influence.
Kaduna
Former Governor of Kaduna State and Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has tasked Nigerians to assess the performance of public office holders at various levels by the quantum of facilities they provide to Nigerians.
Makarfi was apparently disturbed by the self-assessment by public office holders who roll out dubious statistics of performance to deceive the electorate.
According to the former governor, who spoke in Kaduna in an interview at the weekend, the nation’s electorate should monitor how the allocation of funds to all governments at various levels are utilised, otherwise the problem of non-performance among public office holders will continue.
“This has really been the problem that has been confronting us… of course in terms of performance of government, it has been uniformly above average. The task of the last action of the National Assembly in extending expenditures on the 2009 appropriation to 31st March, which means the budget performance will be about 75 to 85 per cent can be realised.”
Lagos
A fire incident in Lagos at the weekend claimed the life of 85-year-old Alhaja Afusat Orisunmibare at Ikorodu on the outskirts of Lagos.
The inferno, which broke out at the victim’s family bungalow at No.14 Odugate street. Ikorodu, reportedly choked the aged woman to death.
Lagos police command’s spokesman, Frank Mba, who disclosed this, added that another elderly woman, Mrs. Abeni Kamson, sustained serious injuries in the incident and “was rushed to the general hospital where she is being treated.”
He added: “the aged woman has already been buried according to Islamic rites. The fire is suspected to have been caused by candle light.”
Ogun
All on-going road projects in Ogun State will be completed before the present administration quits office in 2011.
The Director of Information and Site Publicity Secretary of the Ogun State Road Management Agency (OGROMA), Abiodun Awere, gave this assurance in a recent press statement.
Awere quoted the Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, who is also the Special Adviser to the governor on Works and Infrastructure, Kehinde Osikoya as saying that efforts are on to complete on-going road projects in line with the year 2010 budget of the state government.
“The road projects completion include Ayetoro road in Abeokuta, dualisation of Ondo road in ijebu-Ode, dualisation of Obafemi Awolowo road, Ikenne, dualisation of Ilo-Awela road, Alisiba road in Sango Ota and some roads in the Ojodu Abiodun/Berge axis”, he said.
Osun
Action Congress (AC) in Osun State has called on the police and other security operatives investigating the gruesome murder of Jonathan Ogundere, one of the lawyers to Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola in the on going trail of the April 14, 2007 governorship election to make their preliminary findings public.
The party in a statement signed by its Director of Research and Strategy, Sunday Akere, said the development would assist in clearing the air on the insinuation that the killing has political undertone.
The party said it is surprised that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is lacking political motives to the incident.
Akere said the party decided to break its earlier resolve not to join issues with the PDP on the incident which it described as unfortunate, adding that, the “PDP is seeking to win undeserved sympathy and distract the security operative from digging deep into the root of the matter to conceal facts and cover ups”.
Plateau
Ahead of the 2011 general elections in Nigeria, members of Plateau State Youth Vanguard have appealed to the electorate to turn their back on failed and fraudulent politicians.
The group said its advice was prompted by the unfolding ugly political drama in the state where past leaders who threw Plateau into avoidable crisis and looted the treasury were set for a comeback.
Meanwhile, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has charged the people of the state to remain faithful to its cause in the New Year by being peaceful with all.
Jang, who spoke during the cross-over service of the EBOMI prayer city in Jos, Plateau State, said he had rededicated the state to God in the New year. He assured that God had taken control of security in the state and as such peace had returned to Plateau.
Zamfara
Over 100 patients with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) have been treated and empowered by Zamfara State government, wife of the state governor, Hajiya Saratu Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi, has disclosed.
The governor’s wife made the disclosure at the weekend in Gusau, the state capital, while receiving delegates of a non-governmental organisation, Engender Health, a partner of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/AQUIRE FISTULA.
She also said the state in collaboration with USAID, had taken necessary measures to improve on maternal and child healthcare delivery.
According to her, in addition to free treatment given to the VVF patients, they were also empowered with new skills to make them self-reliant.
Hajiya Shinkafi further explained that each of the discharged VVF patients received a new sewing machine and N10,000 as start up capital for their sewing trade.
Nation
Accolades, Fanfare As Ogbakor Ikwerre President General Celebrates 80th Birthday

The President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide and the Mgboh XIII of the Mgboh Royal Family of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze (Barrister) Godspower Onuekwa, penultimate Friday celebrated his 80th birthday with pomp, pageantry and fanfare.
The celebration, which commenced with a symposium organised in his honour at Rivers State University on Thursday, August 21,2025, got to a resounding climax on Friday at Suntai Event Centre in Port Harcourt, where people from all walks of life, including business associates, friends, well-wishers, relatives, community folks, traditional rulers, and admirers, gathered to pay glowing tributes to the celebrant.
Before then, a well attended thanksgiving service was held that same Friday at Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo, to honour him and return gratitude to God Almighty for the fruitful and eventful life and accomplishments of the Emohua leader and icon.
The service which was officiated by Rt Rev Wisdom Budu Ihunwo, Bishop of Niger Delta North had other renowned and respected clerics like Most Rev(Dr) Blessing Enyindah, Dean, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Rt Rev(Dr) Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, Bishop, Diocese of Niger Delta; Rt Rev Innocent Ordu, Bishop, Diocese of Evo; and Ven Solomon Eze Nelson, Archdeacon, Okoro-Nu-Odo; among others lined up as officiating ministers.
The service lived up to its billing, as it featured powerful and soul-lifting praise and worship; point-blank prayers; and beautiful renditions, which electrified the entire atmosphere, essentially packaged to thank God for the life of the celebrant.
However, the crowning moment actually came when the who is who, the crème de la crème of the society, thronged the terraces and fabulously decorated expansive hall of Suntai Event Centre, to celebrate Eze Onuekwa, amid accolades, aplomb and panache, wining and dining, and clinking of glasses with him and all.
The chairman of the colourful ceremony, Chief Evans Woherem, who was represented by Eze(Prof) Christian Akani of the prestigious Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, praised the celebrant for his youthfulness in spite of clocking 80 years, generosity, humility, humaneness and selfless services to the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, the Niger Delta and Nigeria, and called on all and sundry to emulate his good legacies and simple disposition towards life and existence.
Goodwill messages also poured in in torrents to underscore and salute the doggedness, resilience, astuteness and uniqueness of the endearing life of the celebrant, with Prof Emenike Wami, the Ochia Ohna Ikwerre(XIV), taking the lead.
Prof Priye Iyalla, the wife of late renowned writer, novelist and playwright, Dr Elechi Amadi, held the audience spellbound as she masterfully reeled out the profile of the celebrant, amid intermittent applause from the crowd.
The Tiv Community from Benue State, resident in Rivers State, were not left out, as they honoured and decorated Eze Onuekwa in their complete traditional regalia.
Cultural displays from Baptist Church, Rumuowhor; ADNA Wogbuji Dancing Group, Egbeda; Tiv Dancing Group; and Promoter Eze and Rumu-Mgboh Emohua Wrestling Group, equally added colour and grace to the occasion, with the celebrant and his wife, Dame Ann Onuekwa, joining them to wriggle their waists and bodies in ecstasy.
In his response, the highly elated celebrant, Eze Onuekwa thanked all those gathered to celebrate with him, saying, celebrations would never cease in their homes, and attributed everything he represents in life, including his modest accomplishments to God.
Eze Onuekwa, while addressing newsmen, harped on the need for hard work among the youths and members of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, as a way of sustaining and giving meaning to the motto of the organisation, which he noted is anchored on peace, unity and progress.
He specially thanked God for sustaining his life, and for making everything possible for him and his family, saying, he was joyous that he has today become an octogenarian and elder statesman in Rivers State.
His son and medical practitioner, Dr Samuel Chizia Onuekwa expressed delight that people from far and near had come together to celebrate the father, whom he described as a role model and great inspirator.
He said it was a good thing that the children were celebrating their father when he is alive, stressing that the last time Eze Onuekwa was celebrated in such magnitude was 20 years ago, during his 60th birthday celebration, and prayed God to grant him many more years in good health.
Among dignitaries who graced the event were Senator Andrew Uchendu; Chief Sampson Agbaru; Prof Emenike Wami; Dr Peter Didia; Eze(Prof) Samuel Ugo Onyeka; and a host of others. Justice Iche Ndu(rtd); and C O Kattey were among personalities that attended the thanksgiving service, while the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof Isaac Zeb-Obipi led the academics who graced the symposium, alongside Eze G A O Omodu.
Nation
Ensure That Ogoni Is Heard In The Right Way, HYPREP Urges Creative Arts Trainees

As the 100 Ogoni youths trained by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Creative Arts close out their training on Tuesday at the Theatre Arts Department, University of Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has urged the beneficiaries to use the skills acquired to ensure that the Ogoni stories are told and heard in the right way.
The trainees, who had completed a four- month training in script writing, film production and make-up are beneficiaries of the HYPREP sustainable livelihood programme, aimed at providing high demand skills to Ogoni youths in the lucrative creative arts and entertainment industry.
Zabbey described the Creative Arts training as well as other programmes and interventions as HYPREP’s strategic sustained effort to create alternative sources of livelihood.
”Targeted capacity building for Ogoni youths and women remains a central strategy in HYPREP’s livelihood restoration and improvement efforts. Our goal is to reach every part of the Ogoni community and ensure that no group or talent pool is left behind. This training is a deliberate step to empower young people who aspire to make their mark in the creative and entertainment industry”, he said.
While commending the trainees for producing four short films within the training period, one of which was premiered at the ceremony-Dirty Festival, the Project Coordinator noted that the training would serve as a springboard into the industry, and enable them earn a living, become entrepreneurs, and open new doors of opportunities for themselves and their communities. The three other movies are Open Pain, Bomu and Green War.
He enjoined them to utilise their skills and platforms to promote civic responsibility, peace, and environmental sustainability, urging them to ensure that Ogoni is heard in the right way, speak for HYPREP and highlight the progress being made in implementing the recommendations of the UNEP Report.
Other speakers at the event, including the Director of Technical Services of HYPREP, Prof. Damian-Paul Aguiyi; Dr Ovunda Ihunwo, Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt; Chief Douglas Experience, the Project Coordinator of Halibiz Consult Limited; and Mrs Josephine Nzidee, Head, Sustainable Livelihood of HYPREP, all applauded HYPREP for the training, and charged the trainees to maximise the opportunity.
The trainees were later presented certificates of participation.
Visibly elated Ms Lebee Tornwe, one of the beneficiaries, thanked HYPREP and the Project Coordinator for offering the trainees the rare opportunity to acquire skills in the creative arts and entertainment industry, and expressed delight that Dr Ihunwo and Halibiz Consult Limited gave their all in grooming them.
With the wrapping up of the Creative Arts training(100), HYPREP has trained 230 Ogoni youths in high demand skill sets ,viz; seafaring(100); and aviation (30). The Project will this year, commence training in other skill areas, including Mechatronic, Aviation, Full-Stack Development, Commercial Diving, Underwater Welding and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Still in the offing is the training for Ogoni Persons Living with Disabilities in five skill sets- fish farming; basic computer skills; photography; fashion and design; and shoemaking in line with their Needs Assessment and HYPREP’s policy of inclusivity.
Nation
NYCOP Urges Stakeholders To Develop, Empower Ogoni Youths

The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) had called on stakeholders to work collaboratively towards the development and empowerment of Ogoni youths.
NYCOP made the call in a communique issue over the weekend after an emergency Congress in Port Harcourt and signed by its President, Comrade Raymond Nwibani Marcus.
In the communique, NYCOP endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s appointments of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees (BOT) members of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), particularly Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah as Chairman of HYPREP’s BOT.
It respectfully appealed to the President to consider appointing a representative from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) under the leadership of Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, being the pioneering social vehicle for Ogoni advocacy since the inception of the Ogoni struggle, adding that it would significantly contribute to the decision-making process.
The body commended the overall management of HYPREP and urges the President to continue funding the HYPREP project.
NYCOP furthermore recommended considering the conversion of HYPREP from a project to a full-fledged agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The communique also stated that NYCOP thanked President Tinubu for establishing the Federal University of Environmental Technology, and for appointing key staff, forming a dialogue committee, and initiating infrastructural projects like the Eleme axis of the East-West Road and the Bonny-Bodo Road, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and economic prospects.
In solidarity with the Renewed Hope Agenda, the endorsed President Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying it believes his leadership embodies the aspirations of the Ogoni people and Nigerians at large.
“After thorough consideration of the Disciplinary Committee’s report, NYCOP resolves:
” To indefinitely suspend Comrade Nade Nade Burale from his position as Secretary General due to misconduct.
“To declare Comrade Saviour Imeabe persona non grata on Ogoni youth issues, given his actions’ potential to instigate crisis in Ogoni and beyond” the communique stated.
NYCOP in his resolution issued a 7-day ultimatum to former HYPREP BOT Chairman Mike Nwialeghi to explain the $100 million HYPREP fund investment, warning of potential litigation.
NYCOP reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ogoni youth interests and preventing personal aggrandizement.
According to the communique the resolutions demonstrate NYCOP’s efforts to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth.
“We will no longer tolerate any individual or group using the name or issues of Ogoni youth for personal aggrandizement.
” Our mandate is clear: to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth” the communique said.
NYCOP passes a vote of confidence in Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah, acknowledging his impeccable credentials and credibility to lead the BOT of HYPREP effectively.
Kiadum Edookor
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