Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa government has approved N35 million for the purchase of meat vans to transport meat from abattoirs to markets within the state.
The Commissioner for Livestock Production, Dr Lawan Hamidu, said this in Yola, during an interactive session with the peer review team of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
The team was in the state to inspect government’s developmental projects and their impact on the people, an exercise which it began last year.
Hamidu said that the decision to purchase the vans was to meet the challenges of transporting meat from abattoirs and to ensure the consumption of healthy and wholesome meat as well as disease free animals.”
Bauchi
The Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) in Bauchi State has said that it will resist any attempt to use the church to cause disorder in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.
The Church stated this in a statement made available to The Tide’s source in Bauchi.
The statement, which was signed by Rev. Yusuf Waziri and Rev. Yakubu Saidu, said that the clarification became necessary following allegations that some people were planning to use the Church to cause mayhem in the state.
It said that the principal aim of the Church worldwide was the salvation of souls, adding that the objective could only be achieved through peaceful means.
“The spirit of God, through Christ, vests upon all Christians and enjoins all believers an existence of peace and not violence, good neighbourliness and not acrimony, peaceful co-existence and love, not war or hatred.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State Government at the weekend disbursed N50 million loans to 250 farmers under the first phase of its newly introduced Peasant Farmers Programme.
The Tide’s source reports that each of the farmers drawn from the 177 political wards in the state received N200,000.
Speaking at the ceremony in Ado-Ekiti, Governor Segun Oni, who said the loan would be interest-free, noted that the scheme was designed to assist each of benefiting farmers to cultivate a minimum of two hectares of both annual and perennial crops this farming season.
Oni, who identified lack of funds as a major problem militating against the agricultural sector in the country, said that the state government decided to pioneer direct funding of agriculture with the aim of enhancing food security.
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the loans and ensure repayment within four years to enable others to have access to the funds.
The governor announced that 250 peasant farmers would benefit from the programme annually.
FCT
Dr Nafisatu Muhammad, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Nomadic Education, said 60 per cent improvement on girl-child education had been achieved through Gender Education Project (GEP).
GEP is an empowerment programme of the Federal Ministry of Education to give educational access to boys and girls in the southern and northern parts of the country respectively.
Muhammad made this known in Abuja recently in an interview with newsmen.
“In the current data, you still find girls still hawking although it has improved with a lot of sensitisation and mobilisation that is going on under the GEP”, he said.
Kaduna
Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Mohammed Tamberi, has linked the high prevalence of rape cases to multiple tenancy.
Tamberi said this in Kaduna while parading three rape suspects.
The police chief noted that while incidence of rapes were uncommon in high brow areas, their frequency was on the increase in places with shared tenancy.
According to him, the highest incidence of rapes were recorded in Rigassa and Tudun Wada areas of the town.Tamberi regretted the incidences, but assured the public that the police was not relenting in the efforts to rid the state of criminals.
He said the three suspected rapists entered the houseof one Mohammed Salihu and defiled the housemaid.
Kano
Sheikh Salisu Muhammad, an Islamic scholar, has called for special prayers over the persisting crisis in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Muhammad made the call recently at a monthly lecture delivered at the Sanabiyyatul Nisa’iyyatul Islamic Institute in Kano.
He said that there was need for both Muslims and Christians in the country to offer special prayers for peace to be restored in Jos.
“It is very strange and uncomfortable to witness that a place like Jos, which is blessed with so many natural and human resources is in crisis,” Muhammad said.
He described the crisis as political, saying that some group of people were benefiting from the blood shed that was taking place in the area.
Mohammed, therefore, urged the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to “the endless bloodshed’’, and pleaded with the elders to come to the rescue of the “weeping land of Jos’’
Kogi
The Kogi State Government is to construct two new modern markets in Lokoja to complement the existing International Market located in the state capital.
Mr Mohammed Sule, the State Commissioner for Environment and Physical Development, disclosed this in Lokoja in an interview with newsmen.
He said that the two markets, one of which would be sited in Ganaja and the other in Dogondaji areas of Lokoja, were expected to accommodate traders who could not secure stalls at the International Market.
Ogun
The Ogun State Government has appointed Prof. Segun Awonusi as the new Vice Chancellor of the state-owned Tai Solarin University of Education.
The appointment is contained in a statement signed by Mr Shina Kawonise, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, a copy of which was made available to The Tide’s source in Abeokuta .
The source reports that Awonusi is to take over from Prof Kayode Oyesiku, whose five-year tenure expires on March 31.
The new vice chancellor is currently the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology.
According to the statement, “Gov Gbenga Daniel of Ogun has approved the appointment of Prof Olusegun Awonusi as the new Vice Chancellor of the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode.
“Otunba Daniel who is also the Visitor to the University, authorised the appointment following the recommendation of the Governing Council of the University which sanctioned his appointment as a replacement for the pioneer Vice Chancellor, Prof Kayode Oyesiku, whose five-year tenure ends on March 31, 2010.”
Yobe
The Yobe College of Agriculture in Gujba has introduced veterinary services to reduce the mortality rate in animals in the host community.
The Provost of the college, Alhaji Mulima Mato, told The Tide’s source in Gujba that animals, including goats, sheep and cattle, which were slaughtered or died of common ailments, had been treated and saved by the college.
He explained that “the clinic had provided medical services to animals with complications arising from polythene materials eaten by the animals which were very common.
“We have also carried out surgery on animals with birth complications,” he said.
The provost added that the community had in the past lost many animals to curable ailments due to the lack of medical attention.
He said that “quacks visiting the farmers had exploited the situation, providing sub-standard drugs and services and causing economic loss to the farmers”.
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
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