Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Some primary school teachers in Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa have been made to forfeit part of their salaries for being perpetually absent in school.The Education Secretary, Malam Danrimi Ahmed, told the newsmen in Mubi on Friday that the teachers were found wanting by a disciplinary committee.Ahmed said the committee, which found seven of the teachers guilty of absenteeism, made them forfeit certain percentage of their salaries based on the number of days each of them was not in class.He added that the amount deducted from the affected teachers salaries was used to purchase exercise books to be distributed free to pupils as compensation.“We have purchased exercise books to be distributed free to pupils as compensation for the lessons they missed because of the teachers absence,” he added.The education secretary noted that the state government and universal basic education board had provided teaching facilities and effected teachers promotion.
FCT
The Head of Agriculture, Bwari Area Council of the FCT, Dr Godwin Abah, says the council plans to boost cassava production in the area.
Abah said in an interview with newsmen in Bwari recently that the council had received improved cassava stems from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture toward realising the goal.
“The samples of the improved stems were planted in our farm, it was harvested and what we got has been very good which encouraged us to look for more for our farmers,” he said.
According to him, the improved stems reduce cultivation time.
“When old stock took about three to four years before harvesting, the improved one was only for six months to one year to ripe for harvest.’’
He called on the farmers to visit the agriculture department of the council to get improved stem for trial and to increased cassava production.
Abah said that extension workers of the council were always on hand to advise farmers on ways of improving their productivity.
Kebbi
The Kebbi House of Assembly has closed deliberations for one week to enable members to verify and solve difficulties faced by civil servants over the e-payment system.
The Chairman, Committee on Information and Culture, Alhaji Rabiu Sallah, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi last Thursday that the e-payment consultants would be invited to explain difficulties in the payment of workers’ salary.
He explained that committees of the House had been mandated to embark on fact-finding visits to ministries and parastatal agencies on the e-payment and proffer solutions.
He urged civil servants to be patient while efforts were made to resolve the problem.
Lagos
Stakeholders in the oil and gas industry on Friday called on the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently find a lasting solution to the problem
in the power sector.
They told newsmen on Friday in separate interviews in Lagos, that the acting president should find lasting solution to the epileptic power to boost the nation’s socio-economic growth.
Mr Tokunbo Korodo, the Chairman of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas NUPENG , Lagos Zone, said there was the need to enforce total and radical changes in the sector to meet the vision 20-2020.
Korodo said the only way to address the problem of gas supply to the power sector is for the acting president to give a standing warning and instruction to all those concerned in the sector.
He said the epileptic power supply had damaged the growth of the nation’s economy.
Mr lssac Arowolo, the President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), said the only way to effectively address the issue of gas supply was for everybody to be committed to the set target.
He said apart from gas, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) should also develop another source of power generation and called for proper utilisation of the gas supply.
Arowolo urged the government to urgently work toward the reform to save the sector from total collapse.
Ondo
Mrs Oluremi Oyo, on Thursday in Akure urged women journalists to embrace capacity building to enable them to cope with the challenges of the profession.
She said that training and re-training were the only way to ensure continuous self-improvement and that “without training, no media woman can meet the challenges of professional demands.”
Oyo spoke at a lecture entitled, “The Media Woman: Challenges, Pains and Gains,” at the 2010 Week of the Nigeria Association of Women journalists (NAWOJ), Ondo State.
“I wish to advise that as a body, you should take the issue of training your members seriously by exploring and exploiting every available opportunity to build their capacity.
“The Internet offers unlimited opportunity for aspiring journalists to develop themselves in various necessary skills for the advancement of their profession.
“I see no reason why journalists should not acquire skills in photography and usage of computer,” she said.
The NAN managing director, who said that the media world would soon experience drastic changes, held that only hard work and tenacity of purpose would see the media woman through.
Osun
Mr Sunday Akere, the Director of Publicity and Strategy of the Action Congress (AC) in Osun, on Thursday commended Acting President Goodluck Jonathan on his choice of ministers.
Akere made the commendation in a telephone interview with newsmen in Osogbo.
“Although, I am still watching the trend of events and I am waiting for the screening of the nominees by the Senate but the ministerial list is okay,” he said.
Akere lauded Jonathan for selecting those who were “versatile and competent in politics’’ as members of the Federal Executive Council.
“I am talking of persons like Prof. Dora Akunyili, the immediate-past Minister of Information and Communications,” he added.
Akere said that although he never supported the idea of recycling ministers, the need for experience could not be compromised in a fledging democracy.
He commended Jonathan for being objective and for not playing politics with issues of national interest.
“This is not a matter of pro- or anti-Yar’Adua; it is a matter of those who can effectively manage the country’s affairs. Therefore, there is no room for sentiments,” he said.
Sokoto
Nigeria Customs officials in Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States now use camels to chase smugglers, according to Mr Bitrus Kuyli.
Kuyli, the Comptroller of Customs for the three states, told newsmen on Friday in Sokoto that the animals had made it easier to penetrate the bush parts.
He said that donkeys were also being used as a means of transport in the remotest areas of Kebbi.
“The borders are very long and generally in the bushes hence the need to use the animals.
“The borders are porous and smugglers use all kinds of routes, but the customs officials can penetrate all corners with the use of the animals,” Kuyli said.
The customs chief said that the command was working with traditional rulers in the border communities to check smuggling activities.
“The traditional rulers are expected to assist with information needed to check the activities of smugglers,” he said.
Taraba
Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba has said that the peer review initiative of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) will aid national development.
The governor said this on Thursday in Jalingo when he received the peer review team of the NGF.
Our correspondent reports that the team was in Taraba to inspect development projects undertaken by the state government and assess their impact on the people.
‘‘The project monitoring exercise, being carried out by the team, will speed up development in the country and it should be encouraged by all,’’ Suntai said.
The governor expressed optimism that the outcome of the exercise would help in shaping government policies and the governors’ desire to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
NGF Director-General Asishana Okauru, who is the leader of the team, told Suntai that the focus of the exercise was on health, education, agriculture, water and other development issues that would enhance the people’s wellbeing.
He said that the peer review exercise was an initiative which the 36 states governors adopted in 2009 to review themselves with a view of encouraging healthy competition in development programming.
Zamfara
The Zamfara Government has expressed concern over the activities of land speculators using fake documents to defraud the public in some parts of the state.
Alhaji Bashir Madaro, the Commissioner of Land and Survey, expressed the worry in a statement issued in Gusau on Friday Gusau.
It quoted Madaro as advising the public to desist from land speculation and developing reserved areas meant for public use or face the wrath of the law.
The statement quoted him as urging the public to always transact land businesses with government to avoid being involved in shady deals.
“Appropriate documents relating to land transactions must be obtained from the ministry directly without any mediation, because the ministry will no longer entertain complaints on such issues,’’ it warned.
A professor of English linguistics at the Rivers State University (RSU) Nkpolu Oroworukwu Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Enyi Ngulube, has advocated for better and improved funding for language centres in Nigeria, such as NINLAN Aba and Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, for optimum value and effective local languages development.
He also called for funded research on the development of orthographies and language documents across the country to rescue local languages from extinction, as well as having a well-planned and implemented mother tongue education in all institutions in the country, from primary to tertiary.
Prof. Ngulube made with these assertions while presenting his inaugural lecture at the university’s 121st inaugural lecture with the topic “The Career of Rough Beats: Language, Literature and the Development of our Common Humanity” held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The erudite scholar, in the lecture, stressed that the study of English language, linguistics, and literature is very broad, large, and difficult, adding that he overcame the rough roads through resilience and determination.
He described language as “a purely human and non-instinctive means of communicating ideas and emotions,” noting that “the word is a fundamental need in language; you cannot study language without the use of language.”
He urged parents to be cautious with their utterances, warning that “what they refer to their children as is what they will automatically end up becoming.”
He recommended a branded English language for every profession or course of study, stressing that embedding oral literature in the teaching of students from primary to tertiary level will enable them to know their traditions and roots of origin.
“Tell them the folk stories and moonlight tales; you are sending them back to their people. You must be a human being first before becoming a medical doctor, engineer, or anything else,” Ngulube said.
He also called for better and improved production of quality language and literature teachers, provision of modern teaching/instructional materials, improved welfare packages for teachers, and provision of better infrastructure at both primary and secondary school levels.
He used the opportunity to appreciate the Vice Chancellor for the approval of the Department of English Language and Literature, adding that it had been his long-held dream for the university.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, while highlighting the lecture, opined that the lecturer x-rayed the lecturer’s journey into the study of English language, linguistics, and literature, describing the field as broad, large, and difficult, but with determination and focus, he was able to defeat the beasts he encountered on his way.
Zeb-Obipi agreed with the lecturer’s recommendations on ways to improve indigenous languages in the country and directed that modalities be worked out for the university to have the Department of English Language and Literature, among others.
He highlighted RSU’s recent victory in the Bilingual Community Project organized by the French Embassy, describing it as proof of the university’s rising excellence in language studies.
The Federal Government through the implementation of the various projects of the Ogoni cleanup programme is demonstrating a strong commitment to national peace and the development of Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who made this assertion at a two-day training on Mechanism for Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) and other Peacebuilding Techniques for Community Leaders In Ogoni, held in Port Harcourt, said through the ongoing environmental restoration effort, potable water provision, livelihood restoration, public health interventions, and the Ogoni Power Project, HYPREP is contributing to national peace and development.
He explained that by improving the living conditions in communities and creating new opportunities for young people, the Project is also reducing the social pressure that often fuels conflict, stressing that the Project is proud of this service to the Ogoni people and the nation.
Describing traditional leaders and stakeholders as peacebuilders and guardians of community harmony, Zabbey noted that the workshop would strengthen their capacities and reinforce the Ogoni dialogue process, which HYPREP continues to support in line with its mandate on peacebuilding.
He said HYPREP is actively promoting ADR alongside other mechanisms across its project sites and other areas of operation aimed at fostering unity, fairness, mutual respect and faster dispute resolution, stressing that these are qualities necessary for the future of Ogoni people and their communities.
He further indicated that the Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal is disposed to promoting peace and stability across Ogoni communities and HYPREP project sites.
The Project Coordinator, therefore, charged Ogoni leaders to be mindful of their actions, words and body language, as what they say or do can either promote peace or fan the embers of conflict.
Continuing, he stated thus,”We must always ask ourselves: Is my position on this matter in the people’s interest? Does it promote unity and progress? Will it enhance development?”
The Project Coordinator assured the participants that HYPREP is working tirelessly in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme and ensure that its benefits reach the grassroots where they are needed most.
Stressing the need for Ogoni leaders and stakeholders to explore communication and trust options to prevent disputes from degenerating into violence, the Project Coordinator noted that it was time for all Ogonis to be united for development, leaving behind perceptions that do not serve collective progress.
Similarly, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige, said the workshop is a strategic platform aimed at strengthening the capacity of traditional institutions and community leaders to sustain peace, foster dialogue and promote non-adversarial engagements in the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Prof Onyige noted that the Ogoni leadership structure commands deep respect and legitimacy, and strengthening their capacity in ADR methods such as mediation, negotiation, dialogue, facilitation, and consensus building means strengthening the foundation of peace in the region.
Participants, comprising traditional rulers and key stakeholders in Ogoni, commended HYPREP for the initiative, and assured it of their continuous support to the Project by providing an enabling atmosphere for the smooth implementation of the cleanup project in Ogoniland.
Resource persons who presented thought-provoking lectures at the workshop included the Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Kinikanwo Anele; Prof Olariwanju Lawal; Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige; and Dr Gbenemene Kpae; among others.
With significant achievements recorded across thematic areas of the Ogoni cleanup programme being executed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Project Coordinator of the Project, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has said that all these are enabling pathways to the development of Ogoniland.
This is coming on the heels of milestone achievements in the following areas and their impact on Ogoni communities. They are mangrove restoration which is 94 percent complete; shoreline remediation which stands at 67.1 percent; and the phase 2 land remediation progressing to 36.55 percent.
Moreso, HYPREP has constructed 14 water facilities, providing potable water to 40 communities. With the commissioning of the water schemes in Bane and Gwara communities, the number of communities with access to clean and safe drinking water will be 45. The process of operationalising the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) which is at 92 percent complete, is ongoing. The same for the Ogoni Power Project which is progressing with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakaara substations ongoing
Similarly, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are at 76.8 percent and 98.7 percent respectively.
This is alongside other public health interventions and the Human BioMonitoring Survey also in progress.
Under the livelihood
programme, over 7,000 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni women and youths, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up kits, workshops, education grants, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This quarter, training will commence in other demand-driven skill areas, such as cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, commercial diving, and underwater welding.
Zabbey had reeled out these achievements, during the third quarter interactive session between the Project Coordination Office engagement with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt on Friday, in line with HYPREP’s strategic stakeholders policy to provide an interface opportunity to abreast Ogoni youths on the Project’s activities, while garnering their feedback.
Zabbey noted that, “This
quarterly engagement was,therefore, designed as an inclusive strategy to ensure that youth voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and progress updates are provided transparently. Also, it reflects our firm belief that a project of this magnitude must be people-centred, accountable, and participatory”.
” I am delighted to inform you that the Project remains on course to achieve its mandate as outlined in the UNEP Report on the Ogoni environment and the official gazette establishing HYPREP. HYPREP is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the cleanup projects and activities”, he said.
He stressed that HYPREP’s achievements are pathways to a better Ogoniland, assuring that the Project’s goals are aimed at benefiting all categories of Ogoni youths, whether in business, farming, advocacy, education, entrepreneurship or community development.
”This Project belongs to all of you, and its success depends mainly on your participation, unity and constructive engagement. And with your support, we are confident that all challenges will be addressed in the overall public interest,” Zabbey said.
The Project Coordinator urged Ogoni youths to continue to support the Project by promoting peace, discouraging misinformation, and collaborating with project teams working in the communities, and address challenges through dialogue, rather than confrontation.
Prof Dinebari Badey, a Professor of Development Sociology in the University of Port Harcourt, delivered the keynote address, linking the nexus between HYPREP and youths in the development of Ogoniland through unity of purpose while Engr Solomon Akere, gave a talk on Ogoni youths in business.
Participants raised questions concerning the maintenance of the water projects, remediation efforts, and compensation for the Right of Way (RoW), among others.
In attendance were management staff of HYPREP who provided responses to the interventions.