Nation

THE STATES

Published

16 years ago

April 12, 2010

Bauchi

Residents of Bauchi metropolis said on Saturday that the planned return of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to PDP might not be as rosy as his supporters thought.

Speaking to our correspondent Alhaji Shehu Ali, a political commentator, said that Abubakar might not find it easy in PDP because from all indications his reason for rejoining the party was not unconnected to his ambition to become the president of the country.

“Atiku will face a formidable task if he really wants to secure the PDP ticket for its presidential candidate in 2011.

“I say so because there are other prominent and strong personalities who also want to have the same opportunity as him.

“Because of his absence for a long time it will be difficult for him to have an automatic ticket to contest as president,” Ali said.

However, another resident, Alhaji Sulaiman Ibrahim, a political chieftain and a member of PDP, said that Abubakar left the party because he felt he was frustrated and from the look of things the frustrating elements were gone that was why he wanted to return to it.

He said it was due to problems he was facing in PDP that he left and created another party in the name of Action Congress (AC).

FCT

The Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, on Friday in Abuja said the Federal Government would redouble its commitment to the welfare of the armed forces.

Adetokunbo disclosed this while inspecting some projects, executed by the Nigerian Army Engineering Corps, through direct labour.

“The Acting President has given the mandate to support every effort to improve the welfare of all those in uniform. What I have seen today shows the need for government to redouble its commitment in this direction.

“I believe first of all, that the welfare of our men and officers is being taken care of by this approach of the Chief of Army Staff, and I want to urge all services to emulate this approach,” he said.

The minister said he had been briefed on assumption of duty in the new ministry that the services, especially the Nigerian Army had embarked on projects by direct labour.

“It appears strange and from what I have seen today I am impressed”, he added.

On his part, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau, said for each project carried out through direct labour, the army had spent not more than 10 per cent of what would have been spent through the award of contracts.

Dambazau added that the project that would have taken five years to complete were completed within one year by the army personnel through direct labour.

Jigawa

Jigawa Police Command has arrested three people who allegedly tried to defraud the state government, police public relations officer of the command, Assistant Supritendant of Police Abdu Jinjiri, said.

Jinjiri told newsmen in Dutse on Saturday that the suspects were Haruna Mustapha, Saidu Mustapha from Abuja and Mohammed Ali of Nassarawa Quarters

in Kano Metropolis.

Jinjiri said the suspects sent a text message to one Abuja-based business man, Alhaji Malami Shehu, requesting money to facilitate the procurement of a N3 billioncontract for the supply of fertiliser to the state government.

The suspects claimed that the Chief of Staff, Government House, Dutse, Alhaji Aminu Ringim, was aware of the contract.

Luck ran out of the suspected criminals when Shehu called Ringim to verify the story.

The police were immediately alerted and the three suspects were arrested.

At the time of filing this report the Jinjiri said the criminals were in police custody for full and further investigation on the matter.

Kaduna

Alhaji Shehu Idris, the Emir of Zazzau, on Friday urged religious and traditional leaders to redouble effort to promote religious tolerance, trust and understanding among their followers.

Speaking at a quarterly meeting with religious leaders and traditional rulers in his palace in Zaria, the emir described peace as a vital ingredient for socio-economic growth.He explained that no religion preached violence, hence the need for leaders to show the fear of God Almighty by promoting peace and unity among the people.

He called on traditional rulers and religious leaders to complement the efforts of the Kaduna State Government toward sustaining the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the state.

The emir urged the Ulama (religious leaders) to adopt a means of finding solution to the differences among various religious groups and advised youths against thuggery.

In their contributions, Sheik Abubakar Imam-Ikara, Sama’ila Dakace and Alhaji Garba Ra’is restated their commitment to a peaceful society.

They described the meeting as a way of strengthening peace and harmony among the people of Zazzau Emirate and the state as a whole.

Kebbi

The Campaign Organisation of Gov. Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi for the 2011 election, has announced the removal of its chairman, Alhaji Muhammed Kwasara.

A statement by the Assistant Public Relations Officer of the organisation, Nasiru Masama, in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, said the removal was because of Kwarasa’s crowded schedule, which had not allowed him to pay required attention to the project.

It noted that Kwasara was also a Senior Special Adviser on Special Duties to Dakingari.

The statement named Alhaji Kabiru Sani as the new chairman of the organisation.

Speaking on his appointment, Sani said he would promote the achievements of Dakingari toward a successful re-election in 2011.

He appealed to supporters of the party to remain committed to the effort to re-elect the governor.

Lagos

The Chairman, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr Kunle Soname, said his administration would assist voluntary organisations to train youths in the area.

Soname told newsmen in Lagos on Saturday that the council would support the groups with funds and logistics in training their members.

“We have written to schools and landlords of places where these groups meet to allow them free assess and also to give them other forms of support,’’ he said.

According to him, letters have also been written to all private and public primary and secondary schools within the LCDA to encourage students to belong to any one of the voluntary associations.

He said that head teachers and principals of public schools had been directed to set aside a day in the week for students to participate in the activities of the voluntary associations.

“Our intention is in line with the aspirations of the state governor to integrate voluntary associations into the re-orientation programme for youths and children in the state,’’ he said.

Our correspondent reports that 65 under-10 pupils of Caleb International Schools, Magodo, were inducted into the Nigerian Red Cross Society in March.

Another 100 pupils from five public schools within the LCDA were inducted into the Boys Scout and Girls Guide associations as part of the re-orientation programme.

Niger

The Chief Imam of Umaru Majigi Central Mosque, Bida in Niger, Sheikh Adamu Liman-Yakatun, has urged Nigerian Muslims to give their children both western and Islamic education.

Liman-Yakatun spoke on Friday in Bida at the graduation ceremony of 20 students of Imam Aliyu Quranic School.

He said by acquiring western and Islamic education “ Muslims can contribute meaningfully to national development.

“We cannot endeavour to contribute our own quota to the socio-economic development of Nigeria if we neglect the pursuit of both western and religious education.”

Liman-Yakatun also called for the education of girls like their male counterparts to facilitate national development.

“Women are the mothers of the society just as they mould the character of our children and as such they should be adequately educated to face that challenges,” he said.

The proprietor of the school, Malam Usman Aliyu, emphasised the need for parents to complement the effort of the government in funding education.

Osun

Mr Sina Mohammed, Special Adviser to Gov. Olagunsoye Oyinlola on Project Monitoring, on Friday scored contractors handling projects in the state low.

Inspecting some projects on Friday, the special adviser said the contractors were now taking advantage of the ending phase of the present political dispensation to do shoddy jobs,

The tour followed a call on government by the affected communities to make the contractors to be committed to their jobs.

Mohammed expressed dissatisfaction with the shoddy jobs done by the contractors, in spite of the fact that they had been properly mobilised to enable them perform well.

The special adviser expressed disappointment with the renovation work being carried out at the Maternal and Child Health Wards of the Comprehensive Health Centre at Ikire.

Mohammed, who is also the Chairman of State and Local Government Capital Project Monitoring Committee, was at Iwo, Ede, Ejigbo and Osogbo to assess projects.

He described the quality of work done in Ikire as unacceptable and directed that the contracting firm should not be paid until the defects were rectified.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

46 minutes ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

49 minutes ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

52 minutes ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.