Nation

THE STATES

Published

15 years ago

May 28, 2010

Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi on Monday swore-in Alhaji Jaafar Adamu as Commissioner and 23 new permanent secretaries.

The Tide’s source reports that with the swearing-in of the new permanent secretaries, the state now has 52 permanent secretaries.

Speaking during the ceremony, Yuguda enjoined the commissioner and permanent secretaries to ensure transparency, due process and accountability in the discharge of their duties.

He urged the permanent secretaries to show diligence and accountability in the conduct of government business.

Benue

Members of the Benue House of Assembly in Markudi on Monday held an Executive Session in honour of late Mr. Baver Dzeremo, who died on Friday.

Dzeremo, who represented Tarka State constituency, travelled to Germany in November last year for medical treatment and returned on May 19 after he was discharged.

Announcing the death of Dzeremo in his office during the session, the Speaker, Mr. Terseer Tsumb said members of the Assembly were in grief because the deceased was an astute politician.

He promised that the Assembly would do everything possible to give him a befitting burial.

Panic has gripped residents of Maiduguri over incessant suspected ritual killings in some parts of the state.

Barely two weeks after the body of a teenager was found in Lagos street in Maiduguri, with his head, arms, private organs and legs removed, another person was on Tuesday found mutilated in Bama town in Borno.

The Tide’s source reports that this is the third incident in the last two months.

The Borno Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Isa Azare, who confirmed the Bama killing to newsmen in Maiduguri on Tuesday, said the victim, 35-year-old Ali Karama, was found slaughtered in an uncompleted building with his throat removed.

He advised parents to monitor the movements of their children and report persons with questionable characters to the nearest security outfit.

The police patrol team had intensified its operations to

all suspected criminals’ hideouts in the state, he stressed.

The Police authorities in Ekiti State have dismissed six policemen attached to the command over alleged misconduct.

The command’s spokesman, Mr Mohammed Jimoh, told newsmen on Tuesday, in Ado-Ekiti, that the six policemen were dismissed two weeks ago.

He added that one officer was also demoted, while 11 others were sanctioned.

The spokesman said that the affected officers, who were between the ranks of constables and corporals, were tried by the disciplinary committee constituted by the command.

Prof Pai Obanya, an educationist, in Abuja, on Monday, urged stakeholders in the education sector to lay emphasis on quality education and not quantity.

Obanya, who was a resource person at the National Examination Summit, said the government should be more concerned with how resources spent on education impacted on children and not how much was spent.

“Invest on education and not spend on it because how much you spend is not an investment unless it produces positive results, only then would one say you have invested on education.”

A downpour, accompanied by strong winds has damaged hundreds of buildings, electrical poles and other installations in Danja local government area of Katsina State.

The council chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Dabai, newsmen who visited the area on Tuesday that more than 12 settlements were affected but that Danja town was the worst hit.

Dabai said the incident occurred on Sunday night and that the affected buildings included residential houses, schools, hospitals and government establishments.

A delegation of traditional rulers from Bauchi State arrived in Kebbi, on Monday, to understudy “the Systemic Engagement of Traditional Rulers’’ to immunisation.

The delegation, led by the Emir of Dass, Alhaji Usman Bilyaminu, will also study the revitalisation of Primary Health Care (PHC) in Kebbi.

The delegation, which includes USAID, WHO and UNICEF representatives, visited Governor Saidu Dakingari in Birnin Kebbi and commended the leading role of Kebbi in the eradication of the six child killer diseases.

“We will spend the next three days here to understudy the enviable role being played by the traditional rulers in this state on the eradication of child killer diseases for implementation in our state,” Bilyaminu said.

Workers in the steel sector have urged the Federal Government to immediately set machinery in motion to pay the N7.4 billion gratuities and pension arrears of some of their retired colleagues.

The workers, who made the demand in a position paper made available to The Tide’s source in Ajaokuta ,on Tuesday, said the amount had been outstanding since 2005.

In the position paper sent to the government through the Minister of Mine and Steel Development, Mr Musa Sada, the workers said that N5.2 billion of the amount was the outstanding severance benefit of their colleagues disengaged in 2005 by the Delta Steel Company, Warri.

The paper represents the joint position of the two major unions in the industry; Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ISSAN) and the Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (SEWUN) on the protracted crisis plaguing the steel sector.

Lagos State lawmakers on Monday in a rowdy session disagreed over a bill for the registration of residents of the state for purpose of setting up a data bank.

The Executive bill, which went through its second reading is entitled the “Lagos State Residents Registration Agency Bill”, and seeks to establish the state residents’ registration agency.

There was a sharp division among the lawmakers over the provisions of the bill, with some lawmakers who opposed it claiming that it lacked vital information required by members.

The members said the bill as presented was inadequate and should be sent back to the executive arm for more information.

Members in support of the bill, however, disagreed with their colleagues, arguing that because of the importance and merits of the bill, it should be read and allowed to proceed to the next stage.

The Nasarawa Government has released the sum of N30.4 million being the balance of its 2009 counterpart fund for the implementation of the Fadama III programme, an official said on Tuesday.

The Project Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Alkali, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Lafia.

Alkali, however, said the counterpart fund for 2010 amounting to N56.3 million was still outstanding.

He said the programme was working to ensure the attainment of food security and sustainable income generation through the farmers.

He appealed to the state government to continue to meet its obligations in regard to the payment of counterpart funds to ensure immediate access to the World Bank contribution.

Health workers or institutions who fail to report the death of a mother during childbirth in Ondo State risk a three-month jail term or closure, a new law states.

According to the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths law, signed by Governor Olusegun Mimiko in Akure on Monday, an individual offender will be jailed three months or fined N30,000.

Similarly, an organisation will be closed or pay a fine of N100,000 or both, Mimiko who also signed into law the Ondo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (ODSACA) bill, said.

The governor said the Confidential Enquiry Law would assist in checking professional negligence that could lead to the death of pregnant women, “thereby providing a strategic information base for meaningful preventive interventions”.

As part of efforts to strengthen the peace-building process in Plateau, stakeholders have recommended the establishment of grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen.

This was part of the resolutions reached at the stakeholders meeting convened by Governor Jonah Jang on Monday, in Jos to find solution to the incessant crises in the state.

A communiqué read by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Samson Dimka, at the end of the meeting, identified indiscriminate grazing by Fulani herdsmen and other cattle rearers as a threat to farmlands and security.

The communique therefore, recommended that there was the need to demarcate cattle routes and published in the Gazette by both the Federal and Plateau governments.

Government and commercial activities in Gusau, the Zamfara capital, on Tuesday, came to a stand still in honour of visiting President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Tide’s source reports that Jonathan was in Zamfara for a one day visit to the state.

On arrival, Jonathan was expected to pay a courtesy call on the Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Muhammadu Danbaba as well as inspect and inaugurate some projects executed by the state government.

The Tide’s source in Gusau reports that most commercial centres and shops around the Gen. Sani Abacha Way, Umaru Yar’Adua road and the Ahmadu Bello Way, remained closed, while awaiting the arrival of the president.

Government offices and some schools also remained closed, while thousands of people lined up on both sides of the roads to have a glimpse of the president.

Nation

FG Restates Commitment To Seafarers’ Welfare, Safety

Published

3 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing the safety of the seafaring profession and upgrading maritime institutions to international standards.
Speaking at the 2025 World Seafarers’ Day celebration in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, organised by NIMASA, with the theme, “My Harassment-Free Ship.
He said that this year’s theme “speaks to our collective duty to make every ship a safe and respectful workplace noting that harassment and bullying have no place in our maritime industry.
The Minister further emphasised the importance of continuous training and retraining to ensure seafarers remain competitive and employable.
Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari, emphasised that seafarers are the backbone of international trade, facilitating the smooth transportation of goods and services across the globe.
He stressed the need to eliminate all forms of violence, harassment, and bullying against seafarers.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, emphasised the need for the maritime community to prioritise the welfare, safety of seafarers and maintain zero tolerance for harassment.
According to the DG, “Today provides opportunity for the Maritime Community to honor seafarers globally for their immense contribution to both domestic and international trade, powering the blue economy and connecting nations across oceans”.
He said that this year’s theme was particularly apt, as it was a call to action to “ensure that our seafarers feel safe, are valued and protected while at sea because the ship is not just their place of work; it is their temporary home. It must therefore reflect the highest standards of dignity and professionalism fostering zero tolerance for harassment”.
He declared that NIMASA must continue to play its part in ensuring that Nigeria contributes effectively to regulations affecting seafarers, as Nigeria remains the highest contributor of seafarers in Africa. “Our men and women sail on vessels in our domestic waters and also globally. This will continue to grow through the Nigerian Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) and the effort of our Maritime Training Institutions.
‘At the recently concluded 113th session of the International Labour Conference held in Geneva, seven (7) amendments to the MLC 2006 code addressing a broad range of issues affecting seafarers, including the recognition of seafarers as key workers, improved protection against ship board violence and harassment, enhanced access to shore leave and repatriation and updated medical and occupational safety standards were approved by an overwhelming majority.
These seven (7) amendments reflect collective global effort to align maritime Labour standards with the evolving landscape of global shipping.
I, therefore, call on shipowners, operators and crewing agencies to begin to review their operational manuals to align with these amendments ahead of the expected entry into force in December 2027. Our seafarers must be able to report grievances without fear of retaliation, while also ensuring protection against vexations or malicious complaints.
He added that NIMASA will play its role by establishing clear policies and procedures for preventing and addressing harassment on Nigerian-flagged vessels, ensuring confidential reporting channels for incidents of harassment and that reports are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
“Today is a clear reminder to us all – government, employers, unions, shipowners, and civil society- that seafarers should not be left alone in their struggles. They look up to us to help them foster a culture of zero tolerance on ships to protect their dignity”, he stated.
He also assured that under his leadership, NIMASA will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly the renewal of entries into force by ship owners, operators, and relevant agencies come December 2027.

Nation

Ogoni Stakeholders Hail Zabbey’s Performance

Published

3 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

Stakeholders drawn across the four local government areas of Ogoniland in Rivers State, have expressed delight over the excellent performance of the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey within the past two years, describing him as a true patriot, who has been showing leadership in delivering service to the people.
The stakeholders, who gave the indication in their separate goodwill messages during the mid-term stakeholders engagement and scorecard presentation organised by HYPREP in Port Harcourt, scored the Project Coordinator high on the Ogoni cleanup and the overall implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland.
The President of KAGOTE and Board member of the Ogoni Trust Fund, Hon Emma Deeyah, particularly commended Zabbey for turning around the fortunes of the Ogoni people, as they are now having value for the money earmarked for the cleanup project, describing the Project Coordinator as “one of our best.”
He noted that Zabbey has done well on the saddle, working very hard, being an administrator and leader with listening ears, striving assiduously to meet the yearnings and expectations of the people.
He said the Ogoni cleanup is a journey that has just begun, stressing that he was happy that the Project Coordinator is not on the saddle to amass wealth but to deliver and achieve results, and appealed to the Ogoni people to continue to give him their support.
On his part, member representing Gokana/Khana Federal Constituency in the National Assembly and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities, Rt Hon Dumnamene Dekor, said HYPREP under the watch of Zabbey is working with renewed vigour, and thanked the Project Coordinator for driving the Ogoni cleanup project with passion.
He noted that the funds dedicated and earmarked for the project are running out, disclosing that he was working on an Executive Bill, to facilitate the work of HYPREP.
While stressing the need for the people to take full responsibility of all the projects sited in their communities, Dekor regretted that some beneficiaries had sold the starter packs presented to them by HYPREP, while the water facility provided in his Bierra community has been vandalised.
The King of Tai Kingdom, King Samuel Nnee, said HYPREP under Zabbey as Project Coordinator has been delivering on its mandate, describing him as a square peg in a square hole, who has given hope to the Ogoni people.
The monarch urged the Ogoni people to give the Project Coordinator the necessary support.
The Paramount Ruler of Barako Community and member of the Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt, Mene Kadilo Kabari, said Zabbey has always demonstrated that he is a true patriot by carrying along Ogoni people from all strata of the society, describing him as a performing Project Coordinator.
He noted that the bane of HYPREP before now had been the conflict between the Project Coordinator and the Minister of Environment, saying, under Zabbey, Ogoni people can now see what unity of purpose can achieve.
He expressed delight that the water facility which was the first commissioned by HYPREP in his community is functioning optimally following the solar-powered system installed by the Project.
The King of Eleme Kingdom, King(Dr) Philip Osaro Obelle thanked HYPREP’s management team for all that it is doing in Ogoniland, stressing that the Project was built on the graves, bellies and blood of Ogoni sons and daughters who lost their lives during the Ogoni struggle.
He, therefore, advised HYPREP “not to deviate from the expectations of our heroes but to do those things that would benefit Ogoni people for the betterment of Ogoniland.”
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Netherlands, Hon Oji Ngofa said HYPREP has been like the government of Ogoniland, and harped on the sustainability of all the projects.
According to him, Zabbey has been giving HYPREP a human face.
Former Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof Barineme Fakae applauded Zabbey for the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, and stressed the need for the implementation of the recommendations of its technical committee which recently submitted its report.
According to him, if the project succeeds, Ogoni people are going to succeed.
Chief Priscillia Vikue, on her part, thanked Zabbey for his outstanding performance, saying, the women of Ogoni are very happy with what he is doing in Ogoniland.
While scoring the Project Coordinator highly on his performance, she said the women are happy because Zabbey knows what he is doing with HYPREP.
“You went to school.You did not cut corners.You are a square peg in a square hole.You have engaged women and the youths. We have seen what you have done. And we give you A1”, she said, and challenged Zabbey to see how more women would participate in the project and also how to sustain it.
In his remarks, the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey said the mid-term engagement is important because “it allows us to present tangible evidence of progress in the Ogoni cleanup effort, reinforce accountability, deepen transparency, and most importantly, enables HYPREP to interact directly with the communities and stakeholders who are the heartbeat of this project.”
He noted that the scorecard presentation is designed to show what HYPREP has achieved across key thematic areas, what challenges it is currently grappling with, and what the road ahead looks like, saying, “it is a moment for stocktaking and for re-affirming our shared commitment to the success of the Ogoni cleanup project”.
According to him, HYPREP has recorded commendable progress in the implementation of its core mandates in line with UNEP recommendations and the directives in the official gazette establishing HYPREP.

Donatus Ebi

Nation

TETFunds’ South Rep Visits CEAPOLY …Unveils Mass Communication Dept Building

Published

3 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

The South-South representative of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Board, Rt. Hon. Aboh Uduyok, has concluded his one-day official visit to Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Rumuola, Rivers State, with the unveiling of the Mass Communication Department classroom building. The project was executed under the 2021 TETFund intervention project.
During the unveiling of the project, Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rt. Hon. Uduyok commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to the educational sector and praised the polytechnic’s management for utilising TETFund resources judiciously.
He noted that the quality of ongoing projects met approved specifications, and expressed satisfaction with the institution’s progress.
The TETFund representative stated that his visit was aimed at familiarising himself with beneficiary schools, assess fund utilization, and identify challenges.
He assured the school management that he would convey their requests for constructing engineering works and hostel accommodations to the board and notify them of any approval.
Rt. Hon. Uduyok explained that the TETFund Board is not initiating new projects this year, except where necessary, due to presidential directives. However, he commended the institution for the commendable quality of both completed and ongoing projects.
In his welcome address, the Rector of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Dr. Moses S. Neebee, thanked the TETFund representative for visiting, and highlighted the institution’s successes and challenges. He requested support for hostel accommodations and engineering works, emphasising that a higher institution without hostels is akin to a glorified secondary school.
Dr. Neebee while briefing the visitor on the institution’s progress, noted that it currently runs 21 National Diploma programme and five Higher National Diploma courses. He disclosed that the school accessed the 2021 TETFund release in full but faced challenges with the 2023 fund due to harsh economic conditions and bid process delays, which increased project costs. The Rector pleaded for assistance in securing additional funds for the 2023 intervention release.

Akujobi Amadi