Rivers State Government says it is building a formidable fire service for the state that could fight fire and other emergencies anywhere it occurs.

This is as the government allayed fear over a minor fire incident which occurred at the state secretariat last Friday.

Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Special Duties, Mr Sokari George, stated this this while declaring closed a five day “Appliance operation training for newly employed truck drivers”, at the Rivers State Fire Service in Port Harcourt, last Friday.

The Permanent Secretary said the training was in line with the commitment of the Fubara’s administration to mitigate against destructive fire incidences with a view to protecting critical State infrastructure and also saving lives.

“We are building a formidable Rivers State Fire Service that could fight fire and any emergencies anywhere it occurs in the State.

“The Governor has directed that we have to mitigate against destructive fire outbreaks, we have to protect critical state infrastructure “he said.

He urged the newly employed drivers to brace up for the challenges ahead, assuring that  response time to any distress call will be minimal from now on.

He said having been absorbed into the civil service, it behooves on the new recruits to take their jobs seriously, adding that there must be a difference between when they were casual staff and now that they have been absorbed into the service.

George said the occasion was not only to equip them with necessary skills, but prepare them for a new work ethics in line with the policy of the present administration.

“We are here to tell the State that our governor is prepared to mitigate against emergencies, fire outbreaks and other emergencies that are life threatening,” he said.

Meanwhile, the State Government has allayed fears over a minor fire incident which occurred last Friday at the state secretariat.

Investigation by The Tide revealed that the fire occurred at the 7th floor of Block A, but was quickly put off before the arrival of the State fire service.

Eyewitness told newsmen that the incident was caused by electric surge.

George confirmed the incident but quickly added that there is no need for panic as it has been brought under control.

He said neither property nor lives were lost.

The Permanent Secretary also confirmed that the fire incident was caused by electric surge, stating that a fire service vehicle needs to be stationed permanently at the state secretariat especially with the ongoing renovation of the secretariat.

By: John Bibor 

The Federal Government has launched the Nigeria Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) Fund Programme, a two-year initiative aimed at accelerating economic diversification and strengthening long-term resilience beyond the oil and gas sector.

The initiative is designed to assess risks and opportunities in Nigeria’s evolving energy landscape and to develop policy options that support structural economic transformation and climate priorities.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, while speaking at the launch, in Abuja, underscored the need for a strategic approach to Nigeria’s diversification agenda, emphasising that the country must place greater value on

its unique strengths while leveraging the right technologies and skills to drive sustainable growth.

He noted that effective economic diversification must be anchored on strong climate consciousness, stressing that Nigeria has the opportunity to grow its economy in ways that minimise environmental impact while strengthening resilience and creating jobs.

“Nigeria must place greater value on its unique strengths while harnessing the right technologies and skills to drive sustainable growth.

“Nigeria can grow its economy in ways that reduce environmental impact, strengthen resilience and create opportunities for its people,” Bagudu said.

In her remarks, the Director-General, National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Omotenioye Majekodunmi, said Nigeria’s transition beyond oil should be viewed as an evolution rather than a withdrawal from its energy leadership.

“Nigeria’s journey beyond oil is not a retreat from our status as an energy powerhouse, but an evolution into a green energy giant,” Majekodunmi said.

She said the collaboration with BOGA reflects Nigeria’s commitment to climate targets and a development path focused on fairness, funding and prosperity.

Also speaking, Head of the BOGA Secretariat, Sian Bradley, said the alliance is committed to supporting countries in planning a just and orderly transition away from oil and gas.

According to him, the program would support Nigeria’s first steps toward implementation of bold economic diversification pathways while advancing decarbonisation and emissions reduction.

On his part, the Executive Director of Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI), Olumide Abimbola, said the initiative would help Nigeria better understand the implications of global energy changes for revenues, jobs and industries.

“This initiative will help Nigeria develop a clearer understanding of what a changing global energy landscape could mean for our economy and what practical options are available to strengthen resilience,” Abimbola said.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Central Bank of Nigeria over its alleged failure to account for N3 trillion in public funds, including more than N629 billion paid to “unknown beneficiaries” under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

The lawsuit, according to a statement signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, yesterday, follows allegations detailed in the latest annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on September 9, 2025.

Filed last week at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP is seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel the CBN to account for and explain the whereabouts of the missing or diverted N3 trillion, including detailed reports of how the funds were spent.”

The suit, number FHC/ABJ/CS/250/2026, filed on behalf of SERAP by lawyers Oluwakemi Agunbiade and Valentina Adegoke, read in part: “According to the Auditor-General, the CBN in 2022 failed to remit over N1 trillion [N1,445,593,400,000.00] of ‘the Federal Government’s portion of operating surplus’ into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) account.

“The Auditor-General fears that the money may have been ‘diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.

“The CBN also failed to recover over N629 billion [N629,040,000,000.00] paid to ‘unknown beneficiaries’ as part of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, a programme ‘meant to support farmers to ensure sustainable food production in the country.’

“But ‘the numbers of beneficiaries who collected the money are unknown.’ The CBN has also failed to ‘recover the money.’ The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted’, which could have ‘contributed to the difficulty in sustaining food security in the nation.”

SERAP further alleged questionable expenditures by the CBN, including N125 billion on intervention activities allegedly lacking National Assembly approval, N1.79 billion spent to buy 43 vehicles for the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) without procurement records, and over N189 billion awarded in contracts with irregular variations of over N9 billion.

Additionally, the Katsina branch of the CBN reportedly failed to recover over N90 million in outstanding loans to small and medium enterprises disbursed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organisation cited Paragraph 3112(ii) of the Financial Regulations 2009, which mandates surcharges and criminal referral for officers who fail to account for government revenue, and Section 51 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which empowers citizens to enforce compliance through the Federal High Court.

It argued that “these grim allegations by the Auditor-General suggest grave violations of public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the CBN Act, and anticorruption standards.”

The group added that “these violations reflect a broader failure of CBN accountability and are linked to the institution’s persistent non-compliance with its Act and the principles of transparency and accountability.”

SERAP said the lack of transparency has undermined the bank’s ability to discharge its statutory functions and eroded public trust.

“Nigerians have the right to know the whereabouts of the missing or diverted funds. Granting the reliefs sought would advance the right to restitution, compensation, and guarantee non-repetition,” it stated.

The suit highlighted that Section 15(5) of the Constitution obliges public institutions to eliminate corrupt practices and abuse of power, while Section 13 mandates the CBN to uphold the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Constitution.

No hearing date has been fixed for the suit.