Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government says it has purchased and distributed assorted grains worth N1 billion to cushion the effect of the high cost of foodstuffs.
Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad, the Senior Special Assistant on media to the state governor, disclosed this to newsmen in Bauchi.
Muhammad said that the gesture would augment the shortage of food created by the drought that occurred during the 2008 farming season.
‘’To cushion the effect of high cost of food items during the period of the scarcity, His Excellency approved the procurement and sale of 16,000 metric tones of assorted grains worth N1 billion.
‘’The purchase was made through a direct contract with the Bauchi State Cooperative Finance Agency (CFA) and the Federal Government,’’ he said..
He said that 131,742 bags of the assorted grains were delivered to the state under the first phase of the contract while 32,035 bags supplied under the second phase of the exercise.
‘’This brings the total to 163,777 bags of 100 kg of grains which were re-bagged to produce 325,625 bags of 50 kgs.
‘’The grains were warehoused at Azare, Bauchi and Boto grain silos before distribution,’’ he said.
Muhammad stated that 600 bags were distributed to each of the 323 wards in the state and another 600 bags to each of the 20 local government areas.
The remaining bags were distributed to state and federal establishments, individuals, organisations, political parties, mosques, churches, unions, associations and emirate councils, he said.
Ekiti
No fewer than 200 AC members in Ekiti have obtained expression of interest forms to vie for various elective positions in 2011.
The state chairman of the party, Chief Olajide Awe, told newsmen that positions for which forms had been obtained were the Senate, House of Representatives and the state House of Assembly.
Awe explained that apart from the governorship position, the aspirants would contest primaries for selection of candidates in three senatorial positions, six federal House of Representative slots and 26 House of Assembly slots. “About 200 AC members in Ekiti state have obtained expression of interest forms to contest elections into the Senate, House of Representatives and the state House of Assembly seats. “Excluding that of the governorship position which the party is currently contesting in court, AC is going to sell and fill forms into other elective positions in the state,” he disclosed.
The AC chairman explained that the party was awaiting directives from its national headquarters for the timetable and the mode of conducting the party’s primaries.
Awe assured members that the party in the state would conduct free and fair primaries that would be devoid of imposition of candidates.
FCT
The Federal Government plans to establish a Direct Labour Agency to provide alternative jobs for internally displaced persons in the country.
The Minister of Special Duties, retired Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, made the announcement when he visited the Internally Displaced Persons Camps (IDPs) in Plateau and Bauchi States.
A statement by Mr Larry Abang, the Information Officer in the ministry, on Tuesday in Abuja quoted the minister as also reiterating government’s commitment to the provision of basic amenities at the camps located across the country.
He said the provision of baisc amenities such as portable water, electricity and accommodation would go a long way to alleviate the plights of the displaced persons.
Olubolade promised that the ministry would collaborate with the Plateau and Bauchi State Governments to ensure that internally displaced persons were fully rehabilitated by providing them with alternative jobs.
Gombe
Drivers of articulated vehicles going through Gombe State have been advised to be careful when approaching Gombe city because of the slopes.
The Gombe State Commissioner for Housing and Transport, Dr Danlami Rukujei, gave the advise on Tuesday in Gombe, while addressing officials of the state branch of Petrol Tanker Drivers Association (PTDA).
Rukujei explained that the topography of the area was dangerous, hence the need for the officials to call their members to order.
“The slope is steep and since there is a relationship between the mass of a property and speed, heavy duty vehicles coming into Gombe metropolis can easily lose control,” he said.
He also cautioned the drivers against giving out their vehicles to their conductors, stressing that although such practice was aimed at training the conductors, the consequence could be disastrous.
The commissioner reiterated government’s commitment toward ensuring the completion of the Gombe by-pass, noting, however, that the human factor responsible for most of the township accidents must be addressed.
Jigawa
The Jigawa government has been advised to sponsor students to study education courses in higher institutions to help tackle the problem of unqualified teachers in the state.
Alhaji Shehu Garba, the Chief Inspection Officer of Education in the Ministry of Education, Dutse zonal office, gave the advice on Monday during an interactive session with members of the state’s Science Technical Schools Board in Dutse.
Garba said that for the government to address the problem of unqualified and inadequate number of teachers, students from the state should be encouraged to read courses that would qualify them to teach.
“We need to use what we have to get what we want; when our children are sponsored like that, they will come back to teach in our schools,” he said.
The Chairman of the board, Alhaji Umar Hadejia, promised that the problem of insufficient and unqualified teachers in science and technical schools in the state would be addressed soon.
Hadejia noted that more than 75 per cent of teachers in public schools in the state were not qualified.
He gave an assurance that the board would do everything possible to re-invigorate science and technical schools in the state.
Kaduna
The Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, has donatedN1million and a parcel of land to the Malam Abdulkarim Islamic Science School, Giwa, Zaria.
Speaking at the third price giving day of the school on Monday at Giwa, Kaduna State, Idris said the donation was part of his commitment to educational development of the state.
The emir urged public spirited individuals in the society to assist the school with facilities and equipment to enhance its academic standard.
In his message, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Kaduna State , Alhaji Abubakar Tanko expressed delight with the conducive learning environment in the school.
Tanko commended the management, staff and students for their cooperation and assured the school of government’s support.
Earlier, the principal of the school, Malam Umar Dabo-Hussamatu, expressed optimism that the final year students of the school were expected to get the minimum admission requirement into tertiary institutions.
The principal said the school had received a bus from Giwa Local Government apart from monthly subvention to the school, adding that the boy’s hostel was constructed by the PTA.
Katsina
A Borno-based NGO, Grace Fellowship Africa (GFA), has commenced the training of Katsina women on how to extract oil and powder from the Moringa tree locally called ‘Zogale’.
The Tide’s source reports that about 200 women from all the local government councils are participating and that a similar exercise would also be conducted in Daura and Funtua Senatorial Districts.
The wife of the governor, Hajiya Fatima Shema, said the training was designed to empower women with the necessary skills to them self-reliant.
Shema said the programme would cover the technicalities of extracting oil, powder which are the medicinal properties of the Moringa leaves, usually cooked for consumption.
“Katsina State is blessed with large quantities of the Moringa tree; we cook the leaves for consumption and sale.
“We did not know that other useful items can be extracted from the tree.
“Now we are going to be trained on how to exploit the other value of the trees,” she said.
She called on the wives of the chairmen of local government councils to introduce the programme in their areas.
She advised the government to introduce similar programmes in Girls’ schools.
Kebbi
The Kebbi Government has inaugurated committees for each local government in the state to ensure prudent management of the N1 billion agricultural loan .
The loan was granted by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) in conjunction with Federal Ministry of Agriculture, as part of the initiatives to boost food production.
The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, who inaugurated the committees in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday, said the 21 local governments would receive the loan from a commercial bank.
Aliyu said the amount to be disbursed would be determined by the number of qualified beneficiaries from each local government area.
He said the loan scheme was established to promote commercial agricultural enterprises and to fast track upgrading of the sector.
“The loan will be disbursed through the issuance of credit facilities at single digit interest to commercial farmers,” he said.
He said the sole administrator in each of the councils would serve as chairman of the committee in every council while the directors of agricultural services would serve as secretaries.
Kwara
Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara has identified the lack of effective supervision, as a factor militating against effective teaching and learning in the school system.
Saraki stated this on Monday, while explaining the education reforms embarked upon by his administration during an interactive session with journalists in Government House, Ilorin.
The governor, noted that the performance rating, qualitative and aptitude test as well as evaluation of behavioural objective used by teachers were equally faulty.
He said that there was the need to improve the teachers and the quality of teaching, through training programmes.
The governor maintained that the education sector was in a state of total collapse at the inception of his administration in 2003, hence the critical steps taken to save the sector and the future of the young ones.
He said that the state was one of the leading states in education reforms, having successfully achieved sanity in the sector through its education sector reform which addressed some of its identified lapses.
According to the governor, schools were equipped with relevant textbooks in core subjects such as English and mathematics.
The Oyo State Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Emmanuel Elegbede, has said that the use of organic fertiliser by farmers will save Nigeria billions of naira.
Elegbede told newsmen in Ibadan that the use of organic fertiliser would help farmers increase output, as well as enhance the quality of the soil.
“If Nigerian farmers fully imbibe the use of organic fertiliser, the implication for the future is that less budgetary allocation will go into the purchase of inorganic fertiliser by the government and politicians,’’ he said.
The AFAN chairman said whenever the farmers embraced organic fertiliser, it would spell a death knell for politicians who used distribution of the present inorganic fertiliser as weapon to coerce votes from farmers.
Elegebede said that as a result, government would be able use the allocation for inorganic fertiliser to provide for other public infrastructure.
“With the use of organic fertiliser, farmers do not need to do shifting cultivation all the time, more so when the right soil for the right crop had been discovered. Everything will just be natural,’’ he said.
Plateau
The Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State has donated relief materials to its residents who were victims of the November 2008 violent crises that occurred in parts of Plateau.
The materials, which were distributed by the Council Chairman, Dr Sale Kanam, include 120 bags of assorted grains, blankets, wrappers and buckets.
He advised the people not to be engaged in any form of violence and to always report any disagreement that could result into conflicts to the appropriate authorities.
Kanam cautioned the people against peddling rumours, and advised them to always focus on issues of peace and development.
Alhaji Sule Kantana, the Supervisory Councillor for Social Services, advised the people to always work toward promoting peace and creating conducive environment for the socio-economic development of the area.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has announced that the mangrove wetlands in Ogoniland have been officially designated a Ramsar Site of International Importance by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The designation, according to HYPREP, underscores the global ecological significance of Ogoniland’s mangrove wetlands and highlights ongoing restoration efforts aimed at addressing environmental degradation in the area.
In a press statement issued by the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, the recognition was described as a major milestone for the agency, the people of Ogoni and other stakeholders working towards environmental restoration in the region.
Zabbey explained that the mangrove wetlands, which cover more than 31,700 hectares, consist of islands, tidal creeks, mudflats and mangrove forests that support a wide range of biodiversity. The ecosystem provides habitat for several species including fin fish, shellfish, crustaceans, crocodiles, turtles and the endangered grey parrot.
He noted that beyond biodiversity conservation, the wetland also provides essential ecosystem services such as fisheries production, flood control, water purification and carbon storage. According to him, the international recognition will further support local livelihoods, promote ecotourism and bring global attention to the region.
The HYPREP coordinator disclosed that the designation followed a meticulous process that began in 2024 when the project submitted a memorandum to the National Council on Environment seeking support for the recognition of the Ogoni wetlands as a Ramsar site.
Following the council’s review and approval, the Honourable Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, formally wrote to the Ramsar Convention Secretariat requesting international recognition of the wetlands.
After a comprehensive ecological assessment, the Ramsar Secretariat granted the designation, officially recognising the Ogoniland wetlands as one of the world’s sites of international importance.
Zabbey said the recognition would strengthen ongoing environmental restoration efforts in the area and encourage stronger conservation measures and sustainable management of the wetlands for the benefit of present and future generations.
He added that the designation also fulfils a key recommendation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, marking another significant step in the implementation of the report’s recommendations.
The HYPREP project coordinator reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to restoring the Ogoni environment through the remediation of oil-polluted land, shorelines and mangrove ecosystems.
He also called for collective responsibility and stakeholder support to sustain the progress of the Ogoni cleanup programme and facilitate the development of a comprehensive and sustainable management plan for the Ogoni mangrove wetlands.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Mrs Lauretta Davies-Dimkpa, has attributed the successes of the 12-day programme organised for adolescent girls aimed at eliminating Female Genital Mutilation(FGM) in some parts of the State to the ability of the respective stakeholders to take ownership of the programme.
Mrs Davies-Dimkpa, who dropped the hint in an interview at the end of the programme in Elele-Alimini Community in Emohua Local Government Area on Saturday, said the event had a buy-in component, an ownership mentality, whereby facilitators, staff, and everyone involved took ownership of the project.
She explained that the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had packaged a series of training sessions for adolescent girls aimed at ending the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in some communities across the State.
According to her, the initiative was designed to educate young girls on the harmful effects of the practice and empower them to become advocates against it within their communities.
She noted that the programme, which lasted for several weeks, targeted adolescent girls from different local government areas where the practice is still prevalent, stressing that
data collected by UNICEF and the Ministry revealed that Female Genital Mutilation is still practised in some parts of the State, prompting the need for intensified sensitisation and community engagement.
Mrs Davies-Dimkpa explained that the programme adopted a “train-the-trainer” approach where adolescent girls were educated on the dangers of the practice and encouraged to share the knowledge with their peers, families and communities.
“This is a programme by the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation with support from UNICEF and UNFPA to train adolescent girls towards ending Female Genital Mutilation, which is still practised in some local government areas,” she said.
She further explained that each participating local government area had a three-day training session, with the exercise running for a total of 12 days.
The local government areas, where the programme took place, she noted, included Ahoada West, Abua-Odual, and Emohua, adding that the initiative is part of broader efforts by the state government and development partners to eliminate harmful traditional practices and protect the rights and wellbeing of girls.
She revealed that prior to the training of the adolescent girls, the Ministry and its partners had also engaged community facilitators, including older women and men, to sensitise them on the dangers associated with Female Genital Mutilation.
According to her, the involvement of community leaders and adults is essential in addressing the cultural and social factors that sustain the practice.
Speaking on the response of the participants, the permanent secretary expressed satisfaction with the level of engagement and enthusiasm shown by the girls throughout the training sessions.
She noted that many of the participants said they were learning about the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation for the first time.
“The girls are between the ages of 12 and 17 and from the interactions we had with them, they were very excited. Some of them are hearing these things for the first time and never knew that the practice is harmful,” she said.
She expressed optimism that the knowledge gained from the training would enable the girls to serve as advocates for change within their communities.
She added that the Rivers State Government, alongside its partners, would continue to intensify efforts and expand community-based interventions aimed at ending the practice across the State.
Meanwhile, the participants for Emohua Local Government Area were drawn from Elele-Alimini, Egbeda, Rumuji, Ibaa, Rumuekpe, Rumuakunde, Eligbarada, and Ogbakiri Communities.
The participants,who spoke in separate interviews described the training as eye-opening, noting that it helped them better understand issues surrounding adolescent health, personal hygiene, reproductive health, and the harmful consequences of Female Genital Mutilation.
Favour Azukwu from Rumuekpe community, said the programme provided a deeper understanding of the dangers associated with the practice, particularly its impact on the health and wellbeing of girls and women.
She explained that the training sessions exposed participants to the medical, social and psychological effects of Female Genital Mutilation, including severe bleeding, infections and complications during childbirth.
She revealed that she personally experienced the practice at the age of 12 and suffered heavy bleeding afterwards, an experience that has strengthened her determination to advocate for its eradication.
According to her, many communities still practise Female Genital Mutilation because it is perceived as a cultural tradition, despite the dangers associated with it.
“I do not support Female Genital Mutilation because there are many dangers involved. I experienced severe bleeding when it was done to me as a child.
Another participant, Glory Ken, a 16-year-old secondary school student from Rumuji community, said the programme broadened her understanding of several important topics affecting adolescents.
She explained that beyond the discussion on Female Genital Mutilation, the training also focused on issues such as personal hygiene, reproductive health, peer education, and self-care.
According to her, the sessions helped participants understand the importance of making informed health decisions and supporting one another as peer educators.
“I learned about many things that affect young people in society and how to take care of myself. I also learned that Female Genital Mutilation is harmful to our health. The message I am taking back to my community is that this practice should stop,” she said.
Also speaking, Goodness Kenjika Nyeche described the programme as very impactful.
She noted that the training equipped participants with the skills and confidence to educate others about the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation.
She said she plans to organise sensitisation among adolescents in her community, particularly girls between the ages of 10 and 19, to ensure they understand the dangers associated with the practice.
“I learned many things from this programme and I feel very good about it. I will educate other young girls in my community and help them understand why Female Genital Mutilation should not continue,” she said.
For Queen Dike from Ibaa community, the programme helped clarify misconceptions surrounding the practice.
She explained that in some communities, the practice is still referred to as circumcision and is viewed as part of cultural identity.
She said the training helped participants understand that Female Genital Mutilation involves the cutting or removal of parts of the female genital organs and that it has serious health consequences.
She stressed that awareness and education are key to ending the practice, especially among communities that continue to uphold it as tradition.
“I think the programme is very helpful because many people still believe it is part of culture. More awareness is needed so people can understand why it should stop,” she said.
Another participant, MyJoy Echika Amadi, said the programme provided critical information about adolescent health and the dangers associated with Female Genital Mutilation.
She described the initiative as enlightening and said it encouraged young people to become advocates for change in their communities.
According to her, participants were encouraged to use various platforms such as churches, peer groups, schools and community gatherings to spread awareness about the harmful effects of the practice.
“This programme has enlightened us about the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation. I will do my best to create awareness in my community and encourage people to stop the practice,” she said.
Many of the participants emphasised that the knowledge gained during the programme has empowered them to challenge harmful traditions and promote healthier practices among young people.
They also called on the Rivers State Government, development partners and civil society organisations to sustain the sensitisation campaigns and extend the training to more communities across the State.
According to them, empowering young people with the right information will play a critical role in eliminating Female Genital Mutilation and protecting the rights, health and dignity of girls in Rivers State.
The participants expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, UNICEF and UNFPA for organising the programme and for investing in the wellbeing and future of adolescent girls in the State.
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