Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to sustain its policy of subsidising fertiliser and other farm inputs
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Prof. Sheikh Abdallah, gave the assurance recently in Yola at the opening of the 1st General Assembly of Nigerian farmers organised by the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
Abdallah said government was aware of the challenges facing agriculture and would do its best to address them.
He said that Federal Government had procured about 900,000 tonnes of fertiliser for the 2010 farming season.
Bauchi
Minority tribes in Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local Government Areas of Bauchi State, have appealed to the people of Bauchi-South Senatorial District to allow them produce the next senator from the zone in the interest of political balancing.
The minority tribes made the call through their spokesman, Alhaji Ali Wakili, in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi.
The Bauchi-South Senatorial District comprises seven local government areas out of the 20 council areas of the state. They are Bauchi, Alkaleri, Dass, Kirfi, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro and Toro Local Government Areas.
Benue
The Rt. Rev. William Avenya, the Auxiliary Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, on Saturday urged 13 newly ordained priests of the Church to be committed to their calling.
Avenya was delivering a sermon at the ordination of the priests at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral, Makurdi, saying the call to the priesthood was a call to humility.
“Jesus addressed his disciples and told them that those who want to be first must be last, and those who want to be great must be servants.
“The spirit of God is given to the ordained for the benefit of the people of God, for the salvation of the people of God.
FCT
A review of the Land Use Act will enhance the productivity of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), according to its Managing Director, Mr. Terver Gemade.
Gemade, speaking at the Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said it had become imperative to remove the bottlenecks associated with land acquisition.
The Tide’s source reports that the Land Use Act, enacted in March, 1978, transferred the title and ownership of land from individuals and communities to the government.
The managing director said the authority would not urge the abrogation of the Act.
Kaduna
Mr Jonathan Kish, a Member representing Kaura Constituency at the Kaduna State House of Assembly, said he had supplied hospital equipment worth more than N150 million to some hospitals.
The Tide’s source reports that the equipment were supplied in collaboration with an International NGO, “Project Cure”.
Kish said this while speaking at a constituency briefing held at the local government secretariat, Kaura, in Kaduna State, on Saturday.
He said the equipment were supplied to Kaura General Hospital and Turaki Buga Memorial Hospital, Kagoro.
Kano
Kano State Government has inaugurated its N945 million liaison office in Abuja.
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, said the building would be fully commercialised to generate revenue for the state.
“ When we came in 2003, this was one of the few projects that we put on the drawing board and although we started it we were unable to complete it during our first term in office.
“But with God on our side, we were able to complete the project in this second tenure to the joy of every indigene of the state,’’ he said.
Katsina
The PDP in Katsina State on Saturday raked in N324 million at its fund raising and foundation laying for its permanent secretariat in the state.
The highest donation of N50 million came from the Chief Launcher, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, whose company, Afdin Construction Coy, won the contract for the secretariat.
Other donors included members of the House of Representatives from Katsina, N30 million; Alhaji Manir Abukur, N20 million; Alhaji Abdulaziz Maigoro, N20 million; and Senators from Katsina, N15 million.
The state political appointees, the state and local government civil servants donated five per cent of their salaries each which amounted to N120 million.
Speaking at the launch, President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by his Special Adviser (Political), Dr Akilu Indabawa, commended PDP for taking a bold step to construct its secretariat in Katsina.
Kebbi
Arewa Local Government in Kebbi has been meeting with health officials from Niger Republic on ways to avoid outbreak of diseases, the sole administrator, Alhaji Nurudeen Usman, says.
He told newsmen in Kagiwa that regular meetings were held to ensure effective conduct of Polio immunisation, adding that the cooperation “has assisted in preventing the spread of the disease”.
“We share ideas on eradication of Polio and diseases as people from both sides engaged in similar socio-economic activities with common market, same cultural background and inter-marriages,” he said.
He said people from both sides often travelled for business and social activities as they “relate well in line with ECOWAS treaty”.
Lagos
Engineering and Construction workers have urged the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission not to exclude them from benefiting from the minimum wage being worked out by the Federal Government.
The Justice Alpha Belgore-led committee set up by the government on new minimum wage for Nigerian workers recently recommended N18,000 as the minimum wage.
The proposal, if approved by the executive and legislative arms of the Federal Government, must be implemented by all employers in private and public sectors with up to 50 workers.
Ondo
The Ondo State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture has advised the state Ministry of Agriculture to ensure proper disbursement of the N1 billion World Bank loan to farmers.
The chairman of the Committee, Mr Idowu Adebusuyi, who gave the advice on Friday in Akure at a news conference, said the Assembly had given approval to the ministry to disburse the loan.
Adebusuyi said the Committee had also advised the ministry to ensure that only farmers benefited from the loans, warning that the money should not be disbursed outside the farming season to avoid diversion of the fund to other uses.
Oyo
Two Action Congress chairmanship candidates in Oyo, Akinyemi Akinlabi and Femi Adelakun, have called for the doctrine of necessity to enable the appeal tribunal in the state to hear their case.
In a petition to the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Bolajoko Adeniji, the candidates said the call followed the strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) which affected their case.
A statement by the party’s Director of Publicity, Mr Wasiu Olatunbosun, in Ibadan on Friday, said the doctrine would enable the election appeal tribunal to dispense with their cases against the candidates of the People Democratic Party (PDP).
Plateau
PDP pioneer National Chairman, Solomon Lar has cautioned individuals claiming to be speaking for the north against portraying the region as “sectional and parochial”.
Lar told newsmen in Jos that such “self-acclaimed” leaders were “anti-democratic elements and enemies of the north”.
“I am constrained to restate that some undemocratic characters are trying to make the north look sectional and parochial.
“I find it necessary to state here that such an impression is not true of the north; national interest, fairness and unity are our guiding principles in the north,’’ he said.
Osun
The Osun State Commissioner for Land, Mr Ayo Akinsomi, says the scarcity of land for young farmers is due to lack of coordination among the three tiers of government.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo, the commissioner said ideally, land should not be a barrier to young farmers.
Akinsomi said the country had enough land for the purposes of agriculture and other economic activities in accordance with the Land Use Act.
Akinsomi observed that scarcity of land usually arose because of coordination problems, stressing that ‘‘coordination among government authorities is the solution”.
Using Malaysia as an example, Akinsomi explained that the country achieved its present feat with the establishment of the Federal Land Development Agency (FELDA).
Zamfara
The wife of the deputy governor of Zamfara, Hajiya Aisha Moukhtar, is dead.
Alhaji Habib Alhassan, the press secretary, to the deputy governor, who announced the demise on Friday in Gusau, said Aisha died at Daula hospital in Gusau on Friday after a brief illness.
The late wife of the deputy governor, who died at the age of 28, left behind one child and her husband, the statement stated.
Gov. Mahmud Shinkafi, traditional rulers, politicians and top government officials were among the hundreds of people who attended the funeral prayer.
The Head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Port Harcourt’s College of Health Sciences, Prof Gabriel Sunday Oladipo, has underscored the urgent need for Nigeria to develop a comprehensive forensic science infrastructure, warning that the nation’s ability to investigate and solve crime is being hampered by lack of scientific data and systems.
In his inaugural lecture titled, “Man: Fearfully Different, Wonderfully Made,” delivered as part of the 207th Inaugural Lecture Series of the university, Prof Oladipo highlighted that while no two individuals are exactly the same, the country currently lacks the robust systems needed to collect and manage biological and anthropometric data that could support criminal investigations.
He explained that the natural variations among humans — from fingerprints to physical measurements — form the foundation of personal identification in forensic work. These biological differences, he said, are essential for distinguishing one person from another, especially in the context of criminal investigations where clarity of identity can mean the difference between justice and impunity. Without this scientific foundation, he argued, law enforcement agencies lack a critical tool in the fight against crime.
Experts have noted that Nigeria’s forensic science capacity has historically lagged behind needs, with only a few forensic facilities available and many law enforcement agencies struggling to access or use scientific evidence effectively. One review of the state of forensic investigation in Nigeria found that outdated facilities and limited adoption of modern forensic methods have left many cases unsolved or poorly investigated, even as crime rates rise across the country.
In Lagos, efforts to improve forensic capabilities have focused on DNA analysis, with the Lagos State DNA Forensic Centre — the first of its kind in West Africa — providing critical support for criminal investigations and helping to identify human remains, link related cases, and assist with paternity testing. However, such initiatives are yet to be replicated at a national scale, leaving many regions without access to these vital scientific tools.
Prof Oladipo’s lecture went beyond academic theory to propose concrete actions. He called for the establishment of a National Institute of Forensic Science responsible for creating and managing a nationwide anthropometric and forensic data bank. This repository, he stressed, would significantly enhance Nigeria’s capacity to track crime, assist law enforcement agencies, and improve the administration of justice by providing reliable scientific evidence for investigative and legal processes.
He also highlighted the importance of strengthening research and training in forensic science. Many Nigerian universities currently lack the funding and infrastructure to offer complete undergraduate or postgraduate programs in areas such as forensic anthropology, DNA analysis, and crime scene investigation, a gap that forces aspiring experts to rely on collaborations with institutions abroad. By fostering a research-friendly environment and securing greater support from both government and private sectors, Nigerian institutions could produce homegrown experts capable of advancing forensic science in the country.
Awareness of forensic science’s role in criminal justice remains low among the general public and even among some security professionals. Studies have shown that a significant portion of Nigerians are unfamiliar with basic forensic concepts or the existence of tools such as DNA profiling and national forensic databases — tools that are common features of criminal justice systems in countries like South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Prof Oladipo also urged regular training and retraining programs to keep forensic practitioners updated with evolving scientific methods. According to him, continuous professional development is critical in a field where technological advances — from biometric databases to digital forensic tools — are transforming how crimes are investigated and solved.
The lecture was attended by academics, students, and professionals drawn to the intersection of science, identity, and justice, all of whom heard the professor make a compelling case for scientific innovation and institutional reform as central to Nigeria’s effort to contain crime and strengthen its justice system.
The event not only showcased Prof Oladipo’s expertise in human anatomy and forensic psychology but also positioned forensic science as a strategic national priority — one that could bring clarity to investigations, support victims and their families, and ultimately enhance public safety across Nigeria.
The University of Port Harcourt Women Association (UPWA) on Thursday staged a vibrant and memorable edition of its Annual Inter-House Sports Competition at the University of Port Harcourt Sports Village, drawing an impressive turnout of pupils, parents, staff and invited guests.
The event, organised by the UPWA International Group of Schools, brought together children from the pre-nursery, nursery and secondary sections in a colourful celebration of youth athleticism, discipline and teamwork. The arena came alive with cheers and excitement as pupils, clad in their various house colours, marched in a ceremonial parade before proceeding to compete in a wide range of track and field events, relays, novelty races and other team-based activities designed to promote physical fitness and healthy competition.
Declaring the competition open, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Owunari Georgewill, commended UPWA for sustaining a tradition that continues to nurture young talents beyond the classroom. He noted that sports remain a critical component of holistic education, helping to build resilience, confidence, leadership skills and social interaction among children.
In her remarks, the President of UPWA, Professor Udeme Georgewill, expressed appreciation to parents, teachers and members of the organising committee for their dedication and sacrifice in ensuring the success of the programme despite prevailing economic challenges. She described the event as a reflection of unity and collective effort within the school community.
“This is the first time White House is emerging overall winner, and that shows remarkable improvement and great sportsmanship,” she said. “We all had fun. It is not easy putting an event like this together considering the economic situation, but we are grateful to the parents for being part of this journey. The excitement everywhere is truly heartwarming.”
The competition featured spirited participation from the various houses, including Purple House, San Chicago Red House and White House, with pupils demonstrating strength, speed, coordination and teamwork. Parents and supporters filled the stands, cheering enthusiastically and adding colour to the spectacle, while teachers ensured orderliness and safety throughout the proceedings.
Professor Georgewill emphasized that the true essence of sports lies not merely in winning trophies but in participation and personal growth. “Sports is not just about winning. It is an avenue for growth, discipline and opportunity. The fact that a child is able to participate is already a win. Losing this year does not mean you cannot win next year. Keep trying,” she encouraged, urging pupils to see both victory and defeat as stepping stones to greater achievements.
She further observed that while there are many competing interests in the Nigerian sports sector, consistent grassroots investment remains essential for discovering and nurturing future champions.
The colourful ceremony culminated in medal presentations, trophy awards and group photographs, with UPWA executives, including Vice President I, Professor Adedamola Onyeaso, joining the participating teams to celebrate the day’s achievements.
The annual inter-house sports competition continues to stand as one of UPWA’s flagship events, reinforcing its commitment to balanced education, character formation and the promotion of healthy lifestyles among its pupils.
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