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.
A professor of English linguistics at the Rivers State University (RSU) Nkpolu Oroworukwu Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Enyi Ngulube, has advocated for better and improved funding for language centres in Nigeria, such as NINLAN Aba and Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, for optimum value and effective local languages development.
He also called for funded research on the development of orthographies and language documents across the country to rescue local languages from extinction, as well as having a well-planned and implemented mother tongue education in all institutions in the country, from primary to tertiary.
Prof. Ngulube made with these assertions while presenting his inaugural lecture at the university’s 121st inaugural lecture with the topic “The Career of Rough Beats: Language, Literature and the Development of our Common Humanity” held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The erudite scholar, in the lecture, stressed that the study of English language, linguistics, and literature is very broad, large, and difficult, adding that he overcame the rough roads through resilience and determination.
He described language as “a purely human and non-instinctive means of communicating ideas and emotions,” noting that “the word is a fundamental need in language; you cannot study language without the use of language.”
He urged parents to be cautious with their utterances, warning that “what they refer to their children as is what they will automatically end up becoming.”
He recommended a branded English language for every profession or course of study, stressing that embedding oral literature in the teaching of students from primary to tertiary level will enable them to know their traditions and roots of origin.
“Tell them the folk stories and moonlight tales; you are sending them back to their people. You must be a human being first before becoming a medical doctor, engineer, or anything else,” Ngulube said.
He also called for better and improved production of quality language and literature teachers, provision of modern teaching/instructional materials, improved welfare packages for teachers, and provision of better infrastructure at both primary and secondary school levels.
He used the opportunity to appreciate the Vice Chancellor for the approval of the Department of English Language and Literature, adding that it had been his long-held dream for the university.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, while highlighting the lecture, opined that the lecturer x-rayed the lecturer’s journey into the study of English language, linguistics, and literature, describing the field as broad, large, and difficult, but with determination and focus, he was able to defeat the beasts he encountered on his way.
Zeb-Obipi agreed with the lecturer’s recommendations on ways to improve indigenous languages in the country and directed that modalities be worked out for the university to have the Department of English Language and Literature, among others.
He highlighted RSU’s recent victory in the Bilingual Community Project organized by the French Embassy, describing it as proof of the university’s rising excellence in language studies.
The Federal Government through the implementation of the various projects of the Ogoni cleanup programme is demonstrating a strong commitment to national peace and the development of Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who made this assertion at a two-day training on Mechanism for Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) and other Peacebuilding Techniques for Community Leaders In Ogoni, held in Port Harcourt, said through the ongoing environmental restoration effort, potable water provision, livelihood restoration, public health interventions, and the Ogoni Power Project, HYPREP is contributing to national peace and development.
He explained that by improving the living conditions in communities and creating new opportunities for young people, the Project is also reducing the social pressure that often fuels conflict, stressing that the Project is proud of this service to the Ogoni people and the nation.
Describing traditional leaders and stakeholders as peacebuilders and guardians of community harmony, Zabbey noted that the workshop would strengthen their capacities and reinforce the Ogoni dialogue process, which HYPREP continues to support in line with its mandate on peacebuilding.
He said HYPREP is actively promoting ADR alongside other mechanisms across its project sites and other areas of operation aimed at fostering unity, fairness, mutual respect and faster dispute resolution, stressing that these are qualities necessary for the future of Ogoni people and their communities.
He further indicated that the Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal is disposed to promoting peace and stability across Ogoni communities and HYPREP project sites.
The Project Coordinator, therefore, charged Ogoni leaders to be mindful of their actions, words and body language, as what they say or do can either promote peace or fan the embers of conflict.
Continuing, he stated thus,”We must always ask ourselves: Is my position on this matter in the people’s interest? Does it promote unity and progress? Will it enhance development?”
The Project Coordinator assured the participants that HYPREP is working tirelessly in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme and ensure that its benefits reach the grassroots where they are needed most.
Stressing the need for Ogoni leaders and stakeholders to explore communication and trust options to prevent disputes from degenerating into violence, the Project Coordinator noted that it was time for all Ogonis to be united for development, leaving behind perceptions that do not serve collective progress.
Similarly, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige, said the workshop is a strategic platform aimed at strengthening the capacity of traditional institutions and community leaders to sustain peace, foster dialogue and promote non-adversarial engagements in the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Prof Onyige noted that the Ogoni leadership structure commands deep respect and legitimacy, and strengthening their capacity in ADR methods such as mediation, negotiation, dialogue, facilitation, and consensus building means strengthening the foundation of peace in the region.
Participants, comprising traditional rulers and key stakeholders in Ogoni, commended HYPREP for the initiative, and assured it of their continuous support to the Project by providing an enabling atmosphere for the smooth implementation of the cleanup project in Ogoniland.
Resource persons who presented thought-provoking lectures at the workshop included the Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Kinikanwo Anele; Prof Olariwanju Lawal; Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige; and Dr Gbenemene Kpae; among others.
With significant achievements recorded across thematic areas of the Ogoni cleanup programme being executed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Project Coordinator of the Project, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has said that all these are enabling pathways to the development of Ogoniland.
This is coming on the heels of milestone achievements in the following areas and their impact on Ogoni communities. They are mangrove restoration which is 94 percent complete; shoreline remediation which stands at 67.1 percent; and the phase 2 land remediation progressing to 36.55 percent.
Moreso, HYPREP has constructed 14 water facilities, providing potable water to 40 communities. With the commissioning of the water schemes in Bane and Gwara communities, the number of communities with access to clean and safe drinking water will be 45. The process of operationalising the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) which is at 92 percent complete, is ongoing. The same for the Ogoni Power Project which is progressing with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakaara substations ongoing
Similarly, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are at 76.8 percent and 98.7 percent respectively.
This is alongside other public health interventions and the Human BioMonitoring Survey also in progress.
Under the livelihood
programme, over 7,000 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni women and youths, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up kits, workshops, education grants, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This quarter, training will commence in other demand-driven skill areas, such as cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, commercial diving, and underwater welding.
Zabbey had reeled out these achievements, during the third quarter interactive session between the Project Coordination Office engagement with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt on Friday, in line with HYPREP’s strategic stakeholders policy to provide an interface opportunity to abreast Ogoni youths on the Project’s activities, while garnering their feedback.
Zabbey noted that, “This
quarterly engagement was,therefore, designed as an inclusive strategy to ensure that youth voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and progress updates are provided transparently. Also, it reflects our firm belief that a project of this magnitude must be people-centred, accountable, and participatory”.
” I am delighted to inform you that the Project remains on course to achieve its mandate as outlined in the UNEP Report on the Ogoni environment and the official gazette establishing HYPREP. HYPREP is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the cleanup projects and activities”, he said.
He stressed that HYPREP’s achievements are pathways to a better Ogoniland, assuring that the Project’s goals are aimed at benefiting all categories of Ogoni youths, whether in business, farming, advocacy, education, entrepreneurship or community development.
”This Project belongs to all of you, and its success depends mainly on your participation, unity and constructive engagement. And with your support, we are confident that all challenges will be addressed in the overall public interest,” Zabbey said.
The Project Coordinator urged Ogoni youths to continue to support the Project by promoting peace, discouraging misinformation, and collaborating with project teams working in the communities, and address challenges through dialogue, rather than confrontation.
Prof Dinebari Badey, a Professor of Development Sociology in the University of Port Harcourt, delivered the keynote address, linking the nexus between HYPREP and youths in the development of Ogoniland through unity of purpose while Engr Solomon Akere, gave a talk on Ogoni youths in business.
Participants raised questions concerning the maintenance of the water projects, remediation efforts, and compensation for the Right of Way (RoW), among others.
In attendance were management staff of HYPREP who provided responses to the interventions.