Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
A total of 2,573 Pilgrims from Adamawa and Taraba states were transported to Saudi Arabia from Yola International Airport on Monday.
Malma Liman Muhammad, the National Coordinator of the National Hajj Commission, Yola Zone, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Yola.
He said that two Airline operators; Kabo and Max Air, were operating in the Yola zone.
Liman said that Kabo Air had so far transported 1,573 pilgrims from Adamawa in three trips while Max Air also transported 1,000 from Taraba in two trips.
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government has donated N10 million to the University of Maiduguri to boost learning in the institution.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Muhammad Daura, made the disclosure when he received Prof. Musa Maisamari in his office in Maiduguri.
Maisamari is the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Commission for Youth and Women Rehabilitation and Development (BACYWORD).
This is contained in a statement signed by Malam Chindo Waziri, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the commission.
Borno
Gov. Ali Modu Sheriff of Borno State last Monday appealed for the deployment of more soldiers to contain the current spate of killings by suspected Boko Haram sect members.
“I want to appeal for the deployment of additional troops to the state for effective security coverage.
“The number is inadequate, especially when viewed against the fact that Borno is the only state in Nigeria that shared a common border with three countries,” Sheriff said.
Ekiti
Cocoa farmers in Ekiti, under the aegis of Cocoa Growers Association (CAN) are seeking the state government soft loans for them to rejuvenate their aging farms.
The Chairman of the association, Mr. Ibitoye Francis made the request in an interview with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.
He disclosed that over 10,000 cocoa farmers were in the state adding that experience also showed that they needed the loan to maintain the existing cocoa farms and cultivate more Cocoa farms in the state.
FCT
ActionAid Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), said election riggers and manipulators should be made to face the wrath of the law.
The Country Director of ActionAid, Mr Hussaini Abdu, made the suggestion following the victory of Dr Kayode Fayemi as Governor of Ekiti State at the Court of Appeal last Friday.
Abdu told newsmen last Monday in Abuja that the judgment passed by the Court of Appeal showed the doggedness and commitment of the judiciary.
According to him, Ekiti people are now going to rip the dividends of democracy.
Katsina
Parents in Katsina State have appealed to the state government to re-consider its decision on de-boarding of secondary schools, which they said was inimical to the education of their children.
They made the appeal last Monday in separate interviews with newsmen in Katsina, Daura, Mani, Malumfashi, Dutsinma and Funtua towns.
Kogi
The Kogi Government has released N72 million to NAPEP to fight poverty in the state.
Dr Grace Gunwa, the state Coordinator of NAPEP, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lokoja that 295 households would benefit from the fund.
She said the money was approved in March by Gov. Ibrahim Idris when he saw the very good work the state chapter of the agency was doing in empowering the needy to alleviate poverty in the state.
Gunwa said the money would be used to reach out to more beneficiaries, especially in the 11 local government areas the agency had accessed.
Lagos
The police last Monday in Lagos arraigned four men before an Ebute Meta Magistrate‘s Court for allegedly stealing and receiving cosmetics valued at N4.2 million.
The accused Anibueze Ogbuka, 32, Ifeanyi Omenife, 22, Ebere Nwose, 30 and Edwin Ikeanyi, 45, were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, burglary, stealing and receiving stolen goods.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and were each granted N200,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.
The Magistrate, Mr T. Abolarinwa, adjourned the case till October 27, for further hearing.
Ogun
A Physiotherapist, Mrs Toyin Olatunji, has attributed persistent low back pain among adults to their failure to maintain healthy weight.
Olatunji, who is of the Physiotherapy Department, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, told newsmen in Abeokuta yesterday that the only antidote was through weight control.
The physiotherapist who defined low back pain as “a feeling of tiredness, discomfort or pain in the lower back region”, said that 70 per cent to 85 per cent of the adult population would have back complaints during their lifetime.
Osun
Osun State government has commenced the implementation of Road Traffic Law to decongest vehicles on the roads.
The Commissioner for Works and Transport, Chief Soji Longe made this known in Osogbo last Monday.
Oyo
The appeal case filed by Mr Rauf Aregbesola, governorship candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) against Gov Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun suffered yet another adjournment yesterday in Ibadan.
Aregbesola is challenging the election of Oyinlola as the governor of Osun in the April 12, 2007 governorship election.
Plateau
As the start of 2010 Jos Trade Fair draws near, the Plateau Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (PLACCIMA) has assured participants of adequate security and amenities.
The trade fair starts from October 20 to November 2.
Mr Jack Bot, the Executive Director of PLACCIMA, gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen in Jos last Monday.
He said that the chamber had concluded arrangements with security agencies to ensure that “maximum protection” of all exhibitors was guaranteed.
Sokoto
Two intending female pilgrims from Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State have been barred from travelling to Saudi Arabia to perform the 2010 Hajj.
Authorities detected that the two women were seven-month pregnant during a screening exercise in Sokoto on Monday.
It also reported that the women were part of the 501 intending pilgrims from Gada Local Government Area, who were to be airlifted in the first batch from the state.
Zamfara
The Zamfara Government has dethroned the District Head of Bakura, Alhaji Bello Yusuf, for undisclosed reasons.
Until his removal, Yusuf was the most senior District Head in Bakura Emirate.
His dethronment was announced yesterday in Gusau in a statement by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Isyaka Zurmi.
It said that the deposition took immediate effect, and directed Yusuf to hand over all government property in his possession to the Secretary to the State Council of Chiefs.
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.