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THE STATES
Bauchi
Efforts by Alkaleri Local Government in Bauchi State to immunise 56,334 children during the on-going polio immunisation exercise are being thwarted by resistance of some parents.
Journalists Against Polio (JAP) monitoring the exercise in the area, reports that Alkaleri West and East have apparently recorded the highest cases of rejection.
The reports said that more than half of the children under five targeted for the exercise are being prevented.
The Director of Primary Health Care in the area, Alhaji Idris Dan-Asabe, decried the attitude of the parents, adding that the rejection, if not checked, could mar the whole exercise in the area.
“It is regretable to note that Alkaleri LGA is one of the four high risk polio endemic areas in the state.
“We have been experiencing such unhealthy attitudes during previous exercises in the affected areas,’’ Dan-Asabe said.
Ekiti
About 1,800 Corps members have been deployed to Ekiti State to participate in the batch “C” orientation exercise, scheduled to begin next week, an official of the state directorate of the NYSC, has said.
Mrs Funso Olusoji, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the directorate, disclosed this on Sunday in an interview with the newsmen at Ise-Emure in Ise-Orun Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
Olusoji explained that out of the 1,800 corps members, 300 corps members were deployed from Lagos State to participate in the three weeks orientation exercise.
“No fewer than 1,800 corps members, including 300 dislodged members from Lagos State have been deployed to Ekiti State for the batch “C” orientation exercise.
She gave assurance that the directorate had put in place necessary measures to ensure the safety of lives and properties of corps members deployed to the state.
FCT
A paediatrician, Dr Emmanuel Gajere, has advised mothers to look out for persistent cough, poor eating habit, shortness of breath at intervals, as well as intense nasal congestion, to promptly tackle asthma in children.
Gajere told newsmen that a lot of children in recent times had been afflicted with asthma, a chronic respiratory ailment that could kill, if not properly managed.
He said asthma in children could be caused by a number of factors including allergies, strenuous exercises, emotions, viral causes, hereditary and early exposure to drugs like aspirin.
“Early cow milk feeding and exposure to dust, smoke and even drugs like aspirin can lead to a child becoming asthmatic. “Also, a child who has brown eyes called vernal conjunctivitis suggests that the child is at risk of asthma,’’ he said.
Gajere classified asthma in three different categories, and highlighted the number of expected attacks in each class.
Gombe
The Radiation Medicine Complex at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gombe, was commissioned on Monday, with the Medical Director, Dr Aliyu Elnafaty, describing it as the most equipped and first of its kind in the country.
Elnafaty said on the occasion that the complex offered the latest technology in radiation and had been inspected by the regulatory authority and certified to meet the FMC’s compliance level.
He said the facility was long overdue, considering the prevalence of cancer-related afflictions in the North-East zone of the country.
The medical director, however, listed manpower shortage as one of the challenges facing the centre.
Commissioning the complex, Alhaji Suleiman Bello, the Minister of State for Health, commended FMC Gombe for its initiative and laudable achievements.
He said the centre was among the few hospital chosen to benefit from the Federal Ministry of Health’s Hospital Intervention Fund.
Katsina
The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, last Monday launched the Katsina State chapter of the Women for Change Initiative (W4CI), with a call on the womenfolk to improve their living conditions.
Speaking at the occasion in Katsina, Jonathan said: “I want to draw the attention of our women to the need to change their attitude socially, economically and politically.”
Jonathan, who lamented the low level of women participation in governance in the country, called on them to rise up to the challenge and change the status quo.
“This is non-negotiable irrespective of our socio-political and religious beliefs,” she said.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, will soon begin to produce artificial chemical fertiliser, Dr Amina Abubakar, the acting Vice-Chancellor, has announced.
“The liquid Nitrogen plant will use Nitrogen from free atmospheric air for the production of artificial chemical fertiliser,” she said at the opening of the 30th Annual Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Aliero.
Abubakar explained that the plant would transform liquid Nitrogen by using cheap raw materials to produce vital by-products needed to drive the economy.
She said a liquid Nitrogen production centre had been established “to strengthen the students with practical entrepreneurship education for them to become job givers and not job seekers”.
The acting vice-chancellor said revenue generated from the sale of the chemical fertiliser would be used to improve academic work and facilities at the university.
Kwara
Any intending Christian pilgrim below 50 years will no longer be allowed to travel to Rome while on pilgrimage.
Pastor Gbenga Ogidiolu, Chairman, Kwara State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, made the announcement in Ilorin on Monday in an interview with newsmen.
He said such pilgrims would only be allowed to travel to Israel and Egypt for the religious obligations, adding that the measure was to prevent Nigerian pilgrims from using the opportunity to abscond to Europe.
Ogidiolu said: “This year, we are going to cover Israel, Egypt and Rome, but we must stress that going to Rome is not automatic.
Lagos
Some clerics on Monday called for a proper investigation of a report which alleged that arms were being imported into the country.
In separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos, the church leaders urged that those responsible for the illegal importation should be punished.
The clergymen, who were reacting to a report published in a national daily on Saturday, pointed out that arms proliferation would threaten the 2011 general elections, if unchecked.
According to the report, the National Taskforce on Illegal Importation of Goods and Light Weapons recently alerted the Nigeria Customs Service on the arrival of a vessel KOTAR NAZAR with voyage number VOYNZR017 laden with small arms and other contrabands.
The Anglican Bishop of Afikpo in Ebonyi, the Rt. Rev. Paul Udogu, told newsmen that the church had been persuading its members to vote for candidates of their choice in 2011, but would not want the members to fall victims of violence.
“The Federal Government should investigate this report and the people involved should be punished.
“If the report is true, we condemn the act outright and ask the government to act immediately to forestall any ugly action,” he said.
The Primate of the African Church Bethel, Most Rev. Emmanuel Udofia, urged proper training and equipment of security operatives at Nigeria’s borders and ports to enable them to detect arms proliferation.
Niger
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (NCPP) in Niger State has commended the efforts of Governor Babangida Aliyu in developing the state.
Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, the CNPP Secretary, made the commendation while speaking with newsmen in Minna.
“There is no doubt that the present leadership of Aliyu has created new national consciousness and patriotic re-awakening in the minds of Nigerlites through the recent activities tat marked Nigeria at 50.
“The intangible values may not be seen as physical development area; the core essence of governance that the nation has been lacking over he years”, he said.
He said that the recent establishment of Independent Square by Aliyu’s administration was a clear testimony of an historical artifact for both the present and future generation to learn.
The secretary said the government’s gesture of employing non-indigenes into the civil service and not on contract bases was also worthy of emulation by other state governments.
Ogun
The Association of Small-Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSPIN) has canvassed for 10 per cent budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector by governments at all levels.
Mr Mabinuori Adeleke, the National Vice-President of the association in the South-West Zone, made the call on Tuesday in Ijebu-Ode in an interview with newsmen.
Adeleke said that the current 3.5 per cent of budgetary allocation to the sector was not adequate to engender sustainable development.
Plateau
Plateau is to receive 1,600 NYSC members for the 2010 Batch “C” orientation programme, scheduled to start on Wednesday, a statement said on Monday.
The statement, issued by Mr Sam Nwopara, Head, Public Relations of Plateau NYSC Directorate, in Jos, said the orientation would hold at the NYSC temporary camp in Zang Secondary Commercial School, Bukuru.
It further said that the state chief judge, Justice Lazarus Dakyen, would administer the oath of allegiance on the corps members.
The NYSC appealed to the people of Plateau to accord the corps members the usual hospitality they were known for.
Sokoto
Alhaji Ibrahim Gobi, a Senatorial aspirant on the platform of PDP in Sokoto State, has charged INEC to meet the expectations of Nigerians by conducting free, fair and credible elections in 2011.
Gobi told newsmen that it was only through transparent elections that the desire of Nigerians would be met.
He said that the commission must put in place a formidable framework that would ensure full participation of eligible Nigerians in the election process.
Gobi, who is contesting for Sokoto East Senatorial Zone, added that it was only through credible elections that good leaders would emerge for the political growth of the country.
Gobi called for full participation of stakeholders in the election process to enable the commission perform its constitutional responsibility.
The President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide and the Mgboh XIII of the Mgboh Royal Family of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze (Barrister) Godspower Onuekwa, penultimate Friday celebrated his 80th birthday with pomp, pageantry and fanfare.
The celebration, which commenced with a symposium organised in his honour at Rivers State University on Thursday, August 21,2025, got to a resounding climax on Friday at Suntai Event Centre in Port Harcourt, where people from all walks of life, including business associates, friends, well-wishers, relatives, community folks, traditional rulers, and admirers, gathered to pay glowing tributes to the celebrant.
Before then, a well attended thanksgiving service was held that same Friday at Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo, to honour him and return gratitude to God Almighty for the fruitful and eventful life and accomplishments of the Emohua leader and icon.
The service which was officiated by Rt Rev Wisdom Budu Ihunwo, Bishop of Niger Delta North had other renowned and respected clerics like Most Rev(Dr) Blessing Enyindah, Dean, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Rt Rev(Dr) Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, Bishop, Diocese of Niger Delta; Rt Rev Innocent Ordu, Bishop, Diocese of Evo; and Ven Solomon Eze Nelson, Archdeacon, Okoro-Nu-Odo; among others lined up as officiating ministers.
The service lived up to its billing, as it featured powerful and soul-lifting praise and worship; point-blank prayers; and beautiful renditions, which electrified the entire atmosphere, essentially packaged to thank God for the life of the celebrant.
However, the crowning moment actually came when the who is who, the crème de la crème of the society, thronged the terraces and fabulously decorated expansive hall of Suntai Event Centre, to celebrate Eze Onuekwa, amid accolades, aplomb and panache, wining and dining, and clinking of glasses with him and all.
The chairman of the colourful ceremony, Chief Evans Woherem, who was represented by Eze(Prof) Christian Akani of the prestigious Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, praised the celebrant for his youthfulness in spite of clocking 80 years, generosity, humility, humaneness and selfless services to the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, the Niger Delta and Nigeria, and called on all and sundry to emulate his good legacies and simple disposition towards life and existence.
Goodwill messages also poured in in torrents to underscore and salute the doggedness, resilience, astuteness and uniqueness of the endearing life of the celebrant, with Prof Emenike Wami, the Ochia Ohna Ikwerre(XIV), taking the lead.
Prof Priye Iyalla, the wife of late renowned writer, novelist and playwright, Dr Elechi Amadi, held the audience spellbound as she masterfully reeled out the profile of the celebrant, amid intermittent applause from the crowd.
The Tiv Community from Benue State, resident in Rivers State, were not left out, as they honoured and decorated Eze Onuekwa in their complete traditional regalia.
Cultural displays from Baptist Church, Rumuowhor; ADNA Wogbuji Dancing Group, Egbeda; Tiv Dancing Group; and Promoter Eze and Rumu-Mgboh Emohua Wrestling Group, equally added colour and grace to the occasion, with the celebrant and his wife, Dame Ann Onuekwa, joining them to wriggle their waists and bodies in ecstasy.
In his response, the highly elated celebrant, Eze Onuekwa thanked all those gathered to celebrate with him, saying, celebrations would never cease in their homes, and attributed everything he represents in life, including his modest accomplishments to God.
Eze Onuekwa, while addressing newsmen, harped on the need for hard work among the youths and members of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, as a way of sustaining and giving meaning to the motto of the organisation, which he noted is anchored on peace, unity and progress.
He specially thanked God for sustaining his life, and for making everything possible for him and his family, saying, he was joyous that he has today become an octogenarian and elder statesman in Rivers State.
His son and medical practitioner, Dr Samuel Chizia Onuekwa expressed delight that people from far and near had come together to celebrate the father, whom he described as a role model and great inspirator.
He said it was a good thing that the children were celebrating their father when he is alive, stressing that the last time Eze Onuekwa was celebrated in such magnitude was 20 years ago, during his 60th birthday celebration, and prayed God to grant him many more years in good health.
Among dignitaries who graced the event were Senator Andrew Uchendu; Chief Sampson Agbaru; Prof Emenike Wami; Dr Peter Didia; Eze(Prof) Samuel Ugo Onyeka; and a host of others. Justice Iche Ndu(rtd); and C O Kattey were among personalities that attended the thanksgiving service, while the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof Isaac Zeb-Obipi led the academics who graced the symposium, alongside Eze G A O Omodu.
As the 100 Ogoni youths trained by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Creative Arts close out their training on Tuesday at the Theatre Arts Department, University of Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has urged the beneficiaries to use the skills acquired to ensure that the Ogoni stories are told and heard in the right way.
The trainees, who had completed a four- month training in script writing, film production and make-up are beneficiaries of the HYPREP sustainable livelihood programme, aimed at providing high demand skills to Ogoni youths in the lucrative creative arts and entertainment industry.
Zabbey described the Creative Arts training as well as other programmes and interventions as HYPREP’s strategic sustained effort to create alternative sources of livelihood.
”Targeted capacity building for Ogoni youths and women remains a central strategy in HYPREP’s livelihood restoration and improvement efforts. Our goal is to reach every part of the Ogoni community and ensure that no group or talent pool is left behind. This training is a deliberate step to empower young people who aspire to make their mark in the creative and entertainment industry”, he said.
While commending the trainees for producing four short films within the training period, one of which was premiered at the ceremony-Dirty Festival, the Project Coordinator noted that the training would serve as a springboard into the industry, and enable them earn a living, become entrepreneurs, and open new doors of opportunities for themselves and their communities. The three other movies are Open Pain, Bomu and Green War.
He enjoined them to utilise their skills and platforms to promote civic responsibility, peace, and environmental sustainability, urging them to ensure that Ogoni is heard in the right way, speak for HYPREP and highlight the progress being made in implementing the recommendations of the UNEP Report.
Other speakers at the event, including the Director of Technical Services of HYPREP, Prof. Damian-Paul Aguiyi; Dr Ovunda Ihunwo, Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt; Chief Douglas Experience, the Project Coordinator of Halibiz Consult Limited; and Mrs Josephine Nzidee, Head, Sustainable Livelihood of HYPREP, all applauded HYPREP for the training, and charged the trainees to maximise the opportunity.
The trainees were later presented certificates of participation.
Visibly elated Ms Lebee Tornwe, one of the beneficiaries, thanked HYPREP and the Project Coordinator for offering the trainees the rare opportunity to acquire skills in the creative arts and entertainment industry, and expressed delight that Dr Ihunwo and Halibiz Consult Limited gave their all in grooming them.
With the wrapping up of the Creative Arts training(100), HYPREP has trained 230 Ogoni youths in high demand skill sets ,viz; seafaring(100); and aviation (30). The Project will this year, commence training in other skill areas, including Mechatronic, Aviation, Full-Stack Development, Commercial Diving, Underwater Welding and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Still in the offing is the training for Ogoni Persons Living with Disabilities in five skill sets- fish farming; basic computer skills; photography; fashion and design; and shoemaking in line with their Needs Assessment and HYPREP’s policy of inclusivity.
The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) had called on stakeholders to work collaboratively towards the development and empowerment of Ogoni youths.
NYCOP made the call in a communique issue over the weekend after an emergency Congress in Port Harcourt and signed by its President, Comrade Raymond Nwibani Marcus.
In the communique, NYCOP endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s appointments of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees (BOT) members of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), particularly Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah as Chairman of HYPREP’s BOT.
It respectfully appealed to the President to consider appointing a representative from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) under the leadership of Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, being the pioneering social vehicle for Ogoni advocacy since the inception of the Ogoni struggle, adding that it would significantly contribute to the decision-making process.
The body commended the overall management of HYPREP and urges the President to continue funding the HYPREP project.
NYCOP furthermore recommended considering the conversion of HYPREP from a project to a full-fledged agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The communique also stated that NYCOP thanked President Tinubu for establishing the Federal University of Environmental Technology, and for appointing key staff, forming a dialogue committee, and initiating infrastructural projects like the Eleme axis of the East-West Road and the Bonny-Bodo Road, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and economic prospects.
In solidarity with the Renewed Hope Agenda, the endorsed President Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying it believes his leadership embodies the aspirations of the Ogoni people and Nigerians at large.
“After thorough consideration of the Disciplinary Committee’s report, NYCOP resolves:
” To indefinitely suspend Comrade Nade Nade Burale from his position as Secretary General due to misconduct.
“To declare Comrade Saviour Imeabe persona non grata on Ogoni youth issues, given his actions’ potential to instigate crisis in Ogoni and beyond” the communique stated.
NYCOP in his resolution issued a 7-day ultimatum to former HYPREP BOT Chairman Mike Nwialeghi to explain the $100 million HYPREP fund investment, warning of potential litigation.
NYCOP reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ogoni youth interests and preventing personal aggrandizement.
According to the communique the resolutions demonstrate NYCOP’s efforts to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth.
“We will no longer tolerate any individual or group using the name or issues of Ogoni youth for personal aggrandizement.
” Our mandate is clear: to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth” the communique said.
NYCOP passes a vote of confidence in Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah, acknowledging his impeccable credentials and credibility to lead the BOT of HYPREP effectively.
Kiadum Edookor
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