Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Bauchi State, Sen. Iliya Audu, says the commission requires more than 4,074 Direct Data Capturing Machines (DDCMs) for the forthcoming voter registration.
Audu stated this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi, saying each of the polling units in the state would be allocated a machine for the exercise.
There are 4,074 polling units, 212 registration areas and 2,130,557 registered voters in the state.
The REC said that when the voter registration was conducted last in 2008, there was only one machine which led to omission of names, adding that the forthcoming exercise would be comprehensive.
He said that INEC was compiling names of corps members serving in the state to be engaged for the registration.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has appealed to the Presidency to accord it preferential treatment when considering where to site the proposed federal university meant for the South West Zone.
The Assembly’s plea followed the recent approval by the Federal Executive Council at its last meeting to establish six federal universities in each of the six geo political zones of the country.
The Ekiti House of Assembly Speaker, Mr Tunji Odeyemi, in a statement issued on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, said: “Ekiti State is the most qualified to host a federal university in the zone.”
The statement signed on behalf of Odeyemi by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Rotimi Ajisola described Ekiti State as the academic basket of the nation and reservoir of intellectuals for most tertiary institutions in the country, but added that the state had long been marginalised in the area of federal presence.
FCT
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called on the media and the private sector to collaborate with it in managing disasters.
A statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr Yushau Shuaib, said the Director General of the Agency, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Sidi, made the call at the end of a consultative meeting of the executive held in Ibadan at the weekend.
The meeting, chaired by Sani-Sidi, noted the need for the private sector to participate fully in stakeholders’ meetings as well as the involvement of the media as major stakeholders instead of attending the meetings as reporters.
The statement said participants at the meeting urged NEMA to speed up the process for the establishment of National Council on Disaster Management.
It said the council would attract representations from stakeholders to provide policy guidelines for efficient and effective decision-making on disaster-related issues.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government will soon set up a committee to work out modalities for improved internal revenue generation, Governor Patrick Yakowa has said.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after inspecting projects in Zone III, Kaduna Southern Senatorial District, Yakowa said the committee would evolve ways of generating more funds to complement the revenue from the Federation Account.
He said the state government had done a lot in terms of projects implementation but noted that it required more money to undertake additional projects.
According to him, allocations from the Federation Account to the various states and local governments have dropped substantially, making it difficult for them to execute their projects.
Kano
As the Eid-el Kabir begins tomorrow, many Muslims in Kano have thronged to rural markets in search of cheaper rams, an investigation by The Tide reveals.
The rising cost of rams in Kano made it necessary for low income earners to go to rural markets where the cost of livestock is less.
Yesterday at Wudil, Gaya and Kachako markets, many customers said they came from Kano and Gusau to buy rams which they said were cheaper.
A civil servant, Malam Kabir Abubakar, said he travelled to Wudil ram and sheep market from Kano to buy his sallah ram as “the prices in Kano are prohibitive”.
“Only the super rich can afford a ram in cities because the ones I saw were from N50,000 and above,” he said.
Katsina
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Katsina State has warned parents against allowing their under-age children to drive during the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The Sector Commander, Mr Habu Dauda gave the warning in Katsina over the weekend at a joint meeting of the commission’s officials, traditional rulers and other security agencies.
The sector commander, who was represented by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Muntari Fago, warned that any under-age child caught driving or riding motorcycle during the sallah period and beyond would be arrested and the vehicle impounded.
He said the warning was necessary in view of the rampant accidents usually recorded in the state capital and other major towns during festivities.
Kebbi
Medical practitioners should encourage people to exercise themselves physically to avoid hypertension, a consultant neurologist at the Usmanu dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, Dr Salihu Balarabe, has advised.
Balarabe gave the advice in Birnin Kebbi during an interactive session on the topic “Hypertension, a killer disease”, organised by the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
He said regular physical exercise and medical check-up were remedies for hypertension, noting that a survey on the disease conducted by the WHO indicated that one billion people were diagnosed to be hypertensive globally.
The NMA Chairman, Dr Aliyu Illo, said the session was designed to sensitise the public to the dangers posed by hypertension and how to avoid it.
Kogi
As Muslims rush to buy food items in preparation for Eid el-Kabir, the prices of rams, chickens and catfish have increased in Lokoja.
Conversely in Onitsha, Anambra, traders are complaining that low patronage had forced down the prices of the animals.
A market survey conducted by our correspondent at the Felele Market in Lokoja on Friday, showed that a big ram sold for between N50,000 and N70,000 as against N55,000 and N60,000 last year.
A medium ram which sold for between N25,000 and N35,000 last year, is now being sold for between N40, 000 and N48,000.
Similarly, a small ram which sold for N11,000 last year, is now being sold for between N15,000 and N20,000.
Mallam Abubakar Sani, the Chairman of ram and goat sellers association in the market, attributed the hike in price to “greedy motorists’’ who he accused of arbitrarily increasing transportations cost whenever there were festivities.
Lagos
A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Wole Diya, has attributed the delay in the passage of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill by the House to inadequate lobbying by the sponsors.
Diya told newsmen in Lagos on Saturday that Rep. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a key sponsor of the private bill, had been unable to lobby the lawmakers well enough to pass the bill.
“It is not good enough to present a private bill before the House and expect it to sail through with ease.
“You have to lobby all the members, particularly the opposition.
“I am in strong support of the FoI Bill but what can I do alone in the House that has hundreds of members?” said Diya, who represents the Lagos East Constituency.
He urged Dabiri-Erewa to intensify effort in lobbying members of the House to accept and pass the bill.
Nasarawa
Pastor Jeremiah Kalejaiye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has attributed Nigeria’s low level of development to the lack of fear of God in political actors and government officials.
He said this on Friday in his sermon at the 9th annual Holy Ghost Service organised by the RCCG.
In the sermon entitled “King of Kings”, Kalejaiye declared that if government officials had the fear of God in them, the country would attain greater heights.
Quoting Psalm 111, verse 10, the pastor stressed that the fear of God was the beginning of wisdom, adding that anyone who did not fear God would always be deficient in wisdom.
“In our society today, it is unfortunate to note that the fear of man has replaced the fear of God and this is the beginning of the problems we have in Nigeria today.
Niger
The high cost of animals, especially rams, may prevent some Muslims from Bida and its environs in Niger from performing the sacrifice for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Our correspondent in the area who visited some animal markets yesterday reports that the price of rams was exorbitant and many Muslims might not have the means to buy them.
An average ram which cost N10,000 last year now costs about N18,000, an increase of N8,000 or 80 per cent against last year’s price. A female goat, which was sold at about N6,000 last year now costs N10,000 this year, while a male goat that cost N8,000 last year costs between N13,000 and N15,000 this year.
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.