Nation

THE STATES

Published

16 years ago

December 31, 2010

Adamawa

The Adamawa Universal Basic Education Board (ADSUBEB) has distributed more than 17,000 textbooks to public schools in Mubi-North Local Government Area of the state.

The Education Secretary of the local government, Alhaji Ahmed Dan-Rimi, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Mubi in Adamawa.

Dan-Rimi said that the books were distributed to more than 80 primary and junior secondary schools in the area.

He said that 13,844 textbooks were distributed to 66 primary schools, while 20 post-basic schools received 3,634 books.

The education secretary further disclosed that the board also distributed teachers’ guide and other instructional materials to the schools.

“The books consist of English, Mathematics, Science, Literature, Social Studies, and Integrated Science books, among others,” Dan-Rimi said.

According to him, the gesture is part of efforts to implement the nine-year basic education curriculum in the state successfully.

Ekiti

The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, has threatened to remove any Divisional Police officer (DPO) who makes himself inaccessible to members of the public.

Balogun made the threat yesterday while parading 23 robbery suspects, including a 65-year-old woman, Victoria Faturoti in Ado-Ekiti.

He promised not to allow the politicisation of the arrest and detention of any of the robbery suspects, who have been terrorising the people of Ido-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area.

The police commissioner emphasised that the suspects would be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.

Balogun explained that he was quite aware of the politics behind the statement allegedly made by some suspects, pointing out that investigations would be conducted to ascertain the veracity of their claims.

He assured the people of the state that all the dangerous weapons being used by robbers would be mopped up before the 2011 general elections.

According to him, all the divisional police offices of the command had been placed on alert.

FCT

The Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA) says it is making efforts to utilise the expertise of Nigerians living abroad for national development.

The Director General of the directorate, Mr Sule Bassi, said this in Abuja yesterday at the directorate’s merit award.

Bassi said that “out of more than 32 million Africans living outside their countries, 17 million are Nigerians.

“For Africa to develop Africans must take the bull by the horns, we need to harness our human resources and we need to encourage them to contribute to the development of the continent.”

He said that technical cooperation was an indispensable factor in any development effort, adding that African technocrats must be given due recognition.

Bassi said that the award was put in place as a policy to recognise hard work and excellence.

He said: “We are here to celebrate excellence in service.

“We are here to celebrate integrity in mandate delivery, honesty, loyalty and team work.”

Kaduna

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Kaduna State recorded 37 accidents during the third quarter of 2010.

The commission’s Public Relations Officer in Kaduna State, Malam Yunusa Ibrahim, made this known in an interview with our correspondent in Kaduna yesterday.

He said that the commission recorded 13 accidents in September and eight accidents in October, November and December, respectively.

Ibrahim said that the number of accidents so far recorded during the year was lower than that of 2009, which was put at 404 accidents.

He attributed the decrease to the enlightenment campaign, sensitisation workshops, lectures and seminars on traffic rules and regulations.

Kano

Kano-based Islamic Scholar, Sheik AbdulJabbar Kabara, has decried the continued poor performance of students in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE).

“As a scholar, I am worried about the continued recording of poor results in the SSCE by our students.

The trend must not be allowed to continue,” Kabara said in an interview with newsmen in Kano yesterday.

The cleric opined that majority of candidates who perform poorly in public examinations were those from “poor parentage”.

“You will discover that most of those who record poor results in these public examinations are children of the poor, because the wards of the well-to-do attend quality schools here in Nigeria and abroad,” he said.

Kabara also opined that children of the rich were taught by better-qualified teachers with better facilities in their schools; hence they performed better in public examinations.

Kabara, therefore, identified poverty as one of the causes of poor performance of students in public examinations.

Lagos

Authorities of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, have appealed to the institution’s striking lecturers to suspend their action in the interest of their students.

That LASU lecturers, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), have been on strike for more than three months.

Mrs Anthonia Oyeniyi, LASU’s Head of Information and Public Relations, made the appeal in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos.

According to her, it is only the lecturers that can resolve their disagreement with the state government, a problem which has halted academic activities in the school.

The lecturers are protesting against the non-implementation of 53.3 per cent enhanced pay for lecturers as negotiated by ASUU with the Federal Government in 2009.

Osun

The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Osun Chapter, has commended Gov. Rauf Aregbesola on his plans to revive the state agricultural sector.

Alhaji Raheem Adeniji, the state Chairman of the association, gave the commendation yesterday in Osogbo while reacting to the 2011 budget proposals presented by the governor.

Aregbesola in his first budget presented to the state House of Assembly on Wednesday, gave indication of his plans to revive the agricultural sector.

The governor said that the government would acquire 1,000 hectares of farmlands in each of the 30 local government areas.

He said the farmlands would be cleared and ploughed before being allocated to interested and practicing farmers.

Under the plan, government, Aregbesola said, would purchase farm produce directly from farmers to prevent wastage and have surplus for sale outside the state.

The governor said his administration would encourage commercial farming by assisting farmers who engaged in commercial farming to access bank loans.

Oyo

A Factional Leader of the NURTW in Oyo State, Alhaji Lateef Salako (a.k.a Eleweomo) has been killed in Ibadan during the Local Government Congress of the PDP on Thursday.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Baba Bolanta, confirmed the death of Salako to newsmen during the PDP local government congress in Ibadan.

He, however, said he could not give details, saying that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Area had been summoned to brief him on the incident.

Salako (a.k.a Eleweomo) was reportedly killed at IDC Primary School, Olunloyo area of Ibadan during the party congress of Ona Ara Local Government Area on Thursday.

His remains have been deposited at the State Hospital Mortuary, Adeoyo.

trouble started when the motorcade of the Senate Leader, Sen. Teslim Folarin, arrived at the venue of the congress.

Sources told our correspondent that argument arose as to whether the deceased union leader was a delegate to the congress or not, because he allegedly introduced himself as a delegate.

Sokoto

Sokoto State Government has earmarked N 5.1 billion for the execution of various projects in the agricultural sector in 2011.

Gov. Aliyu Wamakko said this in Sokoto yesterday while presenting the 2011 budget proposals to the state House of Assembly.

He said government would accord priority to the agricultural sector in order to consolidate, sustain and improve on the level of achievements so far recorded in the sector.

Wamakko promised that government would embark on the rehabilitation and expansion of all irrigation schemes destroyed by floods in all parts of the state.

“Protection of farmlands near riverbanks flooded annually, especially the troublesome Maimasuka farm site will be given attention,’’ he said.

Wamakko added that construction of flood control structures would be pursued with vigour.

To ensure food security, Wamakko said his administration would buy assorted grains for the state Strategic Grains Reserves Programme.

Yobe

Yobe Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, yesterday presented an appropriation bill of N64.2 billion for the 2011 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly.

The budget represents a decrease of 1.4 per cent over the N65 billion budgeted in 2010.

Christened “budget of Sustainability”, Gaidam told the legislators in Damaturu that the state had N2.7 billion in its account as an opening balance carried forward to 2011.

The governor said the state was expected to generate N34.8 billion from the federation account in 2011.

Gaidam added that N6.7 billion was expected from Value Added Tax while N9 billion would come from the excess crude oil.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

7 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

7 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

7 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.