Nation

THE STATES

Published

15 years ago

May 6, 2011

Bauchi

The Bauchi State Fadama 111 Office says it has disbursed N58 milion to Fadama Community Associations (FCAs) in the state between January and March 2011.

The State Coordinator, Mr. Ali Garba, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi recently.

Garba said that the money was disbursed to FCAs in the 20 local government areas of the state.

He urged the benefiting associations to make judicious use of the fund to enhance their economic well-being.

Benue

Mr. Terseer Tsumba, Speaker of Benue House of Assembly, recently congratulated members of the House who were successful in the Assembly election.

He also appealed to his colleagues who lost in the election to put in their best in their new endeavours.

Tsumba, who made the remarks in Makurdi, said that those who fought the battle and won as incumbents needed to be supported.

He urged the members to continue to co-operate with one another in the House so that their names would be written in gold.

Ekiti

The ACN said recently that it would work with President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposed unity government if he followed democratic norms acceptable to the party.

The Chairman an of the party in Ekiti State, Chief Jide Awe, made this known in Ado-Ekiti recently while addressing reporters.

Awe said that ACN did not see anything wrong in joining the government of the President-elect if it was to add value to governance and move the nation forward.

According to him, Jonathan will have to first convince the party that he will not derail from the good attributes which made him secure the votes of people in ACN strongholds.

FCT

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Monday in Abuja called on INEC to conduct a comprehensive study of the 2011 elections to identify successes and failures.

Mr. Auwal Rafasanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, and spokesman of the group, made the call at a news conference.

He said the exercise would serve as a guide to INEC in conducting future elections.

Gombe

The Independent National Elecoral Commission (INEC) recently cancelled the governorship and State House of Assembly elections at the Jankai polling unit in Gombe metropolis.

Mr. Godfrey Miri, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State, told nesmen that the elections had to be cancelled because voting commenced in the unit ahead of the scheduled time of noon.

“We received reports that voting had commence in the unit as early as 8 am. Consequently, we sent our men who confirmed the early commencement of voting, as a result, the elections in the unit had to be cancelled.

“Apart from commencement of voting ahead of schedule, we discovered a lot of under aged voters in that polling unit,” he said.

Kano

The incoming Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso administration will sustain the implementation of the Sharia legal system in Kano State, a party official said.

The Chairman of the Publicity Committee of the State Chapter of PDP, Alhaji Gambo Danpass, made the statement in Kano on Monday in an interview with newsmen.

Danpass said “the PDP government under Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso will continue to pursue the Sharia code with an approach better than the one being implementated by the out-going ANPP administration in the state.

“It was Dr. Kwankwaso who started Sharia during his first tenure as governor of the state, and so, he cannot truncate what he initiated”.

Katsina

Musawa Local Government Council of Katsina State says it has designed programmes to sanitise the operations of food vendors and patent medicine dealers in the area.

The Council’s Director of Water and Sanitation Department, Alhaji Adamu Hussaini, told newsmen recently in Musawa that the programmes were aimed at promoting public health.

Hussaini said the council had introduced special teams of trained environmental health officers that monitor the activities of food vendors and patent medicine stores across the area.

Kwara

An IIorin-based lawyer, Mr. Razaq Gold said recently that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had justified the confidence reposed in it by conducting credible elections in Nigeria.

He told newsmen in Ilorin that the Professor Attahiru Jega-led commission had shown the world that Nigeria was a leading light in Africa.

“The successful conduct of the general elections by INEC has shown that Nigeria is blessed with people who can organise credible elections contrary to the beliefs of many.

Lagos

A 41-year-old civil servant, Mr. Afeez Ojedele, on Tuesday urged the Mushin Grade “a” Customary Court to dissolve his 13-year-old marriage to Risikat, as both of them had remarried.

Risikat, who concurred with the petitioner, also pleaded with the court to end the marriage, saying “My heart now belongs to somebody else”.

Ojedele had told the court that Risikat packed out of their matrimonial home in February 2005, following a misunderstanding between them.

He adjourned the case till August 31 for further hearing and ordered the petitioner to pay Risikat N5,000 for the upkeep of their younger son.

Nasarawa

Nasarawa State governor elect Tanko Al-Makura has promised to be fair and just to every citizen of the state irrespective of tribe and religious affiliation.

Al-Makura made the promise on Sunday when newsmen paid him a courtesy visit in Lafia to congratulate him on his election victory.

“I promise that my government will not bear any prejudice against anybody, I will also make sure I do justice and be fair to all the citizens of Nasarawa State,’’ he said.

“Let us forget about our differences, politically, religiously and culturally and come together to lift Nasarawa up.

“Let us also put aside the struggle and propaganda behind us, as election has come and gone and let us now focus on the development of the state.”

Oyo

The Federal Government has expressed concernover the frequent occurrence of road accidents on Nigerian roads, resulting to loss of lives and material resources.

Alhaji Muhammad Sidi-Sani, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), made the announcement at a sensitisation workshop, held for stakeholders in Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) management recently in Ibadan.

Sidi-Sani who was represented by the South West Zonal Coordinator of the NEMA, Mr. Iyiola Akande, said the agency had decided to organise the workshop with a view to reducing loss of lives on Nigeria roads.

Plateau

The Labour Party’s Publicity Secretary in Plateau State, Mr. Sylvanus Namang, says the party will not congratulate Governor Jonah Jang over his election victory.

Jang defeated Pauline Tallen, his deputy and LP candidate, in the just-concluded governorship election to secure a second-term tenure.

Namang told newsmen in Jos recently that the LP would not congratulate Jang as it would mean consenting to “a wrong”.

“We have all the information on how the governorship poll was manipulated in favour of Jang and I don’t think it is politically right to congratulate him.

Sokoto

President Goodluck Jonathan has been called upon to lay emphasis on workers’ welfare to enhance their productivity.

Dr. Shehu Sidi, the Head of European Languages, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Sokoto recently.

“Paying attention to the welfare of the nation’s workforce will ensure the smooth implementation of Federal Government’s programmes,” Sidi stressed.

Zamfara

Zamfara State governor-elect Abdulazeez Yaei Abubakar has promised to run an open government that will accept criticism as a check and balance mechanism for good governance.

Yari made the promise at his Talata Mafara residence recently when executives of Zamfara council of the NUJ paid him congratulatory visit.

He noted that for any administration to be transparent, the Media must be allowed to function without undue censorship.

“I will make my administration open for advice and criticisms so that where I am right, the Media will encourage me and where I am wrong, I will be criticised,” he said.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

4 weeks 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

4 weeks 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

4 weeks 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.