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THE STATES

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Adamawa

The National Centre for Islamic Thought, Adamawa branch, has called for the adoption of true federalism system in Nigeria.

The group’s call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its eight annual seminar in Yola and signed by the secretary of the centre, Adamu Dodo.

“The seminar in session agrees that Nigeria must consider the idea and adoption of true Federalism as the only solution for current situation in the country,’’ the statement, in Yola recently, stated.

It called for inter-religious dialogue aimed at peaceful co-existence among Nigerians

It advised Muslim to encourage their children to seek both Islamic and Western education and to live in peace with one another and shun criminal and immoral acts.

Borno

The Borno State Government said on Wednesday that it would reactivate the 67,000 hectares South Chad Irrigation Project (SCIP) located on Lake Chad shores.

The project, which was conceived by the Federal Government in the 70’s, had been abandoned for years.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno, who visited the site, said he would collaborate with the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA) to revive the project.

Shettima promised to inject the needed funds to actualise the revitalisation of the project.

He lamented that the project had been allowed to degenerate over the years in spite of its great economic potentials to the country.

FCT

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Merit Awards (NMA), Prof. Oluwafeyisola Adegoke, has said that inadequate budgetary provision is hindering research institutes from carrying out research and development in the country.

Adegoke made the disclosure in Abuja on Thursday in an interview with newsmen

“Nigeria is the only country I know of in the whole world where there is no research support. When you take a place like the U.S, the National Institute of Health alone in the U.S, the budget to support research is more than Nigeria’s national budget every year.

The board chairman appealed to the Federal Government to increase allocation to the NMA to enable it carry out its functions effectively.

According to him, the NMA has concluded plans to liaise with Nigerians all over the world to see how to promote excellence and to improve Nigerian universities as well as research institutes.

To this end, he said the organisation had set up the “NMA Policy Committee’’ that would take an in-depth assessment of critical issues affecting the country with a view to providing solutions to them.

Gombe

Twenty National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) batch ‘B’ members have received awards for meritorious service in Gombe State.

Mr Igyuse Manasseh, the Coordinator of the scheme in the state, announced the awards in Gombe in a message to the passing-out of the 1,003 corps members posted to the state.

Manasseh, represented by the Head of Mobilisation of the NYSC in the state, Mr Ochi Onyike, said the recipients were recognised for their tremendous contributions to the social and economic growth of the communities where they served.

He said the scheme would continue to recognise such efforts and urged serving corps members to strive to excel in their places of primary assignment.

The coordinator attributed the low-keyed passing-out ceremony to the security challenges facing the nation, saying “the security situation in the country calls for greater caution and proactive measures to forestall unnecessary loss of lives.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission (JISIEC), has fixed January 28, 2012 for the conducting of local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Sani Ahmed, who made the disclosure to newsmen on Wednesday in Dutse, urged political parties to conduct their primaries in time and submit the names of their candidates to the commission not later than December 23 this year.

He said the commission would screen and verify the candidates to ensure that they were qualified for the positions they were contesting for.

The chairman told political parties in the state to cooperate with JISIEC to achieve free, fair and credible elections in the state.

Ahmed who promised to be fair and just to all political parties, noted that the election would be held in 3,527 polling units and 187 wards across the 27 local government areas in the state.

Katsina

Katsina State police command has arrested a 25-year-old man, Mannir Goma, for allegedly raping an 80-year-old woman in Matazu local government. .

Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed, the state’s Commissioner of Police, confirmed the arrest in Katsina recently while parading 15 other criminals, including armed robbery suspects arrested across the state.

He said that the suspected rapist was arrested last week in Yelwa village shortly after raping the woman.

The police boss added that Goma had confessed that he committed the dastardly act, which seriously injured her, noting that she had been receiving treatment at Matazu Health Centre.

Mohammed disclosed that the command had also arrested nine suspected armed robbers at different times in Kankara, Batagarawa, Katsina, Musawa and Malumfashi local government areas.

Lagos

The Lagos State Chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) on Wednesday appealed to the Lagos State Government to intervene in the planned removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

CLO Chairman Ehi Omokhuale made the plea during a courtesy call on Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN).

He said that there was a need for the state government to join in pleading with President Goodluck Jonathan to shelve the idea.

President Goodluck Jonathan, in a letter on Tuesday to the National Assembly conveying his administration’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework, said that the Federal Government would begin the removal of fuel subsidy next year.

The president said that removal of the subsidy would free up about N1.2 trillion in savings, part of which could be deployed to providing safety nets for the poor to ameliorate the effects of the subsidy removal.

Niger

The Acting Governor of Niger, Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto, has attributed the recent mass failure of the state’s students in external examinations to the unprofessional attitude of teachers in the state.

Ibeto made the observation during the celebration of this year’s World Teachers Day on Wednesday in Minna.

“The level of our students’ mass failure in examinations is a clear indication of the poor quality of teaching and learning in our schools,’’ he said.

Ibeto particularly urged primary and secondary school teachers to be more dedicated, resourceful and committed to their duties.

Ogun

The massive drift of Nigerian students to study abroad is a huge challenge to education planning in Nigeria, Dr Taiwo Edun, a lecturer at the Olabisis Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye in Ogun, has said.

Edun who made the remark on Wednesday in Ijebu-Ode in an interview with newsmen said that the lack of confidence in the quality of education in Nigeria by parents was responsible for the massive exodus of students.

Osun

The Osun State Government on Wednesday approved a 75 percent increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) paid to health workers in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akele, announced the increment while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council Meeting in Osogbo.

Government’s announcement of the increment in CONMESS came just as health workers in the state called off their strike after fruitful negotiations with the state government.

Dr Oluwole Fabiyi, the Chairman, Osun Coalition of Health Workers, directed all the affected workers to immediately go back to their duty posts.

Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, represented the state government at a meeting where a truce was reached.

Sokoto

Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has called on Muslim pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for this year’s hajj to pray for God’s intervention in the affairs of Nigeria.

He made the call on Wednesday, while addressing 520 prospective pilgrims at the Sultan Abubakar International Airport in Sokoto.

Wamakko said that Nigeria was in dire need of prayers for God’s guidance in the task of building a virile nation.

“We need you to pray fervently for our country to overcome the security challenges facing it,’’ he said.

The governor advised the intending pilgrims to refrain from taking prohibited items to the Holy land, adding that they should also respect the traditions and laws of Saudi Arabia.

Taraba

Mr Jonah Kataps, the NLC Chairman in Taraba, has said that the state’s education sector is in serious crisis.

The labour leader made the remark in a goodwill message to teachers during the celebration of the World Teachers’ Day in Jalingo on Wednesday.

He stressed that the state of education in Taraba would continue to deteriorate unless the state government initiated pragmatic measures to overhaul the education sector.

Kataps said that the WAEC and NECO results of the state’s schools had been abysmally poor in the last three years, adding that the results reflected the rot in the education system.

He, however, apportioned a substantial portion of the blame to the government, saying that a situation where some secondary schools had only the principal and one or two teachers was unacceptable.

“We need the immediate recruitment of at least 5,000 teachers,’’ he said, adding that 407 post-primary schools in the state had only 2,169 teachers.

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HYPREP Reaffirms Support For Ogoni Youths …Organises Workshop For Undergraduates

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In pursuit of its strategic human capacity development initiatives, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has restated its commitment to supporting Ogoni youths to maximally benefit from its projects and programmes that align with their visions and aspirations.

The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who gave this indication during the second edition of the international career enhancement and employability workshop organised by the Project for undergraduates and fresh graduates of Ogoni ethnic nationality in Port Harcourt, assured the participants of its commitment to continually initiate programmes that support their visions and aspirations.

He noted that the workshop reaffirms the Project’s commitment to inclusiveness and continuous skills development, as strategic pillars in its efforts to restore and improve livelihoods in Ogoniland.

He said the workshop was aimed at equipping the Ogoni youths with relevant career skills and empower them with employability tools, to ensure that HYPREP’s gains extend beyond remediation into long-term transformations, stressing that the Project is committed to supporting their dreams.

”HYPREP is committed to supporting your dreams through targeted initiatives, such as this workshop and we will explore ways to empower you with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed.
I want to emphasise that this workshop is not just about enhancing your career prospects; it is also about building a community of young people and equipping you to make a positive impact in your communities. As you benefit from HYPREP’s interventions (and the experiences of the facilitator), I challenge you to take the message of peace and constructive engagement to your communities and live accordingly,” he said.

Zabbey further assured that HYPREP would continue to stand with Ogoni youths by supporting their aspirations through targeted workshops and broader livelihood initiatives that prioritise their development, noting that the Project believes in them and remains committed to creating platforms where their potential can be nurtured and realised.

The Project Coordinator enjoined them to continue to contribute to the success of HYPREP.

The second edition of the career enhancement and employability workshop had Dr Akanimo Odon and Dr Chioma Okonkwo as facilitators, while the participants were drawn from the four Ogoni local government areas.

Among other modules, participants at the two-day workshop were provided with tips on ways to explore opportunities in seemingly challenging situations, discover themselves, convert hobbies and interests into passion and profits through three career e-routes and understand the power of networks and partnerships.

Participants were also given useful nuggets, career resources of time and skills, and career resources of funding, especially how to access foreign scholarships and funding.

At the closing, HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, urged the participants to earnestly pursue their passions and commit to their dreams.

Meanwhile, the participants expressed gratitude to HYPREP for organising the workshop, which they described as impactful and transformative.

HYPREP has continued to be intentional in its efforts to prioritise human capacity development in Ogoni through such workshops and trainings. This year, the Project will be rolling out trainings in high demand skill areas like mechatronics, underwater welding, commercial diving, full-stack development and GIS, targeting the youths as major beneficiaries and giving them a fair head start and comparative advantage in a highly competitive environment.

 

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NIPR Practitioners Urge To Go Beyond Traditional Media Relations To Strategic Leadership Functions

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The Public Relations practitioners across Nigeria have been charged to go beyond the perceived roles of media relations and protocol services to strategic leadership functions that is crucial to shaping and transforming the nation.

 

In his message at this year’s (2025) World Public Relations Day, with the Theme: ” Building Bridges, Navigating Polarisation” In Port Harcourt, The National President of the Nigeria Institution of Public Relations Dr. Ike Neliaku expressed delight to address members and guests on this special day, pointing out that the day offers a an opportunity to reflect on the journey over six decades since Public Relations formally birthed in Nigeria.

 

He maintained that this year’s world Public Relations day gives opportunity to members to reflect on the actions and inactions towards the development of the profession and to boldly develop new frontiers for a greater institution.

 

The NIPR president explained that the values of Public Relations particularly in areas of fostering relationship, strengthening leadership and advancing good governance remain a key -through effective and goal- oriented communication.

 

Earlier, The Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, (RSU) Prof. Isaac zep-Obipi being represented by the Deputy VC admin Prof. Victor Akujuru throw challenge to NIPR members to rebranding and portray the state in good light, standing that RSU remains a state owned institution that have not witness any strike in the passed fifteen years.

 

Also in his speech, the state chairman NIPR Rivers Chapter Rev. Francis Asuk described world Public Relations day as a day set aside to pay attention to the works of public relations globally indeed that relationship is important that the world is crying about in rebuilding relationship due to the collapsed of the value systems at family, society and world level of human existence.

” At the highest level of human existence relationship has become imperative for all practitioners to come together and build bridges to navigates those Polarisation” he said.

 

In a related development,the keynote speaker Rev (Fr.) Prof. Walter C.Ihejirika, said the media has a lot to do especially on its role of enlightenment to the public about the role and function as a key element in the development of a better society.

 

Prof. Ihejirika who is the Dean faculty of Communication and Media Studies , University of Port Harcourt, stressed that when media practitioners navigate on the area of strategic communications with a goal, then the public will be better informed and know that they have a responsibility for the large society, “because if the large society is not good, the organization cannot function effectively.”

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Alumni, Others Launch Campus Care Initiative In Port Harcourt

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The Madonna University Alumni Association Rivers State Chapter in partnership with Rotary Club of Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt Downtown and Nigerian Immigration Service have launched Campus Care Initiative at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic Rumuola Port Harcourt.

 

Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday in the inaugural edition of the Campus Care Initiative, at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic the Chairman of Madonna University Alumni Association Rivers State Chapter (MUAARIV) Dr Iheanyichukwu Wopara said that the program is aim to empowered the youth of Nigerians and also to give them the right direction in life.

 

He said Campus Care Initiative is a testament to the association commitment to giving back to the society and empowering the next generation of leaders.

 

According to him the program is designed it demands across all sectors, physical health, mental health, sexual health and even the environment adding that the focus of the Association is to give back to the society the best way they can.

 

” We have been carrying out different humanitarian activities and outreach which includes medical outreach and the girl child campaign.

 

” We gave academic support to three students and also three international passports, free medical outreach, pads to girl child and condoms to the boy child and there is also introduction to ICT training that will commence soon in the campus, “he said.

Kiadum Edookor

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