Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Minister of Women Affairs and Youth Development, Hajia Zainab Maina, has called on well-meaning Nigerian women to support government programmes at all levels in order to move the country forward.
Maina made the call in Yola, shortly after she was honoured by Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa with Adamawa State Indigenes Award of Excellence on Sunday night in Yola.
“Nigerian women should do their best to contribute towards the development of this great nation.
“It is our responsibility as mothers, to help Nigeria to be strong among nations in terms of economy and stability.’’
She thanked Nyako for his vision and mission in promoting the state, and in particular, supporting women through women empowerment programmes and skills acquisition centres.
Benue
Mr Aondowase Chia, the Benue State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, has advised the outgoing National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Benue to be good ambassadors of their states.
Chia told newsmen in Makurdi that the NYSC members should also be advocates of peace and order wherever they might be.
He urged the corps members to make maximum use of the vast experience they had gathered during the course of their mandatory service to their fatherland.
The commissioner said that the 2010 batch C passing out ceremony was a low key one because of the security challenges in the country in recent times.
FCT
The Federal Government has solicited the cooperation of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and other Nigerians for successful implementation of the new National Identity Management System rather than politicising the exercise.
Mr Labaran Maku, the Minister of Information, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
The CNPP was reported to have opposed to the project on the ground that the INEC recently conducted a similar exercise before the 2011 general elections in April.
Maku said the CNPP’s opposition showed lack of understanding of the need for the proposed identity system which he said would be helpful in the management and operation of several key national institutions and security services.
Gombe
Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has condoled with the government and people of Gombe State over the accident that occurred on Thursday in the state which led to loss of lives and property.
During a visit to Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo in Gombe on Sunday night, Yuguda expressed sympathy to the families and friends of the victims of the accident.
“I am here on behalf of myself and the people of Bauchi State to sympathise with the government and people of Gombe State over the accident which occurred whereby a trailer lost control and affected quite a lot of people.
Dankwambo thanked Yuguda and the people of Bauchi State for their concern and prayed God to accept the condolence.
Dankwambo said Gombe and Bauchi were still one and that whatever affected one state affected the other.
Katsina
The controversy over the recently-promulgated law banning preaching in Katsina State has been attributed to lack of adequate consultation before its promulgation.
An Islamic scholar, Gambo Tudunwada made this assertion in Katsina on Sunday at the meeting organised by the state branch of the Jama’atul Nasrul Islam (JNI).
The law was officially dubbed “the Katsina State Religious Education and Preaching Board and for Incidental Matters Law”.
It seeks to regulate religious activities in the state.
Tudunwada said there was no involvement of Islamic scholars from all the Islamic sects in the state.
He said the state government should have invited all the Ulamas to intimate them on its plan to enact such a law.
Kebbi
The Kebbi Health System Development Project (HSDP) has donated a hostel and recreational facilities, valued at N50 million to the state school of Nursing.
The project coordinator, Alhaji Umar Zagga, on Monday in Birnin Kebbi handed over the hostel, reading room, volleyball and tennis courts to the Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Shehu Sambawa.
Zagga said the facilities were to enhance academic and social activities in the school, adding that “our efforts at improving health will include provision of health centres in rural areas.’’
He said primary health care centres had been provided by the HSDP in Birnin Kebbi, Bagudo and Gwandu local government areas.
Sambawa, in his address, commended the project for supporting the efforts made to improve health care delivery in the state and promised that the facilities would be used properly.
The head of the school, Mrs Sarah Jubril, said the facilities would be maintained and urged the students to ensure they improved on their dedication to learning and assist in developing the health sector.
Lagos
Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) has developed a training programme that would boost entrepreneurial skills and potential, Mrs Helen Jemerigbe, Director, Technical Skill Development Project (NECA), said.
Jemerigbe said during an interactive session with workers in Lagos on Monday that the training would help reduce unemployment.
She said that the training was anchored on entrepreneurship development based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) “Start and Improve Your Business” (SIYB) modules.
Jemerigbe said that NECA, as the sole custodian of the ILO entrepreneurship modules, had a rich pool of accredited master instructors.
She urged companies to assist in training youths to improve their manpower and to address the vocational and technical skill shortage in such areas as building construction, information technology and telecommunication.
Nasarawa
Governor Umaru Almakura of Nasarawa State on Tuesday flagged-off the construction of a 50 kilometre road network in Lafia.
Almakura said at the ceremony that the project was aimed at ensuring easy flow of traffic and reduce accidents caused by the dilapidated roads in the metropolis.
He gave the assurance that the government would not embark on white elephant projects, adding that any project started would be completed within schedule.
The governor pledged to construct 20 kilometres of road in each of the 13 local government areas and the 16 development areas of the state in 2012.
He noted with dismay that the state had since its creation 15 years ago, suffered serious neglect in infrastructure development and pledged to change the situation.
Osun
Mr Sunday Akere, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, has said that all students of the state-owned university will benefit from the reduction of tuition fees.
Akere said the clarification became necessary following a rumour that Gov. Rauf Aregbesola had approved the reduction only for the indigenous students of the university.
The commissioner spoke with newsmen in Osogbo recently, explaining that the governor’s gesture was for all students of the university.
He said the reduction would enable all parents in the state to train their children and wards in the university.
. Plateau
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says that the one million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bauchi camps are from various states and “not from Jos North alone as erroneously reported last week.
“The one million IDPS represented the number displaced people from crises-ridden States of Borno, Kaduna, Yobe, Plateau and Bauchi over the years.
Some registers date back to as far back as 2001,’’ NEMA spokesman Yushau Shuaib, told newsmen in Jos on Monday.
Shuaib was reacting to criticisms to a statement by NEMA Director-General Sani Sidi, that IDP camps in Bauchi were hosting one million people.
The critics had rejected the figures, with many particularly critical of claims that the IDPs fled from Jos North Local Government Area because of the protracted violence in Jos.
Sokoto
Governor Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto State has presented a letter of appointment to the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Muhammadu Sunusi, as the pioneer chancellor of Sokoto State University.
Alhaji Muhammadu Tureta, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Education, who represented the letter on behalf of the governor in Dutse on Monday, said the appointment was in recognition of the emir’s contributions to educational development in the country.
“I believe from my deep conviction that the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Muhammadu Sunusi, will live up to the task and expectations for what he was appointed for,” he said.
The emir thanked the governor for the appointment and solicited prayers from all and sundry.
Zamfara
The Police have declared Superintendent Ibrahim Bamuche, the Chief Security Officer to Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State missing.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Tambari Muhammed, told newsmen in Gusau on Tuesday that Bamuche left the state for a course in Jos, Plateau in September and had not been seen.
He said a phone call was placed across to his handset which did not respond before a search team was inaugurated to find his whereabouts.
Muhammed said the search team had confirmed that Bamuche’s car was burnt at a spot in Jos, which necessitated the state command to dispatch another search team, led by some squadron leaders.
The Presiding Bishop of Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, Bishop Victor Uzosike, has described love as the bedrock of human existence, family stability and societal harmony, stressing that without love, nothing meaningful can thrive.
Bishop Uzosike made this assertion while speaking to journalists during the wedding ceremony of his daughter, Praise Uzosike, to Architect Chibuzor Akubueze on Saturday, December 20, 2025. The solemnisation was held at the Kingdom Life Gospel Ministries Outreach, Port Harcourt, and was attended by dignitaries from across Nigeria and beyond.
According to the cleric, love is not only the foundation of relationships but also a powerful force that determines the success of individuals, families and communities.
“If you do not love a place, that place will not bless you. If you do not love your children, they will not be useful to you. If you do not love your family, your family will become a strange island to you. What you do not love, you do not have. Love is the key,” he said.
Reflecting on his family’s journey, Bishop Uzosike said God’s love had sustained them through seasons of challenges and triumphs, noting that unity had remained their greatest strength.
“We have stayed together as one family. God has shown us love in miraculous and mysterious ways, especially during difficult times,” he stated.
Describing the wedding as an amazing and beautiful experience, the bishop expressed appreciation for the show of love from his daughter’s friends, many of whom travelled from the United Kingdom and Ghana to attend the ceremony. He revealed that some of them personally paid for their flights and accommodation, which he described as a rare display of genuine friendship.
He also disclosed that his first daughter, who lives in Manchester, United Kingdom, with her husband, could not attend the wedding due to tight schedules, but noted that she remains happily married and fulfilled.
While thanking guests for honouring his family with their presence, prayers and goodwill, Bishop Uzosike said he felt proud and grateful to God.
“One of the greatest gifts God can give to a man is children who are sound in all ramifications. My children can see, hear, speak and walk. That alone is enough reason to be grateful,” he said.
He praised the bride, describing Praise as an exceptional achiever who had distinguished herself academically. According to him, she completed secondary school at 15, graduated with First Class honours at 19, and earned distinctions in her MBA as well as her first and second master’s degrees.
“For a long time, people believed that highly educated women may not marry early or at all. Today, Praise has proved otherwise. She has made her mother and me very proud,” he said, describing her as a rare gem.
Bishop Uzosike also expressed joy over his son-in-law, whom he described as God-fearing, disciplined and professionally sound.
“He is well brought up, passionate about God and morally upright. His parents did a great job. My wife, Pastor Esther, also did an excellent job,” he added.
The wedding ceremony attracted prominent personalities, including the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof. Ngozi Odu; the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Ayemeyie; and several senior clerics.
Bishop Fidelis Ugbong officiated the solemnisation, while Apostle Chika Onuzo delivered the sermon, identifying communication, sex and money as key factors that can strengthen or weaken marriages.
Prof. Ngozi Odu also prayed for the couple and paid glowing tributes, drawing admiration from attendees.
The reception, held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Port Harcourt, was equally colourful. Justice Matilda Ayemeyie proposed the toast, describing marriage as not always a bed of roses and emphasising patience, commitment and understanding.
The event was chaired by Chief Henry Nwabugo and attended by notable personalities, including retired Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili; Apostle David Zilly-Aggrey; Hon. Otunba Jumbo; Nze Best Anele; and Prof. Henry Ogiri, among others.
Guests were entertained with dance performances by the couple, while the parents’ outing added elegance to the celebration. The master of ceremonies, Ambassador Kingsley, kept the audience engaged with humour and interactive sessions.
Overall, the wedding was a remarkable blend of spirituality, culture and celebration, marked by love, joy and unforgettable moments.
Nation
2027: APC Chieftain Predicts Tinubu’s Victory …Says Bayelsa Stakeholders Supporting President en masse … IPAC Knitted Together, Working In Synergy With His Office
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), in Bayelsa State and Special Adviser to the State Governor on Inter-Party Relations, Dr Jackson Ebi Suokiri has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would secure landslide win in the 2027 Presidential polls.
The Governor’s Aide stated this in Yenagoa, the state capital on Wednesday while fielding questions from newsmen against the backdrop of Tuesday’s pioneer Stakeholders meeting of the party convened by the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri as leader of the Party in the State upon his recent defection late last year.
He averred that Party stakeholders in the state were prepared to give the President the massive support needed to return elected, come 2027 following his sterling trajectory of performance and qualitative leadership prowess.
Dr Suokiri stressed that the reason for the governor’s swapping of party was in the best interest of the state, while also noting that the governor took the right decision as there was no need continuing with opposition politics even as the state has to align with the national government for rapid socioeconomic and political advantages for the state and its people.
“Governor Diri’s defection like you’ve personally heard him saying was for the best interest of our state, Bayelsa. When you’ve a President performing well at the national level and being very supportive to your state as a governor, I don’t think you’ve to be in an opposition party anymore, but rather align with the centre.
“Diri is a bridge builder. He is at peace with everybody and willing to work with all, irrespective of party affiliations or political differences for the interest of the state.
“As Stakeholders we’ve resolved to collectively work to return President Tinubu elected for second term in 2027. And you can see the Governor is not pressuring anybody or the structure of his former party, the PDP to defect like he has done.
“The PDP structure in the state is still intact, and for the APC, his new Party even as current leader in the State, he has been working with the structure and everybody he met on ground, hence you can see that the APC Caretaker Committee led by Dr. Dennis Otiotio has been maintained at the pioneer Stakeholders meeting convened by the Governor.
“But you must also know like you’ve seen and I’ve previously said that Governor Diri has outperformed expectations of Bayelsans in all sectors, be it economy, infrastructure, health, education, etc.”, he said.
Meanwhile, as against insinuations that some political parties were not working with the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Party Relations, the Governor’s Aide has revealed that as it were currently, all the 19 registered political parties with presence in the state are working in unity with his office as members of the Inter-party advisory council (IPAC).
“IPAC is working in unity with my office. Before the Governor’s defection the only party that wasn’t working with my office was the APC. But since after his formal defection, the APC and even those other parties that were either sympathetic to the APC, the governor’s new party or the PDP, his former Party are all now working together with my office as members of IPAC”, Suokiri added.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
