Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Federal High Court, Yola, has discharged and acquitted former Adamawa State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Emmanuel Vahyla, on corruption charged involving N30 million filed against him by ICPC.
The presiding Judge, Justice S. M Musa, said the prosecutor failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt that the accused violated section 14 (1) of the money laundry Act.
Vahyla, who is presently the Commissioner representing Adamawa State in Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMFC) was dragged to court by ICPC for allegedly using seven different cheques to withdraw the money from government’s account in Diamond Bank in December 2007 while serving as commissioner.
Bauchi
The Bauchi State Commissioner for Animal Resources and Nomadic Resettlement, Alhaji Abdulkadir Ibrahim, has called for a law prohibiting the consumption of dogs and selected domestic animals.
Ibrahim told newsmen in Bauchi that the law should also prohibit the consumption of donkeys, and horses.
He said that the law became necessary because of the pivotal roles played by the animals in human life.
The commissioner said that the animals due to their cultural heritage had played pivotal roles either as means of transportation or security.
He expressed concern over the extinction of such animals, and said, “their numbers have reduced to a negligible level in spite of their importance to human life”.
FCT
The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, has presented N171 million life insurance benefits to the 41 nearest relatives of military personnel killed in various operations.
Petinrin presented the cheques to the beneficiaries of the military personnel killed between March, 2010 and November 2011 on Wednesday in Abuja.
He urged them to desist from fraud and spend the money judiciously to improve the welfare of their families.
He promised that the Nigerian Armed Forces would stand behind the deceased’s next of kin by ensuring that the payment of their benefits was given priority.
The defence chief commended the leadership of the Budget Office, Standard Alliance Insurance and Leverage Insurance Broker, for making Nigerian Armed Forces realise its dream in terms of the staff welfare.
Gombe
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Gombe state has trained more than 582 youths in various skills since January, the state Co-ordinator, Mr Abdulkadir Mabudi disclosed on Thursday in Gombe.
He told newsmen that 168 other youths were currently receiving training in various skills in the vocational institutions in the state.
Mabudi said that the directorate, in collaboration with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Office in the state, established a training centre in each of the three senatorial zones in the state where the beneficiaries received their training.
Kaduna
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) branch has urged understanding among parents and students over the ongoing nationwide strike by the union.
The branch Chairman, Dr Mohammed Kabir-Aliyu, told newsmen in Zaria, Kaduna State that “the union was pushed to the wall.”
He said that the essence of the industrial action was to press home the union’s demand for adequate funding to pave way for favourable learning atmosphere in Nigerian universities.
Kano
The students of Bayero University, Kano, on Wednesday pleaded for a quick resolution of disagreement between Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government.
Speaking with newsmen Amar Idris, a 200 level student, noted that ASUU’s decision to embark on the indefinite strike was unfortunate.
He said the strike came at the time the students were already preparing for their examinations.
Also speaking, a 300 level student, Malama Sadiya Balarabe, also argued that the strike should have begun after the examinations so as not to disrupt the academic calendar.
Lagos
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has reconstituted the state’s security committee to address more effectively some of the security challenges posed by commercial motorcycle operators.
Inaugurating the committee in Ikeja, the governor said the number of lives lost to motorcycle accidents in the state was unacceptable, saying that the committee also had the mandate to check the problem.
The 32-man committee, chaired by retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Mr Waheed Olusegun, had three weeks to submit its recommendations to the state government.
Niger
President of the Association of Fish Farmers of Nigeria (AFFAM), Mr Gogwim Shiumang, says the country can produce two million tonnes of fish for local consumption, if the fish industry is properly harnessed.
Shiumang told newsmen in Minna that the industry was also capable of producing fish for export.
He said that a meeting would be held to create awareness among members on ways to improve their production techniques to achieve maximum production.
Osun
No fewer than 2,000 patients suffering from various diseases are to benefit from the free surgery programme of the Osun Government.
The state’s Commissioner for Health Dr Temitope Ilori, made the disclosure in Osogbo on Wednesday while speaking with newsmen.
The programme was organised by the Oranmiyan Group Worldwide, an interest group, in collaboration with the Osun State Ministry of Health and Hospitals Management Board.
Plateau
A group of the Barewa Old Boys Association (BOBA) and Keffi Old Boys Association (KOBA) is organising a campaign against same-sex marriage in the country.
In a statement signed on Thursday in Jos, the organising committee said that the campaign, tagged: “Trek against Same-sex Marriage”, was aimed at commemorating the 2011 International Human Rights.
It said the trek was aimed at expressing solidarity with African leaders, who were against legalising and celebrating same-sex marriage as part of the fundamental human rights declaration by the UN General Assembly.
“The trek will mobilise those, who are against same-sex marriage to use this year’s International Human Rights Day to express dismay over Western countries concepts of human rights, which allows same-sex marriage.”
Taraba
An educationist, Dr Gambo Matudi, said in Jalingo on Wednesday that 45 per cent of teachers in Taraba’s primary schools have not obtained the required minimum qualifications to teach.
Matudi, the leader of a team charged with the responsibility of developing a new development plan in the education sector in the state, made this known at a one-day education stakeholder’s sensitisation meeting.
He explained that some problems confronting the education sector were identified by the team.
According to him, almost half of those teaching in the Taraba’s primary schools are not trained teachers and are just there because they have no other job opportunities.
Yobe
The Secretary Gashua Vegetables Farmers Union in Yobe Alhaji Mohammed Kaku has warned of an impending scarcity of vegetables because of poor storage facilities in the country.
Kaku told newsmen in Gashua in Yobe that the situation was forcing farmers to abandon the cultivation of vegetables.
“It is the same predicament facing vegetable farmers in Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Adamawa, Benue, Plateau, Jigawa, Kano and all other states in the country,” he said.
Kaku said that there was gross decline in the number of irrigation farmers growing tomatoes, onion and pepper now, when compared to previous years.
He said, “The farmers had in the previous years been forced to sell their produce at give-away prices at the peak of harvests and, therefore, operating at a loss.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3
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