Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board (ADSUBEB) has commenced distribution of motorcycles to head teachers of the 800 rural primary schools in the state.
The Executive Chairman of ADSUBEB, Dr Salihu Bakari, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Yola.
Bakari said the measure was aimed at checking transportation challenges facing the head teachers in the rural areas, adding that the development would make them more effective teachers and managers of their respective schools.
Bakari said already head teachers of 300 schools had been provided with motorcycles in the first batch of the programme while the remaining 500 would get their own soon.
“There is a very serious problem of transportation which is affecting our managers of rural schools and that is why we decided to start by providing motorcycles to head teachers of “extremely rural areas’’
Benue
Clerics in Makurdi have urged youths to shun immoral behaviour and violence as they celebrate St. Valentine’s Day last Tuesday.
St Valentine’s Day is observed on February 14, for lovers to express love for each other, present flowers, offer confectionery and send greetings.
The clerics told newsmen in Makurdi on Tuesday that they were more concerned about youths because they are the ones mostly involved in the celebration.
Rev. Fr Titus Igyese of St. Gabriel’s Mission, Makurdi said that the love which St. Valentine stood and died for was divine and not physical.
Igyese urged youths to refrain from indulging in immoral acts under the pretext of Valentine’s Day.
FCT
The National Secretary, Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA) Mr Sam Onimisi, has urged the Federal Government to strengthen security at the country’s borders to address trans-border crime.
He made the charge on Tuesday in a telephone interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Onimisi said the security agencies must live up to the task by ensuring that the nation’s borders were secure.
“Government should make sure that movement of illegal migrants into Nigeria is restricted and I believe this would help a lot in alleviating the security problems in the country.
“The Nigeria immigration service should ensure that foreigners do not enter Nigeria without valid papers.
Kano
The Kano State Government has relaxed for the second time the curfew it imposed on the state by four hours.
Our correspondent recalls that the state government imposed the curfew on Jan. 20 as a result of the multiple bomb explosions which rocked the Kano metropolis.
The state Commissioner for Information, Dr Umar Faruk, said in a statement in Kano on Tuesday that the curfew would now hold from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Faruk explained that the decision to relax the curfew followed the improved security situation in the state.
He, however, stated that commercial motorcyclists were not affected by the new order as they were expected to operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Kebbi
Suru Local Government of Kebbi has spent N3.5 million on the purchase of 2,800 goats to be distributed to women on loan as part of efforts to reduce poverty in the area.
The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Sahabi Dan-Baba, told newsmen in Dakingari on Tuesday that widows, divorcees and less privileged persons would benefit from the scheme.
He said 1,300 beneficiaries would receive between two and three goats to rear and generate income for their families.
Dan-Bababa also said the council planned to expand the scheme and sustain it.
Kogi
The Kogi State office of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has confirmed that 61 people lost their lives in 485 road crashes recorded in the state in January this year.
The state’s Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Michael Olapade, who confirmed the figure while speaking to newsmen on Tuesday in Lokoja, said that the crashes which occurred in different parts of the state involved 123 vehicles.
Olapade said that a total of 385 persons were involved in the accidents with 324 of them sustaining varying degrees of injuries, attributing the accidents to dangerous driving, speed limit violation, tyre burst and bad state of roads.
The statistics also indicated that 10 out of the 28 children victims of the accidents were among the dead with the Lokoja-Abuja highway accounting for most of the deaths.
Olapade said that the commission would continue to pay special attention to the road, charging motorists to comply with traffic rules to reduce carnage on roads in the state.
Lagos
Head, Lagos State Voluntary Blood Donation Organisation, Dr Temilola Alayande, has advised Nigerians to develop a more positive attitude towards donating blood voluntarily, as this could help save lives.
Alayande said this in Lagos on Tuesday at a workshop organised by the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee on “Blood donor recruitment and retention“. It was for youths in the state.
She said that the aim of the workshop was to recruit voluntary blood donors among the youths, as it had been observed that there was an enormous lack of adequate blood in blood banks in the state.
Alayande added that one of the major impediments to having adequate blood was the lackadaisical and nonchalant attitude of Nigerians towards voluntary blood donation.
Nasarawa
Governor Umaru Almakura of Nasarawa State has said that government is to embark on the demolition of illegal structures on government’s lands in the state soon.
Al-makura made the announcement on Monday in Lafia during the inauguration of 13 newly appointed Special Advisers.
He noted with dismay the trend whereby persons and groups converted government’s property and land to personal use, especially at Government Reservation Areas (GRAs) in Akwanga, Keffi, Nasarawa and Lafia.
“It is for this reason that all those who are in the habit of indiscriminately acquiring such property do so at their own peril”, he warned.
“Accordingly, government warns that it will soon embark on reclaiming of its lands as well as demolition of illegal structures within government’s lands,” he said.
He called on the people of the state, irrespective of political differences, to safeguard public property and work toward the overall development of the state.
Ogun
The Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Olatokunbo Olopade, has freed 47 prison inmates in the last one week, according to the Chief Registrar of the state’s High Court, Mr Sikiru Owodunni.
Owodunni told newsmen in Abeokuta on Tuesday that the exercise began on February 7 and February 14 and the released inmates were drawn from Abeokuta, Ilaro, Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode.
She said the judge made the release after a scrutiny of the list of the prisoners and their different case files as submitted by the prisons services.
He said some of the inmates were charged for offences ranging from murder, robbery, stealing, kidnapping and unlawful carnal knowledge among others.
Osun
Some educationists have urged the Federal Government to make Yoruba language one of the compulsory subjects required for admission into tertiary institutions by students from Yoruba speaking areas of the country.
They told newsmen in separate interviews on Tuesday in Osogbo that the measure would improve the study of Yoruba language at the tertiary level.
An official of Osun State Ministry of Education, Miss Odunayo Olawore, said Yoruba language should be made a course to be taught and spoken from primary to tertiary levels in South West geo-political zone.
She suggested that all private schools in Yoruba land should be required to have classes in Yoruba language from nursery to secondary school levels.
Plateau
The Plateau Government has donated relief materials to victims of the protracted violence in Damaturu, Yobe, who fled the violence-wrecked state to take refuge in Jos.
Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau, who donated the items worth more than eight million naira, said that more than 400 persons were taking refuge in the state.
Also offered to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were drugs and temporary accommodation at Tati Hotel, Jos.
Among the items donated to the IDPs are 100 pieces of mattresses, 100 bags of rice, 80 bags of maize, 100 pieces of wrapper and 250 pieces of blankets.
Zamfara
Four months after the armed banditry incident at Lingyado Community in Dansadau area of Zamfara, the state’s police command has arrested one Muhammadu Bugge, suspected to be among some bandits terrorising the area.
Bandits attacked Lingyado Village last November in a night raid, killing 19 persons.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in Zamfara, Mr Saidu Madawaki, told newsmen in Gusau on Tuesday that Bugge was arrested by a police anti-crime patrol team at Mashaya Zaki Village also in Dansadau area.
Madawaki said that Bugge and one unidentified accomplice, now at large, were intercepted on a motor cycle by the patrol team on January 31.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing the safety of the seafaring profession and upgrading maritime institutions to international standards.
Speaking at the 2025 World Seafarers’ Day celebration in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, organised by NIMASA, with the theme, “My Harassment-Free Ship.
He said that this year’s theme “speaks to our collective duty to make every ship a safe and respectful workplace noting that harassment and bullying have no place in our maritime industry.
The Minister further emphasised the importance of continuous training and retraining to ensure seafarers remain competitive and employable.
Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari, emphasised that seafarers are the backbone of international trade, facilitating the smooth transportation of goods and services across the globe.
He stressed the need to eliminate all forms of violence, harassment, and bullying against seafarers.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, emphasised the need for the maritime community to prioritise the welfare, safety of seafarers and maintain zero tolerance for harassment.
According to the DG, “Today provides opportunity for the Maritime Community to honor seafarers globally for their immense contribution to both domestic and international trade, powering the blue economy and connecting nations across oceans”.
He said that this year’s theme was particularly apt, as it was a call to action to “ensure that our seafarers feel safe, are valued and protected while at sea because the ship is not just their place of work; it is their temporary home. It must therefore reflect the highest standards of dignity and professionalism fostering zero tolerance for harassment”.
He declared that NIMASA must continue to play its part in ensuring that Nigeria contributes effectively to regulations affecting seafarers, as Nigeria remains the highest contributor of seafarers in Africa. “Our men and women sail on vessels in our domestic waters and also globally. This will continue to grow through the Nigerian Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) and the effort of our Maritime Training Institutions.
‘At the recently concluded 113th session of the International Labour Conference held in Geneva, seven (7) amendments to the MLC 2006 code addressing a broad range of issues affecting seafarers, including the recognition of seafarers as key workers, improved protection against ship board violence and harassment, enhanced access to shore leave and repatriation and updated medical and occupational safety standards were approved by an overwhelming majority.
These seven (7) amendments reflect collective global effort to align maritime Labour standards with the evolving landscape of global shipping.
I, therefore, call on shipowners, operators and crewing agencies to begin to review their operational manuals to align with these amendments ahead of the expected entry into force in December 2027. Our seafarers must be able to report grievances without fear of retaliation, while also ensuring protection against vexations or malicious complaints.
He added that NIMASA will play its role by establishing clear policies and procedures for preventing and addressing harassment on Nigerian-flagged vessels, ensuring confidential reporting channels for incidents of harassment and that reports are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
“Today is a clear reminder to us all – government, employers, unions, shipowners, and civil society- that seafarers should not be left alone in their struggles. They look up to us to help them foster a culture of zero tolerance on ships to protect their dignity”, he stated.
He also assured that under his leadership, NIMASA will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly the renewal of entries into force by ship owners, operators, and relevant agencies come December 2027.
Stakeholders drawn across the four local government areas of Ogoniland in Rivers State, have expressed delight over the excellent performance of the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey within the past two years, describing him as a true patriot, who has been showing leadership in delivering service to the people.
The stakeholders, who gave the indication in their separate goodwill messages during the mid-term stakeholders engagement and scorecard presentation organised by HYPREP in Port Harcourt, scored the Project Coordinator high on the Ogoni cleanup and the overall implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland.
The President of KAGOTE and Board member of the Ogoni Trust Fund, Hon Emma Deeyah, particularly commended Zabbey for turning around the fortunes of the Ogoni people, as they are now having value for the money earmarked for the cleanup project, describing the Project Coordinator as “one of our best.”
He noted that Zabbey has done well on the saddle, working very hard, being an administrator and leader with listening ears, striving assiduously to meet the yearnings and expectations of the people.
He said the Ogoni cleanup is a journey that has just begun, stressing that he was happy that the Project Coordinator is not on the saddle to amass wealth but to deliver and achieve results, and appealed to the Ogoni people to continue to give him their support.
On his part, member representing Gokana/Khana Federal Constituency in the National Assembly and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities, Rt Hon Dumnamene Dekor, said HYPREP under the watch of Zabbey is working with renewed vigour, and thanked the Project Coordinator for driving the Ogoni cleanup project with passion.
He noted that the funds dedicated and earmarked for the project are running out, disclosing that he was working on an Executive Bill, to facilitate the work of HYPREP.
While stressing the need for the people to take full responsibility of all the projects sited in their communities, Dekor regretted that some beneficiaries had sold the starter packs presented to them by HYPREP, while the water facility provided in his Bierra community has been vandalised.
The King of Tai Kingdom, King Samuel Nnee, said HYPREP under Zabbey as Project Coordinator has been delivering on its mandate, describing him as a square peg in a square hole, who has given hope to the Ogoni people.
The monarch urged the Ogoni people to give the Project Coordinator the necessary support.
The Paramount Ruler of Barako Community and member of the Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt, Mene Kadilo Kabari, said Zabbey has always demonstrated that he is a true patriot by carrying along Ogoni people from all strata of the society, describing him as a performing Project Coordinator.
He noted that the bane of HYPREP before now had been the conflict between the Project Coordinator and the Minister of Environment, saying, under Zabbey, Ogoni people can now see what unity of purpose can achieve.
He expressed delight that the water facility which was the first commissioned by HYPREP in his community is functioning optimally following the solar-powered system installed by the Project.
The King of Eleme Kingdom, King(Dr) Philip Osaro Obelle thanked HYPREP’s management team for all that it is doing in Ogoniland, stressing that the Project was built on the graves, bellies and blood of Ogoni sons and daughters who lost their lives during the Ogoni struggle.
He, therefore, advised HYPREP “not to deviate from the expectations of our heroes but to do those things that would benefit Ogoni people for the betterment of Ogoniland.”
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Netherlands, Hon Oji Ngofa said HYPREP has been like the government of Ogoniland, and harped on the sustainability of all the projects.
According to him, Zabbey has been giving HYPREP a human face.
Former Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof Barineme Fakae applauded Zabbey for the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, and stressed the need for the implementation of the recommendations of its technical committee which recently submitted its report.
According to him, if the project succeeds, Ogoni people are going to succeed.
Chief Priscillia Vikue, on her part, thanked Zabbey for his outstanding performance, saying, the women of Ogoni are very happy with what he is doing in Ogoniland.
While scoring the Project Coordinator highly on his performance, she said the women are happy because Zabbey knows what he is doing with HYPREP.
“You went to school.You did not cut corners.You are a square peg in a square hole.You have engaged women and the youths. We have seen what you have done. And we give you A1”, she said, and challenged Zabbey to see how more women would participate in the project and also how to sustain it.
In his remarks, the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey said the mid-term engagement is important because “it allows us to present tangible evidence of progress in the Ogoni cleanup effort, reinforce accountability, deepen transparency, and most importantly, enables HYPREP to interact directly with the communities and stakeholders who are the heartbeat of this project.”
He noted that the scorecard presentation is designed to show what HYPREP has achieved across key thematic areas, what challenges it is currently grappling with, and what the road ahead looks like, saying, “it is a moment for stocktaking and for re-affirming our shared commitment to the success of the Ogoni cleanup project”.
According to him, HYPREP has recorded commendable progress in the implementation of its core mandates in line with UNEP recommendations and the directives in the official gazette establishing HYPREP.
Donatus Ebi
The South-South representative of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Board, Rt. Hon. Aboh Uduyok, has concluded his one-day official visit to Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Rumuola, Rivers State, with the unveiling of the Mass Communication Department classroom building. The project was executed under the 2021 TETFund intervention project.
During the unveiling of the project, Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rt. Hon. Uduyok commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to the educational sector and praised the polytechnic’s management for utilising TETFund resources judiciously.
He noted that the quality of ongoing projects met approved specifications, and expressed satisfaction with the institution’s progress.
The TETFund representative stated that his visit was aimed at familiarising himself with beneficiary schools, assess fund utilization, and identify challenges.
He assured the school management that he would convey their requests for constructing engineering works and hostel accommodations to the board and notify them of any approval.
Rt. Hon. Uduyok explained that the TETFund Board is not initiating new projects this year, except where necessary, due to presidential directives. However, he commended the institution for the commendable quality of both completed and ongoing projects.
In his welcome address, the Rector of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Dr. Moses S. Neebee, thanked the TETFund representative for visiting, and highlighted the institution’s successes and challenges. He requested support for hostel accommodations and engineering works, emphasising that a higher institution without hostels is akin to a glorified secondary school.
Dr. Neebee while briefing the visitor on the institution’s progress, noted that it currently runs 21 National Diploma programme and five Higher National Diploma courses. He disclosed that the school accessed the 2021 TETFund release in full but faced challenges with the 2023 fund due to harsh economic conditions and bid process delays, which increased project costs. The Rector pleaded for assistance in securing additional funds for the 2023 intervention release.
Akujobi Amadi