Nation

THE STATES

Published

13 years ago

March 23, 2012

Bauchi

The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has employed 14 desk officers to assist in monitoring unwholesome drugs in some Local Government Areas of Bauchi state.

Mr Michael Attah, Bauchi state Unit Head of the agency, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi on Tuesday.

Attah said the action was to boost NAFDAC activities at the grassroots level in view of the inadequate staff of the agency.

The unit head said the desk officers had been deployed to 14 out of the 20 local government areas of the state.

Attah said that the officers had been mandated to enlighten members of their communities on the dangers of unregistered, adulterated and fake drugs.

He said that the local councils had agreed to provide office and residential accommodation to the desk officers.

“The hawkers conduct their activities at odd times; sometimes we apprehend them whenever we visit the rural communities, sometime we don’t.

“When these drugs are exposed to the sun, some of its active ingredient will be affected, so instead of curing one’s ailment, one ends up with complications. ’’

Ekiti

The new Commissioner of Police in Ekiti, Mr Ibrahim Maishanu, assumed office and promised to make the state better in terms of security and peaceful co-existence among the people.

Maishanualso pledged to implement the reform agenda of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, in the command.

The commissioner made the pledge at the Police headquarters in Ado- Ekiti at a handing over ceremony marking his official assumption of office.

Maishanu is the immediate past Commissioner of Police of Niger.

He succeeds Mr Olayinka Balogun, who has been posted to Edo as Commissioner of Police .

Maishanu promised to work harmoniously with the state government, members of the Police Community Relations Committee and the public to sustain the peace existing in the state.

He promised to build on the foundation laid by his predecessor and promised to unveil his policies and programmes in due course.

Maishanu’s predecessor, Balogun, had urged him to tackle corruption within the Police and ensure that all road blocks that had been dismantled did not resurrect anywhere in the state.

FCT

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) plans to introduce a Ministerial Open House platform to unite policy makers and stakeholders and enrich public policy in the country.

The Agency’s Director-General, Mr. Mike Omeri, announced this when the Director, Speakers’ Corner Trust, Mr. Peter Bradley, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) plans to introduce a Ministerial Open House platform to unite policy makers and stakeholders and enrich public policy in the country.

The Agency’s Director-General, Mr. Mike Omeri, announced this on Tuesday when the Director, Speakers’ Corner Trust, Mr. Peter Bradley, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

The NOA boss said it was high time that groups that had been denied access to government policy making process were considered in policy formulation.

“We intend to give policy makers and those who will be affected by such policies a platform for discussions so that stakeholders can make inputs into existing and intended policies.

Gombe

Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Ado Mohammed,has commended Gombe State for having the lowest maternal and child mortality rate in the North East zone of the federation.

Mohammed gave the commendation at the launching of the free polio programme in Gombe last Saturday.

He also applauded the state for ensuring that there was no recorded case of polio since 2009.

Mohammed said that Gombe State was surrounded by states with cases of polio, charging the state to maintain the tempo.

He said the success achieved in Gombe State was a result of the government’s commitment as well as the effort put in by other development partners like WHO, UNICEF and other non-governmental bodies.

Mohammed said the agency would introduce community health inspectors in states and rural areas to enlighten the public on issues of hygiene and primary health.

According to him, health teams from Abuja will soon visit Gombe State to concretise the arrangement.

He commended traditional rulers and religious leader for mobilising their subjects to take advantage of health programmes.

Jigawa

The Jigawa State House of Assembly has passed the state’s 2012 appropriation bill of N104.4 billion.

Presenting the appropriation committee report before the passage of the bill, the Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Babangida Mohammed, said the estimate now had an increment of N60 million from the initial budget proposal presented by Gov. SuleLamido.

Mohammed explained that the increase of N60 million which was not captured in the initial appropriation bill presented to the house would be used by Gunduma Health System to pay the salaries and allowances of medical personnel who would be recruited.

He said that several adjustments had been made in the capital expenditure, overhead, personnel cost and stabilisation fund.

Katsina

Katsina State House of Assembly has approved a total budget of N66.4 billion for the 34 local governments in the state for 2012.

The Speaker, Alhaji Ya’u Gwajo-gwajo, announced the approval in Katsina shortly after the House Committee on Appropriation presented its report on the local government budget proposals to the House.

He said that N48 billion was for their recurrent expenditure, while about N18 billion was for their capital projects during the year.

He directed the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the approved budget to the executive arm for assent.

The speaker also commended the house committee on appropriation for completing the budget screening on time.

Earlier, Alhaji Aliyu Iliyasu, the Appropriation Committee Chairman, said the Assembly had mandated the committee to work on the budget proposal based on the submission made by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

Lagos

Some Lagos residents have called on the National Assembly to involve the nation’s anti-corruption bodies in NASS probe panels to achieve desired results.

They spoke in separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos on Saturday on the revelations in the ongoing probes in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

They said that theEconomic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) should have representatives each in the probe panels.

The Executive Director, Social Justice Advocacy Initiative (SJAI), Mr Damian Ugwu,decried what he called “corruption in the oversight functions of the National Assembly committees”.

Niger

More than N27.7 billion pension has been paid by the Niger government under the Pay-As-You-Go and the Contributory Pension schemes in the state from May 2007 to December 2011, an official said.

Director General of of the state’s Pension Board Mr Benu Yahaya , told newsmen in Minna that N15.3 billion went into the Pay-As-You-Go pension scheme, while N12.4 billion was for the Contributory Pension Scheme.

He said the board had also settled the outstanding pension liability of N1.4 billion inherited from the previous administration in the state.

Ogun

The Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun, Prof. Kayode Makinde, has urged government at all level to overhaul Nigeria‘s health sector for better delivery.

Makinde made the call in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun.

The vice chancellor said it was time government and health practitioners adhered to the mission of medicine, “which is saving lives and not money-making venture”.

The don observed that the medicine profession has lost its compassion component in Nigeria.

“There is no secret; Nigeria medicine, largely has lost its compassion component. But then, those who are in healthcare should either have that compassion or get out of it.

“Money and materialism has replaced love; has replaced respect; has replaced anything that used to be of value when we are growing up. Nigerian medicine is just a little microcosm of the Nigeria society.

Osun

As this year’s rainy season draws near, the Osun Government has begun preparation to plough 1,000 acres of land for rice production at Osuntedo, Ejigbo Local Government Area.

The Coordinator, Quick Impact Intervention Programme (QIIP) Mr Dele Ogundipe, disclosed this on Tuesday when he received Mr Wale Adedoyin, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Production, who visited the site.

He said government was looking forward to a production target of 2,000 tonnes of rice in 2012 from the site alone.

Ogundipe said no fewer than 20 farmers cooperative societies drawn from the community and other parts of the state would benefit from the project.

Each cooperative society, he said, would get a minimum of 50 acres, adding that tractors would also be provided for them to till the soil.

Plateau

The Plateau Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has commenced the collection of deposits from intending pilgrims, Alhaji Salisu Musa, the Executive Secretary of the Board, has said.

A pilgrim is expected to contribute N500,000 in the meantime, pending the announcement of the final figure for this year’s exercise by the National Hajj Commission (NAHCO).

Musa told newsmen in Jos that the Board would not receive “anything less than the N500,000 to scare away people that see the exercise as a business venture.

He said that some persons usually paid the deposits only to later sell their slots in the event of a shortage of the slots.

Taraba

The Taraba Government has approved N23 million for the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to organise the first Taraba Festival for Arts and Culture (TARAFEST 2012).

The Commissioner in-charge of the ministry, Mr Emmanuel Bello, disclosed the approval in Jalingo on Tuesday in an interview with newsmen.

He said that the event, which is going to be the first ever cultural fiesta in the state, would take place between April 11, and April 15, in Jalingo.

The commissioner explained that the festival was aimed at showcasing the arts and cultural heritage of the people of the state.

Nation

HYPREP Inducts 100 Ogoni Youths For Creative Arts Training

Published

2 weeks ago

May 2, 2025

The Tide

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has inducted and given orientation to 100 Ogoni youths for training on Creative Arts. The beneficiaries were drawn from Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas of Rivers State.

The induction and orientation ceremony, which took place at the CRAB of the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, was a prelude to the training proper, billed to commence next Tuesday.

As usual, HYPREP issued undertaking forms to the trainees, for them to complete and submit as a guarantee that they would subject themselves to the requirements of the programme as well as be of good behaviour throughout the four-month duration of the training.

HYPREP also announced that it would pay N150,000 to each of the beneficiaries monthly, as transport and feeding allowance, stressing, however, that only those who fully participate in the training would be entitled for the allowance.

Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, welcomed the trainees to the programme, saying, HYPREP’s projects are evolving and that one thing that is happening today is that the Project has gotten leadership right, by making promises and keeping those promises.

According to him, the Project had equally promised to move away from rudimentary skills acquisition to high impacts acquisition levels, which it has kept today by sponsoring the training on Creative Arts.

He noted that in planning its livelihood programmes for Ogoni youths, HYPREP has taken time out to look for skills that would add value to the lives of the beneficiaries.

Zabbey, who was represented at the event by the Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi said by packaging the Creative Arts training, it was expected that the Ogoni people would have their own version of Nollywood known as Ogoniwood just as Nigerians are familiar with Hollywood, Bollywood, Kannywood and Nollywood.

To achieve this goal, the Project Coordinator explained that it was the reason for choosing a reputable establishment like Halibiz Consult Limited, to partner with the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt, which he described as one of the most prestigious in the Niger Delta, for the training of the beneficiaries.

He also indicated that in doing this, HYPREP was desirous of going for talents that would help the Ogoni people grow in the film industry, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously.

Zabbey equally enjoined the trainees to put in their best so that in the next three to five years, they would carve a niche for themselves and become forces to reckon with in the film industry.

On her part, HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee said HYPREP does what it says it will, stressing that the process of training Ogoni youths on specialised skills started three years ago.

According to her, the selection process for the training was rigorous and transparent, and was carried out by renowned actors actresses.

She disclosed that the training consists of three major aspects, which include acting, script writing and make-up, while Nollywood actors like Charles Nnoje, Ngezu J. Ngezu and award-winning make-up artist, Jude Odo would be on hand to drill and groom the beneficiaries.

Mrs Nzidee noted that the programme is a specialised training that does not have anything like starter packs but that it is purely a professional certification programme that would launch the beneficiaries into the Nollywood industry in Nigeria.

According to her, the Creative Arts training is one of the four specialised trainings organised by HYPREP to ensure that the Ogoni people are well positioned in vital industries like Aviation, Maritime, Creative Arts and Mechatronics.

She said the last of such trainings on Mechatronics would take place in the coming months, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously so as to put the Ogoni people on the Nollywood map.

She further indicated that while Charles Nnoje and Ngezu J. Ngezu would take the beneficiaries on the practical aspects, Jude Odo would take them on the make-up aspects.

Also speaking, the External Relations Manager of Halibiz Consult Limited, Alabo Experience Douglas said his company gives much premium to standard and quality, and assured that the firm would give the trainees value for the money spent on the programme.

While charging the beneficiaries to be dedicated and punctual, he stressed the need for them to approach the programme with the mindset of being empty so that at the end of the day, they would benefit maximally.

On his part, the Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Ovunda Ihunwo said the CRAB is an acronym for Creative Review of Arts and Books, stressing that it was named by renowned playwright, Prof Ola Rotimi.

According to him, the CRAB had nurtured, groomed and produced Nollywood actors and actresses like Bobmanuel Udokwu, Ejike Asiegbu,Francis Duru, Hilda Dokubo, Monalisa Chinda, Julius Agwu, and a host of others, assuring the beneficiaries that they were on fertile environment to hone their talents.

He noted that symbolically, the crab is a nutritious seafood common in the Niger Delta, and reiterated the need for the beneficiaries to come empty for the training, as it were.

Ihunwo disclosed that the theory classes of the programme would run for three weeks while the fourth week would be for the master classes, and urged the trainees to avail themselves of the opportunity to make a difference by telling the Ogoni story, which he described as inexhaustible by themselves, in order to put Ogoni on the map.

Nation

Nasarawa Varsity Student Commits Suicide

Published

2 weeks ago

May 1, 2025

The Tide

A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University identified as Jatau Rilokwah, has been reportedly found dead in the university’s senior staff quarters.
A counter-insurgency expert, focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to him, the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by a security officer at the university, Emmanuel Gyawo.
He stated that Gwayo was directed by Prof. Shedrack Jatau to check on his son upon arriving at the residence, and he found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.
“Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of the State at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.
“The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he further stated.
He added that the student’s corpse had been deposited in the hospital morgue.
He also quoted police sources as saying that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Nation

Ogun, Nike Art Gallery Set To Transform Olumo Rock

Published

2 weeks ago

May 1, 2025

The Tide

The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.