Nation
THE STATES
Borno
Farmers in Maiduguri metropolis have appealed to the Joint Task Force (JTF) to review the curfew imposed in some parts of the state to enable them perform their farming activities.
A cross section of those, who spoke to newsmen in Maiduguri and Jere local government areas on Tuesday said that the curfew had negatively affected farming activities.
The JTF on Operation Restore Order (ORO) had on January 12, imposed a 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew in five of the 27 local government areas of the state to curtail the activities of the Boko Haram sect.
Malam Ibrahim Audu, a farmer in Zabarmari, said that the curfew had made it difficult for farmers to operate optimally in the farm.
FCT
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to inter-religious harmony for peace and development in the country.
Vice President Namadi Sambo said this in Abuja when he received the Prefect, Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue (PCID), His Eminence, Jean Louis Card Tauran, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, the government supports every synergy among religious organisations as this will enhance peaceful co-existence of the diverse groups in the country.
He assured the Pontifical Prefect of the government’s support, saying: “I want to assure you that we will give you all the support you need in the achievement of all your noble objectives in ensuring that there is peace and harmony in Nigeria and the world in general.”
Gombe
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has assured corps members deployed to the state that their security and welfare would be taken care of by the government.
He gave the assurance at the close of the 2012 Batch ‘A’ NYSC orientation course at Malam-sidi Permanent Orientation Camp in Kwami Local Government Area of the State in which 446 corps members passed out.
Dankwambo, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Tha’anda Rubainu, however, advised corps members to identify with the people in the state and their aspirations for the service to be successful.
In his remarks, Mr Eli Akeme, the Head of the Civil Service in the state and Chairman of the Governing Council of NYSC, said the corps members were fully ready and eager to contribute their quarter to the development of their host communities.
Jigawa
Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has charged batch “A” of the NYSC members posted to the state to rededicate their energies towards the unity of the nation.
Lamido was speaking at the parade/official closing ceremony of the orientation course for the members in Dutse.
He described “ youths as the vanguard of peace, unity and development of any society. “
He enjoined them to be committed, resilient and dedicated to their work in the various places of their primary assignments.
“As you are set out to begin your primary assignment, it is pertinent for you to reflect on the basic fundamental rudiments in which the orientation course was predicated. “
He explained that, the NYSC programme was designed to give members exposure and make them exhibit leadership qualities in their various communities after they finished the service.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State chapter of NULGE has urged the Kaduna State Government to reverse recent redeployment of working mothers in Kaduna North and Kaduna South local Government Areas.
About 350 workers in the affected areas were transferred to 21 other local government areas in the state due to the inability of the councils to pay workers’ salary.
The state President of NULGE, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar, told newsmen in Kaduna that, the call became necessary as married women could not work in places far away from their families.
He said that such transfers would reduce the affected workers’ performance as their attention would be divided.
Abubakar said that although the exercise was legal, it should consider issues of health and marriage.
Kebbi
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has directed producers of packaged water in Kebbi to re-register their companies in line with new strategies to improve quality.
The directive was issued on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi by Dr. Eric Iful, the agency’s North-West zonal coordinator at a sensitisation workshop for packaged water producers in the state
He told participants that the compulsory re-registration was to enable NAFDAC to capture the bio-metric data of all clients for monitoring and evaluation towards good manufacturing practices.
Iful observed that 8,679 water packaging factories had failed to register with NAFDAC, adding, “the exercise will assist to overcome myriad of problems in the production of healthy packaged water”.
Lagos
A property consultant, Chief Kola Akomolede, has said that the worsening security situation in Nigeria might cripple the hospitality and leisure industry if not checked.
He told newsmen in Lagos that the spate of bombing and shooting could discourage tourists from coming to Nigeria.
“Even Nigerians are being discouraged from visiting certain parts of the country other than their own community,’’ he said.
Akomolede said that the hospitality and leisure industry were very important to national development because of the potentials as good source of foreign exchange earnings.
He said that opportunities abound in hospitality industries in Nigeria due to shortage of hotels and places of leisure.
The consultant said that very few cities in Nigeria could host major international events due to shortage of good hotels.
Akomolede urged the Federal Government to address the security challenges promptly.
“Besides the security issues, Nigeria is a potential tourist attraction, it’s just that we are not developing them,’’ he said.
Nasarawa
The Police in Nasarawa State has confirmed the killing of a suspected motorcycle snatcher by irate youths on Monday at Ajaga village in Nasarawa Local Government Area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Cornelius Ocholi, told newsmen in Lafia that the suspect, Bala Bawa, from Arah village allegedly snatched a motorcycle from one Ibrahim Hassan.
Ocholi said that Bawa snatched the motorcycle after beating Hassan to a state of coma.
He noted that villagers got wind of the incident and reported to the police in the area, which led to the arrest and detention of the suspect.
He said that youths in the area mobilised themselves and stormed the police post where the suspect was being detained, over powered the men on duty, dragged out the suspect and beat him to death.
The spokesman noted that the officers on duty contacted the Nasarawa Divisional Headquarters, which is about 30 kilometres away but that before the reinforcement could reach the police post, the mob had already killed the suspect and fled.
Ondo
Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has appealed to security agencies in the country to always uphold their constitutional role of supporting free, fair and credible elections at all times.
The governor stated this in Akure while playing host to the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ameen Ikioda.
According to him, security agencies have crucial roles to play in sustaining the existing unity and stability of the country.
Mimiko also advised security agencies against being used by unscrupulous politicians “who are selfish and anti-people in their inordinate ambition to govern at all cost. ’’
“The role of security agencies is crucial to peace, unity and stability of our great country. Therefore, I want to plead with you to make sure that elections are free and fair in this country,” he said.
Mimiko further said his administration had implemented programmes and policies aimed at tackling poverty in the state.
He said the state’s healthcare programme, construction of mega schools and rural transformation initiatives were all targeted at the downtrodden in the society.
Plateau
Eggs mopped up following a glut in Plateau are being hurriedly distributed to some categories of people as some of them have rotten away.
Source said that the state government set up a committee, and released N30 million to buy off the eggs following farmers’ inability to dispose of them on time, especially in Chad Republic, as a result of recent border closure.
However, the eggs are being distributed by the committee after the bad ones have been removed.
Mrs Olivia Dazyam, Women Affairs Commissioner, who is in charge of the distribution of the eggs, however, confirmed that the eggs were already being hurriedly shared out.
“We are sharing 500 crates to patients and nursing mothers at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos. We shall thereafter move to orphanage homes and special schools,’’ she told newsmen.
She regretted the undue delay and attributed it to efforts to ensure that only the targeted groups benefited.
Some eggs were purchased two weeks ago with farmers who said that they were three weeks old at the time of purchase.
Information Commissioner Abraham Yiljab, had blamed the poor demand on the closure of borders with Chad that had always purchased the commodity in bulk.
According to Barko, the committee is expected to purchase 50,000 crates for distribution to students, expectant mothers, the sick and the elderly.
Yobe
The Yobe Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDS (YOSACA) has observed that regular clinic attendance by expectant mothers and the voluntary HIV testing have reduced mother and child deaths in the state.
“The agency has enlightened, mobilised and encouraged pregnant women across the state to access the free ante-natal services and HIV tests provided in government hospitals,” the Executive Secretary of the agency, Hajiya Farida Mamudo told newsmen in Damaturu.
“YOSACA has trained 40 Traditional Birth Attendants in seven Local Government Areas specifically on referring pregnant women to ante-natal clinics and on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Mamudo commended the role played by traditional rulers, religious leaders and other organisations in combating HIV and AIDS as well as stigmatisation in communities.
“This collaborative effort combined with government’s determination is yielding positive results in healthcare delivery in the state,” she said.
Zamfara
The Zamfara Government has promised to provide adequate security for youth corps members posted to the state.
Governor Abdulaziz Yari made the promise during the graduation ceremony of the three-week orientation of Batch ‘A‘ youth corps members at the Tsafe NYSC camp, where he was represented by the Head of Service, Alhaji Bello Umar.
The governor said government was doing “everything possible” to ensure that the corps members were given adequate protection to enable them discharge their assignment without hindrance.
He noted that insecurity in the country had posed a major challenge not only to government but all peace-loving Nigerians.
He asked them to conduct themselves, and be dedicated in their places of primary assignment.
He said that efforts were on to rejuvenate the Sharia legal system although enforcement of its law would be applied to Muslims only.
He also pledged to complete the NYSC permanent orientation camp at Tsafe which was started five years ago by the previous administration.
With significant achievements recorded across thematic areas of the Ogoni cleanup programme being executed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Project Coordinator of the Project, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has said that all these are enabling pathways to the development of Ogoniland.
This is coming on the heels of milestone achievements in the following areas and their impact on Ogoni communities. They are mangrove restoration which is 94 percent complete; shoreline remediation which stands at 67.1 percent; and the phase 2 land remediation progressing to 36.55 percent.
Moreso, HYPREP has constructed 14 water facilities, providing potable water to 40 communities. With the commissioning of the water schemes in Bane and Gwara communities, the number of communities with access to clean and safe drinking water will be 45. The process of operationalising the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) which is at 92 percent complete, is ongoing. The same for the Ogoni Power Project which is progressing with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakaara substations ongoing
Similarly, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are at 76.8 percent and 98.7 percent respectively.
This is alongside other public health interventions and the Human BioMonitoring Survey also in progress.
Under the livelihood
programme, over 7,000 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni women and youths, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up kits, workshops, education grants, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This quarter, training will commence in other demand-driven skill areas, such as cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, commercial diving, and underwater welding.
Zabbey had reeled out these achievements, during the third quarter interactive session between the Project Coordination Office engagement with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt on Friday, in line with HYPREP’s strategic stakeholders policy to provide an interface opportunity to abreast Ogoni youths on the Project’s activities, while garnering their feedback.
Zabbey noted that, “This
quarterly engagement was,therefore, designed as an inclusive strategy to ensure that youth voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and progress updates are provided transparently. Also, it reflects our firm belief that a project of this magnitude must be people-centred, accountable, and participatory”.
” I am delighted to inform you that the Project remains on course to achieve its mandate as outlined in the UNEP Report on the Ogoni environment and the official gazette establishing HYPREP. HYPREP is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the cleanup projects and activities”, he said.
He stressed that HYPREP’s achievements are pathways to a better Ogoniland, assuring that the Project’s goals are aimed at benefiting all categories of Ogoni youths, whether in business, farming, advocacy, education, entrepreneurship or community development.
”This Project belongs to all of you, and its success depends mainly on your participation, unity and constructive engagement. And with your support, we are confident that all challenges will be addressed in the overall public interest,” Zabbey said.
The Project Coordinator urged Ogoni youths to continue to support the Project by promoting peace, discouraging misinformation, and collaborating with project teams working in the communities, and address challenges through dialogue, rather than confrontation.
Prof Dinebari Badey, a Professor of Development Sociology in the University of Port Harcourt, delivered the keynote address, linking the nexus between HYPREP and youths in the development of Ogoniland through unity of purpose while Engr Solomon Akere, gave a talk on Ogoni youths in business.
Participants raised questions concerning the maintenance of the water projects, remediation efforts, and compensation for the Right of Way (RoW), among others.
In attendance were management staff of HYPREP who provided responses to the interventions.
Members of the Association of Community Health practitioners of Nigeria (ACHPN),Rivers state Chapter have marked the 2025 Community Health week with a call for the state government to employ more community health practitioners to mann the various health centres across the 23 local government areas of the state .
The theme of one week event “strengthening the Nigerian healthcare system,the role of community health practitioners in reducing maternal and under _five mortality in line with sustainable development goals”attracted community health practitioners across the state.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event held at the conference hall of the state primary healthcare office in port Harcourt, the state chairman of the Association,Dr Justina Onuwa appeal to the state governor,Sir Siminalayi Fubara to approve the employment of more community health practitioners in other to effectively mann the primary health centres in the state.
Onuwa stated that the call become imperative following the decline in community health practitioners in the civil service and the need to ensure that the people in rural communities have more access to primary healthcare services in their localities.
The state chairman of ACHPN averred members of the association were not captured in the employment scheme during last employment of medical health workers by the state government.”our people need to be employed like other health care service providers”
She appeal to the state government to provide vehicles and office secretariat for its association and as well ensure that their members are promoted as at when due.
Also speaking,the state Health Educator,Dr Babbo Diana who represented the commissioner for health and Executive secretary RSPHCMB while congratulating them on their celebrations called them to partner with the state government to build more efficient healthcare services in the state.
She urge them to be passionate with their work, stressing that all hands must be on deck and everyone must play their roles in other to ensure the success of government primary healthcare services in the state.
In his good will message,the representative of the state Director of Health planning Research and statistics, Dietician Buduzhi Gift Oguzor described members of the association as foot soldiers of health services care providers in the state.
He called on them to be more dedicated in their responsibilities especially in the areas of infrastructure development, noting that the state of infrastructure under their custody are in a detoriating conditions despite the huge of resources released to them by the state government.
Earlier in her lecture on the theme “strengthening the Nigerian healthcare system,the role of the community practitioners in reducing the under _five mortality in line with the sustainable development goals”prof Alice Nte urge them to review their association curriculum in other to upgrade their profile and become more relevant and attend to the optimum value in the profession.
She opined that the WHO according to the Nigerian Demography survey didn’t included members of the association as stillbirth attendant, adding that they should restrategise and look into their curriculum and see where it can be updated.
The climax of the week long celebrations ended with road work,free medical care services and church thanks service.
Akujobi Amadi
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Bldr. Daniel Abimbola Kolade, FNIOB, has called on Nigerian builders to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship as key drivers for addressing the nation’s housing deficit.
Speaking at the inaugural council meeting of the Institute held at its National Secretariat in Abuja in his speech themed, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Key Driver to Housing Delivery,” the NIOB President said the Institute is poised to lead transformative change in the nation’s housing delivery system.
Bldr. Kolade described the meeting as a strategic platform for redefining NIOB’s policy direction for the next two years, stressing that the housing challenge presents both a national problem and a professional opportunity.
“We, as custodians of building production management, must reposition ourselves not only as technical experts but as innovators, entrepreneurs, and national solution providers,” he stated.
He emphasized that innovation must now be embedded in the professional DNA of builders, urging practitioners to embrace sustainable technologies, research-based construction methods, and digital project management tools.
According to him, the Institute will promote innovation through research collaborations, innovation labs, and pilot projects that showcase emerging construction techniques.
On entrepreneurship, Bldr. Kolade noted that competence alone was no longer sufficient, and that builders must evolve into enterprise creators capable of driving employment and economic growth through construction-based ventures.
He further outlined the Institute’s five key policy pillars for the next two years, to include innovation
and research; entrepreneurial
development; professional regulation and ethics; advocacy
and policy influence;
capacity building and youth empowerment.
The NIOB President also paid tribute to past leaders of the Institute for laying the foundation upon which the current administration will build, saying leadership must go beyond preservation to purposeful expansion.
“If we can harness innovation, embrace entrepreneurship, and strengthen our professional unity, we will not only close the housing gap — we will redefine the standards of housing delivery in Africa,” he affirmed.
He called on builders nationwide to view themselves as not only craftsmen but nation builders, visionaries, and entrepreneurs committed to delivering sustainable housing and national development.
The NIOB President earlier led the National Council members to a site visit to the NIOB construction site at Idu, Abuja.
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