Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Executive Director of the National Primary HealthCare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Mohammed, has attributed increased cases of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) to poor attendance of ante-natal care by women.
Mohammed made the statement on Saturday at Talba Village, in Jama’are Local Government Area of Baucghi State while inaugurating a 40-bed Primary Health Centre built by NPHCDA.
He said most VVF patient at Ningi VVF Centre were girls between the ages of 14 and 17 years.
He urged husbands to always encourage their wives to attend ante-natal clinic and also to send their wives to nearby health facilities during delivery to avoid becoming victims of VVF.
Mohammed said that the Talba cenre was conceived in 2009 when the agency discovered that the area lacked such health facilities.
He said midwives would be posted to the centre while equipment for the centre had already been acquired and would soon be delivered to the centre for the full take-off of the centre.
He said that the inauguration of the centre would reduce maternal and child mortality in the area considering the long distance between Talba and Jama’ are General Hospital.
Ekiti
Ekiti State Government is to provide N3.2 billon to improve water and sanitation in the state, Governor Kaode Fayemi has announced in Ado Ekiti.
Speaking at a stakeholders forum on water supply, Fayemi said government had already provided N100 million to improve sanitation in 2011.
He said his administration was working towards improving the existing water scheme as well as the construction of new ones, adding that strategies were being worked out to provide a sustainable water supply system.
One of the strategies is the engagement of development partners such as the World Bank, European Union and the African Development Bank, he said.
FCT
An optometrist with the Bwari General Hospital, Dr Ochei Louis, has condemned the use of eye drops, without prescription.
He said speaking to newsmen in Bwari on glaucoma, the eye disease that makes people blind.
“ I believe from my experience as an optometrist that the cause of glaucoma is the poverty level of so many Nigerians.
“They indulge in self medication, some just ask their friends the name of drugs they used for certain eye problems and go for them instead of getting their eyes properly checked by an optometrist.
“Glaucoma is an increase in the pressure of the eye, ‘hypertension’ of the eye so to say, and there are two types; open and closed angle glaucoma, which is a silent killer that can make one blind within a short time.”
He said a combination of things resulted in this high pressure of the eye, especially when the tube where the eye fluid is supposed to flow through is blocked, the pressure could build up.
Gombe
The Gombe State 2012 Hajj Committee has suspended the sale of forms for this year’s pilgrimage in Gombe town until further notice, says the Chairman, Alhaji Yaya Hammari.
Hammari told newsmen in Gombe that the decision was taken due to the rowdy situation created by intending pilgrims at the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.
Six women sustained serious injuries following a disagreement among pilgrims on the modalities for the sale of the forms.
He explained that while some of them wanted the officials to use a list compiled the previous day, others insisted they should use the queue, leading to a serious disagreement.
According to him, the applicants abandoned the queue and forced themselves into the premises of the board and in the process, pulled down the gate leading into the premises.
Jigawa
Traders in Dutse are counting their losses due to power outages, our correspondent reports.
A cross section of traders who spoke to our correspondent in Dutse on Sunday said they had lost a lot to the outages.
A fish seller, Mrs Ifeoma Obi, said due to unstable power supply, she had to sell fish worth N400 for half the price because of a lack of preservation equipment.
Obi said the fish got rotten after five days of power outage. “I did not make up to N3,000 from the N8,000 I spent purchasing a carton of fish”.
Another trader, Malam Ali Adamu, who sells soft drinks, complained of low patronage which he attributed to the power problem.
Kaduna
Director-General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Mallam Yusuf Usman, said efforts were underway to boost the Nok area as a World Heritage site.
Usman, who disclosed this on Saturday during a stakeholders meeting with the Nok local community in Kaduna State, said it was in line with the proposal of National Tourism Master plan.
“Unfortunately, the Nok archaeological sites became victims of unprecedented looting especially in the nineties when some of these sculptures were illegally exported.
“The need to embark on scientific studies became very urgent in the face of this threat.’’
Usman said the commission entered into a partnership with the institute for African Archaeology and Archaeo-botany of the Goethe University Frankfurt in 2005.
Kogi
Kogi Director of Primary Health Care, Dr Funmi Balogun has warned against the non-challant attitude of some mothers to immunisation programmes against the major five child killer diseases.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Lokoja, Balogun observed that some mothers took the BCG immunisation at birth, only for them to ignore others.
She said the essence of immunisation was to avoid the child-killer diseases and check infant mortality rate.
Balogun also urged mothers to immunise their children against diphtheria, measles, polio and yellow fever, among others.
The director said that the first phase of the immunisation programme for this year had just been concluded adding that the second phase would soon commence.
The PHC director also decried the lack of awareness among mothers to register their babies with the National Population Commission (NPC) at birth, obtain birth certificates and help government have accurate data on population.
Lagos
Some youths, operating small-scale businesses in the Lagos metropolis, have complained about the high cost of doing business owing to the current epileptic public power supply.
Some of the youths, who spoke in separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos, said public power supply remained a major challenge to efforts to sustain their businesses.
Mr Anthony Emmanuel, a Pay-phone operator who also charges phone batteries in the Kakawa area of Lagos Island, said that PHCN electricity supply was inadequate and that it was negatively affecting his business.
Niger
The Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru, has matriculated 1,376 students for the 2011/2012 academic session.
In his speech at the occasion, Alhaji Mohammed Garba, the Rector of the Polytechnic, warned the students not to be involved in cultism.
Garba warned that the management of the institution would not hesitate to dismiss any student found to be involved in cultism, instead of facing his/her academic pursuit.
He also warned that students who did not attain 75 per cent attendance in their lectures would not be allowed to sit for their examination.
Oyo
The Publicity Secretary of Ansar-ud-deen Society of Nigeria, Alhaji Muibi Adebanjo, has urged the National Assembly to evolve appropriate legislation that would revamp the education sector.
Adebanjo told newsmen in Ibadan that the development of the education sector was being hindered by inconsistencies in policies and discrimination.
He said the inconsistencies were caused by changes which came with the transition from military rule to pluralist democracy.
“ Ghana ’s educational policy has been consistent over the years since independence, hence the high quality remains,’’ he said.
Adebanjo, who is also the Chairman, Al-ilmu Schools, further condemned the discrimination against certain categories of certificates in favour of university degrees.
He further said: “Where do we put the remaining one million students that would not be catered for in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination if only 500,000 students would be provided admission. ’’
Adebanjo appealed to government at all levels to ensure that the existing educational institutions were adequately equipped for practicals and research.
Plateau
The Plateau Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has arrested a café operator, who allegedly issued a fake Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination registration slip to a candidate in Jos.
Mr. Desmond Agu, the Commander, told newsmen that the candidate, Vincent Bello, was also arrested.
“The duo were parties to a fake UTME registration slip and shall be investigated,’’ he said.
Bello had earlier presented the slip for Saturday’s UTME examination but was sent out of the hall and immediately arrested at the Plateau Polytechnic Centre I after it was discovered that the slip was fake.
A distraught Bello led the NSCDC officials to the café, where the operator was also picked.
Agu said that the owner of the café, located in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government of Plateau, had disowned the slip and claimed that the candidate lied against him.
He said that the fake slip was the only incident recorded during the examination and scored JAMB 98 per cent for conducting what he described as “the most successful UTME test“ in the country.
Sokoto
Secretary Aliyu Magatakarda Advocacy Group (AMAG) an NGO, Alhaji Abubakar Yabo, on Saturday called for intelligence sharing among security agencies in the fight against terrorism.
Yabo told newsmen in Sokoto that collaborative effort would enable the security agencies check the activities of the terrorists.
He said that information sharing among the security agencies will enable them come out with great ideas in confronting the security challenges without hindrance.
He expressed confidence in the ability of the security officers to tackle the nation’s internal security challenges.
Yabo called for the re-training of security officers to update their knowledge to ensure productivity.
A professor of English linguistics at the Rivers State University (RSU) Nkpolu Oroworukwu Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Enyi Ngulube, has advocated for better and improved funding for language centres in Nigeria, such as NINLAN Aba and Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, for optimum value and effective local languages development.
He also called for funded research on the development of orthographies and language documents across the country to rescue local languages from extinction, as well as having a well-planned and implemented mother tongue education in all institutions in the country, from primary to tertiary.
Prof. Ngulube made with these assertions while presenting his inaugural lecture at the university’s 121st inaugural lecture with the topic “The Career of Rough Beats: Language, Literature and the Development of our Common Humanity” held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The erudite scholar, in the lecture, stressed that the study of English language, linguistics, and literature is very broad, large, and difficult, adding that he overcame the rough roads through resilience and determination.
He described language as “a purely human and non-instinctive means of communicating ideas and emotions,” noting that “the word is a fundamental need in language; you cannot study language without the use of language.”
He urged parents to be cautious with their utterances, warning that “what they refer to their children as is what they will automatically end up becoming.”
He recommended a branded English language for every profession or course of study, stressing that embedding oral literature in the teaching of students from primary to tertiary level will enable them to know their traditions and roots of origin.
“Tell them the folk stories and moonlight tales; you are sending them back to their people. You must be a human being first before becoming a medical doctor, engineer, or anything else,” Ngulube said.
He also called for better and improved production of quality language and literature teachers, provision of modern teaching/instructional materials, improved welfare packages for teachers, and provision of better infrastructure at both primary and secondary school levels.
He used the opportunity to appreciate the Vice Chancellor for the approval of the Department of English Language and Literature, adding that it had been his long-held dream for the university.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, while highlighting the lecture, opined that the lecturer x-rayed the lecturer’s journey into the study of English language, linguistics, and literature, describing the field as broad, large, and difficult, but with determination and focus, he was able to defeat the beasts he encountered on his way.
Zeb-Obipi agreed with the lecturer’s recommendations on ways to improve indigenous languages in the country and directed that modalities be worked out for the university to have the Department of English Language and Literature, among others.
He highlighted RSU’s recent victory in the Bilingual Community Project organized by the French Embassy, describing it as proof of the university’s rising excellence in language studies.
The Federal Government through the implementation of the various projects of the Ogoni cleanup programme is demonstrating a strong commitment to national peace and the development of Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who made this assertion at a two-day training on Mechanism for Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) and other Peacebuilding Techniques for Community Leaders In Ogoni, held in Port Harcourt, said through the ongoing environmental restoration effort, potable water provision, livelihood restoration, public health interventions, and the Ogoni Power Project, HYPREP is contributing to national peace and development.
He explained that by improving the living conditions in communities and creating new opportunities for young people, the Project is also reducing the social pressure that often fuels conflict, stressing that the Project is proud of this service to the Ogoni people and the nation.
Describing traditional leaders and stakeholders as peacebuilders and guardians of community harmony, Zabbey noted that the workshop would strengthen their capacities and reinforce the Ogoni dialogue process, which HYPREP continues to support in line with its mandate on peacebuilding.
He said HYPREP is actively promoting ADR alongside other mechanisms across its project sites and other areas of operation aimed at fostering unity, fairness, mutual respect and faster dispute resolution, stressing that these are qualities necessary for the future of Ogoni people and their communities.
He further indicated that the Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal is disposed to promoting peace and stability across Ogoni communities and HYPREP project sites.
The Project Coordinator, therefore, charged Ogoni leaders to be mindful of their actions, words and body language, as what they say or do can either promote peace or fan the embers of conflict.
Continuing, he stated thus,”We must always ask ourselves: Is my position on this matter in the people’s interest? Does it promote unity and progress? Will it enhance development?”
The Project Coordinator assured the participants that HYPREP is working tirelessly in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme and ensure that its benefits reach the grassroots where they are needed most.
Stressing the need for Ogoni leaders and stakeholders to explore communication and trust options to prevent disputes from degenerating into violence, the Project Coordinator noted that it was time for all Ogonis to be united for development, leaving behind perceptions that do not serve collective progress.
Similarly, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige, said the workshop is a strategic platform aimed at strengthening the capacity of traditional institutions and community leaders to sustain peace, foster dialogue and promote non-adversarial engagements in the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Prof Onyige noted that the Ogoni leadership structure commands deep respect and legitimacy, and strengthening their capacity in ADR methods such as mediation, negotiation, dialogue, facilitation, and consensus building means strengthening the foundation of peace in the region.
Participants, comprising traditional rulers and key stakeholders in Ogoni, commended HYPREP for the initiative, and assured it of their continuous support to the Project by providing an enabling atmosphere for the smooth implementation of the cleanup project in Ogoniland.
Resource persons who presented thought-provoking lectures at the workshop included the Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Kinikanwo Anele; Prof Olariwanju Lawal; Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige; and Dr Gbenemene Kpae; among others.
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.