Nation

THE STATES

Published

14 years ago

June 6, 2012

Gombe

Police in Gombe have confirmed the killing of a retired civil servant, Tijjani Magaji, 43, of Idi Dawaki quarters in Gombe by unknown gunmen on Saturday in Gombe.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Fwaje Atajiri, said in Gombe on Sunday that Magaji was shot dead around 7.30 p.m.

According to him, two of the gunmen came on motorcycle, shot the deceased and fled the scene.

He said police were still investigating the matter and that no arrest had been made.

A resident of the quarters, who preferred anonymity, said he witnessed the incident, adding that the gunmen fire close-range shots at Magaji.

The deceased was a civil servant in Gombe Local Government before he left the service for business.

Kaduna

Representing Soba Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, Rep. Ibrahim Khalid says he has disbursed N1.3 million to 130 youths in the area to empower them.

He said in an interview during the disbursement at Maigana Local Government Area of the state, Sunday, that the essence of the gesture was to reciprocate the efforts of youths during his election, which he said, paved the way for his success and urged members of the constituency to be patient, assuring them more democratic dividends.

Also in an interview, the former Chairman of Soba Local Government Council, Alhaji Kawu Ibrahim-Yakasai, described the gesture as timely and commendable.

Ibrahim-Yakasai, who is also a member of the disbursement committee, urged youths to make efficient use of the resources to improve their lives.

Commenting on behalf of the beneficiaries, Alhaji Mu’azu Mahawayi and Malam Buba Mohammed-Yakasai, expressed appreciation for the gesture, urging the lawmaker to sustain the tempo.

Katsina

The Commandant of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Funtua, Mr Betara Umar has confirmed the death of three persons in a road accident which occurred in the area last Friday.

Umar said on Saturday in Funtua that 17 other passengers sustained injuries in the accident which involved a bus and a car.

He said the dead passengers were two females and a man who died on the spot, adding that the FRSC officials had removed the bodies and taken the injured to Funtua General Hospital.

He said the accident occurred at Sheme village in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, noting that investigations revealed that the accident happened as a result of wrong overtaking.

Umar appealed to road users to always adhere to road regulations and abide by safety rules.

Kwara

An Italian national, Digi Modesto, working with Borini Prono Construction Company, kidnapped in Ilorin on May 30, has been released.

A police source said on Sunday in Ilorin that the expatriate was released on Saturday by his captors.

According to the source, the Italian was immediately taken away from Ilorin by the construction company. The source refused to confirm the amount paid to the captors before the release of the expatriate was effected.

It was gathered that the victim was kidnapped while going to inspect an on-going road construction at Bishop Smith road, opposite Stella Obasanjo Multipurpose hall.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Kwara State Police Command, DSP Fabode Olufemi, confirmed the release saying investigation was still going on.

The police spokesman assured the general public that the security agents in the state were determined to ensure security of lives and property, and urged members of the public to go about their normal business and assist the security agents with useful information that would always lead to the arrest of criminals in the society.

Lagos

The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, has urged the residents to champion the cause of a sustainable environment.

He said this Saturday in Lagos, to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day set aside by the United Nations and scheduled to be observed from June 2 to June 17. The theme of this year’s celebration is, “Green Economy – Does it include you?”

Bello said this year’s celebration would dwell more on youths in the tertiary institutions and their involvement in the environment. “Youths, especially those in higher institutions, are change agents and potential crusaders of the Environment whose energy and resources we must enlist in the struggle for a safe and hygienic environment,” he noted.

Bello said that the debate was a way of promoting knowledge and spreading awareness about government’s greening programme and other environment policies among the youth.

The commissioner said the tertiary institutions involved in the debate included Yaba College of Technology, Lagos; State Polytechnic; Federal College of Education,Technical, Akoka; University of Lagos; and Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education.

Nasarawa

Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has imposed a curfew on Alago and Eggon communities in Lafia, where two persons died in a communal conflict on Friday.

The governor, who visited the two communities in company of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Abayomi Akeremale, directed that the curfew must run from 6p.m to 6a.m

Al-Makura expressed concern about the communal clash, promising that his administration would provide security of lives and property in all communities in the state.

The governor appealed to all the affected residents to remain calm while the security agents would find the perpetrators of the vicious acts and bring them to judgment and assured that government would provide relief materials to the victims and stressed the need for the communities to live in peace and unity.

Al-Makura attributed the occurrence of the clash to lack of patience and unity among the community members and urged the people of the affected areas to adhere strictly of the curfew, which he said, would hold until peace was restored to the areas.

Nasarawa

The Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, Mr Abayomi Akeremale, said that nine persons had been charged to court for disobeying traffic rules on the Karu-Mararaba road.

Akeremale said in Lafia on Saturday that the action was part of efforts aimed at enforcing traffic rules, particularly on the Karu-Mararaba highway which was known for serious traffic gridlock.

He stressed that nobody was above the law irrespective of his or her status in the society, urging citizens to cooperate with the police in efforts to ensure a crime-free society.

Besides, Akeremale said that 18 persons were been arrested under the bridge in the area, adding that nine of them had been charged to court since they had no means of livelihood, while the remaining nine were interrogated and discharged.

“You see, the powerful and mighty just park their vehicles indiscriminately on the Karu-Mararaba road and when you approach them; they will say they are working at so-so place, forgetting that nobody is above the law

“The law is not a respecter of anybody; we are all equal before the law, some people don’t believe that their actions are wrong until they are apprehended and charged to court. “We will continue to arrest them until they have a rethink and become aware that the law is a leveller,’’ he added.

Niger

The Niger Commissioner for Sports Development, Alhaji Hassan Abdullahi, has urged staff of the ministry to embrace computer literacy.

Abdullahi said in Minna while declaring open a two-week workshop organised by the Ministry of Sports Development for its staff to improve their computer skills, that computer literacy is one of the modern ways of keeping abreast of current developments across the globe.

“You must embrace computer literacy as this is the only way you can be connected to the current happenings across the globe. “Therefore, I want all the participants to take this workshop serious to ensure efficient and quality service

delivery,” he said.

Also speaking, Malam Abdul Abdul, the leader of the resource persons, described the computer as a friendly machine that could aid the work of every civil servant.

Ogun

Another multiple crash involving 24 vehicles near Sagamu, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway caused traffic disorder last Saturday, according to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

FRSC Deputy Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, said that the accident occurred on Friday night when a trailer loaded with petrol fell and caught fire near the Sagamu interchange.

He said although no lives were lost, two persons sustained injuries while 176 people travelling in the affected vehicles had been evacuated.

The accident involved motor cars, mini and luxury buses, tankers as well as trailers, he said.

He appealed to motorists to use alternative routes to and from Lagos to avoid the gridlock, while fire-fighters, police and FRSC officers are battling to ease the traffic.

Last Thursday, there was a traffic logjam between Sagamu and Redeemed Christian Church on the expressway as a tipper, three fuel tankers and three articulated vehicles exploded on impact.

Plateau

Local government workers in Plateau have embarked on an indefinite strike over the non-payment of the N18,000 minimum wage.

Chairman of the NLC in the state, Mr Jibrin Bancir, said in Jos on Saturday that the strike started on Wednesday, May 30. He said that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) was also in support of the indefinite strike.

Bancir said that while the state’s civil servants had been benefiting from the N18,000 minimum wage, local government workers in the state were receiving N9,000 as the minimum wage. He stressed that the strike was to compel the state government to pay the local government workers the new minimum wage.

“We are not longer comfortable with the 50 per cent of what was being paid to workers in PlateauState’s civil service,’’ he said.

The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) had rejected the 50-per-cent wage increase earlier proposed by the Plateau government.

Mr Samson Mafuyai, the state Chairman of NULGE, said that the union rejected the proposed wage increase because of the government’s inability to abide by the terms of earlier negotiations with the NLC and the TUC.

Sokoto

Gov. Aliyu Wamakko announced on Saturday in Sokoto that contractors executing projects for the State are to pay one per cent of their contract sum to the state Zakat and Endowment Committee.

He said the money would be deducted from source, hinting that a bill to give the deduction a legal backing would be forwarded to the State House of Assembly.

Wamakko spoke at the opening of a workshop on “Zakat and Endowment in Contemporary Society” organised by the State Zakat and Endowment Committee.

He said the direct deduction would boost the “monthly income of the committee to enhance its activities, aimed at alleviating poverty in the society.”

Wamakko also announced that the state government and its 23 local government councils would, henceforth, donate N31.5 million monthly to the committee instead of the current N7.4 million.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, commended the governor for alleviationg the conditions of the poor.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

4 weeks ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

4 weeks ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

4 weeks ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.