Nation

THE STATES

Published

14 years ago

June 8, 2012

Ekiti

Teachers working in Ekiti public schools on Monday defied the state government by shunning the Teachers’ Development Needs Assessment(TDNA) examination.

The examination, which was postponed thrice over disagreements with the teachers, was supposed to commence with a training session between 9:am and 12 noon.

However, investigation indicated that all the examination centres were empty with only a few supervisors, Area Education Officers of councils and security men in sight.

Investigation also revealed that rumour had been milling around Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, since Sunday that all the 39 designated centres had been laced with fetish substances.

FCT

An Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court on Monday sentenced one Collins Kelechi of Ako Estate, Abuja, to eight months’ imprisonment for damaging the property of one Mrs Ipole Chinwe of the same address. He was sentenced on a two-count charge of wrongful restraint and mischief.

The Presiding Magistrate, Aliyu Shafa, said the sentence followed the convict’s confession that he committed the offence. He sentenced the convict to two months’ imprisonment with an option of N2000 for the offence of wrongful restraint.

Shafa also sentenced the convict to six months’ imprisonment for the offence of mischief with an option of N2000 fine and ordered that the sentences should run concurrently.

Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Paul Anigbo, had told the court that the case was reported by Chinwe on June 17, 2010.

Jigawa

Some residents of Dutse in Jigawa have observed that the environment has become filthy since the commencement of rainy season and called for an immediate action to clear it.

A cross section of residents in Dutse on Monday said that many places in the town were stinking due to heaps of waste.

A resident of Gidan-dubu, Malam Sule Adamu, complained that the streets were littered with polythene materials and drains with refuse and other garbage.

Another resident, whogave his name as Rabiu Sabo, said faeces carelessly disposed in polythene bags was polluting the environment.

Sabo expressed fears that, if such wastes continued to be disposed indiscriminately, inhabitants would be exposed to diseases.

Katsina

The Katsina State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Aminu Gado, said on Monday that the State Government has ordered the recruitment of 200 casual workers to serve as security guards in schools.

Kado made the disclosure when he paid a courtesy call on the state’s Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji, in his office in Katsina.

He said the measure had become necessary to stop rampant cases of stealing of facilities in the 56 secondary schools in the state.

Kado also directed each of the 36 Local Government Areas in the state to post four security guards to its schools and praised the state’s police command for recovering items worth millions of naira stolen from the 56 secondary schools.

Kebbi

The Kebbi Government has inaugurated an 18-member committee to prepare a position paper on the review of the 1999 Constitution.

The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, inaugurated the committee in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

He urged the committee to deliberate on wide-ranging issues, adding that the committee’s proposals would be expected in two weeks.

“Among the issues to be deliberated are devolution of powers, creation of states, role of traditional rulers, fiscal federalism, immunity clause, rotation of executive offices as well as residency and indigene provisions.’’

Kogi

The Kogi Government has appointed Prof Olugbenro Jegede, the pioneer Vice Chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), as the Secretary to the State Government.

Jegede, whose appointment is contained in a statement issued in Lokoja on Monday, replaced Alhaji Musa Ahmadu, who held the office since 2005.

The statement, signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Mr Jacob Edi, said the appointment of Jegede, an indigene of Ogori in Kogi Central Senatorial District, took immediate effect.

Jegede is the Secretary -General of the Association of African Universities with headquarters in Accra.

Kwara

The Kwara Government on Monday blamed its late payment of salaries of government workers on the delay in the release of statutory allocation from the Federation Account.

Mr Demola Banu, the state Commissioner for Finance, told newsmen in Ilorin that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) was supposed to meet on 13th of every month while disbursement of funds to states was to be made within a week.

“The money will be transferred to the respective states so that they would be able to meet their commitments, but the meeting for sometime now has been held on 20th, 28th at times. “ This had been causing delay in the payment of salaries,’’ the commissioner said.

The delay, he added, was responsible for the late payment of pension.

He also explained that the state had a major challenge in the payment of local government staff in May, saying:

Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised Gov Umaru Almakura over his plan to build a N1 billion airport in Lafia.

The state Chairman of the party, Mr Yunana Iliya, made the criticism while addressing newsmen, shortly after an expanded executive meeting of the party in Lafia on Monday.

He said the airport project was elitist as it would serve the interest of only about 1 per cent of the state population.

“As far as PDP is concerned, we wish to lend our voice to the cry of our people who oppose the construction of an airport in Lafia. “This is an elitist project; those who will use the airport will constitute less than 0.01 per cent of our population,” he said.

Iliya said that in a state, such as Nasarawa State, where most of the people were peasant farmers, the money for the proposed airport would be more useful in the improvement of agriculture and construction of rural roads.

Oyo

The Under-Secretary in charge of African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Adamu Abas, says some state governments in the North are not doing enough to combat the effects of climate change.

Abas said in Ibadan that such states ought to do more because the effects, especially that of desertification, was more pronounced in the North.

He, however, commended Lagos which, though a southern state without problem of desertification, had planted four million trees.

Abas said the Federal Government had carried out many initiatives across the country to curb the effects of climate change. “What we need to do now is to encourage the states to do more, “ Abas said.

Plateau

The police in Plateau on Monday confirmed that two bombs were discovered in the premises of a hostel at the University of Jos on Sunday.

The Police Commissioner, Mr Emmanuel Ayeni, said the officers were able to detonate one of the bombs while the second exploded, injuring no person.

He said: “when my officers and men with the Anti-Bomb Squad arrived in the scene, they were able to detonate the second bomb and luckily, the one that exploded did not harm anybody or cause damage to the hostel block.’’

Ayeni said that although the police had begun investigation, no suspect had been arrested, describing the incident as criminal.

Yobe

The Yobe Youth Network for Justice (YYJ) has challenged Senators representing the three senatorial districts in the state to emulate Sen.Ahmed Lawal, of Yobe North in the execution of development projects.

The group’s Chairman, Bashir Tahir, who made the remark in an interview on Monday in Damaturu said that the state was proud of Lawal’s performance in debating issues on the development of the state, especially the creation of shelter belt and proposed constructions of earth dams.

“ We have also acknowledged his outstanding role as Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts in the National Assembly,” he said.

The chairman, however, listed the award of scholarship to150 students of tertiary institutions, execution of water projects in 56 villages and 900 Youth Empowerment Projects as some of his excellent achievements in the state.

Zamfara

The Zamfara House of Assembly has passed 10 bills and 29 resolutions since its inauguration in June last year, the Speaker, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, said, at a news conference to mark one year of the assembly.

He said the house also adopted reports of 16 committees set up to investigate some aspects of the state administration.

He said some of the bills were those for the enactment of laws for the establishment of the state agency for the control of HIV/AIDS, debt management, cotton development agency and the 2012 budget.

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.