Nation

THE STATES

Published

13 years ago

August 1, 2012

Adamawa

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has reiterated his commitment to leaving a legacy by transforming the party.

Speaking to newsmen in Yola, Tukur said his programme of action included reconciliation, reformation and rehabilitation of the party based on equity and justice.

“I am one of those who founded the party and because of that, I felt I should come when the opportunity permits to show interest in leading the party, which I did. I am not in the job for the name or riches. For me, it is pay back, pure and simple.”

Tukur also replied people who said he was too old for the position, noting that what mattered was not years but having the ideas and ability to lead and deliver.

Bauchi

Barely 48 hours after three police officers were ambushed and killed by unknown gunmen along Bauchi-Gombe road, another police officer has been assassinated at his residence in Bauchi.

The deceased, Abdullahi Shehu, former ADC to the former Deputy Governor of the state, Abdulmalik Ibrahim, met his untimely death on Friday night when unknown gunmen invaded his Zango residence in Bauchi metropolis.

A family source said that the gunmen arrived at the residence of the deceased on a motorcycle at about 8.45 p.m. when he was having the Ramadan evening meal with some friends and relations.

The source said that one of the gunmen asked the gathering who among them was called Abdullahi, adding that the deceased then stood up to identify himself and was shot by one of the assailants. The family source added that the deceased had been buried in accordance with Islamic rite.

Benue

Chief Terkula Suswam, Managing Director, Ashitech Resource Ltd, has called on the Federal Government to map out grazing areas and animal tracks in all the states of the federation.

Suswam who made the call in Makurdi, said that if grazing areas and animal tracks were mapped out, it would go a long way in curtailing the incessant crises between herdsmen and farmers.

He urged the state government to set up committees to urgently wade into the lingering crisis between Fulaniherdsmen and Tiv farmers on one hand and the herdsmen and the Idoma farmers on the other hand.

He appealed to both the Nasarawa and Benue State Governments to beef up security in the areas that were prone to attack and implored the public to support any move by the states or Federal Government to restore peace in crises-ridden areas.

Kaduna

Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa on Saturday stressed the need for Muslims to uphold family values as a panacea for peaceful coexistence.

Yokowa said this in Kaduna at the seventh Ramadan lecture organised by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). The governor, represented by his Deputy Dr Ramalan Yero, his deputy, observed that family values had been relegated to the background, partly resulting in youth restiveness.

Yakowa said parents should shape the society through proper moulding of their children. He urged the Muslim community to preach for the rekindling of family values, stressing that such would go a long way to curb youth restiveness in the society.

Malam Umar Paiko, the guest speaker, spoke on the need for the Muslim Umah to embrace charity as an important virtue, urged Muslims to sustain the lessons learnt during the fasting period. He called for increased prayers for the nation.

Kano

An environmental expert, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, has stressed the need for the residents of Kano State to ensure cleanliness of the state to guarantee good health.

Mohammed, who gave the advice in Kano in an interview said that the frequency of diseases in the state was due to unhygienic environment, adding that the best way of preventing disease was through the maintenance of good hygiene.

Mohammed, however, commended the state governor for improving the sanitary condition of the state and sustaining the monthly sanitation.

“I am appealing to government agencies, stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to sensitise the public on the dangers and importance of clean environment,’’ he said.

Katsina

The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) has expressed concern over “some irregularities’’ during the conduct of the bye-election into the state assembly in Dutsi Local Government, Katsina State.

The INEC National Commissioner, Amb. Ahmad Wali, expressed the concern in Dutsi while monitoring the exercise in the area.

“I went round and met many electorates in an orderly manner at their polling units; unfortunately, there are many cases of snatching of ballot papers and boxes in some polling units; it is unfortunate. “Polling units, where ballot papers or boxes were snatched will be cancelled,’’ he said.

He said that though it might be painful to realise that results in some polling units were cancelled, voters must learn to protect their votes in future elections in the area.

Kogi

Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State has assured rural dwellers in the state of 24-hour qualitative and efficient health care delivery system as part of his transformation programme for the health sector.

Wada gave the assurance at Okpo, Olamaboro Local Government at a one-day free medical treatment organised by the state branch of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for rural communities in the three senatorial districts of the state.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Chief Yomi Awoniyi, said his vision for rural dwellers was one that would enable them to have 24-hour access to medical services in all cottage and general hospitals across the state.

He said that the state would employ adequate medical personnel and provide quality facilities in the hospitals as he called for inputs from the NMA on ways to improve health care delivery in the rural areas.

Kwara

Forty nine people were last Saturday prosecuted in Ilorin for violating the Kwara State environmental law. The culprits included housewives and students arrested at different parts of the state capital during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

Some of those arrested were found roaming the streets, while some were playing football on the streets, during the exercise.

The presiding Judges of the two sanitation mobile courts, Mr. Kayode Oni and Alhaji Abdulhamad Yussuf, decried the high number of people prosecuted during the exercise.

They attributed the situation to lukewarm attitude to the scheme by some residents, coupled with lack of awareness about the monthly exercise.

The state Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Chief Sanumal Bamisaiye, urged the people of the state to imbibe the culture of hygiene in order to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

Lagos

General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of

God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has mandated all provinces of the Church to impact their host communities not only spiritually but also with visible development projects.

Pastor Joseph Obayemi, Special Adviser to the General Overseer, said this last Sunday in Lagos at the commissioning of various projects to mark the 60th Annual Convention of the Church.

Obayemi explained that the projects, ranging from construction of boreholes and a maternity, renovation of existing schools and building new ones in the community, were part of the corporate social responsibilities of the RCCG.

Niger

A member representing Bida/South in Niger State House of Assembly, Malam Bala Faruq, has donated assorted grains worth over N10 million to his constituency.

The lawmaker said shortly after distributing the food items in Bida, that the gesture was aimed at cushioning the effect of fasting on his people.

He said that 1,200 bags of rice, 200 bags of millet, 100 bags of beans, 200 bags of sugar as well as 150 cartons of milk were distributed to the people.

“Things are really bad now, poverty is biting harder now, and I want to ensure that my people do the fasting with ease,’’ he said.

Faruq appealed to the beneficiaries to use the grains and provisions judiciously, and admonished them to worship Allah and pray fervently during the holy month of Ramadan for Nigeria to be peaceful and united.

Ogun

The Ogun State Government has appointed Prof. Saburi Adesanya as the acting Vice Chancellor of the state-owned university, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye Adesanya was the former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin) Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, announced the appointment in Abeokuta in a press statement.

In the statement, Olaniyonu also announced the appointment of Mrs Omolara Osunsanya as the acting Registrar of the university. According to the statement, both appointments are with immediate effect.

Prof. Wale Olaitan and Mr Femi Oyewole, the former vice chancellor and registrar of the university were on Friday ordered to proceed on compulsory leave by the governing council of the institution.

Oyo

A medical consultant at Giwa Memorial Hospital, Ibadan Dr Gbenga Durojaiye,has urged Muslim smokers to use the opportunity of the Ramadan to quit the habit.

He warned those who smoked while breaking their fast (Iftar) that the first smoke inhaled immediately after ending the fast could be dangerous considering the state of the body at the time.

Speaking in Ibadan, Dr Durojaiye said that smoking could be dangerous for a fasting person whose body was trying to recoup after abstaining from water and food for so long.

“Smoking is the worst thing a person can do to his body, especially at iftar in Ramadan. “Those who do so and escape the risks involved must consider themselves lucky if they do not contract serious cardiovascular problem during this period,’’ he said.

Taraba

The Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Taraba State, has approved the remittance of three per cent of the total monthly subvention of councils in the state to the Taraba University.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Yahaya said this while speaking with newsmen in Jalingo.

He said that, the institution would use the funds in staff recruitment and developing infra-structure. “Initially, we demanded for five per cent remittance but the bureau insisted that our demand was practically impossible.

“We will make judicious use of the three percent in developing our young institution.”

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.