Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Chairman, Bauchi State Sports Council, Alhaji Tanimu Sa’idu, has commended Team Bauchi to the 18th National Sports Festival, saying that it performed well, in spite of late preparations.
Sa’idu told newsmen in Bauchi that both the council and the state government were impressed with the athletes’ 18th position on the final medals table.
“The contingent deserves commendation because it has performed well, in spite of late arrangements and preparations for the festival.
Borno
The Borno State Government has announced the award of a N95 million contract for the rehabilitation of the state School for the Blind in Maiduguri.
Alhaji Usman Durkwa, the Commissioner for Religious Affairs, told newsmen that the exercise was in line with the policy of the present administration to provide welfare for persons with disabilities.
He said the contract would include the provision of bedding and furniture, special text books, brail computers and other special teaching aids.
He said that the contract would also cover the supply of equipment for the teaching of the deaf and other disabled persons in the school.
FCT
The Chairman House Committee on INEC, Mr Jerry Mamwe, has called on the Budget Office to understand the workings of INEC with a view to attracting more funds for the organisation.
He made the call in an interview with The Tide in Abuja.
Mamwe said that the call became imperative because INEC had had its budget slashed by 40 per cent in spite of its enormous responsibility to the nation.
“It is so unfortunate that the executive is not seeing election as a process; rather, it sees it as an event and this cannot move INEC forward.
Kano
Commercial motorcycle operators in Kano say that they are recording low patronage because of the prevailing harmattan haze and cold in the area.
Some of the motorcyclists told newsmen that the weather condition had adversely affected their business and income.
Aminu Wada, one of the motorcyclists operating on Hadeja Road, said that the severe weather had forced him to stop operating in the early hours of the day.
“Since the turn of the season, customers no longer patronise us; they now prefer to board taxis and buses, especially in the morning,’’ he said.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government has expended N300 million on community development projects under its Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) scheme in the past three years.
The state’s Commissioner for Lands, Alhaji Nasidi Danladi, made the disclosure in Katsina on Tuesday at a training workshop for 300 Local Government workers, organised by the CSDP.
The CSDP which replaces Local Empowerment and Environmental Management Project (LEEMP), is aimed at assisting local communities in infrastructure development.
Kwara
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has presented relief materials worth millions of naira to flood victims in Kwara.
The materials were presented by the NEMA Zonal Coordinator, Mr Ishaya Chinoko, to the Special Adviser, Emergency and Relief Services to the Governor, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi.
The items included over 200 bags of rice, 350 mattresses, clothes and food items.
Chinoko said the items were provided to meet the immediate needs of the victims in the five affected council areas.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Hussaini Abubakar, has said the government will check the increasing cases of quack in the teaching profession.
At a sensitisation workshop organised by the Teachers’ Registration Council (TRC) in Lafia Abubakar, said the infiltration of non-professional teachers into the profession in the state would not be allowed to continue.
The commissioner, who was represented by Hajia Zainab Abdulmumuni, the Permanent Secretary, said: “Teaching is just like any other profession in the country, so anyone who love teaching as a career must have the necessary qualification.’’
He commended TRC for living up to its mandate and expressed the hope that the registration of professional teachers by the council would help in repositioning the profession like others.
Niger
A former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has expressed worry that the insecurity in the country was affecting the nation’s economy, especially its Northern part.
Abubakar made the remark in Minna after his inauguration as the Chairman of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai Endowment Fund board of trustees by Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger.
He said the north was hard hit by the problems of insecurity that its once popular night economy had been sent into comatose, adding: “there is no more night economy’’.
He said carnage, destruction of public property and loss of innocent lives were having negative effects on the national economy and therefore should be stopped.
Ogun
The Ogun State Ministry of Health has announced it would establish four ambulance points at strategic places to reduce deaths on the highways.
The points are Mowe-Ibafo axis, Odeda-Ibadan Road, Olorunda-Imeko Road and Oni in Ogun Waterside.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka made the announcement in Abeokuta, while defending his ministry’s budget for 2013, before the state legislators.
Soyinka said that it was part of government’s effort to further safeguard lives and to make the accident victims to get prompt attention.
Ondo
The European Union will no longer allow timber products from Nigeria into the its markets as from March 2013, according to a Nigerian official.
The Deputy Director of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr. Oye Adedoyin revealed this in an interview with newsmen in Akure.
Adedoyin was in the Ondo State capital to attend a Federal Department of Forestry-sponsored workshop tagged “Survey and Study on Timber: Flows to identify the extent of illegal logging in Nigeria.”
Oyo
The Chairman, Oyo State branch of Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), Chief Joseph Ojediji said that members of the group planted about 400,000 hybrid cocoa seedlings.
Ojediji told our correspondent in Ibadan that the last time seedlings were provided free to farmers in the state was two years ago.
“ Two years ago, we got about 1.5 million seedlings from the government, this time around, we got about 400,000 while we got nothing during the last planting season,’’ he said.
He said the Abiola Ajimobi administration in the state had improved its relationship with cocoa farmers in the state, adding that his members really appreciated the free seedlings distributed to farmers.
Plateau
Some residents of Jos and Bukuru in Plateau are now rushing for second hand clothing and other materials for the Christmas.
Residents were seen purchasing assorted materials from second hand clothes dealers for the Christmas at the Terminus, Katako and Bukuru markets, our source said.
The survey revealed that the second hands clothes market was patronised in preference to the new clothes and boutiques because of the assorted materials, which could be purchased cheaply.
The survey showed that the residents were motivated to patronise the second hands clothes due to the paucity of funds because of non-payment of majority of the workforce at the grass-roots level of government in the state.
Taraba
The Chief Judge of Taraba, Justice Josephine Tuktur, has appealed to state governors to grant financial autonomy to the judiciary for effective service delivery.
Tuktur told our reporter in Jalingo that the autonomy of the judiciary would improve service delivery and help in prison decongestion.
“I want to appeal to state governors to grant financial independence to the state judiciary.
“If a budget is made for the judiciary and promptly released, most of the challenges in the system that delay service delivery will be tackled and quick dispensation of justice will strive,” she said.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), Eastern Zone, has applauded the appointment of Hon. Benibo Anabraba as Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG) by His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara,
The Socio Cultural Organisation described the appointment as a masterstroke of leadership and wisdom.
MOSIEND in a statement by the Acting Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Gibson, and the Assistant Secretary, MOSIEND Eastern Zone, Dr. Tams Longjohn hailed the appointment as a reflection of Governor Fubara’s Eagle-eyed discernment, belief in merit, and unwavering commitment to building a peaceful and people-centered administration anchored on excellence and integrity.
“Hon. Anabraba is a statesman in every sense, an accomplished lawyer, a tested grassroots politician, and a man of Peace whose record of service stands tall,”
The statement noted that “from his days as a grassroots politician to his election as a legislator, his tenure as Minority Leader in the Rivers State House of Assembly, and his service as a Commissioner, Hon. Anabraba has remained a model of maturity, courage, and dedication to the Rivers project.”
MOSIEND expressed confidence that Hon. Anabraba will bring his trademark calmness, intellect, and wealth of experience to bear in his new role, assuring that the people of Rivers State will feel the positive impact of his leadership.
The group commended Governor Fubara for his strategic and inspiring commitment to peace, stating that the appointment once again demonstrates the administration’s preference for competence, loyalty, and results over political convenience.
“We are proud of this choice,” MOSIEND affirmed. “It signals continuity, stability, and a renewed focus on people-oriented governance.”
The organization congratulated Hon. Benibo Anabraba and prayed for divine guidance, good health, and strength as he takes on this vital assignment in service to Rivers State.
Chinedu Wosu
Nation
HYPREP Remains Steadfast In Adhering To International Standards—Zabbey …As Regulators, Asset Owners Hail Project
The Project Coordinator of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has said that the Project remains steadfast in adhering to international standards, processes and protocols, contending that it would continue to engage all stakeholders transparently to achieve set goals and targets.
This is even as regulatory stakeholders, regulators and asset owners have expressed satisfaction with the work so far being carried out by the Project in Ogoniland, commending it for sustaining the momentum of the ongoing cleanup project.
Zabbey, who gave the indication during the third quarter meeting of HYPREP with regulators and asset owners in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said as an interventionist and community-based project, HYPREP would continue to engage all stakeholders transparently, as it addresses challenges that may arise during project implementation.
To this end, he noted that the continuous support and constructive feedback of regulators and asset owners remains vital in helping the project coordination office overcome challenges and sustain the momentum of progress.
Zabbey said the quarterly meeting with regulators and asset owners serves dual purpose of providing a platform for the Project to share updates on the status of the cleanup project, highlighting areas where further support is required; and allowing “regulators and asset owners to provide constructive feedback that would help our collective approach.”
According to him, the meeting is ultimately designed to catalyse deeper collaboration and synergy between HYPREP and its regulatory stakeholders.
While appreciating and recognising the invaluable roles of the regulators and asset owners in the project’s Quality Assurance and Quality Control(QA/QC) framework, the Project Coordinator said their consistent oversight, technical input, and commitment to upholding standards have remained essential to the integrity of the Ogoni cleanup efforts.
He noted with a sense of satisfaction that Quality Assurance and Quality Control are being given increased attention at all levels of the cleanup project, and solicited for the continuous support of the regulators and asset owners.
“QA/QC considerations are a key part of HYPREP’s policy framework, from the Governing Council decisions to field-level work,” he said, emphasising that this focus ensures that HYPREP’s interventions and activities are executed professionally, safely, and in compliance with national regulatory standards and global best practices, guaranteeing value for money.
“As we continue to consolidate the gains made so far, I want to reassure you that HYPREP remains steadfast in adhering to international standards, processes and protocols”, he said.
Zabbey announced that considerable progress is being recorded across various thematic areas of the cleanup project, including remediation of hydrocarbon-impacted sites; mangrove restoration; provision of potable water; public health interventions; the Ogoni power project; and the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration; among others.
He said these coordinated interventions are gradually restoring confidence in the cleanup effort and bringing renewed hope to Ogoniland.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of the performance status of the cleanup project by HYPREP’s Evaluation and Monitoring Unit, which put the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration at 92.5 percent completion, among other legacy projects.
In their response, the regulators and asset owners were unanimous that HYPREP has recorded remarkable improvement so far in the cleanup efforts, and solicited for more support of the project.
Environmental Resource Manager of the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development(CEHRD), Mr Meshack Uyi commended the Project Coordinator and his team for the remarkable improvement recorded so far in the area of environmental remediation and mangrove restoration, describing the Ogoni cleanup as one of the most robust in Africa.
He applauded HYPREP for its human capacity building initiative, saying, building the capacity of Ogoni people and training them to become mangrove vanguards are boosting their economic wellbeing.
Uyi said what is going on in Ogoniland is a learning process for the Niger Delta, saying, “those who think that nothing is happening in Ogoniland, they should come closer and see that a lot is indeed going on, and this can impact on Nigeria, the Niger Delta and Africa.”
He called on people all over the world to come on board to support HYPREP to achieve far greater milestones.
Also, the representative of the Rivers State Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development, Mrs Doris Wilcox Balafoma commended the Project for doing very well, working and collaborating with its partners, saying, “We are always with them in the field.”
She scored HYPREP 90 percent for its cleanup efforts, insisting, however, that the abandonment of some ongoing water facilities in some Ogoni communities is due to cost variations.
For the Executive Director of the Society for Women And Youth Affairs(SWAYA), Dr Stella Amaine, HYPREP has recorded a great improvement in the area of women inclusion and livelihood restoration.
She, however, noted that she looks forward to the realisation of the 45 percent empowerment quota for women as promised by the Project Coordinator.
The National Association of Plant Operators (NAPO), a recognized trade union, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Minister of Labour and Productivity to urgently investigate alleged tax deduction fraud by the management of Daewoo E&C Nigeria Limited and Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited.
The union, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), through its law firm, Everlaw Associates, Abuja office, raised an alarm about “unwholesome events” at the Nigerian LNG Limited Train 7 project site in Bonny, Rivers State.
The petition, signed by O. Marx Ikongbeh, Esq., the Principal of Everlaw Associates, and supported by a five-point affidavit deposed by NAPO President Mr. Harold Benstowe, alleges that the management of Daewoo E&C Nigeria Limited and Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited has been making unusual deductions from workers’ salaries for Pay As You Earn (PAYE) purposes.
According to the workers, despite the deductions, the taxes have not been remitted to the Rivers State Inland Revenue Service (RIRS) to their credit. When the workers approached RIRS to process their tax clearance certificates, they discovered that the taxes had not been remitted.
The workers further alleged that the management of Daewoo E&C Nigeria Limited and Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited misappropriated the deducted PAYE taxes, running into billions of Naira, for three years, to the detriment of both the federal and state governments.
The union urged the anti-graft agencies to investigate the management of NLNG Limited, Daewoo E&C Ltd and Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, and their subcontractors, to bring the perpetrators of this tax fraud to justice.
However, in a press statement, the management of Daewoo E&C Limited claimed that the tax matter had been completely resolved, stressing the company’s commitment to transparency, due process, and sound corporate governance, adding that the company remains dedicated to maintaining a compliant trust worthy and proactive working environment as it continues the successful delivery of the NLNG Train 7 project.
Akujobi Amadi