Nation

THE STATES

Published

13 years ago

December 19, 2012

Adamawa

Adamawa Deputy Governor James Ngillari said on Friday that 504 prospective Christian pilgrims from the state were set to perform the 2012 pilgrimage in Israel.

Ngillari stated this at the orientation and farewell service for the intending pilgrims at the Church of Brethren in Nigeria, EYN, in Yola.

The deputy governor, who is also the leader of the state government’s delegation, called on the prospective pilgrims to consider their journey as a religious obligation.

“I call on the intending pilgrims to marry what they have read from the Bible and what is obtaining at the religious site,” Ngillari said.

Ekiti

The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, last Friday ordered the release of 27 inmates who have been on awaiting trial list for a long time.

He gave the order during an official visit to Ado-Ekiti Federal Prison in Ado-Ekiti.

Daramola, who also granted bail to seven inmates, expressed dismay at the congestion in cells in the state.

He criticised the inadequate facilities in all the prisons.

“Today we have attended to 292 cases awaiting trial; 27 were released outright and seven others were granted bail, based on unfounded claim of offence, health condition and long stay in detention without any evidence to try them,’’ Daramola said.

FCT

President Goodluck Jonathan has commiserated with the family of the former Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Archbishop Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye, who died early last Friday.

Jonanthan also sent his message of condolence on the death of the patriarch to the Anglican Communion.

In a condolence message, signed by Dr Reuben Abati, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, the President described late Adetiloye as a great man of God who would be missed, not only by members of the Anglican Communion, but all Nigerians.

Jonathan said that Adetiloye would be long remembered for his zeal and passion for evangelism and planting of churches and his interest in not only the spiritual life of church members but also their education, health and economic well-being.

Jigawa

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said last Friday it arrested 30 alien herbal drug hawkers in Dutse, the Jigawa capital.

The Director of the agency in the state, Mr Kenneth Azikwe, told newsmen in Dutse that the drug hawkers were arrested with support from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

“In recent times, foreign nationals have been coming to Jigawa State to hawk herbal drugs; my men, in collaboration with the immigration service, have cleared all of them away and those herbal drug dealers from outside Nigeria are no longer there.

“And even the drug dealers that relocated to Dutse because of the clampdown on them in Kano, have been cleared; so Jigawa Dtate is free of drug hawkers.

Kaduna

Alhaji Kabir Shema, a junior brother to Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State is dead.

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Press Matters, Alhaji Abdulhamid Danjuma, said in Katsina that the deceased died at Katsina General Hospital last Thursday night at the age of 46, after a brief illness.

Until his death, he said, Kabir was a staff of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Katsina State Command.

He said Kabir had since been buried in Katsina town in accordance with Islamic injunctions, and that he was survived by one wife and four children.

Kano

Kano-based business mogul, Aliko Dangote, has pledged support for Kano State Government in health, education and other sectors.

Dangote made the pledge while launching the polio immunisation in Kano where he personally vaccinated his granddaughter.

He said it was “indeed very embarrassing” that Nigeria was still one of the three countries with persistence of polio virus.

“It is a point of concern to us because the other two countries still having the virus are war zones. That is Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Dangote said.

Kebbi

Health officials in Birnin Kebbi Local Government and Ambursa /Kardi Development Area in Kebbi State said they discovered 37 fresh cases of measles in rural communities.

The discovery came two weeks after seven children died of the disease.

The Director of Health in the area, Malam Yusuf Sani, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi that the disease was discovered in Runtuwa,Gawasu in Ambursa/Kardi development area.

He said treatment and isolation of the affected children as well as provision of drugs had begun.

Kwara

An Islamic Scholar, Sheik AbdulAzeez Shitu, on Saturday said the adoption of the death penalty by the National Assembly would be helpful in fighting terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria.

Shittu told newsmen in Omu-Aran, Kwara, that the adoption was a bold step and commitment by the assembly in curtailing the menace of terrorism and kidnapping.

Shittu who is also the chief missioner of the Islamic Development Association (IDYON), observed that terrorism and kidnapping had done much to damage the image of the country.

“It is not enough for the two arms of the National Assembly to adopt the bill on death penalty for the act of terrorism, kidnapping and other related offences.

Lagos

The late Abiodun Adetiloye, the second Archbishop and Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), was a faultless and humble Nigerian, some clerics said in Lagos.

The clerics made the submission in separate interviews with newsmen on the death of Adetiloye.

The late primate died at 1.30 a.m last Friday, few days to his 83rd birthday at Odo-Owa, his country home in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti.

Rev. Femi Asiwaju, Vice-President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Lagos State Chapter, expressed surprise over the death of Adetiloye, saying he would be fondly missed by Nigerians.

Niger

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State Saturday inaugurated the state’s chapter of the Association of Jerusalem Pilgrims, charging the body to bring peace and development to Niger.

Aliyu made the call in Minna after inaugurating the association and receiving an award from the state’s chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for contributing positively to the Christian Community in Nigeria.

He urged Jerusalem Pilgrims to use the teaching of Jesus Christ to bring peace and development to the state.

“If you go on pilgrimage no matter your sins or bad ways when you come back we expect you to be a better person in your family and the society at large.

Ogun

The Ogun House of Assembly on Friday urged the Ministry of Education to provide resources for the building of model schools and maintenance of existing ones.

The Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Mr Olusola Bankole, made the call in Abeokuta at the ministry’s defence of its 2013 budgets before the committee.

Bankole said government needed to renovate some schools in the state and build new ones.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Segun Odubela said the ministry planned to generate N293 million as revenue in 2013 and that N8.4 billion had been budgeted as total expenditure.

Oyo

British American Tobacco (BAT) Nigeria said that the company would continue to support Federal Government’s initiative on the promotion of agriculture through the provision of strategic inputs.

The Demand Chain General Manager of the company, West Africa Area, Mr Hugo Norman, gave the assurance on Friday during the company’s scholarship award ceremony in Ibadan.

Norman, who stressed the need for stakeholders to support government’s effort to restore agriculture to its leading position as a critical sector, said time had come for subsistence farms to expand into large scale mechanised ones.

This, he explained, would enable agriculture practitioners to design and implement sustainable methods that would revolutionise the sector.

Plateau

Plateau Government and a Brazilian firm, EBS Fedeta de Fedates, State on Friday signed a Memoranda of Understanding for the establishment of a cassava processing factory in the state.

Gov. Jonah Jang signed on behalf of the state government, while the President of EBS Fedeta de Fedetes, Mr Waldfried Schurt, signed for the firm.

Jang said agreement was a dream come true for the state as it would stimulate economic growth in the state.

The governor said the state produced large quantities of cassava, yam and potatoes which would be used by the factory to boost the revenue base of the state.

Nation

UNIZIK Honours Business Mogul, Ezekwe, For Philanthropism

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has conferred the Award of Digital Academic Promoter on the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Arrowconn Group, High Chief (Dr.) Emeka Ezekwe, for his philanthropic gestures.

Chief Ezekwe received the philanthropist award during a landmark technical workshop organised by the Department of Business Education, Faculty of Technology and Vocational Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, recently.

Making the presentation, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ugochukwu Stanley Anyaehie, said the award was in recognition of Ezekwe’s philanthropic contributions, academic support, and dedication to human capital development, hailing his commitment to bridging industry and academia.

Ezekwe who is also the Chairman of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce Professional Services and Consultancy Trade Group, delivered a keynote address at the event with a theme: “Technicalities and Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Business and Education.”

In his address, Ezekwe described the current AI surge as a civilizational shift rather than a mere technological upgrade.

He compared AI’s rapid trajectory to past innovations like electricity, computers, the Internet, and mobile phones, which he said, progressed from luxuries to necessities.

“AI is reshaping value creation, knowledge sharing, and decision-making at unprecedented speed. It has moved from experimentation to execution, powering business forecasting, academic research, digital learning, and strategic decisions,” he said.

The business mogul, however, warned that in business, delays lead to losses, while in education, irrelevance spells failure.

“AI is no longer optional, it is a necessity,” he declared.

Ezekwe highlighted the critical AI skill gap, driven by curriculum lags, limited training, and fear of the unknown, but stressed the bigger danger which is exclusion.

“Those who master AI will shape markets, education, and policy; those who lag will be shaped by others,” he said.

The Arrowconn Group boss also outlined AI’s practical advantages for businesses —including data-driven strategies, smarter investments, scalable customer insights, and competitive edges for SMEs.

In education, he clarified that AI empowers rather than replaces teachers, enabling personalized learning, efficient lesson planning, assessment support, and accelerated research.

He advocated a shift from rote memorization to critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, while preserving human strengths in engagement, judgment, and collaboration.

Ezekwe urged ethical AI development, warning that “technology without values is dangerous,” and called on institutions like UNIZIK to update curricula, train educators, promote interdisciplinary work, forge industry partnerships, and produce graduates who are solution providers in an AI-driven world.

The workshop also marked the unveiling of the maiden edition of the UNIZIK Journal of Business Education and Entrepreneurship, reinforcing the department’s push for scholarly innovation in AI applications.

Nation

Don Calls For National Forensic Data Bank To Combat Rising Crime

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Port Harcourt’s College of Health Sciences, Prof Gabriel Sunday Oladipo, has underscored the urgent need for Nigeria to develop a comprehensive forensic science infrastructure, warning that the nation’s ability to investigate and solve crime is being hampered by lack of scientific data and systems.

In his inaugural lecture titled, “Man: Fearfully Different, Wonderfully Made,” delivered as part of the 207th Inaugural Lecture Series of the university, Prof Oladipo highlighted that while no two individuals are exactly the same, the country currently lacks the robust systems needed to collect and manage biological and anthropometric data that could support criminal investigations.

He explained that the natural variations among humans — from fingerprints to physical measurements — form the foundation of personal identification in forensic work. These biological differences, he said, are essential for distinguishing one person from another, especially in the context of criminal investigations where clarity of identity can mean the difference between justice and impunity. Without this scientific foundation, he argued, law enforcement agencies lack a critical tool in the fight against crime.

Experts have noted that Nigeria’s forensic science capacity has historically lagged behind needs, with only a few forensic facilities available and many law enforcement agencies struggling to access or use scientific evidence effectively. One review of the state of forensic investigation in Nigeria found that outdated facilities and limited adoption of modern forensic methods have left many cases unsolved or poorly investigated, even as crime rates rise across the country.

In Lagos, efforts to improve forensic capabilities have focused on DNA analysis, with the Lagos State DNA Forensic Centre — the first of its kind in West Africa — providing critical support for criminal investigations and helping to identify human remains, link related cases, and assist with paternity testing. However, such initiatives are yet to be replicated at a national scale, leaving many regions without access to these vital scientific tools.

Prof Oladipo’s lecture went beyond academic theory to propose concrete actions. He called for the establishment of a National Institute of Forensic Science responsible for creating and managing a nationwide anthropometric and forensic data bank. This repository, he stressed, would significantly enhance Nigeria’s capacity to track crime, assist law enforcement agencies, and improve the administration of justice by providing reliable scientific evidence for investigative and legal processes.

He also highlighted the importance of strengthening research and training in forensic science. Many Nigerian universities currently lack the funding and infrastructure to offer complete undergraduate or postgraduate programs in areas such as forensic anthropology, DNA analysis, and crime scene investigation, a gap that forces aspiring experts to rely on collaborations with institutions abroad. By fostering a research-friendly environment and securing greater support from both government and private sectors, Nigerian institutions could produce homegrown experts capable of advancing forensic science in the country.

Awareness of forensic science’s role in criminal justice remains low among the general public and even among some security professionals. Studies have shown that a significant portion of Nigerians are unfamiliar with basic forensic concepts or the existence of tools such as DNA profiling and national forensic databases — tools that are common features of criminal justice systems in countries like South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Prof Oladipo also urged regular training and retraining programs to keep forensic practitioners updated with evolving scientific methods. According to him, continuous professional development is critical in a field where technological advances — from biometric databases to digital forensic tools — are transforming how crimes are investigated and solved.

The lecture was attended by academics, students, and professionals drawn to the intersection of science, identity, and justice, all of whom heard the professor make a compelling case for scientific innovation and institutional reform as central to Nigeria’s effort to contain crime and strengthen its justice system.

The event not only showcased Prof Oladipo’s expertise in human anatomy and forensic psychology but also positioned forensic science as a strategic national priority — one that could bring clarity to investigations, support victims and their families, and ultimately enhance public safety across Nigeria.

Nation

UPWA Hosts Colourful Inter-House Sports Fiesta

Published

5 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The University of Port Harcourt Women Association (UPWA) on Thursday staged a vibrant and memorable edition of its Annual Inter-House Sports Competition at the University of Port Harcourt Sports Village, drawing an impressive turnout of pupils, parents, staff and invited guests.

The event, organised by the UPWA International Group of Schools, brought together children from the pre-nursery, nursery and secondary sections in a colourful celebration of youth athleticism, discipline and teamwork. The arena came alive with cheers and excitement as pupils, clad in their various house colours, marched in a ceremonial parade before proceeding to compete in a wide range of track and field events, relays, novelty races and other team-based activities designed to promote physical fitness and healthy competition.

Declaring the competition open, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Owunari Georgewill, commended UPWA for sustaining a tradition that continues to nurture young talents beyond the classroom. He noted that sports remain a critical component of holistic education, helping to build resilience, confidence, leadership skills and social interaction among children.

In her remarks, the President of UPWA, Professor Udeme Georgewill, expressed appreciation to parents, teachers and members of the organising committee for their dedication and sacrifice in ensuring the success of the programme despite prevailing economic challenges. She described the event as a reflection of unity and collective effort within the school community.

“This is the first time White House is emerging overall winner, and that shows remarkable improvement and great sportsmanship,” she said. “We all had fun. It is not easy putting an event like this together considering the economic situation, but we are grateful to the parents for being part of this journey. The excitement everywhere is truly heartwarming.”

The competition featured spirited participation from the various houses, including Purple House, San Chicago Red House and White House, with pupils demonstrating strength, speed, coordination and teamwork. Parents and supporters filled the stands, cheering enthusiastically and adding colour to the spectacle, while teachers ensured orderliness and safety throughout the proceedings.

Professor Georgewill emphasized that the true essence of sports lies not merely in winning trophies but in participation and personal growth. “Sports is not just about winning. It is an avenue for growth, discipline and opportunity. The fact that a child is able to participate is already a win. Losing this year does not mean you cannot win next year. Keep trying,” she encouraged, urging pupils to see both victory and defeat as stepping stones to greater achievements.

She further observed that while there are many competing interests in the Nigerian sports sector, consistent grassroots investment remains essential for discovering and nurturing future champions.

The colourful ceremony culminated in medal presentations, trophy awards and group photographs, with UPWA executives, including Vice President I, Professor Adedamola Onyeaso, joining the participating teams to celebrate the day’s achievements.

The annual inter-house sports competition continues to stand as one of UPWA’s flagship events, reinforcing its commitment to balanced education, character formation and the promotion of healthy lifestyles among its pupils.