Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Alhaji Sahabo Jauro, the newly elected Chairman of Mubi North Local Government of Adamawa, has inaugurated five supervisory councillors and four special advisers.
At the inauguration on Wednesday, Jauro directed the appointees to submit their blueprints for improving the local government area as their performance would be assessed after nine months.
“After nine months we will assess your performance and see whether to allow you to continue or to replace you,’’ Sahabo said.
The chairman urged them to work hand-in-hand with elected councillors to ensure harmony.
Bauchi
The Bauchi State House of Assembly has pledged to enact more people-friendly legislation in 2013.
The Speaker, Alhaji Yahya
Miya, gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi. Miya said that the Assembly would be more proactive in its responsibilities in the New Year.
“We had fruitful relationship with the executive last year and this enabled us to pass various bills on critical sectors like health, education, youth empowerment and job creation,’’ he said.
Ekiti
Politicians in Ekiti State have been urged to shun activities capable of causing disaffection among the people ahead of next year’s governorship election.
The Chief Missioner of Ansar -Ur- Deen in the State, Sheik Ameen Adebayo, made the call at an inter-denominational prayer session organised by the state government for a crisis-free new year.
He urged politicians in the state to shun violence and watch their utterances as they prepare for the 2014 governorship election in the state.
Gombe
Alhaji Ali Goro, the Chairman, Joint Association of Physically Challenged Persons in Gombe, has called on the state government to involve members in employments concerning them.
Goro said involving members in policies and programmes involving them was necessary to avoid ‘diversion of slots’ meant for them.
The chairman was reacting to the 2013 budget proposal presented to the House of Assembly by Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo last week which made provision for the creation of jobs and skill acquisitions for the handicapped.
Jigawa
The Jigawa Government has proposed N4.4 billion as capital investment in agriculture for the 2013 fiscal year.
This is contained in the 2013 Appropriation Bill submitted to the state’s House of Assembly by Gov.
Sule Lamido in Dutse. Lamido said the amount was provided for agricultural extension services, rehabilitation of irrigation fields, livestock and grazing lands development projects.
He explained that part of the amount would be spent on the procurement and distribution of fertilisers, seeds and other inputs to farmers.
Kano
Some Kano residents on Wednesday in Kano commended Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso’s administration for initiating adult literacy classes in the state.
Some of the prospective students of the classes, who spoke with our correspondent, expressed optimism that the initiative give them a new lease of life. “I was encouraged by my children to enroll into the classes to be formally educated,’’ Malam Sanda Uwaisu said.
He wished that someday he would be able to read newspapers written in Hausa as he had always relied on his children to read and then tell him the news.
Katsina
The Katsina State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Wednesday said that two people died in a New Year Day accident at Dandagoro, in Batagarawa Local Government area of the state.
Alhaji Habu Dauda, the FRSC Sector Commander, disclosed this in an interview with news in Katsina.
He said that a man and a woman lost their lives in the accident, which occurred at about 9.22 p.m. On Jan. 1.
Dauda said that the accident involved an unmarked motorbike and a Volkswagen Golf 3 car, with Reg. No. CF927ABC.
Kebbi
The Emir of Zuru in kebbi, Alhaji Sani Sami, has called on prominent people from the emirate to empower the youth, and work for the unity and development of the area. Sami made the call in Zuru while honouring some prominent persons from the area.
He said the people were honoured in recognition of their achievements, “especially for their exemplary conducts and activities’’
Kwara
An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court has remanded two students, Bala Abubakar and Sambo Aminu, over alleged possession of Indian hemp.
The accused were arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Kwara Police Command on Unity Road in Ilorin.
According to the charge sheet, the accused persons were arrested on Dec. 30 after a search conducted on them revealed substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
The charge sheet said that when the accused persons were interrogated, they could not give a satisfactory account of the substances found on them.
Ogun
The Ogun Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) said it had arrested two suspected pipeline vandals on Ajede road in Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesman, Kareem Olanrewaju, told newsmen in Abeokuta that the suspects were aged 35 and 55.
“The suspects were operating with guns along side with others now at large. “Our surveillance team deployed to monitor the activities of vandals around the place relayed the information but the suspects took off before the arrival of the combat team, ‘’ he said.
Oyo
The Oyo State Police Command said on Wednesday that it was expecting an additional 300 newly-recruited officers in January to boost its manpower.
The police spokesman, Mr Ayodele Lanade, said this in Ibadan while speaking with newsmen
“Due to the nature of crime, you cannot rest on your oars. “Criminals keep changing the way they operate and so, the police cannot afford to relax, he said.
Plateau
The Speaker of Plateau House of Assembly, Mr John Dabwan, has called for peaceful coexistence in 2013 among the various tribes in the state.
Dabwan told newsmen in Jos that people should work together for peace to return and for tourism to flourish once again in the state.
He also called on the people to support government efforts to develop the state.
Yobe
The Yobe Government on Wednesday mounted a water-tight security at the Yobe State House of Assembly in Damaturu, hours before Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam presented the state’s 2013 budget.
Our Source said that the road to the assembly complex on Maiduguri road in Damaturu had been cordoned off by stern-looking security operatives.
Top government functionaries and reporters going to the assembly were subjected to vigorous screening by the security operatives.
A professor of English linguistics at the Rivers State University (RSU) Nkpolu Oroworukwu Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Enyi Ngulube, has advocated for better and improved funding for language centres in Nigeria, such as NINLAN Aba and Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, for optimum value and effective local languages development.
He also called for funded research on the development of orthographies and language documents across the country to rescue local languages from extinction, as well as having a well-planned and implemented mother tongue education in all institutions in the country, from primary to tertiary.
Prof. Ngulube made with these assertions while presenting his inaugural lecture at the university’s 121st inaugural lecture with the topic “The Career of Rough Beats: Language, Literature and the Development of our Common Humanity” held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The erudite scholar, in the lecture, stressed that the study of English language, linguistics, and literature is very broad, large, and difficult, adding that he overcame the rough roads through resilience and determination.
He described language as “a purely human and non-instinctive means of communicating ideas and emotions,” noting that “the word is a fundamental need in language; you cannot study language without the use of language.”
He urged parents to be cautious with their utterances, warning that “what they refer to their children as is what they will automatically end up becoming.”
He recommended a branded English language for every profession or course of study, stressing that embedding oral literature in the teaching of students from primary to tertiary level will enable them to know their traditions and roots of origin.
“Tell them the folk stories and moonlight tales; you are sending them back to their people. You must be a human being first before becoming a medical doctor, engineer, or anything else,” Ngulube said.
He also called for better and improved production of quality language and literature teachers, provision of modern teaching/instructional materials, improved welfare packages for teachers, and provision of better infrastructure at both primary and secondary school levels.
He used the opportunity to appreciate the Vice Chancellor for the approval of the Department of English Language and Literature, adding that it had been his long-held dream for the university.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, while highlighting the lecture, opined that the lecturer x-rayed the lecturer’s journey into the study of English language, linguistics, and literature, describing the field as broad, large, and difficult, but with determination and focus, he was able to defeat the beasts he encountered on his way.
Zeb-Obipi agreed with the lecturer’s recommendations on ways to improve indigenous languages in the country and directed that modalities be worked out for the university to have the Department of English Language and Literature, among others.
He highlighted RSU’s recent victory in the Bilingual Community Project organized by the French Embassy, describing it as proof of the university’s rising excellence in language studies.
The Federal Government through the implementation of the various projects of the Ogoni cleanup programme is demonstrating a strong commitment to national peace and the development of Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who made this assertion at a two-day training on Mechanism for Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) and other Peacebuilding Techniques for Community Leaders In Ogoni, held in Port Harcourt, said through the ongoing environmental restoration effort, potable water provision, livelihood restoration, public health interventions, and the Ogoni Power Project, HYPREP is contributing to national peace and development.
He explained that by improving the living conditions in communities and creating new opportunities for young people, the Project is also reducing the social pressure that often fuels conflict, stressing that the Project is proud of this service to the Ogoni people and the nation.
Describing traditional leaders and stakeholders as peacebuilders and guardians of community harmony, Zabbey noted that the workshop would strengthen their capacities and reinforce the Ogoni dialogue process, which HYPREP continues to support in line with its mandate on peacebuilding.
He said HYPREP is actively promoting ADR alongside other mechanisms across its project sites and other areas of operation aimed at fostering unity, fairness, mutual respect and faster dispute resolution, stressing that these are qualities necessary for the future of Ogoni people and their communities.
He further indicated that the Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal is disposed to promoting peace and stability across Ogoni communities and HYPREP project sites.
The Project Coordinator, therefore, charged Ogoni leaders to be mindful of their actions, words and body language, as what they say or do can either promote peace or fan the embers of conflict.
Continuing, he stated thus,”We must always ask ourselves: Is my position on this matter in the people’s interest? Does it promote unity and progress? Will it enhance development?”
The Project Coordinator assured the participants that HYPREP is working tirelessly in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme and ensure that its benefits reach the grassroots where they are needed most.
Stressing the need for Ogoni leaders and stakeholders to explore communication and trust options to prevent disputes from degenerating into violence, the Project Coordinator noted that it was time for all Ogonis to be united for development, leaving behind perceptions that do not serve collective progress.
Similarly, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige, said the workshop is a strategic platform aimed at strengthening the capacity of traditional institutions and community leaders to sustain peace, foster dialogue and promote non-adversarial engagements in the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Prof Onyige noted that the Ogoni leadership structure commands deep respect and legitimacy, and strengthening their capacity in ADR methods such as mediation, negotiation, dialogue, facilitation, and consensus building means strengthening the foundation of peace in the region.
Participants, comprising traditional rulers and key stakeholders in Ogoni, commended HYPREP for the initiative, and assured it of their continuous support to the Project by providing an enabling atmosphere for the smooth implementation of the cleanup project in Ogoniland.
Resource persons who presented thought-provoking lectures at the workshop included the Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Kinikanwo Anele; Prof Olariwanju Lawal; Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige; and Dr Gbenemene Kpae; among others.
With significant achievements recorded across thematic areas of the Ogoni cleanup programme being executed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Project Coordinator of the Project, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has said that all these are enabling pathways to the development of Ogoniland.
This is coming on the heels of milestone achievements in the following areas and their impact on Ogoni communities. They are mangrove restoration which is 94 percent complete; shoreline remediation which stands at 67.1 percent; and the phase 2 land remediation progressing to 36.55 percent.
Moreso, HYPREP has constructed 14 water facilities, providing potable water to 40 communities. With the commissioning of the water schemes in Bane and Gwara communities, the number of communities with access to clean and safe drinking water will be 45. The process of operationalising the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) which is at 92 percent complete, is ongoing. The same for the Ogoni Power Project which is progressing with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakaara substations ongoing
Similarly, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are at 76.8 percent and 98.7 percent respectively.
This is alongside other public health interventions and the Human BioMonitoring Survey also in progress.
Under the livelihood
programme, over 7,000 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni women and youths, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up kits, workshops, education grants, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This quarter, training will commence in other demand-driven skill areas, such as cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, commercial diving, and underwater welding.
Zabbey had reeled out these achievements, during the third quarter interactive session between the Project Coordination Office engagement with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt on Friday, in line with HYPREP’s strategic stakeholders policy to provide an interface opportunity to abreast Ogoni youths on the Project’s activities, while garnering their feedback.
Zabbey noted that, “This
quarterly engagement was,therefore, designed as an inclusive strategy to ensure that youth voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and progress updates are provided transparently. Also, it reflects our firm belief that a project of this magnitude must be people-centred, accountable, and participatory”.
” I am delighted to inform you that the Project remains on course to achieve its mandate as outlined in the UNEP Report on the Ogoni environment and the official gazette establishing HYPREP. HYPREP is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the cleanup projects and activities”, he said.
He stressed that HYPREP’s achievements are pathways to a better Ogoniland, assuring that the Project’s goals are aimed at benefiting all categories of Ogoni youths, whether in business, farming, advocacy, education, entrepreneurship or community development.
”This Project belongs to all of you, and its success depends mainly on your participation, unity and constructive engagement. And with your support, we are confident that all challenges will be addressed in the overall public interest,” Zabbey said.
The Project Coordinator urged Ogoni youths to continue to support the Project by promoting peace, discouraging misinformation, and collaborating with project teams working in the communities, and address challenges through dialogue, rather than confrontation.
Prof Dinebari Badey, a Professor of Development Sociology in the University of Port Harcourt, delivered the keynote address, linking the nexus between HYPREP and youths in the development of Ogoniland through unity of purpose while Engr Solomon Akere, gave a talk on Ogoni youths in business.
Participants raised questions concerning the maintenance of the water projects, remediation efforts, and compensation for the Right of Way (RoW), among others.
In attendance were management staff of HYPREP who provided responses to the interventions.