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THE STATES
Adamawa
Following last Friday’s attack in Ganye in Adamawa, State which led to the death of 25 persons, the police in the state have tightened security in Yola, the state capital.
Investigations in Yola revealed that various check points have emerged on major streets of the state capital leading to traffic gridlock.
When contacted on the development, the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mohammed Ibrahim, said the measure was a proactive one.
Ibrahim said, “You saw what happened in Ganye; we don’t want to take any chances. “We need the public support and understanding to ensure security of lives and properties.” He appealed for understanding from the public. fewer than nine out of the 21 local government areas of the state had been attacked within the past one year.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA) has pledged to tackle road accidents and congestion in the state.
The General Manager of the agency, Mr Charles Fasubaa, said in Ado-Ekiti on Monday that his organisation would restore sanity to the roads.
Fasubaa urged reckless motorists and owners of rickety vehicles to stay away from roads in the state.
He said 300 officers of the agency had been provided with kits by the state government during the inauguration of the agency.
“We are determined to curb cases of avoidable accidents on roads within the state and one can only urge drivers to comply with traffic rules and have regard for human lives,” he said.
The general manager warned residents against bribing staff of the agency, saying any officer caught would be arrested and prosecuted.
FCTT
The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “for serving the course of justice in the ‘APC’ controversy’’.
CNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Osita Okechukwu, gave the commendation last Tuesday in a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja.
“The CNPP salutes the INEC for defending the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by rejecting the registration of the African People’s Congress for irregularities in their application.
“We have always known that African People’s Congress was born out of mischief to sustain the one party state foisted on the people. “As of February 28 when their lawyer, Legal World Chamber, wrote to INEC, the sponsors of the legal team and the protem Chairman of African People’s Congress were bona fide members of PDP,” he said.
Okechukwu said that it could have been a paradox for INEC after de-registering more grounded political parties to go ahead to register “mischief makers and opportunists”.
It would be recalled that three political associations, All Progressives Congress, African People’s Congress and All Patriotic Citizens are claiming the acronym ‘APC‘.
Jigawa
The Birniwa Local Government Council in Jigawa State last Monday, distributed clothing materials worth N700,000 to watchmen and messengers to enhance their operations.
The Director of Personnel Management of the council, Alhaji Zubairu Danfaruwa, said in Birniwa that other items given to the guards include rain boots, umbrella, torchlights and caps.
Danfaruwa said 240 bundles of the materials were shared to 38 watchmen and 25 messengers
The director urged them to reciprocate the council’s effort through hard work and dedication to their responsibilities.
The Head of the Guards, Malam Kura Kadai, thanked the council for the gesture and assured that the affected workers would discharge their duties according to the laid down rules of the council.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government is to embark on land administration reform to improve its internally generated revenue, an official said last Tuesday.
The Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Country Planning, Alhaji Sani Aminu said in Kaduna that the reform would help in reinvigorating economic activities in the state.
Aminu said under the reform, land in the 23 local government areas would be fully utilised.
“A greater part of the land mass was under utilised due to ineffective policies. “Only three per cent of land in Nigeria is fully utilised. A lot of people do not have access to land, which is one of the major bottlenecks to land value and utilisation,” he said. He said that the absence of planning in the utilisation of land resources in the country had resulted to low economic value for land.
Kano
Operatives of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) last Monday, conducted a house-to-house search in some areas of Kano metropolis. The areas included the Yankaba and Eastern bye-pass roads.
Residents of the areas said that the search started very early in the morning.
A resident, Malam Yuhuza Rabiu, said “the military people moved in very early in the morning. They caught us unawares and we could not move out to our places of work”.
Most travellers coming into the city from the Jigawa, Bauchi and Maiduguri axis were affected by the early morning search as the road was blocked, disallowing movement in and out of the affected areas.
The JTF Spokesman, Cpt. Ikedichi Iweha, could not be reached on the situation as his telephone failed to connect when our correspondent placed several calls to the line.
Kwara
The Chairman, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Mrs Basirat Babalola, has commended principals of secondary schools in the area over the academic achievements of their students.
Babalola gave the commendation while presenting gifts to students who excelled in the 2013 LEAH Reading competition. LEAH Reading Competition is the pet project of the wife of the state’s governor, Mrs Omolewa Hamed.
The chairman, who was represented by the council’s vice-chairman, Mr Abdulazeez Yakub, commended the award-winning students and their principals for the feat.
“Without mincing words, we are indeed happy for doing the council proud and being good ambassadors of the community. “With these achievements, there is an assurance that the future of our children is bright and we are bold to say that their academic performance has improved tremendously, “he said.
The Local Government Education Secretary, Mr Lanre Balogun, said the students were a pride to their schools, their parents and the entire Kwara South District.
Nasarawa
The Police Command in Nasarawa State last Monday in Lafia, paraded two suspects for alleged kidnapping of a minor at Mararaba in the Karu Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Abayomi Akeremale, who paraded the suspects, said that the abductors were part of a five-man gang who robbed one Mr Nkereuwem Thompson, a civil servant.
Akeremale explained that apart from kidnapping, the suspects also robbed their victim and his family of their belonging, including cars, laptop, mobile phones and N150,000, at gun point.
The police commissioner said that the suspects demanded N10 million as ransom for the release of the kidnapped minor, adding that the mother of the minor pleaded with the suspects to spare her child for all their property but that they ignored her overture and took the boy to an unknown destination.
Akeremale said the police swung into action by setting up a search party immediately the case was reported at the Mararaba Police Station.
Ogun
The Ogun Police Command last Monday said it arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly initiating the rape of his two sisters in Ijebu-Ososa area of the state.
The command’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, told newsmen in Abeokuta that the suspect was arrested with two other persons.
“The two other persons arrested with the 40-year-old man are those who eventually raped and robbed the two sisters aged 16 and 18. “He gave the two suspects N80,000 to harass, molest and threaten his two younger sisters who had disagreed with him over the sharing formula of their late parents’ inheritance. “You can speak with him as he had already confessed to the crime; so it’s a very straight forward case and we are charging three of them to court tomorrow,’’ he said.
Speaking with newsmen, the victims’ brother said it was true that he hired two persons to threaten his two sisters over their parents’ inheritance.
“I just asked them (the two other suspects) to threaten my sisters so that they can leave the properties to me; I never paid them to rape my sisters as they had done, ‘’ he said.
Osun
The Osun State government has announced the appointment of Prof. Adekunle Okesina, as the new Vice Chancellor of the state-owned University of Osun.
The appointment was contained in a statement signed by Mr Sunday Akere, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, and made available to newsmen in Osogbo, Monday.
The statement said the appointment of Okesina, who was the pioneer Deputy Vice Chancellor of the university, took immediate effect, as Prof. Sola Akinrinde, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the university, vacated the seat in July 20I2.
No fewer than 13 professors had applied to succeed Akinrinde. Among them were Prof. Siyan Oyeweso, the former Provost of the College of Humanities of the university.
External candidates who also showed interest, included Prof. Mojeed Alabi, Political Science Department, University of Ilorin, and Prof. Olu Odeyemi, Department of Microbiology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
Oyo
A group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has appealed to the Boko Haram sect to release its French hostage and her four children in the light of Islamic teachings.
MURIC Director, Prof. Is-haq Akintola, made the appeal on Monday in Ibadan.
The group referred the sect and others connected with the kidnap to Islam’s prescribed treatment of women and children at peace and war.
A French family of seven- Tanguy Moulin-Fournier, his wife, four children and brother- was seized by the Boko Haram on February 19. The family members were seized while holidaying in a region around Cameroun’s Waza National Park.
Meanwhile, a Muslim group in Oyo State, Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organisation, has condemned the reported infiltration of the Boko Haram sect into a part of Lagos.
The National President of the group, Mr Abdulquadir AbdulRafi, told newsmen in Ibadan that the reported discovery of the sect’s hideout in Lagos called for concerted efforts by all Nigerians to check the trend.
The President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide and the Mgboh XIII of the Mgboh Royal Family of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze (Barrister) Godspower Onuekwa, penultimate Friday celebrated his 80th birthday with pomp, pageantry and fanfare.
The celebration, which commenced with a symposium organised in his honour at Rivers State University on Thursday, August 21,2025, got to a resounding climax on Friday at Suntai Event Centre in Port Harcourt, where people from all walks of life, including business associates, friends, well-wishers, relatives, community folks, traditional rulers, and admirers, gathered to pay glowing tributes to the celebrant.
Before then, a well attended thanksgiving service was held that same Friday at Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo, to honour him and return gratitude to God Almighty for the fruitful and eventful life and accomplishments of the Emohua leader and icon.
The service which was officiated by Rt Rev Wisdom Budu Ihunwo, Bishop of Niger Delta North had other renowned and respected clerics like Most Rev(Dr) Blessing Enyindah, Dean, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Rt Rev(Dr) Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, Bishop, Diocese of Niger Delta; Rt Rev Innocent Ordu, Bishop, Diocese of Evo; and Ven Solomon Eze Nelson, Archdeacon, Okoro-Nu-Odo; among others lined up as officiating ministers.
The service lived up to its billing, as it featured powerful and soul-lifting praise and worship; point-blank prayers; and beautiful renditions, which electrified the entire atmosphere, essentially packaged to thank God for the life of the celebrant.
However, the crowning moment actually came when the who is who, the crème de la crème of the society, thronged the terraces and fabulously decorated expansive hall of Suntai Event Centre, to celebrate Eze Onuekwa, amid accolades, aplomb and panache, wining and dining, and clinking of glasses with him and all.
The chairman of the colourful ceremony, Chief Evans Woherem, who was represented by Eze(Prof) Christian Akani of the prestigious Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, praised the celebrant for his youthfulness in spite of clocking 80 years, generosity, humility, humaneness and selfless services to the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, the Niger Delta and Nigeria, and called on all and sundry to emulate his good legacies and simple disposition towards life and existence.
Goodwill messages also poured in in torrents to underscore and salute the doggedness, resilience, astuteness and uniqueness of the endearing life of the celebrant, with Prof Emenike Wami, the Ochia Ohna Ikwerre(XIV), taking the lead.
Prof Priye Iyalla, the wife of late renowned writer, novelist and playwright, Dr Elechi Amadi, held the audience spellbound as she masterfully reeled out the profile of the celebrant, amid intermittent applause from the crowd.
The Tiv Community from Benue State, resident in Rivers State, were not left out, as they honoured and decorated Eze Onuekwa in their complete traditional regalia.
Cultural displays from Baptist Church, Rumuowhor; ADNA Wogbuji Dancing Group, Egbeda; Tiv Dancing Group; and Promoter Eze and Rumu-Mgboh Emohua Wrestling Group, equally added colour and grace to the occasion, with the celebrant and his wife, Dame Ann Onuekwa, joining them to wriggle their waists and bodies in ecstasy.
In his response, the highly elated celebrant, Eze Onuekwa thanked all those gathered to celebrate with him, saying, celebrations would never cease in their homes, and attributed everything he represents in life, including his modest accomplishments to God.
Eze Onuekwa, while addressing newsmen, harped on the need for hard work among the youths and members of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, as a way of sustaining and giving meaning to the motto of the organisation, which he noted is anchored on peace, unity and progress.
He specially thanked God for sustaining his life, and for making everything possible for him and his family, saying, he was joyous that he has today become an octogenarian and elder statesman in Rivers State.
His son and medical practitioner, Dr Samuel Chizia Onuekwa expressed delight that people from far and near had come together to celebrate the father, whom he described as a role model and great inspirator.
He said it was a good thing that the children were celebrating their father when he is alive, stressing that the last time Eze Onuekwa was celebrated in such magnitude was 20 years ago, during his 60th birthday celebration, and prayed God to grant him many more years in good health.
Among dignitaries who graced the event were Senator Andrew Uchendu; Chief Sampson Agbaru; Prof Emenike Wami; Dr Peter Didia; Eze(Prof) Samuel Ugo Onyeka; and a host of others. Justice Iche Ndu(rtd); and C O Kattey were among personalities that attended the thanksgiving service, while the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof Isaac Zeb-Obipi led the academics who graced the symposium, alongside Eze G A O Omodu.
As the 100 Ogoni youths trained by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Creative Arts close out their training on Tuesday at the Theatre Arts Department, University of Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has urged the beneficiaries to use the skills acquired to ensure that the Ogoni stories are told and heard in the right way.
The trainees, who had completed a four- month training in script writing, film production and make-up are beneficiaries of the HYPREP sustainable livelihood programme, aimed at providing high demand skills to Ogoni youths in the lucrative creative arts and entertainment industry.
Zabbey described the Creative Arts training as well as other programmes and interventions as HYPREP’s strategic sustained effort to create alternative sources of livelihood.
”Targeted capacity building for Ogoni youths and women remains a central strategy in HYPREP’s livelihood restoration and improvement efforts. Our goal is to reach every part of the Ogoni community and ensure that no group or talent pool is left behind. This training is a deliberate step to empower young people who aspire to make their mark in the creative and entertainment industry”, he said.
While commending the trainees for producing four short films within the training period, one of which was premiered at the ceremony-Dirty Festival, the Project Coordinator noted that the training would serve as a springboard into the industry, and enable them earn a living, become entrepreneurs, and open new doors of opportunities for themselves and their communities. The three other movies are Open Pain, Bomu and Green War.
He enjoined them to utilise their skills and platforms to promote civic responsibility, peace, and environmental sustainability, urging them to ensure that Ogoni is heard in the right way, speak for HYPREP and highlight the progress being made in implementing the recommendations of the UNEP Report.
Other speakers at the event, including the Director of Technical Services of HYPREP, Prof. Damian-Paul Aguiyi; Dr Ovunda Ihunwo, Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt; Chief Douglas Experience, the Project Coordinator of Halibiz Consult Limited; and Mrs Josephine Nzidee, Head, Sustainable Livelihood of HYPREP, all applauded HYPREP for the training, and charged the trainees to maximise the opportunity.
The trainees were later presented certificates of participation.
Visibly elated Ms Lebee Tornwe, one of the beneficiaries, thanked HYPREP and the Project Coordinator for offering the trainees the rare opportunity to acquire skills in the creative arts and entertainment industry, and expressed delight that Dr Ihunwo and Halibiz Consult Limited gave their all in grooming them.
With the wrapping up of the Creative Arts training(100), HYPREP has trained 230 Ogoni youths in high demand skill sets ,viz; seafaring(100); and aviation (30). The Project will this year, commence training in other skill areas, including Mechatronic, Aviation, Full-Stack Development, Commercial Diving, Underwater Welding and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Still in the offing is the training for Ogoni Persons Living with Disabilities in five skill sets- fish farming; basic computer skills; photography; fashion and design; and shoemaking in line with their Needs Assessment and HYPREP’s policy of inclusivity.
The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) had called on stakeholders to work collaboratively towards the development and empowerment of Ogoni youths.
NYCOP made the call in a communique issue over the weekend after an emergency Congress in Port Harcourt and signed by its President, Comrade Raymond Nwibani Marcus.
In the communique, NYCOP endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s appointments of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees (BOT) members of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), particularly Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah as Chairman of HYPREP’s BOT.
It respectfully appealed to the President to consider appointing a representative from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) under the leadership of Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, being the pioneering social vehicle for Ogoni advocacy since the inception of the Ogoni struggle, adding that it would significantly contribute to the decision-making process.
The body commended the overall management of HYPREP and urges the President to continue funding the HYPREP project.
NYCOP furthermore recommended considering the conversion of HYPREP from a project to a full-fledged agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The communique also stated that NYCOP thanked President Tinubu for establishing the Federal University of Environmental Technology, and for appointing key staff, forming a dialogue committee, and initiating infrastructural projects like the Eleme axis of the East-West Road and the Bonny-Bodo Road, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and economic prospects.
In solidarity with the Renewed Hope Agenda, the endorsed President Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying it believes his leadership embodies the aspirations of the Ogoni people and Nigerians at large.
“After thorough consideration of the Disciplinary Committee’s report, NYCOP resolves:
” To indefinitely suspend Comrade Nade Nade Burale from his position as Secretary General due to misconduct.
“To declare Comrade Saviour Imeabe persona non grata on Ogoni youth issues, given his actions’ potential to instigate crisis in Ogoni and beyond” the communique stated.
NYCOP in his resolution issued a 7-day ultimatum to former HYPREP BOT Chairman Mike Nwialeghi to explain the $100 million HYPREP fund investment, warning of potential litigation.
NYCOP reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ogoni youth interests and preventing personal aggrandizement.
According to the communique the resolutions demonstrate NYCOP’s efforts to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth.
“We will no longer tolerate any individual or group using the name or issues of Ogoni youth for personal aggrandizement.
” Our mandate is clear: to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth” the communique said.
NYCOP passes a vote of confidence in Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah, acknowledging his impeccable credentials and credibility to lead the BOT of HYPREP effectively.
Kiadum Edookor
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