Nation
THE STATES
FCT
The Census Tribunal on Tuesday in Abuja validated the 2006 enumeration figure of Charanchi Local Government Area of Katsina State as declared by the National Population Commission (NPC).
The council had earlier dragged the commission before the Census Tribunal ‘A’ alleging that some of its localities were not captured by the enumeration officials during the 2006 National Population and Household Census.
It also alleged that the population figure of 136,989 declared for the area was grossly inaccurate and urged the tribunal to void the figure.
The council further submitted that the commission’s witness, Mr Simon Gonley, was not competent and that his testimonies were based on ‘hearsay’, adding that he was not physically present in Katsina State during the census.
The tribunal validated the figure in its judgment based on the failure of the council to tender evidence with regards to the localities it alleged were not enumerated.
Gombe
The Gombe State Government last Tuesday said it would upgrade facilities at the Gombe airport to international standard.
Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure Alhaji Shehu Ahmed, said in Gombe that the government would key into the current efforts of the Federal Ministry of Aviation to access funds for the project.
He said that the funds would be utilised to remodel the airport’s terminal building, provide an operational cargo terminal and cold stores for preservation of perishable goods for export.
“We want what will give Gombe the status of being truly an international airport, not a mixture of arrival and departure but things you see in an international airports in terms of character and design.
“Our aim is to make the state a real commercial and tourist destination, considering its central location in the North East sub region. “ he said.
Ahmed said the focus on air transport was because of its safety and reliability, as well as timely movement of people and goods for enhanced economic services.
Jigawa
Chairman, Nigeria Association of Pensioners, Jigawa chapter, Alhaji Abdullahi Tsoho, on Tuesday commended the state government for its support to the pension fund scheme.
Tsoho said in Dutse that the gesture had facilitated effective implementation of the pension fund in the state.
He said that government had demonstrated commitment to ensuring prompt payment of its contribution to the scheme.
“In the last six years; the state government has been paying its contribution as at when due with more than N16 billion in its coffers.
“It also adopted proactive measures to improve the wellbeing of pensioners in the state,” he said.
The chairman said that the association was working in collaboration with the state government to sensitise its members to enhance effective pension administration.
Tsoho urged workers to ensure proper documentation in line with the civil service rules to avoid encountering problems in the payment of their benefits after retirement.
Kaduna
A legal practitioner, Mr Christopher Danjuma, on Tuesday said children who were abused by their parents, government, individuals or institutions have a right to sue for compensation.
Danjuma, of Noble Crest Solicitors, Kaduna said in an interview that the rights of children were clearly enshrined in the Child Rights Act and were enforceable.
He noted that a lot of children were being trafficked, abused and denied certain basic rights, saying that such children have the legal mandate to seek for compensation.
Danjuma commended the activities of some non governmental organisations championing the cause of children and advised children being abused to seek the assistance of such organisations. He urged parents to believe in their children and guide them to attain their full potentials in life, adding that excessive control and denial of rights would only affect the children negatively.
Katsina
Faskari Local Government of Katsina State has distributed hand washing facilities to primary school pupils to encourage personal hygiene among residents.
The Chairman of the council’s Transition Committee, Alhaji Isiyaku Ahmad, handed over the items on Tuesday in Faskari as part of the ongoing Maternal and Child Health Week.
He said personal hygiene was necessary to the promotion of community health and urged parents and teachers to inculcate the habit in children.
In a related development, wife of the Chairman, Musawa Local Government of the state, Hajia Rabi Kira, has embarked on a tour of the area to sensitise rural women on nutrition and hygiene.
She said that the tour, followed the success of a similar one on immunisation. According to her, rural women deserve to be educated, especially on diet and nutrition as well as environmental sanitation.
Kebbi
The National Association of Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Owners in Kebbi, has secured a N15.7 million loan for disbursement to its members, the state Chairman, Alhaji Bagudu Mohammed, has said.
Mohammed said in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday that the loan was obtained from a commercial bank and was meant to assist the association members to boost their business.
The chairman said no fewer than 100 registered members who fulfilled the bank’s conditions would benefit from the loan.
“The association obtained the money from a commercial bank, so we must ensure that the bank’s conditions are all met so that we will not be seen as defaulters in case we seek for more assistance,” he said.
The chairman disclosed that the association had in the last two years provided financial assistance amounting to N650,000 to the families of some of their deceased members.
Kogi
Kogi State Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi, has said that the state would exploit the opportunities offered by the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Project in Niger State.
In statement issued in Lokoja on Tuesday by his Press Secretary, Mr Michael Abu, the deputy governor said, power supply in the state will be boosted when the project is eventually inaugurated.
He said that the 700MW Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Project was good for the transformation of the power sector.
Awoniyi said that the state was in partnership with the Federal Government and Niger State Government to ensure that Kogi benefitted immensely from the project.
“The completion of work on the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant will help boost power generation in Kogi.
Lagos
British Council Nigeria on Monday restated its commitment to protection of Nigeria’s children from abuse, exploitation and negligence. The council said in statement to mark 2013 Children Day that it was important to create “child-safe environment” in Nigeria communities.
According to the statement, child protection involves taking steps to safeguard children from all forms of abuse. It also expressed the council’s preparedness to safeguard and promote children’s welfare in Nigerian communities
“Many children experience abuse every day from people they know and trust. The situation threatens their survival, development and participation in society. “We at British Council Nigeria are therefore, campaigning for lasting change to ensure that children are safe and protected.
Ondo
Five men on Monday died in a motor accident along Akure- Ogbese road. Head of Operations, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Sunday Ajayi who, confirmed the accident on Tuesday in Akure, said that the accident was caused by dangerous over-taking .
Ajayi said that the accident involved a trailer with the registration number Abuja XA 397 GWL and a Volkswagen Jetta marked Lagos AV 800 KSF.
He said that the corpses of the victims had been deposited at the state Specialist Hospital, Akure while the two occupants of the trailer survived the accident.
Ajayi advised motorists to exercise patience on the road, adding that over-taking was not a quick and safe way of driving.
Plateau
The President, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, on Monday urged the Federal Government to increase the level of attention given to the Nigerian child.
Kaigama said in Jos at the Children’s Day Anniversary that the level of attention given to the welfare of the Nigerian child left much room for improvement.
He said that he had always insisted that the family, school and places of worship were strategic areas for the formation of children.
Kaigama said the institutions were better-placed for moulding the character of children while government should provide the environment by meeting the needs of schools.
Zamfara
A Gusau Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday remanded one Rabo Muhammad, 36 of Daki Takwas area of Anka Local Government in Zamfara, for alleged conspiracy and culpable homicide.
The prosecutor, Mr Tiokulus Danjuma told the court that on May 12, this year, one Muhammad Kirwa of the same address reported the case at Jangebe police outstation.
Danjuma said that about two months ago, the accused person with two others now at large, entered the complainant’s apartment and shot his younger brother, Manu Kirwa, to death.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3