Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa House of Assembly, last Thursday passed a bill empowering the state government to acquire loan from the capital market.
The House passed the bill into law at plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri. The bill was passed by the legislators after it was introduced for third reading by the Majority Leader, Alhaji Ishaq Bala and seconded by the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Simon Isa .
The law now empowers the state government to raise loan from the capital market through the issuance of debt securities in the form of registered bonds, for projects implementation.
An earlier report on the bill, submitted by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Laori Kwamoti (PDP-Numan) and which was adopted by the assembly, said the aim was to open new sources of funds to finance development projects in the state.
Benue
The Benue Government on Wednesday expressed its willingness to collaborate with the Canadian Government on training of teachers.
The state’s Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani, who made the announcement when the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Chris Butter, paid him a courtesy visit in Makurdi. He said that the State Government was interested in the training of teachers in order to upgrade the standard of education in the state.
Lawani who commended the cordial relationship existing between Nigeria and Canada , expressed optimism that teachers from the state would be given adequate training by Canadian experts.
Earlier, Butter said that the Canadian Government was sending over 200 teachers to Nigeria for training exercises annually.
Kaduna
The Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on Thursday advised its top officials to adopt best information management practice, in line with the Freedom of Information Act.
Managing Director of FERMA, Gabriel Amuchi, gave the advice in Kaduna at a two-day seminar on the Act, with the theme, “ Information Management and Security of Document”, organised for Zonal Directors and Engineers under the agency.
He said, “although the Freedom of Information Act was to make public records and information more freely but as top officials your documents should be safe and secure at all times.”
Amuchi added that the Act covers all public agencies, including FERMA, but cautioned the officials on the adverse consequences of mismanaging information.
Kano
As part of the country’s Democracy Day activities, the Kano State Government said last Wednesday that it registered 16,000 commercial tricycle operators.
Commenting on the development, the Managing Director of the state Road and Traffic Control Agency (KORATA), Alhaji Mohammed Diggol, said that the policy was to replace the ban on commercial motorcyclists in February.
Diggol said the decision to register the tricycles was due to government’s desire to regulate the activities of the operators and ensure sanity in the business.
He said the tricycles were issued with code numbers for easy identification due to the security challenges facing the state.
Katsina
A total of 157 students have been registered to begin 40 days programme on the memorisation of the Hadith, Sheikh Shuaibu Abubakar, Coordinator, Centre for the Memorisation of Hadith, has said.
Hadith are compilations of the sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad and is the second most important source of knowledge on Islam after the Holy Qur’an.
Abubakar, told newsmen on Thursday in Katsina that the participants were drawn from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, adding that the programme was designed for those who had memorised the Holy Qur’an, have appreciable level of proficiency in Arabic and had obtained a minimum of Senior Secondary School Certificate.
Kebbi
Chairman, Kebbi Chapter of National Association of the Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGON), Alhaji Musa Dan-Illela, says the nation’s mineral deposits are not optimally exploited.
He said in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday that many state governments were not harnessing their mineral deposits to generate revenue and create employment.
Dan-Illela suggested that governors should partner with their local governments in the extraction and utilisation of mineral resources for their economic development.
“Kebbi State is endowed with gypsum, bitumen, iron ore as well as precious stones in commercial quantities.
Kwara
The Senator representing Kwara South Senatorial District, Sen. Simeon Ajibola, has advised politicians to shun politics of deceit and make the well-being of the electorate their priority.
Ajibola gave the advice in Ilorin on Saturday while presenting an 18 seater bus to Kwara South chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said that only sincerity of purpose and harmoniousworking relationship between political office holders and their constituents would ensure speedy development.
“It is only sincerity of purpose and total avoidance of politics of deceit that can fast-track development. “Closeness to the people at the grass roots as well as the general well-being of the electorate should be given greater attention,’’ he said.
Jigawa
The Chairman , Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Jigawa State, Alhaji Adamu Maigoro, has commended the efforts of the government in revamping the agricultural sector.
Maigoro who gave the commendation in Dutse on Thursday said that the state government, in collaboration with the Federal Government, had distributed 7,200 tonnes of fertiliser and 2,000 tonnes of improved rice seeds, to encourage paddy rice production in the state.
He added that the state government also made available about 2,000 tube wells and hand pumps to irrigation farmers and called for the adoption of practical measures to encourage the establishment of rice mill, to add value to the local produce.
Kogi
The wife of Kogi Governor, Hajia Halima, has promised to work with the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in order to improve upon the life of people of the State.
Wada who made the promise in Lokoja on Friday at the opening ceremony of the Zonal Delegates Conference of the association enjoined the association to extend its activities to the rural areas to further promote the cause of women, children and the less privileged.
She commended the association in the state for touching the lives of the people through its activities and lauded it for getting the people well informed about happenings around them
Nasarawa
The Executive Chairman, Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Malam Abdulkarim Abdullahi, has commended the state government for transforming its education sector.
Abdullahi who made this known in an interview in Lafia last Thursday, said that the transformation had improved the standard of education for the overall development of the state during the last two years.
“Gov. Tanko Al-Makura deserves commendation for giving top priority attention to education sector by improving the standard of primary, secondary and tertiary education in the state.
Osun
The Osun Waste Management Agency says it arrested 200 persons, including 50 whom it prosecuted for contravening the state sanitation laws between January and May, 2013.
The agency’s General Manager, Mr Ganiyu Oyeladun, who made this known in an interview in Osogbo, last Thursday said that the offenders, who were tried by mobile courts, paid penalties ranging from N2, 500 to N5, 000 fines.
“Although our service is not to necessarily fine or punish, we are interested in enforcing total compliance. “The period of grace is over and we want total compliance with environmental laws,’’ he said.
He said that the bi-monthly sanitation exercise in Osun had paid off, adding that there had been a drastic reduction in incidences of communicable diseases related to poor environmental management.
Sokoto
The Chairman, Wurno Local Government in Sokoto State, Alhaji Shehu Chacho, said recently that his administration spent N45 million to construct Almajiri schools in different parts of the state.
Chacho in Sokoto that the council spent N1 million to construct each of the schools, and that the programme was part of the council’s resolve to prevent street begging among youths in the area.
He said that local teachers charged with the responsibility of teaching the youth had been placed on monthly allowance.
Chacho added that the administration was also working on modalities to provide lunch for the students.
Plateau
Sen. Joshua Dariye (LP-Plateau Central) has advised politicians to look beyond 2015 elections and work for better and united Nigeria.
Dariye gave the advice in an interview in Jos last Thursday, said “Whether 2015 comes or not, we should look beyond it. This one wants to be, the other wants to be that, I don’t think this should be the case,” he said.
The Senator, however, expressed delight that the country’s 14 years of unbroken democracy was on course, in spite various challenges confronting the nation.
Dariye, one-time Governor of Plateau, also expressed optimism that the country’s democracy would thrive, if the mistakes made were identified and corrected.
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.