Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The Borno State Government last Sunday said it spent
more than N600 million on logistics to ensure that its pilgrims have a hitch-free 2013 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.
Governor Kashim Shettima who made the disclosure when he spoke to newsmen on preparations for the 2013 Hajj in Maiduguri, said the state government spent over N148 million on the construction of a new office complex for the state Pilgrims Welfare Board in Maiduguri.
He said we have secured a befitting accommodation, near the Haram for our pilgrims in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to prepare ground for a hitch-free hajj operation. “We have also constructed an office complex for the Borno pilgrims’ welfare board in Maiduguri to motivate the staff conducting the hajj exercise.
“The office complex also provides an accommodation for officials of the zonal office of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). The objective was to ensure that officials of the welfare board work in conjunction with those of NAHCON for successful hajj operations”, he added.
FCT
The first and second batch of FCT pilgrims for the 2013
Hajj will depart to the Holy land, Saudi Arabia, on September 19, the FCT Pilgrims Board, has said.
A statement by Malam Muhammad Lawal, the board’s Public Relations Officer, in Abuja last Sunday, indicates that the screening will commence on Sept.18, at the permanent Hajj Camp in Bassan Jiwa, FCT.
“Pilgrims for the third batch will report for camping on September 19, while those for fourth and fifth batches will hold on Friday, September 20. The board has made adequate security arrangements to safeguard the lives and property of the intending pilgrims at the camp.Pilgrims are advised to wear their uniform and display their identity card to get access to the camp,’’ he said.
He said the transportation of pilgrims from the FCT would end on September 21 and appealed to the pilgrims to adhere to the flight schedules as those who miss their flight should blame themselves.
Jigawa
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
last Sunday presented relief materials to flood victims in four local government areas of Jigawa State.
The NEMA North-West Coordinator, Alhaji Musa Ilallah, presented the items to the Special Assistant to the Governor on Emergency Management, Alhaji Sani Kangire, in Birninkudu said the materials should be distributed to flood victims in Babura, Taura, Gagarawa and Sule-Tankarkar Local Government Areas.
The top NEMA official, who was represented by Hajiya Amina Ahman, NEMA’s Head of Administration in Jigawa, said the items included 150 bags of rice as well as 100 bags each of maize, millet and guinea-corn.
Others are 30 bags of sugar, 100 cartons of detergent, 100 bags of bathing soap, 200 pieces of mattresses, 200 pieces of blankets, 100 pieces of mosquito nets and 500 nylon mats. The rest are 300 bags of cement, 300 bundles of roofing sheets, 300 packets of zinc nails and 100 bags of nails.
Kano
The Kano State Health Management Board has warned
Coca Cola Bottling Company Plc. in Kano against allowing contaminated products into the market, the Public Relations Officer of the board, Alhaji Adamu Abdullahi said in Kano, last Friday.
According to a statement by the boards PRO, the board’s Executive Secretary, Dr Shehu Abdullahi, gave the warning when he met with the management of the company last Thursday. The meeting followed complaints from members of the public of cases of contaminated Coca cola.
The statement said that it was the responsibility of the board to protect and prevent citizens from consuming anything that might be harmful to their health.
A director in the board, Alhaji Jafaru Gwarzo, advised the company to abide by the rules and regulations governing the production of such consumables.
Responding on behalf of the management of the company, Hajiya Umma Aliyu, pledged that the company would address the problems raised.
Katsina
The first batch of 530 prospective pilgrims from Katsina
State last Sunday left the Katsina International Airport for Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj.
The pilgrims who were in the first flight, were from Kankia zone. The zone comprises Kankia, Kusada, Ingawa, Musawa and Matazu local government areas of the state. They boarded Boeing 747 of Max Airline at 1.45 a.m.
The governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, had urged the intending pilgrims to pray for peace, progress and unity in the nation.
He gave the advice in his farewell message to them in Katsina.
Kwara
Chairman of Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara
State, Mrs Bashirat Mohammed, has called for peaceful co-existence among communities in the area.
Mohammed who made the call at a stakeholder’s forum organised by the PDP last Sunday in Omu-Aran said that mutual relationship by the indigenes would assist the government to develop the communities.
She urged the community leaders to close ranks in their efforts to raise the standard of living of people in the communities, adding that no meaningful development could take place in an atmosphere of violence and rancour.
She said that her administration had provided a template which the incoming council executive could build on for the betterment of the people and declared that the achievements recorded by the administration in improving the economy of the communities was made possible through the prayers and assistance of traditional rulers.
Lagos
The first batch of 517 pilgrims from the South-West Zone
were transported last Sunday morning to Medina, Saudi Arabia, from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
The Managing Director of Med-View Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, told newsmen that the Airline would transport most of the pilgrims from the South-West and the South-East.
“Med-View Airline would be transporting the pilgrims from Lagos, Ilorin and Port Harcourt, and we have deployed another Boeing 747 series to handle Ilorin and Port -Harcourt Zones, ‘’Bankole said.
He said that the airline had been approved to transport 5,500 pilgrims from the three zones, adding that with 30 years experience in handling Hajj operations, Med-View Airline had put in place adequate arrangements that would ensure the success of this year’s Hajj.
He assured the pilgrims that Med-View Airline planned to complete the transportation of the pilgrims by September 19.
Nasarawa
The Head of Paediatrics Department, Federal Medical
Centre, Keffi, Dr Onuchukwu Chumam, last Sunday called on the Federal Government to build a special ward in the hospital for children infected with tuberculosis (TB).
Chumam, a Consultant Paediatrician, said the hospital needed an isolated ward designated for children with TB, adding that the practice was capable of exposing the other children to the risk of contracting the disease.
He said, “one of the challenges we have is personnel because you can see the adult ART anti-retroviral therapy/TB clinic is being run by a special group. “We manage the other children alongside children with HIV/TB. We need more work force.
Niger
The Niger State Government last Sunday said
it barred six female intending pilgrims from performing the 2013 Hajj because they were pregnant.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Ibrahim Sule, made this public in Minna at the flag-off of the inoculation of intending pilgrims against yellow fever, polio and cerebrospinal meningitis.
He said the medical team for the Hajj exercise advised that the six pregnant women be barred in line with the directive of the National Hajj Commission.
Sule said the six women were discovered to be pregnant during the screening of intending pilgrims across the state adding that the medical team also seized the travelling documents of the affected women in a bid to ensure that the ban was enforced.
Ogun
The Ogun State Teaching Service Commission
(TESCOM) has appointed 26 principals, 67 vice principals and seven zonal secretaries.
Speaking at an induction programme for the appointees in Abeokuta last Sunday, the Chairman of the commission, Ms Olubukunola Onabanjo, said the appointments were aimed at ensuring effective administration of schools.
Onabanjo urged the appointees to live above board in all their dealings and be diligent, adding that they must be resourceful, dynamic and innovative.
A Commissioner in the commission, Mr Timothy Adebowale, had earlier noted that the appointments were based on merit and in accordance with teachers’ seniority list.
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 26,592 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, raising alarm across the state’s education sector.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, said that “45.7 per cent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams did not pass.”.
This failure rate comes despite the state government’s significant financial backing N1.577 billion was paid on behalf of the students to cover WAEC fees.
“Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 only was paid by the state government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for the year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.
In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.
“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos state government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Government rolled out a bold educational intervention – the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO candidates – aimed at reversing the tide of academic failure in the state’s public schools.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader commitment by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip Lagos students with tools for success.
“This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the ministry’s commitment to advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” Alli-Balogun stated.
Ekiti State Government says it has vaccinated 226,429 eligible girls in the State against the Human Papilloma Virus, an infection believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, said the HPV immunization exercise, which she flagged off in the State in May 2025 was a great success, noting that it reached targeted communities and protected children against cervical cancer.
The governor’s wife made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti yesterday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the introduction of Measles Rubella vaccines in Ekiti State.
She said, “The introduction of Measles Rubella Vaccines is a very crucial step towards protecting Ekiti children particularly the target age group of nine to 14 years from diseases.
“I urge all women in the State to regularly scan their breasts. This can be done with the aid of the Mammography machine which is available at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, noted that the Measles Rubella vaccines would be rolled out nationally in October, 2025.
Filani said that the State was taking proactive steps to sensitise residents of the State before the date to ensure adequate awareness on the vaccines by citizens.
The Acting Ochimba of Ogida in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam, says peace remains paramount in the socio-economic development of Etche land.
Eze Azuatalam, however, called on his people to embrace and eschew violence at all times.
The Onwa Nagbara Oha made the call during the official commissioning of his palace at Ogida recently.
The epoch-making ceremony held at his palace saw the attendance of members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs; the academia; the political class; the clergy ; women as well relevant stakeholders within and outside Etche land.
The Ngbaragida of Azuafor re-emphasised the essence of peace and social harmony which he said open the window for meaningful development to take place.
He also sought the support and collaboration of his people to achieve the desired goals of development, progress and prosperity.
He noted that the peace being witnessed in the area must be sustained through collective effort, saying, contributions and sacrifices need to be made by all concerned to live in peace.
Eze Azuatalam said his aim towards building a better Ogida cannot be compromised as he and his people have no other place called home.
The Acting Ochimba said as part of efforts to build a better Ogida, he has instituted a number of development projects, adding that some of his kinsmen have been empowered through his hard-earned money and resources, saying, he will continue to assist the less- privileged around him.
He reaffirmed his desire to impact positively on the lives of his people as the engagement of the youths will help to reduce social vices in the area.
He thanked members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs for honouring his invitation.
He specifically thanked the Onyi Ishi Etche and Ochie of Etcheland, His Eminence E mmanuel Opurum for leading Etche on the path of prosperity, and described the revered King as a role model to the younger generation.
He said his fatherly role has been a source of hope and inspiration to his subjects.
The palace was unveiled by His Eminence with the assistance of Ochimba of Abara, Eze Jonah Nwala and other prominent Etche traditional rulers and chiefs while the Onyi Ishi Etche was represented by Eze Ken Nwala, Onyi Ishi Agwuru, Ulakwo/ Umuselem Clan.
The Onyi Ishi Etche urged other prominent sons of Etche to emulate the kind gesture of Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam as his magnanimity is being seen and appreciated by his people.
Eze Azuatalam also applauded the efforts of Prof Mekuri Ndimele, former Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in the growth of Etche land.
According to him, during Ndimele’ s tenure, a lot of development projects were sited at the institution, including the development of Etcheland and empowerment of Etche people.