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Yuletide: FERMA Repairs Roads, Urges Motorists To Drive Carefully

Published

12 years ago

December 30, 2013

Female beneficiaries of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) loan programmes at the disbursement ceremony in Yola, recently. Photo: NAN

South-West Zonal Coordinator II, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Mr Oladipo Fagbamila, said on Sunday that all roads in the zone had been rehabilitated to ensure safe motoring during the festive season.

Fagbamila told newsmen in Lagos that all potholes and various road failures in the South-West Zone II had also been taken care of, to stem road mishaps.

He, however, appealed to road users to avoid reckless driving and speeding, due to the smoothness of the roads, so as to stay alive.

“We have made the roads smooth but motorists should not drive from one lane to the other but should maintain sanity and obey traffic rules, to avoid accidents,” Fagbamila said.

He said that the contract for the rehabilitation of the Lagos/Badagry expressway was awarded to three firms who had improved the road from Mile Two up to the Seme Border.

“Vehicles can now pass from the Lagos end to the Badagry side without any rancour,” Fagbamila said.

He said boulders and stone bases were also laid on the Lagos/Abeokuta expressway, to make it smooth, despite the contract awarded to Julius Beger to reconstruct the highway.

Fagbamila explained that the Minister of Works mandated the agency to make all highways smooth.

“The agency decided to move in on the Lagos/Abeokuta expressway due to public outcry when the road became impassable and the Honourable Minister of Works, through the agency, directed us to rehabilitate all federal roads.

“FERMA has been fully on ground in almost all the federal roads in Lagos, most especially for South West Two. We have also worked along the Shagamu/Ajebandele/Ore Road, where a lot of traffic builds up.

“We have been able to intervene and the road is now smooth,” he said.

Fagbamila said that the agency’s traffic management units were also stationed on every 500 metres on some highways, to slow down speeding vehicles, due to the smooth roads, to avoid accidents.

“We have the SURE-P people on ground to ensure there is no traffic build up and we have made it in such a way that a SURE-P staff would be on ground, every 500 metres.

“This is on Shagamu/Ajebandele road and they are to hold the red flag, so that they can control traffic,” he said.

Fagbamila said that the Federal Roads Committee on Surveillance and Action Against Road Side Trading and Other Forms of Road Abuse (FERSCARA), was also working with the agency.

The coordinator said this was to curb accidents and all forms of recklessness and abuse of the roads.

“FERSCARA is working to ensure that vehicles do not move from one side of the road to the other to cause gridlock there,” he said.

Fagbamila said the committee made up of FERMA, the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, the Civil Defence Corps, National Union of Road Transport Workers and the FRSC, was on ground to ensure safety.

He said that roads repaired included the Lagos/Badagry expressway, Lagos/Abeokuta expressway, Ikorodu/Shagamu, Ikorodu/Itoikin, Papalanto/Shagamu road, Shagamu/Ajebandele road and the Ibadan//Gbogon/Ife road, among others.

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198 UNIBEN Students Bag First Class

Published

2 days ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

A total of 198 students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN ) Edo State, bagged a First Class degree out of 14,083 students to be awarded first degree at the institution’s 51st Convocation and Founder’s Day ceremony.

Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, disclosed this on Monday in Benin at a pre-convocation press briefing.

He said 4,217 students bagged a Second Class Upper, 7, 928 got a Second Class Lower, while 578 bagged a Third Class degree.

He said 15 new approved programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC) would commence in the 2025/2026 academic session.

According to him, “The wheel of progress is on course and moving steadily in the University of Benin. This administration is poised to deliver on its mandate of effective, practical teaching, sound learning, result-oriented research and impactful community service.

“We must applaud the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for establishing NELFUND, and by so doing significantly reducing the financial stress of students in the process of acquiring tertiary education. We enjoin students and their parents to take full advantage of the federal government’s benevolence in instituting the fund.”

Prof. Omoregie disclosed that Nigeria’s Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, would deliver the Founders’ Day lecture with the topic, “Reforms for a Shared Prosperity”.

The UNIBEN VC said Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and Former Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, would deliver the Convocation Lecture on the theme, “Making Our Universities Great”.

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Bayelsa Education Fund, British Council trains tra 1,000 teachers

Published

2 days ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The last batch of 400 public school teachers in Bayelsa State on Monday commenced training under the sponsorship of Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) and the British Council.

This batch will bring to 1000 the number of public school teachers in the state who have benefited in the partnership arrangement.School supplies

The EDTF, British Council and Teachers Training, Registration and Certification Board collaborated in the capacity development programme.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the five day capacity building program, Commissioner for Education Dr Gentle Emelah reiterated the commitment of the Bayelsa government to training and capacity of teachers in the state.

He noted that the improved teaching methodology in the state was responsible for the state producing the best student in the 2025 West African School Certificate Examinations.

Prof Ebimiowei, Executive Secretary at EDTF, noted that the collaboration is aimed at improving learning outcomes for pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa.

“You will agree with me that until the cutlass is sharpened, it will have no impact on the hands of the farmer and so it is with our teachers., you need to be sharpened very well to give good delivery in your various classes and schools.

“Let me at this juncture appreciate the British Council for accepting to train 1,000 teachers, 50 education managers and 60 trainers for Bayelsa,” he said.

On his part, Chairman of the EDTF board, High Chief Fidelis Agbiki expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for Education Dr Gentle Emelah for his supportive role to the fund.

Agbiki urged the beneficiaries to justify the enormous resources invested by the government of Bayelsa by being dedicated within the five days the exercise would last.

He said; “This board will not operate on business as usual but on business unusual as we will push the frontiers outside the box to ensure that we get value for money,” Agbiki said.

Chairman of Development Partners Committee of the EDTF applauded the commitment of the partners for the successful completion of the programme, urging them to sustain the tempo

Speaking on the programme, Mr Fwanshishak Daniel, Head, English and Schools, British Council noted that the Bayelsa government had shown exemplary commitment to educational development.

He explained that the commitment has enabled the British Council and Bayelsa government to achieve within one year greater milestones that took other states three years to achieve.

He explained that the resources of the British Council have been made available to Bayelsa with the training of 60 resource persons from the state who will in turn train other teachers to improve education.

According to Daniel, the training will lay emphasis on new teaching methods, use of digital tools for self development and access to school amongst others.

Dr Peremoboere Ogola, Acting Chairman of TTRC, which facilitated training, thanked the EDTF for supporting training of teachers in Bayelsa with world class resources of the British Council.

She noted that another batch of newly recruited teachers are currently undergoing training at State government owned University of Africa, Toru Orua, Sagbama LGA in Bayelsa

News

RSG INAUGURATES ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY COMMITTEE

Published

2 days ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has inaugurated a Central Planning Committee to organize the celebration of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) in the State.

The committee was formally inaugurated by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.

Dr Anabraba who also serves as Chairman of the Committee

highlighted the State Government’s deep appreciation for the sacrifices of Nigeria’s fallen heroes who laid down their lives for the nation’s peace and unity.

“These heroes have given their lives for the security and peace of our nation and deserve to be celebrated. The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is an opportunity to show our gratitude for their sacrifice,” he said.

Dr. Anabraba further extended recognition to all Security Agencies in the State, emphasizing the importance of the event in appreciating their contributions to national security and sovereignty.

The annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day, observed on January 15 across the country is dedicated to remember Nigeria’s departed soldiers and honouring the nation’s veterans.