Nation

THE STATES

Published

12 years ago

April 15, 2014

Borno

The Commissioner of Police in Borno State, Alhaji Lawal
Tanko, said no candidate for JAMB examination last Saturday was killed in the state.
Tanko was reacting to an online report that 200 candidates were killed in one of the centres in Maiduguri by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
He told newsmen that, “I was directly in charge of the police operations to ensure safety of the candidates in all the examination venues in Maiduguri.
“We conducted the examination in peace without any incident in all the centres in Maiduguri.
“As I speak to you, the students are on their way back home. So, I do not know which attack you are talking about in a JAMB centre in Maiduguri.
“I do not rule out the possibility of attacks on one or two candidates on their way to the venues or back home.

Ekiti

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared in
cumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State winner of its primaries with 192,767 votes.
Chairman of the six-man national electoral panel, Senator Osita Izunaso, who announced the results in Ado-Ekiti, said the figures were generated from votes cast at Saturday’s council and state congresses.
He said Fayemi scored 22,314 votes in Oye, 21,814 in Ado-Ekiti, 8793 in Ikere, 10, 983 in Gbonyin, 10,704 in Ekiti East, 16, 848 in Ekiti South-West, and 8,801 in Ise/Orun.
Others are: Emure, 6,623, Ijero, 13,454, Irepodun/Ifelodun, 13,151, Ekiti West, 12, 198, Efon, 7,548, Ido/Osi, 10,472, Moba, 10,146, Ilejemeje, 5,157 and Ikole, 13,751.
In his acceptance speech, Fayemi said he was humbled by the solidarity displayed for him by the party members across the state.
FCT

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has
urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to always keep their surroundings clean as it will ensure good health.
The Director of AEPB, Mrs Aishat Adebayo, made the call at the quarterly meeting of FCT Residents Sanitation Forum in Abuja recently.
Adebayo said that the board decided to sustain the meeting because it recognised the role that residents played in the cleanliness of a city.
“Residents play an irreplaceable role as major stakeholders in city sanitation, which is why AEPB opens its doors to the public every quarter to carry them along.
“Some residents and business premises are doing well in the area of taking charge of their immediate environment while some others have not done too well.

Gombe

A traditional ruler in Funakaye Local Government Area
of Gombe State, Alhaji Bakura Mohammed, has urged parents to complement Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo’s gesture by enrolling their children in schools.
Mohammed, who was the immediate past Caretaker Chairman, Funakaye Local Government Council, told newsmen in Gombe that Governor Dankwambo had given much attention to the education sector.
“Therefore, his efforts need to be complemented by parents, as we should always remember that our children are the future leaders.
“The best thing we can give to them as parents is education.’’
The traditional ruler, who stressed that education was the bedrock of any meaningful development, added that “we as stakeholders, will continue to encourage school enrolment, particularly the girl-child in our constituencies and the state at large.’’
He commended Gov. Dankwambo for renovating schools and for building new ones across the state.
Kogi
The Interim Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC)
in Kogi State, Alhaji Kassim Mabo, said that the party had successfully conducted its congresses in all the 21 local government councils of the state.
Mabo made the disclosure at a news conference in Lokoja recently.
He said the congresses in all local government headquarters were devoid of violence.
He added that the peaceful conduct of the congresses was an indication that the party was a big family, whose major interest was to serve the country and the entire citizens.
The interim chairman said “with the successful conduct of the council congress, the party is ready to hold its state congress on April 28.’’
The member representing Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rep. Buba Jibril, attributed the success to patience of members during the exercise.

Lagos

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has expressed
worry over non-patronage of indigenous engineers in the execution of key projects in the country.
The Vice President (Professional Development) of NSE, Alhaji Babagana Mohammed, told newsmen in Lagos that the society had been excluded from the scheme of things by the government.
He said the contract for the Second Niger Bridge was not awarded to the NSE in spite of the fact that it designed the First Niger Bridge.
According to Mohammed, developed nations use indigenous engineers to advance their technology and economy.

Niger

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State said 2.2 mil
lion children would be immunised against polio during the third round of Immunisation Plus campaign in the state.
Aliyu, who spoke at the inauguration of the campaign in Minna, said the vaccines had been sent to various cold chain stores in the state.
Represented by Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto, his Deputy, Aliyu said the personnel had been trained on how to tackle cases of rejections by parents and guardians.
He said the state government was committed to polio virus eradication through proactive measures and constant surveillance of its border areas.
“This ceremony is one of the strategies put in place to ensure that our communities are sensitised and encouraged to embrace the concept of preventive medicine in vaccination against child-killer diseases.

Ogun
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), has ad
vised motorists to be safety conscious during the forthcoming Easter celebration.
The Itori Unit Commander, Mr Fatai Bakare, who spoke in an interview with newsmen in Ota, Ogun State, advised motorists to drive with care to avoid road crashes.
“Motorists should be safety conscious by not taking excessive alcohol while driving to their various destinations during the festive period,’’ he said.
Bakare warned motorists against over speeding, saying that most of the accidents were caused by over speeding.
“Motorists should not be in hurry to get to their destinations, because whether they speed or not, they will surely get to where they are going,“ he said.
The unit commander also urged motorists to comply with all the rules and regulations, in order to ensure safety of lives and property.

Plateau

Senator Gyang Pwajok, representing Plateau North, last
Sunday, said the people on the Plateau were in prayerful mood and asking God to choose good successor to Governor Jonah Jang come 2015.
The senator made the remark in an interview with newsmen in Jos, saying many politicians were jostling to succeed Jang in 2015.
“All manners of aspirants are springing up; that is natural, but we on the Plateau, have resolved to seek God’s intervention for the right direction.
“By popular consensus, Jang has done so much to Plateau, but the governor also knows that the true test of a successful administration is successful succession.
“Much premium is usually placed on the integrity of the succeeding administration because of the need to sustain the vision and accomplishments of the exiting government, so the current administration is taking extra caution to get it right.’’
Taraba
The President of the Southern Taraba Elders Forum, Mr
Stephen Nyampuri, has sued for peace among different ethnic and religious groups in the zone to foster development.
Nyampuri made the call in an interview with newsmen in Jalingo, recently.
He said that the call became necessary following the current wave of violence in four out of the five local government areas that made up the zone.
“We have many ethnic groups in this zone for so many years but we have been living together in peace.
“The sudden outbreak of violence in Wukari, Takum, Ibi and Donga is very strange and we call on our people to eschew violence and embrace peace to foster development,’’ he said.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo (right), in a handshake with the Chairman, Tansmmission Companty of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Ibrahim Waziri, at a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, recemtly. Photo:NAN

Vice-President Namadi Sambo (right), in a handshake with the Chairman, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Ibrahim Waziri, at a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, recently. Photo:NAN

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

1 week ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

1 week ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

1 week ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.