Nation

THE STATES

Published

11 years ago

July 18, 2014

Benue
Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State says he
will ensure that Terver Kakih, who leveled allegations of certificate forgery against him is punished to serve as deterrent to others who may contemplate such action.
Reacting to the Supreme Court judgement which dismissed the forgery case brought against him by Terver Kakih, Governor Suswam said he had already instructed his lawyer to institute a legal action against Terver Kakih.
He stated that he would get the court punish Kakih for trying to smear his name, saying petition writing in Tiv had become a recurrent decimal.

Borno
The closure of Maiduguri International Airport may have
started attracting casualties as the elder brother of Governor Kashim Shettima, Alhaji Shettima Mohammed Shettima was involved in a ghastly motor accident during a trip to Kano to join a flight to Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj.
The elder brother of the governor was fortunate to be alive after having multiple fractures but his police orderly attached to him after series of threat from Boko Haram insurgents was not lucky enough as he died from injuries sustained during the accident.
The Maiduguri International Airport, which was closed to commercial flights since February this year after the bombing of the Air Force base in the town by the insurgents, was closed by the Federal Government to all manner of flights on June 27, 2014 for a period of three months due to security concerns.
This has compelled intending pilgrims for this year’s lesser hajj to travel by road to Kano amidst fear over their safety.

Ekiti
The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has appealed
to the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, to assign its case challenging the proposed Local Council Development Areas by the Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
In a statement in Ado-Ekiti, last Tuesday, the State Publicity Secretary, Kola Oluwawole, said the delay to assign the case to a judge was frustrating its efforts to stop the plan to create new 18 LCDAs.
It said, “Our case, HAD/75/2014, challenging the illegality that the outgoing governor and his party are perpetrating was filed at the High Court of Justice, Ado-Ekiti Judcial Divison on July 1, 2014 and deposed to by our State Chairman, Mr Makanjuola Ogundipe, on behalf of the party.
“Two weeks after the matter was filed, the Chief Judge refused to assign the matter to any judge to handle, until the national strike by judiciary workers began last Friday. We call on the people of the state and other well-meaning Nigerians to call Fayemi, Ekiti CJ to order. We know what to do. The National Judicial Council is there to call any errant judge to order’, it added.

Jigawa
The Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, said
it was not a crime for him or any other Nigerian to aspire to become the president of Nigeria next year, noting that those occupying political offices today never thought that they would be there some years back.
The governor who made the disclosure aboard Airlines, in its first commercial flight from Dutse to Abuja, explained that he felt fulfilled on completion of the Dutse International Airport under one year, which commenced its first commcial flight yesterday.
While calling on both local and foreign investors to come and invest in the state, the governor promised that the airport would open the state agricultural potential to the outside world.
In his remark, the Chief Executive Officer to the consultant to the government on the construction of the airport, El-Mansur Group, Mr Tunde Oyekola, explained that the timely delivery of the project under a year was as a result of Lamido’s tremendous commitment and determination to build an airport of international standard in a record time.
Katsina
Judiciary workers in Katsina State, under the aegis of
Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), yesterday withdrew their services and ensured that all courts in the state remained under lock and key.
The state chairman of the union, Sa’idu Kakarku, said in a statement posted on the gates of the courts that the indefinite industrial action was due to the directive of its national executive committee.
He said, the strike, which began on July 11, was occasioned by the failure of the state governments to comply with the Federal High Court order of January 13, in respect of the financial autonomy of the judiciary as provided in the constitution.
Kakarku said members of the union would continue to remain at home and wait for further directives from the national body and urged the striking workers to be law-abiding, as JUSUN would continue to function within the ambit of the law.

Lagos
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has
criticised the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for holding its rally at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, one of the greening initiatives of the state government which they had continously described as “cosmetic and elitist”.
Fashola, said at the 2014 Tree Planting Campaign, held in Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area (LDCA), that by their act, the PDP did not only vindicate his government’s greening policy, but had also displayed their inconsistency.
The governor, while expressing satisfaction at the success story of the greening initiative and tree planting exercise, which has provided job opportunities for thousands of youth, recalled that the PDP had criticised the programme and labeled it a waste of tax payers’ money.
He said the tree planting exercise and green programme since inception in 2008, has generated over 75,168 employment opportunities for horticulturists, pruners, gardeners, welders, tanker drivers, security personnel and other artisans.

Nasarawa
The Speaker of Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji
Musa Ahmed last Monday, directed the Clerk of the House to serve Governor Tanko Al-Makura with notice of impeachment for ‘gross misconduct’.
The development followed a motion of public interest raised by the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Mr Yahaya Usman (PDP-Umaisha/Ugya) during plenary in Lafia.
The Chief Whip Mr Mohammed Okpede, (PDP-Doma North) seconded the motion. Usman presented a document signed by 20 of the 24 members of the Assembly which contained the allegations of gross misconduct against the governor.
The speaker, (PDP-Nasarawa Central), who officially received the impeachment notice, said the House had complied with the provision of the constitution to serve the governor with impeachment notice.
Ogun
The Ogun State Police Command, yesterday said its de
tectives attached to Ewekoro Division had arrested 16 suspected cultists, including students of a polytechnic in Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement said the detectives acted on an intelligence gathering on the activities of cult groups in the area and bust their initiation.
According to Adejobi, 16 suspects, including eight students of the polytechnic, were arrested.: “Those arrested were Akintunde Paul, Seyi Meshinoye, Fowoshade Gbemisola, Dare Olabode, Oyetayo Bolaji, Akintunde Femi, Ajibola Abiola, Amosun Eniola, Shola Ogunniyi, Fashina Michael, Bello Oyedeji, Adeshola Amore, Ebi Victor, Ogunsola Ibrahim, Babatunde Allyson and Awobajo Babatunde.”
The suspects have been transferred to the Department of Criminal Investigation, Eleweran, Abeokuta for further interrogation as directed by the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State, CP Ikemefuna Okoye.

Osun
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
said it was planning heavy security presence during the August 9 governorship election in Osun State as was the case during a similar election held on June 21 in Ekiti State.
The State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Segun Agbaje, who spoke in Abuja Wednesday, said the decision was informed by the heightening security situation in the state, arising from the unfriendly utterances of the major political players.
The REC said, of the 1,407,222 total registered voters in the state, INEC had distributed permanent voter card (PVC) to 63 per cent, translating to 792,200 of the registered voters. He said 1,250,569 of such PVC were received from the INEC headquarters as at July 11. Agbaje said 19 candidates have been cleared to contest the election as at today. He said no voter would be allowed to cast ballot without PVC. He assured that as against the case in Ekiti, any voter with valid voter’s card will be allowed to vote.

Plateau
No fewer than 11 people have been killed at Zamadede
in the Pil-Gani district of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The victims were killed in the early hours of Monday in a fresh violence that had seen Fulani herdsmen and local inhabitants fighting each other.
Among those killed were said to be a 45-year-old mother with her little son and a pregnant woman.
It was learnt that the herdsmen attacked the villagers while they were still asleep and ransacked two communities in the area.

Newly appointed Secretary to Adamawa State Government, Prof. Liman Tukur (right), taking oath of office before the Acting Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru in Yola, last Wednesday.

Nation

EFCC Holds Stakeholders Engagement Party With Media, CSOs

Published

2 days ago

December 1, 2025

The Tide

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Port Harcourt zonal command has held a one-day capacity workshop with some selected media organisations and civil society organisations in the state

The one-day capacity workshop was aimed at strengthening existing relationships among the media and the civil society organisations in the state with a view to improving the existing relationships among the graft agency and the media.

Speaking at the event the zonal commander of EFCC, MR. HASSAN SAIDU, said the
initiative is part of the Commission’s ongoing commitment to strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders, particularly the media and civil society, in our collective fight against economic and financial crimes , adding that the decision to organize this workshop underscores the strategic importance the EFCC places on the roles of the media and the CSOs as watchdogs of the society.

According to him,all over the world, the partnership between anti-corruption agencies, the media, and civil society has been instrumental in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance, noting that the collaboration is even more imperative in Nigeria given the scale and sophistication of economic crimes we contend with.

“Let me take this opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the invaluable support you have given to the EFCC over the years.

Your consistent focus on our work through reporting, advocacy, and public engagement has helped to sustain the momentum of our preventive and enforcement efforts.”

The EFCC’s mandate is both engaging and arduous. I say this because the landscape of economic crime is dynamic and your duty to report and interpret these developments requires diligence, patriotism and integrity.”

He posted that It is in recognition of these challenges that the Commission introduced a Specialized Workshop Series on Economic and Financial Crimes Reporting for journalists, adding that the commission has expanded this initiative to include civil society organizations to further demonstrate their belief in an inclusive and collaborative anti-corruption framework.

“As you are aware, Port Harcourt remains Nigeria’s treasure base of the Nation and a fertile ground for various forms of economic and financial crimes, ranging from pipeline vandalism, foreign exchange scams and business email compromise to investment and property fraud, and crude oil theft.”

The EFCC zonal commander averred that the 2025 edition of the workshop is Understanding Cryptocurrency Fraud and other Emerging Financial Crimes and Prosecution of Financial Crimes: Issues, Challenges and Way Forward , adding that
It is imperative for us to note that the surge of Cryptocurrency Fraud and other related offences in the Nigeria’s Cyberspace is becoming alarming hence, as part of the efforts of the EFCC to nip this menace and eradicate these crimes from Nigeria Cyberspace there is need for synergy with relevant Stakeholders, that is the reason why the Commission has chosen these topics to educate, create awareness and discuss arising issues that will yield more significant results as the EFCC tackles the spate of these crimes.

“We must work together to intensify public sensitization. Your platforms- print, broadcast, digital, and community-based- are essential in equipping Nigerians with the knowledge to make informed decisions and avoid falling prey to scammers. ”

He reiterated that the fight against economic and financial crimes is not the sole responsibility of the EFCC or other anti-corruption agencies. It is a collective national duty, meaning all hands must be on deck , stressing that
We owe it to our country and, indeed, the global community to expose and confront corrupt practices wherever they exist.

“The media must continue to hold public institutions accountable, while civil society must deepen civic engagement and promote transparency at all levels.
The EFCC remains committed to building a stronger and more effective partnership with all stakeholders in the fight against corruption. he stated.

Earlier In his presentation on cryptocurrency-related crimes, CSE Coker Oyegunle, Head of Advanced Fee Fraud, explained that digital assets are increasingly being used for money laundering, identity theft, phishing, malware attacks, and ransomware, most of which involve untraceable crypto payments.

He noted that Nigeria now has a coordinated regulatory framework involving multiple agencies. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) serves as the lead regulator under the Investment and Securities Act 2025, defining digital assets as securities and licensing virtual asset service providers.

Our correspondent reports that other topics presented during the workshop include prosecuting Financial crimes: Issues, challenges and the way forward and the role of CSOs and media in driving a preventive frame work.

Nation

RSU Blames Poor Funding for Failure to Meet Academic Targets as 1,356 Set for Combined Convocation on Saturday”

Published

2 days ago

December 1, 2025

The Tide

The management of Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt, has stated that poor funding has hindered the institution’s ability to meet its expected academic targets.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, made this statement during a press briefing held at the institution on Monday in Port Harcourt, ahead of the week-long 37th and 38th combined convocation ceremony scheduled for Friday and Saturday this week.

Prof. Zeb-Obipi emphasized that poor funding continues to be a major challenge limiting the institution’s ability to meet its targets, adding that they trust the state governor, Sir Fubara Siminalaye, who is the visitor to the university, will continue to strengthen and support them.

He noted that the state governor has demonstrated his commitment to supporting the university, recently approving N700m for the ongoing NUC accreditation.

The Vice-Chancellor stated that the university faces deficits in classrooms, staff accommodation, and student hostels, with the infrastructure gap widening, and existing lecture halls and laboratories requiring renovation.

“We are prioritizing phased upgrades based on program needs,

He added that the university is short-staffed, having lost staff to retirement, death, and changes in job or place of work, and that new programs, departments, and faculties have been created to meet the contemporary needs of society.

Mean while,a total of 13,242 students are set to graduate in the combined convocation, with 10,648 undergraduates, 1,356 Master’s degree students, 700 postgraduate diplomas, and 538 Doctors of Philosophy.

The Vice-Chancellor also used the opportunity to list some achievements of his administration, including the creation of new directorates, completion of abandoned laboratories, and upgrades in the faculty of sciences, made possible with support from the Tertiary Education Technology Fund (TETFund).

He expressed appreciation to the governor and visitor to the university, Sir Siminalaye Fubara, for approving his appointment and promised to justify the confidence placed in him.

Nation

MOSIEND Calls For RSG, NDDC, Stakeholders’ Intervention In Obolo Nation

Published

2 days ago

December 1, 2025

The Tide

The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has decried the neglect of communities in Obolo Nation and others in the Niger Delta Region

MOSIEND also called on the stakeholders to empower the youths in skill acquisition and other meaningful ventures to better their lives

This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn, alongside Asarama Clan Chairman, Comrade Amos Zebedee Udu, and Unyeada Clan Chairman Comrade Owen Wilson Ngere monitored by our correspondent

The spokepersons underscores the urgent need for government agencies and development partners to respond decisively to the dire state of basic amenities in the area.

MOSIEND leaders in Obolo Nation lamented the absence of potable water, electricity, access roads, and other functional public infrastructures in the clans

“What is troubling is that these complaints continue to echo without corresponding action from the Rivers State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission, and the oil companies operating in and around the area”.

According to the MOSIEND leaders, the situation has reached a point where community members, particularly youths and women, require deliberate intervention to rebuild livelihoods and restore hope.

They also emphasised the need for empowerment programmes, vocational training, and investments in local economies that depend heavily on fishing and trade.

The Clan leaders call for provision of small engine boats for fishermen and the construction of proper market spaces for the communities

Asarama Clan Chairman, Comrade Udu noted that the community participates fully in electoral processes yet continues to live without clean water or electricity.

He insisted that the clan is not benefiting as they ought to from any MoU with oil companies nor from NDDC projects, raises concerns about the fairness and inclusiveness of development planning in the state.

Equally troubling is the account from Unyeada Clan Chairman, Comrade Owen Wilson Ngere, who highlighted the alarming state of Unyeada Primary School, where children are forced to learn on bare floors without desks, chairs, or basic sanitation facilities.

” For a region that hosts oil and gas activities, such conditions are unacceptable and should concern all stakeholders”.

The Unyeada Clan Commended NDDC for the installation of solar lights in the communities, noting that the project is not enough for the entire community as they
appeal for more of the solar project in the area

While the leaders expressed appreciation to Governor Siminalayi Fubara for the ongoing construction of roads in the area, and to the local council Chairman for the provision of potable water in some communities, .

“Obolo Nation has shown remarkable restraint and continues to maintain peace, as noted by the MOSIEND Coordinator”.

“The issues highlighted are not demands for luxury,but are basic necessities that every community in the Niger Delta deserves.

“The time for promises has passed; what Obolo communities need now is visible, sustained, and inclusive development.

Chinedu Wosu