Nation

THE STATES

Published

11 years ago

August 18, 2014

Adamawa
The decision of the Acting governor of Adamawa State,
Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, to seek for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the October 11 governorship by-election has attracted mixed reactions around the state.
Fintiri had on Friday told newsmen in Yola that he had picked PDP’s “Expression of Intent” form for the by-election.
A PDP chieftain in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Kari, told newsmen that the development was welcome as the acting governor would be a popular candidate, if picked by the party.
Also commenting on the development, some civil servants, including Bello Abubakar, Janet Ibrahim and Emmanuel Danlami, lauded the development and called for support for the acting governor’s ambition.

Borno
The All Progressives Youth Forum has said it is plan
ning a nationwide thanksgiving with a special Sunday church service and Jumma’at prayers over the planned defection of former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Its Chairman, Barrister Ismail Ahmed, said the forum received the news with so much joy as it considers his exit as the best thing that would ever happen to the life of the party, due to what it calls “strategic blackmail” of the APC by the PDP, using Sheriff’s alleged links with the Boko Haram sect.
The forum noted that it had conducted very serious investigations about all the games in trying to attach a bad name to the APC locally and internationally.
“We found out that the PDP uses sponsored commentators in Nigeria to link Sheriff with Boko Haram, rightly or wrongly, and because he was a chieftain of the APC, it was easy to sell that to Nigerians using the media,” it said.

Ekiti

Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr Ayodele Fayose and Min
ister for State of Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye have reiterated their determination to work together to ensure rapid and sustained development for Ekiti State.
Fayose and Adeyeye, who spoke during the thanksgiving service in honour of Adeyeye at St Mark Anglican church, Odo Ise, Ise Ekiti on Saturday, said the only way to appreciate God for what He had done for them was to use their positions for the betterment of the people.
Fayose, who described the appointment of Adeyeye as a minister as “well deserved” said; “I will join hands with Adeyeye to promote the interest of every Ekiti indigene at the Federal level.
“We will work very closely for the betterment of Ekiti and its people and I want to assure you that my minister will not be that minister that won’t be readily available to his people.

FCT
The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has called on
Federal Government to provide adequate infrastructure for the service to enhance its productivity.
In an interview with newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the Deputy Postmaster-General, Counter Operation, Mr Emem Samuel, said some capital projects were being done by the service alone.
“We need capital investments from the Federal Government to upgrade NIPOST as this will attract investors to invest in the service.
“Britain drove the Royal Mail to its present enviable position and the British government is still investing in it because of the importance of postal service as employer of labour.
Kaduna

There are allegations that several road projects awarded
by the administration of the late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State in 2012 have been abandoned.
Some of the projects are said to have been abandoned by the contractors at early stages after collecting mobilisation fees.
Government sources alleged that most of the contracts were awarded to politicians and friends of policymakers without adherence to due process. Such contractors deliberately refused to fulfill their promises, the source said, adding, however, that some of them were not given enough money to complete the projects.
Kano
The Emir of Kano, His Eminence, Muhammad Sanusi II,
has turbaned his uncle, Munir Sanusi as Danmaje and Yahaya Inuwa Abbas as Dokaji of Kano emirate respectively.
The ceremony took place at Soron Nadi, the emir’s palace.
Munir Sanusi is among the sons of the grandfather of the present Kano emir, the 54th emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi and was turbaned Danmaje of Kano emirate; the traditional title held by Emir Sanusi before he became Emir of Kano.
While Yahaya Inuwa Abbas who is the son of the 56th emir of Kano, the late Muhammad Inuwa was turbaned Dokaji of Kano emirate.
In his remarks shortly after turbaning, Sanusi prayed that they would work diligently for the sake of the uplifting of the Kano emirate.
Kebbi

First Military Governor of Kebbi State and second term
serving President-General of Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) worldwide, Major General Patrick Aziza (rtd) is dead.
Aziza died early last Saturday morning after a protracted illness in Abuja hospital. He was aged 66 years.
The late Gen. Aziza will always be remembered as the chairman of the Special Military Tribunal that convicted and jailed former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and late former Chief of Staff, Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Ádua, over an alleged 1995 phantom coup during regime of late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

Kwara
Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State,
Mr. Dele Belgore (SAN) and Senator Gbemisola Saraki have canvassed for peaceful and active participation of eligible voters during the ongoing permanent voter cards issuance and the forthcoming continuous voter registration in Kwara State.
Claiming that the PDP will defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in presidential election and all elections in Kwara State in the 2015 general elections, they enjoined eligible voters to take the exercises seriously so as to qualify to choose their leaders.
There had been pockets of violence in some areas in Ilorin during the PVC issuance. A corps member was injured during one of the fracas while some people and groups including the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) had alleged that some of the thugs involved in the violence were suspected supporters of Belgore.

Lagos
One of the passengers who were involved in a boat
explosion last Friday in Lagos is yet to be found two days later.
Emmanuel Onu was involved in the accident which injured several passengers who were immediately rescued and taken to different hospitals in Lagos Island.
“The boat which was said to belong to Aquitien Oil and Gas, took off from V-Craft Jetty, Lekki Phase One, and while trying to refill gasoline at Capital Oil Jetty at Victoria Island, the engine exploded,” Ibrahim Farinloye, Spokesperson, South-West, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.

Nasarawa
Nigeria’s main opposition party, All Progressives Congress
(APC) has condemned the renewed plan by the Nasarawa House of Assembly to impeach Governor Tanko Al-Makura, saying the state lawmakers are bent on thumbing their nose at the constitution in their desperation to remove the governor, who has been cleared of the charges against him by a duly constituted impeachment panel.
The party said that the illegality is being “contemplated under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan and is clear for all to see.”
The party said the position of the constitution is clear that only the Chief Judge of the state can set up such a panel, upon receiving a request from the Speaker of the House of Assembly, hence any attempt to draft a Vacation Judge to set up another panel will mean working against the spirit and letter of the same Constitution that gave the legislature the impeachment power in the first instance.

Ogun
Given the intervention by the National Chairman, Labour Party,
Chief Dan Nwanyanwu and a national leader of the party and Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the suit against a former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel by a factional state executive of the party led by Mr. Bode Simeon, would be withdrawn anytime from now.
A pointer to this was contained in a statement jointly signed by the state Secretary, Mr. Sunday Oginni and state Financial Secretary, Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, and the national leadership of the party.
The party had been enmeshed in leadership crisis between Daniel and the Mr. Olabode Simeon-led executive, which polarised the party into two factions in the state.
In the statement, the party said it has commenced a move to discontinue with the suit filed against Daniel challenging his authority in the party before a Federal High Court, Ikeja, Lagos.

Osun
The governors of the 36 states of the federation under the
auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have urged all national institutions and security agencies to emulate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), eschew partisanship and learn to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism.
“They should put their services at the disposal of all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliations. Our security agencies are important national assets in which all Nigerians have stakes and must not only be fair to all parties during elections, but must be seen to be so,” the governors advised in a congratulatory message issued by the NGF Director General Asishana Okauru.
The governors congratulated Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the governor-elect of Osun State on his re-election at the just concluded gubernatorial election and urged all the other 19 candidates to work with the Governor to take Osun State forward.
Oyo
The popular Alesinloye market in Ibadan was in the early
hours of yesterday gutted by fire, which destroyed several shops and goods estimated at millions of naira.
The fire was reportedly caused by surge in electricity. Goods were burnt or looted as touts pounced on the shops under the guise of helping to put out the fire.
One of the affected traders was said to have just stocked up her shop on Friday before the incident.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (right) registering for National Identity Card in Ibadan, recently. Photo: NAN

Nation

HYPREP Inducts 100 Ogoni Youths For Creative Arts Training

Published

2 weeks ago

May 2, 2025

The Tide

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has inducted and given orientation to 100 Ogoni youths for training on Creative Arts. The beneficiaries were drawn from Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas of Rivers State.

The induction and orientation ceremony, which took place at the CRAB of the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, was a prelude to the training proper, billed to commence next Tuesday.

As usual, HYPREP issued undertaking forms to the trainees, for them to complete and submit as a guarantee that they would subject themselves to the requirements of the programme as well as be of good behaviour throughout the four-month duration of the training.

HYPREP also announced that it would pay N150,000 to each of the beneficiaries monthly, as transport and feeding allowance, stressing, however, that only those who fully participate in the training would be entitled for the allowance.

Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, welcomed the trainees to the programme, saying, HYPREP’s projects are evolving and that one thing that is happening today is that the Project has gotten leadership right, by making promises and keeping those promises.

According to him, the Project had equally promised to move away from rudimentary skills acquisition to high impacts acquisition levels, which it has kept today by sponsoring the training on Creative Arts.

He noted that in planning its livelihood programmes for Ogoni youths, HYPREP has taken time out to look for skills that would add value to the lives of the beneficiaries.

Zabbey, who was represented at the event by the Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi said by packaging the Creative Arts training, it was expected that the Ogoni people would have their own version of Nollywood known as Ogoniwood just as Nigerians are familiar with Hollywood, Bollywood, Kannywood and Nollywood.

To achieve this goal, the Project Coordinator explained that it was the reason for choosing a reputable establishment like Halibiz Consult Limited, to partner with the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt, which he described as one of the most prestigious in the Niger Delta, for the training of the beneficiaries.

He also indicated that in doing this, HYPREP was desirous of going for talents that would help the Ogoni people grow in the film industry, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously.

Zabbey equally enjoined the trainees to put in their best so that in the next three to five years, they would carve a niche for themselves and become forces to reckon with in the film industry.

On her part, HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee said HYPREP does what it says it will, stressing that the process of training Ogoni youths on specialised skills started three years ago.

According to her, the selection process for the training was rigorous and transparent, and was carried out by renowned actors actresses.

She disclosed that the training consists of three major aspects, which include acting, script writing and make-up, while Nollywood actors like Charles Nnoje, Ngezu J. Ngezu and award-winning make-up artist, Jude Odo would be on hand to drill and groom the beneficiaries.

Mrs Nzidee noted that the programme is a specialised training that does not have anything like starter packs but that it is purely a professional certification programme that would launch the beneficiaries into the Nollywood industry in Nigeria.

According to her, the Creative Arts training is one of the four specialised trainings organised by HYPREP to ensure that the Ogoni people are well positioned in vital industries like Aviation, Maritime, Creative Arts and Mechatronics.

She said the last of such trainings on Mechatronics would take place in the coming months, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously so as to put the Ogoni people on the Nollywood map.

She further indicated that while Charles Nnoje and Ngezu J. Ngezu would take the beneficiaries on the practical aspects, Jude Odo would take them on the make-up aspects.

Also speaking, the External Relations Manager of Halibiz Consult Limited, Alabo Experience Douglas said his company gives much premium to standard and quality, and assured that the firm would give the trainees value for the money spent on the programme.

While charging the beneficiaries to be dedicated and punctual, he stressed the need for them to approach the programme with the mindset of being empty so that at the end of the day, they would benefit maximally.

On his part, the Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Ovunda Ihunwo said the CRAB is an acronym for Creative Review of Arts and Books, stressing that it was named by renowned playwright, Prof Ola Rotimi.

According to him, the CRAB had nurtured, groomed and produced Nollywood actors and actresses like Bobmanuel Udokwu, Ejike Asiegbu,Francis Duru, Hilda Dokubo, Monalisa Chinda, Julius Agwu, and a host of others, assuring the beneficiaries that they were on fertile environment to hone their talents.

He noted that symbolically, the crab is a nutritious seafood common in the Niger Delta, and reiterated the need for the beneficiaries to come empty for the training, as it were.

Ihunwo disclosed that the theory classes of the programme would run for three weeks while the fourth week would be for the master classes, and urged the trainees to avail themselves of the opportunity to make a difference by telling the Ogoni story, which he described as inexhaustible by themselves, in order to put Ogoni on the map.

Nation

Nasarawa Varsity Student Commits Suicide

Published

2 weeks ago

May 1, 2025

The Tide

A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University identified as Jatau Rilokwah, has been reportedly found dead in the university’s senior staff quarters.
A counter-insurgency expert, focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to him, the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by a security officer at the university, Emmanuel Gyawo.
He stated that Gwayo was directed by Prof. Shedrack Jatau to check on his son upon arriving at the residence, and he found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.
“Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of the State at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.
“The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he further stated.
He added that the student’s corpse had been deposited in the hospital morgue.
He also quoted police sources as saying that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Nation

Ogun, Nike Art Gallery Set To Transform Olumo Rock

Published

2 weeks ago

May 1, 2025

The Tide

The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.