Nation

THE STATES

Published

12 years ago

October 6, 2014

Adamawa

The gubernatorial candidate of Kowa Party in
Adamawa State for the October 11 governorship election, Alhaji Dahiru Waziri, slumped yesterday during a live TV debate programme on TV Gotel, Radio Gotel on commencement.
Waziri slumped shortly after the anchorman and co-organiser introduced three gubernatorial candidates of the PDP, Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the PPN candidate, Dr. Amos Sunday and himself.
Shortly after all the aspirants were introduced and were standing to commence the debate, Waziri slumped and was instantly rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yola.
Waziri, according to members of his party, is a diabetic patient and it took the prompt attention of the Gotel TV crew that instantly served the candidate with a bottle of soft drink as palliative measure before he was rushed to the medical centre.

Benue

It has emerged that there is considerable un
ease in Benue State over the sale of Dangote Cement Plc shares held in trust for indigenes of the state by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.
The sale of the company’s shares, which is taking place on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), has erased about 30 million shares valued at over N7 billion of the original 90 million shares, which Benue State held in Dangote Cement following the 2010 merger of the defunct Benue Cement Company Plc with other cement subsidiaries owned by the business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Sources however revealed that the state government’s plan is to sell all the shares before the elections, setting a target of N20 billion from the exercise.

FCT

Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives,
Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has expressed optimism that Nigeria will rise again and claim her rightful place in the international community.
The deputy speaker in a message by his media aide, Oke Epia, said in spite of current challenges relating to security and development, the country would be propelled to the top given the human and material resources abundant in the land and efforts being made by government to put things right.
He called on Nigerians to remain steadfast and resilient in the pursuit of national unity and glory while noting that leaders at different levels must also be patriotic and put the nation first in the discharge of their duties and oaths of office.

Kano

A prominent traditional ruler in Kano and mem
ber of the emirate council, Alhaji Tijjani Hashim, has passed away at the age of 82.
The Hashim, who held the title of the Galadima of Kano, died in the early hours of yesterday.
He is survived by many wives and 13 children. He was among the longest-traditional title holders in the emirate council.

Lagos

An Igando Customary Court in Lagos has dissolved
a 20-year-old marriage between Mr Samuel Nyeka and his wife, Charity, to save the life of the woman.
The President of the court, Mr R.I. Adeyeri, said the marriage was dissolved because it had broken down irretrievably.
“Both parties are no longer husband and wife and they are free to go their separate ways,” he ruled. The petitioner, Samuel, 54, a civil servant, had filed a suit on June 11 seeking the dissolution of the 20-year-old union to prevent him from committing murder.

Niger

Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has ex
pressed sadness over the death of Galadiman Kano, Alhaji Tijjani Hashim, who died at the age of 79. The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Israel Ebije, described his death as a loss to the North and the country.
Aliyu, therefore, condoled with the family of the deceased, Kano State Emirate Council, the governor and people of the state.
He said: “Nigeria has lost another prominent son. The Galadiman Kano will be missed not only as a royalty but a bridge builder and a man of peace who had the interest of the country at heart.
“While we mourn him, I am indeed happy he was able to leave behind good legacy as a leader who helped in shaping the North positively. His contributions to national discourse will also remain indelible.”

Ogun

Gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers have abducted
Mrs Rachel Hazzan, the mother of the former Deputy Speaker and current member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Pastor, Remmy Hazzan.
The lawmaker’s mother was said to have been picked up at about 8pm on Wednesday in her house at Omu-Ijebu in Odogbolu Local Government Area of the State.
According to her son, the kidnappers stormed the residence of the 69-year-old woman at about 8.10pm and whisked her away in front of her shop along Tai Solarin College of Education Road, Irete, Omu Ijebu.
The lawmaker, representing Odogbolu State Constituency, said the incident happened shortly after he spoke with the mother on the telephone.

Oyo

A retired photojournalist and the Oyo State
founding Chairman of Photo-Journalists Association of Nigeria (PJAN), Dada Osasona, is dead.
In a release signed by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Dare Fasube, the late Osasona hailed from Ayede-Ekiti, Ekiti State where he was born 72 years ago.
A committed member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the late photojournalist, at various times, served as the chairman of both the Nigerian Tribune and Correspondents’ Chapels of Oyo State NUJ.
During his active days, he worked in various media houses including Nigerian Tribune, the defunct National Concord, Frontline, Monitor Newspapers and The Sun Newspaper where he retired last year.

Plateau

The Plateau State Government has released N95
million in its effort to control the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state, an official has said.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Fom Dakwak, announced the amount in Jos last Thursday while inaugurating some vehicles purchased for the prevention and control of EVD.
He said the vehicles were for transporting items and equipment from isolation centres to the quarantine area.
According to the commissioner, the ambulance was going to be equipped with lifesaving facilities comprising an installed patient monitor machine for observing blood pressure, respiratory rate, blood oxygen control and a host of other things.

Taraba

Seven persons including 52 children have been
killed by various diseases in the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp situated in Bali, Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The IDPs camp, which was set up to accommodate the victims of the attacks by Fulani herdsmen on Tiv communities in the local government area, which began in March this year, provides shelter for over 2,000 people mostly women and young children out of the over 126,000 people that were displaced by the crises.
Besides, no fewer than 126,000 people were said to have been displaced while over 1,000 houses in over 60 villages and farm settlements were destroyed in the various attacks on the Tiv communities.

L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan, former head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, former heads of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and General Ibrahim Babangida, at the National Council of State meeting in Abuja recently. Photo: NAN

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

2 days 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

2 days 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

2 days 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.