Nation
THE STATES
FCT
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC)
says it will officially inaugurate the 2014 Christian pilgrimage to Israel on Saturday, October 18, commencing with pilgrims from FCT.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr John-Kennedy Opara, said this during a news briefing ahead of the transportation of the first set of 250 pilgrims on Saturday.
Opara said that the commission planned to transport and could even surpass its target of 30,000 intending pilgrims during this year’s exercise which would end in December.
He said the commission had put all necessary measures in place to ensure a hitch-free pilgrimage and urged the media to collaborate with the commission in sensitising intending pilgrims.
“The good news is that come October 18, 2014, we will commence the airlifting of the 2014 intending pilgrims to Israel as approved by Mr President.
Gombe
The new Vice-Chancellor of Gombe State Univer
sity, Prof. Ibrahim Musa-Umar, has advised the institution’s academic and non-academic staff to work together to uplift the university.
Musa-Umar gave the advice while taking over the affairs of the institution from the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Mahdi, in Gombe.
He called on the staff to make more efforts to ensure academic excellence and discipline in the university.
He assured the government and people of the state, as well as staff and students of the university that he would sustain the success recorded by his predecessor.
The vice-chancellor lauded his predecessor for laying a solid foundation which made the institution a force to be reckoned with in spite of the challenges he encountered.
Kaduna
Governor Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State says
he would re-contest for the gubernatorial seat of the state in 2015.
Yero said this in Kafanchan, Kafanchan Local Government Area, Kaduna State, through his deputy, Mr Nuhu Bajoga, while on a visit to traditional rulers in Southern Kaduna.
Yero said he had since obtained nomination form from the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja.
He urged the people to disregard any insinuation that he would be stopped from contesting in the election, saying such speculations were aimed at misleading the public.
Kano
The Kano State Government last Tuesday at the
ongoing National Agricultural Show in Nasarawa State has displayed some exotic wildlife such as lion, hyena, pythons, ostriches and crocodile.
These animals from the Kano State Zoological and Wildlife Management Agency, added an aesthetic flare to the show as many participants trooped to the Kano pavilion to see these wild animals.
Different species of other commonly found animals such as tortoise, antelopes and vultures were also on display to show wildlife diversity in the state.
The Deputy Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Kano State Zoological and Wildlife Management Agency, Mr Mohammed Ado, said the agency was committed to wildlife preservation.
Kwara
Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara State has re
quested the state House of Assembly to confirm the appointment of Mr Emmanuel Kolo as the new Auditor-General for Local Government.
The governor made the request in a message to the House, read by the Speaker, Mr Rasak Atunwa, during a plenary.
Ahmed said the request conformed with the constitution.
Also during the plenary, the Deputy Speaker, Prof. Gana Yoissa, while seconding a motion for an adjournment, criticised metrological agencies for failure to give adequate information on weather forcast.
Nasarawa
A 30-year-old Abuja-based hair stylist, Becky Solomon,
who allegedly stole N50,000 and also escaped from lawful custody, has been arraigned in a Grade 1 Area Court, Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
The accused, who resides at Karu, FCT is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and escape from lawful custody.
According to the prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Adaji, the accused, together with one Victoria Adeky who is still at large, committed the offences at 11: 45 p.m. on October 6, at Karu, Abuja.
Adaji told the court that the accused stole the sum of N50, 000 from a customer, Mrs Rose Adams who came to make her hair.
“Becky stole the money from the customer’s purse in the salon when she stepped out to make a call,” he alleged.
Ondo
The police in Ondo State has arraigned a 36-year-old
trainee driver, Kayode Akinbuwa, in an Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court for alleged manslaughter.
The accused, whose address and occupation are unknown, was arraigned on a five-count charge of manslaughter, dangerous driving as well as driving without car particulars, road worthiness certificate and driver’s licence.
The prosecutor, Insp Zedekiah Orogbemi told the court that the accused drove a Toyota Carina car marked HS 134 EKY dangerously on a public highway and caused the death of a 65 -year old farmer, Ebunola Iji.
Orogbemi said that the farmer was returning from his farm on September 19 at about 1.30 p.m. on the Erinje-Ayeka road in Okitipupa.
The prosecutor said the accused committed an offence contrary to sections 5, 6, 10(2), 10(4) and 10(5) of the Federal Highway Act, Cap. F13, Vol. VI, Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Ogun
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Prof. Olusoga Olusanya, Ijebu-Ode, has been kidnapped.
Our correspondents gathered that Olusanya was on his way back from the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, when he was abducted by unknown gunmen last Monday evening.
He was said to have visited FUNAAB where he served as an external invigilator at the ongoing postgraduate examination when he was ambushed on a bad portion of the Sagamu/Ore expressway.
The don was abducted alongside his driver, with the latter dropped by the abductors on the highway at Odogbolu.
The news of the abduction of the DVC forced the university Senate to abruptly postpone its emergency meeting earlier scheduled for Tuesday.
Oyo
The Yoruba Youths Congress (YYC), a socio-cultural
group, last Tuesday announced its endorsement of Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.
The National Leader of the group, Olalekan Hammed announced this to newsmen in Ibadan.
Hammed said that the group believed Buhari was good enough to fly the APC presidential flag, having considered his past records.
“Retired General Buhari is an attested disciplinarian who was able to curtail corruption during his regime as the Head of State of the nation between 1983 and 1985.
“His landmarks as the Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) are also still very evident in tertiary institutions of learning in the country,” he said.
Plateau
The Chairman of Riyom Local Government in Plateau
State, Mrs Josephine Piyo, has said that 27 people died in an attack by gunmen on Bachi District of the area on Thursday.
She said a joint team of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on visit to the area that the attackers torched 70 houses and left them in rubbles.
Represented by the Council Secretary, Mr. Alex Kundang, the chairman said the attack also led to the displacement of no fewer than 3,520 people from their homes.
She said those displaced were currently staying at different camps for Internally Displaced Persons in the area.
Piyo described the situation as pathetic and that urgent national attention was needed to address the situation as the attacks on Riyom people had become recurrent.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Othniel Likkason (left), presenting a gift to the best student of Immaculate Conception Secondary School (icss), Miss Ruth Enekhai, during the school’s graduation in Bauchi, recently. Photo: NAN
Strategic regulators and other stakeholders have expressed satisfaction with the pace, quality and magnitude of work carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Ogoniland, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
In their separate speeches at the 2025 4th quarter key regulators / asset owners meeting held in Port Harcourt, the strategic stakeholders commended HYPREP for the significant milestones achieved with excellent efficiency and transparency, demonstrating capacity and commitment to sustaining collaboration with development partners for the overall success of the Project.
The regulators particularly lauded HYPREP for the landmark success in the implementation of the land and shoreline remediation, mangrove restoration, provision of reticulated potable water, the various sustainable livelihood programmes, donation of ambulances to health facilities in Ogoni, the construction of Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, as well as the ongoing Ogoni Power Project, adding that their independent field reports have shown proofs of HYPREP driving even beyond its mandates.
The goodwill messages were made by representatives of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Centre for Environment and Human Rights Development (CEHRD), Society for Women and Youths Affairs (SWAYA), Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN), Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), and Federal Ministry of Environment. Others are the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Rivers State Ministry of Power, the Rivers State University, the Rivers State Ministry of Water and Rural Development, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
Following the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit’s presentation on the status of HYPREP projects, participants offered feedback on areas of concern. They reassured HYPREP and the people of Ogoni of their continued support for the Project’s success. They also suggested that the quarterly review meeting be sustained as it enables them to report, evaluate and proffer solutions to areas of concern.
Participants also commended HYPREP for improved community and stakeholder engagement and for adding to what they saw the previous time. “We commend HYPREP for the quality work done at sites. The progress is phenomenal, because HYPREP is scoring good grades, above average,” Prof. Iyenemi Kakulu from Rivers State University said.
In his speech at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who was represented by Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, Director of Technical Services, commended the regulators and asset owners for their cooperation with the Project, and for making themselves available for fieldwork and the regular review meetings.
Prof Zabbey reiterated HYPREP’s commitment to best practice in waste management, particularly waste generation and disposal, calling on the Regulators for adequate logistics support, saying HYPREP’s priority is to focus on the core recommendations by UNEP, especially, remediation(soil, shoreline) mangrove restoration, provision of potable water, interventions in public health care services and sustainable livelihood for the people.
The Project Coordinator further highlighted the status of the Project, the successes achieved across all thematic areas, and assured that HYPREP will soon complete most of the ongoing projects and roll out others. He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to review the progress of the Ogoni cleanup, ensure quality control, and foster effective collaboration.
Consequently, the quarterly key regulators/asset owners meeting is HYPREP’s strategic stakeholder management model, further underscoring the Project’s commitment to transparency, partnership for development, and accountability, all of which are harbingers of effective project delivery.
Speaking to newsmen, HYPREP Project Support Lead and representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr Ehioze Igbinomwanhia, described his involvement with HYPREPas an encouraging and insightful experience, saying, the Project is implementing a wide range of projects across Ogoniland, spanning immediate remediation works as well as livelihood support initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of affected communities.
Engr Igbinomwanhia emphasised that Renaissance Africa Energy remains fully committed to supporting the objectives of the Ogoni cleanup project, noting that the company has a long history of collaboration with HYPREP.
He added that the partnership has been characterised by continuous learning, adaptation and a willingness to respond to observations and recommendations aimed at improving outcomes.
He further emphasised the importance of safety in all project operations, particularly given the challenging terrain and operating conditions in Ogoniland.
He noted that safety is treated as a critical priority and that contractors are continually reminded to maintain high safety standards, stressing that lessons learnt from previous operational challenges like the collapse of the water tank in Gwara Community are being applied to strengthen safety practices and overall performance.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
