Nation
THE STATES
Benue
Former Benue State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Jo
seph Orkar, who was detained for eighteen months by the then military regime of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, said that the APC presidential candidate sent corrupt politicals to jail to demonstrate his high sense of moral discipline.
Orkar stated this at an APC rallty in Aliade, Benue.
Admitting that they could have have been cases of miscarriage of justice, the few cases did not undermine the intergrity of the process. He said Buhari was working towards establishing probity and accountability in the system by desciplining erring politicians. Orkar, who is the APC Vice Chairman in the state, said he was an ardent supporter of Buhari despite his inmprisonment and called on other Nigerians to support the APC presidential candidate.
Kaduna
Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State has offered to
provide scholarships to nine primary school pupils up to university level based on their exceptional academic performance.The Governor made the announcement during campaign in Jaba local government Area of the state.
He described the presentation made by the pupils as classic, saying it was a testimony that government’s efforts aimed at transforming the education sector was yielding fruits.
“It is better to invest in the education of our children now to secure their future. Parents should invest in the education of their children,” he said. He called on the people of the area to remain united and support the government to deliver more dividends of democracy to them.
Kwara
Traditional rulers in Kwara South Senatorial District on
Thursday, pledged their support for the re-election of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. The Olupo Ajase-Ipo, Oba Sikiru Sanni; the Oloro of Oro Kingdom, Oba Rafiu Ajiboye; and the Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Charles Ibitoye, all separately pledged to support Ahmad’s re-election bid when the APC campaign team visited their respective palaces.
Sanni said the call for the support toward the re-election bid of Governor Ahmed was to give the administration the opportunity to complete its ongoing projects across nooks and crannies of the state. He expressed the desire of the people of the community to support government at all levels toward ensuring the sustenance of the nation’s democratic system.
“We want to assure the government of our continuous support, including the re-election bid of our governor at the poll, he said.
Kano
The Kano State Government said on Thursday, it had spent
N10 million on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were camped in Dawakin Kudu Local Government area of the state.
The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SARERA), Alhaji Aliyu Bashir, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Kano. According to him, over 3,000 IDPs were assisted with the fund during their stay at the camp. He said the agency also collaborated with the United Nations to get relief materials for the displaced persons who were mostly from Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Taraba. Bashir added that the displaced persons left their various homes and trooped into the state due to insecurity in their areas.
Katsina
Victims of 2011 post-election violence in Funtua, Katsina
State, on Thursday sought for assistance from the state and Federal Government to enable them rebuild their lives.
The chairman of the victims committee in the area, Mr Billy Okbegboro, made the call at a press briefing in Funtua. He explained that the assistance provided by government was only given to landlords, leaving out tenants particularly shop owners whose properties were destroyed. He said that about 233 tenants affected by the violence were left roaming the streets with no means of livelihood, adding that some of them had died of trauma.
Lagos
An Igando Customary Court in Lagos has dissolved a
six-year-old marriage over heavy drinking and adultery.
The President of the court, Mr Rasak Adeyeri, said that all efforts to reconcile Samuel Ajibode, a businessman and his wife Rebecca had proved futile.
He said the court had no option than to dissolve the union for them to go their separate ways.
“Both parties are no longer husband and wife, they are free to go their separate ways,” Adeyeri ruled.
The Petitioner, Samuel Ajibode (53), had filed a suit seeking the dissolution of the marriage over wife’s infidelity and excessive alcoholic consumption.
Nasarawa
The Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Keffi,
Nasarawa State, Dr Joshua Giyan, has appealed to striking health workers nationwide to resume work in the interest of humanity. Giyan made the call in Keffi in an interview with newsmen. He observed that the industrial action by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) had affected the lives of many Nigerians, particularly the poor who have no means to patronise private hospitals. Giyan said the Minister of Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, had met with chief medical directors and assured them that the Federal Government was doing its best to implement the white paper submitted to it by the presidential committee. The director commended the federal government for its sustained efforts in funding the health sector, calling for support and understanding from stakeholders.
Ogun
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has prom
ised to continue to commit the resources of the state for the development of the rural areas across the state, if re-elected.
Amosun gave the promise in Coker, a town in Ifo local Government of the state during his re-election campaign tour. He said his administration would focus on the construction of rural roads, electricity supply, and create employment opportunities in rural communities.
“I want to thank you for your support and perseverance in the last three and half years. “It is not that we neglect you; our concentration during the first term was on urban renewal which we intend to attract investors into the state. “You can see that many companies have sprung up in the state and many investors are still interested in doing their businesses in Ogun”, he said.
Sokoto
Gwabadawa Local Government Council, Sokoto
State, says it spends N6 million on the payment of monthly allowances to 1,200 regular vigilantes it has recruited. The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Aminu Aya, said this in Sokoto during an interview with newsmen recently. Aya said that the council had also engaged 2,436 non-regular vigilantes.
“The local government council is making arrangements to regularise the engagement of the vigilantes who are yet to start receiving the monthly allowances of N5,000 each,” he explained. Aya said that the vigilantes were engaged to complement the efforts of the security agencies in protecting the lives and property of the citizenry in the area. He said the vigilantes were deployed to various towns and villages in the 11 political wards of the local government area.
Zamfara
Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State on
Thursday, said the state government has fulfilled the promises it made to people of Maru local government area in 2011. Yari, who was on campaign tour of the local government said in Maru that the multi-million naira projects executed by the government had transformed the area from what it used to be.
“Now if you compare Maru town before the coming of this administration, you will see that it has improved in terms of town planning and socio-economic development.
“Our administration has fulfilled all the promises it made in 2011 during the last election campaigns; our great party, the APC has good mission for Nigerians,” he said.
The governor listed some of the projects executed in the area to include township roads, expansion and upgrading of Maru General Hospital, completion of Government Secondary School Maru, as well as renovation and construction of new primary schools.
L-R: Govenor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe, his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Fashola and his wife, Abimbola at the closing ceremony of a 3-Day Conference by Committee of Wives of Lagos State officials in Lagos.
With significant achievements recorded across thematic areas of the Ogoni cleanup programme being executed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Project Coordinator of the Project, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has said that all these are enabling pathways to the development of Ogoniland.
This is coming on the heels of milestone achievements in the following areas and their impact on Ogoni communities. They are mangrove restoration which is 94 percent complete; shoreline remediation which stands at 67.1 percent; and the phase 2 land remediation progressing to 36.55 percent.
Moreso, HYPREP has constructed 14 water facilities, providing potable water to 40 communities. With the commissioning of the water schemes in Bane and Gwara communities, the number of communities with access to clean and safe drinking water will be 45. The process of operationalising the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) which is at 92 percent complete, is ongoing. The same for the Ogoni Power Project which is progressing with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakaara substations ongoing
Similarly, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are at 76.8 percent and 98.7 percent respectively.
This is alongside other public health interventions and the Human BioMonitoring Survey also in progress.
Under the livelihood
programme, over 7,000 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni women and youths, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up kits, workshops, education grants, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This quarter, training will commence in other demand-driven skill areas, such as cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, commercial diving, and underwater welding.
Zabbey had reeled out these achievements, during the third quarter interactive session between the Project Coordination Office engagement with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt on Friday, in line with HYPREP’s strategic stakeholders policy to provide an interface opportunity to abreast Ogoni youths on the Project’s activities, while garnering their feedback.
Zabbey noted that, “This
quarterly engagement was,therefore, designed as an inclusive strategy to ensure that youth voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and progress updates are provided transparently. Also, it reflects our firm belief that a project of this magnitude must be people-centred, accountable, and participatory”.
” I am delighted to inform you that the Project remains on course to achieve its mandate as outlined in the UNEP Report on the Ogoni environment and the official gazette establishing HYPREP. HYPREP is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the cleanup projects and activities”, he said.
He stressed that HYPREP’s achievements are pathways to a better Ogoniland, assuring that the Project’s goals are aimed at benefiting all categories of Ogoni youths, whether in business, farming, advocacy, education, entrepreneurship or community development.
”This Project belongs to all of you, and its success depends mainly on your participation, unity and constructive engagement. And with your support, we are confident that all challenges will be addressed in the overall public interest,” Zabbey said.
The Project Coordinator urged Ogoni youths to continue to support the Project by promoting peace, discouraging misinformation, and collaborating with project teams working in the communities, and address challenges through dialogue, rather than confrontation.
Prof Dinebari Badey, a Professor of Development Sociology in the University of Port Harcourt, delivered the keynote address, linking the nexus between HYPREP and youths in the development of Ogoniland through unity of purpose while Engr Solomon Akere, gave a talk on Ogoni youths in business.
Participants raised questions concerning the maintenance of the water projects, remediation efforts, and compensation for the Right of Way (RoW), among others.
In attendance were management staff of HYPREP who provided responses to the interventions.
Members of the Association of Community Health practitioners of Nigeria (ACHPN),Rivers state Chapter have marked the 2025 Community Health week with a call for the state government to employ more community health practitioners to mann the various health centres across the 23 local government areas of the state .
The theme of one week event “strengthening the Nigerian healthcare system,the role of community health practitioners in reducing maternal and under _five mortality in line with sustainable development goals”attracted community health practitioners across the state.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event held at the conference hall of the state primary healthcare office in port Harcourt, the state chairman of the Association,Dr Justina Onuwa appeal to the state governor,Sir Siminalayi Fubara to approve the employment of more community health practitioners in other to effectively mann the primary health centres in the state.
Onuwa stated that the call become imperative following the decline in community health practitioners in the civil service and the need to ensure that the people in rural communities have more access to primary healthcare services in their localities.
The state chairman of ACHPN averred members of the association were not captured in the employment scheme during last employment of medical health workers by the state government.”our people need to be employed like other health care service providers”
She appeal to the state government to provide vehicles and office secretariat for its association and as well ensure that their members are promoted as at when due.
Also speaking,the state Health Educator,Dr Babbo Diana who represented the commissioner for health and Executive secretary RSPHCMB while congratulating them on their celebrations called them to partner with the state government to build more efficient healthcare services in the state.
She urge them to be passionate with their work, stressing that all hands must be on deck and everyone must play their roles in other to ensure the success of government primary healthcare services in the state.
In his good will message,the representative of the state Director of Health planning Research and statistics, Dietician Buduzhi Gift Oguzor described members of the association as foot soldiers of health services care providers in the state.
He called on them to be more dedicated in their responsibilities especially in the areas of infrastructure development, noting that the state of infrastructure under their custody are in a detoriating conditions despite the huge of resources released to them by the state government.
Earlier in her lecture on the theme “strengthening the Nigerian healthcare system,the role of the community practitioners in reducing the under _five mortality in line with the sustainable development goals”prof Alice Nte urge them to review their association curriculum in other to upgrade their profile and become more relevant and attend to the optimum value in the profession.
She opined that the WHO according to the Nigerian Demography survey didn’t included members of the association as stillbirth attendant, adding that they should restrategise and look into their curriculum and see where it can be updated.
The climax of the week long celebrations ended with road work,free medical care services and church thanks service.
Akujobi Amadi
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Bldr. Daniel Abimbola Kolade, FNIOB, has called on Nigerian builders to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship as key drivers for addressing the nation’s housing deficit.
Speaking at the inaugural council meeting of the Institute held at its National Secretariat in Abuja in his speech themed, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Key Driver to Housing Delivery,” the NIOB President said the Institute is poised to lead transformative change in the nation’s housing delivery system.
Bldr. Kolade described the meeting as a strategic platform for redefining NIOB’s policy direction for the next two years, stressing that the housing challenge presents both a national problem and a professional opportunity.
“We, as custodians of building production management, must reposition ourselves not only as technical experts but as innovators, entrepreneurs, and national solution providers,” he stated.
He emphasized that innovation must now be embedded in the professional DNA of builders, urging practitioners to embrace sustainable technologies, research-based construction methods, and digital project management tools.
According to him, the Institute will promote innovation through research collaborations, innovation labs, and pilot projects that showcase emerging construction techniques.
On entrepreneurship, Bldr. Kolade noted that competence alone was no longer sufficient, and that builders must evolve into enterprise creators capable of driving employment and economic growth through construction-based ventures.
He further outlined the Institute’s five key policy pillars for the next two years, to include innovation
and research; entrepreneurial
development; professional regulation and ethics; advocacy
and policy influence;
capacity building and youth empowerment.
The NIOB President also paid tribute to past leaders of the Institute for laying the foundation upon which the current administration will build, saying leadership must go beyond preservation to purposeful expansion.
“If we can harness innovation, embrace entrepreneurship, and strengthen our professional unity, we will not only close the housing gap — we will redefine the standards of housing delivery in Africa,” he affirmed.
He called on builders nationwide to view themselves as not only craftsmen but nation builders, visionaries, and entrepreneurs committed to delivering sustainable housing and national development.
The NIOB President earlier led the National Council members to a site visit to the NIOB construction site at Idu, Abuja.