Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji
Zannah Mustapha, has, reiterated the state government’s commitment to empower persons with disabilities so as to keep them away from begging.
Mustapha said this during the distribution of food items to 300 persons with disabilities, organised by Hajiya Nana Shettima SWOT Foundation in Maiduguri.
The Foundation was the pet project of the Borno governor’s wife, Hajiya Nana Shettima.
The deputy governor commended Shettima for the various support she had given to widows, orphans and Tsangaya (Islamic education) pupils in the state.
He said that the state government was determined to ensure that all grievances and problems were carefully looked into to enable the targeted persons to have a sense of belonging.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State Government has warned prop
erty developers in the state to always get necessary government approval before erecting any structure.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Olufunke Falodun, gave the warning at a news conference in Ado Ekiti.
She warned people against indiscriminate erection of structures on water ways, roads and government land.
Falodun said the development had not only distorted development plan but also created avoidable environmental problems, including natural and man-made disasters in parts of the state.
She advised developers to obtain necessary documents and approvals for their properties, adding that the state government would soon embark on verification of building plans.
FCT
The Police have arraigned Sulaiman Daniel, 18,
of Kunchi Kawo, Abuja, in a Grade 1 Area Court, Kado, Abuja for misappropriation of fund.
The prosecutor, Insp. Simon Ibrahim, told the court that Joyce Ekulaman, canteen proprietor, of Utako, Abuja, reported the matter at Utako Police Station, Abuja, on February 11.
He said the accused converted N15,000 paid into his account meant for his employee to his personal use.
“The accused, who served food at the canteen, also stole N40,000 belonging to the employee’’, the prosecutor added.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 309 of the Penal Code.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, granted him bail in the sum of N20,000 and a surety in like sum.
Gombe
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State
recently swore in chairmen, caretaker committees of the 11 local government areas, six new permanent secretaries and six new special advisers.
Speaking at the ceremony in Gombe, the governor said the appointment of the chairmen became necessary, following the expiration of their tenure after two years in office.
Our Correspondent reports that all the chairmen whose tenure expired were sworn in as chairmen caretaker committees of their respective councils.
“You could not have failed to notice that the set of people being sworn in today as local government caretaker committee chairmen require no introduction.
Kano
The Presidential candidate of All Progressives
Congress (APC), Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has condemned the latest bombings in Yobe and Kano states.
In a statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Malam Garba Shehu, the candidate expressed regrets over the attacks.
He noted that the attack came on the eve of the first anniversary of the Buni Yadi attack, where dozens of innocent students of Federal Government College in the community were murdered in their sleep.
He regretted the frequency with which terrorists were destroying the lives of innocent Nigerians.
“Although we commend the efforts and sacrifices of our counter-terrorism forces, there is the need for greater vigilance and new strategies,’’ Buhari said.
Kaduna
Malam Nuhu Bature, the traditional ruler of the
Bajju people in Zangon Kataf, Kaduna State, has cautioned politicians against unguarded utterances that might lead to crisis in the state.
The Agwam Bajju made the call in his palace at Zangon Kataf when Gov. Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State paid him a courtesy visit as part of his campaign tour of the area.
Bature, who spoke on behalf of two other traditional rulers, the Emirs of Ikulu and that of Kamanta, said peace was the bedrock of any development.
He said those seeking to lead the people should at all times demonstrate responsible attitude to issues affecting their communities.
The traditional chief, therefore, appealed to politicians to “watch the kind of statements they make in the media, so as to ensure peace and harmony in the society.’’
Kogi
The kidnappers of the 87-year-old American
woman missionary , Rev. Phyllis Sortor, have reduced their ransom for her release from N60 million to N30 million, an aide of hers said.
The aide, Mr Jacob Ahiaba, told newsmen at Emi Woro community in Ajaokuta Local Government Area last Wednesday that Sortor informed an aide by telephone on Tuesday that her abductors wanted N60 million ransom.
Ahiaba said Sortor made another call later to say that the kidnappers had reduced their demand to N30 million and asked that efforts be made to get the money to secure her release as soon as possible.
Lagos
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State,
Mr Godwin Eke, said last Wednesday that remedial work was being carried out on Wharf Road in Apapa to reduce the rate of accident.
Eke told newsmen in Lagos that the road was being rehabilitated as part of ongoing emergency repair of roads in Apapa.
“We received reports that trucks have been falling there. We now decided to do something remedial, something temporary to reduce the rate of accident there.
“That is part of our plan for the permanent works on Apapa-Tin Can Road.
“It is included in our quantities; there is no contravention; it is part of the emergency repairs that we are carrying out”.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Government has directed
commercial banks to recognise only Certificates of Occupancy (C of O), as collateral security for their credit facilities henceforth.
The Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Mr Sonny Agassi, gave this directive during interactive session with the executives of the commercial banks in Lafia on Wednesday.
The commissioner cautioned the banks against granting loans or other facilities to their clients on the strength of Rights of Occupancy (R of O) and other land documents.
He said the C of O was the only registered land document recognised by the laws of the land to serve as collateral security for facilities from the banks.
According to him, accepting R of O instead of C of O will have dire consequences on their businesses after the changes being introduced by the present administration.
Oyo
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Oyo
State branch, has urged politicians to make the fear of God their priority in their political activities.
The state Chairman of the association, Ayo Olabisi, made the plea on Wednesday while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan.
The cleric called on politicians to observe the rules guiding the electoral processes while exhibiting the fear of God.
“We need to let our politicians know that coming into office is not a do or die affair. It is whatever God says that will come to manifestation,” he said.
Swearing-in of six Permanent Secretaries in Gombe Plc, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State (right), congratulating a newly appointed Permaent Secretary, Mr Renos Kabiny, during the swearing-in of the Permanent Secretaries and six Speical Advisers in Gombe State, recently.
A professor of English linguistics at the Rivers State University (RSU) Nkpolu Oroworukwu Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Enyi Ngulube, has advocated for better and improved funding for language centres in Nigeria, such as NINLAN Aba and Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, for optimum value and effective local languages development.
He also called for funded research on the development of orthographies and language documents across the country to rescue local languages from extinction, as well as having a well-planned and implemented mother tongue education in all institutions in the country, from primary to tertiary.
Prof. Ngulube made with these assertions while presenting his inaugural lecture at the university’s 121st inaugural lecture with the topic “The Career of Rough Beats: Language, Literature and the Development of our Common Humanity” held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The erudite scholar, in the lecture, stressed that the study of English language, linguistics, and literature is very broad, large, and difficult, adding that he overcame the rough roads through resilience and determination.
He described language as “a purely human and non-instinctive means of communicating ideas and emotions,” noting that “the word is a fundamental need in language; you cannot study language without the use of language.”
He urged parents to be cautious with their utterances, warning that “what they refer to their children as is what they will automatically end up becoming.”
He recommended a branded English language for every profession or course of study, stressing that embedding oral literature in the teaching of students from primary to tertiary level will enable them to know their traditions and roots of origin.
“Tell them the folk stories and moonlight tales; you are sending them back to their people. You must be a human being first before becoming a medical doctor, engineer, or anything else,” Ngulube said.
He also called for better and improved production of quality language and literature teachers, provision of modern teaching/instructional materials, improved welfare packages for teachers, and provision of better infrastructure at both primary and secondary school levels.
He used the opportunity to appreciate the Vice Chancellor for the approval of the Department of English Language and Literature, adding that it had been his long-held dream for the university.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, while highlighting the lecture, opined that the lecturer x-rayed the lecturer’s journey into the study of English language, linguistics, and literature, describing the field as broad, large, and difficult, but with determination and focus, he was able to defeat the beasts he encountered on his way.
Zeb-Obipi agreed with the lecturer’s recommendations on ways to improve indigenous languages in the country and directed that modalities be worked out for the university to have the Department of English Language and Literature, among others.
He highlighted RSU’s recent victory in the Bilingual Community Project organized by the French Embassy, describing it as proof of the university’s rising excellence in language studies.
The Federal Government through the implementation of the various projects of the Ogoni cleanup programme is demonstrating a strong commitment to national peace and the development of Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who made this assertion at a two-day training on Mechanism for Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) and other Peacebuilding Techniques for Community Leaders In Ogoni, held in Port Harcourt, said through the ongoing environmental restoration effort, potable water provision, livelihood restoration, public health interventions, and the Ogoni Power Project, HYPREP is contributing to national peace and development.
He explained that by improving the living conditions in communities and creating new opportunities for young people, the Project is also reducing the social pressure that often fuels conflict, stressing that the Project is proud of this service to the Ogoni people and the nation.
Describing traditional leaders and stakeholders as peacebuilders and guardians of community harmony, Zabbey noted that the workshop would strengthen their capacities and reinforce the Ogoni dialogue process, which HYPREP continues to support in line with its mandate on peacebuilding.
He said HYPREP is actively promoting ADR alongside other mechanisms across its project sites and other areas of operation aimed at fostering unity, fairness, mutual respect and faster dispute resolution, stressing that these are qualities necessary for the future of Ogoni people and their communities.
He further indicated that the Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal is disposed to promoting peace and stability across Ogoni communities and HYPREP project sites.
The Project Coordinator, therefore, charged Ogoni leaders to be mindful of their actions, words and body language, as what they say or do can either promote peace or fan the embers of conflict.
Continuing, he stated thus,”We must always ask ourselves: Is my position on this matter in the people’s interest? Does it promote unity and progress? Will it enhance development?”
The Project Coordinator assured the participants that HYPREP is working tirelessly in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme and ensure that its benefits reach the grassroots where they are needed most.
Stressing the need for Ogoni leaders and stakeholders to explore communication and trust options to prevent disputes from degenerating into violence, the Project Coordinator noted that it was time for all Ogonis to be united for development, leaving behind perceptions that do not serve collective progress.
Similarly, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige, said the workshop is a strategic platform aimed at strengthening the capacity of traditional institutions and community leaders to sustain peace, foster dialogue and promote non-adversarial engagements in the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Prof Onyige noted that the Ogoni leadership structure commands deep respect and legitimacy, and strengthening their capacity in ADR methods such as mediation, negotiation, dialogue, facilitation, and consensus building means strengthening the foundation of peace in the region.
Participants, comprising traditional rulers and key stakeholders in Ogoni, commended HYPREP for the initiative, and assured it of their continuous support to the Project by providing an enabling atmosphere for the smooth implementation of the cleanup project in Ogoniland.
Resource persons who presented thought-provoking lectures at the workshop included the Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Kinikanwo Anele; Prof Olariwanju Lawal; Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige; and Dr Gbenemene Kpae; among others.
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.