Nation
THE STATES
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State (3rd left), President, Walmart – Europe, Middle East, Africa and Canada, Mrs Shelly Broader (2nd left), Chief Executive Officer, Massmart Holdings Ltd, Mr Guy Hayward (3rd right) and others, during a buisness meeting between Walmart Group and Governor Ambrode in Lagos, yestereday.
Bauchi
Bauchi State Government says it would soon send an assessment
team to all the 20 local government areas of the state, to assess people’s immediate needs.
Governor Mohammed Abubakar made this known in Bauchi when officials of Katagum Emirate Council, paid him a courtesy call.
“ Government is sending out teams to all the local government areas to assess most urgent needs.
“Efforts are being made to review the budget we inherited from the last administration to make it conform with the All Progressive Congress (APC), manifestos,” he said.
The governor promised to emulate the leadership style of fairness to all, exhibited by the late Second Republic governor of the state, Alhaji Tatari Ali.
Ekiti
Two residents of Ado-Ekiti have been arrested for violating the state
environmental law, Mr Bisi Kolawole the Commissioner for Environment, has said.
Kolawole told newsmen in Ado-Ekiti that the two men were arrested while dumping refuse into the canal at site of the channelisation project in the state capital.
He said the culprits pleaded for forgiveness and were fined N5, 000 each.
He warned the people against indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains, canals and river channels to avert flooding and other natural disasters
He urged the people to complement government’s effort to rid the state of filth to reduce diseases and disasters.
FCT
A former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Na
tions, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, has called for an Inter-Ministerial Council to coordinate the nation’s foreign policy.
Gambari spoke as the Chairman of the Public Presentation of the book “Economic Diplomacy and Nigeria’s Foreign Policy’’, written by Dr Musa Babayo, in Abuja.
Babayo was a former Chairman, Governing Board of Tertiary Education Trust.
According to him, the body will provide a link between Nigeria’s foreign policy and its economic interests.
Gambari said that it had become necessary to set up such an authoritative focal point to coordinate the broad range of Nigeria’s socio-economic development and welfare of its people.
Gombe
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has urged people in
the state to be vigilant to avoid future attacks by insurgents.
Dankwambo gave the advice during a visit to the scene of the multiple bomb blasts in Gombe.
A Wednesday night twin blast at Dadin/Kowa and Dukku motor parks, Gombe metropolis, left 36 people dead and more than 100 injured.
The governor called on residents of the town to be prayerful and seek divine protection of lives and property.
He directed the management of parks and other public building to be using metal detectors to screen people partonising such places.
The governor said the state government would settle medical bills of the victims.
Jigawa
A philanthropist, Alhaji Abubakar Tela, the Chief Executive of Yayari
Oil, Hadejia, on Monday donated 100 sets of uniform to inmates of the Hadejia Prison in Jigawa State.
Addressing newsmen in Dutse, the Controller, Nigeria Prisons Service, Jigawa, Mr Muhammad Bedi, said the gesture by Tela was to assist inmates in the facility.
Bedi said the uniforms were distributed to virtually all the convicts in the prison and commended the oil marketer for complementing the Federal Government’s efforts at providing an enabling environment for the reformation of inmates.
The controller urged other public-spirited individuals in the state to emulate him, and do all in their power to complement the government’s efforts, stressing that government could not do it all alone.
Bedi also called on the general public to assist the inmates with soaps, buckets, mats, mattresses and bowls, among other items.
Kogi
Pensioners in Kogi State have rejected the e- payment platform used
in handling the payment of their monthly pensions, saying that the system has led to discrepancies in pensions.
The state Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners ( NUP), Mr Onu Abdullahi,said in Lokoja that the platform, Remita, which was deployed about six months ago, had been deducting their monthly pensions without justifications.
The chairman said that the platform had also been omitting the names of genuine pensioners , saying that the names of 255 pensioners had been omitted from payment in the past three months.
Abdullahi called on the state governor, Capt Idris Wada, to immediately disengage the consultant , since the arrangement had not been working well.
Lagos
A cleric, Msgr. Gabriel Osu, has told the new leadership of the
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to work assiduously to stop harassment and intimidation of journalists.
Osu, the Director of Social Communications of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, made the call in a congratulatory message to Mr Waheed Odusile on his recent election as President of the NUJ.
The cleric applauded members of the NUJ for the peaceful and orderly manner they conducted themselves during the election.
He said that the election was exemplary and “worthy of emulation by members of the political class.
“The new NUJ leadership should work assiduously in ensuring that the plight of Nigerian journalists such as incessant harassment and intimidation is addressed.’’
Osu also charged the new executive to also look into the poor remuneration of media workers because of the important role they played in national orientation and development.
Niger
The Niger State Government says it will continue to give prior
ity to health data generated from its health facilities at all levels.
The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Health, Dr Ibrahim Tiffin, made the disclosure at the stakeholders meeting in Minna on Tuesday.
According to him, this is aimed at improving health planning process geared toward improving the current monitoring and evaluation activities.
Tiffin said that all stakeholders in data management had been asked to harmonise their data tools in line with the District Health Information System (DHIS) and Health Management Information System (HMIS).
He pledged that the reward and sanction measure would be adopted to encourage compliance to data tools and its usage at health facility levels.
He stressed that data collected on health issues would be strictly submitted by stakeholders on the seventh day of every month.
The Niger State Health Data Consultative Committee meeting held at the Ministry of Health Conference hall was aimed at mobilising resources for mentoring, monitoring and supervision of National Health Management Information System activities in the state.
Ondo
The Ondo State Government has assured pensioners on its
payroll of payment of their outstanding pension and gratuity.
This is contained in a press statement released by Mr Kayode Akinmade, the Commissioner for Information, in Akure.
The statement added that the pensioners would be paid after the workers’ salaries have been paid this week.
“Government thus assures the pensioners to expect payment of their arrears after salaries of workers in the state would have been paid later in the week,’’ it said.
The statement said the commissioner acknowledged that the pensioners were being owed outstanding arrears and hinged the inability to pay on the dwindling revenue from the Federation Account, as well as low internally generated revenue.
It added that government owed its pensioners the obligation to pay them their pension, as at when due.
The statement appreciated the role of the pensioners in building a virile state through their contributions while in active service.
Plateau
The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) in Plateau
State, Mr John Dasar, says bio-security measures remain the best method to totally eradicate bird flu disease from Nigeria.
Dasar stated this in an interview with newsmen in Jos.
According to him, strict adherence by poultry farmers to bio-security measures will totally eradicate bird flu disease from this country.
He said among the many measures farmers were expected to adopt to avoid their farms from being cut up by the hydra headed disease, were “copious bio-security measures.
He warned his colleagues to avoid selling infected birds to desperate marketers, saying that it is another fast means of spreading the disease to humans because many people consume chicken meat.
The chairman said though cases of bird flu had drastically reduced in Plateau, he, however, admonished farmers not to neglect other measures of protection of their birds.
Sokoto
Prof. Gajam Von of the Department of Education, Usman
Danfodio University, Sokoto, has called on Nigerians to support the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to end insurgency in the country.
He made the call on Monday in Sokoto in an interview with newsmen.
He said that Buhari had finetuned the nation’s security apparatus with the appointment of competent hands to manage the affairs of the armed forces for optimal performance.
He said that the task ahead for Nigerians was to come out with intelligence reports on suspected miscreants and make them available to the security agencies for prompt action.
Von urged Nigerians to develop the habit of offering intelligence information on security threat in their localities to the security agencies.
He expressed satisfaction with the efforts made so far by the new service chiefs in confronting the insurgents in some part of the country.
The don urged the federal government to intensify efforts to end the ‘senseless killings’ of innocent Nigerians for peace, progress and political growth of the country.
Zamfara
The Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA),
says 50 houses and property worth millions of naira were destroyed in Tsafe, Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr Sanusi Kwatarkwashi, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Gusau.
Kwatarkwashi said that the flood, which destroyed a school building in the town, resulted from the Sunday downpour in the area.
He attributed incident to the blockage of the drains and building of houses on the natural waterways by the residents.
According to him, most of the houses affected in the area were built along the waterways.
He said that the agency had written a report on the incident and would soon forward it to the state government for assistance to the victims.
Kwatarkwashi said that the report would also be forwarded to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for Federal Government’s assistance to the victims.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing the safety of the seafaring profession and upgrading maritime institutions to international standards.
Speaking at the 2025 World Seafarers’ Day celebration in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, organised by NIMASA, with the theme, “My Harassment-Free Ship.
He said that this year’s theme “speaks to our collective duty to make every ship a safe and respectful workplace noting that harassment and bullying have no place in our maritime industry.
The Minister further emphasised the importance of continuous training and retraining to ensure seafarers remain competitive and employable.
Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari, emphasised that seafarers are the backbone of international trade, facilitating the smooth transportation of goods and services across the globe.
He stressed the need to eliminate all forms of violence, harassment, and bullying against seafarers.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, emphasised the need for the maritime community to prioritise the welfare, safety of seafarers and maintain zero tolerance for harassment.
According to the DG, “Today provides opportunity for the Maritime Community to honor seafarers globally for their immense contribution to both domestic and international trade, powering the blue economy and connecting nations across oceans”.
He said that this year’s theme was particularly apt, as it was a call to action to “ensure that our seafarers feel safe, are valued and protected while at sea because the ship is not just their place of work; it is their temporary home. It must therefore reflect the highest standards of dignity and professionalism fostering zero tolerance for harassment”.
He declared that NIMASA must continue to play its part in ensuring that Nigeria contributes effectively to regulations affecting seafarers, as Nigeria remains the highest contributor of seafarers in Africa. “Our men and women sail on vessels in our domestic waters and also globally. This will continue to grow through the Nigerian Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) and the effort of our Maritime Training Institutions.
‘At the recently concluded 113th session of the International Labour Conference held in Geneva, seven (7) amendments to the MLC 2006 code addressing a broad range of issues affecting seafarers, including the recognition of seafarers as key workers, improved protection against ship board violence and harassment, enhanced access to shore leave and repatriation and updated medical and occupational safety standards were approved by an overwhelming majority.
These seven (7) amendments reflect collective global effort to align maritime Labour standards with the evolving landscape of global shipping.
I, therefore, call on shipowners, operators and crewing agencies to begin to review their operational manuals to align with these amendments ahead of the expected entry into force in December 2027. Our seafarers must be able to report grievances without fear of retaliation, while also ensuring protection against vexations or malicious complaints.
He added that NIMASA will play its role by establishing clear policies and procedures for preventing and addressing harassment on Nigerian-flagged vessels, ensuring confidential reporting channels for incidents of harassment and that reports are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
“Today is a clear reminder to us all – government, employers, unions, shipowners, and civil society- that seafarers should not be left alone in their struggles. They look up to us to help them foster a culture of zero tolerance on ships to protect their dignity”, he stated.
He also assured that under his leadership, NIMASA will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly the renewal of entries into force by ship owners, operators, and relevant agencies come December 2027.
Stakeholders drawn across the four local government areas of Ogoniland in Rivers State, have expressed delight over the excellent performance of the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey within the past two years, describing him as a true patriot, who has been showing leadership in delivering service to the people.
The stakeholders, who gave the indication in their separate goodwill messages during the mid-term stakeholders engagement and scorecard presentation organised by HYPREP in Port Harcourt, scored the Project Coordinator high on the Ogoni cleanup and the overall implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland.
The President of KAGOTE and Board member of the Ogoni Trust Fund, Hon Emma Deeyah, particularly commended Zabbey for turning around the fortunes of the Ogoni people, as they are now having value for the money earmarked for the cleanup project, describing the Project Coordinator as “one of our best.”
He noted that Zabbey has done well on the saddle, working very hard, being an administrator and leader with listening ears, striving assiduously to meet the yearnings and expectations of the people.
He said the Ogoni cleanup is a journey that has just begun, stressing that he was happy that the Project Coordinator is not on the saddle to amass wealth but to deliver and achieve results, and appealed to the Ogoni people to continue to give him their support.
On his part, member representing Gokana/Khana Federal Constituency in the National Assembly and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities, Rt Hon Dumnamene Dekor, said HYPREP under the watch of Zabbey is working with renewed vigour, and thanked the Project Coordinator for driving the Ogoni cleanup project with passion.
He noted that the funds dedicated and earmarked for the project are running out, disclosing that he was working on an Executive Bill, to facilitate the work of HYPREP.
While stressing the need for the people to take full responsibility of all the projects sited in their communities, Dekor regretted that some beneficiaries had sold the starter packs presented to them by HYPREP, while the water facility provided in his Bierra community has been vandalised.
The King of Tai Kingdom, King Samuel Nnee, said HYPREP under Zabbey as Project Coordinator has been delivering on its mandate, describing him as a square peg in a square hole, who has given hope to the Ogoni people.
The monarch urged the Ogoni people to give the Project Coordinator the necessary support.
The Paramount Ruler of Barako Community and member of the Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt, Mene Kadilo Kabari, said Zabbey has always demonstrated that he is a true patriot by carrying along Ogoni people from all strata of the society, describing him as a performing Project Coordinator.
He noted that the bane of HYPREP before now had been the conflict between the Project Coordinator and the Minister of Environment, saying, under Zabbey, Ogoni people can now see what unity of purpose can achieve.
He expressed delight that the water facility which was the first commissioned by HYPREP in his community is functioning optimally following the solar-powered system installed by the Project.
The King of Eleme Kingdom, King(Dr) Philip Osaro Obelle thanked HYPREP’s management team for all that it is doing in Ogoniland, stressing that the Project was built on the graves, bellies and blood of Ogoni sons and daughters who lost their lives during the Ogoni struggle.
He, therefore, advised HYPREP “not to deviate from the expectations of our heroes but to do those things that would benefit Ogoni people for the betterment of Ogoniland.”
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Netherlands, Hon Oji Ngofa said HYPREP has been like the government of Ogoniland, and harped on the sustainability of all the projects.
According to him, Zabbey has been giving HYPREP a human face.
Former Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof Barineme Fakae applauded Zabbey for the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, and stressed the need for the implementation of the recommendations of its technical committee which recently submitted its report.
According to him, if the project succeeds, Ogoni people are going to succeed.
Chief Priscillia Vikue, on her part, thanked Zabbey for his outstanding performance, saying, the women of Ogoni are very happy with what he is doing in Ogoniland.
While scoring the Project Coordinator highly on his performance, she said the women are happy because Zabbey knows what he is doing with HYPREP.
“You went to school.You did not cut corners.You are a square peg in a square hole.You have engaged women and the youths. We have seen what you have done. And we give you A1”, she said, and challenged Zabbey to see how more women would participate in the project and also how to sustain it.
In his remarks, the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey said the mid-term engagement is important because “it allows us to present tangible evidence of progress in the Ogoni cleanup effort, reinforce accountability, deepen transparency, and most importantly, enables HYPREP to interact directly with the communities and stakeholders who are the heartbeat of this project.”
He noted that the scorecard presentation is designed to show what HYPREP has achieved across key thematic areas, what challenges it is currently grappling with, and what the road ahead looks like, saying, “it is a moment for stocktaking and for re-affirming our shared commitment to the success of the Ogoni cleanup project”.
According to him, HYPREP has recorded commendable progress in the implementation of its core mandates in line with UNEP recommendations and the directives in the official gazette establishing HYPREP.
Donatus Ebi
The South-South representative of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Board, Rt. Hon. Aboh Uduyok, has concluded his one-day official visit to Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Rumuola, Rivers State, with the unveiling of the Mass Communication Department classroom building. The project was executed under the 2021 TETFund intervention project.
During the unveiling of the project, Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rt. Hon. Uduyok commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to the educational sector and praised the polytechnic’s management for utilising TETFund resources judiciously.
He noted that the quality of ongoing projects met approved specifications, and expressed satisfaction with the institution’s progress.
The TETFund representative stated that his visit was aimed at familiarising himself with beneficiary schools, assess fund utilization, and identify challenges.
He assured the school management that he would convey their requests for constructing engineering works and hostel accommodations to the board and notify them of any approval.
Rt. Hon. Uduyok explained that the TETFund Board is not initiating new projects this year, except where necessary, due to presidential directives. However, he commended the institution for the commendable quality of both completed and ongoing projects.
In his welcome address, the Rector of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Dr. Moses S. Neebee, thanked the TETFund representative for visiting, and highlighted the institution’s successes and challenges. He requested support for hostel accommodations and engineering works, emphasising that a higher institution without hostels is akin to a glorified secondary school.
Dr. Neebee while briefing the visitor on the institution’s progress, noted that it currently runs 21 National Diploma programme and five Higher National Diploma courses. He disclosed that the school accessed the 2021 TETFund release in full but faced challenges with the 2023 fund due to harsh economic conditions and bid process delays, which increased project costs. The Rector pleaded for assistance in securing additional funds for the 2023 intervention release.
Akujobi Amadi