Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
From January 2016 to date, the Adamawa State Govern
ment has generated over N7 million revenue from the sale of timber, Permanent Secretary, Mr Barnabas Pata, Ministry of Environment, has said.
“In 2015, government discovered underground dealing and unlawful activity by the association of timber dealers, Adamawa branch.
“We invited and held meeting with the members and categorically informed them of the importance of registration and government supervision.
“I am therefore happy to inform you that, as a result of the meeting, the ministry generated over N7 million between January and today, ” Pata told newsmen in Yola recently.
Bauchi
Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State said
that previous administrations in the country were responsible for the poor state of local government councils.
Abubakar made the assertion in Bauchi while having an interactive session with the 20 council chairmen in the state.
He said that past administrations in the country had reduced activities at the local governments to nothing.
“Workers only visit the councils at the end of each month to collect salaries and allowances,’’ he said.
Abubakar said local governments, if effectively utilised, would wipe out poverty and create wealth.
He said that the country needed radical measures that would proffer sustainable solutions to the myriads of problems and scarce resources facing the country.
Borno
Alhaji Abubakar Deribe, Caretaker Committee Chairman,
Jere Local Government Area, Borno State said the council had sunk 42 boreholes with hand pumps in the area.
In addition, he said that the council constructed 20 earth dams to support the boreholes in providing water to people in the area.
Deribe told newsmen in Maiduguri that the projects were undertaken to address the problems of potable water supply in the 12 wards under his council.
He said that the projects were also conceived to minimise the heavy dependence on diesel and petrol-powered boreholes and save cost.
“Water supply has been a major problem in Jere for quite some time; so, to address the problem, we decided to do the hand pumps which are cheaper and easier to maintain”.
Ekiti
An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court has dissolved a four-
year-old marriage between Yetunde Kayode and her husband, Temitope over lack of care.
The President of the Court, Mr Joseph Ogunsemi, who dissolved the union said he observed that it had broken down irretrievably.
Ogunsemi awarded the custody of the five month old baby of the union to the mother, Yetunde, saying that Temitope would be responsible for the child’s education at all levels.
He held that Temitope should pay N5, 000 as monthly feeding allowance for the child. Ogunsemi granted the respondent access to see his child whenever he wanted to.
Earlier, Yetunde, a resident of Abekoko, Falegan area of Ado-Ekiti, told the court that when she got pregnant and told her husband he gave her money to abort the child.
She said she refused to abort the pregnancy because she had once aborted a pregnancy for him, saying she was not ready to die.
FCT
Alhaji Isiwele Shehu, President of the Road Transport
Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), has called on state governments to allow local government in the country to enjoy autonomy.
Shehu made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja recently.
He said that said autonomy for the councils was one of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference, which should not be ignored.
Kogi
The Kogi State Pastor of the Living Faith Church, Lokoja,
Pastor David Popoola, has urged the people of Kogi to be united irrespective of their ethnic diversities and political differences.
Popoola spoke to newsmen in Lokoja on the sidelines of the 25th anniversary celebration of the creation of the state.
He said that, though, tongue and tribe might differ, people should learn to live together in peace and harmony, and as brothers and sisters.
“We should celebrate and promote those things that unite us and do away with things that separate and divide us as a state and a nation.
“The Lord will help our leaders at all levels and give them divine wisdom to know and do what it takes to move this state to greater heights.
Kwara
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, a Non-Gov
ernmental Organisation (NGO), has called for industrialisation of Kwara State in order to boost the state’s economy.
The call is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the group’s National Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim.
“We appeal for industrialisation of Ilorin to boost its economic power and commercial activities. The state government should create the enabling environment for this economic boost to come to reality,’’ the statement said.
The group congratulated the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari, on his 21st coronation anniversary.
“We call on the people of Ilorin Emirate to support the Emir by moving closer to him, and admonish him on the importation of some cultural behaviour.
Lagos
Governor Akinwinmi Ambode of Lagos State has or
dered the contractor handling the Berger area expansion project to deliver the project by December, 2016 or face sanction.
Ambode, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Habib Aruna, gave the ultimatum while on inspection visit to some ongoing projects in the state, recently.
According to the statement, the governor ordered the contractors to work day and night, saying that the directive became imperative in view of the strategic importance of the axis as major gateway to the state.
It said that Ambode ordered the construction of iron barricades under the newly-completed pedestrian bridge to compel usage, save lives and facilitate free flow of traffic.
The statement also said that Ambode inspected the newly-completed lay-by at Car Wash Bus Stop in Oworonsoki and 1.65 kilometre road from Olopomeji in Oworonsoki to Ifako.
It added that Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Ganiyu Johnson, said the projects, upon completion, would not only give Berger even a befitting look, but would permanently remove gridlock associated with the area.
Nasarawa
Head of Nupe community in Nasarawa State, Chief Baba
Bello, has called for truce between the state government and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the interest of the state.
He said that both parties should bury the hatchet and urged leadership of the workers to end the two-month old strike in the state.
Bello, who is Sarki Nupe of Nasarawa State, made the call while addressing newsmen in Lafia.
According to him, the strike which has lasted for two months now has brought untold hardship to the people of the state and also brought setback to the economic fortunes of the state.
Plateau
The management of Jos University Teaching Hospital
(JUTH), Plateau State, said that it had resolved the feud with its striking workers months after it started.
It said this was after a joint meeting facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Health .
Its Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Edmund Banwat, said in Jos that the meeting, brokered by the former Governor of Plateau, Senator Joshua Dariye, provided the platform where all the parties ventilated their positions on the lingering dispute.
Our correspondent reports that all had not been well between the workers and the JUTH management since March which had resulted into intermittent strikes and street protests among others.
Sokoto
The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Sokoto
Zone, has transported 8,500 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2016 Hajj in 17 flights.
Alhaji Abubakar Kaoje, the zonal coordinator of the commission, told newsmen in Sokoto that the pilgrims were from Sokoto and Zamfara States.
He said that the pilgrims were transported by Max Airline from the Sultan Abubakar International Airport, Sokoto.
According to him, 4,500 of them were from Sokoto and were transported through nine flights.
Taraba
Senior Special Assistant to Taraba State governor on
Media and Publicity Mr Sylvanus Giwa, says the digitisation of the state’s broadcasting station would be completed before June, 2017.
Giwa gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen in Jalingo saying that, the move was to beat the 2017 deadline for switch-over from analogue to digital broadcasting.
He said that the state government signed the contract for the full digitization of the station with Pinnacle Communication Limited in December, 2015 to ensure that the deadline was met.
Rivers State University and the Otonti Nduka Foundation for Values Education jointly hosted a two-day National Conference on 8 and 9 May 2026 to examine the state of values in Nigeria.
The two days conference held at Rivers State University convocation arena brought together academics, policymakers, legal experts and education leaders under the theme _“Trends and Challenges in Upholding Values in Nigeria.”_
The gathering focused on policy gaps, curriculum reform, and the role of ethics in public service and education.
The event opened on Friday with remarks from Vice Chancellor Prof. Chief Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who stressed the need to address declining moral and civic values across Nigeria’s education and public sectors. A book of abstracts for the plenary sessions was also presented to participants.
Key speakers included former Attorney General Chief Dr Kanu Agabi, SAN; NERDC Executive Secretary Prof. Shehu Salisu; Prof. Hauwa Imam, FNAE, of the University of Abuja; former Rivers SUBEB Chairman Ven Dr Fyneface Akah, ; former NIMASA DG Dr Hon. Dakuku Adol-Peterside; and RSU Director of ICT Prof. Sunny Orike.
Discussions centered on integrating values education into schools, tertiary institutions and public institutions, alongside the impact of technology on moral development among young Nigerians. Panel and plenary sessions produced practical recommendations for curriculum and policy reform.
On Saturday, the foundation marked its centenary with the unveiling of the book _Otonti Nduka in History_, launched by Chief Engr. Grant Offor, FNSE. The Nigerian Academy of Education held a ceremonial procession led by its President Prof. Olu Jegede and the Ikwerre Professors Forum.
In a communiqué, participants called for stronger collaboration between government, civil society and academia to mainstream values education nationwide. They recommended reviewing teacher training curricula and expanding digital platforms to promote ethical civic engagement, with the foundation pledging to share the outcomes with education authorities for implementation.
Dignitaries present included Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide as Chief Host, Prof. Emeritus Chief T. Uzodimma Nwala, the Ikenga 1 of Mbaise and first philosophy student of Prof. Otonti Nduka, alongside scholars and community leaders.
Amadi Akujobi
The Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, in partnership with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, has reaffirmed support for efforts to expand gas distribution infrastructure in Rivers State as part of initiatives aimed at improving access to affordable, cleaner and more reliable energy for industries across the South-South region.
The commitment was highlighted during the SNG–MAN Business Forum held in Port Harcourt, where stakeholders from the industrial and public sectors examined the role of natural gas in driving industrialisation, boosting local production and strengthening energy security.
Speaking at the forum on behalf of the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, the company’s Head of Gas Distribution, Mr. Chukwuka Amos Ejesi, described natural gas as a critical component of Nigeria’s energy mix and a key driver of sustainable industrial growth.
According to him, Nigeria’s gas development agenda has reached a stage where policy direction must be matched with practical implementation capable of addressing the energy challenges confronting manufacturers.
He noted that pipeline gas offers industries a cleaner, more dependable and cost-effective energy alternative capable of supporting uninterrupted operations, reducing emissions and improving production efficiency.
“Gas is the backbone of manufacturing, and we are encouraged by the growing recognition among stakeholders of the need for cleaner and more reliable energy solutions,” he said.
Ejesi stressed the need for sustained collaboration among energy providers, government institutions and industrial stakeholders to maximise the country’s gas resources for economic development.
He added that improved gas infrastructure would strengthen manufacturing value chains, enhance productivity and promote more competitive industrial operations across Rivers State and the wider South-South region.
Participants at the forum also emphasised the importance of expanding energy infrastructure as a pathway to unlocking industrial capacity, reducing operating costs and promoting sustainable industrial development.
Representing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Director-General of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to partnering with private sector investors to revitalise industrial activities in the state.
He identified key projects targeted under the initiative to include the revival of the Ahoada Industrial Park, the New Port City project and the proposed Bonny Industrial Park, all aimed at stimulating economic growth and expanding industrial opportunities along the Bonny corridor.
According to the governor, the long-term vision is to position Rivers State as a leading manufacturing hub in Southern Nigeria through strategic public-private partnerships.
Governor Fubara also commended Shell Nigeria Gas and MAN for sustaining engagements geared towards improving industrial energy access, noting that gas infrastructure development remains central to the state’s economic recovery plans.
He further observed that the gas sector presents enormous opportunities for economic growth, especially as global energy systems continue to shift towards cleaner energy sources.
The governor called on stakeholders to work collectively towards developing a practical and sustainable gas framework capable of supporting the state’s industrial and energy development objectives.
Chairman of MAN, Rivers and Bayelsa Branch, Elder Vincent Okuku, described gas as indispensable to industrial operations, noting that many manufacturers continue to struggle with the high cost of alternative energy sources.
Similarly, President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dr. Chinyere Ngozi Nwoga, said the transition to natural gas had become increasingly necessary for businesses seeking stable and cost-efficient operations.
“Pipeline natural gas provides a more cost-effective and reliable source of energy for industries,” she stated.
Also speaking, former Chairman of MAN in Rivers and Bayelsa States, Mrs. Emilia Akpan, stressed the need to align energy infrastructure development with investment in human capacity.
She maintained that rebuilding the state’s economy would require not only reliable energy supply but also the development of technical skills needed to support long-term industrial growth.
By Kevin Nengia
The City Boy Movement in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers state has commended Senator Allwell Onyesoh on his victory in the APC primary election for Rivers East Senatorial District.
Chairman of the group in Etche, Dr. Fortune Uchenna Obi, spoke to journalists in Okehi Ward after participating in Monday’s direct primary. He described Onyesoh’s emergence as the party’s candidate for the 2027 senatorial election as a reflection of the people’s will.
Dr. Obi said the senator has performed well during his first term and deserves re-election. He also thanked FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, leader of the Renewed Hope Agenda and Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State, for supporting Onyesoh’s candidacy. According to him, Wike’s backing was instrumental to the senator’s nomination, clearance, and victory at the primary.
He further praised voters in Etche and across Rivers East for turning out in large numbers at ward centers and urged them to sustain the support to ensure Onyesoh’s success in the January 2027 general election.