Nation
THE STATES
Benue
A former state commissioner in Plateau State, Amb. Yakubu Jang, has admonished Berom people not to allow divisive tendencies to take control of them.
Jang gave the advice on Saturday during the maiden celebration of “Nzem Berom” Cultural Day in Makurdi, Benue.
Jang, who was the chairman of the occasion , is also a son of the immediate past, Governor of Plateau, Mr David Jang.
He said that there was power in unity, hence the need for all Berom people to stay united in order to achieve greater things for themselves.
Jang urged Berom youths to venture into technical education to be self reliant because white-collar jobs have
FCT
President Macky Sall of Senegal has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his intervention in The Gambian political crisis which led to the restoration of democracy in the country.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr Femi Adesina, said in a statement in Abuja, last Saturday, that the Senegalese leader conveyed his gratitude to Buhari in a communication between them.
“Thank you again for your support in The Gambia. May Almighty Allah give you greater health and energy to conduct the destiny of Nigeria,’’ Sall said.
The Senegalese president described himself as Buhari’s “younger brother” and prayed that Allah would bestow good health and wisdom on him to lead.
Mr Yahya Jammeh had refused to accept his defeat in an election in December, 2016, and hand over power to Mr Adama Barrow, the winner, as President of The Gambia.
Jigawa
Rep. Ibrahim Abdullahi (APC Dutse/Kiyawa Federal Constituency) in Jigawa State, has distributed 500 bags fo fertilizers, seeds and pesticides to 100 farmers in his consistency.
Abdullahi’s Personal Assistant, Alhaji Abubukar AbdusSalam, confirmed this in Dutse on Sunday.
AbdusSalam said the farmers were drawn from Dutse and Kiyawa local government areas of the state, adding that 50 farmers were selected from each of the local government councils.
The personal assistant said that each of the beneficiaries was given two bags of fertilizer, a bag of groundnut seed, a bag of millet seed and 50 kg of pesticide.
Kano
No fewer than 5,000 people, who contravened the Kano State Environmental Sanitation Law, have so far been prosecuted, according to the State Commissioner for Environment Dr Ali Makoda.
The alleged violators were arrested and tried by the state’s mobile courts between January and March.
Makoda, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Sagir Wali, told newsmen on Saturday, shortly after monitoring the monthly sanitation exercise in eight local governments areas.
According to him, the violators were arrested along the major roads in the city during sanitation.
“We were able to arrest 5, 000 defaulters and they were charged to our mobile courts which imposed some fines on them”, he said.
Lagos
The Federal Government last weekend said it was ready to support states to generate ‘captive power’ as a permanent solution to the problem of electricity in the country.
The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, gave the assurance when he paid a courtesy visit on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State in Ikeja.
It is reported that a captive power plant is a facility that is dedicated to providing a localised source of power to energy users.
Such users are typically industrial facilities or large offices.
The plants may operate in grid parallel mode with the ability to export surplus power to the local electricity distribution network.
Nasarawa
The Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Nasarawa state chapter, Alhaji Mohammed Hussaini, has advised herdsmen to avoid destruction of farm produce and grazing on farmlands to avert clashes with farmers.
Hussaini made the call in Akwanga while addressing newsmen on Sunday on the outcome of the meeting the association held with Fulani community of Nasarawa North senatorial district of the state, comprising Nasarawa Eggon, Akwanga and Wamba in Akwanga local government area.
He said the meeting was to propagate peace and appeal to herdsmen that engaged in destruction of farm produce and grazing on farmland to desist from such act in the interest of peace and development of the state and the nation at large.
“The role of this association is to preach peace and unity, not only to the Fulani community in the state but also to Nigerians at large as no nation or society can develop in an atmosphere of rancour and confusion.
Niger
The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ahmed Marafa, has called on youths to acquire relevant skills that would enable them contribute their quota to nation’s building.
Marafa made the call on Saturday, when the state officials of the Change Organisation, a Non Governmental Organisation, paid him a courtesy visit in Minna.
He also informed the organisation that the legislature was prepared to enact laws that would help the teeming youths in the state realise their full potentials.
The Speaker said that the present administration will not relent on its efforts to ensure the completion of the Baro Port given the employment opportunities it will create.
Ogun
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola has commended the Ogun state government on the quality of the newly constructed and rehabilitated roads across the state.
Fashola gave the commendation after touring some roads constructed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration in some parts of the state on Saturday.
The Minister, who expressed satisfaction with the quality of roads and flyovers inspected , commended the governor for a job well done in infrastructural development.
He assured that President Muhammadu Buhari would adequately reimburse the state and every other state in the same category.
Ondo
Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has solicited the assistance of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in boosting commercial agriculture in the state.
Akeredolu made the call when the AfDB President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, visited him on Sunday in Akure.
The governor explained that the continental bank’s support was necessary to facilitate the cultivation of high quality cocoa, palm oil and cassava in the state.
He urged the AfDB president to make the bank’s presence felt at the grassroots through agriculture for the rapid development of the state.
Osun
An auto crash which occurred at Asejire end of Osun on Friday, killed five persons while others sustained severe injuries.
Among the dead was a journalist, Nathaniel Abimbola, working with the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) in Osogbo. His friends said he was aged 48. He marked his birthday on 26 of February this year.
Abimbola, a graduate of University of Ibadan was attached to the State Assembly and had been on the beat for 10 years.
Four others who died, alongside Abimbola, were all members of Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) Ayetoro Osogbo.
It was gathered that the entire occupants of the ill fated 18 seater bus were heading to Imeko headquarters of the church for a retreat.
Plateau
Pastor Victor Asemah of Shepherd House International Assembly, Jos has said that God’s blessings to Christians would become “worthless”, if those so blessed did not help neighbours in need.
“Those in need are always among us; we see them everyday and know their sufferings. If you are blessed, you must assist them otherwise your blessings are useless and worthless,” Asemah said in a sermon on Sunday, in Jos.
The Pastor, who spoke on the theme, “Supernatural Harvest for Progress’’, challenged Christians to assist the less privileged in the society, “especially the orphans, widows and others in difficulty”.
“When you help others, God increases your blessings. When we give to the needy, we have more access to his supernatural harvest,’’ he said.
Asemah described supernatural harvest as “having access to blessings outside the natural source and beyond ordinary imagination”.
“Such blessings are inexhaustible because of God’s divine connection to his children.
Sokoto
The death toll as a result of the meningitis epidemic in Sokoto State has now risen to 21.
The State Health Commissioner, Dr Balarabe Kakale, confirmed this in an interview with our correspondent in Sokoto on Sunday, as he gave an update on the state of high alert declared by the ministry since 20th March.
The deaths were recorded in the seven local governments of Kebbe, Bodinga, Rabah, Wamakko, Gada, Dange/Shuni and Tureta, mostly affected by the meningitis outbreak.
Kakale said:” the state government had since Monday deployed no fewer than fifteen medical teams, comprising of over one hundred and fifty medical personnel.
“ They were deployed across the 23 local governments of the state, fully equipped with ambulances and provided with free drugs,as well as medicament.
“ The emergency response teams were conducting house to house search, definition and management, both at home and the hospitals.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3