Nation
THE STATES

FCT
The House of Representatives has stressed the need to strengthen the security structure in Aba, Abia State, and to address the gruesome murder of Aba residents.
This was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Prestige Ossy (Abia-APGA) at the plenary on Tuesday.
Moving the motion earlier, Ossy said that the entire security structure in Aba had practically collapsed.
He said the unfortunate turn of event had left the commercial city at the mercy of daredevil criminals, kidnappers and ritualists.
The lawmaker said that in the last couple of months, the undesirable elements who had infiltrated the city in large numbers had been ceaselessly unleashing mayhem, inflicting pains and untold sufferings on the people.
He said that on February 24, Chief Kalu Dieke, was kidnapped and gruesomely murdered by suspected kidnappers with his body dismembered and dumped around the notorious Orji Uzor bridge.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (JACCIMA) has approved the removal of its President, Alhaji Shehu Sanusi, from office.
The chamber’s Vice-President II, Alhaji Yahaya Ibrahim, confirmed the development in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Dutse.
Ibrahim said the removal was with immediate effect.
He, however, did not give reasons for the removal.
According to him, the JICCIMA’s Vice President I, Alhaji Muhammad Muktar, has taken over the affairs of the chamber, pending election of a substantive president.
The Tide recalls that Sunusi was elected on May 21 last year as president, while Muktar and Yahaya were elected as deputy president I and II.
Kano
The Kano/Jigawa Customs Area Command on Friday in Kano destroyed expired items worth millions of Naira.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Commands Public Relations officer, Mr Danbaba Isah and made available to newsmen in Kano.
According to the statement, the burnt items include expired foreign rice, computer scraps and expired bubble gum.
Others were harmful and expired drugs including Dizapam, Heragra, Tranadol tablets and 250 cartons of expired liquid Indo food.
According to the statement, the Command’s Area Controller, Mr Abutu Onaja led in the destruction of the expired items which took place in the premises of the command’s warehouse.
“The destruction of the expired materials was approved and directed by the Comptroller General of Customes, Retired Col Hameed Ali.
“The exercise was witnessed by relevant government agencies operating in Kano state,” he said.
Kaduna
The Bank of Agriculture says it has secured 1.118 million dollars grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for its capacity building and institutional strengthening projects.
In a statement made available on Tuesday in Kaduna, Oluremi Olaoye, the Corporate Communication Manager of the bank, said the projects would enable the bank to sufficiently serve the Nigerian rural dwellers’ financial needs.
According to Olaoye, AfDB will to provide 987,510.30 dollars, or 88.12 per cent of the amount, while the bank of would provide 130,997.03 dollars or 11.88 per cent as matching grant.
The grant would be used to finance programmes that would lead to the expansion of the bank’s target clientele, which is currently small due to low institutional capacity.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government has earmarked N898 million for the rehabilitation of the 4.5 million cubic litres capacity Dukku Water Works.
The state’s Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Alhaji Bala Kangiwa,signed the agreement with a Chinese company, Zhonghao/Brosino Investment, in Birnin Kebbi recently.
“The N898million contract was awarded to the Chinese firm and the project is expected to be completed within 18 months,” he said.
He said the rehabilitation was necessary in view of the ageing of the water works constructed in 1970.
“Some of the equipment were affected by erosion, and could not take high pressure to deliver water to the tanks for onward supply to the town.
” We will also rehabilitate our old water works in other areas in order to complement the Dukku Water Works, “he said.
Kogi
The Wife of Kogi State Governor, Mrs Rashida Bello, has urged wives of local government adminstrators in the state to initiate programmes that would have positive impact on the lives of women in the area.
Bello gave the advice at the grand finale of a three-day retreat organised for the wives of local government administrators and other women leaders in the state in Lokoja on Tuesday.
The governor’s wife further advised them to have understanding and adequate knowledge of their responsibilities to enhance their performance.
“This retreat is meant to create an atmosphere that will ensure the integration, cooperation and relationship between my office and wives of local government administrators.
“It is germane to the development of every family and by extension, the development of council areas, state and Nigeria as a nation.
Kwara
The Kwara State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the N160.9 billion appropriation bill of the state.
The bill was passed at the plenary after the House Committe on Finance and Appropriation approved on the budget estimate.
The budget, which was presented by Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed on December 29, 2016, represents an increase of N25.6 billion or 18.9 per cent over the original proposed N135,264,529,461 estimate presented to the House by the governor.
The recurrent expenditure of the budget stands at N70.8 billion, while the capital expenditure is N90.1 billion.
Prior to the passage of the fiscal document, some amendments were made to the report of the Finance and Appropriation Committee.
Speaking after the passage of the budget, the Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, said the House jerked up the budget size above the figure tabled by the state governor to expedite action on some ongoing projects.
Lagos
The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the new Lagos- Ibadan standard gauge railway project would be completed in 2018.
Osinbajo said at the ground breaking ceremony of the Segment II Lagos- Ibadan standard gauge rail track on Tuesday in Lagos.
“The acting president said that it was important to have a viable self-sustaining and improving railway services.
“The development will cut across the country; the Federal Ministry of Transportation has completed the feasibility study for up to 13 routes across the country to identify state capitals and major commercial centres.
“We should begin to see significant activities in this regard very soon.
“The fast and efficient railway service is scheduled to be completed by December 2018,” Osinbajo said.
He added that it was part of the promises made by the president during the campaign period.
Nasarawa
A housewife, Mrs Felicia Akinshola, 34, has pleaded with a court in Nasarawa State to dissolve her marriage over alleged inability of her husband to pay her bride price.
Felicia, who is also a business woman also told the Upper Area Court in Mararaba, to dissolve the union because her husband, Mr Akin Akinshola, “is irresponsible”.
She informed the court that she had been living with Akin for more than six years and that the marriage was blessed with three children yet the man could not pay her bride price.
According to her, Akin, who is also a business man, has failed in his duty as a husband and father.
“Akin has not paid my dowry in accordance with Yoruba tradition and every effort put across to enable him pay has proved abortive.
Niger
The Niger State House of Assembly has cautioned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) against extra budgetary spending without recourse to the House for approval.
The House Committee Chairman on Labour and Productivity, Mr Malik Bosso, gave the warning on Friday when the head of the state civil service appeared before the committee for defence of the 20?17 budget proposal.
Bosso said that many MDAs were in the habit of spending money without approval, adding that the Assembly would take drastic measures against erring MDAs.
“We will no longer accept any spending outside the budget; we have resolved to take actions against any MDA that is found guilty.
“We will take measures against such spending because it is unconstitutional,” he said.
Ogun
The Chairperson of the Economic Community of West-African states (ECOWAS), Ellen Johnson -Sirleaf, has called on serving and former African presidents to establish presidential libraries as part of efforts to preserve the rich history of Africans.
She made the call in Abeokuta, Ogun on Saturday, at the inauguration of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).
The ECOWAS chairperson said the call had become necessary to enable Africans tell their stories from their own perspectives and avoid distortion of facts about their history.
Johnson-Sirleaf said that such libraries would help the governments to preserve records of their past for future generation.
Plateau
The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington, has commended Plateau Government’s efforts towards restoring peace to the crises-ridden state.
Symington, who spoke on Tuesday in Jos, at the beginning of high level dialogue on justice and security, promised that his country would support the efforts toward permanent peace in the north-central state.
The dialogue was organised by the West Africa Network for Peace Building, in partnership with the Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA), with the support of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
Nation
Accolades, Fanfare As Ogbakor Ikwerre President General Celebrates 80th Birthday

The President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide and the Mgboh XIII of the Mgboh Royal Family of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze (Barrister) Godspower Onuekwa, penultimate Friday celebrated his 80th birthday with pomp, pageantry and fanfare.
The celebration, which commenced with a symposium organised in his honour at Rivers State University on Thursday, August 21,2025, got to a resounding climax on Friday at Suntai Event Centre in Port Harcourt, where people from all walks of life, including business associates, friends, well-wishers, relatives, community folks, traditional rulers, and admirers, gathered to pay glowing tributes to the celebrant.
Before then, a well attended thanksgiving service was held that same Friday at Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo, to honour him and return gratitude to God Almighty for the fruitful and eventful life and accomplishments of the Emohua leader and icon.
The service which was officiated by Rt Rev Wisdom Budu Ihunwo, Bishop of Niger Delta North had other renowned and respected clerics like Most Rev(Dr) Blessing Enyindah, Dean, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Rt Rev(Dr) Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, Bishop, Diocese of Niger Delta; Rt Rev Innocent Ordu, Bishop, Diocese of Evo; and Ven Solomon Eze Nelson, Archdeacon, Okoro-Nu-Odo; among others lined up as officiating ministers.
The service lived up to its billing, as it featured powerful and soul-lifting praise and worship; point-blank prayers; and beautiful renditions, which electrified the entire atmosphere, essentially packaged to thank God for the life of the celebrant.
However, the crowning moment actually came when the who is who, the crème de la crème of the society, thronged the terraces and fabulously decorated expansive hall of Suntai Event Centre, to celebrate Eze Onuekwa, amid accolades, aplomb and panache, wining and dining, and clinking of glasses with him and all.
The chairman of the colourful ceremony, Chief Evans Woherem, who was represented by Eze(Prof) Christian Akani of the prestigious Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, praised the celebrant for his youthfulness in spite of clocking 80 years, generosity, humility, humaneness and selfless services to the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, the Niger Delta and Nigeria, and called on all and sundry to emulate his good legacies and simple disposition towards life and existence.
Goodwill messages also poured in in torrents to underscore and salute the doggedness, resilience, astuteness and uniqueness of the endearing life of the celebrant, with Prof Emenike Wami, the Ochia Ohna Ikwerre(XIV), taking the lead.
Prof Priye Iyalla, the wife of late renowned writer, novelist and playwright, Dr Elechi Amadi, held the audience spellbound as she masterfully reeled out the profile of the celebrant, amid intermittent applause from the crowd.
The Tiv Community from Benue State, resident in Rivers State, were not left out, as they honoured and decorated Eze Onuekwa in their complete traditional regalia.
Cultural displays from Baptist Church, Rumuowhor; ADNA Wogbuji Dancing Group, Egbeda; Tiv Dancing Group; and Promoter Eze and Rumu-Mgboh Emohua Wrestling Group, equally added colour and grace to the occasion, with the celebrant and his wife, Dame Ann Onuekwa, joining them to wriggle their waists and bodies in ecstasy.
In his response, the highly elated celebrant, Eze Onuekwa thanked all those gathered to celebrate with him, saying, celebrations would never cease in their homes, and attributed everything he represents in life, including his modest accomplishments to God.
Eze Onuekwa, while addressing newsmen, harped on the need for hard work among the youths and members of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, as a way of sustaining and giving meaning to the motto of the organisation, which he noted is anchored on peace, unity and progress.
He specially thanked God for sustaining his life, and for making everything possible for him and his family, saying, he was joyous that he has today become an octogenarian and elder statesman in Rivers State.
His son and medical practitioner, Dr Samuel Chizia Onuekwa expressed delight that people from far and near had come together to celebrate the father, whom he described as a role model and great inspirator.
He said it was a good thing that the children were celebrating their father when he is alive, stressing that the last time Eze Onuekwa was celebrated in such magnitude was 20 years ago, during his 60th birthday celebration, and prayed God to grant him many more years in good health.
Among dignitaries who graced the event were Senator Andrew Uchendu; Chief Sampson Agbaru; Prof Emenike Wami; Dr Peter Didia; Eze(Prof) Samuel Ugo Onyeka; and a host of others. Justice Iche Ndu(rtd); and C O Kattey were among personalities that attended the thanksgiving service, while the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof Isaac Zeb-Obipi led the academics who graced the symposium, alongside Eze G A O Omodu.
Nation
Ensure That Ogoni Is Heard In The Right Way, HYPREP Urges Creative Arts Trainees

As the 100 Ogoni youths trained by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Creative Arts close out their training on Tuesday at the Theatre Arts Department, University of Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has urged the beneficiaries to use the skills acquired to ensure that the Ogoni stories are told and heard in the right way.
The trainees, who had completed a four- month training in script writing, film production and make-up are beneficiaries of the HYPREP sustainable livelihood programme, aimed at providing high demand skills to Ogoni youths in the lucrative creative arts and entertainment industry.
Zabbey described the Creative Arts training as well as other programmes and interventions as HYPREP’s strategic sustained effort to create alternative sources of livelihood.
”Targeted capacity building for Ogoni youths and women remains a central strategy in HYPREP’s livelihood restoration and improvement efforts. Our goal is to reach every part of the Ogoni community and ensure that no group or talent pool is left behind. This training is a deliberate step to empower young people who aspire to make their mark in the creative and entertainment industry”, he said.
While commending the trainees for producing four short films within the training period, one of which was premiered at the ceremony-Dirty Festival, the Project Coordinator noted that the training would serve as a springboard into the industry, and enable them earn a living, become entrepreneurs, and open new doors of opportunities for themselves and their communities. The three other movies are Open Pain, Bomu and Green War.
He enjoined them to utilise their skills and platforms to promote civic responsibility, peace, and environmental sustainability, urging them to ensure that Ogoni is heard in the right way, speak for HYPREP and highlight the progress being made in implementing the recommendations of the UNEP Report.
Other speakers at the event, including the Director of Technical Services of HYPREP, Prof. Damian-Paul Aguiyi; Dr Ovunda Ihunwo, Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt; Chief Douglas Experience, the Project Coordinator of Halibiz Consult Limited; and Mrs Josephine Nzidee, Head, Sustainable Livelihood of HYPREP, all applauded HYPREP for the training, and charged the trainees to maximise the opportunity.
The trainees were later presented certificates of participation.
Visibly elated Ms Lebee Tornwe, one of the beneficiaries, thanked HYPREP and the Project Coordinator for offering the trainees the rare opportunity to acquire skills in the creative arts and entertainment industry, and expressed delight that Dr Ihunwo and Halibiz Consult Limited gave their all in grooming them.
With the wrapping up of the Creative Arts training(100), HYPREP has trained 230 Ogoni youths in high demand skill sets ,viz; seafaring(100); and aviation (30). The Project will this year, commence training in other skill areas, including Mechatronic, Aviation, Full-Stack Development, Commercial Diving, Underwater Welding and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Still in the offing is the training for Ogoni Persons Living with Disabilities in five skill sets- fish farming; basic computer skills; photography; fashion and design; and shoemaking in line with their Needs Assessment and HYPREP’s policy of inclusivity.
Nation
NYCOP Urges Stakeholders To Develop, Empower Ogoni Youths

The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) had called on stakeholders to work collaboratively towards the development and empowerment of Ogoni youths.
NYCOP made the call in a communique issue over the weekend after an emergency Congress in Port Harcourt and signed by its President, Comrade Raymond Nwibani Marcus.
In the communique, NYCOP endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s appointments of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees (BOT) members of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), particularly Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah as Chairman of HYPREP’s BOT.
It respectfully appealed to the President to consider appointing a representative from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) under the leadership of Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, being the pioneering social vehicle for Ogoni advocacy since the inception of the Ogoni struggle, adding that it would significantly contribute to the decision-making process.
The body commended the overall management of HYPREP and urges the President to continue funding the HYPREP project.
NYCOP furthermore recommended considering the conversion of HYPREP from a project to a full-fledged agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The communique also stated that NYCOP thanked President Tinubu for establishing the Federal University of Environmental Technology, and for appointing key staff, forming a dialogue committee, and initiating infrastructural projects like the Eleme axis of the East-West Road and the Bonny-Bodo Road, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and economic prospects.
In solidarity with the Renewed Hope Agenda, the endorsed President Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying it believes his leadership embodies the aspirations of the Ogoni people and Nigerians at large.
“After thorough consideration of the Disciplinary Committee’s report, NYCOP resolves:
” To indefinitely suspend Comrade Nade Nade Burale from his position as Secretary General due to misconduct.
“To declare Comrade Saviour Imeabe persona non grata on Ogoni youth issues, given his actions’ potential to instigate crisis in Ogoni and beyond” the communique stated.
NYCOP in his resolution issued a 7-day ultimatum to former HYPREP BOT Chairman Mike Nwialeghi to explain the $100 million HYPREP fund investment, warning of potential litigation.
NYCOP reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ogoni youth interests and preventing personal aggrandizement.
According to the communique the resolutions demonstrate NYCOP’s efforts to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth.
“We will no longer tolerate any individual or group using the name or issues of Ogoni youth for personal aggrandizement.
” Our mandate is clear: to promote the collective welfare and advancement of Ogoni youth” the communique said.
NYCOP passes a vote of confidence in Hon. Emmanuel Nwika Deeyah, acknowledging his impeccable credentials and credibility to lead the BOT of HYPREP effectively.
Kiadum Edookor
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