News
RSG Recommits To Quality Education …As Wike Flags Off 175 Public Schools Reconstruction
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has flagged off the reconstruction and furnishing of 175 basic public schools across the 23 local government areas, with a commitment to ensure quality education at all levels in the state.
The Tide gathered that the 175 basic schools have been in deplorable condition over the years, thereby making teaching and learning difficult.
It was to address this quagmire that the governor said while performing the flag off of the reconstruction of the schools, last Thursday, at the State School, Rebisi in Port Harcourt that the NEW Vision administration has invested heavily in the education sector with a view to repositioning the schools for excellence.
Wike lamented that nobody would believe the immediate past administration left schools to decay to this level.
The governor carpeted the immediate past administration for the decay in the infrastructure and equipment in schools, and wondered how so much fund was expended in building new schools without recourse to improving the old ones.
He said that when his administration took over, the former administration did not access UBEC funds, pointing out that the state government accessed the funds for the re-positioning of basic schools in the state.
According to him, after paying the counterpart fund, the state now has N5.6billion to address the infrastructural challenges of selected basic schools.
“The entire world should see that a school like this exists in Port Harcourt. Imagine the condition of schools in the rural areas. Just imagine that the past administration claimed that they revolutionised education. All they did was to construct a few schools by the roadside.
“The funds for the reconstruction and furnishing of these schools have been set aside. Therefore, funding will not be an issue. I direct that payment should be done by milestone. The contractors should be paid based on the work they do. There should be nothing like variation”, Wike warned.
The governor directed that the reconstruction should be holistic to improve teaching and learning in all the schools.
Wike noted that his administration has awarded contracts for the equipping of laboratories of selected secondary schools and re-stocking of libraries.
He said: “While the immediate past administration used over N4billion to build one school, we are using slightly above N1billion to build one school. This is a prudent administration”.
In his remarks, Executive Chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board, Ven Fyneface Akah, said the reconstruction was being done through the Federal Government Universal Basic Education Commission/Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board 2014-2016 Intervention Projects for Rivers State.
He said: “One great benefit today’s event holds for education, and indeed for all of us, is that it offers a time for common reflection on the very needful and yet neglected aspect of educational organisation which hitherto was a prime place.
“We appeal to community and local government leadership in the state to realise that we now live in a time when all must respond to the invitation to stand with the state government to own and ensure security of school staff and facilities provided by government for use in our various communities”, Akah added.
Akah emphasised that the utilization of the counterpart funding by the state government has demonstrated the governor’s resolve to bring his experience to bear as ex-minister of education.
While explaining the scope of work, Director of Planning and Research in UBEC, said the project will cover 92 schools for total reconstruction, while about 82 schools will be renovated.
In addition, he stated that the project will cover standby generator for power supply, boreholes, and new office furniture and equipment for school heads across the selected schools.
Others include sports equipment/facilities, information and communication equipment, conveniences, new furniture for teaching staff offices and table0top fridges for head-teacher offices.
News
Rivers Police Arrest Notorious Cultist, Recover Sophisticated Ammunition

The Rivers State Police Command said it has recovered one scorpion VZ61 submachine gun, fabricated English-made Beretta pistol, 20 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, two rounds of 9mm live ammunition and a pair of screwdriver (sunglasses) from a notorious cultist in the State.
The Police said the recovery was made following the arrest and confession of a 36-year-old suspect, Mr Diseye Ukulu, from Bayelsa State, who resides at No 25 Nnewi Street, Diobu, Port Harcourt.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-koko, who revealed this in a statement on Wednesday, explained that Ukulu was arrested over his alleged involvement in wreaking havoc in Diobu through cult activities.
The statement read in part: “In compliance with the directives of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga A. Adepoju, to rid the State of criminal networks, the command has recorded a significant breakthrough with the arrest of Diseye Ukulu, a 36-year-old male from Bayelsa State, but resident at No 25 Nnewi Street, Diobu, Port Harcourt.
“On 9th of July, 2025, at about 18.20hrs, a combined team of Police operatives from the Special Operations and Intelligence Team (SOIT), Hawk Tactical Squad, and Anti-Cultism Unit (ACU), Port Harcourt, in collaboration with Diobu local vigilante group members, apprehended the suspect.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, focusing on inter-confraternity rivalries between the D12 and BS secret cult groups, both affiliated with the notorious and dreaded Deygbam cult group, which has been linked to recent gruesome killings in the Diobu axis of Port- Harcourt.
“Following Ukulu’s confession, the operatives swiftly mobilized to the residence of Achionu Solomon Chukwuma, ‘m’ aka Solex and recovered exhibits: All exhibits were concealed in a black bag.”
Irinke-Koko noted that the suspect and exhibits were in the Police custody, even as she assured that a thorough and discreet investigation was ongoing, and that efforts were being made to apprehend other members of the cult group.
Meanwhile, the Police commissioner has reaffirmed the command’s commitment to bringing all perpetrators of crime in the State to justice, urging residents of the state to provide useful and timely information to the Police to enable them make more exploits.
Enoch Epelle
News
Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Dropped To 22.22% In June -NBS
The headline inflation for June 2025 moderated to 22.22 per cent relative to the May 2025 headline inflation rate of 22.97 per cent, report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown
According to the latest Consumer Price Index report released by the Bureau, the year-on-year figure reflects a 0.75 percentage point decline from the previous month and a significant 11.97 percentage point drop when compared to June 2024, which recorded an inflation rate of 34.19 per cent.
The decline in annual inflation is being recorded against the backdrop of a rebased index, with 2024 as the new base year.
On a month-on-month basis, however, inflation rose slightly to 1.68 per cent in June, compared to 1.53 per cent in May, suggesting that while the pace of price increases is slowing on an annual basis, prices are still rising faster from one month to the next.
The CPI rose from 121.4 in May to 123.4 in June, indicating persistent price pressures, especially in food, transport, and housing.
The NBS report read, “The Consumer Price Index rose to 123.4 in June 2025, reflecting a 2.0-point increase from the preceding month (121.4). In June 2025, the Headline inflation rate eased to 22.22 per cent relative to the May 2025 headline inflation rate of 22.97 per cent. Looking at the movement, the June 2025 Headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 0.75 per cent compared to the May 2025 Headline inflation rate.
“On a year-on-year basis, the Headline inflation rate was 11.97 per cent lower than the rate recorded in June 2024 (34.19 per cent). This shows that the Headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) decreased in June 2025 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., June 2024), though with a different base year, November 2009 = 100.”
The food inflation rate stood at 21.97 per cent year-on-year in June, a sharp drop from 40.87 per cent recorded in June 2024.
This significant fall is attributed largely to the base year effect. On a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose to 3.25 per cent in June, up from 2.19 per cent in May, driven by price increases in staples such as tomatoes, pepper, dried green peas, crayfish, shrimps, meat, plantain flour, and ground pepper.
The average annual rate of food inflation for the twelve-month period ending June 2025 stood at 28.28 per cent, down by 7.02 percentage points from the 35.3 per cent recorded over a similar period last year.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as agricultural produce and energy, declined year-on-year to 22.76 per cent in June 2025 from 27.4 per cent in June 2024.
On a month-on-month basis, however, core inflation increased to 2.46 per cent, up from 1.10 per cent in May, reflecting renewed pressures in non-food components.
The average twelve-month inflation rate for core items stood at 24.14 per cent in June 2025, slightly higher than the 24.01 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
The report showed a divergence in inflation trends between urban and rural areas.
Urban inflation dropped to 22.72 per cent year-on-year in June from 36.55 per cent in June 2024, while rising to 2.11 per cent month-on-month, from 1.40 per cent in May.
The twelve-month average for urban inflation also declined to 28.16 per cent.
Rural inflation followed a similar pattern, easing to 20.85 per cent year-on-year from 32.09 per cent, but slowing month-on-month to 0.63 per cent in June, from 1.83 per cent in May. The average annual rural inflation rate stood at 24.65 per cent.
In terms of state-level data, Borno recorded the highest year-on-year all-items inflation rate at 31.63 per cent, followed by Abuja at 26.79 per cent and Benue at 25.91 per cent.
The slowest increases were recorded in Zamfara at 9.90 per cent, Yobe at 13.51 per cent, and Sokoto at 15.78 per cent.
On a month-on-month basis, the sharpest increases were in Ekiti at 5.39 per cent, Delta at 5.15 per cent, and Lagos at 5.13 per cent, while Zamfara, Niger, and Plateau recorded declines of 6.89, 5.35, and 4.01 per cent, respectively.
Food inflation was most severe in Borno at 47.40 per cent year-on-year, followed by Ebonyi at 30.62 per cent and Bayelsa at 28.64 per cent.
Katsina, Adamawa, and Sokoto recorded the slowest food inflation at 6.21, 10.90, and 15.25 per cent, respectively.
On a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose fastest in Enugu at 11.90 per cent, Kwara at 9.97 per cent, and Rivers at 9.88 per cent, while Borno, Sokoto, and Bayelsa recorded declines of 7.63, 6.43, and 6.34 per cent, respectively.
The divisions contributing most significantly to the headline index were food and non-alcoholic beverages, restaurants and accommodation services, transport, housing, electricity, gas and other fuels, education, health, and clothing and footwear.
While the easing of inflation on a yearly basis may reflect improved stability in macroeconomic indicators, the rising monthly rates suggest that Nigerian households continue to face considerable cost-of-living pressures.
News
FG Renames University of Maiduguri After Buhari …As Tinubu Pours Encomiums On Late President
President Bola Tinubu has approved the renaming of the University of Maiduguri, Borno State as the Muhammadu Buhari University.
The President revealed this yesterday at the close of a special session of the Federal Executive Council held to honour Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
“May we now adopt the University of the Maduguri as the Muhammadu Buhari University,” Tinubu said.
Earlier, the President paid a glowing tribute to Buhari, describing him as “a good man, a decent man, an honourable man” whose legacy of discipline, patriotism, and moral uprightness would endure for generations.
Tinubu said although the late president was not without flaws, his unwavering commitment to national service set him apart.
“President Buhari was not a perfect man, no leader is, but he was, in every sense of the word, a good man, a decent man, an honourable man.
“His record will be debated, as all legacies are, but the character he brought to public life, the moral force he carried, the incorruptible standard he represented, will not be forgotten.
“His was a life lived in full service to Nigeria, and in fidelity to God,” he said.
Reflecting on Buhari’s time in office and his long military and civil service, Tinubu praised the late leader’s simplicity, humility, and stoic resistance to the trappings of power.
He said, “He stood, always, ramrod straight; unmoved by the temptation of power, unseduced by applause and unafraid of the loneliness that often visits those who do what is right, rather than what is popular.
“His was a quiet courage, a righteousness that never announced itself. His patriotism was lived more in action than in words.”
Tinubu also recounted their political alliance, which culminated in the historic 2015 elections that marked Nigeria’s first democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another.
“We stood together, he and I. Alongside others drawn from across the political spectrum, regions and tongues, we formed an alliance that enabled Nigeria to experience its first true democratic transfer of power from one ruling party to another.
“When he was sworn in as our party’s first elected President, he led with restraint, governed with dignity, and bore the burdens of leadership without complaint,” he said.
The President expressed admiration for Buhari’s post-office modesty, noting that he returned to his hometown, Daura, without seeking to wield influence behind the scenes.
“When his tenure ended, he returned to Daura; not to command from the shadows or to hold court, but to live as he always had, never seeking to impose his will but content to let others carry the nation forward.
“Even in death, he maintained the serenity that defined him in life: not a sigh, not a groan, just a quiet submission to the will of God. Such was the man Nigeria has lost. Such was the man for whom our nation now mourns,” he added.
Tinubu thanked the Inter-Ministerial Committee and Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, for organising a befitting state funeral within 48 hours, describing it as a “profound honour” to lead the burial procession in Daura.
He concluded his tribute with a prayer: “Mai Gaskiya, the People’s General, the Farmer President, your duty is done. May Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus. May his life continue to inspire generations of Nigerians to serve with courage, conviction, and selflessness. President Buhari, thank you. Nigeria will remember you.”
The expanded meeting was part of a series of national mourning activities approved by President Bola Tinubu, following Buhari’s passing at a London hospital on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 82.
Yesterday’s expanded FEC meeting was attended by key national figures, including the leadership of the National Assembly – both the Senate and the House of Representatives – members of the Judiciary, and representatives of the late President’s family.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has also scheduled interfaith prayer sessions in honour of the deceased former President, with a special prayer session scheduled to hold at the National Mosque today, and a special church service on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
President Tinubu had earlier, on Wednesday, described the late former President Muhammadu Buhari as a man of “rare discipline and quiet strength,” whose love for Nigeria defined every decision he made in office.
In a tribute issued via his official X handle on Wednesday, Tinubu said Buhari’s passing was not just a national loss but also a personal tragedy.
“Mai Gaskiya was not just a former president. He was a man of rare discipline and quiet strength, whose love for Nigeria shaped every decision he made, even in the face of criticism,” Tinubu stated.
He noted that Buhari’s leadership was guided by integrity and a deep sense of patriotism, adding that their bond went beyond politics.
“I mourn him deeply, not just as my predecessor, but as a comrade in the long and often lonely journey of nation-building,” Tinubu said.
The President extended condolences to Buhari’s widow, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, and the entire family, praying that they find solace in the legacy the late leader left behind.
“To his beloved wife, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, and the entire family, I offer my heartfelt condolences. May you find comfort in the honour and legacy he leaves behind,” he added.
Tinubu described Buhari’s death as a personal loss, saying, “Nigeria has lost a true son. I have lost a friend in former President Buhari. May Almighty Allah grant him Aljannah Firdaus. Rest well, ‘Baba Buhari.’”
Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from December 31, 1983, to August 27, 1985, and was democratically elected from 2015 to 2023, was buried on Tuesday at his private residence in Daura, Katsina State.
-
Niger Delta2 hours ago
Police Rescue Kidnap Victim, Recover Pistol In A’Ibom
-
News29 mins ago
FG Renames University of Maiduguri After Buhari …As Tinubu Pours Encomiums On Late President
-
Business2 hours ago
Replace Nipa Palms With Mangroove In Ogoni, Group Urges FG, HYPREP
-
Niger Delta2 hours ago
C’River Hands Over Rubber Plantation to Private Company
-
City Crime20 mins ago
RSG Tasks Federal Government On Maternal Deaths
-
Business2 hours ago
Industry Leaders Defend Local Content, … Rally Behind NCDMB
-
Niger Delta2 hours ago
Delta Leverages On Extensive River Networks To Drive Blue Economy
-
Rivers4 hours ago
Macobarb CEO Cries Out, Says No Indigenous Contractor Can Win Case Against NLNG Or Oil Majors in Nigerian Courts …As Justice Nwogu Throws Out Macobarb’s N5.74bn Claim