Nation
THE STATES
Benue
Five officers of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), serving in Benue State are to face the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to authenticate their certificates.
The Benue State Controller of Prisons, Mr Peter Pevigo, disclosed this in Makurdi last Tuesday in an interview with newsmen.
He said that the officers were among the 382 persons picked by the ICPC across the country to validate their certificates.
Pevigo explained that the officers were not guilty of certificate forgery, but were only invited by the anti-graft agency to clear some grey issues surrounding such certificates.
“No officer is found guilty until the joint investigation by NPS and ICPC is concluded, and an official report communicated to me; it is then that they could be deemed culpable.
Borno
The Police in Borno State last Monday said two Boko Haram suicide bombers were killed in a failed attempt to attack displaced persons’ camps and University of Maiduguri.
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Victor Isuku, said the suicide bombers were killed by security operatives before they hit their targets.
“On Sunday at about 2115hrs, a suspected female Boko Haram terrorist, took advantage of the darkness of night and attempted to gain access into Dalori 2 IDPs camp through the rear perimeter fence.
“Fortunately, she was sighted by vigilant security personnel on duty and chased.
“In an attempt to escape arrest, she hurriedly detonated the IED strapped to her body, killing herself alone.
FCT
A University teacher, Prof. Noel Wannang, last Tuesday stressed the need for a policy that would guarantee the safety and welfare of the aged population in the country.
Wannang is a Professor of Toxicology in Pharmacology Department of the University of Jos.
He made the call at the annual scientific seminar of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN), FCT branch in Abuja.
Toxicology is the scientific study of adverse effects that occur in living organisms due to chemicals.
Reports say that the theme of the seminar is “Cardiometabolic medicine: Meeting the challenges of an aging population”.
Wannang who is also the Secretary-General, West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, decried challenges faced by the aged in the society.
Kano
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has warned the new interim management officers for the 44 local government areas in the state against corruption and laxity to duty.
At the swearing-in ceremony last Monday Ganduje said that his administration would continue to give priority to service to the people.
According to reports the swearing in followed the confirmation of the officers by the State House of Assembly.
Ganduje urged the new appointees to perform their duties with diligence, honesty and fear of God, adding that they should initiate developmental programmes in their areas.
Katsina
Communities displaced by the construction of Jare Earth Dam in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State have urged the Federal Government to review the compensation approved for their houses and farmlands.
The communities, under the aegis of Jare Earth Dam Association, said in a letter to the government that they have been short-changed by the committee responsible for the payment.
The letter was signed on behalf of the communities by Malam Dahiru Musa and Alhaji Rabi’u Ahmad and obtained by newsmen.
The communities also requested the government to investigate the activities of the resettlement committee, alleging that some of those affected were either excluded or shortchanged in the exercise.
Kogi
The Kogi State Government last Monday distributed food, drugs, sanitary items and cash to 18 registered orphanages across the state.
The Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Bolanle Amupitan, who handled the exercise, said that the gesture was aimed at improving the living standards of the orphans.
“Government has resolved that the children must be well fed; we have resolved never to allow the circumstances of their birth to define their future,” she said.
Matron, Stagi Orphanage, Lokoja, Mrs Clara Owosagba, while thanking government for the gesture, praised Governor Yahaya Bello’s efforts toward a better life for orphans.
Kwara
No fewer than 60 volunteers in the Federal Government’s job creation scheme for youths are on payment hold and may be prosecuted for fraud, the Presidential aide on Job Creation, Mr Afolabi Imoukhuede, said last Monday.
He gave the indication while addressing 5,559 N-Power volunteers in Kwara State at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Ilorin.
At the event, he gave July ending as deadline for those experiencing payment issues to resolve them or be removed from the programme.
Imoukhuede had led a team of Monitoring and Evaluation officials to assess the performance of the volunteers in the state as well as mandate the state’s institutional partners to take absolute charge of the volunteers.
Lagos
Two men, Rabiu Rasaki, 46, a panel beater and Sakiru Adeogun, 47, a painter, were last Tuesday arraigned in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, for allegedly stealing their customer’s car valued at N3.8 million.
The two defendants who live at Orile Agege, a suburb of Lagos, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Clifford Ogu, told the court that the offences were committed on October 29 ,2016 at Amoo St., Orile Agege, Lagos.
Ogu said that the complainant, Mr Yomi Ogunusi, gave his Toyota Hilux to Rasaki for repairs.
“Rasaki gave it to Adeogun to first panel beat the vehicle before spraying it,” he said.
Nasarawa
Traders in Masaka Market in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, last Tuesday urged the Nasarawa State Government to establish a fire service station in the market.
The traders made the call when some of them spoke with newsmen in Masaka last Sunday’s fire disaster in the market.
They said that such a measure had become necessary to avert future occurrence.
The traders have been counting their losses following the early morning inferno that destroyed over 2,000 shops, a report said.
Ogun
The Ogun State Government has inaugurated a committee to look into the menace of prostitution among under-aged youths in the state.
The committee members, drawn from the Ministries of Youth and Sports and Women Affairs, would sensitise, arrest and rehabilitate youths found engaging in such activities.
Speaking at the inauguration of the committee last Monday in Abeokuta, the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Afolabi Afuape, lamented the rampant nature of open prostitution in the state.
He said that sensitisation would start from all the four stadia across the state for a week, after which arrests could be made by security personnel.
“The ministry has always been an advocate against the act of open prostitution across the state, especially within the four stadia across the state.
“Yesterday, the committee swung into action by sensitising shop owners at MKO Abiola International Stadium,” he said.
Plateau
An NGO, Christian Women For Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS), said last Monday in Jos that violence against women would persist unless measures were adopted to punish perpetrators.
“Perpetrators of the violence are not prosecuted; girls are commonly abused without any consequence. The evil will persist if nothing is done to punish the offenders,” Chairperson, CWEENS Observatory Steering Committee (OBSTEC), Mrs Ladi Madaki, stated.
Madaki told newsmen in Jos that existing laws and “some insensitive policies” had made it impossible to deal with the violence, much less eradicate it.
She said that some NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were keen on complementing government efforts to deal with the menace, but were being held back by some bottlenecks.
Taraba
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State said recently in Jalingo that the Paris Club debt relief fund received by the state would be used to settle outstanding pensions and gratuities.
Ishaku, in a speech shortly before signing the Anti-open Grazing Bill into law, said that the amount received would cover the outstanding pensions of local government workers and a substantial part of gratuities of both state and local government workers.
He expressed concern that local government retirees had not been paid their pensions and gratuities since 2013, and promised to address the situation.
The governor announced that he had requested the House of Assembly to approve the re-naming of the state airport after Mr Danbaba Suntai to immortalise the late governor that died last month.
A professor of English linguistics at the Rivers State University (RSU) Nkpolu Oroworukwu Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Enyi Ngulube, has advocated for better and improved funding for language centres in Nigeria, such as NINLAN Aba and Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, for optimum value and effective local languages development.
He also called for funded research on the development of orthographies and language documents across the country to rescue local languages from extinction, as well as having a well-planned and implemented mother tongue education in all institutions in the country, from primary to tertiary.
Prof. Ngulube made with these assertions while presenting his inaugural lecture at the university’s 121st inaugural lecture with the topic “The Career of Rough Beats: Language, Literature and the Development of our Common Humanity” held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The erudite scholar, in the lecture, stressed that the study of English language, linguistics, and literature is very broad, large, and difficult, adding that he overcame the rough roads through resilience and determination.
He described language as “a purely human and non-instinctive means of communicating ideas and emotions,” noting that “the word is a fundamental need in language; you cannot study language without the use of language.”
He urged parents to be cautious with their utterances, warning that “what they refer to their children as is what they will automatically end up becoming.”
He recommended a branded English language for every profession or course of study, stressing that embedding oral literature in the teaching of students from primary to tertiary level will enable them to know their traditions and roots of origin.
“Tell them the folk stories and moonlight tales; you are sending them back to their people. You must be a human being first before becoming a medical doctor, engineer, or anything else,” Ngulube said.
He also called for better and improved production of quality language and literature teachers, provision of modern teaching/instructional materials, improved welfare packages for teachers, and provision of better infrastructure at both primary and secondary school levels.
He used the opportunity to appreciate the Vice Chancellor for the approval of the Department of English Language and Literature, adding that it had been his long-held dream for the university.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, while highlighting the lecture, opined that the lecturer x-rayed the lecturer’s journey into the study of English language, linguistics, and literature, describing the field as broad, large, and difficult, but with determination and focus, he was able to defeat the beasts he encountered on his way.
Zeb-Obipi agreed with the lecturer’s recommendations on ways to improve indigenous languages in the country and directed that modalities be worked out for the university to have the Department of English Language and Literature, among others.
He highlighted RSU’s recent victory in the Bilingual Community Project organized by the French Embassy, describing it as proof of the university’s rising excellence in language studies.
The Federal Government through the implementation of the various projects of the Ogoni cleanup programme is demonstrating a strong commitment to national peace and the development of Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who made this assertion at a two-day training on Mechanism for Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) and other Peacebuilding Techniques for Community Leaders In Ogoni, held in Port Harcourt, said through the ongoing environmental restoration effort, potable water provision, livelihood restoration, public health interventions, and the Ogoni Power Project, HYPREP is contributing to national peace and development.
He explained that by improving the living conditions in communities and creating new opportunities for young people, the Project is also reducing the social pressure that often fuels conflict, stressing that the Project is proud of this service to the Ogoni people and the nation.
Describing traditional leaders and stakeholders as peacebuilders and guardians of community harmony, Zabbey noted that the workshop would strengthen their capacities and reinforce the Ogoni dialogue process, which HYPREP continues to support in line with its mandate on peacebuilding.
He said HYPREP is actively promoting ADR alongside other mechanisms across its project sites and other areas of operation aimed at fostering unity, fairness, mutual respect and faster dispute resolution, stressing that these are qualities necessary for the future of Ogoni people and their communities.
He further indicated that the Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal is disposed to promoting peace and stability across Ogoni communities and HYPREP project sites.
The Project Coordinator, therefore, charged Ogoni leaders to be mindful of their actions, words and body language, as what they say or do can either promote peace or fan the embers of conflict.
Continuing, he stated thus,”We must always ask ourselves: Is my position on this matter in the people’s interest? Does it promote unity and progress? Will it enhance development?”
The Project Coordinator assured the participants that HYPREP is working tirelessly in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme and ensure that its benefits reach the grassroots where they are needed most.
Stressing the need for Ogoni leaders and stakeholders to explore communication and trust options to prevent disputes from degenerating into violence, the Project Coordinator noted that it was time for all Ogonis to be united for development, leaving behind perceptions that do not serve collective progress.
Similarly, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige, said the workshop is a strategic platform aimed at strengthening the capacity of traditional institutions and community leaders to sustain peace, foster dialogue and promote non-adversarial engagements in the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Prof Onyige noted that the Ogoni leadership structure commands deep respect and legitimacy, and strengthening their capacity in ADR methods such as mediation, negotiation, dialogue, facilitation, and consensus building means strengthening the foundation of peace in the region.
Participants, comprising traditional rulers and key stakeholders in Ogoni, commended HYPREP for the initiative, and assured it of their continuous support to the Project by providing an enabling atmosphere for the smooth implementation of the cleanup project in Ogoniland.
Resource persons who presented thought-provoking lectures at the workshop included the Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Kinikanwo Anele; Prof Olariwanju Lawal; Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige; and Dr Gbenemene Kpae; among others.
With significant achievements recorded across thematic areas of the Ogoni cleanup programme being executed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Project Coordinator of the Project, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has said that all these are enabling pathways to the development of Ogoniland.
This is coming on the heels of milestone achievements in the following areas and their impact on Ogoni communities. They are mangrove restoration which is 94 percent complete; shoreline remediation which stands at 67.1 percent; and the phase 2 land remediation progressing to 36.55 percent.
Moreso, HYPREP has constructed 14 water facilities, providing potable water to 40 communities. With the commissioning of the water schemes in Bane and Gwara communities, the number of communities with access to clean and safe drinking water will be 45. The process of operationalising the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) which is at 92 percent complete, is ongoing. The same for the Ogoni Power Project which is progressing with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakaara substations ongoing
Similarly, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are at 76.8 percent and 98.7 percent respectively.
This is alongside other public health interventions and the Human BioMonitoring Survey also in progress.
Under the livelihood
programme, over 7,000 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni women and youths, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up kits, workshops, education grants, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This quarter, training will commence in other demand-driven skill areas, such as cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, commercial diving, and underwater welding.
Zabbey had reeled out these achievements, during the third quarter interactive session between the Project Coordination Office engagement with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt on Friday, in line with HYPREP’s strategic stakeholders policy to provide an interface opportunity to abreast Ogoni youths on the Project’s activities, while garnering their feedback.
Zabbey noted that, “This
quarterly engagement was,therefore, designed as an inclusive strategy to ensure that youth voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and progress updates are provided transparently. Also, it reflects our firm belief that a project of this magnitude must be people-centred, accountable, and participatory”.
” I am delighted to inform you that the Project remains on course to achieve its mandate as outlined in the UNEP Report on the Ogoni environment and the official gazette establishing HYPREP. HYPREP is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the cleanup projects and activities”, he said.
He stressed that HYPREP’s achievements are pathways to a better Ogoniland, assuring that the Project’s goals are aimed at benefiting all categories of Ogoni youths, whether in business, farming, advocacy, education, entrepreneurship or community development.
”This Project belongs to all of you, and its success depends mainly on your participation, unity and constructive engagement. And with your support, we are confident that all challenges will be addressed in the overall public interest,” Zabbey said.
The Project Coordinator urged Ogoni youths to continue to support the Project by promoting peace, discouraging misinformation, and collaborating with project teams working in the communities, and address challenges through dialogue, rather than confrontation.
Prof Dinebari Badey, a Professor of Development Sociology in the University of Port Harcourt, delivered the keynote address, linking the nexus between HYPREP and youths in the development of Ogoniland through unity of purpose while Engr Solomon Akere, gave a talk on Ogoni youths in business.
Participants raised questions concerning the maintenance of the water projects, remediation efforts, and compensation for the Right of Way (RoW), among others.
In attendance were management staff of HYPREP who provided responses to the interventions.