Nation
THE STATES
Borno
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, has condemned last Wednesday’s attack on geologists and exploration workers from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) and the University of Maiduguri by suspected Boko Haram fighters around Jibi village in the state.
Shettima made the condemnation in a statement issued last Thursday in Maiduguri by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau.
He said that since he first got information concerning the attack on his way to visit President Muhammadu Buhari in London, he hasn’t been his normal self and is yet to recover from the shock of the attack.
“I haven’t been my normal self since I received information of that attack. What happened in the first instance was a tragic setback in the fight against Boko Haram and in Nigeria’s effort to expand its economic fortunes”, he said.
FCT
The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has threatened to begin a strike in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over a dispute with Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON).
Addressing newsmen in Abuja last Thursday after a National Executive Council meeting, NUPENG President, Mr Igwe Achese, said the strike was inevitable because of three billion naira terminal benefits allegedly owed some sacked oil sector workers.
Achese said that those affected were former staff of Seawolf Drilling, an oil servicing firm, in Rivers State.
He said the management of AMCON was being lackadaisical in meeting its obligation of settling the workers.
Jigawa
The Fistula Foundation, Nigeria, last Tuesday said no fewer than 1.2 million women and girls were suffering from Obstetric Fistula, (VVF) in the country.
The Founder and Executive Director of the foundation, Malam Musa Isa, said this in Dutse during the graduation of 108 rehabilitated obstetric fistula patients in the state.
Isa said that the foundation had from 2014 to date, rehabilitated a total of 408 VVF patients in the state.
He explained that obstetric fistula is a devastating condition brought about by child birth injury caused when a woman suffers a prolonged or difficult labour, without obtaining the right medical attention.
The executive director added that the baby usually dies and the woman is left not only without her child but also with a hole or fistula in her birth canal, resulting in chronic incontinence.
Kaduna
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, last Thursday said, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had within the past two years built about 2,000 housing units across its bases in the country.
The CAS spoke through Air Officer Commanding, Air Training Command, AVM Christopher Okoye at the 46th convocation lecture of Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in Kaduna.
Our correspondent reports that the lecture, with the theme “Contemporary Issues in Aircraft Maintenance in the 21st Century’’, was delivered by Mr Olatunji Agoro, Director, Quality and Safety, Dornier Aviation.
Abubakar said that NAF had been well funded within the past two years and expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the unrelenting efforts at making NAF better.
Kano
The Kano State University of Science and Technology(KUST), Wudil, has matriculated 4,988 students for the 2016/2017 academic session.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Shehu Alhaji disclosed this during the university’s 16th Matriculation ceremony at its campus in Wudil last Thursday.
He said the faculty of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology had the highest registered students of 1,158, while the Faculty of Earth and Environment has the lowest students of 465.
He added that the matriculation was intended to extract a promise from each of the students of strick adherence and observance of the code of conduct of the institution which is contained in their handbooks.
Kogi
Kogi State Government said last Thursday that it had plans to partner with health practitioners in the private sector for the on the job training of its Environmental Health Officers (EHOs).
Director-General of the state Bureau for Public Private Partnership (BPPP), Mr Robert Achanya, disclosed this at a news conference in Lokoja.
He said the partnership would boost the capacity of the EHOs, get registered and certificated to enable them inspect premises according to the law for enhanced service delivery.
He said many of the EHOs in the state could not enforce environmental laws or carry out inspection of premises because they were not registered or licensed.
Kwara
A 37-year-old primary school teacher, Biodun Baba, was last Thursday arraigned before an Ilorin Senior Magistrates Court for allegedly defaming Senate President Bukola Saraki on Facebook.
Baba, a teacher at LGEA School, Olorunlana in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State was alleged to have through his Facebook postings been inciting the public against Saraki.
The criminal charges were filed following a complaint by Alhaji Jimoh Adesina, Chairman, Kwara South chapter of the APC to the Chamber of S. I. Solagberu and Co, Ilorin.
Adesina, accused Baba of printing or engraving matters on his Facebook wall known to be defamatory.
Lagos
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, last Thursday appealed to communities not to misuse government projects and assets in their localities, but to take ownership and protect them for the benefit of all.
Ambode, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Idiat Adebule, made the remark at a two-day leadership training for Lagos State Community Development Committees and Associations (CDCs).
The theme of the training was: “Inclusive Governance, a Catalyst for Sustainable Development’’.
He said that hostile attitude to government assets was a reflection of subject culture that prevailed under military rule when unelected and unaccountable government were the order of the day.
Ondo
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, last Thursday, lauded the achievements recorded by the Nigerian Navy, promising to support their operations in the state in any area they desired.
Akeredolu, spoke in Akure during a courtesy visit by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sylvanus Agada.
He said that the state, with its wide and deep coastline, would be of great benefit to the navy operationally.
The Governor said the area would provide a better atmosphere for training to the navy than many other parts of the country.
Oyo
Oyo State workers are to receive outstanding salaries for April and May from the recently released Paris Club refunds and the June monthly allocation.
It was gathered that the Oyo State Government received N7.9billion from the Paris Club refunds released by the Federal Government.
The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, disclosed this in Ibadan last Thursday, following the approval of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
Arulogun said that about 72 per cent of the N7.9 billion Paris Club fund was committed to salaries and salary-related payments.
“President Muhammadu Buhari directed that at least 50 per cent of the Paris Club refunds should be committed to the payment of salaries of workers in States.
“Governor Ajimobi, who has always displayed his humanitarian and welfarist disposition and commitment to workers’ welfare, has committed above the stipulated 50 per cent to salaries and other allowances.
Plateau
Chairman of the Pankshin Local Government In-terim Management Committee (IMC), Mr Stephen Jings, sacked on June 29, was last Thursday sworn-in as councillor representing Jing Ward in the reconstituted IMC.
The Plateau State Government had dissolved the IMC after serving for two years and reconstituted a new IMC in what Governor Simon Lalong said was part of efforts to breed new ideas into governance.
However, report reveals that, unlike in the past when councillors received salaries, those in the reconstituted IMC would receive only sitting allowances.
Sources indicated that Jings, who was sworn-in alongside 18 others by his successor, Mrs. Naomi Golmen, had tried to return as IMC Chairman, but was not successful as stakeholders were divided over his nomination.
Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government says it has spent N1.3 billion on its students undergoing various medical courses in the Islamic Republic of Sudan in the last two years.
The state Commissioner for Higher Education, Alhaji Sahabi Gada, made the disclosure in Sokoto last Tuesday while briefing newsmen.
According to him, about 100 indigenes of the state are currently studying medical courses in Sudan.
The commissioner explained that, the essence of sponsoring them was to address shortage of manpower in the health sector in the state.
He said that the government approved N900 million for local and other indigenous students studying various science courses outside the country.
The commissioner said that the money was meant for the payment of scholarship and tuition fees of the students.
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.