Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
A Yola High Court last Wednesday restrained Mr Jerry Judah from parading himself as the Adamawa State Chairman of the newly registered Advanced People Democratic Alliance (APDA).
Judah was dragged to the court by protem state chairman of the party, Alhaji Umar Jada who prayed the court to restrain the respondent from parading himself as APDA chairman pending the determination of the case.
Justice Helen Hammanjoda said having the gone through the application, the court was satisfied with plaintiff’s submission and granted the relief sought.
“I accordingly grant the following reliefs sought in their application.
“An order of interim injunction restraining the respondent from holding out and parading himself as the state chairman of the 1st applicant pending the determination of the motion on notice.
FCT
Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson and Secretary for International Development, Ms. Priti Patel last Thursday met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in continuation of their official visit to Nigeria.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Johnson said United Kingdom was ready to assist Nigeria in humanitarian development and military fronts.
He described Nigeria as an “incredible country and power house of the African economy’’.
“This is an incredible place. It is the power house of the African economy. We are here with Nigeria every step of the way,’’ he stated.
The envoy said the delegation had fruitful meeting with Osinbajo and looked forward to better relationship with Nigeria
Gombe
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has graduated 500 youths in Gombe State on various skills as part of effort to empower them.
Reports indicate that the Bauchi State Area Office of the fund organised the programme and trained the youths in tailoring, knitting, pomade, soap making, hair dressing and carpentry.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony last Thursday, the Director-General of ITF, Mr Joseph Ari said that the programme was one of the present administration’s policies of job creation and wealth generation.
“The policy is aimed at ensuring that as many youths are equipped with employability skills and entrepreneurship.
“I am pleased to inform you that according to our tracking and monitoring system, over 70 per cent of beneficiaries are now gainfully employed and successful entrepreneurs,’’ Ari said.
Kaduna
The National Museum, Kaduna State will host children to a cultural fiesta on Sallah day to mark the Eid-el-Kabir festival, its Curator Mr Gimba Ahmed, has said.
The Curator, in a statement made available to newsmen last Thursday in Kaduna indicated that the event would include lectures, cultural displays, dances and language competition among others.
Ahmed said that the main focus would be on culture, values, morals and beliefs “because modernisation is fast eroding our culture and our children cultural sense is beginning to fade.’’
He added that the children will act in plays, dress in their traditional attire, engage in dancing competition as well as listen to lectures on culture and security.
Kano
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Kano State chapter has called on banks operating ATM machines across the state to improve their services by providing adequate funds.
This is contained in a statement by the NLC Chairman in the state, Mr Kabiru Minjibir and made available to newsmen last Wednesday in Kano.
He said there was need for them to improve their services in view of the high demand for cash arising from the forthcoming Sallah celebration
He said, “Banks are hereby strongly advised to note that the Congress would not fold its arms and watch workers being helplessly frustrated unnecessarily due to the inability of the banks to discharge their responsibilities”.
Kwara
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has urged Muslims in the state to dedicate the Eid el-Kabir celebration to pray for unity and peace in the country.
He made the call in a Sallah message to the people of the state signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulwahab Oba, last Thursday in Ilorin.
Muslims all over the world celebrated Eid el-Kabir last Friday, being the 10th day of Dhul Hijja in the Islamic calendar.
Eid el-Kabir is an Islamic festival to commemorate the willingness of prophet Ibrahim to obey Allah’s command to sacrifice his son Ishmael, where the Almighty provided him with a ram to slaughter instead of his son.
Lagos
The Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CAMPAN) last Thursday urged Nigerians and Muslims to pray for the nation’s unity during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The association advised them to also use the occasion when they remember the encounter between God and Abraham on the mountain to pray against hate campaigns and other divisive tendencies among Nigerians.
CAMPAN said that the period and beyond should be used to preach and spread love, peace, unity and togetherness among Nigerians for them to build a stronger nation.
“We must not allow anything to divide us; but learn to live together as one indivisible country no matter our diverse ethnic groups”, the association said in a statement signed by its National President, Mr Patrick Osu.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Government lastThursday said that local government workers in the state would receive between 60 and 80 per cent of their August salaries.
The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Haruna Osegba, disclosed this after the state’s Joint Account Committee (JAC) meeting in Lafia.
Osegba attributed the salary cut to the shortfall in the amount that accrued to the local government councils from the Federation Account.
According to him, the 13 local government councils in the state shared only N1.5 billion from the federation account for the month of April with a shortfall of 700 million.
Niger
Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State has called on Nigerians to use this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration to fix the country.
Bello said in a statement to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration last Thursday in Minna, that there was no better time to reposition the country for greatness than now.
He urged Nigerians not to allow the present administration’s zeal and commitment in tackling the country’s challenges go in vain.
The governor said the state and federal governments had exhibited high sense of commitment to move the country towards greatness.
Plateau
The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Plateau State chapter last Wednesday in Jos organised a seminar to sensitise children aged between 10 and 15 on the dangers of rape.
The Chairperson of NAWOJ in the state, Mrs Jenifer Yarima said the seminar had become necessary due to the increase in number of rape cases involving minors in the country.
Yarima said at the seminar titled, “Rape: Endangering the Lives of Our Children,’’ that many girls had dropped out of school because of unwantedpregnancies resulting from rape.
She said that other victims of the crime were compelled to abort such pregnancies that threatened their lives.
“We want to educate children on the need to watch out for likely perpetrators of rape in schools and around their neighborhoods.
“We are worried that parents find it difficult to educate their children on sexuality to serve as a guide to healthy living. Eevery child deserves to live a quality life,’’ she said.
Sokoto
Senator Aliyu Wamakko, representing Sokoto North Senatorial District last Thursday secured the freedom of 21 inmates of Sokoto Central Prison after paying their N2.1 million fine.
Wamakko, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education was represented at the event by Mr Bashir Jodi, Secretary, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko Free Legal Services.
“The gesture is aimed at enabling the beneficiaries to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir with their various families; such kind of philanthropic acts are highly encouraged during the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah,” he said.
The senator admonished the freed inmates to steer clear of all nefarious acts that would bring them back to jail.
The beneficiaries, in separate comments, commended Wamakko for the gesture and promised to shun crimes and other wayward behaviours.
Zamfara
The Emir of Maru, Alhaji Abubakar Chika-Ibrahim has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide additional Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collection centres in Zamfara State .
The emir made the call in Maru last Thursday while receiving the State Government’s Committee on Voter Mobilisation members who visited the emirate.
Reports indicate that the committee was in the emirate to inaugurate a sub-committee on PVC collection for Maru Local Government Area.
The emir said that only one collection centre was inadequate for a whole local government area because some communities were far from the headquarters where the centres were located.
“You are aware of the economic hardship we have in this country now, some people are looking for just what to eat”, the emir said .
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.