Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The Federal Government is to register about five million Nigerians in the ongoing National Social Register (NSR) for the Poor and Vulnerable Households.
NAASCO Coordinator, Mr Peter Papka disclosed this at the inauguration of the Community Base Target (CBT) teams in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Represented by the Head of Monitoring and Evaluation, Atiku Abubakar, Papka said that about 1 million poor and vulnerable families would be captured in the exercise this year.
Papka said that about four million poor families would also be covered in subsequent years across the country.
FCT
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris says Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) lost over N500 million to activities of vandals in Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger States and Abuja from January to date.
Idris made this known while inaugurating the Anti-Electricity Vandalism Response Squad (AEVRS) in Abuja, recently.
He said that 233 cases of vandalism were recorded in the area during the period.
He, however, said that over the years, the police did a lot to prevent vandals from destroying electricity installations across the country.
“With the worsening state of the situation, it has become expedient to urgently develop an improved strategy to better protect the nation`s critical electricity infrastructure,” the police boss said.
Kaduna
The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) branch has said that it will take necessary actions to ensure that all entitlements of its members are paid.
Alhaji Abdulmuminu Ibrahim stated this shortly after he emerged new chairman of the union in an election held at the ABU main campus, Samaru, Zaria.
In his acceptance speech, Ibrahim said the new executives would continue to fight for the interest of ABU pensioners with the assistance of the national body.
“With the assistance of the national headquarters, we shall ensure that all pensioners’ entitlement is paid on time”.
“When we fully assume office, we shall swing into action to ensure that the arrears of 33 per cent are paid without further delay,’’ he assured.
Kogi
The Kogi StatePolice Command has confirmed the killing of two police officers and the abduction of an expatriate by unknown gunmen at a construction site in the state.
Spokesman of the state police command, ASP William Aya told newsmen in Lokoja that Insp. Ezekiel Negedu and Sgt. Gini John were killed while on guard duty on Obajana – Oshokoshoko – Kabba road.
Aya said that John died on the spot while Negedu died on arrival in hospital.
According to the police spokesman, about 15 gunmen emerged from a nearby bush and attacked the construction site of A .G. Dangote Company currently handling the rehabilitation of the 45-kilometre Obajana – Kabba Road.
He said that the abducted expatriate, Mr Jose Machada, a Portuguese civil engineer, along with other expatriates and Nigerians were inspecting the project when the gunmen struck.
Kwara
A clergyman, Rev. Joseph Agboluaje has attributed the present challenges facing Nigeria to leadership failure.
Agboluaje made the assertion in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin.
According to him, the role of a leader in a society cannot be over emphasised as there is already leadership failure both in the church and the society at large.
“The nation is in dire need of leaders who will talk less and act more, leaders who will make our society better to live in.
“We need godly, visionary, humble and practical leaders who can help us achieve the Nigeria of our dreams”, he said.
Lagos
A confessional statement tendered before an Ikeja High Court has exposed how Pastor Nsikakabasi Akpan-Jacobs voluntarily confessed defrauding the wife of former Vice-President Abubakar Atiku Mrs Titi Atiku, of N918 million.
A retired detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Dickson Graymond insisted on the voluntariness of Akpan-Jacob’s alleged confessional statement while giving evidence during a trial – within – trial.
While being led in evidence by the EFCC prosecuting counsel, Mr Babatunde Sonoiki, Graymond said: “There are so many things that he confided in me that he refused to put into writing”.
“He admitted to me that Florence Doregos was Titi Atiku but he refused to put that into writing”.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Government has sacked the Rector, Registrar and Bursar of the state Polytechnic, Lafia with immediate effect.
A statement by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Malam Mohammed Abdullahi, issued to newsmen in Lafia also said the government would investigate activities at the institution since 2014.
The government directed the Rector, Silas Gray, Registrar, Labani Joseph and Bursar, Abdullahi Akya, to proceed on compulsory leave.
“The government has taken the decision in pursuant to its desire to reposition the state-owned tertiary institutions.
“And in compliance to the relevant laws establishing all the state owned tertiary institutions and as a Visitor to all the tertiary institutions in the state,” he said.
Niger
Herdsmen and farmers in Gurusu community of Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State have signed an agreement to promote peaceful co-existence among them.
The meeting that produced the agreement was held at the Emir’s Palace in Bosso, with the herdsmen, farmers and other stakeholders within the council area in attendance.
The forum was aimed at reconciling the parties over a portion of land between a Gbagyi man Malam Audu, and a Fulani man, Malam Bello, who had lived on the land belonging to Audu for 15 years in Gurusu village.
District Head of the council area, Malam Mu’azu Laka, commended the concerned parties for reporting the matter to the appropriate authority rather than taking the law into their hands.
Laka also lauded the parties’ agreement that led to the peaceful resolution of the matter, noting that the reconciliation had prevented the dispute from escalating.
Osun
The proposed M. K. O Abiola International Airport in Ido-Osun, Osun State would cost N69 billion under concession arrangement with AWOL International company, a state government official said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Mr Nurudeen Adeagbo said at a meeting with members of the state House of Assembly in Osogbov that the concession agreement would be to the advantage of the state government.
Adeagbo said the concession agreement was not in any way detrimental to the economy of the state, saying that it would be on ‘Build-Operate-Transfer” basis.
Plateau
The Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) has sacked 150 workers in what its management said was part of a re-organisation aimed at optimum performance.
Among those sacked across its four states of Plateau, Gombe, Bauchi and Benue were marketers, linesmen, network engineers, cable joiners and electrical fitters.
Their sack letters signed by Head, Human Resources and Support Services, Abubakar Mohammed simply told the workers that their services were no longer required.
The letters said that they would be paid one month’s salary in lieu of notice, and warned them against impersonating as workers of the company.
Sokoto
Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal has advised the Federal Government to handover federal roads to states’ government for effective management of the roads.
Tambuwal gave the advice when he received the Senate Committee on Works led by its Chairman, Sen. Kabiru Gaya in Sokoto.
He said: “There is the need for the federal government to handover the roads to states, because state governments are closer to the people and we have more efficient methods of supervision.
“If this is done, it will go a long way in ensuring that the vast majority of major roads and highways in the country are well maintained.’’
Taraba
Taraba State University has gone into partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to train Taraba youths on skills needed to work under the Mambilla Hydro Power Project.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Vincent Tenebe disclosed this in Jalingo lrecently at a workshop on Effective Leadership organised by the university for elected local government chairmen and councillors in the state.
He stated that the youth would be trained as security guards, drivers, bricklayers, masons, mechanics, and facilities managers among others to enable them key into the project.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.
The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.
According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.
Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.
In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.
The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3