Nation

Covid-19: NCDC Registers 11 Additional Deaths In 24 Hours, 444 New Infections

Published

4 years ago

August 6, 2021

Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development says it has spent over N1.8 billion on Homegrown School Feeding programme in three years in Ondo State.
The Ondo State Team Leader of the Programme, Mrs Kemisola Olasetemi, disclosed this in an interview with The Tide source yesterday in Akure, after monitoring the biometric data capturing of benefiting pupils.
Olasetemi said the school feeding programme had 108,842 primary school pupils being fed through the exercise in the state.
She said the biometric capturing of the pupils would help the Federal Government (FG) to have accurate data of the pupils with a view to planning the programme.
She added that the biometric data would also enable government to know those that would be newly enrolled and those that should exit the programme.
The team leader said the ministry was working in collaboration with National Orientation Agency (NOA) that supplied the forms and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were capturing the data.
Olasetemi, who said that she was satisfied with the way and manner the pupils were being fed in the schools monitored so far, thanked the teachers for maintaining hygiene of the pupils.
“The Programme is covering the enumeration of pupils from primary one to primary three, and we are going round schools to ensure that we monitored the programme.
“It is to ensure the pupils were being fed by the standard we laid down,” she said.
Olasetemi noted that the process, which would be continuous, would help the partners of the programme and further attract the support of the Federal Government to the ministry.
She urged the vendors to be up and doing and ensure that the vision of the programme was fully supported.
Also speaking, the Head Teacher, St John RCM Primary School, Igbara Oke, Mr Ganiyu Adeyanju, thanked the FG for the school feeding programme which he said had helped with the enrolment into the school.
Adeyanju noted that many parents had jettisoned private schools because of the programme.
Also, Headmistress of The Apostolic Primary School 1, Ilaramokin, Mrs Funmilayo Odefila, said the programme had helped in the enrollment drive of the school.
“Since inception of this programme, more children have been coming to the school. Even parents have been bringing their children from private school to the school,” she added.

Nation

Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

Published

1 day ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Federal Fire Service FFS entered the New Year on full operational alert, tackling multiple fire outbreaks across the country from midnight into the early hours of January 1, 2026, in what officials described as one of the busiest festive-season deployments in recent years.

The intensified nationwide response followed a December 2025 directive issued by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who had ordered that no firefighter should proceed on leave throughout the holidays.

According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the FFS, DCF Paul Abraham, the no-leave policy proved critical as the Service moved swiftly to contain fires in several states.

The Federal Capital Territory FCT recorded its first fire incident of the year barely twenty-three minutes after midnight when flames erupted at Cake Hot Restaurant located within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja.

Abraham said fire crews from the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived promptly and were able to stop the blaze before it could spread through the popular recreational centre.

While a section of the garden area was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.

Officials said property worth an estimated ?1.5 billion was saved, although losses were placed at about ?500 million.

“Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was triggered by objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings over the dangers posed by fireworks during the harmattan season”, the Service said.

The Controller General had repeatedly urged Nigerians to avoid fireworks, candles and open flames indoors, warning that the dry winds characteristic of the season allow fires to spread rapidly.

He also warned the public about electrical faults and power surges and advised that electrical appliances be switched off and unplugged when not in use or when occupants leave their homes, stressing that overloading sockets and extension boxes remains a significant cause of domestic fires.

Nation

Enugu North LG chairman presents ?10.8bn 2026 Budget, prioritises roads …Security, Healthcare, Human Capital Development

Published

1 day ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State, Dr. Ibenaku Harford Onoh, has presented a Ten Billion Eight Hundred Million Naira (?10.8bn) 2026 budget to the legislative council of the local government.

The budget, tagged “Budget of Continued Growth and Consolidation,” was presented on Wednesday during a plenary session attended by councillors, department heads, and other stakeholders.

Dr. Onoh explained that the 2026 budget is designed to consolidate achievements recorded in 2025 while scaling up development across the council’s 13 wards. Priority areas include road infrastructure, grassroots security, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, and digital governance.

He also reviewed the 2025 budget performance, highlighting significant revenue growth and successful completion of key projects. Notably, the council’s internally generated revenue more than doubled, attributed to the introduction of digital revenue collection platforms and other innovative measures.

Among the 2025 achievements, Dr. Onoh mentioned the reconstruction of major roads at European Quarters, Hilltop, Coal Camp, and Ukwa Street, Ihewuishi, as well as the upgrade of the local security architecture through the reorganisation of the neighbourhood watch into “The City Watch.”

On the 2026 budget, the chairman stated that projected revenue would come from statutory allocations, VAT, internally generated revenue, and counterpart funding through public-private partnerships.

He noted that capital expenditure would take the larger share of the budget, with over half allocated to the economic sector. Planned projects include:

Completion of transport terminals at Aria Market

Construction and reconstruction of urban roads

Establishment of two sports centres

Healthcare interventions

Youth skills development programmes.

Dr. Onoh emphasised that the projects, policies, and programmes outlined in the budget are aimed at complementing the initiatives of Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, who is setting standards for local government councils to follow.

Responding, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Chizoba Nnamani, said the budget would be carefully scrutinised in the interest of residents before its passage.

Nation

Christians Convert To Islam or die As ISWAP burns down Christian village

Published

1 day ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Christians in Adamawa have been asked to Convert to Islam or die as commanded by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).

.The ISWAP forcedly burnt down Christian village in Adamawa Nigeria as reported on January 1, 2026.

The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has continued to wreak havoc on Christian communities in the Northeast, Nigeria.

This comes as ISWAP burned down a Christian village in Adamawa State.

A security expert, Brant Philip, disclosed this on Thursday in a viral video released by the terrorists.

“ISWAP released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to “spare their blood” by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP,” Brant Philip wrote on X.

The move is perceived as retaliation for recent joint airstrikes by the Nigerian and United States military against a terrorist enclave in Sokoto, Nigeria.

Recall that five days ago, United States President Donald Trump announced that the US military launched airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto State.