Nation

FG’s CCT Programme Resumes In Ondo Pays 3,767 Households

Published

4 years ago

May 4, 2022

The Federal Government has resumed the payment of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) to the poor and vulnerable households in Ondo State.
Coordinator of CCT Programme in Ondo State, Mrs Tosin Olupona, stated this in an interview with The Tide source yesterday in Akure.
The programme is one of the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
Olupona said 3,828 households were captured in the first phase of the programme when it started in 2019, but 3767 were on the schedule for payment from the national office.
She noted that the current payment captured six local governments of Akure North, Owo, IleOluji/Okeigbo, Ese-Odo and Ifedore.
The coordinator said the payments were done bi-monthly, and beneficiaries had earlier been paid twice, for the month of September-October, and November-December 2019.
According to her, the payment is actually N5,000 monthly, but “we pay N10,000 once every two months, and we are doing four payment cycles covering the months of January to August 2020, making N40,000 per beneficiary”.
“This programme commenced in Ondo State in 2019 and we had two payment cycles then, so we paid twice, for the month of September and October, November and December 2019 when it commenced.
“But due to operational issues, which were not fault of ours, the programme was put on hold.
“Now we are recommencing after a lot of efforts by Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-governmental Relations, Mrs Bunmi Ademosun, and Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.
“During the first batch, we enrolled 3828 households and now, we are paying 3767 out of that, that was the payment schedule from our national office”.
“The targets aret poorest of the poor and it is meant to meet their nutritional needs, most of them cannot even feed, not to think of sending their children to school,” she said.
Olupona explained that the Social Operation Coordinating Unit (SOCU) identified the beneficiaries, while their responsibility was to ensure that they were paid when the money was available.
Olupona noted that additional 8710 had been enrolled to cover the remaining 12 local governments that were not earlier captured in the programme.
She also appreciated the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq for her efforts on the programme to restart in the state.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Lydia Joel, said she was happy that the government remembered them with the payment of the money at her trying period.
Also, Madam Felicia Aderemi appreciated government for the money and prayed for more development in the country.

Nation

Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

Published

16 hours 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

16 hours 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

16 hours 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.