Nation
Kogi Poll: No Ethnicity Issues-Minister
The Minister of Steel Development, Alhaji Shuaibu Audu, has said that issues of ethnicity are totally dead and buried in Kogi State as far as the November 11 governorship election is concerned.
The Minister made the assertion in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area of the state, during the All Progressivee Congress (APC) Zonal Campaign rally.
The Tide’s source reports that Audu’s remark sunk into the people of Kogi East Senatorial District, who trooped out in their thousands to demonstrate their support for the APC governorship candidate, Usman Ododo.
Audu, who is the Director General, Kogi APC Governorship Campaign Council, said the only agenda for the APC was the Kogi agenda, adding that the party’s candidate is coming to build and consolidate on the laudable legacies of Governor Yahaya Bello.
“The only agenda for the APC is the Kogi Agenda. The party has the interest of the whole state. Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has a vision for the development of the entire State. He will build and consolidate on the legacies of Governor Yahaya Bello.
“We are proud today that Kogi is the most secure State in North Central Nigeria. The APC will provide massive jobs for our teeming youths through agricultural revolution.
“The APC is working on expanding the capacity to be able to produce several agricultural produce, particularly in Kogi East.
“I urge you to support the APC and Alhaji Ododo. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who appointed me as Minister of Steel Development, is interested in the vision and success of Kogi State through the development of Ajaokuta Steel.
“This will enable the provision of massive jobs for the entire youths of our dear State. He has asked that we do not hand over the State to a hustler government or to an opposition government.
“The President is concerned about the state and has said we cannot afford to handover a strategic state to the opposition”, he said.
The State Chairman of APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, expressed satisfaction with the massive turnout and enthusiasm displayed by the people of Kogi East and urged them to sustain the tempo to pave the way for landslide victory in the governorship election.
Also, the lawmaker representing Kogi East in the National Assembly, Sen. Jibrin Echocho, called on the people of the zone, who had yet to come into the APC fold, to embrace the party, noting that elections are won on party structures.
“Let me appeal to our people to be passionate with the APC. Our candidate is marketable. Elections are won based on party structures. The people of Kogi East voted APC in the general election. We cannot afford to do otherwise in the forthcoming election”.
“Governor Yahaya Bello has laid a solid foundation in infrastructure, human capital development across the state. His achievements have done the major part of the election. Let’s all join hands in ensuring collective victory for the APC”, Echocho said.
Addressing the people, the Deputy Governor of Kogi, Mr Edward Onoja, urged the people of Kogi East to vote on the strength of continuity and cautioned against sentiments, saying that elections are about political parties and not tribe, religion or region.
Also, the State Governor, Yahaya Bello, cautioned the people against ethnicity, stressing that tribal politics has no place in this time and age.
“Ethnic politics is selfish interest. Igala agenda is about job creation, development, prosperity. Don’t be deceived. The APC will win landslide. Victory will be ours at the election. Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo is a refined gentleman with cognate experience in public service and in politics.
“On assumption of office, we met a state divided along ethnic and other fault lines. We have been able to cement all those fault lines. Today, issues of ethnicity have been buried. Fairness, equity, justice have replaced mediocrity, ethnicity.
“We have raised youths and women across board. We have built and distributed projects, infrastructure and empowerment across board. So much has been achieved in the state and we cannot afford to go back to our dark days”, the Governor declared.
Addressing the unprecedented crowd, the APC governorship candidate, Ododo, said his aspiration was about the people, progress and unity of the state.
“Let me appeal to the people of Kogi East. Let’s build a united and stronger Kogi state which we all can be proud of. Let this election be about our people, development, unity and prosperity. It is my fervent appeal that I’m ready to be a servant leader with no barrier”, he said.
The APC governorship falgbearer thanked Bello for his outstanding achievements and promised to build on the legacies.
While reminding Igala people that it would be counter-productive to play ethnic and minority politics, he specifically thanked Tinubu for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the growth and development of Kogi and Nigeria at large.
The Tide’s source reports that the rally was climaxed by the official welcoming of defectors from the PDP, SDP and other political parties to the APC.
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.
Members of the Association of Community Health practitioners of Nigeria (ACHPN),Rivers state Chapter have marked the 2025 Community Health week with a call for the state government to employ more community health practitioners to mann the various health centres across the 23 local government areas of the state .
The theme of one week event “strengthening the Nigerian healthcare system,the role of community health practitioners in reducing maternal and under _five mortality in line with sustainable development goals”attracted community health practitioners across the state.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event held at the conference hall of the state primary healthcare office in port Harcourt, the state chairman of the Association,Dr Justina Onuwa appeal to the state governor,Sir Siminalayi Fubara to approve the employment of more community health practitioners in other to effectively mann the primary health centres in the state.
Onuwa stated that the call become imperative following the decline in community health practitioners in the civil service and the need to ensure that the people in rural communities have more access to primary healthcare services in their localities.
The state chairman of ACHPN averred members of the association were not captured in the employment scheme during last employment of medical health workers by the state government.”our people need to be employed like other health care service providers”
She appeal to the state government to provide vehicles and office secretariat for its association and as well ensure that their members are promoted as at when due.
Also speaking,the state Health Educator,Dr Babbo Diana who represented the commissioner for health and Executive secretary RSPHCMB while congratulating them on their celebrations called them to partner with the state government to build more efficient healthcare services in the state.
She urge them to be passionate with their work, stressing that all hands must be on deck and everyone must play their roles in other to ensure the success of government primary healthcare services in the state.
In his good will message,the representative of the state Director of Health planning Research and statistics, Dietician Buduzhi Gift Oguzor described members of the association as foot soldiers of health services care providers in the state.
He called on them to be more dedicated in their responsibilities especially in the areas of infrastructure development, noting that the state of infrastructure under their custody are in a detoriating conditions despite the huge of resources released to them by the state government.
Earlier in her lecture on the theme “strengthening the Nigerian healthcare system,the role of the community practitioners in reducing the under _five mortality in line with the sustainable development goals”prof Alice Nte urge them to review their association curriculum in other to upgrade their profile and become more relevant and attend to the optimum value in the profession.
She opined that the WHO according to the Nigerian Demography survey didn’t included members of the association as stillbirth attendant, adding that they should restrategise and look into their curriculum and see where it can be updated.
The climax of the week long celebrations ended with road work,free medical care services and church thanks service.
Akujobi Amadi
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Bldr. Daniel Abimbola Kolade, FNIOB, has called on Nigerian builders to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship as key drivers for addressing the nation’s housing deficit.
Speaking at the inaugural council meeting of the Institute held at its National Secretariat in Abuja in his speech themed, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Key Driver to Housing Delivery,” the NIOB President said the Institute is poised to lead transformative change in the nation’s housing delivery system.
Bldr. Kolade described the meeting as a strategic platform for redefining NIOB’s policy direction for the next two years, stressing that the housing challenge presents both a national problem and a professional opportunity.
“We, as custodians of building production management, must reposition ourselves not only as technical experts but as innovators, entrepreneurs, and national solution providers,” he stated.
He emphasized that innovation must now be embedded in the professional DNA of builders, urging practitioners to embrace sustainable technologies, research-based construction methods, and digital project management tools.
According to him, the Institute will promote innovation through research collaborations, innovation labs, and pilot projects that showcase emerging construction techniques.
On entrepreneurship, Bldr. Kolade noted that competence alone was no longer sufficient, and that builders must evolve into enterprise creators capable of driving employment and economic growth through construction-based ventures.
He further outlined the Institute’s five key policy pillars for the next two years, to include innovation
and research; entrepreneurial
development; professional regulation and ethics; advocacy
and policy influence;
capacity building and youth empowerment.
The NIOB President also paid tribute to past leaders of the Institute for laying the foundation upon which the current administration will build, saying leadership must go beyond preservation to purposeful expansion.
“If we can harness innovation, embrace entrepreneurship, and strengthen our professional unity, we will not only close the housing gap — we will redefine the standards of housing delivery in Africa,” he affirmed.
He called on builders nationwide to view themselves as not only craftsmen but nation builders, visionaries, and entrepreneurs committed to delivering sustainable housing and national development.
The NIOB President earlier led the National Council members to a site visit to the NIOB construction site at Idu, Abuja.