Nation
THE STATES

L-R: Archdeacon, Diocese of Lagos West Anglican Communion, Venerable Christopher Ayejoto, Celebrant and Director, Finance and Account, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Mr Okeowo Oderinde, Special Guest, Mrs Adetoun Henry-Ajomale, celebrant’s wife, Mrs Atinuke and Priest, Anglican Communion, Revd. Kayode Okun, at the 2015 Family Harvest of the Anglican Communion in Lagos, yesterday.
Adamawa
The Adamawa Government is to launch enlightenment posters
on the ongoing fight against the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.
The state Commissioner of Information, Malam Ahmad Sajoh, disclosed this in Yola in an interview with newsmen.
Sajoh said the enlightenment programme being spearheaded by the ministry involved educating the public on how to identify Boko Haram suspects, particularly suicide bombers.
The commissioner lauded the relative peace in the state since the last bombing incident that took place more than one month ago.
He also commended the people of the state for complying with the security directives issued by the government.
“Since the last bombing incident on Nov. 10, we have recorded relative peace in the state.
“We have reviewed the security situation and we are satisfied with the level of compliance with security measures by the public.”
Ekiti
An Ikole-Ekiti Customary Court has dissolved a one-year old
marriage between Ayodele Olukayode and his wife, Kikelomo, over the wife’s lack of proper care for the husband.
The husband had sought for divorce in a suit filed against his wife on November 17 on the grounds that the 12-month-old union had broken down irretrievably.
Olukayode told the court that he sought for divorce because his wife had adopted a negative lifestyle.
He added that his wife had no respect for him, other members of his family, and was always fighting him on minor domestic issues.
The plaintiff further told the court that there was no child between them.
Kikelomo, however, denied the allegation against her, saying that she cared for the plaintiff and gave due respect to him and his family.
FCT
President, Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Services of Ni
geria, Mr Ashamu Fadipe, has called on the Federal Government to review the Tourism Master Plan which was produced in 2006.
Fadipe, a former Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on the sidelines of a workshop tagged: “Mainstreaming Tourism into Economic Agenda of Government”.
The workshop was organised by the Department of Domestic and Eco-Tourism Promotion and Control, Federal Ministry of Information and culture, Abuja.
“In 2006, Nigeria produced a Tourism Development Master Plan; the master plan articulates the tourism resources of the country ranging from natural endowments, cultural and historical resources.
“This was divided into five tourism clusters for the purpose of development and making it a preferred tourism destination in Africa.
“In each of the clusters, there is a flagship project proposed and this flagship was never done in any of the five clusters,’’ he said.
Jigawa
A member of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Kais
Abdallah, has donated 100 mattresses to the General Hospital, Malammadori.
Abdallah disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Malammadori.
The legislator, who represents Malammadori constituency, said he had also donated pillows, blankets and blood pressure test kits to the hospital.
He said he was also planning to distribute drugs and consumables to the 23 health facilities in the area.
“We are taking assessment needs of the clinics to assist them with drugs and equipment,” he said.
Kebbi
Deputy Speaker of Kebbi State House of Assembly, Alhaji
Buhari Aliero, said that he had distributed 90 forms for admission into tertiary institutions to indigent students in his constituency.
Aliero stated this in an interview with newsmen in Aliero.
He said that the gesture was to promote educational zeal in indigent children in his Aliero constituency.
He disclosed that he gave out 50 University Matriculation Examination forms and 30 other forms for those seeking admission into the state-owned school of Nursing and Health Technology.
Aliero said that if the students gained admission, they would receive monthly allowance from him while in school.
He said that his gesture was based on the fact that education remained the bedrock of development of any society, adding that it was, therefore imperative for him to contribute to human capital development through such assistance.
Lagos
An Igando Customary Court in Lagos saved a 40-year-old
marriage between Mrs Margret Kehinde ,60, and her septuagenarian husband, Francis Kehinde , over alleged infidelity.
Our correspondet reports that the Court President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, after several adjournments and interventions, successfully resolved the marital differences between the couple.
Omilola admonished the respondent to turn a new leaf and he urged the couple to maintain peace.
“I urged both of you to go home and continue to love each other and live in peace.” he said.
Mrs Margret Kehinde, 60 and a trader, had pleaded with the court to end her 40-year-old marriage over her husband’s infidelity.
The petitioner said that her 70-year-old husband, Francis, for whom she bore four children, was fond of bringing several women into their matrimony home.
“My husband comes home with different women and they sleep on our matrimonial bedroom, and he will tell me to excuse them by relocating to the guest room.”
Nasarawa
The Police have arraigned a commercial driver, Bitrus Matthew,
38, in a Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court on a three-count-charge of mischief, breach of trust and cheating.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Adaji, told the court that the complainant, Cpl. Friday Enumaje, attached to ‘A’ Division Police Station, Mararaba, reported the matter on December 12.
Adaji said that the complainant entrusted his Toyota Camry car to the accused for commercial purpose, with an agreement of remitting N15, 000 weekly.
He said that the accused used the car for two weeks, and did not remit the money as agreed, instead he ran away with the said car to an unknown destination.
The prosecutor said that the accused was seen on December 9 with the car and he was arrested.
He said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 327, 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.
The accused denied committing the crime.
The Presiding Judge, Mr Albert Maga, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 and a surety in the like sum.
Ogun
The Ogun State Commissioner for Housing, Mrs
Oluwasegun Abiodun said on Thursday that the ministry proposed N3.74 billion as its capital expenditure for the 2016 fiscal year.
Abiodun spoke while defending the ministry’s 2016 budget proposal before the Ogun House of Assembly in Abeokuta.
The commissioner also said that the ministry proposed 10 hectares of housing estates in 12 locations across the state.
He listed the locations as Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ifo, Ijebu-Ode, and Ado- Odo Ota, among others.
“In terms of urban renewal, the ministry intends to embark on the urbanisation of Akute Isheri area of the state in the next fiscal year; the project is termed `Mitros City’ development.
“As part of the state government’s efforts towards industrialisation, housing project is a dedicated infrastructure in order to attract new business at Agbara Industrial Estates, “she said.
Osun
Two men, Olarewaju Omokehinde,50, and Abode Adigun, 38,
were on Thursday arraigned in an Osogbo Magistrates’ Court, over alleged N800,000 fraud.
Omokehinde and Adigun, of no fixed addresses, are facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Lamide Rasak, told the court that the accused persons committed the offences on April 14 at about 12:00p.m. along Omokehinde St. in Osogbo.
Rasak said the accused persons tricked one Mr Kayode Lawal by obtaining N800,000 from him with promise to lease a building to him for business activities.
He said the offences contravened Sections 422, 421 and 383 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun, 2003.
The accused persons denied committing the offences.
The defence counsel, Mr Beatrice Akande, prayed the court to grant the accused persons bail in liberal terms.
Oyo
Govwenoe Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State said NYSC members
must contribute to national unity and cohesion for Nigeria to achieve the dreams of its founding fathers.
Ajimobi said this at the close of the orientation course for the Batch ‘B’ Corps members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp on the Iseyin-Okeho road.
Represented by his deputy, Mr Moses Alake-Adeyemo, Ajimobi advised the corps members to keep Nigeria as one indivisible nation.
“I commend your patriotism and commitment to duty since the beginning of your orientation about three weeks ago.
“ It shows that you are ready to ensure that Nigeria remains one and by God’s grace nothing will separate us.
Plateau
The Special Task Force (STF) in charge of security in Plateau
State has confirmed the killing of 12 persons in an attack on Kwata community in Jos South Local Government.
Capt. Ikedichi Iweha, STF Spokesperson, told the newsmen in Jos that several others were injured in the attack that took place recently.
Iweha said that the STF personnel rushed to the area of the attack when it was alerted but the perpetrators had disappeared.
“By the time we arrived there, the attackers had carried out their heinous act and left; we just evacuated the injured and the dead and rushed them to Plateau Hospital, where health officials confirmed 12 persons dead.
Zamfara
The Zamfara State Government last Thursday said it had spent
N58 billion on rural electrification and semi-urban water projects.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Alhaji Muttaka Rini, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Gusau.
Rini said N41 billion was spent on the provision of electricity to 80 rural communities, while the remaining N17 billion was committed to semi-urban water scheme across the state.
He said the projects were executed in collaboration with the 14 local government councils of the state, which contributed 50 percent of the project cost.
He said the state government would continue to execute meaningful projects to improve quality of lives of the people in rural areas.
Nation
HYPREP Marks 15 Years Of UNEP Report, Highlights Major Cleanup Milestones
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
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