Nation

THE STATES

Published

10 years ago

July 4, 2016

Adamawa

Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr
Babachir Lawal says he is not nursing the ambition to become governor of Adamawa State.
Lawal told newsmen in Yola that the speculation was baseless, adding that at his age and position as SGF, it was not proper for him to think of serving as state governor in the future.
“At over 60 years of age and my position as SGF, I should not be thinking of being a governor, governorship should be left for younger people”.
Lawal also said he was not planning to sponsor a candidate for governorship of the state.
“The whole thing is funny, they are even saying that I favour my own tribe of Kilba in federal appointments because Bos Mustapha was recently appointed the Managing Director of Nigeria Inland Waterways Agency.
“People need to know that Mustapha is not only well qualified for the job but also a chieftain of the party who actively participated as an official in Buhari campaign organisation.
“Buhari knows Mustapha’s capacity and Buhari’s appointments are always based on merit.

Bauchi

About 12 persons have been reportedly killed in an auto
crash along Bauchi, Kano road.
Witnesses report that the victims were operatives of a popular local security outfit, Danga Security, heading back to Bauchi from Ningi, a town about 70 kilometres away.
The commandant of the Danga Security outfit, Yusuf Hassan who was in another vehicle behind the one involved in the crash, said the accident occurred about 5p.m. at Kafin Liman Village, along Bauchi Ganjuwa road in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state.
“Nobody is expecting that to happen, we were returning from Ningi to Bauchi, I was in my car and the Hilux that had an accident was conveying my personnel. It was four kilometers ahead us. It collided with a tanker that lost control and rammed into our Hilux killing all the 11 personnel”.

Benue

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has commended
the operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigating the Speaker and other members of the State House of Assembly for allegedly misappropriating N750 million meant for purchase of official cars.
The governor said his government would not condone any act of criminality or defend anyone who had a hand in fraud.
I would recall that the Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Terkinbi Ikanyga, his Deputy, James Ikefe, the majority leader, Benjamin Adanyi, Deputy majority leader, Nick Eworo, the minority, leader, Sule Aulu and ten other members were recently arrested and detained in Abuja by EFCC.
It was gathered that though they were left off the hook via bail after spending three days in detention, seven other members had been summoned to appear before the commission for questioning.

Borno

Soldiers have recorded successes in their operations
in parts of the North-East and North-West, killing several Boko Haram insurgents and three armed bandits respectively.
The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman in a statement said the troops 118 Taskforce Battalion, 8 Taskforce Division on blocking position at Garere Junction ambushed Boko Haram insurgents at Gudumbali, northern part of Borno State, while they were crossing to another location with some logistics items.
Usman said that during the operation the troops killed two and ambushed one of the terrorists.
He said the troops also recovered a truck earlier stolen by the terrorists in Kangarwa.
Ekiti

Some members of Esure Ekiti in Irepodun-Ifelodun Local
Government Area of Ekiti State have told Governor Ayo Fayose not to pardon the seven persons convicted of rioting and malicious damage in the community in 2014.
The seven persons were convicted in 2014 after a bloody feud between two quarters of Ilomu and Anyinshin in the town.
A letter of Appeal dated June 29, 2016 written on behalf of Ilomu quarters by their counsel, Dr A. D. Adebayo said the town had remained peaceful since the accused persons were convicted, pointing out their pardon might jeopardise the peace.

FCT

The General Overseer of Deeper Life Church, Pastor Wil
liams Folorunsho Kumuyi has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in President Muhammadu Buhari because God is on the throne.
He said he was hopeful that Buhari-led administration was on the right track to reposition Nigeria’s economy.
“Although the country might be passing the ‘best of times’, there are strong reasons not to lose hope on Muhammadu Buhari, because God is on the throne; He will turn things around for Nigeria. There is always light after the tunnel”.

Lagos

The Senate has reiterated its commitment to remove any
form of monopoly that will impede the development of private and public free trade zones in Nigeria.
Speaking after inspecting facilities at Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL), members of the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment led by its chairperson, Senator Fatimat Rayi-Resaki said the fact-finding tour would enable the senate gather useful information to aid its review of existing laws.
According to Raji-Rasaki who was accompanied by Senators Effiong Nelson and Yusuf Abubakar. The senate has shown commitment towards creating a conducive environments that would move the economy of the nation forward by strengthening the laws governing the operation of the trade zone.
She added that the committee would also visit similar projects in Calabar and Kano.
The chairman of LADOL, Mr Bedi Jadesimi while thanking the committee for the visit said he hoped that it would convey a different perception that Nigerians were capable of doing and pleaded with the legislators to create a conducive business environment devoid of policy somersault that could send wrong signal to investors.
Ogun

The rift between the Ogun State Government and the
Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ogun State council is yet to be over as the union has challenged the government to publish details of how it expended the bailout fund from the Federal Government.
The union faulted the state government’s claim that the bail-out fund was used to service the outstanding arrears of salaries/deductions of local government workers, describing it as mere political propaganda.
The NULGE leadership had accused the Ibikumle Amosen-led government of diverting N9.1 billion bail-out funds meant to pay salary arrears of the state government employees, including those of 20 LGAs for other purposes.
The union disclosed that the administration did not settle the outstanding arrears of salaries and deductions of local government workers with the bailout fund.
This is contained in a statement siged by the union President, Comrade Olatunji and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Oyo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has
called for a thorough investigation into the murder of a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr Gideon Aremu (Dorelope-LP).
This is contained in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr Olewale Sadare in Ibadan.
The statement described the death of Aremu who was the chairman, State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Public Relations and Security as brutal and disturbing.
“We received the news of the killing of Hon. Gideon Aremu with utter disbelief and rude chock.
This is in view of the fact that such nasty development and political violence have become history the state since 2011 when the current administration took the mantle of leadership of Oyo state”, it said.

Plateau

The Plateau State House of Assembly has witnessed a
rowdy session as members of the People’s Democratic Party protested the extension of the tenure of the transition chairman of the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.
Governor Simon Lalong had written a letter to the lawmakers, requesting that the tenure of the local government transition chairmen be extended by six months instead of the original two months.
The chairmen were appointed following the sacking of the chairmen who were elected into office by former Governor Jonah Jang.
But the 10 PDP lawmakers led by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Yusuf Gagdi protested the move, saying that it was against the agreement reached with the lawmakers when the chairmen were elected last year.
He said that the chairmen’s tenure had been extended by two months in the former exercise since they were appointed earlier this year.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Nation

Lagos Residents Stranded As Floods Cut Off Ajah, Mafoluku Communities

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Residents of Ajah, Mafoluku and other flood-prone communities in Lagos have recounted how Thursday’s torrential rainfall left them stranded, submerged homes and cut off access to major roads.

The residents, who spoke with Tide source, on Friday called for urgent government intervention to tackle the recurring flooding blamed on poor drainage infrastructure.

Along Mobil Road in Ajah, Mrs Rukayat said floodwaters submerged about 200 metres of the road, forcing commuters to wade through waist-deep water.

“The water level was almost up to my lap. People literally had to wade through it to get home,” she said.

According to her, many motorists turned back, while others abandoned their vehicles and continued their journeys on foot.

“The only way to pass through the water was by walking or using a tricycle. Even then, the tricycles broke down and had to be pushed,” she said.

Rukayat said some youths assisted stranded tricycle operators by pushing their vehicles through flooded sections for a fee.

She said residents had repeatedly alerted authorities to the flooding but little had changed.

“We reported this when the rains started, but apparently nothing has been done about the problem,” she said.

She attributed the flooding to poor drainage and possible blockage of a major canal serving the area.

“There is a big canal here, but I don’t know what is preventing water from flowing through it properly,” she said.

According to her, overgrown vegetation and sand deposits might have obstructed the canal, reducing its capacity to discharge stormwater.

She added that although floodwaters usually receded after a few hours, sections of the road remained waterlogged.

In Mafoluku, residents said several streets, homes and access roads were submerged, leaving many unable to return home after going about their daily activities.

Mrs Iriagbonse Okunkpolor, a resident of Agboola Street, said what began as a short trip to buy household items became an hours-long ordeal.

“I left my house to buy a few items nearby, but the rain started suddenly and flooded the entire street.

“I was stranded for hours because there was no safe way back home,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Mukaila Idris, described the flooding as both dangerous and distressing.

“The current was very strong. I watched people pay young men to carry them across the water because they were afraid of being swept away or falling,” he said.

According to him, only physically fit residents could navigate the floodwaters safely, while many others waited several hours for the water level to subside.

Mr Williams Ekpo, who lives in the Eyinogun area, said the flood extended beyond the roads and entered residential compounds.

“The floodwater entered our compound and damaged some household items.

“This happens almost every rainy season, yet nothing seems to be done to address the drainage problem,” he said.

The residents urged the relevant authorities to investigate the persistent flooding and improve drainage infrastructure to prevent a recurrence during the rainy season.