Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Unidentified gunmen have attacked the home of Alhaji Yakubu Lame, former Minister of Police Affairs in the late President Umaru Yar‘Adua’s administration, with explosives.
Lame was said to have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj at the time of the attack.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Muhammed Barau, said on Monday in Bauchi that it occurred at about 7 p.m. on Sunday.
He said the suspects entered the former minister’s house on a motorcycle, dropped a bomb and ran off.
FCT
Minister of State for Defence Olusola Obada says the ministry and the U.S. Department of Defence are collaborating to establish more research sites on vaccines for the treatment of HIV and AIDS.
Obada disclosed this when she visited the ministry’s Emergency Plan Implementation Committee and Reference Laboratory in Mogadishu Barracks, Abuja.
She said the Federal Government would provide the required programmes that would improve the health of the masses.
Obada said the committee had 20 HIV and AIDS research sites and wanted to build some more depending on availability of funds.
Gombe
The Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Mr David Albashi, who survived a fatal accident last Sunday, may be flown abroad for treatment.
A credible source at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gombe, where he is on admission, said on Monday that Albashi would have been flown abroad last Sunday, but for the fact that he was still under a ventilator, which was removed in the early hours of the day.
Many relatives, supporters, politicians and other public servants have been trooping to the centre to sympathise with him.
Kano
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has called on the people of the state to continue to live in peace with one another.
Bayero made the call while addressing thousands of Muslim faithfuls who gathered at his palace after the Eid-Fitr prayer in Kano last Tuesday.
He noted that no country could achieve any meaningful development in an atmosphere of chaos and uncertainty, stressing that what the nation needed most at this time was peace.
The Emir who also prayed for continued peace and development in the country, advised his subjects against rumour mongering and engaging in any act capable of breaching the peace.
Kebbi
The Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammad Bashar has called for unity and understanding among Muslims in the country.
Alhaji Bashar, who is also the chairman of the State Council of Chiefs, made the appeal in his Sallah message to thousands of Muslims at the Eid-el Fitr praying ground in Birnin Kebbi.
He pointed out that peaceful coexistence was necessary for the rapid development of the country.
Gwandu emirate in Kebbi celebrated Sallah on Monday following the reported sighting of the moon at Bunza town and some local government areas in the state.
Lagos
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), has urged residents of state not to panic against the background of the flood disaster in Ibadan last Friday.
Mr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the General Manager of LASEMA, told newsmen in Ikeja, that the fear expressed by some residents over the incident was unnecessary.
He said that the state government was on the alert and was well equipped to manage any spillover effect from Ibadan.
“Some residents have been expressing fears that what happened in Ibadan is a warning that Lagos might soon experience that kind of disaster, as on July 10.
“They are saying that the Ibadan flooding signals an imminent one in Lagos, especially as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had predicted another heavy rain in the state.
Niger
Former Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida has urged Nigerians to shun violence and support governments at all levels.
In a Sallah message last Monday in Minna signed by his spokesman, Prince Kassim Afegbua, Babangida also urged Nigerians to live within the dictates of the law.
He said the Ramadan fast was a period of total commitment to the will of Allah and offering of supplications to the most high, noting that “this month has been most challenging to us as a country and as a people with one destiny“.
“As we celebrate the completion of the month of Ramadan, I wish to salute all Muslim faithful worldwide for their sense of tolerance, perseverance, understanding and commitment to the ideals of Allah during the period.
Ondo
Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has restated his administration’s commitment to the health needs and general well-being of the citizens.
The governor said this in Akure while declaring open the 2011 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the state chapter of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
“We want a sound mind in a sound body; In pursuance of this, our administration adopted a multi-pronged approach to develop the healthcare delivery system that is comparable to any in the developed world.
“Today, health care delivery has been brought to the doorstep of the people; Each of the 203 wards in the state has a basic health centre while each of the 18 Local Government Areas has at least a comprehensive health centre and a general hospital.
Oyo
The Wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has assured the people of Ibadan that the government will find lasting solutions to the problem of flood in the city.
Florence, who was accompanied by the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Bisi Fayemi, gave the assurance while distributing relief materials to some flood victims in Ibadan last Monday.
She said that the government was taking necessary measures to ameliorate the sufferings of victims.
“Our visit today is to reassure the people that the government is on top of the situation.
“Though, the damage is too much, we will get over it with the support of everybody.”
“The state government officials, NEMA, SEMA and all other relevant agencies are working round the clock to ensure that we find lasting solution to the incident urgently,“ she said.
Plateau
As calm returns to Jos after Monday’s violence that claimed 10 lives, security has been beefed up in and around the city.
Our correspondent who went round some parts of the city last Tuesday, observed that fierce-looking personnel of the military Special Task Force (STF) were stationed in areas considered as flash points.
Mobile policemen were also in many other flash points while mobile vans coveying armed soldiers, policemen and officers of the local security outfit, “Operation Rainbow’’ were patrolling the city.
Encouraged by the tight security, residents appeared to move about freely, though many kept hoping that the peace in the morning would last throughout the day.
Sokoto
Friday’s explosion at the UN Secretariat in Abuja is an abominable act in Islam, especially in the blessed month of Ramadan, according to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III.
The Sultan said this in Sokoto last Tuesday in his Sallah message to the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria.
“We, therefore, seriously condemn this act while commiserating with those who lost their property and condoling the families of those who lost their lives.
“We hereby call on the Muslims not to allow themselves to be used by our enemies in achieving their desired goals.
“We should not allow them to cause us to commit acts prohibited by our religion. We, therefore, call upon all those involved in this nefarious act, to fear God and desist from committing this grievous act,” he added.
A professor of English linguistics at the Rivers State University (RSU) Nkpolu Oroworukwu Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Enyi Ngulube, has advocated for better and improved funding for language centres in Nigeria, such as NINLAN Aba and Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, for optimum value and effective local languages development.
He also called for funded research on the development of orthographies and language documents across the country to rescue local languages from extinction, as well as having a well-planned and implemented mother tongue education in all institutions in the country, from primary to tertiary.
Prof. Ngulube made with these assertions while presenting his inaugural lecture at the university’s 121st inaugural lecture with the topic “The Career of Rough Beats: Language, Literature and the Development of our Common Humanity” held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The erudite scholar, in the lecture, stressed that the study of English language, linguistics, and literature is very broad, large, and difficult, adding that he overcame the rough roads through resilience and determination.
He described language as “a purely human and non-instinctive means of communicating ideas and emotions,” noting that “the word is a fundamental need in language; you cannot study language without the use of language.”
He urged parents to be cautious with their utterances, warning that “what they refer to their children as is what they will automatically end up becoming.”
He recommended a branded English language for every profession or course of study, stressing that embedding oral literature in the teaching of students from primary to tertiary level will enable them to know their traditions and roots of origin.
“Tell them the folk stories and moonlight tales; you are sending them back to their people. You must be a human being first before becoming a medical doctor, engineer, or anything else,” Ngulube said.
He also called for better and improved production of quality language and literature teachers, provision of modern teaching/instructional materials, improved welfare packages for teachers, and provision of better infrastructure at both primary and secondary school levels.
He used the opportunity to appreciate the Vice Chancellor for the approval of the Department of English Language and Literature, adding that it had been his long-held dream for the university.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, while highlighting the lecture, opined that the lecturer x-rayed the lecturer’s journey into the study of English language, linguistics, and literature, describing the field as broad, large, and difficult, but with determination and focus, he was able to defeat the beasts he encountered on his way.
Zeb-Obipi agreed with the lecturer’s recommendations on ways to improve indigenous languages in the country and directed that modalities be worked out for the university to have the Department of English Language and Literature, among others.
He highlighted RSU’s recent victory in the Bilingual Community Project organized by the French Embassy, describing it as proof of the university’s rising excellence in language studies.
The Federal Government through the implementation of the various projects of the Ogoni cleanup programme is demonstrating a strong commitment to national peace and the development of Ogoniland.
The Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who made this assertion at a two-day training on Mechanism for Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) and other Peacebuilding Techniques for Community Leaders In Ogoni, held in Port Harcourt, said through the ongoing environmental restoration effort, potable water provision, livelihood restoration, public health interventions, and the Ogoni Power Project, HYPREP is contributing to national peace and development.
He explained that by improving the living conditions in communities and creating new opportunities for young people, the Project is also reducing the social pressure that often fuels conflict, stressing that the Project is proud of this service to the Ogoni people and the nation.
Describing traditional leaders and stakeholders as peacebuilders and guardians of community harmony, Zabbey noted that the workshop would strengthen their capacities and reinforce the Ogoni dialogue process, which HYPREP continues to support in line with its mandate on peacebuilding.
He said HYPREP is actively promoting ADR alongside other mechanisms across its project sites and other areas of operation aimed at fostering unity, fairness, mutual respect and faster dispute resolution, stressing that these are qualities necessary for the future of Ogoni people and their communities.
He further indicated that the Minister of Environment and Chairman of HYPREP’s Governing Council, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal is disposed to promoting peace and stability across Ogoni communities and HYPREP project sites.
The Project Coordinator, therefore, charged Ogoni leaders to be mindful of their actions, words and body language, as what they say or do can either promote peace or fan the embers of conflict.
Continuing, he stated thus,”We must always ask ourselves: Is my position on this matter in the people’s interest? Does it promote unity and progress? Will it enhance development?”
The Project Coordinator assured the participants that HYPREP is working tirelessly in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the accelerated implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme and ensure that its benefits reach the grassroots where they are needed most.
Stressing the need for Ogoni leaders and stakeholders to explore communication and trust options to prevent disputes from degenerating into violence, the Project Coordinator noted that it was time for all Ogonis to be united for development, leaving behind perceptions that do not serve collective progress.
Similarly, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige, said the workshop is a strategic platform aimed at strengthening the capacity of traditional institutions and community leaders to sustain peace, foster dialogue and promote non-adversarial engagements in the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup programme.
Prof Onyige noted that the Ogoni leadership structure commands deep respect and legitimacy, and strengthening their capacity in ADR methods such as mediation, negotiation, dialogue, facilitation, and consensus building means strengthening the foundation of peace in the region.
Participants, comprising traditional rulers and key stakeholders in Ogoni, commended HYPREP for the initiative, and assured it of their continuous support to the Project by providing an enabling atmosphere for the smooth implementation of the cleanup project in Ogoniland.
Resource persons who presented thought-provoking lectures at the workshop included the Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Kinikanwo Anele; Prof Olariwanju Lawal; Prof Chioma Daisy Onyige; and Dr Gbenemene Kpae; among others.
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.