Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Sick persons in Mubi, Adamawa, now patronise private clinics as the strike embarked upon by medical and health workers has grounded services in public hospitals in the area.
Junior health workers had in June embarked on an indefinite strike following disagreement with the state government over wages and improved working conditions.
The situation was further compounded in the last five weeks when the NLC went on a similar strike over the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage, forcing all health care facilities to close down.
Our correspondent who went round some of the health centres in Mubi on Tuesday reports that they remained locked.
At the General Hospital, Mubi, only a handful of staff offered skeletal services at the Out-Patients Department, Emergency Unit and medical wards, while some of the patients on admission had left the wards.
Borno
The Caretaker Chairman of Kaga Local Government Area of Borno, Mr Kawu Ngamdu, has appealed to Muslims and Christians to pray and fast to end the frequent armed robberies along the Maiduguri-Kaga Road.
Ngamdu made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, saying that armed robbers had intercepted and stolen the salaries of local government workers running to about N20 million at two different occasions on the road.
According to him, the people have to assist with their prayers and fasting so as to curb the situation.
He noted that if the trend was not brought under control it would affect some developmental programmes geared towards improving the living standard of people in the Local Government Area.
The chairman advised people to watch out for persons with questionable characters and report their activities to the security agencies.
“I will strive as much as possible to improve the living standard of the masses by providing them with good drinking water, boost agriculture and health delivery,” he said.
FCT
Brig-Gen. Okore-Affia, the Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), says the commission is reconsidering the participation of youth corps members in future elections.
Speaking when the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Atahiru Jega, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Tuesday, Okore-Affia called for an urgent review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between INEC and NYSC.
“ You will agree with me that there is an urgent need to review the MOU between INEC and NYSC, because as far as I am concerned, it is one-sided, because it did not cater for the interest and wellbeing of corps members deployed on electoral duties.
“The NYSC wants to ask for a verifiable proof of the preparedness of INEC to put in place measures that will ensure both the safety and wellbeing of corps members.”
Okore-Affia said that if verifiable proof of the safety of corps members was not given by INEC, the NYSC would scale down on the involvement of corps members in future elections.
Gombe
A Federal High Court in Gombe, presided over by Justice Babatunde Quadri on Tuesday granted bail to the former Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Danjuma Goje, and three others standing trial before it.
Goje and three others were arraigned before the court by the EFCC on an 18-count charge of laundering more than N25 billion public fund between May 2003 and May 2011.
Goje was arraigned along with Alhaji Aliyu El-Nafaty, former Executive Chairman of Gombe State Universal basic Education Board (SUBEB) and two contractors, S.M. Dokoro and Alhaji Sabo Tumu.
S. M. Dokoro Company Ltd, Gombe was also joined in the suit filed by the EFCC.
Quadri while granting the bail, following an earlier application file before it by Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), counsel to Goje, said that it was the constitutional right of the suspects to be granted bail.
Jigawa
Mr Ntufam Ogbu, the Secretary of the National Planning Commission (NPC), has called on state governments to compute their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in order to enhance investment.
Ogbu made the call at a meeting of the Joint Planning Board and the National Council on Development Planning in Dutse.
“We are saying that state governments should generate their GDP because we are operating a federal system of government.
“ We can not go from federal level to compute GDP for a state,’’ Ogbu said.
He said if state governments generated their GDP, it would help the Federal Government to put together the National Gross Domestic Product.
Ogbu also urged state governments to initiate and ensure the passage of a Project Continuity Bill to enhance continuity of government’s projects and programmes.
Kano
The police in Kano have arrested three persons for allegedly raping four minors aged between six years and eight years.
The Public Relations Officer of the state command, Malam Magaji Majiya, told newsmen in Kano recently that the suspects were arrested on October 15, in the metropolis.
According to Majiya, two of the accused persons lured three girls, children of their neighbours, into a room at about 8.15 a.m. and sexually assaulted them.
He said the other suspect was also apprehended for allegedly luring a seven-year-old girl into his room and had illegal canal knowledge of her.
Majiya said all the three suspects had made confessional statements that were further corroborated by the medical examination reports.
Lagos
The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) on Tuesday urged Lagos residents to monitor activities of Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators engaged in waste collection in the state.
The Authority’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Folashade Kadiri, said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Kadiri said that activities and operations of the operators should be “measured, criticised and appreciated” by the residents to know how effective such operators are in areas assigned to them by LAWMA.
According to her, the various levels of monitoring are the management and employees of LAWMA, Community Development Areas, and officials of the Ministry of Environment, and the residents.
Oyo
Sunday Oladeji, a professor of Economics at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has called on the Federal Government to make the National Manpower Board (NMB) more functional.
He told newsmen in Ibadan that the board had not been effective lately in the discharge of its mandate.
Oladeji, who is also the Provost of the institution’s Postgraduate School, recalled that the NMB became a body under the supervision of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan.
The NMB, he said, was a product of the Ashby Commission which recommended its formation.
“The mandate of the board includes research and data collection on the manpower situation in the country as well as employment situation.
Plateau
Some residents of Plateau have voiced their opposition to the planned removal of petroleum subsidy by the Federal Government, saying the action will inflict more hardship on the average Nigerians.
In separate interviews that the spiral effects would result in hikes in prices of essential commodities and make life more difficult for Nigerians.
“Nigerians should be allowed to enjoy the subsidy on oil to be able to cope with the current hard times. There is no need to worsen the situation for the poor,” Miss Dorcas James, a student of the University of Jos, said.
She cautioned that the action would have debilitating effect
Taraba
Hundreds of primary school teachers and pupils in Jalingo took to the streets, protesting non-payment of the salaries of teachers and other welfare issues.
Addressing the gathering, the Taraba State Chairman of the NUT, Mr Aliyu Mafindi, said that the refusal of the State Government to pay teachers’ salaries was becoming a source of worry and unfortunate for a state that was already performing well in WAEC and NECO.
Mafindi said: “teachers will no longer fold their hands and watch bad governance continue to deny them their rights.
Zamfara
Farmers in Zamfara who benefitted from fertiliser/agriculture inputs loan are owing the government N5.5 billiion, says Sen. Saidu Dansadau, the Chairman, Debt Verification Committee.
The loan was disbursed by the Zamfara Comprehensive Agricultural Revolution Programme (ZACAREP).
Dansadau disclosed this in Gusau while presenting the committee’s report to Gov. Abdulaziz Yari.
He accused the beneficiaries of abusing the opportunity offered them by ZACAREP to buy fertilisers and other inputs at subsidised rates and pay back after harvest.
“It is unfortunate that while the government introduced the programme to encourage massive agricultural production in the state, both the subsidy and loans payable after harvest were abused.
“As at the moment, our findings revealed that the target farmers, through their emirate councils, who stood as guarantors for the loans, owe Zamfara State Government as much as N5.5 billion from unpaid fertiliser loans.“
According to him, said some privileged farmers had over the years, cornered subsidised fertilisers/loan for inputs at the expense of small and medium-scale farmers who produced the greater percentage of food crops consumed by the people.
He urged the government to review the activities of ZACAREP by taking into consideration the needs of peasant farmers.
The committee chairman noted that small and medium-scale farmers had prominent roles to play to realise the government’s food security and poverty eradication agenda.
Responding, Yari commended the committee for doing a thorough job and pledged to implement its recommendations.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing the safety of the seafaring profession and upgrading maritime institutions to international standards.
Speaking at the 2025 World Seafarers’ Day celebration in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, organised by NIMASA, with the theme, “My Harassment-Free Ship.
He said that this year’s theme “speaks to our collective duty to make every ship a safe and respectful workplace noting that harassment and bullying have no place in our maritime industry.
The Minister further emphasised the importance of continuous training and retraining to ensure seafarers remain competitive and employable.
Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari, emphasised that seafarers are the backbone of international trade, facilitating the smooth transportation of goods and services across the globe.
He stressed the need to eliminate all forms of violence, harassment, and bullying against seafarers.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, emphasised the need for the maritime community to prioritise the welfare, safety of seafarers and maintain zero tolerance for harassment.
According to the DG, “Today provides opportunity for the Maritime Community to honor seafarers globally for their immense contribution to both domestic and international trade, powering the blue economy and connecting nations across oceans”.
He said that this year’s theme was particularly apt, as it was a call to action to “ensure that our seafarers feel safe, are valued and protected while at sea because the ship is not just their place of work; it is their temporary home. It must therefore reflect the highest standards of dignity and professionalism fostering zero tolerance for harassment”.
He declared that NIMASA must continue to play its part in ensuring that Nigeria contributes effectively to regulations affecting seafarers, as Nigeria remains the highest contributor of seafarers in Africa. “Our men and women sail on vessels in our domestic waters and also globally. This will continue to grow through the Nigerian Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) and the effort of our Maritime Training Institutions.
‘At the recently concluded 113th session of the International Labour Conference held in Geneva, seven (7) amendments to the MLC 2006 code addressing a broad range of issues affecting seafarers, including the recognition of seafarers as key workers, improved protection against ship board violence and harassment, enhanced access to shore leave and repatriation and updated medical and occupational safety standards were approved by an overwhelming majority.
These seven (7) amendments reflect collective global effort to align maritime Labour standards with the evolving landscape of global shipping.
I, therefore, call on shipowners, operators and crewing agencies to begin to review their operational manuals to align with these amendments ahead of the expected entry into force in December 2027. Our seafarers must be able to report grievances without fear of retaliation, while also ensuring protection against vexations or malicious complaints.
He added that NIMASA will play its role by establishing clear policies and procedures for preventing and addressing harassment on Nigerian-flagged vessels, ensuring confidential reporting channels for incidents of harassment and that reports are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
“Today is a clear reminder to us all – government, employers, unions, shipowners, and civil society- that seafarers should not be left alone in their struggles. They look up to us to help them foster a culture of zero tolerance on ships to protect their dignity”, he stated.
He also assured that under his leadership, NIMASA will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly the renewal of entries into force by ship owners, operators, and relevant agencies come December 2027.
Stakeholders drawn across the four local government areas of Ogoniland in Rivers State, have expressed delight over the excellent performance of the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof Nenibarini Zabbey within the past two years, describing him as a true patriot, who has been showing leadership in delivering service to the people.
The stakeholders, who gave the indication in their separate goodwill messages during the mid-term stakeholders engagement and scorecard presentation organised by HYPREP in Port Harcourt, scored the Project Coordinator high on the Ogoni cleanup and the overall implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland.
The President of KAGOTE and Board member of the Ogoni Trust Fund, Hon Emma Deeyah, particularly commended Zabbey for turning around the fortunes of the Ogoni people, as they are now having value for the money earmarked for the cleanup project, describing the Project Coordinator as “one of our best.”
He noted that Zabbey has done well on the saddle, working very hard, being an administrator and leader with listening ears, striving assiduously to meet the yearnings and expectations of the people.
He said the Ogoni cleanup is a journey that has just begun, stressing that he was happy that the Project Coordinator is not on the saddle to amass wealth but to deliver and achieve results, and appealed to the Ogoni people to continue to give him their support.
On his part, member representing Gokana/Khana Federal Constituency in the National Assembly and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities, Rt Hon Dumnamene Dekor, said HYPREP under the watch of Zabbey is working with renewed vigour, and thanked the Project Coordinator for driving the Ogoni cleanup project with passion.
He noted that the funds dedicated and earmarked for the project are running out, disclosing that he was working on an Executive Bill, to facilitate the work of HYPREP.
While stressing the need for the people to take full responsibility of all the projects sited in their communities, Dekor regretted that some beneficiaries had sold the starter packs presented to them by HYPREP, while the water facility provided in his Bierra community has been vandalised.
The King of Tai Kingdom, King Samuel Nnee, said HYPREP under Zabbey as Project Coordinator has been delivering on its mandate, describing him as a square peg in a square hole, who has given hope to the Ogoni people.
The monarch urged the Ogoni people to give the Project Coordinator the necessary support.
The Paramount Ruler of Barako Community and member of the Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt, Mene Kadilo Kabari, said Zabbey has always demonstrated that he is a true patriot by carrying along Ogoni people from all strata of the society, describing him as a performing Project Coordinator.
He noted that the bane of HYPREP before now had been the conflict between the Project Coordinator and the Minister of Environment, saying, under Zabbey, Ogoni people can now see what unity of purpose can achieve.
He expressed delight that the water facility which was the first commissioned by HYPREP in his community is functioning optimally following the solar-powered system installed by the Project.
The King of Eleme Kingdom, King(Dr) Philip Osaro Obelle thanked HYPREP’s management team for all that it is doing in Ogoniland, stressing that the Project was built on the graves, bellies and blood of Ogoni sons and daughters who lost their lives during the Ogoni struggle.
He, therefore, advised HYPREP “not to deviate from the expectations of our heroes but to do those things that would benefit Ogoni people for the betterment of Ogoniland.”
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Netherlands, Hon Oji Ngofa said HYPREP has been like the government of Ogoniland, and harped on the sustainability of all the projects.
According to him, Zabbey has been giving HYPREP a human face.
Former Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof Barineme Fakae applauded Zabbey for the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, and stressed the need for the implementation of the recommendations of its technical committee which recently submitted its report.
According to him, if the project succeeds, Ogoni people are going to succeed.
Chief Priscillia Vikue, on her part, thanked Zabbey for his outstanding performance, saying, the women of Ogoni are very happy with what he is doing in Ogoniland.
While scoring the Project Coordinator highly on his performance, she said the women are happy because Zabbey knows what he is doing with HYPREP.
“You went to school.You did not cut corners.You are a square peg in a square hole.You have engaged women and the youths. We have seen what you have done. And we give you A1”, she said, and challenged Zabbey to see how more women would participate in the project and also how to sustain it.
In his remarks, the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey said the mid-term engagement is important because “it allows us to present tangible evidence of progress in the Ogoni cleanup effort, reinforce accountability, deepen transparency, and most importantly, enables HYPREP to interact directly with the communities and stakeholders who are the heartbeat of this project.”
He noted that the scorecard presentation is designed to show what HYPREP has achieved across key thematic areas, what challenges it is currently grappling with, and what the road ahead looks like, saying, “it is a moment for stocktaking and for re-affirming our shared commitment to the success of the Ogoni cleanup project”.
According to him, HYPREP has recorded commendable progress in the implementation of its core mandates in line with UNEP recommendations and the directives in the official gazette establishing HYPREP.
Donatus Ebi
The South-South representative of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Board, Rt. Hon. Aboh Uduyok, has concluded his one-day official visit to Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Rumuola, Rivers State, with the unveiling of the Mass Communication Department classroom building. The project was executed under the 2021 TETFund intervention project.
During the unveiling of the project, Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rt. Hon. Uduyok commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to the educational sector and praised the polytechnic’s management for utilising TETFund resources judiciously.
He noted that the quality of ongoing projects met approved specifications, and expressed satisfaction with the institution’s progress.
The TETFund representative stated that his visit was aimed at familiarising himself with beneficiary schools, assess fund utilization, and identify challenges.
He assured the school management that he would convey their requests for constructing engineering works and hostel accommodations to the board and notify them of any approval.
Rt. Hon. Uduyok explained that the TETFund Board is not initiating new projects this year, except where necessary, due to presidential directives. However, he commended the institution for the commendable quality of both completed and ongoing projects.
In his welcome address, the Rector of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Dr. Moses S. Neebee, thanked the TETFund representative for visiting, and highlighted the institution’s successes and challenges. He requested support for hostel accommodations and engineering works, emphasising that a higher institution without hostels is akin to a glorified secondary school.
Dr. Neebee while briefing the visitor on the institution’s progress, noted that it currently runs 21 National Diploma programme and five Higher National Diploma courses. He disclosed that the school accessed the 2021 TETFund release in full but faced challenges with the 2023 fund due to harsh economic conditions and bid process delays, which increased project costs. The Rector pleaded for assistance in securing additional funds for the 2023 intervention release.
Akujobi Amadi