Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa State Agency for Mass Education enrolled 14,643
adult students in its 2011 mass education programme, Mr Solomon Adzigare, the
Executive Director of the agency, said.
Adzigare told our correspondents in Yola on Tuesday that out
of that number, 6,659 were females while 7,984 were males aged between 30 years
and 70 years.
“In 2011, the agency admitted a total of 14,643 adults for
mass education programme. And about 8,765 graduated and issued with
certificates,” Adzigare said.
According to the director, the agency is presently offering
about seven courses under the national mass education guidelines and
supervision, explaning that the courses offered by the agency include basic
literacy class for those that did not have access to primary education from
their childhood.
Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has banned all mining activities in
the state, the Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Mahiru Maiwada, has said.
Maiwada disclosed this in an interview with our
correspondent in Bauchi on Tuesday,
saying that the ban would remain in
force until the law regulating the exploration of mineral resources was amended
by both the Federal and State House of Assemblies.
He said that the state was not comfortable with the
arrangement whereby prospective miners would obtain permission from the Federal
Government to operate in the state.
“We know that mining
is on the exclusive list of the Federal Government, but we’ve domesticated it
here. We have our own local laws which will soon be passed by the State House
of Assembly to regulate the activities of all these illegal miners in the
Bauchi.
Benue
Rehabilitation camps set up by the Benue State Government to
accommodate displaced flood victims in Makurdi need more food supplies to cope
with the feeding of victims, camp workers say.
Some camp workers told The Tide in Makurdi on Tuesday that
the populations in the camps surpassed food supplies to the victims.
At the Wurukum camp, the Assistant Camp Commandant, Mr Justin
Depuun, complained of difficulties in meeting the feeding needs of the people,
especially the children.
Depuun said for a camp with a population of 4,290 people
that comprised 501 families, it was difficult to adequately meet their feeding
requirements and appealed to corporate organisations, political and religious
organisations as well as individuals to donate food items, especially for the
use of the children.
FCT
A black Honda saloon car with registration number CY 691 LND
on Tuesday fell off a bridge near Wuse Market, Abuja, killing the driver.
The driver, a police corporal, died on the spot.
The Tide correspondent, who visited the scene, reports that
the car knocked off the concrete embankment on the bridge before crashing into
the ravine below.
The impact tore the car into pieces with the engine
separated from the body.
Mr Kassim Yusuf, the Divisional Traffic Officer at Wuse
Police Station, confirmed the death of the driver who, he said, was a police
corporal at the FCT command.
Gombe
The transportation of Muslim pilgrims from Gombe State to
Saudi Arabia will commence on October 2,
the state Amirul Hajj, Alhaji Usman Baba-Liman, has said.
The Amirul Hajj told newsmen after inspecting facilities at
the Gombe Airport that arrangements had been made to ensure that this year’s
exercise was the most successful in the history of the state.
Baba-Liman commended Hajj officers in the local governments
for their efforts in properly organising the pilgrims and urged them to remain
focussed throughout the duration of the exercise.
He called on the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board to
address the problems the pilgrims often encounter while at the Hajj Camp,
adding that the board had succeeded in
getting visa for the pilgrims with the exception those sponsored by the
government.
Baba-Liman advised the pilgrims to attend induction courses
to get acquainted with the modalities for the Hajj and the laws of Saudi Arabia.
Kano
A Kano-based
electrical engineering consultant, Malam Ibrahim Sani has advised the federal
and state governments to provide special recycling plants for electronic scrap
materials to protect the environment.
Sani, who spoke to The Tide in Kano on Tuesday, described
electronic waste as “dangerous and harmful to human beings”, saying that recycling plants could sort out the waste
into useable and non-useable components.
Sani suggested that as an alternative to the expensive
recycling plants, landfills may be excavated at special locations to dispose of
the wastes. He, however, warned that when buried, certain poisonous chemical
components of the electronic wastes could be passed to underground water,
causing soil pollution and health problems.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency has said it had
transported 2,000 out of 5,670 pilgrims registered for this year’s Hajj in the
past three days.
Alhaji Usman Suru, the Executive Secretary of the agency,
told our correspondent in Birnin Kebbi
that pilgrims from Aliero, Augie, Bagudo and Koko/Besse local government areas
had departed.
He said the agency had prepared adequately for the
accommodation, welfare, medical and transportation needs of the pilgrims in
Saudi Arabia. “For the 2012 Hajj, Kabo and Max Airlines will transport the
pilgrims to the holy land and back with their luggage on time.”
Kogi
The Federal Government has
directed Julius Berger and two other construction companies to free the
submerged Lokoja-Abuja Road from flooding within three days.
The Minister of
Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, gave the directive in Lokoja when he paid a courtesy
call on Governor Idris Wada.
Onolememen described the flood as a disaster that deeply
touched President Goodluck Jonathan because it affected key national structures
and threatened the link between the northern and southern parts of the
country.
He said he also brought the managing directors of the three
construction companies; Julius Berger, RCC and Dantata and Sawoe and their
teams to assess the impact and address the situation.
Lagos
Public primary and secondary schools in Lagos State could
not resume for the new academic session on Monday because of a teachers’
strike.
The state chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on
Thursday declared an indefinite strike starting from Monday following the
failure of government to pay them the 27.5 per cent Teachers Peculiar
Allowance.
Some of the schools visited by our correspondent include
Zumratul Isamiyya Senior High School, Yaba, Surulere Girls’ junior and senior
schools, Jibowu, Biney Memorial Primary School as well as Anglican Primary
School, Jibowu.
Others are Holy Trinity and Anglican primary schools,
Ikorodu, Iponri Estate Junior and Senior School, Iponri, Ola-Olu Primary
School, Shomolu, and Shyllon Primary School, Ilupeju. Oriwu Model College and
Igbogbo High School both in Ikorodu and Ransome Kuti Memorial Junior and Senior
Grammar schools, Jibowu.
Niger
The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in
Niger State, Mr David Usman, has said that the corps would soon personalise
vehicle number plates to help track offenders.
Usman made the plan known when he paid a courtesy visit to
the Niger State Assembly, saying: “that
is why the number plates have to be changed. Right now, the number plates are
registered with the vehicles.’’
He said when operational, the owner of the vehicle would own
the number plate not the vehicle.
The commander said: “if you decide to sell your vehicle at
any time, you detach your number plate from the vehicle and keep it. When you
have a new vehicle, you register it with the number.
Ogun
The Thai Farm International Limited, Ososa in Ogun, has
urged cassava farmers to pool their resources in order to benefit from the
opportunities offered by the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation
Agenda.
The Tide reports that
the company is one of Nigeria’s leading producers of high quality cassava
flour.
The Managing Director of the company, Mr Louw Burger, gave
the advice in Abeokuta while presenting a paper at the international symposium
on root crops.
In his paper titled: ‘Building a Strong Partnership for
Cassava Development’, Burger noted that an average Nigerian farmer faced
daunting challenges in cassava production.
Oyo
Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Oyo State, Mr
Oluseun Abimbola, on Tuesday advised security operatives to focus more on
intelligence gathering in their operations.
Abimbola gave the advice in an interview with The Tide in
Ibadan.
He described intelligence gathering as the most critical
factor in any security operation, pointing out that security was beyond
deploying armed personnel at check points, but more of intelligence gathering.
He said that the security challenges was not peculiar to
Nigeria and advised that the country’s security agencies to learn from the
experiences of other countries that went through similar challenges.
Plateau
Worried by the incessant theft of cattle largely blamed for
violence in Plateau north and parts of Bauchi, the military Special Task Force
(STF) in Plateau has banned grazing at night.
In a communique after a peace meeting with stakeholders from
nine local government areas held on Monday in Barkin-Ladi, Plateau State, the
STF also banned any movement of cows at night.
“There should be no movement of cattle in the night even on
the highways within these states,’’ the communiqué declared.
The STF and stakeholders from seven Plateau crisis-prone
local government areas – Jos East, Riyom, Barkin-Ladi, Kanke, Pankshin, Bokkos
and Kanam, and two others – Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa in Bauchi State, agreed to
arrest anyone with cows at night.
Zamfara
The Zamfara State Pilgrims Welfare Agency has transported
2,140 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia one week after the commencement of the
exercise.
The Spokesman of the agency, Malam Yakubu Mafara, gave the
figure in an interview with The Tide in Gusau on Tuesday.
Mafara said that the more than 3,000 pilgrims from the state
would be transported to Saudi Arabia through the Sutan Abubakar International
Airport, Sokoto, adding said that the
intending pilgrims, who had arrived in Saudi Arabia included those from
Maradun, Mafara, Gusau, Kauran Namoda, Shinkafi , Zurmi, Tsafe and parts of Bukkuyyum
local governments.
He said that all pilgrims from the state had arrived in
Saudi Arabia and in Medinah except some female pilgrims, who had been detained
by the Saudi immigration officials.
Mafara noted that
high level talks between Nigerian and Saudi Arabian authorities were on to
resolve the issues surrounding the controversial detention of the 400 Nigerian
female pilgrims.
He said that reports from Zamfara pilgrims’ officials
indicated that pilgrims from the state were in good health and had adequate
welfare facilities to enable them commence the Hajj rites.
The River State Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor has called on media practitioners in Rivers State to deploy their various communication platforms toward promoting government programmes and policies aimed at achieving sustainable development in the education sector.
Dr. Nwagor made the appeal when members of the Etche Ethnic Practicing Journalists (EEPJ) paid him a courtesy visit in Office in Port Harcourt.
The Commissioner emphasized the strategic role of the media in shaping public perception, promoting government initiatives, and supporting policies capable of improving the quality of education and human capital development in the state.
According to him, constructive media engagement remains essential in creating public awareness on educational reforms, students’ welfare, infrastructural improvements, and other interventions being implemented by the state government.
Speaking on the recent approval of employment for staff of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nwagor described the development as a clear demonstration of continuity and progressive governance in Rivers State.
He explained that the recruitment exercise was initiated in 2023 during the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike when Hon. David Akah served as Chairman of RSUBEB, while the current administration approved and implemented the names that were earlier forwarded for employment.
The Commissioner noted that the process reflects the commitment of successive administrations to sustaining policies and programmes capable of strengthening the educational system and improving service delivery within public schools.
He stressed that governance achieves greater impact when beneficial policies are sustained irrespective of political transitions, adding that the approval of the employment exercise would help address manpower needs within the basic education sector.
Dr. Nwagor , a proud son of Etche Ethnic Nationality with includes Omuma further assured the visiting journalists that the Ministry of Education remains open to collaboration with media organizations, especially the Etche Ethnic Practicing Journalists, in advancing educational advocacy, public enlightenment, and youth-oriented development programmes.
He commended the group for promoting professionalism, responsible journalism, and community development initiatives through its activities across the state.
The Commissioner particularly praised EEPJ for conceptualizing a pet project focused on combating drug abuse among youths in selected secondary schools in Etche and Omuma local Government Areas describing the initiative as timely considering the growing concerns over substance abuse and its negative impact on society.
He pledged the support and participation of the Ministry in the anti-drug abuse campaign scheduled to hold in the second week of June 2026.
According to him, tackling drug abuse requires collective action involving government institutions, the media, parents, schools, religious bodies, and civil society organizations.
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of EEPJ, Elder Akujobi Amadi said the visit was aimed at strengthening the relationship between the media and the education sector while also recognizing the Commissioner’s contributions toward educational development and public service in Rivers State.
The group reiterated its commitment to supporting policies and programmes that would promote quality education, youth empowerment, and societal development across the state and pronounce him a worthy patron of the Association. A recognition that will be celebrated in due time.
The Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board port Harcourt has trained 1,000 newly recruited teachers to raise standards in public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.
The two-day orientation and capacity building programme held in Port Harcourt introduced the teachers to civil service rules, classroom management practices, and professional conduct expected of educators in the state.
The state Commissioner for Education Dr. Peters Nwagor told the new intakes that teaching demands more than academic qualifications and called for discipline, diligence, and a strong commitment to service, describing the profession as noble one that is central to the development of the state.
The recruitment, he said, reflects the government’s investment in children and long-term development. “Education is the foundation of societal progress, and basic education is where that foundation is laid,” Nwagor stated.
He reminded the teachers that they would shape the values and character of pupils during their most formative years. He pledged continued support from the Ministry of Education through training, resources, and an environment that allows teachers to perform effectively.
Nwagor also directed RSUBEB to reject transfer requests from rural to urban schools. He said the newly employed teachers have an obligation to serve where they are posted and help strengthen education in those communities.
In his opening remarks,the RSUBEB Chairman ,Hon. Sam Oge explained that the recruitment process began in 2023 under the previous board , adding that after assuming office, he consulted widely and secured Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s approval to complete the exercise.
Oge said the selection was competitive, with 1,000 candidates chosen from more than 5,000 applicants. He urged the teachers to treat the opportunity seriously and avoid lobbying for reposting.
He warned that those seeking to change their postings would not be entertained. All teachers, he said, must resume at their assigned schools immediately.
The former RSUBEB Chairman Ven. Dr. Fyneface Akah, who delivered the keynote address, described the orientation as the teachers’ formal entry into the civil service. He encouraged them to be creative, purposeful, and open to learning on the job.
Akah stressed that teachers have a role in restoring values lost to moral decline. He urged them to model national values and see their work as a calling with lasting impact on society.
He thanked both past and present state governments for approving the recruitment, noting that the exercise would improve access to quality basic education across Rivers State.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety and psychosocial wellbeing of workers engaged in the ongoing Ogoni cleanup project, as the world marks the 2026 World Day for Safety and Health at Work.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, and signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, HYPREP joined the global community in commemorating the annual event themed, “Ensuring a Healthy Psychosocial Working Environment for All,” noting that workplace safety must go beyond physical protection to include mental, emotional, and social wellbeing.
Zabbey highlighted that since the commencement of the Ogoni cleanup in 2017, following recommendations by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Project has made significant strides in environmental restoration while maintaining a strong health and safety culture.
According to him, HYPREP’s interventions across remediation sites, shoreline cleanup operations, mangrove restoration efforts, and construction locations have consistently incorporated robust Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) systems.
He said the Project also recorded a major safety milestone, surpassing nine million man-hours without a fatality—an improvement on its earlier achievement of five million man-hours, and attributed this feat to strict adherence to safety protocols, effective monitoring, and collective commitment from all stakeholders.
Despite these gains, the Project Coordinator stressed the growing importance of addressing psychosocial risks in the workplace. Citing global data, he noted that hundreds of thousands of deaths annually are linked to work-related psychosocial factors such as excessive workload, poor work organisation, harassment, and job insecurity.
To tackle these challenges, he said HYPREP has strengthened staff welfare systems, promoted open communication, and integrated psychosocial risk assessments into its safety framework.
According to him, the Project also conducts regular awareness programmes aimed at fostering a healthier work environment.
HYPREP further disclosed that measures have been put in place across its offices and project sites to ensure reasonable work schedules, adequate rest periods, and access to both medical and psychological support services.
Zabbey emphasised that collaboration with contractors and host communities remains key to sustaining safety standards, noting that workplace safety is a shared responsibility.
Reiterating the human-centred nature of the Ogoni cleanup initiative, he called on all stakeholders to prioritise psychosocial wellbeing as an integral part of workplace safety, while continuing to uphold vigilance and mutual support across all levels of project implementation.
