Nation

THE STATES

Published

13 years ago

June 12, 2013

Bauchi

Bauchi town was agog last Saturday as Mohammed Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Badriyya Muazu, daughter of former Governor of Bauchi State, Ahmed Muazu, were joined in holy matrimony.

The marriage contract was sealed at the palace of the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rulwanu Suleiman, after the payment of N1million and a flashy car as bride price by the groom.

Gov. Sule Lamido of Jigawa represented the groom, while the Governor of Bauchi State, Malam Isa Yuguda, represented the bride.

The Chief Imam of Bauchi Central mosque, Alhaji Bala Baba-inna, who presided over the religious aspect of the ceremony, urged the couple to have the fear of God and live in peace.

The ceremony was attended by prominent personalities, among them, business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, former Head of State Abdusalami Abubakar as well as Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State and Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger.

Borno

The Borno Government said on Sunday that it trained 37,000 youths in various trades to fight the current security challenges facing the state.

The Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Youth Empowerment, Hajiya Zainab Gimba, announced in Maiduguri that the training was carried out under the skill acquisition programme of the ministry.

Gimba said the objective was to engage the youths in meaningful ventures and prevent them from joining bad groups.

She said that the state government was also collaborating with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) office to implement a conditional cash transfer to 2,337 poor households in the state.

“We are collaborating with the MDG to begin immediate cash transfer to 2,337 poor households in five local government areas of the state. “The households are located in Kaga, Nganzai, Gubio, Guzamala and Magumeri,” Gimba said.

FCT

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Mohammed Adoke, said he would assign lawyers from the Federal Ministry of Justice to re-investigate cases handled by the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) to ensure transparency.

A statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the Public Relations Officer of PCC, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwosu, said the efforts would help the commission to fight injustice.

It said the attorney-general would host a stakeholders’ conference with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Crimes Commission in that regard.

According to the statement, the National Human Rights Commission and PCC will also feature in the conference to form the desired synergy for fighting criminality and corruption.

It said such cooperation would help the commission to handle cases where an offence had been committed against the state.

Jigawa

An estimated two million Muslim faithful in Dutse, Jigawa, participated in a special prayer session for peace, unity and prosperity in the country, newsmen reports.

The prayer session, held on Saturday, was part of the five-day activity organised for the 27th Maulaud celebration to commemorate the birth of Sheik Ibrahim Nyass, a famous leader of the Tijjaniya Islamic movement.

Malam Ahmad Inyass, who led the congregation, prayed for peaceful co-existence among the people for sustainable social and economic development.

Inyass admonished Muslims to be upright, honest and dedicate themselves to the worship of Allah in accordance with the teachings of Islam.

Kaduna

Hundreds of refugees displaced by gunmen who attacked three villages in Birnin Gwari Local Government area of Kaduna State, are now taking shelter at Kamfanin Doka Primary School.

The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Idris Alhassan, who visited the displaced persons, pledged to provide relief materials and security to the camp. He said that several of the villagers, including women and children, were injured in the attack.

The chairman gave the names of the affected villages as Goron Dutse, Gwaska and Unguwar Nabango located on the border with Zamfara.

Lagos

The Founder of the O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Fasheun, on Sunday said that President Goodluck Jonathan had a constitutional right to run for a second term in office.

Fasheun said that the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly only recently acknowledged the right of Jonathan to seek two terms in Office, as provided for in the Constitution.

Controversy had trailed the third conference of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) held on May 20, at the Eko Hotels in Lagos, as a the leaders had been accused of endorsing Jonathan for the 2015 presidential polls.

Fasheun said that the issue of Jonathan running in 2015 was a matter of the right granted to all Nigerian citizens by the constitution.

Niger

Senator Ibrahim Musa (CPC-Niger) on Sunday said he had sunk 82 bore holes, including two motorised ones, to improve water supply in his constituency.

Musa said that he decided to intervene to end the suffering of the communities by executing the project to complement the efforts of the government.

He said the projects were undertaken with the assistance Sen. Mohammed Maigoro (PDP) and some members of the House of Representatives.

“The road is expected to be completed within three years, which include the expansion of the bridges. This would end the suffering of commuters and open up the area for economic activities, “ he said.

Ogun

Ogun Government has declared June 12 a public holiday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election believed to have been won by late Chief MKO Abiola.

The Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, in a statement issued on Sunday in Abeokuta said the holiday would enable people to further appreciate the watershed that the annulled election represented, particularly as it served as the forebear of the current democracy which the country now enjoyed.

It said that during the anniversary, now known as Democracy Day, the government would host a Democracy Walk and rally in Abeokuta.

Osun

The Osun Government has commenced arrangements to relocate traders from the popular Alekuwodo Road in Osogbo, the state capital.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere, gave this indication while speaking in Osogbo on Saturday.

Akere said the government had begun to pull down illegal structures around the new Orisunmbare market, to create room for the street traders.

The information commissioner said the Osun Government would move the street traders as soon as all illegal structures around new Orisunmbare market had been pulled down, adding that it was wrong for anybody to have put up a permanent structure on a piece of land owned by government.

Oyo

The former Director-General of NTA, Tony Iredia, said on Saturday said that the Nigeria Police Force would achieve its goals only through effective coordination of resources and communication.

Iredia said at the Police South-West Zone Intelligence Sensitisation and Community Partnership workshop held in Ibadan, that effective communication would go a long way in improving the police by helping the force to maintain a cordial relationship with the public.

He also implored members of the force to always conduct themselves appropriately in public as people would address them as they were perceived.

Iredia criticised acts of intolerance by some members of the police force against the media, adding that it constitutes a hinderance to their public relations efforts.

Sokoto

Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has directed the state Ministry of Environment to conduct a special sanitation within Sokoto and its environs.

The Commissioner for Environment , Dr Jabbi Kilgori, said in Sokoto on Sunday that it was sequel to presence of several heaps of refuse in the town.

According to Kilgori, the special sanitation is to make the town cleaner, healthy and more conducive for living.

He said public enlightenment had been intensified to sensitise the residents on the need to properly dispose refuse .The commissioner also said that the state government was making arrangements to provide more incinerators.

Kilgori urged residents of the town to support and cooperate with the government to ensure the success of the exercise.

Taraba

Taraba Justice Forum, a political pressure group, has asked Taraba Acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, to make the medical report of Gov. Danbaba Suntai public.

In a statement, signed by its General Secretary, Mr Ambulus John, and issued in Abuja on Saturday, the group said that producing the medical report had become necessary in order to clear the air on conflicting reports about the true state of Suntai’s health.

“The people deserve to know the true state of the Gov. Suntai’ s health because in the past eight months the government has been spending public fund to foot his medical expenses abroad,’’ the statement said.

The group said that Taraba was facing the most critical challenge in its history and urged the acting governor to do the right thing.

“He must strike a balance between loyalty to his boss and the Taraba people.

“It is time for Umar to demand for and make public the governor’s medical records,’’ it said.

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

13 hours 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

13 hours 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

14 hours 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.