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Adamawa

The African Union Commission has commended the Federal
Government for proper management of the more than two million Internally Displaced Persons in the North East.
Commissioner for Political Affairs, African Union Commission, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi,  made the commendation during an inspection visit to Malkohi IDPs camp in Yola recently.
Abdullahi, who led the officials of the commission to the camp, said that they were impressed with the way and manner Nigerian government was actively intervening in all aspect of humanitarian assistance to the IDPs.
“I have travelled to many parts of the continent but this is the only place (Nigeria) I find government at federal and state levels are actively intervening in all aspects of assisting and helping the IDPs.
“This is very unique for the Nigerian government”, she said.

Bauchi

Bauchi State Government has announced the 2016 Hajj
fares for all intending pilgrims in the state.
Alhaji Abdullahi Hardawa, Executive Secretary, State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board announced the fares in Bauchi in an interview with newsmen.
Hardawa said that the state government has approved N1,028, 68.92 as minimum fare, N1, 077, 318.92 for medium fare and N1,175, 818. 92 as maximum fare.
Hardawa said that all intending pilgrims from the state had already made minimum deposits of N850, 000.
He said that intending pilgrims wishing to pay for the minimum fare would pay a balance of N178,068.92, while those wishing to pay for the medium and maximum fares are expected to pay N227,318.92 and N325,818.92 balance respectively.
Hardawa said that all the intending pilgrims were expected to complete payment in their respective registration centres before the end of Ramadan Fast to enable the board complete necessary arrangements.

Borno

The Nigerian Army, said it relocated the 2nd Commanding
Officers’ Workshop from Enugu to Maiduguri to further enhance its operations against Boko Haram terrorism in the North-East.
The Chief of Training, Maj.-Gen. Hassan Umaru, and Logistics, Nigerian Army Headquarters Army, Abuja made the clarification at the closing of the workshop in Maiduguri.
“The workshop was supposed to be held in Enugu, but in the wisdom of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), we decided to relocate it to Maiduguri.
“This is because we want to apply ourselves to the anti-insurgency operation that we are conducting here,” Umaru said.
He expressed optimism the participants would add value to the anti-terrorism war at the end of the workshop.
“The set of officers are from 82 Division in Enugu and its environs.

FCT

The Federal Government has announced the dissolution
of the Executive Management of Niger Delta Power Holding Company of Nigeria Limited.
Notice of the dissolution is contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Babachir Lawal,  in Abuja.
He then directed the Managing Director of the company, Mr James Olotu, to handover immediately to Mr Chiedu Ugbo, who had been appointed as Acting Managing Director of the company.
According to the SGF, all Executive Directors of the company and the General Manager, Audit, are to handover immediately to the most senior officers in their respective departments.

Kaduna

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said the
Nigerian Army headquarters had adopted holistic approach in addressing the infrastructural decay in its barracks and other institutions across the country.
Buratai said this while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after inaugurating two newly built blocks of hostels for students of the Nigerian Army School of Artillery in Kachia, Kaduna State.
He said the infrastructure gap in the barracks would require consistent intervention over a period of time for the situation to improve.
Buratai said the present Army command under his watch had embarked on massive renovation of existing structures as well as the construction of new buildings to ameliorate the situation in the barracks.
Kebbi

The Kebbi State Government has announced the portfolios
of the seven newly appointed members of the StateExecutive Council that were sworn-in last week.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Press secretary to the governor, Abubakar Dakingari and made available to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
According to the statement, Alhaji Maigari Abdullahi Dakingari is Commissioner of Higher Education ; Alhaji Abubakar Besse, Commissioner forYouths and Sports and Alhaji Zailani Yauri for Budget and Economic Planning.
Others are, Alhaji Umar Usman Kambaza,Commissioner for Health ; Alhaji Musa Kalgo, Information and Culture ;Alhaji Muhammad Gado, Environment and Alhaji Garba Dandiga, Ministry of Agriculture.

Kogi

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has renamed the
Kogi State University, Ayangba , after the late first civilian governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu.
Bello announced the change in the name of the 15- year-old university during a statewide broadcast to mark his victory at the state governorship election petition tribunal.
He said that naming the university was the ultimate honour that could be done to the memory of the late colourful politician who ruled the state twice as the civilian governor from 1991 to 1993 and 1999 to 2003.
Audu himself established the university in 2001 and named it Prince Abubakar Audu University but his successor , Alhaji Ibrahim Idris changed the name to Kogi State University in 2004.
Justifying his decision to restore the university to its original name, Bello said that Audu laid a solid foundation for the growth and development of the state.

Kwara

A cleric, Rt. Rev. Philip Adeyemo, has called for the election
of a leader with high humility and genuine spiritual intent as the next president for the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Adeyemo told our correspondent in Omu-Aran, Kwara, that the need for a leader who could not be easily subjected to unwarranted external influence informed the call.
Our correspondent reports that the tenure of the incumbent CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, ends in July paving way for the election of a new leader.
Adeyemo, who is the Bishop of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Omu-Aran Diocese, Kwara State, noted that anybody who aspired for any position must be spiritually, ethically and theologically sound.
He decried the situation where CAN administration was polarised along political affiliations and undue government interference contrary to laid down rules and regulations.
According to him, such a person should have nothing less than two-third of churches in Nigeria under its close supervision and should be a disciplined man who can pass the “temptation of money’’.
Lagos

The Comptroller of Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command
of the Nigeria Customs, Lagos, Mr Benjamin Aber,  has urged officers of the command recently trained by the military to bring to bear on their jobs the skills acquired.
Speaking on the four-week just concluded capacity building training for 65 officers of the command, Aber noted that the training would enhance the officers’ jobs.
Aber told our correspondent that the training would help to sharpen the skills of the command’s enforcement officers.
“The officers were trained on weapon handling, assembling and range to enable them to combat smugglers’ activities.
“Since I resumed at the KLT command, I introduced a format to make the command the best that others will emulate,” he said.

Niger

The Niger State House of Assembly, has dismissed
insinuations that it is a rubber stamp of the executive arm of government in the state.
The Speaker, Ahmed Marafa, made the statement in Minna while speaking to newsmen on the activities of the Assembly in the past one year.
Marafa said the House was made up of legislators with conscience and high integrity, adding that nobody was interfering with or controlling the affairs of the House.
“In our one year in office, we have proved beyond reasonable doubt that the eighth legislature is an assembly with a difference.

Ogun

The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Security and
Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). has arrested two members of a syndicate which specialises in pipeline vandalism on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The command also recovered a total of nine vehicles and seven motorcycles from the suspects as well as 3,000 jerry cans in an operation at Oluwo-Ifote village in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.
Our correspondent reports that the two male suspects were aged 33 and 21.
It was gathered that other members of the syndicate fled when NSCDC operatives stormed a thick forest in Oluwo-Ifote where fuel was being scooped from a vandalised NNPC pipeline.

Plateau

A Jos High Court has granted bail to Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, a
former governorship aspirant in Bauchi State.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on Thursday arraigned Adamu before Justice Yakubu Dakwak of State High Court II on charges of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
Also charged along with Adamu was his company, Solid Unit Nig. Ltd, for allegedly collecting the sum of N23, 431, 000 from one Olajide Olaleye, for the supply of iron ore and zinc which were not delivered.
The prosecution counsel, Mr Banjamin Manji, told the court that the action of the accused contravened section 8 (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Law of 2006.

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Over 26,000 Lagos Students Failed 2024 WASSCE -Commissioner

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The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 26,592 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, raising alarm across the state’s education sector.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, said that “45.7 per cent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams did not pass.”.
This failure rate comes despite the state government’s significant financial backing N1.577 billion was paid on behalf of the students to cover WAEC fees.
“Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 only was paid by the state government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for the year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.
In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.
“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos state government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Government rolled out a bold educational intervention – the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO candidates – aimed at reversing the tide of academic failure in the state’s public schools.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader commitment by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip Lagos students with tools for success.
“This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the ministry’s commitment to advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” Alli-Balogun stated.

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Ekiti Vaccinates Over 226,000 Girls Against HPV

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Ekiti State Government says it has vaccinated 226,429 eligible girls in the State against the Human Papilloma Virus, an infection believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, said the HPV immunization exercise, which she flagged off in the State in May 2025 was a great success, noting that it reached targeted communities and protected children against cervical cancer.
The governor’s wife made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti yesterday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the introduction of Measles Rubella vaccines in Ekiti State.
She said, “The introduction of Measles Rubella Vaccines is a very crucial step towards protecting Ekiti children particularly the target age group of nine to 14 years from diseases.
“I urge all women in the State to regularly scan their breasts. This can be done with the aid of the Mammography machine which is available at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, noted that the Measles Rubella vaccines would be rolled out nationally in October, 2025.
Filani said that the State was taking proactive steps to sensitise residents of the State before the date to ensure adequate awareness on the vaccines by citizens.

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Monarch Preaches Peace As He Unveils Palace

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The Acting Ochimba of Ogida in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam, says peace remains paramount in the socio-economic development of Etche land.
Eze Azuatalam, however, called on his people to embrace and eschew violence at all times.
The Onwa Nagbara Oha made the call during the official commissioning of his palace at Ogida recently.
The epoch-making ceremony held at his palace saw the attendance of members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs; the academia; the political class; the clergy ; women as well relevant stakeholders within and outside Etche land.
The Ngbaragida of Azuafor re-emphasised the essence of peace and social harmony which he said open the window for meaningful development to take place.
He also sought the support and collaboration of his people to achieve the desired goals of development, progress and prosperity.
He noted that the peace being witnessed in the area must be sustained through collective effort, saying, contributions and sacrifices need to be made by all concerned to live in peace.
Eze Azuatalam said his aim towards building a better Ogida cannot be compromised as he and his people have no other place called home.
The Acting Ochimba said as part of efforts to build a better Ogida, he has instituted a number of development projects, adding that some of his kinsmen have been empowered through his hard-earned money and resources, saying, he will continue to assist the less- privileged around him.
He reaffirmed his desire to impact positively on the lives of his people as the engagement of the youths will help to reduce social vices in the area.
He thanked members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs for honouring his invitation.
He specifically thanked the Onyi Ishi Etche and Ochie of Etcheland, His Eminence E mmanuel Opurum for leading Etche on the path of prosperity, and described the revered King as a role model to the younger generation.
He said his fatherly role has been a source of hope and inspiration to his subjects.
The palace was unveiled by His Eminence with the assistance of Ochimba of Abara, Eze Jonah Nwala and other prominent Etche traditional rulers and chiefs while the Onyi Ishi Etche was represented by Eze Ken Nwala, Onyi Ishi Agwuru, Ulakwo/ Umuselem Clan.
The Onyi Ishi Etche urged other prominent sons of Etche to emulate the kind gesture of Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam as his magnanimity is being seen and appreciated by his people.
Eze Azuatalam also applauded the efforts of Prof Mekuri Ndimele, former Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in the growth of Etche land.
According to him, during Ndimele’ s tenure, a lot of development projects were sited at the institution, including the development of Etcheland and empowerment of Etche people.

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