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HYPPADEC Considers Using Flood Water For Food Production 

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The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) said it is making plans to use the excess flood waters in rivers and dams to help farmers increase food production in the country.
Managing Director, HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Yelwa, disclosed this in Minna, during a one-day stakeholders meeting on flood mitigation and related issues.
“What we are looking at is to turn the flooding to be an advantage to us. In other words, we want to make our farmers to benefit from the excess flood waters we have in our rivers and dams.
“With this in mind, we are going to convene a meeting with the Local Government Councils and the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development for each HYPPADEC state.
“This is because each community has its peculiarities and a river it can use for its advantages”, he said.
Yelwa, who said that the various communities have their farming system, added that the commission would provide the farmers with high yielding crops/seeds in order to increase food production.
“If a farmer can get good irrigation and high yielding rice seeds that can stay for only three months before harvest, with that you will be able to do your farming activities, harvest and take your crops home”, he said.
He noted that another challenge facing government in relocating people living in flood prone areas was the attitude of the people not wanting to relocate, adapt to change by relocating to safe places.
“Our people who live and fish along the river bank finds it difficult to leave their ancestral land”, he said.
The Managing Director stressed that the critical role of sensitising the people against flooding lies with the traditional leaders and the Local Government Councils because they are closer to the people.
Yelwa said the meeting was for the communities in the operation areas of HYPPADEC to look at the challenges they would face in the wet season based on the predictions of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and others and also find a way of mitigating them.

He said based on the past experiences of flooding, that lives and properties may be lost if nothing was done to mitigate it.

“Therefore, we will continue to sensitise ourselves on some basic environmental issues in order to help our environment”,  he said.

Similarly, Mrs Zainab Sa’idu, Head of Operations, National Emergency Management Agency, in charge of Niger and Kwara states, urged stakeholders to sensitise their communities on high, moderate and low flood risks.

Sa’idu advised the public to stop dumping refuse on the waterways to prevent flooding.

Also, Dr Daniel Galadima, the State Commissioner of Environment, said that the ministry was encouraging afforestation to ensure a healthy environment in the state.

“The ministry will continue to plant trees in order to mitigate the effect of flooding in Niger state”, he said.

Galadima, who was represented by Dr Lucky Barau, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the State Government was ready to partner HYPPADEC to tackle flooding and other environmental degradation.

Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, appealed to HYPPADEC to help in reclaiming lands that have been depleted by erosion across the state.

Abubakar, who was represented by Alhaji Yusuf Nuhu, Emir of Agaie, urged the commission to increase its campaign on flooding in order to save the people from destruction.

The Tide’s source reports that the six states where HYPPADEC operates include Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Kebbi and Plateau.

The source also reports that HYPPADEC has begun the construction of houses for flood victims at the resettlement centres in Muregi and Ketso in Mokwa and Edati local government areas of the state.

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Rivers Judiciary Denise Media Reports On Issuing Judgement Sacking SOLAD

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The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).

A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.

According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.

The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”

“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.

“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.

” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.

The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.

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Senate Passes Bill For Establishment Of University In Abia

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The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical  and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi

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South East Caucus Kicks As  Senate Rejects  Nwosu’s Immortalisation

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South East Caucus of the Senate has  appealed to President   Bola Ahmed Tinubu  to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu  considering his commitment  to achieving a  practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly  angered by the  Senate’s  rejection of the  need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent  1993 elections  stormed out of the Senate Chambers   and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South),  as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said  late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous  national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite  history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .

Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi

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