Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), has urged the Federal Government to punish perpetrators of the Plateau crisis and other crisis in the country.
This is contained in a communique issued at the end of the first quarter meeting of the council held in Bauchi, Friday.
It sated that punishing the perpetrators, promoters and facilitators of the crisis would serve as deterrent to others.
The council urged government to compensate victims of crisis and other disturbances to enable them to mitigate the effects of their losses.
It also resolved to “caution reckless religious preachers who conduct inciting sermons without regard to the feelings of others and therefore fan the embers of religious misunderstanding and disturbances.”
Damaturu
The Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Waziri, says the new concept of community policing will drastically reduce crime rate in the society.
He told newsmen in Damaturu that the concept would be all inclusive with crucial roles for every member of the community to play in maintaining peace.
He explained that the system afforded the community the opportunity of checking the activities of the police too.
“It is a system where everyone will be a stakeholder in maintenance of law and order.”
The minister said there would be massive transformation in the police with improved commitment to providing security to lives and property.
He noted that the police was making efforts to face the challenges of the 2011 elections.
FCT
The Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) on Friday in Abuja expressed displeasure over the demolition of the 500 year-old Kofar Na’isa Gate by the Kano State Government.
Mr Umaru Aliyu, the President of ARCON, made the council’s feelings known while speaking with newsmen on the sideline of this year’s “Architects Colloquium.
The gate was demolished last week by a construction firm to pave way for the expansion of a state road, which leads to the Emir’s Palace.
It would be recalled that during the reign of Sarki Gijimasu, a 17-km perimeter fortress was built around Kano City (the old city) with Kofar Na’isa Gate as the main gate leading to it.
According to a Kano-based historian, Alhaji Maje Gwangwazo, Kofar Na’isa means “I can do it or I can prove my mettle’’.
Ibadan
Sports enthusiasts and other eminent Nigerians on Thursday showered encomiums on the late Vice-Chairman of the defunct Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Chief Nathaniel Idowu.
At the wake-keep ceremony, which drew a large crowd at his Iyaganku GRA residence in Ibadan, Idowu’s death was described as not only a loss to Oyo State, but also to the whole country.
Idowu, a renowned sports financier, died at Cromwell Hospital, London on February 20 at the age of 75.
Popularly called “Okanlomo of Ibadanland,’’ the late Idowu was until his death, an industrialist and sports financier.
He was also a staunch supporter of the Super Eagles and the national female teams.
The deceased was particularly noted for his annual sponsorship of the N. O. Idowu Under-18 soccer competition.
Ilorin
The Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board said more than 1,000 people from the state had obtained forms for this year’s pilgrimage.
The board’s Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdulhameed, who said this in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin on Friday, added that the board would ensure a hitch-free Hajj.
Abdulhameed urged the intending pilgrims to pay up the N400,000 deposit on time.
“We started selling the forms more than a month ago and we are now in April. We don’t have enough time left because we have to start making preparations, so people should pay up in good time,” he said.
The chairman explained that the N400,000 was arrived at as a fair deposit because about N360,000 would be remitted to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Abuja.
Jos
The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Aladesanmi, has advocated regular exchange of visits among royal fathers in order to build bridges of unity across the country.
Ewi, who spoke when he visited the Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Buba, in Jos on Thursday, said traditional rulers must work together to ensure Nigeria did not become a failed state.
He said traditional rulers, as custodians of the people’s culture, should always live up to the expectations of their subjects in times of crisis.
“We need to encourage regular visits among ourselves at the royal fathers’ level so that we can build the bridge of friendship and unity across the country.
“ This is what we can do to move this country forward.
“It is only when we the royal fathers work together as one that this country can be peaceful, progressive and be secured for all.
Kaduna
Alhaji Ibrahim Bio, the Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), said the commission would offer scholarships to deserving athletes.
Bio made the pledge in Kaduna at the closing ceremony of the first underage championship organised by the commission.
The championship was held at two venues, Kaduna and Ibadan between April 17 and April 22. The six geo-political zones participated in the competition, which featured Taekwondo, Athletics and Boxing.
He said the award of scholarships was to promote the overall development of the athletes.
“The National Sports Commission will take over the training programmes of the athletes and ensure the provision of qualitative education through the award of scholarships to them to ensure their all round development,” he said.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government will spend N68 million to address the perennial flooding in Malumfashi, an official has said.
Mr Danjuma Alti, the Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Works and Housing, disclosed this in Malumfashi on Friday in an interview with newsmen.
Alti said government had constructed a drains protector in Malunfashi and was constructing a canal outside the town to divert the ‘Asha da lafiya’ stream which always wreaked havoc in the area.
He noted that when the canal project, which would cost the state N68 million was completed, the entire water of the Malumfashi stream that passed through the town would flow outside it so that the flood would be avoided.
The permanent secretary disclosed that the canal project, which comprised two box-bridges, was awarded to the Boriri Prono company and would be completed before the rains set in.
In May 2009, three people died, 450 houses were destroyed and many families rendered homeless in Malumfash as a result of flooding.
Lagos
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, says the new oil industry local content bill just signed into law will generate about 30,000 jobs in five years.
She made the assertion on Friday in Lagos in a statement released by Mr Levi Ajuonuma, the Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The statement quoted the minister as saying that the law had far-reaching implications for the issues of technological advancement and long-term cost effectiveness.
She said the law would take care of post amnesty programmes in the Niger Delta and improve the impact of the oil and gas industry on the nation’s GDP.
Alison-Madueke said the law would transform the industry from a major importer of goods and services to an industry “that sources a substantial proportion of its inputs locally”.
Our correspondent reports that the bill was signed into law on April 22 by the Acting President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, alongside the nation’s N4.6 trillion budget for 2010.
Sokoto
Kebbe Local Government Council in Sokoto State has embarked on developmental projects that would gulp N287.4 million, its Chairman, Alhaji Bala Kokani, said.
Kokani disclosed this on Friday in Kebbe, headquarters of the local government when a team of journalists under the auspices of the state council of the NUJ visited the area as part of the monitoring of projects across the state.
The chairman said 40 per cent of the total amount had since been paid to the various contractors as mobilisation fees and listed the projects to include 10 solar powered boreholes which would cost about N 100.74 million.
The boreholes, he added would be located in Dukura, Gaddace, Guru, Tungar-Lambo, Kuchi, Gurundi, Indare, Tune, Fakku and Runtuya-Yamma.
He explained that N99.07 million would be spent in the construction of 10 upgraded dispensaries in Sangi, Arusaya, Gadace, Karma, Nasagudu, Ungushi, Umbutu, Fakku, Dukura and Girkau.
Rivers State University and the Otonti Nduka Foundation for Values Education jointly hosted a two-day National Conference on 8 and 9 May 2026 to examine the state of values in Nigeria.
The two days conference held at Rivers State University convocation arena brought together academics, policymakers, legal experts and education leaders under the theme _“Trends and Challenges in Upholding Values in Nigeria.”_
The gathering focused on policy gaps, curriculum reform, and the role of ethics in public service and education.
The event opened on Friday with remarks from Vice Chancellor Prof. Chief Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who stressed the need to address declining moral and civic values across Nigeria’s education and public sectors. A book of abstracts for the plenary sessions was also presented to participants.
Key speakers included former Attorney General Chief Dr Kanu Agabi, SAN; NERDC Executive Secretary Prof. Shehu Salisu; Prof. Hauwa Imam, FNAE, of the University of Abuja; former Rivers SUBEB Chairman Ven Dr Fyneface Akah, ; former NIMASA DG Dr Hon. Dakuku Adol-Peterside; and RSU Director of ICT Prof. Sunny Orike.
Discussions centered on integrating values education into schools, tertiary institutions and public institutions, alongside the impact of technology on moral development among young Nigerians. Panel and plenary sessions produced practical recommendations for curriculum and policy reform.
On Saturday, the foundation marked its centenary with the unveiling of the book _Otonti Nduka in History_, launched by Chief Engr. Grant Offor, FNSE. The Nigerian Academy of Education held a ceremonial procession led by its President Prof. Olu Jegede and the Ikwerre Professors Forum.
In a communiqué, participants called for stronger collaboration between government, civil society and academia to mainstream values education nationwide. They recommended reviewing teacher training curricula and expanding digital platforms to promote ethical civic engagement, with the foundation pledging to share the outcomes with education authorities for implementation.
Dignitaries present included Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide as Chief Host, Prof. Emeritus Chief T. Uzodimma Nwala, the Ikenga 1 of Mbaise and first philosophy student of Prof. Otonti Nduka, alongside scholars and community leaders.
Amadi Akujobi
The Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, in partnership with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, has reaffirmed support for efforts to expand gas distribution infrastructure in Rivers State as part of initiatives aimed at improving access to affordable, cleaner and more reliable energy for industries across the South-South region.
The commitment was highlighted during the SNG–MAN Business Forum held in Port Harcourt, where stakeholders from the industrial and public sectors examined the role of natural gas in driving industrialisation, boosting local production and strengthening energy security.
Speaking at the forum on behalf of the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, the company’s Head of Gas Distribution, Mr. Chukwuka Amos Ejesi, described natural gas as a critical component of Nigeria’s energy mix and a key driver of sustainable industrial growth.
According to him, Nigeria’s gas development agenda has reached a stage where policy direction must be matched with practical implementation capable of addressing the energy challenges confronting manufacturers.
He noted that pipeline gas offers industries a cleaner, more dependable and cost-effective energy alternative capable of supporting uninterrupted operations, reducing emissions and improving production efficiency.
“Gas is the backbone of manufacturing, and we are encouraged by the growing recognition among stakeholders of the need for cleaner and more reliable energy solutions,” he said.
Ejesi stressed the need for sustained collaboration among energy providers, government institutions and industrial stakeholders to maximise the country’s gas resources for economic development.
He added that improved gas infrastructure would strengthen manufacturing value chains, enhance productivity and promote more competitive industrial operations across Rivers State and the wider South-South region.
Participants at the forum also emphasised the importance of expanding energy infrastructure as a pathway to unlocking industrial capacity, reducing operating costs and promoting sustainable industrial development.
Representing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Director-General of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to partnering with private sector investors to revitalise industrial activities in the state.
He identified key projects targeted under the initiative to include the revival of the Ahoada Industrial Park, the New Port City project and the proposed Bonny Industrial Park, all aimed at stimulating economic growth and expanding industrial opportunities along the Bonny corridor.
According to the governor, the long-term vision is to position Rivers State as a leading manufacturing hub in Southern Nigeria through strategic public-private partnerships.
Governor Fubara also commended Shell Nigeria Gas and MAN for sustaining engagements geared towards improving industrial energy access, noting that gas infrastructure development remains central to the state’s economic recovery plans.
He further observed that the gas sector presents enormous opportunities for economic growth, especially as global energy systems continue to shift towards cleaner energy sources.
The governor called on stakeholders to work collectively towards developing a practical and sustainable gas framework capable of supporting the state’s industrial and energy development objectives.
Chairman of MAN, Rivers and Bayelsa Branch, Elder Vincent Okuku, described gas as indispensable to industrial operations, noting that many manufacturers continue to struggle with the high cost of alternative energy sources.
Similarly, President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dr. Chinyere Ngozi Nwoga, said the transition to natural gas had become increasingly necessary for businesses seeking stable and cost-efficient operations.
“Pipeline natural gas provides a more cost-effective and reliable source of energy for industries,” she stated.
Also speaking, former Chairman of MAN in Rivers and Bayelsa States, Mrs. Emilia Akpan, stressed the need to align energy infrastructure development with investment in human capacity.
She maintained that rebuilding the state’s economy would require not only reliable energy supply but also the development of technical skills needed to support long-term industrial growth.
By Kevin Nengia
The City Boy Movement in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers state has commended Senator Allwell Onyesoh on his victory in the APC primary election for Rivers East Senatorial District.
Chairman of the group in Etche, Dr. Fortune Uchenna Obi, spoke to journalists in Okehi Ward after participating in Monday’s direct primary. He described Onyesoh’s emergence as the party’s candidate for the 2027 senatorial election as a reflection of the people’s will.
Dr. Obi said the senator has performed well during his first term and deserves re-election. He also thanked FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, leader of the Renewed Hope Agenda and Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State, for supporting Onyesoh’s candidacy. According to him, Wike’s backing was instrumental to the senator’s nomination, clearance, and victory at the primary.
He further praised voters in Etche and across Rivers East for turning out in large numbers at ward centers and urged them to sustain the support to ensure Onyesoh’s success in the January 2027 general election.