Nation
THE STATES
Representative of the Acting Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (nan), Hajiya Kahdijat Lawal (right), presenting a souvenir to the National Publicity Secretary, International Federation of Women Lawyers (fida), Princess Frank-Chukwani (left) and the fida National Secretary, Mrs Rhoda Tyoden-Moore, during the visit of fida delegation to nan headquarters in Abuja, recently.
FCT
The Senate Appropriation Committee has begun the
harmonisation of budget reports of various sub committees and promised that the committee would produce error-free budget.
Senator Danjuma Goje, the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, who met with chairmen of the various committees, stressed that the harmonisation would ensure that all errors and discrepancies were corrected.
He promised that the committee would sit for one week and round up its report which would be submitted to the Senate next week.
“The appropriation committee is ready now to start receiving this report and we have one week to conclude this assignment, so this committee will sit from 10 in the morning till six in the evening.
Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government has approved N500
million for the procurement of 5,000 metric tons of assorted fertilizers for the 2016 cropping season.
Alhaji Bala Ibrahim, the state Commissioner for Information, stated this in Dutse while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.
“As you are all aware, fertilizer plays a very crucial role in providing optimum production in agriculture, especially when it is timelessly applied by framers.
“And the state government has resolved to improve the living standard of the rural populace, hence the need to provide agricultural inputs to the teeming farmers during both wet and dry farming seasons,’’ he said.
Ibrahim said the council also approved the setting up of State Housing Authority.
According to him, it will facilitate accessing of over N2 billion loan from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) for the construction of 1,330 houses in the state.
Kaduna
Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Sci
ence and Technology, Dr Shehu Adamu, says the provision of free uniforms to secondary school students is part of efforts to reinvigorate the education sector in the state.
Adamu said this in a message to the presentation of the free uniforms to students under Sabon-Tasha Zonal Education Office in Kaduna.
Represented by Malam Usamatu Umar-Dabo, Deputy Director, Educational Services, the commissioner stressed that the gesture would ensure uniformity in the students’ wears.
“The essence of the gesture is to ensure that all secondary school students across the state wear the same uniform.
Katsina
The Katsina State Government has awarded N104.2
million contract for the renovation and construction of new buildings at Funtua General Hospital.
The Project Manager from the state Ministry of Health, Mr Abubakar Ado, said at the site that the facelift was aimed at improving healthcare delivery in the state.
Ado added that the contract was partial fulfilment of government’s readiness to uplift hospitals across the state.
He described the contract as Phase 2 that would cover the renovation of male and female amenities.
The manager said it also covered the renovation of the administration block, female and male mosques, Out Patient Department (OPD) and the central store.
Kano
Alhaji Saleh Marke, a legislator representing
Dawakin-Tofa Constituency in Kano State House Assembly, has donated 1, 000 double decker-beds to Government Girls’ Secondary School Kwa in Kano.
The school was recently gutted by fire.
Presenting the items to the principal of the school, Hajiya Fati Sarki, Marke said the gesture was aimed at assisting the students.
He said that it was his obligation to assist the school at the time the assistance was needed.
“As representative of my people I have no reason to ignore the plight of the students,“ he said.
Marke expressed hope that the gesture would reduce the suffering of the students and enable them pursue their studies without hindrance.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government would partner with the
National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi, Niger State, to produce improved seedlings that would boost commercial rice and wheat production.
Information on the partnership is contained in a statement issued by Alhaji Abubakar Muazu, the Press Secretary to the Governor, made available in Birnin Kebbi.
The statement quoted Muazu as saying that the state governor had showed interest in buying the institute‘s new variety of improved seedlings after inspecting its model farms.
He said that the institute‘s Irrigation Officer, Fadeiye Olalekan, who conducted the governor round some model farms said the improved seedlings were free of diseases and capable of yielding 22 tonnes of rice per hectare.
He added that the governor had promised to distribute improved seedlings to farmers as part of efforts to produce rice in commercial quantity.
Kwara
The Emir of llorin, Alhaji lbrahim Sulu-Gambari,
has appealed to Nigerians to ensure the success of the forthcoming 2017 census across the country.
The emir made the appeal when he received the management staff of the National Population Commission (NPC) in his palace in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Our correspondent reports that the delegation was led by the NPC Federal Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Ndakene.
Sulu-Gambari said that accurate and reliable census was one of the indices for planning any development in any country.
He prayed for the successful conduct of the exercise and pledged to help mobilise all traditional leaders in the state for its success.
Nasarawa
A Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court, Aso Pada,
Nasarawa State, has sentenced a 23-year-old bricklayer, Matthew Isaac, to 12 strokes of the cane for unlawful possession of army uniform.
The presiding officer, Mr Albert Maga, sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty and begged for leniency.
Isaac, a resident of Nyanya Gwandara, Nasarawa State, was convicted for being in possession of army uniform, three caps and two boots.
Maga warned the convict to be careful in future with what he goes about holding as he would not take it likely with him next time.
The Prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Adaji, had told the court that Idoko John of Elite Security Organisation, Mararaba, reported the matter at the ‘A’ Division Police Station on February 21.
Ondo
A 31-year-old man, Hassan Adeyinka, charged with
conspiracy and armed robbery, has been remanded in Olokuta Prisons custody by an Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court.
Chief Magistrate Sunday Adedapo ordered the remand of the accused in prison custody, pending the receipt of legal advice from the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
Adedapo said that the original copy of the case file should be sent to the state Chief Registrar for safe keeping.
The Principal Legal Officer, Mr Wale Bamisile, told the court that the accused and others at large, armed with guns and other offensive weapons, attacked and stole a Techno IPad phone valued N95,000.
Sokoto
The Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto (UDUS)
Alumni Association, Abuja Chapter, says it is undertaking a water project for the institution at the cost of more than N46 million.
The President of chapter, Mr Kasimu Yahaya, disclosed this while fielding questions from reporters on the sideline of the association’s retreat in Abuja recently.
The theme of the retreat is ‘Strategic Thinking, Planning and Organisational Transformation’.
“We have project of N46 .something million- that is about the water project- because we cannot allow our brothers, our children to be in the university where they have inadequacy of water supply.
“It is a very key thing; we are looking at it.
“So, we are trying; both our senior ones and us to see how we can come together and finance this project at the chapter level.
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.
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.
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.