Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Bauchi State, Sen. Iliya Audu, says the commission requires more than 4,074 Direct Data Capturing Machines (DDCMs) for the forthcoming voter registration.
Audu stated this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi, saying each of the polling units in the state would be allocated a machine for the exercise.
There are 4,074 polling units, 212 registration areas and 2,130,557 registered voters in the state.
The REC said that when the voter registration was conducted last in 2008, there was only one machine which led to omission of names, adding that the forthcoming exercise would be comprehensive.
He said that INEC was compiling names of corps members serving in the state to be engaged for the registration.
Ekiti
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has appealed to the Presidency to accord it preferential treatment when considering where to site the proposed federal university meant for the South West Zone.
The Assembly’s plea followed the recent approval by the Federal Executive Council at its last meeting to establish six federal universities in each of the six geo political zones of the country.
The Ekiti House of Assembly Speaker, Mr Tunji Odeyemi, in a statement issued on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, said: “Ekiti State is the most qualified to host a federal university in the zone.”
The statement signed on behalf of Odeyemi by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Rotimi Ajisola described Ekiti State as the academic basket of the nation and reservoir of intellectuals for most tertiary institutions in the country, but added that the state had long been marginalised in the area of federal presence.
FCT
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called on the media and the private sector to collaborate with it in managing disasters.
A statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr Yushau Shuaib, said the Director General of the Agency, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Sidi, made the call at the end of a consultative meeting of the executive held in Ibadan at the weekend.
The meeting, chaired by Sani-Sidi, noted the need for the private sector to participate fully in stakeholders’ meetings as well as the involvement of the media as major stakeholders instead of attending the meetings as reporters.
The statement said participants at the meeting urged NEMA to speed up the process for the establishment of National Council on Disaster Management.
It said the council would attract representations from stakeholders to provide policy guidelines for efficient and effective decision-making on disaster-related issues.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government will soon set up a committee to work out modalities for improved internal revenue generation, Governor Patrick Yakowa has said.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after inspecting projects in Zone III, Kaduna Southern Senatorial District, Yakowa said the committee would evolve ways of generating more funds to complement the revenue from the Federation Account.
He said the state government had done a lot in terms of projects implementation but noted that it required more money to undertake additional projects.
According to him, allocations from the Federation Account to the various states and local governments have dropped substantially, making it difficult for them to execute their projects.
Kano
As the Eid-el Kabir begins tomorrow, many Muslims in Kano have thronged to rural markets in search of cheaper rams, an investigation by The Tide reveals.
The rising cost of rams in Kano made it necessary for low income earners to go to rural markets where the cost of livestock is less.
Yesterday at Wudil, Gaya and Kachako markets, many customers said they came from Kano and Gusau to buy rams which they said were cheaper.
A civil servant, Malam Kabir Abubakar, said he travelled to Wudil ram and sheep market from Kano to buy his sallah ram as “the prices in Kano are prohibitive”.
“Only the super rich can afford a ram in cities because the ones I saw were from N50,000 and above,” he said.
Katsina
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Katsina State has warned parents against allowing their under-age children to drive during the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The Sector Commander, Mr Habu Dauda gave the warning in Katsina over the weekend at a joint meeting of the commission’s officials, traditional rulers and other security agencies.
The sector commander, who was represented by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Muntari Fago, warned that any under-age child caught driving or riding motorcycle during the sallah period and beyond would be arrested and the vehicle impounded.
He said the warning was necessary in view of the rampant accidents usually recorded in the state capital and other major towns during festivities.
Kebbi
Medical practitioners should encourage people to exercise themselves physically to avoid hypertension, a consultant neurologist at the Usmanu dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, Dr Salihu Balarabe, has advised.
Balarabe gave the advice in Birnin Kebbi during an interactive session on the topic “Hypertension, a killer disease”, organised by the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
He said regular physical exercise and medical check-up were remedies for hypertension, noting that a survey on the disease conducted by the WHO indicated that one billion people were diagnosed to be hypertensive globally.
The NMA Chairman, Dr Aliyu Illo, said the session was designed to sensitise the public to the dangers posed by hypertension and how to avoid it.
Kogi
As Muslims rush to buy food items in preparation for Eid el-Kabir, the prices of rams, chickens and catfish have increased in Lokoja.
Conversely in Onitsha, Anambra, traders are complaining that low patronage had forced down the prices of the animals.
A market survey conducted by our correspondent at the Felele Market in Lokoja on Friday, showed that a big ram sold for between N50,000 and N70,000 as against N55,000 and N60,000 last year.
A medium ram which sold for between N25,000 and N35,000 last year, is now being sold for between N40, 000 and N48,000.
Similarly, a small ram which sold for N11,000 last year, is now being sold for between N15,000 and N20,000.
Mallam Abubakar Sani, the Chairman of ram and goat sellers association in the market, attributed the hike in price to “greedy motorists’’ who he accused of arbitrarily increasing transportations cost whenever there were festivities.
Lagos
A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Wole Diya, has attributed the delay in the passage of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill by the House to inadequate lobbying by the sponsors.
Diya told newsmen in Lagos on Saturday that Rep. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a key sponsor of the private bill, had been unable to lobby the lawmakers well enough to pass the bill.
“It is not good enough to present a private bill before the House and expect it to sail through with ease.
“You have to lobby all the members, particularly the opposition.
“I am in strong support of the FoI Bill but what can I do alone in the House that has hundreds of members?” said Diya, who represents the Lagos East Constituency.
He urged Dabiri-Erewa to intensify effort in lobbying members of the House to accept and pass the bill.
Nasarawa
Pastor Jeremiah Kalejaiye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has attributed Nigeria’s low level of development to the lack of fear of God in political actors and government officials.
He said this on Friday in his sermon at the 9th annual Holy Ghost Service organised by the RCCG.
In the sermon entitled “King of Kings”, Kalejaiye declared that if government officials had the fear of God in them, the country would attain greater heights.
Quoting Psalm 111, verse 10, the pastor stressed that the fear of God was the beginning of wisdom, adding that anyone who did not fear God would always be deficient in wisdom.
“In our society today, it is unfortunate to note that the fear of man has replaced the fear of God and this is the beginning of the problems we have in Nigeria today.
Niger
The high cost of animals, especially rams, may prevent some Muslims from Bida and its environs in Niger from performing the sacrifice for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Our correspondent in the area who visited some animal markets yesterday reports that the price of rams was exorbitant and many Muslims might not have the means to buy them.
An average ram which cost N10,000 last year now costs about N18,000, an increase of N8,000 or 80 per cent against last year’s price. A female goat, which was sold at about N6,000 last year now costs N10,000 this year, while a male goat that cost N8,000 last year costs between N13,000 and N15,000 this year.
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.
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
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