Nation

THE STATES

Published

17 years ago

October 7, 2009

Asaba

Delta State House of Assembly, Thursday, received a list of twelve nominees for appointment as commissioners into the Delta State Executive Council from Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

The state governor, last week, sacked eleven commissioners, which sources revealed were not loyal to his course of returning as governor in 2011.

Governor Uduaghan had in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House noted that the appointment is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the State Executive Council for better and greater service delivery to the people of the state.

Names of the commissioners were also contained in the letter which was read on the floor of the House. They include Mr. Bello Orubebe, Dr. Chris Oghenechovwen, Mr. Victor E. Otomewo, Mr. Frank Omare, Mrs. Juliet Oti Agoba and Anthony Akpomiemie.

Others are Mr. Fred Majemite, Mr. Azuka Osakwe, Mr. George Ugboma, Mr. Emmanuel Eboh, Dr. Onochie Okonkwo and Mr. Pat Mozea.

The Commissioners that were sacked last week are Mr. Abraham Bobor, former Commissioner for Housing, Paul Osaji (Works), Mrs. Elizabeth Uvoh-Gardner (Primary Education), Gilbert Benafa (Transport), Mrs. Chinwe Monu-Olarewaju (Commerce/Industry), Timinimi George (Water Resources), Roland Eyime (Science/Technology), Dafe-Akpedeye (Attorney-General/Justice), Champion Kpateghe (Special Duties, Government House) and Dr. Tab-Ogaranya Tabowei (Agriculture).

Jos

The authorities of 3 Amoured Division of Nigerian Army, Jos, have sentenced a soldier to 56 days imprisonment with hard labour, for physically assaulting a Jos-based lawyer, our correspondent has gathered.

Besides, he will not receive his salary during his two months imprisonment, just as a driver, his comrade-in crime spent the sallah holidays in police custody. The troubled soldier, will serve his jail term in military guard room.

The soldier’s imprisonment followed a court martial. The lawyer (name withheld) had petitioned the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Amoured Division, complaining on how he was unlawfully assaulted by the soldier.

The soldier, one of the troops stationed at former United Trading Company (UTC) junction, Jos, on peace-keeping in Jos, following Nov. 28, last year mayhem. The soldier’s trouble started sometime in June this year, when the lawyer had a disagreement with a driver that conveyed him (lawyer) from Akwanga, Nassarawa State to Jos, Plateau State capital.

According to sources close to the lawyer, he wanted the cab driver to drop him at Terminus area of the metropolis, while the driver insisted that he must drop at Old Airport junction.

Consequently, the lawyer refused to come down from the cab. In what was described as unconstitutional reaction (behaviour), the driver took him to the UTC junction where his soldier friend assaulted the legal practitioner, inflicting injuries on him.

Osun

Over 30 communities in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State have been connected to the national grid, while another 11 villages are expected to be connected very soon in an effort to grease the wheel of development

Speaking with newsmen on the level of infrastructural facilities in the area, the chairman of the local council, Comrade Bamidele Salami, said over N75 million has been spent on the electrification projects.

According to him, there was purchase and installation of 500KVA transformer and extension of low tension wires to Tiwadayo Community and purchase of six 500/33 KVA transformers for Awo, Ido Osun, Adetoro Estate, Alapupu, Olafa Estate, Ilaasan/Ori Oke Baba Abiye, while reactivation and extension of street lights in all towns and villages have been completed.

Oyo

About 400 members of staff of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, have marched to the palace of Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi over the sack of union leaders.

They urged the monarch to intervene in the labour crisis rocking the institution.

The protesting workers registered their grievances against the purported sack of seven union leaders.

The state government had in an announcement conveyed the sack of the unionists which was hinged on ‘re-organisation’ of the institution.

Workers at the institution and the polytechnic, Ibadan, have been on strike since July to make the government reverse its new tax regime of 18 per cent tax in their gross earning and non-payment of 21 month arrears of the Consolidated Teacher Salary Structure (CONTISS).

The sacked union leaders are chairman, College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Dr Abiodum Aina; secretary, Mr Isiaka Ojo; chairman, Senior Staff Union of the college, Comrade Sikinu Agboluaje; chairman, COEASU, Lanlati Campus, Comrade K Olanrewaju; chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of the institution, Comrade Olanrewaju Jimoh and one other.

Niger

Bank of Industry (BOI) has said that it has approved a total of N816.984 million as loans to entrepreneurs, including those operating as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and co-operative groups consisting of rural dwellers, in Niger State.

Managing Director of BOI, Mrs Evelyn Oputu, said in Abuja at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the bank and Niger State government on the N1 billion Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF) that loans to SMEs summed up to N714.50 million while that for the co-operative groups stood at N102.48 million.

Oputu, who was represented by the bank’s executive director, Mr Chris Umeh, disclosed that SMEs assisted were those engaged in shea butter production and rice milling while the co-operative groups were men and women engaging in shea butter production, rice processing, cassava processing, melon processing, cattle fattening, among others.

Besides, she pointed out that BOI and its foreign and domestic partners had in the last 18 months, organised capacity building for potential and current entrepreneurs in Niger State.

Niger State commissioner for investments, commerce and industries, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, who said the state had been able to contribute N300 milloin of its own counterpart fund, however, said the state government was not relenting in its efforts at providing its own part of the financing arrangement.

Bauchi

Bauchi State Council of the National Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 33-year old farmer from Alkaheri, Hussaini Hussaini, for cultivating substances suspected to be Indian hemp in his farm. The agency also arrested two others, Amadi Sunday and Raphael Galadima, for possessing 25 kilogrammes of Indan hemp.

Addresing newsmen in Bauchi, the State Commandant of the Agency, Mr Sule Momodu, explained that Hussaini was arrested on September 22, on his farm while his substance was equally uprooted. Upon interrogation, Hussaini confessed that he got the seed of the substance from Nassarawa state which he used to plant, admitting that besides cultivating the weed, he also smokes the substance.

In a related development, the agency has equally arrested one Amadi Sunday and Raphael Galadima for possessing 25 kilogrammes of Indian hemp which they bought from Kaduna.

Ekiti

Well-wishers of late Pa Lawrance Sunday Adeosun from form all walks of life, stormed Iloro-Ekiti to celebrate the passing of the late Pa Adeosun into eternal glory.

It was a celebration of life as the children and well-wishers stormed the area to celebrate the exit of the 77 years of late Adeosun who was a successful trader, farmer and a devoted Catholic and community leader, who retired from public service in 2005 and settled in Lagos where he died peacefully.

In a sermon, Seminarian Awogbemi Stephen on behalf of the Parish Priest, Rev Fr Francis-Mary Ogundare, during the Funeral Mass at St. Mary Catholic Church, Iloro Ekiti, described Adeosun as a selfless man who used his whole life in the service of the Lord.

Seminarian Awogbemi urged everyone present to walk in accordance with the dictate and injunction of the Holy Bible, saying “let us do our work, so that at the end of the day, we could make bold to say we have run a good race.”

He emphasised the need for good works, while one is still alive, because according to him, that is the only legacy one could leave behind.

Awogbemi condemned acquisition of wealth, saying it was a vanity as none of the property so acquired would be buried with the owner.

“We shall all go naked, just as we came to the world. It is only our soul that would go with us to give account of our deeds while alive,” he added.

He said late Pa Adeosun served the church as an usher until he answered the call of his creator.

The late Pa Adeosun was survived by Mr Peter Adeosun, a chartered accountant, Mrs Funmilayo Adeosun and many other grand children.

Lagos

Lagos High Court presided by Justice Olusola Williams will on October 15, resume hearing in the defence of former Chairman of the National Drug Law Emforcement Agency (NDLEA), Alhaji Bello Lafiaji.

The former NDLEA chairman, who is standing trial alongside his former special assistant, Usman Amali for corruption charges had last month opened his defence in the corruption charge filed against him at the Lagos High Court.

He, however, told the court that he was currently a consultant on National Security to Nigeria’s Vision 20-2020 project.

Led by his counsel, Professor Taiwo Osipetan, Lafiaji said “before then, I was the executive chairman of the NDLEA from 2000 to 2005 and had joined the police force in 1973.”

The ICPC is prosecuting Lafiaji and Amali for alleged corruption while in office, and they were accused also of demanding and receiving £164,300 being exhibits seized from a drug suspect, Ikenna Onochie, in a bid to release him and his vehicles from the NDLEA custody.

Lafiaji, according to ICPC, obtained the sun of N50,000 from Bashiru Gadzama and another N450,000 from Garba Yauri both staff of the NDLEA.

On cross examination led by Osipetan, the 12th and final prosecution witness, Mr Femi Oloruntoba, NDLEA director of prosecutions, said Lafiaji did not query him when his (Lafiaji) directive to release Onochie on bail was disobeyed.

He also told the court that the case filed did not include the Euro as exhibit.

Nation

HYPREP Marks 15 Years Of UNEP Report, Highlights Major Cleanup Milestones

Published

22 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment Report on Ogoniland, reaffirming its commitment to restoring the environment and improving the livelihoods of affected communities.

In a statement signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, to commemorate the anniversary, HYPREP described the anniversary as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental restoration efforts, noting that the project has made remarkable progress in implementing the recommendations of the landmark UNEP report released on August 4, 2011.

The UNEP report had revealed extensive oil pollution across Ogoniland, severe environmental degradation, and serious public health risks resulting from decades of petroleum operations. It also recommended an initial $1 billion fund to commence the cleanup of the affected communities.

According to HYPREP, the Federal Government formally launched the Ogoni clean-up in 2016, while the Project Coordination Office was established in 2017 to drive the implementation of UNEP’s recommendations.
Zabbey said the current administration has continued to prioritise the project under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Providing an update on the cleanup, the Project Coordinator disclosed that 30 of the 65 contaminated sites identified by UNEP have been fully remediated, while work is ongoing at several medium- and high-risk locations. It also stated that more than 1.5 million mangrove seedlings have been planted as part of what it described as the world’s largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves, with over 1,000 hectares of shoreline already rehabilitated.

Zabbey further revealed that 49 Ogoni communities have been connected to potable water schemes through multiple water projects and booster stations aimed at providing safe drinking water across the region.

In the health sector, he said the 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite and the 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan are nearing completion, adding that several existing health facilities have been upgraded with modern medical equipment, while five ambulances have been donated to improve emergency healthcare services. The Project Coordinator also disclosed that a three-year human health biomonitoring study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

On economic empowerment, Zabbey stated that the Project has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained thousands of Ogoni youths and women in various vocational and technical skills, including software development, cybersecurity, aviation, commercial diving, seafaring, mechatronics, and creative arts. The project also reported awarding scholarships to more than 1,000 students, providing grants to small businesses, and supporting persons living with special needs through skills acquisition programmes.

The statement further highlighted ongoing legacy projects, including the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, which it said is about 96 per cent complete. HYPREP also welcomed the recent designation of the Ogoni Wetland as a Ramsar Site of International Importance and pledged to continue promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the ecosystem.

Marking the anniversary, Zabbey said the progress achieved over the past 15 years demonstrates the collective commitment of government, development partners, stakeholders, and local communities to restoring Ogoniland. He called for renewed collaboration to sustain the cleanup effort, promote environmental sustainability, and support the long-term development of the region. 3

Nation

REAN, SON synergise to curb fake renewable energy product

Published

1 month ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) says it has strengthened collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enhance quality control and enforcement frameworks.

Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, the Head of Communications, REAN, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the collaboration would also involve stakeholder engagement on testing, certification and capacity building in Nigeria.

He said the synergy would strengthen quality control and enforcement frameworks, promote policy alignment, and ensure stronger regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance; tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market.

“Enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing sector growth.”

Lloyd-Dietake said that at high-level discussions, REAN also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy space.

According to him, the issues include inconsistencies in standards, affordability issues linked to certification processes; and the increasing presence of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment in the country.

“The association further raised concerns about delays in product testing and approval, calling for the establishment of more testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks in the system,’’ he said.

Lloyd-Dietake urged closer collaboration among key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

He said such team work would ensure harmonised standards and more effective enforcement against fake renewable energy products in the Nigerian market.

In response, SON acknowledged the important role REAN continued to play in supporting standardisation within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.

SON further confirmed that REAN would be actively involved in future standard review processes and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy and electric mobility standards development.

Lloyd-Dietake said REAN affirmed its willingness to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said the MoU is aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards reliable and standardised renewable energy solutions.

Nation

Self Help Africa programme expands water access for 320,000 Nigerians

Published

1 month ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme, implemented by Self Help Africa, has expanded access to safe water and sanitation services for more than 320,000 people in Kano and Cross River States.

The organisation disclosed this on Tuesday at the WS4H National Results and Learning Workshop in Abuja, where stakeholders reviewed achievements and lessons from the intervention.

Speaking at the event, Self Help Africa Country Director, Joy Aderele, said the programme demonstrated that sustainable WASH improvements require strong institutions, effective governance, adequate financing and collaboration.

Aderele said the UK-funded programme was designed to strengthen systems that support sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to her, the intervention focused on improving governance, planning, financing, accountability and sector coordination to ensure resilient service delivery.

“More than 320,000 people now have improved or restored access to water services through programme-supported interventions,” she said.

She added that more than 5,520 household toilets were constructed in Yala and Makoda Local Government Areas, boosting sanitation, public health and efforts to end open defecation.

Aderele said the programme also strengthened public investment in WASH, with Cross River increasing its sector budget by 211 per cent in 2026 and Kano by 169.07 per cent.

She added that dedicated WASH budget lines had been established across 40 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in both states, strengthening accountability and institutional commitment.

According to her, both states reviewed and adopted updated WASH policies, while key planning documents were developed to guide future investments and service delivery.

She said Cross River also recorded a major legislative milestone through the passage of the Water Law and Open Defecation Prohibition Bill.

Aderele added that lessons from interventions in Yala LGA were already informing expansion efforts in Obubra Local Government Area.

While commending the achievements, she noted that capacity gaps, resource constraints and climate-related pressures remained challenges to sustainable WASH services.

“The sustainability of these gains will depend on continued government leadership, adequate financing, strong partnerships and investment in institutional capacity,” she said.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of WS4H, Mr Timothy Ibeawuchi, said the intervention focused on strengthening systems needed to sustain gains and attract future investments.

According to him, the programme engages stakeholders in developing strategies that preserve achievements and support long-term service delivery.

“System strengthening work takes time because it addresses the fundamental issues responsible for sustainable and resilient service delivery,” he said.

Ibeawuchi said the programme strengthened policy development, planning, financing, monitoring and evaluation systems across the WASH sector.

He said two pilot local government areas were supported to develop WASH strategic plans outlining sector goals, targets and activities between 2026 and 2030.

According to him, the plans will guide future interventions and improve service delivery in the affected councils.

Earlier, the representative of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Chidera Chukwu, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s development efforts in spite of the programme nearing completion.

Chukwu commended the Self Help Africa-led consortium for delivering the programme with professionalism and a strong focus on systems strengthening.

He said the consortium contributed greatly to strengthening Nigeria’s WASH sector through policy reforms, improved coordination and enhanced accountability.

“Together, we have advanced key policy and legislative reforms, including open defecation-free laws and strengthened state WASH frameworks,” he said.

According to him, the reforms represent enduring system-level changes that will continue delivering benefits beyond the programme’s lifespan.

In his remarks, Mr Jamilu Habu, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, commended the programme’s achievements.

Habu, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the intervention strengthened governance, coordination, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity in the WASH sector.

He described the workshop as an opportunity to review achievements, share lessons and identify pathways for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.

According to him, the programme’s innovations and best practices will guide future policies and investments aimed at expanding access to safe WASH services.

Habu stressed the need for continued collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities.

He said stronger partnerships remained essential to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6.