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Ekiti

President Goodluck Jonathan, has assured that the
Federal Government will construct an airport and a secretariat in Ekiti State.
The President made the remarks in Ado-Ekiti while reacting to the request by Governor Kayode Fayemi during his one-day visit to the state.
According to the governor, Ekiti State is the only state among the six created in 1996 that is yet to have a Federal Secretariat.
Fayemi also complained that the non take-off of the airport project promised by the Federal Government was slowing down the pace of economic activities in the state.
He urged the President to facilitate the refund of the money spent by the state government on the construction and rehabilitation of some federal roads in the state.

FCT

The Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican
Communion), Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, left Abuja last Sunday at the head of Nigeria’s 470-man delegation to Kenya, to attend the second Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which opened on October 21.
While in Nairobi, Okoh, will join leaders from Anglican Provinces in Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, UK and  the U.S. to discuss the future of the Anglican Communion.
GAFCON was established in 2008 as a result of the strange teaching of western churches of the Anglican Communion, particularly on sexual preferences and homosexuality.
The maiden conference took place in Jerusalem in 2008, the same year Nigerian bishops pulled out from the Lambert Conference, the once-a-decade meeting of all Anglican bishops.
In a prayer and fasting session on October 15 in Abuja, Okoh urged Anglicans in Nigeria to pray for the security and success of the conference in Nairobi.

Kaduna

Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State has released
N710 million for the payment of leave and transport grants to all civil servants in the state.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Director-General on Media and Publicity  to the Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, in Kaduna last Friday.
It said N195 million had also been released for the payment of scholarships to all indigenes in tertiary institutions.
The statement said that the state government had paid N120 million for the six years arrears of grants owed staff of the Kaduna State Water Board between 2005 and 2011.

Kano

The Kano State Government has promised to recover all
the money involved in the poorly-executed contracts for the construction of classrooms in the state capital.
This is contained in a statement signed by Alhaji Usman Bello, the Deputy Director (Press) in the office of the Deputy Governor, and issued in Kano recently.
It said the Deputy Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje who is also the Acting Governor, made the promise when he visited the schools.
The statement said the schools are the Special Primary Schools at Fagge, Gobirawa and Dandago in Kano State.

Kwara

The Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission
(KWSIEC) last Sunday  expressed  its readiness to conduct Saturday’s local council elections in the state.
The Chairman of the commission, Dr  Uthman Ajidagba, told newsmen  in Ilorin that  necessary machinery had been put in place to ensure a credible exercise.
He said security agencies and other stakeholders had  been contacted  to ensure a successful  conduct of the election.
Ajidagba, however, said only three political parties had signified  intention to participate in the election.
He listed  the parties as Social Democratic Party, Labour Party  and Peoples Democratic Party.

Lagos

A former member of the National Assembly, Mr Ehiogie
West-Idahosa, has lauded Governor  Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, for making kidnapping a capital offence in the state.
West-Idahosa, who represented Ovia North-East and South-West Constituency in the House of Representatives, said this while speaking with newsmen in Lagos.
“I am convinced that death penalty for kidnappers will definitely send the signal that the state is not ready to accept criminality,’’ West-Idahosa said.
He, however, said the law would only be successful if it would be properly implemented by the appropriate security agencies.
In its reaction, a human rights group, the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), opposed the law, saying it would not deter kidnapping in the state.

Ogun

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Ogun State
Hospital in Ota, Dr Babatunde Banuso, has called on the State Government to build more male wards in the hospital.
Banuso who made the call while speaking with newsmen in Ota, said the move would help to increase the intake of patients.
He added that there should be deliberate effort by the government to ensure that good amenities were in place to supplement the existing ones.
“The government needs to build additional male wards to avoid the hospital turning down emergency cases.
“We also need adequate facilities to save the lives of patients who require urgent attention in the hospital,’’ the CMD said.
Ondo

A fatal auto crash that happened at Igbara Oke,
Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State has claimed four lives while 14 others sustained injuries.
Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Commander in charge of field operations, in the state, Mr Joseph Ojerinde, confirmed the incident in an interview with newsmen in Akure last Sunday.
The officer said that the accident that happened at 6.30 p.m. was as a result of reckless driving by one of the drivers.
He said that the auto crash involved a Mazda bus, with registration number Lagos KSF 706 XF carrying 18 passengers and a Honda Accord saloon car with number AA 239 GBH.
“The two vehicles involved in the crash had a head-on collision.
Plateau

Medical authorities in Plateau State have confirmed
an outbreak of cholera in Namu village in the Qua’pan Local Government Area of the state.
Namu, a village at  the Plateau and Nasarawa states border, hosts displaced people in the violent crisis that broke out in the Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
“Yes, there has been an outbreak of cholera in Namu village, eight people have been killed while 61 others have been hospitalised,’’ the Plateau State Epidemiologist, Dr Raymond Yuryit, said in Namu recently.
Yuryit spoke when he received the Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Alhassan Barde, who had gone to assess the situation.
He said that those hospitalised had been diagnosed with the disease and had been admitted into various health centres.
Sokoto

The Sokoto State Government last Sunday said it
would spend over N2.86 billion on various projects in primary and junior secondary education sub-sectors.
The Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Ibrahim Dingyadi, said this in an interview with newsmen in Sokoto.
Dingyadi  said  all the projects would be executed under the 2012/2013 FGN/ Sokoto State Government Intervention Funds initiative.
He said N1.95 billion  would be spent on the construction of three model primary schools in Sokoto city and its environs.

Zamfara

The Police Command in Zamfara State says it has
started investigation into the attack on the motorcade of the acting Governor of the state, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, last Saturday.
The Public Relations Officer (PPRO), for the Police Command in the state, DSP Lawal Abdullahi made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen in Birnin-Magaji .
Abdullahi, who described the attack as “unfortunate”, said that the police would not fold its arms and allow such unbecoming behaviours by the youths.
He said that the police had deployed troops of mobile and regular police to maintain peace in the area.
The police image maker assured that anyone found involved in the attack would face “the full wrath of the law’’.

 L-R: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, wife of the Governor of Benue State, Mrs Yemisi Suswan and  Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, at the Conference of Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (Cowlso) in Lagos,  yesterday Photo: NAN

L-R: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, wife of the Governor of Benue State, Mrs Yemisi Suswan and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, at the Conference of Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (Cowlso) in Lagos, yesterday
Photo: NAN

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Over 26,000 Lagos Students Failed 2024 WASSCE -Commissioner

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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.

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Ekiti Vaccinates Over 226,000 Girls Against HPV

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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.

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Monarch Preaches Peace As He Unveils Palace

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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.

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