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Abeokuta

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, on Tuesday promised to actualise the dream of late Health Minister, Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, for a medical village.

Ransome-Kuti, aged 73, died on June 2, 2003 at a London hotel while attending a WHO conference.

The renowned paediatrician and indigene of Abeokuta, had proposed to build a medical village at Ipakoto in Ifo local government area of the state.

He, however, could not actualise the dream before his demise.

Amosun, who spoke while receiving the management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Abeokuta, expressed his administration’s commitment to building the village.

Abuja

The most common allergies cause symptoms like itching, runny nose and mild swelling but the more serious conditions like asthma and some food allergies can have deadly consequences, according to Dr Abiodun Awolusi, a medical doctor.

Awolusi, Head of Accident and Emergency Unit, National Hospital Abuja, told  newsmen that allergic reactions could result in eczema, rashes, inflammation of the nasal airways, asthma attacks, and reaction to food, drugs and the venom of stinging insects.

According to him, an allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system that occurs when a person’s body reacts to normally harmless environmental substances.

Ijebu-Ode

The Academic Staff Union of Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State,  has suspended its four-month old strike.

The union in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr Femi Osibamawo ,  in Ijebu-Ode on Tuesday, stated that the strike was suspended due to the plea by Governor Ibikunle Amosun during his state media conference.

The union had in March embarked on an indefinite strike over non-payment of nine months salaries and arrears of the academic staff.

The union while  pleading with Governor Amosun to fulfill his promise to pay the outstanding  salaries and arrears of the lecturers  said they would press for the payment within  the next  three weeks.

Jos

The University of Jos will conduct its post-UTME screening of prospective students in August, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hayward Mafuyai, has announced.

Mafuyai, who made the announcement at a news briefing in Jos, said the cut-off points for the various courses would be made known at a meeting called by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for next week in Abuja.

The vice-chancellor said the institution had been under intense pressure with applications overshooting the required slots for each department.

Kano

An Islamic scholar, Malama Hafsat Bello, says youth empowerment, through the provision of sustainable means of profitable employment will eliminate criminal tendencies and enhance national security.

She told newsmen on Tuesday, in Kano, that both the federal and state governments should give priority to the creation of job opportunities to bring a new lease of life to the youth under the new dispensation.

Bello said it was by constructively engaging the youth that government could effectively weam tje, frp, cro,e amd ptjer megatove temdemcoes.

Kebbi

The Kebbi government has received and distributed 26,000 tonnes of fertiliser to farmers in the state for the 2011 farming season.

Alhaji Umar Aliero, the General Manager, Kebbi State Agricultural Supply Company (KASCOM), told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday, that efforts were on to deliver the commodity to all the wards in the council areas at subsidised rates.

He said that state and local government committees had been set up to ensure smooth and equitable distribution of the commodity to farmers, irrespective of political or other differences.

Aliero added that government had also purchased seedlings worth N6.5 million for distribution to farmers.

Kogi

The Kogi Government has purchased more than 5,000 assorted farming implements for distribution to farmers in the 21 local government areas in the state to enhance mechanised farming.

Governor Ibrahim Idris, who made the announcement on Tuesday, while inaugurating various projects executed by the Okene Local government area, said time had come for farmers to do away with obsolete farming tools.

He said the quality and quantity of agricultural produce in the state had failed to improve over the years due to the dependence of most rural farmers on the traditional and obsolete manual tools.

Idris promised that the challenge of low yields by farmers would soon be a thing of the past in the state.

Lagos

Some local government chiefs in Lagos State have appealed to the NNPC to extend to the rural areas the sale of kerosene in mobile trucks.

They also urged the federal government to ensure that the product was not diverted by middlemen.

The NNPC, in partnership with Capital Oil, on July 16 began the sale of kerosene to consumers from mobile trucks following a lingering scarcity of the commodity.

Mr Olusegun Agbaje, Chairmen of Epe local government council, said that the government should extend the initiative to the rural areas for the benefit of those Nigerians who are the main consumers of the product.

He said that the extension of the sales to the rural areas would reduce the high dependence on firewood for cooking.

Lokoja

Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has appealed to aggrieved groups and individuals nationwide, to eschew violence in the interest of unity and stability of the nation.

He said it was under an atmosphere of peace and tranquility that the nation could achieve developmental goals.

He made the appeal in Lokoja during a courtesy call on Governor Ibrahim Idris of Kogi.

The Speaker added that dialogue remained a viable option to resolve the nation’s problems, adding that the House was evolving an agenda for the next four years.

Maiduguri

Governor  Kashim Shettima of Borno, has described the killings by the Boko Haram sect in the name of Islam as as “unjustifiable.”

“How can a true muslim explain, let alone profoundly justify the current unfortunate cold blooded murders and bombings in the name of Islam”.

“Islam means peace and submission to the will of God and thus it should remain so, in both theory and practice.”

“This was the understanding of our forefathers; theirs is the true meaning of Islam in both letter and spirit,” Shettima told newsmen in Maiduguri.

Ondo

An accident involving four trucks at Asewele/Ajue in Ore, Odigbo local government area of Ondo State, on Monday night, left two dead and many others injured.

The FRSC Unit Commander, Mr Mike Arinzeagu, told newsmen on Tuesday, in Ore, that the accident was caused by an earlier accident involving a truck.

He said a truck with registration number ABUJA KX940 KWL had earlier fallen on the road.

“The other four trucks later rammed into this truck, which later resulted in the death of two people and many others injured.”

Sokoto

The Sokoto State Police Command has mobilised 5,000 police personnel for the conduct of Saturday’s local government election in the state.

The Commissioner, Alhaji Adeola Adeneji, said in Sokoto on Tuesday, that necessary operational arrangements have been concluded.

He said that Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) had been briefed and put on alert, to ensure peace and political stability.

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HYPREP Inducts 100 Ogoni Youths For Creative Arts Training

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The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has inducted and given orientation to 100 Ogoni youths for training on Creative Arts. The beneficiaries were drawn from Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas of Rivers State.

The induction and orientation ceremony, which took place at the CRAB of the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, was a prelude to the training proper, billed to commence next Tuesday.

As usual, HYPREP issued undertaking forms to the trainees, for them to complete and submit as a guarantee that they would subject themselves to the requirements of the programme as well as be of good behaviour throughout the four-month duration of the training.

HYPREP also announced that it would pay N150,000 to each of the beneficiaries monthly, as transport and feeding allowance, stressing, however, that only those who fully participate in the training would be entitled for the allowance.

Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, welcomed the trainees to the programme, saying, HYPREP’s projects are evolving and that one thing that is happening today is that the Project has gotten leadership right, by making promises and keeping those promises.

According to him, the Project had equally promised to move away from rudimentary skills acquisition to high impacts acquisition levels, which it has kept today by sponsoring the training on Creative Arts.

He noted that in planning its livelihood programmes for Ogoni youths, HYPREP has taken time out to look for skills that would add value to the lives of the beneficiaries.

Zabbey, who was represented at the event by the Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi said by packaging the Creative Arts training, it was expected that the Ogoni people would have their own version of Nollywood known as Ogoniwood just as Nigerians are familiar with Hollywood, Bollywood, Kannywood and Nollywood.

To achieve this goal, the Project Coordinator explained that it was the reason for choosing a reputable establishment like Halibiz Consult Limited, to partner with the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt, which he described as one of the most prestigious in the Niger Delta, for the training of the beneficiaries.

He also indicated that in doing this, HYPREP was desirous of going for talents that would help the Ogoni people grow in the film industry, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously.

Zabbey equally enjoined the trainees to put in their best so that in the next three to five years, they would carve a niche for themselves and become forces to reckon with in the film industry.

On her part, HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee said HYPREP does what it says it will, stressing that the process of training Ogoni youths on specialised skills started three years ago.

According to her, the selection process for the training was rigorous and transparent, and was carried out by renowned actors actresses.

She disclosed that the training consists of three major aspects, which include acting, script writing and make-up, while Nollywood actors like Charles Nnoje, Ngezu J. Ngezu and award-winning make-up artist, Jude Odo would be on hand to drill and groom the beneficiaries.

Mrs Nzidee noted that the programme is a specialised training that does not have anything like starter packs but that it is purely a professional certification programme that would launch the beneficiaries into the Nollywood industry in Nigeria.

According to her, the Creative Arts training is one of the four specialised trainings organised by HYPREP to ensure that the Ogoni people are well positioned in vital industries like Aviation, Maritime, Creative Arts and Mechatronics.

She said the last of such trainings on Mechatronics would take place in the coming months, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously so as to put the Ogoni people on the Nollywood map.

She further indicated that while Charles Nnoje and Ngezu J. Ngezu would take the beneficiaries on the practical aspects, Jude Odo would take them on the make-up aspects.

Also speaking, the External Relations Manager of Halibiz Consult Limited, Alabo Experience Douglas said his company gives much premium to standard and quality, and assured that the firm would give the trainees value for the money spent on the programme.

While charging the beneficiaries to be dedicated and punctual, he stressed the need for them to approach the programme with the mindset of being empty so that at the end of the day, they would benefit maximally.

On his part, the Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Ovunda Ihunwo said the CRAB is an acronym for Creative Review of Arts and Books, stressing that it was named by renowned playwright, Prof Ola Rotimi.

According to him, the CRAB had nurtured, groomed and produced Nollywood actors and actresses like Bobmanuel Udokwu, Ejike Asiegbu,Francis Duru, Hilda Dokubo, Monalisa Chinda, Julius Agwu, and a host of others, assuring the beneficiaries that they were on fertile environment to hone their talents.

He noted that symbolically, the crab is a nutritious seafood common in the Niger Delta, and reiterated the need for the beneficiaries to come empty for the training, as it were.

Ihunwo disclosed that the theory classes of the programme would run for three weeks while the fourth week would be for the master classes, and urged the trainees to avail themselves of the opportunity to make a difference by telling the Ogoni story, which he described as inexhaustible by themselves, in order to put Ogoni on the map.

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Nasarawa Varsity Student Commits Suicide

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A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University identified as Jatau Rilokwah, has been reportedly found dead in the university’s senior staff quarters.
A counter-insurgency expert, focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to him, the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by a security officer at the university, Emmanuel Gyawo.
He stated that Gwayo was directed by Prof. Shedrack Jatau to check on his son upon arriving at the residence, and he found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.
“Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of the State at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.
“The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he further stated.
He added that the student’s corpse had been deposited in the hospital morgue.
He also quoted police sources as saying that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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Ogun, Nike Art Gallery Set To Transform Olumo Rock

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The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.

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