A tragic boat accident occurred in the Dundaye community of Wamakko Local Government Area (LGA) in Sokoto State, resulting in the deaths of four individuals. The incident, which happened on the evening of August 11, 2024, involved a boat carrying 24 people. As of August 13, 2024, rescue operations have successfully recovered four bodies, and 19 survivors have been accounted for.

Alhaji Aliyu Kafindangi, Head of the Sokoto Field Operation Office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), confirmed the details to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). According to Kafindangi, the rescue efforts have been carried out by a combined team from NEMA, the Nigerian Red Cross, Fire Services, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and local divers.

“One body was recovered on Sunday, and three more were found on Monday, bringing the total number of fatalities to four. We are still searching for one missing person,” Kafindangi said.

The official expressed gratitude to the state and local governments, as well as community members, for their assistance in the ongoing search and rescue efforts. The focus now remains on locating the missing person and ensuring that all necessary support is provided to the affected families.

On August 13, 2024, the Federal Government made a significant contribution to healthcare in Osun State by donating multimillion-naira worth of medical equipment to the Ijebu-Jesa General Hospital in Oriade Local Government Area. The donation, which is part of President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Health Intervention’ programme, was facilitated through the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF).

The medical equipment provided includes:

• One X-ray mobile machine
• Four infant incubators
• Three hematocrit centrifuges
• Ten suction machines
• Five autoclaves
• Three defibrillators
• Two electrophoretic tanks/machines
• Two physiotherapy equipment
• Two ENT diagnostic sets
• Ten sphygmomanometers (both digital and manual)
• Three cesarean section instruments

Tosin Adeyanju, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NLTF, highlighted the donation as a crucial part of the health intervention program aimed at improving healthcare services and saving lives. Adeyanju emphasized that the equipment would enhance the quality of care at the Ijebu-Jesa General Hospital and expressed hope that it would be used to benefit the community.

Community leaders, including Olugbenga Abudiore, President of the Ijebu-Jesa Union’s Conference, and Oba Taiwo Aribisiala, the Elegboro of Ijebu-Jesa, expressed their gratitude for the donation. They assured that the equipment would be well-maintained and utilized effectively. However, Oba Aribisiala also requested additional support from the federal government in the form of medical personnel and security to ensure the equipment’s proper use and safety.

The donation is part of a broader effort by the NLTF to support health interventions funded by lottery revenues, aiming to address critical needs in various communities across Nigeria.

Dr. Ayodele Festus Olorunfemi, the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the upcoming Ondo State governorship election, has pledged to eradicate corruption in public offices if he wins the election. In a recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Olorunfemi emphasized his commitment to zero tolerance for corruption and the mismanagement of public funds.

Olorunfemi criticized the current state of public governance, attributing widespread poverty and dissatisfaction among the populace to corruption and bribery. He stressed that his administration would implement stringent measures to combat these issues, promising a robust accountability system and transparency in public procurement processes.

“I am determined to end corruption in Ondo State,” Olorunfemi stated. “Corruption is the root cause of the difficulties faced by the masses, and it is our duty to eradicate it to ensure that state resources are used for the benefit of all.”

The LP candidate also drew parallels with Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, highlighting Otti’s success in managing state resources effectively and asserting that his own administration would follow a similar path of integrity and accountability.

Olorunfemi’s campaign comes as one of 17 contenders for the governorship seat in the November 16 election, with his focus on reforming governance to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in Ondo State.

President Bola Tinubu is set to undertake a pivotal three-day official visit to Equatorial Guinea starting August 14, 2024. This diplomatic mission, marked by high-level meetings and discussions, aims to enhance cooperation between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, with a focus on the oil and gas sector and security collaboration.

The visit, at the invitation of Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, will see Tinubu accompanied by key members of his administration, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar. The agenda includes crucial negotiations and agreements aimed at bolstering economic and security ties between the two nations.

This trip underscores President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s international relationships and leveraging strategic partnerships to advance national interests on the global stage.

The Kwara State Government has inaugurated a 300-man surveillance taskforce to check indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the Ilorin metropolis of the state capital.

Commissioner for Environment Hajia Nafisat Musa Buge disclosed this during the official inauguration of the environmental taskforce held at the ministry’s conference hall in Ilorin on Monday.

Buge declared: “Indiscriminate dumping of refuse is a general phenomenon that requires urgent attention, most especially in the Ilorin metropolis. The only solution to eradicate it is to aggressively commence a rethinking of sustainable waste management by the government and sensitise the people on the dangers inherent in dumping refuse indiscriminately.”

The commissioner emphasised that members of the public must cooperate with the government and its agencies to find a lasting solution to the problem to forestall the outbreak of diseases, especially cholera, which is already ravaging some states in the country.

The new strategies listed to be employed by the ministry include outlawing the dumping of refuse on road medians, roundabouts, drainage channels and waterways.

The new strategies also forbid anybody from displaying wares or goods beyond the gutter on the roadsides for trading activities.

The ministry will, with immediate effect, remove the bigger roll-roll (waste) bins from the roadsides or roundabouts and take them to secure places where vehicular movements will not be impeded.

Waste bins have also been placed at different collection points for evacuation to the final dump site, while well-organised consultants have been put in place to evacuate refuse from the collection points within 24 hours.

Similarly, scavenging is no longer allowed in the metropolis, as all previously registered scavengers have been advised to do their business at the government dump site at Sokoto-Aiyekale off the expressway, according to a statement by the press secretary of the ministry, Kamaldeen Aliagan, in Ilorin on Monday.

The ministry has also engaged 38 commercial waste consultants and allocated them to different communities to collect refuse with the payment of a monthly token. Otherwise, refuse should be dumped inside the government mobile collection vans whenever they come to the communities.

While administering the oath of allegiance to members of the taskforce, Chief Magistrate Ibrahim Dansuki stressed the need for the taskforce committee to adhere strictly to the environmental laws to avoid litigation.

Ladoja Receives Beaded Crown from Olubadan in Ceremony at New Palace.

High Chief Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, has officially received the Ibadan beaded crown from the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Akinloye Olakulehin Ige Olakulehin I. The significant ceremony took place on Monday at the new Olubadan palace in Oke Aremo, Ibadan North Local Government Area.

The event marked Ladoja’s acceptance of the beaded crown, despite his earlier insistence that he would not accept it. The ceremony was attended by prominent figures including the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Abdul Raheem Adebayo Lawal, and the Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Muhammad Abiodun Fadeyi. Traditional rulers, political officeholders, and well-wishers also graced the occasion.

This event was particularly notable as it was the first official duty performed by the Olubadan since his coronation on July 12. Deputy Governor Lawal congratulated the people of Ibadan, emphasizing the state government’s commitment to enhancing the traditional institution in the state.

In his remarks, Ladoja expressed that Ibadan has its own unique way of resolving misunderstandings and issues. He noted that the process and acceptance of the beaded crown signify the resolution of any previous disagreements and the unity of the Ibadan people.

The Rivers State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed confidence that Governor Siminalayi Fubara will effectively implement the new N70,000 minimum wage for civil servants in the state.

In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Alex Agwanwor, the NLC State Chairman, highlighted the positive relationship between the current administration and the union, contrasting it with the previous administration’s challenges. Agwanwor emphasized that the collaboration with Governor Fubara’s government is smooth and beneficial for both parties, with no significant disagreements reported.

Governor Fubara had pledged on May Day 2024 to adhere to the minimum wage agreement set by the Federal Government. This pledge, according to Agwanwor, reflects the governor’s commitment to improving workers’ conditions and welfare in Rivers State.

Agwanwor commended Fubara for his proactive approach to addressing workers’ issues and noted that the governor’s understanding of these issues often leads to prompt resolutions, reducing the need for formal negotiations or disputes.

The new Minimum Wage Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024, increases the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000. Agwanwor believes that if other states can meet this requirement, Rivers State will also be able to do so, given the current government’s assurances and actions.

Churches in Nigeria under the umbrella of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, have shared their opinion on why the country has not moved forward since Independence in 1960.

Popular churches such as the Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Deeper Life, Redeemed Christian Church of God, among many others came together at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in preparation for Christ for Nations crusade to be held in Abuja to pray and seek salvation of Nigeria.

Members of the FCT CAN leadership at the event include Dr John Daku, Executive Director, Africa, Christ for All Nations, Archbishop John Daniel, the Deputy President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, and Rev. Dr. Williams Okoye, All Christian Fellowship.

“At Independence of the nation Nigeria, many developed nations believed that within a few years, Nigeria would join the league of developed nations,” Rev. Dr Okoye said while fielding questions from journalists.

“But sixty-plus years later, Nigeria still struggles. The reason is because of our distorted sense of value. Any nations that are developed, may have developed based on their values.

“If you look at a nation like Singapore, God gave them a leader and because of the core values Lee Juan Yew advocated, Singapore was transformed from a third world country to a first world country within the space of twenty years.

“So, one of the things we stand to benefit through this crusade is that we’re going to reorientate our people to let them know that things of internal value must have preeminence in our lives.

“Today we worship money in Nigeria. I was just watching a report on social media recently where a young boy was told that he would become a millionaire if he buried his mother alive and he took the mother and buried her alive.

“It’s because of our distorted sense of value. But if the values and mindset of our people are transformed, they’ll begin to see that we’re here to serve God and humanity.

“Nigeria will be transformed and there’ll be change. Nigeria will move forward. That’s what we stand to benefit from.”