Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has urged Nigerians to strengthen national unity, promote inclusivity, and remain committed to nation-building as the country marks its 66th Independence Anniversary.

Sulaiman made the call in a goodwill message issued on Thursday to commemorate Nigeria’s independence anniversary, reflecting on the country’s journey since October 1, 1960.

He described Nigeria’s 66 years of independence as a testament to the resilience of its people and the efforts of successive administrations to advance the vision of the nation’s founding fathers.

Aligning with the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity,’ the NILDS director-general said the country’s diversity should be harnessed for national development rather than allowed to fuel division.

‘Our diversity across gender, ethnicity, region, and religion should remain a source of strength rather than division,’ he said.

Sulaiman called for greater public participation in nation-building, urging citizens to contribute to efforts to address the country’s security and developmental challenges.

He said national cohesion, gender inclusivity, unity, economic development, and legislative governance remained central to NILDS’ mandate of strengthening democratic institutions, promoting good governance, and advancing sustainable national development.

The former Minister of National Planning also congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, on the occasion.

While acknowledging that Nigeria had yet to achieve all its aspirations, Sulaiman noted that the country had continued to evolve and strengthen its democratic institutions.

He urged Nigerians to maintain their faith in the country and uphold the values of patriotism and collective responsibility.

‘Let us remain actively engaged in building a peaceful, inclusive, prosperous and united Nigeria,’ he urged.

Sulaiman further called on citizens to uphold national unity and contribute to overcoming the challenges confronting the nation, stressing the importance of collective action in consolidating Nigeria’s democratic and developmental gains.

He wished Nigerians a peaceful Independence Day celebration and prayed for continued peace, stability, and progress in the country.

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, has assured members of the party that all candidates vying for different positions in the 2027 election would come out victorious, without fight or rancour.

He gave the assurance while addressing a gathering at an interfaith prayer and praise concert, held at the Ake Pavilion, in Abeokuta, on Wednesday evening, organised to seek God’s divine intervention in the elections.

Adeola, representing Ogun West Senatorial District, said the prayers offered at the gathering would culminate in victory for the party at all levels, beginning with the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

He expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be re-elected, alongside APC candidates contesting National Assembly seats in Ogun State.

The lawmaker, who is aspiring to succeed Governor Dapo Abiodun, also prayed for divine support for his emergence as the next governor of the state.

He explained that the APC would record victory without a serious contest, saying God had already begun paving the way for the party ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election.

While adding that other political actors were allegedly making efforts to reorganize their political platforms, he remained confident that the APC would emerge victorious.

He said, ‘That same God that will give us victory on January 16 will also support me to become the seventeenth Executive Governor of Ogun State.

‘God will give us victory and clear our path without a fight. Because there will be nobody contesting against us. God has started that already. In February 6, 2027, there will be nobody, because they are all party less.’

He said they are running helter-skelter to perfect their shortcomings, but God has spoken that He’s going to give us victory without a fight,’ he added.

Also speaking, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said the gathering was an opportunity for APC members to seek God’s guidance and commit their political journey towards 2027 into His hands.

Abiodun said the party had gathered to put God first through prayers, songs, and thanksgiving, expressing confidence that the prayers would yield positive results.

Reflecting on his political journey, Abiodun recalled the challenges he faced during the 2019 governorship election, saying his emergence as governor was a testimony to God’s intervention.

He said the political circumstances at the time were difficult, but maintained that the same God who helped him navigate those challenges remained capable of guiding the state through another transition.

The governor added that despite the challenges and political opposition he encountered in 2018, he eventually emerged as governor, stressing that the same divine intervention would guide the state towards a smooth transition from his administration to the next government.

‘We have gathered here to seek the Almighty’s face and commit our journey of 2027 into His hands.

‘Today, we have come here to put God first, to pray, dance, and sing. I am very confident, and without a doubt, that our heart’s desires shall be granted by the men of God who have prayed for us.

‘I recalled how the journey was in 2018. When we started, it was not like this at all; it was tough. But God has used me as a testimony.

‘God of 2018 is still around, and He will continue to allow us to embark on a smooth transition from a sitting governor to the incoming governor,’ he said.

Earlier in his sermon, the Regional Evangelist of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Johnson Kalejaiye prayed for divine intervention for the 2027 general elections.

Pastor Kalejaiye prophesied that God will clear the coast for Ogun APC and lead the party to victory without a fight.

The cleric called on political parties to refrain from the campaign of calumny and hate speech that may trigger violence.

The event, attended by Muslim and Christian clerics who prayed for APC candidates’ victory in turn, also had in attendance Chief Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State; Minister of Livestock Idi Mukhta Maiha; Chief Yemisi Sanusi; Ogun State APC chairman and Senator Lekan Mustapha; and the Director General of the APC Campaign Council in Ogun.

The Ukomu Igala Organization (UIO) Worldwide has called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address multidimensional poverty, insecurity and the deterioration of social amenities across the country.

The organisation made the call in a statement signed by its President, Major General James Ataguba (retd.), to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

The UIO, while congratulating Nigerians on the anniversary, reaffirmed its commitment to the unity, peace and territorial integrity of the country.

It said the Igala people had remained active stakeholders in the Nigerian project through their contributions to national security, public service, commerce, education, culture and nation-building.

The organisation also acknowledged the contributions of past and present leaders to Nigeria’s development, while commending the administration of President Bola Tinubu for its ongoing economic and structural reforms.

According to the group, the reforms are being undertaken amid difficult economic conditions and are aimed at strengthening the economy, public institutions and social infrastructure, as well as attracting investments and laying the foundation for sustainable development.

However, it cautioned that the gains of the reforms could be undermined if the government failed to address the challenges confronting Nigerians, particularly at the grassroots.

‘While appreciating these efforts, however, our organisation will like to humbly observe that the country is still grappling with multidimensional poverty, pervasive insecurity and a progressive deterioration of social amenities in the country, especially at the grassroots,’ the statement said.

The organisation urged the Federal Government to reassure Nigerians of its commitment to improving their welfare through ‘more practical and productive steps’.

It also called on Nigerians to remain united and committed to nation-building, stressing that the responsibility for building a better country could not be left to government alone.

‘The future that we desire for ourselves, our children and generations to come cannot be built by the government alone. Rather, it can only materialise through shared commitment and sacrifices, hard work and patriotism of all citizens of Nigeria,’ it said.

The UIO described Nigeria as a country with significant potential and urged citizens not to lose hope in its future.

It said, ‘Our diversity remains our strength, our unity our shield, while our shared destiny remains our greatest asset.’

The organisation prayed for peace, stability, prosperity and progress in Nigeria and Kogi State, and congratulated Nigerians on the 66th Independence Anniversary.

The National Examinations Council [NECO] has introduced measures to curb racketeering in continuous assessment and strengthen the integrity of its examinations, dismissing claims that it establishes or operates ‘miracle centres’.

Registrar of NECO, Professor Dantani Wushishi, who disclosed this while speaking on the council’s efforts to tackle examination malpractice, said the reforms were part of measures that contributed to a 64.74 per cent reduction in malpractice cases recorded in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination [SSCE] Internal.

According to him, the number of candidates involved in various forms of examination malpractice dropped from 3,878 in 2025 to 1,406 in 2026.

Wushishi attributed the reduction to the deployment of technology in examination administration, including biometric verification, candidate photo-gating, barcode systems, computer-based testing (CBT) and randomisation of examination questions.

He said the council began intensifying the application of information and communication technology (ICT) in examination management after the current leadership assumed office in 2021.

‘We introduced several IT solutions and IT devices to curb the excesses of examination malpractice, having known the ease of examination malpractice as a teacher for more than 35 years,’ he said.

The registrar explained that NECO had introduced technology at various stages of the examination process, from test development to the conduct and marking of examinations.

He identified CBT as one of the major measures helping to reduce malpractice, saying the council had also randomised questions to make it difficult for candidates sitting close to one another to answer identical questions.

He said the same principle was applied to a large number of subjects conducted under the pen-and-paper mode because NECO currently operates a dual examination system.

‘CBT is one good answer to curb that, but it also comes with its own challenges. So, if possible, we will continue to increase our pace in the use of CBT,’ he said.

Wushishi added that a significant number of malpractice cases were detected during the marking of examination scripts by examiners.

The registrar said the council was also addressing loopholes in continuous assessment, which constitutes part of candidates’ final results but is largely generated and submitted by schools.

He said a committee constituted by the Minister of Education and comprising heads of examination bodies reviewed the challenges associated with continuous assessment and recommended measures to reduce manipulation.

He said the committee recommended that the contribution of continuous assessment to candidates’ final scores be reduced from 30 percent to 20 percent.

He added that the committee recommended that continuous assessment scores should no longer be submitted as a single cumulative figure.

‘First-term continuous assessment should be submitted by February. By March, you submit the second term. By April, you submit the final one,’ he said.

Wushishi disclosed that NECO had consequently developed a continuous assessment portal integrated into its main website to enable schools to submit the scores electronically.

He said the system would prevent schools from altering scores after submission.

‘The moment you submit your continuous assessment, you have no access to come and say, ‘Ah, I have forgotten something, we have a mistake, that we need to look at that continuous assessment again.’ It will never, never happen. Once you have submitted, you have submitted,’ he stated.

On the controversy surrounding ‘miracle centres,’ Wushishi said NECO did not establish or operate such centres, stressing that the council only accredits schools that meet its requirements to conduct its examinations.

‘We have nothing to do with miracle centres. In fact, as a council, we are not even aware of the existence of miracle centres,’ he stressed.

He explained that NECO owned only one school, the NECO Demonstration School, which had been upgraded to the SSCE level to serve as a model for the council’s examination administration.

According to him, schools seeking to serve as examination centres must undergo accreditation, while existing centres are subject to periodic reassessment.

He said NECO conducted accreditation exercises in February and October to ensure that schools continued to meet the required standards.

Wushishi, however, said the council had mechanisms for identifying centres suspected of facilitating examination malpractice.

‘As professionals in assessment, we have what we use to suspect a centre to be a miracle centre. And once that centre manifests such characteristics, we move quietly to assess the centre and determine whether it’s a miracle centre or not, on the basis of our accreditation records,’ he said.

The registrar cited an incident involving a public secondary school in Kogi State during the 2026 examination, where a NECO supervisor and other examination personnel were reportedly abducted.

He said the incident was subsequently attributed by the state Ministry of Information to the school being a ‘miracle centre,’ a description he rejected.

According to Wushishi, the school was established by the government about 40 years ago and had been accredited by NECO as an examination centre since 2000.

He said council records showed that the school had consistently presented candidates for its examinations, with the number never exceeding about 70 candidates.

He also noted that the supervisors deployed to the centre were employees of the Kogi State Ministry of Education who had served for several years.

Wushishi questioned how such a government-owned and accredited school could be classified as a miracle centre.

He said the responsibility for addressing the proliferation of such centres should involve state governments, which own public schools and regulate private schools within their jurisdictions.

The registrar further disclosed that NECO had introduced a system to verify the qualifications of teachers engaged in marking its examinations through the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria [TRCN].

He said schools would provide details of teachers during the accreditation process, including information on whether they possessed TRCN certification.

The information, he said, would be cross-checked through an interface between the NECO and TRCN portals before qualified teachers were recruited for examination-related duties.

Wushishi said the reforms, including the use of technology, question randomisation, stricter accreditation, continuous assessment controls and teacher verification, were designed to strengthen the credibility of NECO examinations and further reduce malpractice.

Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris, has congratulated Nigerians on the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary, urging citizens to renew their commitment to national unity, democratic values, and peaceful coexistence.

Idris also called for collective efforts to build a stronger, more prosperous, and united Nigeria.

The governor made the call in his Independence Day message, describing the anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on the country’s journey since independence in 1960, honour the sacrifices of its founding fathers and reaffirm citizens’ shared responsibility for national progress.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yahaya Serki, Idris said democracy, the rule of law, justice, fairness, and good governance remained essential to sustainable development and national stability.

He urged Nigerians to protect the country’s democratic gains and reject actions capable of undermining peace, unity, and constitutional order.

The governor said Nigeria’s greatest strength lay in its diversity and the ability of citizens to coexist despite political, religious, ethnic, and other differences.

‘We are stronger in unity, and our prosperity lies in upholding togetherness as one indivisible entity,’ the governor declared.

Idris urged Nigerians to draw inspiration from the patriotism, courage, discipline, and selflessness of the country’s founding fathers, noting that independence was achieved through sacrifice and a shared vision of a better nation.

He specifically acknowledged the contributions of prominent nationalists, including Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, saying their legacies should inspire present and future generations to prioritize national interests.

The governor also called for sustained prayers for Nigeria’s peace, stability, and prosperity, expressing confidence that the country’s challenges could be overcome through collective responsibility, resilience, mutual understanding, and faith.

On developments in Kebbi State, Idris assured residents that his administration remained committed to strengthening security, sustaining empowerment initiatives, and implementing development projects to improve their welfare and living conditions.

He called for greater patience, understanding, and cooperation from residents in addressing security challenges, stressing that protecting lives and property was a shared responsibility involving the government, security agencies, and citizens.

Idris also expressed confidence in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and reaffirmed his administration’s support for efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, security, democratic institutions, and overall development.

He thanked the people of Kebbi State for their continued support and cooperation, assuring them that his administration would remain focused on policies and programs that directly improve their lives and promote the state’s long-term development.

A nongovernmental organisation, the Frederick Foundation, a nongovernmental organization, in partnership with the University of Ibadan (UI) and the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, has launched a major initiative to strengthen stroke care, research, and medical education in Nigeria.

The partnership, formally inaugurated in Ibadan, aims to improve stroke treatment and outcomes, strengthen the capacity of healthcare professionals, and promote research into the prevention and management of the disease.

Established in December 2023 by Oxford Emeritus Professor of Neuropathology Margaret Esiri in memory of her late husband, Dr Frederick Esiri, the foundation also aims to strengthen academic collaboration between the University of Ibadan and the University of Oxford.

Speaking at the inauguration, Professor Esiri said the initiative was inspired by her late husband’s commitment to improving healthcare in Nigeria.

Dr Esiri, a Nigerian and Oxford medical graduate, returned to Nigeria in 1981 and operated a health clinic in Taraba State for more than 20 years.

Professor Esiri stated that the foundation would collaborate with UI, UCH, and Oxford University to strengthen stroke services and reduce mortality, while creating opportunities for medical students through a reciprocal exchange programme.

She said the foundation’s immediate priority was to improve stroke care outcomes in Ibadan and build a sustainable academic partnership between the medical schools of UI and Oxford.

As part of its early interventions, she disclosed that a seven-member clinical team from Ibadan had visited the Stroke Unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in the United Kingdom to observe its operations and learn from its approach to stroke management.

The visit, she said, was supported by educational webinars designed to assess how improved nursing and therapy practices could influence patient survival and recovery.

Building on this initiative, Professor Esiri stated that the foundation had introduced a reciprocal clinical neuroscience student exchange programme, with two medical students each from UI and Oxford participating to advance education and research.

She also stressed the importance of prevention, calling for increased attention to healthy lifestyles, stronger government support for stroke services, and broader access to quality treatment, particularly in low-resource settings.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan and chairman of the occasion, Professor Kayode Adebowale, described the initiative as a transformation of personal loss into a legacy of hope.

Adebowale stated that stroke care in Africa continues to face serious challenges, including limited access to neuroimaging, restricted availability of specialised therapies, delayed patient presentation, and inadequate standardised treatment protocols.

He said the collaboration would aim to address these gaps and develop practical interventions that could be replicated throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to him, the decision to make UI the anchor institution reflects its longstanding contributions to medical education and research in West Africa.

The Vice-Chancellor disclosed that a clinical neurosciences medical student exchange programme between UI and Oxford had been approved, with Professors Godwin Ogbole and Rufus Akinyemi playing key roles in establishing the academic partnership.

He said the collaboration would extend beyond student exchange to strengthening acute stroke services at UCH, developing standardised clinical workflows, and supporting research aimed at producing solutions applicable to resource-limited healthcare systems.

Also speaking, the Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Professor Taiwo Lawal, who represented the Provost of the College of Medicine, Professor Temidayo Ogundiran, stated that the partnership would provide opportunities for academic collaboration, clinical training, and research.

The foundation has awarded four travel grants to medical students from UI and Oxford to date.

Plans are also underway to establish an acute stroke unit at UCH, Ibadan, as part of efforts to enhance the hospital’s capacity to provide specialised stroke care.

THE recent directive by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) ordering filling stations across the country to immediately calibrate and verify their fuel dispensers and totalisers is both timely and necessary. The Authority says it has uncovered incidents of under-dispensing of petroleum products at retail outlets nationwide and has consequently intensified inspections and enforcement activities. It has also warned that persistent or serious violations could attract sanctions, including revocation of operating licences. This is welcome. But warnings are not enough.

Under-dispensing is not simply a technical irregularity or an improperly calibrated machine. Where it is deliberate, it amounts to taking money from consumers for products they did not receive. A motorist who pays for 20 litres but receives 18 litres has effectively been deprived of the value of two litres. Multiplied across hundreds of customers and thousands of transactions, seemingly small discrepancies can translate into substantial illicit gains at the expense of consumers. This practice is particularly unconscionable at a time when Nigerians are paying extraordinarily high prices for petrol. In September, petrol was selling at about ?1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja, with prices reaching about ?1,500 in some northern locations as higher international crude prices fed into the domestic market. At such prices, every litre matters.

Families are already adjusting household budgets to accommodate transportation and energy costs. Commercial drivers pass higher fuel costs to passengers. Businesses that depend on generators or road transportation incorporate them into the prices of goods and services. Some workers increasingly reconsider whether they can afford to drive regularly. Petrol is therefore not just another commodity: its price reverberates throughout the economy. To make consumers pay these elevated prices and then deny them part of the product purchased is exploitation upon hardship. NMDPRA is right to describe under-dispensing as a serious breach of consumer trust. But the Authority should go beyond directing filling stations to calibrate their own equipment. A regulatory system cannot principally depend upon operators suspected of wrongdoing certifying themselves as compliant. Independent verification is indispensable.

Indeed, under-dispensing is not a new phenomenon. Commercial drivers and motorists in many communities have for years exchanged information about filling stations reputed to give better or poorer value. NMDPRA itself has previously taken enforcement action. In February, 11 filling stations in Rivers State were sealed over infractions including under-dispensing and failed pumps under the Authority’s ‘Operation One Litre for One Litre’ surveillance exercise. In July, two stations in Ogun State were sealed following alleged regulatory violations, including under-dispensing. The question, therefore, is not whether the problem exists. It is whether enforcement can become sufficiently consistent to deter it. NMDPRA should institute continuous, unannounced inspections of filling stations across the country. Inspectors should arrive without prior notification, conduct standard volumetric tests on randomly selected pumps, and document the results electronically. Stations should not know when inspectors are coming or which pumps will be tested. Predictability defeats the purpose of surveillance.

There should also be graduated but consequential sanctions. An accidental calibration problem identified and promptly corrected need not be treated in exactly the same manner as deliberate pump manipulation or repeated under-dispensing. But stations found intentionally cheating consumers should face substantial penalties. Repeat offenders should be suspended, and persistent or egregious offenders should lose their licences, as the Authority has warned. That threat will have little deterrent value if no operator believes it will actually be carried out. Enforcement should also be transparent. NMDPRA should periodically publish the number of stations inspected, the number found compliant, the number found under-dispensing, the degree of measurement error detected and the sanctions imposed. Where a station is sanctioned for a proven violation, the public should be informed. Consumers deserve to know which businesses have been found taking their money without supplying the corresponding quantity of product.

There should equally be an accessible consumer-reporting mechanism. Motorists who suspect under-dispensing should be able to report a station quickly, preferably through a dedicated telephone line, mobile platform or online portal, providing the station’s location, pump number, time and receipt where available. Multiple complaints against the same outlet should automatically trigger an inspection. This would effectively turn millions of consumers into an additional layer of market surveillance. The wider context also matters. Government has promoted compressed natural gas (CNG) as a cheaper alternative to petrol, and there has been measurable expansion. Yet, with refuelling facilities spread across only part of the country, CNG is still not a practical substitute for petrol for millions of motorists. For the foreseeable future, therefore, Nigerians will remain heavily exposed to what happens at the petrol pump.

NMDPRA consequently has an obligation not merely to regulate the petroleum industry but to protect the people purchasing its products. The Petroleum Industry Act created the Authority as the regulator of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sector. Consumer protection must be treated as a core part of that responsibility, not as an occasional enforcement campaign. The latest directive is therefore a useful beginning, but Nigerians should expect more than another circular. The Authority should make pump verification a permanent feature of downstream regulation, backed by surprise inspections, credible sanctions, transparent reporting and easy consumer complaints. Most importantly, it should make an example of operators deliberately cheating customers. Filling stations that systematically steal from consumers should not merely be warned and told to recalibrate their pumps. Where deliberate or repeated fraud is established, they should be shut down and, where appropriate, have their licences revoked.

At ?1,400 to ?1,500 per litre of petrol, Nigerians are already paying dearly enough. They should at least get the full litre they paid for.

Nollywood has suffered another loss following the death of actor Chijioke Nwokafor, popularly known as CJay Nwoks, barely two weeks after the death of veteran actor Olu Jacobs.

CJay Nwoks reportedly died on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at an undisclosed hospital in the Badore area of Lagos State.

His death came as the Nigerian film industry was still mourning Jacobs, whose death at the age of 84 was announced by his family on September 16. Jacobs, who had a career spanning more than five decades across theatre, television and film, was one of the country’s most recognised veteran actors.

The latest loss was announced by actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday, who had recently cast CJay as the lead actor in a new movie scheduled for release on Wednesday (yesterday).

In a video shared on her Instagram page, the actress broke down in tears as she explained that the movie would no longer be released following the actor’s death.

‘It took me a lot to do this video because we won’t be dropping the movie again by 5 pm.

‘Right now, I’m in the hospital in Badore. I just lost CJay. CJay is dead. I don’t even know where to start.’

Reports said CJay’s death came as a shock to colleagues and members of the production team, with the planned release of the film subsequently cancelled.

The actor’s reported death has also drawn reactions from colleagues in the industry, with several actors expressing shock and mourning his passing.

Details surrounding the circumstances of CJay’s death, including the cause, remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sokoto State, has announced October 9, 2026, as the commencement date for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards by registered voters in the state.

The commission urged eligible citizens to collect their PVCs at designated centres and rely only on official INEC channels for information concerning the electoral process.

INEC made this known in a statement issued on Thursday by its Public Affairs Officer, Hassan Sarki Gendane, as Nigeria marked its 66th Independence Anniversary.

The commission also called on citizens to maintain peace, respect the rule of law and participate actively and responsibly in the electoral process.

According to the statement, INEC remains committed to conducting elections in accordance with the law and ensuring that every vote is properly accounted for.

It urged voters to have confidence in the electoral process and stressed that citizens have the right to freely choose their preferred candidates.

The commission congratulated Nigerians on the Independence Anniversary and called for continued support for democratic institutions and the strengthening of democracy.

In continuation of its coordinated response to the recent flooding in Ebonyi State, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has conducted an on-the-spot assessment of affected communities across several local government areas of the state to ascertain the extent of the disaster and identify the immediate needs of affected persons.

The assessment team, led by NEMA’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Bature Usman, visited flood-affected communities in Ohazura, Afikpo, Ivo and other areas, where several houses and farmlands were affected by the flood.

The team included the Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr Abbani Imam Garki; Head of NEMA’s Enugu Operations Office, Mrs Priscilla Maduekwe; officials of the Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA); and members of the Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs).

The special intervention team was deployed by the NEMA Director-General, Mrs Zubaida Umar, to reinforce the response by the agency’s Enugu Operations Office and the state government, as well as strengthen coordination with relevant stakeholders.

The assessment provided an opportunity for the team to interact with affected residents and evaluate the impact of the flooding.

Recall that the NEMA delegation, on arrival in the state, had delivered relief materials approved by the Federal Government through the agency to provide immediate succour to persons affected by the disaster.

Receiving the relief materials, the Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr Francis Nwifuru, expressed appreciation to NEMA for its timely intervention and continued support to the state in addressing the humanitarian consequences of the flooding.

The governor assured the delegation that the relief materials would be distributed judiciously and transparently to ensure that they reached the intended beneficiaries.

The intervention underscores NEMA’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with state governments and other relevant stakeholders in providing timely humanitarian assistance, coordinating disaster response and supporting the recovery of affected communities.