News

Bauchi Woman Advocates Daycare Centres In Workplaces

Published

2 years ago

August 10, 2023

A lactating mother in Bauchi state, Adama Mohammed, has called on the state government to establish creches in working place for working mothers.

She made the call in Azare, the headquarters of Katagum local government area of the state on Thursday during a media field trip organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field Office.

According to her, if established, the creches would allow all lactating mothers who are also working to have privacy and feel free to breastfeed their babies.

Mohammed, who is also a nurse at Nasarawa B Primary Healthcare Centre, Azare, said “I’m calling on the government to please make provision of creches for breastfeeding mothers at work places.

“We will be glad if the government can do this especially, especially, the breastfeeding mothers working in hospitals,” she said.

The mother of six also called on the state government to extend the three months maternity leave to six months.

She said this would avail the working and breastfeeding mothers the opportunity to have enough time to rest and exclusively breastfeed their babies for a period six months.

The health worker, who explained that all her six children were exclusively breastfed, said the six months maternity leave would also lessen the burden of shuttling from work to home in order to breastfeed their babies.

“Because of its health benefits that we had been taught, all my six children are exclusive babies and didn’t drink water till after six months.

“I make sure I feed my last baby well before going to work so it takes him upto an hour before I go back home and feed him again so that nobody will give him water.

“Had it been there is provision creche here, I wouldn’t have to be going back home to breastfeed him at all,” she said.

Also speaking to newsmen at Tatari Ali PHC, Azare, Ummulkhairi Abdullahi, said she exclusively breastfed her two years old baby as been taught by UNICEF and health workers at the PHC.

She testified that exclusive breastfeeding is a life saver of babies, adding that she had seen the benefits in her healthy baby.

She further called on other women to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the benefit of both babies and mothers.

UNICEF oganised the trip to intaract with and find out the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding from lactating mothers and the plights of mothers who are breastfeeding their babies and working at the same time.

News

EFCC Orders Arrest Of Dismissed Officer On Lege Miami’s Show

Published

55 minutes ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has condemned the actions of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, who was recently spotted participating in a matchmaking programme on social media platforms hosted by popular entertainer Lege Miami.

The agency has ordered his immediate arrest for retaining official EFCC property, including an identity card, following his dismissal for certificate forgery.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on its official X handle on Monday, said Folarin served as a driver at the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate.

He was, however, dismissed after investigations confirmed he had forged his academic credentials.

It said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, condemned in the strongest terms, the involvement of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, in a matchmaking programme running on Lege Miami social media platforms.”

“Folarin was recently dismissed from the Commission for certificate forgery. He was a driver at the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”

The statement said EFCC Executive Chairma,n Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered Folarin to be arrested and emphasised that Folarin’s actions should not be associated with the commission.

“The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered his arrest for being in possession of some Commission’s properties, including an identity card, which he should have handed over upon being dismissed from the EFCC.

“The public is advised against associating Folarin’s post-dismissal conduct with the EFCC,” the statement concluded.

News

NERC Transfers Regulation Of Electricity Market To Bayelsa

Published

1 hour ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency.

In a notice on its social media handles on Monday, the commission said this was in compliance with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023.

“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State from the Commission to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency,” the commission said.

Recall that with the Electricity Act 2023, the commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the interstate/international generation, transmission, supply, trading, and system operations.

The Act also mandates any state that intends to establish and regulate intrastate electricity markets to deliver a formal notification of its processes and requests NERC to transfer regulatory authority over electricity operations in the state to the state regulator.

The transfer order by NERC directed Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc to incorporate a subsidiary distribution company to assume responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Bayelsa State from PHED.

PHED was also directed to complete the incorporation of PHED SubCo within 60 days from August 21, 2025.

“The subcompany shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from BYERA, among other directives,” the commission said.

It concluded that all transfers envisaged by the order shall be completed by February 20, 2026.

With this order, Bayelsa has joined states like Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo and Plateau, which have got the power to regulate electricity markets.

The state can now generate, transmit, and distribute electricity while issuing licences to investors within the value chain.

News

Things To Know As INEC Begins Physical Voter Registration Monday

Published

1 hour ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission commenced the physical, in-person phase of its 2025 Continuous Voter Registration exercise across Nigeria today, Monday, August 25.

This follows the online pre-registration that commenced on August 18, 2025.

In an update on its X handle on Monday, the commission provided details of the schedule, locations, and eligibility of voters.

INEC said in-person registration will run Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and urged eligible Nigerians to complete their registration at INEC state or local government offices in their area.

The commission said those eligible to register or update their details include:

New voters aged 18 and above who have not registered before.

Holders needing to replace lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Voters seeking to transfer their registration to a new location.

People who need to update or correct their voter information (name, address, etc.).

The electoral umpire asked registrants who completed online pre-registration to proceed to their INEC State Head Office or LGA office to finalise the process.

The commission also published a list of registration centres on its official portal.