News

Polio: How UNICEF Moves To Eradicate Menace In Bauchi

Published

1 year ago

April 26, 2025

Editor

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with the Bauchi state government has mobilised traditional rulers to ensure massive 2025 polio vaccine uptake and compliance in the state.

Speaking during the monitoring of the vaccination exercise in Ningi Local Government Area of the state on Saturday, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office, Bauchi, lauded the Emirs for actively participating in the advocacy of the polio vaccine uptake in the state.

Represented by Mr Eki George, UNICEF’s Social Behaviour Change Specialist, Rafique acknowledged that the role the traditional rulers would play to ensure massive vaccine compliance and uptake could not be overemphasised.

“It is a welcome development to see our royal fathers taking up the leadership role in leading our communities to do the right thing.

“We are indeed very grateful as we have sought for their roles in this campaign and here they are with us to ensure that our children are all vaccinated.

“We appreciated the presence of the traditional rulers during these monitoring exercises and this will definitely encourage and boost the uptake of the polio vaccine, especially by the non-compliance people in the state.

“This is a campaign where we want to ensure that all the zero dose children in the state receive the life saving vaccine as well as ensure that the parents especially, fathers continuously give consent for their children to be vaccinated,” she said.

Rafique expressed UNICEF’s readiness to support all the LGAs, the communities and the state at large in ensuring that all the qualified children are vaccinated and kick out polio from the state and Nigeria in general.

Also speaking, Alh. Othman Usman, Emir of Dass, said that the traditional institutions in the state were very committed to ensure that polio is completely eradicated in Bauchi state this time around.

The First Class Emir, who is the Chairman, Bauchi state Emirate Councils Committee on Health (BASECCOH), said the traditional rulers would be fully involved in the mobilisation of communities, especially the non-compliance for the vaccine uptake.

“There are many communities here that are very known for non-compliance of the polio vaccine and that is why I and the Emir of Ningi have decided to visit the communities by ourselves.

“We are here to sensitise the people of these communities to ensure that the health workers can be able to access each and every household to be able to vaccinate all the eligible children in these communities,” he said.

The Emir also explained that they had been working closely with some Malams and Imams who had been resisting the vaccine in the past, adding that they have all accepted it.

“It’s a very good effort and In-Sha-Allah, we are going to see successes because the issue of resistance is now being taken care of.

“Even those Imams that were resisting to some extent before are now with us and one of them just did a symbolic vaccination of some children,” he said.

The Emir of Dass was accompanied by the Emir of Ningi, Alh. Haruna Danyaya and some religious and community leaders.

News

Edo NLC Crisis: Caretaker Committee Drags Rival Exco, Govt To Court

Published

3 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The division in the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took a new dimension on Wednesday as Prof. Monday Monday Lewis Igbafen-led caretaker committee approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benin Judicial Division, seeking to affirm its authority and restrain a rival executive from parading itself as the council’s leadership.

Joined in the suit are the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

In a suit marked: NICN/BEN/12/2026, and filed before the court in Benin, the claimant, Igbafen, acting for himself and on behalf of the NLC Caretaker Committee in Edo State, is challenging the continued occupation of the union’s secretariat and control of its assets by members of the Bernard Egwakhide-led factional State Executive Council.

The claimants are asking the court to declare that the caretaker committee (Igbafen-led faction), constituted on August 11, 2025, by the NLC national leadership, remains the only lawful authority to administer the affairs of the Edo State Council pending fresh elections.

They further seek a declaration that the continued occupation of the NLC secretariat located at No. 1 Teboga Road, Benin City, as well as the retention of union assets, financial records, and official instruments by the defendants, is illegal and void.

The suit also prays for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as officials of the NLC Edo Council or interfering with the functions of the caretaker committee.

In addition, the claimants are seeking a mandatory order compelling the defendants to immediately hand over the secretariat, vehicles, financial documents, cheque books, and all other properties belonging to the union.

The caretaker committee further urged the court to restrain the state government and its officials from interfering in the internal affairs of the union, alleging undue support for the dissolved executive.

The claimants further demand N50 million as general and exemplary damages against the defendants for alleged unlawful usurpation of office and acts prejudicial to the administration of the council.

According to court documents made available to our correspondent, the crisis followed the dissolution of the Edo State Council by the NLC National Executive Council on February 27, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, anti-union activities, and constitutional violations.

However, the matter has yet to be assigned a hearing date.

News

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

9 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.