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UNICEF Lauds Bauchi On Faecal Sludge Management Drive
Published
8 months agoon
By
Editor
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Bauchi state government on its Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) drive in the state.
Dr Nuzhat Rafique, UNICEF’s Chief of Bauchi Field Office, made the commendation in Bauchi on Wednesday during a one-day exchange visit agenda for the Faecal Sludge Management strategy implementations in the state.
According to her, Bauchi state is the first state in the country to have the guideline for Faecal Sludge Management.
Rafique, who was represented by Mrs Nanbam Dawap, UNICEF Water Sanitation and Hygiene Officer, Bauchi, said “for the past years, we have been asking people to have and use toilets.
READ ALSO: UNICEF Lauds Northern Traditional Rulers On Polio Eradication Campaign
“The aim of having and using a toilet is because we want the environment to be open defecation free.
“Even when the toilets are filled up, we will have to manage them through the sanitation chain from the collection, transportation, storing and the recycling.
“I want to congratulate Bauchi state in a very special way for being the first state to have the guideline for Faecal sludge management in Nigeria”.
The UNICEF boss also congratulated the Plateau and Gombe states government for sending representatives to come for the exchange visit and study what the Bauchi state government has been doing in this regard.
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This, she said, would allow them to put the same effort in place back in their respective states and urged all the participants to pay attention and take the story back to their various communities.
Also speaking, Mr Danlami Kawule, the Bauchi state Commissioner for Housing and Environment, lauded UNICEF, WaterAid Nigeria and other donor partners for the technical support they have been providing to the state.
He said that the support has made Bauchi state to be among the leading states working toward the actualisation of a Safely Managed Sanitation in the country.
“I’m sure you will all agree with me that faecal sludge management has been very poor in most of our States.
“But the story is now changing in Bauchi state due to the collective efforts of all the stakeholders that are present here. Well done to all of us.
READ ALSO: UNICEF Urges women To Shun Home Child Delivery
“The Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency as a regulating Agency under the Ministry of Environment is doing a good work by formalising all the key actors along the faecal sludge value chain in the State,” he said.
In his remarks, Mr Habibu Mohammed, the General Manager, Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), stated that the essence of exchange study could not be overemphasised in achieving set objectives.
Mohammed recounted how the Agency visited Plateau State RUWASSA some years ago to understudy the function of WASH directorate before the state established its own.
He expressed optimism that partnership, collaboration and understudy are key indicators of development and growth in all sectors.
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News
Nigerian Don Bags US Varsity Elite Research Fellowship
Published
3 hours agoon
September 5, 2025By
Editor
A Nigerian scholar, Raphael Ebiefung, has been awarded the prestigious Grace Jordan McFadden Professor Programme Fellowship at the University of South Carolina.
A statement issued by the Institution noted that the “highly competitive fellowship” recognises academic leaders who advance knowledge and address pressing social challenges.
Ebiefung, a doctoral researcher and a one-time assistant lecturer and librarian at Top-Faith University, Nigeria, who specialises in human-AI interaction and information behaviour, is expected to join “an elite group of scholars shaping the future of higher education and interdisciplinary inquiry,” the University said.
Ebiefung, in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Friday, described the award as a “milestone that underscores Nigeria’s capacity to produce world-class scholars.”
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He said, “I am deeply honoured to receive the Grace Jordan McFadden Fellowship. It is a testament to the resilience and potential of young Nigerian academics striving to make a global impact.
“My research seeks to understand the dynamics of human behaviour in relation to AI systems. This area is critical as we move deeper into the digital age,” he explained.
Nigerian scholars have continued to leave an impressive intellectual footprint across the world.
The PUNCH reported how, in August, a Nigerian scientist, Deborah Agbakwuru, was awarded the prestigious Besancon scholarship at the University of Montana.
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The scholarship is one of the most distinguished graduate recognitions at the university and is awarded annually to an outstanding researcher in the biological, physical, and mathematical sciences.
Similarly, Nigerian-born researcher, Peter Ngene, won a €2m grant from the European Research Council for his project in 2024.
Ngene, an associate professor at the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, was among seven researchers from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, who won the grant. According to a statement by his university, Ngene’s work focused on the “interface-mediated fast ionic conductivity in nanocomposite solid-state electrolytes.”
He said the goal was to unravel the reason why the ionic conductivity of certain solids can increase or decrease by thousands of fold at their interface with other solids.
News
NBA Drags IGP Egbetokun To Court Over Tinted Glass Permit Policy
Published
4 hours agoon
September 5, 2025By
Editor
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has filed a lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, challenging the legality of the Nigeria Police Force’s tinted glass permit policy.
The lawsuit, instituted on Wednesday, September 2, 2025, before the Federal High Court in Abuja, comes months after the IGP introduced a directive requiring motorists to apply for and renew tinted glass permits annually through a digital platform, for a fee.
In a statement released Friday, the NBA described the policy as unlawful, unconstitutional, and lacking transparency. It also raised concerns that proceeds from the exercise were being paid into a private account rather than the Federation Account.
“Despite the extension of enforcement to October 2, 2025, several motorists have reported harassment and extortion by policemen at checkpoints on the basis of this policy,” the association said, warning that it infringes on citizens’ rights to privacy, freedom of movement, and dignity.
READ ALSO:Ex-gov Ohakim, IGP, Others Win Fundamental Rights Suit
The NBA also questioned the validity of the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991, a military-era law under which the police has anchored the policy, stressing that it may not meet constitutional tests required in a democratic society.
The action was filed by the NBA’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), led by Prof. Paul Ananaba (SAN) and Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun (SAN). The association vowed to pursue the case “to a logical conclusion.”
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION CHALLENGES THE LEGALITY OF THE POLICE TINTED GLASS PERMIT POLICY OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE
One of the key resolutions of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Bar Association at its pre-conference NEC meeting held on the 23rd day of August 2025 in Enugu is that the NBA should challenge the legality of the Nigeria Police Force tinted permit policy in court.
READ ALSO:IGP Launches Safe School Initiative In Bauchi
In April 2025, the Inspector General of Police purportedly introduced a policy which mandated members of the Nigerian motoring public to apply for and obtain annual motor tinted glass permits from the Nigeria Police Force for a fee. The Inspector General of Police in the same month purportedly launched a digital portal (http://possap.gov.ng) through which the application for tinted glass permits were to be processed. We are being informed that the portal and the policy are to be managed by a private vendor, and there is no indication that the funds generated from the enforcement of the purported policy will go into the Federation Account.
The Inspector General of Police initially pegged the date of commencement of the enforcement of the Policy to the 1st day of June 2025, but subsequently extended the date to the 2nd day of October 2025.
Despite the fact that the date of commencement of the enforcement of the purported policy has been extended to the 2nd day of October 2025, there have been several reported cases of harassment and extortion of citizens by the Policemen in checkpoint duty on the basis of this same Policy, thus raising serious concerns of threats to and violation of citizens’ fundamental rights to dignity of human person, right to privacy, right to freedom of movement and the right to own movable property guaranteed as by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.
Furthermore, the introduction and proposed enforcement of the tinted glass permit Policy has raised several other genuine concerns, including the validity of the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act (Decree 1991), a military-era law under which the Police has sought refuge. A critical scrutiny of the Act would confirm concerns that the legislation may be unable to satisfy the test of a law reasonably justifiable in a democratic society under Section 45 of the 1999 Constitution as to justify reliance on it to deprive citizens of their rights to privacy and free movement.
READ ALSO:NCAA Petitions IGP Over KWAM 1’s Unruly Conduct In Abuja Airport
Moreover, the fact that the legislation does not make provision for renewal of tinted glass permits or payment of fees for renewal are serious issues which clearly reveal that the Policy lacks statutory foundation.
Furthermore, that payment for the permit is being made into a private account: PARKWAY PROJECTS Account No: 4001017918 raises serious concerns of transparency surrounding the utilisation of funds realised from the exercise, given that the account is neither domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria nor associated with the Treasury Single Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Against the above backdrop, the Nigerian Bar Association, through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) has on Wednesday the 2nd September 2025 instituted a public interest action before the Federal High Court, Abuja in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/182/2025 between: The Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association v. The Inspector General of Police & Anor essentially challenging the legality of the tinted glass permit policy.
The NBA-SPIDEL, under the leadership of its Transition Committee Chairman, Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN and the Section’s Public Interest Litigation Committee, chaired by Mr. Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun, SAN, whose proactive efforts were responsible for the accomplishment of this task, have been directed to pursue this litigation to a logical conclusion.
News
Peju Ogunmola’s Family Breaks Silence On Cause Of Son’s Death
Published
4 hours agoon
September 5, 2025By
Editor
The family of veteran actress, Peju Ogunmola, has spoken out for the first time following the passing of the actress’ only son, Sola Ayomikun Omobolanle, dismissing rumours about the circumstances of his death.
Tribune Online reports that Ayomikun, the 24-year-old son of Ogunmola and her husband, comic actor Sunday Omobolanle, popularly known as Aluwe, died on September 2, 2025.
Shortly after the news broke, unverified reports surfaced online alleging that his death was linked to a bathroom accident — claims the family has now categorically denied.
In a statement signed by Yemi Amodu on behalf of the Ogunmola family, they clarified that Ayomikun passed away in a hospital in Ibadan after a brief illness, not from any accident.
READ ALSO:Veteran Actress, Peju Ogunmola, Loses Only Child
The statement read: “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved son, Sola Ayomikun Omobolanle, a jewel, a precious child, and a rising star whose light shone brightly and touched many lives.
“We wish to clearly state that Sola did not pass away as a result of any bathroom accident, contrary to false reports being circulated online. He was briefly unwell and, during this period, received first-class medical care. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, he peacefully answered the call of his Creator.”
The family further condemned the speculation surrounding his death, describing it as painful and disrespectful.
READ ALSO:The Only celebrity I Have Ever Had A Crush Is Davido – Peju Johnson
“These misleading stories, suggesting that Sola died from a fall in the bathroom without help, are entirely false. They not only dishonour his memory but also bring unnecessary pain to his loved ones,” the statement added.
According to the family, Ayomikun has since been laid to rest at Eternal Rest Home in Ibadan, surrounded by relatives and close friends.
They also expressed appreciation for the support received during their period of mourning:
“At this time of grief, we are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support we have received from family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. Your kindness has been a source of strength and comfort. We pray that no family will ever have to endure the pain of untimely loss. May the Almighty grant Sola eternal rest and grant us all the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
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