The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • MOSOP welcomes military operations in Ogoniland

    The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has described the current military operations in parts of Ogoniland, Rivers State, as a step in the right direction.

    The military operation is to weed out criminals, vandals and cultists who MOSOP said has turned the area into a blood river.

    A statement on Sunday by its President, Legborsi Pyagbara, said an end must come to criminal activities in Ogoniland.

    Read Also: Wike pledges improved security for Ogoni communities

    The statement reads: “While we hail the deployment of military personnel in Ogoniland, we urge that the operations be carried out within the ambit of the law and respect for the rights of innocent citizens so that unnecessary collateral damage will not be experienced.

    “We urge the people to remain peaceful, law abiding and support the legitimate operations. We assure the people that we are monitoring the process to ensure that innocent lives are not lost. We will promptly take actions against any of such operations that lead to any unnecessary attack on innocent individuals.”

    MOSOP added that any breach of professional rule of engagement observed during the military operations should be reported to the appropriate military authorities and to the office of the umbrella organisation of Ogoni people.

  • Indomitables game app debuts on play store

    Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie Noodles, has launched The Indomitables mobile game on Android.

    The Indomitables is riding on Indomie’s well-known superhero cartoon characters. It features superheroes – Vision, Tweeny, Stretchy, Swifty and Big Boy, collectively known as The Indomitables – who take on the Hunger Monsters unleashed by General Wrath.

    On the modalities for playing, Brand Manager Nikhil Das explained that the player could play as a superhero by collecting bowls of Indomie Noodles that satisfy hunger and Indomie amulets that give superpowers.

    In the highly engaging game, The Indomitables face an insurmountable challenge; the despicable tyrant, General Wrath, has unleashed ‘Hunger Monsters’ across Nigeria and fled. These monsters feed off their victim’s, leaving them weak and helpless.

    Read Also: Don Jazzy, Miyonse, Uriel are Indomie BBN ambassadors

    The General will return to rule after his monsters turn healthy Nigerians into weaklings.

    To tackle these evil monsters is to keep your stomach full and body healthy with Indomie Noodles. With superpowers and their favourite Indomie Noodles, The Indomitables can stop the Hunger Monsters.

    Das said: “These superpowers are deployed by the player to vanquish Hunger Monsters and energise the players. Players can have fun as they run, slide, jump, swipe right and left and attack to save Nigeria. The player cum superhero with the most points will make it to the top of the leader board.”

    Group Public Relations and Events Manager of Dufil Temitope Ashiwaju noted that the game was another way the brand engages its consumers.

    He said: ‘’The Indomitables is the first game a food brand has launched on play store in Nigeria. This is another first by Dufil Prima Foods, pioneers in the noodles market … to keep our consumers engaged with the brand.”

    He added that the company would work towards making the 55MB game available on IOS not to leave anyone behind.

  • Delta spends N377m on water reticulation

    Delta State government has spent N377 million to provide potable water for homes in Asaba and Ughelli.

    It built 5km water pipelines each in 10 urban areas of Issele-Uku, Patani, Ogharefe, Ozoro, Kwale, Koko, Orerokpe, Burutu, Obiarukwu and Ogwashi-Uku.

    Commissioner for Water Resources Martins Okonta, who spoke yesterday in Asaba, urged residents to consume water from the public water system.

    He said water from private boreholes were not as safe as that from public supply.

    Read Also: Free medical care for 700 in Delta communities

    “Most private boreholes do not have treatment plants; they don’t have quality control, they just put the boreholes, get water and start using it without treatment. But the government or public water sector has treatment plants and when treated you will see the difference – there will be no colour, no taste and no odour,’’ he said.

    “Water from the public sector has a lot of advantages because it goes through quality control, data control and is treated, unlike private boreholes that are usually sunk near cesspits, which amount to taking contaminated water into your system.

    Continuing, Okonta said:  “I will not subscribe to drinking water from private boreholes because they are not treated and the boreholes are cited close to cesspits. Even when your well is not close to a cesspit, your neighbour cites his cesspit close to the borehole.

    “The government has committed over N233 million into the Asaba Regional Water Scheme, while the Ughelli Regional Water Scheme has received N144 million.

    ‘’In a bid to get water distributed to homes, the government has also built 5km water pipelines in 10 urban areas – Issele-Uku, Patani, Ogharefe, Ozoro, Kwale, Koko, Orerokpe, Burutu, Obiarukwu and Ogwashi-Uku.”

  • Our plan to improve Niger Delta, by NDDC chair-designate

    Chairman-designate of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Dr Pius Odubu has said the board, when constituted, will adopt a needs assessment approach to select projects to execute.

    Odubu promised that the board would live above board and ensure quality work in Niger Delta. He addressed reporters after attending the 70th birthday thanksgiving of Mrs. Roseline Edaghuase Imariagbe, mother of former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie.

    Read Also: ‘Don’t transfer NDDC to Niger Delta ministry’

    He said: “The God who started it will finish it. We intend to have a vibrant NDDC; one that will prioritise the needs of the people. We are going to adopt the NEEDS assessment.

    “We will go to the various communities to ask them their needs; we will not force projects down their throats. We will take the Adams Oshiomhole template to NDDC by having daily inspection and ensure we get value for money. Accountability will be the word; we will turn the region around.

    “Look at the calibre of people going there; they are men of impeccable character; they are neither hungry nor in need of money; people who are already contented. It remains, therefore, for us to work; to do our best so that we will continue to bless this land; do our best and join President Muhammadu Buhari in taking the Niger Delta to the next level.”

  • ‘Don’t transfer NDDC to Niger Delta ministry’

    Iwere People’s Congress (IPC) has kicked against plans to transfer supervision of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from the Presidency to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

    The Itsekiri group, in a statement by its spokesman, Prince Francis Fari, said the proposition, as indicated by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, would not align with laws establishing NDDC.

    “The ministers of the Niger Delta Godswill Akpabio and Festus Keyamo (SAN) have made statements with regards to their supervisory control of the…NDDC

    Read Also: APC youths protest against Abia NDDC Board commissioner- nominee

    “They have stated …plans to subsume the commission’s operations under the Ministry of Niger Delta… This will also make the commission answerable to the ministry … as against the Presidency as originally intended.

    “We…will like to clarify that subsuming the NDDC under the Ministry of the Niger Delta will be going against the letter of the Act …

    “However, it is also trite to state that NDDC is older than the ministry …we do not think it is right to place the commission under the control of the ministry …Niger Delta people will prefer the…commission …the way it is.’’

  • Plentywaka begins operations Monday

    Crowdyvest is set to launch a bus hailing company, Plentywaka, which will begin operations on Monday, 16th September with 25 brand new buses.

    According to the MD/CEO of Crowdyvest, Onyeka Akumah, Plentywaka is all about using technology to affect lives.

    He noted that unlike other transport hailing companies, it is out to make millionaires of investors and staff, including drivers and vehicle assistants.

    “We are building a model to empower the drivers to become millionaires, creating jobs and are particular with the values as against just business making venture.”

    Drivers become bus owners after three years of driving a bus for Plentywaka on the condition that the bus is left in the impeccable state in which it was handed over to them and vehicle assistants can also own buses by investing, Akumah revealed.

    Read Also: ‘Farming is a lucrative business’

    He noted that the organsation’s decision to veer into transport business stemmed from the huge success that Farmcrowdy enjoyed in few years of operation and the need to change the way our buses are in Lagos. “We are particular about quality, safety, efficiency, time management.”

    Noting that Farmcrowdy investors are also investors in Plentywaka, Akumah said: “people that invested in Farmcrowdy have been moved to a platform called Crowdyvest.

    “The goal was to get them to Crowdyvest so that they won’t just invest in agriculture alone, but they can see investment opportunities in Plentywaka.”

    Akumah revealed that Ajah-CMS/CMS-Ajah and beyond will be the pilot route of Plentywaka, from where Plentywaka would expand to other routes within Lagos even as they add to their fleet.

    Akumah introduced Plentywaka’s Founding team in the following order, Johnny Enagwolo, Co-Managing Director, Plentywaka, John Shaibu, VP, Customer Engagement, Afolabi Oluseyi, VP Operations.

    Other partners are Pastor Debo Omotunde and Pastor Godman Akinlabi.

    Akumah called on all stakeholders in the transport sector to work with Plentywaka to make Lagos the desired mega city, adding that Plentywaka is not in completion but seeks to partner with the Lagos state government and indeed every stakeholder in the transport sector.

  • Police rescue kidnapped Baze University lecturer

    The FCT Police Command said it has rescued a university lecturer that was kidnapped in Abuja last week.

    The Command disclosed this as part of measures to clarify claims made on social media that FCT was under siege.

    The message, which went viral reads: “FCT is under siege, be warned. Its been officially confirmed that 6 persons have been kidnapped within the capital city just yesterday, 14th September,2019.

    “They include a lecturer with Base university who was kidnapped in broad day light, two teenagers returning from Islamiyyah at 6 pm in Wuse zone 6, one Mrs Hannah Azuibuike at 8.30 pm near Habiba plaza in Maitama and Miss Ummi Umar Ardo who was kidnapped at 7,45 outside Blickers Super market Asokoro.”

    Reacting to the security alert, the Commissioner of Police in charge of FCT, CP Bala Ciroma, disclosed that the kidnapped lecturer has been rescued.

    Read Also: APC condoles varsity community on death of kidnapped professor

    He also stated that the Command has commenced investigations into the kidnap that took place on Saturday in Abuja.

    The statement reads: “The FCT Police Command wishes to reassure the public that the Federal Capital Territory is safe and the Police have reinvigorated its crime-fighting strategy to ensure the protection of lives and property in FCT.

    “It is pertinent to inform the public that the Police has successfully rescued the Baze University lecturer who was kidnapped on 8th September, 2019.

    “The Command wants to also inform the public that it has commenced a discreet investigation into an unfortunate kidnap case which occurred at Asokoro on Saturday 14th September, 2019. The Police are currently making concerted effort to rescue the victim.”

    The statement added “Contrary to speculations on social media about an upsurge in this crime, the Command wishes to correct the notion and inform the public that the aforementioned were the only cases reported to the police, and efforts are being intensified to arrest the suspects behind the crime.

    “The Command wants to reaffirm its commitment to the protect lives and property by deploying proactive security measures that will nip this crime in the board.”

  • MOSOP welcomes military operations in Ogoni

    The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has described as a step in the right direction, the current military operations in parts of Ogoniland, Rivers State to weed out criminals, vandals and cultists, who it says have turned the area into a river flowing with innocent people’s blood.

    MOSOP, in an online statement by its President, Chief Legborsi Pyagbara, declared that end must quickly come to the criminal activities in Ogoniland.

    The umbrella organisation of Ogoni people said: “While we commend the deployment of military personnel in Ogoniland, we urge that the operations be carried out within the ambit of the law and respect for the human rights of innocent citizens, so that unnecessary collateral damage will not be experienced.

    Read Also: MOSOP president kicks against Abuja court judgment on OML-11 in Ogoni

    “We are calling on Ogoni people to remain peaceful, law abiding and support the legitimate operations.

    “We assure Ogoni people that we are monitoring the process to ensure that innocent lives are not lost.

    ‘’We will promptly take actions against any of such operations that lead to any unnecessary attack on innocent individuals.”

    MOSOP also stated that any breach of professional rule of engagement observed during the military operations should be reported to the appropriate military authorities and to the office of the umbrella organisation of Ogoni people.

  • Repentant bandits release 30 more kidnapped victims in Katsina

    The repentant bandits in Katsina State have released additional 30 kidnapped victims, following the dialogue initiated by the state government with their leaders.

    The victims were presented to Gov. Aminu Masari at the Government House on Sunday in Katsina.

    The victims were kidnapped by the bandits from Kankara and Shimfida, both in Jibia Local Government area of the state.

    They were thereafter taken to their hideout in Damsadau forest, Zamfara State, where they spent some weeks.

    Addressing the victims, Masari said that government would continue to persuade the bandits to release more kidnapped people until all of them were freed.

    He directed that the released victims be taken to hospital for medical check-up before reuniting them with their respective families.

    Read Also: Repentant bandits release 10 women, 4-year-old baby in Katsina

    One of victims, Zinatu Sani from Kankara, while narrating her ordeal in the hands of the bandits, said that she was kidnapped from her matrimonial home, with two of her children.

    She said that the bandits demanded for a N20 million ransom before they could release her and the children.

    Sani explained that the ransom was later reduced to N6 million which, she said, her family could still not afford to pay.

    She said that the suspected bandits used to give them rice to cook, with only water and salt.

    “For 55 days, we slept in an open place without a roof, not minding the rainfall or heat,” she lamented.

    Sani expressed appreciation to the governor for securing their release, adding that there were still several other victims in the forest yearning for their release from the bandits.

    The returnees were handed over to the Transition Committee Chairmen of Kankara and Jibia local government councils to ensure that they were reunited with their families after medical checkup.

    (NAN)

  • Why Nigeria’s electricity challenge is financial, not technical – Khalil Woli

    Why Nigeria’s electricity challenge is financial, not technical – Khalil Woli

    By Opeoluwa Ademola

    Nigeria’s electricity sector continues to grapple with a longstanding paradox: despite producing significant amounts of power, the supply reaching homes and businesses remains unreliable.

    Analysts increasingly contend that the crisis is less about technology and more about economics, a mix of weak tariff structures, poor revenue recovery, and persistent policy uncertainty that keeps the national grid fragile.

    Energy analyst Khalil Woli, who has gained first-hand experience in Nigeria’s transmission networks, believes that understanding this financial dimension is key to solving the country’s power problem.

    “Even the most efficient power plants cannot deliver consistent electricity if the transmission system is underfunded or poorly managed,” he said. “The grid is only as strong as the economic and policy frameworks that support it.”

    Drawing from his time with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Woli highlights how well-structured investments in transmission infrastructure can expand access for underserved regions.

    He was part of the team involved in commissioning a 330kV transmission line and a high-capacity transformer, projects aimed at boosting grid stability and connectivity. “Commissioning isn’t only a technical task,” he explained.

    “It ensures the infrastructure can handle operational stress and integrate seamlessly with the national grid.” He also points to the growing role of technological modernisation, particularly the adoption of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, which allow operators to monitor the grid in real time.

    “SCADA transforms data into actionable insights,” Woli noted. “It enables faster fault detection, reduces downtime, and prevents cascading system collapses that can cripple supply.”

    Yet, according to Woli, no amount of technology can offset the sector’s financial imbalance. He describes tariff misalignments and revenue collection inefficiencies as chronic obstacles to progress.

    “If tariffs do not reflect the real cost of maintaining and expanding the grid, investment will always lag behind demand,” he said. “Strong engineering alone cannot solve the problem. Sound financial planning and policy clarity are essential to sustain the system.”

    For Woli, effective transmission investments are more than infrastructure projects; they are instruments of social and economic change. “When a line goes live and thousands of people gain electricity for the first time, it shows how finance, policy, and engineering must work together,” he reflected.

    “Each connection represents both an improvement in quality of life and an opportunity for local enterprise.” As Nigeria strives to stabilise its grid and expand access, Woli’s perspective reinforces a growing consensus among experts: technical capacity is not the country’s limitation.

    The real challenge lies in building a transparent, predictable, and financially sustainable energy framework. Strengthening these foundations, he argues, is essential not only for lighting homes but for powering industries and enabling inclusive growth.