By Uthman Baba-Naseer,Minna

Desk officers of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in twenty five Local Government Areas of Niger State, have been charged to take ownership of SDGs projects in their respective areas.

The Overseeing Director General of SDGs in Niger State,Hajiya Saratu Alfa Mohammed,gave the charge at a two days workshop and Interactive session with twenty five SDGs desk officers held at the conference hall of the SDG in Minna Thursday.

She also appealed to them to always engage various community and youth leaders in their respective areas on the need for them to saveguard the SDGs projects against the activities of vandals.

According to the Overseeing Director General, the workshop and Interactive session is aimed at keeping them abreast on the workplan of the SDGs in line with the new Niger agenda of the present administration governor Mohammed Umar Bago administration.

She pointed out that the governor Umar Bago commitment towards embarking on aggressive translation of rural communities in the state through SDGs cannot be overemphasize stressing that which necessitated the interactive session with the desk officers across the twenty five Local Goverment .

Hajiya Saratu Alfa assured that plan is currently underway for SDG in the state,to embark on some meaningful projects that will have direct bearings on the lives of rural communities stating that “ as desk officers, you should be inform before hand so that you will not be taking by surprise”

“ This workshop and Interactive session is to keep you inform on the plan of the governor Mohammed Umar Bago preparedness to transform the rural communities as part of his new Niger agenda.

“ As the Desk officers in the local government, you are closer to the grassroot. Your responsibility is to collaborate with your local government chairmen to identify the project that each community needs for the benefit of the community. This is what the workshop is all about” she explained.

She disclosed that since she assumed office as the Secretary and now as the overseeing Director general,this is the maiden interface she is having with them in preparation to embark on projects.

Hajiya Saratu Alfa,appealed to the desk officers to see themselves as the ambassadors of the goals in their respective local government areas stressing that they should always involve their host council chairmen in their activities.

In his remarks,the planning officer of the State Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),Alhaji Mukhtar Hassan Yahaya,urged the desk officers to involve community base organisation,faith base and youths organisation as well as community leaders in the area to safeguard the projects in their communities.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Niger Delta University Chapter, has faulted the recent 40 per cent allowances and approvals for workers in the public service, describing the lumping of ASUU demands with the allowances approved is misleading and a clear disinformation.

According to ASUU, despite the alleged provocative attempt by the State Government to list the N2.1billion under the demand of the union to mean ASUU is demanding for over N2.99b every month as CATA, the University lecturers are insisting that the state government implement the CATA agreement signed in December, 2025 with implementation timeline to be January,2026.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Niger Delta University Chapter, led by the Branch Chairman, Comrade Oyinkepreye Lucky Bebeteidoh and the Branch Secetary, Comrade Victory C. Owede, stated that the lecturers are demanding the implementation of the computed figure of Cats for the three State owned universities amounted to N336,936,294,87 for all academic staff which has a valid signed agreement since December 23rd, 2025.

Comrade Oyinkepreye Lucky Bebeteidoh, also said the ASUU is demanding for the implementation of the CATA, as contained in the agreement, ” why is the government giving “peculiar allowances” to unions that have no such agreement? Why will the State government lump the “peculiar allowances” under the demand of our union?”

“The N2.144.983.337.32 put under ASUU demands is misleading and disinformation of the public to give the impression that ASUU is asking for over N2.99 billion every month as CATA.CATA was signed in December,2025 to start implementation in January, 2026.”

“ASUU wrote in January,2026 to inform the state government.why is it taking them seven months before coming out with an official position of inability to pay.The excuse “that a lot of universities are yet to implement” the CATA is laughable.”

He insisted that available records showed that more than 10 states,who do not get half of what comes to Bayelsà State Government from the federation account have implemented,”other states did not wait for Bayelsà State Government to implement before they started.Why will Bayelsà State Government wait for other states to implement before they do.”

” The irony of punishing university staff on grounds of expecting an approval by the Federal government is a travesty of justice and a clear indication of disdain for University academics.”

On the outstanding 19 months 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage award arrears, the ASUU leadership pointed out that the late implementation of wage award led to an arrears of 25 months and the payment of Six months arrears left a balance of 19 months with a promise by the state government that it will be paid when state revenue improves.

He said due to the noticeable improvement in the State Inflow with Months of April and May recording a total of N95.15 billion,leaving a closing balance of N37.08 billion,” imagine this for April and May, yet the state government is claiming paucity of funds to pay the 19 months arrears totalling N2.7b.”

” Meanwhile,a statement like Benue state ,with significantly less FAAC inflow implanted the 35 per cent and 25 per cent wage award and paid up the entire arrears at once. Some other states paid in three installments. For us with more FAAC inflow and declare surplus closing balance are claiming paucity of funds to pay. ”

He also recalled that following the signing of the MOU of 5th February,2025, the ASUU suspends the avoidable industrial strike which was allegedly foisted on the union by the State Government,” more than a year after the signing of the MoU, no action has been taken on the issue of the on-campus university”

“The absence of on-campus staff accomodation has foreclosed the development of a university culture.From 4pm every working day till the following morning around 9am, the campus is like a ghost town,apart from the few students who are accommodated in the limited hostel accomodations.”

“The every silence on weekend is deafening. Since,it’s establishment,the state government has not completed any staff housing project on campus, except for the few temporary structure built under the ministry health for the commencement College of Health Science as was initially proposed. No single on-campus staff housing project has been completed in the 26 years of the existence of the University.”

BY UTHMAN BABA-NASEEER,MINNA

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has announced the outbreaks of suspected cases of diphtheria in some part of Niger State.

The Centre however, assured that it will have a sustained collaboration with the Niger State Government in curtailing further outbreaks towards safeguarding public health.

Speaking with Journalists during a two-day training on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Case Management during Disease Outbreaks organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with funding from the United States Government, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said with the outbreak in Niger state, the NCDC representative, Dr. Ali Wada Aliyu said the NCDC has begun the training and equipping of IPC focal persons with facility-specific preparedness and response plans to strengthen the prevention, detection, and management of disease outbreaks in line with national guidelines.

According to him “the NCDC is committed to supporting Niger State through the provision of medical commodities, treatment supplies, and technical expertise to strengthen disease outbreak preparedness and response”.

It should be noted that, the IPC focal persons and clinicians are drawn from the 25 local government areas of the state,

He stressed that strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities is critical to reducing the spread of infectious diseases and protecting both health workers and patients.

Confirming the outbreak of suspected cases of diphtheria, the Director of Public Health, Niger State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Idris said the suspected cases of diphtheria which was reported in the Fadikpe area of Minna had already claimed a child’s life.

He added that one child had recovered, while two others have been evacuated to a hospital for proper medical care.

Accordingly, he said “preliminary investigations by health officials indicate that the illness, initially suspected to be an unknown disease, is likely diphtheria.”

“A team from the Ministry and partners visited the affected community, interacted with residents, examined some of the patients, and collected samples for laboratory confirmation.

“Currently, surveillance and response efforts are ongoing in the area and preliminary findings showed some of the affected children were either partially immunized or had not received the diphtheria vaccine.”

He emphasized that diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease and urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children complete the routine immunization schedule.

Dr. Idris assured residents that the Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation and appealed for calm while awaiting laboratory results.

Representatives of UNICEF while reiterating their commitments to support the state in tackling the outbreak disclosed that complete immunisation remains the most effective and safest protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and urges all parents to take advantage of available immunisation services at health facilities across the state.