Category Nigeria News

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that his administration has made significant strides in the health sector in the past two and a half years.

Governor Fubara, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi, listed some of his achievements, including the employment of over 2,000 health workers to boost the manpower and efficiency of the sector.

The statement disclosed that the administration has revived and expanded several abandoned health facilities, including the Zonal Hospitals in Bori, Omoku, Ahoada, and Degema.

The Ahoada Zonal Hospital, the statement explained, is a 105-bed secondary facility that has the capacity to cater to the health needs of the people in its catchment area.

READ ALSO: Fubara Explains His ‘Non-Agressive’ Posture To Political Crisis In Rivers

The statement added that the Fubara administration has also paid very close attention to the Primary Healthcare Centres, especially those in the rural areas, have easy access to healthcare within their communities.

According to him, the administration approved the remodeling of 153 primary healthcare centres across the state to ensure their functionality.

“As an administration, we are very passionate about the health of every citizen and resident of Rivers State. When we realised that many people have been under stress as a result of economic hardship, we decided to introduce mental health services at the primary healthcare level.

“We are not just catering to those down with the common diseases such as malaria fever, we want to ensure that our people get the right attention to their mental health at the right time.

“At the tertiary level, we have also revamped the Intensive Care Unit of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and provided it with modern equipment, including monitors, ventilators, and scanners. Most of these innovations are massive and unprecedented,” the statement said.

On staff welfare, the statement said Governor Fubara also approved the promotion of over 400 staff of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and recruited an additional 500 staff.

Vice President Kashim Shettima says the naira would have appreciated to ₦1,000 in “weeks” if the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had not intervened in the foreign exchange (FX) market on Monday to ensure market stability.

Shettima said this on Tuesday at the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Renewed Hope Ambassadors Strategic Summit in Abuja.

“In fact, if not for the interventions by the Central Bank of Nigeria yesterday, the 1,000 Naira to a dollar we are going to attain in weeks, not in months. But for the purpose of market stability, the CBN generously intervened yesterday.

“So, for some of my friends, especially one of our party leaders who take delight in stockpiling dollars, it is a wake-up call,” the vice president said.

“Our economy is picking up. Of the seven major investment decisions made last year in Africa, five were done in Nigeria. That goes to show the strength, viability, and the promise of the Nigerian economy. And as we advance into 2026, our focus shifts from stabilization to acceleration.”

READ ALSO: Dangote Predicts Naira Will Hit ₦1,000 To $1 This Year, Backs FG’s Policies

Watch his speech below:

A security consultant, Charles Omole, has explained why President Bola Tinubu, made the right decision by appointing Tunji Disu, an Assistant Inspector General of Police, as the new Inspector General of Police.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Omole described Disu as a thoroughbred officer who has the requisite skills and combat experience to tackle the nation’s myriad of security challenges.

He expressed optimism that Nigerians would witness a decline in insecurity once Disu assumes duty, lauding the outgoing IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, for his performance in office.



“Acting IG Disu is quite frankly the best choice if Egbetokun is to leave. If the President had asked my opinion which he didn’t, Disu would have been the person I would choose.

“He is an operation guy, one of guys who goes to the bush to deal with the bad guys. I remember when he was the Principal Staff Officer to Egbetokun, one of the discussions I had with Disu at that time was the struggle of doing office based work, rather than being on the street doing what he knows how to do best.

“He just reminded me of Tafa Balogun. He is coming in that mode of somebody who has been an operation guy. Given the security challenges in Nigeria at the moment, the President couldn’t have made a better choice than Disu.

“He knows all the tactical terrains and the strategies needed to move the police to the next level. I’m certain that within the next few months, people will know a new sheriff is in town,” he stated.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Appoints Tunji Disu As Acting Inspector-General Of Police

In a shakeup of the police hierarchy in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu appointed Tunji Disu as the acting Inspector General of Police.

Disu was appointed after Kayode Egbetokun resigned as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

“In view of the current security challenges confronting the nation, and acting in accordance with extant laws and legal guidance, President Tinubu has approved the appointment of Assistant Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu to serve as Acting Inspector-General of Police with immediate effect,” presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

The Senate has cautioned the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) to focus on delivering meaningful development to the people and avoid turning the agency into an avenue for siphoning public funds.

The warning came during a budget defence session on Tuesday, where the commission’s management team appeared before the Senate Committee on South-East Development Commission to present its proposed ₦140 billion 2026 budget.

Chairman of the committee, Orji Kalu, charged the commission to remain committed to addressing the longstanding needs of communities across the region.

The former Abia State governor underscored that the agency must not repeat the mistakes that have plagued similar development bodies in the past.

According to him, the commission was created following the recognition of decades of neglect and hardship experienced in the South-East by President Bola Tinubu.

READ ALSO: Tinubu’s Assent To Electoral Act Not Surprising, Predictable — Senator Umeh

“It will be disappointing if this commission fails to execute its mandate and falls into the same controversies that have trailed similar agencies,” Kalu stated.

The Chairman said the committee would exercise strict oversight on the commission’s activities, particularly in the implementation of projects, to ensure tangible benefits for the people.

“Our oversight work shall never be taken for granted. You were appointed to make our region very proud. Our region has suffered so much, and Mr. President has done us the honor of giving us this commission,” the lawmaker said.

“I plead with you not to take this commission as a place for siphoning money. This commission is to work for our people, to rebuild our area. This committee will be very ruthless in its oversight.”

While reviewing the commission’s development roadmap, Kalu commended its economic blueprint, describing it as a critical opportunity for the largely business-oriented people of the South-East to transform the region.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Mark Okoye, has unveiled an ambitious plan to grow the South-East into a $200 billion economy within 10 years.

Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested 10 suspects belonging to a kidnapping syndicate and recovered a ransom from them.

The arrest was carried out on Monday 23rd, February, 2026, by a combined operation between the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Section and visiting PMF personnel approved and deployed to Ondo State as operational support.

The spokesperson of the Command, Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the arrest in a statement made available to journalists in Akure on Tuesday.

He noted that the operatives swiftly mobilised to locations along the Ondo Road axis of Akure city, based on credible and actionable intelligence.

READ ALSO: Kayode Egbetokun Resigns As IGP — Presidency

“The intelligence-driven operation led to the arrest of ten suspects believed to be connected to the kidnapping syndicate. All the suspects apprehended are: Muritala Muhammed (aged;22), Mustapha Adamu (aged;20), Usman Ibrahim (aged;25), Amisu Aruna (aged;28), Asiru Abdulasis (aged;20), Abduliu Sanni (aged;22), Ibrahim Suraju (aged;20), Noah Isiaku (aged;20), Abdulahi Suraju (aged;20), and Arabi Hamet (aged;18),” the statement read.

According to Jimoh, a motorcycle, as well as some cash, suspected to be ransom money, were recovered from the Suspects.

“During the operation, their operational motorcycle and ransom money were recovered from the suspects. Notably, part of the recovered cash comprised burnt currency notes, which are currently being documented as exhibits in the ongoing investigation,” Jimoh said.

He noted that the suspects have made useful confessional statements of their involvement in the crime, while the exhibits recovered are currently being processed for comprehensive investigation and further necessary action.

The police spokesperson gave assurance that the command is working towards identifying and apprehending other accomplices who may still be at large.

Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, urged communities across the state to organise vigilante groups to complement the efforts of the police and other security agencies.