Gov. Dauda Lawal has expressed joy over the return of peace and security in Zamfara, saying that the State Government was intentionally committed to stamping out criminal elements from the state.Lawal gave the assurance on Friday, while addressing a mammoth crowd of jubilant Zamfara residents, who staged a walk in solidarity with the government’s stride in addressing banditry and kidnapping in parts of the state.

Report says that the event, tagged “Walk for Peace”, was organised as part of the activities to commemorate the second anniversary of Lawal’s administration. Addressing the people, the governor affirmed his administration’s commitment to eliminating all forms of criminality in the state, focusing more on banditry and kidnapping.He said: “Today, we all came out in thousands to walk for peace, to make the world know that Zamfara has significantly improved in terms of security.“My administration has invested significant efforts and resources into empowering troops, gathering intelligence, collaborating and partnering with all stakeholders to restore peace.“We have recorded tremendous success in the fight against banditry; most of the volatile areas, previously flashpoints of concern, are now peaceful.“Roads that were once impassable and off-limit places are now open for travellers to move about freely.“You can see how freely people move about their daily activities and how joyfully they come together in large numbers to walk for peace.“This clearly indicates that our people are peaceful and desire peace.”Lawal emphasised that the walk clearly demonstrated that the people understood and appreciated what the State Government was doing to promote peace.Earlier, the Chairman of the Second Year Anniversary Committee that organised the event, Alhaji Muktar Lugga, said the peace walk was organised in recognition of Lawal’s effort in promoting peace in the state.According to Lugga, who is the Chief of Staff, Government House, the peace walk would encourage people to unite against all forms of criminality in the state.He said that the walk commenced from the Government House and proceeded to Freedom Square, located at the center of Gusau, the state capital.“The peace walk is in consideration of the major achievements recorded in the area of security within the two years of Lawal’s administration,” he said. (NAN)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday launched a new publication and called on governments to urgently ban all flavours in tobacco and nicotine products.The world body, in a statement on Friday, said that the products includedcigarettes, pouches, hookahs and e-cigarettes, to protect youths from addiction and disease.

The organisation said that flavours like menthol, bubble gum and cotton candy were masking the harshness of tobacco and nicotine products, turning toxic products into youth-friendly bait. According to the statement, flavours not only make it harder to quit, but have also been linked to serious lung diseases.It also said that cigarettes, which still kill up to half of their users, came in flavours or can have flavours added to them.Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said that flavours were fuelling a new wave of addiction and should be banned.“They undermine decades of progress in tobacco control.“Without bold action, the global tobacco epidemic, already killing around eight million people each year, will continue to be driven by addiction dressed up with appealing flavours,”Ghebreyesus said.According to him, the publication of flavour accessories in tobacco products enhance attractiveness and appeal, revealing how flavours and accessories like capsule filters and click-on drops are marketed to bypass regulations and hook new users.He said that currently, more than 50 countries had banned flavoured tobacco;more than 40 countries banned e-cigarette sales; five specifically banned disposables and seven banned e-cigarette flavours; andflavour accessories remain largely unregulated.The world body said that countries such as Belgium, Denmark, and Lithuania were taking action, and WHO urged others to follow.“Flavours are a leading reason why young people try tobacco and nicotine products.“Paired with flashy packaging and social media-driven marketing, they’ve increased the appeal of nicotine pouches, heated tobacco, and disposable vapes into addictive and harmful products, which aggressively target young people,”he said.Dr Rüdiger Krech, WHO Director of Health Promotion, said that they were watching a generation get hooked on nicotine through gummy bear-flavoured pouches and rainbow-coloured vapes.“This isn’t innovation, it’s manipulation. And we must stop it,”Krech said.According to him, WHO reiterates that tobacco products, including heated tobacco products, expose users to cancer-causing chemicals and should be strictly regulated.He said that the 2025 World No Tobacco Day campaign honoured governments, youth activists and civil society leaders pushing back against industry interference.“Your actions are changing policy and saving lives,”Krech said.He said that with around eight million tobacco-related deaths each year, the time for action was now.“Flavours and the industries that deploy them, have no place in a healthy future,” he said.Report says that World No Tobacco Day is being celebrated every May 31.The theme of 2025 is ‘Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products’. (NAN)

The Cross River Government, on Friday, conducted newsmen round some of the completed and ongoing landmark projects undertaken by the administration of Gov. Bassey Otu.Report says that the guided tour formed part of the government’s activities lined up to commemorate the administration’s second anniversary.

The projects included the abandoned Cross River Library, which was remodelled and refurbished to a world class facility. Others were the Cultural Center, Nigerian Chronicles complex and Government Secondary School, Uwanse, undergoing remodelling and renovation, respectively.The rest included the Primary Healthcare Centre, Anantigha, mini bridge in Yellow Duke, State Agency for the Control of AIDS building, the 108, 30-horse power tractors for the Ministry of Agriculture.Also inspected were the 200 electric bikes at the Ministry of Transportation, as well as completed and ongoing road projects in the state.Speaking during the tour, the Commissioner for Information, Dr Erasmus Ekpang, said the exercise became necessary “to showcase some of the achievements of the present administration in the last two years”.Ekpang also said that as a commissioner, he was very interested in the reconstruction of the Nigerian Chronicle building looted and burnt down during the 2020 EndSARS protest “because it was a legacy project for me.“On the other projects, we have all seen the reconstructed ultramodern library that was dilapidated for over 20 years.“Also, we are standing on the Adiabor Iseku Road that used to be a swampy forest but, today, it is a road connecting Calabar to Akwa Ibom and Port Harcourt.“We no longer have one entry and exit from Calabar,” Ekpang said.He said that the present administration “came for a rebirth of Cross River because a lot of infrastructures were down and out but there is a revolution ongoing in every sector”.He further said that the government hoped to achieve more in the next three years, when the Federal Government’s Special Agro Processing Zone would commence operation with the completion of the Obudu Cargo Airport and Deep Seaport in Bakassi.Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Mr Ekpenyong Akiba, said that in the last two years, the governor had been able to touch all the sectors, breaking new grounds in different parts of the state.According to Akiba, all the completed and ongoing projects in the state, including the Obudu Cattle Ranch, International Conference Centre, cultural centre and road construction in different parts showed that Cross River has a governor who is on ground. (NAN)