The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused an agent of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of inducing voters in the ongoing Ondo State Governorship election on Saturday.

In a post on X, the PDP said the APC agent distributed money and other items in Ward 8, Unite 5, Iwaro oka, Akoko South West Local Government Area.

The party called the attention of the Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the incident, saying it happened in Ward 8, Unite 5, Iwaro oka, Akoko South West Local Government Area of the state.

Our correspondent could not get through to the spokesperson for the APC in the state concerning the allegation.

The PDP is contesting the election with Agboola Ajayi as its candidate against incumbent Governor Lucy Aiyedatiwa of the APC.

A fire at the neonatal unit of an Indian hospital killed 10 newborns, authorities said Saturday, with another 16 clinging to life after a blaze blamed on a faulty oxygen machine.

Building fires are common in India due to shoddy construction and a routine disregard for safety regulations.

The fire broke out at about 10:30 pm (1700 GMT) on Friday night at the Maharani Lakshmibai Medical College in Jhansi, around 450 kilometres (280 miles) south of the capital New Delhi.

Footage from the scene showed charred beds and walls inside the ward as a crowd of anguished families waited outside.

“My child has gone forever,” one mother wailed as she clutched her head in grief.

Babies rescued from the fire, all only days old, were laid side by side on a bed elsewhere in the hospital as hospital staff hooked up their arms to intravenous drips.

“Ten infants have sadly died,” Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak told reporters.

“Seven bodies have been identified. Three bodies haven’t been identified as yet.”

Another 16 infants who were rescued were undergoing medical treatment, police superintendent Gyanendra Kumar Singh said.

He also said the fire likely started in a piece of machinery used to enrich the level of oxygen in the atmosphere.

“All children rescued are safe and getting medical attention,” Singh told AFP.

“The fire was most likely due to a fire in an oxygen concentrator.”

– ‘War footing’ –

Pathak said a safety audit of the hospital was carried out in February followed by a fire drill three months later.

“The cause of the fire will be probed,” he added. “If any lapses are found, strict action will be taken against those responsible and no one will be spared.”

Broadcaster NDTV reported that 54 infants were in the neonatal intensive care unit when the fire broke out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the deaths “heart-wrenching” in a post on social media platform X.

“My deepest condolences to those who have lost their innocent children in this. I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immense loss,” he wrote.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of 500,000 rupees ($5,900) each to the bereaved families.

“The district administration and concerned officials have been instructed to carry out relief and rescue operations on a war footing,” Adityanath wrote on X.

“I pray to Lord Shri Ram to provide salvation to the departed souls and speedy recovery to the injured.”

Friday’s fire comes six months after a similar blaze at a children’s hospital in New Delhi that killed six newborns.

Authorities said that hospital was not properly licensed and lacked proper fire exits, and police arrested a doctor and the facility’s owner in the aftermath.

The May blaze occurred just hours after least 27 people were killed, including several children, when a fire broke out at a packed amusement park arcade in another part of the country.

Eyewitnesses around Kobi Street, near Wunti Gate in Bauchi Capital have said that an unknown person dumped a day-old baby in a refuse dump on Thursday night.

The residents of the area said that the object was wrapped in a black leather bag and when it was opened, a lifeless day-old baby was found.

The Community leader of Wunti North where the incident occurred, Musa Jibrin said the baby was found dead inside two pieces of black leather after a mother gave birth yesterday.

“l was called early this morning that a lifeless body of a baby girl was dumped behind Alh Babangida Mai Coca Cola shop where refuse are being dumped and when we got to the place, l discovered the baby tied inside two black leather bags,” he said.

“I then quickly reported the matter to my hamlet head, he directed me to report to the Police at Township station which l did.

“I was advised not to touch the dead baby until and after the Police came. I obliged the advice and we waited until the Police officers from both the Stadium Station and Township Divisions arrived, then the leather was uncovered to vividly see the dead baby and later the body of the baby was taken to the station for further investigation.”

However, the case has already been reported to the Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Police Command, Ahmed Wakil, who immediately mobilised officers to the site to pick up the dead body.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday November 13, 2024 distributed relief materials to flood victims in Bayelsa State.

NEMA announced this in a statement the agency posted on its official X account on Thursday morning.

“On November 13, 2024, the National Emergency Management Agency, led by the South-South Zonal Coordinator Adebiyi Babatunde Razaq, distributed relief materials to flood-affected individuals in Biseni Clan, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State,” the statement read.

“Representing NEMA’s Director-General, Dr. Zubaida Umar, Razaq, alongside Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA) officials, extended sympathies and urged beneficiaries to use the relief items wisely to alleviate the impacts of the disaster.”

The event was attended by local leaders, including Yenagoa Mayor Hon. Bulodisiye Nduwari, Governor’s Special Representative Hon. Zuwa Konugah, Rural Development Area Chairman Hon. Mrs. Angela Akpana Richard, and traditional chiefs.

They praised NEMA’s rapid response, which provided essential items such as food, mosquito nets, foam mattresses, and sanitary products to six Biseni camps.

Chief Freeman Ovuru and other officials expressed gratitude for the agency’s timely assistance.

Beneficiaries also voiced appreciation, with one noting that the aid brought much-needed relief, allowing them to sustain themselves in the camp.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang has approved the payment of N70,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in Plateau State .

Mutfwang made the approval following the agreement of the Committee on Consequential Adjustment on Salaries on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

The State Head of Civil Service, Mr. Stephen Pam Gadong, disclosed this on Thursday in a press statement.

According to Gadong, the implementation is a demonstration of the governor’s commitment to prioritising the well-being of the workforce in acknowledgment of their invaluable role in driving the state’s developmental goals.

He stated that as the new wage policy is administered, civil servants are encouraged to embrace the gesture by recommitting to their duties with renewed dedication and zeal to foster a culture of productivity and excellence in service in the state.

In response, civil servants reacted to the development with jubilation and prayers for the governor, noting that the implementation has exempted the state from the planned nationwide strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The NLC directed that workers in any state that had not implemented the minimum wage by the end of November should proceed on an indefinite strike starting December 1, 2024.

Curiously, some restless youths in the state were reportedly unhappy about the implementation, marking shops they intended to loot to make their Christmas and New Year celebrations lively, now feeling frustrated.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has expanded its train operations on the Abuja-Kaduna route.

The acting Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos through a statement.

This has thus increased the number of services on the Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six during weekdays, specifically from Monday to Friday.

The declaration was endorsed by Yakub Mohmood who serves as the Deputy Director of Public Relations at the corporation.

“A trend analysis over a five-month period revealed a significant increase of 22 per cent in the number of new passengers registering on the ticket platform to use the Abuja-Kaduna service,” Mohmood said.

“This signifies a surge in the number of Nigerians turning to the use of train services as a comfortable, reliable and safe option of commuting.

“NRC has observed similar trends on the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe and Port Harcourt-Aba routes and efforts are already ongoing to beef-up services along these routes as well.

“Our valued customers are encouraged to use NRC ticket platforms online to take advantage of the increased services and shun patronage of ticket racketeers.”