Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has dissolved the State Executive Council in a sweeping move aimed at repositioning his administration for its next phase of governance. The announcement was made on Wednesday through a statement signed by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, following the conclusion of the 12th State Executive Council (SEC) meeting held in Makurdi. According to the statement, Governor Alia directed all outgoing commissioners to hand over the affairs of their ministries to their respective permanent secretaries without delay. He thanked the former officials for their service over the last two years, urging those who may…
Author: National Update
***Pushes for Deeper Grassroots Impact It was a day of renewed hope for local governance in Kogi State as Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo flagged off the distribution of official vehicles to the 21 Local Government Chairmen, reaffirming his administration’s focus on grassroots transformation. The presentation ceremony, held at the Muhammadu Buhari Civic Center, marked a major step in Ododo’s pledge to decentralize development and deliver governance directly to the people. “These vehicles are not about prestige—they’re engines of progress,” Governor Ododo said. “Let them take you to the people, to the projects, and to the places where service is most…
***Prof. Dandaura leads rescue mission for truth, urges Nigerians to fight back against viral lies By Umar Muhammed, Lafia The story had already gone viral. “₦16 Billion Lafia Flyover Collapses Days After Commissioning!” screamed social media posts. Panic surged through Nasarawa State and beyond. Videos were shared, conspiracy theories spread like wildfire, and the reputation of a state’s proudest infrastructure project hung in the balance. Now, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has stepped in with one clear message: Stop the spread of fake news before it destroys what truth has built. On Tuesday, Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura, Vice President…
***Kenyan investors back out as local politics, shady loans, choke Mambilla Beverages Limited By Ben Adaji, Jalingo Once the pride of Taraba State and a symbol of self-reliance on the majestic Mambilla Plateau, Highland Tea is now battling for its life—crippled by debts, suffocated by political interference, and rejected by potential foreign investors. At the heart of this unfolding crisis is Mambilla Beverages Limited, the state-owned producer of Highland Tea, whose market value has plummeted from a robust ₦13 billion to a paltry ₦3 billion, amid concerns over obsolete equipment, shrinking plantations, and rising internal divisions. While the fields are…
***Lawmakers furious as non-functional port drains public funds—“Nigerians deserve answers!” By Fatima Ndagi The House of Representatives has launched a full-blown investigation into the multi-billion-naira Baro Inland Port project, which remains eerily idle six years after it was declared completed and commissioned. In what lawmakers are calling “a national embarrassment,” the House Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of Baro Inland Port has summoned Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, to explain why the port—meant to revolutionize inland cargo transport—has become a costly white…
Nigerians must abandon emotional, tribal, and religious biases at the ballot box as sentimental voting has kept the country trapped in a cycle of poor leadership and underdevelopment, former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi has indicated In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the former presidential candidate said the real crisis facing Nigeria is not lack of resources, but failure of leadership — a failure that continues to deepen the country’s woes. “Until we confront it head-on,” he said, “the country cannot move in the right direction.” Obi referenced a recent U.S. diplomatic statement on Nigeria’s governance failings…
The Labour Party has strongly refuted allegations that its leaders are plotting to overthrow the Bola Tinubu-led federal government, describing the claims as a baseless frame-up aimed at stoking fear, silencing dissent, and diverting attention from Nigeria’s mounting national challenges. In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, condemned the allegations as “reckless, laughable, and deeply suspicious.” The controversy stems from a petition reportedly submitted to the National Security Adviser by Abayomi Arabambi, an expelled party member who, according to the party, has been falsely…
In a landmark move to redefine healthcare education through faith-based values, Tahfeez School of Health Sciences, Kibiya, has made the study of the Qur’an and Fiqhu (Islamic jurisprudence) compulsory for all its students. The announcement was made by the institution’s Provost, Mukhtar Ismail Gwarzo, during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of Rano Local Government, Malam Naziru Yau, who was represented by the Director of Personnel Management (D.P.M), Alhaji Ado Danazumi. Provost Gwarzo explained that the integration of Islamic studies into the health sciences curriculum is aimed at producing medical professionals who are not only knowledgeable and technically proficient, but…
The Kogi Central Journalists’ Guild has urged Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to immortalize former Governor Yahaya Bello by renaming the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, in his honour. In a press statement signed by the Guild’s National Chairman, Alhaji Muhammad Tijani Abdulsalam, and Secretary, Mr. Ozumi Abdul, the group said the move would serve as a lasting tribute to a leader who transformed Kogi’s education sector and repositioned the state on the path of development. “This is more than a name change,” the Guild stated. “It is a symbolic recognition of vision, courage, and bold reforms that…
By Friday Idachaba – Lokoja The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has reiterated its unwavering commitment to the safety of lives and property on highways across Kogi State, declaring that the well-being of citizens and road users will never be compromised. Kogi Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Kumar Tsukwam, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Lokoja while receiving the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo on Road Safety Matters, Hon. Suberu John. Tsukwam emphasized that the primary responsibility of the Corps is to safeguard lives along Nigeria’s highways and road corridors, adding that the visit by the…