Kogi State is set for a major boost in grassroots healthcare delivery as Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo prepares to commission 80 newly revitalized Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state — the first phase of a sweeping modernization drive launched in April 2024. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ismaila Isah, the governor will perform the flag-off ceremony on Friday at the Old Market PHC in Lokoja, signaling the beginning of a statewide exercise to transform rural health facilities into fully functional, patient-friendly centres equipped to meet the needs of local communities. Governor Ododo, who personally inspected…
Author: National Update
By Umar Muhammed, Lafia In a decisive move to ease the perennial traffic gridlock along the Karu–Mararaba axis, the Nasarawa State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to completing two major flyovers and an underpass before the end of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s tenure in 2027. The state government recently secured Federal Government approval for the construction of the projects in Mararaba, Karu Local Government Area. Mr. Peter Ahemba, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, disclosed this at a bimonthly press briefing in Lafia, the state capital. Ahemba explained that the Sule administration had earmarked funds for the project…
By Abdelghaffar Amoka Abdelmalik I was about finishing my second term as the Director of Equipment Maintenance and Development Centre (EMDC), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and wanted to proceed on a sabbatical after the four-year administrative responsibility. I always find National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to be an interesting Agency and wish to spend some time at the Agency on reseach. I forwarded an application to be hired for a sabbatical appointment. I had thought that I would be assigned to Abuja when hired. Contrary to my expectation, when I recieved the appointment letter, I was posted…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has written to the Senate seeking approval for the establishment of a ₦1.15 trillion domestic borrowing programme to close the funding gap in the 2025 national budget. In a letter read at Tuesday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President said the borrowing became necessary to address the ₦1.147 trillion unfunded deficit that arose from the increase in the budget size beyond approved revenue projections. Tinubu noted that the request was made in line with Section 44 (1–2) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and forms part of the administration’s strategy to ensure fiscal stability and…
***Seeks swift rescue of Dr Mbanugo, urges stronger U.S. security ties. Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has expressed deep concern over the abduction of Dr Tochukwu Mbanugo, a consultant neurosurgeon at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, describing the incident as a tragic reflection of Nigeria’s deepening insecurity. In a statement on his X-Handle titled “When Those Who Save Us Are Not Safe,” Obi said the kidnapping of Dr Mbanugo, shortly after he successfully performed a complex brain surgery, was both heartbreaking and symbolic of the growing threat faced by Nigeria’s most skilled professionals.…
***Alleges Akpabio Ordered Action, Describes Move as Political Harassment A fresh drama is unfolded around fiery Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, after she accused airport officials of seizing her international passport on the alleged orders of Senate President Godswill Akpabio. In a video that quickly went viral on Monday, the outspoken lawmaker narrated how her passport was withheld at an international airport — a situation she described as “a repeated act of political persecution.” “My passport has been withheld again,” she said, visibly shaken in the clip. “The last time, I was told it was on the instruction of the…
***Faults Media Report By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Jigawa State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and due process, dismissing as false and mischievous a recent online report alleging irregularities in the donation of operational vehicles to the Nigeria Police Force in the state. In a statement titled “The False Publication on Jigawa’s Security Vehicle Donation” and signed by Mr. Ismaila Ibrahim Dutse, Public Relations Officer in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the State, the government expressed disappointment over what it called a “malicious and unfounded” article published by two online platforms, including National Update…
The Senate has launched an investigation into the frequent derailments plaguing Nigeria’s rail network and the utilisation of Chinese loans secured for the nation’s rail projects. The resolution stemmed from a motion by Senator Ede Dafinone (APC, Delta Central) titled “Recent Derailment of the Ujevwu–Itakpe Train Line and the Need for Urgent Investigation, Rehabilitation, and Enhanced Safety Measures.” Presiding over Tuesday’s plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the matter as “a national concern,” noting that despite the billions borrowed for rail development, the system continues to suffer from frequent breakdowns and safety lapses. “We took trillions in loans for rail…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for an immediate probe and sweeping disciplinary action following reports that nine military officers allegedly linked to Boko Haram terrorists escaped from a military guardroom in Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno State. In a statement issued Tuesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the rights group described the reported jailbreak as “a national security disaster” that exposes deep-seated sabotage within the military. “If this report is true, there is more to it than meets the eye,” HURIWA stated. “It suggests a high-level conspiracy from within the command structure. These collaborators…
***Urges strong institutions, innovation, and global integration Nigeria’s livestock sector may be on the brink of transformation as Prof. Attahiru Jega, Special Adviser to the President on Livestock Development, has called for renewed commitment to institutional reform, private-sector partnership, and innovation in implementing the National Dairy Policy Implementation Framework. Speaking at the National Dairy Policy Validation Workshop held at the Riez Continental Hotel, Abuja, Jega said the framework—anchored on 11 strategic pillars—is a bold step under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to modernize the livestock sector and build a dairy economy that creates jobs, feeds the nation, and…