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  • Group lauds Gov Sule, Yahya’s strides in Nasarawa scholarship board

    Group lauds Gov Sule, Yahya’s strides in Nasarawa scholarship board

    A group, the Global Watch for Good Governance (GWGG), has lauded Nasarawa Governor Abdullahi Sule and Hajiya Sa’adatu Yahya for their unrelenting commitment to educational development in the state through the scholarship Board.

    The group said the various efforts of the scholarship board has helped a lot to reposition the Nasarawa State as a beacon of learning and social progress in Nigeria. 

    The country Director of the group, Comrade Isaac Ikpa who spoke at a  press conference in Abuja said  under Sule’s administration, education has been accorded strategic priority as a fundamental pillar of sustainable development.

    “Through the consistent funding of scholarship programs, bursary allowances, and overseas sponsorships, these interventions have provided thousands of young men and women with the financial support necessary to pursue higher education and contribute meaningfully to Nasarawa state. 

    “Global Watch for Good Governance recognizes that such educational investment is a visionary strategy to prepare young citizens to drive economic diversification in the state,” he said

    He lauded the transparent leadership of Hajiya Sa’adatu Onyashama Yahya at the board which he said has witnessed an unprecedented reform of scholarship administration in Nasarawa State. By leveraging her wealth of experience.

    “She instituted a transparent and technology-driven process that eliminated inefficiency and malpractice. 

    “Under her guidance, the Board successfully implemented three consecutive seasons of bursary disbursements, ensuring that all qualified students received their allowances promptly and directly through verifiable channels.

    Read Also: 2027: Sule hints at type of governor Nasarawa needs

    “Significantly, Hajiya Sa’adatu Yahya initiated the digital transformation of the bursary disbursement system, transitioning from a manual payment process to a fully electronic model. This innovation commenced with the introduction of customized value cards in the 2020/2021 academic session and has since evolved into a comprehensive e-payment platform. 

    “Through this system, eligible students now apply, verify, and receive payments electronically, reflecting an efficient, transparent, and accountable process that minimizes human interference and enhances fiscal discipline.

    “Her administration also approved an upward review of bursary allowances, ensuring that the least-paid students receive ₦30,000, while specialized students in critical disciplines receive between ₦70,000 and ₦90,000. This progressive step earned her the affectionate nickname “Mama Alert” among students, a testament to her accessibility, empathy, and responsiveness to their needs.

    “Furthermore, Hajiya Sa’adatu Yahya successfully coordinated the payment of overseas scholarships for Nasarawa State indigenes studying in foreign universities, a program valued in billions of naira. Through transparent oversight, she ensured that all funds were judiciously utilized for their intended purposes. Such integrity and precision have fortified public trust in the Scholarship Board. 

    “Perhaps the most defining moment of her tenure was her voluntary refund of ₦122 million to the state treasury after the 2023/2024 bursary disbursement exercise. The refunded amount represented unspent funds resulting from the disqualification of applicants who failed to meet eligibility criteria, such as the presentation of forged documents or non-indigene status. 

    “This rare gesture of accountability exemplifies her unshakable commitment to ethical leadership and fiscal responsibility. It also affirms that integrity and public service can coexist, even in an era when corruption often undermines public confidence.

    “The Global Watch for Good Governance views this act as a landmark example of moral courage and institutional transparency. By returning excess funds to the government treasury, Hajiya Sa’adatu Yahya has challenged the entrenched culture of impunity in public office and set a new standard for ethical governance. Her conduct is not only commendable but also instructive for other public officials who hold positions of trust.

    “In recognition of her exemplary service, Governor Abdullahi Sule’s decision to reward her with a plot of land at the Government Reserved Area (G.R.A.) stands as a fitting acknowledgment of her outstanding contribution to the state’s moral and administrative renewal. Such recognition reinforces the Governor’s commitment to celebrating integrity and inspiring excellence in public administration.

    “Global Watch for Good Governance believes that the synergy between the visionary leadership of Governor Abdullahi Sule and the administrative excellence of Hajiya Sa’adatu Yahya represents a model of collaborative governance that collectively positioned Nasarawa State as a model of good governance in Nigeria. The organization therefore urges other state governments, and educational boards across the country to emulate this remarkable example of transparent. 

    “In sum, the Global Watch for Good Governance celebrates Hajiya Sa’adatu Onyashama Yahya as an embodiment of ethical leadership and honesty, particularly at a time when Nigeria yearns for good leaders,” he added

  • How Nasarawa govt officials sold appointment letters to 2,277 applicants —Sule

    How Nasarawa govt officials sold appointment letters to 2,277 applicants —Sule

    • Governor vows to hand errant officials over to security agents

    NASARAWA State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has disclosed how government officials sold appointment letters to about 2,277 poor applicants before recruiting them as teachers.

     He threatened to hand over to security agencies suspended officials of the Nasarawa State Teachers’ Service Commission (NSTSC) over alleged extortion of money from applicants for employment.

     Governor Sule handed down the threat after he was presented with the report by the committee set up to investigate irregularities in the recent recruitment of teachers by the Nasarawa State Teachers Service Commission, at the Government House.

     Alarmed by the enormity of the irregularities, Governor Sule said he is left with no option but to hand over the suspended officials to the security agencies, especially that money was collected from the applicants in exchange for appointment letter.

     “These people, we would report them to the security agencies, because this is beyond administration.

    “The aspect of them collecting money from people, I don’t even have the power to handle that.

    “The security agencies should be involved to see how these innocent children would get back their money,” he said.

     Expressing dismay over the findings of the investigative committee, the governor said the suspended NSTSC officials have not been fair to the state because they went overboard to recruit 3,277 teachers instead of the 1,000 approved by his administration.

     “How do we accommodate 3,277 teachers today in Nasarawa State? Where are you going to get the money to pay them? Where are you posting them?

    “But that is not even the biggest worry. The biggest worry is that the entire exercise was not done on merit, which means we have engaged people who are not qualified to be posted as teachers,” he said.

    On the fate of the 2,277 teachers recruited without approval, Governor Sule said: “This exercise is a complete destruction. If we employ 3,000 teachers, there is no way any school in the rural areas would have only two or three teachers.

    “We employ people because of the vacancies that exist. You can’t go employing teachers without knowing where to post them.”

    He also expressed concerns about the qualifications of the 1,000 teachers officially recruited, adding that his administration may consider conducting a fresh selection process for the entire 3,277 recruited teachers in order to be able to employ 1,000 most qualified teachers.

    Read Also: JUST IN: Gov Sule dissolves all political appointees

    “The most important thing is not about politics but about the education of our own children.

    “This is beyond politics. We are not going to build a society until we have a society of people who are educated.

    “We cannot have a society of educated people unless we have the right teachers,” he stated.

    Commenting on one of the recommendations of the committee seeking the government to pay all those teachers employed and posted to schools, the governor assured that his administration will pay all the people recruited and posted outside the official 1000 and thereafter terminate their appointment.

     “I assure you that all those who have been posted to schools, we would pay them, but we would not keep them. There is no way to keep them.

    “If you posted 200 or 300 teachers to a school that requires only 40 teachers, you are really not helping the state.

    “I’m not worried more about that than the fact that they are not qualified.

    “They are not even qualified to be teachers,” he stated.

    Presenting the report before Governor Sule earlier, the Chairman of the investigative committee, Silas Dachor, said the committee discovered that the TSC willfully disobeyed the governor’s instruction to recruit only 1,000 teachers.

     The chairman added that the TSC went ahead to recruit 3,277 teachers without necessary approval from the governor.

     “Indeed, there are hundreds of others in possession of appointment letters who are yet to be posted. This, to say the least, amounts to gross insubordination to His Excellency and a great disservice to the government and people of Nasarawa State. 

     “Furthermore, the committee found out that the recruitment did not in any way reflect the needs of the school system, contrary to the rationale of the exercise, which was to fill existing vacancies.”

    “We also found that the exercise did not show a fair spread across local government areas and, worse still, there was no evidence that the recruitment was based on merit but merely selective, thus edging out other potential candidates,” he said.

    Dachor added that the recruitment exercise was more or less reduced to a racketeering venture, where desperate and unsuspecting applicants scramble for employment on cash and carry basis for the highest bidder. 

     “In relation to this, an Access Bank account was provided for interested applicants who were directed to pay in amounts ranging from N500,000 to N700,000 for what was termed appreciation to facilitate issuance of appointment letter,” he said.

  • Gov Sule disbands two traditional rulers over chieftaincy crisis in Nasarawa

    Gov Sule disbands two traditional rulers over chieftaincy crisis in Nasarawa

    Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has disbanded two traditional rulers from Udege Mbeki—Odu and Mararaba Udege—in Nasarawa Local Government Area over their alleged roles in a chieftaincy crisis that led to widespread violence, including the burning of houses, destruction of farm produce, and loss of lives.

    During a visit to the affected villages, which were left deserted following the conflict, Governor Sule announced the government’s decision to revoke the status of the implicated traditional rulers. 

    He declared that they would no longer be recognized by the state and would have no legal authority over their communities.

    To further de-escalate tensions, the governor ordered the banishment of the contending families from Odu and Embu from exercising control over Mararaba. 

    He also announced plans to appoint an administrator to oversee peace efforts and facilitate conflict resolution in the area.

    Speaking to journalists, Governor Sule recalled that the crisis, which began about three years ago, stemmed from a dispute over a chieftaincy title and the ownership of the town. 

    He emphasized that various efforts, including engaging key stakeholders from the affected communities, had been made to resolve the conflict.

    “They have formed their own committees, they have tried everything in the past to bring the situation under control, in addition, we also appointed our own committee which was chaired by the Emir of Kashi,they spend a lot of time and come out with a recommendation on the way forward.

    “It was at the process of looking at the recommendation that the problem erupted and escalated to where we are today. I have already met with all the concern groups, but today I have come to see the level of destruction and calm the people down.

    “As a government, I know what to do and one of my decision is to announce that the two factional leaders that we have, they are no longer leaders and we have disbanded them, we decided that we are going to set up an administrative committee which is going to be chaired by ex-service man who understands what it’s takes to go through this, and we are going to take two people each  from the two factions and they will assist the administrator to come out with lasting solutions.

    Read Also: Gov Sule dissociates self from 2027 Senatorial campaign

    “But in the main time, we have to find ways to support those whose houses were burnt , whose families were killed, that is the reason why we came with the two ministries that are in charge of Humanitarian and Women Affairs so that they can take some kind of estimate of what happen for us to assist the people who have been attacked” he said 

    “As a government, we have to take a decision for the peace of the land. We cannot allow things to continue the way they are. We decided that as far as government is concerned, none of the two contending houses would be recognized as in control of Mararaba in Udege Development Area.

    “We are going to appoint an administrator in that particular area who would assist the government to come up with the final solutions,’ he stated.

    While appealing to the warring factions to sheath their swords and to give peace a chance, especially with current developments in Udege, with mining activities taking centre stage, he said the decision taken by his administration is based on the various reports submitted in the collective efforts to end the mayhem in Udege.

  • Gov Sule threatens use of force to restore peace in troubled areas in Nasarawa

    Gov Sule threatens use of force to restore peace in troubled areas in Nasarawa

    Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has stated that his administration may resort to the use of force to restore peace in parts of the state if peaceful dialogue fails. 

    Governor Sule made this declaration on Thursday at a one-day Afo Youth Summit on peace and security, organized by the Nasarawa Peace and Prosperity Project Through Law (NAPP-LAW) in Keffi. 

    He appealed to the Afo Nation to embrace peace for the development of their communities and the state at large. However, he warned that if peaceful efforts were rejected, his administration would have no choice but to take decisive action to ensure stability. 

    The Governor emphasised that the Afo Nation has no justification for continued unrest, particularly as their region is endowed with valuable natural resources such as lithium and other rare minerals in high demand globally. 

    Describing the violence as a national embarrassment, Governor Sule lamented the loss of lives due to conflicts among people who once coexisted peacefully. He cautioned against allowing political differences to plunge the community into chaos. 

    Drawing from his experience in the private sector, the Governor highlighted that investors avoid areas plagued by insecurity. He stressed that without peace in Afo land, only illegal miners would exploit the region’s resources, causing environmental destruction and leaving the community worse off. 

    Governor Sule reiterated his commitment to fostering peace but made it clear that his government would not shy away from enforcing order if necessary to safeguard lives and development in the state. 

    “I worked for investors, and I understand the language of investors. Investors will invest only where there is peace. Where there is no peace, no serious investor will go there. Only illegal miners, who would bring no benefit to the community, would go there,” he stated.

    While highlighting the various efforts made by his administration to address security challenges in the area, including the establishment of a military base and the construction of the Mararaba-Udege-Agwada road, among others, Governor Sule, however, threatened to deploy tougher measures if the people failed to reconcile their differences and embrace peace.

    “I am begging you in the name of God to reconcile your differences and live in peace. As a Governor, it’s my responsibility to start by begging, by pleading, by appealing. If all that does not work, we will apply force. Because it is our responsibility to maintain peace in the area. We will apply force if everything else does not work. Because we cannot afford to keep going like this over and over,” he stated.

    He urged participants at the summit to serve as trainers for other youths to cascade down the message of peace and reconciliation among the Afo people.

    Speaking as the Father of the Day, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the Adeweji of the Afo Nation, blamed some Afo elites for refusing to key into all the efforts being made to broker peace in the areas affected by the crisis.

    Read Also: Gov Sule suspends TSC boss, members over illegal recruitment of teachers

    The first civilian governor of the state lamented that the crisis in Afo land, particularly in Nasarawa Local Government Area, Udeni Beki, Akum, Udeni Gida, Udeni Magaji areas, and Mararaba as the seat of the development area, started in earnest last year.

    “When this was happening, efforts continued to be made by people who thought they had the voice and the image to advise. But somehow we didn’t see the desired result. Some people are part and parcel of this community who have had the privilege of service to the community and the state, and who, up to this point in time, we have not been able to get to join the efforts for looking for peace in that community,” he said.

    He, however, challenged the youths to embrace peace for the development of the Afo Nation.

    In a keynote address, Ahmed Salihu, Executive Director, Centre for Community Actions for Peace and Development (CCAPAD), said the summit was organised to bring the Afo Nation together to discuss their problems to proffer practical solutions.

  • Gov Sule suspends TSC boss, members over illegal recruitment of teachers

    Gov Sule suspends TSC boss, members over illegal recruitment of teachers

    Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has ordered the immediate suspension of the chairman and members of the State Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over alleged irregularities in the recent recruitment of teachers.

    The directive was issued during a meeting at the Government House in Lafia on Tuesday.

    Governor Sule also instructed the Secretary to the State Government to set up a three-member committee to investigate the TSC’s activities and uncover the root cause of the issue.

    He revealed that while he had approved the recruitment of 1,000 teachers, reports indicated that the TSC unilaterally recruited over 1,000 additional personnel.

    Expressing his concern, the Governor lamented that his name was being tarnished over allegations of refusing to pay teachers who were not officially sanctioned for employment.

    He expressed disappointment that even with a provision of 50 slots set aside for contingencies out of the 1000 approved, the TSC still went overboard to illegally recruit more than 1000 teachers.

    “I  remember, out of the 1000 that you received approval, there is 50 for this kind of situation. But to go and recruit 750 and up till this moment some of the schools in the villages are still having 2 or 3 teachers? 

    “The information that we are getting is that all these teachers want to remain in the city. They don’t want to go those other places. And then it’s my name that is being scandalized that I have refused to pay teachers salaries? 

    “We are getting all sorts of information that some people collected money to offer teaching appointments.  This is the most terrible thing I have heard. We have no other choice than to suspend the entire TSC and then put up a committee to investigate them.

    ” Put up a committee of three to investigate them. Suspend them until we are able to get the true situation of things,” he directed.

    The Governor warned that if anybody collected money for employment, those who gave the money should go to court.

    Read Also: I can treat govt files while abroad – Gov Sule

    “If anybody has collected their money, or anything, they can take them to court. I don’t think this is good. I don’t think this is fair. It is unfair to me. I have my name scandalized on something that I have no knowledge of,” he said.

    In an opening remarks, Nasarawa State Commissioner of Education, Dr. John Mamman, recounted that Governor Sule gave approval for the recruitment of only 1000 teachers, in addition to regularizing the appointment of those he met on ground.

    “The exercise was done and ended up around April. We had the interviews and all the processes, the documentation and posting were done. You will also recall the last Executive Council discussion where you determined to know the number of teachers employed and the financial implications which stood at about N48m per month. 

    “In a year, it will cost the government N576m to pay the 1000 newly recruited teachers. While you were leaving you directed at the Exco that the Acting Governor should make all necessary arrangements to pay these teachers. They have been paid, Sir,” he said.

    The Commissioner however showed concern that the ministry continued to receive calls about non payment of other teachers. 

    “But just a few days ago, we keep receiving calls of non payment of others. But I am confident and I am sure, that the 1000 that you recruited have already been paid. We said there is the need for us to meet the TSC to fine tune and know where these calls are coming from. Because the news going out there is that His Excellency has refused to pay the teachers that he has recruited. I don’t think it is right. I think we need to hear from the TSC,” he added.

    In their submissions during the meeting both the Chairman of the TSC, Mohammed Abubakar Gada and his secretary, Labaran Shafa contradicted each other, with the suspended chairman claiming that 750 additional teachers were absorbed to fill the vacuum created by the exit of about 300 teachers who left for other employments.

    Shafa on his part, said over 1000 additional teachers were recruited by the TSC.

  • I can treat govt files while abroad – Gov Sule

    I can treat govt files while abroad – Gov Sule

    Nasarawa Governor, Abdullahi Sule said with everyone embracing digital literacy, his administration is committed to developing technology where it will be possible for him to treat government files while outside the country. 

    Sule stated this at the weekend when the State in collaboration with National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA as well as CISCO and the Nasarawa State University Keffi, NSUK launched the Digital Literacy for All Initiative, DL4ALL

    He explained that the position information and communication technologies occupies both in government, various institutions and the communities made it possible for all categories of citizens to embrace digital literacy, adding that technology has change the process of governance in the world. 

    Sule who was represented by Commissioner for Science and Technology, Samuel Kafu Emgba, encouraged all students and lecturers to key into the initiative to exposed them to the current digital world. 

    Speaking while launching the initiative, Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said DL4ALL seeks to ensure that every Nigerian has access to digital literacy. 

    Read Also: North Central APC condemns Gov Sule for endorsing Ganduje

    According to him: “The DL4ALL initiative was launched in July last year, with the National Digital Literacy Framework, NDLF, aimed at incorporating digital skills training into the academic curriculum, equipping students with essential technology skills to thrive in the digital age. 

    ” This initiative represents a pivotal moment for Nigeria. By uniting academia, the private sector, and government, we are not only boosting digital literacy but strengthening our digital sovereignty. 

    “We are aiming to produce graduates who are equipped with practical technological skills, not just academic certificates.”

    Vice chancellor of Nasarawa State University Keffi, Prof Saadatu Hassan Liman, added that the partnership represents a transformative stage to equip students with essential digital literacy skills needed to succeed in the 21st century digital landscape.