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  • Tinubu visits Kaduna to commission 300 bed hospital, skills cities, others

    Tinubu visits Kaduna to commission 300 bed hospital, skills cities, others

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected in Kaduna today on a one-day official visit where he will be commissioning multiple legacy projects executed by Governor Uba Sani’s administration.

    The high-profile visit underscores the President’s recognition of the State Government’s strides in infrastructure, healthcare, skills development, and transport under the current leadership Governor Uba Sani.

    Topping the President’s itinerary is the commissioning of three Technical and Vocational Skills Development Institutes located in Rigachikun, Soba and Samaru Kataf.

    The centres are designed to transform Kaduna into a leading hub for vocational education and digital innovation in Nigeria, offering international certifications and market-ready skills to youth across the state.

    In the healthcare sector, President Tinubu will also commission a newly completed 300-bed hospital, a flagship facility expected to enhance access to quality healthcare for thousands of residents and reduce pressure on existing public hospitals. 

    The facility is part of the state government’s commitment to revamp health infrastructure across all zones.

    On road infrastructure, the President is billed to unveil several key transport projects, including the 24-kilometer Kafanchan Township Road, the Tudun Biri Road, and the 22-kilometer road linking Kauru and Kubau Local Government Areas.

    The roads are expected to ease transportation, boost rural connectivity, and support local economies.

    Another important stop on the itinerary is the Vocational and Skills Training Center in Tudun Biri, complementing the state’s broader effort to tackle unemployment through practical skills acquisition.

    The center is designed to serve surrounding rural communities, with targeted programs in trades such as welding, carpentry, solar installation, and fashion design.

    Read Also: Benue Killings: PGF backs Tinubu’s stance on security

    As part of Kaduna’s clean energy and mass transit agenda, President Tinubu will also unveil 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, which mark a significant leap in environmentally friendly transportation within the state. The buses are intended to reduce fuel costs, cut emissions, and enhance urban mobility in Kaduna’s growing cities.

    Governor Uba Sani, who marked his second year in office, has described the President’s visit as a “validation of Kaduna’s development path” and thanked the Federal Government for its ongoing support.

    He added that the projects reflect his administration’s commitment to inclusive development, youth empowerment, and economic transformation.

    Security agencies have assured residents of adequate protection throughout the presidential visit, with preparations already in full gear across key locations. 

    Residents, traditional leaders, and community stakeholders are expected to line the streets in welcome, as Kaduna prepares to showcase two years of impactful governance.

  • Tinubu to visit Kaduna Thursday to inaugurate key projects

    Tinubu to visit Kaduna Thursday to inaugurate key projects

     President Bola Tinubu is expected in Kaduna State Today Thursday for the inauguration of several key developmental projects executed by the administration of Gov. Uba Sani.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit forms part of activities marking Sani’s two years in office.

    The projects lined up for inauguration include the 300-bed Specialist Hospital in Millennium City, Kaduna, built by the state government to bolster the provision of healthcare services.

    Tinubu will also inaugurate the Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development in Rigachikun, road projects in Soba, and Samaru Kataf LGASas well as the 24-kilometre Kafanchan Township Road.

    Others are the Tudun Biri Road, the 22km road linking Kauru and Kubau LGAs as wll as the Vocational and Skills Training Centre in Tudun Biri.

    Tinubu is also expected to unveil 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, as part of efforts to modernise the state’s public transportation system.

    The projects are part of the administration’s focus on infrastructure development, healthcare delivery, youths empowerment, and economic growth.

    Read Also: Tinubu has acquitted himself creditably in two years, says Idris

    The state government described the visit as a significant moment for the people of Kaduna and an opportunity to showcase ongoing efforts to transform the state through impactful governance.

    Sani, who marked his second year in office this month, has prioritised human capital development, rural infrastructure, and jobs creation since taking office in 2023.

    Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna State was rescheduled from Wednesday to Thursday.

    He was initially supposed to visit Kaduna on Wednesday, but due to the recent attacks in Benue, he shifted his trip.

    The president visited Benue on Wednesday to commiserate with the victims of the recent attacks and assess the humanitarian crisis.

    During his visit to Benue, Tinubu met with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political and community leaders, and youth groups, to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.

    He also condemned the ongoing violence and called on the residents to embrace peace and mutual understanding.

    NAN recalls that the Benue  Government had declared a work-free day for Tinubu’s visit, urging the residents to turn out in large numbers to welcome him.

    (NAN)

  • How Tinubu is eradicating disguised unemployment with transparent recruitment

    How Tinubu is eradicating disguised unemployment with transparent recruitment

    With an era of political slot trading behind us, the Tinubu administration is restoring merit, technical competence, and transparency to federal recruitment process across key revenue-generating agencies. Bamidele Atoyebi reports.

    A retired NNPC director once confided in me: “If I were appointed as GMD of NNPC, the first thing I’d do is lay off hundreds of staff who contribute nothing. Many of them got in through godfathers or bribery and lack the technical know-how to move the company forward.”

    His words, while harsh, reflected a reality Nigeria has lived with for far too long a public sector bloated with disguised unemployment, where positions were filled neither by merit nor by passion for the job, but by connection or mere availability of the job.

    Today, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, that tide is changing  and changing fast.

    FIRS: Open Recruitment, Transparent Process

    The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), under the leadership of Dr. Zacch Adedeji, executed a transparent, nationwide recruitment exercise in 2024. Over 8,000 candidates were shortlisted from all corners of the country, culminating in the inauguration of 1,200 newly employed staff in 2025.

    For the first time in years, FIRS didn’t rely on political patronage. There were no hidden slot-sharing schemes. No sons and daughters of privilege fast-tracked into government payrolls. It was merit-based and publicly verified.

    NNPC: From Frozen Hiring to a New Era

    At the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), recruitment had been stagnant for years. That changed under the leadership of Mele Kyari and Olufemi S. Ojulari, as the company finally reopened its recruitment portal in late 2024.

    Over 45,000 Nigerians applied, and after a transparent, competitive process, several hundred technical professionals were absorbed into key departments. For a sector as sensitive and strategic as oil and gas, this shift toward technical talent is a major reform milestone.

    Nigeria Customs Service: Record Applications, Zero Interference

    Under Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Nigeria Customs Service launched a recruitment process in January 2025 that attracted a staggering 573,519 applicants for 3,927 positions.

    What followed was an orderly, technology-driven selection process free of political manipulation. No senators hoarded slots. No silent lists. No ‘uncle in Abuja’. Just qualifications, a working portal, and professionalism.

    This level of transparency has not only improved the agency’s image but is gradually restoring faith in government employment processes.

    Immigration: From Tragedy to Trust

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) once carried the painful memory of the March 15, 2014 recruitment tragedy, where 16 to 24 young Nigerians lost their lives in stampedes across multiple states. That recruitment was eventually cancelled, and while compensations were paid, it left a dent on national morale.

    Today, the story is different. Under Tinubu’s administration, NIS has conducted two successful and peaceful recruitment drives  in January 2024 and March 2025 with no injuries, no confusion, and no political scandal.

    Read Also: FG to sign over 30 MoUs as Nigeria-Brazil strategic dialogue opens June 23

    This is a mark of restored institutional competence and leadership accountability.

    A Culture Shift in Public Sector Employment

    Historically, federal agencies especially revenue-generating ones  were seen as spoils of war for the political elite. Slots at FIRS, NNPC, Customs, and Immigration were shared among governors, senators, and ministers, often to place unqualified family members in lucrative roles.

    What we are seeing now is a break from that tradition. Tinubu’s appointments, like Adedeji at FIRS, Ojulari at NNPC, and Adeniyi at Customs, reflect his ideology of competence and loyalty to performance, not privilege.

    When the foundation is destroyed, even the righteous are helpless. But today, the foundation is being rebuilt  with bricks of merit, mortar of transparency, and blueprints drawn by visionary leadership.

    Not Just Jobs  But Justice for a Generation

    This is more than employment reform. It is a rescue mission. For years, Nigeria’s best minds were sidelined because they lacked ‘connections.’ But now, from north to south, young Nigerians are applying  and getting in simply because they are qualified.

    This is not just about jobs. It is about justice for a generation left behind. It is about restoring dignity to work, fairness to opportunity, and purpose to public service.

    We urge other key agencies and ministries like CBN, TETFUND, NIMASA among others to key into the Renewed Hope Vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu so as to have a more prosperous  and progressive Nigeria.

    • Atoyebi, the Convenor of the BAT Ideological Group, engages in accountability and policy monitoring while also serving as a social worker, criminologist, maritime administrator, and philanthropist. He sent this message from Abuja.

  • Oke Ogun APC leaders back Tinubu’s second term bid

    Oke Ogun APC leaders back Tinubu’s second term bid

    All  Progressives Congress stakeholders  from  Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola and Iwajowa federal constituency, Oke Ogun, Oyo State, have endorsed President  Bola Tinubu, for a second term ahead of the 2027 general election.

    The decision was taken on Tuesday at a meeting, presided over by the state leader of the APC and former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Iyiola Oladokun, at Ado Awaye, in Iseyin Local  Government.

    The party leaders also commended Tinubu for the establishment of Federal  University, Okeho, after many years of neglect of Oke Ogun by past administrations.

    He said: “We are grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the University, the first federal  institution in the entire 10 local governments in Oke Ogun.

    “We have endorsed him for a second term because of his progressive stance in developing  parts of Nigeria, simultaneously, including  Oke Ogun,  a land that past governments have forgotten.”

    They also commended the efforts of Prof. Gbadegesin, Senator Fatai Buhari, and Mr. Ahmed Raji, for their contributions towards the establishment of Federal University,  Okeho.

    Read Also: Israel-Iran conflict, regional wars threatening success of 2030 SDGs — Foreign, Nigerian scholars

    According to the leaders, Tinubu deserved a re-election for, in less less than two years, having taken steps to offset foreign loans, stabilise the economy, strengthen the Naira, increase states and local governments  allocations, curbed herders salvaging off farmlands, killing of farmers and raping of their female family members, as well as his war against  kidnappings and insurgency.

    The APC chieftains, however, appealed to saboteurs and sponsors of insurgencies to consider the interests of Nigeria and allow Tinubu to perform.

    It also commended the spate of mass defection of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters to the APC in the area in recognition of Tinubu’s performance.

    Meanwhile, the APC chieftains urged Nigerians to support Tinubu for the second term and vowed to take the campaign for  President’s re-election to a larger meeting of the party, scheduled for Igboho in Oke Ogun on June 30.

  • Thank God subsidy is gone

    Thank God subsidy is gone

    By Ibraheem Mouftah

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was perceived to have made a blunder when, on his inauguration as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he stated that the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as petrol, had been removed. I was among those who viewed the president’s statement as hasty and ill-timed. But I was wrong. I acted in ignorance, not after reading the accounts of the subsidy regime fraud by a former chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, in his recently published book, The Shadow of Loot and Losses: Uncovering Nigeria’s Petroleum Subsidy Fraud.

    The book is an expository and a must-read. It revealed the insider deals in the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) from 2006 to 2012. According to the author, he felt a strong urge to share a story defined by the pursuit of justice and the prevalence of fraud. And the content of the book didn’t deviate from the motivation, in my opinion. It gave insights into the petroleum industry and the history and causes of petroleum subsidy fraud in the country.

    He also highlighted the various ways these frauds were perpetuated by a network that consists of oil marketers, tank farm owners, bankers, vessel owners, civil servants within the petroleum industry and some highly placed individuals in the country. After reading, one would be glad that the subsidy regime had ended.

    Among the listed manner these frauds were perpetuated by the actors, the one that struck my attention was “Bridging by air fraud”. He narrated that this was among the earliest forms of petroleum subsidy fraud that involved, largely, the reimbursement for transportation/freight of petroleum products from coastal (loading) depots to the inland (receiving depots), and the National Transportation Allowance through which diversion was carried out.

    Read Also: Take ownership of fight against substance abuse, Marwa challenges Nigerians

    “Oil marketing companies were to load their trucks using meter tickets and waybills. The waybills would be stamped by Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) officials at the point of dispatch from the loading end. They would also be stamped at the receiving end upon arrival at the inland depots to confirm their receipt.”

    He said the fraud is perpetuated when some oil marketing companies would sell products at the coastal depots, and complete the documentation as though the trucks were loaded and dispatched at the inland depots. Meter tickets and waybills are thereafter obtained and flown to the receiving end to be processed and submitted to PEF as claims for reimbursement. This is quite interesting and indicates how insider dealings by the relevant government officials at the coastal and inland depots aid this fraud in return for kickbacks. Also, oil marketing companies were involved in substituting short distances between the loading depots and a filling station with longer distances to secure financial compensation.

    For example, a claim would be presented that a truck delivered PMS to a retail station in Maiduguri, whereas the PMS was sold elsewhere or claims would be made for delivery to retail outlets that do not exist.

    In my opinion, as simple as this process might seem, it was an avenue where hundreds of millions were fraudulently obtained by the consortium of racketeers. The author made some honest submissions with regard to efforts by PEF to address the concern. But it was also breached. He said, “PEF invested billions of naira in the automation of the verification process through a software called Aquilla. Aquilla succeeded in eliminating both the bridging by air fraud and the diversion fraud to some extent. However, during the teething period of the deployment of the software, oil marketing companies found a way by which they removed the Aquilla tags from their trucks in order to perpetuate the bridging by air. Based on the foregoing, additional controls were put in place by which any tag removed from a truck would no longer be functional. Also, licenses, registration numbers and chassis numbers of oil trucks had to match whenever trucks were scanned at the loading and receiving ends. Despite all these, PEF struggled to achieve accurate oversight as smuggling and black-market sales persist.”

    The PEF example should resonate in other sectors. It is an indication of a deliberate attempt at improving service delivery. There are fraudulent practices almost everywhere, and one of the ways to address these concerns is the deployment of technology, just like the case of the Aquilla software that helped a great deal in drastically reducing the bridging by air fraud. There are lessons to be gleaned from this example, and this much the author alluded to by highlighting the adoption of technology to modernize government operations and creating deterrents by promoting a legal environment that ensures swift investigations and prosecutions of wrongdoing, public perception of risk can shift. I like the creating deterrents angle from a psychological perspective. It can be further understood using the carrot and stick approach in discouraging undesirable actions.

    The book “The Shadow of Loot and Losses: Uncovering Nigeria’s Petroleum Subsidy Fraud” should be a staple item for policymakers and implementers. It is a quasi-academic work with insights into the issues, examples and recommendations on ways forward. Worthy of note is his allusion that had the system been more efficient, and instances of fraud minimized, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu might not have deemed it necessary to eliminate the subsidy regime. He also argued that “retaining a well-managed subsidy programme could have provided much-needed relief to vulnerable populations by ensuring that the cost of living remains stable and providing a buffer against economic shocks.” However, as we all know, the subsidy is gone, and our focus now should be on improving domestic capacity for uninterrupted refining of crude oil.

    In my opinion, there are positive steps in that direction with the sale of crude in naira to local refineries. The first step has been achieved, and the next step should be ensuring the availability of products to the refineries to ensure a seamless flow in the value chain. If this is done, we might as well perish the idea of importation of petroleum products into the country. I hope a major actor in the petroleum sector in the country would be led by the spirit to also give us a glimpse of the intricacies of the fuel subsidy regime. This insider perspective would indeed be a knowledge addition about a regime that is arguably the most fraudulent in our history. My two cents.

    •Mouftah comments on public affairs from Abuja, FCT.

  • Tinubu receives four Tax Reform Bills

    Tinubu receives four Tax Reform Bills

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now in possession of four key tax reform bills that are set to reshape Nigeria’s fiscal policy landscape. 

    The bills were formally delivered to the President by the National Assembly on Tuesday, marking a significant step in the federal government’s ambitious drive to overhaul the country’s tax system.

    The bills are: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.

    Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, stated this during the 50th birthday lecture of Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, held in Abuja.

    “It was, I think, yesterday that it was finally delivered to Mr. President by the National Assembly for him to sign off on the four tax reform bills,” Edun said, describing the moment as a critical milestone in the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda.

    The Minister said the bills, once signed into law, are expected to significantly improve the efficiency and fairness of Nigeria’s tax system, while nearly doubling the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio, which remains among the lowest globally. 

    “There is still hard work to be done in efficiently implementing the bills that have been passed. But they promise to change the fiscal landscape,” he said.

    Edun praised President Tinubu’s persistence in steering the tax reform process through challenging times, stating, “Mr. President knew the value of those four tax reform bills and kept going through thick and thin, through turbulence and through wind. He just kept going, supporting you,” he said, referring to Oyedele.

    According to Edun, the fiscal reforms championed by the Committee are central to Tinubu’s goal of lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty. He pointed to strategic areas such as agriculture, infrastructure (including digital infrastructure), and access to finance as sectors targeted for inclusive growth.

    He credited Oyedele’s expertise and communication skills for making the reforms broadly accessible. “You had the grace, the gift of being able to take a complex subject, and time after time, tirelessly break it down and simplify it for all types of audiences—the high, the low, the knowledgeable, the less knowledgeable,” Edun said. “And that’s why we have today success in terms of a proposal for proposed bills that are now ready for Mr. President to sign into law.”

    The Minister said the reforms will introduce a fairer, more transparent tax system aligned with global best practices. 

    “They will give greater fairness. They will give clarity. They will give ease of administration, best practice around the world. And ultimately… they’ll give more revenue for government so that the legitimate demands of our people can be met in social services, health, education, and basic infrastructure.”

    Edun also referenced Oyedele’s impact on public attitudes toward taxation. “You went out and you saw and heard from people that they didn’t feel they were in any way obliged to pay tax. You have worked tirelessly to help change people’s perspective on that,” he said, adding that voluntary compliance plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of tax policies.

    Read Also: Tinubu orders arrest of Yelewata killers

    Oyedele offered a critical assessment of the country’s economic environment, stating that regulatory bottlenecks and tariff burdens were equivalent to granting tax waivers to a few, while discouraging investment and productivity.

    “Addressing our tariffs and regulatory hurdles is the equivalent of granting waiver from all income and consumption taxes. We also need fiscal reforms to complement a strong and stable Naira, such as payments of all taxes in Naira,” he said.

    Oyedele stressed that the work of the committee was far from finished. He called for a downward revision of corporate tax rates to attract new investments and stimulate economic expansion, warning that high tax rates, especially in an inflationary environment, amount to taxing capital instead of profit.

    He said Nigeria must also resolve issues of regulatory overreach and embrace digitisation as part of its economic reform package. “We must refine our tariff system to reduce the rates on raw materials and intermediate products, which currently are twice the average for sub-Saharan Africa,” Oyedele said.

    He cautioned the elite to resist the temptation of simplistic solutions in public policy debates. “The elites must apply more intellectual rigour in policy debates, challenge long-held theoretical beliefs and question assumptions within context. We must avoid crowd-pleasing analysis because after the applause, the pain remains.”

    Offering practical advice to government, Oyedele suggested that public institutions should only carry out tasks that the private sector cannot do, and should do so efficiently, collecting the least amount of tax necessary to meet basic public service standards.

    He also spoke to the need for quality, non-inflationary spending by government, urging greater prudence and planning in fiscal policy implementation. According to him, ordinary Nigerians must also rise to the responsibility of civic participation.

    “The people must seek first to understand—ignorance compounds vulnerability and steals opportunities. We must think independently, ask questions, engage, and criticise constructively with the sole aim to build, not tear apart, our country,” he said.

    The lecture served as a personal tribute to Oyedele and a broader reflection on Nigeria’s path to sustainable development through fiscal responsibility, tax reform, and inclusive governance. The next step now lies with the President, whose assent to the bills will formally launch a new chapter in Nigeria’s tax administration.

  • Tinubu orders arrest of Yelewata killers

    Tinubu orders arrest of Yelewata killers

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered immediate action by top security agencies to arrest those responsible for the massacre of over 100 people in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. 

    The President gave the directive during a high-level stakeholder meeting at the Benue State Government House, Makurdi, on Wednesday.

    In a direct charge to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, the President demanded swift justice and stronger intelligence operations in the troubled North Central state.

    “How come no one has been arrested for committing this heinous crime in Yelewata? Inspector General of Police, where are the arrests? The criminals must be arrested immediately,” the President said in a stern address.

    Tinubu also tasked the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to intensify surveillance, gather actionable intelligence, and collaborate with local communities to apprehend the perpetrators.

    According to a statement  by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the meeting was attended by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; governors of Kwara, Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, and Nasarawa states; traditional rulers; and former governors of Benue State.

    Emphasising a proactive and inclusive approach to peacebuilding, President Tinubu urged Governor Hyacinth Alia to constitute a broad-based peace committee. 

    He advised that the committee should comprise former governors, traditional rulers, community elders, federal government officials, and representatives of non-indigene communities resident in the state.

    “Let us meet again in Abuja. Let’s fashion out a framework for lasting peace. I am ready to invest in that peace. I assure you, we will find peace. We will convert this tragedy into prosperity,” President Tinubu said.

    In an effort to prevent future clashes between farmers and herders, the President directed Governor Alia to allocate land for ranching and asked the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to immediately follow up on the directive.

    Read Also: Yelewata massacre: Tinubu directs formation of inclusive peace committee

    The President had earlier visited the Benue State University Teaching Hospital to sympathise with victims and medical personnel, and called on citizens to donate blood to help the wounded.

    While lamenting the needless loss of lives, President Tinubu made a passionate appeal for peace as a foundation for sustainable development in the state.

    “I wanted to come here to commission projects, to reassure you of hope and prosperity—not to see gloomy faces. But peace is vital to development. The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people”, he said.

    He tasked Governor Alia with aligning fully with the federal government’s mission to restore peace and prosperity to the state.

    “Governor Alia, you were elected under the progressive banner to ensure peace, stability, and progress. You are not elected to bury people or comfort widows and orphans. We will work with you to achieve that peace. You must also work with us,” he stressed.

    Acknowledging political pressures, the President said, “Not everyone will like you in politics. They hate me, too—like hell. But here I am, still your President. I made a promise to protect democracy, freedom, and prosperity, even for my abusers and accusers. That’s leadership.”

    In his response, Governor Alia appealed for the creation of a Special Federal Intervention Fund to aid communities ravaged by repeated attacks in Benue. 

    He said such a fund would be critical in helping victims rebuild their lives and in restoring destroyed infrastructure.

    “Your Excellency, while we continue to mourn our losses and rebuild from the ashes of pain, we humbly urge the Federal Government to consider establishing a special intervention fund for communities affected by these incessant attacks in Benue State,” Alia said.

    The Governor reaffirmed his support for the establishment of state police as a long-term solution to insecurity and promised unwavering commitment to building a peaceful and prosperous Benue.

    Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers, the Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Prof. James Ayatse, offered praise for President Tinubu’s personal visit to the hospital and for the inclusion of Benue indigenes in his administration, such as Senator Akume and Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Joseph Utsev.

    However, the monarch did not mince words about the depth of the crisis in the state. He said mischaracterizing the violence as “herder-farmer clashes” or “communal disputes” only masked the true nature of the conflict.

    “Your Excellency, it is not herder-farmer clashes. It is not communal clashes. It is not reprisal attacks or skirmishes. What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder-terrorists and bandits,” the Tor Tiv stated.

    He warned that political manipulation of the crisis was worsening the situation.

    “We hear that some politicians would even prefer that the crisis worsens, so it would serve as a basis for declaring a state of emergency. This is unfortunate. Any politician who prays for more people to die for such a project is working against the wishes of the people of Benue State,” he said.

    Appealing directly to the President, the monarch concluded, “All we ask of you, sir, is to stop our weeping. Give us peace in Benue State, so our people, primarily farmers, can return to their farms and continue to produce food for Nigeria.”

    He referenced the President’s intervention in Kwara State’s Kaiama crisis as a sign of his capacity to end similar turmoil in Benue.

  • Benue attack: Tinubu visits injured survivors in hospital

    Benue attack: Tinubu visits injured survivors in hospital

    President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday visited victims of the recent brutal attack in Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where over 59 people were killed and many others injured.

    Arriving at the Tactical Air Command, Nigerian Air Force Base in Makurdi around 12:58 p.m., Tinubu went directly to the hospital to see survivors of the massacre.

    Following his hospital visit, the President proceeded to the new Banquet Hall of the Benue State Government House for a closed-door meeting with key stakeholders to address the spate of violent attacks in the state.

    The meeting forms part of a wider effort to find a lasting solution to the escalating crisis affecting several rural communities in Benue.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Tinubu arrives Benue over Yelwata killing

    He is expected to meet with families of the deceased, displaced persons, injured victims, and community leaders impacted by the violence.

    Present at the meeting are Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, governors from the North-Central region, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, among other top officials.

  • BREAKING: Tinubu arrives Benue over Yelwata killing

    BREAKING: Tinubu arrives Benue over Yelwata killing

    President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, ahead of his visit to the Yelwata community, in the Guma Local Government Area of the state.

    Read Also: Akpabio lauds Tinubu over bills establishing three tertiary institutions in S’East

    Tinubu arrived at the Makurdi Airport located at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Makurdi, at about 12:58 pm.

    Details shortly…

  • Akpabio lauds Tinubu over bills establishing three tertiary institutions in S’East

    Akpabio lauds Tinubu over bills establishing three tertiary institutions in S’East

    President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has commended President Bola Tinubu for signing into law three bills for the establishment of three federal tertiary institutions in the South-East.

    The institutions are College of Education, Bende, Abia; Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item, Bende, Abia and Federal University, Okigwe, Imo.

    Akpabio made the commendation in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Eseme Eyiboh.

    The president of senate also praised stakeholders in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for their steadfastness and support for the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of the Tinubu administration.

    Akpabio extolled the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu for sponsoring the two of the bills.

    He also commended the Deputy Whip, Sen. Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Deputy Minority Whip, Sen. Osita Ngwu and Sen. Patrick Ndubueze for their co-sponsoring the bills.

    He said that the three institutions aim to provide quality education, research opportunities and cater for the educational needs of the South-East geo-political zone and healthcare delivery to advance knowledge.

    Read Also: Oke Ogun APC leaders back Tinubu for second term

    Akpabio said that the establishment of the institutions would mark significant milestone in promoting development in the zone.

    “I applaud President Tinubu for his inclusive leadership and commitment to the development of the South-East zone and efforts to heal the deep-seated wounds of the past.

    “The establishment of these institutions will go a long way to remove the nagging feelings of distrust and socio-economic marginalisation among the people of the zone.

    “I call on the great people of the South-East to continue to key into the renewed hope agenda of the present administration and position for strategic and progressive alliance with President Tinubu,” he said.

    Akpabio noted that continued support of the South-East to the Tinubu’s administration would attract more dividends of democracy to the zone.

    (NAN)