The Benue State Government has launched a new education policy which will make primary education to nine years.
Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) explained that the implementation of a new policy will commence during the current academic session in the State.
According to the Board, the new policy will see pupils receive their First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) after completing Basic Nine, instead of Basic Six.
The reform was announced on Wednesday by the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Grace Adagba, during a public enlightenment programme on the new policy in Makurdi.
Dr. Adagba, accompanied by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Dr. Samuel Akaa, and the Director of the Digital Resource Centre, Dr. Karim Usman, outlined SUBEB’s ongoing efforts to elevate the standard of basic education in Benue State.
She emphasized that under the leadership of Governor Hyacinth Alia, SUBEB is focused on delivering quality education through the provision of modern infrastructure and instructional materials.
The SUBEB chairman, who highlighted the importance of Early Childhood Care, Development, and Education (ECCDE) centres located in public primary schools across the state, urged parents to enrol their children as young as two years old.
She explained that the centres serve as nursery schools that provide a solid educational foundation for young learners.
During the programme, Dr. Adagba also discussed SUBEB’s partnerships with international organizations such as UNICEF, which supports the board by providing training and instructional materials for the various learning centres.
Adagba noted that the ongoing initiatives of the board in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) aimed at rehabilitating street children and equipping them with life-improving skills was yielding the desired result.
While assuring the public of the quality of teaching staff in public schools in the state, Dr. Adagba assured that public-school teachers in the state hold at least an NCE certificate, qualifying them to deliver high-quality teaching at the basic level.
The ding-dung affair continues as the embattled former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has insisted that he visited the office of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja on Wednesday and was instructed to leave.
Bello who did not name any official of the Commission that attended to him, stated that he attended the agency’s office on Wednesday to respond to an invitation regarding an alleged N80.2 billion fraud, accompanied by his successor, Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State.
However, the anti-graft agency countered Bello’s claims, stating that he did not comply with the invitation and is still considered a wanted individual.
Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja said, “Media reports stating that former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello is currently in the EFCC holding facility are incorrect. The Commission clarifies that Bello is not in our custody.
“He is wanted for alleged money laundering involving N80.2 billion, and an active arrest warrant is in place,” the EFCC announced
Bello’s media office in a reaction maintained that “Earlier today, we reported former Governor Yahaya Bello’s voluntary visit to the EFCC to honor the Commission’s invitation.
“We emphasized his deep respect for the rule of law and the need to uphold his fundamental rights throughout the process.
“However, the EFCC did not question him, as officials indicated he could leave. The implications of this are still unclear.
“As we write, HE Alhaji Yahaya Bello has departed the EFCC office, accompanied by the Governor of Kogi State, HE Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.”
There are strong fears and apprehension that Local Councils in Abia state may have their monthly Federal Allocations seized by the end of October 2024.
This follows equally strong signs that the State may not be able to meet the Supreme Court’s dateline for Local Governments to inaugurate elected officials on, or before the end of October 2024.
The Source reports that the nation’s apex court had, on Thursday, June 20, 2024 ruled in a landmark judgment to reaffirm the financial autonomy of local councils in the country.
The Court had ordered among other things that all Federal accruals to the Councils be remitted directly to them, thus putting paid to the much abused States/Local Government Joint Account Committee JAAC.
Similarly ,the Supreme Court ruled that only Local Councils under the leadership of democratically elected officials will be eligible to receive their monthly Federal Allocations.
Going by the facts of the Judgment, the dateline for elected officials to take over at the Council level, or have their accruals withheld is October ending.
Instructively, since the Supreme Court’s pronouncement, several States have either held and/ or at the verge of holding local polls so as to avoid the withholding of their Local Councils’ Federal Allocations.
The Source further reports that many states across the country have billed their Local Government elections for between September 21, and October 5, 2024,.
Kano State which had originally planned to hold the exercise on November 30, had to bring down the date to October 24.
According to the Chairman of Kano State Independent Electoral Commission KANSIEC, Prof Sani Malumfashi, the downwards review of the date is to meet with the October ending commencement date of the implementation of the Supreme Court judgement.
Already, the Federal Government has set up an implementation Committee for the Apex Court’s judgement to be coordinated by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
But despite the frenzy among many State Governments to beat the deadline, Abia appears somewhat detached and unperturbed.
For the records, the Abia State Electoral Commission, ABSIEC, was only reconstituted on September 12, 2024, by the state Governor Dr Alex Otti,.
While inaugurating the Prof George Chima-led ABSIEC, Governor Otti tasked the members to live above board, as doing otherwise will amount to committing suicide.
” Particularly to the Board Members of ABSIEC, you will come under heavy pressure. People would want you to compromise. They will bring money to you .
“They will promise you heaven on earth, but you must know that the very day you succumb, you would have committed suicide and it will be just a matter of time before you find your way out. But I do know that all of you are going to excel in this assignment” Governor Otti noted .
However, there have been growing concerns that the electoral body may not be able to conduct an acceptable and credible polls before October ending.
With less than six weeks to the October dateline ,the electoral body ,is yet to hit the ground running.
Election timetable and other logistical arrangements have not been unveiled.
Crucial meetings between the electoral umpire, political parties and other relevant stakeholders have been holding rather in snail-like speed.
Consensus have not been reached on the commencement of sale of nomination forms by political parties, screening of aspirants and party primaries to select candidates, even with only few weeks left before the commencement of the no-elected officials, no-Federation Allocations for Local Governments.
Among many stakeholders, and observers alike, it is highly doubtful for the ABSIEC, under the present circumstances, to beat the October dateline for the conduct of council polls.
Several efforts to speak with the Chairman of the Electoral Body, Prof Chima on the development were unsuccessful as at the time of reporting.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has cautioned former Military Head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar over what it termed “undiplomatic and unparliamentary languages” which are capable of inciting the populace.
The ex Nigerian Leader was quoted Tuesday as saying that the hardship in Nigeria is ‘getting out of control’.
MURIC’s reaction was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Founder and Executive Director of the group, Prof Ishaq Akintola.
According to the statement, “Former military head of state, General AbdulSalami Abubakar on Tuesday 17th September, 2024 allegedly said that the hardship in Nigeria is getting out of control.
“We are alarmed by the tone of this statement. It is an extreme language to say things are getting ‘out of control’. We do not expect a former head of state to use such strong words when describing the current situation in the country.
“Of course we all know that things are hard but to describe them as getting out of control is to expect people to also go out of control. There is a milder way to put it and the retired general knows it, having been trained in the use of diplomatic language before, at least while in Aso Rock himself.
“Undiplomatic and unparliamentary languages are capable of inflaming the populace. The retired general could have done better. As a former head of state and an elder statesman, the retired general has a duty to act in loco parentis.
“He is still one of our fathers. He could have reminded his immediate audience, a delegation of the Campaign for Democracy, of the global nature of the economic hardship which Nigerians are facing.
“The former head of state also added during his speech yesterday that people could demonstrate though he asked them to shun violence. Coming from a leader who witnessed the last #EndBadGovernance demonstrations a few weeks ago and the human and material losses it brought upon the country, the least we can say is that we are disappointed.
“Every right-thinking Nigerian knows that there is nothing like peaceful conduct in the vocabulary of Nigerian demonstrators of this age. Gen AbdulSalami Abubakar (rtd) himself saw the irrational behaviors exhibited by demonstrators during their last outing. How could he have encouraged another of such outing so soon?
“His belated advice to government is unnecessary because both the federal and state governments have been implementing all of them even before he mentioned them. It is however sad that he could come out publicly to condemn the sharing of palliatives which, in actual fact, has saved the lives of many poor Nigerians.
“We advise the retired general to channel his future admonitions to government directly to Aso Rock since he has access to the seat of power as a much respected former head of state.
“He must also endeavour as much as possible to remain neutral particularly in his position as leader of the Nigerian Peace Committee.
“Nigerians still respect General Abubakar as the only former military head of state who promised to hand over to civilians within one year and kept his words. He did not allow the perquisites of office to sway him. This is one of the reasons he still remains relevant in the Nigerian political scene.
“MURIC advises those who are planning to demonstrate on 1st October to shelve the idea and adopt dialogue. They should consider several efforts being made by the Federal Government to ameliorate the present economic hardship.
“Keeping demonstrations peaceful in the Nigeria of today is either sheer wishful thinking or a deliberate skullduggery to spread pandemonium. Demonstration is a square peg, the end result is often a round hole.”
The newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Peter Opara, has been redeployed.
Opara was, a few days ago, appointed as the Commissioner of Police FCT Police Command.
His appointment made it the second time a CP of South-east origin would be in charge of the FCT Command. The first to be appointed was Beneth Igweh, who has just been promoted to the rank of an Assistant Inspector General, AIG, of Police, and in charge of Zone 7.
But even before the joy of Opara’s appointment could sink, he has been replaced by CP Tunde Disu. Opara has now been redeployed to the Delta State Command as the new CP. Until Disu’s redeployment to FCT, he was CP, Rivers State.
Disu, appointed as Commissioner of Police, Rivers State since November 2023, will be succeeded by Olufemi Abaniwonda, who, until the recent posting was the Commissioner of Police in Delta State.
The signal for the repostings reads in part: “INGENPOL HAS ORDERED THE REDEPLOYMENT OF THE FOLLOWING COMMAND COMPOLS: X FROM COMPOL RVS TO COMPOL FCT X COMPOL DISU OLATUNJI RILWAN X FROM COMPOL DTS TO COMPOL RVS X COMPOL ABANIWONDA S. OLUFEMI X FROM COMPOL FCT TO COMPOL DTS X COMPOL PETER U. OPARA X POSTING IS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT ‘MOST/IMMEDIATE.”
It is not known why Opara was redeployed from FCT to Delta so suddenly, but it is strongly speculated that with AIG Igweh in Zone 7, it is a little untidy for Opara, from same State as Opara to be the FCT CP.
The die is cast. The E-day has come and Edo people must stand as one to win this diadem for themselves. Some popular but witless refrains we hear in Nigeria today include: “ How did we get here?” “Who did this to us?” And, “na like this we go dey?” But to a large extent, we are largely liable for our endlessly debilitating situation.
These statements evoke a state of utter hopelessness and despair among the populace. Unfortunately, this has been the common sing-song in Nigeria in the past one year of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. However, the pain is more excruciating now and a dark blanket of melancholy seems about to eclipse the land.
But It may be said that Edo people have some chance come Saturday, 21st September, to sing a new song of their own. As an impartial arbiter who has followed the Edo guber campaign in the last couple of months and who has analysed the major candidates, one is in a position to state that providence is kind to Edo. It has made it easy for the electorate here to make a reasonable choice come Saturday.
To any discerning and right-thinking voter on Saturday who seeks the good of Edo State and her people, the clear choice to lead Edo in the next four years is OLUMIDE AKPATA of the Labour Party. Again, the people must thank their stars that a third option, an alternative, has been graciously presented to them. It would have been a tragedy, ab initio were Edo people not to have a third option.
APC/PDP, SAME OF SAME:
People of goodwill can tell that both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chose to remain true to type. In their cynical manner they took the people for granted by presenting poor candidates.
The APC front man, Monday Okpebholo, is nigh a stark illiterate. This is not a hyperbole; one is not being metaphorical, it’s a stark, plain, fact. Okpebolo would not grant a single interview nor accede to any of the debate opportunities during the campaign. He wouldn’t, he wouldn’t dare, because he can’t manage to string a correct sentence in English. Okpebholo would have been pardoned if English were not Nigeria’s lingua franca. This Columnist wagers that if Okpebholo diligently did a much as six years of primary school, he would be able to sufficiently articulate his thoughts in simple, passable English.
A sitting Senator of the Federal Republic, we wager again, that Okpebholo bought his way to the Green Chamber. Having successfully wangled his way into the Senate, he is emboldened to pitch to the biggest job in Edo. This Okpebholo insult is not only on Edo people, it’s on all Nigerians because if he filibusters his way into Edo Government House today, tomorrow he will come haranguing us for the presidency. People like them don’t stop. It’s this same road we passed to the TINUBUGATE we found ourselves today which threatens to exterminate us all.
APC darkly chieftains like Adams Oshiomhole are hard on foisting all round evil across the land starting from Aso Rock. They’re not done with the havoc they brought upon Nigeria so far.
We say goodness forbid that Okpebholo happens to Edo State. May the APC affliction never happen to Edo State or to Nigeria ever again.
Very well then, Mr Asue Ighodalo, is well schooled, well read, well spoken and well exposed with a distinct track record as a finance guru and boardroom titan. Why isn’t he a natural walk-in to the Edo Government House, you might ask. The first reason he can’t is that Asue has been economic adviser to incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki for nearly two tenures of eight years. Obaseki is adjudged a failure. This columnist applying its independent performance assessment would not give Obaseki a pass mark.
Just last month, Obaseki rolled out a bogus 30-year Edo Development Plan. What a raucous laugh, what a joker? A plan he would have come to office with and started implementing from the first day! Now he unveils it at the end of his tenure. This singular ‘magical’ act says everything about Obaseki. Speak to enlightened Edo people and they will tell you Obaseki is a troubadour of the modern day kind who knows all the slangs and speaks all the jargons but does little work. Worse, he’s not accountable.
It is considered that if Asue is made in the liking of Obaseki, we can conclude that Asue won’t do any better. And worse, like Obaseki, he won’t give account.
OLUMIDE AS LONESTAR:
Let’s remember that Oshiomhole sired Obaseki and Obaseki seeks to birth Asue. Oshiomhole who wasn’t a great governor either, now thinks Obaseki is trash and he would give an arm to stop Obaseki from installing a successor.
But Oshiomhole isn’t fighting for the interest of Edo people, otherwise he would never have presented an Okpebholo. Oshiomhole wants to put Edo in his pocket the way Tinubu pocketed Lagos. The point here is that both APC and PDP are the same people – they want to capture Edo.
Olumide Akpata
Edo people are lucky they have an alternative in Olumide Akpata. He is tried, he is tested, he has verifiable tract record; he understands the issues, has a workable programme, but most important for this Column, he has a modicum of integrity.
This is why we said at the beginning that the ballot is made easy for Edo people. It must be recognised that Edo people are probably the smartest in Nigeria having ‘borrowed’ sense from the north, south, east and west.
On Saturday, the federal might will be unleashed viciously on Edo to forcibly steal the will of the people. It will come in the form of using the police and all the federal security apparatuses. The IGP says he will be deploying about 43,000 such personnel. This quantum of force can suppress the people’s will already.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Mahmoud Yakubu cannot and must not be trusted to deliver a free and fair election. It’s a well established fact that this INEC is the gloved hand of the APC government. After the February 25th 2023 heist, shameless Yakubu has conducted even more scandalous elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo.
Finally, on Saturday, the ballot is not against Okpebholo or Ighodalo, it’s against the Nigeria Police and security agencies and against Mahmoud Yakubu and his INEC.
This Column urges Edo people to troop out and vote en masse for their choice while watching out for the enemies of democracy. They must be vigilant, stand firm and defend their mandate to the best of their abilities.
Let all people of goodwill pray for Edo. Let’s prat the people are not pushed to the wall, to the point of no return…
Let’s all join hands to reclaim Nigeria from nihilistic leaders, one state at a time.
▪︎Osuji, veteran journalist, was editor with The Guardian, Thisday, NewAge and until recently, Member, Editorial Board, The Nation
A total of 17,600 Nigerian students have secured admission to study in various higher institutions in the United States, US.
Richard Mills Jr, the US Ambassador to Nigeria made the revelation on Tuesday in Abuja at the 23rd Annual College Fair, stressing that the students are now studying in over 970 institutions across the United States.
According to the US top diplomat in the country, the annual fair has created financial assistance and scholarship for Nigerian students studying in various ivory towers in his country.
He explained that the financial aid and scholarship opportunities have been expanded for Nigerians students seeking admission in the US over the years, adding that the Fair was organised in form of awareness for them.
He appealed for more collaboration with the Nigerian government in the area of education.
“Your presence here represents the strong people-to-people ties between the United States and Nigeria. It is wonderful to see the flourishing interest from Nigerians considering studying in the United States and from the representatives of U.S. colleges and universities who travel to Nigeria, to meet with prospective students.
“Our Embassy-sponsored College Fair provides you all with a great opportunity to obtain current information on studying in the United States and to discuss career possibilities.
“We are glad you are here, following in the footsteps of thousands of Nigerians who have travelled to the United States to study. More Nigerians study in the United States than from any other African country.
“According to the most recent data, more than 17,600 Nigerian students studied at over 970 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia last year. If you are wondering which state is the most popular – it’s Texas.
“Our annual College Fairs have significantly increased the number of excellent applicants to U.S. institutions and boosted financial aid and scholarship opportunities for Nigerian students,” he stated.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has denied that Yahaya Belloo, a former governor of Kogi state, surrendered to the commission.
Dele Oyewale, the spokesman for the anti-graft agency said in a statement of Wednesday, few hours after the former governor issued a statement that he has surrendered.
The commission said in the statement that the former Kogi helmsman, wanted by the agency for alleged fraud of over N80 billion, is still at large.
Oyewale said, “Media reports today that a former Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello is in the holding facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is incorrect. The Commission wishes to state that Bello is not in its custody.
“Bello, already declared wanted by the Commission for alleged N80.2billion money laundering charges, remains wanted with a subsisting warrant for his arrest.”
The magazine reported that the former governor had remained a fugitive for months, allegedly hiding in the state Government House in Lokoja, the capital.
The last that was seen of him publicly was in February this year when he was allegedly spirited away by his successor, Usman Ododo after the EFCC surrounded his Abuja home.
The former governor, had refused to make himself available to the agency for prosecution even after the court ordered him to do so.
Months after making a ridicule of himself before the Nigerian public, Yahaya Bello, who made himself a fugitive in his own country, has finally surrendered to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The Commission had invited Bello, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, to its Headquarters in Abuja, to clear a number of alleged questionable dealings he was involved in while he was Kogi Governor.
For the number of times he was invited, Bello refused to appear, not even after an assurance by the EFCC Chairman to give him a special very respectable treatment.
The EFCC boss had assured him that he would be interviewed in his (EFCC’s Chair’s Office) and even be allowed to enter the EFCC Headquarters through the gate only the EFCC Chairman uses.
Frustrated, EFCC Operatives stormed Bello’s Abuja residence in April. And, after many hours of stand-off during which he refused to appear or give up, his State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, the man he installed as his successor, drove in. Ododo drove out after sometime, and that became the last time anybody saw Bello.
He was, apparently, as seriously alleged, spirited away by Governor Ododo and as also, strongly speculated, hidden at the Government House, Lokoja.
Bello, also, refused to appear in Court when summoned. All his assurances, through his legal team, to appear, were never kept.
The Court was forced to issue a warrant of arrest on him, and Bello was declared wanted by the EFCC.
He had, earlier, requested for his case to be transferred to the Federal High Court, Lokoja from Abuja. At another time, he ridiculously claimed that an unnamed woman had so destroyed him before the EFCC, and the plan was to lock him up.
But suddenly, on Wednesday, September 18, Bello surrendered himself to the EFCC, accompanied by a number of political associates and friends.
In a statement announcing his surrender to the EFCC, his Media Office said:
“The former Governor, who has great respect for the rule of law and constituted authority, had, all the while, only sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights in order to ensure due process.
“The case has been before a competent court of jurisdiction, and Alhaji Yahaya Bello had been duly represented by his legal team at every hearing. It is important for the former Governor to now honour the invitation of the EFCC to clear his name as he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear.
“The former Governor believes firmly in the efforts of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to place Nigeria on the path of sustainable economic development; and supports the fight against corruption in the country.
“It is on record that he was the first Governor of Kogi State to put in place an anti-corruption mechanism to check graft and ensure that the resources of the State work for the people of the State.
“He was accompanied to the EFCC Headquarters by high profile Nigerians.
“It is our hope that the Commission will be as professional as necessary and respect his fundamental rights as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Details of his engagement with the operatives of the Anti-Graft Agency will be disclosed later.”
It is expected that he would be arraigned in Court by the EFCC after his interrogation by Operatives.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rebuffed Bishop Matthew Kukah claim that he did not sign the Peace Accord ahead the 2023 Presidential Election.
The president’s rebuttal was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Tuesday.
Recall that Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese had while reacting to the refusal of the Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to sign the Peace Accord promoted by the Gen Abdusalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee, ahead the governorship election in the state said the party cannot be forced because Tinubu did not also sign the agreement last year.
Governor Godwin Obaseki, the PDP leader in the state had cited the harassment of PDP officials and deployment of Special Forces to the state by the Nigerian Police, few days to the election as one of the reasons why the PDP declined to sign the agreement.
The governorship election has been fixed for Septembet 21 by the Independent national Electoral Commission, INEC.
Reacting to Bishop Kukah’s remark, Tinubu said he signed two peace agreement ahead the presidential election last year.
According to Onanuga in a message posted on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956, the first accord, signed on September 29, 2022, committed candidates to a free and credible election in the country. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu at the signing.
The second agreement, signed on February 23, 2023, required candidates to accept the election outcome, and Tinubu personally signed it, he said.
Onanuga said, “Contrary to the claims by Bishop Kukah, President Tinubu signed the two peace accords preceding his election in 2023.
“The first accord, committing the candidates to a free and credible election in the country, was signed on September 29, 2022. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu.
“The second agreement, signed on February 23, 2023, was for the candidates to accept the election outcome. Tinubu signed.”
Meanwhile, tension has mounted ahead the governorship election in the state this weekend.
The three leading political parties, the PDP, All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Labour Party, LP have vowed to win the election.
The governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki has worsened the tension after he described the election as “do or die”.
