News
Kwara First Lady, Health Insurance Agency, others meet on health insurance financing
* Score agency high
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Kwara State First Lady, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, has applauded the
Kwara State Health Insurance
Agency for securing the needed support of all stakeholders for improved outcomes in the state’s health sector, saying she’s proud to identify with the agency’s laudable activities as well as the health programmes of the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The First Lady spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, at the meeting of stakeholders in the health sector on strengthening healthcare financing to lessen the burden of healthcare on the vulnerable and indigent population.
Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq
appreciated the service providers and sponsors as well as other relevant stakeholders for their collaborative efforts, urging them to always be on the same page with the state health insurance agency for positive results.
She said: “I am proud to identify with the laudable activities of Kwara State Health Insurance Agency and by extension the health programmes of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration. I am aware of your efforts in ensuring that more people are carrying along in agency’s activities. More people are now keying into the health insurance scheme. I am also proud of your intervention in the Kwara State School for Special Needs.”
Stakeholders, at the meeting organised by the Kwara State Health Insurance Agency, stressed the need to strengthen advocacy on attracting more sponsors for the indigent population and promote access to subsidised healthcare services across the state to achieve universal health coverage.
Speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the meeting, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Health Insurance
Agency, Dr. Olubunmi Jetawo-Winter, disclosed that the agency has over 70,000 enrollees in the list of its healthcare service providers.
“In September 2020, the programme officially kicked off, the agency had 10,000 enrollees but now we have about 70,000 people enrolled in health insurance. That is even without the formal sector. When the civil servants come on board, we are looking at additional 200,000 people”, she said.
Dr Jetawo-Winter, who said financing health insurance was expected to come from different stakeholders including the government and sponsors, explained that subsidising health care services would go along way in ensuring that people have access to affordable healthcare delivery.
“As it stands in Kwara now, we have about 30 percent population who falls under poverty index and who are really poor. We need to subsidise them and this is where these invaluable sponsors come in because they go in to their communities or catchment areas and mob up these indigents who ordinarily we have not gotten to because the physical space for financing the poor is limited and these people have to be covered and renewed on a yearly basis.
“So, these sponsors come in, pick up the population of people and pay on their behalf so they can have access to quality and affordable healthcare services,” she said.
Jetawo-Winter also explained that the agency started with about 25 healthcare providers both in public and private hospitals but today the number has increased to about 60 of them providing health services across the 16 local governments.
Some of the participants who spoke at the meeting relived the success stories of the scheme, while also identifying various challenges and proffering the way forward.
End
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain the status quo in a dispute over the party’s candidates emerging from the Benue State APC primaries for the 2027 general election.
The order was made on Thursday by Justice Inyang Ekwo during proceedings in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1429/2026, filed by Engr. Sesugh Akaagba and other aggrieved APC candidates from Benue State against the APC and INEC.
The plaintiffs had, through an ex parte motion filed on July 5, 2026, sought six interim reliefs, including an order restraining the APC from substituting its validly nominated candidates in Benue State through its June 29, 2026 correspondence, or any subsequent communication, to INEC, pending determination of the substantive suit.
They also sought an order compelling the APC to immediately transmit to INEC the names of candidates validly nominated during the primaries monitored by the electoral commission.
When the matter first came up on July 8, 2026, the court declined to grant the interim application immediately, directing both APC and INEC to appear and respond before any decision was taken. The matter was adjourned to July 16.
At Thursday’s proceedings, counsel representing the APC and INEC were present in court, while the plaintiffs were represented by Mohammed Ndarani, SAN, alongside his legal team.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo held that since issues had been joined by the parties particularly with INEC now before the court, the defendants were required by law to preserve the subject matter of the litigation pending determination of the substantive suit.
When counsel to the plaintiffs urged the court to caution APC and INEC against taking any further action that could affect the disputed list of candidates, the judge responded that it was “not a matter of advice but of law,” stressing that the defendants were bound to maintain the status quo.
The court consequently restrained APC and INEC from taking any action capable of altering the disputed list of candidates pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The defendants did not object to the restraining order.
At the commencement of proceedings, the court noted that all parties had voluntarily submitted to its jurisdiction by duly filing and exchanging their respective processes.
It held that there was no procedural or jurisdictional impediment to the expeditious determination of the substantive action, and directed that the matter be heard without further delay.
In furtherance of the objective of preserving the res and safeguarding the efficacy of the judicial process, the court ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive suit, restraining any act or omission capable of prejudicing the rights of the parties or rendering the proceedings nugatory.
The court further directed that INEC be served forthwith with the originating and all consequential processes.
The effect of the subsisting order is that INEC is restrained from tampering with the existing list of candidates pending final determination of the suit, and from receiving, recognising, or acting upon any purported substituted list of National Assembly candidates from Benue State submitted by the APC.
The matter was adjourned to July 21, 2026, for hearing of the substantive suit.
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and former First Lady Patience Ibifaka Jonathan recently celebrated a significant family milestone as they attended the graduation ceremony of their son, Ariara Goodluck Jonathan, at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.
The proud parents joined family members and well-wishers to witness Ariara receive his degree, marking the successful completion of his academic programme. The occasion was filled with joy as the Jonathan family commemorated the achievement, highlighting the importance they place on education and personal development.
The graduation ceremony attracted warm congratulatory messages from friends, associates, and admirers, who wished the graduate continued success in his future endeavours.
The Following names joined the political family of Sen. Dr. George Akume today after leaving the sinking Alia ship .
Under the leadership of Barr. Emmanuel Jime .
The are ;
Chief Nelson Alapa
Douglas pepe SAN senatorial Aspirant zone A,
Engr Peter Ashiekaa
QS Clement Beetseh
Former commissioners
Joy Luga
Ann itodo
Barr martins Shaagee
Miss Dorcas
Prof Usar Joseh
Prof Cephas Tushima
Chief Patrick Idoko
Hon Patience Akor
Hon Fred Idoko
Hon Lawrence Ekpo Onoja Jnr
Hon Andrew Abah
Hon Agbo Innocent Ikwumonu
Hon Simon Omachoko
Hon David Egboja
Dr John Garba
Among together,
Kwara: Security Team Kills Two Bandits, Rescues Two Kidnap Victims
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