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Remi Tinubu in Kwara: Commissions NITDA/RHI Community ICT Centre

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  • Supports 1,000 Kwara petty traders with N50m

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

No fewer than 1,000 women petty traders in Kwara State will be supported with the sum of N50,000 each, totalling N50m, to re-capitalise their existing businesses.

Disclosing this on Tuesday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while commissioning the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Community ICT Centre, in collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) under its Social Investment Programme, Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, added that they had earlier empowered 1,000 women petty traders in 2024, adding that this ICT
centre that is being commissioned is the second after that of Bauchi State in 2024, while Benue and Oyo centres will be commissioned soon.

She said: “Under the RHI Social Investment Programme, 250 elderly citizens were given a grant of N200,000 each on the 17th December, 2024 to celebrate the yuletide season.

“In addition, RHI, under its Education Programme is collaborating with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to build an Alternative High School for Girls in Kwara State. This is to provide another opportunity to access education for girls and women who dropped out of school due to early pregnancies, child marriages and other socio-economic reasons.

“Also, Kwara State has been nominated to benefit from the construction of a model Early Childhood Care Development Education (ECCDE) Centre, which will be built in Ilorin. As part of the fruit of our collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Kwara State University is to benefit from the establishment of an ICT Experience Centre.

“Also, under our RHI Agriculture Programme, women and young farmers will benefit from the 68.9 Million Naira Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Support grant. This grant has been made available to Kwara State, through the First Lady and RHI State Coordinator, who will be responsible for the implementation of the Women Agricultural Support Programme (WASP), Youth Agricultural Support Programme, Every Home a Garden and Young Farmers Club of the Renewed Hope Initiative.”

The First Lady, who lauded Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his wife, Ambassador (Dr.) Olufolake AbdulRazaq for “your warm reception and hospitality, especially for executing all our RHI programmes in Kwara State”,
congratulated the Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and his entire team for their impactful efforts in bridging the digital gap across the nation, particularly for this collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative.

She said she had been informed that these Centres “have greatly benefited our youth, especially women and girls, by providing invaluable opportunities for growth and empowerment. I am glad to hear about the success stories and the opportunities these centres afford members of these various communities that have benefitted from this intervention.

“The knowledge of ICT serves as a significant tool for empowering communities, especially women, enabling them to break traditional barriers and access new opportunities. By equipping themselves with ICT skills, women and girls can enhance their educational prospects, be self-reliant, participate in the global economy, and support their families.”

The First Lady, however, urged the community to take full ownership of the centre, saying that the success of the centre depends on their active participation and utilisation of the resources available.

In her speech, the First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Professor Olufolake AbdulRazaq,
commended the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady of the Federal Republic and the National Information Technology Development Agency for the laudable initiative that would not only equip women and youths with digital skills but also position them for the abundant opportunities in the Nigerian and global digital space.

She added: “Today’s commissioning speaks to the many engagements and partnerships of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria towards ensuring that Nigerians are adequately supported in the pursuit of their goals and improving livelihoods of the most indigent to complement the efforts of Mr. President His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and the Federal Government in this regard.

“While this milestone will continue to up the status of women, youths and other users of the facility, it is also creating pathways into making Nigeria a digitally empowered Nation as well as fostering a technology enabled equitable future for all Nigerians.

  1. In closing please permit me to enjoin the host school and users alike to ensure the protection and security of this edifice and take full advantage of the services the facility provides to develop themselves and promote positive causes.”

The First Lady of Kwara State specifically thanked the Chairperson of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu for including Kwara State among the States benefitting from the laudable project “as we remain committed to propagating the programmes and activities of the Renewed Hope Initiative and amplifying all its advocacies in all our communities”.

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DSS Moves Against Agbo, over Alleged impersonation as Benue PDP Guber candidate

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The operatives of the Department of State Security Services, DSS has laid a manhunt on embattled former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Benue State, over Alleged impersonation.

A highly placed Security source on Thursday, confirmed to our correspondent that the service is currently looking for Dr. Emmanuel Agbo for impersonating himself as the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in Benue state.

The source said that Dr. Agbo, must be interrogated to enable the service have an idea were his candidature was decided as well as venue it took place.

He further added that from preliminary findings Agbo, is playing a role of a ” useful idiot ” been sponsored by political bigwigs in the state that must be unravel by the service.

He queried that all the primary election that took place across the 36 states of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory was monitored by the DSS and reports were filed including that of Benue State which officially in the PDP, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN emerged.

Already, a political pressure group has petitioed, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo who they Alleged he is now parading a “fake” Certificate of Return as the party’s candidate is just an “impostor” who didn’t participate in the party’s primaries in May, 2026.

“The Certificate of Return which the disbanded Turaki-led Interim National Executive Council presented to Dr. Agbo yesterday is fake and will not be recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission during the uploading of party candidates on their portal” the group noted.

The group however challenged Agbo to present evidence that he partook in the said primaries, and also make available proofs that representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission, officials of the party from Abuja as well as representatives of Nigeria’s security agencies were present in his own selection process if there is any.

The group stated further that there are proofs that Dr. Emmanuel Agbo is being sponsored by some “disgruntled” elements to ruin the chances of the People’s Democratic Party in the forthcoming governorship election in Benue state.

The statement reads in parts:”Emmanuel Agbo has been warned to desist from this act of impersonation before it’s too late, and if he fails to stop this act, we shall drag him before a competent court to face criminal charges.

“That he is being sponsored to ruin the chances of the party is no longer a secret but, we will make sure that we stop him and his co-travellers who are hell bent on destroying the party”

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EUYI Alleges Secret Recruitment, Job Racketeering in JAMB Ahead of Oloyede’s Exit

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The Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI) has raised concerns over an alleged recruitment exercise conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), claiming that more than 100 employment letters were issued in June 2026, barely six weeks before the expiration of the tenure of JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince, and Secretary, Comrade Igwe Ude-Umanta, the group described the alleged recruitment exercise as secretive and called on relevant government agencies to investigate the matter.

According to EUYI, the recruitment process was allegedly carried out without public advertisement and may have violated established procedures governing employment into federal public institutions.

The organisation argued that the timing of the recruitment raises questions, particularly following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointment of Professor Segun Aina as the incoming Registrar of JAMB, effective July 30, 2026.

“There is no apparent urgency that would justify a major recruitment exercise by an administration that has only a few weeks remaining in office,” the statement said.

EUYI further alleged that previous recruitment exercises conducted during Professor Oloyede’s tenure had attracted public controversy and scrutiny from the National Assembly, although the JAMB management had maintained that it obtained the necessary approvals from the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

The group contended that if the latest allegations are confirmed, the exercise could amount to violations of constitutional and statutory provisions governing public sector recruitment. It cited Section 14(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and relevant provisions of the Federal Character Commission Establishment Act, which emphasize equitable representation, transparency, and compliance with federal character principles in public service appointments.

The advocacy group also called on the Federal Character Commission to clarify whether it approved the alleged recruitment exercise and, if so, whether all legal requirements were met before employment letters were issued.

In addition, EUYI urged anti-corruption agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate possible cases of nepotism, abuse of office, or other irregularities should evidence emerge to support such claims.

The organization stated that illegal recruitment practices and job racketeering have contributed significantly to the frustrations of millions of unemployed Nigerians, arguing that employment opportunities in public institutions should be transparent, merit-based, and accessible to all qualified citizens.

EUYI gave JAMB a three-day ultimatum to respond to the allegations and provide clarification regarding the reported recruitment exercise.

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THE GENETICS OF BETRAYAL: WHY ALIA WAS BORN TO FIGHT AKUME

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By Aondoakaa Tersugh Daniel | 22/06/2026

The moment Chief Hyacinth Iormen Alia took his oath of office, he turned his guns on Senator George Akume without any visible provocation, and the confusion that followed has lingered ever since. Akume himself could not hide his bewilderment. He has been quoted saying that people should pray for Father, because the man fighting him is not the Father he used to know. Yet a closer look into Alia’s family history reveals that this hostility is not new at all. It is simply genetics finding its way back to the surface.

Decades ago, when Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka championed the United Middle Belt Congress and became the face of that movement, Thomas Kastina Alia rose as his fiercest opponent within Benue. The elder Alia went as far as planting the headquarters of Nnamdi Azikiwe’s NCNC, the opposition party of that era, right inside Aliade, the very heartland of Tarka’s Masev support base. The rivalry between the two men was bitter and beyond repair.

As though that chapter of hostility was not enough, another figure emerged to continue the assignment. While Tarka served as a Minister, Godwin Dabo raised allegations of corruption against him, a move that eventually forced Tarka to resign from his position. That blow is widely remembered as one of the most damaging episodes of Tarka’s political career.

This raises a question the Kunav elite of today owe the younger generation an answer to. What truly happened between the Kunav and Jemgbagh people that birthed this chain of political vendetta? Thomas Alia, a Kunav son, frustrated Tarka of Jemgbagh first. Then it was as if a baton had been quietly passed to Godwin Dabo to finish the job. Both men were not only of Kunav extraction but shared the same Kyan constituency, a detail too specific to ignore.

It becomes difficult to understand why Akume, who descends directly from Tarka’s lineage, did not study this history closely enough to avoid walking into the same trap that Alia represents. There is an old saying that a blind man does not allow his roasted groundnuts to burn twice. If the first batch is ruined, he learns to manage the fire better on the second attempt, ensuring it comes out either half done or perfectly roasted. Akume has now looked history squarely in the face and still ended up handing power to the son of Tarka’s oldest political enemy.

So when people call this current war between Akume and Alia madness, they are not entirely wrong, but it is madness with deep roots. It is nothing more than a genetic expression of rivalry that has existed for generations, simply resurfacing in a new political season. Akume owes the memory of Tarka a final reckoning. The score can only be balanced if Akume does to Hyacinth Iormen Alia exactly what Godwin Dabo once did to Tarka.

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