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Plateau youths urge Tinubu to review college CEO appointment

The Concerned Plateau Youth Forum has called on President Bola Tinubu to review the appointment of Prof. Abdullahi Ahmed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, saying the process should reflect the Federal Character Principle.

The group made the appeal during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, where it expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment and urged the President to order a fresh and transparent selection process.

Addressing journalists, the forum’s convener, Nanla Nanzin, said the college, which is located in Plateau State and operates under the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), should be headed through a process that promotes equity, fairness and constitutional provisions on federal appointments.

According to Nanzin, Plateau State has qualified professionals in animal health, veterinary medicine and agricultural administration who are capable of leading the institution.

He alleged that qualified Plateau indigenes were overlooked in the appointment process and claimed that key stakeholders, including traditional rulers, youth groups and the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, were not adequately consulted.

Nanzin also expressed concern that the appointment could create avoidable tension if left unaddressed, while alleging a pattern of exclusion of Plateau indigenes from leadership positions in federal institutions located in the state.

He maintained that its position was not based on ethnicity, but on what it described as the need to uphold equity, justice and the Federal Character Principle enshrined in the Constitution.

Besides appealing to President Tinubu, Nanzin urged the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to engage the Presidency on the matter and called on Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang to intervene in defence of the state’s interests.

He also appealed to the Minister of Livestock Development to ensure fairness in appointments under the ministry, while asking the National Assembly to investigate the process leading to the appointment.

Nanzin further called on the Plateau State House of Assembly to pass a resolution on the matter and forward it to the Presidency, and urged the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria and other stakeholders to intervene.

He said the forum remained committed to peaceful engagement and was not calling for the shutdown of the institution.

NCDMB, VARELIS train 200 northeast youths in renewable energy

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with VARELIS Global Company Ltd., successfully trained 200 youths from Adamawa and Borno states in renewable energy technologies and electrified six primary healthcare centres with hybrid solar mini-grid systems.

The initiative, titled ‘Powering the Future: NCDMB and VARELIS Global Electrify Clinics and Train 200 Northeast Youths,’ aimed to build a skilled indigenous renewable energy workforce while expanding access to clean, reliable electricity in underserved communities across the Northeast.

The training was conducted in two states: Adamawa and Borno. The Adamawa State programme ran for 10 days, from June 29 to July 9, 2026, while the Borno State training was held from July 13 to July 23, 2026.

A total of 200 participants, comprising 100 youths each from Adamawa and Borno states, received intensive practical training in solar photovoltaic (PV) system design and installation, battery storage systems, mini-grid applications, and clean-energy entrepreneurship.

At the conclusion of the programme, participants received certificates after successfully completing hands-on technical training designed to improve their employability, encourage entrepreneurship, and promote sustainable livelihoods.

As part of the intervention, six primary healthcare centres across Adamawa and Borno states were equipped with hybrid solar mini-grid systems to provide uninterrupted electricity for vaccine storage, emergency medical services, and round-the-clock healthcare delivery.

The project also promoted gender inclusion by encouraging strong female participation, with women making up a significant proportion of the trainees.

Stakeholders said the initiative would help reduce youth unemployment, strengthen local technical capacity in renewable energy, expand access to clean energy, lower carbon emissions, and support post-insurgency recovery and economic development in Nigeria’s Northeast.

They noted that the successful completion of the programme demonstrated NCDMB’s commitment, in collaboration with VARELIS Global Company Ltd., to developing local content in the renewable energy sector while improving critical public infrastructure and creating sustainable economic opportunities for young people in the region.

SDP asks Appeal Court to halt High Court order

Social Democratic Party (SDP) has approached Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking an order to halt the execution of a Federal High Court judgment, which purports to restore its expelled former leadership and validate a contested governorship candidacy in Osun State.

In a Motion on Notice marked CA/ABJ/CV/1011/2026, SDP is asking the appellate court to stay the execution of the June 24, 2026 decision delivered by Justice M. G. Umar in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026.

The party is also praying the court to restrain Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from giving effect to the lower court’s directive pending the final determination of the substantive appeal.

The core of the party’s argument turns on judicial hierarchy and precedent. The Federal High Court judgment ordered INEC to enforce a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on March 27, 2026, in Fayemi Tosin Babatunde v. INEC, which aimed to install Shehu Gabam as National Chairman.

However, the SDP maintained that the apex court had already put the matter to rest on May 22, 2026, when the Supreme Court set aside that judgment, prompting INEC to comply and recognise Prof. Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe as the substantive National Chairman.

In its court filings, the party labelled the lower court’s subsequent order an untenable attempt to overturn a superior ruling:

‘It is an act of judicial rascality and a complete legal nullity for a Federal High Court to contradict the Supreme Court or purport to revive a judgment, which the apex court has already voided and set aside.’

The legal battle stems from a dispute over the SDP’s governorship primary for the upcoming 2026 Osun State governorship election. The lower court’s ruling had recognised Salawu-Adeniyi Mustapha Olaitan as the party’s standard-bearer.

SDP, however, explicitly rejected the claims of the respondents listed in the suit, including Olaitan, former National Chairman Shehu Musa Gabam, and former National Youth Leader Uchechukwu Chukwuma (Ogbonna Okechukwu). The party noted that Gabam and Chukwuma have been expelled and are facing criminal prosecution at Wuse Magistrates’ Court.

‘The party denies all three respondents as non-members who lack the authority to dictate internal party affairs or hold candidate status under the SDP banner,’ the applicant stated in its motion.

Brought under Section 17 of the Court of Appeal Act and Order 4 Rule 6(2) of the Court of Appeal Rules (2021), the motion argues that urgent intervention is necessary to prevent rendering the main appeal academic.

The party warned that allowing INEC to execute the Federal High Court order would irreversibly disrupt the party’s internal administration and electoral preparations:

‘Unless the execution of the judgment is suspended, the subject matter of the appeal will be altered before the appellate court has an opportunity to make a binding pronouncement. The interest of justice is served only by preserving the existing state of affairs pending the determination of the substantive appeal.’

No date has yet been fixed by the Court of Appeal for the hearing of the motion or ruling on the reliefs sought.

Why pharmacy on the corner could help fix Kenya’s healthcare system

Kenya has one doctor for more than 5,000 people, far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of one doctor for every 1,000 people. The shortage continues to widen as trained clinicians migrate abroad while the country’s population keeps growing.

Yet millions of Kenyans access healthcare not through hospitals or specialist clinics, but through neighbourhood pharmacies.

This reflects how healthcare already functions in practice. Across urban, peri-urban and rural communities, pharmacies are often the most accessible, affordable and immediate point of care. They operate without appointments, lengthy queues or referral letters, making them the first stop for many seeking treatment.

Not every illness requires a hospital visit. Many common, self-limiting conditions can be managed safely with the support of qualified pharmacists, allowing doctors to focus on patients with more complex needs.

Recognising this reality, Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board issued Good Pharmacy Practice guidelines in May 2024. The framework expanded pharmacists’ role beyond dispensing medicines to include patient counselling, disease management support and broader clinical care, laying the foundation for the Pharmacy First model.

The principle is simple. Community pharmacists are often a patient’s first contact with the healthcare system. Minor illnesses, medicine-related concerns and chronic disease support can frequently be handled at this level before referral to a doctor or hospital becomes necessary.

In effect, pharmacies become frontline triage centres. Pharmacists can identify patients who require specialist attention while offering treatment advice, reassurance or monitoring for less serious conditions. Early intervention helps prevent complications, shortens waiting times and improves access to timely care.

The economic benefits are equally important.

Kenya’s healthcare system faces rising demand, overstretched public facilities and increasing treatment costs. Medical insurers are also grappling with escalating claims. Enabling pharmacists to manage appropriate primary healthcare cases can reduce unnecessary hospital visits, ease congestion and lower costs for households, insurers and government.

A stronger Pharmacy First culture would improve access to affordable care while allowing hospitals to concentrate resources on more serious cases. It would also reduce avoidable insurance claims and improve efficiency across the health system.

This approach does not diminish the role of doctors. Instead, it creates a more integrated health system where every professional works at the top of their expertise.

Countries such as the UK have already demonstrated the value of Pharmacy First. Kenya now has an opportunity to adapt the model to strengthen primary healthcare and make better use of its limited medical workforce.

Nigeria’s digital transformation unrivalled, says Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima declared yesterday that Nigeria’s ongoing digital transformation under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unrivalled.

Shettima attributed the progress to sweeping reforms in the country’s identity management system and the enactment of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026.

He made the remarks while receiving a delegation from NIMC’s management team led by the Director General, Abisoye Odusote, at the State House, Abuja.

Shettima, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha , said the reforms by the NIMC would facilitate the establishment of a sovereign Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Nigeria.

The DPI, according to him, will accelerate the country’s transition from paper-based public administration to secure digital governance.

He lauded Odusote for what he described as her leadership in repositioning the NIMC from a database custodian into a foundational digital authority within a short period.

Shettima urged the commission’s management to continue supporting the director- general’s reform agenda by embracing more technology-driven models capable of advancing key components of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He stated that the Federal Government was implementing bold reforms across critical sectors, including education, healthcare, financial inclusion and digital governance, intending to improve service delivery and the quality of life of Nigerians.

Earlier, Odusote congratulated President Tinubu for signing the NIMC Act 2026, describing the legislation as a landmark reform that would transform Nigeria’s identity ecosystem.

She explained that the new law provides the legal framework for seamless interoperability among government databases, enabling agencies to communicate effectively while making it easier for citizens to access government services.

The NIMC boss revealed that the Nigerian Immigration Service has already adopted the National Identification Number (NIN) for the issuance and renewal of passports.

She added that the NIN has become the single source of truth for identity verification in Nigeria, with insurance companies, financial institutions and several public agencies already integrated into the emerging digital public infrastructure.

Troops kill ISWAP commander, media chief in Borno

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have confirmed the killing of Abu Salim al-Barnawi, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) raid commander and chief propagandist, during a failed terrorist attack on Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.

The Acting Media Information Officer of OPHK, Capt. Mohammed Goni, in a statement, said the development underscores the impact of the military’s sustained offensive against the terrorist group.

The confirmation followed the release of an ISWAP obituary video announcing Salim’s death. The three-minute, three-second video, narrated in Arabic, showed Salim filming terrorists’ operations.

According to Goni, the publication of the obituary is an admission by ISWAP of another significant loss within its dwindling ranks.

He said Salim was killed alongside members of his media team, including Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman, during the failed attack on a military base at Cross Kauwa on July 12.

‘The elimination of Abu Salim-led ISWAP mobile media team during the failed infiltration attempt at Cross Kauwa on 12 July 2026 further underscores the devastating impact of Operation Hadin Kai’s sustained offensive operations,’ Goni said.

He explained that Salim led cross-border terrorist raids into Cameroon before being reassigned to the group’s media wing, where he was responsible for photographing and filming of attacks, producing propaganda materials and glorifying the group’s atrocities to recruit new members and mislead the public.

Goni said troops eliminated several high-profile fighters, including a Syrian national and a Quaid identified as Aliyu Zabarmari, while another Arab mercenary remainedmissing.

He added that several other key fighters sustained severe injuries as they fled under intense military pressure.

He assured that Operation Hadin Kai would sustain relentless, intelligence-led operations to hunt down and eliminate the remnants of Boko Haram and ISWAP.

The military spokesman added that troops would continue to dismantle the terrorists’ support and propaganda networks, deny them freedom of action and restore lasting peace and security across the Northeast.

Also, the troops of the Joint Task Force (Northwest), Operation Fansan Yamma, have foiled a kidnap attempt in Zamfara State, rescued three kidnapped victims in Katsina State and arrested suspected terrorist logistics suppliers with 10 motorcycles in Kebbi State.

The operations, conducted on July 19 and 20, dealt another blow to terrorist networks in the Northwest.

The Media Information Officer of Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt.-Col Aliyu Danja, said the troops responded to a distress call from residents of Shiyan Abiyola community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara after terrorists attempted to abduct residents from a house.

According to him, the prompt intervention forced the terrorists to abandon the operation and flee into nearby bushes, while several residents were rescued unhurt.

He added that troops dominated the area to prevent the attackers from regrouping or launching another assault.

In another operation in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, troops rescued three kidnapped victims who escaped from a terrorist hideout during a downpour while their captors were asleep.

The victims, the military said, were abducted on July 14 while working on their farms in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

They have since been handed over to the appropriate authorities for reunification with their families.

In Kebbi State, troops intercepted a vehicle conveying 10 motorcycles suspected to be supplies for terrorist groups during a routine stop-and-search operation.

Military authorities said preliminary investigations led to the arrest of four more suspects believed to have been sent to receive the motorcycles for a known terrorist collaborator.

The suspects, alongside the recovered motorcycles, are in military custody as investigations continue.

Commending the troops for their vigilance and professionalism, the Theatre Command said the operations underscored the military’s determination to deny terrorists freedom of movement and dismantle their logistics network across the Northwest.

The command also urged the public to sustain their support by providing timely and credible intelligence to security agencies, assuring that ongoing operations would continue until terrorist and criminal networks are decisively degraded.

Thailand seeks extradition of ‘Rose Rose’ in flight attendant heroin case

Thailand is seeking the extradition of a woman accused of hiring a Thai flight attendant to carry heroin-filled bags to Australia, as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking network linked to a notorious drug kingpin in Myanmar’s Shan State.

The suspect, identified only as Chantra, is the person behind the Facebook account ‘Rose Rose’, which allegedly contacted and recruited a Thai Airways International flight attendant, Meena, through Facebook Messenger to transport bags concealing narcotics, said Pol Maj Gen Noppasit Mitpakdee, commander of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau’s Division 1.

Investigators believe Ms Chantra has fled to Myanmar and is hiding in an area controlled by ethnic armed groups.

According to Pol Maj Gen Noppasit, Ms Chantra is related to Col Ja Lobo, a suspected drug lord based in southern Shan State. Authorities describe him as a key figure in a major transnational drug production and trafficking operation. He previously served as deputy commander of Military Region 171, an area under the influence of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), one of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic armed groups.

Thai security and anti-narcotics agencies have monitored Col Ja Lobo for years. An arrest warrant has already been issued for him.

Pol Maj Gen Noppasit said authorities are now coordinating with Myanmar officials to bring Ms Chantra back to face prosecution. He noted that Thailand and Myanmar do not have a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT), meaning officials must rely on international cooperation and diplomatic channels to secure her return.

Meanwhile, Parin Mekhanan, director of the Office of Narcotics Control Board’s (ONCB) Bangkok office, said Ms Meena remains in the custody of the Australian Federal Police and is scheduled to appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Sept 14.

The ONCB has continuously provided information to Australian authorities, although any decision on whether that evidence will be used in Ms Meena’s case rests with Australian prosecutors and courts. Australian authorities have not requested additional information from Thailand, he said.

Pol Maj Gen Teeradej Thammasuthee, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said authorities are stepping up efforts against transnational drug syndicates that use Thailand as an export hub.

He said such networks are often run by foreign nationals, including Chinese, Vietnamese and ethnic minority groups, who trick Thais into carrying drugs overseas. Authorities cited Ms Meena’s case and another involving crystal methamphetamine concealed in tamarind paste destined for Tokyo.

However, he said cases of unsuspecting Thais being recruited as drug couriers have declined as public awareness has grown following a series of high-profile arrests and media reports.

UPDATE- TRINIDAD-COURT – Government revokes detention orders against businessman and wife

Businessman Dominic Hadeed and his wife, Genevieve, are to be released after the Trinidad and Tobago government revoked the Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs) that had kept them in custody since June 24 under the State of Emergency.

Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander said the decision followed a comprehensive review of the legal, medical and public interest considerations surrounding the couple’s detention.

Alexander said he concluded that the balance now favoured their release after the Constitution Review Tribunal recommended that their continued detention was ‘not necessary or expedient in the public interest’ and following fresh medical evidence concerning Dominic Hadeed’s health.

The minister said he received a medical report on July 21 outlining Dominic Hadeed’s condition and the treatment recommended by his specialist. He added that, although the government sought an independent medical assessment, Hadeed declined to be examined by a state-appointed specialist.

Alexander stressed that the criminal investigation that led to the couple’s arrest remains active and has expanded beyond its original scope.

‘I have been advised that the investigations have been expanded beyond the original scope and span multiple jurisdictions. These matters are complex and require extensive cooperation between several investigative agencies,’ he said.

The Hadeeds were arrested on June 24 as part of a police investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and senior members of her administration. Three days later, Alexander issued separate Preventive Detention Orders under the Emergency Powers Regulations.

He said that throughout their detention he had continually reviewed whether the orders remained justified under the law, balancing the couple’s constitutional rights with the need to protect national security during the State of Emergency.

Despite the ongoing investigation, Alexander said the circumstances no longer warranted the couple’s continued detention.

In a statement, the Ministry of Homeland Security said the revocation followed ‘a comprehensive review of all relevant legal, medical and public interest considerations, including the recommendation of the Constitution Review Tribunal and ongoing assessments conducted under the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2026.’

The ministry emphasized that the revocation of the detention orders does not affect the criminal investigation, which continues to be conducted by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in collaboration with local and international law enforcement agencies.

‘The Ministry remains committed to upholding the rule of law, protecting constitutional rights, and ensuring the security of all citizens,’ the statement said.

’I attempted suicide several times’ – Ubi Franklin

Music executive and artist manager Ubi Franklin has spoken publicly about battling depression and past suicide attempts.

In a video shared on his Instagram page, Franklin said he went through a very difficult period despite his successful career.

Franklin disclosed that he attempted suicide several times and was rescued by his cousin, Omini Stitches.

He said the experience taught him resilience and the importance of not holding grudges.

‘I went through some crazy, depressing periods. I remember one time I bought a red CL, and I drove that car to the Third Mainland Bridge to go and commit suicide.

‘The only luck I had was my cousin brother Omini Stitches, who came to save me. Several times I had tried to commit suicide; Omini saved me. Because I was so embarrassed, I didn’t know what to do. I felt like, what have I done to deserve all of this? I have a good career going for myself. I have like the biggest artist in the country at the time. Everything was fine, so I just felt like it was time for me to settle down.

‘So, sometimes I always feel like this relationship did not work; it was just meant to be that way. Till today I can’t really explain exactly what transpired, but we’re now very good friends. We co-parent very well; we celebrate our son’s events.

‘So sometimes, I have always believed that regardless of all the pain, the best result that I got from that was my son. And she’s still doing very well. Any opportunity I ever have to support her, I always do it to the fullest, and I pray that she continues doing well. The lesson I want you to learn from this is, I don’t want you to think that when something happens sometimes with a human being, you have to hate the human being. No, that’s not the case. Sometimes it is just an opportunity for you to learn from the process and keep it moving’, he said.

’Economic recovery not likely for rest of the year’

DESPITE the government’s expectation of stronger growth in the second half, a University of Asia and the Pacific (UAandP) economist said the Philippine economy is unlikely to stage a meaningful recovery in the remaining months of 2026.

‘We’re naturally optimistic at the university, but over the next five and a half months, there won’t be any recovery. If the economy grows by 3 percent, we’d already be very happy with that,’ UAandP economist Ronilo M. Balbieran said in an interview on Thursday.

Should the economy grow by around 3 percent, it would fall below the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC)’s recalibrated gross domestic product (GDP) growth target of 3.5 to 4.5 percent this year.

It would likewise mark the fourth consecutive year that the Marcos administration has failed to meet its growth target.

According to Balbieran, one of the biggest risks to growth is the government’s continued underspending on infrastructure, which has limited the public sector’s ability to generate jobs and incomes at a time when households and businesses are grappling with rising costs.

Citing official data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), he pointed out that the government’s infrastructure spending has contracted more sharply than during the pandemic.

He noted that infrastructure spending fell by over 40 in the first four months of 2026, steeper than the 26 percent contraction recorded during the pandemic.

DBM data showed infrastructure and other capital outlays declined to P189.3 billion in January to April from P347.6 billion in the same period last year.

Balbieran said that increasing public investment remains the government’s most effective tool to support growth because infrastructure projects create employment, particularly in the construction sector, while generating demand for goods and services across the broader economy.

As workers earn more from these projects, they spend more on food, transportation, housing and other daily needs, helping stimulate demand and support businesses across other sectors, he explained.

‘When that particular portion of our labor force will have money, then that will actually have the demand pool for everything else, for all the sectors,’ Balbieran also said.

Aside from weak infrastructure spending, Balbieran said inflation has continued to weigh on household consumption-the country’s biggest driver of economic growth.

Based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, household consumption grew by just 3 percent in the first quarter of 2026, slowing from 5.3 percent a year earlier.

The PSA said this was the weakest growth in household spending since the pandemic-era contraction in the first quarter of 2021. Excluding the pandemic years, it was the slowest pace since the third quarter of 2010.

Balbieran said consumers’ purchasing power has been squeezed by rising prices, a situation aggravated by the peso’s depreciation.

On Wednesday, the peso weakened to P61.75 against the US dollar, matching the record low it reached on May 18.

The weaker currency, Balbieran said, has also raised the cost of imported raw materials and goods, prompting businesses to pass on higher costs to consumers already grappling with more expensive fuel, electricity and transportation.

‘Double whammy on all the way to the final consumer because products and services will be higher aside from on top of our consumers already facing higher prices…everything gets messed up because you have higher prices, imported prices being multiplied by a higher exchange rate,’ he said.

The Philippine economy grew by 2.8 percent in the first quarter, marking its weakest expansion since 2021.

The PSA is scheduled to release second quarter GDP data on August 7.