Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Senate Leader and Chairman of the South-West Caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has backed the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reclaim Osun State in Saturday’s governorship election, while urging all political actors to ensure a peaceful and credible poll.

Bamidele said the APC was now better organised and more cohesive than it was during the 2022 election, when internal divisions contributed to its defeat by Governor Ademola Adeleke.

In a statement yesterday, he argued that the political realignment in Osun, including the weakening of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the movement of some prominent political actors into the APC, had strengthened the party ahead of the election.

He cited the defection of Senator Francis Fadahunsi and three members of the House of Representatives – Omirin Olusanya, Wole Oke and Taofeek Ajilesoro – as evidence of the APC’s expanding political structure in the state.

According to him, the strength of a political party goes beyond incumbency, describing political capital, grassroots support and public confidence as critical determinants of electoral victory.

Bamidele said Adeleke’s decision to contest on the platform of the Accord Party following developments within the PDP had also altered the political equation ahead of the poll.

He questioned whether the Accord Party had developed sufficient political structure and grassroots strength to secure the governor’s re-election.

The Senate Leader also dismissed Adeleke’s allegation that the APC was relying on federal might to win the election, arguing that the Federal Government had demonstrated neutrality in the contest.

He cited President Bola Tinubu’s intervention following the restriction of the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as evidence of the administration’s commitment to fairness.

Bamidele also pointed to the President’s directive to security agencies to maintain professionalism before, during and after the election, saying it underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to a peaceful and transparent poll.

He urged all parties and candidates to accept the rules of the electoral process and avoid actions capable of threatening the peace and stability of the state.

The Senate Leader said the election remained an opportunity for Osun voters to decide who would govern them for the next four years, stressing that the people, rather than any incumbent or political party, ultimately possessed the power to determine the outcome.

He urged the 2.339 million registered voters across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 wards and 3,763 polling units to vote according to their conscience and choose the candidate they believed could best serve their interests.

Bamidele said the candidates should focus on selling their programmes and manifestoes to the electorate rather than resorting to inflammatory rhetoric or practices capable of undermining the election.

He expressed confidence that the APC was in a strong position to win the poll, attributing the party’s improved prospects to its unity, organisation and political structure.

However, he stressed that the final decision belonged to the electorate and urged all contestants to respect the outcome of the election in the interest of peace and democratic stability.

The Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) has donated 50 ballistic helmets, 50 bulletproof vests and 100 raincoats to the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft to boost the morale and operational readiness of security agencies in the state.

Executive Secretary of LSSTF, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, said the donation, made at Apapa, was part of a routine exercise to inspect security agencies, encourage commanders and identify areas requiring intervention. He said the Fund was established as an interventionist agency to fill operational gaps that security agencies may be unable to address on their own.

Speaking on preparations for the forthcoming general election, Ogunsan said the Fund was working to ensure a hitch-free exercise by equipping personnel with the resources needed to secure lives and property, and that the state government had directed it to expand resources and deploy assets ahead of the polls.

Ogunsan also spoke on efforts to curb vandalism on bridges, citing the recent discovery of damage on the Alakija/Festac Link Bridge, uncovered during a clean-up exercise targeting scavengers and homeless persons occupying the bridge. He said affected persons had been relocated, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited the site after the matter was escalated to him, and security operatives have since been permanently stationed there. Ogunsan added that warnings had been issued to those found responsible and that patrol vehicles and equipment had been deployed to strengthen surveillance.

Responding, Commander of NNS Beecroft, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, said the donation would support the Navy’s constitutional role in Military Aid to Civil Authority and Military Aid to Civil Power operations. He thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu and the LSSTF, saying the equipment would help the Navy, under Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, secure Lagos waterways and land areas.

The three leading candidates in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), and African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Dr Najeem Salam, presented their manifestos and outlined their plans for the state at a town hall meeting yesterday.

The event, organised by Arise TV, also featured other candidates from smaller parties. It provided a platform for the contenders to highlight their achievements, political experience, and proposed policies on infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, security, and economic development.

Governor Adeleke showcased what he described as extensive achievements in infrastructure, education, agriculture, and healthcare. He cited road construction and rehabilitation projects across the state, including the dualised road leading to the Ooni of Ife’s palace and projects in Ila-Orangun. On education, he said Osun had moved from 33rd to 7th position nationally in WAEC and NECO rankings under his administration. He also highlighted the rehabilitation of about 200 healthcare centres, provision of boreholes, solar lighting, and medical equipment, as well as procurement of tractors to support farmers.

APC candidate Oyebamiji, a former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, promised to run a transparent and accountable government.

He criticised what he described as an imbalance in resource distribution, alleging that 97 per cent of Osun’s resources currently go to just two local governments. He pledged to prioritise healthcare and education, improve facilities, support teachers, and ensure equitable distribution of resources across towns and villages.

ADC candidate Salam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, commended Arise TV for providing an unbiased platform. He described himself as a peacemaker and vowed to tackle political thuggery, citing recent violence allegedly linked to APC and Accord supporters. Salam also made agriculture central to his agenda, promising to establish farm estates with modern machinery, schools, clinics, water supply, and housing to boost productivity.

He said improved road access to farms and dedicated markets in cities would help farmers sell their produce and strengthen food security.

The town hall meeting featured seasoned media professionals including Dr Reuben Abati, Dr Lasisi Olagunju, Dr Festus Adedayo, and Adesuwa Omoruan, who engaged the candidates on governance, public finance, and the challenges confronting Osun ahead of the election.

Abia State Government has said it has through the Ministry of Health piloted a digital application called CyTracker, designed to identify and track high-risk pregnancies, to reduce maternal and child mortality.

Information Commissioner Prince Okey Kanu said this while briefing reporters in Umuahia on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

He said the application had already been successfully used to track teenage pregnancies and monitor expectant mothers through delivery, describing the initiative as another practical demonstration of the administration’s commitment to using technology to improve health care outcomes.

The commissioner said Abia State had emerged as the number one in health care affordability and among the top three states in health care quality in Nigeria.

He said the recognition was contained in a recent assessment by Philips Consulting SPI, representing an independent validation of the administration’s efforts to reposition the state’s health sector and improve access to quality health care for residents.

Kanu said Abia was the only state that achieved top three positions in 13 out of 16 indicators of good governance based on citizens’ perception, adding that the state’s strong performance in health care affordability and quality further demonstrated the impact of the administration’s reforms.

The commissioner, who further gave update on the functionalisation of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), said the first 50 functionalised PHCs accounted for more than 20 per cent of the over 1.067 million outpatient department visits recorded across the state between July 2025 and June 2026.

He said three additional PHCs had been functionalised between July 27 and August 10, bringing the total number of functionalised PHCs in the state to 151.

The commissioner disclosed that enrolment in Abia State Health Insurance Scheme had risen from 233,000 to 237,000 between July 27 and August 7, 2026.

He also announced that the state recorded no disease of public health importance during the period under review, including Ebola, Lassa fever, COVID-19, diphtheria, cholera, mpox and yellow fever.

He said Abiriba Community Improvement Union, North America chapter, was committed to sponsoring 1,000 indigent persons under the state’s health insurance scheme, calling on other communities, organisations and groups to emulate the initiative.

On human resources for the health sector, the commissioner said Abia State Civil Service Commission would begin another round of recruitment of health care professionals, following the employment of 742 medical personnel by the administration so far.

He said the new recruitment would focus on medical officers, dental officers and consultants, including full-time and part-time consultants, adding that the application portal opened on Monday night.

Answering questions, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Uche, said the CyTracker initiative was developed as part of comprehensive measures to tackle maternal and infant mortality in the state.

Uche said the initiative focused on identifying women who were at higher risk of complications, including teenage mothers, women without supervised antenatal care and expectant mothers, who might deliver without the assistance of skilled birth attendants.

He says the application collects key demographic and pregnancy information, including the woman’s age and last menstrual period, which enables health officials to determine expected delivery dates and monitor compliance with antenatal appointments.

He said expectant mothers could receive reminders through the application, while responsible adults within their communities could assist in ensuring high risk expectant mothers attended their scheduled antenatal appointments.

Lagos State University (LASU) is set to graduate 20,604 students at its 29th and 30th Combined Convocation Ceremonies for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, disclosed this on Wednesday at a press conference held at the Senate Chamber of the Babatunde Raji Fashola Senate Building, LASU Main Campus, Ojo.

The combined convocation, scheduled for August 14 to 23, will mark the final convocation ceremony presided over by Olatunji-Bello, who is completing her five-year tenure as Vice-Chancellor.

According to her, the graduating students comprise diploma, first-degree and postgraduate students from the two academic sessions.

For the 2024/2025 session, she said 947 students graduated from diploma programmes, while 7,621 students completed first-degree programmes.

Of the first-degree graduates, 262 obtained First Class honours, 3,155 finished with Second Class Upper Division, 3,439 with Second Class Lower Division, 622 with Third Class and 37 with Pass degrees. Another 106 students graduated with unclassified MBBS/BDS degrees.

Ayilara Lawal Olawale of the Department of Project Management emerged as the overall best graduating student for the session, with a CGPA of 4.96.

For the 2025/2026 session, Olatunji-Bello said 44 students graduated from diploma programmes, while 8,653 students completed first-degree programmes.

She said 232 of the first-degree graduates obtained First Class honours, 3,545 earned Second Class Upper Division, 4,157 obtained Second Class Lower Division, 678 finished with Third Class and 31 with Pass degrees.

Adebanjo Samuel Oluolamide of the Department of Aerospace Engineering emerged as the overall best graduating student for the session, recording a CGPA of 4.97.

The Vice-Chancellor added that 3,383 postgraduate students would also graduate from the two sessions, comprising 618 Postgraduate Diploma graduates, 1,508 academic Master’s degree holders, 900 professional Master’s degree holders, 238 PhD graduates and 119 professional doctorate graduates.

Olatunji-Bello said the convocation would feature a series of academic, cultural and social activities, beginning with the staff sports competition on Wednesday.

She said Thursday would be observed as Staff Celebration Day, while the formal convocation programme would begin on Friday with the Coconut Breaking and Cultural Day, followed by a Jumat service.

On Monday, August 17, diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate diplomas and master’s degrees in Engineering and Agricultural Sciences will be conferred at the Olatunji Bello Auditorium, Epe Campus.

The university will also confer the rank of Distinguished Professor on Prof. Rafiu Olaoluwa Okuneye and Olatunji-Bello.

The convocation lecture, titled ‘From LASU to the World: Harnessing the Nigerian Diaspora as the 7th Region for National Development,’ will be delivered on Tuesday by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The university will also confer honorary doctorate degrees on businessman Aliko Dangote, Akin Kekere-Ekun and Bola Adesola for their contributions to entrepreneurship, finance, governance, industrial development and humanity.

Reflecting on her tenure, Olatunji-Bello said the university had recorded significant progress in academic development, research, innovation, infrastructure, digital transformation, international collaborations and student success.

She said LASU had secured approval for 17 new academic programmes from the National Universities Commission, while several other programmes had obtained full accreditation.

The Vice-Chancellor also said LASU had emerged as Nigeria’s most subscribed university for the second consecutive year, attracting more than 84,000 first-choice applications in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

She noted that the university had retained its position as the Best University in West Africa in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings for the fourth consecutive year.

Olatunji-Bello highlighted other milestones, including the commissioning of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu Library Complex, which she described as the largest and most digitalised university library in West Africa.

She also disclosed that the university had secured approval for a ?3 billion TETFund Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Cyber Sciences, which she said would be the only centre of its kind in South-West Nigeria.

According to her, construction has commenced on a 1,500-bed student hostel under a TETFund-facilitated public-private partnership valued at about ?4 billion.

The university has also secured Federal Government approval for a 15-megawatt Independent Power Project aimed at improving electricity supply, reducing energy costs and enhancing operational efficiency.

On research and innovation, she said two LASU students had won consecutive ?50 million venture capital grants in 2026 from a highly competitive national programme that attracted more than 30,000 applicants.

Olatunji-Bello further disclosed that LASU athletes recorded their best-ever outing at the Nigerian Universities Games, winning 10 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze medals.

She said the achievements recorded during her tenure demonstrated the university’s commitment to excellence, innovation and institutional resilience.

‘This combined convocation is particularly historic for me. It is the final convocation ceremony over which I will preside as Vice-Chancellor of this great University,’ she said.

Olatunji-Bello expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Governor and Visitor to the university, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governing Council, Senate, staff, students, alumni, development partners and the media for their support throughout her tenure.

She urged the graduating students to deploy their knowledge and character in ways that would positively impact their communities, Nigeria and the global society.

The ceremonies will formally end on August 23 with a Special Convocation Thanksgiving Service at the University Chapel, Chapel of Light, Ojo Campus.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his running mate for next year’s presidential election, Rotimi Amaechi, have sworn to oaths not to misuse public funds or abuse public trust.

They also pledged that all elected and appointed officials on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) would be required to take the same oath and submit to the party’s code of ethics.

The undertaking, contained in the party’s ‘Orange Book,’ which was unveiled in Abuja yesterday, requires ADC office holders to accept the supremacy of the party’s ethical rules in the discharge of their public responsibilities, with sanctions prescribed for violations and automatic forfeiture of elected or appointed positions secured on the party’s platform by officials who resign or defect.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said Atiku, Amaechi, and the other presidential aspirants had signed the document and sworn to its provisions, adding that every person elected on the ADC platform would be subjected to the same requirement.

‘All the presidential aspirants, we got them to sign. But you know, the candidates (governorship and legislative) came from the states. They’re not in Abuja, and that’s why we say all of them will sign; all of them. Anybody elected on the platform of the ADC will sign this document. They will not only sign, but will also swear to an affidavit to be held accountable to this document,’ Abdullahi said.

Under the personal oath in the ‘Orange Book,’ ADC officials swear before the party, Nigerian citizens and God that public office is not for ‘power, privilege, wealth, or self-promotion,’ but for service to Nigerians.

They swear to uphold honesty, transparency and justice, demonstrate ethical courage, and commit to the ethical and lawful use of public funds while fighting corruption, waste and abuse at all levels of government.

The oath also requires officeholders to accept full accountability to the party, Nigerian law and the Nigerian people and not obstruct or delay disciplinary or judicial proceedings where credible findings of abuse of office are made against them.

An ADC official who violates any provision of the code or abuses public trust is required to accept sanctions imposed by the party and under Nigerian law.

The oath also provides that an official who resigns from or defects from the party automatically forfeits any elected or appointed position obtained on the ADC platform.

The provisions effectively place the conduct of ADC office holders under an enforceable party framework, rather than leaving adherence to ethical standards to individual discretion.

Abdullahi said the arrangement was developed from the coalition’s conviction that Nigeria’s governance crisis was linked to the way politics was practised and that addressing the problem required a different political culture.

‘When the coalition movement started, there was no fundamental realisation of where we were headed. Where are we in this coalition? Where are we trying to build a new political party? And the answer was very clear. Nigeria is in the mess we are in because of the kind of politics we are playing. And if we must solve the problem that Nigeria is facing, we have to play a different kind of politics,’ he said.

The ‘Orange Book’ also prohibits ADC officials from soliciting or accepting bribes, kickbacks or improper benefits linked to government contracts, approvals or appointments, while requiring them to declare qualifying gifts received in office.

Its governance principles propose the abolition of opaque single-line ‘security votes’ and subjecting all security-related expenditure to legislative approval, oversight and audit.

The party also proposes restricting official domestic and foreign travel to essential, mission-driven engagements, banning bloated delegations and the inclusion of family members or political associates, and limiting per diem and estacode payments to approved rates.

Public assets assigned to elected and appointed officials, including vehicles, residences, aircraft, offices and other government facilities, would be restricted to official purposes.

The ADC further pledged to protect the independence of the judiciary, legislature and other democratic institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while strengthening whistleblower protections through secure reporting channels and safeguards against retaliation.

Abdullahi said the objective was to turn ethical conduct from a matter of personal principle into an organisational obligation binding on everyone elected on the party’s platform.

‘We are saying that you must go beyond personal principle. It’s now become an organisational principle that you will not do it,’ he said.

The party also seeks to curb political godfatherism by prohibiting officials from entering covert arrangements with political financiers in exchange for electoral sponsorship, contracts, influence or protection.

According to Abdullahi, the provisions are reinforced by the ADC constitution, which rejects godfatherism and seeks to prevent wealthy individuals from hijacking the party.

The Orange Book will apply to the president, governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and other elected or appointed officials who emerge on the ADC platform.

The Federal Fire Service (FFS) has confirmed that the fire involving a petroleum tanker at AYM Shafa Filling Station, beside the FCT Internal Revenue Service office on Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Way, Area 3, Garki, Abuja, has been successfully extinguished.

The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who served as the Incident Commander, personally coordinated response operations at the scene.

According to the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Paul Abraham, the Controller-General remained at the scene until the early hours of Friday to ensure the incident was completely brought under control.

Abraham said the incident involved a tanker carrying about 60,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) during product discharge.

The fire spread to part of an adjoining three-storey building occupied by the FCT Internal Revenue Service before it was contained through the coordinated efforts of firefighters using multiple firefighting appliances, medium water jets and foam compounds.

Four people sustained varying degrees of injuries in the incident.

The victims were evacuated by a National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) ambulance to a nearby hospital, where they received treatment and were subsequently discharged.

‘Following a thorough inspection of the scene, firefighters confirmed that there was no further fire or casualty, and all responding personnel and appliances have safely returned to their respective stations,’ Abraham said.

The Federal Fire Service thanked residents, motorists and members of the public for their patience, cooperation and compliance with safety directives throughout the emergency operation.

The Service also commended sister emergency response agencies, including the Federal Capital Territory Fire Service, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Police Force and other supporting organisations for their collaboration in successfully managing the incident.

The Controller-General commended all firefighters and emergency responders for their courage, professionalism, discipline and unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property.

Nigeria’s state-owned refineries were shut down because they were making losses, not because they could no longer refine crude oil, the outgoing President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, has said.

Addressing Labour Writers in Lagos, Osifo explained that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had to stop the refineries from operating after it became clear that the cost of processing crude exceeded the value of the products.

‘So, the refineries were actually shut down, not that they were not functioning,’ he said.

According to him, the facilities were still producing some petroleum products, but their operations were not commercially viable. Continuing to process crude under those conditions, he said, would only lead to more losses.

He illustrated the situation with a simple example, saying: ‘If you put, let’s say, $5 million worth of crude, you feed it through, when the product comes out, you are supposed to get the product of, let’s say, $6 million worth.

‘But when you feed in that crude, what you now get at the end will not be like $4 million. So, you are losing money.’

Osifo said the experience showed that Nigeria needed to focus on making its refineries commercially viable rather than simply keeping them open.

He also supported plans to bring a Chinese company into the refineries’ ownership structure, arguing that increased private-sector participation could reduce government interference and improve efficiency.

According to him, PENGASSAN is advocating that private investors should acquire up to 51 per cent of the refineries, while the government retains 49 per cent, similar to the ownership structure of Nigeria LNG Limited.

‘They are going to buy some shares of the government from this refinery. So, for us, we are advocating that, because the company is a 3-in-1 company, let them buy up to 51 per cent. Let the government retain 49 per cent as it is in NLNG,’ he said.

He said private majority ownership would allow the refineries to take important operational and maintenance decisions without having to seek government approval.

‘What that is going to do is that the decision-making is going to leave the hands of government, so that if you want to do any maintenance, you don’t need to discuss it in federal council meetings anymore,’ he said.

Osifo argued that private investors were more likely to make decisions based on business realities and profitability rather than political considerations.

‘And because they are private people, they take business decisions, not decisions made from sentiment, emotions, or political leanings, but decisions that will grow the business,’ he said.

On the wider oil and gas sector, Osifo said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) had introduced important reforms but warned that frequent policy changes could create uncertainty and discourage investment.

He noted that the PIA established the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), provided for the midstream and downstream regulatory framework and transformed NNPCL into a limited liability company.

It also introduced frameworks for host community development and frontier exploration.

However, he expressed concern about subsequent changes to some of the fiscal provisions of the PIA and the use of an executive order to alter provisions of the law.

‘For us, one of the ways to attract investment is for you to have some level of certainty,’ Osifo said.

He said investors needed to know the taxes, royalties and other financial obligations they would face before committing money to oil and gas projects.

‘But if I’m investing today and I’m doubtful that tomorrow the laws will change and the laws might not favour me, I will be a bit worried about how I carry out my investment,’ he said.

Osifo urged the government to allow the PIA and its regulatory framework to operate for a reasonable period before making major changes, noting that oil and gas projects require long-term investments.

‘In the oil and gas business, you don’t just invest today, and you think you will reap tomorrow. At times, for this investment, you start reaping even after the 30th year,’ he said.a

The Kogi State House of Assembly has condemned killings in Kupa District, Lokoja Local Government Area, that claimed at least 12 lives, calling on the National Security Adviser (NSA) to disband hybrid vigilante groups and recover their arms.

The Assembly acted on a motion moved by Speaker Aliyu Umar Yusuf, who said the violence stemmed from a clash between the Kupa Community Vigilante Group and a hybrid vigilante group after a member of the latter allegedly resisted a stop-and-search order, and opened fire. The hybrid vigilante member killed in that exchange was reportedly followed by a reprisal attack in Eguchidan, bringing the toll to three deaths in Eguchidan, six in Emiku and two in Abugi, alongside the initial fatality.

Yusuf said the Kogi State Vigilante Service, established under former Governor Yahaya Bello with Assembly backing to complement conventional security agencies, had seen its groups exceed their mandate and turn on one another. He said the Chief Imam of Kupa, Alhaji Gimba Aliyu, was among several people receiving treatment for gunshot injuries.

The Speaker commended Governor Usman Ododo for directing the deployment of security personnel to the affected communities, and noted the incident was the third major violent episode in Kupa, after the 2014 Ekpan-Abugi invasion and the 2015 Gugurugi mamassacre.

He urged the governor to disband existing vigilante structures in Kupa, recover all arms, and deploy forest guards recruited from trusted, terrain-familiar indigenes of the area.

The Assembly commended the Commander of 12 Brigade, Chari Megumeri Barracks, Lokoja, and the Kogi State Commissioner of Police for their response, and called for additional police deployment to the Abugi Divisional Police Office.

Other lawmakers, including Olawumi Jacob, Ebaiya Shehu Tijjani, Enefola, Abu Onoru-Oiza Jibrin and Aliyu Maikudi, backed the motion, calling for stronger security measures. Idowu Ibikunle alleged that some hybrid vigilante members were collaborating with kidnappers terrorising communities in the state.

Presiding, Deputy Speaker Comfort Egwaba commended Governor Ododo’s prompt intervention in the Kupa crisis and in a separate kidnapping incident along the Itobe-Anyigba Road, in which victims were rescued, and thanked security agencies for their efforts.

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has said that his recent appointment of 4,800 Special Assistants from across the 195 political wards was to create opportunities for young people to participate in public service and grassroots governance.

He said it was part of his administration’s means to pursue youth engagement and employment initiatives,

The Edo Governor urged young people in the state to reject criminality, cultism, and violent acts

Governor Okpebholo, who urged the youths to embrace education, skills development, and entrepreneurship, said his administration was committed to creating opportunities for young people through investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, security, and skills development.

He spoke in an address on the occasion of International Youth Day 2026.

Governor Okpebholo acknowledged challenges faced by young people, including unemployment, the rising cost of education, limited access to capital and the uncertainties associated with early adulthood.

Okpebholo tasked the youths not to allow the challenges to determine their future, saying, ‘Your present circumstances do not have to determine your future.

‘Youth can complement government efforts with determination, discipline, and a commitment to legitimate means of livelihood.

‘The government cannot do this alone. The future of Edo must be built with our young people, not merely for them.

‘There is honour in honest work. There is dignity in learning a trade. There is power in education, and there is lasting success in integrity,’ he said.

Governor Okpebholo said his administration was promoting youth employment through infrastructure projects, agricultural initiatives, and technology-driven ventures under its five development pillars of security, health, infrastructure, natural resources and agriculture, and education.