Ever Organics, PHL homegrown korean skincare brand, celebrates by giving back to SOS Children’s Village

EVER Organics, the best Korean skincare brand in the Philippines, marked its birthday not with a party but with a purpose. The beloved K-beauty brand brought its team, its community and its heart to SOS Children’s Village Pilipinas, where the brand spent the day with over 30 children aged 6 to 19 in an afternoon of games, connection, and dreaming out loud.

The giveback day drew a warm crowd of volunteers, including some of the country’s most recognized skincare voices: JB Correa, Bella Gonzalez, and Jayson Lee, Korean artist and Ever Organics brand ambassador, and member of P-Pop group 1st One. Together, the volunteers served as ‘ates and kuyas’ to the SOS kids. They lead team games, cheered on friendly competition, and ultimately gathered around the event’s most meaningful moment: each child sharing their dream.

The dreams ran the full range of childhood wonder. Some children spoke of becoming pilots, doctors, and seamen. Others wished simply for new shoes and new socks. Each dream, no matter how grand or how modest, was met with the same warmth and applause.

Jayson Lee took to the stage to share his own story. He shared that he once dreamed of becoming a flight attendant, and how his dreams have since grown to include acting, directing and producing films as he steps deeper into show business.

JB Correa moved the room with a message that became the afternoon’s quiet theme: that his dream for that day was for every child’s dream to come true. He urged the kids to dream specifically, to dream relentlessly, dream big, because one day, one of those dreams just might come true.

‘As Ever Organics celebrates another year, we wanted to celebrate not just through beauty, but through care, kindness, and meaningful moments shared with others,’ said Ever Organics brand representative Denice Sy. ‘Today is about creating happy memories, building connections, and contributing to SOS’s mission of making every child here feel loved, confident and special.’

Each child went home with a care package that felt very Ever Organics: an Eow plushie doll (the brand’s beloved mascot), Ever Organics Aloe Vera Soothing Gel, and Ever Organics Aloe Vera Sunscreen-two of the brand’s most sought-after Korean skincare products in the Philippines. A collection of toys was also included, making the afternoon feel like a full celebration.

The delicate practice of crisis communication

More often than not, it is not the crisis itself that erodes an organization’s reputation or, in extreme cases, causes its demise. It is usually the way the crisis is handled, especially in the first 48 hours, that dictates which way things will go.

One week ago, Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili, members of the Ateneo Blue Eagles men’s basketball team, died during a team building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora. The two young cagers- Baterbonia only 18 years old and Adili only 21-had a promising future ahead of them. All of their dreams came to an end that Monday afternoon.

After the news broke, the administration of the Ateneo de Manila University issued a statement, confirming the death of Baterbonia and Adili, expressing their condolences to the families, and asking for ‘privacy and space for all those grieving as they come to terms with this profound loss.’

Nobody from the school or the team-including the members of the coaching staff who were with the players during the team building activity – gave a face to those words. The statement was posted on the university’s official Facebook page.

The university issued statements again on June 9 and 11- still faceless. While more details were already included in those releases, the narratives had already gotten away from the school.

Spinning out of control

Baterbonia’s mother Rovelyn came out in numerous interviews expressing frustration with the way Ateneo was handling the situation, including their failure to inform the parents about the kind of training their children will be subjected to. She demanded answers, as the lack of information had given rise to speculations: that the players were asked to wear weights in the water (this was later disproven) and that the activity could be more hazing rites than team building.

The owner of the resort where the team stayed, together with his staff and legal counsel, voluntarily went to the National Bureau of Investigation last Thursday to dispel speculations that they did not give the team adequate warning about the treacherous waters in the area. They also provided evidence of warning signs and infographics all over the area regarding riptides and rip currents.

So many other questions had been raised by the public, including members of the Ateneo community, that had yet to be answered directly by the school-the biggest among them being where was Coach Tab Baldwin in all of these, and why has he not come out to speak?

Coach Tab finally broke his silence on June 12, in an almost 9-minute video posted on the school’s official Facebook page. The day before that, Ateneo issued a statement defending Coach Tab’s silence as ‘not a personal decision made independently of the University. The University requested that Coach Baldwin refrain from making public statements to allow the official processes to proceed and the facts to be established before any public discussion of the matter.’

Faceless words

But that silence and the absence of a human face seemed to have backfired, judging from how the public has reacted and continues to react as of this writing. Professors, students, alumni, and employees have even released an open letter to ADMU President Fr. Roberto Yap SJ, calling for greater accountability, transparency, and empathy on the part of the school admin.

‘We appeal for sincere and humane expressions of apology, empathy, and compassion from the University leaders and coaching staff. The nameless, faceless, and sterile official social media posts have downplayed the gravity of the situation and the accountability of the University,’ the educators’ open letter stated. ‘We appeal for the University administration to come forward-in person-with humility and acknowledgment of wrongdoing and lapses in judgment, risk mitigation, communication, and most especially, care for our students.

Carlo Figueroa, Senior Lecturer of Communication at the University of the Philippines Diliman and De La Salle University, agreed with his fellow educators.

‘Why only statements, ADMU? In my PR and Issue Management classes, I always reiterate: a statement is so impersonal. While it could suffice in the first two hours of a crisis, it cannot replace the effect of having a face or voice to communicate and expound the organization’s messages and actions,’ he said.

‘That talking head-either the leader of the org or a designated spokesperson-humanizes the words behind the social media card or the video graphic, and allows the grieving public and stakeholders to see a glimpse of emotion-be it sorrow, guilt, or empathy, and action, from those who bear responsibility and are expected to demonstrate accountability,’ he added.

Deathly silence

Ivy Lisa Mendoza, former journalist and now president of public relations firm MediaSense Inc., also weighed in on the issue of silence.

‘In crisis communication, which I have done for my clients, I always point out that one of the biggest mistakes organizations make is believing there are only two options: Say everything or say nothing. There is a third option, a sweet spot actually: Say what you know, say what you don’t know (yet), and explain what you’re doing to find out,’ she explained.

‘The problem with silence is that it creates a vacuum that is quickly filled by speculation, anger, rumor, and distrust. If you do not control the narrative early, someone else will snatch it from you. In the age of social media, that ‘someone else’ may be an anonymous source, a self-appointed expert, a rumor mongerer, a sawsawero [meddler], or an engagement-chasing content creator. If you do not provide information, people will look elsewhere for it-however unverified or unreliable the source may be-because people naturally seek answers when something tragic happens. Same with a ‘no comment’ reply to a query, which all the more triggers media to look for answers elsewhere,’ she further said.

She noted that you do not need to provide all the answers at once, especially when these require investigation and validation. Silence, especially when lives were lost, is not the correct route.

‘You may not have all the answers immediately. Most people can accept uncertainty and are willing to wait for clarity. It is a running story, after all. But what people struggle to accept is the perception of indifference. We can forgive a lack of answers, but we rarely forgive the appearance of not caring enough to acknowledge questions and show empathy,’ she said.

A delicate balance

Richard Arboleda, President of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines, noted the importance of balancing empathy and accountability-which is particularly important when there are deaths involved. ‘We treat empathy and accountability as two stages. Sympathy first, then the search for answers. People don’t experience a tragedy that way. When something like this happens, sympathy isn’t enough. People want to see that the institution understands the weight of what happened. What is being done to establish the facts. Those get read as demands for accountability, and they are. But they are also how people gauge whether the empathy is real,’ he said.

‘A public statement expresses grief. It is also supposed to build confidence that the truth is being pursued seriously. You can put out something genuinely compassionate and still leave people wanting. Compassion was never the only thing they were asking for. I have never seen empathy and accountability as competing ideas. Words carry the grief, but it is the pursuit of facts that proves the grief isn’t just a public statement,’ he added.

We continue to mourn the loss of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili. While we may not have known them personally, as human beings, we grieve the fact that these young men will never fulfill their basketball dreams and their aspirations for their families. We pray for comfort and peace for their loved ones.

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Abigail L. Ho-Torres is the Chief Marketing Officer of Ikigai Philippines and an independent consultant and trainer, with more than two decades of experience in media, public relations, marketing, and customer experience.

We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@gmail.com.

INRAIL: Trkiye’s answer to Bosphorus bottleneck that could redefine Eurasian trade

It turns out there’s a bottleneck right through the heart of one of the world’s most active cities, and until recently, it was hard to see any solutions besides patience. All freight trains moving across the European/Asian border of Trkiye are presently forced through the Bosphorus’s Marmaray tunnel, a facility designed predominantly for metro transit service by commuters and only able to handle about three million tonnes of cargo annually. For a nation whose Twelfth Development Plan has as its explicit goal the role of Trkiye as connector between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, sitting as it does on the Western end of the Middle Corridor’s rising trade route, three million tonnes is just an estimate. On Tuesday, the Asian Development Bank sanctioned a loan of pound 645.83 million as the next piece in an arrangement expected to be one of the largest multilateral infrastructure investments worldwide this decade.

Istanbul North Rail Crossing (also known as the INRAIL project) is a 127-km-long greenfield railway that will run without passing through the Istanbul metro area. Specifically, INRAIL will connect Gebze on one side of the Bosphorus to Halkali on another side of the water passage via a newly constructed railroad bridge, namely the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge. It is planned that roughly half of the distance (61 km, in 44 tunnels) will be underground, constructed by using a twin-tube tunneling machine, NATM and cut and cover techniques. The total cost of the project amounts to $8.27 billion, funded by $6.75 billion loaned from six international financial institutions: the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the OPEC Fund for International Development.

Financing coalition

World Bank has disbursed anchor financing of $2 billion on March 31, 2026, which has been the largest individual tranche, while other funding agencies have made up for the rest of $6.75 billion funding for the project. Asian Development Bank has also disbursed pound 645.83 million (about $750 million) on June 9, 2026, as part of the ADB-World Bank Full Mutual Reliance Framework (FMRF); this is the first of two tranches from ADB, the second tranche of which would be released in 2028. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is contributing to the $6.75 billion funding as well, representing China-led financial institution supporting a project designed to reinforce a corridor in order to provide an alternative to the Russian corridor. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has contributed $6.75 billion as it is in line with EBRD’s mandate supporting countries under transition within the context of the Middle Corridor. Furthermore, Islamic Development Bank and OPEC Fund for International Development have both contributed their shares to this funding effort; this can be attributed to Trkiye’s position as part of OIC and hydrocarbon-based finance of non-hydrocarbon projects.

The World Bank and the EBRD stand for the Western-led multilateralism. The AIIB is the leading alternative organization created by China with the explicit intention of serving as the counterpoint to the former multilateral system. The Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund stand for the capital of the Gulf and the OIC countries. The unusual convergence of those six different organizations to finance one single railway project in Trkiye, under the “Full Mutual Reliance Framework” specifically designed in order to ensure more effective cooperation between the ADB and the World Bank in the preparation stage, occurs only due to the fact that the underlying rationale behind such financing is beyond discussion. Each of those institutions has its own reasons to be interested in the development of the Middle Corridor, which vary from the EBRD’s task of assisting the transition economies to the role of the AIIB as the organization involved in ensuring connectivity in the non-Russian Eurasia.

Perhaps the capacity transformation in this equation is the most important part. Current capacity is 3mt post INRAIL Project is expected to rise around 50mt. That is more than 15-teen fold potential increase. Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu stated that the line, upon its completion, is supposed to cater to 33 million passengers as well as 30 million tons of cargo per year. The explanation of the World Bank highlights exactly those corridors that are going to benefit from the project: the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor known as the Middle Corridor, the Iraq Development Road, and the Turkish-EU corridor; all these corridors are constrained by their capacities precisely when it comes to the point of INRAIL relief. A bottleneck that is constraining each of these corridors when crossing the Bosphorus will no longer limit them once INRAIL starts functioning.

Possible implications on the Middle Corridor

Speaking of non-Russian, Eurasion corridor, this year, there have been abundant records on the trajectory of growth in the Middle Corridor: an increase in the volume of cargo five times in seven years to reach 4.5 million tonnes; transit time reduced from 28 to 32 days to 13 to 17 days; and forecasts by the World Bank that the figure would be around 11 million tonnes by 2030. Virtually every analysis of the trajectory of growth in the Middle Corridor has highlighted one common threat: the possibility that the investment in infrastructure in Central Asia and over the Caspian – such as improvements in the ports of Kazakhstan, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and the expansion projects in BTK and Alat Port in Azerbaijan – would overtake the capacities of the corridor’s western end.

The INRAIL solution eliminates that limitation in an overall time frame that is not an urgent one, but which corresponds to the growth plans for the corridor itself, and which, in any case, will take realistically a decade in view of the required tunnelling. The capacity of the BTK rail line was increased only last week to five million tonnes per year. The Alat Port expansion aims for 25 million tonnes per year. If the throughput of the Bosphorus crossing is limited to 3 million tonnes per year and everything else is moving towards 10 or 25 million, growth bottlenecks for the corridor arise right in Istanbul.

One aspect of INRAIL which should not go unnoticed due to the lack of coverage from the freight numbers deserves attention – this is the first time ever that a rail connection will be established between Istanbul Airport in Europe and Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the other side of the Bosphorus. Istanbul Airport transported more than 80 million passengers in 2025 and is currently one of the busiest airports by international traffic in the world; Sabiha Gökçen is its counterpart located on the Asian side. Establishing a connection through rail to the national rail network, as well as between both airports, will create a multimodal transport capacity that few megacities around the globe can offer: two international airports, a heavy rail freight route, and passage over the Bosphorus in one corridor. This will be especially beneficial for air cargo transported to further rail transportation over the Middle Corridor route and for passengers who would need to transfer between both airports without enduring Istanbul’s notorious road traffic.

The bidding process for the construction of INRAIL should be completed before 2026, with construction beginning immediately thereafter, implying that any freight benefits will come slowly over the period between 2027 and 2035 and not immediately. This timeline is important to keep in mind while assessing the project. What is relevant here is that INRAIL is not a response to the current demand for Middle Corridor transit; it is an attempt to secure capacity in advance of anticipated demand in the 2030s, at a time when growth in the corridor is accelerating further, and six different development banks with different strategic considerations agree that making this bet is worthwhile. As ADB puts it, the project will enhance Trkiye’s position as “a vital transport and logistics hub connecting Europe and Asia,” not as one that it might become but as one that has already been firmly established.

Ekiti moves to tighten tobacco law, targets vapes, nicotine pouches

The Ekiti State Government has pledged to update its tobacco control law to address the growing availability and use of new and emerging tobacco and nicotine products, warning that these products pose a significant threat to public health, especially among young people.

The commitment was made on Thursday during a stakeholder engagement in Ado-Ekiti to commemorate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2026. The event, themed “Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,” was organised by the Ekiti State Ministry of Health and Human Services in partnership with Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).

The ministry also commended CAPPA for its sustained support for tobacco control efforts in the state and reaffirmed its commitment to preserving Ado-Ekiti’s smoke-free status while building on existing gains in tobacco control.

Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Mrs. Sola Gbenga-Igotun, described World No Tobacco Day as “a day that gives hope to our people” and urged stakeholders to intensify efforts to combat tobacco and nicotine use.

She expressed concern over the increasing exposure of children to nicotine products.

“Some children as young as seven, eight and nine years old are already victims,” she said.

Highlighting the dangers posed by emerging nicotine products, Gbenga-Igotun urged parents and guardians to be more vigilant.

“Some of them are smoking, and these products are odourless, so you may not even notice,” she said. “Let us leave this place as advocates. We are speaking to our conscience that this is happening and destroying our young people. Let us take action.”

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Sunday Omoya, who represented the Commissioner, Mrs. Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, stressed the need for collective action against tobacco and nicotine use.

“I am glad we are discussing this menace,” Omoya said. “We need to unmask whatever makes these products appealing. Why do people embrace smoking when it is clearly harmful to health? I pledge the support of our officers towards tackling this challenge.”

In a presentation titled “The Current State of Tobacco Control in Ekiti State and the Way Forward,” the Director of Public Health, Dr. Abayomi Ibrahim, disclosed that the state plans to review its tobacco control framework to include emerging tobacco and nicotine products.

He highlighted major milestones recorded by the state, including the 2012 Smoke-Free Law prohibiting smoking in public places, the Ado-Ekiti Declaration on World No Tobacco Day 2025 which designated the city as smoke-free, and increased public awareness among women and young people.

Ibrahim, however, noted that significant challenges remain. These include weak enforcement arising from limited monitoring capacity, inadequate funding, growing youth attraction to shisha and e-cigarettes, tobacco industry interference, and limited data for effective decision-making.

According to him, the way forward includes strengthening enforcement through the training of health officials and law enforcement officers, creating a dedicated budget line for tobacco control, and expanding youth-focused interventions such as school-based programmes and peer education initiatives.

He also recommended deeper community engagement involving traditional and religious leaders, a review of the state’s tobacco control law to reflect emerging realities and global best practices, and the establishment of stronger monitoring and evaluation systems.

Speaking on this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme, CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Mrs. Zikora Ibeh, commended Ekiti State for its leadership in tobacco control and praised the state’s efforts to maintain Ado-Ekiti’s smoke-free status.

According to her, the achievement demonstrates that tobacco control is not solely the responsibility of federal and state governments but requires the active participation of communities and citizens.

While noting that cigarettes remain the most visible tobacco products, Ibeh said the tobacco industry has shifted its focus to a new generation of nicotine products.

“Today, the industry is selling nicotine in different forms and devices,” she said. “Products such as vapes and nicotine pouches are being aggressively marketed both offline and online. They are packaged in colourful, attractive designs and often come in flavours such as apple, bubble gum and other sweet varieties that appeal to young people.

“These are deliberate tactics to recruit new users and sustain addiction. To mask the harshness of nicotine, the industry hides behind attractive flavours and misleading claims that these products are safer alternatives.

“We ask: safer alternatives to what? Smoking causes disease and death. Are these products safer alternatives to disease? Or to death?”

Ibeh also criticised the tobacco industry’s “Quit Like Sweden” campaign, describing it as misleading.

“The claim is that these products helped Sweden reduce smoking and that Nigeria should follow the same path. That is simply not true,” she said.

“Sweden’s progress was driven by comprehensive tobacco control policies, including strong regulations, public education, taxation, and restrictions on tobacco marketing not by the tobacco industry’s products. Yet they continue to promote this false narrative.”

Warning that vaping and other emerging nicotine products pose serious health risks, she called for stronger regulation and tighter controls to protect young people from addiction.

Representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Ekiti State chapter, also expressed support for a smoke-free Ekiti, noting that both faith traditions discourage smoking because of its harmful effects on health and society.

Bankuli takes Chronicles of Afrobeat to four continents in historic global tour

From a Canadian Embassy partnership in Lagos to stages in New York, Atlanta, Winnipeg, and Toronto, the Afrobeat pioneer is building a diplomatic cultural movement that governments are taking seriously.

There is a version of this story that is easy to tell. Artist loves his music. Artist travels the world. People cheer. But that is not the story of Chronicles of Afrobeat, and it is certainly not the story of Bankuli. What he has built over the past several years is something far more deliberate, far more structurally ambitious, and far more consequential for the global standing of African music than a tour.

It started in Lagos, but it did not start with a stage. It started with a meeting room, a partnership, and a decision to attach institutional weight to a cultural movement that the world was only beginning to understand. Bankuli entered into a strategic partnership with the Canadian Embassy in Nigeria, and that single move changed the entire trajectory of what Chronicles of Afrobeat could become.

“The essence of that partnership is a strategic partnership. It gave us a sort of diplomatic backing. We were able to achieve that.”

Diplomatic backing is not a small thing. It means the project is not simply an artist touring for ticket sales. It is a cultural initiative with governmental credibility attached to its name. That distinction opens rooms that music alone cannot open. And Bankuli walked through every one of those rooms.

From Lagos, the Chronicles of Afrobeat moved to New York, where Prime Music Partners came on board as the convening partner for the city leg, bringing with them a network of industry relationships and a clear understanding of what it takes to position African music seriously in one of the world’s most competitive music markets. Their involvement gave the New York chapter of the tour a professional infrastructure that matched the diplomatic weight the project had already built.

Then came Atlanta, where the city’s most honoured community leaders presented Bankuli with a formal recognition for his contributions to culture and the arts. The Atlanta leg was anchored in partnership with Kelvin Boj, an artist and creative whose transatlantic identity made him a natural collaborator for a project that lives at the intersection of African heritage and global ambition. It was a moment that confirmed what many in the African music space had already begun to sense: this project was bigger than its founder.

But Winnipeg was where everything changed in scale. The city of Winnipeg came on board not as a venue host but as a full partner, and helping to shape the cultural presentation across both Winnipeg and Toronto was Art of Our Roots, an organisation whose entire mission is rooted in the preservation and celebration of diasporic identity through art and community. Their involvement was not decorative. It was structural. They brought the kind of on-the-ground cultural legitimacy that made the Canadian leg feel less like a foreign tour and more like a homecoming for a community that had been waiting for this moment.

The deputy mayor attended. The deputy premier attended. The Manitoba city museum opened its doors. This was not a Nigerian artist getting a warm reception abroad. This was a cultural institution being received with the protocols typically reserved for diplomatic delegations.

“We actually partnered with the city of Winnipeg. The deputy mayor was in attendance, the deputy premier were in attendance, the city museum, Manitoba. There were a lot of positivity.”

Toronto followed, with an event held at Del X, one of the city’s most prestigious hotel venues. Five cities across three countries, each one adding a new layer of credibility and reach to the project. And Bankuli is not slowing down.

The UK leg is confirmed for July and August. Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia are all lined up in sequence. After that, Bankuli has something larger in mind, a platform he is deliberately not naming yet, because the announcement needs to be made at the right time and in the right way.

“We’re going to do UK between July and August. Then we’re going back to Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia. Then we’ll push it to the bigger platform. We don’t want to name it.”

What Bankuli is building is not a tour. It is a diplomatic and cultural infrastructure for Afrobeat. A system of relationships, institutional partnerships, and media presence that will outlast any single event and give African music the kind of global architecture it has never had before. The cities are changing. The institutions are paying attention. And Bankuli is just getting started.

Kano: NSCDC operatives rescue 70-year- old Shepherd, 2 children from bandits

By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano

A 70-year-old shepherd simply identified as Alhaji Saleh, and his two children, were rescued from the shackles of bandits in Kano, on Friday.

The victims are safe, as the Shepherd is currently on medication, at a Kano hospital.

The two children of the attacked Shepherd have already been reunited with their immediate family for absolute care.

The rescue operation was carried out by operatives of Kano Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Our Correspondent gathered from security sources, that the criminal elements, also planned to rustle scores of livestock within the area.

The suspected bandits targeted their nefarious operation at Bakin Komau, Dangora community of Kiru Local Government Area, Kano state.

However, operatives of the NSCDC, rescued the two abducted children, repelled cattle rustling, and further attacks, within the area.

The Kano Command NSCDC, Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Idris Abdullahi, also confirmed the development in a Statement issued in Kano, on Friday.

According to the statement, “a group of armed criminals attacked a Shepherd, leaving him with serious injuries, before abducting his two children during an attempt to rustle livestock in the area.

“Upon receiving a distress call, NSCDC personnel stationed around the nearby Dansoshiya Forest swiftly mobilized to the scene and engaged the suspects in a gun duel.

“The operatives’ rapid intervention forced the assailants to abandon the victims, and flee into the forest with gunshot wounds.

“The rescued victims were safely reunited with their family, while the injured Shepherd, 70-year-old Alhaji Saleh, was immediately taken for medical treatment.”

The authorities of Kano NSCDC further explained that its operatives were deployed to the area as part of efforts to secure the ongoing Dam construction project and protect surrounding grazing reserves and farming communities from criminal activities.

The Kano State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mohammed Hassan Agalama, reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to protecting lives, property, and critical national assets across the state.

He also urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to enhance rapid response to threats of lives and property, and strengthened security within communities.

Guinea-Bissau signs MoU with United Nigeria Airlines to launch national carrier

United Nigeria Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to establish a national airline for the African country.

The agreement at the capital Bissau, marks the beginning of what both parties have described as a pivotal partnership that would improve Guinea-Bissau’s connectivity with the rest of the continent and the world.

The MoU was signed on behalf of the Government of Guinea-Bissau by Dr. Florentino Mendes Pereira, Minister of Transport, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, and on behalf of United Nigeria Airlines by Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, the Executive Chairman of the airline.

Guinea-Bissau, a West African country, has for decades, relied on regional carriers and charter services to link its citizens and businesses to other countries but this new agreement seeks to change that.

Under the terms of the MoU, the two parties will explore a comprehensive cooperation framework aimed at establishing a fully operational national airline, with Osvaldo Vieira International Airport in Bissau serving as the operational base and hub for initial flight routes.

Part of the agreement in the MoU is the creation of a joint venture entity that will operate as Guinea-Bissau’s national airline, with United Nigeria Airlines providing its operational expertise, aircraft, and management.

United Nigeria Airlines has committed to assigning at least two aircraft to identified routes within 18 months of the agreement coming into force. The airline will also provide an executive jet on a commercial basis for the use of the President and Government of Guinea-Bissau.

United Nigeria Airlines has also pledged to invest in or acquire a stake in the carrier as part of the joint venture structure, ensuring that the new airline has a firm legal and corporate footing within Guinea-Bissau.

The Government of Guinea-Bissau on its part, has has agreed to facilitate the registration and licensing of the new national carrier in line with domestic laws, and to streamline authorisation processes through both the Civil Aviation Authority of Guinea-Bissau and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria.

The government has pledged to designate the newly formed airline as the official national carrier of Guinea-Bissau, granting it full rights over all existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) entitlements. This designation would give the airline significant leverage in securing route rights and authorisations to regional and international destinations which is an important commercial and diplomatic asset.

Bissau’s Osvaldo Vieira International Airport will also receive the infrastructure support necessary to accommodate the new carrier’s operations, including access provisions, ground support, and assistance with customs, immigration, and security compliance.

Additionally, the government has committed to investing in the creation of the national company and to establishing mechanisms that protect and incentivise investment through the existing Investment Code and applicable tax frameworks.

United Nigeria Airlines has committed to training qualified Guinean nationals including pilots, cabin crew, and technical maintenance personnel and to employing local staff wherever feasible, in coordination with the government’s employment policies.

The MoU explicitly states that for the purposes of safety, reliability, and efficiency, the overall management, operational control, and general direction of the new airline will rest with the management team of United Nigeria Airlines.

The two parties have also committed to a range of mutual safeguards. These include full liability and hull insurance coverage for all flight operations, annual independent safety and maintenance audits to ensure ongoing compliance with international standards, and asset protection mechanisms to shield United Nigeria Airlines’ investments in the event of adverse changes to Guinea-Bissau’s policy or regulatory environment.

The MoU is effective immediately from the date of signing and will remain valid for 18 months, or until a substantive joint venture agreement is concluded.

Flutterwave, NYSC, Nestlé, Deputy Speaker’s Office partner ASIF for 2026 youth entrepreneurship summit

A Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Activate Success International Foundation (ASIF) said it will partner a growing network of institutions in the hosting of the 2026 edition of its National Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme, YEEP’26, on Thursday, June 18, 2026 in Abuja

Themed ‘Entrepreneurship, innovation, courage and impact,’ the summit is convened by ASIF founder, Mrs Love Idoko-Uloko.

Over the past decade, YEEP has functioned as a platform for skills training, mentorship and capital support for young Nigerians building businesses.

Through its partnership with the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC and a growing network of institutions, the programme has reached hundreds of thousands of corps members across the country.

In 2025, ASIF which is one of Nigeria’s most impactful youth empowerment organisations, dedicated to transforming the potential of young Nigerians into enterprise, leadership, and lasting economic contribution said it deployed over ?50 million in grants and equipment to entrepreneurs across key sectors.

This year’s partners include Flutterwave as lead sponsor, Nestlé Nigeria as a corporate partner and the Deputy Speaker’s Office of the House of Representatives.

Flutterwave will present its payments infrastructure and SendApp as part of the summit’s focus on digital enterprise.

NYSC Director-General Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu is listed among expected attendees.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu will attend as Guest of Honour.

Ministers of Women Affairs, Youth Development, and Humanitarian Affairs are also expected, indicating federal government participation in the youth enterprise agenda.

The programme will feature panel and fireside sessions with Flutterwave co-founder and CEO Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola and musician/producer Cobhams Asuquo, who will speak on building creative enterprises.

Fashion entrepreneur, Prudent Gabriel, CEO of Prudential Atelier, is also scheduled to share her business journey.

Other business leaders listed to attend include Dr. Amos Gbadawole, CEO of Crown Luxury Properties; Architect Apeh Harrison Iwodi, CEO of Minds and Lines; and Seyi Adekunle, CEO of Vodi Tailors.

The event will include performances by Timi Dakolo and Zadok, with an appearance by TV host and former Big Brother Africa winner Uti Nwachukwu.

Vote according to your conscience, says Catholic priest

The Parish Priest, St. Kizito Catholic Church, Iju, Lagos and Dean of Agege Deanery, Revd Father Sebastian Ngene, has urged Nigerians to be guided by objectivity as next year’s general elections draw near.

He gave the advice in a message at this year’s three-day second quarter Grand Board of Trustees (GBOT) organised by the Lagos Grand Commandery of the Knights of St John International at his Parish. The event with the theme, ‘Fight the good fight of faith and keep the faith’ (2 Timothy 6:12), was attended by over 350 elements, comprising knights of St John International (KSJI) and Ladies Auxiliary (LAUX) from across the various Commanderies and Auxiliaries in the Archdiocese of Lagos and parts of Ogun states.

The priest said: Let people vote according to their conscience. Let us not sell our vote by mere gifts that people will give us.’

He urged the participants to imbibe the lessons from their meetings, deliberations, the pieces of advice that the priests gave to them, and their priest spiritual advisers; they should struggle to put them into practice, so that the youth would keep on being a light unto other people.

The Grand President, Knights of St. John International (KSJI), Lagos Grand Commandery. Brig.-Gen Paulinus Nwankwo explained that the meeting comprises the 28 commanderies in Lagos, and 25 LAUX who were delegates from each commandery.

At the ceremony, he added, 19 members and two priests were initiated into the first degree in their order. ‘At this point, they are brother knights. Five: two priests and three brothers who were invested, exemplified into second and third degrees of our order. They have been initiated for two years, or a year and six months ago. So, they were invested. It was reduced to 27. But those ones that have been exemplified, they are qualified to answer sir knights.

On the significance of the event, he said they took records of their activities in the past three months, taking reports from local commanderies and preparing for the next quarter. He said some projects had been approved, and indigent to be assisted, adding that these would be executed.

On what to expect in the next quarter, he said there would be no initiation and exemplification until the last quarter – December precisely.

He said every Catholic looks forward to the knighthood. ‘We are defenders of faith. But before you join knighthood, you must have gotten to a certain spiritual level, not financially. You must be grounded in the church. As Defenders of Faith, you must know the faith you defend, and you must have been assessed, yes, that you can, at least, if not anything, the grassroots of faith, that you can defend the church, if there is need for it

President of Commandery 727, St. Kizito Parish, Iju, the host Commandery of the meeting, Sir Barnabas Bem Vangerwua, expressed satisfaction for hosting his colleagues for the second time after some years, adding that the number of their elements had increased, as well as the level of development of the Commandery and Laux.

On lessons from the meeting, Vangerwua said: ‘The whole concept is to enhance the spiritual growth of all the elements and development of the parish. Basically, the core essence of the Knights of St. John International is to use all our three Ts-Time, Talent, and Treasure-to serve the church and humanity by extension. So, in a gathering like this, it’s always a good opportunity to showcase our values and those three Ts so that it will enhance our spiritual growth and the development of the church as well.’

Noble Sister Dorothy Remy-Eluyefa (first Vice President), who represented the Grand Respected President, said the work of the women at the meeting was to collaborate with the men ‘We’re collaborating and working with each other. We have the same goals- spirituality, helping the church, helping the needy and much more. So, we do it jointly. Yes, we are together in anything we’re doing. We don’t just do anything. We consult each other before we do anything,’ she added.

The event ended with a delightful parade by the Knights and Ladies at the nearby St Kizito College.

Ekiti 2026: Oyebanji ‘II break succession jinx -Ekundayo

It’s just a few days to the June 20, 2026 governorship election. Why do you think Ekiti people should renew Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s mandate for another four years?

We’re looking at certain indices. Let me start with the politics of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s brand, which is more or less becoming a brand in Ekiti politics, vis-à-vis his policy of keeping Ekiti working together for all and not leaving anyone behind. That’s his politics. That is why you can see the likes of former Governor Ayodele Fayose and former Governor Segun Oni supporting the governor’s second-term bid.

Another key index is performance. When the governor was the APC candidate in 2022, prior to the governorship election, he campaigned on the mantra of shared prosperity, which cascaded into six strategic pillars focusing on human capital development, infrastructure development, youth empowerment and job creation, agriculture and rural development, governance, arts, culture and tourism, as well as industrialisation.

Looking at these six strategic pillars through the Ekiti Dashboard, which can be accessed by everyone at www.spms.ek.ng, one can see all the projects embarked upon by this administration, including those inherited from previous administrations. Virtually all the projects inherited from the administration of former Governor Kayode Fayemi have been completed, including the Ekiti Cargo Airport, the Ring Road, the Omuo-Itapa-Ijelu Road and the Ikole-Ara-Isinbode Road. These were projects awarded during Fayemi’s administration.

There are also projects initiated by Governor Oyebanji’s administration, such as the Ikere-Igbara Odo Road, Ikere-Ilawe Road, Igbara Odo-Ikogosi Road and the Okeyinmi-Ijigbo Flyover, now named the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Flyover. There are also several ongoing projects commenced by this administration.

So, based on performance and the six strategic pillars, Governor Oyebanji has performed creditably, and Ekiti people should return him to Oke Ayoba on June 20.

The APC is campaigning on the achievements of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration, yet many Nigerians are grappling with economic hardship. How do you reconcile the government’s performance narrative with the realities facing many households in Ekiti?

Ekiti is not in isolation. Ekiti is part of Nigeria, and Nigeria is part of the global economy. When you talk about hardship, some of us have relatives abroad who also share their experiences. If you look at the cost of fuel, for example, it directly affects the cost of food and other goods.

Before the Israel-Iran conflict, food prices in Ekiti were relatively low, among the lowest in the South-West. Even now, compared to many places, it is still relatively cheaper to buy food items in Ekiti. I travel to Lagos frequently, and I can tell you that many food items remain more affordable here. Of course, when it comes to beverages and certain manufactured products, those are not produced in Ekiti. So, the hardship is not peculiar to Ekiti. It is largely a consequence of global economic realities.

By and large, however, Governor Oyebanji has demonstrated a strong commitment to workers’ welfare. Ekiti’s minimum wage is one of the best in the South-West, after Lagos. Pensioners are also benefiting from the increment. Not only that, leave bonuses are being paid, and the backlog is being cleared. One of my staff members, who is a civil servant, told me this is the first governor who consistently remits all cooperative deductions as and when due.

Many civil servants belong to multiple cooperative societies. In the past, deductions were made but were not always remitted promptly. Governor Oyebanji has changed that. I remember him saying that his mother once relied on a cooperative loan to pay his WAEC examination fees, so he understands the importance of cooperative societies.

That is one of the reasons civil servants are celebrating him. Unlike in previous administrations, where workers protested, carried placards or even embarked on strikes close to election periods, workers now openly appreciate his leadership. Prior to this year’s May Day celebration, they organised solidarity activities in his support. So, while we are not denying that hardship exists, it is not unique to Ekiti, and the governor has made deliberate efforts to cushion its effects.

Ekiti has a history of denying incumbent governors a seamless path to a second term. Do you think Governor Oyebanji is positioned to break the longstanding succession jinx?

Of course. The coast is clear. The poll coming up in a few days is going to be a walkover for Governor Oyebanji. Before joining the government, I was a political analyst. I appeared on national television and wrote columns for a national newspaper. There are certain indices we examine. The APC structure in Ekiti remains intact. There is no implosion within the party. The family is united, and the people of Ekiti love Governor Oyebanji.

The Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, which I supervise, has conducted three statewide assessments during the life of this administration. The first was in 2024, to assess performance under the six strategic pillars and identify areas for improvement. We presented the findings to the governor, who directed us to also present them to the State Executive Council, the highest decision-making body of government. We did so, and valuable feedback was received.

In 2026, we conducted two additional surveys to gauge public perception ahead of the election. In the most recent exercise, we ensured that respondents possessed Permanent Voter Cards.

We asked them simple questions: Who will you vote for? What is your assessment of the governor?

What we found was that Governor Oyebanji is the overwhelming choice of the people. In fact, our findings showed that BAO has become a brand that, in some places, is even more popular than the APC itself. We often had to remind Ekiti people that BAO is the APC candidate and that the symbol they would see on the ballot paper is the broom.

The survey covered all 16 council areas using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The average approval rating recorded was 81.8 per cent across the state. Every local government recorded positive ratings for Governor Oyebanji’s candidacy. I believe that support has only grown stronger since then. More aggressive grassroots mobilisation is now taking place at the polling-unit level.

I was in my polling unit on Sunday engaging with voters, and I posted it on Facebook. The same thing is happening across the state. Political appointees and party leaders are returning to their various polling units.

Ekiti has 2,445 polling units and 177 wards, and the APC campaign strategy is built around unit-based mobilisation. Every polling unit has canvassers who are going from house to house encouraging people to vote. Our objective is not merely to win but to make a statement. The target is 500,000 votes for Governor Oyebanji. That is why mobilisation remains intense. We cannot afford to relax. The mega rally is coming up on Tuesday. The Vice President, who recently commissioned the flyover, performed the groundbreaking for the Ekiti Knowledge Zone and commissioned the EFCC zonal office, will also be in Ekiti again to represent President Bola Tinubu at the rally.

There is massive preparation ongoing to ensure that the APC not only wins but wins convincingly.

Do you think the 500,000 votes target is achievable?

Yes, it is achievable. We can even surpass it. As a researcher, I studied leadership and followership. Research shows that voter turnout in the United States averages around 57 per cent, while South Korea records about 67 per cent. Australia records up to 75 per cent because voting is tied to certain civic obligations and benefits. Nigeria has not reached that stage yet. I hope we do someday so that people will not spend election day playing football instead of voting.

We have 1,059,360 registered voters in Ekiti. Therefore, a target of 500,000 votes represents less than half of the registered voter population.

With the aggressive mobilisation taking place at the polling-unit level, I believe the target is realistic and can even be exceeded.

Many analysts argue that the APC’s biggest challenge may not come from the opposition parties but from unresolved grievances arising from the recent National Assembly and State Assembly primaries. What steps is your party taking to prevent this from affecting its chances in the poll?

In every political contest, there will always be aggrieved parties. That is normal, whether at the local, state or federal level. The APC is already moving swiftly to address concerns arising from the primaries through appropriate reconciliation mechanisms. As things stand, I can confidently say there is no crack within the APC. Some people may be dissatisfied, and that is expected.

Politics is like football. Some supporters may believe a penalty should have been awarded or that the referee made a wrong decision. But once the match is over, everyone moves on. Within the party, there are established mechanisms for resolving grievances, and those mechanisms are already at work.

All of us are united in our determination to secure victory for Governor Oyebanji on June 20. We have continued to hold meetings and consultations, and nobody is being left behind. Those of us who supported different aspirants during the primaries have now come together. As I mentioned earlier, I was in my polling unit on Sunday, and everyone was working together towards securing another mandate for Governor Oyebanji.

From your interaction with Ekiti people, what is the prevailing mood of the electorate ahead of the poll?

The prevailing mood is the chant of ‘BAO’.Everywhere you go, people are talking about BAO, and when they say BAO, they are referring to the APC candidate. The APC is not resting on its oars. We are active on social media, in the traditional media, on television, radio and in newspapers. Across the 16 local government areas, most of the billboards you see are those of Governor Oyebanji.

This reflects the readiness and enthusiasm of the people. If you visit bars, hotels, restaurants and other social gathering points, discussions often centre on Governor Oyebanji. Ekiti is not a one-party state, but what we have are opponents, not a formidable opposition.

There are several candidates contesting the election, but Governor Oyebanji remains the leading contender.

The key political figures in Ekiti have aligned with this administration. All former governors are supporting Governor Oyebanji’s re-election bid.

Former Governor Ayodele Fayose, despite remaining in the PDP, has been one of the most vocal supporters of BAO. Former Governor Segun Oni is now in the APC. Senator Biodun Olujimi is in the APC. Senator Ayo Arise is also in the APC. All of them are working towards the governor’s re-election. That is why we are witnessing such a broad base of support for the APC candidate.

Are you saying the governorship poll is a one-horse race?

Definitely, it is a one-horse race. That does not mean it is a one-party affair. We still have parties like the PDP, ADC, SDP and Accord participating. However, when you talk about political street value in Ekiti today, it is Governor Oyebanji.

Across all 16 local government areas, the APC remains dominant. I believe this will become evident by the end of Election Day. Ekiti elections are relatively straightforward because we do not have difficult riverine terrains. Voting and collation are usually completed promptly.

I do not expect this election to be one where people wait until 10 p.m. for results. By about 8 p.m., local government results should already be known, even if INEC has not made a formal declaration. The APC will not only emerge victorious but will do so with a substantial margin.

Lastly, what is your message to Ekiti people as they file out next Saturday to elect their next governor?

My message to Ekiti people is simple: please come out and vote. Election day is not the day to remain at home or go to the farm without voting. Cast your vote first, then go about your other activities.

Young people who are 18 years and above and have collected their PVCs should accompany their parents and friends to the polling units. Make sure you vote and ensure that your vote counts. Even if you cannot stay until the end of the counting process, there will be elders and party agents around. But make sure you exercise your civic responsibility.

For those who registered in Ekiti but currently reside in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Ilorin, Akure, Osogbo or elsewhere, I encourage you to return home before the election. Whether on Thursday or Friday, make arrangements to come back and vote. Let us all ensure that our votes count. Nobody should assume that because Governor Oyebanji is expected to win, their vote is no longer important.

My appeal goes to farmers, market men and women, artisans, professionals, civil servants, public servants, local government workers and teachers: please come out peacefully and participate in the democratic process. Your vote matters.