DAILYUPDATES

***Okun son urges Kogi West stakeholders to pursue strategic alliances, voter mobilisation and political unity ahead of future elections An illustrious Okun son, Dr. Femi Owolowo, has called on political leaders, stakeholders and citizens of Kogi West to move beyond passionate rhetoric on the agitation for power shift and embrace a more strategic, data-driven and inclusive political mobilisation capable of translating the demand into electoral reality. Owolowo, in a personal opinion on the political future of Kogi West, acknowledged that advocating power shift remains a legitimate aspiration of the people, but cautioned that impressive speeches and political declarations alone cannot secure power in a democratic contest. According to him, “the reality of every election is determined by numbers”—particularly the number of registered voters and citizens who ultimately turn out to cast their ballots. He therefore challenged Kogi West political actors to obtain and critically a...

...As Centre Destroys 2,819 Illicit Small Arms In Abuja  The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has said the Federal Government and security agencies remain resolutely committed to its constitutional responsibility to secure lives and property in all parts of the country. Ribadu spoke at the public destruction of illicitly acquired, decommissioned and unserviceable small arms and light weapons by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons at the General Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja, on Thursday. At the event, approximately 2,819 illicit decommissioned and unserviceable small arms and light weapons were destroyed, bringing the cumulative total to 19,000 destroyed since the Centre’s inception. Ribadu, represented by the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, noted that availability of illegal arms could fuel terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and communal conflict, ...

By Abu Micheal When Hon. Adams Adabenege, PhD, assumed office as Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Local Government Service Commission, he walked into an institution that had been forgotten by time. It was an era when the dignity of Local Government workers had been stripped bare, when salaries came in percentages as low as ten percent in a month, and when the very idea of marriage for wives of LG staff was questioned because the pay could not sustain a home. Promotions had been frozen for over a decade, morale was at its lowest, and the third tier of government — the closest to the people,  had become a shadow of itself. Today, that painful story has been replaced with one of hope, dignity and renewed pride. Across the 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi State, the narrative has changed. Salaries are now paid promptly and in full. Promotions that were abandoned for more than ten years are being cleared and delivered, with cash-back, right at the doorsteps of workers w...

The management of the Benson Idahosa University (BIU), Benin City, Edo State, has honoured the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, High Chief Dennis Brutu Otuaro, PhD., with an Award of Excellence. According to the foremost institution, the award was conveyed in recognition of Chief Otuaro’s “outstanding leadership, exemplary service, unwavering commitment and remarkable contributions to the growth and development of the Niger Delta.” BIU Vice Chancellor, Professor John Aroye Okhuoya, who was represented by the Deputy Registrar and Head of Educational Services Unit/Admissions Kingsley Osahenrumwen Ekhator, presented the award to Dr. Otuaro during a courtesy visit to the PAP headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday. Mr. Ekhator was accompanied by the Senior Assistant Registrar, Pretty Ikhuiwurefe and the Assistant Registrar, Adaobi Esimaje, both of the BIU Abuja Liaison Office. After the awar presentation, the school representatives and Dr. O...

The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kogi State Chapter, has noted with concern the media reports surrounding a suit purportedly filed by two individuals seeking to restrain the Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, from allegedly dissolving the elected Chairmen of the 21 Local Government Areas of the state. The leadership of ALGON wishes to categorically state that the foundation upon which the litigation is predicated is false, misleading and entirely speculative. At no time has the Governor of Kogi State announced or contemplated the illegal dissolution of democratically elected Local Government Chairmen in the state. For the avoidance of doubt, the tenure of the current Local Government Chairmen is clearly defined by the extant laws of Kogi State. The law under which the Chairmen were elected expressly provides for a two-year tenure, and the incumbent Chairmen are fully aware that their constitutional and statuto...

The National Executive Council of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has appointed Dr. Suberu Yusuf-John as its President's Special Adviser (SA) on Road Safety,  Strategic Partnerships and Sustainable Development.  The appointment, contained in a letter to Yusuf-John and signed by the Council's National President, Amb. Isah Babangida, was made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Wednesday.  Dr Yusuf-John is currently the Special Adviser (SA) to Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Ododo,  on road safety matters. The council disclosed that the appointment of Yusuf-John was in recognition of his outstanding contributions, exceptional leadership, and remarkable achievements in road safety and sustainable development. It said, "We are pleased to convey your appointment as Special Adviser to the Council's National President on Road Safety, Strategic Partnerships and Sustainable Development. "This appointment takes immediate effect and shall be governe...

  ...As Vice Chancellor performs Foundation Laying Ceremony An illustrous Alumnus of Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Dr Rabiu Olowo,   Executive Secretary,  Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria and Chairman, UNCTAD International Standard of Accounting and Reporting (SAR) has donated  a legacy project to his alma mater.  Dr Rabiu donated an Accounting Research Centre of Excellence and Digital Library to the institution as a way of giving back to the institution that molded him. The foundation laying ceremony of the project which is located within the Faculty of Management Sciences, immediately after the Centre for Pre-Degree and Diploma Studies (CPDS) Building was performed by the Vice-Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Professor Salisu Ogbo Usman on Monday 27th July, 2026. Representing the donor at the ceremony, Dr. Mohammed Umar, Assistant Professor of Accounting at the United Arab Emirates University, an...

Describes Appointment and elevation as “Master Stroke” That Has Sealed Opposition in Kabba Bunu Stakeholders and members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kabba Bunu Local Government Area have expressed deep gratitude to His Excellency, Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo, over the appointment of Rt. Hon. Prince Mathew Kolawole, former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, as Senior Technical Advisor to the Governor on Legislative Matters. The commendation was made on Tuesday during a press conference held at the Kogi State NUJ Secretariat in Lokoja, where leaders of the party in Kabba Bunu addressed a cross-section of journalists. Speaking on behalf of the group, Michael Obaniwon David described the appointment as timely, strategic, and a clear demonstration of the Governor’s political wisdom. “Your Excellency, this appointment is a master stroke. You have sealed the coffin of the opposition political parties in Kabba Bunu LGA,” Obaniwon declared. He noted that Princ...

By Abu Micheal Across Kogi East, from Bassa and Ankpa in the north to Idah, Ibaji, Omala and Olamaboro in the South, the conversation ahead of 2027 has shifted. Voters are no longer asking who has the loudest posters. They are asking who has the competence, integrity and track record to change the sad narrative of representation that has trailed the district for years. That name that keeps coming up is QS Aminu Abubakar Suleiman. A Quantity Surveyor, Project Manager, and Public-Private Partnership specialist, QS Aminu is now widely seen as the game changer who will bring his wealth of experience from both the private and public sectors to reposition Kogi East Senatorial District. He is contesting on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, a platform many in the district have embraced as capable of correcting the wrongs of the past and giving the people a fresh start. Born on May 4, 1974 in Idah, QS Aminu holds an HND in Quantity Surveying from Kaduna Polytechn...

By Abu Micheal Hon. Umar Yahaya is the Member representing Omala State Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly. At a time when many citizens have begun to lose faith in the ballot, his tenure has become the clearest example of what representation ought to be: accessible, purposeful, and backed by verifiable results. From the moment he assumed office, Hon. Yahaya set out to change the old narrative of Omala. That change is no longer a promise. It is seen in the roads that now connect communities, the hospital that now serves the sick, the boreholes that now deliver clean water, and in the hundreds of lives that have been lifted through direct empowerment. His work has earned him wide recognition. He was honoured as “Best Lawmaker of the Year 2024” by The Nigerian Post Newspaper for his exceptional legislative performance and dedication to his people. He also emerged “Outstanding State Legislator of The Year” at the 4th Nigeria Service Awards in Abuja, having topped ...

By LILIAN OSSAI/ CHRISTOPHER ODAMAH IN ASABA A pro- government labour group, the Working People United (WoPU), has inaugurated its Delta State chapter and declared its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori ahead of the 2027 general elections. During the inauguration, the organisation endorsed both leaders for re-election, citing their leadership and governance as reasons for its support. WoPU also named former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa as the patron of the organisation. The group said Okowa’s appointment reflects its commitment to promoting good governance and encouraging greater participation of workers in the political process. The inauguration held Thursday at the Ovuozourie Macaulay Executive Chamber, Nigeria Labour Congress Secretariat, Asaba, Delta State capital. Speaking at the event, former President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and National Trustee of the NLC, Comra...

AROGBO, ONDO STATE — A coalition of Niger Delta peace advocates and development stakeholders on Sunday declared that the era of "blackmail and economic sabotage" in the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) was over, as they exposed what they described as a multi-billion naira "ghost-name" syndicate allegedly run by ex-agitators. They made it clear that the era of holding government to ransom to fund private empires of ex-warlords was gone for good. At a joint press briefing held at the Arogbo Civil Centre, Arogbo, Ondo State, the coalition directly accused a former militant leader, Victor Ebikabowei Ben, popularly known as General Boyloaf, of collecting N113 million monthly from PAP for alleged ghost beneficiaries, amounting to N3.164 billion over 28 months. Delivering the briefing, the coalition, led by Comrade Utanghan Ebikontei, Chief (Mrs.) Victoria Zeblon, and Mr. Ajaye K. Clement, said a "parasitic minority" of self-styled ex-agitators ha...

...Coalition says amnesty funds are delivering scholarships, vocational training, and peacebuilding across the region The Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Stakeholders (CNDYS) has defended the implementation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) budget, dismissing allegations against the Programme’s Administrator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, and the General Manager of Operations of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), Chief Godfrey Tare Pondi. The coalition maintained that the allegations against PAP and its administrator, Dr. Otuaro by critics bordering on the utilisation of an increased budgetary allocation to the PAP office were baseless and unfounded. The stakeholders asserted that the programme’s resources are being deployed in line with its statutory mandate and are supporting education, human capital development, vocational training, peacebuilding, and sustainable development across the Niger Delta. In a statement on Friday signed by its Secretary, Comrade O...

The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, North Central Zone has conferred an Award of Leadership Legacy on the Special Adviser to Kogi State Governor on Labour Matters, Comrade (Chief) Onuh Edoka. The award was conferred on Comrade Edoka at the North Central Zonal meeting of the Union held at Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Presenting the award, the national Vice President of the zone, Comrade Murtala Seid Olayinka said the award was in recognition of his commitment and support to the zone as well as enhancing unity among the zone. According to him, Comrade Onuh Edoka has continued to support the Union even though he is no longer within the system, describing such cooperation and support as rare in the present dispensation. The National Vice President praised the Special Adviser for being a worthy ambassador of the Medical and Health Workers Union, assuring that the leadership of the union will continue to recognise excellence in service delivery. He congratulated ...

***FUAHSE Hosts the World as Global Experts Converge on Enugu for AHIAISE 2026 The Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu (FUAHSE), has once again positioned itself at the forefront of global intellectual engagement as it hosted scholars, researchers, healthcare professionals, industry experts, policymakers, innovators, professional bodies and strategic partners from Nigeria and beyond at the 2nd International Multidisciplinary Conference on Arts, Health Science, Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Systems (AHIAISE 2026). Held under the compelling theme, “Integrating Arts and Sciences for National Development,” the international conference provided a dynamic platform for participants to exchange knowledge, present cutting-edge research, explore emerging technologies and deliberate on innovative and sustainable solutions to pressing national and global challenges. The conference, which attracted participants both physically and virtually from different parts...

Company Pledges Jobs, Infrastructure, Scholarships as Part of CSR By Temiloluwa Samuel Mangal Industries Ltd has signed a 5yrs Community Development Agreement, CDA, with the Ekinrin-Adde community in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, in a move aimed at strengthening ties and ensuring mutual benefits between the company and its host community.   The agreement was signed on Thursday at Odoniun Event Centre in Ekinrin-Adde. It outlines Mangal Industries’ commitment to execute key projects and empowerment programmes in the community as part of its Community Development Agreement. Speaking at the event, Engr. Adamu Ma’aji, GM - Engineering & Technical, Mangal Industries Ltd, said the CDA was designed to ensure that the community directly benefits from the company’s operations in the area. He said the company pledged to prioritize the employment of indigenes, the award of contracts to local vendors, the provision of scholarships for indigent students, and support...