Headlines

I will restructure Nigeria, Quell separatist agitations – ATIKU

Published

3 years ago

September 28, 2022

Former Vice-President and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said part of what his government would do if elected into power was to restructure Nigeria and quell separatist agitations, particularly, in the Southeast.

Atiku also said Nigeria was in very bad shape and that rescuing it required proper preparations and attention to detail, not just in terms of general issues affecting the whole country but also issues specific to each zone and the states therein.
The PDP candidate, who spoke on Tuesday in Enugu State, when he met with party stakeholders in the Southeast, together with his running mate and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, in furtherance of Atiku’s consultations, preparatory to the commencement of campaigns for the 2023 presidential election, however, said any government that planned to solve Nigeria’s. economic crisis must carry the South East along.

He said the country was more divided today than it has ever been and that part of his responsibility if elected as president would be to reunify through equity justice and fairness.

According to him, restructuring that devolves powers from the federal government and gives states the power to set their priorities is better for this zone than what the country currently has and has had since the late 1960s.

“Since the late 1960s, Nigeria has had a faulty federal structure that concentrates too much power and resources at the Centre, thereby turning the federating states into appendages or parastatals of the federal government,” he said.

He maintained that his government would work with the legislatures to restructure the federal system and devolve more powers to the states with corresponding resources.

“That way, states will be better able to set their own development priorities while the federal government focuses on setting and maintaining standards,” he said, adding that a federal system that did not encourage the federating units to compete among themselves in order to be better was a faulty one.

He explained that restructuring would help tackle the feeling of marginalisation, which is providing an excuse for the separatist agitations in this zone and that national unity would benefit the people of this zone, who needed a wider platform to operate on.

While noting that the Southeast had supported him through thick and thin and would always remember that, he said the region has produced sons and daughters, who had played very positive roles in the development of the country.

“The region remains a key contributor to economic activities in this country and a government that wants to revive our economy and provide opportunities for our people must carry the Southeast along, “he said.

He, however, regretted that insecurity now pervades the Southeast as much as other zones, a situation which according to him, was negatively impacting the economy of the zone and the livelihoods of its people, which were being destroyed by the Monday sit-at-home.

He explained that his five priorities, which included reunifying the country, improving security, fixing the economy; restructuring the federation and improving human capital development, would have the most impact on all other aspects of development and the quality of life as citizens and as a country.

“To move in one direction to develop our country and improve our people’s lives will require giving every segment of this country a sense of belonging, not just by meeting constitutional requirements on federal character but through government policies, programmes and projects, and our body language and utterances as leaders, “he said.

In his address, Okowa lamented that Nigeria had never been disunited as it is under the APC leadership, adding that the only solution to the current problems confronting the nation would be for Nigerians to give the PDP and its candidate an opportunity to serve.

He lauded the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for providing true leadership and mobilising party members to attend the event, stressing that, “PDP is Southeast and Southeast is PDP.”

Earlier, Ugwuanyi, who was the leader of the PDP in the Southeast and candidate of the party for Enugu North Senatorial District, assured Atiku that the state was essentially a PDP state.

Atiku and Okowa were well received in Enugu by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Abia State deputy governor; Ude Oko Chukwu, former Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha; the Board of Trustee Chairman, Adolphus Wabara; Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Amb. Umar Damagum; the National Secretary of the party, Senator Sam Anyanwu; the Acting Chairman, former Presidents of the Senate, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Dr Bukola Saraki.

Others were members of the BOT of the party, including Senator Dr Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, Dr Okwesileze Nwodo, Senator Ben Obi and Amb. Mrs Justina Eze; the National Vice Chairman (Southeast zone), Chief Dr Ali Odefa; the PDP governorship candidates in Enugu, Abia, and Ebonyi States, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Prof. Uche Ikonne and Mr Ifeanyi Odii respectively, the party’s deputy governorship candidates, the PDP National Vice Chairman, Southeast zone, Chief Odefa, Senator Ben Obi and Senator Dino Melaye.

Also on the ground to receive the PDP candidate were serving and former principal officers of the National Assembly; serving and former members of the National Assembly; serving and former members of the National Working Committee of the party; former ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Speakers of the state Houses of Assembly; Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates of the party; serving and former state chairmen and secretaries of the party; state youth leaders, women leaders, publicity secretaries of the party and LGA chairmen among others.

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Education

NELFUND Urges Institutions to Upload Student Data for Loan Processing

Published

9 hours ago

June 18, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

NELFUND Disburses Over N20bn in Student Loans, Assures Transparency

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has issued a directive to all accredited tertiary institutions to verify and upload their students’ data on the newly digitised Student Loan Application System (SLAS).

This was disclosed in a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday by the Director of Strategic Communications at NELFUND, Mrs Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.

According to Oluwatuyi, the SLAS platform has been fully digitised to streamline and accelerate the student loan processing experience for both institutions and applicants.

“With this upgrade, all accredited institutions are now required to request access to SLAS to verify and upload student data related to loan applications,” she said.

She described the move as “a critical step that ensures the timely processing and disbursement of approved student loans.”

Institutions that have not yet been onboarded onto the system, she said, are advised to send an access request to registration@nelf.gov.ng without delay.

“Once granted access, institutions will be able to view a real-time dashboard of their students’ loan applications, verify submitted data, and track the status of each application,” Oluwatuyi explained.

She called on all institutions to take immediate action in the interest of their students, stressing that verification and data upload by institutions are mandatory steps before final approval and disbursement of loans can be completed.

On the students’ side, Oluwatuyi noted that if an application status currently shows “Verified,” it means the application has passed initial checks. However, final approval and disbursement depend on the institutions’ confirmation and data upload.

“Once this process is completed, your status will be updated to ‘Disbursed’ when the payment of your fees has been processed,” she added.

She also encouraged students to reach out to the fund for assistance via email at info@nelf.gov.ng.

Other official communication channels include:

X (formerly Twitter): @nelfund
Instagram: @nelfund
Facebook & LinkedIn: Nigerian Education Loan Fund – NELFUND

Crime

Police Foil Cult Initiation in Anambra, Arrest Six Suspects

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

The Anambra State Police Command has foiled a cult initiation ceremony in Nawfia, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson for the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Awka.

According to Ikenga, the operation was carried out by police operatives around 9:30am on June 15, leading to the arrest of six suspects at the scene.

Recovered during the raid were one Jojef pump action gun, two cartridges, and a golden-coloured Lexus SUV with registration number ATN 202 AE. Other items found include two cutlasses, two scissors, a cap bearing the inscription of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity, charms, and substances suspected to be hard drugs.

“They are currently undergoing police interrogation to get more insight into their modus operandi, after which the case will be charged to court on the conclusion of the investigations,” Ikenga stated.

The police spokesperson reassured residents of the command’s unwavering commitment to fighting cultism and other related crimes across the state.

Headlines

Tinubu Urges United Front on Development as Africa’s Sovereign Wealth Funds Gather in Abuja

Published

2 days ago

June 16, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

President Bola Tinubu on Monday called for greater regional cooperation and coordinated action among African countries to unlock transformative development across the continent.

Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Africa Sovereign Investors Forum (ASIF) in Abuja, the President said sovereign wealth funds must evolve from passive fiscal buffers into proactive tools for continental transformation.

“Our future lies not in working in silos but in pursuing regional cooperation and collective ambition,” Tinubu said while declaring the forum open. “Our sovereign wealth funds must become the anchors for pan-African investment platforms that de-risk projects, standardise processes and deliver sustainable outcomes at scale. This is not just a strategy. This is a necessity.”

The forum, hosted by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), had the theme: “Leveraging African Sovereign Wealth Funds to Mobilise Global Capital for Transformative Development in Africa.”

President Tinubu emphasized the need for Africa to adapt to a rapidly transforming global economy by rethinking investment strategies to close infrastructure gaps, build climate resilience, and create jobs for the continent’s fast-growing youth population.

“Africa faces a development dilemma: limited fiscal space, growing expectations, and urgent demands for long-term capital,” the President noted. “There can be no greater inspiration to re-imagine how we invest in setting up critical infrastructure, strengthening our climate resilience, promoting food security, supporting MSMEs, or embracing digital economy to create jobs and expand opportunity.”

He lauded NSIA as a model institution, describing it as “a catalyst in our national quest” to unlock growth in renewable energy, healthcare, agriculture, and more.

Tinubu added that ASIF provided a much-needed pan-African mechanism for sovereign funds to “share knowledge, co-invest across borders and speak with a unified voice in the global financial ecosystem.”

Also speaking at the event, Managing Director of NSIA, Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq, said the forum was expected to lay the groundwork for African sovereign funds to co-create sustainable investment vehicles capable of attracting global capital.

“We want to strike the right balance between risk-taking and conservative wealth management,” he said. “And we aim to position ourselves as preferred strategic partners for global investors looking for credible exposure in Africa.”

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, highlighted capital mobilisation, cross-border collaboration, and policy alignment as key priorities for driving long-term development across the continent.

President of AfreximBank, Prof. Benedict Oramah, underscored the importance of investing Africa’s sovereign wealth within the continent, stressing that domestic markets must be strengthened to shape Africa’s developmental future.

Chairman of ASIF, Mr. Obaid Amrane, said the forum had made significant strides in its three years of existence and would continue to champion Africa’s global investment positioning.

Delivering a rousing address, renowned Pan-African scholar Prof. P.L.O. Lumumba called on African leaders to prioritise investments for future generations.

“It is an intergenerational duty for political and economic leaders on the continent to cater for unborn generations,” Lumumba said. “Africa’s resources are inexhaustible. The time to invest in our future is now.”

With a convergence of policymakers, development financiers, and investment leaders, the ASIF meeting in Abuja signalled a united determination to rethink Africa’s path to development—driven not by aid, but by African capital working for African progress.