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Tension: Plateau residents in shendam kick against the use of the word Yelwa in the creation of a new district
Tension: Plateau residents in shendam kick against the use of the word Yelwa in the creation of a new district
By Bodunrin Kayode
Security operatives are battling to maintain the fragile peace is shendam as some residents mostly young peo cple have kicked against the addition of the word Yelwa to the creation of Nshar district out of shendam council area.
The Goemai Youth Movement (GYM) at the end of a meeting held in Shendam recently had warned that there was nothing like Yelwa Nshar when they got wind that some people were agitating for the creation of an additional District in shendam.
This sparked high tension which resulted into the pelting of some government buildings last week when they realized that indeed the government had included “Yelwa” to the name of the proposed district instead of Nshar which is the original name of the place which the Goemai are the ancestral owners.
An impeccable source close to the ministry in charge of traditional institutions however revealed that “it was not the government but the settler community that were trying to manipulate the government not to identify the place with the original name and the Goemai through their youths are saying no to that word Yelwa.
“They the settlers are the ones clamouring for the Creation of the District and the District Head which the government is planning to give to them but we will not let that happen because remember that the so-called Yelwa is the biggest market in the whole of Shendam council area.” Said the source who preferred anonymity.
Shendam council area is dominantly a traditional Gomei territory with a mixture of muslim settlers who have been living with them for years when issues of religion was never a big deal until settlers claim to land became a dicey one which caused a big crisis in 2004.
“As it is today, there are among them grand children of Goemai, whose mother’s are Goemai but their fathers are not Goemai but they are Muslims instead of christians which is why beneath all this tension is the issue of religion which may not be too obvious because the muslims now dominate Yelwa.
“However, there are Jarawa from Bauchi who settled in Nshar too all of mixed religions. Taroks, Mwaghavul, jukuns, angas and several other ethnic groups including the Hausa.
“The fear of domination by non Goemeis is usually the case and that was also the Crux of the last crisis in 2004 in which over 1000 souls perished. However, there is no dispute about ownership of the land because, there are official documents that confirm the ownership of the place by the Goemai. Equally, the Report of the the 2004 Plateau Peace Conference ‘Plateau Resolves ‘ confirms that.” Said our source
The tension of last week this reporter learnt was so palpable that the Long Goemai Miskoom Martin Sheldas “was whisked out through the back door and brought to Jos for security reasons”.
“This was because the youths came out in their large numbers after their meeting held on August 6 and marched to meet the Paramount ruler Sheldas to present their resolutions to him as stated in their communique.
He is the paramount ruler now and it is expected that he will do the coronation when the district is finally approved if the government acceeds to the demand of the residents.
” This desperate move to create a Yelwa- Nshar district may not be unconnected with the ambition of the Governor who may be pushing for this whole thing to manifest as part of his campaign promises to please a group against his senatorial ambitious inspite of despite persuasions by the Long Goemai to restrain him from going ahead based on superior intelligence.” Said the source
Issues bothering on land, chieftaincy are very intricate to Goemai people because they are warriors like the jukuns who never give up on their traditional lineages be it land, religion or any sociological aspect not related to their beliefs.
This reporter learnt that even when the Europeans came they did not tamper with the Goemai like the jukuns of wukari.
The Goemai people have held unto their traditional worship and other practices despite the advent of Christianity which penetrated through the Catholic faith.
Reaction from the Plateau peace building agency
The Plateau Peace Building Agency, (PPBA) in a reaction to the development expressed worries about the sudden twist of events in Yelwa-Shendam council area of the State.
In a release signed by it’s Director General Joseph Lengmang over the weekend, it noted that they are particularly worried that the issue of the selection of a traditional leader that will fill the vacant stool in that area, that ordinarily should be a peaceful exercise, is causing unwarranted uproar and restiveness amongst the people.
It went on “We should not be in a hurry to forget the ugly events of the recent past in Yelwa-Shendam where scores of precious human lives and property worth many millions of Naira were destroyed through mindless and needless violence that served no one any good.
” For the avoidance of doubt, the protest in Shendam yesterday was for the name “Yelwa” to be expunged from the newly-created Yelwa-Nshar District with the Shinbu automatically assuming the position of District Head and; not against the installation of an Emir as being bandied around by some curious individuals and groups.
“We therefore sue for calm, with the understanding that the issues in contention can be amicably resolved without a recourse to violence.
“We cannot afford to allow the horrific incident of the past rear its ugly head once again. And therefore , we must rise up and say no to any attempt by unscrupulous elements who are determined to turn the hand of the clock backwards.
“We call on all religious, traditional and other community leaders to rein in their followers and supporters by exploring peaceful means of finding amicable solution to the impasse.
“Similarly, we call on those social media enthusiasts who are mischievously peddling all sorts of unverified and fake news about Yelwa-Shendam to desist henceforth.
“This ill-wind you are blowing will not spare you when the situation degenerates to a point of no gravitation.
“We must also commend the local authority in Shendam and the various security agencies for the prompt response to what would have been another disastrous chapter in our history.
“We call on those communities to continue to cooperate with security agencies to prevent Yelwa-Shendam and Plateau State from sliding back into the abyss of violence that has once been the persistent plight of our people.
“We must guard this hard-earned Peace with all sense of responsibility and duty to both God and humanity.” It stressed.
No plans to install an Emir in shendam…. Commisioner of information
Equally responding to the tension in the area, the Commissioner of information Dan Manjang noted that the attention of the Plateau State Government has been drawn to fake news circulating in some conventional and social media platforms alleging that there are plans to establish an emirate council or install an Emir in Yelwa, Shendam Local Government Area.
And this is leading to tension mounting in the area and culminating in criminal elements pelting some prime buildings in Shendam town including the Palace of the Long Gamai and looting some shops.
The went on to state that government hereby states categorically and unequivocally that such stories are unfounded and should be disregarded while at the same time condemning such behaviors in its entirety.
“The Government wishes to put in on record that there has never been any time that such idea was contemplated or even discussed. To say the least, this is the imagination and machination of mischief makers aimed at throwing the State into the dark old days thereby drawing the hands of the clock backwards and making nonsense of the peace we have achieved since the coming of the rescue administration.
“In the light of the foregoing therefore, Government hereby warns such mischief makers to desist from their evil intentions as it will not take it kindly with anyone found to mastermind such retrogressive tendencies.
Manjang noted that Governor Simon Bako Lalong has already directed security agencies to go after those mischief makers by ensuring that there is no escalation of the breakdown of law and order in the area, Shendam council area and Plateau State as a whole.
Government hereby beckons on the general public particularly residents of Shendam council area to be circumspect and go about their normal duties by disregarding such dangerous rumours and providing timely information to security agencies to enable them act swiftly.
“Government hereby advises the public to always cross check their facts from constituted authority and seek for dialogue rather taking the laws into their hands.” He noted.
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VP SHETTIMA TO NISS COURSE 18: President Tinubu Acting Decisively To Frontally Address Nigeria’s Security Challenges
VP SHETTIMA TO NISS COURSE 18: President Tinubu Acting Decisively To Frontally Address Nigeria’s Security Challenges
- Says president determined to advance security establishment in the country and beyond
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has remained steadfast in tackling security challenges in the country, and is acting quickly and decisively to frontally address the concerns.
According to him, the Tinubu administration is determined to support the security establishment in Nigeria and beyond to discharge their responsibilities to the nation.
The Vice President stated this on Tuesday when the faculty and participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 18 of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Led by the NISS Commandant, Mr Joseph Odama, representatives of the 78 participants were at the Presidential Villa to present the executive brief of their end-of-course report to the Vice President who received the report on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking on the significance of the programme, which had participants drawn from MDAs within Nigeria and beyond, the Vice President said he was impressed with the composition of the EIMC 18, noting that “the security of Africa is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders given the peculiarity of the situation.”
He said, “President Tinubu is working round the clock to address concerns in the security sector. It is absolutely essential that we fuse as one to address these issues and all hands must be on deck to salvage the situation.”
The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of the report titled, “Non-state Actors in Security Management in Africa: Issues, Challenges and Prospects for Peace and Development” by representatives of the EIMC 18 participants.
Among recommendations made by the participants was the formal harmonisation and integration of a country-base security initiative as part of a broad strategy to strengthen the existing legal framework for peace and conflict resolution across Nigeria and Africa.
Earlier, the Commandant of the NISS, Joseph Odama, told the Vice President that the 18th edition of the flagship programme, EMIC 18 commenced on February 19, 2025, pointing out that it had “been a ten-month journey of intense intellectual discovery, strategic broadening and unparalleled professional fellowship.”
Noting that this year’s team was composed of 78 distinguished participants of the rank of Deputy Directors and above, Odama said they “were meticulously drawn from the military, para-military, law enforcement agencies and strategic ministries, departments and agencies of both federal and state governments.
“In significant testament to our pan-African mandate, we were privileged to host five African countries, which had earlier been mentioned. With the graduation of the AIMC 18, the institute has proudly graduated 1,130 strategic leaders.
“These are men and women who have been rigorously equipped to think critically and act decisively, as well as proffer innovative solutions to the most complex security and developmental challenges facing our nation and the continent at large.”
The Commandant expressed the institute’s deepest appreciation to President Tinubu and the Vice President for their visionary and pragmatic leadership, saying the Renewed Hope Agenda under the President’s stewardship was already manifesting in tangible progress across the nation.
VP SHETTIMA TO NISS COURSE 18: President Tinubu Acting Decisively To Frontally Address Nigeria’s Security Challenges
Zulum assures FSTC Lassa of adequate security
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Borno Governor Babagana Zulum has assured management of the Federal Science and technical College Lassa of adequate security for their existence as long as he remains chief security officer of the state.
Prof Zulum assured the management and students of an instant beef up of their security, to ensure that nobody will be endangered or exposed to being kidnapped by insurgents again.
The Governor noted that he will be providing the school with adequate security by deploying a fully equipped squad of civilian joint task forces (JTF) and vigilante to take care of their vigilance and security from now on.
The Governor who was in the school recently to feel their paulse after it was rebuilt from the last attack however urged them to be careful about the girl child admissions in the school obviously to discourage frequent abduction of girls by insurgents.
He suggested that boys other than girls should be hosted in the school’s dormitories for now for obvious reasons adding that he will surely look into the shortage of accommodation encountered by them as a long term fixer.
The Governor also assured that he Will provide more accommodation to teachers in the school adding that fencing will be addressed as soon as possible coupled with a new gate to secure the entrance.
On the need to recruit more teachers, the Governor directed that the Principal should screen some teachers he handpicked on the spot who will be enrolled by the Borno teachers board and posted to teach in their school.
This enrolment he stressed will take place based on the strict requirements of eleven key areas in line with the curriculum of technical schools and they would receive automatic employments from the state government.
On water supply to the school, Zulum assured that he will treat their demands for borehole, toilet and necessary water and sanitation (WASH) demands as priority for the kids
Earlier, the most senior teacher on ground and representative of the Principal Abubakar Salau said that since the last attack of the institution, confidence has been building up which is why they now have 230 students out of which 80 are girls and a total of 61 teaching and non teaching staff.
On Challenges, the Governor assured that the vigilante will be empowered to support the CJTF to secure the place.
“We will fix the fence where it has been damaged and I assure you that we will restore your gate accordingly to ensure all is safe.
“We need a gate to secure the students, more teachers in maths, metal and woodwork, chemistry and physics” teacher Salau had hinted.
Zulum assures FSTC Lassa of adequate security
Nigeria’s Education Budget Jumps To ₦3.52trn Under President Tinubu
** VP Shettima says out-of-school children pose national emergency, calls for private sector co-investment
By: Michael Mike
Nigeria’s education budget has jumped to ₦3.52 trillion in 2025 under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which is a significant increase from ₦1.54 trillion in 2023.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who stated this in Tuesday in Abuja, said that the number of out-of-school children in the country constitutes a national emergency, calling for collaboration between government and private sector stakeholders to address the problem.
Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on General Duties (Office of the Vice President), Dr. Aliyu Modibo Umar at the opening of the 2025 Nigeria Education Forum in Abuja, VP Shettima noted that education spending under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reflects the administration’s unwavering commitment to building an enlightened and globally competitive population.
The forum, organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education, focused on the theme “Pathways to Sustainable Education Financing: Developing a Synergy Between Town and Gown in Nigeria.”
Senator Shettima said, “Nothing threatens a civilisation more than an uneducated generation. Nations rise when the people, regardless of circumstance, are equipped with the knowledge to imagine a better future and the skills to build it.”
The Vice President emphasised that Nigeria has reached a critical inflection point where traditional government-only funding models can no longer sustain the country’s educational needs. He called for a fundamental shift toward collaborative, innovative, and resilient financing mechanisms.
In his words: “The burden cannot rest on government alone. We must enlist private sector actors, industry leaders, alumni networks, philanthropists, and communities to co-invest in laboratories, research centres, vocational hubs, innovation clusters, and endowment funds.”
VP Shettima detailed substantial increases across key education funding agencies under the President Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope plan, where, for example, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) budget grew from ₦320.3 billion in 2023 to ₦683.4 billion in 2024, and now stands at ₦1.6 trillion in 2025.
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has distributed ₦92.4 billion in matching grants to 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Another ₦19 billion has supported teacher development across 32 states and the FCT, while ₦1.5 billion has reached more than 1,147 communities. Individual state UBE grants have increased from approximately ₦1.3 billion to over ₦3.3 billion, allowing states to access more than ₦6.6 billion through counterpart funding arrangements.
The newly created Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), established under the Student Loans Act of 2024, has already disbursed ₦86.3 billion to over 450,000 students in 218 tertiary institutions nationwide.
According to the Vice President, “This Fund signals a new era where no Nigerian is denied tertiary education for lack of money.
“The learning crisis cannot be solved without safe and well-equipped schools, from basic classrooms to technical laboratories. Teachers must enjoy adequate training, welfare, and professional recognition if they are to deliver the outcomes our children deserve.”
He called for deliberate collaboration across federal, state, and local government levels, emphasising the importance of prompt counterpart funding, transparent utilisation of resources, and strict adherence to action plans.
“Since education begins in the community, local governments and traditional institutions must take responsibility for infrastructure development, school maintenance, security, and teacher welfare.
“We are here today because we do not treat education as just a line item in the national budget. We treat it as the foundation of our national identity, the engine of our economic transformation, and the shield of our collective security,” the Vice President said.
Nigeria’s Education Budget Jumps To ₦3.52trn Under President Tinubu
VP SHETTIMA TO NISS COURSE 18: President Tinubu Acting Decisively To Frontally Address Nigeria’s Security Challenges
Zulum assures FSTC Lassa of adequate security
Nigeria’s Education Budget Jumps To ₦3.52trn Under President Tinubu
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