National News
Zulum doles out N500 million to IDPs returning to home

Zulum doles out N500 million to IDPs returning to home
By: James Bwala, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has doled out half a billion Naira (N500 million) to more than five thousand internally displaced persons who indicated interest to return to their home.
A statement by the spokesman to the governor, Mallam Isa Gusau said the beneficiaries agreed to return to their safe and rebuilt communities on Friday when his principal showed up around 5:45am at a government controlled camp, fondly called ‘Bakassi’ in Maiduguri.
He disclosed that the governor who spent seven hours coordinating food and cash aid, went unannounced in order to meet and support the most needy and homeless victims, because some persons have the habit of being at IDP camps from morning to evening, pretending to be completely homeless, while at night, they sneak to some homes outside the camp.
Gusau said the ‘Bakassi’ camp, which is an uncompleted government estate along Maiduguri-Damboa road, has in the nearly seven years been occupied by IDPs from Monguno, Gwoza, Guzamala and Marte local government areas with many women at the camp giving birth to children, some of them almost annually.
Zulum argues that the IDPs camp was becoming a permanent culture and making some citizens become totally reliant on aids that are not sustainable, hence the decision to encourage safe and dignified resettlement with livelihood support.
Of the N500 million shared during the governor’s visit, each man and woman (mostly widows) heading a household received N100,000, two bags of 25 kg rice, a carton of spaghetti and five liters of cooking oil.
Married women received N50,000 cash each, even after their husbands, each received N100,000 and food items listed above.
Gusau recalled that the majority of women who head households lost their husbands to killings by insurgents while husbands of some are still missing.
Zulum was quoted to have said: “Majority of the IDPs are willing to safely go back home. I came here in response to their request, to support them to relocate back to their ancestral homes. We are here to give them cash and food support that will help them with some small starting livelihood after they return.
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The governor said while Borno State Government provided the N500m shared to the IDPs, the Federal Government, through the North East Development Commission, NEDC, provided a chunk of so much food items distributed to them.
The Governor expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development as well as the North East Development Commission for supporting Borno people through critical interventions.
While at the ‘Bakassi’ camp, Governor Zulum, in the presence of Borno’s Head of the International Organisation For Migration (IOM), Mr. K. Vedahraniy, reiterated that although the state government plans to close all IDP camps in Maiduguri by December, no IDP should be forced to relocate to any community.
He directed that all returns must be voluntary noting that IDPs who choose to live in any part of Maiduguri or elsewhere will be provided with livelihood support to find a place and live a productive life rather than depending on aid at camps.
Zulum doles out N500 million to IDPs returning to home
National News
VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary

VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has departed Abuja for Dakar, Senegal, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the country’s 65th Independence Day Anniversary celebrations.
Senegal celebrates its Independence Day on April 4 each year, commemorating its freedom from French colonial rule in 1960. The day is marked by national pride, with ceremonies, parades and cultural events.
The Vice President’s attendance at the annual event is in honour of an invitation extended to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, following the strong mutual relationship between Nigeria and Senegal.
The independence Day celebrations will be held at the Place de la Nation in Dakar, with President Faye playing host to Vice President Shettima and other distinguished guests from across Africa and beyond.
The Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria tomorrow after the one-day event.
VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary
National News
President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima

President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima
- Tasks Nigerians on constructive criticism of government actions, policies
By: Our Reporter
Wife of Nigeria’s Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, has scored the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu very high, saying the President is building a better Nigeria for Nigerians through his laudable economic policies, various empowerment initiatives and investments in key sectors of the economy.
And to help the President secure a better future for all Nigerians, the VP’s wife also encouraged the citizens not to relent in giving very useful advice to the government, urging them to be more constructive in their criticism of the administration instead of just attacking for political reasons.

Hajiya Nana Shettima spoke on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, during the annual Ramadan feast, which had in attendance women groups and students
Emphasizing the determination of the Tinubu administration to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come, she said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is baking a new cake for us that are alive today, and for the Nigerian children and grandchildren that are coming behind us. It is who he is ably supported by our lovely First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.”

Hajiya Nana Shettima noted that the President means well for the people of Borno State as well as Nigerians in all parts of the country, even as she urged the citizens to always pray for President Tinubu and members of his cabinet.
“I can tell you that he (the President) means well, not only for Borno people but for the entire nation. We should not forget him and his subordinates in our prayers,” she added.
She further commended the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her contributions towards actualizing the agenda of the administration, especially through the Renewed Hope Initiative which she said has impacted many lives, including women, children and people with disabilities.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of Maryam Babangida Centre for Women Development, Abuja, Dr Asabe Bashir, admonished women and the people of Borno State to imbibe the teachings of the just concluded Ramadan.
She also sought the people’s support and prayers for President Tinubu, thanking the President for picking his deputy from Borno State.
She said, “I always reiterate the importance of prayer because without prayers we can do nothing in life. We have just come out of Ramadan; let us imbibe that culture and lessons we received during the 29-day fast. We need to continue with the spiritual reflection.
“We should thank God and President Bola Tinubu for remembering the people of Borno State again by bringing the seat of the Vice President, not just to the North-East region but to Borno State after Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was elected along with the late Chief MKO Abiola so many years ago.
“We must continue to pray for the administration of President Bola Tinubu because if it succeeds, we succeed,” Dr Bashir added.
On his part, the Speaker, Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Tijjani Abubakar, thanked President Tinubu for his support to Nigerian youths through various youth empowerment initiatives.
Also, Dr Martins Ekunke, who spoke on behalf the South-South, Yoruba and Igbo communities residing in Borno State, commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for galvanizing support for people living with HIV/AIDS through her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative.
Among those that attended the annual Sallah feast hosted by Hajiya Shettima, were the wife of the Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Hajiya Maryam Lawan; wife of the Deputy Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Hajiya Laure Musa-Askira; female Commissioners and political appointees.
Also in attendance were women groups, members of the Borno State chapter of the Nationals Association of Nigerian Students, as well as the leaders of South-South, Igbo and Yoruba communities residing in Borno State, among others.
President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima
National News
UNILORIN Alumni Commences Tinubu on Appointment of Nandap, Omotowa, Aribisala

UNILORIN Alumni Commences Tinubu on Appointment of Nandap, Omotowa, Aribisala
By: Michael Mike
The National Headquarters of University of Ilorin Alumni Association has lauded President Bola Tinubu for appointing three of its members into various leadership positions in the country.
Those appointed were Comptroller General of Immigration, Mrs Kemi Nandap,, whose tenure was elongated till December 2026, Non Executive Director of NNPC, representing North Central, Mr Babs Omotowa- and the Pioneer Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti, Prof. James A. Aribisala.
In a congratulatory message to the trio, the National President, Prof. AbdulRasaq Kilani, and the National Secretary, Dr Barakat Raji, said the Association received the news of the appointments with excitement.
The Alumni, who commended President Tinubu for selecting the best for their various positions, assured him that the three alumni would not disappoint him in attaining the goals set for them to achieve.
While felicitating with the appointed members on their well-deserved appointment, the Association charged them to always show the excellence in them in surpassing the targets set for them by Mr President.
The Association who extolled the pedigrees of the appointed members in their various fields, implored them to live up to the expectations of the slogan of the institutions “better by far” in all ramifications.
The Alumni then prayed for their successful tenure and tasked them not to hesitate to reach out to them whenever their services are needed in any capacity towards national development.
UNILORIN Alumni Commences Tinubu on Appointment of Nandap, Omotowa, Aribisala
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