Alia will not honour the House of Representatives Committee invitation scheduled for Thursday, May 8.

His Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tersoo Kula, confirmed this to journalists on Wednesday in Makurdi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the House had summoned the Governors of Benue and Zamfara, alongside their Assembly leadership.

Kula stated that the invitation is unconstitutional and the governor will not comply with it.

He explained that Alia has filed a case at the Supreme Court challenging the lawmakers’ invitation.

“Yesterday, the Benue Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the Reps Committee invitation.

“They believe the invitation is based on ignorance and have decided not to attend.

Kula added that the governor, independently, has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the invitation’s legality.

He said, “Since the matter is in court, I will not speak further on it.”

Kula also claimed that the civil society group behind the petition is faceless and unregistered.

According to him, the address on the group’s letterhead is fake and lacks credibility.

He said there is a coordinated campaign of misinformation and sponsored protests aimed at destabilising Benue.

In recent weeks, he noted, there have been protests in Abuja allegedly representing Benue people’s concerns.

“These protests aim to provoke a state of emergency in Benue by portraying it in a negative light,” he said.

He claimed the organisers seek to undermine progress and return to a failed political order.

“Their ultimate goal is to create chaos for selfish political gain,” Kula added.

He accused the protest sponsors of trying to remove the governor through disruptive means.

“They will not succeed. Benue people stand firmly with their governor,” he said.

He assured the public that Benue remains peaceful and the government is functioning effectively.

“Governor Alia is committed to fulfilling his mandate and addressing the state’s challenges,” he said. (NAN)

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has reaffirmed its commitment to transparent and responsible disbursement of student loans across the country.

NELFUND’s, Managing Director, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, made this known during an oversight meeting with the House Committee on NELFUND on Wednesday in Abuja.

Sawyerr  disclosed that 90 per cent of all funds received by the agency were strictly allocated for student loans, in line with the law.

“Ninety per cent of funds that come to NELFUND are to be spent exclusively on loans. These funds must go towards paying students’ fees and cannot be diverted or used for any other purpose,” he stated.

He added that any deviation from this mandate would constitute a breach of the law.

Providing an update on disbursement, Sawyerr disclosed that a total of ₦54 billion had so far been disbursed to students and institutions nationwide.

According to him, “NELFUND has paid 303 government-owned institutions,  including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education,  and disbursed approximately ₦54 billion in total.“

He further explained that ₦30 billion out of the total amount was paid directly to the institutions, while ₦24 billion was disbursed as stipends to 293,000 Nigerian students enrolled in public tertiary institutions.

Earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on NELFUND, Rep. Ifeoluwa Ehindaro, said the meeting was convened to clarify reports and address public concerns regarding potential mismanagement of funds.

“You have been invited to provide clarification and enlighten this committee on issues surrounding the disbursement and administration of student loans by your agency,” Ehindaro said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting followed recent allegations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) concerning fund diversions at NELFUND. (NAN)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that no date has been set for the resumption of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).The commission also clarified that there is no schedule for the transfer and replacement of lost Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) at this time.