NEWS
Alia Replies Benue APC Caucus in NASS, Dismisses Allegations
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Benue State Governor , Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia has replied the state’s caucus in the National Assembly who accused him of high handedness and described their allegations as barefaced mischief.
Ina statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kulas, Alia said he was standing with Benue people with who he had a covenant upon his election.
Full text of the press statement:
“We watched the barefaced outing in the name of a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, December 21st, 2023, by some National Assembly members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Benue State.
The inglorious outing was clearly against the Governor and leader of the party in the state, Rev.
Fr. Hyacinth Alia.We can say it with abundant confidence that the National Assembly members who participated in that Press Conference must have partially sold their conscience and allowed what is remaining of the same to completely blindfold their touch with reality in Benue State.
It is quite ironic that Sen. Titus Zam, who could not win elections in his ward and Local Government, but only got saved by the popularity of the “Yes Father” movement in the two major towns of (Makurdi and Gboko) for the Benue North West Senatorial District election, led this infamous group not to discuss issues that will bring more development to the state, but to descend on the Governor by consistently referring to him during the press conference in a demeaning manner.
It is even more laughable when Zam and his co-travellers insinuated that Rev.Fr. Alia came into “a stronger” APC for the election.
But suffice to ask, when the Saint, who is also a Maitama drummer and orchestrator of the macabre music and his cohorts had pompously danced and campaigned for the same party in 2019, what was the outcome? Have they forgotten that the party barely managed to get one National Assembly seat out of 14? The party also got less than four out of 30 members in the Benue State House of Assembly.
But the same party went into and came out of the 2023 general elections with changed fortunes. Noticeably, all the actors in 2019 remained the same except one major actor, and that is Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia. So, what else changed the fortunes of the party in 2023, if not Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia?
We heard very loud the vicious intent of the sponsor of such a malicious Press Conference from his messengers.
They keep boasting about how they have concluded arrangements to manipulate the Supreme Court judgement in favour of the PDP candidate who has agreed to defect and join the APC.
And the only way to get the endorsement of the “relevant” people to execute this devilish plan, according to them, is to paint the Governor in the worst colours before Mr. President and the leadership of the party.
We are happy that men of the pen profession threw very relevant and incisive probing questions. The one that resonated the most was whether the group was working for the interest of the SGF, Sen. George Akume or the people of Benue state.
The question was asked not fewer than three times by different journalists at the conference. Can you bury the truth?
We shall thoroughly ignore the malicious allegations of non-performance because it appears out of the wickedness of the face behind the mask, the forerunners completely state that in pain.
If six months is enough to build heaven, these same people are in the National Assembly for same period and none of them has rented a constituency office anywhere in their constituencies. They are yet to individually or jointly sponsor a single bill. How then would they know the true meaning of development?
In any case, let these National Assembly members come to Benue, stand in public and pronounce such malicious and vexation fabrications they spewed out in their press conference.
Benue people are with their Governor. The Governor had a covenant with them, and he is keeping to the covenant.”
NEWS
Rangers Sack Manager Phillipe Clement after St. Mirren Defeat
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Rangers Football Club have parted ways with manager Philippe Clement following Saturday’s 2-0 home Scottish Premiership defeat by St Mirren.
The decision to sack the 50-year-old Belgian comes one year and four months after he took the job, with Rangers 13 points adrift of rivals Celtic in the standings.
“Rangers would like to put on record their sincere thanks to Philippe for his hard work and dedication during his spell in charge.
“A further update from the club will follow in due course,” the Glasgow club said in a short statement on Sunday.
Clement has guided Rangers to the Europa League last 16, where they face Fenerbahce next month.
They were however knocked out of the Scottish Cup by second-tier Queen’s Park this month and lost the League Cup final to Celtic on penalties in December.
(Reuters/NAN)NEWS
Ecobank, Code 14 Partner to Teach Coding
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Ecobank Nigeria, a subsidiary of Ecobank Group, has partnered with Code 14 Labs to expand access to coding education for children across Nigeria.
Mr Austene Osokpor, Head of Corporate Communications at Ecobank, announced the partnership in a statement on Sunday.
The initiative leverages Code 14 Labs’ interactive coding workbooks, including “Andrew Teaches”, and its teacher network to offer affordable annual training and proficiency certification to students.
As part of the collaboration, Ecobank will utilise its extensive operational network across Africa to provide nationwide and pan-African access to coding education.
Code 14 Labs will contribute its educational technology and trusted community, ensuring high-quality teaching that delivers tangible learning outcomes for students and reassurance for parents.
At the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Lagos, Adeola Ogunyemi, Head of Consumer Banking at Ecobank Nigeria, said the partnership reflects the bank’s commitment to bridging the digital gap.
She highlighted how the initiative aligns with Ecobank’s mission to equip children with essential skills for success in an increasingly digital world.
Ogunyemi was represented by Victor Yalokwu, Head of Consumer Products and Segments.
“At Ecobank, we recognise that financial literacy and digital education are closely linked. This belief led to the creation of MyFirst Account, a product for children under 16.
“It encourages smart financial habits from an early age. By introducing students to coding through Code 14’s mobile app, we nurture problem-solving, creativity, and digital confidence,” Ogunyemi said.
Otaru Daudu, Executive Director of Research and Technology at Code 14 Labs, praised the partnership.
Daudu expressed confidence that, with additional partners, they will achieve their goal of training 50,000 learners to proficiency level.
He added that students will gain proficiency in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), essential programming languages for global internet communication.
“Code 14 Labs is committed to scaling critical education components through technology-driven inclusion,” Daudu said.
Parents and guardians interested in enrolling their children are encouraged to open a savings product designed for those under 16. (NAN)
NEWS
APC Calls Osun LG Election by Adeleke “Illegal”
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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the Local Government election conducted last Saturday by Gov.
Ademola Adeleke of Osun and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), labelling it illegal and unconstitutional.Mr Felix Morka, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, issued the statement on Sunday in Abuja, describing the election as being in defiance of court rulings.
“In blatant disregard for the rule of law and a valid judgment of the Court of Appeal, Gov.
Adeleke 0conducted the election on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025,” Morka said.He recalled that the Court of Appeal ruling of February 10 reinstated Local Government officials dismissed by Adeleke’s executive order, with the decision striking down a Federal High Court ruling from November 2022.
According to Morka, the Court of Appeal’s judgment nullified the previous ruling and reinstated the officials until the end of their term in October 2025.
He further criticised Adeleke’s actions in appointing illegal caretaker committees, violating Section 7(1) of the Constitution, and argued that the APC showed restraint and respect for the court’s decision.
Morka questioned why Adeleke, who swore to uphold the Constitution, failed to abide by a valid court order and termed the election a “sham” that wasted public funds and risked inciting violence.
He stressed that the governor must respect the law and the rights of the Osun people, calling on local government workers to peacefully continue their duties under the judicially reinstated officials.
Morka also urged security agencies to remain vigilant to prevent further unrest and called for the Federal Government to ensure that only democratically elected and judicially certified officials received local government funds in Osun.(NAN)