From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Deputy Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly and member representing Ado State Constituency, Chief Lami Danladi Ogenyi, on Thursday revealed that she spent over N80 million to provide free medical treatment to over 2,000 members of her constituency.Chief Ogenyi made this know during her interaction with newsmen in Makurdi, maintaining that the over 2,000 were treated of different ailments raging from hernia, glaucoma, other infection diseases etc.

She explained that while she facilitated the construction of the Igumale/Agila road through her good rapport with Governor Hyacinth Alia, among other projects renovated schools and facilitated the appointments of Ado indigenes into various MDAs.”I also drilled about 15 boreholes for my constituents and empowered women in the area. Recently, I took some medical doctors for outreach project in my constituency worth N70 million to N80 million during which 120 persons were operated for hyenia, appendix and glacoma and over 280 glasses were given to people with eye problem. “In all, over 2,000 patients were attended to for 5 days”, Lami Ogenyi stated.Furthermore, she said that “On the day of my thanksgiving, I promised to renovate a school but did not mention which one but it was a community school. I have finished building 2 classrooms awaiting furnishing. “I was able to renovate 6 classrooms, 6 toilets, donated a big generator for ICT students and 60 chairs for the students of Apa Community school. In Agila community School, I have finished building 2 classrooms and they are at roofing stage now.”I have installed 15 boreholes and given scholarship to many students as well as job opportunities to many Ado people. I gave 45 slots in SUBEB to my people; three at the Teaching hospital; six plots for police and army recruitment 16 persons.”I have also been empowering women and given them stipends ranging from 100,000 to 150,000 to startup businesses.””Talking about the Igumale/Agila road. I had promised to facilitate its construction during my campaigns through the Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia. The road has been dilapidated for over 45 years and God sent a listening Governor. “On this fateful day I was talking with the Governor about the road during the budget preparation and the Commissioner for Finance, Oglegbahe told the Governor that the road he has been talking to him about, he has sacrificed it for the Ado road. “Then the governor called the DG Special Projects, to include Igumale/Agila Road in the budget. That is how the road was included and is ongoing and Ado people are very happy with the Governor. “Even while the project was ongoing, I went to House of Representatives and met with the Chairman, Appropriation and was able to put some projects like Solar street lights in 10 council wards of Ado LGA. I went to the Deputy Speaker, Bara and was able to attract 5 more projects”, the Deputy Speaker said.

By Tony Obiechina Abuja

The Federal Government has unveiled the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), an interest-free loan scheme designed to improve the welfare, professional growth, and financial stability of Nigeria’s tertiary institution workforce.The Minister of Education, Dr.

Tunji Alausa, who unveiled the initiative in Abuja on Thursday, described it as a strategic empowerment platform that would give both academic and non-academic staff the financial support they needed to serve students with renewed dedication and live with dignity. The minister further explained that TISSF is an integral part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Reform Agenda for the education sector, which prioritises people as the nation’s greatest asset in transforming the education sector and driving economic growth.According to him, the programme is a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), implemented in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BoI).Under the scheme, beneficiaries can access interest-free loans for medical expenses, family and accommodation needs, transportation (including electric vehicles and CNG conversions), small-scale enterprises and agriculture, as well as academic advancement through certifications and capacity-building programmes.The Minister said; “TISSF is more than a financial product; it is a workforce transformation tool. By easing financial burdens, we expect to improve staff retention, boost morale, and enhance institutional performance for better student outcomes.”Eligibility, he said, covers confirmed full-time staff of all federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, along with one state-owned institution in each category per state, while applicants must have at least five years to retirement and be members of recognised staff unions such as ASUU, NASU, COEASU, and SSANIP. This translates to 248 eligible institutions nationwide.“Each eligible staff member can access up to N10 million, subject to a cap of 33.3% of their gross annual salary. The loans are interest-free, repayable over five (5) years, with 12 months moratorium before repayment begins,” the Minister added.

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the November 8, 2025, Anambra governorship poll, Nicolas Ukachukwu, has slammed Governor Charles Soludo over his recent visit to President Bola Tinubu.Ukachukwu, who described the visit as a fruitless venture, declared that the trip is an admission of fear of possible defeat in the forthcoming governorship elections in the state.

Soludo told reporters after the visit that he has been a close friend of Tinubu for 22 years, adding that he is working for the President’s re-election in 2027 in the spirit of progressives working together. Ukachukwu noted that Soludo is aware of an imminent defeat and is shopping for a helper. He pointed out that Tinubu is the leader of the APC and has given him the mandate to go and take Anambra State for him.According to him, the governor is acting like “a drowning person, and no amount of window-dressing campaigns and photographs with the President will save him from being humiliated out of office on November 8.”The APC candidate, in a statement made available to newsmen in Awka, the state capital, through Okechukwu Modebe, likened Soludo’s visit to an eloquent sign of desperation and anxiety.He said that after allegedly squandering his chances of impacting the lives of the people, the governor is running helter-skelter in search of off-the-field assistance.Ukachukwu also expressed optimism that the APC would have its victory party with the August 16 Senatorial by-election in Anambra South, in which Azuka Okwuosa is the flagbearer.