NEWS
Food Insecurity: Nigerians are Hungry, APC Chieftain Tells Tinubu

Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently address the issue of high cost of food items in the country.Oyintiloye in a chat with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said that Nigerians were hungry and living below the poverty line.
The APC chieftain said that scores of Nigerians were disillusioned wondering where the next meal will come from due to the extreme economic hardship. Oyintiloye also urged the president not to ignore the United Nations’ prediction that 82 million Nigerians, which is about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030.He said that the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) data revealed that the food inflation rate in the country hit a record high of 40.66 per cent in May, surpassing the previous month’s of 40.53 increase.Oyintiloye, a former member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), said the common household food items were getting out of the reach of the common man due to the hike in prices.The APC chieftain noted that despite the Nigerians working hard under different dehumanising working conditions, what they were earning was still not enough to support themselves and their families due to inflation.According to him, despite the abundance in natural and human resources the country is blessed with, successive governments failed to drive the economy productively.He said corruption and over dependency on the system of sharing crude oil revenue by the tiers of government was hindering them from running a productive and self-sufficient economy for the benefit of the masses.Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, who noted that there was no doubt that the president was doing everything possible to salvage the situation through various intervention programmes, said that the impacts of such interventions were far from ameliorating the situation.He said prices of basic households, some food items such as rice, beans, garri, spaghetti, and host others were on a very high side and becoming unaffordable by the masses.Oyintiloye noted that it was rather unfortunate that with all the efforts of the president, prices of food and other essentials had continued to be on the increase.“I will want to urge the president to, as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency on hunger, starvation and poverty in the country.“Hunger is a threat to national peace, and that is why the president must act very fast,” he said.Oyintiloye also said that there was a need for the government to put in place the price control mechanism to checkmate the sharp practices by the traders in the market.He said many of the traders were taking undue advantage of the economy to exploit buyers, adding that there was an urgent need to check their excesses.Oyintiloye, however, urged the president to consider the reopening of the Benin Republic border for the importation of food to solve the problem of food crisis in the country.He said the challenge of insecurity preventing farmers from going to their farms should be addressed, while subsidised farm inputs be given to them and good incentives be made available to agriculture to attract the younger ones.Oyintiloye urged Nigerians to continue to support the president, adding that with all the various ongoing economic intervention programmes, the country would rise again.(NAN)NEWS
21 Terrorists Neutralised in Damboa Again — Army

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have repelled a deadly attack by ISWAP terrorists in Damboa, Borno, neutralising 21 insurgents and recovering a cache of arms and ammunition.
Capt. Reuben Kovangiya, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters Theatre Command, confirmed this in a statement issued in Maiduguri on Friday.
Report saya that the attack, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, targeted troops of the 25 Task Force Brigade.
Daily Asset, however, reports that the soldiers, with the support of the Air Component of OPHK, engaged the terrorists in a fierce and prolonged firefight that lasted over two hours.
Kovangiya said the troops displayed gallantry and tactical superiority during the confrontation, forcing the terrorists to retreat in disarray, leaving behind more than 21 of their fighters who were neutralised during the engagement.
“The gallant troops, supported by Close Air Support, stood their ground and repelled the attack despite the ferocity of the enemy.
“The insurgents suffered devastating losses and were forced to flee,” he said.
The spokesman said that during the exchange of fire, an ammunition storage facility within the military formation was hit by a blast, but the situation was quickly brought under control.
He also confirmed that the troops recorded minor casualties.
“Following the mop-up and exploitation operation, the following weapons and ammunition were recovered:
“Two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) three Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) tubes, one pump-action rifle, nine AK-47 rifles, three belts of PKT rounds, eight AK-47 magazines, seven RPG bombs, two boxes of 12.7mm x 99mm ammunition, one and a half box of PKT rounds and 20 pieces of 36 hand grenades,” Kovangiya said.
The spokesman said that the success of the operation was a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of joint land and air efforts in counterterrorism operations which further reaffirmed the Nigerian military’s resolve to restore peace in the North-east.
“The bravery and sacrifice of the troops remain a symbol of national pride.
“Their unwavering commitment to defeating insurgency and restoring peace in the region is commendable,” he said.(NAN)
NEWS
Enugu Govt Sets up Human Development Council

Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State, on Friday, inaugurated the Enugu State Human Development Council at the Government House. He stressed that human capital remains the true wealth of any nation and a core priority of his administration. The Council is chaired by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, and includes State Executive Council members and heads of MDAs.
Also represented are the legislature, local governments, traditional rulers, church leaders, and civil society organisations. Mbah explained the Council aligns with his government’s emphasis on human development and social investment. He urged the members to take the task seriously and work towards tangible outcomes. “One of our top priorities is eradicating poverty and reducing the poverty headcount to zero,” Mbah noted. He added that the government’s philosophy prioritises human capital over natural resources. “Our last two budgets allocated over 50 per cent to social services,” the governor stated. In his response, Ossai assured the governor of members’ commitment to the Council’s goals. He emphasised that all government initiatives — from schools to roads — are people-focused. “All our projects aim to improve lives, and the Council will help us track and measure progress,” Ossai said. (NAN)NEWS
ASUU Demands Action, Threatens Nationwide Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to honour the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement or face a nationwide industrial action. ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, issued this warning during a news conference in Abuja on Friday. He stressed the importance of the government fulfilling its promises and addressing the worsening conditions in Nigerian universities.
According to Piwuna, nine critical issues remain unresolved, including the stalled renegotiation process since 2017. He mentioned withheld salaries from the 2022 strike and unpaid entitlements linked to the contentious Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). Piwuna also criticised the delayed release of revitalisation funds and earned academic allowances due to government inaction. In spite of promises to inject ₦150 billion into universities and adjust irregular allowances by 2026, he said these commitments remain unfulfilled. He highlighted the marginalisation of ASUU members at state institutions such as Kogi State University and Lagos State University. According to him, victimisation, salary denial, and job insecurity persist in those universities, undermining staff morale. On university autonomy, he said political interference has compromised the selection of leaders, citing Nnamdi Azikiwe and Abuja universities as examples. Piwuna warned that universities are becoming battlegrounds for political and economic interests, which he described as unacceptable. He called for a national rebirth through education, saying it is vital for Nigeria’s transformation and prosperity. To address the crisis, he proposed a national education summit focusing on funding, autonomy, and academic welfare. “Education empowers citizens, drives innovation, and instils values. Without it, development is impossible,” Piwuna said. He reaffirmed ASUU’s commitment to reforming Nigerian universities and urged patriotic Nigerians and global allies to support their struggle. “Our universities should be centres for solutions to national challenges. “We are open to dialogue but will not tolerate further erosion of our rights,” Piwuna said. (NAN