By Donald Andoor, Abuja.

National Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Chief Mike Mamman Osuman, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) has confirmed participation at the 9th DAILY ASSET Annual Awards, which holds February 5, at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

Osuman, a legal luminary and one – time Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in Benue State will preside over the grand event as Chairman and also receive the newspaper’s ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ in recognition of his numerous accomplishments over the decades.

Osuman, who received a delegation of Asset Newspapers Limited at his palatial Quid-Juris Chambers at Brick City Estate, Kubwa, FCT said he was honoured to have been found worthy for the award.

“ As a Lawyer, I have enjoyed my practice. In the course of my career, I turned down the offer to serve as Federal High Court Judge because I enjoy the legal practice. I don’t seek limelight but I have found DAILY ASSET a very credible medium to identify with,” he told the delegation led by the newspaper’s Publisher, Dr Cletus Akwaya.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Dr Mukhtar Idi Maiha, has also confirmed his availability to attend the event to receive the award of ‘Minister of the Year.’ Maiha was selected by the Board of Editors of DAILY ASSET for his giant steps to transform the Livestock sector as the pioneer Minister and the peace building efforts, which have helped largely to curb conflicts between herders and farmers in some communities in the crisis-prone states like Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger among others.

The Minister conveyed his acceptance through his Technical Adviser on Knowledge Management, Richard Mbalama.

Similarly, Group Vice President(Oil and Gas), Dangote Industries Group, Mr Edwin Devakumar has written to accept his award nomination and confirmed participation at the February 5, event.

“ I am highly honoured by your selection of me as the “Corporate Achiever of the year 2025 award. I am also humbled by your appreciation of of the efforts which have gone into the design, engineering, construction, commissioning and the operation of the World’s Largest Single Train Petroleum refinery,” Devakumar said in a letter he personally signed, dated 19th January addressed to the DAILY ASSET Publisher.

Frontline businessman and Industrialist, Dr Peter Adejoh, has also signified his intention to attend the ceremony to receive the award of “Philanthropist of the Year 2025”

“The CEO is deeply honoured by this recognition and sincerely appreciates Daily Asset for finding his philanthropic contributions worthy of such a prestigious award.

  “We commend Daily Asset for its commitment to recognizing excellence, leadership, and social responsibility, and we appreciate the platform you provide in celebrating individuals who contribute meaningfully to societal development. Kindly accept this letter as our official acceptance of the award. We look forward to participating in the event as communicated by your organization”Sandra Marcus, Executive Assistant to the CEO wrote in a letter on behalf of the Peter Adejoh Foundation.

Other award nominees in different categories had earlier written to accept their nominations and confirm participation at the event. Their confirmations were published in the newspaper’s edition of January 21. They include, Governor of Enugu, Dr Peter Mbah; Former Deputy Governor of Benue State, Chief Steven Lawani; National Vice Chairman, North East, All Progressives Congress(APC), Dr Mustapha Salihu; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Police Institutions, Hon Aliyu Wakili Boya; Fintech Giants, Opay Digital Services Limited and Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas(Pi-CNG).

From Jude Dangwam, Jos

No fewer than 7 youths were ambushed and killed by suspected gunmen while on a mining site in Kuru area of Jos South local government area of Plateau state.

The National President of Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, Esq has condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and barbaric killing of seven (7) innocent Berom youths.

He noted that the victims were brutally murdered by suspected armed Fulani terrorist elements at a mining site within the Kuru District of Jos South LGA Plateau State.

The Youths President made this known on Thursday in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary Rwang Tengwong and made available to Newsmen in Jos the state capital.

“This dastardly act constitutes a gross violation of the sanctity of human life and represents a direct assault on the peace, security, and collective dignity of the Berom people.

“The victims were peace-loving youths engaged in legitimate means of livelihood, whose lives were cruelly and unjustly terminated,” Mwantiri stated.

He disclosed that those killed are; “Dung Gyang, aged 19 years, Weng Dung, aged 26 years, Francis Paul, aged 23 years, Samuel Peter, aged 22 years, Dung Simon, aged 28 years, Pam Dung, aged 23 years, Francis Markus, aged 15 years,” he stated.

The Association further recalls with grave concern the ambush and attack that occurred on Tuesday, 20th January, 2026 at Gyel District, which resulted in the death of two persons.

The President noted that the persistence and pattern of the coordinated attacks point to an alarming deterioration of security within Berom land and underscore the urgent need for firm and sustained intervention.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray that God Almighty grants comfort, strength, and fortitude to the families in this moment of immeasurable grief, and that the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.

“BYM calls on the Plateau State Government, the Federal Government, and security agencies to immediately and thoroughly investigate these attacks, identify, apprehend, and prosecute the perpetrators and their sponsors, and urgently reinforce security presence around vulnerable rural communities, mining locations, and access routes. The continued slaughter of innocent youths must not be allowed to persist,”

Furthermore, BYM urges the authorities to intensify intelligence gathering, deploy adequate and well-equipped security personnel, and adopt proactive, community-based security measures to forestall further loss of lives. The protection of the lives and livelihoods of Berom youths is non-negotiable.

The Berom Youth Moulders-Association stands in firm solidarity with the affected families and communities and reiterates its unwavering commitment to justice, peace, accountability, and the defense of the lives and dignity of the Berom people.

By Tony Obichiena, Abuja The federal government has announced plans to abolish the long-standing Higher National Diploma, HND, dichotomy by empowering polytechnics to award degrees, in a major reform aimed at repositioning technical and vocational education as a driver of national development.

The Minister of Education, Dr.

Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja yesterday while addressing a high-level retreat of council chairmen, commissioners of education, rectors, registrars and bursars.

Describing the move as a landmark policy shift, the minister said it would end decades of discrimination against polytechnic graduates and elevate polytechnics into centres of excellence within Nigeria’s higher education system.

According to him, the reform will place polytechnic education on a stronger footing, while preserving its core strength in hands-on, industry-focused training.

He noted that Nigeria’s future competitiveness depended on a workforce equipped to create, build and solve real-world problems.

The minister explained that the policy aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritised job creation, industrial growth and human capital development.

With degree-awarding status, polytechnics are expected to attract stronger industry partnerships, improved funding opportunities and greater public confidence.

Dr. Alausa assured stakeholders that the transition would be guided by clear standards, strong regulation and quality assurance mechanisms to ensure global competitiveness.

Speaking on the theme, “Transforming Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: Innovation, Good Governance and Sustainability for National Development,” the minister said polytechnics were critical to building a skills-driven economy.

He said the ministry had prioritised Technical and Vocational Education and Training,TVET, to ensure graduates were industry-ready, innovative and capable of driving economic growth.

He urged polytechnic leaders to entrench innovation through entrepreneurship centres, research hubs and robust industry partnerships, identifying renewable energy, agri-technology, digital manufacturing and climate-resilient solutions as priority areas.

Dr. Alausa warned that transparency, accountability and ethical leadership must define the new era in polytechnic administration, and called for fiscal discipline, timely audits, prudent resource management and zero tolerance for corruption.

The minister also emphasised sustainability, encouraging institutions to increase internally generated revenue through production and services, develop eco-friendly campuses and build resilient infrastructure.

Polytechnics, he said, should aim to produce what they consumed and support national needs by reducing dependence on imports.

While acknowledging challenges such as funding gaps, outdated facilities and societal bias in favour of university degrees, Dr. Alausa said the opportunities ahead were far greater.

He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting polytechnics through policy reforms, infrastructure upgrades and partnerships.

He further announced a special TETFund intervention this year to upgrade polytechnic engineering schools with state-of-the-art equipment, following a similar intervention for 12 medical colleges last year.

Charging participants to return to their institutions as agents of change, the minister said: “The future of our youth, our economy and our nation depends on the transformation we ignite here today.”

Education experts at the retreat described the announcement as a turning point, saying it would boost enrolment, motivate students and staff, and strengthen the contribution of polytechnics to key sectors such as manufacturing, technology, agriculture and renewable energy.