From Aliyu Askira, Kano

The National Industrial Court, sitting in Kano, has ordered the Kano State Government to pay a total of N1m as costs in a legal dispute involving former commissioners over the official vehicles given to them while in office.

The court, presided over by Justice Mahmood Abba Namtari, gave the order yesterday after the state government asked for more time to prepare its defence in the case.

The case, filed by five former commissioners, is praying the court to stop the Kano State Government from retrieving the official vehicles they used during their time in office.

During the hearing, defence counsel to the Kano State Government, S.

U. Jibril, requested for an adjournment because he was not ready to continue with the case, owing to the fact that he was only informed about the matter the previous day and had not had enough time to prepare the necessary documents.

“We were briefed yesterday around 2:30 p.m. by the office of the first defendant. We tried to get our papers ready but could not complete them. We are asking for another date,” he informed the court.

However, counsel to the applicants, Suraj Sa’ed (SAN), did not oppose the request for an adjournment but instead asked the court to award costs to his clients, recalling the government had already received the court documents earlier and should have prepared its response.

Sa’ed requested for N1m in costs for each case, arguing that the delay had caused inconveniences to the claimants.

In response, Jibril opposed the request. He argued that the government was still within the legal time allowed to submit its documents. “My lord, we should not be asked to pay costs. All the respondents were served on March 3, and we are still within time to file our papers,” he argued.

But Justice Namtari noted that court records showed the defendants were actually served earlier, on February 26, and ordered the respondents to pay N200,000 in costs to each of the five applicants, bringing the total to N1 million.

The court then adjourned the case to April 28, 2026, for further hearing.

The former commissioners who filed the suit include Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim K/Mata, AVM Ibrahim Umar (Rtd), Nasir Sule Garo, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya, and Mustapha Rabi’u.

They asked the court to stop the Kano State Government from collecting the official vehicles given to them during their tenure.

The defendants in the case are the Attorney General of Kano State, the Governor of Kano State, and the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.

The court had earlier rejected a request by the former commissioners for an urgent order to restrain the government from retrieving the vehicles but ruled that both sides must first present their arguments before any temporary order could be granted.

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

Mujidat Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, has unveiled a scholarship scheme for over 1,000 indigent students seeking admission into Havilla University, Ikom local government area of Cross River state for 2025/2026 academic session.

The tuition-free award valued at N400,000 is in commemoration of her second anniversary as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Havilla University.

Confirming the scholarship award in a telephone conversation shortly after marking the two- year anniversary ceremony  in office  as the institution Pro-chancellor, the Iyaloja- General of Nigeria stated that the initiative reflects her commitment to youth empowerment and educational advancement.

 She described education as “the only level between the rich and the poor in society.” Emphasizing that every Nigerian youth deserves access to quality education to ensure a brighter future for the nation.

The Iyaloja-General expressed gratitude to the Governing Council of Havilla University, led by the Chancellor, Hon Jones Tangban, a former member representing the Ikom/Boki federal constituency, for their exceptional leadership, which has ranked Havilla University among Africa’s leading institutions.

In his remarks, Tangban thanked Iyaloja-General for her generosity, noting that her gesture aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration, even though the scholarships are personally funded.

The scholarship program adds to her extensive record of educational support, with thousands of beneficiaries across institutions such as Philomath University, GrandPlus College of Education, Kwara State, and Foreign Link Academy campuses nationwide.

Iyaloja-General had earlier commissioned the Folasade Tinubu-Ojo Complex of the institution and later laid the foundation for the Folasade Tinubu-Ojo Centre for Vocational Studies at the University grounds to further strengthen her legacy in educational development.

In her closing remarks, Iyaloja-General urged prospective beneficiaries to embrace the opportunity with all seriousness now and in the near future.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Group Managing Director Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, on Tuesday revealed that no fewer than 1.7 million individuals are presently unemployed and without skills in the State.

Asemakaha  disclosed this during a maiden edition of Students Turning point program organized by the company for students of Moses Orshio Adasu University, MOAUM formerly Benue State University, BSU held at the College of Health Sciences, Makurdi, the State capital.

He explained that over 40 percent of jobs in the State are usually offered to those who came out of the State due to the fact that Benue people lack skilled labor in the state.

 

The GMD insisted that there must be a shift and enjoined the students to brace up for the future by acquiring skills that would make them self-reliant.

“I encourage you to be creative. When I assumed duty as GMD BIPC, I discovered that there is a knowledge gap in terms of skill and all the industries we are building do not have the desired skill.

 “Most of the people we hire are from outside. We want our people to begin to pluck into the business and skill space so that they would be able to take up those jobs.  Imagine us paying a Chinese expatriate $1200 dollars per day. So, we want our people to acquire the skills.

“We understand that this institution, Moses Otshio Adasu University Makurdi, MOAUM enrolment of new students for this year is about 8,100. Now, if they graduate, where do they go?

“We want the students to be part of the skill and jobs so that there would be job availability. Education is okay and getting a certificate is also ok but skill is the future currency. And you must position yourselves for this currency”, Asemakaha explained.

He charged the students in tertiary institutions in Benue State to make right choices and take action in acquiring skills rather than rely on certificates.

“We have factories and those who work there are from outside so we want our people to key into what we are doing. We are paying 250 Chinese dollars everyday. Imagine if our indigenes have that knowledge, he will transfer it back. So, that is the model we are driving. We are targeting a lot.

“We are pursuing a law on Start Up Act to domesticate it so that when they have the knowledge, they can assess funds. Job availability is not there and as such there is a looming job crisis so they need to position themselves and be abreast with the current realities”, he said.