The Ogun State Teaching Service Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the welfare and working conditions of teaching and non-teaching staff in secondary schools across the state, as part of efforts to ensure optimal performance and productivity in the education sector.

Chairman of the Commission, Biodun Sanyaolu, in a statement shared with Saturday PUNCH, said the agency would continue to reward diligence and hard work as part of measures to boost staff morale and strengthen their sense of purpose.

He described teachers as the backbone of the education system, noting that they shape minds, inspire curiosity, and nurture future generations.

Sanyaolu stressed that the dedication, passion, and resilience of teachers deserved recognition and appreciation.

“We thank Prince Dapo Abiodun, the most teacher-friendly governor, for his unwavering support for teachers and learners alike. He has not only prioritised education but has also made it the engine of transformation in Ogun State,” he was quoted as saying.

The TESCOM boss emphasised that the future of education rested on the collective strength, support, and unity of stakeholders.

He added that the Commission remained resolute in promoting professional development, capacity-building programmes, and collaborations with private organisations to strengthen digital literacy and create more platforms for teachers to excel.

He disclosed that about 5,000 teaching and non-teaching staff benefitted from the 2023/2024 promotion exercise, while over 2,400 beneficiaries of the Ogun TEACh scheme were engaged under a two-year internship programme.

According to him, more than 1,000 interns have been offered permanent appointments, alongside 39 Fellows under the Teach for Nigeria collaborative fellowship initiative.

Sanyaolu reaffirmed that TESCOM would continue to pursue excellence, equity, and innovation in the teaching profession.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has declared that it is collaborating with Abia State and other partners to boost food security and supply which will reduce food importation into the country.

It also said that Nigeria’s vast and arable land are rich in enough to produce food for the growing population and drive export.

The Abia State Coordinator of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security, Aloysius Chibuzor Mba said this in Umuahia while delivering the address from the ministry during the 2025 World Food Day celebration in Abia State.

He said that conflicts in farms, inflation in food prices, climate change crises, inadequate infrastructure are some of the major challenges affecting food production and nutrition.

The Ministry said that it had invested in crops like cassava and maize which it said would reduce food imports, improve value chains and strengthen food supply.

In his speech, Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, represented by the Secretary to the Abia State government, Professor Kenneth Kalu said his administration would continue to make life better for Abia farmers and all residents at large.

Earlier in his speech, Abia State Commissioner for Agriculture, Cliff Agbaeze announced that the State had developed Abia Agriculture Dynamic Data Base System to digitally register all Abia farmers, their farms, and activities.

He also said that his Ministry was boosting nutrition, protecting farmers from climate change crises and post-harvest losses.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has stressed the need for a combination of military action, political negotiations and justice to address Nigeria’s security challenges.

Speaking while commissioning officers’ accommodation at Niger Barracks Extension and the Link Road at Mambilla Barracks in Abuja, he noted that Nigeria had in some years faced complex threats as terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, piracy, cyber threats and transnational organised crime.

According to Abbas, “these challenges evolve rapidly, testing the nation’s institutions and stretching resources.”

He lamented that yet, Nigeria’s story was not merely about threats, but resilience, adaptation and reform, and that looking ahead, Nigeria’s security required cooperation between the government and the society.

The Speaker believed that military action alone cannot solve every challenge, saying that it must be complemented by political negotiations, community participation, economic empowerment and justice.

He disclosed that the House of Representatives working with the Senate, had supported appropriations for critical platforms, munitions, communications systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and force protection assets, as well ensured accountability, value for money, and timely delivery.

He added that they had approved funding for barracks rehabilitation, family housing, healthcare, mental health support, and post-service transition programs, stressing that the House, through effective oversight, had promoted better inter-agency collaboration, clarified procurement processes, and drawn lessons from past experiences.

In addition, Abbas said that they were advancing legislative proposals to deepen professionalism and accountability within the security sector, which included strengthening the legal framework for joint operations, improving the welfare and pension systems for serving personnel and veterans, supporting local defence industries under the “Made-in-Nigeria” initiative, and developing more agile logistics and maintenance structures.

The National Assembly, he assured, stands ready to continue working with the Executive, the Armed Forces, traditional institutions, and international partners to achieve their shared objectives of peace and stability.

In his remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, explained that the link road and newly constructed buildings were designed not just for convenience, but as essential infrastructure that supports efficiency, safety and comfort of officers.

He believed that the Niger Barracks Extension Block would accommodate policy makers in the Defence Headquarters and provide a conducive atmosphere where they could have the peace of mind to articulate valuable and forward-thinking policies.

The Niger Delta Development Commission and the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture have launched a N1.5bn loan scheme for small and medium-scale enterprises across the region.

The initiative, flagged off in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is aimed at improving livelihoods, tackling poverty, and driving economic growth in the Niger Delta.

Speaking at the event, the NDDC Director of Commercial, Industrial and Trade Development, Mrs. Lyna Okara, said the loan scheme would give small businesses access to capital to expand their operations and become more sustainable.

Okara, who also chairs the NDDC–NDCCITMA Implementation Committee, said the partnership was part of the commission’s renewed effort to make the Niger Delta economically competitive.

“Over the years, NDDC has taken different steps to get to this point. We have attempted several schemes to ensure everyone in the region has access to grow their businesses, but it has been a challenge,” she said.

“With the establishment of NDCCITMA two years ago, we have found a more effective model. Through this partnership, people can now access small loans to grow their businesses, and we are confident that in a few years, the Niger Delta will become a region to be reckoned with in Nigeria.”

She commended the NDDC management and board for their commitment to economic empowerment, urging beneficiaries to use the loans prudently.

“Whatever funding you receive is meant to multiply your business. Use it wisely so others can also benefit from future rounds of this programme,” she advised.

Chairman of the NDCCITMA, Mr Idaeregogo Ogan, said the initiative was designed to reach even the poorest entrepreneurs in the region, noting that the N1.5bn disbursement marked the first phase of the project.

Ogan explained that the loan package covered four categories of beneficiaries — nano, micro, small, and medium enterprises — with the least amount pegged at N200,000 and the highest between N20m and N50m.

“We have the nano businesses getting N200,000 each; micro, N3m; small, N7m; and medium, between N20m and N50m — all at a single-digit interest rate of nine per cent per annum, which is about 0.6 per cent monthly,” he said.

“Today, we are rolling out N1.5bn. By December, another N2bn will be disbursed to the next batch of beneficiaries.”

He added that applicants had been carefully profiled and trained to ensure proper use of the funds.

“We are not just handing out money. We’ve profiled the businesses, trained the owners, and ensured they understand basic bookkeeping. These are viable enterprises ready to grow, not political handouts,” he said.

Ogan expressed optimism that the initiative would lift more than 2,000 people out of poverty and transform the economic outlook of the Niger Delta.

“Through this scheme, we will bring over 2,000 people in the Niger Delta out of poverty. It’s time to tell a new story about our region — one of enterprise, self-reliance, and shared prosperity,” he stated.

A prosecution witness and former Executive Director of Credits at the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, Muhammed Jega, on Wednesday told the Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja, that the facility granted to Arik Air by Union Bank Plc for aircraft purchase had become non-performing before he left AMCON in 2015.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting former AMCON Managing Director, Ahmed Kuru; former Receiver Manager of Arik Air, Kamilu Omokide; Arik Air Chief Executive Officer, Roy Ilegbodu; Union Bank Plc; and Super Bravo Limited over alleged N76bn and $31.5m fraud.

They are facing five counts bordering on theft, abuse of office, and dishonest acquisition of property.

Union Bank is also facing an additional count for allegedly making false statements to a public officer.

While being cross-examined by defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Jega said AMCON did not file a formal petition to security agencies over alleged misrepresentation by Union Bank in the sale of Arik’s loan but sent a letter to the EFCC instead.

“Up to the time I left AMCON, the loans taken by Arik Air were still unpaid,” Jega said.

He told the court that he was unaware of any directive from the Central Bank of Nigeria concerning Union Bank’s loan to Arik before his departure from AMCON

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has urged residents of Imo State not to condone or shield criminal elements in their communities.

Oluyede gave the charge during a key stakeholders’ engagement forum with the theme “Taking the Nigerian Army to the Communities,” held on Thursday in Owerri, the state capital.

Represented by  Maj. Gen. Obinna Ajunwa, the Army chief called for joint efforts between citizens and security agencies to ensure peace and security in Imo and across the country.

Ajunwa cautioned that tolerating criminality would only worsen insecurity and bring suffering upon communities.

“What you condone is what you tolerate, and what you tolerate is what will destroy you,” he said.

He assured that the Nigerian Army would continue to engage and listen to the people in its efforts to secure the nation, noting that most security threats confronting the country were internal rather than external.

In his welcome address, the Chief of Civil–Military Affairs, Maj.-Gen. Gold Chibuisi, said the forum was one of the Army’s non-kinetic strategies aimed at strengthening public confidence and cooperation in tackling insecurity.

Chibuisi explained that the engagement was designed to gather ideas and suggestions that could improve the Army’s operational activities.

“Insecurity is an ill wind that blows no one any good. Over the years, the components of our security landscape have evolved from traditional threats to more sophisticated challenges that make every citizen a stakeholder in achieving national security,” he said.

“While the Nigerian Army and other security agencies may be the primary responders, defeating our common enemy requires the collective effort of all law-abiding Nigerians.”

Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Community Policing, Eze Emmanuel Okeke, described the forum as timely and reaffirmed the commitment of traditional institutions to continued collaboration with security agencies in combating crime.

Also speaking, the Acting Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Imo State chapter, Rev. Uzoma Uzoeshi, recommended seven measures to enhance peace and security. These include strengthened community engagement, youth entrepreneurship, a more robust justice system, adoption of equity and fairness, improved surveillance and monitoring to curb drug-related crimes, interfaith dialogue, and sustained collaboration among religious, traditional, and socio-economic groups to promote peace