NEWS
Okpebholo Orders Edo Schools to Teach Indigenous Languages
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has announced the reintroduction of Edo languages into the school curriculum across Edo State.
A government house statement in Benin City described the action as a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to preserving Edo’s rich cultural heritage and promoting indigenous knowledge.
It revealed that Gov Okpebholo made the disclosure during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Esan Okpa Initiative to Government House in Benin City.
Led by its President, Rt. Hon. Mathew Egbadon, the delegation comprising technocrats, business leaders, and community stakeholders, commended Gov Okpebholo for the remarkable progress recorded in less than one year of his administration.
On his part, Gov Okpebholo expressed gratitude to the Esan people for their support, and described them as “a critical pillar” to guarantee his success in office.
He informed them that his administration had directed the Ministry of Education to intensify school rehabilitation efforts.
Gov Okpebholo said, “I have told my Commissioner for Education that we have to provide seats and desks for schools. We will continue massive renovation and fencing, provide boreholes and toilets, and we will start installing solar lights in schools.
“We are already working on a school access programme where our children can have hands-on experience in computer studies — so they can see and touch technology in real time.
“On language, we must start from home, because charity begins at home. We will reintroduce vernacular into our school system. Let every tribe begin to learn and speak their language so that no language goes into extinction.”
Appreciating the visit, Gov Okpebholo noted: “When you see your people behind you, there is nothing to fear. The strength of a man lies in the backing of his people. With your continued support, I will succeed, by the grace of God.”
Gov Okpebholo reiterated his determination to revive the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), describing its restoration as “a victory for the people,” with substantial progress already underway to return the institution to its former glory.
Highlighting key interventions, the Governor disclosed that his administration had embarked on extensive road rehabilitation and new construction projects across Edo State.
He revealed that 50 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses had been ordered to enhance public transportation across the three senatorial districts in the State.
In the health sector, 65 primary healthcare centres have been completed or rehabilitated, reinforcing the administration’s drive to deliver accessible, quality healthcare to every community.
On infrastructure, he cited ongoing work on the Ekpoma–Uromi–Ubiaja Road, noting that compensation was already being paid to affected property owners.
He said, “By the dry season, construction will be accelerated. When completed, you will be able to get to Auchi in 35 minutes from there.”
The Governor further spoke on security reforms in the State.
He declared, “We are working seriously on security. Very soon, you will not hear these incidents happening again. A few days ago, we purchased new equipment, and we are building a new mobile barracks in central which will soon be operational.
“We are decentralising security operations. We trained over 2,000 personnel last time and we have placed them on the government payroll. We are also considering engaging local hunters to strengthen community security.”
Reiterating his development philosophy, Gov Okpebholo emphasized his focus on enduring, life-changing projects that will outlive his tenure.
He said, “My concern is legacy. What we will leave behind for our people. That is the true essence of leadership.”
Earlier, the President of the Esan Okpa Initiative, Rt. Hon Mathew Egbadon, applauded the Governor’s achievements, underscored the urgent need to protect and advance Esan language and culture.
According to Egbadon, “Protecting and advancing Esan language, culture, and values is critical. Your Excellency, you now need to reintroduce the teaching of Esan language in schools. Esan language is fast disappearing because many people of Esan extraction are not speaking it, and the language is not taught in schools. It should be reintroduced into the school curriculum.
“This will align with the 2022 National Language Policy of the Federal Government, which mandates the use of indigenous or community languages as the primary medium of instruction in the first six years of primary education. So, it’s a natural policy.”
He reaffirmed that the Esan Okpa Initiative remains a non-partisan socio-cultural and intellectual movement dedicated to unity, progress, and the well-being of the Esan people.
ALSO READ: Nigerian Association of Social Workers Confers Distinguished Excellence Award on Adeleke
He lauded the Governor’s achievements in education, employment generation, and infrastructure renewal, noting Edo’s inclusion in the Federal Government’s ₦142 billion modern bus terminal project, the only state in the South-South region, as proof of the Governor’s visionary leadership.
“Your Excellency, we have seen your work. New roads are being built, schools are being rehabilitated, and over 4,000 teachers have been regularised. You have returned Edo to the national development map.”
He further appealed for support for independent power generation in Esanland through private investment models similar to Ossiomo and Azura, and called for the establishment of agro-based industries and stronger support for security agencies to promote rural development and community safety.
The Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Issa Aremu, has said deliberate and intentional job creation is the key to tackling poverty and moving Nigeria into an “age of prosperity.”
Aremu stated this during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, while reflecting on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day address and the administration’s economic reforms.
SEE ALSO: Tinubu Gov’t Does Not Engage, Everybody Is Its Enemy — Ajaero
He said the President’s speech contained several policy signals that gave hope that Nigeria was moving towards prosperity after navigating the challenges associated with its macroeconomic reforms.
According to Aremu, Nigeria’s path out of the current economic crisis should be driven by job-led and wage-led growth.
“The way out of the economic crisis we have today is to have a job-led growth, job-led growth. And if I want to add further, wage-led growth,” he said.
Aremu said Tinubu’s emphasis on productive work, employment and industrialisation showed that the government was looking beyond cheaper goods to creating opportunities for Nigerians to earn sustainable incomes.
He argued that tackling poverty requires a deliberate effort to create employment rather than relying solely on market forces or trickle-down economics.
“The key out of poverty, I think, also in our proverbs, you know, it’s work. Yoruba are very poetic: ‘Iṣẹ́ l’ọ̀ògùn iṣẹ́.’ You want to get out of poverty, you need to have jobs,” Aremu said.
“We have to be deliberate, intentional to create jobs. We can’t leave job creation to market forces, trickle-down economics of the recent times. So we have to be deliberate.”
The labour expert also praised the Tinubu administration for what he described as a different approach to economic reform, particularly its retention of public-sector employment.
Aremu contrasted the current administration’s approach with reforms under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when policies such as downsizing, rightsizing and monetisation resulted in significant reductions in public-sector jobs.
He said the Tinubu administration had demonstrated that economic reforms could be implemented without necessarily sacrificing public-sector employment.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown a different approach to reform, that you can have reforms not at the expense of public jobs,” he said.
Aremu further claimed that the number of federal employees had increased from about 720,000 in 2023 to nearly two million, attributing the rise partly to the creation of new institutions and agencies.
He cited the Regional Development Council and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund among institutions he said had contributed to additional employment opportunities.
He added that when state and local government employment were included, millions of jobs had been created across the public sector.
However, Aremu said the next priority should be ensuring that the jobs created are decent and capable of improving workers’ living standards.
He maintained that employment, industrialisation and productive work must remain central to Nigeria’s transition from economic reforms to broad-based prosperity.
Military gear has reportedly been found at the scene of a helicopter crash in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The helicopter crashed in a swampy area of the coastal community on Monday, October 5, 2026, sparking panic among residents.
The Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripelaye, said military personnel and equipment were seen at the crash site, raising the possibility that the aircraft could have been a military helicopter.
READ ALSO:Shell Endorses Regional Action Plan for Safe Helicopter Services
However, the identity of the helicopter and its operator had not been officially established as of the time of filing this report.
Oripelaye said the aircraft crashed near the Naval Base area and was burnt to rubble following the incident.
He also said the number of people who were aboard the helicopter could not immediately be ascertained, while the fate of those on board remained unclear.
Earlier, residents reported hearing a loud sound from the direction of the crash before discovering that an aircraft had gone down in the swampy area.
The difficult terrain has also made access to the crash site challenging, with security personnel and other responders deployed to the area.
The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the aircraft crash and said investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The police urged residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information, promising to provide further details as credible information becomes available.
NEWS
JUST IN: Oluremi Tinubu Arrives BATICC for APC Women’s Pre-Inaugural Ceremony Arrives BATICC for APC Women’s Pre-Inaugural Ceremony
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has arrived at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre (BATICC) in Abuja for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Stakeholders’ Mobilisation and Empowerment Pre-Inaugural Campaign Roll-Out.
The First Lady arrived at the conference centre on Monday, October 5, for the women-focused political gathering organised by the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The event is themed “Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0: From Reforms to Prosperity,” with the mobilisation message, “One Voice, One Movement, One Choice, One Mandate 2027.”
SEE ALSO: Tinubu Gov’t Does Not Engage, Everybody Is Its Enemy — Ajaero
The gathering is expected to bring together thousands of women from across the country, including women leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, political stakeholders, community representatives and grassroots organisers.
20,000 women expected
The arrival follows a report published on Sunday, October 4, which said Oluremi Tinubu was expected to lead a major mobilisation of women stakeholders in Abuja.
According to the report, more than 20,000 women were expected to attend the Women Stakeholders’ Mobilisation and Empowerment Pre-Inaugural Campaign Roll-Out scheduled for 8am at BATICC.
The APC Women Mobilisation Directorate has also announced an ambitious target of mobilising 40 million women’s votes for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Director of the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Betta Edu, disclosed the target ahead of the gathering and said the structure was expanding its grassroots mobilisation across the country.
Speaking ahead of the event, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Women Mobilisation Planning Committee, Princess Gloria Akobundu, highlighted programmes including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), CREDICORP, infrastructure projects, cash-transfer programmes and youth empowerment initiatives.
Akobundu urged women in Imo State and across the South-East to strengthen their mobilisation structures and take the Renewed Hope Agenda message to communities across the region.
She said, “We are calling on our women across the South-East to strengthen their mobilisation and ensure that the message of the Renewed Hope Agenda reaches every community and locality.”
‘Age of Prosperity’: Intentional Job Creation Is Nigeria’s Cure for Poverty – Aremu
‘Tinubu Has Put Nigeria’s Economy on Growth Path’, Says Minister Udeh
Police Ponder Dangote Refinery Equities
Group Tackles Atiku on NNPC Ltd’s ₦11.2tn Federation Receivables
Ndindi Nyoro Gives Ruto 14 Days to Disclose Dangote Refinery Deal
Atiku Blows Lid on NNPC Ltd’s ₦11.2trn Receivables, Pipeline Contracts
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Tems Sets New Record On Billboard Hot 100 Chart
13tyjs
of course like your website however you have to check the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I to find it very bothersome to inform the reality on the other hand I’ll definitely come back again.
I am really loving the theme/design of your web site. Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility issues? A couple of my blog visitors have complained about my site not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any tips to help fix this problem?
Hmm is anyone else having problems with the pictures on this blog loading? I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
I’m really impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Anyway keep up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a great blog like this one today..
I really like your writing style, good information, appreciate it for putting up :D. “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk” by Laurence J. Peter.
I consider something really special in this web site.
It’s hard to find knowledgeable people on this matter, however you sound like you understand what you’re talking about! Thanks
Hey, you used to write great, but the last few posts have been kinda boring… I miss your tremendous writings. Past few posts are just a bit out of track! come on!
I discovered your weblog site on google and test a couple of of your early posts. Proceed to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Looking for forward to reading more from you afterward!…
Its such as you read my mind! You seem to understand a lot about this, like you wrote the guide in it or something. I believe that you simply could do with some to force the message home a bit, but other than that, this is magnificent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.
Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was looking for! “The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone.” by Lady Reading.
Hi my loved one! I wish to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include approximately all significant infos. I would like to peer extra posts like this.