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…As five secure fully funded US scholarships at Peter Eze Youth Connect

Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, has urged youths in the state to take advantage of employment, skills development and other opportunities provided by the Federal Government, stressing that access, preparation and meaningful connections are critical to unlocking their potential.

Mbah, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, made the call at the Peter Eze Youth Connect programme organised by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) in Enugu.

The event, held at the Enugu International Conference Centre and themed “Beyond Quotas: Unlocking Opportunities for Enugu Youths Through the Federal Character Commission,” attracted thousands of youths, entrepreneurs, farmers, graduates, professionals and development partners from across the state.

The governor described the initiative as a practical demonstration of what could be achieved when deliberate efforts were made to connect young people with opportunities.

He particularly commended the award of five fully funded scholarships to study in the United States to five Enugu youths, describing the gesture, sponsored by friends of Peter Eze in the diaspora, as potentially life-changing.

«“Five lives. Five families. Five young people whose possibilities may be completely different because somebody created a connection. That is what opportunity looks like. It is no longer an idea. It has a face,” Mbah said.»

The governor acknowledged the importance of federal character in ensuring equitable representation in recruitment and appointments but stressed that access to opportunities was equally crucial.

«“A quota tells you what you are entitled to. Access shows you what is possible,” he stated.»

Mbah cited recent opportunities that have enabled young people from the South-East to participate in technical and skills-development programmes in China, noting that their return with new knowledge and expertise could stimulate enterprise, employment and innovation in the region.

He said initiatives under the Peter Eze Youth Connect programme, including connecting young farmers to international markets, providing career and résumé guidance, and creating entrepreneurial networks, demonstrated how representation could go beyond putting names on lists to actually transforming lives.

According to him, the Enugu State Government considers its people its greatest asset and would continue to invest in education, skills, innovation and global competitiveness.

«“Our greatest long-term investment must therefore be in people, who are educated, skilled, innovative, productive and globally competitive.»

«“We want an Enugu where a young person can say, ‘I can build my future here, and from here I can reach the world.’”»

The governor also called for stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments, the private sector and international partners, with young people placed at the centre of development initiatives.

He commended Peter Eze for using her platform to create access and build bridges for young people, while also acknowledging President Bola Tinubu for providing a national framework through which citizens and states could connect with opportunities within and outside Nigeria.

Mbah pointed to some of the collaborations already taking shape in Enugu, including the concession of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, which he said would strengthen connectivity for farmers, exporters, businesses and professionals.

He also highlighted the partnership between the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Enugu State Government to transform the Federal Government’s Digital Industrial Park into an Enugu Talent City and Artificial Intelligence Institute.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Mrs. Ayo Omidiran, declared that Federal Government employment opportunities were open to all qualified Nigerians and warned that such jobs were not for sale.

She said the commission would not allow any government agency to deny a state its fair share of employment opportunities, urging young Nigerians to apply for vacancies whenever they were advertised rather than assume that recruitment outcomes had already been predetermined.

Earlier, the convener of the programme, Mr. Peter Eze, urged youths to reject the belief that Federal Government jobs were already shared before vacancies were advertised.

Eze encouraged young people to prepare themselves, apply for genuine opportunities and report anyone demanding money or gratification in exchange for government employment.

The programme brought together thousands of young farmers, entrepreneurs, graduates, career professionals and development partners, reinforcing the message that when government institutions, the private sector and development partners deliberately create pathways to opportunity, Nigerian youths are positioned to become the ultimate beneficiaries.

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The Federal Government has concluded payment of outstanding severance benefits to 2,100 former workers of Nigeria Airways Limited, more than two decades after the national carrier was liquidated.

The payment, covering beneficiaries in Batches 1 to 7 represents severance benefits due to the affected former employees.

Batches 8 and 9, comprising 600 beneficiaries are being finalised with the beneficiaries scheduled to receive their payments in a matter of days. This brings the number of former Nigeria Airways workers covered by the payment to 2,700, with total benefits of ₦18 billion across the nine batches.

For the beneficiaries and their families, the development brings long awaited relief after years of waiting for an entitlement that, for many, had remained uncertain.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier approved the settlement of the outstanding severance obligations to former Nigeria Airways workers, directing that the long standing matter be brought to a conclusion. The President’s intervention provided the necessary impetus for the Federal Government to move towards resolving the outstanding obligation and bringing relief to the affected former workers.

Under the direction of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, the relevant processes for identifying eligible beneficiaries, validating records and establishing the financial obligations were pursued, resulting in the commencement of payment to the first seven batches and the readiness of Batches 8 and 9 for immediate payment.

Commenting on the development, Oyedele said the payment reflects the Federal Government’s determination to address legitimate outstanding obligations and ensure that the welfare of average Nigerians is prioritised.

“Behind these figures are people and families who have waited for years to receive what is legitimately due to them. Our responsibility is to confront outstanding obligations, complete the necessary processes and, once the resources are secured, ensure that the people affected feel the impact of government positively,” he said.

The Minister said the exercise demonstrates what can be achieved when government institutions work together to resolve longstanding issues, adding that the objective is to ensure that legitimate beneficiaries receive their approved entitlements while maintaining the necessary safeguards around public funds.

The Federal Ministry of Finance appreciates the important collaboration of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, whose engagement with the Finance Ministry helped sustain the matter and advance efforts towards its resolution.

The National Assembly Joint Committees on Aviation also played an important role through their oversight and engagement on the outstanding benefits. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, were actively engaged in advancing the case of former Nigeria Airways workers and supporting efforts towards settlement.

The payment process has involved extensive verification of beneficiary records, including biometric capture and validation of personal and banking information, to ensure that funds are paid to the rightful beneficiaries.

According to the Director in charge of the Presidential Initiative and Continuous Audit (PICA) Department, Seldam Dangin, the Ministry is preparing a second phase, a mop up exercise, to capture beneficiaries whose records could not be processed during the first phase.

He said the exercise will focus on updating inaccurate or outdated information, additional biometric verification where necessary and correction of banking details. It will also address cases involving deceased beneficiaries, with next of kin or estates required to complete the necessary verification and legal processes before payment.

The mop up exercise is expected to commence by the end of September or early October, subject to final arrangements.

The commencement of payment to the first seven batches, alongside the readiness of Batches 8 and 9, marks a major step towards resolving the longstanding severance obligation to former Nigeria Airways workers, while the planned mop up will provide an opportunity to resolve outstanding cases and bring more eligible beneficiaries into the payment process.

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Alleged armed herdsmen have reportedly killed four Mobile Policemen and eight residents in a fresh attack on Ayilamo, Tombola Ward of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

Ayilamo, located along the Abinsi-Tyulen-Anyii-Wukari axis, is a farming community that has come under regular attacks by armed bandits.

A resident, Tyolumu Ugande, said armed bandits numbering more than 200 invaded Ayilamo from Alufu Road in Taraba State and advanced towards the community, shooting sporadically and setting houses on fire.

The armed bandits, who were reportedly carrying sophisticated weapons, were confronted by a detachment of Mobile Policemen deployed to Ayilamo.

Ugande said that after several hours of an exchange of gunfire, the bandits retreated, but four bodies of Mobile Policemen killed in the attack were discovered in the bush on Friday morning.

He said, “We also discovered eight bodies of residents of Ayilamo who were killed by the bandits.”

The incident was confirmed by the Secretary of the Ayilamo Security Committee, who said the community had requested reinforcement from security agencies.

A resident, James Ugah, said this was the second time in one month that Mobile Policemen deployed to Ayilamo had been killed.

The bandits have been trying to set the whole Ayilamo ablaze for more than two years now. We called on security personnel, Benue and the federal government to help secure our land and lives.

“We learnt that the series of attacks on Ayilamo may not be unconnected with rumours that there are huge mineral deposits within and around Ayilamo,” he said.

Efforts to confirm the incident from the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Orchia Aondogwu, were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.