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ALIA’S DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO REWRITE HISTORY, SMEAR DANGOTE AND AKUME IS RECKLESS, DISHONEST AND UNACCEPTABLE

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…Benue governor eyeing cement factory acquisition with business partners

We condemn in the strongest terms the reckless and misleading comments by the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, regarding the privatization of the Benue Cement Company (BCC) in 2006 and his desperate attempt to pin responsibility for the transaction on former Governor George Akume while casting aspersions on Alhaji Aliko Dangote with his company.

Governor Alia’s latest outburst is yet another example of a government that has become addicted to propaganda, revisionism and the politics of blame. Faced with mounting questions about his own stewardship, the governor appears determined to divert public attention by manufacturing controversies and attacking individuals whose records and contributions are already part of Nigeria’s documented history.

The facts are clear. Benue Cement Company was privatized under a Federal Government programme implemented through the Bureau of Public Enterprises. The suggestion that Senator George Akume personally sold BCC to Aliko Dangote is a distortion of history and a deliberate attempt to mislead unsuspecting members of the public. No amount of political grandstanding can alter the facts contained in official records.

It is astonishing that a governor who has access to government files and public records would choose to promote a narrative that collapses under the slightest scrutiny. This raises a disturbing question: is Governor Alia genuinely ignorant of the facts, or is he deliberately twisting them to pursue a political agenda?

Even more disturbing is the governor’s attempt to demonize one of Africa’s foremost investors and industrialists. Aliko Dangote did not seize Benue Cement Company in the dead of night. The transaction emerged from a nationally supervised privatization process that involved regulatory institutions of the Federal Government. If Governor Alia has evidence of wrongdoing, he should present it to the appropriate authorities. If he has none, he should stop maligning people to score cheap political points.

We are not surprised by Governor Alia’s utterances because credible findings suggest that his sudden agitation for a review of the 2006 sale of Benue Cement Company to Dangote has little to do with protecting the interests of Benue people. It has everything to do with advancing his personal political and business agenda.

Having allegedly amassed enormous wealth from state resources within just three years in office, the governor is now said to be eyeing Benue Cement, now Dangote Cement, as another lucrative asset to be captured for the benefit of himself and a circle of business associates, including Bauhaus Global Investment, which has emerged as the preferred contractor for major government projects in the state since Alia became governor.

The real motive behind this campaign is becoming increasingly clear. Governor Alia is reportedly nurturing a 2031 presidential ambition and understands that such a venture would require access to massive financial resources running into hundreds of billions of naira. Should he retain office beyond 2027, he reportedly intends to use every available lever of state power to position himself for that race. In that calculation, Dangote Cement is seen not as a private investment that has transformed a moribund government enterprise into a thriving business, but as a potential cash cow that can be exploited to bankroll a future presidential campaign.

Benue people must therefore look beyond the governor’s emotional rhetoric and ask hard questions. Why is a transaction that took place two decades ago suddenly attracting his attention at a time when the state is battling insecurity, a growing humanitarian crisis, failing infrastructure and widespread economic hardship? The answer may well lie in a desperate attempt to gain control of a strategic asset whose enormous financial value could serve personal political ambitions rather than the collective interests of the people of Benue State.

The people of Benue are not interested in political theatre. They are interested in security, roads, healthcare, education, agriculture, job creation and economic growth. They are interested in how hundreds of billions of naira accruing to the state are being utilized. They are interested in why communities continue to suffer attacks and displacement. These are the issues demanding the governor’s attention, not a calculated campaign to rewrite events that occurred decades ago.

We therefore challenge Governor Alia to immediately publish all documents in his possession relating to the privatization of Benue Cement Company and allow the public to judge the facts for themselves. The era when political leaders could manufacture narratives without scrutiny is over.

The governor should stop chasing shadows, stop misleading the public and stop dragging respected Nigerians into politically motivated controversies.

Signed:
Jerome Zoho
President, Coalition for Truth and Justice (CTJ)

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Group Lists Tinubu’s Achievements, Reaffirms Support For Renewed Hope Agenda

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Supporters of Team Gbaja on Friday held a sensitisation and mobilisation rally for Nigeria’s North Central Zone, where they reaffirmed their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and commended the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, for what they described as his commitment to public service.

Addressing participants at the rally, the National Spokesperson of Team Gbaja, Tabuko Kennedy, said the gathering was aimed at promoting democratic participation, peaceful engagement, and national development.

Kennedy said supporters of the Tinubu administration believe the government’s performance should be assessed based on “measurable actions and visible results,” highlighting several initiatives and developments they said demonstrate progress under the current administration.

Among the achievements cited were the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State through what he described as a coordinated multi-agency security operation without the payment of ransom.

He also pointed to the commencement of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as one of Nigeria’s largest infrastructure projects intended to improve transportation, trade, and economic growth.

Other initiatives highlighted included the implementation of the Student Loan Scheme to improve access to higher education, increased investment in federal road infrastructure across the country’s six geopolitical zones, reforms in the oil and gas sector aimed at boosting local refining capacity, enhanced collaboration among security agencies to address insecurity, and
ongoing economic reforms focusing on agriculture, investment, digital innovation, and social intervention programmes.

According to Kennedy, these initiatives have strengthened the confidence of many supporters in the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and justify continued public support.

He urged participants to conduct themselves peacefully throughout the rally, stressing that the event was intended to exercise citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of expression and association.

“We are not here to insult anyone. We are not here to threaten anyone. We are here to demonstrate our constitutional right to freedom of expression and association,” he said.

Kennedy also encouraged supporters to continue engaging their communities through peaceful mobilisation, civic participation, voter education, and constructive dialogue aimed at promoting national unity, security, and development.

The rally concluded with calls for continued support for Team Gbaja, the North Central Zone, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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Group Rallies Support for Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Lauds Gbajabiamila

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Supporters of Team Gbaja on Friday held a sensitisation and mobilisation rally for Nigeria’s North Central Zone, where they reaffirmed their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and commended the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, for what they described as his commitment to public service.

Addressing participants at the rally, the National Spokesperson of Team Gbaja, Tabuko Kennedy, said the gathering was aimed at promoting democratic participation, peaceful engagement, and national development.

Kennedy said supporters of the Tinubu administration believe the government’s performance should be assessed based on “measurable actions and visible results,” highlighting several initiatives and developments they said demonstrate progress under the current administration.

Among the achievements cited were the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State through what he described as a coordinated multi-agency security operation without the payment of ransom.

He also pointed to the commencement of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as one of Nigeria’s largest infrastructure projects intended to improve transportation, trade, and economic growth.

Other initiatives highlighted included the implementation of the Student Loan Scheme to improve access to higher education, increased investment in federal road infrastructure across the country’s six geopolitical zones, reforms in the oil and gas sector aimed at boosting local refining capacity, enhanced collaboration among security agencies to address insecurity, and ongoing economic reforms focusing on agriculture, investment, digital innovation, and social intervention programmes.

According to Kennedy, these initiatives have strengthened the confidence of many supporters in the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and justify continued public support.

He urged participants to conduct themselves peacefully throughout the rally, stressing that the event was intended to exercise citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of expression and association.

“We are not here to insult anyone. We are not here to threaten anyone. We are here to demonstrate our constitutional right to freedom of expression and association,” he said.

Kennedy also encouraged supporters to continue engaging their communities through peaceful mobilisation, civic participation, voter education, and constructive dialogue aimed at promoting national unity, security, and development.

The rally concluded with calls for continued support for Team Gbaja, the North Central Zone, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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FG to Launch Military Medical College for Armed Forces in 2026

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By Abigail David

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to establish the Armed Forces College of Medicine and Health Sciences, with the first set of military medical cadets expected to begin training during the 2026 academic session.

Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, announced the initiative in Abuja while inaugurating a Technical Working Group tasked with accelerating the college’s establishment. According to a statement from the ministry, the institution is intended to provide a dedicated pipeline of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals trained specifically for military service.

Alausa said the project would reduce the Armed Forces’ reliance on civilian universities for medical personnel and strengthen healthcare support for military operations. He noted that the college would focus on producing professionals equipped to meet the unique demands of military and battlefield medicine.

The minister also highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to expand medical education nationwide, stating that admissions into Medicine and Dentistry have increased to over 10,000 annually, while nursing enrolment has risen significantly.

The Technical Working Group, comprising representatives from the Ministries of Education and Defence, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders, has been directed to develop the curriculum, secure accreditation and ensure the institution is ready for the 2026 academic session.

Chairman of the committee, Major General Idris Babatunde Solebo, said the college would operate from the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna and follow a model similar to the Uniformed Services University in the United States. He added that medical cadets would receive both academic and military training, including battlefield medicine and Tactical Combat Casualty Care.

According to Solebo, the Armed Forces currently face a significant shortage of medical personnel, making the new institution a key step toward strengthening military healthcare capacity.

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