News
NOW THAT KULA HAS CAST THE FIRST STONE
By Aondoakaa Tersugh Daniel 22/07/2026
Scripture records that when the woman caught in adultery was dragged before Jesus, no accuser could cast a stone. That was the wisdom of Christ, exposing the emptiness of men who judge others while carrying heavier weights themselves. Bring that same wisdom into Benue politics today and the picture changes completely. The very offenders would rush to cast stones first, not the innocent.
This is not blasphemy. It is simply what happens when a fallen clergyman denies the altar its power to protect him and instead adopts a doctrine foreign to Christ, one where a bite on the nose earns a bite on the buttocks, and a finger pointed in accusation gets bitten off in return. That is the spirit driving the Chat GPT armchair Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Tersoo Kula, who in an exercise of historical whitewash and naked hypocrisy, cast a stone at Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa SAN, the authentic PDP gubernatorial candidate for the coming elections.
Kula painted Aondoakaa as a man unfit for public office, lacking the integrity leadership demands. Let us then, without flinching, place the integrity of Chief Hyacinth Iormem Alia under the same light. If the story of Demas, who abandoned Apostle Paul for love of this present world, were ever rewritten for Benue, Alia’s name would sit at the center of that betrayal.
The earliest cracks in Alia’s integrity showed at his own ordination. It is alleged that the late Bishop Atule Usu refused to ordain him, yet a week later Alia was ordained in a solitary, unusual ceremony. Bishop Usu is remembered to have voiced doubt about him, saying he too was merely a servant of God and that only God truly knows His own. Alia’s ordination itself, by this account, was already clouded.
His journey into healing ministry carries a similar shadow. Pentecostal crusades had already taken root in Tiv land, and in Igboland Fr Ede drew massive crowds through healing masses. Around the same period, one Sam Zuga returned from years in Yorubaland where he mastered herbal mixtures, oils, and ointments of real potency. Granted space at St John’s Day Secondary School field, Zuga began selling his products openly, and people testified that they worked. Crowds grew. Soon Zuga folded religion into his trade and opened his own ministry, despite never being ordained a pastor or bishop anywhere.
Alia, watching Zuga’s fame rise, allegedly launched his own healing ministry soon after, selling blessed water, salt, and anointing oils. Where Zuga added religion to merchandise, Alia added merchandise to religion. The parallel is not flattering.
Allegations trailing his private conduct with women are not the point of this piece and remain his own business. But when a man’s name is dragged through mud this thick and this often, integrity is not the word that comes to mind.
In governance, the pattern continues. Benue’s wage bill remains undisclosed. Internally generated revenue is treated as classified information. The promise to resettle IDPs in their ancestral homes remains exactly that, a promise, gathering dust while displaced Benue people wait. None of this reflects transparency or accountability, the very hallmarks integrity demands of leadership.
Kula went hunting for a speck in Aondoakaa’s eye while standing blind before the log lodged in both eyes of his own principal. On the question of integrity, Alia has no moral standing to interrogate any gubernatorial candidate on a credential he himself does not possess.
By Aga Samuel Imoter, Jalingo
Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas has urged Christian leaders to defend truth, speak to political authorities when necessary and promote peace and moral values amid the social, economic and security challenges facing the country. Kefas made the call on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, while addressing participants at the Ministers’ Conference organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Taraba State Chapter, in Jalingo.
The conference, themed “The Church and the State: Partners in God’s Plan in a Changing World,” brought together Christian ministers and leaders to discuss the role of the Church in nation-building, peacebuilding and good governance. The governor said government and the Church have distinct constitutional and spiritual responsibilities but could collaborate in areas that promote peace, development and social stability.
He urged Christian leaders to uphold truth, compassion, justice and moral discipline while advising political authorities without allowing partisan interests to compromise the Church’s independence. “The Church must not become an extension of any political party,” Kefas said, urging ministers to provide constructive guidance and resist divisions based on politics, ethnicity or personal interests.
Kefas also called on religious leaders to use their platforms to discourage corruption, drug abuse, violence, hatred and injustice, while encouraging young people to pursue legitimate opportunities. He assured residents that his administration would continue to promote fairness, justice and peaceful coexistence while protecting citizens’ rights and freedom of worship.
The governor also expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with religious institutions in education, peacebuilding, community development and efforts to address drug abuse. He appealed to citizens and religious leaders to embrace unity and forgiveness, saying the development of Taraba required collective responsibility.
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Police Command will hold a three-day Police–Youth Engagement Programme from Thursday, August 20, to Saturday, August 22, 2026, as part of activities to mark International Youth Day and strengthen community efforts to prevent crime and promote peace.
The programme, themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” will bring together police officers, youths, community leaders, youth organisations and other stakeholders.In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the initiative was in line with a directive by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to deepen engagement between the police and young people.
According to the Command, activities will include a Walkathon/Peace Walk aimed at promoting unity, healthy living and responsible citizenship. A medical outreach will also provide basic healthcare services and health awareness to young people and community members.
The programme will conclude with a lecture and interactive session addressing crime prevention, cultism, drug abuse, political and digital thuggery, responsible social media use, youth participation in community policing and emerging security challenges.
The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, CP Rabiu Muhammad, urged youths, community leaders and other stakeholders to participate actively in the programme. He called on participants to support efforts to promote peace, unity, responsible citizenship and a safer Kaduna State.
From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Federal University Lokoja (FUL) has matriculated 900 postgraduate students for the 2025/2026 academic session, with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ggenga Solomon Ibileye, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to expanding postgraduate opportunities and strengthening its research culture. Ibileye made the commitment during the postgraduate matriculation ceremony held at the university’s permanent site in Lokoja.
The Vice-Chancellor said research remained central to the value of postgraduate education and stressed the university’s commitment to maintaining and improving its academic standards.
He said postgraduate students would undergo prescribed coursework and examinations, while their projects, theses and dissertations would be subjected to originality and similarity checks. According to him, students would also be required to defend research proposals, participate in internal seminars and submit their work to external examiners.
“These processes ensure that the certificate eventually conferred by the university is worth the years a candidate will spend earning it,” he said. Ibileye said the university currently offers postgraduate programmes at the Postgraduate Diploma, Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy levels, covering both professional and academic disciplines.
He commended the Provost of the postgraduate college, Prof. Matthew Ola-Rotimi Ajayi, for his leadership and expressed confidence that the institution’s academic standards would continue to improve. The Vice-Chancellor congratulated the new students and welcomed them to the postgraduate scholarly community of the university.
Kefas Urges Church Leaders to Defend Truth and Promote Peace in Taraba
Kaduna Police to Hold Three-Day Youth Engagement Programme on Crime and Drug Abuse
FUL Matriculates 900 Postgraduate Students, Reaffirms Commitment to Research
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