Ahead of the primary election of the All Progressive Congress, APC, for the party to field its generally accepted candidate and flag bearer for the general election, Engr. Folorunsho Olafemi PhD, one of the Aspirants for Yagba Federal Constituency who has successfully picked his nomination and declaration of intent forms has met with Honorable Jacob Abraham Damilare, the Youngest Political Appointee from Okun land to the executive governor of Kogi State His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello for further consultation as he hopes to cling the party’s ticket and consequently drive the party to victory at the general election poll.

Addressing Hon. Jacob Abraham who hails from Ward 1 Okedagun, Odole Mopa, Mopamuro Local Government, Engr. Folorunsho eulogized him for making himself available to take leadership responsibilities at his very young age, stating that governor Yahaya Bello has through him further justified the mantra of “Youth’O’Clock” and Youths Involvement in Political decision making processes in the State.

“By virtue of your position as a Permanent Board Member of Kogi State Health Insurance Agency (KGSHIA) and regardless of your age, you are a critical stakeholder in our party, Local Government, Federal Consistency, Senatorial District and State in general, hence, undermining your relevance, values, inputs and contributions to this pursuit of mine, will be tantamount to a great error.”

“Governor Yahaya Bello must have identified quality leadership attributes in you to have adorned you with such a huge task as a Permanent Board Member of an Agency in the State”.

Engr. Folorunsho noted that the purpose of this consultation is for him and his team to fetch a quality quantity of strategic planning advises on how his desire of clinging the party’s ticket can be manifested, saying that in this project of his, no one is ever undermined.

Reacting to the aspirant who is also a native of Mopamuro Local Government Area, Hon. Abraham Jacob expressed satisfaction with the level at which the consultation train of Folorunsho Olafemi is moving especially in ensuring that no stone is left unturned and also by not belittling anyone.

According to him, this consultation today is made possible by God through my principal and destiny helper; His Excellency Governor Yahaya Bello who found me worthy of wearing this shoe in his administration, a privilege I do not take for granted. Hence, it is my duty and responsibility to ensure that the primary interest of my principal which is always in the interest of our great Party and the State, remains jealously protected at all cost.

In this forthcoming APC’s primary elections in the State, His Excellency who is the leader of our party has made it emphatically clear that no Aspirants is receiving any special endorsement from the government which means that all aspirants should go to the primary poll to test their popularity and on this position of His Excellency is what all of us who are his political lieutenants are standing with.

He advised Engr. Folorunsho Olafemi to continue with his consultation strategies and also not forget reaching out to the delegates across the 34 wards in the Federal Constituency, while expressing optimism that with this and many more tactics, victory can not be far from being reached.

Hon. Abraham Jacob appreciates Engr. Folorunsho for seeing him worthy for such a consultation, maintaining that to whom much is given, much is expected. He further charged the aspirant not to neglect the Youths and students wings in the Constituency, stressing that they are his immediate constituency and that if their interest is not captured in his manifesto, he should go back and make a readjustment of same to fit in properly and accordingly.

And finally, Hon. Abraham Jacob wish Engr. Folorunsho well in the project ahead and pray that may his good intentions for the people of Yagba as professed see the light of the day if that be the wish of the Lord Almighty.

Reporting
Folorunsho Olafemi Media Team
7/05/2022

Following the recent approval of the establishment of Medicine and Engineering Programs in Federal University Lokoja(FUL), by the Senate of the institution at its just concluded 61st (Special) meeting held on Thursday, 27th May, 2021, at the Senate Chamber Adankolo campus, Comrade Jacob Abraham Damilare has expressed endless joy and satisfaction with the institution and has also described the Vice Chancellor Professor Olayemi Akinwumi’s led Administration as a purposeful, result oriented and foresighted administration noted that within the Vice Chancellor’s few months of resumption into office, the institution has recorded nothing other than commendable achievements ranging from uplifting students and staff welfares, academic standard improvements, speed of light infrastructural developments to mention but a few.

Comrade Abraham while commending the foresightedness of Professor Akinwumi and the Senate of the institution, pointed out part of the benefits these newly approved programmes will attract to the institution and the State in general.

According to him, upon the commencement of these programs, Federal University Lokoja will in no doubt be seen to be one of the world class matured Tertiary Institutions.

Medicine and Engineering are one of those programs that helps a university to be ranked with the world class standard. Hence, Federal University Lokoja, will in no distant time enjoy this same ranking privilege amongst leagues of Universities in Nigeria and around the globe.

“Professor Akinwumi has further proven to us that his appointment as the Vice Chancellor of the over 10 Years Old Citadel of learning is not a misplacement of priority instead it is a perfect definition of the phrase “Putting a round peg in a round hole”.

“The Vice Chancellor’s forethoughtful nature upon assumption of office has been nothing but impeccable, commendable and highly fruitful to say the least”.

As a Unionist, Comrade said he must commend Prof. Akinwumi for his drive to take Federal University Lokoja into meeting up with the league of mature Universities.

It takes only a man of deep passion for greatness to push such a drive and get it achieved particularly within a very short time frame.

Judging from the recent remarkable achievements recorded so far, Comrade Abraham urged the members of the Senate, students and government at all levels to join hands with Professor Akinwumi in actualizing his already approved 5 years Action Plan for the institution whilst expressing optimism that those plans will in no doubt spur the institution into an enviable peak amongst leagues of matured Universities.

Comrade also appealed that the Senate and Prof. Akinwumi’s led Administration of Federal University Lokoja, should also look into the approval of “The Faculty of Law in addition to the already approved programmes”.

According to him, this will complement the movement of the institution into meeting with matured Universities. “When this institution have the combination of Medicine, Engineering and law added with the already existing faculties, you can imagine what Federal University Lokoja will metamorphose into in the nearest of time; It will be one of the best things that could ever happen to the students community.., offering of opportunities across various fields of disciplines”.

He also applauded the presentations made by the two eminent scholars at the floor of the Senate; Professor Ozovehe Mike Ogirima, a Professor of Medicine from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Professor Abdulateef O. Onundi, a Professor of Engineering from the University of Maiduguri who were invited on sabbatical to co-ordinate and anchor the two programs for the university and whose brilliant presentations precedes the approval of the programs by the Senate.

“This great development will give greater opportunities to our Kogi State indigenous students to pursue their dreams in the study of Medicine and Engineering without necessarily leaving the State judging from the current state of insecurity in the country and with Kogi State being the second most peaceful State in Nigeria. This is just the perfect time for these programs to come to fruition in the State”.

In commemoration of this year’s Children’s Day Celebration, Comrade Jacob Abraham Damilare has sent felicitation message to children as this day is specially carved out to celebrate them for your unique essence of existence.

Comrade Abraham in his congratulatory message made available to the press, described children as a vessel of honor for which a generation is built upon; they are divine gift that only God can give to mankind, stressing that anyone blessed by God with them should treasure them and guide them jealously through the right path of a better future.

Abraham noted that Parents are the earthly guardian angels of every child and consequent upon this title, parents must remain responsible for them and guide them right on the ways to becoming useful members of the larger human society.

“Parents are the first point of contact to socialization for every child born here on earth and as such, every parent either biological or not, should holistically avail themselves to the nitty gritty of being a responsible role model to their wards for they are the ones to make it easy for the larger system to find it easy to adapt with their wards when they finally come out to socialize with them”.

Parents should not spare the rod and spoil the child in any for because children are fast to holding unto whatsoever they are comfortable with regardless of it being good or bad so long as they are allowed to get away with it. Therefore, parents must always by at alert in giving children the upright upbringing.

Also speaking, Comr. Abraham dolled out encomiums to the leadership of His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State for increasing the budget on Education and for also enacting the Kogi State Education Law.

Abraham noted that section 9 of the Kogi Education Law states it clear that it is an offence in the State for a child of school age not to be in school or hawking during school hours; “If any child is seen hawking or doing anything during school hour, that child shall be apprehended by the special marshals that are already in place till the parent or guardian of such child comes forward to give cogent reason why the child is not in school”. This step taken by the government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello is one that calls for commendation for it is in the favour every child in Kogi State.

He also commended Governor Yahaya Bello for awarding a full time scholarship opportunity to Miss Ize Sezuo, the Kogi State Youngest Table Tennis Player who participated fully and won medal for the State in the just concluded National Table Tennis Championship held in Lagos. He said this scholarship will go a long way in boosting the morales of both the beneficiary and other talented children of Kogi State origin who are making the state proud in their respective areas of interest in sports.

With the recent happening on Insecurity in the country, Abraham Jacob a concerned students’ leader has appealed to bandits in the country to leave students alone as their victims and redirect their targets to politicians who are the main reasons why the multiple resources in the country are not evenly distributed therefore leaving innocent hardworking employable men, women and youths to indulge in acts that basically threatens the existence of law and orderliness in the country.

Abraham said that students can not meet the demands of these bandits with the popular identity of “Unknown Gunmen”, hence students in their innocence should not be mapped out as their targets for kidnapping and banditry.

“It is so unfair that these kidnappers in the guise of unknown gunmen are making life so unbearable for the average Nigerian students in their respective citadel of learning”.

This to say the least is absolutely unfair to the students community.

We do not know the reasons for all of these high increase in insecurity in the country but the average Nigerian is not unaware that all of these boils down to political score counts from corrupt politicians. Students should not be used as the sacrificial lamb in all of these.

“Bandits should therefore go after Politicians for they are the sole solution providers to the problems bedeviling our country”.

Comr. Abraham who pointed at the sad incident of kidnapping of an undisclosed numbers of students of Greenfield University and the subsequent killings of over five of them by their kidnappers who according to the news made available to the public are demanding for a ransom of over 800 Million Naira, the kidnapping of Students of Forestry College Kaduna despite the institution’s compound closeness to a military academy, noted that Armed groups have repeatedly struck northern Nigerian schools and universities since December 2020, abducting more than 700 students for ransom.

This he described as a threat to our freedom to life and Education in the country, stating that instead of going after innocent students in their respective educational Institutes, bandits should concentrate more on corrupt politicians for they are the reasons why the center no longer holds for Nigerians in Nigeria.

“Corrupt politicians are the ones hoarding our country’s resources alone to themselves and their families, should you go after them, we can be sure that they will no longer amass the lean resources of the country. Please leave students and the poor masses alone”.

Abraham Jacob writes from Lokoja, Kogi State.

Rising Star Mopa defeated Kabba FC on a 3-1 goals count that left Kabba FC to be placed on the second position of the tournament while Rising Star Mopa went back home in jubilation with the trophy as the winner of the tournament.

The Mopa Rising Star did not just win the trophy, they also went home with other awards such as the Best Goalkeeper, The Highest Goal Scorer and Best Coach of the tournament leaving a player from Kabba FC to win the best player of the tournament Award.

Ere Football Club on the other hand defeated Iyara FC with a lone goal to bag the third place winner of the tournament.

This final tournament had in attendance the Obaro of Kabba and Chairman Okun Traditional Council His Royal Majesty Oba Solomon Owoniyi who presented the trophy to Rising Star Mopa as the winner of the tournament while The Obajemu of Owe Land presented the second place trophy to Kabba FC

Also in attendance were some licensed FIFA and NFF agents who came around to note the performances of the players, and registered NFF Officials were also present and responsible for officiating the match which indeed in peace and orderliness.

According to the sponsor of the Tournament Mr Abayomi Bello the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sologics Groups of Companies, he assured that the tournament will take an annual dimension noting that he has obviously seen that the objective of the tournament was indeed achieved and not defeated. He noted that the tournament further strengthen already existing Unity amongst Youths in Okun Land through grassroot Sporting and this he agreed came into fruition.

He also appreciated the Kogi State Sports Council for their overwhelming cooperation and support from the beginning to the end of the tournament while promising to ensure that he will continue to partner with the Council to promote sporting activities in the State.

Mr Abayomi appreciated Comr. Ajagun Opeyemi Samuel and the fifteen Coordinators across the Five Local Government Areas in Okun Land, saying that the success of this program is not far from their commitments.

Signed:
Media Head,
Okun Unity Cup