News
Rep. Umaru Empowers Over 100 Teachers, Rewards Students with N10m in Education Initiatives
By Sunday John
Rep. Jeremiah Umaru (APC, Akwanga/Nassarawa-Eggon/Wamba Federal Constituency) has trained more than 100 primary and secondary school teachers across the 35 electoral wards of his constituency to enhance their capacity for effective service delivery.
Speaking during the event on Wednesday in Akwanga Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Umaru said the training was part of his blueprint to invest in and promote the education sector.
He explained that the capacity-building program focused on improving school administration and integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into teaching and learning to make educators more efficient and globally competitive.
The lawmaker pledged to sustain the initiative and extend it to all teachers in his constituency in line with international best practices.
Participants received training through papers and presentations on topics such as “The Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Teacher Education,” “Effective School Leadership and Management,” “Financial Management in School Administration,” and “Drug Abuse and the Poor Performance of Students.”
In a related development, Umaru also presented more than ₦10 million in cash prizes to winners of the second edition of his constituency-wide secondary school debate competition.
Expressing satisfaction with the students’ performance, he commended their confidence, composure, and logical presentation of arguments. He also appreciated teachers for their dedication to mentoring and nurturing young minds.
“The debate aims to build networks among students and expose them to global standards in public speaking and academic competition,” Umaru said. “The connections and confidence they gain here will help shape their future aspirations.”
He added that the platform encourages peer review between public and private school students, noting that such competitions help strengthen intellectual and communication skills.
Umaru reaffirmed his commitment to initiating more developmental programs across sectors to empower his constituents and justify their support at the polls.
At the grand finale, Shepherd International College, Akwanga, emerged as the overall winner, while Government Science Secondary School, Wamba, and Our Lady of Fatima College, Ogba, Nassarawa-Eggon, came second and third, respectively.
The winning school received a ₦1 million cash prize and five laptops, the first runner-up got ₦700,000 and three laptops, while the second runner-up received ₦500,000 and two laptops.
Individual awards included ₦500,000 and a laptop for the best speaker, ₦250,000 and a laptop for the second-best speaker, and ₦150,000 and a laptop for the third-best speaker. Each of the remaining 32 participating schools received ₦200,000 and educational materials.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the debate competition, which began in August, brought together students from both public and private schools across the constituency.
Head coach of Delta Queens Hockey Club, Ade Jacobs, has expressed confidence that his team will reach the final of the ongoing 2026 Nigeria Hockey Super League in Abuja
Mr Jacobs stated this during an interview after their second match on Sunday in Abuja.
He said his team remains focused on reaching the final stage of the league despite playing out a draw in their second match. .
Mr Jacobs said that though his players were below their usual standard, he was confident they would improve in subsequent games.
“It has been fine so far. We won our first match 5-0, and this second match ended in a 1-1 draw. Well, it’s one of those things that happen sometimes in matches because most of my girls looked a little bit heavy. I don’t know why.
“We intend to improve on that. In our next match, against I-G Babes on Tuesday by 11 a.m . They will come out better, and I can assure you of that,” he said.
The Delta Queens coach reiterated the team’s ambition, recalling their third-place finish in the 2025 Nigeria Hockey Super League.
“We are determined to go a step further this season.Last season, we finished in third place. This season, our target is to play in the final match . We just have to be in the final stage,” he said.
Mr Jacobs also commended the organisers for the smooth conduct of the competition
“So far, so good. They are doing well,” he added.
Delta Queens opened their campaign in impressive fashion with a convincing 5-0 victory over Yobe Desert Queens in their opening match before settling for a 1-1, against South West Hockey Club of Lagos in their second fixture.
A total of seven women’s teams comprises Kada Queens, Plateau Queens, Delta Queens, Yobe Desert Queens, IGP Babes, South West, and Edo Queens.
Kada Queens are the reigning women’s champions, while Kada Stars are the defending champions in the men’s category.
The 2026 Nigeria Hockey Super League which commenced on June 26 will end on July 5 at the National Hockey Pitch of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
(NAN)
The Certified True Copy of the Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress has emerged.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Isa H. Dashen at the Lokoja Judicial Division, effectively sets aside a December 10, 2025 judgment that had previously compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the party.
The court said the prior judgment was nullified because it affected the legal rights of the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the logo used by the NDC but was never joined as a party to the original lawsuit.
Recall that the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, on Saturday said that the commission was waiting to obtain the official paperwork before finalizing its response.
“We have applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment. Until we receive it, we cannot be in a position to comment on it. However, the position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment was that INEC rejected NDC’s letter of intent to be registered as a political party,” Haruna explained.
The NDC had said that it has already been denied the portal access codes needed to upload its candidate list for the 2027 general elections.
In response to the portal denial, the National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Osa Director, confirmed that their efforts to secure the necessary credentials were unsuccessful.
“We approached INEC to collect the access code to upload the names of our candidates to the INEC portal. They told us that they will get back to us,” Director said.
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