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Senatorial Bye-Election: Ukelle Diaspora Drum Support for Hon Agom

Published

5 years ago

October 26, 2020

…Kicks Off electioneering campaign Cross Northern Senatorial District

Cyril Ogar – Abuja

As the race for the Cross River northern senatorial Bye-election gathers momentum, A Group under the auspices of Ukelle in Diaspora, has thrown their weight behind their preferred candidate RT Hon Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, ahead of the Cross River North Senatorial bye-election in Cross River State.

This was made known in a press statement signed by the Acting National Coordinator, Bar. Alex Ebi Edim, and made available to AljazirahNigeria in Abuja. While enumerating the achievements made by Hon Agom who currently represents Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

According to the group, the lawmaker has all it takes to represent the great and good people of Cross River North Senatorial district at the Red Chamber based on his experience, knowledge, and pedigree over the years.

The group in the statement Advocated that it is the turn of Ogoja to emerge as senator following the death of late Senator Rose Oko, who the senator was representing Cross River North at the Senate, which he described as a blow to the entire senatorial district and Cross River State as a whole.

The statement reads in part, “Just as Senate seat is never a birthright for an individual, so also we should know that is never a birthright for a particular local government or ethnic or tribal group to be a senator.

“Each day people cry for a dividend of democracy when someone is representing them but when it time for the leader to come out, we use all strategies to say it must be from a particular place without considering if another zone has ever produced someone from there or has tasted that seat to keep doing the good work he has been doing.

“For a very long time since the inception of Senate till the present 9th Assembly, Ogoja local government Area which is one out of the five local government areas that constitute the Northern part of Cross River State has never in history produced a senator.

Not because they are not good enough as compared to those who have been there but because they are patient and always following due process.

The time for Ogoja is now “Hon Jarigbe is a man who over the years have proved to his constituency that power belongs to God and who believes that being in the green chamber is through the help of his people and not himself.

He is always seen appreciating his people. He is the only leader who has his people at heart anytime.”

According to the group, Hon Agom’s second tenure which he is currently serving he has empowered over 200 constituents from across the 24 wards of Ogoja/Yala with Birds, Feeds and Vaccines to run agribusiness; free medical outreach across Ogoja/Yala with Over 5,000 constituents as beneficiaries; empowered over 50 constituents with commercial motorcycles, over 25 tricycles (Keke NAPEP), mechanized farm implements and five cars to people across Ogoja/Yala; facilitated the supply and installation of 2nos 500kva transformers in Ogoja; provided cash for small and large scale business start-up capital to his constituents; special invention with N250,000 to youth from Ijibor in Bekwarra Local Government Area to a start-up business.

Rehabilitation of Borehole in Ochochi Okpudu in Okpoma, in Yala LGA; Yuletide Palliative to widows; entrepreneurship development training facilitation for over 400 constituents in order to access CBN’s AGSMEIS Loan of N10 million; organized skills acquisition training for youths across the 24 wards of Ogoja/Yala including cash for start-ups; paid JAMB registration fee for 240 students from 24 wards of Ogoja/Yala; payment of bursary to students of a high institution of learning in Ogoja/Yala; provision of materials against COVID-19 pandemic in the constituency including hand sanitizers, nose masks, and hand gloves along with palliative to vulnerable persons.

He also reeled out some ongoing and completed projects facilitated by the lawmaker in his federal constituency which include supply and installation of 2nos kva Transformers in Ogoja; onstruction of Nwang road in Ekajuk; construction of classroom block with library and offices for Comprehensive Secondary School in Ekajuk, Ogoja LGA; drilling and installation of solar-powered bore-hole projects at Abachor-Okuku in Yala LGA; Wanikade Ward, Yala LG; Ogoja Central Mosque; Ishindede in Ibil, Ogoja; Ntagamol, Ogoja; Bansara, Ogoja; Ekumtak, Mbube; Ishi-aya, Ogoja; Oyirim, Ogoja; Okpodon, Ogoja; Oba, Yala; Ijiraga, Yala; Gabu, Yala; Abachor, Yala; and Igbekurikor, Yala; Yehe, Yala.

From the above, we can attest that Hon Jarigbe is a purpose-driven leader who is ready to rescue our people by providing more employment, projects, build infrastructure, and render services to us.

He is people-oriented and concerns about the rural areas because he felt the pains of those in rural areas. “Your total support for him won’t be a regret but a plus in the development of our dear political district”, he added.

In a related development, the Cross River State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has kicked off electioneering campaign for the Cross River Northern Senatorial District with Mr. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe as its flag bearer with the inauguration of a campaign council
Addressing the campaign council, Barrister Venatius Ikem, the Director-General of the Campaign Council congratulated every member of the campaign council on their appointment,

Ikem who is also a PDP state chairmanship candidate in the forth coming state Congress of the party, charged everyone to remain steadfast and focus on delivering victory to the PDP and Jarigbe Agom in the forthcoming Senatorial election.

Also Speaking, Chief Austine Edibe the Secretary-General of the Campaign Council underlined the need for unity especially in the days ahead,

Chief Austine appealed to all members of PDP to take the Jarigbe Agom message of a better Cross River North to every part of the Senatorial district.

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NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2025

The Gleamer

By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC

As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.

Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.

Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.

But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.

As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.

Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.

Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.

Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.

As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.

Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.

Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.

As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.

We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”

To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.

To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.

And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.

Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.

The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.

Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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