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CPC Always Puts People Above Everything Else

Published

5 years ago

July 3, 2020

John Okeke

At the critical moment when China aims to secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eliminate poverty, the Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrated the 99th anniversary of its founding on July 1.

For a party that fights for the eternal wellbeing of the Chinese nation, the centenary only ushers in its prime of life.

With greater faith, conviction and confidence, all Party members are walking in a Long March of the new era, overcoming challenges with great courage and seizing every day to strive for great undertakings.

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 is a special witnessed to the remarkable performance of the CPC. Facing the epidemic, China has waged a resolute and all-out people’s war against the virus. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the Chinese people have made major strategic achievements in their response to the virus through concerted efforts and tremendous sacrifice.

Such great practice spoke volumes for the marked political advantages of the CPC’s leadership and China’s socialist system, and the Party’s lofty philosophy of serving the people at all costs. It also showed the political character of the communists who stay true to the Party’s founding mission and have the courage to shoulder responsibilities. Besides, it demonstrated the monumental force unleashed when the Party and all Chinese people were united, and revealed that the CPC, a large party, has always been vital during its near century-long journey.

Facing the storms in the course of China’s revolution, construction and reform, the CPC remains unchanged in its original aspiration and mission to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.

Rather than seeking political interests of its own, the Party always gives top priority to the interests of the people. This is what distinguishes the CPC, a Marxist political party, from other political parties.

Since its founding, the CPC, relying closely on the Chinese people, has surmounted numerous obstacles and accomplished monumental achievements that have gone down in the history of the Chinese nation. It has helped China realize a tremendous transformation: the country has stood up, grown rich and is becoming stronger.

The CPC has braved thorny paths over the past 99 years and completed an extraordinary journey with unremitting endeavors. It is the people that have given life and prosperity to the Party, and the people are the Party’s foundation, lifeblood and strength, enabling it to move forward against all risks and challenges, from one victory to another.

“Only by remaining true to our original aspiration, keeping our mission firmly in mind, and keeping on striving, could the Party stay young and live,” said Xi, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

Some moments are always vital for the development of history. For China, the year 2020 is characterized by standing at the conjunction point of the two centenary goals. Having withstood the test of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Chinese people are making the final push for attaining the first centenary goal – the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, an aspiration of the Chinese nation throughout centuries. This will be a milestone in the process of realizing national rejuvenation.

Based on this achievement, China will also embark on a new journey toward the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious.

Both domestic and international development environments are facing more complicated and severe challenges, which calls on the world to foster new opportunities in crises and create new prospects amid changes.

Only by continuing to follow a philosophy of people-centered development, putting the people above everything else, relying closely on them, and delivering benefits to them can the Party surmount all the obstacles and usher in a bright future.

“To secure a better life for the people is what we aim to achieve in everything we do,” Xi said. Efforts must be made by the CPC to normalize epidemic prevention and control and ensure people’s health and safety, crack the “hardest nut” of extreme poverty to sustain high-quality poverty alleviation and promote economic and social development to meet the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life.

All Party members need to have a clear understanding of major policies and strategies of the country and the Party, and regard the benefit of the people as their greatest political achievement. They should firmly implement the tasks of keeping employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign and domestic investments, and expectations stable and ensuring security in job, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments and guarantee that the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and arrangements will be firmly put into practice.

Meanwhile, the Party members should keep in mind both the domestic and international situations, have a stronger sense of responsibility, respond to the people’s needs, worries and difficulties, always remain true to their aspiration, and work in concert with the people, so as to ensure that the 1.4 billion Chinese people can live a prosperous life.

Socialism and happiness are achieved through concrete action and hard work. The Party has led the people in accomplishing missions that seemed impossible and creating miracle upon miracle through painstaking efforts.

To achieve poverty elimination, build a well-off society and create a brighter future calls for the hard work of the people. Despite the difficulties and obstacles the CPC may face on the road ahead and in the process of development, it must remain committed to upholding the principal position of the people in the country and showing respect for the creativity of the people. Besides, the Party should unite and lead the people to work harder and forge ahead, and rely on them to create new and even greater miracles.

Halfway to achieving its two centenary goals, China must race against time and keep up with the time.

Rallying more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, the Party members need to enhance their consciousness of maintaining political integrity, thinking in big-picture terms, following the leadership core, and keeping in alignment with the central Party leadership, have confidence in the socialist path, theory, system and culture, and resolutely uphold Xi Jinping’s core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the whole Party and uphold the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized and unified leadership.

Remaining committed to putting the people front and center, they should also seize the time, and strive to write a more brilliant chapter in the Long March of the new era and make outstanding achievements that can win the recognition of the people and stand up to the test of history.

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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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