Television Nigerian

On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu gave the Federation’s Head of Civil Service instructions to provide employment letters to 200 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) President’s Honors Award recipients.

He announced that the fortunate personnel will get a cash prize of N250,000 in addition to automatic employment into the civil service and postgraduate scholarships to Nigerian universities.

Ten former Corps members with physical disabilities who were injured during their service were also automatically hired by the federal government.

At the combined 2020–2023 NYSC President’s Honors Award ceremony in Abuja, the president made the announcement via Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State for Labor and Employment.

He explained the gesture as an expression of the government’s dedication to national service and young development.

He commended the recipients for their selflessness, discipline, patriotism, and excellent service, emphasizing that their sacrifices were essential to the nation’s long-term success and social cohesiveness.

“The Federal Civil Service Commission and the Head of the Federation’s Civil Service have been instructed to start the hiring process right away,” he stated.

“All honorees will receive N250,000 as a token of gratitude for their service to the country. A scholarship to pursue postgraduate studies up to the PhD level at any university in the nation would also be given to each prize laureate, Tinubu declared.

According to the president, the administration has created a number of youth-focused programs in the areas of education, technology, business, and skill development in order to tap into the potential of Nigerian young.

He said, “We are steadfast in our determination to prioritize youth in our economic and national development agenda.”

He also cautioned against those who would want to destabilize the country and advised young Nigerians to maintain their optimism. “Be confident in Nigeria. “Our greatest strength is our unity,” he stated.

Nunaya Polycarp Nunaya (Adamawa, served in Kwara); Okpogbo Alvin Chinedu (Imo, served in Cross River); Dr. Ugwa Obinna Mark (Abia, served in Cross River); Rabiu Quadri Mayokun (Osun, served in Rivers); Akase Pati Ence Ngu­wasen (Benue, served in Gombe); and Igwe Anne Chikaodi (Enugu, served in Sokoto) were among the six top-performing corps members in attendance.

President Tinubu’s commitment to raising Nigerian youths was praised by Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande, who pointed to recent hikes in corps members’ allowances from N33,000 to N77,000.

“This is a clear response to economic realities and a show of appreciation for the contributions of our young people, not a political gesture,” Olawande stated.

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He commended the NYSC for turning forth generations of dedicated young Nigerians who have used civic participation, healthcare, and education to improve underprivileged neighborhoods.

Along with acknowledging the Ministry of Youth Development’s sustained legislative support, Olawande promised more reforms in areas including digital skills, renewable energy, and youth entrepreneurship.

Brigadier General Olakunle Akinyemi Nafiu, the NYSC’s director-general, referred to Nigerian youths as “the vital force for our collective progress and preser­vation of national unity.”

He emphasized that 200 honorees were chosen after a stringent screening procedure that evaluated their leadership, dedication to community development, and service impact. Under the NYSC Hope Alive program, ten more honorees were recognized for their continued service in spite of injuries they received while performing their duties.

In addition to honoring four corps members who died while serving, Nafiu declared, “These young Nigerians are not just awardees, they are heroes of our Republic.”

According to the DG, the NYSC’s Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) deployed nearly 6,000 medical personnel, including 2,319 doctors, in 2025 alone, providing free medical care, health education, and disease prevention to over four million Nigerians.

He mentioned that NYSC trains more than 250,000 corps members a year through its redesigned entrepreneurship and skills acquisition programs, which now take into account the demands of the market and the digital world.

He declared, “We are not just producing graduates; we are producing leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers.”

Nafiu said that she hoped the NYSC Trust Fund Bill, which is currently pending, would soon be brought into law and provide long-term financial assistance for youth reintegration and post-service enterprise.

“You may have left the khaki behind, but you now wear the confidence of a great nation,” he remarked, speaking directly to the honorees. This prize is a responsibility as well as a reward. You are innovators of hope and messengers of solidarity.

Ezieme Francis Uba, one of the recipients, conveyed his appreciation for the honor. Nothing makes you happier than to see your hard work paid off. For this honor, I am grateful to the president, my family, and my friends. It serves as inspiration to accomplish more.

The NYSC continues to serve as a platform for youth empowerment and a symbol of national cohesion as it marks more than 50 years since its founding in 1973.

A renewed attempt to uplift its legacy and reposition Nigeria’s young for national transformation is evident in President Tinubu’s most recent intervention.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady, has given a N1 billion check to help the victims of bandit assaults in Benue State’s Yelwata town.

She delivered the presentation during her Tuesday visit to Benue State to offer condolences to the state’s leadership and citizens for recent attacks that killed over 200 people and left many more maimed and displaced.

Gautier Mignot, the European Union’s ambassador to Nigeria, had warned during his visit that the Yelwata attack victims were being malnourished and desperately needed relief.

Given that help was equally vital in Gaza, Sudan, and the Sahel, Mignot had mobilized all parties involved to act quickly to improve the situation.

The Re­newed Hope Initiative’s gift, she said, is meant to assist the victims of the heinous attacks in getting back on their feet as quickly as possible.

She initially stopped by the Government House when she first arrived in the state, where she met Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The governor had the chance to reiterate the necessity of state policing, which has been a hot topic in the country for some time, during the visit.

The killings, according to Mrs. Tinubu, were heartbreaking and needless.

“As a mother, I implore everyone to put aside their complaints and return to friendly and harmonious cohabitation.

“Dialogue and patience are still the greatest ways to resolve conflicts instead of using violence. The path of peace is the path of love, and love is the most powerful force in the world. It endures a lot of pain, but it overcomes everything.

She emphasized that peaceful coexistence is still the key to the expansion, advancement, and development of any community, people, or country.

Benue State’s rich and varied agricultural produce has earned it the nickname “food basket” of the country. Benue State can make significant contributions to the development and prosperity of our country, particularly in the field of food security.

Sen. Oluremi Tinubu promised that the president and other relevant authorities would be informed of everything that was stated in response to some of the pleas made by previous speakers.

Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, the state’s governor, had earlier noted that the recent murders in the state highlight the urgent need for both state and local enforcement.

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In order to guarantee prompt and efficient reaction, efficient intelligence information collection, and safer neighborhoods, this only serves to highlight the urgent need for state and community policing.

He praised the Renewed Hope program, the First Lady’s program, saying it has been characterized by love, support, and compassion.

You have shown Benue State so much consideration, kindness, empathy, compassion, and support. This is a highly regarded leadership style that we value and treasure.

Sunday, July 13, 2025, was a day to remember in Nigeria. The 91st birthday of Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka fell on that day. Unfortunately, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebuland, and former President Muhammadu Buhari also paid down the debt of nature on that day.

Awujale Adetona was remarkable in a number of ways. His father, Prince Rufai Adeleke, was ready to become king, but he gave the throne to his son instead, who ruled the Ijebu kingdom for 65 years after ascending to the throne just one month before his 26th birthday.

In every aspect of his appearance, demeanor, speech, and behavior, he was royalty. He was honest in all of his statements, had faith in his own judgment, and followed his convictions. Not even a threat to his life could make him change his mind; he would never back down.

That much was demonstrated in a remarkable confrontation with General Sani Abacha, the autocrat who controlled Nigeria with an iron grip, following the brutal annulment of the country’s most free and fair presidential election by military President Ibrahim Babangida’s government.

Awujale Adetona believed that giving Bashorun MKO Abiola, who had won the election handily, control of the government—even if he led an interim government—was the only option to break the political impasse that the military had established.

At his palace in Ijebu Ode, he arranged secret, occasionally public gatherings of opposition politicians, civil society activists, and other Abiola supporters. He was dubbed Oba NADECO, or monarch of the National Democratic Coalition, as a result.

When General Abacha placed Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya, his deputy, in the gulag for a fictitious coup and appeared determined to execute him and others, Awujale Adetona publicly denounced the injustice.

One of his subjects, Ogun State Governor Bisi Onabanjo, was upset with the Awujale during the Second Republic and wanted to have him removed in order to make amends. Nevertheless, he firmly stood up, defended his rights, and denounced the persecution that he believed was unjustified.

Fortunately for him, the coup that turned Major General Muhammadu Buhari into a military head of state cost him his seat. Colonel Oladipo Diya, who was then serving as the military governor of Ogun State, read the riot act to Ijebu Ode natives who had supported former governor Onabanjo, who was then imprisoned in Gen. Buhari’s gulag.

Awujale Adetona consistently demonstrated distinctive radical and progressive qualities throughout his public career. He was able to successfully combine the modern and the ancient by bringing new concepts to perform roles and behaviors that had been practiced for centuries.

As part of the celebration of an improved Oju­de Oba Carnival, he led his people to construct an ultramodern palace and revive and introduce the Regberegbe age grade. This carnival matched the scale, glamour, and steeze of the Rio Carnival in Brazil, the London Nothing Hill Carnival, and the New Orleans Mardi Gras.

He succeeded in convincing Segun Osoba, the former governor of Ogun State, to turn the old Public Works Department building across from the Aafin Awujale into the Ojude Oba Arena in order to provide room for more athletes. At the Ojude Oba Carnival, however, the venue is getting smaller in comparison to the enormous throng.

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He reorganized the group of Ijebu titleholders into three groups: the Council of Chiefs, for chiefs; the Council of Otunba, for Otunbas; and the Ijebu Traditional Council, for kings. To improve their villages’ standing, he made several “Baales” into crowned kings.

More significantly, he appointed talented people to those roles, even though he gave the relevant families the option to select candidates for family titles and attempted to advise them to choose deserving candidates.

He ceased taking part in the dance that signaled the entrance of Alagemo priests in Ijebu Ode for their festival, but some felt that he went a bit too far when he almost eliminated several ancient traditions due to his Islamic religious beliefs.

Allegations were made that he ceased to supply the necessary materials for the yearly Obirin Ojowu Festival celebration. Additionally, Egungun Masquerades became an uncommon and almost extinct festival in Ijebu Ode.

The pinnacle of his radical and progressive qualities was his ability to convince the State House of Assembly and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun to pass a law allowing Ogun State kings to be buried in accordance with their religious beliefs rather than by traditionalists who are said to have hacked the bodies of deceased kings into pieces for ceremonial purposes.

We offer our condolences to the people of Ijebu Ode on the passing of Awujale Sikiru Kayode Adetona, a unique and forward-thinking monarch who had a profoundly noteworthy influence on Yorubaland’s kingdom system. Now, the query is, “Where does another Awujale in the color of the recently deceased come from?”