DIPHTHERIA AND METRO BUSES The Plateau State Government deserves commendation for introducing metro buses to ease transportation for workers, students, traders, business people and other residents across the metropolitan LGAs. However, with diphtheria reported in Jos North and deaths reportedly linked to the disease , we must begin to look at the potential public-health implications of crowded public transportation. These buses move large numbers of people daily across Jos South, Jos North, Bassa, Barkin Ladi and Jos East. One infected passenger coughing in a crowded bus could potentially expose several others, who may subsequently take the infection into their homes, workplaces, schools and communities. The Plateau State Government should act immediately by temporarily reducing the number of passengers allowed on each bus , thereby reducing overcrowding and creating better spacing. The buses should also be regularly and thoroughly sanitized , particularly high-touch surfaces s...
NELFUND: From Political Promise to Educational Revolution — Why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Student Loan Initiative Matters to Nigeria and Plateau State There are some government policies that should not be judged merely by the political party that introduced them, but by the number of lives they have the potential to change. The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, is one of such policies. In an era when the cost of acquiring a university education is becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary Nigerian families, the student loan initiative introduced and operationalised under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, represents one of the most consequential interventions in Nigeria's tertiary education system in recent years. This is not simply about giving students money. It is about changing the question from "Can your parents afford university?" to "Do you have the ability and determination to pursue university education?" T...