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Rotimi Amaechi’s Aide, Aso Wenah, Dies At 54

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Hon. Asondu Temple Wenah, popularly called Aso Wenah, a political ally and one of the most trusted aides of the former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has passed away.

Hon Wenah, who was a Federal Commissioner for Mobilization and Fiscal Planning representing Rivers State, died on Tuesday, November 1, at the age of 54.

The astute politician who hailed from Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State reportedly died of heart attack in Lagos.

Confirming the news of Wenah’s demise to TheNiche on Wednesday, a devastated Amaechi said, “I spoke with Aso at about 11.47am on Tuesday. I just came out of class on break at the Nigerian Law School and we spoke on phone. We didn’t conclude our discussions before I went back to class. So we agreed to talk again in the night.

“Then at about 3pm, I got a call from one of us telling me that Aso, a man I discussed with barely three hours earlier was dead. They said he complained of chest pain and that was it. He was rushed to the hospital.

“I am devastated. I still can’t believe it.”

Aso Wenah’s last public outing was at the 2023 TheNiche Lecture which was delivered by Amaechi at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Thursday, October 26.

He was hail and hearty at the occasion. Even when Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State, missed his 2pm flight back to Abuja, Aso ensured that he got another flight at 4.30pm.

Speaking on Hon. Wenah’s death, the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of TheNiche, Mr. Ikechukwu Amaechi, was full of lamentations.

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“I was with Aso on Wednesday night prior to the lecture. In fact, I didn’t leave his hotel room until about 11pm. Then, on Thursday, he was all over the place at the NIIA. Everyone who came for the lecture and even those who watched online noticed him,” Ikechukwu mourned.

“He was the most efficient and loyal aide anyone could pray to have. He was a friend to all. This is sad and very devastating not only to Rotimi Amaechi but all who knew Aso.”

Commenting on his extraordinary qualities in an article in July 2020, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a media consultant based in Port Harcourt, said: “It is on record that since the inception of Rivers State in 1967 Hon Aso Wenah’s feats and innovative ideals and policies as the Rivers State Liaison Officer in Lagos dwarfed both the past and present officers appointed to handle that sensitive organ of government administration.

“His feats earned him the title of Ambassador Extraordinary of Rivers State as he used his office to attract foreign and local investments to Rivers State. He ensured that Lagos and Rivers states maintained wonderful and cordial relationship throughout his period of stewardship.”

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Kaduna State to hold education summit – Commissioner

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Kaduna State Government will convene an Education Summit as part of its strategy to bring about transformative change in the education sector, which will be anchored on four strategic pillars.

The Commissioner for Education, Professor Muhammad Sani Bello, who disclosed this while inaugurating the steering committee, further said that the event will be titled KADA EDUPACT International Summit 2025″.

According to him, one of the pillars is the Policy/Governance/Innovative Education Financing Pillar.

The Commissioner also listed the Access and Retention, Credible Learning Outcomes From Quality Inputs Pillars, as well as the Technology and Innovation pillars.

Prof Bello argued that the main objective of the summit is “to forge an Educational Pact between the government and the people, establishing commitment to shared model for education delivery, measurable outcomes and clearly defined negotiables.”

He further said that experts will make motivating presentations, adding that the Summit will provide opportunity for robust discussions on local and international investments in education, policy-making as well as technological innovations for improved teaching and learning.

The Commissioner also assured that a comprehensive education development roadmap for Kaduna State would fashioned out during the summit.

He said that the Director General of Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, Professor Usman Abubakar Zaria, will coordinate the activities of the steering committee, whose membership cuts across relevant Ministries Department and Agencies.

Sub-committees to handle various aspects of the summit were announced immediately after the steering committee was inaugurated.

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Police Bust Human Trafficking Ring In Oyo, Rescue 84 Victims

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The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a human trafficking ring in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

In a major operation, the police rescued 83 individuals and a child from a house in the Orogun area of the city, where they had allegedly been held for an undisclosed period.

Preliminary reports suggest that the victims, believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were lured to Nigeria under the pretence of being offered employment opportunities.

There are also claims that the perpetrators extorted significant sums of money, reportedly in dollars, from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of the elaborate scheme.

The rescued individuals are currently at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where authorities are conducting further investigations to ascertain the full details of the case.

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Pope Francis Laid To Rest In Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica

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Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.

Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.

Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking his wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove.

A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.

Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy.

The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin.

Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.

Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century AD church.

The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.

Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes.

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