Chinese robots expand global reach through diverse applications 

By Ouyang Jie, Liu Junguo, People’s Daily

From factories and power plants to warehouses and emergency response sites, Chinese-made robots are increasingly being deployed across a wide range of applications worldwide. 

This expansion reflects not only the rapid growth of China’s robotics industry but also the ability of Chinese companies to develop products tailored to diverse market needs, improve service capabilities, and build localized operations overseas. 

At the assembly workshop of Pudu Robotics, a Chinese service robotics manufacturer located in Jianhu county, east China’s Jiangsu province, five production lines were running at full capacity for 10 hours. 

Workers at assembly stations were installing new batches of lidar modules into robot bodies. The company’s production schedule has already fully booked through 2027, with factory production plans significantly tighter than last year.

Founded in 2016, Pudu Robotics has focused on the global commercial service robot market. It has shipped more than 130,000 units and served over 50,000 end customers worldwide. 

Since the beginning of this year, the company’s exports have already exceeded the total volume of the previous year, with products sold to 85 countries and regions. Its cleaning robots, in particular, have maintained year-on-year export growth of more than 100 percent for consecutive years, accounting for 29 percent of the global commercial cleaning robot market.

Pudu Robotics is just one example of Chinese intelligent robot companies expanding into overseas markets. According to customs data from Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province, exports of various types of robots from Shenzhen reached 6.94 billion yuan ($1.03 billion) in the first half of this year, representing a tenfold increase year-on-year. These products were shipped to more than 110 countries and regions.

Strong technological capabilities are at the core of the global competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing.

“Our quadruped robots have officially started operations at a nuclear power plant in Switzerland, carrying out frequent and routine autonomous inspections in high-risk areas,” said Yao Hengyan, assistant general manager of DEEP Robotics in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province.

The robot can climb slopes as steep as 45 degrees, navigate narrow spaces between equipment and access areas that are difficult for humans to reach. Equipped with thermal imaging and acoustic sensors, it can accurately detect potential hazards such as leaks, abnormal temperatures, and unusual equipment noises. 

Inspection data is uploaded in real time to a digital management platform, which can automatically issue alerts and initiate responses once anomalies are detected.

Besides, the quadruped robots of the company are also used for factory security and underground pipeline inspection in Switzerland.

A diverse product portfolio has enabled Chinese robots to adapt to a broad range of global application scenarios.

Pudu Robotics has divided the market into 16 major industries and more than 800 categories of specific applications and tasks based on customer needs, said Zhang Tao, founder and CEO of the company. The company has continuously optimized the overall performance of its products to ensure they are “functional, user-friendly, and durable” in complex environments.

It has established four major product lines covering delivery, cleaning, industrial, and general-purpose embodied intelligence robots, with applications spanning multiple sectors, including manufacturing and warehousing logistics.

The successful deployment of DEEP Robotics’ quadruped robots at a Swiss nuclear power plant, where safety standards are extremely demanding, demonstrates the stability and reliability of China-made robots, Yao said. 

The company has reached an agreement with its Swiss client to expand cooperation, and its robots, which can adapt to complex terrain and extreme weather conditions, have already been deployed in energy, industrial, and emergency response scenarios in various parts of the world.

As they continue to explore overseas markets, many Chinese robotics companies are shifting from simply exporting products to building localized brands and service networks.

Competition in China’s service robot sector has moved beyond price-performance advantages and entered a new stage where quality, brand recognition, and service capabilities are equally important, Zhang said. Customers are looking for not just a machine, but a comprehensive solution that can operate reliably over the long term.

To meet these needs, Pudu Robotics has established local offices and service centers in major global markets and built a cooperation network involving more than 1,000 distributors. The network provides partners with full-process support, including pre-sales consultation, sales assistance, deployment, after-sales maintenance, and rapid spare parts response, helping customers overcome concerns about adopting complex technologies.

The current penetration of robots remains relatively low, leaving broad room for future growth, Zhang said. As robots become increasingly integrated into various industries, different application scenarios will require different types of robots and capabilities. The company hopes to develop a unified “intelligent brain” for robots that can empower various products in fields such as delivery, cleaning, and industrial applications.

Pudu Robotics will continue expanding investment in technological innovation and product upgrades, making robots increasingly intelligent and capable of serving more industries worldwide, Zhang added.

Wuxi’s “Token Supermarket”: A one-stop AI model platform for local businesses

By Yao Xueqing, People’s Daily

When Li Tao, the software department supervisor at Sevice — a security technology company based in Jiangsu — opened Wuxi’s AI industry service platform, he navigated straight to the “Token Supermarket” on the homepage. He logged into his account to check usage metrics and his remaining balance.

Li’s company specializes in intelligent security, with software development as its core business. “Since last year, AI has handled 85 percent of our software development workflows,” Li said. The company needs to purchase tokens from various large language model platforms, with fees calculated based on usage.

Initially, the company’s demand for tokens was limited, and the cost was almost negligible. But as computing needs grew rapidly, monthly expenses increased. Different large models have different capabilities and applications, Li said. Companies not only have to cope with rising costs, but also manage and maintain multiple accounts and switch between different models, he added.

In May this year, Wuxi rolled out this city-level “Token Supermarket.” Li Tao visited the platform the very day it went live. Lined up on its virtual “shelves” were over 20 mainstream large models, covering nearly all those widely adopted by enterprises.

Thanks to the platform’s centralized procurement, most offerings are available at favorable rates. Even more convenient, users need only a single registered account to call upon different large models on demand.

The company immediately decided to register with the “Token Supermarket” and top up its account. Li did the math: with a monthly recharge of 20,000 yuan ($2,963), more than 30 engineers can use 4 billion to 5 billion tokens. The complimentary concurrent-access benefit package has also enabled more than 30 employees to work efficiently in parallel.

As a result, the company has cut research and development costs by nearly 30 percent, shortened software development cycles from two weeks to less than one week, and increased efficiency by 50 percent.

Why did Wuxi launch such a “Token Supermarket,” and what makes it unique?

According to Zhu Yiqing, deputy general manager of Wuxi Digital New Infrastructure Co., Ltd., which operates the platform, token usage is growing rapidly, but companies still face challenges such as high costs, complicated management of multiple AI model accounts and difficulties in calculating expenses.The “Token Supermarket” was developed to provide a one-stop purchasing platform and has already served more than 50 enterprises.

Its customers include not only companies like Li’s that purchase tokens to assist with daily office work, but also many enterprises that buy tokens as “bulk raw materials” for further processing and development.

Dramasmaker, a startup developing AI-powered animated storytelling production tools, is one such customer. The company was founded in August last year and spent more than six months independently developing a one-stop animation production system, which entered the testing and production phase in May of this year, said general manager Wei Jianfei.

The company needs to purchase large amounts of tokens, resulting in high costs. During the early startup stage, this placed considerable pressure on its cash flow, Wei said.

Zhu noted that the “Token Supermarket” can also be connected with financial services, with financial products to be integrated into the platform’s payment system.

Notably, staff members of the “Token Supermarket” are currently sprucing up its virtual premises: alongside an existing “brand zone,” a new “local-source offerings zone” has been rolled out.

According to Zhu, Wuxi’s computing-power industry is developing rapidly, with 19 intelligent computing centers now up and running, most of which deliver computing power for immediate sale. 

Tokens generated by these intelligent computing centers are listed on the “Token Supermarket,” bringing cost-competitive options for users. The platform also bolsters the local computing-power sector while serving small and medium-sized enterprises.

China, US need ‘cooperation list’, not ‘Covered List’ 

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Recently, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-produced power inverters and advanced robotics to its so-called “Covered List.” As a result, new models of these products will be denied certification authorization and prohibited from entering the U.S. market. 

Though presented under the guise of “non-discrimination” or “national security”, these measures are in essence discriminatory treatment and suppression targeting Chinese companies and products. They represent a typical act of unilateral bullying and a clear distortion of market principles and fair competition.

For some time, the FCC has repeatedly abused the concept of national security to introduce and expand restrictive measures. These actions have not only seriously undermined China’s legitimate trade rights and interests, but also weakened the foundation of China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, disrupting the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

Using the so-called “Covered List” as a tool for targeted containment has become a recurring tactic of the FCC. Back in 2021, invoking “national security” as a pretext, the agency added telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from five Chinese companies to the list, setting a harmful precedent for the misuse of regulatory instruments.

Since then, the U.S. has continuously rolled out restrictive rules and expanded the scope of suppression, with products such as drones and routers subsequently brought under control. 

In April this year, the FCC approved further measures to revoke the qualifications of testing and certification bodies from countries that have not signed “mutual recognition agreements” with the U.S., artificially raising compliance barriers for Chinese products. 

By extending restrictions into areas such as new energy and advanced intelligent manufacturing, the latest move has further exposed the U.S. intention to contain China’s technological and industrial development.

These U.S. actions run counter to the current momentum of stabilizing and improving China-U.S. relations. 

Over the past year, guided by the strategic direction set by the presidents of the two countries, economic and trade teams from the two sides have maintained pragmatic communication and achieved positive progress. This has injected valuable certainty into bilateral economic and trade cooperation and global economic recovery. 

In May of this year, the two presidents jointly agreed to build a constructive bilateral relationship of strategic stability, charting the course for future bilateral ties. All sectors on both sides should work in the same direction.

China has always maintianed that major-country competition is nothing new, but China-U.S. relations should not be defined by competition. When competition does occur, it should be healthy — where the two sides learn from each other, pursue excellence together, and compete fairly within established rules. 

What the two sides should be expanding is a “cooperation list” that delivers mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, not a so-called “Covered List” designed to impose artificial restrictions.

The root cause of the U.S.’ repeated efforts to build walls and erect barriers lies in a zero-sum mentality and growing anxiety over competition with China. Faced with the rising global competitiveness of China’s new energy equipment and advanced intelligent manufacturing industries, some in the U.S. are not focusing on how to enhance their own competitiveness and gain development advantages through fair competition. Instead, they are bent on erecting barriers and attempting to slow the development of others.

Both the past and the present have repeatedly shown that protectionism is never the right path to development, and administrative barriers cannot halt the advance of industrial and technological progress. 

Forcing “decoupling and severing supply chains” and building “small yards, high fences” will not stop the upgrading of China’s industries and technologies. Instead, such moves will accelerate the diversification of global industrial and supply chains, ultimately undermining U.S. economic vitality and technological competitiveness. 

Many observers have long pointed out that prioritizing administrative barriers over market principles and industrial competitiveness amounts to building an inefficient “greenhouse” for domestic industries. This will, in the end, erode U.S. firms’ incentive to innovate, leaving consumers saddled with the dual burden of inflated prices and lagging-edge technologies.

From a broader global perspective, the U.S. approach also runs counter to the broader trend of economic globalization. Today’s economies are deeply interconnected, and global industrial divisions of labor are highly complementary. The formation and development of global industrial and supply chains are an inevitable result of market forces and an important opportunity for countries to pursue shared development. 

Power inverters and advanced robotics are essential products supporting the global green transition and the upgrading of intelligent manufacturing. Free trade and technological cooperation benefit countries worldwide.

By artificially fragmenting markets and erecting technological barriers, the U.S. is not only increasing the operating costs of global industrial and supply chains, undermining global industrial cooperation and the ecosystem for technological innovation, but also hampering the progress of the green transition and intelligent industry development worldwide, to the detriment of the common interests of all countries.

Protectionism cannot enhance competitiveness, and building walls and barriers cannot bring security. China urges the U.S. to heed the calls of industries in both countries, respect the laws of the market economy and the principle of fair competition, immediately correct its wrong practices, and remove the relevant discriminatory restrictive measures. If the U.S. persists in going down the wrong path, China will take resolute countermeasures.

China hopes that the U.S. will earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, abandon the zero-sum mentality, return to a rational and pragmatic approach, work together with China, and promote the sound and stable development of China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation. This will help inject more positive energy into the building of a constructive bilateral relationship of strategic stability.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

China partners with global stakeholders to unlock new development opportunities

By He Yin, People’s Daily

According to statistics recently released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the value-added output of the country’s “three new” economy, referring to new industries, new business formats and new business models, reached 25.79 trillion yuan ($3.82 trillion), up 6.2 percent year on year.

The growth rate exceeded the current-price GDP growth rate by 2.2 percentage points, and the sector’s share of China’s total GDP rose to 18.39 percent. 

The steady expansion of the “three new” economy reflects China’s ongoing transition toward high-quality development. It also provides a source of certainty and momentum for the global economic recovery, which remains fragile and challenged by weakening traditional growth drivers.

In this context, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have identified technological innovation, digital transformation, and green development as critical engines for future global growth.

Historically, assessments of China’s economy focused largely on its speed and scale. Today, however, discussion increasingly centers on innovation capacity, industrial sophistication, and sustainability.  

The Global Innovation Index 2025 released by the World Intellectual Property Organization showed that China has entered the top 10 in global innovation rankings, while the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster has risen to first place worldwide.

The steady growth of the “three new” economy demonstrates that China is making solid progress in shifting from factor-driven growth to innovation-driven development. 

In the new energy sector, for example, China’s photovoltaic modules, power batteries, and new energy vehicles benefit from coordinated development across the entire industrial chain.

This integration has produced mature, reliable solutions for countries pursuing energy transitions. Meanwhile, the deep integration of digital technologies with the real economy — ranging from industrial internet applications in manufacturing to flexible customization in production and sales  — has opened viable pathways for improving the quality and efficiency of traditional industries.

International observers have taken note. The Wall Street Journal has observed that China’s strengths in the new energy and digital economy sectors, built on coordinated development across the entire industrial chain, are reshaping global supply patterns in related industries. 

The Financial Times noted that China’s innovation is not a collection of isolated technological breakthroughs, but a systemic capability built on a complete industrial ecosystem and a vast domestic market, offering reference for emerging economies seeking transformation and upgrading.

With its large market, comprehensive industrial support system, and efficient capacity for application and iteration, China is increasingly becoming an important hub for global innovation resources. 

Breakthroughs in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and green energy rely on cross-border exchanges and cooperation. In contrast to certain countries that have erected technological barriers, pursued “decoupling and severing of supply chains,” or built “small yards, high fences,” and fragmented the global innovation network, China has emphasized openness, cooperation, and mutual benefit. It continues to create broad platforms for the global flow of innovation resources.

Examples of this trend include British drugmaker AstraZeneca, which has established a global strategic R&D center in Beijing, making China a key part of its global new drug development network. 

Roche Diagnostics, a multinational pharmaceutical firm, has expanded its production and R&D base in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, deepening its integration of advanced manufacturing and innovation. 

Cosmetics giant L’Oreal has upgraded its China R&D center into a global R&D center, leveraging insights from the Chinese market to drive product innovation worldwide. 

An increasing number of multinational companies are incorporating China more deeply into their global innovation networks, using the Chinese market to test new technologies, incubate new business models, and accelerate the global application of innovative achievements.

For many developing countries, China’s experience in developing the “three new” economy offers practical relevance. Its mature practices in areas such as inclusive digital development and green transformation provide valuable reference for countries searching for development paths suited to their own conditions.

Under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the Redstone concentrated solar thermal power project in South Africa has filled a gap in advanced solar thermal technology in sub-Saharan Africa. 

The Bukhara wind power project in Uzbekistan is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.6 million tons annually, supporting the country’s green and low-carbon transition. 

China’s digital mobility technologies have been introduced in Sao Paulo, Brazil, helping optimize urban transportation management and improve public services.

These cooperation projects have transformed China’s strengths in new economic development into tangible outcomes for sustainable development in countries around the world, demonstrating the essence of openness, connectivity, and mutual benefit.

Moving toward new frontiers through greater openness and integration, China will continue to pursue an innovation-driven development strategy and remain firmly committed to expanding high-standard opening up. 

Together with countries around the world, China will foster new growth drivers through innovation cooperation, create new development space through openness and connectivity, and jointly write a new chapter of global development and prosperity.

China intensifies efforts to stabilize and optimize foreign investment

By Jin Yuying

As global cross-border foreign direct investment (FDI) continues to face persistent pressure, with industrial and supply chains undergoing rapid restructuring and geopolitical risks — alongside trade protectionism — growing multinational companies are becoming increasingly cautious in their global investment strategies. 

Against this backdrop, China has remained steadfast in its commitment to expanding high-standard opening up. The country has introduced practical measures to improve the investment environment and further strengthened the “Invest in China” brand, providing robust support to global investors seeking long-term opportunities within the Chinese market.

In the first half of 2026, nearly 4,800 foreign-invested enterprises scaled up their investments in China. Meanwhile, the share of FDI flowing into high-tech industries continued to increase, further improving the overall structure of foreign investment. 

The resilience of China’s FDI performance reflects the country’s sustained efforts to improve the business environment and implement a series of policies aimed at stabilizing foreign investment. 

On June 16, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce, together with the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance, jointly released an action plan to stabilize foreign investment. 

This plan covers five priority areas: expanding market access, improving investment facilitation, strengthening investment promotion, optimizing the business environment, and refining foreign investment administration. It provides a comprehensive policy framework designed to stabilize existing foreign investment, attract new investment, improve its quality, and optimize its structure through greater openness.

China has now removed all foreign investment restrictions in the manufacturing sector, while the services sector has become the new focus of its opening-up efforts. 

The action plan introduces a series of measures to further open the services sector, responding both to the practical needs of foreign businesses seeking greater access to the Chinese market and to China’s own demand for consumption upgrading, industrial transformation, and high-quality growth in the services industry. 

These measures are expected to create broader opportunities for foreign investors while improving both the quality and composition of foreign investment.

The action plan also includes targeted measures covering key areas such as foreign mergers and acquisitions, cross-border data flows, domestic reinvestment by foreign companies, and the establishment of research and development (R&D) centers. These initiatives represent a shift from simply expanding market access to making business operations more convenient after market entry. 

China’s approach to attracting foreign investment is also evolving — from bringing in capital and production capacity to attracting innovation capabilities and global resource allocation. By strengthening policy support for R&D hubs, China is encouraging foreign companies to move beyond “Made in China” toward “Innovated in China” and “Developed in China.” This fosters deeper integration between global innovation resources and China’s market demands and industrial ecosystem.

High-quality utilization of foreign investment calls for not only open policies and convenient business measures, but also more effective communication of China’s policy advantages, market opportunities, and industrial strengths to global investors. 

China is ramping up efforts to amplify the influence of the “Invest in China” brand. This helps global investors gain deeper insight into China’s market opportunities, opening-up policies, and business conditions, while boosting the visibility, appeal, and credibility of China as an investment destination.

The action plan sets out new arrangements for attracting foreign-invested projects. It will bolster the professionalism, standardization and sustainability of investment promotion work, and help foreign-funded projects better align with China’s development opportunities.

A sound business environment forms the foundation for business operations and development, and is one of the most important factors influencing investment decisions. For foreign enterprises, what matters is not merely temporary preferential policies, but a fair, transparent, stable and predictable institutional environment. 

The action plan advances efforts across multiple fronts: delivering national treatment to foreign-invested enterprises, supporting their participation in consumption-boosting initiatives, improving the protection of their legitimate rights and interests, and upgrading services for investment projects.

These measures precisely address foreign firms’ core concerns regarding fair competition and long-term growth. They help reduce uncertainties surrounding investment and operations in China and strengthen their confidence to further tap into the Chinese market.

The plan seeks to refine the foreign investment information reporting system, improve direct reporting channels and information-sharing mechanisms. Such progress will cut down redundant filings, eliminate inter-departmental information barriers, boost the efficiency of foreign investment administration and strengthen firms’ sense of policy gains. 

The plan also lays out arrangements for coordinated regional investment promotion and the digitalization of foreign investment administration, enabling better support for foreign enterprises’ layout and long-term growth in China.

Amid profound shifts in the global investment landscape, China’s resolve to pursue high-standard opening up remains unwavering. Going forward, China will continue advancing high-standard opening up, fully implement national treatment for foreign-invested enterprises, and deliver refined whole-cycle services. These efforts will further enhance the “Invest in China” brand.

As policies to stabilize foreign investment continue to take effect, China’s vast market and strong industrial foundation will increasingly translate into lasting competitive advantages in attracting global capital. 

The ongoing trend of foreign enterprises ramping up capital investment and scaling up R&D operations fully proves that China serves as a pivotal hub for multinationals’ global layout. A growing number of foreign firms will choose to establish long-term footholds in China to share the extensive opportunities brought by Chinese modernization.

(Jin Yuying is the vice president of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.)

Alia Mismanaged Benue’s Rising Revenue, Left State Stranded? Financial Expert Questions N11bn Loan

A financial expert, James Ayati, has questioned the Benue State Government’s decision to obtain an N11 billion commercial loan for infrastructure projects despite a reported N55.92 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of June 2026.

Ayati raised questions over the state’s financial position under Governor Hyacinth Alia, particularly against the backdrop of increased government revenue and a reported decline in the state’s domestic debt.

In an analysis, Ayati asked whether Benue was financially constrained despite the state government’s own financial reports indicating that significant funds remained unspent as of June 2026.

He also questioned why the administration opted to borrow N11 billion instead of deploying part of the reported N55.92 billion available for capital expenditure.

Ayati further queried why additional debt was being placed on Benue taxpayers if the state had sufficient funds to finance infrastructure projects.

He said the questions became more significant because, according to his analysis, the N11 billion loan was obtained with a cash-backed collateral of N54 billion in a government account that remained unused.

According to Ayati, the Alia administration owes the people of Benue an explanation for borrowing N11 billion from a commercial bank for infrastructure when the state’s financial reports showed N55.92 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of June 2026.

He said his analysis was based on figures contained in financial reports published by the Benue State Government.

Ayati noted that at the end of the 2025 financial year, Benue State had N44.74 billion in unspent capital receipts, citing the Benue State 2025 Audited Financial Statement.

He said the state’s financial position changed further in the first quarter of 2026.

According to the Benue State Budget Implementation Report (BIR) for Q1 2026, the state recorded N128.17 billion in earned revenue between January and March 2026, while total expenditure stood at N82.28 billion.

Ayati said the figures left N45.89 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of March 2026.

He further cited the Benue State BIR for Q2 2026, which he said showed that the state earned another N94.26 billion in statutory revenue between April and June 2026.

According to his calculation, when the N45.89 billion balance carried forward from Q1 was added to the revenue recorded in Q2, the reported capital receipts available amounted to N140.15 billion.

He said the state recorded N84.23 billion in actual expenditure during the second quarter, leaving N55.92 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of June 2026.

Ayati said the figures raised broader questions about the state’s financial planning and debt management, particularly as Benue’s revenue has reportedly increased substantially in recent years.

He noted that the state’s annual actual revenue rose from about N100 billion in 2022 to approximately N148 billion in 2023, N328 billion in 2024 and N443 billion in 2025.

At the same time, he said Benue’s domestic debt reportedly declined by nearly 40 per cent, from about N188 billion in the first quarter of 2023 to N113 billion, citing reports from the State Debt Management Office.

Ayati further claimed that since 2023, the state had paid about 15 per cent of its actual total revenue towards debt servicing, amounting to approximately N171 billion.

Against that background, he questioned why the state needed to contract another N11 billion commercial loan for infrastructure despite its reported increase in revenue and reduction in domestic debt.

He described the issue as one of financial planning, cash management and value for money rather than simply whether the state had money available on paper.

“If the state had N55.92 billion in unspent capital receipts at the end of June 2026, why was an additional N11 billion commercial loan needed for infrastructure — an amount equivalent to only about one-fifth of the reported unspent balance?” Ayati asked.

He also questioned whether the existing funds could have been deployed before resorting to commercial borrowing and whether there were legal, contractual or other restrictions preventing the use of the reported funds.

“If the N55.92 billion was genuinely available for capital spending, why borrow at a cost to taxpayers when significant funds remained unspent?” he asked.

Ayati stressed that the questions were legitimate for any government entrusted with the management of public resources.

“The figures come from the government’s own financial reports. The issue, therefore, is not whether Benue has money on paper,” he concluded.

Hon. Hamma Adama Ali Kumo Felicitates APC National Chairman @ 58

Hon. Hamma Adama Ali Kumo, Deputy National Financial Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), has joined party leaders and members nationwide in celebrating the APC National Chairman on the occasion of his 58th birthday.In a goodwill message, Hon. Kumo described the Chairman as a visionary leader whose commitment to democratic ideals and party unity has been a source of inspiration to millions of Nigerians. He noted that the Chairman’s leadership has been marked by resilience, inclusivity, and a deep sense of responsibility, qualities that have strengthened the APC and consolidated its role in Nigeria’s democratic journey.“At 58, our National Chairman exemplifies the finest qualities of statesmanship. His dedication to building consensus, fostering unity, and advancing the cause of good governance has left indelible marks on our party and our nation,” Kumo stated.The APC Deputy National Financial Secretary emphasized that the celebrant’s leadership style has been defined by integrity and courage, guiding the party through challenging times with wisdom and foresight. He added that the Chairman’s ability to inspire confidence across diverse political and social groups has ensured that the APC remains a beacon of hope for Nigerians.“As Chairman, you have demonstrated uncommon vision and fortitude. Your stewardship has strengthened our internal structures, enhanced our democratic processes, and positioned the APC as a party of progress and inclusivity. We celebrate you today not only as a leader but as a patriot whose contributions continue to shape the future of our country,” Kumo said.Hon. Kumo, who also serves as Chairman of the ITF Board of Trustees, highlighted the Chairman’s role in mentoring younger politicians and promoting policies that encourage national development. He noted that the Chairman’s emphasis on unity and service has created a culture of trust and collaboration within the APC, ensuring its continued relevance in Nigeria’s political landscape.“As you mark this milestone, we pray for renewed strength, wisdom, and fulfillment in your continued service to our party and our country. May the years ahead bring greater accomplishments and enduring peace,” Kumo concluded.The 58th birthday celebration of the APC National Chairman has drawn tributes from across the political spectrum, underscoring his influence and the respect he commands as a leader. His contributions to the growth of the APC and the deepening of Nigeria’s democracy remain a source of inspiration to party members and citizens alike.

OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER ON A FALSE, MALICIOUS AND UNVERIFIED PUBLICATION AGAINST DR. PIUS UKEYIMA AKUTAH

Our attention has been drawn to a false, malicious, and unverified publication by an anonymous online platform alleging that Dr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah is involved in secret talks concerning the Benue State PDP Governorship; we categorically reject the report as a baseless fabrication published without any attempt to verify the claims with Dr. Akutah or his office. We therefore urge the public to disregard the publication entirely, as Dr. Akutah remains a loyal and committed member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and truth, professionalism, and responsible journalism will always prevail over misinformation and political propaganda.

Sign
Comrade Atir Solomon Faeren Principal Private Adviser to Dr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah MON — with Comr Asan Doosuun Samuel and 15 others.

ORTOM DISMISSES FALSE REPORT ON ALLEGED PLOT TO REPLACE AONDOAKAA

The attention of the immediate past Governor of Benue State and Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Chief Samuel Ortom has been drawn to a mischievous report being circulated on social media alleging that he and other leaders of the party held a secret meeting with some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, with the aim of replacing the 2027 PDP governorship candidate, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah.

The report is false, misleading and a deliberate distortion of the facts.

For the avoidance of doubt, Chief Ortom, alongside the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Patrick Abba Moro, and the PDP governorship candidate, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, met with some prominent Benue sons, including Chief Simon Shango, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, Dr. Pius Akutah, Engr. Emmanuel Ameh and Dr. Matthias Byuan.

The meeting was part of ongoing consultations and engagements aimed at building a broad strategic alliance of Benue stakeholders for the greater good of the state. At no time during the meeting was the replacement of Chief Aondoakaa as the PDP governorship candidate discussed, contemplated or placed on the agenda.

It is therefore mischievous for anyone to take a legitimate meeting of Benue leaders and manufacture an entirely different motive for it. Political consultations and engagements across party lines are neither strange nor secret conspiracies, particularly when they are driven by the larger interest of the people.

Chief Ortom wishes to state unequivocally that Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, remains the duly nominated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State for the 2027 election. The former Attorney General and Minister of Justice enjoys the confidence and support of the leadership and members of the party.

Chief Ortom equally reaffirms his conviction that Aondoakaa possesses the experience, competence, capacity and understanding of the challenges confronting Benue State to provide purposeful leadership and reposition the state on the path of security, economic recovery and sustainable development.

Those behind the false narrative are advised to desist forthwith from spreading fabricated stories capable of creating unnecessary confusion among members and supporters of the PDP and the general public. Political journalism and commentary must be anchored on facts, not conjecture, deliberate falsehood or the attribution of imaginary motives to legitimate engagements.

Chief Ortom urges PDP members, teeming supporters of Chief Aondoakaa and the people of Benue State to disregard the baseless report and remain focused. No amount of misinformation or political mischief will distract the PDP leadership from its commitment to building a formidable coalition of Benue people towards offering the state a credible alternative in 2027.

Signed:

Zege Paul Terhide
Media Assistant to Chief Samuel Ortom
August 7, 2026

Osun Account Freeze: Gov Adeleke, demands N2bn damages

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday slammed a N2 billion suit on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what he termed the unlawful freezing of the state’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1762/2026, also has the Attorney General of Osun State, as well as the Accountant General of the state, listed as 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs, respectively.

Cited as 1st to 3rd defendants in the Originating Summons entered before the Federal High Court in Abuja by a team of lawyers led by Prof. M. T. Adekilekun, SAN, are the EFCC, its Chairman, and First Bank Nigeria Limited.

Specifically, the plaintiffs posed several legal questions for the court to determine, among which are:

“Whether, having regard to the express provisions of Sections 1, 6, 36, 44 and 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, the 1st and 2nd Defendants possess the lawful authority to freeze, restrict, block, place a ‘post no debit’ order on, or otherwise interfere with the Osun State Statutory Account maintained with the 3rd Defendant, without regard to due process of law?

“Whether, having regard to the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, the 1st and 2nd Defendants possess the lawful authority to freeze, restrict, block, place a ‘post no debit’ order on, or otherwise interfere with the Osun State Government Federal Statutory Allocation Account, Number 2017170947, maintained with the 3rd Defendant, without first obtaining and serving a valid, subsisting, and specific order of a court of competent jurisdiction?

“Whether, having regard to the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, the directive of the 1st Defendant to the 3rd Defendant ordering the freezing or restriction of the Osun State Statutory Account No. 2017170947, maintained with the 3rd Defendant, vide its letter with Reference No. CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/PFS/TA/OSUN/VOL.17/666 dated 5th August 2026 and authored by ACE I Adenike S. Babalola (for: Director, Investigation), without any prior or concurrent court order sought, obtained and served on the 3rd Defendant, does not constitute an egregious act of executive lawlessness, an unlawful resort to self-help, a flagrant abuse of statutory powers, an unlawful suppression of the constitutional powers and functions of the Plaintiffs, a threat to the constitutional and corporate existence of Osun State, a brazen and unlawful denial of the democratic rights and dividends of the people of Osun State, and a direct violation of the fundamental constitutional principles of due process, the rule of law, and the financial autonomy of a federating unit?

“Whether, having regard to the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, the 3rd Defendant, being the banker to the Government of Osun State in respect of the said statutory account, can lawfully freeze or continue to freeze, restrict, block, or deny the Government of Osun State unrestricted access to the said account merely upon an administrative directive, letter, request, instruction, or communication from the 1st and/or 2nd Defendants in the manner done herein, in the absence of a valid, subsisting, and specific order of a court of competent jurisdiction?

“Whether, having regard to the effect of the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, and in the absence of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, this Honourable Court ought not to forthwith set aside the directive given by the 1st Defendant to the 3rd Defendant in a letter dated 5th August 2026 ordering the freezing, restriction, blocking, or placing of a post-no-debit instruction on the Osun State Statutory Account with the 3rd Defendant, given that such action was allegedly taken in violation of due process, and in a manner demonstrably capable of crippling the constitutional and statutory obligations of the Government to the people of Osun State?”

As well as: “Whether, having regard to the effect of the combined express provisions of Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, and in the absence of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, the 3rd Defendant did not breach the duty of care owed to the Osun State Government when, on the purported directive of the 1st and 2nd Defendants, it placed a restriction on the Osun State Statutory Account with the 3rd Defendant, given that such action was allegedly taken without a court order, in violation of due process, and in a manner demonstrably capable of crippling the constitutional and statutory obligations and rights of the Government and people of Osun State.”

Upon determination of the questions, the plaintiffs, among other things, urged the court to declare the actions the defendants took with respect to the Osun State account as “unlawful, unconstitutional, ultra vires their powers, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.”

They further sought:
“An order setting aside, vacating, and nullifying the freezing, restriction, blocking, post-no-debit instruction, or any other restraint placed on the Osun State Statutory Account maintained with the 3rd Defendant vide its letter with Reference No. CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/PFS/TA/OSUN/VOL.17/666 dated 5th August 2026 and authored by ACE I Adenike S. Babalola (for: Director, Investigation), for being unlawful, unconstitutional, and without legal basis.
“An order mandating the 3rd Defendant to forthwith unfreeze, unblock, and remove all restrictions, and to allow the Government of Osun State immediate and unrestricted access to and operation of the said Osun State Statutory Account.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd Defendants, whether by themselves, their officers, agents, servants, privies, or any person acting on their behalf, from freezing, restricting, blocking, placing a post-no-debit instruction on, or otherwise interfering with the Osun State Statutory Account or any other account of the Government of Osun State without following due process of the law.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 3rd Defendant, whether by itself, its officers, agents, servants, privies, or any person acting on its behalf, from acting on any directive, letter, instruction, or request from the 1st and/or 2nd Defendants to freeze, restrict, block, or deny access to the Osun State Statutory Account, except in the manner stipulated by law.”

They also prayed the court to award N2 billion against the defendants to serve as “exemplary and aggravated damages for the unlawful interference with public funds,” as well as an order directing the defendants to pay the costs of the litigation.

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the suit, which was filed shortly after President Bola Tinubu directed the EFCC to immediately approach the court to unfreeze the Osun State Federal Statutory Allocation Account.