Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has urged the nation’s universities to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda of building a prosperous economy for the betterment of Nigerians.
Tijani said that status of a university as a place of teaching and research confer
a special responsibility on them to convert academic excellence into economic value, and human capital into national productivity in support of Tinubu’s administration’s resolve to build a prosperous, trillion-dollar economy.
He noted that when universities function in that manner, the classrooms would become living laboratories, research addresses real constraints and knowledge, lifts the livelihoods of the citizens.
The minister who spoke yesterday while delivering the 35th Convocation Lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University(OOU), Ago – Iwoye, Ogun State, said that the growth of any country’s economy is a direct reflection of the relevance of its universities,
the quality of its graduates and the productivity of its workforce.
The lecture which he framed as his remarks for the occasion was titled, ‘A memo addressed to the university, to our graduates, to government, industry and alumni.’
Barau, Hussaini push coordinated rescue for troubled Northwest
The North West Development Commission (NWDC) yesterday convened its first stakeholders’ development summit at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Conference Centre, Kaduna, bringing together federal actors, development partners and regional stakeholders to chart a coordinated development path for the zone.
But none of the seven governors from the North-West states attended the summit in person. The governors were represented variously by their deputies, Secretaries to State Governments and commissioners.
The absence drew concern from participants, including Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Protem Chairman of the Northern Reconciliation Group, who described the development as disappointing given the significance of the summit to the region’s future.
He said it was regrettable that no governor from the zone deemed it necessary to attend personally, noting that only representatives were present despite the strategic importance of the meeting.
According to him, the summit was designed to advance a coordinated, inclusive and sustainable development agenda for the North-West through legislative leadership, state political commitment, stakeholder collaboration and alignment of development interventions.
Baba Ahmed explained that the objectives included providing a high-level platform for dialogue among federal and state actors, development partners and other critical stakeholders on priority issues affecting the region.
He added that the forum was also intended to strengthen coordination between the National Assembly, state governments, the NWDC and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in planning and implementing development initiatives.
The summit, he said, was equally aimed at supporting the operational readiness of the NWDC and enhancing the effective delivery of its mandate through shared commitments and improved coordination structures.
He noted that discussions at the forum focused on integrated and cross-sectoral approaches to tackling key challenges such as infrastructure deficit, insecurity, agriculture, climate resilience, human capital development and economic inclusion.
Encouraging private sector participation and development partner support in financing sustainable development projects, he added, was also a major focus of the summit.
Baba Ahmed further stated that the meeting was expected to produce a practical, action-oriented communiqué to guide policy alignment, legislative backing and coordinated implementation for sustainable outcomes in the region.
Describing Kaduna as the “heart of the North,” he said it was concerning that, despite hosting such a crucial meeting on North-West development, none of the governors from the zone attended in person.
“As stakeholders, we are here to offer our support out of love for the region. Leadership is a responsibility given to deliver results. When you do well, the people will appreciate you, but when you fail, you will also be held accountable,” he said.
He, however, commended participants who attended physically and contributed meaningfully to the deliberations.
Senior lawmakers, development experts and stakeholders who graced the summit made a strong call for a coordinated economic rescue of the North West.
The summit, themed “Advancing a Coordinated Regional Development for North West Nigeria,” became a rallying point for confronting what speakers described as the region’s real problem — not lack of resources, but lack of coordination.
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, declared that the North West must deliberately reposition itself to shape Nigeria’s economic direction through strong regional institutions rather than fragmented interventions.
Barau said the creation of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) was a strategic response to decades of disjointed development efforts that failed to produce systemic impact across states.
According to him, while the region remains Nigeria’s largest agricultural belt and home to tens of millions of citizens, it continues to battle insecurity, infrastructure deficits, youth unemployment, climate stress and weak access to social services.
“These challenges do not respect state boundaries; therefore, our solutions must rise above them,” he said, stressing that the summit was a call to political coordination and policy coherence.
He assured that the National Assembly would provide the legislative backing and oversight needed for the NWDC to succeed under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
House of Representative member Alhassan Ado Doguwa yesterday received hundreds of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) members to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State.
The move is a significant boost for the APC and a show of support for President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration.
“It is also a clear indication that the reelection chances of the governor and president are bright, as 2027 general polls draw near,” Doguwa, a former House Leader and now Chairman House Committee on Downstream Petroleum, said.
Doguwa, who represents Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency, led an inclusive APC registration exercise and welcomed prominent NNPP defectors, including the Kano State Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa, and other government officials.
The lawmaker alongside the defecting NNPP members also conducted their APC membership E-registration, and held a rally during which he launched the President Tinubu/Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf second term campaign.
“We all pledged to work for the overall interest of the APC under His Excellency President Bola Tinubu at the centre, and the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf at the sub-national level, as clearly reflected in our party’s constitution and in compliance with the tenets of constitutional democracy.
“We have all embraced this development in good faith and believe that same can be seen as a WIN-WIN situation for all party members. We are now co-drivers of the governor’s political project called “KANO FIRST”.
“I led an all inclusive approach of the APC membership E-registration exercise in Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano state, where I received among others, prominent members of the defunct NNPP into the ruling APC.
“The Honourable Commissioner of Water Resources Kano State and former APC state Chairman Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa, Engr. Ado Ibrahim Doguwa and the Chairman Doguwa Local Government, Abdul Rashid Doguwa, and his entire executive, legislative teams and a host of others decamped from the NNPP who are mostly government officials under the leadership of Governor Yusuf,” Ado Doguwa said.
Their defection comes after Governor Yusuf officially joined the ruling party.
Yusuf defected after his meeting with President Bola Tinubu, which was believed to have resolved issues surrounding his defection, including governorship ticket which the former APC national chairman Abdullahi Ganduje reaffirmed, urging all aspirants to step aside for the governor.
The APC has welcomed Yusuf’s move, while NNPP’s national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has expressed concerns about the defection, calling it a betrayal
Donates N2 million to overall best graduating student of OOU
Governor Dapo Abiodun has reaffirmed that education remains a cornerstone of his administration’s developmental agenda, emphasizing continued investment in the sector as essential for securing the state’s future.
The governor made the statement during the 35th Convocation Ceremony of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), held at the institution’s permanent site in Ago-Iwoye. The event was particularly significant as it coincided with Ogun State’s 50th anniversary, with Governor Abiodun noting that the university stands proudly among the legacies of this defining milestone in the state’s history.
Represented at the ceremony by his Deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Governor Abiodun lauded OOU for producing competent, innovative, and future-ready graduates while upholding high standards of discipline, innovation, and service. He commended the Pro-Chancellor, Professor Toyin Ashiru, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Olayinka Johnson Agboola, and members of the Governing Council and Senate for sustaining the university’s ideals.
“The 35th Convocation celebrates academic excellence, access, and institutional relevance,” Governor Abiodun said. “By placing reliable data at the centre of decision-making, our administration has enhanced transparency, improved outcomes, and ensured that every intervention across the education value chain is strategic and measurable.”
Highlighting his administration’s commitment, the Governor revealed that ₦275.4 billion, representing 17% of the state’s ₦1.7 trillion 2026 budget, was allocated to education. “This reflects our determination to expand access to quality education, reduce inequality, and ensure no child is left behind, regardless of background or location,” he said.
Governor Abiodun congratulated the graduating students, urging them to continue learning, asking questions, and serving as ambassadors of the university. As a demonstration of support for academic excellence, he donated ₦500,000 to each of the 13 best graduating students from the university’s faculties and ₦2 million to Master Ajayi David of the Faculty of Engineering, who emerged as the overall best graduating student.
In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor Professor Ayodeji Olayinka Agboola praised OOU’s tradition of excellence, noting that the university currently ranks 16th nationally among 321 Nigerian universities, based on academic visibility, research output, and web presence. He highlighted that the university is second only to LAUTECH among state-owned institutions in Nigeria.
Professor Agboola also commended Governor Abiodun for prioritizing education as a catalyst for holistic and transformative development, reaffirming OOU’s commitment to advancing a knowledge-driven economy anchored on innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable development aligned with the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State loyal to the faction of Minister of the Federal Capital territory, Nyesom Wike has hailed last Friday’s Federal High Court judgment which nullified the National Convention of the party held in Ibadan.
Factional chairman of the party, Barr. Nosakhare Ogieva-Okunbor, in a statement, said the judgment marked a new dawn for unity and progress of the party.
Barr. Ogieva-Okunbor urged party loyalists to support Alhaji Abdulraman Mohammed as National Chairman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary of the party.
According to him, “This ruling provides much needed clarity and judicial endorsement, reinforcing the principles of internal order, constitutional due process, and unity within our great party. It represents a timely and decisive intervention that strengthens our foundation, restores confidence among members and enhances our collective capacity to rebuild and reposition for future victories.
“We extend our warm congratulations to Alhaji Abdulraman Mohammed on this well-deserved affirmation of his leadership. His steady hand, commitment to broad-based reconciliation, and focused efforts to rebuild party structures nationwide have earned him the trust and respect of members across all zones. Similarly, the confirmation of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary solidifies the administrative framework necessary for effective coordination and renewed organisational vigour.
“At this pivotal moment, we call on all members, supporters, and stakeholders of the PDP to unite behind the affirmed National Caretaker Committee. Unity of purpose is indispensable to our mission of repositioning the party, strengthening internal democracy, and restoring our widespread national appeal.
“This judgment opens a new chapter of collective renewal. We urge every committed member to embrace this opportunity, uphold party discipline, and work collaboratively for the greater good of the PDP.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the APC-dominated Senate of deliberately delaying the passage of the Electoral amendment Bill 2025, warning that the slow pace could undermine preparations for the 2027 general elections.
In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said the continued delay in passing the bill for presidential assent raises concerns that the National Assembly is deploying tactics aimed at frustrating key electoral reforms.
The ADC noted that several proposed amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 introduce new compliance and eligibility requirements for political parties, which require sufficient time for understanding and implementation.
It warned that failure to pass the bill promptly could expose political parties to compliance risks and also constrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in setting clear guidelines within statutory timelines.
According to the party, provisions mandating electronic voter accreditation and electronic transmission of results are minimum safeguards required to guarantee the credibility of the 2027 elections and should not be weakened through legislative delays.
The party also pointed to the existing requirement for INEC to publish notices of election at least 360 days before a general election, noting that time is already running short.
“The lack of clarity around the final provisions of the law could serve as booby traps for opposition parties and make it difficult for INEC to prepare adequately,” the ADC said.
It called on the National Assembly to urgently pass the bill, warning that further delays pose serious risks to the integrity of the 2027 elections.
The ADC also urged civil society organisations, international partners and other political parties to pressure the legislature to act swiftly; stressing that Nigeria cannot afford another election cycle without the necessary legal safeguards in place.
The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) has announced a temporary disruption in water supply to parts of the Lagos metropolis, including Akiode, Ikeja, Magodo, Oregun, Ketu, Ojota, Maryland, Aromire, Ogudu, Gbagada, Shomolu, Ojuelegba, Oyingbo, Ijora Olopa, Agege, and parts of Lagos Island, to enable the completion of critical repair and replacement works at the Adiyan I Water Treatment Plant.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs Unit , Kehinde Fashola.
. According to the statement, the planned repair works are necessary to address a leakage on the ND1600mm Adiyan raw water pipeline located at the Akute Intake Station.
The Corporation explained that the continuous leakage has been adversely affecting the ongoing construction of the Adiyan Phase II project.
“It was observed that the persistent water discharge from the leakage point is saturating the surrounding soil, thereby compromising ground stability and posing safety risks to heavy construction equipment, including cranes and excavators, currently deployed in the affected area,” the statement noted.
LWC further stated that the Adiyan I Water Treatment Plant will be shut down temporarily pending the completion of the repair and replacement works. This measure is to ensure the safe and effective execution of the Adiyan II intake construction works.
The Corporation assured customers that efforts are being intensified to complete the works promptly, adding that water supply restoration is expected soon.
The enemy within smirks, mocks and laughs when our President slips and falls to the floor in far away Turkiya.
Oblivious of the fact that a democratically-elected President, whether you like or support him or not, is the living manifestation of our nation and the essence and symbol of our national sovereignty and pride they pray for the worse and celebrate it in the inner recesses of their dark, sinister, twisted and malevolent minds.
They forget that when our President falls it essentially means that our nation falls.
They forget that a true patriot is meant to pray for, cheer on and encourage the leader of his country, whether or not he is in opposition, when he is fighting for the future of our people in a foreign land.
They whisper to themselves in their closets and bedrooms that “finally, this is his end”.
With glee they say to themselves and to their grubby little minions that “at last we have him!”
They assume the worse and they desire for the worse.
They forget that anyone can slip and fall at anytime and that the Holy Bible says “rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall for I shall rise and when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me”- Micah 7:8.
They forget that it also says “for a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again but the wicked shall fall by calamity”- Proverbs 24:16.
It is to the glory of God and to the shame of our detractors and the enemy within that though our President slipped and fell in Turkey before the entire world, he rose again with strength and pride like the phoenix and he went on to negotiate and sign numerous bilateral agreements which will bring security, succour and prosperity to our nation with President Erdoğan of Turkiya.
That is the lot of a righteous man and a humble, forgiving and kind-hearted leader and it signifies the fact that the Lord is with him and that the enemy within has failed once again.
Yet they never stop and neither will they ever do so because they are seized of a dark, depraved, diseased and sadistic mind that craves failure and chaos and longs for calamity, tragedy, sorrow, tears and malevolence.
The enemy within just loves it when terrible things happen. Like the accursed masochists that they are, that is their pleasure and delight.
They love to hear the cries of infants and babies and they delight in hearing the wailing of widows and the screaming of orphans.
Consider their reaction to the sad and unfortunate events that took place in Kajuru, Kaduna state earlier this month.
I am as saddened and concerned as anyone else about the abductions of the worshippers that took place there and like everyone else I hope and pray for their rescue and safe return back home at the soonest.
I am however constrained to make the following observations and I do so with pain and sorrow.
The reality is that the enemy within, namely a handful of political leaders in the opposition who seek to undermine and discredit our Government and to destabilise our country and who are working in collaboration with foreign powers are part of those that are secretly encouraging and, I suspect, facilitating the abduction of Christians in Nigeria because they make political capital out of it.
They secretly crave it yet openly condemn it because it suits their purpose and it confirms the narrative that they want to establish.
For some it proves that Christians are being targetted in Nigeria and it plays into the Christian genocide and persecution narrative which the Americans have gladly cottoned on to and for others it feeds the erroneous suggestion that having a Christian candidate for the opposition or a Christian running mate for our President in 2027 are the answers to the problem and the only way of proving that Christians are safe and treated with humanity in our country.
Both views do not fully recognise the depth and complexity of the problem and can therefore be fairly described as simplistic, myopic and misplaced because the situation is much more complex than that.
Worse still the specious lies and dubious political motives that fuel this thinking are irresponsible and disingenious.
You cannot play politics with peoples lives and liberty, take advantage of their misery and suffering and use them as pawns in a deadly game of political chess.
Worse still you cannot attempt to distort the narrative, misinform the world and perpetuate and peddle the nonsensical falsehood that only Christians are being abducted and killed by the terrorists in our country and that only Churches are being burnt down whilst Mosques are left standing. This is simply not true.
The reality is that Muslims are also being abducted in massive numbers and a more accurate and honest categerisation of the situation we are faced with would have been that both Christian and Muslim Nigerians are “not safe” in parts of Northern Nigeria because of mass abductions and not just Christians.
Even this categorisation may not be accurate and is possibly unfair because it negates the efforts and successes that the the Nigerian military, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of State for Defence, the National Security Advisor and the Nigerian security forces and Intelligence agencies together with numerous notable Governors from the Northern states like the Governor of Kaduna, the Governor of Kwara, the Governor of Yobe, the Governor of Borno, the Governor of Sokoto and a number of other key Northern leaders such as Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senator Abdul Aziz Yari, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, Senator Shehu Umar Buba and a number of others have made in curbing this menace.
The truth is that for every person that has been abducted hundreds have been protected and delivered from attempts at abduction and virtually every single one of those that were actually abducted before Kajuru have been rescued and returned home safely.
That in itself is encouraging though it does not negate or underplay the problem we have and the challenge we collectively face.
It simply means that despite the problems and challenges and the politically-motivated expressions of angst and concern of the usual suspects at least some progress is being made.
It is deeply saddening and troubling that ANYONE is abducted or killed in the first place and this represents a failure in our efforts to achieve 100% security for Nigerians in the midst of what is essentially an open and horrendous guerrila war where civilian populations are purposely targetted and a massive and unprecedented armed rebellion and relentless insurgency is in full play.
However we must acknowledge that our successes in this respect both in the prevention of even more killings and abductions and in terms of recovery and rescue of those taken is very good.
Sadly people people tend to focus on the failures and remain silent in the face of the successes which is most unfair.
What is even more unfair and extreemly dangerous is to continuously frame the entire matter in religious terms.
I am amongst those that did so in the past but six years ago, after much research and extensive travelling all over the more distant parts of the core North for an investigation into the matter and an extensive 5 week tour my eyes opened and I came to appreciate the fact the Muslims were being targetted with equal ferocity and in equal measure.
This is a fact that the media and most Southern Nigerians, for reasons I cannot fathom or comprehend, appear to ignore and choose to play down and it begs the question whether Muslim lives are considered as being as sacred and precious as Christian ones in their eyes?
The criminals and terrorists that carry out these atrocities do not care whether it is Christians or Muslims that they terrorise, traumatise, kill or abduct. They only care that their victims are Nigerians.
Their war is not against Christians alone but against the Nigerian state and the Nigerian people, both Christian and Muslim.
It is in this light that we must view this harrowing challenge and once we do so we will be in a better position to confront it, defeat the enemy, eliminate the threat and put both our local and foreign detractors to shame.Permit me to continue this contribution with a sincere and heartfelt word for Mr. Peter Obi, a notable member of the Nigerian opposition.
I refer to your post on the terrible events that took place in Kajuru on Sunday 18th January 2026.
share your concerns for the safety of those abducted but unlike you mine are from the heart and I am not expressing those concerns for political gain.
At a time like this we should be praying for the rescue of the worshippers and assisting and encouraging our Government to ensure their safe return.
Instead of doing so you are sheepishly asking “what is happening in our country” as if you, your supporters and your insincere and divisive rhetoric are not part of the problem.
You feign concern and focus on the negative never offering support or giving credit to whom it is due when things go well and are done properly.
For example have you ever had the decency or prescence of mind to commend the efforts of the gallant men of our Armed Forces and security agencies or acknowledged the number of people and lives they have successfully defended and saved?
Have you ever considered the fact that many of them are paying the supreme price every day on the frontlines in their attempt to protect and guard the realm and prevent the barbarians from climbing over our walls?
Have you ever thanked them for this or publicly expressed solidarity with or support for them? I doubt it.
Our greatest problem are people like you that openly crave for and secretly celebrate chaos, lawlessness, division and carnage and that see the propagation and execution of such evil as a justification for your futile and pitiful attempt to discredit the Government and gain sympathy and support for yourself.
Simply put you seek to harvest the misery of our people in the same way that some harvest human organs and you celebrate their pain, suffering and tears.
Relevant here are the words of Mr. Dennis Amachree, a former Assistant Director of the DSS, who said the following:
“most of these mass abductions are carried out to spite the Government in power: there are fifth columnists and complicit actors within the system and by the time the Government reacts the damage has already been done”.
I am constrained to ask whether you are part of those that are actually behind these abductions and insurgency simply for political gain?
Let me be clear: this is a question and not an allegation but whatever the answer is (and I do not claim to know it) kindly save your crocodile tears and insincere concern for the welfare and safety of our people whether it be in Kaduna or elsewhere. We know you don’t mean it.
The only thing that is important to you is that all our institutions fail and our nation is burnt to ashes in a religious and ethnic conflagration so that you and your cohorts can divide our country, break it into pieces and share what is left of it amongst yourselves.
Be rest assured that that will NEVER happen and you will NEVER achieve your objectives.
Whatever our challenges may be as a nation and whatever obstacles may be placed in our path, I am persuaded that in peace, love, unity, mutual respect and faith we shall SURELY overcome.
Permit me to add the following.
It has come to my attention that when ESN and IPOB terrorists murder Christians and Muslims in the South East you encourage it by saying nothing and endorse it with your resounding silence.
When Muslims are killed in the North, except on the odd occassion, you say nothing because you do not see them as human beings and you could not care less.
When Christians are killed in the North you feign outrage and you celebrate and magnify it, citing it as evidence of “Christian persecution” and “Christian genocide” and encouraging the right-wing lunatic fringe in American politics to latch on to it.
When Christians are not killed in the North you pretend that they are, inflate numbers and fabricate it in an attempt to plant the seeds of religious division and provoke a sectarian war.
What manner of man are you?
Why are you so hell bent on destroying our country and shattering the unity that we are trying to establish and preserve?
Is it your desire to be President over a broken, bleeding and dying Nigeria and to preside over the corpse of a great nation like ours that you are evidently so desperate to murder? What pleasure can you possibly derive from your dangerous doublespeak and grave antics and what has Nigeria done to you and yours that you so desperately seek her destruction and demise?
We have seen this desperate thirst and quest for power before and we saw how many bodies littered the streets in an attempt to gain it.
It happened on January 15th 1966 with shocking and devastating consequences for those that were behind it and indeed for the entire nation.
May we never see such again.
You do not have to tear Nigeria apart to achieve your ambition of becoming President: God alone gives power to whom He pleases and when he deems it fit.
I have little doubt that when that time comes, years down the line, and He deems it fit to give it to the South East it will certainly NOT be to you.
I say this because there are men and women from your part of the country that are far better and far more deserving and qualified than you and that are neither divisive or obsessed with the division of our country.
Unlike you such men and women proudly consider themselves as being Nigerians and not Biafrans and they do not make a distinction between Muslims and Christians.
They see all Nigerians, whether Christian or Muslim or whether Northerner or Southerner, as being one and the same and that is what we expect and deserve.
They appreciate the fact that the road to power in a democracy is one of peace, inclusiveness and understanding and not one of discord, strife, violence, lies, insults, disinformation, propaganda, division, historical revisionism, inordinate ambition, greed, entitlement and deceit.
Neither do they believe in the stereotyping or demonising of any of our great ethnic nationalities or religious faiths.
These are the basic and fundamental prerequisites that are required for anyone to lead our great nation and in my humble opinion you do not have them and you are incapable of ever cultivating them.
Yet it doesn’t stop there.
You not only turned on your own Obidient supporters and called them “criminals” (an appelation I will not contest with you) after they complained about the fact that you joined the ADC, a political party that you had earlier described as a “structure of criminality” but you also disavowed and disowned them when they resorted to their usual infantile tantrums after it was brought to their attention that you were considering the possibility of being the running mate to the undisputed leader of that party given the fact that you have no hope in hell of winning the presidential primaries.
Yet all that doublespeak, lack of consistency, opportunism and deceit pales into comparison when compared to what you did to your former presidential campaign manager.
You repaid his good with evil by turning your back on him in his time of need and refused to stand by him and support him when he fell ill. For this alone God will never forgive you.
I will not go into what else you did to him because that is for another day but to say the least you were unfeeling, insensitive and callous towards this profoundly good man who many loved and held in high esteem.
The only mistake he made was that he associated himself with you and joined your bandwagon of misguided and irreverent Obidient cheerleaders.
Thankfully towards the end he saw you for what you were, retraced his steps and returned back to us.
Surely you are not the stuff of which real leaders and Presidents are made. Your loyalty is to your vaulting ambition and to no-one and nothing else.
Your new friends in the ADC will attest to that at a later date after you break ranks with them.
These are my words for you Peter. I sincerely hope that you will consider them.
Permit me to end this contribution with the following.
If truth be told Obi sincerely believes that he has the right to the Presidency just as satan believed he had the right to Moses’ body.
When the latter passed on and satan came for his corpse the Holy Bible tells us that Archangel Michael rose up, confronted him, resisted him and boldly pronounced “the Lord rebuke you satan” after which the devil fled.
Today I say, “the Lord rebuke you Peter” and, like satan, you MUST flee.
Just as he had no right to Moses’ body, you have no right to the Nigerian Presidency!
God alone has the exclusive right to give it to whom He deems fit!
Yet one thing is clear: if it is ever Peter Obi we shall rue the day!
This is a man whose supporters celebrated and lept with joy when President Donald Trump threatened us and described our nation as “a disgraced country” and when he said, “we may very well go into that now disgraced country, guns-a-blazing and if we attack, it will be fast, vicious and sweet”.
This was like music to the ears of Obi and his Obidients but when the narrative changed, sanity prevailed and tempers cooled they could not bring themselves to express a word of support, relief or commendation for the Federal Government after it responded to the Americans in a restrained, mature and profound manner, rebuilt the bridges of friendship and understanding, entered into a joint security agreement with them and started working closely with them to combat the menace of terrorism in an atmosphere of camaraderie and mutual respect.
This is not what Obi and his supporters wanted. What they had in mind was for the Americans to attack Nigeria, kill our people, bomb our cities and implement a Maduro-style regime change before carving us up into at least four separate pieces.
As Otunba Bayo Onanuga, the spokesman to President Tinubu said, “we will NEVER forgive or forget Peter Obi for wanting our nation to be attacked and bombed”.
These words reflect the thinking of not just those in Government but of every right-thinking Nigerian patriot.
To add to that as my friend and brother His Excellency Ambassador-Designate Reno Omokri asked in a recent write up,
“How can an individual like Peter Obi who has divided four different parties in Nigeria want to be President?”
This is a pertinent question which needs to be answered and I add the following: how can an individual who refuses to condemn the wanting acts of mass murder, butchery, abduction, torture and intimidation of the ESN and IPOB and a man who, as far as I am aware, has never condemned the Monday ‘sit at home order’ issued by the terrorists throughout his own South-Eastern region aspire or expect to lead our nation?
Surely the very thought of such a prospect is as frightful as it is perverse.
A fundamental requirement and pre-condtion to being the President of a great nation like ours is surely a deep respect and love for and understanding of ALL the people regardless of where they come from or what their religious faith is and a total and complete rejection of terrorism not just in the North but also in the South.
To be selective in this respect is to be divisive and to be divisive is to be destructive. We do not want or need a destructive President.
We want a Commander-in-Chief, like the one we have today, that will at least endeavour to hold us all together as one and not a Divider-in-Chief that will favour his own and seek to turn the rest of us into serfs and slaves.
We have been down that road before and, by God’s grace, we shall NEVER walk it again.
Whatever the case and whoever the enemy within choose to field in 2027 as their presidential candidate one thing remains clear: in a 36 state Federation our ruling party the APC now controls all but 7 states and of the seven one is in alliance with us.
Given this it is clear that only God can stop President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from being re-elected in 2027.
All the subversion, destabilisation, betrayal, hostility, lies, conspiracies and shenanigans that the enemy within, the opposition and their hordes of foreign friends, attack dogs and bellicose trolls have collectively contrived cannot stop or deter him.
I advise them to focus their presidential aspirations on 2031 and forget 2027 because until then there is no vacancy in Aso Rock.
I also urge them to purge themselves of their divisive and subversive ways and their hate and contempt or, failing that, to leave our shores and embark on a journey of no return.
May God bless and defend the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, the Otunba of Joga Orile, the Aare Ajagunla of Otun Ekiti, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, a former Minister of Aviation, a former Senior Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Legal Practioner and an Ambassador-Designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria)
For 12 teachers in the country, Tuesday, January 27 would forever remain a day to remember. It was a day they would thank God and whoever or whatever led them into the teaching profession. If they had been sad all their years in service, that melancholy was replaced with joy on January 27. If they had been shedding tears and lamenting their pitiable plight as teachers, their tears were wiped away on that fateful day that destiny bestowed on them awards for outstanding performance in their line of duty. For them, the saying that ‘teachers’ rewards are in heaven’ became nugatory as they got their own rewards right here on earth; not posthumously, but even while they are alive and still in service.
The occasion was the maiden edition of National Teachers Summit held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja. The theme of the summit was: “Empowering Teachers, Strengthening the System: A National Agenda for Education Transformation and Sustainability”. It was also an occasion where the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, launched the EduRevamp Portal, a national digital platform for continuous teacher professional development, aimed at improving teaching quality across Nigeria. Its features include provision of audio/video lessons, text-based learning, and case studies, to foster skills.
The lucky teachers are: Solanke, Francis Taiwo from Ogun State, who was recognised as the overall best teacher. Other awardees included Mrs. David Kachollom Joseph (Plateau State), Malam Musa Abubakar Garba (Kaduna State), Ifetike Hope Chekwube (Anambra State), Obafemi Peter Lawal (Lagos State), Johanna Gilando and Bashar Hantsi (both from Kebbi State), Blessing Ikong, Chinwe Ituma, Gombo Lawan, Khadijat Galadima, and Okide Ochike.
Each of them, selected from the six geopolitical zones, got N25 million. But Solanke, who was recognised as the overall best teacher for 2025 got an additional N50m, a car, and a two-bedroom flat, to boot. The selection process was based on merit and covered different education levels.
Alausa said at the occasion that “This is more than a reward. It is a national signal that teaching is a noble, respected, and valued profession in Nigeria.”
This may be the destination, but we are not there yet. Ours is a country where teachers are rarely appreciated. It is heartwarming though that some of those in the teaching profession were recognised for award that could be described as mouthwatering, given the paltry nature of what many teachers are paid in the country, whether in the public or private schools.
While it may be a little better in the public schools where many things like their remuneration and conditions of service are defined, it is worse in many private schools where greedy proprietors call the shot. At least, in the public schools, you are even entitled to pension after retirement. There is nothing like that in the private schools.
Again, while one may not be able to blame some of the proprietors of the private schools, particularly those that are just managing to survive, there are still others that could be described as ivy private schools whose proprietors are greedy; they take so much from the students’ parents and yet pay so little to their teachers. Unfortunately, many of them get away with this shabby treatment of their teachers either because there is, unlike in the past, no regulation, or the regulators have been compromised.
It is against this background of poor pay that many teachers combine teaching with other things, some of which eat into their school periods. Some of them become emergency traders, selling all manner of things like clothes, shoes, groundnuts in bottles, foodstuffs, etc. Anything, just anything that they think is moving, so as to augment their meager pay. This would not have been an issue if the merchandising takes place after school hours. But sometimes, it is not only during school hours, but within the school premises.
I remember the private school that my children attended in Lagos. The school allowed the teachers the freedom to organise lesson after school hours but the teachers had to pay a token to the school authorities for maintenance because the lesson was being done on the school premises. Some of these teachers were not satisfied and they began to organise private lesson for the pupils whose parents were ready to pay for it right during the school hours.
And, guess what? These lessons took place right under the nose of the school authorities! But they did not know! What happened was that one of the parents who happened to be our family friend had cause to visit the school one day. The teacher in the classroom had divided the pupils into two; those she had private teaching arrangement with their parents on one side, and those whose parents could not afford the payment or simply refused to join, like my wife, on the other side. This was before 12 noon. The children, as young and innocent as they were (generally under–10) knew this was what was going on as the son of our family friend told his mother during the visit that the teacher was focusing on those that had private lesson arrangement with her! She neglected the rest of them.
Not only that, those pupils who were doing the private lesson also had some other benefits; like double promotion, pampering and slaps on the wrist for offences they committed. All of these the other pupils did not get. If you did not belong in the category of the private lesson, your son or daughter even in the baby care section would also be neglected. You may come to pick him or her with soaked and smelly diapers.
When our family friend reported what she saw to the proprietor of the school (the school is owned by a couple), he dismissed her story rather than pledge to investigate, even if he wouldn’t. That, to me, was the beginning of the school’s descent in the area. This was a school that should be the toast of the environment, but see what teachers turned it to.
And to think that most of the teachers involved in this cruelty to children were women!
But, can we in all honesty blame the teachers alone for this?
One of them at a point approached my wife for home lesson for our son. Apparently, she had not known her stance on such matters. When she asked her to name her price, the teacher said we should pay N15,000 per subject! Meanwhile, her salary at the time was about that amount. So, she wanted us to pay her monthly salary for only one subject!
The interesting thing is that by the time my children gained admission into the university, many of those pupils that those wicked teachers were pampering unduly by awarding them marks and double promotions they never deserved (but just to justify that their private coaching was working) were nothing near such progress. It was at that time I realised what my wife was always saying then that ‘’she would never buy someone else child’s glory for her children’’. Of course we withdrew our children from that school to other places.
Many of those teachers are now retired or had been sent packing from that school. Many of them try to hide their faces when we come across them now because they no longer look like human beings. They look and dress like some deranged persons. Not that they were doing well even when they were getting all the illegal monies they were collecting without delivering value; just that they were a shade better then.
And, when we talk about the ridiculous pay that teachers earn generally in the country, it does not exclude the lecturers in tertiary institutions. It was on this page I lamented what many professors earned at least until December, last year, about two weeks ago, and I felt so sorry for the country. Mercifully, the Bola Tinubu administration has managed to somewhat redress this through its enhanced salary structure that it just put in place, the impact of which those affected would have felt when they received alerts for their salaries last month (January, 2026) because that was when the new salary structure in the federal public universities was supposed to take effect.
Hopefully, that, and some other measures that the Tinubu government has taken will bring some tranquility into our universities that have been citadels of strike rather than learning in the past three or so decades.
I narrated this personal story because I know many people would have shared from this kind of horrible experiences. Some might even have gone through worse scenarios. True, we have neglected our teachers for so long. But, the personal experiences I just shared, just like many others that others have experienced at whatever level of our educational pursuit, show the difference between ‘born teachers’ and other teachers.
It should be surprising that in the midst of this madding crowd, we still have teachers that have received their calling as their fate. They are unmoved by what is happening around them. Materially, they may not be rich but they are contended with the little they have. They do their job without minding what they get in return.
But their type is going into extinction in an ever-increasing materialistic country that Nigeria has become.
This should worry us.
Public officials often speak so glowingly about teachers and the teaching profession, yet do little or nothing to lift them up. Without teachers, no person of substance would be whatever they are today; doctors, journalists, engineers, lawyers, bankers, or what have you. I therefore implore our governments, federal and states, to do something about teachers in their employ. It is good that we often spare some thought for them on World Teachers Day or during National Teachers Summit as in the present instance. They are treasures that we must cherish always rather than treat like Australia that many people know where it is but are not willing to go to.
I congratulate these lucky 12 whose levels have changed and wish others would emulate them. I congratulate Dr Alausa too for being so thoughtful, especially concerning EduRevamp Portal and the teachers’ summit. As the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, who gave the keynote address at the event said: “Teachers are the quiet architects of great nations, shaping young minds, instilling values, and nurturing hope. I understand firsthand the demands of teaching and the enduring impact of teachers in shaping societies.’’ She is a teacher herself.
Alausa echoed a similar sentiment, even if in different words: “No nation can rise above the quality of its teachers. No reform, no matter how well designed, can succeed unless teachers are empowered, motivated, supported, and respected.”
So, the summit should not end up being a talk shop; action must follow the talks. The nation is the better for it when we do our teachers well. Teachers used to be respected in Nigeria. We must return to that glorious era in the national interest.
On Thursday we gathered in Ibadan not merely to remember the man SL Akintola but to reverence the enduring spirit of courage, intellect, and sacrifice of the Sage, Akintola.
Sixty years after his passing, the name Samuel Ladoke Akintola still evokes strong sentiment and resounds—not as an echo of the past, but as a mirror of the present. Chief Akintola was a man of many parts:
A man of great intellectual acumen,
A mind swift, fearless, incandescent.
A speaker who did not lean on notes, because his convictions were already written in his soul.
A statesman whose wit disarmed, whose candor stirred, whose charm persuaded, and whose vision unsettled complacency.
He was not merely a politician- he was an idea in motion.
Chief Akintola was a nationalist in the purest sense—one who believed that leadership was not comfort, but burden; not privilege, but sacrifice. He lived standing. He spoke standing. And he died standing—in service to his fatherland.
Chief Akintola occupies a permanent place in the architecture of modern Nigeria. As Premier of the defunct Western Region and Aare-Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, he governed at a time when political leadership was not ceremonial, but consequential—when decisions shaped the economic, social, and cultural foundations of entire regions.
His administration pursued development as a matter of urgency: industrial growth, regional self-reliance, education, and the strengthening of public institutions were not abstract ideals, but measurable goals. In the Western Region, governance was understood as a tool for building prosperity, not merely exercising power.
Akintola’s political philosophy was rooted in pragmatism, not sentiment. He believed that leadership must confront reality as it is, not as it is wished to be. His vision of federalism recognized the importance of strong regions contributing to a strong nation, and he championed the idea that economic progress, social cohesion, and national stability must rise together. His ideals were shaped by an unshakable confidence in the Nigerian project, even when that project was fragile and contested.
These ideals are still valid today.
His tragic death during Nigeria’s first military coup was not just the loss of a leader, but a turning point in the nation’s democratic journey. It marked the end of a formative era and the beginning of a long national struggle to define the relationship between power, unity, and governance. Yet, six decades later, the questions he wrestled with remain strikingly relevant: How do we manage diversity? How do we balance regional strength with national unity? How do we reform systems without tearing the fabric of the nation?
Today’s Nigeria still echoes these debates. In our search for economic renewal, social cohesion, and institutional reform, we are once again reminded that progress requires courage, clarity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. Chief Ladoke Akintola’s life stands as a mirror to our present—urging us to govern with vision, to lead with conviction, and to remember that the true measure of leadership is not popularity, but impact.
I hold Late Chief Ladoke Akintola in the highest admiration. I reflect often on the political school of thought from which he emerged—the same lineage of vision, reform, and resilience that Akintola championed.
Draw a line from late Akintola
to President Bola Tinubu you will learn a profound lesson: that leadership is not about safety, but about purpose; not about applause, but about posterity. This is what President Tinubu is about.
Chief Akintola’s life reminds us that the path of reform is never smooth—but it is always necessary. Today, as Nigeria continues her journey of renewal, his ideals still speak.
That unity must be nurtured, not assumed.
That courage must guide policy.
That progress demands sacrifice.
And that leadership must be anchored in service.
Sixty years on, we gather not in mourning, but in gratitude. Gratitude for a life that burned bright, for a voice that dared to speak, for a legacy that refuses to fade.
Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola did not live too long—but he lived well and looms large. He did not die in silence—he entered eternity in the thunder of history.
And today, Nigeria remembers.
May his ideals continue to guide us.
May his courage strengthen us.
May his sacrifice remind us that nationhood is worth every price.
