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Tag: Dr. Tunji Alausa

  • Alausa, Masari, Akande unveil N7b Senate building, roads, library, clinic, others at FUHSI

    Alausa, Masari, Akande unveil N7b Senate building, roads, library, clinic, others at FUHSI

    The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, Chairman Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) Board of Trustees, Aminu Masari and the pioneer Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), and a former Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, on Friday commissioned 11 multi-billion-dollar projects at Federal University of Health Sciences(FUSHI), Ila-Orangun, Osun State.

    The university was established in 2021 and started its academic activities in 2022 with 526 students.

    Alausa affirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Federal Ministry of Education reform programme are setting a new national direction for quality, relevance and competitiveness in Nigerian education.

     He said: “The President has been unwavering in his commitment to repositioning our institutions to produce the skilled workforce needed for Nigeria’s technological, economic, and health-sector advancement.

    “Our comprehensive blueprint for systemic reform cut across basic, technical, vocational, teacher, and tertiary education. NESRI ensures that no learner is left behind, and that every tertiary institution evolves into a centre of excellence capable of driving national development.

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    “Health sciences education is a crucial pillar of NESRI, and today’s commissioning exemplifies precisely the kind of infrastructure and academic strengthening that the Initiative seeks to scale nationwide.”

    Earlier, Masari disclosed that the projects executed with TETFund support cost N7,050,368,736, stating that “these projects form part of the N10,540,000,000 allocated to the university from 2021 to date. N9,417,606,344.47 has been accessed, leaving a balance of N1,122,393,655.43.”

     The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Akeem Lasisi, disclosed that the school run 13 academic programmes with a student population of 3,493, noting that 453 students are benefiting from NELFund.

    He noted that numerous projects have been completed within the school, adding that the 11 projects billed for commissioning were funded by the Federal Government and TETfund.

     The project, namely: Senate building, library, ICT building, multidisciplinary clinical centre, College of Medicine, multidisciplinary research laboratory, roads, nursing building, faculty of basic medical sciences, Health centre and university electrification project.

  • Education is Nigeria’s smartest economic strategy – Minister

    Education is Nigeria’s smartest economic strategy – Minister

    The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has declared that investing in quality education is the “smartest economic strategy” the country can pursue, far outweighing short-term spending on crisis management, social welfare or even infrastructure.

    Speaking on Wednesday at the maiden KADA EDUPACT International Education Summit 2025 in Kaduna, Alausa said no nation can secure long-term stability or prosperity without first laying a solid educational foundation for its young people.

    According to him, “Every Naira we put into quality education is a Naira saved on conflict resolution, unemployment handouts, and public health emergencies,” he told a packed hall at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Centre, Murtala Square. “If we truly want to guarantee Nigeria’s future peace and productivity, education must be treated not as a cost but as our highest-return investment.”

    Alausa singled out Kaduna State under Governor Uba Sani as a shining example of how smart, deliberate investments in human capital pay off. He pointed to the state’s bold 40% tuition cut across its tertiary institutions, the injection of $62 million into basic education, and major expansions at Kaduna State University.

    He said, “Kaduna is proving that education transformation is not just possible — it is bankable,” the Minister said. “What Governor Uba Sani is doing here is more than governance; it’s economic foresight. He is investing today so Kaduna avoids paying a much heavier price tomorrow.

    “Beyond physical infrastructure, Alausa challenged other states to embrace a holistic model that also focuses on curriculum relevance, digital skills, gender inclusion and teacher quality. “This is how we build a workforce ready for the 21st century, not just a generation that can read and write,” he said.

    The Minister unveiled the Federal Ministry’s new blended financing framework, which will pool federal, state, private sector and donor resources into a transparent, results-driven fund. “We want to reward outcomes, not bureaucracy. Kaduna’s partnerships with development partners show it can be done.”

    He stressed that teachers must remain at the heart of this strategy. “No policy will be delivered if the classroom is broken,” Alausa warned. “That’s why we’re pushing a Teacher Internship and Quality Assurance Framework and revamping the TRCN so every state aligns with rigorous national standards.”

    Read Also: Alausa lauds Tinubu on national honour

    With the clock ticking toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, Alausa said other states needed to wake up. “Kaduna is not just charting its destiny; it is lighting the path for the rest of Nigeria. The real question is: who will follow?”

    He concluded by pledging the Federal Government’s unwavering support. “On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, I salute Kaduna’s courage and vision. Together, let us make education the engine that powers Nigeria’s peace, prosperity and long-term progress.”

    The summit drew education commissioners, donor agencies, private sector leaders and international development partners who all agreed: no investment beats educating a country’s young minds.

  • FG threatens to prosecute parents, guardian aiding exam malpractices

    FG threatens to prosecute parents, guardian aiding exam malpractices

    The federal government has vowed to prosecute parents and guardians found complicit in examination malpractices.

    This came as the government directed all schools to immediately report any threats or breaches of exam conduct to law enforcement and the relevant educational authorities.

    Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa said this in a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade on Tuesday. 

    Alausa also condemned the assault on the Vice Principal of Complete Child Development College, Akure, Ondo State, by thugs allegedly hired by the parents of a student caught cheating during an exam.

    Dr. Alausa stated that any student found engaging in malpractice would be sanctioned by national examination guidelines.

    The minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice, intimidation of school personnel, and all unethical conduct by students, parents, or guardians.

    The statement reads, “The Federal Ministry of Education strongly condemns the unfortunate incident that occurred at Complete Child Development College, Aule, Akure, Ondo State, where suspected thugs, allegedly hired by the parents of a student, assaulted the Vice Principal, Mr. Rotifa, for performing his lawful duty of upholding the integrity of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).”

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    Dr. Alausa commended the swift intervention of Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the State Police Command, which led to the arrest of the suspects, including Mrs. Dorcas Asije and four others.

    He called for thorough investigations and the prosecution of all those involved to serve as a deterrent.

    “Any parent or guardian who enables, supports, or participates in such criminal behaviour will be prosecuted. This administration will not tolerate any attempt to undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s education system,” the minister said. 

    The minister urged schools to remain vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement agencies and state education ministries to ensure safe, fair, and credible examination environments.

    “The Federal Ministry of Education stands firmly with the management and staff of Complete Child Development College, and by extension, all education stakeholders nationwide, who continue to uphold the values of discipline, accountability, and academic excellence while resisting examination malpractice,” the statement added.

  • FG proposes establishment of exams malpractice tribunal

    FG proposes establishment of exams malpractice tribunal

    The Federal Government has proposed the establishment of National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal for prompt prosecution of examination infractions to serve as deterrent to others.

    The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said this in Abuja while receiving a committee report on improvement of quality examinations.

    Affirming the recommendations of the 17-man committee, headed by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Administrations and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the minister said it would improve the quality of examinations in the country.

    Alausa assured the committee members that all the 12-point recommendations would be implemented, noting that the government would deploy all its machineries to fight the menace of examination malpractice.

    “Let me assure all the committee members that you have done so much work here, and all the recommendations you have given us as a government, we will implement every single one of them.

    “All the 12 recommendations that you reeled out, everyone will agree with me today that none of them will be impossible to implement.

    “They are all practicable things. Those that will be implemented now, we will do that right away,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NSA) recalls the Minister inaugurated the committee in January and it submitted its interim report after five months of extensive work.

    NAN reports that in one of the recommendations, the committee urged the Federal Ministry of Education to interface with the National Assembly to enact law establishing a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal for prompt prosecution of examination malpractices.

    The committee also recommended that documents, including certificates, registration and result slips, should contain National Identification Number (NIN), photograph and date of birth of candidates, to guard against identity theft and impersonation.

    “All Invigilators and Supervisors must register through NIN and subscribe to the examination body’s Short Code, using the same pattern of 55019/66019 of JAMB in order so track and have full information about the examination officials, including examiners, supervisors and invigilators.

    “Swapping of Invigilators and Supervisors, should commence with effect from the 2025 private SSCE due to the strong views against student swapping expressed by the four concerned examination bodies (WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS).

    “Except where absolutely impossible, Invigilators and Supervisors should always be public officials, teachers on pensionable appointments

    “The standard requirements of examination halls/centres should not be waived for any school, while the recommended seating arrangement should be 1.5m by 1.2m. or 1.8 sqm per candidate,”  the committee stated.

    The committee also recommended that all examination halls and centres should be equipped with stationary CCTV cameras for surveillance and monitoring purposes.

    ” In addition, every examination centre shall have a mini control room where the CCTV camera is monitored for urgent and immediate alert.”

    The committee also recommended that examination bodies shall jointly own central control facilities for their use during examinations to save cost; and body camcorders should be deployed to examination halls and centres for effective monitoring.

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    Also recommended by the committee was that, at the point of entry into basic school, every pupil must generate a unique code which is linked to his/her NIN which must be identified with the pupil throughout his/her educational journey in Nigeria.

    The committee noted that the non-implementation of the 1999 Examination Malpractice Act suggested either a lack of political will or non implementable.

    It, therefore, recommended a review of the Act in such a manner that it could be immediately implemented to curb examination malpractice.

    “Rather than wait till 2027 as initially suggested, the Computer Based Examination (CBE) should be implemented for objective questions in 2025 private examinations and in full for school candidates in 2026.

    “The 30 per cent Continuous Assessment component in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations has become a veritable source of corruption in the examination system due to the fraudulent process of inputting the scores in arrears.

    The committee, therefore, recommended the immediate review of the Continuous Assessment System by the relevant agencies.

    (NAN)

  • Minister vows full WAEC CBT shift next year

    Minister vows full WAEC CBT shift next year

    The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to transition to Computer-Based Test (CBT) examinations for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and other exam bodies by next year.

    Alausa made this known yesterday while monitoring the conduct of WAEC’s CBT examinations in Abuja.

    He expressed optimism about Nigeria’s capacity to modernise its examination system and reduce widespread malpractice through digital innovation.

    Praising WAEC’s initiative, the minister described the shift from traditional pen-and-paper exams to CBT as a historic and crucial step toward fairness and educational integrity.

    “We are working very hard to eliminate fraud in our exam system, and WAEC is taking the lead,” he said.

    Highlighting the advantages of CBT, Alausa noted that the system simplified the exam process while significantly curbing cheating.

     “We now have clear evidence that when exams are done using technology, the level of fraud is minimised to almost zero,” he stated.

    He lauded WAEC’s internal safeguards, explaining that the CBT system was operated via a secured Local Area Network (LAN), making it “literally impossible” to hack.

    According to the minister, by Nov. 2025, all WAEC multiple-choice exams will be conducted using CBT.

    He added that essay questions and NECO examinations would follow suit by 2026.

    Read Also: Gov Lawal clears WAEC, NECO debt, secures release of pending results

    On infrastructure and logistics, particularly in remote areas, Alausa acknowledged the challenges but assured that scalable solutions are in progress.

    “Are we going to be ready to provide every single needed infrastructure by November? Absolutely not.

    “But as we move into the future, we will be ready. We have to challenge ourselves as government,” he said.

    He also addressed concerns over the logistics of conducting multiple exams.

    “In WAEC, the average student takes about eight to nine papers.

    “They do it over several days. Those are the logistics we, as administrators, have to work through, and we already are,” he explained.

     The ongoing WAEC exams, which began on April 24, are scheduled to conclude on June 20, 2025.

    A total of 1,973,253 candidates from 23,554 schools are participating. Of this number, 979,228 candidates are male, accounting for 49.63 per cent, while 994,025 candidates are female, making up 50.37 per cent.

  • Minister denies fraud allegation in NELFUND

    Minister denies fraud allegation in NELFUND

    Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has firmly denied allegations of fraud in the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), stating that recent claims of financial discrepancies are unfounded.

    Speaking on Wednesday after a high-level meeting with Vice Chancellors, officials of the National Universities Commission (NUC), NELFUND representatives, and officials from the Federal Ministry of Education, Alausa addressed the controversy sparked by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

    “Let me start by saying that there is no fraud in NELFUND,” Alausa stated. “ICPC reported that the information was not correct. There is no fraud in NELFUND; what we have are issues that have to do with the timeline.”

    Read Also: Making NELFUND work

    The response comes in light of a recent statement by the ICPC, which announced it had launched a comprehensive investigation into suspected discrepancies in the student loan disbursement process.

    According to the commission, preliminary findings showed that of the N100 billion released by the Federal Government for the scheme, only N28.8 billion had been disbursed to students, leaving N71.2 billion unaccounted for.

    The situation has prompted widespread concern, with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) threatening to stage protests over the alleged shortfall in disbursements.

  • Minister blames poor UTME results on CBT

    Minister blames poor UTME results on CBT

    The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has linked the number of poor performances in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to the Federal Government’s intensified war against examination malpractice.

    According to the minister, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has become a model for transparent examinations, owing to its strict computer-based testing (CBT) system that has virtually eliminated cheating.

    In an interview on a national television, Dr. Alausa clarified that the 2025 UTME mass failure recorded is not due to a decline in student intelligence but rather a sign that the integrity of the examination system has been restored.

    “This is not about the students being unintelligent. It’s a reflection of exams now being done the proper way,” Alausa stated.

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    The minister added: “JAMB conducts its exam using CBT and has built a fortress of security around the process. Fraud or cheating has been almost completely wiped out. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same about WAEC and NECO yet.”

    Alausa  said that efforts are underway to extend the JAMB-style anti-cheating measures to other national examination bodies. Beginning from November, WAEC and NECO will be migrating to CBT, with full adoption expected by 2027 across all major exam bodies, including EMBRAS and NBTEB.

    “The solution is technology. From November this year, WAEC and NECO will begin using computer-based tests. We must dismantle this culture of malpractice from the roots,” the minister said.

    He condemned the pervasive exam fraud in secondary schools, blaming it for cultivating a generation of students who are rewarded for dishonesty while hard working candidates are sidelined.

    “Students cheat their way through WAEC and NECO and then crash during JAMB because there’s no room for malpractice. That’s the result we’re seeing now,” he said.

    Alausa warned that the current system punishes honest students, leading to widespread discouragement.

    “If I’m preparing for WAEC and I see my peers have access to the leaked questions, why would I study? I’ll feel left behind and join them. That’s the reality,” he stated.

    He described the malpractice network as a full-blown ecosystem involving students, parents, teachers, and invigilators.

    Drawing from his own experience as a former school teacher, Alausa expressed his resolve to cleanse the system.

    “We have allowed this decay to fester for too long. JAMB is now a clean exam. We must do the same for WAEC and NECO. This is about building the future of our country,” he said.

    Alausa said that Nigerian students are inherently capable but are victims of a flawed system.

    “Our youth are smart and full of potential. But the corrupt environment around them is the problem. We are determined to change that narrative,” he said.

    The 2025 UTME saw over 1.5 million candidates score below 200, a figure that has triggered widespread concern and debate across the country.

  • 38 technical colleges upgraded

    38 technical colleges upgraded

    The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has said the government has upgraded about 38 federal and state technical colleges as part of ongoing reforms to equip youths with internationally competitive skills.

    Alausa announced this at this year’s quarterly citizens and stakeholders’ engagement on the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) yesterday in Abuja.

    The engagement focused on outlining strategic priorities, unveiling key initiatives, and addressing lingering challenges, such as the alarming rate of out-of-school children.

    The minister said the initiative aims to shift Nigeria’s education system towards a skill-based and knowledge-driven economy.

    Alausa said the ministry has identified six core priority areas to reduce the number of out-of-school girls, strengthen quality assurance, and expand access through targeted national programmes.

    Among these efforts is the NESRI – a comprehensive framework aimed at transitioning Nigeria from a resource-dependent economy to a knowledge-driven one.

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    The initiative focuses on literacy improvement, data digitisation, and curriculum reform.

    The minister also announced that the government had introduced a dual-training model in the technical colleges so that students would now spend 80 per cent of their time in practical training and 20 per cent in the classroom.

    Alausa said: “Artisans will be paid to mentor trainees, establishing a new value chain in the education sector.

    “Our goal is to train 5 million young Nigerians with globally relevant skills within four years.

    “NESRI addresses issues of access, quality, inclusivity, research, and professional development in education.”

    The minister said Nigeria currently has 15 million out-of-school children and over 45 million classified as learning poor.

    He said adolescent girls, particularly the 6 million aged between 12 and 19 currently out of school, remain a key focus of the reforms.

    To address this crisis, Alausa said 25,000 children have been integrated into formal education through NESRI, while 4,000 Tsangaya teachers have been trained to support inclusive education.

    According to him, the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will begin to conduct computer-based tests (CBT) from November with full digitisation of all national examinations, including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), by 2027.

    Alausa said the move aims to tackle examination fraud and enhance integrity.

    The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, emphasised the importance of TVET in addressing Nigeria’s skills gap and reducing reliance on foreign workers.

    “We have seen companies hiring 60 per cent of their workforce from abroad. That must change,” she said.

    The permanent secretary of the ministry, Abel Enitan, lauded the dedication of the two ministers and reassured attendees of the government’s unwavering commitment to educational transformation.

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Muntari Dandutse, pledged legislative support for the reforms, describing education as “the heart of national transformation”.

  • FG upgrades 38 technical colleges to equip youths with global skills, says Minister

    FG upgrades 38 technical colleges to equip youths with global skills, says Minister

    The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced the upgrade of 38 federal and state technical colleges across Nigeria as part of comprehensive reforms aimed at equipping young Nigerians with globally competitive skills.

    Speaking on Monday at the 2025 Quarterly Citizens and Stakeholders Engagement on the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) in Abuja, Dr. Alausa said the upgrades are part of a broader effort to reposition the education sector for a skill-based, knowledge-driven economy.

    The engagement session focused on strategic priorities, unveiling of key initiatives, and addressing persistent challenges, particularly the high number of out-of-school children.

    Dr. Alausa outlined six core priority areas under the ministry’s reform agenda, including reducing the number of out-of-school girls, enhancing quality assurance, and improving access through targeted national programs.

    He also highlighted the introduction of a dual-training model in the upgraded technical colleges, where students will now spend 80% of their time on hands-on training and 20% in the classroom — a shift designed to better prepare them for real-world job markets.

    NESRI, the centrepiece of the reform, includes initiatives on literacy improvement, curriculum reform, and data digitisation, and is aimed at transitioning Nigeria from a resource-based to a knowledge-driven economy.

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    Alausa said, “Artisans will be paid to mentor trainees, establishing a new value chain in the education sector.

    “Our goal is to train 5 million young Nigerians with globally relevant skills within four years.

    “NESRI addresses issues of access, quality, inclusivity, research, and professional development in education.”

    Alausa noted that Nigeria currently has 15 million out-of-school children and over 45 million classified as learning poor.

    He said adolescent girls, particularly the 6 million aged 12–19 currently out of school, remained a key focus of the reforms.

    To address this crisis, the minister said 25,000 children have been integrated into formal education through NESRI, while 4,000 Tsangaya teachers have been trained to support inclusive education.

    Alausa announced that the National Examinations Council, and the West African Examinations Council would begin conducting computer-based tests (CBT) from November 2025, with full digitisation of all national examinations, including JAMB, by 2027.

    He said the move was to tackle examination fraud and enhance integrity.

    The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, emphasised the importance of TVET in addressing Nigeria’s skills gap and reducing reliance on foreign workers.

    “We have seen companies hiring 60 per cent of their workforce from abroad. That must change,” she said.

    The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Abel Enitan commended the dedication of the two ministers and reassured attendees of the government’s unwavering commitment to educational transformation.

    Sen. Muntari Dandutse, Chair of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, pledged legislative support for the reforms, calling education “the heart of national transformation.”

  • How Education Minister mobilised for NADECO in exile, by Bamidele 

    How Education Minister mobilised for NADECO in exile, by Bamidele 

    ‘Alausa initiated medical outreaches across Southwest’

    Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has said that Education Minister,  Dr. Tunji Alausa, mobilised resources for the chieftains of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) that fled the country when the late Gen. Sani Abacha was military Head of State.

    He also disclosed that Alausa rejected offers to be either Commissioner for Education or Commissioner for Health under the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos State. 

    Bamidele (Ekiti Central) revealed Alausa’s interventions for the pro-democracy advocates in Europe and the United States between 1993 and 1999 during the inauguration of the governing council and principal officers of the university on Tuesday in Abuja recently.

    NADECO, a broad coalition of democrats across Nigeria, was established on May 15, 1994 to protest the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola; end the decades of military dictatorship and restore democracy back to the federation.

    Prominent pro-democracy leaders that the rule of the late tyrant forced into exile include Nigeria’s pro-democracy activist, Chief Anthony Enahoro; Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; NADECO’s first Secretary General of the NADECO, Chief Ayo Opadokun and former Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Hon. Olawale Oshun.

    Giving accounts of Alausa’s interventions for pro-democracy advocates in exile recently, Bamidele revealed that when most of them fled their fatherland during the Abacha era, they sustained varying degrees of injury that required urgent medical treatment to save them from their health challenges.

    He, also, revealed that the education minister, then undergoing residency in Internal Medicine at both Royal Bolton Hospital and University of Newcastle between 1995 and 1997, came to the rescue most pro-democracy leaders in exile in Europe and the United States by providing health services for them free of charge.

    The senate leader explained that this present honorable minister “was one of the few people we relied on for many years when most of us fled our fatherland due to threat to our lives and families under the reign of the late tyrant.

    “We were forced to different parts of Europe and the United States. Alausa was then a prosperous medical doctor in the United States. He provided hope for us. He provided resources for us. He provided much-needed medical care for us in exile. Some of the beneficiaries are alive. But some have gone home to be with God. 

    “Then, many of the pro-democracy leaders had to undergo knee surgery in their countries of political asylums. They had sustained injury while being hounded by the Abacha junta. They suffered teargas canisters fired at them when their meetings were disrupted. But in exile, Alausa mobilised medical professionals and resources to support everyone in need of medical care.”

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    He added that when President Bola Tinubu emerged as the Governor of Lagos State in 1999, he wanted to appoint Alausa either as the Commissioner for Education or Commissioner for Health in recognition of his sacrifice and support for the chieftains of NADECO in exile.

    However, according to Bamidele, Alausa declined the offer of appointment on the ground that he did not do what he did for any political appointment or any patronage, but purely out of passion to guarantee the safety and welfare of the victims of the junta, who exercised their rights to push for democracy and freedom.

    Also, the senate leader revealed that the education minister was behind medical outreaches that were organised across all states of the South-west when democracy was eventually restored on May 29, 1999.

    He further explained: “When some of our leaders had the opportunity to come back to Nigeria at the advent of the Fourth Republic, Alausa did not just watch us from his country of residence. He initiated several medical programmes we implemented across all states of the South-west.

    “Alausa was the brain behind such medical programmes as free medical care, free eyeglasses and different surgery programmes that we implemented across the geo-political zone then. He mobilised medical doctors and experts from the diaspora to Nigeria. 

    For weeks, they would be in the South-west holding different medical outreaches free of charge. As a government, we did not pay for their flights, accommodations or the medical care they provided for the beneficiaries of the interventions. He implemented the programmes free of charge behind the scenes. 

    “I can also testify as a commissioner under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos State, the governor did everything to make Alausa serve in his cabinet. He was supposed to choose between Commissioner for Education or Health. But he told Asiwaju that he did not support the pro-democracy leaders because he wanted to be in government, but because he was obliged to support them. 

    “I am also aware of the pressure exerted on him before he accepted to come and serve in the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the 16th President of Nigeria. The pressure lasted for some weeks. But somehow along the line, God touched his heart and he agreed to come and be part of us,” he added.