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The National Assembly, through its joint committee on Finance has cleared the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) of the financial impropriety it had earlier alleged.
On Monday, during a budget defence session with the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the committee alleged that the examination body spent N1.1 billion on meals and N850 million on fumigation, among other expenses, which it described as outrageous.
Although the JAMB Registrar made a spirited effort to explain the expenditures, he was prevented from doing so and was instead asked to furnish the committee with details of the Board’s budgetary appropriations and spending for 2024 and 2025.
However, 48 hours later, the chairman of the joint committee, in a personally signed statement, clarified that Professor Oloyede and JAMB had been wrongly accused of reckless spending based on the latest documents submitted to the committee.
The statement, titled: “Clarification on the JAMB Report on Revenue,” reads: “For the purpose of clarity, the comprehensive report provided by JAMB indicates that the line items mentioned during Monday’s hearing on revenue do not suggest any mismanagement or misuse of the Board’s funds.
“On the contrary, the report highlights the responsible and prudent use of resources under the leadership of the Registrar.”
The Chairman further commended the Registrar, stating: “Professor Is-haq Oloyede deserves commendation for demonstrating financial discipline and accountability in managing the Board’s resources effectively.
“This level of stewardship serves as a model for public institutions across the nation.”
The House of Representatives has identified weaknesses in the auditing and accounting systems as factors encouraging corruption in the country.
Chairman, Public Accounts Committee of the House, Hon. Bamidele Salam stated this at the budget defence session with the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAuGF).
Salam noted that the resultant pervasive corruption is depriving government of much needed revenue to function and deliver the needed development in the country.
He said, “There are a lot of monies that ought to accrue to government that we are losing as a result of weaknesses in our accounting systems, weaknesses in auditing, weaknesses in general financial management architecture. And this also has reflected even in the budget performance of the Auditor General’s office.
“The committee raised a few observations also on the need for the Auditor General to expand its coverage of major Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government in a manner that will put greater attention on the places that have more of the revenue.
“There are some of the major agencies of government that have not been well audited in the last couple of years. And if you don’t audit properly, you are giving an indication that there is less attention on certain agencies and that may promote a lot of impunity happening in those agencies.
“And we decided, even though the Auditor General has limitations because of budgetary constraints, because of personnel constraints, the office is mandated to audit almost 1,000 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, do periodic audits, appoint auditors for those that they are not going to audit directly.
“And all this will require a lot of resources and manpower. We saw these gaps again in the presentation made today, and we are going to work as a parliament in cooperation with our sister committees that directly oversight some of these agencies in a manner that will make the work of the Auditor General to be more impactful, to be more result-oriented.
“We believe very strongly that if the Auditor General’s office is well-funded, if the Auditor General’s office is well-staffed, cases of corruption will be minimised drastically in Nigeria. We will be preventing corruption rather than fighting corruption after it happens. And that is the direction that we are looking into”.
Salam also decried the poor implementation of the capital component of the 2024 budget which he said has a negative effect on the overall governance system as well as development projections in the country.
“The implementation of the capital component of the 2024 budget has not been encouraging. We have expressed this observation when we had a meeting with the Accountant General of the Federation about a week ago, that we think that there is a need for our government to work more on the revenue side of budgets in a manner that will make us less dependent on borrowing,” he added.
In his presentation, the Auditor General for the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira told the committee that there are various challenges hindering the operations of the office.
He noted that the office was grossly underfunded and understaffed to discharge its enormous responsibilities resulting in late compilation and submission of the annual reports.
Chira however said with adequate funding and increased staff, the office will overcome the challenges, assuring that his office was on track to address the backlog of the reports for submission.
“My commitment is to submit 2022 in the month of March. That’s the one that has to do with the non-compliance. That’s the domestic report.
“By first week of March, I will submit the results and that’s all, to also give you the consolidated financial report by February, then by the end of March, I will do it,” he noted.
The 16th Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Muhammad Sanusi II, on Wednesday, said that he will no longer assist President Bola Tinubu-led administration in communicating the benefits of its economic reforms to Nigerians.
He said that his decision was due to the government’s unfriendliness towards him.
Speaking at the 2025 Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture, the Emir remarked that the government lacked credible representatives capable of articulating its reforms effectively and he will not fill that void.
Emir Sanusi II stated, “I have decided not to speak about the economy or the reforms, nor to explain anything regarding them. If I explain, it would only benefit this government and I don’t want to aid this government.
“I choose not to help this government. You see, they are my friends. If they fail to act like friends, I will not act like one.
“I observe their actions and they lack credible individuals who can effectively explain their policies. However, I am not here to assist. I began by offering support, but I have decided to stop.
“I will not discuss the matter any further. Let them come forward and explain to Nigerians why the policies they have pursued have been implemented. Meanwhile, I am enjoying a nice movie with popcorn in hand.
“But I will say one thing. What we are going through today is at least in part, not totally, at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible economic management.
“People were warned decades ago that if they continued down this path, this is where they would end up. They chose not to listen.
“Is everything being done today, correct? No. However, when the government is prepared to discuss the economy, I will likely engage. For now, I am here to honour Chief Gani Fawehinmi,” Emir Sanusi stated.
The monarch also urged Nigerians to return to their foundational values of integrity and hard work.
He said, “What we need to do is revisit our values. Do we truly possess those values? Are we genuinely committed to our work? What is the integrity with which we approach our tasks? For someone like Gani, these are the lessons from his life.
“I am here to remind us all of what he stood for, to encourage us, and to plead with us to return, as I mentioned recently, to the distinction between who we are and what we are. Our identity is defined by those qualities that Gani embodies. They revolve around our values—what we can control and who we are.
“If you are a thief, you are a thief—whether you are Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Muslim, Christian, a lawyer, or otherwise. That is your identity.
“You could be from the North or the South, wealthy or poor, a President or an Emir. These are aspects of your identity. You may not like it, but that’s the reality. Can we please begin to reflect and stop taking pride in superficial, misleading distinctions?” Emir Sanusi II added.
Gunshots erupted near the venue of the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led, three-member Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on Wednesday morning, causing widespread panic.
Lawyers, litigants, politicians, and reporters scrambled for safety to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
However, swift intervention by fully-armed security operatives restored calm, allowing the tribunal sitting at the Edo High Court Complex on Sapele Road, Benin, to continue.
Edo APC Chairman Jarret Tenebe, condemned the incident, describing the shootings as deeply disturbing and unacceptable.
Tenebe said: “The tribunal is a sacred space, where justice is meant to be administered impartially. Any act of violence within its walls undermines the very foundation of our legal system and threatens the safety of all involved.
“Regardless of political affiliation, resorting to violence to resolve disputes is never justifiable. We must all condemn the shootings in the strongest possible terms.”
Edo chairman of APC also stated that violence had no place in a civilised society, while declaring that the people that were responsible for the heinous act must be brought to justice swiftly and without exception.
The former representative of Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Monday Okpebholo, of the APC, won the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo, and was inaugurated on November 12 last year.
Seven of 18 political parties that participated in the election, which filed petitions at the tribunal, were Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Accord (A), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Action Alliance (AA), which wanted their candidates to be declared winner of the keenly-contested poll.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has approved the dissolution of the State Executive Council with immediate effect.
This was announced in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Wednesday in Akure.
The governor, according to the statement, exempted two members of the cabinet from the dissolution due to the critical nature of their duties.
DAILY POST reports that the retained commissioners are the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Omowunmi Isaac.
“All the affected cabinet members are to hand over all government properties in their care to the accounting officers of their respective ministries,” the statement added.
The governor thanked the EXCO members for their service and contributions to the development of Ondo State under his administration and wished them well in their future endeavours.
Kemi Badenoch has attributed the grooming gangs scandal to individuals from “peasant backgrounds” and “sub-communities” within certain foreign countries.
The Conservative leader reiterated her call for a national inquiry, emphasizing the need to investigate “two cultural issues” – the origins of the perpetrators and what she termed a “culture of silence.”
Speaking to GB News, Mrs. Badenoch stated, “There are two cultural issues which I believe have been identified. One is on the perpetrators’ side – where do these abusers come from? There’s a lot of misinformation, there’s a lot of generalisation, many innocent people end up being grouped in with them.
“But if you look at it, there is a systematic pattern of behaviour, not even just from one country but from sub-communities within those countries. People with a particular background, particular class background, work background. People very, very poor, a sort of peasant background, very, very rural, almost cut off from even the home origin countries that they might have been in.
“They’re not necessarily first generation. The jobs that they were doing, taxi drivers, jobs which allowed them to exhibit this predatory behaviour. That is just one side.”
Mrs. Kemi Badenoch also highlighted the “culture of silence” that she believes has allowed the issue to persist, describing it as a “culture of ‘move along, nothing to see here.’”
She called for a national inquiry to address both aspects simultaneously.
Elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has called for the immediate suspension of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), alleging that it has deviated from its founding principles and lost its purpose.
In a statement titled “Our Governors’ Forum: An Open Appeal for Reform” released on Monday, Chief Clark criticized the NGF for becoming a divisive force in Nigeria’s political landscape. He argued that the forum, originally envisioned as a platform for collaboration among governors, has degenerated into “power without accountability and influence without responsibility.”
“The NGF’s potential to unify state governors under one banner could have been its greatest asset,” Clark stated. “Instead, it has often been used to undermine constitutional order. I strongly advocate for the immediate suspension of the Governors’ Forum to prevent further crises between state governments.”
Clark, a former Federal Commissioner of Information, noted that the NGF has reached a crossroads, urging it to embrace reform and recommit to democratic values. “The NGF stands at a critical juncture. Its survival—and indeed ours—depends on its willingness to reform and adhere to the principles of democracy and good governance,” he said.
He accused the NGF leadership of lacking focus and urged state governors to redeem their image. Clark lamented that while the forum once played a positive role in the country, it has now become a notorious cabal resistant to reform, secretive in its operations, and more concerned with power than service.
Clark further alleged that the NGF undermines legislative independence by turning state assemblies into mere extensions of the executive branch. According to him, governors routinely handpick Speakers and assembly members to ensure unwavering loyalty, eroding the checks and balances vital for democratic governance.
He also criticized the Senate for becoming a “retirement plan for former governors,” asserting that this cycle entrenches personal gain over public service.
“The NGF has failed to condemn critical issues, such as the crisis in Rivers State, which underscores its lack of focus and disregard for accountability,” Clark added.
Despite his criticism, Clark expressed hope for the forum’s redemption, urging governors to embrace reforms that prioritize the people’s needs over political maneuvering. “Let us envision a revitalized NGF, one that aligns with constitutional ideals and serves as a genuine platform for collaboration rather than control,” he said.
He emphasized that reform is an opportunity to recalibrate and rebuild. “This vision is within our reach, but it demands clarity of purpose and determination. Reform is not a reproach; it is an opportunity to recommit to the principles of good governance.”
Attempts to get a response from the NGF Secretariat were unsuccessful. The Director General of the NGF, Alhaji Abdullateef Shittu, did not respond to calls or messages. Meanwhile, the NGF Acting Director of Media and Public Affairs, Hajiya Halima Ahmed, stated that the Director General is the appropriate person to address the allegations.
Chief Clark’s statement has reignited calls for accountability and reform within the NGF, putting pressure on its leadership to respond to the criticisms and chart a new course for the organization.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted popular Nigerian singer, Darlington Achakpo, also known as Speed Darlington, a ₦20 million bail with one surety in like.
The decision was made on Wednesday, following his detention on cybercrime charges. Justice Ekerete Akpan delivered the ruling after Speed Darlington pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge related to alleged cybercrime activities.
In his ruling, Justice Akpan set strict conditions for the bail, requiring the surety to be a Level 10 civil servant residing in Abuja.
The surety must depose to an affidavit of means, and their address must be verified by the court registrar. The individual must also be either a staff member of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) or a federal employee.
“The surety should deposit their letters of appointment and last promotion, which must be verified by the deputy chief registrar of the court,” the judge stated.
Passport And Photographs To Be Submitted
Speed Darlington is required to deposit his international passport with the court. Additionally, both the singer and his surety must submit two recent passport photographs to the court registrar.
While the bail conditions are being perfected, Speed Darlington is to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre. The court has adjourned the matter until March 18 for trial, with the singer facing legal proceedings for the cybercrime charges.
Mrs Abosede Aloba, the mother of the late singer Ilerioluwa, popularly known as Mohbad, and actor Yomi Fabiyi have clashed over the cause of the singer’s death.
Fabiyi, at a World Press Conference held on Wednesday at Radisson Blu in Ikeja, Lagos State, to demand justice for Mohbad, accused the late singer’s brother, Adura Aloba, of messaging him on Instagram, claiming to know the root cause of his brother’s death.
In response, Aloba denied the claim, stating that Adura wouldn’t have known the cause of Mohbad’s death and should remain silent.
The visibly angry mother pointed her finger at Fabiyi while shouting, “They killed Mohbad, and you want me to lose his brother unjustly. He knows nothing about his brother’s death; do not implicate my son.”
“I am not happy that I lost Mohbad because if he were alive, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you. They took my precious gift away, and I won’t let them take Adura, too,” she added.
Fabiyi responded, saying he wasn’t concerned about the sender of the message but rather the content itself, maintaining that he wasn’t convinced that it wasn’t Adura who sent him the message.
Details later…
The Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has made history by producing 18 all-female first-class graduates for the 2023/2024 academic session.
This remarkable feat was unveiled during the award of first-degree honours at the university’s 55th convocation ceremony, which commenced on Tuesday.
The convocation, spanning three days, will see 16,590 students conferred with degrees and diplomas. Of this number, 9,865 will receive first degrees and diplomas, while 6,659 will be awarded postgraduate degrees. Additionally, 66 students will graduate from the UNILAG Business School (ULBS).
The exceptional Mass Communication graduates include Feranmi Abiola, Ahuruele Akani, Oyindamola Arikawe, Ifedayo Ayilaran, Demiladeogo Bankole, Olaide Bankole, Eniola Daramola, Faith Enang, Temiloluwa Igbinlade, Joy Imanah, Ifeoma Iwelunmor and Chelsea Jegede.
Others are Opeyemi Kareem, Eunice Obidi, Frances Odogu, Mofesola Olanrewaju, Funmilola Onabanjo and Peace Onuoha.
The university commended the graduates for their diligence and resilience in achieving academic excellence.
Speaking at the ceremony, UNILAG’s Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, celebrated the university’s groundbreaking achievements in innovation, infrastructure, and academic excellence.
She highlighted the MED-AFRICA GMP Laboratory, the first of its kind in West Africa, located in the Faculty of Pharmacy. “The $450,000 state-of-the-art facility facilitates groundbreaking research on HIV prevention,” she said.
The Vice-Chancellor also mentioned the inauguration of the African Centre of Excellence for Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development and Regulatory Science (ACEDHARS), funded by the World Bank, and the launch of the Green Air Initiative, which introduced eight electric buses for campus transportation.
In addition, she acknowledged contributions to the university’s development, including Tunde Fanimokun’s N14.5 billion pledge for hostels and research centres, and support from the Lagos State Government for various projects.
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TikTok is gearing up to shut down its app for United States users this Sunday if the Supreme Court does not intervene to block a planned federal ban, ‘The Information’ reported on Tuesday.
The move came as the social media giant faced mounting pressure under a law signed by President Joe Biden, requiring its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its US operations by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.
The shutdown, as planned by TikTok, would go beyond the requirements of the law, which mandated a ban only on new downloads from Apple (AAPL.O) and Google (GOOGL.O) app stores. Under the legislation, existing users would still have access to the platform for a limited time.
If the shutdown proceeds, users attempting to open the app will reportedly encounter a pop-up message directing them to a website with detailed information about the ban. Additionally, TikTok plans to offer users the option to download their personal data, ensuring they can retain a record of their information.
In a court filing in December, TikTok estimated that one-third of its 170 million American users would stop accessing the app if the ban lasted a month. The company and ByteDance argued that the law infringed upon the First Amendment, which protects against government restrictions on free speech. They are seeking a delay in the law’s implementation, asserting that it violates constitutional rights.
TikTok and ByteDance did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters regarding the report.
The impending ban marked a significant escalation in the U.S. government’s scrutiny of TikTok, as concerns over data privacy and national security continued to fuel bipartisan support for tougher measures against the platform.
For now, millions of US users are left in limbo, awaiting clarity on whether the app will indeed disappear from their devices this Sunday.
My Children Will Never Join Nigerian Army – 76-year-old Retired Colonel Declares, Explains Why
AFOLABI
A retired civil war veteran, Colonel Nasiru Salami, has expressed his concerns regarding the inadequate treatment of retired personnel from the Nigerian Army by military leadership.
The 76-year-old veteran appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief program in commemoration of the 2025 Armed Forces’ Remembrance Day on Wednesday.
In a poignant account, Salami detailed his military journey, beginning with his enlistment in the Nigerian Army in October 1967, followed by his immediate deployment to the battlefield for the Biafra war just six weeks after his training.
Currently serving as the Secretary of the Nigerian Legion, Lagos Chapter, Salami shared that he spent 11 months on the front lines during the civil war from 1967 to 1970.
The septuagenarian recounted the harrowing experience of losing his right foot during the conflict, which necessitated amputation, yet he returned to the front lines to continue fighting.
Salami stated that he would not advise any of his children to pursue a career in the Nigerian Army, asserting, “At this moment, I cannot recommend that any of my children join the Nigerian Army.”
Salami, who said two of his children are now graduates, noted: “I am their father and they are seeing me now that my life is not to their expectation. They would want me to be higher than this, full of joy and other things that would make them happy. How would I now encourage them to join the army?
“I have two graduates now and I said to them: ‘Never you think of going to join the army. If you want to join, maybe the Navy or the Air Force. I’ve not been there but I’ve been seeing them and I’ve been hearing about them because they are treated better.”
Salami said the Nigerian Legion in Lagos has over 24,000 members and that the Nigerian government was yet to pay him and his civil war survivors war bonuses over 50 years later.
He expressed his disappointment about his unpaid pension and other post-retirement packages.
“We are asking for war bonus, those of us who fought the war. I retired in December 1983 and they promised us heaven and earth that they would give us our war bonus but up till now, we have not seen it,” the war veteran said, appealing to the government to do the needful and improve the welfare of him and his colleagues.
‘I Did Not Send Any Nude Photographs’ – UNICAL Professor Denies Sexual Harassment Allegations, Claims Evidence Was Manipulated
AFOLABI
The suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Cyril Ndifon, has alleged that images linking him to an ongoing sexual harassment case were altered.
Recall that the suspended lecturer made this claim on Tuesday while testifying before Justice James Omotosho at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Ndifon, who was suspended following allegations of misconduct, stated that photos purportedly extracted from his phone by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had been edited.
During his testimony as the first defense witness (DW-1), led by his lawyer Joe Agi, SAN, Ndifon denied sending or requesting explicit images.
“I did not send any nude photographs neither did I solicit for any.
“This (Oppo phone) is not the phone I used to chat with her (alleged rape victim).
“She has another number which she used to chat with me,” he said.
He explained that neither his face nor that of the prosecution’s key witness, identified as TKJ, appeared in the pictures.
Disputed Evidence and ICPC Procedures
Ndifon questioned the authenticity of “Exhibit H,” which included photos and chats allegedly exchanged with the complainant.
He asserted, “All these pictures are not from my phone. Looking at it, slide 661 shows that this document has been edited.
“I haven’t gone through the whole document so I don’t know which other part was edited.
“I watched the video slide, but I didn’t see my face or TKJ’s (name of the girl withheld).
“The ICPC didn’t invite me to where they were doing the extraction and I haven’t been told about who told ICPC about the complain.”
He further criticized the ICPC for failing to verify the evidence properly, noting that the complainant’s phone was not analyzed for corroboration.
The embattled professor also claimed that the ICPC did not involve him in the evidence extraction process or disclose the source of the complaint.
Allegations of Admission Irregularities
The professor alleged that TKJ, now a student in the Faculty of Law, gained admission irregularly.
He claimed she was admitted despite not meeting the qualifications, having scored only 102 in her JAMB examination.
According to Ndifon, her uncle, based in the UK, had earlier sought his assistance in recovering ₦100,000 allegedly paid to someone in the Vice Chancellor’s office to secure her admission. Ndifon said he declined to intervene.
He also stated that TKJ later enrolled in a diploma program and that he advised her to focus on her studies to gain admission through direct entry.
Denial of Sexual Harassment Claims
Ndifon vehemently denied all allegations, including claims that he requested obscene photographs or made inappropriate advances toward TKJ.
“The allegation against me occurred when I was no longer in the Faculty of Law, so she cannot say I had asked for oral sex or any other advances.
“I’m totally shocked she came to testify, because nothing like that happened,” he insisted.
Ndifon disclosed that he owns three phones, with his iPhone being his primary device for communication. He maintained that the Oppo phone, where the incriminating photos were allegedly found, was not his main line.
ICPC’s Charges
Naija News recalls that the ICPC had re-arraigned Ndifon and his lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu, on January 25, 2024, over allegations of sexual harassment and attempts to pervert the course of justice.
The commission alleged that Ndifon requested obscene images from TKJ through WhatsApp while serving as Dean.
Anyanwu was also accused of threatening one of the prosecution witnesses during the trial.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case has been adjourned to February 12 and 13 for further proceedings.
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that it is not aware if President Bola Tinubu is involved in the impeachment of the immediate past Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.
The embattled politician was impeached by members of the Lagos State House of Assembly and was replaced by Mojisola Meranda.
Shortly after Obasa was impeached, the lawmakers said their action was aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the legislature and Lagos State.
Speaking to Daily Post, the Publicity Secretary of the state chapter of APC, Seye Oladejo, said Obasa’s impeachment showed that the parliament and all arms of government enjoy independence in Lagos State.
He said, “His impeachment is not a party affair, it’s the entire business of the House of Assembly, it has nothing to do with the party.
“They enjoy their independence as a major tier in this democracy, so whatsoever, the House has made available through the news maker and their information machinery would just suffice for now.”
Speaking on Tinubu’s alleged involvement in the impeachment, Oladejo said, “I wouldn’t know who was involved and not involved, we only have to accept what the members of the House have put in public domain.
“The members said they decided to have a change of guard and that was it.”
“Politics is about intrigues and interests and the only thing that is permanent is your interest.
“The only thing that is permanent and constant is your interest at a particular time as a politician and that is universal, it’s not peculiar to Nigeria.”
Oladejo, however, denied knowledge of the former Speaker nursing a governorship ambition.
He said, “I’m not aware there is any ongoing governorship race right now and we won’t be having another governorship election until 2027.
“The priority of the party is to deliver on good governance and ensure that we fulfill the social contract between us and the people who voted us into power and we do not disappoint.
“And of course, If there is anything that has resemblance to an election before us, it is the party’s congress and local government election towards the middle of this year.”