Nigerian politician, Doyin Okupe has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not be held responsible for the failures of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking in an interview with The Sun, Okupe highlighted the fractured nature of the APC, describing it as a “conglomerate of strange bedfellows.”

He argued that the amalgamation of political groups such as the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and others created an unstable foundation for governance.

“Tinubu cannot be held responsible for the government before him,” Okupe stated, acknowledging the pivotal role Tinubu played in bringing Muhammadu Buhari to power but insisting that the current administration should be judged independently.

Okupe dismissed claims of collapsing manufacturing and dwindling foreign direct investments, citing recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

He pointed to a reported 3% growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and significant improvements in the manufacturing sector during the last quarter.

“Foreign direct investment is increasing,” he asserted, adding that Tinubu’s administration had already resolved pressing financial issues, including settling $7 billion owed to international airlines.

Okupe urged Nigerians to adopt a realistic perspective on the nation’s challenges, emphasizing that the rot inherited from the previous administration cannot be resolved within a short timeframe.

“The lifespan of an administration is four years. If you have had rottenness that was unabated for more than eight years, do you think it can be fixed in 18 months? It cannot,” he argued.

Addressing the alarming rise in out-of-school children and youth restiveness, particularly in Northern Nigeria, Okupe attributed the situation to the neglect of social programs like the Almajiri schools initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He called for acknowledgment of Tinubu’s reformist agenda, comparing his approach to that of Lee Kuan Yew, who transformed Singapore over three decades.

“We’ve got a reformer in the villa, somebody who says, ‘I take responsibility, and I’m going to try to reform this country,’” Okupe said.

He emphasized the importance of national unity and support to achieve the government’s objectives.

“Let us agree, let us be factual,” he concluded, urging Nigerians to rally behind the reforms rather than demonize the administration.

Senior employees at several institutions offering nursing and midwifery courses in Afghanistan on Tuesday said women would be barred from classes, following an edict by the Taliban supreme leader.

Health officials met with directors of education institutes on Monday in the capital Kabul to inform them of the ruling, an official from the public health ministry who was not authorised to speak to the media told AFP.

“There is no official letter but the directors of institutes were informed in a meeting that women and girls can’t study anymore in their institutes,” he said.

“They were not provided with any details and justification and were just told of the order of the supreme leader and were asked to implement it.”

The manager of an institute who attended the meeting and asked not to be named for fear of reprisal said dozens of managers were in attendance.

A senior employee of another centre told AFP his boss had been at a separate meeting with health officials on Tuesday after confusion about the rule.

The employee said institutes had been given 10 days to hold final exams.

Some managers petitioned the ministry for clarity, while others carried on as normal in the absence of a written order.

Not long after Taliban authorities swept back to power in 2021, they barred girls from education beyond secondary school as part of restrictions labelled “gender apartheid” by the United Nations.

Women students then flocked to health institutes, one of the few avenues still open to them.

They now make up the majority of students in these centres.

Afghanistan has around 10 public and more than 150 private health institutes offering two-year diplomas in 18 subjects, ranging from midwifery to anaesthesia, pharmacy and dentistry, with a total of 35,000 women students, health ministry sources said.

“What are we supposed to do with just 10 percent of our students?” one manager said.

Aysha — not her real name — a midwifery teacher at a private institute in Kabul, said she received a message from management telling her not to come to work until further notice with little explanation.

“This is a big shock for us. Psychologically, we are shaken,” the 28-year-old said.

“This was the only source of hope for the girls and women who were banned from universities.”

The United Kingdom’s charge d’affaires said he was “deeply concerned” by the reports.

“This is another affront to women’s right to education and will further restrict access to healthcare for Afghan women and children,” he posted on social media platform X.

The health ministry source said the ban would squeeze an already suffering health sector.

“We are already short of professional medical and para-medical staff and this would result in further shortages.”

Two suspects, Emmanuel Linus and Moses Daniel, have been arrested by the operatives of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Police Command for impersonating Nigerian Army officers.

Naija News reports that the Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, while parading the suspects and others recently arrested across FCT on Tuesday, stated that Linus and Daniel were members of a criminal syndicate specialising in defrauding unsuspecting victims.

Disu said Linus was apprehended in a full Nigerian Army camouflage uniform on 30th November 2024, around 2:00 p.m.

During the initial interrogation, Linus allegedly presented a fake military identification card listing his date of birth as 20th December 2024, which immediately raised suspicions.

He said, “The group reportedly purchases goods and services using fake bank alerts to deceive sellers. The police have commenced a thorough investigation into the matter, with efforts ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate. Authorities have assured the public that additional updates will be provided as investigations progress.”

In another development, Disu said that following his directive banning vehicles without number plates and using tinted glasses, no fewer than 296 vehicles had been impounded.

He said, “I am pleased to report our progress since the launch of the Command’s Special Tactical Team. To date, the Command has impounded 296 vehicles for violations such as the use of tinted glasses, driving with only one plate number, and the use of concealed or defaced number plates.”

Disu also revealed that two suspects were arrested for destroying streetlight poles behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and stealing cables.

According to him, one of the suspects is a dismissed police officer, and the recovered cables were valued at over ₦20 million.

He said, “Following five days of surveillance after noticing suspicious movements around manholes in the area, a significant breakthrough was made. On 29th November 2024, at approximately 3:49 a.m., a distress call was received regarding the vandalism of streetlight poles behind the Foreign Affairs Office in Abuja.

“Acting swiftly, operatives apprehended two suspects, Awal Mustaf and David Maji (a dismissed police officer), during the operation. The stolen streetlight cables, property of the Federal Capital Development Authority, were estimated to be worth between ₦20 million and ₦25 million. Items recovered from the suspects include: Two medium-sized streetlight poles, Several large streetlight poles and Cables.

“Both suspects are currently in custody and undergoing comprehensive investigation.”

South Africans have expressed mixed reactions following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of simplified visa processes for Nigerians.

The new measures include five-year multiple-entry visas and the option for Nigerian tourists to apply for visas without submitting their passports.

The announcement was made during the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town on Tuesday, where President Bola Tinubu was also present.

“Our efforts to create a favourable environment included simplifying the visa process for Nigerian business people travelling to South Africa. Qualifying Nigerian business people were granted a five-year multiple-entry visa,” Ramaphosa said at the event.

Although the initiative seeks to strengthen business and tourism connections, some South Africans have taken to social media to express their disapproval, criticizing President Ramaphosa for the decision.

@maggyvalen wrote, “This man hates South Africans,you cant tell me otherwise,he is now gaslighting us because he knows how we feel about Nigeria.”

@Packer_an noted, “Why Nigeria of all countries.”

@Lebona_cabonena said, “The whole of Nigeria is gonna come to South Africa.”

@nkulipp noted, “This president knows very well how we feel about Nigerians, but no, he wants to pass us off even more. Let’s start in 2026 let’s punish ANC.”

@Bongani_Wale wrote, “Yeah @CyrilRamaphosa is a traitor. If it’s not foreign shop owners then it’s Nigerians. Why would South Africa opt to ease visa rules with Nigeria whilst others countries are considering canceling them because of the delinquent behaviors of these people.”

“A 5-year visa deal? More like a 5-year disaster for South Africa. Ramaphosa is compromising our economy, safety, and sovereignty. Who gave him the right to gamble with our future for his personal benefit?.” @visse_ss noted,

[OpinionNigeria]