An abandoned newborn baby was found Monday afternoon in a waste bin located at Balewa Hostel, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Balewa is among the pioneer female hostels of the university.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the live baby was wrapped in a nylon bag with a part of its face exposed to air, apparently to avoid suffocation.

A viral video of the incident showed the rescued baby surrounded by sympathisers. One of the sympathisers was heard explaining, “The baby was found by one of the cleaners.

“She was about to dispose of some waste in the bin when she observed that something was shaking in a bag inside it.

“She raised the alarm, and the baby was rescued. The baby is alive and fresh.

“The university management was alerted, and it immediately swung into action.”

Efforts to interview the Dean of Students’ Affairs did not yield results, but a source in the university who did not want to be mentioned for lack of authority said, “The baby is currently at the Medical Centre of the university.

“The dean is already handling the matter,” the source revealed.

A Lagos-based National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ushie Uguamaye also known as Raye, who went viral for criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration has apologised for “talking down” on Lagos.

Speaking via Instagram on Monday, the Corps member acknowledged that her words may have offended Lagos residents and expressed regret over her choice of language.

She clarified that her intention was not to insult those who call Lagos home but to share her honest observation as a visitor.

She explained that the controversial remark was part of a broader initiative, a 30-day rant challenge aimed at spotlighting pressing issues in Nigeria.

She wrote, “I want to first of all state that I am sorry to the people who were born and raised in Lagos State if you feel offended by what I said. I am sorry.

“But as a visitor here, I could tell there was a difference in the atmosphere and quality of air here. If the way that I put it triggered your emotions and the love for your birth state, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to talk down on your birth state.”

She went on to explain that her initial plan was to post 20 videos addressing various societal concerns, hoping to spark dialogue by the 20th day.

However, the first video gained traction almost immediately, resonating with many Nigerians who shared her frustrations.

“When I started the 30-day rant challenge, I said I just wanted to be heard. I believed that if I got to DAY-20 people would begin to hear me and join me to speak to the government.

“My target was to make at least 20 videos complaining until I was heard. Lucky for me, I didn’t even have to get to DAY 2 because a lot of us were actually angry, and Day 1 of the challenge was enough for people to join me.

“I want better for myself. (And I hope you do too). The complaints I made are valid regardless of whatever ‘lifestyle’ you think I am living.

“I work 45+ hours a week and I should be able to afford hanging out with my friends every weekend. However, I can’t. But how many of us can actually afford to hang out with our friends? How many can afford that in reality? You spend all week working and can’t even feel alive during the weekends,” she stated.

She urged Nigerians to continue demanding better living conditions rather than getting distracted by fleeting controversies.

“I encourage all of us to ask for what we believe we deserve. I know distractions will take us again, very soon. But if we stay committed to asking for better we will get better,” she added.

New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) chieftain, Buba Galadima, has asserted that the character of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is to destroy the opposition party.

Galadima, while fielding questions on Arise Television’s Morning Show programme on Tuesday, described the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as a factionalized extension of the APC.

Galadima specifically questioned how many non-APC members have defected to the party.

Galadima’s statement comes amid the recent defection of former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, from the ruling APC to the SDP.

Before his resignation, El-Rufai had become increasingly critical of the APC-led government under President Bola Tinubu.

He also cited a widening disconnect between his personal values and the party’s current direction as his reason for defecting.

The former Governor has urged notable politicians to join the SDP to defeat Tinubu in 2027.

However, Galadima insisted that the NNPP is a party of principle and will not enter into coalitions for their own sake.

He said: “The SDP is simply a factionalized branch of the APC. How many non-APC members have defected to the SDP?

“The APC’s character is to decimate the opposition. We must start opposing based on principles, even if it means standing alone. The NNPP is a party of principle and will not enter into coalitions for their own sake.”

Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News reports that their defection was announced by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas during plenary on Tuesday.

The Speaker announced the defection of Hon. Jallo Hussaini Mohammed, the Representative for Igabi Federal Constituency of Kaduna State; and Hon. Adamu Tanko, the member representing Gurara/Suleja/Tafa Federal Constituency of Niger State.

More to come…

Suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central in the Senate, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has asserted that the Nigerian Senate is like a cult.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, who spoke in an interview with the BBC, stressed that senators do not express contrary views in the upper chamber for fear of retaliation and that her 6 months suspension due to gross misconduct was only an attempt to silence her.

“I am being victimised. My suspension is a means of silencing me,” she said.

“It was episode after episode, moment after moment. We were at his country home. He was taking me around his house. My husband was walking behind us. He held my hand.

“He then squeezed my hands in a very suggestive way. We women, we know what it means when a man squeezes our hands in a suggestive way.

“And he went, ‘now that you’re in the Senate, I’ll make an opportunity for us to come here and have a good moment’, you know, along that line.”

LEADERSHIP recalls that Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her after a faceoff during plenary last month.

On March 6, she was issued a six-month suspension from the Senate for “gross misconduct” after failing to appear before the Ethics and Privilege committee.

When asked if Akpabio ever made any advances towards her in the chamber or the senate, she said, “There was a time when I rushed to work forgetting to wear my ring, there were about five senators there. He said, ‘Oh Natasha, you are not wearing your ring. Is this an invitation to treat?’ You know, statements like this.”

Reacting to the interview, the Senate’s Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, told the BBC that Akpabio never made sexual advances or inappropriate comments toward Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Nwaebonyi also rejected the Kogi Central Senator’s claim that the senate was trying to silence her.

“Senator Natasha’s legislative activities show this claim is not true,” he said.

Controversial Nigerian cross-dresser Idris Okuneye who is popularly called Bobrisky disclosed that he has had romantic relationships with seven celebrities in the country.

In a recent video posted on Snapchat, the crossdresser revealed that he had intimate relationships with seven Nigerian celebrities while discussing the betrayals that led him into exile.

While announcing plans to expose and name those celebrities, Bobrisky, in his heated rant, described them as fake individuals in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Reflecting on the condemnation from some Nigerian celebrities and politicians during his ordeal with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he detached himself from the country’s expectations.

“The time is coming when I will list seven celebrities I have dated in Nigeria. The time is coming when I will expose fake people in that country.

“I never knew I was so special until last year when ministers and senators started discussing me. Imagine a minister leaving work to focus on Bobrisky. Am I that important?

“If I lived in Nigeria for 100 years, they would never put ‘female’ on my passport or driver’s license. But here, I’m respected for who I am,” Bobrisky said.

An explosion has rocked a major oil pipeline, the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP), at Bodo, Gokana local government area of Rivers State.

Although the incident occurred on Monday night, the affected section of the major pipeline was on fire on Tuesday morning.

Thick black smoke was seen billowing into the atmosphere, with a raging fire spreading fast into the mangrove from a video that emerged on Tuesday morning.

Authorities were yet to determine whether the incident resulted from human interference, especially amid recent threats by militant groups to attack oil installations in response to the federal government’s withholding of Rivers State’s monthly allocations due to the ongoing political crisis in the state.

The TNP is a federal transport line that supplies oil to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State.

When contacted, the Rivers State Police Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she did not have the full details of the incident yet.

Details Later…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday strongly refuted former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s accusations of betrayal against Nigerian workers in the wake of the ₦70,000 minimum wage settlement offered by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement titled “Under Saint Matthew of Owu,” NLC President Joe Ajaero criticized Obasanjo’s comments, calling them uncharitable and misleading, particularly the claim that labour leaders had prioritised personal interests over the welfare of workers during negotiations.

Ajaero took aim at Obasanjo’s assertions in his new book, Nigeria: Past and Future, where the former president argued that labour leaders had allowed themselves to be bought off, causing them to fail in defending workers’ rights.

Ajaero responded by clarifying that the NLC’s demand had always been a minimum of ₦610,000, but the government and the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) countered with a significantly lower offer of ₦50,000, leading to a deadlock.

“We had asked for ₦610,000, which we had described as the barest acceptable minimum, complete with a breakdown. The government’s counteroffer of ₦50,000 was made without an explanation of how it would be distributed,” Ajaero said.

The deadlock led to strike action, which was suspended only after President Tinubu intervened and offered the ₦70,000 wage.

Ajaero pointed out that while the ₦70,000 was still insufficient, it was accepted to minimise the pain of the workers, considering that other alternatives would have imposed greater hardship on Nigerians.

Obasanjo’s Criticism Of Labour Leaders’ Political Ambitions
In his book, Naija News reports that Obasanjo suggested that many union leaders were motivated by personal political ambitions and had become ineffective compared to the expectations of the founding fathers of the labour movement.

Ajaero, however, rejected this, explaining that the NLC’s decision to accept the ₦70,000 offer was a necessary compromise given the circumstances.

He said, “It was a difficult decision, but we opted for the ₦70,000 to avoid greater hardship. It came with promises of incentives, such as the introduction of CNG buses for workers and free conversion kits for workers’ vehicles, among others.”

Ajaero took issue with Obasanjo’s critique of labour leaders, urging the former president to reflect on his own past actions, which included suppressing union activities during his time in office.

He accused Obasanjo of being part of the system that undermined labour unions, citing instances where Obasanjo’s administration had attacked union leaders, imprisoned them, and even attempted to proscribe the NLC.

“If Chief Obasanjo has noticed an erosion in the powers of the trade unions, he should do a soul search. Who knows, he might find himself culpable right from arrest and detention of union leaders, killing of protesting workers, and his national broadcast wherein he accused the unions ‘of conducting themselves like a parallel government,” Ajaero said.

He further recalled how Obasanjo’s government attempted to create a parallel labour centre after failing to dissolve the NLC.

The NLC President said, “And above all, his vengeful plan and mission to proscribe the Nigeria Labour Congress. When the plot failed, he created a parallel labour centre. We recall the punishment he meted out to parliamentarians like Honourable Obete Obete for not playing his script

“Given this historical fact, it is uncharitable of Chief Obasanjo to turn on the unions. But then, we respect our elders here.”

Ajaero concluded by calling for governments to stop undermining the unions for selfish political reasons. He urged the public to recognize the historical struggles of the unions and their leaders who have endured attacks while fighting for workers’ rights.

He said, “Governments should stop undermining the unions for their selfish interests. We have faced harassment, intimidation, and litigation, but we will continue to fight for workers’ rights.”

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused his successor, Governor Uba Sani, of diverting local government funds to purchase properties in Seychelles, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

Speaking in an interview with Freedom Radio Kaduna over the weekend, El-Rufai alleged that Sani converted local government allocations into foreign currency to acquire these assets abroad.

El-Rufai insisted that during his tenure, he never tampered with local government allocations, allowing the councils to operate independently after deductions for primary education, healthcare, and other statutory obligations.

“When I was the governor, I never took a kobo from local government funds. We gave them their funds to operate. Once we set aside SUBEB, primary healthcare, and other allocations, we gave them their money. Both the PDP and APC chairmen are alive to bear witness,” he stated.

He further alleged that under the current administration, no local government in Kaduna receives more than ₦50 million per month, claiming that the rest of the funds are diverted and exchanged into dollars for property acquisitions abroad.

He said: “As I speak, no local government in Kaduna receives more than N50 million per month. Once the allocation arrives, they siphon it, exchange it into dollars, and use it to buy properties in Seychelles, South Africa, London, and other places.

“They thought when we keep silent, we are ignorant of what is happening. But we know everything. We know how they divert the money, we know the bureau de change… Those who accuse us of stealing are doing worse than what they accuse us of doing.”

El-Rufai also accused Governor Sani of demanding kickbacks from contractors before awarding contracts, alleging that the governor takes 40% of contract sums as bribes.

“Uba goes to Abuja with contract documents to offer contractors and get 40 percent in kickbacks. We know what is happening. They thought that was how we ran the government, but they are wrong,” he alleged.

He challenged anyone who had ever given him a bribe to come forward, asserting that, unlike his successor, he never personally dealt with contractors but delegated such responsibilities to commissioners and permanent secretaries.

El-Rufai said: “I have never stolen a kobo from anybody. If there is any contractor who had given me a bribe, I challenge him to come forward. When ICPC invited many of the contractors, many of them said they had never met me. You could execute contracts worth billions without seeing me as a governor.”

Canada has updated its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) regulations, enabling international students who graduate from college degree programs to be free from the limitation of a specific field of study requirement.

This requirement applied to graduates from colleges and universities. 

According to ‘The Economic Times’, this adjustment was part of the Canadian government’s efforts to simplify the international education sector.

The previous requirement, which was introduced in 2024, applied only to college graduates and excluded those from universities.

Reports stated that it was part of a larger move by the Canadian government to place more scrutiny on international education, as outlined in a report by ICEF Monitor.

“Graduates of college degree programs will no longer be required to meet the PGWP field of study requirement,” said CEO of the Canadian Bureau for International Education, Larissa Bezo.

The updated guidelines specify that students graduating from Canadian bachelor’s or master’s degree programs, whether from colleges or universities, were eligible for the PGWP, provided they meet the language requirements.

However, experts suggested that it may take time for colleges to regain their position in key international markets, especially as previous immigration policies have caused disruptions, with universities being less affected.

The PGWP program remains well-known and appreciated by international students, and the upcoming changes are anticipated to boost recruitment efforts at Canadian colleges.

With the field-of-study restriction lifted, colleges can now target a broader pool of international degree graduates, strengthening their recruitment capabilities in the competitive global education market.