Education Minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu has disclosed that he was inexperienced in the education sector before President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him in 2015.
Adamu, who is the longest serving minister revealed this at a valedictory session with officials and heads of parastatals of the Ministry on Thursday.
He, however, was credited for appointing some professors of education and other good hands, with the help of the officials of the Federal Ministry of Education that helped him record some success.
“I didn’t know anything about the education sector when I was appointed Minister except superficially. But when Buhari decided to make me Minister of Education,” Adamu said.
“I called some people to assist me to work on a policy document on education because I was a novice in the sector. I shared my idea with them and they assisted me greatly, and I remain grateful to them for these years.
The minister appreciated the President who found him worthy and trusted him with such a responsibility, “even when I was apparently not ready and unprepared for such task”.
He said, “I was busy making recommendations and suggestions to the President on who to appoint into his cabinet in 2015. All of a sudden, he announced my name to my surprise and that was it. We worked together till 2019.
“In 2019, I approached the President and suggested that he reshuffle his cabinet because, in the eyes of many, it was unusual in our society for a President to work with the same Ministers for four years. Buhari had graciously allowed his Ministers to stay in office for four years. Ordinarily, Ministers stay in office for two years before they are reshuffled.
“But I know him very well and I knew it will be difficult for him to do that. But I decided to make it easy for him by promising to bring people that would do the job better for me and others who served as Ministers in the first tenure.”
“I promised him that I will give him names of competent people from at least, 19 northern states. So, I suggested to him to drop all the Ministers that worked with him in the first tenure including me, but I knew it would be difficult for him. But to confirm that I can do the job, I gave him a name from Bauchi state whom I had expected him to replace me within the cabinet. That was how Maryam Katagun became Minister of the Federal Republic.”
‘Truth will prevail’ - Utomi reacts as LP candidate accuses him of secretly working for Tinubu
AdminLabour Party (LP) chieftain, Prof. Pat Utomi has subtly reacted to an allegation that he was used by President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to step down for Peter Obi as party’s flag-bearer, which in turn, reduced the winning chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the February 25 poll.
Utomi was reacting to the statement credited to the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Oyo State, Tawfiq Akinwale.
Akinwale, on Wednesday, May 24, revealed in an interview that Tinubu asked Prof. Utomi to step down for Peter Obi in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.
Akinwale while he appeared as a guest on a radio programme on 101.7 YES FM, Ibadan, Oyo State, alleged that Obi received campaign funds from Utomi, whom he described as Tinubu’s “son.”
“In the buildup to the 2023 elections, Obi who had purchased the nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), suddenly announced his exit from the party.
“Initially, Pat Utomi had secured the LP’s presidential ticket, but when Peter Obi said he resigned from the PDP and joined the LP. Bola Tinubu, a master political strategist, quickly told Utomi, that everyone knows to be his son to step down for Obi.
“The “president-elect” saw in Obi’s presidential bid, a good chance to reduce the winning chances of the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar.
“What Peter Obi didn’t know is much more than what he knows, he started collecting campaign funds from Utomi, while Tinubu was giving the money to Utomi.
“This went on until Obi’s presidential campaign got to a stage it went beyond target. Obi was used without him knowing,” Akinwale said after announcing his departure from the party.
In a swift reaction, Pat Utomi on his Twitter handle on Thursday morning wrote, “As I watch the desperation with which past acts sown in love for the common good is unearthed and bent into disinformation regarding the present I am thankful that in the end truth is the only thing that prevails when lust for power is consumed by its own negativity. So I ignore.”
The Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, visited the outgoing Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, at his office on Thursday during which the latter presented his successor with some documents
The visit is coming days before the May 29 inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor.
The VP-elect told State House correspondents that the meeting was called at the instance of the Vice President “who is a friend” and “who is a contemporary”.
Shettima added, “I came in just to exchange pleasantries and cross-pollinate ideas on how to move the nation forward.
“He took me round the offices out of courtesy and I want to commend him; I want to thank him for extending that courtesy for me; just cross fertilisation of ideas.
“I believe President Tinubu will hit the ground running from day one; we do not have the luxury of time.
“I will be the vice president; I don’t want to be presumptions; I don’t want to make loud proclamations, but my good feeling and my interactions with him tend to show that we will hit the ground running from day one.’’
Shettima’s visit to Osinbajo also came hours after President Buhari conferred Tinubu and Shettima with Nigeria’s highest national honours of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR) and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), respectively.
VP Osinbajo, First Lady Aisha Buhari, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Adamu, were present at the event.
Buhari used the event to present transition documents to Tinubu, which included a briefing note on key priority areas of his administration and a compendium of projects and programmes implemented by the administration, amongst others.
Ahead of May 29 swearing-in, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has fined a former presidential candidate, Ambrose Owuru, N40m for filing a frivolous suit seeking to stop the inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
The Court ordered Owuru to pay the sum of N10m each to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Tinubu.
Justice Jamil Tukur, who read the lead judgment of the three-man panel of the court, held that Owuru embarked on a gross abuse of court process by filing a frivolous suit to provoke the respondents.
The Court of Appeal held that the grievances of Owuru against the 2019 presidential election were not only strange but uncalled for because the grievances had been pursued up to Supreme Court and were dismissed for want of merit.
Justice Tukur said that the action of Owuru to resuscitate the case that died since 2019 at the Supreme Court, was aimed at making the lower courts go on collision course with supremacy of the Apex Court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the bidding process for the auction of 88 properties situated in Kogi, Nasarawa, and Niger States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The anti-graft agency, in its bid to dispose of seized properties obtained through illegal means, invited interested buyers to participate in the auction process which commences immediately and ends at 12 PM on June 26, 2023.
According to the EFCC, affected properties “are subject of final forfeiture orders in accordance with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2002, Public Procurement Act, 2007, and the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2002.”
The agency assured that the auction will take place in compliance with due process.
The properties announced range from residential houses to commercial buildings, including office spaces, warehouses, and land. Below are the properties and guidelines as published by the EFCC on Thursday.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has revealed the reason for calling on Nigerians to take back their country.
This comes on the heels of the conferment of the National Honour of Grand Commander of Order of Federal Republic (GCFR) on the incoming President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu.
“I have consistently called on Nigerians to take back their country because only Nigerians can save Nigeria.
“This is the only nation that we have, and it is ours to build and develop.
“When I rejected the dual citizenship of other countries years back, I was conscious that Nigeria as the only country that I have will need my full attention and commitment in the years to come,” he wrote on his verified Twitter handle on Thursday.
Data from the Home Office of the United Kingdom on Thursday revealed that 66,796 dependant visas were issued to families of Nigerian students who obtained study visas from March 2022 to March 2023.
This is a 146.1 per cent increase from the 27,137 dependants who migrated to the UK from March 2021 to March 2022.
The data, which was released on Thursday, comes amidst pledges from successive Conservative governments to drastically reduce the numbers of people moving to the UK, particularly in the wake of Brexit – a rupture that was touted by its proponents as a necessary step for Britain to “take control” of its borders.
According to the Home Office, “Africa’s biggest economy had the highest number of dependants of sponsored study visa holders, which rose by 146.1 per cent to 66,796 in the year ending March 2023 from 27,137 in the year ending March 2022.”
It noted that, “Indian nationals had the second highest number of dependants, increasing from 22,598 to 42,381. In the year ending March 2023, around 73 per cent of visas issued to dependants of students were issued to two nationalities (Indians and Nigerians).”
Foreign tertiary institutions and respective countries have continued to benefit from the migration of Nigerian students to oversea institutions.
For instance, in 2021, Nigerian students and their dependants in the UK contributed an estimated £1.9bn to the economy of the UK according to a report by SBM intelligence.
The PUNCH reports Thursday’s figures were affected by the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in two new schemes by which Ukrainian refugees could resettle in the UK, the Home Office said in a statement published on its website.
Earlier, the UK announced its intention to ban foreign students from coming to the country with dependents from January 2024.
Home Office Secretary, Suella Braverman, had proposed a number of policies for immigrant students.
Under her plans, foreign students will be banned from bringing dependants to Britain with them unless they are on postgraduate research programmes; foreign students will no longer be able to switch out of the student route into work routes for staying in the UK before their studies have been completed.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students has kicked against the new policy.
In a statement signed by its Vice-President, External Affairs, Azeez Akinteye, NANS described the new policy as “inhumane”.
“About 30,000 Nigerian students are enrolled in United Kingdom universities and in the 2021/2022 session alone, the government of the UK accrued about £2bn from fees paid by the Nigerian students alone.
“Stopping spouses from travelling together, especially when it has to do with studying abroad, would only cause emotional trauma and the purpose of going to study may even be truncated because there will be no focus as the minds of these students will be divided.’’
NANS urged the UK to “create rules that would solidify relationships and build families, not the ones that will break families and set them apart simply because it wants to satisfy an egoistical side of your clime based on an interview.”
The Nigerian students union called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM and other stakeholders to engage with the UK government towards the reconsideration of the policy.
Following the payment of three out of six months’ salary arrears, Benue State House of Assembly on Thursday passed the executive pension bill.
The Pension Bill was initiated by the outgoing governor, Samuel Ortom seeking to place ex-governors and their deputies on bogus gratuity, pension, and other benefits.
Condemnation trailed the bill when it was sent to the state assembly by the governor.
The bill is to provide for the governor a permanent residential accommodation in any place of their choice in the country, make provisions of four new cars every four years for the former governors and two new cars every four years for former deputy governors.
It also provide for six personal staff for the former governors and three for the former deputy governors to be paid for by the state and also provides for free medical treatment for the past governors, their spouses and at least four children under 18 twice a year.
But the lawmakers who earlier suspended sitting had shunned the passage of the bill, arguing that the state government was owing them six months salary arrears and three months overhead.
Meanwhile on Thursday, the lawmakers passed the bill after receiving alerts of three out of six months salary arrears and payment of the three months arrears owed them.
Speaking to our correspondent after the passage of the bill, the minority leader of the house, Bem Ngutyo said that the bill had been passed with ‘some adjustment’.
He said, “Yes the house passed the bill just now but we reduced the contents badly; the four cars to governors was reduced to two, two to deputies reduced to one, the portion to provide accommodation to past governors at any place of their choice was expunged.
“So also is the portion of medical trips abroad twice a year was reduced to once.
When asked if the governor had cleared the six months salary arrears and three months overhead, Ngutyo said, “we have received alert of three months salary out of six” adding that the three months overhead had also been paid.
Former Niger Delta militant commander, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has extended his congratulations to President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his electoral victory and upcoming swearing-in as Nigeria’s 16th president.
Tompolo, who’s security outfit, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, carries out pipeline surveillance in the Niger Delta on behalf of the government, expressed his willingness to collaborate with the incoming administration of Tinubu.
Acknowledging the potential of a fruitful partnership, Tompolo pledged his commitment to working alongside the new administration in the fight against crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage that have plagued the Niger Delta region for years.
Tompolo’s congratulatory message, conveyed through a press statement, expressed his belief in the President-elect’s capacity to steer the nation towards progress.
“As we stand on the precipice of this new chapter in our nation’s story, we pledge our unwavering allegiance to the President-Elect and the progressive vision of a brighter future for Nigeria and Nigerians. We are ready, willing, and able to go the extra mile to ensure total success is recorded in wiping out Crude Oil theft and other economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
“We are committed to working with the President-Elect to bring lasting peace to the Niger Delta region in particular and Nigeria at large.
“With each step taken together, we promise to build on the traction we have gained with the outgoing administration in combating the menace of Crude Oil theft—the economic sabotage threatening our commonwealth.
“Together, we can rise above the differences that divide us and guarantee a prosperous future for our nation, fostering a sense of unity that transcends political affiliations and binds us as one people, one nation,” Tompolo stated while expressing optimism that the Tinubu administration will bring about a series of historic achievements through sustained collaboration with the government’s security and intelligence agencies, the NNPC Limited, and other oil Industry stakeholders.
“To our detractors, economic saboteurs and enemies of the nation, the message is strong and clear: our resolve to stamp-out crude oil theft and the destruction of our environment is non-negotiable.
“We call on all stakeholders that elections have come and gone and it’s time for all patriotic Nigerians to join the visionary Asiwaju to move our country forward. Let’s all share the optimism of the ordinary Nigerians across the country who elected him President because of their faith in his message of renewed hope, and because of their conviction in his track record. Our country deserves no less from all of us,” he added.
In 2022, the Nigerian Government awarded a pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo’s company to check massive oil theft in the region.
So far, the security firm has assisted the government to uncover series of illegal pipelines in the Niger Delta, leading to arrests of oil thieves in the region.
The information available to Vanguard has it that the residence of the outgoing Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has been engulfed by fire.
The multi-million naira residence located at Miagun road, behind Kano Club, Nasarawa GRA and where the Governor was expected to move into after his tenure was gutted by fire late Monday night.
A source familiar with the development, who spoke on condition of anonymity said the fire incident affected the Governor’s reared cows and many of the animals died in the inferno, with other multi-million naira property razed down.
The source said the fire started during the cause of welding metal by workers working to give the house a befitting new look.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif proved abortive as he declined to confirm whether or not the incident happened.
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The Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Health Care Professional Association have directed their members to embark on an indefinite strike.
The National Vice President of JOHESU, Dr Obinna Ogbonna, said this at a press briefing held in Abuja on Thursday.
JOHESU is the umbrella body of health workers’ unions and associations, including the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, and Senior Staff Association of Universities’ Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals.
The health workers are demanding the immediate approval and implementation of the Technical Committee report on CONHESS adjustment by FG; immediate payment of the omission and shortfall in the COVID-19 hazard/inducement allowances of affected health workers in the federal health institutions and recognition of support health workers in hospital facilities in the payment of new hazard allowance; payment and inculcation of peculiar allowances to health workers under the aegis of JOHESU/AHPA.
The other demands are the immediate and unconditional implementation of the pharmacist consultant cadre, unconditional payment of all withheld salaries of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Jos University Teaching Hospital, and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and April and May 2018 salaries of members at NOFIC, Azare; and the speedy implementation of the increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years and 70 years for consultants in the health professions.
The leadership of JOHESU had in a letter dated May 9, 2023, issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over alleged inconsistencies of the government in the ongoing negotiations to adjust the Consolidated Health Salary Structure for health workers on their platforms.
Obinna said, “Consequent upon the nonchalant, biased and lackadaisical attitude of the Federal Ministry of Health against JOHESU members and the resolution of the expanded National Executive Council meeting of the JOHESU held on Monday, May 8, 2023, our members in the federal health institutions nationwide are hereby directed to withdraw their services indefinitely commencing from 00:00 hour on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
“It becomes imperative to inform you that since the Federal Government is yet to meet these demands, our members have been directed by the JOHESU National Executive Council to proceed on an indefinite strike action upon expiration of the ultimatum by midnight of May 25, 2023.”
He, however, said, the union was committed to working with the government and stakeholders to improve the healthcare system with necessary reforms in the public interest.
When the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, was contacted, he requested a text message to be sent to him on the matter.
He had yet to respond to the text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
The Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, on Thursday ordered the posting of CP Okon Okon Effiong to head the Department of Finance and Administration ICT, Force Headquarters, Abuja; CP Zachariah A. Fera, fdc to Force Criminal Investigation (FCID) Annex Enugu, CP Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka to Rivers State Command, and CP Gyogon Augustine Grimah to Cross River State Command.
According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the IGP said the development is in an effort to achieve maximum impact of community-based and strategic policing on the society.
Adejobi said: “The IGP has tasked the Commissioners of Police to deploy all requisite assets in ensuring sanity, professional standards and discipline in all ramifications in their new places of assignment.
“He has further charged the senior police officers to effectively apply their wealth of experiences to improving existing structural arrangements towards achieving a citizen-focused and community-oriented policing system”.
The IGP also called for support and cooperation from members of the public to enable the newly posted senior officers to function optimally on their mandate.
The police boss said, the posting is with immediate effect.
Owing to the large volume of petitions filed after the last general elections, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Thursday swore in another set of 39 judges to man election petition tribunals nationwide.
The 39 are to work with the 307 earlier sworn in on November 7, 2022 who are already sitting in the various tribunals.
It was learnt the need to appoint additional 39 was to meet the shortfall noticed at the close of the period for filing post-election petitions.
Justice Ariwoola urged the judges not to betray their oath of office, and shun conduct capable of casting the Judiciary in bad light.
He said: “You have just taken an oath that has not only imposed a course of upright morale undertaking on you, but equally looped you with destiny.
“Your participation in these tribunals at this crucial phase of the Nigerian Judiciary is not by accident but a clear design of the Almighty God.
“This is an enormous national assignment that will literally put the contents of your conscience to test.
“I am convinced that this is not the first oath you have taken as Judicial Officers, and certainly won’t be your last, especially as you ascend the ladder of your career.
“No amount of homily can convey the enormity of this task. But suffice it to say that you are already initiating an interaction with history. Whatever action or inaction you exhibit today will serve as your testament in the annals of the Nigerian judiciary.
“As judicial Officers, you may have, one way or the other, trodden this somewhat dreaded terrain, but you must, against all odds, rise above the murky waters of failure and infamy.
“The onus is on you to keep aloft the banner of honesty and integrity that the judiciary has painstakingly hoisted over the years.
“Your appointment to serve in these tribunals is well conceived, thus, you should do everything within your ability to justify this confidence.
“There is no doubt that you will be exposed to different forms of temptations and even blackmails, but you should know that all are aimed at testing your strength of character, honesty and integrity.
“My candid advice is that, in whatever circumstance, you should always be mindful of this oath you have just taken because it now stands as an uncompromising witness between you and your creator.
“It behooves you to willingly submit yourselves to the sanctity of the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution in the discharge of your judicial functions.
“It is the general belief that elections held when the rule of law is too fragile, seldom lead to lasting democratic governance.
“You are enjoined to always strike a balance between justice and. rule of law as you embark on this critical national assignment.
“As you all know, rule of law delayed, is lasting peace denied because justice is a handmaiden of true peace. We need this in Nigeria more than ever before.
“The trumpet must first sound from the temple of justice; hence we put you forward as champions of this noble cause.
“By the virtue of this oath, you are now armed with the power to adjudicate on electoral disputes and take decisions in accordance with your convictions, which must be deeply rooted in law and not sentiments or public opinion.
“I pray the Almighty God will grant you the courage and wisdom to carry out this responsibility without faltering or failing,”the CJN said.
Aisha Buhari, wife of outgoing Nigeria’s president, has handed over to the incoming First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.
Daily Trust reports that the eight-year tenure of President Muhammadu, which commenced on May 29, 2015, will come to an end on May 29, 2023.
The handover ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where Aisha acquainted Remi with the responsibilities of the office and handed over important documents to guide her.
She also passed on the seal of the African First Ladies Peace Mission to her successor, who will now serve as the chief host of all the spouses of African heads of state.
Despite the fact that the role of the First Lady is not constitutional, Mrs Buhari expressed her gratitude for the goodwill of the citizens that allowed her to carry out humanitarian activities and partner with NGOs during her eight years in office.
“As you are all aware the role of the First Lady is unconstitutional, but we enjoy the goodwill of the citizens in order to carry out some basic things, like humanitarian activities.
“We partner with a lot of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in order to help our citizens, and I have enjoyed that goodwill for the last eight years.
“So, I have prepared a handover, just to guide you, and see the NGOs that we have worked with,” Buhari’s wife said.
Responding, Tinubu’s wife thanked her predecessor for her leadership and expressed her humility in taking on the role.
“We are very humbled by what you have done, you have exhibited great leadership and dexterity in the way you do things. I want to sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart because you don’t come into this role and say you know it all,” she said.