The Federal Government has announced plans to establish humanitarian hubs across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas to alleviate suffering through a variety of projects.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu stated this on Friday during a two-day visit to Maiduguri, Borno State.

The minister said that high-level poverty is not found in the Federal Capital Territory but in the hard-to-reach local government areas in the country.

According to Edu, reaching out to the poor would be a field operation all through for her, stating that she will basically not be found in her office “because every day I will be on the field reaching out to the poorest of the poor. We don’t want to do the Abuja business.

“We don’t want to do the state business, we want to drop it down to local government so that individuals that are poor can be easily identified and easily supported,” she said.

Continuing, she revealed that the Humanitarian Ministry will start an expanded upscale social safety net programme which will reach out to at least 15 million households in Nigeria.

Furthermore, she said that conditions will be attached to the social safety net programme, saying that “these are funds to start up businesses, these are funds that put you back on track, so it is not government giveaways as usual.”

The Minister warned that funds given to individuals by the government will come with criteria attached to them and anyone who gets the funds would be held accountable for how the money given was utilised.

She noted that her ministry would work with the Borno State government to expand the social register to accommodate more persons.

She said the country currently has 15.7 million households and around 62 million individuals on the social register. However, she said the figures are inadequate compared to the number of people who seek assistance from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

She added that the register would be updated through immediate verification of people on the register to know whether they deserve it or not.

Explaining that the register is not a permanent but a dynamic one, she said, “There are people coming and people going out, so whoever left should leave the register. And, if you are coming in we should truly know that you deserve to be part of the register by the criteria.”

The minister promised Nigerians that if the verification was completed within the next month, the expanded upscale social safety net program would begin immediately.

She emphasised that the administration of President Bola Tinubu aimed to resettle internally displaced people, refugees from Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, as well as other people of concern.

Adding that, “It’s not just about resettling them, or offering them humanitarian services or responding when we have a humanitarian crisis.

“The issue is, how can we prevent these humanitarian crises from happening? How can we work with the security agencies, how can we work with the communities to prevent this crisis from happening?

“Beyond this, we want to be able to provide a more resilient system that is reliable and the interventions are sustainable, so it is not about going to offer a cup or bag of rice, no,” she noted.

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola has said he is open to reconciling with former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and his loyalists, but only if they show remorse and are willing to make amends.

Oyetola, who lost his re-election bid as governor of Osun State in 2022, said the crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state can only be resolved if all parties involved are willing to put the past behind them and work together for the good of the party.

Speaking at a reception in his honour in Osogbo, Oyetola said, “I am in support of reconciliation, but it must be genuine. Those who engaged in anti-party activities must show remorse and be willing to make amends. They must also be willing to abide by the rules and regulations of the party.”

Oyetola, who did not directly mention Aregbesola, urged APC members in the state to dissociate themselves from any faction or caucus within the party.

He said the party is stronger when it is united, and that any attempt to divide it will only serve the interests of the opposition.

“We must all come together and work for the success of the party,” he said. “We must not allow anyone to divide us.”

The Osun APC has been plagued by internal divisions for years, and the divisions have contributed to its recent electoral defeats.

If Oyetola and Aregbesola can reconcile, it may be a major step towards healing the divisions within the party and making it more competitive in future elections.

Recall that Aregbesola had recently admitted working against his party during the last Osun governorship election that produced Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner.

In addition to calling for reconciliation, Oyetola also used his speech to thank his supporters for their loyalty.

He said that the APC will reclaim the government of Osun State in 2026, and that he is confident that the party will continue to be successful in the years to come.

“I want to thank all of you for your support and steadfastness,” he said. “I am confident that we will reclaim Osun in 2026 and continue to be successful in the years to come.”

The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has announced the cancellation of its 2023/2024 Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), earlier scheduled for October.

The development, according to a statement issued on Friday by the school’s Registrar, Mrs C. N. Nnebedum, followed the current economic crisis bedevilling the nation.

The statement explained that the management waived the Post-UTME Screening test after considering the prevailing uncertainties and logistical implications of traveling down to Enugu State from across the country.

According to the Registrar, the management has resolved to assess verified JAMB UTME, O’Level and Direct Entry results of prospective candidates.

The statement reads, “This is to inform prospective candidates and the general public that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka 2023/2024 Post-UTME Screening Exercise, earlier slated to start from Tuesday, October 3, 2023, through Friday, October 18, 2023, will no longer be held.

“The reconsideration by the Management to waive the Post-UTME Screening Test for 2023/2024 academic session was occasioned by the prevailing uncertainties and logistical implications of travelling down from various parts of the country at this challenging time.

“Management has come up with the decision that for the 2023/2024 Academic Session, the Screening Exercise shall be by the assessment of verified JAMB UTME, O’Level and Direct Entry results in place of the Post-UTME Computer Based Test (CBT) examination.

“Any candidate who fails to upload the verified O’Level results at JAMB CAPS in record time shall not be considered for admission.

“Other details on the registration for the Screening on O’Level and Direct Entry results at the UNN portal, as already published on our Website, remain as scheduled.”

DAILY POST reports that following the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, transportation fares have skyrocketed across the country.

[DailyPost]

The Lagos State Examinations Board has urged both public and approved private schools within the state to check their 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results on the board’s portal.   

In an unprecedented move, the board has made it possible for all schools in the state to access their results in real-time, as stated by Mr. Fatai Bakare, the Public Affairs Officer, in a press release in Lagos. 

What he said

Bakare said, 

• “This development is to eliminate the burden of coming to the board for the collection of results and reduce the delay associated with that process. 

He also gave the board’s portal as: https://examsboard.lagosstate.gov.ng with the schools’ default username and password provided during the registration of their students and pupils. 

He explained that the provided link offers the capability to access and print candidates’ results online starting from Friday, September 8th. 

Mr Adebayo Orunsolu, the Director of the Lagos State Examinations Board, has also indicated that the resit examination for BECE is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, October 5th, and will take place at designated centres throughout the state, as per his statement. 

The Benue State Election Tribunal has declared Senator Gabriel Suswam of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the 25 February Senatorial election in the Benue North East Senatorial District.

Suswam defeated Emmanuel Udende of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the tribunal and was returned on Friday, after a judgement that lasted for over three hours.

Details shortly…

[DailyPost]

Isympathize with Festus Keyamo the newly appointed Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. He was depressed by what he saw during his last week’s visit to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Lagos, the nation’s foremost gateway and aviation sector’s major revenue earner. In his words: “The old international terminal, right from the toilet facilities to the arrival, departure halls, is an eyesore to Nigerians and foreigners. The lifts are not working and the passage is unwelcoming, and there is no air conditioner”. For him, it was also disheartening that “We have the new terminal but it cannot be used because it was designed without provision for big planes” while  “everywhere else not occupied by dead planes has been  taken over by powerful private aircraft owners”.

It is not difficult to understand the minister’s source of agony. He must have seen records of a petition by members of the National Union of Air Transport to the leadership of the Senate in July 2013, which alleged that, just for consultancy works on the upgrade of the airport, “Messrs. Ngonyama Okpanum and Associates; Messrs.’ Design Union Consulting Ltd and Messrs.’ Triad Associates Ltd were awarded contracts for the sums of N99, 179,507.17; N60, 986,730.46 and N95, 520,011.93 respectively.  And for its actual upgrade, Zakhem Construction Nig. Ltd allegedly secured a contract at the sum of N920, 191, 147.58. For the first phase and N981, 900,300.45 for the 2nd phase, even though the petitioners swore “the entire Phase II is sheer duplication of Phase I.”

The newly built but dysfunctional NMIA terminal was financed from the $500m loan from Import and Export Bank of China. And for the new minister, it is not any less depressing that before the nation could derive some joy from the $500m loan secured by Princess Oduah, penultimate past minister of aviation to cover  the rehabilitation of four other air terminals, her successor,  Hadi Sirika had approved the concession of two of them (Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporation American Airport Consortium for an  $8.5m upfront payment for the maintenance of the two airports for the next 20 years.

For Keyamo, it cannot also be a pleasant assignment reassuring Nigerians that since the $8.5m upfront payment is not enough to service the Oduah’s $500m Chinese loan let alone address the process of repayment, Nigeria will not share the experience of Uganda where in 2015, and Chinese Exim Bank took over Uganda Entebbe International Airport for defaulting in repayment plan.

But perhaps more agonizing for Keyamo is the fact that he is dealing with informed Nigerians who are aware the $8.5 upfront payment may have been spent in advance by Hadi Sirika who on the same day he signed his concession agreement also signed through the Aviation Ministry, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the commencement of the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU) in partnership with Abuja based University.  By that act, he has given license to FAAN to spend unearned money.

Keyamo must be warned that both FAAN and NCAA remains the scourge of the aviation industry and the reasons successive Minsters of Aviation since 1999 ended up in grief. The former is “statutorily charged to manage all commercial airports in Nigeria, provide service to both passenger and cargo airlines and create conditions for the development in the most economic and efficient manner of air transport and the services connected with it”. The latter is the agency charged with the oversight of the aviation sector.  Unfortunately both have failed Nigeria. Rather than serving Nigeria, the loyalty of the two bodies have been to domestic airlines whose interest they promote through government policy initiatives.

For instance because of greed, corruption and mismanagement of the aviation sector by these two bodies, Babalola Borishade as aviation minister brought nothing but grief to Nigerians. Before he was finally dropped as aviation minister by President Obasanjo, about 320 Nigerians lost their lives in air crashes including the October 22, 2005 Bellview crash that killed 117 people, the December 10, 2005 McDonald DC 100 Sosoliso crash that killed 107 in Port Harcourt and the October 29, 2006 ADC Airlines on a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Sokoto, that crashed and killed 96.

The then minister was in 2009 arraigned by EFCC on a 15-count charge of bribery and forgery covering alleged mismanagement of a N5.2 billion aviation safe tower contract along with others including Rowland Iyayi, a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency who is today a leading member of domestic Airline Operators opposed to the establishment of Nigeria Air.

In the case of Stella Oduah, her downfall was masterminded by FAAN and NCAA public servants.   Although in her defence over NCAA procurement of two $1.6m BMW Bullet-Proof cars for her security before a House Public hearing in 2013, she attributed her travails to “entrenched corrupt and profligate individuals and entities who have caused the serious rot in the aviation sector, while for 38 years, our airports were a damning commentary on our status as part of the civilized world”. She however pretended not to know that the group she blamed for her travails was groomed by NCAA and FAAN public servants.

Of course there is no evidence to support Oduah’s claim that she and “her team (NCAA and FAAN) changed the game in favour of Nigeria attaining her pride of place in the comity of nations”. If anything, Keyamo’s lamentation during his visit to MMIA invalidated such outlandish clam despite Oduah’s self-glorification, media celebration and conferment of Ikenga chieftaincy title by her people.

Keyamo must be wary of not only NCCA and FAAN but crusaders who are saying because BA and Virgin Atlantic operate over 21 frequencies to Nigeria without any Nigerian carrier reciprocating the same privilege, “If Air Peace is not allowed to fly to London, then British Airways and Virgin Atlantic should be stopped from flying to Nigeria”.  I cannot see any wisdom in starting a battle we cannot win as Oduah sadly discovered while in office. At the end of the day it is Nigerians travellers that will suffer.

Instead of playing the ostrich, I think we should first put our house in order. Is it true some of the airlines have problem with American authorities over the sources of their monies? Is it true some of our business men engage in unwholesome business practices, the reason some were kicked out of South Africa not too long ago? Is it true some of our business men driven by greed hardly follow rule of engagement in business practices?

Finally, Keyamo must not succumb to the blackmail of domestic airline operators.  We need a national carrier not just because we have sunk N3 billion into the Nigeria Air project but because it is the most rational thing to do in our circumstances. We have since realized the likes of defunct ‘Okada, Al Barka” and Aero Contractors are no substitutes for Nigeria Airways. Like most of our seized public enterprises, we now know those who bought Nigerian Airways could not run it even with government bailout. We also now know that those who are swearing in the name of patriotism because Ethiopian Airline, which got the franchise to run the national carrier, was to have 49 per cent stake have by their past actions demonstrated their lack faith in our nation.

With a national carrier, no matter who runs it, we will use our local currency and not be held hostage by IATA over foreign airlines trapped funds which in July last year stood at $464 million (N199.2 billion) but has now risen to $812 million.

 Give me an Ethiopian to run our national carrier and a Rwandan to run our refineries.  For Nigerians to be saved from Nigerians, we must make use of what we have if we cannot get what we want.

Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has been installed as the new Soun of Ogbomoso.

Olaoye was installed by kingmakers led by Sobalaje Otolorin at the palace on Friday.

Other traditional rites for the throne have commenced.

The new Soun arrived at Ogbomoso on Friday morning with a private jet from the US.

On September 2, Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, approved the appointment of Olaoye as the new Soun.

Olaloye succeeds Jimoh Oyewunmi Ajagungbade III who died in December 2021, aged 95, after reigning for 48 years.

Olaoye is a descendant of the 9th Soun of Ogbomoso, the late Oba Laoye Orumogege from Baiyewuwon ruling house of Aremo House, Ode-Aremo, Ogbomoso.

He is the pastor of RCCG, Jesus House, Washington DC, USA.

On Thursday, a high court sitting in Ogbomoso restrained Makinde, attorney-general of the state, commissioner of local government and chieftaincy, and their agents from presenting any instrument of office in any form of ceremony, or issuance of certificate of installation to Olaoye, pending the final determination of a suit.

The court gave the order while ruling on a motion ex-parte in a suit filed by one of the contenders for the Soun of Ogbomoso stool, Muhammed Kabir Olaoye.

[TheCable]

It is unaccustomed of me to write in celebration of a man or woman who is under 80 years. Yes, 70 is a milestone worthy of celebration. It even enjoys Biblical endorsement. Science and technological wonders have made three scores and ten relatively easier to attain, many have tended to observe and argue. So the society is shifting to celebrate the attainment of 80 more. Dr. Adeseye Aluko is 70, he has 10 more years to clock 80 when we will roll out the drums—No, beg your pardon: when we will stage a concert with the sounds of violins, violas and cellos—and piano rending the air; at no other more befitting venue for a music maestro than a hall dedicated to the show-casing and promotion of Arts and music, the Muson Centre, Lagos, in celebration of his arduous journey which has turned out to be a lesson in single-mindedness, forbearance and triumph. Dr. Aluko’s story is an inspiration to the faint-hearted, the despised and the rejected in the journey of earthly life that is a school for us all; for all human beings. Today, I summon Adeseye Aluko to step forward and tell his own story which he captions From Hero to Zero. In his words:

“I wish to write an autobiographical article, (which means a writing about myself). I write about myself, not because I am proud or self-centered, nor because I want to draw attention to myself, I write about myself because it is the easiest way for me to make my points.

In my earlier writings, I wrote that I gained admission at “King’s College, Lagos,” which in the estimation of many persons at the time was the best school in Nigeria. It is from there I was able to gain knowledge of certain facts of life, facts that are clear and indisputable. I wish to acquaint my readers with some of these facts, and they illustrate some of our undesirable traits as human beings. From experiences we will find that our shortcomings are in urgent need of mending. We are ungodly and proud! Observe our offices, residences and estates, where we live and work. These habitations are barricaded with burglary proofing, gates, padlocks and towering fences. They are guarded for hours on end by armed security personnel, and police dogs. We are not in harmony with one another. We relate to one another like the most famished and virulent carnivores. Look at all our wars where we wipe out numerous people, and wreck their homes and their lives. See the devastation in Russia-Ukraine war, where by using lethal apparatus, entire cities are demolished. Not until he has passed on (death) will Putin, the Russian President find he has attracted immeasurable amount of guilt and Karma to himself. In one breath we men cry out “Hosanna,” and in the next “breath we yell out ‘Crucify! Him’” We prefer to “follow the crowd.” We do not heed the word of the great Jewish prophet who said ’’Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil.” (Isaiah 5: 20).

Writing the way I do in the social media is not because I am arrogant but because it is often desirable for any reader to know better about the author of a writing.

I wish to use my own experiences to sketch or illustrate the unreliability of men. For I have had the peculiar fortune of having been acclaimed, and later disclaimed. This praise was for my academic prowess. I was adjudged a good scholar. These experiences have made me to realize the darker side of human nature, and to understand the weighty statement of William Shakespeare when he states in Macbeth: “There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.”(Macbeth, 1. I.v.7).

From as early as my college days I was hailed as a good scholar, and with whom many wished to associate. But all this changed after I fell into rough times. The very persons who wished to associate with me when the going was good dissociated from me when I fell. This was my first bitter taste of the unreliability of we men.

In my schools, (Maryhill Convent School, Ibadan) and later King’s College Lagos), my academic results were excellent as I regularly ended up in the second or third position in my class. Because of this, my father (the renowned engineer/novelist), Dr. T.M.Aluko, found no reason to give me any stress. In King’s College I attained the magical aggregate score of 6 (6 distinctions) in the West African School Certificate examination in 1968. We were three in King’s College that year that had the aggregate score of 6. The others were Ayo Ighodaro and Dotun Lamikanra. However, this ironically brought me much heartache. I became a watched man that the public expected to achieve the same feat in future examinations such as the University of Cambridge Higher School Certificate, and the University of London General Certificate of Education more widely called GCE. The expectations were a challenge that I should not let down those who took much interest in my high performances with the concommittant stress that comes with such resolve.

If I may stress, I write about these achievements not to praise or draw attention to myself but to state the other side of life and its lessons. Indeed, with the three of us obtaining in one go such an aggregate score, and Tokie Cardoso and Segun Giwa (also from King’s College) obtaining aggregate 7 we all in Lagos circles became famous boys, stars, and role models. The school (King’s College) itself was highly praised and revered for nursing such brilliant students.
The academic results made me to number among twenty-two (22) carefully selected students from schools across the country who were awarded scholarships by the Shell British Petroleum, (Shell BP). The scholarship regarded at the time as the most prestigious was to study mechanical and civil engineering in universities scattered around Britain. I ended up at the renowned Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London, in 1970.

I was a student at Imperial College from 1970 to 1971. You may ask, why did I not complete my studies there despite the glittering results I was flaunting? Unfortunately for me, in 1972 I fell seriously ill. Despite the greatest efforts to resist it, I had to return to Lagos to “rest”. Yes, dear reader, I crashed out; I had a nervous break-down, and had to leave the prestigious halls of the revered Imperial College London. In Lagos I struggled to continue my studies in civil engineering, at the University of Lagos. And it was at this time I began to learn about us human beings. I soon observed that the majority of my “friends” had deserted me. They did not care about me. They did not ask for me! For years on end I was “out of all reckoning.”

The re-location from London to Lagos was a most grievous experience for me. It represented a huge loss to my opportunities in life. It shattered my resolve, and played havoc with my ambitions. And dear reader, this is my exact point. My life changed; I took my academic achievements for granted; I did not study when I was supposed to do so. I lost a lucrative scholarship in the process. Up till the present day it is a matter of regret for me from the effects and after-effects of my single act of great neglect.

Yes, when I was “up there” I had many “friends.” I used to hub nub with the great and mighty, I was searched out by women and girls because I was “famous,” and it seemed that I had a promising future stretched out before me. In the space of two short years of my sickness, I was no longer in serious reckoning. I had graduated in “status” from “HERO TO ZERO.”

In London I had experienced physical, physiological and mental distress, for which from time to time, I had to be “hospitalized.”
Dear readers, has any of you also had this experience – to be revered at one time, and to be scorned at another? This experience is bitter. That was what happened to me! No more praises, no more accolades, I was reduced to being a forgotten, discarded and an empty soul. The story of persons abandoning their friends in the time of their greatest need is not uncommon. Even in the case of such a high Being as Jesus Christ, (The Son of God) the story is the same. Mankind did not shrink from visiting Him with evil and inflicting harm on the Lord. His disciples abandoned Him in His hour of need. Jesus was wrongly arraigned, false witnesses who were not in short supply accused Him of one thing or the other, and then subjected to an excruciatingly painful execution. In this way they aimed at reducing Christ from “Hero to Zero!” How did Christ’s disciples act during His arrest and trial? They ran away! Let us reinforce this poser by gleaning the words in the Bible itself at the time of His arrest “Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.” (Matthew 26: 56)

Thus all the men who had wined and dined with the Lord Jesus, who had witnessed all His wonderful miracles etc., could not remain with Him in His hour of need. It is Jesus Christ that the singer, ex- Beatle John Lennon was referring to, when he complained about his being trailed and harassed, by hordes of photographers, (called Paparazzi). Lennon was referring to and blaming his many fans, sycophants, enthusiasts, hangers-on, and other groups of persons who gave him no rest, but belong to the group of men who trail, and harass celebrities, and crowd around the rich and the famous.
John Lennon sings:

“Christ you know it ‘aint easy
You know how hard it can be –
The way things are going,
They’re gonna crucify me.”
(John Lennon, “The Ballad of John and Yoko”).

We have been discussing how stars, celebrities, role models etc., are praised, eulogized etc. when the going with their fans is good, but who are harassed, scorned and sometimes even killed when they fall out of favour with these same fans.

And now to the crux of this my account! This is to bring to the awareness of the reader, a personality in the name of Abd-ru-shin. Abd-ru-shin is an Arabic word which when translated means “Son of the Light” or “Son of the Holy Spirit.” Abd- ru-shin is a man who has come to prominence by his publishing a monumental work, “a Book of Truths “titled “The Grail Message, In the Light of Truth.” Abd- ru-shin was a writer, and playwright, and his book explains the true concept of Almighty God, and the relationship that God desires to have with the entirety of the human spirits. Abd-ru-shln, in his un-assailable “Book of Truths,” (The Grail Message), corrects the twisted notions of human beings, and our false attitudes to life. Abd ru shin teaches that time is running out for the human spirit, and always stresses that each man will pay for his actions and inactions, his acts of indiscretions, his activities and inactivities, and his decisions and indecisions. Abd- ru-shin teaches that man, and the world in which he lives, has entered into the phase long predicted by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible, which phase is described as “ The End Times,” “ The Last Judgment,” “Armageddon” or “The Latter Days.” It is the time when the earth will be shaken to its very foundation, when the earth and every man in it will be judged!

Though it is unnecessary to write about the actual life of Abd-ru -shin on this earth, it can, however, be stated that because of his revolutionary statements, he was slandered and reviled. He and his followers quickly attracted the negative attention of the Austrian and German police. Despite his sacrifices, and all the efforts he made to uplift mankind, he constantly suffered criticisms and immense hostility from almost all cadres of men, even those “closest to him.” Many Judases emerged from out of Abd-ru-shin’s inner circles. He was often summoned to court on frivolous trumped-up charges. He gave the security personnel of Austria and Germany sleepless nights because of his great influence on men, through his writings, and in many circles his books were banned. He also caused great consternation in Christian circles, as well as to the earthly representatives of the numerous churches, all over the world. They were aghast at the prospect of losing their influence over their numerous (and sometimes) indolent followers. Abd-ru-shin was incarcerated in detentions, subjected to arrests, and house arrests. He was also betrayed and disappointed by his own friends. He was betrayed by his closest associates. He was arrested repeatedly by secret organizations, and the members of the infamous German Gestapo of the Nazi party. The whole scheme was to reduce Abd-ru-shin’s status from Hero to Zero.

Abd-ru-shin’s benevolent work on earth came to an abrupt close with his death in 1941.

Abd ru shin teaches that the great changes that are occurring today, with greater and greater frequency and regularity, would result in grievous catastrophes, “Natural Disasters” and “climate changes.” They will be such that they will be witnessed by the blind as well as the seeing, the deaf and those able to hear, and the dumb, and those able to speak. He teaches that for all human beings it is the time of the “World Judgment,” often referred to in the Holy Bible. He states that for all human beings it is the beginning of the end because God’s forbearance is now at an end! And he says that God speaks to man, through His restless earth, through the earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornados, mud – slides, volcanic eruptions, floods and more. Abd-ru-shin describes the phase of unrest now being witnessed on earth today as “The Great New Cosmic Turning-Point.” But who exactly is Abd-ru-shin? Is he a Redeemer, seer, prophet or priest? Where did he study? Where did he train? How did he draw down his very wise postulations? These are the questions that will confront mankind in the Judgment. Writing in a rich, lofty and elevated style, Abd-ru-shin says:
“With my words I lead to God and also to Jesus! However, in a more vital way than has been known in the past, and not as people have trimmed it through their propensity for spiritual comfort. Jesus shall not be given up as the Son of God through my Message. He must now be recognized as such all the more, but not as the servant and slave of a decayed humanity in order to carry their burden of guilt, or to redeem it so that they may have it easier!”
(From the Lecture “Believers Merely Out Of Habit,” The Grail Message of Abd-ru- shin, (Pages 917/918 excerpted).”

Life’s lesson, therefore, is that no one should lose hope of a better tomorrow; whoever boldly tackles the problems of life is bound to succeed.

With the encouragement, confidence and strength drawn from the outstreaming Rays shed In the Light of Truth, Adeseye Aluko, son of renowned Lagos City Council engineer of old and more known by his many works among them “One Man, One Wife” with iron resolve confronted the storms that sought to drown him.  Two other publications of the iconic novelist are One Man, One Matchet and Kinsman and Foreman. Adeseye Aluko has gradually climbed back into reckoning. Here was a boy who crashed out while at the Imperial College and for whom life looked bleak, he has through unyielding resolve pulled his bootstraps to wade through all vicissitudes of life. He eventually, not only had his first degree in engineering, but went on to have his Masters degree (MSc) and then PhD. He is a photographer, a painter and a music teacher who mounts music concerts from time to time. Even though he is not 80, I ask that we all rise and clink our glasses to celebrate the man of courage with the sing-song “Never say die!”

In 2017, a physician of Nigerian origin, Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, achieved a rare surgical feat when he successfully operated on an unborn baby in a Texas hospital. The paeditric surgeon led a medical team that successfully extracted the foetus out of the mother’s womb to remove a tumour. After the surgery, they restored the foetus back to the mother’s womb. The mother’s pregnancy continued and she delivered the baby after 36 weeks. The talented doctor has been celebrated globally for his unique achievement. Dr. Olutoye received his medical degree at Ife in 1988, but had since relocated to the United States where he had received further trainings and has been practicing with cutting-edge technology.

Across the world, Nigerians are using modern technology to do great things in their various fields in medicine; banking; engineering; aviation; law; business and many others. Although many of these high-achieving Nigerians obtained their first degrees in-country, their subsequent exposure to foreign education and sophisticated technology overseas account for the feats they have recorded in their careers. In addition to Dr. Olutoye, many other Nigerian physicians in the US like Elvis Peterside, professor of Neonatology at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Walter Udoeyop, a specialist in internal medicine, in Tennessee and Dr. Joshua Odumah, another internal medicine specialist in London, are making us proud.

In business; banking; law and even sports, Nigerian are playing in the big league at the international stage. I will mention a few. Adebayo Ogunlesi, a native of Shagamu, Ogun State, is an investment banker who owns five airports in the UK, three of which he bought within six years. he is currently the Chairman and Managing Partner at the private equity firm, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), New York – a company that manages portfolio of combined of combined annual revenue of over $46 billion and investments of $51 billion for its investors. Adebayo Adeleke is a seasoned US army veteran and creator of the Unfettered podcast, a platform that captures the various achievements of other Nigerians. Funmi Badejo is one of the attorneys selected to the White House Counsel’s Office by President Joe Biden. Esther Agbaje is a successful attorney who recently defeated a strong opponent to become a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Chinyelu Onwurah is a member of the UK’s Labour Party who had served as a shadow minister for Industrial Policy between 2016 and 2010.

There are thousands of other Nigerians excelling in various fields overseas, including the over 800 of them working at senior levels in the major tech companies – Meta; Google; Alphabet; Amazon and others – across the globe. The common denominator among them all is that they studied in foreign countries; and herein lies the major problem of Nigerian universities. The inability of our universities to produce global high flyers who can compete at the world stage is a major challenge militating against our advancement. In an earlier piece, I had analyzed the various problems plaguing our tertiary institutions and explained what the government and private sectors can do to help. I should add here that the absence of technological infrastructure; antiquated curriculum and absence of collaborations with renowned foreign universities and research centers for the training of faculty members and internships for students are some of the major reasons preventing our universities from producing global achievers. While foreign students are taught by the very good professors and are exposed to the best laboratories; engineering equipment; tools; modern medical science; libraries; books and journals, Nigerian students are still grappling with poorly equipped and staffed institutions. Undoubtedly, graduates of Nigerian institutions are therefore at a disadvantage to their contemporaries who study abroad, and in this knowledge-based global economy, that is a major handicap.

Let me acknowledge, however, acknowledge that there are a few Nigerian global icons who have emerged from our universities and they are excelling at the top of their chosen fields. I acknowledge their expertise, industry and excellence. I will focus on a few of them in a later date. But suffice it to state that a university system that graduates over 100,000 people every year, should produce more than a handful stars. We therefore have to invest more in cutting-edge technological infrastructures in our universities, revamp our curriculum and expose our lecturers and students through fellowships and internships to training overseas. We need a university system that has well developed linkage programmes with the ivy leagues overseas. Our graduates ought not be job seekers, but job creators. We need their expertise to manage our healthcare; education; agriculture; banking and other important sectors of the economy.

This piece is not in anyway meant to denigrate our universities, of which I am a proud product. I am grateful to my professors and the education they gave me. But the point in this piece is that a lot has happened since I left university. While Nigerians are breaking barriers in technology; academia; business and entertainment overseas because of foreign training and exposure they’ve received, we need to see graduates of our universities replicate similar performances back home. In this increasingly competitive and knowledge economy, the unskilled will most likely fall by the wayside.