Taiwo Awoniyi scores the third and final goal in Nottingham Forest’s 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderer in their English Premier League (EPL) clash. 

The Super Eagles striker’s stoppage time goal wrapped up an emphatic victory for surprise package Forest, who demolished Wolves at the Molineux on Monday.

Awoniyi scored deep into added time after James Ward-Prowse cut a pass over to him with the goal-gaping, and the striker rolled the ball into the net.

The strike was the 27-year-old first goal since February 2024.

It was an emotional scene for Awoniyi, who dropped to his knees in celebration and relief.

Persistent injury concerns have hampered the striker’s playing time and form since he scored in a 2-0 win over West Ham United almost a year ago.

The daughter of the Secretary to the Sokoto State Government lost her life while trying to rescue her children from the fire that gutted their house around 12 midnight on Sunday.

Her husband who is the current permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Sport and Youth Development, Alhaji Muhammadu Yusuf Bello, was said to be away when the tragic incident occurred.

The house located at Nakasari area was completely destroyed by the fire which was said to have extended to parts of their neighbour’s houses before it was put off by the combined efforts of fire fighters, residents and passersby.

One of the fire fighters who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak, said there were other people in the house but only the SSG’s daughter, her three children and housemaid lost their lives during the inferno.

“She died in a bid to rescue her children from the fire,” he said

The Spokesman of the Sokoto State Fire Service, Bello Garba, while confirming the death said apart from the four people that were killed, the fire destroyed properties worth millions of Naira.

“But we cannot give the details of the damage cause by the inferno and what caused it now as investigation is ongoing.

“But I can confirm to you that, four deaths were recorded, including the SSG’s daughter, her three children, her housemaid and many properties were destroyed.

However, tears flowed freely as the deceased were laid to rest at Sifawa, hometown of the SSG.

The funeral prayer which took place at the Sifawa central mosque was led by its Chief Imam, Professor Attahiru Ahmad who is also the new Commissioner of for Science and Technology in the state.

The deputy Governor of the State, Engineer Idris Gobir, led the state delegates to the burial ceremony.

Also in attendance was the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, who lost his mother recently.

[DailyTrust]

Aba Power, a Nigerian electricity distribution company, has announced a more than 50 percent electricity tariff hike for customers within its franchise in Abia State.

The company disclosed this in a notice to customers shared through its official X handle.

According to the Disco, the hike comes after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, granted approval.

The new tariff regime kicked off on 1st January, 2025.

The increment showed that customers categorised under Band A feeders will now pay between N219.70 and N241.45 per kilowatt-hour from N99/kWh.

Electricity customers under Band B are to pay between N180.77 and N203/kWh, while Band C feeders will pay between N145 and N205/kWh.

Aba DisCo attributed the hike to macroeconomic realities it faced.

“We also wish to inform you that we have recently received an approval order from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for an adjustment of electricity tariffs, effective January 1, 2025.

“This adjustment will enable us to cushion the effects of recent macroeconomic developments in Nigeria on our ability to continue to deliver a high quality of service to our customers in compliance with regulatory standards.”

[DailyPost]

Top analysts are forecasting a major shift in 2025, with Remittix (RTX) poised to surpass Solana and Avalanche in growth potential. While Solana and Avalanche continue to gain attention, Remittix’s innovative PayFi solutions and strong presale momentum make it a standout contender. As the platform attracts more investors and adoption, Remittix will become the biggest gainer by offering investors substantial returns in the decentralized finance (DeFi) market.

Industry Experts Predict Massive Rallies for Remittix (RTX) in 2025

Remittix (RTX) is a crypto protocol that enables fast crypto transfers and fiat-to-crypto conversion through bank transfers. Remittix is an efficient solution for bridging the gap between cryptocurrencies and traditional finance.

Using advanced blockchain technology, Remittix ensures transparent transactions. The protocol stands out from platforms like Stripe, Wise, and Coinbase by focusing on security, simplicity, and efficiency. These attributes make Remittix a superior choice for cross-border payments. Thorough audits by BlockSAFU and SolidProof highlight Remittix’s commitment to security and transparency, gaining trust from its growing community.

The Remittix Pay API is at the platform’s core, enabling businesses to integrate crypto payments easily. This opens up new customer opportunities and provides companies with tools to excel in the digital economy.

Remittix will be a leading crypto investment in 2025, with experts predicting significant growth for the RTX token in the coming months. The ongoing presale presents a prime opportunity for investors to enter at $0.172. The platform’s token vesting system ensures long-term value and stability. Remittix will experience explosive growth and significant rallies as the financial sector increasingly embraces crypto solutions.

Institutional Backing & Ecosystem Upgrades to Boost Solana’s Price in 2025

Solana is entering 2025 with strong momentum, driven by developments within its ecosystem. The introduction of Firedancer, a high-performance validator client created by Jump Trading, is set to boost Solana’s transaction speed and scalability when fully implemented.

The $173 million funding raised in Q3 2024, the highest since Q2 2022, highlights institutional confidence in Solana’s future. This growing adoption is seen in new integrations, such as Chainflip for cross-chain swaps and Coinbase’s cbBTC, which brings wrapped Bitcoin to Solana. Upgrades like Marinade V2 further strengthen Solana’s position in the DeFi sector. Analysts at InvestingHaven predict that SOL could reach $750 by the end of 2025.

Institutional demand is rising, with firms like VanEck and 21Shares proposing Solana spot ETFs. VanEck forecasts that SOL could soon surpass $500, paving the way for even higher targets. On-chain data shows that SOL’s ownership is shifting to long-term investors, signaling growing confidence. If Solana breaks key resistance levels at $250 and maintains its upward trend, analysts suggest that $750 and even $1,000 could be achievable by 2025.

Analysts Predict Avalanche to Trade Above $50

After staying below the $40 mark for most of 2024, Avalanche (AVAX) saw a surge in November, breaking through its yearly resistance to reach a peak of $55.70. However, the price has fallen, dipping below its monthly resistance of $44. Currently, Avalanche is trading between $35.00 and $41.38.

Avalanche is back testing lower levels and could surge towards its all-time high. The upcoming AVAX 9000 launch is a key event that could trigger this rally.

According to WalesBanks, Avalanche targets the $80 to $88 range, fueled by growing anticipation for the AVAX 9000 launch. Notable crypto analyst Grronk also predicts that Avalanche could reach $100 in the bullish DeFi market. Additionally, analysts believe AVAX could hit $75 by February 2025, citing strong bullish trends despite recent market corrections.

Remittix’s Presale Raises Over $1 Million

The RTX token is currently priced at  $0.0172, offering early investors a unique opportunity to see a 50x increase in value in the coming months. The presale has already raised over $1.2 million, and over 70 million RTX tokens have been sold in just a few days. With strong investor interest and a limited supply of presale tokens, this is the perfect time for traders to get involved before this chance passes.

Join the Remittix (RTX) presale and community:

Join Remittix (RTX) Presale

Join the Remittix (RTX) Community

The National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to prioritise tax reforms, including reducing corporate tax rates to 19% and maintaining Value Added Tax (VAT) at 7.5%.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by Dele Kelvin Oye, the association’s national president. NACCIMA argued that these adjustments would stimulate economic growth and lead to increased tax revenues for the government.

“We believe corporate taxes should be further reduced to 19% and VAT pegged at 7.5%. We believe this will grow the economy and result in higher tax revenues for the government. As a caveat to protect government revenues, each taxpayer must not pay less than the preceding tax year,” the statement read.

The current tax reform bills before the National Assembly propose a gradual increase in VAT rates, starting from 10% in 2025 to 12.5% (2026–2029) and reaching 15% by 2030. NACCIMA has expressed concerns over these plans, suggesting that maintaining the current VAT rate would better serve economic and fiscal stability.

Oye also criticised the public disputes between federal and state governments over revenue sharing, noting that these disagreements often ignore the fundamental interests of taxpayers.

“The current media engagement between federal and state governments in newspaper and press releases only further confirms the disconnect described above,” Oye said. “The beneficiary parties receiving taxpayer funds engage each other on how to secure a larger portion of taxpayer funds without consideration for the public or taxpayer interest.”

Highlighting the contributions of sectors like telecommunications to government revenues, Oye called for targeted reforms to unlock their growth and revenue potential.

“Significant taxpayers like the telecommunications sector, who require reforms that will result in increased tax revenues, should not be ignored,” he said.

NACCIMA also called for meaningful private sector inclusion in tax reform discussions, encompassing aviation, telecommunications, manufacturing, and operators in Free Trade Zones. The association criticized the current approach of relying on committees that merely “lecture taxpayers” without yielding actionable results.

“There must be real dialogue with genuine concessions to be made by all parties. The private sector—aviation, telecommunications, manufacturers, Free Trade Zones, and other stakeholders—must be engaged in written communication. Committees that come to lecture taxpayers are not giving positive outcomes,” the statement added.

NACCIMA suggested forwarding the outcomes of such engagements to the National Assembly through the office of the Attorney General, as directed by the President, for better coordination.

[Businessday]

Governor Makinde disclosed that bandits had already set their camps Fashola area of the state. He, however, assured that his administration would ensure all criminal elements are made to face the law.

He stated this while speaking at 2025 Annual Inter-faith Service for State Workers. The Inter-faith Service was attended by Labour leaders, workers, political appointees, community leaders, members of the judiciary and traditional rulers.

“The year 2024 has been a challenging year, even in terms of safety and security. We had a few fire incidents, armed robberies, and kidnappings, but what I would say is that we will redouble our efforts in 2025. Some of these issues, we will tackle squarely.

“Even just this morning, during the security briefing, we received updates about a special operation currently underway. Quite a number of the wrongdoers from the major northwestern zone are relocating here. But we will locate them, and we will deal with them.

“Because of the stampede last year, I chose to go to Fashola, just to lay low for my birthday, and I can tell you that within less than perhaps one and a half kilometres from where I was sleeping, there were bandits with camps established there,” he said.

The Oyo State Governor commended security agencies for their efforts in fighting crimes and criminality in the state.

While commending traditional rulers and community leaders for their support to his government, Makinde charged them to report every suspicious movement to security agencies and the government.

“So I would like to take this opportunity to thank our service commanders. You have been doing your part, and you have done very well for us in Oyo State. Nothing meaningful can occur in an atmosphere of insecurity. All the laudable things that we wish to achieve will not be possible if we don’t have a safe and secure environment.

“I want to encourage all of us; we come from different locations, we are from various zones, and our traditional rulers, you are the custodians of the environment within your domain. This is no joke; it’s a serious issue, and for us in Oyo State, they will never gain a foothold here. I will not rest until every inch of Oyo State is free of bandits and wrongdoers.

“But you must also do your part. If you see any suspicious movement, please report it to the authorities, and we will take action. It is in our collective interest,” the Governor added.

Recall that Naija News reported that Makinde at the event, also vowed to prosecute people involved in the Ibadan stampede. He said no amount of appeal would make him bow down from following the rule of law.

[NaijaNews]

Airtel Nigeria has added its voice to the industry-wide call for an upward review of tariffs in the telecom sector, saying the costs of operation have gone up by over 300%.

The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Dinesh Balsingh, who stated this in an op-ed, said the adjustments are critical for maintaining high-quality services and enabling further advancements in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.

“For over a decade, tariffs have remained static despite the dramatic increase in operating expenses, which have surged by over 300% in the last 18 to 24 months alone.  

“To continue providing high-quality services and meeting the growing demand for digital connectivity, it has become essential to realign our pricing structure with economic realities,” Balsingh said.

The need for more investments 

The Airtel CEO also underscored the significant investments required to maintain and expand telecom infrastructure, which is pivotal to supporting Nigeria’s digital economy.

“The increasing demand for digital services across sectors such as education, banking, and healthcare requires us to continually upgrade our networks to deliver more capacity and improve service quality.  

“These investments come at a cost, one that must be shared proportionally to guarantee long-term viability,” he said.

• The proposed tariff adjustments, Balsingh argued, will not only ensure the sustainability of the telecom sector but also improve service delivery.
• He added that by enabling the telecom operators to expand coverage, strengthen network security, and introduce cutting-edge technologies, the adjustments would directly enhance the quality of connectivity for Nigerians.
• According to him, the telcos’ priority is to ensure that no one is left behind in the country’s digital transformation journey.

What you should know 

Last week, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola, said telecom operators in the country had requested an approximately 100% increase to ensure the industry’s sustainability rather than boost short-term profitability.

• Sharing the same sentiment as Airtel’s CEO, Toriola said the telecom industry is now facing a sustainability threat that must be addressed through a tariff review.
• He, however, noted that the telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), may not approve the 100% increase requested.

“We’ve put forward a request of approximately 100% tariff increases to the regulators. I doubt they’re going to approve that quantum of increases because they’re very sensitive to the current economic situation in the country,” he said.

The two telecom industry associations in Nigeria, the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) have also been at the forefront of advocacy for tariff review in the industry for over two years, citing increase in costs of operations.

[Nairametrics]

Sam Altman, the chief executive officer (CEO) of OpenAI, says the company is incurring losses on its ChatGPT Pro product.

The product, introduced in late 2024 at a subscription rate of $200 per month, offers users access to the upgraded o1 Pro model and removes usage limits across other OpenAI tools.

However, in a recent post on X, Altman said the plan has been less profitable than anticipated.

“Insane thing: we are currently losing money on openai pro subscriptions! people use it much more than we expected,” he wrote.

Responding to comments, Alman said the pricing was designed to generate profits.

“I personally chose the price and thought we would make some money,” the CEO added.

Despite its valuation of over $80 billion, OpenAI reported a $5 billion loss in 2024 — with revenues reaching $3.7 billion.

On October 2, 2024, the company said it raised $6.6 billion in funding, attracting significant investment from firms like Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, Nvidia, and its largest corporate backer, Microsoft.

Since its inception in 2015, OpenAI’s journey has been marked by growth intertwined with controversy.

In November 2023, Altman was abruptly removed as CEO by OpenAI’s board for not being “candid in his communications”.

He was reinstated shortly after the board reached an agreement.

Also, Elon Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who later parted ways with the organisation, has openly criticised its transition to a “for-profit model”.

In December 2024, Musk, who leads his own AI startup, xAI, filed a court injunction against OpenAI.

He claimed the company’s shift betrayed its nonprofit roots, straying from its original mission and creating unfair competition for rivals like xAI.

I knew Peter Obi in the university, although we were in different faculties. He came from a rich family, drove a new Peugeot car and always turned out like a ‘bourgeoisie’ as we mockingly referred to kids from privileged backgrounds. The civil war had ended a few years earlier and there were scars of the fight on the walls of some buildings in the campus. Alexandra Building, where we had our General Studies, stood with blown out roof and darkened walls. Many of the students, like my roommate in the first year, were former Biafran soldiers, while others came from very humble backgrounds. The emotional toll of the war was still evident in their young lives. In this crowd, Obi and other few fortunate students who were born into wealth easily stood out. Since his graduation in 1983, Peter Obi has gone on to achieve a lot: he’s made a lot of money from importation of foods and drinks; became a bank owner (or part owner, to be precise); won election as governor and recently contested the presidential election. But what strikes me most in his trajectory is his gradual transformation into Nigeria’s main opposition leader since he lost the election eleven months ago. Can he stay the course and is he ready for the bruises that come with such struggles? Frankly, I am worried for Mr. Obi.

Last week, Obi addressed an early morning press conference in which he spoke about the challenges of the Nigerian economy; the deprivations of the Nigerian people and his avowed commitment to continue to speak on these and other governance issues. He challenged President Tinubu to bring down the costs of governance; travel across the country by road and visit a public hospital for his routine medical examinations just to experience what ordinary people are suffering. He concluded his remarks rather ominously: ‘’It is difficult to be in opposition in this country – extremely difficult because everything is against you. Your businesses and everything you’re involved in is being dismantled. What I have faced, what I go through; what my family goes through; you won’t even believe I could still be standing and going around this country. I see colleagues at the airport, and greet them. But they don’t even want to reply because they don’t want the government of the day to see them talking to you’’. He added, in a deadpan voice: ‘’for me, I have decided that I will continue to stand by the Nigerian people and if this is the end, so be it’’.

These are typically words associated with fiery, radical and left-leaning labour leaders or opposition figures under dictatorships, but coming from a member of the propertied class, it’s quite perplexing. The elite class has been so unconcerned with the Nigerian conditions that they’ve never contemplated its end. They have answers to every problem. For poor roads, they buy cyber trucks; for poor electricity, they acquire generators and inverters; for kidnappers on the highways, they fly commercial or private and for noisome street urchins, they are protected by the police, who also carry their wives’ handbags and umbrellas. Obi can afford all these, but since has chosen to stand by the downtrodden; he should be told of the dangers that lurk ahead. Is he ready for the bruises? Africa is replete with many opposition leaders, freedom fighters and activits who have faced grave dangers for their convictions.

In the Second Republic, Chief Obafemi Awolowo easily emerged as the main opposition leader, having lost the two presidential elections in 1979 and 1983. He was backed up by the other presidential also-rans: Dr. NnamDi Azikiwe; Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim; Mallam Aminu Kano and Mr. Tunji Braithwaite, and together, they created a redoubtable hostility to the administration of Shehu Shagari. The young Sokoto prince was under constant barrage of criticisms from these old men for all of the four years he was in office. I pitied him sometimes. But to his credit, Shagari never for once took any unconstitutional action against any of them. Even when Braithwaite’s son was arrested by the police for possession of hemp, the authorities remained nice and polite to the firebrand lawyer. It was in 1985, during the regime of Gen. Buhari who toppled Shagari in a coup, that Chief Awolowo was harassed. His Apapa home was ransacked and his passport seized.

In 1993, Chief MKO Abiola, a wealthy businessman, emerged as a formidable opposition figure after the military had annulled the presidential election of that year which he won. Abiola put up a commendable fight to reclaim his mandate, but unfortunately, a large section of the political class, led by the very person who was his running mate in that election, Babagana Kingibe, was not ready for the struggle. I will recommend the book, ‘’The Struggle for June 12’’, by Frank Kokori for a good account of what it takes to be in opposition. Unfortunately, Abiola lost his life in that struggle. In the Fourth Republic, another rich businessman, Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged, first as the leader of one of the opposition parties, and later as main opposition figure. In January 2012, Tinubu led massive protests in Lagos and other South West States against President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to eliminate fuel subsidies. Weakened and embarrassed, Jonathan backtracked. Tinubu and his tribe (I don’t mean ethnic identity) continued to pummel Jonathan, calling him names and attacking his person till he lost the presidential election three years later. To his credit, Jonathan never ordered the arrest of Tinubu or plotted harm against him. But is it poetic justice that another section of the country is rising against Tinubu’s major policy reforms?

 There was no clear opposition leader throughout the eight years of President Buhari. In fact, Atiku Abubarkar who was expected to play that role had retreated into his cocoon in Dubai soon after the 2015 elections. Obi’s emergence as the new opposition leader therefore is essentially filling a void left by Atiku. But will the Tinubu administration tolerant and accommodating? Although Obi is already hinting that his businesses and family are affected, he should bear in mind that the road ahead could be very rough. In a continent rife with human rights abuses, being in opposition is no walk in the park. Kenyan opposition leader, Raila Amolo Odinga was a visible opposition figure in the continent for a long time. In 1982, President Arap Moi threw him into detention for six years. Zimbawe’s Morgan Tsvangirai was routinely beaten during the regime of Robert Mugabe until he nearly lost an eye several years ago. South Africa’s Julius Malema has been charged with hate speech and expelled from ANC. Kizza Besigye of Uganda has suffered untold torture in the hands of strongman Yoweri Museveni. He has been subjected to numerous house arrests and made to face treason charges.

As Peter Obi enters the new phase of his life, I pray for his life and wellbeing and I hope that he, unlike Awolowo; Azikiwe; Kano; Waziri and MKO Abiola, will live to see a Nigeria of his dream.

December 8, 2024: Professor Nuhu Yaqub was with us in Abuja, in the company of great minds—Jibrin Ibrahim, Yakubu Ochefu, Chris Ogbogbo, Aisha Maikudi, Chido Onuma, Tunji Olaopa, Paul and Paula Edeh, Adagio, Okello Oculi, John Odah and many more. We did a mini-seminar on Jibrin Ibrahim. I invited Nuhu Yaqub to speak, and he gave a great speech, starting with his introduction to Marxism. Days after, we spoke twice on the phone. An active and healthy man was gone within three days of sickness, leaving us and the world on Saturday, January 4. I was hit by his departure with an emotional anguish that is taking a longer time to heal.

I have known him for decades. As the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, he invited me twice to give two Keynote Addresses. As the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Sokoto State University, he and Professor Malami Buba, his Deputy, invited me to give the University’s first Distinguished Lecture. We exchanged family visits in Austin and Abuja. A candid man, he did not require efforts for him to stay in mind on all aspects of national issues.

The phenomenon of death remains one mystery that humans, and maybe all living creatures, may not understand for its strange nature. At the superficial level, death signifies the finitude to everything living, and it is in this category of interpretation that we humans lurk ourselves, not because we are sometimes not inclined to see beyond the anguish that is brought when we lose people who are dear to us, but because the human mind is not conditioned to process the shock, the urgency, and the forever delinking which occurs when we lose individuals or cherished pets.

Death is a leveller, for it takes the lives of everything without concerns about the irreparable damage that it does to the people behind it. Losing a giant intellectual and humanitarian energy such as Professor Yaqub has dug yet another deep hole in our national heart and left a hollow space that may be difficult to fill. We feel this way because we consider his demise not as a transition into another phase of human existence, which it originally signifies, but as a finitude to the material importance for which the man is known to his immediate family, academic family and national brotherhood.

To say that I am overwhelmed is to mildly describe my emotional state at the breaking of the news that the selfless individual has passed on. It is such a case for me because, in academic brotherhood, it is not only difficult to come across people genuinely committed to a lifelong philosophy, but it is almost impossible to come across individuals who have the mental energy or the political goodwill to effect changes when they could walk their talk.

But then I am only consoled by the understanding that although Professor Yaqub’s transition might have done unprintable damage to our emotional health because of the various shared ideas, values and virtues, his passing on has foregrounded the irreplaceable importance of committing oneself to a meaningful philosophy. It is on this basis that I highlight the exceptional contributions that this individual made to the human world before his transition.

As a political scientist, it has been established that Nuhu Yaqub devoted his intellectual ambition towards the actualization of better national conditions by facilitating a radical evolution of Nigeria’s political system in ways that address its specific and unique peculiarities. Aware of its diversity, the outstanding Professor had campaigned for inclusive leadership to be embraced by the political players in the country in the spirit of creating a haven for the citizens and forging a country that is capable of answering to the wishes and aspirations of everyone.

To become a national hero in my book, what matters is to demonstrate some consistency in one’s philosophical conviction as long as it does not endanger the human family. I can say confidently that this man was not only consistent about his conviction but also invested in it in every sense. I remember clearly how he staunchly argued and equally supported courses of action that would see to the rapid departure from the colonially imposed political culture in exchange for one that would fix the country and free people from the shackles of ideological suppression.

Unlike many other academics, Yaqub was very practical with his solutions, especially because he understood that the possibility of achieving greatness lies especially in the ability to be deliberate and disciplined. Perhaps this would explain why he irrevocably supported the idea of clinical scholarship, research, and intellectual engagements that would lead to the enthronement of an academic culture that is both vibrant and resilient. He has never refused to educate anyone who cares to listen that research engagement is at the centre of Nigeria’s and Africa’s political transformation, revealing why it is dangerous to compromise on such a commitment.

Would it not be surprising that such a man was foresighted in his examination of our basic sociological and sociopolitical fate, so much so that he campaigned that education was a necessity for everyone if the country would evolve to become a force in the global society? He was motivated to say this because he understood the underlying potential that is lurking in the human and natural resources that the country is blessed with. To become an important force in the world, people have always been required to evaluate events from an impartial angle, and that can only be possible on the occasion that people are given a solid education. It is understandable because many issues that are causing problems in the country are founded on the beliefs that are imposed by individuals who constantly take away the right to education of their citizens.

You would begin to understand and not underestimate his position when you appreciate the place of education in the formulation of policies that are needed for the transformation of a country. I have held numerous dialogues with him, and at every opportunity, no matter how little, he would strike up conversations about national issues that are pivotal to the country’s civilizational advancement. In any case, what dominates such conversations is that education is needed in policy formulation because it is through policies that humans transfer their refined ideas to organized guidelines to be used in guiding the decisions of the government to achieve great outcomes. If people are uneducated, there is a possibility that they will be micromanaged by others who have that advantage. This is the fear of the righteous man who committed to such a just course. He has maintained over time that when people are intellectually refined enough to contribute to the debate of welfare improvement, especially as it relates to them, they would, therefore, be encouraged to participate in the affairs of the country if they are given the fair atmosphere where they can thrive without any external threat.

Away from the strictly professional life that this successful man lived, it would be strange that people of his educational and administrative stature still maintained a life of humility and embrace, as he did not consider himself as being superior to people on account of his giant strides in life. Evidence of his selflessness and humility abounds as people with whom he shared one thing or the other have attested to how he opened his space to anyone who wants to experience it.

For a man who was erstwhile Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, the information about how to manage opposing opinions to drive the monumental changes that are recorded in the academic institution today cannot cease to amaze people. More than anything, they are indicators that he was professionally inclined and discharged his very responsibility with a great sense of commitment and demeanour. It cannot be overemphasized how his simple nature infected many of the people who have come across the man in different spheres of existence. I cannot stress enough how his sudden demise has brought some hard reality that is difficult to swallow.

How else can we describe the individual as great, especially in the course of academic liberation, if not through a series of great initiatives he made to improve the conditions of things? It was under him as a Vice Chancellor that the University moved out from their temporary site to the permanent one, which required a great deal of sacrifice from members of staff, and he championed it. Not minding the personal and professional costs that this demanded, Professor Yaqub became an important figure in shaping the university. It is no coincidence that his death has sparked a national reflection as people who have either benefited from the largesse of his professional responsibilities or those who had personal relationships with him continue to reveal how his demise has become a national melancholy.

It is understandable for them to feel this way. I have become so engrossed in his scholarly interests and contributions that his sudden departure to the great beyond has dug a hole in my heart.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَأَدْخِلْهُ فِي جَنَّتِكَ

Allahummaghfir lahu warhamhu wa adkhilhu fee jannatika.

Translation: O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, and admit him into Your Paradise.