The Federal Government has adopted the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) in Ijagun, Ogun State as a Federal University.

Established by the Ogun State Government in 2005, TASUED holds the distinguished position as Nigeria's first specialised university of education. It was named after Dr Tai Solarin, a revered activist and the founder of Mayflower School in Ikenne.

As a federal institution, TASUED will be the first federally owned tertiary school in Ogun East senatorial district. With a well-developed infrastructure and academic programme, the transition requires minimal federal investment.

President Tinubu approved the adoption on Friday and thanked the Ogun State Government for inviting the Federal Government to take over the school, one of the state's best educational assets.

"It is an opportunity for the Federal Government to honour Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who began the revolutionary free education programme in Western Nigeria and Dr Tai Solarin, who spent most of his life educating our children and impacting patriotic and leadership lessons in them at Mayflower School in Ikenne", President Tinubu said.

"It is also in honour of the Awujale of Ijebuland, who played a critical role in preventing the university's closure in 2012, just seven years after its establishment," he added.

Awolowo and Solarin were celebrated figures from the Eastern Senatorial District of Ogun State, encompassing Ijebu and Remo.

President Tinubu emphasised that TASUED's transition into a Federal University of Education is a strategic step in the Federal Government's commitment to bolster teacher education and enhance the quality of instruction across all educational levels.

With TASUED's new status, the Federal Government oversees three education universities. Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education in Owerri and Adeyemi Federal University of Education in Ondo are the country's other two universities of education.

Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has bagged the prestigious Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) degree from the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI), Ekiti State, for his inspiring leadership and contributions to the advancement of quality education in Nigeria.

This was even as the governor, who bagged the honorary award at the maiden convocation ceremony of the state-owned university in Ikere-Ekiti at the weekend, reiterated his administration's resolve to continue to transform the education sector in Enugu State and set exemplary steps through innovative and experiential learning model.

Mbah stressed that although the gains of investments in education take many years to crystalise, his administration's reforms and huge investments in education was driven not by public acclaim, but by the conviction that the highest legacy was to equip Enugu children and the youth with quality education that imbue them with the requisite knowledge and skill set to compete on the global stage.

“This award is a reminder that there is no greater honour than service. It is an inspiration to re-commit to the governance values that underpin our modest achievements in Enugu State.

“These values are shaped, particularly, by the conviction that education is the best legacy to bequeath to the emerging generation,” he added.

The governor, who has consistently dedicated over 33 per cent of the state's annual budget solely to education, maintained that the achievements recorded in the quality of output in the education sector through the deployment of huge resources had reflected in the ongoing construction of 260 Smart Green Schools for experiential learning in the state.

He explained that this education model emphasises experiential learning that imbues children with problem-solving skills over rote learning.

While stressing the university’s motto, “Learning for Self-Reliance,” Mbah said this should resonate with all levels of government nationwide in the face of shrinking international funding by some world economies, saying it was time to press the inventive button as a nation.

He noted that despite the BOUESTI being at its formative years, the university had made giant strides by nurturing an environment that was conducive to learning.

“This clearly underscores the university’s firm belief in the primacy of human capital development. Although established in 2020, it is heartwarming that this university is emerging as a formidable platform for science and technological renaissance.”

Commending the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for his enduring reforms and sustained investment in education, Mbah charged the graduands to wear the toga of the university with pride and dignity, urging them not to severe links with the institution as alumni.

While conferring the highest degree on the governor, the university's Chancellor, Chief Wole Olanipekun, said the degree was strictly meant for lawyers of distinction, which Mbah had clinched by merit.

He described the governor as a rare breed in the entrepreneurial space, who was presently disrupting the Nigerian leadership space through his innovative style of governance.

1. In 2010, our law firm handled the case of Hon Dino Melaye & 10 other legislators who were suspended for accusing the Dimeji Bankole-led House of Representative of wallowing in corruption The Federal High Court declared the suspension of the legislators illegal and unconstitutional and ordered the payment of their withheld salaries and allowances.

2. In 2012, our law firm also handled the case of Honourable Rifkatu Danna, the only female member of the 31-member Bauchi State House of Assembly. Danna was suspended in June 2012 for allegedly making uncomplimentary remarks when she challenged the lawmakers’ decision to approve the relocation of the headquarters of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State. But the Bauchi State High Court declared her suspension illegal and ordered the Bauchi State House of Assembly to reinstate her and pay her withheld salaries and allowances.

3. In 2017, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal filed against the judgment of the Bauchi State High Court in respect of the illegal suspension of Honourable Rifkatu Danna. The Court upheld our submission to the effect that the suspension of the legislator constituted a breach of the right of the Bogoro Constutuency to be representated by her in the state house of assembly. The Court equally held that the decision of the House to withhold the salaries and allowances of the legislator was illegal as she was not an employee but an elected member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly.

4. In 2018, our law firm equally handled the case of Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, a member of the House of Representatives who was suspended for 180 days for accusing the Yakubu Dogara-led House of padding the 2016 national budget. The Federal High Court nullified the suspension and ordered the payment of the withheld salaries and allowances of the legislator.

5. Based on the case of the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly v Honourable Honourable Rifkatu Danna (2017) 49 WRN 82 which is the locus classicus on the subject matter, the 2017 suspension of Senator Ali Ndume by the Bukola Saraki-led Senate was annulled by the Federal High Court. The case filed on behalf of the Senator his lawyer, Marcel Oru Esq.

6. In the same vein, the 2020 suspension of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Federal High Court. The case was filed on behalf of the Senator by Edward Omaga Esq.

7. Sometime in 2020, the Jigawa State House of Assembly suspended a lawmaker, Hon. Sani Iyaku, over alleged criticism of the state governor, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Badaru who was on a visit to Hadejia town for a wedding ceremony. Honourable Iyaku challenged his suspension in the Jigawa State High Court. The trial Judge, Justice Ahmed ruled that the action of the Assembly did not comply with order 15 rule 74 (2)(c) and (3) a, b of the state House of Assembly standing orders 2017 and therefore declared the suspension illegal, inappropriate, null and void. The court also directed that the defendant be paid his three months allowances withheld to the tune of N3 million.

8. On November 18, 2020, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Akure, Ondo State dismissed the motion for stay of execution filed by the state House of Assembly against the judgment of the High court reinstating the three suspended members of the state assembly. The Presiding Judge, Justice Folayemi Omoleye, queried the appellants for bringing a frivolous appeal before the court, directing that the lawmakers should be reinstated immediately to resume their legislative duties.

9. On August 13, 2024, the same court reinstated Hon. Iroju Ogundeji as the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly. In a unanimous ruling, Justices Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye, Frederick Oziakpono-Oho, and Yusuf Alhaji Bashir affirmed the decision made by Justice Akintan Osadebey, which reinstated the two-term legislator representing the Odigbo state constituency.

10. In the past five years, the High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, and the National Industrial Court nullified the illegal suspension of members of the Houses of Assembly of Kogi and Edo State respectively.

11. In March 2024, the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate suspended Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP; Bauchi) for three months for alleging that Nigeria's 2024 budget was padded. The Senator instructed our law firm to challenge the suspension in the Federal High Court. We wrote to the leadership of the Senate to review the suspension in view of the illegality of the action. As we were preparing to challenge the suspension in the Federal High Court, the Senate recalled Senator Ningi and paid his withheld salaries and allowances.

12. In view of the definitive pronouncements of the several High Court and the Court of Appeal on the illegality of the suspension of elected members of legislative houses in Nigeria, the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is the height of legislative recklessness. The illegal suspension should be lifted without any further delay. Since the Federal High Court had restrained the Senate Ethics Committee from hearing the complaint against the embattled Senator pending the determination of the motion on notice the Senate ought to have stayed action in accordance with the rule of law.

13. Finally, the official impunity of suspending legislators at the whims and caprices of leaders of the federal and state legislative houses must not be allowed to continue in Nigeria.

Femi Falana SAN

 Treachery      This is being false or disloyal to a friend or to a cause. It is also being deceptive; not to be relied upon. Treacherous actions always attract curses upon the person(s) involved and on their next generations. Unless the cause betrayed is ungodly itself.

And this is why we must always be very careful of the way we live. The word of God says that whatever a man sows, that he must also reap. You cannot act treacherously without reaping the punishment. If the reaping does not come immediately, still know that it will surface later.

There are people that just enjoy being deceptive or selling out. They can never be true to a friend, to an associate or to a cause to the end. They love to betray anything and everything. They are slippery. They will pretend to be loyal only to go behind and betray the cause.

They will dine with you, study your weaknesses and strengths, and then effortlessly, hand you over to your enemies.     Look at Judas Iscariot. He was an official of Jesus’ ministry. He ate with him, prayed with him and in fact, was the treasurer of the ministry. But he chose to betray his master for money. Even when Jesus predicted his betrayal, Judas also like the other apostles, asked, “Master (teacher). Am I the one, am I?”

But after all this, he still went ahead and did what he had decided to do.   A treacherous person is always heartless, conscienceless, dangerous and godless. They are always the most dangerous people to deal with; because you can never know what is in their mind, unless the Spirit of God reveals it to you.

But Jesus also has a word for the betrayer (treacherous person). He said that cursed is the man that will betray him. That it would be better for the person if he had not been born. And you saw how Judas the betrayer ended. He hanged himself; even without enjoying the ‘gain’ of his treachery. There is always a curse on deceptive, false, treacherous people. And it often goes generational.      

Let’s further look at the generational consequences of this sin by Judas. Peter while addressing about 120 believers after the ascension of the LORD said that, the home of Judas will be desolate, with no one living in it and that his position will be taken by someone else.

Read it,  “Brothers, it was necessary for the Scriptures to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided the Temple police to arrest Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, Speaking through King David. Judas was one of us, chosen to share in the ministry with us.  

“(Judas bought a field with the money he received for his treachery, and falling there, he burst open, spilling out his intestines. The news of his death spread rapidly among all the people of Jerusalem, and they gave the place the Aramaic name Akeldama, which means ‘Field of Blood’).    

“Peter continued, ‘This was predicted in the book of Psalms, where it says, ‘Let his home become desolate, with no one living in it.’ And again, ‘Let his position be given to someone else”Acts 1:16-20       

This was terrible!   Now, can you see the generational dimension? The consequences of the sin will not only be on the culprit – Judas, but also on his home. Home means family, house, quarters, residence, a dwelling place. And it can also be a place of birth, home town, native land, etc.

The bible said that his home will become desolate (uninhabited, deserted, barren, austere, forbidding, miserable, unhappy, depressed, wretched, and dejected). God! Just for the sin of betrayal by one indiscreet man? Are you a betrayer??      

Let’s also see few more examples from the bible: Ham/Canaanites After the flood, one day Noah was lying in his tent naked and drunk. His youngest son - Ham saw his father in that mood and instead of covering him or even minding his own business, he derided his own father, went outside and told his brothers.

Now, his wiser brothers Shem and Japheth immediately, covering their eyes, went and covered their father’s nakedness. When Noah woke up from his drunkenness, he learnt what Ham had done and promptly cursed him and his descendants,            

“When Noah woke up from his drunken stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done. Then he cursed the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham: ‘A curse on the Canaanites! May they be the lowest of servants to the descendants of Shem and Japheth.”     

Genesis 9:24-25.  Noah expected his youngest son Ham to have given him that respect and honour as a father or even as an elder, and at least cover his nakedness, but he didn’t do that. Instead he made a mockery of the whole thing.

His father felt betrayed and as a result released this generational curse upon Ham and his next generations. Ham was disloyal and unconsciously sealed the destinies of his children and subsequent generations. Why would one mock or celebrate the nakedness (weakness) of his/her own parents?  

Parental curses are very strong and always go generational. So many people are today suffering from parental generational curses.

Truly, it is one of the most effective I have ever seen. It is like whatever you do to your parents must come back to you. Your children will do the same to you.

I have always heard people say that their children are doing exactly what they themselves did to their own parents. It’s like a ‘standing curse’. Even the bible further said that for you to live long and for it to be well with you, you must treat your parents well.

Yes, very well.   We must respectfully, with love and gratitude, treat our parents and elders very well. (Even if you think they are bad people). So many blessings come through this. Their blessings as well as curses are very sure and generational. What is your current relationship with your parents?

Your mentors, helpers, relations, spiritual parents? Are you treating them well? If not, go look for them. Take care of them now! We will continue next week.

God bless you!

The Federal Government has converted the Gombe State government-owned General Hospital, Kumo, into a Federal Medical Centre.

The Kumo Federal Medical Centre is the second federal medical institution in the state, after the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe, the capital. The teaching hospital was initially a medical centre before being upgraded into a Federal Teaching Hospital.

The Kumo Federal Medical Centre will serve as a tertiary health hospital, contribute to the training of medical personnel, and boost health care service in Gombe State and the Northeast generally.

Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya formally requested the takeover of the facility. President Tinubu approved the request, given the poor maternal and neonatal mortality indices in the Northeastern region and other health indicators in Gombe State.

The Federal Government also considered the State Government's commitment to improving its health sector, which aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda, which has unveiled comprehensive reforms in the health sector.

President Tinubu commended Governor Yahaya for prioritising the welfare of the state's citizens and stressed that the takeover would improve the state's healthcare delivery system.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

Concerns are mounting over the safety of high-caliber weapons and explosives stored at the Lagos Air Force Base, following the facility’s continued disconnection from electricity by the distribution company responsible for the area.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has warned preachers against using loudspeakers in public spaces, particularly markets, accusing them of causing noise pollution and disturbing residents.

Soludo stated that anyone caught violating the noise pollution order would face a N500,000 fine.

A viral video circulating on social media on Saturday showed the governor warning an unidentified roadside preacher at a market to stop disrupting traders with his preaching.

He advised the preacher to either preach in a church or rent an open field, adding that those interested in listening would seek him out there.

Addressing traders at a market, the governor said, “If you want to preach the word of God, go to your church. You are causing noise pollution here. You cannot come to a marketplace and disturb everyone.

“If you want to preach, go to a church. Those who want to listen will come to you; you cannot force people in the market to hear your message.

“This is a marketplace, not a church. You are violating the law. You cannot take over a public space and turn it into a church. Otherwise, you will be charged for using this space.

“You will pay ?500,000 because we cannot allow this. We have banned loudspeakers in markets due to noise pollution, which affects people’s eardrums. You cannot force people to listen to your preaching. We are cracking down on fake pastors and prophets in Anambra.”

[DailyTrust]

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has said that his country is “fully committed” to having a constructive dialogue with US representatives in Saudi Arabia.

The meeting is scheduled to hold next week as countries seek ways to end the war with Russia.

Zelenskyy said on Saturday that “Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table.”

“The key is to move quickly and effectively,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.

Zelenskyy said he was going to Saudi Arabia next week, adding that after his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, his country’s diplomatic and military representatives would stay for a meeting on Tuesday with the US team.

He added, “On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps.”

Foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and the defence minister, Rustem Umerov, will lead Ukrainian delegation to the high profile meeting.

DAILY POST reported that President Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump and US Vice president, JD Vance at the Oval Office a week ago.

However, the meeting did not end on a good note as both parties confirmed. Since then, the Ukrainian leader has been seeking ways to mend things with the US.

[DailyPost]

The chairman, Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS), Dr. Jim Pam Wayas, said the state raked in N31.14 billion in 2024, the first in the history of the state.

Pam said this is in contrast to the N25.8 billion made in 2023.

Speaking to reporters in his office on Friday, Pam said the service has also received a tall order from Governor Caleb Mutfwang to increase the revenue to N52 billion 2025.

He said the service is however starting on a good footing, as it already collected N3.3 billion in January compared to N1.6 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Pam said the service was able to achieve this through improved revenue collection by bringing more tax payers into the tax net and blocking leakages in the revenue system.

He said, “In 2023, we were able to jack the revenue to N25.8 billion from somewhere around N15.8 billion in the preceding year. But as at close of business last year, the revenue closed at N31.14 billion.

“And that’s the first time the Plateau State has hit the benchmark of above N30 billion in revenue generation. However, there’s hope that we need to start 2025 on a tall order because even the state government has given us a total revenue target of N52 billion in 2025.

“But we started 2025 on a strong footing. As at January, we collected about N3.3 billion, which is not even the highest that we ever collected in any given month, but I think compared to last year, by January, we did about N1.6 billion.

“That shows significant improvement in revenue generation.

Pam said though the state had witnessed an increase in internally generated revenue, it’s federally allocated revenue had for the past six months come with a minus, owing to foreign debts that the state had incurred in the past and fluctuations in rate of foreign exchange.

[TheNation]

The United States may still have the world’s most powerful navy but it seems to have realised that this is no longer sufficient to reassert US supremacy over the high seas.

If President Donald Trump’s pronouncements on shipbuilding, the Panama Canal and Greenland are anything to go by, he wants to increase US sea power on several fronts – just as China is already doing.

Beijing’s expanding influence on the world’s oceans is a challenge to Washington’s efforts to protect its interests.

While the United States still dominates the seas militarily, it is weaker in other maritime sectors, such as merchant shipping and shipbuilding itself, analysts told AFP.

Trump told the US Congress last week that his administration would “resurrect” the country’s nautical construction industry “including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding”.

On China, he has complained that Beijing “controls” the Panama Canal and has refused to rule out military force to wrest control of a vital strategic asset.

The president has been equally blunt about wanting to take over Greenland, a Danish territory whose untapped mineral and oil reserves he covets.

And he wants to tax any Chinese vessel that docks in US ports.

Researcher Sophie Quintin, of Portsmouth University in the UK, said Trump’s approach smacked of a return to “navalism” — a theory stressing the importance of sea power espoused by 19th-century US naval officer Alfred Mahan.

On the other hand, Trump might just be appealing to his populist voter base, the Make America Great Again (MAGA) faithful.

“It’s difficult to know if it’s the fruit of a real strategic reflection,” said Alessio Patalano, a specialist in maritime strategy at King’s College, London.

“In the end, it doesn’t matter. Serving the interests of MAGA voters by restarting naval shipyards or taxing Chinese boats leads to a navalist policy.”

– Chinese sea power –

In any case, China understands the importance of sea power, said Nick Childs of Britain’s International Institute for Strategic Studies.

At a Paris conference last month, Childs pointed to China’s rapid expansion in maritime sectors other than its own navy.

“There are the investments we’ve been hearing about in global ports, global maritime infrastructure and the weaponising of the fishing fleet,” he said.

Washington is concerned by the expansion of Chinese shipping companies, which they see as serving the interests of the Beijing government.

“Beijing’s economic control of port operations at strategic chokepoints across the world — many of which are part of the Maritime Silk Road initiative — pose a threat to the United States and its allies,” opined US think tank the Jamestown Foundation in February.

It cited in particular two state-owned firms, COSCO and China Merchant Ports.

Beijing could also exert “significant influence” on a third, the privately owned Hutchison Port Holdings, which controls two ports on the Panama Canal, it said.

But Paul Tourret, of France’s Higher Institute of Maritime Economics (ISEMAR), cautioned against too “simplistic” a reading of China’s maritime policy.

“COSCO, for example, follows a financial logic. It merely delivers to the United States the goods that Americans consume,” he said.

Nevertheless, pressure from Washington seems to have had some effect.

Hutchison announced last week it had agreed to sell its lucrative Panama Canal ports to a US-led consortium, although it insisted this was a “purely commercial” decision.

– Gaps in US presence –

While the United States may have the world’s most powerful navy, its merchant fleet is not in such good shape, said Quintin.

“US shipping companies have significantly declined and what remains of its commercial fleet is ageing,” she said.

“That has repercussions for its strategic fleet,” she added, referring to civilian ships used for military transport.

“Furthermore, the shipbuilding sector is in crisis.”

Tourret agreed: “There’s no way the US can build ships quickly.”

“The problem with US shipbuilding is that they don’t have the know-how of the Japanese and Koreans, and they don’t have the scale of the Chinese, who churn ships out like biscuits,” added Patalano.

“When Europe is one year behind on a military programme, the US is three or four years late,” said a European industry source on condition of anonymity.

Trump’s avowed desire to seize control of Greenland and Canada can also be viewed as a bid to regain US dominance over the seas.

Global heating is melting Arctic ice at an alarming rate, endangering natural ecosystems and contributing to further climate change.

But that melting could also open up the region to vessels – both commercial and military – and to oil and mineral exploration.

Those prospects have not been lost on China, Russia or the United States.

“The Arctic space will become increasingly important for power projection, especially for missile-launching submarines,” said Patalano, who sees these as “an essential component of deterrence”.

Here again, “the United States is lagging behind”, said Quintin.

“While China is capable of deploying three icebreakers, the US Coast Guard struggles to keep its two ageing vessels in service,” she said.

AFP