Unites States President, Joe Biden is set to announce a new policy that will grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens, protecting them from deportation.

The policy will apply to those who have been in the country for at least 10 years and will allow them to work in the US legally.

According to the administration officials, over 500,000 spouses of US citizens will benefit from this policy, in addition to 50,000 young people under 21 whose parent is married to an American citizen.

The policy is the most significant relief program for undocumented migrants already in the US since the Obama administration announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2012.

To qualify, undocumented spouses must have lived in the country for 10 years and been married as of June 17. They will have three years to apply for permanent residency and will be eligible for a three-year work permit.

The White House believes that those eligible for the process have been in the US for an average of 23 years, with a majority being born in Mexico.

Critics argue that the policy is an overreach of executive authority and violates US immigration law.

NumbersUSA, an immigration reform group, in a statement by the Chief Executive, James Massa, referred to the policy as “unconscionable”. He said:

“Rather than stopping the worst border crisis in history, President Biden has overreached his executive authority to use an unconstitutional process, circumventing voters and their elected representatives in Congress, to send a message that amnesty is available to those who enter illegally into the United States.”

However, immigration lawyers and advocates welcome the move as a start towards addressing the complex issues faced by undocumented immigrants.

Alex Cuic, an immigration lawyer and professor at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, told the BBC: “A good majority of them [would have] left the country in order to come back lawfully. It’s like they physically enter the US, but their immigration ‘soul’ doesn’t come with them.”

The application process is expected to open by the end of summer, and the White House is also planning to ease and speed up the visa process for highly skilled undocumented immigrants.

At the time of the announcement, US President Biden urged those who consider the measure “too strict” to “be patient”.

“[In] the weeks ahead, I will speak to how we can make our immigration system more fair and just,” he said.

Former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Mrs. Florence Morenike Saraki, has died.

She died on Tuesday at the age of 89.

Saraki made the announcement on Tuesday evening on his x.com account.

He announced that, “With profound sadness and total submission to the will of Almighty God, I announce the passing of my beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and matriarch, Chief Mrs. Florence Morenike Saraki, who peacefully transitioned today, Tuesday, June 18th, 2024.

“Details regarding funeral arrangements will be shared in due course. We appreciate your love, prayers, and support as we mourn Mama’s passing.”

The late Florence was the widow of Olusola Saraki, who was a Senator in the Second Nigerian Republic and political godfather in Kwara until his demise in 2012. 

The late matriarch of the Saraki family who celebrated her 87th birthday in 2022, was survived by Saraki, former minister of state for transport, Gbemisola, Tope Saraki-Edu and Laolu.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saraki’s ward has issued a statement mourning her death.

A statement by the chairman of the ward, Comrade Abubakar Yusuf Garba, on behalf of the party said, “We share in the grief and sorrow that comes with the loss of a matriarch, a pillar of strength, and a guiding light. Chief (Mrs.) Florence Morenike Saraki was an exemplary woman, a devoted wife, and a dedicated mother who left an indelible mark on the lives of everyone she touched.

“Her unwavering support and dedication to her family, particularly her husband, the late Dr. Olusola Saraki, and her children, are a testament to her selflessness and devotion.”

Femi Esho, the Nigerian music promoter and founder of Evergreen Musical Company, has passed away.

Esho died at the age of 77.

Bimbo Esho, his daughter, confirmed his demise via Facebook on Tuesday.

“My Loving Dad May your Gentle Soul Rest In Peace Esho Baba (sic),” she wrote.

However, she did not reveal the cause of death or the exact date he died.

Esho was Born in Ilesa, Osun state on November 29, 1946.

Lagos-based hotelier, Lanre Gentry, the ex-husband to Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe, has stirred social media reactions over his birthday message to his son, Juwon.

Naija News reports that Gentry, in the post shared on his Instagram page, accused Mercy of denying him access to his son.

He noted that despite Mercy’s attitude, he is happy that his son still understands he remains his father.

He wrote, “Happy birthday to my dear son Olajuwon Gentry,no matter how your mother try to take you away from me,I still remain your father and am happy you are growing up to understand that I remain your father and to come back to me to ask for anything without your mother asking by herself. I cherish you, my son, a long life to you and me as your father.”

Meanwhile, Mercy Aigbe, in her birthday message, wrote, “Happy birthday to my not so small Baby. They Grow so fast and so Big!

“Olajunwomi, my son in whom i am well pleased. How time flies you are 14yrs older already, you will always be mummy’s baby. I bless God for growth, protection, provision and unending blessings.

“My dearest son, I will always be here for you,I will always cover you,I will always pray for you and with you,I will always love you forever Oko mi ? Thank you for bringing me so much joy has your mother and I am very proud of you! I’m forever grateful to God Almighty.

“Juwon is that son every mother prays to have,a very peaceful, loving and caring child. You are very Kind and very generous to everyone around you. I feel blessed that you are my son.

“I love you from the first time you took your first breath, I love you now and I will love you till eternity. I’m wishing you long life and prosperity in good health, success, happiness & joy, God’s protection & guidance on you always & forever Amen. Happy Birthday My Son @olajuwon.gentry.”

Says Amaechi and Wike started Politics of Madness  in Rivers State

*** Reiterates that he has never met Fubara, he does not Know whether he is Black or not, he is only fighting against Injustice 

*** Says godfatherism must end in Nigeria Politics

***He wants to be remembered as a foremost Nigerian who believed in Nigeria, who believed in equality in this country, who believed that no one in Nigeria should be regarded as a superior person against the other

*** He asked those he offended to forgive him

FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information and South South Leader,  Chief Edwin Clark has asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration,  FCTA, Nyesom Wike to remain focused and concentrate in the nation’s Capital because he has a lot to do and leave Rivers State Governor,  Siminalayi Fubara and the people of the state alone.

The Elder statesman who stated this in an Interview with African Independent Television, AIT on Tuesday however accused the former Rivers State governor and the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and his successor as the masterminds of what he described as politics of madness in Rivers State.

The Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum,  PANDEF who noted that godfatherism must give way in the nation’s polity and the practice of politics for the development and growth of democracy in the country, said that he has never Fubara ad he cannot ascertain his complexion,  said that he is only out to fight against injustice and oppression.

The interview by the AIT with Clark was in  Commemorations of his  97th Birthday as well as a  Documentary on his Life and Achievements.

When asked why attempts have not been made to settle both Wike and Fubara,  the Leader of the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum,  SMBLF asked if they are quarrelling that would call for settlement,  stressing that what is playing out is egocentricism, the issue of I made you the governor of the state and you must worship me, but the other saying that he cannot worship man, but God, even though he agreed that he made the governor by the former governor.

Clark said, ” Who made you Governor of Rivers States,  today you don’t want to see the man? He wrote about Peter Odili but later now he said that if he does anything against Odili, God should kill him. Then, Amaechi made him Chief of Staff. When he quarreled with him, Ameachi now recommended  him to be appointed Minister, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo agreed.

“But what happened? One day, we had the approval of theresidency to tell the security people as  he got five members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, I have their names here, to impeach the speaker, one Otelemaba Amachreee. Then to later impeach, the governor, Rotimi Ameachi. There was a free-for-all fight. The mace  was broken. One of the members called Chidi, not somebody with a part of the mace. That man had to be flown abroad for treatment. Amaechi then closed the House of Assembly for one year. So that’s Wike’s work.

“Politics of madness in Rivers State was started by Wike and Ameachi. They don’t care about other people. So, there is no way, Wike should stay, remain in Abuja to do his job. Let the young man rule his place.

“What are you going to settle them for? Where they quarreling. What are you settling them for? People said Wike made Fubara governor, yes, that is true. The man has acknowledged it. But he says, I can’t worship a human being that  I will worship God to show appreciation. But Wike said that worship God through me. The man said no. That is the problem they have.”

On the Rivers State House of Assembly members who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the All Progressives Congress,  APC,  he said, “So, as far as I’m concerned, it will ease out. And this is tied to what you said about INEC. INEC is not doing its job. The constitution is clear. There’s a legal advisor in INEC office, Secretariat.

“When such vacancies are created like this, they have to take action to conduct election within 90 days to fill those vacant places, which they have not done. These are some of their failings.

When asked what he would like to be remembered for, Clark disclosed that he would want to be remembered as a foremost Nigerian who believed in Nigeria, who believed in equality in this country, who believed that no one in Nigeria should be regarded as a superior person against the other, just as  asked those he offended in the course of his sojourn and work to forgive him.

The South South leader said, “It must come from a home to be a Nigerian. So, as far as I remember, number one, I am one of the oldest states men in Nigeria. I was very happy when His Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, during my book launch, Brutally Frank asked everybody to stand up, with General Yakubu Gowon, former President Goodluck Jonathan, among others  were all there. He said, everybody should stand up. The Ooni said that Chief Clark is our Baba,  he is our nationalist, a national figure. So, what honour do would be more than that ? So, I want to be remembered for the role I played in Nigeria, and an appeal to those that during these 70 something  years of my service to my country, those that I do not know that I have  offended, to forgive me.

“But I want to be remembered to be a foremost Nigerian who believed in Nigeria, who believed in equality in this country, who believed that no one in Nigeria should be regarded as a superior person against the other. Everybody should be equal.

” That is the Nigerian I want to be remembered for that. I contributed to that, which I did, because during the civil war, all the teachers and other workers from the South West or South East, South-South, left the North. There were no teachers, there were nobody. I was then the Commissioner  for Education, i was appointed by Bridgadier General  Samuel Ogbemudia, we supplied Kano State, 250 teachers, free of charge, they don’t pay out. Audu Bako was the governor; . They got integrated in Kano.

We gave North West, Sokoto the headquarters, 200 teachers; when Alhaji  Shehu Shagari was Commissioner for Education in Sokoto, North Western State. They didn’t treat them well, then the people returned home.

“We gave science teachers to the rest of the states. We had exchange of students, with North East, in Maiduguri.

And the other day, during the COVID-19, I got a call that the Minister of Education Adamu Adamu was coming to visit me. So he came. And he sat down somewhere, because of the COVID. Then he was saying, have you forgotten your pension?  He said exchange of students? I said, yes, yes, I remember. One of my daughters said, he was one of those who finished up in Government College in Maiduguri.

He said, yes, myself, I was sent to Edo College, where I did my HSC. And he used to come and talk to us. I said, come and sit by me. That’s all I wanted.

“When the war was over, Gen. Yakubu Gowon said, I don’t need any congratulations, that there was no victor, no vanquished because it was a family war. Go and help them to reintegrate, to reconcile and we have a station, which we did. My eldest daughter, Rebecca, was in Class 2 in St. Theresa School Ughelli. I removed her from Ughelli and took her to Enugu to go and study with them and see and suffer with them, supplied them desk.Government supplied Queen’s School, Enugu, Okanagan Grammar School, Enugu, with furnished teacher’s quarters in Nsukka, 10.

“So what am I saying? I’ve been in Nigeria. And I challenge anybody who says, Chief Clark was such and such, no way.

I kicked against corruption because I know it’s one of those things eating Nigeria.  I will be remembered for my role in education. When I was 85, I asked myself, what do I do? I must leave a legacy behind.

Shouting  on top of my voice is not enough. I said I want to establish a private University where children from all over the country will come to my village, live together, study together, and grow up together to be good citizens of their country and already, that is happening.”

Not all primary and secondary schools in Lagos State may resume from the current mid-term cum Sallah break because of the outbreak of cholera in some parts of the state, the Commissioner for Primary and Basic Education, Hon. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, has said.

He stated this on Tuesday in a chat with Vanguard newspaper.

According to him, the Ministry would have to wait for an advisory from the Ministry of Health to know the next line of action to take.

“Our schools are fully prepared for resumption. The necessary steps have been taken and we are on top of the situation. However, we are going to wait for the needed advisory from the Ministry of Health that is mapping out the areas affected by the outbreak of the disease.

” We hope to get the advisory later today and if the Ministry of Health tells us that going by their assessment of the situation across the state, they have found out some endemic areas where it would not be appropriate for schools to resume, schools won’t resume in such places. We cannot endanger the lives of our children.

“Later today (Tuesday) we will come out with the position of the government on the issue. If schools everywhere in the state are free to resume, no problem. The state government is not resting on its oars and has been taking steps to curb the outbreak of the disease,” he stated.

Alli-Balogun added that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been investing heavily on education and would not allow anything to rubbish the efforts.

Recall that students in public and private schools in the state have been on break for one and a half weeks.
The first week was for the mid term break and the first two days of this week were public holidays for the Sallah festivities.

However, the United Nations Children Emergency Fund, UNICEF, few days ago raised the alarm that the government should ensure that the current outbreak of Cholera is not allowed to spread to school environment.

On Lagos Island particularly, which is also a densely populated area, residents are complaining about the dearth of potable water to use for personal and household chores.

A 400-level student at Federal University Oye Ekiti in Ekiti State has been arrested by police for allegedly raping a male colleague.

A viral video on Tuesday shows the accused being taken away by police amidst a crowd.

The National Association of Ondo State Students and the FUOYE Student Union have issued statements distancing themselves from the accused, clarifying that he is not a member or affiliate of their organizations.

Both statements emphasize their commitment to a safe and inclusive environment and promise to take necessary actions to ensure justice is served

National Association of Ondo state students in a statement said, “We want to clarify that the individual Oni Olalekan popularly known as Asiwaju accused of sexual assault and who has publicly denounced our association on Monday 10th of June 2024, is not a member, an executive or appointee of our association.

“We would like to clarify that this individual is not a member of our association nor has any affiliation with us.

“It is important to ensure that this distinction is clear to the general public and that any misinformation is addressed promptly.

“We take these matters very seriously and stand for a safe and inclusive environment for all our members. If you have any concerns or information that you think we should be aware of, please do not hesitate to reach out to the association board.

“Let’s continue to uphold our values and principles as we strive for a respectful and supportive community within our association.”

Also, the FUOYE Student Union in a statement said, ” Disclaimer. This is to inform the general public that Oni Olalekan, popularly known as (Asiwaju), is not a member of the Students’ Union Government nor is he an appointee of the Students’ Union Government.

“Any claims or assumptions to the contrary are incorrect. Please take note and disregard any misinformation.

“Please be assured that the FUOYESUG is actively addressing this matter and will take all necessary actions to ensure that justice is served. Thank you.”

Speaking to our reporter in a telephone interview on Tuesday, the Ekiti State Police Public Relations Officer, Abutu Sunday, confirmed the arrest and ongoing investigation, stating that the suspect is denying the allegations.

Abutu Sunday said, “Investigation has commenced, the suspect has been arrested and investigations have commenced because he is denying why the complainant is alleging, so we will see the result of the investigation.”

President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, admitted that there is poverty and suffering in Nigeria, however, he claimed that Nigerians are not the only ones facing poverty in the world.

Tinubu, while speaking on how to tackle the challenges, said, there has to be a move to eliminate banditry and terrorism so that farmers can return to the farm.

According to a statement released through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the President said this when he received a delegation from the National Assembly who came to felicitate with him on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir.

The delegation was led by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, alongside the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, among others.

According to him, it is imperative for Nigerians to have a change of value system for the nation to make progress.

He said, “Yes, there is poverty; there is suffering in the land. We are not the only people facing such, but we must face our challenges.

“We must find a way to eliminate banditry and terrorism so that farmers can bring out food from the farmland.

“If you do not have good roads to bring the food to the population, even if you grow the food and you are losing 60-70 per cent to damages, you will pay the price.”

He challenged citizens to have a change of mindset about Nigeria if the nation is to overcome its current challenges.

“The need (for some citizens) to change the rent-seeking mindset and become more productive to the economy is a challenge. The need to stop smuggling and all economic sabotage.

“Why should we have people removing rail tracks and all that, stealing electric cables and sabotaging the economy?

“We must embrace the campaign to change our value system. We must tell our people that the challenge we face is for all of us to change our mindset about our country,” Tinubu stressed.

The President also commended the leadership of the National Assembly for the support extended to his administration, which he said had resulted in some of the important developments recorded by his administration.

He stated, “It is a great pride for me to have the best of partners in the National Assembly. We have to drill down and be all-inclusive in our bid to satisfy our people.

“It is daunting, but we cannot run away from the fact that this country must survive the hardship.”

The President acknowledged the challenges and the task ahead, assuring the nation of his unwavering determination to turn things around.