The Peter Obi Media Office has strongly condemns Vice President Kashim Shettima’s disparaging comments about its principal, NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi.
The VP, the office said, had discourteously referred to Obi as “diminished” while calling on Northerners to show respect to Atiku Abubakar.
Flowing from that, it drew the attention of some Igbo leaders who disparage Obi to learn from Shettima’s advice to the North to respect Atiku posdibly because he is a Northerner, and disrespect Obi.
In a statement signed by Idris Zekeri Jnr, the Media office responded to Shettima in part:
“Although Shettima has the right to oppose Obi, it is difficult to understand why he would demand respect for one opposition leader while casually dismissing another.
“As a man of great decency, our candidate has conducted his campaign professionally and decorously. He has consistently focused his remarks on issues and has neither discussed nor used abusive language against anyone. Shettima and Obi served as governors during the same period.
However, Obi’s performance in Anambra State across key areas of governance surpassed Shettima’s record in Borno State, as demonstrated by performance statistics and the awards he received.
“During his tenure as governor of Anambra, Peter Obi earned recognition for his fiscal discipline and investments in education and healthcare. If Shettima contests any aspect of Obi’s record, he should present the facts rather than resort to political name-calling.
Mr Peter Obi
“The Media Office also calls on South-East political leaders who have shown disrespect toward Obi to take a lesson from the Vice President, who joined them in disparaging their brother while demanding respect for his northern counterpart in the opposition.
“We urge Igbo leaders in the APC and all Nigerians to draw the appropriate lesson from this episode and note that political loyalty must never justify tolerating disrespect toward a fellow Nigerian. Those who oppose Obi should scrutinise his ideas and record rather than resorting to personal abuse. Nigeria needs a contest based on records and ideas, not selective respect and political denigration. The Nigerian people, rather than Shettima’s rhetoric, will determine Peter Obi’s political relevance.”
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has literally been called a liar and a fabricator of stories by Laolu Akande, former spokesman to former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
In a strongly-worded response to Lawal’s claims about, especially, the relationship between former late President Muhammadu Buhari and Osinbajo, Akande said Lawal’s claims in the interview he granted Symfoni TV last Thursday were nothing but fiction of the worst order.
Akande who was Osinbajo’s Special Assistant, Media and Publicity for the eight years the Administration was in office put a lie, especially, to Lawal’s claim that President Buhari was not only in support of Osinbajo’s bid for the Presidential seat against Bola Tinubu in 2022 but thought it was “highly immoral” and “distasteful.”
On the contrary, Akande disclosed made that Buhari offered, personally, to support Osinbajo’s presidential aspiration, not once, but, at least, on four occasions.
According to Akande, Buhari had told his Deputy: “If I don’t support you, who will I support?”
Even though Lawal said Buhari did not discuss the issue of who his successor would be with him, the then President’s body language more than sufficed.
For instance, Lawal alleged, Buhari was not comfortable with Osinbajo’s appointments, especially, his habit of bringing up for appointment including only people of his ethnic Yoruba people who are members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). The former Vice President is a pastor in the Church.
However, Akande, in a lengthy statement tore into shreds Babachir Lawal’s narrative and emphasising that it was a misrepresentation of events which he personally witnessed as Osinbajo’s spokesperson.
Babachir Lawal
Akande: “I have watched the video in which former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, made a strong of allegations against former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. Ordinarily, such fabrications would not deserve a response.
“But I served as the Vice President’s spokesperson. I was in the room where many of these decisions were taken.
“And the allegations touch directly on the staff of the Office of the Vice President — of which I was a part. For the sake of the record, facts only must be stated.”
On Lawal’s claim that Buhari thought that Osinbajo’s bid for the Presidency against Tinubu was immoral Akande stated that it was completely false.
On the contrary, he noted, Buhari repeatedly expressed his willingness to support his Vice President for the Presidential seat 2023.
Akande: “On at least four separate occasions, President Buhari personally offered to support the Vice President, telling him plainly: ‘If I don’t support you, who will I support?’ He was consistent.”
Proof? Akande recalled that during the period of presidential campaigns, Buhari, usually, publicly commended Osinbajo during a Federal Executive Council meeting for conducting what he considered a dignified and issues-based campaign across the country. members of the Council, he said can bear witness to this, he said.
Akande: “He spoke in a laudatory tone. The entire Council witnessed it. That is not a President who found Osinbajo’s ambition distasteful. That is a President who broached it, encouraged and applauded it.”
But Lawal said that given the role Tinubu played in bringing Osinbajo into national politics, Buhari, who appreciated loyalty, abhorred Osinbajo’s bid for the Presidential seat against Tinubu.
On the memo which Lawal said contained 28 names for appointment, out of which 26 were of Yoruba stock and RCCG members, Akande also challenged Lawal’s narration of events.
Lawal had said that late Abba Kyari who was Buhari’s Chief of Staff, had ignored forwarding Osinbajo’s memo to Buhari for approval, until he, Lawal, took a photocopy of it to Buhari. He said Buhari went through the list with a green biro but pointed out that 26 of the 28 nominees were Yoruba and RCCG members.
But Akande dismissed it with a wave of the hand.
Akande,: “Mr. Lawal’s claim that Osinbajo wrote a memo containing over 20 staff names, which was sat on by the President’s Chief of Staff, and which he, Mr. Lawal, then took to President Buhari, is a complete fabrication. There was no such memo.
“Anyone who knew President Buhari knows he does not engage in the kind of snide ethnic profiling Mr. Lawal attributed to him — ‘BD, these are all Yorubas’ . That language and that conduct are alien to President Buhari.”
Giving an account of how appointments were made at the time he said Vice President Osinbajo enjoyed direct access to Buhari and so, Lawal could not have been an intermediary.
Akande: “The procedure was simple and verifiable: Prof. Osinbajo always had direct access to the President. He took his memos directly to the President, obtained approval, and passed the approved memo to his own Chief of Staff, Mr. Ade Ipaye, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, who then communicated it to the relevant agencies for action. At no stage did this require the SGF, except for the subsequent issuance of appointment letters for staff.” he said.
Using himself as an example, Akande said he resumed work in the Office of the Vice President in June 2015 alongside several colleagues, contrary to the suggestion that the appointment process was stalled in the office of the Chief of Staff for three months.
Akande: “There was no three-month delay. To those of us who were there, this story is pure fiction.
“What happened was that Osinbajo presented different batches of memos to Buhari at different periods for various categories of officials as his office was established and the administration developed new programmes.
“That is standard practice. There was never a single, bloated, religiously and ethnically-charged list.
“The allegation is false and the composition of Osinbajo’s office was enough to disprove it.
“The Office was one of the most inclusive, pan-Nigerian offices in that government — North, South, East, West, Christian and Muslim. To suggest a narrow Church agenda is not only to ignore the facts, but to pursue a curious and worrying vendetta.
“Ade Ipaye, then Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, the most senior official in Osinbajo’s office, is Muslim. Three of Osinbajo’s four Special Advisers – Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser on Social Investment, Ahmad Zakari, Special Adviser on Infrastructure, and Senator Babafemi Ojudu were Muslims. Ambassador Adeyemi Dipeolu was also among the senior advisers.”
Akande made public a long list of officials who worked under Osinbajo.
They included Balkisu Saidu, Abdullahi Gwary, Emmanuel Bright, Edobor Iyamu, Ismaeel Ahmed, Olayinka Oyeneyin, Fadi Rose Audu, Imeh Patience Okon, Lillian Idiaghe, Arukaino Umukoro, Daniel Ikuenobe, Folarin Alayande, Effiong Essien and Olaolu Beckley.
Others included Abdulrahman Baffa, Rotimi Akinnadeju, Novo Isioro, Feyishayo Aina, Gambo Manzo, Hafiz Ibrahim, Nonye Ojekwe, Nicholas Audifferen, Ayoleke Adu, Ajuri Ngelale, Louis Odion, Foluso Idumu, Edewede Akhidenor, Lanre Osibona, Tolani Alli and Tola Asekun.
There were, also, Damilola Ogunbiyi, Mariam Masha, Chiedu Ugbo, Jumoke Oduwole, Muktar Tijani, Tochi Nwachukwu, Mohammed Brimah, Yahaya Maibe, Jibola Ajayi, Ife Adebayo, Myani Bukar, Nkoli Anyaoku, Phil Obin and Lillian Chukwueke.
“This was a truly national team. It was never a Church list.”
Akande also dismissed as bunkum, Lawal’s claims that former Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment,
Dr Okey Enelamah, got the office because of his relationship with Osinbajo and the RCCG.
Enelamah, he said, was heading one of Africa’s major private equity firms at the time and had been proposed by two individuals in the financial services sector.
It was Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, Akande explained, who informed Osinbajo that Buhari wanted to appoint Enelamah.
Akande: “I had assumed, like many others, that because Enelamah was close to Osinbajo, he must have nominated him. He did not. Ask the former Minister. He is alive.”
He, also, tackled Lawal on his allegations on Osinbajo’s decisions when he served as Acting President during Buhari’s absences.
According to Lawal, “some decisions and appointments made while Buhari was away contributed to tensions and Buhari’s reservations about his deputy.”
But Akande noted that Lawal’s comment is a distortion of what happened at the time.
Akande: “Osinbajo, while Acting as President, was constitutionally required to review lists of nominees before they were forwarded for confirmation.
Where changes were made, they resulted from compliance issues involving federal character, age, qualifications or professional requirements.
Prof Yemi Osinbajo and Late Muhammedu Buhari
“President Buhari was fully briefed upon his return and had no issue with those corrections. Due process, not personal preference, guided those decisions,”
In a direct attack on Lawal, Akande connected Lawal’s bitterness to his sack as SGF.
He said: “I understand that Mr. Lawal may still be reeling from the pains of his removal as SGF.”
As SGF, Lawal was suspended from office in April 2017 following allegations arising from contracts connected with the Presidential Initiative on the North East.
A three-member investigative committee chaired by Osinbajo was constituted by Buhari to investigate the allegations against Lawal. Lawal was removed removed as SGF in October 2017.
According to Akande, allegations against Lawal were already the subject of scrutiny before Buhari directed Osinbajo to head the presidential investigation.
“Both the Senate and an Attorney-General’s report had already implicated the former SGF in the allegations. Lawal inadvertently provided the evidence used by the presidential panel in reaching its findings against him.
“Lawal’s latest intervention is potentially rooted in personal grievance. But personal grievance cannot justify the manufacture of falsehoods against a man who served with integrity.
“Prof. Osinbajo served President Buhari loyally for eight years, without blemish, with an inclusive team that reflected the best of Nigeria. The records are there for anyone who cares to check.”
Lawal has since quit the APC. He is currently of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, revealed why the late President Muhammadu Buhari did not back his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, as his successor.
Osinbajo, a Professor of Law, urbane, polished and a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, was Nigeria’s Vice President, under the Government of President Buhari. Given his character and background, not a few Nigerians thought he would be Buhari’s successor.
However, Babachir Lawal, who was the SGF under the Buhari Administration before he was unceremoniously removed from office by same Government, has disclosed that one of the reasons why not was Buhari’s discomfort with Osinbajo’s penchant for appointing only
RCCG Church Members who were usually all Yoruba to positions.
Babachir Lawal
To back up his claim, he narrated how President Buhari ignored a memo forwarded to him for approval by Osinbajo. The memo, he said, which sought approval for the appointment of 28 persons into positions was ignored by Buhari because out of that number, 26 were of the RCCG and all Yoruba.
Lawal said it his intervention through appeals for Buhari to give the approval after the President pointed out to him why he ignored his Vice President’s memo.
Lawal, who hits without looking back, disclosed this in an interview with Symfoni TV recently.
He said that late Abba Kyari, who was President Buhari’s Chief of Staff at the time, did not pass on Osinbajo’s memo to Buhari. He, however, did not say why. The refusal to pass it on, Lawal further disclosed, had become a subject of discussion in the Presidential Villa until he intervened.
Lawal said after he obtained a photocopy of the memo, he personally took it to President Buhari and ” I said, ‘Oga, see the date my Oga sent a memo. You have not approved. What is the problem?'”
According to Lawal when Buhari read through the memo he used a green biro to mark nearly all the names on the list.
Lawal: “Out of 28, I think he ticked 26 with the green biro,” and told told him: “BD, these are all Yorubas.”
But Lawal said he appealed to Buhari and noted that it was the Vice President’s first memo and that Osinbajo had only just come back from Lagos and promised to speak with Osinbajo about President Buhari’s concerns. Buhari, he disclosed, approved the memo the memo and, he, Lawal took it to the chief of Staff and told him that the president had approved.
This incident, Lawal disclosed, was not an isolated case, as there were others and that Buhari was very uncomfortable about appointments linked to Osinbajo’s RCCG. where Osinbajo had served as a pastor. Lawal revealed: “The head of that church congregation, the person who succeeded him, and a third individual who subsequently took over, all received appointments after Osinbajo became Vice President.”
More worrisome, Lawal alleged is that some of those appointed did not have the experience required for the roles they received. For example, the former SGF disclosed that there was “one individual who had been a level 12 officer at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) before being appointed to a position at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).”
Osinbajo’s action, Lawal said, triggered a protest yo President Buhari, byb traditional Christian leaders from Northern Nigeria. He disclised that they had gone straight to Buhari to complain, and argued that they too were Christians whovoted for him but were being ignored in appointments.
Lawal: “I suspect that this excessive preference for his Church members would affect Buhari.
From his actions and body language, I could see that he was scared that if Osinbajo became president, what Bola is doing, Osinbajo will do.”
Ambassador Dele Cole, a very distinguished Diplomat, Politician, Administrator, Statesman, and Journalist is dead.
He had served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Brazil and Argentina.
Ambassador Cole, who, at some point, was the Managing Director of the Daily Times, was, also, one of those who made The Guardian, Nigeria, thick in the beginning. He died at the age of 86. And, President Bola Tinubu and Nigeria are mourning.
He died in London, the United Kingdom, on October 17, 2026.
It is yet to be revealed what the cause of death is, but family sources attribute it to old-age related.
The Ambassador was a proud son of Abonnema, Kalabari, Rivers State. His son, Tonye Cole, an entrepreneur and politician, had tried, a couple of times, unsuccessfully, to be the Governor of Rivers State.
In a tribute he personally signed, a mourning President Tinubu said he received the news of Dr Cole’s passing with profound sadness.
The President recalled that Ambassador Cole devoted his life to national service, and brought distinction to his work in diplomacy, journalism and politics.
The President’s tribute reads:
“I received with profound sadness the news of the passing of Ambassador Patrick Dele Cole, a distinguished diplomat, journalist, politician, and public servant, who died at 86.
“Ambassador Cole devoted his life to national service, bringing distinction to his work in diplomacy, journalism and politics.
“His career reflected the enduring value of dialogue, tact, mutual respect and the pursuit of shared interests in advancing national development and international cooperation.
His contributions to Nigeria’s media landscape were particularly notable.
“As Managing Director of the Daily Times, he upheld the vital role of the press in holding public officials accountable, speaking truth to power, and strengthening democratic governance. His legacy in journalism and public life remains an enduring part of our national story.
“At 86, Ambassador Dele Cole witnessed defining moments in Nigeria’s history and contributed to the nation’s development through his work in the media, diplomacy and public service. His life stands as a testament to the value of experience, principled engagement and commitment to the public good.
“As we mourn his passing, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, professional associates and all whose lives he touched. I pray that memories of his remarkable life will bring them comfort and strength at this difficult time.
“May Almighty God grant Ambassador Cole eternal rest and give his family and all who mourn him the fortitude to bear this profound loss.
“Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria”
The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, on Saturday,celebrated his 52nd birthday, calling for sustained peace, unity and progress in Nigeria.
The Ooni, is Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC), Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula and the Natural Head of the Oduduwa race worldwide,
In a statement by the Senior Media Officer, Ooni’s Palace, Sodiq Lawal, on behalf of the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare, the monarch, who clocked 52 on Saturday, October 17, 2026, reaffirmed his commitment to promoting Yoruba cultural heritage, fostering national unity and supporting initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerians.
The statement said the Ooni, who is also the Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), called on Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political differences, to embrace peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding and collective responsibility as essential ingredients for national development.
He emphasised the need for citizens to work together towards building a country where peace, justice, economic prosperity and equal opportunities remain priorities.
He described his birthday as an opportunity to reflect on the importance of purposeful leadership, service to humanity and the preservation of cultural values.
Ooni Ogunwusi said, “Peace and unity remain central to my responsibilities as the Ooni of Ife. I will continue to use my position and influence to strengthen relationships among communities, promote peaceful coexistence and celebrate the cultural diversity that makes Nigeria unique.
“I believe that our diversity should be a source of strength rather than division. I therefore urge Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political differences, to embrace mutual understanding, respect and cooperation in the collective pursuit of a united and prosperous nation.
“Throughout my reign, I have remained committed to promoting Yoruba culture and traditions, while projecting the historical significance of Ile-Ife as the ancestral home.
“I will continue to support initiatives that preserve our heritage, strengthen cultural diplomacy and promote understanding among people across Nigeria, Africa and the global community.
“Since ascending the ancient throne of my forebears, I have continued to support initiatives focused on cultural preservation, youth development, entrepreneurship, community development and humanitarian service.
“I firmly believe that traditional institutions have important roles to play in fostering peace, inspiring development and complementing efforts by government and other stakeholders to improve the lives of our people.
“In my capacity as the Permanent Chairman of the Osun State Council of Obas and Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, I remain committed to promoting dialogue, strengthening traditional institutions and encouraging collaboration among leaders for the benefit of our communities and the country at large.
“I also recognise the importance of engaging with traditional rulers across Africa and members of the Yoruba diaspora to strengthen our cultural connections, promote our shared heritage and create opportunities for meaningful partnerships that will benefit present and future generations.
“As I celebrate my 52nd birthday, I call on Nigerians, particularly our youths, to remain hopeful and committed to building a country where peace, justice, economic progress and equal opportunities are accessible to all.
“I urge leaders across every sector to place the collective interests of the people above personal considerations and work together towards a better Nigeria.”
“Kiĺa is a smart and good man. I cannot guarantee he has not made mistakes, but to suggest he has not gone to school is spectacularly stupid”
I know Anthony Kila. I was late to awareness of all the trending stuff about his career. I have never had need to ask of his certificates and letters of appointment and so cannot claim to have those details. But if he has never gone to school then those who have must ask for a refund.
We watched the cyber mob bully Jason Arday, youngest black professor ever appointed at Cambridge to his early death. Incidentally I first met Anthony Kila in the city of Cambridge, England in 2006 when I was beginning a run for the office of President of Nigeria. Among those in the mob to lynch Arday were white professors pardoned mistakes of worse nature.
I do not know who may be going after Kila in a country where many people give academic and non-academic titles to themselves and the status conferral function of the media elevates them to celebrity. But it does not seem normal. I can empathize from my experience.
When years ago a journalist tried to suggest my stay at VWoN had something to do with its demise I posted N12million for anybody who could come up with a shred of evidence in that regard. Fifteen years on and no one has tried to claim the bounty.
Anthony Kila
When I became the first professor of Pan African(Pan Atlantic) parent of the Lagos Business School someone at Unilag went … huh until he found out that the evaluating team was led by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. Perhaps if Professors like Adele Jinadu in Pol sci and Joe Umo at UNILAG had not met me in grad school abroad and interacted with my HOD Elinor Lin Ostrom who went on to become the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics, someone will write something demeaning about my education.
Kila is a smart and good man. I cannot guarantee he has not made mistakes but to suggest he has not gone to school is spectacularly stupid.
The Federal Ministry of Education has initiated moves to discipline schools charging students high fees for the 2027 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The Head of West African Examinations Council (WAEC) National Office in Nigeria, Suleiman Danlami Kum, made this known while speaking with reporters during an inspection of the ongoing 2026 WASSCE for Private Candidates, Second Series, on Saturday.
Kum confirmed that the council was aware that some schools have been collecting more money than the approved examination fees ahead of the 2027 May/June examination.
He, however, explained that WAEC has not yet released the entries for the forthcoming examination, adding that the Federal Ministry of Education was working to address the issue.
“We know in the past that schools have been charging more than the examination fee. But I want to tell you that the Federal Minister of Education is not just sitting down.
“We thank God for the Minister of Education we have. I want to assure you that something is being done by the Federal Ministry of Education now to check those schools that are increasing these examination fees arbitrarily.”
Kum succeeded Dr Amos Dangut, who was appointed Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of WAEC.
The WAEC official also revealed that more than 56,000 candidates registered for the 2026 WASSCE for Private Candidates, Second Series, across the country.
He said about 272 candidates registered through the walk-in arrangement, which allows people to register for specific subjects after the main registration period has ended.
According to him, more than 22,000 candidates in Lagos State were taking part in the examination.
He explained that the arrangement helps candidates who need to improve their results in particular subjects to register and sit for the relevant papers on the scheduled dates.
Kum expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing examination, describing computer-based testing (CBT) as an effective way to improve examination security and reduce malpractice.
He said WAEC began introducing computer-based examinations in 2024 and had continued to improve the process since then.
“CBT has come to stay,” he said, adding that the system has made examinations easier to conduct and helped reduce malpractice.
Kum also explained that candidates were searched before entering examination halls to prevent them from bringing in prohibited materials.
He said male candidates were searched by male officials, while female candidates were searched by female officials.
According to him, the checks were meant to protect the integrity of the examination, not to set traps for candidates who might unknowingly carry prohibited items into the halls.
The WAEC National Office head reaffirmed the council’s commitment to conducting credible examinations and adopting new methods to improve its operations.
He also advised candidates preparing for examinations to study hard and practise with WAEC past questions and answers.
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has disclosed plans by the state government to strengthen cancer diagnosis and treatment through the development of an imaging centre incorporating a dedicated cancer unit, alongside the introduction of specialised medical equipment.
The governor advised women across the state to embrace regular breast cancer screening, emphasising that early detection, prompt medical intervention and sustained public awareness are critical to saving lives.
A statement signed by Ibrahim kaula Mohammed Chief Press Secretary to the Governor stated that the Governor made the call on Saturday at the Muhammad Dikko Stadium, Katsina, during the 2026 Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, organised to promote early screening, combat stigma and strengthen support for women affected by the disease.
“Screening and early detection are among the most important measures in addressing breast cancer.
“I encourage our women to take full advantage of the screening opportunities provided by Pledging Aid Charity Foundation,PAC-F with the support of the state government. Please do not shy away from getting screened.”
Governor Radda explained that detecting breast cancer at an early stage would enable patients to receive timely medical attention and improve their chances of successful treatment.
He commended Pledging Aid Charity Foundation, PAC-F chaired by his wife, Hajiya Fatima Dikko Radda, for its sustained commitment to women’s health and its awareness, screening and patient-support initiatives since the beginning of his administration.
“The Foundation has done a great deal of work in supporting our women. Its awareness campaigns have contributed to identifying cancer cases and promoting early detection in the state.”
He also acknowledged the contribution of Revive Belgium, a Belgian organisation partnering with the Foundation to support breast cancer patients through screening, treatment and surgical interventions.
According to him, the partnership also provides opportunities for Nigerian medical professionals to learn from their Belgian counterparts, strengthening local expertise in cancer diagnosis and management.
“As a government, we are continuing to work with this organisation to benefit from its expertise and technical support, particularly in strengthening the capacity of our doctors to manage cancer cases,” he said.
He appreciated his wife for championing the initiative and acknowledged the technical committee, the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders for their contributions to improving healthcare delivery in Katsina State.
Earlier, the wife of the Governor and Founder of the Pledging Aid Charity Foundation, PAC-F, Hajiya Fatima Dikko Radda, called on families, community leaders, religious leaders and other stakeholders to make breast cancer awareness a shared responsibility by encouraging open discussions and regular screening.
She described the awareness walk as an important platform for educating the public, supporting affected patients and reinforcing the message that early detection saves lives.
“Breast cancer is not something we should be afraid to talk about. It is a condition we must understand, discuss openly and take practical steps to address. The earlier it is detected, the better the chances of successful treatment and recovery,” she said.
Hajiya Fatima urged women to take advantage of the screening services available through the campaign, stressing that unusual breast lumps or other changes should be assessed by qualified health professionals rather than ignored or treated without proper medical advice.
She explained that women whose screening results indicate possible abnormalities would receive guidance from the medical team on further assessment, referral and appropriate treatment.
Highlighting the Foundation’s five-year Memorandum of Understanding with Revive Belgium, she said the partnership was designed to improve access to cancer care and provide support to eligible patients.
“Where a person is diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and meets the programme’s eligibility criteria, arrangements can be made for treatment and support under this initiative,” she stated.
“Please do not allow fear, shame or concerns about what people might say to prevent you from getting checked. Your health matters, your life matters, and seeking medical attention early is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself and your family,” she emphasised
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Musa Adamu, commended the Foundation for its sustained advocacy and public awareness efforts, noting that participation in the campaign reflected growing recognition of the importance of breast cancer screening and early detection.
He stressed that awareness campaigns were essential to addressing stigma, correcting misconceptions and encouraging people to seek medical attention without fear or discrimination.
Highlighting the Foundation’s five-year Memorandum of Understanding with Revive Belgium, she said the partnership was designed to improve access to cancer care and provide support to eligible patients.
“Where a person is diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and meets the programme’s eligibility criteria, arrangements can be made for treatment and support under this initiative,” she stated.
The Foundation’s Founder reassured women that a breast cancer diagnosis should not automatically be regarded as a death sentence, noting that early detection and timely treatment can significantly improve health outcomes.
“Please do not allow fear, shame or concerns about what people might say to prevent you from getting checked. Your health matters, your life matters, and seeking medical attention early is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself and your family,” she emphasised
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Hon. Musa Adamu, commended the Foundation for its sustained advocacy and public awareness efforts, noting that participation in the campaign reflected growing recognition of the importance of breast cancer screening and early detection.
He stressed that awareness campaigns were essential to addressing stigma, correcting misconceptions and encouraging people to seek medical attention without fear or discrimination.
Upon reading this column last week, an old acquaintance, a retired general of the Nigerian Army reached out to me. Let’s call him General X. We had known since 2004 when I was editing The NEW AGE newspaper and he was still in service. My weekly column in that snazzy newspaper caught his attention and we have been friends since then.
After reading last week’s submission on Igboho’s militia, he reached out to me. He was careful not to make known his location, ignoring my tease.
He was at once shocked and bemused. He said he would have laughed his head off if the Igboho Iru-Ekun joke wasn’t a “potentially tragic matter.”
We had a very long conversation about it.
Below are excerpts:
EXPRESSO: General, it’s been a while. You have been very quiet lately quite unlike you. We don’t even get to talk to you again. You must be out of the country apparently, leaving us in this mess?
GEN. X: My dear brother, mess is a very nice word. You’ve got to find me something far worse than mess. To me it seems we are being swept away by a flood … a deluge is threatening to carry all of us away. And it’s gonna be so bad that hardly any of us will come out of it unscathed. It shall be worse than Noah’s flood in which case, some of God’s elect were saved. This time, not even some of us who think we are safe abroad will be spared.
And now this so-called Iru-Ekun by that benighted, unschooled fellow… I hope someone can still advise him that what he’s playing with is Ori-Oka (head of live a cobra), not Iru-Ekun – tiger’s tail. That’s what he is toying with.
You know how we say it in Yoruba … Omode o mo ogun o n pe ni efo (a little child would mistake hemp for vegetables).
EXPRESSO: What exactly do you mean?
GEN. X: I had heard that Sunday Igboho was building a militia called Iru-Ekun and I just laughed it off thinking it was one of those things he had always wanted to do: to be at liberty to have a band of boys around him; assume some magical powers and play Cowboys and Indians in the vast Oyo forest with some Fulani wanderers.
But after your article last week I did a few checks of my own only to discover that the young man is long gone. He has long gone astray, he’s traveling on the road to perdition.
He talks glibly about gathering 50,000 men or is it 800,000 men? He’s got to be kidding!
EXPRESSO: He said his target was fifty thousand men but the number has quickly jumped to eighty and still counting…
GEN. X: Yes, I saw the mammoth crowd of youths he pretended to address in Abeokuta and I shuddered, knowing that my Yoruba people of the southwest are playing with fire.
Look at that crowd of young men who turned out to listen to Igboho! It’s because there’s no job in the country… perhaps over a quarter of them are educated, and even graduates. I will bet that many of them are Yahoo boys, cult members and armed robbers. I also imagine they are smarter than the so-called commander.
Many of them are waiting to be armed and you see the stuff they are made of.
I think the number he’s brandishing is implausible, indeed, impossible.
Igboho cannot manage even 8,000 armed men, not to talk of 80,000. He doesn’t have the capacity to select and train them and where is he going to raise the funds to arm them, kit them, feed them, camp them, pay them and move them about?
But the present danger is that once you manage to kit and arm even 1000 of them, the rest would see themselves as a standby army, they go about with the mentality of a force.
Secondly, those who are armed cannot be properly controlled because there are no barracks to keep them. With the inherent poor selection, poor training and little or no indoctrination, what you have is a time bomb and not a militia.
Steve Osuji
EXPRESSO: What really are the dangers envisaged?
GEN.X: As I noted, you have criminals of all sorts in that crowd. The moment some of these people get military type rifles and uniforms, you may never see them again. Many will go form their own cells, many will become bandits and highway robbers. Mark my word, the Lagos-Ibadan Highway and further down to Ile-Ife would become terror hotspots if we allow this madness to flower.
These boys would be looking for the big dough, they would storm banks, palaces if they suspect a cash haul; twenty of then can assault and overrun a government house or a governor’s convoy!
My brother, the very thought of the potential dangers of this misadventure is chilling. Unlike the northwest scenario (remember that the bandits are linked to the APC’s election joust in 2015), where the marauders are unsophisticated, this group would be intentional bandits.
These militia of the southwest will be able to organise and plan better with AI precision, if you like. These ones can easily trail, plan and kidnap a wealthy monarch, a business mogul or even a minister. These ones would be targeting billionaires because they want the big bucks.
EXPRESSO: What can be done now, or is it too late already?
GEN. X: I am shocked that President Bola Tinubu would want to destroy Yoruba land in pursuit of his political ambition. As you posited in your piece, this, of course, is in aid of the 2027 election… exactly what happened in 2015. But my question is that you cannot win a credible election by violence. The world has become too advanced and Nigeria is too complex for anyone to upturn an overwhelming ballot loss through the force of arms.
Having said that, one is surprised that the Yoruba elite are looking on and letting Tinubu have his way?
Where is Prof. Wole Soyinka, General Alani Akinrinade and General Ishola Williams, to mention just a few? Why are they silent?
Why is Tinubu intent on tearing down the country. If the SW is allowed to raise an army, you wouldn’t be able to stop other zones from doing the same. Would you? Is that the country we fought for? And let nobody be deluded that any single zone can break away from Nigeria through the force of arms. The other zones will rally themselves and whip such a zone back to the fold. Remember Biafra.
Creating this monster becomes more remarkable if you remember that state police is already a done deal; there’s Amotekun, Forest Guards, Mining Marshals the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others.
In the next 2 to 5 years, I see anomy in the southwest in the scale worse than we have it in the northwest today. From experience, I don’t believe that fellow has 50,000 men. He can’t even control 10,000 armed men! But if you teach ten thousand men how to live by the guns without working out the whole gamut of their lives from day one to the last, you’re creating a dysfunctional mass of people.
Look at the scenario: two years down the line, many of these youths will become disillusioned and frustrated because there’s no thoroughfare where they are treading. They can’t get married, they can’t rent a proper house or even feed well.There’s no pension or gratuity to hope on… When they come to this sad realisation, they will have to put their guns to use – to live, to make a living and to get rich. Also, it’s impossible to disband a band of youths you have trained to use firearms. They will always live by the gun.
As for what’s to be done, what is a man who commands the largest military in Africa doing with a rag-tag militia?
This entire charade must be closed before it begins! And the young fellow, Igboho, must be weaned of his Messiah syndrome in Yoruba land. He must be made to understand that he’s just another John Doe out there, he’s not a deity in any guise.
LAST LINE: IT’S LIMITED STAMINA, NOT LIMITED CAMPAIGN
President Bola Tinubu has announced that he would do a limited campaign. He would only visit 12 states out of 36 because he has the country to run, he said.
But Nigerians are not taken in by that blah, blah. The president is tired and unfit for the rigours of the hustings.
Electioneering is the first fitness test for amy man who wants to run a country. If you can’t cover every inch of your space, how can you run it?
If Tinubu had a party, a family or strong associates, they would have prevailed upon him to stand down. He’s tired and seriously ailing!
Every outing, every movement, every word, makes a mockery of the president and makes the country a laughing stock.
The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, has vowed to prosecute paedophiles and heartless parents selling their children for sex.
Bello condemned the rising wave of parents and guardians handing over their own children to predators for financial gain, vowing that NAPTIP will now pursue, prosecute and secure maximum conviction for every culprit.
The warning comes after operatives of the agency in Abuja arrested a middle-aged woman accused of offering her teenage daughter for sexual exploitation in exchange for cash.
The NAPTIP boss described the act as the height of cruelty and wickedness.
According to her, reports flooding the agency’s headquarters and state commands show the evil trend is increasing at an alarming rate.
“I am personally disturbed as a mother and as DG. I cannot imagine a mother giving out her daughter for sexual pleasure in return for money. This is among the highest forms of wickedness.”
Bello lamented that children are being turned into objects for sexual gratification by the very people meant to protect them, with devastating consequences on their health, psychology and future.
She disclosed that months ago, she had ordered all NAPTIP commands nationwide to intensify surveillance, rapid response and aggressive prosecution of child sexual abuse cases.
“No excuse is tenable for this devilish act. We shall not spare anyone found culpable,” she warned.
She revealed that the agency has strengthened collaboration with sister security agencies to ensure swift investigation and prosecution.
The DG also cautioned parents to be vigilant about who they allow around their children.
“Be careful with the choice of your gatekeepers, drivers, gardeners, and even persons that do your school runs. A lot of abuses are being carried out by known faces,” she warned.
She urged parents to properly profile vendors and domestic staff who have access to their homes and children when they are away.
