The Edo State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, has blamed fatigue for the fatal road mishap on Auchi -Benin road Saturday March 1, 2025.
No fewer than 12 persons were said to have been burnt to death, in the early morning mishap involving a commuter Toyota Hiace bus and corrugated truck.
According to the Sector Commander of Edo FRSC Cyril Mathew, the tragic accident occurred at about 5.00am on Saturday in Igueoviobo community of Edo State .
The bus which loaded in Zuba, close to Abuja, and was heading to Benin, unfortunately had a head-on collision with the truck from the opposite direction.
The entire passengers on the bus ,according to the Sector Commander ,lost their lives in the incident.
“It happened on Saturday morning. There must have been fatigue on the side of the driver of the bus coming from Abuja.
“The driver may have slept off, and in the process, veered off and collided with the truck coming from the opposite direction.
” All the victims were burnt to death. However ,through the manifest ,we were able to contact the relations of the dead”, the Edo FRSC Sector Commander noted .
Conversely, the occupants of the truck-including the driver and his assistant, emerged unhurt from the mishap.
Mathew called for caution on the part of drivers plying the road at night . He emphasized the need for drivers to spare some minutes to relax and shake off fatigue when pressed.
I “kind of” like Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and his lovely wife, Unoma. She is Igbo, married to Akwa Ibom, so she also bears the name Ekaette.
When Akpabio was the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, I admired the couple no end. The two usually displayed their love for each other publicly. Unoma would use fan her husband each time she was there and he was making a speech. Atimes, she would use a white handkerchief to wipe sweat off Akpabio as he read. Akpabio also reciprocated in kind. He did the same for her.
Our high profile Leaders hardly show their love for their spouses publicly. We admire the Obamas, for instance, when they hold each other in public, kiss and dance – even the Trumps- but our own people are stiff. Akpabio, I don’t know about now, was different when he was Governor. I will also say that for my State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma and his beautiful wife, Chioma. They hold hands and cling to each other publicly, even in Church, as if they just met. Good for family values.
So, it is because of my admiration for the Akpabios that I had, in the past years, refrained from criticizing Senate President Akpabio. When I remember his loyal wife, a calm and collected polished lady, I hold back. It was why I held back when Akpabio got the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senatorial ticket in a very untidy manner. It was not his. He literally snatched it from a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udom Ekpoudom, a man who has been given the short end of the stick both in the Police Force and Politics.
Ekpoudom, brilliant Police Officer, was forced to retire, prematurely, a couple of weeks after he was promoted to the rank of a DIG all because a new IGP was appointed, and the former IGP and his management team, whose member Ekpoudom just became, were retired with him.
Hard luck It pained him. Waste of resources, if only Nigerians know how much it takes and costs one to get to that rank. He wanted to go to Court to challenge his retirement. I now forget, exactly, why he did not take that route. He had my sympathy. I have always been against the often- times mass retirement of the Police Management Team each time a new IGP is appointed. It’s waste of human resources. But this is a story for another day.
Godswill Akpabio and his Wife with Natasha Akpoti
I digressed. I was talking about why I did not react when Akpabio surfaced and snatched a ticket already won by DIG Ekpoudom. As explained earlier, it was because of my admiration of the Akpabios open display of love for each other. It was, also, why I held on when Joy Nunieh, a former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, publicly said she slapped Akpabio, then the Minister for Niger Delta, for making, how do I put it without being offensive? So, okay, of making inappropriate advances towards her; it was why I held on when Akpabio, months ago, literally, referred to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as a club girl; it was why I held on when he kept making gaffe after gaffe on the floor of the Senate. But now, I have had it down to my neck. I am choking. And the only thing I know is that I can no longer hold it.
As I watched and listened to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan this Friday morning of 28 February, 2025, stripping Akpabio naked in the market square, I had to clean my eyes and my ears a couple of times to make sure I was not in dream, that I was seeing well, and my ears were “sharp”.
There Akpoti-Uduaghan sat in Arise Television’s studio, sure-footed, confident, boldly, telling the World, not just Nigerians, that Nigeria’s Senate President has no character. There she was, making scandalous allegations of se€ual harassment against Nigeria’s number three citizen. There she was telling us that Senate President Godswill Akpabio is a se€ual predator; that he is a man of such loose character that he would make passes at her, even with her husband right behind them. There she was, telling us that Akpabio is so loose, and so disrespectful of his wife and marriage vows that he would invite her to his country home so two of them would spend “quality time” together. I mean, not in a hotel, but in the house where he lives with his wife and children! There she was, telling us that his office at the Senate may not be for official matters only; that he dared to tell her to “take good care of him”, so as to be allowed to present a motion that would be for the good of her Constituency, her State and Nigeria. There she was, composed, her voice steady, telling us that she usually put her phone on speaker at night when she is in bed with her husband, and Akpabio calls, like a love struck teenager, so her husband could listen. I blushed.
There she sat, exuding self confidence, telling us that because she did not give in to Akpabio’s, alleged, inappropriate requests, he wouldn’t give her the room to do the work for which she was elected. She said she’s been denied her rights and privileges; that she’s been humiliated, mistreated and faced intimidation. Hmmm!
My first reaction was that this is not happening. There’s a mistake somewhere. Akpabio? Not again. Not after Nunieh. But Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan then nailed it when she equated what she’s been going through to that of a female University student whose Lecturer deliberately marks down because she refused to “give in”. I gave up. My heart sank.
I know most men, especially politicians, don’t bother about these things. But they have families – you know, wives, children, grandchildren some of whom read these things.
Akpabio is not just the third most powerful man in the country, he is a husband, father, grandfather. So, I thought about his wife and children. How they felt as they watched and listened as Akpoti-Uduaghan stripped their husband and father naked before the world. Did Unoma freeze? Or is she used to these allegations.
I have since read her. She did what most wives of politicians, especially, at that level, will not do. They usually keep quiet, even when they are seething in anger and embarrassment. But not Mrs Akpabio. She jumped to her husband’s defence. She made out Akpoti-Uduaghan as a liar. She called her a blackmailer. Her husband is a good man, a disciplined man who jokes a lot, and so is usually misunderstood, she said. I tried to make meaning out of that. Did she mean that her husband must have been joking when he, according to Akpoti-Uduaghan, invited her to come spend quality time with him in their country home? So, it was Akpoti-Uduaghan that read meaning into “quality time” when the man was obviously joking? Perhaps wanted both of them to work on serious files? Infuriated, Mrs Akpabio threatened to sue Akpoti-Uduaghan. What would she sue her for? No allegations were made against her. So what would she tell the Court. It is her husband, I thought, who should sue not her. It is her husband who should have issued a statement to address the issues raised, not her. But you know this thing about law. I am so illiterate when it comes to it. I hardly understand it. Mrs Akpabio has made good her threat. She has sued Akpoti-Uduaghan for, you guessed it, emotional trauma. And as if to tell the Senator that “my Mercedes is bigger than yours”, she sued for N250bn, surpassing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suit against her husband by N150bn. The way these people throw billions around “fear me.” Soon, it will be Trillions. And the masses will still be scavenging to eat, no matter how poorly, once a day.
For the records, the allegation made against Akpabio by Akpoti-Uduaghan is serious. It is the shame of a country. It is not to be treated lightly. It is our Number three citizen we are talking about here. It is his name and reputation and credibility that are being thrown around this loosely. The issue at stake here is that of an alleged se€ual harassment. It is the same case for which University Professors have been shamed and jailed. It is why a number of female students are going through hell in school. That such allegations could be made against the Senate President is not funny.
They must not be swept under the carpet as we usually do. In the Ninth Senate, a two-term Governor, who ended up in the Senate like most of his colleagues, was videod making it out with two young girls in a near-dingy environment. When the video made the rounds on Whatsaap, the Senate made no “pim”. It was the silence of the grave. A couple of days later, he shamelessly returned to the Senate Chambers, like nothing happened. Worse, his wife, who then was a member of the House of Representatives, treated it as nothing. She never missed a sitting. I felt for her. However, the Akpabio case is more high profile than that. This is Nigeria’s Senate President Vs a Female Senator.
In more civilized climes, Akpabio would have, by now, stepped down from office to clear his name, to fight this battle. And my advice: He should not keep quiet. It is not a family business, a family affair. He should not say: “my wife has sued”. He should perish the thought. This is official business that affects the reputation of our country. And, it will be a mistake to suspend Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan now without a transparent independent investigation. Akpabio will be chewed raw if she is suspended just like that.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, in her interview said her husband is very close to Akpabio; that her husband loves him. It is the same sentiment Mrs Akpabio expressed. She said both families are very close; that they had been, even before Akpoti-Uduaghan happened on the scene. I guess no longer. A stunningly beautiful woman who happened on the scene has seen to that. But please, nobody should tell us the two families should settle this. It has gone beyond them. All cards should be on the table.
It is easy, as I have read from some platforms to say: “Eh, women. That’s their stock in trade. When they want to attract sympathy, they throw in se€ual harassment. Not true. Not in most cases. Some men are incapable of putting their libido in check. Everybody, anybody, goes for them – married women, friends’ wives, teenagers, minors, househelps, even their brothers’ wives, their sisters their daughters. None is too sacred for them to want to sleep with. These days, it is the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah live. This is why Akpabio must embark on a vigorous defence of his character and credibility. The office he holds is too high to be associated with this. It is like a fly which perched on the scrotum. Do you kill it or leave it. I advice Akpabio to kill it and endure the pain, because if left to perch and go freely, it will come again.
Incidentally, this is not the first time a high profile woman would allege se€ual harassment against Akpabio.Why him all the time?
As earlier noted, a former Ag. MD of NDDC, Ms. Nunieh, made same allegation against Akpabio when he was Minister for Niger Delta. She even said she slapped Akpabio in the process. Nothing much was heard thereafter, but she was quietly left alone; no more threat of arrest till date.
Here’s what I think Akpabio should do. He should take this current allegation seriously. He should encourage, and submit to a transparent investigation. He should head to the Court to prove his innocence. Akpoti-Uduaghan says she is ready. She has called Akpabio out. She said she has evidences and witnesses, including her husband, and Whatsaap messages. She has even offered the Security Operatives her phone to thoroughly check- out for confirmation. For her sake, I hope she is ready, and her evidences provable. Else, the sh*t will hit the fan. There will be no hiding place for her.
The stage is set, Mr Senate President. Go ahead. Seize the opportunity and clear your name, and reaffirm your credibility, especially, for your office and your wife, and your impeachable character to lead the Senate, the National Assembly. That is when you will be proud to be called Nigeria’s number three citizen, irrespective of the talk about how you earned the ticket. The allegations stink to high heavens. And need to not only be managed, or deodorized, but to be completely washed away, cleaned, and forgotten as a bad dream.
I have watched from afar the recent development in the Senate between the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Senator from Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. It is a development that has made me sad because of its overall negative effect on the integrity, sanctity, image, and public perception of the institution. I believe that every person who has had anything to do with the National Assembly, particularly as a leader, member, and worker should always jealously protect these values which make the institution, the numero uno, among the three arms of government.
It is for these reasons that I believe that the two parties in this dispute and their supporters in and out of the chamber should be mindful of the impact of their actions, inactions, reactions, claims, and counter-claims to be sure that nothing is done to rubbish the institution. The constitution, laws of the country, rules of the Senate as well as parliamentary conventions and practices should be adhered to in resolving the issue. And the resolution should be done transparently without being seen to be protective of any of the parties. Rather, the objectives should be to unfold the truth and to protect the law-making institution against a wrong perception of involvement in or tolerance of lawbreaking.
At this point, with the public claims made by the Senator, the right measure to take is to institute an open, transparent, and honest investigation by the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions. Both parties must submit to the investigation, fully cooperate with the committee, and stake their claims before it. This is not the first time a Senate President would appear before the Committee to aid it in the conduct of a transparent and open investigation. I remember during the 8th Senate when a Senator claimed that I imported an official car for my use as Senate President and that customs duty was not paid on the vehicle. Since I knew the claim was false, the matter was referred to the Ethics Committee and I appeared before the committee to testify, in the full glare of the media. From my testimony, it was clear the Senator who made the allegation got his facts wrong and was only being mischievous.
Also, on the day the committee submitted its report for debate on the floor, I stepped down and allowed my deputy to preside. The transparent manner in which the investigation and the debate on the report were handled assured everybody that there was no case. This is a precedent that the leadership of the 10th Senate should follow.
In my case, the decision to allow an open investigation and subjecting myself to it was not an easy one. It was humbling but I realized that was the best decision and in the end I am happy I travelled that route.
We should not allow the Senate to be cast in the shroud of an institution encouraging sexual harassment, gender bias, abuse of office, flagrant disregard for standing orders and rules, and lack of orderliness. This is what a transparent, open, and unbiased investigation should achieve. The due process should be followed in this case such that where anybody is found to have committed any wrong, the wrong should be pointed out and corrected. Also, the right remedy should be made.
Let me make it clear without any ambiguity that I am neither stating that Akpabio is guilty of anything nor am I expressing the opinion that Senator Akpoti Uduaghan is right in her actions and claims. My position is that an investigation is needed to find out the truth and protect the integrity of the Senate.
For me, the institution of the Senate is so important, sacred, and pre-eminent. All lovers of democracy should always work to strengthen it. No leader or member should be allowed to openly or surreptitiously work to subvert its sanctity.
Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON, is a former Senate President and Waziri of Ilorin
Amidst the rising opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government and its return to office in 2027, one of his staunch supporters, Ajibola Bashiru has declared that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock, Nigeria’s Presidency.
Bashiru, a former senator and National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, from Osun state made the declaration in Ilorin, Kwara state capital while commissioning some projects executed by Senator Saliu Mustapha.
He said Nigerians should support President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, RHA, instead of trying to vote him out in the next presidential election slated for 2027.
According to him, the president’s programmes are already yielding positive results, and the only way to sustain such policies and consolidate on the gains of the administration, is to return Tinubu to power.
He said, “I enjoin you all to support President Tinubu and Sen. Mustapha in the elections with your votes. I repeat, there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027.”
Senator Bashiru’s declaration is however coming amidst the serious disenchantment against Tinubu’s government by not a few Nigerians, who accused his administration of bringing untold hardship to the country through his administration hostile policies, including the removal of fuel subsidy and convergence of the exchange rates of the Naira, leading to the high cost of food items and other essential commodities in the country.
Other line of thought in the country has also cited the worsening insecurity in the country as a reason for changing the APC-led government of President Tinubu.
The magazine learnt that the opposition are already arming themselves with the Tinubu’s administration policy pitfalls to use against him in the next election.
To straighten the ranks of the opposition, the magazine learnt that key leaders of the opposition parties in the country, including the 2023 Presidential Candidates of the Peoples Democratic party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar; Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Rabiu Kwakwanso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP have recently been re-aligning with the aim of dislodging the APC government from power in the coming presidential election.
Kogi-born Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has replied Unuoma, wife of embattled Nigeria’s senate President, Godswill Akpabio for suing her for N250 billion.
The magazine reported that the Senate President’s wife had on Friday filed a suit at a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, against Natasha over her allegations that Akpabio made several sexual advances against her.
The allegation against Akpabio has unsettled not a few who are now calling for probe. Amidst the mixed reaction that the controversy has generated, Akpabio’s wife has defended her husband, saying he’s a victim of blackmail from Natasha, describing the former Akwa Ibom state governor as a responsible husband who would not do such a thing.
To prove her point, Unuoma has sued Natasha demanding that she be forced by the court to pay N250 billion as damages for causing her family an emotional trauma.
Reacting, Natasha urged her to stay on her lane because the allegation is against her husband and not her, saying Akpabio is capable of proving whether the allegation against him is true or not.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has asked Ekaette Akpabio, wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, to refrain from getting involved in the allegations of sexual advances against her husband.
The senator’s reaction was contained in a letter dated March 1 and addressed to Akpabio’s wife, the Kogi senator, through Victor Giwa, her counsel.
According to Natasha, she’s not prepared to involve Unuoma in the sexual harrassment saga, urging her to restrain herself from “delving into the obscene circumstances,” because doing so could affect her sanity.
the letter read: “Our client is not desirous of calling you out into the unfortunate saga concerning her allegations against the Senate President and wishes that you restrain yourself from delving into the obscene circumstances,” the letter reads
“While she has tolerated all the harassment from the Senate President, she was constrained to reveal the unfortunate torture and victimization she has endured in the Red Chambers.
“Consequently, we would like to state that the allegations of our client are personal to the Senate President, and our client believes the Senate President has the capacity to defend himself and refutes any of these allegations against him.
“Our client has concrete evidence to substantiate her allegations. We will suggest that you leave the defense of the allegations for the Senate President to maintain your sanity and that of your family.”
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has urged the federal government to intervene in the controversy, saying it’s capable of bringing embarrassment to the country.
For alleging that Senate President Godswill Akpabio se€ually harassed her, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has been sued by Akpabio’s wife, Unoma.
In suit no CV/814/25 filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, the Nation’s capital on Friday, Mrs Akpabio said the accusation has caused a serious emotionally damage to her, her children and the entire family.
She sued Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for defamation and violation of her fundamental human rights, demanding that the Court award her N250 billion as damages.
The Senate President’s wife has earlier denied the allegation against her husband, saying he’s a responsible and respectable man; that Natasha was only trying to blackmail him.
Recall that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had earlier sued the Senate President for N100 billion alleging defamation, citing a Facebook post by one of Akpabio’s aides, Mfon Patrick.
The suit was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on 25 February, 2025, through her Counsel, Victor Giwa.
In the suit, Akpabio’s wife prayed the Court to restrict senator Akpoti-Uduaghan from making further “inciteful, scandalous, and spiteful” statements against her and her husband.
The Senate President’s wife also demanded a public apology from the Senator representing Kogi State in the National Assembly, to be published in Thisday.
The magazine reported that trouble started when Senator Akpabio stopped the Kogi Senator from speaking during plenary because, according to him, she failed to sit on the seat allocated to her. This later led to a shouting match in the Red Chamber, with Akpabio demanding that she be ‘taken out’ from the Chamber.
Natasha will later allege that the reason why she was treated in that shabby manner was because she refused several intimate advances from the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
The clash between Akpabio, Nigeria’s number three citizen and the Kogi-born lawmaker has attracted mixed reactions from not a few Nigerians including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who said a thorough investigation of Natasha’s allegation must be conducted to ascertain the truth of the matter.
National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) is worried about the ongoing altercations between the Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The students’ body seeks an end to it.
A reshuffle of sitting arrangement in the Senate chamber resulted in Akpoti-Uduaghan, Kogi central, accusing the Senate President of maltreatment because she rejected his se€ual advances towards her.
Akpabio’s wife has defended her husband, accused the Senator of attempting to blackmail her husband.
To the the students body, there must be an end to it because it is turning into an international embarrassment.
NANS has, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu to wade into the altercation between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan.
NANS made this call in a statement signed by its National Vice President, Akinbodunse Felicia, on Saturday, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital.
Akinbodunse sued for peace and urged the two to sheathe their swords in order for peace to reign.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has underscored how serious the se€ual harassment allegation made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio is, and why it should be thoroughly investigated.
Nigerians woke up Friday morning to watch Akpoti-Uduaghan publicly allege that Akpabio was mistreating her and not according her rights and privileges to her because she had consistently rejected his se€ual overtures.
Reactions to the scandalous allegation have been coming in like claps of thunder including from Akpabio’s wife, Mrs Unoma Ekaette Akpabio, who defended her husband, vouched for him as a disciplined man, and threatened to sue Akpoti-Uduaghan.
But in his own reaction, Atiku, who was the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 Presidential Election, urged both President Bola Tinubu and the Senate to take Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegation seriously and initiate a thorough investigation.
He emphasized how grave the allegations made by the Female Senator is, its implications on the Nation and the National Assembly, and reminded Nigerians, in case anybody was forgetting, that Akpabio’s is Nigeria’s third highest office holder.
Atiku: “Like millions of Nigerians, I watched with deep concern this morning (Friday morning), as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan raised serious allegations of se€ual harassment, intimidation, and mistreatment against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Natasha Akpoti and Godswill Akpabio
“These allegations are grave and deserve a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation.
“The Nigerian Senate represents the voice of the people. Those who serve in it — especially its leadership — must uphold the highest standards of integrity, dignity, and respect, both for their office and for the Nigerian citizens they serve.
“As the third most powerful figure in the country, the Senate President should embody unimpeachable character.
“Se€ual harassment in the workplace is a significant barrier to women’s advancement and, by extension, the nation’s progress. Allegations of such misconduct should never be simply dismissed, particularly when they involve a public officer with immense power, influence, and responsibility.
“As the chief presiding officer of the Upper Chamber, the Senate President has a duty to champion the protection and empowerment of Nigerian women through legislation — not to be the subject of allegations that undermine those very principles.
“The handling of this matter will send a strong message about Nigeria’s commitment to justice, accountability, and the inclusion of women in governance.
“I urge the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Senate itself to take these allegations seriously by ensuring a credible, transparent, and independent investigation.
“With only four women currently serving in the Senate, it is imperative that we foster an environment where female legislators can serve without fear of
harassment or intimidation.
“This moment demands careful and principled action to uphold the integrity of our institutions and ensure that every Nigerian, regardless of gender, is treated with dignity and respect.”
Inspite of Mrs Akpabio’s strong defence of her husband, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan stands by her allegations. She insists she has evidences and witnesses. One of them? Her husband with whom she listens to Akpabio’s late night calls to her.
Former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sunday Ehindero, has said that the President has the power to determine who becomes his Police Chief.
Reacting to controversies surrounding the elongation of the tenure of incumbent IGP, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, Ehindero pointed out that there is no pressure, no matter how strong, that will make an incumbent President work with an unfriendly IGP.
He declared in a statement that “The appointment and elongation of tenure of Inspectors General of Police will always generate controversies. Such an appointment is political.
“And politics is riddled with controversies. In politics there is no right answer. The question is not whether your action is wrong or right, it is whether your action is valid.
“The President is given the power to choose an Inspector General of Police from serving members of the force with the concurrence and concordance of the Police Council.
“It is his right to determine the Inspector General of Police he could work with. No amount of pressure would make him work with an Inspector General of Police who is not his preference.
“You can force a horse to a river, but you cannot force the horse to drink water. There must be that chemistry between an appointed Inspector General of Police and the President.”
Kayode Egbetokun – IGP
He however emphasized that despite the power of the president on IGP’s appointment, it does not make such an appointee a stooge.
“In my case, President Obasanjo demanded one hundred percent loyalty, not ninety nine percent. That did not make me a yes sir man. There were times when we disagreed on directives given to me. On finding out the facts, he conceded to me.
“In the case of Egbetokun, I know him very well. He was the ADC to President Tinubu while I was the Assistant Inspector General of Police in Zone 2, Lagos and Ogun states, while Mr. Okiro was the Commissioner of Police of Lagos State in the year 2001.
“If President Tinubu chooses to work with him for the duration of four years and that is backed by law, so be it. He is his choice.
“You cannot by any yardstick say Egbetokun is incompetent or not qualified for the job. Competence backed by law should be the overriding factor in the appointment and tenure of an Inspector General of Police.
“Let Egbetokun serve his four years tenure extension in peace. He deserves it by virtue of his competence, performance and academic qualifications.
“The extension of the tenure of Inspectors General of Police had always been controversial. My tenure extensions twice in 2005 for one year beginning from March 2006 and 2007 for three months were not without controversies.
“In fact, the President and I were taken to court for my tenure elongation. At the end of the day, the court ruled that it was a non-issue and dismissed the case. At that time in 2006, there were no legislations in relation to the tenure elongation of an Inspector General of Police other than the Civil Service Rules and the Police Act and Regulation, CAP 359, Laws of The Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
Over 23,000 final year students of Senior Secondary Schools in Ondo State are to have their 2025 West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Secondary School Certificate Examination levy paid by the State Government.
Already, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved the sum of N633, 918, 000.00 to cover the payment of registration fees for public secondary school students in the State.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, in a statement at the weekend explained that the gesture is to alleviate the financial burden of parents and guardians.
“Governor Aiyedatiwa gave the approval on Friday and the payment will cover a total of 23, 048 secondary school students who passed the Joint Senior Secondary School II Promotion Examination in the State conducted by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa
“Over the years, the payment of WASSCE registration fees for public secondary school candidates in Ondo State has been a significant relief for parents, guardians, and stakeholders alike, especially in the face of prevailing economic challenges.
“The WASSCE represents a crucial academic milestone for students, serving as a gateway to higher education and professional opportunities.
“Ensuring that the state government covers the registration fees annually, invariably promotes equitable access to education, allowing all eligible candidates to participate in this pivotal examination without financial hindrance.
“This initiative effectively reduces disparities among students from varying socio-economic backgrounds.
“The commitment of Governor Aiyedatiwa to fund the WASSCE registration aligns with the Education, Human Capital Development and Entrepreneurship objectives outlined in the ‘OUR-EASE’ policy thrust of the administration.”
However, in the past, despite announcement of government that it would pay the examinations fees of the students, they found it difficult to access their results when released, due to inability to back up the announcement with cash.
