Author

Folarin Kehinde

Tunji Alausa
Headlines

FG shuts 22 illegal tertiary institutions

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government (FG) has intensified its clampdown on illegal tertiary institutions, shutting down 22 unapproved Colleges of Education across the country.

The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), which carried out the exercise, said the closures were part of its ongoing campaign against unaccredited schools.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country,” the Commission stated.

It added that the process also involved “personnel audit, financial monitoring in all the 21 federal colleges of education.”

Tribune Online reports that President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to key regulatory agencies the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the NCCE to rid the country of unapproved and illegal tertiary institutions undermining the education system.

Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja, Tinubu ordered the agencies to act decisively against what he described as “certificate millers” eroding the credibility of Nigeria’s academic sector.

Tinubu, represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, stressed that the integrity of Nigeria’s academic system must not be compromised.

“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” the President said.

He added, “The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions both within and outside the country have no place in our education ecosystem.

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Uncategorized

Lere Olayinka Backs NIN, ID Checks for Social Media Access

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has called for stricter regulations on social media usage.

In a terse statement via his X handle on Monday, August 25, Olayinka proposed that a National Identification Number (NIN), and a valid ID such as an international passport, voter’s card, or driver’s license, should be required to create and manage social media accounts.

The statement reads: “NIN, Valid Identity Card (International Passport, Voter’s Card, Driver’s Licence). These two should be made compulsory to open and operate social media accounts.”

“This proposal seeks to reduce misinformation and increase online accountability.”. he added.

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

Nigeria not created by God – Pastor Adefarasin

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, has sparked a heated debate after declaring that Nigeria was not divinely created but was instead a colonial construction designed for British economic gain.

Speaking during a Sunday sermon, the cleric dismissed the idea of Nigeria being founded on God’s will, insisting that historical and colonial interests shaped its existence.

“Nigeria, I do not believe it was created by God. I don’t believe it. I believe that Elizabeth the first got into a deal with the Ottoman Empire and they had a deal concerning the Sudan and those who care to buy the book, buy the book. It’s written by a fellow called, the name of the book is The Martyrdom of Man.

“As far as Africa was concerned, two empires got together and decided that this land will go to the sons of Ishmael. It is self-evident, but let’s not go there. This is not a political forum. This is a church and the church has responsibilities to get right what man got wrong. She’s the light of the world and the salt of the earth. That’s important.

Adefarasin further argued that Nigeria’s constitution lacks legitimacy since it was imposed by soldiers rather than by “we the people.”

Quoting Psalm 11:3, he likened the nation’s predicament to a building raised on faulty foundations.

“I have no problem with people of any faith being in charge, but they must adhere to the constitution of we the people. And when a constitution proposed to be of we the people and it is not, it’s some soldiers who wrote it, you have to question why we obey that constitution.

“Nigeria cannot be a solid nation that is properly grounded going towards her destiny. We started to go, but the Bible says, Psalm 11 verse 3, if the foundation is corrupted, if it is destroyed, what can the righteous do? To build a sustainable building, you have to build a solid foundation. You do a soil test, you do your engineering statics and you determine what will carry this building and make it last for a long time.”

He also took aim at governance and corruption, citing shoddy road projects as a metaphor for Nigeria’s flawed systems.

“There’s a difference between any road and the road that they build that takes you to the Lagos airport. That’s a proper road. Why they build roads and resurface them wrongly, I don’t know.

“Somebody suggested to me that it’s that kind of road because they want the same contract next year. That means that somebody sitting down somewhere making decisions has no sense of equity and justice. Do you understand? I hope you get me.

The pastor dismissed Nigeria’s celebrated nationalist leaders, Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Nnamdi Azikiwe, as “not the true founding fathers.” Instead, he attributed the nation’s creation to British officials in Whitehall and Lord Lugard, whose girlfriend allegedly coined the name “Nigeria.”

“There was a colonial conquest coming from the Maghreb, the Sahel, and it was interrupted by another colonial conquest of the British. And the British are not, let me say it another way, Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Azikiwe, they are not the founding fathers of Nigeria in my opinion.

“The founding fathers of Nigeria are some men from Whitehall and a fellow called Tob Goldman, his girlfriend, she named the country, and also Lugard.

 

 

 

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

Benue Lawmaker Dajoh Loses Brother After Days Resignation As Speaker

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The immediate-past Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Aondona Dajoh, on Monday, confirmed the passing of his elder brother, Gwamile Dajoh.

The former Speaker told our correspondent in his Makurdi residence on Monday that he had lost his brother, but gave thanks to God.

Many political associates, friends and allies of the former speaker thronged his residence to commiserate with him over the loss, which followed his resignation as speaker on Sunday, paving the way for the emergence of Alfred Berger as the new speaker of the state assembly.

News of the passing of the former speaker’s elder brother filtered into town on Monday, with sources claiming he died after collapsing a few hours after the news of his sibling’s resignation as speaker.

Details of the incident remained unclear as of press time, but family sources suggested he had been deeply worried about the political crisis rocking the state assembly in recent weeks.

The development has thrown the Dajoh family into mourning and heightened the political situation in the state.

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

I’m Getting Close to My Departure – Obasanjo

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says he is in a hurry to see Nigeria rise to greatness.

He said he is “getting close” to his departure lounge in life.

Obasanjo made the remark while speaking on his new book, Nigeria: Past and Future, where he assessed the country’s leadership journey and issued stern criticisms of successive governments.

The former military Head of State (1976–1979) and civilian President (1999–2007) explained that his interventions over the years, through books, letters, and public statements, were motivated by patriotism and not malice.

“All my writings have been aimed at making Nigeria better because I strongly believe in documentation and in the possibility of a better Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.

He said his works, such as My Command, Nzeogwu, Not My Will, My Watch (a three-volume autobiography), and several letters to leaders during moments of crisis, were intended to guide, not to condemn.

“Some have accused me of being guilty of the same failings I criticised. But I rely on my conscience and my records and have no need to defend myself,” he stated.

Obasanjo described the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari (2015–2023) as “the worst civil administration so far in Nigeria’s history.”

He accused Buhari of failing to confront corruption, mismanagement, and electoral malpractice — the same ills he had used to justify the 1983 coup against President Shehu Shagari. “Words are cheap, and what needed to be done was left undone,” Obasanjo wrote.

Turning to the present, he said the Bola Tinubu administration was “competing with Buhari’s in inefficiency.”

Obasanjo, however, maintained that his legacy would speak for him, citing his sacrifices in war, peacekeeping, imprisonment, and national service. “I have seen the best and the worst of Nigeria. Yes, mistakes were made, but great things were also done. My life has been a crucible of rural struggles, military service, humiliation and triumphs, all of which have taught me lasting lessons,” he said.

“I want to see Nigeria succeed soon. I may be close to my departure, but my desire is to witness the nation attain the greatness it deserves,” the elder statesman added.

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Africa & World

UK Bans People With Criminal Records From Football, Travel, Others In New Policy

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The United Kingdom on Sunday said criminals would be barred from pubs, concerts, and sports matches under new sentencing powers as part of its Plan for Change.

It said that judges would be able to curtail offenders’ freedoms with driving limits, travel bans, and restriction zones confining them into specific areas.

The changes are expected to toughen up community punishments to deter reoffending and force offenders back on the straight and narrow.

It said that as part of the government’s work to do everything in its power to keep Britain safe, offenders coming out of prison and supervised by the Probation Service would also face similar restrictions and an expanded mandatory drug testing regime.

“In the future, criminals without known drug habits will face this scrutiny, not just those with a history of substance misuse. Offenders who break the rules face being brought back to court or hauled back to prison as punishment, depending on the sentence they are serving,” the government stated on its website on Sunday.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said widening the range of punishments available to judges was part of the government’s Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer.

“When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished. Those serving their sentences in the community must have their freedom restricted there, too.

“These new punishments should remind all offenders that, under this Government, crime does not pay. Rightly, the public expects the government to do everything in its power to keep Britain safe, and that’s what we’re doing,” Mahmood was quoted as saying.

According to the government, judges are currently able to give out limited bans for specific crimes, for example, football bans for crimes committed inside a stadium on match day, to prevent further antisocial behaviour.

It, however, said it would change the law shortly so that such bans can be handed down as a form of punishment for any offence in any circumstance.

“It will form part of wider reforms to sentencing to ensure punishments cut crime and prisons never again run out of places for dangerous offenders. Over 2,400 prison places have opened since July 2024, with the government investing £7 billion to create a total of 14,000 as the prison population increases.

“Investment in the Probation Service will also receive a huge boost with an increase of up to £700 million by 2028/29, up from the annual budget of around £1.6 billion today. This week, it was revealed that the number of Probation Officers has increased by seven per cent in the last 12 months, with trainee probation officer numbers also seeing a surge of 15 per cent.

“This follows the government’s commitment to recruit a further 1,300 this year, in addition to the 1,000 trainee probation officers recruited last year. New technology, including artificial intelligence, will lighten the administrative burden and free up time for probation staff to increase supervision of the most dangerous offenders and keep the public safe,” the government disclosed on its website.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

JUST IN: Tinubu arrives Brazil for state visit

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, on Sunday for a State visit.

Tinubu visited Brazil at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, one of Nigeria’s biggest supporters and partners, Olusegun Dada, an aide to the President on social media said.

According to Dada, the president is on a two-day visit to Brazil to feature in bilateral meetings, a Nigeria–Brazil Business Forum with leading investors, and the signing of key agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen cooperation across agriculture, energy, technology, aviation, renewable energy and cultural exchange.

He stated that the main focus of the visit would be to activate multi-billion-dollar agricultural investments, advance joint initiatives like the $1.1 billion Green Imperative mechanisation project, and secure new flows of FDI into Nigeria’s agriculture and energy sectors.

This visit, Dada said will also focus on deepening political trust, expanding cultural exchange, and harnessing shared opportunities in renewable energy, climate resilience, and digital transformation.

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Entertainment

UK-Based Music Minister Adetola Leads Praise in Bethel Concert in Abuja

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Praise in Bethel, a non-profit organization is set to organize a musical concert in Abuja, the Nigeria Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Led by Mrs. Adetola Bademosi-Adanikin, a United Kingdom (UK) based former journalist and former Tribune reporter, the programme, themed: “Sweet Smelling Savour” would hold at the ATW Studios on Sunday, August 31st.

The convener, Adetola disclosed in a statement at the weekend, in Abuja that the faith-based music concert is designed to unite people of diverse faiths, with the central goal of winning souls for Christ while promoting harmony, love, and unity.

The United Kingdom–based gospel minstrel described the event as “an interdenominational gathering that promises to be a Spirit-led experience, aimed at fostering spiritual growth and bringing together both believers and seekers in an atmosphere of heartfelt praise, worship, and the Word of God.

She noted that participants would also have the opportunity to network and connect with like-minded individuals, all with the shared goal of advancing the gospel.

The event would feature powerful ministration in songs and worship by anointed ministers of God, including Minister Psalmos, Lekegospel, Tee Worship, Emmy Sax, Adetola, and several others.

Speaking about the programme, the organisers highlighted that the aim of the gathering is not only to uplift souls but also to create an avenue for evangelism and spiritual renewal within the community.

“We believe this is more than an event – it is a divine appointment for lives to be transformed in the presence of God,” she stated.

Attendance is open to all, and participants are encouraged to come with hearts prepared to encounter God through dynamic worship and fellowship.

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

BREAKING: I Will Run in 2027 – Atiku

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he will contest the 2027 presidential election, dismissing speculations that he may withdraw from the race.

He also used the opportunity to defend the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, stressing that although it could not influence the outcome of recent by-elections, it remains a formidable force capable of reshaping Nigeria’s political landscape.

Atiku’s position was made public through his long-time associate and spokesperson during the 2023 elections, Tunde Olusunle, who disclosed the remarks to Thisday Newspaper on Sunday night.

Olusunle explained that Atiku was determined to rescue Nigeria from what he described as “intensive care” under the current administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The former Vice President, who recently resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is aligned with the ADC, a party that has attracted several heavyweight politicians in recent months.

Atiku lamented what he described as the “mega-scale thievery, loss of values, and lack of accountability” under the present government, vowing that the ADC movement would “shock the world” by mobilising Nigerians to upstage the status quo in 2027.

“I will be offering myself to lead the reclamation and reconstruction of our traumatised homeland,” Olusunle quoted him as saying after a private engagement with the former Vice President.

He further clarified that the coalition, which was adopted only a few months ago, could not have been expected to perform spectacularly in the by-elections that were just held. Nonetheless, he insisted that the ADC-led movement was a potent force with the capacity to deliver an upset in the next general election.

Atiku’s renewed declaration also comes amid reports suggesting that he might step back from the race. Over the weekend, Prof. Ola Olateju of Achievers University, Owo, who represented Atiku at a defection event in Lagos, had suggested that the former Vice President was more focused on building a better Nigeria than on becoming president “at all costs.”

However, Atiku has since distanced himself from Olateju’s remarks. From his holiday home in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he reportedly clarified that the statement was not authorised.

“When people stand in for me at events, we preview my thoughts on the instant subject. In this particular instance, there was no engagement with me to distill my thoughts. Prof. Olateju was not speaking for me,” Atiku was quoted as saying.

“I will run in 2027. Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned. The degeneration in our country, the level of poverty and pain, the anguish, is unacceptable.”

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

Police can search you without warrant if…..— Delta Command PRO

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, has said that police officers have the authority to search people’s pockets and bags without a warrant if there is reasonable suspicion.

Edafe disclosed this in a post on X on Saturday while announcing the arrest of a suspected thief found in possession of a firearm.

“Do the police have the right to search you randomly without a search warrant? The answer is yes; search you and not your houses or your phones. But to search you, your bag, pockets, is allowed.

“This chap was standing at a club around 5am looking suspicious, when operatives of RRS intercepted and searched him, and this gun was recovered. Listen to his reason for taking the gun to the club,” he wrote.

In a video that accompanied the post, Edafe explained how operatives of the Rapid Response Squad on visibility patrol around DBS Road, near Don and Master, intercepted a young man who was carrying a bag in a suspicious manner.

He said, “While operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Delta State Police Command were on their visibility patrol around DBS road, just by Don and Master, they saw this young man carrying a bag, he was sighted in a suspicious manner, he was intercepted and searched.

“When his bag was searched, this gun was found in his bag, this is the magazine and these are the ammunitions that were recovered from him.”

“Bassey Udoh did not only have this in his possession. In the course of our investigation, we discovered that he usuaully scale through the fence of people’s houses while they’re sleeping and steals their generator.

“At times use the gate to come out and or also take it out through the fence. The time of their operation are usually between the hours of 4am and 5am,” he added.

 

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts