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The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has begun an indefinite strike, grounding activities in hospitals across the country.

The association’s president, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, announced the commencement of the industrial action in a statement on Saturday, following the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government.

According to Suleiman, the strike became inevitable after repeated failures by the government to implement agreements reached with the association despite several meetings, appeals, and warnings.

‘We embark on this total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike not out of desire but out of necessity.

‘Our decision follows the Federal Government’s continued neglect of our legitimate demands and the worsening state of Nigeria’s health system,’ Suleiman said.

He noted that resident doctors had exhausted all peaceful options, adding that their demands were focused on the survival of the nation’s healthcare system and not personal gain.

‘Our demands are not selfish nor politically motivated. They are centred on ensuring that doctors can provide safe, effective, and compassionate care in an environment that safeguards their physical and mental well-being,’ he stated.

Among the key issues raised by NARD are unpaid arrears, poor working conditions, inadequate staffing, excessive workload, and the lack of essential medical infrastructure, which the doctors say have crippled healthcare delivery nationwide.

Suleiman warned that the exodus of doctors abroad would continue if urgent measures were not taken to address these concerns.

‘A nation’s health system is only as strong as the doctors who sustain it. If those doctors are broken, demotivated, or forced to seek survival elsewhere, the patients suffer most,’ he said.

He called on Nigerians – including civil society groups, labour unions, religious and traditional leaders – to support the doctors’ cause and urge the government to act swiftly.

‘This is not a fight against the government but a struggle for a functional and humane healthcare system. We appeal to Nigerians to stand with us so hospitals can reopen and patients can once again access the care they deserve,’ Suleiman added.

NARD had confirmed plans to commence the strike on Saturday, November 1, 2025, after the government failed to meet its 30-day ultimatum.

Hospitals across the country are expected to face severe disruptions as the industrial action takes effect.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the removal of the member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State in the House of Representatives, Suleiman Gummi from his seat over his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All-Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Obiora Egwuatu on Thursday ordered the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, to stop recognising Gummi as a member representing the constituency.

A lawyer has explained that the latest ruling has put the fate of several defecting elected officials in a tight corner as the law can be applied to all.

While noting that Gummi had forfeited his seat under Section 68(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999, the judge further directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise a fresh election to fill the vacant seat within 30 days of the ruling.

The judge further ordered the lawmaker to file evidence of the refund of his salaries and allowances, howsoever called, to the court registry within 30 days of the judgement.

Furthermore, the judge awarded the sum of N500,000 in favour of the PDP and the Zamfara State PDP chairman, Jamilu Jibomagayaki.

The suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1803/2024, was instituted by the PDP and its Zamfara State Chairman, Jamilu Jibomagayaki through their lawyer, Ibrahim Bawa (SAN) against the representative, Gummi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas and INEC.

‘A situation where the electorates have made their choices between different political parties and their candidates based on the manifestos and marketability of such a political party, it is legally and morally wrong for such a politician to abandon the party under which platform he or she was elected into office and move to a rival party without relinquishing the mandate of his or her former party,’ the judge said.

‘If a person must decamp, don’t decamp with the mandate of the electorates.’

‘In total, I resolve all the issues in favour of the plaintiffs and against the defendants,’ Justice Egwuatu said.

‘Officials who defected recently affected by judgement’

The latest judgement raises concern over the survival of previous defectors from opposition parties to the ruling APC including lawmakers and state governors.

Reacting, Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq, said the latest judgement applies to all political office holders who defected.

‘All the parties have to do is to approach the court that these are no longer their candidates based on the law and these officials would lose their immunity,’ he said.

He explained that it was morally and legally wrong to get to an office through a party and it later.

‘It is a betrayal of trust of the people; citizens should go and test the law on the remaining defecting elected officials,’ he added.

Recently, five Enugu lawmakers Nnolim John Nnaji (Nkanu East/Nkanu West); Anayo Onwuegbu (Aninri/Awgu/Oji River); Oke Martins (Igbo Etiti/Uzo Uwani); Obetta Mark Chidiebere (Nsukka/Igboeze South); Dennis Nnamdi Agbo (Igbo-Eze North/Udenu); Ngozi Okolie (LP, Aniocha/Oshimili); Daniel Asama (Jos North/Bassa); and Festus Olarewaju Akingbaso (Idanre/Ifedore).

Similarly, senators like Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South Senatorial District); Kelvin Chukwu (LP, Enugu East District); Senator Benson Agadaga (PDP, Bayelsa East); and Samaila Dahuwa Kaila (PDP, Bauchi North) also defected.

Governors like Eno Umo (Akwa Ibom); Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Peter Mbah (Enugu) all defected from the opposition PDP to the ruling APC.

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development says the deployment of the Mining Marshals has become one of the most transformative interventions in the nation’s extractive sector, leading to a sharp decline in illegal mining activities and a surge in sectoral revenue.

Speaking at the South West Leaders Conference held in Akure, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the Mining Marshals have reclaimed more than 90 illegal mining sites and facilitated the prosecution of over 300 offenders, restoring peace and order to previously volatile mining communities.

He explained that the initiative is part of the broader reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to make Nigeria a nation where enterprise and lawful industry thrive.

‘The Mining Marshals have given us results. We no longer just talk about illegal mining – we’re taking it back, site by site. Today, communities are safer, legitimate investors are returning, and government revenue is rising,’ the Minister said.

According to him, the impact of the Marshals’ operations and broader reform efforts are already visible in the numbers: sector revenues have grown from ?8.6 billion in 2022 to ?38 billion in 2024, with ?30 billion already recorded in 2025.

He said the South West region alone contributed ?7.2 billion, underscoring its importance as a hub of responsible mining and mineral development.

Highlighting the region’s potential, the Minister cited Segilola Gold Project in Osun State – Nigeria’s most successful gold venture – and hundreds of active quarry and exploration sites as evidence of growing confidence in the sector.

He also revealed that reforms now compel mining companies to sign Community Development Agreements (CDAs) before commencing operations – a measure that ensures host communities directly benefit from mining projects.

‘In just two years, 45 South West communities have signed CDAs – more than double what was achieved in the previous fifteen years,’ he added.

Looking ahead, the Minister said the next phase of the Renewed Hope reforms will focus on value addition, mineral processing plants, and stronger partnerships between government and private investors to transform mining into a major driver of job creation and sustainable growth.

‘We are proud of the progress made, but even more determined about what lies ahead,’ he concluded

The unprecedented number of trailers in every nook and cranny of Potiskum in Yobe State leads one to assume that the town is a giant mechanical workshop. There are trailers by the roadsides, in front of and within large mechanical workshops.

There are numerous workshops with trailers at various stages of construction, such that one can assume that all the trailers plying Nigerian highways started their journeys from Potiskum. The town has been noted for being a home for many articulated vehicles used for long-distance travels and movement of goods across the country.

Owners of some of the trucks told Weekend Trust that trailer business thrives in Potiskum due to its strategic location as a major hub for cattle trade in West Africa. They said trucks from various parts of the world converged on the town to load or offload goods, making it an essential centre for commerce and transportation.

One of the owners of the biggest haulage companies in the town, Alhaji Abubakar Adamu Bazuwa, the managing director of Bazuwa Motors in Potiskum, told Weekend Trust that many businessmen in the town were influenced by originators of the business who thrived during their time.

”I have been in this business for over 30 years. I inherited it from our father, Alhaji Adamu Bazuwa, a well-known merchant in both haulage and livestock business.

”People like Alhaji Barau, Alhaji Yaro Gambo, Alhaji Hamza Dan-Agalam, Alhaji Isa Jajere and my father, Alhaji Adamu Bazuwa, were the backbone of these businesses. They combined farming, livestock rearing and haulage business to improve their income.

”These people were farmers and businessmen: they grew groundnuts, beans, maize, sorghum and millet. During harvest they sold crops and kept the remaining ones at home for their families.

”When they sold their harvested crops they bought rams and bulls at affordable prices in the livestock markets, fatten them with their harvested animal feeds, and sold them during Eid al-Kabir festivals. It is a lucrative business. They used to buy trucks and trailers with what they got from this business to improve their income.

”Potiskum town is blessed with trading, farming and the rearing of livestock. These business originators and wealthy individuals became competitors among themselves and groomed their children and mentees to take over from them. As time went by, death and old age befell these mentors, their children, mentees and drivers who saved a lot and took over the business.

”The good legacies they left behind have yielded positive results. Aside their children and mentees, many people have ventured into the business to earn a living. Right now, there are over 5,000 trailers and other trucks in Potiskum owned by Potiskum people.

”I am into haulage business, selling trailers and other trucks. And I have a workshop where these vehicles are repaired when they are damaged. I have over 200 people working under me daily,” he said.

Another haulage businessman, Alhaji Yakubu Yunusa, said that initially, the merchants were buying the trucks and trailers purposely to transport their agricultural products and livestock to the southern part of the country before they discovered the lucrative part of the business.

”Initially, these Potiskum businessmen were buying these trailers and trucks to transport their harvested crops and fattened rams and bulls to markets for profit-making, but as time went by, they realised that the business was lucrative, so they tapped into haulage.

”One of the advantages of this town (Potiskum) is that we have the largest cattle market in West Africa, so merchants from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Benin Republic are trooping into this town. If not because of insurgency, by now the story would have been different.

”The foreign merchants who bought livestock and agricultural products from our market are taking advantage of the availability of the trucks to transport their goods to their countries. If one reckons with the economic importance of transporting goods from one part of Nigeria to another, then the importance of Potiskum to the economy is clear.

”If you are following federal government roads and major cities, you will see that some trailers are loaded with vegetables, cattle, dried fish and grains, ready to head in all directions across Nigeria. Some trailers are loaded with onions, some with rice and some with scavengers. The majority of these trucks are from Potiskum, and the owners of these trailers are indigenes of this town.

Weekend Trust gathered that the business provides jobs for different categories of people; hence a lot of people in Potiskum rely on haulage business as their means of livelihood.

Alhaji Garba Alele (Gado-damasin Fika), who serves as the secretary of the Shippers Association, told our correspondent that each trailer provides jobs for different categories of people – from driver to mechanics.

”Each trailer you see is providing jobs for more than 10 people, starting from drivers, their boys, truck washers, merchandisers, spare part sellers, panel beaters and other apprentices who depend on these trailers for livelihood.

”We have a lot of youths who graduated from universities but are making fortunes through this business. Some of these graduates have built their own houses, got married and have luxury cars or motorcycles. Potiskum people rely so much on transportation, farming and rearing of animals to earn their livelihood.

”When I was the chairman of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Potiskum Local Government branch, we had 3,800 registered members who owned trailers in Potiskum. It is important to know that there are people who own trailers but they are not NARTO members.

”We also have over 2 million registered trucks/trailers and tippers in Potiskum plying Nigeria’s highways. Some people have fleets of between five and 100 trailers. Some people inherited their trucks from their parents when they passed away,’ he said.

On women’s participation in the business, Alele said he had never seen a woman who owned a trailer or participated in the business due to the high price of the trucks.

”Most of the women you see in this business inherited their trailers from their parents. When I was chairman we didn’t have a female that owned a trailer in the whole Potiskum.

”Most of the originators of this business are not women; they are men. And up till now, the trailer business is owned by men. It seems that women are not attracted to it. I have more than five trucks currently,” he said.

Trailer owners are lamenting that the prices of trucks, bodies and diesel have affected the business badly, pushing many people to leave it and invest in other sectors.

Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad, one of the haulage businessmen, told Weekend Trust that apart from the prices of trucks, bodies and diesel, the dilapidated condition of roads also affects the business negatively.

”One of the challenges we are facing is the skyrocketing price of these trucks. They are imported and the government is putting higher taxes on them.

”A truck we used to buy at N3 million or N4 million during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, moved to N9 million and 12 million during the Buhari era; and now, we are buying a truck head at N35 million.

”A fabricated trailer body we used to buy at N3 million to 4million now costs N22 million or N25 million. A new trailer and its body we used to own at a cost of N15 million is now N60 million.

”The price of diesel per litre is N1,100. If a trailer carried goods from Potiskum to Kurmi, it would swallow 1,500 litres, and if you calculate the amount, it would give you almost N1.6 million,” Muhammad lamented.

How the business is creating jobs

Alhajin Officer, a trailer driver who has been in the business for 20 years, told our correspondent that he pays his bills through the business.

”The truck was purchased by Oga Abdullahi (Officer), the chairman of the NURTW, Potiskum Local Government. This business has done everything for me. It pays my bills. I help my parents and families. Even my neighbours are enjoying it.

”I drive my trailer to Mubi, Yola in Adamawa State. In the South, we enter Lagos, Rivers and Delta states. One of the pressing challenges we are facing is lack of good roads, especially in Niger State,” he said.

Another driver, Malam Ibrahim Bala Target, said truck owners and drivers were reviewing their contracts and payment terms and expenses to avoid disputes or misunderstanding.

”Some truck owners pay the entitlements of drivers on percentage. For example, when you take goods worth N1 million as a driver, you have 10 per cent of the money. If there are issues in the vehicle, the owner will fix it with his money.

”The business is not going as it used to be in previous times. I used to carry Dangote’s goods from Potiskum to Kano or Lagos, but now, he has bought his own trucks to carry his goods.

”We don’t have industries in the North where raw materials and goods would be transported or delivered, unlike southern Nigeria, where there are numerous industries and factories.

”Usually, we transport livestock and grains from northern markets to the South or some neighbouring countries like Chad, Niger Republic and Cameroon.

Also, soldiers are extorting N50,000 and sometimes N80,000 at some checkpoints, especially in the southern part of this country. If not because of these challenges, the business is very lucrative when compared to others,” he said.

Our correspondent who went round the town saw over 20 trailer body fabrication workshops that provide jobs to thousands of teeming youths of Potiskum.

One of the fabricators, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, said he had been in the business for over 30 years and it had been providing food on his table and his workers’ every day.

”We used to fabricate 10 bodies of trailers within months because people are venturing into this business. We have consumers from Potiskum, Kano, Sokoto, Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Benin.

”I have over 400 people working under me, including students from various secondary schools, as well as graduates. We have numerous applications from people who want to work with us.

”Some customers will purchase metals themselves and bring them to us for fabrication and we will charge them for labour. Others will give us money to buy the metals and have us create the trailer body for them.

”The length of each locally made trailer body is 12 yards, which costs between N25 million and N30 million because fabrication materials are costly. The materials we use are mostly imported. And we buy them from Lagos, which makes them very expensive.

On women’s participation in the business, Alhaji Abdullahi said he had not seen them.

Alhaji Adamu Muhammad, who owns a workshop, told Weekend Trust that there are over 100 workshops that have employed and trained thousands of youths in Potiskum Local Government.

”I have been in this business for 22 years. And we have 107 registered staff working in this workshop daily. We have customers from Ghana, Cameroon and Benin Republic who come here to repair their trucks.

”There are over 120 workshops in Potiskum that employ people, mostly youths. In short, this sector of mechanics has a workforce of over 30,000 in Potiskum Local Government,” he said.

Weekend Trust reports that the Yobe State Government is constructing a Truck Transit Park in Potiskum to revolutionise the growing business in the town.

The Potiskum Truck Transit Park consists of, amongst other things, the provision of a mechanic workshop, fuel stations, hotels and shops, as well as roads, drainages, parking lots, firefighting stations, police outposts, mosques and recreation centres.

The project will accommodate over 7,000 trucks and provide 5,000 direct jobs when completed, as well as revolutionise the growing trucking business in Potiskum and other parts of the state.

You have been the national chairman of your party the Action Democratic Party, ADP since inception, why?

I have been the chairman of the party all these while because our party, like others registered within the same period, if you look critically, it is the same chairmen that has been chairing the parties, they are still the same Chairmen that brought the parties to be. For example, if you look at YPP. But the other one that had problems was NRM, that I am aware of. Most of the parties that came into the political scene the same time as us, same with ADP, have had only one chairman since then.

Also, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC itself is aware that in the constitution of our party for instance, we are allowed to have a gestation period. Where by the National Working Committee, NWC that brought the party into limelight is allowed to manage it for a certain amount of time.

The issue is that if the party is allowed to be subjected to the rigorous process of elections, conventions and others, you might end up destroying the baby at that point. Changing the leadership at that infant stage of the party may not augur well for the party. This is not only for the ADP but other similar political parties.

Is what you have just explained constitutional?

Yes, it is in the constitution of most of these political parties. In our party for instance it is in the constitution that at least you are allowed to have your convention on a non elective basis. All the members can agree that, let the structure of the party be formed, and when you have the structures formed, you cannot go into elections immediately, otherwise you will scatter the party and its structures.

So, in a way, it strengthens democracy that is why some of us are still there as chairmen of these political parties. We had our first elective election last two years. All the other elections we had were not elective. Also, we just wake up to do it, it is stated in our constitution. If you look at it you will see it there. I want Nigerians to know that it is not that we are sit tight leaders or that, it is what we want to do, it is not so.

Even common sense dictates that you can’t just form a party and then start changing leadership. The party will not have a strong base. The party was formed in 2017.

Since 2017, how often have you held NWC, NEC and BoT meetings?

We meet always, for example, we meet every two years. We meet to have our congresses. In our constitution you can have non-elective congresses on two consecutive times, every two years which is four years.

Then after that any other convention will be elective. The last one, we had was the elective convention. So, I’m supposed to run my four years after four years, If I’m elected again. If I am not then somebody else will take over.

When will the current term you are serving end?

It will elapse, in 2027, We had this Congress two years ago. By the constitution I can run two terms in office. I am permitted to run again. So, if I like I can still run again but if I don’t want to someone else can contest.

What does the ADC constitution say, because at a point, you were also the presidential candidate of the party..?

That also is in correspondence with our constitution, that is what our constitution says; that you can be the chairman and be the candidate. All the constitution says is that you cannot hold two elective positions at the same time. You can hold two positions but not elective positions. Once you are elected as the president You have to relinquish the chairmanship position. But if you are just a candidate, that doesn’t make you a President.

What we are doing is in the interest of the party and democracy. Look at it, you form a party, in fact, before you get structures in place, it takes a while, takes a lot of money, energy and sacrifice.

But are there no qualified persons within your party that can hold this position?

You know better, that people don’t want to stay In parties that are out of power. They come and go. They are not consistent. But myself and other people that formed the party, have to be consistent So that at least we build it and after that, you can go.

What do you think about such situation, does it engender accountability?

Accountability? There is accountability. Nigerians are free to check our Constitution, what does the Constitution say? Constitution is the decision of the parties, at their convention Which is very clear, everybody is there to say yes, this is what we want for our party.

What are the challenges faced by opposition parties in Nigeria?

Well, I can speak about the opposition parties, like you know, we are approaching 2027, or by the Electoral Act amendments, can we say in 2026, when the process itself will start. Like you know, there has been a lot of agitations against the sitting government and the widespread disaffection amongst the populace is supposed to be a kind of catalyst that opposition parties can used to effect a change democratically.

The late former military administrator of Ebonyi and Delta states in the 1990s, Navy Captain Walter Feghabo, has been described as an officer who left an exemplary footprint in the country.

The Bayelsa State governor, Duoye Diri, in a condolence message, also eulogised the virtues of the illustrious son of the state.

Diri stated that Feghabo was a disciplined officer and a great patriot who left, aged 67, at a time his services were still required by the state and the country.

Feghabo was noted for his traditional chieftaincy title of Amain in Nembe Kingdom, and his community service.

He was re-assigned to Delta State in 1998 till the country’s return to democratic rule in May 1999.

Walter Feghabo was born on August 15, 1956 in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. He grew up in Warri and attended primary and secondary schools in the city.

After serving as the first military administrator of Ebonyi State from October 1996 to October 1998, he was also appointed the administrator of Delta State in August 1998 during the transitional government of General Abdulsalam Abubakar. He later handed over to the civilian government of James Ibori on May 29, 1999.

In June 1999, all the former military administrators in the Abacha and Abubakar regimes were retired by the Federal Government of Nigeria, including Feghabo. He returned to his native Bayelsa State.

With four consecutive defeats Liverpool have finally lost their invincible image. Coach Arne Slot looked an unhappy and worried man as he left Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium last weekend where he saw his team go down 3-2 to the Bees.

Liverpool’s display highlighted some of the problems in their team formation and Slot revealed his thoughts, ‘Teams have a certain way of playing against us, which is a very good strategy and we haven’t found the answer yet.’ That strategy includes one of Liverpool’s big problems: how the long balls have become more and more effective and opponents are using them particularly against teams who are vulnerable at the back and in this area, Liverpool certainly have problems. To prove the point, Liverpool are having to deal with an average of ten more aerial duels than last season. Indeed, Brentford’s first goal came from a long throw-in by Michael Kayode to the front post and Kristoffer Ajer climbed above the Liverpool defence to flick the ball onto Dango Ouattara to score on the back post. Kerkez, Van Dijk, Konate and Bradley looked second best to the Brentford forwards and whereas you would normally expect Van Dijk to command the air, he seems to have lost the ability to rise above the opposing attackers. This was, by the way, Brentford’s third goal from a long throw this season.

United’s Mbeumo set to challenge Van Persie’s record

Bryan Mbeumo, backed by Ruben Amorim, believes he can outscore United striker Robin van Persie’s 26 Premier League goals which he achieved in 2012-13. The former Brentford winger/striker is already halfway to beating last season’s top scorers Bruno Fernandes and Armad Diallo, although to be fair they managed only eight goals each.

Mbeumo scored 20 goals for Brentford last season and when asked to reveal his secret he said, ‘I always try to aim big in everything I do. I try not to set limits on myself, on what I can reach.’

Amorim is pleased that Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Bruno Fernandes have formed a formidable trio which the coach explains is being given maximum attention in weekly training sessions because United are not involved in Europe this season and have more valuable improvement time.

Arsenal brings a smile to their old boss’s face

Many of you might remember Arsenal’s coach George Graham. He was the boss at Arsenal from 1986 -1995 during which time he led the club to two league titles and a League Cup and FA Cup. George, now 80 years old, was in the VIP seats last weekend at the Emirates and there was a wide smile on his face as he listened to the fans sing ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’. It was the chant adopted during his time in charge when the Gunners were on their way to winning the Cup Winners Cup in 1994. They are now taking opportunities to sing that chant as Arsenal have beaten Manchester United and Fulham by the same score.

The other chant I particularly enjoy is, ‘Set piece again, Ole, Ole.’ The Gunners have scored 16 goals this season and 11 of those have come from set pieces.

Arsenal are the team to beat now and many are already saying it is their title to lose.George Graham is a very happy man.

Haaland could break my record-Alan Shearer

England, Blackburn and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, holder of the Premier League scoring record, has admitted his total could eventually be overtaken by Erling Haaland.

Shearer’s 260 goals were thought to be unbeatable but Haaland has hit the net 94 times in just 104 appearances since joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.

Shearer is on record saying, ‘Haaland is the perfect centre-forward. His record is phenomenal and his appetite to score is fantastic. I love it. He is quick, strong, agile and he reacts quicker than most around the six-yard box, which is impressive and his ability to put the ball in the back of the net is magnificent. If you are building a footballer or centre-forward you wouldn’t look too far away from Haaland being the perfect one.’

‘If he stays in the Premier League another six or seven years, he’s definitely someone who could and probably will break my record.’

Osula gaining Newcastle’s trust

Manager Eddie Howe admitted that his bright young star Will Osula was very rough around the edges when he walked through the gates of St James Park. Howe credits former Belgium and England coach Graeme Jones with polishing Osula’s undoubted talent.

The 22-year-old was signed for £22million and was selected for being tall and quick but very disorganised. Jones has spent a lot of training time with him and last weekend when he replaced Nick Woltemade with only five minutes of the match remaining, he instantly made an impression. He set up the winning goal for Bruno Guimaraes late on which gave Newcastle a 2-1 win over Fulham. Osula collected the ball on the halfway line, moved forward, taking on the Fulham backline and unleashed a terrific shot which goalkeeper Bernd Leno could only parry into the path of the oncoming Bruno Guimaraes who netted the ball from the rebound.

Howe praised Osula’s work on the training field and is now works on improving him tactically. The young Danish player from Copenhagen has a bright future in the north east with Newcastle.

Tottenham vs Chelsea

Two teams are fighting for a top six position with Chelsea coming off the back of a loss last weekend. Tottenham go into this match in 3rd place and Chelsea 9th but only separated by three points.

Enzo Maresca the Chelsea coach this week said that his priority is beating Tottenham and they would then go level on points with the currently third placed club. He will field his strongest team after their 1-2 loss at home to Sunderland.

The Blues have a great record against Spurs and if they can pull off a win it will be five in a row against their London rivals. Their striker Joao Pedro has seen his early season form drop off and Liam Delap is ready to return after suffering a hamstring injury but he is unlikely to play for the full 90 minutes.

Alexander Garnacho scored Chelsea’s only goal against Sunderland and he is anxious to keep his place on the left wing. Pedro Neto and Marc Guilu make up the rest of Chelsea’s forward line. Marc Cucurella will probably start at left back and Moises Caicedo is in goalscoring form and he will be a handful in midfield for Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur

Tottenham coach Thomas Frank has learned some lessons this past two weeks and he has spent time in training with his front-line Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus and Brennan Johnson. Scoring three against Everton thanks to his defenders is not what Frank wants from his team despite being delighted with the win but it was Van de Ven (2 goals) and Pape Matar Sarr who won the game.

Enzo Maresca will be happy to come away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a draw but for Frank it will be all systems go as he tries to cement Tottenham’s top four position.

The Deputy Speaker of Kebbi State House of Assembly, Samaila Bagudo, has been abducted by bandits.

According to the police, armed men invaded the lawmaker’s hometown in Bagudo Local Government Area of the state and abducted him shortly after he had observed Isha’i prayers and was returning home.

It said a team of security operatives had been dispatched for a major search to rescue him.

According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, the incident occurred on Friday, October 31, 2025, at about 8:20p.m.

It said, ‘A joint team comprising police tactical units, military personnel, and local vigilantes have been deployed to the area for his rescue.

‘The combined forces are currently combing suspected bandits’ routes and surrounding forests in an effort to rescue the lawmaker unhurt and apprehend those responsible for the attack.’

The statement added that the Commissioner of Police had reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across Kebbi State, describing the abduction as ‘a dastardly act that will not go unpunished.’

It said the police commissioner further appealed to residents to remain calm and be vigilant, and to provide useful information that could aid ongoing rescue operation.

A director at the Institute of Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Rabiu Adamu, has said that the conventional means of crop production cannot meet food demand in Nigeria; and therefore, not sustainable, especially owing to population growth and shrinking agricultural lands.

He said that Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, produced 12.4 million metric tonnes of maize, which falls short of 18 million metric tonnes, which is the national requirement.

To address the growing gap, the professor said the government approved the introduction of high-yielding maize that is drought-tolerant and insect- resistant.

‘Nigeria still needs to improve its production per unit area. Per hectare production is less than 3 tonnes, so we need improvement there because urbanisation, road construction and many other things like desertification have been taking agricultural lands. To improve your production you need high-yielding crops, which do not require herbicides and pesticides, or even fertiliser,’ Adamu said.

On concerns over safety of genetically modified foods (GMOs), the professor said that to ensure food safety and human health, any crop coming into the country has to pass through regulatory mechanisms that ensure they are wholesome and safe, noting that the regulation for GMOs is even stricter than that of conventional crops because of genetic materials added.

‘Before any crop is released for commercial use, it must go through a lot of physiological and nutritional analysis. Available data have so far shown the safety of the GMOs based on more than 200 researches conducted in Europe, USA, Latin America and some African countries. That is why they were allowed to be consumed, having met safety requirements. There is no report from either the World Health Organisation or Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (UN) that said genetically modified crops or food products were harmful to humans or animals. Presently, there are genetically modified crops, such as maize, tomato, rice, soybeans and pawpaw in the market. There are no proven safety issues in that regard.

‘The use of GMOs is the reason that motivates and allows Nigeria to adopt the framework and signed the Geneva protocol on biodiversity based on the understanding of the framework to allow for the implementation and commercialisation of transgenic crops,’ he explained.

Adamu said Nigeria did not produce enough organic food but conventional crops like other developing countries, where farmers use external inputs like organic fertilisers, non-synthetic pesticides. He argued that for genetically modified crops, some of them have been bred to resist some of production constraints farmers encounter during crop production like the insects, such as stem borers and fall army worms.

According to him, the federal government has officially approved the cultivation of three genetically modified crops. The first one that was approved, he said, was Bt cotton against the boll worms in the year 2020, followed by cowpea, SAMPEA 20T in 2021, then in 2024, the Tela maize, that is the genetically modified maize with resistance to army worms and stem borers. The maize hybrid was released with high resistance to army worms and stem borers and some tolerance to drought. There are some 72T, 73T, 74T and 75T.

Two years ago, our president, on assumption of office, announced fuel subsidy removal and just like that, we entered one chance.

The effects of the policy started gradually and before long, we all began to feel the pinch in our shoes. The queues, the cost, the collective grimace of a nation grinding to a halt. In the hospital, we felt it acutely. The daily struggle became a calculus of survival. A colleague of mine, a brilliant paediatrician dedicated to saving our nation’s children, made a pragmatic decision. He parked his car, a relic of better days, and resurrected an old motorcycle from the depths of his garage. It was his new, cost-effective chariot to and from the hospital.

This decision was born out of necessity, a quiet sacrifice for the privilege of serving a country that often forgets its servants. One evening, after a gruelling 24-hour call duty, exhausted and navigating the poorly lit streets on his rickety motorcycle, he was hit by a reckless Keke Napep rider. The result was a fractured left leg, surgery, and a mandated six-week absence from the wards. For six weeks, the children under his care lost their doctor. For six weeks, his family lived in anxiety. And for six weeks, the system he risked his safety to serve barely blinked.

This story is not an anomaly; it is a symptom. It is the prelude to the painful but inevitable decision the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has been forced to take: a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike, commencing on November 1, 2025.

When the news breaks, the public narrative will, as always, be quick to condemn the doctors. ‘How can they abandon their posts?’ ‘It is inhuman!’ The government’s press releases will paint a picture of unreasonable unions holding the nation to ransom. But behind the headlines and the hollow podiums lies a truth we can no longer sugar-coat: this strike is not an act of aggression; it is the final, desperate act of self-preservation by a profession being systematically bled dry.

The communiqué from NARD’s Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting is not a mere list of demands; it is a damning autopsy of a public health system in its terminal stages. Let us move beyond the abstract and look at the concrete injustices that have brought us here. In the communique, resident doctors have itemised nineteen issues that need to be addressed.

Nineteen issues fa? Haba!

Don’t worry, I will not bore you with all the technical issues (as I am not the spokesperson of NARD), but I will highlight the key grievances of resident doctors across the country.

We are talking about a government that, with a straight face, has failed to fully settle arrears of five months from a salary review that was itself a delayed adjustment. They have watched as newly employed doctors have had their entry-level grades deliberately downgraded, leading to gross salary shortages from their very first day of service. Imagine a young doctor, fresh with passion, discovering that their pay check is a fraction of what it should be, all while battling the cost of living in urban centres. This is not an oversight; it is a policy of demoralisation.

Furthermore, the government’s failure to pay the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance and other promotion arrears dating back to 2021 is a special kind of cruelty. It is a deliberate act that subjects us and our families to economic hardship, forcing choices like my colleague’s trading a car for a dangerous motorcycle just to make ends meet.

But the crisis is not just about money; it is about life and death. The communiqué highlights the ‘prolonged and inhumane’ working hours doctors are subjected to, a practice that ‘poses serious risks to physicians’ well-being and patient safety.’ This is not an exaggeration. The current system, where a doctor can be on duty for stretches that span several days, is a recipe for disaster. A sleep-deprived, mentally exhausted physician is a danger to themselves and to the patient on the table. The government’s refusal to enforce civilised work-hour limits is not just exploitative; but a direct threat to public health and safety.

Compounding this is the ‘catastrophic manpower shortage’ caused by the government’s refusal to implement a simple one-for-one replacement policy. For every doctor that leaves the country for greener pastures (Japa), they are not replaced. Politicians think that by increasing the quota of medical schools or increasing the number of medical schools, they have replaced the number of doctors that have left, No! How can one medical student replace a fully trained nephrologist in his place of work? Do you know the number of years it takes to train a consultant nephrologist? How many medical students will replace the nephrologist that left? And in what distant future? What about the ‘now’?

As for the doctors that remain in Nigeria, their workload multiplies, fuelling burnout and ensuring that the cycle of exhaustion continues. We are simultaneously overworked and understaffed, a paradox that can only exist in a system teetering on the brink of collapse.

Add to this the casualisation of our profession through abusive locum arrangements, the exclusion of house officers from the civil service scheme, the non-payment of specialist allowances, and the frustrating bureaucratic bottlenecks with our postgraduate colleges, and you have a perfect storm of discontent.

So, when NARD declares an indefinite strike, understand what it is. It is the collective cry of a workforce that has been pushed to the edge. It is the final resort after ‘repeated extensions of ultimatums as a show of goodwill’ were met with utter disregard. We have watched the government renege on Memoranda of Understanding, ignore Collective Bargaining Agreements, and treat our legitimate concerns with a profound lack of political will.

My colleague with the fractured leg has since returned to work, a metal implant in his leg a permanent reminder of his sacrifice. But what of the fractures in the system? Who will fix those? The strike is our attempt to force that repair. It is a painful, last-ditch effort to save the Nigerian health sector from total implosion and to demand the dignity and respect that every Nigerian doctor deserves.

We do not take this decision lightly. But when the system has broken your body and your spirit, sometimes you have to stop and demand that it be mended, before there is nothing left to fix.