Category: Nigerian Tribune

As candidates intensify efforts to outshine their opponents, the campaign organisation of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Adamawa State, Senator Aishatu Ahmed Binani, has rejected recent accusations by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir Lawal, describing them as unsubstantiated and politically divisive.

The response followed a recent statement by Lawal after his emergence as a leader of the NDC’s political activities in the North-East.

The former SGF had accused Binani and other NDC governorship candidates in the northern zone of working against the party’s presidential ticket.

In a statement signed by the Director of Media and Public Affairs of the Binani campaign organisation, Hon. Mathias Yohanna, the campaign said it would not be intimidated by what it described as ‘indecent language’ or personal attacks.

The campaign organisation said Binani participated in a democratically convened meeting of NDC governorship candidates where decisions concerning the North-East were taken, adding that it remained committed to the decision to recognise Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as the party’s leader in the North.

‘While we respect elders who stand for the truth, our respect should not be taken for granted,’ the statement said.

It faulted Lawal for allegedly referring to some NDC governorship candidates as ‘so-called gubernatorial’ candidates and ‘nincompoops’.

The campaign further accused the former SGF of engaging in divisive politics rather than building unity within the party, urging him to adopt what it called the dignity expected of political leaders seeking the mandate of citizens.

The statement also challenged Lawal’s political influence, questioning whether his political weight alone could determine the outcome of the North-East political contest.

The campaign organisation urged the national leadership of the NDC to intervene in the dispute and call Lawal to order, stressing that the party’s constitution and principles should guide political debates and interactions among members.

It appealed for the promotion of ‘conscience, integrity and respect for one another’ as the basis for building a united and peaceful party ahead of the 2027 elections.

The latest exchange is part of a growing disagreement within the NDC’s North-East structure. Six governorship candidates recently rejected Lawal’s appointment as the party’s regional leader, citing inadequate consultation, while Lawal subsequently accused some party members of attempting to undermine the Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso ticket.

Sometimes, governance is not about making the loudest noise. It is about seeing a problem, thinking around it and solving it.

Take what Seyi Makinde has done with the new Ibadan bypass.

You are coming from Lagos on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Instead of entering the belly of Ibadan to wrestle with traffic, heat, impatient ‘Micra’ drivers and the familiar Nigerian symphony of horns, you simply veer off.

Then-breeze, awesome breeze caressing your face.

You are moving, not spending what feels like half a lifetime trying to cross Ibadan. Just a smooth stretch of road, the kind that makes you lean back in your seat and say, ‘Ah! So government can actually think?’

And before you have finished enjoying the ride, you are on the Osun stretch.

Eighteen minutes, yes, just 18 minutes drive

That is not merely a road. That is time returned to the people.

That is a businessman reaching his destination earlier, a truck driver spending fewer hours in traffic, a family travelling with less stress, groomsmen arriving at the wedding before the couple enters panic mode. That is saving expensive fuel.

And this is where we must give Governor Makinde his flowers.

Some governors think. Some governors complain. Some governors think about why they cannot do something. Others think about how they can do it.

There is a particularly lazy Nigerian governmental logic that says: ‘It is a federal road, therefore we cannot touch it.’

Wonderful.

So everybody should suffer because a signboard says ‘Federal’?

Please.

There are governors who have discovered that leadership sometimes means thinking beyond the legal boundary of your desk. You engage the Federal Government. You collaborate. You negotiate. You find funding. You solve the problem within the law.

Because the ordinary traveller does not care whether the pothole belongs to Abuja, Ibadan, Osun or Mars.

He just wants to get home alive and on time.

That is why infrastructure such as this bypass is bigger than Oyo State.

Look at the geography.

Lagos connects to Ogun. Ogun connects to Oyo. Oyo opens the route towards Osun, Kwara and the rest of the country.

When Ibadan traffic is eased, many states breathe.

A Lagos trader heading to Osogbo benefits.

An Osun farmer taking produce towards Lagos benefits.

A transporter moving goods northward benefits.

A family travelling from Lagos through Osun benefits.

Businesses benefit.

Tourism benefits.

Logistics benefits.

And most importantly, ordinary Nigerians get back something governments have stolen from them for decades: time.

Soon, with the right road connections and continued improvements, the journey from Lagos to Osogbo could become less than three hours rather than the unpredictable ordeal Nigerians have become accustomed to.

That is legacy.

Not the number of billboards carrying your face.

Not the number of times your commissioners praise you on television.

Not the number of committees you inaugurated.

A road that continues to save people’s time and money long after you have left office? Now, that is legacy.

And perhaps that is the difference between a governor who is merely occupying a Government House and one who is actually thinking about the people outside it.

Because governance should not be a permanent exercise in wringing one’s hands and explaining why something cannot be done.

‘It is a federal road.’

‘There is no money.’

‘The previous administration…’

‘We are waiting for approval…’

‘It is not our responsibility…’

At some point, Nigerians simply want to ask:

‘Oga, are you governing or writing an excuse letter?’

Governor Makinde has shown something refreshing: sometimes, the problem is not that the government cannot solve a problem. The problem is that nobody has bothered to think creatively enough about solving it.

So, yes, Governor Seyi Makinde deserves the applause here.

Not because everything in Oyo is perfect. It isn’t.

Not because governors should be worshipped. They shouldn’t.

But because when somebody does something that makes life demonstrably easier for thousands-perhaps millions-of people, we should be grown enough to say so.

Nigeria has enough complainers and finger-pointers.

Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Bayelsa State have demanded inclusion in benefits accruing to oil-host communities under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

The PWDs made the demand during a visit to King Wapaebiama Amakiri, of Obhal-Emeyal Clan, in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking during the visit, coordinator of the group, Mr Philip Godfrey, noted that PWDs had been excluded from the benefits of the Host Community Development Trust Fund (HCDTF).

Godfrey said there had been no Act obligating their inclusion in the benefits accruing to host communities.

He commended the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and Ford Foundation for making the advocacy movement possible.

Godfrey said PWDs, notwithstanding the provisions of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, on their inclusion in all facets of Nigerian society, had consistently been excluded, discriminated against and disconnected from community benefits.

He observed that pollution did not discriminate against anyone, adding that it affected PWDs more than able-bodied persons.

The coordinator said PWDs had been excluded for too long and that it was not supposed to be so.

He said the Disability Law had created opportunities for PWDs to make their voices heard.

According to him, PWDs should benefit from oil exploration because some of them came from oil-producing communities and suffered the effects of pollution.

‘PWDs are not feeling among; if we are feeling the pain, we should also feel the benefits of oil exploration because some of us also come from oil-producing communities,’ he said.

Responding, Amakiri said the world had come to recognise that disability did not mean incapacitation, adding that PWDs were disabled but capable.

He said the setbacks associated with disability should no longer be used as a disadvantage against persons living with disabilities.

He said gone were the days when PWDs were regarded as beggars on the streets, but now they could contribute meaningfully to societal development.

Amakiri said that if given the opportunity, PWDs could contribute meaningfully to the development of society.

On the PIA issue, he said he would discuss it with fellow traditional rulers in charge of oil-producing communities in the clan.

He said they would deliberate on the issue at their meeting, noting that oil pollution affected both able-bodied persons and PWDs.

Public institutions must prioritise proactive disclosure to combat misinformation and disinformation, stakeholders demanded at a Lagos conference held recently.

The forum, organised by the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) to commemorate the 2026 International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), warned that systemic secrecy and poor compliance with Nigeria’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, undermine public trust.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Freedom of Information in the Age of Disinformation: Why Transparency Matters More Than Ever,’ IPC Executive Director, Lanre Arogundade, stressed that fighting fake news requires more than citizen fact-checking. He emphasised that public institutions hold a constitutional duty to provide credible data and support democratic accountability.

Participants – including journalists, lawyers and civil society organisations (CSOs) – were alarmed that many government agencies routinely deny requests without legal basis, ignore proactive publishing guidelines and delay responses, rendering time-sensitive data useless. Attendees also highlighted institutional impunity and a significant gender gap, noting that access barriers for women and underserved groups remain largely ignored.

To resolve these bottlenecks, delegates resolved to launch coordinated legal actions against wrongful denials.

They also charged media houses and CSOs with building coalitions to leverage the FOI Act for investigative reporting and tracking state expenditure.

The conference issued targeted demands to rescue the transparency law.

The Attorney-General of the Federation must enforce oversight and issue strict punitive directives against non-compliant institutions.

The judiciary must grant expedited hearings and fast-track judgments in FOI lawsuits.

Public institutions must also establish dedicated FOI desks, digitalise record-keeping and publish open-format information, while the National Orientation Agency (NOA) must launch public campaigns to educate citizens on their right to information.

Delegates concluded that timely access to verifiable official information remains the ultimate cornerstone of good governance.

The Nkpolu-Rumuigbo community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State has been flooded, disrupting economic and social activities and forcing some residents and businesses to relocate.

The Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman of the community, Echene Daddy, lamented what he described as years of government neglect, saying residents had been left to their fate.

Daddy said the deplorable condition of the Nkpolu-Rumuigbo Road had worsened the flooding, making movement difficult for motorists and residents.

‘We have been going through this thing for the past three years or more. It has been crazy all these years, but this year is the worst,’ he said.

The CDC chairman said several residents displaced by the flood had sought refuge in his office and the community town hall.

‘As I am talking to you, stranded people have moved out of their houses. They are now in my office. They are using my office as a refugee camp. Even the community town hall is filled up with people,’ he said.

He said the flood had adversely affected businesses and companies operating in the area, adding that some businesses had been forced to relocate.

According to him, ‘There is a company here that has relocated. They are looking for somewhere in the East where they will move to because of the flood.’

Daddy attributed the worsening situation partly to the poor condition of the roads, saying the Obi-Wali Road through Tuscany, Stoke City and Eckankar areas had become impassable.

He said residents who owned vehicles had been forced to park them because of the deplorable road condition.

The CDC chairman also lamented the condition of government-owned schools in the community, saying both primary and secondary schools had been affected by the flood.

‘Our secondary school Apara has been flooded and abandoned. If you go to our primary school, UPE, it has been abandoned. Floods, no zinc on the roof. Students are learning under the rain,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended other legislative activities to address the worsening flooding situation across the state.

The decision followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Deputy Majority Leader, Linda Somiari-Stewart, at the 55th Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session.

Raising the matter under Order 26 of the Standing Orders, Stewart called for urgent measures to address the impact of the floods, which she said had destroyed homes and means of livelihood, with residents in some affected communities reportedly displaced.

The Speaker, Martin Chike Amaewhule, expressed sympathy with affected residents and directed lawmakers to assess the situation in their respective constituencies and provide assistance where possible.

Following the resolution, lawmakers inspected several flood-affected areas in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, where they assessed the extent of damage and heard complaints from residents.

Speaking after the inspection, Amaewhule said the visit was prompted by the motion and distress calls from constituents across the state.

He said the Assembly observed that some areas were affected by blocked canals and neglected drainage channels, while others resulted from natural water flow.

Amaewhule called on relevant government agencies responsible for drainage maintenance and desilting to intensify their efforts, while expressing optimism that the Rivers State Government would take urgent steps to protect lives and property.

The Federal Government has urged charcoal merchants and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector of the economy to adopt sustainable practices and support efforts to reverse deforestation and restore Nigeria’s degraded forests.

Speaking at the flag-off of the 2026 Operation One Million Trees programme, organised by the Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Merchants at the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Ibadan, on Wednesday, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass Lawal, said deforestation posed a serious threat not only to the environment but also to the economic growth of the country.

The Minister, who spoke through Dr Osakwe Igbinosa, stressed the need for precautionary steps, including tree planting, to avert impending danger.

He said tree planting remained critical to combating climate change, restoring biodiversity, checking desertification and strengthening the resilience of Nigeria’s ecosystems.

Lawal said the Federal Ministry of Environment was implementing various afforestation and forest restoration initiatives, including the 2026 National Afforestation Programme, Sovereign Green Bond Afforestation Programme and the National Greening of Cities and Urban Areas initiative.

He said the Operation One Million Trees programme complemented the government’s environmental agenda, urging participants to comply with existing forestry laws and regulations.

He stressed that the success of afforestation should be measured not by the number of seedlings planted but by their survival and growth into healthy trees.

‘Tree planting is not just about putting seedlings into the soil. The real measure of success is their survival and growth into healthy forests,’ he said.

Chairman of the association, Adeshola Adebowale Idowu, urged charcoal merchants and Nigerians generally to replace trees removed from the environment, advocating the planting of several trees for every tree cut down.

Idowu also called for greater use of technology, including drones, to accelerate tree planting in difficult-to-reach locations.

In his presentation, the Oyo State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Hon Ademola Aderinto, described climate change as a global phenomenon affecting everyone, warning that projections indicated the world could face a waste-management crisis within the next 15 years and an even more serious climate crisis within 20 years if current practices persisted.

‘Climate change is dealing with every one of us globally. No one is exempted. In the next 15 years, it is projected we will be having a global waste-management crisis. Within the next 20 years, we will be having a serious global climate change crisis if nothing is done,’ Aderinto warned.

He identified indiscriminate tree felling for land development, housing and business activities as a major threat to biodiversity and food security, stressing that tree planting remained a major part of the solution.

Aderinto urged residents and developers to replace trees removed for legitimate purposes with more trees, rather than merely replacing them on a one-for-one basis.

‘If you cut down one tree for any legitimate purpose, plant back more. It is no longer one for one. You cut down one, plant two, three, four back.

‘Why take down a tree if there is no need? Why not design your building with the tree in the layout?’ he queried.

He also urged residents to cultivate the habit of planting trees in their immediate environments.

‘Plant at least one tree where you live, where you walk and where you work,’ he appealed.

Earlier, the Dean, Faculty of Renewable and Natural Resources, Prof Joke Akinyeleru, said the second year of the one-million-tree commitment demonstrated the faculty’s determination to take practical steps towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to climate action.

The Chairman of the association, Mr Idowu Adeshola, alongside other partners, including Mrs Florence Omolola of FOJ Multidynamic and Mr Azeez Rasaq of Rasbat International Resources Limited, said the initiative was designed to promote sustainable charcoal production and ensure that the charcoal business was conducted in compliance with Federal Ministry of Environment regulations.

They also disclosed that technology, including drone seeding, would be deployed as part of efforts to expand tree planting and improve forest protection.

The Chief Strategy Officer of FOJ Multidynamic Interchange Nigeria Limited, Florence Omolola, said the three-day programme was designed to promote sustainable charcoal production through sensitisation, youth engagement, tree planting and independent verification.

She said the verification phase would involve environmentalists, journalists, regulators, NGOs and other stakeholders to provide evidence of trees planted and enhance transparency.

Omolola said the initiative marked the beginning of a broader effort to make the charcoal business more environmentally responsible, expressing hope that the programme would grow beyond its one-million-tree target in subsequent years.

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday commenced preparations for the 2026 basic training programme for new recruits with a retreat for trainers drawn from various training disciplines.

The retreat, held in Lagos, brought together trainers responsible for areas including drill, medicals, security, sports and other aspects of the Service’s training programme.

Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, Frank Onyeka, said the initiative was part of the innovations introduced by the Service to bring trainers together under one platform rather than having them operate in separate segments.

Adeniyi urged the trainers to work as a team and review the training modules with a view to producing officers the Service and the society would be proud of.

He said working in silos could undermine the desired results, stressing the need for collaboration and knowledge sharing among the trainers.

‘If you don’t work like a team, you will not get the desired results. Working in silos will not give us what we want, but if you come together as a team, it is a natural answer,’ he said.

The Customs boss also urged heads of the various training units to take full responsibility for their areas while remaining open to contributions from others.

He said nobody had a monopoly of knowledge and advised the trainers not to dismiss or condemn the views of their colleagues.

‘To deliver this process and to get the desired results, all of us must work as one,’ Adeniyi said.

He recalled his experience as a trainer in 2008 and 2009, saying the officers trained during that period had risen through the ranks, with some serving as Assistant Controllers.

According to him, the success recorded by those trainees was partly attributable to the collaborative efforts of the trainers at the time.

Explaining the rationale behind the retreat, Adeniyi said the Service had previously trained its trainers in segments, with different resource persons and instructors meeting them at different times.

He said the new approach was designed to bring all the trainers under one roof to promote a common understanding and ensure that everyone worked towards the same objective.

‘You bring a resource person, talk to them. You bring the drill instructors, talk to them. It was taking time. So, instead of breaking these segments, we brought everybody under one roof for the same purpose, to get the same results and drive towards the same purpose,’ he said.

He added that the approach would save time and promote greater coordination among the trainers ahead of the commencement of the basic training programme.

On what he expects from the new recruits, Adeniyi urged them to demonstrate discipline, perseverance, and calmness throughout their training.

‘They should be calm, they should be gentle, they should have perseverance, and they should exhibit a very high level of discipline,’ he said.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Commandant of the Ikeja Training College, Deputy Comptroller Precious Atah, described the retreat as the first of its kind.

Atah said the retreat was important to set the pace for the training programme and urged the trainers to approach the exercise with an open mind.

The Coordinator of the retreat, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs Greg Itotoh (rtd.), also addressed participants at he event.

He charged the trainers to be free to discuss anything without holding back, noting that in such a way, grey areas will be exposed and solutions will not be far-fetched.

Kano State Government has commenced the distribution of teaching and learning materials to 5,022 learners enrolled in the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) across three local government areas of the state.

The exercise was flagged off by the Commissioner for Education, Dr Ali Haruna Abubakar Makoda, with support from Plan International Nigeria and funding from the European Union.

Each beneficiary is expected to receive a learning package comprising a school bag, exercise books, a pair of sandals and a water bottle.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Makoda commended Plan International Nigeria and its partners for their continued support towards expanding access to education, particularly for children and young people who have missed out on formal schooling.

He said the distribution of the materials would complement the state government’s efforts to provide a conducive learning environment for vulnerable learners and encourage them to remain committed to their education.

The commissioner reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind in the pursuit of education, stressing that partnerships with development organisations remained essential to addressing educational challenges and expanding opportunities for children across the state.

He urged beneficiaries to take proper care of the materials and use them for their intended purposes.

Makoda also called on parents, guardians, teachers, community leaders and other stakeholders to continue supporting the learners throughout their educational journey.

He appreciated Plan International, relevant government agencies, programme facilitators, community stakeholders and other development partners for their contributions to the implementation of the programme.

Also speaking, the State Project Advocacy Officer of Plan International, Alhassan Hamza Hussain, said the materials would help address some of the basic needs of beneficiaries and encourage regular participation in learning activities.

Hussain expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Education, education authorities, communities and other stakeholders for their contributions to the success of the programme.

According to programme records, the 5,022 beneficiaries are drawn from selected learning centres in Gwale, Kumbotso and Nasarawa Local Government Areas.

Kumbotso has the highest number of beneficiaries with 2,643 learners, followed by Gwale with 1,211 and Nasarawa with 1,168 learners.

The ABEP is designed to provide accelerated learning opportunities for children and young people who have missed or been excluded from formal education. The programme seeks to equip them with foundational knowledge and skills while creating pathways for their integration into the formal education system.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed into law the Appropriation (Amendment) (No.4) Bill, 2025, extending the implementation period of the 2025 budget from September 30, 2026 to December 31, 2026.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to him, the assent followed the amendment’s swift passage by both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

His statement further read:’

The extension gives Ministries, Departments and Agencies more time to complete ongoing capital projects. It ensures that funds already appropriated are fully put to work for Nigerians, without disrupting critical programmes.

‘The President commended the leadership and members of the National Assembly for their prompt consideration of the bill, a further sign of the cooperation between the Executive and the Legislature in the service of the nation.’

Rudolph Kwanue University (RKU), Paynesville City, Liberia, has appointed Prof Elvis Otobo, a Nigerian scholar, as its Public Relations Officer and Director of Communication and Publications.

Otobo’s appointment was contained in a statement, and he will run the office on a hybrid mode.

His academic and professional background covers Public Administration, Archives and Records Management, Information Resources Management, Communication, Public Relations and Heritage.

Otobo, who is currently based in the United Kingdom, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Benin, a Master’s Degree in Archives, Records and Information Management from the University of Ibadan, a Master of Arts in Heritage Theory and Practice from the University of Plymouth, United Kingdom, and a PhD in Information Resources Management from Babcock University, Nigeria.

Otobo has professional experience in public relations, communication, records management, information management, marketing, research and university administration.

He has also served in communication and public relations roles within the university environment.

By his new role at RKU, the scholar will develop the university website, manage and coordinate activities on the school platforms, and handle public relations and communication activities.

He will also promote RKU’s academic programmes, activities, achievements and events, support its media and public communication, help improve its digital presence, and support communication with students, faculty, alumni, partners and the public, as well as support RKU’s publications and research communication.

Otobo will also serve with the RKU Publications and International Research Journal Company, known as the International Journal of Research and Innovation Studies (IJRIS-RKU).

His work with IJRIS-RKU will include supporting research publications, digital publications, research communication, and the promotion of research and innovation from RKU and its academic community.