Category: The Nation – Nigeria

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), says it has commenced intensive engagement with the hosting organization to rectify its faulty Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

The board disclosed this yesterday while notifying institutions, candidates and all other users of the CAPS that the platform is temporarily unavailable.

In a statement by the Ag. Director, Public Affairs and Protocol Department Fabian Benjamin, JAMB said the disruption, which commenced earlier yesterday, arose from technical challenges associated with the platform’s hosting arrangements.

According to the statement, ‘the Board has immediately commenced intensive engagement with the hosting organisation to identify and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.The Board is particularly conscious of the timing of this disruption, given that CAPS is the central platform through which admissions into tertiary institutions across the country are processed.

‘At this peak period of the admission exercise, institutions are actively processing admissions, candidates are anxiously awaiting the outcome of admission decisions, and several stakeholders are simultaneously interfacing with the platform.

‘The Board considers it important to promptly inform the public of this development, in keeping with its commitment to transparency and accountability in the conduct of its statutory responsibilities. Rather than leave candidates, institutions and other stakeholders to speculate about the cause of the disruption, the Board is providing this update while all necessary efforts are being made to restore the platform.’

The statement added that the ‘Board regrets the inconvenience this temporary disruption may cause candidates, institutions and other users of the platform. All stakeholders are, however, assured that the Board is working round the clock with the hosting organisation to resolve the issue and restore CAPS to full functionality within the shortest possible time.

Given the critical role of CAPS in ensuring a transparent, orderly and coordinated admissions process, the Board will also review the circumstances surrounding the disruption with a view to putting measures in place to prevent a recurrence of such interruptions.The Board appreciates the patience and understanding of all candidates, institutions and stakeholders and will provide further updates as developments unfold.’

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Special Marshals Zone RS2 comprises Lagos and Ogun, has been ranked the Best Performing Zone in Nigeria, securing the 1st position with an outstanding score of 96% in the recently concluded national evaluation of Special Marshals activities across the country.

The evaluation placed RS7 (FCT and Niger) in 2nd Position with 94%, while RS6 (Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa) emerged in 3rd Position with 90%. Other positions were occupied by RS5 (4th Position), RS12 (5th Position), RS11 (6th Position), RS4 (7th Position), and RS3 (8th Position).

This remarkable achievement is a testament to the exemplary leadership of the RS2 Zonal Coordinator, SM (Pastor) Olusegun Akintan, whose dedication, vision, and commitment have transformed Zone RS2 into one of the most vibrant and outstanding zones in the country. His leadership continues to inspire excellence, foster unity, and strengthen operational effectiveness across the zone.

Special commendation also goes to the State Coordinator of RS2.1 Lagos Special Marshals, SM (Dr.) Olabisi O. Dennis, whose outstanding leadership has consistently positioned Lagos State at the forefront of Special Marshal activities nationwide. Through his commitment to service, accountability, innovation, and teamwork, RS2.1 Lagos has continued to set the pace in operational activities, public enlightenment programmes, training, stakeholder engagement, and infrastructure development.

The evaluation report described RS2.1 Lagos as having one of the most extensive and diversified portfolios of activities among all submissions nationwide. The report highlighted numerous infrastructure projects, patrol vehicle rehabilitation initiatives, equipment donations, public enlightenment campaigns, Road Safety Club initiatives, church and school advocacy programmes, training activities, and community-based road safety interventions.

The report further recognised the exceptional level of participation by Lagos Special Marshals, strong unit mobilisation, significant infrastructure investments, intensive advocacy programmes, and comprehensive documentation of activities.

This achievement reinforces the position of Zone RS2 as a centre of excellence within the Special Marshals arm of the Federal Road Safety Corps. It also reflects the collective efforts of the zonal leadership, state executives, unit coordinators, and dedicated Special Marshals who continue to volunteer their time, expertise, and resources in support of safer roads across Nigeria.

Nigeria sit second in Group L after a 2-1 win over Madagascar in their first 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture on Friday.

The Super Eagles fought back from an early goal to take maximum points.

But it was not enough for the three-time African champions to go top of the group.

This is due to Guinea-Bissau’s 2-0 win over Tanzania.

Franculino Djú opened the scoring for Guinea-Bissau in the 33rd minute before Mama Baldé added the second goal in the 58th minute to seal the away win.

Nigeria’s next game will be away to Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, as they wrestle for early leadership in the group.

The Super Eagles began their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on a winning note after securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday.

Nigeria fell behind in the 16th minute when Ehsan Kari headed Madagascar into the lead.

The goal initially appeared to have been scored from an offside position, but the referee allowed it to stand.

The Super Eagles responded as they searched for an equaliser, with Alex Iwobi having the ball in the net in the 34th minute.

However, Nigeria’s effort was ruled out after Akor Adams was adjudged to have impeded the Madagascar goalkeeper.

Nigeria eventually got their reward in first-half stoppage time when George Ilenikhena scored on his Super Eagles debut.

The forward finished well after receiving an assist from Iwobi to make it 1-1 before the break.

Ilenikhena’s goal capped an eventful debut after Éric Chelle handed him his first senior appearance for Nigeria.

Nigeria continued to push after the interval and completed the comeback in the 65th minute through another debutant.

Moses Usor put the Super Eagles ahead with his first Nigeria goal after receiving an assist from Semi Ajayi, giving Chelle’s side a 2-1 advantage.

The result gives Nigeria three points from their opening Group L fixture as they begin their pursuit of qualification for the 2027 AFCON.

The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to their second Group L fixture against Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, September 29.

The Lagos State Government has urged residents to make environmental sanitation a daily responsibility rather than wait for government-led exercises.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Olabode Agoro, made the call during the September sanitation monitoring on Saturday.

The ????????exercise was held at Otto Road, Ijora Olopa, Lagos Mainland Local Government.

Agoro said the exercise, which began six months ago, had recorded improving turnout, but residents could do more.

He said residents often waited for government officials to arrive before cleaning their surroundings instead of taking responsibility for their environment.

‘We want to see people already cleaning outside, by the time we come,’ Agoro said.

The Head of Service said environmental sanitation was a continuous exercise that would be sustained by successive administrations.

He urged residents to understand that cleanliness began with individuals and should not be left entirely to the government.

‘Government cannot come inside your house and clean your bathroom and clean your toilet. It starts with you,’ he said.

Agoro said maintaining a clean environment would help reduce sickness and airborne diseases while promoting healthier communities.

He said the foundation for sustained environmental sanitation had been laid, but compliance could still improve.

Agoro said government officials would continue monitoring and sensitising residents while supporting communities to maintain environmental cleanliness.

He commended the Executive Chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government, Mayor Jubril Emilagba, for mobilising residents for the exercise.

Also speaking, Emilagba said the council’s partnership with residents remained essential to sustaining environmental cleanliness across the local government area.

He said community development associations and community development committees had joined the exercise alongside residents.

‘We advise our people to continue to tidy up their area, not once in a month, but on a regular basis,’ Emilagba said.

The chairman said the local government had overcome its recent refuse crisis, adding that its areas were currently clean.

‘The era of refuse crisis in our local government has passed; it ended last month,’ he said.

Emilagba expressed satisfaction with the level of cleanliness observed during the exercise and urged residents to sustain the practice.

He said the council would continue encouraging residents to maintain clean homes and surroundings.

The Coalition of Presidential Campaign Council of Support Groups in Oyo State has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to recognise and re-engage grassroots support groups that mobilised for the President during the 2023 presidential election.

The coalition made the appeal on Saturday at an emergency press briefing and stakeholders’ meeting held at Domino Hall, Ring Road, Ibadan.

It said its structures across the state remained available to support the communication of government policies and programmes and strengthen grassroots engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The meeting was presided over by the coalition’s Chief Coordinator in Oyo State, Hon. Yemi Akinwale ‘JP’ (Havana), and attended by executives and state coordinators of various presidential support groups.

The coalition said its members mobilised across the 33 local government areas, 351 wards and 6,390 polling units in Oyo State during the 2023 presidential election to campaign for Tinubu and the APC.

It, however, expressed concern that many coordinators, foot soldiers and support groups that participated in the campaign had, two years after the election, not been adequately engaged, recognised or integrated into governance and party administration processes.

Akinwale, in his opening speech, said the coalition was not seeking confrontation with the Presidency or the APC but wanted a structured relationship that would allow grassroots mobilisers to contribute to governance beyond election periods.

He said the groups had built structures at the grassroots that could be deployed to explain government policies, communicate programmes and provide feedback from communities to the authorities.

The coalition urged the Presidency and APC leadership to establish a framework for engaging the support groups, saying such a structure would strengthen communication and grassroots participation ahead of the 2027 elections.

‘Our message today is simple: we seek recognition, inclusion and engagement,’ he said.

‘We are not here to complain. We are not here to create division. We are not here to undermine the leadership of our party or the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

‘Rather, we are here to offer ourselves as partners who remain available and willing to contribute to the success of the administration.’

According to him, the support groups should not be regarded solely as election-time organisations because their members maintain relationships within communities and understand issues affecting people at the grassroots.

He said the structures could assist the government in communicating its policies and programmes, correcting misinformation and providing feedback from communities.

‘We believe that a government cannot effectively communicate its policies, programmes and achievements to the grassroots without engaging the structures and individuals who have established relationships within those communities,’ Akinwale said.

The coalition consequently appealed to Tinubu, the national leadership of the APC and relevant federal authorities, including the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, to create mechanisms for the inclusion of Oyo support groups in federal appointments, boards, empowerment programmes, palliative distribution and policy communication.

It also requested a formal meeting with Tinubu or any authority designated by him to present a proposed roadmap for using the coalition’s structures across the state for grassroots engagement.

The group said such an arrangement would enable its members to communicate the achievements of the administration, address misinformation and provide feedback from citizens while preparing the structures for the 2027 electoral cycle.

The coalition also announced plans to commence the immediate re-energisation of its structures across the wards and local governments, including door-to-door sensitisation on the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration.

It reaffirmed its loyalty to Tinubu, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the APC, while stressing that its request for inclusion was not an assertion of entitlement.

Akinwale said the coalition recognised the importance of competence, responsibility, discipline and due process in governance, adding that members who had demonstrated commitment and possessed the requisite capacity should be considered for appropriate opportunities.

‘Our position is that those who have demonstrated commitment and possess the requisite capacity should be given opportunities to contribute where appropriate,’ he said.

The coalition also commended what it described as reform initiatives of the Tinubu administration, citing foreign exchange reforms, the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund and the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative.

It equally commended the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady for interventions targeting women, youths and vulnerable Nigerians.

However, the coalition said the reported lack of engagement with grassroots support groups had affected the morale of some members and weakened structures that could otherwise assist in communicating government programmes at the community level.

Looking ahead to 2027, the coalition said its structures remained spread across the 33 local government areas, 351 wards and 6,390 polling units of the state, stressing that proper coordination and engagement could strengthen communication between the government and citizens.

It declared its readiness to support Tinubu’s 2027 campaign, saying it had the capacity to mobilise across the state if adequately engaged and supported.

The coalition concluded by describing its intervention as a call for partnership rather than opposition, insisting that it remained committed to Nigeria, Oyo State, the APC and the Renewed Hope administration.

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has received the 2026 Quintessence Pan-African Top Leadership Award, dedicating the honour to the resilient people of Borno and to Nigerians working to restore dignity and opportunity to their communities.

The Quintessence Award is presented each year to one continental African leader and one African American leader for distinguished accomplishments in their field of endeavour and outstanding contributions to the history and heritage of African people.

This year’s edition was chaired by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, and attended by the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; Emir of Kano, HRH Muhammad Sanusi II; Nigerian ambassador to Ethiopia; the Consul General of Nigeria in Atlanta; and former Nigerian Minister of Finance Dr Mansur Mukhtar.

Speaking at the award ceremony on Friday in New Jersey, Governor Babagana Zulum said the recognition was ‘not for me alone’ but for everyone who had worked to turn ideas into action and improve people’s lives.

‘This recognition is not for me alone, but for the resilient people of Borno, every Nigerian and African who has worked tirelessly to turn ideas into action, and to bring dignity to the lives of our people,’ Zulum said.

The governor said his upbringing in a farming community in Mafa Local Government Area shaped his belief that leadership should open doors for others, particularly children whose potential might otherwise go unnoticed.

‘Leadership is not about grand titles, but about building ladders of opportunity so everyone can climb,’ he said.

Reflecting on Borno’s recovery from the Boko Haram insurgency, Zulum said his administration had focused on rebuilding homes, schools, health facilities and other public infrastructure.

According to the Governor, his administration has reconstructed more than 30,000 homes, schools, clinics and other public facilities since he assumed office in 2019. He said that in the first year alone, 326 projects were completed, including more than 6,000 houses for families affected by the conflict, and that he has delivered more than 1,000 capital projects over the past six years.

Zulum described the projects as more than statistics, saying they represented shelter for displaced families, classrooms for children and health centres where mothers could receive care.

Zulum urged Nigerians and other Africans in the diaspora to invest not only their money but also their skills and ideas in businesses, education and healthcare back home. He described Africa’s greatest asset as its young people and called for greater investment in their education, health and creativity.

‘I call on you to invest back home – not just your capital, but your skills and ideas,’ he said. ‘Every factory you build, every school you help fund, is an investment in Africa’s greatest resource: our people.’

The Governor said remittances provide vital support to families but argued that channelling even a fraction of those funds into factories, schools and clinics could yield wider benefits. He encouraged the diaspora and international partners to support start-ups, technology hubs, teacher training and stronger institutions.

Describing leadership as service rather than status, Zulum urged teachers, healthcare workers, business owners and others to make a difference in their communities without waiting for an official title.

‘My message today is that leaders are enablers, not distant rulers,’ Zulum concluded.

The Governor was accompanied at the event by the First Lady of Borno State, Dr Falmata Babagana Zulum; Chief Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development, Partnership and Humanitarian Support, Dr Mairo Mandara; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Zuwaira Gambo; and Chairman of the Governing Board, Kashim Ibrahim Teaching Hospital, Professor Ahmed Ahidjo.

Others who accompanied His Excellency included Dr Thameer Kezamal and Mr Huber Shaiyen, who also chaired the Borno Investment Roundtable, among other dignitaries.

Abia State Governor Alex Otti yesterday kicked against the agitation for the return of fuel subsidy and said those rooting for it don’t mean well for the country.

According to him, subsidising what people consume can only encourage laziness and corruption instead of supporting production and efficiency.

‘When you subsidise consumption rather than production, you are just subsidising laziness. You are subsidising, sometimes, corruption. You know, because there’s just no way that people will not want to take advantage of the system,’ the governor said on Arise News.

He said that instead of subsiding the price of fuel,government should focus on creating reliable systems that allow businesses and individuals to produce as people tend to use resources more efficiently when they have to pay for them.

‘When you have to pay, you are much more efficient. And anyhow you slice and dice it, it’s still cheaper than darkness. And if you have to run a generator, buy the diesel, provide for the maintenance, you will find that you are paying a whole lot more than public power supply,’ he said.

He added: ‘for the people who use it for production, for their factories, those people, they really don’t need the subsidy. They just need the constant power supply. And once you’re able to guarantee them constant power supply, they’ll pay. So businesses don’t need subsidy.’

‘Low-income earners can always manage. And I’ve given you an idea of how they can manage. Well, in many parts of the world, they turn off the electricity to save power.’

He described the removal of petrol subsidy as a right decision and warned:’You know, as election approaches, people will be making all sorts of arguments. But removing the subsidy was the right thing to be done.’

Asked who he would vote for in next year’s presidential election between President Bola Tinubu and the NDC presidential candidate,Peter Obi,Otti said:’ I will not speak on who I will vote for here, but it must be somebody that will win.

Pressed whether he was supporting President Tinubu for the election, Otti said:’For the 2027 election, I have said that I have a presidential candidate.’

When he was asked again whether he was supporting Tinubu, Otti said:’What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?’

On his decision to remain in the Labour Party even after the exit of the party’s presidential candidate in 2023,peter Obi,the governor hinged his decision on the need to resolve the internal disputes and court cases facing the party.

Those issues,according to him,have now been resolved.

He said:’But you have seen that we’ve solved the problem. There is a saying that you don’t relocate from your house because armed robbers came.

‘Armed robbers came and attacked the house, so tomorrow you move and go to your neighbor’s house? You need to solve the problem, so I remained, and I’m sure you agree with me that we have solved the problem.

He spoke of his efforts to stop Obi from dumping the LP.

His words: ‘He came and met with me, and I told him that for me, I was staying back. But he said he was leaving.

‘I also predicted some of the things that happened, particularly where he went to first, and then he left that place again. Is it for me to tell him where he will be? Absolutely no, but at least I offered him my own piece of advice based on my understanding.

‘You know he’s a more senior person, so there are things he could have seen that I didn’t see.’

Responding to Obi’s claim that the Labour Party’s problems would not have been resolved if he had remained in the party, Otti said the resolution process was already underway.

‘Okay, but the process of resolution was already on. So for me, I could see that resolution.

‘Like I said, he could have seen what I wasn’t seeing, and I’m not in a position to-I don’t even have a superior idea or knowledge.

‘But what I could see at that time, including what I saw where he was headed, eventually turned out to be right. Otherwise, he would have stayed there, but he now left to where he is now.

‘So it’s a matter of debate whether the problem could have been resolved with him there or not; I don’t know,’he said.

How God saved me from assassination attempt in 2015 – Otti

And speaking during the ‘Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service’ in Umuahia,on Thursdayy evening, Otti narrated his journey into politics, saying his decision to serve God sustained him through life-threatening political challenges.

He gave a vivid account of an ‘assassination attempt’ on him.

He said that a friend recently reminded him of events surrounding his journey in politics, particularly an incident in July 2015 which, according to him, could have claimed his life.

Otti recalled that he contested the 2015 Governorship Election and went to the tribunal to contest the election result when the victory was given to the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governorship Candidate, Okezie Ikpeazu.

He said that he was in Abuja trying to hold a meeting with someone, who repeatedly shifted the dates, until the meeting still did not take place.

Otti said that he subsequently informed his friends that he would leave Abuja the following day since the meeting didn’t hold, in spite their objections.

‘There was only one flight from Abuja to Owerri then.

‘All my friends objected. I said, well, I have received a message that I must leave Abuja.

‘So, to make it make sense, I told them I wanted to be at the tribunal on Friday, so they grudgingly accepted.

‘That night, assassins attacked my residence in Abuja, shot two policemen dead, and they were looking for me.

‘Of course, God had taken me away,’ he said.

Otti said the attackers, after failing to find him, apparently believed he was still within the premises and proceeded to search the adjoining compound.

He said: ‘When they finished and couldn’t find me. They were convinced I was there.

‘They had so much time. By the way, this was Maitama.

‘They jumped into the next compound, and I learnt that they were up to 12.

‘They jumped into the next compound, and stripped the whole building.’

Reflecting on the incident, Otti said there had been no obvious reason for him to leave Abuja at that particular time, but he believed that his departure was divinely directed.

‘They thought I jumped first, but I left.

‘There was no reason for me not to be there but God had taken me away from there,’ he said.

The governor also recounted how some friends tried to discourage him from entering politics, while others advised him to seek protection through traditional or other means.

‘A lot of friends, after trying to dissuade me, found I couldn’t be dissuaded.

‘They said, okay, if you decided to do this thing, you can’t go in there empty-handed.

‘You can’t go there without belonging to some societies.

‘You can’t go there without going to some native doctors for protection and you will be shocked at the kind of people that are making these suggestions and some of them are leaders in churches.’

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DAKA Foundation and Agba-Akin Bobajiro of Ibadanland, Dr. Kazeem Adesina Abidikugu, popularly known as (KSO), has congratulated Baba Ahmed, a strong youth mobiliser and grassroots politician, on his appointment by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation, North Central.

Abidikugu, who is contesting for the House of Representatives in the Ibadan South East and North East Federal Constituency under the ADC platform in Oyo State, described Baba Ahmed’s appointment as well deserved.

In a statement, Abidikugu said such an appointment could not have come at a better time, when all hands should be on deck for Atiku to win the 2027 Presidential election.

According to him, given Baba Ahmed’s qualities and mobilisation abilities, he congratulates Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for fishing him out, which, according to him, was a positive appointment.

Abidikugu, a United Kingdom-based psychiatric consultant, said that, as a friend and a youth in politics, he wished Baba Ahmed the best in his new position and a wonderful tenure in office, praying that God will crown his efforts.

‘I know you are capable of excelling in your new position. I pray that the Almighty Allah will give you a sound mind and good health for you to succeed. Congratulations and wishing you all the best’.

Veteran actor Peter Fatomilola has hailed skitmaker Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, describing him as exceptionally generous.

Speaking in an interview with African A-List, the Nollywood icon recalled his encounter with the content creator on a movie set in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Fatomilola said after wrapping up his two scenes, Mr Macaroni met him, walked him to his car and offered to support him with fuel money.

He noted that while he received N50,000 from the producer who engaged him for the job, Mr Macaroni gave him N200,000.

The veteran added that on another occasion, Mr Macaroni invited him to feature in a project with Pete Edochie and paid him N1 million for a single scene.

‘Mr Macaroni saw me on set one day. I had just finished the two scenes I was called for, and he escorted me to my car. He offered to give me fuel money and handed me 200k. Even the person who called me for those two scenes only gave me 50k. Macaroni still called me for another job with Pete Edochie another day and gave me 1 million Naira for just a scene’, he said.