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5000 Itsekiri Graduates Of Novena Varsity Not Part Of Scholarship Beneficiaries — PAP

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•••We Are Not Owning Fees In Any Institution

The Presidential Amnesty Programme has said that it is not owing school fees of 5000 students of Itsekiri extraction in Novena University, Ogume, Delta State.

The PAP, in a statement issued on Tuesday by Mr Igoniko Oduma,
Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, stated that the agency is not owing fees in Novena or any institution within or outside the country.

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The agency was reacting to claims by the so-called Office of the Sole Representative of His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri to NNPCL, that the Amnesty Programme is “indebted” to Novena University concerning “all Itsekiri students” who graduated from the institution purportedly under the programme’s scholarship scheme.

The monarch’s agent, Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, made a curious claim in a statement that the alleged liability made the Olu’s palace to announce an intervention to settle the “outstanding tuition and clearance fees” of all the affected Itsekiri graduates of Novena.

READ ALSO:PAP Slots To Itsekiri Privilege Not Right, Group Insists

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But PAP said that there were no records in Novena University and the Amnesty Office concerning award of scholarship to the 5000 Itsekiri students of the institution.

PAP explained in the statement that the report of an inquiry into the issue by previous heads of the agency revealed that the 5000 Itsekiri indigenes were sent to the management of Novena university by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) in 2017 without the involvement of the agency.

It added that it was not conceivable for the PAP to take responsibility for the students who were not deployed by the agency.

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The statement reads, “The management of PAP wishes to state unequivocally that it is not owing Novena university any tuition fees on account of the said Itsekiri graduates and any claim to the contrary is totally false, baseless, and represents an attempt to stand truth on its head.

READ ALSO:Otuaro Cautions Against Payment Of Money For PAP Scholarship

PAP wishes to say also that it is not owing tuition fees in any institution within or outside the country.

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“To set the records straight, it is necessary to inform the public that the affected Itsekiri graduates were a subject of a formal investigation launched by a previous PAP leadership into allegations of scholarship admission racketeering under the programme’s formal education at Novena. Three other partnering universities were also investigated.

“The report of the inquiry showed that the affected Itsekiri graduates constituted a list of 5000 Itsekiri indigenes that was sent to the management of Novena university by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) in 2017 purporting them to be PAP scholarship beneficiaries.

“The investigation revealed that the list in question did not emanate from the PAP, and did not also have any authorization or approval of the Amnesty Programme office. Therefore, the affected Itsekiri indigenes could not have been deemed to be beneficiaries of the PAP scholarship scheme.

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READ ALSO:Otuaro Lauds Tinubu For Backing PAP’s Peacebuilding Process In Niger Delta

Additionally, the inquiry also revealed that there was no correspondence between the PAP and Novena university indicating that the PAP approved the purported list of 5000 Itsekiri students to be deployed to the institution.

“The investigative committee, during its work, met with the INYC president and the secretary, as well as principal officers of Novena university led by its Vice-Chancellor who could not produce any documentation between the PAP and the institution on the affected Itsekiri graduates.

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“At the end of the exercise, the PAP duly informed the management of Novena university that the Amnesty Programme office would not bear any liability for the affected students. Doing so would have amounted to encouraging sharp practices.

“Therefore, the PAP could not have accepted responsibility and obligation where it had none. The affected Itsekiri graduates of Novena university that the Olu’s palace is intervening for, were never beneficiaries of the amnesty programme’s scholarship.

READ ALSO:PAP Boss Felicitates Oborevwori @62

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All the PAP administrations that preceded the current one headed by the Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, had seen the official report of the investigation and they respected the incontrovertible truth so established.

“Thankfully, Dr Otuaro has expanded the PAP scholarship scheme in order to create more access to higher education for ex-agitators and beneficiaries, and aggressively bridge the human capital development gap in the Niger Delta.

“His noble reforms and initiatives to ensure that the PAP renders efficient service to the people of the Niger Delta have been applauded in official quarters, as well as by all well-meaning individuals and organisations.

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“Dr Otuaro remains unwaveringly committed to deepening the implementation of the programme’s mandate, especially through his policy of inclusivity, to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, for the Niger Delta.”

 

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Tinubu Appoints New Heads For Key Agencies

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President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new leaders for three federal agencies, in a move the Presidency says is aimed at strengthening critical institutions and boosting service delivery.

The announcement was contained in a statement on Tuesday by Segun Imohiosen, the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

At the National Biosafety Management Agency, the President appointed Bello Bwari from Niger State as the new Director-General.

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His tenure, which is for an initial four years, took effect from September 18, 2025, in line with Section 5 of the NBMA Act, 2015.

READ ALSO:Tinubu Appoints Prof. Akinfeleye, Others To Varsities’ Governing Councils

The agency plays a crucial role in ensuring that modern biotechnology products, such as genetically modified crops, are safe for Nigerians and the environment.

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Bwari, a trained town planner and former lawmaker, studied Geography and Urban & Regional Planning at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

He once served in the House of Representatives for Suleja/Gurara/Tafa Federal Constituency of Niger State, where he rose to become Chief Whip. He has also worked as a planning officer in the Niger State civil service and in private practice as a consultant.

In the financial sector, a former Attorney-General of Zamfara State, Barrister Aminu Junaidu was named the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Investment and Securities Tribunal.

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READ ALSO:Tinubu Approves Portfolios For 5 NCDC Executive Directors

He is to serve for five years, also effective from September 18, 2025.

The tribunal is responsible for resolving disputes in the capital market, giving investors confidence that their grievances can be addressed fairly and quickly.

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For the tourism industry, lecturer and former Deputy Provost at the Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology, Baga, Olayiwola Awakan was appointed as the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation.

His four-year tenure started on September 2, 2025.

READ ALSO:Anambra Lady, Lover Arrested For Staging Own Kidnap

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The NTDC is saddled with promoting the country’s cultural heritage and tourist destinations.

Speaking on the new appointments, Imohiosen said: “These appointments underscore President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening key sectors and institutions in Nigeria.”

He added that the President has directed the appointees to justify the confidence reposed in them.

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The President tasks the appointees to contribute their expertise in the development of the agencies for the good of the nation,” the statement read.

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The End Of Infertility? Skin Cells Used To Create Fertilizable Human Eggs

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Scientists said Tuesday they have turned human skin cells into eggs and fertilised them with sperm in the lab for the first time — a breakthrough that is hoped to one day let infertile people have children.

The technology is still years away from potentially becoming available to aspiring parents, the US-led team of scientists warned.

But outside experts said the proof-of-concept research could eventually change the meaning of infertility, which affects one in six people worldwide.

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If successful, the technology called in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG) would allow older women or women who lack eggs for other reasons to genetically reproduce, Paula Amato, the co-author of a new study announcing the achievement, told AFP.

READ ALSO:FBI Releases Video Of Charlie Kirk’s Shooter, Recovers Weapons Near Scene [WATCH]

It also would allow same-sex couples to have a child genetically related to both partners,” said Amato, a researcher at the Oregon Health & Science University in the United States.

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Scientists have been making significant advances in this field in recent years, with Japanese researchers announcing in July they had created mice with two biological fathers.

But the new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, marks a major advance by using DNA from humans, rather than mice.

The scientists first removed the nucleus from normal skin cells and transferred them into a donor egg which had its nucleus removed. This technique, called somatic cell nuclear transfer, was used to clone Dolly the sheep in 1996.

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However a problem still had to be overcome: skin cells have 46 chromosomes, but eggs have 23.

The scientists managed to remove these extra chromosomes using a process they are calling “mitomeiosis”, which mimics how cells normally divide.

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They created 82 developing eggs called oocytes, which were then fertilised by sperm via in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

After six days, less than nine percent of the embryos developed to the point that they could hypothetically be transferred to the uterus for a standard IVF process.

READ ALSO:Why Nigeria Needs University Of Mining And Geosciences – Senator

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However the embryos displayed a range of abnormalities, and the experiment was ended.

While the nine-percent rate was low, the researchers noted that during natural reproduction only around a third of embryos make it to the IVF-ready “blastocyst” stage.

Amato estimated the technology was at least a decade away from becoming widely available.

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The biggest hurdle is trying to achieve genetically normal eggs with the correct number and complement of chromosomes,” she said.

READ ALSO:Senate Approves Establishment Of Medical Sciences Varsity In Six Geopolitical Zones

Breakthrough

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Ying Cheong, a reproductive medicine researcher at the UK’s University of Southampton, hailed the “exciting” breakthrough.

“For the first time, scientists have shown that DNA from ordinary body cells can be placed into an egg, activated, and made to halve its chromosomes, mimicking the special steps that normally create eggs and sperm,” she said.

“While this is still very early laboratory work, in the future it could transform how we understand infertility and miscarriage, and perhaps one day open the door to creating egg- or sperm-like cells for those who have no other options.”

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Other researchers trying to create eggs in the lab are using a different technique. It involves reprogramming skin cells into what are called induced pluripotent stem cells — which have the potential to develop into any cell in the body — then turning those into eggs.

It’s too early to tell which method will be more successful,” Amato said. “Either way, we are still many years away.”
The researchers followed existing US ethical guidelines regulating the use of embryos, the study said.
(GUARDIAN)

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Why We Named Mandy Kiss Anti-drug Abuse Ambassador – Lagos Commissioner

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Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, has explained the rationale behind the appointment of popular content creator, Ayomiposi Oluwadahunsi, known as Mandy Kiss, as an ambassador for the Lagos State Kicks Against Drug Abuse initiative.

Ogunlende, in a viral video on Tuesday, conferred the ambassadorship on Mandy Kiss.

He said, “We’re here with Mandy Kiss, and you know, she’s actually agreed to become one of our LASKADA brand ambassadors, Lagos State Kicks Against Drug Abuse.”

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Describing drug abuse as a pandemic, the Commissioner said, “We must work in collaboration with those that can reach as many people as possible, and we know Mandy Kiss has a large followership, 402,000. We’ve had conversations, and we’re trying to do things differently.

READ ALSO:Hotel Receptionist Fined For Kissing Student Without Consent

“With the powers conferred on me, I make her one of our brand ambassadors. So, say no to drugs. Say what? Say no to drugs.”

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The decision comes after a 25-year-old influencer publicly announced plans to pursue a controversial Guinness World Record attempt to sleep with 100 men, which had raised concerns over its alignment with societal values.

Taking to his social media accounts on Tuesday, Ogunlende shared pictures of Mandy Kiss’s unveiling in a post titled “A society thrives when it listens, engages, and redirects its future with compassion and purpose.”

He justified the appointment, stating that the content creator wields significant influence among our youth, our future leaders, and it’s vital that she be guided rather than dismissed.

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Ogunlende’s post read, “With the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration being responsive and responsible, earlier today, I had the privilege of meeting with Ayomiposi Oluwadahunsi, popularly known as Mandykiss, a prominent content creator, following her public announcement of plans to pursue a Guinness World Record in a pursuit that didn’t align with our societal values or reflect the standards we uphold as a people and State.

READ ALSO:Tinubu’s Mandate Accomplished In Rivers — Ibas

Mandykiss had initially declared her intent to attempt this record, but as a government that listens, we heard her subsequent expressions and responded swiftly with empathy.

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“In an atmosphere of understanding and responsibility, we engaged in candid discussions, critically assessed the situation, and explored healthier, more constructive paths forward.

“We recognise the importance of mental health and emotional wellness, and we’re steadfast in our commitment to promoting these and crafting inclusive interventions that uplift and safeguard our citizens.”

The Lagos Commissioner added, “Mandykiss wields significant influence among young people, our future leaders, and it’s vital that she be guided rather than dismissed. What was slated to be the start of her controversial record attempt has instead become a pivotal moment of redirection.

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“She has now embraced a purpose-driven cause, standing for something greater than herself. Mandykiss has been appointed an Ambassador of LASKADA (Lagos State Kicks Against Drug Abuse), partnering with us in combating drug abuse and substance misuse among youths in Lagos.”

He said the influencer’s “journey reflects transformation rather than cancellation, a powerful illustration of what is achievable when young individuals are met with love, guidance, and opportunities for positive growth.

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“Mandykiss’s story underscores the impact of compassion and purposeful engagement. It is a testament to redirecting potential towards meaningful impact.”

Recall that this appointment comes after Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, in August, announced plans to engage Fuji star, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol, after controversy over his alleged misconduct at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

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