News
Call For Suspension Of Amnesty Boss: Ex-agitators Demand Arrest Of Persons Blackmailing Ndiomu
Published
3 years agoon
By
Editor
Ex-agitators from first, second and third phases of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have called on security agencies to unmask the identities of “enemies of the Niger Delta” blackmailing PAP’s Interim Administrator, Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu.
The ex-agitators recalled that they earlier raised the alarm that enemies of the region had launched a campaign of calumny against President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Ndiomu to discredit their achievements in PAP.
The ex-agitators’ joint statement was signed on Monday by the Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Strategic Communication Committee (STRACOM), Mr. Nature Dumale and the National President, first phase Ex-agitators; Henry Ekes, Ovuru (aka Egbema 1).
READ ALSO: Saboteurs Against Presidential Amnesty Reforms – General Ndiomu
The stakeholders in the statement, which was also signed by Heads of First Phase Ex-Agitators, Rivers, Granville Ideye; Bayelsa, Ebite Ifiemi; Second Phase, Sylvester Tambo and National Chairman, Third Phase, Gen. Tonye Bobo, described the attack against Ndiomu as criminal and unwarranted.
Dumale, who read the statement in Port Harcourt, said in their recent antics, the detractors circulated a report claiming that the Niger Delta elders and traditional rulers petitioned Buhari and asked for the suspension of Ndiomu over alleged corrupt practices.
He said names contained in the report were fictitious and could neither be traced to any elder nor traditional ruler in the Niger Delta.
Dumale insisted that all the allegations contained in the report were as fictitious, false and preposterous as the faceless individuals making the claims.
He said: “The only interpretation to the action of these faceless individuals and groups is that they are desperately trying to stoke crisis in the Niger Delta.
“They want the Buhari’s administration to further lose credibility by targeting the only region that has remained peaceful despite the turbulence and separatist agitations in other parts of the country.
“Using the revered traditional institutions to make false claims about one of the most illustrious sons of the Niger Delta like Ndiomu is criminal and blackmail taking too far. This is why we are calling on security agencies to investigate these characters, unmask their identities and arrest them”.
Dumale said all ex-agitators were behind Ndiomu and his efficient management of the amnesty programme especially after all their investigations into allegations levelled against him gave him a clean bill of health.
He said traditional rulers in the Niger Delta, elders, chiefs and other stakeholders had also thrown their weight behind Ndiomu for sanitising PAP and sustaining the peace in the region.
Dumale said: “We, again, warn that we, the owners of PAP, will not fold our arms and allow few unscrupulous elements, whose source of corrupt enrichment in PA, had been blocked by Ndiomu’s ongoing reforms, to continue to stoke crisis in the region.
“As we strive to unmask the identities of these people and their sponsors, we are calling on the Inspector-General of Police, the National Intelligence Agency, the Department of State Security and other security agencies to go after them.
“The scaremongering of these agents of darkness is designed to cause riot, disrupt the mainstay of the country’s resources and disorganise the forthcoming elections in the region.
READ ALSO: Economic Discourse Series: FG Urged To Strengthen Presidential Amnesty Programme
“These people are crisis merchants, who only make money by instigating violence. They derive pleasure to see people die. They sponsor protests and cash in on violent agitation for relevance.
“We call on members of the public to disregard these allegations. PAP has monthly budget of N5bn, which covers stipends for all ex-agitators, overhead cost and other expenses. How can one still steal the kind of money contained in the allegations of these people?”
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News
SUBEB Urges LG Chairmen To Sack Absentee Teachers In Bauchi
Published
11 hours agoon
September 5, 2025By
Editor
The Bauchi State Universal Basic Education (BASUBEB) has called on all the 20 Local Government Chairmen in the state to sack absentee teachers.
Alh. Adamu Mohammed, the Executive Chairman, BASUBEB, made the call on Friday during the official flag off ceremony of the 2025/2026 state wide enrolment campaign in Kirfi Local Government Area of the state.
Mohammed, who said that the move would serve as a deterrent and make others to be up and doing, added that the chairmen only need to inform SUBEB about the decision.
He also expressed the commitment of the Board to reward teachers who are diligent, committed, punctual and dedicated to service so as to encourage them.
The SUBEB boss who lamented the lack of enrolment of school aged children in schools across the state, said the development is detrimental to the future of the children.
READ ALSO:Bauchi Govt Inaugurates Pastors, Imams Peace Building Committee
According to him, the state government was doing everything possible to improve the quality of education at the Basic level, saying that members of the communities were not supportive of the efforts by not sending their children to school.
He also stressed that Girl child education is important to the development and growth of the society, calling on parents to send their girl children to School.
“I want to call on all the Local Government Chairmen in the state to take responsibility of supervising and monitoring schools in their respective areas because SUBEB can’t be everywhere at the same time.
“The Board will not rest in its oars until Basic education becomes the envy of others in line with what UNICEF and UBEC set as guidelines,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Mohammed Lawal, the state’s Commissioner for Education, said the aim of the enrolment campaign is to mobilise traditional institutions to support enrolment drive in the state by sensitising parents and guardians on the need to send their children to school.
READ ALSO: Bauchi One Of Most Educationally Disadvantaged States In Nigeria – Expert
He added that the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) would also support whatever the traditional institutions are doing to achieve greater enrolment as well as continuity in education.
Earlier, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, the Chief of Field Office, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi, recalled how the number of out-of-school children was reduced from 1.5 million to 500,000 through the effort of the governor with support from traditional, religious leaders, communities and parents.
“This is a huge progress but still, having 500,000 children out of school is one of the main goals for us to bring them also into schools.
“Education is the right of every child. No child should be out of school and that is my humble request that as the government is putting in policies, steps and strategies to bring these children back to school, everybody should key into it.”
While assuring UNICEF’s commitment and support to the development of basic education in the state, she called on all stakeholders to work together and ensure that every child is back to school.

The University of Lagos has completed a book project on the leadership qualities and governance style of Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri.
The Managing Director of the UNILAG Consult, Prof John Oyefara, who disclosed this on Thursday during a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa, said the institution has also proposed a public lecture as well as endowing a Professorial Chair in the Department of Political Science in his honour.
UNILAG Consult was established in 1983 and incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act in 2013. It serves as the consultancy arm of the institution, providing research-driven, cross-sectoral technical services via access to the university’s academic expertise and facilities.
Diri’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, in a statement on Friday, quoted Oyefara as saying that the university had a track record of assessing the performance of various leaders in Nigeria and that the book titled “Leadership Chronicles of Governor Douye Diri” focuses on his exemplary leadership and achievements.
READ ALSO:Diri Approves Automatic Employment For UAT First Class Graduates
He said, “At the University of Lagos, we have a tradition of assessing leaders in Nigeria. We use our own templates and standards that are global to measure the leadership in Nigeria.
“We identified Your Excellency to be a leading star in Nigeria, based on leadership and governance. We decided to put together all your achievements. The purpose of our visit was to inform you about our project in three thematic areas. One, is on the publication of the book we have been able to put together about His Excellency’s achievements in the state.
“We also propose a public lecture where renowned leaders in Africa will deliver a lecture on leadership and governance to exemplify the achievements of the governor. The third one is for the Department of Political Science in the University of Lagos to see the possibility of endowing a professorial chair in the name of His Excellency.”
The Lead Editor of the project, Prof Hope Eghagha, also stated that the idea was an independent assessment of the governor’s performance in office, either in infrastructure or human capacity development, through interviews that were conducted.
READ ALSO:Diri Raises Alarm Over Alleged Threat To Peace In Bayelsa
Responding, Diri said he was pleasantly surprised by the gesture of the institution. He welcomed the idea of documenting his achievements, saying he had been nursing the idea of establishing a leadership institute to groom those with an interest in politics and political offices.
The governor said, “It is really interesting when people, without your prompting, decide to do a thing for the purpose of posterity. A lot of the time, we do not document these events and activities, as we look at them as not too important. But they are.
“I have toyed with the idea that if I had the resources, could I establish a leadership institution in Bayelsa State so that before anyone thinks of becoming a councillor, council chairman, commissioner, special adviser or even governor, he knows what he is coming to do in office?
“If you are not prepared for it, then we are bound to fail as a country and as a state. So, I have been pleasantly surprised by the University of Lagos, and I think it is a good thing. Let me also state that the success in Bayelsa is not all about me. It is actually about our team. We have a dedicated team of commissioners, special advisers, technical advisers, and everybody contributing their quota to the whole.
READ ALSO:Presidential Amnesty Programme Needs Adequate Funding, Says Bayelsa Gov, Diri
“That is why if anyone says we have done well in infrastructure, it is because down the ladder, those who have been vested with that authority have implemented our policies, projects and programmes to the best of what we expected to be.”
Diri approved the proposals from the delegation and thanked them for recognising him in the midst of others.
Serving as Bayelsa State’s helmsman since his Supreme Court-affirmed inauguration in February 2020, Diri has become noted for his inclusive leadership and development-oriented governance.
Against this backdrop, UNILAG’s decision to document Diri’s leadership style and legacy through a dedicated book, alongside a public lecture series and a named professorial chair, marks a rare scholarly honour reflecting both institutional respect for governance excellence and encouragement of lasting academic inquiry.
News
Lagos Begins Comprehensive Assessment Of Public Primary Schools
Published
12 hours agoon
September 5, 2025By
Editor
The Lagos State Government has commenced its maiden NEEDS Assessment Project for all public primary schools across the state.
According to a statement on Friday by the Deputy Director, Information, LASUBEB, Abe Adunola, the initiative, spearheaded by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, was unveiled on Thursday during a stakeholders’ engagement session.
The NEEDS Assessment Project is an evidence-gathering exercise designed to identify gaps in infrastructure, teaching capacity, and learning resources in public schools. It provides government with data to plan targeted interventions and allocate resources more effectively.
According to the board, the project will cover 1,238 public primary schools, vocational centres, inclusive units, and Local Government Education Authorities.
READ ALSO:Diri Approves Automatic Employment For UAT First Class Graduates
Board member of LASUBEB, Owolabi Falana, said the exercise was a major step in strengthening the foundation of basic education in Lagos.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Deputy Chief of Staff, the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Project Implementation and Monitoring, Mr. Olusegun Sanwo-Olu, noted that the initiative reflected the state government’s resolve to drive education reform with data-driven interventions.
“This project is about clarity and intentionality. By understanding the realities in our schools, we are laying a solid foundation for smart planning, equitable resource allocation, and sustainable reforms. It is a bold step that will ultimately improve the quality of teaching, enhance learning outcomes, and prepare Lagos children to thrive in this fast-changing world,” he said.
LASUBEB Chairman, Dr. Hakeem Shittu, described the initiative as the first in a series of continuous exercises aimed at transforming Lagos public schools.
READ ALSO:Diri Raises Alarm Over Alleged Threat To Peace In Bayelsa
“This maiden edition of the Needs Assessment Project is only the beginning. It will be sustained as a continuous initiative to ensure our schools, teachers, and learners are never left behind,” he affirmed.
Highlighting the project’s benefits, Shittu explained that the assessment would lead to safer classrooms, improved facilities, empowered teachers, and better learning outcomes for pupils.
“The future of Lagos depends on how much we invest in our children today. This initiative gives us the clarity and direction to act decisively,” he said.
He further stressed that the project was not only about identifying gaps but also about developing practical solutions that would create conducive learning environments, improve teachers’ working conditions, and strengthen administrative capacity across schools.
READ ALSO:Tinubu, Akpabio, Abbas, Diri, Makinde, Eno, Labour Leaders, Others To Grace NUJ @70 Celebration
Shittu also commended the contributions of teachers, administrators, and Local Government Education Authorities, while emphasising collaboration with the Project Implementation and Monitoring Unit for credible data collection.
He urged teachers, parents, and community leaders to support the exercise.
“The success of this project depends on our collective effort. Together, we can build a school system that empowers our children with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to compete globally,” he said.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of several education reforms introduced in Lagos in recent years. Through the EKOEXCEL programme launched in 2019, the state government deployed digital learning devices and retrained teachers to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes in public schools.
READ ALSO:How Someone Made Me Pay $10,000 To Marabouts To Become Governor –Diri
The state has also embarked on school rehabilitation projects, the construction of new classrooms, and the expansion of inclusive education centres to accommodate children with special needs.
Despite these efforts, public primary schools in Lagos have faced challenges of overcrowded classrooms, poor infrastructure, and uneven access to quality teaching.
Education experts have long called for systematic assessments to guide interventions, making the NEEDS project the first coordinated attempt to collect comprehensive data for policy decisions in the state’s basic education sector.
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