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Defection: Ize-Iyamu Clears The Air, Discloses That He Is Not Desperate For Political Office

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Says He Is Passionate About Good Governance, Better Edo

Following the recent resignation of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and it attendant criticism and controversy, he has come out open to say his movement to the APC was not desperation for political office but a drive for a better Edo State.

He said his movement to the APC was not to escalate problem but to be solution, add value and for the betterment of the party and the state in general, adding that he wants to make sure the party is well connected to the grassroot.

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Pastor Ize-Iyamu who disclosed this on Thursday during an interactive session with newsmen in Benin City, expressed surprise the controversy his defection has generated so far in the public partucularly on the social media.

According to him, he was one of the funding members of the party both at the state and national levels and so, his coming back should be seen as homecoming rather than the rumours and the stone being thrown at him.

He said many people join politics for different reasons but his own is based on good governance, service delivery and a better Edo, adding that he wants to belong to a party that he can connect to the grassroot.

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When asked which of the factions he was going to join with the apparent division of the party in the state, Ize-Iyamu disclosed that the party division is not as complicated as being portrayed in the public domain, stressing that if there is no room to accept him at the state level, he could be accepted at the national level or even at the ward level where according to him, is the most legitimate place for such politics.

He said, “The faction is not as worst as it is being portrayed. For example, who are the two secretaries; who are the two publicity secretaries; who are the parrallel chairmen in the different local government areas; who is the national chairman of the other side. So, you find out that it is not as deep as being presented. You may find disagreement in some very few areas, but I am telling you that, when you really want to see faction, it goes down to the wards.

“When you see a ward chairman here, you see another one there, that is when you see real faction in play, but my people are highly intergrating at the local level, and you find out that there is no faction. At the local level, it is one APC. If it happens that we have crises at the state level, the national can receive me, anybody can receive me. I can also decide they receive me at the ward level. In fact, to be honest with you, where you actually join politics is at the ward level. There is a disagreement at the top but at the bottom, it is still one APC”, he disclosed.

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Ize-Iyamu emphasised that his joining the APC was not borne out of desperation for political office nor to escalate the crises, rather, to strengthen it and actualise a better Edo State

“I am passionate about developing Edo, a party you and I will do very well. If I left a place and later decide to come back, what’s is surprising or new about that. I have not come to escalate the problem, rather, I want to be solution”, he noted.

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Police Pension Scheme Violates Constitution, IHRC Tells Tinubu

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The International Human Rights Commission, Nigeria, has thrown its weight behind the renewed push by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for a comprehensive reform of the Contributory Pension Scheme, as it affects retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force.

This is contained in a diplomatic memo addressed to President Bola Tinubu and titled “A Diplomatic Appeal for Police Pension Welfare Reform in Line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

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In a statement signed on Saturday by IHRC’s Head of Media and Strategic Communications, Fidelis Onakpoma, the commission said the current pension arrangement for police personnel amounts to a constitutional breach and urged the President to take urgent corrective action.

The Head of Mission, IHRC , Ambassador Duru Hezekiah, was quoted in the statement as saying, “The commission firmly supports the Inspector-General of Police’s ongoing advocacy for a just and equitable pension scheme for retired police officers.

“We call on President Tinubu to urgently address the systemic flaws in the Contributory Pension Scheme, which violate constitutional provisions guaranteeing dignity and adequate social support for public officers.”

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Citing Sections 17(3)(f) and 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), IHRC said the Nigerian state is legally bound to ensure the welfare and dignity of its retired officers, a responsibility it is currently failing in.

According to the commission, thousands of retired police officers are living in hardship under a pension system that disregards the realities of law enforcement service.

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The Constitution mandates the state to ensure the wellbeing of retired officers, not to abandon them to a broken system.

“The current structure of the CPS as applied to the police is inadequate, unfair, and incompatible with Nigeria’s constitutional values. These officers spent their lives in service—often in the face of extreme danger—yet they retire into poverty and indignity,” the IHRC stated.

The commission’s intervention follows a high-level meeting convened by the IGP on July 1, 2025, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

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READ ALSO:Police Arrest Cleric Over Alleged Defilement Of Underage Girl In Osun

The meeting brought together delegations from the National Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria, led by AIG Paul O. Ochonu (retd.), and the Coalition of CPS Retirees, led by CP Henry Njoku (retd.), to address mounting concerns over pension inadequacies.

During the meeting, Egbetokun reiterated his resolve to push for a more just and practical pension structure, describing the current system as a gross injustice.

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Our retirees deserve dignity, support, and a structure that reflects their sacrifice and service to Nigeria.

“We cannot continue to subject our heroes to a pension scheme that is clearly unfit for the nature of their work and the risks they bore,” the IG declared.

Egbetokun’s comments echoed sentiments he had expressed earlier in February during an interactive session with retired officers at the Police Resource Centre in Abuja, where he criticized the CPS as “deeply flawed and unfit for the realities of Police service.”

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READ ALSO:NMA Gives FG 21 Days To Avert Doctors’ Strike

The IHRC amplified this concern, highlighting what it described as an unjust disparity between Police and military retirees.

While the latter are exempted from the CPS and benefit from a more suitable pension arrangement, police retirees, the commission said, continue to suffer from a scheme that fails to provide basic security in old age.

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The military has rightly been removed from the CPS because of the peculiar nature of their job. The same logic applies—if not more so—to police personnel.

“Our police officers risk their lives daily, and they deserve a pension structure that reflects that reality. Anything less is an affront to justice, equity, and national security,” said Hezekiah.

In line with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the IHRC urged the Presidency to act decisively in addressing the disparity and upholding the constitutional and moral obligations of the state to its law enforcement agents.

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Reforming the police pension structure is not merely a policy issue—it is a constitutional and moral obligation. We believe this government has the opportunity to right this historical wrong and restore dignity to our Police retirees,” the statement read.
(PUNCH)

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FG To Spend N17bn On Lagos Bridge Damaged By Fire

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The Federal Government has negotiated the cost of the Iddo Bridge rehabilitation from an initial N27bn to N17bn.

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, made this known to journalists during an inspection of the bridge on Friday in Lagos.

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He said, “Julius Berger quoted, I think, N27 billion or thereabout, but after much negotiation and discussion, we now arrived at N17 billion.”

Umahi commended Julius Berger Nig. Plc. for demonstrating a sense of cooperation under its new leadership.

He described the company as a “born-again Berger”, attributing the breakthrough in negotiation to the understanding and openness of its new managing director.

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READ ALSO:FG Gives Overstaying Foreigners Ultimatum To Regularise Visa

The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to prudent spending, insisting that all contractors must align with the ministry’s standards and directives.

Umahi noted that the project had been reviewed from mere rehabilitation of the burnt section to a major work.

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He expressed concern over the poor condition of the bridge, blaming it on years of neglect and human abuse, including illegal occupation and collisions by heavy-duty trucks.

He said that three spans of the bridge were severely damaged by fire, which he attributed to activities of illegal occupants who had built makeshift homes under the bridge.

READ ALSO:FG Closes Case In Alleged Terrorism Trial Against Nnamdi Kanu

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They brought in chemicals, built block walls and set up homes. Then, they set up fire that burnt the bridge and damaged three spans. Now we are going to fix the bridge completely,” Umahi said.

The minister said the Iddo Bridge, now with a headroom of about 4.5 metres, had suffered significant structural damage due to continuous hits from trucks and illegal structures beneath it.

He announced that the ministry would be creating a headroom of at least 5.6 metres.

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He said that the Federal Ministry of Works was committed to restoring the bridge for the safety of all Nigerians and ensuring such incidents would not occur again.

READ ALSO:NMA Gives FG 21 Days To Avert Doctors’ Strike

On the issue of displaced persons, the minister said that no one would be allowed to return under the bridge.

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“Nobody will stay under Iddo Bridge again as long as I remain the Minister of Works.

“The lives of the people are more important,” he said.

He warned that the government would no longer tolerate any abuse of national infrastructure.
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Ex-Army Chief Proposes Mandatory Military Training For Nigerians

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Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (retd.),

A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (retd.), has called for the introduction of mandatory military training for all Nigerians, beginning with the National Youth Service Corps.

This, he said, is a way of promoting national unity, discipline, and resilience in the face of growing security and social challenges.

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Ihejirika made the call on Friday night at the 50th anniversary of the Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 18 Alumni Association in Abuja.

He reflected on his early days in military service and the camaraderie built over the years with fellow officers.

READ ALSO:FULL LIST: Nigeria Emerges As Africa’s Third Most Formidable Military Force

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The former Army chief said the discipline and patriotism instilled in them during training were instrumental in shaping their careers and national contributions.

Given the current situation of things in our country, I believe it’s time we start thinking about mandatory military training for our citizens.

“We can start with the National Youth Service. This will help us build a generation of Nigerians who understand sacrifice, responsibility, and patriotism,” he said.

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Ihejirika praised the government’s decision to restore the old national anthem, saying it reinforces the spirit of unity.

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He emphasised that the line “Though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand” perfectly captures the essence of national service and shared identity.

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He also expressed concern over how the national anthem is now reduced to mere fanfare at official events.

It should be a daily reminder of our oath of allegiance. It must return to schools, communities, and national ceremonies,” he said.

Drawing from his own life experience, Ihejirika recounted his humble beginnings from his village in Abia and how military discipline transformed him.

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He credited the support of colleagues and mentors for his successful career, which culminated in his appointment as Nigeria’s 22nd Chief of Army Staff.

READ ALSO:542 Senior Military Officers Retire

Beyond his advocacy, the retired general also commended the current leadership of the Nigerian Armed Forces, describing them as highly experienced and well-trained.

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Many of the officers leading today served in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and other conflict zones.

“They have earned their stars through real battle experience and are doing remarkably well,” he added.

He urged Nigerian leaders at all levels to prioritise peace and stability, reminding them that no office or position is sustainable in the absence of national unity.

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The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the dinner had in attendance the Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and representatives of service chiefs amongst other dignitaries.

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