News

Obi In Benin, Donates N15m To St Philomena School of Nursing Sciences

Published

5 months ago

July 7, 2025

…says life without help to humanity, is not worth living

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Monday, July 7, 2025, donated a sum of N15 million to St. Philomena School of Nursing Sciences, Benin, as support to the school’s ongoing project, saying “life without support or help to humanity, is not worth living.”

The former governor of Anambra State said For the future of the country, “we need to invest in you (students of nursing),” predicting that “by year 2030, the world will be short of nurses to work in the hospital,” due to the high demand.

Obi, who described health, education, and pulling people out of poverty as the most important investment in any nation, disclosed that due to the premium he placed on health particularly nursing, out of the 52 weeks in a year, he visits at least one health facility every week, stressing that this act of visit and donation is not politically motivated but what he had been doing even before he came into politics.

Obi said: “I’m here to support what you are doing. I’m here because, for the future of this country, we need to invest in you. Across Nigeria, I support over 50 school of nursing sciences. 52 two weeks of the year, every week I must visit a school of nursing sciences.

“My weekly visit to the schools is not because of politics, because people think it’s because of politics that I’m doing this, but no. I was doing this even before I came into politics.

“Life without support or help to humanity, is not worth living.

“Father didn’t ask me to come back; none of you called me to come back. I was the one who called Father last night that.

“You might not know what you’re studying now. By the year 2030, the world will be short of nurses to work in the hospital. Because healthcare is the most important thing today.”

He continued: “Like I always say, school is the most important investment you can give to humanity: number one, education; number two, health. It is said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. So, we must invest in health.

“The most important measurable developments are health, education, and pulling people out of poverty — and I am focused on all the three.

“You can’t talk about health without talking about the human capital infrastructure within it. The most important infrastructure in health are the nurses because they are the closest to the patients,” Obi added.

When asked his presidential ambition and his alleged alignment with the newly formed coalition, Obi declined comment while he noted: “When I arrived the airport this morning, the journalist asked me why I’m Benin, and I said to them please I’m not in Benin for politics. I’m in Benin to talk about the future of Nigeria.

“We the politicians spend too much time talking about politics while leaving the Nigerian children and people to suffer. This is not what I’m here for.”

On his part, Rev. Fr. Jerome Idebe, while appreciating Obi for the kind gesture, noted that the donation will go a “long way in completing the project we started years ago.”

He assured the former Anambra State governor that the funds will be rightly channelled towards the betterment of the school and the students.

News

IYC Expresses Displeasure Over Okpebholo’s Neglect Of Edo Ijaw

Published

1 hour ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Western Zone, have expressed displeasure over what they described as the “persistent marginalisation of the Ijaw political class, traditional institutions and the ongoing abandonment of Ijaw communities,” by the Governor Monday Okpebholo-led Edo State government.

The IYC, in a statement jointly signed by Comrade Nicholas Igrama, Barr. Ebi Olowolayemo and Comrade Tare Magbei, Western Zone Chairman, Secretary and Information Officer respectively, lamented that despite the “massive support Ijaw people gave to Okpebholo across the five Ijaw clans in the state,” not a single appointment has been given to the Ijaw speaking people in the state.

The statement which was made available to newsmen in Benin on Tuesday, said that the “conspicuously absent of Ijaw man or woman in the State Executive Council,” gives credence to their claim.

The IYC, while stating that “we state this not out of bitterness or entitlement, but as a call for fairness, equity, and justice,” emphasized that “despite our enormous contributions to the state’s treasury through natural and human resources, Edo Ijaws remain conspicuously absent in the State Executive Council.”

The statement reads: “It is important to remind the Governor that the Ijaw nation mobilised massive support across the five Ijaw clans in Edo State to ensure his victory at the polls.

“Our voice was loud, our mobilisation was firm, and our votes counted significantly toward the success of this administration.

“Regrettably, one year after, this government has not deemed it necessary to appoint a single individual from the Ijaw extraction, nor has it addressed the glaring infrastructure deficit in our communities and also left our traditional issues unattented to.”

The statement noted that “the Ijaw areas are the bedrock of the state’s oil wealth, the same wealth that qualifies Edo State as an oil-producing state and entitles it to the 13% derivation fund. Yet, there is no visible reflection of this revenue in our communities.”

“We state this not out of bitterness or entitlement, but as a call for fairness, equity, and justice.”

The IYC, therefore, urged the governor to “have a rethink so it doesn’t take to another form of agitation in the state where we contribute.”

News

EPL: Arteta Gives Update On Havertz, Saliba, Gabriel, Others

Published

4 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta has provided the latest update on four of his players ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with Brentford on Wednesday.

The four players are Kai Havertz, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Leandro Trossard.

Arteta’s side will host Brentford in a Premier League tie at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

Arsenal head to the game following a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in their last game over the weekend.

“Kai Havertz is still weeks away,” Arteta said at his pre-match press conference as quoted by Fabrizio Romano on Tuesday.

“We are all desperate to have him. I mean, it is a player that, personally, I love so much for what he brings to the team – his character, his personality. I see him suffer, being outside.

“Gabriel Magalhães is doing very well, but it will take weeks to see him back.

“For William Saliba and Leandro Trossard, hopefully it’s a matter of days.

“For Saliba, this one is very bizarre injury… but hopefully it will be a short time out.”

News

BREAKING: Tinubu Nominates New Defence Minister

Published

6 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa, rtd, as the new Minister of Defence.

In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu disclosed Musa’s nomination as the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru, who resigned on Monday.

Musa served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.

Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa received his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria.

He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.