News

PTDF Clarifies Alleged ‘Exclusion Of South East Candidates From Scholarship Interview

Published

3 years ago

June 2, 2022

The management of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has clarified reports that the South-East geopolitical zone was excluded from the ongoing interview of candidates for the 2022 Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS) for Nigerian students.

A statement issued on Thursday and signed by Mrs Timilayefa Nwajueboe of the Press and External Relations Unit said the report was wrong and misleading.

Nwajueboe said that all the numerous candidates from the South-East that were successful at the initial processes were currently participating in the interview exercise, alongside their counterparts from other parts of the country, simultaneously, adding that this can be verified from the Fund’s website.

PTDF said that at the time the issue of centers was discussed, it was the considered opinion of the management and other stakeholders, that due to the Monday sit-at-home order in the South East, candidates be given the option to choose from any of the other five zones across the country, rather than Enugu, including the option for a virtual interview, from the comfort of their homes.

The decision, she said, was taken purely to ensure that the mobility of candidates from the zone was not affected by the sit-at-home order as they would have to move from their various states to Enugu, which usually serves as a center for the zone in previous interviews.

The statement reads in part, “As we have stated in all our correspondences, it was not a deliberate attempt to remove South East (Enugu) as one of our interview centers for the conduct of the 2022 Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS) selection interview exercise. The decision to maintain five centers which include Port-Harcourt, Abuja, Bauchi, Kaduna and Ibadan instead of six, was basically due to the “sit-at-home” that might affect the mobility of our potential scholars, as was established by the Head of OSS. Candidates were also given the choice to be interviewed virtually from anywhere.

“The candidates who indicated South-East at the time of the application process were asked to pick any convenient venue from among the five centers, which they complied with and are currently undergoing their interviews at the center of their choice.

“We have noticed the reactions to the misleading captions in the media and wish to reassure the public that our potential scholars from the South-East are among the shortlisted candidates participating in the ongoing selection interview process.”

News

BREAKING: Former Inspector-General Of Police, Solomon Arase, Is Dead

Published

2 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has passed away at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja.

As of the time of filing this report, neither his family nor the Nigeria Police Force has issued an official statement confirming the development.Japan trip

Arase, who served as Nigeria’s 18th Inspector-General of Police, was later appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).Japan trip

Before becoming IGP, he headed the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the police force’s top intelligence unit.

Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Arase studied Political Science at Ahmadu Bello University, graduating in 1980, and joined the Nigeria Police Force on December 1, 1981.

News

Shock As Adeleke Employs Roadside puff-puff Hawker As Govt House Chef

Published

20 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday shocked a female puff-puff seller during a rally in Osogbo by buying all her snacks with ₦50,000 and offering her employment as a chef at the Government House.

This happened when Osun public servants trooped out in their thousands in what they called an appreciation solidarity rally in support of the governor for his support and care since he took over state governance.

It was observed that the governor, who sat in the bus, had sighted the woman who was among the crowd cheering him.

He immediately beckoned to the woman carrying a plastic container filled with puff-puff on her head and asked how much it would cost to buy all the snacks.

The female hawker, who was visibly surprised and star-struck at the level of her proximity to the governor, found it difficult to even tell the governor how much she sold the snacks.

Surprisingly, Adeleke handed her a bundle of ₦50,000 to the cheers of the crowd.

The lucky woman knelt down in appreciation of the governor’s generosity.

Excited onlookers quickly rushed to share the snacks in the plastic already purchased by the governor.

The governor invited the vendor inside the vehicle where one of his officials questioned her academic background, and she revealed that she holds a Nigerian Certificate in Education.

Adeleke further asked about the dishes she could prepare and instructed his aides to take her contact details for employment as a chef in the Government House.

Confirming the development, the Commissioner II at the Osun State Civil Service Commission, Olaniyan Taofeek, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “The moment Gov. Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller into a Government House chef.”

A Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Oni Gbenga Lawrence, also corroborated the incident in a post on X, stating: “Moment Governor Ademola Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller to Government Chef… not only ₦50k but he invited her into his car and employed her as chef in the Government House.”

The Guardian correspondent, who was at the scene of the welcome rally, made efforts to interview the lucky vendor, but they did not yield as she was not allowed to alight from the bus throughout the event.
(The Guardian)

News

Katsina Govt Revokes Licenses Of All Private, Community Schools

Published

21 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

The Katsina State Government has withdrawn the operating licenses of all private and community schools in the state, with effect from August 13, 2025.

The announcement came through a circular issued by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and signed by Commissioner Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa.

The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Sani Danjuma, released the document in Katsina on Saturday.

According to the circular, the move is part of the government’s effort to strengthen quality assurance and standardization within the education sector.

“The withdrawal of licenses is aimed at ensuring that schools operate in line with approved standards and provide quality education to students,” Danjuma said.

The circular also outlined a review of fees for license application, registration, and annual renewal.

“Owners of affected schools are required to obtain fresh licenses by submitting proof of payment to the ministry on or before September 30, 2025.”

The statement also added that school operators have been warned not to increase tuition or other charges without government approval.

The ministry further promised to issue additional guidelines soon, including categorization of schools and the revised fee structure.