News

Reactions As Fubara Nullifies Wike’s Recruitment Into Rivers Varsity

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2023

Governor Siminialayi Fubara cancellation of recent recruitment concluded by his predecessor, Chief Nyesom Wike, into Rivers state owned Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Port Harcourt, has thrown over 1700 affected staff in disarray and stakeholders are reacting to it.

Fubara’s administration in a statement by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Prince Chinedu Mmom announced the cancellation, citing irregularities and disobedience to directives by management of the varsity.

The statement read, “The Government of Rivers State has observed with dismay, the inconsistencies/irregularities and flagrant disobedience to the directives concerning just concluded recruitment exercise at the IAUE, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt.

“Therefore, the recent employment exercise conducted by the management of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt is hereby cancelled.

“All appointment letters issued and received are hereby nullified and affected persons directed to return the letters to office of the Registrar of the institution, other employment related properties such as ID Cards in their possession to office of the Head of Service, Rivers State immediately.

“A proper and credible recruitment exercise shall be conducted in due course.”

Stakeholders react

Enerfaa Georgewill, Chairman, Rivers Civil Society Organisations, RIVSCO, said, “For us in the civil society space, we are vindicated to the extent of the irregularities cited by the government. We agree with those who say the process should be reviewed.

“The incumbent governor merely echoed what we said at the time of the exercise. Rivers people cannot forget we raised the red flag promptly enough over the impunity of nepotism, favouritism and the flawed processes on the employment at the time.

“It happened first at the Rivers State University (RSU) and government kept deaf ears to the alarm raised before same happened at the IAUE. Nothing to cheer about the government just waking up from her slumber now.

“We are however opposed to sweeping termination of appointments by fiat. We believe a committee of competent persons should be empaneled to review the process. Those with genuine qualifications should have their employment ratified and those who fall short done away with.”

Darlington Nwauju, Spokesman, All Progressives Congress in Rivers said, “The cancellation of the recruitment at IAUE is a confirmation of the deceit we have always warned Rivers people about.

“Now, in one breath, you claim to be consolidating and in another breath, you choose to discontinue and discredit, meaning consolidation was trumpeted in order to hoodwink Rivers people.

“In a state where the unemployment rate is high up there, one can only imagine what becomes of those who got these jobs on merit outside of political or ethnic considerations.”

Zik Gbemre, Coordinator, Niger Delta Peace Coalition, said, “It’s a bold move. However, aside the impunity in unilaterally nullifying the entire process at the detriment of those who may have earned their employment genuinely, why punish the innocent and turn blind eye on the real offender?

“The school management which the state government accused of irregularities and disobedience to directives is the real offender here. They should be the first to be sanctioned and we didn’t find that in the government statement.

“Besides, even Wike should have questions to answer. If there were irregularities, the former governor, authorised it, because he approved the recruitment in defiance of alarm raised by stakeholders over the irregularities.

“We hope he (Fubara) reviews the process in fairness to those who may have merited their employment. We are talking about throwing persons already engaged for months back into joblessness.”

One issue, the government fiat is coming with a new Vice Chancellor (VC), Okechukwu Onuchukwu, at the helms of the IAUE. Prof Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele under whose administration the recruitment was done had exited office after serving out his tenure.

The development has seen the incumbent VC come under heavy knocks for allegedly instigating the said nullification of the employment.

“He had followed up the government’s directive last swiftly with sack of Deputy Registrar, Establishment of the institution, Emmanuel Kalagbor and Deputy Director, ICT, Emmanuel Aburutou.”

But this disposition has seemed ironical because one of the major talking points on this saga has been that some of the irregularities cited by government happened under the current VC.

Dismissing some of these claims in a statement signed by the Deputy Registrar/Public Relations, Ngozi Okiridu, the IAUE said, “It is not true staff hired by the immediate past VC Prof Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele were fired as soon as Prof Onuchuku came on board.

“Over 85% of those employed by Prof Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele are still at the university. Universities like any other institutions, organizations, agencies are guided by laws, rules and regulations and IAUE is not an exception.”

The affected, working without pay for the past eight months, were about being paid the backlog of salaries when the government announced the cancellation of their appointment.

News

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

Published

11 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

12 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.

News

JUST IN: Oldest Missionary To Nigeria, Ruth Elton, Is Dead

Published

13 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

British-born Nigerian missionary, Ruth Elton, reputed to be the oldest missionary has passed on at the age of 91.

Ruth Elton, born 7 September 1933, was a British-born Nigerian missionary whose lifelong dedication to faith, healing, and revival left an indelible mark on communities across western and central Nigeria.

It was learnt that Elton died on Saturday at Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa, Osun State.

She was the only daughter of Pa Elton and her remains have been deposited at the mortuary.

Ruth Elton, daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), who is referred to as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, had approached a Kaduna court and nationalised as a Nigerian.

At old age and despite the happenings in Nigeria, she still held in high esteem her father’s prophecies that although Nigeria could be known globally for corruption, it would only for a while as new dawn would beckon when the country would be known worldwide for righteousness and prosperity.

Elton moved to Nigeria in 1937 with her parents and served as a Christian missionary across Egbe, Okene, Koton Karfe, and other parts of Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States.

A naturalised Nigerian, having renounced her British citizenship in the 1970s, she embraced the country completely and became fluent in Ebira and Yoruba.

Elton, who remained single, believed that she had made a true mark in the country and apart from her missionary work, she saw her efforts in taming infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State as a generational impact.

Relating her experience on infant mortality in the country, Elton recently noted that many newborn babies had passed on due to lack of proper care and hygiene, adding that the practice of force-feeding babies contributed to the challenges, especially in the face of poor awareness.