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Removal Of Fuel Subsidy Tough On Citizens, Tinubu Admits

Published

2 years ago

January 18, 2024

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy is tough on Nigerians and has affected every sector, including education. But he gave the assurance that the future is bright.

Tinubu, who is the Visitor to the University of Lagos, UNILAG, said this at the 54th convocation ceremony of the university.

Tinubu was represented at the occasion by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman (SAN).

He said the impact could be seen in the high cost of living that has affected parents, guardians, students and other Nigerians.

According to Tinubu, “We took some life-changing decisions including the removal of fuel subsidy and single exchange rate of the naira.

“There is no doubt that the actions have led to Nigerians, including parents, guardians and even students experiencing some discomfort. The decisions affected the education sector, with parents paying more for education among others.

‘Our plans’
“I can assure you that the pains will soon be over and that the future is bright. For the education sector, we are assuring you that no Nigerian child will drop out of school.

“It is in view of that we brought back the School Feeding Programme and also introduced the Student Loan Scheme.

“The loan is repayable two years after a beneficiary has completed the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps Scheme, NYSC.

“We are also not taking higher education for granted and that is why we recently took some decisions like removing higher institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS.

“We are also on the agenda of autonomy for universities.

“Regarding the setting up and running of universities in the country, we are moving to the fourth stage, which is the internalisation of the university system.

“The first stage was the setting up of universities by the Federal Government. The second stage is the setting up of universities by state governments and the third stage is the coming on board of private universities.

“The fourth stage is that we want foreign investors and foreign universities to come and set up universities here. They can also do so in partnership with our universities here,” he said.

The President commended the management of UNILAG for contributing to the manpower development of the country. He expressed the hope that the graduands would go into the world and make positive impacts on society.

He also charged academics to let the world feel their impact by proffering solutions to societal problems.

In her address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, said the university has made tremendous progress in the last one year.

She said: “A lot has happened in the last year but I will mention a few. Our research activities and income from research grants continue to grow with our staff attracting over N11 billion in grant income in both local and foreign currency.

“These figures are derived from 42 grants obtained in the year 2023 only and they cut across the sciences, social sciences and the arts.”

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is also an alumnus of the university, opined that UNILAG has proven to be a leading citadel of learning, not only in the country, but on the continent and also globally.

He reiterated the commitment of his administration to give education its pride of place in the scheme of things.

News

Trump’s Airstrikes: Halt Military Cooperation With US Immediately – Sheikh Gumi Tells Tinubu Govt

Published

36 minutes ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States following reported US airstrikes.

Gumi warned that American involvement could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges and undermine national sovereignty.

Gumi made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday.

He said while Islam permits the fight against terrorism, such actions should only be carried out by what he described as “clean hands,” arguing that the United States lacks the moral authority to lead such efforts because of its global military record.

According to the cleric, Nigeria made a mistake by allowing foreign powers to play a role in its counterterrorism operations, insisting that “terrorists do not truly fight terrorists” and that such interventions often result in civilian casualties and hidden political motives.

Gumi warned that allowing Nigeria to become a theatre of war would attract anti-US forces into the country, further destabilising it.

He also cautioned that US involvement, particularly under claims of protecting Christians, could polarise the country along religious lines.

The cleric further argued that airstrikes alone cannot defeat terrorism, stressing that effective counterterrorism requires strong ground operations, which he said Nigeria has enough personnel to carry out if properly organised.

“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.

“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies.

“If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” part of his statement reads.

News

Shehu Sani Reacts To Trump’s Military Strikes In Nigeria

Published

45 minutes ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to reports of United States military strikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, saying foreign powers cannot permanently handle the country’s security challenges.

Sani made the remarks on Friday via his X handle while responding to a post by the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM, which indicated that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

According to him, if the reported strikes were indeed a joint operation with Nigerian security agencies, then such action was justifiable, given the threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.

He described terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria as “cancerous cells,” stressing that they survive through violence and should be confronted decisively.

Sani also dismissed narratives suggesting that terrorist attacks target only one religious group, describing such claims as false and misleading.

He said: “If actually, the military strikes against the terrorists targets in the North Western part of Nigeria were a joint operation with the ‘Nigerian Authorities’ as posted by the US AFRICOM on their verified X handle, then it’s a conscionable action.

“Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country.They live by the sword.The narrative that the evil terrorists only targets one faith, remains absolutely false and misleading.

“Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power. They can complimentarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”