Headline

‘Sins‘ Of Sacked Ministers

Published

9 months ago

October 26, 2024

Editor

It is no longer news that President Bola Tinubu has sacked six ministers in a major cabinet reshuffle. The reasons he rejigged his team for the third time, technically, since he was sworn in on May 29, 2023, are raising dust in the polity.

Fresh insights on why the ministers were relieved of their duties emerged last night. Although, the Presidency said the ministers were axed based on the expectations of Nigerians, sources told Saturday Vanguard some of the ministers, apart from performing below expectations, had also become an embarrassment to the Tinubu Administration.

“The conducts of some of the ministers were antithetical to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. They were pitting the President against the masses and subjecting Nigeria to ridicule before the international community. How can a minister work against the President’s anti-corruption crusade and hope to remain in the cabinet? The sack was long overdue,” a close ally of the President told Saturday Vanguard.

Sacked ministers

The ministers shown the exit door on Wednesday were Mrs Uju Kenedy Ohanenye, Women Affairs; Lola Ade-John, Tourism; Prof Tahir Mamman, Education; Abdullahi Mohammed Gwarzo, State, Housing and Urban Devt; and Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Youth Devt. Betta Edu, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, who had earlier been suspended was left in the cooler.

Tinubu’s too earlier cabinet reshuffles

Tinubu raised dust with the way he went about forming his cabinet. To beat the 60-day time frame provided by the law, he first sent the names of 28 ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation. While the senators were screening the first nominees he sent another 19 making 47. He, thereafter, made the first reshuffle by withdrawing the name of one of the nominees, Maryam Shetty, who went to the Senate for the screening not knowing that she had been dropped. He sent two more nominees including Festus Keyamo. Thus Tinubu sent 48 names for confirmation of which 45 were cleared.

Reshuffling cabinet before swearing-in

Tinubu also did the unimaginable by reshuffling his cabinet before swearing in the ministers he had earlier assigned portfolios.

A day before the swearing-in, President Tinubu adjusted the portfolios of four ministers-designate.

Those affected were former Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, who was to be sworn in as minister of Marine and Blue Economy. House of Representatives member Olubuni Tunji-Ojo, initially assigned to the ministry, took charge of the Ministry of Interior.

Alhaji Saidu Alkali, formerly assigned to the Interior Ministry, was sent to the Ministry of Transportation from where Oyetola was moved.

Mr Abubakar Momoh, who was earlier assigned Minister of Youth, took the oath of office as Minister of Niger Delta Development.

Two other ministers-designate, Heineken Lokpobiri and Ekperikpe Ekpo, had their portfolios adjusted as ministers of state in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

Betta Edu

President Tinubu suspended Betta Edu on January 8, 2024, after several groups and individuals demanded an unfettered probe of the leaked memo by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, instructing the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr Oluwatoyin Madein, to pay N585m into the private bank account of a project accountant in her ministry, Bridget Oniyelu.

The minister claimed that the N585m payment was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, and described the allegations against her as baseless.

The Media Assistant to the Minister, Rasheed Olarenwaju, said in a statement that it was legal within the civil service for such payments to be made into private accounts of staff members, especially project accountants.

Her claims did not move the President. She remained out of the cabinet.

Tahir Mamman

As Education minister, Mamman’s controversial 18-year limit for writing senior school certificate examinations and admission into tertiary institutions, which described as an “unforgivable sin.’

The National Co-ordinator of the Education for Accelerated Development, EDAD, Dr. Livinus ia Mbaonu, described Mamman’s sack as ”long overdue” because ”Mamman was on a mission to reverse the gains made in the education sector in recent times,” underscoring the urgency of his removal.

The EDAD listed 10 critical reasons for the minister’s dismissal, depicting a pattern of mismanagement and misinformation.

The sins included Mamman’s role in ”providing misinformation leading to diplomatic conflict,” which strained relations between Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Togo.

His claims about the accreditation of universities in Benin were inaccurate. He stated that only three institutions were accredited when over 50 hold this status, a move that hurt many Nigerian students in the affected countries.

Mamman was also accused of mishandling foreign students’ participation in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC scheme, causing thousands to be denied entry into the programme.

Age limit policy for universities

The EDAD cited conflicts among major educational bodies, including the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board , JAMB, as a consequence of Mamman’s leadership.

Other ‘sins’ included inefficiencies in the accreditation processes, a controversial 18-year minimum age policy for university admissions that resulted in lawsuits, and alleged lack of cooperation with fellow officials, which contributed to operational inefficiencies within the Ministry.

Uju Kennedy Ohanenye

Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, since her assumption of office on August 20, 2020, was arguably one of the most controversial ministers.

Her ‘sins’ included disrupting two ongoing events, which had guests and participants in attendance, because the events were not approved by her ministry.

The former minister, also engaged in an exchange of words with the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, over the alleged diversion of N1.5 billion meant for payment of contractors.

During an investigative hearing by the House of Representatives committee, to probe the N1.5 billion, which was said to be expended by the Ministry of Women Affairs, the minister, at a stage, flared up, saying that only 30 per cent of the N1.5 billion was paid to the ministry, but she could not give an account of how the money was spent because according to her, the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, had told her to mind her business.

The former Women’s Affairs minister slammed a lawsuit against the speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, following his announcement to marry off 100 orphaned girls in his state. She petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, on the issue.

After criticisms from stakeholders, the minister withdrew the charge against the speaker.

Threats to sue the United Nation

On October 16, Uju Kennedy vowed to sue the Anthonio Guterres-led United Nations for allegedly not releasing funds meant for Nigeria. She added that the UN had failed to provide her ministry with the necessary records, which would in turn attract legal action on or before November 15, if the situation remained the same.

Her allegations generated disbelief and criticism from various quarters, including the UN, which denied any wrongdoing and challenged her to provide evidence.

Some civil society groups questioned her motive and accused her of being ignorant of the UN’s operations and protocols.

She was in the eye of the storm following the University of Calabar sexual harassment allegations, that indicted the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Cyril Ndifon and led to his suspension on August 17 2023. The former minister had in a leaked video/audio threatened to jail the female law students of the university. A host of groups accused her of taking sides with Professor Ndifon, despite her mandate to protect the rights of women in the country.

Source: Vanguard

Headline

26-year-old Nigerian Fatally Stabbed In London

Published

14 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

Two individuals have been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 26-year-old Nigerian, Ayowale Aladejana, in New Cross, southeast London.

The Metropolitan Police reports that detectives investigating the fatal stabbing of Ayowale charged a man and woman with murder.

“Ben Wazabanga, 23 (24.10.2001) of Fairfax Road, Bedford was charged with murder and possession of a knife on Monday, 4 August. He was remanded in custody and will appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 4 August.

“Ronique Belfon, 23 (10.05.2002) of Morinsbury Road, Bedford was charged with murder on Monday, 4 August. She was remanded to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 4 August,” the report read.

Speaking on the incident, Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card, who is leading the investigation, was quoted as saying, “Our thoughts are with Ayowale’s family and friends at this difficult time.

“I understand this incident will be concerning and we are carrying out a fast-paced and thorough investigation to establish the circumstances. I would encourage anyone who has not yet spoken to us.”

The investigation was reportedly launched after officers were called to reports of a man with stab wounds at a residential address in Monson Road, New Cross, at 19:26hrs on Saturday, August 2.

The officers were said to have responded alongside the London Ambulance Service and medics from London’s Air Ambulance, however, Ayowale died at the scene despite efforts to save him.

The report added that a post-mortem examination conducted on Sunday gave a preliminary cause of death as stab wound to the chest.

Ayowale’s family are also reportedly being supported by specially trained officers.

Headline

Trump Threatens 250% Tariffs On Foreign Pharmaceuticals

Published

15 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that upcoming tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals could reach 250 percent, after starting at a lower level, while adding he plans to also unveil fresh duties on foreign semiconductors.

“We’ll be putting (an) initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year, one-and-a-half years, maximum, it’s going to go to 150 percent,” Trump said in an interview on CNBC.

“And then it’s going to go to 250 percent because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country,” he added.

In the same interview, Trump said he expects to raise the US tariff on Indian imports “very substantially over the next 24 hours” due to the country’s purchases of Russian oil.

While Trump has aimed at products from different countries with varying tariff rates after imposing a 10-percent levy on almost all trading partners in April, these have excluded certain products he planned to target separately.

These sector-specific tariffs have generally come after government investigations that look into the national security concerns surrounding certain imports.

After earlier embarking on probes on imported semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, the Trump administration has signaled plans to wrap up these studies, which could lead to new tariffs.

Already, Trump has slapped steep tariffs of 50 percent on imported steel and aluminum, and also rolled out a separate but lower duty on autos and parts.

AFP

Headline

UK Opens Application For Chevening Scholarships

Published

18 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom on Tuesday announced that applications for its Chevening Scholarships are officially open, with prospective scholars encouraged to apply between August 5 and October 7, 2025.

The Chevening programme offers fully funded one-year master’s degrees at UK universities to individuals with demonstrated leadership potential and a strong commitment to driving positive change in their home countries and globally.

In a statement released by the British High Commission in Abuja, the Head of the Scholarships Unit at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Emma Hennessey, described the programme as highly competitive, selecting only the most outstanding candidates from across the world.

“Chevening’s highly competitive selection process ensures that those chosen to become Chevening Scholars or Fellows represent the brightest and most driven individuals from around the world.

“Chevening Alumni use their world-class education, global networks, and confidence gained in the UK to create meaningful, lasting change when they return home, whether by tackling global challenges or making a tangible impact in their own communities.

“If you can clearly demonstrate the skills needed to join them — outstanding leadership, influence, and networking skills — I strongly encourage you to apply.

“If you’re not quite there yet, I encourage you to take the time to build the experience that will make your application competitive,” Hennessey noted.

According to the statement, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, urged Nigerians with leadership potential to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Chevening is more than a scholarship — it is a gateway to a global network of leaders, innovators, and changemakers,” he said.

“Whether your aspirations lie in shaping public policy, launching a business, or addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, the Chevening Scholarship offers a unique opportunity to pursue a fully funded master’s degree in the United Kingdom to advance your knowledge and skills.

“While there is no ‘typical’ scholar, we seek individuals with the passion, ideas, and influence to drive meaningful change in Nigeria and beyond.

“Our alumni network includes dynamic professionals across diverse sectors who are making significant contributions in their fields.

“If you have the potential to lead positive change in your community, Nigeria, or globally, I encourage you to submit your application before the 7 October 2025 deadline.

“Apply today and take the first step toward this life-changing experience,” he said.

Applications must be submitted online via chevening.org/apply.

Interested applicants are also encouraged to review available guidance at chevening.org/guidance to determine their readiness for the competitive application process.

Since its launch in 1983, the Chevening programme has supported over 60,000 professionals from over 160 countries and territories.

The scholarship is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations.