News
Address Long Standing Issues and Enjoy Uninterrupted University Activities”- Prof. Yakubu Ochefu implores Government

Address Long Standing Issues and Enjoy Uninterrupted University Activities”- Prof. Yakubu Ochefu implores Government
By: Michael Mike
A prominent academician and outgoing Secretary General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Professor Yakubu Ochefu has called Nigerian government to urgently address the longstanding issues facing the country’s university system and to clarify its vision for higher education in the country.
Ochefu, known for his expertise in educational policy and reform, emphasised the importance of tackling the challenges that have plagued the sector for years.
One of the key issues the respected academician said needs urgent attention is the ongoing dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the government. He lamented that the rift, which has led to numerous strikes and disruptions in academic activities, has had a detrimental impact on the quality of education in Nigeria.
Ochefu stressed that developing specialized capacity should be the next phase in the Nigeria education philosophy. He said: “We are now in a phase whereby we have built capacity, in some cases excess capacity. So we have a case of what to do with the massification of university education in Nigeria, where we currently have about 2.6 million students enrolled in Nigerian universities, 1.7-1.8 million people take exams to enter Nigerian universities every year, and we are still using the thought process of the 80s to manage the whole situation; it doesn’t add up. So we need to go back and rethink.”
The don illustrated past and present events in the system. He said the lecturer who taught him in a class of 30 students. The students he taught who sat in a class of 150 students as well as their own students, who are his grand students, will be teaching a class of 300 students using the same methodology, which is ineffective.
“So part of what ASSU is saying is that we still used the same thought process, the funding, mechanism for education in the 80s. The last agreement was signed in the 1990s, nearly 30 years ago, so you cannot have that kind of thought process operating today and are still not willing to change it for something that will be a win-win for the federal government.
“So the government should be clear about what they want to do with universities. Now we have 63 federal universities, and state universities are slightly higher than this number, so they must rethink the entire philosophy of what they want to do with universities, and that is the only way they will be able to meet with the challenges raised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in the university system.”
However, the don stressed the need for both parties to engage in constructive dialogue and find lasting solutions to the underlying issues.
Address Long Standing Issues and Enjoy Uninterrupted University Activities”- Prof. Yakubu Ochefu implores Government
News
FG disburses N2.25bn to Gombe MSMEs

FG disburses N2.25bn to Gombe MSMEs
The Federal Government, through the Bank of Industry (BoI), has disbursed N2.25 billion to support 16,696 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Gombe.
Dr Olasupo Olusi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BoI, confirmed this during a town hall meeting held in Gombe on Friday.
The meeting aimed to sensitise the Gombe business community about the N200 billion Federal Government Loan Scheme for MSMEs and manufacturing enterprises.
Olusi said the Federal Government, through BoI, had disbursed over N107 billion to nearly 900,000 beneficiaries across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
“Out of this, over 16,696 beneficiaries, valued at N2.25 billion, are from Gombe State,” he said.
Represented by Mr Mohammed Maina, North East Regional Manager of BoI, Olusi described the fund as a landmark initiative of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He stated that the initiative aims to empower MSMEs and revitalise Nigeria’s manufacturing sector as part of a broader economic growth strategy.
According to him, the scheme represents a strong investment in Nigeria’s future and a commitment to unlocking the business sector’s potential.
“MSMEs bring life to the local economy. They create jobs, provide livelihoods, and drive innovation across sectors,” Olusi noted.
He added that MSMEs account for 96 per cent of Nigerian businesses, 84 per cent of employment, and nearly half of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Olusi said President Bola Tinubu envisions an economy where local industries thrive, meet global standards, and every enterprise is empowered to succeed.
BoI, he said, is working to ensure the scheme becomes a catalyst for jobs, innovation, and prosperity, especially among young entrepreneurs.
He commended Gombe State Government’s support and urged MSME owners, community leaders, and youth groups to champion the intervention.
Mr Abdulwahab Sabo, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Inuwa Yahaya on MSMEs, praised President Tinubu for positively impacting Gombe’s local economy.
Sabo stated that MSMEs remain the backbone of the state’s economy by creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurship, especially among women and youths.
He said the Yahaya-led administration is committed to supporting initiatives that empower women and youths while encouraging business growth.
Abbas Abdul, Chairman of the Tea and Bread Association in Gombe, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for the financial support.
Abdul, who received N50,000 six months ago, said his business has grown to N300,000, and he now plans to open a mini restaurant.
Adamu Abubakar from Dukku LGA, who engages in fabrication and welding, said the intervention saved him from high commercial bank interest rates.
Abubakar received a N5 million loan at nine per cent interest per annum and now plans to expand and employ more young people.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the town hall included a question and answer session on accessing loans and challenges faced by MSMEs.
FG disburses N2.25bn to Gombe MSMEs
News
Afenifere Warns Against Profiling Tinubu Administration, Yoruba Government

Afenifere Warns Against Profiling Tinubu Administration, Yoruba Government
… Says Such Act is Tantamount to Playing Russian Roulette with National Destiny
By: Michael Mike
Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Organisation has warned those labelling the present administration of President Bola Tinubu as Yoruba government to stop such profiling, stating that such act is tantamount to playing Russian roulette with our national destiny.
Afenifere in a statement signed on Friday by its National Organising Secretary Abagun Kole Omololu, said: “We have taken due note of the recent expose by Dr. Sandra Duru, detailing her conversation with the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, particularly her shocking admission of a clandestine plot to sabotage the administration of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which the conspirators have stereotyped as a “Yoruba government,” and thereby stir the embers of division to deny him a second term. This is no light accusation. It is a revelation that demands reflection from patriots and repudiation from all who still hold Nigeria dear.”
The group added that: “Let it be said, plainly and without ambiguity, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is not a Yoruba government. It is a Nigerian government. He did not ascend to the presidency by tribal inheritance but by democratic choice — the result of votes cast in faith by Nigerians of every tongue, creed, and religion.
“To label this administration as “Yoruba” and weaponize that label as grounds for sabotage is not only dishonest, but a vile act of tribal opportunism and sedition. We reject it utterly.
“We remind the nation: When President Muhammadu Buhari held office for eight years, no one branded his leadership as a “Fulani government.” No tribal coalition was formed to deny him a second term on the grounds of ethnicity. He was allowed to serve out his mandate in full — and rightly so. The same principle of equity and continuity must apply now. Let no one demand justice only when it suits them, but deny it when it is owed to others.”
The group adduced that: “President Tinubu shall serve his full term of eight years, by the will of the good people of this country and under the watch of the Constitution. To suggest otherwise is to play Russian roulette with our national destiny.”
Afenifere commended Dr. Duru for her expose, stating that: “Afenifere salutes Dr. Sandra Duru for her uncommon courage — for speaking truth not only to power, but to conspiracy. Her voice is a reminder that integrity still walks among us, and that silence, in the face of wickedness, is not an option for those who love this country.
“Furthermore, we condemn in the strongest terms the campaign of calumny and false allegations against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio — a man whose only crime, it appears, is that he dares to cooperate and collaborate with the President in the spirit of statesmanship and progress.
“We reject the weaponization of false allegations as political tools — especially when such weapons are aimed at innocent men, families and private lives. Politics has its place, but it must never trespass the boundaries of human decency. To smear a man’s name, fabricate charges, and unleash innuendo on his children, his home, and his honour — that is not politics. That is malice in its rawest form.”
The group further said: “We strongly decry the internationalization of fabricated domestic issues by those who authored the falsehood in the first place. This is akin to setting fire to your own seat in a cinema and running out crying “Fire! Fire!” — not out of alarm, but out of selfish ambition. It is selfishness that seeks to burn down the image of the nation to satisfy the ego of one person who believes that except she has her way, the country should not have peace.”
Afenifere warned that: “Nigeria is not a personal or tribal empire. Our nation will not bow to tribal blackmail. It will not bend to invented narratives. And it will not break under the weight of conspiracy. Let all patriots rally to the defence of truth, justice, and constitutional order. Let us remember that nations fall not only when tanks roll through streets — but also when lies, repeated often enough, begin to sound like truth.”
The group said: “We have come too far to be dragged backward by petty ambition disguised as activism. Let us reject the agents of sabotage — not because they threaten one man, but because they threaten all of us.”
Afenifere Warns Against Profiling Tinubu Administration, Yoruba Government
Crime
Police arrest 95 suspected cultists in Edo raid, recover arms and insignia

Police arrest 95 suspected cultists in Edo raid, recover arms and insignia
By: Zagazola Makama
The Police in Edo state has arrested 95 suspected cultists in a series of coordinated raids across the state targeting known cultist hideouts, the Command said on Friday.
Police sources told Zagazola Makama that the ongoing operation, which began on April 28, was carried out by combined Tactical Teams, who apprehended suspected members of three major cult groups notorious for violent crimes.
According to the police, 33 of the suspects are believed to be members of the Malphites Confraternity, 34 are linked to the Aye (Black Axe) Confraternity, while 28 others are associated with the Eiye Confraternity.
Items recovered during the operation include one single-barrel shotgun with four live cartridges, and two Malphite-branded caps.
The Police said that the suspects are being charged with multiple felonies, including cult-related murders and violent attacks in recent weeks.
The police sources assured the public that the crackdown will continue until all criminal elements are rooted out, warning that there will be no hiding place for cultists and their sponsors in the state.
Police arrest 95 suspected cultists in Edo raid, recover arms and insignia
-
News1 year ago
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions3 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions3 years ago
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year ago
EYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Columns1 year ago
Army University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
ACADEMICS1 year ago
A History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Opinions1 year ago
Tinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
Politics8 months ago
Kashim Shettima: Of Sentiments, Their Opinions, and the 21 billion Naira VP’s Official Resident