GANUX, Author at SocietyGazette.com

Pharmacists petition Tinubu, decry marginalisation by medical doctors

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene in what it described as the growing domination of medical doctors in the health and education sectors.

ACPN warned that such practices are detrimental to national development and inclusive governance.

The pharmacists made this known in an open letter signed by their National Chairman, Ambrose Ezeh, and his Secretary, Omokhafe Ashore, dated June 16, 2025.

The letter titled, “Call off these bluffs in national interest,” followed reports of industrial action by members of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria at the University of Calabar, who downed tools over the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor.

According to the ACPN, the protest is part of a wider trend, referencing a similar situation at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, where the appointment of a VC was nullified by the Federal Ministry of Education because MDCAN members at the institution went on strike.

It said in the last few years, the Nigerian Medical Association, MDCAN, and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors have become audacious in Nigeria because the FG inadvertently boosted a culture of fascism in the health and labour sectors between 2015 and 2023, and now the Health and Education Sectors through the appointment of physician–ministers in these crucial sectors.

According to the association, since 1985, only physicians have been appointed as Chief Medical Directors or Medical Directors of federal health institutions based on a misinterpretation of eligibility criteria.

“In Nigeria, contrary to the dictates of common sense, only physicians are designated as CMDs/CEOs of FHIs since 1985 (40 years ago) because they wrongly interpreted the condition precedent for such appointments, which ties eligibility to being ‘medically qualified’ as implying that only physicians meet the eligibility criterion.

“In more damning circumstances, the Ninth NASS actually fraudulently passed a Federal Medical Centre bill later signed into law without public hearing which now makes it mandatory that only personnel registered by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria can be appointed as MD/CEO of Federal Medical Centres in Nigeria in 2023.

“Despite these insultingly ancient methodologies of physicians in Nigeria, to unlawfully create a dozen exclusive privileges for themselves in Nigeria, they have now with the blessing of Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, perfected a thriving culture of blackmail to proceed on strike everytime there is a contest for the position of VCs and the rules which are grounded in having a Ph.D. as condition precedent is applied because most of these physicians have professional qualifications of fellowships and not Ph.Ds. which are academic qualifications. Most public sector appointments have strict conditions precedent, which make the appointment lawful.

“The ineptitude of the FG to succumb to this shameful blackmail leaves a sour taste in the mouth as lawful stakeholders who are eligible based on the rules wallow in chronic invalidism imposed by the corrupted mechanism embraced by the Federal Ministry of Education,” the letter partly read.

The association also expressed disappointment in the Federal Ministry of Health for failing to properly involve pharmacists in key drug procurement processes, including the recent rollout of the MEDIPOOL initiative.

It renewed its call for the establishment of a Federal Drug Management Agency to standardise drug procurement and distribution across the country.

According to the association, Universal Health Coverage remains a mirage in Nigeria because the strategic pillars to achieve it are hindered by stumbling blocks.

“Your Excellency, we strongly demand a presidential intervention to make the government stand up to its stewardship responsibilities as the government.

“The government should change tactics in the skewed appointment of physicians who dominate sectors which are alien to medical practice while resisting ‘incursions’ into healthcare by any other cadre of practitioners, including colleagues, non-physician health professionals.

“It is important to inform Mr President that the humiliation health workers in healthcare are subjected to in deference to physicians is beginning to affect the psyche of youths in a generation where nobody wants to be an underdog.

“National growth, development, transformation and evolution will gradually become stunted if the Federal Government does not wield the big stick to stop the outrageously incomprehensible dominance of an overpampered group of civil servants who get what they request and are allowed to dictate a pittance for other skilled personnel in the Nigerian workforce.

“Your Excellency, the time to act is now in the public interest,” it concluded.&

EFCC re-arraigns Bauchi accountant-general over N1.4bn fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has re-arraigned the Accountant General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Muhammad Jaja, alongside a bureau de change operator, Aliyu Abubakar, before the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, over alleged money laundering and criminal diversion of public funds of N1.4bn.

The duo, re-arraigned on Tuesday before Justice O.A. Egwuatu, are facing five counts of amended charges bordering on money laundering, stealing, and criminal conversion of funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government.

Abubakar is being prosecuted under the trading name of Jasfad Resources Enterprise, a purported bureau de change outfit.

Also listed as defendants but currently at large are Abubakar Muhammed Hafiz, Ari Manga, and Muhammed Aminu Bose.

EFCC alleged that the defendants and others now at large committed the offences between October 29, 2024, and December 31, 2024, in Abuja.

The commission told the court that the defendants committed the offence of money laundering by converting the sum of N1,192,234,627 of public funds belonging to the Bauchi State Government.

The anti-graft agency told the court that Jaja transferred the said sum from the Bauchi State Sub-Treasury Account domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1018819396 into the account of Jasfad Resources Enterprise, domiciled in United Bank for Africa with account number 1023444660.

They were also alleged to have further laundered the sum of N296,191,000 between January 3 and March 14, 2025, through a similar channel.

According to the EFCC, the offences committed contravened Sections 18(2)(b) and are punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Following their plea, the defence counsel, Gordy Uche (SAN), for the first defendant and Chris Uche (SAN) for the second defendant, urged the court to allow the defendants to continue on the bail earlier granted by the court.

They also requested an adjournment to enable them to properly study the amended charge.

The prosecution, led by Abba Mohammed (SAN), did not oppose the bail application.

Consequently, Justice Egwuatu granted the request, affirming that the earlier bail terms would remain in place and adjourned the matter to July 21, 2025, for commencement of trial.

APC will fall in 2027 like PDP did in 2015 – Ebonyi SDP chair

The Social Democratic Party says it’s strengthening its grassroots base, just as it’s capitalising on growing dissatisfaction among Nigerians in the face of a biting economy. In this interview with EDWARD NNACHI, the Ebonyi State Chairman of SDP, Dr Kingsley Agbor, speaks on Nigeria’s 26 years of democracy, and his party’s preparedness for the 2027 elections

How has your party fared recently in Ebonyi State?

As former President Goodluck Jonathan once said, when you’re putting up poles and wiring, no one notices. It’s only when the lights come on that people begin to pay attention. That’s exactly what we’re doing in SDP. We’re laying structures, connecting grassroots networks, and consolidating our position. We are active in all 13 Local Government Areas and have executive members in virtually every electoral ward in Ebonyi State. But because we’re in opposition, we are moving quietly and strategically. We want to take people by surprise. Soon, they’ll start asking, ‘Where has SDP been all this while?’

There is one saying that people who pound their mortar loudly every night at times have the impression that the other people who you don’t hear them pound go hungry. Now, what do I mean? The ruling party, because they are in control of the resources and all that, they are free to make all the noise and all that. They believe erroneously that there is no other person existing. But because we are in opposition, we need to get our act right, and our tactics right, and the only tactic we are using is to go underground. And yes, other persons who are out there will believe that life has been snuffed out from SDP. But I can tell you that we are very much alive, and we will take them by surprise. So, it is not true that life has been snuffed out from SDP in Ebonyi State.

On June 12, Nigeria marked 26 years of uninterrupted democracy. Do you think Nigerians have truly enjoyed democratic governance?

Let’s not forget: the spirit of June 12 came from SDP, the platform on which the late MKO Abiola won the 1993 election. That said, when you evaluate Nigeria’s democracy by its core definition — government of the people, by the people, and for the people — you’ll see we’ve fallen short. Government of the people? It implies the people elect their leaders. But with the current electoral system, from INEC to the judiciary, the will of the people is often subverted. So, no, we haven’t achieved that. And government for the people? Let’s look around. How many homes have pipe-borne water? How many communities enjoy stable electricity, accessible healthcare, or quality public schools? Democracy is meant to benefit the people. But what we see is economic hardship — a crate of eggs now costs ₦7,000. Is that progress? I can say that we have just been surviving but whether the core mandate of democracy has been delivered, the answer is no!

So, are you saying we are living in deception?

Yes, we are purely living in deception. I took my time to explain it — government for the people, of the people, and by the people. When you put it line by line, you will see that we haven’t met any of the aspects of democracy.

What’s the way forward?

The way forward is what the SDP is trying to do or what the SDP has been doing. And what have we been doing? We are continuously advocating, mobilising, and sensitising the people to bring about the change. Regrettably, we never had the opportunity in 1993 because many people had in mind that, peradventure they allowed MKO Abiola to govern Nigeria, by today we will not be where we are. Where N2,000 cannot buy a loaf of bread. Where we cannot fly from Enugu to Lagos without spending less than N125,000. These are very disheartening. A journey of not more than 45 minutes, you are spending more than N30,000 just from Enugu to Lagos. The way forward is what we are doing now, continue holding these people by their words, and continue advocating and mobilising people. You see, my heart bleeds anytime I see this type of defection going on. Where are you defecting to? Defecting to a government that has made lives more terrible for its people? A government where its today is better than tomorrow? So, the way forward is that we keep on advocating, we keep on mobilising, and we hope that come 2027, we are going to get it right because SDP is poised and is fully ready and prepared to take us to where we should have been taken in 1993.

Governor Francis Nwifuru marked two years in office on May 29. What’s your rating of his administration?

Coming to score the government — unfortunately, I won’t score him high. Just like the government of David Umahi, which I described as cosmetic governance because in governance, we have hard-core governance and cosmetic governance. What is cosmetic governance? Just like when you see a lady with make-up and the rest of it, it does not solve anything. I have asked someone to tell me how much all the flyovers David Umahi built in Ebonyi State generates into the coffers of Ebonyi State. How many people have those flyovers employed and taken away from the job market? The answer is none. Until the government addresses this, it is purely cosmetic. Unfortunately, Nwifuru has equally followed the step of cosmetic governance instead of hard-core governance. What do I mean by hard-core governance? Let me give an example. Former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai entered into a partnership with a Dutch firm to establish Olam Farms, a mega hatchery and agro-processing enterprise. That initiative provides direct and indirect employment to over 10,000 people and contributes massively to the state’s economy. In contrast, how many Ebonyi people got jobs through the flyovers? What revenue have they generated? Until we embrace hardcore governance that drives the economy and uplifts lives, I cannot give the Nwifuru administration a pass mark. So, I won’t score Nwifuru high until he goes into hard-core governance.

You appear to be a lone ranger in this game. Is there any chance of you defecting to the ruling party ahead of 2027, just like others have done?

Why should I defect to a government I just described as cosmetic? I’ve chosen the path of service through hard-core governance. I’ll stay on the side that advocates for true change. I just told you—what they are giving us is cosmetic governance and I won’t want to be part of cosmetic governance, so that when I’m gone, one million years after, they will say it is the government of so-so people that did this. You still hear of Sam Mbakwe, and Jim Nwobodo — you still hear of those people. Sam Mbakwe wasn’t that rich, but if you go to Owerri you will see his legacy there.

How prepared is your party to take over the reins of governance in Ebonyi State?

The 2027 election is not going to be between PDP or any party and APC, it is going to be Nigeria and APC, and they are looking for a very organised platform. That platform we have is SDP. We are fully ready. Like I told you, we are going underground. If I tell you the number of supporters we have, you will be amazed. Whatever thing we are doing now, we are fully ready. You will be surprised at the kind of people that will emerge — that will pick up SDP tickets. They might not be the popular people you know every day. No! We are getting hardcore people who have travelled far and wide.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said those championing the coalition against President Tinubu are not credible and can’t unseat him. What’s your take?

Now, you see that he has the arrogance and free will to say anything he wants to say. But I want to tell you what El-Rufai told us. He said in 2013, when they were regrouping into APC to unseat PDP, all they heard was, “You can’t remove an incumbent government, he has control of the police, INEC is in his pocket, he has all the money.” But he said, “Will you allow yourself to get distracted?” They said all the answers they gave to them, they appreciated and said ‘thank you’ and went underground. They were told they were wasting their time. He said six months into that election, they were very sure they had won because all they needed to do, they had done. They went door-to-door and saw that Nigerians had already changed their minds. I’m not surprised about what he (Umahi) said; he is the current Minister of Works and can say all he needs to say. But I want to assure you that just as it happened in 2015, nobody believed it was going to happen because they were working underground. I want to assure you that it will happen. When it happens now, unfortunately, and disappointingly, people like David Umahi will be among the first to defect back to SDP, so, that he will take power. It is very unfortunate.

Osun monarch petitions IG over threat to destroy community

The traditional ruler of Ifetuntun community in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Taofeeq Osunmakinde, the Obawure of Ifetuntun, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, over alleged threats to destroy the community

The monarch also appealed to the IGP over incessant clashes arising from a boundary dispute between his community and a neighbouring community in the Ijebu West Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The monarch who spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Sunday, urged Egbetokun to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators of unrest stemming from the ongoing border dispute between Ife South and Ijebu West over the 30-mile land area known as Ifetuntun.

Osunmakinde recalled that in 2001, during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, a conflict erupted between the settlers of Ifetuntun and the Ijebu communities, prompting the Federal Government’s intervention.

But the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation demarcated the borders, allowing both communities to coexist peacefully until now.

According to him, the Ifetuntun community had been existing before 2010, and the recognition of the throne solidified their peaceful way of life, which has persisted since.

He, however, alleged that some top government officials are threatening to destroy the community, noting that armed hoodlums were beginning to take control of the community while security agencies are victimising his people.

He said, “Ifetuntun has experienced the rule of nine military and civilian administrations without significant conflict or disarray in the community.

“However, in 2016, we faced their first attack led by a forest guard from the Ministry of Natural Resources. They hired thugs who burned homes and caused damage estimated at N2 billion in our community.

“Several arrests were made then, while the principal suspects disappeared, and the matter was eventually settled out of court through intervention from the then Ooni of Ife and the former Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.

“But in recent times, a group of hoodlums has been harassing our residents along the federal road connecting Ife South to Ijebu West LGs ( in Osun and Ogun states, respectively). The hoodlums have been extorting money from passersby, claiming to be acting on behalf of the state government. Continue reading Osun monarch petitions IG over threat to destroy community

Peter Obi blames leadership failure for Benue killings

Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has condemned the recent mass killings in Benue State, describing the gruesome killings suspected armed herdsmen as a direct consequence of leadership failure in Nigeria.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Obi expressed heartbreak over the attacks, which claimed the lives of women, children, soldiers, and displaced persons.

He called for an urgent national response, warning against the growing normalisation of mass killings in the country.

“My heart is heavy as I learn of yet another horrific series of killings in Benue of women, children, soldiers, and displaced persons, all senselessly slain.

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According to the former Anambra State governor, the scale of the killings goes beyond isolated violence and reflects systemic governance failure.

“Over 200 lives have reportedly been extinguished in a single onslaught, homes burnt, families shattered, communities left in ruin. This is not merely violence.

“It is a failure of leadership, a stain on our collective conscience,” Obi stated.

He lamented the continued inability of governments at all levels to perform their primary duty of securing lives and property, saying each loss of life is a deep wound to the nation.

He said, ”Every life lost is a Nigerian life, each one precious, each one irreplaceable. We cannot accept the normalisation of mass killing. It is intolerable.

“The primary duty of any government, federal, state, or local is to protect lives and property.

“When it repeatedly fails, we must ask: What kind of nation are we bequeathing to our children?.”

Obi offered words of solidarity to grieving communities in Benue, assuring them that their suffering is not in vain.

“To the people of Benue, I say: your pain is our pain.

“The blood of your loved ones cries out for justice.

“The survival of our people must not be negotiable; it must be urgent, deliberate, and comprehensive action.”

He also called on authorities to move beyond mere rhetoric and take concrete, decisive steps to protect vulnerable communities.

Obi wrote,”To all relevant authorities, I say that the time has come to move beyond symbolic gestures to decisive deployment.

“Let your actions speak louder than visits or statements.

“A safe, secure Benue is not too much to ask,it is our moral duty, our national duty.”

Closing his statement, Obi said the current state of insecurity does not reflect the Nigeria that citizens deserve or aspire to live in.

“This is not the Nigeria we deserve, nor the Nigeria we aspire to.

“We must end this bloodshed. We must reclaim our humanity,” Obi added.

PUNCH Online had reported that armed herders invaded Yelwata and Daudu towns in Guma Local Government Area of the state, killing hundreds of people, including security operatives, between Friday night and Saturday morning.

A local leader, Matthew Mnyan, claimed the death toll could be as high as 200, including five security personnel.

Another crash in India kills seven

A helicopter carrying seven passengers, the pilot included, has crashed in the northern Indian state of Uttarakh, leading to the death of all its occupants.

BBC reported that five passengers, one child, and one crew member were on board.

This happened barely three days after an India Air plane crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad and killed more than 270 people.

Local media in India reported that the Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter VT-BKA was en route from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, following a pilgrimage path through the Himalayan mountains.

The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the pilot and a two-year-old child were among those killed, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will be investigating the crash.

The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Department said,” At around 5:30 AM, we got the information that a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham, could not be located.”

According to the State Disaster Response Force, local administration and other rescue teams have begun engaging in relief and rescue operations. The agency described the incident as “very sad news.”

Meanwhile, the toll from last Thursday’s India Air crash has continued to increase.

Rescue teams in the aviation industry have continued to search the site and debris of the ill-fated Boeing 787 aircraft.

The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad told The Associated Press that the facility had received 270 bodies, and only the surviving passenger is still under observation for his injuries.

“He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon,” the facility said on Saturday.

Relatives of the victims have also commenced the submission of DNA samples to identify and claim their relatives.

Soyinka calls for investigations into Giwa, Ige, Kudirat Abiola killings

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has called on President Bola Tinubu to initiate an urgent investigation into the unresolved and suspicious deaths of key figures associated with the June 12 pro-democracy struggle.

He said this included Dele Giwa, Bola Ige, and Kudirat Abiola.

DELE GIWA

Soyinka made this appeal on Saturday during a reflective fireside conversation with selected journalists at Freedom Park, Lagos.

The dialogue, themed, “June 12: Romancing the Embers,” was held to mark the anniversary of the annulled 1993 presidential election, a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic history that is now commemorated as a national holiday.

According to him, Tinubu should initiate a formal probe into the strange circumstances that led to the deaths of Nigerians who paid the ultimate price during the struggle for democracy to give some closure to the matter.

While commending the symbolic significance of June 12, Soyinka noted that honouring its legacy must go beyond annual rituals and speeches.

He argued that justice for those who died in the fight for democracy would lend deeper meaning to the day’s commemoration.

The playwright and activist also announced that he would be dedicating any honours or recognition bestowed upon him on June 12 to the late Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti.

He said Beko was not just a defender of human rights, a champion of good governance, and a tireless campaigner for democracy, but an intelligent, resourceful, and fearless individual willing to take dare-devil risks in pursuit of justice.

Meanwhile, Soyinka described former military president Ibrahim Babangida’s memoir, ‘A Journey in Service,’ as incomplete, insisting that the retired general owes Nigerians the duty of finishing the 405-page book, which was published in February 2025 by Bookcraft Africa.

Soyinka said Babangida must write a follow-up book, as his autobiography remains unfinished.

“I called him (Babangida) and I said that your memoir is not finished. And I said, isn’t it about time that we name names in this matter? Babangida’s book should be read side by side with Professor Omo Omoruyi’s. Omoruyi was there,” Soyinka said, referring to Professor Omoruyi’s own account of the annulment, The Tale of June 12: The Betrayal of the Democratic Rights of Nigerians.

“I told him, you haven’t finished your book. You have to write another one. That’s my position,” Soyinka asserted.

It will be recalled that Professor Omoruyi was Babangida’s close friend and confidant throughout his eight-year tenure as military president.

The Nobel Laureate also described Babangida as “a general without an army.”

“We know of a certain move which he made. We know those who visited him at the time, those who added their weight to the annulment, both within the military and the civil. We know the royal fathers who went to visit and said on no account will they accept the implementation of that election.

“We know all of that. It’s not me who should write it. It’s he. He owes it to the nation,” Soyinka maintained.

Anambra prepares for flood emergencies, intensifies sensitisation campaigns

The Anambra State Government has expressed its preparedness to respond effectively to any flood related emergency by taking precautionary measures across the state to avert any disaster.

The Commissioner for Environment, Dr Felix Odimegwu, made this known in an interview with journalists in Awka, on Saturday, adding that the ministry in collaboration with relevant agencies, has intensify the sensitisation of the people to this year’s rainfall and likely flooding.

This is coming ahead of the three-day rainy weather conditions predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency starting from Saturday to Monday across Nigeria.

Also, fears have gripped residents since last Monday when a heavy downpour caused severe flooding around Zik’s Avenue, Iweka Road, near the popular Ochanja Market in Onitsha, the commercial centre of the state, ravaged some shops and disrupted business activities in the area.

The flood, triggered by several hours of non-stop rainfall and worsened by blocked drainage channels, submerged the entire stretch of Zik’s Avenue, displacing traders and halting commercial operations as well as both vehicular and non-vehicular movements throughout the day.

Videos of the flooding still circulating online showed when traders and residents struggled to salvage goods from flooded shops, while tricycle operators were seen struggling to rescue his vehicles from being swept away by the rising waters.

Reacting to these developments, Odimegwu stated that the campaign and sensitisation was in response to early warnings from NiMET indicating that Anambra was among the states at high risk of flooding during the rainy season.

He said, “After the first six months seasonal prediction by NiMet, we disseminated the information and notified residents, especially those living at the coastal areas about the upcoming rainfall and flooding consequences, and urged the general public to be absolutely careful and prepared for it.

“The state government has consistently sensitises the people to desist from blocking water channels and drainages in and around surroundings of their houses to pave way for easy flow of flooding. The blockage of water drainages is the root cause of man-made flooding.

“What we are doing is that whatever would cause flooding in the urban areas by man, we will try to prevent it. But, if it is the flooding caused by river rising above the sea level, we will give warning to people living in the riverine areas to prepare on how to vacate.”

The Commissioner further said that the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, is equally showing great concerns to flood devastations in the state in the last three years and as a result, has constituted committees headed by the Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachi Ibezim.

According to him, the committees constitute officials of the ministry of environment, ministry of health, ministry of information, ministry of education, local government chairmen, and State Emergency Management Agency.

“The reason for constituting the committees is for us to start in time to strategise and put measures in place ahead of this year’s flooding in case it occurs. The Committees were formed since 2022 when flood devastated about nine local government areas of the state.

“After that 2022 flood devastation, we vowed that such disaster cannot occur again, but if it eventually happens, the effects will not be as severe as it was in 2022 because of the measures we have put in place.

“Now, rains have started, every week I send notice of early warnings to some other stakeholders who are in the standing Committees which local government chairmen are also among them because they have their own local emergency management committees who manage the crisis if it occurs.

“The early warning signs have become important because it will alert to how and when it will rain heavily and provides avenue for them to prepare and be careful whether the rain will cause flooding or not,” he added.

He also pointed out that the weekly early warning alerts will equally help farmers in the riverine areas to harvest their products to avoid being submerged by flood, stressing that the early warning/ signs of rains also helps traders, artisans and civil servants to adjust their movements to avoid being caught up by rain.

The commissioner said, “We will continue posting the early warning signs until we reach the peak of rain season. During this period, we will now embark on manual preventive measure ‘Called Marking’. There is an object that has different coloured edges which we buried in the ground that shows the level of rising water from the sea.

“From the object, when water level reaches the green edge, it indicates that there is no problem, but if it rises from green to yellow edge, it indicates that people should be vigilant and by then, we will tell people to start packing to where we arranged for them. If the water level rises to red edge, then there is great danger. Red edge is a situation where flood begins to carry people and destroy properties.”

Print NECO conducts common entrance exams as Benin, Togo participate

No fewer than 64,000 candidates from Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo on Saturday participated in the National Common Entrance Examination for admission into Federal Government Colleges.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the examination is conducted by the National Examinations Council.

Speaking after monitoring the exercise at Model Secondary School, Maitama, and Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, expressed satisfaction with the exercise.

Ahmad emphasised that the turnout of candidates reflected the continued public trust in the Unity School system.

“I am very happy with the way the exams have been conducted.

”They started on time, students were orderly, and invigilators were present and active.

“We had 64,000 candidates, 30,000 male and 34,000 female, which shows a strong interest in our Unity Colleges.

“Nigerians are still eager to have their children in Federal Government Colleges.

”This turnout shows that parents still value the role of Unity Schools in national cohesion,” she said.

On his part, the NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, said Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates with more than 15,000 while Togo had the lowest with 17.

Wushishi said that 109 candidates from Benin Republic and Togo combined took part in the examination with Nigerian citizens residing there.

“This is a truly regional exercise that affirms the reach and reputation of our Unity Colleges,” he said.

He noted that no challenges were reported during the conduct of the examination.

“Materials arrived on time, the exam started as scheduled, and so far, we’ve seen no issues.

“This smooth process gives us hope that upcoming senior secondary exams, both WAEC and NECO will follow suit,” he said.

The NECO boss also acknowledged the inclusion of children with special needs, saying braille materials and support personnel were provided for them during the examination.

Also speaking, the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Binta Abdulkadir, said admissions into Unity Schools would be based on merit, state quota and exigency, the latter catering largely for children of civil servants.

Abdulkadri added that final admissions would depend on the released results, promising to remain committed to a fair and inclusive process.

NAN reports that the examination, which is yearly, enables pupils access Federal Government colleges, popularly called Unity Colleges.

Admissions into the first term academic session will begin after the release of the results.

(NAN)

Kebbi begins drainage clearance to avert flooding

The Kebbi State Government has commenced the evacuation and clearance of drainage systems across sensitive areas of the state.

The Commissioner for Urban Development, Hayatu Bawa, made this known on Friday in a statement issued to journalists in Birnin Kebbi.

He explained that the exercise is part of ongoing efforts to prepare the state ahead of the rainy season.

According to the commissioner, the clearance is aimed at removing waste and other blockages from waterways to ensure the free flow of rainwater, thereby preventing the overflow that often leads to flooding in residential areas.

“We have already begun clearing drains to allow water to flow freely during the rainy season. This is intended to prevent the devastating effects of flooding,” Bawa said.

He commended Governor Nasir Idris for approving the initiative and for providing the necessary financial and logistical support to the ministry, which he said has ensured a smooth and effective operation.

Bawa also used the opportunity to caution residents against constructing buildings on waterways and the indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

He emphasised that such practices contribute significantly to flooding.

He further advised people living in flood-prone communities to consider relocating to safer, upland areas to safeguard lives and property.

“The clearing of drains remains one of the most effective ways of preventing flood disasters, and we urge the public to cooperate with government efforts,” he added.

The state government reaffirmed its commitment to prioritising environmental safety and protecting citizens from the dangers of seasonal flooding.