Connect with us

News

PDP Crisis: Suspension ’ll Harden G7 – Saraki

Published

on

Former governor of Kwara state and Senator representing Kwara Central, Senator Bukola  Saraki described the suspension of four key members of the Peoples Democratic  Party faction (New PDP) on Monday by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) as a serious setback capable of truncating all the reconciliatory moves on ground and will only harden the G7 governors of the party.

Senator Bukola Saraki expressed this feeling in a media chat with Senate Correspondents in Abuja yesterday.

Saraki, one of the strong supporters of the G7 governors expressed surprise over why the suspension of the former National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Kawu Baraje, among others, should come when the appeal court sitting in Abuja passed a judgment recognising Oyinlola as the authentic national secretary of the party.

He said that the court judgment was an opportunity for reconciliation, regretting that the recent suspension of the four aggrieved members of the party was an attempt to circumvent the court judgment.

His words: “We woke up to read in the papers today that some key members of a faction in the Peoples Democratic Party had been suspended. I believe its unfortunate. It is a means of circumventing the ruling of the court.

“We should not take the issue of the rule of law with levity. Since a court had ruled that Oyinlola should resume as Secretary of the party, PDP should comply with the judgment of the court. These are some of the issues that some of us are angry about. The PDP will be there, long after Oyinlola, long after everybody.

“Apart from the issue of reconciliation, there is other issue and this cannot help our democracy. The party is an institution that we are all holding in trust. We must all protect that institution not by being emotional or by expressing sentiments. The process sometimes could work in your favour, sometimes it may not.

“The executive there now will not be there forever. It is very, very sad because some of us have continued to fight on how we can bring peace to the party. All these things being done are behind the scene. We should give peace a chance.”

Senator Saraki said that the Party’s NEC decision was an ill wind that will blow nobody good and that if the  leadership of the party should insist on suspending the aggrieved PDP members, every peace move already in motion and as intanced by the court pronouncement on Oyinlola  would only be scuttled.

On the wranglings tailing the recent LG elections in his state, Kwara, Saraki pointed out that the National executive of the PDP participated in the local government election and that there are evidences to show that.

“Unfortunately 24 hours to the election, the national executive got lawyer to write a letter saying this is the new list of candidates. How did the list emerge? These are some of the actions that we are seeing in the party and before it is too late, this action must stop.”He concluded.

L-R: Dean, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev I. C. O. Kattey JP, former Military Administrator of Rivers State, Maj.-Gen. Godwin Abbe and member, Rivers State House of Assembly, representing Gokana Constituency, Hon. Innocent Barikor, during Life Member Conference Fund Raising for the Bible House Project, organized by the Bible Society of Nigeria, Rivers/Bayelsa Area, in Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: Obinna Prince Dele

L-R: Dean, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev I. C. O. Kattey JP, former Military Administrator of Rivers State, Maj.-Gen. Godwin Abbe and member, Rivers State House of Assembly, representing Gokana Constituency, Hon. Innocent Barikor, during Life Member Conference Fund Raising for the Bible House Project, organized by the Bible Society of Nigeria, Rivers/Bayelsa Area, in Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: Obinna Prince Dele

Continue Reading

News

198 UNIBEN Students Bag First Class

Published

on

A total of 198 students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN ) Edo State, bagged a First Class degree out of 14,083 students to be awarded first degree at the institution’s 51st Convocation and Founder’s Day ceremony.
Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, disclosed this on Monday in Benin at a pre-convocation press briefing.
He said 4,217 students bagged a Second Class Upper,  7, 928 got a Second Class Lower, while 578 bagged a Third Class degree.
He said 15 new approved programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC) would commence in the 2025/2026 academic session.
According to him, “The wheel of progress is on course and moving steadily in the University of Benin.  This administration is poised to deliver on its mandate of effective, practical teaching, sound learning, result-oriented research and impactful community service.
“We must applaud the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for establishing NELFUND, and by so doing significantly reducing the financial stress of students in the process of acquiring tertiary education.   We enjoin students and their parents to take full advantage of the federal government’s benevolence in instituting the fund.”
Prof. Omoregie disclosed that Nigeria’s Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, would deliver the Founders’ Day lecture with the topic,  “Reforms for a Shared Prosperity”.
The UNIBEN VC said Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and Former Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, would deliver the Convocation Lecture on the theme, “Making Our Universities Great”.
Continue Reading

News

Bayelsa Education Fund, British Council  trains tra 1,000 teachers

Published

on

The last batch of 400 public school teachers in Bayelsa State on Monday commenced training under the sponsorship of Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) and the British Council.
This batch will bring to 1000 the number of public school teachers in the state who have benefited in the partnership arrangement.School supplies
The EDTF, British Council and Teachers Training, Registration and Certification Board collaborated in the capacity development programme.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the five day capacity building program, Commissioner for Education Dr Gentle Emelah reiterated the commitment of the Bayelsa government to training and capacity of teachers in the state.
He noted that the improved teaching methodology in the state was responsible for the state producing the best student in the 2025 West African School Certificate Examinations.
Prof Ebimiowei, Executive Secretary at EDTF, noted that the collaboration is aimed at improving learning outcomes for pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa.
“You will agree with me that until the cutlass is sharpened, it will have no impact on the hands of the farmer and so it is with our teachers., you need to be sharpened very well to give good delivery in your various classes and schools.
“Let me at this juncture appreciate the British Council for accepting to train 1,000 teachers, 50 education managers and 60 trainers for Bayelsa,” he said.
On his part, Chairman of the EDTF board, High Chief Fidelis Agbiki expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for Education Dr Gentle Emelah for his supportive role to the fund.
Agbiki urged the beneficiaries to justify the enormous resources invested by the government of Bayelsa by being dedicated within the five days the exercise would last.
He said; “This board will not operate on business as usual but on business unusual as we will push the frontiers outside the box to ensure that we get value for money,” Agbiki said.
 Chairman of Development Partners Committee of the EDTF applauded the commitment of the partners for the successful completion of the programme, urging them to sustain the tempo
Speaking on the programme, Mr Fwanshishak Daniel, Head, English and Schools, British Council noted that the Bayelsa government had shown exemplary commitment to educational development.
He explained that the commitment has enabled the British Council and Bayelsa government to achieve within one year greater milestones that took other states three years to achieve.
He explained that the resources of the British Council have been made available to Bayelsa with the training of 60 resource persons from the state who will in turn train other teachers to improve education.
According to Daniel, the training will lay emphasis on new teaching methods, use of digital tools for self development and access to school amongst others.
Dr Peremoboere Ogola, Acting Chairman of TTRC, which facilitated training, thanked the EDTF for supporting training of teachers in Bayelsa with world class resources of the British Council.
She noted that another batch of newly recruited teachers are currently undergoing training at State government owned University of Africa, Toru Orua, Sagbama LGA in Bayelsa
Continue Reading

News

RSG INAUGURATES ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY COMMITTEE

Published

on

The Rivers State Government has inaugurated a Central Planning Committee to organize the celebration of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) in the State.

The committee was formally inaugurated by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.

Dr Anabraba who also serves as Chairman of the Committee

highlighted the State Government’s deep appreciation for the sacrifices of Nigeria’s fallen heroes who laid down their lives for the nation’s peace and unity.

“These heroes have given their lives for the security and peace of our nation and deserve to be celebrated. The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is an opportunity to show our gratitude for their sacrifice,” he said.

Dr. Anabraba further extended recognition to all Security Agencies in the State, emphasizing the importance of the event in appreciating their contributions to national security and sovereignty.

The annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day, observed on January 15 across the country is dedicated to remember Nigeria’s departed soldiers and honouring the nation’s veterans.

Continue Reading

Trending