Author: Damilola Olufemi

Students of The Polytechnic Ibadan took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the recent renaming of their institution after former Oyo State Governor, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo. The demonstrators stormed the Oyo State Government Secretariat in large numbers, wielding placards and demanding that Governor Seyi Makinde reverse the decision and retain the institution’s original name. Chanting solidarity songs, the students insisted that the name The Polytechnic Ibadan carries historical significance and global recognition, and should not be altered. During the protest, the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Olamide Oladipupo, led the charge, appealing to the state government to…

The Ondo State Government says it is preparing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. Speaking on Monday, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olukayode Ajulo, revealed that his ministry has received several petitions requesting a coroner’s inquest into the former governor’s death. Ajulo said the petitions, submitted by professional groups and residents of Akeredolu’s hometown in Owo, raised concerns about alleged inconsistencies and unanswered questions regarding his demise. He noted that the state’s coroner law grants citizens the right to seek clarity in cases where there may be suspicions of foul play.…

By Alade Adisa The Rwandan Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Christophe Bazivamo;  and the Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, Prof. Ademola Tayo, have said incidents like the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda must not be allowed to occur anywhere in the world. They have therefore charged political and community leaders to strive and promote peaceful co-existence among diverse groups in their communities and countries. They spoke at an occasion held at Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, to commemorate the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. “It is both a solemn honour and a profound responsibility to stand…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally reinstated Senator Samuel Anyanwu as its National Secretary, following its landmark 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Monday in Abuja. Addressing journalists after the session, Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum confirmed the decision and announced that the next NEC meeting — the 101st — will take place on July 23. That gathering is expected to finalise plans for the party’s national convention. Damagum emphasised the unity displayed at the meeting, saying, “We were all together, and we all agree that Senator Anyanwu will continue to act as National Secretary.” He added…

As a blistering heatwave swept through southern Europe, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Monday issued a stark warning that the escalating climate crisis poses a serious threat to basic human rights, including the right to life. According to the UN on its website, no corner of the globe is immune to the devastating consequences of climate change. “Rising temperatures are fueling environmental degradation, natural disasters, weather extremes, food and water insecurity, economic disruption, conflict, and terrorism. Sea levels are rising, the Arctic is melting, coral reefs are dying, oceans are acidifying, and forests are burning. It…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday held its much-anticipated 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the party’s national headquarters in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, despite a brief police presence at the venue earlier in the day. The gathering brought together members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), governors, lawmakers, and other key NEC stakeholders. In his remarks, Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum clarified that the meeting’s sole agenda was to set a date for a broader NEC session where issues surrounding the party’s convention would be discussed. He explained that this limited focus was agreed upon following prior consultations…

Nigerian entertainer Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has reacted defiantly after the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) declared him wanted over serious allegations including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking. In a video shared on YouTube Monday, Speed Darlington rejected the claims, saying he had done nothing wrong. “I’m not coming. You hear me? I’m not coming. I have not committed any crime. All I did was speak,” he said in the video, dismissing the allegations as unfounded. He accused NAPTIP of trying to gain attention by targeting him. “Where is your evidence? Who is…

Ali Bukar Dalori has officially taken over as the acting national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the resignation of his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje. Ganduje stepped down last Friday, a move the party later confirmed. According to APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, the former Kano governor resigned to focus on “urgent and important” personal matters. Presenting Ganduje’s resignation letter to the National Working Committee (NWC) during its Monday meeting, the party’s national secretary, Suraj Ajibola, said: “On behalf of the party, I present formally to the NWC the resignation letter of the former chairman, Dr Umar Abdullahi…

A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has condemned the deployment of armed police officers to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, which disrupted the planned meetings of the National Executive Council (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) on Monday. Speaking to journalists after Bode George and other members of the party’s National Working Committee were denied access to the Wadata Plaza headquarters, George criticised the action and cautioned the Federal Government against igniting political unrest. “It’s strikingly annoying. This is our property. Was there any court order to say we will not hold our meeting…

By Alade Adisa Many Nigerians who attended primary and secondary schools up until the 1990s would not deny that they made use of a library in one way or another, whether in their schools or at public libraries run by the government. Now, that era feels like a distant memory, as libraries have disappeared from most schools, and the few public ones that still exist are in a state of disrepair. Some of the remaining public libraries merely offer seats and shelves stocked with a handful of outdated books. “Readers are leaders,” as the saying goes, but with the country’s…