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Obasanjo brought shame to Nigeria – Falana

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Human rights activist, Femi Falana, on Friday urged former President Olusegun Obasanjo to admit that he (Obasanjo) brought shame to the country during his time as Nigeria’s leader.

Falana said the ex-President should stop insulting the collective intelligence and memories of Nigerians having instituted the culture of impunity in the country.

Speaking to journalists in Benin City, Edo State, Falana said he was surprised when he read that the Senate had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to bring a fresh person to replace Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He noted that Obasanjo had the opportunity to be great by providing good leadership and rid the country of corruption.

The lawyer stated that apart from the allegations of nepotism and clannishness Obasanjo leveled against President Buhari, “other allegations made there were nothing to write home about.”

He said: “In another words, all the other allegations took place under President Obasanjo and in fact, he institutionalized the culture of impunity under the democratic dispensation in Nigeria.

“If President Obasanjo who ruled this country for 11 and half years has institutionalized democracy, rule of laws and respect for human rights, we will not be in this mess and the control of Nigeria by the Nigerian people, we will be having an Eldorado by now.

“So, please, let Obasanjo and others be honest to admit that they brought us to this shameful episode. So, nobody should grandstand when it comes to the mis-governance of Nigerians.

“Nobody has apologized. The fact that from 1999 to 2007, this country, made close to hundred billion dollars from the sale of one commodity, oil. What is there to show for it rather than permanent darkness?

“The more you spend on energy, the more darkness you get. So what is there to celebrate? What we have were mass unemployment and sales of national assets to few boys who were closed to the presidency, rigging of elections.

“You have all forgotten that the results from Delta, Ondo and others were announced in Abuja and in those states in order to rig those elections. What is there to celebrate?

“President Obasanjo is entitled to form his own political party or his own movement but he should please desist from insulting the collective intelligence and the collective memories of Nigerians.

“When Sharia started, the federal government did not challenge the unconstitutionality. Under that era, we had ethnicity and religious violence that claimed lives of over 20,000 Nigerians.

“With great respect to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, apart from the allegations of nepotism and clannishness, which cannot be disputed, every other allegations made there, is nothing to write home about. In other words, all the other allegations took place under Obasanjo and in fact, he institutionalized the culture of impunity under the democratic dispensation in Nigeria.

“Many of us have forgotten the abduction of Governor Chris Ngige, many of us have forgotten the fact that the National Assembly and the House of Representatives displayed bales of naira with which it was alleged that the presidency wanted to bribe the legislators.

“Many of us have forgotten about the third term agenda or the fact that many people who were also closed to the seats of power were treated like sacred cows even in the fight against corruption. But I do not want to join issues with Obasanjo for now on his letter so that one is not seeing as endorsing impunity in our country but other than the allegations of nepotism and clannishness which the presidency is notoriously noted for, I think, they are birds of same feathers.”

 

 

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Breaking: Universities adopt 150 as cut-off mark for 2025/2026 admission and sets admission age at 16, Says Alausa

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Vice Chancellors of Universities in the country have adopted 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for 2025/2026 admission.

The decision was reached in a voice vote supervised by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on Tuesday at the ongoing policy meeting on admission in Abuja.

At the meeting, the minimum cut-off point for admission into polytechnics was pegged at 100, while the colleges of education and agriculture adopted 100 as the entry point.

Colleges of nursing adopted 140 as the entry point for admission

The Federal Government has formally set 16 years as the minimum age for admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced this on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board held in Abuja.

Alausa, while declaring the meeting open, emphasised that the age benchmark is now official and non-negotiable. He warned that any admission carried out outside the Central Admissions Processing System would be considered illegal.

The minister further stated that heads of institutions found culpable of admission fraud or circumventing CAPS would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The annual policy meeting sets guidelines for the conduct of admissions into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for the coming academic session

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“We’re Removing All Bottlenecks To Improve Food And Agric Production In Nigeria, Says Tinubu To Brazilian Leader”

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President Bola Tinubu on Saturday assured his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, that he is working to remove all bottlenecks hindering Nigeria’s agric sector boom, especially bureaucracy, which he said contributes to delays in realising the sector’s potential.

He said this will enable food sovereignty and export for the country in areas such as livestock production.

Tinubu said this in a bilateral meeting held at the Copacabana Forte with the Brazilian president and some members of both countries’ cabinets.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed Saturday night titled ‘We’re Removing All Bottlenecks To Improve Food And Agric Production In Nigeria, Says President Tinubu To Brazilian Leader.’

“The President informed the Brazilian leader and delegation that Nigeria was already undergoing reforms to reposition the economy for global competitiveness, particularly in agriculture, where it already has a competitive advantage.

“Tinubu stated that all technicalities in agreements between the two countries will be streamlined and fast-tracked in trade, aviation, energy transition, food and agricultural development, mining, and natural resources exploration”, the statement partly read.

He added that Brazil’s research and development services had been exemplary for most countries, with the country rated as one of the highest producers of food and agricultural products.

“On livestock farming, Tinubu highlighted the efforts of his administration to boost investments in poultry, cattle rearing, and fisheries, adding that the blue economy also holds potential for long-term partnerships between Nigeria and Brazil. He argued that Nigeria was ready for a strong partnership and immediate action to stimulate food production.

“The President said the subnationals have a pivotal role in food and animal production in Nigeria by complementing the federal government’s efforts to use agriculture as a significant source of employment and resource mobilisation. Lula assured that all agreements with Nigeria would be regularised, and the MOUs would be updated and signed without delay during President Tinubu’s next visit.

“He noted that the lingering bureaucracy between the two countries must be removed to achieve quick results, adding that Brazil’s research and development institutions will collaborate with Nigeria to enhance livestock farming. The Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, revealed that Tinubu had consistently insisted on food security for Nigeria, and the mandate would be actualised through local and global partnerships. He added that Nigeria already had a competitive advantage in fertiliser production that could easily be enhanced, “he said.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, highlighted three areas of partnership with Brazil, including health and disease management, sanitary services, and research into genetic materials and new breeds.

The governors of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia; Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago; Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori; and Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, attended the bilateral meeting.

The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, said that the sub-nationals would support the federal government’s framework to revamp the agricultural sector.

Abiodun noted that both leaders’ decision to include a business forum during President Tinubu’s state visit to the country will inject fresh ideas and resources, enabling quick results in turning around Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, also participated in the bilateral meeting.

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BREAKING: Tinubu signs Tax Reform bills into law

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the four tax reform bills into law.

President Tinubu signed the law in his office at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, in the presence of relevant stakeholders from across the arms of government.

The new laws include the Nigerian Tax Law, the Nigerian Tax Administration Law, the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Law and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Law.

Earlier on Thursday, President Tinubu had explained that the laws would be unifying Nigeria’s fragmented tax system, removing redundant overlaps, boosting investor confidence, enhancing transparency, and promoting coordinated efforts across all levels.

He also described the legislation as a clear departure from previous policies, emphasising that the reforms are designed to ease the burden on working families, small businesses, and low-income earners while eliminating inefficiencies that have long plagued Nigeria’s fiscal structure.

On his verified X handle @officialABAT, the President had said that the new tax laws form the groundwork for the Nigeria of tomorrow, focused on unlocking opportunities for all.

 

“We are also building a framework for the Nigeria of tomorrow-leaner, fairer and laser-focused on unlocking opportunities for all.”

 

The Nigerian Leader explained that with the new tax reform laws, the Bola Tinubu-led Administration is now laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.

“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet.

“For too long, our tax system has been a patchwork-complex, inequitable, and burdensome. It has weighed down the vulnerable and shielded inefficiency. That era ends today.

“We are laying a foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria. A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity”, he said.

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