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Theft of public funds wrecking educational, health sectors — Osinbajo

…laments fight against corruption stalled without severe consequences
I didn’t write memo seeking to leave APC — Osinbajo
VICE President Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday, blamed the slow developmental pace of the country’s educational and health sectors on continuous theft of public funds.
This was as he said all efforts invested overtime to fight corruption may never yield any result if not backed with severe consequences.
Osinbajo spoke at the public presentation of the Integrity Club and Zero Tolerance Club Manuals organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, held at Model Secondary School, in Abuja.
The Integrity Club and Zero Tolerance Club Manuals is an initiative by the EFCC to serve as an instrument to inculcate the spirit of integrity and to serve as guidance in raising a more ethically grounded generation of Nigerians.
He said: “Today when you hear yahoo, yahoo, you will find out that there are people who justify it, saying it is because they don’t have money or it is because they are bored that’s why they are into it. No, that’s not true. There are many poor young people all over the world in different countries.
“The difference is the consequence. If you know that you will be caught and dealt with, you will not do it and you must also recognise that it destroys the reputation of your country and that reputation is important because you want to go abroad to study; because you want to do business abroad and do business with people. If the only thing people have ever heard is that these people are 419. If that’s the only reputation that there is, you are in trouble.
“Every public officer who steals robs the Nigerian society of funds, of health care, and education. Every time a public officer steals money whether the man is from your tribe or from your village or not because people excuse stealing when it comes from their own part of the world, and say it is ok after all it is my brother or sister but never forget that everybody, every public officer that steals money makes it very difficult for you to access good education, good health care, good roads, etc because public money is not for private pockets, it is meant for the public good, it is meant for public infrastructure. So, anybody pocketing public resources does harm to the country and the future and to all of the young people in our country.”
He, therefore, called on the Nigerian youths to join in the fight against corruption, pointing out that they are significant players in the nation’s developmental process.
“So, I want to say to the young people here in particular that you represent the army that must fight corruption, not because it seems like a nice thing to do, no, because your future depends on it.
“The reputation of your country is all that you will have in the next few years. Whatever you want to do, it is that reputation and those who destroy the reputation of the country are not doing you good. They are doing you a great evil. You must ensure that you join the army to fight corruption, to fight dishonesty because it is simply dangerous. Not just for you but for the entire society and for the future”, he said.
On his part, the Executive Chairman, EFCC, Abdurasheed Bawa, during his remarks said it was imperative for school children to get acquainted with issues concerning economic and financial crimes.
He added that the Integrity Club and Zero Tolerance Club Manuals would not only imbue a culture of integrity in the formative years of youths and children but would expose them to the need for honesty, transparency and accountability in their dealings.
He said: “The choice of school children and youths as torch-bearers in this important crusade is informed by the fact that they are not ely vulnerable to the effects of economic and financial crimes but retain the potential of breaking with the past years of decadence, to deliver the much cherished destiny of our nation as a corrupt-free society.
“Consequently, we have designed programmes and activities aimed at nurturing a culture of integrity in the formative years of this young population. Two of such programmes are the EFCC Integrity Club for primary schools and the Zero Tolerance Club for tertiary institutions.
“The Clubs are designed not only to improve children and youth understanding and sensitivity to the issues of economic and financial crimes but as a deliberate intervention to imbue them with values which underpin integrity, honesty, transparency and accountability to influence their behavior and character formation.
“Some of the activities through which we have sought to achieve this value orientation include but are not limited to the following rules: plays, visual arts, creative writing, poetry, games, dramas, lectures, workshops, music shows, road walks, etc.”
He, however, called for partnership with States Education Boards by mandating all the schools under their supervision to establish EFCC integrity clubs.
He extended partnership calls to Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts of Universities, Polytechnic and Colleges of Education across the country.
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Breaking : Tinubu returns to Abuja tonight after diplomatic visits to Saint Lucia, Brazil,Says Onanuga

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to arrive Abuja later tonight following a two-nation diplomatic tour that took him to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean and Brazil in South America.
His return was confirmed in a message posted on Saturday afternoon by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns to Abuja today after his two-nation visit to Saint Lucia and Brazil,” the presidential aide stated.
The President departed Nigeria on Saturday, June 28 for what was described as a strategic outreach aimed at strengthening ties with regions historically under-engaged in Nigeria’s diplomatic matrix.
His first stop was Saint Lucia, where he made a historic visit to build new ties and explore emerging partnerships with Caribbean states.
While in Saint Lucia, Tinubu interacted with regional leaders under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), reinforcing Nigeria’s growing interest in Caribbean diplomacy and South-South cooperation.
He subsequently proceeded to Brazil to participate in the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu held a bilateral meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The leaders co-chaired the Nigeria-Brazil high-level bilateral meeting , where they discussed mechanisms to boost trade, infrastructure financing, and cultural cooperation between Africa’s most populous country and Latin America’s largest economy.
With the President’s return, focus is expected to shift to domestic engagements and follow-up actions on the diplomatic and investment commitments made during his foreign tour.
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2027 Election: Group Moves To recover 10m Lost Votes In Northern States, Says Muhammad Gamawa

A non-governmental organisation, Advocacy for Integrity and Rule of Law (Airlin) in Nigeria, has kicked off a grassroots campaign across the 19 northern states to promote civic awareness, respect for the rule of law, and voter participation ahead of the next general elections.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Yobe State chapter of the organisation on Sunday, the National Chairman, Muhammad Ibrahim Gamawa, said the initiative was designed to “re-Nigerianise Nigerians” by instilling a deep respect for national values, laws, and democratic responsibilities.
Gamawa noted that the campaign specifically targets Nigerians who refused to vote during the last election, which recorded barely 40 per cent voter turnout.
He said his team is engaging directly with this silent majority in their homes to encourage them to reclaim their civic duty.
“We are going to those who didn’t vote not just to ask them to vote, but to educate them on their rights, how to make informed decisions, and to choose leaders based on ideology, not money,” Gamawa said.
He added that Airlin has appointed state and local government coordinators in all the LGAs of Yobe State as part of its broader plan to mobilise at least 10 million voters from its membership base in the coming election.
Airlin already has functional offices in 16 northern states, strengthening its capacity to reach the grassroots and drive consistent civic engagement.
According to him, “If you refuse to vote, you’re giving the bad eggs a chance to emerge. We’re telling people: don’t stay back. Come out and close the gap left during the last elections.”
He stressed that one of the key tasks for the newly inaugurated officials is to discourage vote-buying and reject financial inducement from politicians.
“Anyone who collected N1,000 or even N1 million two years ago already knows the money is gone. What is left is the broken promise and bad leadership. We must now live by political ideology. Don’t give your vote for money give it for policy, for vision, for something that aligns with your future,” he warned.
Gamawa said Airlin doesn’t engage in partisan campaigns or political endorsements, but instead evaluates political manifestos and meets with candidates to ask direct questions about their plans for the first term.
He added, “Our duty is to look beyond the noise and see who has a workable plan. We sit with these leaders and assess what they can deliver in the first 100 days. That is how we guide our members to vote consciously.”
The group’s core message revolves around respect for the rule of law, civic responsibility, and citizen-led accountability, with Gamawa stressing that the time had come for Nigerians to stop waiting for government agencies to enforce good governance.
“Let the rule of law live in our minds, in our bodies. It’s our job as citizens to keep Nigeria together not just the job of the government,” he said.
Gamawa concluded with a strong warning against vote trading, describing it as an act of betrayal to the nation, “Collecting money from politicians for votes is the worst thing citizens can do to their country.”
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Breaking : US cuts Nigerian non-immigrant visas to three months, single entry, With immediate effect

The United States Department of State has announced an update to its non-immigrant visa policy for Nigerians.
According to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday, “most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.”
The new visa restrictions take immediate effect.
However, the embassy clarified that, “those US non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025, will retain their status and validity.”
The statement emphasised that this move is part of the Department’s global visa reciprocity process, which the embassy described as “a continuous process and is subject to review and change at any time, such as increasing or decreasing permitted entries and duration of validity.”
The US explained the rationale behind the policy update, noting that “US visa criteria and standards are designed to protect the integrity of US immigration systems.”
The embassy added that “these standards are based on global technical and security benchmarks.”
According to the embassy, the US Mission is working with Nigerian authorities to meet these benchmarks.
“The US Mission is working with the Government of Nigeria to ensure that Nigeria can meet the criteria,” the statement said.
Examples of these standard criteria include “Secure Travel Documents: Ensuring countries issue secure travel documents with verified traveler identities.
“Visa Overstay Management: Implementing measures to limit overstays by travelers on US visas, and Information Sharing: Sharing relevant security and/or criminal record information to protect public safety.”
Despite the new restrictions, the embassy reaffirmed its diplomatic relationship with Nigeria.
“The United States values its longstanding relationship with Nigeria and remains committed to expanding our partnership based on mutual respect, shared security priorities, and economic opportunity, keeping both our countries safer and stronger,” the statement read.
The embassy also expressed support for ongoing Nigerian reforms, stating, “We commend the ongoing efforts by the Government of Nigeria’s immigration and security agencies to meet standards of international best practices.”
Nigerian travelers were advised to comply with visa regulations.
“Nigerian travelers are encouraged to respect and adhere to the terms of their visas, and ensure travel documents are authentic, accurate, and up to date,” it added.
The embassy concluded with a reaffirmation of its engagement with the Nigerian people and government.
“The United States remains a committed partner in deepening people-to-people ties with Nigeria via business, educational, and cultural exchanges.
“We look forward to continued cooperation at all levels with the Nigerian public and government officials to ensure safe and lawful travel between the United States and all countries,” it said
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