National
Edwin Clark tackles outgoing President Buhari over nepotism, neglect of Niger Delta
Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark on Sunday took on the outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari for his nepotistic disposition and for the neglect the Niger Delta region.
In what he referred to as farewell address to president Buhari, the elderstatesman accused him of leaving the nation, especially the Niger Delta region, worse than he met it.
Speaking in Abujahe said, Buhari has failed, treating Niger Delta with ignominy adding that those of them who felt he didn’t do well should not keep quiet but must speak out.
Explaining further, he said the outgoing President has bequeathed a bouquet of unfulfilled promises, divided nation and myriads of critical federal infrastructural projects in shameful states, especially roads, and particularly in the Niger Delta region.
All of the negative things he said were in addition to the debilitating state of insecurity in most parts of the country, being perpetrated by the menacing killer herders, Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, heinous bandits, kidnappers and sundry criminals.
According to him, the situation has become so bad that a vast majority of citizens, particularly the youths, are gripped by feelings of annihilation, fear and desperation due to lack of adequate protection by the government resulting to the now common “japa syndrome”, where leaving the country has become the aspiration of most active Nigerians.
He also pointed out how Buhari’s government humiliated him, treating me with ignominy.
“Sometimes ago, at midnight, three bus loads of security officers came to accused me of stockpiling amunutions, and they search my house and it took them two hours to search. At the end, they found nothing.
According to him, they apologized through some AIGs and Ijaw youths demonstrated in Port Harcourt.
He said, former presidents before Buhari congratulated him on his birthday in the past, but when Buhari came, he failed to congratulate him
“I see no reason why Buhari would not congratulate me and why he failed to apologize to me when my house was raided.
“I am 96 years old now, and I have been actively involved, by the Grace of God, in the affairs of Nigeria and the Niger Delta region, for over 70years, I have seen it all.
“Outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari declared in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2015 and I take liberty to cite.
“Having just a few minutes ago swore on a holy book, I intend to keep my hope and same as President to all Nigerians. I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”
However, the elderstatesman said, in the past 8years, President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated in most cases that he did not belong to the whole country but to a group; his tribe and religion, which is contrary to what he said in his inaugural speech that he belong to everybody.
For instance, he appointed fourteen out of seventeen security Chiefs from one section of the country. So, the declaration that “he belongs to everybody and nobody”, was a sham. I make bold to say that the reverse has been the case, “he belongs to some people”, but not the entire Nigeria.
“Even in matters like extending the good wishes of the government to notable personalities in the country on their birthdays or other landmark attainments, the Muhammadu Buhari administration was selective and biased in who it chooses to recognise or consider worthy of goodwill messages.
“Buhari’s team has publicly recognised the anniversaries of people who in all humility are either much younger than me, or have contributed much less than I have, to this country.
“On my 91st birthday in 2018, I protested this anomaly in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari. I became 96 on Thursday last week; the Buhari administration did not deem it fit to send a goodwill message to me.
“Given my services to Nigerian, three of my colleagues in General Yakubu Gowon’s government’s cabinet became Heads of State and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, mainly, General Murtala Mohammed, General Olusegun Obasanjo, and Alhaji Shehu Shagari, over the past 70 years.
“I regard myself as a senior citizen of this country. I am convinced that if President Muhammadu Buhari was not illiberal and “belongs to everybody”, he would have been consulting me for advice.”
He said the South-South Geopolitical Zone has been treated very unfairly by the outgoing administration, despite the region’s contributions to the national economy.
“For reasons unknown to me, there has also been series of unwarranted and unjust actions against people of South-South Extraction, even with regards to top appointments in the federal public service, in last seven years.
“That brings to mind, the way and manner the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, GCON, was harassed and humiliated out of office, to the extent that the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria was denigrated.
“The situation in the Petroleum Industry is even more appalling, where the discrimination and seeming snobbery have been elevated to unreasonable heights.
“It appears all strategic positions in the NNPC and its subsidiaries are reserved for people from the Northern zones of the country, while the peripheral positions are for people from the South-South.
“The situation whereby the Niger Delta Region continues to suffer marginalization and isolation in critical sectors of the Country, especially in the Oil and Gas Sector, should be unacceptable to all fair-minded humanity. “While our resources are being managed mainly by people from other parts of the country, the people of the oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta, who bear the brunt of the degradation, arising from the oil and gas exploratory activities, receive mere soupçons and are rendered spectators of the oil business.
“Oil and gas companies paid a total of N346bn as penalty for flaring gas in five years, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The amount was marked as part of the federally collected revenue. “Gas flaring is the surface combustion or burning of natural gas, often associated with crude oil production when pumped up from the ground. It is burnt off or a, as part of the oil production process.
“According to the World Bank, the practice has persisted since the beginning of oil production over 160 years ago and takes place due to various issues, from the market and economic constraints to a lack of appropriate regulation and political will.
“However, the Federal Government had in recent times led campaigns for gas monetisation against flaring. Findings showed that an undisclosed number of companies paid the sum between 2018 and 2022 as companies continue to flare gas.
“It was observed that the fines maintained a steady increase of over 1,491 per cent from N4.5bn paid in 2018 to N71.6bn collected in 2022.
“A breakdown showed that the companies paid N4.5bn in 2018, N86.2bn in 2019, N87.1bn in 2020, N96.5bn in 2021, and N71.6bn in 2022.
However, oil and gas analysts linked the rise in gas flaring to low fine by the Federal Government, lack of infrastructure investment, among others.
“According to a 2022 report by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, 12 Million tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere from gas flaring has contributed to global warming.
“The flaring of gas have been on for a very long-time and I remember addressing this issue in a lecture I gave at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos over 30 Years ago, where I stressed the damage being done by gas flaring to the host communities in the Niger Delta. “
“The damage done to buildings where the roofs have all become darken by the flaring sooth and the disease caused by the gas flaring; every Nigeria Government has promised to stop the gas flaring and to pay part of the money being paid by the oil and gas companies to the victims has yielded no return. “During a protest to Mr. President by first class Chiefs about two years ago and host community leaders of the Niger Delta; the President promised that the matter will be seriously looked into and money paid, but nothing has been done by Mr. President, by way of compensating the host communities.
Young Nigerian writers have been urged to participate in the “Voices of Our Heritage” national writing competition, an initiative aimed at fostering creativity and cultural appreciation.
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, who made the call said the competition is open to students aged 10-18, adding that it is seeking to discover and nurture emerging literary talents.
The special adviser to the minister on Media quoted her to have indicated that the initiative is targedted at empowering young writers to create, publish, and even earn from their digital books, promoting both entrepreneurship and job opportunities.
“This competition is about preserving our cultural heritage while shaping the future of our nation,” she stated.
Organized as part of the 2024-25 National Young Authors Fair (NYAF), the competition welcomes entries from primary, secondary, and university students. Registration closes on February 20, 2025, with submissions open until March 20, 2025.
Winners will be announced on April 10, 2025, with the top 10 receiving ₦250,000 each, along with book publication, national recognition, and distribution.
The competition aligns with the Ministry’s vision to promote cultural heritage, creativity, and education through strategic partnerships.
For registration, visit: https://www.yaf.bribooks.com/ng/2024/student.
***As 306 Stakeholders Participate in Inaugural AI Awareness Day
Nigeria has taken a bold step in the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution as key stakeholders gathered to explore the nation’s role in AI-driven education and policy development.
The National Coordinator of the 2025 AI Awareness Day, Professor Emeritus Peter Okebukola, described the event as a major milestone, highlighting Nigeria’s potential to emerge as a leader in AI research, education, and application.
Held virtually on February 17, 2025, the inaugural AI Awareness Day in Higher Education was co-hosted by the Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE), National Universities Commission (NUC), National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Okebukola Science Foundation (OSF), and the Association of African Universities (AAU).
The event brought together 306 participants, including heads of regulatory agencies (NUC, NBTE, and NCCE), scholars from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, policymakers, educators, and AI practitioners.
Discussions focused on AI’s transformative role in higher education, best practices, and ethical AI deployment in Nigeria.
The event, chaired by Professor Yakubu Ochefu, former Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, centered on raising awareness about AI’s role in higher education transformation, assessing Nigeria’s progress in AI education and its contribution to global AI research and celebrating achievements in AI research and education within Nigerian institutions.
Other areas of focus included exploring the integration of AI into university curricula, research, and administration and discussing AI-driven innovations to address national educational challenges.
The event featured a symposium, the launch of the AI in Higher Education in Africa Newsletter, and the presentation of the three-volume Handbook on AI and Quality Higher Education.
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of awards to recognise outstanding contributions in AI research, education, and policy within the Nigerian higher education system.
The first position in the Best Institutional AI Policy in Higher Education Award in the universities category was won by Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. Second and third positions were won by Lagos State University, Ojo and Federal University of Technology, Minna respectively.
In the polytechnics category, the first prize went to Living Spring College of Technology and Innovation, Osogbo. For the Best AI Researcher in the universities category, Prof. Olatunji Sunday Olusanya of Adekunle Ajasin University came first. Dr. Salau Ayodeji of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti and Dr. Awotunde Joseph Bamidele of the University of Ilorin came second and third respectively.
For the polytechnics category, Mr. Mohammed Modiu of Yaba college of Technology came first. Mr. Salami Ayo of Federal College of Education, Iwo came first in the colleges of education category.
Other awards include the Best Programme in Artificial Intelligence. For the universities category, the B.Sc. Computer Science of Thomas Adewumi University came first. Programmes of four universities tied in the second position. These are B.Sc. Management Information Systems of Covenant University, Ota; B.Sc. Industrial Mathematics (Computer Option) also of Covenant University, Ota; and B.Sc. Computer Science of the University of Benin.
The first position in the universities category for the Best AI Application for Enhancing Teaching and Learning went to Prof. Onyenwe Ikechukwu Ekene of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Five scholars tied in the second position. These are Dr. Oguntosin Victoria of Covenant University; Dr. Oluwakemi Olurinola of Olabisi Onabanjo University; Professor Busari Mutiu of Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta and Professor Ibezim Nnenna of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In the polytechnic category, first prize went to Dr. Okikiola Folasade of Yaba College of Technology.
For the colleges of education category, first prize was earned by Dr. Usman Stephen of Ipere College of Education Agyaragu, Nasarawa State, while Mr. Bako Mahmud Malam of Adamu Tafawa Balewa College of Education Kangere Bauchi State came second.
Other awards were presented for Best AI Programme and Best AI Application for Teaching and Learning across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Key resolutions include expanding the AI Awareness Day to all levels of the educational system; development of a strategic plan to ensure that Nigeria plays a leadership role in the global development of AI; strengthening the implementation of the AU strategic plan on AI; and forging strong public-private partnerships, investing boldly in our people and infrastructure.
Others are that the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, NITDA, other agencies of government and other stakeholders should involve the National Association of Artificial Intelligence Practitioners (NAAIP) in policy making, implementation and other matters of Artificial Intelligence; and that within the 30% institutional allowance in the CCMAS, Nigerian universities should be encouraged to start GST courses on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in place of or in addition to the existing computer appreciation courses.
The successful launch of the AI Awareness Day marks a turning point in Nigeria’s AI journey, reinforcing the country’s commitment to leveraging AI for educational excellence, innovation, and national development.
National
Diplomatic Fallout: Ribadu’s Outburst Sparks Criticism Over Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Approach
A fresh controversy has emerged over Nigeria’s handling of diplomatic affairs, as former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, takes aim at National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu for his public condemnation of Canada’s visa denials to Nigerian military personnel.
Lamido, a seasoned politician and former foreign minister, expressed frustration over what he described as a pattern of missteps in Nigeria’s foreign policy under the current administration. He argued that the NSA’s public outburst against Canada was both unnecessary and damaging to the country’s international reputation.
“This is yet another example of our rookie approach to foreign relations,” Lamido stated. “Rather than resorting to public accusations, the appropriate response would have been for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Canadian High Commissioner and address the issue through official diplomatic channels.”
The ex-governor warned that Ribadu’s actions had not only failed to resolve the issue but had also drawn unnecessary public attention to an embarrassing situation. “Our foreign relations must be handled with tact and professionalism. The NSA should not be taking over the responsibilities of the Minister of Foreign Affairs,” he said.
This latest episode comes amid broader concerns over Nigeria’s international standing, following strained relations within ECOWAS and a series of diplomatic missteps on the global stage. Analysts now worry that such uncoordinated responses could weaken Nigeria’s position in international affairs.
With Nigeria’s diplomatic credibility on the line, calls are growing for a more disciplined and strategic approach to engaging with foreign nations—one that prioritizes diplomacy over public confrontations.
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