By Douglas Baye-Osagie dbayeosagie@yahoo.com In Nigeria, a name alone is never enough. We dress it up, pad it, crown it. _His Excellency, His Imperial and Royal Majesty, Your Highness and Highnesses, Dr, High Chief, Double Chief, Triple Chief, Senior Apostle, Deacon, Elder, Mallam, Alhaji, Engr, Surveyor, Barrister, Pharmacist, The Most Distinguished, Honourable, Comrade_ — these are not just prefixes. They are keys. They are invitations to the front row. We are a people sociologically wired to chase titles because titles mean access. In a society where people almost worship money and the good things of life, your prefix and appellations…
Author: National Update
Nigeria’s ability to prevent and contain livestock disease outbreaks is being dangerously undermined by weak disease reporting, fragmented laboratory systems and poor veterinary infrastructure, with experts warning that the country is operating without the surveillance intelligence needed to protect its livestock industry. At the Public-Private Veterinary Laboratory Forum on Strengthening Poultry Disease Surveillance in Nigeria, organised by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, leading veterinary professionals called for an integrated national laboratory network linking federal, state and private veterinary facilities to strengthen disease surveillance, safeguard food security and protect billions of naira invested in livestock production. The experts—including Director of…
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive ordering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the freezing of the Osun State Government’s accounts as a breach of the Constitution, insisting that the President—not the anti-graft agency’s chairman—should resign over the controversy. Reacting to calls for the resignation of EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, the SDP standard-bearer argued that the commission merely exercised powers granted to it under the law by obtaining a court order, while the President’s intervention amounted to executive interference in a judicial process. According to him, the…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the continued presence of stray cattle on major roads in Abuja, saying public apologies must be backed by concrete action. In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the civil rights group said it was concerned that weeks after Wike publicly apologised and accepted responsibility for the menace, cattle were still roaming highways, residential districts and business areas across the nation’s capital. The group recalled that the minister had acknowledged the problem following criticisms…
The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) has launched a sweeping reconciliation process to mend cracks created by its recently concluded congresses and primaries, with party leaders warning that internal divisions must not derail what they described as a historic mission to rescue Nigeria from years of insecurity, economic hardship and poor governance. The party inaugurated a 23-member National Reconciliation Committee in Abuja on Thursday, tasking it with reaching out to aggrieved aspirants, party leaders and stakeholders across the country to restore confidence and strengthen unity ahead of the 2027 general election. Leading the committee are renowned political economist Prof. Pat Utomi…
In a move aimed at safeguarding the credibility of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately seek the reversal of a court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government. The President said the directive became necessary to prevent any perception that federal institutions were being deployed to influence the electoral process in the state, which is only days away from going to the polls. In a State House statement, Tinubu disclosed that although the EFCC acted within its statutory powers by obtaining…
The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has congratulated the Government and people of Kwara State, particularly the Woro Community, on the successful rescue of victims abducted during the recent kidnapping incident, describing the development as a major victory in the ongoing fight against insecurity. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chairman of the Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, speaking on behalf of Senators representing the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), lauded the courage, professionalism and seamless collaboration of the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil…
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has attempted to reconcile two seemingly conflicting positions over the controversy surrounding the Catholic Bishops’ criticism of the Federal Government, defending the bishops’ right to speak truth to power while absolving President Bola Tinubu of any wrongdoing and declaring him the overwhelming favourite for the 2027 presidential election. The Abia North senator, who only days ago urged the Federal Government to listen to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) rather than attack its message, on Wednesday insisted there was no rift between President Tinubu and the Catholic Church, saying the President had shown the clergy…
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Association of Proprietors of Private Media Establishment of Nigeria (APPMEN) have begun moves to forge a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening human rights advocacy, expanding public awareness and promoting responsible media practice across Nigeria. The collaboration took shape on Tuesday when the leadership of APPMEN, led by its National Coordinator, Chief Precious C. Enebuse, paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The meeting also provided APPMEN the opportunity to formally invite the Commission to participate in…
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC), Peter Obi, has accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of becoming increasingly hostile to criticism, warning that a government that attacks those who speak uncomfortable truths instead of addressing citizens’ suffering is drifting away from democratic accountability. Reacting to the backlash against the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Cardinal John Onaiyekan over their recent comments on the state of the nation, Obi said the administration was “declaring war on the truth” rather than confronting Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, poverty, inflation and unemployment. In a statement titled “When a Government Declares War on…