Politics
Muslim group kicks as Okpebholo hands over 36 schools to Catholic Church
Amid the controversy over the return of eight schools to missionary organizations by the Edo State government, Governor Monday Okpebholo has again released 28 additional schools to the organizations.
Ekwutosblog reports that Okpebholo had on June 16, 2025 after a meeting with Bishop Gabriel Dunia of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi announced the hand over of the schools to the missionary organizations.
Meanwhile one week after, the governor has again announced the handing over of another 28 schools to the missionary organizations.
The affected schools include Catholic secondary and primary schools across the three senatorial districts.
The governor, after the announcement, however, disclosed that a committee would be set up to precisely identify all schools to be handed over.
He also clarified that any affected schools currently undergoing renovation by the state government will remain under its supervision until completion.
The development had generated a lot of reactions from the Muslim community in the state who lambasted the governor for taking a unilateral decision without calling for a stakeholders’ meeting.
In a recent communique, the Nigerian Supreme Council Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Edo State chapter urged the government to stay action on the handing over of the schools until alternative solutions for those who are going to be affected are provided.
The communique signed by its chairman, Alhaji Abdulazeez Nosakhare Igbinidu, appealed to the government to maintain the current harmonious relationship among Edo citizens.
“We plead with the government to consult more with stakeholders with the intention of ameliorating the negative effects the above points will cause,” the NSCIA said.
It noted that Muslims and others who do not share the Catholic faith are apprehensive about the government’s proposal due to its potential implications.
“Governments over time have invested in these schools, providing benefits to all residents regardless of their religious affiliations.
“The handing over of these schools may deny some students access to free education, which your administration currently provides.
“Not all citizens can afford exorbitant fees charged by private schools, making it essential to maintain accessible public education.
“The free education you are presently providing to students in public schools will definitely elude those who are presently enjoying it in these schools.
“Not every individual or family can afford private school, and this will lead to an increase in school dropouts for those who don’t have alternatives.
“The possibility of none catholic children being forced to imbibe principles at variance with their present faith when there are no alternatives can not be ruled out,” the communique added.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the constitution of the Nigerian side of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group as part of steps to deepen collaboration in tackling security challenges in the country.
The composition of the Joint Working Group was part of the agreement reached during the recent trip to Washington, DC, by a high-level Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Ribadu is to lead the Nigerian side of the Joint Working Group, supported by a multi-stakeholder team comprising senior officials from relevant government establishments.
Members of the Joint Working Group include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Bernard M. Doro, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed and the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force, Mr Kayode Egbetokun.
Ms Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Mr Paul Alabi of the Embassy of Nigeria in the US will serve as the secretariat.
President Tinubu has urged members of the Joint Working Group to work assiduously with their US counterparts to ensure smooth operationalisation of all agreements across sectors.
Politics
AU, ECOWAS, and WAEF Condemn Guinea-Bissau Military Takeover, Demand Restoration of Democratic Order
Election-observation missions from the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) have jointly condemned the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, calling it a direct assault on the country’s democratic process.
In a strongly worded statement, the observer groups denounced the suspension of the presidential and legislative elections, which had been conducted peacefully on 23 November. They praised the citizens of Guinea-Bissau for their orderly participation and commended electoral officials and security personnel for maintaining professionalism throughout the vote.
The missions described the military intervention as a “blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process,” noting that the takeover occurred while the nation awaited the official announcement of election results. With both leading presidential candidates having pledged to respect the final outcome, observers said the coup threatened to erode confidence in the country’s democratic institutions.
The joint statement also expressed deep concern over the detention of government and electoral officials by the military, urging their immediate release and the swift restoration of constitutional rule. The observers warned that halting the electoral process could reverse years of regional efforts to strengthen political stability and democratic norms in Guinea-Bissau.
Regional and international bodies are now intensifying calls for the reinstatement of civilian authority and the continuation of the electoral process, emphasising the need to safeguard the will of the people at a critical moment in the country’s political trajectory.
Politics
Nnamdi Kanu is in the prison, we should not get angry and it is not issue to use knives, gun or fighting ourselves in order to solve it- Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, has urged the South-East people to use dialogue and peaceful means to address the recent imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu
She added that the people of the South-East should emulate other zones and learn to solve their challenges “through dialogue and peaceful ways.”
Bianca Ojukwu made the remarks at the 14th edition of the Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Memorial Day Celebration held at the Ojukwu Memorial Library, Owerri, Imo State, on Wednesday
She noted that although the court of first instance had sentenced Kanu to imprisonment, “all hope are not lost,” adding that through dialogue and peaceful methods, Nnamdi Kanu could be released from the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
The Ojukwu’s annual memorial day was instituted by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, the founder of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASOB
The event is usually attended by Igbo people from the five South-East states and beyond.
During her address, Mrs. Ojukwu called for a minute of silence for the late BBC journalist, Mr. Frederick Forsyth, “who resigned her job to cover all things that happened during the 1967 to 1970 Biafra and Nigeria civil war.”
She said, “Nnamdi Kanu is in the prison, we should not get angry and it is not issue to use knives, gun or fighting ourselves in order to solve it”
“This coming Christmas, all of us should endeavour to meet with our National Assembly members and our governors, ask them the way forward to ensure that Kanu is freed from the prison”
“Also, all of us should come together, plan ourselves on how to use peaceful means to settle this matter, we should plan how to meet with President Bola Tinubu and amicably resolve this matter.”
Orji Uzor Kalu
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