Global News, Happenings And Reports

25/08/2025

In the First Republic, Shehu Shagari served as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

On one occasion, Balewa’s mother was visiting him in Lagos. While the Prime Minister travelled to Kaduna for an NPC convention, Shagari was assigned to attend to her. During his absence, the elderly woman became homesick and insisted on returning home immediately.

Shagari tried to persuade her to wait for her son’s return, but when she refused, he arranged, thinking he was doing the right thing, for her to be flown home on the presidential jet.

When Balewa returned and learned she had gone home, he inquired about her mode of travel, road or rail? Shagari innocently replied that she had gone by presidential jet.

The Prime Minister was furious. He explained that even he could not use the presidential jet for his trip to Kaduna because it was a party convention, not an official state function. To fly a private individual with no government business on state resources, he said, was grossly irresponsible.

Balewa ordered Shagari’s immediate dismissal. It was only after intense pleas from Sir Ahmadu Bello and several emirs that Balewa relented on one condition: the full cost of the flight would be deducted from Shagari’s salary in instalments. Shagari was still paying off the debt until the military coup.

This episode speaks volumes about the integrity and discipline that once guided public office. Today, by contrast, we witness ministers freely using the presidential jet to attend political declarations of interest, a level of decadence unimaginable in Tafawa Balewa’s time.

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Sidechic don enter wahala

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Jesus is Lord

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25/07/2025

Hmmmm Obafemi Awolowo University

25/07/2025

Nigeria's passport now ranked 88th in the world , with it you visit 45 countries without visa..South Africa ranked 45th in the world, you can enter 105 countries without visa , Ghana, Benin Republic, Kenya 77th , you can visit 65 countries without visa..The country with No 1 passport is Singapore.

11/07/2025

Natasha Akpoti versus The Nigerian Senate

SUMMARY OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT'S RULING ON NATASHA AKPOTHI'S SUIT AGAINST THE NIGERIAN SENATE

Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, PhD.

The CTC of Justice Binta Nyarko's order in a suit filed by Senator Natasha H Akpoti challenging her six months suspension from the Senate has come out. The judgement may be summarised in the following way in order to dispel rampant misinformation being spread regarding the judgment;

1. The Court found Senator Akpothi of being in contempt of court by disobeying the court's instruction not to continue making public commentaries on the matter while it subsisted in court. Consequently, she was ordered to pay a fine of Five Million Naira and publish apologies to the court in two national dailies and on her page, within seven days of the judgement.

2. The Court affirmed Senate's powers to punish its members.

3. The Court determined that the Senate President reserves the power to allocate seats to members of the Senate and any member of the Senate can only rely on Order 10 or any order of the Senate, only, when they are seated on the seat allocated to them.

4. The court observed that the six months suspension handed over to the Senator amounts to 180 days, which is the same number of days would miss legislative activities and have their seat declared vacant.

5. The court recommended, but did not order, the Senate to consider reviewing that aspect of its law.

6. The Court did not order, nor recommend, the recall of Senator Natasha Akpothi to the Senate.

Important things to note;

1. The suspended Senator Natasha Akpothi's credibility is further cast in doubt, as it is obvious that she misrepresented the court's ruling by telling her followers that the court ordered her recall and even fixed a date for her resumption.

2. Nigerian mainstream media, including, some Nigerian correspondents of international media outfits were too quick to report the fake news of Natasha's recall, thereby, misleading millions of Nigerians.

3. Senator Akpothi has, as at this moment, failed to abide by the court's orders, especially, as they affect her expected publication of apology letter on her page and national dailies.

4. The suspended Senator risks a prison term if, she does not publish these apologies within the stipulated period. If she does not intend to publish the apology letter, she might as well appeal the judgement and probably, obtain a stay of ex*****on, if it is applicable in her case.

5. By affirming that Senator Natasha Akpothi's action of refusing to relocate to her allocated seat is wrong, and an act of indiscipline, the suspended Senator's ethical responsibility and personal decorum are called into question. Those close to her might need to advise her on simple behavioural standards.

6. As a public official, Senator Akpothi is expected to serve as a role model to the younger generation and women, and this apparent reprimand of her attitudes by the court makes it obvious that she cannot be a credible role model to women and the younger generation.

7. It might be necessary for the Kogi Central Senator to undergo some important orientation programme, to better equip herself on Senate rules and how a distinguished senator is expected to comport herself within the Red Chambers.