Rotary International has named Mr. Ehi Braimah, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Naija Times and Lagos Post, among five new Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinators (ARPIC) for the 2025-2026 Rotary year in Africa's Region 27.

This region comprises nine Rotary districts across Anglophone West Africa and Egypt.

The announcement came via an official communication by Tamunoibim Semenitari, Rotary Public Image Coordinator (2023-2026), congratulating the incoming ARPICs and urging them to attend the upcoming Regional Team Learning Seminar (RTLS) scheduled for May 7–11, 2025, in Accra, Ghana.

Africa Zone 22, where Region 27 is situated, is one of Rotary International’s 34 global zones, and it is divided into three regions: 26, 27, and 28.

Other appointees joining Braimah include Rtn. Bassey Ekpenyong Bassey from Rotary Club of Uyo Urban, Rtn. Olubisi Abosede Yomi-Layinka from Rotary Club of Ibadan Jericho Metro, Rtn. Kwesi Nyan Kittoe from Rotary Club of Winneba, Ghana and Rtn. Marwan Montasser from Rotary Club of Alexandria New Era, Egypt.

Braimah brings decades of strategic communications experience to the role. 

A former President of Rotary Club of Lagos (2018–2019) and current Assistant Governor in District 9112, he has held several public image-related roles, including Chair of the District Public Image Committee (2024–2025). 

He also served as District Secretary in 2021–2022 and has chaired numerous district-level committees.

He is the Managing Director/CEO of Neo Media & Marketing, a public relations and marketing management company; Deputy National President of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, and a respected public affairs commentator. Braimah was honoured with the distinguished Chancellor’s Alumni Award by the University of Roehampton, London, in 2024.

Public Image Coordinators play a vital role in Rotary by shaping how the organisation is perceived. They manage branding, create content, handle media relations, and ensure consistency across Rotary’s digital and offline platforms. 

They also educate members on Rotary branding, manage crisis communication, and promote community engagement.

Signed

Michael Effiong James

Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator (RI Districts 9111, 9112 & 9126)

Speculations over an alleged rift between Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, and his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, deepened on Thursday following the deputy governor’s absence at the 2025 Workers Day celebration in Minna.

Garba, the immediate past Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Niger State, has consistently attended Workers Day events since assuming office as deputy governor.

However, his conspicuous absence at this year’s event has further ignited rumours of a growing division between the two top officials.

Unlike previous celebrations, where Garba played an active role, he was missing at this year’s event held at the Trade Fair Complex in Minna. Governor Bago, however, was in attendance, alongside Senator Sani Musa, who represents Niger East senatorial district.

While some sources suggested that Garba was out of town on official duty, others claimed he may have deliberately stayed away to avoid further escalating the already tense political atmosphere in the state.

According to Leadership, Garba’s absence was particularly notable given his strong roots in the labour movement and his symbolic presence at such events.

Garba and Bago have been the subject of intense political speculation in recent weeks, with reports of strained ties over internal party matters and alleged marginalisation of the deputy governor in decision-making, especially concerning the upcoming November 2025 local government elections.

Despite denials from Garba, political observers believe Thursday’s absence adds weight to the ongoing speculation that all is not well within Niger State’s top leadership.

Meanwhile, Garba has denied reports that he is planning to resign from his position.

[NaijaNews]

President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerian workers of his administration’s unwavering commitment to improving their welfare, describing them as the driving force behind the country’s economic and social progress.

In a Workers’ Day message delivered on Thursday, President Tinubu hailed the resilience, dedication, and contributions of Nigerian workers across all sectors—both public and private—as central to the nation’s development.

“You are the engine of our economy and the secret to our nation’s growth,” the President said. “Our administration has and will continue to prioritise workers’ welfare. Together, we will make Nigeria great again.”

He acknowledged the efforts of every Nigerian—young and old, entrepreneur or employee, formal or informal—who contributes meaningfully to the well-being of homes, communities, and the nation at large.

The President used the occasion to reaffirm his promise to build a more inclusive, fair, and productive economy, one where the dignity of labour is respected and rewarded.

As the country marked May Day, President Tinubu concluded with a unifying message: “Happy Worker’s Day, Nigeria!”

[Leadership]

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Thursday, revealed that only N28.8 billion was disbursed to students in various tertiary institutions instead of N100 billion released to the schools.

The anti-graft agency specifically said its preliminary investigations have uncovered that not less than N71.2 billion have been diverted by the management of different universities who had taken custody of funds.

The spokesman of the commission, Demola Bakare, told journalists in Abuja that key stakeholders, including the Director-General of the Budget Office and the Accountant-General of the Federation have been invited.

Bakare also disclosed that senior officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of NELFUND were invited to provide documentation and explanations relevant to the case.

Daily Trust reports that the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, had two weeks raised the alarm that the universities were trying to sabotage the Tinubu-led government on the students’ loan scheme.

Issa-Onilu alleged that no fewer than 51 tertiary institutions were implicated in illegal deductions and exploitation related to the NELFUND scheme, while calling on the anti-graft agencies to unravel the fraud and halt it.

Similarly, reports from the media also alleged that these institutions were said to have made unauthorized deductions ranging from N3,500 to N30,000 from each student’s institutional fees received through the loan fund.

Giving an update on the issue, the ICPC spokesman explained that the commission had since swung into action following the alarm, adding that those found culpable would be brought to book.

Bakare said, “The Commission confirmed that its Chairman’s Special Task Force immediately swung into action upon receiving the report.

“Letters of investigation and invitations were dispatched to key stakeholders, including the Director-General of the Budget Office, the Accountant General of the Federation, and senior officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Additionally, the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of NELFUND were invited to provide documentation and explanations relevant to the case.

“Preliminary findings revealed a significant gap in the financial records of the disbursement process. While the Federal Government reportedly released N100 billion for the scheme, only N28.8 billion was disbursed to students, leaving an unaccounted sum of N71.2 billion.”

While giving the breakdown of the NELFUND’s records, Bakare said the ICPC’s strength of investigation revealed that the total money received by NELFUND as of March 19, 2024, was N203.8 billion.

“The breakdown showed that N10 Billion was an allocation from the Federation Allocation Account Committee, N50 billion was from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, N71.9B was from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, while another N71.9 billion was also from the same Tertiary Education Trust Fund,” the ICPC official told journalists.

According to him, responses received by the commission were critically analyzed, and interviews were conducted with the concerned individuals.

He noted that the ICPC, however, found that the total amount disbursed to institutions from inception to date is about N44,200,933,649.00, while a total of 299 institutions have benefited from the funds released.

“To date, the total amount disbursed to 299 beneficiary institutions stands at approximately N44.2 billion, with 293,178 students having benefited from the fund.

“The ICPC confirmed that a clear case of discrepancies has been established in the administration of the student loan scheme and announced that its investigation will now extend to beneficiary institutions and individual student recipients.”

He said the commission would from time-to-time provide further updates as the investigation progresses.

“Comprehensive investigations into the alleged discrepancies surrounding the disbursement of students’ loans under the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has commenced,” he stated.

[DailyTrust]

The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has reiterated the agency’s firm commitment to impartiality in the war against corruption, affirming that politicians across all party lines will be held accountable for financial crimes.

Appearing as a guest on Channels Television, Olukoyede emphasised that the EFCC remains fully within its statutory duty to investigate and prosecute individuals implicated in corrupt practices.

“If someone is found to have engaged in corruption or financial crimes, it is our duty to investigate. Where we establish sufficient grounds for prosecution, we proceed to trial. I have operated strictly within the bounds of this mandate, and I believe Nigerians can attest to that,” he stated, responding to perceptions of political bias in the Commission’s operations.

While acknowledging that EFCC actions may sometimes be seen through a political lens, Olukoyede maintained that the Commission is guided solely by evidence.

He noted that many of the Commission’s high-profile investigations have involved members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), highlighting that political affiliation does not shield anyone from scrutiny.

“If Nigerians assess our work fairly, they will recognise that, based on the statistics of our investigations and prosecutions, particularly in high-profile cases, a notable number of individuals from the ruling party, the APC, are among those we have pursued. We must be judged fairly. It is not just members, but also prominent figures within the ruling party who have been investigated and charged,” he said.

Olukoyede also clarified that politicians under investigation cannot use party affiliation as a form of protection.

“It would be both unfair and unjust to turn a blind eye to individuals simply because they are not affiliated with the ruling party. Our responsibility is to ensure that justice is served, regardless of political leanings,” he added, urging Nigerians to evaluate the EFCC’s efforts objectively.

Reaffirming the agency’s position, Olukoyede stressed that no political group is exempt from investigation or prosecution.

“If we discover that you have stolen money, you must answer, regardless of whether you belong to the APC, PDP, Labour Party, NNPP, or SDP. If a member of the APC has stolen money, they must face the consequences. If a member of the PDP has committed theft, they too will be held accountable,” he warned.

[TheNation]

The Football Association of England has announced that transgender women will be banned from participating in women’s football starting June 1.

The decision follows a ruling by the UK Supreme Court on April 16, which held that, under equalities law, a woman is defined by biological sex. The association cited this as a key factor in updating its policy.

In a statement released by the English FA on Thursday, the association said it remains committed to making football accessible but must align with the current legal definitions and ensure fairness in the women’s game.

“As the governing body of the national sport, our role is to make football accessible to as many people as possible, operating within the law and international football policy defined by UEFA and FIFA,” the statement reads.

it was further explained that the current policy, which had allowed transgender women to participate in the women’s game, was based on the principle of inclusion and supported by expert legal advice.

The FA disclosed that a review of its policy was inevitable in the event of any changes to relevant laws or regulations.

“This is a complex subject, and our position has always been that if there was a material change in law, science, or the operation of the policy in grassroots football, then we would review it and change it if necessary.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling on April 16 means that we will be changing our policy. Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England, and this policy will be implemented from June 1, 2025”.

According to the statement, the FA acknowledged that the decision may be difficult for those affected.

“We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender with which they identify.

“We are reaching out to the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and discuss how they can continue to remain involved in the game,” the FA said.

Recall that the Scottish FA board has decided that starting from next season, only biological females will be permitted to compete in girls’ and women’s football under its jurisdiction.

This decision follows the UK Supreme Court ruling that a female is defined by biological sex under equalities law. Only individuals assigned female at birth will be allowed to play in women’s football in Scotland for players aged 13, and above.

[Vanguard]

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is pushing for amendments to the 1999 constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.

At the commission’s retreat with the joint committee of the senate and house of representatives on electoral matters, Mohammad Kuna, special adviser to Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, highlighted necessary reforms to the nation’s electoral legal framework.

Kuna said the commission should be given the power to appoint state directors of elections (SDEs). The president currently appoints resident electoral commissioners (RECs) to oversee polls in the states.

The SDEs would have the same powers as the RECs.

Kuna added that the commission is proposing to amend section 14 (3) paragraph F of the third schedule to the 1999 constitution.

The amendment aims to confer upon the commission the authority to appoint and discipline heads of state and federal capital territory (FCT) offices who would serve as state directors of elections.

“Amend Section 14 (3) Paragraph F of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution to Confer the Power of Appointing and Disciplining Heads of State and FCT Offices,” the statement reads.

“Amend Section 6 (3) of EA 2022 to confer the power of appointing heads of State and FCT Offices on the Commission.

“Developments in recent past and especially during and in the aftermath of the 2023 general election suggests the need for the commission to have greater powers to make appointments to the heads of state and FCT offices.”

The commission said the proposed changes are part of a broader effort to streamline electoral processes and ensure greater integrity and efficiency in future elections.

By virtue of section 16 of the Constitution of Nigeria, the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring: the promotion of a planned and balanced economic development; that the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good; that the economic system is not operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or of a group.and that suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and adequate food, reasonable national minimum living wage, old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens.

Section 17 of the Constitution also provides that the conditions of work are just and humane, and that there are adequate facilities for leisure and for social, religious and cultural life; the health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment are safeguarded and not endangered or abused; there are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons: there is equal pay for equal work without discrimination on account of sex, or on any other ground whatsoever.

In utter violation of the economic objective of the State, the members of the ruling class have sold public enterprises and awarded oil blocks and granted licences for solid minerals to themselves.Thus, the State has engaged in concentrating the commonwealth in the hands of a few people contrary to the letter and spirit of the Constitution. However, some of those who lost out in the criminal diversion of the commonwealth through privatisation and award of oil blocks have engaged in the smuggling of solid minerals.

Even though the members of the ruling class have conspired to make the fundamental objectives and direct principles of state policy non justiciable in any court, the struggle of the Nigerian people for dividends of democracy has compelled the State to adopt policies and enact a numbers of laws that are designed to promote the welfare of the Nigerian people. Such welfare and labour include Labour Act 2004, Trade Union Act 2004, Child Rights Act 2003, Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004 and Federal Mortgage Bank Act 2004, Factories Act 2004.

Others include Employees Compensation Act 2010, Pension Reforms Act 2014, National Senior Citizens Act, 2017, National Housing Fund (Establishment) Act, 2018, Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, National Health Insurance Authority Act, 2021, Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act 2024 and National Minimum Wage Act, 2024.

In addition to the above laws, Nigeria has ratified and enacted the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. Articles 15, 16, and 17 of the law provides that every individual shall have the right to work under equitable and satisfactory conditions, and receive equal pay for equal work as well as the right to health, and right to education.Furthermore, section 254(C)(1) of the Constitution has conferred exclusive jurisdiction and power to deal with any matter connected with or pertaining to the application of international best practices and international Convention, treaty or protocol of which Nigeria has ratified relating to labour, employment, workplace, industrial relations or matters connected therewith, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Constitution.

It is regrettable to note that the above laws are observed in breach by the Nigerian neocolonial state to the detriment of the working people. An example is the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act which has imposed a legal duty on the federal and state governments to ensure that every child is given free and compulsory education from primary school to junior secondary school. The immediate past Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, during his presentation of the 2020 and 2023 budget implementation report to the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education in Abuja, disclosed that N135,540,905,308.92 in matching grants have not been accessed by states in the last few years.

Owing to the refusal of state governments to contribute counterpart funds to access the matching grant of about N135 billion in the UBEC Account as stipulated by the law, Nigeria has 20 million out of school children. The Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) dragged the Federal Government and the 36 state governments to the Federal High Court seeking to compel them to comply with the education laws. Since there is no defence to the case, the defendants have challenged the locus standi of the plaintiffs to institute the action. The implication of the preliminary objection is that the state governments are not prepared to provide education for the children of the poor and vulnerable people.

In the public service, top public officers augment their salaries and allowances with payment of security votes and estacodes from foreign trips. Even though the National Minimum Wage Act is a valid and substiting legislation, about 20 states have yet to implement the N70,000 new minimum wage for local government workers and primary school teachers. Several employers of labour have equally refused to comply with the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act. The federal government has refused to ensure full compliance with the law.

Furthermore, the recent data released by the National Pension Commission show that total assets in the Nigerian Pension industry rose by 23% year-on-year to N22.5 trillion in December 2024. instead of ensuring that pensioners are promptly paid their pension, the federal government has borrowed N10 trillion from the fund. Worried over the concern of pensioners, the House of Representatives has resolved to recover the loan on the ground that most pensioners are unable to access their retirement funds despite complying with the requirements of the contributory pension scheme.

Specifically, the House Committee was mandated to investigate the status of the pension fund assets of over N15.5 trillion with a view to ensuring that the N10 trillion loaned to the federal government from the pension fund is duly recovered and modalities are put in place to hinder the collapse of the pension schemes.

Under the Federal Mortgage Bank Act, workers are required to contribute to housing primarily through the National Housing Fund (NHF), where a mandatory 2.5% of their monthly salary is deducted and remitted to provide affordable housing loans to eligible workers. The contribution, together with other contributions from other lowly placed citizens, helps to fund the NHF.

The National Housing Fund (NHF), like other interventionist administering programmes, has become a subject of abuse and fraudulent practice. In November 2024, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned Mr. Gimba Ya’u Kumo, former chief executive officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), for allegedly diverting $65 million housing funds. The money was for the construction of 962 units of residential houses at the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy City in Kubwa, a satellite town in Abuja.

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress should closely monitor the trial and request the ICPC to investigate the allegation made in 2012 by Mr. Gimba Ya'u Kumo, that some "unscrupulous employers" had milked the fund dry to the tune of N100 billion. The NLC and the TUC owe workers a duty to ensure that the stolen sums of $65 million and N100 billion are recovered and utilised for building houses for workers.

It is indisputably clear that the enforcement of the above welfare and laws as well as international instruments will go a long way to improve the living conditions of the Nigerian people. Therefore, it is high time that the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress mobilised workers and allies to mount sufficient pressure on the federal government to enforce the welfare laws and international instruments.

There’s a concern that Nigeria could soon become a one-party state, not by law, like in China, but through subterfuge – or in legal terms, de facto – similar to Cameroon, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, or even Rwanda, where the ruling parties are inflicting a slow, painful death on the opposition.

Those who express this concern have given many reasons. The clearest and most troubling, it seems, is the wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that has depleted the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Wave after wave

Apart from Federal lawmakers from Osun to Kaduna and Niger States who have defected, as of April 25, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa and the entire Delta PDP structure defected to the APC, with more defections still anticipated nationwide. It’s likely that soon, five of the six South-South states, which have been the bastion of the PDP since 1999, may fall.

Concerned persons, mainly those in the PDP and civil society, have said these are not defections. Instead, they argue that they are negotiated exits by politicians to evade trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or for the personal political gain of the governors and other defectors. They have blamed the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for instigating the defections out of a desperation to win the 2027 presidential election because his record in office cannot save him.

Chasing shadows

I think it’s nonsense. And though he did not use these words, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, out of self-interest, put it more elegantly when he said he believed that defections are a fact of Nigerian politics and defectors are merely exercising their freedom of association under the law.

A serial defector himself, and sixth-time contender for the presidency, it would have been a surprise if he said anything else. The problem, according to Atiku, is not the defections but the two-year record of performance that, all things being equal, cannot return the president to office.

However, if the worst fear of Atiku and the opposition comes through, as is likely, and President Tinubu returns to office in 2027, as is probable, it would not be because of the defections; it would be because Atiku paved the way for the destruction of the PDP. He has proved to be the party’s undertaker-in-chief, something not often said, because it is convenient to blame Tinubu.

Best chance lost

For example, Sule Lamido, a leading member of the PDP, reportedly said on Tuesday that “the President should be fair” and save the opposition from being crushed. I’m unsure how much Lamido will pay Tinubu for self-sabotage. It’s surprising that one of the PDP’s founders does not know that a few of the founders ruined the PDP, and no one but its remnant can save it.

The party’s best chance since it lost power 10 years ago was in 2023 when the APC was at its most vulnerable. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari would have viewed a hostile takeover by the opposition PDP as mercy killing, if not as an act of charity. Lamido knows, more than anyone else, that Atiku stood in the way.

Rolling stone, no moss

After contesting and losing the APC primaries to Buhari in 2014, Atiku defected again to PDP in 2017 and contested the PDP primaries in 2019. At that time, the PDP was recovering from the catastrophic defeat of 2015, during which it lost nine of its 22 states and 93 seats in the National Assembly. In the winner-takes-all creed of the presidential system, the PDP faced a long harmattan of recriminations and decay while Atiku was away.

However, the party was gradually rebuilt, primarily through the efforts of Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State Governor at the time. When Atiku returned, the party was not what it was in its heyday. Still, it was not the ramshackle he had abandoned.

The calamitous record of the APC under President Buhari, the party’s division leading up to the 2023 election, and the overall mood in the country at that time indicated that Nigeria was vulnerable to a hostile takeover. The country was fed up with the APC.

Marabout’s prophecy

But Atiku, being Atiku, felt obliged to live up to the marabout’s prediction in 1998 that he would one day be Nigeria’s president. It was this pursuit of prophecy that got him into trouble with President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003; it was the blind pursuit of it that drove him from the PDP to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and later to the APC. The obsession with this prophecy finally brought him back to the PDP. He just had to run.

But it shouldn’t have happened in 2023. While the odds favoured another party to succeed the exhausted APC, it certainly did not favour a northerner to run. Not after eight years of Buhari, a Northerner, not after Tinubu had wrested the flag of the APC, and certainly not when the convention in the PDP favoured rotation.

Atiku cast aside the odds, defied the restraints of common sense, ignored the party’s convention and a last-minute understanding after a key London meeting, and subverted the primaries to carry the flag. Things, quite naturally, fell apart.

Looking for a scapegoat

The rest is history. The PDP lost. The party that boasted that it was Africa’s largest party, destined to rule for 60 years, lost its way, leaving its members desperately searching for shelter and rehabilitation, and looking for rest wherever it may be found.

How can that be Tinubu’s problem when Atiku, the wrecking ball, still sits pretty? I understand the hysteria in the opposition, but it does not have to waste its current misery looking for scapegoats outside. Two years is still a reasonably long time to rebuild. The rise of Peter Obi nine months to the last general election and the impact the Labour Party made show that voters will reward a viable alternative platform.

The word here is viable. Not a party led by opportunists who have made a life career of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. Say what you like about Tinubu, he has stood with his progressive brand of politics for nearly 30 years, even standing alone against all odds and at significant personal and reputational costs.

Go, Atiku, go

If the PDP is serious about a future, and Atiku cares about it, he must immediately drop his ambition to run again. This ambition is at the heart of the current turmoil in the party; it was why the PDP broke into three factions on the eve of the last election; it was why he has been unable to rebuild the ruins two years later. And it is why he is arguably the first Nigerian presidential aspirant to lose two running mates to defections.  

There’s no point blaming Tinubu for the wreckage, or getting angry with Okowa for sexifying his incredible opportunism as the beginning of a movement. PDP will get a fresh start on life when Atiku, the main obstacle, steps down. Everything else is a waste of time.