Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says President Bola Tinubu demonstrated rare courage by removing the petrol subsidy on his first day in office.

Wike spoke on Thursday during the 2025 distinguished personality lecture held at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state. 

The lecture was titled “The Nigeria of Our Dreams”. 

The FCT minister said Tinubu’s action distinguished him from past leaders, who, according to him, only paid lip service to subsidy removal.

“Leaders before him all spoke about the evil of fuel subsidy, but none had the courage to dare the blackmail of removing it,” Wike said.

“Tinubu did and is fittingly grappling with the inevitable, unintended and sometimes orchestrated consequences of this removal.

“Today, our states have far more resources to develop, the debts are no longer piling, and the price of petrol is gradually but steadily adjusting downwards in tandem with the forces of demand and supply and the strict implementation of regulatory conditionalities.”

‘NIGERIA’S MAIN PROBLEM IS BAD LEADERSHIP’ 

Wike said Nigeria’s biggest problem remains bad leadership.

He referenced Chinua Achebe’s The Trouble with Nigeria, noting that the absence of proper leadership remains the country’s undoing.

“This statement, damaging as it may appear, is extremely difficult to controvert,” he said.

“Our leaders have, in the main, emerged through self-serving conspiracies that have little or nothing to do with national interests and development. This has been the case in both military and civilian contexts.”

He said Tinubu has stood out as a leader with character, vision and resilience.

Wike described the president as someone who makes informed, proactive and logical decisions with the courage to act and the audacity to lead.

“The leader we need must believe in the infinite possibilities that Nigeria exemplifies while taking solid, proactive, logical and well-informed decisions that would maximally actualise her potential,” he said.

“This leader must have the courage and audacity to act, build, innovate and generally expand the frontiers of development with a hands-on approach that would emphasise excellence over mediocrity.”

He said Tinubu’s track record in Lagos and his commitment to democracy make him fit for the job.

“He has shown in several ways and at different times a stout commitment to the enthronement of democracy in our country, to the extent of even putting his own life on the line in the process,” he said.

“He has shown great capacity for engendering development, as captured in the unprecedented rapid and exponential development of Lagos state under his watch and even beyond.”

‘TRUE FEDERALISM BEING RESTORED’

Wike also referred to Tinubu’s moves to decentralise power and promote regional development.

“The overwhelming cry of over-centralisation of power and resources at the national level and the attendant abuse of the doctrine of federalism are being systematically addressed,” he said.

“This is being addressed through the creation of zonal/regional commissions empowered to devolve developmental impetus to the respective zones and regions so that power can truly return to the people.”

On security, he said Tinubu is investing in the training and retraining of personnel.

He said the approval of forest guard recruitment is a major step in dismantling the safe havens of bandits and terrorists.

“Bandits and terrorists would no longer find incubation points and free territories to operate,” he said.

“Put simply, the era of banditry and terrorism would soon come to an end.”

He said all these actions reflect Tinubu’s resolve to reposition Nigeria for progress.

The Naira further appreciated on Thursday, trading at N1,553.11 against the Dollar in the official foreign exchange market.

Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria showed the Naira gained N12.35, representing a 0.79 per cent appreciation when compared to Wednesday’s trading at N1,565.46 per Dollar.

The Naira has been on a steady appreciation, trading at N1,579.27 on Tuesday and N1,581.58 against the Dollar on Monday.

The Naira, which also closed the previous week bullish, opened the new week with a gain of N4.56.

These steady gains were recorded even as the recapitalisation for Bureau De Change Operators (BDCs) began on June 3.

The Cross River State House of Assembly has proposed a ban on using styrofoam and foil paper for food packaging, aiming to protect public health and the environment.

Lawmakers raised concerns on Thursday during plenary, adopting the motion sponsored by Mr Ogiji Achadu, who represents the Yala 2 State Constituency.

Achadu noted that styrofoam, a lightweight plastic used for packaging, is made from polystyrene — a petroleum-based product considered hazardous to human health.

He explained that when heated or used with food, Styrofoam releases styrene — a toxic substance that can seep into food and pose health risks.

Long-term styrene exposure, he warned, has been linked to neurological problems, respiratory conditions, and hormonal imbalances in humans.

He further stressed that Styrofoam is non-biodegradable, pollutes the environment, harms ecosystems, and poses challenges to proper waste management.

Achadu urged Governor Bassey Otu to prioritise residents’ health by addressing harmful materials that degrade environmental and public health standards.

Other lawmakers supported the motion, highlighting the risks of heating food in foil paper and the growing problem of non-degradable waste.

They cited Lagos State’s example, which has already enforced such a ban, and urged similar action in Cross River.

The lawmakers recommended empowering the Environmental Task Force Agency to implement and enforce the proposed ban effectively.

Speaker, Mr Elvert Ayambem, praised Achadu and other members for promoting legislation focused on citizens’ welfare and environmental protection.

The unbelievable war of words between US President, Donald Trump and Elon Musk escalated on Thursday, June 5, as the Tesla and SpaceX CEO fired back at the former president’s criticism regarding his opposition to Trump’s key economic bill.

After Elon Musk's continuous attack on Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill', the tech billionaire launched an all-out attack on the US President, saying without his support Trump would have lost the election.

"Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," the Tesla CEO said in a post on X.

In comment section, he wrote, "Such ingratitude".

This comes after US President questioned his relationship with the tech billionaire- indicating their close alliance may be no more. Trump said Thursday he doesn't know if he and Elon Musk will still have "a great relationship" after the former DOGE head has spent days blasting the GOP's spending bill.

"Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office before his bilateral sit-down with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “He hasn’t said bad about me personally, but I’m sure that’ll be next. But I’m very disappointed … I’ve helped Elon a lot.”

The tight relationship between Trump and the Tesla CEO has been fracturing on public display. Asked about Musk's ongoing criticism, Trump said he was "very surprised."

The president noted that Musk hasn't said anything "about me that's bad" but added he'd rather the billionaire "criticize me than the bill." Trump argued Musk was upset because "we took the EV mandate," in reference to the electric vehicle tax credit the legislation would kill.

The war of words between Donald Trump and Elon Musk intensified on Thursday, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO responding bluntly to the US president’s criticism over his opposition to Trump’s signature economic bill.

“Whatever,” Musk posted on X. “Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill.”

Musk’s post followed Trump’s remarks from the Oval Office, where he said he was “very disappointed” in the billionaire.

“I’ve helped him a lot,” Trump said. “He knew the inner workings of the bill better than anybody sitting here. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out we’re going to cut the EV mandate.”

Musk hit back quickly, saying, “False. This bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”

Aliko Dangote, the President of the Dangote Group, has named the road leading to the Dangote Refinery in honor of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Dangote spoke at the launch of the reconstruction of the Deep Sea Port Access Road in Lagos State on Thursday.

He also said that it was a relief to see the majority of fuel stations that were previously non-functional now operational across the country, vowing that there would never be petrol queues again.

Furthermore, Africa’s richest man stated that fuel is not expensive in Nigeria, adding that a litre of Premium Motor Spirit is sold at higher rates in other African countries.

“The majority of fuel stations that were not working, they are now back to work; there is no more shortage, no more queues, and there will never be,” he said.

“Some people here in Nigeria might think that petrol at less than N900 is expensive, but there is nowhere in West Africa where petrol is not selling above $1, which is N1,600,” Dangote said.

Petrol is sold between N800 and over N1,000 across Nigeria.

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has broken his silence on the criticism from Elon Musk, who is a former member of his administration.

Recall that Musk, the world’s richest man who played a key role in the emergence of Trump, was appointed head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

But last week, Musk announced that he was quitting Trump’s government. 

Citing sources, Reuters reported that Musk did not have a formal conversation with Trump before announcing his exit.

But signs of crack, which had manifested before Musk’s departure, became clearer when the billionaire businessman criticised Trump’s marquee tax bill and asked Congress to “kill the bill.”

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO publicly slammed the GOP proposal for potentially adding trillions to the deficit, and was privately irked by the removal of Biden-era tax credits for electric vehicles, among other grievances.

As if that was not enough, Musk further described Trump legacy legislation, the Big Beautiful Bill, as a bloated mess.

Briefing reporters at the Oval Office before his bilateral sit-down with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump said Musk knew the inner workings of the bill and never had a problem until right after he left.

“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. He hasn’t said bad about me personally, but I’m sure that’ll be next. But I’m very disappointed … I’ve helped Elon a lot.”

“He’s not the first. People leave my administration and they love us and then at some point they miss it so badly, and some of them embrace it and some of them actually become hostile. I don’t know what it is, it’s sort of Trump derangement syndrome, I guess they call it. … The glamor is gone, the whole world is different, and they become hostile. I’m very disappointed.”

On Thursday, the Enugu State Government demolished a suspected criminal hideout operating under the guise of a worship center in Onicha-Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.

The facility, reportedly operated by a self-acclaimed prophet, Chinedu Ezedike, was exposed as a base for alleged ritual practices, kidnappings, and other organized crimes.

Authorities, after investigations, revealed that the centre had no genuine religious function and was instead used to carry out and conceal criminal activities contributing to growing insecurity in the region.

The demolition is part of a broader crackdown by the Enugu State government targeting individuals—including fake pastors, native doctors, and spiritualists—who use religious and traditional platforms to perpetrate crime.

Local residents, speaking anonymously, lauded the government’s action, describing it as a bold step toward restoring peace and ensuring the safety of lives and property in the area.

“This sends a strong message that criminality, no matter how cleverly disguised, will not be tolerated in Enugu State,” one resident said

A former chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Jilius Abure has said the party is different from other parties.

This is as he maintained that the party is for those who have no voice and would ordinarily not be recognised in the scheme of things.

Abure, who made this statement on Thursday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Directorate of Physically Challenged Persons.

While citing the instance of a commercial motorcyclist, commonly referred to as ‘okada man’ winning the House of Representatives seat in the 2023 general elections, Abure said the Labour Party looks out for the disabled people and empowers them.

“We have our goals rooted in social democracy, the party is for those who have no voice. The party is for those who ordinary will not be recognized in the scheme of things, and that’s why we have made deliberate efforts to see that those people who are disabled either because of their gender, because of their sex, either because of their physical condition, or they have disability financially or one way or the other, we look out for those people and empower them, and that’s why, that’s why you find that it is only a Labour Party that an Okada rider can become a member of the House of Representatives.

“Those with disabilities are not just those who have physical disabilities. If you want to run for an office, you have the potential to develop your community. You will have what it takes. You have the leadership capacity, the traits, the leadership qualities. You are passionate about the growth and development of your community, but because of the very exploitative character in Nigeria, the exploitative character of the way politics is played, you are disabled, the Labor Party is the destination.

“We want to make sure that those with physical disabilities are taken care of. And if we see the Labour Party is different, believe that charity should begin at home. If we say we are going to change the country, we believe that the change should begin with us as a ward Chairman. We want to change Nigeria, you must change yourself first,” he said

A Nigerian man has finally been released after spending 8 years in prison without trial.

He has been in prison since March 2017 without trial.

The man identified as John Gift Tobia was held in prison on the 6th of March while his case was still awaiting trial.

However, his case was never heard in court and he ended up spending 8 years, 4 months and 10 days without trial.

Luckily for him, a high court in Rivers state set him free unconditionally in June 2025.

He was seen appreciating the lawyer who had intervened on his case, while sharing what he intends to do from now on.