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Key portfolios for Edun, Alake, Oyetola, Fagbemi, Adelabu

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Ahead of Monday’s inauguration of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by President Bola Tinubu, the Presidency last night released portfolios of the 45 ministers-designate cleared by the Senate.

Three nominees – former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), former All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader Stella Okotete (Delta) and former Taraba State Governor Abubakar Danlandi (Taraba) – were not cleared, which reduced the list of nominees to 45

Nobody has been assigned to the Ministry of Niger Delta. 

Also, the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management remains vacant, but the position is reserved for the eventual nominee from Kaduna State.

Also not assigned is the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. During the last administration, President Muhammadu Buhari held the portfolio.

New ministries have been created while some existing ministries were split to accommodate the ministers.

Thirty-two ministers and 13 ministers of state will form the new FEC.

The designated Minister of Finance, Mr. Olawale Edun will also serve as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy. His duties will include leading the economic team of the government.

Among those in the team will be former Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu who has been designated as Minister of Budget and Planning.

Another major nomination is that of Prof. Ali Pate who is the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. He is supported by Dr. Tunji Alausa, who is the Minister of State.

Former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike takes the responsibility as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Legal giant Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) is designated as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany Yusuf Maitama Tuggar will work as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Lagos lawyer Festus Keyamo (SAN) will be the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

Former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School Prof. Tahir Maman will be Minister of Education. Yusuf Sununu will be the Minister of State Education.

Former Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru will serve as Minister of Defence. Another former Governor Bello Mattawale is the Minister of State Defence.

Former Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong will be the Minister of Labour and Employment.

Outgoing House of Representatives member Nkiruka Onyejeocha will be Minister of State, Labour and Employment.

Former Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi will hold the Works portfolio and a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. Adebayo Adelabu will be in charge of Power.

Former Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola will be in charge of Transportation with Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo handling the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

The Ministry of Communication and Digital Development will be headed by IT expert Bosun Tijani.

Media expert Dele Alake has been posted to the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.

Former Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Geidam will be in charge of Police Affairs. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim is the Minister of State for Police Affairs.

Saidu Alkali will serve as Minister of Interior.

Blueprint publisher Muhammed Idris will be the Minister of Information and National Orientation.

Minister of State for the FCT is Mairiga Mahmud; and Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation is Bello Goronyo.

The Steel Development portfolio goes to Maigari Ahmadu. The Minister of Steel Development is Shuaibu Audu.

Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs is Zephaniah Jisalo. 

Joseph Utsev is the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation and Aliyi Sabi Abdullahi is the Minister of State Agriculture and Food Security.

Others are Abubakar Kyari (Agriculture and Food Security), Ishak Salah (Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management), Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Doris Anite (Industry, Trade and Investment), Uche Nnaji (Innovation Science and Technology), Uju Kennedy (Women Affairs), Abubakar Momoh (Youth), Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), Ekperikpe Ekpo (Minister of State, Gas Resources), Heineken Lokpobiri (Minister of State, Petroleum Resources) and John Enoh (Sports Development).

On the list are Hannatu Musawa (Art, Culture and Creative Economy), Ahmed Dangiwa (Housing and Urban Development) and Abdullahi Gwarzo (Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development).

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Yahaya Bello Vs EFCC: Court Adjourns Ruling and Continuation of Trials to June 26 , 27 and July 4 and 5

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You cannot cross examine him based on the document,” Daudu SAN argued. Enitan SAN added that he had the right to draw the attention of the court to some specific paragraphs in the document.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the hearing of the alleged money laundering case instituted against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to June 26, 27 and July 4 and 5 for ruling on the request by the prosecution to “cross-examine” the 3rd witness and for continuation of trial.

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the hearing after listening to addresses by the prosecution and defence counsels on the Prosecution’s move to initially cross-examine the witness, a position that was rejected by the Defendant’s Counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN.

When the matter was called for continuation of cross-examination, the Defendant’s counsel asked the witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, whether he had testified in other courts with respect to the issue of school fees paid by the Bello family to AISA, he said yes.

But the witness, an internal auditor at the American International School, Abuja, said he could not mention the exact courts.

He admitted testifying in a similar charge involving Ali Bello but added that he never said anything adversely against former Governor Yahaya Bello just as he had not said anything negative or adversely against him in the instant charge.

After Daudu SAN concluded the cross-examination of the witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, the EFCC’s lawyer, Olukayode Enitan, SAN, moved to also cross-examine the Commission’s witness on Exhibit 19.

He told the court that he was not re-examining the EFCC’s witness, but cross-examining him because the document was admitted in evidence.

“I am not re-examining him, I am cross-examining him because they brought this document,” he said.

The Defendant’s lawyer, however, drew the court’s attention to the fact that the prosecution counsel’s position was unknown to law, in line with the Evidence Act.

“If you want to cross-examine your own witness, you have to first declare him a hostile witness. You cannot cross examine him based on the document,” Daudu SAN argued. Enitan SAN added that he had the right to draw the attention of the court to some specific paragraphs in the document.

At this point, the judge asked: “Do you have any provision of the law to support this?””I will draw your lordship attention to Section 36 of the Constitution.

They sought to tender this document, we objected and the court granted their prayer. Fair hearing demands that the complainant too has the right to examine this because Section 36 of the Constitution talks of fair hearing,”

Enitan responded. “We are not saying that they cannot re-examine the witness. That is what Section 36 under the law says about fair hearing. But if it is to cross-examine him, he will have to show us the law that backs that.

“He cannot come under the guise of fair hearing to want to cross-examine the witness,” the Defendant’s lawyer maintained. The judge, at the end of the arguments, refused to allow cross-examination of the witness by the EFCC lawyer.”

Under the procedure, the witness gives evidence in chief and the defendant cross examines, then the prosecution re-examines.

“With due respect, what I will do is if you people are so skewed to continue with this, it is better to address me on this and I will take a position,” he stated.

At this point, the prosecution counsel agreed to re-examine the EFCC’s witness and the judge gave him the go-ahead.”You can re-examine him on that but not to ask questions that will show cross examination,” Justice Nwite said.

However, when the prosecution lawyer proceeded to re-examine the witness, and his questions pointed at cross-examination, as observed by Daudu SAN, the judge insisted that the parties had to address him on the specific issue.

The Defendant’s Counsel, in his address, maintained that the position was unknown to law.

“My lord, the procedure that is being sought by the prosecution by refering the witness to the document tender in Exhibit 19 and by asking him to read paragraph 1, without drawing his attention to the issue on how the document affected his evidence in chief, the question asked in cross-examination, and the ambiguity, which needs clarification, amounts to a strange and unknown procedure not covered by the Evidence Act,” he stated.

Enitan SAN, disagreed, saying that in the case of Amobi Amobi referred to by the defendant’s counsel, the Supreme Court held that the learned trial judge ought to have allowed a re-examination of Exhibit E.

He said when the defendant sought to introduce the document, the prosecution team “submitted that this document was not made by the witness and as such, he should not be allowed to speak to it under cross examination or allowed to be confronted with it.”

“Having brought it in now, during the case of the prosecution, particularly during the cross examination of PW-3, your lordship should not allow them to shut us out as that would amount to the court allowing them to blow hot and cold,” Pinheiro SAN said.

Justice Nwite thereafter adjourned to June 26, 27 and July 4 and 5 for ruling and continuation of trial.

The 3rd prosecution witness had, at the last hearing on Thursday, said there was no wired transfer of fees from the Kogi State Government or any of the local Governments in the state to the account of the American International School, Abuja.

He also read out a part of a previous Federal Capital Territory High Court judgment that said there was no court order for AISA to return fees to EFCC or any judgment declaring the money as proceeds of money laundering.

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Bill Gates to give away 99% of his wealth

“I have decided to give my money back to society much faster than I had originally planned,” Gates, 69, wrote in a statement.

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The Gates Foundation plans to give away $313 billion over the next 20 years before shutting down entirely in 2045.

The move, according to Bloomberg, marks a new deadline for one of history’s largest and most influential charities.

That target would represent a doubling in spending for the non-profit foundation which has disbursed more than $100 billion since it was co-founded by Microsoft Founder Bill Gates and Melinda Gates in 2000.

Originally, the foundation was set to close 20 years after Gate’s death.

“I have decided to give my money back to society much faster than I had originally planned,” Gates, 69, wrote in a statement.

“I will give away virtually all my wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years to the cause of saving and improving lives around the world,” he added.

Credit: Bloomberg

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Peter Obi’s Comparison of Nigeria’s Educational System With Bangladesh, Turkiye

Bangladesh, which once lagged behind Nigeria in virtually every measurable development index, now surpasses us in all key areas of development and in the Human Development Index (HDI).

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Peter Obi wrote on his X( Twitter) : “I just came across the official results from JAMB showing the recent exam figures.

In the data shared by JAMB, a total of 1,955,069 candidates sat for the exam.

Shockingly, out of this number, only about 420,000 candidates scored above 200, while over 1.5 million scored below 200.

This means that over 78% of the total candidates failed to meet the 200-mark threshold — a reflection of the deep-rooted challenges in our educational system.

The latest JAMB results once again highlight the consequences of decades of underinvestment in education, a sector that should be central to our national development strategy.

Currently, Nigeria’s total university enrollment stands at approximately 2 million students.

By comparison, the National University of Bangladesh — a single university — has over 3.4 million students enrolled, despite the country having only about 75% of Nigeria’s population.

One university in Bangladesh surpasses the entire university enrollment in Nigeria.

Bangladesh, which once lagged behind Nigeria in virtually every measurable development index, now surpasses us in all key areas of development and in the Human Development Index (HDI).

Similarly, Turkey (now Turkiye), with a population of about 87.7 million people, has over 7 million university students — more than three times Nigeria’s total university enrollment.

I have consistently said it: education is not just a social service; it is a strategic investment.

It is the most critical driver of national development and the most powerful tool for lifting people out of poverty.

We must now invest aggressively in education — at all levels — if we are serious about building a prosperous, secure, and equitable Nigeria.”

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