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By Our Correspondent

The National Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, noted as fitting choice and well-deserved, the appointment by the 4th University Governing Council, chaired by Professor Zubairu Tojo Abdallah, of Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, as the 4th Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja.

According to Aiyenigba,” Ibileyea renowned scholar, was one of the pioneer academics who piloted the smooth take-off of the university during its formative years, when it was newly established in 2012, along with eight other
federal universities, by the visionary President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who made significant expansion of Nigeria’s federal higher education.

“Prof Ibileye had an impressive record of service to the Federal University Lokoja in a number of strategic academic and administrative positions under two Vice-Chancellors, and demonstrated commendable leadership qualities and earned tremendous goodwill within the university community.

“It is worthy of note that he competed with and lost narrowly to the out-going Vice-Chancellor five years ago.”

Continuing said, ” The new VC has served the university as Head of English and Literary Studies Department, Director; General Studies; Director, Entrepreneurship; Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies; Chairman, Committee of Provosts, Deans and Directors (a committee with direct responsibility to the Vice-Chancellor); Member, University Governing Council, and member of the Council’s Finance and General Purpose Committee.

‘The appointment by the Governing Council was communicated to the university community and the general public by the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Dr. Rebecca Aimiohu Okojie, who noted that Prof Ibileye emerged from a very transparent, merit-driven, and highly competitive selection process that involved eleven (11) distinguished professors who were shortlisted after series of rigorous screening, interactions, and evaluations, in line with extant guidelines for the appointment of principal officers in Nigeria’s federal universities, and came first with a total score of 91.9

“It is quite interesting to note that the appointment process has been reportedly commended by those Professors who contested the position with Prof Ibileye, as the triumph of merit over sentiments, and is widely celebrated as credible and exemplary, and strictly guided by competence, track record, and the long-term interest of the university.

“Prof. Ibileye’s emergence as the
next head of the institution, which has elicited joy within and outside the university community, comes not as a surprise to many people who had earlier seen him as a future potential helmsman of the university, on account of his track record of service, proven capacity, dedication to duty, loyalty to the outgoing Vice-Chancellor and the cause of the university, and his large social capital base and extensive national and international networks. There are high expectations that he will take the institution to greater heights of academic excellence and infrastructural development.”

Prof Ibileye, he further noted, “is widely reputed as a remarkable team leader; a unifier, humble, and jolly good fellow, a human capital development enthusiast; social development engineer, and a great community-spirited man. He will certainly bring to bear his experience, great people’s skills, and innovation to galvanize the entire university community for the next developmental phase of the institution. His great vision which is anchored on the five pillars of: academic excellence, research culture, infrastructure and digital transformation, community partnerships and entrepreneurship, and international and global competitiveness, will propel a phenomenal growth for the institution in the years to come.

“His rich experience and vast academic networks, both locally and internationally, as an external examiner and visiting professor to a number of Nigerian and African universities, such as tbe Rhodes University, South Africa, the University of Ghana, and University of Burundi, among others, will serve him in good stead.

“Professor Ibileye is reputed to have made notable contributions to literary studies and academic excellence in Nigeria and in Africa, particularly. He is a member of many prestigious academic and professional bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Pragmatics Association of Nigeria, and the English Scholars Association of Nigeria. His career has spanned about three decades, and he has supervised over thirty doctoral candidates, many masters degree students, and mentored young scholars unto great attainments.

“The new Vice-Chancellor, a great family man with very lovely home, is expected to build on the greatly remarkable legacy of academic culture consolidation, infrastructural development, staff and students’ welfare, expansion of academic programmes, institutional stability, enhanced national relevance of the University achieved by the out-going Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olayemi Durotimi Akinwunmi.

“The people of Ekinrin-Adde, his root and the Okun nation in general, are proud of him, and they trust that he will bring to bear on the job, leadership with integrity, and the cherished OMOLUABI ethos will be his guide on this tour of national duty, and that he will etch his name indelibly on the sands of time.

“I pray God will endue him with the requisite wisdom and the spirit of excellence.”

By George Mgbeleke

Worried by incessant spats of banditry attacks, kidnapping and killings in parts of the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will today (Wednesday 17th December) embark on nationwide protest rally against insecurity which today, has put Nigeria in a terrible state.

This is as the congress has raised alarm over plot by the Police to attack the protesters and cause mayhem, warning that any attack on the protest, would be a declation of war on Nigeria.

The Congress in a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, said it had taken the decision to demand urgent and sustained action by the state to decisively address the festering insecurity situation in Nigeria.

It said the protest which will start at 7:30 a.m on Wednesday, will involve the peaceful procession of workers and civil society allies within designated routes.

Meanwhile, the congress in another statement on Tuesday, titled: “An Attack on Any Protester is an Act of Terrorism”, signed by the Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, said it received credible and disturbing intelligence from the networks within the communities that there is a clandestine move by some unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings, to infiltrate and violently disrupt the peaceful National Day of Protest and mourning organised by workers for Wednesday.

It said: “These protests, as every comrade or citizen knows, are a necessary and legitimate response to the escalating reign of terror unleashed upon our nation. The industrial-scale losses of lives, kidnappings, abductions, and killings in the face of a staggering government’s indifference or weakness clearly speak to the issue.

“Our action tomorrow is therefore not just a mere procession, it is a collective act of grief, a roar of despair from the oppressed, and a democratic demand for the fundamental right to life and security. We have lost count of the numbers of our members; teachers, farmers, miners and other artisans that have died to this overwhelming insecurity.

“Let this be understood by those who occupy the corridors of power and the purveyors of violence that the Congress is now officially aware of their plot to use armed thugs to attack peaceful protesters, cause mayhem, and create a pretext for violent repression.

“We name this plot for what it is, a further enabled terrorism against Nigerian citizens.

“We issue a stern and final warning to the purveyors of this act: ‘Desist Immediately. Call off your hoodlums as any attack on peacefully protesting workers will be considered a direct declaration of war on the entire Nigerian working class and its allies’.

“The Police having been informed of our protests and its dynamics must act to protect the democratic rights of citizens to freely assemble and express themselves. The rights of citizens must be respected and guaranteed.

“To all the working people of Nigeria, the unemployed, the students, the traders, and all victims of insecurity, we alert you to this insidious plot. Do not be cowed. Do not be provoked. Our protest must remain peaceful, disciplined, and massive. Solidarity is our shield.

“Here is our iron-clad resolution as passed by the National Executive Council: Should a single worker, comrade, or citizen be harmed by these thugs or through escalated repression tomorrow, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not hesitate to declare an immediate, comprehensive, and indefinite nationwide strike.

“All wheels of production, all services, and every sector of the national economy will be shut down completely and indefinitely. When the ruling class moves to crush a peaceful protest against their failure, they unwittingly reveal their truly undemocratic tendencies.

“The message must be clear and without equivocation; any attack on our protest will be an attack on the very engine of Nigeria. The consequence will be an escalation and a total shutdown”.

By Our Correspondent

The Ministry of Regional Development has inaugurated the Core Working Group (CWG) on Regional Development as part of a high-level stakeholders’ engagement aimed at strengthening policy coordination, institutional effectiveness, and inclusive regional growth across Nigeria.

Declaring the event open today, 15th December 2025, in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of State, H.E. Uba Maigari Ahmadu, acknowledged the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the creation of the Ministry and the Regional Development Commissions reflects a deliberate national strategy to address long-standing regional imbalances.

“The Development Commissions represent strategic instruments for addressing long-standing regional development gaps, while responding to evolving socio-economic and security concerns across the country,” he stated.

The Minister highlighted that the key expectations of regional development must be locally grounded, secure, accountable, and sustainable. “A region-by-region approach must reflect local realities, priorities, and comparative advantages,” he noted that “the integration of security considerations must reinforce peace-building, community resilience, and long-term stability.”

He stressed that “strong governance and accountability mechanisms must provide clear indicators, monitoring systems, and transparent processes,” while “policy thrusts must align with national development plans and global best practices, ensuring continuity beyond political cycles.”

In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Mary A. Ogbe, described the inauguration as a major step toward institutional strengthening and improved service delivery. “This gathering marks a concrete step in our collective effort to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry to deliver on its mandate of promoting balanced, inclusive, and sustainable regional development across Nigeria,” she said.

Dr Ogbe explained that the CWG will function as the Ministry’s technical backbone, serving as a technical engine-room that provides evidence-based inputs and ensures coherence across departments. She further noted that the inauguration coincides with the commencement of a Rights and Results-Based Management (RRBM) Training aimed at transforming how regional development policies are planned, implemented, and measured.

In his keynote speech, delivered on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Chief Social Policy, Mr Hamidu Poufon, underscored the central role of the Ministry of Regional Development as the institutional anchor for achieving equitable and inclusive development across Nigeria’s regions. He noted that this role is critical to the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He stated that the UNDP will serve as a technical partner to the Ministry, as a leading global development agency, and emphasized that the overarching goal of regional development efforts must be to drive balanced national progress by channelling inclusive growth across all regions, ensuring that development interventions are equitably distributed to address disparities and unlock regional potential.

The two-day event is taking place in Abuja from 15th to 16th December 2025, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, with support from the European Union (EU), UNDP, and UNICEF.