By Emmanuel Ikpe

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the commencement of the Faculty of Law at Akwa Ibom State University.

The decision follows a resource verification visit conducted by the regulatory body’s panel of experts to assess the University’s readiness for the programme and the availability of human and material resources.

A letter from the NUC dated 10th of November, 2025, and sighted by the newsmen reads:

“I am directed to inform the Vice-Chancellor that the Executive Secretary has considered and approved the establishment of the full-time mode of the LL.B Law Programme to be run in the Main Campus of the University with effect from the 2025/2026 academic session.

“The University is enjoined to provide human and material resources for the development and growth of the approved programmes in line with the provisions of the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) for the Nigerian University System”, the letter reads in parts.

The approval of the Faculty of Law signals another milestone for the Acting-Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Otoabasi Akpan, who, within three months in office, has established the Faculties of Communication and Media Studies, with six new departments, and the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, with five departments.

Professor Akpan has also facilitated accreditation and resource verification for 30 post-graduate and some undergraduate programmes, as well as the establishment of more than 30 Institutes and Centres in various fields of endeavour to advance research and attract funding to the University.

Reacting to the development, the Director of Mutual Partnership and University Development, Dr. Promise Etim, praised the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University for his visionary leadership and seamless interpretation of the Arise Agenda of the Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, by choosing to expand the frontiers of the university, to give more Akwa Ibom Youths access to quality education.

He also lauded Governor Eno for supporting the university and providing the resources needed to drive development.

The approval for the Law Faculty takes the number of Faculties in the University to eleven. The Faculty of Law of AKSU will host three departments, namely, Private and Property Law, Jurisprudence and International Law and Commercial and Industrial Law.

By Our Correspondent

Former Chief Whip of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on South East Development Commission (SEDC), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will face no real opposition in the 2027 presidential election, describing the contest as “Tinubu versus Tinubu.”

Fielding questions from members of the Senate Press Corps at the National Assembly Lobby on Tuesday, the Abia North Senator said the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains firmly rooted across the country and enjoys the overwhelming support of Nigerians, insisting that the President’s policies are gradually reshaping the economy and national security.

“Has he gotten anyone contesting against him? The election is Tinubu vs Tinubu just like Soludo vs Soludo. The President has no options,” Kalu said. “Our party is fully on ground and fully with the people. Nobody can say we don’t have the people on ground. We will continue to do what we can to help the Nigerian masses progress.”

Kalu, who was former governor of Abia state said the National Assembly under Senator Godswill Akpabio’s leadership remains committed to supporting Tinubu’s economic recovery plans through pro-people legislation.

“Whatever is the problem, the Senate is more interested in making laws that will help President Ahmed Tinubu overcome the economic problems that our people are going through.
We are focusing on redeeming Nigerian people to see that they eat three times a day,” he said.

On U.S., Trump, and Killings in Nigeria, Orji said,“Trump Told the Truth”

Reacting to comments credited to U.S. President Donald Trump on the spate of killings in Nigeria and America’s readiness to act, Kalu said Trump “told the truth,” stressing that the attacks across the country have claimed both Christian and Muslim lives and should be condemned without bias.

“If it’s a lie, then the answer is that it’s not a lie because he said the truth. Nigerians are being killed whether they are Christians or Muslims.

There are jihadists who just want to destroy Nigeria. We should blacklist them without pity so that they will be smoked out,” he stated.

Kalu revealed that he had personally discussed Nigeria’s security situation with two former U.S. Presidents one Republican and one Democrat and six sitting U.S. Senators, who, according to him, expressed readiness to assist Nigeria in tackling terrorism.

“Before President Trump says a word, the American intelligence community must have found out where these terrorists are located,” he said. “You can see that the Nigerian Air Force is already acting, possibly using information shared by the U.S. to bomb terrorist hideouts. That’s how it should be.”

While aligning himself as “pro-America,” Kalu also noted that part of the global instability today stemmed from the U.S. invasion and elimination of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, which, he argued, led to the proliferation of arms across Africa.

“When you killed Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, it became a problem because those people were maintaining their borders. After their deaths, light and heavy arms spilled all over the world and we are suffering from it today,” Kalu explained.

He stressed that contrary to speculation, the U.S. was not targeting President Tinubu’s administration, but rather the jihadist elements responsible for insecurity in Nigeria.

“Nigerians are clapping hands and political opponents are thinking that the U.S. is after Tinubu’s government No! They are going after the jihadists,” Kalu clarified.

On Party Politics and Defections

Commenting on speculation that Abia State Governor Alex Otti may defect from the Labour Party to the APC, Kalu said neither President Tinubu nor any APC leader had pressured anyone to join the ruling party.

“Let’s be honest, neither me nor other senators, Senate President or President Tinubu have ever forced anybody to join our party. I have met with my Governor; he is my brother and used to be my banker. Whether he joins or not is up to him,” Kalu said.

“But as for me, I will work 100% for the APC, campaign in the state and ensure that we secure victory for President Tinubu and every candidate of the APC.”

On the likelihood of Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo joining the APC after his re-election, Kalu expressed confidence that the APGA governor would “eventually come home.”

“Soludo is a progressive like myself, President Tinubu, Senate President Akpabio, and the Governors of Imo, Ebonyi, and Enugu. He has no alternative than to come and join us it’s confirmed,” he asserted.

On the Economy: “Macro Economy Doing Well, But Micro Still Struggling”

Assessing the current state of the Nigerian economy, the senator acknowledged the hardship many citizens face but maintained that macroeconomic indicators are improving.

“As a businessman, I am feeling the pain too. The macro economy is doing well, but the micro economy is not. Foreign investors are coming in, and what is left is for this progress to trickle down to the masses so that people can eat daily and return to farming,” he explained.

Kalu said both the President and the Senate are working relentlessly to revive the economy and restore food security.

“President Tinubu has put his life into revamping the economy, and the Senate is also doing its best to ensure that Nigerians feel the progress.”

On Senate Stability

Addressing reports of initial moves to impeach the Senate President, Senator Kalu dismissed the tension as a “family misunderstanding,” insisting that lawmakers remain united in supporting the leadership and the national agenda.

“There were attempts, but we didn’t allow that to happen. We are one big family, and it’s not going to happen,” he assured.

Senator Kalu’s remarks underscored his unwavering loyalty to President Tinubu and the APC, his pro-American stance on counterterrorism, and his optimism that Nigeria’s economic and security challenges are surmountable through collaboration between the executive, legislature, and international partners.

By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

The Unified Nigeria Youth Forum (UNYF) has cautioned that Nigeria is drifting into dangerous territory due to leadership failure, rising insecurity, and economic hardship, urging young Nigerians to rise and chart a new course for national rebirth anchored on integrity, accountability, and visionary leadership.

Speaking during a press conference held on Monday in Lagos, President of the Forum, Comrade Olajide Filani Toriah, said the gathering was not another lamentation of the nation’s woes but a patriotic awakening to rescue Nigeria from systemic decay.

Toriah said Nigeria stands at a dangerous crossroads as citizens continue to bear the brunt of poor governance and economic mismanagement that have left the country struggling to fulfill its promise of greatness.

He noted that insecurity, corruption, and policy inconsistency have combined to push millions of Nigerians into poverty and despair, while public confidence in leadership continues to decline.

While buttressing his points on the press conference theme, “Nigeria the Way Forward: UNYF Setting the Pace in Nigerian Politics – The Emergence of a New Nigeria, Toriah recalled the words of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who in 1981 declared that Nigeria was seriously ill and warned of frightful dangers ahead for a nation that fails to look beyond selfish interests.

He reiterated that more than four decades after that warning, the condition of the country has deteriorated even further, as insecurity, economic instability, and moral decay continue to threaten national unity.

The UNYF president observed that from one administration to another, successive leaders have failed to confront the root causes of Nigeria’s crisis, allowing insurgency, banditry, and communal conflicts to destroy lives and livelihoods across the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions.

He disclosed that millions have been displaced, farmers cannot access their lands, traders are unsafe on the highways, and families live daily in fear of abduction and violence.

He said, “Nigeria’s economy, once a source of pride for Africa, has become fragile due to mismanagement, weak institutions, and inconsistent policies that have eroded investor confidence and deepened the suffering of ordinary citizens. The continuous fall of the naira, rising inflation, and the high rate of unemployment have pushed millions of Nigerians into untold hardship, while many young people now seek survival through irregular migration and crime.

“The current situation should serve as a wake-up call to those in authority, warning that the time has come for leaders to either step up or step aside for competent and visionary citizens to steer the country toward genuine progress. As we approach the 2027 general elections, it must not be another cycle of mediocrity and corruption, but a turning point for Nigeria to rediscover its soul through the emergence of credible and patriotic leadership.

“Nigeria’s problem is not merely economic or political but a crisis of vision, integrity, and accountability and rebuilding the nation requires a new moral consciousness driven by young people who are ready to take responsibility and reject the culture of indifference that has held the country hostage for decades.”

Toriah maintained that despite constitutional guarantees that place the security and welfare of citizens as the primary purpose of government, the present reality across the country shows a tragic contradiction where lives are wasted with impunity and justice is often delayed or denied.

While reaffirming the Forum’s commitment to promoting unity, accountability, and visionary leadership, Toriah said the youth must take charge of their destiny and ensure that the dream of a new Nigeria is not lost to corruption and indifference.

He reiterated that the time for excuses is over, stressing that the Forum’s guiding vision remains anchored on a common resolve expressed in the slogan “One Youth, One Dream, One Destiny” and called on the youth to rise above ethnic, religious, and political differences to unite for national renewal and charge young people across the country to take responsibility for their future and make this generation the one that refused to give up until the dream of a united, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria is achieved.