NEWS
Adeleke Commends First Lady’s Passion For Public Service
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has commended Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s years of dedicated public service.
He made the commendation while hosting her to a rousing welcome for the launching of Alternative High Schools for Girls in Osun State, on Tuesday.
Addressing the dignitaries at the turning of sod at Oke Dio, Ayepe, Osogbo, Governor Adeleke affirmed his happiness hosting “a woman of virtue, an Amazon who is a political pillar of our dear President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Your antecedents and your passion for public service are known to some of us. We have worked with you at close quarters and I can confirm that you are one of the best of sisterhood in the country.
“As your colleague in the Senate in those days, I can affirm your deep love for Nigeria, your commitment to national human development and your particular interest in the welfare of under-privileged Nigerians. I am therefore not surprised when you assumed office and you unveiled several initiatives in support of girl children and the poor.
“In your passion for the growth of the nation, you are also known for focusing on fairness and justice. For us in Osun State, we are here today because we are a beneficiary of your sense of justice. During the raffle for the citing of this school you picked Osun, you did not shift the goal post. We commend you for granting Osun this rare opportunity of hosting this very important school.”
While assuring the First Lady that his administration will follow up and provide needed support to ensure a robust operation upon completion of the school, Senator Adeleke assured that his administration is also committed to supporting girl child education.
“We have introduced a series of programmes which strengthen the capacity of families to provide basic needs. Hence, we emphasize workers’ welfare as a critical first line item in our five-point agenda.
“We also focus on stopping the crisis of sexual violence against women. To that end, Osun is the first state to implement the resolution of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum on Action Against sexual violence. We have met the Ministry of Women Affairs and resolved to set up mobile courts to try domestic sexual violence matters. Additionally, we are compiling a list of unfairly jailed girls and women to get them released. This is in addition to an agenda of empowering the womenfolk through the Cooperative lawn scheme.
“Osun State is undergoing total transformation with women at the heart of our agenda. We assure you of our support for the Renewed Hope Agenda, especially our deep partnership to ensure the success of federal policies for a better Nigeria. We appreciate current policies of the Federal Government, and we are daily interfacing with federal agencies for successful outcomes”, the state Governor posited.
The First Lady of Nigeria in her address commended the warm reception accorded her by government and people of Osun state even as she narrated her decade long passion for special schools for young girls, restating her commitment to ensure full implementation of the project across the country.
The First Lady who was full of praise for the First Lady of Osun State, Mrs Titilola Adeleke said the Alternative High Schools for Girls was her response to the yawning gap in girls’ education, decrying the high number of out of school children in the country.
Senator Tinubu who earlier met traditional rulers led by Ooni of Ife, HRM, Enitan Ogunwusi, said Osun is selected for the girls’ school and adopted with full expectation that the state government will expand the model and deepen girl child education in the state.
The Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education, Dr Ahmed Bobboi in his speech hailed the contributions of the Adeleke administration to the growth and development of universal basic education in the state.
According to him, the administration’s records enhances the confidence of UBEC and the Office of the First Lady that the new school will realise its targets and even surpass it.
The First Lady was accompanied by eleven states’ first ladies, the wife of the Vice President, the wife of the Senate President, the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Wife of the Chief of Staff to Mr President and other top women leaders from across the country.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is intensifying its campaign against substance abuse by proposing mandatory drug integrity tests for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and individuals preparing for marriage.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), explained the rationale behind the proposal during a meeting with the NYSC leadership in Abuja on April 23, 2025.
Speaking to NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, Marwa clarified that the tests are not intended to be punitive but are part of a broader strategy to curb drug abuse and intervene early in cases of dependence.
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“It is always better to detect drug use early before it gets to addiction, which eventually could get to psychiatric problems, and it becomes a danger to the user and society,” Marwa stated.
While welcoming the new NYSC chief, Marwa commended the scheme as “a national treasure and a veritable instrument of national unity.”
He highlighted the alarming rate of drug use in the country and called for collective efforts in tackling the challenge.
“The drug scourge has continued to devastate our kids, families, and communities everywhere. There’s nowhere you go in the country that you don’t have a drug abuse problem,” he said. “One in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 uses drugs.”
Marwa emphasized that while NDLEA is working hard to restrict access and availability of drugs, reducing demand is equally important.
He urged NYSC to play a more active role in this regard.
“You have mentioned our efforts to cut off access and availability of these drugs but beyond that, we have to work with all stakeholders, including NYSC to ensure drastic reduction in the demand for drugs by our youths, and one of our strategies to address this is through our drug integrity test, which we’re advocating that NYSC should embrace for corps members.”
He also praised the introduction of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) clubs in NYSC camps, describing them as a positive development, while calling for further collaboration in areas such as prevention, counseling, and rehabilitation.
“This is a major drug demand reduction effort. In the same way we said, if you are getting married, both the bride and the groom should bring a drug-free certificate,” he added.
According to Marwa, early detection remains key to managing substance abuse and preventing it from evolving into more severe health or social issues.
Residents of Istanbul were jolted by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday, which struck the Marmara Sea near the city’s western fringes, prompting widespread concern but causing no immediate casualties.
The quake, which occurred at 12:49 p.m. local time (0949 GMT), originated in Silivri, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
“An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Silivri, Marmara Sea, Istanbul,” he confirmed on X, formerly Twitter. Yerlikaya also noted that tremors were felt in nearby provinces.
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Following the initial tremor, Turkey’s disaster management authority, AFAD, reported three more earthquakes ranging from 4.4 to 4.9 in magnitude.
The seismic activity sent people fleeing onto the streets, with many seen anxiously checking their phones or making calls.
“I just felt earthquake, I’ve got to get out,” said a decorator who dashed out of a fourth-floor apartment near Galata Tower. He declined to give his name, visibly shaken by the experience.
Despite the intensity, there were no reports of injuries or building collapses in the city of approximately 16 million people.
“Until now, we have no information about any buildings collapsing,” the governor’s office stated, urging residents to avoid entering structures that may have sustained damage.
Reassuring citizens, the Istanbul municipality also confirmed, “No serious cases have been reported so far following the earthquake in Istanbul,” in a post on X.
Tremors from the quake were reportedly felt as far as Sofia, Bulgaria, according to AFP journalists in the capital.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation as aftershocks persist and damage assessments are conducted across the region.
As violent attacks and killings continue to plague parts of Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia has ruled out the need for a state of emergency, insisting instead on immediate and absolute support from the Federal Government to combat the crisis.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, Governor Alia said the security situation, though dire, is not beyond the capacity of his administration to manage.
However, he emphasized that increased federal assistance is crucial to fully restoring peace to the troubled state.
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“What we need is emergency help for now. We need absolute support,” the governor stated. “The federal government is supporting — they sent two armoured tanks that came in. Our situation had changed. We had a better narrative, but what we need to do is to get our people back home, to drive out the invaders… Calling for any emergency does not occur here.”
Alia blamed the persistent violence on armed herders, many of whom he claims are non-Nigerians. According to him, the assailants have displaced local farmers and occupied ancestral lands, creating a humanitarian and security crisis that needs urgent attention.
The governor also pointed to progress made under his administration, noting a reduction in the number of local government areas under attack from 17 to just six.
“We couldn’t have trimmed it from 17 local governments in the front lines of the attacks to nine and then now to six, which means we have the capability to do this — but we need help. And that is a fact,” he said.
Governor Alia reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the people of Benue and restoring displaced communities, but stressed that federal collaboration remains vital to achieving lasting peace in the state.
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