NEWS
FEDPOFFA: Mass Comm. Dept Campaigns Against Corruption In Education Sector
Eunice Oluwafunmilayo
The Federal Polytechnic, Offa in Kwara State held a campaign against corruption in educational sector in Nigeria on Wednesday.
Speaking during the campaign by the Department of Mass Communication at the school premises, the Acting Rector of FEDPOFFA, Dr. Olarongbe Afolabi reinstated the institution’s commitment to the eradication of corruption.
In his words: “stopping corruption completely in Nigeria, if I say it is possible in Nigeria; I am not being realistic. But the fact is that corruption can be contained. And when you are containing corruption, you are stopping it gradually. The ultimate goal is to stop it completely, but we have to start from somewhere and we are starting on a very good note in this Polytechnic.
“Stopping corruption completely will depend on everyone’s mindset. The thing is in Nigeria we are so hypocritical in fighting corruption. Are we sincere? Or we are just doing mere propaganda? The present government wants to fight corruption. And we would remember when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed power, he said corruption is one of the things he would fight. Security is also there and economy. Buhari has been fighting corruption, but how far has he gone?
“He is doing it, but as far as we don’t change our mindset, it would be very hard to eliminate corruption in this country. But we can get there, we have started. We know where we are going.
“What is manifesting this morning (i.e Corruption in Education Campaign) is an attestation to what the school is doing to fight corruption.
“The present administration which I head is committed to fighting corruption and we are doing it so well. We have been talking to students and staffers.
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“If we are talking about corruption, there are so many fronts to face. Look at the students, are they students aiding corruption? Look at the staff, are they aiding in exploitation and extortion of the students? Sex for marks and the like? It takes two to tangle.” he said.
Dr. Olarongbe added that corruption goes both ways as it is a consented effort which is faithfully pursued before it become manifested.
He said fighting corruption is one of the principal mantras of this administration and the administration has been working with Servicom, Students Union Government (SUG) and other related bodies.
Also, the Head of Mass Communication Department, Wole Alawode said
Wole Alawode, Head of Department said the purpose of the campaign is to call the attention of all concerned persons, agencies and stakeholders to the corruption in the education sector.
“From the look of things, maybe the Federal government have to declare an emergency on the educational sector. We are having problems. What are the youth doing? What are the beliefs system now?
“Shortcut will lead Nigeria to more problems. So that why we need to call attention the attention of the Federal Government to the education sector. Educational malpractices, cheating and all. In Nigeria, everyone has to wake up to how we are developing our youths. And how is the educational system functioning.
“Many students prefer miracles centers now and it is affecting the quality of instructions they receive. Someone that did not have a proper Olevel result, how can such function properly in the tertiary academic environment? And they will be looking for some cheap way out and they will be causing issues in the system. So we have to look for ways not only in the tertiary level but even secondary schools.
“We have to do something about what we produce. As in the quality of secondary school graduates, coming to tertiary institutions.
“Secondly, we have to make sure we curb all forms of corruption, including examination malpractices, cheating, looking for easy way out, sexual abuse, harassment, intimidation of students, sex for mark and all. There are so many of them.
“So this essence of this campaign is to call attention of the Federal government, stakeholders in the society, religious leaders and institutions, and others; let us all come together and address our youths. How they are growing up and what are we doing about it.
“We are calling for emergency declaration. You can see the level of yahoo yahoo (internet fraud), people don’t care again. People don’t seem to see it as a problem.
“Some 30 years ago, a leader was saying if problems at that time were not solved, we were going to have so-so problems such as Boko Haram. We are having them now. So if today’s problem are not addressed, what would they lead to in the future? And we are all here now, where do you want us to run to?” Alawode said.
A lecturer in the Department and the project supervisor, Chucks Okoji said the choice of topic lies in the fact that the success of any society lies in its academic condition.
“We decided to choose this topic because the success of any developed country lies on its education, now the problem we are having is that the budgetary allocation for education in Nigeria is very low compare to all the United Nations.
“Now if we say we want a better Nigeria, we’ll start from the educational aspect, that’s why we have decided to say no to corruption in Education and every other vices like, laboratories and the studios are underequipped.
“There is no way we’ll say we want to be an technological service controls without having an equiped laboratory. So if things are not done the right way, we are going nowhere.
“On admission racketeering, people that are qualified to have admission are not giving admission but people that can pay are given admission, all these are problems. My HOD mentioned something about all these miracle centres when you see student that get admission to 100 level and they cannot read neither can they write their names then you wonder how they passed WAEC, same thing that we wrote.
“So all these things cannot make us go forward as a country until we actually take analystic approach in ensuring that we do what is right to have a better Nigeria especially on educational sector.
“There are many issues concerning the strike from the University and polytechnic, they (ASUP) just finished two weeks strike now and one of those issues that was addressed was the payment of arrears and minimum wage.
“What the lecturers are actually clamouring for is to have a condusive environment for learning, where students can learn and where internet is enabled for every students even at low cost. The world is a global village, the children don’t have tab even if they have phones they don’t have access to the internet and we cannot learn something that is only in Nigeria. We have to go to other climes to learn something, so the refertilization of the educational sector is what those stakeholders in the educational sector are clamouring for and the government seems not to be serious with it.
“It is unfortunate that most of their wars don’t come to public schools like this, if so they would probably have seen the effect and taken step in addressing the issue. And we hope like normal Nigerian that things will be better, we hope (Laughs).” Okoji said.
In addition, Jimoh Olorede, a lecturer and co-supervisor of the campaign said corruption in the section is both endemic and systemic.
“You know in Nigeria, corruption is both endemic and systemic, what we want to achieve like this is actually to start telling the tied from corruption to education. When we say corruption is endemic and systemic that doesn’t mean it affect only a segment, we have variant of corruption in Nigeria so we want to fight it at the level of education.
“We say communication is ubiquitous that is, its everywhere, corruption in Nigeria is equally ubiquitous is everywhere, among the youth, ederly, our leaders, so corruption is everywhere. Our youth usually dominate the population of the country and we have the youth in education so we want to start re- orientation from our end here, especially at the Federal polytechnic offa.
“We have been having this series campaigns, we actually want to change the value system, value orientation of our students and ourselves. Corruption is not peculiar to a variant of the population, it affect everybody, every step of our system so it is high time everybody stood up and fought corruption.
“It is something that ought to have been fought so it’s high time we started fighting it, we have to stop it because it’s affecting the development of the country, is making the poor poorer, the rich richer and as long as the poor remain poorer and the rich get richer then that thing should be problem.
“God forbids Bad thing in this nation where there will be youth revolt, see what happened during the last ENDSARS protest? The youths were so enraged, they were so aggrieved to the extent that they attacked the governor of Osun State (Gboyega Oyetola)”, Olorede said.
As crude oil futures fell in response to the US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend another planned military strike on Iran, he has insisted that oil companies should lower prices pronto.
Trump issued the directive on Monday, according to a post on his Truth Social platform, that oil producers reduce selling prices. “Get your consumer (retail) oil prices DOWN, NOW!” Trump wrote.
According to Oilprice.com, crude prices dropped to $83.62 on Monday. They had earlier jumped to $100 at the height of the renewed crisis between Iran and the United States.
On Monday, Trump called out Chevron Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth after the executive appeared on television discussing the company’s business.
He accused Wirth of failing to acknowledge the administration’s role in restoring Chevron’s position in Venezuela.
“They threw Mike and Chevron out of Venezuela, but now they’re back, far bigger and stronger than ever before, expecting to make a fortune,” Trump pointed out.
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Oilprice.com reported that Chevron resumed operations in Venezuela after the Trump administration reopened access to the country’s oil sector and placed exports under US control.
American refiners have since become some of the largest buyers of Venezuelan crude, restoring a market that had largely disappeared under previous sanctions.
In the United States, the national average price of regular petrol reportedly stood at about $3.29 per gallon on Monday, according to AAA, down only modestly from last week’s highs despite crude prices falling by more than six per cent in a single session.
Retail petrol prices typically lag movements in oil markets because filling stations continue to sell inventories purchased at earlier wholesale prices.
Trump’s latest demand followed two earlier interventions on petrol prices. In June, he called on the Justice Department to investigate petrol prices after crude oil retreated from earlier highs.
Days later, he urged fuel retailers to lower pump prices towards $2.50 per gallon, warning companies that failed to respond would face “big problems”.
West Texas Intermediate crude fell by more than six per cent on Monday, while Brent crude lost more than five per cent after Trump announced a new round of negotiations with Iran and cancelled what he described as a planned “massive” military strike.
Retail petrol prices generally adjust more slowly because refiners, wholesalers and retailers continue selling fuel purchased when crude prices were higher.
Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Valero Energy and Marathon Petroleum all reported sharply higher second-quarter profits last week as the Iran conflict lifted crude prices and refining margins.
Trump’s latest demand comes as those higher earnings coincide with falling oil prices, with his administration pushing the industry to pass lower crude costs on to consumers.
In Nigeria, petrol prices range between N1,250 and N1,300 per litre, depending on the location. They stood at about N830 per litre before the US-Iran crisis began on February 28.
The Nigeria Police Force has summoned Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Moshood Jimoh for questioning and invited social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over allegations made against the senior police officer.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, who said the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, had formally invited AIG Jimoh as part of an internal investigation.
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According to the statement, the FCID also issued a letter of invitation to VeryDarkMan on July 30, 2026, requesting him to appear before the department and substantiate the claims he made publicly.
The Police said the actions underscore the Force’s commitment to accountability and transparency, stressing that every credible allegation of misconduct would be investigated regardless of the rank of the officer involved or the status of the complainant.
The statement followed recent public comments by VeryDarkMan concerning the AIG in charge of Zone 2, Lagos, and an ongoing criminal matter.
The Force, however, clarified that the criminal case referenced by the activist had already been investigated and filed before a court of competent jurisdiction based on legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Describing the matter as sub judice, the Police maintained that the case would not be determined through media campaigns or public commentary.
“The Force will not try this case in the media, nor will it allow its outcome to be shaped by public campaigns or commentary seeking to prejudge the officers or parties involved,” the statement read.
The Police reaffirmed that its disciplinary procedures are guided by the Constitution, the Police Act 2020, Police Regulations, Force Orders and other established administrative processes, adding that the rules apply equally to all officers irrespective of rank.
While recognising citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of expression and to demand accountability from public institutions, the Force cautioned that such rights do not extend to defamation or the publication of unverified allegations.
It urged VeryDarkMan to honour the invitation by the Force CID and cooperate with investigators while allowing the courts to determine the separate criminal matter already before them.
The Police further assured Nigerians that any officer found culpable after investigation would face appropriate sanctions, while individuals found to have deliberately made false allegations aimed at damaging the reputation of an officer or the institution could also face legal action.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains an institution founded on law, discipline and accountability. No officer is above the law, and no genuine complaint is ignored; nor will any officer be sanctioned outside the procedures the law prescribes,” the statement added.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its planned nationwide strike following a high-level meeting with the Federal Government at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The breakthrough came after a three-hour meeting convened by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and attended by key government officials, including the Ministers of Labour and Employment, Health and Social Welfare, Finance, as well as senior officials from the Budget Office, the Office of the Accountant-General, and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
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Speaking to journalists after the meeting, NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, said the discussions resulted in firm commitments from the Federal Government to address the association’s longstanding grievances.
“Today, I can tell you, our matters are solved,” Suleiman declared.
He explained that both parties agreed on clear timelines for resolving outstanding salary, promotion and allowance issues that had prompted the association to threaten industrial action.
According to him, the government also committed to implementing agreed measures on meal allowances at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) within a week.
On the issue of delayed salaries for house officers, Suleiman disclosed that the Presidency had issued a standing directive to ensure prompt payment.
“In fact, he has given a standing order that before the 10th of every month, salaries of house officers must be paid,” he said.
The NARD president also revealed that the Federal Government had directed the Ministries of Labour and Health to fast-track negotiations on the Collective Bargaining Agreement so that any agreed terms can be reflected in the 2027 budget.
Beyond welfare concerns, the meeting also addressed the growing incidents of violence against healthcare workers. Suleiman disclosed that 31 doctors and more than 20 other health workers had been assaulted in the past 10 months.
To tackle the trend, he said the Ministry of Health would strengthen security in hospitals and launch public awareness campaigns against attacks on health personnel.
He further disclosed that the Chief of Staff had pledged to champion legislation that would classify assaults on health workers as an aggravated offence.
“The Chief of Staff has taken it upon himself to introduce legislation so that the National Assembly can come in with something that will make assault on health workers an aggravated offence. We are very glad with that. We think it will send the right signal that health workers should not be assaulted,” Suleiman said.
Addressing the long-running dispute over unpaid hazard and specialist allowances, Suleiman explained that although the Federal Government corrected payment shortfalls in February 2026, a 19-month backlog dating back to July 2024 remains unresolved.
Despite expressing confidence in the outcome of the meeting, Suleiman said the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) would take the final decision on formally calling off the planned strike.
“I have National Executive Council members. I will have a conversation. I have to report all of this back. We sit down. We take a decision.
“The point is, the person that called us for this conversation has never failed resident doctors. That is what I am emphasising.”
NARD had earlier threatened to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike from August 10 if the Federal Government failed to address outstanding salary arrears, welfare concerns and other unresolved issues affecting its members.
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