NEWS
Tinubu’s Opaque Academic Records Dominate Public Discourse
… Civil Rights Group Threaten Legal Action Against IGP
By Edozie Obasi-Eze
Well-meaning Nigerians are decrying the charade and connivance of the political elite against the law and with the law to defraud the electorate.
The media space, particularly digital and social, found itself inundated lately with observations, including eye witness and personal accounts of alleged perjury by one of the contenders to the office of the president of Nigeria.
Recall that Bola Ahmed Tunubu beat other contenders to the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 presidential elections, recently.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of legal requirements made public the documentation submitted to it by those running for electoral positions.
This availed the public of what now appears like the startling revelation that the former governor of Lagos State, was ‘mute’, albeit in writing, under oath on the primary and secondary schools he attended.
This left those who claim to know wondering aloud how such could be.
A Twitter user, Femi Aribisala, took to his verified Twitter handle @femiaribisala to vent his frustration at the flagrant disregard for the laws of the land by Tinubu.
He twitted that Tinubu was guilty of perjury because his present claims vary from details of an earlier affidavit he submitted to INEC.
Key on the Aribisala’s observation includes Tinubu’s claim under oath that he attended the Government College Ibadan (GCI) from 1965-1968. Probably in a veiled acceptance that he erred, Tinubu opted to expunge this from his personal documentation to INEC this time around.
However, Aribisala in calling this out, maintained that he was a student of the GCI between 1962-1968 but never noticed Tinubu’s presence there. “I was in GCI from 1962-1968, and Tinubu was not there,” he twitted.
He further averred that after he called out this misdemeanor in 2014, Tinubu has opted to mute that aspect of his life with a claim that he attended neither primary nor secondary school but holds several university certificates.
Aribasala twitted, “I wrote in 2014 that Tinubu’s affidavit that he attended Government College Ibadan (GCI) between 1965 and 1968 is false.
“I was in GCI from 1962-1968, and Tinubu was not there.
“Tinubu now tells INEC he did not go to primary or secondary school.
“This means he committed perjury.”
The tweet, as at Sunday had witnessed 11.3k retweets, 585 quotes, and 24.5k likes.
Another Twitter user, Daniel Regha, @DanielRegha in responding to Aribisala’s tweet, averred that the APC presidential flag bearer was also guilty of forgery.
Regha tweeted thus, “Tinubu didn’t only commit perjury. It’s safe to say that he also committed forgery because there’s no way one can get admitted into the tertiary institution without completing secondary school.
“This is the man many deem credible to lead Nigeria into prosperity? We are our own problems.”
The matter has been prominent in the social media space since Friday and has seen segments of the public pitched against one another.
The contention saw several critics and analysts airing their views on the matter, while Tinubu’s loyalists were working hard to counter.
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In a veiled salvo on the matter, a journalist and public affairs analyst, Ikem Okuhu took to his social media page to point out that great men don’t fall from the sky.
He listed the names of his teachers in primary school, through the six classes and stated “I didn’t fall from the skies.”
In a more direct position, though, Okuhu averred in his Facebook page that he could recall over 20 of his primary school mates, over 30 of his secondary school mates, while his course mates at the university remain like family, fresh in memory.
He wrote, “I can mention at least 20 people that started primary school with me. If I think well, I can mention 30 or more of them with relative ease.
“Those I attended secondary school with are even easier. We are in the same WhatsApp group of which I am the admin.
“Those who were with me in the Mass Communication Department of the University of Nigeria (UNN) are of more recent memory. I also administer our WhatsApp group.
“I didn’t drop from the skies.”
While the issue continues to engage the attention of the media and public affairs analysts, some political gladiators are poised to test the efficacy of the judiciary in solving what a segment of the public describes as the mystery of Tinubu’s academic background.
The Centre for Reforms and Public Advocacy (CPRA) has made clear its intention to test the matter at the law courts. The Legal Adviser of the CRPA and human rights lawyer, Agu Kalu, divulged the position at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday.
The CRPA has given the Inspector-General of Police, Baba Usman, a 48-hour ultimatum to arrest and initiate criminal prosecution against Tinubu for allegedly supplying false academic qualifications to secure the nomination.
According to the group, should the IG fail to comply, they will approach a court of competent jurisdiction for an order of mandamus to compel him to effect the arrest of the APC flag bearer at the end of the ultimatum.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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