The United States embassy in Nigeria on Tuesday circulated a report highlighting how state governors are spending billions on constructing or refurbishing government residences despite the country’s ongoing economic challenges.

The article, titled ‘Nigeria’s ruling class splashes billions on government houses,’ was published by The Africa Report.

According to the report, while President Bola Tinubu urges citizens to withstand the economic strain resulting from his reforms, the same level of sacrifice is not observed among state governors.

“While Nigerians are tightening their belts, the same cannot be said of the ruling class,” the report stated.

It pointed out that the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, approved N63.4bn to renovate the Government House, citing the current structure as “an embarrassment and an unbefitting facility.”

In Gombe, one of the nation’s poorest states, Governor Inuwa Yahaya allocated N14.9bn for a new ultra-modern residence, along with another N14.23bn being used to construct a new House of Assembly complex.

On its X account, the US embassy shared a link to the article, accompanied by remarks from transparency advocacy organisations.

“Such alleged lack of fiscal responsibility fuels inequality and erodes public trust,” the embassy posted.

See post HERE

Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, has stated that the federal government is fully committed to putting an end to persistent strikes within the country’s higher education sector.

During an appearance on Politics Today, a programme aired by Channels Television on Tuesday, Alausa revealed that President Bola Tinubu has issued a clear directive to prevent strike actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in tertiary institutions nationwide.

His remarks followed the decision of the ASUU chapter at Yobe State University to suspend its strike, which had started on July 11.

According to the education minister, previous governments frequently failed to honor agreements made with union representatives, even after seemingly productive discussions.

“This is what the president has mandated us to do. The president has directed that never again in this country will ASUU, or tertiary institution trade unions, go on strike,” he said.

“Because promises alone are not enough, there has to be a lot of relationship-building with ASUU, NASU, SSANU, COEASU — everybody.

“Beyond that, the government must demonstrate goodwill by meeting its obligations to these unions. That is what has been lacking in past governments.

“They would sit with the unions, agree on terms, and then ask, ‘Tell us when you’re going to implement this.’ But over the years, government would simply renege on those agreements.

“That is not what we are doing now. We are engaging them actively. All the presidents of the unions — most of them — can call me directly.

“They have my number, and I have theirs. We are constantly communicating. Even when people spread fake news about ASUU going on strike, which they never intended, we clarify immediately. We have not met all their requests yet, but we are working assiduously to fulfil them.”

Alausa also mentioned that lecturers are being paid regularly, clarifying that the delays being experienced are due to their transition to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) after leaving the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

“We’re paying salaries. We’re paying salaries regularly. What just happened is that after the tertiary institutions went off IPPIS, which was very restrictive to them, the president graciously agreed to that. They are now on GIFMIS so that they have better control of their funds,” he said.

“The way government pays salaries, they start from the 25th of the month. They pay people on IPPIS as first-line priority.

“And that’s why what happened in the last six months is — where I’m not happy about it — they’ve been paid around the 8th or 9th of the following month.”

Babatunde Fashola, the former Lagos State governor and ex-Minister of Works, has emphasized the need to safeguard the history of Lagos to prevent misrepresentation and uphold societal values, especially amid ongoing debates about the naming of streets in the state.

Fashola made this call on Tuesday during the official launch of “Discover Lagos State: A History Puzzle Book (Volume 1)” held at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.

At the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Deputy Governor Dr Obafemi Hamzat, also stressed the need to document the state’s history. He commended the Lagos State Records and Archive Bureau for introducing the book at the right time.

Fashola referred to historical documents in the digital archives of the University of Glasgow, pointing out that the university’s faculty and students had contributed to the historical development of other nations, including through landmark references.

He said, “The archival heritage is a valuable testimony to the sociopolitical and economic development of humanity.

“For instance, the Glasgow University archives service gives fascinating insights into the influence that the university, its staff and students have had in the history and development of many countries, including Nigeria,” he said.

He further explained that records provide details about the first group of Nigerian students at the University of Glasgow, one of whom was Dr Issac Ladipo Oluwole, who enrolled in 1913 and graduated in 1918.

Quoting from the archives, Fashola noted, “Dr Ladipo Oluwole returned to Nigeria to become the first African medical officer of health in the Lagos colony.

“He pioneered school health services, with school inspection and vaccination of children in their schools, and started the first Nigerian school of hygiene at Yaba in Lagos in 1920. So that’s the Ladipo Oluwole. But the records were kept well in Glasgow, Scotland.

“So those of us who drive through streets such as Ladipo Oluwole Street in Ikeja will probably now understand and contextualise the contributions of such a man and why it was considered such a high honour to immortalise him by naming a street in his memory.

“But it is perhaps instructive that we are discussing street naming and street unnaming and I keep my gunpowder dry,” he added.

Fashola continued, “Today I reiterate those words about street naming and Dr Oluwole and with a greater conviction to reinforce my message that the preservation of our history and the documentation of our progress should be taken seriously.”

He pointed out that LASRAB’s mission extends beyond publishing educational materials and is aimed at establishing a reliable and complete archive of Lagos State’s heritage.

He added, “To make this a reality, LASRAB must be adequately resourced. Mr Governor, LASRAB must be well-funded.”

Hamzat, in his remarks, expressed pleasure at the release of the history puzzle book, describing it as a creative blend of education, innovation, and cultural retention.

He said, “This project is an innovative learning tool designed to stimulate young minds, especially.

“It will also promote curiosity, deepen our pride as Lagosians and our collective understanding of the history and heritage of our dear state.”

Hamzat praised Fashola, recalling that his administration initiated the establishment of LASRAB.

He said, “I recall very clearly that he wrote an executive order directing that all documentation, when we build schools, when we build bridges and anything, we just have five copies, one in the Ministry of Science and Technology and one in LASRAB, and all over.

“This foundational act was not merely administrative. It was an intentional effort to institutionalise, preserve, document, and disseminate Lagos’s narrative for posterity.”

He further stated, “It is important that we don’t only understand ourselves, but we must understand our history so we don’t lose ourselves.

“This book is a creative method of crafting historical consciousness that informs while it also entertains. That way, we don’t distort our history and we don’t misunderstand our being.”