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Release your academic records to public or risk lawsuit – Group tells Atiku, Obi

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2 years ago

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Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi

Release your academic records to public or risk lawsuit – Group tells Atiku, Obi

On Thursday, a group under the aegis of Beta Naija urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to end his “chase of shadows” over President Bola Tinubu’s transcript and academic records from Chicago State University (CSU).

The group, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Mustafa Ahmed Tijani, and Director General, Etinosa Igiebor, argued that the political terrain has been overtaken by the former Vice President’s needless and ultimately fruitless drama in his attempt to “turn facts on their heads and seemingly empty the Atlantic Ocean with a spoon.”

The statement partly reads;

We expect him (Atiku) to busy himself with how to prove that he won the February Presidential Election at the Supreme Court, rather than this fishing expedition he is currently on. Instead of proving that he won the election, he is busy spending his fraudulently earned dollars on expensive lawyers to prove a matter that is not in doubt at all.

It is laughable that people with questionable track records both in public service and private practice are on the chase of President Tinubu, whose academic, administrative prowess, and leadership capacity have been proven both locally and internationally.

Just so we are clear, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not seeking admission into Atiku Abubakar’s privately-owned university, which only came into existence after his time in office as Vice President. So, one wonders what he intends to do with the President’s transcript and certificate at this time. In any case, should Atiku Abubakar be in a generous mood, he may want to extend a free admission offer to members of his own party, as he only needs to look to Osun State to find a worthy beneficiary of such unsolicited generosity.

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However, we are glad that the matter has been laid to rest as Caleb Westberg, the University Registrar at CSU, said in a deposition and under oath, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a graduate of CSU and was issued a certificate after graduating from the school with honours.

His words, I see that he said the same person he (Atiku Abubakar) ran against is now the President of Nigeria, the Bola Tinubu who attended Southwest College and took accounting courses. The Bola Tinubu who attended CSU also took accounting courses. I see the address indicated for Bola Tinubu. It’s not far from CSU (campus).

I looked at the whole record in making the determination that the Bola Tinubu who is the president of Nigeria today is the same person who attended CSU. The entries’1952’ and ‘1954’ could have been made in error. The person who attended Southwest College is the person who attended CSU. The courses taken by Bola Tinubu at Southwest and CSU are consistent.

Right after the entry ‘F’, the social security number (SSN) entered indicated in the Southwest transcript is the same as the one that was indicated in CSU records. That is one of the indicia that we use to identify students. A social security number is a unique identifier.”

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Now that the matter is rested and dollars have been put to shame, we must leave them to their flight of fantasy and return to reality. Nigeria dearly needs governing and it is only right that we allow the man Nigerians willingly gave the mandate to lead to do just that. While the President has not been distracted in the least and has even been doing wonders in the assignment Nigerians gave to him, we must do our best to not add to his already arduous job.

Meanwhile, we are concerned about how Atiku Abubakar, who claims he attended the Royal School of Hygiene in Kano, ended up as a Master’s Degree holder. We are also at a loss as to why Peter Obi, who claims to have graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is unwilling to parade said transcript and academic records…

Let it be on record that we have before now written privately to both the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi, to release their academic credentials to the public and there was no response from either party. We are hereby issuing another public call with a Seven (7) day ultimatum for compliance.

Failure to do so will see us asking our lawyers, who are waiting in the wings, to institute a case against them in a court of competent jurisdiction to demand the release of the academic records of both the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.

The case before the Supreme Court is a logical one and not an emotional affair. If they want to win, they must prove beyond every reasonable doubt. Anything aside logic will amount to a waste of time.

We urge Nigerians to continue their support for the President’s administration. We are mindful of the current challenges, and we are quite hopeful that the tide will change, and the country will blossom again.

Release your academic records to public or risk lawsuit – Group tells Atiku, Obi

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NIS expands contactless passport renewal to United States, others

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12 hours ago

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April 14, 2025

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NIS expands contactless passport renewal to United States, others

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced the expansion of its Contactless Biometric Passport Application System to several countries in the Americas.

In a recent statement by ACI AS Akinlabi, Service Public Relations Officer at NIS Headquarters in Abuja, confirmed that the service under Comptroller General Kemi Nandap is rolling out the next stage of implementation across Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and Jamaica this month.

The contactless system, which enables Nigerians living abroad to renew their travel document without physically visiting passport offices for biometric enrollment, went live in the United States on April 11. Mexico, Brazil and Jamaica are scheduled to gain access on April 14.

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“This expansion represents our commitment to innovative and efficient service delivery to Nigerians anywhere in the world,” said ACI AS Akinlabi, Service Public Relations Officer at NIS Headquarters in Abuja.

The application system is currently available on the Google Play Store as “NIS Mobile” and allows passport renewal without in-person biometric enrollment. An iOS version for Apple devices is under development and will be released soon, alongside an enhanced version of the Android app to improve user experience and accessibility.

The NIS further confirmed that the Contactless Passport App is now operational in Canada, the USA, Mexico, Jamaica, Brazil, Europe, and Asia. Australia and Nigeria itself remain pending, with implementation dates to be announced in the future.

 

NIS expands contactless passport renewal to United States, others

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Tariff: NACCIMA warns against economic instability, job losses

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12 hours ago

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April 14, 2025

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President of NACCIMA, Dele Oye

Tariff: NACCIMA warns against economic instability, job losses

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has expressed fear that unless the Federal Government takes deliberate steps to increase Nigeria’s non-export earnings, the current global tariff war may lead to job losses, low foreign exchange inflow, and economic instability.

This was the position of the President of NACCIMA, Dele Oye, as the chairman at the Vanguard Economic Discourse 2025 with the theme, “Nigeria’s Economic Outlook 2025: Hardship and Pathways to Sustainable Recovery”, held last week in Lagos.

Among other things, Oye who is also the Chairman of the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN), emphasized the need for a viable and affordable homegrown democracy.

His words: “In this pivotal moment, we must recognize and confront the significant challenges before us—challenges that have been magnified by the advent of America’s “America First” policy.

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“This paradigm shift in global trade, driven by protectionism and tariffs, presents a unique and formidable array of obstacles for developing nations such as ours.

“The world we once knew, one characterized by cooperative, rules-based trading systems under the World Trade Organization, has given way to an environment fraught with uncertainty. This transformation not only disrupts global markets and supply chains but poses an acute threat to our competitive standing in international trade.

“The recent implementation of a 14% tariff on Nigerian exports to the United States directly jeopardizes what has historically been a critical market for our key goods, including crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and agricultural products. “The ripple effects of reduced demand could precipitate job losses, economic instability, and a decline in vital foreign exchange inflows, particularly for our non-oil sectors”.

“Indeed, the ramifications of current U.S. policies go beyond tariffs. We are witnessing a significant decrease in funding for initiatives that empower Africa’s burgeoning start-ups. The $51 million cut from the United States Development Fund, which affects countries like Nigeria and Kenya, exemplifies the broader challenges we face. The grants previously allotted to our SMEs are critical for nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship within our local economies”.

In the face of these challenges, Oye said Nigeria must act decisively and strategically to reshape its economic destiny where adversity can give rise to opportunity.

He added, “We need a political structure that can withstand external pressures and remain resilient in the face of global shifts.”

 

Tariff: NACCIMA warns against economic instability, job losses

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Tinubu: Presidency reacts to US court order, says president not investigated by CIA

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13 hours ago

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April 14, 2025

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu: Presidency reacts to US court order, says president not investigated by CIA

A United States District Court in Columbia has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, to release records relating to the criminal investigation of President Bola Tinubu over alleged drug trafficking.

Judge Beryl Howell, in a ruling dated April 8, which can be found on the court’s website, directed both agencies to search for and process non-exempt records tied to Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, requests filed by American researcher Aaron Greenspan.

But the Presidency in a swift reaction, said the US court didn’t indict the President, adding that he was not also investigated by the Criminal Investigation Agency, CIA.

Greenspan, founder of legal transparency platform, PlainSite, had submitted 12 FOIA requests between 2022 and 2023, seeking information on a Chicago drug ring that operated in the early 1990s.

His request included records on Tinubu and three others, including Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande and Abiodun Agbele.

The FBI and DEA had previously issued “Glomar responses”—a refusal to confirm or deny the existence of requested records—but the court ruled that such responses were improper in this case.

The FBI and DEA have now been ordered to conduct a search and release non-exempt materials, while the parties are to report back to the court on the case’s status by May 2, 2025.

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The judgment read:  “The FBI and DEA have both officially confirmed investigations of Tinubu relating to the drug trafficking ring.

“Any privacy interests implicated by the FOIA requests to the FBI and DEA for records about Tinubu are overcome by the public interest in release of such information.

“Since the FBI and DEA have provided no information to establish that a cognizable privacy interest exists in keeping secret the fact that Tinubu was a subject of criminal investigation.

“They have failed to meet their burden to sustain their Glomar responses and provide an additional reason why these responses must be lifted.”

The court upheld the CIA’s Glomar response after Greenspan conceded that the agency had acknowledged the existence of responsive records.

The judge ruled, “For the reasons discussed above, plaintiff is entitled to summary judgment as to each of the four Glomar responses asserted by defendants FBI and DEA, while defendant CIA is entitled to summary judgment, since its Glomar response was properly asserted.

“Accordingly, the FBI and DEA must search for and process non-exempt records responsive to the FOIA requests directed to these agencies.

“The CIA, meanwhile, is entitled to judgment in its favour in this case. The remaining parties are directed to file jointly, by May 2, 2025, a report on the status of any outstanding issues in this case, as described in the accompanying order.”

US Court didn’t indict Tinubu — Presidency

Reacting to this yesterday, the Presidency said the reports did not indict President Bola Tinubu.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told Vanguard that there was nothing new that was revealed in the said reports.

He said the reports had been in the public space for more than 30 years, noting that President Tinubu was not investigated by the CIA.

He said: “There is nothing new to be revealed. The report by Agent Moss of the FBI and the DEA report have been in the public space for more than 30 years. The reports did not indict the Nigerian leader.  And he was not investigated by the CIA.”

Tinubu: Presidency reacts to US court order, says president not investigated by CIA

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