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One of Buhari’s advocates for Change, Dele Momodu makes U-turn
*Flays Buhari government’s Fixation with Jonathan
An adept advocate of President Muhammad Buhari, Ovation publisher and columnist, Mr. Dele Momodu [above with Buhari] has taken a swipe on the Buhari government over the incessant attack on the immediate past administration led by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
He urged Buhari to build upon the concrete legacies of the past administration instead of the endless blame-game and name-calling currently ravaging the nation.
Mr. Dele Momodu, made this statement in his article in his column, Pendulum, published in THISDAY Newspapers of this Saturday, titled: “End the blame game now.”
According to him, “Buhari government is already getting paranoid and almost as neurotic as the Jonathan regime.
Their reaction to every criticism suggests an unnecessary agitation.
They are blaming real and imaginary enemies for the gale of attacks on the economic policies of the current government.
I find this very reprehensible.”
He added: “If truth must be told, our economic team is floundering at the moment.
“They appear rudderless and totally confused.
“Did they expect anyone to praise them when the Naira is spinning and nose-diving at a dizzying pace like a rollercoaster gone berserk?
“Nigerians sent President Goodluck Jonathan packing because they believed he was incompetent and the APC and its candidate (Buhari) assured they had the solutions to the problems and the magic wand to the economic and spiritual hopelessness of the time.
“No one should blame them if they are grumbling that this was not the change they voted for.”
Read the whole article below:
TIME TO END THE BLAME GAME | Pendulum by Dele Momodu
Fellow Nigerians, let us start today’s epistle with a real life story. Some years ago, a woman named Dr Kema Chikwe was appointed Minister of Aviation. Her mandate was to bring sanity to our insane airports across the country. It was as if we were a jinxed nation and nothing good could ever come out of our rudderless system. Dr Chikwe set out on her mission like Henry the Navigator. She mapped out her strategy meticulously and elaborately. Our airports were as hot as hell. All efforts to tranquilise the place and make it habitable for passengers proved abortive but Dr Chikwe was determined to succeed where others had failed miserably and woefully.
At the beginning of her voyage, Dr Chikwe was supposedly rattled by a negative story that was aired on a British television describing the Lagos airport as one of the worst in the world. The problem wasn’t just about its aesthetic ugliness, the airport was totally invaded and ravaged by port rats who specialised in pilfering peoples bags thus depriving them of their valuables. The Nigeria High Commission in Great Britain felt sufficiently scandalised and terribly angered by the negative but factual story. A message was promptly despatched to Dr Chikwe in Abuja requesting her to respond and deny what was considered a vicious attack on Nigeria.
As cool as cucumber, Dr Chikwe thanked the then High Commissioner and said there was no reason to respond to the annoying story. “Did the television channel tell any lie about our airport? The answer is no. Our best response is to upgrade the airport and even our worst enemies would have nothing negative to talk about…”
The Buhari administration has some great lesson to learn from the above episode. The lizard cannot enter a wall that has no cracks. Your enemies must talk and run you down but your best response is to stay focused and successful. In pursuing the anti-corruption war in particular, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to step on some fat and powerful toes. Such people would never wish the government well no matter its efforts. I would have been more surprised if everyone loves a tough and no-nonsense man like Buhari.
It seems to me that some operatives of the Buhari government are already getting paranoid and almost as neurotic as the Jonathan regime. Their reaction to every criticism suggests an unnecessary agitation. They are blaming real and imaginary enemies for the gale of attacks on the economic policies of the current government. I find this very reprehensible. If truth must be told our economic team is floundering at the moment. They appear rudderless and totally confused. Did they expect anyone to praise them when the Naira is spinning and nose-diving at a dizzying pace like a rollercoaster gone berserk?
Nigerians sent President Goodluck Jonathan packing because they believed he was incompetent and the APC and its candidate assured they had the solutions to the problems and the magic wand to the economic and spiritual hopelessness of the time. No one should blame them if they are grumbling that this was not the change they voted for. The least we can do is to continue to pacify them while we continue to work harder at turning things around for good and for the better. No one is going to listen to the endless sermon that PDP or Jonathan caused these gigantic problems for us. That is stale news. Jonathan is gone with the winds and it is for the new government to demonstrate its expertise and that should not be too difficult. The confidence Nigerians have reposed in this government is so humongous that the expectations should be naturally high.
The biggest albatross of the Buhari government right now is the comatose economy. Buhari must borrow a leaf from medical science. A patient in coma is usually referred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Sometimes, near fatal ailments often require induced coma if the imminent fatality is not to become reality. Nigeria must pick an option before it is too late. This fact is corroborated by the alarm raised by Professor Wole Soyinka who said Nigeria’s needs an urgent economic conference to arrest the present explosive drift. For me, another conference is not the solution. Nigerians are tired of the endless confabs with attendant communique that end up in the dustbin of history unimplemented. What is urgently required is a practical team that will proffer practical solutions that are practical to be executed
When I raised hell about the scandalous budget last week, I was impressed when President Buhari responded by admitting that something terrible had happened and acted swiftly to fire a scapegoat. We need more than a scapegoat being fired though. We must also fix the mess which includes firing others who are found complicit in the scandal. It is the same way I can’t feel any sense of urgency or desperation on the part of our economic experts in the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank. It seems obvious that there is a kind of lackadaisical attitude on their parts while the Naira is busy dancing kpalongo on the parallel market. May be the time has come for the President to wield the big stick in the finance circuit. What is going on is too disgraceful and unthinkable. If something is not done urgently, the consequences may be too grave for our country.
Instead of wasting so much time on trading blames, we can build on where Jonathan left off. Buhari needs to energise his team. They are looking weak and timid. I think most, if not all of them, are too scared to take risks and use their initiative. This is sad. No matter what you may say about Jonathan, his ministers were bubbly and vibrant. They enjoyed some modicum of freedom that fired their imagination and temperament. The President needs to encourage his men and women to loosen up or nothing tangible would be achieved soon. Everyone seems to be watching and studying the body language of the President and there are always conflicting signals. This lackluster existence is always palpable whenever I see the pictures coming out of the Federal Executive Council meetings. The cabinet looks forlorn and haplessly dull. I’m not able to see a team at home with itself. Only the President can release his team from this self-manacled cage.
I wrote last week that the nation is tension-soaked. I wish to reiterate that an atmosphere of fear is not conducive for good business. There is too much hullabaloo at the moment about fighting corruption that may be counter-productive in the long run. The government should fight the war more in the law courts and less in the public theatre creating mere sensation without much legal substance. Issuing threats on daily basis on the next agency to be probed is promoting hysteria in the land. As I already noted, the priority should be how to repatriate most of the looted funds. Nigeria needs every penny it can retrieve right now. This can be done with less noise and better efficiency and alacrity.
The focus should now also be on rebuilding our roads. I travelled from Ibadan to Lagos yesterday after flying from Abuja and could not help but imagine that we belong in the prehistoric age. Even at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, power outages were abysmally constant. We are waiting for the trains to run beautifully and efficiently. We want quality education for the Nigerian kids. We want Nigerians to live much older through efficient Medicare. We want jobs and employment opportunities for our youths. We are tired of lamenting like Jeremiah. I have no doubt that it can be done but this government needs to free itself and begin to fly. Mistakes would be made and corrected along the way. Such is life. The fear of failure is far worse than failure itself.
It is time to fly more at home because time is man’s worst enemy.
Dele Momodu
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The Trump administration has announced a sweeping review of more than 55 million foreigners holding US visas, aiming to identify potential violations that could trigger visa revocation or deportation.
In a statement to The Associated Press, the State Department confirmed that all visa holders are now subject to “continuous vetting.”
Officials will examine any indicators of ineligibility, including overstaying authorised periods, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engagement in terrorism, or support for terrorist organisations.
If authorities find evidence of such violations, they will revoke the visa, and individuals already in the US could face immediate deportation.
Officials stressed that the review targets both individuals residing in the United States and those holding multiple-entry visas abroad.
Since assuming office, President Donald Trump has prioritized strict immigration enforcement, targeting not only undocumented migrants but also holders of student and visitor exchange visas.
The current vetting process extends far beyond prior reviews, potentially affecting individuals who initially received approval to stay in the US.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, last year the US had 12.8 million green-card holders and 3.6 million people on temporary visas.
Immigration policy expert Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute noted that the 55 million figure likely includes individuals living abroad with tourist or business visas. She questioned whether allocating resources to review people unlikely to return justifies the scale of the initiative.
Alongside the review, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that the US will immediately halt work visas for commercial truck drivers, citing safety risks and threats to American jobs.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio wrote.
The administration recently strengthened English proficiency requirements for foreign truckers following incidents where language barriers contributed to accidents. State Department officials confirmed they are pausing the processing of new work visas to reassess screening and vetting protocols.
“Ensuring that every driver meets the highest standards protects American workers and maintains a secure, resilient supply chain,” the department added.
Experts warn the broader implications of the review could ripple across the US economy. Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, explained that the administration’s policies aim to discourage companies, universities, and hospitals from employing foreign workers.
“The economic consequences will extend far beyond individual visas,” Alden said, emphasizing that employers risk compliance issues if they continue hiring foreign staff.
The review represents the most comprehensive enforcement action in recent US history and signals that the administration will aggressively monitor both legal and temporary visa holders to maintain national security and prioritize domestic employment.
The 2023 Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has warned Nigerians that the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is giving false hope about rescuing the country from underdevelopment.
“They are deceiving us,” Baba-Ahmed said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.
Baba-Ahmed, who ran alongside Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed his willingness to be Obi’s running mate in the 2027 presidential election.
Although Obi has shown interest in the 2027 race and is aligning with ADC coalition figures such as David Mark, Atiku Abubakar, Nasir el-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, Baba-Ahmed stressed that he wants Obi to remain in the Labour Party and contest as its presidential candidate.
“I’m in the Labour Party. I’m a Peter Obi man. I still want Peter Obi to come back to the Labour Party and contest the 2027 election,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
When asked about his plans for the 2027 race, Baba-Ahmed confirmed his readiness to serve as a running mate for like-minded leaders committed to restoring Nigeria.
“If Nigeria is still around and there is an electoral system to follow, my love for Nigeria is undying.
I would appropriately associate with groups and individuals aligned with restoring the nation,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also revealed two potential leaders he would consider deputising, with Peter Obi being his primary choice. “The first one has not said anything.
The second one is Peter Obi. I’m always with Peter Obi until he decides not to,” he added.
Nigeria has secured a $238 million loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to support the expansion and modernization of the national power grid.
The deal, confirmed during engagements at the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, reflects a strategic shift towards implementation-driven energy development.
President Bola Tinubu highlighted that Nigeria’s participation at TICAD9 focused on concrete, outcome-oriented partnerships rather than ceremonial diplomacy.
“We are moving from planning to implementation, from agreements to delivery, and from promises to measurable results,” he said.
Details of the JICA Loan Project
The $238 million loan, supported by a Federal Executive Council counterpart funding of ₦19,083,192,805.30, will finance significant upgrades to Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure.
Key components of the project include:
Construction of 102.95 km of new 330kV double-circuit lines
Construction of 104.59 km of 132kV double-circuit lines
Development of four 330/132/33kV substations and two 132/33kV substations
Multiple line bay extensions to improve efficiency and reduce system losses
According to Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the partnership with Japanese companies such as Toshiba, Hitachi, and Japan’s Transmission & Distribution Corporation is essential for unlocking Nigeria’s energy potential.
“Our focus is on transmission infrastructure, operational efficiency, and strategies to reduce system losses.
This $238 million loan from JICA provides the backbone for that transformation,” Adelabu explained.
Adelabu acknowledged Japan’s consistent support for Nigeria’s power sector, highlighting contributions in infrastructure, technical studies, training, and financing.
He emphasized that JICA’s backing is critical to expanding access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity across the country.
The project aims to strengthen Nigeria’s power transmission network, improve system reliability, and enhance overall efficiency, ultimately supporting industrial growth and meeting rising electricity demand nationwide.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has issued a fierce warning to Hamas, declaring that Gaza City will face complete destruction if the militant group refuses to accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war.
Katz, in a statement shared on social media on Friday, August 22, 2025, used sharp words to describe Israel’s next steps.
He said the “gates of hell” would open on Hamas if it failed to disarm and release all hostages.
“Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’s murderers and rapists in Gaza until they agree to Israel’s conditions,” Katz wrote.
He added that if Hamas refused, Gaza City would suffer the same fate as Rafah and Beit Hanoun, two cities previously flattened by Israeli offensives.
His comments mark one of Israel’s strongest warnings since the escalation of the conflict.
The minister’s remarks came only hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that negotiations had been ordered to free the hostages held in Gaza.
Netanyahu explained in a video address that Israel’s military operation in Gaza City would not stop during talks. “Defeating Hamas and releasing our hostages go hand in hand,” he said.
The prime minister also confirmed the mobilisation of 60,000 reservists to join the offensive.
Meanwhile, mediators have been waiting for Israel’s response to a ceasefire plan that Hamas accepted earlier in the week.
The proposal suggests a phased release of hostages, but Israel insists that only a deal ensuring the release of all captives at once will be accepted.
Israel’s hardened stance has sparked growing concern worldwide.
International leaders have cautioned that an expanded assault on Gaza City could worsen the humanitarian disaster already unfolding in the region.
Gaza’s health ministry says more than 62,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since Israel’s military campaign began.
The United Nations considers these figures credible.
The war was triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, which left 1,219 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians.
Since then, the conflict has intensified, with both sides showing little sign of compromise.
With Katz’s threat to turn Gaza City into rubble if demands are not met, the conflict appears to be entering an even deadlier stage.
The international community continues to press for a ceasefire, but Israel’s leadership insists that victory over Hamas and the release of all hostages remain its top priorities.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised alarm over the circulation of fake Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachets in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday, August 22, 2025, the agency explained that the counterfeit milk is packaged to look like the discontinued Cowbell “Our Milk,” but it is unauthorised and unsafe for consumption.
NAFDAC clarified that Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, the authentic manufacturer, stopped producing Cowbell “Our Milk” in September 2023.
The product was replaced with Cowbell “Our Creamy Goodness.” Despite this, fake versions of the old product have found their way into Nigerian markets.
Picture of Fake cowbell milk.
The counterfeit sachets bear the brand name, NAFDAC registration number, and familiar packaging design, making them difficult for unsuspecting buyers to identify as fake.
Health Dangers of Fake Cowbell Milk
NAFDAC warned that the consumption of these counterfeit products poses serious health risks.
Fake milk could contain toxic chemicals, harmful additives, or diluted ingredients that endanger human health.
Infants, children, pregnant women, and the elderly are the most vulnerable. Possible dangers include:
- Foodborne illnesses
- Allergic reactions
- Organ damage
- Long-term health complications
- In extreme cases, death
Counterfeit Product Details
- Product Name: Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachet
- Purported Manufacturer: Promasidor Nigeria Ltd
- Production Date: 04/2025
- Expiry Date: 12/2028
Picture of original cowbell milk.
NAFDAC Issues Strong Warning
The agency urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and avoid purchasing the counterfeit milk.
Healthcare professionals, distributors, and consumers have been advised to report suspicious sales of substandard or fake products immediately.
Reports can be made through:
The nearest NAFDAC office
Toll-free line: 0800-162-3322
Email: sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng
NAFDAC also called on traders and retailers to stop selling the fake sachets.
The agency assured the public that strict enforcement measures are being taken to remove the counterfeit products from circulation.
This is not the first time Nigerians have faced risks from fake food and beverages.
Experts warn that counterfeit consumables are becoming more sophisticated, often making them difficult to spot.
Consumers are advised to always check product details, expiry dates, and packaging changes announced by manufacturers.
By highlighting the dangers and raising awareness, NAFDAC says it hopes to protect Nigerians from avoidable health crises linked to fake milk products
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