NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
Only Tinubu can lead us to Nigeria of our dreams – Wike 

Only Tinubu can lead us to Nigeria of our dreams – Wike 

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By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the country needs leaders like President Bola Tinubu to achieve the “Nigeria of our dreams”.

Wike said this in his 2025 Distinguish Personality Lecture, titled, “The Nigeria of our Dreams” presented at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on Thursday.

Wike pointed out that the greatest challenge confronting Nigeria and  militating against its development was the plague of bad leadership.

He agreed with Chinua Achebe, whose seminar, ‘The Trouble with Nigeria’, graphically captured the challenge, when he stated that ‘the trouble with Nigeria is fairly and squarely the absence of proper leadership’.

“This statement, damaging as it may appear, is extremely difficult to controvert.

“Our leaders have, in the main, emerged through self-serving conspiracies that have little or nothing to do with national interests and development.

“This has been the case in both military and civilian contexts,” he said.

He, however, said that Tinubu had stood out as the leader the people needed to drive Nigeria to progress and prosperity.

He explained that Nigeria needs a leader that was prepared to lead with sound character and resilience in the face of challenges.

He added that the leader must also be a person who believed in the infinite possibilities that the Nigerian nation exemplifies, while taking solid, proactive, logical and well-informed decisions that would maximally actualise her potential.

This leader, he said, must have the courage and audacity to act, build, innovate and generally expand the frontiers of development with a hands-on approach that would emphasise excellence over mediocrity.

He added that more importantly, the leader of Nigerians’ dream must create a society of free and responsible citizens whose potentials flowed freely and free enterprise thrived.

“Let me make bold at this juncture to state that today, in our country, we have such a leader in the person of Tinubu.

“He has shown in several ways and at different times, a stout commitment to the enthronement of democracy in our country, to the extent of even putting his own life on the line in the process.

“He has shown great capacity for engendering development as captured in the unprecedented rapid and exponential development of Lagos state under his watch and even beyond,” he added.

He also said that Tinubu had demonstrated a rare courage by removing fuel subsidy on his first day, upon being sworn in as President.

According to him, leaders before him all spoke about the evil of fuel subsidy, but none had the courage to dare the blackmail of removing it.

“Tinubu did and is fittingly grappling with the inevitable, unintended and sometimes orchestrated consequences of this removal.

“Today, our states have far more resources to develop, the debts are no longer piling and the price of petrol is gradually but steadily adjusting downwards in tandem with the forces of demand and supply and the strict implementation of regulatory conditionalities.

“Also, the overwhelming cry of over-centralisation of power and resources at the national level and the attendant abuse of the doctrine of federalism is being systematically addressed.

“This is being addressed through the creation of zonal/regional commissions empowered to devolve developmental impetus to the respective zones and regions, so that power can truly return to the people.”

On security, Wike said that the situation was being addressed through proper funding and the training and retraining of security forces.

The minister added that Tinubu’s approval for the recruitment of forest guards across the country to take charge of the nation’s forests, bandits and terrorists would no longer find incubation points and free territories to operate.

“Put simply, the era of banditry and terrorism will soon come to an end.

“These and many other policies and measures are being put together by Tinubu to reposition our country on the path of progress and development,” Wike said.

Earlier, Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun, described Wike as a straightforward politician, adding that his wealth of political experience and leadership style was exemplary.

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, the governor said that the minister’s infrastructural transformation in the FCT was visionary.

Also, the Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof. Adebayo Bamire, said that the theme of the lecture, ‘’Nigeria of our Dream” was timely and thought-provoking.

“At a critical juncture when our nation’s democratic journey, when the challenges of governance, civic trust, and equitable development are at the forefront of public discourse, this lecture offers a vital platform for reflection, engagement and forward thinking.

“It calls us to interrogate the structures that uphold democracy, the principles that guide responsible governance, citizenship and the strategies that can unlock Nigeria’s development potential,” he said.

The Royal Father of the Day, Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said he has deep respect for Wike because of his fearlessness.

He described the minister as an “upright politician” who “said things as they are.

“Hate him; like him – what will be will be.” (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Girl Child Day: Military officers’ wives inspire girls to pursue dreams

Girl Child Day: Military officers’ wives inspire girls to pursue dreams

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By Sumaila Ogbaje

The National Defence College Officers Wives Association (NDCOWA), on Friday sensitised the female students of NDC Day Secondary School Shafa, Abuja to the need to pursue their dreams in commemoration of International Day of Girl Child.

International Day of the Girl Child is an international observance day declared by the United Nations first celebrated on Oct. 11, 2012.

The observation supports more opportunity for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender.

The Coordinator of NDCOWA and Wife of the Commandant of NDC, Mrs Rhoda Olotu, said the programme was aimed at educating the girl children to pursue their dreams and careers, as well as encourage them.

According to her, gone are the days where girls are relegated to the kitchen, when women’s duty is only to have children.

“These days we have female pilots, military personnel, doctors, engineers, and in all spheres of life, and they are doing very well.

“As women, or as a girl child, when we are given tasks to carry out, we carry out our duties and responsibilities even more than the men, because we are multitasking.

“A woman can do ten things at the same time.

“A woman has ten hands, she doesn’t just have two hands but ten hands.

“So as a girl child, I am just here to encourage you to please pursue your dreams. If you want to be a doctor, do not allow anything hold you back,” she said.

Olotu urged the children to be focused by being obedient to the instructions of their parents and teachers while studying hard.

She also sensitised the girls to always clean up themselves to avoid body odour as well as maintain proper hygiene.

She used the event to educate the girls on the use of sanitary pad and other requirements needed to keep them clean and safe.

The Provost, NDC Centre of Strategic Research and Studies, Prof. Adam Ahmed, commended the association for organising the event and appreciated the commandant for being creative and innovative.

Ahmed said the event had provided a rare opportunity for the girls to be what they want to become, adding that he believed in the ability of the girl child.

“You have everything it takes to realise your dream, to be one of the best in whatever career you take.

“For two-year consecutively, or three-year consecutively, the best graduating cadet in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) were females.

“So it means even at that level, at that military university level, the girls are not doing bad. They are doing exceptionally very good.

“So you can tell yourself, I’m going to be very, very good,” he said.

The resource person, Dr Jumoke Jenyo, of the Department of Conflict, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Studies, NDC, urged the girl children to believe in themselves, have defined vision and be what they want to be.

Jenyo said that the girl children had the capacity to be better than their male counterpart in all endeavors.

She urged them to write their visions in form of who they want to be one, as well as the future and change they want to see.

“It is not enough that you have a dream,you must work to achieve it

“As you are growing up, you must prepare yourself because there are challenges but you must see those challenegs as your stepping stone,” she said.

The event was climaxed with the distribution of packs of toiletries to the students. (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

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