OGBOMOSO – The ancient city of Ogbomoso is celebrating a major academic milestone as one of its daughters, Nasirat Adetunji, has graduated with a First Class degree in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. The news of her stellar performance was broken by her father, who reached out to the Board of Six Stars Remedial Classes—the institution where Nasirat honed her academic skills years ago. In an emotional "Thank You" message, Mr. Adetunji credited the foundational training she received at the center, located at St. David’s Primary School in the Abegan-Sabo area of Ogbomoso. "I congratulate you on your effort on my daughter," Mr. Adetunji wrote. "We thank Allah, the Merciful and Benevolent. Congratulations to Six Stars and all the families... Awon omo yoku yoo soriire o (the children coming after will also be successful)." The Board of Six Stars, represented by Solomon Ogundola, Ladipo Fola Lowo, Ayo Ishola, and Matthew Olojede, expressed immense pride in their former student. They described Nasirat as a "well-behaved, focused, and academically brilliant" individual who has become a beacon of excellence for the community. "She is a pride to us at Six Stars," the board stated in a joint congratulatory message. "We rejoice with you on the glorious attainment of these academic heights. We are waiting to receive you as promised to celebrate this success together." Adetunji’s achievement is being hailed as an inspiration to local students, proving that with focus and the right foundational support, international standards of academic excellence are within reach.

In the past, the teaching profession was seen as one of the most noble professions anyone could find themselves in. Teachers were seen as the moulders of society because every professional went through the tutelage of a teacher. However, teachers have become the dregs of society, especially those in private schools. Private school teachers, especially those in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, have been reduced to mere tools by school proprietors to be used and dumped at will. They face severe low-income and poor working conditions, highlighting their silent struggles but with a resilience that goes to show that if given the right conditions to work, they will excel. Though private schools have become the largest employer of labour in Jos with many of them springing up in almost every street, the teachers they employ have been the ones at the receiving end as their salaries and remuneration are nothing to write home about. Findings by THENEWSCREDIT show that some private schools pay NCE, HND, BSc, and Master’s degree holders between N10,000 and N25,000 monthly and the teacher may not have a salary increase for the next five to ten years of teaching. Even when the salary is increased, it may not be more than 10% of the basic salary. Teaching in a private school, therefore, has become a means to an end with the teachers just hanging in there waiting for an opportunity to come up, and off they go. Some teachers who spoke to THENEWSCREDIT their silent struggles while trying to build the lives of their pupils, say they get ‘imprisoned’ almost all day between 7am and 3pm and at the end of the month, they are paid paltry sums that do not last up to a week. Most of them are made to take classes from JSS1 to SS3 and as to be expected, these overworked and underpaid teachers cannot give their best, thereby contributing to the falling standard of education in the state. The school proprietors too do not help matters in any form or shade. As soon as a teacher starts to grumble and ask questions, they are relieved and replaced almost immediately. It has become a regular sight to see teachers engaging in manual labour at construction sites, farms, and even illegal mining sites to augment their poor income. Some private school teachers revealed that they had no option but to endure the hardship while looking forward to better days ahead. First to speak was Ezekiel Atangs who has been a private school teacher for over 15 years. He said, “I have been teaching in private schools for the past 15 years and I can say that my experiences have never been palatable. Where I am currently working is my third but the story has been the same. “I have been here for the past four years on a N15,000 salary. There has never been an increment and anytime we approach the proprietor for an increase, she will tell us that anyone who is not happy with the salary can leave. “I have a wife and three children, so I have to engage in menial labour to augment the stipend I get from my teaching job. When I close and during weekends, I go to construction sites to work. If not, my family will starve.” Another private school teacher, Ishaya Bitson, also shared his bitter experience. “I can tell you in all honesty that private school teachers in Plateau State are really suffering. “I have a degree in education but all efforts to get a job with either the state or federal governments have proved abortive, I had to pick a job with a popular private school in Jos. “On the surface, the school is one of the most prestigious in Jos with the school fees running into hundreds of thousands of naira. But it will interest you to know that the teachers are poorly paid. “When I was employed five years ago, my salary was N20,000 with the promise of a review after one year but since then, I have been stuck on the same salary. “Whenever I approach the principal to talk about the increase, he will tell me to be patient or if I can’t cope any longer, I should put in my resignation letter. We are really suffering in silence,” he lamented. For Leonard Bagudu, the story is the same. “I have an NCE and I’ve been teaching in a private school for the past eight years on a salary of N12,000 with no hope of a change in the near future. “I teach JSS3 to SS3, yet I am not happy. Imagine resuming work at 7am and teaching all round till 3pm, yet you are paid a paltry sum. I can tell you that no private school teacher in Jos is happy due to the poor salaries we get,” he disclosed. A school proprietor, who spoke on the poor salary package for teachers however, claimed there was nothing they could do than pay whatever they can afford. “Yes, there is no doubt the salary of private school teachers is poor but there is nothing much we can do about it. Everyone knows the current economic situation in the country and we barely survive or break even after paying levies to the state ministry of education and other relevant authorities. “Some parents also do not help matters as they don’t pay their children’s fees on time and this too affects what we manage to pay our teachers. “Many people think we proprietors are the ones enjoying it, but I can tell you that we barely break even,” he narrated. However, an assistant director in the Plateau State Ministry of Education, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated that there is little or nothing the ministry can do as the salaries of the private schools are not regulated by the government. According to him, “We have had complaints of poor salaries paid by private schools but there is nothing the ministry can do because they are regulated by the government. “Private schools, just like other private organizations, are at liberty to negotiate their salary structure with their staff but all we have been telling them is to be fair to their employees. “We have heard of private school teachers being paid as low as N10,000 or N15,000 and we have been talking with them to find a balance and raise these salaries.”

The main gates of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) were under lock and key on Tuesday as hundreds of students from the College of Health Sciences launched a massive protest. The demonstration follows a controversial Senate decision to relocate the Department of Anatomy and the Department of Physiology from the College of Health Sciences to the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences. The unrest was triggered by an internal memo, signed by Olayinka O. Balogun and dated January 21, 2026. The document revealed that the University Senate approved the transfer of these core medical departments, along with their non-medic staff, to the applied sciences faculty to "ease career progression." However, the students view this move as a systemic "downgrade" that threatens the professional integrity of their degrees. Chanting solidarity songs and bearing placards, the protesters argued that these disciplines are the bedrock of clinical medicine and do not belong in a purely experimental faculty. "Our Discipline is Not Experimental" The protesters expressed fears that the relocation would alienate them from the medical community and affect their future licensing and professional recognition. "Physiology belongs to Basic Medical Sciences. LAUTECH, don’t separate us from Medicine! Our discipline is not experimental," the students declared during the barricade, vowing to remain at the school gates until the management rescinds the order. The university administration maintains that the shift is an administrative strategy to facilitate better career paths for non-clinical staff within those departments. Despite the escalating tension, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Lekan Fadeyi, was unavailable for comment at the time of filing this report. The campus remains in a state of flux as academic activities were disrupted by the morning-long blockade. Students have insisted that the "integrity of Medical Sciences" must be protected at all costs. Would you like me to draft a formal petition based on these grievances or an opinion piece for a student blog?

The Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has approved the appointment of Comrade Subomi Adedoyin as a Permanent Secretary in the Oyo State Post Primary School Teaching Commission (TESCOM). The appointment, formalized in a letter dated February 2, 2026, marks a significant elevation for the seasoned educator, who previously served as the Principal of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Grammar School, Ogbomoso. According to official directives, the new Permanent Secretary is set to assume duty tomorrow, Friday, as the Tutor-General of the Ogbomoso TESCOM Zonal Office. Comrade Adedoyin is no stranger to the zonal administration, having served as the Head of Zone (HOZ) in the same office starting in April 2024. Despite his previous leadership role, a shift in administrative appointments in early 2025 saw him revert to principalship. Observers noted that while many advised him to opt for voluntary retirement following the reversal, Adedoyin remained resilient, maintaining his career with "philosophical calmness." His career has spanned several leadership roles, including his tenure as principal at Owode Community Grammar School and his most recent posting at CAC Grammar School. Reacting to the development, the Majority Leader of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin, described the appointment as a victory for justice and a testament to Governor Makinde’s fairness. “The appointment is well deserved. Comrade Adedoyin is my brother; he made remarkable achievements as Head of Zone, contributing impressively to the improvement of teaching and learning,” the Majority Leader stated. “That twist that characterizes human life made him revert to principalship last year, but today, the wrong has been righted.” Hon. Adedoyin further expressed immense gratitude to the Governor, describing him as a "man of honour" whose leadership continues to bring excitement to the people of Ogbomoso. “We are happy Ogbomoso just got another Permanent Secretary under Governor Makinde. It is a victory for our family and for the entire Ogbomoso zone,” he added. The appointment is widely viewed as a reward for Adedoyin’s professional forbearance and his steadfast commitment to the Oyo State educational sector.

OYO STATE – The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has issued a definitive verdict on the nation’s fiscal future: without a total digital overhaul, Nigeria’s ambitious new tax laws will remain "aspirational" rather than "operational." Delivering the maiden convocation lecture at the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Adedeji characterized the recent legislative reforms as the most significant restructuring of Nigeria’s fiscal landscape in half a century. However, he cautioned that the legal shift from manual collection to "tax intelligence" depends entirely on technological integration. Adedeji argued that the era of human-led tax administration—often marred by inconsistency and mistrust—is ending. "These laws are built for a digital environment," he stated, noting that the framework assumes the existence of integrated data and traceable transactions. "They cannot function properly in a manual, fragmented, paper-based system." By removing excessive human discretion, the NRS aims to: Reduce inconsistencies that drive non-compliance. Use visibility to capture previously "unseen" economic activities, easing the burden on existing taxpayers. Shift toward automated, scalable processes across all institutions. The NRS boss identified four "fundamental challenges" currently hindering the system: infrastructure, technical skills, public trust, and systemic resistance. He maintained that the imminent upgrading of the tax system for a digital environment is the primary solution to these hurdles. The lecture, titled ‘The Role of Technology in Implementing Nigeria’s New Tax Laws,’ was a highlight of the institution`s first-ever convocation. In attendance, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass (represented by Senator AbdulFatai Buhari), lauded Adedeji’s leadership in re-engineering Nigeria’s "tax architecture." Rector Dr. Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed urged the graduating class to draw inspiration from Adedeji’s career trajectory, noting that the tax chief’s own journey began within the polytechnic system.

Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti State, has opened up on the deliberations that took place at a meeting between former military Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in Minna, Niger State. Fayose disclosed that Makinde consented to partner with Atiku as his vice-presidential candidate on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC. He also alleged that Peter Obi was effectively sidelined during the conversation because of concerns that he would neither agree to deputise Atiku nor gain acceptance in the North as a potential successor. In a statement he personally signed, Fayose said, “It is no longer news that the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, went to Minna, Niger State, yesterday to hold a meeting with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. “Here is what happened behind the curtains. Venue and personalities involved in the meeting were carefully chosen so as to ensure confidence and acceptability. “Consideration was given to the fact that Peter Obi will not accept to be Atiku’s running mate and he won’t also be acceptable to the North, as Atiku’s successor. “Also, Atiku is 70% certain of getting the ADC ticket, having ensured the non-zoning of the party’s presidential ticket. “Makinde agreed to join ADC on the condition that he will be handed the party’s Vice Presidential ticket, as Atiku’s running mate. This is expected to be presented to Atiku’s inner caucus for further discussions and ratification. “Makinde offered to make available a sum of N10bn (to be released in two tranches), as his initial contribution towards what he called ‘proper take-off of the ADC,’ and make additional funds available when campaign begins. “The Governor also assured that for the ADC primary, he will deliver the Southwest delegates and use the influence of his wife, who is from Rivers State, to secure delegate votes in the South-South. “He posited that for the general election, using him to divide the Southwest votes will give the ADC the needed advantage. Follow up meeting has been fixed for Dubai, UAE within the next two weeks.”

OGBOMOSO – A brewing controversy over the origins of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, has intensified as Professor Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye, the immediate past Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), publicly challenged claims made by Senator Ayoade Adeseun regarding the institution`s establishment. While acknowledging his personal respect for the former lawmaker, Prof. Ajiboye described Adeseun’s claim of facilitating the polytechnic as "totally wrong" and unsupported by the administrative history of the project. The Core of the Dispute The disagreement follows a recent interview where Senator Ayo Adeseun, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), claimed he attracted the institution to Ogbomosoland during his tenure in the National Assembly, even citing N500 million in facilitated funding. In a detailed rebuttal, Ajiboye countered that the polytechnic was the result of executive action, not a legislative motion. "Whenever a lawmaker facilitates the establishment of an institution, there must be a motion. Let him bring out the motion he moved either in the House of Representatives or in the Senate," Ajiboye challenged. Prof. Ajiboye traced the actual approval of the polytechnic to June 2019, following a report he presented as the convener of a committee on Technical Teachers Training. According to Ajiboye: While presenting a report to then-Permanent Secretary of Education, Arc. Sonny Echono, Ajiboye was informed that the government planned to establish six new polytechnics. Ajiboye immediately pointed out that Oyo State lacked a federal polytechnic and lobbied for one to be situated in Ogo-Oluwa Local Government. He credited a "team of Ogbomoso indigenes" within the Ministry—including Mr. Ojo (Director of Tertiary Education) and Mr. Folorunsho (Deputy Director)—for drafting and moving the memo forward. He noted that Sir Olusegun Adekunle monitored the memo at the SGF`s office, while former Minister Sunday Dare supported the proposal at the Federal Executive Council (FEC). Key Differences in Claims Senator Ayo Adeseun claims to have initiated the idea to balance federal institutions in Oyo State, which previously only had the University of Ibadan, noting the lack of technical institutions. Adeseun stated that he secured approval from the late President Muhammadu Buhari and the local traditional authorities (Soun of Ogbomoso) to site it in Ayede. The Counter-Claim often surrounds the direct involvement of bureaucrats or other actors in the specific 2019/2020 final approval phases, though Adeseun maintains he initiated the core concept earlier. Prof. Ajiboye clarified that while Adeseun may have harbored the idea years ago, it was the administrative push in 2019 that brought the school to life. He also lauded Senator Fatai Buhari and Hon. Segun Dokun Odebunmi for their roles in securing key appointments for the institution, and Chief Sunday Dare for renovating the temporary site at Iresaadu. “I respect Senator Adeseun as a community leader... but history must be set straight,” Ajiboye remarked, noting that he felt compelled to speak out after reading "distorted" accounts of the school`s founding. He urged the public to verify his claims with the mentioned Ministry of Education officials.

A former Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Ayoade Adeseun, on Sunday, disclosed that he facilitated about N500 million in federal funding for the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, in Ogbomoso. He described the project as a deliberate intervention to expand the federal educational presence and promote technical skills development in the state. Adeseun made the disclosure in an interview with The Punch in Ogbomoso, saying the idea for the institution was conceived during his first term in the National Assembly while serving on the House Committee on Education. He explained that exposure to a federal government study on the distribution of tertiary institutions across the country revealed a glaring gap in the state. THENEWSCREDIT that the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, in Ogbomoso was established in February 2021 by the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari in Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area of the state. The institution is a key technical hub aimed at promoting vocational education and skills development. It operates with a focus on practical, entrepreneurial training and offers National Diploma programmes in fields such as Accountancy, Engineering, and Computer Science. Its temporary site is located in Iresa-Pupa. Speaking further, Adeseun said, “Well, during my first time in the House of Representatives, I belonged to the House Committee on Education, and I was privy to a study carried out by the Federal Ministry of Education to ascertain the status and spread of federal educational institutions across the country. “That report showed where institutions were located. In some states, there were two or three federal institutions, but in this state, there was only one — the University of Ibadan.” He described the situation as unacceptable, noting that despite UI’s historic status as Nigeria’s premier university, the state needed more federal presence in tertiary education, particularly in technical training. “I said to myself, as pre-eminent as UI had become, to say we don’t have any other federal educational institution in this state was scandalous. “So, we reasoned that wherever there was a conventional federal university, there should also be a technically-oriented institution,” he stated. The former lawmaker said attracting such an institution to his constituency became part of his legislative responsibility. “You know the work of a legislator is principally threefold: to legislate, to represent your community by bringing development, and to carry out oversight. So improving the lot of my people was my focus in trying to bring that institution.” He disclosed that while the effort did not materialise during his first term, he intensified the push during his second tenure. “I got to work. I didn’t finish it the first time, but in my second time, I took the bull by the horns, secured the institution for my community, decided the location, and when it was to be established.” Adeseun noted that his motivation was also driven by Nigeria’s shortage of technically skilled manpower. “One of the things missing in the Nigerian economic space is people with technical skills. For a long time, we had foreigners handling carpentry, construction, and other technical jobs. When their economies improved, they left, and we were stranded,” he said. He stressed that polytechnic education remains crucial to economic growth in a technology-driven world. “The world is becoming technological. If we don’t train people in technologically-oriented institutions, we will lag behind,” he added. Speaking on the siting of the institution, the senator said his background in Urban and Regional Planning influenced his decision to locate the polytechnic outside Ogbomoso township. “From day one, I made up my mind it would not be located inside the town. I wanted it in a rural setting to decongest the city and drive development outward.” He said Ayede village was eventually selected after consultations with traditional authorities, including the late Soun of Ogbomoso. “I told Kabiyesi I was bringing a federal institution but wanted it sited in Ayede. He supported the idea and blessed it,” Adeseun recalled. He added that the community provided about 100 acres of land for the project, after which he secured federal approval and funding. “I took everything back to Abuja, secured federal approval, and got budgetary allocation running into half a billion naira for the project,” he said. Adeseun noted that stakeholders’ meetings involving traditional rulers and government officials were later held to sustain the project, especially as his tenure ended before construction commenced. He also revealed that attempts were made at a point to relocate the institution but were resisted by stakeholders. “Today, the institution is doing very well. They have graduated two sets of students already, and we are preparing for another convocation,” he said.

The Oyo State Government has reaffirmed its preparedness for the official commencement of the Computer-Based Test mode of the West African Examinations Council. This aligns with the Federal Government’s directive for a gradual transition from pen-and-paper to full digital testing. According to a release on Friday issued by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Olusegun Olayiwola, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to his office by the Zonal Coordinator and Deputy Registrar of West African Examinations Council, Mr. Waheed Amode, and his management team. “Governor ‘Seyi Makinde has directed that the cost implications for the procurement of over 60,000 laptops for public senior secondary schools across the state be worked out,” Olayiwola said, noting that the move aims to position Oyo State ahead of the full adoption of CBT examinations. He commended WAEC for the proactive measures taken to address the challenges experienced during the 2025 examinations, while pledging the Ministry’s continued support in curbing examination malpractice and preventing vandalisation of school facilities. In his remarks, Amode said the visit was to appreciate the Oyo State Ministry of Education for its support during the 2025 WAEC examinations and for its consistent collaboration with the Council over the years, describing the Ministry as a key stakeholder in the success of WAEC operations. He disclosed that registration for the 2026 May/June WAEC examination closed on February 2, 2026, adding that the forthcoming examinations would be conducted using both CBT and pen-and-paper modes, depending on the readiness of individual schools. He, however, noted that schools interested in full CBT participation are expected to formally indicate their interest through official correspondence. Amode also warned that severe penalties await any candidate caught with mobile phones in the examination hall. He stressed that such misconduct could lead to the cancellation of an entire school’s results, depending on the circumstances, urging principals and teachers to uphold integrity to strengthen educational standards.

The Nigerian government, through the Ministry of Education, has announced the return of history to the curriculum. The minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made this known during an interview on Arise News, adding that he lacked the explanation to how people with their right minds would ban history from being taught in schools. THENEWSCREDIT reports that history was officially removed from primary and junior secondary schools’ curricula in 2007, with the government citing various reasons for this decision. Alausa said that the government of President Bola Tinubu thought this was wrong and the President instructed that the subject be reintegrated to the curricula. “Nigerian history is back in the curriculum. We did not ban it, but we felt it was wrong, and we moved swiftly to bring Nigerian history back,” he said. “History wasn’t banned by this government. It was banned about 12 to 13 years ago, and you look at it now, our kids are so delinked with the history of the country. I don’t know who in their right mind banned history, and that’s why this President mandated us to do a pure curriculum review. “Nigerian history is back as part of our curriculum. We instituted it. We started it so Nigerian history is back. We did not ban it, but we felt it was wrong, and we moved swiftly to bring Nigerian history back,” he said. The Minister went on to say that the activities of some schools whereby they extort from parents through the sale of textbooks and graduation ceremonies for nursery school have also been banned. “And now let me talk about the nursery school graduation. It might be fun for you, but sheer extortion of parents, it’s not acceptable. “Why would you do graduation for one or two children? It’s just sheer extortion. We want to encourage these kids, but let’s give them proper milestones. “When you finish primary school, do your graduation, when you finish GSS do your graduation, SSS, do your graduation. We give them something that leads to milestones, something that is more cogent, more tangible, not the way everything is being turned into extorting the parent. “And part of all this extortion of the parents that we’ve stopped is that when I was growing up, I used my sister’s textbook. Our parents will tell us, please keep that book very well, your younger brother will use it. So it’s a way to save costs. “Now they manipulated the entire process, you put the workbook as part of the textbook, so the student will now write on those books and they become useless. And next year, you tell the parents to buy another book. “And also what publishers were doing was that they would not even change anything in the book. There won’t be any major content change. It might just be pagination or just a print of the new cover. “They say, ‘Come and buy a new textbook’. We will not allow Nigerian parents to be extorted and that’s why we moved to stop that. And now we said the workbook must be completely separated from the core textbook itself.