• Urges Gov to rename Govt House as David Lasisi Bamigboye

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

A socio-cultural organisation, under the aegis of the Kwara South Consultative Forum, has kicked against the call by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, for the renaming of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) after Sheikh Alimi of the Alimi Dynasty in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Alhaji Sulu-Gambari had made the call at the just concluded 50th anniversary celebrations of the University of Ilorin.

The Forum, however, said it viewed “the push as a highly provocative suggestion, which is indifferent to the diversity and divergent history of other ethnic groups in the State.”

The Forum also called on the state government to rename the Government House after late Brigadier General David Bamigboye, being the pioneer Military Governor of the State, instead of renaming it Ahmadu Bello House.

The Forum, in a statement by its Secretary General, Engr. Adebayo Simon Daramola, while alluding to call for the renaming of UNILORIN after Sheik Alimi, said: “The entire state of Kwara is the catchment area of the University of Ilorin. We are just not homogeneous enough in Kwara state for that idea to ever be muted.

“Neither do we want to go into needless arguments with members of other ethnic groups in other senatorial districts because of mutual respects between us and other such organisations towards the development of the State, Kwara.

“However, the fact that the University is located in Ilorin does not confer ownership on the city. The privilege of being the host also does not confer ownership on the city, while the privilege of being the host community should not be confused to mean exclusive ownership either.

“It should be noted that the significance of the history of the head of Alimi dynasty bears no relevance to the people of Ekiti, Ibolo and Igbomina descents of Kwara South and even of the other Senatorial District (Kwara North).

“It will therefore be uncalled for to contemplate imposition of a name that does not have a ‘state wide spread’ on our collective inheritance.

“As at today in Kwara South, there are six private Universities Viz
Landmark University, Omu-Aran;
Thomas Adewumi University, Oko;
Abubakar Abdulrazak Toyin University, Gamo; Summit University, Ira Road, Offa; Offa University, Offa;
Lens University, Offa / Ilemona Ira Road, as well as Lens Polytechnic, Ira Road Offa.

“So, we are advising you to take a queue from Kwara South by establishing a private University in the name of Sheik Alimi if you are so concerned and desirous about naming a University in the name of Alimi dynasty.”

On the renaming of the State Government House, the Forum noted that “of recent, the Government House was renamed Ahmadu Bello House without consultations with other ethnic communities in Kwara State, especially, the Yoruba ethnic group in Kwara South.

“If at all the Government House would be named after anybody, after due consultations, it should have been named after the pioneer Military Governor of the State, Brigadier General David Lasisi Bamigboye (Rtd), of blessed memory, as David Lasisi Bamigboye House.

“It is still not late to right the wrong by renaming the Kwara State Government House as David Lasisi Bamigboye House, considering the fact that Bamigboye was the pioneer Military Governor of the State who had served the state diligently and left worthy legacies, including the Government House.

“Justice, equity and fairness make this our demand salient, potent, and incontrovertible. We, therefore, appeal to our amiable Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to passionately look into this matter by reversing this glaring injustice done to a man who gave his all to give Kwara State a solid foundation.

“We wish to emphasize and advise that equity, justice and fairness should be our watchwords in Kwara State, a state with the sobriquet, ‘State of Harmony’.

“We should not do anything by our actions or inactions, and conduct that can tamper with our resolve to perpetually live together in peace and harmony.”

End

Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilots and crew members nine days after their detention, following high-level diplomatic intervention by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The release came shortly after a Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, concluded engagements with the Burkinabè authorities in Ouagadougou, including talks with President Ibrahim Traoré.

The delegation comprised senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence and the NAF Headquarters, and was mandated to pursue a peaceful and constructive resolution to the matter through dialogue.

A senior official familiar with the mission told Zagazola Makama that the engagement was aimed at fostering mutual understanding, de-escalating tensions and securing the release of the detained NAF personnel, while reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to regional cooperation and adherence to international aviation and military protocols.

“The mission point to Nigeria’s preference for diplomacy and neighbourly engagement. It was a confidence-building visit designed to strengthen trust and reaffirm shared responsibilities in addressing the complex security challenges confronting the Sahel,” the source said.

According to the official, the Nigerian delegation also conveyed Abuja’s enduring commitment to regional security collaboration, dialogue and respect for international norms, noting the long-standing history of cooperation between Nigeria, Burkina Faso and other members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Nigeria and Burkina Faso have traditionally collaborated in security training, intelligence sharing and regional stabilisation efforts, particularly in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism across West Africa.

Officials expressed optimism that the successful resolution of the incident would deepen bilateral understanding and reinforce collective efforts to promote peace, stability and security in the region.

Hassan Taiye

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.

The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.

Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the NNPC and its subsidiaries. She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023.

Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. He was announced today as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.

His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.

He also served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Engineer Mohammed played a pivotal role in delivering key projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train.