Uncategorized
Gambari to Academics: Be bold to speak truth to power
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Former Chief of Staff to the Nigerian President, Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, has charged Nigerian academics to rise beyond the confines of the classroom and play a more assertive role in shaping governance, policy formulation and national stability, warning that silence or disengagement could worsen democratic and institutional decline.
Gambari gave the charge in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while delivering a lecture titled “Roles and Responsibilities of Academia in Good Governance” at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Ilorin Emirate Professors, attended by scholars, public intellectuals and senior citizens.
Drawing from his experience as an academic, diplomat, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari, Gambari noted that governance outcomes are closely tied to how effectively knowledge institutions engage power, noting that academia and government exist in a “mutually reinforcing ecosystem” .
He said: “I have seen up-close where government works and where it fails. In both instances, academia had a role to play in the final outcome. Scholars must see themselves as custodians of truth, fairness and societal conscience.”
Prof. Gambari, therefore, urged scholars to caution the political leaders that power is easily lost when it is not shared, warning governments at all levels against taking people and communities for granted.
He cited Kwara’s political history as evidence, recalling how the ruling establishment in the old Ilorin Province lost control in 1957 to the Ilorin Talaka Parapọ̀ through democratic elections, the defeat of Governor Adamu Atta in 1983, and the 2019 “O to gẹ” movement that swept the opposition APC to victory across state, national, gubernatorial, and presidential polls.
Gambari also warned that Nigeria’s youthful population, growing social pressures and governance deficits require a new approach from universities and research institutions, particularly in evidence-based policymaking, civic engagement and capacity building.
He identified key areas where academia must intervene, including policy testing, legislative research, public sector training, institutional reforms, anti-corruption frameworks, digital governance, crisis management and climate resilience .
According to him, old methods of engagement are no longer effective in a society driven by technology, bold youth activism and rapid political change, insisting that academics must maintain independence while “speaking truth to power” .
He further outlined core governance values such as ethics, transparency, accountability, rule of law, participation, equity, efficiency and sustainability, arguing that governance becomes legitimate only when these principles are visible and measurable to citizens .
Placing Nigeria’s governance struggle within a broader international framework, Gambari said today’s world is marked by geopolitical instability, technological disruption, climate change and resurging nationalism, all of which place governments under pressure to make difficult choices with scarce resources.
He noted that globally, successful democracies rely heavily on academic institutions for policy clarity, data-driven decisions and ethical guidance, urging Nigerian scholars to adopt similar roles to prevent social breakdown and distrust in public institutions .
Gambari also called for stronger interdisciplinary collaboration across sciences, humanities, social sciences and technology, arguing that modern governance challenges are too complex for single-discipline solutions .
He urged Nigerian academics to leave their “ivory towers” and engage the public through constructive dialogue, while remaining vigilant against political compromise and loss of intellectual integrity.
“When this ecosystem between academia and governance is in balance, we see policy effectiveness, democratic accountability and social development. When it is not, the result is chaos, distrust and societal breakdown,” he warned .
The lecture concluded with a call for sustained scholarly engagements at both national and international levels to strengthen governance systems and restore public trust in leadership
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Kwara: Security Team Kills Two Bandits, Rescues Two Kidnap Victims
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
A security team, comprising operatives of DSS and forest guards, has rescued two victims of abduction in a forest between Oba Isin/Owa Onire area of isin and Ifelodun Local Government Areas of Kwara State.
The rescued victims are 16-year-old Fatima Azeez and Ibrahim Azeez who is five-year old.
The team also eliminated two armed bandits, while others escaped with severe injuries as the security forces stormed their hideouts, according to a report by DSS and local authorities.
The security team also recovered several items from the kidnappers, including one Ak-47 rifle; one single barrel; one fully loaded magazine with nine empty; mini-solar panel; and food items.
The rescue operation is connected to the multi-agency counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping efforts of the government.
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Kwara: Police Launch Investigations Into Killing Of Farmer On Farmland
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Kwara State Police Command has commenced full-scale investigations into the killing of a farmer, Mr Azeez Garba, whose body was discovered on his farmland along the Owa-Onire axis, the boundary between Isanlu-Isin and Owu-Isin in Isin Local Government Area of the State.
The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, described the murder as “cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” and directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those behind the attack.
According to the police, preliminary investigations showed that the deceased left home for his farm in the morning but did not return, prompting his family members and local vigilantes to organise a search.
The search party reportedly found his motorcycle parked on the farmland before discovering his lifeless body a short distance away. Police said the victim had sustained deep machete cuts.
Reacting to the incident, CP Adekimi ordered investigators to deploy all available intelligence and investigative resources to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.
“The killing is cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” the commissioner of Police said, assuring residents that the command would leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Although no suspect had been arrested as of Monday, the command said all available leads were being diligently pursued.
The police also assured the bereaved family, the people of Isin Local Government Area and the general public that investigators were working tirelessly to track down everyone connected with the crime.
“The Kwara State Police Command remains unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state and will not relent until every person responsible for this reprehensible act is brought before the law,” the statement added.
The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police.
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Kwara: Joint Security Team Arrests Alleged Cultist, Recovers Firearm
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
A coordinated security operation involving the Kwara State Police Command, other security agencies and the Kwara State Polytechnic Security Unit has led to the arrest of a suspected cultist, Agboola Olamilekan, with a locally fabricated pistol recovered from him in Ilorin.
The operation, carried out as part of ongoing efforts to combat cultism and violent crimes across the state, was described by the police as another breakthrough in intelligence-driven policing aimed at dismantling criminal networks and reducing the circulation of illegal firearms.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, said the suspect was apprehended during the joint operation while in possession of the firearm.
According to the statement, the operation is part of the Command’s sustained strategy to disrupt cult-related activities and deny criminal elements the opportunity to operate within the state.
Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to intensify the fight against cultism and other violent crimes.
“Every successful operation represents another step towards dismantling criminal networks and enhancing public safety across the state through proactive and intelligence-led policing,” the commissioner said.
The police disclosed that investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected members of the criminal network linked to the suspect.
The Command added that it remains committed to advancing the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, through intelligence-led policing, strategic collaboration with relevant stakeholders and sustained operations aimed at ensuring that those responsible for threatening the peace and security of Kwara State are brought to justice.
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