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Buhari’s Independence Speech Not In Tune With Reality, Says Afenifere
Pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has picked holes in the Independence Day speech of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying it didn’t address the feelings of Nigerians.
“The 61st Independence broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, October 1, 2021, further showcases the dishonesty on the part of those governing the country and the disconnection between them and the people they govern,” Afenifere said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi.
The group pointed out that “the President has failed in a basic area of tackling the insecurity, tasking him to be more sincere in dealing with insecurity issue.”
Afenifere said the impression created by the President in his address flies in the face of the situation on ground.
The statement said: “In the 16th paragraph of his 2020 Independence anniversary speech, the president conceded that the country’s major institutions – and by implication, the services they were supposed to render to the nation – were on the decline. In his words, “institutions such as civil service, police, the judiciary, the military all suffered from a general decline”.
According to Afenifere spokesman, “there is no indication on ground that this assessment given last year by the President has changed for the better. The services being rendered to the people of Nigeria by these institutions continue to be on the decline in terms of value delivery.
“The reason for this being lack of requisite resources and motivation. It is therefore unfair on the part of the president to accuse ‘critics’ of misdiagnosing “incremental progress as stagnation” as he did in his 2021 independence anniversary speech.”
Afenifere further said that the president’s claim that a lot has been achieved in the last six years “in infrastructure, social care, governance, Nigeria’s image and influence in Africa and the international community is against the reality on the ground.”
“There has never been a time in the annals of modern Nigeria that the country’s infrastructure was this decadent, social care near-absent and the image of the country was so battered. Indeed, the difference between now and in the days of the late Sani Abacha was that the head of state then was wearing Khaki while the present head of government wears civilian dress and there are democratic institutions like the legislature that were absent then. In terms of the country’s influence in Africa, how many countries in Africa now respect Nigeria going by the inhuman treatments Nigerians are subjected into in different parts of the world including Africa these days? Afenifere added.
On the economic front, the group said “Nigerians have never had to pay through their noses for services and commodities as they are now forced to do.”
“As at the time President Buhari assumed office in 2015, a bag of rice was around N7,000 while a US dollar exchanged for about N180 even in the black market. Today, a bag of rice is almost N30,000 while a dollar exchanges for nearly N600. The situation was so bad that Nigeria has been declared as the world capital of poverty. What is the justification therefore for the president’s claim that the lot of the poor in the country is better under his administration than it was under the previous administration.
Ajayi also picked hole in the president’s claim that “No government since 1999 has done what we have done in six years to put Nigeria back on track.”
Afenifere insisted that Buhari’s administration “has taken Nigeria off the track going by the quantum of indebtedness the country now carries without much to show for the heavy debt, the level of disunity and mistrust among Nigerians, the hopelessness among the youths and the elderly and the collapse of the social services such as education, health and transport.”
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Mr Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, effective August 27, 2026.
This is contained in a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.
Enitan is replacing Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who is set to retire from the Federal Civil Service upon attaining the statutory retirement age of 60.
According to the statement, Enitan, from Osun State, is the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service.
He has served as Permanent Secretary for seven years and seven months, working at the Ministry of Police Affairs, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of the Vice President.
The new head of the Civil Service of the Federation is currently the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education.
President Tinubu expressed appreciation to Walson-Jack for her distinguished service to the nation and for the reforms, impact and innovations witnessed in the Civil Service during her tenure.
He wished her a fulfilling and successful life after service and conveyed the nation’s gratitude for her years of dedicated and impactful public service, according to the statement.
The President equally charged the incoming Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to consolidate on the reforms and innovations already underway, deepen professionalism and efficiency across the Service, and build a more effective and responsive Civil Service capable of delivering on the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He also charged Enitan to lead a Civil Service that is professional, merit-driven, accountable, innovative, and responsive to Nigerians’ needs and aspirations.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has received his Certificate of Return following his victory in the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
He received the certificate at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office on Wednesday.
An excited Adeleke danced amid cheers and jubilation from Accord Party members and supporters.
Shortly after, the governor arrived at the Ataoja Palace in Osogbo, welcomed by a crowd of residents.
INEC declared Adeleke as the winner of the election on Sunday.
It said that Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who got 444,815 votes.
It also said that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam polled 17,180 votes.
The governor won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas to secure a second term of four years, while Oyebamiji won in 11.
Adeleke described the result as a triumph for democracy and pledged to use his second term to transform Osun from a civil-service-dependent state into an industrial hub.
He received congratulatory messages from President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), among others.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, has urged corps members to exercise caution in their use of social media ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He warned them against spreading misinformation, sharing artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, or engaging in partisan political activities.
Speaking during his working visit to the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Katsina on Wednesday, Brigadier General Nafiu described corps members as critical stakeholders in shaping Nigeria’s future and called on them to think critically before reposting or forwarding online content.
He stressed that with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, manipulated images and videos have become increasingly common, making it imperative for young Nigerians to verify information before sharing it.
“You don’t just share or repost blindly. Think through what you receive. Verify the source, check when the picture was taken, and determine whether it has been manipulated by AI. Technology has changed the information space completely,” he said.
The NYSC Director-General noted that Nigeria is entering a sensitive political period as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum, warning corps members to remain neutral and refrain from using their social media platforms to promote political parties or candidates.
“As corps members, you are not permitted to campaign for any political party or candidate. If your social media activities are traced to political promotion while wearing the NYSC identity, appropriate action will be taken,” he cautioned.
He reminded them that many corps members would serve as ad hoc electoral personnel during the next general elections, describing the assignment as a rare privilege to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
“You contribute more to democracy by helping thousands of Nigerians exercise their voting rights than by casting only your own vote. Your service will help deliver credible, free and fair elections,” he added.
Brigadier General Nafiu also encouraged corps members to embrace the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, saying vocational skills have become indispensable in today’s competitive economy.
According to him, the programme is designed not only to teach practical skills but also to inspire corps members to pursue lifelong learning and entrepreneurship.
The NYSC boss further explained that the orientation course is structured to instill discipline, teamwork, leadership, obedience and a sense of responsibility through various activities, including drills and the Man O’ War obstacle exercises.
Earlier, the Katsina State NYSC Coordinator, Evans Okwor, disclosed that the orientation exercise commenced successfully on August 5 with the arrival of camp officials.
He said a total of 1,333 corps members, comprising 759 males and 574 females, were registered, while 363 camp officials, made up of 173 NYSC staff and 190 personnel from collaborating agencies, are supporting the exercise.
Okwor stated that the camp clinic remains adequately equipped with essential drugs and staffed by 40 medical personnel, including doctors, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory scientists, dental therapists, a radiographer and a veterinary doctor.
According to him, 783 corps members and 40 camp officials have so far received medical attention, with 14 referrals made to the General Hospital, Katsina, while two patients remain on admission.
He added that the most common health challenges recorded include malaria, typhoid fever, asthma, peptic ulcer disease, body pains and blood pressure-related conditions.
The State Coordinator commended the corps members for maintaining a high level of discipline and adapting positively to camp activities.
It will be recalled that the Katsina State Government recently pledged to rehabilitate and remodel the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp following concerns over the deteriorating condition of its facilities, including hostels that have remained largely untouched for over two decades.
The 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course is scheduled to conclude on August 25, 2026.
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