The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the last election, Peter Obi, has paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Nollywood actor, Junior Pope.

The former Anambra State governor also signed the condolence register.

Nollywood actor and former spokesperson of the Labour Party presidential campaign council, Kenneth Okonkwo, shared pictures and videos from the visit on his Instagram page ON Saturday afternoon.

He captioned the pictures and videos: ” HE Peter Obi arrived at the residence of John Paul Odonwodo Junior Pope, to pay his condolences to his family over the sad, and untimely departure of their child, brother, husband and father. He consoled his mother, Mrs Maria Odonwodo, the widow, Jennifer, and his children.”

Recall that Junior Pope died on April 10, 2024, alongside three others after their boat capsized on the Anam River in Anambra State while returning from a film location.

He was laid to rest at his hometown, Ukehe in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, on Friday.

The Federal Government has constituted the governing councils of 111 federal tertiary institutions in the country.

This list of the constituted governing councils was released on Saturday by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who released the statement containing the list, stated that inauguration and retreat of the councils would hold on May 30 and 31, 2024.

She said, “The inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils will take place on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission, 26 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Both events will commence at 9:00am daily.”

The list contained names of technocrats, politicians and traditional rulers for 50 universities, 37 polytechnics, and 24 colleges of education.

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Alli; former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Peter Okebukola, and labour activist, Issa Aremu, are among the individuals appointed to lead the councils of various academic institutions.

The former INEC Chairman will serve as the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS), Messrs Olanipekun, Alli, Okebukola and Aremu will chair the councils for the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State, and Federal College of Education (Technical), Keana, Nasarawa State.

Others on the list include a former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, who will chair the governing council of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN); Joy Emordi, a former Senator, who will chair the council of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State, and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, who will ead the council of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State.

The immediate-past Executive Secretary of NUC, Adamu Rasheed, who resigned from office a few months into his second term in office, was also named to chair the governing council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
This is coming few days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) threatened to strike nationwide over the non-constitution of governing councils for universities months after they were dissolved.

In June, the National Universities Commission (NUC) dissolved the governing councils of all federal universities after a directive from President Bola Tinubu.

But months after the move, ASUU insists that the dissolution is “illegal”, claiming that the move has “paved the way for all manner of illegalities in the Nigerian University System”.

“ASUU shall do all within its powers to ensure that the dignity of the academia is fully restored in line with practices obtainable in forward-looking climes,” ASUU’s president Emmanuel Osodeke said in a Tuesday press conference.

“So, Nigerians should hold the Federal and State Governments responsible if the matter of Governing Councils is allowed to snowball into an avoidable industrial crisis.”

…Demand Federal Attention On Critical Infrastructure Gaps


The North-East Governors Forum have expressed dismay over the blackout experienced by the region in the last month.


The forum berated the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN over what it describes as a ‘ nonchalant attitude’ in addressing the issue.

The governors disclosed their dissatisfaction in a communique issued at the end of their 10th meeting held in Bauchi on Saturday.


They were hosted by Governor Bala Mohammed at the Government House.

According to the communique signed by the Forum’s Chairman and Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, the governors resolved in the short term, to set up a solar power plant that can generate a minimum of 10 Megawatts per state.

They also urged the federal government to direct TCN to redouble its efforts at restoring power supply to the region.


The communique reads “Forum notes with dismay, the blackout experienced by the region over the last one month and the nonchalant attitude exhibited by the TCN in addressing this issue of National importance for the security and development of the country.

“Forum is keenly watching the commitment made by TCN to restore power to all the states of the region by the 27th May 2024; accordingly, the Forum urges the Federal Government to direct TCN to take immediate action. The Forum has resolved in the short term, to set up a solar power plant that can generate a minimum of 10 Megawatts per State.”

The Forum also reiterated its concern over the seeming neglect of the Northeast in the allocation of Federal Government Capital Projects.


It stated that despite its cry for attention on the state of infrastructure in the region, which has been consistently echoed in all its communique over the years, especially the poor road and railway infrastructure along the economic corridors that link the Northeast subregion to the rest of the country, nothing serious seems to be happening.

“ The roads from Enugu to Maiduguri are in deplorable states and the railway from Enugu up to Maiduguri has been destroyed. This is a major route for regional trade and very important for integration, peace-building and improving national unity. “

The Forum stated further that the region is also not included in the National Infrastructure Plan for the transition from PMS to Compressed Gas.


It called on the federal government to look into the situation and consider the reconstruction of these basic infrastructures along the Enugu-Maiduguri Economic Corridor and the inclusion of the North East in all National Development Plans and initiatives.

Other governors present at the meeting are Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa and Agbu Kefas of Taraba State.