Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun has declared Monday, Oct. 7, a public holiday for public and private school teachers in the state to commemorate World Teachers Day.

This is contained in a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi.

The statement quoted Adeleke as saying that the holiday was to acknowledge the teachers’ invaluable contributions to the growth of the education sector, not only in the state and Nigeria but the world at large

“I heartily congratulate all teachers worldwide and, in particular, in my dear state, Osun, on the celebration of the annual World Teachers’ Day,  marked on Oct. 5.

 “While it gladdens my heart and that of my administration to declare a public holiday throughout the state, I admonish all teachers to use the one-day public holiday to review the past and present of the state and envision the future development of the education sector in the area.

“I am using this opportunity for the umpteenth time to assure you that my administration will continue to do everything morally and officially possible to put smiles on your faces to make you happy and fulfilled as purveyors of knowledge in the state,” the governor said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has declared Monday, 7 October, a public holiday to commemorate the 2024 World Teachers’ Day.

This is contained in a statement on Sunday by the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu.

She said the gesture was a mark of appreciation for the state’s teachers, recognising their vital contributions to advancing human progress through quality teaching and nurturing young minds.

According to Modibbo-Kawu, the holiday is intended for teachers in both the public and private sectors.

“The Governor expressed his commendation for the teachers’ dedication and wished them a blessed holiday.

“This move demonstrates the Kwara State Government’s commitment to valuing its educators and acknowledging their impact on the community.

“By declaring a public holiday, the Governor aims to show appreciation for the teachers’ hard work and dedication to shaping the state’s future generations.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday, pledged victory and claimed that his country’s military has “drastically changed the situation” since Hamas’s October 7 attack, which has led Israel to fight on two fronts.

Netanyahu addressed troops, stating that Israel “will win” as it continues to engage militants in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, while also preparing for a potential conflict with Iran, almost a year after the unprecedented assault by Palestinian Hamas militants triggered the Gaza conflict.

Israel’s army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said that, one year on, “we have defeated the military wing of Hamas”.

Netanyahu had vowed to “crush… and destroy” the militants when the conflict began last October, but troops have returned to various parts of Gaza where they had previously targeted Hamas, only to discover the militants regrouping.

In late September Israel turned its focus north, intensifying military action against Iran-backed Hezbollah, which had been routinely sending rockets over the border from Lebanon in support of Hamas.

“A year ago, we suffered a terrible blow. Over the past 12 months, we have completely transformed reality,” Netanyahu said during a visit to the Lebanon border, according to his office.

Hamas on Sunday called the October 7 attack “glorious” and said the Palestinians were “writing a new history with their resistance”.

Their attack resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity. Dozens of other hostages are still held.

At last 370 people were killed at one location alone, the Nova rave in the Negev desert, which was commemorated with candles, prayer and music in Tel Aviv on Sunday.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has criticized a media report (not from The PUNCH) claiming that his eldest daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki, has been appointed as the state’s First Lady.

The PUNCH reports that Mrs. Patience Umo Eno, the governor’s wife, passed away at a hospital on September 26, 2024, with her family by her side.

During a condolence visit from the President’s wife, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, the governor explained that his daughter, who served as the Special Assistant to his late wife, is in a suitable position to oversee the First Lady’s office.

While speaking at All Nations Christian Ministry Intl, Eket, on Sunday, the governor stated that his daughter’s role in coordinating the office resulted more from a natural course of events than from any political maneuvering.

He mentioned that assigning her to oversee the office would help heal the family, ensure smooth operations, and offer him a source of comfort.

He emphasized that First Ladies are not officially appointed, noting that given the unfortunate loss of his wife, it was both appropriate and reassuring for their daughter, who had been her closest aide, to lead the significant initiatives of the office.

Eno stated that his wife’s key project, the “Golden Initiative For All,” along with other support programs for women, the elderly, the vulnerable, and the underprivileged, would receive special focus. He added that Mrs. Obareki’s role as coordinator would ensure the continuity of these activities, thanks to her expertise, background, and connections.

“Please listen to me and listen well, First Ladies are not appointed, they come with the governor. I made a statement, and I would like to repeat that statement for the avoidance of doubt.

“Our daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki, will coordinate the office of the First Lady. She had been with the mother from the beginning, and you heard the First Lady of the Nation, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, say ‘The mother introduced her to me’.

“So appointing her as the coordinator is not an appointment of a First Lady. You don’t appoint a First Lady.

“So, by appointment, she is a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady. This is not political, it is natural.

“All I pray for is support and wisdom for her to be able to ensure that none of those programmes will die and that she will bring more insight and innovation to the office,” he said.

He stated that he chose to restore harmony within the family and ensure the office operates efficiently.

“The only reason I brought this up again is for clarification, that I am conscious of what I am doing, and it is to bring healing to the family and allow the office to keep running. That’s one of the ways I will be comforted,” the governor said.

Speaking further, Eno said, “Even when Jesus died, Peter said ‘Choose from amongst us those that were with Jesus’. So, for me, the Office of the First Lady has responsibilities to the women of this state, and my wife had programmes she was running: the GIFA, the support for the elderly and the other programmes, and as long as I remain governor, those programmes will not die.

“There must be a coordinator, and it must be someone that I see daily, someone that can walk into my room and brief me, not a distant person.”

He expressed his deep appreciation to Mrs. Tinubu and her group, which included some of Nigeria’s prominent women, for their visit, which he considered to be well-timed.

He also conveyed his gratitude for her recognition of Obareki’s appointment to manage the late mother’s office, considering it appropriate.

The governor thanked the church for their comforting messages and encouraged them to find solace in the word of God.

The PUNCH

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Malawian referee Philip Nkhakananga as the centre official for the Super Eagles’ 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matchday three clash against Libya.

Assisting Nkhakananga will be fellow Malawians Clemence Kanduku and Joseph Nyauti, who will serve as assistant referees one and two, respectively.

The fourth official for the match will be Keabetswe Dintwa from Botswana.Ghana’s Munkaila Nassam Adam has been designated as the match commissioner, while Issaka Boubacar from Niger will act as the referee assessor, and Mayowa Akingbemisilu will take on the role of broadcast venue manager.

The Super Eagles are set to face the Mediterranean Knights of Libya at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, with the match kicking off at 5 pm.

Ahmed Musa netted a brace as Kano Pillars secured a 2-0 victory over Sunshine Stars in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) matchday five fixture on Sunday.

Musa opened the scoring just five minutes into the game and doubled Kano Pillars’ lead six minutes into the second half, sealing their first win in four league matches.

Meanwhile, at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers United triumphed 2-1 against Akwa United.

Stephen Manyo put Rivers United ahead in the 32nd minute with his second goal of the season. Akwa United quickly responded with an equalizer through Friday Apollos just a minute into the second half, but Ndifreke Effiong secured the winning goal for Rivers United with only five minutes remaining.

Recovers large consignments of illicit drugs in Ikorodu warehouse, commercial bus in Taraba

A 41-year-old Canadian lady Adrienne Munju has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos for importing large consignment of ‘Canadian Loud’, a strong strain of synthetic cannabis.The suspect was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers on KLM airline flight from Canada at the terminal 1 of the Lagos airport on Thursday 3rd October 2024. During a joint examination of her three bags, Adrienne who was coming to Nigeria for the first time was found with 74 parcels of the illicit substance weighing 35.20 kilograms stuffed in two of her three bags.

In her statement, she claimed she was recruited to traffic the consignment through an online platform for 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos.

She said she took the offer because she needed the money to pay for her ongoing master’s degree programme in Canada.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports, Onne, Rivers state have intercepted Thirteen Million Two Hundred and Ninety Eight Thousand (13,298,000) pills of opioids including Tramadol, Tramaking Quick Action Tramadol, Tamol-X, Royal Tapentadol and Carisoprodol as well as Three Hundred and Thirty Eight Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Three (338, 253) bottles of codeine based cough syrup, all worth over Nine Billion Seventeen Million Seven Hundred and Seventy One Thousand Naira (N9,017, 771,000) in street value.

The opioids were recovered in three containers coming from India, targeted by the NDLEA during a 100% joint examination of the cargoes with men of the Nigerian Customs and other port stakeholders on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd October 2024. Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on Thursday 3rd October intercepted 100 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 50kg.

The consignment was packed in 20 parcels each in five jumbo bags concealed in a container with four units of imported vehicles that came from Canada.

Though the container had earlier been cleared out of the ESS Libra Bonded Terminal in Ikorodu but based on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives were able to trace it to a warehouse in Ikorodu where the illicit consignments were discovered in one of the imported vehicles, a Toyota Sienna bus.

A suspect, Abubakar Shuaibu Ibrahim has already been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.

In Taraba, NDLEA officers on Thursday 3rd October intercepted a commercial bus marked JAL 198 YQ coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Jalingo. Large quantities of opioids: tramadol, rohypnol and codeine-based syrup concealed in body compartments of the vehicle were recovered when it was searched, while two suspects: Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor were arrested. Another suspect, Chibuzor Okafor was arrested at Wukari on Wednesday 2nd October with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38kg hidden in bags of garri.

In Lagos, a suspect Bolanle Ajenifuja was on Friday 4th October arrested at Afo – Media area of Ojo where 700 litres of skuchies, a mixture of local chapman and cocktail of illicit drugs were recovered from her, while three suspects: Ezekiel Akpele; Elijah Michael; and Goddard John, were nabbed same day when NDLEA operatives raided two cannabis farms located at bridge camp, a boundary community between Edo and Ondo states.

Not less than 9,966.332kg of the substance was destroyed on over three hectares of farmland with 48kg of the already processed psychoactive substance recovered.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Government Science Secondary School, Musawa, Katsina; students and teachers of Akanu Ibiam Memorial Seminary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; students and staff of Community High School, Ile Ogbo, Osun, and students of Dominion Secondary School, Okon, Akwa Ibom state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, Edo, and Taraba Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well apprec