Reprieve has come for the wife of a former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu as she has been freed from the United Kingdom’s prison.

It was learnt that Mrs Beatrice Ekweremadu who was sentenced to five years in UK prison, returned to the country on Tuesday.

Mrs Ekweremadu and her husband were jailed in the United Kingdom after being found guilty in a case of human trafficking in an attempt to harvest an organ of the victim to treat their sick daughter.

The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has urged support for education as government alone cannot meet the challenges of the sector.

Olaopa made the appeal in Abuja on Thursday in an address as the Chairman of the 80th Fundraising Dinner for the Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo.

While noting that the school was in need of support for development, he acknowledged that the entire educational sector in the country was faced with the same fate.

He said: “To have been established in 1945 and to still retain some measure of its old glory, given what the lamentable fate of public schools in Nigeria, is no mean feat. In another breath, that the generations of we old students, that are here today, are alive to witness this momentous celebration of a school that has so greatly impacted our formative years and all we have become in life calls for reflection. A reflection on the clear fact that if Olivet had impacted us so profoundly, is it not evident that the school now needs us to give back to it, in measure that will impact at this its trying time, in a manner of speaking? And Olivet is not alone in this challenged state, as restoring the glory of the old famous schools nationwide including the more recent, the Unity Schools of FG Colleges and states’ model schools is now the concern of all stakeholders and policy makers. ”

According to Olaopa, public schools and indeed public education institutions are not just challenged, “they are failing on every education achievement parameter: content/curriculum and pedagogy; infrastructure/technology for learning and for school administration; funding and sustainability; quality assurance; teacher professionalism and teacher education; certification, relevance and employability. Indeed, a huge chunk of teachers in these schools are provided and sustained by PTAs, and government is making effort to formalise the recruitment of those who are qualified by government standard within the limit of availability.

” It is unhelpful to therefore keep heaping blame on governments. What the times and tides require is for all hands to be on deck, even as the need for policy innovation and creativity on the side of government cannot be overemphasized.”

While commending the Dr. Wale Okediran-led leadership for mobilizing the different sets and chapters to rise up to the task of lifting Olivet to greater heights, he urged those present at the event including guests, well-wishers and old students to donate gtenerously to the 80th anniversary fundraising.

” I can assure you that every kobo contributed will be justifiably and accountably utilised towards restoring the glory of OBHS, Oyo”, he added.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), the main opposition group in Nigeria, has criticized the Federal Government for its perceived failure in addressing the country’s security challenges.

This condemnation follows the recent massacre of 40 farmers in Borno State by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on January 12th.

In a press release signed by CUPP’s spokesperson, Comrade Mark Adebayo, the opposition coalition described the incident as a tragic example of the government’s inability to protect its citizens.

CUPP highlighted the escalating insecurity across various states in Nigeria, with thousands of lives lost and millions displaced due to terrorist attacks and kidnappings.

The coalition accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of neglecting its duty to safeguard the nation’s security, despite significant investments in counter-terrorism efforts.

The statement called for a radical overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, emphasizing the need for a government that can effectively combat insecurity.

CUPP urged Nigerians to reject the APC in the 2027 elections, warning of dire consequences if the current administration remained in power beyond that year.

Comrade Mark Adebayo, the National Spokesperson for CUPP, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and called for a decisive action to restore peace and stability in the country.