Five things to know to start your Thursday

Our universities should try to attract students — Adamu Adamu

Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, has advised Nigerian universities to do everything possible to attract foreign students. He believes it would be a great way to generate revenue, similar to what its counterparts in other African countries are doing.

The minister made this statement on Wednesday during Channels TV Politics Today when asked about how he felt seeing that as many as 75,000 Nigerians were currently studying in Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and other African countries.

He said that he didn’t see anything wrong with Nigerians seeking university education in other African nations and elsewhere.

Adamu said that the development isn’t new as Nigerians in the past have always gone beyond the shores of the country to study.

“It is not a bad reputation in the sense that people going out to study is not a bad thing,” he said. “The only thing you have to say is that our universities should try to attract students so that instead of money going out, money will come in.”

He dismissed claims that the current situation in the education sector was responsible for such high numbers of Nigerians seeking education outside the shores of the country.

Read also:Diverting fuel subsidy funds will meet ASUU’s demand – Ben Akabueze

PDP pleads with President Buhari, IGP over Yahaya Bello’s hate speech

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police to caution Yahaya Bello over his unguided utterances.

According to Channels TV, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP spokesman, said that a video in which the Kogi State Governor was seen inciting his supporters, threatening to burn and unleash maximum violence on Nigerians during the 2023 general elections was not only disturbing but rather unfortunate.

Ologunagba said that the governor could be seen promising to rain mayhem on Nigerians if they do not support his party in the forthcoming 2023 general election. “I will personally light a fierce fire in my hand whoever want it we shall use it to burn them, whoever survive it will thank God… Whoever is against us, we will make him or her join my mother and lie with her (my mother) in the grave,” Bello said.

He accused the governor, whom he believes hasn’t performed in office, of breeding and aiming killer thugs ahead of the 2023 general election. A situation that, according to him, was responsible for the deaths of some PDP members during the 2019 governorship election.

He pleaded to the general public to not be afraid and do everything through the ballot to get rid of the All Progressive Congress come 2023.

2023: Ayu’s PDP future still unclear as national caucus meets

Iyorchia Ayu’s future as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman still remains unclear. This follows a no-resolution position reached at the end of a National Working Committee meeting held on Wednesday.

However, in order to arrive at an amicable position, the PDP, as at late Wednesday night, was said to be holding a national caucus meeting at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.

In attendance at that meeting were Bode George, Namadi Sambo, the former Vice President, and Senator Walid Jibrin, the BOT Chairman.

Atiku Abubakar was also in attendance. The party is desperate to put an end to the infighting over Ayu’s chairmanship that has resulted in an overstretched political tussle between Governor Nyesom Wike and Abubakar.

IPMAN suspends planned strike

On Wednesday, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said that it had called off its planned strike intended to get its withheld payment from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Yakubu Suleiman, the Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, made this declaration during an interview on Arise TV.

He said that IPMAN had called off the planned strike following prompt intervention from the NNPC, PPMC and other regulatory agencies, but insisted that the NMDPRA, which still held to their money, to release it.

“And whatever payment the NMDPRA is claiming has been paid, it is that we need transparency,” he said. “There are people that whenever NNPC has pushed money into their account.”

He insisted on the NMDPRA operating an open system, which he believes will promote transparency and equity. “They need to be open in the process of payment, not to be selective, so that every catchment area has been captured,” he noted.

“There is no marketer grade A or B; we are all marketers. “Therefore, it must be distributed transparently, not that others sit down in the office and start telling their friends or cronies and paying them, and then they go to the press and start telling the whole world that they have paid IPMAN,” he said with sadness in his voice, believing that the rot in the NMDPRA makes it extremely difficult for IPMAN to remain silent and stomach the rot.

“If they have paid, are we mad that we start sitting in the street crying?” he questioned. “We know what we are doing, we know what we are saying.”

“So please like I have told you that we thank the management of NNPC and PPMC………we are still calling the NMDPRA to please maintain that agreement.

“We have called off the strike, and expect the NMDPRA to make payment.” he concluded.

Tiafoe makes history at US Open

The cheers from the crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium spurred Frances Tiafoe to become the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since Andy Roddick did it in 2006.

The American, who is the son of an African migrant from Sierra Leone, did this by defeating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 on Wednesday.

According to the Associated Press, the 24-year-old Tiafoe, who grew up in Maryland, put on a performance just as strong, if not stronger, than the one he used to eliminate 22-time Grand Slam champion Raphael Nadal in the fourth round.

“Man, man, this is wild. This is crazy. I had the biggest win of my life 24 hours ago…. That’s huge growth. it’s tough to turn the page,” said Tiafoe, who is seeded 22nd at Flushing Meadows.

Tiafoe, who isn’t resting on his achievement, refused to be consumed by the cheers from the crowd, encouraging the crowd to maintain that momentum for the upcoming match. “Let’s enjoy this one. We’ve got two more, guys. We’ve got two more, ” he said.

Friday’s match against N0.3 Carlos Alcaraz of No. 11 Jannik Sinner will determine if Tiafoe will make history again by becoming the first American man to reach the final since Roddick did it in 2003.