By Saint Mugaga

The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Implementation and Oversight of the Naira-for-Crude Oil Policy has issues a 7-day ultimatum to invited agencies to furnish it with requested documents on or before the 27th November 2025 or face Parliamentary sanctions.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Boniface Emerengwa, who issued the threat on Thursday in Abuja after agencies invites for the investigation failed to show up and refused to submit relevant documents requested by the committee.

He announced that “The investigative hearing scheduled for today, 20th November 2025, has been adjourned due to the gross negligence and lack of seriousness displayed by relevant stakeholders”.

The chairman expressed dismay that “Despite ample notice, the majority of stakeholders failed to recognize the role of the legislative arm in working with the Executive for the effective implementation of the Policy, by their failure to submit their required documents within the stipulated timeframe.

“This dereliction of duty has not only undermined the integrity of the committee’s work but has also cast a shadow of unseriousness over a matter of national importance.

“The committee views this conduct as a blatant disregard for the legislative process and a disrespect to the Nigerian people whose interests we are mandated to protect. Let it be unequivocally stated: the committee is deeply disappointed”.

According to the chairman, “The failure to submit documents on time has impeded our ability to conduct proper vetting and due diligence, thereby frustrating the investigative process.
This committee was constituted to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective oversight of the Naira-for-Crude Oil Policy, a policy with far-reaching implications for our economy and national development.

He warned that “Any attempt to frustrate this process will be met with firm legislative consequences. In the spirit of magnanimity and in recognition of the gravity of this investigation, the committee has resolved to extend the deadline for document submission to 27th November 2025.

“This extension is a final opportunity for stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment to transparency and cooperation. Furthermore, the investigative hearing has been rescheduled to 2nd December 2025, 12:00 AM, Conference Room 440. This date is final and non-negotiable.

“Let it be known to all stakeholders that failure to comply with this extended deadline will attract severe sanctions. The committee will not hesitate to invoke its full legislative powers, including but not limited to: Issuance of summons and subpoenas, public naming and shaming of non-compliant entities, recommendation of sanctions to relevant regulatory and executive bodies and escalation to plenary for further disciplinary action

“This committee will not be made to appear unserious or ineffective due to the indifference of stakeholders. We are determined to carry out our mandate with diligence, and we expect full cooperation from all parties involved.

“Stakeholders are hereby advised to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves. The Naira-for-Crude Oil Policy is not a peripheral issue it is central to our economic sovereignty and fiscal accountability. The Nigerian people are watching, and history will judge our actions.

“We urge all stakeholders to submit their documents by the new deadline and prepare to appear before the committee on the rescheduled hearing date. The time for excuses is over. The time for accountability is now”

By Saint Mugaga

President Bola Tinubu Thursday expressed his commitment to the development of children, saying they are the future of the nation.

He stated this at the launching and public presentation of a book titled “The Power of a Teenager: 50 Ways to Inspire Change”, written by Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, House of Representatives, and Founder of the Children of Africa Leadership and Values Development Initiative (CALDEV), Rep. Bamidele Salam on Thursday.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the National Assembly, House of Representatives Liaison, Dr. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, commended Salam for his dedication to youth development.

“You may not fully understand the impact of what you are receiving now, but tomorrow you will see what. Hon. Bamidele Salam has done in your lives,” he said.

He urged all attendees to make a personal commitment to shaping the minds of young Nigerians, stressing that while Salam funded the initiative personally, the greater task lies in mentoring and guiding the nation’s youth.

Also speaking at the launch, Vice President Kashim Shettima described the launch as a clear demonstration of the potential of Nigerian children.

Represented by his Senior Special Assistant, Dr. Kingsley Uzoma, the vice president praised Salam for aligning his work with the administration’s vision for youth empowerment.

“This initiative speaks directly to the leaders of tomorrow,” he added, commending both the organisation and the children participating in the programme.

In his remarks, Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila also lauded Salam’s efforts.

“Nigerian children are the future of this nation. Even though they are young, we are looking to them to take this country to where it should be,” he said.

Gbajabiamila commended Salam for consistently producing the book annually, calling it a testament to leadership and commitment.

“Leadership may be inborn or thrust upon you, but there must be someone to guide you. That is what this book is doing—it provides the guidance our young people need,” he said, urging children to read and internalise its lessons.

Speaking at the event, Hon. Bamidele Salam shared the story of how CALDEV was founded in 2015 to fill a gap in Nigeria’s educational system.

Unlike in other countries, he said, leadership training is rarely embedded in the curriculum. Through CALDEV and its flagship National Children’s Leadership Conference, children gain practical exposure to leadership, public speaking, and community service.

Many past participants have gone on to start NGOs, run radio programmes, and lead campaigns addressing early marriage, child labour, and other social issues.

“This year, about 400 children are participating, and the impact has been phenomenal,” Salam said. He urged state governments to replicate the initiative at the state level to provide young people across Nigeria with intensive leadership training. Highlighting the large participation from Borno State, Salam said that properly trained and nurtured children could become agents of change, promoting peace, tolerance, education, and societal development.

Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, lauded the author for his dedication to youth development through the newly launched book.

Chinda expressed pride that a member of the House is actively shaping the future of Nigerian children.

“As members of the House of Representatives, we hold our heads high today that one of us is doing this. We are very, very proud, and we pray that this inspiration should flow through every other member of the House,” he said.

Chinda noted that the legacy of leaders and thinkers, is remembered not for wealth but for wisdom and the knowledge they left behind.

“When we see initiatives like this, these are the things worthy of celebration,” he said.

Member of the House from Borno State, Hon. Zainab Gimba, said,”We have come because we are celebrating not just a book today when they had an imagination behind it. I actually commend for shining a compassionate and bright lights of our teenagers.

“He has given our young people a voice that others will also step on the same foot, so that our teenagers will be empowered, not in this generation, but in future generations to come.”

By Saint Mugaga

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said the comment attributed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, blaming recent terrorist attacks in Kebbi and Kwara States on the remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, is an abdication of responsibility.

The party states this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

The ADC spokesman described the claim as an amateurish deflection and a confirmation that President Bola Tinubu government is overwhelmed by the security situation in the country and is clueless how to go about solving it.

“We find it quite appalling that the APC-led Federal Government now claims its security failures are caused by a tweet by the President of another country,” the party stated.

ADC noted that for years, Nigerians have suffered horrific massacres, mass abductions and assaults on schools and worship centers, under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“This situation has worsened with each passing year, particularly under the current administration as the bandits and terrorists get more emboldened by government’s failure to respond appropriately.

“It is therefore disingenuous to blame one tweet for the state of insecurity in Nigeria.

“Those killing Nigerians did not need to be instigated by Trump, they were already actively encouraged by a government that consistently fails to act decisively to stop the carnage, a government that is, even after nearly three years in office, still celebrating its electoral victory while the country is turned to a killing field,” ADC said.

It wondered how could a government that takes pride in its sovereignty and has any modicum of self respect blame one statement by a foreign leader for the collapse of its security system?

“Are we so vulnerable that a social media post from Washington can that easily turn our country upside down?” the party asked.

ADC added that if indeed Mr. Trump’s statement constitutes such a security threat, what has been the government’s evaluation of that threat and what measures have the government put in place to mitigate the potential threat that could emanate from it?

“This is what any serious government would do. It would not just wait for these opportunistic attacks to start shopping for who to blame for its incompetence.

“Nigerians are tired of this government’s mentality and approach to tackling this problem of insecurity.

“But how can a government that is incapable of accepting responsibility be trusted to find a solution?

“There is no doubt about this: Nigeria is under siege because of the Tinubu-led APC government’s domestic negligence and incompetence rather than President Trump’s social media post,” the party