General
FG Goes Berserk as Twitter Deletes Buhari’s Controversial Tweet
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The decision of a popular micro-blogging platform, Twitter, to delete a tweet posted by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday via his verified handle has not gone down well with the federal government.
Mr Buhari had made a post believed to have been targeted at those of the Igbo extraction in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria.
Between 1967 and 1970, Nigeria and the South East region of the country under Biafra engaged in a clash later known as the Nigerian Civil War. Millions of people from the region were killed in the 30-month war.
On May 30, 2021, the region paid respect to the fallen Biafran heroes and two days after, Mr Buhari issued a threat believed to be offensive to the Igbos.
“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War.
“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,” the tweet had read.
But this generated outrage from Nigerians, who berated the President for using such language by reminding the Igbos of the horror they went through during the war.
Twitter was petitioned and after it initially found nothing wrong with the tweet, it backtracked and deleted it, stressing that the post “violated the Twitter rules.”
The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, was not happy with this development and he went hard on Twitter, accusing it of double standards.
“Twitter may have its own rules, it’s not the universal rule. If Mr President anywhere in the world feels very bad and concern about a situation, he is free to express such views.
“Now, we should stop comparing apples with oranges. If an organisation is proscribed, it is different from any other which is not proscribed.
“Two, any organisation that gives directives to its members, to attack police stations, to kill policemen, to attack correctional centres, to kill warders, and you are now saying that Mr President does not have the right to express his dismay and anger about that? Are we the ones guilty of double standards?
“I don’t see anywhere in the world where an organisation, a person will stay somewhere outside Nigeria and will direct his members to attack the symbols of authority, the police, the military, especially when that organisation has been proscribed. By whatever name, you can’t justify giving orders to kill policemen or to kill anybody you do not agree with.”
Mr Mohammed said the decision of Twitter to delete President Buhari’s tweet shows that its role in the Biafra agitation “is a suspect” and that the country will not be fooled.
Recall that recently, Twitter chose to open its office in Africa in Ghana, ignoring Nigeria with the excuse that the giant of Africa does not respect the rule of law and was gagging freedom of information.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government will next Tuesday unveil a $1 billion social protection programme targeting 7.2 million of the country’s most vulnerable households through emergency cash transfers and other interventions aimed at helping them withstand economic shocks and transition towards self-reliance.
The programme will be unveiled by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. It is part of the efforts of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to strengthen social protection and ensure that vulnerable Nigerians are protected while being supported towards resilience and economic self-reliance.
Mr Abimbola Fasanu, the Senior Technical Adviser on Information Systems and Data Analysis to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Mr Bernard Doro, said in a statement that the unveiling goes beyond the launch of a single programme, as it introduces a more coordinated approach to humanitarian response, social protection and poverty reduction, with the household placed at the centre of intervention and measurement.
A major component of the event will be the launch of the Federal Government Emergency Shock-Responsive Cash Transfer Programme, targeting 7.2 million of the most vulnerable households nationwide.
The event will also feature the launch of the One Humanitarian One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), Nigeria’s integrated framework for humanitarian response, social protection, poverty reduction and economic inclusion; the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Ministerial Blueprint; and Humanity First Magazine.
Mr Doro said OHOPRS addresses a longstanding challenge in which different government institutions, development partners and other organisations may intervene without sufficient visibility of who has already received support, what assistance was provided and whether the intervention improved the household’s condition.
“Nigeria cannot continue with a system where one vulnerable household receives interventions from several institutions while another equally vulnerable household remains unseen. We must know who has been reached, what support they received, whether it worked and what they need next,” the Minister said.
Under the new approach, a household receiving emergency assistance following a flood, conflict, economic shock or other crisis should not simply disappear from Government’s radar once the immediate emergency has passed. Where necessary, that household can be connected to appropriate social protection, livelihood support, skills development and economic opportunities, with progress towards resilience and self-reliance tracked over time.
“Our objective is not to keep Nigerians permanently dependent on assistance. We are moving from palliatives to pathways, from fragmentation to coordination, and from vulnerability to prosperity,” he stated.
He said the reform reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that economic reforms ultimately translate into improved welfare and greater opportunities for Nigerian households.
The Minister added that the First Lady’s role in unveiling the programme provides an important connection with her commitment to improving the welfare and economic opportunities of women, young people, families and vulnerable Nigerians through the Renewed Hope Initiative.
“The true measure of success is not simply how many Nigerians receive assistance, but how many become stronger, more resilient and ultimately able to sustain themselves and their families,” the spokesperson said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Tuesday, August 25, 2026, has been declared a public holiday by the federal government to celebrate this year’s Eid ul Mawlid.
A statement on Friday by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Ms Magdalene Ajani, said the holiday is in commemoration of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
Announcing the holiday on behalf of the federal government, the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, extended warm felicitations to Muslims in Nigeria and across the diaspora.
“Every Eid ul Mawlid gives us reason to pause and draw lessons from a life defined by compassion, humility and service to others.
“These are qualities our nation needs now more than ever, and I encourage every Nigerian, not just our Muslim brothers and sisters, to reflect on them,” he was quoted as saying in the statement, adding that the period should also serve as a time for collective prayer for the peace and cohesion of the country, noting that national unity remains a shared responsibility.
Mr Tunji-Ojo further charged citizens to observe the celebration with restraint and mutual respect, wishing the Muslim community a joyous and peaceful Eid, restating the resolve of the present administration to safeguard lives and property across the country and to ensure that peace is maintained at all times.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The new interim board of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDC) has been inaugurated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The body was inaugurated by the regulator on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, pursuant to its intervention order issued recently.
NERC had, through Order No. NERC/2026/08, dissolved the board of directors of KAEDC following repeated failures to meet market obligations and other prescribed performance indices.
It subsequently constituted a five-member interim board of Special Directors, chaired by Mr Abdullahi Garba, for an initial period of one year, alongside an interim administrator, Mr Abubakar Umar Hashidu, appointed for an initial six-month period, to drive the reset of the distribution company.
The new team has been tasked to restore sanity into the energy distribution firm and deliver quality service to consumers within its franchise area.
It was gathered that shortly after the inauguration at midweek, a joint delegation of NERC, the newly inaugurated board, KAEDC’s management and staff paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of One Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna.
At the military facility, the delegation was received by the General Officer Commanding and senior officers of the Division.
Thereafter, the team visited the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, where the Commandant and principal officers of the military institution received them with open arms.
At both visits, discussions centred on ways to collaborate for better efficiency.
