society
Tinubu’s St. Lucia Scholarship Scandal (Tinubu Irresponsible for Offering St. Lucia Students Scholarships While Abuja Schools Are on Strike): A Case of Misplaced Priorities and National Betrayal
Tinubu’s St. Lucia Scholarship Scandal (Tinubu Irresponsible for Offering St. Lucia Students Scholarships While Abuja Schools Are on Strike): A Case of Misplaced Priorities and National Betrayal.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
In what can only be described as a brazen display of political arrogance and shocking detachment from national realities, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has once again stirred outrage across Nigeria. His recent announcement of scholarships for students in St. Lucia during a diplomatic visit, while public schools in Abuja and other parts of Nigeria remain shut due to non payment of salaries, staff strikes and systemic decay, is nothing short of national betrayal.
This shameful act is a glaring testimony of Tinubu’s misplaced priorities, gross Irresponsibility and total disconnect from the plight of the ordinary Nigerian. At a time when Nigerian students are languishing at home due to non-payment of teachers, decaying infrastructure and chronic underfunding of the education sector, Tinubu finds it politically rewarding to parade philanthropy on a foreign stage with Nigerian taxpayers’ money. This is not leadership, it is intellectual vandalism of the highest order.
A Nation in Academic Distress.
Back home, the situation is dire. The University of Abuja is under lock and key, its lecturers protesting unpaid salaries and unfulfilled agreements. Public secondary and primary schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have joined the strike. From leaky classrooms to non-functional laboratories, many schools have become deathtraps rather than centers of learning. Students now wander the streets, hawking sachet water and recharge cards, victims of a failed system they never created.
The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) declared an indefinite strike over unpaid wages and poor working conditions. This is happening in the very capital of Africa’s most populous nation. What does it say about leadership when the seat of power is engulfed in academic darkness while its president offers EDUCATIONAL CHARITY to a FOREIGN LAND?
Scholarships for Saint Lucia: A Tone-Deaf Decision.
According to reports, President Tinubu, during his diplomatic trip to Saint Lucia in July 2025, pledged Nigerian-funded scholarships to selected Saint Lucian students who wish to study overseas. While the gesture may have been designed to promote pan-African solidarity and international goodwill, the timing and context are not only inappropriate, they are shameful.
What logic supports such ACTION? Who APPROVED it? And more importantly, who BENEFITS? Nigeria’s own education system is on life support. University students are learning under debilitating conditions; no electricity, no water, broken furniture, outdated syllabi and unpaid lecturers. Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and WAEC results continue to paint a grim picture of educational decay.
Misplaced Priorities Amid Economic Crisis.
This act becomes even more infuriating when placed against the backdrop of Nigeria’s current economic woes. The naira continues to slide, inflation has eroded the average Nigerian’s purchasing power, electricity tariffs have skyrocketed and fuel prices have become unaffordable. Yet, this same government that claims it cannot afford to pay a ₦70,000 minimum wage or equip schools with basic infrastructure somehow has the funds to sponsor foreign students.
Dr. Obadiah Bala, a respected Nigerian economist, said it best: “When a nation with crumbling schools begins to export scholarships, you must question the sanity of its leadership. This is not foreign aid; it’s fiscal lunacy.”
According to a 2024 British Home Office report, Nigeria is now among the top three countries with the highest number of student visa applications. Our own students are fleeing the country en masse to pursue education abroad. This mass exodus of intellectual capital shows just how much faith young Nigerians have lost in the system. So, how does offering scholarships to foreign nationals help?
Charity Begins at Home.
“Charity begins at home,” the age-old adage reminds us. Tinubu’s administration seems to think otherwise, by offering aid to foreign students while Nigerian institutions collapse, Tinubu is effectively prioritizing political optics over the real needs of his people. This is not statesmanship; it is stagecraft masquerading as diplomacy.
As Dr. Ayo Olatunji of the University of Ibadan aptly put it, “Nigerian leaders have a chronic addiction to international showmanship. They chase applause abroad while their citizens choke at home. What Tinubu did in Saint Lucia is a classic betrayal of the Nigerian student.”
In leadership, optics matter; but substance matters more. This was not just bad optics; it was a total abdication of duty. It sends a clear message: Nigerian students do not matter to the President. Their future is disposable.
Public Outcry and the Call for Accountability.
It comes as no surprise that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) reacted with righteous fury. In a statement issued by its President, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, NANS described the St. Lucia scholarship pledge as “an insult to every Nigerian student who has ever studied without electricity, running water or qualified teachers.” The union has even threatened a nationwide protest if Tinubu does not prioritize domestic educational issues.
This is not a partisan issue. It is a moral one. Leaders must be held accountable when they make decisions that insult the intelligence and dignity of their citizens. The Nigerian people, especially the youth are not fools. They can see the hypocrisy.
_They know when they are being taken for granted._
Diplomatic Showboating vs. National Crisis.
Tinubu’s frequent foreign travels have already come under scrutiny. Since assuming office in 2023, he has visited over 20 countries, including France, UAE, China, Brazil, now Saint Lucia and Saint Helena. Each trip is accompanied by a bloated entourage, grand promises and vague agreements that bring little to no tangible benefit back home. Meanwhile, at home, hospitals are collapsing, schools are empty and workers are protesting. If this is governance, then Nigeria has been reduced to a traveling theatre.
A government that cannot fund education at home has no business offering education abroad. It’s like a man whose children sleep hungry every night but who throws lavish dinners for his neighbors.
Betrayal in Broad Daylight.
Let us not sugarcoat the truth, this is a BETRAYAL. A BETRAYAL of the Nigerian child who walks miles to a dilapidated school. A BETRAYAL of the teacher who hasn’t been paid in months. A BETRAYAL of the parents who make impossible sacrifices just to keep their children in school. And a BETRAYAL of the entire nation that is being dragged backwards by leadership decisions that make no sense.
Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” What do you call a leader who disarms his own nation and arms others? Tinubu’s gesture in Saint Lucia wasn’t diplomacy. It is a slap in the face to every Nigerian student. It is BETRAYAL dressed in agbada.
The Way FORWARD.
It is not too late for President Tinubu to correct this grave mistake. He must immediately withdraw the scholarship pledge to Saint Lucian students and redirect those funds toward revitalizing Nigeria’s education sector. This includes settling all outstanding wages of university and public-school staff, renovating decayed infrastructure and updating the curriculum to meet 21st-century needs.
Furthermore, Tinubu must publicly apologize to Nigerian students, parents and educators for this insensitive and irresponsible decision. Anything short of that would confirm that this government values photo ops over people and international validation over national progress.
All Things Considered: Nigeria Deserves Better.
Nigeria is not a playground for experimental leadership. We cannot afford the luxury of incompetence when millions of young lives are on the line. If President Tinubu cannot place Nigerian students at the center of his development agenda, then he has no moral justification to lead them.
Nigeria deserves better. Our children deserve better. We must keep demanding better.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
Ramadan: Adron Homes Felicitates Muslims, Preaches Hope and Unity
Adron Homes & Properties Limited has congratulated Muslim faithful on the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, urging Nigerians to embrace the virtues of sacrifice, discipline, and compassion that define the season.
In a statement made available to journalists, the company described Ramadan as a period of deep reflection, spiritual renewal, and strengthened devotion to faith and humanity.
According to the management, the holy month represents values that align with the organisation’s commitment to integrity, resilience, and community development.
“Ramadan is a time that teaches patience, generosity, and selflessness. As our Muslim customers and partners begin the fast, we pray that their sacrifices are accepted and that the season brings peace, joy, and renewed hope to their homes and the nation at large,” the statement read.
The firm reaffirmed its dedication to providing affordable and accessible housing solutions to Nigerians, noting that building homes goes beyond structures to creating environments where families can thrive.
Adron Homes further urged citizens to use the period to pray for national unity, economic stability, and sustainable growth.
It wished all Muslim faithful a spiritually fulfilling Ramadan.
Ramadan Mubarak.
society
Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com
“Fiscal Rigidity in a Time of Crisis: Lawmakers Say Fixed Budget Ceilings Are Crippling Nigeria’s Fight Against Insurgency, Banditry, and Organized Crime.”
Nigeria’s legislature has issued a stark warning: the envelope budgeting system; a fiscal model that caps spending for ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) is inadequate to meet the country’s escalating security challenges. Lawmakers and budget analysts argue that rigid fiscal ceilings are undermining the nation’s ability to confront insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence, oil theft and maritime insecurity.
The warning emerged during the 2026 budget defence session for the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) at the National Assembly in Abuja. Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC‑Kebbi North), chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, decried the envelope system, noting that security agencies “have been subject to the vagaries of the envelope system rather than to genuine needs and requirements.” The committee highlighted non-release or partial release of capital funds from previous budgets, which has hindered procurement, intelligence and operational capacity.
Nigeria faces a multi‑front security crisis: persistent insurgency in the North‑East, banditry and kidnappings across the North‑West and North‑Central, separatist tensions in the South‑East, and piracy affecting Niger Delta oil production. Despite declarations of a national security emergency by President Bola Tinubu, lawmakers point to a “disconnect” between rhetoric and the actual fiscal support for agencies tasked with enforcement.
Experts warn that security operations demand flexibility and rapid resource allocation. Dr. Amina Bello, a public finance specialist, said: “A static budget in a dynamic threat environment is like sending firefighters with water jugs to a forest fire. You need flexibility, not fixed ceilings, to adapt to unforeseen developments.”
The Permanent Secretary of Special Services at ONSA, Mohammed Sanusi, detailed operational consequences: irregular overhead releases, unfulfilled capital appropriations, and constrained foreign service funds. These fiscal constraints have weakened intelligence and covert units, hampering surveillance, cyber‑security, counter‑terrorism and intelligence sharing.
Delayed capital releases have stalled critical projects, including infrastructure upgrades and surveillance systems. Professor Kolawole Adeyemi, a governance expert, emphasized that “budgeting for security must allow for rapid reallocation in response to threats that move faster than political cycles. Envelope budgeting lacks this essential flexibility.”
While the National Assembly advocates fiscal discipline, lawmakers stress that security funding requires strategic responsiveness. Speaker Abbas Ibrahim underscored that security deserves “prominent and sustained attention” in the 2026 budget, balancing oversight with operational needs.
In response, the Senate committee plans to pursue reforms, including collaboration with the executive to restructure funding, explore supplementary budgets and ensure predictable and sufficient resources for security agencies. Experts warn that without reform, criminal networks will exploit these gaps, eroding public trust.
As one policy analyst summarized: “A nation declares a security emergency; but if its budget does not follow with real resources and oversight, the emergency remains rhetorical.” Nigeria’s debate over envelope budgeting is more than an accounting dispute; it is a contest over the nation’s security priorities and its commitment to safeguarding citizens.
Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin) Celebrates as She Marks Her Birthday
Today, the world and the body of Christ rise in celebration of a rare vessel of honour, Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba, fondly known as Eritosin, as she marks her birthday.
Born a special child with a divine mark of grace, Rev. Mother Eritosin’s journey in God’s vineyard spans several decades of steadfast service, spiritual depth, and undeniable impact. Those who know her closely describe her as a prophetess with a heart of gold — a woman whose calling is not worn as a title, but lived daily through compassion, discipline, humility, and unwavering faith.
From her early days in ministry, she has touched lives across communities, offering spiritual guidance, prophetic insight, and motherly counsel. Many testify that through her prayers and teachings, they encountered God in a deeply personal and transformative way. Near and far, her influence continues to echo — not only within church walls, but in homes, families, and destinies reshaped through her mentorship.
A mother in every sense of the word, Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba embodies nurture and correction in equal measure. As a grandmother, she remains energetic in purpose — accommodating the wayward, embracing the rejected, and holding firmly to the belief that no soul is beyond redemption. Her life’s mission has remained consistent: to lead many to Christ and guide them into the light of a new beginning.
Deeply rooted within the C&S Unification, she stands tall as a spiritual pillar in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church globally. Her dedication to holiness, unity, and prophetic service has earned her widespread respect as a spiritual matriarch whose voice carries both authority and humility.
As she celebrates another year today, tributes continue to pour in from spiritual sons and daughters, church leaders, and admirers who see in her a living reflection of grace in action.
Prayer for Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin)
May the Almighty God, who called you from birth and anointed you for His service, continually strengthen you with divine health and renewed vigour.
May your oil never run dry, and may your prophetic mantle grow heavier with greater glory.
May the lives you have nurtured rise to call you blessed.
May your latter years be greater than the former, filled with peace, honour, and the visible rewards of your labour in God’s vineyard.
May heaven continually back your prayers, and may your light shine brighter across nations.
Happy Birthday to a true Mother in Israel — Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin).
More years.
More anointing.
More impact.
If you want this adapted for a newspaper page, church bulletin, Facebook post, or birthday flyer, just tell me the format and tone.
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