Former Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has listed the qualities he cherishes in the person of the immediate past minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, one of which is Pantami’s commitment to his islamic religion.
“…most important of all, and I have to say this, is his religious fervency, his commitment to Islam. “Because he is first and foremost, in my view, and this is probably why I admire him so much, a cleric, a sheikh, and a man that will stand for, and by his faith any day and any time. And that is something that ought to be admired.”
Fani-Kayode spoke today, January 24, at the public presentation in Abuja, of a 341-page book, written by, and chronicles the two decades of Professor Ali Pantami in academia, both full-time and part-time.

The book, titled: “A Scholar’s Journey: Navigating the Academia,” covers the former Minister’s academic life across four continents – Africa, Europe, Asia and North America – from January 2003 to January 2023.

Speaking as chairman of the public presentation, Fani-Kayode described Professor Pantami as a public figure of ‘indomitable courage’ who has a true passion for national service.
“Professor Pantami is courageous about his faith. He is courageous about his academic achievements. He has been courageous in his political career. He has been courageous when it comes to his friendships and his loyalty to so many people.
“He has been courageous in his support and standing by President Muhammadu Buhari through thick and thin, which is something that is a great honor because most people when somebody is out of power, they no longer stand with that person. He has been consistent and clear and that speaks for him.”
Reviewing the book, the former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed, said that anyone who knows Professor Pantami would not find it difficult to label him a scholar.
“Nobody will doubt his credentials as an influential Islamic scholar. Nobody in governance or in the academia will doubt the scholarly credentials of Professor Pantami in the broad discipline of computing, especially the area of cyber security.
“In his exemplary life in public service, first as the DG of NITDA, and later as Nigeria’s first Minister of Digital Economy, you will find an adequate basis for defining the basic constituents of the ideal academic in government or a multi-faceted scholar in national political space.”
Professor Rasheed said that the book is made up of 17 chapters, organically arranged in a linear chronological order, regarding its structural and thematic concerns.
“Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim’s academic autobiography is a remarkable book, crafted by a highly intelligent, resourceful, dynamic, charismatic, and culturally educated public servant and academician.
“The book itself is fairly well written, edited, and structured. It is reader-friendly and has a delightful technical finish. The language is simple but dignified, logical, coherent, authoritative, and thoroughly persuasive. ”
Also speaking, the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum described Professor Pantami as a multi-faceted expert that has greatly impacted the trajectory of Nigeria’s technological landscape. He said that the ex-Minister is a leader who has demonstrated exceptional capabilities in the fields of administration and leadership, together with the academic world.
“This book is a chronicle of a remarkable life, one that has left an indelible impact in the realms of computing, cyber security, oil and gas, and technological innovation. Prof. Pantami’s tenure as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy was marked by transformative policies that have catapulted our nation into the digital era.”
Responding, Professor Pantami said that the new book will serve as a mentorship guide for the younger Nigerians.
“The book was authored to also share the experience I got while serving the general public and Nigeria as a nation.
“The current public officers will learn greatly from my successes and challenges while holding a public office for them to succeed. Aside from this book, I will sooner or later be unveiling five other ones I am currently working on, at the moment.”
The public presentation of the book was chaired by the Governor of Borno State.
Present at the occasion were Governors Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, together with former Governors of Lagos, Gombe and Ekiti States: Babatunde Raji Fashola, Senator Danjuma Goje and Dr. Kayode Fayemi and several Ministers (both serving and former).

After 25 years in marriage, a couple in Ilorin, Kwara State, have realised that there is no love between them.
Seperating the couple, named Ramat and Ibrahim today January 24, in a divorce case, a Centre-Igboro Area Court in Ilorin, agreed that from evidence available, there is no love between the two.
The Judge, Hammad Ajumonbi said that the statement by the petitioner, Ramat, showed that all efforts to reconcile the coupled had failed.
Ajumonbi, therefore, dissolved the marriage, which was conducted in an Islamic way between the couple.
The Judge said that the first and second children of the marriage are already adults and, have their individual right to choose who they want to live with.
The judge also ordered the respondent to take full responsibility for the children’s feeding, school fees and medical expenses, to the best of his ability.
He also ruled that the petitioner should be allowed to pack all her belongings with the permission of the court.
Earlier, the wife had told the court that she was scared of going to the respondent’s house, alleging that he was fetish and partial with his co-wife, hence her insistence on divorce.
She requested that the children remained with the respondent for now.
The husband told the court that he agreed with the petitioner’s decision on divorce and did not want to ever see her in his house again, to avoid further allegations.
Source: NAN.

A 72- year-old blind man, Murtala Adebayo has been charged before a court for allegedly defrauding a man of N19 million over land matter
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adebayo was arraigned by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretext before an Ikeja Special Offences Court.
The defendant, whose residential address was not provided, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The EFCC counsel, Babangida Isah appealed to the court for a trial date given his plea of not guilty.
The defence counsel, Bamidele Ogundele informed the court of a bail application dated January 24 but the prosecution informed the court that it needed time to go through the bail summon.
Ogundele prayed for a short adjournment to enable him to move the application.
According to him, the defendant has health issues and is virtually impaired.
“We pray for a short adjournment for the bail application to be heard because of his health status my lord.
“He is a 72-year-old man and he is blind.
“We also pray that the defendant is in EFCC custody because of the state of his health so that his doctor can attend to him there.”
Earlier, the prosecution had told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offences in 2015 and 2019, respectively in Lagos.
Isah said that the defendant, with an intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N4.5 million from one Gafar Ademolake by falsely informing him that the payment was for three plots of land at Ogombo Ajah in Lagos, a presentation he knew to be false.
The prosecutor submitted that the defendant also collected the sum of N5.5 million from the complainant as part of the payment for 18 plots of land in Ayogbemi Village in Ibeju-Lekki, which he knew to be false.
He further alleged that the defendant collected two Toyota Camry 2005 Model cars and one Honda Accord 2006 Model, valued at N9 million from the complainant that the payment was for the balance of the 18 plots of land in Ibeju, a presentation he knew to be false.
Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the case until February 9 for a hearing of the bail application.
Dada ordered that the defendant should remain in EFCC custody pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
Source: NAN.

The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has picked a former Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Olaide Adelami, as the deputy governor.
Aiyedatiwa, who succeeded Rotimi Akeredolu after his death a couple of weeks ago, has also sacked all the commissioners, special advisers and aides that were put together by his late predecessor.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Governor Ebenezer Adeniyan said that the name of the new deputy governor has been transmitted to the State House of Assembly for approval.
“His nomination will be announced by the House of Assembly later today,” the statement said.
Adelami, who hails from Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area, the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s town, retired as Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly in April 2018.
Adelami was an APC governorship aspirant in 2020 but stepped down for the late Akeredolu.

President of Dangote group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has bounced back as richest person in Africa, with a net worth of $13.9 billion.
According to Forbes, the fortunes of Africa’s wealthiest people rebounded slightly in the past 12 months, reversing the decline in their fortunes from a year ago.
A South African business mogul, Johann Rupert, had, at the close of 2023, Dethroned Aliko, as his wealth decreased from $13.5 billion in 2023 to $9.7 billion as of January 4, 2024.
Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, a ranking platform that monitors daily changes in the net worth of the world’s wealthiest people, said that the fortunes of Africa’s wealthiest people rebounded slightly in the past 12 months, reversing the decline in their fortunes from a year ago, though they were still off their all-time highs.
The New Jersey-based media outfit said that the 20 billionaires on the 2024 Forbes list of Africa’s Richest are worth a combined $82.4 billion, up from $900 million last year’s $81.5 billion.
Forbes said that the combined wealth of the 20 billionaires on the 2024 list of Africa’s Richest amounts to $82.4 billion, a slight increase from the previous year’s total of $81.5 billion.
Stock prices and exchange rates from the close of business on January 8, 2024 were factors in Forbes’ methodology for determining net worth.
Femi Otedola, the Executive Chairman of Geregu Power Plc, was also included in the list of Africa’s richest individuals, with a net worth of $1.1 billion.
Otedola had last appeared on the Forbes Africa list in 2017, when he held a controlling stake in fuel distributor Forte Oil.
The 2024 list also revealed that Africa’s billionaires experienced a slight dip but fared better than the previous year.
Johann Rupert and his family from South Africa, who have a net worth of $10.1 billion, and Nicky Oppenheimer and his family, who have a net worth of $9.4 billion, are the two South African businessmen who are closely following Dangote.
In addition, Nassef Sawiris has a net worth of $8.7 billion, while Nigeria’s Mike Adenuga and the Chairman of BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, hold respective net worths of $6.9 billion and $5.9 billion

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has announced move to acquire digital tracking devices to adequately tackle kidnappers and bandits that have been terrorising the residents in recent time.
The Minister of the FCT, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, who spoke to newsmen today, January 22, said that the acquisition of the devices is made possible by the grant of an emergency approval by President Bola Tinubu.
Wike confirmed that lack of adequate equipment in the past led to recent unpleasant series of attacks in the capital city, saying that with the emergency procurement approval by the President, the story would soon change for better.
The Minister said that the purchase of the special equipment will enable the security agencies to track criminals to their exact location in the city and that it would help to limit criminal activities.
“So, what we have done with Mr. President, giving us approval for emergency procurement, we have been able to identify what each of the agencies need and we will be able now to provide them.”
He said that the FCT Administration will provide motorcycles to ease specific movements of the security agencies in difficult terrains to enable them tackle insecurity in the nation’s capital.
The Minister said that he learnt on assumption of office that the Nigeria Police Force had requested the procurement of motorcycles to enable them go into places vehicles could not get to, including remote and mountainous areas
“The basic thing is having identified all these and the security agencies have told us this is what they require, we have to do the needful. We have even gone further to ask the state director of DSS about what they would need to tackle this menace. What kind of equipment do you want? Not that if anything happens, you have to run to your headquarters to seek assistance.
Wike stressed that the government is not resting on its oars, even as he said that some of the informants recently arrested by security agencies were cooperating and giving useful intelligence.
He said that the information extracted from the informants has led to the arrest of some kidnappers as well as the foiling of more attacks.
The Minister said the need for information sharing among security agencies saying that it is key to unravelling the issue of insecurity in the nation’s capital.
Wike said that the Administration will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure the safety of lives and property in the FCT.
“Our going out to involve the natives, the Area Councils, is to let them know that they also have a role to play and that information is key. We were able to encourage the area councils to have vigilante groups to be able to give security agencies information. We were able to know firsthand, their own peculiarities, their own problems.”
He said that most kidnapping incidents occur in the boundary areas of the FCT and that the Administration would work with the states that share borders with the FCT to bring an end to insecurity.
“When I came on board, as part of the hand over notes, there is a section where the governors of the four states and the FCT try to form a coalition on how they can support each other to reduce the level of insecurity amongst the boundary states and the FCT, but it was not implemented.
“But the governors are settled now after the elections. So, we will be having our first meeting next week which FCT is going to host the four states that share borders with the FCT in order to fully implement the cooperation between the four states and the FCT, because if we don’t do that it will be difficult because we need the support of Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger and Kaduna states and majorly, Kaduna and Niger.”
He said that most of the bandits, when are flushed out of the states, run into forests bordering the states and the FCT and eventually into the FCT. The Minister commended the Nigeria Army for their efforts in flushing out the criminals, and appealed to them do more with more motivation.
“We are talking about forest that run into thousands of hectares. Our soldiers have tried within their capacity. From time to time, they raid these forests but they can’t remain there permanently because they don’t have the resources and personnel to keep them there permanently. And as they move out, some of these bandits come in again. But with what we are doing now, and the support of the various area councils, we think they will soon be a thing of the past.”
As part of measures to check insecurity, especially “one chance,” the Minister said that henceforth, all commercial vehicles in the FCT would be registered and painted in the colors of the FCT.
He stressed that no unregistered vehicle would be allowed for commercial purpose in the FCT.
“We are not going to allow vehicles that are not with FCT colors, registered by the FCTA to ply commercially.
“So you as a passenger will not go and enter a vehicle you don’t know. Even uber will have to be registered. Who are these drivers?
“We need to certify them and the security agencies profile them. This is a city. If we don’t have rules, then there will be problems.”
The Minister expressed worry that the FCT does not have vehicle terminals for the various areas of the territory, adding that it is a source of security concern as commuters board vehicles on the road to the detriment of their lives.
“By the grace of God, what we plan to do in this fiscal year is to, at least, start with three terminals so that we know the buses and taxis that will carry people from that terminal so that nobody takes that risk to go on the road to wait for taxis. With that we will be able to reduce crime.
“I am not saying that with the provision of these there will be no crime, no, it is not possible. Anybody that says that is not telling you the truth.”
The Minister who called for more motivation for security operatives to discharge their duties better, stressed the need for stiffer penalties for criminals as part of ways to check criminality in the FCT.
He said that the FCTA will continue to support the security agencies even as he called on the residents to cooperate with the security operatives to secure lives and property in the FCT.