Moses Paul, an aide to Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has revealed why some of Obi’s former associates in the banking and business sectors are keeping their distance from him in public.

In an interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica, Paul explained that fear of backlash from President Bola Tinubu’s administration has caused many of Obi’s old colleagues to avoid being seen with him.

Recalling a recent trip to Kigali, Rwanda, Paul shared an incident involving top Nigerian businessmen. He noted that Aliko Dangote and other prominent figures, who were once close to Obi, avoided interacting with him during a high-profile conference in Kigali.

“There was a trip I made to Rwanda with Mr. Peter Obi. During the event, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and several influential Nigerian bankers and businessmen were present.

Shockingly, people who used to share close ties with Obi were deliberately avoiding him, likely out of fear that the Tinubu-led government might target them or their businesses,” Paul said.

Also, he criticized this behavior, calling it disappointing and unbefitting of Nigeria’s status as a leading African nation.

“It’s disheartening that in today’s world, people are afraid to be seen with an opposition leader, worried about potential government retaliation. Nigeria is supposed to represent hope for the black race, yet we see situations like this,” he added.

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has approved the recruitment of 2,000 teachers as part of his administration’s efforts to overhaul the education system in the state.

The announcement was made during an Executive Council meeting at the Government House in Gusau, where the governor reaffirmed his commitment to delivering on campaign promises. His spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, explained in a statement that this decision aligns with the administration’s focus on improving education, which ranks as its second priority.

The recruitment will be carried out in phases to ensure the process is transparent and targets the most qualified candidates for critical roles. In the first phase, 500 teachers will be hired in the first quarter of the year, focusing on subjects such as English, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, ICT, and entrepreneurship studies.

This initiative is part of the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Program, a federal project designed to enhance education for girls and improve school infrastructure across Nigeria.

The Federal Government has approved the creation of a new federal polytechnic in Abuja, which will be named after President Bola Tinubu.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in a letter to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on January 9.

According to Alausa, this initiative is part of the government’s broader plan to ensure that every state has a federal polytechnic.

The letter urged Wike to propose suitable locations in Gwarinpa for both temporary and permanent sites for the polytechnic.

A technical team from the Ministry of Education and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is set to conduct inspections in the area to identify the best options.