The Federal Government is set to dismantle the policy that separates Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) in a move aimed at curbing high dropout rates. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced this shift on Tuesday in Abuja while inaugurating the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to Dr. Alausa, the “disarticulation” policy—which mandates that JSS and SSS levels operate independently with separate facilities and leadership—has proven ineffective. Highlighting the scale of the problem, the Minister pointed to a massive gap: while there are 80,000 public primary schools, there are only 15,000 junior secondary schools, a ratio of one to eight. This imbalance has left junior secondary levels severely overcrowded while senior facilities remain underutilized.

“This disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out,” Dr. Alausa stated, emphasizing that prioritizing administrative positions over the welfare of students has harmed the education system. He noted that a formal proposal to abolish the policy will be submitted to the National Council on Education, with the ultimate goal of increasing educational access and improving learning outcomes.

Furthermore, the Minister inaugurated a new committee, led by Prof. Rashid Aderinoye, tasked with overseeing UBEC-funded projects, including Smart, Bilingual, and Alternative schools. Dr. Alausa expressed frustration over the delay in these projects, noting that despite significant government investment, many remain unfinished or non-operational, which he characterized as a drain on public resources. The committee is now charged with ensuring these schools are completed, transferred to state governments, and opened for students.

The internal conflict within the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) has escalated, as the Court of Appeal in Abuja has been petitioned to overturn a Federal High Court order that instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the association as a political party for the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The appeal was lodged on Tuesday by Dr. Umar Ardo, an aggrieved member who claims he had previously secured the necessary INEC access code before his application was rejected. His challenge rests on six primary grounds, contending that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court erred in law by ordering INEC to release the access code to a faction led by Chief Akin Ricketts.

Key Arguments Presented by the Appellant:

• Abuse of Court Process: Ardo argues that the suit initiated by Chief Ricketts and Dr. Aminu Ahmed constitutes an abuse of judicial process because it involves the same parties and subject matter as a previously filed suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2788/2025), which is currently pending on appeal.

• Forum Shopping: The appellant alleges that the respondents are attempting to bypass the appellate process by seeking a new judgment in the High Court rather than awaiting the outcome of the ongoing appeal.

• Statute-Barred Claims: Ardo maintains that the case filed by the respondents was statute-barred under Section 76 of the Electoral Act 2022, as it was brought more than 14 days after the cause of action arose.

• Lack of Locus Standi: The appeal asserts that Chief Ricketts lacks the legal standing to sue, as he was previously removed as the Pro Tem National Chairman and his name has been removed from the association’s membership register.

• Jurisdictional Overreach: Ardo contends that the Federal High Court exceeded its jurisdiction by interfering in the internal affairs of the association regarding leadership changes and the validity of association decisions.

Background and Court Ruling In October 2025, INEC identified ADA as one of 14 associations pre-qualified for registration. However, a dispute arose between factions over who held the legitimate authority to access the INEC portal. Justice Lifu’s initial judgment nullified previous actions taken by Ardo on behalf of the association, declared the release of the access code to him illegal, and ordered INEC to provide the code to the Ricketts-led faction within 72 hours.

Beyond requesting the nullification of the Federal High Court’s judgment, Dr. Ardo has applied for costs to be awarded against the respondents.

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has implemented a significant cabinet reshuffle to enhance administrative efficiency and bolster the “People’s Charter of Needs” agenda. The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ikeuwa Omebeh, following a State Executive Council meeting in Abakaliki.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The reorganization coincided with the induction of new officials:

• Omari Omaka: Appointed as Commissioner for Tertiary Education.

• Sylvester Nwenu Nwite: Deployed to the Ministry of Environment.

• Felix Onyekachi Njoku: Inaugurated as Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Mobilisation.

Key Ministerial Redeployments Several serving commissioners have been moved to new portfolios to better align their professional expertise with state needs:

• Chidiebere Onyia: From Solid Mineral Development to Youth and Sports Development.

• Ajuka Obasi Nwogo: From Market Development to Skill Acquisition.

• Prince Richard Idike: From Youth and Sports Development to Capital City and Urban Development.

• Sunday Elechi Inyima: From Capital City and Urban Development to Project Monitoring.

• Ngozi Obichukwu: From Aviation to Special Projects.

• Magnus Chinedu Nka: From Water Resources to Solid Mineral Development.

• Victor Uzoma Chukwu: From Environment to Water Resources.

• Okwu Oko Udu: Deployed to head the Ministry of Market Development.

Administrative Clarifications

• Timeline: Affected officials were directed to conclude all handover processes by the close of business on June 30, 2026.

• Performance: Commissioner Omebeh explicitly dismissed rumors that the reshuffle was due to poor performance, stating it was a strategic move to optimize the expertise of the executive team.

• Status of Aviation Ministry: The Ministry of Aviation remains active and will continue operations under the supervision of its Permanent Secretary.

• Retention: Several commissioners, including those overseeing Justice, Information, and Budget and Planning, retained their original portfolios.

The administration emphasized that this realignment is intended to inject “fresh energy” into governance and ensure more effective implementation of state policies.