The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed reports of a rift between its governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, describing the alleged disagreement as unfounded.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has recounted how former President Olusegun Obasanjo insisted that she travel to Norway to represent him at a major international event despite her initial refusal.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Ezekwesili disclosed this during an interview with Founders Connect, explaining that Obasanjo had been scheduled to deliver a keynote address at a global meeting of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Norway but was later unable to attend.

According to the former minister, Obasanjo contacted her on the eve of his planned trip and informed her that she would have to travel in his place.

She said she strongly opposed the decision because she was already occupied with several government responsibilities, particularly reforms she was determined to complete before the administration’s tenure ended.

Ezekwesili explained that Obasanjo often reassigned her to different roles because of her efficiency, a practice she said sometimes disrupted her plans and made it difficult to concentrate on ongoing projects.

Recalling the incident, she said she had carefully organised her schedule and calculated the time required to complete her reform work. She was therefore unhappy that the proposed trip would take her away for two or three days.

The former minister said she openly protested the directive and insisted that she would not travel. However, Obasanjo reportedly contacted her husband and asked him to persuade her to accept the assignment.

“I said I wasn’t going. It forced him to have to call my husband and say, ‘Beg me, beg her for me. She has to go to Norway,’” Ezekwesili recalled.

She said she returned home frustrated, arguing that the government had only a few months left in office and that she needed to focus on completing as much of her reform agenda as possible.

Ezekwesili added that, while serving in the education sector, she had deliberately limited her official travels, directing her minister of state to attend engagements that required her presence.

She was therefore disappointed when Obasanjo’s instruction threatened to disrupt the plan she had put in place.

The former minister said she initially expected her husband to support her refusal, but he instead encouraged her to make the trip.

According to her, her husband believed the assignment would provide an opportunity for her to step away from her demanding schedule and get some fresh air.

She eventually agreed to travel, and the event turned out to be a notable experience. Ezekwesili revealed that the person scheduled to deliver the next keynote address was the then president of the World Bank.

Her account highlights the tension between her commitment to completing government reforms and Obasanjo’s insistence that she represent him at the international gathering.

Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has denied reports that he was arrested by the Nigerian Police and released on bail after an hour of interrogation.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶