Opinion
How Ekele Pioneered Mental Health Care in UATH

BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
Since his assumption of office after his reappointment, the establishment of Mental Health Department and befitting structure was at the front burner, in view of myriads of human related problems characterised by either Mental Health related diseases and the need to address it through treatment and prevention.
For Professor Bisala Ekele aside prioritizing the establishment of the department of Mental Health at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja , UATH he ensured the erection/ construction of a befitting structure that will house the entire department, the first of its kind not only in the North Central geopolitical zone, but also to address series of mental related ailments at the Federal Capital Territory FCT, the nation’s capital.
In line with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and universal health coverage , the federal government ensured the early completion and commissioning of the gigantic edifice in July this year , 2024 that led to the utilization of the new edifice.
The new department charged with the examination and re-examination of all mental health related ailments has since commenced interfacing with patients from various walks of life in earnest.
In view of the prevailing and wider area of mental health that is all encompassing from the diseases , ranging from depression, addiction, indulgence among many other approaches on human lives , the new department had become in tandem with the present realities.
While commissioning the edifice in July this year, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social welfare ,Dr Mohammed Ali Pate said the establishment of the new mental health department in the tertiary health institution will further promote a healthy environment and consolidate the removal of tariff by the federal government recently on medical equipment, so as to reduce the cost of treatments for all ailments.
Pate who commended the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Professor Bisala Ahmed Ekele said the establishment has justified the huge investment government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is making towards ensuring a healthy society free of all ailments.
He said the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Health will support the new mental health department with up to date and modern equipment that will reduce to the barest minimum all cases of mental disorders prevalent in Nigeria.
He congratulated the management of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital for leading from the front by the establishment of a full fledged mental health department in the hospital and the best in the Northern State.
Pate disclosed that with the establishment, no doubt the high presence of people in the FCT, the North Central geopolitical zone and other zones will get adequate attention from the new department.
While soliciting for more supports towards the expansion of the hospital beyond the present scope, Ekele appreciated both public and private sector supports to the development of the hospital in the last few years.
Ekele reiterated the commitment of the management of the hospital in tackling all mental health related diseases among many others, saying the new department will reduce to the barest minimum all mental health related cases not only in the North Central, but as the largest tertiary health facility in the FCT, the new facility, will also serve the nation’s capital .
He said the idea of the establishment of the new mental health building was as a result of glaring need , grwoing cases of mental health related problems and the desire of Nigerians to seek for medical solutions in the hospital.
He said the multi million naira edifice commenced few years ago was part of the capital projects facility provided by the federal government to the hospital in the previous years.
Also , during the visit of the House of Representatives committee on Health , the Chairman, House committee on Health, Rt Honourable Amos Gwamna Magaji also in unison commended the establishment of the mental health department and facility in the hospital, stating that the problems arising from mental disease cannot be overlooked in view of the social , economic and political as well as personal consequences arising from the ailement and Nigerians .
He reassured that the National Assembly will do anything possible to expand the facility, so as to provide more solutions to the new area of mental related problems in the country.
While promising to attract more development and provision of health facilities to the hospital, the National Assembly will be looking towards the expansion of the hospital to serve more patients who are daily trooping into the hospital for medical attention of all spheres.
With the new mental health department in the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, UATH, no doubt the issue of the prevalent and growing mental related ailments will be attended to now and in the nearest future.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
Opinion
UBEC: Synergising and Collaborating with Security Agencies to Promote Basic Education

BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
On assumption of duty in January, 2025 , the new Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Boss and well grounded World Bank expert , Aisha Garba envisaged the need to reposition the Basic Education through interfacing with the critical stakeholders.
Amongst them is the office of the National Security Adviser , NSA, led by Malam Nuhu Ribadu whose achievements in the last few years in the area of security has become distinct and outstanding.
Therefore, seeking to cooperate and collaborate with the office became germane and needful particularly the protection of lives and properties of actors in the promotion of Basic Education ranging from the pupils , teachers , workers and facilitators to enable it drive the new wave to curb Out of School Children OOSC in the country.
Aside providing the basic security arrangements for schools , the need to engage the security apparatus at the level of National Security Adviser NSA became needful, so as to address the sophistry of security problems in the country, to nip in the bud any unforseen circumstances.
With the high rates of kidnappings, abduction , banditry, cattle rustling, ritual tendencies among many other vices, the idea of bringing on board , the security architecture of the country in all ramifications will assist the commission to consolidate the implementation of Basic Education policies and programs, also introduce new ones .
Since pupils at the Primary, Junior Secondary and Secondary Schools are prone to such ugly development and security issues , the need to be proactive on the part of the commission became timely and desiring.
This led to the success story of the bilateral interface between the management of the commission and NSA, to streamline, perfect and chart a new course on the issue of security of actors in the Basic Education.
The visit described as timely and long overdue, discussed fruitfully the way forward and the immediate and long term intervention of both agencies in the area of collaboration.
According to the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba she stated by discussing” strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing educational access and security in Nigeria. ”
She further said” the engagement focused on strategies to address challenges such as the safety of schools, particularly in vulnerable regions, and the promotion of equitable education for all children.”
“the meeting highlighted the critical intersection between education and national security and the need for collaboration between UBEC and Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), on improving access to basic education and safety of safety schools across the nation. ”
“This collaboration underscores the government’s commitment to fostering a secure and inclusive learning environment as part of its broader agenda to strengthen the nation’s educational framework,” it added.
“UBEC boss had pledged to engage critical stakeholders to break down barriers to education and create inclusive learning opportunities for children across the six geopolitical regions of the country.”
“She said: “My goal is to deliver on this mandate which includes strengthening collaboration, partnerships and institutional learning for effective service delivery. ”
“Together, we will work to increase access, improve quality, provide conducive and safe learning environments, supply adequate teaching and learning materials, and adopt the concept of ‘best fit’ in addressing specific basic education challenges, state by state and region by region”.
Highlights of the program which included the engagement of both bodies with a commitment to ensure the introduction of security architecture in schools in Nigeria is achievable.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
Opinion
Festus Adedayo’s Attack on Adewole Adebayo: When Bias Masquerades as Critique

By Stephen Adewale
This rejoinder is a response to a column that graced the pages of the Nigerian Tribune on March 16, 2025, titled “Nasir El-Rufai and the Philosophy of Nothing.” The piece was penned by none other than Festus Adedayo, one of my cherished wordsmiths, a maestro of prose whose pen drips with both wit and wisdom.
Adedayo has long held a prime spot in my literary affections for reasons beyond mere admiration. First, we both hail from the illustrious Akure Oloyemekun, a shared heritage that makes his brilliance a source of personal pride. There is something uniquely gratifying about watching a kinsman wield the pen with such devastating elegance, weaving words as effortlessly as a bard conjuring magic. Second, in an era where original thinkers are as scarce as rain in the heart of harmattan, Adedayo stands tall as a relic of intellectual abundance. His columns have, for years, been my weekly ritual, a delectable dish of analysis served with just the right amount of audacity.
Regrettably, the unrelenting demands of academia had deprived me of Adedayo’s literary ambrosia for the past three weeks. Resolute in my quest for redemption, I consecrated my Sunday morning to devouring Adedayo’s recent columns, much like a parched wanderer stumbling upon an oasis of forbidden wisdom. And then, lo and behold, the last paragraph of the aforementioned column stopped me in my tracks. It was not just a paragraph; it was a gauntlet thrown, a provocation that demanded and commanded a response. And so, here I am, pen in hand, ready to engage.
In the preceding paragraphs, Adedayo took great pains to dissect El-Rufai’s defection to the SDP, wielding the philosophy of nothingness like a sculptor chiselling away at what he believed to be a futile political move. He argued, with the confidence of a man who has peered into the future, that El-Rufai’s new political adventure would amount to precisely nothing. Fair enough. He is entitled to his opinions, and I bear him no grudge for his gloomy prophecy. After all, time is the ultimate arbiter of political fortunes.
However, just when one thought the column was a masterclass in political critique, Adedayo took a reckless detour in the final paragraph, committing what can only be described as a literary felony. In one fell swoop, he attempted a hatchet job on the political integrity of SDP’s 2023 Presidential Candidate, Adewole Adebayo. Quoting him, he said ‘my excitement at the potentials of SDP as a viable opposition suffered a momentary halt almost immediately that same last week. Adewole Adebayo, 2023 presidential candidate…had come on an interview session on a national television. I had heard of his trumped up brilliance from journalists who earlier interviewed him.’
To begin with, Adedayo’s statement exposes one of two possibilities; either he is woefully out of touch with the political landscape or he is deliberately peddling falsehoods in service of some unseen paymaster. Or how else can one explain his audacious claim that he had never encountered Adewole Adebayo’s interviews on national television before the week in question?
Adebayo has been a towering presence in the public space since January 2022, when he declared his presidential ambition. He has graced national television countless times, dissecting policies with the precision of a seasoned statesman, not merely critiquing but offering well-reasoned alternatives. His interviews have been clipped, shared, and dissected across social media, yet Festus Adedayo, an otherwise astute columnist, would have us believe that he only stumbled upon Adebayo’s rhetoric through second hand whispers from journalist friends. The claim is as implausible as it is suspicious, making one wonder if his sudden epiphany was less of an honest discovery and more of a scripted hit job.
Then he went on to claim that ‘at that interview session, gradually, Adebayo defrosted all those superlatives with which he was robed. By the time the interview session ended, in place of a huge turkey with huge feathers I expected to encounter, I was left with a species of hen Yoruba call “Adiye opipi”. This type of hen is known by a unique characteristic of featherless wings. Adebayo came across as this and much more. I saw a man who delights in a horse ride that takes place on the back of a cockroach. When you see such politicians, your mind races to a spent canister.’
There is a Yoruba adage that warns, “Ibi tó yẹ ká tíbá ọgbọ́n, a ò gbùdó bá àgò nbẹ,” meaning that where one expects wisdom, it would be a grave disappointment to find foolishness instead. Unfortunately, this perfectly captures the bewildering blunder committed by Festus Adedayo.
One would assume that a seasoned columnist of his caliber would back his scathing critique with substance. At least a direct quote or a reference to the supposedly underwhelming statement that shattered his lofty expectations of Adewole Adebayo would suffice. Yet, in a display of either intellectual laziness or calculated deception, Adedayo offers none.
Since he conveniently avoids mentioning the specific interview that triggered his so-called disappointment, and given that Adebayo only appeared on Arise TV’s breakfast show during the week in question, it is clear that Adedayo was referring to that particular session. However, rather than provide any real context, he chose to shroud the event in ambiguity, hoping to mislead the unsuspecting public. Since he won’t do the honours, it is only right to offer a brief, unvarnished account of what truly transpired during the interview he so artfully distorted.
A few days before the said interview, Ayo of Arise TV blatantly misled viewers by falsely claiming that Adewole Adebayo had betrayed his supporters before the 2023 elections, endorsing President Tinubu and urging his followers to do the same. She went further, labelling him a politician devoid of principle.
When Adebayo finally appeared on Arise TV, he firmly set the record straight. He ran the race to the very end, never endorsed Tinubu, and never worked for the APC government, despite numerous inducements. He rightfully demanded an apology, but Ayo stood her ground. However, when the Arise TV crew presented what they called “evidence,” it backfired spectacularly, proving Adebayo right and exposing their deception. It was a textbook case of attempted character assassination gone embarrassingly wrong.
So, this was the interview that left Festus Adedayo “disappointed” in Adebayo, an interview where a man stood his ground against blatant falsehoods. When a self-proclaimed crusader of truth suddenly finds fault in someone defending himself against lies, perhaps it’s time to scrutinise the so-called champion of integrity. When a supposed high priest of truth suddenly takes issue with a man standing firm against lies, perhaps the high priest’s own altar is due for inspection.
Rather than call out Arise TV for their desperate attempt at character assassination, our esteemed “writer of truth” chose the path of deception by conveniently omitting the actual events. Instead of holding liars accountable, he doubled down, subtly trying to drag a principled man deeper into the mud. If this is what passes for truth-telling, then perhaps Festus Adedayo has been writing fiction all along.
Festus Adedayo, in his infinite journalistic wisdom, managed to compress the entire essence of a man’s political ideology, years of intellectual engagement, and national contributions into the span of one interview. A man whose intellectual sagacity had only been whispered to him in passing by his journalist friends, yet he deemed himself qualified to pass a grand verdict!
His article, ostensibly about the SDP, quickly revealed itself as something else entirely; a well-tailored hit piece, stitched together with just enough cynicism to fulfill the desires of some lurking, unnamed paymaster. He spent paragraph after paragraph dismissing the SDP as an unworthy alternative, regardless of who joined, and then, as the grand finale, he wielded his last paragraph like a dagger to stab the reputation of the very man who has kept the party afloat since 2023. If there was ever a masterclass in agenda-driven writing disguised as political analysis, Adedayo just delivered it with the precision of a seasoned mercenary.
Criticism, when wielded with sincerity, serves as a scalpel, precise, constructive, and capable of refining its subject. But when used recklessly, it becomes a sledgehammer, destructive, indiscriminate, and serving no purpose beyond ruin. At a time when Nigeria teeters on the edge of existential crises, what we need are columnists who illuminate the path forward, not those who revel in the theatrics of demolition.
This is why it is profoundly disheartening to see Festus Adedayo, once a beacon in the murky waters of Nigerian columnists, take a detour into the alley of agenda-peddling. Nigeria is not merely in need of critics; it is in need of honest critics. It is in need of voices that challenge, correct, and inspire, not those who merely regurgitate the cynicism that has already poisoned our media space.
I have always admired Festus Adedayo, but his portrayal of Adewole Adebayo is a painful reminder that even the brightest stars can flicker. To watch someone we once held as a paragon of journalistic integrity stumble into the company of the ethically compromised is not just disappointing, it is a national tragedy. If even the ‘good ones’ can abandon sincerity for sensationalism, then truly, the night is darker than we feared.
*Stephen Adewale writes from the Department of History, Obafemi Awolowo University*
Opinion
Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana : Promoting Professionalism in NASS

BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
Soon after his appointment in Acting capacity in November, 2024 as the new Clerk to the National Assembly CNA , Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana set the ball rolling to ensure the consolidation of professionalism and hard work in all facets of the National Assembly.
The newly appointed Clerk to the National Assembly CNA, on assumption of duty has hit the ground running by ensuring needed actions , collaborations and decisions that will not only improve workers performance on the job , but to develop new initiatives in line with the best practices is evolved.
This positive development was showcased recently during a courtesy call by members of the British Parliament member MP, our colonial masters, led by one of its members on a working visit .
The historic visit that boardered on manuals legislative drafting geared towards the improvement of lawmaking both at the British level and Nigeria came barely two months of assumption of duty as substantive Clerk to the National Assembly CNA, by Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana precisely in February.
He averred that manual legislative drafting and preparation promotes transparency, accountability and effective governance in the public domain, particularly in a sane democratic dispensation and legislative processes.
“The development of a legislative drafting manual is crucial in promoting transparency, accountability, and effective governance. It will provide a standardized framework for legislative drafting, ensuring that laws are clear, concise, and unambiguous,”
The new CNA who is grounded draftsman and a lawyer with the National Assembly over the decades promised to key into the idea of manual legislative drafting without further delay, in view of its importance to nations development, promote sane legislative policy and democracy, along with good governance.
With a promise to key into the global standards and requirements, the new CNA emphasized shared commitment and determination of both countries to democratic principles and the unwavering actions been taken to sustain the tempo.
The log standing relationship both at the democratic evolution among many others will galvanise policy framework, introduction and practice.
“As members of the British Parliament, you share a legacy of fostering governance that reflects the will of the people and champions rights and freedoms,” he said.
“We take immense pride in the path we have forged and the collaborative spirit we have nurtured with you over the decades.”
“The CNA stressed that strengthening Nigeria’s legislative framework requires drawing from global best practices, including those of the UK Parliament. He underscored the importance of the partnership in advancing governance, democracy, and human rights.”
“The visit was seen as a step toward reinforcing legislative collaboration between the two countries and enhancing the effectiveness of Nigeria’s lawmaking processes.”
Fresh on the new role as administrative head of the National Assembly,NASS, the new CNA and the determination to take the legislative arm to greater heights was shown from his commitment to initiate many policies and programs including trainings and retraining to give a new lease to staffers of the National Assembly.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.