Category: News

Russia and Syria have pledged to deepen bilateral relations and review key agreements signed under former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, during the first official visit by a member of Syria’s new government since Assad’s ouster last year. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow on Thursday, marking a significant diplomatic moment between the two countries. The meeting comes amid uncertainty over the future of strategic military and economic agreements signed during the Assad era. Assad was deposed in a swift rebel offensive in 2024, despite Moscow’s longstanding support throughout Syria’s civil war. He is believed to have fled to Russia following his removal. During the talks, al-Shaibani sought continued Russian support for Syria’s post-conflict reconstruction and political transition. Lavrov expressed Moscow’s willingness to assist in rebuilding Syria and said existing agreements and contracts would be reassessed to reflect current realities. “We are ready to help Syria recover after more than a decade of conflict,” Lavrov said. “It is important to review agreements and contracts concluded under different conditions.” Al-Shaibani echoed the sentiment, noting that a review was necessary to determine whether past deals were “serving the needs of the Syrian people.” Russia’s key military assets in Syria—including its naval base in Tartus and the Hmeimim air base—remain in focus, although neither minister confirmed whether the long-term leases, which extend to 2066, were under discussion. The bases were central to Moscow’s 2015 military intervention in Syria, which bolstered Assad’s forces through extensive airstrikes on rebel-held areas. “Syria needs friends and partners on its path to stability and development,” al-Shaibani told reporters after the meeting, signaling a desire for a continued alliance with Moscow under new terms.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Jigawa State has raised concerns over the departure of more than 30 specialist doctors from the state within the past four months, attributing the development to poor working conditions and uncompetitive salaries. Speaking at a press conference in Dutse, NMA Chairman, Dr. Usman Haruna, warned that the mass exodus is putting the state’s already strained healthcare system at serious risk. “We are facing a crisis. Jigawa now has just one doctor for every 30,000 people—far below the World Health Organization’s recommendation of one doctor per 600 people,” he said. Dr. Haruna revealed that most of the doctors left for federal hospitals and neighbouring states offering better remuneration and improved working environments. He blamed the situation on the failure to implement a salary review approved earlier this year by Governor Umar Namadi. In February, the governor had directed the state’s minimum wage committee to engage with doctors and submit a cost analysis for aligning their pay with the federal CONMESS structure, which includes hazard and call-duty allowances. However, the committee has reportedly not acted on the directive, despite a two-week timeline set for the assignment. “This silence appears deliberate and is undermining the governor’s efforts to reform the health sector,” Haruna said, describing the delay as “a form of sabotage” that threatens to reverse the administration’s gains. While acknowledging Governor Namadi’s broader investments in healthcare and wage reforms, the NMA urged the government to take urgent steps to address doctors’ grievances and stem the ongoing brain drain. Haruna warned that continued neglect could lead to a total collapse of access to quality healthcare for the people of Jigawa.

The Kano State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has firmly rejected the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term ambition by some southern PDP governors. Speaking after a strategic meeting in Kano on Thursday, Yusuf Ado Kibiya, Chairman of the PDP in Kano, distanced the state chapter from the endorsement, reaffirming the party’s loyalty to its own platform and future presidential candidate. “We are not party to the endorsement of President Tinubu’s second term agenda by some governors from the southern part of the country,” Kibiya stated. “We believe in our party and any candidate that emerges as its presidential flagbearer.” He also dismissed the coalition move led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), declaring it “dead on arrival.” “We categorically distance the Kano State chapter from the breakaway members who have formed a coalition under the ADC. This coalition does not represent the interests of the PDP,” he said, urging party members to remain loyal and focused. Kibiya highlighted the successful completion of internal elections across ward, local, and state levels in Kano as proof of the chapter’s organizational strength and grassroots mobilization. “We have completed the mobilization and repositioning of our party members, ensuring they are actively engaged and aligned with our goals. This is crucial for strengthening our grassroots support,” he added. Reaffirming the chapter’s loyalty to the PDP’s national leadership, Kibiya declared: “We categorically reject any attempt to undermine or divide our party. The PDP in Kano remains intact and resolute. We wholeheartedly endorse and support the decisions of our national leadership.” He concluded with a call for unity and collaboration to secure victory in the next general elections. “Through unity of purpose, collaboration, and strategic planning, we are confident the PDP will regain its prominence at all levels of government.”

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Federal Ministry of Education have agreed to introduce compulsory drug integrity tests for tertiary institution students and review the secondary school curriculum to include comprehensive drug education. This was part of the outcome of a high-level meeting between NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), and the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, in Abuja on Wednesday. Marwa highlighted the urgent need for drug education and testing, noting that substance abuse was fueling insecurity and criminality among Nigerian youths. He revealed that NDLEA had arrested over 40,000 suspects, secured over 8,600 convictions, and seized more than one billion pills of illicit opioids in the past two years. “We are fighting for the souls of our children,” Marwa said, proposing three key interventions: revising the drug education curriculum, introducing stand-alone school programmes on drug prevention, and implementing a drug test policy for students in tertiary institutions. In response, the Minister of Education expressed full support, announcing the formation of an inter-ministerial working group and the establishment of a Substance Use Prevention Unit within the ministry. “We will start drug testing in tertiary institutions—both for fresh and returning students—as well as conduct random tests,” Alausa said. He also committed to integrating drug education into the new secondary school curriculum and cascading it to primary education. The Minister further directed that UBEC and TETFUND collaborate with the NDLEA Academy in Jos to strengthen drug education across all educational levels.