Welcome to today’s roundup of Nigerian newspaper headlines, accompanied by our advocacy-focused calls for government action on pressing issues that impact citizens.
1. Daily Trust: Objections over Pardon for Grave Offenders
We begin with Daily Trust, which reports that the decision by Tinubu to grant clemency to the inmates convicted of murder and drug trafficking has stirred controversy among Nigerians, especially on social media.
Many faulted the president for pardoning several drug dealers and Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death about five years ago for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello. They, however, applauded the presidential pardon extended to some late nationalists.
Our Take: Maybe President Tinubu should consider extending his mercy to Nigeria’s justice system itself, it is clearly gasping for fairness. But on a serious note, Mr President, this pardon list calls for reflection. Mercy should not mock justice or embolden impunity. Nigerians urge you to review the process that produced these names and ensure that future acts of clemency are rooted in transparency, true rehabilitation, and respect for victims, not political convenience or misplaced sentiment.
2. The Guardian: Security Concerns: Tinubu, NSA, NIA Boss Join Meeting in Rome
The Guardian reports that President Tinubu was billed to depart Abuja Sunday for Rome, Italy, to participate in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, which will focus on the security crisis in West Africa.
The Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government meeting, scheduled to begin tomorrow, will bring together Heads of State and Government, senior intelligence and military officials from across Africa, as well as representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, to deliberate on evolving security challenges in the region.
Our Take: As President Tinubu and his security chiefs gather in Rome to discuss West Africa’s safety, Nigerians can only hope they remember that the real battlefield is not in a conference room, it is back home, where citizens dodge bullets, bandits, and bad governance. Mr President, we hope this trip yields more than photo ops and polished communiqués Let it spark real action, intelligence sharing, and visible improvement in national security, because Nigerians need protection, not another round of diplomatic tourism.
3. Vanguard: ASUU Shuns FG, Insists on Strike over Unresolved Demands
After a lull in the wave of incessant strikes in the Nigerian public university system, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), yesterday declared a two-week warning strike, alleging federal government’s reluctance to meet their demands, despite efforts by federal government officials to meet with the union to avert the action.
Our Take: Maybe President Tinubu should revisit his campaign promises, after all, he vowed to end the endless cycle of ASUU strikes, not renew their subscription, yet here we are. Mr President, together with the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, this is your test of leadership in education: fulfil your pledge, resolve the pending issues, and restore stability to our universities. Empty classrooms and restless students are not signs of reform, they are reminders that promises, like lectures, mean nothing when attendance is zero.
