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EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Document Exposes Tinubu’s Plan To Hand Over State House Clinic to Private Managers As Education Minister Oversees Process

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The letter announcing the start of the contracting process for the State House Clinic was, curiously, written on the Ministry of Education’s letterhead and signed by the Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

Adocument exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters has uncovered plans by President Bola Tinubu to transfer the management of the State House Medical Centre to a private facility manager.

The letter announcing the start of the contracting process for the State House Clinic was, curiously, written on the Ministry of Education’s letterhead and signed by the Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

Addressed to the Permanent Secretary to the State House in the Presidential Villa, Temitope Peter Fashedemi, the letter dated March 25, 2025, detailed the inauguration of a committee tasked with overseeing the handover of the facility to “private managers.”

The letter noted that following the approval of President Bola Tinubu, processes to contract the State House Medical Centre to private facility managers had commenced.

It further stated that a Technical Working Group (TWG) had been set up to oversee the process. The letter asked for the nomination of a representative from the Ministry of Health “so as to coordinate deliberations with State House Administration.”

The inauguration of the group was scheduled for April 29.

The letter, signed by Education Minister Alausa and referenced HME/FME/CORR.GEN.VOL 2/223, is titled, ‘Presidential Approval for the Engagement of a Private Facility Manager for the State House Medical Centre.’

The letter stated, “Further to the assignment given to me by Mr. President to assess and determine the optimal operational model for the State House Medical Centre, I am pleased to convey His Excellency’s approval to commence the contracting process for engaging a private facility manager to oversee its management.

“In line with this directive, a Technical Working Group (TWG) has been constituted to implement this process. Given the strategic importance of this initiative, I kindly request that you nominate a representative from your office to participate in the TWG’s deliberations and ensure seamless coordination with the State House administration.

“The Inauguration of the TWG has been slated as follows:

Date: Tuesday 29th April, 2025

Time: 2.00pm

Venue: Minister’s Conference Room, Federal Secretariat. Abuja, Federal Ministry of Education.

“Kindly send me the name and contact number of your nominee. Further Information would be provided to your nominee at the inauguration.”

“I look forward to your support in this critical endeavor, which aligns with Mr. President’s commitment to ensuring world-class healthcare services within the State House Medical Centre,” Alausa added.

In a related development, a petition against the handing over of the State House Medical Centre to a private facility manager has raised serious concerns.

The petition criticised the Federal Government’s move to privatise the operations of the State House Medical Centre (SHMC) and its Presidential Wing under the pretext of handing it over to a “private facility manager.”

It was noted that this move could pose grave national security risks and set a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s governance structure.

In a detailed petition dated April 14, 2025, Gbenga Adewale, speaking on behalf of a group identified as Concerned Nigerians, accused government officials of attempting to transfer management of the SHMC to private facility managers under the guise of reforms.

Adewale described the move as a “security and policy catastrophe” that must be halted immediately.

The petition emphasised that the State House Medical Centre is not an ordinary hospital.

The petitioners highlighted that the clinic is “located at the foot of Aso Rock and within the highly secured Presidential Villa”.

“The centre shares a perimeter with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and overlooks the Office and residence of the President and Commander-in-Chief,” the petitions said.

The petition warned that the “introduction of private operators into such a sensitive location could compromise the confidentiality of presidential health matters and expose national security secrets.”

It also noted that the Nigerian government had invested billions of naira over the years in the development of the SHMC.

These investments reportedly “include 30 hectares of prime land, several buildings constructed by Julius Berger, two CT scanners, eight operating theatres, MRI machines, X-ray and ultrasound equipment, a ₦3.9 billion solar farm, and 55 service quarters for staff.”

The petitioners argued that these assets, funded through federal appropriations, must remain under public control and not be handed over to private interests.

 

Another primary concern raised is related to the human resources at the centre.

 

Staff members, specially recruited by the Federal Civil Service Commission and vetted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over five years, could be displaced by non-security-cleared personnel under private management. The petition warned that this would undermine national confidentiality and civil service integrity.

 

Adewale further claimed that Dr. Alausa, reportedly a relative of President Bola Tinubu, is continuing an agenda he started during his previous tenure.

 

The petition described his involvement as inappropriate and warned that the move reflects a creeping trend of transferring public assets into private hands under questionable circumstances.

 

The document also expressed alarm over the possible replication of such privatisation in other sensitive institutions, including the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Hospital, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Hospital, and other security-related medical facilities. It was argued that if allowed, such actions would erode the sovereignty of the Nigerian state from within.

 

President Tinubu, the Head of the Federation’s civil service, the National Assembly, security agencies, the judiciary, and civil society organisations were urged to intervene urgently.

 

The petitioners demanded an immediate halt to the privatisation process, an investigation into the matter, and the protection of civil servants’ rights and careers at the SHMC.

 

“This is not just about a hospital. It is about protecting the very nerve centre of the Nigerian government,” the petition concluded.

 

N1.127Billion Budgeted For State House Medical Centre In 2025.

 

A review of the approved 2025 budget document by SaharaReporters revealed that N1.127 billion was allocated to the State House Clinic.

 

According to the breakdown, N494 million was set aside for capital expenditure, while N632 million was allocated for overhead costs.

 

It is still unclear whether these funds would be transferred to the private facility manager engaged should the proposed privatisation push through.

 

-Sahara reporters

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Entertainment

Davido breaks silence after Grammy Award loss

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Five-time Grammy nominee, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has reacted after losing the Best African Music Performance category at the 68th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, United States.

 

The Afrobeats star shared a message of faith and resilience following the outcome of the ceremony, which took place on Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena in California.

In a post on his Instagram page, Davido shared photos with his wife, Chioma, from the event and wrote, “Oluwa Dey my side,” alongside prayer and music emojis.
Hours later, he posted another set of pictures of himself and Chioma at the Grammys, reflecting on the loss in a longer caption.

“I said baby listen we lost again let’s not go ! she said ‘Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat’ we outside,” he wrote.
Chioma also reacted via her Instagram page, praising the singer, “You already know that you’re the perfect one, @davido,” she wrote, while sharing photos from the awards night.
Davido was nominated in the Best African Music Performance category at the 2026 Grammy Awards but lost to South African singer Tyla, who won with her song Push 2 Start.

Other nominees in the category included Burna Boy (Love), Ayra Starr and Wizkid (Gimme Dat), Davido (With You featuring Omah Lay), and Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin (Hope & Love).

The win marked Tyla’s second Grammy Award, following her first victory in 2024 for her hit single Water.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, the singer revealed that With You, featuring Omah Lay, almost did not make the final tracklist of his album 5IVE.
“Man, it’s so crazy because that song almost didn’t make the album. With You was not in anybody’s top five.
“And now look at it go. Every time I was performing it, my heart would just start beating like, what if I didn’t put this song?” he told OkayAfrica.

Davido also recounted how he learned about the Grammy nomination, saying the news came unexpectedly while he was in Dubai, days before his birthday.

“I was in the car, actually, checking a car, and then my phone rang. They were like, ‘Oh yeah, another nomination.’ I was like, wow. Thank God,” he said.

“With You” was released in April 2025 as the 17th track on Davido’s fifth studio album, 5IVE, and has since become one of his most successful recent records, surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify.

Despite the song’s success, Nigeria did not record a win at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Davido said he is now focused on touring and releasing new music.

He is also billed to perform at Coachella 2026, where he will be the only Nigerian artiste on the festival lineup, performing on April 11 and April 18, 2026, in Indio, California.

-Guardian

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Kunle Afolayan gives reasons to marry many women

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Nollywood filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, has stirred reactions after advising men to “marry many women” while reflecting on his upbringing in a polygamous home.

 

The actor and producer made the remarks at the watch party of Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens, with a clip from the event going viral on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, Afolayan linked his existence and achievements to his late father’s decision to marry several wives.

“Without my father, there wouldn’t have been a KAP Village or even Kunle Afolayan. I am the seventh born of my father because my father had ten wives. For the men, marry many women, or rather be involved with many women. You know why? If my father didn’t, he would not have born me, and that is the honest truth. But today, a few of us are lifting his legacy. Life is short, death is constant. Nobody has life forever. Everybody has a period. Use your period,” he said.

While his daughter, Eyiyemi Afolayan, joined him on stage, the filmmaker compared his childhood experience with his relationship with his children.

“They are lucky. For her, staying by my side is luck. Do you know why? I couldn’t stand it with my father. My father didn’t know my school. My father didn’t know my date of birth. He did not know anything about me other than, ‘He is the son of that person.’ But today, I’m so proud of my father,” he added.

Afolayan also spoke about fatherhood.

“Sometimes when people say ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ I’m always saying whether he pays child support or not, he’s still a father. I have been going to court because I want to get a divorce. I don’t mind being in the witness box, and I experienced the shit, so that I can marry many wives,” he said.

He thereafter prayed for his daughter, praising her role in the series.

“Hephzibah, her mother is the one who gave her the name. I don’t care, but I am proud of you. You started with the film, you did the first season, and now with the second season, you did amazingly well. My good Lord will continue to increase you in wisdom, in knowledge, and in understanding. If this is your path, the good Lord will see you through.”
However, this is not the first time the filmmaker has spoken about his late father’s polygamous lifestyle.

In March 2021, Afolayan told BBC Pidgin that his father, Adeyemi Afolayan, who died in 1996, married 10 wives and had 25 children, a decision he said took a toll on the family.

“I would not want to marry many wives because my father had 10 wives and I knew what happened throughout that period. I knew that really distracted my father. In this age, nobody needs to tell you before you know what’s right,” he said at the time.

He also disclosed that growing up in a polygamous home affected bonding among the children due to language and other barriers.

Afolayan further narrated how he battled poverty in his early years, revealing that he once lived in a one-room apartment in Ebute-Metta and sometimes had to deal with flooding.

“I was born in Ebute-Metta and have lived in one-room apartment before that we even have to grapple with flood sometimes. It’s not shame to say have been poor before. But if you see how l made it, it’s a matter of consistency. My father was a very popular filmmaker and ordinarily, people would expect me to life the kind of live akin to Hollywood stars,” he said.

“But that wasn’t the case. How would one live such life when you’re living in a room with ten women. That doesn’t mean there was no love among us.”

He had advised young filmmakers to start with the little resources available to them while working towards their dreams.

 

-Guardian

 

 

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Court adjourns Ganduje’s corruption trial to April 15

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A Kano State High Court has adjourned until April 15 the trial of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and son, Abdullahi Umar, alongside five other defendants, over alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to billions of naira.

 

The defendants are facing an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds. The remaining accused persons are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution told the court it was ready to proceed and drew attention to a motion dated November 24, 2025, seeking leave to file additional proof of evidence.

However, defence lawyers raised objections, informing the court that multiple applications were pending and must be resolved before the trial could continue.

Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, counsel to some of the defendants, said the defence had filed a motion dated July 17, 2025, seeking a stay of proceedings.
Adekunle Taiye-Falola, representing the third and seventh defendants, also referred to a separate motion dated May 23, 2025.
In addition, Muhammad Shehu, counsel to the fifth defendant, told the court that an affidavit had been filed notifying it of a pending application for stay of proceedings before the Court of Appeal.
Abubakar Ahmad, counsel to the sixth defendant, informed the court that he had filed a notice of preliminary objection and an application for extension of time to respond on points of law dated February 2, urging the court to fix a date for hearing.

Only Faruk Asekome, counsel to the eighth defendant, indicated readiness to proceed with the trial.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, adjourned the matter to April 15 for the hearing of all pending applications and preliminary objections.

The trial has suffered repeated delays due to legal challenges. The high court had earlier dismissed preliminary objections raised by the defence as “incompetent” and affirmed its jurisdiction to hear the case.
That ruling was appealed by the defendants, who argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction. However, in October 2025, the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal struck out the appeal, citing failure to properly transmit the record of appeal.

-Guardian

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