News
NPA Drags FG, NERDC to Court Over Textbook Ranking Policy
By Derick peretengboro
The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) has dragged the Federal Government and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) before the Federal High Court in Ibadan over the legality of the council’s new Textbook Ranking Framework.
The suit, marked FHC/IB/CS/117/26, also has the Minister of Education and the Attorney-General of the Federation as defendants.
At the heart of the legal dispute is the authority of NERDC to compel publishers to submit textbooks that have already undergone assessment, approval and certification to another ranking exercise as a condition for their continued use, distribution, procurement or sale.
The publishers are also challenging the compulsory fees attached to the ranking exercise, as well as the validity of regulations introduced under the NERDC Act without what they described as the required presidential approval and publication in the Federal Gazette.
The controversy followed the Federal Government’s announcement in April 2026 of a National Textbook Ranking System for learning materials used in primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools.
The Federal Ministry of Education had said the initiative was aimed at tackling the proliferation of textbooks, improving educational quality and ensuring that only materials that meet approved curriculum standards are used in schools.
The implementation of the ranking system is expected to commence with the September 2026 academic session.
Under the new policy, NERDC would go beyond its existing textbook assessment and approval process to rank approved textbooks, with the outcome expected to influence which materials would be recommended for use in schools.
In June, the council commenced the 2026 assessment, reassessment and ranking exercise and called on publishers and other stakeholders to submit textbooks and other instructional resources for the process.
However, the NPA has raised concerns over a provision of the framework which could see previously approved textbooks excluded from classroom use if their publishers fail to participate in the ranking exercise.
The association is therefore asking the court to determine whether NERDC possesses the statutory authority to impose the conditions and requirements contained in the disputed framework.
In a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Rotimi Iyiola, the NPA said its decision to seek judicial clarification should not be viewed as a rejection of dialogue with the Federal Government.
According to the association, it remains committed to constructive engagement with the government and other relevant stakeholders towards resolving the issues surrounding the policy.
The NPA said it was prepared to support the development of a textbook approval and selection system that is lawful, transparent and serves the interests of learners, teachers and the publishing industry.
News
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and South African Police Service (SAPS) are investigating a video circulating on social media that appears to show a soldier slapping a woman during a planned joint operation in Mitchells Plain on Friday.
By: Miracle Orumor
CAPE TOWN — The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) are investigating a viral video that appears to show a soldier slapping a woman during a joint security operation in Mitchells Plain.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday during a planned operation involving members of the SANDF and SAPS in the Cape Town community.
The footage, which has been widely circulated on social media, has sparked outrage and renewed concerns over the conduct of security personnel deployed in crime-hit communities.
Both the SANDF and SAPS have launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether any misconduct took place.
The latest incident comes amid continued scrutiny of Operation Prosper, a joint security operation involving the military and police in several Western Cape communities affected by high levels of violent crime.
Previous allegations linked to the operation have raised concerns about the treatment of civilians and the accountability of security personnel accused of misconduct.
The investigation into the latest incident is expected to determine what led to the confrontation and whether the soldier involved could face disciplinary or further legal action.
Authorities have previously maintained that security personnel deployed during joint operations are expected to act within the law and respect the rights and dignity of members of the public.
The SANDF and SAPS investigations are ongoing.
News
Two jets – one wrapped in green and one in black – coupled with an astonishing double flyover over the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, mere moments before the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry test match between South Africa and New Zealand, had the entire world buzzing.
By: Miracle Orumor
CAPE TOWN — A heart-stopping aviation spectacle over DHL Stadium went viral on Saturday, leaving 55,000 rugby fans breathless and sending social media into a frenzy just minutes before South Africa faced New Zealand in their Test match.
A commercial Embraer E190 passenger jet operated by Airlink—bearing a custom “Go Bokke” logo on its underside—executed a precise, ultra-low flyover directly above the open-roof stadium.
Approaching from a holding pattern near Robben Island, the airliner thundered over the venue, passing through pyrotechnic smoke erupting from the roofline before banking hard over Table Mountain. Spectator footage instantly flooded platforms like TikTok and X, with millions debating the aircraft’s proximity to the stadium superstructure.
Data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24 revealed that the jet descended to roughly 200 feet above sea level. With DHL Stadium standing about 164 feet tall, the plane passed just tens of feet above the roofline. Aviation experts noted that long broadcast lenses created an optical illusion, making the aircraft appear even closer to the stadium than it actually was.
Airlink confirmed the flight was thoroughly planned, rehearsed, and fully approved by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), with three senior captains inside the cockpit managing the display.
The maneuver pays homage to South Africa’s iconic 1995 Rugby World Cup final, where a South African Airways Boeing 747 famously buzzed Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.
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News
Mega-contractor and pastor Witness Mazanga “sold” his golf estate mansion to a dormant company owned by his alleged wife shortly after News24’s exposé of his R500 million City Power contracts, some of which were allegedly “fraudulent”
By: Miracle Orumor
SOUTH AFRICA — Mega-contractor and pastor, Witness Mazanga, has reportedly transferred ownership of his luxury R13.9 million golf estate mansion to a dormant company allegedly owned by his wife, shortly after a major investigation exposed his companies’ links to more than R500 million in City Power contracts.
According to a News24 investigation, Mazanga, who is also known in church circles as Reverend Witness Acts, allegedly “sold” the luxury property to a company connected to Tsholofelo Margaret Makhubelo, described in the report as his alleged wife.
The reported property transaction has raised fresh questions because it reportedly took place shortly after News24 published investigations into Mazanga’s business dealings with Johannesburg’s City Power.
Mazanga has been under growing public scrutiny following reports that companies linked to him secured contracts worth more than R500 million from City Power.
Some of those contracts were allegedly described as fraudulent or irregular, while an earlier investigation also reported that the Auditor-General found an irregular multimillion-rand contract involving Mazanga.
In another investigation, News24 reported that City Power paid about R121 million in connection with a contract initially valued at approximately R11 million, with Mazanga reportedly involved in the matter.
The latest investigation adds another chapter to the controversy surrounding the pastor and businessman, whose property portfolio was previously reported to be worth about R31 million.
The timing of the mansion’s reported transfer has now become a major talking point, coming shortly after investigations into Mazanga’s multimillion-rand City Power contracts and his growing property empire.
However, it is important to note that the reported transfer of the mansion does not, by itself, prove that any crime was committed. The transaction would need to be investigated and any allegations proven through the appropriate legal processes.
The developments have nevertheless intensified questions surrounding Mazanga’s business dealings, property ownership and the multimillion-rand contracts awarded to companies linked to him.
The story is expected to attract further attention as scrutiny continues over the contracts and allegations surrounding the Johannesburg power utility.
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