Category News

FG Orders Institutions To Submit Reports Of Unused TETFund Allocations

By in News, Nigeria News

The Federal Government has instructed tertiary institutions in the country to submit reports of intervention funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETfund) that have not been utilised within the next thirty days.

Addressing heads of tertiary institutions at a meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the ministry has been faced with a dilemma over the issue of allocations that are not being put to good use.

He explained that resources that could have been used to develop infrastructure in institutions have remained idle due to avoidable bottlenecks.

READ ALSO: Recent Winners Of The Nobel Literature Prize

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.

The minister also announced that capacity-building programmes will be introduced to strengthen project management, compliance, and reporting, alongside mentorship initiatives, while quarterly reviews will be introduced to track progress and compliance, with sanctions for institutions that fail to utilise funds effectively.

“Institutions must submit reconciled reports of all unutilised funds within 30 days, which will be jointly verified. Unused funds may be redirected to priority projects, and carrying them over without strong justification will no longer be allowed. Procurement plans must align with approved interventions, and approvals should be fast-tracked to prevent delays,” Alausa said.

Transparency will be enhanced through a public dashboard showing disbursement and utilisation data, and institutions will be required to publish project progress reports.

Alausa also emphasised that the success of this initiative depends on strong collaboration among stakeholders.

“TETFund must lead with professionalism, enforce compliance, and ensure transparency. Institutional heads should drive urgency and accountability, while bursars, procurement officers, and project coordinators must plan and report diligently.

“Auditors and oversight bodies are expected to monitor activities and flag irregularities. All stakeholders must uphold a sense of stewardship, recognising that every TETFund naira represents public trust,” Alausa said.

TETFund. Facebook/TETFund

Utilised Allocations

This directive is coming as no surprise, as TETFund has repeatedly expressed concern over the significant amount of unused allocations by higher institutions in Nigeria.

In July 2025, TETFund threatened to delist institutions that fail to access and utilise their allocations, emphasising that the funds would be diverted to institutions that are up to date with accessing and utilising disbursements.

The allocation of TETFund resources is based on demand-driven interventions, where institutions submit proposals for projects based on their needs, and TETFund approves them accordingly.

Celebrity Traitors’ Mark Bonnar’s marriage to famous wife and kids children he ‘misses’

By in Entertainment News, News

Scottish actor Mark Bonnar is one of the cast of the UK’s first-ever series of Celebrity Traitors. Mark previously admitted that it is hard for him to be apart from his family while on set

Mark Bonnar has landed standout roles in Shetland, Line of Duty, Guilt, and is now taking on a completely new challenge with The Celebrity Traitors.

But away from the cameras, the Scottish actor enjoys a quieter life with his wife, actress Lucy Gaskell, and their two children. The couple have been together for over two decades, after meeting in 2003 while appearing in a stage production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard.

They went on to get married four years later, in December 2007. Lucy, 44, is well known to TV audiences in her own right. She has starred in several hit British dramas including Cutting It, Casualty, Being Human, Waking the Dead, DCI Banks and even Doctor Who.

Fans of the BBC medical series may remember that both Lucy and Mark have appeared on Casualty, though at different times.

While on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast in 2023, Mark reflected fondly on their marriage, sharing: “It was our 15-year wedding anniversary [in] December. I couldn’t believe it was 15 years we were celebrating because I’m still filled with love when I look at her, you know, which is a wonderful thing to feel.”

He continued: “She’s really kind of taught me a lot about life and about love and care and commitment.” The couple share two children — Martha, 13, and Samuel, nine.

Family life clearly means a lot to Mark. He has spoken about his parenting philosophy, explaining: “[Having kids] was late in the day for me. I met Lucy when I was in my mid-30s and we had eight years before we had children.

“My parents always said to me: ‘If you’re happy, we’re happy,’ and I’m going to try to do the same with my kids. As a parent, your children’s happiness is the most important thing.”

On a sadder note, he added: “I don’t like being away from home. I need to be with my family… because I miss it. Even if you’re away for like four or five days, you still get back and think there’s little changes you can see… and you go… ‘I missed that.’”

Although it was likely tough for Mark to spend a few weeks away from his kids while in Ardross Castle, he was also enormously excited by the prospect of taking on The Celebrity Traitors.

Ahead of filming, he told the BBC: “I was thrilled to be asked, to be honest with you. I’m a fan of the show. It’s one of the few things that we watch as a family.”

He admitted that the reality series is “way out my comfort zone” but insisted that was one of the reasons he wanted to star in it, as he likes to challenge himself with new roles.

The actor also joked: “I’ve got a terrible memory. I’m worried that I’m going to forget a lot or not catch some things. That means I have to work hard on not being gullible if evil masterminds try to sway me! I’m hoping it’ll be fun.”

Article continues below

His poor memory left him hoping he would be chosen as one of the Faithfuls as he felt being a Traitor might be too hard for his “wee brain”, and thankfully his wish has been fulfilled — at least so far.

French court extends sentence of man convicted of Gisele Pelicot rape

By in News, World News

A French court has rejected the appeal of a man found guilty of raping Gisele Pelicot after she was drugged by her husband and increased his sentence to 10 years.

Husamettin Dogan, a 44-year-old construction worker, was convicted of sexually abusing Gisele Pelicot, 72, in a landmark case last December, with witnesses testifying in his appeal earlier this week that Dogan was “fully aware” Gisele Pelicot was asleep while he was assaulting her.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

“The court and jury sentence Husamettin Dogan to 10 years in prison” along with “mandatory treatment for five years”, presiding judge Christian Pasta said on Thursday. Standing in the dock at the court in the southern city of Nimes, Dogan did not react to the verdict.

Pelicot returned to court this week to face the only man, out of 51, who appealed against his guilty verdict. She called for “victims to never be ashamed of what was forced upon them”.

Prior to Dogan’s sentencing, French prosecutor Dominique Sie called for his jail term to be increased to 12 years – the term prosecutors had initially sought – because of “Dogan’s stance, in all its rigidity, as he absolutely refuses to take any responsibility”.

“As long as you refuse to admit it, it’s not just a woman, it’s an entire sordid social system that you are endorsing,” Sie said.

Dogan claimed he was not a “rapist” and insisted he thought he was participating in consensual sexual activity.

Witnesses in Dogan’s appeal this week included Pelicot’s ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who previously received a prison term of 20 years, the maximum sentence, for orchestrating the assaults in the former couple’s home in Mazan.

During the trial last year, Dominique Pelicot admitted that, for more than a decade, he drugged his then-wife of 50 years so that he and strangers he recruited online could abuse her. He also filmed the assaults, which included at least 50 men.

In Tuesday’s hearing, he denied ever coercing or misleading Dogan. “I never forced anyone,” he said.

He also refuted Dogan’s assertion that his invitation was to participate in a sexual game. “I never said that,” he said.

Dogan visited the couple’s home on June 28, 2019, where he is accused of assaulting Gisele Pelicot for more than three hours. Dogan, however, has said he only realised that something was wrong when he heard the woman snoring.

Investigator Jeremie Bosse-Platiere also testified on Tuesday. He cited video footage of Gisele Pelicot’s assault to assert that Dogan was fully aware Gisele had not consented.

“Anyone who sees the videos understands this immediately,” Bosse-Platiere said.

The police commissioner described a video in which Gisele Pelicot was seen moving slightly, causing Dogan to immediately withdraw.

“We understand that he is worried that his victim might wake up and freeze in a waiting position,” said Bosse-Platiere.

“After 30 seconds, seeing that it was a reflex caused by pain or discomfort, he reintroduces his penis into her vagina.”

Investigators found a total of 107 photos and 14 videos from the night Dogan visited the couple’s home in the southern town of Mazan.

Gisele Pelicot appeared at the proceedings on Wednesday, telling the court that Dogan had raped her and must “take responsibility” for his actions.

Gisele’s decision to waive her right to anonymity during the initial trial was celebrated as a bold move for transparency, raising awareness about the prevalence of sexual assault and domestic violence in France and around the world.

She also attended the proceedings in person and faced her abusers in court. She was named a knight of the Legion of Honour, France’s top civic honour, in July.

Her case has resulted in greater momentum to reform France’s laws on rape and sexual assault.

Lawmakers in France’s National Assembly and Senate have pushed for an update to the definition of rape under the country’s penal code, in order to include a clear reference to the need for consent. A final bill is expected to pass in the coming months.

Inside Victoria Beckham’s family-focused after party to celebrate emotional Netflix doc

By in Entertainment News, News

Victoria Beckham ensured all her family was around her as she marked her emotional Netflix documentary with a special after party, where she was joined by her loved ones

Victoria Beckham celebrated the release of her Netflix documentary alongside her family and friends. The Spice Girls star turned fashion designer marked the release of her new series with her closest relatives and pals.

Brooklyn Beckham was missing from the event amid the family feud, but she did give a nod to her son as she spoke about her new documentary, which is out now and has three episodes.

Speaking about the documentary, she said: “To my husband for convincing me and forcing me – giving me no choice, David. My children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, Harper and David. Oh no, he’s not a child. It has taken this process to realise I am enough.

“This process really forced me to reflect on my journey and it has been emotional. It’s been a year of intense therapy and it really made me realise a lot. I want to thank my mum and dad, my brother and my sister. I’d like to thank the Spice Girls, I love you.”

Clare Balding shares long-hidden family ‘shame’ after heartbreaking discovery

By in Entertainment News, News

Clare Balding, back on the BBC this week for Celebrity Traitors, uncovered a long-hidden family scandal when she delved into her ancestry for Who Do You Think You Are?

Sports broadcaster Clare Balding has opened up about the shifting attitudes that caused “a huge amount of shame” for her relatives in previous generations.

Whilst Clare’s wife, former Radio 4 presenter Alice Arnold, has been embraced warmly by her relatives, the sexual orientation of her great-grandfather – Merseyside MP Sir Malcolm Bullock – had to remain concealed throughout his life.

Sir Malcolm maintained a close friendship with Sir Philip Sassoon, who was renowned for his exclusive gatherings where homosexual men could be relatively free to be themselves during an era when same-sex relationships remained criminalised in Britain.

Clare – who is presently appearing on the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors – revealed to The Times: “My grandmother wasn’t very happy when I told her about my sexuality, but eight years ago I found out why that might have been.

“Filming an episode of the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? I discovered her father, the MP Sir Malcolm Bullock, was gay. Homosexuality was illegal in his day and it must have caused my grandmother a huge amount of shame.”

During the BBC programme, Clare uncovered that Sir Malcolm, who received the Legion D’Honneur for his exceptional diplomatic service, belonged to an exclusive social set that featured the likes of Evelyn Waugh, Nancy Mitford and John Gielgud.

Evidence of a likely romantic liaison between Sir Malcolm and the painter and theatrical costume designer Rex Whistler, who tragically lost his life during the D-Day offensive in 1944, was unearthed.

The pair were known to dine together frequently and even embarked on a trip to Paris together.

However, no love letters between the two men have survived, as such potentially damning evidence would almost certainly have been destroyed given the societal attitudes of the time.

Sir Malcolm had tied the knot with Lady Victoria Primrose, daughter of Edward Stanley, the 17th Earl of Derby, back in 1919, and they had one child together – Clare’s grandmother.

Clare commented: “The world has changed a lot since my grandmother’s era and I think the success of women’s sport has helped that.”

Clare herself shone in the equestrian world: “I was the Champion Lady Rider in 1990 but it was hard as a jockey because I’m not light. I had to battle to get below 10st, so it was a struggle to totally enjoy my racing.”

Her father, the highly successful racehorse trainer Ian Balding, was tough on Clare during her formative years: “I was a disappointment from the minute I popped out,” she penned, explaining that her father had been hoping for a boy.”

After she began riding competitively, her father kept a close eye on her weight, once telling her: “You’ve got porky. Lose it.”

His reaction to Clare finishing a very close second in her first major flat race was: “You should have bloody won. What the hell were you doing?”.

Article continues below

Clare recalls that her father has softened a bit since those challenging times, particularly during her fight with thyroid cancer: “Mum and Alice became very close when I was ill, and Dad absolutely adores her too.”