Ramadan Commences Today as Sultan Announces Moon Sighting...
Anxiety as Supreme Court Halts Release of Federal Allocation to Rivers, Voids LG Polls
Uncertainty and concerns yesterday
pervaded Rivers State following the decisions of the Supreme court to halt federal allocations to the State as well as insisting that the subsisting decision of the trial court and the Court of appeal was that the 27 lawmakers of the State Assembly deemed to have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) were still members of the Assembly.
The Apex court went further to declare as null and void as well as illegal, the local government election conducted by the State, ruling that it was not in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
The State government in its reaction called for calm, reminding the people that the case of the membership of the defected lawmakers was still pending at a Federal High Court in
Continued on page 5
L-R: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Senators Mao Arukwe Ohuabunwa and Allwell Heacho Onyesoh, praising
Court judgements on the Rivers State crisis in Abuja…yesterday
Alex Enumah, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Lagos Assembly Crisis: Meranda Slams Obasa for Invading House, Says Its Show of Shame
Segun James
As the crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) continues to fester, the Speaker, Mojisola Meranda yesterday, described as shameless the crisis rocking the House.
Reacting to the four-man plenary presided over by former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa on Thursday, Meranda described it and the invasion of the House with armed security personnel
and thugs as a show of shame.
She also accused the State Police Command of telling lies when it claimed that her security details, which were withdrawn in the light of the invasion of the Assembly complex by Obasa and three others, had been restored.
Meranda said that the claim by the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Moshood Jimoh that the full compliments of the speaker’s security had been restored was false.
In an interview after a court hearing in Ikeja, Meranda said she had only three policemen as against the 12, while no operative of the DSS and anti-bomb squad was attached to her.
Meranda described the invasion of the House with armed security personnel and thugs as a show of shame.
Meanwhile, 35 of the 40-member assembly, including Meranda, stormed the Lagos State High Court for the hearing of a case filed by Obasa.
Obasa had approached the court to challenge his removal from office by at least 36 lawmakers on January 13, 2025, while he was reportedly out of the country.
In an application dated February 12, 2025, filed by his lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), the former Speaker is contesting the legality of the action taken against him.
At yesterday’s proceeding, members of the assembly loyal to Meranda,
applied to be joined as defendants in the suit, which the former Speaker, in a dramatic turnaround, wanted to discontinue. Justice Yetunde Pinheiro joined all the members of the Assembly in the suit even as she adjourned hearing in the case till March 7th.
Obasa had approached the court to challenge his removal by at least 36 of his colleagues on January 13, 2025.
In the application dated 12 February, 2025, and filed by his lawyer, Fashanu,
TINUBU SIGNS N54.99TRN 2025 BUDGET, PROMISES GREATER PROSPERITY
his administration’s economic discipline and strategic reforms have delivered results that many had thought were impossible.
Also, yesterday, in Ilorin, Kwara State, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari and the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, declared that the reforms initiated by the president on agriculture and food security were yielding positive results. They also said the prices of foodstuffs were already coming down in the various markets across the country.
The 2025 budget, which Tinubu described as a “Budget of Transformation,” was designed to empower citizens, build economic
resilience, and ensure shared prosperity, he added.
The bill, which was passed in separate sessions by the two Chambers of the National Assembly on Thursday, February 13, after increasing it from the initial figures of N49.7 trillion submitted by Tinubu, was signed at a brief ceremony in the President's office at the State House, Abuja.
The 2025 Appropriation Act represents a 99.96 percent increase from the 2024 Budget of N27.5 trillion.
The breakdown of the 2025 budget put the total expenditure at N54.99 trillion; Statutory Transfers: N3.65 trillion; Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure: N13.64 trillion; Capital Expenditure: N23.96 trillion; Debt
Service: N14.32 trillion; Deficit-to-GDP Ratio: 1.52 percent.
According to Tinubu: "The past year tested our resolve, but through economic discipline and strategic reforms, we achieved what many deemed impossible."
Commenting on the nation’s economic journey in the last one year, the President acknowledged initial turbulence but emphasised that the country was now on a steady path to recovery.
His words: “There are no dust in our faces and there are no tears on our cheeks. We worked together as brothers and sisters, collaborative Nigerians, after the initial turbulence, and the take-off was very cloudy and
uncertain. Today, we see a light at the end of the tunnel."
Tinubu identified key economic indicators that signaled recovery and resilience saying Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rebounded to 3.86 percent, while national revenue surged to N21.63 trillion.
Tinubu noted that the uncertainty over the economy was gradually clearing as the reforms took shape, delivering a national GDP growth of 3.86 percent in the last quarter of 2024, the fastest in three years.
"Revenue increased to N21.6 trillion from N12.37 trillion, reflecting our drive for fiscal efficiency and the deficit reduced significantly—from
ANXIETY AS SUPREME COURT HALTS RELEASE OF FEDERAL ALLOCATION TO RIVERS, VOIDS LG POLLS
Port Harcourt, which had adjourned hearing on the matter to April 30, 2025, adding that they were studying the decision of the apex court to understand the implication of the judgment.
However, former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in his reaction, commended the Supreme Court.
Equally, the APC in the State went into an early jubilation calling the judgment the best that has happened to restore sanity.
This prompted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to plead innocence of the charge that it was doing the bidding of the opposition in the State by refusing to conduct bye-elections to replace the defected lawmakers.
The trial court had struck out the case filed by Fubara after he withdrew the matter following the peace brokered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu between the governor and his estranged godfather, Wike.
The Supreme Court held that the Governor had to purge himself of the disobedience to court order, which said the defected lawmakers were still members and that he had to present the budget of the state to them
The apex court in its judgments on five appeals and cross appeals in the leadership crisis in Rivers State restored a judgment of a Federal High Court, which last year restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) from releasing funds from the federation accounts to the Government of Rivers State.
According to the apex court, the State was no longer entitled to what was accrued to it from the federation, until the government submits to the rule of law and the Constitution.
While 27 of the lawmakers under the Speaker, Rt Hon. Martin Amaewhule are said to be loyal to Wike, the remaining five led by Okoh Jombo, are on the side of Fubara.
While Rt. Hon Edison Ehie, had initially led the Fubara loyalists, he had resigned as the factional speaker to assume the position of Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor.
Following, unresolved issues and the threat of impeachment by the Wike loyalists, who were said to have defected to the APC, Fubara had presented the 2024 appropriation before the four-member House of Assembly, thereby opening the
floodgate of litigations.
Majorly, the cases decided by the apex court yesterday bordered on the issue of spending the State's funds allegedly without approval by the State Assembly and the validity of the October 5, 2024 Local Government Elections in the state.
Delivering judgment in four appeals and cross appeals regarding State funds, the apex court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which earlier nullified the trial court judgment on the grounds that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, had in her judgment delivered on October 30, last year, restrained the CBN and AGF from releasing funds to the Rivers State Government over alleged constitutional breach.
According to the trial judge, the budget being operated by the state was not passed by a lawful arm of the Rivers State House of Assembly, therefore the Rivers government should be prevented from alleged further violation of the laws.
However, the appellate court in its own judgment on December 13, upturned the decision of Abdulmalik and struck out the suit on grounds of want of jurisdiction.
The three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Hamman Barka, had held that the mere listing of federal agencies in a suit does not confer unrestricted jurisdiction on the Federal High Court.
Besides, the appellate court held that the subject matter which centers on the appropriation of a State ought not to have been entertained by the trial court.
But, the apex court in its unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, disagreed with the appellate court, pointing out that the issue brought before the trial court was mainly seeking the enforcement of the earlier judgment of Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court, Abuja which had in January last year ordered Fubara to represent the 2024 appropriation of Rivers State before the Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly.
“This wrong view influenced it to hold that the subject matter was not within the power of the Federal High Court,” Agim held, adding that what was at the center of the case was the refusal of governor Fubara to obey a subsisting court order mandating
him to represent the budget before the Amaewhule-led faction of the house, which the court observed is the authentic leadership.
Besides, the apex court held that the Amaewhule-led faction are still members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, pending the determination of their alleged defection.
The apex court noted that Sections 102 and 109(1g) upon which Fubara relied upon to present the budget before the four-member house of assembly, does not apply in the instant case, as the situation does not warrant the adoption of the doctrine of necessity.
Agim further pointed out that the challenges faced by the governor were self-inflicted, when he withdrew his processes against the case of the Amaewhule faction before Justice Omotosho.
Besides, the apex court observed that the defense filed by Ehie was of no moment because having resigned from the Rivers State House of Assembly, he lacks any right to defend the suit.
Faulting, Fubara further, the apex court observed that the governor's action was fueled by fear of impeachment, as evidence abound of the various steps he took to prevent the house from sitting such as withholding their funds and destruction of the legislative quarters.
"This series of actions" he said, led
Abubukar and the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), Mr. Andrew Mamedu, cautioned against dismissing the allegations, as they called for a probe into the matter.
Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that most of the intimate love calls from Akpabio come in the dead of the night and that she usually wakes her husband and puts the conversations on speaker.
Natasha alleged that it was her refusal to yield to the sexual advances from Akpabio that is behind the hatred and antagonism against her.
The Kogi Central Senator made the allegation when she appeared on ‘The Morning Show’ on Arise News Channel in Abuja.
She maintained that her refusal to yield to consistent sexual advances from the Senate President both within and outside the country, was the cause
the Wike loyalists to initiate court actions against the governor.
In upholding the judgment of the trial court which nullified the passage of the bill by four members of the house of assembly, the apex court held that the legislature is the fulcrum of democracy which must be guarded jealously.
Agim held that the governor's resort to doctrine of necessity was a red herring to perpetrate illegality and continue to subvert the rule of law, stressing that a government cannot exist without one arm. "The governor has chosen to collapse the legislature...as it is there is no government in Rivers State".
While pointing out that Section 109 of the Constitution can only come into operation where the constitution did not envisage a particular occurrence, the apex court held that, "the fear of impeachment is no justification for his attack on the legislature".
"In the light of the foregoing the cross appeal lacks merit and it is hereby dismissed", Agim held, just as he went ahead to restore the judgment of the Federal High Court which barred the CBN from further release of allocations to Rivers State, until the state comply with the order directing the approval of the Rivers State House of Assembly before spending of the state's funds.
6.2 percent in 2023 to 4.17 percent in 2025.
"Forex reforms restored investor confidence, stabilising our markets.
The minimum wage was raised to N70,000, strengthening the purchasing power of workers, and infrastructure development advanced rapidly, with transformative projects such as the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,068km Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway,'' the President added.
He said: “Our naira has rebounded, reflecting our resilience. We have reduced the deficit significantly from 6.2 percent in 2023 to 4.217 percent,” adding that foreign exchange reforms were yielding positive results in stabilising the market.
The President also highlighted the administration’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare, stressing that, “the minimum wage was raised, and we are meeting all obligations.”
Acknowledging the role of the National Assembly in shaping the 2025 budget, President expressed gratitude to lawmakers for their cooperation.
His words: “I want to thank the National Assembly, every one of them, whether they participated in the review or not. We are building the same country, but particularly the leadership."
He praised the collaborative efforts between the executive and legislative arms of government, describing it as a key factor in driving national progress.
Also speaking, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, assured the President of full support of the National Assembly in implementing the budget.
Akpabio noted that the President inherited a "foaming economy" that needed urgent economic measures to recover.
He affirmed that Tinubu's experience from Lagos and versatility in managing men and resources enabled the economy's ongoing reforms and turnaround.
He commended Tinubu’s bold economic reforms, declaring that Nigeria is on the path to financial stability and growth, even without heavy reliance on petroleum revenues.
argued
case is a team of senior lawyers led by Prof. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN). Other counsels for the lawmakers included Mr. Olu Daramola (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN), Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu
of her victimisation in the Senate.
On the sitting arrangement saga, Akpoti-Uduaghan admitted that the Order 10 of the Senate Rules stipulates that a Senator must speak from his or her seat but that when it comes to the issue of privileges, Senators could speak from anywhere.
Asked why her other three female senators were not forthcoming to speak against her ordeal, Natasha said their reasons were best known to them.
She however, said the Senator representing FCT, Ireti Kingibe, called to condemn her for instituting a defamatory suit against the Senate President.
On the night club comments of the Senate President, Akpoti-Uduaghan said, it was not a slip of tongue because the Senate President had allegedly once suggested to her that he could
organise a party in form of a night club where they could have fun.
She likened her predicament in the hands of the Senate President to a young female student who refused sexual advances from her lecturer but vowed to maintain her integrity in the midst of any form of victimisation. She further alleged that the Senate leadership had once warned her to stop her constant confrontation with the Senate President because if Akpabio goes down, she would also go down with him.
She said, “It all started on the 8th of December 2023, which was a day before his birthday and my birthday, we are birthday mates. We were all in Akwa Ibom because he had a big fanfare in the stadium.
“Myself, my husband and a few of his close friends, we went to Akwa
“Be rest assured that the National Assembly—both chambers—will go with you because we know that you mean well for this country,” he assured. He also emphasised the lawmakers’ commitment to ensuring that budget implementation is effective.
“We went through it line by line, clause by clause, to ensure we meet the aspirations not just of your administration but of the entire nation. Now, we will go on oversight functions to see what your ministers are doing. And any of them not doing well, we will report to you,” Akpabio stated. On his part, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said the passing of the budget had been a collaborative effort based on consultation, negotiation and analysis.
"The National Assembly has all along been partners in progress with you, Mr. President,'' he stated.
Food Prices Dropping, President's Reforms Working, Agric Minister, Barau, Declare
Meanwhile, Kyari and Barau declared that the reforms initiated by Tinubu on agriculture and food security were yielding positive results. Kyari and Barau stated this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital at the empowerment programme organised by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, who is representing Kwara Central Senatorial District. Mustapha on the occasion , distributed empowerment tools and materials to over 2,500 constituents. The event tagged: “Alubarika 1.0 Agricultural and Human Capital Development Empowerment Programme” was held at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority’s premises in Ilorin. Kyari said the collaboration between the National Assembly and his ministry
“When you came to the National Assembly with a very ambitious budget of N49.7 trillion, little did we know that working with your team, we would discover other sources of revenue. Today, we are about to make history,” he said. The Senate President reaffirmed the legislature’s support for policies that would alleviate the suffering of Nigerians.
Ibom and at first we were at Ikot Ekpene, where his house is, then we all moved to his house in Uyo. It was about 8 pm and he held my hand and said he wanted to show me around his house.
“My husband was walking behind us. Just three of us. We were walking around from room to room. He showed me the beautiful interior.
“He noticed that he has to be spaced while still holding my hand. My husband was behind still on his phone, but he was watching up whenever he could and then he got to this particular sitting room and he said, do you like my house?
“I said, of course, sir. Every room, beautiful, nice interior, quality taste. He said, now that you're a senator,
that he was removed from his position while out of the country. Representing Meranda in the
(SAN), Dr. Dada Awosika (SAN), Prof. Dayo Amokaye (SAN), Mr. Mofe Oyetibo (SAN), Mr. Olumide Oyewole, and Mr. Wunmi Okeremi.
STrATeGIC ALLIANCe TO SANITISe FX MArKeT…
CONSTITUENCY EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME…
L-R: Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy of Nigeria, Wale Edun; Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede and the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, in a Strategic Alliance to Stimulate the forex market in Abuja…yesterday
L-R: Minister of Agriculture and Food
on Agriculture Production, Services and
Edo APC, State Govt Trade Words over N9bn Fresh Loan Approval
Ramadan Commences Today as Sultan Announces Moon Sighting
Adibe emenyonu in Benin City
captured.
Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, urged Governor Godwin Obaseki to stop securing loans, noting that the N9 billion loan recently approved by the House of Assembly was needless and will plunge the state into financial distress.
Deji Elumoye, Michael Olugbode in Abuja, Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto and Laleye Dipo in Minna
The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa'ad Abubakar III, has officially declared today as the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
has been swindled by Obaseki-led administration with an unassailable, humongous debt profile of N135 billion and $35.6 billion, the governor is unyielding and unstoppable in his characteristic design to leave Edo State in ruin, by asking for a facility of N17.5 billion few days ago, which was said to be N9 billion."
Owing to this, President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu felicitated Muslim Faithful as they commence the 2025 Ramadan.
Also, the Niger State government announced that it would be giving out some essential food items free to the people during the Ramadan season.
But in a swift reaction, the Edo State Government said it was perplexed to learn of what it termed “laughable and incredibly ridiculous tantrums attributed to the new acting chairman of the Edo State chapter of APC, Jarret Tenebe where he made baseless and spurious allegations on the fiscal management of our dear state by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government.”
of the Islamic Lunar calendar, which consists of 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and is considered mandatory for all healthy Muslims. However, young children, sick individuals, travellers, and women who are pregnant, nursing or menstruating are exempt.
Speaking from his palace yesterday evening, the Sultan announced that the crescent moon was sighted earlier in the day, corresponding to the 29th day of Shaban.
Tenebe, said "It is important to state, that it is now in public and political space that the fiscal budget of Edo State was passed few weeks ago before the Edo State House of Assembly proceeded on leave without the commencement of the execution of the budget by the executive.
In Saudi Arabia also, the Ramadan crescent moon was sighted in the Kingdom. With the confirmation, more than 1.8 billion Muslims across the world will begin fasting from sunrise to sunset each day.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Tenebe had said the state was already suffering under a debt profile of N135 billion and $35.6 billion.
Ramadan falls on the ninth month
He said, "While it is a monumental disaster that Edo State patrimony
He stated that the widespread reports of the moon sighting from various regions of the country were verified and accepted by the council, confirming the commencement of Ramadan 1446.
The Sultan urged all Muslims to dedicate the holy month to prayers, seeking Allah’s blessings and guidance for the nation and its leaders. He also
It is most disheartening that the Edo State Government now is requesting for a facility of N17.5 billion with no corollary of project attached there to the said facility and also that the facility is not contained as loan to be taken in the 2024 fiscal budget just recently passed. A cursory perusal of the entire budget does not reveal where the project for the facility is ever
TINUBU SIGNS N54.99TRN 2025 BUDGET, PROMISES GREATER PROSPERITY
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has announced plans to launch a 37,000 Citizens’ Brigade in primary schools across the country.
on the implementation of the food security policy of the President was yielding positive results as the high cost of foodstuffs in the markets are gradually coming down.
He said, “Today, I can proudly beat my chest and boast that the reforms that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu initiated in terms of food security are working.
He made the disclosure while speaking with journalists in Ibadan during a working visit to Oyo State.
“We have seen and we are feeling that foodstuffs are available, but gradually they are becoming affordable. That is to show the champion of food security, President Tinubu is working for the best interest of Nigerians.
“I would also commend my partners in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for being in line with the aspiration of Mr. President.
He said 1,000 Citizens’ Brigade would be set up in each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to promote national values as of old, stating that the essence of the Brigade was to revive and rebuild the national values and create positive models
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
“The Senate Committee on Agriculture chaired by Senator Saliu Mustapha, which is oversighting me, has been keeping us on our toes making us to fall in line with Mr. President's aspiration. We have the same aspiration and we mean well for Nigeria and Nigerians.”
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who represented the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, expressed delight that Mustapha concentrated a greater percentage of his empowerment programme on Agriculture.
among the youthful population. He said the government is worried that about 72 per cent of the nation’s youthful population have become foreigners through the influence of cartoons and movies which are foreign in contents, values and cultures.
Jibrin, who donated 200 sewing machines on the occasion, said the special attention given to the agriculture sector by the Tinubu's administration was commendable and urged other federal lawmakers to channel their zonal intervention programme to agriculture.
Jibrin said, “I call this a great empowerment programme because it is intended to empower the constituents of Saliu Mustapha in the area of agriculture and human capital development.
Issa-Onilu said as a way out of the malaise, NOA would soon launch a Mobile App containing indigenous cartoons through which local contents, national values and culture would be promoted.
“These are key areas that are very important to our national development. Of course, I don't need to waste much time talking about the importance of agriculture to every society.
According to him, "These various policies are geared towards changing the narratives and the wrong impression that the outside world is having about the country.
“Agriculture is something unknown to the survival of every society. It is, in my opinion, the foundation of every society, because without food, no life.”
Other items distributed during the event were 250 deep freezers, tricycles, 100 live cows, 400 grinding machines, eight tractors for four local governments in Kwara Central.
Also vehicles, gas powered oven with cylinders, 400 irrigation machines, full university scholarship for 200 students, various food stuffs, fertilizers and farm inputs and power transformers among others, were equally distributed.
The Oyo State Government, yesterday, suspended Oba Gbolagade Muritala Babalola, as the Onido of Ido in Ido Local Government Area of the state. The government, in a letter dated 2nd of February, 2024 and signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Olusegun Olayiwola, indicated that Governor Seyi Makinde approved the suspension on 1st of February, 2024. The letter read in part, "I wish to inform you that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Oyo State of Nigeria, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Sub-section 1&2 of Section 26 of the Chiefs Law, Cap. 28 Vol I, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000 and by virtue of all other enabling powers in
encouraged acts of charity, emphasising the importance of supporting the less privileged so that they too can partake in the fasting period.
According to him, reports from Islamic leaders across the country confirmed the moon’s appearance, marking the official beginning of Ramadan fasting on Saturday.
"Information at the behest of the members of the Edo State House of Assembly is to the effect that they were recalled from their holiday or leave by the Speaker on the request of the state governor for the immediate approval of the said facility which according to them is said to be N9 billion but as event unfolded, after the mammoth request by the opposition in the House as to the rationale for a facility as
Muslims across Nigeria are now set to begin the month-long period of fasting, prayers, and devotion.
stupendous as N9 billion for fathom projects which only existed in the imagination of the governor, it was discovered that the facility was not even N9 billion but a figure wrapped in secrecy as much as N17.5 billion to which the opposition in the house rejected and or refused to be part of the approval.
the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki across all sectors of the state over the past seven years.”
Tinubu, First Lady felicitate Muslim faithful Niger state to give out food items free
President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu felicitated Muslim Faithful as they commence the 2025 Ramadan.
The President, in a statement personally signed by him stated: "I congratulate the Muslim faithful in Nigeria and worldwide as we begin the sacred month of Ramadan.
But in its reaction, the Edo State Government stated that the Edo APC was “obviously pained by the achievements of
"We are profoundly grateful to Almighty Allah for granting us the grace to witness the commencement
of this holy month, a cornerstone of the Islamic faith. May this fasting and devotion period be marked by good health, spiritual fulfilment, and divine blessings.
"Ramadan is a time for deep reflection, renewed devotion to Allah, and acts of compassion and generosity toward humanity.
“Tenebe has been on a frenzy looking for lies to tell since he assumed office as Acting Chairman. Rather than focus on reawakening his completely comatose party, which is unable to provide constructive criticisms expected of a viable opposition, he has resorted to spreading misinformation in a desperate attempt to curry cheap popularity.
"It is a season of spiritual rejuvenation, self-discipline, and empathy for the less fortunate. I
“In his infertile rambling, Tenebe made wild and completely off-themark comments suggesting that Edo State is owing $35 billion. Even if that was what was written for him, he should have known that the figure is wrong and can't be true.
urge all Muslims observing the fast to embrace the profound lessons of piety, humility, and selflessness that this holy month embodies. Let us use this period to strengthen our bonds with Allah and one another, fostering unity and peace in our communities.
"In reality, our debt stock is not a secret and in fact, we are ‘under borrowed’. Emperor Tenebe would have known this if he understood the economics of governance, fiscal responsibility and debt-to-GDP ratio.
"This year's Ramadan holds special significance as it coincides with a period of renewed hope and progress for our nation.”
Mining Development: Nigeria, US Explore Areas of Strategic Partnership
Nigerian Army Renames Ikeja Cantonment to Honour Late General Lagbaja
lid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has described the United States as Nigeria’s longstanding ally and strategic partner for the nation’s mining sector development.
Sanwo-Olu, CDS, COAS extol late chief of army staff Military discovers, dismantles 156 illegal refining sites
Speaking while receiving
Chiemelie Ezeobi in Lagos and Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigerian Army yesterday renamed the popular Ikeja Cantonment T.A. Lagbaja Cantonment, Ikeja, in honour of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, in commemoration of his 57th posthumous birthday.
“We are establishing, this year, 37,000 Citizens’ Brigade in Primary School. 1,000 in each state, including FCT, Abuja. These Citizens’ Brigade are going to be like Boys’ Scout and Girls’ Guild of the olden days.
Charge d'Affairs, US Embassy, David Greene, in his office on Thursday, Alake lauded the United States’ commitment to fostering cooperation with Nigeria in diverse sectors of the economy, stating that it underscores the significance of the smooth bilateral relations between both countries.
also want to be part of the move to reduce global emissions and put our mining sector on the global map. We have critical minerals that are in commercial demand globally,"Alake said.
This comes as the military high command yesterday said troops of the joint taskforce, Operation Delta Safe, uncovered and dismantled no fewer than 156 illegal refining sites in one month. The destruction of illicit hydrocarbon infrastructures in the Niger Delta area, the military said, followed an intensified crackdown on oil theft and illegal refining activities.
“Across the world, Nigerians are known to be the smartest people on earth. This is a positive development but some people mischievously tend to portray us in negative light. But this is not who we are as a people.
“To change the negative narratives, we are setting up the Citizens’ Brigade to produce young Nigerians and create positive models to rebuild the national values."
Donald Trump has clashed with Volodymyr Zelensky in a furious exchange at the White House, with the United States President telling his Ukrainian counterpart to make a deal with Russia "or we are out."
“I thank you for your visit. I met the US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Geoffrey Pyatt, on the sidelines of the Mines and Money conference in London past year, and we had a fruitful engagement. I did analyse all our issues, and fundamentally, we just want to diversify our economy from oil. Not just for our own economic survival but also to be in tune with global trends for reduction in global warming. We
The posthumous birthday ceremony, which took place yesterday at the cantonment, followed impressive facility upgrades, including an engraved portrait of Lagbaja made with over 400,000 halfinch nails at the refurbished digital gate by the 9 Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Olawale Matthew Oyekola. Others were remodelled accommodation for the Commander of 9 Brigade, a newly built residence for the Commander of 70 Supply and Transport Command, and renovated quarters for both Corporals and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs),
The event, which coincided with Lagbaja’s posthumous 57th birthday brought together top military officials,
Alex enumah in Abuja
the BBC reported.
including all serving members of Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Course 39, who were the late Lagbaja’s coursemates.
The minister welcomed partnership with the US on investments in the mining value chain, expanding access to technology in extracting and processing minerals and securing mining areas.
In his goodwill message, Lagos State Governor, Babajide SanwoOlu, described the renaming as a testament of gratitude and recognition of Lagbaja’s courage, service, and patriotism.
Throwing light on reforms embarked upon by the federal government, the minister highlighted revised Community Development Agreement (CDA) guidelines geared towards reducing friction in host communities; on-going plans for new security architecture to secure natural resources; efforts to generate big geo-data; the
He said: “This cantonment has not only been a symbol of courage; it has been a symbol of discipline and fidelity. It has been home to thousands of brave men and women who have defended the sovereignty of our nation with their lives in the greatest moments of triumph, resilience, and sacrifice.
“Therefore, renaming it after
bordering on terrorism and murder.
formalisation of artisanal miners into cooperatives amongst others. "The mining sector provides a veritable avenue for increased trade between Nigeria and the United States, especially in the area of value addition, which implies processing of extracted minerals and setting up factories here. We would also require financing from multilateral institutions for our local operators. We are providing incentives for investments like tax waivers for mining equipment, policy of full repatriation of profits to home countries amongst others," Alake emphasised.
Lieutenant General Lagbaja is a fitting tribute to a leader, a gentleman, and an officer whose life embodies all of these values. A distinguished infantry officer who served in the Nigerian Army with dedication for over three decades, he played key roles in counter-insurgency operations, internal security, and peacekeeping missions.
In his remarks, the US Ambassador commended the renewed interest of Nigeria in solid minerals, stressing that the sector has huge potentials to rival the contribution of oil to the nation's economy.
“By renaming this cantonment after him, we are sending a strong message to our Armed Forces and to future generations that Nigeria will always honour and celebrate our brave men and women in uniform, not just in times of conflict but in moments of peace. We must remind them that their sacrifice will not go unrecognised.”
Trump Accuses Zelensky of 'Gambling with World War Three'
But Zelensky ended up leaving before the deal could be signed after the public Oval Office meeting came to a head.
The pair interrupted each other repeatedly during what was supposed to be a prelude to the two leaders signing a minerals deal.
After relations first became strained over Trump's handling of Ukraine peace talks with Russia, the minerals agreement was supposed to be a stepping stone towards further security ties between the countries,
that regard, has approved your suspension as the Onido of Ido in the area of authority of Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State." It directed Oba Babalola to hand over all government properties in his possession to the Chairman of Ido local government. In the meantime, the state government has vowed to hit hard at anyone, no matter how highly placed, who contravenes the law.
Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of a Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, dismissed the application by two Rivers State indigenes challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try them over alleged complicity in the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
At one point, Trump told Zelensky he was not thankful enough for US military and political support, and that he was "gambling with World War Three".
Zelensky had earlier argued there should be "no compromises" with Russian President Vladimir Putinbut Trump said Kyiv would have to make concessions to reach a peace deal with Russia.
Chime Eguma Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele, were among five persons charged with terrorism and murder. The others are Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.
They were last week arraigned on a seven-count criminal charge
The meeting to discuss the deal, which involved access to Ukrainian oil, gas and rare minerals, came after America's new president had appeared to blame Zelensky for the war and chided him for not starting peace talks with Russia earlier.
His tone had softened in recent days, with Trump saying he had "a lot of respect" for the Ukrainian leader.
But yesterday's conversation soured after the US Vice-President JD Vance - who was sat alongside other politicians in the room - told Zelensky that the war had to be
Although, they pleaded not guilty to all the charges, the judge however, ordered that they be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center, pending the hearing of their bail application fixed for February 2, as well as the motion of the 1st and 2nd defendants challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit against them. Ezebalike and Oladele had argued that by the provisions of the Terrorism Act, it is only the Attorney General of the Federation that can file any charge of terrorism against them. Their lawyer, Mr. Lukman
ended through diplomacy. Zelensky responded by asking "what kind of diplomacy?", referencing a previous ceasefire deal in 2019, agreed three years before Russia's full-scale invasion.
The vice-president then accused him of being disrespectful and "litigating" the situation in front of the media From there, the discussion escalated quickly, as Trump and Vance accused Ukraine's president of being ungrateful for three years' of US support during the war with Russia, with Trump saying he was in no position to tell the US how it should feel.
Fagbemi, SAN, submitted that the charge having been filed by the Inspector General of Police, was incompetent and asked the court to strike out counts 1,3,4,5,6, and 7 of the charge or strike strike out the entire suit for been incompetent. Responding, Police lawyer, Mr. Simon Lough, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the application for lacking in merit. According to Lough, besides Sections 4 and 66 of the Police Acts that empower them to bring the charge against the defendants, Section 5 and 99 of the Terrorism Act, shows that the police have powers to also initiate terrorism charges against the defendant.
Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; National Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru; Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and Chairman, Senate Committee
Rural Development, Senator Saliu Mustapha, during the 2024 Constituency Empowerment Programme in Kwara Central Senatorial District by Mustapha held in Kwara State… yesterday
PAYING FINAL RESPECTS…
Stock Market Appreciates by N4.43
Trillion in First Two Months of 2025
The stock market section of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) gained N4.43 trillion in the first two months of 2025 as investors take positions in blue-chip companies amid 2024 corporate earnings and dividend payout.
With the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) significantly dropping interest rates on Treasury bills following a decline in the country’s inflation
rate, investors' surge demand for some listed companies have played a critical role in the stock market’s N4.43 trillin increase in the period under review.
Also, the analysts had anticipated a shift to the stock market as participants in the Treasury bill market had already begun repricing yields downward despite the tight liquidity conditions in the financial system.
The stock market that opened
2025 at N62.763 trillion, gained N4.43 trillion or 7.1 per cent to close on Friday at N67.19 trillion and the growth influenced the market performance in February 2025.
THISDAY gathered that the stock market gained N1.95 trillion in January 2025, while in February 2025, it appreciated by N2.48 trillion to close at N67.193 trillion.
Consequently, the NGX All-Share Index (NGX ASI) advanced by 4.76 per cent or 4,894.99 in its Year-till-
Date (YtD) performance to close yesterday at 107,821.39 basis points from 102,926.40 basis points the stock market closed for trading in 2024. THISDAY from investigation gathered that the Banking sector recapitalisation exercise of the CNN, 2024 corporate earnings among others factors have also lifted investor expectations.
For instance, in the first two months of 2025, the NGX Banking Index led other indices when it
MTN Nigeria Announces N550.33bn Loss in 2024FY
Kayode
MTN Nigeria Plc has announced its audited result and accounts for the full year ended December 31, 2024 with N550.33 billion loss before tax, attributable to N925.36 billion net foreign exchange losses from N740.43 billion in 2023.
The telecommunication giant had declared N177.89 billion loss before tax in the corresponding period of 2023.
The results posted on the Nigerian
I'm going to create time for us to come spend quality moments here. You will enjoy it.
“At that point, I just pulled away and I was like, ‘I don't really understand what exactly that meant.’ But then my husband when I turned around was already near me, and the way my husband looked at me and looked at him, I was beginning to wonder, did he hear part of that inciting statements or not?
“And then the Senate President too, I saw that he also had that thought like, did my husband hear the invitation to treat or not?
“So then the Senate President now said, oh, by the way, let me show you my chapel. He has a chapel in his house as well.
“So to the chapel. I know we walked in silence and all. So that evening before we left the Senate President's house at about 11 midnight to the Four Point Hotel, my husband asked me, Natasha, what did the Senate President tell you. What was he telling you?”
Speaking further, she said: “I thought, should I tell him that he was speaking about bringing me in here at a special time for us to have a good time? Or
Exchange Limited (NGX) showed that MTN Nigeria reported N399.45 billion loss in 2024 financial year, about 198.4 per cent increase over N133.8 billion declared in 2023.
The company for the second consecutive year announced losses, caused by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) foreign exchange reforms that has seen Naira depreciate to N1,535 against the dollar in 2024 from N907.1 against the dollar 2023. Meanwhile, it announced N3.4
should I just kill it there?
“I just gave him some words to mask what was said. After when we laid in bed to my right and my husband wrapped his hands around me and he said, my love you know you can tell me anything.
“What did the Senate President tell you? Again I was like don't you believe me? I said nothing, nothing. Moreover, it's my birthday in a few minutes, let's just be happy.”
She also denied allegations of corruption contained in a petition by a northern youth group to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Public Petitions and Code of Conduct.
“So one thing again the clerk told me was that we needed the services of an external consultant. And I told her, I was like, why do we have to deploy the services of an external consultant when we have in-house staff?
“The Committee on Local Content had about 10 or 11 staff at the time. And I was like, we should be able to do this job ourselves.
“I am a lawyer. I can do my part wherever one needs to refer to the constitution or to the act as it may.
“I believe we should have supporting
trillion in revenue, about 36 per cent growth when compared to N2.47 trillion reported in 2023, while service revenue stood at N3.33 trillion in 2024, an increase of 35.9 per cent from N2.45 trillion declared in 2023.
Committing to the results, MTN Nigeria CEO, Mr. Karl Toriola in a statement said, “We are encouraged by the resilience of our business in FY 2024, which reflects our strong commitment to driving growth and managing costs.
lawyers, we should have auditors, we should have accountants amongst the staff. So if that is what they say, harassment, then so be it”
Meanwhile, the Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio dismissed allegations.
Speaking to journalists, Mrs. Akpabio recounted the cordial relationship that existed between her family and Senator Natasha’s family, as she dismissed the allegations as a figment of wild imaginations. She further maintained that the allegations were unfounded, as she was present at her family residence on the alleged date 8th December, 2023.
Stating that both families enjoy a long-standing cordial relationship that predates Senator Natasha’s marriage to her husband.
Mrs. Akpabio praised her husband’s discipline as a man who loves and respects his family, citing his track record of supporting women’s inclusion in government even before his emergence as Senate President.
She urged women to desist from peddling such false allegations, as she vowed to seek legal redress on the matter.
In the meantime, the lawmaker
“Despite facing significant macroeconomic headwinds, including record high inflation, as well as ongoing currency and energy price volatility, we remained focused on executing our strategy and creating long-term value for our stakeholders.
“We are grateful to the authorities for the recent approval of tariff adjustments, which are essential for our industry's sustainability and crucial for addressing our negative capital position.”
representing the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate, Ireti Kingibe, berated her colleague representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha AkpotiUduaghan, over her outburst over the seating reassignment in the Senate.
Reacting to Natasha’s claim about the seating arrangement, Kingibe, while appearing on Arise News Channel, carpeted the Kogi Senate, saying she doesn’t follow the Senate rules.
Natasha had claimed that the three other female senators have been silent about the seating arrangement row because they don’t want to say anything negative about Natasha.
But Kingibe said, “Silence is golden, especially when one of us is not following the rules, and as women, we did not want to come out publicly to say anything negative about her, and we were hoping all of this will blow over, as a lot of things do.
“The Senate is not a place where we are supposed to fight over trivialities like seating arrangements.”
Kingibe stated that Natasha was not the only lawmaker whose seat was moved, disclosing that other lawmakers were affected by the seating reassignment.
gained 7.5 per cent YtD to close yesterday at 1,165.71basis points from 1,084.50 basis points.
On the flipside, the stock market has witnessed caution buying trading by investors, especially in the oil and gas, and insurance sub-sector.
The NGX Oil/Gas Index dropped by 5.54 per cent YtD to close at 2,561.63 basis points from 2,712.06 basis points it opened for trading, while the NGX Insurance Index depreciated by 0.24 per cent YtD from 718 basis points to close yesterday at 716.28 basis points.
With the lower inflation rate— driven by the CPI rebasing — and the MPC’s decision to hold rates in line with expectations, capital market analysts have hinted at further stock price appreciation in March 2025.
Analysts at Corodroos Research stated that, “We believe the domestic equities market might respond positively to the MPC’s decision to pause interest rate hikes as investors assess the likelihood of policy easing in the medium term.
“We also expect to see some rotation into sectors positioned for expansion in a lower-rate environment, particularly the manufacturing sector, as lower financing costs, improved input cost dynamics, and stronger consumer
demand enhance growth prospects, making the sector more attractive to investors.”
The Managing Director Arthur Steven Asset Management Limited (ASAM), Mr. Olatunde Amolegbe, had said the stock market growth in 2025 is underpinned by ongoing bank recapitalisation efforts, new listings, and anticipated monetary policy easing by the CBN. Amolegbe, highlighted Nigeria’s relative market attractiveness as a key factor in attracting increased FPI, provided stable policies are maintained. He noted that the bank recapitalization process is set to boost investor confidence, while high-profile listings such as Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Dangote Refinery are expected to enhance market liquidity and broaden investment opportunities. The projected bullish trend in 2025 comes as investors position themselves ahead of 2024 fiscal year results and dividend declarations, particularly in the banking sector. However, Amolegbe cautioned that the market’s performance will depend on critical factors such as the country’s economic growth trajectory, monetary policy direction, and corporate earnings results.
Tinubu Mourns Doyen of Nigerian Broadcasting, Chief Anike
Agbaje-Williams
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has sent condolences to the immediate family, professional associates, and the broadcast media industry on the passing of the industry's doyen, Chief (Mrs.) Anike Agbaje-Williams. The President, in a statement yesterday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, praised the pioneering role of Mrs. Agbaje-Williams for inspiring generations of broadcast media professionals.
According to President Tinubu, "Chief Anike Agbaje-Williams was a trailblazer and one of the pioneering figures of the broadcast industry in Nigeria and Africa. She made history as the first woman in Africa to grace the Television and Radio as an announcer and broadcaster. Her
professional example will continue to inspire current and future generations of media practitioners. May God comfort her family members and loved ones."
Mrs. Agbaje-Williams, the first African to be on television, died on Wednesday, February 26, in Ibadan at the age of 88 years, according to her family.
The veteran broadcaster, who retired from active service in 1986, was born on October 23, 1936. Agbaje-Williams was a renowned broadcaster who made history by being the first face to appear on the first Television station in Africa, Western Nigerian Television (WNTV), both on the test transmission Night and on the official opening night. She was also the first voice heard on Africa's first commercial radio station, WNBS.
Kayode Tokede
L-R: MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe;GMD/CEO, UTM Offshore Ltd, Mr. Julius Rone; Governor of Ogun State, Mr. Dapo Abiodun; President/CEO, GCA Energy, Mr. Greg Uanseru, and former Imo State Governor, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, at the funeral service of Mrs. Aniema Greg- Uanseru, held at Ikeja, Lagos… yesterday
Tokede
COURTESY VISIT...
All Eyes on PDP after APC’s NEC Meeting
Opposition party’s national secretary tussle still unresolved Calabar south-south congress legal, says elected executives Party’s national secretariat kicks, rejects congress
Okocha in Abuja
All eyes are now on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after a successful National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
While the APC held its NEC meeting this Wednesday, after over two years, the last time the PDP had its NEC meeting was on April 18, 2024.
This was as the leadership of PDP, South-South Zone, has said that its last congress held in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, was legal because its National Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih’s suspension has been lifted.
But in a post-congress statement, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, insisted that the meeting was not recognised.
“The PDP states in clear terms that it has not conducted its South-South Zonal Congress, neither is it in any way involved in the said gathering in Calabar,” Ologunagba said in a statement.
It's expected that since the APC could beat the odds against it and hold a successful NEC where a vote of confidence was passed on the leadership of the party and its zoning arrangements confirmed in favour of the North-west, that the PDP should brace the odds and do the same.
So far, the acting National Chairman of PDP, Amb. Iliya Damagum and the
governors elected on the platform of the party had mandated that a NEC meeting should be held on March 13.
Since the last NEC meeting of the party in April 2024, the struggle had been to remove Damagum and allow the North-central zone complete the tenure of office of Iyorcha Ayu who was suspended and later resigned.
But within the period, an Abuja High Court restrained PDP from removing Damagum as national chairman pending the completion of the tenure in December 2025.
As at press time, it is not known if this court order has been removed or set aside. That being the case, even if NEC holds, the removal of Damagum and his replacement may not be on agenda.
Again, the lingering leadership crisis within the party has cast doubt on whether the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will be held as scheduled in March.
Legal challenges also loom large, as multiple court orders regarding the legitimacy of Damagum’s position add another layer of complexity to the party’s decision-making process.
Despite reassurances from the party’s National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu, that the NEC meeting will proceed as planned, factional divisions within the National Working Committee (NWC) and ongoing legal challenges remain significant obstacles.
For the NEC meeting to hold, the NWC of the party must meet to set
Journalist Loses Wife to Diabetes
Mrs. Adenike Rafat Ajao, a staff of Bells University of Technology, Otta, Ogun State, has passed on at the emergency ward of the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, at the age of 59.
According to a statement yesterday, which was signed by her husband, a seasoned journalist, Mr. Wale Ajao, Mrs. Ajao had been battling multiple ailments such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, hemorrhage and heart palpitations for the past three years.
“Her health challenge degenerated towards the middle of last year and by December 9, she had to be rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, where she was attended to at the Renal ward because her two kidneys had been ruptured.
“By December 27, she was discharged because her condition improved. But by January 14, her health deteriorated again, compelling her family to rush her back to the emergency ward of the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, where she eventually passed on yesterday night,” the statement added.
Ajao, a former Vanguard staff disclosed that the funeral service for his late wife had been scheduled for
Friday, March 14, at the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), Canaan land, Idi Iroko Road, Otta, Ogun State, and internment at the church cemetery.
The media had earlier reported the story of a desperate struggle by Mr. Ajao to rescue his wife from the jaws of death when he appealed to the public for financial assistance towards raising N30 million for kidney transplant for his wife who unfortunately passed on while fund raising was still going on.
He also thanked all kind-hearted men and women who supported his family during the turbulence his family passed through.
an agenda. Since this year, the NWC has not been able to meet.
The last time, the NWC met virtually was dubbed 'mere whatsapp'.This is merely due to national secretaryship tussle between Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye.
Also, as part of preparations for the NEC, the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be notified of the NEC.
In this regard, a letter must be sent to INEC as a regulatory body to inform it of the meeting. But the question is who will countersign the letter to INEC.
Statutorily, the national secretary
must sign alongside Damagum. But between Anyanwu and Okoye who will sign the letter to INEC.
The NEC meeting, initially scheduled for October 2024 and later rescheduled for November 2024 before being postponed indefinitely, is considered crucial for addressing key issues affecting the party.
These include reviewing the leadership structure, resolving internal conflicts, and formulating strategies for upcoming elections.
At the centre of the leadership crisis is acting National Chairman, Damagum, whose position has been a source of controversy.
Calls for his resignation, particularly from the PDP Governors Forum have intensified amid allegations of indecisiveness and an inability to bridge the growing divisions within the party. Efforts have been made to facilitate Damagum’s exit through political solutions, including the possibility of nominating a new chairman from the North Central region.
These factional struggles have further complicated the party’s internal dynamics, with competing camps loyal to prominent figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
These divisions have made consensus-building challenging and have fueled suspensions and counter-suspensions among party officials.
As the highest decision-making body of the party, the NEC meeting, if it takes place, is expected to address key issues such as constitutional amendments, electoral strategies, party unity, and policy direction. However, failure to resolve the ongoing leadership crisis and factional disputes could hinder the party’s preparations for upcoming elections and its ability to present a united front to the electorate.
Nigeria Emerges First African Country to Host UAE’s Investopia Summit
Dike Onwuamaeze
Nigeria is set to host the Investopia Africa Summit at the Eko Atlantic City, Lagos, in September 2025, which is the first time it would be held in Africa.
The Investopia, which is the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) premier global investment platform, is expanding into Africa in its bid to unlock new investment frontiers.
These were disclosed by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, who stated that the Investopia Africa 2025 Summit would bring together thousands of participants and over 100 speakers from more than 20 countries to explore investment opportunities in energy, agriculture, fintech, artificial intelligence, and healthcare.
The event will also feature high impact business matchmaking sessions, further solidifying Nigeria’s position as a key economic driver on the continent.
Oduwole described the summit as a milestone event that highlighted Nigeria’s emergence as a key global economic player as a result of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms and the country’s improving business climate.
She said, “Hosting Investopia Africa 2025 in Nigeria reaffirms our transformation into a leading investment hub.
“Our reforms are creating a stable, transparent and high-growth economy. We look forward to welcoming investors from around the world to Nigeria.”
Nigeria, according to the
minister, is rapidly establishing itself as a premier destination for global investors following Tinubu's administration’s bold economic reforms.
She added that hosting Investopia Africa 2025 Summit at Eko Atlantic City further reinforced Nigeria’s economic ambition, adding that “this visionary city, built on reclaimed land off the Atlantic coast in Victoria Island, is West Africa’s leading financial and commercial hub. It offers world-class infrastructure, a dynamic business ecosystem, and a strategic gateway for global investment.”
Investopia, which was established in 2021 under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and UAE Minister of Economy, Mr. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, has rapidly
positioned itself as a leading global platform for investment, fostering high-level engagement between investors, business leaders, and policymakers to drive growth in emerging sectors. Al Marri said, “Africa is a key trade and investment partner for the UAE and Investopia’s expansion to the continent, which boasts some of the world’s fastest-growing markets, reflects our commitment to connecting investors with the opportunities they offer.
“Investopia Nigeria will create promising economic opportunities for both the UAE and African private sector by also highlighting the UAE’s attractiveness for investments in new economic sectors, especially in energy, agriculture, fintech, artificial intelligence, and healthcare.”
Expert Warns Tax Reform Bills May Undermine Customs Operations, Revenue Drive
James Emejo in Abuja
A renowned tax and customs expert, Okey Ibeke, has cautioned that the proposed tax reform bills before the National Assembly have the potential to undermine the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) specialised operations, which remained crucial for the country’s revenue drive. He stressed that the NCS’ duties which are highly technical and extend far beyond revenue collection could be eroded unless relevant concerns relating to the bills are addressed.
Ibeke’s remarks came against the backdrop of a recent public hearing on tax reform bills organised by the House of Representatives Special Committee on Tax Reform Bills. He warned that passing the bills without necessary adjustments could render the NCS redundant, a situation that could negatively impact revenue collection for development projects.
He said although the ComptrollerGeneral of the Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, had said the tax reform aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to an efficient tax system, certain aspects of the
bills could hamper the service’s ability to perform its core functions.
Ibeke, specifically expressed concerns that designated revenue agencies may lack the technical expertise, specialised workforce, and continuous training required to handle customs’ operations.
He noted that these agencies might struggle to detect undervalued or misclassified goods, potentially leading to the acceptance of inaccurate importer declarations.
“Customs work is more than just collecting revenue. It involves classifying cargo, understanding tariff classifications, and conducting
customs valuations. Without the expertise to classify cargo and determine the applicable duty rates, there will be significant challenges. Only well-trained customs personnel can effectively perform these functions,” Ibeke said.
He stressed the importance of applying Rules of Origin (RoO), which are essential for determining the national source of products, as well as critical for assessing the value of imports, calculating appropriate revenue, and identifying fraudulent practices - tasks that general tax administration systems are illequipped to handle.
Chuks
L-R: Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno; President Bola Tinubu and President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, when Akwa-Ibom State stakeholders paid a courtesy visit to Tinubu at the Villa... yesterday.
Late Adenike Ajao
TACKLING OUT-OF-SCHOOL CRISIS…
AWARD WELL DESERVED…
CEO of PressPayNg, Mr. Abiola Metilelu (right) receiving the 40Under40 award in the banking & finance category from the Founder of 40Under40 Africa, Awards, Mr. Richard Abbey Jnr., during the award ceremony in Cairo, Egypt…recently
Keyamo Threatens Not to Approve Foreign Airlines’ Summer Schedule
Directs Air France to return Nigerian passengers to Abuja
Chinedu Eze in Lagos and Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said that he may not approve the summer schedule of foreign airlines if they refused to patronise Nigerian caterers.
Following the not too good treatment meted out to Nigerian passengers by foreign airlines, Keyamo has directed Air France to return some Nigerian passengers left stranded at Lome, Togo by yesterday night, back to the country.
Summer schedule is take-off and landing rights given to airlines to operate to particular airports and according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), summer schedule begins on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Saturday of October.
Keyamo made the threat yesterday in Lagos during stakeholders' meeting
themed 'Transforming the Aviation Industry', saying that foreign airlines ought to patronise Nigerian businesses to enable those companies thrive, create jobs and contribute to the growth of the aviation industry.
The minister said he finds it sad that local caterers are not benefiting from windfalls of foreign airlines operating in Nigeria.
"I will not approve summer schedule for foreign airlines until they show me agreement showing they have partnered with our local caterers," he said, insisting that the foreign airlines can choose to stop flying into Nigeria if they feel they cannot patronise local caterers.
Keyamo also announced at the event that North-east will soon have an international airport, as the Maiduguri Airport, now Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Maiduguri is being upgraded to meet international standards.
He said that President Bola Tinubu's administration is giving intentional support to domestic airlines to encourage them to grow and create more jobs for teeming young Nigerian population.
He also observed that while many countries in Africa have airlines established by their government, it is only in Nigeria that the private sector run airlines, noting that the government is working to facilitate access to international financiers to help Nigerian carriers have access to credit facilities at single digit interest rates.
Speaking in similar vein, the Vice President Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and Chairman of Air Peace Limited, Dr. Allen Onyema, said that domestic airlines have never had it so good with any other government as they are witnessing under the Tinubu administration.
He commended the President, the minister and the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, saying that they have brought positive change to the aviation industry, especially the airlines that might have gone under without their intervention with favourable leadership.
Onyema said that to make the NCAA's job easy, domestic airlines should engage in self-regulation by taking critical decisions to ensure that their aircraft is airworthy, noting that this will further fortify the safety of Nigerian carriers and the overall safety of the aviation industry.
"WE have NCAA that is seriously overseeing the industry. What the regulatory authority is doing is fantastic. If we self-regulate we will make the job easier for NCAA and I know that observing all aspects of safety is the cheapest way of running
Salary Fraud: Governor Yusuf Suspends Acting Head of Service with Immediate Effect
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Yusuf, has suspended with immediate effect the Acting Head of Service and Permanent Secretary, Establishment, Salisu Mustapha, over alleged salary deductions and non-payment of some civil servants’ salaries.
an airline. This positive change has been brought to the industry because President Tinubu understands what it means to run a business."
Meanwhile, the NCAA has disclosed that in one year, it approved five Air Operating Certificates (AOCs) for five applicants, noting
that such performance was never achieved in the past. An AOC is a certificate that allows an operator to perform specific operations of commercial air transport service, which include charter services, cargo freighting or scheduled passenger service.
As Pope Francis Recovers, Cardinal De Donatis to Preside Ash Wednesday Liturgy
The Holy See Press Office yesterday announced that Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary, will preside at the traditional celebration of the Ash Wednesday liturgy on the Aventine Hill, which will take place next week Wednesday.
Maintaining an ancient Roman tradition revived by St. John XXIII, the Pope usually begins the Ash Wednesday “stational” liturgy at the church of Sant’Anselmo before leading a penitential procession to the Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill, where he celebrates Mass.
the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, the Ash Wednesday celebration begins with the 'stational liturgy' at 4:30 PM in Sant’Anselmo, followed by the procession to Santa Sabina.
The procession will include Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, the Benedictine Monks of Sant’Anselmo, the Dominican Fathers of Santa Sabina, and some of the faithful. At the end of the procession, in the Basilica of Santa Sabina, the Eucharistic Celebration will take place, including the rite of blessing and the imposition of ashes.
Governor Yusuf reaffirmed his zero-tolerance stance on financial malpractice, warning that anyone found guilty will face severe consequences.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, it was confirmed that Mustapha has also been directed to step aside as Permanent Secretary, Establishment, under the Office of the Head of Service, to allow for an unhindered investigation. To ensure administrative continuity, the governor has approved the appointment of Malam Umar Muhammad Jalo, the Permanent Secretary, REPA, as the new Acting Head of Service, pending the outcome of the ongoing probe.
"The Abdulkadir Abdussalam-led investigative committee, inaugurated today, has been given seven days to uncover the root of the irregularities and submit its findings. Mustapha was appointed Acting Head of Service earlier this month following the medical leave granted to the substantive Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa, who is currently receiving treatment in India," the governor said.
Slain Lawmaker: Onitsha Indigenes Ask IG to Take over Investigation, Cite Lack of Trust in Anambra Command
David-Chyddy
The Onitsha community has risen over the recent murder of their son, member representing Onitsha North 1 State Constituency, Hon. Justice Azuka, demanding extensive investigation by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. Rising from a meeting on Thursday, presided over by the traditional ruler of the community, Obi Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, the community expressed lack of trust in the Anambra State Police Command, citing inconsistencies in their account of the murder of the lawmaker, including the recent escape of two suspects alleged to be involved
in the killing.
In a press statement after the meeting, the community said: "The Onitsha indigenous community is outraged over the tragic murder of Hon. Justice Azuka, who represented Onitsha North Constituency 1 at the Anambra State House of Assembly.
"We are demanding transparency, accountability, and swift justice. The community has raised several critical questions about the investigation and the actions of the authorities, including the timeline of Hon. Azuka’s death, the routine freezing of bank accounts of kidnap victims, and the circumstances surrounding the escape of the suspects.
"In light of the unsatisfactory handling of this high-profile case, the Onitsha community is calling on the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, to take over the investigation from the State Command.
"We are also urging the government of Anambra State to restore confidence in its security strategy and ensure that justice is served speedily. Additionally, the community is reviewing its security system for greater effectiveness in collaboration with the security agencies and the state government."
The community raised critical questions about why it took 40 whole days from 24 December when Azuka was kidnapped to February 6 when his
decomposing corpse was discovered for police to act and arrest suspects.
They also raised concerns about the inconsistencies in the police report and that of the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo.
While police had said the kidnappers of the lawmaker withdrew N100 million from his account, the state government said it wasn't true, as it had frozen his account immediately after his kidnap.
The community said the last straw that broke the camel's back was the escape of two suspects involved in the murder. They called on the IGP to quickly take over the matter and ensure thorough investigation.
According to Vatican News, since Pope Francis is in Rome's Gemelli Hospital to receive treatment for bilateral pneumonia, he has delegated the Cardinal to preside in his place for this year's ceremony.
According to a message from Archbishop Giovanni Diego Ravelli,
“The Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Benedictine Monks, and Dominican Fathers who wish to participate in the celebration, Archbishop Ravelli said, are requested to be at the Church of Sant’Anselmo by 4 PM, wearing their proper choir attire,” the statement added.
ECOWAS Mulls Deployment of AI in Counter-terrorism, Peace Operations
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is not ruling out the deployment of technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its counter-terrorism and peace operations within the West African region.
Chairman of the Governmental experts' validation meeting on logistics concept and logistics deport policies of the ECOWAS standby force, Air Commodore Sampson Eyekosi, disclosed this at the closing ceremony of the meeting in Abuja yesterday.
The meeting was ahead of the inauguration of the recently completed ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone. Eyekosi, on the resolutions of the meeting, which comprised top military personnel and government officials from all ECOWAS member states, said they would be forwarded to the authorities for ratification in March. He said top on the list was the introduction of technologies to the operations of the standby force. He said, “We want to leverage technology and fight against terrorism, insurgency and other threats we see, even climate change. We need technology such as artificial intelligence, drones, and other forms of technology. "We need to harness them as much as possible, working as a whole of the community, bringing our expertise, early warning, humanitarian issues, youth and women, everybody having a part to play so that we can ensure peace and security.”
He also disclosed that local sourcing of military hardware was also top on the list of issues raised, noting that the body would need to look inward for the supply of most of the needed military equipment needed for counter terrorism and peace operations.
Eleke in Awka
First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (left), with the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Almajiri and Out of School Children Education, Dr. Muhammad Sani Idris, who was presenting a brochure containing the scope of work and achievements of the Commission to the First Lady, during a visit by the Commission to the State House, Abuja…yesterday
Yet another deadly crash...
In Praise of President Buhari
CJ and Challenge of Witchcraft in
Bauchi
WThen President Muhammadu Buhari took over the reins of power on May 29, 2015, Nigeria was sadly a broken state in many respects. As a result of many other factors including bad governance and untold level of corruption, government could not live up to its financial obligations to citizens and service providers at both the federal and state levels.
Indeed one of the first official assignments that President Buhari carried out was the approval of billions of Naira in bailout funds to enable state governors pay something as basic as workers’ salaries. Granting those bailout funds was a huge boost to national security because the pressure of arrears of unpaid monthly salaries building dangerously all over the country was a ticking bomb.
he recent statement by the Chief Judge(CJ) of Bauchi State, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar bemoaning the rising cases of witchcraft in the state has been brought to the attention of the Advocacy for Alleged Witches. The CJ and other members of the Administrative Justice Committee visited prisons to review the cases of awaiting trial inmates. Describing the adjudication of witchcraft cases as a persistent challenge to legal jurisprudence in the state the CJ noted: “If you are not a witch, you cannot identify one”. She then went further to say that witchcraft is “an issue that is difficult to prove unless the accused confesses”(sic). The Advocacy for Alleged Witches is concerned by these pronouncements.
Ask the naysayers and they would readily remind you of how long it took President Buhari to appoint his ministers and how that contributed to collapse of the economy as if, without ministers, governance was frozen. But buying that narrative would amount to what a famous Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, termed “the danger of a single story”. Yet the whole story was that many of our citizens did not know how decrepit a state President Buhari inherited in 2015.
occult harm. Many people mistake the incoherent utterances of people with dementia and other mental health challenges for witch confessions, they are not. Accused people do not confess, they are tortured to confess. Psychopaths and sociopaths torture them to confess. Witch confessions are not proofs of witchcraft. They do not constitute evidence that is admissible in court, beyond reasonable doubt.
by the EFCC, President Buhari by his action has successfully brought back to the public consciousness the need to treat public funds with the highest level of transparency and accountability.
PAfter keeping treasury looters on their toes and at bay through the EFCC, particularly, President Buhari moved to curb unnecessary spending habits of the nation on what economists call articles of ostentation. Part of the disclosures of the President’s stock taking was how the country frittered away billions in foreign currency by importing goods, which can be produced at home. One of such items was rice, a major staple among Nigerians. By banning rice importation into the country, the President on one hand had saved the nation billions in foreign currency annually.
Who’s the Political Heir to Trump?
Stop Ritual Attacks and Killings
TIt was therefore necessary for him to take stock against the background of the fact that the departing government did not, reportedly, cooperate full well with the incoming government in terms of leaving workable handover notes. Although President Goodluck Jonathan was gracious in defeat, many of his appointees were still sulking over what they saw as their personal losses and therefore pulled all the stops to make things difficult for the Buhari government.
Witchcraft is a sensitive subject. The CJ and other state actors should be careful and thoughtful in commenting to avoid confusing the public and validating misconceptions and superstitions. State actors should stick to the law and avoid making utterances that could undermine the letters and spirit of the law. The Nigerian law does not recognize witchcraft. It criminalizes witchcraft accusations. It criminalizes trial by ordeal and jungle justice. To make allusions that imply witches exist or are identifiable undermines the spirit of the law. To claim that confessions prove witchcraft is a misunderstanding or a misinterpretation of the law. To accept a witch confession, one must first acknowledge the confessor is a witch. So, an extraction of witch confession is an exercise in criminality. Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches.
Even with the obvious and unpatriotic obscurantist behaviour of the PDP appointees and their supporters still in government hell-bent on making things difficult for Buhari, the President moved on with his methodical repair of a broken country. The first thing he did was to identify all possible sources of income to the nation and directed that all inflows be paid into one single account in line with the policy of Single Treasury Account (TSA).
The expression: “It takes a witch to identify a witch” may appear innocuous, but it is not. The statement is a tacit validation of witchcraft, a reinforcement of the belief because the statement implies that witch identification is possible under some form. That witch identification is a capacity that some people have or could have; that ‘witches’, as popularly believed, are identifiable entities. Helen Ukpabio of the Liberty Gospel Church exploits this narrative in her witch-hunting business. She claims to be an ex-witch and to have powers to identify witches and exorcise witchcraft. Was she a witch? No. Does she have powers to identify or exorcise witchcraft? No. Meanwhile, witches do not exist, and no one has the ability to identify witches and wizards, as popularly believed. Those who claim to have witch-identifying powers are charlatans. The CJ should not make statements that glorify charlatans and charlatanism, statements that validate their bogus claims and practices.
The TSA policy, interestingly, was mooted by the PDP government but its penchant for imprudence and lack of accountability denied it the courage of implementing the policy. What the President literally did was to gather all the nation’s money into one box and locked it up with a big padlock and watched for any thief to come close.
And, on the other hand, the President has boosted domestic production of rice and in the process had nudged the country into self sufficiency in food production. He also created millions of jobs for young people in the rice value chain.
What is most admirable about President Buhari and his government is its frugal management of scarce national resources to attain optimum goals. Recall that since President Buhari stepped in the saddle, oil revenue dropped abysmally as if to sabotage him knowing all the big promises he made to citizens during his campaigns. But with the little resources that trickle in, the President is achieving what governments that received oil windfalls could not dream of.
Today, the trains are up and running daily from Abuja to Kaduna. And from Lagos to Ibadan a brand new rail track was started and completed; citizens are already commuting daily to and fro these two major cities in the country seamlessly as they reap from the dividends of democracy. And with the way this government is going, before 2023 when the President would leave, the entire country would be linked by rail with all of its economic advantages.
THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER
EDITOR OBINNA CHIMA
Ainofenokhai Ojeifo, Abuja
DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMEFULA OGBU
MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU
CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI
EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE
THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER
re-Inauguration January 20th 2025 I thought I knew better. With Ted Cruz not being visible in the Donald Trump’s 2.0 administration and with Barack Obama having broken the “non-WASP minority” barrier (though JFK before him truly broke this but JFK was white Roman Catholic), it looks certainly poised that a Latino would be thrust upon centre stage to collect the baton from President Trump. Latinos supported Trump in the last election despite last-minute apparent hiccups concerning the faux pas at Madison Square Garden in New York involving a non-discreet “basket mouth” comedian. Thus, I’d really bet Marco Rubio as the heir to Trump; he the ebullient speaker of Spanish, he the one with familial ties to Cuba, he the one with youthful vigour, he the one of strong Christian faith in these trying times when the enemy smashes babies’ skulls at kibbutzim in Israel and when Europe is being surreptitiously overrun by the guile of Islamic weaponised migration. Now, enters the still youthful Veep, J.D. Vance: he who upended convention by telling truth to the Europeans, he who calmed geopolitical tensions by making it known that Russia and China are not threats to Europe, he who looks like the real McCoy heir apparent to Donald Trump. That’s him. J.D. Vance.
Sunday Adole Jonah, Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State
In addition, the CJ also stated that witchcraft accusations were difficult to prove unless the accused person confessed. Confessed? That witches confess is another narrative that some use to confuse the public and validate witchcraft. Do ‘witches’ confess? No, they do not because they cannot and more importantly because they are not. To confess, witches must first exist; they must first be in the position to confess. Accused persons are not capable of witchcraft powers. As imaginary entities, witches cannot confess as popularly believed. Accused persons are beaten to admit ‘witchcraft’. Are the admissions witch confessions? Their accusers subject them to torture, jungle justice, and trial by ordeal. They make them admit to doing what they did not do; to perpetrating
EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE
DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMEFULA OGBU
Fool’s Gold?
Who can blame the President for almost developing paranoia over the safeguard of the national treasury with revelations and reports of mind-boggling looting that took place in the 16 years of the PDP? With such disclosures of how billions meant for fighting insurgency in the Northeast ended up in the pockets of a few individuals while our gallant soldiers fought with bare hands and on empty stomach, President Buhari was duty bound to bring sanity and accountability back in national spending.
Thus, under President Buhari, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had remained comatose for years, was woken up to resume its duties. Apart from the trillions of Naira of looted
MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU
CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI
THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LIMITED
EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA
MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU
DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE
DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI
SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI
THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LIMITED EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA
CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI
DIVISIONAL
he Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) urges the Nigerian public to stop ritual attacks and killings because the notion of ritual money and wealth is completely baseless. AfAW is making this call following the reported arrest of suspected ritualists in Oyo State in southern Nigeria. The local media reported that members of the Western Nigeria Security Network, Amotekun, arrested suspected ritualists with the body parts of a 73-year-old man. The suspects, who were apprehended in the Boluwaji area in Ibadan, said that a Muslim cleric asked them to procure some human body parts for rituals. Ritual attacks are widespread in Nigeria. Irrational conceptions of how to make money or become wealthy and successful undergird these atrocities. Many Nigerians strongly believe in blood money, known in some local languages as Ogun Owo (Yoruba) or Ogwu ego (Igbo). They think that they could become rich, or successful through ritual sacrifice. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Ritual wealth has no basis in reason, science, or reality. Home movies known as Africa magic or Nollywood films have not helped matters. These movies continue to reinforce these mistaken notions and other superstitions. Families, churches, mosques, and other public institutions do not encourage the interrogation of these traditional occult beliefs. There are no robust efforts to criticize or dispel these irrational and paranormal claims in schools, colleges, and universities. So millions of Nigerians grow up blindly believing that they could make money through ritual sacrifice of human body parts. The belief has led many Nigerians to commit crimes and perpetrate atrocities. Many Nigerians have been jailed or are undergoing court trials due to ritualrelated attacks and murder.
thought one of the current uses of AI was to create video material that made you look better or made your opponents look silly. Someone on the Trump team misread the instructions and created a version that made the Trump team look a pack of …fill in your own choice of word… That golden statue of Donald Trump looks like it was made from fool’s gold.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI
DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO
TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com
Forty-seven more months on the forty seventh President to go. It won’t be boring. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia
Not too long ago, the police arrested some young Nigerians for stealing female pants, which they intended to use for ritual sacrifice. AfAW is asking all Nigerians to desist from ritual-related abuses because ritual money beliefs are baseless superstitions. Nigerian media, schools, and colleges should help educate and reorient the public. They should assist in reasoning Nigerians out of this killer-superstitious absurdity and nonsense.
Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged
CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS’ INDUCTION...
Next INEC Chairman Must Be Competent, Credible, CSOs Declare
Say Tinubu not addressing 2023 election shortcomings
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Nigeria Civil Society Coalition Situation Room has advocated for the engagement of qualified and credible Nigerians at the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room Coalition, Y.Z. Ya’u, who spoke at an advocacy meeting with the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ), said the next set of appointees at INEC should be people that will be ready to do the
right thing and not to compromise on rules and standards of electoral process
He said that this became necessary following a series of unfulfilled expectations for free and fair elections.
"It is important that we ensure that people appointed into the leadership of INEC, whether as its chairman or Resident commissioners, are persons with credibility and integrity devoid of partisanship," he said.
He added, "This is one major election coming and the government has not made any serious effort in
Ramadan: Ganduje Distributes Over 3, 000 Bags of Rice to Constituents in Kano
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Executive Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Umar Ganduje, has flagged off the distribution of 3,627 bags of rice to the people of Dawakin-Tofa Local Government area of Kano state.
Ganduje, in a statement yesterday said the rice to be distributed includes 1,133 bags of 50kg and 2,494 bags of 25kg.
The Executive Director hinted that apart from the Ramadan gesture, more empowerment programmes are underway, aimed at supporting the people and the supporters of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) for their unflinching loyalty to the party, while in opposition in the state. Ganduje explained that the food item would be handed over to executive members of the APC for onward distribution across the 38 wards in Tofa, Rimin Gado and Dawakin-Tofa.
He noted, "APC is the party that even without government, still cares for its supporters. Despite not being in government in Kano, APC members like Nasiru Ja'oji, Deputy Senate President, and Baffa Babba Dan'Agundi among others, have been supporting our members with empowerment programmes and gestures.
Nigeria Urged to Seek UN's Intervention Over Deportation of Nationals
Following the deportation of some Nigerians from the United States of America, the federal government of Nigeria has been advised to immediately institute a legal action against the US government to reverse the policy.
President Donald Trump of the United States had made good his threat to deport those he described as lacking valid papers in the country. Under his new immigration policy, among the other 100 executive bills he signed into law on assumption of office on January 20th this year, the 47th American president has since begun deporting those he said, violated the policy.
Last week, over 85 Nigerians became the first batch of deportees into the country by the US, and are
being housed in Lagos, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handling the issue. However, reacting to this development in Lagos, at the weekend, a social commentator and Chairman, Rimax Institute of Computer Science and Technology, Lagos, Chief Livinus Okwara, urged the federal government to sue the American government. He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not waver at all about what he described as a critical matter.
According to him, Tinubu should collaborate with the relevant government's bodies, such as the National Assembly, Ministry of Justice, 36 states and Abuja, as well as the 774 local government areas in the country to ensure its success.
terms of addressing the flaws that we observed in the 2023 general election and previous elections.
"We haven't seen any executive bill sent to the legislature that will address any of the issues people have raised."
Ya’u said yesterday's engagement was meant to flag off discussions on the way forward in reforming our electoral system to ensure a more credible and transparent election.
The Convener, Africa Business Convention (ABC), Dr. Ogho Okiti, has said Africa stands at the threshold of an era of unprecedented growth and potential.
Okiti, who said this in his opening speech at the ABC 2025 conference held in Lagos, which attracted participants who were business leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries from across Africa and beyond, noted that, with a population of over 1.4 billion people, the continent remains home to one of the youngest and fastest-growing workforces in the
While presenting some key highlights of the 2023 general election, a civil society activist, Aghanpe Onyema, said that the poor use of IREV electronic devices by INEC was responsible for most of the disputed results.
She said that the Electoral Act needs to be further amended in order to take care of current realities.
Lead discussant, Bukola Idowu of Kimpact Development Initiative,
world
“For businesses to thrive, we need sound policies, regulatory reforms, and visionary leadership from our governments. Public-private collaboration is no longer optional - it is imperative. Governments across Africa must continue to work closely with businesses to foster a conducive environment for entrepreneurship, attract foreign direct investment, and strengthen regional integration under the AfCFTA framework.
“This is our time. This is the moment to shape Africa’s business
said that no matter what the wishes and expectations of Nigerians are for a credible election, a defective Electoral Act will always render such expectations untenable .
For instance, he pointed out that what caused most of the flaws of the last 2023 presidential election was that whereas INEC was expected to transmit election results via the IREV, such was not expressly stated in Nigeria's constitution.
landscape, influence policies, and create lasting economic impact. We cannot afford to wait for external forces to dictate our destiny. Instead, we must take ownership, leverage our collective strength, and drive the change we seek. Africa’s future is not a distant dream - it is unfolding right now. And it is in our hands,” he said.
According to Okiti, with the theme, 'Africa Invest', it was to remind participants of the boundless opportunities in the continent.
“Africa stands at the threshold of an era of unprecedented growth and
He listed key factors that affected the credibility of election in Nigeria to include; election framework, Election Management Board (EMB) selection and appointment, election delimitation,selection security. Others are political party management, electoral justice, political finance, electoral education, electoral logistics and procurement, political office incentives and misinformation and disinformation.
potential. With a population of over 1.4 billion people, our continent is home to one of the youngest and fastest-growing workforces in the world.
“This demographic advantage, coupled with our abundant natural resources, positions us as a formidable player in the global economy. However, the journey to prosperity demands deliberate actions, strategic investments, and unwavering commitment from all stakeholders - governments, businesses, investors, and development partners alike,” he said.
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
Stakeholders of Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency have urged the federal government to ignore the requests by some highly placed persons to remove the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road from the funding basket of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The stakeholders including traditional rulers and political leaders made the call at a meeting held in Umuahia, during which the
progress of work on the 51 kilometre Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene federal road was extensively reviewed.
They were unanimous that there has been remarkable progress in the rehabilitation of the very strategic road since the NNPCL added it to the road projects it is funding under the road infrastructure tax credit(RITC) scheme.
While pleading with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to allow the road to remain under the funding of NNPCL, the stakeholders also lauded Mr. President for his interest
in seeing to the completion of the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road.
The host of the stakeholders' meeting, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, who is a former member of the House of Representatives informed the gathering that the Federal Executive Council had on February 3, 2025 "again approved an augmentation of over N14.37 billion" on the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road.
"One beautiful fact to note at this stage is that this approval came before the annual Appropriation Bill is
assented to. This clearly shows the importance President Tinubu attaches to this important economic artery," Onuigbo said.
The reconstruction of the UmuahiaIkot Ekpene Road has lingered for nine years despite its strategic importance as it connects Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and even leads to Cameroon. However, since the intervention of the NNPCL much of the road has been rehabilitated, including the most dreaded portion of the hitherto impassable road.
Abiola Metilelu Honoured, Named among 40Under40 Africa Award Winners
The Chief Executive Officer of PressPayNg, Mr. Abiola Metilelu, has emerged as one of Africa’s top 40 under 40 leaders at the 40Under40 Africa Awards held on February 22, 2025, in Cairo, Egypt.
He won in the Banking and Finance category for revolutionising
access to education financing through fintech.
The 40Under40 Africa Awards celebrates young African leaders driving innovation and impact across key sectors on the continent. The award marks another milestone in Metilelu's outstanding
accomplishments
the
Speaking
L-R: Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc’s Executive Director Operations, Mariya Dangote, receiving her membership certificate from President/Chairman of Governing Council, Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria ( IOD), Alhaji Tijjani M. Borodo and the First Vice President, Adetunji Oyebanji, at the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria, ceremony for new members held in Lagos…recently
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT…
L-R: Managing/CEO, Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Sam Ogbuku; Chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong; Minister of Regional Development, Mr. Abubakar Momoh; Deputy Chairman, House Committee on NDDC, Hon. Jafaru Leko; and Chairman, Governing Board, NDDC, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, at the inauguration of the reconstructed 7.5kilometer Oyigbo road network, Rivers State…recently
First Lady: Tackling Almajiri Issues, Out-Of-School Children Challenging, Surmountable
that
and out-of-school children is hugely challenging but not insurmountable. She stated this yesterday when she received in audience the Executive Secretary and other
Stakeholders Dialogue on Peacebuilding at UFUK Conference
Bennett Oghifo
Stakeholders at the 8th International Conference on Love and Tolerance, organised by UFUK Dialogue and partners, deliberated on peacebuilding for a harmonious society.
Members of the discussant Panel at the 2025 International Conference on Love and Tolerance, with the theme: “Empoweering Youth: Cultivating a Culture of Peace and Understanding”, moderated by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Muhammadu Buhari, unanimously advocated for peace education in Nigerian Schools. Adesina, in his remarks, stated that Nigeria needs love and tolerance. He asserted that what is behind the malaise in our country is intolerance. According to him, “if the youth can imbibe love and tolerance, we have got our country.”
The Keynote speaker, Prof. Gerald Grudzen, from California, U.S.A Coordinator of the peace program in Kenya, recommended the Kenyan template for Nigeria.
According to Grudzen, “we designed a training program in peace education; a program of peace clubs.”
Grudzen decreed that Al-Shabbab were shutting down schools, “but we told them to bring back the students, noting that students came back in trauma, they were traumatised.”
He continued; “we designed training, using arts, music and drama to enable the students to overcome their trauma.”
Grudzen emphasised the need to engage the youth in the Peace Corps, saying, youths can be trainers, themselves, training others; “but you have to bring them into the process” he added.
He pointed out that the world needs peace, but we have to involve the youth. Grudzen thus prescribed the following: train people in science and religion, develop scientific technological community ,incorporate ethics.
He postulated: “combine science and religion, and they will connect you to the rest of the world.
members of the executives of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children at the State House, Abuja. Mrs. Tinubu who noted that there is no harm in children seeking the knowledge of God and right so early, as this is expected to shape their outlook and conduct in life, however stated that the entire process must be properly regularised and monitored to avoid abuse.
Her words: “Yes, there is nothing wrong with seeking knowledge about God. To address the issue of Almajiri and these out-ofschool children, is it huge, yes. It is challenging. And yes, it is not insurmountable.”.
183,528
The First Lady was of the opinion that all Imams and Ulamas involved in the Almajiri system must be properly registered and documented by the appropriate authorities, with a proviso that if they are not, they would not be allowed to practice.
She said this is one way of checking abuse on their part.
According to her, “People do not have the fear of God in them. They have exploited these vulnerable ones for too long. The schools you are proposing for them should be boarding schools where they can not only get educated about the Quran but also the formal education with skills acquisition. I advise that we
take one day at a time. Take this one school and see that it works, then we move on from there.”
The visit was an opportunity for the First Lady to intimate her guests with the upcoming programme of the Renewed Hope Initiative which is tagged 'Flow-With-Confidence Initiative' aimed at keeping girls in school even during their monthly cycles.
Earlier in his address, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Outof-School Children Education, Dr. Muhammad Sani Idris, informed Mrs. Tinubu that, yet to be verified statistics of Almajiri and out-of-school children in Nigeria
Employers, 7,616,476
were 30 million and 18.5 million respectively which he pointed out, are very disheartening.
He also noted that a pilot scheme school will soon be established in Kaduna State where these children can learn the Quran, Arabic, English, skills and also be taught using a curriculum put together by the Federal Ministry of Education. Idris explained that the commission intends to mop up eight million out-of-school children within the next two years and get them back to school.
He commended the President and the First Lady for their commitment and dedication to the cause of the ordinary Nigerian.
Employees Now Registered with NSITF
Onyebuchi
Ezigbo in Abuja
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) said it currently has 183,528 employers and 7,616,476 employees registered under the scheme.
As part of efforts to meet the rising expectations of beneficiaries of the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS), the Fund said that it processed 22,350 claims in 2024 and ensured that beneficiaries got timely support . A statement signed by Alexandra
Mede of the NSITF Corporate Affairs Department, said the Fund has processed 22,350 claims in 2024, ensuring beneficiaries received timely support.
In the same vein, the Fund expressed strong determination to surmount the dynamic socio-economic landscape and stringent regulatory frameworks that would impede on its mandate to deliver social protection services to Nigerians.
Speaking at the opening of the Management Performance Review
of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), held Wednesday, at NECA House in Ikeja, Lagos, the Managing Director of the Fund, Oluwaseun Faleye, disclosed that the organisation has started the process of leveraging technology to facilitate its registration process with the intention of improving transparency and trust.
According to him, this has become necessary in order to forge collaborative partnerships with agencies that are able to facilitate the delivery of its mandate, including amplifying awareness and compliance among employers and employees to deepen adoption of the ECS..
Them to Multiple Bird Strikes
Air Peace Explains Flight Disruptions, Attributes
Chinedu Eze
Air Peace has explained that the flight disruptions in its operations recently were due to multiple bird strikes, which forced the airline to ground the affected equipment and apologised to its customers.
Spokesman of the airline, Dr. Ejike Ndiulo, disclosed that the multiple bird strike incidents affected three of Air Peace aircraft within the last 24 hours.
The airline said the first
incident happened on Thursday, February 27, 2025, necessitating an air return. Additionally, earlier on Friday, two of our aircraft also suffered bird strike incidents, resulting in the grounding of the affected aircraft for safety checks and necessary maintenance.
"As a safety-conscious airline, Air Peace prioritises the safety of our passengers and crew above all else. In line with our strict safety protocols, we have immediately commenced the requisite inspections and
maintenance procedures to ensure that the aircraft meet the highest safety standards before returning to service.
"We sincerely apologise to our esteemed customers for the inconvenience these disruptions may cause to their travel plans. While we work to resolve the situation as swiftly as possible, we kindly seek your patience and understanding. Our team is actively reaching out to affected passengers to provide necessary assistance, including
rescheduling and alternative travel arrangements where possible," the airline said.
The airline also assured that "every decision we make is with your safety in mind.
We appreciate your trust in Air Peace and thank you for standing with us.
"Air Peace remains committed to providing safe, seamless, and efficient flight services. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we navigate this unexpected situation."
Faleye said the review session is, therefore, an opportunity to critically assess their performance, celebrate what works, and address what does not.
He said, "As custodians of the employees’ compensation scheme, our mandate is clear and it is to provide timely compensation and support to employees affected by workplace injuries, disabilities, diseases, or fatalities. This scheme is not just about financial redress, it is a lifeline that upholds dignity, fosters safer workplaces, and strengthens Nigeria’s social security architecture."
The MD said that NSITF has processed 22,350 claims in 2024, ensuring beneficiaries received timely support.
"We have expanded our outreach to 13 regions and created five new branches across the country bringing the total numbers of branches to 62.
"The Fund now covers 183,528 employers and 7,616,476 employees. We have conducted 3,250 health and safety audits and 808 investigations and 2,035 awareness initiatives and 248 follow-up audits."
Earlier in her address, the Executive Director Operations, NSITF, Hon. Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, said the MPR is a crucial exercise aimed at assessing the Fund’s performance in the 2024 financial year and setting a clear strategic course for 2025.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has stressed
addressing the issues of Almajiri
Case for ‘Amotekun Corps’ in Kogi West
Tunde Olusunle
It had festered for long. The wanton trespass, the emboldened criminality, the mindless murders, the reckless disruption of the rhythm of day-to-day activities of several communities in Nigeria’s South West. Formal and informal intelligence, fingered voyaging Fulani herdsmen as prime perpetrators of the crimson regime upon the Yoruba hemisphere.
The pastoralists herded their cattle from the nation’s north, down south. They fed and fattened their livestock on farmlands owned by landowners, with unbelievable impunity. Aboriginal dissenters to such roughshod rides through their sweat-grown farms, were often sent to early graves. Luckier escapees, most times left with scars to last a lifetime.
To confirm that they were on a mission to destroy, maim and murder, they moved around with deadly machetes and sophisticated weapons, beyond regular arms admissible for self-protection, as they rampaged through the zone.
Beyond farmlands in the recesses of the Yoruba country, kidnappers, armed robbers and killers took over and terrorised roads and expressways in the South West, with uncommon boldness. They routinely caused gridlocks on roads like the all-important Sagamu-Ore-Benin highway, in the discharge of their criminal ventures. They would move from vehicle to vehicle dispossessing commuters of their belongings and shooting at random, killing the hapless. They abducted travellers and would subsequently request for ransoms from the families of their victims. At other times, they just murdered their victims like they did to Olufunke Olakunrin, daughter of the respected Yoruba leader, Reuben Fasoranti, on the same road under reference, in June 2019. Fortuitously, her killers were found, prosecuted and sentenced to death three years later.
Governors of the South West states, unanimously afflicted by this scourge, agreed in January 2020, to establish in their various states, a security outfit to be known as Amotekun. A Yoruba word, Amotekun means “cheetah.” The animal is a member of the global “big cat” family in the animal kingdom, which are apex predators.
Creatures in this bracket, which include lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, are famous for stealth, speed and precision in preying on their targets. All six states in the region: Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti, signed up for this initiative, which was driven from the very top by the governors of each state. The South West states are famous for their historical collaboration on issues of the socioeconomic wellbeing of their states and people.
The Amotekun concept is emplaced as a homegrown complement to the endeavours of existing intelligence and security organisations, in securing lives and property. It is not a rival, but a partner with preexisting agencies in the intelligence and security ecosystem. This typically consists of the military, the police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services, (DSS).
Across the six South West states, Amotekun is charged primarily to protect persons, property and carry out emergency response services. The Corps systematically gathers, documents, evaluates and analyses data and information to convert to actionable intelligence for tactical, operational and strategic goals. It shares intelligence about crime in progress; suspicious activities, criminal suspects and other criminal activities.
Amotekun collaborates with similar security agencies including but not limited to Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states in deterring kidnapping, terrorism, disruption of livelihood, criminal damage to property, cultism, highway robbery and other criminal activities. It ensures that all persons travelling along highways, major roads, remote areas, hinterlands and forests are free to engage in their normal activities without fear or hindrance.
Amotekun also assists the police in carrying out any other lawful activity aimed at maintaining law and order within their areas of jurisdiction. The operational ambit of the Corps could indeed be broader.
Since the enthronement of Amotekun in the six core Yoruba states five years ago, the organisation has complement the enterprise of statutory security outfits in notable measure. It has foiled robberies, disrupted kidnappings, stemmed open-ended trespass and destruction of farms by marauding herdsmen, and rescued potential victims and casualties of criminal schemes.
As recently as Sunday February 15, 2025, Amotekun foiled a robbery on the notorious Sagamu- Odogbolu- Ijebu Ode, on the Lagos-Sagamu-Ore-Benin expressway. One of the suspects was neutralised, while a second one was arrested during a gun duel. The suspect arrested led Amotekun operatives to the hideout of the gang, where another suspect who had earlier fled during the gun duel, took refuge. Just last week, February 10, 2025, the Ondo State Command of the Corps rescued five victims of a kidnapping episode on the ever recurring Benin- Owo road. Such is the serially documented efficacy of Amotekun in its various theatres of operation. Worthy of note is the fact that the topmost echelons of Amotekun leadership across the South West, are very senior retired military and police officers, not below the ranks of retired Brigadier-General or Assistant Inspector General of Police, (AIG). The Oyo State outfit for instance is headed by Brigadier-General Kunle Togun, while the Ogun State formation is led by Brigadier-General Alade Adedigba.
The Chairman of the Osun State variant is AIG Wale Abbas, while Brigadier-General Olu Adewa leads the Ekiti State Amotekun command. This underscores the seriousness with which the outfit is organised and deployed. Our reservoir of ex-servicemen in our communities, local hunters, vigilantes and youths can constitute the core of the operatives.
Recent criminal incidents in the Okun country in Kogi State and Kogi West senatorial district at large, compels a proposition for the establishment of an Amotekun detachment in the zone. Like its kith and kin in core Western Nigeria, Okunland has been the butt of several violations by a broad canvas of criminals. Daredevil armed robbers have invaded Okun communities, targeting banks and murdering regular folk. Kidnappers perennially lay siege on lonely stretches of the dilapidated road networks in Okunland, killing innocents and taking hostages in kidnapfor-ransom incidents. On May 2, 2021, Solomon Adegbayo a Commissioner in the Kogi State Pensions Board was killed in the same incident in which the Chairman of Yagba West local government area at the time, Pius Kolawole, was kidnapped.
Last December, Alaba Ope, the Councillor representing Odo-Ape Ward in Kabba-Bunu local government area, and eight others, were kidnapped in a midnight operation by brigands.
An Abuja-bound commuter bus from Lagos, carrying 18 passengers, was also in December 2024, intercepted around Obajana in Okunland and all the occupants abducted. The kidnappers placed a N100 million ransom on their victims. Should we mention the travails of subsistence farmers in Okunland and Kogi West who in several instances have literally been barred from their farmlands in their homelands by scurrilous criminal elements masquerading as herders? This has been the collective experience of the genetically peaceloving people of Kogi West District.
The people of the geopolitical span under interrogation, have not exactly thrown up their hands in despair in their worrying circumstances. Hunters and vigilantes, despite their constrained training and arming, are usually on the front foot combing the forests and thickets. Following attacks on three commercial banks located in Egbe and Odo-Ere in Yagba West just before Christmas in 2021, for instance, Okun hunters and vigilantes entered the forests and indeed arrested a few of the culprits who missed their ways after the dastardly operation. Indeed, early June 2024, Okun vigilantes and hunters joined the army, police, DSS and NSCDC, in raiding the camps of kidnappers in the forest of Yagba West, in an operation which lasted for several days. Yagba West shares boundaries with Kwara, Niger and Ekiti states which makes it specifically vulnerable to criminal incursions.
Several other communities and councils in Kogi West, share abutments with neighbouring states which makes them vulnerable. Disturbed by the unabating recurrence of multifaceted criminality in Okunland which dominates six of the seven local government areas in Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, the Senator representing the District, singularly undertook the construction of a Forward Operating Base, (FOB) in Egbe, last year. The fully furnished mini-barracks which is capable of hosting two units of military personnel, was commissioned last October. It has since been taken over and operationalised by the Nigerian Army. To underscore his concurrence with Karimi’s bold initiative, the Member Representing Yagba federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Leke Joseph Abejide, participated at the inauguration and handing over event.
Given the dynamism of crime and criminality, containment and mitigation strategies must also of necessity be proactive. As an essential component of the global Yoruba country, as a people and senatorial district which share boundaries with two geopolitical subscribers to the Amotekun concept, notably Ondo and Ekiti states, there is no better time to adapt the prototype in Kogi West and in Okunland. The template may be available on the internet or can be obtained from one of the present six participating states. While it is true that whole states, and not sections or parts of states are subscribers to the philosophy elsewhere, there must be a way to adapt the template for Kogi West. As a people, we know where our shoes presently pinch us.
At the recent maiden annual lecture of the National Institute for Security Studies, (NISS), the Director-General of the Department of State Services, (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, noted that “communities should be empowered to serve as the first line of defence in tackling criminality.” According to him, they must lead the way “before the intervention of the police, the military and other security agencies.” Ajayi noted that “some level of armament must be allowed at the level of communities, so they can serve as the first layer of defence.” He cited examples from Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro communities in Bauchi State where he previously served, as places where the antics of marauders were successfully repelled. He indeed alluded to his community back home in Ogun State as one which he is guiding to stand up for itself in the face of adversity.
Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors,(FANA),is anAdjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja
Soludo and His Mobile Pulpit of Social Reformation
Ejimofor Opara
There is a widespread message amongst Ndi Anambra that has become the subject of conversations at various formal and informal fora.
Skit-makers have hopped on it to create contents — from the informative to the entertaining, even the very bizarre ones have emerged that often exaggerate the actual purport of the message. However, something is sure, the message is gaining wide acceptance and sinking into the consciousness of all. Soludo in his fight against criminality is not only providing kinetic options, he has widened his non-kinetic strategy to include a vociferous evangelism against negative trends and debased psychological orientations that form the basis for reprehensible criminal conduct in many
Anambra communities. Dubious magic and warped belief in unexplainable wealth cloaked as Igbo spirituality, has gained a debilitating ascendancy that now derails many young people from accepting the virtues of hard work and sticking to socially approved means of making legitimate living.
As a man with deep respect for traditional religions as the foundation of indigenous moral and spiritual development of its adherents, identifying true traditional worshippers away from the current ragtag money-mongers involved in ritual killings, aiding and abating criminal activities and destruction of ethical living, could not have been very difficult for a Soludo and those who carefully listen to his seminal teachings on this subject.
On his working visit in Ogbunka, Owerre-ezukala and Umunze recently, Soludo’s message was firm and precise —
Success has no shortcuts; skill, craft and functional knowledge remain the pathway to sustainable and legitimate wealth creation. As part of his mission to provide relatable examples to young people, Soludo, like the scriptures would say, is blessing the works of people’s hands. I will tell the story of the “Akara Boy” at a Owerre-ezukala in a later piece, and how luck found him in the course of the Governor’s on-the-spot engagement with the youths of the community. Soludo’s mobile pulpit may become the most fundamental intervention necessary for rediscovering and reviving our hitherto bleak future. Even a Mother in Umunze confirmed this to be Soludo’s most important achievement away from countless others in Infrastructure, security, health, education and the environment. Opara is the SSA New Media to the Governor
Ododo
Soludo
Ferdinand Ekechukwu - 08035011394
Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com
Peter Dunia: My Person, Life
Taught Me a Lot Growing Up
Peter Omoh Dunia has made notable efforts and contributions in the area of youth empowerment and skill acquisition spanning music, sports, social advocacy and humanitarian endeavours. Dunia speaks to Ferdinand Ekechukwu on his interests and contributions which have earned him laudable recognitions in his community through his vast network and resources
Canyoubrieflytellusaboutyourbackground, andperhapssignificantsociallifeofyour choice,likemusic,sports?
Well, I am Peter Omoh Dunia, well known as Peter Black. I lived a very good part of my life in Delta State, but I am originally from Auchi in Edo State, Ogbona, to be precise. My growing up was quite interesting in the sense that you have to go through life and what it brings. It wasn’t easy, but I am grateful to God Almighty for bringing me this far to succeed. I love good music, the reason I manage a recording studio and a few artistes, and yes, I love very good food. And I am a football fanatic, am all for Arsenal, and when you love something, you show it. The reason I single handedly sponsored Warri Wolves for two years was that everything was upon me throughout the period. Love without giving is not real, for God so love the world that he gave-the phrase is there. Thank God for good friends too, of course you know 20 friends can’t stay together for 20 years, but you will always have the good, the bad and the ugly and they all teach you life’s experiences.
Youhavemadenotableimpactswithyourresourceseitheras anemployeroflabourorevenintheareaofhumanemancipation.Whatwouldyousaymotivatesyou?
My person, then life has taught me a lot, growing up with hardship and perseverance, then the only thing that just makes me happy is to be able to help in any way I can. I don’t like lazy people, in as much as I see you want to do something and I can be of help, then I will. Even God said he will bless the works of our hands, so do something, don’t just be in a place and complain.
Yousometimesin2009tarredroadsinyourcommunityand diddrainages,builtchurches,policestation,atwothousand capacity school auditorium, a sport complex, and now you arebuildingoneofthebiggestskillacquisition,ICTcentres in the country, in collaboration with the youth of Ogbona. Whatactuallyinformedyourchoices?
Safety matters a lot, both in the house of God and also the community, I realise we didn’t have a very good police station,
peter Dunia
and we can’t be waiting on government to do things for us all the time. So I feel if you have the capability to do something, then no need to wait for the government, because the government is all of us, we all need to make it work. So it helps reduce crime and ill manner behaviour, and also help in sanitising the community. Then of course education plays a very good role in our lives. So for those who can’t afford their children school bills, I just had to come in to support, and encourage them to be literate. For the sport complex, like I said I am a lover of sport, so I can go to any length to make sports engagement come alive. and you already know the world is going global, the main reason for the ICT center, and to encourage the youth to learn a skill, not just getting up and thinking the easiest way to make it is fraud, learn a skill and it will open doors for you. I don’t want to encourage laziness or being on a fast line. I mean, if God has given me the capability to be of great help, then why relent...
SomanypeopleappeartohavelosthopeinNigeriabecause of the rate of inflation and the current wobbling economy. Whatisyourpersonalopinionaboutthestateofthenation? Anyhope?
In as much as there’s life, there will be hope. The truth is we can’t say the economy is in a good place right now, but there’s time for change and make things better, and it starts with us. If we just wake up and keep complaining about the negative side of the economy, trust me, we won’t see the positive side. It’s really not easy this time, but we are hopeful and trusting God to help our country, the leaders and individuals.
President Donald Trump of the United States of America recently froze funding for anti-HIV programmes that cover treatmentfor30millionpeopleworldwide.Whatdoyouthink maybetheconsequencesofthisdecisiononAfrica?Whatis youradviceforAfricanleadersonthisscenario?
Well that’s his decision to make, which I think he should think it over, because extending help of treatment to other people aside your jurisdiction goes a long way, and it’s a wakeup call for our leaders too, they shouldn’t always wait for help most times, that is the least they can do for their subjects, so let them put in more effort for a good change.
SomecriticssaidmostNigerianroadsaredeathtrapsgoing bythetrendofaccidents,anditappearstheiragitationshave notyieldedmuchfruit.Assomeonewhohasengagedinroad project,whatwillbeyourcandidadviceforthegovernment on road infrastructure and its maintenance?
To be candid we really do need good roads. In 2009 I personally did almost all the major roads in my home town, including drainage and almost all the roads are just still the same. So if I as an individual can help do most of the roads, then why won’t the government try their best too? It is very tiring, but I believe they can actually do better, and not just doing low budget work. Let them try and do well built and indestructible roads that will last, so they can now channel their energy on building other better things too. I pray that the Almighty touches their mind and keeps reminding them that they have a part and promises to fulfill.
RMD Notches-up with Two New Productions
Richard Mofe Damijo, better known as RMD, is a folk hero - greatly admired for his achievements in acting in Africa, particularly in Nigeria.
In his illustrious career spanning over three decades in Nollywood, the veteran actor perhaps produced two films in his very active years.
That’s because he has always chosen deliberately well and always in front of the camera. But that is about to change as he notches up his creative legacy beyond acting, producing two new movies following an exclusive strategic partnership deal with Nile Entertainment Group.
As Nedu Takes
Beyond the apology he made at a recent press conference to those who may have been offended by his remarks on The Honest Bunch Podcast, On Air Personality, Nedu Wazobia seems to be taking steps to clear himself of the controversies since he “stepped aside from the show due to personal attacks.”
Nedu, real name Chinedu Ani at the meeting in Lagos to address some issues bothering on sexual allegations and speculations of fraud against him by a social media influencer, expressed remorse and sought forgiveness from those who must have been hurt by his words during his time on the podcast.
Interestingly, the podcast had become a viral theme on social media with each passing episode. The
Announced on Nile Entertainment’s official social media pages, RMD Productions has delivered the rare alchemy of crafting stories rooted in Nigerian experiences that speak to universal human emotions with Nile Entertainment to distribute the highly anticipated films: Radio Voice and Revelations.
The Films: Radio Voice and Revelations
Set for release on April 11, 2025, the first of the two films, Radio Voice, follows a former sex worker who finds a second chance at life through a struggling radio station while battling the ghosts of her past. RMD describes it as “a story that speaks to redemption without cliché.”
While the Revelations is an emotionally charged cross-cultural drama filmed in Nigeria and Utah, USA. Premiering in August 2025, the film explores
controversies began when a guest on the Podcast made allegations about the sexual orientation of the social media influencer known as VDM, real name Martins Vincent Otse, which led to an exchange online.
VDM’s response then opened a Pandora’s box regarding Nedu, including claims that Nedu through his NGO defrauded a UK-based initiative which connected with him for a charity event aimed at raising funds for scholarship. In addition to allegations that he sexually exploited some female guests, and others he offered roles in his production.
Nedu, through his management team at Tokindrumz, assisted by the Chief Operations Officer, Ms. Sarah Williams-Konha, categorically denied the allegations of fraud and financial misconduct. While announcing his intention to seek legal redress against false claims aimed at him, said Nedu did not defraud anyone with a fake scholarship scheme.
the lives of a Nigerian-American couple dealing with infertility, cultural expectations, and buried secrets that threaten both their marriage and careers. Revelations, according to a report, has already garnered international recognition, winning multiple awards at the Utah International Film Festival.
“Notably, it marks the feature film debut of RMD’s son, Oghenetega Mofe-Damijo, a Towson University graduate whose performance has been praised by critics.”
Radio Voice will hit cinemas across West Africa before expanding to the diaspora market, while Revelations will make its debut at a major international film festival before its commercial release. “Beyond just making films, RMD is setting the stage for them to be seen and appreciated by a worldwide audience.” rMD
Fitofilifilms, in collaboration with the 7eventh Studio, is set to release the highly anticipated epic thriller ‘The Masked King’ in cinemas nationwide on Friday, March 28th, 2025, with an exclusive star-studded premiere scheduled on Saturday, 22nd of March, 2025.
Distributed by Genesis Pictures, this gripping film is a story of betrayal, sacrifice, mystery, deception, complexity of power and redemption.
The film featured prominent actors led by Daniel Etim Effiong, Shaffy Bello, Segun Arinze, Jude Chukwuka, Uzor Arukwe, Gideon Okeke, and Bernard Raubenheimer.
‘The Masked King’, set to deliver an unforgettable cinematic experience captures the story of King Ensa who betrayed his people, leaving his mother with an impossible choice of either standing by him or to change his fate for the greater good, in a tale woven with intrigue, power, and destiny.
A story of power, love, and the fight for justice, ‘The Masked King’ is a cinematic masterpiece filled with intense drama, fictions, stunning visuals, and edge-ofyour-seat action, whose unveiling should not be missed.
Behind the scenes, the film was produced by Francis Ohazulike – an Oxford graduate with a passion for storytelling, who draws inspiration from the rich oral traditions of his heritage to create thought-provoking and impactful films.
Ferdinand ekechukwu
Bennett Oghifo
Ferdinand ekechukwu
Joop, Chief Joop Joop
Mosuro
He had lived in the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, a wandering spirit of some sorts, as an extraordinary salesman, before he arrived in Nigeria. It was his salesmanship that got him to Nigeria as pioneer head of Evans Publishers in 1966.
He got into the book industry from having worked as a clerk with a shipping line in Bahrain. He had ventured to marry a Saudi until the father of the lady found out and ensured he was kicked out of the Gulf. He landed in Tanganyika, now Tanzania, and got a job in a bookshop.
From the bookshop, he moved into sales with Oxford University Press in Zambia. He had not settled into the job long enough when he made an outlandish proposal to his boss who was stationed in Kenya. He wanted a particular house bought for his use when he couldn’t easily find a preferred house to rent.
His alarmed boss denied him. Joop was unrelenting. He offered in bargain to double his sales target. If that be it, a deal was struck; he had the house, and at the end of the year, Joop had tripled his sales target. Payment on the house was cleared in two years. For this feat and his sales record, his star spread to Europe.
When Oxford University Press recalled him to Europe to be a part of a global marketing force, he didn’t want the cold or the drudgery of Oxford life, Joop demurred. Evans Publishers, reading the situation, seized on the chance and he was head hunted by Mr C.T. Quin Young, Overseas Director of Evans Publisher and a former Director of Education in Eastern Nigeria. He made him an offer to start their Nigerian office. Joop jumped at it. He arrived in Nigeria on October 31, 1966 and never looked back.
Joop arrived in Nigeria with his family, a brief and a letter. He and his family were initially housed at Premier Hotel, which was the topmost hotel in Ibadan at that time, and a waterhole in the evening for the expatriates in town. From that waterhole, Joop soon raked all the stories in town and in years to follow, he had all the stories that mattered in the country. Joop’s network in the country was massive.
The letter that he carried was addressed to a tall, dark and lanky Nigerian. A complete gentleman. Joop’s boss had met this man in Edinburgh and he had left an imperishable impression on him. ‘Stick to him and you will hardly go wrong’, his boss advised. The man in reference was Mr Ayo Banjo, who became Prof Ayo Banjo, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Emeritus Professor of English. The associational recommendation could not have been better or more fortuitous for Joop for an incursion into the intelligentsia of Nigeria. There was plenty of occupation ahead for Joop and his association with Banjo favored him. Banjo remained a director of all the publishing businesses that Joop built to his very end.
The brief that he carried was to gain some respectable market share in Nigeria. With Evans Publishers, Joop struck gold. One of its authors, Herbert James Larcombe, wrote a masterly series in Arithmetic which was used in every nook and cranny of Nigeria as Larcombe Arithmetic series. In his flush of triumph, Joop canvassed the country selling books, seeking out new authors and making fame for himself and making friendship along the way. Very soon, Evans Publishers, a relatively small publishing company in the UK, was in the league of the big publishing guns: Oxford University Press, Longman Publishers, Macmillan and Heinemann Publishers in Nigeria. Joop had excelled beyond his brief.
Evans Publishers was doing well and they made the same mistake Oxford University Press made in inviting Joop to take up a senior appointment in the UK. Joop turned in his resignation. Nigerian soil, water, sun, hospitality and opportunities were too alluring. Joop knew Nigeria to know where the opportunities were and where the money resided. Under Chief Olu Akinkugbe’s sponsorship, Spectrum Books was born with Joop as Managing Director and Olu Akinkugbe as Chairman.
With Spectrum, Joop was now doing something refreshing. He could scent books not as dictated by the UK, but purely as relevant to Nigeria.
He published beyond school books. He felt there were so many voices unheard, a book in everyone, and he soon found fodder in the politicians and soldiers. It was a good chemistry. Joop introduced razzmatazz into book presentations or launching. It was an avenue for the politicians or the powers that be to gather to backslap, flaunt money and power. Money was gathered, a few books were sold, much less were read.
Suddenly under Joop, Spectrum had rapidly climbed the ladder and was spewing out bestsellers. It was also a crucible for growing creative and versatile young publishers. And in a short time, Spectrum fell in the league of major publishers in Nigeria. Today, some of the dominant indigenous publishers in Nigeria grew under the tutelage of Joop.
While Spectrum flourished, a parallel publishing outfit was allegedly floated when enticing World Bank Book Project came knocking. Head high, Chief Olu Akinkugbe exited and Joop’s Safari Books Ltd was born into the open.
In 2014, the Nigerian Book Industry received a shocking directive from the Nigerian Customs that a 35%-50% tariff was going to be slapped on imported books. What! We were having enough challenges selling books and a tariff of that magnitude was going to kill education. Books are sacrosanct in the transmission of ideas, memories, narratives and civilization. It is for that reason that the UNESCO accords it a global zero duty tariff to facilitate universal human development.
This Customs tariff of 35 percent was awfully wrong and retrogressive. We were going to fight it. Joop and I picked up the gauntlet going to see Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance under whose Ministry the Nigerian Customs was, going round the country with a few others canvassing against the tariff. We missed seeing the Minister of Education and former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, while we were in Abuja. Luckily, we got wind that he would be in Abeokuta as guest of honour at the annual conference of the Nigerian Library Association.
We made for Abeokuta at dawn on the day of the event, uninvited. When the ushers accosted us, we simply said that we were guests of the Minister and we were led straight to the VIP seats on the front row. No one would have noticed that we were gate-crashers but Joop was restless, always craving for attention and continually waving the programme booklet in his hand to get the attention of the Minister, who was on the high table. Joop was a nuisance. At that point, we were noticed and we were both kicked out of the hall. We were no
librarians neither were we guests of anybody. I fumed at a lost opportunity because we would just have waited and seen the Minister at the end of the event. The trouble is that Joop had a knack for making himself conspicuous. If you left an empty seat on the high table at a public function, Joop had no qualms about walking straight to the stage and taking the offer. If he did this, he wore a visage wondering why others thought what he did was against decorum. I was pained by the miss of that golden chance to see the Minister. A wasted trip.
Then Joop said he had an idea. He suggested that we should go and wait for the Minister in the Presidential lodge in the Governor’s residential compound where he would likely be staying. When we got to the Ogun State Presidential Lodge, there was a heavy police presence at the gate. It didn’t matter. We invented some stories and they let us through. They even graciously pointed us to the specific lodge where the Minister was staying. We got there to find people waiting outside the house for the Minister. Joop unhesitantly walked to the living room with me behind him. We took our seats before we were accosted. Again, we gave them a good storyline that the Minister had asked us to wait for him in his living room. Satisfied, they soon returned with drinks and snacks for us. Two out-laws were feted and I almost choked.
Finally, the Minister returned from the conference. As he alighted from his car, we could hear him say loud that he didn’t want to see anyone until he had performed his prayers. As he walked into his living room, he walked straight into our ambush. We had a ten minutes meeting with him with me making the pitch. He was in agreement that the 35% tariff was wrong. He would join us in fighting it.
Stepping out of the living room, I could breathe a sigh of relief and joy of accomplishment. Now famished, I asked Joop if he knew of any restaurant in Abeokuta that we could go to for lunch. He rolled his head and could not come up with one. Suddenly, he said, ‘Kolade, let’s go to Obasanjo’s house. He will have food!’. Just like that, to go to Obasanjo’s house in Abeokuta without invitation or an appointment! ‘Come on, let’s go.’ I followed Joop.
When we got to President Obasanjo’s residence, a polite gentleman carrying a very mean gun asked who we were. ‘Joop, Chief Joop’, Joop said. I gave my name as Kolade. The man went to the sentry to pass on the intercom to the residence that, ‘Joop, Chief Joop Joop and Dr Christopher Kolade would like to see Baba’. “Oh, my God, Kolade”, I said to myself and not Dr. Christopher Kolade. For all the troubles of the day, impersonation had been added to it.
Soon, the gates of President Obasanjo’s residence were flung open and we made our way in. We were tucked into a small ante-room because there was a crowd in a big living room waiting to see him. I prepared myself for a long wait until five minutes later when the door knob turned and President Obasanjo emerged. As we greeted the President, Joop did not mince words or hide our feelings; he said, we were hungry. Obasanjo led us to table and I used the opportunity to solicit his support on our mission to rescind the Custom tariff on books. He too saw some sense in our mission and promised to help.
A few weeks later, we pleasantly received the letter and directive from the Minister of Finance rescinding the 35% tariff on books. It was a victory for books, helped by Joop’s gargantuan reach across the nation.
One of Joop’s greatest pride was carrying a Nigerian passport. The country in turn rewarded him with an OON, Order of the Niger, a national merit award, for his services to the publishing industry. I will never forget the joyful smile, pure childlike, he carried all day when the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, conferred a Chieftaincy title on him. At 94, he would have been wise and realistic enough to know that death could come calling. He chose to die in Nigeria because this was home. He loved Nigeria and Nigeria was good to him. He found Nigeria ever so sweet and warm.
I had called him twice the weekend before he passed, unanswered. On Monday, 10 February, 2025, his assistant and care-giver returned my call to let me know he was very poorly. A few hours later, Joop breathed his last.
Joop Berkhout is gone, one of the closing leaves of the great and colourful publishers that traversed our nation. Joop may not have been lettered, but he was a literary luminary. He placed in our hands the voices of Nigeria, particularly the movers and shakers. He will be sorely missed.
Dr Kolade Mosuro is a Publisher and Bookseller.
Berkhout
Kolade
Mother Josephine Anichukwu: And My Mama Departs in a Blaze of Glory
O proud daughter of the Irokos, Woman of no mean linage, Cub of the tigers and tigresses, The intoxicating beauty of her time, Beauty that dizzied the heads of men, Though thou art robbed by time and toil And though no longer art thou That tall, fresh, provocative frame, Which we knew and heard of, Your today reflects your yesterday, For beyond that seemingly tired figure Lies a tigress and man-woman Strong of will, defiant and resilient, That rather cows than be cowed by odds; That stood against the windstorms of life, But remained afloat on life’s ocean; That sailed roughshod against tempests On life’s ocean, and never sank; That wrestled malevolent spirits and flesh And always the victor became. Lowly river that receives Homage of a million mountain streams. Thou art the pride of womanhood, The mountain among the hills, A rare, loving, sweet mother thou art. What hath thou found too great to sacrifice?
Pleasure, time, sleep or cowries? Thou art never wearied of finding and giving And your knees always bruised in prayers Thou art the sweetest of mothers born.
Ipenned the above poem to celebrate the sacrifice, heroism, and resilience of my mother, the late Senior Mother-in-Israel Josephine Mgborie Anichukwu, after my national youth service over two decades ago and this poem kept coming back to me as we prepared for her interment last weekend, February 22, 2025. Indeed, to be birthed and raised by our dear father, the late Rabbi (Chief) Gabriel Nworie Anichukwu (Nnabuenyi) and our mother, both teachers, remains the greatest blessing God bestowed on me and my siblings. They both brought their unique attributes to bear on our upbringing. Epitomes of rectitude, they always reminded us that we were teachers’ children. Mama was not just any mother, but a special one in all ramifications. She was a no-nonsense woman and a disciplinarian of the strictest order. The tone with which she called readily told you whether all was well or not. When you wailed that you were dying from her cane therapies, she would retort that it was better than turning out a reprobate adult. The first time I bought her gifts (normal ear rings) from my farm enterprise as a college student, she constituted herself into a one-man panel before she accepted them. Our mother loathed any appearance of weakness. Together with her husband, a headmaster, she tried to imbue in their children humility without timidity, planting a calm storm in each of us. It was a taboo to disrespect anyone. And you must not fight. But if you must, then you better ensure you emerged the victor. You dared not sob to the house, even if a much older child tried to bully you. Mama believed that you should be able to defend yourself. Otherwise, she would normally ask you if she had been feeding you with sand and would get the beating of your life for being a weakling.
As children, mother created a roaster for manning her shop located in front of her father’s compound at Amagu Ishienu, across the river. You closed between 9:30pm and 10pm and still toddled a relatively long way home. Holding a lantern, you walked alone through the pathway amidst bushes and past Ukwu Ofo (debarium elastica tree) where we were told that spirits (umu mmuo) lived and milled around. Then, you would cross the railway bridge over Nvuna River. At the peak of the rainy season, Nvuna usually overflowed its banks and roared against the pillars of the bridge. The moonlight or flickers of lightening made it appear as though you were walking in the middle of an angry ocean.
As children also, when Nvuna River rose in volume, she would first swim past to drop our farm baskets, then swim back again and again to cross each of us on her back. She would tell us that Nvuna would never drown an Amagu son or daughter and that we were sons and daughters of Amagu by extension. Amagu, my mother’s village, produces the chief priest of Nvuna river. We are Obinagu, but Ndigbo have a saying that the birthplace of a person’s mother is also where the person could have as well been born. As adults, it is not unusual to shudder at such high risks sometimes, but they helped in driving fear from our beings and grooming our mentality to never respect obstacles.
Senior Mother Anichukwu was hard work personified. She hated laziness. In those days, she would normally wake us up between 4:30am and 5am, saying it was already midday. We normally set forth to farm while the day broke, but were always the last to leave the farm. She was very enterprising and hardworking even till her last days. All our pleading that she should stop farming fell on deaf ears. Besides the fact that the proceeds from agriculture saw us through school, we gained a sense of industry and tenacity. Again, we could not have prayed for a more sacrificial mother. She gave her all and more, just to ensure that her children succeeded in life. when I passed my WAEC and JAMB examinations in 1993, ESUT had just increased the school fees to about N4,000 (Four thousand naira only). It was very tough raising such money in those days. Dad
Bouqui Glam House Spotlights “Five
Raheem Akingbolu
Bouqui Glam House’s showcase of the Five Dreams AW ‘2025 collection got the audience’s nod on February 8, 2025, at the New York Fashion Week. It was a visually commanding presentation of fluid draping, construction quality and style.
Each dress in Five Dreams AW ‘2025 demonstrated Bukonla Ambali’s in-depth understanding of fabric manipulation and design innovation. The measurement points were carefully considered to ensure that the clothes suit various body types. The quality of stitches used is largely commendable, with even clean lines that reinforce the structure of the garments. It was a delight to watch their runway display, with pieces like the ‘Blaze Dress’, ‘Wild Desire’, and ‘Venom Dress’ stealing the spotlight with a complementing blend of elegance, sophistication, and luxury. Yet, we couldn’t help but notice that outfits like the ‘Shadow’ and the ‘Caramel’ Dresses called for more close-up attention.
The Shadow dress is a strapless, column-style,
had just retired as a headmaster. A relation suggested that I could actually retake JAMB since I made it in my first attempt, a proposal my mother outrightly rejected. She said she would rather sell her entire wrappers than buy that suggestion. Both father and mother went to work, and ultimately, I was able to pay before the matriculation.
The most challenging period was after the death of our father in October 1995. I had just finished writing my second semester, first year examination in the university. There was just no hope. But my mother assured us that none of us would drop out of school. She literally overworked herself, ignoring her personal welfare. Till date, I am still unable to dislodge from my mind the image of my emaciated Mama wearing a small piece of white gown for the one whole year that she mourned our father – not because she could not afford full white wrappers from her salaries as planned, but because she prioritised our education and welfare above everything else.
Growing up partially in Calabar and Enugu where she lived with her late elder brother, Chief Sondé Nwanvu Anyianuka, a successful Quantity Surveyor, an illustrious son of Nkanuland and politician, my mother was a bit exposed to politics early in her life. Importantly, she was fearless. When I made known my intention to run for the Councillorship seat of Nomeh Ward in 2002, many relations besieged our home, expressing concerns over my safety. Her two elder sisters, Uzoamaka and Christiana (both late now), came crying and begging her to stop me. But she insisted that I was already a man, a graduate, and would not return to her womb.
I was in that race until our elders appealed to me to step down for people from another division of Nomeh. But that venture proved fortuitous both for me and Nomeh Unateze community, leading to a chain of events that lifted me and my community. Chief among them is the ongoing Nenwe-Nomeh-MburumbuNara Road (with a spur to Oduma), a federal project facilitated by my former principal, His Excellency, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, CFR (Ikeoha Ndigbo) and which my current principal, the Disruptive Innovator, and Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah, has already flagged-off for completion in line with his infrastructural transformation crusade across the state. The construction of road to Nomeh, with its far-reaching economic and social impacts, is an eternal tribute to the memories of my late parents, for without God’s grace and their sacrifices, I would not have had the opportunity to function at the level that made this happen. Till her death, Mama would usually dance and hype over the road.
I will forever cherish her fearlessness, even in the face of gravest danger. In fact, she did not even fear death. Before departing Nomeh for her medical care, she had the premonition that the hour had come, and she prepared herself for it.
It is, therefore, so heartwarming that friends and relations across the world, the Church, and His Excellency and my boss, Governor Peter Mbah, who was also in Nomeh in person, all rallied round us to ensure that she exited triumphantly and in a blaze of glory as deserved. My mother that I know could not have wished for more. We can never thank them enough. Nature too was not left out in testing to the great woman that she was, as Nomeh Unateze experienced the first rain of the year 2025 that same evening, soon after she was sown back to mother earth. It is very symbolic by Igbo traditions. Thus, all said, Mama deserves to be celebrated, not mourned.
Dreams AW ‘2025” At New York
black satin corset dress with draped hip detailing that subtly mimics the effect of a tied sash because of its asymmetric gathering at the waist. The upper bodice of the gown was built on a classic boned corset foundation, which does well in sculpting the wearer’s torso with a cinched effect.
While the structure is firm, the bust-to-waist transition feels restrictive - probably because of varying seam allowances. Additionally, the pooling hem at the bottom of the gown comes across as visually striking but portends a problem functionally. The weight distribution of the fabric isn’t entirely balanced, causing sections of the hem to lift where they should have remained grounded slightly. This could have been resolved with an inner structure, like a hidden organza lining or a lightweight crinoline panel, to control the movement of the fabric.
The Caramel dress has a deep, earthy brown fringe and off-shoulder arm detailing. It features a scalloped waistline that transitions seamlessly into a fringe skirt, allowing subtle leg exposure. This outfit had the potential to be
an iconic runway moment. However, the fringe of the gown sometimes displayed awkward visual breaks because of the slightly sparse distribution of the strands, which caused gaps in motion rather than a continuous ripple effect. It is indeed a statement piece but one that requires additional refinement.
For Bouqui Glam House’s founder and creative director, Bukonla Hannah Ambali, Five Dreams AW ‘2025 marks a significant milestone in her artistic journey. The murmurs of approval from the audience with each runway entrance reflected the collection’s strong reception. Positioned in the high-end couture segment, Five Dreams AW ‘2025 is less about mass-market appeal and more about exclusivity. This raises an intriguing question: how does Bouqui Glam House plan to balance the collection’s luxury status with broader market demand?
Regardless of the strategy ahead, one thing is certain—Bouqui Glam House has once again asserted its presence in the fashion world, proving that artistry and innovation remain at the heart of its brand.
Uche Anichukwu
Anichukwu
The ChUMMIeS
Reducing Burden of anemia in Pregnant Women
To combat Nigeria’s high maternal mortality and morbidity rates, the Centre for Clinical Trials, Research and Implementation Science teamed up with the Maternal and Reproductive Health Collective and the University of Lagos’ College of Medicine, in 2023, to conduct a two-year implementation research plan for ‘intravenous iron’ use in pregnant and postpartum Nigerian women, using six healthcare facilities in Lagos State. Two years later, they hosted a stakeholders’ meeting to share their findings on the implementation research exercise known as the IVON-IS study. Sunday ehigiator reports
Iron deficiency anaemia is a major concern in SubSaharan Africa, including Nigeria, in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2019, global anaemia prevalence was 29.9 per cent in women of reproductive age, 29.6 per cent in non-pregnant women of reproductive age, and 36.5 per cent in pregnant women. This translates to over half a billion women aged 15–49.
The WHO also revealed that in the same year, global anaemia prevalence was 39.8 per cent in children aged 6-59 months, equivalent to 269 million children with anaemia. The prevalence of anaemia in children under five was highest in the African Region, at 60.2 per cent.
In Nigeria, the Centre for Clinical Trials, Research and Implementation Science (CCTRIS) revealed that over 55.5 per cent of pregnant women have anaemia, while routine anaemia screening and use of oral iron supplements for anaemia treatment during pregnancy and postpartum is limited by poor compliance and other health system factors.
the iVon-is PRojeCt
Against the above backdrop was the need for the implementation of research for intravenous iron use in pregnant and postpartum Nigerian Women, referred to as the IVON-IS Program, which recently held its Stakeholders’ Dissemination Workshop in Ikejathe area of Lagos State.
The project aimed to test strategies to strengthen routine screening for anaemia during and immediately after pregnancy and conditions necessary within the health system to deliver IV iron to pregnant and post-partum women with moderate to severe anaemia.
According to CCTRIS, adherence to oral iron is reportedly low in Nigeria because of side effects and forgetfulness. Hence, ‘Intravenous (IV) iron’ such as ‘ferric carboxymaltose’, which can be given as a single dose, could help overcome some issues relating to adherence but the possibility of implementing its usage in the Nigerian setting, needs to be evaluated.
The research which commenced in 2022 was funded by the Gates Foundation and was conducted in six healthcare facilities in Lagos State Namely, Federal Medical Center Ebute-Metta Hospital, Harvey Road General Hospital, Ebute-Metta General Hospital, Akerele Primary Healthcare Center, Kensington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation Medical Laboratory and
Afolabi
Maternity Center, and Havana Specialist Hospital Limited.
Key stakeholders, including policymakers, healthcare providers, and community leaders, gathered at the dissemination workshop to discuss the study’s findings and implications for improving anaemia care in Nigeria.
The workshop featured presentations from the research team, panel discussions, and interactive sessions, providing a platform for stakeholders to share their experiences, challenges, and suggestions for scaling up effective interventions.
The study’s findings highlighted significant improvements in anaemia screening rates and IV iron administration among pregnant and postpartum women at the study’s healthcare facilities, demonstrating the potential for sustainable impact.
the ReseaRCh
Providing more insight on the research, the Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, also the Director of CCTRIS, Prof. Bosede Afolabi, noted that, “The research is about the use of intravenous iron as well as for treating anaemia in pregnant women, as well as in women who have just delivered, postpartum women, and it’s also about the routinisation of screening for anaemia in pregnancy. “The research came about from the realisation that anaemia in pregnancy is very high. The prevalence is very high in low and middle-income countries, including Nigeria.
“The prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy is very high in Nigeria, totalling more than 50 per cent in prevalence, and
one of the things that we’ve seen with that is that anaemia predisposes to maternal deaths, and it also predisposes to a lot of different problems like infections in the mother, depression, poor wound healing, and it also carries over to their babies, and babies born to anaemic women have a risk of having impairments in their cognitive functions when they’re born.
“So, anaemia is of major public health importance, and it should be treated and at least even screened for, because before you treat it, you have to be able to diagnose it and screen for it, and a lot of the time, some institutions, doctors, women themselves, don’t even know when to screen for this anaemia, and also how to treat it appropriately apart from using tablet iron.
“So, this research was born out of the fact that we realised that, one, it’s important to screen for anaemia, and two, it’s also important to be able to have options for treating anaemia apart from just iron tablets.”
Lagos state Commitment
Expressing the state’s commitment, the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr. Oluwatomi Adeyemi, noted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is very happy that, “we’re having this dissemination because research findings like this contribute, they go a long way in helping us to inform policies.
“The urgent need to address anaemia in Lagos remains very germane. We know that anaemia is already a significant public health challenge. It contributes significantly to our poor maternal mortality indices and even our maternal morbidity indices here in Lagos and even in Nigeria as a whole.
“The burden of this maternal anaemia has far-reaching consequences, contributing to increased risk of this maternal morbidity and mortality. It even contributes to poor birth outcomes and long-term developmental issues for our newborns. Therefore, it’s very important to address this challenge.
“For decades, the treatment of anaemia has relied heavily on iron supplements. However, the use of this iron supplement for anaemia treatment during pregnancy and the postpartum period is limited because of poor compliance and other health system factors.
L-R: Head, People and Culture, Jobberman Nigeria, Samantha Ifezulike; Chief Enterprise Business Officer, MTN Nigeria, Lynda Saint-Nwafor; Tax Partner, Deloitte Nigeria, Funke Oladoke; Managing Director, Jobberman Nigeria, Oreoluwa Boboye; Managing Director, UAC Foods, Oluyemi Oloyede; and Group Managing Director, Celtron Group, Prince Adedapo Adelegan at the Jobberman Executive Exchange, an exclusive event for C-suite Executives and Business Leaders held in Lagos…. yesterday
L-R: Head, ST Tech Academy, Mr Ejiro Awenayiri; Regional Head, Smart Treasures Team, Mr Trust Otorudo; and Deputy Regional Head, ST Lagos Operations Office, Mr Justice Ehirim, during the launch of the Tech Academy programme, at the Lagos Operations Centre… recently.
L-R; Chief Executive, Learntor, Mercy George Igbafo; Managing Parter, Value Hut Consulting, Mr. Sam Adekoya; and the Executive Director, Muds and Brans Media, Mr. Olalekan Otun at Scrum Day Press Conference held at Magodo, in Lagos… recently
L-R; Chairman of the occasion, Chief Bode George; MD/Editor-in-Chief, Freedom Online, Mr. Gabriel Akinadewo; former Rivers State Deputy Governor/Representative of Rivers State Governor, Engr Tele Ikuru; receiving the Governor of the Year award on behalf of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and the guest speaker, Senator Gbenga Daniel, during the 6th Freedom Online Yearly Lecture in Lagos …yesterday PHOTO SUNDAY ADIGUN
Restoring sanity to foreign exchange Market operations
In this piece, James emejo examines ongoing efforts by the central bank to maintain price stability and restore order in the country’s foreign exchange market
Only recently Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, unveiled the Nigeria Foreign Exchange Code (FX Code), a framework designed to halt years of unethical practices by players in the FX market.
The code consists of six guiding principles and 52 sub-principles, which Cardoso said must become the standard for conduct across all participating institutions.
The core principles include ethics, governance, execution, information sharing, risk management and compliance, and confirmation and settlement processes.
InevItable Rule book
The introduction of the document was particularly crucial for the success of the apex bank’s monetary interventions in the economy considering that forex plays a critical role in price and economic stability, especially for economies including Nigeria that depends on imports, export or foreign debt.
A stable and well-managed forex policy is essential for maintaining inflation control, economic growth, financial stability, and investor confidence as countries often use tools like interest rates, forex reserves, and capital controls to manage exchange rate fluctuations and ensure economic stability.
a ChaotIC landsCape
Before Cardoso assumed office in 2023, the country’s FX market was marked by unwholesome activities of market participants including round-tripping and speculation, hoarding, multiple exchange rates, arbitrage, and rent-seeking behaviours – all of which had contributed to market distortions, currency volatility, and instability in the forex market.
The central bank governor has always pointed to the fact that restoring investor confidence and stability in exchange rates remained key to attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and portfolio investments into the Nigerian economy.
According to Cardoso, the FX code was a decisive step forward, setting clear and enforceable standards for ethical conduct, transparency, and good governance in the FX market, and sanitising market practices, and entrenching good governance.
The code further stipulates penalties and administrative actions for violations. Cardoso also realises that exchange rate stability remains a cornerstone of macroeconomic health for the Nigerian economy, influencing critical indicators such as the balance of payments, external reserves, international trade, inflation, economic growth, and foreign investment.
He noted during the launch of the code, alongside chief executives of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) who took their turns to sign the framework as a mark of commitment to ensuring compliance, that previous irregularities by market participants had led to the accumulation of about $7 billion FX backlogs which he inherited on assumption of office – and most of which were not genuine according to ongoing forensic audit of past transactions in the market.
need foR oRdeRlIness
Nonetheless, the CBN governor said the FX code represented a firm rejection of previous distortions in the market and an equally firm commitment to a future defined by fairness, trust and market-driven principles.
The governor warned that the central bank would not tolerate any attempts to revert to past unethical practices, adding that any individual or institution that violates the FX code will face swift and decisive sanctions.
He said the central bank will not hesitate to act against any institution or individual that undermines the integrity of the country’s financial markets, adding that the code remains a binding commitment to accountability and transparency.
Cardoso said, “Let us be clear; the system itself played a key role in the challenges of the past. Unethical behaviours and systemic abuses - whether by those with privileged access or by complicit participants eroded public trust and harmed our economy.
“Our journey towards market reform is already yielding
results. The year 2024 was marked by structural reforms which sought to return the naira to a freely determined market price and ease volatility as several distortions were removed from the market.”
analysts’ peRspeCtIves
The introduction of the code has been highly commended by stakeholders and analysts who summarised the development as critical to purging the segment of existing rot and restoring trust in the system.
Cardoso, recently stated that despite Naira’s volatility in recent years, the international community believed the currency is now reflective of its real rate and currently more competitive, largely because of the reforms so far introduced since the new emergence of the current leadership of the bank.
He said the reforms have continued to attract foreign investors into the economy, vowing that the monetary authority will do everything possible to ensure that current inflows continue, and preserve the positive outcomes – thus the advent of the FX code.
Analysts, in separate interviews with THISDAY commended that the CBN’s for its previous interventions including unifying the exchange rate to eliminate arbitrage opportunities as well as strengthening regulatory oversight to curb illicit forex activities, enhancing transparency in forex allocations, encouraging exports to boost forex inflows, and promoting local production to reduce reliance on imports. They said these measures were crucial in addressing the challenges in the FX market.
A renowned economist, Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, described the FX code as one of the steps and reforms taken by CBN to sanitise the foreign exchange market.
He said, “The FX market needed to improve on their ethical practices and governance. Compliance has been made compulsory by the CBN as Deposit Money Banks have signed to the code of compliance, meaning that they agree to any sanctions arising from the default of this code.”
According to the former Director General, Abuja, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the code can “only try to sanitise the market. It cannot eliminate these malpractices completely. The market players will always find ways of circumventing the code, but with strict supervision by the apex bank, sanity will return to the FX market”.
Nonetheless, he said the FX framework aimed at making the FX market more transparent and accountable, adding that the code was meant to eliminate unwholesome malpractices in the marketplace.
Also, Managing Director/Chief Executive, SD&D Capital Management Limited, Mr. Idakolo Gbolade, said the introduction of the FX code for operators will sanitise the forex market from unwholesome practices perpetrated in the past that made operators record unprecedented profits from the system.
He said, “The introduction of the FX code has strengthened the Naira and improved corporate governance. It has also mandated transparent reporting systems to have boosted the confidence of both buyers and sellers in the system.
“The FX code can go a long way to sanitise the sector if sanctions are meted to defaulting operators and the CBN drives compliance for all stakeholders.”
fX MaRket as panaCea foR MaCRoeConoMIC stabIlIty
Analysts further agreed that irregularities in Nigeria’s FX market could significantly weaken the Naira, reduce its value, and disrupt price stability. These irregularities further create distortions that lead to forex shortages, increased inflation, and economic instability.
Commenting on the FX code, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, commended the CBN for its steadfast leadership and impactful reforms championed in recent years, stressing that these initiatives have been pivotal in stabilisng the FX market, restoring investor confidence, and ensuring a more sustainable and resilient financial system.
Alawuba stressed that from policy innovations to strategic interventions, the CBN had proven to be the cornerstone of the country’s economic stability.
He said the introduction of the FX code remained yet another bold and visionary step which not only complements other notable reforms of the CBN but also sets a new benchmark for accountability and integrity in the FX market. The UBA GMD pointed out that by embedding global best practices and fostering a culture of trust and equity, the code will enhance market efficiency, attract greater participation, and elevate Nigeria’s standing in the global financial landscape.
He described the launch as a call to action for all stakeholders to uphold the principles of fairness, ethical behaviour, and professionalism.
He said, “The strength of any financial market lies in the integrity of its participants, and with the Nigeria FX Code, we now have a unified platform to reinforce this commitment.
“As we witness the ceremonial signing of this Code today, let it engender a reawakening of our collective responsibility to safeguarding the credibility of our FX market.
“Together, we can ensure that this market becomes a beacon of excellence, one that inspires confidence both locally and globally.”
He also expressed optimism that the initiative will usher a new era of transparency, trust, and progress for Nigeria’s FX market and the economy at large.
a new dawn
According to the CBN governor, the introduction of the code marked a new era of compliance and accountability.
He said, “It is not just a set of recommendations; this is an enforceable framework. Under CBN Act 2007 and BOFIA Act 2020, violations will be met with penalties and administrative actions. Market participants must recognise that adherence to these principles is not merely about compliance but about restoring public trust in our financial system.
“Beyond the foreign exchange markets, the FX code forms part of our renewed focus on compliance across the financial services industry and I am particularly pleased that we have the leadership of the industry in this room to reinforce a collective commitment to the journey ahead.
“Self-regulation and conduct are at the core of the changes in culture we expect to see at play in the industry, and I expect the principles of the FX Code to be applied across other business areas.”
Cardoso
•Tourism •Arts&Culture
Revamping Calabar Carnival
Stories by Charles Ajunwa
As part of his vision and commitment to improve the concepts and policies of government, Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has approved a 13-man committee to review and provide a postmortem on Carnival Calabar and the Annual Festival Concept after 20 years of hosting.
The review is aimed at improving and refreshing the product in line with global trends in tourism product development and
repackaging.
The committee which has two weeks to submit its report to Governor Otu, has the following as terms of reference: review the past 20 years to identify the high points and the low points; identify the success factors of the last 20 years; restructure the bands as a creative entity; and explore organic ways of improving the carnival by making it our cultural expression.
Other terms of reference include, initiate the establishment of a carnival museum for the preservation of carnival culture; advise on the improvement of regulations and organisation to align with world best practices; harness all
marketing opportunities to improve carnival funding; device means of placing Carnival Calabar’s presence on the international roadmap; suggest a roadmap for the next 20 years to guide the operators; and engage relevant stakeholders in arriving at its recommendations.
The 13-man committee members is Chaired by Chief Edem Duke while Onari Duke, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Senator Gershom Bassey, Hon. Chris Agibe and Dr. Lyam Ugot are members.
Other members are Hon. Eric Anderson, Sir Gabe Onah, Mr. Ededem Ani, AG, Pastor Johnnie Akpanke, Amb. Ikechi Uko, Prof. Esekong Andrew Essien, while Prof. A. Owan-Eno serves as Secretary.
As RCCG Lights Up Iconic Tafawa Balewa Square
The beauty and splendour of one of Nigeria’s revered national monuments, the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) originally Lagos Race Course, resonated in the hearts of many Nigerians who trooped out to the venue last Saturday in their thousands to participate in one-day crusade themed ‘Light Up Lagos’ organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
All roads that led to the iconic TBS located in Onikan area of Lagos Island, Lagos, were jam-packed as worshippers from different Christian denominations desiring positive changes in their lives alighted from their vehicles and made their way to the 14.5 hectare ceremonial ground which was filled to capacity.
The different security agencies on ground ensured that everything went smoothly and peacefully.
Historically, TBS, was a sports field that hosted horse racing and also had a section for football and ground to play cricket. The land was provided to zzcolonial authorities by Oba Dosunmu in 1859, who thereafter built up the surrounding areas. The course was later demolished by the government of former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) to make way for Tafawa Balewa Square. In its hey days, the course hosted the Empire Day parades. The horse racing track was about seven to eight furlongs or a mile.
Today, tourists from within and outside Nigeria visit the TBS to see the very spot the British Union Jack flag was lowered and Nigeria’s Green White Green flag hoisted on October 1, 1960.
The entrance to the square has gigantic sculptures of four white horses hovering above the gate and seven red eagles, which are symbols from the national emblem signifying Strength and Dignity respectively.
The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in collaboration with the National Council on Climate Change and Alzarin Crimson has announced the hosting of an exhibition titled, ‘Intersecting the Worlds of Climate Change, The Mangrove And Art’.
A statement signed by the Director General, National Gallery of Arts, Ahmed Bashir Sodangi, said the event which comes up at the West Towers, The wings office Complex, Lagos, from the 5th to 18th of March 2025, would showcase master paintings, drawings and watercolour of quintessential artist Dr. John Ed DeBebs and curated by renowned Oriz U. Onumaje.
According to Sodangi, “The exhibition is an artistic expression and potent instrument that aims at raising awareness, foster emotional connections and inspire action on climate change and its impact on the environment. While mangroves provide habitat for thousands of species at all levels of marine and forest and are highly efficient in storing carbon, and it is imperative that urgent steps are taken to preserve this natural heritage.
“This collaboration is one of several initiatives embarked upon by National Gallery of Art towards ensuring the appreciation of Art as stipulated in
Onikan, Lagos
Other monuments in the square include the Remembrance Arcade with memorials to World War I, World War II and Nigerian civil war victims and the 26-storey Independence House, built in 1963 which was for a long time, the tallest building in Nigeria.
In-between two towers standing at the back of the crusade giant stage, is a high structure cast with cement where Nigeria’s Coat of Arms is embossed and under it is written ‘Unity and Faith’. Major national events at TBS includes Nigeria’s independence celebration which took place on October 1, 1960 with the Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, delivering his speech. Democracy Day, as well as other multifarious events such as musical jamborees and religious gatherings.
As people started arriving for the ‘Light Up Lagos’ crusade as early 6a.m., three trucks stocked with rice, garri and food items distributed small
Sodangi
its mandate.”
Sodangi, who briefed the media on the organisation’s achievements and future plans for Nigeria’s visual arts sector last year, shared his vision and milestones in unlocking Nigeria’s artistic potential.
NGA boss emphasised the organisation’s commitment to empowering artists and showcasing Nigeria’s rich cultural legacy to the world through art, aligning with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
bags of food items to thousands of people who patiently waited to receive their own ‘Manna’ from Heaven. Those who have health issues were attended to by a team of medical personnel who took their names, checked their blood pressure before giving drugs to them. The two exercises continued until the end of the crusade.
The crusade started in the morning with prayer conference, followed by praise festival which featured popular Christian artistes like Chioma Jesus, Mercy Chinwo, Nathaniel Basey, Bidemi Olaoba, Dusin Oyekan, BJ Sax, Adeyinka Alaseyori, Bisi Ayeni, Yaya National Choir, and many others.
Pastor Dele Balogun said the opening prayer, while Pastor Sunday Akande who offered intercessory prayer for Lagos, said the state is blessed.
Chairman, Local Organising Committee for
The challenges and tasks facing tourism industry in transition are the focus of the International Business Trade (ITB) Berlin Convention 2025, which takes place from 4 to 6 March at the Berlin Exhibition Centre.
With the motto ‘The Power of Transition Lives Here’s, the organisers said trade visitors can look forward to an ambitious and comprehensive programme with high-profile presentations and discussions on the future of travel.
More than 400 international experts and speakers will provide insights into current social and economic developments, analyse industry-relevant trends and present the latest results from business practice, research and science in 200 sessions and 17 theme tracks. The range of topics and issues to be discussed over the three days is extremely broad.
The consequences of digital transformation and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) will be discussed just as intensively as the challenges of climate change and the search for sustainable strategies. The consequences of a changing world of work, the emergence of new customer needs and the importance of growing niche markets and special offers will also be the subject of numerous forums and events.
‘Light Up Lagos’ crusade, Pastor Dele Jayeoba, said the crusade was part of appreciating the life of the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeoye, who will clock 83 years soon. For the choice of the theme, ‘Light Up Lagos, he said that Jesus Christ represents the ‘Great Light’ whose presence chases away anything representing darkness in our lives as individuals and as a nation.
Bishop Stephen Adegbite, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Lagos State chapter, offered prayers for President Bola Ahmed, his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, asking God to give them wisdom to pilot affairs of the country with God-fearing hearts.
The first teaching by Pastor J.T. Kalejaiye centred on ‘Let The Glory Come Down’. Kalejaiye who took Bible text from Proverbs 3:45, said Glory is the opposite of shame. He enjoined Christians to always give God quality praising, emphasising that with quality praise God will come down to answer our prayers.
Pastor Paul Eneche, who presided over the second teaching with theme ‘Let The Power Of God Come Down’, revealed that he gave his life to Jesus in 1978 when Pastor Adeboye had a crusade in Otukpo, Benue State. And he received the gift of the Holy Spirit the following year. Eneche, who took Bible text from Psalms 62:11, said all power belongs to God. Many people with different kinds of sicknesses received instant healing during his ministration.
Pastor Adeboye popularly called Daddy G.O, when he mounted the podium, said he was going to give a father’s blessings. He took his Bible text from Acts 9:1-8, where Saul who persecuted Christians, “when Light of God shone on him several things happened in his life.” He said Saul who later became known as Paul ended well when he received the Light of God in his life. “He (Saul) became a peculiar treasure and performed special miracles in the Name of Jesus.”
Travel
On the Orange Stage in Hall 7.1, speakers will focus on the future of the industry and developments in marketing and sales. The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), is Stage Sponsor of the Orange Stage. The Future Track, the Marketing and Distribution Track and the Responsible Tourism Track will provide plenty of inspiration on topics such as sustainability and climate impact assessment. Organisers said attendees should look forward to a highly topical presentation on fundamental issues of climate protection and sustainability “On 4 March in the Future Track with the lecture by transformation expert Maja Gopel on the Orange Stage, Hall 7.1a. The renowned sustainability researcher will take a comprehensive look at current debates and ask how technology and innovation can help us to think outside the box. Microsoft Advertising is Track Sponsor of the Future Track, Google is Track Sponsor of the Marketing & Distribution Track, and Studiosus is Session Sponsor of the Responsible Tourism Track.
“On 4 March, Christoph Debus (CEO of the DERTOUR Group) will provide exciting insights into the transformation process of a leading German tour operator in the session titled ‘Shaping DERTOUR Group’s Future: Insights from Christoph Debus’ in the Tour Operator and Travel Sales Track on the Blue Stage, Hall 7.1b.
Otu
rCCG ‘Light up Lagos’ crusade held at TBS,
Th e Rising Golfers had their Invitational Challenge 2025 at Lakowe Lakes Golf & Country Estate last weekend when one of their members, Tony Obot , marked his 56th birthday. After the intense competition on the golf course and the presentation of trophies, members and guests retired to the Lakes Estate residence of Bayo Alli to relax over food and drinks and celebrate Tony, the birthday boy
Bayo Alli
L-r: Chukwudi Adiukwu, SAN and Luke Anele
L-r: Mrs Justina Okoroigwe with husband, Chris
Magnus Ibe
L-r: Moses Jemuel and Akin Akinboro
L-r: eniola Bello and Isichie Osamgbi
L-r: Osagie edward and Tony Obot
From left, Chukwudi Adiukwu, Isichie Osamgbi and HrH Felix Bob-Nabena
L-r: patrick Iluebey and wilson egberipou
AFTER BABANGIDA’S BOOK, WHAT NEXT? BACKPAGE CONTINUATION
Nigerians are concerned, Babangida’s book has finally laid it to rest. Contrary to what have been bandied for nearly the past six decades, Babangida’s book has shown that it was not an “Igbo coup”, pure and simple.
This was how IBB put it: “… as a young officer who saw all this from a distance, probably, ethnic sentiments did not drive the original objective of the coup plotters. For instance, the head of the plotters, Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, was only ‘Igbo’ in name. Born and raised in Kaduna, his immigrant parents were from Okpanam in today’s Delta state, which in 1966, was in the mid-west. Nzeogwu spoke fluent Hausa and was as ‘Hausa’ as any! He and his original team probably thought, even if naive, that they could turn things around for the better in the country … It should, however be borne in mind that some senior officers of Igbo extraction were also victims of the January coup. For instance, my erstwhile commander at the Reconnaissance Squadron in Kaduna, Lt-Col. Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe, was brutally gunned down by his own ‘brother’, Major Chris Anuforo in the presence of his pregnant wife … it should also be remembered that some non-Igbo officers like Major Adewale Ademoyega, Captain Ganiyu Adeleke, Lts Fola Oyewole and Olafimihan, took part in the failed coup. Another officer of Igbo extraction, Major John Obienu, crushed the coup”.
Babangida further pointed out that “those who argue that the original intention of the coup plotters was anything but ethnic refer to the fact that the initial purpose of the plotters was to release Chief Obafemi Awolowo from prison immediately after the coup and make him the executive provisional president of Nigeria. The fact that these ‘Igbo’ officers would do this to a man not known to be a great ‘lover’ of the Igbos may have given the coup a different ethnic coloration…”
I am relieved by Babangida’s disclosures. They have removed a load on my head with the realization that we can now bring a closure to one particular issue that has militated against our efforts at building a united nation since after the civil war. Let’s not make any further mistake about it, the wrongful dubbing of the January 15, 1966 coup as an “Igbo coup” is at the very heart of our problem as a nation. That falsehood was what led to the second coup of July 29, 1966 and the subsequent pogrom which Babangida in his book described thus: “…the most horrific killing of the Igbos occurred in different parts of northern Nigeria on September 29, 1966… the killings were frightening” (page 63). If northern elements – both civilian and military –took a revenge on Igbo civilians, whose brothers in the army allegedly staged a coup that led to the death of several of their political and military leaders, the anger was total among the Igbo back home.
discretionary funds they may have, whether from allowances or part-time jobs. In other words, financial literacy empowers you to make informed judgements and to take effective actions regarding the current and future use of and management of money.
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Stories of the pogrom were quite disheartening. I have a personal one. A man, who was popularly known as Bekee in my home town, Okohia, had his pregnant wife killed in his presence; her stomach ripped open and the unborn baby brought out from the womb and smashed. Although Bekee managed to escape and return home, he could not survive the trauma of that experience. The story angered the youths in my area as a result of which several of them – including my very self – rushed to get enlisted into what was then known as the Boys Company, a branch of the Biafran army. Over 70 per cent got perished in the war.
Since after the war, caused basically by the falsity of an ‘Igbo coup”, the Igbo have been at the receiving end; and which is why there is a subsisting agitation for a separate country. What Babangida has done is calling on the leadership of the country for a final closure to what seems to be an animosity in perpetuity. If we must mobilize the entire citizenry for nation building, there must be reconciliation. So, rather than doubt his sincerity, Nigerians should see in what IBB has done through his book as a grand opportunity to pursue a new dawn. But for that to happen, some of the major dramatis personnea in that saga should take a cue from there and similarly tell the nation all that they know about that dark era of our history. Take General Yakubu Gowon, for example, who, more than any other living Nigerian, was most central in the events that ensued after the ‘Igbo Coup’.
Essentially, I would like that General Gowon address Nigerians on the Aburi Accord; why it failed and which some narrators, including Babangida, cite as the final straw that broke the Carmel’s back; that is, the thing that finally led to the thirty-months long civil war. A well-known angle to the story has it that Lt-Col Yakubu Gowon – as he was then known – as head of state of Nigeria reneged on the agreements in the Aburi Accord upon the advice of Northern political leaders who told him that the Accord – which was that Nigeria should go for a structure of a loose federation – was not in the interest of the North. Let’s take a look at the insights provided by Babangida in his book:
“The emergence of Lt-Col Gowon as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Nigeria Armed Forces marked the beginning of the tension between Gowon and Lt-Col Emeka OdumegwuOjukwu. … Ojukwu rejected Gowon’s emergence as Head of State, insisting that in the absence of Aguiyi-Ironsi, the most senior Nigerian Army officer in the person of Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, should be Head of State and Commander-in-Chief”. But that was not to be; and tension rose. According to IBB, it was under these circumstances that Lt-General Joseph Arthur Ankrah, then Ghana’s head of state, “stepped
to have saved money for emergencies than were those without a plan. It is well established by research that people who feel a sense of control over life events are often happier, cope better, and are more resilient in times of stress than others.
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in by suggesting a neutral and safe venue for an actual Reconciliation conference between Ojukwu and the federal government”. Babangida further wrote that that intervention by General Ankrah led to the famous Peace Conference in ...Aburi between January 4 and 5 1967 and which resulted in the “famous Aburi Accord”. But that was where the story ended.
Hear IBB: “in the absence of fully published records from the federal government regarding what transpired at the Aburi meetings, the details of what happened HAVE (emphasis mine) remained speculative. While the published accounts of the eastern Nigeria delegation insisted that an agreement for a loose Nigerian federation was agreed to, the federal government claimed that the agreement reached was understood and seen within the framework of a united Nigerian state… These differences in interpretations were the final trigger for the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil war”.
Since Ojukwu is no more, it is to Gowon, who was present at the public presentation of Babangida’s book – and even made a speech – that Nigerians should now turn to with the question: “What happened?” Why was the Aburi Accord not implemented; or why did the federal government which he led choose to wallow in ambiguity over the contents of the Accord as clearly stated by IBB? Why was Brigadier Ogundipe, who was the most senior army officer then, not allowed to take over as head of state and commanderin-chief? Fast forward to 1976, after the assassination of the then head of state, General Murtala Mohammed and how almost effortlessly the military hierarchy settled for the then Lt. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who was Mohammed’s second-in-command, to take over as head of state and commander-in-chief.
Babangida recalls: “We knew it would be either General Obasanjo or General Danjuma since as Lt. Generals, they were the most senior… the pendulum swung in favour of General Danjuma at the start of the deliberations. Everyone present, including Obasanjo, thought Danjuma should take over. But somehow, Danjuma cast his lot for Obasanjo, insisting that as Mohammed’s deputy and a ‘senior’ Lieutenant-General, Obasanjo should succeed Murtala Mohammed. Obasanjo refused and offered… to retire from the army to enable Danjuma to emerge as head of state. There appeared to be a momentary stalemate. But that soon faded away. Faced with the insistence of Danjuma, everyone caved in and Obasanjo accepted the challenge to succeed Murtala”. Going by the above, was Ojukwu, not vindicated on his stance on Ogundipe in 1966?
The next among the resource fellows in our proposed final reconciliation conference would be former civilian president, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. I believe that many Nigerians are aware
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that in a book released earlier, BOLD LEAP, an autobiography of Senator Chris Anyanwu, she made a revelation which has remained a subject of discussion throughout the country in the past two months or so. Senator Anyanwu had in her book claimed that she got approval from President Jonathan to call in the military to intervene in the 2011 governorship election in Imo state. On page 470 of her book, Anyanwu narrated how, at a meeting with Dr. Jonathan in his house in his home town, Otueke, in Bayelsa state, the then president, said “Ok” to her proposal to mobilize the military to Imo state in order to stop me from rigging the governorship election. And as is well known, the military invaded the state in a Gestapo style and unleashed terror on the electorate. The question Nigerians have been asking since after that revelation is, assuming that it was true that I wanted to rig the election, was drafting the military into an electoral process the best way to stop me? Up till this moment, Dr. Jonathan and his handlers are yet to respond to that claim by Senator Anyanwu, a claim that clearly defamed him and poured red ink on his democratic credentials. Like Gowon, Jonathan was present at the launching of IBB’s book. So, to him (Jonathan) also should be directed the question: “What happened”?
However, he, Jonathan, does not have the liberty of waiting, like IBB, for thirty two years; for the simple reason that Nigerians are eager to come to a closure to the practices and individual idiosyncrasies that constitute stumbling blocks in our match to an enduring democracy. Even so, Babangida’s ‘crime’ is perhaps more pardonable since it was committed in the context of a military regime with June 12 epitomizing the determination of Nigerians to end it once and for all. On the other hand, the perfidy that occurred in Imo in 2011 came eighteen good years after Nigerians had decisively won the battle to install an enduring democracy.
Overall, Babangida’s book may have evoked angry sentiments of an era that Nigerians would have wished never had been their lot but we now have an opportunity to go the whole log. As suggested by President Olusegun Obasanjo in his speech at the book launch, IBB should not be deterred by the knocks he is receiving for making this patriotic move in the twilight of his life. My friend and brother, Femi Fani-Kayode, who was barely six years old in 1966, could not possibly fault Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who was twenty four years old and already a commissioned officer in the Nigerian army by the time of the incidents under review. What FFK read as history, IBB witnessed as an event. So, Femi, my brother from another mother, don’t go there.
•Ohakim is a former Governor of Imo State
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The Business of Blood and Ransom
Once upon a time, four odd years ago, we wrote about the curious case of Ruth Pogu - a Chibok girl who returned from captivity, not just as a freed victim but as a mother of two, with her terrorist “husband” in tow. Instead of outrage, there was celebration. The Borno State government, like an indulgent parent, welcomed her with open arms, while the fate of her captor-turned-spouse remained suspiciously unspoken. A bizarre story, yet in Nigeria’s ever-worsening security crisis, it was just another day.
Nearly four years later, the tragedy has metastasised into an industry. Today, abductions are no longer just the horrifying consequence of a failing state; they are a full-fledged business model, complete with negotiators, financiers, and even insider enablers. And for every victim who makes it out alive, a dozen others do not.
Ransom As Death Sentence: The latest spectacle is the abduction of the national president of Afenifere National Youths Council, Prince Eniola Joseph Ojajuni, in Abuja, a man who found himself at the mercy of gun-toting kidnappers demanding ₦100 million for his release. His torment, captured in a harrowing ransom video, was a now-familiar horror: a pleading, terrified Nigerian, held at gunpoint, reduced to a bargaining chip in the gruesome marketplace of human life.
But these days, even payment does not guarantee survival. Across the country, there is a chilling pattern - families scrambling to raise millions, only for the captors to collect the ransom and still execute their victims. Just last month, in Kaduna, the family of Alhaji Umaru emptied their savings to meet a ₦50 million ransom demand. Days later, his corpse was found by the roadside. The transaction was completed, but so was his life.
Yes, there have been tragic incidents in Nigeria’s eastern region where legislators were brutally killed despite ransom payments. For instance, in June 2022, former Anambra State lawmaker Nelson Achukwu was abducted from his home
in Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area. Despite his family’s payment of a ₦15 million ransom, his beheaded body was discovered between the Uke and Ukpor communities.
Similarly, in December 2024, Hon. Justice Azuka, representing Onitsha-North 1 State Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, was kidnapped on 24 December. The abductors initially demanded a ₦20 million ransom but denied receiving any payment. Tragically, Hon. Azuka was killed shortly after his abduction, and his decomposing body was found near the Second Niger Bridge.
Even Illusion Hope Is Draining: It is no longer enough to fear abduction; one must also fear the illusion of hope. When you are taken, your family will sell land, cars, and possessions to buy your freedom. If they succeed, you are lucky. If they don’t, your ransom money simply becomes capital for the next round of kidnappings.
Friendly Abductors And Indifferent Governments: We once asked a pertinent question about the so-called “repentant terrorist” who returned with Ruth Pogu. What became of him? Did he face justice? Was he even interrogated? Nearly four years later, we can guess the answer. Terrorists who “surrender” are rewarded with rehabilitation, training, and sometimes even stipends. Their victims, meanwhile, are left to rebuild their shattered lives with no psychological support, no financial aid, and no guarantee of safety.
In contrast, when ordinary Nigerians dare to protest the insecurity that engulfs their lives, they are met with the full force of state violence. The same government that cannot track ransom payments or locate kidnappers collecting cash in broad daylight can miraculously freeze the bank accounts of peaceful protesters within hours. The same security forces that plead helplessness against heavily armed bandits
have no trouble storming university hostels at midnight to arrest unarmed students.
Negotiators, Insiders, And The Economy Of Terror: Kidnapping in Nigeria is not just a crime; it is an organised economic sector. The financiers are shadowy, the foot soldiers are expendable, and the profits are astronomical. In some cases, government officials themselves are suspected middlemen, taking a percentage of every transaction.
Consider this: if a village raises ₦20 million to free a handful of its abducted residents, where does that money go? Some of it funds weapons, some goes to logistics, and a healthy chunk likely greases the palms of those in some rungs of power who ensure the system remains oiled and operational.
It is no surprise that ransoms have gone from tens of thousands to hundreds of millions. The business is booming, and demand is high. Some kidnappers now offer “discounts” for bulk payments, while others provide installment plans. And as with any business, innovation is key: instead of simply waiting for payments, kidnappers now use victims’ phones to call multiple family members, playing them against each other for maximum returns.
A Government On Auto-Pilot?: The Nigerian government’s response to this crisis has been a mix of denial, incompetence, and outright complicity. Our leaders have normalised failure to the point where even mass abductions barely make the headlines anymore.
Consider the Tudun Biri massacre in Kaduna, where over 120 villagers were killed in what the Nigerian Air Force called an “accidental” airstrike. Accidental? Yet, they never accidentally misfire at bandits collecting ransoms. They never accidentally bomb the hideouts of known terrorists. Their aim is suddenly precise when dispersing crowds of angry citizens or when silencing critics who refuse to stomach government propaganda.
Meanwhile, the economy collapses under the weight of debt. As of March 31, 2024,
Nigeria’s total public debt stands at ₦121.67 trillion ($91.46 billion). External debt alone is ₦56.02 trillion ($42.12 billion), while domestic debt is ₦65.65 trillion ($49.35 billion). And yet, what do we have to show for it? Roads remain impassable, hospitals are underfunded, and public universities produce graduates with no hope of employment.
In 2021, Jega accused both APC and PDP of running Nigeria into the ground. Back then, they howled in protest, each party accusing the other of corruption and mismanagement. Today, the debate is over. The evidence is all around us. The country has reached a state where governance is no longer about policies or progress - it is simply about survival.
The Abyss Is Widening: In the same article, we lamented that Nigerians have “no one to stand in the gap for them.” That has never been truer than today. Bandits run free, kidnappers name their price, and terrorists secure amnesty while innocent citizens are left to the mercy of fate.
The nation is bleeding, but its leaders are on another plane - literally. They fly in private jets to global conferences where they beg for loans they will never repay. They build mansions abroad while their citizens live in fear. They throw elaborate parties while families mourn loved ones lost to the unforgiving grip of terror.
As the 2027 elections approach, the politicians will re-emerge, peddling the same tired promises. They will tell us they have a plan. They will urge us to trust them - again. And like a battered spouse hoping for change, some Nigerians will believe them - again.
But for many, belief is a luxury they can no longer afford. Because when your loved one has been kidnapped, and you have to sell everything to pay the ransom - only to receive their lifeless body in return - what is left to believe in?
Nothing. Just the abyss. And it is getting deeper.
Island Muslim Community to Spend N5bn on Cemeteries, Hospitals, Orphanages
Bennett Oghifo
Support for Muslim facilities, such as hospitals, care for orphanages and cemeteries have propelled the Island Muslim Community (IMC) to plan an expenditure of N5 billion.
Some of the proposed projects are Shariah-compliant cemeteries, a 1- 10,000 sqm, Ikorodu Cemetery Land, currently being developed, Premium Cemetery at Akodo and Cemetery at Ibeju-Lekki.
World Class Hospital for women and children: A gender sensitive hospital where the dignity of the Muslim woman is respected in service delivery and men are attended to by male doctors.
A completed Muslim-Oriented Orphanage at Surulere, Lagos, which focus is to protect Muslim orphaned children. Another project in the pipeline is Island Muslim Community (IMC) Center, a revenue-generating edifice to house the following among others: Events halls, Office Space for Rent, Commercial activities, Digital Communications Hub (Radio, Studio, etc.) amongst other line up porgrammes.
Addressing a press conference held in Lagos, BoT Chairman, Adisa Ebiti said, “We are here to give an insight to what the Island Muslim Community is about to achieve and for which it is launching a N5 billion social infrastructure fund at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on March 1, 2025.”
He said since it not permissible to keep a dead Muslim in the morgue for a long time, something must be done to his/ her burial without delay just like social interventions are also vital.
“IMC is a not-for-profit organisation, and It’s the umbrella body for Muslims
L-r:
and Muslim organisations on Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki Scheme 1 and Ibeju-Lekki areas of Lagos State. The organisation was established as an interventionist body to ensure the provision of Islamic social infrastructure that are concomitant to the practice of Islam.
“It is rather pathetic to note that such essential facilities as cemeteries, orphanages, women and children hospital, Halal recreation centers, etc, are either totally
non-existent or inadequate in our local jurisdiction.
“This explains why we are embarking on an arduous task of raising N5 billion for the provision of such essential Islamic social infrastructure for the teeming Muslim population in the aforementioned axis.
“It’s an open secret that the ancient cemeteries on the island, such as Oke-Sunnah, Abari, and Ikoyi are already bursting at the seams. Unfortunately, too, the few highbrow cemeteries available hardly meet Islamic standards, quite
apart from the fact that their charges are relatively exorbitant. In view of this ugly situation, we have made cemeteries our flagship project,” Ebiti added.
Corroborating him, the Vice-Chairman of the association, Alhaji Tijani Borodo said. “Island Muslim Community is an umbrella body for all Muslim organisations, for the Muslim Ummah at this Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Lekki, and Ibeju-Lekki axis. That is what the IMC is all about, for us to provide a conducive atmosphere for living, for business and all other activities of human beings that comply with Sharia.”
On her part, Alhaja Sherifat Abiola-Andu said, “This is being a major project. One is a cemetery, the second is an orphanage and third is to have a hospital for Muslims. We are inevitably going to die but we don’t know where we are going to be buried. And right now there is paucity of cemetery for Muslims and we thought we want to gave a nice resting place and that is what is informing us to have this mega launch. We need a lot of money to make sure that we have enough resources to do that.”
Alhaji Ariyo Olushekun said, “We have some vital projects that we thought as a community we should work on. The ones that we have identified now are the cemetery, the orphanage and the hospital. As for the cemetery, we are working on three cemeteries; one in Ikorodu, one in Ibeju-Lekki abd another one in Akodo.”
In his remarks, Dr. Bashir Oshodi, who gave a brief analysis about why the intervention in the healthcare delivery system is pivotal in the mega project of the IMC, spoke about the need for a concentrated effort on a Muslim hospital, said, “27 percent of Nigerian kids have stunted growth. Why? Because they don’t have proper nutrition,they are not eating proper food. 20 to 15 million children are out of school.
That is the highest in the world.”
Committee Member, BoT, Island Muslim Community (IMC), Alhaji Ariyo Olushekun; Chairman, Board of Trustee, Alhaji rafiu ebiti and Vice Chairman, BOT, Alhaji Tijjani Borodo, during a press conference held in Lagos… recently
GLOBAL SOCCER
Jacob Murphy Fatherland Not on His Mind
Having starred for England at U21 level,he is also qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland and Nigeria by virtue of his mother and father,respectively,and that was what the new coach of the Super Eagles,Eric Chelle was hoping to exploit.With Nigeria in a precarious position-fifth on the six-team log of the 2026World Cup qualifiers,with just three points from four matches played and would need to win their two matches next month against Rwanda and Zimbabwe to stand any chance of hoisting the country’s flag at the Mundial,the Malian coach was hoping to convince Newcastle winger,Jacob Murphy,to shift allegiance to fatherland and bolster the three-timeAfrican champions attacking line but met a brick wall
Newcastle in-form winger, Jacob Murphy is reported to have been approached by the new Coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, about switching his international allegiance from England.
The 29-year-old winger is enjoying an impressive season for Newcastle in the Premier League as the Toon winger has already contributed 14 goals this season.
Murphy has scored five times for the Toon so far in 2024/25 and also leads the club’s assists chart with nine, already a career-high tally with three months of the season to go.
There have been suggestions that England manager, Thomas Tuchel should call up Murphy for his first Three Lions squad.
Murphy played for England across four youth age groups, with his last involvement in the under-21 Euros in 2017.
But, according to reports in Nigeria, Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle has “made contact” in a bid to get Murphy to switch allegiance.
The former Norwich star qualifies to play for Nigeria through his father.
As well as Nigeria, Murphy is eligible to represent Ireland through his mother.
Murphy has proved to be an unsung hero this season at St James Park.
Newcastle are chasing the European places, with striker, Alexander Isak stealing the plaudits, thanks to a remarkable run of form.
Howe said: “He’s been very, very important and probably more than people realise.
“We ask a lot of Jacob in lots of different ways, he plays an important role. Of course, everyone plays an important role in our pressing with the ball.
“He’s been brilliant and the assists and the goals that he’s got in the last few weeks. Isak probably owes him the majority of his goals with his crossing ability which has always been very strong.”
Meanwhile, reports have it that Murphy has decided against switching his international allegiance to Nigeria, despite interest from the Super Eagles, according to Craig Hope of the Daily Mail.
The 29-year-old has played for England at various youth levels but is also eligible to represent Nigeria through his father and the Republic of Ireland through his mother.
“Jacob Murphy will politely decline an approach from Nigeria to switch his international allegiance,” Hope wrote.
Murphy’s ability to play on both wings and in advanced attacking roles gives the Super Eagles an added tactical advantage.
His versatility would have allowed Chelle to deploy him in different formations, whether as a traditional winger
stretching the play or as an inverted forward cutting inside to create scoring opportunities.
This adaptability is crucial in highstakes qualifiers where tactical adjustments can make a difference.
Also, playing in the Premier League means Murphy regularly competes against some of the best defenders in world football.
His experience at this level would be invaluable for Nigeria, particularly in crucial World Cup qualifiers where composure and decision-making under pressure are essential.
His exposure to top-tier competition gives him an edge over some of Nigeria’s current attacking options.
Moreover, if Murphy had committed to Nigeria, it could set a positive precedent
for other eligible players with Nigerian heritage.
The Super Eagles have previously benefited from dual-nationality players such as Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi, and Murphy’s inclusion could encourage more high-profile stars to consider representing Nigeria.
Murphy has been in strong form this season, scoring five goals and notching nine assists across all competitions for Newcastle.
His performances have drawn interest from Nigeria’s head coach, who reached out to Murphy a few days ago in an attempt to secure him for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Instead, the winger is said to be focused on club performances, while keeping the door open for a potential
England or, most probably, Republic of Ireland call-up which should also give him a chance to compete in future international tournaments.
“That would give Murphy the chance to play at next year’s World Cup, but we understand he will not be joining the Nigeria squad any time soon,” Hope reported. Nigeria have endured a tough start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Super Eagles had been expected to cruise through a group that features South Africa, Rwanda, Benin, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
But three draws and a defeat from their opening four games have made things tough for Nigeria, who have reached six of the last seven World Cups.
Murphy tries to get the better of Manchester united ‘s Anthony
Eguavoen Joins Okocha, Musa, in Condemning Carragher’s Negative AFCON Comment
Former Super Eagles coach, Augustine Eguavoen has joined Austin Okocha and Ahmed Musa in reacting to Jamie Carragher’s controversial comments about the Africa Cup of Nations.
Carragher recently downplayed AFCON’s significance on a show by arguing that it is not a major tournament capable of helping an African player win the Ballon d’Or.
The former Liverpool defender’s comments have sparked backlash from African football figures, who view AFCON as one of the most prestigious competitions in the world.
Speaking to Sports Boom, Eguavoen defended the tournament and criticised Carragher for his stance.
“The Africa Cup of Nations is
one of the best football tournaments in the world. And if anyone feels otherwise, well, he’s entitled to his opinion, but it’s rather unfair and disrespectful,”
Eguavoen said. “Jamie Carragher spoke out of emotion and clearly doesn’t understand what this tournament means to us in Africa. That’s unfortunate.”
The former Super Eagles defender, who played in three AFCON tournaments and later coached Nigeria at the competition, weighed in on its global appeal.
“I’m proud of what it represents. The last tournament in Côte d’Ivoire, for example, was watched globally, and the quality of football was exceptional. Carragher’s comments were emotional rather than thoughtful. I’m sure he’ll reflect on them and eventually apologise.”
Eguavoen’s comments come after Jay-Jay Okocha and Ahmed Musa also hit back at Carragher’s remarks.
Okocha has earlier dismissed the claim that the tournament is not prestigious enough.
“There are some players that would say something and you just have to overlook it. If you look at their career, if you look at the type of football they played, then you can understand,” Okocha said.
“I mean… you won’t want your son to be like (Jamie) Carragher. So you can never appreciate African football or the talents that come from Africa.”
Ahmed Musa, Nigeria’s most-capped player, also responded with a strong message to remind Carragher of how important African football is.
Eguavoen urges players to prioritise AFCON
Don’t Rule Out Nigeria, S’African Coach Warns Others Ahead of World Cup Qualifiers
South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos, has warned other African nations against ruling Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles out of contention for a 2026 FIFA World Cup spot.
The Belgian manager led Bafana Bafana to a 1-1 draw against Finidi George‘s Super Eagles in June 2024 during their World Cup qualifier clash.
South Africa are currently second in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying group, four points above the Super Eagles. Despite Bafana Bafana’s advantage over Eric Chelle’s team, Broos warned other nations in the group to watch out for the three-time AFCON Champions.
“Yeah, the Mali coach (is now
with Nigeria), I don’t know what’s happening in Nigeria, for me it’s a surprise that they are already four points behind us, they have played only draws and lost also,” Broos in quotes revealed by iDiski Times.
“This is not the Nigeria we know. The quality is much better than where they are now [in the group], but they will come back, they will come back – but they are four points behind us. So, they have to win two more games than us to pass us.”
“The rest, we started with it, Lesotho, Benin, Rwanda, Zimbabwe you have to play those games, its’ not like before where you say, ‘oh we will win. No, they are still in the running; all
the teams are still in the running.
Next month could be key, and maybe it will be clearer after that. For example, some countries could be ruled out, so it’s important to win the two games,” the 72-year-old gaffer concluded.
Eric Chelle will make his debut as Nigeria’s head coach during the March International Break. The Super Eagles will be desperate for wins against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, while hoping South Africa slip up in their matches.They travel to face Rwanda on the 19th of March, before welcoming Zimbabwe to the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on the 22nd of March.
Messi Rues Two-year Spell at PSG
Lionel Messi says he “didn’t enjoy” playing for Paris StGermain during his two-year spell at the club.
The 37-year-old joined the French side in 2021 after 21 years at Barcelona.
Messi scored 32 goals and provided 35 assists in 76 appearances before leaving two years ago for Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, in Major League Soccer.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the eighttime Ballon d’Or winner said: “Coming to play for Inter Miami was an opportunity and the way things developed during my last years in Paris, although it was a decision that I had to make on the go, because I had to leave from Barcelona, I went through two years which
I didn’t enjoy.
“I wasn’t happy on a daily basis, with the training, the matches. I had a hard time adapting to all that. I felt called to come to Inter [Miami] because it’s a club that’s growing,verynew, with few years as a club.”
PSG chairman Nasser AlKhelaifi criticised Messi, external for lacking “respect” for the French club when he left them.
Mourinho Files Lawsuit against Galatasaray
Jose Mourinho has filed a lawsuit against Galatasaray after the club accused him of making racist statements.
ex-internationals,
Arsenal Officially Contact Osimhen with £62m Bid to Seal Deal
Arsenal have made contact with Victor Osimhen’s camp, with the Gunners ready to trigger his release clause as an alternative to Martin Zubimendi emerges for the Gunners.
Osimhen is one of the best strikers in the world and is on the radar of a number of top clubs in Europe.
TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Rudy Galetti has reported that Manchester United and Chelsea are among the teams interested in the Nigeria
international, who is on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli for this season.
There has been speculation that Man Utd are so keen on Osimhen that they are willing to include Rasmus Hojlund in a deal with Napoli to bring the striker to Old Trafford instead of paying his release clause of £62m.
Man Utd desperately need to sign a new striker in the summer transfer window, with neither Hojlund nor Joshua Zirkzee showing that they can be prolific goalscorers.
Olatunji Gives MVP Performance, Bags Goal in Czech League Cup
Nigerian striker, Victor Olatunji was on the scorers’ sheet as Sparta Praha defeated Dukla to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Mol Cup.
Olatunji found the back of the net for the defending champions on the 88 minute in the round of 16 tie that ended 3 - 0 in favour of Sparta Praha, who were playing at home before their fans.
The Nigerian striker was introduced in the 65 minute and he made an instant impact with barely 60 seconds
after setting foot on the pitch.
His heroics was however ruled out for a foul and it would have been a brace for the Nigerian goal poacher who is in a fine form.
The talented striker was back on the scorers’ sheet coming off the back of his amazing UEFA Champions League Campaign. Olatunji closed the European campaign with four goals and two assists, ranking him as one of the top scorers of the Czech side.
The striker had set a record
Arsenal also need to sign a top-quality number 9, with Gabriel Jesus struggling to score frequently when fit and Kai Havertz not very clinical in front of goal.
Despite Man Utd’s strong interest, it seems that it is Arsenal who have taken a massive step towards signing Osimhen, who has scored 20 goals and given five assists in 27 appearances this season and has been described as a “world-class striker” by Fenerbache head coach Jose Mourinho.
as the first Nigerian to bag a goal and an assist in a Champions League debut game, ranking him among the top shots to emerge from the country.
Arch Martins, Okocha, Rufai, Agali Unveil LACMON Football Competition Trophy, Tournament Draws
The trio of former Super Eagles players Austin Okocha, Peter Rufai and Victor Agali joined the Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, His Grace, The Most Reverend Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins to unveil the LACMON Food tournament trophy at a well-attended event held at Holy Cross Cathedral Hall Lagos Island, recently.
The trophy unveiling was used to flag off the LACMON Friendly Football Competition which is slated for April 5, 2025 in four venues.
The organising committee Chairman, LACMON Friendly
Football Competition, Emmanuel Igboahazia, while reading his welcome address, said, “The football competition will see 18 Deaneries in the Catholic Men Organisation, Lagos Archdiocese competing against each other for the coveted trophy.”
He added that “The winning Team will get N800,000 as champions, first runner-up N400,000, 2nd runner-up N250,000 and the fourth position will get a consolation prize of N150,000.The competition, which is expected to begin on the 5th of April, will be played for a couple of
months before the grand finale on August 9 at St Gregory College, Obalende. The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, while blessing and unveiling the tournament trophy, admonished the players to play the game as brothers in the Lord who are using the competition to exercise their bodies.
The trophy, donated by the Chief Executive Officer of Lee Engineering and Construction Company, Mr. Leamon Ikpea, will be keenly contested for with the winner lifting the trophy on August 9, when the finals will be played.
Yesterday, Fenerbahce said Mourinho was filing a 1,907,000 Turkish Lira lawsuit, through the club’slawyers,againstGalatasaray “due to the attack on the personal rights” of the Portuguese coach.
The amount - which is worth around £41,000 - is symbolic as
The Fenerbahce manager was accusedbyGalatasarayofmaking racist statements after Monday’s Istanbulderbyand,onTuesday,the Portuguese’sTurkishclubreleased a statement saying his comments hadbeentaken“completelytaken out of context”.
1907istheyearFenerbahceSports Club was founded.
Speaking in the news conference after Monday’s 0-0 draw, Mourinho said the home bench had been“jumping like monkeys” and also repeated his criticism of Turkish referees, saying it would have been a “disaster” to use an official from the country.
Giants of Africa will make its first-ever trip to Ethiopia to host a basketball camp at ICS Addis on March 1 and 2nd for 50 young men and women, ages 15 - 19, from the local community. Led by NBA personnel and former professional players, the camp will provide training and skill development while reinforcing the values of education, leader-
ship, and empowerment. This initiative is another milestone in the organisation’s mission to harness the power of basketball to educate, inspire, and empower young Africans. Giants of Africa is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to using basketball as a platform to enrich the lives of African youth through education, both on
and off the court. Co-founded by Masai Ujiri, Vice-Chairman and President of the NBA Championship-winning Toronto Raptors, the organisation travels across the continent, hosting basketball camps for boys and girls, building courts, and leading youth outreach programmes focused on education, empowerment, and leadership.
L-r:
peter rufai; Victor Agali; Tournament Cup Sponsor, Chief Leamon Ikpea; Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, The Most reverend Dr. Adewale Martins; LACMON Chaplain, Very reverend Fr. Francis Ike; LACMON president, Mr. Kingsley ekwem, Organising Committee Chairman, emmanuel Igboahazia and Austin Okocha during the LACMON Friendly Football Tournament unveiling ceremony held on Sunday in Lagos
Okocha berates Carragher’s AFCON Comment
Ujiri’s Giants of Africa to Host First Basketball Camp in Ethiopia
Olatunji
MISSILE
First Lady to Muslims
“Let us remember our nation in prayers for peace and prosperity during this holy month of fasting and prayers... Please, extend love and kindness to your neighbours this season, especially those in need, may Almighty Allah accept all our supplications, forgive all our sins, and answer all our prayers” – First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu urges Muslims across the country to embrace love, kindness, and prayer for national peace and prosperity as they commence the holy month of Ramadan.
IKEDIOHAKIM
GUEST COLUMNIST
After Babangida’s Book, What Next?
It is not surprising that the revelations and admissions by former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB)., in his recently released autobiography, A Journey In Service, has elicited a lot of reactions from virtually every section of Nigeria and her citizenry. The thrust of most of the reactions is that he made his revelations very belatedly, after the nation had gone, full cycle, through the agony of some of his actions while in office, key of which is the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. In my opinion, however, it is wrong to accuse IBB of coming with his revelations belatedly simply because of June 12. IBB in his book raised other critical issues that transcend June 12. As far as I am concerned, he came up with them at the most appropriate time since it gives us a larger ambience to interrogate other acts of perfidy that were committed against Nigerians and their country before and after June 12.
Minus the fact that many Nigerians
miss the amiable and very large-hearted Moshood Abiola – who perhaps would have still been alive today but for that annulment – I believe that the
nation has since put June 12 behind it; especially after the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari wisely decided to recognize him as a former president. We should count ourselves lucky that God kept General Babangida alive up till now. IBB would have had nothing to lose if he had preferred to keep mute till the Almighty Allah takes him away. In other words, Nigeria as a country is the beneficiary since, as I have already pointed out, the book has armed us with materials for a more transcendental interrogation of our collective existence. So, much as the reawakening of the emotions over June 12 by IBB’s book is quite understandable, I think that what matters now is to immediately follow up with the revelations of the retired General. We have to immediately embark on a journey towards a true and final reconciliation; to which we have paid lip service over the years. There was an attempt at that through the Oputa Panel but the opportunity was bungled. In the light of what we now know, thanks to Babangida’s book, we should avail
ourselves another opportunity and with all alacrity this time around.
In making this submission, I am encouraged by the fact that the fellow currently at the helm of affairs, President Bola Tinubu, has demonstrated a tremendous flair for getting at the root of issues. Therefore, apart from the imperatives of his bold and courageous economic reforms, I think that providence is also saddling him with the responsibility of building a new nation.
Let’s take the civil war, especially the circumstances that led to it. Take specifically the January 15, 1966 military coup and the counter coup of July 29, 1966. Even though a lot has been written before now about the two military coup de’tats that led to the war, I am of the opinion that IBB’s narration is the one we have been waiting for. Take the matter of whether or not the January 15, 1966 coup was an “Igbo coup”. I am of the strong belief that as far as majority of
Making resolutions is a fantastic way to start the new year. At the beginning of every year, we all outline the goals and aspirations we want to achieve. 2025 is not different. From planning to save more money and committing to other financial goals, to eating healthier, improving our spirituality, exercising more, and losing weight, (a lot) MANY of us set targets for the things we want to achieve.
But looking back and with exactly 60 days into 2025, how many of these things that we resolved to achieve are we pursuing? Don’t be discouraged. It is not late to recommit to these goals, as focusing on them can help you jumpstart a life-change or try to experience new things over the next 305 days left (IN) this year, especially fixing your financial goals and deepening
financial literacy.
Financial literacy is a core life-skill for participating in modern society. Being financially literate gives you the ability to make wise financial decisions based on your income and help in prioritising the way you spend your money. It also helps you prevent needless debt and wasteful spending by creating a budget.
Also, one of the most important skills to have in a financially-driven market is the ability to save for rainy days. A person who is financially educated understands that they should not spend all their income as they come. A certain amount must be set aside for future use, no matter how small. You can divide your savings into emergency cash and long-term objectives. If you experience financial difficulties, having emergency money will prevent you from depleting your long-term savings or accruing debt.
Financial literacy provides information about which economic areas are profitable to invest in. In other words, it assists you in choosing the
best investments. It aids in economic forecasting and future projections, which can help you make informed financial choices. You would be better off investing your money in a business or other investment alternatives that will provide dividends over time rather than keeping it in a safe place or sitting idle in (WHERE)?
Surveys conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had shown that young adults have amongst the lowest levels of financial literacy. This is reflected by their general inability to choose the right financial products and often a lack of interest in undertaking sound financial planning.
That is why from an early age, children need to develop the skills to help choose between different career and education options and manage any
Babangida