Kayode Tokede
The Deposit Money Banks’ (DMBs) excess liquidity with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hit N9.39 trillion in January 2025, up from the N1.29
deposited in January 2024, an indication of a healthier liquidity in the financial system. This represents an increase of 627.17 per cent when compared to the amount the banks deposited
in January 2024, the apex bank’s financial data has revealed.
which
and
The leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened as the party’s embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS),
Mr Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, claiming that the recent communique of the governors elected on the platform of the party was an invitation to anarchy.
The communique was issued at the end of the governors’ meeting, which took place in Asaba, Delta State on Friday, January 31, 2025. The President of the Court of
Appeal, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were equally copied in the petition.
In the petition dated February 1, 2025, Anyanwu insisted that he is still the legitimate national secretary
Continued on page 5
The war of words between the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, deepened yesterday as the minister accused the governor of promoting North-South divide with the manner he criticised President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills.
Tuggar also disclosed that the federal government was making contingency plans to deal with any situation arising from the migration policy of the United States President Donald Trump as it affects Nigerians. This is just as he explained the delays in the posting of ambassadors to foreign missions.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS Channel, Tuggar said he had no problem with the governor of his home state, Bauchi
L-R: Wife of Vice
Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
The Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has stated that 2025 will be a pivotal year for the organisation, stressing that geopolitical tensions will have a potential impact on negotiations vis-a-vis key issues such as fisheries subsidies, dispute settlement reforms, development and agriculture.
Okonjo-Iweala was reflecting
on the impact of the current Russia-Ukraine war, the turmoil in Palestine between Israel and Hamas, as well as the war between Israel and Hezebollah/Iran on the current global trade landscape.
She stated this yesterday while welcoming the latest cohort of the WTO Young Professionals Programme (YPP) during a ceremony at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
The 19 participants are working
Borno State Governor Babagana
Umara Zulum has donated N30 million to the family of the late Army Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Ebisingha Alari, who lost his life in the ongoing battle against Boko Haram insurgents in the Timbuktu Triangle recently.
The donation was made personally to the wife of the late officer by the governor yesterday in Maiduguri.
Zulum extends his condolences to the family of Lt. Col. Alari and all others who have lost their lives fighting to restore peace in Borno State.
“Yesterday, we sent a high-level state government delegation to the funeral. However, I felt the need to personally extend my condolences on behalf of the government and people of the state,” Zulum said.
He added: “Let me also extend my condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives in the cause of the fight against terrorism in Borno and all parts of the northeast.”
“We are also presenting a token donation of N30m for his immediate
family to purchase a house because I was told that Lt Col Alari doesn't own a personal house. I want to assure you that apart from this, we will continue to offer support to you and the families of our fallen heroes who have put their lives in defence of our country,” Zulum stated.
The presentation was made in the presence of the Theatre Commander Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Waidi Shuaibu, Sector 2 Commander, and Major General Chieiebere Ejike. Also present are Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan and House of Representatives members Engr Bukar Talba and Ahmed Jaha.
Other State Government officials who attended the presentation include the Deputy Chief of Staff, Babagana Malumbe; Commissioners; Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mustapha Ali Busuguma; Special Adviser on Security to the Governor, Brigadier Gen. Abdullahi Sabi Ishaq (rtd); and Chairman of Damboa Local Government, Ali Mohammed Kauji among other senior officers.
in 13 divisions across the WTO Secretariat, where they will contribute to the organisation’s activities and gain hands-on experience on trade issues throughout the year.
This year’s Young Professionals hail from Nigeria, Angola, Armenia, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Moldova, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Togo and Vietnam.
A key initiative to enhance diversity and strengthen WTO membership representation at the professional level within the Secretariat, the YPP has supported the development of trade expertise among young professionals from developing economies and least- developed countries (LDCs) since 2017.
This year’s participants were selected from a highly competitive
criticising the Tinubu’s administration but the manner he was doing it to stoke the crisis.
“The problem with him is not criticising President Tinubu but the manner he is doing it. He is not doing with sincerity; he lacks sincerity of purpose. He is doing it to create a North-South divide,” Tuggar explained.
The minister described the claim that the North was against Tinubu’s administration due to the tax bills as a dangerous narrative by the opposition elements who wanted to perpetuate themselves in power.
Tuggar argued that the governor was hiding under his selfish ambition to make accusations against Tinubu’s administration.
The minister also accused the governor of mismanaging the resources of the state.
pool of approximately 5,500 applicants. In her remarks, Okonjo-Iweala commended the Young Professionals for gaining entry into this highly competitive programme.
On the current global trade landscape, she noted that 2025 will be a pivotal year for the WTO, with geopolitical tensions having a potential impact on negotiations on key issues such as fisheries subsidies, dispute settlement reform, development and agriculture.
Despite these challenges, she noted that the goal must be to deliver results wherever possible and "to lay a strong foundation for a successful Fourteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon in March 2026.”
She further underscored the broader impact of the WTO’s work and stressed that the role of the organisation is "to deliver results
house? Who asked him to build a government house for us? What is wrong with the one he has now and where did he get the money all of a sudden to build another mansion in Bauchi while the construction of the government house was going on?” the minister queried.
“This is what is making people like us angry and that is why we are speaking out. Don’t forget Bauchi is full of agrarian communities. It fell those people into hardship. Those people blocked rivers, creating disasters, creating flooding that is not natural,” he added.
that are good for people and the planet," demonstrating how trade cooperation at the WTO can enhance certainty and foster growth for all members, big and small.
Okonjo-Iweala also expressed gratitude to members, who have contributed to the WTO Global Trust Fund, helping to make the YPP and other technical assistance programmes possible.
During their initial weeks at the WTO, the Young Professionals underwent an intensive induction programme featuring over 60 Secretariat staff members, designed to provide them with a comprehensive understanding of the WTO’s work.
Speaking on behalf of the 2025 cohort, Nada Alsalmi from Saudi Arabia emphasised the significance of the programme in equipping young professionals with the tools needed
Right. He doesn’t know that NGO from Adam. I organised it because the owner of the NGO happened to be someone that I went to school with, a German. I then organised them to come and fix toilets in all the local governments in the state-owned hospitals, He knows that. If it was about the governorship, I wouldn’t have done that. I wanted him to look good. But now, the situation arises where I see him deliberately trying to mislead people and trying to sow the seed of discord in Nigeria because of his personal ambition,” Tuggar explained.
to contribute to global trade. "Our presence at the WTO is not just a privilege, but also a responsibility. We must seize every opportunity to deepen our understanding of the multilateral trading system so we can use this knowledge to strengthen and enhance global trade, making the world more predictable, sustainable and prosperous,” she said. She also expressed gratitude to the WTO for “this exceptional initiative” and thanked the Director-General for “upholding this programme and strengthening its vision.” The ceremony also featured remarks from ambassadors of WTO members represented in this year’s YPP, who praised the programme’s role in nurturing trade talent and strengthening the multilateral trading system.
threshold earned a lower rate.
However, under the new policy, all SDF deposits are remunerated at the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) minus 100 basis points.
With the current MPR at 27.5 per cent, this results in an SDF rate of 26.5 per cent.
As gathered by THISDAY, the total amount deposited in January 2025 by DMBs surpassed the amount borrowed from the CBN.
DMBs, in January 2025, borrowed the sum of N9.15 trillion from the CBN, about a 158.5 per cent increase over the N3.54 trillion borrowed in January 2023.
In 2024, DMBs deposit to CBN increased significantly to N38.12 trillion, about a 210.15 per cent increase when compared to N12.29 trillion in 2023.
SDF in 2024 witnessed significant patronage as banks and merchant banks' deposits reached the highest peak of about N8.12 trillion in August 2024
The increase is coming against the backdrop of CBN's removal of the cap on the remunerative policy, among others.
The CBN governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso had disclosed that the apex bank removed the cap on the remunerable SDF to increase activity in the SDF window and manage liquidity.
The CBN 2024 introduced a single-tier remuneration structure for its SDF, which applies to DMBs' large deposits exceeding N3 billion.
In a circular addressed to DMBs, CBN fixed SDF at 26.5 per cent, representing a sharp increase from the previous 19 per cent.
The policy change was communicated through a circular
issued by the Director of the Financial Markets Department, CBN, Omolara Duke.
CBN had maintained that the strong patronage at the SDF was an indication of healthier liquidity in the banking system, stressing that banks and merchant banks were in search of better yields.
The current inflation rate in Nigeria is above the yield on Treasury bills (T-Bills) and DMBs are looking for risk-free investments, which SDF has provided since the MPR hike.
Investment Banker & Stockbroker, Tajudeen Olayinka stated that the surge in DMBs' deposit with CBN in January 2025 was on the backdrop of uncertainty in the business environment.
He stated, “The most significant factor is the increasing level of threat in the environment of business in Nigeria, arising from: insecurity, supply chain problems, rising inflation and poor purchasing power, low level of productivity, rising unemployment, liquidity overhang and paucity of risk-free financial instruments.”
He added “As a result, most DMBs prefer to be debited by CBN for running short of LDR limit, as against extending credit to businesses that are finding it difficult to survive. It is all about managing risk.”
Also commenting, Vice President Highcap Securities, Mr. David Adnori, stated: “The development points to lack of liquidity on the part of banks. Monetary policy has been tightening and this has led to low liquidity. It is cheaper for banks to deposit with the CBN.
“We cannot continue to tighten because it will reflect economic growth,” he added.
“We seem to be against Governor Bala Mohammed simply because no other state is going through what Bauchi State is going through today. Bauchi State has been pauperised. Instead of focusing on social services, instead of focusing on infrastructure, he is busy expanding the government house with variations. He started at N6.6 billion. He took it to over N9 billion, then to over N12 billion, and then to N16.6 billion. Is that our priority? What about education for out-of-school children? Healthcare or the poor, giving farmers the needed input so that they could farm. Is that not the priority? Is it the government
as has an appeal subsisting at the Supreme Court.
He also claimed that he has a restraining order from the Court of Appeal that ordered that the status quo ante bellum should be maintained.
In the petition titled: ‘Security Alert: The advice of the PDP Governors’ Forum to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP NWC an Invitation to Cause and Affront to the Rule of Law,’ the embattled national secretary said there was an urgent need for the police to take note of paragraph three of the communique.
“In the quoted paragraph 3 of the communique, the forum advised the NWC to set up a machinery for the implementation of the Enugu Court of Appeal judgment, which favoured the nomination of SKD Ude Okoye as the National Secretary of the party.
''The police should be aware that an appeal has been filed at the Supreme Court against the quoted judgment. Furthermore, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja granted an order on January 13, 2025, clearly directing both parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum, pending the determination of the substantive
Reacting to the allegation by Governor Muhammed that he (minister) was being distracted by his ambition to become governor, Tuggar said: “The governor knows that I don’t work that way. It is not about governorship. If it was about governorship, I wouldn’t have been the one inviting him shortly after he had been sworn in as governor. I invited him to Berlin where I was serving as an ambassador where he signed five MoUs with German companies and a German state and through that initiative, he was able to make perhaps what was the first positive impression of his administration. I organised for him to receive 1,000 what they referred to as a mobility court for the disabled. The pictures are there, the video footage is there and the MoUs he signed are there. I then also organised an NGO called Water is
application.
“The order, accordingly, was duly served on all the parties concerned, including the National Working Committee of the PDP and INEC.
“It is a settled matter in law that when a judgment is appealed against to a superior court all parties should maintain status quo ante bellum till the matter is finally determined,” Anyanwu explained.
He added that the governors cannot claim ignorance of this position of the law before issuing their statement, which he alleged runs in conflict with the court decision.
''The police are aware that on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, the same Ude Okoye on the ill-advice of his cohorts invaded the PDP National Secretariat, the venue of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting with hired thugs and bandits to unleash attacks intended to disrupt the meeting for which he is not a member. That action was completely unlawful and in total disregard to the judiciary and the rule of law,'' Anyanwu said.
''It is saddening that the governors in their expected wisdom have allowed themselves to be deceived by the sponsors of Ude Okoye who are
Speaking on Trump’s policy on migration and deportation, Tuggar said the Nigerian government was monitoring the situation.
“Even yesterday, I spoke with our Chargé d'affaires in Washington DC and he said he is in constant touch with the US government and said he knows exactly the number being held. It’s not like the figures other countries have to deal with thankfully. I don’t know if the situation will change but we are already making contingency plans to deal with it,” Tuggar explained.
The foreign policies of Tinubu’s administration are strategic autonomy.
already facing criminal investigations by the police against the forged PDP Guidelines, which they used to mislead the courts in securing the ill-fated judgments.
''Police are therefore being alerted of the grave dangers that will ensue in the attempt of the NWC to implement the quoted advice of the PDP Governors’ Forum enshrined in paragraph 3 of their communique.
''It will be an invitation to chaos and affront to the judiciary and the rule of law, especially when the matter is pending before the superior courts for determination.
''I am by this letter calling on you to take necessary steps to forestall the crises being instigated by the PDP Governors and the sponsors of Ude Okoye,” he added.
Anyanwu also added that the NWC of the PDP should be advised to refrain from any action that will be contrary to the position of the court on the matter.
He argued that it is his right as a lawful citizen to seek justice against a judgment that was fraudulently secured against him.
''In the interest of peace, safety of lives and property of innocent Nigerians, all parties to this case should be cautioned to conduct
We will deal with all countries to protect, and improve for the benefit of our national interest, and of course, around that we have four pillars which are four Ds - Democracy, development, demography, and the diaspora. When I say democracy, I do not mean every country has to be under a democratic government like us because there are different approaches to democracy but definitely, we are in full support of constitutional governance. If there is a constitution that protects the fundamental rights of individuals, we will know you are on the right path,” Tuggar added.
When asked to explain the cause of the delays in posting ambassadors, Tuggar said: “When you post our ambassadors, you can't send them without something to work with, what they need for their families - their wives, and their kids, all of them have to be taken care of. In some places where they don’t have vehicles, you have to provide all these for them. I'm not making excuses for the President. He knows best; he said he is not ready for that yet. I’m going by what the President said. I know our missions are functioning and we will continue to do our best. I urge you to seek an interview with him,” the minister said.
themselves in line with the rule of law and decision of the Court of Appeal to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the motion,” Anyanwu said.
He insisted that he remains the validly elected National Secretary of PDP until the court rules otherwise and vowed to resist any attempt to force him out of office.
Speaking to THISDAY on the matter, Anyanwu described the communique as advisory.
''Note that under the constitution of the PDP, the governors’ forum is not exactly a formal or constitutional organ of the party. It is only a pressure group; so, their communique is advisory.
''The Constitution of Nigeria and the courts of the land tower above all; the Appeal Court gave an order for a stay of execution that is in my favour and it is clear that as we speak today, in compliance with the law and the order of the court of law, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will not dare deal with any other person in PDP as National Secretary except me. As I said earlier, there is nothing in that communique to worry about.''
L-R: Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Works, Mr.
In a bold move to drive economic relief for Nigerians, Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reduced the ex-depot price of its petrol from N950 to N890, effective from yesterday.
This is just as the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has said petrol prices will crash following the revival of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries by the federal government.
Dangote Group, in a statement issued yesterday by its Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Mr Anthony Chiejina, said the price adjustment was in response to favourable developments in the global energy sector and a significant decline in international crude oil prices.
The decision, Dangote Refinery said, reflects its commitment to aligning with market realities and ensuring that consumers benefit from changes in international crude oil prices.
It explained that this latest move followed a similar decision made on 19th January, when a modest price increase was implemented due to rising crude oil costs.
"However, with recent global market trends indicating a decline, Dangote Refinery has once again
adjusted its pricing structure, providing relief to Nigerians", the company said.
The statement also noted that the price reduction would significantly lower the cost of petrol across the country, generating a positive ripple effect throughout the broader economy.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery firmly believes that this reduction from N950 to N890 will result in a meaningful decrease in the cost of petrol nationwide, thereby driving down the prices of goods and services, as well as the overall cost of living, with a positive ripple effect on various sectors of the economy,” the statement said.
The refinery has also called on marketers across the country to ensure that the benefits of the reduced price were passed on to the Nigerian public, while reiterating its support for the economic revival spearheaded by President Bola Tinubu, whose administration is focused on making Nigeria self-sufficient in refined petroleum products and positioning the country as a leading oil export hub.
“This collective initiative will contribute to the wider economic recovery plan led by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is dedicated to making Nigeria self-sufficient in refined petroleum products and positioning the country
The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has suspended four lawmakers for two weeks following a violent altercation during a ministerial screening session last Thursday.
The suspended lawmakers - Rockson Dafeamakpor, Frank AnnorDompreh, Alhassan Tampuuli, and Jerry Shai, were on Friday penalised for what Bagbin described as a “gross affront to the dignity of parliament and a blatant contempt of the House”.
The four lawmakers were accused of “contemptus parlamenti in facie parlamenti”.
The clash occurred during the vetting of ministerial nominees from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Lawmakers from the opposition New Patriotic Party accused the vetting committee of rushing the process, while NDC members alleged that the opposition was deliberately stalling proceedings with prolonged questioning.
Tensions reached a breaking point
when NPP’s leader in parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, questioned Samuel George, the nominee for communications minister, for over five hours.
The prolonged interrogation led to frustration among committee members, triggering the brawl.
Furniture was overturned, microphones were destroyed, and lawmakers exchanged blows.
A special seven-member committee has been tasked with investigating the incident and is expected to submit its report within 10 days.
Additionally, the cost of repairs for damaged parliamentary property will be deducted from the allowances of those found responsible.
This marks the third time in four years that Ghana’s lawmakers resorted to physical confrontations during legislative proceedings.
Similar incidents occurred in 2021 during the election of a new speaker and later that year during debates on the electronic transaction levy bill.
as a leading oil export hub,” it added.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s decision is expected to play a vital role in stabilising the country’s economy, ensuring that the benefits of lower fuel prices are felt across all sectors, the statement added.
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has said petrol prices will crash following the revival of the
“The resurgence of these refineries has sparked intense competition, which is expected to drive down petroleum prices. As Nigerians advocate for lower PMS prices, it is clear that competition is
Port Harcourt and Warri refineries by the federal government. Port Harcourt, Warri Refineries Will Lead to Crash in Petrol Price, Says PETROAN Meanwhile, PETROAN National Public Relations Officer, Dr. Joseph Obele, i a statement issued yesterday, said contrary to previous doubts, Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries are “now fully operational, with PETROAN members loading petroleum products, including DPK (kerosene), AGO (diesel), and PMS (petrol).”
a crucial factor in triggering price reductions,” the statement read. He noted that the revitalisation of the facilities has numerous benefits, including the eradication of adulterated diesel and kerosene from the market. He regretted that for years, the absence of functional refineries led to a proliferation of fake petroleum products, posing significant risks to consumers.
Laleye Dipo in Minna
President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that the newly established student loan scheme has disbursed over N104billion to 600 students across the country.
He made this known yesterday in a message to the 33rd Convocation of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State.
President Tinubu, who was represented at the event by a Director in the Federal ministry of Education, Hajiya Rakiya Gambo Ilyasu, also disclosed that over N940billion has been provided for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in the 2025 budget.
This, President Tinubu, said was
to emphasise the commitment of the federal government to revamp the education sector of the country and ensure that financial challenges do not hinder access of Nigerians to quality education.
He also stressed the determination of the government to improve educational infrastructure and manpower saying that "We remain resolute in addressing challenges in the education sector, including ensuring industrial harmony in universities.
He disclosed that steps such as the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement with university staff unions and the resolution of salary issues demonstrates the determination of the government to foster stability in
higher education.
He, therefore, charged university graduates to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead saying: "You have been equipped with knowledge and skills to innovate and contribute to society. Let integrity, resilience, and purpose guide your endeavours. Aspire to greatness, avoid vices, and make Nigeria proud".
The president disclosed that his administration is working seriously to strengthen the economy and security, and also creating an environment where young Nigerians can thrive and realise their potential.
"Let us remain united in our shared vision of a prosperous, united, and resilient Nigeria," he said.
He also urged universities to deepen collaborations with industries to align research with societal needs, ensuring that the education system contributes meaningfully to national development.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Farouk Adamu Kuta, announced plans by the institution to expand its infrastructure, enhance research capacities, promote entrepreneurial programmes and digitalise teaching and learning.
At the event, two state governors, Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State and Uba Sani of Kaduna State as well as the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District of Niger State were awarded honorary doctorate degrees.
Ejiofor Alike
Worried over the potential impact of the planned nationwide protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on the telecommunications sector, telecom operators in Nigeria have urged the union not to destroy an already ailing sector with its planned action scheduled for February 4.
The telcos, through their Chief Executive Officers and the Chairman of the umbrella body, the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators in Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, regretted that the NLC’s planned protest could worsen the problems of a sector already in coma.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Victoria Island, Lagos yesterday, Adebayo said he had no doubt that the union would not want to be addressed as the undertaker of a dead sector.
He expressed hope that the NLC would listen to the voice of reason and suspend the protest.
He said: “The coming week will be crucial, but I trust that ongoing discussions at various levels will prevent an outcome we do not expect or desire.
“While I cannot say everything, I am aware that efforts are being made to ensure stability.
“That said, I sincerely hope no group will push the telecom sector to collapse.
“I hope the labour does not become the undertaker of the industry. If that happens, the consequences are clear; we will start heading downward. And once we do, recovery may become impossible.
“We initially made our request to the government based on thorough studies and reports.
“In fact, data suggests our sector
requires far more than the 100 per cent increase we originally requested.
Despite this, we still accepted the federal government’s 50 per cent, hoping that in due time, following market demand, more would be approved.
“Let me illustrate this with a simple analogy: Remember COVID-19? When patients needed oxygen, they were given full tanks to survive.
“Now, imagine the telecom sector as a patient requiring 100 litres of oxygen.
The government initially suggested 50 litres — just enough to sustain life and reassess later. But now, there is talk of reducing it further to just 10 litres.
“If a person who needs 100 litres is only given 10, we all know the inevitable outcome.
“The proposed 50 litres is already a lifeline, allowing us to survive, recover, and contribute to employment and economic growth. “Anything lower
would be catastrophic — like a critically ill patient being denied the oxygen necessary to live beyond the next day.
“Discussions like these take different shapes, but we must remember, 30 years ago, we were in a similar situation, and we cannot afford to go back.
“The priority must be survival — for the sector and the broader economy.”
Adebayo urged the NLC and all other stakeholders to come together and ensure that the sector doesn’t end up in a position where survival will no longer be an option.
The Private Telecommunications & Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN), an affiliate of the NLC had on Friday distanced itself from the NLC protest, saying that the hike was necessary to prevent the industry’s collapse.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has called on the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to inspect all the aircraft in the fleet of Allied Air, a cargo airline, for potential mechanical and structural vulnerabilities, specifically focusing on the flap and landing gear systems.
This is contained in the summary of
the preliminary report on the accident, which occurred at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (DNAA) in Abuja, on December 11, 2024, which led to the closure of the runway for several hours.
The bureau stated that the plane was scheduled to collect cargo for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The aircraft suffered a collapse of its undercarriage after it experienced a malfunction with its flaps during its
final approach at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The aircraft has the nationality and registration marks, 5N-JRT and it is operated by Allied Air Limited, a Nigerian company. Giving the details of the preliminary report on its ongoing investigation into the incident involving a Boeing 737 400 freighter aircraft, NSIB urged the NCAA to “inspect all Allied Air aircraft for potential mechanical and
structural vulnerabilities with a focus on the flap and landing gear systems of the aircraft.”
The summary of the preliminary report on the incident, said “The aircraft, en route to collect cargo for the Central Bank of Nigeria, experienced a malfunction with its flaps during its final approach at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The preliminary report also explained that upon landing, the
Ejiofor Alike
Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Mr Uche Orji as an Independent Non-Executive Director of its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank Plc effective from January 7, 2025, following the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to a statement issued by the Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, the appointment reflects the company’s commitment to enhancing its governance practices and ensuring a diverse and experienced board.
The statement, which was released yesterday by the Head of Media Relations, Access Holdings Plc, Olakunle Aderinokun, described Orji as “a renowned investment banking professional, information technology entrepreneur, and finance expert with three decades of professional and board experience.” Orji, the statement said, is the Co-founder and Partner of Titangate Capital Management, an equity firm that invests in deep-tech, enterprise software, semiconductors, hardware,
and artificial intelligence companies.
“He is the Founder and Director of Vitesse Africa Limited, an investment advisory firm focused on African energy, technology, and infrastructure sectors. He serves as an Executive Board member and investor in Ultrasafe AI, an artificial intelligence/ IT development firm that maintains strategic collaborations with leading technology companies. He also sits on the Board of Private Infrastructure Development Group, London, and chairs the Risk Committee,” the statement explained.
The statement added that Orji had served as the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.
According to the statement, he held positions as Managing Director and Senior Analyst at UBS Securities Limited New York and Managing Director and Head of European Technology/Semiconductor Equity Research at JP Morgan Securities, London.
The statement further noted that Orji had also served as Executive
Director/Portfolio Manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, London.
“Earlier in his career, he was Acting Financial Controller at Diamond Bank Limited and an Audit Trainee at Arthur Andersen & Co. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Port-Harcourt and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School,” the statement added.
Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman of the Bank, Mr. Paul Usoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated that Orji’s appointment, which was based on his exceptionally rich professional, academic, and corporate board experience, “will be invaluable to the Bank as we continue to pursue our strategic objectives.”
“We are confident that his addition to the Board would further enrich the quality of our decision-making process, enabling us to deliver even greater value to our customers and stakeholders.
“His appointment has been made
in accordance with the Bank's internal policies and has been notified to all relevant regulatory authorities underscoring our commitment to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance.
“On behalf of the Board, Management, and staff, I warmly welcome Mr. Orji to the Board and look forward to his contributions towards our goal of becoming one of the top 5 African Banks in the shortest possible time," Usoro explained.
Segun James
United States President Donald Trump yesterday ordered the military to carry out air strikes on Islamic State group targets in Somalia.
“This morning, I ordered precision military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the strikes targeted IS-Somalia operatives in the Golis mountains in semiautonomous Puntland region.
“Our initial assessment is that multiple operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed,” Hegseth said in a statement.
“This action further degrades ISIS’s ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening US
citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies.”
Islamic State has a relatively small presence in Somalia compared to the Al-Qaedalinked Al-Shabaab, but experts have warned of growing activity.
“The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!'” Trump said in his post.
US Special Forces killed a senior ISIS leader and 10 other militants in a raid on a mountain cave complex in a remote part of northern Somalia in 2023, in an operation ordered by former President Joe Biden.
right main landing gear collapsed, causing the No. 2 engine nacelle to drag along the runway.
“The aircraft veered off the runway and came to rest on the grass verge. All six occupants onboard were unharmed, and no injuries were reported,” the report stated.
Findings include the fact that “the aircraft departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport (Lagos) at 09:11 and began descent into Abuja at 09:44. The approach was conducted with the First Officer as Pilot Flying and the Captain as Pilot Monitoring.”
The report stated, “During the final approach, attempts to deploy Flaps 30 were unsuccessful, leaving the flaps stuck at Flaps 15. The aircraft touched down at a speed of 157 knots.
A loud bang was reported from the right side upon touchdown. The right main landing gear assembly detached, causing the No. 2 engine nacelle to drag along the runway for approximately 1,172 meters before the aircraft veered off the runway. The aircraft came to rest on the grass
verge, facing 170 degrees from the runway heading.”
The agency also explained that the right main landing gear was found sheared off from its attachment point, adding that the No. 3 and No. 4 main wheel tires burst.
“Damage was observed on the No. 2 engine nacelle and lower right-wing section. The structural integrity of the cabin and cockpit remained intact. All occupants exited safely through the forward main door without injuries,” the report stated.
According to NSIB, both the Captain and First Officer held valid licenses and medical certificates, and “the aircraft had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and had performed 101 landings since November 1, 2024, 85 of which used Flaps 15. Weather conditions were favourable with no adverse meteorological factors reported. All navigational and communication equipment, except the Airfield Lighting Panel System, were serviceable.”
Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has urged the newly posted heads of security agencies in the state to redouble their efforts in the fight against banditry and other criminal activities.
The governor made the call on Friday during a courtesy visit by the security heads to the Government House in Sokoto, the state capital.
He emphasised that the state government has been making significant progress in tackling insecurity, adding that the new security heads should build on these achievements.
“We are recording tremendous successes in our fight against banditry in the state; so, we expect you to give your best in this regard,” Aliyu stated.
The governor urged the security chiefs to emulate their predecessors in terms of commitment, hard work, and selfless service, stressing the need for a collaborative approach to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state.
Aliyu described the people of Sokoto State as peaceful and law-abiding and encouraged the security chiefs to work closely with local communities to foster trust and
cooperation.
“Our people are hospitable and accommodating to all who come to serve or live with them,” he said.
He reassured the security heads of his administration’s unwavering support in providing the necessary resources for them to effectively discharge their duties.
Despite the persistent banditry challenges affecting the state for over a decade, the governor praised the resilience of the people and commended the security agencies for their continued efforts in maintaining peace.
He also called for sustained collaboration to build on the progress already made.
The newly posted security chiefs include the Garrison Commander of the 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Sokoto, Brig. Gen. AJ Mohammed; Commander of the 119 Composite Group, Capt. US Maibuhu; Controller of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Sokoto, Lawal Idris; Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Usman Alfadarai; State Coordinator of the Defence Intelligence Agency, Ali Usman; and State Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Yusuf Musa Bage.
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Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The federal government has described a recent Executive Order by the United States President, Donald Trump to halt foreign aid to African countries, including Nigeria as a wake-up call for Nigeria to strengthen its healthcare system and reduce dependency on international funding.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made this assertion at the weekend during an oversight visit to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Metta, Lagos. He emphasised the need for strategic planning and domestic resource mobilisation to sustain critical health programmes in light of the anticipated cuts in US and
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The federal government has said that for electricity tariffs to reflect the actual cost of production, some Nigerians might need to pay over 65 per cent of what they are currently paying for a kilowatt/ hour of electricity.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Olu Verheijen, told Bloomberg that Nigeria’s power prices need to rise by about two-thirds for many customers to reflect the cost of supplying it.
Verheijen, who noted that an increase can be expected within months, however noted that the higher electricity tariffs will need to be balanced by subsidies for less-affluent consumers.
According to the special adviser, who spoke in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the additional fund is required for the maintenance needed to improve reliability and to attract private investors into power generation and transmission.
“One of the key challenges we’re looking to resolve over the next few months is transitioning to a cost-efficient but cost-reflective tariff,” Verheijen said in the interview.
This is needed “so the sector generates
revenue required to attract private capital, while also protecting the poor and vulnerable,” she added.
The president had already taken a number of steps to ease the burden on state finances and encourage private investment since taking office in May 2023, including removing subsidies on motor fuel.
Power prices were already tripled for some customers last year.
While Nigeria, a nation of about 237 million people, has an electricity access rate of around 62 per cent, an erratic grid supply limits productivity and disrupts daily life, the report pointed out.
The move to raise tariffs comes amid mounting pressure from Nigeria’s debt-burdened electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) for tariffs to be cost-reflective so they can improve their finances.
The country privatised generation and distribution in 2013, yet prices set by the government’s Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) don’t cover the suppliers’ costs. Government subsidies cover some of the difference, but profitability is hard to achieve, Bloomberg reported.
other international aid.
Speaking after a tour of the FMC, Salako expressed concerns over the expected reduction in foreign assistance.
“The executive orders being reviewed in the US suggest that aid and grants to developing countries like Nigeria are likely to decrease. This is a wake-up call for us to rethink our strategies, exert ourselves, and work toward a more self-sufficient healthcare system,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the government is engaging key stakeholders, including United Nations bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Global Platform (UNGP), and the Global Forum, to explore
collaborative solutions and expert recommendations.
Highlighting the impact on essential programmes like HIV treatment, which heavily relies on US funding, he stressed the urgency of finding alternative revenue streams.
“We are exploring options such as crowdfunding while also increasing government funding for healthcare projects. We must diversify our funding sources to avoid a crisis,” he said.
He also called for continued global cooperation, stating that no country operates in isolation.
“The world is a global village. What happens in one country affects others. America cannot operate alone, just as Nigeria or any other country cannot. I believe reason will
prevail, and the US government will maintain its essential role in the global community. However, this is an opportunity for us to build a more independent and resilient healthcare system,” he added.
Commending the management and staff of FMC Ebute Metta, the minister described the facility as a “small body with a big engine” due to its efficient use of space, digital innovations, and quality medical equipment.
He praised the hospital’s electronic medical record (EMR) system, emphasising its potential as a model for other healthcare facilities under the Nigeria Digital Health Initiative.
“Our goal is to create a transparent system with one provider per geopolitical zone. The provider
here is undergoing assessment and could be recommended for wider adoption,” he stated. The minister lauded the hospital’s transition to a paperless system, calling it a significant step toward reducing medical tourism and improving healthcare delivery. While scoring the hospital’s performance as “excellent,” he noted areas for improvement and pledged further discussions with the Medical Director to address them.
On the federal government’s efforts to improve cancer treatment, Salako highlighted initiatives such as the Cancer Health Fund, which supports cancer patients, and the Catastrophic Health Fund, which subsidises treatment for severe conditions, including kidney dialysis.
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has allocated not less than N1.8 trillion, for various intervention programmes and projects in three categories of public tertiary institutions in Nigeria from 2011 to 2024.
The three categories of benefitting public tertiary institutions are universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, disclosed the figure while delivering the 41st convocation lecture of the Ogun Stateowned Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.
The lecture, entitled: ‘TETFund and Educational Development in Nigeria: The Treasures and The
Future’, was held at Otunba Gbenga Daniel Multipurpose Hall, within the OOU, Ago-Iwoye campus of the institution.
Echono, who gave the breakdown of the amount allocated to each of the three categories of tertiary education institutions, said universities were allocated N919 billion, polytechnics received N461 billion, and colleges of education received N459 billion.
According to Echono, TETFund is an interventionist agency established by the TETFund Act 2011 and charged with the responsibility to deliver effective and transformative interventions to all public tertiary educational institutions defined in the Act, through funding and effective project management.
The Executive Secretary, who gave
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
A small medical transport plane crashed into several buildings in the US city of Philadelphia on Friday evening, killing all six people on board and at least
one other person on the ground, the mayor has confirmed. BBC reported that the jet was on a medical transport trip, heading to Tijuana, Mexico, with a short stop-over in Missouri. It was carrying a child
patient and her mother, along with two pilots, a doctor and paramedic. They were all Mexican nationals.
But just one minute after take-off, the Learjet 55 plummeted to the ground.
Videos show the plane coming down quickly and sparking a huge fireball.
Nineteen others were injured, though Mayor Cherelle Parker said that number could still change
the background of the establishment of the intervention agency, said the Fund, since its establishment, has strategically positioned the nation’s higher institutions by providing essential physical infrastructure and content-based programmes for effective teaching, learning, research, and innovation for global competitiveness.
TETFund, Echono said, administers, manages, disburses, and monitors the judicious utilisation of the initially two per cent (now three per cent) Education Tax paid by all registered companies operating in Nigeria, adding that the tax is allocated on an annual basis to Public Universities, Public Polytechnics and Public Colleges of Education in the ratio of 2:1:1.
He said: "The Fund implements various intervention projects in the beneficiary institutions under two broad categories: The Annual Direct Intervention; and The Special Intervention
"Infrastructure has been given special attention because of its decay and collapse across public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
"It is estimated that a total of over 152,838 infrastructural projects has been carried out across various public tertiary institutions from 2011 till date. These projects include the construction of senate buildings, lecture theatres, classrooms, hostels, offices, library buildings, laboratories, road
network, water and power supply and distribution, perimeter fencing of institutions, etc. All public tertiary institutions across the country are dotted with TETFund projects which bear the ubiquitous insignia of the Fund.
"TETFund has sponsored over 18,766 lecturers in the local Ph.D. programme, as well as over 14,159 lecturers in the local master’s degree programme across the country between 2011 and year 2024.
"The Fund has also sponsored well over 5,172 lecturers to overseas institutions for Ph.D. programmes and 3,541 master’s degree candidates overseas across tertiary institutions within the same period.
"The Fund has further supported 120,441 Lecturers in Federal and State Colleges of Education under its teaching practice supervision program. The Fund has sponsored an estimated 19,302 academic staff across tertiary institutions in the country to foreign conferences, and 4,516 non-academic staff of public tertiary institutions have also benefitted from the same sponsorship. In addition, 25,940 academic staff were sponsored to attend local conferences within the country, while about 45,005 nonacademic staff were sponsored by the Fund to attend local workshops across beneficiary institutions in the country, all to build the nation's capacity, skills, and manpower need.
alex Enumah in Abuja
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has said that Nigerians condemn corruption yet rally behind corrupt leaders when they are being prosecuted.
The EFCC chair said underdevelopment would be a thing of the past if every citizen saw corruption as a common enemy.
“One of the major problems
Olukoyede spoke at the weekend in Abuja when officials of the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), led by the director of its board of trustees, Chris Olukolade, visited him.
US Democrats Anoint New Leader, Ken Martin, to Take on Trump
US Democrats yesterday picked Ken Martin as their new leader, who will take on the task of rebuilding a party still reeling from last year’s crushing presidential defeat - and figuring out how best to oppose Republican Donald Trump.
“The Democratic Party is the party of working people, and it’s time to roll up our sleeves and outcompete everywhere, in every election, and at every level of government,” he said in a statement.
The 51-year-old progressive activist, a relative unknown outside of the party, stressed the need to reconnect Democrats with blue collar voters, and to take the electoral fight to all 50 states — even bastions of conservative politics.
“Today’s elections mark a new chapter in DNC leadership, and Donald Trump and his billionaire allies are put on notice -we will hold them accountable for ripping off working families, and we will beat them at the ballot box,” Martin said.
Party grandees are meeting in a large hotel near Washington, where members of the Democratic National Committee, the party’s governing body, are carrying out a postmortem of their November loss.
They have elevated Martin, formerly the chair of the party’s Minnesota branch, to devise their national battle plan.
“This is not a game of chess where everyone is moving their pieces back and forth in a respectful, timed manner. This is guerilla warfare in political form,” said Katherine Jeanes, deputy digital director of the North Carolina Democratic Party, ahead of the vote.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a rising Democratic star, warned ahead of the vote that the party must “not to go into hiding until the next general election.”
The moment calls for boldness, added Shasti Conrad, chair of the party’s Washington state branch, warning that many Americans have lost the faith.
“They don’t trust us to be able to make things better. They don’t trust that when we are given power, that we know how to use it,” Conrad said.
And the fight starts now, she added - there can be no waiting until the next presidential election, set for 2028.
Democratic candidate and former Vice President Kamala Harris defeated Trump in Martin’s Minnesota - but lost the majority of traditionally conservative states in the center of the country.
Facing a Republican majority in Congress and a second term for Trump, who has roared back into the White House with all the provocative rhetoric of his first administration, Democrats say they must pick their battles.
in Nigeria, which when tackled, will make under-development a thing of the past, is corruption and financial crimes,” Olukoyede said. “A society that is ready to move forward is a responsibility not only of the government but of the citizens.
“This is what has actually led some of us to be very committed to this cause. We are ready to go the whole hog to do what we
need to do within the confines and provisions of the law and the power that the Constitution has conferred on us.
“If everybody makes up his or her mind to do the right thing, we’ll move forward in this country,” he added.
The anti-graft agency chair said collaboration and synergy with the CCC would boost strategic communication and
public engagement, adding that public support is crucial to the EFCC’s success.
He said the EFCC will partner to raise public awareness of its activities and the importance of integrity among Nigerians.
“It is so unfortunate that the same people who approbate also reprobate at the same time,” Olukoyede said.
“Everybody is crying that
Nigerians are corrupt, that the system is corrupt; that corruption is killing us and destroying our system, but when we investigate high profile cases and arraign people in court, the same people will carry placards and be supporting corrupt leaders.
“It doesn’t show that we are serious about this fight, the fight is supposed to be a collaborative effort,” he added.
A resident of Banana Island in Lagos, home to some of Africa’s wealthiest individuals, have raised the alarm over an illegal construction which they say may throw the high-brow area into turmoil unless the authorities wade in very urgently.
Hon. Adeniyi Oyemade, who raised the alarm, said the unauthorised structure under construction is next to his property.
The construction, according to him, has compromised the safety
of his home and poses a serious threat to surrounding buildings.
He complained that despite multiple petitions and a stopwork order, the owner of the property has refused to respect the orders by continuing with the construction of the building.
Narrating his experience, Oyemade said that his house at 218 Close, Zone J, has directly been affected by the construction reportedly owned by a popular real estate firm.
He highlighted several violations and potential dangers, including the collapse of his fence wall.
Oyemade, who was a lawmaker and a former Commissioner in Lagos State, the property, located at Plot 37B Zone J 218 Close Banana Island Ikoyi, contravenes the law and regulation, including not leaving the required three meters set back from the fence, building decking that overhangs
his property and directly causing damage to his property which is adjacent the building under construction.
“Though the building has been marked for removal since early December 2024 by officers of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), no step whatsoever has been taken to remove the contravening development despite my repeated demands,’’ he said.
The National Population Commission (NPC) in Ekiti State at the weekend warned members of the public to disregard a trending fake report of a purported recruitment exercise by the commission for the 2025 Population and Housing census. The fake report, according to a statement issued by an official of the commission in
Ekiti State, Mrs Falope Titilayo, was created by some mischief makers to swindle unsuspecting members of the public, adding that the commission is not undergoing any census Ad-hoc staff recruitment exercise at the moment since the federal government has not fixed a date yet for the next population and housing census. The statement reads: “The attention of the National Population Commission, Ekiti State, has been drawn to a fake website https://qpetition.org/ NPC-Ad-Hoc-Staff-Recruitment. html created by some mischief makers concerning the purported recruitment for the 2025 Population and Housing Census to
defraud unsuspecting citizens. “The commission wishes to inform the public that it is not undergoing any census Ad-hoc Staff recruitment exercise at the moment as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has not issued a proclamation on the date for the conduct of the next Population and Housing Census.”
Onyebuchi
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has urged the federal government to pay the 2025 Medical Residency Training Funds (MRTF), the outstanding 2023 and 2024 MRTF, and the arrears of the 2022 MRTF.
NARD also expressed disappointment over the non-payment of the arrears of the upwardly revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure salary and other outstanding salary structures.
The doctors made this known at a press briefing yesterday after its 2025 January National Executive
Council meeting in Abuja, themed: “Empowering doctors with leadership and entrepreneurship skills: A panacea for universal health coverage and a brighter healthcare system.”
The event was sub-themed: “Building resilience a s strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system for effective disaster and disease management.”
Speaking at the briefing, the President of NARD, Dr Tope Osundara, stated that the council, however, commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for convening a stakeholders’ meeting to address issues related to the MRTF.
Editor: Festus Akanbi
08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com
In the last two years there have been too many minor and major incidents involving flight operations in Nigeria, prompting anxiety about air transportation, as global aviation records unusual tragic accidents, writes Chinedu eze
Over the last two years, there have been many incidents involving commercial flight operations and charter services which are fuelling skepticism about air transport in Nigeria. records of mishaps globally tended to exacerbate the fears because 2025 was ushered in by tragic accidents that consumed many lives.
The latest in these mishaps in Nigeria is the serious incident involving Max air, which on Tuesday evening had a nosewheel pullout on landing at the Mallam aminu Kano International airport, Kano.
report of the serious incident indicated that Max air Flight VM1605 with aircraft registration number: 5N-MBD suffered tyre burst on landing at the Mallam aminu Kano International airport (MaKIa), Kano.
The flight had 53 passengers and six crew onboard who suffered no injuries. eyewitness accounts indicated that the aircraft had tyre burst on landing at 22:57 (Nigerian time).
All the passengers onboard the flight were evacuated safely from the aircraft without any major injuries and the report indicated that the aircraft may have lost the nose landing gear tyre (nosewheel) during landing, thereby leading to the serious incident.
The Nigeria Civilaviationauthority (NCaa) in a statement in response to the incident said it had commenced organisational risk profiles for each scheduled operator, including Max air, which is nearing its conclusion.
“However, as a result of this incident, Max Air is suspending its domestic flight operations for three months with effect from midnight, 31st January 2025, to allow for an internal appraisal of its operations by its management.
“During these 3 months, the NCAA will conduct a thorough safety and economic audit on Max air. The safety audit will entail a re-inspection of Max air’s organisation, procedures, personnel, and aircraft as specified by Part 1.3.3.3(b) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation regulations, while the economic audit will critically examine the financial health of the airline to guarantee its capability to sustain safe
flight operations. The resumption of Max Air’s domestic flight operations will be predicated on the satisfactory completion of this audit.”
The airline itself issued a statement saying that it would suspend its domestic flight operations for 90 days effective midnight 31st January 2025.
“This is to enable us to carry out internal operational evaluation. The proactive measure demonstrates our unwavering commitment to passenger safety and service excellence. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority and we believe this voluntary suspension will allow us to exceed industry standards and restore public confidence in our operations.”
In July last year, Max Air recorded a similar major incident in Yola. The airline’s flight with 119 passengers and six crew members onboard suffered a total failure of its rear landing gear while taking off on a scheduled service at Yola airport.
The Boeing 737-300 with registration mark 5N-ADB scheduled to take off from Yola Airport en route to Nnamdi azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, had all its rear tyres burst on the runway during the botched takeoff attempt. all 125 persons onboard were safely evacuated, leaving the disabled aircraft lying on the runway.
Series of Incidents
Industry observers fear that the many aircraft incidents in recent times may lead to major accidents if actions are not taken to curb the issues that led to the incidents, as the world is jolted by tragic accidents that were not foreseen since the improvement of the equipment to near perfect situation.
Since 2023, Nigeria has been recording many air incidents involving aircraft overshooting the runway and even accidents, where a singleengine aircraft crashed on the street in Ikeja, Lagos but there were no fatalities.
Industry insiders say this was similar to the prologue that led to tragic crashes of the early 2000s, peaking in 2005 and 2006, involving Sosoliso airlines, aDC airlines, bellview airlines
In November 2023, Valujet-operated Bombardier, CRJ-900 aircraft with registration 5N-BXR, skidded off the runway after landing at the Port Harcourt International airport. There was a
serious incident that happened at the Samuel Ladoke akintola airport, Ibadan in Oyo State on November 3, 2023, when an aircraft not designated for charter service was involved in charter operation and it landed short of the runway in the night and crashed into the bush.
In april 2024 an aircraft belonging to Dana air experienced a runway incursion upon landing at the Murtala Muhammed International airport, Lagos, leading to the suspension of the operation licence of the airline by the NCaa Industry operators attribute these accidents to the growing poor oversight function of the NCaa
The Managing Director of aero Contractors and the former Managing Director of the Nigerian airspace Management agency (NaMa), Captain ado Sanusi, told THISDay that the signs that led to what happened to Max air on Tuesday might have manifested some time ago when a captain in the airline raised the alarm about breachings in operating standards, but he was dismissed with insinuations that he might have mental issues.
Captain Sanusi said that was the time NCaa could have zeroed in on the airline to scrutinise its operations, but the airline was allowed to continue operations, even after it had busted tyres on landing at the yola airport.
“If you remember, a pilot who is a captain raised serious concerns about the operations of the airline some time ago but he was ignored. NCaa could have used that opportunity to look at the airline. That was the first sign that the company had issues. It is important when the incident happens you investigate it with the seriousness it deserves; if not, incidents will translate into accidents. If NCaa had looked at the issues then; maybe, this one might not have occurred,” he said.
Sanusi also pointed out what became a butt of debate since the Max air serious incident happened in Kano; whether NCaasuspended the operations of the airline or whether the airline suspended itself. He wondered that if it was the airline that suspended its operations, why did NCaa announce it? Was NCaa the spokesman of the airline?
Laxity and Sentiment
He also observed that in terms of safety regu-
lation, NCAA seems to have lost its firmness in the last few years, noting that the regulatory authority should not ingratiate to be loved by the airline but stringently carry out its oversight functions because human lives are involved.
“another thing that also seems confusing is when Max air said it was suspending its domestic operations. Is it not the same technical team that is overseeing its domestic operations that is also in charge of its international operations? Does the airline have a different accountable manager for international operations? NCaa is too soft on the airlines. The agency is not there to be liked but to do the right thing,” Sanusi said.
The aero Managing Director and Chief executive also expressed the regret that nothing would be heard again about Max air until when it started operations and urged the regulatory authority not to yield to sentiments and pressure from politicians.
He stated that there could be such sentiments as this is the only airline from this section of the country; therefore, it should not be grounded or allowed to die.
Sanusi cited what happened in Nigerian football, where the local coaches usually select players based on sentiment. However, if a foreign coach is engaged, he selects the best players because he is guided by performance and not by sentiment. He called on the NCaa to do the same.
In the last days of 2024, the world witnessed a lot of tragic crashes, which culminated in the recent crash on Wednesday in the uS, where all 64 people aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an army helicopter were feared dead in what was likely to be the worst uS aviation disaster in almost a quarter century. There were tragic air accidents that killed 217 souls in the last week of December alone, which marred the joy at the twilight of 2024, and marked it as the year that recorded one of the highest deaths involving commercial airliners in recent times with a total of about 289 fatalities and added to the latest one it would be 352 fatalities between December 2024 to January 2025.
Nigerians wish that the NCaa reinforce its regulatory functions so that these incidents do not metamorphose into accidents.
the ongoing revitalisation of O’dua Investment Company Limited through strategic leadership, aggressive investment in high-impact sectors, and an unyielding commitment to excellence would ultimately steer the member-states back toward economic dominance, writes Festus Akanbi
the story of O’dua Investment Company Limited is that of a glorious business empire which at the peak of its performance, made the old south-west region, an envy of other regions of the country.
However, frequent changes in board and management which in some cases were brought about by corresponding political change in the south-west, nearly brought the conglomerate to its knees until recently.
Indeed, O’dua Investment Company Limited once stood on the brink of collapse, plagued by years of mismanagement, political interference, dwindling revenue, and a lack of strategic direction. Once a thriving symbol of regional economic strength, the conglomerate faced a crippling decline as corruption, bureaucratic inefficiencies and leadership instability eroded its foundation. Its vast portfolio, spanning real estate, agriculture, and industry, suffered from neglect, outdated business models, and poor investment decisions, leading to massive financial losses.
Internal wrangling among the shareholder states further deepened the crisis, stalling growth and threatening its very existence.
As competitors surged ahead with innovation and modernisation, O’dua struggled under the weight of stagnation and irrelevance.
However, against all odds, the company fought to reclaim its lost glory, embarking on bold reforms that would ultimately steer it back toward economic dominance.
Revitalisation
today, the conglomerate is being revitalised through strategic leadership, aggressive investment in high-impact sectors, and an unyielding commitment to excellence.
this was the opening statement of the Group Chairman of the company, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, who led other members of the board at a media parley, at the headquarters of the company at the famous Cocoa House building, Ibadan last thursday. Ashiru explained that by harnessing the vast economic potential of the southwest, O’dua has redefined regional prosperity through its bold ventures in agriculture, real estate, finance, hospitality, and industrialisation.
According to him, the company’s unwavering focus on innovation, partnerships, and infrastructure development has unlocked unprecedented opportunities, fostering job creation, wealth generation, and sustainable development.
“today, O’dua Investment stands as a beacon of economic sovereignty, driving the renaissance of the yoruba heartland and restoring its legacy as a formidable economic force in nigeria and beyond.”
He explained that the company’s transformation journey has been guided by a steadfast commitment to corporate governance, strategic growth, and operational excellence, pointing out that one of the most notable outcomes of this journey is the ability to deliver unbroken dividend payments to its shareholder states for the past 11 years, as well as a significant increase in revenue and profit before tax (PBt).
He said: “these achievements are testaments to the effectiveness of our strategic initiatives and the dedication of our leadership team.
“In 2020, we launched an ambitious five-year strategic plan, srC 2025 (sweat, revive, and Create), aimed at optimising our portfolio and ensuring sustainable growth. the plan focuses on three key pillars: sweating existing assets to maximise returns, reviving struggling but viable businesses, and creating new ventures in sectors that align with nigeria’s economic trajectory. this approach has enabled us to redefine our core businesses, shifting from a traditional investment strategy to a dynamic model that fosters growth across key economic sectors,” he said.
Laying bare the company’s diversification efforts, Ashiru disclosed that O’dua Investment Company Limited has made strategic inroads into agribusiness, upstream oil and gas, innovation & technology, and other key sectors, leveraging partnerships that enhance our competitiveness.
“these initiatives have positioned OICL as an attractive investment destination for international investors seeking credible opportunities in nigeria,” he said.
Restructuring
unlike in the past when the company was gasping for breath under the yoke of a long list of unviable subsidiaries, Ashiru explained that the transformation efforts have restructured OICL into a lean, non-operating holding company, eliminating redundancies and bureaucracy while fostering a culture of accountability and transparency. “In line with this, we subjected ourselves to an independent credit rating by Agusto & Co. for the first time in 2023, achieving an “A” rating with a stable outlook.
“I am pleased to mention that this rating was further upgraded to “A+” in 2024—a reflection of our sound corporate governance and strong financial performance,” he added.
Hotel and Hospitality Business speaking on the passion to transform OICL’s hospitality business, the Group Chairman talked about Project rebirth, which he said was conceived and received shareholder approval to remodel, redevelop, and reposition OICL’s hotels—including Lagos Airport Hotel, Premier Hotel, and Lafia Hotel—through joint venture partnerships. this, he said, will enable credible and experienced hotel brands to develop these assets, creating immense and sustainable value for shareholders and stakeholders.
unveiling the plans for Premier Hotel, Ibadan, he disclosed that the hotel is currently undergoing redevelopment, doubling its rooms and suites while enhancing its restaurant and banqueting facilities to establish it as a premier Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) destination. the redevelopment, according to him, will increase the hotel’s room count from 87 to 154. Journalists and guests were later conducted around the hotel which the contractor said has reached 70 per cent completion.
He disclosed that plans are also underway for Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, to be transformed into a multi-use commercial, residential, and entertainment hub, similar to Eko Hotels and Landmark Village.
“the redevelopment project is progressing, and we expect to commence work in the short to medium term, positioning the site as one of nigeria’s largest real estate and hospitality projects,” he stated.
According to the chairman, OICL has repositioned its real estate portfolio by transitioning the management of all its properties to Wemabod Limited, making it one of nigeria’s largest property management companies. He pointed out that Wemabod obtained an A- rating from Agusto & Co. in 2023 and has leveraged this rating to secure funding for key projects. these include Westlink-Iconic Villa (Ibadan), Westlink Aurora (Ikeja GrA), unity House (Marina), and sugarland Lekki. several of these projects are expected to be completed in 2025.
Oil and Gas, Power
He disclosed further that efforts are underway to raise funding for the BItA Marginal Oil Field’s development, to achieve First Oil once regulatory approvals and financing are secured. He added
that following recent power sector reforms, Odu’a Investment is actively exploring partnerships to participate across the electricity value chain, aiming to enhance energy access and economic growth in southwest nigeria.
Cocoa House Enhancement
As the symbol of the region’s agricultural enterprise, the Cocoa House building also received special attention from the company. According to Ashiru “Cocoa House, a symbol of our region’s economic resilience, will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year. OICL has embarked on Project Enhance, renovating key areas such as the 21st floor, reception, and car park.”
He said these efforts mark the beginning of a broader modernisation strategy for this historic landmark.
the company through a partnership with Iwosan, is supporting the development of a new Medical Park to deliver world-class healthcare and reduce medical tourism, ensuring nigerians have access to high-quality medical services locally. similarly, through
south West Agricultural Company Limited (sWAgCo), the company is spearheading investments in agribusiness to drive food security and economic growth in the region.
Ashiru explained that the focus of the current board remains on positioning OICL for long-term success, adding that innovation, sustainability, and strategic growth will continue to drive our operations. “We firmly believe that the actions we take today will serve as the foundation for a more prosperous and dynamic future for OICL and the entire southwest region,” he concluded.
speaking at the occasion, the Group Managing director of the company, Mr. Abdulrahman yinusa listed the agenda for 2025 to include, the acceleration of the ongoing Premier Hotel redevelopment towards its opening for business before the end of the first half of 2026 and upgrading of Lagos Airport Hotel room amenities.
the list includes the completion of OICL’s ongoing property redevelopments and continuing to push forward with its new pipeline projects in the real estate sector.
OICL, according to yinusa also plans to carry out mechanised farming of cassava, maize, and soybean, agric. Commodity trading, beef and dairy production by sWAgCo at different locations across southwest.
there is also a plan to strengthen partnerships with private and public sector stakeholders to scale impactful initiatives.
What is a new Nigeria? What should it connote? And how can the old become new? The thoughtpicker, new Nigeria, may come off as a philosophical trope as it has been noised threadbare over time. But beyond the philosophism of the motif; there is a reality, a possibility, and a need for us all as Nigerians to steer our nation to a new and better place, not necessarily an eldorado, but a place where tribes and tongues differ, but unity, peace, harmony, discipline, and strong values endure. This is the nation President Bola Tinubu is mobilising diverse consciences to build.
By my estimation, a new Nigeria is a nation where tongues do not divide, but unite; where faith does not poison the cauldron, but heals the broken and gives hope to the weak; where leaders are accountable to the people and followers live up to their civic responsibilities, and where old cherished values of respect for elders and national symbols, of hard work, discipline, honesty, modesty, and good neighbourliness live supreme in the national consciousness.
A new Nigeria begins with me. It begins with you.
In one of my treatises years ago titled, ‘We need the Nigerian dream and identity’, I philosophised the whys and wherefores of the Nigerian identity. I suggested surrendering to the Nigerian identity, which does not imply abandoning our roots, culture, and traditions but embracing an expansive identity for the survival of our country.
I said: “It means putting the interest of the nation first; it means acting on the philosophy of the monolithic whole as against a group agenda; it means eschewing divisive utterances and actions; it means accenting our strengthens and areas of convergence, rather than promoting discord and points of divergence; it means embracing our common identity as Nigerians. It means being Nigerian.’’ To reprise the treatise, to build the Nigerian identity and dream, there is a place for leadership and a place for followership. Building Nigeria will involve Nigerians from all strata. The place of leadership in nation-building
is the place of personal example. Leadership by deed, not just by words. The leadership must inspire hope and confidence. The leadership must gain the trust of sections of the country and work to keep it. The place of leadership in forging bonds of communality is the place of purpose and deliberateness. The leadership must be deliberate in managing diversity and in fostering kinship among variegated people. Nation-building cannot be left to chance or to a whim. There must be purposive plans and actions towards this end.
The Tinubu administration has been deliberate about reviving our cherished values, protecting our national icons, healing wounds, promoting peace and development, and building a consensus of action on unity.
The deliberateness of the administration in inspiring patriotism and national pride and ensuring peace and development is evident in its many groundbreaking policies, initiatives, and programmes, one of which is the National Values Charter.
The National Values Charter is a set of ideals and principles in the social contract governing the relationship between the leadership and citizens. For the leadership, it includes the promise of equality, democracy, entrepreneurship, peace, inclusivity, freedom, and meritocracy, and for citizens the ideals/obligations include, discipline, duty of care, tolerance, leadership, accountability, environmental awareness, and resilience.
The social contract is a two-way traffic - one for the leadership, which must do its statutory duties and fulfil its promises, and the other for the citizens who must live up to their civic and natural responsibilities.
The National Values Charter was approved by the Federal Executive Council in October 2024, and President Tinubu is expected to unveil the charter in the first quarter of this year. It is a conscious effort at preserving that which is pristine - our values - and reawakening the true Nigerian in the Nigerian.
A new Nigeria begins with me. It begins with you.
SALIHU MOHAMMED DANLAMI reckons that Gbenga Komolafe is making significant strides at the Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission
Since his appointment as the Commission’s Chief Executive (CCE), at the the Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in 2021, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, has made remarkable strides. An engineer and a lawyer, Komolafe has proven that he is a round peg in a round hole as he continues to take critical decisions to achieve the mandates of NUPRC.
He has initiated several strategic policies including electronic tracking of petroleum products distribution nationwide.
His expertise as a seasoned engineer and lawyer have no doubt been instrumental in giving the regulatory body the needed impetus to achieve its mandate.
He has vast experience in the oil and gas sector, having served in various capacities within the sector stands him out as a top professional that he is.
He was Group General Manager, Special Duties at the NNPC, Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division and Executive Director (Commercial) Pipelines and Petroleum Marketing Company (PPMC).
In addition, he was General Manager, Operations, Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF); General Manager, Operations of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), among several others.
He is an expert in institutional process study and designs to curb revenue leakages and attainment of optimum national productivity.
As Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division, he facilitated optimum revenue for the Nigerian federation and performed transparently as acknowledged by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) in its report within the period he served in office.
Also, as Executive Director, (Commercial) between 2012 and Mar 2014, he initiated strategic sales and retail plans and coordinated implementation of achievement of set revenue targets from downstream supply and distribution of refined petroleum products for nationwide consumption.
At the PEF, Komolafe initiated policies for effective petroleum products supply and bridging to the inner parts of the country and price equalisation management nationwide.
He pioneered the successful implementation of electronic tracking of petroleum products distribution nationwide.
He also successfully coordinated seamless supply of petroleum products nationwide with multiplier sectorial effect in the Nigerian economy as General Manager, Operations in the PPPRA.
Furthermore, Komolafe was Assistant General Manager (Head, Kaduna Zone), Assistant General Manager, Planning Research & Development and Branch Manager, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Warri.
All these prepared him for the great job he is currently doing at the NUPRC today.
As the CCE of NUPRC he has created the enabling environment for sustainable development of the country’s hydrocarbon resources.
He embarked on the formation of regulations which has created value for Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources through increased productivity and revenue.
Other initiatives include, enforcing the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO) to ensure refineries have access to Crude Oil; implementation of the advanced metering systems to track production and combat theft; Audit of Upstream Measurement Equipment and Facilities, etc.
These regulations have stimulated significant growth in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas reserves and strengthened investors confidence.
In the past four years the NUPRC under Komolafe has generated
N13.017 trillion revenue for the federal government.
In addition, he also developed a template for the DCSO to ensure sufficient and uninterrupted feedstock to all local refineries to serve Nigeria’s domestic petroleum needs.
Under this leadership, the fight against oil theft has resulted in robust growth in reserves and increased revenue generation.
The CCE also established Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs), aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence between oil companies and local communities.
At least 137 host communities have been incorporated in the HCDT. Similarly, Komolafe developed what is called, “HostComply,” an intelligent, digital, automated platform for reporting and monitoring HCDT activities.
He has also impacted on other key areas of operations of the NUPRC - from exploration and acreage management to hydrocarbon development, petroleum accounting, domestic crude oil supply obligations, crude oil and gas terminal operations, production surveillance, and asset integrity management, among others.
Komolafe is a man with strong values which he brings to bear on his job. He is disciplined, hardworking, creative, modest, honest and patriotic. These attributes contributed to the the transformation that has lifted NUPRC to enviable height.
His giant strides at NUPRC made him stand him out as a patriot determined to contribute his quota in President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to transform Nigeria for the better.
With Komolafe at the helm, there is no doubt that he would continue to discharge the mandate of the NUPRC in the interest of Nigeria and to support the federal government in ensuring that the continues to derive value from the oil sector.
His stewardship is marked by dedication, transparency, sustainability, and economic growth, which has increased output and revenue growth and attracted foreign investment in the upstream petroleum sector.
Some of the bold initiatives he introduced include enforcing the DCSO; implementation of the advanced metering systems to track production and combat theft; audit of Upstream Measurement Equipment and Facilities Regulation; acquisition of advanced measurement equipment, and the Advance Cargo Declaration Regulation which tracks crude oil transportation and export from Nigeria.
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA
Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
Of the 26 airports being managed by the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), only six of them record above 5,000 aircraft movement in a year. All the others depend on the six airports - Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Enugu - to stay afloat. So, when in 2020 some state governments decided to build airports in Anambra, Benue, Ekiti, Nasarawa and Ebonyi, while the federal government was being urged to take over the ones built by Kebbi, Jigawa and Gombe States, we queried the rationale behind the decision. The question we posed at the time remains unanswered: In a period of lean resources when the government is borrowing to meet commitments, why does it have to saddle the country with more cost centres?
The funds being used to build these airports could be rightly prioritised by investing them in projects that will benefit the people
The consequences of building unviable airports are that huge resources, which would have been used to provide essential infrastructure and other amenities are being frittered away. Between January and July 2022, according to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) data, there were 9,473,813 domestic air travellers, a 13 per cent drop from the same period in 2023, when 8,176,722 travelled by air within the country. With the astronomical rise in the cost of air tickets, the situation has since worsened. So we fail to understand the obsession at a period the shortage of aircraft has forced local airlines to streamline their operations, and rendering many of these airports operationally redundant.
In recent times the federal government has taken over some state-built airports and handed them to FAAN to manage but none is viable. For instance, the cargo airport at Lafia, Nasarawa State, has been abandoned with its facilities allowed to rot. Conceived by former Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, the airport was estimated to have cost about N10 billion with the sole purpose of dumping it on FAAN, as many others have done. Unable to complete that process, most of the facilities and equipment at the airport have now collapsed. Meanwhile, airports in states that are sustaining their operations like the ones in Uyo (Akwa Ibom)
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and Asaba (Delta) are not contemplating handing over their facilities to the federal government. Today, FAAN is shopping for about N580 billion to rehabilitate the runways of 17 unviable airports under its management. It is not only that these airports cannot generate revenue to justify the huge investment on them, but also that they push aviation agencies like the National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and others into spending huge resources recruiting personnel and providing training and logistics to manage redundant airports. In many states where airports have been built, their primary and secondary school infrastructure have collapsed, essential roads that connect to different parts are dilapidated while most of their residents do not have access to social amenities like hospitals and potable water. Looking at market projections, there is not likely going to be sudden rise in air transport because of low per capita income, even if alternative means of transport like rail and road do not expand. Most of the airports, especially the ones built by the states, only serve the interest of the governors and other government officials who travel through them with charter services, as scheduled passenger services cannot break even for commercial airlines due to low passenger throughput. This is also part of the reason why the existing airports still have obsolete facilities as there are not enough funds to upgrade them. Since many of the airports do not have critical amenities like airfield lighting, it makes no sense that states are expending huge resources to build them.
Despite these developments, more states recently secured licenses from the NCAA for the construction of airports. But now that it is obvious most of these airports are unviable, we expect the federal government to put a cap on such projects. Any new state that wants to establish an airport should submit a reasonable justification. The funds being used to build these airports could be rightly prioritised by investing them in projects that will benefit the people.
Letters in response to specific publications in THiSDAY should be brief(150-200 words) and straight to the point. interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. we also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer
Taxation is not merely a tool for generating revenue; it is a cornerstone for fostering national balance and ensuring the collective survival of all citizens. Recognizing this, Nigeria has, with wisdom, exempted many essential goods and services such as agricultural produce, fertilizers, certain baby products, and healthcare items from taxation or VAT. This policy ensures that food items like rice, maize, sorghum, millet, beans, and meat— produced in states like Kano, Borno, and Adamawa, Taraba, etc —can reach markets in Enugu, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, where they are accessible to Nigerians at reasonable prices. Conversely, products such as fertilizers, agricultural machinery, baby items, and healthcare essentials manufactured in industrial hubs like Aba, Ibadan, Warri, and Lagos, etc., remain affordable across the country,
including the northern states, because they are VAT exempt. This interconnected economic framework fosters interdependence among states and promotes equitable access to essential goods, irrespective of geographic location.
However, the current discourse surrounding the proposed tax reform bill, particularly its provisions on VAT, has raised concerns about fairness and equity. Rather than serving as a unifying mechanism, the proposed VAT contributions and their sharing formula have become a source of tension, with some Nigerians—especially from the North—perceiving the system as skewed in favor of economically dominant states like Lagos. This perception has fueled suspicions, leading to terms like “Lagos colonialism” being used to describe the perceived imbalance in resource allocation and benefit distribution in the new VAT bill
if passed into law by two chambers of the National Assembly.
To address these concerns, the tax reform bill must be designed not only to generate revenue but also to reflect the principles of fairness, inclusivity and Nigeria’s complex politics.
Taxation policies should be a tool for strengthening national unity, ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of region or state, feels an equitable share of the nation’s prosperity. There is no need to rush to nowherethe government must patiently engage in transparent dialogue and adopt a balanced approach that considers the diverse economic contributions and needs of all states.
One of key reasons for the rejection of the bills by the north is,President Tinubu’s administration is facing growing suspicion among many Northerners due to certain policies, programs, and appointments. This is a
troubling development for a government that, prior to coming to power, proudly counted the North as its political stronghold and key support base.
Such distrust is damaging, not only for the administration’s credibility but also for national unity. To maintain the confidence of all Nigerians, it is crucial for the government to address these concerns transparently, ensuring that its actions reflect inclusivity and fairness. Economics and politics often intertwine. When political backlash outweighs economic benefits, retreat and consultation are essential.
The Tinubu government must strive to deliver on its promises while fostering trust across all states and demographics, particularly among those who placed their faith in its leadership.
Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja
As the governor of Rivers State Siminalayi Fubara marked his 50th birthday recently, his admirers remind all of why he is the number one citizen in the state, Vanessa Obioha writes
The accolades were numerous. From goodwill messages in newspaper adverts, and social media to penned tributes, the governor of Rivers State Siminalayi Fubara was extolled for his exceptional governance at his 50th birthday recently.
Former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Emeh Glory Emeh, was among those who extended his felicitations to the governor, describing him as “a leader we trust.”
“As the world celebrates one of the youngest yet pragmatic political leaders in Africa, I join millions of admirers to congratulate and celebrate him.”
He also prayed to God to grant him divine wisdom and courage to rule the people of the state.
Former Commissioner for Information, Dr. Emma Okah, described the governor as an exceptional and compassionate leader. Okah who said he was proud to identify with and wish the governor a glorious 50th happy birthday, said he is more proud because he is quietly delivering joy to Rivers people through his dedication, vision, and commitment to making a positive impact.
“Governor Fubara is an exceptional and compassionate leader, and I am proud to wish him a glorious 50th happy birthday. He is quietly delivering joy to Rivers people through his dedication, vision, and commitment to making a positive impact as a governor. May this year bring him continued success, good health, and countless moments of joy.
“While wishing him a wonderful day filled with celebrations, I pray God to grant him joyful longevity, courage and wisdom to govern Rivers State to a glorious height. Here’s to another year of remarkable accomplishments and personal fulfilment,” he said.
As the governor of a state renowned for both its oil wealth and political volatility, Fubara is no stranger to the intricacies of the political landscape. He has notably been embroiled in a dispute with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the FCT. Yet, his supporters are quick to emphasise that no smear campaign has overshadowed the governor’s achievements. They often reference John Spacey’s concept of character strengths, which highlights positive traits like behaviour, intelligence, and worldview. To them, Fubara embodies these virtues— hard work, humility, loyalty, patience, and honesty—which they believe have shaped his rise from modest beginnings to his current position of influence.
Born January 28, 1975, in Opobo to the family of Elder Joseph and Mrs. Love Fubara, he was christened Siminalayi, which in the Opobo-Ibani language translates as “the poor may beget the rich.” The name became more of a prophecy in his life’s journey than just a mere identity.
He holds a Master of Science Degree in Finance, and a second Master of Business Administration from the University of Port Harcourt after his first degree in Business Education with an Accounting option from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. As a disciplined chartered accountant, Fubara rose through the ranks in the State Civil Service to occupy the envious position of the Accountant General.
It is often argued that Fubara is not a career politician. His acolytes easily agree because, to them, he is more of a technocrat than a politician. He is a politician of a different species, they say.
Their arguments are rooted in the exceptional qualities the governor has demonstrated in office, particularly his timeliness and trustworthiness. Supporters are quick to cite numerous examples where Fubara has exemplified these traits.
One such instance occurred during his electoral campaign when he promised to prioritize workers’ welfare. True to his word, just two days after his inauguration on June 1, 2023, he made the Rivers State Secretariat his first official stop. That same day, Fubara brought relief to civil servants whose promotions had been delayed for eight years, personally ensuring they received their longoverdue promotion letters. The sight of elated civil servants thronging their offices to collect these long-awaited letters was a testament to his commitment.
Moreover, under Fubara’s leadership, the
state’s workforce now enjoys a minimum wage above the national benchmark, along with consistent Christmas bonuses, further underscoring his dedication to worker welfare.
Tardiness, apparently is not one of the makeup of the governor. Those who have worked with him described his culture of timekeeping as alluring.
“A day with him reveals his work ethics of timeliness and promptness in all dealings. He neither keeps visitors waiting nor events longer than necessary. Everything timed and regimented, he endeavours to appear in all engagements at the appointed time without
even in the face of a storm, Governor Fubara prefers peace to war. He has navigated and won the most turbulent moments without raising an arm. No wonder
Silver Bird Group bestowed on him, the 2024 Man of the Year peace Award,
to maintain it. Power will come, power will go, but I will still remain the Fubara that you know,” the governor was quoted as saying recently.
“With your support, that Rivers State that we all yearn for, we will definitely, even if we don’t get it completely, we will put those things in place that will channel and drive us to that Rivers state with your support. That is the only thing that I know I can assure you. I will not do anything, act in any manner that will bring disgrace to myself or to every one of you who have decided and are ready to sacrifice everything for us,” he added.
Aside from being instrumental to tremendous economic growth in Rivers while serving as a civil servant, his admirers hail him for doubling his efforts as the governor of the State, showing charisma and enviable leadership in delivering monumental projects across the state in the four thematic areas namely education, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructures. He is consistently on the toes of contractors executing various projects initiated since he assumed office, pressing on them to meet specified deadlines in value for money, affirming that although Fubara is simple and humble, his will cannot be tempted or taken for granted.
Under Fubara’s leadership, his admirers point out that his government has fulfilled all contractual obligations by not owing contractors but promptly paying huge contract sums from internally generated revenue savings without borrowing. This underscores the magnitude of successes he achieved in the past 20 months as governor.
One admirable trait his allies point out is his strong will to obey the dictates of his mind rather than being bogged down by officialdom.
“Even in the face of a storm, Governor Fubara prefers peace to war. He has navigated and won the most turbulent moments without raising an arm. No wonder Silver Bird Group bestowed on him, the 2024 Man of the Year Peace Award,” Onyedi said.
Indeed, the governor has been recognised by many institutions and bestowed titles for his doggedness and mien, as he was conferred Dike Oha 1 of Etche land and many more.
fail,” his Special Adviser, Media Dr. Boniface Onyedi said.
Quite reserved, Fubara’s fans view him as a governor who remains socially connected to every segment of society. The 50-year-old governor continues to reiterate to Rivers people that it is not business as usual as governance is all about the interest of the people and thus adopted the Rivers first mantra.
“I want to say that I will still be the Fubara that you know; power will not change me. I will still make sure that what I hold dear in life remains, which is God and my respect for people. I will continue
As he marked his 50th birthday, the governor used the occasion to renew his vow to prioritise the development of the state, saying he would work with stakeholders to create a Rivers State that meets the aspirations of its people.
“This morning is a birthday morning. It is not a morning to discuss politics. It is morning to say I am happy, I am 50 years old, according to you. But the most important thing is: that I am celebrating my golden jubilee. It means that I have joined the league of the old men from today,” he said.
Whether he sees himself as an old man or not, his admirers are confident that he would not follow the old ways of governance in the state but infuse fresh ideas that will make Rivers the envy of all.
with KAYoDe ALFreD 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com
...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous
Bala Wunti has found himself at the centre of political intrigue once again. According to recent observations, calls for his appointment as NNPC Limited’s next Group Chief Executive Officer are both increasing and causing friction, despite assertions that he remains focused on his current role. Some see an ambitious technocrat, while others suspect a carefully orchestrated ploy to undermine the leadership of his boss, Mele Kyari.
Some veteran analysts have spoken against advocacy groups that seem to be pushing Wunti’s name forward as an alternative for Kyari. But the persistence of these analysts is raising questions, like, if there were no political calculations in play, why would there be a need to defend Wunti so strongly?
Wunti’s career has been marked by strategic manoeuvres, earning him both praise and criticism. His leadership in various NNPC roles, from upstream investment management to gas policy reform, shows competence. But a petition by Citizens Watch Coalition last year,
This
Usually, they are used as weapons in power struggles rather than genuine calls for accountability.
Despite these controversies, Wunti remains a key player in Nigeria’s oil industry. He has handled high-stakes negotiations and critical policy reforms, making him indispensable in many respects. But does this make him a natural successor to Kyari or a figure with too much baggage?
A more pressing concern is whether Wunti’s growing prominence is a liability rather than an asset. If he is not behind the lobbying efforts, as his defenders claim, then those pushing his candidacy might be placing him in a precarious situation. If he is involved, then his ambitions may be overshadowed by the controversies trailing him.
Whether Wunti’s name will be written in gold or tarnished by scandal depends on the unfolding political dynamics. For now, he remains caught between two narratives: that of a selfless reformer and that of an opportunist seeking power. Which version prevails will depend on the evidence that emerges in the coming months.
many. Just a few months after Governor Umo Eno lost his beloved wife, tragedy has struck again. Dr. Akon Eyakenyi, the Deputy Governor, is mourning the painful loss of her daughter, Mrs. Blessing Adewunmi, who passed away in heartbreaking circumstances.
According to reports, Mrs. Adewunmi, who had only been married for seven months, lost her life to complications from childbirth at a hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. What should have been a moment of joy turned into unbearable sorrow. Her young life, filled with promise, was cut short as she brought a new life into the world, leaving her family in shock and disbelief.
pain—a parent’s worst nightmare. The air in the Government House is heavy with sadness, as those in leadership try to carry on while their hearts are broken.
Messages of sympathy and condolence have been pouring in from across the state. Politicians, friends, and well-wishers have shared their sorrow, standing in quiet support of Dr. Eyakenyi and her family. Yet, no words can truly ease the agony of a mother burying her child, a grief that lingers long after the condolences fade.
The news is not just another tragedy—it is a painful reminder of the fragility of life, especially for those burdened with leadership.
Fifty years of resilience, vision, and generosity have shaped Tein Jack-Rich into a towering figure of inspiration. From the dust of adversity, he has risen, proving that fate bends for those who refuse to surrender. His life is a story of triumph, written with the ink of persistence and an unshaken will.
Losing both parents at the tender age of ten, Jack-Rich had few guardians but many dreams. The path ahead was uncharted, yet he walked with courage, carving his destiny with bare hands. Twelve years later, he laid the foundation of J+G Global Gas & Oilfield Limited, a step that propelled him into the world of industry and influence.
With the heart of an entrepreneur and the mind of a strategist, JackRich built Belemaoil Producing Limited, the first indigenous oil exploration company from an oilproducing community. With this achievement, it started to become clear—and it still is—that great heights are usually only reached by those who turn obstacles into stepping stones and refuse to be defined by limitations.
Grief has once again settled over Akwa Ibom Government House, leaving a deep ache in the hearts of
The weight of loss is not unfamiliar in Akwa Ibom’s first family. Governor Eno is still grieving the passing of his wife, Mrs. Patience Umo Eno, who succumbed to illness in September 2024. Now, his deputy must bear a similar
The 2025 Ondo State budget has left many residents in shock. While the state struggles with economic hardship, the government seems to have approved reckless spending that defies logic. How does a state assembly justify spending 200 million on telephone calls? That amounts to 533,333 daily—more than some workers earn in a year
Beyond the shocking telephone bill, the budget reportedly allocates 11.5 billion in “security votes” to the Ministry of Finance. Does the finance ministry require a security vote separate from that of the governor? This raises questions about transparency. Such funds are often unaccounted for, soon becoming a convenient drain on public resources.
Luxury cars also appear to be a top priority. 2.1 billion is allegedly set aside to buy 27 SUVs for lawmakers, while another 1.04 billion will purchase Toyota Corolla cars for a few senior officials. Maintenance of these vehicles will cost an additional 462 million. Where governance seems to be eno
A wise saying reminds us that when one finger touches oil, it spreads to the others. In times like these, loss is not just personal—it is shared. The sorrow of the Governor and his Deputy is a sorrow the entire state feels, a wound that time may not easily heal.
about comfort for a few, the mantra of service to many gets thrown out the window.
Travel expenses are another black hole. The House of Assembly will allegedly spend 791 million on trips, with 181 million for the Speaker alone. International trips cost 200 million. Critics are asking: what exactly are they learning abroad that benefits the people?
Basic office expenses have also turned into an avenue for waste. 200 million is reportedly earmarked for printing non-security documents. Electricity in the Speaker’s office will cost 33 million. Refreshments will cost 50 million. The voices against this budget are saying the same thing: the people of Ondo deserve better. In a time of economic struggle, when schools lack funding and hospitals remain under-equipped, such spending is offensive. A government that cannot prioritise its citizens will soon lose their trust.
Well-meaning individuals are cautioning Aiyedatiwa to remember that history does not forget. The people are watching, and outrage is growing. Those who waste public funds often find themselves disgraced when the tide turns.
Aiyedatiwa
Outside business, Jack-Rich’s philanthropy flows like a river. He has quenched the thirst of many through scholarships and potable water projects, earning him the title Sarkin Ruwan Hausa—the Water Provider. Even now, his wealth is not measured by his fortune but by the lives he has lifted.
Education, a tool he wielded for transformation, remains a pillar of his legacy. From Texas to Wales, from Harvard to the London School of Economics, Jack-Rich embraced knowledge as a weapon against stagnation. His success is proof that wisdom, not just wealth, builds a lasting empire.
At 50, Jack-Rich embodies the promise of a greater Nigeria. He has employed thousands of people, nurtured 10,000 dreams, and sown millions of seeds of prosperity. In a land where hope often flickers, he stands as a flame, proving that true greatness is not in taking but in giving.
This journey of Jack-Rich, though remarkable, is far from over. The years ahead hold new chapters of innovation, impact, and leadership. Fifty years is but a milestone—his story is still being written.
In Nigerian politics, alliances are like shifting sands. Bala Mohammed and Nyesom Wike once stood together, but now, their battle is playing out in the open. Yakubu Dogara has entered the ring, accusing Mohammed of being an ingrate who bites the hand that fed him. The drama keeps unfolding, and for onlookers, it’s a spectacle worth watching.
It all started with Mohammed calling Wike a political mercenary. Some analysts think that this was his attempt to neutralise the expanding power that the FCT minister seems to be wielding.In response, Wike mocked the Bauchi Governor’s leadership as PDP Governors’ Forum chairman. He went on to accuse Mohammed of chasing a presidential ticket in 2027 while failing to unite his own party. Quickly, Mohammed responded by painting Wike as a self-serving opportunist who played PDP by day and APC by night.
Probably growing tired from watching from the sidelines, Dogara threw his full weight behind Wike, reminding everyone that Mohammed has a history of betrayal. Dogara insisted that from switching parties to abandoning political allies, Mohammed’s loyalty is only as deep as his current ambitions.
Lekan Fatodu’s rise as the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) continues to be a defining moment for the state’s sports sector. His name is gaining traction, but some Lagosians are yet to grasp the depth of his impact. The simple truth is that Fatodu’s appointment is not just about leadership, but transforming sports into a powerful tool for development, economic growth, and social
Dogara’s words cut deep indeed, primarily because Mohammed has been leaning his jabs on the fact that Wike has been accused of political doubledealing, with appointment to the FCT by President Bola Tinubu wielded as a weapon to raise eyebrows within PDP. Dogara calling him out for it and adding ingrate as the icing on the wake is something that has deflated his balloon, and quietened the Bauchi governor.
All this has left the PDP in some disarray. Neutral commentators have pointed out that instead of strategising for the future, its top members are busy trading insults. One accuses the other of betrayal, and another responds with accusations of debtor and ingrate.
But the wise among onlookers only chuckle because history is a persistent wheel in Nigerian politics, going in circles. This is what is expected when there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.
change.
Fatodu’s background in international development, strategic communications, and diplomacy sets him apart. His experience extends beyond conventional sports administration, equipping him with the skills to attract global investments, forge partnerships, and position Lagos as a hub for sporting excellence. Having worked closely with policymakers and international organisations, he understands how to align sports with broader development goals.
Before leading LSSC, Fatodu was a key figure in Lagos State’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiatives. He played an active role in projects tackling poverty, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion—areas that intersect with sports development. He helped create impactful programs, so it’s not surprising that he is also now channelling sports as a vehicle for youth empowerment, talent discovery, and community engagement.
Lagos is not short of talents, but structured pathways for young athletes to excel have often been lacking. Fatodu’s approach to
Mrs. Bola Falore, Proprietress and Founder of Mind Builders School has once again demonstrated her commitment to meaningful education with the launch of the Professional Apprenticeship Scheme (PAS). This initiative is designed to help students gain practical experience in real-world careers, bridging the gap between classroom learning and the demands of the 21st-century workforce.
Education, in Falore’s view, must prepare students for life, not just exams. With PAS, students can explore career interests, develop hands-on skills, and interact with professionals in various industries. It is a carefully designed program that allows them to make informed career choices while cultivating confidence and adaptability.
This is not an isolated effort—it is part of Falore’s broader philosophy. From her early days as a teacher to her tenure as a Senior Inspector of Education, she has always prioritised holistic development. Establishing Mind Builders School in 1999 was her way of ensuring students receive an education that is both rigorous and practical.
Her dedication to lifelong learning is reflected in PAS. Having attended numerous workshops and training programs, she understands the evolving job market and the skills students need. PAS is built on this awareness, offering structured apprenticeships that expose students to the realities of different professions.
She has always believed that success in education requires collaboration.
grassroots sports development is changing that. This is evident from how, not long ago, he brought in internationally renowned Nigerian athletes who donated sports gear worth millions of naira while mentoring young athletes.
Beyond talent development, Fatodu is reshaping sports as an economic driver. His strategic vision aligns with Governor Babajide’s Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES Plus Agenda, which integrates sports with human capital development, gender equality, and peacebuilding. By leveraging his global network, Fatodu is helping to attract investments that will enhance sports infrastructure, create jobs, and boost local economies through sports tourism and event hosting.
With Fatodu and his diplomatic expertise, sports will no longer be seen as a side project but as a core element of Lagos state’s development strategy. So, just as a well-planned journey reaches its destination, Lagos Sports is now set on a path where success is not a possibility but an inevitability.
Just as she worked with parents and teachers to support young achievers like Oghenetejiri Esemitodje back in 2021, Falore ensures PAS benefits from partnerships with professionals and industry leaders. Students learn not just from books, but from real experiences that shape their future aspirations.
Discipline and responsibility are at the heart of everything Falore does. PAS is not just about career exposure— it is about instilling a work ethic. So, with PAS, students can complete tasks, meet deadlines, and take responsibility for their learning, preparing them to thrive in competitive environments beyond school.
The journey of Tosin Eniolorunda is not just one of a rise in status; it is a masterclass in resilience, vision, and impact. From a software engineer at Interswitch to the founder of a billiondollar fintech powerhouse, his flight to greatness embodies a narrative of ambition refined by persistence. Few build empires from personal savings, but he did.
Moniepoint, the fintech firm Eniolorunda co-founded, has become the backbone of Nigeria’s business payments landscape, serving over 600,000 enterprises. Processing more than one billion transactions monthly with a total payment volume surpassing $22 billion, the numbers do not just impress—they redefine expectations for African financial technology.
October 2024 marked a defining moment. Moniepoint’s $110million Series C funding round, backed by investors like Google, propelled its valuation past $1billion. But what truly sets this achievement apart is its purpose: financial inclusion for Africa’s overlooked businesses, a mission that carries weight beyond profits.
Moreover, Visa Inc.’s recent strategic investment in Moniepoint is a nod to the company’s rapid success. It is one thing to build a thriving fintech firm; it is another to earn the trust of a global payments giant. This partnership signals a future where African businesses gain unprecedented access to digital financial services.
Eniolorunda’s impact in fact extends beyond Nigeria. Moniepoint’s acquisition of Kenyan fintech Kopo Kopo and a $3million investment in Payday, for example, show a broader ambition—a determination to weave Africa into the global financial fabric. Growth, in this case, is not just expansion but a redefinition of what is possible for homegrown enterprises.
Eniolorunda’s influence is felt in more than boardrooms. Named among the 100 most influential Africans and featured on the cover of Forbes Africa, he embodies what it means to blend technical brilliance with business foresight.
For a man who started his career as a software engineer and bootstrapped his way to the top, Eniolorunda’s story strikes chords in all the right places. It is one where success was not inherited but built, piece by piece, with unshakable determination. If growth is measured by impact, then Eniolorunda’s is nothing short of extraordinary.
oMoYele Sowore: wHAT MANNer of freeDoM?
Everybody around has begged me not to comment on this matter. They said: “Edgar na ‘Illegal IG’ Sowore talk o, see where he dey o. You know say Sowore get death wish, you too like Afang, how will you cope if they come for you?”
But the more I think about it, the more the thing “dey fear me.”
At what point can we now say that freedom of speech is guaranteed in this country. The more I follow this Sowore’s latest matter, the more confused and fearful that I get. It is looking like the authorities are hiding under this cyber-stalking law to curb freedom of speech.
Yes, even though this Sowore in my books is an irritant and one prone to seek for attention, this particular one is looking one kind in my eye. May I remind authorities that we are in a democracy and as such freedom of speech is guaranteed being the bedrock of democracy. Yabing a government official or calling him illegal should not be enough for this one we are seeing o. There are a thousand and more ways to silence people like Sowore without this one that continues to give him some kind of relevance.
Mbok, wetin dey there if they call me illegal. Anybody that call me illegal, shebi I will either show him that I am not illegal or I basically just ignore
and continue my work.
I want to yab Sanwo today. Everybody knows that I simply adore the man but “he no try” this time. So, the Lagos State Government delivers a world class Museum at Onikan. The museum is rated globally as top five. It is the cynosure of all eyes and digitally engaged and then hands it over to an “Imp” to run.
What exactly is the matter with our leaders and the system? A museum with such technical importance and you hand it over to someone whose only qualification according to the person himself is “I have been dancing since I was 13.”
This person quickly sets up a canteen at the place, hands it over to his wife and starts running the place like a beer parlour in Shomolu.
As expected and according to him, “10,000 people have visited since I took over” and I am screaming in my toilet. Secondary schools in Shomolu deliver much more than that on
convention.
Please, all these are not right abeg. It’s fearful and really throwing up concerns for basic rights in the system. Thanks.
THe NYeSoM wIke I SAw
Shebi they did not want to send me invitation to the biggest event of the new year. Thankfully, I got one and found myself in the elegant hall at the Eko Hotel in Lagos. Well, me I came for two things – to see if I can hug Diana Ross and to also look very closely at Mr. Wike who whether we like it or not is the issue in this our Nigeria today. They refused me to go near Diana. All I did came to naught. I begged, persuaded and even shouted the usual Nigerian mantra of – do you know who I am? All no work, so I went back to my table to sit by which that time, Mudi had already finished all the small chops on our table. Anyways, it was time for Mr. Wike to win his award. Before him everybody that won the award came out alone or with a few of their staff members to collect their awards. But when it came to his turn, the man emptied the National Assembly, all the states in the south, all staff of FCT, APC and PDP members, his village elders, church members and all what not, joined him on stage. When they all finished climbing the stage, it looked like a church miracle
their inter house sports day, talk less of an edifice like this museum that cost taxpayers millions of dollars to deliver.
Furthermore, all sort of stories have come out. I have personally seen an invoice with private accounts used to collect funds on the museum. This and other shady things would definitely lead to the death of this masterpiece.
Mark my words, at this level, that dream will not last five years and it will end up a relic and a white elephant project unless this “Imp” and a dancer is kicked out and better qualified people are put in place.
If Mr. Governor is confused as to how to go about getting technical leadership for the place, he can hand it over to the Department of Archeology of any of our universities or go into a partnership with the British Museum who already has a more than passing interest in the place rather than sit down and watch it turn to another ‘man must wack joint.’ My two pence.
Wike is a man of character, a man that loves the spotlight, a man that loves to be at the centre of attention and this was his night. He spoke in his usual voice, thanked THISDAY chairman and those who voted for him and walked away with his 1000-man squad who came all the way from - only God knows whereto support him. Immediately he sat down, I went as close as possible to just stare at him as people all came to hug and congratulate him for the awards. His wife was very quiet beside him and mostly didn’t utter a word. As I watched, I contemplated walking up to him but changed my mind before the man pour spit on my fine face. Kai, Nigeria has really produced this one. This na what in Shomolu we used to call Character. Real character. Kai.
MoJISolA MerANDA vS MUBASIrU oBASA: A ClowNISH DISTrACTIoN
Did you guys see the footage of members of the Lagos State House of Assembly ushering in their new speaker into her office with songs, dance and prayers.
After watching the footage, the first thing that came to my mind was: Are these the ones that are expected to provide oversight for the executive arm of government?
They didn’t look like people who understood the meaning of the word ‘separation” talk less of “power” as they sang like raucous football fans after an unexpected win. Well, Nigerians have been unwittingly dragged into a comedy of errors at the Lagos State House of Assembly. The erstwhile sit-tight leader was clinically removed while lounging in the US. A new leader was immediately sworn in and the highest serving body of their party, the GAC, sanctioned and even ran to Abuja to seek presidential endorsement. Ousted leader comes back and tries to see “oga” and starts puffing smokeit was a fake mace, they didn’t take their baths and as such I am still leader.
The other group says “don’t try it, we don’t want you again. When you were using N17billion to erect one gate you did not know? Don’t come here.”
Now it appears that the die is cast. Obasa didn’t die o, it is looking like he is reemerging gradually. The GAC is said to be divided on the issue, rumours are rife that the President is not happy with his removal and this is looking true judging by Obasa’s boldness. Obanikoro is fighting Adefuye and confusion is everywhere.
All I will say at this juncture, is that the realisation that the members of
that house really have no say in all of these just shows the “kurukereness” of our democracy. All these their secondary school children chants will just end one second once a signal comes from the top. It is so bad, that even me can be named interim sole administrator of the house from the right source and they will all turn their backs on both Obasa and my fine lady and be singing the same song for me. This for me is just a clownish distraction from more serious issues. Can the oga at the top just make his pronouncement make we all rest abeg? This is tiring already. Thanks
MUHAMMADU BUHArI: MArINeS AT THe Door
This is the kind of tale they used to say go and tell it to the Marines. It is the aje butter people that used to say that one but Shomolu people will just raise their nose in the air and say “hmmmm fabu.”
Kai, why Oga even bothers with these tales by moonlight beats me. Who even cares to know how he survives or eats, talk less to telling us that he now survives on the rent from his two houses?
Thankfully, my brother Odinkalu has put him in a well-deserved place by asking him to “stop lying”
Mbok, the story is tired. He had used the story to win election twice and did all that while in government and is now in a well-deserved retirement and he is still telling us about his incorruptibility.
Mbok, who has his poverty helped? Did it give us good governance when he was in power, did it stop corruption when he was in power, did it better the economy or did it stop snakes in government parastatals from stealing money?
Abeg, this has been the luckiest Nigerian alive going through all of those powerful positions and how did he pay us back? Na “I’m not aware” we got from all the trust and confidence we reposed on him Ma abasi, this Baba should not let me go at him o. He should just leave us be abeg so that we can respect him, if for nothing else for his age and the position he last held.
Two house ko, two boys quarter na him we for hear sef.
DAvIDSoN IrIekpeN AND SHAkA
MoMoDU: Two peAS IN A poD
Please my dear Editor allow me serenade both of you today. I owe whatever little achievement that I may have achieved in media to the both of you hence this little honour. As I walked into the THISDAY Awards show, it was straight into the arms of these very brilliant gentlemen. Both of them, I have worked under as editors of this paper.
I at first did not recognise Shaka, he had grown beards and I thought Ojukwu had woken up. I grabbed Mudi’s hands and screamed -Ojukwuooooo and that one said no be Ojukwu na Shaka. I hugged him. Shaka was my first editor, he used to frown a lot and be doing as if he is vexing but a kinder man I have not seen. If my page was late, he will call me and warn me “I will cancel your page, you don’t know it’s a privilege for you to be writing for THISDAY.” Because that time, I did not know him and I will be begging. It was Azuka that later told me “na shakara, Shaka no fit hurt a fly.” Davidson on the other hand is a marvel. Extremely brilliant and passionate. I first no like am because upon resumption, he summoned me
to a meeting in Apapa. Mbok who summons the Duke of Shomolu, but he did. Since then, we have built a solid relationship based on mutual respect.
Davidson would call intermittentlyEdgar, the typo is too much on your page, I go reduce your page to one. I will beg and when he drops, I will
smirk under my breath- I will just release his nudes. He continues to guide me on the ethics of journalism: “Edgar, this is a serious paper and you cannot say ‘yansh.’ Edgar your page ehnn, I dey take my time to read am make you no put me for trouble.” And when the Afe Babalola letter came, he was the one who
Immediately it was announced that the great Ooni of Ife had taken a brief leave from marrying new wives to go and mediate on the matter between my brother, Dele and our father, Afe, I sent a message to some Ibibio leaders. My message was crisp – shebi you people are seeing the number of traditional leaders that have gone to beg for Dele. You see how the great Ooni turned to war mediator to secure a truce. You see all the traditional rulers because when it comes to my turn now, you people will be telling me that you are busy in your farms.
Udeme Ufot, Scott Tomie, Uto Ukpanah, Admiral Francis Akpan (rtd), Larry Ettah and Akan Udofia were some of the Akwa Ibom leaders I sent my message to. I said to them, you all know that Dele and myself are in the same business of looking for trouble. You see that Dele wrote a book and was castrated and you all can see how “Yoruba” people stood up to beg for his freedom. From Obasanjo to even Peter Obi that is not Yoruba, all enter the matter and the man only spent
two weeks in the slammer instead of the life jail his people were going for.
Now, it’s not that one that they will catch me and you people will be doing night vigil and be eating afang and drinking palm wine and be expecting Ooni to go and beg for Ibibio man o.
My people, only Scott Tomei reply me, even that one na laugh he dey laugh me. The rest, I am still waiting for their reply. Admiral Akpan send me picture two days later of him in Las Vegas, I did not miss the message – Edgar, if you find trouble and dem “dele” you, I will not come out of my retirement to beg for you. Well, the message has been clearly received and this is why, I am considering very seriously to adopt either Ekiti or Osun State so that if I find trouble as I have looked for Egbetokun trouble today, I run into Ooni palace and hide.
Seriously, did you guys see how they not only cancelled the suit but immediately appointed my brother into position in Afenifere, thereby giving him some sort of immunity from attack by any Yoruba man. Nice one. Kai.
called and said “Oya dey go Ekiti make dem help me beat you small.” Seeing these two supremely talented individuals that night standing close to the food stall – Eko Hotel food dey quick finish, I could not help but hug them and bow my head in appreciation of two very brilliant and powerful newspaper Editors. Well-done guys, Afang any time.
SAMUel ogBUkU: wAITINg for goDoT
One thing about the media, is its corrective powers if handled responsibly. Last week, I wrote a piece on this gentleman who is the Managing Director of the NDDC on the back of their 25th anniversary. In the piece, I expressed my reservations on its positioning visa-via its mandate in the region and prayed that Ogbuku who is at the helm of affairs would do much better than his predecessors judging by his pedigree.
As expected, I got a lot of feedback on that piece. It’s like every Ijaw man, every Ibibio man and every Warri man had something to say. My phones did not stop ringing and I heard all sorts. I also got a call from his people and they promised to get back to me on some of his achievements and his plans but as at the time of writing, I have heard or seen nothing.
Let me state clearly, I have no vested interest beyond the fact that as an Akwa Ibom man, I am a stakeholder. The interventionist institution must intervene in the region and move away from its immediate past of incestuous expenditures which have no bearing to the people of the region.
I do not know Mr Ogbuku and as such do not have anything against him and “he no do me anything.” In fact, I have even heard that he has “tried much more than the others” which is a good thing to hear about a public figure. But let us see more, let us feel NDDC more, let’s see the milestones on the roads proclaiming this project is NDDC project, let’s see plaques on schools saying this was built by NDDC, let’s see plaques on hospitals and more.
That is my take, I no vex, I no yab anybody; all of us na Niger Delta, let’s develop it. Thanks.
TIwA SAvAge: A SwAN SoNg Too lATe
I just saw a report attached to this super beautiful diva. The report quoted her as saying that she regrets leaving her husband for another man who eventually did not marry her. Well I’d rather not say anything because, I do not know if the report is true. But the report has thrown up an issue that I would like to address and which is that of conviction. A lot of us do not act with conviction, we allow societal pressure push us to taking decisions that will affect us. The moment we have conviction and we move, I assure you there would be no regret.
So, if for example it was conviction that made her leave her hubby, no matter the disappointment on the other side there would be no regrets. But if it was pressure, material things, then it is this swan song that we will be hearing all the way. We should all learn to do things, take decisions and the rest based on conviction. So, my dear Tiwa, I am moving towards you by conviction. Please tell your husband to wait a little bit more, if he had waited all these years since you left him, he can wait for another six months. Let’s see where my conviction will lead us.
The star-studded THISDAY/ARISE Anniversary and Awards delivered a night of pure spectacle with electrifying performances from the headliner, iconic American singer Diana Ross, who, in her second appearance at the awards, proved that she still got the ‘I’m Coming Out’ energy that has made her an icon for decades, write Vanessa Obioha and Adedayo Adejobi
The city of Lagos came alive last Monday when THISDAY/ARISE celebrated their 30th and 12th anniversary, respectively, with an awards night.
Known for his exquisite taste for panache and class, the Chairman of THISDAY/ARISE, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, rolled out a black carpet that is befitting only for kings and queens, transforming the Convention Centre of Eko Hotels and Suites into a glittering venue for his well-heeled guests.
From the hallway, one had a sense of the tone of the evening. Photos of the recipients and nominees of the awards lined up the walls of the entrance leading to the hall. As the influential guests arrived, the black carpet sparkled under the flash of cameras. Photographers lined the entrance, their shutters clicking rapidly to capture every glamorous moment. Inside, the elegance spread through the length and breadth of the hall, with a stage that stretches from one end to the other, large enough to accommodate two screens and a band. Every inch of the venue was well utilized, from the seating arrangement to the buffet setup. Guests were treated to cocktails before moving into the main hall for a night to remember.
The evening began with a cultural troupe that stormed the stage with electrifying dance and stunts, paying homage to the strength and pride of the African continent. The hosts of the evening, Ojinika Okpe and Adefemi Akinsanya, would later emerge on stage to welcome the audience, which included politicians, titans of industry, media moguls and other influential personalities in the creative industry. Bovi, a popular comedian, complemented their hosting duties, providing comedy that lightened the ambience.
Themed ‘When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Rewarded,’ Obaigbena, in his opening remarks, recalled his humble beginnings and advice given to him by Chief Arthur Mbanefo, who at the time was on the board of This Week, the weekly publication that later metamorphosed into THISDAY.
“He told me that if you want to be an editor facing the colonial masters, you must have a back door. And that is why, when we fought the military during the Abacha years, we learned to fly without perching.
“So today, no matter what, no matter how tough, the times go, it will get tougher. So it’s a privilege to honour the best of Nigeria because we believe if we honour our best, our children will be better to start their walks today.”
Obaigbena would deliver the first set of Lifetime Achievement awards to the recipients which included the Chairman of Fidelity Bank, Mustafa Chike-Obi, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside, the founder of Alpine Group, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, the Chair and Publisher of the Guardian Newspaper, Maiden Ibru who declared THISDAY the number one newspaper in the country.
The Chairman’s resilience over the years were hailed by many of the awardees. For instance, Segun Agbaje, Group CEO of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, while receiving his Titan of the Year award, expressed gratitude to Obaigbena for believing in him, Aig-Imoukhuede, and the late Herbert Wigwe when they were appointed Executive Directors at their respective banks while still in their 30s.
“He wrote a front-page article with three
pictures of three young men, saying these ‘three young men would redefine banking.’”
Other notable awards included the Governor of the Year award, given to four leaders—Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu; Governor of Akwa Ibom, Pastor Umo Eno; Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori; and Governor of Kaduna, Uba Sani—all of whom had shown extraordinary commitment to the advancement of their state.
The Senator of the Year, Adams Oshiomole and Akpoti-Uduaghan were also celebrated for their tireless work in shaping the nation’s legislative landscape, while the Minister of
FCT, Nyesom Wike, took home the award for Minister of the Year.
Equally recognised were the Young Global Leaders of the Year, whose recipients included Folake Akindele, Jennifer Adighije, Tunde Onakoya, Hon Ibrahim Bello, and Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong. Others are the Chairman and Publisher of The Sun Newspaper, Neya Uzor Kalu; Olori Atuwatse III, the Queen of the Warri Kingdom; Nnamdi Ekeh, CEO of Konga; Abdullahi Haske, Founder AA&R Investment Group; Khalil Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI.
But it was not all awards as the Nigerian musician Flavour brought the audience to their feet when he graced the stage for a scintillating performance, serenading the guests with songs that could only deliver pure musical ecstasy. Opening with ‘Ada Ada,’ Flavour would continue to tease the audience with not just his voice but with the delivery of some of his popular songs. For instance, he initially began his popular hit ‘Nwa Baby’ on a salsa note, before gradually segueing into the normal highlife/dancehall rhythm the song is known for. Always an entertainer, he acknowledged the presence of the ‘Big Ballers’ in the gathering as he sang his 2023 viral hit ‘Big Baller.’ Other songs he performed included ‘Adamma,’ ‘Shake,’ ‘Osondi Owendi,’ ‘Bottom Bele’ and ‘Game Changer.’
The icing on the cake, however, was the performance of the American legend, the 80-year-old Diana Ross. She truly set the stage alight, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to witness her magnetic performance. Like a river goddess, she glided onto the stage dressed in a glittering red gown, her entrance as captivating as it was regal. The audience gasped in awe, and for over 40 minutes, Ross demonstrated why she remains one of the most revered icons in the world of music, opening with ‘I’m Coming Out’ from her 1980 self-titled album ‘Diana,’ setting the tone for an electrifying medley as the highheeled audience swayed to a lineup of classics, including ‘Upside Down,’ ‘I Will Survive,’ ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,’ and ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love.’ Ross proved that time had not dulled her musical genius and when she performed ‘Do You Know Where You’re Going To,’ a ballad that has become an anthem for countless listeners over the years, the audience sang along. It’s a song that has defined eras and generations, and Ross brought it to life in the most sublime way imaginable. She also delighted the crowd with hits from her time with The Supremes, performing ‘Stop in the Name of Love’ and ‘You Can’t Hurry Love.’
For an audience filled with Nigeria’s most distinguished individuals, Ross’s timeless songs bridged cultures, generations, and continents. At that moment, it didn’t matter that many in the crowd were hearing these classics for the first time live. The unmistakable magic of Ross, her voice, her spirit, and her energy, transcended any divide. Her performance was a reminder that great music, great talent, and great artistry never fade; they only grow stronger with time.
Beyond her performance, Ross also expressed her deep connection to the continent. Midway through her performance, the singer, widely known as the ‘Queen of Motown Records’ paused to share her feelings of honour and gratitude. “As I stand here, (not) just as a guest, but as someone who feels deeply connected to Africa and what it represents. So ladies and gentlemen, again, I want to thank you for inviting me to be here with you.”
As the night came to a close, it was evident that the 2025 THISDAY/ARISE Awards had achieved what few events couldn’t: it had both celebrated and defined an era, bringing together Africa’s past, present, and future in one spectacular evening. From Ross’s show-stopping performance to the stunning cultural displays and the breathtaking multimedia production deployed by Nigerian US-based Sola Raji’s P3 multimedia, the event will undoubtedly remain the awards ceremony to beat for years to come. It was a celebration not only of Nigeria’s most resilient individuals but also of the indomitable spirit of those who continue to shape the world in ways both big and small.
Diana Ross, the iconic “Queen of Motown Records,” dazzled attendees at the ThISDaY 30th anniversary commemoration awards, delivering a phenomenal, age-defying performance. okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports
No doubt, Diana Ross transcends the label “legendary”. Indeed, it is a descriptor that barely scratches the surface of her enduring impact. Perhaps “iconic” comes closer, but even that seems inadequate. As the undisputed “Queen of Motown Records,” the American diva embodies a stature that renders familiar adjectives like “famous,” “celebrated,” and “acclaimed” both insufficient and clichéd.
Of course, there is also her acceptance to headline the THISDAY Awards for the second time, which lent a touch of class and elegance to the Monday, January 27, evening’s glitzy event. This second appearance at the prestigious event—the first being in 2007 at the iconic MUSON Centre’s Shell Hall—served as an eloquent affirmation of her profound connection to theAfrican continent. With obvious earnestness, she addressed her distinguished audience at the Victoria Islandbased Eko Hotel and Suites’s Convention Centre, a hub of high-society gatherings in Lagos: “As I stand here, not just as a guest, but as someone who feels deeply connected to Africa and what it represents…” Her words dripped with conviction as she expressed her gratitude, saying, “So, ladies and gentlemen, again, I want to thank you for inviting me to be here with you.”
Then, the fact that her arrival on Sunday in Nigeria did not go unnoticed—as both local online and print media, waxing lyrical, were abuzz with the news about her warm reception
by her many fans at the VIP lounge of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport—further confirms that her local cult followership base was alive and kicking.
On stage during her approximately 40-minute performance at the glamorous THISDAY’s 30th commemoration awards presentation, she was simply phenomenal. Resplendent in a dazzling crimson gown and looking nothing close to her 80 years, her powerful voice soared through the packed venue, effortlessly commanding the attention of the audience, who were dressed to impress in their finest evening attire. It must have dredged up palpable nostalgia among not a few of the attendees, for many of whom her hits were virtual anthems during their younger years. As the lights dimmed and the Gobo (Go Between Optics) light effects began to dance across the stage, casting a kaleidoscope of colours across the audience, she appropriately ignited the evening’s performance with “I’m Coming Out” from her 1980 self-titled album, Diana. Thus, she clearly hit all the right notes with the audience, who, swaying along in their seats, were under the spell of her charisma and talent. The air was electric with excitement as the crowd sang along, their voices blending in perfect harmony with Diana’s iconic sound, which echoed off the venue’s ornate walls and glittering decors. Watching from a seat tucked away in a gallery-like elevation offered the viewer a unique perspective on the event. Despite contending with a “human wall” of enthusiastic fans, who were eagerly recording every moment on their
cellphones, there was no doubt that the production’s and packaging’s world-class standards shone through.
As she glided seamlessly into a medley of evergreen gems, the over-60s in the audience were swept away on a tidal wave of nostalgia, transported to an era of shimmering disco balls and soulful serenades. The lachrymose retro hits,
including “Upside Down,” “I Will Survive,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” swirled through the air like a perfumed mist, accompanied by the wistful harmonies of The Supremes in “Stop in the Name of Love” and “You Can’t Hurry Love,” their timeless melodies intertwining like the tender threads of a rich musical heritage. Before the ageless diva took the stage, Nigerian music sensation Flavour N’abania set the tone for this unforgettable evening. With his signature blend of energetic rhythms and infectious beats, he electrified the audience with a medley of his most popular hits, including the continent-spanning phenomenon “Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix).” As if customised for the occasion, his songs “Big Baller” and “Game Changer” resonated perfectly with the evening’s theme, “When the Going Gets Tough…the Tough Gets Rewarded.” But it was “Game Changer” that seemed to hold a special significance, as if Flavour had Prince Nduka Obaigbena, the esteemed Editor-inChief and Chairman of the THISDAY Media Group/Arise TV Networks, squarely in mind when crafting this anthemic tribute. The evening’s festivities, a masterful blend of glamour and sophistication, were meticulously orchestrated by Prince Nduka Obaigbena to honour trailblazers who embody resilience and determination. With effortless charm, Arise TV’s dynamic duo, Ojinika Okpe and Adefemi Akinsanya, anchored the proceedings, while the witty banter of A-list comedian Bovi Ugboma added a touch of levity to the night’s celebrations.
Birth-right Citizenship is one of the methods of acquiring the citizenship of a country in international law and relations. It falls within the purview of the principle of ius soli according to which nationality is acquired at the time and place of birth. Ius soli is a Latin phrase meaning the ‘right of the soil,’ and referred to as ‘jus soli’ in French language. In the United States, it is also known as ‘birth-right citizenship. Citizenship in the United States is basically acquired by ius soli (right of birth place) or ius sanguinis (right of blood), that is, right of blood descent from parents and grandparents that were or are American citizens. The logic is that the country of citizenship of a child cannot be different from that of his or her parents.
Notably, birth-right citizenship in international relations is not the only condition for citizenship acquisition. It also has different conditionality for its acquisition in many countries. For instance, in the United States, the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution provides for citizenship to people born on US soil or in places under the jurisdiction of the United States on the basis of jus soli. However, the children of foreign Heads of State or foreign diplomatic agents are not entitled. Details of conditions for citizenship acquisition are contained in the US Immigration and Nationality Act.
More importantly, it is this issue of birth-right citizenship that has not only divided the US Presidents, but that has also prompted a US foreign and immigration policy attitude towards Nigerian professionals under President Donald Trump. The new US policy draws attention to the essence and beauty of Nigeria’s quest for strategic autonomy as ‘Tuggarised’ by Nigeria’s Foreign Minister. ‘Tuggarised’ is coined from the name of the Foreign Minister, Yusuf Maitama TUGGAR, to mean his personal touch to the 4-Ds as instrument of strategic autonomy in international politics.
First, in the United States, US presidents were generally agreed upon the right of birth-right citizenship until the advent of Donald Trump. Presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Barak Obama are on record to have appreciated the roles of legal immigrants in the building of the American nation. They do appreciate the issue of birth-right citizenship and therefore accept the role of 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed in the Senate on June 8, 1866 and ratified on July 9, 1868, grants citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born or naturalised in the U.S. Put differently, the formerly enslaved people were and are still considered as bonafide US citizens. They cannot be denied equal protection under the law and cannot be deprived life, liberty or property. Their voting rights cannot be limited. This is what is referred to as birth-right citizenship and this is what is now generating much controversy in the U.S. and having serious implications internationally.
True and ab initio, birth-right citizenship was meant for children of the enslaved people and this is what President Trump preached to the journalists at the Oval Office of the White House: ‘birthright citizenship was, if you look back when this was passed and made, that was not meant for the whole world to come in and pile into the United States of America… Everybody coming in, and totally unqualified children. This wasn’t meant for that.’
What appears to be intoxicating about President Trump’s policy on the matter is the ambiguity. On the one hand, he complains about the right of birth-right citizenship, and therefore wants to throw it into the dustbin of history, and, on the other hand, he is also supporting the right, but he says that the right cannot be for the whole world. As he reportedly put it, he supports the right ‘100% because it is ‘good and noble thing to do,’ but ‘it was not meant for the entire world to occupy the U.S.’ It is apparently because of the belief that the right is not for the whole world that a Birth-right Citizenship Act of 2005 was
introduced by a group of Senators: Lindsay Graham, Ted Cruz, and Katie Britt. The Act is aimed at restricting birth-right citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants and non-immigrant on temporary visas. It provides citizenship to children born to one parent who is either a citizen or national of the U.S., a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. or an immigrant performing active service in the armed forces.
In France, it is jus sanguinis which allows ‘any child who has a French parent to automatically have French citizenship. In the same vein, jus soli allows any child born on French soil by unknown parents, or if one of the parent(s) is a stateless person, the child automatically has French citizenship. And perhaps more interestingly, ‘children born in France to foreign parents born overseas are ‘automatically granted French nationality at age 18 if they are domiciles in France and have been resident in the country for at least five years since age 11.’ Children born to tourists or people on short-term visits cannot acquire French citizenship by birth in France, as proof of residency is required. Children born by foreigners are foreigners until attainment of legal majority. Speaking grosso modo, many European countries have amended the conditions for the acquisition of their citizenship. Some of them have also jettisoned the right. For instance, while Ireland threw away its birth-right citizenship law in 2005, France abandoned its own in 1993.
In Russia, birth-right citizenship is granted if on the date of birth, both or one of the parents is a citizen of the Russian
There are two levels of issue-analysis in Trump’s relationship with Nigeria. On the one hand, there is the question of illegally-residing Nigerians in the U.S. They number more than 3000 people. They are likely to be deported hand-cuffed in the mania of Mexicans. On the other hand, there are the Nigerian professionals residing in Nigeria and in other parts of the world who may be aspiring to apply for U.S. entry visa. President Trump has reportedly advised such Nigerians to stay back home to help the Government and People of Nigeria in nationbuilding. President Trump presented the restriction of visas to them as an advisory, while claiming to do so in the spirit of friendship and sincerity. We do not share the spirit of this type of camaraderie and sincerity. Fourth, one critical lesson President Trump is teaching the world is lawlessness. He swore to protect the US Constitution which clearly provides for birth-right citizenship under the 14th Amendment. However, President Trump set the US Constitution aside immediately after his swearing in. He did not even touch or hold the Holy Bible during the swearing-in. He opted to only raise up his hand. He simply announced, in the mania of Nigeria’s PBAT who said oil subsidy now belongs to the past. Donald Trump simply declared that birth-right citizenship had been scrapped contrarily to the Constitution. This anti-constitutional measure has kick-started a national debate and court litigations over the matter. Quo vadis Nigeria?
Federation. Like in France, Russia is where birth-right citizenship is automatically conferred if a child is born in Russia, especially if his home country does not grant him or her its own nationality. In other words, if a child born in Russia to two foreign parents cannot acquire the citizenship of either parent, Russia grants citizenship by birth. Generally, ‘any person born in Russia automatically receives Russian citizenship by birth if at least one parent is a Russian citizen Russia. It should be noted that Russians have two passports, one for internal travel and one for foreign trips. Additionally, foreigners can apply for citizenship right by marriage to a Russian after obtaining permanent residency but on the condition that the marriage lasts for more than one year. The marriage has to be validated by presentation of a certificate of marriage with a Russian.
While Russia accommodates dual citizenship and a second citizenship, children born in Finland to parents who are foreigners ‘may only in exceptional cases become a Finnish citizen alone, without a parent obtaining Finnish citizenship. Besides, as noted in https://www.clic.org.hk, ‘a child can acquire Chinese nationality at birth if only one of his parents is Chinese. However, persons who are not of Chinese ancestry are not usually considered to be Chinese albeit they were born in China.
Conditions for birth-right citizenship in Africa are not different. In Ethiopia and based on the Ethiopian Nationality Law of 1930, ‘any person born in Ethiopia or abroad, whose father or mother is Ethiopian, is an Ethiopian subject. In the same vein, a regular marriage of an Ethiopian subject with a foreign woman confers upon the woman Ethiopian nationality. In Ghana, citizenship is largely determined by the time of birth. Considered a Ghanaian is any person born before Ghana’s independence on March 6, 1957 if one of his or her parents was born in Ghana. Those born between March 6, 1957 and August 22, 1969 are also admitted as Ghanaians if at least one parent and one grand parent or one great-grand parent was born in Ghana. Any person born after August 22, 1969 is also a Ghanaian if at least one parent was born in Ghana. And perhaps more interestingly, a child under the age of seven who does not have any known parent is accepted as a Ghanaian while any child under 16 years of age adopted by a citizen of Ghana, is also a citizen. Ghanaian law provides for dual citizenship with effect from 1996. In Nigeria, the Constitution grants citizenship by both ius soli and ius sanguinis as it is done elsewhere. And like in Ghana, persons who lived in Ghana and Nigeria before their independence are considered nationals. What is particularly interesting about the citizenship of a country is that one, birth-right citizenship is not peculiar to the U.S. only as we have seen with the experiences of other countries. Two, many countries have always reviewed the conditions for the grant of birth-right citizenship. Three, citizenship confers considerable privileges to the nationals concerned. For instance, according to the Henley Passport index, Russia citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival to 119 countries of the world as of 2025. The United States is ranked the 9th global leader with the possibility of a US passport holder being able to travel to186 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival. Russia is far behind the U.S. in this regard. Consequently, the quest by Donald Trump to jettison the birth-right citizenship does not only have implications at the domestic level, but also at the level of international relations. It is against this background that the implications for Nigeria’s foreign policy objective of strategic autonomy, a new foreign policy thinking of Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar in the making, is explicated.
First, President Trump’s decision to restrict the issuance of visas to Nigerians seeking to come to the United States for whatever greener pasture raises the importance and need for Nigeria’s strategic autonomy. Trump’s advice to Nigerian professionals to stay at home to help in building a Nigerian nation that will be self-reliant and prosperous and that Donald Trump himself will be much proud of is noteworthy. In this regard, the ultimate objective of Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Tuggar is to have an autonomy that will not only be strategic in design and focus, but also collectively conceived, collectively articulated, and collectively implemented. Without doubt, autonomy is about self-assertion which is defined by many factors: sustainable vibrant economy; strong military that is capable of self-defence, and strong enough to protect democracy; ability to protect political and territorial sovereignty, etc. And most importantly, an autonomy that will be largely driven by freedom of choice without hindrance or an autonomy that guarantees foreign policy alignment or non-alignment on the basis of self-determination and national interest are what make strategic autonomy quite interesting.
In this regard, if Donald Trump will not be expected to interfere in the domestic affairs of most African countries, there cannot but be a vacuum to be filled. Nigeria should be prepared to roll up its sleeves and accept the continental and global responsibility for the protection of African interest in consonance with her principle of Africa being the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy. The challenge is how to build capacity to sustain the autonomy. The strategy cannot but also be the use of the diplomacy of 4-Ds, which ultimately should be conceptualised to dovetail into evolving a new Nigerian foreign policy grand strategy. Read
The recent defection of House of Representatives’ members from the Labour Party to the All Progressives Congress once again raised concerns on the commitment of the federal lawmakers in upholding the law they were elected to make, Davidson Iriekpen reports
Before the House of Representatives adjourned for the Christmas holiday, six lawmakers defected from their respective political parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The most recent defector was Alfred Ajang of the Labour Party, representing the Jos South/ East Federal Constituency of Plateau State.
Before his defection, Dalyop Chollom (Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency of Plateau), Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/ Owerri West Constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Constituency), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo Federal Constituency of Edo) all defected to the APC.
Also, Erthiatake Ibori-Suenu, Delta State, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Reading Ajang’s defection letter on the floor of the House during plenary, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, stated that his decision was due to the crisis within the LP.
Immediately, the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) and members of his minority caucus challenged the defection, asking Abbas to declare the seat of the defected opposition lawmaker vacant in line with Section 68(1) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended). They also argued that there was no crisis within the party to justify the defection.
Particularly, Chinda cited a standing order by the House that any member who intends to defect must first inform his constituents, and since Ajang could not show such proof, his letter should be rejected. Despite the protests that erupted, Abbas, as usual, overruled Chinda’s objection. Nobody needs a long guess to understand why Abbas did what he did. His party, the APC, is the beneficiary of the defection; so, he has no qualms whether the new decampees gained entry into the party through the window or the back door. It is obvious from what is happening in the polity that the last has not been heard about defections in the Senate, the House of Representatives or even the Houses of Assembly in the states because rumours of more defection have enveloped the political atmosphere.
Recall that in the aftermath of the 2023 general election, political watchers in the country had easily concluded that the much talked about “Third Force” in Nigeria’s political firmament had arrived on the scene following the strong showing of LP in that election.
The party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi clinched the third position in the race for Aso Rock, trailing closely behind President Bola Tinubu and
former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The LP also secured six seats in the Senate and 34 of 360 House of Representatives.
But not long after that historic electoral display by the LP, the Nigeria factor set into its operations as its leaders went back to the drawing board to frustrate this positive development.
The endless court cases that ensued between Lamidi Apapa and Julius Abure threatened the very existence of the LP.
It became obvious that the Obi magic wand that secured its enviable national status was fast-waning. This led to a flurry of defections, particularly in the House on account of “the crisis” that engulfed the party.
In clear words, Sections 68 (1) (g) as well as 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution affirm the time-honoured doctrine of equity, which states that “Who comes to equity must come with clean hands.”
Section 68 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution indicates that “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if – (g) “Being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected; “Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”
The same provision applies to members of the House of Assembly of a state in Section 109 (1) (g).
When the above sections were tested in the courts in the case of Ifedayo Abegunde vs Ondo State House of Assembly, where the Supreme Court held that defection involves “….factionalisation, fragmentation, splintering or division,” which would make it impossible for the party to function as a body.
The court said other considerations to the contrary would indicate that a lawmaker cannot eat his cake and have it. It added that such a member, if he must defect, must also abandon the mandate he has been given.
The court also held that the said “division” in the rank of the party must not be limited to a certain chapter of the party.
A division, in the estimation of the court, does not also amount to a situation where a member goes to cause a crisis in his state or local chapter of the party in order to use the same as a springboard for defection.
To many, it is appalling that a political party that was rejected by the voters in an election is regaining the seat it lost through the back door. This is not justifiable morally and in natural justice. But that is what the country’s legislators have been doing by their defections.
Many analysts have described the situation as a case of a lawbreaker making the law for the lawabiding, or a case of a convict standing in judgment against the just.
However, the supporters of the defectors have argued that the ongoing leadership crisis in the LP which saw the emergence of a court-backed National Chairman, Mr Julius Abure, and a 29-member national caretaker committee headed by Mrs Nenadi Usman backed by the critical stakeholders of the party, has provided a justification for both the latest and the previous defections.
However, those opposed to this view have argued that since the law states that votes belong to a political party and not a candidate, it is unjustifiable for a party that was rejected by the electorate to regain the lost seat through the selfish action of a lawmaker.
The question is: Should the breakers of sections 68 (1) (g) and 109 (1) (g) continue to hold firm to their seats after defection? That is the question that should agitate the minds of the electorate and should be directed to the Presidents of the Senate and the Speakers of the legislative houses, who are mandated by Sections 68 (2) and 109 (2) to declare the seat of a defecting lawmaker vacant. The latest defection and the attitude of Abbas further confirmed that the country is governed by sentiments and not laws.
Analysts believe that the attitude of Abbas confirms the popular assertion that defections are usually encouraged by the presiding officers of the legislative houses and the governor of the legislator’s home state because it gives them absolute control by killing the opposition parties undemocratically.
It is shocking that lawmakers have continued this act of lawlessness despite the Supreme Court having extensively addressed and resolved it.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, last week stirred a hornet’s nest with a grave allegation that some retired military generals were responsible for illegal mining activities across Nigeria, which fuel insecurity and undermine the country’s efforts to diversify its economy.
Oshiomhole, who made this allegation during the budgetpresentationoftheMinistryofSolidMinerals Development,expressedfrustrationoverthefederal government’sinaction,urgingPresidentBolaTinubu’s administration to address the illegal mining crisis decisively.
The former Edo State governor compared the situation to the government’s robust measures
against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, urging similar enforcement in the mining sector.
According to him, “the ongoing illegal mining across the country is being carried out by retired generals, and we know them.They use helicopters to cart away gold, making billions of dollars, while the country suffers”.
He,therefore,calledonPresidentTinubutoaddressthe alleged illegal mining activities by the military generals.
He further revealed that during his tenure as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he had written to former President Muhammadu Buhari about the situation, detailing how illegal miners arm local groups and use sophisticated equipment to exploit resources and nothing was done.
Many have called on Oshiomhole to name any retired
general involved in illegal mining.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, who recently said they had arrested nearly 300 illegal mining operators since enlisting mining marshals.
However,hedidnotsaythatanyretiredgeneralwasbacking those operators.
A few retired military generals have kicked against Oshiomhole’s allegation, describing it as baseless and a deliberate attempt to tarnish their reputation.
This s why it is up to the federal government to thoroughly investigate the allegation.
Besides fuelling the insecurity that is ravaging the country, illegal mining deprives the government of huge revenue. It is therefore time for the government to take the issue seriously, just as it has done in tackling oil theft.
In order to continue to provide formidable alternative political platform for Nigerians, the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, should court the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi; Governor of Abia State, Mr Alex Otti; lawmakers, leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress, and other critical stakeholders of the party so that they won’t defect to another party, e jiofor Alike reports
The recent victory of the embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Julius Abure at the Court of Appeal has reconfirmed the belief among a section of the political class that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contributed largely to the current leadership crisis in the party by refusing to recognise the party’s National Convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on March 27, 2024 where Abure was re-elected for a fresh tenure.
However, Abure had held the party’s Nnewi convention without the support of the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi; the Governor of Abia State, Mr. Alex Otti, leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other critical stakeholders, who shunned the event.
The opposition of these stakeholders to the convention was strengthened by a letter from INEC, to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Steve Adehi, saying that it did not monitor the convention.
The commission’s letter was believed to be a clear de-recognition of the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
INEC had declared that the tenure of the Abure-led executives had expired since June 2024.
Though Abure fought back, and dragged the commission to court through a suit, marked: FHC/ ABJ/ CS/1271/2024, Obi, Otti and other critical stakeholders moved against him.
The expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the LP summoned by Otti in Umuahia, on September 4, 2024, sacked Abure-led NWC and replaced it with a 29-member caretaker committee.
Obi and Otti, had in a letter to the INEC chairman dated September 6, 2024, cited the “de-recognition of the Abure-led NWC by INEC effective June 2024,” as one of the reasons for the setting up of a 29-member committee headed by a former Minister of State for Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman.
But in a dramatic twist, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in the Abuja, in a judgment delivered on October 8, 2024, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/1271/2024, ordered INEC to accord the LP under Abure’s leadership all the rights and privileges of a political party duly registered in Nigeria.
The LP caretaker committee proceeded to the Appeal Court, but they lost again to Abure.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, in a judgment delivered on Friday, January 17, 2025, by Justice Hamma Barka, upheld its earlier judgment of November 13, 2024, which recognised Abure as National Chairman.
The court stated that it did not address the issue of the party’s leadership, as such matters are not
justiciable and struck out Justice Nwite’s judgment, saying that any action taken outside of jurisdiction is null and void.
However, it reaffirmed its previous judgment of November 13, 2024, which declared that “Abure remains National Chairman of the Labour Party.”
With the two judgments in his favour, Abure’s final hurdle is the Supreme Court.
However, his mere victory at the courts won’t restore the confidence of the critical stakeholders in him.
Abure’s statement in September 2024 withdrawing automatic tickets for Obi and Otti in the 2027 elections should not have been made by a leadership that was committed to reconciliation in a crisis-ridden party.
Due to the strength demonstrated by the party in the 2023 general election, which was attributed to Obi’s popularity, the party had reserved automatic tickets for Obi and Otti in the 2027 general election.
But speaking after the party’s NEC meeting in Abuja on September 9, 2024, Abure said all the party’s tickets would be thrown open for all members in 2027.
He said: “NEC-in-session also reviewed the decision of the National Convention to reserve its presidential and governorship tickets for Peter Gregory Obi and Alex Otti, respectively.
“Consequently, all party tickets from the presidency to the state Houses of Assembly
are open to all qualified Nigerians,” he added.
Reacting, the Director General of the LP Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 elections, Akin Osuntokun, while featuring as a guest on ARISE News Channel, said Abure’s decision to make a U-turn a few weeks after his pronouncement showed he had an ulterior motive.
He also raised concerns that the party cannot afford to have a southern national chairman when the presidential candidate is also from the South.
“If you stage a convention in which the principal stakeholders stay away and INEC is still not in a position to give the approved authority, it is clear. Look, this tendency of sit-tight syndrome is what is principally wrong with Africa.
“Potentially, Obi is likely to be the candidate of the party in the next election. He is from the Southeast. So, by the logic of Nigeria’s power politics, the chairman of the party should not come from the South,” he explained.
There are also allegations that some high-profile persons in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government are secretly heavily funding the leadership of the Labour Party like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to destabilise it ahead of the 2027 elections.
This is why a chieftain of the party in Abia State, Mr. Nwabueze Onwuneme has also urged Abure to let the wishes of the majority of the party prevail by relinquishing the leadership of the party to the caretaker committee.
Onwuneme also advised Abure not to bask in the
Appeal Court’s judgment as it does not reflect the true wishes of the majority members of the party.
He reminded Abure that Otti and Obi are the heart and soul of the party that made the party popular today.
Onwuneme warned that the people of Abia State whom Otti has greatly changed their quality of life by his high-flying performance might be left with no choice than to prevail on the governor to leave the party in order not to play into the hands of the people trying to weaken the party’s chances in 2027.
According to him, the LP with Obi and Otti, are highly sought-after and loved by the Nigerian masses. He also reminded Abure that without the advent of Otti and Obi, the party would have been deregistered for failure to have any elected official.
It is evident that Abure’s victory at the courts cannot restore the confidence of stakeholders in him.
The adverse effect of the loss of confidence in Abure’s leadership manifested in Abia State where LP members defected to the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) where they contested and won the chairmanship and councillorship seats in the recent local government elections in the state.
What he needs is genuine reconciliation, seeking forgiveness, and not settling scores with those who fought his leadership by withdrawing their automatic tickets.
Without genuine reconciliations and concessions on his part, LP will go into extinction if Obi, Otti, leaders of NLC and most of the critical stakeholders leave the party.
The news that the Nigeria Police Force rescued Mrs Folashade Odumosu, the wife of a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Hakeem Odumosu, was a relief to many Nigerians as it revalidated the fact that the Nigeria Police have the capacity to crack and successfully resolve any case, no matter how difficult. What worries most Nigerians is the fact that the police only demonstrate this capacity in cases involving high-profile personalities and feign incompetence or pretend to lack capacity when the common men are affected.
Mrs. Odumosu was kidnapped on January 16 at the entrance of her residence at Arepo, Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
But a few days later, she was rescued
in the swampy area of Ikorodu in Lagos by the police, who killed two of her suspected abductors and arrested two others.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, had disclosed that the police also recovered the N10 million initially paid to the kidnappers, four AK-47 rifles, three locally-made single barrel rifles, and ammunition of various calibres.
Though Odumosu is not the first individual to benefit from the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigeria Police, her prompt rescue reconfirmed is that the Nigeria Police have the capacity but it is only activated when a high-profile personality is kidnapped.
It also reconfirmed that Nigeria runs two systems - one for the common man and another for the rich.
No wonder security and anti-corruption
agencies break into the homes of less-privileged Nigerians at odd hours in search of yahoo yahoo boys who swindled their victims of meagre amounts of money but treat former governors and other big thieves who steal billions of naira with respect and dignity.
A country that discriminates against its own citizens can never attain greatness.
United States of America is great because her citizens are treated with equal respect and the life of every citizen matters before the law. American citizens reciprocate this gesture by taking ownership of their country with a high sense of patriotism.
The same cannot be said about Nigeria whose citizens loot and plunder the resources of the country at every opportunity.
For now, the prayer of the ordinary Nigerian is that ‘Nigeria should not happen’ to him or her.
evidence at the tribunal to prove they won. If they really want to unseat APC in 2027, they must change tact and up their game.
My third take is on the role of vote protection in fostering credible elections. Amaechi gave the example of the 2003 election in Kano between Kwankwaso (then of the PDP) and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau (then of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP). Amaechi claimed that then-President Olusegun Obasanjo (PDP) wanted INEC to declare Kwankwaso as the winner but when he realised that Kano people were ready to “defend” their votes, he retreated. I remember Obasanjo eventually appointed Kwankwaso as minister of defence obviously as compensation for losing the election. Shekarau went on to do two terms and Kwankwaso returned in 2011 to do a final, second term.
I have been hearing this “defend your votes” campaign for decades. Some call it “rig and roast”. That was what led to the violence in the Western Region in 1965 and, many would argue, the end of the first republic. This hits me in two ways. The first is that yes, let the riggers know that people are watching them in order to put them in check and pre-empt their ploy. This is fine. The other part, though, is that there is the danger that someone who loses an election can mobilise mobsters to wreak violence under the guise of defending their votes. I find it this particular possibility disturbing. It takes only a few mobsters to set a town on fire even if their candidate truly lost the election.
My fourth take is on Amaechi’s confession on poverty and politics. “Poverty has made me
MIND SHIFT
I have undertaken quite a number of leadership training home and abroad, but I am still excited about the upcoming SHIFT conference to be hosted by Dr Sam Adeyemi on February 8 at Eko Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria. Many people know Adeyemi more as a cleric, but he actually has a PhD in strategic leadership from the Regent University, Virginia, USA, and regularly serves actionable strategies for personal and professional growth. For entrepreneurs like me, I want to be equipped with tools and insights to thrive, to reset my mindset, to align my vision with action and drive impactful change. We cannot take impactful actions if we don’t have a proper understanding of the dynamics. Instructive.
his wide following among the commoners of the core north, his appeal did not cross over to the south until 2015 when he became the candidate of APC, a coalition of three legacy parties and factions from two others. Also, APC was formed in February 2013, and thus had enough time to position itself as a robust counterweight to the ruling PDP.
In power, APC itself has been vulnerable since 2019, but it has managed to hang on largely because of incumbency and because of the state and the contradictions of the opposition. The reckoning now is that for the opposition to stand a chance in 2027, it has to do to APC what APC did to PDP between 2013 and 2015. To be sure, there might be other paths to opposition victory, including the possibility of an individual with broad electoral appeal standing and running alone. But given the sectional nature of Nigerian politics and the arithmetic of our elections (including the spread requirement), it seems assembling a cross-sectional coalition is still the surest bet to unseat an incumbent president. However, the quest for a mega and viable opposition party will not be a cakewalk. The first stumbling block will be competing ambitions. The easiest part is to assemble a coalition. The fact that there are no permanent enemies but permanent interests will make that possible. The hard part is getting everyone in the coalition, including presidential hopefuls, to line up behind and work for the eventual presidential candidate. While there are enough positions to go round, there is only spot at the top, and there are many eyeing the top ticket. It is clear that both Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi will run for presidency in 2027. It is not unlikely that Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will run too. There are others thinking seriously of running too. Will any of these potential candidates step down for the others? Will Atiku step down for, say, Obi? Or will Obi agree to step down or be Atiku’s running mate again like he was in 2019? With Obi’s record-breaking showing in
part of the political system since I left university in 1987, and I’ve been part of the process till today,” he said, bluntly. How many politicians, political appointees and other public officers can sincerely admit in public that they are in government for economic reasons? They will normally give us soundbites like “I’m here to serve my people”. The late Godwin Agbroko once wrote that some politicians and political appointees stay so long in government that if you ask them their state of origin, they will instinctively reply: “Government House.” The only business they have ever done in life is politics.
Also, there are people who did other businesses before joining politics but get stuck with it for life. When they compare efforts and rewards in the public and private sectors, they know where to pitch their tent — especially in a society where there are hardly any consequences for poor performance and unexplained wealth. I have nothing against career politicians but it is an easier choice in Nigeria because it fosters wealth without work. There is so much access to public resources with little or no accountability. Who can afford the choicest things of life? Dig deep and you will discover that it is disproportionately those who treat politics as business. But most of them will not admit this openly.
My fifth and final take on Amaechi’s confession is directly related to the fourth: just like many politicians, there are ordinary Nigerians who participate in politics just to address hunger. They do not care about free or fair elections. Amaechi narrated how he released money for
protesters to be mobilised for the APC ahead of the 2015 general election only for marchers to come to the protest ground in pro-PDP attires. For all you care, they might not even know the difference between APC and PDP. They might even know but did not care. They were only interested in making their “daily 2k” to eat before going to bed. Many voters do not have allegiance to any party or politician. Atiku, in buttressing Amaechi’s point, gave the example of when he went for a rally in Rivers state when Dr Peter Odili was governor. He said after two hours, the ground became empty. What happened? “We paid them for only two hours,” Atiku quoted Odili as saying. This elicited laughter in the hall. Nigerians know that politicians are the ones with the free money and are ready to splash it to get people to attend their rallies. If they don’t go, somebody else will attend and collect the 2k. Thus, voters eagerly look forward to the election season: that is when they can get their own “dividends” from politicians, many of whom have amassed colossal wealth “serving my people”.
Always, the masses get blamed for selling their votes. We make it look like they are in a position to make rational decisions, but poverty damages both the body and the soul. Someone struggling to get a decent meal is expected to turn down 2k and a mini bag of rice. May our stomachs not be tested. It is easy to blame the victims of misgovernance for selling their birthright. Some are actually clear-headed and calculative: they know politicians are stealing and don’t care about the people. They take
OBASA DRAMA
As I was saying, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa, the ousted speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly, is so full of himself. After being removed from his high horse by 32 of the 40 members while he was in the US, he returned to the country boasting that he remained speaker. He resorted to semantics on the difference between impeachment and removal (the constitution actually uses the word “remove”; “impeach” is reserved for governors, presidents and their deputies). Obasa said: “I believe strongly that I’m still the speaker until the right thing has been done.” It’s like common sense eventually prevailed. If he thinks he is too big to be an ordinary member, he can go home. Conceited.
2023, what will be his incentive not to run or to be a running mate? Will Kwankwaso align with either of the two or agree to be Obi’s running mate? There is a strong suspicion that the quest for a mega party is actually the project of one of these politicians. If this is what it turns out to be, will the others remain loyal party people or will they seek their fortunes elsewhere or stay in and do antiparty? And if just one of them moves to contest elsewhere, how electorally potent can the mega party be?
A second hurdle will be how the eventual candidate fits the bill of the unwritten but salient code on power rotation between the north and the south. Will the politicians be comfortable with and able to sell power returning to the north after one term in the south? Or can the politicians and the populace set aside the north-south arrangement, even if temporarily?
Will the coalition be able to find a southern candidate who will agree to do, or can do, only one term? And can any politician that is not term-barred as president be held to such agreement? One name that is making the round in this respect is former President Goodluck Jonathan since he can’t do only more than a term. With the outcome of the 2024 elections in Ghana and the US, he is likely to fancy his chances. But will he run? And if he does, can he stop Obi from contesting? If both Jonathan and Obi run, what does that do to the bloc votes from the South-East and the South-South?
The third hurdle will be capacity of the mega opposition to sell itself to Nigerians as a credible alternative. As I mentioned at the conference last week, Nigerians are not likely to take seriously a band of politicians asking for power just because they have lost out or because they have become internally displaced politicians (IDPs). I listened with profound amazement to people who were in government at the highest levels till 18 months ago criticising the same state institutions they
Many Nigerians who, out of bigotry, supported the election of President Donald Trump must be questioning their choice now, assuming they care. Trump has been on the rampage. He even ordered a freeze on grants — a decision that would have terrible impact on the war against malaria, HPV vaccines and HIV treatment in Nigeria. A judge has temporarily blocked the order because of a lawsuit brought by grant recipients. However, this applies to only grants that have been approved. If the recipients win the case, Trump can still decide to scrap the grants from 2026. The man is trying so hard to please his excited fanbase but something tells me he will soon overreach himself. Unhinged.
supervised, waxing poetic about Nigeria’s abysmal governance and development deficits and calling on Nigerians to save their democracy. The planned mega party cannot be viable and credible if it is just a grievance platform designed for some politicians to return to reckoning. What alternative vision of society, of politics, and of governance are the same-old, same-old politicians offering? What lessons have they learned from their well-rewarded involvement in public life in the past 25 years and how do they plan to make amends?
APC’s mandarins are definitely keeping a close eye on all the moves in the opposition camp. And it is conceivable that some of the key opposition figures are APC’s moles. It is the way of politics. The ruling party will remain hopeful, even confident, that the mega party plan will fall apart. The odds that it will not work are high. But politics is the art of the possible. And politicians, including our politicians, can put aside their differences and ambitions, even if temporarily, to advance a common goal or to face a common enemy. This was what the folks that formed APC did in 2013 to 2015. If APC could do it, others can too.
Does it mean that it is over for Tinubu in 2027 if such a coalition is formed? Not necessarily. And does it also mean that if no such coalition is formed, then Tinubu automatically returns in 2027? Not necessarily too. We are still at least two years away from the next election. Needless to say, a day is a long time in politics. A lot will depend on what happens at different levels on both sides and in the larger society between now and then. With or without a coalition, an incumbent can be defeated in Nigeria if we get to a situation where a critical mass of Nigerians is ready to vote for anyone else but the incumbent. That was what happened in 2015. If the cost-of-living crisis continues, irrespective of improvement in macro-economic indicators, we may get to that situation. If
election period as the only time the politicians will come to them. It is their only opportunity to get something from the politicians. It is a cynical view of politics but it is certainly not a baseless view.
To be clear, I do not support or seek to justify vote trading. Actually, I condemn it. However, you cannot solve a problem through condemnation alone. You have to understand the root causes, the factors that sustain it as well as its dynamics before you can think up a solution. The dynamics are more nuanced than simply blaming the voters for exchanging their birthright for a mess of pottage. We say they get the kind of leader they deserve because they sell their votes. Of course, we often assume that politicians who don’t share 2k will perform well in office. There is no such evidence yet. You can be an honest, tight-fisted politician and still be an incompetent leader. Examples abound.
We should dissect Amaechi’s confessions thoroughly. As an insider, he gave us important leads. One, we have a political class that kills and maims to gain and retain power. Thugs don’t recruit themselves for elections. Somebody does. Two, we have opposition politicians who are more into media war than mobilising voters. There is a place for issuing press statements on everything that happens and jumping to tweet all sorts at the slightest opportunity, but that cannot substitute for a solid election-winning strategy. Three, we have politicians whose interest is to address their own poverty while the masses feast on crumbs. How can we fix Nigeria if we don’t fix our politicians?
You must have read the report of a magistrate court in Ilesa, Osun state, that ordered one Rhoda Adu to pay her boyfriend N150,000 as damages for failing to show up at his place after collecting N3,000 for transport. The report went viral. The name of the magistrate was given as Akogun Oludare. It was such an enjoyable story. The only problem is that it was fake news. The first red flag for me was that a similar story had been circulated in March 2024 but it was attributed to an Enugu magistrate. In any case, the Osun state judiciary has issued a statement denying both the judgment and the imaginary judge. How can you be asked to repay N3,000 with N150,000? In this Tinubu economy? Wonderful.
Nigerians continue to struggle with high costs of food and other essentials, they are likely to want out, would probably overlook the primordial sentiments that mostly define our elections and likely defy attempts to buy or intimidate them.
But if prices stabilise this year and next, and Nigerians begin to see tangible improvement in their material conditions (even if not back to pre-2023 levels), they may be hesitant in taking a gamble with someone else. A sizeable number of Nigerians may be persuaded that the present shocks are part of the pains of reforms and may be open to giving the president the chance to see his reforms to a logical end. Tinubu may also be favoured by the inability of the opposition to pick a credible or acceptable alternative. For example, the northern elites and voters may just reconcile themselves with another four years of Tinubu than with a probable eight years for another southerner. Political calculations are sometimes made at such margins.
Tinubu is not without agency in this matter.
He has ample time to make course correction: become less sectional in his appointments, accommodate individuals and zones that he has alienated, drop the dead-weights in his cabinet, and act more promptly and decisively in areas that affect the generality of Nigerians. He also has enough time to undermine the opposition, sow discord in their ranks and poach some of their leading lights. Naturally, it is way too early to say how things will pan out for the incumbent and the probable challengers. Ordinarily too, we shouldn’t be talking about next election until at least 2026 in the lead up to party primaries. But here we are, and it is what it is. It is going to be a long electioneering period this time around, with plenty of twists and turns. There will be distractions, unfortunately. And there will be an abundance of opportunistic moves on both sides of the divide. Welcome, unofficially, to the 2027 election cycle.
Almost mid way into theTinubu presidency,thefaceofthe2027 opposition to his perpetuation is on display. An untidy opposition is nearly on full display but in a perpetual stampede. Keyoppositionfiguresarelashingout at surrogates of the ruling party from different angles in a most uncoordinated matter. In the process, they are all exposing their weaknesses and unpreparedness to assume power.
The major organized opposition party, the PDP, is in perpetual flux. Perpetually writhing from internal chaos fuelled by planted dissidents, the party still manages to host major opposition voices. Their mascot is former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, a perpetual presidential candidate and national lead grumbletonian. He seems to have monopolized the enterpriseofoppositionrhetoricandthuskeptTinubu’s spokespersons busy. In his latest bouts, Atiku has kept up the theme of accusing Tinubu and the ruling APCoftryingsoveryhardtomakeNigeriaaoneparty autocracy.
On a weekly basis, herds of PDP members have been migrating into the ruling party. This is familiar Nigerian political behaviour. Unofficial sources insist that the Tinubu war machinery has a secret budget for fomenting trouble in the PDP and literally buying defecting members from all opposition parties. It is said that the PDP and Labour Party are pricier than defectorsfromotherminorparties. Inturn,permanent trouble makers in both major opposition parties are on permanent retainership to ensure that the major opposition parties remain perennially embroiled in crises, including fisticuffs and open wrestling at meetings.
Only last week, a meeting of the Board of Trustees(BOT) of the PDP in Abuja was so engulfed in open brawls that when the police arrived, they could only play the untidy role of fight separators instead of firing tear gas and rubber bullets for which they are better practiced and trained in such situations.
The unconfirmed narrative around the confusion in the PDP is that Mr. Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister and Tinubu’s resident political attack spaniel, has the unscripted job description of keeping the PDP in perpetual discord up to and beyond 2027. He has no business in facilitating settlement in the party or even ensuring that the party survives as one.
In his practiced role of opposition town crier, Mr. Atiku has recently upped the ante of his alarm bells. Only a few days ago, he screamed out against the arrestanddetentionofMr.OmoyeleSoworeandProf. Usman Yusuf on baseless charges as evidence of a plantoincarceratealloutspokencriticsandopposition figures all over the country.The ruling administration is yet to respond to this charge but has insisted on the criminal culpability of the affected individuals for the offences that led to their arrest and arraignment.
The Bauchi State Governor, Mr. Bala Mohammed hassimilarlybeeninsistentinhissolocriticismsofthe Tinubu administration from a policy perspective. His attacks have focused on northern regional interests. HehasbeeninsistentthatTinubu’stroubledTaxBill,for instance, is essentially an anti- northern ploy to keep theregioninperpetualeconomicunderdevelopment. Tinubu and his support cast of partisan governors have insisted otherwise but Governor Mohammed is unbowedandunbent.Sofar,hehastargetedNyesom Wike at the level of the opposition PDP, insisting that Wike is playing an untidy partisan script on behalf of Tinubu to permanently destabilize the PDP ahead of 2027.
The case of Mr. Peter Obi and his host Labour Party belongs differently. Obi has remained the most consistent and orderly voice of the opposition especially in the post-2023 election season. Mr. Obi has hinged his opposition voice on systemic irregularities in theTinubu-APC regime. He has been insistent on harping on the neglect of funding and prioritization of healthcare, education and poverty alleviation in the policy mix of theTinubu presidency. Not to mention the disastrous security landscape and dastardly economic management profile of the administration.Themajorheadacheoftherulingparty with the Obi version of opposition is the role of the Obidient Movement in the Obi political factor. It is not the Labour Party per se.
While the Labour Party remains a minority party controlling only the lone state of Abia, the Obidient Movementisanamorphouspopularmovementwithan intangible horizontal structure that has been difficult to track and control. The Obidients are everybody who disagrees with the status quo, every youth who rejects the politics of business as usual and the bogey of ethnic factionalism in Nigerian.There is literally no ward, local government, state or national structure
to bribe, buy or systemically destabilize.The Obidients are a broad spectrum of Nigerians spread across the length and breadth of the nationinnoparticularpattern. Theyarepeople with a shared belief and shared values.Those shared beliefs happen to run counter to the dominantdoctrineandcreedoftherulingparty and traditional Nigerian political doctrine of “anything goes for as long as we win”.
TheapparentformlessnessoftheObidients phenomenoniswhatequippedthemtoambush the Tinubu party in the 2023 presidential elections.They shocked Lagos, shook Abuja, swepttheSouth-east,South-southandalmost took the North-central.The formlessness of the Obidients equipped them to stage these surprise political ambush operations which was a major upset in that election. Therefore, on the scale of opposition threats, Peter Obi and the Obidients pose by far the more lethal and credible threat to the political status quo going forward.
In an attempt to penetrate the inscrutable mien of the Obidients, theTinubu-ethnic high command floated a kite only a fortnight ago.
Chief Bisi Akande, known Yoruba chieftain and Tinubu-APC political gadfly went on the social media to allege that the Obidients movement was behind the #EndSARS revolt of2020whichshookLagosandtherestofthe country. According to this latest fabrication, the #EndSARS revolt was manufactured by the Obidients in far away United States and ‘imported’ into Nigeria with the sole aim of ending Tinubu’s political career, hencetherevoltmadelandfallmostlyinLagos and the location of the Lekki Toll Gate.
Yet, it is widely known that the #EndSARS revolt was a nearly spontaneous uprising of Nigerian youth against rampant nationwide harassment of and brutality against Nigerian youth by the SARS unit of the Nigerian police. Obviously, Mr. Akande’s recent fabrication is an attempt to criminalize the Obidients by tainting them with a subversive tar brush so that they could perhaps be branded a treasonous ‘terrorist’ organization by a pliant NASS and over compromised national security establishment.
It is therefore proper that Peter Obi and other Obidients have risen to speak out
against Mr. Akande’s myth making by challenging him to substantiate his claims. The task before the Obidients movement in the light of this is to deepen the sources of the strength that led it to dazzling success in the 2023 presidential elections.
Of late however, opposition to the Tinubu-APC hegemony has showed up in a more consequential quarter- from inside the APC itself. My friend Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor, has been quite busy politically of late. In addition to battling his local opponents in the state, he has openly attacked the APC hierarchy and political leadership at the national level openly. Specifically, El-Rufai has pointed at the intellectual hollowness of the APC leadership as the source of its policy incoherence and bad governance in the country.
Tinubu’s resident hounds have quickly accused El- Rufai of a ‘sour grapes’ mentality, insisting that he is being critical of the party and the government because he was unsuccessful in securing security clearancetogetontotheTinubucabinet.Themanhas stubbornly stood his grounds. He has insisted that he will carry on with his opposition spirit but within the party.This is a clear indication of imminent cracks within the walls of the ruling APC party.
SoonafterEl-Rufai’sfaceoffwithmainstreamAPC, formerTransportation Minister and first runner –up in the last APC presidential convention, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, spoke out at a democracy conference in Abuja. His contention was that Nigeria’s political cultureisessentiallyMachiavellianinaratherdevious and even violent manner. Nigerian politicians will kill, maim,stealtosecureandremaininpower.Heindicated clearly that those expecting Tinubu to voluntarily hand over power to them are being delusional. He reiterated the standard Machiavellian dictum that power is never voluntarily given away but must be violently snatched.
This assertion has thoroughly upset the Tinubu powerestablishment. TheyhavecondemnedAmaechi for advocating violence in politics. Specifically, Tinubu’s Minister of Defense and former Governor of Zamfara State, Mr. Matawalle, has come out to criticize Amaechi’s perspective.The federal government has also spoken out against Amaechi through the many minions in the Abuja state house.
An interesting response has emanated from the Tinubu camp on the swelling opposition currents against the administration in the count down to its mid term. Staunch Tinubu acolytes have reminded opponents of the man’s hidden strengths and track
record of power absolutism. In a viral Facebook post about four days ago, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, an unrepentant Tinubu devotee, reminded those opposed toTinubu’s second term of the man’s arsenal of political assets which include tenacity, ruthlessness, huge resources, preparednessandexperience.WhatMr.Igbokwedared not openly mention is of courseTinubu’s stupendous wealth which implies an awesome war chest of cash that can be deployed to submerge any and every opposition in the country at any moment.
The present state of the exchange between the incumbentTinubu power formation and the opposition indicates a less than clear picture.The opposition parties are in a flux and uncoordinated state. At the level of their own internal party dynamics, these parties are in a state of perpetual calamity. At the levelofpolicydivergencefromtherulingparty,wecan hardly identify the opposition parties as different or divergent in any substantial way from the incumbent calamity which has literally ruined the country.
The possibility of an internal split within the ruling APC is a latent possibility. It is clear that the Tinubu faction that is the incumbent authority in the land is a conservative prebendal money-grabbing faction of the APC. It has no intellectual or ideological content or focus.The more enlightened social democratic and progressivewingoftheAPCisthearmwithpeoplelike El-Rufai, Amaechi, Osinbajo, Oshiomhole etc as main voices. They were excluded from the power centre soon after the Tinubu victory.
The only option open to the opposition political forces in the country ahead of 2027 is a serious structural and electoral coalition.This should consist of elements of the PDP, Peter Obi and his Obidient Movement and the alienated progressive arm of the APC. The Labour Party should be discounted. It does not exist as an objective political reality except as a weak link in the destabilizing arsenal of the incumbent authority. The new opposition coalition must however aim beyond 2027.While it can upstage Tinubu and his rabble in the immediate 2027 contest, the coalition must redefine Nigerian politics in a manner that incorporates more serious Nigerian technocrats, academics and civil society leaders as party members and think tanks.
The current stampede in the opposition camp is a positive development. It should point opposition politicians in the direction of the task ahead. For them to sit back and think that their isolated noise making willendtheTinubuinfamyistheheightofself-delusion. The work ahead is serious and tasking.
At the THISDAY’s 30th commemoration awards held recently in Lagos, to honour institutions and individuals for their resilience and grit in their respective fields, Senator Uba Sani, Governor of Kaduna State, was named Nigeria’s Governor of the Year. Ogheneuvde Ohwovoriole, examines what stands him out.
According to planetary scientists, the Northern Star, also known as Polaris, is unique. Positioned at a point in the sky above the North Pole, as the earth rotates around its axis, it does not appear to move through the sky like other stars. Since the Northern Star is so fixed, sailors are able to count on its light to guide them in the correct direction.
The famous Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar (as captured by William Shakespeare in his play, Julius Caesar), while asserting that he was ‘’constant as the northern star,’’ basically affirmed his commitment to justice and law and that he was not swayed by the fleeting persuasions of others. He was also underscoring the fact that he was the one person who could guide Rome to her greatest heights.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani is far from being an Emperor. But like Caesar, Uba Sani, the young and ebullient transformational leader is guiding his State and its people to great heights. In less than two years in office, Sani is speedily restoring the dignity and pride of Kaduna State as the leading light of northern Nigeria, in all ramifications. Not surprisingly, the world has noticed.
At the THISDAY’s 30th commemoration awards held on Monday, 27 January, at the Convention Centre of the Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos, to honour institutions and individuals for their resilience and grit in their respective fields, Senator Uba Sani was named Nigeria’s Governor of the Year in a category that was glaringly the most competitive of the night. He shared the honour with Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), respectively.
“Our efforts at resetting Kaduna State and placing it on the path to peace and prosperity has received a major boost as I accept the prestigious ‘Governor of the Year 2024’ award. I am particularly elated that this honour is from two outstanding media organizations that have set very high standards in Nigeria. This recognition is not just a testament to my administration’s efforts, but also a validation of the trust and confidence the people have placed in me,” an elated Governor Uba Sani said moments after picking up his plaque from the representative of the President at the well-attended event.
“We are fully committed to running a propeople, pro-poor, and all-inclusive government, with equity, justice and fairness as the foundation for peace and progress. Some of our notable achievements in 2024 include aggressive implementation of our Rural Transformation Agenda, tackling insecurity, healthcare reforms, boosting of the agricultural sector, revitalization of the educational sector, and infrastructure upgrade. I thank my team in Kaduna for their dedication, commitment and sacrifices. They have been working tirelessly to implement our policies and programs in spite of huge financial difficulties,” the Governor added.
Long before he won the gubernatorial election and assumed office as the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani knew that the job would be challenging given that he was bound to inherit the seemingly intractable problem of insecurity in the state. Also, Kaduna State, historically, contended with ethno-religious tension. Knowing the State so well, Uba Sani was unfazed; he was thoroughly prepared for the job and committed to returning Kaduna to its long-acclaimed status as the economic, educational, social and political power house of northern Nigeria.
Uba Sani’s assumption of office as governor instantly brought relative calm to the hitherto tensed Kaduna State. In just a matter of days the state started enjoying the dividends of peace, safety and security. What was the trick? Senator Uba Sani mounted the saddle with a clear, and
measurable mission - to be a servant-leader, a unifier with his sights set on the economic empowerment of overwhelming majority of the citizenry irrespective of their places of abode, ethnicity or religious persuasions. His plans were easily understood and welcomed with relieve by the populace. The people quickly keyed into his agenda, which was unambiguous – an inclusive governance that is calibrated to leave no one behind.
Working very closely and relentlessly with the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the leadership of the nation’s Armed Forces, the Police and other security agencies, Governor Uba Sani, very early in his administration, began deepening peace, safety and security across Kaduna State. The results of his efforts became instantly evident: The Kaduna - Abuja express way, once notorious for the nefarious activities of bandits and kidnappers, received a deserved respite and travellers, in their numbers, began plying the road regularly without fear or anxiety. The rail service between Abuja and Kaduna which was momentarily halted after a heinous attack that led to the abduction of several passengers, resumed in earnest. Previously traumatized farmers began returning to their abandoned farms. Even the worst critics of Governor Uba Sani readily attest to the fact that Kaduna is today, by far, the safest state in northern Nigeria.
Governor Sani who is a staunch believer in the combination of both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches in curbing banditry and other forms of criminality, is aggressively opening up rural and underserved communities across the state for development and access to economic empowerment. Indeed, the Governor traces the security challenges in most States in northern Nigeria and the country at large, to poverty, unemployment and poor leadership or governance at several tiers of the people’s being.
“What are the factors that have brought about this unfortunate state of affairs? Hopelessness, lack of education and lack of economic prosperity. As at 2023, when we took office, over 85 percent of the people in the North West were either not educated or financially excluded,” Senator Uba Sani opined in a chat. “We are reversing this ugly trend”, he assured.
The governor also bemoaned the huge number of out-of-school children in the North-western
part of the country, especially in Kaduna State.
“In Kaduna State, when I assumed office, we had over 600,000 out-of-school children. This, of course was, and still is unacceptable, in fact, I view the situation as a ticking time bomb.”
The governor was however quick to inform that since assuming office, his administration has been deploying very effective measures to stem this unpleasant tide, an example being the proactive collaboration between the Kaduna State Government and the Kuwait Fund. He said the Fund is currently supporting the State with $28million to return hundreds of out-of-school children back to school under the Qatar Sanabil Project.
Pursuant to the Sanabil Project, Qatar has also commenced the construction of 500,000 housing units for less privileged residents of Kaduna State. The Mega Economic City project was officially inaugurated by Governor Uba Sani and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ali Bin Ghanem Al-Hajri in Kaduna in August 2023.
The project aims to improve the living conditions for underprivileged families in the state. Aside from the construction of the housing units, Qatar Charity is undertaking an array of interventions and empowerment programmes for the less privileged across Kaduna State. These programmes, many of which have commenced, include scholarships for orphans and children of the poor, distribution of sewing machines, welding machines, irrigation pumping machines, salon kits, and drilling of hundreds of boreholes across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State.
According to Governor Uba Sani, “The Economic City will provide world-class infrastructure and make Kaduna a reference point in modern and affordable accommodation with adequate security and a conducive atmosphere for business activities,”
“It will facilitate international trade while serving as a platform for local entrepreneurs and traders. It will also harness product value chain opportunities and improve economic growth,” he added. The governor said the project extends beyond housing, it also provides clinics, shops, poultry farms, and farmlands for the rainy season and irrigation farming.
A firm believer in good governance being the most potent weapon against insecurity, Governor Uba Sani has tailored his administration to bring sustainable development to every
nook and cranny of Kaduna State. Undeniably, the governor’s topmost priority areas are the rural and underserved areas of the State. “The central policy thrust of our administration is Rural Transformation. We are committed to revitalizing our rural economies through massive infrastructural development,” Governor Uba Sani reiterated.
“Our people have been struggling to stay afloat in this harsh economic climate. As a government, we have been unrelenting in fashioning and implementing policies, programmes and projects to bring succour to the poor, underserved and the vulnerable. We are speedily reversing the negative development indices of Kaduna State. We are creatively and innovatively addressing the challenges of poverty and youth unemployment. We are prioritizing women and youth empowerment,” the governor said.
Very conscious of the fact that the nefarious activities of bandits and other criminal elements, in especially rural communities in the State, will all-too certainly imperil his vision of aggressively curbing poverty and underdevelopment in underserved parts of the State, Governor Uba Sani has in addition to his administration’s fruitful collaboration with nation’s armed forces and other security agencies, revitalized the Kaduna State’s Vigilante Service (KADVS). He beefed up the Service with thousands of able-bodied persons who were trained by the Nigeria Police Force and he has since procured assorted security assets for the rebooted Service.
The recruitment and screening of the trainees were in collaboration with critical stakeholders including local government chairmen, traditional and religious leaders. Governor Sani has also affirmed that the initiative, apart from being a major step towards restoring security and development in the state, is also geared towards providing jobs for the teeming youth population in the State.
Poised to give needed financial muscle to several security efforts his administration is undertaking, Gov. Uba Sani has since signed into law, the Kaduna State Security Trust Fund Bill, created to provide funding support to the efforts being made towards degrading terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements. The new law repealed Kaduna State’s Security Trust Fund Law No. 22, of 2018. The Kaduna State Governor believes that the legislation would help to raise funds for the acquisition and deployment of security equipment, personnel and materials, as well as their training.
Interestingly, the Federal Government and other States are keying into Governor Uba Sani’s long-running advocacy to alter Nigeria’s constitution to enable States to establish and run their respective police forces or services as is the case in most developing and developed countries of the world. It is on record that as a vibrant lawmaker in the 9th Senate, Uba Sani sponsored series of bills seeking to have the nation’s constitution altered to accommodate State Police.
Indeed, these Bills scaled the requisite hurdles in the Senate and were referred to the 9th National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitutional amendment. Their enactments into law suffered mainly due to the apparent lack of national consensus or political will at the time, to have the States establish their respective police outfits. However, now that the Federal and State Governments seem to be finally coming to terms with the imperative and even the urgency of altering the nation’s constitution to enable the 36 States of the Federation to establish and run their respective Police Force or Service, to complement the efforts of the Federal (Nigeria) Police Force, the vast knowledge of Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State on this score is very crucial. In general, it is becoming apparent that both the Federal Government and other sub-nationals in Nigeria may have to study, understand and harness Governor Uba Sani’s well-thought-out panacea for insecurity in Kaduna State in particular and the country at large.
“Our shameless politicians bask in false glory, reading empty speeches, embellished by a growing industry of praise singers, hangers-on, and an army of thugs, many of whom are drug users” – Former member of House of Representatives, Dr Usman Bugaje, berating northern politicians over the deteriorating condition of the region.
You can say whatever you like about Rt Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, but you can never accuse the former governor of Rivers state of denying the media premium content anytime he speaks. He talks so plainly and pungently you cannot but hunger and thirst for more. He is a journalist’s delight. Those in the business of politics will not find his pronouncements funny, though. He does not speak like a typical politician who will couch the facts in a way that gaslights us, making us wonder if the problem is us and not them. He says it as it is, although I smile at some of his claims — like when he said, without flinching, that he doesn’t like money. Even the famously gullible marines shook their heads. At a conference in Abuja last week, Amaechi spoke briefly – precisely for three minutes and seven seconds — but it was so loaded I could write a whole book exploring the nature and culture of Nigerian politics based on his confessions. I instantly distilled five angles. One, the reason for political violence. Two, the attributes of opposition politicians. Three, the role of vote protection in forestalling rigging. Four, the economic motive for joining politics. Five, the economic incentive for the masses at election times. By the way, the conference was a gathering of opposition politicians and some APC members who feel sidelined by President Bola Tinubu and are strategising for 2027.
Amaechi said: “The politician is there in Nigeria to steal, maim, and kill to remain in power.”
Alhaji Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence, has quickly countered him, describing the statement as reckless, inflammatory and dangerous, warning that the security agencies were on high alert against those planning to use violence to win elections. Initially, I was
wondering what Matawalle was saying, but the undertone of Amaechi’s statement was that Nigerians should be ready to die if they are to unseat an incumbent. He cited an example from the 2003 governorship election in Kano, claiming 500,000 people were on the streets ready to die if it was called in favour of the ruling party. However, Amaechi spoke the truth when he said the Nigerian politician is ready to steal, maim, and kill to remain in power. I would add: to gain power as well. There should be a caveat though: not all Nigerian politicians choose violence as route to power. Many are decent. A major problem is that politicians who fail to play the game of violence are often muscled out. Many decent people stay off politics because of this culture of violence. Since the 1950s and 1960s, violence, in varying degrees, has been part of our political culture. No need to deny or deodorise that. Politicians do it to intimidate opponents, to rig the votes and to entrench themselves as the kings and queens of terror. It is a common practice for politicians to have youths and transport unionists in their corner. Conventional wisdom is: if you control the streets, you control the thugs; if you control the thugs, you control the ballot; if you control the ballot, you control power. The recruitment pool for terrorists and bandits in the north is traced to politicians using youths at election times and dumping them thereafter. In the Niger Delta, militancy mutated from organised political violence. In the south-west, transport unions
breed the Rottweiler thugs for elections. Generally, many political thugs end up as billionaires and get celebrated as freedom fighters out to liberate their people from oppression.
My second take from Amaechi’s remarks is on the nature of opposition politics in Nigeria. He stylishly upbraided those clapping over the rousing statements being made by the speakers and discussants. “All we are hearing here is typical Nigeria and you are clapping,” he said. I understood his comment to mean the opposition must do its homework and organise itself to gain power — beyond talking a good game. This is interesting. Many of us made a similar point for years until the opposition parties finally came together in 2015 to unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had been threatening to rule Nigeria for 60 uninterrupted years. The PDP fell to a much stronger opposition. This really makes sense. I have looked at the 2023 presidential election results like one million times and my conclusion has always been that if the opposition had not been balkanised, the APC would have been torn to pieces. While APC’s Tinubu garnered 8.79 million votes, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the ex-PDP duo of Mr Peter Obi and Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso polled 14.58 million in total. Tinubu would not have won if the opposition was united, but his rivals chose to blame iReV, Chicago and everyone apart from themselves. Not one contender produced
There was an unusual spike in the tempo of political skirmishes last week, with pointed accusations by leading opposition figures and prompt rebuttals by those speaking for the ruling party. It was not accidental, nor is it meant to be episodic. It is safe to expect a higher and more sustained tempo from now on. Beyond the conference and the arrests that served as a platform and the trigger for the exchanges, there has been a fervent quest, barely beneath the radar, by key opposition and displaced politicians to form or inhabit a formidable electoral machine ahead of the next presidential election. Those on the other side are aware of the open and subterranean moves, and seem ready. Both sides know what they are doing. For all intents and purposes, the battle for 2027 has started.
The quest for an early realignment of political forces ahead of 2027 is driven by a number of factors.
One, the incumbent, President Bola Tinubu, is perceived as electorally vulnerable. He came to power with the slimmest electoral margin in the Fourth Republic; and in office, he has
not done much to broaden his base or appeal. His signature policies, necessary as they are, have translated to the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, with most average Nigerians struggling to feed themselves and meet other basic needs. He has alienated some of the key politicians who helped him to secure significant votes outside of his zone or who worked to take votes away from his opponents, and who thus swung the electoral calculus in his favour. His key appointments have been unabashedly sectional and his government is straining to escape the provincial tag. This combination—of afflicted populace and disaffected politicians—suggests that if presidential election were to hold today, the incumbent president might struggle to hold on to more than the South West, his home base.
Two, the consensus is that even the most vulnerable incumbent president in a democracy such as ours can only be effectively challenged by a strong and united opposition party (not just by a strong individual). At the moment, the opposition is anything but strong or united. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in disarray. Despite remaining the main opposition
party on account of its size and spread, PDP is a sorry shadow of the dominant party that ruled for 16 years. PDP has not really got used to how to survive without power, and most serious politicians within its fold are just marking time. Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) are either going through it too or lack the heft required.
Candidate Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated the candidates of the three leading opposition parties when he was not an incumbent and when some within his own party, including in the presidency, reportedly worked actively to prevent his emergence as a candidate, then as the president. Of course, the fractured opposition also helped him with their divided votes that ensured that Tinubu clinched the presidency with just 36.61% of the total votes cast, the lowest winning margin since 1999. Tinubu’s share of votes in 2023 was only comparable to the 33.77% that Alhaji Shehu Shagari polled to win the 1979 presidential election, Nigeria’s first presidential poll and the most competitive till date. Incumbent Tinubu, even with his evident
vulnerabilities, is in a stronger position than Candidate Tinubu of 2023. Yes, his time in office has taken away from his mystique. But incumbency has also enhanced his electoral sinew. He remains the leading political strategist of his generation and he is unlikely to be shy in leveraging available apparatuses of the state to his advantage. Those banding to take him on are not naïve enough to think this is a task they can undertake successfully without serious preparation.
Three, adequate time is needed to form a new political party or get a critical mass of politicians to migrate to a chosen platform, to jump all the hoops that the ruling party and state institutions will definitely put on the paths of such a party, and to become a viable and credible alternative to Nigerian voters and public. There is enough lesson in the history APC to support the three factors identified. PDP became electorally vulnerable as early 2003 but it wobbled and fumbled through three electoral cycles. Candidate Muhammadu Buhari posed a great challenge to PDP in 2003, 2007 and 2011 but despite