SUNDAY 24TH AUGUST 2025

Kayode Tokede

Despite grappling with macroeconomic headwinds, Nigeria’s biggest companies

have remained resilient, with 15 of them, including Dangote Cement, MTN Nigeria, and Seplat Energy, generating a combined revenue of N12.7

trillion in the first half (H1) of 2025.

According to their unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, the figure represents a 44.3 per cent increase from the N8.82 trillion earned in the same period of 2024. The companies cut across critical sectors—cement production, oil and gas, power generation, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and telecommunications,

PDP Govs to Party Faithful: Resist Attempts by Anti-party Forces to Derail Convention

Accuse APC of intimidation, anti-democratic actions in last by-elections Commend resilience of members in overcoming defections

EMPOWERING THE WOMEN...

Obasanjo, Malema, over 20,000 Lawyers Gather in Enugu for 2025 NBA Conference

Enugu is set, home of hospitality, love, peace, says NBA President, Osigwe

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, fierce South African politician, Julius Malema, and over 20,000 lawyers will converge in Enugu, the Enugu State capital, for the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which formally opens today.

NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, had earlier yesterday, led thousands of lawyers in a health walk across the major roads in

The governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have urged the members of the party to resist all attempts by those they described as anti-party forces to derail the November 15 National Convention of the party to be held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

While commending the resilience of the leaders and members of the party in overcoming “orchestrated” defections, the governors also hailed members of the party for their loyalty in the face of intimidation and anti-democratic actions of the government led by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a communique issued yesterday at the end of their meeting in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, the governors, who met under the aegis of the PDP Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF), also urged the party faithful to see the main opposition party as the only democratic institution and viable alternative for restoring Nigeria along the path of good governance

to critics, saying he was not desperate to be president in 2027, but more interested in a better Nigeria.

This is as former Minister of Interior and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, declared that urgent action is needed to rescue Nigeria from its current challenges.

The former vice president had been accused of desperation in his presidential ambition.

But speaking at a ceremony to welcome new defectors to the ADC in Lagos, Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, said he was only interested in a better, secure and prosperous Nigeria.

the capital city, as more lawyers and guests continued to pour into the historic city.

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, assured participants of a memorable experience, noting that Governor Peter Mbah had long prepared the state for large events like the NBA’s AGC.

Speaking to newsmen, Osigwe, who relished the thrilling moments already being

and national development.

According to the communique signed by the Chairman of the forum, and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, the governors “extensively deliberated on the state of the nation, the security situation, the erosion of democratic values, as well as ongoing efforts to reposition the party and make adequate preparations for its forthcoming national convention”.

“The forum expresses profound gratitude to members and supporters of the PDP nationwide for their steadfast loyalty in the face of serious intimidation and untold anti-democratic actions of the APC-led federal government in the last by-elections.

“The forum commends the resilience of PDP leaders and members in overcoming orchestrated defections, stressing that such distractions cannot diminish the party’s strong grassroots appeal or the growing public yearning for the return of affordable living and relative security experienced under PDP-led administrations,” the governors said.

Some PDP and Labour Party (LP) bigwigs proclaimed their membership of ADC at the ceremony.

The performance comes at a time when Nigeria’s economy was inching toward stability.

Headline inflation eased to 22.22 per cent in June 2025, due largely to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) monetary tightening.

Though foreign exchange volatility persisted, recent trends signal tentative market confidence.

A slight uptick in oil production also boosted fiscal revenues and foreign reserves through higher

experienced in Enugu, said the city was a befitting venue for the theme of the conference, “Stand Out, Stand Tall.”

"Enugu is the capital of the South-east region and also the home of hospitality, beauty, and peace. That was why we chose Enugu State to host our conference after moving from Port Harcourt.

"So, we are here in Enugu to enjoy the best that the people have to offer and also have a

The governors urged the PDP members and the entire citizenry to hold fast to the vision and principles of the party, in spite of what they described as growing intimidation of the opposition by the government in power.

“This sad situation should only be seen as the sign of the desperation of a political party with no agenda, no vision, and doomed to face inevitable rejection by the masses,” the governors added.

The governor reaffirmed their full commitment to the resolutions of the 101st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party held in July 2025 regarding the November 15 National Convention.

They urged the members of PDP “to resist all attempts to derail the convention by anti-party forces” and “see the PDP as the only democratic institution and viable alternative for restoring Nigeria along the path of good governance and national development.”

The camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had declared that

Atiku, who was the guest speaker at the programme, was represented by Prof. Ola Olateju of the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State.

The former PDP candidate, and some like-minded opposition politicians, had resigned their membership of the party to join ADC.

“Atiku Abubakar’s plan is to build a better Nigeria. So, it’s not about him being the president. It’s about having a better government, a good government, that will be able to deliver for Nigerians.

“It’s not a personal thing for him, and that’s why some of us are with him. It’s not about Atiku having to be president at all costs.

“ADC, to us, is not a political party. It is a movement - a movement of Nigerians for a better Nigeria,” Olateju said.

inflows and more disciplined forex management.

At the top of the table is MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, which posted a staggering N2.38 trillion in revenue, up 54.5 per cent from N1.54 trillion in the same period last year.

Close behind is Seplat Energy Plc, which posted N2.17 trillion, a jaw-dropping 277 per cent increase over N575.05 billion posted in H1 2024.

Dangote Cement Plc

conversation about building Nigeria and making it an economic giant in Africa. Enugu is set; we are so excited.

"Our keynote speaker, Julius Malema, is on the ground in Lagos and will touch down here tomorrow (Sunday). Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president who will chair the opening ceremony, will also be on the ground tomorrow.

"We are all set; we are so

it was not aware of the planned national convention.

Wike also gave conditions to participate in the national convention, insisting that the outcome of the South-south Zonal Congress of the party held in Calabar, Cross River State, which saw the return of the former Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, must be recognised.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had rejected the outcome of the congress and appointed a caretaker committee headed by Emmanuel Ogidi as the chairman of the South-south zone of the party.

But the former Rivers State governor warned that a fresh crisis could erupt if the PDP refused to acknowledge the zonal congress that elected Orbih as National Vice Chairman, South-south.

He said, “Well, it is over for now. There are a few things remaining, and I have told them that they must do it. Our congress was held in Calabar, and there’s nothing anybody can tell us. If they want to have another round

He said the movement in ADC was for repositioning the country and taking it to great heights.

“It’s no longer politics as usual. It’s a new beginning. It is a new journey, a new beginning.

“We need a new beginning in Nigeria, and that’s what Atiku is championing.

“It’s not about a personal thing that he must be president. No, it is not a matter of must.

“The must is for him to see Nigeria deliver as wished by all. We are expecting a better Nigeria.

“We want Nigeria to be able to deliver. We want Nigeria to be able to take care of Nigerians,” he added.

Atiku said that a better Nigeria was possible with good leadership.

He said God was ready to use the coalition members to bring about a change in the country.

On who would likely emerge as

rounded off the top three, reporting N2.07 trillion, or 18 per cent growth from the N1.76 trillion posted in H1 2024.

However, Oando Plc was the only company among the group that recorded a decline, with its revenue slipping 15.3 per cent to N1.72 trillion from the N2.03 trillion posted in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Breweries Plc delivered an impressive performance with N738.14 billion in revenue, up

excited. We are going to make this a never-to-be-forgotten experience, the type that will make you want to come back every time for a conference in Enugu," he told reporters.

Also speaking to journalists, Prof. Onyia said the government of Dr. Peter Mbah had strategically prepared Enugu to host conferences like that of the NBA and many others.

"The Enugu State Government

of crisis, so be it. In that congress, Chief Dan Orbih emerged as the National Vice Chairman. They never wanted congress to hold, but congress was held.

“The so-called acting national chairman of the party wrote a letter to INEC after the congress held that the congress had been postponed. There is no two ways about it. The National Vice Chairman of PDP South-south is Chief Dan Orbih. If they don’t agree, that’s another round of crisis,” he threatened.

Wike also argued that the party must deal with its SouthEast zonal chairman, Ali Odefa, who had been sacked from the party by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

“The South-east vice chairman, Ali Odefa, is no longer a member of the party. These are the things I tell people. What I don’t like is impunity. And for someone like me, we will not condone it. I will not allow it. We will fight it except they correct it.’’

under Dr. Peter Mbah, in its design and thinking around tourism, hospitality, and economic growth, had already factored in most of what you are seeing in preparation right now.

"Even without the NBA’s plan to come, we had already started planning what would happen if the NBA came here, if the Nigerian Society of Engineers came here, or others,” he stated.

Wike added that the national convention being put together by the party might end up in crisis if the anomalies in the PDP were not corrected.

“They said that they are going for their convention in November. I am not part of it until they have corrected it. Let us wait; there is still time for them to resolve it. Before you talk about the convention, resolve the matter. If the matter is not resolved, there will be a crisis,” Wike reportedly added.

However, in the communique, the PDP governors reaffirmed the party’s commitment to rescue Nigeria and Nigerians from the “divisive governance style of the APC, whose policies have continued to cause more hardship and misery on the people.”

On the issue of insecurity, the governors commended the initiatives by the government of Zamfara State in significantly curbing insecurity within the state. While condemning the continued monstrous killings in Katsina, Plateau, Niger, and Benue states, as well as in other parts of the country, the PDP governors called on the federal government to be more responsive to the lives of the citizenry.

the ADC presidential flag bearer in 2027, Atiku said that this would be determined by the people in the party.

“It is not a thing we can predetermine. Whoever emerges through free and fair contests, we are all going to support.

“Everybody has a right to contest; we are going to rally round anyone that emerges. We are not imposing anyone on the people.

“The point is a better Nigeria, not Atiku for president at all costs, not Obi for president at all costs.

“Whoever picks the ticket shall be the representative of the Nigerian people and will represent the collective voice and aspiration of Nigeria,” he added.

The defectors include: Member of PDP Board of Trustees, Dr. Abimbola Ogunkelu; former Chairman of Lagos State chapter

54 per cent from the N479.77 billion last year.

BUA Cement Plc also posted N580.3 billion, a nearly 60 per cent increase from the N363.9 billion in 2024.

Analysts say the numbers reflect resilience in the face of daunting challenges, though rising costs remain a concern.

“Companies in Nigeria have shown remarkable resilience amid economic difficulties.

The relative stability we are beginning to see has had a positive impact on revenue

of PDP, Chief Muritala Ashorobi; a former PDP Youth Leader, Mr. Tai Benedict, among others.

They were received by ADC national chieftains, including the National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola; Senator Kolawole Ogunwale; and the State ADC Chairman, Mr. George Ashiru.

Meanwhile, speaking at the event, Aregbesola declared that urgent action is needed to rescue Nigeria from its current challenges.

Aregbesola, while welcoming the new entrants into the ADC, described the development as a bold step towards building a viable political alternative for Nigerians.

Recalling the 1983 address of Chief Obafemi Awolowo at the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) Congress, the former minister said history has always shown that failed political orders eventually

generation,” said an investment banker and stockbroker, Tajudeen Olayinka.

For the Managing Director of HighCap Securities Limited, David Adonri, the mixed results were not surprising.

“Nigeria’s economy is still reverberating from CBN’s foreign exchange reforms and contending with inflationary pressures, insecurity, and other challenges. These continue to produce varied outcomes across different sectors,” he noted.

Chief Operating Officer

give way to new ones.

He explained that the Hegelian notion of thesis, antithesis and synthesis reflects the inevitability of change in governance when leaders fail to meet the needs of the people.

According to him, insecurity, poverty, and the rising cost of living have pushed Nigerians into despair, with many families unable to afford medical care or basic food.

He said, “Across the nation, the spectre of insecurity looms large as sundry criminals lay siege on the people, making economic and social activities nearly impossible. People now live in mortal fear for their lives and property.

“Medical services, and especially drugs, have become so exorbitant that many of the sick are left waiting to die—unless a miracle comes their way.

of InvestData Consulting, Ambrose Omordion, added that policy shifts under President Bola Tinubu have been especially tough on manufacturers.

“The reforms initially dragged companies into losses, but we are now seeing signs of recovery as business activity improves and global crude oil prices rise. While 2025 looks promising for listed companies, operating expenditure will keep climbing due to the high cost of doing business,” he explained.

UNVEILING NASFAT HISTORY BOOK…

NNPC Rakes in N478.2bn in Frontier Funds, Management Fees in Seven Months

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited) recorded a significant inflow of N478.2 billion from its 30 per cent Frontier Exploration Funds (FEF) and management fees in the first seven months of 2025, according to a presentation made by the national oil company to the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) during the August 20 meeting.

The presentation showed that the oil company earned N239.1 billion from its frontier exploration fund within the period, while an additional N239.1 billion was realised

as management fees.

Both revenue streams are directly tied to Nigeria’s Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) arrangements, the presentation document seen by THISDAY showed.

Section 9(4) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) states that: “There shall be maintained … a Frontier Exploration Fund which shall be 30 per cent of NNPC Limited’s profit oil and profit gas as in the production sharing, profit sharing and risk service contracts.”

In the same vein, in Section 64(c), the PIA provides for NNPC’s role in lifting and selling profit oil and gas on behalf of the Federation.

“NNPC Limited shall promptly

remit the proceeds of the sales of the profit oil and profit gas to the Federation, less its 30 per cent for management fees,” it states.

A breakdown revealed that N31.77 billion accrued in January, N38.3 billion in February, and N61.489 billion in March.

In April, the company earned N36.579 billion in both frontier funds and management fees, while in May it was N38.79 billion.

However, inflows fell significantly in June to N6.83 billion, but rose again in July when N25.3 billion was

recorded for the two revenue streams.

This brought the cumulative total for frontier fund inflows to N239.1 billion between January and July, while management fees also matched this figure.

Together, the two streams contributed N478.2 billion to NNPC’s revenue pool in seven months.

The inflows represented an improvement in NNPC’s revenue profile, underscoring the company’s central role in financing Nigeria’s upstream expansion drive at a time when the country is continuing exploration in frontier basins

such as the Chad, Benue Trough, Gongola, and Anambra basins.

The document further revealed that total PSC distributions to the federation as the share of its 40 per cent PSC funds for the period stood at over N318.8 billion.

Although the NNPC has been silent on the extent of frontier exploration, inflow into the frontier account offers a much-needed financial backing for the federal government’s ambition to expand Nigeria’s oil and gas reserves base.

With production hovering around 1.5 million barrels per

day, according to data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the NNPC is banking on new finds in frontier basins to shore up declining reserves and boost production to three million barrels per day in the medium term.

In Nasarawa, the national company spudded the Ebenyi-A well in Obi Local Government Area in March 2023, marking the state’s first official oil drilling campaign. The well lies within the Middle Benue Trough, a basin that has long been considered prospective but under-explored.

Oborevwori Sues for Calm as Itsekiri, Urhobo Youths Clash in Warri, Scores Injured

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Agbara, an Urhobo community.

Africa’s richest man and Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has once again retained his position as Africa’s wealthiest man, topping Forbes’ Real-time Billionaires List with a net worth of $24.4 billion and ranking 88th globally.

The latest ranking, released at the weekend, underscores Dangote’s unmatched dominance in Africa’s wealth hierarchy, where he stands far ahead of his Nigerian peers. With a net worth of $7.2 billion, Abdulsamad Rabiu emerged as the 516th world’s richest man, while Mike Adenuga took 592nd position with a net worth of $6.3 billion.

Since first appearing on Forbes’ list in 2008, Dangote has remained a fixture, reclaiming his spot in 2011 and holding the title of Africa’s richest man for 14 consecutive years. His fortune, largely driven by cement, sugar, and the landmark petroleum refinery launched in 2023, has reinforced his role as a symbol of Nigeria’s industrial strength.

While Dangote leads, other Nigerian billionaires continue to secure their places. Rabiu, with strongholds in cement and sugar, and Adenuga, with investments in telecommunications and oil, remain prominent players.

In South Africa, luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert tops the chart at $13.2billion, followed by former diamond boss Nicky Oppenheimer, with $10.4billion.

Others include: Koos Bekker with $3.8billion; mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe with $3.4billion; banker, Michiel le Roux, with $2.7billion; Jannie Mouton and family with $1.9billion, and retail investor, Christoffel Wiese with $1.7billion.

Egypt’s wealthy cohort is headlined by Nassef Sawiris ($8.8billion) and Naguib Sawiris ($5.0billion).

The Mansour brothers, Mohamed ($3.4billion), Youssef ($1.4billion), and Yasseen ($1.2billion), complete the country’s strong showing.

Beyond the three dominant nations, Eswatini’s Nathan Kirsh holds a net worth of $8.0billion.

Delta State Governor, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has called for caution and restraint, following reports of a violent clash between Itsekiri and Urhobo youths in Warri South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

THISDAY gathered that many people suffered injuries yesterday as youths from the two ethnic groups clashed over alleged claim of territorial ownership in Warri.

The first incident occurred at about 5.30 pm around the popular Ibo market/Okere road when some Itsekiri youths were allegedly attacked by youths from

THISDAY gathered last night that a similar fracas, for the same reason, occurred at about the same time at Okere market, a border area between Itsekiri and Urhobo communities.

It was learnt that dangerous weapons, including cutlasses, clubs and guns were allegedly deployed by the warring youths from both sides.

Socio-economic activities were paralyzed as stores at the everbusy areas were hurriedly shut while residents locked themselves indoors.

Operatives of the Nigeria Police and the Nigerian Army

had a herculean task bringing the situations under control.

Reacting to the clash, Governor Oborevwori, last night called for caution and restraint.

The governor, in a statement, issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, appealed to residents and other stakeholders in the oil city to shun all actions capable of disrupting the existing peace and stability in the area.

He assured that his administration remained committed to revitalising infrastructure in Warri, stressing that peace was crucial to unlocking the city’s huge economic potential and sustaining ongoing development efforts.

“We appeal to all stakeholders to support our efforts in revitalising infrastructure in Warri and avoid all acts capable of truncating the current peace in the oil-rich city” the governor said.

Governor Oborevwori urged community leaders, youth groups, and opinion leaders to work together in fostering understanding, unity, and peaceful coexistence among the various ethnic groups. He reiterated his administration’s resolve to promote inclusive governance and equitable development across the state and assured that security agents were on ground to maintain peace and order.

Air Peace Strengthens Its Position as Biggest Operator, Receives Fourth Boeing B777 for International Operations

Chinedu Eze

As part of its efforts to deepen its international expansion plans, Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace, has received its fourth Boeing B777 aircraft, strengthening its position as West and Central Africa’s biggest operator in terms of fleet.

The wide-body aircraft, Boeing B777-200 ER, bearing registration 5N-CEG, touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International

Airport, Lagos, over the weekend from Teruel, Spain.

The aircraft was welcomed with a traditional water-cannon salute and a rousing reception led by the airline’s Chairman, Dr. Allen Onyema; Executive Director, Obinna Onyema; Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide; alongside members of Air Peace’s management team.

Speaking with journalists, the airline’s spokesperson, Efe OsifoWhiskey, noted that the arrival of

the state-of-the-art aircraft aligned with Air Peace’s vision of global connectivity.

Configured with a total of 312 seats, including 26 luxurious business class seats and 286 economy class seats, the aircraft offers a blend of comfort and modern amenities.

The Business Class cabin features private, ambient seating with advanced in-flight comfort, while Economy passengers will enjoy spacious legroom and

refined service.

During a media tour of the aircraft, Dr. Onyema described the acquisition as a pivotal milestone in the airline’s growth trajectory, emphasising that it represents a decisive step in Air Peace’s expansion strategy. He announced that the newly acquired aircraft would be deployed in the next two months for the inaugural long-haul flights from Abuja to London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

SIXTY HEARTY CHEERS TO COCOA HOUSE...

L-R: Former Minister of Trade, Mrs. Onikepo Akande; GMD/CEO, Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Mr. Abdulrahman Yinusa; Secretary to Lagos State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin; Group Chairman, Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru; Ektiti State Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, Mr. Adeleke Adefolaju; Representative of Osun State SSG, Mr. Olusoji Wojuade; and United States-trained Cardiologist with Fond Childhood, Professor Kamar Tayo Adeleke, during the 60 years anniversary celebration of Cocoa House in Ibadan, Oyo State...recently

Join Obi in Opposition Coalition, ADC Replies Datti

Baba-Ahmed, Reaffirms Commitment to Unite against APC

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has told the Labour Party’s vicepresidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, that his party’s presidential candidate in the same general election, Mr. Peter Obi, was committed to the opposition coalition and urged him to join the former Anambra State governor.

ADC described BabaAhmed’s criticism of the

opposition coalition as “personal opinions” that did not reflect the ADC’s position.

In a statement signed by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Jackie Wayas, the ADC reaffirmed its commitment to unite opposition forces against the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the 2027 general election.

Baba-Ahmed, during a television interview on Friday, accused the opposition coalition of “deceiving

Nigerians” and claimed that the coalition was incapable of rescuing the nation from underdevelopment.

He also expressed his intention to run alongside Obi in 2027.

But in a swift reaction, the ADC stressed that the opposition coalition remains a collective effort aimed at presenting a credible alternative to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The statement noted that the coalition brought together

prominent leaders such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governor Nasir El-Rufai, Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi, and Obi.

These leaders, the ADC explained, united after wide consultations to put national interest above partisan divides and to provide competent and compassionate leadership.

The party recalled that Obi, a key figure in the coalition, had publicly endorsed the ADC as the platform for the

In Aggressive Air Operations, NAF Kills over 35 Terrorist Fighters Near Nigeria-Cameroon Border in North-east

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said its precision air interdiction carried out in the early hours of yesterday by the Air Component of Joint Taskforce North-east Operation Hadin Kai killed more than 35 terrorist fighters who had converged near the Nigeria–Cameroon border following an attempted attack on ground troops at Kumshe.

A statement issued by the

Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, explained that the successful airstrikes followed intensified efforts by the Air Component to dominate the battlespace and deny terrorists freedom of action in the North-east.

According to him, “acting on multiple intelligence from several sources, the Air Component executed precision strikes in successive passes, engaging

the terrorists and neutralising more than 35 fighters at four identified assembly areas.

“Following the operation, communication was reestablished with ground troops, who confirmed that the situation around their location had stabilised.

“The latest operation demonstrates the NAF’s unwavering commitment to providing close air support to ground forces, while also

disrupting terrorist logistics and movement corridors along the North-east border regions.”

While applauding the professionalism of the aircrew, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, stated that the NAF would sustain aggressive and intelligence-driven air operations to ensure the complete degradation of terrorist elements threatening Nigeria’s sovereignty.

Obi Calls for Improved Security after Massacre of 50 Worshippers in Katsina Mosque by Terrorists

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has said that unless the government tackles the root cause of insecurity, Nigeria will continue to mourn avoidable deaths.

This is as he condemned the alleged neglect of one of Nigeria’s most celebrated goalkeepers, the late Peter Rufai.

Obi said this in response to the massacre of over 50 worshippers killed in a mosque by terrorists in a community in Katsina State.

In a post on his X handle, the former Anambra State governor said: “The tragic news from Katsina has grown even more devastating, as the search continues with over 50 bodies now recovered.

“This horrendous act goes beyond an attack on innocent worshippers; it is another painful reminder of the worsening state of insecurity in our nation.

“Nigerian lives must now have value to us as leaders; we cannot continue to treat these incidents as ordinary statistics.

Behind every number is a father,

a mother, a child and lives cut short with families shattered.

The dignity of human life must be restored as a sacred priority in our country.

“I repeat that unless we urgently tackle the root causes of insecurity, we will continue to mourn needless losses.

“My heartfelt condolences once again go to the grieving families, the people and government of Katsina, and all Nigerians who live in fear of such daily tragedies.

“May we find the courage to rebuild a nation where the

security of lives and property is not a privilege, but a right guaranteed to every citizen. A New Nigeria is POssible.”

Meanwhile, Obi yesterday condemned the neglect of one of Nigeria’s most celebrated goalkeepers, Peter Rufai, who died recently.

Obi, who wore a somber look when he visited the Amuwo Odofin residence of the late Rufai, mourned the passing of the national hero, lamenting Nigeria’s recurring neglect of its sporting icons once they leave the limelight.

2027 elections.

According to the ADC, Obi had also emphasised the coalition’s commitment to working together to deliver capable and compassionate leadership that prioritises the welfare of Nigerians.

Obi, the party said, had also stressed that no single group can change Nigeria alone and called for unity to dismantle the structures of poverty and insecurity, insisting that a new Nigeria is possible.

The ADC clarified that Senator Baba-Ahmed’s remarks were strictly his own.

“Senator Datti BabaAhmed’s assertions are his personal opinions and do not reflect the position of the ADC or its coalition partners,” Wayas stated.

The party also extended an

olive branch to him, describing him as a respected voice and urging him to join the coalition.

“Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed is a respected voice who has always stood for integrity and justice. Since the coalition is a collective effort that requires the strength and skills of all patriots, we sincerely hope he comes on board to contribute to this shared vision for a better Nigeria,” Wayas added.

Reiterating its mission to unite the opposition around a transformative agenda, the ADC called on Nigerians to rally behind it in the task of rescuing the nation.

“Nigerians deserve clarity and unity in the pursuit of a better future. Let us rally behind the ADC and rescue Nigeria,” the statement added.

House Committee Queries NERC,

Firms over Alleged Non-utilisation of CBN’s N59bn Metering Funds

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Joint Committee of the House of Representatives investigating the disbursement and utilisation of the N59 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) loan for the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) has queried the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Meristem Wealth Management Ltd., and NESI-Stabilisation Strategy Limited (NESI-SSL) over alleged non-utilisation of the fund.

The lawmakers also questioned the approval granted to a firm to receive 0.5 per cent of electricity Distribution Companies’ (Discos) annual collections up to 2030.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Chairman of the Joint Committee, Hon. Uchenna Harris Okonkwo, said preliminary investigations showed that the NMMP was initiated by NERC and approved by the federal government in 2020 to close

Nigeria’s metering gap, encourage local meter manufacturing, reduce collection losses, and end estimated billing.

However, he noted that the programme had failed to achieve its objectives.

Okonkwo, who represents Idemili North/Idemili South Federal Constituency in Anambra State, explained that the Joint Committee comprising the Committees on Banking Regulations, Power, Rural Electrification, and Housing engaged Meristem Wealth Management Limited, NESISSL, NERC, and other relevant agencies on the disbursement of N55,424,975,546.96 out of the N59,280,988,305.00 earmarked by the CBN.

He said the committee’s review of the programme revealed “ambiguities, inconsistencies, and contradictions,” indicating poor management and failure to deliver the intended results.

FAMILY FRIENDS...

L-R: Chairman, OCI Nigeria Limited, Sir Sunny Igboanuzue; his wife, Okeoma; Executive Chairman, Chrome Group, Sir Emeka Offor; and his wife, Adaora, at the wedding reception ceremony of Ifeanyi and Chidubem Anazodo, at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos…recently

10,000 Jobs Created as Sanwo-Olu Opens

Oluremi Tinubu Leather Hub in Lagos

Facility to rake in $250m export turnover at full operation Lagos remains a trailblazer in turning challenges to opportunities, says First Lady

Segun James in Lagos and Fidelis David in Akure

An industrial leather processing and manufacturing factory in Mushin — a vast trading suburb of Lagos State — developed and delivered by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, with a capacity to generate 10,000 direct jobs, was formally inaugurated yesterday by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during her three-day official visit to the state.

The facility, which is expected to generate export earnings in excess of $250 million annually, is projected to position Lagos as the leather logistics capital in West Africa.

This is as the first lady, also yesterday empowered another set of 500 women in Ondo State, in her latest empowerment scheme through the Renewed Hope Initiative Support Scheme office of the First Lady and the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Mrs. Adejoke

Adefulure.

To honour Senator Tinubu’s legacy initiatives in social investment and economic empowerment at the grassroots, Sanwo-Olu named the facility after the First Lady, reserving 70 per cent of employment slots in the manufacturing hub for women and youths.

The factory is equipped with modern technology to optimise capacity in the ecosystem, thereby providing solutions for Nano, Medium, Small and Medium Enterprises (NMSMEs) that struggle to meet bulk orders due to limited equipment and capacity.

The industrial leatherwork machinery installed in the factory is capable of mass production of shoes, bags, belts, packaging bags and other leather products.

Inaugurating the factory, Senator Tinubu noted that the project further reinforced Lagos State’s reputation as a trailblazer, the heartbeat of innovation and enterprise of the country.

The first lady said the

Coalition of Academics, Professors Petitions NUC, Others over Illegal Use, Commercialisation of Academic Titles in Nigeria

Sunday Ehigiator

development demonstrated the Sanwo-Olu’s administration’s commitment to job creation, productivity and sustainable economic development.

She said the industrial leather hub would not only scale up production of leather goods in the ecosystem, but also empower artisans, while strengthening NMSMEs and promoting consumption of local products.

She said: “This trailblazing project is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to accelerate diversification through

industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing and innovation in order to create a dynamic and diverse economic landscape.

“Leather work is a traditional craft that has stood the test of time. The hub will serve as a centre for leather processing, footwear production, and specialised training, enabling artisans to add greater value to their craft and compete confidently in both local and international markets.”

Mrs Tinubu said the project stood as a symbol representing

how the government and citizens could work together to turn challenges into opportunities and create a prosperity pathway for citizens.

“Those who will work directly in this space must dedicate themselves to excellence, hard work, and embrace continuous learning and position their products to compete in the global market,” she said.

On his part, Sanwo-Olu said more than 150,000 artisans would benefit from cutting-edge training and start-up support offered by the hub to ensure talent

optimisation.

The governor disclosed that the export earnings from the hub was expected to be higher than $250 million annually when the hub becomes fully operational. Sanwo-Olu said: “The leather hub will undoubtedly boost the local economy by creating jobs, fostering innovation and providing a platform for small and medium-sized enterprises to grow. It will enhance market competitiveness, attract investments, and ultimately improve the standard of living for many Lagosians.

Atiku’s Son-in-law, Haske’s Lawyers Challenge EFCC Over ‘Wanted’ Declaration, Accuse Commission of Illegality

The legal team of Adamawaborn entrepreneur and investor, Abdullahi Bashir Haske, has faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for declaring him wanted over alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

any information that could lead to Haske’s arrest.

The anti-graft agency had also called on Nigerians to share credible tips with the nearest police station or any EFCC office.

The anti-graft agency had declared Haske, the son-inlaw of former vice president Atiku Abubakar, wanted in connection with alleged case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

In a statement, EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale had urged the public to provide

According to CAPQAT, Nigeria is witnessing an alarming proliferation of unqualified individuals adopting honorary and illegitimate academic titles.

The group noted that this practice ranges from recipients of honorary doctorates and graduates of unaccredited bible colleges, to holders of dubious doctoral degrees obtained from questionable foreign and professional institutions.

“Across Africa and other serious academic jurisdictions, the misuse of academic titles has been decisively outlawed or strictly regulated.

In a coordinated effort to safeguard the integrity of Nigerian academia, the Coalition of Academics and Professors for Qualified Use of Academic Titles (CAPQAT), led by Prof. Adeyemi Johnson Ademowo, has officially petitioned key government agencies, calling for urgent intervention against the rampant illegal use and commercialisation of academic titles such as “Dr.” and “Professor” in Nigeria. The open petition, addressed to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Minister of Education, Chairpersons of the House and Senate Committees on Education, the National Security Adviser (NSA), and the Inspector General of Police (IG), painted a disturbing picture of how the abuse of academic distinctions was eroding public trust in higher education institutions.

In a statement signed by Haske’s lead counsel, Nkemakolam Okoro, the lawyers described the commission’s action as “a blatant act of illegality and abuse of process,” arguing that there is already a pending motion before the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the validity of the arrest warrant earlier obtained by the EFCC.

“The decision by the EFCC to declare Mr. Bashir Abdullahi Haske wanted is a blatant act of illegality and an abuse of process, especially in light of a pending motion before the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the validity of the warrant of arrest,” the statement said.

Okoro noted that court filings show Haske had demonstrated willingness to cooperate with the EFCC, pointing out that he honoured the commission’s invitation in July and submitted medical records following health complications during detention.

He faulted the commission for seeking and obtaining an arrest warrant before Haske’s agreed return date, stressing that a motion had been filed to vacate and set aside the order, which they argued was obtained “by misrepresentation and suppression of material facts.”

“The order issued on August 8 was specifically for his arrest, not for him to be declared wanted. It is trite law that where a court order is obtained by deceit or suppression of facts, the court has the inherent jurisdiction to set it aside ex debito justitiae,” Okoro said.

Citing Alleged Irregularities, Mokwa Flood Victims Allege Exclusion from Gov Bago’s N1bn Relief Package

Some victims of the recent flood in Mokwa, Niger State, have alleged exclusion from the N1billion state government compensation.

The victims made the allegations in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Mokwa yesterday.

Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State had, in June, approved N1 billion to support victims of the Mokwa flood.

According to the governor, 458 affected households will receive

N1 million each and 25 bags of grains, including 10 bags of rice, five bags of maize, five bags of sorghum, and five bags of millet.

Bago had also stated that the next-of-kin of the 209 deceased victims would receive N1 million each, while 280 house and shop owners would receive N500,000 each for reconstruction.

However, after the distribution of the relief materials, some victims of the disaster alleged irregularities in the distribution process, saying not all

affected persons received the compensation.

One of the victims, Farida Abubakar, told NAN that she lost her mother, who was the breadwinner of their family, during the flood.

She alleged that she was told by the Mokwa Flood Relief Distribution Committee that she would not benefit because she does not have a husband.

“When they were writing names of people who lost their loved ones, I went for my name

to be captured. I was told I don’t have a husband, so I was not qualified to benefit.

“I have three other younger siblings. We have been feeding from hand to mouth. We have been sleeping in Tiffin-Maza primary school because I don’t have money to rent a house for us to live in,” she said. Another victim, Yusuf Isah, 74, said he constructed a hut to live with his wife and eight children after they lost their rented apartment to the flood.

ANOTHER FEATHER TO HIS CAP…

L-R: Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Amarachi Chyna Iwuanwnyu; Celebrant and Chairman, Grapik Nigeria Limited, Chief JohnBosco Ozigbu; and President, Mustang Global Resources LLC. USA, Sir Ifeanyi Nwosu, at the conferment of the revered title of Ikenga of Igboland on Ozigbu by the Ezeudo II of Amaifeke and Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers/ Chairman South East Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Highness, Eze E.C Okeke in Owerri…yesterday

Chidoka, Other Concerned Nigerian Leaders Propose Presidential Task Force to Tackle National Security

James Emejo

and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, and others who identified themselves as Concerned Nigerian Leaders have called for the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on National Security, with extraordinary powers and a clear mandate to coordinate and execute emergency measures to halt the violence.

The leaders called on the Presidency, National Assembly, governors, traditional rulers, religious leaders, security chiefs, civil society, and every Nigerian of conscience to come together to forge a new path on how to tackle insecurity.

The task force, the leaders said, should work directly with the National Security Adviser

(NSA) and all relevant security, intelligence, and humanitarian agencies.

The leaders made their views known in a statement issued yesterday and jointly signed by Kadaria Ahmed, Nuruddeen Muhammad, Chidoka, Opeyemi Adamolekun, Frank Nweke, Jamila Ibrahim, among others.

The leaders noted that the nation was bleeding and therefore, resolved to stand united by one conviction that rises above all differences, stressing that silence is complicity, while inaction is betrayal.

They lamented that in just two years, Nigeria has recorded at least 10,217 violent killings, according to Amnesty International.

They said over roughly the same period, Ukraine’s war claimed 10,000–12,000 civilian

FAAN Records Historic Milestone, Resumes Direct Cargo Revenue Collection at Airport after 15 Years

Chindeu Eze

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has recorded what it described as a “historic milestone” with the resumption of direct revenue collection at the cargo terminals of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after 15 years.

For the first time in more than a decade, FAAN officials from the Directorate of Cargo Development and Services (DCDS) are now physically stationed at the cargo release points of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouses to collect accrued cargo charges in real time.

FAAN’s Director of Cargo Development and Services, Lekan Thomas, said the move followed months of intensive stakeholder engagement.

He explained that “placing FAAN officers at the point of cargo release is not only a revenue safeguard but also a

confidence-building measure for all parties in the cargo value chain.”

The Airport Manager, Olatokubo Arewa, noted that the system was already yielding results.

“Leakages that plagued revenue collection for years are now being addressed. We are seeing greater accountability and a more transparent process,” he said.

The initiative, according to FAAN, was bolstered by a high-level meeting between its Managing Director and Chief Executive, Mrs Olubuni Kuku, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

Speaking on the collaboration, Kuku said: “We are committed to operational efficiency and transparency.

“This milestone is a testament to the power of inter-agency cooperation. Together with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders, we are working to ensure that our airports deliver full value to the Nigerian economy.”

lives, Gaza’s devastating siege has taken over 35,000, and Syria, still reeling from civil war, now averages 3,000–5,000 deaths annually.

They pointed out that parts of Nigeria are enduring wartime levels of slaughter, “yet, we are officially at peace.”

The leaders lamented that the devastation at home was chilling, with Benue State alone having witnessed 6,896 killed, over 450,000 displaced, and entire local councils hollowed out by fear.

They noted: “Plateau has lost 2,630 lives, its boreholes poisoned, granaries torched, farmers forced to watch harvests rot for fear of ambush on the road to market.

“Zamfara has seen at least 638 villages sacked, and residents are now paying criminal levies by phone under threat of mass killings.

“Similar horrors persist in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, and Niger, where bandits have turned entire districts into fiefdoms.

“Meanwhile, Boko Haram is resurging in the North-east, regaining the ability to launch deadly assaults, kill servicemen and even attempt overruns of local governments, as seen in recent attacks on Gwoza, Damboa, Biu and Bama, forcing farmers off their fields and reviving fears of the dark days when the entire country trembled under their shadow.

“The South-east, too, is gripped by relentless killings by unknown gunmen, making peace increasingly elusive.”

The leaders wondered why such a nightmare must continue. They added: “At its heart, our crisis reveals a brutal fact: The Nigerian state has surrendered its monopoly on the legitimate use of force. New armed groups flourish — Lakurawa in Sokoto and Kebbi, Mamuda in Kwara, alongside local militias that exploit old grievances.

“What began as herder and farmer disputes over land and water has morphed into sectarian wars, stoked by military-grade weapons and deep distrust.

African Health Ministers Meet in Zambia for WHO’s 75th Regional Committee’s Annual Conference

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Health ministers from 47 African countries will gather in Lusaka, Zambia, from August 25 to 27, 2025, for the 75th Session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa.

A statement by WHO’s regional office said the annual gathering is the organisation's highest decision-making body in the African region and plays a critical role in shaping regional health priorities, policies, and investment decisions.

"The session will bring together over 500 delegates, including

WHO’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Janabi; ministers of health from 47 African countries; senior government officials; UN agencies; civil society organisations, and development partners," it said.

Some of the highlights of the August meeting include: a Walk the Talk five-kilometre walk expected to be held on the eve of the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa.

The walk is expected to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles.

Also, the ministers will further

discuss a regional framework for accelerating the implementation of the global oral health action plan: Addressing oral diseases as part of non-communicable diseases towards universal health coverage by 2030.

The meeting will endorse the framework to advance universal access to safe, effective, and quality-assured blood products in the WHO African Region: 2026–2030, designed to strengthen every link in the blood supply chain – from modernising laboratories and storage facilities, to training health workers and inspiring more voluntary blood donors.

"This new roadmap, aligned with the 2023–2030 global plan, seeks to integrate oral health into primary care, strengthen workforce innovation, improve research and surveillance, and make essential oral services accessible to all by 2030.

"The framework aims for at least 50% of each country’s population to be entitled to essential oral health services. It also seeks to achieve a 10% reduction in the prevalence of major oral diseases, and by 2028, 60% of countries have national oral health policies with dedicated budgets and staff," the statement added.

Adeleke Commends Tinubu, Ribadu for Bursting Terror Cells in Osun, Hails Proactive Strategy in Security Management

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke yesterday lauded President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, for bursting sleeping cells of a terrorist organisation in the state. Adeleke also commended the duo and security chiefs over the recent arrest of the leaders of ANSARU terrorist group, describing the development as “a major advancement in the fight against terrorism.”

The governor, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale

Rasheed, hailed the proactive strategy in the management of the national security architecture, saying “the arrest has strengthened state security and enhanced the state’s capacity to protect her citizens and maintain the nation’s territorial integrity.”

While commending the innovativeness and potency of security policy under President Tinubu through the Office of the National Security Adviser, Governor Adeleke noted the effective reforms of various state security organs such as the various military formations, the National Intelligence Agency,

Department of State Services, the Nigerian Police and other security and para-military agencies.

“He cited Osun as one of the states where sleeping cells of the terrorist organization were raided through the combined efforts of the security and intelligence services, commending the NSA, the Chief of Defence Staff, military service chiefs, the DG of DSS, the Inspector General of Police, the Commandant General of the Civil Defence Corps among others.

“Osun is a beneficiary of the federal security reforms. I must commend the intelligence community for dismantling the terrorist sleeper cells across Osun State. I visited the secret police and I witnessed the great job they are doing to keep us safe.

“We praise the president, the National Security Adviser and the entire security leadership on recent advances with the arrest of the Ansaru terrorist group leaders. Similar successes recorded on various counter terrorism fronts deserves our commendation. We are safer with a proactive security leadership,” the governor was quoted as saying.

A COPY FOR HIS EXCELLENCY…

Powerful Individuals Linked to Terrorism Financing Shielded from Prosecution, Ex-Army GOC Alleges

•AccusesunnamedairlineownerofcarryingweaponsforBokoHaram

Linus

A former General Officer Commanding the 1 Mechanised Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi (rtd.), has disclosed that powerful individuals linked to terrorism financing and oil smuggling in Nigeria were exposed by security investigations but later shielded from prosecution.

God Bless Nigeria Rally Set to Return to National Stadium with ‘No Shaking’

Wale Igbintade

The God Bless Nigeria (GBN) Rally, one of the country’s most prominent faith-based outreach initiatives, will make its return to the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, on Sunday, September 7, 2025.

The annual rally, founded by Pastor Tony Rapu, Senior Pastor of The House of Freedom, has gained a reputation for combining spiritual revival with practical social support.

Now in its 19th year, the event continues to target marginalised communities —offering services that range from free medical care

Speaking in an interview on ARISE NEWS Channel on Friday, the former GOC, who once headed the Operation Service Wing (OSW), tasked with dismantling terrorist financing networks, said investigations exposed an airline owner, who was carrying weapons for Boko Haram.

and meals to clothing, grooming, and subsidised food items.

This year’s edition, themed “No Shaking,” will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will feature performances from leading gospel artists including Esther Igbekele, Mike Abdul, Dare Justified, Testimony Jaga, Fabian Nwafor, and DJ Gosporella.

According to the organisers, attendees will also have access to free transportation, professional grooming services, and “Gbanjo Market,” a special initiative that provides essential food items at highly discounted prices.

He said painstaking investigations revealed financiers, facilitators, and sponsors of Boko Haram terrorists, including some with political connections.

According to him, the coordinated arrests of Boko Haram leaders and financiers around 2017–2018 significantly weakened the insurgents, leading to mass surrenders and eventually the

death of their leader, Abubakar Shekau.

“When you take out the leadership, you decapitate the organisation and render it ineffective. That was what we did, and you saw the massive surrender of Boko Haram fighters and their families,” he said.

Ali-Keffi disclosed that Nigeria’s efforts enjoyed intelligence support from foreign allies, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom, and the United States.

He revealed that investigations unearthed shocking connections but were not acted upon thereafter.

“We stumbled upon an airline owner, who was allegedly moving weapons for Boko Haram. Some of those arrested were linked to cabinet ministers and even retired senior military officers,” he recalled.

He lamented that despite the presence of representatives from the Department of State Services (DSS), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Nigeria Financial Intel-

ligence Unit (NFIU), and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation during the probe, high-profile suspects were quietly released.

“As the commander, I made my concerns known to the President at the time. He assured me I reported to him and him alone. But as the investigations progressed, I began to see hesitation and resistance. Eventually, some of these people were released and never prosecuted,” General Ali-Keffi stated.

Citing Alleged Irregularities, Mokwa Flood

Victims

Allege Exclusion from Gov Bago’s N1bn Relief Package

Some victims of the recent flood in Mokwa, Niger State, have alleged exclusion from the N1billion state government compensation.

The victims made the allegations in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Mokwa yesterday.

Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State had, in June, approved N1 billion to support victims of the Mokwa flood.

According to the governor, 458 affected households will receive N1 million each and 25 bags of grains, including 10 bags of rice, five bags of maize, five bags of sorghum, and five bags of millet.

Bago had also stated that the next-of-kin of the 209 deceased victims would receive N1 million each, while 280 house and shop owners would receive N500,000 each for reconstruction.

However, after the distribution of the relief materials, some victims of the disaster alleged irregularities in the distribution process, saying not all affected persons received the compensation.

One of the victims, Farida Abubakar, told NAN that she lost her mother, who was the breadwinner of their family, during the flood.

Ex-Adviser Blasts Ikonne: You Lack Moral Right to Attack Otti

Wale Igbintade

A former Special Adviser on Housing to the Abia State Government, Engr. Nwabueze Onwuneme, has cautioned exCommissioner for Lands and Urban Planning, Prince Paul Ikonne, to desist from what he described as “cheap and selfish criticism” of Governor Alex Otti.

Onwuneme argued that

Ikonne lacks the moral standing to challenge Governor Otti, whom he hailed as “an action governor and the best thing to happen to Aba and Abia State in recent years.”

He accused Ikonne of having frustrated major development initiatives in Aba, Umuahia, and Ohafia during his time in office, claiming that Ikonne’s actions were motivated by “ego and selfish interests.”

Ikonne, a chieftain of the All

Progressives Congress (APC), had recently criticised Governor Otti over the N54 billion expenditure on school renovations in Abia State.

In an article titled “N54bn for Schools: Budgets Are Estimates, Expenditures Are Facts,” Ikonne, through his Chief Press Secretary, Ujo Justice,faultedOttiforallegedlyplaying with words instead of providing verifiable evidence of the schools renovated.

Responding, Onwuneme acknowledged that demanding ac-

countabilityfromleadersisessentialbut emphasisedthatsuchcallsshouldcome from individuals with integrity and a proven commitment to genuine development.

He recalled an incident in 2008, when Abia State was set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Habitat, led by Prof. Johnson Falade, to prepare a master plan and digital mapping for Aba, Umuahia, and Ohafia.

Oramah Becomes Rotary Sapphire President, Targets Hepatitis C Elimination

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The new President of the Rotary Club, Abuja Sapphire, Dr. Pat Oramah, has pledged to focus on a ‘National Drive for Hepatitis C Elimination’ as one of the key programmes during his tenure. Speaking after his investiture in Abuja, recently, Oramah described Hepatitis C as a “silent killer”, despite the fact that it is “preventable, curable” yet underdiagnosed.

“This year, we shall champion a national campaign for awareness, screening, and early treatment, in partnership with government and health agencies”, he said.

He listed the two other priorities of his tenure as polio eradication in line with the global focus of Rotary International and combatting diabetes through early detection and awareness creation.

Describing diabetes as “a growing yet often overlooked health crisis that

continues to claim lives, especially in underserved communities where access to routine screenings and preventive healthcare is limited”.

He said Rotary Sapphire will, through Strategic Community Outreach, offer free screenings, educational campaigns, and interactive health sessions to raise awareness about the risk factors and early signs of diabetes.

He also said they would partner with local healthcare providers

to provide a sustainable support system for those diagnosed with Diabetes.

Oramah thanked the immediate past president, Oby Onwukeme and her team for their commendable leadership and dedicated service, adding that his team’s goal for the rotary year was not just for continuity, “but for bold action that moves Nigeria closer to a hepatitis-free future”.

Editor: Festus Akanbi

When Service Ends in Suffering

Retired police officers weep over meagre pensions as experts warn that abandoning the Contributory Pension Scheme would plunge the nation back into chaos, writes Festus Akanbi

When a man who has given 35 years of his life to his nation, waking before dawn, chasing criminals, enduring sleepless nights, facing bullets, and sacrificing family comfort, retires with just N2 million to show for it, the question must be asked: What does loyalty mean in Nigeria?

That was the haunting reality last week when a retired Superintendent of Police openly rejected his retirement benefits. His “reward” for three and a half decades of service was N3 million in gratuity and arrears, a sum he called not just small, but an insult. His frustration captured the pain of thousands of pensioners across Nigeria who feel abandoned, discarded, and humiliated in their old age.

The federal government’s decision last week to appoint a new Chairman for the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje, may have prevented an immediate labour strike.

The Organised Labour had given an ultimatum for the government to reconstitute the PenCom’s board or face an industrial crisis, and the federal government complied on Monday. The labour had believed a reconstituted board would be able to address all challenges slowing down pension payments.

But beyond the political theatre, lies a deeper national wound: the Nigerian pension system, particularly under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), is being called out as inadequate, unjust, and in urgent need of reform.

The Pension Promise That Became a Nightmare PenCom, created to regulate and supervise pension fund administrators (PFAs), was meant to guarantee retirees a decent life after service. Under the CPS, workers contribute eight per cent of their salaries, while the government or employer adds ten per cent. In theory, these savings, managed by PFAs, are invested and returned as pensions and gratuities.

In reality, however, many pensioners find themselves trapped in poverty. Retired police officers have been particularly vocal, with some taking to social media in tears. Viral videos show men who once protected the country lamenting that their pensions, sometimes as little as N1 million after decades of work, cannot even cover rent, medical bills, or their children’s education.

It is not just about figures; it is about dignity. Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, admitted this reality in Abuja last week: “Most retired officers of the Nigerian Police Force live in conditions that are not only unacceptable but humiliating. Their monthly pension under the CPS is maximally low and roughly inadequate to meet even the most basic needs.”

When the head of the police himself uses the

word humiliating, it signals a system that is deeply broken.

Cry to Return to the Old System

Faced with such hardship, many police officers are now demanding an exit from the CPS to return to the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS), the system Nigeria abandoned two decades ago. Under DBS, retirees were paid directly by government budgets, supposedly guaranteeing fixed payments. But analysts warn against romanticising the DBS. It was a system riddled with corruption, ghost pensioners, mismanagement, and chronic delays. Nigerians will not forget the television images of frail retirees collapsing in endless queues outside pension offices, waiting for payments that never came. Some died before collecting a single kobo.

The CPS, introduced through the Pension Reform Act 2014, was designed to fix those problems by ensuring transparency, funding sustainability, and legal protection. It may not be perfect, but it is still better than the chaos of the past. As policy analyst Ahmadu Lagbaja noted: “The clamour to abandon the CPS in favour of DBS is misplaced. The complaints about low pension payouts are reflections of inadequate salaries

during service. A man who earns little cannot expect a fat pension.”

This truth is bitter. A retirement package is only as strong as the salary base it is built on. For police officers and many public servants whose pay has historically been low, the pension outcome will naturally be modest, regardless of the system in place.

Human Cost

But explaining this to hungry pensioners is another matter. Numbers and policies mean little to a man who cannot afford drugs for hypertension. They mean nothing to a widow struggling to feed children after her husband served the nation faithfully but left her with pennies.

The human cost of Nigeria’s pension failures is everywhere. It shows in the gaunt faces of old men who line up at banks, clutching pension slips like lifelines. It shows in the bitterness of officers still in service, who look at their retired colleagues and wonder if their futures are worth the sacrifice. Some analysts warn that this despair could fuel insecurity, as officers tempted by hopeless retirements may misuse their skills for survival.

Demands for Reform

Retirees are not just lamenting; they are proposing solutions. The National Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (NARPON) has called for measures which include an increased government contribution, from the current 10% to 20%, in addition to officers’ 8%, bringing total contributions to 28%.

They are also calling for supplementary pension schemes like those at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), and the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), where agencies fund additional benefits for their retirees.

They also call for special budgetary provisions to reflect the unique hazards of policing. These proposals make sense. Policing is not like any other job; it comes with daily risks to life. If bankers and oil workers can retire with dignity, surely those who chase armed robbers and terrorists deserve the same.

Why Salaries Matter

Still, experts insist that reforms must go beyond pension formulas. The core issue is poor remuneration during active service. Pension consultant Ibrahim Shehu Musa argues that without a solid salary base, pension outcomes will remain inadequate under any scheme. He recommends regular

salary reviews for the police and other critical services; timely remittance of contributions by the government; strengthening of NPF Pensions Limited to operate more efficiently; and sustained engagement with PenCom and lawmakers for policy reforms.

Not all is gloom. On June 18, 2025, PenCom announced a central upward review of pensions under the CPS, alongside a recommendation for 100% gratuity payment at retirement for public servants. If implemented, this would ease immediate financial burdens and restore some faith in the system.

Equally significant is the pending approval of N758 billion in outstanding pension shortfalls for security agencies by the National Assembly. If released, this could dramatically improve retirement benefits for many officers. Analysts urge the police hierarchy to lobby harder for this disbursement rather than dismantle the CPS.

History must guide Nigeria’s choices. The DBS era was marked by untold suffering. The CPS, though flawed, offers a structure that can be fixed. As Lagbaja reminded, “The path is not backwards into a broken past, but forward into a reformed, responsive, and fair pension future.”

Ultimately, the pension debate is not just about figures; it is about fairness. A nation that spends billions on political offices but leaves its pensioners in penury is a nation that has lost its moral compass. Retirees are not beggars; they are men and women who have already paid their dues. To watch them suffer is to betray the very values of service and sacrifice.

Nigeria stands at a crossroads. It can either patch the cracks in the CPS, increase contributions, improve salaries, and release owed funds, or it can allow its pensioners to sink deeper into despair. The choice will define not just the future of the police or civil service, but the character of the nation itself.

The new PenCom Chairman has inherited more than a regulatory role; he has inherited a moral responsibility. The pension crisis is not just an economic issue; it is a humanitarian one. Until Nigerian pensioners can retire with dignity, the nation’s conscience will remain burdened.

For every old man clutching N2 million after 35 years of service, for every widow counting pennies after her husband’s death in the line of duty, for every officer still in uniform wondering if loyalty is worth it, pension reform is not optional. It is urgent. The cry of pensioners is the cry of justice. And justice, delayed or denied, weakens the very foundation of the state.

FINANCE

Impact Capital at Work in Nigeria

With traditional finance struggling to close Nigeria’s infrastructure and social gaps, the Nigerian Capital Development Fund is positioning impact investing as a serious alternative for growth, writes Festus Akanbi

In Nigeria today, a quiet revolution is unfolding, not on the streets or in the corridors of power, but in the boardrooms where finance meets social good. It is called impact investing, a model that marries profit with purpose, and in many ways, it is reshaping the country’s development story. Impact investing refers to investments made with the intention of generating positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial return. Over the last decade, Nigeria has emerged as one of Africa’s most dynamic frontiers for this practice. The money is flowing into renewable energy, healthcare, agriculture, education, affordable housing, and financial inclusion. Yet, the heartbeat of this movement can be traced to one institution, the Nigerian Capital Development Fund (NCDF) Group.

From Aid to Impact

For decades, Nigeria relied heavily on donor funds and aid programmes. While these were lifesaving in critical moments, they were never designed to scale prosperity. “Necessity lit the fire,” says the founder of NCDF Group, Hareter Babatunde Oralusi, reflecting on Nigeria’s shift toward impact-driven finance. “We realised aid could stabilise, but only structured capital could build a sustainable future.”

The turning point came in the early 2010s, when entrepreneurs, diaspora investors, and forward-thinking policymakers started to demand new vehicles for development, models that would deliver both bankable returns and social dividends. Out of this demand, NCDF was born, a bridge between capital and communities.

Established as a public–private platform for inclusive finance, NCDF has grown into one of Nigeria’s foremost champions of blended financing and social investment. The organisation is not just raising capital, it is building systems for long-term impact. Its portfolio cuts across sectors that affect everyday lives, and this includes: Renewable energy and rural electrification, connecting off-grid communities to sustainable power. There is also the Diaspora-led affordable housing, targeting more than 10,000 homes for low- and middle-income earners. It also has on its list healthcare infrastructure, including e-health platforms and smart clinics. There is also the agriculture and agro-processing value chains, boosting food security and farmer incomes. Not left out are micro-insurance and digital financial services, expanding financial inclusion. The list also includes innovation financing for high-growth Nigerian startups.

In 2025, NCDF unveiled its most ambitious plan yet, the $1 billion Nigeria Impact Investment Development Plan (NIIDP). Aligned with Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025), the initiative seeks to catalyse large-scale investments across all six geopolitical zones, with the ultimate goal of supporting the government’s ambition of a $1trillion economy.

But for Oralusi, the plan is not about big numbers. “The $1 billion NIIDP is about unlocking livelihoods, dignity, and hope,” he explains. “For farmers, it means access to agro-processing hubs and off-take guarantees. For small businesses, it means affordable working capital. For young graduates, it means employability pathways through housing, healthcare tech, and entrepreneurship accelerators. NCDF isn’t just financing projects, we’re funding futures.”

Building a Platform for Policy and Practice

To entrench impact investing in Nigeria’s development DNA, NCDF created the Nigeria Impact Investment Summit (NIIS), an annual gathering that brings together policymakers, institutional investors, development finance institutions, and global partners.

NIIS has become more than a summit; it is now the marketplace where ideas, partnerships, and capital commitments are brokered. From launching SDG-aligned funds to training impact fund managers, the platform is shaping a new ecosystem where private capital works hand-in-hand with national development goals.

•Unlocking mortgages and cooperative construction finance

The Mission

At the heart of NCDF’s story is its founder, Hareter Babatunde Oralusi, born in Ibadan on September 28, 1971. His life reads like a bridge between worlds. rooted in Yoruba royal heritage yet sharpened by international education and global exposure.

Educated in Nigeria and Austria, Oralusi earned a master’s degree in Human Resource Management and Organisational Development from PEF Private University of Management in Vienna, and later advanced his business and management studies in the United Kingdom.

His career has spanned development finance, social enterprise, philanthropy, and politics. He founded EmergX Finance Corporation (UK), a regulated development finance institution that issues green and social bonds. He established the London School of Social Enterprise and Sustainable Economics, launched the NCDF Diaspora Impact Fund, and set up the Fatherland Foundation in the USA to link diaspora capital with African development needs.

In Nigeria, his public service has included a stint as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Osun State and later as Director General of the Forerunner Group during President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign. In 2021, he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), bringing his development-focused voice into the political mainstream.

But beyond titles, what stands out is his Ubuntu-inspired leadership philosophy: people first, dignity always.

The Diaspora as Co-Architects

If there is one theme that Oralusi returns to again and again, it is the role of Nigeria’s diaspora. “Diaspora capital is not just important,” he insists.

“It is indispensable. Donors operate in cycles. DFIs are often slow and risk-averse. The diaspora, however, brings speed, emotional equity, and economic relevance. They understand the problems because they lived them. They want to invest with heart, but also with discipline,” he added.

This thinking birthed the NCDF Diaspora Impact Fund, offering structured and regulated channels for diaspora Nigerians to invest in healthcare, renewable microgrids, and affordable housing. No longer passive remitters of money, diaspora Nigerians are being positioned as co-architects of development.

Housing: The Great Multiplier

Asked which sector holds the biggest promise for Nigeria’s impact future, Oralusi places his bet on housing. “Housing is the great multiplier,” he explains. “It drives job creation in construction and manufacturing. It improves health outcomes by providing safe environments. It anchors family wealth. Our Diaspora Affordable Housing Programme is already unlocking mortgages and cooperative construction finance while delivering returns. In five years, housing will have lifted more families out of vulnerability than any other sector.”

In a country with an estimated 17 million housing deficit, this focus could prove transformative.

For Oralusi, legacy is not about skyscrapers or monuments. “Legacy, for me, is not about buildings or titles. It’s about infrastructure that outlives intention, systems that keep working long after we’re gone. If I can be remembered as someone who built bridges between our people and their possibilities, then I have succeeded.”

Already, his work has helped transform Nigeria’s impact finance landscape from scattered projects into a coordinated ecosystem. Through NCDF’s funds and platforms, Nigerians are

proving that they need not beg for aid; they can build engines of equity. Or as he frames it, “We no longer begged for aid. We built engines of equity. And Baba HBO helped us start the engine.”

Nigeria’s economic story has often been tethered to oil and debt. But impact investing offers a fresh imagination: a model where money is not just extracted but multiplied in the service of people.

Through NCDF’s bold plans, diaspora capital, and Oralusi’s visionary leadership, Nigeria is laying the groundwork for an impact economy that could redefine its development trajectory. The stakes are high. But if this model succeeds, Nigeria may become not just Africa’s largest economy by GDP, but also its most inclusive economy, one where prosperity is measured in jobs created, houses built, communities electrified, and futures funded.

Funding Futures, Building Legacy

Oralusi speaks of legacy in terms that go beyond bricks and mortar. “Legacy, for me, is not about buildings or titles,” he reflects. It’s about infrastructure that outlives intention, systems that keep working long after we’re gone. If I can be remembered as someone who built bridges between our people and their possibilities, then I have succeeded.”

Already, his imprint is visible. NCDF has helped move Nigeria’s impact investing landscape from fragmented initiatives to a coordinated development finance ecosystem. Under his leadership, diaspora funds are flowing into Nigeria not as charity, but as structured, bankable investments. And through platforms like NIIS, the conversation about impact investing is no longer peripheral—it is central to Nigeria’s economic future.

Nigeria’s economic story has long been framed around oil, debt, and aid. But NCDF and Oralusi are helping to script a new chapter, one where the country becomes a laboratory for impact-driven prosperity. With initiatives in renewable energy, housing, healthcare, and digital finance, the promise is clear: capital can serve communities, and social change can be profitable.

For a nation aiming to build a $1 trillion economy, the stakes could not be higher. But if Oralusi’s vision is realised, Nigeria may yet prove that the real wealth of a nation lies not just in its resources, but in the ability of its people to fund their own future.

Forner Deputy Chief of Staff in the Presidency and a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, Prince Olusola Akanmode, recently marked his 75th birthday at his Abuja residence. Friends, associates and family members were there to honour him

PHOtOs: Julius Atoi

It is a national emergency that demands courageous, decisive, and sustained action, argues

CHETA NWANZE

THE MIDDLE BELT CRISIS

Afew days ago, in anticipation of a crucial discussion on NewsCentralTV, I outlined the unrelenting scourge consuming Nigeria’s Middle Belt. The conversation that followed, featuring analysts, activists, and journalists directly engaged with the crisis, did not merely echo the article’s warnings—it exposed a far more profound and terrifying reality. The conflict has evolved beyond a resource war into a complex human tragedy rooted in a history of state failure, institutionalised impunity, and a terrifying suspicion of state complicity.

The panel, comprising Confidence MacHarry of SBM Intelligence, Steven Kefas of the Middle Belt Times, Dr Haroun Yusuf Ademola, Ier Jonathan-Ichaver of Sesor, Stanley Kavwam of the Middle Belt Forum, and Zariyi Yusuf of Veritas University, unanimously agreed that the government’s framing of “clashes” is a dangerous misnomer. This is not a simple dispute between farmers and herders. As the discussion revealed, the violence bears the hallmarks of targeted campaigns, described by several panellists with terms like “religious conquest” and “genocide.” This shift in terminology is critical; it moves the conversation from managing a conflict to confronting an existential assault on communities.

The historical context provided was illuminating and damning. The roots of today’s violence stretch back beyond climate change and desertification to pre-colonial slave raids and the British colonial policy of indirect rule, which placed emirate agents over diverse Middle Belt populations. This institutional legacy created a deep-seated “political underclass” mentality and hardened ethnic and religious divisions that are now being violently exploited. The crisis is not an anomaly but the manifestation of a long-festering wound.

Perhaps the most resonant theme was the catastrophic failure of the Nigerian state. The centralised police force, designed to prevent regionalism, is now utterly ineffective at providing local security. The military is often viewed as absent or, worse, complicit. This security vacuum has fostered a culture of absolute impunity, where perpetrators are rarely pursued, and victims are often further victimised by security agencies that arrest local youths instead of their attackers. The government’s initiatives, like the National Livestock Transformation Plan, were exposed

as not just inadequate but as hollow performances lacking any political will for implementation. The discussion revealed a state that is not merely negligent but is, in the eyes of many, an active enabler through its inaction and politicisation of the crisis.

The human cost, detailed by those working on the front lines, is even more harrowing than the statistics suggest. Ier Jonathan-Ichaver and others painted a dire picture of the humanitarian catastrophe.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are not just numbers; they are millions living in squalor outside official camps, abandoned by the government and reliant on overstretched host communities and NGOs. The long-term consequences—mass trauma, a generation of children deprived of education and raised amidst hatred, the utter degradation of human capital—ensure that this crisis will poison Nigerian society for decades to come.

Alarmingly, the discussion confirmed that community anger is reaching a boiling point. The justified fury over government inaction is dangerously morphing into ethno-religious antagonism, threatening to trigger cycles of revenge violence that could shatter the country even further. When a state fails to protect its citizens and dispense justice, people inevitably seek their own, often targeting innocent civilians from perceived antagonist groups.

So, where do we go from here? The solutions proposed were radical yet necessary. There is a clear consensus that tinkering at the edges is futile. We need a fundamental restructuring of security through deep decentralisation, empowering communities to have a direct stake in their own defence within a robust legal framework. There must be a genuine, impartial effort to prosecute perpetrators and, crucially, any state officials found to be complicit. Furthermore, organisations behind these attacks must be officially proscribed as terrorist groups, removing the veil of ambiguity that allows them to operate.

The conversation on NewsCentralTV was a stark reminder that this is Nigeria’s most urgent crisis. It is a multi-headed monster of historical grievance, criminal impunity, political failure, and humanitarian despair. The time for soft-pedalling and political correctness is over. We must call this what it is: a national emergency that demands courageous, decisive, and sustained action. The fate of the Middle Belt is the fate of Nigeria. If we allow it to fall, the entire nation will follow.

OBOREVWORI’S VISION

The reforms in the education sector underscore the competitive edge of Delta students, contends RAY UMUKORO

Call them President Bola Tinubu’s kids; then Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s children. You won’t be wrong. For in reality, that sums up the story of five young Deltans who left Nigeria as national champions to compete in Qatar and returned to the country as global champions. They brought honour and fame to Nigeria, to Delta State and to their respective schools and families.

Take a bow: Wisdom Chukwuma of Government College, Ughelli; Otorvo Uyoyou of Alegbo Secondary School, Effurun; Abraham Honour of Okpaka Secondary School, Okpaka; Ekhamateh Splendour of Government Model Secondary School, Asaba; and Alika Daniel of Utagba-Ogbe Grammar School, Kwale. They are all students of public schools in Delta.

Ahead of their stellar performance in Qatar, they had emerged champions at the 2025 President’s National Basic Education Debate Championship, which earned them the ticket to represent Nigeria at the World Schools Debate Championship in Doha, Qatar.

To emerge champions in the national President’s schools debate, they out-performed other young debaters from 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. They showed oratory, lexical elegance, critical thinking, linguistic sophistry, stage craft, teamwork and typical Delta spirit of selfconfidence and charisma. The Delta quintet showed no butterflies. They were assertive and compelling in their arguments, persuasive with a splash of eloquence. They were not fazed by the audience. They possessed every stage of the national competition, wowing the audience with raw intelligence, logicality and an uncanny ability to verbalise their thoughts at the speed of light. Besides, they evinced a firm grasp of contemporary issues in a manner that truly set them apart from their competitors.

The Delta-Five simply owned the national debate championship. They made it their show with a dash of distinction. That was the badge of honour they took to the 2025 World Basic Schools Debate Championship held in Doha, Qatar. And they excelled against competition from United States of America and host nation, Qatar, debating on climate change, youth empowerment and responsible technology use.

It was a triumph of ‘the spirit of Delta’ and a testament to the strategic investment in education by Oborevwori; an investment that spans teachers recruitment, capacity building, infrastructure addition and upgrade, welfare of education personnel across the value chain, all of which have created the conducive ergonomics for experiential learning.

One common feature in Delta public education is funding. Oborevwori, himself a product of public-school system, believes that with the right tools, upskilled personnel, and good funding, Nigeria public schools can rival any in the world. He was the first governor to pay the 2025 counterpart funding for UBEC-SUBEB projects. His unrelenting push for quality academic and technical education has manifested in more school enrolments, improved performance in external examinations and enhanced technical competencies among youths in the state. It is a template worthy of national implementation.

A strong advocate of performance-based reward, the governor gifted each of the five students and their handlers with a goodly N20 million. Oborevwori is an ideal intentional leader whose predilection to welfare has been legendary all through his public life. He believes that governments at all levels must be people-centric. It was the same spirit of people-centred leadership that made him launch the Widows Welfare Scheme, which seeks to empower 10,000 widows

through direct financial aid and access to free healthcare as well as the release of N10 billion to clear outstanding pension arrears owed to retirees in the state. This bucks the trend whereby retirees wait on end before receiving their deserved entitlements. Nigeria has had a poor sense of welfare for pensioners with hundreds dropping dead while waiting to be paid or while protesting non-payment of their pensions and gratuities. In a particular south-west state in 2015, 236 pensioners reportedly died in seven months as a result of the inability of the state government to pay their pension and gratuity, according to a Radio Nigeria report at that time. Even at the federal level, the issue of delayed payment and in some cases non-payment of pension has caused strains and deaths of retires in a manner that is not only shameful but affronts the fundamental rights of the retirees.

There has been a toxic pattern of owing retirees across the country. But not so with Oborevwori. He believes that while governance focuses on building infrastructure across all spectrum of endeavour, the human element in society must never be neglected. He sees this as a duty, an undeniable obligation to humanity. And he has kept his word. So far, a total of N36.4 billion had been paid in pensions, and N1.4 billion is being released for payment of pensions monthly since he assumed office.

“Our retirees are men and women who gave their best years in service to the state. It is only just that they receive what is duly owed to them, and under my watch, their welfare will remain top priority,” he said recently during a meeting with the state’s Pension Board.

Leadership in emerging economies like Nigeria must be deliberate in visioning, and purposeful in implementation. This was the model of Lee Kuan Yew, the architect of modern Singapore. He was devoted to quality education of Singaporeans and the enthronement of merit over sundry mundane considerations. He enforced the learning of English language making Singaporeans bilingual and becoming globally competitive. This deliberateness in leadership led to the emergence of Singapore from the ruins of war into a frontline global economy. Indeed, success is neither an accident nor a happenstance. It comes from a premeditated visioning of a desired destination and calculated implementation of the critical processes that will lead to that destination. Oborevwori from the outset promised to deliver a MORE agenda of Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security.

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

ISSUES IN THE REVENUE SHARING FORMULA

There is need to devolve more financial resources to the states and local governments

When in 2021, then President Muhammadu Buhari received the report of the review of the vertical revenue allocation formula from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), we didn’t believe the recommendations went far enough. At that time, the commission proposed a sharing formula of 45.17 per cent for the federal government, 29.79 per cent for the 36 states and 21.04 per cent for the 774 local government areas. Now that the RMAFC has commenced a fresh review of the revenue allocation formula for the three tiers of government, it is important that their recommendations be more reflective of our federal structure and the challenges at hand.

The revenue allocation formula is the proportion of resources accruing to the federation that goes to each of the constituent units. It also defines the slice of the resources retained in the territories where they are generated as well as the proportions of the revenue accruing to the collecting agencies of government. “The commission has resolved to initiate the process of reviewing the revenue allocation formula to reflect emerging socio-economic realities,” the RMAFC chairman, Mohammed Shehu, said last week. “The aim of this review is to produce a fair, just, and equitable revenue-sharing formula….”

It makes little sense that the federal government has more than a fair share of the resources of the country to the detriment of other units that are closer to the people

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It is indeed unfortunate that despite more than 26 years of democratic rule, the country’s revenue allocation formula is still stuck in the past. Established in 1989, the RMAFC came up with the current revenue formula in 1992 during the military era of General Ibrahim Babangida. Under the prevailing formula, the federal government appropriates 52.68 per cent, the 36 states take 26.72 per cent while the 774 local government areas in the country share 20.60 per cent every month. We have always argued that it makes little sense that the federal government has more than a fair share of the resources of the country to the detriment of other units that are closer to the people with plenty of needs and responsibilities. Besides, the horizontal distribution of resources among

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the states encourages outright laziness. By virtue of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the RMAFC is empowered to review the revenue allocation formula from time to time to reflect changing realities. But attempts to tinker with the sharing arrangement have always been thwarted by the federal government, perhaps for fear of losing its hefty share of the ‘national cake’. Even though a report was presented to him in 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan could not present the draft revenue formula to the National Assembly before his tenure lapsed two years later. The same game was played by President Buhari who said his decision on the matter would rest on “the outcome of the constitutional review process, especially as some of the proposed amendments would have a bearing on the recommendations contained herein.” The 2021 report, which devolved some critical responsibilities from the Exclusive to the Concurrent Legislative List, was eventually abandoned.

We therefore hope that the RMAFC is not embarking on another fruitless journey. Across the country today, the consensus is that there is urgent need to devolve more financial resources from the centre to the states and local governments. But while we endorse the clamour for a more equitable sharing formula, we nonetheless believe that we are not generating enough for our size and need as a country.

With a fixation on ‘sharing the national cake,’ mostly oil rent, the revenue allocation formula has always been a contentious issue. Perceived lack of fairness on resource allocation often accounts for tension in the polity. Yet, the most important challenge in Nigeria today is not how revenue is shared but the revenue itself. Nigeria’s revenue as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is considered one of the lowest in the world. It was approximately 8.5 per cent in 2023 while the African average is 16 per cent.

It is more productive to concentrate efforts on how to improve revenue generation across the board than the fixation on sharing. We have a huge revenue problem. And we must begin to fix that too.

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

LETTERS

NIGERIA’S RECENT SUCCESSES IN COUNTERTERRORISM

Nigeria’s security agencies have achieved a remarkable breakthrough in the war against terrorism with the capture of two senior leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, an Al-Qaedaaffiliated network notorious for orchestrating high-profile attacks and kidnappings across the country, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

The arrested leaders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman of Ansaru and Mahmud al-Nigeri of the Mahmuda faction, are both internationally wanted terrorists whose activities have destabilized communities and threatened regional peace. Their capture represents not just a symbolic victory, but a substantial disruption of terrorist command structures within the region.

This milestone has drawn widespread commendation from Nigerians and the international community alike. Special recognition has gone to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his leadership in coordinating the high-risk,

intelligence-driven operations between May and July 2025 that made this success possible. The operation involved sophisticated intelligence-sharing, inter-agency cooperation, and ground-level community collaboration, elements that reflect the growing professionalism of Nigeria’s counterterrorism strategy.

While this is an achievement worth celebrating, the question remains: what next? Should Nigeria rest on this success, or use it as a springboard for broader and deeper security reforms?

The arrests have underscored a critical truth: effective counterterrorism depends on three key pillars: intelligence gathering, the use of modern technology, and active participation by local communities. These are not one-off tools but continuous strategies that must be embedded into Nigeria’s national security framework. Going forward, the NSA and the security agencies must sustain the momentum

and remain proactive. Terrorist groups such as Ansaru, ISWAP, Mahmuda, Boko Haram, and organized bandit networks specializing in ransom kidnappings and rural attacks will inevitably attempt to restrategize. The likelihood of new leaders filling the vacuum left by these arrests is high, and with it comes the danger of retaliatory strikes.

Encouragingly, Nigeria’s international partners have acknowledged this achievement as a significant turning point. The United States government has approved a $346 million arms deal to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to confront insurgency and criminal organizations. Beyond arms, this reflects a renewed confidence in Nigeria’s security leadership and provides an opportunity for deeper cooperation in intelligence, training, and technology transfer.

Despite this progress, Nigeria still faces a complex, multidimensional security challenge.

From terrorist groups operating in the Northeast, to bandits and kidnappers terrorizing

the Northwest and North Central, to separatist violence in the Southeast and oil theft in the Niger Delta, insecurity continues to manifest in diverse forms. These challenges are interlinked and often fuel one another, meaning that victories in one area must be consolidated and expanded to prevent resurgence elsewhere.

The capture of these high-profile terrorist leaders is, therefore, not an end but a beginning. It represents both an opportunity and a test: an opportunity to further weaken terrorist networks, and a test of Nigeria’s ability to sustain, scale, and institutionalize success. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Nigeria’s security agencies must continue to receive commendation, resources, and unwavering political support to consolidate on this achievement and advance toward lasting peace and security for all Nigerians.

Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja

Streaming Platforms Urged to Release Data as New Report Shows Gaps

• Nollywood loses N10bn to piracy annually

Vanessa Obioha

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s creative sector are calling for greater transparency from music streaming platforms after a new report revealed major data gaps in royalty disclosures.

The findings, presented at the close-out ceremony of the Nigeria Creative Ecosystem Growth and Innovative Initiative (NCEGII) in Lagos, were drawn from research by Tech4Dev in partnership with the UK Nigeria Tech Hub and UK International Development. The study examined four major areas of the sector: film, music, fashion, and content creation, and revealed that they could only get royalty data from Spotify. Earlier in the year, Spotify revealed that Nigerian artists earned 58 billion from the platform in 2024.

Despite the dominance of services such as Boomplay, Audiomack, and Apple Music, their royalty data remains unavailable. This opacity, stakeholders argued, makes it difficult to assess the true economic value of Nigerian music globally.

While Apple Music reportedly pays an average of $0.01 per stream, it does not provide local data on earnings. Spotify remains the exception with its annual Wrapped data, which provides transparent figures across all the markets where it operates. Yet, Nigerian artists still earn low.

“Royalties Nigerian artists get are still meagre compared to international peers,” noted Michael John, former country manager of Tech4Dev, during his analysis.

The report also highlighted the economic significance of Nollywood, estimating that the film industry generates $616 million annually, making it the world’s second-largest by output volume. Yet the industry loses about 10 billion each year to piracy.

Describing piracy as a “persistent threat,” the report cited DVD leaks and online re-uploads—often disguised with misleading thumbnails or metadata— that drain long-term revenue and waste valuable time on takedowns.

Beyond music and film, the report found that

only 17 per cent of Nigerian content creators earn a consistent income from platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, while the fashion industry is valued at about $600 million, thanks to the fusion of urban culture, heritage, and global design influences.

The research, conducted across seven states — Lagos, Cross River, Adamawa, Kwara, Kano, Plateau, and Anambra — also exposed sharp regional disparities. Lagos remains the dominant hub, while states such as Adamawa, Kwara, and Plateau show strong creative potential but face severe deficits in infrastructure, skills, and policy support. In Anambra, for instance, 70.2 per cent of creators are under 35, yet 45 per cent have only a secondary education. Most rely on self-taught skills, with little or no access to training in branding, editing, or intellectual property protection. In Adamawa, more than half of filmmakers surveyed pointed to high data costs as a major obstacle.

The report generally identified human capital, technology, finance, policy, and inclusion, as they give pillars critical to unlocking growth. It showed that financial systems are poorly adapted to the needs of creative enterprises, with banks reluctant to lend against intangible assets like intellectual property. While policy frameworks show some progress with the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy and the passage of the 2022 Copyright Act, enforcement and inter-agency coordination, it stated, remain weak. Inclusion gaps persist, particularly for women, rural creators, and non-Lagos-based talent.

“The creative sector is one of the largest employers of labour,” said Co-founder and Executive Director of Tech4Dev, Oladiwura Oladepo. “It is the secondlargest after agriculture. And we felt like it was the right opportunity to look into the sector. I think everyone knows that the creative economy is gaining a lot of global recognition and we just thought it was a great industry to zoom in on. What does the entire value chain look like, and where are the opportunities that Nigerians could tap into to be able to be part of it?”

The ceremony also saw the launch of the Nigeria

Creative Digital Tracker, a new tool designed to map opportunities, strengthen innovation, and provide actionable insights across film, music, fashion, and digital content creation.

BBNaijaS10 Update: After Isabella’s Kiss with Kola, Will Kayikunmi Still Wait for His Beau?

It was all about the ‘kiss’ after last Thursday’s pool party in Biggie’s house. Housemates and viewers couldn’t stop buzzing after some eyewitnesses revealed that Isabella and Kola had locked lips, with Sultana giving a rather detailed account to Gigi, Jasmine, and Thelma. According to her, it was no ordinary kiss. Housemates reacted with playful shock, viewing Isabella’s move as a betrayal of her romance with recently evicted lover, Kayikunmi (fondly called KK). But Isabella kept her cool, telling Kuture and Imisi she only kissed Kola because she missed KK. To prove it was nothing serious, she even planted a quick kiss on Imisi, brushing the whole act off as fun. Kola, on the other hand, seemed caught in a tougher spot. He has openly pursued fellow housemate Dede, and just earlier at the party, she even let him dance with her. So, switching from his supposed love interest to kissing Isabella raised eyebrows. To Bright Morgan, he

BFI LFF Announces Best Film Nominees for 2025 Edition

Vanessa Obioha

The British Film Institute (BFI) London Film Festival (LFF) has announced the nominees for this year’s Best Film official competition. The Best Film Award recognises inspiring, inventive and distinctive filmmaking. It was established in 2009 and first won by Jacques Audiard for ‘A Prophet.’

“This year’s Official Competition brings together new work from filmmakers across the globe, with films from the UK, USA, Argentina, Italy, South Korea, Vietnam, Tunisia and beyond,” the festival said in a statement. “The selection showcases a wide range of voices and styles, from intimate

portraits and historical epics, to formally daring hybrids of fiction and documentary.”

This year’s nominees are ‘Bad Apples’ (Jonatan Etzler); ‘Black is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story’ (Yemi Bamiro); ‘Black Rabbit, White Rabbit’ (Shahram Mokri); ‘Hair, Paper, Water’ (Nicolas Graux, Trng Minh Quý); ‘Hedda’ (Nia DaCosta); ‘Landmarks’ (Lucrecia Martel); ‘Rose of Nevada’ (Mark Jenkin); ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ (Mona Fastvold); ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ (Kaouther Ben Hania); and ‘The World of Love’ (Yoon Ga-eun).

The 2025 edition of the festival will take place from 8-19 October in London.

insisted the kiss meant nothing and nervously asked if he still seemed “normal,” given how the housemates screamed his name afterwards.

KK and Isabella’s ship may have hit the rock with this kiss. The night before his eviction, KK had confessed his genuine feelings to Isabella and his intention to take it beyond the show. He reiterated this during his post-eviction interview, stressing that he would not only wait for her but also vote for her.

In his words, he isn’t ready to entertain any other relationship. Well, with his heart glued to Isabella, the lover boy has no room for another. With Isabella kissing another housemate barely a week after his exit, fans now wonder if her actions will shake his resolve.

As for Isabella, can she “hold body” till the end of the show, or will her impulsive kiss sink her romance for good? Meanwhile, all the housemates are up for eviction except for the Head of House Zita, Faith, Mensan and Jason Jae.

AdedojA Allen

Frequency

They call her the Fixer CEO. Adedoja Allen didn’t plan to be in the media, let alone run one of Lagos’ top radio stations. But with sharp instincts and an unshakable love for numbers, she rewrote the rules. And in doing so, she found her true frequency. Having marked her 50th birthday recently, she’s dialling up the numbers again. This time, to help more women become effective business leaders. Vanessa Obioha writes.

I Want to Be Remembered as a Very Good Mentor

Within seconds of meeting Adedoja Allen, the Managing Director of City FM, one gets a sense of her essence. She is bold, driven, and not easily deterred by challenges.

It was in 2012 that Allen was asked to take the reins at City FM. At the time, the radio station was running at a loss and needed a swift intervention.

Given her track record of successfully running businesses – from starting her career at the BBC in 2002 to her time at Telecom Express and ARM Investment Managers – she was seen as the right person to steer the radio station back on track. It was no small feat, especially considering that no woman had held the position of CEO in a broadcast station at the time. Add to that the fact that Allen didn’t have a traditional media background — she studied mathematics and later earned a master’s in Business and Information Technology at Aston University, Birmingham — and the challenge seemed even more formidable.

But not for Allen. On LinkedIn, she proudly identifies as the “Fixer CEO.”

“The reason why I call myself a fixer is that I believe I have what it takes to fix any bad situation,” she told me in a recent afternoon in her office.

“If you give me an organisation or a project to fix or turn around,” she continued, “or you have some struggling areas, and you’re looking for someone that’s going to be hands-on, that will be able to take this business from this level to a higher or international level. Someone you can share your vision with and can help you achieve your goals, put me in there and I gotta fix it,” she said confidently.

And fix it she did. Within three years of taking over, City FM began to turn a profit. Today, it’s one of Lagos’ leading lifestyle stations, attracting both advertisers and an urban audience. Her future ambition includes an expansion of the radio station.

For Allen, media organisations should be led not only by people who are passionate about journalism, but also by those who understand business metrics. According to her, it is not enough to run a station or a media organisation from a place of passion alone. It must also be seen as a business that must make a profit.

Although Allen is often mistaken for a journalist and has even been recognised as one of the powerful female journalists, she is quick to clarify that she cannot wear the full hat of a journalist.

“I don’t want to be seen as a full journalist, because I can transition into any other industry. I want you to see me as a business person, a numbers person, someone who can drive processes. A very strong negotiator. I’m a business professional who is running a media organisation.”

She considers her venture into journalism accidental. For all she knew, she wanted to study electrical

engineering at the university but ended up studying mathematics as she didn’t meet the cut-off mark for her preferred course.

“But God had other plans for me, and I ended up being in the mathematics department. My uncle advised me that mathematics was equally good and that I could still study engineering if I wanted to,” she said.

Looking back, she acknowledges that her interest in engineering was more about societal expectations than passion.

“I grew up at a time when everyone either wanted to be a doctor or an engineer.”

Allen was equally good with maths, having excelled exceptionally in mathematics and further maths in her secondary school days. By the time she studied mathematics at the university, it was only natural that she would be outstanding with numbers.

“I’m highly numerate,” she said. “I’m fantastic with numbers. I love numbers. I’m not the type of person who appears scared when I look at numbers. So when I see numbers, it just sticks in my head and I’m able to just navigate my way around numbers.”

would want to marry.’ I kid you not. So that got me and that was how I began to drop my GPA intentionally. I just told myself that there’s no point in first class. I already had a strong 2:1 (Second Class Upper) in my third year. I thought it was good enough so I can graduate with that. I will never forget my studying partner, a guy who graduated with a first-class in Mathematics.”

To date, that experience remains one of the indelible lessons in her life. Despite this, many peers continue to assume she graduated with first-class honours.

“They forgot that I had a 2:1 because of my brilliance. I just smile whenever they say such.”

On July 30, Allen clocked 50. It’s a milestone that often requires deep reflection. For her, that introspection began on the first day of the year.

“At the start of the year, January 1, I said to myself: ‘Doja, you’ll be 50 this year. What have you achieved? What is your success story? What are your failures? What are your challenges? Where you have failed, have you assessed why you have failed? What are you going to do better? More importantly, Doja, now that you’re 50, what’s next?’”

She is yet to find all the answers to her questions, but one thing is certain: she sets goals for herself each year. One of them is the recently concluded She Leads programme. It was a free one-day mentorship for female business entrepreneurs and aspiring female leaders. The event, which was meant to host 100 participants, ended up with 180 registered within two weeks of the announcement. The significance of the oversubscription is not lost on Allen.

Allen was raised by a strong, independent mother who taught her responsibility from a young age. Her father passed away when she was just eight.

“My mother brought me up to be extremely independent and responsible. I knew what I wanted immediately from life. I knew I needed to be very successful in life.”

That sense of purpose led her to aim for a first-class university degree.

“When I was at the university, I wanted to have a First Class. In fact, I was gunning for a First Class as soon as I entered the University of Ibadan.”

Things, however, didn’t go as planned. Peer pressure interfered.

“So I started off moving towards the first class. You will not believe what happened,” she said, her tone turning serious. “You see, when we talk about how the kind of company we keep influences us, honestly, I think I had that a lot back then. I had my friends and companions in the university whisper things to me. I was at the top of my department. They would say, ‘Oh, you know, you’re very brilliant. You’re very sound. If you have a First Class, you’re not going to get married. No man

“That tells me that people are hungry for knowledge and mentorship. We need to ignite one another. Imagine having 20 successful women, and by successful, I don’t mean moneywise. I mean women who are experienced in different areas, it could be women like me who are working and trying to survive in a male-dominated industry, or women who can advise on a business challenge or know how to navigate certain processes.

“Imagine these women sharing their experiences with others who need it. That’s the kind of atmosphere I want to create. Where women can come together, ignite one another, encourage each other, motivate each other, and pull each other up. It’s not time to give up. Many people are willing to give up given what’s going on in the economy and the world at large. So let’s have platforms like She Leads that can help them navigate these challenges.”

Allen is particular about how she wants to be remembered.

“When you call Doja Allen, I want to be remembered as a very good mentor, a go-to person. Someone you can call if you need counsel or mentorship, or someone to lead you in a particular area, or someone to connect you to something or someone. Doja is your go-to person. I want you to see me as that person that you can speak to, that you can pick up your phone and call at any time.”

with KAYoDe ALFreD 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous

Will Tinubu Decide Who Wins Lagos in 2027?

No election is ever really far away in Lagos. Even with two years to go, the 2027 governorship race has already taken on the rhythm of a street carnival.

According to critics, since Lagos politics has always felt less like a chessboard and more like a crowded bus, it is no surprise that everyone is pushing forward and nobody is willing to step back. In such a seemingly chaotic space, is it weird to wonder whether President Bola Tinubu will be the one to decide who takes the driver’s seat?

Already, former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s Support Group is pressing for a comeback. Their volunteers knock on doors, urging voters to dust off their PVCs. To them, Ambode is the man to carry Tinubu’s banner in Lagos, a steady hand to steady the party.

Not every institution marks time with chandeliers and violins, but Zenith Bank’s 35th anniversary felt less like an event and more like a coronation. At Eko Convention Centre, the city’s power brokers gathered to salute a bank that has come to embody Nigeria’s financial imagination.

Others, however, believe Lagos should be more than a presidential fiefdom. Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour insists leadership is Nigeria’s deepest wound. In his telling, the future won’t be decided by recycled names but by a coalition bold enough to wrest power from the ruling party’s grip.

And then there’s MC Oluomo. With a grin and a microphone, he has already crowned Seyi Tinubu, the president’s son, as Lagos’s “future of progressive leadership.”

The endorsement, as expected, went viral, sparking memes, outrage, and no shortage of speculation about dynasties in the making.

But prophecies have entered the fray, too.

Primate Elijah Ayodele warns that Lagos could slip away if the APC insists on an anointed candidate. “With the wrong choice,” he declared, “Lagos will be on fire.” Even faith, it seems, has grown wary of imposition.

Jim Ovia: The Game Changer Back at

The evening sparkled with speeches and tributes. Governors, business titans, regulators, and alumni filled the hall, their applause not just for longevity but for resilience. Awards were given to pioneer customers and long-serving staff, reminders that behind every financial empire are ordinary people who stay the course.

At the centre stood Jim Ovia, founder and chairman, hailed as the architect of Nigeria’s most profitable bank. Long before fintech was fashionable, he wove technology into banking’s fabric, turning innovation into a philosophy rather than a catchphrase. His foresight made Zenith less a bank than a compass for an entire sector.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, himself a Zenith alumnus, praised Ovia for placing excellence at the heart of Nigerian banking. Group Managing Director Adaora Umeoji

the Zenith

called him the Nostradamus of finance, crediting his tenacity and integrity for turning a modest vision into a continental powerhouse. The room nodded, because the proof was already in the balance sheets.

But Ovia’s story stretches beyond spreadsheets. From a clerk in Lagos to degrees in Louisiana, to Harvard’s classrooms, he shaped his destiny against odds. His memoir, Africa Rise and Shine, insists that institutions only thrive when people do. It is why his legacy invests as much in human capital as in profits.

So the night closed not with nostalgia but with promise. Zenith, three and a half decades strong, looked less like a finished tale than a chapter mid-turn. And as Ovia lifted his glass, the crowd seemed to hold its breath, sensing that the game he changed was still being played.

Supremacy War Between Alaafin and Ooni of Ife

The Yoruba throne has never been a quiet seat. Last week, the silence broke into thunder as two of its most storied crowns clashed over who holds the right to speak for all of Yorubaland.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade 1, did not mince words. He accused the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, of daring to overstep by bestowing the title “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” on businessman Dotun Sanusi. Such an honour, the Alaafin insisted, belongs only in his own royal gift.

In a sharply worded ultimatum, the Alaafin demanded that the Ooni revoke the title within 48 hours or “face the consequences.” His aides drew on history and even Supreme Court rulings to argue that the authority to confer such sweeping titles resides exclusively in Oyo.

But in Ile-Ife, the Ooni’s camp laughed off the threat. His spokesman dismissed it as “an empty threat,” adding that the palace would not “dignify the

undignifyable.” For the Ooni’s court, the matter belongs in the public square, where opinion swirls and satire can sting sharper than decrees.

This is hardly their first quarrel. The two monarchs, who preside over rival thrones tied to the mythic origins of the Yoruba, have traded slights before. From sidestepped greetings at state events to thinly veiled jabs in the press, their rivalry has simmered in plain view.

Elders and cultural leaders are now calling for calm. Aare Ona Kakanfo, Gani Adams, likened the row to “a quarrel between two fathers” and urged Yoruba leaders to step in before old wounds split open again. The Yoruba Council of Elders echoed him, appealing for restraint and urging government intervention.

Yet beneath the appeals lies an unspoken question: when kings quarrel over crowns and titles, who really speaks for unity? For now, Yorubaland holds its breath, waiting to see if thunder gives way to rain—or fire.

Karl

Toriola’s Expanding Stage

Some executives climb ladders. Karl Toriola seems to build bridges: across languages, across markets, across the restless energy of African telecom. His latest crossing: MTN Group has appointed him Vice President for Francophone Africa, handing him oversight of Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Congo. Toriola is not new to this terrain. Before becoming CEO of MTN Nigeria in 2021, he spent years as the Group’s vice president for West and Central Africa. His return to a broader continental role signals both experience and trust in his ability to steady complex markets.

Trust, after all, has been his calling card. Under his watch, MTN Nigeria became the company’s crown jewel, delivering doubledigit growth in data, fintech, and network expansion. Nigeria’s revenues surged by nearly 38 per cent, while neighbouring Ghana doubled its earnings during the same period.

The expansion reflects MTN’s strategy to lean on West Africa, where growth remains vibrant, even as South Africa slows. Alongside Toriola’s appointment, Ferdinand Moolman takes the helm of MTN South Africa, and Yolanda Cuba steps in as deputy CEO, moves that underline a deliberate strengthening of leadership.

Yet beyond boardrooms and earnings calls, Toriola’s story carries the cadence of engineering roots and royal lineage. A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Wales, he is also a prince of Modakeke in Osun State, bound as much to tradition as to technology.

From Ericsson to Econet, from Congo Brazzaville to Cameroon, his career has mirrored the telecom boom that reshaped Africa. Each post seemed to prepare him for the next, each success laying the foundation for the continent-spanning stage he now occupies.

And so, at a moment when networks knit Africa’s future together, Toriola stands not merely as an executive but as a bridge himself: between old towns and new towers, between ancestral crowns and fibre-optic cables, between the promise of connection and the business of making it real.

at 50: A Golden Age for Niger Delta’s Son

Fifty is not merely an age; in Nigeria, the norm is for it to arrive as both milestone and mirror. For Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, the moment is less a pause than a prelude. His story sings of activism, scholarship, and a restless devotion to his people.

Born in Ayakoro, Bayelsa State, Ogbuku’s early years carried the rhythm of the Delta’s creeks and the weight of its struggles. From Christ the King School in Port Harcourt to a doctorate in Development Studies, his education became less a résumé ogbuku

line and more a compass pointing toward service.

That compass first led him into the fiery politics of the Ijaw Youth Council, where he cut his teeth as a student activist. Later, it steered him into public service (Chief of Staff in Yenagoa, adviser in the Senate, ally to the Ministry of Petroleum) roles that sharpened his capacity to navigate conflict and governance.

President Bola Tinubu, in celebrating his 50th birthday, called Ogbuku a “game-changer” for the Niger Delta. It is not an exaggeration. Under his leadership, the NDDC has pushed forward projects in infrastructure, health, agriculture, and environmental remediation,

areas where development has too often stalled. Beyond titles, Ogbuku wears the fabric of community. He is a farmer and traditional ruler, investing in livelihoods that sustain the Delta’s identity. He believes that youth engagement through dialogue, enterprise, and education remains the surest antidote to restiveness, the strongest bridge toward peace.

At 50, then, Ogbuku embodies a paradox: a man seasoned by decades of public life yet still charged with the energy of unfinished work. His journey reflects the hope that leadership in the Niger Delta can be as steady as the tides, as transformative as the oil wealth beneath its soil.

In Ogun, Ruling Party Feasts

While Quarrels Boil Within

whispers grow louder about betrayal, suspension, and the strange dance of friends turned rivals.

The state working committee recently ratified the suspension of two insiders: Senator Gbenga Daniel and Hon. Kunle Folarin. Both, accused of anti-party manoeuvres in their Sagamu wards, were invited to defend themselves. Both ignored the summons. The silence was as loud as a confession.

Committees reviewed documents, listened to witnesses, and alleged that the men had tried to intimidate petitioners. Harassment, interference, pressure—words that taste of politics’ oldest recipes. In the end, letters of indefinite suspension were inked, and the ruling party declared its house tidy.

But discipline on paper does not resolve the puzzle. Why would a man like Daniel, once a governor and now senator, turn his back on the very platform that carried him to power? What does anti-party really mean in a

state where the ruling party already towers over the opposition?

The PDP, smelling opportunity, insists hunger and hardship will decide 2027. Its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, promises a referendum at the ballot box: not on personalities but on empty pockets and restless nights. His words float like prophecy, daring the APC to believe its fortress is unshakable.

For Ogun, this is more than suspension drama. It is a study in ambition, in how men hedge their bets when tomorrow looks uncertain. The crisis may look like family quarrels today, but it also signals cracks that opposition parties hope to widen when the time comes.

And so, Ogun’s politics keeps its paradox: a dominant party that wins every headline yet cannot contain its own shadows. In this tension lies the question: will APC’s strength hold until 2027, or will these quiet betrayals prove that even victories can carry seeds of loss?

Mohammed Babangida: A New Chair at an Old Table

The news was not whispered; it arrived with noise. False reports claimed Mohammed Babangida had spurned his new role. He did not. In crisp language, he accepted the appointment as Chairman of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), thanking President Bola Tinubu for the trust reposed in him.

That trust lands on difficult terrain. Fertiliser costs are rising, farmers are abandoning rice and maize, and more than three million Nigerians in the northeast face hunger. Agriculture is no longer just a ministry matter but a national emergency. Into this storm steps a man carrying both legacy and ambition.

Babangida has long lived in corridors where power and policy overlap. From serving on the boards of Unity Bank, NEXIM, and Lotus Bank to steering ElAmin University and International School, he has cultivated a résumé that blends finance, governance, and education. His new role is a test of whether pedigree meets performance.

His defenders call him prepared. Executive training at Wharton and Harvard, certifications in governance and risk, and

years of boardroom deliberations suggest readiness. Critics counter that food security requires not just polished résumés but gritty execution. In Nigeria, agriculture has too often drowned in good intentions.

Still, his arrival at BOA signals a chance at rethinking. The institution has long been criticised as distant from the smallholder farmer. Babangida promises accountability, transparency, and an embrace of innovation. Whether these words reach beyond conference halls to farmlands in Sokoto or Benue remains to be seen.

There is also the burden of his surname.

As the son of former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida, he is no stranger to scrutiny. Some see him as a young man in his father’s long shadow; others see him as an independent figure now writing his own line in Nigeria’s agricultural story.

For a country where food is survival and hunger is rebellion, Babangida’s chairmanship is more than symbolic. It is a responsibility with teeth. And as the BOA hands him the gavel, one question lingers in the air like harmattan dust: will this be another headline, or the harvest Nigerians await?

Femi Gbajabiamila: The Man Who Ticks All the Boxes

The story of Femi Gbajabiamila reads less like a career and more like a melody. From Lagos classrooms to American courtrooms, from Surulere streets to Abuja corridors, his path has moved with rhythm and calculation, each note finding its place in Nigeria’s political symphony.

Today, as Chief of Staff, he is less the soloist and more the conductor. Especially after deeply considering his activities in the last two months, one can only conclude that Gbajabiamila is someone who knows exactly what he is doing, regardless of the face value of said activities.

In Abuja, Gbajabiamila recently rallied northern ex-legislators, urging them to back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election. Unity, he insisted, is the country’s unfinished project. Power rotation, regional equity, and infrastructure across the north were his proof points.

Yet Gbajabiamila does not dismiss dissent. After casting his vote in Lagos, he

praised the opposition coalition, describing it as democracy’s necessary counterweight. His scepticism was evident, but so was his conviction that no nation thrives under silence alone. Opposition, in his view, sharpens governance.

His rise was built on years of legislative persistence. Elected in 2003, he became minority leader, later Speaker, and earned respect for his sharp debates and steady loyalty. In 2022, he was decorated as a Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, a national nod to his staying power.

What stands out, however, is not merely longevity but adaptability. Lawyer, legislator, strategist; he has worn roles with ease, bridging Lagos grit with Abuja polish. Allies call him disciplined, critics call him calculating, but both agree he is indispensable.

And so, in the careful hum of Nigerian politics, Gbajabiamila is the man who steadies the tune. For Tinubu, he is more than Chief of Staff; he is the quiet metronome, ticking, ticking, ticking… until the music crescendos into 2027.

Ten billion Naira is not just a sum on paper; in the hands of Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, it is mortar and memory. At the diamond jubilee of Cocoa House in Ibadan, the Group Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company Limited signed a N10 billion deal with Africa’s largest cocoa exporter, a gesture as symbolic as it is financial.

“This is our focus now: agriculture,” Ashiru told the gathering on August 19. “On the day of our AGM, we signed a deal with the largest exporter of cocoa in Africa. Over N10 billion. Cocoa and cassava will be our future.”

It was not mere corporate speak. At Cocoa House @60, he challenged the Southwest’s governors to build new monuments— “Cassava House, Timber House, Rubber House”— to mirror the spirit of 1965, when Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s vision and farmers’ sweat raised the first skyscraper in West Africa. The building still stands at 105 meters, a relic of how crops once built skylines.

The Odu’a board’s cocoa pivot is both practical and poetic. Practical, because cocoa remains one of Nigeria’s strongest exports. Poetic, because it reanimates a legacy that once paid for schools, roads, and industry across the West. Ashiru’s rhetoric of “keeping the legacy of our forefathers” was more than nostalgia; it was a blueprint.

That blueprint is consistent with the man himself.

Ashiru’s journey from the banking halls to Ogun State’s Commerce and Industry ministry, where he boosted revenue by over a thousand per cent and lured factories into the state, reads like preparation for this agricultural turn. Civic, corporate, and royal recognition followed, cementing him as both technocrat and custodian of heritage.

The N10 billion deal may be Ashiru’s boldest act yet, for it ties his winning ways to a promise larger than himself: that the grandchildren of cocoa’s golden age will see monuments not as relics, but as living proofs of what the soil can still yield.

g ov Biodun o yebanji Stands Tall

kAle:

One thing I don’t like about some people is cowardice. If you want to fight, fight and let’s know you are fighting. This one that Yemi Kale has done; me I don’t understand. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in her international wisdom had proclaimed that the economy is stable now – me self I am seeing that it is stable now because the price of condoms has stabilised at N5,000 up from the N1,000 it was at the onset of this administration.

Now this our brother who was a brilliant head honcho at our National Bureau of Statistics now came up with a – little bit to the left and a little bit to the right – statement. Oh, the economy can be stable and there is still poverty, he proclaimed in a write up that in his estimation can be labelled as brilliant. If this is not stating the obvious, I do not know what else is.

Then he now lurches into a drunken analysis that was very clear in his confusion and fear. Ohhhhh yes, it is looking stable but then again stability does not mean poor people are not suffering.

My people, why he even came out

BAO is the acronym ascribed to Governor Mr. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State. As you are well aware, if you have not been hiding under a rock, Oyebanji is up for reelection and there are rumbles in the land.

I am writing this week’s column from Obafemi Awolowo Civic Centre in AdoEkiti after traversing almost the length and breadth of the state. What I have however noticed, is that it is only signboards proclaiming his candidacy with the BAO boldly displayed that you will see all over the state.

I must tell you categorically that I did not see any other sign proclaiming another candidate. This made me start wondering if this was going to be a coronation. But do not let the surface deceive you o, because underneath, things are rumbling o. Information I received suggests that the governor is not really sitting pretty. Those who know say that he is “making fundamental mistakes” and may be suffering collateral damage as a result of Rotimi

with this statement baffles me. If he had nothing very serious to say, shebi he for just siddon and shut up because I have never seen a confrontational and at the same time a non-confrontational essay like this. I dey fear but make I still talk; make he no be like say I no talk - was what I got from that article. It is a complete waste of my reading time. My brother Yemi, if you want to attack, attack and if you dey fear, leave the work for Sowore because that one understands what it means to have his hand broken by “those people” unlike you “aje butter” who just whispered something, hoping that someone somewhere will not come and beat you. I laugh at you.

gBeNgA DANIel THroUgH STormY wATerS

These are very testy times for Senator Gbenga Daniel who is living under the threats of being rendered homeless. I really do pity him. I am sure anytime Baba sees bulldozer just going on its own, his heart will just jump for fear that the thing could be heading to one of his many houses As if that is not enough, I have just

Amaechi’s declaration that -it was me and Fayemi that started the coalition. This has reverberated all over the state, leaving His Excellency battling with the powers that be in Abuja and shaking his ambitions.

Another source claims that his insistence to “be everybody’s friend” is causing him issues. He is said to have brought in the Fayoses and the Onis who have come in with their own demands.

All these have led to the dissolution of his cabinet which sent shock waves through the state as it came in the middle of the night.

Oyebanji is a homeboy, having lived and schooled in Ekiti. I like him very much as you can see - taking my huge theatre festival into his state instead of my Akwa Ibom or in Lagos where I am the Duke of Shomolu, and as such, I really do wish him well in the coming election.

BAOoooooooo!!! As they shout his name in the state. I stand with and for him. God bless him.

heard that he has been suspended from the party for anti-party activities.

Na wa o. I really do feel for him because how will he now attempt to retain his Senate seat when the rug has been pulled from under his feet. I had once met him when he was governor and liked him instantly. He has a permanent smiling face and he is that kind of Oga who will smile and nod his head to all your requests and will not do anything as per your request – which was what he actually did to us as young investment bankers who had gone to seek for a mandate.

But does that now mean that he deserves to be so humiliated just because someone who cannot enter America wants his seat?

I have really tried to jump in support of Daniel in this matter, but my conscience would not let me.

The way I am looking at this thing is like the way we used to look at “two fighting” in Shomolu.

These are two people who belong to the same party, had eaten from the same bowl and in fact, are still eating from the same bowl and are

struggling for something that will not benefit us, so why are we now crying for them.

The more I try to take sides with Daniel because it is looking like he is being bullied, the more my conscience is asking me “wetin concern you?”

Anyway, let me just say to the senator that in case they carry out their threat, there is one hostel in Abule Ijesha that I can lease to you to manage until Asiwaju steps in. Pele egbon mi.

TokUNBo wAHAB, THIS IS NoT reAllY FAIr

Even though you are my brother, let me speak my mind. The issue between parastatals under your ministry and elder statesman, Sir Kayode Otitoju, which led to his thorough humiliation, including a generator tied to his legs is still simmering.

After the intermediation of many well-meaning Nigerians, a small meeting was held in your office and it was agreed at the meeting that all sides should sheathe their swords. Baba went home very happy and even bought me ‘agbado’ for my

efforts. Surprisingly, while the Baba did his own part, the parastatals either forgot to do their part or did not take their commissioner seriously.

Baba is still being dragged around the courts, made to stand in dock and made to be photocopying approvals and court papers all over the place when he should be relaxing and putting his feet up.

Agreement is agreement o. This is what is causing problems in Rivers State. We agreed to sheathe swords and now one side is “forgetting their part ‘despite the fact that their commissioner sat down with us, crossed legs and proclaimed a truce. Please, we are not fighting o or doing “no gree,” we are just saying that at over 70, these Baba should not be stressed like this after we have all agreed on a course of action. Thank you.

FemI FAlANA: THe TerrorISTS wITHIN

I seem to be agreeing with Baba Falana these days. I share the same position as him on the matter of the Canadian Court calling our PDP and APC terrorist organisations.

The Canadian court described some activities of our political parties in a way that looks like it perfectly fits their judgments. Instead of those ones to tackle the judgement headlong they are doing that thing they used to do to Rufai Oseni on ARISE TV.

Let me explain what APC used to do to Rufai or anybody who wants to take them up on any issue: so if you say that Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road did not go through a proper bidding process, the APC spokesman will say, “who is your father?; You are not ‘omoluabi’ for asking me that question; you are an Obi man and you were arrested by EFCC seven years ago and you came to beg us for bail money; your mother was a prostitute at Ojuelegba and she was also a Fela girl.”

True to type, they have come at the Canadian court and like Mr. Falana has mentioned, they have totally failed to address the issues raised by the court and instead they are scouring through porn sites, looking for that Judge’s nude to release to Instablog to discredit him. Well, the Canadian court has spoken and you will begin to see card-carrying members of the two parties reneging their ties and rushing there to seek asylum. Na wa.

CHIDI oDINkAlU: leT’S SCrUTINISe oUr SAN

I hear there are about 500 Senior Advocates of Nigeria in the country as at the time my friend was made one. Today, that much-heralded body is looking one kind. In fact, if you engage yourself in a conversation with some of these people, you will be wondering if they even passed through law school, let alone qualifying to earn the much respected title. Today, there is a small argument that they are resisting going through EFCC and DSS clearance before being appointed or whatever it is that they go through to get the golden silk as they call it. My own, Mr. Odinkalu, is that the issue is not even DSS, but to check the quality of people carrying these title around because some of them

are “amala SAN”

An exam should be set up that they will take before they even go for that screening, or a verification exercise be taken to ensure that before you become SAN, you sef will know that you are worth it and the system would be better for it.

My people, if you sit down with some of these SAN ehn, you will run. The kind of argument that I have heard ehn, you will really laugh and pity this country.

We are all shouting at the bench, what of the big bellied ones who are addressing them? It is no wonder that Nnamdi Kanu asked some to “shut up” the other day – not sure that they are SAN though, but the point has been made.

So, madam Chief Justice, is it possible you ask all of them to subject themselves to academic evaluation and let’s see just how many will pass.

I know this one that I have said so

now, some will come and try to beat me or even carry me go court but you people should not vex, just look within yourselves and you will see that what I have said made some sense.

I apologise in advance. Thank you.

kArl TorIolA’S well-DeServeD elevATIoN

The announcement has been made of the elevation of this my person. So now apart from retaining his position as the Managing Director of the giant MTN, his responsibility has been expanded to cover West Africa, especially the francophone side of it. I hear this would be his second time coming to the region and as such, he is expected to bring to bear his full weight of experience.

Karl is one of the most influential Nigerians, even though Tunji Bello I hear is looking to jail him for some reasons that I cannot remember right now.

preSIDeNT TINUbU’S kIND

geSTUre To kIDNeY pATIeNTS

You know me that I don’t have principles as I dance about what benefits me. This new report of a heavy subsidy on kidney treatment, especially dialysis, if it is true will “kill me o.”

The issue of kidney malfunction is very real and I dare say that there is no Nigerian family that has not gone through this matter in recent years. Lifestyle abuse and other factors have left millions in need of renal treatments.

The cost of delivering this healthcare has become so exorbitant that a lot just die from inability to afford the treatment and care.

I have had two personal experiences and watched both

die very slowly and painfully. One died in India after we had raised so much money to move her there.

So, the news that the federal government will be charging only N12,000 instead of N50,000 on the matter is nothing but very good news.

President Bola Tinubu, on this your mandate I am standing. Thank you so much for this as this will save so many lives that you cannot begin to imagine. I just hope that it will not be bungled like most things of the sort. Sir, I think you should appoint a kidney Czar that will supervise this thing and make sure that the people really get the full benefit of this action.

His position at the top of MTN and its role in the economy makes him a strong voice in economic and technological things in this country. He has carried himself with so much elegance and has run an ethicalbased organisation that remains the envy of the continent and it is to no surprise that this elevation has come. Well done bro! MTN - everywhere you go.

CHArleS SolUDo AND HIS SoN Governor Soludo’s son has been causing quite a ripple on social media. The boy seems not to be concerned and his father has shown him support by joining him in one or two skits. The fact that he is constantly being bullied does not stop him from being who he is and I like that.

The other day, he set his phone, pulled his shirt and started rolling his waist in a very suggestive manner. I quickly rushed to the comment section and it was blood everywhere.

His father was not spared as they lampooned them with all sort of abuses and invectives. Like I always say, social media is for the not so well-reasonable people and cowards who hide under N100 data to abuse, defame and generally be mean. I like his defiant attitude and the fact that despite it all, he is still standing and peppering them with his poses, his words and his stance. What is remaining now is for his father to also pull his own shirt and deliver a soulful performance that will make Peyer Obi squirm in his black pants.

Well done boy, pepper them.

TrUe TAleS From polYgAmY

Did you guys see the viral video clip of the 60-year-old whose birthday party was turned into a must watch. Apparently, his two wives decided to show the world what true competition in a polygamous setting is.

While he was dancing with one, the other came and dragged him and as the two women were dragging themselves, the man was there looking confused and shy.

The video has gone everywhere, generating all sorts of comments from Nigerians.

For me, I will just throw in what my father-in-law, the great David Olude taught me.

He said once you have married a second one, marry a third one immediately to know peace.

Yes, this solution has worked for so many people and will forever continue to work. Once you marry the third one, the first two will see no reason to fight over this “useless man,” and the man will be allowed free reign over his latest acquisition and there will be peace in the land.

But Pa Olude who was a huge polygamist also dropped the following hints for long life as a polygamist.

He said, and I quote: “Once you have taken a second wife or have been caught cheating, stop eating their food. If you don’t, what you see is what you get.”

So, my advice for that man is simple. Marry a third one and stop eating the food from the first two. Then one busy body asked me, “but Edgar, will you also stop sleeping with them?”

Well, let me just say that that is where they will catch me, because I do not think I can stop o. Kai.

IBD egungbohun’s Brampton Honour

As a philanthropist, esteemed businessman, and influential social figure, Ibrahim Dende Egungbohun’s impact in Nigeria and beyond is both profound and far-reaching. His generosity and steadfast commitment have significantly bolstered the confidence of program participants, facilitating their ability to envision and construct brighter futures, while at the same time strengthening community ties.

The businessman’s contributions serve as a vital catalyst for transformative change, offering practical skills that enhance employability while reshaping the economic and social framework for women.

Recently, the City of Brampton in Canada recognised the businessman cum socialite for his remarkable contributions to a transformative initiative, designed to empower women through essential skillbuilding for independence and selfreliance.

The formal acknowledgement took place on Friday, August 15, in Mayor Patrick Brown’s office during a visit from the Africa Made Economic Growth Initiative (AMEGI) team.

Represented by his wife, Omolara Egungbohun, the businessman, popularly known as IBD Dende, received the certification amidst an atmosphere of gratitude and celebration.

Mayor Brown presented the certificate personally and extended his commendations to the IBD Foundation for their relentless pursuit of women’s empowerment, development, and philanthropic efforts.

The Certificate of Recognition underscored Egungbohun’s unwavering dedication and tireless efforts to create diverse opportunities for women to enhance their skills, develop their potential, and ultimately prosper in their personal and professional lives.

Through an assortment of workshops, mentorship programs, and robust support networks, he has fostered an encouraging environment where women can fully explore and realise their potential. This Brampton’s recognition is a clarion call for collective action toward a more equitable and inclusive society.

As Fubara Prepares His Return to Office

Those who say politics and politicking are not for the faint-hearted may have put the Migerian milieu particularly into consideration before coming to this almost irrefutable conclusion.

So, it may not be wrong to say that those in the game are not ignorant or unaware of this truism before plunging into the murky water of Nigerian politics.

Indeed, they are also conscious of the fact that the fiercest daggers are not held by enemies at the gate, but by friends at the table. To them, it is not any act of meanness but a survival strategy. And the more you accept and live by this stark reality, the greater the chances of your survival and relevance in the game.

In today’s Nigeria, one of the most-talked about battle in the political circle is the fierce battle witnessed by all between suspended Rivers State governor, Fubara Siminalayi and his political godfather and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Though many had thought the political clash would fizzle out in no time, but it took a dangerous dimension so much that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had to declare a state of emergency in March and also put the governor on suspension for six months. In his place, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) was appointed as

the Sole Administrator to oversee the affairs of the state until normalcy returns.

Among other considerations, the move by the president was reportedly informed by the fact that Rivers State is key to the economic growth of the nation.

About three months after he was suspended, Fubara made a political U-turn by worming his way back into the heart of his former boss, Wike. In the face of the development, his supporters claimed it was for peace to reign in the interest of the state, adding that no price was too high for peace.

Indeed, there is no price too high for peace! Sources confirmed that as Fubara prepares for his return to the office in September, two of his ardent supporters and loyalists will not be part of his government. They include former Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, and former Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo. They are said to be the sacrificial lambs for the peace truce.Even now, those in the know are astounded, particularly because of the role Ehie played while the “war” lasted. He was reportedly fiercely loyal to Fubara.

Edison was the former factional speaker of the River State House of Assembly, but quit his position to accept the appointment as Chief of Staff to the governor.

Sadly, he has lost both ways, bringing to mind a pertinent question: Is politics not truly a dirty game?

Glitz, Grandeur as Oba Ogunsanwo Celebrates 5th Coronation Anniversary

The lush and peaceful kingdom of Ilara in Eredo Local Council Development Area, Epe Division of Lagos State, heaved last weekend as high net worth personalities stormed the community for a major celebration to mark the fifth coronation anniversary of His Royal Majesty,

w

Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo (Telade IV), the Alara of Ilara Kingdom.

The event was a display of royalty as the palace was transformed with classy decorations.

The three-day coronation anniversary event was a celebration that dazzled in grandeur and cultural splendour. It started on Friday, August 15, with activities that included a street parade, Jummat service, a commemorative football match, empowerment and free medical outreach for people of Ilara.

On Saturday, August 16, the monarch conferred honorary chieftaincy titles on seven deserving individuals and couples whose contributions to the development of his Kingdom are immeasurable. The honourees included Prof. John Obafunwa (the Balogun of Ilara Kingdom); a surveyor, Jelili Olayemi (Olotu of Ilara Kingdom) and Prof. Kemi Pinhero, SAN (the Baamofin of Ilara Kingdom), among others.

The coronation anniversary was rounded off on Sunday, August 17, with a thanksgiving service at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Ilara Epe, which was followed by

hen r enowned Lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, w orshipped at the Temple of Venus

Who would have thought that popular lawyer and Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo (SAN), is a poet of sorts? Indeed, who would have imagined that he had worshipped at the temple of Venus, the Greek god of love, so much so that he knows the spirit and letter of love this much?

The love of his wife, Kofoworola, has brought out this hitherto hidden side of him, despite being a firebrand lawyer! Last week, he relived his love life with his love of 21 years.

Ajulo wrote: My Dearest Kofoworola, As we stand on the threshold of our 21st year together, I find myself reflecting on the journey we’ve shared—each moment a thread woven into the

“Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.”

Roy T. Bennett may have had Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, in mind when he penned this quote, which highlights the importance of impact in human endeavours. The youthful minister has emerged as the poster

rich tapestry of our lives. It feels like just yesterday when I first held your hand, captivated by your smile and the warmth of your spirit.”

He acknowledged her for standing with him through the darkest days and building a home filled with love, joy, and cherished memories.

“I am constantly in awe of your strength and grace, whether you are nurturing our children or supporting me in my dreams. You have a remarkable ability to make ordinary moments extraordinary, turning simple days into memories I hold dear.”

Ajulo ended his message by committing to grow together in love with his wife, calling her love the greatest gift.

a royal banquet inside the Alara Palace to celebrate a king whose steps are quite pleasing to all and sundry within his domain.

The banquet attracted the crème de la crème of society —government dignitaries, captains of industry, traditional rulers, and celebrities— all united to honour the finance and tax-savvy monarch whose impact cuts across business, community, and tradition. Family, friends and associates were also in attendance.

A thoroughbred and well-read monarch, Oba Ogunsanwo served Lagos State for many years as a finance and tax expert in the public sector before capping his meritorious service as the Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS).

His journey into kingship began five years ago when he was graciously presented with the instrument and staff of office amidst great jubilation by his beloved people of the ancient Ilara Kingdom. Since then, the path, according to the monarch, has been both demanding and rewarding, filled with lessons, responsibilities, and blessings beyond measure.

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo: The Game Changer

boy of the President Bola Tinubu administration and its Renewed Hope Agenda. Like never before, Nigerians are witnessing a minister of interior whose role goes beyond mere signing of statements announcing public holidays.

In just two years in office, the minister has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation, marked by significant reforms and unprecedented successes.

Of course, this has set a new standard in public service with widely acclaimed results, which ultimately have proved to the world that the Renewed Hope Agenda can indeed bring about a positive impact to Nigeria, and indeed, Nigerians, if round pegs are fitted into round holes.

As a minister, Tunji-Ojo recorded appreciable and unprecedented achievements at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), which at the time was truly overwhelmed with a backlog of 204,332 passports and worked out a system that ensured their clearance within a record-breaking threeweek period.

It was a feat that few Nigerians believed was possible. Expectedly, it not only alleviated a dire national crisis but also restored confidence in the NIS’s capability to meet the needs of Nigerian citizens efficiently.

In the not-too-distant past, jailbreaks had become an everyday affair, with correctional centres across the country deemed as incapable of containing criminal elements. But the introduction of a digitalised biometric system by the current administration has seriously curtailed cases of jailbreaks as well as the swift recapture of inmates who escape from correctional centres.

Interestingly, the record-breaking achievements of the minister are not new to people from the Akoko Northwest/ Northeast federal constituency. As a member representing the constituency, Tunji-Ojo broke the ceiling to record unprecedented achievements in four years.

A publicAtion

Artistic Partnership Woven by the Hands of Fate

what looked like a serendipitous encounter between art curator and artist Tola wewe sparked a creative partnership that ultimately blossomed into a recentlylaunched coffee-table book on wewe’s remarkable oeuvre. okechukwu Uwaezuoke writes

It began less like happenstance. It was rather more like a scene scripted and staged by fate’s puckish hand. On a consulting gig, Chinaza Orji—equipped with little more than a dilettante’s curiosity about contemporary art—found herself face to face with the artist Tola Wewe. At the time, Wewe wore the slightly incongruous garb of a politician: Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Ondo State, his Afro flecked with grey and his beard rather scanty. When he proclaimed himself, quite plainly, to be an artist, Orji took it as political small talk—the sort of résumé garnish that makes public figures seem more palatable.

But Wewe wasn’t posturing. She would soon learn that he was a lodestar in the contemporary Nigerian art constellation. With a fine arts degree from the University of Ife and a Master’s in African visual arts from the University of Ibadan, his journey had started as a cartoonist and teacher before his studio practice, in the early 1990s, claimed him fully.

Fast-forward a little to Lagos. The scene: Nike Art Centre, that Cathedral-like bazaar for art and craft along the Lekki Expressway where canvases and sculptures of all sizes and mediums jostle for wall space and tourists for selfies. There, Orji witnessed the peculiar magnetism of Wewe’s paintings. Crowds didn’t just stop; they leaned in, tilting ever so slightly forward, as if pulled by invisible strings. It wasn’t just reverence, but something close to a secular genuflection. Nigerians and foreigners alike lingered as though the canvases radiated an aura.

In that charged space, Orji’s role shifted from spectator to participant. When Wewe casually asked her to help with a few interested buyers, she obliged, assuming it a polite distraction. Instead, it marked the opening act of a quietly enduring alliance built on two old-fashioned, endengered pairing: trust and integrity. “Over time,” she recalls, “his appreciation for my work ethic and integrity opened the door to a professional relationship.”

That relationship deepened into a lifelong interest in Wewe’s journey, culminating in Threads of Time—a coffee-table book unveiled at Nike Art Centre on Sunday, August 17. Elegant yet substantial, its pages serve as both archive and celebration, a scholarly treasure trove and collector’s prize, anchored by a striking back cover that pays homage to one of Nigeria’s most celebrated contemporary artists.

Wewe’s sprawling canvases thrum with Yoruba cosmology, yet their reach is universal. His motifs, both rooted and borderless, captivate before their stories are even understood. And the man himself is no less compelling: equal parts politician, cultural custodian, and artist with an unmistakably African soul. His process—often nocturnal, trance-like—has become legend, earning him the moniker iwin, after the forest-dwelling spirit beings. From sexuality to spirituality, politics to memory, his works boldly engage themes that have earned him exhibitions across Europe, the U.S., and Africa.

For Orji, Wewe isn’t just the artist who nudged her from casual interest into a career. He was the artist who transformed her curiosity into vocation, the reason she

first tasted the thrill of passing culture from one collector’s hand to another. His canvases ignited the spark, while the man—straightforward, humane, disarmingly sincere—proved rarer than most of the treasures he painted.

So, when a coterie of Lagos’s art community members gathered that Sunday afternoon—artists, collectors, cultural doyens—they weren’t simply attending a launch. They were bearing witness. Drummers called up ancient rhythms, dancers moved like embodied folklore, and in their midst lay Threads of Time: less a book than a vessel securing memory against the erasures of time. Indeed, the project for the female curator and writer was never about glossy pages or coffeetable bragging rights. It was about permanence. Too many African masters have slipped into oblivion, their names scattered across brittle catalogues, yellowing press clippings, or oral recollections fading like smoke. “Picasso didn’t survive only because of Cubism,” she argues. “He survived because Cubism was recorded. Why should African artists be left with footnotes

when they deserve chapters?”

Her answer lies in Threads of Time. Within its covers, 137 of Wewe’s works trace his evolution from figurative storyteller to abstract conjurer, always rooted in Yoruba cosmology yet conversant in a global vernacular. Orji’s task wasn’t to interpret but to preserve—custodian rather than critic, guardian of vision rather than narrator.

And if the book is an archive, it is also a manifesto. Through her platform, Ebubay, she is erecting scaffolds of memory—documenting African artists while they are alive to shape their own stories, and ensuring the world encounters them on their own terms. “African artists don’t need to ask for a seat at the table,” she says. “They can build their own—sturdy, enduring, impossible to ignore.”

The launch underscored this mission. With cultural performances, tributes from figures like Professor Ebun Clark and Femi Bakare, and the presence of leading artists including Rom Isichei, Edosa Oguigo, Sam Ebohon, and Norbert Okpu, it became more than a ceremony. It was an affirmation: that Chief Tola Wewe’s legacy is secure, that Africa’s artistic memory will not slip away, and that once woven, the threads of time will hold.

An Artist and the Paradox of Freedom

Stories by Yinka Olatunbosun

Between Lagos and London, Mofoluso Eludire carries a double rhythm—the restless pulse of Africa’s major art hub and the measured hum of Britain’s cultural scene. Out of this tension, the Gambia-born artist has fashioned a practice that is both urgent and meditative, deeply rooted in lived experience yet stretching toward the universal. Since graduating in fine and applied arts from Obafemi Awolowo University in 2018, she has grown from a promising student of form into a painter whose canvases hum with questions about freedom, belonging, and the fragile architecture of identity.

Working primarily with acrylics, Eludire’s art resists easy categorisation. It dwells in the subtle interstices of the human condition: the search for self-acceptance, the inheritance of unspoken burdens, the delicate negotiations between what binds humans and what might set them free. Her recent collection, Restraint, crystallises this inquiry. More than a suite of paintings, it feels like a mirror held up to the soul’s contradictions—where yearning collides with fear, and where the promise of freedom is shadowed by the terror of what liberation demands.

Restraint unfurls as a meditation on the unseen

ENCOUNTER

shackles individuals wear: internalised doubts, inherited expectations, self-wrought cages. Its portraits and symbolic gestures evoke the paradox of clinging to the very limits that hold them back, even as they ache to break away. The series does not offer answers so much as it lingers in the questions, letting viewers confront the quiet violence of their own entanglements.

At the heart of the collection lies “Waiting for Nirvana”, a work that feels less painted than breathed into being. Composed in textured white, it is at once stark and luminous, a study in suspension. Here, Eludire charts the quiet terrain of waiting—the stillness before transformation, the pause before clarity, the silence before awakening. It does not promise arrival at a final destination but gestures instead toward a state of becoming, where the noise of the world subsides and the self settles into wholeness. “Waiting for Nirvana” is less an image than an invocation: a whisper of transcendence, of freedom found not in escape but in stillness.

Eludire’s canvases are also steeped in cultural narratives, particularly those that contour the lives of women and the intimate dramas of family life. In “Same Vine”, she turns her gaze to the delicate choreography of sibling connection.

Two figures, bound by kinship, stand in quiet relation—a meditation on interdependence and the unexpected ways strength passes from one to another. It is a tender study of familial love, but also of its shadows: vulnerability, unspoken restraint, the constant tug between individuality and belonging. Like much of Eludire’s work, “Same Vine” distills a universal resonance from private memory, reminding the viewers of the invisible threads that hold human relationships together.

Beyond the studio, Eludire has etched her presence on both local and international stages. Her works, suffused with emotional clarity and bold aesthetics, have appeared in solo and group exhibitions across Lagos’s leading galleries. In 2024, she extended her practice into social engagement, volunteering with the Museum of Homelessness in the UK and with Slum to Art, a CNN-organised Freedom Day project in Lagos.

Mofoluso Eludire paints not simply to represent, but to reveal—to prise open the hidden interiors of the human condition and let her audience glimpse the paradoxes humans carry within. In her canvases, restraint is not merely a theme but a mirror: one that reflects back the individuals’ struggles, their yearnings, and the quiet hope that wholeness might be found in the very spaces where they pause, wait, and finally let go.

In Partnership with Women in Arts, Nollywood Filmmaker Champions

Nollywood has long been Nigeria’s cultural engine, churning out stories that mirror, magnify, and sometimes mythologise everyday life. Yet, for all its global reach, the industry still carries a blind spot: the female perspective. Too often, women appear on screen as wives, witches, or comic relief, while the creative and financial power behind the camera remains heavily male.

That imbalance is what Biodun Stephen, one of Nollywood’s most prolific and award-winning filmmakers, hopes to change. This August, she is joining forces with the Women in the Arts Collective to launch a bold new initiative: the Female Representation and Advancement in Media project (F.R.A.M.E.).

Unveiling at the Nigerian Film & TV Summit (NIFS) 2025 on August 26 at the Legend Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, F.R.A.M.E. is conceived as both an incubator and an accelerator. Its mission: to amplify women’s voices in the arts and media space, beginning with Nollywood. Through mentorship, technical training, and access to resources, the programme will nurture emerging female filmmakers and storytellers, equipping

them to compete on equal footing with their male peers.

“For too long, women’s stories have been told

for them, not by them,” Stephen says. “This programme is a platform where women can take control of their narratives—both on and off screen—backed by the training, mentorship, and resources they need to succeed.”

The symbolism of Stephen’s involvement is not lost on industry watchers. Over the past decade, she has carved a niche for herself with films that foreground women’s lives—often messy, complex, and deeply human—without pandering to clichés. Now, by co-presenting F.R.A.M.E., she positions herself as not just a storyteller, but a change agent.

Her keynote presentation, Rewriting Her Story, will explore the evolution of female representation in Nigerian cinema, weaving together research, cultural analysis, and personal insight. She will also sit on a heavyweight panel titled Rewriting Her Story, Shaping the Future: Women’s Voices in Nigerian Film, alongside trailblazer Ego Boyo and Women in the Arts Convener Brenda Fashugba, with celebrated writer and broadcaster Wana Udobang moderating. Expect a conversation that ranges from industry leadership to workplace safety to the craft of creating female-centered narratives that feel authentic, not ornamental.

But F.R.A.M.E. goes beyond talk. The programme is designed to provide funding pathways

for women-led projects—a critical intervention in an industry where financing often determines whose voices are heard. By committing resources and building networks, the initiative aims to dismantle barriers that have long stifled female creativity and autonomy.

The larger vision is not simply about equity; it is about transformation. Nollywood, after all, is more than an entertainment machine—it is a cultural touchstone, shaping how Africa sees itself and how the world sees Africa. By opening the doors wider for women, F.R.A.M.E. insists on richer, more diverse narratives that reflect the full spectrum of lived experience.

For Stephen, it is also deeply personal. Her body of work already testifies to her belief that women deserve more—more space, more respect, more control. Now, she is channelling that conviction into collective action. If successful, F.R.A.M.E. could mark a turning point not only for the women who will pass through its incubator but for Nollywood itself.

As the countdown to its unveiling at NIFS 2025 begins, one thing is clear: this is not just another industry panel or programme launch. F.R.A.M.E. is a rallying cry—a demand that Nollywood finally tell women’s stories the way they deserve to be told: with agency, depth, and power.

At Thought Pyramid Lagos, Auchi Art Royal Returns

in Force

Timely and resonant, 1499 Art Force may sound like a military operation, but it is in fact one of the most significant exhibitions on Lagos’s art calendar this year. Hosted by Thought Pyramid Art Centre, it brings together 14 distinguished alumni of Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State—painters and sculptors whose shared journey has evolved into the formidable collective now called Auchi Art Royal.

Their story stretches back more than two decades. United by their graduation year, 1999, the artists first regrouped in 2003 for a Lagos debut titled Kindred Spirit. That initial reunion, modest in scale, planted the seed for what would become a legacy of exhibitions—Free Style in 2007, Intrinsic in 2010, and most recently, the 25th anniversary show Constellation in 2024 at Iwalewa Gallery, Lagos, which featured the full complement of 14 members for the first time.

This year marks a new chapter. Rebranded as Auchi Art Royal, the collective now carries a name that mirrors both its heritage and aspirations. Their current exhibition, 1499 Art Force, cleverly fuses their graduation year with their number, signaling the strength of their bond and the creative power

they wield together.

For Olorogun Jeff Ajueshi, founder and artistic director of Thought Pyramid, hosting the show is a point of pride: “One year after their third showing, they now return with renewed purpose, vision, and under a new identity. It is a true honour that Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Lagos, has been selected as the first gallery to host this newly rebranded collective.”

Ajueshi added that the gallery, which has championed artistic collaboration for nearly two decades, sees the values of unity, creative brilliance, and cultural continuity reflected in the group.

Indeed, walking through 1499 Art Force is to witness not just mastery of form and style, but a sense of class and grace that recalls royalty—a fitting aura for artists who have grown together and endured the test of time.

The road here has not always been smooth. After graduation, distance and limited communication tools made it difficult for the class of ’99 to stay connected. But through patience and persistence, they built momentum, staging shows that steadily solidified their reputation in Nigeria’s contemporary art scene. Now, with members including Asuku

As the exhibition runs through August 25, it serves as both a celebration of heritage and a challenge to the next generation of artists—undergraduates and fresh graduates alike—to build communities, champion one another, and trust in the enduring value of shared beginnings.

IN THE ARENA

Supreme Court’s Snail Speed to Justice

Davidson Iriekpen writes on how the Supreme Court delays certain cases that require accelerated hearing until the judgments on such cases lose relevance and become mere academic exercise

it is no longer news that one of the problems with the Nigerian judicial system is the delay in justice delivery. This often hinders access to justice and dampens public confidence.

The courts are often criticised for their inefficiency, with cases sometimes taking years, if not decades, to be resolved. This is in addition to inconsistencies in judicial decisions.

This has eroded public confidence in the country’s judicial system.

The delays have also crept into the Supreme Court, where cases that deserve accelerated hearing often drag on for years until the judgments become mere academic exercises.

For instance, five months have passed since some governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dragged President Bola Tinubu to the Supreme Court over his suspension of Rivers State’s democratically elected officials under an emergency rule. The case is still pending on the court’s docket.

Tinubu had, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state after suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all the House of Assembly members for an initial six months.

The president consequently appointed IbokEte Ibas as the sole administrator of the state. He cited recent “disturbing” incidents, including the political crisis triggered by a rift between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as the basis for his action.

On March 20, the House of Representatives approved the declaration of a state of emergency. The Senate would later follow suit.

A cross-section of civil society organisations (CSOs) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemned the emergency rule, describing it as an aberration against democracy.

The PDP governors, who were convinced that the president’s action was unconstitutional, had, through their respective AttorneysGeneral, urged the apex court to declare that he “has no powers whatsoever” to suspend a democratically-elected governor and deputy governor of a state under the guise of proclamation of a state of emergency in any state of the federation.

In the suit, the plaintiffs equally argued that nothing in the constitutional provisions cited by Tinubu to impose a state of emergency in a state empowered him to suspend a democratically elected House of Assembly of the state.

Therefore, they urged the court to declare as illegal and unconstitutional the president’s suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State Assembly under the guise of implementing an emergency rule. The plaintiffs urged the Supreme Court to declare the action a gross violation of provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

The refusal of the Supreme Court to speedily determine the case necessitated some of the governors who defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to apply to the court to withdraw from the matter.

If the case had been determined speedily, perhaps, Fubara would have been reinstated long ago instead of waiting for September 18, when the emergency rule would have been lifted. But till date, apart from all the documents filed before the court, nothing has been heard about the case.

Another case currently pending before the court is the Kano emirate crisis between Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero.

Tensions within the Kano Emirate have remained high following the state government’s reinstatement of Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.

The reinstatement came after the review of the emirate law, which had created four addi-

tional emirates. The state government’s decision was challenged in court by Ado Bayero, who refused to relinquish his claim to the throne.

When reports emerged recently that the crisis had taken a new turn, with Sanusi accusing supporters of Ado Bayero of attacking his palace and removing one of its gates, the question that naturally arose was: What is the Supreme Court waiting for before giving the appeal on the dispute an accelerated hearing?

Since March, when the Court of Appeal in Abuja directed all parties in the emirship tussle to exercise caution pending the hearing of their appeals at the Supreme Court, nothing has been heard about the matter.

To many, it is surprising that the apex court is yet to hear appeals pending before it when, in truth, it will not take the court two sittings to hear and deliver judgment.

Penultimate week, the Osun State Government again appealed to President Tinubu to release the state’s local government allocations withheld by the federal government following a petition by the state APC, for which it has since filed a suit at the Supreme Court.

According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. Kolapo Alimi, there is no legal or political

p OLITICAL NOT e S

basis for withholding the allocations, asserting that “before the law today, the elected chairmen and councillors that were produced based on the local government elections of February 22, 2025, are the official leadership of the local governments in Osun State.”

While the federal government is relying on the judgment of the apex court on local government autonomy, the Osun State government maintains that there is no judicial pronouncement halting the release of the withheld funds.

The cases listed above are straightforward matters that the court can dispense with immediately, but chose to delay them to the frustration of the complainants.

In the United States, where President Donald Trump is daily unleashing a plethora of policies, the courts are sought after to swiftly checkmate him.

From January, when he assumed power, the US Supreme Court has swiftly delivered judgments at least three times on issues bordering on his policies, and giving Americans great relief.

This is not the case with Nigeria, where all cases filed against the federal government are still pending, with no hope of when they will be exhausted.

By January 2024, the Supreme Court had 21 justices, the maximum number stipulated by the 1999 Constitution. President Tinubu was hailed for appointing more justices to the court, something that Nigeria had not witnessed in over two decades.

Though only the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has retired since then, leaving the court with 20 justices, nothing has changed, as cases and appeals are being delayed till they become an academic exercise.

Those who want to be blunt usually say that the greatest threat to democracy in Nigeria is the judiciary. This is because when they expect the courts to rise swiftly any time there is a threat to democracy, they are disappointed.

For democracy to endure, justice must not only be done but be seen to be done swiftly, timely, fairly, and without fear or favour.

No nation can thrive without an independent judiciary that is prompt, courageous, principled, and incorruptible.

The judiciary is not a passive institution meant to issue ex parte orders and retreat into silence; it is the backbone of democracy, the guardian of citizens’ rights, and the last line of defence against abuse of power.

National Assembly’s Unending Scandals

A recent revelation by a member of the House of Representatives from Jigawa State, Ibrahim Usman Auyo, that federal lawmakers are often required to pay between ₦1million and ₦3million before they can present motions, bills, or petitions on the floor of the National Assembly, has added to the many scandals that have hit the 10th National Assembly since it was inaugurated in 2023.

In a widely circulated video, Auyo argued that this financial hurdle detracts from the core purpose of legislation, which should be centered on public interest rather than personal or political gain.

Auyo made in response to criticism from his constituents regarding the effectiveness of legislative processes. He denied claims that lawmakers present motions based solely on the demands of

their constituents.

As he explained, “Even the bills and petitions are paid for. You have to pay ₦3 million, ₦2 million, or ₦1 million for it to be read on the floor of the House.

After you read the bill, you have to lobby over 360 lawmakers to support that the bill be considered”.

Though the National Assembly has long been dogged by accusations of corruption, budget padding, and monetisation of legislative actions, the allegations by Auyo is a new revelation of the malfeasance in the third arm of government.

In response to Auyo’s claims, the House quickly issued a rebuttal, labelling his statements as both baseless and irresponsible. It warned that the lawmaker would be referred to its Committee on Ethics and Privileges if he fails to substantiate claims.

Not wanting the issue to be swept under the carpet, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has called on Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to urgently refer the allegations to the relevant anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution.

On its part, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Rafsanjani, noted that the allegation showed how entrenched corruption has become in the country.

The idea that lawmakers may have to “lobby” or even pay to get their voices heard on critical national issues is evidence of massive corruption in the National Assembly.

BRIEFING NOTES

Beyond APC, PDP’s Denial of Terrorist Tag

ejiofor Alike writes that the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party and other political parties should purge the Nigerian electoral system of the widespread acts of thuggery and other forms of violence that characterise election cycles and which formed the basis for the Canadian court’s hotly disputed decision against the APC and PDP

Ajudgment delivered by Judge Phuong TV Ngo of the Canadian court in the case between Douglas Egharevba and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness has sparked controversy in Nigeria.

The applicant (Douglas Egharevba) sought judicial review of a decision by the Canadian Immigration Appeal Division (IAD), dated March 25, 2024, which ruled that the applicant was inadmissible in Canada under its Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

According to the IAD: “(4) The applicant is a citizen of Nigeria. In September 2017, the applicant entered Canada and initiated an inland refugee claim. The applicant submitted a Background Declaration Form stating that he was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of Nigeria from December 1999 until December 2007, and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of Nigeria from December 2007 until May 2017. As a result of this information, he was referred to a Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer to determine whether he was admissible to Canada. In September 2018, the applicant confirmed his membership in the PDP and APC in an interview with the CBSA officer.

“(5) In January 2019, an immigration officer declared that the applicant was inadmissible to Canada under paragraph 34(1)(f) of the IRPA as it relates to paragraphs 34(1) (b.1) and 34(1)(c) for being a member of an organisation that has engaged in acts of subversion against a democratic government, institution, or process and engaged in terrorism, based on his membership with the PDP. The applicant challenged his inadmissibility before the ID.

“(6) On September 23, 2020, the ID concluded that the applicant was not inadmissible on any of the grounds alleged by the minister as there was insufficient evidence to establish that the leadership of both the PDP and APC intended to cause death or serious bodily harm or intended to subvert democratic processes in Nigeria. The ID found that the minister had not produced sufficient evidence of the internal structure of the PDP and APC and the degree of control that each party’s leadership exercised over its members. The minister appealed the ID’s decision to the IAD, submitting additional evidence.

“(8) In the decision, the IAD noted that there was no evidence or allegations that the applicant had personally engaged in

terrorism or subversion. However, the IAD found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the PDP engaged in terrorism and subversion of democratic institutions. The IAD concluded that the PDP engaged in political violence and subversion including ballot stuffing, ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, violence, and murder of opposition supporters and candidates in the 2003 state elections and 2004 local elections (Elections) The conduct of individuals who are members of the PDP, including high-ranking officials, and those who committed political violence and intimidation on their behalf is too widespread and persistent over too great a period of time to dissociate the leadership of the party from their actions.

“The applicant’s membership to the PDP was sufficient to link him to these acts for the purpose of inadmissibility under paragraph 34(1)(f) of the IRPA. The IAD also found that the leadership had a high degree of control over its members, as evidenced by the applicant’s testimony before the ID that he left the PDP because the leadership imposed their own candidate overriding the decision of the applicant’s local ward. The IAD declined to make a finding on whether the applicant is also inadmissible for his membership in the APC as the evidence on

the PDP was sufficient and determinative.”

However, the applicant sought a judicial review, which was on whether the IAD’s decision was unreasonable.

In a decision on the matter dated June 17, 2025, Judge Phuong T.V. Ngo dismissed the application for judicial review, which many interpreted as an affirmation of the indictment of the APC and the PDP.

However, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Felix Morka, the ruling party argued that the Canadian court did not declare it as a terrorist organisation.

“For the record, APC was not in existence as of 2007. The party was registered in 2013. The applicant’s claim of membership of APC as of 2007 is evidently false as he could not have been a member of APC that didn’t exist at the time,” the statement added.

Similarly, the PDP described the classification as “misinformed, biased, and lacking evidence,” calling for it to be dismissed outright.

PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, was quoted as saying that “there’s nothing to show; there’s nothing on text to show that even the malfunctioning APC is a terrorist organisation or the PDP, which is a credible institution.”

In its strongly-worded reaction, the federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the Canadian court ruling as not only “baseless” and “reckless”, but also “an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes”.

According to a statement by the spokesperson for the ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the government noted that the judgment failed to distinguish between individuals who might have committed offences and the broader membership of legitimate political entities.

The statement said it was unacceptable to associate legitimate political entities with terrorism without credible evidence.

APC and the PDP cannot absolve themselves of the acts of thuggery, electoral malpractices and other forms of violence that characterize the country’s electoral cycles and which formed the basis for the decision of the Canadian court.

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has challenged the two parties to prove that they are not terrorist organisations.

Falana noted that the ruling carries farreaching consequences beyond judicial recognition, and urged Nigeria’s major political parties to address the serious concerns raised, instead of dismissing the judge’s pronouncements as ignorant or mischievous.

In his statement, Falana stressed that under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 of Nigeria, terrorism includes the use of violence, intimidation, or coercive tactics with political or ideological motives, which have become common features of elections in the country.

The human rights activist accused the two parties of rigging elections with the assistance of armed thugs, police and military personnel.

He argued that the federal government’s protest to the Canadian authorities would not reverse the judgment.

Nigeria’s political actors should not hide under the fact that Nigeria is a sovereign state to challenge the undisputable position of the Canadian court.

As rightly observed by the Canadian court, Nigeria’s political parties engage in “political violence and subversion, including ballot stuffing, ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, violence, and murder of opposition supporters and candidates.”

All these are acts of terrorism in the Canadian law.

One Year of Illegal Incarceration of Okuama Leaders

Exactly one year after the military arrested and clamped into detention the leaders of the Okuama community in Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom, Ughelli South LocalGovernmentArea(LGA)ofDeltaState,theleaders have remained in the custody of the military without trial and access to their families, doctors and lawyers.

The leaders were arrested in connection with the killing of 17 officers and soldiers on a controversial peace mission to the community on March 14, 2024.

The detainees include: Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, Chief Belvis Adogbo, Pa. James Oghoroko (now deceased), Mr. Dennis Okugbaye, Mr. Dennis Amalaka, and Mrs. Mabel Owhemu

The six who were arrested between August 18 and 19,2024,haveallegedlybeendeniedaccesstodoctors, lawyers, and family members.

Oghoroko,whowasthePresident-GeneralofOkuama

Community, reportedly died from torture and alleged inhumane treatment in military detention, while the healthandsafetyoftheothershaveremaineduncertain.

The news of his death was disclosed in a statement issuedinDecember2024afterleadersofOkuamahad an emergency meeting in the community.

Unfortunately, Oghoroko’s death could not touch the hearts of the military authorities to grant bail to other detainees or charge them to court if they have sufficient evidence linking them to the killing of the soldiers.

They have continued to languish in custody under alleged sub-human conditions.

BytheprovisionsoftheNigerianConstitutionandall knowninternationalhumanrightslaws,theincarceration of the Okuama leaders without trial, is a clear violation of their fundamental human rights.

The military’s insistence on handling investigations into the Okuama killings instead of handing over the case to the police violates Nigeria’s criminal justice systemasitisincompatiblewithdemocraticprinciples.

At a recent press conference in Okuama, convened by Human Rights Advocate and Chairman of Citizens RightConcernEnhancementInitiative(CRCEI),Comrade EdeworEgedegbe,theleadersofthecommunityalleged that “the Nigerian Army has continued to act in gross disregard of constitutional provisions that guarantee the dignity of the human person and the right to a fair hearing.”

TheycalledonPresidentTinubu,DeltaStateGovernor SheriffOborevwori,andSenatorEdeDafinonetointervene, insisting that “there is no prima facie evidence in the possession of the military to justify the continued detention of our leaders.”

As Chieftaincy Title Reignites Alaafin, Ooni’s Rivalry

The rivalry between the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, resurfaced last week after the Alaafin issued an ultimatum over a recent chieftaincy conferment, reigniting the supremacy tussle between the two monarchs, wale Igbintade writes

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, stirred controversy last week when he issued the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, a 48-hour ultimatum to revoke the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland recently conferred on the prominent businessman, Dotun Sanusi. Barely 24 hours earlier, the Ooni had conferred the title on Sanusi, popularly known as “Ilaji.”

Traditionally, the Okanlomo title is granted by monarchs to distinguished individuals within their domains.

For instance, there are Okanlomo of Offa, Okanlomo of Lagos, and Okanlomo of Ijebu-Imushin.

But the one conferred on Sanusi is the Okanlomo of the entire Yoruba, which did not sit well with the Alaafin.

In a strongly worded statement, the Alaafin ordered the Ooni to reverse the conferment within 48 hours or face what he described as “grave consequences.”

According to Oba Owoade, the Supreme Court had recognised Alaafin as the only traditional ruler with the authority to bestow titles that carry the weight of “Yorubaland.”

In the statement signed by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, he stressed that the Ooni’s jurisdiction is limited to his traditional authority - the Ife axis - covering Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South.

Alaafin further warned the Ooni not to mistake his calmness for weakness, and accused the Ooni of acting beyond his traditional jurisdiction.

He said: “The attention of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has been drawn to the purported conferment of chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

“The conferment of chieftaincy title, which bothers on Yorubaland by the Ooni of Ife is not only an affront to the referred institution of the Alaafin, who is the Titan of Yorubaland and on who hold exclusive right to confer any chieftaincy title which covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.

“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order and because of that ‘above -the -law’ syndrome of his, he is in the habit of walking on everybody’s’ back, including the apex court in the country, the Supreme Court, which had ruled on the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.

“The instrument of office presented to

Oba Ogunwusi, during his installation, specifically limits his traditional area of authority to Oranmiyan Local Government which has now been split into three local governments, viz: Ife Central, Ife North and Ife South.

“The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test and the reality of our time makes it very obligatory for the Alaafin to call the Ooni of Ife to order and demand revocation of the so- called Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 hours or face the consequences.”

Alaafin noted that during his “unity tour to Yoruba monarchs, he reiterated his message that there could not be development without unity.”

“But it seems the Ooni of Ife is misconceiving the Alaafin, paramount with the heart of gold, and his peace initiative, as the symbol of his stimulity, hence taking decisions that are not only ultra vires, but derogatory to the titan of Yorubaland.”

In a swift reaction, the Ooni’s media aide, Moses Olafare, brushed off the threat, describing it as an “empty one” unworthy of an official response.

He said his principal had directed him against issuing a press release on the matter, insisting that the issue was already being handled in the public court of opinion.

“We cannot dignify the undignified with an official response,” Olafare wrote in a Facebook post. “Let’s rather focus on narratives that unite us rather than the ones capable of dividing us. No press release pls. 48 hours, my foot!!!”

Oba Ogunwusi has yet to personally respond, but the dismissal of Alaafin’s threat by his aide suggests the Ooni is not about to bow to the Alaafin’s authority.

The right to confer Yoruba-wide titles on individuals is a touchy issue that strained the relationship between the previous Ooni and Alaafin.

Sanusi is not the first person to be given a Yoruba-wide title by Ooni Ogunwusi. Last year, the king installed a businessman, Muraina Olashile Alexandra, as Agbakin Bashorun of Yorubaland and his wife, Esther Taiwo Murina, as Yeye Agbakin Bashorun. The Alaafin’s stool was vacant at the time.

However, his conferment of the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title on Sanusi has provoked the Alaafin.

After rumours had made the rounds that there was a frosty supremacy tussle between Oba Owoade and Oba Ogunwusi, the Alaafin had, in May, dispelled the rumours, saying that he holds the Ooni in high regard.

A statement signed by Durojaiye had stated that rumours of supremacy tussle between Alaafin and Ooni were an unhelpful exercise that distracts and detracts from the truly important issues to which sons and daughters of Yorubaland should devote their energy and focus.

The statement added that at a time when Yoruba people were facing socio-economic and security challenges, it was incumbent on the leaders, youths, traditional institutions, and citizens alike to rise above pettiness and prioritise the work of uplifting our communities.

“The Alaafin holds the Ooni of Ife – and all custodians of Yoruba heritage – in high regard and is deeply committed to working hand-in-hand with them to chart a new path of unity, justice, and sustainable development across our land.”

However, Alaafin’s ultimatum to the Ooni has lent credence to the rumours of supremacy tussle between them.

Historians and other analysts see the rivalry as reigniting an age-long debate over who holds greater supremacy between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife.

While some argue that the Alaafin, as the historical military and political head of the Yoruba empire, retains superior authority, others maintain that the Ooni, as custodian of Yoruba culture and spiritual leadership, stands taller in relevance.

Many analysts have cited a similar feud between the monarchs’ predecessors, the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, during the conferment of Akinrogun of Yorubaland on the then National Chairman of the National Republican Convention (NRC), Chief Tom Ikimi, in March 1991.

The then Alaafin of Oyo had warned Ikimi against accepting the chieftaincy title from Oba Sijuwade.

He stated in a letter addressed to Ikimi that the title was spurious and lacked a historical foundation.

The late Alaafin maintained that the late Ooni had no historical, traditional, political and military power outside his domain to enable him confer chieftaincy titles with the tag of “Yorubaland”.

On his part, Oba Sijuwade threatened that he had the power to withdraw the crown from Oba

Adeyemi’s head. In his three-paragraph speech, Oba Sijuwade said, “The government of Oyo State may not know that the crown on the Alaafin of Oyo’s head which qualifies him to be a traditional ruler, was given to him by the Ooni of Ife and you may not know that I can withdraw his crown and he will become an ordinary citizen of this country by evoking the special power conferred on me at the temple of Oduduwa.”

But Oba Adeyemi, in return, dared Oba Sijuwade to carry out his threat within 48 hours, describing the Ooni’s threat as “blasphemy of the year,” and maintaining that “certainly 1,000 Oonis put together cannot dethrone the Alaafin.”

According to him, it was unthinkable that Oba Sijuwade equated himself with God by arrogating to himself authority that belongs to God. Meanwhile, as the feud between the two revered monarchs escalates, prominent Yoruba leaders have weighed in.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has stated that he is consulting with regional leaders to mediate in order to resolve the feud.

Adams said: “It is an issue between two fathers. I have been calling Yoruba leaders to look for a way to resolve it. We don’t want the unity of the Yoruba land to be tampered with now.”

Also, the Yoruba Council of Elders has called for calm between the royal fathers to avert further action that is contrary to the Omoluabi ethos.

Secretary-General of YCE, Oladipo Oyewole also tasked the governments of Osun and Oyo states to urgently intervene to prevent aberration by the two monarchs

Similarly, the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR), has also called on both the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife to let go of their grievances for the sake of unity, according to a statement by its President, Fayemi Fakaye.

The statement reads in part: “Let me, on behalf of ICIR, call on both Oba Ogunwusi and Oba Owoade to sheath their swords over the ongoing seniority contest between the duo. We are also pleading for harmony, which we believe would fast-track development in the Yoruba kingdom.”

In the mean time, Oba Owoade has debunked engaging in any supremacy battle with any monarch in Yorubaland or elsewhere, describing himself as the veritable custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition. He added that he would never compromise tradition, culture and development of his people for a pot of porridge.

Beyond African Union Governance, Peace and Security Frameworks:

Sorrow and Fear

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has set up a High-level Panel of Eminent Experts to conduct a Comprehensive Review of the African Union Governance, Peace and Security Frameworks. The meetings of the eminent experts, which are to hold on 1-5 September 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya, is discussed here as a preview and to underscore the point that Africa’s problems emanate essentially from sorrow of fear and fear of sorrow of policy summersaults. African leaders hardly learn from lessons of the past. They generally accept to be indoctrinated and used against their own people. Now that some Francophone West African countries are militating against foreign exploitation of their countries, African leaders have been compelled to sit down and see more clearly that the rain is gone in the mania of Johnny Nash, the music maestro. What about the African leaders that act contrarily to policy prescriptions? The sit-tight leaders?

For example, has the African Union’s principle of nonadmissibility of unconstitutional change of government in Africa not been thrown into the dustbin of history with the inability of the ECOWAS to give effective meaning to its supranational authority over the members of the Alliance of the Sahel States (ASS: Mali Burkina Faso, and Niger)? The Alliance has defied the manu militari orders given to them. Quo vadis for this principle?

Besides, Africa remains a dumping ground for toxic wastes from Europe and America, and, more disturbingly, for unwanted prisoners in the United States and refugees from the United Kingdom. For want of money, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and King Mswati III of Eswatini (former Swaziland) have turned their countries into unholy land of imported human criminals. They lost their nobility, their African character, integrity and independence to the policy of ‘penny wise and pound foolish.’ They want money in order to acquire an international perception of being a good leader. This type of goodness is not what the good people of Africa want. African people want selfpreservation and dignity, people’s sovereignty and not simply state sovereignty. The High-level Panel of Eminent Experts should therefore be more concerned with this in the review process of political governance.

AU Governance, Peace and Security Frameworks

The setting up of a High-level Panel of Eminent Experts is quite interesting for two reasons. First is the high-level quality of the experts and involvement of Nigerians. In matters concerning peace and security in Africa, Nigeria has never been found wanting and the reasons are not far-fetched. Nigeria has, more often than not, always been a Member of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) which is the AU’s standing organ for decision-making. It is saddled with the responsibility of promptly preventing, managing and resolving conflicts in Africa. It is in this regard that the PSC is considered a major pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), which is one of the frameworks for the promotion of peace, security, and stability in Africa. The APSA is predicated on five other pillars or frameworks: Continental Early Warning System; the Peace Fund; the Panel of the Wise; the African Standby Force (ASF); and the Department of Political Affairs which serves as the APSA Secretariat. Seasoned Nigerian diplomatists have been actively engaged in the adoption processes of the frameworks and particularly AU quests for peace and security in Africa. What is particularly important about the PSC is that its 15 members are elected on the basis of equal voting powers and regional representation and rotation. With the exception of Northern Africa that has two seats and Western Africa with four seats, the other three regions (Central Africa, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa) all have three seats each. Eligibility to be voted for, as stipulated in Article 5(2) of the PSC Protocol, includes having contributed to the promotion and maintenance of peace and security in Africa, having engaged in conflict resolution, peace-making and peacebuilding at both the regional and continental levels, evidence of commitment to AU financial

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•Youssouf

obligations, evidence of contributions to the Peace Fund and/ or Special Fund, as well as willingness and capacity to assume responsibility for continental conflict resolution initiatives.

Additionally, for purposes of continuity, only five out of the total of fifteen Member States are elected for three-year terms while ten are elected for two-year terms. Every Member State has the right to seek immediate re-election. Nigeria, by virtue of her demographic size, contributions to peace support operations in Africa and globally, her regular payment of assessed and voluntary contributions to the African Union, and perhaps more interestingly at the level of her mediation of regional conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, etc., meets all the required criteria, and hence, has not only been frequently elected to be part of the PSC but has also been engaged in all AU peace support operations and keeping peace in Africa.

Most interestingly, Nigerians who have worked at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, which is based in Addis Ababa and have worked in the African Union have proven themselves to be epitomes of professional diplomatic competence. Apart from the national support for their appointment and election, their intellectual acumen speaks more volumes for them. For examples, Ambassador Kayode Shinkaiye was former Ambassador of Nigeria to Ethiopia and Djibouti, as well as Permanent Representative to the African Union and UNECA.

It is important to note however, that Africa’s cases of fear and sorrow are not only intimidating and thoughtprovoking, but also beyond the question of reviewing the process of governance and security architecture that are largely defined by Aspirations 3, 4, and 7 of the AU Agenda 2063. If peace and security means and includes human security for the African leaders, the review of processes of governance can be understandable. What necessarily makes the processes of good governance difficult and at times unworkable are very attitudinal in character. For instance, to what extent can any comprehensive review process be helpful to leaders that have a sit-tight agenda? What can the review do to stop leaders that want to die in power? Is sit-tight syndrome not a function of constitutional maneuverings? In terms of democracy, what is responsible for people’s coups d’état as it is the case in the ASS countries? The peoples believe that their former colonial master, France, is using their leaders to recolonize and exploit them. In reaction, they opted to support unconstitutional changes of government. Besides, how do we explain the equation of one Africa as the equivalent of one European or Asian country in such a way that one country like Japan, the United States, or France that kick-started the practice will be holding summits with 55 countries? At the level of the UNSC, the Five Permanent Members represent their own countries but African leaders are content with two Permanent Seats for 55 African countries.

The AU Eminent Experts should not ignore these concerns in their mandate

He also served as the Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the African Union Commission.

This observation is also true of Ambassador Olusegun Akinsanya who has served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU. There is also Ambassador Bankole Adeoye who is the current AU’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. His competence and proactive attitudinal disposition towards a new self-reliant Africa not only led to his first appointment but also to his re-election.

Additionally, nothing could have been more interesting than the establishment of a High-level Panel of Eminent Experts to which one of Nigeria’s distinguished scholar will be participating, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari. Professor Gambari is undoubtedly a notable diplomatic giant. He, without any whiff of doubt, was a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, former Joint AU/ UN Special Representative to Darfur in Sudan, former Chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari and Chair of the Savana Centre for Diplomacy and Development which he created as an authoritative non-governmental research organization committed to advocacy, training and policy analysis.

Secondly, empaneling a High-level Panel of Eminent Experts reminds me of Africa’s recidivist sorrow and fears. In other words, Africa is not simply being an object of international exploitation per se, but also a major problem unto itself for quite a long time now. It was largely as a result of this problem that nationalists struggled for independence. Most unfortunately, several African countries secured their political independence but not with economico-cultural independence. They jettisoned African mythologies and often behaved as if they are whiter than the Whiteman. They are holier than the Pope. The fact of Francophone African countries whose economies are tied to the apron strings of France is noteworthy. And perhaps most noteworthy are two novels that have drawn public attention to the colonial mainmise of African people but to which little attention has been given. For instance, there is the Weep Not Child published by the Heinemann with the name James Ngugi as author in 1965. He later changed his name to Ngugi wa Thiong’o to reflect his African originality. Weep Not Child dealt mainly with Njoroge in Part One of the novel and with the Mau Mau uprising, as well as the dispossession of Kenyans from their ancestral land in Part Two. Put differently, Ngugi wa Thiong’O, who wrote the novel in 1964 when he was a student at the Makerere University in Uganda, was very critical of colonial exploitation. Most unfortunately, even until he died on 28 May 2025 at 87 years of age, African leaders are not on record to have learnt meaningful lessons from the stories of colonial exploitation of their land. On the contrary, they happily facilitate recolonization in various dimensions. Additionally, there is also the Cry The Beloved Country. It was authored by Alan Paton in 1948. It was about the story of a black man’s country under a white man’s law or about the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and Absalom, his son. One notable and relevant quotation from the novel is ‘sorrow is better than fear. Fear is a journey, a terrible journey, but sorrow is at least, an arrival.’ Without any gainsaying, political governance, peace and security in Africa have been fraught with sorrow and fear since the time of general accession of African countries to national sovereignty in the 1960s. These are part of the issues that the eminent experts should not forget to address in their deliberations this coming week.

Manifestations of Sorrow and Fear in Africa

Although the setting up of the AU High-Level Panel of Eminent Experts has its origin in Aspirations 3, 4, and 7 of the AU Agenda 2063 which deal with AU’s governance, peace and security agenda, Africa’s real ordeals are quite different from the processes-related aspirations. For example, Aspiration 3 is about good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and rule of law. Aspiration 4 is on the need for a peaceful and secure Africa. The noisome issue here is why has the AU not been able to achieve its lofty aspirations even in part? Why is there no good governance in Africa since the adoption of Agenda 2063 more than a decade ago? Why is there frequent disregard for human rights, justice, and rule of law? Why did the AU condone unconstitutional change of government in Chad? How do we explain the internal war between the government and the M23 rebels in the DRC? What about the conflicts in Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan?

For a long time now Africa has never ceased to be a terra cognita for sorrow and fear in various aspects of African life. Ambassador Shinkaiye asked in 2005 whether the African Union would be ‘a Union of the African peoples’ or it would ‘remain a so-called “Club of African Presidents and Heads of Government.’ More important, he observed that ‘with the launching of the African Union, great hopes and optimism were engendered that the new organization would be a force for positive change in Africa and an effective instrument for addressing Africa’s multifaceted challenges in the new Millennium’ (vide his chapter on “Nigeria and the African Union: Roles and Expectations,” in Bola A, Akinterinwa, ed., Nigeria and the Development of the African Union (Ibadan: Vantage Publishers, 2005, pp.76-97)

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are always some facts. Giwa and Mohammed were actually in London in September 1986 but, according to Mohammed, it was to visit Chief Ime Umanah, their chairman, who was recuperating from an accident he had between Makurdi and Enugu. (Incidentally, Umanah, who later became a politician, would die in an accident in 2015.)

But I have been thinking: if Okon was indeed a drug courier for the first family, I doubt any security agency would arrest her at the airport, much less declare her dead and relocate her “nicodemusly” to the UK. With the way the state works, she would have received a VIP treatment and would not have been stopped and searched at the airport. Even if she was caught, it would only take an “order from above” to get her released immediately. She would not have to leave Nigeria under any guise. Maybe I am oversimplifying this. Truth is: for decades, I believed this fable as it related to Giwa. I do not believe it any more. When you operate from a position of prejudice, you will believe anything.

That still does not answer the question: who killed Dele Giwa? Even if we remove Okon from the equation, there are still more questions than answers. The obvious suspects were Togun, the SSS deputy director, and Akilu, the DMI director. They both strenuously denied involvement and won a suspiciously fast-tracked libel case against Fawehinmi in 1988. My belief all along was that Akilu was calling Giwa to know his exact location for the parcel delivery, but Mohammed’s account differs. He said Akilu’s calls were, to the contrary, friendly and meant to assure Giwa not to worry about the SSS invitation and the allegations piled on his head. This is the first time I am hearing this version.

Giwa, by the nature of his brand of journalism (he trained in the US), was a thorn in the flesh of the authorities — dating back to his time

CITIZEN JENNIFER

Ms Jennifer Edema, a young Nigerian on national service, was dehumanised by operatives of the Agunechemba, the Anambra vigilante group, two weeks ago. She was stripped naked by the gun-wielding thugs and gangsters. Edema said the men had stormed their lodge, accused them of all sorts and started dragging some of them into a waiting vehicle. Well, there is something we need to understand about us: give authority to a Nigerian and he will abuse it to the maximum. Make it worse by giving him a uniform. Now add a gun to it. It is a cultural problem. Our understanding of power is to oppress and suppress the helpless. It is not for progress. We need a reorientation. Sad.

as editor of Sunday Concord. He had been a regular guest of the security agencies. They were always inviting him. While Giwa and Mohammed were in London in September 1986, the author recalls, Umanah had told Giwa, the editor-in-chief, to get acquainted with Akilu. He gave him Akilu’s number. Giwa visited Akilu and, according to Mohammed, was much impressed with the civilised way the intelligence chief treated him, contrary to how his “boys” often behaved whenever he was invited for interrogation. In a sense, they now had a cordial relationship.

Thence, when SSS invited Giwa and rolled out the heavy allegations against him on Friday, October 17, he tried to report what had just happened to Akilu but could not get him on phone. Akilu returned the call but could not get him on either his home or office number. Giwa was out that Saturday attending events for media executives. There were no mobile phones in those days. It was finally on the Sunday morning they were able to speak. Akilu, Mohammed wrote, assured Giwa that he had spoken to the SSS and that he should consider the matter closed. Those allegations were apparently fabricated to intimidate him, but accusing a journalist of importing arms was way off.

Mohammed’s account regarding Akilu is significantly different from the line of inquiry by journalists and activists. Soyinka previously said: “[The] ‘principal suspect’ should be Halilu Akilu, who called Dele’s house about three times consecutively Saturday before the Sunday bombing and spoke to Funmilayo, Dele’s wife, to ask for description of and direction to Dele’s house. On the Sunday… Dele had spoken to Akilu from his upstairs bedroom before coming down to have breakfast with me to tell him that he heard he had called him on Saturday... The letter bomb was

delivered to the house within 45 minutes after...” Do security agents really need to ask for direction to a top editor’s house?

In his autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service’, published earlier this year, Babangida, expectedly, did not offer any clue. He simply described Giwa as a friend. “On a personal level,” he wrote, “I had just lost a friend. Mr Giwa was a good friend, like a few other senior journalists in the country. We spoke often on the phone and met a few times. I valued his deep insight on national issues and respected his views and reach as a media leader… Whoever was the mastermind knew my relationship with Giwa and a few senior journalists. Hitting at Giwa would get to me emotionally.” He said killing a “popular journalist” was meant to “inflict a mischievous political blow on the young military administration”.

Babangida’s position on the non-resolution of the murder case — which Mohammed seems to agree with — was that “the involvement of high-profile lawyer Gani Fawehinmi and the populist slant given to the case by the media poisoned the investigation with political overtones. The investigation into the Giwa murder became part of the tools in the armour of a growing political opposition targeted at discrediting the military over the planned political transition programme and human rights issues”. In fact, Newswatch directors called a press conference on November 4, 1986 to dissociate the company from Fawehinmi’s pursuit of the prosecution of Akilu and Togun for the murder of the editor-in-chief.

Mohammed wrote: “During the Giwa tragedy, some people who might have been rubbed the wrong side by the Babangida administration were ready to swear that nobody else but Babangida could have killed Dele Giwa… Though many fellow patriots who felt genuinely

And Four Other Things…

EMPTY BOOTH

The Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) drew an unwanted attention when the amala-scouting Idris Ayodeji Bello, a participant and patriot, tweeted that Nigeria had the only unmanned booth despite a battalion of government delegates (you and I know why they travelled). The official responses were ridiculous: that the booth would soon be “inaugurated” (who inaugurates booths if not Nigeria?) and that we were not in Japan for “show” but for serious business. The proper response would be to man the booth, as we eventually did, instead of issuing rejoinders. For the record, the booth is a key gathering point for inquiries and connections. Facts.

CENTENARY CITY

I was a bit relieved that the Abuja Centenary City project is about to take off after being delayed for 10 years because we were trying to fight corruption. Imagine the stage the project would have reached by now. A whole 10 years wasted! The city, which sits somewhere along the Abuja-Airport road, was supposed to be a spin-off of Nigeria’s centenary celebrations in 2014. It will host three residential districts — Grove Residences, Safari Park Residences and Ridge Villas — similar to the sites we see and admire in Dubai and Doha. Investors had to go elsewhere in 2015 when the new government halted its development, revoked land titles and stalled the project. Unbelievable.

RMAFC’S RECENT PROMOTION TO THE SUPER LEAGUE

Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) started transferring 0.5% of non-oil component of Statutory Revenue to RMAFC since April this year. By the way, I have taken the time to watch the briefing by Governor Soludo after the NEC meeting of December 2024 and I have read reports of the coverage of that briefing. The figure that Soludo kept mentioning was 0.05% of non-oil revenue, which is not exactly the same as 0.5%. Maybe one zero for mixed up somewhere. But it seems the memo that FAAC got was 0.5% of non-oil revenue and that is what it has been applying. It is important to state here that even 0.05% of non-oil revenue would still have been a major improvement on RMAFC’s prior funding, and may be about right.

The third development is that, on 22 July 2025, the two chambers of the National Assembly approved the sum of N105.14 billion as the 2025 budget of RMAFC. The entire sum was projected to come from what the commission would get as statutory transfer from 0.5% of Federation’s non-oil revenue, broken down as follows: N37.20 billion from January to June 2025 and N67.94 billion from July to December 2025. Not surprisingly, RMAFC intends to spend the entire sum, allocated as follows: N20.6 billion for personnel; N8.9 billion for overhead; and N71.5 billion for capital. If there was any hope that RMAFC might be an exception to the feverish urge to splurge by suddenly over-resourced agencies, that hope flew out of the window with the commission’s revised budget for 2025, approved by the same set of legislators who had

been passing its previous budgets.

To start with, the commission’s initial budget for 2025 was N5.6 billion. In what planet would the revised budget of a public institution be about 20 times of its initial budget for the same year?

The original budget of RMFAC for 2025 was as follows: N3.6 billion for personnel, N1.1 billion for overhead and N916 million for capital. The RMAFC management didn’t shudder to think about the incongruity of the personnel budget rising by 472% (from N3.6 billion to N20.6 billion), the projection for overhead going up by 709% (from N1.1 billion to N8.9 billion) and the capital budget leaping by 7,705% (from N916 million to N71.5 billion) for the same year. But more troubling is that the legislators, who in theory are there to provide necessary checks, went along on cruise. This goes to illustrate the point that trusting supervisory and oversighting institutions to provide the desired restraint on the super agencies is an unrealistic expectation. For additional context, the total approved budgets for RMAFC in the five years between 2020 and 2024 was N13.37 billion: N2.35 billion in 2020; N2.22 billion in 2021; N2.82 billion in 2022; N2.71 billion in 2023; and N3.27 billion in 2024).

The commission proposed and the legislators approved a one-year budget that is eight times its total approved budget for five years. If a credible case had been made that RMAFC was underfunded in the past and that this affected its effectiveness, the sensible thing would have been to establish the extent of its reasonable funding gap and see how to bridge it while

touched by the tragedy made commendable and altruistic efforts to put pressure on the investigating agencies to do their duty, the few who had an axe to grind went too far in my view. In many instances, they invented their own stories and helped to reshape the narratives, resorting in the process to blatant fallacies and unhelpful conjectures. The methods they adopted narrowed the investigation to a few options…”

All said and done, though, we still don’t know who killed Dele Giwa. Police tried to narrow down investigation to Newswatch insiders, particularly Soyinka. They even accused Giwa’s co-directors of failing to cooperate with them during investigation, while Fawehinmi allegedly prevented the police from having access to the crime scene for over a week. Maybe he didn’t trust the police not to tamper with the evidence. The refusal of the Lagos state (military) government to allow Fawehinmi privately prosecute Togun and Akilu only worsened the conspiracy theory. We may never know who killed Giwa, but our suspicion remains intact and firm, even if Gloria Okon had nothing to do with it.

What is our suspicion? As of October 1986, who had the capacity to make that kind of bomb? It couldn’t be non-state actors. This was long before the Boko Haram era when bomb-making became an all-comers affair. We are talking about an era when the best weapon a non-state actor could make was “shakabula”. The bomb ripped Giwa’s body and study apart in a way that only a sophisticated explosive could do. Even if it was not the state itself, it could be rogue operatives. Now that Mohammed has re-opened an old wound, is it too late to re-open investigation and bring the matter to closure? The state has a duty to investigate any crime, make its findings public and prosecute suspects. Basic.

NO COMMENT

Did you see the video posted on social media by the Nigeria police force announcing the distribution of uniforms to its personnel? I saw it too. It was accompanied by a lengthy statement, part of which read: “This initiative has generated jubilation among the personnel, who have expressed their gratitude to the police leadership for the gesture.” Jubilation. Gratitude. For giving them the most basic of things to do their work. Gesture! Are you thinking what I’m thinking? For them to be jubilant and grateful, maybe the uniform is actually a gesture. Only legends can understand that. What next? Another video of “jubilant” and “grateful” police personnel being given guns and bullets? Hahahaha.

ensuring greater predictability. This approach probably would have led to a maximum of a five-fold jump in budgetary allocation for the commission, and even with that there would have been legitimate concerns about operational and absorptive capacity. But they went for the easy option of a revenue earmark, the dream of most government agencies, and RMAFC joyfully ended up with a 2025 budget that is 32 times its approved budget for the preceding year, 2024. What an amazing grace!

My sense is that when NEC went for this earmark option, scant mind was paid to what the seemingly insignificant percentage would translate to in practical terms. Someone should have asked for the basis of whatever percentage was being considered, run or asked their aides to run the numbers on the actual non-oil revenue for a month, and compared the result with the previous allocation to the agency or its reasonable needs. It is most likely that the governors and others at NEC just thought 0.5% of non-oil revenue will not hurt anyone (well, this is assuming it was 0.5% that they signed off on and not 0.05%). Well, non-oil revenue is now a major feature of Statutory Revenue, as oil revenue continues to underperform. (For July 2025, for example, mineral revenue underperformed by 76% while non-mineral revenue over-performed by 40%.)

Crucially, while half a percentage is paltry by itself, it swells into significance when applied to trillions of Naira. And this is how it has played out. According to FAAC documents, RMAFC

received N4.6 billion for April this year, N5.7 billion for May, N12.5 billion for June and N10.5 billion for July. That’s a total of N33.3 billion in just four months in 2025. In these four months, RMAFC has received about 250% of its approved budgets for five full years. It is conceivable that the commission did not receive the entire N13.37 billion for the five years, because of how it was previously funded. The genius of being attached to a portion of Federation’s revenue and as a first-line charge is not just the certainty of getting funded as long as the Federation earns non-oil revenue but also of over-abundant resourcing as non-oil revenue continues to grow in size and significance without any link to needs or efforts of the beneficiary. It is the sweetest of spots. RMAFC is just the latest in a growing league of agencies to crack the code to such a jackpot.

But revenue distribution is always a zero sum. What is available to an agency in excess of its needs is what is not available to fund critical needs elsewhere. And as usual, we create new problems in solving old ones because of inadequate rigour and unwillingness to learn from even our own experience. Ill-considered decisions come with costs. The brunt of the predictable profligacy, the misallocations, the diversions and the capture in these agencies is borne, at the end of the day, by the citizens and the country. This is why it is important to course-correct early with RMAFC beyond it yields to predictable patterns and to have a practical strategy for addressing the distorted resourcing and the pernicious latitude of a few agencies at the expense of the collective.

ENGAGEMENTS

Jonathan, Don’t Just Run... Please Flee!

Aself-anointedselectpackofnorthern political hounds has found a favourite seasonal mascot for each election cycle. Former president Goodluck Jonathan has managed to find repetitive mention in each election cycle. Hardly any presidential election cycle passes without a loud speculation of Jonathan as a possible candidate. In each election season since after 1919, his name has popped up as a likely contestant. The presidential election of 2027 is no exception.

An active political task force is currently busy around the country recruiting converts and foot soldiers for a possible “draft Jonathan” project. It is a northern project. It is also an antiTinubu factional ploy. The thinking is that Mr. Tinubu’s presidency has not quite yielded the outcome that some political interests in the north anticipated. The anticipation is that a Jonathan run in 2027 could shake Tinubu’s hold on power or at best whittle down the size of his support base. Advocates of this move are even optimistic that Jonathan could topple Tinubu at the next election.

Since the north-south rotation principle remains in force as a quasi constitutional convention, it is better to search for a southerner who is statute barred from exceeding a single term. Jonathan fits into this mould, having used his first term in completing the leftover of the Yar’Adua first term. In this calculation, Jonathan also meets other northern qualifications. He surrendered power to Buhari without much pressure . As president, he was a “friend” of the north, appointing quite a number of them to strategic national security posts. He is not a regional ideologue nor does he seriously advocate a restructuring of the federation as it is in any serious way.

Since he lost and conceded to Buhari in 2014, Jonathan has found himself in the role of ready fixture for presidential candidate. It is either he half- heartedly longs to return to Aso Rock or enjoys the seasonal runs for the big job. In the now familiar seasonal Jonathan should run tradition, people find work in political caucus meetings, printing of posters, producing of jingles about an imminent Jonathan run and, soon afterwards, the frenzy fizzles out as the man himself in his non committal indifference says nothing or does nothing. He just retreats into his shell since he did not mount any formal campaign.

The trend is not new. In the run up to the 2023 election, Jonathan actually paid the N100 million entry fee demanded by the APC for potential candidates. He artfully credited the payment to some phantom northern farmers and herdsmen who so loved him as to want him back in Abuja. Why is it always northern groups that keep prodding Jonathan to realize that he still has political value?

No one can blame Jonathan for aspiring to run again for the presidency. Every one of us has a right to aspire to any office in the political firmament. Barring constitutional constraints, Jonathan has a right to show up as a candidate at every electoral season to vie for whatever he and his handlers want. But the matter of his electability is quite a different matter. That is strictly a matter for the public to determine based on his personal appeal and other qualities. Somehow, Jonathan has managed to keep himself quite busy.When he is not being speculated as a presidential candidate, Jonathan has been quite busy attending a series of democracy related engagements around the world in recognition of his earlier free return of power to Buhari. He is recognized as a friend of democracy and orderly transition of democratic power. That has earned him some considerable diplomatic gravitas, recognition and handsome estacodes. On the domestic political scene however, Jonathan remains a problem child. He has been a product of historical accidents. He became a governor by accident, a vice president by accident and a President by supreme accident. His presidency ended out of political naivete and a certain tenuous hold on power. Taken together, therefore, the factors that propelled Mr. Jonathan to national power and prominence do not quite add up to qualify him as a political asset that can be deployed to intervene in any serious national political quagmire. In the drama of politics, individual politicians

become assets in two ways. They could possess personal political qualities such as charisma, wisdom, sagacity and unquestionable national acceptability which makes them automatic assets. In such cases, in times of national leadership vacuum, their names pop up.

Obasanjo had this attribute in 1999.

The second asset base that could heighten the demand for a political leader is a previous record of outstanding record of service and performance in office. There is bound to be little controversy as to whether Mr. Jonathan was a spectacular president. Even on the signal project of restoring peace and order in the Niger Delta, Jonathan had to depend on the radical innovations of the mix of Amnesty and force introduced by the later Yar’Adua. He was helpless on corruption, watched helplessly as Boko Haram took hold and carved out territory while periodically trucking away groups of girls into enslaved captivity. Tepid and often clueless on policy matters, Jonathan was in office but not in power, had authority but could not wield it. An inheritor of one of Africa’s biggest and then most powerful political parties, he watched helplessly while renegades chipped away at his power and splintered the party under his watch. A hostile coalition was born while he watched and Buhari hatched the political amalgam that eventually ousted him from power.

Let us be fair. Jonathan is a good man. His rule provoked money scandals but none touched him directly. He has avoided nasty controversies. He has not snatched anyone’s wife or grabbed anyone’s land. He has so far avoided the usual nasty controversies that our past leaders get enmeshed in. He goes out and returns quietly. A quintessential gentleman and model past leader. No strong enemies. A few friends here

and there. Not much to quote from his words in office. He once said he was afraid to promise anything for fear that he might fail his promises. He did not want to be held responsible for anything. That this man could be a successor of the illustrious Adaka Boro is one of history’s most tragic illogicalities. No ardent devotees. No good or bad causes. Just an ordinary Ijaw man better left in his morning loin cloth and other morning rituals.

Is this the Jonathan that is being mobilized or rehabilitated to oust or reinforce Tinubu? In either role, he has limited value. The prospect of a Jonathan run sponsored by the north cannot frighten Tinubu. Nor can the possible support of a Jonathan add any significant value to the Tinubu return for a second term. It is a project of zero political value. It is at best a transactional venture with little mercantile ingenuity. And in any event, Jonathan does not possess the kind of financial muscle that could make him a worthwhile financial threat or cost Tinubu any loss of sleep. The net loss would be Jonathan’s. His little political capital would be eroded. His residual public relations value as ambassador of democracy may diminish.

Those championing Jonathan’s return to active politics are however lost in the wildernesses of our old politics. It used to be that once nominated by a regional cabal, a candidate was sure to win irrespective of what happens at the polling booths. Votes are tallied and recorded with ready made results announced. Not so easy anymore with the interjection of electronic devices in the voting process no matter how crooked and imperfect they may be.

At the level of political mechanics, there is something unpalatable about the origination of the new “draft Jonathan” movement. It is political bad manners for political elite from any section of the country to make it their duty to choose for the rest of the country a presidential candidate to rule over the country. What gave any segment of the northern political elite the temerity to think that they have the right or political muscle to draft and impose Mr. Jonathan on the rest of the country for whatever reason? It is the height

of political arrogance that belongs to pre-1970 Nigeria, the era of the infamous “Kaduna Mafia”. That era has come to a screeching tragic halt. More importantly, it is now easy to segment Nigeria’s voter demographics in order to determine where a politician’s voting bloc will come from. Jonathan does not appeal to any particular voter demographics. He sends out no particular appeal to no one bloc. In the Niger Delta, he may appeal to people who feel nationalistic about resource control but they do not represent the majority. The South East does not know what exactly to feel about Jonathan except that when he became accidental president he smuggled “Azikiwe” into his name cluster and dropped it soon afterwards.

In terms of youth appeal, Jonathan has none that I am aware of. He has no significant social media footprint. His name invokes nothing that the youth would like to identify with. He has advocated nothing that touches the youth. Nothing on unemployment, youth freedom, artistic freedom national pride etc. Even common issues of mass murder, Internally Displaced Persons, natural disasters or youth empowerment have not managed to attract Jonathan’s sympathetic identification. I am sure he is aware of the misalignments and injustice in our country. But he has not empathized sufficiently with the victims to attract a followership in the social media. Nigerian youth know Jonathan but I doubt that he knows them let alone feel their pain or wish to carry their burdens. For anyone to advocate a Jonathan run in 2027 is one of the most daft political ventures in the current firmament. Perhaps Jonathan’s best advice on this matter of a possible run in 2027, has come from his closest quarter. In a joint appearance recently with Mrs. Tinubu, the irrepressible Patience Jonathan was asked if she is nostalgic about her days in Aso Rock. Her reply was cryptic and definitive: “I do not wish to return to the Villa. Those days are over.” For Jonathan, this is perhaps the wisest counsel in today’s circumstances. Incidentally, Mrs. Jonathan is on record as having uttered the most memorable and quotable lines of the Jonathan presidency.

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe

email:duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Peter Obi Visits Rufai’s Family, Laments Neglects of Ex Internationals

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, paid condolence visit to the family of late Peter Rufai in Lagos yesterday but left feeling sad over the neglect of the former Nigerian Number 1 goalkeeper.

Rufai, fondly called Dodo Mayana, died July 3rd this year and was buried on Friday at the Ikoyi cemetery inTheLagos.former Governor of Anambra State was pained that Rufai didn’t get a befitting honour at his funeral despite the service he rendered to Nigeria as one of the longest service goalkeepers of the senior national team.

“Rufai was a celebrated goalkeeper and former Captain of the Super Eagles. He was one of the finest players of his generation,” began Mr Obi who flew into Lagos specifically to attend the burial of Dodo Mayana.

The top politician however expressed pains at how former Nigerian sports men and women were passing to great beyond without any social welfare to take care of them in their retirements.

“I feel pain at how our nation continues to neglect those who gave their best in service.

“Rufai was a national figure who played with dignity, and from what I gathered, he deserved better treatment.

“This neglect of our ex internationals reflects a troubling pattern in how we treat our sportsmen and heroes,” stressed Obi who is aiming to take another shot at presiding over Nigerian affairs at the 2027 presidential election.

Obi who was accompanied by another ex international, Sylvanus Okpala, was warmly received at Ru- fai’s home in Amuwo Odofin by his family members including Dodo Mayana’s younger brother Bruce, and his sisters Bosede and Dele. Earlier, Obi prayed for the

Angry

repose of the soul of Rufai and encouraged the family to find strength in their grief.

Bruce Rufai responded on behalf of the family to the visit of the former Anambra Governor. “We can’t thank you enough. We felt abandoned by the authorities, but your coming here is consoling. It has lifted our spirits. We are honoured by your presence, Your Excellency.”

Earlier on Friday, at the novelty match played in Rufai’s honour by some Nigerian ex internationals at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan, former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, spoke similarly on how former Nigerian footballers are neglected.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, Taribo West, condemned how the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) were not represented at Rufai’s funeral in Lagos.

According to West: “My mother passed on, I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands, I never shed tears.

“But when Peter Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples all over my body and I shed tears. And every individual I was speaking to....you know I had tears rolling down my cheeks.

“What kind of a nation is this? With this kind of example they have shown to Late Super Eagles of Nigeria super stars like Yisa Sofoluwe, Stephen Keshi, Thompson Oliha, Wilfred Agbonavbare, Rashidi Yekini, etc... I will never (I repeat, never) advise my son to put his feet for this country. I will never advice him to play for Nigeria.

“Do we have a football federation in Nigeria at all?

That this hero (Peter Rufai), this soldier, this football evangelist will be treated this way and his family?

“Could you imagine his family would be crying just to solicit for money within ex-players’ WhatsApp Group? That is madness for me,” concludes a very angry Taribo West in that video posted on Friday afternoon.

However, another ex in-

Atalanta Fans Turn Against Ademola Lookman

Atalantafansare so furious at Ademola Lookman with some even suggest- ing that it would be better to be relegated to Serie B than to play the Super Eagles star. This has led to his new nickname of Guipiman, a street cleaner.

Various banners by the fans have not hidden their disappointment towards Ademola

ternational who is presiding over Lagos Legends Club of ex internationals, Waidi Akanni, told THISDAY that the NFF sent financial support to the family for the

funeral.

Akanni equally stressed that Lagos State and a few corporate also supported the family for the burial of Dodo Mayana.

Eze Unveiled

But Rufai’s immediate family dismissed the claim, insisting they did not receive any money, talk less of N20million for the burial of their loved brother.

There is no official statement from the NFF on the controversy over the non representation of the fed- eration at the burial of the former goalkeeper.

at Emirates as Five-star Arsenal Crush Leeds

Viktor Gyokeres scored his first Arsenal goals as the Gunners put five past Leeds after unveiling new £60m signing Eberechi Eze before kick-off.

It was a jubilant atmo- sphere in north London as Eze was introduced to the crowd. A relaxed Eze, wearing an Arsenal shirt and jeans, sauntered out to a rapturous reception from fans before the match against Leeds.

Sporting Director, Andrea Berta, described Eze as a “creative and explosive talent with huge technical quality”.

Jurrien Timber scored the

re SULTS

Lookman for making the attempt to force his exit from Bergamo through this summer transfer.

The fans detest Lookman’s interest to transfer to their local rivals Inter Milan.

“The shirt must be honoured.

Another piece of bullshit will not be tolerated,” warned the banner by the Curva Nord 1907fans, clearly referring to the transfer saga involving the Nigerian star. The Vecchia Guardiawere even more damning in their condemnation of ‘Mola’.

Katsina v

Kwara

Wikki v

opening goal, heading in a trademark set piece before providing an assist for Bukayo Saka for Arsenal’s second.

Saka smashed a shot past Lucas Perri just before halftime but then the England winger was forced to limp

off injured in the second half.

Striker Gyokeres, a £64m signing, jinked into the box to score Arsenal’s third with a low strike before Timber scored his second from another corner.

Mikel Arteta also handed a Premier League debut to

15-year-old Max Dowman, who replaced Noni Madueke, who had been making his first start for the Gunners. Dowman had an immediate impact, winning a penalty after being brought down by Anton Stach and Gyokeres slammed the ball into the bottom corner with almost the last kick of the game.Dowman became the second youngest player to play for the club at 15 years and 234 days old, only behind his team-mate Ethan Nwaneri who made his debut at 15 years 181 days in September 2022 against Brentford.

Arteta will be concerned though by the injury to Saka, while he was also forced to replace Martin Odegaard in the first half after his captain limped off with an injury on his 200th appearance for the Gunners.

AngolabeatCameroon74-73,qualifying for the FIBA AfroBasket Final for the first time since 2015. When it seemed all but over, Angola made a comeback to secure their fifth consecutive victory in the 2025 AfroBasket. It was Cameroon’s second loss in six games.

Selton Miguel led all players in scoring,

finishing with 17 points off the bench. Yves Missi set a newAfroBasket record for the most blocked shots in a game after swatting seven of Angola’s shots. However, turning the ball over later in the fourth quarter didn’t help Cameroon’s cause. Angola will take on Mali in Sunday’s final, while Cameroon will play Senegal in the third-place game.

CELEBRATING SWEET VICTORY…

L-R: Chief of Staff to Ogun State Governor, Dr. Toyin Taiwo; Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Ogun State, Chief Yemi Sanusi; newly-elected member of House of Representatives for Remo North Federal Constituency, Mrs. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji; Governor Dapo Abiodun; and the State APC Organising Secretary, Hon Yemi Adeyemi, when the newly-elected House member presented her Certificate of Return to the governor in Abeokuta…yesterday

SIMO N KOLAWOLE

Still on the Dele Giwa Murder

Mr Yakubu Mohammed’s just-released memoir, ‘Beyond Expectations’, has reopened an old wound. It is a good thing because we cannot afford to forget our history so easily. The journalism legend, who co-founded the iconic Newswatch magazine with Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu and Dan Agbese in 1984, has punctured a conspiracy theory I have cuddled all my life: that Giwa was murdered via a parcel bomb 38 years ago because he was investigating the case of Ms Gloria Okon, a lady who was allegedly a drug courier for the people in power. She was reportedly arrested at the Kano airport, detained, declared dead and surreptitiously ferried away to the UK to live there happily ever after.

Here is the theory in full: Giwa discovered and interviewed Okon in the UK along with the magazine’s London bureau chief, Mr Kayode Soyinka. Thereafter, Soyinka came to Nigeria with her pictures and the transcript

Dele Giwa

parcel was handed to Giwa by his son, Billy, who had just collected the delivery from the gateman. When Giwa saw the handwriting on the parcel, he said: “This must be from the president.” He held the parcel and tried to open it, only for it to explode and blow him up. He died from his wounds moments later. Clearly, there would only be one suspect.

It also did not help that two days before Giwa was killed, he was invited by the State Security Service (SSS, which now calls itself DSS).

Lt-Colonel A.K. Togun, the deputy director of the SSS, pointedly accused Giwa of: (1) planning to do a follow-up story on the unceremonious removal of Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe as President Ibrahim Babangida’s 2-in-c (2) plotting to write sympathetic articles on Mr Alozie Ogugbuaja, the police spokesman who had made critical comments about soldiers to the effect that they were doing nothing other than eating pepper soup in the barracks and plotting coups (3) supporting socialists to destabilise Nigeria, and (4) planning to import arms into the country.

phone calls from Col Halilu Akilu, the director of the DMI (Directorate of Military Intelligence) around the same time, and even on the day he was killed. The theory then was that the security agents wanted to be sure Giwa was at home to receive the parcel himself so that it would not terminate the “wrong” life. Akilu calling Giwa persistently — after the SSS had just made the most outrageous allegations against him — was a perfect ingredient to sweeten the conspiracy theory. When Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the Newswatch lawyer, took up the case and was hounded by the state, what other conclusion could any reasonable person come to? Thankfully, Mohammed’s memoir has resolved one of the riddles for me. He swore that nobody was writing anything about Gloria Okon. No reporter, no editor, no director and certainly not Dele Giwa, who likely never heard of her before his gruesome death. How could he have travelled to London to interview someone he never heard of? But in every rumour, there of the interview. They were reviewing the materials together over breakfast that early Sunday morning, October 19, 1986, when the

To complicate matters, Giwa was receiving

RMAFC’s Recent Promotion to the Super League

The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) crept into the news last week after it announced a plan to review Nigeria’s revenue allocation formula and the salaries of political office holders. Predictably, the second part of the proposal has generated significant interest from the public. The focus is not misplaced. Even when RMAFC is within its constitutional mandate to undertake the proposed actions, Nigerians also have the right to ask questions about how their resources are administered. But these intended actions are not the only things that should interest Nigerians about RMAFC. The recent change in how the commission is funded deserves close scrutiny too.

Quietly and unknown to many, RMAFC was recently promoted to the league of public institutions that, colloquially, are called “juicy agencies.” I prefer to call them “Super Agencies.” These are the few agencies that are bestowed portions of or commissions from certain revenue handles. The intention is always from a good place: to ensure

that the affected organisations have predictable and adequate resources to fund their critical operations. But the application usually throws up a plethora of unintended consequences. From relative lack, these agencies suddenly get awash with more money than they need, and which they find ways to burn anyway. Inevitably, they turn to theatres of waste, patronage and graft. I want to state upfront that, though many Nigerians might not know what it does or might not be directly affected by its work, RMAFC is an important institution to the Federation. It is one of the 14 executive bodies incorporated in the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution. It is charged by its establishment law and the constitution with tracking “accruals to and disbursements of revenue from the Federation Account” and with reviewing, regularly, the revenue allocation formulas and principles to ensure that they are in line with prevailing realities. These are important functions in a federal system. RMAFC is our permanent revenue commission, heir to the eight ad-hoc revenue commissions that we had between 1946 and 1980. RMAFC is important to federal

finance, resource mobilisation and accountability. To effectively discharge its functions, RMAFC should have adequate and predictable resources. This might not have been so.

The financial lot of the commission has been altered by three recent developments, though this may not necessarily be to the best interests of all concerned. This first one is that the National Economic Council (NEC) approved that RMAFC should be allocated a fraction of non-oil revenue of the Federation every month to fund its operations. According to Professor Charles Soludo, the governor of Anambra State, who briefed the press on 12th December 2024 about NEC’s decision on this issue, the council noted the onerous responsibilities placed on the commission and its need for alternative and improved funding. NEC, a constitutional body like RMAFC, is charged with advising the president on the economy but it is also a powerful platform for inter-governmental relations and for building consensus among the beneficiaries of the Federation Account. NEC also approved for the law setting up RMAFC to be sent to the

National Assembly for repeal and re-enactment.

The significance of this should not be missed because the legislators represent the states. The second development, according to a syndicated article by a commissioner of RMAFC, is that a new law for the agency was signed on 2nd April 2025. I have not read this new law nor have I seen a release by the Presidency on its signing. I know there have been various attempts to repeal or amend the RMAFC law, notably in 2016, 2018 and 2023. We have to take the commissioner at his words, especially because the chairman of the commission, Mr. Mohammed Bello, recently thanked legislators for helping to pass the new law. In Section 14, the new law reportedly provides for parts of the commission’s funding to come from a first-line charge from the Federation Account. So, this provides a cover for the earlier approval by NEC, though it is not clear if the law mentioned a percentage. Presumably, it is based on this law that the