SUNDAY 5TH OCTOBER 2025

With 64% Contribution, Equities Raise Total

Kayode Tokede

The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) closed in September 2025 with a

total market capitalisation of N140.6 trillion, with equities accounting for 64.3 per cent.

According to official data, the breakdown shows that

equities accounted for N90.40 trillion, while the debt market contributed N50.14 trillion.

However, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) slipped to

N26.89 billion, reflecting a marginal decline from the N29.19 billion at the close of December 2024.

The surge in the stock

market underscores the renewed confidence of both domestic and foreign investors, riding on the back of macroeconomic reforms,

policy stability, and stronger corporate fundamentals. Year-to-date, the equities

Omisore Declares Intention to Contest for Osun Governorship Race

I Never Accused Buhari of Links to Boko Haram, Jonathan Clarifies

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has refuted reports claiming he accused the late President Muhammadu Buhari of having links with Boko Haram, saying his comments were misrepresented.

In a statement issued Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, the former president said he never suggested or implied that Buhari had any connection with the terrorist group or supported it in any way.

While speaking on Friday at the public presentation of ‘Scars’, a book written by former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.), Jonathan said Boko Haram once nominated Buhari, his successor, to negotiate on their behalf with the federal government.

He said the insurgents mentioned Buhari after his administration set up committees to explore dialogue with the group.

However, former spokesperson to Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu, refuted the claim as “false and politically motivated”.

In the statement issued on behalf of Jonathan, his media adviser, Eze said the ex-president’s comments were part of a broader reflection on Nigeria’s security challenges and were meant to highlight the

My Mission is to Unite All Nigerians, Says Tinubu, Preaches against Religious Divisions

WE SHARE IN YOUR GRIEF...

Military Arrests 16 Officers for Breach of Regulations, Reiterates Zero Tolerance for Acts of Indiscipline

In what it described as a routine military exercise, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) yesterday confirmed the arrest of 16 military officers for alleged indiscipline and breach of service regulations.

Director of Defence Information at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ),

Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

President Bola Tinubu has declared that he has a mission to unite Nigerians and assured Christian communities in Northern Nigeria of his administration's commitment to ensuring fairness among all religions in the country.

This is just as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned President Tinubu’s decision to visit Plateau State yesterday, saying that Tinubu attended a social event in the Northcentral state instead of visiting victims and consoling communities ravaged by insecurity.

Addressing some Christian leaders at the Headquarters of Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), in Jos, the Plateau State capital, Tinubu stated that Nigerians must learn to live in harmony despite religious differences, noting that faith should be a source of unity.

"I have a mission to

deceptive tactics employed by Boko Haram in its early days.

He described the reports circulating in sections of the media suggesting that the nomination of Buhari by Boko Haram to represent them in dialogue with the federal government, made the former president somehow complicit in the Boko Haram crisis as misleading.

“We wish to make it

market has expanded by N27.63 trillion, climbing from N62.77 trillion at the close of December 2024.

Market analysts attribute this robust performance to a confluence of factors: the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) foreign exchange reforms that ended years of volatility, improved liquidity, banking sector recapitalisation, and the newly signed Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA 2025), which has triggered strong momentum

Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, in a statement, said investigations showed that the grievances of the arrested officers were linked to repeated failure in promotion examinations and perceived career stagnation.

Gusau said their conduct was incompatible with military standards.

He noted that some of the affected officers were

unite this country, ensure its prosperity, and we are making progress," he said.

President Tinubu, in his tribute during the funeral service of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, the mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said: "In our family, we have a strong Muslim background, and I married a Christian, a pastor for that matter, and I have never forced her to change her religion.

“I inherited Islam from my family. I didn’t change. But my wife is a pastor. She prays for me. No conflict. And I never did, at any single time, try to convince her or convert her,” the president said.

Tinubu said his marriage exemplifies the unity Nigeria can achieve when people focus on shared values rather than differences.

He urged citizens to promote tolerance, respect, and understanding across religious and ethnic lines.

“I believe in the freedom

abundantly clear that the former President’s comments were grossly misrepresented. At no time did Dr Jonathan suggest, imply, or insinuate that President Buhari had any connection with Boko Haram or that he supported the group in any form.

“Dr Jonathan’s remarks, made in the course of a broader discussion on Nigeria’s security challenges, were meant to illustrate the deviousness and

in insurance stocks.

The debt market also recorded significant activity, appreciating by N3.68 trillion in nine months to hit N50.14 trillion.

The federal government and CBN bonds remain dominant, alongside four state-issued bonds and 21 corporate debt instruments listed on the exchange.

At the equities end, BUA Foods Plc emerged as the biggest mover, with its share price closing September at N629.70, pushing its market

already under the jurisdiction of military authorities for various disciplinary offences, with a few currently awaiting or undergoing trial.

Gusau said, “The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to inform the public that a routine military exercise has resulted in the arrest of sixteen officers over issues of indiscipline and breach of service regulations.

of religion. We are praying to the same God. We are answerable to the same Almighty God. We will answer to Him,” Tinubu said.

“Our deeds, our character, and our love for our fellow beings are what truly matter — not the method or faith of our being.”

He urged the clergymen to have faith in his administration, saying as leaders, "we have the responsibility to manage religious issues for the benefit of all".

The president affirmed his administration's commitment to tackling insecurity in the country, especially in the fight against terrorism and banditry.

'We are defeating bandits, and we will defeat them. We will deal with them and combat the farmers-herders clashes,' the president said.

Tinubu stated that his administration is revamping the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians.

He described the late Nana

manipulative strategies employed by Boko Haram in their early years.

“His reference was to a well-documented episode when various individuals and factions falsely claimed to represent the terrorist group and purported to name prominent Nigerians as possible mediators, without those individuals’ knowledge or consent.

“The point Dr Jonathan sought to make was

capitalisation to N11.33 trillion, about 12.5 per cent of total equities capitalisation.

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc followed with N8.88 trillion (9.8 per cent), while Dangote Cement Plc posted N8.86 trillion (9.8 per cent). Collectively, these three heavyweights contributed nearly a third of the NGX’s overall equity value.

The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NGX Group, Temi Popoola, described the

“Investigations have revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations, among other issues.

“Some of the apprehended officers had been under jurisdiction for various offences, either awaiting or undergoing trial. Their conduct was deemed

Lydia Yilwatda as a devoted mother during the funeral prayers.

"The history behind this church is rooted in faith with deep acceptance in the Lord and tradition. I have been to Jos before. When we were coming here, Governor Caleb Muftwang showed me one of the bungalows, the house of Ambassador Yahaya Kwande. During the SDP days, we met there to decide the fate of MKO Abiola.

“Today, I am grateful that I am alive and to God be the glory to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to come here to bid farewell to the mother of the community, and a humanitarian," Tinubu added.

He offered prayers for the repose of the soul of the late Lydia Yilwatda, who died in August at the age of 83, describing her as a woman of deep faith and service.

Earlier, the chief mourner and APC National Chairman, Professor Nantawe Yilwatda, said his mother was a hard-

that Boko Haram, in its characteristic deceit, often invoked the names of respected public figures to sow confusion, exploit political divisions, and undermine public confidence in government,” Eze explained.

Eze said Jonathan’s comments were therefore an illustration of the group’s duplicity, and not an accusation against the late former president or any

performance as a validation of reforms in the capital market.

“We have worked closely with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to promote transparency, strengthen investor protections, and accelerate innovation in listings and product development. Our goal is to create an inclusive, globally competitive capital market,” he said.

Analysts believe the market is on course to breach the N100 trillion equities mark by

incompatible with the standards of military service.”

He noted that those indicted at the end of the investigation would face the military disciplinary process in line with established procedures.

“Upon completion of the investigation, indicted officers will face the full military disciplinary

working woman who lived on medication for 47 years.

"I am here to thank God for her life. My mother worked for twenty-four hours despite her health condition, supporting us and providing humanitarian assistance,” he said.

He thanked President Tinubu for his emergence as APC chairman and promised to keep the trust.

President and Spiritual leader of the COCIN, Reverend Amos Mohzo, who spoke on behalf of the clergymen, thanked President Tinubu for his support of Northern Christians, especially by appointing them to key positions, such as Senator George Akume, who holds the post of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and Professor Nantawe Yilwatda, who is the National Chairman of APC, among others.

The COCIN president particularly thanked the president for his response to the insecurity in Plateau

individual, for that matter.

“The former president’s position was that if indeed Buhari was their choice negotiator, why didn’t Boko Haram expeditiously bring their evil terrorist agenda to an end when the retired General became president?

process in accordance with established procedures to ensure accountability and preserve professionalism within the Armed Forces.

“The Armed Forces wish to assure the general public that these actions are strictly disciplinary in nature and part of routine efforts to maintain order, discipline, and loyalty within the ranks,” Gusau added.

and Benue states and urged the president to assist victims of conflict in Benue State, as well as ensure the safe return of some Christian communities who fled Borno and Adamawa to Cameroon as a result of insurgent attacks. Mohzo assured the president of their unflinching support in his administration's determination to actualise the Renewed Hope Agenda. The funeral prayer was attended by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum, AbdulRazaq Abdulrahman; APC Governors; National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; Minister of State (Petroleum), Heinekin Lokpobiri; Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, and Special Duties Minister, Zephaniah Jisalo.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Dr Jonathan recognises that President Muhammadu Buhari, like every patriotic Nigerian, stood firmly against terrorism and was himself a target of Boko Haram violence. Both men, during their respective tenures, shared a common commitment to restoring peace and stability to Nigeria,” Eze added. Eze asked Nigerians to “disregard any misinterpretation remarks”, adding that Jonathan remains committed to peace, unity, and the strengthening of democratic values in Nigeria.

year-end, provided economic stability continues.

“The elimination of foreign exchange losses has been critical. In 2023 and 2024, listed companies posted a combined N867 billion in FX losses. In 2025, we have seen zero FX losses due to exchange rate stability, and this has significantly boosted investor confidence,” said CEO of APT Securities and Funds Limited, Kasimu Garba Kurfi.

Corporate earnings have also played a decisive

role, as half-year results showed impressive profits across banking, cement, food, and telecoms, with interim dividends luring retail investors.

The resilience of banking stocks, in particular, has reinforced confidence in the recapitalisation drive.

On the macro front, easing inflation, now at 20.12 per cent, and upwardly revised GDP growth projections by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have further brightened the outlook.

TAKE HEART, WE STAND WITH YOU…

In a Situation Report, NCDC Confirms Killing of 168

Persons By Lassa Fever in 21 States,

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that Lassa fever has claimed 168 lives across 21 states in 2025.

In its situation report for epidemiological week 38, the agency revealed a total of 4,543 suspected cases, of which 897 were confirmed positive, with a case fatality rate of 18.7 per cent.

The NCDC noted that four states - Ondo, Edo, Taraba, and Bauchi- remain the epicentres of the outbreak, accounting for 67 per cent of all confirmed cases. Ondo State alone has recorded the highest burden, followed by Edo and Bauchi.

Other affected states include Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Gombe, Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Enugu, Delta, Anambra, Rivers, Borno, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, and the Federal Capital Territory

(FCT).

The report also highlighted that most of the confirmed cases were among people aged 21 to 40, with both men and women affected.

The NCDC said this age group is the most socially and economically active, making them more exposed to the rodent-borne disease.

Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected rats.

Human-to-human transmission is also possible, especially in healthcare settings without proper infection prevention.

Cases typically peak during the dry season, from December to April, but infections have continued throughout the year.

The NCDC has warned that without stronger community

Stop the Malicious Lies, Onanuga Tackles US Senator over Persecution of Christians in Nigeria Claim

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Mr Bayo Onanuga, has dismissed as “malicious, contrived lies” a claim by US Senator Ted Cruz that Nigerian officials were ignoring the mass killing of Christians.

Cruz had alleged that Islamist jihadists were carrying out “mass murder of Christians” in Nigeria with the complicity of state officials.

“Officials in Nigeria

are ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists,” the senator wrote on X.

“It’s time to hold those responsible accountable. My Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act would target these officials with powerful sanctions and other tools.”

In a riposte on the same social media platform, Onanuga said Nigeria does not have a religious war and insisted that terrorists and bandits kill without discrimination.

awareness and control measures, the disease will remain a persistent public health challenge.

Despite efforts, Nigeria’s current case fatality rate of 18.7 per cent remains above the national target of below 10

per cent. Some states, such as Taraba and Bauchi, recorded higher fatality rates compared to the national average.

The agency emphasised that early presentation at treatment centres significantly improves chances of survival, as ribavirin,

106 LGAs

an antiviral medicine, is more effective when administered promptly.

The NCDC said it continues to coordinate response efforts, including enhancing surveillance, expanding diagnostic capacity, and supporting treatment centres in high-burden states.

Community sensitisation campaigns are also ongoing to promote preventive practices such as proper food storage, environmental hygiene, and avoiding self-medication.

State Govts Insist on Decentralised Electricity Market, Say 23 States Have Passed Enabling Legislations

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

State commissioners for power and energy in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Forum of Commissioners for Power and Energy (FOCPEN), have insisted on their quest for a decentralised electricity market and reliable power supply in the country.

The forum said no state has retreated from reform, adding that since the passage of the Electricity Act 23, states have passed laws to establish their electricity markets, with more joining.

According to the forum, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has transferred regulatory oversight to 14 states.

In a statement jointly signed by Chairman of FOCPEN and Cross River State Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Prince Eka Williams, and its Acting Secretary, and Commissioner for Rural and Energy Development in Kogi State, Mr. Mohammed Ihiezue Abdulmutalib, FOCPEN described the suggestion that

the subnational governments have reversed course on power sector reforms following the enactment of the Electricity Act as false.

While noting that they are advancing and not retreating, the forum said more states are actively engaging with the opportunities provided under the Electricity Act and are at different stages of legislation, regulatory formation, and market design.

“14 States now have formal NERC transfers of regulatory oversight. More States are joining the reform journey each month—recent examples include formal transfer processes for Bayelsa and Nasarawa.

“Also, in its just-concluded Energy Summit, Akwa Ibom State unveiled its state market blueprint, signalling strong intent to develop its state electricity market.

Recounting the progress made across states, FOCPEN said, “Since the passage of the Electricity Act, 23 states have already passed enabling laws to establish their electricity markets, with more states joining.

DHQ: Troops Kill Scores of Terrorists, Nab 450 Suspects, Rescue 180 Kidnap

The military authorities yesterday disclosed that the troops fighting to rid the country of insecurity and national threats in September this year rescued 180 kidnapped victims (civilians), arrested 450 terrorists/bandits, and killed scores of terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements.

Also, 39 terrorists surrendered to troops, while

63 assorted arms, 4,475 ammunition, and 294 explosive items such as grenades and IED marking materials were recovered.

Zamfara State Police Command has also confirmed the release of 17 kidnapped victims, including 14 women and three men, who had been held captive for several months.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, said terrorist

Victims in September

logistics and communications materials, including hand-held radios, motorcycles, vehicles, and other items used in perpetrating crimes, were also recovered.

“In the Niger Delta,” Kangye said, “troops of Operation Delta Safe discovered and destroyed 41 illegal refining sites.

“Troops also foiled oil theft worth over one hundred and twelve million, one hundred and seventy-five thousand,

two hundred and twenty naira (N112,175,220.00), consisting of 49,321 litres of crude oil, 6,970 litres of AGO, 1,900 litres of DPK, and 1,475 litres of PMS.

“Overall, troops recovered large quantities of various arms, such as automatic weapons, RPG tubes, machine guns, locally fabricated guns, and improvised explosive device-making material. Also, some caches of live cartridges and assorted ammunition were recovered.

SIXTY-SIX HEARTY CHEERS…

Face Your Responsibility as Governor, Secure Kwara, Saraki Tells AbdulRazaq

Faults governor’s comments on Offa robbery, worsening insecurity

Sunday Ehigiator

Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has called on Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to live up to his responsibility as the state’s Chief Security Officer and take decisive action to curb the worsening insecurity in the state.

Saraki, in a statement issued yesterday by his media office and signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, criticised the governor over a recent video in which he allegedly made “reckless and defamatory” comments linking the former Senate President to the 2018 Offa robbery incident.

In what Saraki described

as “another tragic episode in the growing wave of attacks across Kwara South and North,” bandits had killed 21 people in Oke Ode.

According to the statement, the governor’s attempt to compare the series of bandit attacks currently ravaging several local governments to the Offa robbery incident

of seven years ago reflected “either insensitivity or a lack of capacity to appreciate and process issues.”

“It is laughable that a state governor whose people were massacred in Oke Ode waited five days before visiting the community,” the statement read.

“Instead of focusing on

Court Strikes out Isa Funtua’s Suit over Alleged Wrongful Transfer of 43 Million Shares to Operators of 9mobile

Wale Igbintade

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit by businessman, Abubakar Ismaila Isa Funtua, who claimed that his 43 million shares were wrongfully transferred to Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited (EMTS), operators of 9mobile.

In a judgment delivered on September 24, 2025, the court held that Funtua, the

sole plaintiff, lacked the legal capacity (locus standi) to institute the action against the nine defendants.

The defendants included Seltrix Limited, Hayatu Hassan Hadejia, Teleology Nigeria Limited, Mohammed Edewor, EMTS, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), LH Telecommunication Limited, and Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma.

Funtua, through his counsel

Femi Atteh (SAN), had filed the suit on December 27, 2024, seeking 11 reliefs, including a declaration that he was the beneficial owner of the disputed shares allegedly held in trust for him by Seltrix Ltd in Teleology Nigeria Ltd.

However, a joint preliminary objection by the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, and 9th defendants, argued by Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), C.I. Okpoko (SAN), R.O. Atabo (SAN), A.T. Kohol, Esq., and C.C. Ogbonna, Esq., urged the court to dismiss the

case for lack of jurisdiction and abuse of court process.

After reviewing the arguments, Justice Umar ruled that Isa failed to demonstrate any legal interest in the subject matter.

The judge held: “Nowhere was there any figure of the 43,000,000 ordinary shares held in trust for the plaintiff by the 1st defendant mentioned.

In fact, the 2nd defendant denied any business dealings with the plaintiff, and these facts were not controverted.

We Are Yet to Be Served Court Order against Enforcement of Tinted Glass Permit, Police Clarify

Linus

Aleke in Abuja

The authorities of the Nigeria Police Force have said they have not been officially served with the court order prohibiting the enforcement of the tinted glass permit.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, made this known yesterday.

Human Rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, had posted

on X, reports that the court had ordered the police to maintain the status quo on the tinted glass permit case.

Responding, Hundeyin said the police had not received any official notification.

He shared excerpts of the court order, noting that the plaintiff’s three main injunctions against the policy were refused, while the court maintained a directive for

all parties to preserve the status quo, pending the next hearing on October 16.

“While we have not been officially served the court order you’re referring to, let me, in the meantime, show point number eight (of the same order) since you left that part out and focused only on point number six. Nigerians deserve a complete picture, not a skewed one.”

Hundeyin’s clarification

followed reports that the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, had issued an interim order on Friday, directing the Nigeria Police Force and the InspectorGeneral to maintain the status quo in the ongoing tinted glass permit case.

Delivering the order, the court directed the police authorities to respect judicial processes pending further proceedings in the matter.

security, he found time to attend a project commissioned in another state while his own people were being slaughtered.”

Saraki accused AbdulRazaq of failing to convene regular security council meetings and urged him to expand the state’s Security Council to include first- and secondclass traditional rulers for more effective community engagement in tackling insecurity.

The statement further noted that Saraki’s public

comments had at least “forced the governor to visit Oke Ode” and drawn national attention to the growing wave of kidnappings and killings in Kwara State. On the governor’s reference to the 2018 Offa robbery case, Saraki reiterated that the former Senate President had been cleared of any link to the incident by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation in two separate reports dated June 22 and August 23, 2018.

Over 90% of Informal Sector Operators Have No Capacity to Pay Tax, Says Taiwo Oyedele

The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has said more than 90 per cent of Nigeria’s informal sector operators do not have the capacity to pay taxes.

Speaking during an interactive session with journalists, influencers, and public analysts on the new tax laws at the weekend, Oyedele said data available to the committee does not support the widespread narrative that government revenue lies untapped in the informal sector.

“This is the reason why Nigeria has ended up introducing multiple taxes, because we are trying to chase people in the informal sector now and then,” the chairman said.

“When in fact, more than 90 per cent of operators in that sector are just there

for survival. They are just trying to find how to put food on the table from one day to another. They have no capacity to pay taxes.

“If somebody is roasting corn by the roadside, if they have customers from when they resume in the morning until they close at night, they are still a poor person. If somebody is a vulcaniser, and they have customers all around for the day, they are still poor.

“If somebody is pushing wheelbarrows to carry goods for people, and they have customers all the time around day long, they are still poor. They have no capacity to pay taxes and should not be taxed.”

He said this is why President Bola Tinubu insisted that poverty and capital should not be taxed.

“We should not tax seeds but wait for the fruits,” he added.

BRAINSTORMING ON MARITIME SAFETY…

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Olufemi Oluruntola; Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dayo Mobereola; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola; Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, Mr. Arsenio Dominguez; Personal Assistant to the Secretary General of IMO, Alice Montanarello; and Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, during the visit of the IMO Secretary General to Nigeria, in Lagos…recently

On Occasion

of World Teachers' Day,

UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF Say 44m Additional Teachers Needed Worldwide

ASUSS decries non-implementation of new teachers’ retirement age in 16 states

Uchechukwu Nnaike and Funmi Ogundare

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the World Teachers' Day, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Education International have raised the alarm that additional 44 million teachers are needed worldwide to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030.

In their joint message to mark the occasion, which is celebrated worldwide

today, they also called on governments, partners and the international community to make a collective commitment to ensuring that collaboration is recognised as a norm within the teaching profession.

This is as the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) has expressed dismay over the non-implementation of the harmonised retirement age for teachers by some state governors, describing it as demoralising.

UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF and Education International emphasised that "it is only through effective cooperation at all levels that we can build truly inclusive, equitable and

Omisore Declares Intention to Contest for Osun Governorship Race

Segun James

A former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has announced his intention to contest the 2026 governorship election in Osun State under the platform of the APC.

Omisore made the declaration in a post on his X handle yesterday, saying the formal announcement would take place on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the Osun APC Secretariat in Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo.

The declaration, themed “Fix the Broken, Restore Our Dreams.”

“My beloved people of Osun State, after deep reflection and wide consultations, I have decided to formally declare my

intention to contest for the Governor of Osun State in 2026 under our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC),” Omisore wrote.

He added that his campaign would focus on restoring hope, strengthening governance, and delivering a brighter future for the people of the state.

“This is not just my mission; it is a collective one. I humbly invite you to join me as we take this bold step towards the Osun Rescue Mission 2026,” he said.

Omisore, who contested the 2014 governorship election in Osun State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before joining the APC, is expected to be among the frontline aspirants in the ruling party’s race for the governorship ticket.

resilient education systems worldwide."

World Teachers' Day is observed every October 5 to celebrate all teachers around the world.

It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the status of teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding

the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.

The 2025 theme, 'Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession', emphasises the importance of teamwork, mentorship and mutual

support among teachers, school leaders, and the broader education community to improve educational outcomes and strengthen the profession as a whole.

In a joint message, DirectorGeneral of UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay; DirectorGeneral of the International Labour Organisation, Mr.

Uncertainty over Push for Registration

Gilbert Houngbo; Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Catherine Russell; and General Secretary, Education International, Mr. David Edwards, said though teachers are the backbone of quality education, the profession is currently facing an unprecedented crisis - one requiring political mobilisation at the highest level.

of ADA By INEC as Atiku, Amaechi, Other Key Sponsors Join ADC

The push for the registration of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may have experienced a setback as the opposition coalition last week pulled out of the process. However, the convener of ADA, Dr. Umar Ardo, said that the major challenge of the new party was that it resisted its hijack by some

elements.

Announcing the decision to pull out after a crucial meeting of the national caucus of the opposition group, the spokesman of the opposition coalition and National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, in a press statement, stated that having adopted the ADC as its official political platform for the off-season and general election, the

opposition coalition has officially withdrawn from pushing for the registration of ADA.

According to the ADC spokesman, this decision was a key resolution of the leaders of the coalition at their meeting penultimate held on Thursday, September 25.

The ADC also asked its members – former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr.

Peter Obi; former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and former governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aminu Tambuwal to come on board fully into the ADC.

Among those present at the meeting were National Chairman of ADC, Senator David Mark; Atiku; National Secretary of ADC, Rauf Aregbesola; el-Rufai; Tambuwal; former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi, and a host of others.

Amid Surge in Insecurity, Sokoto Communities Seek FG’s Approval to Bear Sophisticated Weapons for Self-defence

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

Amid a surge in deadly attacks by suspected Lakurawa bandits, residents of communities in Kebbe Local Government Area (LGA) in Sokoto State have called on the federal government to permit them to bear sophisticated weapons for self-defence.

The residents, who voiced their anguish at a press

conference held yesterday at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Sokoto, said they can no longer endure the incessant killings and destruction of property by the marauding bandits.

Led by Alhaji Adamu Kebbe, the group accused both the state and local authorities of abandoning them to their fate, lamenting that the government’s response to their plight has

been slow and inadequate.

“We can’t sleep with our two eyes closed anymore. Our communities are being wiped out, and the government is doing little to protect us,” Haruna said emotionally.

They also urged the federal government to grant direct funding to local governments to enable them to equip local security outfits and respond swiftly to attacks.

Sokoto State has been

one of the worst-hit by banditry in recent years, with emerging terror groups such as the Lakurawa and the notorious gang led by Bello Turji unleashing deadly violence across Isa, Sabon Birni, and Kebbe LGAs.

While the state government has acknowledged the growing threat, residents say its measures have fallen far short of what is needed to guarantee safety.

CSR IN ACTION…

National Assembly Workers Write CNA, Threaten Picketing over Unresolved Welfare Demands

Management alleges plot to disrupt legislative activities

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Fresh tension is brewing in the National Assembly as some concerned members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) have threatened to embark on peaceful picketing over what they described as unresolved welfare and constitutional issues affecting their members.

This is coming as the management of the National Assembly raised the alarm over plot by some staff to

disrupt legislative activities upon resumption of plenary on Tuesday.

The aggrieved workers in their letter, dated October 3, 2025 and addressed to the Clerk to the National Assembly, accused the management of intimidation and harassment of staff who have continued to demand rule-driven unionism anchored on the provisions of the PASAN Constitution, 2015.

The letter, obtained by THISDAY yesterday, was signed by Messrs M.C Odo, Yusuf Mohammed

Over 5,000 Residents Flee to Cameroon as Boko Haram Invades Borno Community

Michael Olugbode in Abuja with agency news

Over 5,000 people have reportedly fled to Cameroon after Boko Haram invaded the border town of Kirawa in Borno State on Thursday.

According to Reuters, the attack forced residents to abandon homes torched alongside a military barracks.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack in a video, which showed fighters setting ablaze the barracks while chanting “victory belongs to God”.

The district head of the community, Abdulrahman Abubakar, was quoted as saying that residents had been left with no other choice.

“I was left with no option but to flee to Cameroon,” Abubakar was quoted as saying by the news agency.

“Residents boarded trucks to seek refuge across the

border, while others ran to Maiduguri.”

Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria’s Borno State have intensified assaults on civilian and security targets in recent times.

Since the turn of the year, the insurgents have reportedly seized several army bases and local communities in Borno, with the military pushing back after periodic reinforcements.

Last Monday, Boko Haram attacked Kirawa, resulting in two deaths and the burning of the district head’s house, several other homes, vehicles, and heavy-duty equipment.

On Friday, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, called on the federal government and military authorities to deploy soldiers to key border communities in the state, including Kirawa, Wulgo, Baga, Damasak, and Malam Fatori.

Abiola and Chinenye Peace Nda, on behalf of their colleagues.

They alleged that some members were being queried and threatened with suspension for their participation in union activities, particularly their insistence on the presentation of audited accounts of the chapter to congress, as stipulated in the union’s constitution.

The workers cited several provisions of the PASAN Constitution which mandate executive officers at both national and chapter levels to prepare annual budgets, circulate audited accounts and balance sheets, present financial proposals to congress, and ensure compliance with the laws of the country. They argued that these provisions make accountability an obligation that must be upheld in the management of the chapter’s affairs.

Tony Elumelu Foundation Donates N1bn for Empowerment of Women in 36 States, FCT

Tony Icheku in Owerri

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has donated N1billion to the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to support 500 women from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to receive N50,000 to strengthen their businesses.

This is coming as the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has challenged the Board and management of the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority to close the gaps that exist in water, agriculture, power, food

security, livestock, and other sectors in the South-east in particular and Nigeria at large in the course of discharging their duties.

Speaking in Owerri, Imo State capital, during the launch of the Women Economic Empowerment Programme, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the programme launched under the auspices of the Renewed Hope Initiative Women, in conjunction with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is part of the federal government's

efforts to empower women economically.

Flagging off the programme at the Banquet Hall, Government House Owerri, in an address read on her behalf by the wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, Mrs Tinubu disclosed that the economic empowerment programme is about supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of women traders and smallscale business owners who provide for their families, educate their children as well as uplift their communities.

The First Lady further disclosed that the Governor of Imo State, in his magnanimity, increased the Tony Elumelu kind gesture by adding another N50,000 each, making it N100,000 to be given to the pre-selected beneficiaries from the 27 local government areas in Imo State. Senator Oluremi emphasised that the empowerment is not a loan, stressing that it is a grant, a seed of the Renewed Hope Initiative to help them re-capitalise their existing businesses.

Prevent Demolition of Igbo Houses in Lagos, Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu Tells Tinubu

Sunday Ehigiator

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has asked President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the demolition of properties owned by Igbos in Lagos State. Some plazas were demolished at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State.

The exercise was carried out by officials of the Lagos

State Ministry of Physical Planning, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority.

Last Tuesday, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023, Peter Obi, who visited the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA) section of the market with a handful of federal lawmakers,

including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Austin Akobundu and Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra central senator), said the plazas were pulled down despite valid approval.

However, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, countered Obi, saying the demolition was not targeted at Igbo traders. He said the affected buildings had no valid

approvals and that they were pulled down over safety concerns.

Speaking at the weekend during the commissioning of projects in Aba, Abia state, Kalu urged Tinubu to prevail on the Lagos State government to stop the demolition.

“Mr. President, I also want to say that the destruction and demolition of the houses and offices of our brothers in Lagos make our hearts bleed.

Citizens have always Acted

At 65 years of independence, Nigeria’s story is also the story of its people. Citizens who have always acted to demand justice, freedom, and accountability.

1929

ABA WOMEN’S PROTESTS

Women resisted unfair colonial taxation.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH (EiE)

Young Nigerians demanded accountability during Yar’Adua’s absence. EiE was born, building a movement of active citizens

MILESTONES

1946

EGBA WOMEN’S PROTEST

Women demanded justice from colonial authorities & the Alake of Egbaland

CONCERNED PROFESSIONALS

Civil groups mobilised against the annulment of June 12 & prolonged military rule

1940s–1960s

INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE

Activists, unions, and students fought for self-rule

1980s

ANTI-SAP & MILITARY CORRUPTION

Mass protests resisted IMF’s harsh policies & dictatorship excesses

1960s

STUDENTS vs DEFENSE PACT

Nationalist students forced Nigeria to cancel a military pact with Britain.

1970s

AGAINST MILITARY HIGH-HANDEDNESS

Students & workers rose against authoritarian decrees

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SAFETY ON THEIR MINDS…

L-R: General Manager, Generation Projects, Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Valerie Agberagba; Chairman of House of Representatives’ Commitee on Safety Standards and Regulations, Hon. David Idris Zachariah; and Chief Operating Officer of the Calabar Power Plant, Ayoade Olanrewaju Bex, during the visit of the House of Representatives’ Commitee on Safety Standards and Regulation, to the power plant in Odukpani, Cross River State...recently

To Strengthen Accountability, Openness in MDAs, FG Unveils 2025 Transparency Integrity Index

The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has launched the 2025 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII), as announced in a statement by the Head of Strategic Communications at BPSR, Mr. Aliyu Umar, in Abuja.

The Director-General, BPSR, Dasuki Arabi, in his address, described the Index as a vital tool for strengthening accountability, openness, and ethical standards across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

“This annual event remains one of the most important

platforms for promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity within our public institutions.

“The TII is not just about numbers or rankings; it is about building a culture of openness and responsibility that inspires public trust.

“Now in its ffth edition, the Index measures MDAs’ compliance with transparency standards in fve critical areas.

“The Index was measured on fnancial management, control of corruption, open procurement, citizens’ engagement, and hu-

Adeleke Orders Investigation into Killing of Residents of Osun Community By Amotekun Operatives

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has ordered a full investigation into the recent killing of residents of Akinlalu community in Ife North Local Government Area (LGA) of the state by operatives of the Amotekun Corps.

Adeleke’s decision to probe the incident was contained in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, and made available to the journalists in Osogbo, the state capital, yesterday.

Rasheed said his principal expressed deep shock at the deaths of some individuals

from the town after receiving a preliminary report from his Special Adviser on Security Matters.

“After receiving the preliminary report, further briefngs were presented to the Deputy Governor by the security team with a State Security Council meeting now scheduled for Monday to further deliberate on the issue and other emerging security threats in the state,” the statement read.

He vowed to dig into the root of the incident, saying a high-powered delegation of government and security chiefs will visit the affected town after the scheduled state security council meeting on Monday.

Akinseye-George Blames Weak Pre-trial Case Management System for Long Adjournment

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, has identified the absence of an effective Pre-trial Case Management System for the long adjournments granted by the courts in the trial of criminal cases.

Akinseye-George made this known at a capacitybuilding workshop on

the emerging trends in the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and Administration of Criminal Justice Laws (ACJA/ACJL).

The workshop, which was organised by the Centre for Socio-Legal (CSLS), in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, had in attendance critical stakeholders in the justice sector.

man resource inclusion,” he said.

According to him, the Index was conducted in partnership with the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI).

Arabi explained that the TII aligns with the National Strategy for Public Service Reforms (NSPSR 2021–2025), reinforces

the Freedom of Information Act, and supports Nigeria’s commitments under the Open Government Partnership.

“It also complements the work of anti-corruption agencies such as the ICPC and the EFCC, while refecting Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).

He further commended the unwavering support of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, development partners, and stakeholders who have contributed to the success of the initiative.

“Together, we are building stronger institutions for a more

accountable and prosperous Nigeria,” he added. The Transparency and Integrity Index has, since inception, guided reforms aimed at improving governance in Nigeria, serving as a benchmark for public sector performance and an inspiration for continuous institutional improvement.

Gunmen Kill Abuja Doctor, Kidnap His Three Children

An Abuja-based veterinary doctor and former Chairman of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, FCT chapter, Dr. Ifeanyi Ogbu has been killed by suspected kidnappers who whisked away his three children.

It was gathered that the deceased’s residence in Kubwa district along the Kubwa-Kaduna road was invaded on Friday

night by the gunmen. They abducted him alongside his three children, and later dumped his body by the roadside.

Dr. Ogbu’s death was confrmed by Andrew Gabriel Ikechukwu, via his Facebook page, noting that the corpse of the deceased was found on the roadside

He wrote, “Dr. Ifeanyi Ogbu, the immediate past chairman of the NVMA FCT chapter, who was kidnapped alongside his three children from his home in Kubwa Abuja, was found dead.

“The three children are yet to be released. May God please intervene.”

Dr. Ogbu’s family remains in distress as efforts continue to locate and rescue his three abducted children.

Colleagues and friends have expressed shock at the killing, describing it as a devastating loss to both his family and the veterinary profession.

The late Ogbu was described as a dedicated professional. He leaves behind a nursing wife and grieving family members.

House Committee Commends NDPHC for High Safety Standards at Calabar Power Plant

Ejiofor Alike

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations has commended the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) for upholding high safety standards at the Calabar Power Plant in Odukpani, Cross River State.

According to a statement issued by the Head of Corporate Communications and External Relations, NDPHC,

Emmanuel Ojor, the committee gave the commendation after an on-the-spot assessment of the 565MW facility.

The committed noted signifcant improvements since its last visit in 2018.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. David Idris Zacharias, said the inspection was aimed at ensuring that Nigerians work in safe environments and enjoy long, healthy lives.

He praised the staff for maintaining the plant, stressiWng that the health and safety of workers in the power sector are critical to both government and the economy.

“We, the Safety Standards and Regulations Committee members, always appreciate when we step into any organisation and see that they have done very well. My impression here is positive,

and you also heard the same from my honourable colleagues,” Zacharias said. He, however, noted that the visit was not only to commend but also to highlight areas requiring improvement.

Specifcally, the committee called for improvement in the work environment for staff, including better lighting, rest areas for shift workers, and adequate seating in offces.

Edo Inaugurates State and LG Drug Control Committees

The Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has officially inaugurated the State and Local Government Drug Control Committees at the Festival Hall, State House, Benin City.

This historic initiative positions Edo as the first state to establish such committees at both state and local government levels as stipulated under Nigeria’s national drug control master plan.

During the ceremony,

Governor Okpebholo, who was represented by the deputy governor, Mr. Dennis Idahosa, administered the oath of allegiance to the committee members, emphasising the importance of the event as a critical stride in the state’s commitment to addressing the societal challenges posed by drug-related issues.

“Drug traffcking and abuse represent a complex challenge that contributes to crime,

violence, and social instability,” he stated.

The governor urged the newly formed committees to devise effective strategies stressing that every member of the committee has been carefully selected for their expertise and dedication.

“This committee will develop strategies for drug prevention, provide education and awareness on the dangers of drug abuse, and deepen collaboration

with relevant stakeholders in making the state free from drug and substance abuse,” Okpebholo added.

The Chairman and CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), was the special guest of honour at the event and was represented by the NDLEA Zonal Commander, Zone 13, Assistant Commander General of Narcotics (ACGN) Fidelis Cocodia.

Editor: Festus Akanbi

08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com

AMCON: A Lifeline Lender or Permanent Burden?

Pressure is mounting for the winding down of AMcON as questions over its prolonged lifespan, mounting debt burden, and diminishing relevance to Nigeria’s financial stability sharpen into urgent calls for closure, writes Festus Akanbi

When the Asset Management corporation of Nigeria (AMcON) was created in July 2010, it was nothing short of a special purpose arrangement to save distressed companies. The global financial crisis and Nigeria’s local banking meltdown had left a trail of toxic loans threatening to pull down the entire system. the federal government, through the central bank of Nigeria, birthed AMcON as an emergency vehicle to mop up non-performing loans and restore confidence in the banking industry.

And in truth, AMcON delivered. Without it, many banks would have collapsed. Depositors would have lost their life savings. Investor confidence in Nigeria’s economy would have evaporated. In its early years, AMcON was rightly seen as a saviour. It bought bad loans at discounted rates, warehoused them, and kept the system afloat.

But fifteen years after its creation, two simple questions hang over its head: why is AMcON still here? Has it come to stay forever?

Pioneer’s Verdict: Job Done, Curtain Call

Perhaps no voice carries more weight on this matter than that of Mustapha chike-Obi, the corporation’s pioneer Managing Director. Speaking recently at the businessDay Policy Intervention Series, chike-Obi was blunt in his assessment. AMcON, he argued, was created for an emergency that would have dragged down the banking sector. Without it, the system would have collapsed. At the time, it was necessary.

but today, he said, it is no longer necessary, and it will not be necessary in the future. In his words, AMcON has become the longestrunning asset corporation in the world, yet debts that have not been recovered after thirteen years are unlikely ever to be recovered. that verdict is damning. And he is not alone. From lawmakers on the Senate committee on banking, to shareholder associations such as ISAN, to respected bank directors, the chorus is growing louder: AMcON has outlived its purpose.

The Cost of Keeping AMCON Alive

AMcON is no longer an emergency ve-

hicle. It has become, in many ways, a costly passenger dragging the system backward. the numbers tell the story starkly. In 2023 alone, nine banks contributed over N306 billion to AMcON’s sinking fund, a jump of nearly 26 per cent from the previous year.

Statutory levies on banks, which include payments to AMcON and the NDIc, are now the second-largest expense item after staff salaries. In a few years, they are projected to overtake salaries themselves. Fidelity bank, for example, a tier-2 lender, will pay about N50 billion in AMcON and NDIc fees in a single year. Larger banks like Zenith or Access will pay even more.

this is not a trivial burden. every naira diverted to AMcON is a naira not available for shareholder dividends, for fresh lending to the real sector, or for capital investment. Nigerian banks are competing with peers in brazil, Indonesia, and elsewhere, yet unlike those, they drag AMcON’s millstone on their balance sheets. the question is unavoidable: at what point does this become unsustainable?

Rewarding Bad Business Deci- sions

there is also the moral hazard question. AMcON, by design, absorbed the sins of reckless bankers and corporate borrowers. but the longer it exists, the more it signals that failure can always be socialised.

In one notorious case, a Nigerian airline operator allegedly diverted AMcON bailout funds into starting a bank in another country, leaving AMcON to clean up the mess. Other bank promoters, whose reckless lending and outright fraud sank their institutions, walked away scot-free while AMcON carried the can. Retaining AMCON indefinitely rewards bad business behaviour. It whispers to the next generation of risk-takers: don’t worry, if things go south, AMcON will be there. That is not how a healthy financial system functions.

A Poor Recovery Scorecard

If AMcON’s defence is that it still has work to do, the numbers do not inspire confidence. Of the N5 trillion in bad loans it acquired, it has reportedly recovered only about N1.4 trillion in 15 years. Non-performing loans

across the financial sector have risen again, by more than 150 per cent since AMcON’s creation. this means AMcON has not solved the underlying problem; it only postponed it. Worse, it is now recycling unrecovered debts, running up costs, and becoming a semi-permanent bureaucracy.

Shareholders have voiced their disappointment loudly. Sir Sunny Nwosu of ISAN lamented that the agency has failed to resolve the debt recovery issue, describing its performance as “a paltry N1.4 trillion since inception.” Such a record hardly justifies keeping the agency alive.

Political Dimension

Another reason AMcON has overstayed its welcome is political interference. Its obligors are not ordinary citizens. Many of them are well-connected billionaires, sitting in government or wielding enormous influence. As the current ceO, Gbenga Alade, recently admitted, dealing with recalcitrant debtors is one thing, but dealing with debtors who hold powerful positions in government is one of the most difficult tasks he has ever faced. How does one recover loans from men who write the laws, approve budgets, or regulate the very agencies meant to hold them accountable? that paradox is at the heart of AMcON’s unnatural lifespan. the controversies surrounding AMcON’s leadership have not helped. the recent N60 billion fraud charges against its former MD, Ahmed Kuru, later withdrawn by the government, added fuel to public scepticism. even if the charges did not stick, the optics were terrible: an agency set up to clean the rot being itself accused of rot. When the referee is under suspicion, confidence in the game evaporates.

What Next? Options for Winding Down to argue that AMcON should be wound down is not to deny its contributions. History will record that it stabilised Nigeria’s banks at a time of crisis. but the life-saving drip should not become a permanent fixture. The patient, Nigeria’s financial system, must learn to stand without it. the path forward is clear. the National

Assembly should legislate a definite end date for AMcON, giving clarity to banks, shareholders, and investors. A two- or three-year horizon would allow for an orderly transition. Its remaining functions can be merged into the Nigeria Deposit Insurance corporation, which already plays a stabilisation role in the system. rather than chasing unrecoverable debts, AMcON should focus on disposing of performing assets at market value. transparency must also be part of the wind-down process: the names of high-profile obligors hiding under legal technicalities should be published, especially if they hold public office. Ultimately, the financial system must return to market discipline. bankers and borrowers must know there will be no second AMcON to bail them out.

Why Delay Is Dangerous every extra year that AMcON lingers is a year of wasted resources and distorted incentives. As recapitalisation looms for Nigeria’s banks, the levies they pay to AMcON are eating into funds that should be strengthening their capital buffers. The danger is clear: if banks are forced to recapitalise while still carrying AMcON’s burden, the cost will be transferred to depositors and shareholders. Lending to small businesses will tighten further. Growth will stall. In effect, AMCON, which once saved the system, now risks choking it. History teaches that extraordinary institutions must know when to bow out. the Marshall Plan, America’s post-war reconstruction aid to europe, ended after four years. the resolution trust corporation in the United States, created to mop up toxic savings-andloan assets in the 1980s, shut down within a decade. Why then should AMcON still be alive fifteen years later, the longest-running asset corporation in the world? the answer is simple: Nigeria has failed to let go. but the time has come. Winding down AMCON will not only ease the suffocating levies on banks, but it will also restore discipline to the financial sector. AMCON was the right answer to yesterday’s question. It is not the solution for today. To keep it indefinitely is to reward failure, punish success, and waste resources. Nigeria must summon the political will to pull the plug.

Capital Express Life Assurance Drives Future with Innovation and Trust

In a country where insurance has too often been dismissed as complicated, distant, or even irrelevant, capital express Life Assurance is rewriting the script with a story of innovation anchored in trust and determination to prove that insurance in Nigeria can be simple, transparent, and deeply human, writes Ebere Nwoji

As Nigeria’s insurance sector braces for sweeping reforms under the forthcoming Nigeria Insurance Industry reform Agenda (NIIrA 2025), signed into law by President bola Ahmed tinubu on August 5, 2025, industry leaders are stepping up with bold visions that match the ambition of the regulatory overhaul.

Among them is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Capital express Life Assurance Limited, Mr. Mathew Ogelenya Ogwezhi, who is charting a transformative course for his company. His mission is clear: to align with the reform’s objectives while carving out a unique space for capital express Life Assurance as a customerfirst, digitally powered life insurance provider.

NIIrA 2025 places recapitalisation at the centre of reform, raising minimum capital to N10billion for life insurers, N15billion for general, N25billion for composites, and N35billion for reinsur- ers, all within a 12-month window. But beyond higher figures, it ushers in risk-based capital, tougher asset checks, and stronger governance. For Ogwezhi, this isn’t just about meeting a deadline; it is a chance to show resilience, build public trust, and reset how Nigerians see insurance.

Ogwezhi’s vision speaks directly to longstanding challenges within Nigeria’s insurance ecosystem. Despite

a population of over 200 million, insurance penetration in Nigeria remains under two per cent, one of the lowest in Africa. Low awareness, mistrust, and complex products have historically limited uptake. to change this, insurers must rethink how they engage with Nigerians, bridging the gap between technical solutions and human needs.

Under Ogwezhi’s leadership, capital express Life Assurance is positioning itself as one of the frontrunners of this change, blending digital transformation, operational efficiency, and renewed customer trust.

Appointed in 2024 by the board as Managing Director/ceO, Ogwezhi’s story is one of grit and steady progression. His career at Capital Express reflects a deep understanding of the business from multiple perspectives. Starting humbly as PA to the MD/CEO and Media Affairs Officer, he went on to serve in critical roles: Head of branch Operations, regional Director, and Deputy General Manager overseeing Marketing, Sales, and Distribution. each stage of his rise gave him frontline experience in the realities of Nigeria’s insurance business, from the intricacies of branch management to the complexities of market expansion. this journey has not only

equipped him with operational competence but has also shaped his leadership philosophy. His approach emphasises resilience, hands-on understanding, and building high-performing teams. today, he leads capital express Life Assurance with the confidence of someone who knows the business inside out, because he has walked nearly every path within it.

Ogwezhi’s career is marked by bold initiatives that expanded the strong presence of capital express. Domesti- cally, he spearheaded the establishment of new branches in Jos, Kano, Warri, Onitsha, and Aba, extending the company’s presence into regions that had been undermined by mainstream insurers.

Internationally, he played a pivotal role in pushing the capital express Assurance brand beyond Nigerian borders, helping establish offshore operations in Ghana, Liberia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Kenya.

Perhaps one of his standout contributions was pioneering the life insurance scheme for undergraduates across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. this initiative broke new ground by embed- ding financial protection within the education sector, a space where insurance was previously absent. the project not only safeguarded families but also demonstrated the company’s commitment to innovation and inclusivity.

Now at the helm, Ogwezhi is spearheading what may prove to be his most ambitious project yet: a complete digi- tization of the company’s operations.

From underwriting to claims manage- ment, the company is overhauling legacy systems and replacing them with platforms designed for speed, transparency, and efficiency. Claims processing, often the Achilles’ heel of insurance in Nigeria, is being transformed into a seamless, customer-friendly experience.

Ogwezhi’s digital-first approach includes cLArA (capex Life Assurance response Assistant), the company’s new virtual assistant. Unlike conventional chatbots, cLArA is built with AI-powered interactivity, capable of multilingual conversations in english and major Nigerian languages. this makes insurance accessible to a broader audience, breaking down jargon and simplifying processes.

“cLArA is built to demystify insur- ance,” he explains. “Whether you’re a young professional, a parent, or a business owner, cLArA can guide you through products and even recommend solutions that fit your lifestyle and financial goals.”

By embedding artificial intelligence into customer engagement, capital express Life Assurance is signalling a decisive move toward personalised insurance solutions. cLArA learns from interactions, adapting over time to provide tailored recommendations that reflect real-world needs.

While technology is a key driver, Ogwezhi is quick to highlight that digital tools must be backed by credibility.

“technology is only as powerful as the trust behind it,” he emphasises. “Our responsibility is to assure Nigeri- ans that insurance is not a gamble, but a guarantee of security.”

In an industry often viewed with skepticism, this emphasis on trust and transparency is critical. by combining AI-driven convenience with prompt claims settlement and clear communication, the company is working to rebuild confidence among Nigerians who may have been hesitant about insurance in the past.

the NIIrA 2025 reforms are expected to reshape Nigeria’s insurance land- scape significantly. With goals such as deepening insurance penetration, improving consumer protection, en- hancing digital adoption, and boosting financial inclusion, the agenda places heavy demands on insurers.

For capital express Life Assurance, the reforms align perfectly with its current strategy. by focusing on digitisation, inclusivity, and customer- centricity, the company is not only preparing to comply with new regulations but is also seeking to lead industry transformation.

Looking forward, c apital e xpress Life Assurance is signaling its intent to grow beyond conventional models of insurance. Plans are underway to expand product offerings tailored to different demographics, from Gen Z professionals just entering the workforce to retirees seeking financial stability. Strategic collaborations with fintechs are also on the horizon, aimed at delivering insurance in ways that are frictionless, digitalfirst, and lifestyle-oriented.

Under the leadership of Ogwezhi, the company is charting a course that blends technology, accessibility, and trust, redefining what it means to be an insurer in Nigeria today.

www.thisdaylive.com

opinion@thisdaylive.com

STANLEY JEGEDE pays tribute to Chief C.O. Adebayo, former Governor of Kwara State

FAREWELL, CORNELIUS OLATUNJI ADEBAYO

The editors who cast the headlines in the various Nigerian newspapers following his passage on the 25th of June 2025 tried. A statesman has passed. A former Senator/Governor/Minister is dead. A respected politician is no more. These headlines speak in their own ways. But the words are brittle. Because, as profound as they may have sounded, they do not capture the essence of the man we now mourn.

Yes, I lost a father. I lost one of my life’s greatest anchors. I lost the man who did not just welcome me into his family but also carved out a permanent space in his heart and placed me there. The late Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo did not just bestow on me the incredible honour of being the husband of his daughter, my dear wife Mosunmola. He fashioned on me a breastplate of guidance, the shoes of a consociate, the shield of friendship, the helmet of a confidante, and the steel of a preserver. He was the man who erased the ‘in-law’ from my title and replaced it with the unwavering love of a father.

In trying times, through the troughs of uncertainty and pain, his voice was a calm, steady lighthouse cutting through the storm. He would say to me, ‘Don’t expect everyone who started with you to always be with you. You are on a journey.’ How prescient! And he never failed to have my back. I always wanted to know what he thought about critical issues and his admonitions still ring in my ears. Such as “Stanley, go the right way, and you can’t go wrong!”

To write about my father-in-law is to try and bottle the ocean; the task is impossible, for his depth was immeasurable. To many, he was one of the shapers of our nation. And he was, indeed. But to me, above all else, he was simply ‘Dad’. He was my cicerone of grit, wise counsel, topmost cheerleader, and unwavering mentor.

As we perform the final rites for his passage this coming Saturday, the memories still flood my mind in an overwhelming array of unforgettable times. I see us sharing a laugh so deep it shook our shoulders. I hear the cadence of his voice in our poignant conversations, whether in joyous togetherness or in pensive silence. We would sit to discuss the intricate tapestries of life, family, business, friendships, and the complexities of human existence.

In every one of those moments, he left me more aware, more human, more focused. He could charge my spirit with a few words of encouragement or guide me toward deep introspection with a thoughtful question. And he had such a likeable nature. You felt it from the

minute you met him. His smile was both confident and welcoming. There are really too many memories to pick from. One being that he had such impeccable handwriting, and he took an endearing pride in the way he wrote. Another is that I enjoyed taking him back to the past and asking him numerous questions about his younger days in school, his political journey, and so on. He never tired of indulging me by telling those stories vividly. Like our many ‘BAREWA 1464’ tales. That was his school number at Barewa College, an elite school in Zaria, Kaduna state, during an era when a student was identified by both a name and a number. He was a proud Barewa Old Boys Association (BOBA) alumnus, and he always marvelled at how I could never forget this unique number 1464. Well, how could I? It was one of our fondest things to talk about, and the smile it put on his face. Priceless. There was so much to learn from Dad, and yes, I learned a lot. We enjoyed each

other’s company and I always looked forward to being with him. I discussed anything and everything with Dad and our conversations were “father - son talks” as we moved from one topic or subject to another and we almost always end with “I think we have been able to update ourselves on everything we can remember”. Especially if we have not had the time to talk for some time. I must also add that often, Dad will not let me leave whenever I visit without a parting gift. “Take it, I won’t use it!” he would command, while pointing to another item that I should take with me, even before I accepted what he had just given. He was indeed a generous man! As the years went by, he slowed down considerably and, while in Abuja, spent a lot of time gardening. He took pride in his plants, flowers and trees and was always so eager to show his very impressive garden to us when we visited and how they had been well-nourished. For those who know his garden in Abuja, Dad planted almost every

species. He would get his mind around missing a purple plant, for instance, and off he and his plantsman went to search for it. Delightfully, almost all those plants are huge trees now.

Nearly every fruit, name it, mangoes, oranges, grapes, bananas, paw paws, flowers, and many more, also found a home in his garden. Again, with the help of his ever reliable and devoted gardener, Joel, who bore a similar name to his own Dad, and shared an incredible bond with him.

If I am as accomplished as I am today, it is because he was one of the most special people who carefully wove threads of goodwill into my life. He was a strategic thinker, a man who believed in moving the needle, no matter the obstacle. He was dynamic in his perspectives, a calm water who could become a roaring lion in defence of his own.

I am wiser, sharper, and tougher because he taught me the necessity of conviction. Yet, I am more present, kinder, and more engaging because he showed me that true strength is rooted in character and gentleness. He was a compass that always pointed true north. My father-in-law was a courageous husband. One who sat by his wife’s bedside daily all five years when she was unwell, till we lost her painfully on the 9th of September 2014. His life literally came to a stop when we lost Mummy. He was hardly seen at social, political events or gatherings. Mummy was his rock and his pillar. And as far as I can remember, he got emotional anytime her name was mentioned or when I talked about her. He was also an awesome, protective father to his children, creating a legacy of love and strength that will ripple through generations.

The world has lost a great statesman. Kwara State has lost one of its foremost pillars. A family has lost a patriarch. And I have lost a father. The void is immense. The cost of having been mentored by one of the best, championed by the resolute, and daily honoured by an outstanding individual. The lessons, the love, the laughter, and the light he poured into all of us can never die. It lives on in the way we lead. The way we love. And the way we strive to be better human beings. Rest now, my dad, my confidant, my friend, in the eternal embrace of the God you served with such fierce devotion. The silence you leave is very loud. But it resounds with the music of a life magnificently lived. And the affection we would carry forever.

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

REDEFINING TEACHING AND THE TEACHER

All the stakeholders should collaborate and push for a better teaching and learning environment

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) could not have been more apt with the theme for this year’s World Teachers’ Day, ‘Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession’. It speaks to the heart of a desperate societal need, especially here in Nigeria, while taking us back to the oft-repeated truism that ‘It takes a society to raise the child’. Such a collaboration is important for proper self-management, socialization, grooming in values and the acquisition and application of the right type of knowledge.

At a symposium in Abuja ahead of today’s occasion, Education Minister, Tunji Alausa described teachers as “the custodians of knowledge, the builders of character, and the architects of the nation’s future” while admitting that as the foundation for all professions, teachers deserve improved welfare packages.

Held annually on 5th October since 1994, the World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNESCO joint recommendation which “sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.” And for the first time, the ceremony to mark the day is being hosted outside their Paris headquarters by the African Union in the framework of the Pan-African Conference on Teacher Education (PACTED) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In societies that value quality education, a high premium is placed on teachers who are wellremunerated. But in Nigeria, the reward system does not seem tailored to take into full account the centrality of teaching and the sacrifices of teachers. Today, many take to teaching for want of anything else to do. Unlike in the past, teaching is now a job of last resort for most people. Meanwhile, those who take up the profession are poorly paid and hardly regarded in the society. We enjoin the managers of educational structures and systems in our country to pay greater attention to the overall teaching and learning process, including policies and environmental factors that support proper knowledge impartation, peer “mutual support, shared expertise, and joint responsibility within the teaching profession”.

We call for better conditions of service for teachers; we urge all stakeholders to support them, invest in improving their expertise, and helping to make them better equipped for the daunting task of nurturing the young minds

SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

editor DAviDSoN iriekpeN

deputy editors FeStUS AkANbi eJioFor ALike

Managing director eNioLA beLLo

deputy Managing director iSrAeL iwegbU

chairMan editorial Board oLUSegUN ADeNiYi

As Nigeria therefore joins other countries to mark the 2025 World Teachers’ Day today, it is important for authorities at all levels and other critical stakeholders to appreciate the essence of such partnerships among teachers, schools, and education systems. This is very important in any attempt to improve teaching and learning. Without such a cooperation, it would be difficult to expand the horizon of teachers or upscale their knowledge of emerging trends in the learning environment. More than at any period in our country, we need that collaboration if we must revamp the education sector that is now almost comatose. The right type of cooperation will drive professional growth and enhance teachers’ feeling of self-worth and job satisfaction.

Since education is, strictly speaking, not just learning but the nurturing of the human being into a responsible member of society, this year’s theme should remind us that teaching does not begin or end with what happens in the classroom. Parents, the immediate and extended families, the kindred and the wider community must all work together to impart the cocktail of information, knowledge, skills and values involved in truly educating the child. And it is in the context of this wide spectrum of stakeholders that we should look at the theme adopted by UNESCO for this year. In recognition that the formal educational system is fed by a culture that could promote or undermine the efforts of the most hardworking of teachers, UNESCO is advocating a collaboration between all stakeholders in the sector.

editor nation s capital iYoboSA UwUgiAreN the oMBudsMan kAYoDe koMoLAFe

THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LIMITED

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Going forward, collaboration among a wide spectrum of stakeholders, as envisaged by UNESCO, should go beyond teachers, schools, and education systems to the most elementary foundations of our society. Beyond improving academic teaching and learning, or promoting teachers’ professional growth, we need policies that are in sync with global trends and sensitive to our peculiar educational needs.

We congratulate teachers at every level of the educational system in Nigeria. We affirm their importance as nation builders. We call for better conditions of service for them, and we urge all stakeholders to support them, invest in improving their expertise, and helping to make them better equipped for the daunting task of nurturing the young minds who represent the future of Nigeria.

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

A COUNTRY WHERE DEATH IS EASIER THAN LIFE

A country slowly and tragically bleeds to death when its citizens become easy targets for criminals of all shades and stripes.

Nigeria is haunted yet again by profoundly depressing news involving two women professionals. First to haunt the airwaves was the case of one Onyesom Peace, who was called to the Nigerian Bar between 23rd and 25th September 2025. Still drenched in celebrations at what is not an easy feat in a country where dysfunction is an unnatural disaster, she was abducted alongside her sister by kidnappers on her way back to her base in the southeast. They spent about four days in the den of their kidnappers.

For 29-year-old Somtochukwu Maduagwu, death came agonizingly on Monday, 29th September 2025, during an armed robbery attack during which she is said to have gotten severely injured and

passed away as she tried to escape. It was also said that life-saving medical attention did not arrive on time.

In the circumstance, there can be only one fitting description for a country where death is easier than life. Such a country can be fittingly described as being disastrously dysfunctional. The boldest stamp a state can leave on its territory and on the consciousness of its citizens is security. When the citizens of a country know that they are safe within a country, trust wells within them in the capacity of the state to protect them. This in turn transforms into patriotism and many other good qualities that every state cannot do without. Alas, in Nigeria, the opposite is true.

It Is constitutional that the chief responsibility of the Nigerian state is the welfare of its citizens. Yet, every day in Nigeria, Nigerians are killed,

and unaccountably too. The grim list of Nigerians killed with no one held to account continues to grow by the day to put Nigeria on the spot and firmly establish it as a country without justice.

A country boils more fiercely than a cauldron when elected government officials appear impotent and impassive before the scalding rage of ragtag criminals and ragged non-state actors.

For all the current administration assures Nigeria that it is irreversibly on the right track, for all that loquacious government officials howl to the rooftops that the peace and prosperity of old have made a resounding return to a thoroughly parched land, the gaps remain, stressing the gulf between Nigeria as it is today and the country it aspires to be.

Criminals operate, saunter away, and return only because measures are not in place to check them. For more than a

decade now, Nigeria’s suspect security architecture has continued to disintegrate, worn down by government dereliction and the newfound audacity of criminals. These criminals strike at will, cut lives short, and cart away valuables only to rest, rinse, and repeat their crimes all the while unbothered by what a fairly toothless state can possibly conjure.

A country where citizens cannot sleep with both eyes closed is a country cooking its demise. Such a country can hardly ever make any meaningful progress.

Nigeria must do more. It is tragically shameful that Africa’s largest democracy cannot guarantee the basics of statehood thus exposing its citizens to ruthless criminals.

Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com

Jimi Benson: Golden Threads of Service

Jimi Benson, a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, stands as a rare, towering exemplar of transformative leadership. Despite his successes, his heart has always been tethered to the pulse of the people, writes Kayode Alfred

In an age where integrity oscillates like a weather vane, Jim Benson’s consistency is a breath of fresh air. Unswayed by transient winds, his compass is fixed on the North Star of service. This consistency and unswerving dedication to the public good, has made him a lodestar for his peers. While others court chaos, he courts clarity.

Ikorodu stirred awake that Thursday to the usual chorus of hawkers and danfo drivers, but beneath the familiar humdrum resonated the rare harmony about a servant leader.

By mid-morning, the old Town Hall stood reborn amid the electric hum of 150 laptops springing to life. By sundown, bulldozers stretched their arms over the dusty spine of the Agbede-Ita Oluwo Road, promising smoother passage for traders, students, and dreamers alike.

At the heart of this transformation stood Benson, Ikorodu’s three-term emissary in Abuja, but more importantly, Ikorodu’s own son who has never ceased to remember home.

That day, Benson delivered a double stroke of progress: an ICT centre alive with promise and a 7.5-kilometre road reconstruction that spoke directly to the soul of a weary community. A ribbon and a road, symbols and substance intertwined, reminding all who watched that leadership, when anchored in service, can still stir a people to hope.

Even the air bore the fragrance of anticipation. At the Town Hall, elders arrived in flowing agbadas and beaded crowns. Youths jostled for seats, eyes alight with curiosity and a longing for the rare opportunity that had arrived at their doorsteps. When Benson snipped the ribbon, it surpassed a ceremonial act; it was the cutting away of distance between Ikorodu’s young minds and the world of digital possibility.

Inside, the ICT Centre glowed like a sanctuary. One hundred and fifty laptops, powered by stable electricity and internet connectivity, lined the hall. Fingers tapped hesitantly at first, then with growing confidence. A young boy whispered to his friend, “We no go dey go Yaba again to learn coding.”

His words distilled the heart of the matter: the ICT hub was a bridge, collapsing the gap between ambition and accessibility.

“I never believed I would sit in front of a computer of my own in Ikorodu,” said Tolu Adebayo, a final-year secondary school student, her hands trembling slightly as she touched the keyboard. “My parents cannot afford a laptop, but this place means I can learn coding and graphic design without leaving home. It feels like somebody finally thought of us.” Her voice, equal parts disbelief and joy, captured the spirit of the ICT Centre better than any speech could.

A few seats away, an older man in his forties, who introduced himself simply as Alhaji Kareem, smiled at the glowing screens. “When my son tells me about jobs in technology, I only nod,” he admitted. “Now, I can bring him here and he will show me. This centre is not just for children; it is for families like mine who want to move with the world. Honourable Benson has given us a tool to fight poverty with knowledge.”

By late afternoon, even though most politicians would have retreated to airconditioned convoys, Benson stood still in the dust. Agbede-Ita Oluwo Road stretched before him, a landscape of potholes and craters that had mocked commuters for decades. For market women balancing baskets, for mechanics pushing broken cars,

for schoolchildren trudging home, it had been a daily gauntlet of frustration.

But at his call, bulldozers rumbled to correct that neglect. The promise of asphalt gleamed in the eyes of onlookers. One vulcaniser confided, “If this road is fixed, I go save money. My tools no go dey spoil every time.” Such is the simplicity of development: when roads are fixed, citizens enjoy ease of travel and doing business.

At the road flag-off, the testimonies carried a different timbre, rooted in survival and daily grind. “This road don kill my keke many times,” said Kunle, a tricycle rider who had spent seven years ferrying passengers across Ikorodu. “Every month, I dey spend money to repair tyre, shock absorber, everything. If dem finish this road, na like new life. I go make more trips, carry more people, and feed my children better.” His words drew approving nods from fellow riders clustered around him.

Beside the cheering mechanics, a market woman named Mama Oyinbo lifted her hands skyward in thanks. “For years, we dey waka this road with dust covering our tomatoes and pepper. Customers complain, business slow. Today, we see hope. If Honourable JB fit finish this road, na blessing for us. We no go forget am.” Her voice cracked, but her gratitude was steady, anchoring the day in the raw reality of ordinary lives.

Every politician loves a ribbon-cutting, but not every ribbon unfurls into transformation. What marked Benson’s gesture apart was its authenticity. Since 2015, he has refused to be a mere absentee voice in Abuja. Instead, he has woven his politics into the everyday lives of his constituents.

At the heart of Benson’s politics is the quiet, steady pulse of service. The iCare Food Bank, launched years ago, still nourishes widows and the vulnerable with dignity rather than pity. It remains one of his most enduring legacies. Every month, widows and struggling households gather to receive relief packages that keep hunger at bay. “It is not just food he gives us,” said Mama Felicia, a widow of twelve years, clutching a parcel of rice and beans. “It is the respect that comes with it. I have raised my last child with the help of this food bank, and I pray for him every day.” Her voice trembled with gratitude, her eyes bright with tears.

Beyond hunger, Benson gave Ikorodu a voice of its own through IKD 106.1FM. For the first time, the people could tell their stories, broadcast their concerns, and celebrate their culture without leaning entirely on Lagos’ sprawling media giants. “Our voices used to disappear in the noise of Lagos,” explained Segun Alade, an aspiring broadcaster who dreams of finding his calling at the station. “Now we can discuss local issues, announce community events, and share Ikorodu music with pride. Honourable JB gave us this platform, and it has changed how we see ourselves.” The station has since become a rallying point for youth creativity and civic engagement, nurturing a new generation of storytellers.

Healthcare, too, has borne his imprint. The 80-bed Mother and Child Hospital in Imota stands as a bulwark against despair in moments of crisis. For women who once had to travel to crowded facilities in central Lagos, it has been nothing short of lifesaving. “I gave birth to my twins there,” said Mrs. Ayoola, cradling two giggling toddlers at her side. “The nurses were kind, the beds were clean, and when complications came, there was a doctor on hand. Without this hospital, I don’t know if I or my babies would be here today. That hospital is JB’s gift to mothers like me.”

Even young people seeking skills for survival have not been left behind. His constituency has seen training schemes that empowered youths in tailoring, carpentry, ICT, and agriculture. One beneficiary, a welder named Samuel, recounted how the programme turned his life around. “Before, I was

just hanging around junctions, looking for odd jobs. But through his scheme, I trained, got new tools, and now I run a small shop with two apprentices. I am not just working for myself anymore; I am building others too.” His story exemplified Benson’s philosophy that empowerment must ripple outward, multiplying its effect across generations.

Others spoke of smaller but equally profound interventions that touched their lives. During the peak of the pandemic, when fear and scarcity choked communities, Benson’s outreach programmes distributed protective equipment and food staples. “He brought masks, sanitisers, and food when everything was locked down,” recalled Funmilayo, a schoolteacher. “We were afraid, but he gave us courage. He showed us that leadership is not about hiding during a crisis but standing with the people.” For her, and many others, those gestures established Benson as an empathetic leader.

Indeed, Benson’s authenticity lies in the visible, lived difference his projects create. He has built infrastructure and also trust, the most precious currency in Nigerian politics.

The ICT Centre and the road project are, therefore, the newest chapters in a longer narrative of consistent, thoughtful service. They revealed his political signature: projects that are at once symbolic and substantive, inspiring and practical, ambitious and grounded.

To understand Benson’s instinct for impact, one must retrace his journey. Born in Ikorodu in March 1972, he grew up a child of Lagos’ ancient town but also a student of global frontiers. From Lagos State University, where he earned his law degree, to the Nigerian Law School, and then to London Guildhall University for his master’s, Benson’s education was a steady widening of horizons. His MBA at Warwick added polish and global breadth, while his professional years at the United Nations and in the banking sector sharpened his grasp of law, governance, and finance.

When he finally returned to answer the call of politics in 2015, he came as a man seasoned by both global exposure and local understanding. His stride through Ikorodu Town Hall that Thursday, warm greetings for elders and fist bumps for students, embodied that dual heritage: diplomacy learned in Geneva, hustle acquired in Lagos, now poured into service for his people.

Amid the applause and festivities, gossip bloomed like hibiscus in harmattan. “Is JB not preparing for something bigger?” one woman asked, her tone half-curious, half-hopeful. “Governor, perhaps?” her neighbour replied with a knowing smile.

This was understandable; when a man delivers with such flourish, tongues cannot help but wag about his next horizon. Whether Benson harbours loftier ambitions remains his secret, but one truth resounded in the crowd: here was a politician who had transcended the ordinary script of ribbon cuttings and empty flag-offs.

At the road flag-off, the texture of the crowd shifted. Here were traders, mechanics, and okada riders; the pulse of everyday Ikorodu. Their cheers were raw and borne of relief. They did not need speeches to understand the significance of smoother roads; they could already calculate the savings, the reduced stress, the dignity of easier movement.

Lagos is no gentle arena. It is a stage of grand ambitions and cutthroat rivalries. Yet Benson has found a way to balance his politics across divides. For the elite and tech-savvy, he offers global relevance through digital infrastructure. For the grassroots, he delivers roads, food banks, hospitals, and radio stations. His stewardship bridges aspiration and survival, ensuring no group feels forgotten.

That balancing act is a mark of political savvy and also a guarantee of longevity. It makes him a figure difficult to dismiss, a representative whose base is wide and whose service resonates across class and generation.

As Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Benson’s impact extends beyond Ikorodu. He has sponsored bills to strengthen Nigeria’s military capabilities, advocated for women’s inclusion in politics, and initiated motions that celebrate teachers and defend workers’ rights. His work in Abuja demonstrates a lawmaker who thinks nationally while remaining tethered to his roots.

Glitz Ent E rtainm E nt

Who Will Be Crowned the Winner of BBNaija S10?

The Big Brother Naija Season 10 finale comes to a nail-biting end tonight, with nine housemates vying for the crown. When host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu opens the final envelope, whose name will echo as the winner across the studio? Imisi, Mensan, Dede, Kola, Sultana, Isabella, Koyin, Kaybobo, or Jason Jae?

Fans are in a frenzy, scanning their crystal balls for the right prediction. Leading the chatter is Imisi, the eccentric firebrand whose boldness, dramatic clashes, and ability to flip between posh and local accents made her unforgettable. Sharp-tongued yet unpretentious, she became a housemate audiences loved to watch, sparring with everyone from Kaybobo to Koyin to the disqualified Faith.

Drama and humility have often proven to be the winning formula in Big Brother Naija. Viewers gravitate to housemates who remain authentic while serving up entertainment. Imisi seemed to understand this instinctively, embracing her quirks, sparking drama when necessary, and staying true to herself in a house full of intimidating personalities.

Not every strategy succeeded. Faith, for instance, initially

‘Infant

attracted fans with his intellect, but his towering ego and defiance cost him dearly, leading to disqualification.

Dede leaned on charm and sex appeal, carefully guarding her allure, while Jason Jae’s calm competitiveness won him a loyal base that continues to campaign vigorously for him. Kola benefitted from his alliance with Imisi, while Koyin brought Gen Z vibes that resonated with younger fans. Mensan’s uncanny resemblance to music star Adekunle Gold earned him his own loyal following, and Kaybobo’s luck with the new “red telephone” twist secured his place in the finale. Sultana, meanwhile, rode on the influence of her affluent background.

This tenth season has largely lived up to expectations, thanks to the diversity of personalities and producer-introduced twists. Inspired by the Netflix hit Squid Game, housemates had to “earn” the 150 million grand prize weekly. The season also introduced the Trinket Tree, allowing Heads of House to save nominees, and the Head of House Challenger, where the coveted title had to be defended.

As the curtain falls tonight, the franchise closes one of its most thrilling seasons. Will Imisi’s eccentric charm deliver the victory as many predict, or will another housemate snatch the crown in a surprise twist? The answer is only hours away.

at Heart’ Heads to London for World Premiere

Nollywood is set to take another bold step onto the international stage with the London premiere of ‘Infant at Heart’, a new production from Afrigold TV Ltd, scheduled for October 18, 2025.

The film, produced by Vera Kanu and written and directed by Aguiyi Ndubuisi, pools an impressive line-up of some of the industry’s most familiar faces. Oby Uzuokwu (also executive producer), Monalisa Chinda, Nkem Owoh, Williams U Hemba, Emeka Enyiocha, Mike Durueke, Emeka Darlington, and Bryan Emmanuel are among the leading actors featured in the production.

Beyond entertainment, ‘Infant at Heart’ is curated as a moving journey into the human condition. At its core, the story navigates the universal themes of loss and truth, placing its characters in situations that test their resilience and force moments of self-confrontation. For audiences, it promises a narrative that is at once deeply personal and broadly relatable.

For Afrigold TV Ltd, the London premiere marks a significant milestone. By situating the launch in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, the company reflects Nollywood’s growing international presence and its ability to tell stories that travel beyond local borders.

The organisers describe the October event as more than a film showing, framing it instead as a cultural moment for Nollywood and its audience in the diaspora. The premiere is expected to draw enthusiasts of African cinema,

TMPL’s ‘Japada’ Hopes to Spark Conversations for a Better Nigeria

battling the effects of

TMPL

is betting on the

of storytelling to shift the conversation.

London-based fans, and a

continuing evolution

home to invest their skills and talents in nationbuilding.

Kolawole Fashola, Supervising Producer, describes the project as more than entertainment. “‘Japada’ is an inspired idea. The production of the TV show was essential, and the story was eagerly awaiting its telling. We took it on as a national assignment to kickstart conversations about nation-building, especially among young people. We hope to spark optimism and encourage a collective effort toward building a better Nigeria,” he said.

Hosted by media personality Mimi Onalaja, ‘Japada’ premiered nationwide on Friday, October 3, 2025, on NTA and TVC News in primetime. The show takes a deep dive into the reverse-migration journeys of returnees, exploring how their global exposure has shaped their contributions to local growth and development.

Among the notable guests are Prof. Kofo Ogunyakin and Dr. Yemi Johnson, who returned from the UK and US to establish First Cardiology Consultants, now a leading heart-care facility in the country. Nollywood stars Shaffy Bello and Osas Ighodaro also share their decisions to leave behind the allure of greener pastures and carve enduring legacies in the Nigerian film industry.

With its mix of intimate conversations and a lighthearted “Nigerian by Design” game segment, ‘Japada’ aims to connect across generations and sectors. By doing so, it hopes to remind viewers that Nigeria’s future can be strengthened not only by those who leave, but also by those who return to build.

T.I Blaze Expands Discography with ‘Porsche’

In an era where afrobeats continues to stretch its sonic and cultural boundaries, young artists are finding unique ways to carve out their identity. One of the emerging voices leading this charge is T.I Blaze. He recently released a new single titled ‘Porsche,’ distributed by Dvpper Digital under Dapper Music and Entertainment. It adds to a growing body of work that has placed him as one of the genre’s consistent young talents.

Born Akintunde Timileyin in Ogun State, T.I Blaze has carved his path with a sound that blends street grit and resonant melody. Since breaking out with ‘Sometimes’, he has delivered records that bridge the niche street music genre and the mainstream, including ‘Beamer’, ‘Dodge’, ‘Mario’, ‘Eko’, ‘Introduction’ and ‘Trenches Love’.

On his latest effort, he explains: “‘Porsche’ represents balance — the enjoyment and the hustle. Songs like ‘Beamer’ and ‘Dodge’ opened doors and connected with people in their own way, and ‘Porsche’ is showing my growth, proving that no matter how far I go, grace and balance will always drive everything I do.”

With its infectious bounce and professional production, the track underpins why he has become one of the more reliable young voices in afrobeats, fusing lived experiences with lifestyle-driven narratives.

Godrey oG bechie

Achieving Milestones with Grace

Her 60th birthday drew guests from across the world, but for Godrey Ogbechie, the true celebration lies in the journey that brought her here. From her childhood in Cross River to nearly two decades in banking and now in a leadership position at Rainoil Limited, she uses grace as her compass, living intentionally beyond milestones, she tells Vanessa Obioha.

Achieving Milestones with Grace

Sixty years’ birthday is approaching, and Godrey Ogbechie still had no idea how the day should go. There were too many ideas running through her mind. A birthday soirée? A charity event (the kind society loves to romanticise)? Or perhaps a destination bash with cocktails, yachts and sun-kissed selfies. The latter lingered a bit on her mind before losing steam. What good would a destination party be if her loved ones cannot make the trip?

Her friends didn’t make things easier. Since she turned 59, they had been drumming it into her ears: this one has to be lit. Sixty, they reminded her, wasn’t just another candle on the cake. It was a landmark. At one point, even her husband Gabriel Ogbechie, the founder of Rainoil, grew worried she might never settle on a plan. But Ogbechie wore a calm veneer, refusing to let the pressure define the moment.

Her hesitation didn’t come from cluelessness. No, she simply wanted the people who had walked with her through different seasons of life to be part of that moment. Those who knew her as a young girl raised in an agrarian family by her late teacherparents, those who watched her build a career in banking that spanned nearly two decades, and those who now see her steering Rainoil Limited as Group Executive Director. That thought shaped her final decision. Barely a month before D-Day, she finally hit send on her invitations.

“I used my contact list to determine who would attend my birthday,” she told me on a recent afternoon in her opulent Ikoyi home.

To her surprise, the confirmations rolled in. Almost 100 per cent said they were attending. At such short notice, many could have been abroad or tied up, but they cleared their schedules. That loyalty left her stunned.

Then came the flood of help.

“It was like I no longer had control of my life,” she laughed. “I had so much help, so much advice, so many people were taking it upon themselves to arrange dresses, to arrange makeup, etc. People were literally camping in my house just to make sure that everything went well and it did. And it did. The day came, and I had fun.”

Her guests did too. Friends, mentees, associates, and family flew in from across the world. Nearly every continent had a representative. Social media buzzed with clips, tributes, and glowing congratulatory posts about the woman of the hour.

When we met days later, Ogbechie was still full of gratitude. Her voice often lifted in excitement as she recounted the memories, a smile slipping in when she spoke of the friend whose surprise appearance at her Thanksgiving service moved her deeply.

Turning 60, however, didn’t feel like stepping into a new chapter. Contrary to the belief that milestone ages bring special awakenings, she said it only confirmed what she already knew: life is less about milestones and more about everyday grace.

“Every day should be counted as a blessing,” she reflected. “And that’s the interesting thing about life. Sometimes we make so much noise and preparations for an event when life is actually a series of events. I was at a business dinner yesterday, and one of the ladies was talking about no longer saving dresses for special occasions, which is a sentiment that a lot of people came to realise after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A lot of people began to

appreciate life more, appreciate the ability to or the blessing of waking up every morning and no longer making so much of an event out of one day. That day will come and go, and the next day will come. We can never really tell how a day can go or what may happen.”

That conviction — to live with intention — has guided her from the very beginning. Born in Cross River, Ogbechie grew up on the land her parents and grandparents farmed.

“In our community in Cross River, if you were not doing a white collar job, the default profession was farming. Even those who had white collar jobs had a farm. In fact, my father made it very clear that he is not going to buy anything we can grow, even if he could afford it. So we had to do some sort of farming.”

She would later study agricultural economics at the University of Calabar — not her first choice. Her personal preference was law, while her parents wanted her to study medicine, but she couldn’t stand the sight of blood.

Agricultural economics, however, was a field that connected her love of numbers with her farming roots. Banking drew her in soon after, and for 19 years she built a career in finance before taking a leap into

Ogbechie puts it, there was no crystal ball to tell her if his plans would be successful or not. What convinced her were the patterns of his lifestyle.

“There are patterns that tell you whether somebody is serious about the future or not,” she said. “When you meet somebody, the way they go about their life, about their work, the way they relate to people, the way they spend their time will tell you if the person is somebody that is investing in habits that will be beneficial in the future or not.”

The couple registered Rainoil in 1994 and operations began in 1997. Though she earned more as a banker at the time, she feared how he would handle stepping out on his own. Will he be willing to let her handle the financial responsibility if things don’t go as planned?

“I wasn’t sure that as an Igbo man, he would want to depend on his wife to shoulder the financial responsibility of the family. He is a very independent man who likes to meet up with his commitments as a husband and as a father.”

But her fears soon eased when his very first supply doubled its expected profit. Growth, she said, was steady, not explosive, but enough to build confidence. She knew this because she was a signatory to the accounts and could see the flow of income. From the beginning, both of them have always been interested in each other’s career growth, offering advice and sharing opportunities when needed.

Therefore, she has always been involved in Rainoil, attending management meetings and offering counsel, but in 2009 she left banking to join full-time. Initially, her resignation letter was rejected by the bank directors because of her efficiency but she insisted. She knew her time was up in the banking sector and moreover, she had no aspiration to become the managing director of a bank. Also, she felt the bank robbed her of quality time with her family. To be clear, her husband’s company was not her only option. She thought of starting a Human Resources consulting firm or pursuing more academic goals.

Before her resumption, her husband sent out an elaborate letter to his staff, introducing her as the new director of the company and listing her skills and accomplishments.

“He needed to state them clearly, in case anybody was in doubt as to the capacity and capability of the person who is coming to take the job.”

Most of the employees who knew her welcomed her with open arms but there were still a few who harboured a grudge. At one meeting, a senior accountant dismissed her input, bluntly saying he was addressing her husband, not her.

“The room went quiet,” she recalled. “But my husband insisted I be respected, and the man apologised.”

her husband’s oil and gas venture.

Few couples successfully mix marriage and business, but the Ogbechies have managed it with love and loyalty.

As Ogbechie told me, she has always been a firm believer in two shall become one. And this does not only apply in the bedroom but in business as long as it is legally acceptable.

She recalled meeting Gabriel when both were young professionals: she in the bank, he at a vegetable oil company. “We were just two serious-minded young people who took our careers and families seriously,” she said. “He was very family-oriented, even as the youngest of two boys and the fifth among six children. For me, it was a default because as the oldest child, my father has always made me feel like I’m responsible for everyone.”

His work ethic also impressed her: “Even as an employee, he worked as though he owned the business.”

So when he decided to start his own company, she believed in him. “The plans were not that grand and elaborate. But we knew that someday, he was going to do his own business.”

It was a risky move because, as

Since then, Ogbechie has carved her place. As Executive Director, she focused on building robust systems to support growth. In her words: “Once I step into the office, I leave my marital status at the door. I’m an employee of the company.”

Over a decade in Rainoil, she has stamped her feet in the industry as a woman who can steer a company to profitable waters.

Beyond business, Ogbechie is family-oriented, fashionable in her own understated way, and a woman of deep faith. She resists being defined solely by wifehood or motherhood.

“I don’t believe in people getting lost in being a wife or being a mother. There is still a uniqueness about you as an individual,” she said firmly.

At 60, she remains clear-eyed about aging.

“Being older doesn’t necessarily make you wiser. But it gives you experience that a younger person doesn’t yet have. Whether you use that experience to make wiser decisions is up to you.”

And on legacy: “Leaving a legacy isn’t something you think about only when you’re old. It should be intentional, no matter your age.”

HighLife

Abdullahi Sule’s

Good Example

Sometimes progress in governance sounds less like grand speeches and more like the quiet hum of a centrifuge in a rural health clinic. In Nasarawa, Governor Abdullahi Sule has chosen that hum as his legacy, approving N1 billion to procure essential medical equipment for primary healthcare facilities.

The announcement came in Lafia, where the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency confirmed the plan on Tuesday. The goal is ambitious: ensure at least one fully functional primary healthcare centre in each of the state’s 147 wards by 2027, with equipment ranging from ultrasound scanners to blood pressure machines.

This is not a first step. Earlier, 58 facilities were revitalised through a World Bank program, with additional support from UNICEF, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and Nasarawa’s own purse. The state has also hired more than 2,200 health workers since 2023, dispersing nurses, midwives, doctors, and technicians to local clinics.

Sule’s decision fits neatly with his broader philosophy. At a recent investment summit in Abuja, he urged fellow northern governors to stop blaming others for security lapses or weak infrastructure, arguing that soaring federal allocations now leave them with both resources and responsibility. His call was as much a challenge as a confession.

A technocrat by training, Sule has walked an unusual path to politics. He studied industrial technology in Indiana, built a career in engineering and business, and rose to lead Dangote Sugar before turning to governorship in 2019. For him, efficiency is not jargon; it is an instinct.

Health, though, is where instincts meet humanity. New machines mean earlier diagnoses, fewer needless deaths, and a chance for rural families to trust the state again. It is a simple truth dressed in policy language, but its weight is felt in the villages where clinics once stood idle.

In Nasarawa, the governor’s choice suggests that good governance can be measured not in headlines but in heartbeats counted by a fresh set of monitors. And who knows? Perhaps that steady rhythm will echo well beyond his state.

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

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous Dapo Abiodun Prepares Gateway Airport for Historic Takeoff

Great cities are rarely remembered by the noise of their markets alone but by the gateways they carve to the wider world. For Ogun State, that threshold now gleams in steel and tarmac, a runway stretching into tomorrow’s sky.

On October 7, 2025, Ogun’s sky will witness history. The newly minted Gateway International Airport will welcome its first commercial flight, as ValueJet takes off on the Ogun–Abuja route. For Governor Dapo Abiodun, it is more than an inaugural flight. It is proof that vision, when pursued with faith and precision, becomes destiny.

The Gateway International Airport (GIA)’s story began four years ago as a bold promise by Abiodun’s administration to reimagine Ogun’s transport system and industrial capacity. What seemed improbable in its infancy has matured into one of the most advanced aerodromes in West Africa.

With a 4,000-metre-long and 60-metre-wide runway, the airport is among the longest and widest on the continent, ready to host widebody aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350. Beneath its asphalt lies both impeccable engineering and ambition: a determination that Ogun State should no longer be a passenger in Nigeria’s aviation history but a pilot steering its own trajectory.

Some figures slip into retirement quietly. Not Otunba Olusegun Runsewe. He has chosen another path, one paved with plaques, handshakes, and the glow of recognition. His calendar these days seems filled with celebrations, as institutions line up to honour his decades-long imprint on Nigeria’s cultural and

The facility bears every hallmark of worldclass standards: a Doppler VOR for precision navigation, an independent high-band power system for uninterrupted operations, a stateof-the-art control tower, rescue and firefighting equipment, cargo warehouses, and a modern passenger terminal. It is an infrastructure designed to endure and elevate Ogun into global reckoning.

ValueJet will inaugurate GIA with a twice-weekly schedule between Ogun and Abuja. Few airports can boast of a location so strategically endowed. Nestled near the Sagamu Interchange, at the crossroads of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, the Gateway International Airport is a hub in waiting. Its catchment area is vast, stretching across Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, and even Ondo States, positioning it as a lifeline for millions of travellers.

For Olusegun Runsewe, It’s a Rewarding Season

tourism landscape.

On October 23, 2025, the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism will present Runsewe with an award at its conference in Lagos. The setting is symbolic: Sheraton Lagos Hotel, marking its 40th anniversary, hosting travel writers who have chronicled Nigeria’s industry for decades. Their choice to honour Runsewe carries the weight of history.

His career has been a carousel of cultural interventions. Media coordinator for the 2003 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, pioneer chairman of the Abuja Carnival, Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation in 2006, and then head of the National Council for Arts and Culture until 2024. Each role placed him at the heart of Nigeria’s soft power.

Even after leaving office, the tributes have

Senator Oluremi Tinubu: The First Lady Who Made History with National Library

Birthdays usually bring cakes and candles. For Oluremi Tinubu’s 65th, it brought bookshelves, scaffolding, and a national dream revived. In Abuja, she turned her milestone into momentum, raising N20.7 billion to breathe life into the long-abandoned National Library headquarters.

The project, initiated in 2006 but stalled for nearly two decades, had become a symbol of neglect. On her birthday in September, Nigeria’s First Lady rallied friends, allies, and donors to fill the funding gap. With N32 billion required, her intervention has already secured enough for core reading halls and digital infrastructure.

This gesture was more than charity. It was a deliberate push to align civic responsibility with leadership. President Bola Tinubu has directed TETFund to finance the project’s completion, but First Lady Remi’s initiative injected urgency into a forgotten file. Suddenly, the unfinished structure in Abuja’s central district is no longer

invisible.

Her career has always followed this pattern. From serving three terms in the Senate to pioneering youth empowerment programs in Lagos, Oluremi has rarely stayed idle. A teacher by training, a pastor by calling, she blends policy with personal conviction. The library campaign felt like an extension of that rhythm.

Of course, critics have questioned why a national treasure depends on donations. Peter Obi noted that state institutions, not private gestures, should carry such weight. The point is fair. Yet history usually shows that institutions endure because citizens, especially leaders, refused to wait. Libraries in London and New York tell similar stories.

In this light, Lady Remi joins a quiet lineage of First Ladies who linked compassion to architecture. Like Barbara Bush, who championed literacy, and Queen Rania of Jordan, who built libraries in underserved

continued. Vanguard Newspapers named him “Arts, Culture & Tourism Icon” in 2024, a recognition that underscored his influence beyond any official post. Around the same time, he called for peace among warring factions in the tourism sector, offering his counsel as an elder statesman of culture.

Runsewe’s list of titles is sprawling, almost folkloric. President of the Nigeria Golf Federation. Head of the African Tourism Initiative. Fellow of the London Institute of Management Studies. Holder of chieftaincy honours from both Igboland and Kebbi. A cultural diplomat who navigated boardrooms, festivals, and palaces with the same ease.

For a man who once declared that “tourism is life,” the applause arriving in this season feels like confirmation. The curtain may have fallen on his tenure, but the encore is still echoing, carried by the voices of those who refuse to forget.

neighbourhoods, she is shaping more than brick and mortar. She is cultivating a cultural anchor. And perhaps that is the true surprise: a birthday remembered not for speeches or gowns, but for the soft rustle of pages that children yet unborn will one day turn.

Mustapha Fasinro: The New Business Giant to Watch

Some victories arrive quietly. Others, as in Lagos last week, announce a shift in the wind.

Mustapha Fasinro’s Linetrale joined global titans Gunvor and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in winning coveted liquefied natural gas cargoes from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company.

For a Nigerian-owned firm, the achievement was rare. Linetrale, founded almost two decades ago, had dabbled in LNG only twice before, in 2020 and 2023. Its mainstay had been liquefied petroleum gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. The latest deal signals its boldest stride into an arena dominated by multinational

heavyweights.

Breaking into LNG trading is notoriously hard. The gas must be chilled to minus 162 degrees Celsius, shipped in specialised vessels, and financed with deep pockets. The barriers usually keep smaller firms outside the gates. Yet Fasinro’s team manoeuvred through, proving that a Lagos-based company can claim a seat at the high-stakes table.

The timing is uncanny. Global demand for LNG is rising, as Europe and Asia scramble to diversify supply lines. Nigeria itself is pushing a “Decade of Gas” agenda, banking on its vast reserves and the Bonny Island export hub. Linetrale’s breakthrough aligns perfectly with both global hunger and national ambition.

Fasinro has rarely sought the spotlight. A chemical engineering graduate from London South Bank University, he built his career from oil fields in Port Harcourt to boardrooms in Lagos. Over the years, Linetrale expanded its trade across West Africa, methodically stitching a reputation for reliability. The LNG cargoes now crown that quiet expansion. Industry analysts believe the win will lift Linetrale’s profile with international partners, testing its ability to master long-distance deliveries. For Nigerians weary of watching homegrown firms edged out by foreign giants, the symbolism is powerful. In a market of steel hulls and frozen gas, belief itself may be the rarest cargo.

in the silence of his home, in the empty chair at dinner, in the way his office lights stay burning past

Umo Eno’s One-Year Remembrance for Late Wife … Will He Remarry?

midnight. Even after a year, absence has become his hardest companion.

Last week in Uyo, the governor marked one year since the passing of his wife, Pastor Patience Eno, who died on September 26, 2023. At the memorial, attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, governors, and First Ladies from across the federation, Eno admitted he had sought refuge in work to blunt the ache.

“I couldn’t have married a better woman,” he said, voice fraying with emotion. “For 40 years, no one ever had to mediate between us. She was the pillar of our family. When I stay in the office until midnight, it’s because there is no one at home waiting to call me back.”

The service, filled with solemn hymns and careful tributes, painted a portrait of a woman remembered for grace and resilience. Dignitaries described her as humble, humane, and fiercely devoted. For Eno, though, memory is less public. He still recalls how her presence seemed

Tajudeen Abbas: 60 Salutes for House of Representatives’ Speaker

Sixty is an age when some slow down. For Tajudeen Abbas, it feels more like an overture. The Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives has reached his milestone birthday, still carrying the weight of both crown and gavel, balancing politics with the princely title of Iyan Zazzau.

Born in Zaria on October 1, 1965, Abbas rose from lecturer to legislator, winning a seat in the House of Representatives in 2011. He became the first to be reelected from Zaria Federal Constituency and, in June 2023, clinched the Speakership with 353 of 359 lawmakers voting in his favour.

His path was anything but preordained. Trained as a business scholar with degrees from Ahmadu Bello and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Abbas lectured at Kaduna State University before testing himself in the private sector. A stint as marketing manager at the Nigerian Tobacco Distribution Company sharpened his instincts for negotiation and persuasion.

Since entering politics, Abbas has been an industrious legislator. He

Olajide Adediran and new wife

When have love stories in politics ever followed the script? One minute, the campaign trail looks like a family tableau; the next, the same figure is

to guide even the choice of his suit at his PhD graduation.

The question now hangs, unspoken yet whispered in corridors: will the widowed governor remarry? Nigerian politics is crowded with precedent, but for Eno, every answer seems unfinished. His grief has made him less a public figure than a man keeping vigil for a love that feels not ended, only paused.

Yet politics has its demands. To govern is to stride forward, even while carrying shadows. Supporters call him resilient, steering state affairs with calm focus despite his loss. But behind the speeches lies a man still waiting, in some sense, for his wife to walk back through the door.

A year into mourning, Eno shows no appetite for replacing what was never broken. Perhaps he will, someday. For now, the house remains hers, the silence remains his, and the midnight lights keep burning.

has served on committees spanning commerce, finance, defense, and national planning, and once chaired the Land Transport committee. Observers say his focus on detail and his calm demeanour helped him move through the House’s often fractious corridors with surprising ease.

As Speaker, Abbas has pledged accountable leadership and grassroots dividends of democracy. His recent Independence Day message urged Nigerians to cling to optimism, even as security and economic troubles persist.

The tone was hopeful, almost pastoral, suggesting a leader more interested in unity than bluster.

Yet Abbas has also tested boundaries. He once proposed compulsory voting with penalties for abstention, only to withdraw the bill after public outcry.

The episode revealed both his appetite for bold ideas and his responsiveness to feedback. Few politicians wear both traits so openly.

At 60, Abbas stands at the confluence of scholarship, politics, and heritage. The next decade will show whether

the lecturer-turned-speaker can shape Nigeria’s restless democracy into something steadier. For now, the birthday candles flicker, and one wonders what lessons the quiet professor still has up his sleeve.

A Lagos Politician, a Quiet Divorce, a Wedding in the Desert

exchanging vows in a Gulf nation with a woman the public barely knows. Such is the latest turn in the life of Dr. Azeez

Olajide Adediran.

Adediran, known across Lagos as Jandor, recently remarried in Qatar. The private ceremony drew only a circle of close friends and relatives, flown in on his tab for a weekend of luxury. His first marriage to Maryam, with whom he shares two children, had quietly unravelled after his 2023 governorship run under the PDP. Maryam was once a visible part of his campaign. At a party gathering in Lagos, she publicly vouched for their shared vision, even as she kept the children in the United States. But after the ballots were counted, their partnership faltered. Insiders remain silent on the reasons, leaving only speculation and whispered theories.

The remarriage, understated yet deliberate, shows Jandor’s penchant for mixing drama with discretion. He could have staged a Lagos spectacle, yet

he chose Qatar, with its glittering skylines and discreet opulence, to begin this new chapter. What does that choice say about him? Perhaps everything, perhaps nothing.

Beyond the personal, Jandor’s professional life has always carried a flair for reinvention. Once a seasoned journalist, he built media firms before storming Lagos politics. His Lagos4Lagos movement turned him into a symbol of defiance against political godfathers, eventually propelling him into the 2023 race with actress Funke Akindele as his running mate.

He lost that election, but his name has never drifted far from the public ear. Whether through policy debates, party manoeuvrings, or now a wedding far from home, Jandor has kept Lagos watching. The man seems to understand that politics is theatre, and every act must intrigue the audience.

The story of a politician is rarely told like a nursery rhyme, but Bukola Saraki’s career repeatedly sounds like one: full of squabbles, reconciliations, and lessons for the next generation. He has been Senate President, opposition strategist, and, perhaps most enduringly, a patient gardener of youthful ambition in Kwara.

In July 2025, Saraki presided over a stormy reconciliation at the PDP headquarters in Abuja. Leaders clashed over the position of national secretary. The 100th National Executive Committee meeting nearly collapsed until Saraki coaxed compromise. By nightfall, Samuel Anyanwu was affirmed, and peace was stitched back into the party’s fabric.

Saraki’s hand in that fragile truce was less about preserving titles and more about modeling a skill usually missing in Nigerian politics: negotiation with grace. For young Kwarans watching from afar, it was a practical tutorial showing that political capital is built through sacrifice, persuasion, and a stubborn belief in unity.

Beyond party politics, Saraki’s public reflections this October carried the cadence of mentorship. As Nigeria marked its 65th Independence, he urged citizens to deepen values of fairness, diligence, and respect. The man spoke of courage and integrity, but his undertone was clear: every generation must play its part in fortifying the national story.

That message resonates in Ilorin, where his foundation has long been a hub for youth empowerment. Scholarships, leadership workshops, and political apprenticeships have created pathways for young people otherwise lost in the noise of unemployment and uncertainty. It is not philanthropy alone, but an intentional seeding of a political culture that outlives him.

So when Saraki speaks of building justice and opportunity for all, Kwara youths hear something closer to home. They hear a call to enter the arena— sometimes chaotic, sometimes thrilling— where Nigeria’s next chapters will be written.

And who knows? Maybe one of them will someday tell the same story, but with a twist: that they once watched a man stitch peace together in a hall of quarrelling elders, and decided politics was worth the risk. Saraki as a practical believer in youth development, ensure that youth occupies strategic party position in the state chapter of the party and also at the local and ward level.

oluwo

of Iwo:

c all the Fire Brigade

These days, we cannot be sure of what we see in the news. But I will share my view. I saw this huge traditional ruler on camera in agbada and long beads, calmly accusing the great Ooni of Ife of things I am afraid to mention here o. I am praying that the clip is AI-generated and not a highly revered Oba accusing another prominent and respected Oba of heinous things like adultery, attempted murder and sabotage.

I really don’t want to write too much on the matter for two reasons. First, it could be AI, and second, because I don’t have immunity from the juju that could be deployed from either side if I really state what is on my mind.

But their aburo, famed journalists and my brother Abiola Aloba, brimming from the immunity

SomTocHUkwU mADUAGwU:

FelleD AT DAwN

This is a sad occurrence. I have never heard or even watched this beauty on screen. The news hit with a thud. I saw the picture of a very beautiful lady, an ARISE TV anchor gunned down. I was a little bit confused because the pic that followed the report looked like the picture of the lawyer who was kidnapped in Kogi the other day. So, I just skipped because I really do not have the strong mental comportment to receive bad news.

But as the week unfolded and the news permeated all media platforms, I took my time to read and assimilate what had just happened. Oh my God, a brilliant 29-year-old just fell on the slab of Nigeria’s incontinence. Armed robbers, police coming late, no fuel in the police vehicle to move her to the hospital, the hospital rejecting her, and then she died. All of this was just too much, and no matter how many courtesy calls or condolence visits and all the rabble-rousing things we do at these kinds of events would console Nigerians. Another bright young mind has been chewed up

conferred on him as a thoroughbred Ijebu Prince, took the Oluwo of Iwo to the cleaners in an IG post: “What a shame, what an absolute disgrace. Instead of words of wisdom as expected of you, what you have spewed is nothing but the froth of folly. Please clean your mouth, sir. In the place of the sober dignity befitting a monarch, you chose a gutter performance that exposed nothing but emptiness.”

Need I say more? Aloba’s rant was plenty; I don’t have the time and energy to type everything.

Anybody who wants to read all should contact me on the phone number on top of the page, and I will give you his number to reach him for the full bile he poured on this “kabiyesi.”

As for my position, all I can say is “shior”. Thank you.

by this system.

This is inconsolable, and if I were her family, I would ask for no condolence visits because they are all very, very, very hypocritical, I tell you. Sommie, just ignore all of these. You are now in a better place with the Lord. Sha just forgive us all, because we have failed you. Kai.

TAIwo oYeDele: IT’S SexUAl HeAlING

He looks so much like my brother Temi Popoola, the NGX Czar. Anyway, he is the tax czar. He is the one championing the tax reforms that everybody is eagerly awaiting to berth next year. In trying to sell the reforms, he was reported to have told members of the Redeemed Christian Church that sex workers (Runs girls) will start paying tax.

Now, how he arrived at the decision to tell Redeemed people who are not expected to be customers of these runs girls beats my imagination, except the man knows one or two things about the inverse relationship between Redeemed people and prostitutes that we don’t know.

Well, when a government is greedy, it will do all sorts for money. It was the Bureau of Statistics that first broached the idea of using the sex industry in measuring economic growth. They faced a lot of public derision, and they kept quiet. Now this baba with the cheap suits has come again. My issue on this matter is plenty. Are prostitutes expected to carry receipts, and which customer would allow his name to be written on the receipt or kept on a database? Second, how do we measure the service rendered and VAT price?

Missionary, back door, kneeling, oral or what? In sending the audit report, how would they be classified, and what kind of tax are we looking at: PAYEE, VAT, pay as you enter, personal income tax and the rest?

Mbok, my best advice to Oga Taxman is to go and look for money elsewhere or better still, he should go and have the experience with at least three runs girls to better understand the profession, so he can know how to map and code the process. Na wa.

pAT UTomI: A SHADow GoverNmeNT IN THe SHADowS You know we like to waste our time in this country, and the most painful thing is that we will be wasting taxpayers’ money to pursue “nothing.”

So we have to go as far as a court order to know that Prof Utomi’s Shadow Government was shadow boxing? Did the handsome Prof swear anybody in? Did he form a national anthem? Has he declared war, made uniforms for troops? Or did he march into Aso Rock and demand to be given office space? Did he fly to the United Nations and demand to speak on behalf of Nigeria as Shadow President?

These time-wasting initiatives can be annoying and rankling. The next thing is DSS running to court with big files. The judge sef wear dry-cleaned black gown, put glasses for his nose and proclaim ‘Illegal,’ closes for work, and goes home to his wife and that one hugs him and says, “Well done, my judge.”

Pat Utomi, in my books, like any other Nigerian, has the right to form any association and call it

anything he wants to call it as long as he does not claim any geographical part of Nigeria as his own. He can call it anything he wants to, such as student unions on campuses calling themselves Student Union Government.

The man is a theoretical politician, and everything he does is within the realm of theory and in the breeze. So, rushing to court and wasting taxpayers’ money and time is just not it for me.

Abeg, let’s be serious and tackle much more endemic issues; it is not the ‘shadow government’ that is doing us now. Me sef, I will soon form my own abeg. Na wa.

JoHNSoN

ememANDU: AN INTerNATIoNAl BANker of repUTe

Watch out for this fellow. I am shouting now o. He is not very popular but influential within the international banking set. Johnson, my brother, has just been announced as Managing Director of Fidbank UK. Fidbank UK is the international subsidiary of the fast-growing Fidelity Bank. In fact, Fidelity Bank, under my big Sister Nneka, has remained very audacious in its approach to market expansion, and this “capture” of Johnson sits very perfectly in the aggressive positive push Fidelity bank has taken with the leadership of Madam Nneka.

Johnson is so-well respected and deservedly so. He is today one of Nigeria’s most brilliant bankers, whose depth of knowledge and international contacts make him a major attraction to any Nigerian business that wants to make a serious inroad into the international market. If you call Johnson now, he will say he is in Singapore. You call him tomorrow, and he will say he is in Hong Kong. Call him the next day, and he will say Abuja, and that is Johnson for you. Well done, my guy, and I wish you a very successful tenure at Fidbank UK. Nice catch, una try. Kai.

Go VIcTor oSImHeN, Go

Victor has scored 10 goals in the Champions League, equalling Obafemi Martins’ sterling record in the competition. Since Okocha and Nwankwo retired, Nigeria has not been able to produce mighty stars in that mould till Victor came on board. This boy has been a fixture in the international scene, doing things and keeping the flag flying. I like him personally, even though I have not had the good fortune of meeting him. His exploits on the field continue to reverberate all over the globe, making us really proud. That is why, when one day my very beautiful daughter Annette came back home and casually said, a boy with red hair greeted her, but she ignored him. I asked

which boy, and her Uncle Nonso said Victor Osimhen. I shouted, “Victor?” and Nonso affirmed that he stays in Magodo, just by our street.

I almost flogged my daughter. Victor greeted you, and you walked away? Her mama jumped up and headed towards the door, and I asked her where she was going. She said she was going to

see if Victor was still there so that he could greet her, too. Laugh nearly killed me. I said, “Tokunbo, you think say Victor dey do ‘tokunbo?’ Come on, siddon before you go and injure national treasure with that your strong hand.

Congrats, my boy. Mbok, when next you are in Magodo, let me know so that I can bring Annette

preSIDeNT BolA TINUBU:

THe ‘Book’ of lIfe

If I write now, DSS will come and beat me. But since they are distracted by Sowore, let me quickly just add this one.

Oga was reported to have said in Imo State that he has been trying to write a book to no avail. You see, it was Keyamo or someone who first asked ‘Which school?’ Chicago State or the State of Chicago? Then another person said, the date of the primary school did not coincide with the date the school was established, and so many other things on the résumé that did not add up.

People went to court, fought and argued for and against. Today, we are hearing that writing a book is a problem. Well, I am not saying anything o, I am just reporting a sequence that has led us to Imo State.

I really think that writing a book is not that difficult o, Chicago or Chicago State. After all, Hope, your host, wrote a book. If he actually sat down and wrote that book himself, let my scrotums fall off. All we need to do is ask him how he did his own, and then we emulate. If Hope

can write a book, then snow will start falling in Uyo, I tell you. Furthermore, Mr. President, there is something called ghostwriting. Which is perfectly acceptable. I ghostwrote Area Fada’s biography even though we fought at the tail end for reasons not to be mentioned. If we had not fought, you would have seen his picture on the cover, complete with lipstick and chewing gum, but you would not have known that I wrote it. So, if you have any compelling reason to write a book, simply call Reno, who has been looking for a job, to do the work. The man understands how to use data and information for specific purposes and should be able to come out with a very powerful book for you. I think the title of the book should be ‘The Agbado Chronicles: From Bourdilon to Aso Rock, My Odyssey.’ Then I will put it on stage and have Yemi Shodimu act as you, and me as a younger you. Regina Daniel will act as young Remi so that at least I can hug her and maybe kiss her without the fear of Ned’s anger.

to come and apologise for not answering you. Her Mama no train am well to respect national hero. Well done, aburo.

SeYI ANIfowoSe: A worTHY recorD eNTrY

This my aburo last month entered the Guinness Book of World Records. He assembled the largest gathering of teachers in one place. Over 60,000 teachers assembled at the iconic Tafawa Balewa Square to dance, advocate and network under his auspices. The Guinness Book of World Records people came and counted all of them, accredited him and announced him in the record books.

As expected, Nigerians ignored, since none of the teachers were naked, or cooked the biggest pot of rice, or offered to sleep with 100 men in 24 hours.

Well, Nigerians can be like that, so we don’t really mind. The most important thing is that Seyi has made a point, and the world has listened. He did not just assemble them for the record books or for them to be wearing Ankara and be dancing; they also wrote a communique that has been transmitted to the National Assembly, stating very strong demands on teacher welfare and the rest.

Well done, my brother, your reward is still in heaven, apparently. Be patient. Thanks.

IBI SofekUN: from lAGoS To lAGoS

For those of you who do not know, let me better explain.

Ibi Sofekun, the Sagamu man, is riding his bike from Lagos, Portugal to Lagos, Nigeria in a hard-lifting journey that will see him ride through over 50 countries in about 90 days. He is near home now, as he has entered West Africa. Last time I spoke to him, he was in Senegal enjoying their wollof rice. When Ibi first mentioned the idea, I did not support him o because he is 69 and frail. I asked a lot of questions – food, sex, border issues, security, etc. Baba told me not to worry that everything is under control.

He went looking for sponsorship, and like everything developmental – the ride is to create awareness for the mental health of the boy child –he was ignored.

This did not deter him as he flew into Europe and commenced his journey. Very adventurous and exciting from the pictures that I have seen.

He is expected to hit Lagos this weekend and will be received by a huge crowd, where he is expected to be feted and saluted. Make he just go do Nuru massage after, and I know you people also don’t know what a Nuru massage is. That is the one where naked women will be massaging you. It is crazy, call me. I have their phone numbers. Thank you and welcome, Fire kiss.

SOMTOCHUKWU MADUAGWU:

A Rising Star Gone Too Soon

Somtochukwu Maduagwu’s tragic end, just months before her 30th birthday, has jolted the nation into confronting a familiar nightmare: the unrelenting grip of insecurity, writes Vanessa Obioha

Nigerians woke on Tuesday, September 30, to the shocking news of the death of Somtochukwu Maduagwu, a promising ARISE NEWS Channel anchor. Early reports were hazy, with speculation ranging from hospital negligence at Maitama General Hospital to whispers of an assassination.

But soon the truth emerged. Sommie, as she was fondly called, had leapt from the thirdbalcony of her Katampe apartment in Abuja during a robbery. Overcome with panic, she fell to her death.

Just like that, her dreams and talents were cruelly extinguished as her body hit the ground. Reports say that her brain was fractured. She was found unconscious by the time the police arrived at the scene, according to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale.

“A distress call was made to the command control room. Police offcers moved to the scene. What they could see was the unconscious body of Sommie on the picked her up there and then took her to Maitama General Hospital, where the doctors on duty tried as much as possible. To see whether they can resort to using CPR. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it. And that was the story,” he said.

Her sudden death left behind a trail of haunting questions. Why did she jump? Could fear have felt safer than facing the robbers? As these questions linger, only Sommie and her creator will ever know what raced through her mind in those fnal moments.

Those who know Sommie spoke of her in glowing terms. Her uncle, Engineer Obi Maduagwu, described her as an independent-minded, determined, and deeply patriotic individual. “She told her father she was leaving the UK, where she was earning more, because she wanted to return to Nigeria to work. She believed in a better society,” he told journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

agencies should conduct a quick and thorough investigation into the incident and ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice without delay.”

Former President Goodluck Jonathan urged security agencies to investigate thoroughly and ensure justice. “Her untimely death at the peak of her potential is a national

Abia State Governor Alex Otti called the killing “heinous” and demanded that “the perpetrators of the heinous crime are unmasked, brought to justice and made to pay for their action.”

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the International Press Centre (IPC) condemned the killing, with NGE’s president, Eze Anaba, stating that her death was a stark reminder of the dangers Nigerians face daily. IPC Director Lanre Arogundade called for an independent probe to ensure accountability.

Senator Nenadi Usman-led Labour Party (LP) urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s security sector and establish private detective institutes to assist security agencies.

“The death of this young broadcaster and lawyer at just 29 is a direct fallout of Nigeria’s distressing and persistent insecurity,” the party said in a statement.

“It is time for the government to make security a distinct priority rather than allowing huge security votes to be diverted. Investments should go into protecting lives and property so that young talents like Somtochukwu can live out their full potential in service to the nation.”

Adewale also stated that the police would not sleep on this case.

Friends and colleagues remember her as a warm, graceful, and reserved professional.

Sommie would have turned 30 on December 26. Her life brimmed with dreams that promised not only to spotlight her but also to contribute to a better nation. A former beauty queen and tourism ambassador, she studied law in the United Kingdom and could have

believing in Nigeria’s promise. She traded her law gown for the microphone, hoping journalism would amplify her voice in the push for a fairer society, especially for women. Yet, almost exactly a year after joining Arise News, her life was cut short. She had already fnalised plans to wed by Easter 2026. Her untimely passing not only left a vacuum in the hearts of her loved ones and colleagues but is another casualty of Nigeria’s unrelenting insecurity.

Days before her death, she had remarked about “Nigeria happening” to its citizens, a phrase used when avoidable tragedies occur due to systemic failure.

The family has called for an investigation into her death. During a condolence visit by senior executives of ARISE News to the family home in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, her uncle, who spoke on behalf of the family, said: We appreciate the solidarity shown by ARISE News, but we also demand justice. Those who did this must be found and brought to face the full weight of the law,” he said.

The calls for accountability have been echoed at the highest levels. The president, Bola Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, ordered a probe into her death.

“Security and law enforcement

“We have set up a specifc investigation team headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Investigation, with all tactical units involved to track down the culprits. The leads we are getting are already being worked on, and no stone will be left unturned until the perpetrators are brought to justice.”

Sommie’s death is not just the loss of a talented young broadcaster; it is a reminder of how insecurity still shadows everyday life in Nigeria. For many, grief runs deep, but the world quickly moves on. The question now is whether Nigeria will also move on from Sommie’s death, or fnally confront the nightmare of insecurity that claimed her too soon. For now, what remains is the hope that justice will be done, and that those whose presence drove her to fear will one day answer for it.

ARTS & REVIEW ARTS & REVIEW

A publicAtion

A Collision of Intergenerational Visions

Testament of Legacy, Time & Space, a group exhibition which opened yesterday at the National Museum in onikan, Lagos, is less a seamless blockbuster than a kaleidoscope of collisions, echoes, and glorious discord, distilling the living, breathing energy of Lagos into a vibrant, pulsing whole. okechukwu Uwaezuoke writes

Every art ecosystem eventually circles back to its elders, and Lagos, being the irrepressible metropolis it is, does so with characteristic élan. Testament of Legacy, Time & Space (A Story of Kunle Adeyemi and His Studio Contacts), now on view at the National Museum, Onikan, from October 4 (yesterday) until October 17, rejects the staid conventions and eclectic anonymity of most group shows in favour of a full-throttle intergenerational melée. Less polite salon, more family reunion staged in technicolour, it is a high-octane convergence of artistic gladiators, where creative chemistries fizz and combust like Adire motifs left to their own improvisational devices.

At the exhibition’s gravitational centre is Dr. Kunle Adeyemi, a figure impossible to ignore in Nigeria’s art world. His CV? It reads like a whistle-stop tour of Nigerian higher education: Yaba College of Technology (a higher national diploma in painting), the University of Benin (MFA in graphic design and printmaking, PhD in studio arts) and Lagos State University (post-graduate diploma in education). A former vice-president of the Society of Nigerian Artists and chairman of its Lagos chapter, Adeyemi wears the laurels of being the first Nigerian to earn a PhD in practice-led studio arts, under Professor Osa Dennis Egonwa’s supervision. He has chaired departments, steered a faculty as dean at YabaTech, and still somehow mounted 23 solo exhibitions alongside over 90 group outings. This is the calibre of artist who might have claimed a solo lap of honour. Instead, he throws himself into the unpredictable anarchy of collective visibility.

“Unity is strength,” the Ondo State native proclaims, a mantra delivered with the rueful authority of one who has watched too many incandescent talents sputter into darkness for want of care. In response, he has gathered more than two dozen artists who, in one way or another, have passed through his orbit—apprentices, SIWES (Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme) trainees, doctoral candidates, or devoted studio acolytes. The result is not the clinical polish of a commercial fair but a raucous visual feast. Here, solos may glitter, but the true music swells from the collective.

Cue Adeyinka Akingbade, who has careered across continents like a pinball. A finalist in the African Artists’ Foundation’s Unbreakable Nigerian Spirit competition in 2008, his trajectory has swept through Swedish residencies, German magazine spreads, and a Venice Biennale collaboration with Peju Alatise. His practice veers from painterly canvases to digital manipulations, resisting the pastime of pigeonholing artists into easy categories. His hybridity, restless as Lagos traffic, is itself a statement.

By contrast, Olusegun Oduyele—Lagos-born, Epe-raised— stays committed to the alchemy of printmaking, albeit with detours into motion graphics and painting. Having honed his craft under Adeyemi’s printmaking tutelage, he embodies the recursive loop of mentorship that runs through the show. Legacy here isn’t a title flourish but a chain link of ink, paper, and possibility.

Then there is Klotoe-Michael Daniel Abiodun, Nigerian-Beninese, who has left murals across Benin (including the continent’s longest) while juggling teaching and exhibitions. His early training

under Adeyemi sharpened his draftsmanship, but his true signature is versatility: a refusal to lock into one medium, preferring instead to mirror society’s layered complexities. Like Adeyemi, he coaches younger artists, carrying the torch forward.

The line-up leans heavily on educators, none more seasoned than Aderinsoye Ademorin Aladegbongbe. A Yaba College of Technology lecturer since 1996, with 13 solo shows to his name, he wears hats that could fill a wardrobe: HOD, gallery curator, external assessor, pastor. In other contexts, such multitasking might seem scattershot. In Nigeria, it is survival. Here it underscores the polymathic nature of the artist-academic who must juggle teaching, commissions, and bureaucracy to carve

out studio time.

Dr. Doyin Labode brings another inflection. Briefly mentored by the visual arts luminary Abiodun Olaku, and battle-tested in advertising agencies, Labode brings an illustrator’s eye and an academic’s stamina (he has supervised more than 65 projects at FUNAAB). His practice, rooted in design, bleeds into textiles, interiors, and applied visuals—proof that contemporary Nigerian art is not confined to gallery walls but spills into fabric, furniture, and everyday life.

If Adeyemi’s cohort is heavy with pedagogues, the younger set plugs in the voltage. Jimoh Luqman, for one, paints African portraits in a mode he dubs “structural pictorial impressionism”: brushstrokes layered with chromatic verve, where faces flicker between realism and abstraction. His Innocence series, with beaded hair against pastel grounds, offers quiet defiance—a refusal to flatten African identity into a monolith.

Akingbade Oluwamayowa’s journey, from Adeyemi’s studio apprentice to solo exhibitions abroad, epitomises the porous border between local training and global platforms. His canvases, thick with oil and pastel, mine personal and environmental narratives. Asholasa Daniel takes a more muted path—browns and textured surfaces that summon the melancholy of a Lagos seldom at rest.

Photography enters the conversation through Olufemi Onagoruwa, who ditched economics and Oracle admin life for the lens. His street photographs, often spotlighting overlooked communities battling water scarcity, insist that documentation is activism. In a show thick with brushstrokes, his images serve as a bracing counterpoint: Testament… is as much about witness as it is about paint. Other names—Taiwo Emmanuel Oloruntobi, watercolourist Olumuyiwa Olusola, veteran lecturer Abiodun Kafaru—expand the palette, pushing the exhibition into unruly conversation rather than a single curatorial thesis.

Which is exactly the point. In a Lagos art scene increasingly seduced by market diktats, this exhibition dares to be messy. Its magnetism lies not in sleekness but in the unruly vitality of voices colliding across generations. For audiences, it is an invitation to encounter not just the leading lights but the vast, industrious middle ground: the teachers, the experimenters, the documentarians.

Adeyemi, ever the motivator, calls the exhibition “a seed worth planting.” He surely knows seeds can sprout weeds as well as flowers. But legacy, in his telling, lies not in control but in the act of planting itself.

So no, Testament of Legacy, Time & Space, sponsored by irachy Consult, is not a seamless blockbuster. It is better than that. It is collisions, echoes, and glorious discord—the living, breathing energy of Lagos made visible.

Through Art, an Artist Redefines Healing, Hope

Stories by Yinka Olatunbosun

At the Young Leaders for Arts and Health Summit, held at the prestigious headquarters of the commonwealth Secretariat in London on August 22, over 100 global leaders including young artists, performers, musicians, poets, activists, and social visionaries, came together to commemorate International Youth Day. the event, organised by the Global Arts for Medicine Fellowship in partnership with the commonwealth, was a groundbreaking platform that underscored the vital role of creative leadership in shaping holistic wellbeing, community health, and social belonging.

One of the highlights of this transformational gathering was with the formidable Adaeze Adinnu, a british-Nigerian mixed media artist, whose work has captivated hearts across continents. With an impressive portfolio that bridges culture, health, and humanity, Adaeze’s artistic presence at the summit symbolised the extraordinary power of art to inspire, heal, and transform. the summit focused on a shared belief that the arts, in all their forms, are essential tools for fostering emotional resilience, healing, and empowerment in both individual and collective contexts. Adaeze’s contribution to the summit epitomised this ethos, as her groundbreaking painting, “Finding Myself,” from her celebrated Phoenix Series, touched the depths

the quiet but enduring strength of Pa Yinka Adeyemi is one for the books. At 80, the elderly artist is staging a show-stopping comeback with Metamorphosis, a solo exhibition organised by Mind Masters creative Gallery, Lagos. the two-week show, which opens on September 13 and runs till September 28 at Art Hotel, Oniru, Lagos, is not only a commemoration of a milestone birthday but also a celebration of a creative journey that has stretched over six decades, across continents and across forms.

Pa Adeyemi, who turned 80 on August 4, has been a towering figure in African art for more than six decades. A multi-talented creator, his artistic journey cuts across painting, carving, mosaic murals made with cowries and pottery sherds, as well as performance art. He once featured in Kongi’s Harvest, the celebrated play by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka. All of these aspects of his creative life will be presented during the two-week commemorative exhibition.

At a press briefing in Lagos, Larry Segun-Lean, art collector and founder of Mind Masters, explained that the exhibition aims to relaunch Adeyemi into the media spotlight and celebrate his enduring legacy.

“He turned 80 on the 4th of August,” SegunLean said. “It is a commemorative exhibition to celebrate a global icon who has impacted the art space worldwide, not just in Africa. We want

ENCOUNTER

of human emotions and sparked transformative dialogues among global leaders present at the event. exhibited at the summit, Adaeze’s “Finding Myself” embodies her artistic philosophy: that vulnerability is not a weakness but a powerful force for renewal, authenticity, and growth. the painting, which draws inspiration from the mythical phoenix rising from ashes, resonated deeply with summit attendees, including policymakers, cultural leaders, and advocates for health and social equality. through her work, various participants were moved to reflect on broader themes of mental health, cultural integration, and shared humanity, particularly in a world facing unprecedented challenges of division and isolation. Adaeze’s art provided not just beauty, but a message of resilience and collective hope, one that will linger long after the summit doors close.

Adaeze Adinnu’s influence as an artist goes far beyond the canvas. Her bold visual compositions, rich in texture, symbolism, and emotional depth, have earned her acclaim on the global stage as both an artistic innovator and a cultural ambassador. Working primarily in oil, acrylic, mixed media, and mirrored surfaces, her paintings explore themes such as identity, resilience, femininity, and social transformation. this global recognition includes being named among the top 100 emerging Artists of 2025 by

the Arts to Hearts Project, recognised by the commonwealth leaders for tremendous contribution to the success of the Young Leaders for Art and Health London Summit, and membership in the british Art Network. Adaeze’s work can be found in public and private collections worldwide, including the chinese cultural centre in Abuja, boughton care Home in the UK, and Nigeria’s National Assembly. Her commissions and murals for notable brands, such as Pepsi Cola Nigeria, have further solidified her presence as a vibrant artist.

Her international exhibitions span continents, most notably with appearances at the redwood Art Group in Dallas, Mitochondria Gallery in Houston, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery in the UK, and the HolyArt Gallery in London. these showcases reflect not only her growing stature as an artist but her relentless commitment to using art as a force for dialogue, healing, and progress.

Adaeze’s appearance at the Young Leaders forArts and Health Summit was not just about showcasing art, it was about igniting a movement. Her poignant message of finding strength in vulnerability and her exploration of the phoenix’s symbolism reinforced the idea that creativity is a cornerstone of healing, empowerment, and cultural connection.

At the Summit, Adaeze demonstrated how the arts can transcend boundaries to promote both individual and community wellbeing. Her ability to unite leaders around topics such as mental health, cultural diversity, and shared humanity showcased the transformative role artists can play in solving

some of society’s most pressing challenges. Awarded by UNeScO for her contributions to the arts, Adaeze continues to leverage her platform to inspire and empower young people worldwide. Whether addressing issues of mental health, amplifying cultural heritage, or building bridges between distant communities, her commitment to using art for social progress remains unwavering.

Celebrating a Princely Return

the world to know he is back home in Nigeria, where it all started. this is iconic, and it is too important to ignore.”

He added that the show will also serve to educate both African and global audiences about Adeyemi’s long career. “His works are quintessentially African. they tell our story in raw form, without embellishment. they remind us that Africa’s creative civilisation predates much of what the West claims to have pioneered.”

Segun-Lean, who has collected Adeyemi’s works for over 30 years, described him as “an artist par excellence” whose practice remains active.

Adeyemi himself offered insights into his lifelong dedication to art during a similar commemorative show recently held in Ibadan at tunde Odunlade Gallery. “I tell stories with my work. I paint, I print, I work in batik and textiles. I draw inspiration from people, from places, from my travels to museums and galleries around the world. Metamorphosis is all of that put together many things in one. My interest is to let people know that Africa is great,” he said.

curator Moses Ohiomokhare praised Adeyemi as a pioneer of the batik-on-rice-paper technique,

a style that set him apart from his contemporaries with its bold geometric patterns, symbolic motifs, and vibrant colours particularly striking reds, yellows, and magentas. each piece, Ohiomokhare explained, reflects Yoruba cosmology, explor-

New Film Highlights Scuderia Ferrari

Ahigh-octane film, titled A tribute to the Scuderia Ferrari HP Pit crew, was recently released at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, a city in Italy’s Lombardia region. Narrated by Lewis Hamilton and charles Leclerc, and written by George the Poet, the film pays tribute to the unsung heroes of Scuderia Ferrari HP’s pit crew.

Drivers usually take the centre stage, but every lap is a team effort, both on and off the track. Now, luxury Scotch whisky chivas regal is putting some of the unsung heroes of Scuderia Ferrari HP in the spotlight with the launch of A tribute to the Scuderia Ferrari HP Pit crew. This new film honours the tenacious crew who build together behind the scenes and reflects chivas regal’s belief that success is built on teamwork.

this launch marks the latest chapter in chivas regal’s ongoing partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP – a collaboration that reflects shared values of passion, determination and ambition and celebrates a collective pursuit of excellence. It offers fans a glimpse into the high-stakes precision of a Scuderia Ferrari HP pit stop – a world where milliseconds define outcomes,

inspired by the pit crew's meticulous performance – a feat of human and mechanical precision - mirroring the dedication poured into every bottle of chivas regal.

Scuderia Ferrari HP team Principal, Fred Vasseur, joined chivas regal to pay tribute to the pit crew.

"Formula 1 is a team sport in every sense, and our results come from the dedication of everyone at Scuderia Ferrari HP. It’s great to have a partner like chivas regal, who highlights this collective spirit and recognises the incredible work done away from the spotlight,” said Vasseur.

Acclaimed spoken word artist George the Poet transformed the crew’s physical feat into a poetic spectacle, celebrating the perseverance it takes to show up on the track.

“You make it look natural that unnatural level of precision. there’s a gold standard of execution that you bring to every competition.”

"I’m always drawn to the voices we don’t usually hear, so it is an honour to tell the stories of these unsung heroes," said George the Poet. "Whether it's a poem or a pit stop, craftsmanship takes tenacity. that's exactly what chivas regal captured in this tribute."

"true greatness is driven by the hands of many. this campaign embodies our I rise We rise ethos

ing themes of fertility, prosperity, agriculture, protection, and sacred traditions like the OsunOsogbo grove.

In the early 1980s, Adeyemi showcased his batik works at Quintessence Gallery alongside Osogbo leading lights such as twins Seven Seven, rufus Ogundele, and Adeku. He later took his art abroad, exhibiting in the United States with artists like Jimoh buraimoh and Z.K. Oloruntoba.

Dr. Mudiare Onobrakpeya, described the exhibition, which is now ongoing, as more than a retrospective. “After decades abroad, Adeyemi's return to the Lagos art scene is not merely a homecoming; it is a reawakening. His journey from Iragbiji to Osogbo, Lagos to the United States and back tells the story of an artist whose vision has only deepened with time and distance, and whose hand remains as sure and inspired as ever.

“this exhibition, "Metamorphosis" invites more than admiration, it calls for dialogue. A dialogue not just with the work, but with the imagination that shaped it. It reminds us that mastery is not a final point, but a lifelong process. It is forged through discipline, nurtured by tradition, tested by time, and refined in the crucible of reinvention."

At 80, Yinka Adeyemi is still working, still telling stories, and still proving that art, like life, is a journey of endless metamorphosis.

and focuses on the people who build together and set the team up for greatness behind the scenes," said Nick blacknell, Global Marketing Director, chivas regal. "the Scuderia Ferrari HP team shares our tenacious mindset and belief that success is built on teamwork – and that’s what makes our partnership so powerful.”

The film premiered at the iconic Italian Grand Prix in Monza, where chivas regal brought the campaign to life on the ground with curated experiences and recognition of the unsung heroes at the heart of the action.

Scuderia Ferrari HP team Principal, Fred Vasseur, came together with chivas regal to pay tribute to the pit crew.

"Formula 1 is a team sport in every sense, and our results come from the dedication of everyone at Scuderia Ferrari HP. It’s great to have a partner like chivas regal, who highlights this collective spirit and recognises the incredible work done away from the spotlight,” said Vasseur.

Acclaimed spoken word artist George the Poet transformed the crew’s physical feat into a poetic spectacle, celebrating the perseverance it takes to show up on the track.

IN THE ARENA

Growing Intolerance to Criticisms

The current travails of a legal practitioner, Chinedu Agu, in the hands of the Imo State Police Command once again highlight the troubling use of state power to silence dissenting voices, Davidson Iriekpen writes

What legal practitioner

Chinedu Agu is currently facing at the hands of Imo State government officials, over an issue that should ordinarily spur the government to act in the people’s interest, exposes how intolerant some state governments have recently become.

Upon his return from the annual convention of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in enugu, Agu did an innocuous travelogue in which he compared Imo State and enugu State.

In the travelogue, which was supposed to be a mere peer review, he commended Governor peter Mbah of enugu State for massive infrastructural development, but thumbed down Governor Hope Uzodimma for not doing much, even when the state collects billions of naira monthly from federal allocation and oil derivation fund.

rather than simply countering Agu’s claims point-by-point, with a superior argument, making public the report card of the Imo State government in the past five years, some state officials allegedly created a non-existent association to petition the police against Agu on some cheap allegations for which Agu was arrested, detained, and is now facing trial.

This is not the first time the state government has displayed intolerance to any criticism against it.

In November 2024, the wife of a former commissioner in the state had raised the alarm that her husband, Fabian Ihekweme, had been abducted by suspected gunmen in Abuja.

She claimed that Governor Uzodimma sent “unknown men” who abducted her husband.

But the police spokesperson in the state, Mr. Henry Okoye, claimed that Ihekweme was “lawfully arrested” by police detectives, and not abducted by gunmen. However, his arrest was said to be connected to his frequent criticisms of Governor Uzodimma’s administration.

He had since sued the Nigerian police over his arrest and prolonged detention.

In the same state in 2023, the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Joe Ajaero, was abducted, brutalised, and left for dead by agents of the state. His offence was leading workers to a peaceful protest against the non-payment of salaries and pensions after exhausting all other processes of dialogue.

even during the military era, such brutality or bestiality was not visited on any Labour leader, let alone the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

To date, none has been brought to justice

for Ajaero’s ordeal.

In Sokoto State, an aide to Senator Aminu Tambuwal, the immediate past governor of the state and serving senator, Mr. Shafi’u Umar Tureta, was remanded in a correctional facility for allegedly insulting Governor Ahmad Aliyu on Facebook.

Tambuwal’s aide allegedly shared a document that purportedly showed that Aliyu scored F9 in english Language in the Senior School Certificate examination (SSCe).

Tureta was also said to have shared videos to mock the governor for not “being fluent in english” and was accused of posting a video in July showing the spraying of dollar notes during the birthday celebration of the governor’s wife, Fatima.

Amnesty International Nigeria condemned his arrest, saying it was “unacceptable.”

while that was still raging, a woman, Hamdiyya Sidi, was arrested and put in prison for allegedly lamenting the rising killings and general insecurity in the state.

In a viral video, Ms. Sidi revealed how bandits pillaged their villages without restraints, and how displaced women seeking refuge in the state capital are now being sexually exploited due to abject poverty and squalor.

In Kano State, a journalist, Muktar Dahiru, who was accused of making a Facebook post considered “insulting” to Governor Abba

Amid widespread rumours of his possible return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, last week denied reports suggesting he was planning to defect to the ruling party or any other political party.

In a statement he issued, the national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) described the reports as false, stressing that he has not submitted any letter of intent to join the APC.

“We have been alerted to some online statements suggesting that we have submitted a letter of intent to join a political party in the country. We would like to clarify that we have not made any such submission to any party,” he said.

The former governor urged the public to disregard thespeculation,addingthatanyofficialupdatesabout

Yusuf, was arrested and remanded in prison.

Dahiru, who works with pyramid FM Kano, a radio station managed by the Federal radio Corporation of Nigeria (FrCN), was arrested on August 29, 2024, based on the allegation of sharing multiple audio interviews in which opposition politicians criticised the Kano State governor.

A journalist based in Kebbi State, Mr Hassan Mai-waya Kangiwa, was arrested last month and detained on the orders of Governor Nasir Idris for releasing a video showing the deplorable conditions at the Kangiwa General Hospital.

Following the backlash, the Kebbi State government paid N200,000 to him in compensation for his unlawful detention.

In July last year, a chieftain of the All progressives Congress (ApC), Mr. Abdul Majid Mustapha a.k.a Dan Bilki Commander, was brutalised in Abuja by suspected thugs for allegedly insulting Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State on social media.

In a video that went viral, he was seen in handcuffs being interrogated and assaulted by a group of men who accused him of insulting Governor Sani.

Though the state government dissociated itself from the incident and claimed that it had ordered a probe, the victim accused the state government of not tolerating dissenting

hispoliticaldirectionwouldbecommunicatedthrough his established channels.

Is Kwankwaso prevaricating? Was he not the one that reportedly gave the APC strict terms and conditions to rejoin it?

While he addressing a gathering at his Kano residence, he had stated that any political alliance must recognise and respect the interests of his party and political movement.

Hewarnedthathispoliticalmovement,Kwankwasiyya, would not allow itself to be used to win elections and then abandoned afterwards.

The NNPP leader noted that although his group was open to political alliances, they would only work with the APC if respect, fairness, and inclusion are guaranteed. According to him, lessons from the past

views.

“previously, they (the state government) humiliated a lady and a social media influencer who supports el-rufai. The guy was brutalised at a market,” Commander was quoted as saying in a media report.

A Niger State-based journalist, Mustapha Bina, was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) after reporting an alleged bandit attack on Governor Umaru Bago’s motorcade during a project tour to Mashegu Local Government Area.

Though the state government denied the incident, Bina was arrested and detained by the DSS, allegedly on the orders of Governor Bago.

Last year, the police in Borno State arrested and detained one Sultan Usman for five days for criticising the executive Secretary of the Borno State Geographical Information Service, Adam Bababe, over flood prevention measures in the state.

After a flood disaster devastated homes and businesses in Maiduguri, the state capital, in September 2024, Bababe, whose agency is responsible for land administration, in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, blamed communities that resisted his agency’s steps to implement flood prevention measures for the disaster.

But Usman replied to him, saying the tweet was like an open admission that the government had failed in its responsibility.

Though Bababe acknowledged that the post was deleted immediately, he reported Usman to the police, leading to his prompt arrest and detention.

A majority of the state governors have issues such as insecurity, poverty, and hunger that should overwhelm them, but they chose to go after the opposition.

Like others, Agu’s arrest and detention by the Imo State police constitute a serious assault on free speech and democracy, and are therefore unacceptable.

The actions of the state government represent an alarming abuse of power and a calculated attempt to intimidate and punish those who speak out for their society.

while many Nigerians are opposed to the creation of state police as they fear that they will be mere tools in the hands of the governors to harass, intimidate, and silence their critics, the actions of the governors have helped to further reinforce the fear.

Instead of suppressing dissident voices, the Imo State government should direct all its efforts and energy towards curbing the insecurity that has destroyed the state. By persecuting dissent voices, some governors are on a mission to destroy the country’s democracy.

had taught them never to agree blindly.

The former governor stressed that politics is about negotiation, trust, and mutual benefit, not desperation. He recalled that in 2015, his political movement contributed massively to the success of the APC but was sidelined after the party came to power. This, he said, will not be allowed to happen again.

So, if he actually gave these conditions, why did he fault reports suggesting he was planning to defect to the ruling party?

Instead of debunking the reports, he should have told Nigerians that his conditions have not been met yet.

ManybelievethepresidentialcandidateoftheNNPP in the 2023 general election is playing hide-and-seek and that his defection to the APC is a matter of time.

BRIEFING NOTES

Adamawa LG Chairmen’s Wives’ Insensitive Trip to Turkey

The trip by the wives of the chairmen of the 21 local government areas in Adamawa State to Turkey, for a leadership training programme when they do not hold leadership positions in government was obviously an act of insensitivity to the plight of the people of the state, which hosts the poorest people in the North-east, ejiofor Alike writes

The World Bank had in a report identified Adamawa State as the most poverty-stricken in the insurgency-ravaged North-east.

In a report titled: ‘The Lake Chad Regional Economic Memorandum: Development for Peace,’ the bank had put the poverty rate in most states of the North-east at 70 per cent.

The report had revealed that the Northeast and other regions around Lake Chad were plagued by a high poverty rate, low human capital, and poor access to basic services.

“Communities in the vicinity of the lake are lagging compared with the socio-economic standards in other parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, which are already underperforming compared with other developing economies worldwide.

“For instance, in Nigeria’s North-east, which flanks the lake to the south-west, poverty rates are estimated at over 70 per cent, almost double the rate in the rest of the country,” the 2021 World Bank report had stated.

According to the report, poverty rates in Adamawa and Yobe states were as high as 74 per cent and 70 per cent respectively

“In Nigeria, the poverty rate in the Lake Chad region (72 per cent) is nearly twice as high as the rate in the rest of the country (38 per cent); part of this spatial gap is likely explained by the devastating impact of the Boko Haram conflict in Nigeria’s North-east.

“Poverty is most prevalent in the parts of the Lake Chad region that lie within Nigeria. The poverty rates in Adamawa and Yobe states reach as high as 74 per cent and 70 per cent, significantly higher than the national average of 38 per cent,” the report added.

The report noted that due to the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists in the region, about 2.7 million people had been displaced and 12.8 million people needed humanitarian assistance, with North-east Nigeria badly affected.

“Of the 12.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 10.6 million are in the three most highly affected states, Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, in Nigeria’s North-east.”

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had also in its 2019 multidimensional poverty report, identified the state as Nigeria’s fifth poorest state with a poverty rate of 75.41 per cent.

The political leaders of a state with such an abysmal record of hosting the poorest

people in Nigeria should be concerned about how to lift the people out of poverty.

Surprisingly, a recent development suggests that the political leaders at the grassroots in the state do not appreciate the seriousness of the poverty crisis.

The misplaced priorities of the chairmen of the 21 local government areas (LGAs) in the state manifested in their recent decision to expend public resources in sponsoring their wives on a leadership training programme in Istanbul, Turkey, when the Nigerian Constitution does not provide any leadership roles for wives of LG chairmen.

The 21 wives, along with some senior officials of the State Ministry of Local Government, reportedly attended a leadership training programme in Turkey, a move that sparked outrage among members of the public, who described it as wasteful and insensitive.

But the Chairman of Toungo LGA and state chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Suleiman Toungo, defended the trip.

Toungo said the training was designed to equip their spouses with leadership skills.

He noted that council chairmen themselves had benefited from similar overseas training two months earlier.

The LG boss added that since the chairmen had undergone training themselves, their wives also needed similar exposure to help them “offer useful advice on governance”.

“We did our training two months ago; so, I do not see anything wrong in our wives going for training outside the country. They are our wives and we need their advice. We are looking at the importance of training them on leadership, not the cost,” he said.

However, a serving council chairman from the northern part of the state, reportedly distanced himself from the trip, saying he was not consulted before his wife’s name was shortlisted.

“I was sleeping when I got a call from one of the ALGON officials asking me to send my wife’s details for a visa. That was the first time I heard of such a project. This is simply an abuse of public funds,” he was quoted as saying in a media report.

Some stakeholders within and outside the state have criticised the chairmen for spending huge sums of money on the leadership training.

Notes For File

Reacting in a post on X, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi described the trip as a wasteful use of scarce public resources.

He said the estimated N600 million spent on the foreign trip could have been channelled into improving basic education, funding classrooms, or supporting women-led businesses in the state.

“Today, while our children at the basic education level — whose education is the responsibility of local governments—are out of school, and those in school lack classrooms and teachers, while LGA pensioners are likely owed, and teachers continue to struggle under economic hardship, it is disheartening that scarce resources are channelled into frivolities such as foreign trips for the wives of local government chairmen who hold no public office, at an estimated cost of about ₦600 million in public funds.”

Naija Times Journalism Foundation (NTJF) also condemned the reported wasteful spending of scarce public resources by the chairmen on a needless trip by their wives.

According to a statement signed by the Chairman of Naija Times Journalism Foundation, Mr. Ehi Braimah, “the spouses of LGA Chairmen are not public officials, and even the idea of leadership training in a foreign land amounts to a bogus contraption meant to siphon public funds.

“This amounts to engaging in unbridled corruption, fiscal indiscipline and impunity. We are therefore of the considered position that the relevant anti-corruption agencies, specifically the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), should immediately cause an investigation of this gross abuse of office and the serious violation of extant public finance laws,” he explained.

A 75-year-old retiree from Yola North LGA, Abubakar Shehu, was also quoted in a media report as calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the “financial scandal.”

“What is the leadership position of local government chairmen’s wives? Even the wife of the governor is not sent abroad for leadership training. This is nothing but corruption and a mockery of democracy in Adamawa State,” he reportedly said.

Others have also called on the EFCC and the ICPC to recover the funds and prosecute those that expended public resources on the frivolous trip to serve as deterrent to other chairmen across the country.

Ambassadors’ Verdicts on Otti’s Administration

Onestatethatwasthoughttobethemostbackward in the South-east region since the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria in 1999 was Abia.

Butthathaschangedsince2023whenAlexOttiwas electedgovernor.Forthethreeconsecutivetimesthat he contested elections before he eventually won, he was always lamenting the state of decay in the state.

Being a beneficiary of the general disenchantment amongthepeopleoccasionedbyabysmalperformance of past administrations, he immediately swung into action.

Two years down the line, he does not seem to have betrayed the trust reposed in him by the people. Many parts of the state now wear a new look, particularly Aba, the commercial hub of the state and the region.

Otti’sperformancehasbeenmetwithbothsignificant acclaimforachievementsininfrastructure,institutional

reforms,andeconomicrevitalisation.Thishasincreased hissupportbasewithagrowingarmyofadmirerscutting acrosspartydivides.Evenmembersoftheinternational community are left out.

Lastweek,theUnitedStatesAmbassadortoNigeria, Mr. Richard Mills, led some top US diplomats in Nigeria on a working visit to the state. On arrival, they were very impressed with what they saw.

The visited some parts of the state and also interacted with some stakeholders to really see things for themselves.

After what they saw on ground and feedback from thepeople,theAmbassadorsummarisedthegovernor’s performance in the last 28 months in office thus: “Your leadership in Abia has brought real change here, positive change. Your focus on infrastructure, on security challenges, has really transformed the state. And we

believe that it is a powerful example of how to improve governance, really, across the South-east.

“Your administration’s commitment to fostering economic growth, empowering youth, and creating a more transparent and more accountable government really aligns very closely with our goals and what U.S. businessneedstoseeifit’sgoingtoinvest,”Ambassador Mills stated.

Shortlybeforethen,theEuropeanUniondelegation, ledbyAmbassadorGautierMignot,wasalsointhestate where he commended the governor for his leadership and collaboration on key development initiatives. He specificallyapplaudedOttiforhisgovernment’ssupport inexpandingsocialprotectionforvulnerablehouseholds. There is no doubt that should Otti sustain the momentum, Abia State could be a leading economy in the country in no distant time.

The London Property that Exposes Nigeria’s Rot

Aquiet house at 79 Randall Avenue, North London, has become the unlikely centerpiece of one of the most extraordinary property fraud cases ever to involve two of Nigeria’s most prominent figures: the late General Jeremiah Useni and Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN.

That Nigerian politicians are corrupt is no news to anyone. What is remarkable is how their corruption is facilitated, even legitimized, by senior members of the Nigerian Bar in foreign courts. The case, decided in early September 2025 by the UK’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), revealed how this property –purchased in 1993 at the height of General Sani Abacha’s regime – was registered under the false name “Tali Shani.”

Decades later, the tribunal uncovered how this phantom identity was used to conceal Useni’s ownership and later became the basis of a failed attempt to pass the house to Chief Ozekhome. What emerged was a shocking tale of forgery, fabricated identities, and collusion between Nigeria’s political and legal elites.

Forged Identities and Fabricated Claims

The tribunal was tasked with resolving competing claims. On one side stood “Mr. Tali Shani,” produced by Chief Ozekhome as the supposed registered owner who had transferred the property to him in 2021. On the other was “Ms. Tali Shani,” presented by Nigerian law firm Edewor & Co. through their London agent, solicitor Kingsley Efemuai, who opposed the transfer. The stories quickly unraveled.

“Mr. Tali Shani” told the tribunal he bought the London house in 1993 at just 20 years old, using profits from selling sweets, mangoes, and cattle in Nigeria. He claimed he then appointed General Jeremiah Useni – then a powerful FCT Minister – as his property manager. The idea of a herdsman hiring a sitting general as property manager would be comical, if not absurd.

But “Ms. Tali Shani” was even more fantastical. Although she was the applicant in the matter, she never appeared throughout the proceeding. Her legal team submitted a raft of fraudulent documents: a forged Nigerian National Identification Number (NIN) slip that was created in Monaco, through an online loophole, a fake mobile phone bill later traced back to her lawyer Mohammed Edewor himself, and even a death certificate riddled with contradictions. When pressed on her absence from the proceedings, her lawyers first claimed she was gravely ill, then announced her sudden death in 2024, filing documents so sloppy they included a Sunday funeral scheduled on the wrong date.

Two men appeared as her supposed “son” and “cousin”. Their accounts contradicted each other and collapsed under questioning. When asked about picture of Ms. Shani’s funeral, one of the witnesses claimed the funeral photographer was “killed by bandits” immediately after the funeral.

But what was shocking at the end of the matter was that Ms. Shani never existed. She was the creation of some lawyer from the Nigeria law firm of Edewor & Co. Her legal team in Nigeria (Edewor & Co) and their London counterpart, Kingsley Efemuai, a London-based solicitor, submitted a bundle of fake documents to the tribunal in proof of her existence. When the charade unravelled under scrutiny, Mr. Efemuai abruptly withdrew from the case, leaving behind a trail of professional embarrassment.

Although an individual presented himself with a Nigerian passport in the name of “Mr. Tali Shani,” he had no connection to the 1993 purchase. This is

because “Tali Shani” was, in fact, an alias for General Useni. It remains baffling how another individual could assume that name, acquire a Nigerian passport, and then seek to transfer the property to Chief Ozekhome – a senior lawyer who could hardly claim ignorance of such a comical sham. In the end, the claims of both Mr. and Ms. Tali Shani collapsed under scrutiny, exposing the case as a fraud built on identity theft and deception.

General Useni’s Hidden Purchase

With the phantom claims dismantled, attention shifted to General Useni. Testifying by video link in 2024, shortly before his death, the 81-year-old admitted bluntly: he had bought the property in 1993 and had registered it under the false name “Tali Shani.”

This was not an isolated deception. In 2022, the Royal Court of Jersey forfeited £1.9 million from accounts Useni had opened under the alias “Tim Shani.” He insisted it was merely a “coded password name,” but the Jersey court dismissed the excuse, noting that he obviously used the name to conceal stolen funds.

The London tribunal drew the obvious parallel: the coincidence of “Tim Shani” and “Tali Shani” was no accident. Useni had a pattern of laundering funds under false “Shani” names. The judge concluded this was a layered disguise designed to keep Useni’s name off official records.

Chief Ozekhome’s Questionable Acquisition

The role of Chief Ozekhome, one of Nigeria’s most high-profile lawyers, is perhaps the most troubling. In 2021, he applied to register the house in his own name, claiming it had been transferred to him by “Mr. Tali Shani.” He described the transaction as a gift from a grateful client, supposedly worth over £500,000 in unpaid legal services.

Under scrutiny, this story crumbled. Ozekhome’s explanations shifted repeatedly as his

credibility crumbled: at times he said there was monetary consideration, then insisted it was a pure gift, then suggested it was payment in kind, and at one point implied another property had been given in exchange. No documentary evidence of any legal services from Ozekhome to Mr. Shani was ever produced. When pressed to cite even one case he supposedly handled for Shani, Chief Ozekhome invoked “client confidentiality.”

The tribunal dismissed his account as ‘contrived and invented.’ Evidence showed that Ozekhome had been managing the property since at least 2019, holding a power of attorney from “Mr. Shani” and collecting rent on Useni’s behalf. Judge Paton concluded the 2021 transfer was orchestrated by Useni, and that Ozekhome’s shifting stories were fabrications designed to legitimise a fraudulent transaction.

The tribunal ruled that since “Mr. Tali Shani” had no legitimate title, he could not convey the property. It ordered the Land Registrar to cancel Ozekhome’s registration application.

Legal Limbo and Systemic Rot

The ruling left the 79 Randall Avenue property in legal limbo. On paper, it remains registered to “Tali Shani,” a fictitious name. In reality, it belonged to Gen. Useni, now deceased. With the phantom owner never real, the property has no valid claimant. It may ultimately revert to the British Crown as unclaimed property.

For Nigeria, however, the implications are deeper. This case illustrates how corruption operates: politicians hide wealth abroad under false identities, while lawyers – sworn to uphold the law – serve as enablers of fraud. Useni’s conduct was part of a familiar pattern among Nigeria’s elite, where public office is treated as a platform for personal enrichment.

More disturbing is the role of the legal profession. From Nigerian lawyers at Edewor & Co. who fabricated a person that never existed, to UK-based solicitor Kingsley Efemuai who blindly pursued the case of a non-existent client – feeding the tribunal with fraudulent documents, to Chief Ozekhome himself, the case demonstrated how Nigerian lawyers have become the midwives of fraud and corruption in the system. Without their active participation, the country would

never have been so embarrassed at this London tribunal.

The tribunal also highlighted failures in Nigeria’s own institutions. Fake NIN slips, forged death certificates, and bogus court orders were produced with apparent ease, suggesting weak oversight and impunity at home. That it took a British court to unravel the fraud is an indictment of Nigeria’s regulatory and justice systems.

Accountability and the Nigerian Bar

In societies with strong law practice regulatory oversight, lawyers like these would already be under investigation by their professional bodies. In Nigeria, one must ask whether the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee will summon the courage to investigate, let alone sanction, such misconduct.

This is not merely about one house in London. It is about the integrity of Nigeria’s legal system and the willingness of the Bar to hold its members accountable. When senior advocates participate in – or turn a blind eye to – obvious fraud, they erode public confidence in the very profession meant to safeguard justice.

Conclusion

The saga of 79 Randall Avenue is more than a property dispute. It is a case study in the anatomy of corruption, exposing how political power and legal expertise intertwine to hide stolen wealth. A British judge, unencumbered by local politics, was able to trace the lies, cut through the forgeries, and prevent a fraudulent transfer.

Neither the fictitious claimant “Ms. Tali Shani” nor the Senior Advocate Respondent Chief Ozekhome got what they wanted. The property remains in limbo. But for Nigerians, the lesson is clear: until the powerful are held accountable at home, and until lawyers who enable corruption face discipline, the cycle will continue.

A modest house in North London has become a mirror reflecting Nigeria’s deeper rot – where politicians launder public wealth, lawyers provide the cover, and justice emerges only in foreign courts.

Prof. Christian, a lawyer, teaches professional ethics at the Faculty of Law, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. www.gideonchristian.ai

Political Intellection in Governance: Is Donald Trump Really Better than Bola Ahmed Tinubu?

The conduct and management of political governance has remained a very critical issue in international relations, especially as it relates to global peace and security. In the Middle East, the conflict has a recidivist character. The hope of a Palestinian Homeland, in spite of the increasing number of recognitions of the State of Palestine, is still more of a dream, because of countries that do not want a State of Palestine but give the impression of commitment to it. Besides. Africa is serving as the new theatre for Russo- and Sino-US proxy wars. In fact, global governance has been largely fraught with covering the eyes of the world with tainted cotton wood. Hence, what role do intellectuals play in political governance?

Vie Internationale normally covers officious, official, and citizen diplomacy. In the last two editions, we explicated the Intellection and Global Governance: A Festschrift for Tunde Adeniran, published to mark the 80th Birthday Anniversary of Prof. Tunde Adeniran. We drew attention to the various perspectives of discussants at the “Colloquium on Future of Africa” also organized in his honour. The conditionality for a brighter future for Africa was explicated, with emphasis on the essence of intellection.

Additionally, on Saturday, 27th September, 2025, I was interviewed by two analytical, broadcast journalists with the ChannelsTv, Kelly Egiga and Bukola Coker, during their Morning Brief segment on UNGA at 80. During the discussion, I was asked for my opinion on the extent to which Nigeria was well prepared for the international responsibilities of a would-be Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council. My position was that Nigeria was and still is, more than well prepared. On the question of absence of President Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) from UNGA 80 and Nigeria’s delegation being led by Vice President Shettima, my explanation was that it might have been more about strategic calculation, that Donald Trump seriously thinks after action and never before action, and that there was no reason to suggest that PBAT is not more intelligent than Donald Trump. This opinion has generated unexpected greater public interest. The Vie Internationale of today therefore avails itself of the opportunity to reaffirm that Donald Trump is intellectually inferior to PBAT based on attitudinal intellection towards political governance.

PBAT as Intellectually better: The Reactions

The first point of controversy was my response to the national concerns that PBAT should have been at the UNGA 80 rather than have him represented by the Vice President. Put differently, as to why PBAT might have not shown physical presence at the UNGA, I offered a first hypothesis that it might have been a resultant of strategic calculation. Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, I said Donald Trump is an unpredictable President, who more often than not, only thinks after action and hardly before action. Avoiding such an individual is an illustration of intelligence, of greater smartness. I posited that Donald Trump was and is in the position to thoroughly embarrass PBAT, especially if the Americans recall that he might have offended their system. And true enough, Nigeria has been showing an independentist posturing in her foreign relations and growing capacity to effectively respond to international challenges.

This is not what Donald Trump wants. He only wants a compliant and dependent leader with whom to conduct his transactional diplomacy. You may wish to recall here that the United States of Donald Trump proposed to Nigeria to accept Venezuelans that were unwanted on the soil of the United States and PBAT’s administration decently and sovereignly declined that offer in her own self-enlightened interests. The Nigerian reaction is nothing more than an act of arrogance in the eyes of Donald Trump. This is one major reason that informed my opinion that Donald Trump could recklessly embarrass PBAT, and thus bring unnecessary taint on the Government and good people of Nigeria. As such, in the context of this hypothesis, avoiding Donald Trump is a very good strategic calculation. It shows that PBAT is a smart president. Whatever Donald Trump might have had in mind, PBAT has avoided the type of embarrassment meted out to the Ukrainian leader and the Liberian President. Imagine, for example, President

Trump asking the Liberian leader questions on how he managed to be speaking English language well. This is insult at its crescendo for African leaders and Liberians in particular. It is against this background that there have been several reactions, all of which I found most interesting, especially the arguments that considered that I must be crazy to have considered PBAT as intelligent not to talk about his being more intelligent than Donald Trump. Some even brought a theoretical thrust to say that my opinion cannot be scientifically tenable. They too never tested their own opinion beyond relying on theoretical postulations to make generic conclusions. Several thought-provoking arguments were made.

In his estimation of Dr. Olatunji Olateju’s reaction to my opinion, Dr. (alias Citizen) Bolaji Akinyemi wrote an article published online and entitled “Trump vs Tinubu:Armed with Different Hoes, Ploughing Different Fields.” He rightly quoted me as saying that ‘Donald Trump is not in any way better than Ahmed Tinubu,’ and that PBAT ‘is as intelligent, if not more intelligent’ than Donald Trump. While not agreeing or disagreeing with Professor Akinterinwa and Dr. Olateju, Citizen Akinyemi made it clear that his intervention was to ‘settle the matter against the background of our reality.’ In this regard, he provided an exegesis of the influence of PBAT in West Africa and Africa, underscoring the preparedness of Nigeria to provide regional leadership and serve as continental voice.

As good as this leadership role might be, he observed that ‘the

PBAT adores women and had never been found guilty for any sex-related offense while Trump is a convicted offender. PBAT is a better orator who delivers top notch, sensible and facts backed by data. Trump just spews anything that comes into his head. These points are valid definienda of intellectual and intellection attitude. Who says that the observations of CoronaVirus Pro are not correct? Do they not bother on intelligence? There are several arguments in favour of Donald Trump but which have nothing to do with his level of intelligence. They are contained in the nairaland.com and other social media platforms. The same is true of PBAT supporters. FarahAideed says ‘Trump doesn’t collect salary, Tinubu collects and is even looking for increments.’ More important, Trump ‘met the US GDP at 26 trillion dollars and in one year reduced it to 3.9%. Tinubu met Nigerian GDP at 380bn and in one year took it to $188bn.’ In the same vein, Trump met unemployment at 4% and in one year reduced it to 3.9% while Tinubu worsened unemployment in Nigeria.’ True enough, these are hard facts. However, is the economic progress a resultant from Trump’s intelligence? What is the intellectual contribution of Trump to the progress being generally referred to? Whatever is the case, the attitude of the United States in international relations is nothing more than showing a bold face to cover up its declining power. Trump is managing a country where institutions of governance are already strong in comparison to Nigeria where the institutions are, at best, very weak. Trump is pursuing an agenda of white America only. PBAT’s agenda is making Nigeria strategically autonomous, which is a reflection of a high level of intelligence.

domestic house PBAT leads ‘is in disrepair. Spiraling inflation, food insecurity, and mass poverty erode Nigeria’s bargaining power. It is difficult to speak boldly for Africa when one cannot guarantee safety, electricity, and food security at home.’ These are the pillars for assessing the intellectual acumen of PBAT. In the same vein, Citizen Akinyemi tried to define or determine the extent of intelligence of Donald Trump using the yardstick of political governance. As he put it, ‘as President of the United States, the world’s largest economy and most powerful military, every policy move reverberated across continents. Whether pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, browbeating NATO allies into higher defense spending, or launching trade wars with China, Trump’s shifted global balances.

Perhaps more interestingly, Citizen Akinyemi has it that ‘critics will argue that his foreign policy was erratic, transactional, and often reckless. Yet even recklessness in Washington carries more weight than caution in Abuja. The simple structural reality is this: America sets the global agenda, Nigeria struggles to be heard outside Africa. It is therefore a mismatch to place Trump and Tinubu side by side on the global stage.’ This is a good opinion that does not have any logical relevance to the definition of the word ‘intelligence.’ Does this quotation explain why Donald Trump is more intelligent or better than PBAT? The operational words are ‘better’ and ‘intelligent.’ Even when Citizen Akinyemi admitted that both PBAT and Donald Trump are ‘eccentric political survivors’ and ‘polarizing figures,’ he still submitted rightly that ‘personality is not governance.’ This is precisely the foundational point that Dr. Olateju did not bother to reckon with in his own postulation.

In Dr. Olateju’s estimation, entitled ‘Trump vs Tinubu: Unpacking Prof.Akinterinwa’s Controversial Comparison,’ noted on September 29, 2025 in his Political Panorama with Ola Olateju, that ‘leadership is not a personality contest. It is judged by measurable outcomes, such as jobs, stability, economic growth, human rights, and global influence. Without clarifying the yardstick, such sweeping declarations collapse into rhetoric.’ More disturbingly, he said ‘a major flaw in Professor Akinterinwa’s analysis claimed to be done contextually, lies in equating the Nigerian presidency with the American’s. The United States sits atop a $30 trillion economy and wields unmatched global influence. Nigeria, by contrast, operates within a GDP just crossing the hundreds of billions. To argue that the leaders of both nations stand shoulder-to-shoulder without acknowledging the vast difference in resources and state capacity is to compare apples with oranges. And worst still, Dr. Olateju argued that ‘by focusing only on Tinubu’s ‘strategic caution while ignoring the painful domestic realities is selective. Nigerians continue to battle spiraling inflation, biting poverty…’ Is it this situational reality on the ground that defines the level of intelligence of both leaders?

Theories of governance are to guide reflections. They are not per se truths in themselves. They assist in the business of intellection, in understanding political governance. If efforts have been taken to educate the public about the theories of intelligence rather than of political governance, the kettle of fish would have been different and the postulations would have been eligible for further analytical purposes. For instance, the theory of general intelligence, as told by the British scientist, Charles Spearman, says intelligence is a single, general mental ability that underlies performance on all cognitive tasks. On the contrary, Psychologist Louis Leon Thurstone says intelligence is a collection of distinct mental abilities and not simply a single ability, hence we talk about theory of multiple intelligences’ In fact, Howard Gardner strengthened the theory of multiple intelligences by identifying nine types of intelligences: linguistic, logicalmathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, inter-personal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existential. Robert Sternberg typologises intelligence into three main types: analytical intelligence involving academic ability; creative intelligence, involving the adaptation of acquired knowledge to generate fresh ideas, and practical intelligence, involving shaping of daily environmental conditionings. Additionally, Alfred Binet also theorized about ‘mental age as a measure of intelligence based on the average abilities of children within a certain age group.’ Regardless of the type of typology being considered, and regardless of the analytical method of evaluating intelligence - psychometric approach, information processing approach, and cognitive developmental approach - it is the factor of individuality that is more at stake. Governance issues should therefore not be confused with personality attitude towards the issues.

When it is argued that ‘Tinubu is as intelligent if not more intelligent than Trump,’ it simply means that the foregoing factors are what should normally be first considered, because intelligence is innate. It is about ability and capacity.

PBAT and Trump’s Sagacity: The Comparative Definienda When any good analyst, commentator, or scholar wants to comment on an issue, or criticise it is always incumbent on whoever is engaging in the critique to first put himself correctly in the same shoes of analysis for reasons of objectivity of purpose and scientificity. This is why it is always requested of analysts to always provide a methodology and a framework for analysis. A systemic framework may not respond well to a behavioural analysis. More disturbingly, any framework of analysis that is predicated on a wrong diagnosis of what an issue is all about cannot have any scientific evaluation. Consequently, since we are talking about and comparing two people, it is basically the behavioural methodological approach that appears to me to be appropriate for a comparative analysis.

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ENGAGEMENTS

The Nearly Forgotten Independence

Nigeria may not be the world’s best showpiece of democracy and political freedom. But Nigeria can easily win a contest of the country that celebrates democracy related matters most loudly.

Sixty-five years of independence. 25 years of uninterrupted democracy after four decades of military autocracy. Democracy Day, the day the military disengaged from direct politics. June 12, the date the military held and cancelled the best election that annoyed s section of the country. Second anniversary of the installation of the Tinubu administration. We could go on and elongate the list. Each of these landmark occasions is greeted by a roll out of state pomp and pageantry. Traditional rulers and their colourful entourage, dance troubles from all over the country, gala nights that feature music and dancing as well as lengthy foolish speeches about nothing serious!

Of this gamut of anniversaries and memorials, perhaps the annual October 1st Independence Day is perhaps the most consequential. That is the day the British Union Jack came down and in its place was hoisted the new drab greenwhite- green of independent Nigeria. For those Nigerians in their 60s, that date remains important as a watershed and marker of the emergence of independent Nigeria. Perhaps the only date that could compete with October 1st is January 15th 1970, the date Nigerian military factions decided to end the civil war they started most senselessly.

This last week’s 65th Independence anniversary was largely forgotten for no clear reason. There were no police and military parades. Schools and colleges marked the event by mandating kids to wear outfits that remind them they are Nigerians and nothing else. But the state looked the other way. A state that seizes every small opportunity to stage a lavish party decided there would be no parade, no gala night or festivities. The usual reasons included a need to save money! A government that routinely buys $1 million a piece SUVs for politicians that already have over 20 limousines in their garages suddenly wants to save money from champagnes and musicians! Anyway, there was no party. The 65th Independence anniversary was largely forgotten or omitted.

There was of course the usual presidential speech and foolish messages from illiterate politicians and hungry clergy of all faiths. The president disrupted the morning sleep of a public holiday with the mandatory speech. I have been phoning round my friends to see what they remember or something quotable or new from this year’s Independence speech. Most have told me it was same as before: the need to rededicate ourselves to the nation, to renew hope, to obey the rule of law

if it favours you, to love they neighbor in the night and demolish his house in the day. It was a speech like most others about patriotism, the need to worship as many gods as possible on political occasions and import expensive Marabouts from Mauritania paid in dollars to bury live cows to ensure your opponent loses the next election or catches epilepsy. Otherwise, the 65th independence was edited out. No military parades. In any case, why parade pot-bellied soldiers who have been outgunned by bandits? Why put on display second hand helicopter gunships bought from the black

Apologies for a Social Media Catastrophe

Apurported ‘news story’ posted by a certain Ola Fapson on FACEBOOK early last week has got me into a perception calamity.It carried the “news” that former Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State has been condemned to death after being found guilty of corruptly siphoning the impossible sum of N1 trillion belonging to Abia state away to an impossible destination of Australia or New Zealand! Social media fiction does not come in a fatter dose!

I immediately saw this phantom ‘news’ as a typical example of what damage the social media could do if allowed unfeterred flowering in our media space. For me, here was an example of how fiction can graduate into fact for the ignorant. It needed to be shot down before fiction graduates into dangerous viral menace. I just thought the best thing to do is to share this ‘news’ as a joke so that we could laugh it out of existence.

First, where would Abia State find the spare 1 trillion? Which court sentenced the poor man into oblivion? There is no law in our books that stipulates the death penalty for corruption, common stealing in Nigerian parlance. Even if such a law existed, the investigation of such a mega crime would involve the Nigeria Police, the EFCC, the NSA’s office etc. Most tiers of the judiciary must have heard and ruled on the case etc. The case must have been headline news for months and years. I concluded that this was classic foolish social media humour that could entertain my fellow Facebook people. So, I decided to share the joke and silly humour on my page on Facebook so that I could get

more dimensions of the humour! I did not want to laugh alone in these sad times!

With hindsight, sharing the joke was my big error. The response was instant and acidic. The insults rained from everywhere. Responders forgot the original author of the ‘news’ story. People even forgot that I am not a reporter but an opinion columnist. They even wanted to hang the stupid story around my neck by all means. Some of them quickly edited out the name of the original author of the toxic piece. Chidi Amuta was conferred with the authorship of a piece he knew nothing about. I became the direct target of the toxic verbal missiles.

All manner of urchins could now pronounce my name. Everything was an instrument. Friends, associates and readers literally from the whole world called to find out if I was ok in terms of mental health since most of them had come to associate me with more common sense than to author such idiocy under a pseudonym. I then read the original post and found the name of the author.

I hardly use pseudonyms. I directly criticize or condemn whoever I am unhappy with without fear. I have written about practically every major personality on earth in the last four decades. I have directly interviewed, face-to-face, over a dozen heads of state including those who welcomed me into their offices with pistols out of holsters! In one case, I had to scale a hurdle of fierce tanks to enter the interview venue.

In all of my 40 years in journalism, this is the first time I have had to explain my action or judgment in print. Secondly, I have never had to retract a story or column. I write what I believe

in in the best words I possibly know how to.

In terms of the present situation in Abia state, I am even more embarrassed. I know both former Governor Ikpeazu and incumbent Governor Alex Otti. I regard both as my junior brothers. Each of them has been free to attend my events or call on me in the house in Lagos.

I do not have and never had any business or financial dealing with either man or with Abia State in any form, shape or scope. I am not a politician by any stretch. I am not a contractor, supplier or brief case carrying agent. I am a merchant of light and ideas, an intellectual and journalist in the best global tradition. I of course have respectable business interests which pay my bills and assure a comfortable existence.

Therefore, all imputations of personal interest behind the Facebook catastrophe are misguided, mischievous and uninformed about my person or circumstances. I have no need to praise or condemn any politician for personal financial gain.

On the many misreadings of this Facebook calamity, I deeply regret and sincerely apologise to my friends, readers and Associates who have read the various mangled misrepresentations of the Facebook sharing fiasco. I promise to show a better homegrown sensitivity to our sense of humour next time.

I hope we can lay this nasty social media ghost to rest at last. If the social media is to continue to play its role in our national life, both the audience and practitioners need a higher level of perceptiveness and also a more sophisticated sense of humour.

markets of Libya and Syria? What is they crash in the heads of well dressed dignitaries and their damsels? The low key 65th anniversary was a wise decision, the wisest by a government that prices Indonesian noodles lower than Ijebu gari. Those of us in our 60s are entitled to our nostalgia about Independence. We were the Independence generation. We were raised in hope, nurtured in expectation and raised in optimism. The British were leaving. Heaven and earth would be rued by our own brothers and sisters. Fat new lawyers sweating it out in London suits. We rehearsed ad sang their praises. They would bring on the new Jerusalem. Our mothers wore ‘ankara’ outfits with imprints of the new men of power. Our mothers were ordered to file into the area in every village to rehearse the songs of freedom. As children, we were drilled on how best to greet our new masters since the whites were leaving. On the appointed date, we filed out in line to wait at the roadside to greet the new gods. The heat if the sun burnt out tender skins. We sweated like goats about to go to hell. But we were taught patience for those who want good things must learn patience and endurance. Later in the afternoon, the new messiahs sped past, waving absent mindedly at village children lined on both sides of the road.

Then came the speeches by the politicians. Heaven was coming to earth. Everything we wished for would now come in tenfold. We were handed tiny plastic flags of the infant nation. This was accompanied by grey plastic cups. One teacher from the village school explained the symbolism of the cups. It was the cup of passion of our Lord in the garden of Gethsemane before he gave up the ghost at the execution ground of the crucifixion. With this cup, you children shall always repeat: “It is finished” at the height of every trying moment and your solution shall come delivered.

The festivities of independence came and went. We waited. Heaven did not come. We still went down the hill to the river in search of dirty water. When Papa’s thatvhed roof was leaking, we converged in the corner where the roof was still in tact. Life remained hard. The boys who returned from holidays in the town told worse stories of suffering. The whites had packed and left. Their quarters were abandoned for new black overlords. The refuse dumps piled up. Pot holes came all over the streets. Politicians divided out the plots of the European quarters among themselves and renamed streets after themselves. Wilberforce Avenue became Ogbonnaya Road. McJohnson Street became Uwaezuoke Road.

In anger, our elders from the village sent a delegation to Enugu to ask our parliamentarian what happened to the promises of independence. Our elders on the delegation slept in the open. At daybreak when it was their turn to see our man, a staff in khaki uniform came out of the iron gate of the house, accompanied by two giant Alsatians. “Oga is not in…” He clamped the gate back shut Our delegation was over. Oh Independence! Where is thy sweetness and the honey of the New Jerusalem?

Nations grow in age grades. When they are young, they are heavens of promises. When they arraign middle age, they behave like adults and do the things that make the age grade proud. They grow their economy, make the people rich, build good schools, fix the roads, encourage trade and chase away thieves and criminals. They become Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Cyprus. A few more decades down the road, the nations that knock on the doors of a century go two ways. They either ossify and get stiff in the knee, incapable of moving any further. They become, Greece, Portugal, Egypt or Ethiopia. Or they push on as centenarians and stand out in competition to graduate from nations into civilizations: China, India, America, Japan, etc.

The hour is near when Nigeria must decide. We have to either cast off the foolishness of drunken middle age or don the armour of dignified adulthood. We will soon get to that crossroad at which nations decide to become wise old men or perennial drunken middle aged jesters. This is the tragic essence of the forgotten 65th Independence anniversary.

Now, let’s compare this with current realities. According to NNPCL’s report to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the month of August 2025, the national oil company was expected to pay N271.18 billion as calendarized interim dividends every month this year. From January to August 2025, NNPCL should have paid a total of N2.17 trillion as interim dividends to the Federation. The national oil company has not paid a single kobo as dividends in 2025. Bear in mind that the dividends replaced revenue from sale of crude oil and other revenue streams from NNPCL to the Federation. Please read that again, and slowly too: not a shining kobo has been paid by NNPCL out of the N2.17 trillion projected as its interim dividends to the Federation for the first eight months of this year. Maybe there is a good reason for this 100% underperformance that is apparent to FAAC beneficiaries. But what a keen observer of FAAC sees is a company that has plunged further post-PIA. Leaving barrels with NNPCL has also

In that national statement, President Tinubu restated his advocacy over which he had been vocal and consistent: reform of the world body to include a permanent seat for Africa, particularly Nigeria, at the UN Security Council, nuclear disarmament, equitable access to global trade and finance, debt forgiveness, and climate justice, among others, , President Tinubu is passionate about these issues and never misses any opportunity to highlight them.

The President has utilised every forum, including the 78th UNGA, which he attended a few months after his inauguration in 2023, and the Conference of the Parties, COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2024, to advocate for these demands strongly. He restated them in the message delivered by Vice President Shettima in 2024 at the 79th session of UNGA and in his message to a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in 2024 in Kampala, Uganda, President Tinubu must underscore these issues repeatedly in a bid to promote global peace,

On the Proposed Amendments to the PIA

created the perverse incentive for it to pledge the barrels for all sorts, a practice that has been on the rise, and with grave implications for future revenue.

The second fiscal shift is that NNPCL takes 30% of the profit oil from Production Sharing Contracts as its management fee. This is apart from the 20% that it keeps from its overall profit, which also implies that its various costs must have been covered. According to NNPCL’s report to FAAC for August, a total N1.06 trillion accrued as revenue from PSC profit oil from January to August 2025, out of which NNPCL retained N318.05 billion as its management fee. Another N318.05 billion or 30% was transferred to the Frontier Exploration Fund (FEF), managed by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) while the Federation received N424.07 billion or just 40%.

In plain language, the Federation received only 40% of the revenue from PSC profit oil on account of this aspect of the altered relationship between the country and the company. It is equally noteworthy

that while all the other revenue agencies are exceeding their budget targets, NNPCL was able to deliver only 15.14% of its year-to-date target of N2.8 trillion. The old NNPC was restricted to the deductions it made for sundry reasons from domestic crude allocations (and largely remitted federation export to the Federation Account). But the post-PIA entity has L as an extra alphabet and a larger field of play: 30% management fee, 20% of profit, and the latitude to withhold dividends. The joke of the altered relationship is definitely on the Federation. It needs to end.

The proposed amendments, a draft of which I have reviewed against the subsisting PIA, intend to address some of these dysfunctions of an agent benefiting more than the principal. If you think there are only one or two issues in the proposed amendments, you have been grossly misled. There are many changes outlined in 13 different sections of the PIA. Some of the proposed amendments are designed to provide greater clarity and streamline

High Point of Nigeria’s Participation at UNGA 80

stability, and economic growth.

The continental imbalance in representation at the UN, the imbalance in international trade among the regions, the Israeli genocide in Gaza, wars and threats of war in some parts of the world, among other agonising global issues, deserve to be stated, restated and frontally tackled., Delivering Nigeria’s national statement, Vice President Shettima said:

“We are here to strengthen the prospect for peace, development, and human rights. Madam President, I would like to make four points today to outline how we can achieve this.

First, Nigeria must have a permanent seat at the UN Security Council. This should take place as part of a wider process of institutional reform. Second, we need urgent action to promote sovereign debt relief and access to trade and financing. Third, the countries that host minerals must benefit from those minerals.

And fourth, the digital divide must close. As our

Presidential Secretary-General has said, AI must stand for Africa Included.”, Expatiating on this, he said the United Nations would recover its relevance only when it reflects the world as it is, not as it was. “Nigeria’s journey tells this story with clarity. When the UN was founded, we were a colony of 20 million people, absent from the tables where decisions about our fate were taken. Today, we are a sovereign nation of 236 million people, projected to be the third most populous country in the world, with one of the youngest and most dynamic populations on Earth, a stabilising force in regional security, and a consistent partner in global peace-making.”, The vice president followed up his presentation with a meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, where he further reiterated the demands., Given the UN Secretary-General’s temperament and positive posture towards reforms, Nigeria’s demands must have struck a resonant chord. Elected Secretary-General in October 2016, succeeding Ban

responsibilities in the law. But most are geared toward correcting the principal-agent problem and at improving Federation’s revenue. I will highlight a few of the planned changes, which I have grouped into four broad categories, and intersperse the highlights with my comments. The first group of amendments looks to me like an attempt at rebalancing the revenue relationship in favour of the Federation. It is proposed that all payments from current and future PSCs and related contracts be paid in kind or in cash to the Federation Account. This means that royalty oil and tax oil currently paid in kind to NUPRC and FIRS but lifted and sold (and sometimes pledged or bartered) by NNPCL will now go straight to the Federation. This will address the incessant arguments and squabbling between the national oil company and the two other agencies. I

• Rahman is Senior Special Assistant to PresidentTinubu on Media and Special Duties.

Ki-moon, Guterres reformed the UN and addressed multiple global refugee crises., On the sidelines of the 80th UN session, Vice President Shettima addressed a Global Champions Roundtable on Housing, led bilateral talks with investors on agriculture, solid minerals, and technology, and engaged with Nigerians living in the United States., Two other important side events, took place on the sidelines of UNGA 80 leaders’ talks. One was put together by the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, to showcase investment opportunities in Nigeria and demonstrate that the country is ready for business. Read

On behalf of the youths of Ika,

Anioma, and Delta State, we r e j o i c e w i t h G E N L U C K Y ELUONYE ONYENUCHEA IRABOR

C F R ( r t d ) o n t h e u n ve i l i n g o f h i s powerful wor k, “SCARS – Nigeria’s

J o u r n e y a n d t h e B o k o H a r a m Conundrum.”

This is more than a book, it is a mirror of history, of sacrice, and of the scars bor ne in the ght for peace

Sir, as you mar k 60 remar kable years of life, we lift our voices in deep gratitude to the Almighty God and to Jesus Christ, your eter nal Friend and Father, for keeping you, guiding you, and blessing your steps through every valley and victory

Your jour ney has not been ordinary T h r o u g h s e a s o n s o f c o n  i c t ,

leadership, and national ser vice, you have carried not only the weight of r e s p o n s i b i l i t y b u t t h e h e a r

o f a ser vant.

In you, we see honour without pride, strength without arrogance, and faith that does not waver.

We thank God for your life, not just for what you’ve ac hieved, but for who you are: a tr ue son of the soil, a guardian of peace, and a beacon of integrity in turbulent times

As you celebrate your 60th bir thday, may heaven continue to crown your effor ts with grace, and may your legacy live on in the hear ts of those you have inspired.

We are proud of you. We are grateful to you. And today, we celebrate you.

paid more attention to documentation than the urgency of saving the lives of Maduagwu and Barnabas. This has been denied by the hospital authorities. But even if the hospital is saying the truth, it does not mask the fact that this happens all the time at both private and public facilities in many parts of the country. And we are only discussing this issue because Maduagwu had a name. We would not treat her as a regular victim of neglect and negligence. But for millions of unknown Nigerians — like Barnabas — this is their lot. Every day, they are denied basic care and basic protection by their country, condemned to ignominy and anonymity.

My cousin is studying medicine at a federal university. He always tells me stories of how accident victims will be bleeding to death and the front desk will be focusing on documentation. At least, place the victim on oxygen support first and then stop the bleeding! Do the administrative stuff later!! People lose their lives while the Good Samaritans that rushed them in are being interrogated — usually at snail speed. My nephew told me of an instance when the hospital staff started checking for spelling errors after relatives had filled the registration forms. By the time they were done with the formalities, the distressed patient had died. Some people have completely lost their humanity.

Apparently, the demand by hospitals for documentation and payment of huge deposits is part of an overarching strategy to avoid treating patients whom they think might not be able to settle the bills — worse still as they may die during treatment. A friend who was involved in a fatal accident in Lekki many years ago (six passengers died instantly) said he too would have died if not that his friends were driving behind him when the bus somersaulted and landed on his car. His friends rushed him to a private hospital which demanded millions of naira as deposit before they would touch him. They whipped out their cards and paid immediately. Those who could not pay were sent to their graves.

I would not be surprised if police deny the report that their men said they did not have fuel. But it is such a familiar story in our land that one denial does not erase previous experiences. I am a bit more careful talking

STEPPING UP

When I read reports that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said he was going to step down for a “young candidate” in the 2027 presidential race, I thought something was wrong. I can’t claim to know Atiku too well, but I can bet my laptop that he will run in the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He will not put together a coalition and then step down. We all know he wants to be president of Nigeria. Any calculations and permutations about the ADC must factor his ambition into it. As it turned out, he only said he would back whoever wins the primary. Those who think they will get the ADC ticket on a platter of silver need to rethink. Atiku is not playing. Fact.

about the police angle because I know that things have gradually improved over time and I also know that the force disciplines its erring officers a lot, but the truth, if it must be told, is that even their best is not up to scratch. If you report a case to the police, many times you have to pay for “logistics”. You have to fund investigation. Even if you want to write a statement at a police station, you have to “buy” paper and pen. You actually don’t buy them — you are forced to pay. Police, fire service and hospitals are critical to the well-being of Nigerians. A major duty of the state is to prevent anarchy, preserve human dignity and protect our lives. The state has the duty to uphold the sanctity of life. Police are the ones constitutionally mandated to protect our lives and property. We should be able to confidently call the police if our lives are in danger, and they should be able to respond with alacrity. The fire service is to rescue us from danger and mobilise everything to save our lives in emergency situations. Hospitals are supposed to be centres where care is given to patients, where the utmost priority is to preserve our lives. Care is about compassion and comfort.

It is not coincidental that in most advanced societies, it is only the emergency services — medical, police and fire — that use sirens and are allowed to bypass traffic rules to save lives and property. You hardly find presidents, ministers, governors, mayors and local government officials using siren, unlike what our leaders do in Nigeria to chase the citizens off the road. When I was a kid, we used to disdain the use of siren by government officials. We would sing a song that matches the sound of the siren: “Ya fun/were ni.” It means: “Leave the road for them/They are mad.” For all intents and purposes, siren is primarily for the emergency services: ambulances, fire trucks and police vans.

In my book, ‘Fellow Nigerians, It’s All Politics’, published in 2022, the title of the first essay is: ‘The Value of a Nigerian’s Life.’ In it, I argued that if our leaders placed value on the life of every Nigerian, it would always reflect in their policies and actions. First of all, the emergency services will work. The ambulances and A&E wards will be top-notch. If someone is run over by a vehicle, they will not be allowed to bleed to death. Emergency

services will be contacted and they will hurry to the scene, apply life-saving first aid and transport the victim to the A&E for further treatment. In Nigeria, the police van won’t have fuel or the hospital will be asking the victim for his mother’s maiden name. Is there any state, territory or council in Nigeria that has effective emergency services? For instance, is there an emergency number that Citizen Lagbaja can call if he is having a heart attack and an ambulance will show up within 10 minutes? This, in my opinion, is the kind of service that presidents, governors and council chairpersons should be boasting about — not the number of mansions and 4WDs they have acquired in office. Even if people manage to get Citizen Lagbaja to the hospital, they could be told there is no bed space. It is so commonplace. Any society that cannot show the value it attaches to human life through excellent emergency services should remain classified as “primitive”. Lamentations aside, what are we really doing to address these challenges? How can the police be more alive to their responsibilities by responding to emergency calls as well as investigating crimes? I have had quite a number of experiences with them and I know, with the benefit of confidential briefings, that indeed the force is not well funded in matters of logistics and investigation. An inspectorgeneral lamented to me years ago that the operations budget for the police across the federation was barely enough to take care of one state command. “We end up giving our officers vehicles without fuel,” he said. Guess how they make the money to fuel the vans. You guessed right.

In 2018, a 13-year-old girl was raped, repeatedly, by his father’s neighbour in Ogun state. As soon as it was brought to my attention, we got the paedophile and rapist arrested and he was transferred to Abeokuta. We started hearing rumours that the investigative officer was “behaving funny”. Very unlike me, I went on Twitter and tried to make a fuss. It turned out that we were being unfair to the police officer. He had actually been spending his own money to feed the suspect in detention and transport him to the court, but he couldn’t get a date for bail hearing. He openly complained about spending his own funds. That was what the girl’s family misconstrued as an attempt to

And Four Other Things…

ART OF THE DEAL

Have you heard the news? The United States has restored five-year visas to Ghana after the West African country agreed to accept deported immigrants. This was the deal President Donald Trump was looking for all along when he decided to restrict visas to single entry for a number of countries, including Nigeria. The usual suspects had set the social media on fire accusing President Bola Tinubu of reneging on the reciprocal five-year multiple entry visa that the US had with Nigeria. This accusation was not based on facts, some of us countered. Tinubu now has to decide if he wants to start accepting the deportees, like Ghana, in order to have the visa restriction removed. Choices.

ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE PIA

PIA is the financial implication of the altered relationship between the Federation and the national oil company. This has become very apparent to keen watchers of Federation’s revenue in the four years that the law has been in operation. Two things with significant revenue impact have happened in the relationship between the country and the company. One, the Federation Account stopped receiving transfers from the sale of Federation’s crude oil and gas. Federation’s

equity interests in joint venture assets were transferred to NNPCL as part of its working capital. In return, the company with a legion of loss-making subsidiaries is expected to pay 80% of its profits as dividends to the Federation and keep the remaining 20% for its operations. How anyone agreed to this arrangement remains a mystery. But it is also easy to picture the arguments proffered: NNPCL would take away from the Federation the burden of providing cash calls to fund

AGENDA SETTING

There is a renewed claim of an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria. Reeling out data, an American comedian, Bill Maher, said: “They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country.” Maher didn’t disclose the source of his statistics. US Senator Ted Cruz has now proposed a bill on this “Christian genocide”. I don’t know the game, but those amplifying the narrative know what they are doing. I also see this as good business for asylum seekers — just show up at Western embassies and claim your life is in danger because you are a Christian. It works for those who claim to be gay — or members of Yoruba Nation and IPOB. Agenda.

the JVs and would make ample money for the country if it is allowed to run as a business.

It is probable that the shining examples of Saudi Aramco, Equinor, PETRONAS and others would have been invoked as models. But I doubt if there was a proper modelling of how the dividend policy would impact Federation revenue in the short to medium terms or how it would compare with the revenue from the sale of Federation’s share of

kill the case.

I could cite more instances. A friend’s brother disappeared on a trip from Asaba to Abuja. We gave up trying to locate his whereabouts after we had spent a fortune on police investigations. I complained to a senior officer and he bluntly advised me: “Simon, you need to give them the funds they are asking for, otherwise they cannot proceed. To be honest, the funding is just not there.” How do we resolve a matter of this nature? We urgently need to improve security. We need to ensure police and other security agencies promptly respond to protect those in distress. They can’t be everywhere, but they should be able to respond to calls before it is too late. What is the use of showing up only after the deed has been done? I accept that emergency agencies are stretched, but they can do better.

How do we get all the hospitals to prioritise saving human lives above demanding down payment and BVN? How do we get them to urgently attend to accident and gun-shot victims? I know there is a law, but we have millions of Nigerian laws that are not — or cannot be — enforced. I don’t know how much thinking went into making the law. Solving the problem will require a thorough understanding of why many hospitals hesitate to take emergency patients. What are their fears? Are they legal or financial? What’s the solution? Sadly, if we say government should guarantee payment in case the patient dies, we may end up with ghost patients and “dead” ghosts. It still feels like a good option.

My condolences to the bereaved families and friends of Maduagwu and Barnabas. They represent the different spectrums of Nigerians who suffer similar fates stemming from our security challenges and poor emergency services. I always wish, from the depth of my heart, that Nigeria would become a country where we learn lessons, where tragedies of this nature would propel us to improve the way we do things. We cry, we curse, politicians order investigations, police promise to do and undo — until the next tragedy happens. We move on easily. Rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat. We can never turn the corner until we start attaching value to human lives. No Nigerian deserves to die in this manner.

NO COMMENT

Many Nigerians wined and dined on Monday when FIFA announced that it had punished South Africa for fielding an ineligible player in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match. The disciplinary committee ruled that Teboho Mokoena was ineligible against Lesotho. South Africa’s three points from the game were awarded to Lesotho, reducing Bafana Bafana’s haul of 17 points to 14. They have now dropped to second while Benin Republic is tops but on the same number of points. You know what? The Giants of Africa have only 11 points. We need to win our remaining two matches to be in contention. Could it be that we didn’t realise Benin is the real beneficiary of South Africa’s misfortune? Hmmm.

crude. For context, sale of Federation’s crude oil and gas, according to NEITI’s reports, accounted for more than 60% of Federation’s annual revenue from the oil and gas sector from 2015 to 2019, dusting Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) to a distant second. Net revenue from the sale of Federation’s crude in those pre-PIA years ranged from a low $10.93 billion in 2016 to a high of $19.71 billion in 2019.

Continued on page 62

A BOOST TO WAR AGAINST DRUGS...

SIMO N KOLAWOLE

For Sommie and the Unknown Nigerian

Ms Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu, ARISE news anchor, lawyer and model, leapt to her death on Monday — three months to her 30th birthday. She was trying to escape the savagery of a band of armed robbers that had invaded her Abuja residence. Per media accounts, they first shot the security guard named Barnabas. After robbing tenants on the first two floors, they headed for Maduagwu’s flat. In panic, she jumped down, getting badly injured but

still breathing. Policemen arrived after the robbery and reportedly said they could not

transport the victims to the hospital because they did not have fuel. For now, it seems the only emergency our police care about is “tinted glass permit”.

One way or the other, the victims were eventually taken to the hospital but it was a case of too little, too late. The more I read the story, the more depressing I find it. Where do we start? A contingent of robbers operating in Abuja without let or hindrance? Police arriving as late as possible and failing to convey the victims to the hospital as a matter of urgency?

The president directing police to investigate? Police promising to leave no stone unturned? Anyone familiar with the story of Nigeria will not find any of these things strange. They sound so familiar. Emergency responses in our dearly beloved country leave plenty to be desired. Dear God, when are we going to turn the corner?

Initial reports suggested that the hospital staff

Continued on page 63

On the Proposed Amendments to the PIA WAZIRI ADIO

So much has been written or said in the past few weeks about the proposed changes to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), even when the amendment bill is yet to be tabled before the parliament or unveiled to the public. Without a doubt, a review is in the offing. But so also is a well-oiled campaign to stop it. I do not agree with all the proposed amendments to the petroleum

law, but I think a wholesale condemnation of the intended review is totally wrongheaded. I think it is misleading to frame what is largely an attempt at re-ordering a troubled relationship between the Federation and its national oil company as a grave threat to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The government has not helped matters with the hushed manner in which it has gone about the review and how

it has surrendered the space to those against the amendments. The PIA, or any legislation for that matter, should not be imbued with the status of the Ten Commandments, handed down from above, timeless, flawless.

Passed and signed in 2021, after more than two decades in the making, the PIA is one of the most consequential legislations of the 4th Republic. It provided

TUNDE RAHMAN

an omnibus framework for the strategic oil and gas sector, improved clarity, enhanced competitiveness and strengthened oversight and transparency. The signing of the landmark law was widely applauded by individuals as disparate as sector investors and social activists. However, one of the rarely scrutinised parts of the

High Point of Nigeria’s Participation at UNGA 80

Amajor human foible is the tendency to pursue symbolism at the expense of substance. It is not a particularly Nigerian flaw. But the desperation that has characterised our politics, especially amongst the opposition, often makes it seem so.

An example is the criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s inability to

personally attend the recently-concluded 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80).

Meetings are memorable, not just for the faces present, but also for the things said. Those who take unnecessary umbrage should look for something else to do with their time.

The point should not be about the President’s presence or absence at the UNGA annual global event; it should

be about the content, the quality of the country’s national statement and the President’s message at that extraordinary gathering of world leaders.

Held under the theme, “Global Partnerships, Local Prosperity,” this year’s session of the United Nations provided a platform for Nigeria’s leaders to promote reforms, woo investors, and assert Africa’s place in global decision-making, international finance

and trade. Vice President Kashim Shettima led the Federal Government delegation to the talks. As he did last year at the behest of President Tinubu, the vice president was in his best elements as he delivered Nigeria’s national statement on Wednesday, September 24, on that global platform.