In a shocking twist of events, a prestigious luxury hotel recently welcomed a new VIP guest that has undoubtedly set the hospitality industry abuzz. Say hello to the hotel's uninvited but determined guest - the rat! While most hotels strive to attract high-profile celebrities and dignitaries, this fine establishment seems to have taken a rather unconventional approach to hospitality.

Gone are the days of red-carpet welcomes for Nollywood stars and royal, and political families; now, the hotel staff must be on their toes to ensure they offer the same level of luxury to their furry intruder. Will the rat demand a personalized welcome letter, a gourmet cheese platter, or perhaps a mini-bar stocked with only the finest morsels?

The rat's check-in experience was nothing short of spectacular, as it effortlessly outsmarted the hotel's security measures and navigated its way to the most exclusive suites. Evidently, this rat is a true connoisseur of luxury, seeking only the finest accommodations for its impromptu stay.

Guests are encouraged to remain vigilant during their visit, as the hotel's newest VIP guest has already managed to make itself comfortable in various corners of the property. Some guests have reported spotting the rat nonchalantly lounging by the poolside, seemingly basking in the sun as if it were the newest member of the hotel's "Rat-telier."

While the hotel management may have initially been taken aback by the rat's surprise appearance, they have quickly embraced the situation with humor and creativity. The hotel's marketing team, in a stroke of brilliance, has even developed a new slogan: "Experience luxury like never before, with our exclusive rat-telier guest!" 

In a surprising twist of fate, the rat seems to have become a symbol of the hotel's avant-garde approach to hospitality. Guests now eagerly share their rat sightings on social media, turning it into an unintentional marketing campaign that no PR team could have ever dreamed of.

For the culinary team, it's been an unprecedented challenge. The rat's preference for exquisite delicacies has elevated the hotel's gourmet offerings, as chefs compete to craft the perfect dish for their newfound connoisseur.

Yet, amidst the hilarity and unconventional charm of the rat in the hotel, there remains a glaring need to address the underlying issue. The management assures guests that pest control is diligently working to ensure that the rat is safely relocated to a more appropriate habitat. However, some guests seem reluctant to part with their newfound furry friend, claiming it has added an element of excitement and adventure to their stay.

As we bid adieu to the rat's brief but unforgettable stint at the luxury hotel, we are left with a poignant reminder that the hospitality industry is indeed unpredictable. Whether it's rolling out the red carpet for celebrities or welcoming unexpected VIP guests like our fine, furry friend, one thing remains certain - hotels continue to offer an extraordinary and unforgettable experience. After all, where else can you say you shared your stay with a rat-telier guest?

The story above is about us, all of us Nigerians. And this is it, in the last three weeks I have been everywhere, from Nairobi to Burkina Faso and then Abuja. On getting home, and needing to stop in Abuja for a function, I was put in a four-star hotel in Abuja, first let me absolve the organisers of the program.

This was the first time in almost three decades of hotel life that I saw a rat in a top hotel, I saw it in the lobby of the rooms. Another colleague experienced the rat's brief but unforgettable stint in his room. The rooms were damp, they served complimentary room tea at 4PM, the towels were neither white nor brown.

This experience got me thinking, most of our problems are simply a case of a nation that its citizens have refused to take responsibility, a handful of us rather than change hotels, where okay, giving several reasons. An overwhelming number of Nigerians are more interested in going to heaven than making their country a better place. Indeed, many would burn Nigeria down to the ground just because they believe it will facilitate them going to heaven.

If this hotel was run by either of the two major faiths, they would have known a thing or two about cleanliness being next to godliness. We are too passionate about their religious faiths, but do not follow it one bit.

For Nigeria to grow, institutions must work, whether private or public, we must start to ask our local council or ward councillors what they are doing, we must get governance at the local government level or forget it. On the other hand, erroneously, Nigerians believe that the federal, state and local governments have the capacity to solve all of society’s socio-economic woes. I am sure we would blame the rats’ presence on the government.

While some of us complained about how bad the entire episode in the hotel had become, including giving participants food made with bad vegetables such that half of those in the hotel had issues with their tummy. Many still found time to get a bottle or two, Nigerians love parties, ceremonies that should be contributed to cooperative societies to create jobs

This hotel was big, it was massive, making me reflect on our misguided orientation has led us to believe that how much material wealth you have is a measure of your worth. I am sure the sheer size of the facility and all the paparazzi gave the impression that all was well. Indeed, the giant of Abuja, or is it the giant of Nigeria, with rats everywhere. Probably most destructive of all is the fact that we love high-end products, yet produce none of these goods ourselves.  As a people, we are shamelessly happy to import all our consumer goods. Like rats that we are!

Everything is wrong with us; we think that public transport is for the poor. Gustavo Petro once said: “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation. I looked at the below par Keffi, Akwanga roads, the Chinese road is already being depressed by use. We have not managed to get one thing right…

The reason why is that we are stealing the irons on the railroad on the Kaduna axis, and doing the same at the new Niger Bridge. Rats everywhere!

The hotel like Nigerians do not want to take responsibility for their action or inaction. They blame everyone else but themselves. They do not believe that they should take the lead in making the country a better place. We believe in begging. We beg and beg and beg other people to take responsibility that is purely theirs.

May Nigeria Win

The Nigeria national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have emerged champions of Africa again following their thrilling 84-74 win over Senegal in the final of the 2023 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournament.

Saturday’s victory by D’Tigress is historic as the Nigerian Ladies have become only the second team ever after Senegal to win four consecutive titles.

After waiting for 12 solid years with no title to show for their efforts, D’Tigress ended the drought as they were crowned champions in 2017.

The team then followed up with victories in 2019, 2021 and now 2023 in amazing fashion.

Truly, not many gave this set of D’Tigress a chance going into this tournament as the team is largely made of ‘rookies’ except for one or two experienced players.

However, right from their first game against Congo DR, the coach Rena Wakama tutored side have continually shut down critics

After blowing away hosts Rwanda in the semi-final, D’Tigress had sent a message they are going for the top prize and that was what they did in Saturday’s final at the BK Arena in Kigali.

Bright start

Amy Okonkwo set the tone for D’Tigress in Saturday’s final getting the team the first two points in the first quarter.

D’Tigress controlled the first quarter winning it 19-10 and still had the upper hand in the second quarter though the margin was narrower; winning it 24-21.

With a 43-31 point lead at half time, D’Tigress were halfway through to achieving their target.

But as one would expect, the Senegalese Ladies came fighting back after half time and they indeed won the third quarter; 26-19 to reduce Nigeria’s lead going into the final quarter to just five points.

Happy ending

With all to play for in the last quarter, D’Tigress stepped up their game when it mattered most and they were able to fend off the stiff challenge from the Senegalese ladies.

D’Tigress won the nervy last quarter 22-17 and effectively won the game 84-74.

Interestingly, the coach of D’Tigress, Wakama is the first female coach to win the Afrobasket title and with her in charge, many believe there is room to dream of bigger things in the days ahead; especially with the Olympic qualifiers around the corner.

[Premium Times]

Oyo governor, Seyi Makinde, on Saturday, announced the short-term plans of the administration to mitigate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on residents of the state, saying that his administration will continue to put the interest of the people first.

The governor, who gave this indication in a state-wide broadcast, maintained that food security, transportation and the sectors are among the immediate areas being targeted by the government to alleviate the economic difficulties facing residents of the State.

This was as the governor directed civil servants to resume their duty posts on Monday, as his government will pay the two months’ deductions owed the workers with their August salary, while it will also explore further options on dialogue.

He noted that the government remained open to parleying with labour to ensure that the rights of the workers of Oyo State are protected.

He encouraged the union leaders to return to the negotiating table to discuss any increases in salary or possible harmonisation of pension payments.

Governor Makinde had, earlier in June 2023, announced measures to cushion the hardship faced by the people following the removal of fuel subsidy, including increasing the number of Omituntun Buses on various routes in Ibadan, the state capital and reduction of fares for all residents, including senior citizens and students, who were to pay half prices.

The governor, on Saturday, however, stated that in line with his promise to do more, the administration has arrived at decisions, which will benefit a majority of the people in the state, while it continues to explore other measures.

He said: “I am addressing you today to share our short-term plans, which will play a huge role in alleviating the effects of the removal of fuel subsidies and the resultant economic difficulties being faced by our people. You will recall that on June 9, 2023, following the removal of fuel subsidy, we announced measures to be taken to cushion the effect of the removal.

“We gave directives that the number of Omituntun Buses on various routes in Ibadan should be increased and that commuters must pay a reduced fare on these buses. Additionally, our senior citizens and students should board the buses at half price. We have received feedback that this immediate action has benefited our people.

“We promised that more will be done. Our plan has always been to roll out sustainable actions in keeping with our promise of sustainable development under Omituntun 2.0. Having been in government for the first four years, we know it is easier to make promises than to keep them.

“After wide consultations, we have arrived at decisions that we believe will be of the most benefit to the good people of Oyo State. In reaching these decisions, we considered the importance of using these economic packages to stimulate our economy and bring about sustainable development.”

The governor, who maintained that the short-term plans tagged the Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) will target the poorest of the poor and the vulnerable and ensure a softer landing for them, said the action plans would also ease the burden of transportation for all residents and the civil servants and also address the challenges of food security.

He stated that under the SAfEr package, agropreneurs trained under the Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Project (YEAP), who have established agribusinesses will receive enterprise support of five hundred million naira (N500,000,000), while small businesses will benefit from low-interest-rate loans with the provision of five hundred million naira (N500,000,000) facility.

He added that the state government is already updating its social register to capture 200,000 of the poorest of the poor, who will be provided with food relief packages and that 100,000 health insurance packages will be rolled out for the vulnerable in the society.

According to the governor, the services of the Omituntun Mass Transit Buses will be extended to cover inter-city routes across all the five zones of the state and more Buses will be provided for the transportation of civil servants in the state.

“Let me now share details of our SAfER package. Following the pattern of our actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are updating our social register to include two hundred thousand (200,000) of the poorest of the poor. These will be provided with immediate food relief packages. As usual, we will ensure transparency in the registration process so that only those who qualify will get this immediate relief.

“We will be providing health insurance for 100,000 of our most vulnerable citizens. We will be paying their one-year health insurance premium under the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) scheme so that they have access to quality healthcare without paying out of pocket.

“The Omituntun Bus service will be extended to cover inter-city routes from Ibadan to all other zones of Oyo State. Details of their routes will be released in the coming weeks. So, we will have buses going from Ibadan to Ibarapa, Ibadan to Ogbomoso, Ibadan to Oke-Ogun and Ibadan to Oyo. The fares will be kept at low rates, while our senior citizens and students will board the buses at half price.

“Our farmers have not been left out. To ensure food security, we will be distributing additional inputs to 10,000 farmers. This is in addition to the input support being provided under the World Bank-assisted OYS-CARES programme. Further details will be released through the relevant agencies in the coming weeks.

“Our youth agropreneurs who were trained under the Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Project (YEAP) and have established businesses will also have an opportunity to contribute to food security and sustainable development as they will receive enterprise support of five hundred million naira (N500,000,000) under the SAfER package. They will get further directives on how they will benefit from the relevant agencies.

“We have also resolved to assist small businesses to stay afloat through low-interest-rate loans with the provision of a five hundred million naira (N500,000,000) facility. Our traders, artisans and other small business operators can apply for these loans through designated micro-finance banks. Details of how they may enroll for and access these loans will be announced by the relevant agencies.

“Tertiary institution students in Oyo State will board the Omituntun Buses at half price upon showing their school identity card. We will also be meeting with the student leaders of tertiary institutions in Oyo to agree on further measures which will be added to the SAfER package for students,” he added.

Addressing the protest and blockage of entry points into the Secretariat, the governor stated that his government has been one of the states that are favourably committed to workers’ welfare since he assumed office in 2019, saying: “We have paid all civil servants’ salaries and pensions on or before the 25th of every month without fail. And since January 2020, we have paid the minimum wage and consequential adjustments to all cadres of civil servants every month without fail.

“Presently, the civil servants’ wage bill stands at N7.2 billion monthly. We have continued to pay this despite having a state revenue of just below N10 billion monthly. It is, therefore, clear to understand why any increase in salaries or pensions may not be possible at this time.”

He, however, announced that apart from the payment of the cooperatives deduction to be effected and paid with August salaries, the government will increase the number of buses made available for civil servants to commute to and from work from 9 to 12 so that more routes are covered to lessen the transportation burden of workers.

He further stated that the government will pay the health insurance premium for all pensioners under the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) scheme and that any pensioner who already made payment will be refunded.

He equally stated that the government will resume the monthly payment of gratuities to pensioners so as to continue to clear the backlog of gratuity payments inherited by his administration.

Worrying sociopolitical developments in the West coast of Africa have very understandably elicited subregional, continental and global concerns. Within the twinkle of an eye the gradual absorption of democratic governance consistent with contemporaneous global trends by countries in the subcontinent, has gone on the reverse gear. A week ago Nigeria’s Northern neighbours, the Republic of Niger, became the latest of nearly half a dozen countries in West Africa where substantive democratically elected governments has been displaced by military voyeurs. Assimi Goita a 42 year old Colonel in the Malian army most probably flagged off this disturbing routine when he sacked President Malick Diaw from office May 28, 2021. It was his second venture into coup plotting having earlier been appointed Vice President after participating in an earlier subversive endeavour on September 21, 2020.

Goita reportedly received military training in the United States, France and Germany. Goite and Guinea’s Mamady Doumbouya a 43 year-old army Colonel reportedly met during a training programme organised by the US army for West Africa’s “special forces commanders.” As though preplanned, Doumbouya like Goita led a coup d’etat on September 5, 2021 to unseat Alpha Conde as President of Guinea. Doumbouya is said to have cited former President of Ghana, John Jerry Rawlings in defending his action. Rawlings was first a coupist in his country before his transmutation into a democrat. He was reported to have once said: “If the people are crushed by the elite, it is up to the army to give the people their freedom.” While Alpha Conde remains incarcerated, Doumbouya has consolidated himself as “interim president” with a pledge to conduct elections in 2025. He is said to have committed not to participate in the 2025 elections by leaving the space for politicians.

Burkina Faso joined the league of West African countries sidestepping democracy when on January 24, 2022, the second term of former President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was ousted. Forty-two year old Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba who overthrew Kabore was himself taken out on September 30, 2022 by a younger army officer, 35 year old Ibrahim Traore, a Captain. He has promised to hold democratic elections in July 2024. As though in martial choreography military officers in Niger Republic led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, commander of the presidential guard on July 28, 2023, deposed President Mohammed Bazoum. The coupists cited escalating insecurity and economic stagnation as reasons for the takeover.

A common thread running through the lifeblood of all four countries presently in the grips of militarism in West Africa is that they are all former French colonies. In each instance they have very loudly denounced France which has been unanimously accused of the continuing underdevelopment of its former vassals. ECOWAS and the continental umbrella body of African nations, the African Union, (AU), has condemned the development unequivocally. ECOWAS under the leadership of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu rose from a meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja last weekend admonishing the coup plotters to reinstate the country’s constitution and Bazoum or face dire consequences which may include military intervention.

Nigeria which has always been a benefactor of many West African and African countries has disconnected electricity supply to Niger as part of punitive actions intended to inconvenience the putschists in Niamey. Instructively, Mali and Burkina Faso have already expressed willingness to take sides with Niger if ECOWAS practically rolls out the troops and tanks against their ally. Nigeria’s North Eastern neighbour Chad Republic in Central Africa remains under military governance. Mahatma Deby son of former President Idris Deby Itno succeeded his father following his death on the frontlines in April 2021. A coup plot has just been foiled in recent days in Sierra Leone. Senior military officers suspected of complicity in the attempted coup were arrested by the police. Such is the cobweb of military rulership steadily emasculating democracy in West Africa and the proximate Central Africa. Such is the dilemma of African leaders.

It remains nauseous that the gains of hard-fought democracy in many West African countries is suddenly being threatened by a new generation of putschists. It is upsetting too the manner the trend is gaining traction and spreading like wild fire. While it remains necessary to talk tough and contemplate sanctions, outright military intervention in Niger or any country for that matter is ill-advised at a time like this. Any plausible military intervention by ECOWAS will predictably be led by Nigeria. The country will contribute the bulk of the fighting forces, the arms, armaments and resources to fund the operation. Indeed Nigeria continues to bear the burden of funding ECOWAS and ensuring the functioning of the body.

Truth must be told, Nigeria’s circumstances today are different from what they were in 1990 when it pioneered the ECOMOG initiative. The country has been fighting insurgency, banditry and sundry bloodletting in various parts of its landmass in the last decade. This has stretched the capacities of the military, bred the killings of our fighting forces and impacted Nigeria’s fiscal capabilities. The immediate past administration in particular pathetically mismanaged the country’s sociocultural sensitivities such that the Nigeria of 1990 is light years away from what we have today. Our compatriots in the past reasoned first and foremost as Nigerians before remembering their ethnic origins. Whether they were Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Nupe, Gwari, Bini, Tiv and so on, was secondary.

Under the recently recessed administration of Muhammadu Buhari, however, the Nigerian psyche was viciously re-calibrated to think and act along basal ethnic and religious lines. Nigeria’s military today unfortunately is bereft of the quality of officers and soldiers with half the commitment and fervour of the generation which enforced peace and enthroned democracy across West Africa in the 1990s. Memories of that era of the Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaros, Rufus Modupe Kupolatis, John Shagayas, Ishaya Bakuts, Adetunji Olurins, John Mark Iniengers, Samuel Victor Leonard Malus, Timothy Shelpidis, cascade down the mind at a time like this. The needed undiluted professionalism, unwavering patriotism, intra-service cohesion and inter-service collaboration for international engagement are equally absent. One hopes to yet write specifically about Malu who was my favourite of the lot.

Nigeria’s military as it stands today requires holistic, sustained and conscientious rebuild. The funding of military intervention by Nigeria anywhere outside our borders now must be thoroughly thought through. Nigeria’s debt burden is ever on the rise and said to be in the region of N80 Trillion. The country continues to service hanging debts and to borrow from multilateral institutions ostensibly to reflate and steady the economy. This is just as inflation, hunger and poverty pervades the land. To be sure these preceding months of the incumbent regime have been hard and dreary for Nigerians. Not too many of our compatriots will endorse the wholesale wastage of our resources in the name of playing “Big Brother” somewhere simply for the bragging rights. This is the time to think creatively about how to rescue Nigeria from the brinks.

In recent days, Tinubu who is both Nigeria’s President and Chairman of ECOWAS has been tinkering with options for the resolution of the Nigerien impasse. He has constituted two delegations to engage with the coup leaders and their allies respectively. Nigeria’s last military Head of State before the dawn of the Fourth Republic in 1999, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar III, also an army General before his installation to the position, have commenced talks in Niamey with the dissidents. Renowned diplomat Baba Gana Kingibe is leading a second team to Libya and Algeria both neighbours to Niger to seek their cooperation in the resolution of the impasse. Nipping the festering coup bug in the bud is crucial to political stability of the West Coast.

The sociopolitical stasis in Niger Republic constitutes a primary litmus test of Tinubu’s leadership strengths and foreign relations capabilities. Policy somersaults have characterised his early pronouncements which betray lack of preparedness for the position he presently occupies. This could be antithetical to decision making in the very dynamic world we live in. Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Niamey bearing placards with a collage of Tinubu’s images,
denouncing him and labelling him an “illegitimate President.” On Thursday August 3, 2023, there was a new twist to the simmering cauldron in Niger Republic, irrespective of the visit of the high-powered delegation from the Nigerian government to that country. Its junta announced the immediate severance of diplomatic ties with four countries namely Nigeria, Togo, France and the United States of America. Amadou Abdramane spokesperson for the dissidents announced this in a national broadcast and was quoted by Radio France International. This is the newest distension to the Nigerien crisis which will task Nigeria, ECOWAS and the world at large, anew.

Olusunle, PhD, poet, journalist, scholar and author is a Member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE)

The Management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has debunked reports alleging that Corps Members would be deployed to Niger Republic by the Federal Government of Nigeria to fight a war for the restoration of democracy in the troubled country.

NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, who stated this in a press statement on Saturday, described the news as fake.

He urged the general public, especially Corps Members, prospective Corps Members and their parents to disregard the report credited skit makers and content creators, which she said borders on criminality in its entirety.

The statement reads; “The attention of NYSC Management has been drawn to a video circulating on the social media alleging that Corps Members would be deployed to Niger Republic by the Federal Government to fight a war for the restoration of democracy in the country.

“Management wishes to state that there is no iota of truth in the story fabricated by the purveyor, a skit and content creator, purposed to drive traffic to his platform.

“The general public, especially Corps Members, prospective Corps Members and their parents should disregard the story which borders on criminality in its entirety.

“Content and skit makers are strongly advised to desist from spreading false information capable of subverting the peace of the nation.

“Law Enforcement Agencies will stop at nothing to bring the purveyors of the story to justice,” it added.

“A democracy cannot thrive where power remains unchecked and justice is reserved for a select few. Ignoring these cries and failing to respond to this movement is simply not an option — for peace cannot exist where justice is not served.”
— John Lewis, on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act…

I would like to write about the significance of what is happening to the original inhabitants of Abuja after 47 years of a complicated relationship with the government and the people who grabbed their land and other related sovereign rights. It is time to deconstruct how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, just guaranteed peace and security for residents of Abuja, by serving justice that the indigenes of Abuja got through a Court of Appeal since 2018. Former President Muhammadu Buhari denied them joy as he refused to obey the judgment since January 2018.

This is marvelous in the eyes of all those who are either original inhabitants or their friends, and researchers on Abuja. And so here is the thing, the “Artful Dodger” Tinubu just conquered the organic Abuja that most residents and Nigerians didn’t know.
I had wanted to comment on the whereabouts of the opposition figures amidst the lack-lustre exercise inside the Senate in the name of screening of ministerial nominees without portfolios. I would have loved to write on the controversies surrounding the return and demonisation of coup de tat on the West Coast within the construct of poor governance and corruption of democratic tenets in West Africa.

It is also germane to write on the alleged avoidable death of a physician where an elevator was an agent of death in a Lagos public hospital. I also wanted to comment on a presidential tragic error, which led to the appointment of an Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) who left office six years ago, as the investigator to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and related institutions. I wanted to deconstruct the quality of the presidential bureaucracy that didn’t know that the special investigator-designate that the president appointed is now a private person, six years after he left office in controversial circumstances.

Behold, there is a development that I consider more significant this weekend about the capital of the federation, Abuja. The significant development in Abuja is about the nomination of an original inhabitant of Abuja as a ministerial nominee for the first time in its 47 years of existence. An (organic) indigene of Abuja who was Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council and former member of the House of Representatives (2011-2019) Zephaniah Jissalo, was last Friday screened to be a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For the record, he wasn’t screened to be Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

He was screened to be a member of the Executive Council of the Federation. That is the provision of the law established in 2018 by a Court of Appeal in Abuja. But this development did not come on a platter of gold for the original natives of Abuja who have had to endure injustice and indignity since 1976. This is where the law can once again, be recognised as a weapon for social justice and peacebuilding. And for those who don’t understand the history of the struggle that I have written extensively about here, the credit of the justice just served should go to the late Musa, Baba-Panya, a lawyer and an indigene who died on March 21, 2023, in Abuja.

‘O death, where really is thy sting?’ Musa should have waited till August 2023. He fought this cause all alone from the High Court in Abuja, where he lost in 2016, and pursued it to the Court of Appeal in 2018 when he got victory through a declarative judgment that an Abuja indigene should be included in the federal cabinet because Abuja should be treated as Nigeria’s 37th State. But incredible as it may sound, despite even a Senate resolution in 2019, that the then President Muhammadu Buhari should obey the Court of Appeal Order by including a native of Abuja in his second term cabinet, he (Buhari) and his attorney-general disobeyed the 2018 (declarative) judgment of the court, which they never appealed.

Justice is one of the most important ideals in our society. It’s what we strive for to create a fair and equitable world. That is what we should be celebrating at this time for the original inhabitants and residents of the capital of the federation. As I was saying in the tribute that I wrote on the iconic Musa Baba-Panya, on March 26, 2023, as a young lawyer and activist, Musa must have read long ago the musings of John Lewis in his classic: Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America, in which he (Lewis) noted the words on marble below on the power of resilience in liberation struggle.

“Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.”

As I was saying, after 42 years of an unfruitful relationship with federal authorities that grabbed their land to build a capital for the nation, Abuja’s original inhabitants on Monday, January 15, 2018 got some significant justice that has changed their national profile forever. It was puzzling at the time that most news media organs were unaware of the ruling on the status of Abuja’s original inhabitants that had some jurisprudential significance. Again, I reiterate that that story was one that even most judicial reporters either curiously missed or did not consider newsworthy at the time.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on that quiet Monday declared in a landmark judgment that indigenous inhabitants of Abuja are indeed entitled to a ministerial representation in the Federal Executive Council as provided by the combined provisions of Sections 147 (3), 299, 14 (3) and 42 of 1999 Constitution. The court also declared on that day that persistent denial and refusal of past and current presidents to so appoint an indigene of FCT Abuja as a minister in the federal executive council (FEC) since May 1999 was “tantamount to a gross violation of the said constitutional right against discrimination.” Accordingly, the court directed the president to immediately make the said appointment. N100,000 was awarded against the President and the attorney general of the federation as the first and second respondents.

I wrote here then: ‘While congratulating the original inhabitants, it is also important to implore President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the judicial decision without delay. This is in the interest of peace and stability of the permanent capital of the federation…’

The battle for that Monday’s judicial recognition and victory has been a long-drawn one. The natives have been agitating for political recognition and other rights since the creation of the capital on February 3, 1976. Even the 1999 constitution has long been identified as unfair to the indigenes of Abuja who have no other state of the federation to claim. Section 299 of the Constitution provides the ambiguity successive governments have been exploiting to cheat the people. They have political representation at the level of civil service up to the office of the permanent secretary, National Population, among others, but specifically, representation at the cabinet level has been a huge challenge despite peaceful agitations. For instance, in October 2015, when the Buhari administration was concluding cabinet-making, the Abuja indigenes protested for their right to nominate their representatives too. But as usual, Buhari ignored them.

Specifically, yours sincerely had in the last three decades written more than 40 articles on the plight of the original inhabitants of Abuja, especially within the context of the ambiguous provisions in various extant laws on the Federal Territory that have always discriminated against them. What is worse, the Federation Capital has no democratic institution beyond its only six (local) Area Councils. No State Legislature as the Constitution makes the National Assembly the Assembly for the Natives. The Senate is made up of three Senators from each of the 36 States of the Federation. But Abuja has only one Senate slot.

National Assembly (NASS)

The House of Representatives of 360 members have only two representatives from Abuja’s (two federal constituencies). Besides, the Constitution, which makes the President and the Vice President their Governor and Deputy Governors respectively, enables the same president, (their governor) to nominate a minister to represent the FCT in the federal cabinet. But the President, their governor is not mandated to name a representative from among the natives. This has been the tragedy of the ambiguity of the controversial Section 299, which has been the main issue for the natives of Abuja. The section states specifically that, “Abuja should be treated as if it were one of the states of the federation…” That was the main provision in the nation’s organic law the natives approached various courts to interpret.

The main and final victory over this darkness came so clearly on January 15, (2018) when the Abuja Court of Appeal ruled so unanimously that Abuja should indeed be treated as one of the states of the federation. This massive victory came as a thief in the night and the news media “comprehended it not” for recognition as a prominent news item for the front pages and prime time. What is more, the jurisprudential significance of the court victory of the late Bab-Panya was widely used and cited by the three major presidential candidates who just concluded their submissions on ‘Abuja and 25% puzzle’ at the 2023 Presidential Election Tribunal.

And so as we celebrate the choice of the young Jissalo as the first indigene Abuja, to be a member of the federal cabinet, we should remember to encourage the President, and the residents of Abuja to appreciate and honour the late Musa Baba-Panya whose legal legwork led to justice Jissalo has benefited from. Besides, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), and the Abuja indigenes should always remember that the late Baba-Panya (who flew away at 54) left a widow and a daughter in Abuja.

They shouldn’t be forgotten in our conventional prayers here that God will always remember them. I also hope that readers and public affairs analysts too will always remember that if ‘The Guardian’s ‘Inside Stuff’ column hadn’t contextually reported the January 15, 2018 judgment, which set off consistent reminders up and until May this year, there would have been judgment unreported and justice ‘denied’ for Abuja indigenes. And so even President Tinubu would not have found any steam to take out of the glory that Buhari would have celebrated. And there would not have been a Jissalo to be screened by the Senate. So, may God help us to know the powerful benefits even social justice can give us!