Godswill Njoku (Dr Will), CEO of HOSPIYOU which Launches Global Operations 22^nd February ,2025 said in a meeting, “I Grew up in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, it is one of those unique cities in Africa, even though it was also plagued with its version of crime and poverty, if u were the smartest there then you’re most likely the smartest in the world because trust me like almost every City in Africa it is a very tough place to survive and Nigerians are very industrious people, when you walk down the streets you’d practically find everyone going about their business.”

In 2017, When Godswill (Dr Will) was 17 years old he attended the Einstein Science. Challenge Competition of Over 10,000 Students from the best schools in Nigeria and he emerged 1st Position and was named YOUNG EINSTEIN 2017.

Godswill Njoku (Dr Will) With The Former Deputy Governor of Rivers State and principal of NDSS

Also in 2016 , he Attended the Annual Nigerian national Olympiads and won 2nd position in Biology.

Also graduated high school as the best graduating student in 2017 from NDSS Niger Delta Science School , PortHarcourt, Nigeria, West Africa.

He Got admission to Study medicine at the Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria at the age of 17, “So I left Nigeria to pursue this dream of studying medicine and becoming a doctor, At that point I was trying to see if I could learn a Skill that would make me some money to sustain me in medical school and at the same time enable me still have enough time left to study my medical books and attend classes.

So that took me into researching and trying out many businesses like I once did an AIRBNB business, as well as hosting jobs, I tried out modelling and made some money from it and I spent over 4years acquiring numerous skills like AI use/applications in health care, Health technology, medical history testing, Machine Learning in Healthcare, business management, financial management, flying Helicopters, Leadership Skills, communication skills, video editing and many more from Udemy, LinkedIn, youtube. I took lots of courses, I studied for 8hours compulsorily everyday for over 5years.

Godswill Njoku (Dr Will) at the library studying

Studying and practicing Medicine and spending time in several hospitals in Africa and Europe with patients has opened me up over the years to the direct challenges people and patients face when it comes to them receiving proper Healthcare services. I discovered that the adoption of Technology in Healthcare especially in Africa would solve most of our healthcare challenges.

I started with the development of the HospiYou app because I had received so many complaints from people and patients about the numerous number of problems they face when it comes to their health care and I lost my best friend due to the poor health care system in Nigeria, Africa.

He wasn’t attended to in a timely manner and he ended losing his life, he was ill and then went to the hospital, from what I was told when my best friend Got to the hospital he was asked to sit down and he sat down there for almost an hour without his basic medical data even taken, then when he was finally asked to stand up he slumped and died, it was an extremely painful and sad experience genuinely hearing that this happened to my best friend whom was there for me while I was taking exams to leave Nigeria and go study medicine in Europe And I thought of no better way to fix this problems than through merging Artificial Intelligence , technology with Medicine and healthcare

My friend, Favour Chima whom died due to a failed health care system in Nigeria played a huge role in my life, he was there for me when I was doing my A-levels at Enugu State University Of Science and Technology and that was the loneliest / most depressing point in my life ever because I was trying to get admission to study medicine outside of Nigeria. He always cooked and cleaned, when I came back from school we usually go to play football or fetch water from the stream in Enugu, Nigeria back then. We squatted with my cousin in the same bedroom,1 room apartment for about 8Months until I finally left Nigeria to chase my dreams of becoming a doctor.

Godswill Njoku(Dr Will) and his late best friend Chima Favour

Building HospiYou was not an easy process, mostly on the financial end because I had to use the little money I was making from doing other jobs to fund this project and at some point I owed two months of house rent in Europe because this Global Project needed too much finance to Build it, it was a painful and joyous experience, it was at the same time my 2 uncles that live in Switzerland and UK who were sending me stipends to ease my medical school training gave me an ultimatum to either stop the app or they’d stop sending me money because they thought I was using my feeding money to build the app which sounded so ignorant, so they finally stopped sending me stipends and then I had to start washing cars and go homeless to keep up the development of Hospiyou’s app, I was sleeping under the cold, walking the streets and not knowing where the next meal would come from, painful because I had also reached out to venture capitalists investment firms and some individuals during the idea stage of HospiYou to help fund me with some money to help me and my team build this Hospiyou App and get it to market but a few declined and most just said I should come back when the product is already on the market, it was painful that they couldn’t see my vision like I saw it , it was painful that they didn’t believe in my vision to revolutionize the Global and African health/medical landscape by merging technology and artificial intelligence.

Well , Joyous because even while building the app in very uncomfortable conditions I knew my Why? I didn’t want anyone to feel the pain of losing their lives or the lives of their loved ones due to the poor healthcare system in Africa, That was my motivation. The Building condition was so bad that I’d have to send the CTO Akomas Ifeanyi and other developers money to buy fuel and data so that they can code the Hospiyou app, even the CTO sometimes used his own feeding money to buy data and fuel just to be able to code at night. If there was one thing we all shared to make the building of the Hospiyou app a success it was the fact that we all had a passion for a better Global Healthcare system and this was our own way of making a Change.

Hospiyou,inc is a health technology company focused on building products and medical devices that would be making Quality Healthcare affordable and Super Assessible to everyone from anywhere and at any time, Hospiyou,inc recently released it’s First medical products an AI Powered Telemedical Application that enables patients and users take AI diagnostic tests from the comfort of their homes and enables them have Remote consultations (Video calls, Voice Calls, Chat system) with medical professionals from across the Globe. With many more unique features like MOBILE PHARMACY, INHOME NURSING CARE SERVICES, AMBULANCE SAAS SYSTEM AS A SERVICE, MEDICAL ROBOTS, WEARABLES, HOSPIYOU FOR MEDICAL FACILITIES etc.

Hospiyou,inc which is officially Incorporated in Delaware, USA  aswell as registered in Nigeria, also has an office in Bulgaria and with the Hospiyou app visible and in over 170+ countries.

Godswill Njoku(Dr Will) at Sveta Marina Hospital,Bulgaria, Europe with a colleague 

The impact HospiYou would have especially on the Health Care System in Africa and future diseases cure research and other technological advancements that it has envisioned would be monumental . HospiYou which was cofounded by Godswill Njoku(Dr Will) and Akomas ??????? , happened when Godswill Njoku finalised on the concept/idea and reached out to Akomas Ifeanyi who was his classmate in high school, NDSS  Port Harcourt, and who is now a Software Engineer. So Akomas Ifeanyi loved the idea. And Godswill Njoku also reached out to Birthright Ntuk who is a  Senior Product Designer at HospiYou aswell as Philip Ogbeye who attended Einstein  Science challenge with Godswill Njoku(Dr Will) and was 2nd Runner Up. And subsequently a plethora of amazingly smart and Humanity driven people joined in the vision of HospiYou to make health care accessible to anyone from anywhere and at anytime.

Godswill Njoku (Dr Will) CEO AND COFOUNDER OF HOSPIYOU with Akomas Ifeanyi CTO AND COFOUNDER OF HOSPIYOU 

[DailyTrust]

Argentina star Giovani Lo Celso has reacted to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent claims about being more complete than Lionel Messi.

According to Celso, Messi needs no further explanation as he is the best in the world.

The debate on who is the greatest player ever between Messi and Ronaldo is arguably the most popular in football history.

While a section of football lovers believe that Messi is the ‘GOAT’, greatest of all time, others see Ronaldo as the best football has ever known.

This debate has been going on for over 16 years now even after both players left Europe for Asia and America, respectively.

Ronaldo recently declared himself the most complete footballer of all time.

He said: “I’m the best player in football history. I am the greatest scorer in history. I am the most complete player who has ever existed….”

In a recent interview, as quoted by All About Argentina, Lo Celso was asked to share his thoughts on Ronaldo’s statement.

“No, the answer is clear who it is… There’s no need to explain it,” he replied.

Lo Celso and Messi have played together 41 times for Argentina and have combined to score five goals.

Lo Celso has played 61 games for the La Albiceleste, making 16 assists and scoring three goals.

[TheNation]

In spite of our crisis of nation-building, the people of Nigeria, a nation of over 400 multi ethnic nationalities have been described at different times as  ‘the happiest people on earth’. The scourge of our nation however remains the political elite notably from the dominant ethnic nationalities whose zero-sum struggle for power has kept us in a state of war since independence. Nigeria lost her innocence in the run up to independence as leaders of ethnic nationalities struggled to build a nation of their own within the greater Nigerian nation.

The battle became more intense after the 1959 election in which NCNC came first, AG second with the NPC a distant third. With the willing bride, the AG and his leaders anxiously waiting in Asaba to seal a pact with her NCNC suitor while the latter and its leaders were perfecting a pact with Ahmadu Bello and his NPC in Kaduna, an irreparable damage was done to trust, an important badge of honour in a democracy.

The intrigue and the battle were no less vicious with the misadventure of the military into politics in January 1966. After the elimination of their civilian benefactors, the misguided soldiers descended on themselves, killing the most talented of their men. Again, Thomas Aguiyi Ironsi, the commander-in-chief and Nwafor Orizu, the Senate President betrayed Nigeria by ceding power to the military as against swearing in the most senior surviving minister as acting prime minister as enshrined in the 1963 republican constitution.

It only got worse after the July 1966 vengeance coup accompanied by mindless, selective killing of military officers. With the swearing in of Gowon as military head of state in breach of its own rule while Brigadier Ogundipe, the most senior military officer fled to Britain following the refusal of northern foot soldiers to take order from him, Esprit de corps in the military was also destroyed.

In 1979, Obasanjo admitted betraying the nation when he self-conceitedly confessed favouring Shehu Shagari in that year’s presidential election. This was followed in 1993 by Babangida’s fraudulent ‘eight years of transition without end’ which resulted in the annulment of the 1993 election regarded as the most credible election in our nation’s history.  MKO Abiola, the winner died in detention, defending his mandate.

It only got worse in 1999 with state capture by anti-democratic forces as represented by Generals Obasanjo, David Mark, Useni, Dongoyaro etc. and their new breed politicians, the nation had fought and defeated.

The outcome of the 2007 presidential election supervised by Obasanjo was no less bizarre with President Yar’Adua, the beneficiary of the massively rigged 2007 election, not only denouncing the exercise but also setting up the Uwais Electoral Review Commission.

Nigerians had in 2015 massively voted for Muhammadu Buhari, the anti-corruption crusader believing he was the messiah Nigerians were waiting for. Tragically Nigeria had to go through eight years of Buhari’s misrule, incompetence and provincialism to realize they were swindled by Buhari’s promoters.

The frustration experienced by Nigerians probably accounted for the vicious attack on candidate Tinubu, the man who carried Buhari on his back across Nigeria despite his well-known anti-democratic credentials. Desperate major players thereafter freely deployed everything, including religion, ethnicity, political intrigue and outright lies as weapon of war. Institutions such as INEC and the Supreme Court, critical to the survival of our democratization process came under severe threat by desperate politicians who freely called for a military takeover of government.

The 2023 losers who have not behaved like democrats but like those driven by greed for power are today trying to change the narrative as the 2027 battle for the soul of Nigeria draws nearer.

During last week two-day conference themed, ‘Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity,’ organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, etc., in continuation of the battle, Kaduna’s ex-governor, Nasir El-Rufai, former VP Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State governor and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi called for a coalition to remove President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

This was followed by another close door meeting by El-Rufai and Atiku allies, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Abacha’s man Friday in the dark period of Nigerian history  and Otunba Segun Showunmi, Atiku’s former spokesman  with SDP to “review the state of opposition democratic engagement in Nigeria”, last Tuesday  in Abuja.

But Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna State, has taken a swipe at the trio of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, and former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi,  accusing them of  scheming to reclaim power not because they have the interests of Nigerians at heart, given their bad records while in government.

Of course, there is nothing anti-democratic in the opposition scheming to take over power in 2027. Our own problem however as indicated above is that our own political elite since independence have practiced democracy without democratic ethos which often finds expression in character and loyalty.

As Uba Sani observed, “Most of these politicians that came out and say they are coming as a coalition, “What did they do when they were in government? They were only fighting for power, not because they could do anything better”.

And since it will also appear most of us tend to suffer from collective amnesia, interrogating the past records of these new democratic crusaders while in office as suggested by Uba becomes imperative.

Let us start with Rotimi Amaechi. While applying to be president, Amaechi had said: “Fellow Nigerians, I stand before you today to declare my intention and submit my application to serve as your next president.  I have been in the political arena for 23 years. Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly (1999 to 2007), Governor of Rivers State, (2007 to 2015) and Minister of Transportation of Nigeria (2015 to 2022) I have served at every level of government – local, state, and federal. I have served both as a political appointee and an elected official.”

During the APC presidential primary election held in June 2022, Amaechi polled second position behind eventual winner, President Bola Tinubu with 316 delegate votes against Tinubu’s 1,271 votes. From then on, democracy-crusading Amaechi started his anti-party activities. He neither congratulated Tinubu over his resounding victory at the end of the primaries nor over his triumph in the presidential election. Amaechi, the sore loser did not publicly endorse his party’s flag bearer who despite his open hostility went on to win Rivers with the help of Governor Nyesom Wike.

The question then is, at what stage did Amaechi who is only out of government for two years and has now joined opposition PDP and El-Rufai to work towards removal of President Tinubu from government in 2027 discover  his fellow politicians ‘kill steal and maim’ to hold on to power? Was he speaking from experience since he was in government for over 23 years?

Loyalty and character, as indicated above, is democracy greatest badge of honour. Unfortunately Atiku is loyal to neither party leaders nor his party’s constitution. At the slightest sign of tempest, he abandons his party, moving from PDP to AC, through ACN to APC and back to PDP. His breach of his party’s rotation clause was responsible for the party’s loss in the 2023 election and the crisis currently rocking the party.

The testimonial by former President Obasanjo on former VP Atiku Abubakar is all that is needed to confirm if Atiku Abubakar has character deficit. Obasanjo went as far as saying God would punish him if ever he endorses Atiku Abubakar for presidency on the account of all he knows about him.

And as for El-Rufai, the National Assembly’s report on The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) which .was very critical of El-Rufai’s handling of the affairs of the organization places question mark on El Rufai’s character,

Obi, an opportunist, is Atiku Abubakar’s alter ego. Besides being tagged a ‘container economists’ on account of being importer of foreign manufactured goods all his life, Obi doesn’t appear to believe in anything. He is not even in control of his supporters, the ‘Obidients’, a euphemism for an unthinking mob.

Obi like Atiku is an opportunist. He had moved from APGA, the party that gave him its platform to serve as governor for eight years to PDP where he rose rapidly to become the party’s VP candidate for the 2019 election. Following Atiku Abubakar’s disruption of PDP constitution that favoured Obi’s emergence as PDP presidential candidate in 2023, Obi did not hesitate before pulling down PDP edifice to join Labour Party to contest the 2023 election. With the crisis currently rocking Labour Party and Obi’s endorsement of El-Rufai and Atiku Abubakar’s conspiracy to pull down Tinubu in 2027, many believe Obi is on his way back to PDP.

Our new warriors for democracy are democrats without democratic ethos.

The rate at which flattery is becoming an article of faith in Nigeria’s governance is alarming. At practically every turn, you hear or read about some flattery being showered on President Bola Tinubu, who is yet to spend two years in office as the helmsman of Nigeria.

Some people argue that this “Kabiyesi” syndrome, whereby excessive praise is bestowed on anyone who is in a position to dispense generous indulgencies, to especially undeserving individuals, is a vestige of the pre-colonial African political culture where kings had near-absolute power.

There is a (probably exaggerated) historical claim that Iku Baba Yeye, Alaafin Oyo of old, could emit phlegm into the waiting mouth of a slave who would feel privileged for such an “honour” as he gladly swallowed the unhygienic indignity and indecency.

As the shameless sycophancy accorded to everyone that has ruled Nigeria from the beginning of this troubled Fourth Republic signifies the near-limitless powers of the Nigerian President, no one would be surprised if the sycophants, who are dressing President Tinubu up in many colours of praises, twist the words of the “Hail Mary” to flatter him.

Imagine if they were to proclaim him as “President Tinubu, full of grace”, pray to him to bless them with the fruits of democracy, and may it please him to do unto them, wretched citizens, what he promised in his election manifestos, and that his grace will abide with them, his fawning followers, according to his pleasure.

They may then end everything with his signature anthem, “On your mandate, we shall stand, Bola.” It will be almost impossible for any human being not to fall for these cheap accolades, no matter how firm and disciplined he may consider himself to be.

On June 12, 2023, barely one year into office, some sycophants displayed a large portrait of the President at Eagle Square as Nigeria celebrated Democracy Day to mark the day of the presidential election presumed to have been won by Bashorun MKO Abiola, but which was cruelly annulled by the government of military President Ibrahim Babangida.

When some Nigerians expressed concern about the baby steps of a project to build a personality cult around President Tinubu, the puerile answer they got was that, well, it was just an enterprise to showcase the talent of some young artists.

Somehow, the sycophants did not realise that the image of Abiola, the acknowledged symbol of Nigeria’s democracy, would have been preferable on such an occasion and not that of President Tinubu, who was only one of those who worked for the actualisation of the June 12 presidential mandate.

The matter is getting to a head these days. After using the meagre funds of his state to remodel the Abubakar Imam International Airport, owned by the Federal Government, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, unilaterally renamed it Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport.

If observers who have been arguing that this gesture may well be an attempt to further the governor’s desire to transform the airport into a transportation hub are correct, those who also argue that it confirms claims that the dividends of democracy will go only to citizens who can genuflect the most to the President are also correct.

Interestingly, the President, who should protect federation assets from being appropriated by anyone, including state governors, did not utter a word against a brazen near appropriation of a federation asset by a sub-national government.

Even Lateef Fagbemi, with the double-barreled title of Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, offered nary a word. Maybe he did not think it was his business to draw the attention of the President, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, the custodian of the assets and investments of the Federal Government, to the unconstitutional action of the governor.

So, the sycophants got even bolder. After President Tinubu approved the establishment of a polytechnic in Gwarinpa, in the Federal Capital Territory, it was promptly named Bola Ahmed Tinubu Polytechnic. On the heels of that, the spanking new Bola Ahmed Tinubu Barracks was inaugurated by President Tinubu, also in Abuja.

Maybe the civil servants who initiate these things should not be blamed. They probably took their cues from the norm of bestowing the respective honorific titles of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger on Nigerians who won presidential and vice-presidential elections, even before they were sworn into office.

Strangely too, all it takes for a Chief Justice of Nigeria to receive the honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger is to be sworn into office by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Nothing more.

The initiators of these sycophancies may have also borrowed a leaf from traditional rulers, who bestow chieftaincy titles upon Nigerians whose only credential is the ability to pay the levies for the titles, which sometimes have next to no significance or meaning.

And regrettably, the dearth of funds in recent times has led many universities to “sell” honourary degrees in the manner of Papal Indulgences that Pope Leo X reportedly began to sell in 1517, to raise money for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Friar Joan Tetzel was said to have been the marketer of those Papal Indulgencies that were introduced to raise the volume of tithes paid to the church by the brethren. It took the principled opposition of German theologian and reformist, Martin Luther, to openly criticise that practice with his famous “95 Theses”.

So that things do not get even worse, and lest flattery become a substitute for the substance of governance in Nigeria, President Tinubu may have to have ask for reversal of these sycophantic assaults against his name and reputation.

Such a symbolic gesture by the President should go a long way to sanitise the polity and encourage other state actors to delay their psychological gratifications until when they get out of public office. Honours should not be bestowed on sitting presidents, only to be reversed by their successors.

Yakubu Gowon Street on Lagos Island reverted to its original name of Broad Street immediately after General Yakubu Gowon was replaced by General Murtala Muhammed after a bloodless coup. And the defiant people of Ibadan ignored the renaming of Ring Road as Ibrahim Babangida Way and continued to use its original name in defiance of the military governor, who allowed himself to be persuaded by civil servants to travel the high road of flattery.

President Tinubu should advise himself to let the people, through his successors, honour him after he had left office as President. If the honour of naming projects still came to him, his mother and wife after he had left office as Governor of Lagos State, the same might still happen after his tenure as President of Nigeria.

May he have the courage to reverse the premature honours and halt the creeping flattery, which regrettably started and reached a nauseating crescendo under the military that claimed to have come to set the example for good governance in Nigeria.

One just hopes that Aso Rock Presidential Villa will not suddenly have its name changed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Villa!

X:@lekansote1, lekansote.com

Since news broke last Thursday from the House of Representatives that Nigerian political elites are requesting for additional 31 states, the media has been buzzing with views of protagonists and antagonists. I was on Radio Now 95.3 FM, Lagos last Friday and Nigerian Television Authority last Monday to discuss the development. Of course, I am one of the antagonists of creation of additional states. I hope to marshal my reasons for taking this position in this commentary.

Premium Times on February 6, 2025, reported, “The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has received 31 state creation requests in the ongoing constitution amendment process. Deputy Speaker and Chairperson of the Committee, Ben Kalu, announced this on Thursday during the plenary session. Mr Kalu said the committee, in line with Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, will proceed with the process for requests that meet the constitutional threshold.”

According to the list, there are seven requests from North-Central. They are Okun, Okura and Confluence States in Kogi State; Benue Ala, Apa-Agba and Apa in Benue State; and Federal Capital Territory State. In the South-East, there are five requests: Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu and Aba States. Furthermore, there are four requests from the South-South region, comprising Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, and Ori and Obolo from Rivers State. In the South-West, there is Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos and Ogun States, Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke Ogun/Ife-Ijesha from Oyo, Ogun, and Osun States. In the North-West, the proposed states are New Kaduna and Gurara from Kaduna State; Tiga and Ari from Kano State and Kainji from Kebbi State. Meanwhile, there are Amana State from present-day Adamawa State; Katagum State from Bauchi State; Savannah State from Borno State and Muri State from Taraba State.

It is quite unfortunate that all the requests were made via memoranda or Private Member Bills, which are not in tandem with laid down constitutional guidelines. Section 8. (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says, “An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if – (a) a request supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new state) in each of the following, namely – (i) the Senate and the House of Representatives, (ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and (iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly.”

Subsection (b) says, “A proposal for the creation of the state is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the state originated; (c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the states of the federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and (d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.” Because the requests did not follow due process, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu said his constitution review committee had given a one-month extension (till March 5, 2025) to those who want to request state creation to perfect their submission. Suffice it to say that no state creation exercise has been successful under a civil rule due to the stringent conditions that have to be met.

Sincerely speaking, these demands are illogical, uneconomical, a mere distraction and not a priority. While the proponents for state creation hinged their requests on marginalisation and discrimination by the dominant ethnic groups and tribes in their present states, there is no guarantee that state creation is the antidote to this. If only there is strict adherence to the provisions of section 14 of the Nigerian Constitution, there would be no more cries of political or economic marginalisation. For instance, subsection one says, “The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a state based on the principles of democracy and social justice”. The question is, can we in good conscience say that there is social justice in Nigeria?

Section 14(2)(b) says, “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” Again, is there security and welfare from the government to the people of Nigeria? This, as we know, is in short supply. Thirdly, Subsections 3 and 4 of Section 14 of the Constitution talks about the need to observe the principles of federal character in the composition of government and its agencies both at the national and subnational level for the purpose of national unity and national loyalty. Unfortunately, we observe this principle in breach as well. That is why every tribe wants a fiefdom carved for it to preside over.

Have we also thought through the ripple effects of state creation at this time of our national life? Every state will produce its senators, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly members. Ministries, departments and agencies will also have to be established. Invariably, there will be an astronomic increase in the cost of governance. Furthermore, the cost of elections will increase exponentially as the Independent National Electoral Commission will also have to conduct elections into the new senatorial, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly constituencies. I even doubt if the constitutional alteration will be ready in good time for election preparedness of INEC for 2027, as the Electoral Act 2022 has mandated INEC to give notice of elections one year ahead of the polls.

Is it not curious that although research has shown that only about five out of the current 36 states and FCT can survive without federal allocation, we still deemed it fit to request for additional 31 states? Not a few Nigerians currently believe that, given the fact that many of the states are not viable, they should, therefore, be merged. It is, therefore, illogical to demand more states when the existing ones are wobbling and tottering!

Rather than embarking on a wild goose chase of balkanising the existing states, what should be our priority now is good governance. America, from where we copied the presidential system of government, has only 50 states despite having about 350 million population. It also has 100 senators (two per state) and has a total of 15 secretaries (equivalent to our ministers).

Currently, most states have a budget of 70 to 80 per cent recurrent and merely 20 to 30 per cent capital; how can such states develop? If we must alter the constitution, I will agree to the devolution of more powers from the exclusive to concurrent legislative lists. I also will support power rotation among the senatorial districts in the states and the six geopolitical zones at the national level. Truth be told, ordinary citizens of Nigeria are unfazed by the creation of political institutions. What is uppermost on their minds is how to fend for themselves and earn a decent living. State creation is a subterfuge for the powerful political elites to feather their own nest. It should be turned down by the people!

On Friday December 19, 2008, Prince Vincent Eze Ogbulafor (May 24, 1949- October 6, 2022) from Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State declared that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would rule Nigeria for the next 60 years. At the time he made the declaration, he was the fifth National Chairman of the party. Before him, the past Chairmen of the party were Chief Solomon Lar (1998-1999), Chief Barnabas Gemade (1999-2001), Chief Audu Ogbeh (2001-2005) and Colonel Ahmadu Ali (2005-2008).

Before his appointment as the Chairman of PDP, Chief Ogbulafor was the Minister of State on Economic Matters in the Presidency. The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, was then under him. His responsibilities as Minister of State were to formulate and issue economic intelligence guidelines for government projects, ensure monitoring of projects and progress relating to plan implementation and supervise the National Economic Intelligence Committee, NEIC.

In 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed other Ministers of State and placed them under The Presidency. They include Mr. Abayomi Edu (79) and Dr. Abimbola Ogunkelu, a consultant Physician and Cardiologist, from Ibowon, Epe in Lagos State, who is also a member of the Amala Group, a group of eminent journalists which meets monthly at Bunmi Sofola’s place in Surulere, Lagos.  

The schedules of these Ministers of State at that time were prepared by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette (1939- September 25, 2019), assisted by the then Director of Special Duties in the office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Dr. Goke Adegoroye (74) and approved by the President Obasanjo. 

There were Minister of State Economic Matters, Minister of State Special Project, Minister of State for Inter-Governmental Affairs, Minister of State, Cooperation and Integration in Africa, Minister of State, Civil Service matters and also Minister of State, Special Duties. Mr. Abayomi Edu was Minister of State, Special Duties. He is the son of the billionaire politician from Epe, Alhaji Shafi Lawal Edu (January 7, 1911 –  January 8, 2002) who was elected into the Western State House of Assembly in 1951. Mr. Abayomi Edu who now lives in America is expected home to celebrate his 80th birthday.

Mr. Abayomi Edu’s schedule and responsibilities at that time were to coordinate for the President: award of titles; National Honours and Decorations, (ii) Liaise, on behalf of the President, with the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, (iii) carry out any special duties assigned by the President. 

Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Kida was the Minister of State, Inter-Governmental Affairs in The Presidency. His schedule and responsibilities were to (i) formulate and implement policies and programmes geared towards enhancement of inter-governmental relations; (ii) Liaison between the Federal, State and Local Governments; (iii) Conduct desirable studies and collect intelligence information on Federal/State/Local Government relations and process to the Vice President; (iv) initiate follow-up actions to ensure that State and Local governments fulfil their respective statutory obligations; (v) Advise the Vice President on Boundary Commission Matters. 

Chief Abimbola Ogunkelu was Minister of State in The Presidency for Cooperation and Integration in Africa. His schedule and responsibilities were to (i) formulate policies and programmes on regional cooperation and integration in Africa; (ii) Strengthening of Intra-African economic cooperation; (iii) Foster relations with and coordinate ECOWAS matters; (iv) Coordination of matters relating to the Economic and Social Commission of the OAU; (v) Coordination and strengthening of matters relating to Joint Economic Commissions in Africa e.g. the African Common Market, the Economic Commission for Africa, ECA. 

The emergence of Prince Vincent Ogbulafor as the National Chairman of PDP was dramatic. He was brought to the PDP headquarters in 2001 after serving as a Minister of State.

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (August 16, 1951-  May 5, 2010) was eventually declared the winner of the 2007 general elections, held on April 21, and was sworn in on May 29, 2007, amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud. In the Nigerian National Assembly election, the party won 260 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives and 85 out of 109 seats in the Senate.

 At the PDP’s 2008 National Convention, the party chose Prince Vincent Ogbulafor as its National Chairman on March 8, 2008 held in Abuja. Chief Ogbulafor, who was the PDP’s National Secretary from 2001 to 2005, was the party’s consensus choice for the position of National Chairman, selected as an alternative to the rival candidate’s former Governor Sam Egwu and Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. All 26 candidates, including Dr Sam Egwu (70) from Ezzamgbo and Senator Pius Anyim (63) from Ishiagu, both in Ebonyi State, withdrew in favour of Ogbulafor. Meanwhile, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje was elected as National Secretary. 

When Prince Ogbulafor made that declaration in 2008 people believed that his boast could come true. He was on a solid ground at that time. 

Let’s look at the situation now. In the Senate, the All Progressive Congress, APC, has 58 seats, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has 37 seats; the Labour Party has seven seats; the New Nigeria People’s Party has two seats; the Social Democratic Party, two seats; the All Progressive Grand Alliance, one seat; and the Action Democratic Party, one seat. In the House of Representatives, the All Progressive Congress has 175 seats; PDP has 118 seats; Labour Party has 35 seats; New Nigeria People’s Party, 19 seats; All Progressives Grand Alliance, 5 seats; African Democratic Congress, two seats; Social Democartic Party, two seats and Young Progressives Party, one seat. 

To be concluded 

Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, has said he won’t opt for exile despite the many rumours that he might be arrested and tortured by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

El-Rufai, who had been locked in a battle of words with the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, said he won’t be intimidated by the current administration.

In a response to a post by an X user, Imran Wakili, on the alleged plot to arrest him, the former governor said he would return to Nigeria from Egypt before February 20, 2025.

He said: “I have been hearing these same rumours of arrest, detention and torture in some dungeon in the NSA’s office (where Emefiele was allegedly tortured to resign as CBN governor), since July 2024 when the so-called report of the Kaduna Assembly began circulating.

“They freaked out when we challenged the legality of the premeditated defamation and went to every length to compromise the judicial process, and this is continuing at the Court of Appeal.

“They have sent such similar messages of intimidation and threats through many of my friends, family and political associates because they want me to go on self-imposed exile. I will not.

“I have now put all my previous academic and language-learning plans on hold and will spend more time in Nigeria than ever before. Silence is no longer golden. Inaction has never been an option.

“The arrest, detention and torture of perceived political enemies are nothing new in human affairs. I have been arrested and detained thrice in the past for expressing my views of previous governments.

“There is always a morning after the arrest or detention or torture, and political life continues. As for death, it is when Allah destines it, and it is ultimately the date of every human.

“For the attention of the pathetic characters that don’t sleep well whenever I am in Nigeria, take notice that I intend to return in time for the launch of former President IBB’s memoirs, in sha Allah, scheduled for February 20.

“We depend on no one but Allah. We fear no mortal but Almighty Allah. We always hope for the best but plan for the worst.”

Recall that El-Rufai was one of the northern powerbrokers who insisted that the APC presidential ticket for the 2023 general elections be given to a southern candidate, in line with the unwritten principle of rotation of power between the southern and the northern regions in Nigeria.

This was after the eight-year tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, from the North-West geopolitical zone.
El-Rufai, who was Kaduna governor between May 2015 and May 2023, was vocal in his choice of ex-Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, as the flag bearer of the party in the last general elections.

The then Kaduna governor, alongside his northern colleagues, backed Tinubu against two other northern aspirants who were the then Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and ex-Jigawa State governor, Mohammed Badaru.
Tinubu later clinched the APC ticket and was elected Nigeria’s president during the February 2023 presidential poll.

However, El-Rufai fell out with the power brokers in the current government and was rejected by the Senate during the ministerial screening process.

The Senate cited security reasons from the Department of State Services, DSS, as one of the reasons for his rejection.

Since the August 2023 incident, El-Rufai has not been seen in a gathering of APC chieftains. The former governor has also not been seen around the Aso Villa, the seat of power, or near the president whom he vigorously campaigned for in the last poll.

[Vanguard]

The other day the government announcement the board appointments of forty-two government agencies and parastatals. Very good news it was for me, hoping that at last, my silent and open prayers must have been answered. I nearly reached for a magnifying glass incase my reading glasses were getting too weak to enable me read the press statement with understanding; alas, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) wasn’t on the list.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed board chairpersons for 42 federal organisations and a secretary to the board of the Civil Defence, Immigration, and Prisons Services.

“The President has also appointed a new managing director for the Nigerian Railway Corporation and a director general for the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI).

“President Tinubu directs the board chairpersons not to interfere with the management of the organisations, emphasising that their positions are not executive,” the statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), said in part. This was January 23, 2025.

Ironically, I wasn’t too disappointed. The President of any country is a very busy person. For the Nigerian President, the basket of worries is heavier because there are too many things he has to sort – poverty in the land, the purity of data from the National Bureau of Statistics about the rightness and wrongness of data – whether headline inflation is 34 percent and food inflation is 40 percent; insecurity and daily carnage on our roads, the inability of previous administrations to communicate effectively that Nigeria doesn’t really have enough money to provide all the infrastructure, including roads, and that it must work through Public Private Partnership (PPP) to deliver some services, that the energy sector remains a shame and can really not cater for the development needs of the people, and that life expectations in Nigeria will remain a mirage except all parties are able to come to the reality that the nation must move ahead on a clean slate without bitterness, mistrust and festering acrimonies. There are other sundry issues too numerous and troubling to be listed.

The Nigerian President has too many things to think about and board appointments, though an issue for the loyalists, may not be so compulsive as to serve as distraction or inordinate concern.

However, I want to reiterate my appeal that President Tinubu should appoint a Board for the NCC as a matter of urgency in order to put developmental expectations in the telecommunications sector on a seeming virtual accelerator. As we say in this part of the world, to move the industry forward but moving the industry forward might be too slow to deliver on the promises by this government which has a psychedelic commitment to a digital economy.

The Nigerian Communications Act 2003 does not envisage any day NCC will not have a Board, as it states very clearly that “the President shall ensure at all times there are a minimum of 6 serving Commissioners on the Board at any and all times, made up of – the Chief Executive, 2 Executive Commissioners and three non-executive Commissioners.

A fully composed Board, according to the Act, should consist of 9 Commissioners which include: a chairman, a chief executive who shall also be the Executive Vce Chairman, 2 Executive Commissioners, and 5 non-executive Commissioners, who shall be appointed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Those who are advocating for the Board to be constituted, including this writer, harbour the opinion that the diversity of background, experience and knowledge of the members may encourage fresh thinking, hopes, aspirations and fresh drive to the activities and programme implementation at the NCC.

Their expectations are anchored on a provision of the Act which states as follows: Commissioners shall be persons of recognised standing, qualification and experience in one or more of the following fields – finance or accounting; law; consumer affairs; telecommunications engineering; information technology; engineering generally; economics; and Public Administration.

The dream of having all these professionals in one board can be too tantalising to be real but it has happened before and can still happen again if the President picks well irrespective of party affiliations. Unfortunately, these professionals can quickly morph into the garb of politicians and begin a ruination of the system. That is what happened under the last administration which inflicted so extensive a damage on the Commission from which it is still struggling to recover.

But the President, in the statement, warned the newly appointed chairpersons and board members not to interfere with the management of the organisations. Same should be said of the NCC when the Board is constituted because of antecedents that are too ugly to always recall.

But some voices at the NCC are not in a hurry to forget yesterday. A particular source told this writer, “We pray not to have a transactional Board. The last Board was horrible. We want a chairman with capacity.”

All the same, a Board is needed to help the policy thrust of the Commission and facilitate good decision making. A Board that can take the Commission to the next level and bring various experiences to bear on its operations, according to another source.

At the moment, there are only three Commissioners, one of which is the Executive Vice Chairman ((EVC), and two Executive Commissioners, all from a part of the country, which strains a provision of the Act that states clearly that they must be drawn from the 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria subject to confirmation by the Senate.

I do not have the boldness to ever insinuate that the NCC is running in breach of the Act. My only appeal is that the President should constitute the Board and remove the Commission from a needless cul-de-sac and avoidable hermetic strictures.

I was a witness to that day. When the sun crimsoned, the wind roared, and the earth bled. It was the Nyanya bomb blast of April 2014. By cheer happenstance, I was within the area, though removed from the immediate theatre of the carnage. TheCable broke the unfortunate story. I was a staff member of the newspaper at the time.

The thundering blast ripped through the evening air. It was deafening and jarring. Fear and anxiety seized the busy Nyanya junction, which became gridlocked in a barbecue of human parts. Confusion simmered. Making sense of the situation instantly was a bit difficult. What had just happened? Could it be it? And yes, the fears were confirmed.

This experience survives in the recesses of my mind. The trauma never really leaves.

At the time and in subsequent years, Nigeria grappled with a number of security challenges – Boko Haram, kidnappers, bandits, terrorists, and the like. Swathes of territories were carved out by terrorists, the roads became gateways to hell, violent agitations tore at the very fabric of the nation, and school children became merchandise for criminals.

But over time, Nigeria’s security forces have been dutiful in pushing back the frontiers of terror. We must always thank and appreciate our security agencies. They are our last line of defence. They are awake while we are asleep – far removed from the warm embraces of their families to keep us safe.

President Bola Tinubu pledged to ensure the security of life and property, especially as security is a fundamental ingredient for attracting investments and fostering the growth and survival of businesses. The President has been absolutely faithful to his solemn pledge.

As Commander-in-Chief, President Tinubu is silencing the guns on the roads, returning confidence in road travels; he is restoring peace to farmlands, boosting agricultural productivity; removing threats even in forgotten places, and building a cohesive society where recourse over dispute among divergent groups is dialogue and not war-war.

It is important to underline the critical role of the Office of the National Security Adviser under Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as regards pre-emptive, kinetic, non-kinetic, and conciliatory approaches to a myriad of security concerns and potential concerns. There has been a clear demonstration of forward-thinking, innovation, adriotness, and professionalism in the coordination of security apparatuses.

It is not all blue skies as security is always in a flux. But we are not where we used to be. We have gone a leap forward. With the President’s bold and transformative leadership, the ambits of peace will continue to expand, and Nigeria shall continue to prosper.

Nwabufo is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement