The Special Adviser on Youths to the Kebbi State Governor, Babangida Sarki, has been sacked for allegedly posting inherent materials on his WhatsApp status.

Naija News gathered that the state governor, Nasiru Idris dismissed Sarki from his position for posting homosexual pornography on his WhatsApp status on Sunday.

The governor, in a statement issued by spokesman Ahmd Idris, said the act “trampled on the moral and social ethos of Kebbi society.”

The governor’s spokesman noted that Idris frowned at the act and would not tolerate it from anyone.

He said “The Executive Governor of Kebbi State, Dr. Nasiru Idris, Kauran Gwandu, has relieved his Special Adviser on Youths, of his appointment.

“The sacking of the S.A. was a sequel to an indecent posting he made on his WhatsApp status.

“The governor, who was enraged by the obnoxious development said the aide trampled on the moral and social ethos of the Kebbi society, which is largely Islamic.

“The Kauran Gwandu vowed that his administration would not condone any of such acts that denigrate the morality and integrity of the people of the state.

“The governor also cautioned other public officers against making such heinous postings in their social media handles and other public fora.”

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, faulted the salaries paid to members of the National Assembly.

The former president noted that the salaries received by the members were not based on the recommendations of the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission.

He lamented that most of those supposed to operationalise the Nigerian constitution were the ones undermining the country’s democracy.

Obasanjo said, “By the Nigerian Constitution, the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission are supposed to fix the salaries and emoluments of the members of the National Assembly, but they set the constitution aside and decided to fix their salaries”.

The former president spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, during a lecture titled, ‘The future of constitutional democracy in Nigeria: Imperative of a new constitutional order’ delivered by Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah.

It was part of activities marking the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the call to bar of the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN).

Obasanjo said citizens were meant to enjoy democracy, which he said could only be strengthened if the players respected and implemented the constitution to the letter.

He said, “Democracy doesn’t mean anything to any man who is hungry, whose life is in danger, or whose property is being destroyed.”

A joyful Afe Babalola (SAN), who expressed gratitude to the dignitaries on the occasion, friends and family members, reiterated that the 1999 constitution could not produce good governance in the country, because of its flaws which he said could only be remedied by coming up with a new constitution for the country.

Babalola made a case for better pay packages for the country’s judges, saying as it was at present, SANs could not be attracted to the bench with the poor remuneration of the judges.

Kukah had in his lecture made a case for men of integrity in the judiciary, particularly at the Supreme Court.

The bishop, who called on the Federal Government to avoid sentiments in the process of the country’s democratic journey, said upholding the provisions of democracy required selfless service which should not be sentimentally driven to foster development.

He frowned at leaders who limited development to their hometowns, saying, “This does not project democracy. This does not speak well of our democracy.

“Nigeria needs to grow democratically and developed politically. Every federal institution must reflect what Nigeria should reflect all over the country. The country should stop reinforcing inequality. There must be sanctions and consequences for those who go against our democracy and the constitution of the land for us to have a better society.”

In his remarks, a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), called on President Bola Tinubu to show leadership and fight corruption. He said, “Corruption has taken a dangerous dimension, the president should lead the anti-corruption crusade so that this country can take its rightful place in the comity of nations.”

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who described Afe Babalola as a gift to Ekiti State, said the SAN created the platform for him and others before him to become governors, going by the role he played in the creation of the state.

Oyebanji said, “If we don’t have this state, I and all others that have been governors of this state will not have a platform. So, on behalf of myself and all the governors before me, I say thank you, sir.”

An influential socio-political activist, Shehu Sani suggests that President Bola Tinubu’s future rests not just in the hands of the courts, but with divine intervention.

If Tinubu loses his Presidential election petition, Sani warns that only God can protect him from criticism from an unnamed “emperor” in Kaduna State.

Sani, a former Kaduna Central Senator, used Twitter to voice his observations about the precarious position Tinubu may find himself in.

He explained that if Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election is upheld by the courts, the opposition will likely either congratulate him or criticize the ruling and move on.

However, if the court rules against Tinubu, Sani implied that a harsh fate awaits the President.

As per Sani’s tweet, “If the Court favours Tinubu and his victory is affirmed, the opposition may Congratulate him or Condemn the ruling and move on.

“If the Court ruled against Tinubu and he lost the Presidency, only God will save him from the mouth of the ex-Kaduna emperor and his next Book “How we made him and he betrayed Us”.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar are challenging the victory of Tinubu in the election held on the 25th of February, 2023.

Tinubu was declared the winner of the electoral process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Following the confession by former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, that he worked against the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, a member of the party’s National Executive Committee, Timothy Osadolor, has said the leadership of the PDP will address the issue very soon.

Fayose had, on Sunday while featuring on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’, declared that: “I worked against him (Atiku) hundred per cent.

“Nigeria is bigger than the PDP, the APC and even Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) himself…I am not a man that will hide my action. I never worked for the PDP during the last election. I am not a liar and a pretender. I did not work for the PDP.”

Although, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and his deputy, Ibrahim Abdullahi, were not available for comment, Osadolor, who doubles as the party’s Deputy National Youth Leader, described Fayose as shameless.

He said, “The confirmation by former Governor Fayose that he did anti-party activities without shame or remorse is only to convince those who did not know better.

“For those of us that know better, seeing Governor Fayose confess, like a wizard, his acts of indiscipline, sabotage and anti-party did not come as a surprise. Were he a man with a moral compass, he would toe the honourable path of resignation after this confession.

“Will the PDP be able to address him? Yes, the party will be speaking soon.”

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has given reasons why President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial list is being delayed.

According to him, the delay in the unveiling of the President’s ministers and heads of ministries, departments, and agencies was because Tinubu was carrying out an extensive consultation before making an official announcement.

Naija News reported on Monday that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) held a crucial meeting with State chairmen from across Nigeria.

But it was gathered that Adamu and the National Working Committee called the meeting.

The meeting, which commenced at about 1:45 pm on Monday, had Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, Borno Chairman, leading the other 31 Chairmen.

This online news platform understands that at the meeting, the APC national chairman told party chieftains not to be too expectant about the President’s ministerial list, even though loyal members would make Tinubu’s cabinet.

Adamu said Tinubu could not appoint everybody as a minister; therefore, their expectations should not be high.

Adamu said, “Every APC member has an inherent right to hope to get some patronage. We cannot all be ministers of the government. We cannot all end up as board members, directors of parastatals, and MDAs across the country.

“President has just started. He is doing his extensive consultations before coming up with his nominees for ministers. The nomination of the ministers will come first. They will go through their screening until they are pronounced after they have been submitted before Mr President. He will formally appoint his ministers and swear them in. Only then will he disclose each of them to the country to know which minister is going to which ministry and how many ministries we are going to have.

“After that is done, the ministers will assume office, make a comprehensive report, starting from all the ministries and MDAs under them, before we know what vacancies exist for chief executives, directors and part-time directors.

“These are some of the exercises that will take place in the next two months. It cannot happen by next week. But certainly, that is what we should be expecting.

“But we do expect some patronage from the government that we are forming. It is our hope and prayers that Mr President will come along with us in that regard and strengthen the relationship of the party in the states and at the national level will enjoy some level of patronage in the new government.

“Those are the key issues that we do hope to share with you in the course of this meeting.”

The APC national chairman, also condemned the kidnapping of Ekiti APC Chairman, Paul Omotosho.

He also prayed for the quick recovery of ailing Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Following the receipt of credible intelligence, a Private Security Contractor engaged by NNPC Ltd., Messrs. Tantita Security Services, has intercepted a suspicious Vessel with a Cargo of Crude oil on board on July 7, 2023.

The Vessel, MT TURA II (IMO number: 6620462), owned by a Nigerian Registered Company, HOLAB MARITIME SERVICES LIMITED with Registration Number RC813311, was heading to Cameroun with the Cargo on board when it was apprehended at an offshore location (Latitude: 5.8197194477543235°, Longitude: 4.789002723991871°), with the Captain and Crew members on board.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the crude oil cargo onboard was illegally sourced from a well jacket offshore Ondo State, Nigeria.

A statement from the NNPC said there was no valid documentation for the Vessel or the Crude Oil Cargo onboard at the time of the arrest.

Further investigation into the activities of the vessel at the NNPC Ltd. Command and Control Centre also revealed that the Vessel has been operating in stealth mode for the last twelve (12) years. The last reported location of the Vessel was Tin Can Port in July 2011.

The statement said details of this arrest and the outcomes of the investigations were escalated to the appropriate Government authorities, upon which it was concluded to destroy the Vessel to serve as a strong warning and deterrent to all those participating in such illegal activities to cease and desist.

It added, “Destroying vessels involved in transporting stolen crude oil is of paramount importance as a strong deterrent.

“The illegal trade of stolen crude oil not only inflicts significant economic losses on Nigeria and legitimate stakeholders in the oil industry, but also perpetuates a cycle of corruption, environmental devastation, and social instability.

“NNPC Ltd. assures Nigerians that we will sustain the momentum in the war against crude oil theft until it is brought to a halt.”

The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Julius Abure, has urged members of the party to be alert, following information available to him that the All Progressives Congress, APC, was already preparing for a possible re-run of the 2023 presidential election.

This, he explained, was because the ruling party was aware the tide was heavily tilted against it in the ongoing legal challenge to the presidential election results as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Abure said this during an online meeting held with Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy, led by Professor Eddie Oparaoji, the Labour Party Diaspora Chairman in the United States, in Abuja yesterday.

Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, in a statement quoted Abure as calling on the over 10 million members of the party to be “on the alert and get ready to further humiliate APC and its government in the polls if their sinister plot fails to materialize.”

He said: “Rumours have it that those in government are already planning for rerun and this is one of the support we will be canvasing from you.

“We should also be getting prepared because since all those in government are already preparing for rerun, we should not be taken unawares.

“So, we will be needing your engagement and support on this aspect if par adventure it happens today, that the election is nullified which is not what we are asking for because we are asking for an outright declaration of Peter Obi as the President of Nigeria.

“We believe strongly that we won that election given the statistics we have, given the result we have, we are not expecting anything less than the declaration of Peter Obi as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But supposing that didn’t happen as the government is believed to be planning for a rerun it will not also be out of place for we to be preparing for a rerun election.

“Having said this by the side, I must say clearly that we have put all our evidence before the court we are very hopeful that the tribunal will act on our favour.

“We are very hopeful that supposing the matter gets to the higher court, the Supreme Court, in this case, it will also act in our favour. We are keeping our hope and confidence alive.

“In nine months we are able to change the political narratives of this country and we must build on that successes and so that we can have a more formidable party that we can strategically position fro the downtrodden people of Nigeria.”

In his contribution to the discussion, the Director of ObiDatti Presidential Campaign, Ambassador Oseloka Obaze, urged Obi-Datti members in diaspora to see the struggle for recovering of the party’s mandate as a collective responsibility and one that no one could actually abandoned for any other reason

He said: “Great countries of the world are built by the citizens of the country and I think we have in the diaspora enormous human capital. What we need to do is to be able to harvest them bring them home and make Nigeria to be a great place.

“The process is on going, the campaign to change this nation is not just an event, it is a process, a long drawn process. How long it is going to last, we don’t know, but I think what we serve as the most and best is to remain focused on our various sectors; you that are in diaspora do what you can do to support us, we that are in the trenches, we will continue to keep the ground.”

Also, the chairman of the Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy, Professor Oparaoji, in his speech, titled ‘’Fostering a purposeful diaspora partnership for a new Nigeria’’, said the group in partnership with all Obidients in diaspora had the potential to contribute significantly to Nigerian’s development.”

“Through advocacy, human rights promotion, capacity building, investment, education and healthcare support, diaspora engagement, and policy advocacy, we can play a crucial role in fostering Democratic governance, justice, and socio-ecobomic progress in Nigeria.

“With our diverse network and resources, our diaspora community can be a catalyst for positive change and contribute to Nigeria’s long term development goal of powering up that new Nigeria of our dream,’’ he said.

A United States-based Nigerian, Mr. Bamidele Famose, has raised the alarm over alleged corrupt practices by some local government officials in Ogun State, parading themselves as task force officials to extort motorists.

He called on the Police to carry out a detailed investigation that would expose the perpetrators.

Bamidele, who is on a visit to Nigeria, narrated how the task force officials extorted N67,000 from him, last Wednesday, while he was travelling from Osun State to Lagos.

In a petition to Ogun State Commissioner of Police, he narrated: “I bring to the attention of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Ogun State Government, civil society organisations, Nigerian Diaspora Organisation, NIDO, and the anti-corruption agencies, a case of criminal extortion by officials of Ogun State Task Force in the most savage and terrorist manner.

“I came home to Nigeria last week to attend to some personal business. I usually stay in Osogbo, Osun State, whenever I am in Nigeria. On July 4, 2023, I received a phone call from my shipping agent that my goods had arrived from the US and that I must take possession before 12 noon on July 5, 2023.

“I left Osogbo the following day at 5.30am., for Lagos. I got to Ojodu Berger by 10.30am. There was heavy traffic, vehicles were taking a detour.

“Since I was not too familiar with the area, I decided to slow down my speed and drove slowly by the side of the road, during which I beckoned on one of the security personnel controlling the traffic, for assistance.

“A man in mufti with a tag on his neck with the inscription ‘TASK FORCE’ came to attend to me. I greeted him first and inquired from him if the detour would take me to Oshodi. He said yes and then gladly offered to personally escort me to a safe and easier route to Oshodi, on the condition that I would give him transportation fare back, which I agreed to do. I immediately gave him N1,000.

“He entered my car and introduced himself as Mr. Ajayi from Ilesa, Osun State. Coincidentally, I am also from Ilesa. We struck a rapport. I thought I had found a reliable companion.

“To my consternation, he turned out to be a scammer. He later asked where l was coming from. I told him Osogbo. Instantly, his body language changed, as he perceived me to be a soft target to be scammed.
“He pretended to show me the quicker route to Oshodi, but took advantage of my little knowledge of the area and innocent trust to take me to the VIO office at No 4. Odozi Street, Ojodu Abiodun, Ogun State.

“As soon as I drove in, the entrance gate was shut in a banditry style. My vehicle was surrounded by four dangerously looking men. They pounced on my vehicle.

“He beckoned on a man in mufti, who he later introduced as his boss. The man asked for my offense. He lied. He told him that I parked by the road side without putting on the hazard light. Immediately, the boss ordered the four men to deflate the four tires of my vehicle, to which they respectfully obeyed.

“The boss later brought out a printed sheet of paper, where he showed me the penalty for the alleged offense, which he claimed was N250,000. He said because I was a first offender, I should pay the least amount on the paper, which was N67,000. Thereafter, he called a young man to do the capturing and other verifications of me.

“I told him that I did not commit any
crime and narrated my story. He was not ready to listen to my version. His actions were predetermined.

“When I considered my appointment with my shipping agent, the nightfall, the risk of staying with menacing and cruel people and, as a non violent, responsible adult, I was coerced to submit to his whims by pleading with him to accept the only N30,000 that I had with me.

”He accepted the N30,000 cash but still refused to let me off the entrapment. He demanded more money. I was forced to cough out N67,000 fully paid. They demanded my ATM and said I could use it to pay. They surrounded me and, in the midst of the threats, I feared for my life.

“After the extortion, I demanded for an official receipt, if the full payment is made, and he agreed to it. I told him to allow me to go to the bank to withdraw the money, but he refused and called a POS lady to do the transaction.

“At 11.55am. on July 5, 2023, the sum of N37,000 was withdrawn through the POS transaction, plus the N30,000 cash, making a total of N67,000.

“Thereafter, he called the Vulganiser to inflate my tires and ordered the gateman to open the gate. When I demanded for the official receipt, he refused to give me one and told me to be grateful that he was being lenient with me by asking me to pay the lowest penalty.

“I was reliably informed that this is the usual practice by the Ogun State Task Force and that daily, Nigerians are humiliated, extorted and bruised by this notorious rogue cell.

“How can Nigeria lay claim to developing the country and encouraging foreign investments, when those coming from abroad to do business are pushed to the tunnel of death and anguish by government agencies?

“I am using this medium to submit an official petition to the police to do a detailed investigation of this matter,” he stated.

When the Ogun State Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer, VIO, Gboyega Adetimeh, was contacted, he said the matter had nothing to do with the VIO, but authority of the Ifo LGA of the state.

He clarified that “VIO doesn’t use the Task Force to discharge its duties.”

Speaking on the development, the Council Chairman, Mrs. Kikelomo Delana, said when she got wind of the incident on Saturday, she order stoppage of all forms of revenue generation in the area.

She said: “When I stopped them, some community leaders from the area called me on phone and said they were in support of the activities of the illegal revenue officers, because of illegal parking of motorists in the area.“

On his part, a senior official in the local government, who pleaded anonymity said the Federal, state and local governments have revenue officers in the Ojodu-Abiodun area.

He noted that when the man paid a huge sum of N67,000, without collecting receipt, how will they be sure that those who collected the money were local government officials.

The last time Ms Hilda Effiong Bassey featured in this column was in a piece titled “Tales The Country Told Me: Hilda Baci and Seun Kuti” (ThisDay, May 16) wherein I commented on her courage and heroism for using her culinary skills to bring herself to global attention by breaking the Guinness World Record in cooking, what has now become known as cook-a-thon. Hilda Baci, 27, cooked for 100 hours at the Amore Gardens, Lekki, Lagos, from Thursday, May 10, till Monday, May 13. 2023. Her exploit was a big social media event, a big, welcome distraction for a Nigerian community that was becoming weary of corrosive and febrile politics arising from the country’s 2023 general elections. Celebrities trooped to the venue of the cooking marathon for photo opportunities. Hilda Baci became an instant celebrity too. Many defied the heavy rainfall to support her.

As it turned out, the Guinness World Record, after assessing her submissions ruled that she had in fact made up to 93 hours, 11 minutes - seven hours short of her target but remarkable enough to dethrone the then cooking marathon champion - Indian Chef Tata Landon who set the existing world record of 87 hours, 45 minutes in 2019. Ms Baci became an instant megastar. She won endorsements. She was given a royal reception by her home state of Akwa Ibom. She even got to meet billionaires and because she is backed by a good social media team, and looks really stunning, stylish, a head-turner in appearance on top of everything, she generated so much excitement. Some people tried to cash in on her fame by organizing a “Meet and Greet Hilda Baci” event for an admission fee which she promptly turned down. She has since been reported as using her celebrity status to raise funds for widows, by cooking more. She has since received her certificate from the GWR. I wrote in praise of Ms. Baci’s creativity, how through sheer imagination and effort she got transformed from being a great unknown into a global figure. But I have since noticed an emergent Hilda Baci syndrome that speaks to the character of the average Nigerian, and this is a problem, an abnormality. Not long after Hilda Baci was recognized by the GWR, the Hilda instinct started crawling out of many Nigerians who wanted to be like her. These persons have since turned the country into one big kitchen of emergency cooks. It is not funny. It is beginning to look like the spread of mass psychosis! Ms Tata Landon kept the record for marathon cooking from 2019 – 2023. Nigerians are not even allowing Ms Baci to enjoy a month of fame, before they started rolling out their own kitchen utensils in larger numbers to displace her.

By June 9, another Nigerian lady, Ms. Damilola Adeparusi, popularly known as Chef Dammy had entered the kitchen in Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State with the mind to cook for 120 hours and prove that she could do better than Hilda Baci of Akwa Ibom State. She did 120 hours, June 9 -13.! The people of Ekiti were excited. They had produced their own marathon cook, so they thought. Chef Dammy was celebrated by the First Lady of Ekiti State. The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Oye Ekiti, Professor Sunday Abayomi Fashina led a delegation of University Council Members to visit Chef Dammy, a student of the university, to thank her for putting the university on the global map. Imagine a whole university throwing its weight behind a cooking event. Ekiti persons in diaspora also expressed their excitement with one of them sending a return ticket to the US and N500, 000 in appreciation, someone else sent a gift of N1 million but as Chef Dammy herself disclosed later, she didn’t make up to N2 million. She also got some endorsements. But she did not displace Chef Baci. What she got instead was a statement from Guinness World Record advising that anyone who wants to break a record must first apply and follow due process. Chef Dammy did not. She was courageous, but hers was a waste of time and energy, more or less. She has however threatened to cook again in July and follow due process. We were told in an official statement by her handlers that “Chef Dammy is coming back!”. But before then, other cooks have since stepped into the fray. In Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, Ms Adeola Adeyeye, aka Chef Deo announced a 150-hour cooking marathon again to beat Hilda Baci. Unlike Chef Dammy of Oye-Ekiti, Chef Deo followed due process and took the precaution of informing the Guinness World Record, hence from June 30 2023 – July 7, she too started cooking round the clock and crossed the 150-hour mark. If she submits her evidence to the GWR, she could break Ms. Baci’s record and become the new champion.

But again, she is not alone. About the same time that she applied to GWR, an Ogbomoso-based chef, Temitope Adebayo also applied for a 140-hour cooking marathon, and his application was verified but it is just that he has been asked to wait till November 2023 before he enters the kitchen. He says he is ready and he has been taking lessons in endurance and stamina building. He is probably thinking of extending his advertised 140 hours, to surpass Chef Deo of Ondo who is expecting a response from GWR. Generally, this is very much like what Nigerians refer to as a “wahala be like bicycle” situation, and understandably, the obsession of young Nigerians (age range 26 -31) with cooking marathon has generated comedy skits with one Chef Damilda Adeoci clowning around on instagram that he intends to break the cooking record by 363 hours, 11 minutes. There is never a shortage of humour around here. Nigerians joke with everything and everything. But there are others who do not think this is a joke who have proposed other options in pursuit of a Guinness World Record. Here are a few examples, because nobody knows what may still come up tomorrow: At the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) a computer science lecturer, Joshua Hassan Bature is now proposing a 150- hour teaching marathon which he calls ‘aca- a-thon”. The GWR people have given him an October 16, 2023 date. I hope “Lecturer 150 hours” would have enough audience for his computer jargon.

Similarly, one Oluwatobi Kufeji, Alejo Pataki, is proposing a 200-hour singing marathon. He calls his proposal: “Praise Worship-a-Thon”. There is also Joyce Ijeoma, the Nigerian lady who wanted to set a record for the longest hours for body massaging. She collapsed in the process and had to be revived! There is also a lady from Benue State, Treasure Joseph who says she wants to set a record for the longest video on instagram with a target of 125 hours between July 5 -9. Woli Arole – I want to believe that one is truly clowning, has also been quoted as saying that he wants to do a “Prayer-a-thon” for 5, 000 hours. Please, who has to pray to God for 5, 000 hours before he answers? The Catechist taught us that God sees our mind. He is omnipotent and omnipresent. Apparently, whatever God Woli Arole worships needs over 5, 000 hours before he can hear His children’s pleas. But the more ridiculous aspect of all this is that the Hilda Baci syndrome has since gone across the border. Nigeria is the main leader in West Africa and to a great extent in Africa. Other countries within the sub-region look up to us. That is probably one of the reasons why President Tinubu is now the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments, within 41 days of his assumption of office as President. It also probably explains why when our President decided to remove fuel subsidy on May 29, some motorcyclists in Cameroon had the temerity to stage a public protest to question President Tinubu, asking him to reverse himself because the economic policy in Nigeria is not in their best interest in Cameroon.

It further makes sense to see why and how the Nigerian Hilda Baci syndrome has crossed the border. In Cameroon, a 25-year-old lady who wants to be the Hilda Baci of Yaounde has now announced a sex-a-thon. She wants to have sex with able-bodied, strong men for 200 hours non-stop. She wants strong men to line up. In Ghana, another lady is proposing “eat-a-thon.” How did we get here please? Nigeria is now a country that is exporting psychosis to demonstrate leadership? Other countries are demonstrating leadership in cutting edge science and technology, artificial intelligence, and global politics, we are here, a country of over 200 million people, with youths that are obsessed with cooking, prayers, singing, sex and a culture of frivolity. Nigeria should not become a sub-regional leader that exports mass, intercontinental psychosis. Can anyone in fact believe the fact that in this country today, one Nigerian lady is now launching what she calls “snails--a-thon”? She wants to cook and fry snails for 500 hours and get into the Guinness Book of World Records. At least one person has called on the Nigerian government to stop the madness from spreading further. Not many would disagree, and we already have an example in this regard.

In Ekiti state, one guy called Sugartee showed up the other day proposing to organize what he called a 72-hour “kiss-a-thon”, that is a kissing marathon. The same Ekiti state government that accommodated the cooking competition by Chef Dammy and the proposed lecture marathon by lecturer Bature immediately stepped forward to ban the proposed kissing marathon as “unhealthy, absurd and an attempt to denigrate the image of Ekiti State.” In my view, the Gov. Biodun Oyebanji administration acted rightly in the interest of public morality. Coincidentally, the GWR itself had banned kissing world records among its categories because of the risks involved. It has since accommodated a revised kiss-a-thon but with a different set of rules, and procedures. While individuals have the right to express themselves, it is also important to stress that there are no absolute rights. As the Ekiti state government has done in the case of the so-called “kiss-a-thon”, the Nigerian government must draw a line in the sand with regard to all the GWR psychosis that has overtaken the country. Danny Lammy of Cameroon for example is calling on strong men to come over and have free sex for 200 hours. If any Nigerian man shows up at that free sex event, assuming it eventually happens, such a Nigerian male citizen should be arrested on his return for engaging in an act that is against public morality and the order of nature. When the accused person gets to court, he and his lawyers can go and argue their case about jurisdiction, human rights and morality. What nonsense!

The real problem is that Nigeria is a troubled country and the evidence shows in the psychotic conduct of its people. It was Aristotle who told us that “imitation is a form of flattery”, and in addition that “a child learns by imitation”. The people imitating Hilda Baci and seeking a Guinness World Record are not children. It appears they are envious people, lacking in originality who simply want to pull down Hilda Baci, and prove that they are better than her. Envy. Jealousy. Desperation. In a country where inflation is galloping, and more people are slipping into the poverty trap, salaries and pensions are not paid, it must not be too surprising that the young people have become so desperate they would imitate anything that can bring a little fame and opportunity. Hilda Baci cooks for hours, gets famous, everyone else rushes to the kitchen. It is an emergent trait in our land. People don’t think. They copy. If you set up a business, and you seem to be doing well, before you know it, everyone in the neighbourhood would set up a similar shop. And if they have their way, they will stop at nothing to pull you down, in typical crab-mentality fashion. It is a crime to succeed at anything in Nigeria. And it is in every facet of our lives: in politics, business, academia and even in personal relationships. When as a politician, you give people opportunities to also grow and rise, the next thing they would be gunning for is to dethrone and send you into retirement while they move past you. Many friends whose colleagues die, pretend to be helping the widow, but their main interest is to take over the wife whom they have always been eyeing by the way. This is the root of the psychosis.

Worse still, this character flaw is often justified as did the kiss-a-thon Sugartee of Ekiti state. After the state government banned his proposed programme he later came forward to say that he actually did not want to organize any kissing marathon. He, being a musician, would ordinarily have proposed a singing marathon, but if he said he wanted to sing, nobody would have paid any attention. So, he had to announce a kissing marathon which got him the attention and influence that he needed. “People now know Sugartee,” he said. “In this country, you need something to get people to talk about you.” Sugartee also reported that he was invited to the Ekiti State Government House, and that he, the same man that the past administration in the state ignored, is now being invited by the new administration. And he has the effrontery to take the people for a ride and promote a scam? Sugartee and others like him who have turned the pursuit of a Guinness World Record into an opportunity for clout-chasing, misrepresentation and deception should be made to face the full wrath of the law. There are too many jobless people in this country, particularly among the younger generation who are willing and ready to turn everything into a joke. Can we all get serious for once please? Administrators of The Guinness World Record also have an obligation to review their procedures and introduce more stringent rules to protect public morality and humanistic values. Nigerian youths have a bigger obligation to dig deeper into our culture as Africans to evoke and embrace profound authenticity, innate resourcefulness and heritage that we have across board instead of competing viciously for Western style-records that come across as a validation of their own limitations rather than true strength.

Former Governor of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose has slammed critics asking him to give account of how he appropriated funds during his tenure as governor of the State.

Fielding questions on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Sunday, furious Fayose told his critics to “go to court” adding that he made his money outside politics.

When asked if he would publish details of how he administered state funds as Ekiti governor, he answered; “That’s a very meaningless question. They have charged me to court, anybody that is not satisfied should also take me to court.

“How can I be explaining how I spent (Ekiti money)? I was one governor that never borrowed a dime. Ekiti people cannot forget me for the good works I did.

“Do you (referring to the anchor) think I’m a pauper? I made my money before you became a presenter. So don’t go there at all. If anybody’s money is missing, let them go to court.”

The PDP chieftain and his company, Spotless Investment Limited are being prosecuted over an alleged N6.9 billion fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on July 2, 2019, re-arraigned Fayose and Spotless on an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and stealing.

The defendants were first arraigned on October 22, 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.

The case was later adjourned till May 8 and 9 and June 6, 8, 2023 for continuation of trial.