Nigerians are willing to manipulate their identity to gain access, employment, hospital, power, and access to those who are incharge of resources and authority in the country.

Executive Director of the Kukah Centre (TKC), Fr. Atta Barkindo, said this in Abuja at the public presentation of the 26-page project impact report on ‘Strengthening Social Cohesion in Lagos’, and policy brief on the project with support from MacArthur Foundation.

“Number one, it means people are willing to manipulate any identity, as long as it gives them employment, access to hospital, access to power, access to those who are in charge of the resources and the authority in this country.

“And it also shows that we really have a lot of work to do to convince people about why we need to build social cohesion, national identity, common citizenship, and to see Nigeria as a country that belongs to all of us and where we prioritize meritocracy competence, over and above where you come from, or where you belong to or what your political affiliation is.

“And I think that is why the Kukah center went to Lagos. We all knew what happened in Lagos during the 2023 general elections, and maybe that of Lagos has been amplified because Lagos with lots of infrastructure, the media is there, so we can easily hear what happened in Lagos, and probably, in other places, things may have happened that has been worse than what has happened in Lagos,” Barkindo said.

He said in Europe, it is about where someone live.

He said, “That is why you belong. It is about where you are born that matters, not your own state of origin. So somebody was born in Kano, lives in Kano for 40 years, and when it is time to vote, they ask you to go back to your state of origin, not the state that you were born.”

He said that Lagos was a pilot phase, adding that their intention is to go to almost every state across the country and to try and bring people together to have the conversations.

The ‘Strengthening Social Cohesion in Lagos Project’ is a 12-month project conceived in response to the social unrest and electoral violence that erupted during the 2023 general elections.

The report said that over the years, ethnic and regional divides, including issues of indigenes and settlers have combined to reinforce a sense of mutual distrust and suspicion, to a point that identity politics have become a meal ticket for politicians to garner votes.

“During the 2023 general elections, the impact of these divisions played out and led to massive electoral violence, particularly in Lagos state. This necessitated the intervention, particularly as, the aftermath of the elections seemed to have reinforced religious and ethnic disharmony, asNigerians became angrier, more fearful, and less trusting of one another,” the report said.

On what can drive sustainability to strengthen social cohesion, the report recommended continuous community engagement, youth-centred initiatives, fair and just systems, inclusive governance, quality education; and cultural awareness and sensitization among others.

[DailyTrust]

The Nigeria Police have placed a N20 million bounty on a British national, Andrew Wynne, and a Nigerian, Lucky Ehims, who were declared wanted on Monday for allegedly attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement on Monday afternoon, the police said a reward sum of N10,000,000 awaits any person(s) with information leading to the arrest of each of them.

DAILY POST recalls how the Police had launched a comprehensive investigation into the activities of foreign national and subversive elements plotting to undermine the democratically elected government in Nigeria through unconstitutional regime change and orchestrating violence across the country.

According to the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyuwa Adejobi, following extensive intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies, nine suspects have been arrested, who received substantial financial backing from foreign sources to destabilize the country.

He said that preliminary findings revealed they orchestrated and funded violent protests by disseminating false information and engaging in other unlawful activities to create anarchy and justify their illegal plot to overthrow the democratically elected government.

“Investigations have identified a foreign mercenary, Andrew Wynne (also known as Andrew Povich or Drew Povey), a British national, who built a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos.

“He rented a space at Labour House, Abuja, for an ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ and established ‘STARS of Nations Schools’ as a cover for his subversive activities,” he said.

The Police, therefore, called on the public to assist in any useful information that would help their investigations, saying if Andrew Wynne and Lucky Ehims are seen, they should be arrested and handed over to the nearest Police Station.

[DailyPost]

Several demonstrators hit the streets of Abuja to demand the immediate dismissal of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Limited, Mele Kyari, over the lingering fuel scarcity.

The protest came out on the heels of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited’s confession that its substantial debt to suppliers was endangering the sustainable fuel supply.

Among other things, the corporation highlighted the financial strain was placing significant pressure on its operations and threatening the stability of fuel supplies.

Chanting solidarity songs, they displayed several banners such as: ‘We are tired of fuel scarcity and stories on why refineries are not working, ‘No direction under Kyari’ and ‘We want accountability in the affairs of NNPCL’. 

Addressing reporters on Monday at Unity Fountain after the rally in Abuja, Convener of the Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organizations, Aminu Abbas wondered why a nation blessed with oil like Nigeria should continue to suffer acute petrol scarcity.

He said: “To President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and all those in positions of power, we say the time to act is now. Show us that you stand with the people, not those who profit from our misery. Mr Kyari must be shown the way out, and the NNPCL must be reformed to serve the interests of all Nigerians. We will not be silenced.

 “The fuel scarcity we endure today is not just a mere inconvenience; it is a calculated perpetuation of suffering. Under Mr Kyari’s leadership, the situation has gone from bad to worse, with no end in sight. What has he done to alleviate this crisis? It is clear he seems intent on maintaining a status quo that benefits only a select few while the masses suffer.

“Why do we, the people, have to endure endless queues, inflated prices, and the daily uncertainty of whether we can fuel our vehicles or power our homes? The answer lies in the gross incompetence and mismanagement that have become the hallmarks of Mr. Kyari’s leadership.”

A British national wanted by the police, Andrew Wynne, also known as Drew Povey, has said the government was unsettled by the EndBadgovernance protest held across the country.

Wynne expressed regret that the government has been suppressing the protesters instead of responding to the citizens’ demands.

This is as he called on the Nigeria Labour Congress to protect the general public as it did to its President, Joe Ajaero when the police invited him.

Wynne stated this in a statement on Monday titled “Protests, not treason.”

It read, “The mass protests over #EndBadGovernance and #EndHunger frightened the government. However, the government turned to repression rather than addressing the people’s demands. Perhaps 40 people were murdered by the police and other security forces, thousands were arrested, and many remain in captivity.

“In Abuja, the authorities have attacked the so-called leaders and organisers of the protests. Ten people face ridiculous charges including treason, mutiny and levying war against the state.”

Wynne noted that the first person arrested by the police, Eleojo Opaluwa, was a former colleague of the Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero and the Vice Chairman of the Union in Kogi State.

He said, “The first person to be arrested in this case was Eleojo Opaluwa. He is a former colleague of Joe Ajaero, who works for NUEE, the electricians’ union, as an organiser in Abuja.

“He is also the Vice Chair of the NLC in Kogi State. He has now been detained for over four weeks with no tangible evidence. His family was told that he had received a WhatsApp message from one of the other alleged leaders. This was after Eleojo had been detained.”

Wynne stated that the ten individuals arraigned for organising the protests hardly knew one another.

He said, “The ten detainees have been accused of conspiracy to commit a range of serious crimes. However, they barely know each other. Five of them may have been members of a WhatsApp group set up to organise the protests in Abuja.

“But the other five are unknown to these comrades. They may be a few of the flag-waving protesters from Kano who were added to extend the range of the organizers to cover the main protests from Sokoto to Maiduguri. “

Wynne said the police investigating the suspects and the government are not on the same page on the matter.

He said, “There appears to be a conflict between the government and the police investigating this case. The head of the Intelligence Response Team told the detainees’ lawyers that he would have released them but that he had orders from above not to set them free. So the police have developed what appears to be a ridiculous case involving the owner of Iva Valley Books.”

Wynne noted that the claim that he had left the country was not true.

“They are claiming that I travelled under the name of Andrew Povich, a Russian-sounding name and that I have now left Nigeria for Russia. Neither of these claims are true. Yomi, who works for Iva Valley Books, has, like the other detainees, been treated in a terribly
inhumane manner.

“He was arrested in front of his wife and three-year-old daughter. The police confiscated all their phones. This was despite appeals from his wife that they needed a phone to get money for food. He was then imprisoned illegally and held in chains, beaten and
tortured for three days. His only involvement was to design flyers for the protests.”

He, however, called on the NLC to protect the general public as it has done to its president.

Wynne said, “The NLC has shown that it has the power to protect its President. It now needs to extend this action to protect its other officers, its members and the general public.”

The NLC had promised a general strike to protect Ajaero from arrest and detention in relation to similar charges.

Despite the flimsy nature of the evidence against the detainees, they face long years in prison unless the trade union movement is prepared to protect them.

On August 7, the NLC said it “condemns in the strongest terms the human rights violations perpetrated by security forces against peaceful protesters.”

[Punch]

“Corruption remains one of the most significant obstacles to the progress and prosperity of our nations. It undermines the very fabric of our societies, erodes public trust, and impedes equitable distribution of resources”  —  President Bola Tinubu in an address to ECOWAS leaders

A senior cousin of mine died recently, aged 96. During the condolence visit to his family, the wife, aged 89, kept repeating to every visitor: “The wicked have done their worst”.

To me, it was absolutely hilarious. But, none of us, younger, was so uncouth as to laugh in my auntie’s face. On many occasions, our refusal to face the truth staring us in the face is also a form of corruption. We thereby avoid having to take the difficult decisions required to make real progress.

Dangote Refinery is the most obvious case study. But, it is not the only one. Permit me to make a categorical statement which anybody not self-delusional should be able to figure out for themselves; anybody includes Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

The refinery will not receive 650,000 barrels of crude from Nigeria for a long time to come – if ever. The reasons are so clear that only corruption of thought prevents the Federal Government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL and Dangote, as well as his supporters, from admitting the truth.

Crude production and commitments make it impossible

“Producers decline sale of 460,000bpd to Dangote, others”  – News  Report, August 21, 2024

If Dangote wants to know who “the wicked who have done their worst” are, he would have to start from the Presidency, to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to NNPCL. In one way or another, they delivered the dagger thrusts in the back to Dangote, despite his generous contributions to their campaigns. Self-righteous Obasanjo, as usual, established the template fusing the office of President with that of Minister of Petroleum Resources. He performed woefully on both and left a great legacy of corruption in the two roles. One of the precedents he left behind, making it impossible for Dangote Refinery to ever receive 650,000bpd of crude from Nigeria’s production was the mandatory allocation of crude oil to NNPC’s four refineries as the table below clearly indicates.

Those in government were already aware that 445,000 bpd was already committed to the four scraps we call refineries when Dangote went to discuss with them about his refinery needing 650,000 bdp.

January – July crude oil production

“Oil production fell in Q2 – NBS” – News report, August 28, 2024

The report informed those who want facts instead of fiction, that “The nation in the second quarter of 2024 recorded an average daily production of 1.41 million barrels per day (mbpd)”. In the first quarter, the production was 1.57 mbpd.

Several questions arise. First, with a firm commitment to refineries of 445,000 bpd, how much will be left for the FG, if 650,000 bpd is allocated to the Dangote Refinery? Furthermore, with several other Nigerian refineries springing up, and just as entitled to Nigerian crude, how many more thousands of crude would eventually be allocated to domestic refineries? Remember that 1.095mbpd would have been committed to meet the requirements of just NNPC and Dangote refineries – leaving only 315,000 bpd. Would the 315,000 enough for the FG to export and earn badly needed foreign exchange? The clear answer is NO; and the FG, NNPCL and Dangote are aware of this.

To start with, not all the 1.41mbpd belongs to the FG or NNPCL. In fact, less than half is theirs. So, all that the Dangote Refinery could have legitimately counted on receiving, if it started operations in December 2023, as previously advertised, would have been less than 300,000bpd. Unfortunately, even that volume would not be consistently delivered to the refinery. Here is why.

Dangote swindled by Buhari and NNPCL

“It was beautiful and simple; as all truly great swindles are”  –  O Henry, 1862-1910. VBQ p 239

Alhaji Dangote is no fool; otherwise he could not have become the richest man in Africa for years. But, even the best in every game sometimes blunder.

Dangote consulted with all the people that mattered in the Buhari government before embarking on the project. The most important individual was the Minister for Petroleum Resources; who also was the President – Buhari. He must have been assured of supply of 650,000bpd before proceeding. He believed them. That might turn out to be his greatest mistake in an otherwise string of astonishing successful decisions.

He was probably assured that Nigeria would be producing two million barrels per day by the time the refinery was ready for supplies. He believed them. Deliberately, it was not disclosed that 400,000bpd was being stolen and there was no respite in sight. They also “forgot” to tell him about 445,000bpd committed to NNPCL refineries. Furthermore, the Buhari administration had borrowed huge amounts of money, undisclosed to Nigerians, using future crude oil supply as collateral. Reliable insiders inform me that nearly 300,000bpd is involved in those deals.

Finally, as pointed out before, less than half of crude produced in Nigeria belongs to the FG. So, even if the country produces 2mbpd, only 1mbpd belongs to the FG. Add up all the commitments and it should be clear that, had the FG been an individual it stands accused of 419. Yet, Dangote believed them even as he was being serially swindled.  

“Producers decline sale of 460,000bpd crude to Dangote” – News report, August 21, 2024

So, where will 650,000bpd come from to supply Dangote?

Unforeseen problems

Dangote must have dismissed the possibility of competitors once his giant refinery was approved. The assumption was understandable. With a refinery holding 650,000bpd of crude oil processing capacity, and the crude oil supply guaranteed, there would be no need for another refinery. At any rate, there would be no domestic crude for any challenger to process. Well, that has turned out to be a wrong assumption. At least four other refineries would be ready to come up; and they also are requesting for crude supply from the FG as a matter of right. The FG/NNPCL has a whale of a problem on their hands regarding finding the crude to supply the new refineries.

NNPCL has also taken loans, using future crude as collateral. That will not be available for allocation to Dangote refinery.    Virtually all the independent crude producers operate with loans to be repaid with future crude production. The FG cannot compel any of them to breach their contracts, just to supply Dangote refinery.  

Just in case you don’t know where I am going; let me tell you; Dangote Refinery might never receive 650,000bpd of crude from Nigeria.

ADEYEMI Abayomi Abiodun is a respectful, hard-working and dedicated youth. At 6pm Monday August 26, 2024, he was picked up by the Nigeria Police Force, NPF. He is a staff of the Iva Valley Bookshop located in the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, headquarters. His employment by the bookshop means he is guilty by association.

The police had raided the bookshop in the night of August 7, 2024 in search of Drew Povey, the bookshop owner. The NPF claims that Povey, a Briton, is the prime suspect “in numerous criminal activities across Nigeria and other African countries.”

Apparently, Abayomi could not help the police in their investigations nor implicate himself as a sponsor of protests in the country. Those who saw him three days later in police custody said he was in chains and had evidently been badly tortured.

Povey had returned to the United Kingdom on a scheduled trip three days before the police raid, so there was no way Abayomi could produce him.

Povey’s immediate family was in a similar dilemma. So members have suffered visitations by security agents. These include visits to the Stars of Nations Schools which the family runs and where Povey’s wife, Helen Batubo, is principal. On August 21, 2024, her home at Serenity Estate, Karshi, in Nasarawa State was raided.

Povey also claims the police raided his personal home: “The police smashed in the front gate and the back door of my house. They turned everything upside down and stole our television and my granddaughter’s bike. They then left the house unlocked for anyone to enter. Later, police were seen returning to try and trap my family.” He also claimed that in the various raids, the NPF had seized his books, photocopier and car.

Ms Batubo herself was invited and interrogated by the NPF on allegations of “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cyber crime.” These allegations carry life sentence.

The interrogations reveal that the main claim against Povey is that he is one of the foreign sponsors of protests in the country. Snippets also indicate that he is suspected of sponsoring the on-going civil war in Sudan which has claimed some 15, 000 lives, 33,000 injured with at least 10 million persons displaced or becoming refugees.

When in a phone interview, the National Record Newspapers asked Povey on the allegation of sponsoring the Sudanese conflict, he responded: “It is true that I worked as a secondary school teacher in what is now Sudan for a year. But this was 45 years ago and I have not visited the country since then.”

Povey has lived on and off Nigeria for about a quarter of a century now and what struck me about him is that he seems a conscientious investor who is committed to Nigeria. I reached this conclusion based on his investment in education, marriage to a Nigerian which technically should earn him citizenship, and of course, in running the Iva Valley Bookshop and Business Centre.

I am not surprised he is of interest to the security services given the fact that he is an enthusiastic leftist with an undisguised aversion to international agencies like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. These agencies have, since 1986, virtually dictated the economic direction of the country. This may make Povey appear like an enemy of the state.

I also find interesting the fact that he named his seven-year bookshop, Iva Valley. That is the coal mine where on Friday, November 18, 1949, British colonialists opened fire on striking coal miners. Twenty-one miners were killed and 51 others injured in the shootings. This became known as the Iva Valley Massacre. Apart from the international outcry it elicited, that event became the rallying point for nationalists.

Since independence, the political elites have tried to downplay that massacre and its significance in the anti-colonial struggles. Comrade Ola Oni, an outstanding radical, mentor of youths and conscientious intellectual, had tried to keep it alive by naming his popular bookshop in Bodija, Ibadan, Iva Valey Bookshop. But that seems to have collapsed after he passed away on December 22,1999.

The last time I met Povey and Abayomi at a public function was on July 19, 2024 when the proactive Political Science Department of the Bingham University organised a symposium to commemorate 50 years of the famous book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, written by the intellectual giant and political activist, Walter Rodney.

A salutary contribution by the duo at that occasion was to make the book available to all those who wanted copies. The price was low, as are most books the bookshop sells.

Let me add that it is not just Povey, Batubo and Abayomi that are being accused of these serious crimes. Others, like Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, are similarly accused. Also, six Polish students and a lecturer were arrested for allegedly taking part in the ‘End Hunger Protests’ in Kano and waving Russian flags while doing so. I felt ashamed that our security agents do not have the most basic knowledge of international relations. If their leaders do, they would have known how weird it is to accuse the Polish of carrying Russian flags. Good sense prevailed and the Polish were released after some weeks.

This liberal democratisation of these crimes remind me of the Abacha junta. In those days, any seeming dissident earned you an allegation of being “an accessory after the fact of treason”, and you are off to life jail. When the then Publisher of the The Sunday Magazine, TSM, said she doubted the veracity of an alleged coup by Colonel Lawan Gwadabe, she was sentenced to life.

When TheNews magazine reported that the Military Tribunal was setting some of the accused coup plotters free, one of its Editors, Kunle Ajibade, was tried as an accessory and received life sentence. Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, the leader of the Pro-Democracy Movement was suspected of being in possession of the defence statement of coup suspect, Colonel Bello Fadile. For this, he was tried as an accessory to treason and sentenced to life.

The security agencies should not return the country to those Babangida and Abacha junta days. They need to concentrate on the rampant cases of banditry, terrorism and kidnappings that have seized the country. They also need to win the trust of the citizenry, especially the youths, who can assist in fighting the true enemies of the state and ensure the protection of the country.

Let me draw the government’s attention to a reality. While it is dissipating energy searching universities, bookshops and bus stops, and, accusing Poles, Britons, Nigeriens and Nigerians in Diaspora of sponsoring the protests, hunger, the real sponsor, is hiding in plain sight.

A Caribbean, Freda Paulino Sideroff, who was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Nneora Abagana (Mother of All) in Anambra State has described her visit to Nigeria as homecoming, saying that her DNA shows that she is a true Igbo person.

Her visit to Nigeria was facilitated by the traditional prime minister of Abagana, Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze who is an American- based surgeon and former President of Anambra State Association in USA ( ASA-USA).

Freda, who is a descendant of the survivors from the genocide that was the largest in the Caribbean, was born in the country of Belize, the only English – speaking country in Latin America.

Speaking after the colourful ceremony performed by the traditional ruler of Abagana, Igwe Patrick Mbamalu Okeke, Freda said the culture of the people of Belize, her country, is the same as that of the Igbo.

“In my place, we eat cassava, yam, okro. Don’t I look like you?  I will like to come and build a house here because this is my root”, she said.

She said her tribe, Garifuna, is a marriage of cultures of West Africans who intermarried with Amerindians, specifically the Arawak and Carib Indians of the Amazon basin in South America. She added that they are also known in history books as the Black Caribs.

The Royal Father, who spoke through the Secretary of Abagana Royal Cabinet, Clems Ofoedu said: “Historically, culturally, and traditionally, Abagana has by this chieftaincy title, cemented cordial relationship with Nneora Queen Mother Freda Paulino Sideroff.

“The Abagana Royal Council is grateful to Onowu Abagana, Chief Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, the Traditional Prime Minister, for his dogged efforts in championing the course of Igbo nation globally.

“Nneora is now a bona fide citizen of Abagana. Abagana will continue to tap from your wealth of experience in cultures and traditions of Igbos scattered around the globe. More cooperation will be explored between Abagana and Garifuna in future.

“It is important to note that Freda’s Paulin ancestors did not experience slavery due to their resistance. Freda’s ancestors about 5000 people were banished/exiled to the desolate Island of Baliceaux abandoned and were left to die.

“Approximately 2500 resilient ancestors survived and were once again exiled, this perilous journey being abandoned on the coast of Roatan in Honduras.

“The mother of Freda’s grandfather, Henrietta Enriquez is Igbo, the father of her mother Rosenda Castillo is Felipa Castillo, while the mother of Freda’s mother Rosenda is Tikar. Freda’s father, Guadalupe Paulino is Akan.”

“Historically, culturally, and traditionally Abagana has cemented cordial relationship with Nneora Queen Mother Freda Paulino Sideroff. The Abagana Royal Council is grateful to Onowu Abagana, Chief Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, the Traditional Prime Minister, for his dogged efforts in championing the course of Igbo nation globally.

“Nneora is now a bona fide citizen of Abagana. Abagana will continue to tap from your wealth of experience in cultures and traditions of Igbos scattered around the globe. More cooperation will be explored between Abagana and Garifuna in future.

[Vanguard]

Seven years after his emergence as Nigeria’s military Head of State, in the third quarter of 1974, General Yakubu Gowon placed a telephone call to the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Taslim Elias. The subject matter of the call, according to Atanda Fatayi Williams, himself then a Justice of the Supreme Court (and future CJN) with whom the Chief Justice discussed the matter, was a complaint by the Head of State “about the manner in which the courts in the country were being used for the indiscriminate swearing of affidavits in which allegations of corruption were made against public functionaries.”

General Gowon’s agonistes had their origins in events in his home state, Benue-Plateau (as it was then known). First, he had been forced to let go of a trusted minister from his state, Joseph Tarka, after one Godwin Daboh Adzuana deposed to an affidavit with quite damaging allegations of corruption against the minister. Gowon’s call to the CJN followed in the wake of another affidavit sworn to this time by Aper Aku (who later became the first elected governor of Benue State in 1979) accusing the then military governor of Benue-Plateau State and Gowon’s relation, Joseph Gomwalk, of what Fatayi Williams later described as “corruption on a vast scale.”

Rather than address the allegations of corruption, the General sought the help of his Chief Justice to shut down the disclosures. In the then incumbent, Gowon found a Chief Justice who was willing to go beyond the call of the law to fulfill the importuning of his Chief of State. Following consultations with his peers at the Supreme Court, CJN Elias convened a meeting of the Advisory Judicial Committee (AJC), as the apex mechanism for judicial governance was then called. Led by the CJN, the membership of the AJC included the Attorney-General of the Federation, all the Chief Justices (as they were then called) and Grand Khadis of the States; as well as the President of the Federal Revenue Court.

This high judicial conclave decided unanimously that “except in connection with proceedings already pending, the courts would no longer allow affidavits to be sworn in court by aggrieved citizens.” Public reaction was immediate and understandably visceral to a decision which was unconcealed in its design to instrumentalize the judiciary in order to hide inconvenient facts on behalf of the regime in power. To make matters worse, the AJC could not cite any legal authority or basis for their decision. They were collectively the highest judicial figures in the country and their word represented the law, or so they thought. It was abuse of judicial power on a colossal scale. Judicial authority was shot and it is arguable that it never recovered.

When a new military regime overthrew General Gowon in July 1975, their narrative and rationale harked back to the corruption allegations and the desperation of the regime to procure a cover-up with the ex-cathedra assistance of the judiciary high command. An early casualty of the new regime was Chief Justice Elias whom they forced to abdicate. They also took the hacksaw to judicial tenure, retiring senior judges compulsorily.

Then as now the judiciary in Nigeria was the author of its own defenestration. The real scandal then was that the decision to foreclose disclosure of inconvenient facts in affidavits occurred without dissent among the AJC. It showed the regimental and cloistered tendencies of the herd at their finest, even one comprising people claiming to be learned.

The best that can be said of the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, is that he well and truly defanged the judiciary. When he was not in Port Harcourt cavorting with Nyesom Wike and his Group of Five Governors so-called; he was in Abuja dreaming us schemes to jump his next available family member or political satrap into a judicial sinecure. The unanimity of sentiment at his departure went beyond shame-faced relief.

Monday Phillips Ekpe writes delicately that the judiciary that Olukayode Ariwoola left behind made a habit of “rubbishing its own touted image” with “embarrassing and rampant unpredictability of judgments.” Onikekpo Braithwaite complains less delicately of a judiciary overcome by “mounting allegations of corruption, as well as the menace of conflicting judgments.” The Board of Editors of the Punch newspaper sadly acknowledge the reality of a judiciary characterized by “pervasive corruption” and of courts which “have become houses of rot and victims of state capture…. At 75 per cent, the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission have the lowest public trust among Nigerians.”

On the back of this chastening diagnosis, many senior lawyers have stepped in with a rich and telling bouquet of recommendations for the new CJN, running the gamut from the platitudinous to the patronizing and everything in between. Former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), desires reforms that are both “transformational and radical.” As part of that menu, one of his later successors, Augustine Alegeh (SAN), wants attention to “delays in the dispensation of justice and the uncertainty of the judgments of our courts.”

These references to “uncertainty” in or “conflicting”  judgments are coinages deployed by lawyers to avoid saying that some judgments are corrupt on their face. That, sadly, is the state of the courts that the new Chief Justice inherits. Indeed, a panel of the Court of Appeal has recently been constrained to describe as “scandalous” a High Court shielding former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, from criminal proceedings.

But that is only a tip of the proverbial iceberg. In this state of transition in the highest judicial office in the land, three words of caution are useful.

First, a CJN in search of a legacy needs clear priorities. Many of the suggestions to the new Chief Justice focus on institutional or administrative re-design. In reality, however, the principal problem that ails Nigeria’s judicial system is that the guardrails and incentives for ethical judicial service have been destroyed by a concert of senior judicial figures, senior lawyers and senior politicians. Reversing this needs a new coalition for public good in the judiciary. Without a re-engineering of the incentive structure, every effort at institutional re-design is bound to collapse. That begins with attention to appointment, preferment, accountability and discipline. Restoring consequences for judicial malfeasance will be key.

Second, a reverse engineering of the political capture of the Nigerian judicial system is essential. Evidence of this political capture is seen daily in the implausible decisions and improbable orders that issue in most cases of partisan political salience; in the speed with which such cases are assigned priority to the exclusion of the regular judicial docket; and in the improbable consistency in the line-up of judicial actors involved in these judicial concatenations. If politicians find themselves regularly before courts that are no longer beholden to their blandishments, they may be forced to rethink their approach to politics.

Third, a CJN who desires a constructive legacy must know whom to avoid. With some exceptions – such as the aforementioned Olisa Agbakoba and Augustine Alegeh – many senior lawyers who are now crawling out of the woodworks were nowhere to be seen or heard from when the immediate past CJN was busy wreaking havoc. If anything, some of them could be described with some justification as having been part of his enablers. Much of what emanates from these kinds of sources at this time could be at best self-serving. A CJN who desires to succeed needs to seriously avoid occupational intimacy with these kind.

A Chief Justice who seeks to accomplish any of these will encounter challenges. One who desires to accomplish all may even struggle to survive in office. Such could be the extent of the political pushback. But that is why the task of reforming Nigeria’s judicial system is now clearly well beyond the technocratic or professional incest of lawyers and judges. It is now political and only a Chief Justice willing to enlist citizens in that urgent task can scratch the surface.

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

As the September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election approaches, the political landscape is heating up. However, a concerning trend has emerged: the reluctance of some candidates to engage directly with the electorate. This piece examines the current state of affairs and argues for the critical importance of open dialogue between candidates and voters.

The Frontrunners

Three candidates have emerged as the most visible in this race:

1. Asue Ighodalo

Background
– Full Name: Asuerinme Ighodalo
– Origin: Okaigben, Ewohimi, Esan South East LGA, Edo State, Nigeria
– Profession: Lawyer and Politician

Professional Experience
– Founding partner of Banwo-and-Ighodalo law firm
– Specializes in Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, Energy & Natural Resources, Mergers & Acquisitions, Banking & Securitization, and Project Finance
– Former Chairman of Sterling Bank
– Former Director at the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA)
– Former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG)

Legal Expertise
– Corporate and commercial law practice
– Advises major corporations on various aspects of business law

Political Aspirations
– Candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election

2. Monday Okpebholo

Background
– Born: August 29, 1970
– **Origin**: Udomi-Uwessan community of Irrua, Esan Central LGA, Edo State

Education
– Primary: Udomi Community Primary School, Uwesan Irrua
– Secondary: Ujabhole Community Secondary School, Uwesan Irrua; completed in Jos, Plateau State
– Tertiary:
– Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, University of Abuja
– Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Policy and Leadership Studies, University of Abuja

Political Career
– Elected Senator for Edo Central senatorial district (February 25, 2023)
– Inaugurated into the 10th National Assembly of Nigeria (June 13, 2023)
– Won the Edo State APC gubernatorial primary election (February 2024)

Political Aspirations
– Candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election. Okpebholo has notably been less visible in direct media engagements compared to his counterparts.

3. Olumide Akpata

Background
– Full Name: Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata
– Born: October 7, 1972
– Origin: Edo South Senatorial district, Edo State
– Profession: Legal Practitioner and Politician

Professional Experience
– Former senior partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial Practice Group at Templars law firm
– Resigned on August 31, 2023, to pursue partisan politics
– Elected president of the Nigerian Bar Association in July 2020
– First non-Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 28 years to hold this position

Notable Activities
– Hosted “KingsWeek 2023” with the Old Boys Association, King’s College, Lagos (September 2023)
– Met with the School Captain of King’s College for the 2023/2024 Academic Session

Political Aspirations
– Pursuing partisan politics (as of August 2023)
– Candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election

The Crux of the Matter

While Ighodalo and Akpata have been actively engaging with the media and participating in debates, Senator Okpebholo’s approach has been markedly different. His reluctance to speak directly to the public and media has raised eyebrows and sparked debate both within Edo State and across Nigeria.

Instead, Okpebholo has relied on proxies to speak on his behalf. Most prominently, former Edo State governor and current Senator for Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has stepped into the fray. However, Oshiomhole’s recent track record in such endeavors is questionable. His attempts to promote APC candidate Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu in the 2020 election backfired spectacularly, largely due to Oshiomhole’s previous criticisms of Ize-Iyamu.

A Media Misstep

The situation came to a head on August 29, 2024, during an Arise News Morning Show interview with APC state chairman Jaret Tenebe. The interview, painful to watch, began with host Reuben Abati offering to accommodate Senator Okpebholo in any language of his choice, including pidgin or Edo language. This opening, while pointed, underscored the growing frustration with Okpebholo’s absence from public discourse.

Tenebe’s attempts to justify his candidate’s media absence were not only unconvincing but also insulting to the people of Edo State. His claims that Edo residents can’t afford cable TV or data, and that they aren’t enlightened or interested in television, are grossly out of touch with reality.

Edo State: A Hub of Education and Enlightenment

Contrary to Tenebe’s assertions, Edo State boasts a rich educational heritage and an informed populace.

Education in Edo State

Edo State has made significant strides in education through its EdoBEST (Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation) program. This initiative has revolutionized learning outcomes for over 370,000 children across the state, encompassing:

– 1,029 public primary schools
– 232 junior secondary schools

The EdoBEST program demonstrates Edo State’s commitment to improving educational standards and preparing its youth for the future.

The Need for Apologies and Direct Engagement

Tenebe and the APC owe the people of Edo State an unreserved apology for these disparaging remarks. Furthermore, an apology is due to Arise News for questioning its viewership, especially given Tenebe’s own appearance on the platform.

Conclusion

As we approach this crucial election, it is imperative that all candidates engage directly with the electorate. The people of Edo State deserve to see, hear, and evaluate their potential leaders firsthand. Proxies and spokespeople cannot substitute for the candidates themselves in this vital democratic process.

The citizens of Edo State are educated, enlightened, and eager to participate in their governance. It’s time for all candidates to respect this fact and step into the public arena, ready to debate, discuss, and share their visions for the future of Edo State.

Aledeh is a journalist/Arise News Anchor and writes from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.

On Saturday September 21, Edo State voters will have another opportunity to elect their governor who would be sworn in into office on November 12 for a term of four years in the first instance. The campaign season is on, and the frontline candidates jostling for prominence are Dr. Asue Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Olumide Akpata of the Labour party (LP).

The winner of the election will take the leadership baton from the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, who has been in charge for two terms of eight years – first, on the platform of APC for his first term, and PDP for his second term.

As I have argued in the past, every state in Nigeria ought to be an economic powerhouse – just like Lagos State that can survive without the monthly revenue allocation from Abuja – and attract investors, business leaders, entrepreneurs, conference delegates, visitors, tourists, students, and so on.

If all the 36 states and the FCT, Abuja, can transform into centres of commerce, enterprise and innovation, Nigeria could easily become a one trillion dollar economy. What is required of our governors is to provide visionary and exemplary leadership.

This is my major area of focus and interest in the upcoming governorship election. Edo people want a governor who can create wealth and prosperity through innovation and the power of big ideas.

So which of the three candidates has the capacity, competence, wide network, goodwill, global appeal and experience to build a first-world economy for Edo State? Who is the best fit for the job? Who can Edo people – both at home and in the diaspora – trust to lead them for the next four years?

Edo people who have been engaged in nuanced conversations on this matter, are very discerning and enlightened. I am confident they will make the right choice by voting for the candidate who will make their lives better.

Historically, Edo State has been under PDP leadership until Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole became the governor as APC candidate in 2008 after a court process upheld his electoral victory. However, as Edo people cast their votes on September 21, they must look before they leap. They should shine their eyes!

I have monitored public speeches by the key political actors in all the parties. But I am worried about the egregious comments by Senator Adams Oshiomhole who, ordinarily, should be an elder statesman and leader from Edo State.

Maybe he does not know, but Oshiomhole is undermining his own candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo. Comrade Oshiomhole keeps scoring own goals to the detriment of APC. He announced to the whole world that Dr. Ighodalo, candidate of the PDP, has no home in Ewohimi, his home town. That is a lie from the pit of hell.

He also said that Dr. Ighodalo refused to sleep in Ewohimi after a campaign stop because of “witches and wizards.” Isn’t that an outlandish statement from a political leader? What he tried to do was to de-market Dr. Ighodalo, denigrate Esan people in general and Ewohimi indigenes in particular. He should be told that such comments have political consequences.

In 24 years since 1999, the political leadership in Edo State had been shared between Edo North and Edo South regions. Oshiomhole (from the Edo North region) was governor for eight years while Edo South produced two governors (Lucky Igbinedion and Godwin Obaseki) for 16 years.

In their own wisdom, some of the political leaders believed that political power should shift to the Edo Central region in 2024. But Senator Oshiomhole spearheaded a campaign for Honourable Dennis Idahosa – his favourite from Edo South – to be the candidate of APC, thereby ignoring Esan people. But the plan backfired. Clearly, Oshiomhole did not support the idea initially for the Esan Central region to produce the next governor of Edo State. Esan people have not forgotten that slight.

President Bola Tinubu had to intervene for peace to reign in the party. A second primary, after a stakeholders’ meeting with President Tinubu in Abuja, was conducted in Benin City which produced Senator Monday Okpebholo as the party’s candidate. Hon Idahosa who was initially declared the winner of the primaries before the peace meeting in Abuja, was picked as his running mate. It was a necessary compromise to pacify Idahosa.

Comrade Oshiomhole, a former Chairman of APC and acclaimed leader of the party in Edo State, alongside his backers, tried every trick in his playbook to frustrate Governor Obaseki’s second term bid, but he failed. When Edo people launched “Edo no be Lagos” campaign in 2020, it was a protest response to the well-funded gang-up against Obaseki by the leading political actors in APC.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu, a great political strategist in his own right, lost on both counts. It is fair to concede that Oshiomhole backed Obaseki fully to become governor for his first term in office, but they fell apart and became adversaries. That was also what happened between Obaseki and Philip Shaibu, his erstwhile political ally.

But you never know the ways of politicians; they can be enemies during the daytime and become friends at night. It’s all politics; that is how they roll.

I have provided this backstory to prove that Senator Oshiomhole cannot be trusted: he is neither helping his party nor their candidate with his unguarded public utterances. Should the Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District be the one to tell the whole world that Betsy, the wife of Governor Obaseki, is childless?

That was another own goal by Oshiomhole as he mocked Betsy for being childless and not adopting children with her husband. Can you just imagine how a man who was a leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); former governor of Edo State and now serving senator would descend to the level of gutter politics. To prove what point?

Oshiomhole’s reckless and perfidious statement set the social media on fire, and I hope he is able to quench the fire. He actually owes Godwin Obaseki and his wife a public apology.

Betsy did not mention anyone by name when she said Dr. Ighodalo, the PDP candidate, is the only one who has a wife. Betsy made the comment when she introduced Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, the wife of Dr. Ighodalo, during a campaign rally at Ubiaja.

But trust Comrade Oshiomhole who has become the spokesman of Senator Okpebholo to step forward to defend him. Why can’t Okpebholo speak for himself? At this rate, we do not even know who the APC governorship candidate is: Okpebholo or Oshiomhole?

Senator Oshiomhole has been pitching Senator Okpebholo to Edo people as the best man for the job of governor. Is he? I don’t think so. Nonetheless, I respect his rights to vie for any political office. Since Comrade Oshiomhole is more or less the face of his campaign, Senator Okpebholo would really have to work hard with less than three weeks to the election to convince Edo people to vote for him.

I have watched Dr. Asue Ighodalo and Olumide Akpata on television explaining their plans for Edo people, but I have not seen Senator Monday Okpebholo on any TV channel. What could be the problem?

Dr. Reuben Abati, anchor of The Morning Show on Arise News, announced more than once that Senator Okpebholo should appear on the programme for an interview in Pidgin English or Esan language with a translator to boot if speaking in English was the issue. Was that meant to be a joke?

If Senator Okpebholo is not ready to appear on a TV show to explain his manifesto, how is he going to talk to Edo people as governor? How can he be taken seriously? Will Oshiomhole or the other surrogates be the ones speaking for him? Although politics is a game of numbers, optics, perception management, messaging and nuance are also critical factors. I struggle to see Okpebholo speak on the floor of the Senate.

Olumide Akpata (Olu D) of the Labour Party brought a breath of fresh air in his political communication and engagement style, but we cannot run away from the fact that PDP and APC are still the dominant political parties in view of their legacies, spending power, political engineering experience and voting blocs. LP is still new to the game.

The power of incumbency will also be a strong factor in the political and power calculus in the upcoming election and Edo people know where the pendulum will swing to.

A dip-stick survey by an independent group revealed that Edo people are concerned primarily about their well-being which has been seriously affected by the current economic hardship. They cited increasing hunger amid the rising cost of goods and services, insecurity, development of infrastructure, job opportunities, and access to quality healthcare.

Edo people also want a strong leader that they can trust to build a vibrant economy. One way the local economy can grow is through destination marketing. For example, Wimbledon, Berlin Marathon, Rio Carnival, Dubai World Cup, Monaco Grand Prix, Paris-Dakar rally and the Lagos Marathon are globally recognised elements of destination marketing and city branding.

In Edo State, Ogbe Hard Court, the famous international tennis tournament, can be revived. Other initiatives such as the Edo Cycling Tour – similar to the Tour de France in concept and execution – can also be launched. Apart from its rich cultural heritage, Edo State has important sites and landmarks that can boost tourism. For example, the Ososo Carnival in Akoko Edo LGA can be turned into a huge touristic showcase, capable of attracting hordes of visitors.

In a previous article, I explained that revenue can be generated by state governments from the assets that they host (rental income), in addition to significant commercial opportunities in music, film and entertainment, arts and culture, real estate development, hospitality, aviation, ground transportation, clothing and foot wear, furniture, agriculture, and technology by building ICT hubs for our vibrant youth population.

As we count down to September 21, I wish to project from available data that Dr. Asue Ighodalo would be the winner of the governorship poll in a free and fair election because he is the best man for the job based on his excellent track record of performance.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has its job well cut out. I expect them to rise up to the occasion. I am also banking on the security agencies to be vigilant and ensure that electoral violence and malpractices such as ballot-box snatching are checkmated.    

Braimah is a communications strategist and publisher/editor-in-chief of Naija Times (https://ntm.ng)and Lagos Post (https://lagospost.ng). He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..