How long have you been in this condition? Tell me. The sick man near the Pool of Bethesda spent 38 years in his own condition and had enough reasons not to expect healing and they were all facts. He was very ill and could not get up. He could not help himself and had no body to help him. And worst, he was also in the midst of other helpless and hopeless individuals – the sick, the blind, the paralyzed, the lame, etc. My God! Group, congregation of invalids! A family of desperate, terminally sick people and their depressed and exhausted relations – most waiting to die. Just imagine what that kind of gathering would look like - the groaning, the sighing, the cries, the prayers, the hopeless looks, the wounds, the bandages, the stench, the anxieties and the struggles to rush into the water first for the healing. The angel of the LORD only visited once in a while and only the first sick that had people to help them into the pool would receive healing. And after that the long wait continues until the angel visits again. And because of these facts and the long years in this condition, the man had totally lost hope of ever getting well again. Have you lost hope? He was virtually waiting to die. True. And he promptly presented these facts to Jesus. But what happen? Jesus ignored them and healed him! Yes, the medical facts of your condition are there - the proof, the tests, the opinions of the experts. Yes, they are incontrovertible. But the Master is bypassing, overruling then today!

    God overrules facts and conditions. He overrules worst situations and best opinions. And that is why he is Sovereign. Now listen to him today, “I am God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me to do?” No! He is the creator of the heavens and earth. He is the maker and controller of life and death. Nobody, nothing dies or lives without his knowledge and approval. We are told that not even a bird out of the billions can drop from the skies without his knowledge. He is the beginning and the end. He is the maker of all the things you see and all those that you cannot see. Everything, every power, every condition, every situation, every spirit and flesh bows to him. He is the Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega – nothing exits or happened without him. He is the great healer and with him nothing is impossible. He is the great physician. Even the best of the doctors always agree that they treat, but it is only God that heals. Praise God! So why do you still think that nothing can be done about your condition? Why do you think you will not be healed now as you read this message? Tell me. The same Jesus that healed the 38 year old sickness will meet you today!

   Even if your condition is worse than that man’s, it cannot match with the case of Lazarus that had already been buried for four days and was expected to have started decaying. After death sometimes, miracles can still happen. But once somebody is buried, then, it is finished. But Jesus defied this natural and eternal order by calling up Lazarus from the grave! As you read this, every power of grave around you will be broken in the mighty name of Jesus! I like the encounter Lazarus’ sister Martha and Jesus had at his graveside. Listen, “Roll the stone aside,’ Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, said, ‘Lord, by now the smell will be terrible because he has been dead for four days.’ Jesus responded, ‘Didn’t I tell you that you will see God’s glory if you believe.” John 11.39. Is your situation already buried and smelling? Roll away that unbelieving stone and receive your miracle today. Yes, it was a fact that he has been buried for days and all hope lost, the body expected to be decaying already, etc. But Jesus still ordered the stone to be rolled away because Lazarus must come forth. Every stone holding back your healing and miracle must be rolled away today in the name of Jesus! He made the man, the grave, the life and death, the stones, so he can afford to manipulate and manoeuvre them at will. God does not care how long, how smelly, how stinking or how impossible your situation looks. The most important thing now is that he wants to make you a testimony so that his name will be glorified. In fact, the messier the condition, the more glorious the testimony will become. He has waited till now so that your story and testimony will be complete to his glory. Your story is becoming your testimony!

In every government or institution, there is a corresponding invisible hand that remote-controls its affairs with immense influence over decision-making process, predominantly on matters of interest.  In most cases, while the head, and perhaps, the kitchen cabinet, may be aware of this imperceptible parallel, it is mostly unknown to other members of the team, who ignorantly, believe that the administration’s decisions are without external interference. 

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) is a victim of this invisible hand.  The head of the Commission, and possibly, his inner caucus, are not oblivious of its presence and interference, but may be unknown to other members of staff.  By conferring the power to appoint the Chairman of the Commission on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, law makers, have unwittingly, created an invisible hand for the EFCC.  The invisible hand is the President, and by extension, the Presidency. 

Section 2 (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004, clearly states that “the Chairman and members of the Commission, other than ex-officio members, shall be appointed by the President”, and the appointment shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate.

By this Act, the EFCC was delivered as a bondservant from inception, lacking autonomy and courage to function effectively outside the grip and body language rhythm of its master, the President.  And since the head of the Commission occupies the driver’s seat, obeying all traffic regulations as beamed by the President, liberty is replaced with dependency.  

Under this circumstance, what courage can the Commission’s Chairman muster to prosecute the President’s loyalists without upsetting his ego and sensibilities?  This is the burden of the EFCC.  Until the power to appoint the Chairman of the Commission is removed from the President, the head of EFCC will continue to operate under dominance and influence of the President, doing his bid and covertly yielding to his whims and caprices, without ethical courage to act otherwise.  

No matter how committed and sincerely intentional the Chairman of EFCC may be, his drive for efficiency is weakened by presidential interference.  Even if angels are imported from heaven, or heads of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States of America (USA) are redeployed to manage the EFCC, their competence would be undermined by effect of the President.  

This finds expression in the crux of allusions to EFCC’s selective war against financial crime and money laundry in the country.  The public must recognize that the President is first, and foremost, a politician, who came to power on the ticket of his political party.  He has his loyalists and those who supported the process of his ascension to power.  Besides political affiliates, some of these stalwarts permeate both the critical public and private sectors.

As a politician who sets his eyes on consolidation and re-election, the President may want to stand with his loyalists during moment of travails, as part of reciprocation gesture for sustained support.  By this action, he stifles the power of the Commission to effectively go after real and powerful perpetrators of financial crime and money laundry in the country, making the Commission’s Chairman helpless without courage to step on toes for fear of being removed from office.  The President also has the power to suspend or remove the Chairman of the Commission.

Evidently, circumstances that had led to sack of all past chairmen of EFCC could be linked to invisible hand of the President.  To avoid this route, EFCC handles high profile cases deemed to have ties with the President with caution, classifying them as persons with blue blood in their veins.  This is the trouble with EFCC, and why it is unable to effectively wage war against financial crimes and money laundry.  

Most ex-governors, ministers and other political and business big wigs that have been prosecuted and convicted till date are those with either weak link or fallen out of favour with the President.  An example were former governors of Delta State, James Ibori, and Bayelsa state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha (now late), whose demand for resource control irked the then President, General Olusegun Obasanjo.  The former President believed that the ex-governors were source of funding for the defunct Niger Delta agitation group, the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), and consequently activated the invisible hand which compelled the EFCC to cut the former governors to size. 

EFCC now tread with caution without discretionary initiative, constraining itself mainly to petitions received from the public, as against initiating and executing investigations on suspected individuals, and organisations, particularly those that are prone to financial crimes and money laundry.  The ministries, agencies, departments of government (MDAs), legislature, judiciary and the organized private sector, are black spots.    

The Nigerian environment is fraught with financial crime and money laundry, particularly the political space, yet, EFCC pretends not to know.  Politics is a big industry and quick source of unearned income where people become multi-millionaires or billionaires overnight just by participation in politics or serving in the Executive, Legislature or the Judiciary.  For example, National Assembly members who carryout oversight functions in various MDAs and private sector, also double as contractors to these same organisations, despite conflict of interest.  The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is replete with such unethical practices, yet, EFCC feigns ignorance.

Why is EFCC not interrogating legislators on padding of budgets?  Why is EFCC not putting spotlight on MDAs’ budgets, matching line items against executed projects?   Why is EFCC not looking at state governors and how they abuse Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) remittances, including security votes and derivation funds?  

Despite admitting that Nigerian banks perpetrate about 70 per cent of financial crimes in the country, why is EFCC not quizzing banks’ chief executive officers (CEOs) over questionable funds’ inflow, foreign exchange manipulation, and round tripping?  According to the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), financial institutions in Nigeria collectively lost about N159 billion to fraud since 2020, yet, EFCC has not deemed it necessary to initiate any probe.  Why are key operators and players in the Nigerian capital market not being investigated over unlawful manipulation of stock prices?

Besides, since crude oil exports constitute about two-third earnings, and over 90% of foreign exchange revenue of government, why is EFCC not extending its investigation into crude oil exports to determine possible mismatch between actual production and revenue receipts?  Also, why are suspected financiers of terrorism and kidnapping not being investigated and prosecuted for money laundry?  

Sadly, since the formation of EFCC, corruption, including financial crimes and money laundry, have been on the upward swing.  This is contrary to the intention of the originators, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Money Laundering, an intergovernmental organization created by the Group of Seven (G7).

The purpose of the FATF was to use the EFCC to reinforce global war against money laundering, particularly at a time Nigeria was listed among 23 countries that were not supportive of the war against money laundering.  Response to this challenge led to establishment of the Commission through the EFCC Act, which further expanded the scope to include terrorism financing and, economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.  

With flourishing corruption menace, and by extension, financial crimes in the public and private sectors, the environment is fertile enough to keep EFCC fully engaged.  But, so far, its efforts are not commensurate with current depth and density of financial fraud in the country.  Except those that are endorsed by the invisible hand for thorough investigation, high profile cases with real negative impact on the economy are either deliberately overlooked or mismanaged.  

Prosecuting yahoo internet fraudsters with no powerful links to authorities together with persons involved in spraying of naira notes are inadequate to justify EFCC’s existence.  In the absence of any underpinning motive to use them as defence mechanism to showcase the Commission’s efforts at fighting financial crimes, these categories of offenders should be left for the Nigeria Police Force to handle. 

To rid the country of illicit wealth and growing corruption, Nigeria must review the process leading to the appointment and removal of the Chairman of EFCC in order to insulate the office from the influence and covert control of the President.  This is imperative given the country’s low political culture.   

Dr. Mike Owhoko, Lagos-based public policy analyst, author, and journalist, can be reached at www.mikeowhoko.com, and followed on X {formerly Twitter} @michaelowhoko.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk of international corporations leaving Nigeria, presumably because of the alleged difficult business environment caused by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's policies since he took office on May 29, 2023. Some Nigerians, particularly those from opposing parties, have been making a big deal out of it on conventional and social media, as if an apocalypse had occurred in Nigeria.


Consider the situation of Guinness Nigeria, where a significant portion of Diageo, a European investor, was sold to the Tolaram Group, a Singapore-based company.Has anyone asked if our country has suffered any losses as a result of Diageo shares changing hands in Guinness Nigeria between two (2) investors?Isn't that what happens every day on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) when stocks are traded?

The only difference in my opinion is the size of the shares swapped between the prior and subsequent owners, which is 58.2% and that is huge. In truth, this may have been a merger and acquisition, as is customary in the financial services industry. So what's all the fuss about?

According to historical documents , Diageo's formation began in 1997, when Guinness amalgamated with food and beverage distributor Grand Metropolitan PLC. The $15.8 billion transaction went successfully, and the two firms combined under the name Diageo.

Data from Finance.yahoo.com reveals DIAGEO's ownership.
The leading institutional holders of the stock are:

(1)Bank of America Corporation , $5.1M for 664,620,064 shares.
(2)FMR, LLC $4.84M for631,245,335 shares.
(3)Morgan Stanley, $2.6M for 339,179,731 shares
(4)Clear Bridge Investments, LLC, $2.35m

Thus, what transpired with the share sales and purchases between Diageo and the Tolaram group is simply business as usual, and nothing suspicious in my opinion. Please take note that all of Diageo's institutional investors are investment banks and entreprises based in Europe and north America.

Interestingly, other multinational corporations that have made waves moving out of Nigeria during the last ten years—and not just in the one year under President Bola Tinubu's leadership—are mainly American and European companies, ranging from Proctor & Gamble in Ibadan to GSK in Lagos.

That is to say, a pattern has been gradually developing over time without the system noticing. And guess what foreign companies have been stepping in to fill the void left by American and European companies? Asian companies. These include both Chinese and Indian corporations. Even Singaporean and Lebanese firms have presence in the list.

An Asian company that specialises in sanitary products for adults and children, similar to Proctor & Gamble, is currently in the process of opening a factory to cover the void left by P&G's withdrawal. Just before Tolaram Group acquired Diageo's stake in Guinness Nigeria, a group of Nigerian investors, Renaissance Group had purchased SHELL's onshore holdings when the British and Dutch-owned oil giant made the decision to shift its activities to the offshore market and stay there solely.

The choice to limit operations to the offshore sector is thought to have been made in order to avoid the problems that arise from subpar work or a failure to uphold corporate social responsibility, which can lead to environmental damage from careless exploration and subsequent exploitation of the oil resources in the Niger Delta, which in turn can cause unrest that exacerbates the ongoing instability in the area.

The building sector has experienced similar events to those that have recently transpired in the oil and gas and manufacturing sectors.Since Europe was the continent that first colonised Africa, the majority of the continent's businesses and infrastructure are either owned or run by partners in Europe or America. That is because of the transition from colonialism to neo-colonialism by the Europeans that ruled Africa.

The colonialists used their contractors to construct roads, bridges, railways, airports, seaports, and notable architectural projects throughout Africa. Most of that occurred in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, and it's possible that it continued until 2000. But the entry of Asian companies into the market has made them less competitive.
While those opposed to the economic reforms claiming that our country is down and has no hope of being resuscitated, using the analogy of whether a glass is half empty or half full, as a patroit my optics is that the glass is half full for very good reasons.
In my opinion—I lack scientific support for this—it seems as though Asian companies have been displacing Western companies over the last 20 years or so.

The building companies from France, Italy, and Germany that once controlled the Nigerian construction market are nowhere to be found.Currently in decline, Chinese and other Asian companies are displacing them.Who are the Chinese building all the major airports in Nigeria? Which Chinese companies are revitalising our rail networks?

Who in Lekki, Lagos, constructed a brand-new deep-water port in a comparatively short amount of time? the Chinese people. Examine the skylines of Lagos and other major Nigerian cities to determine whose construction companies are constructing the tall buildings: Chinese, Singaporean, and Lebanese companies, not European or American companies as was previously the case.

Indians are firmly establishing themselves in the information technology and pharmaceutical industries, much like the Chinese are dominating the construction of railroads, airports, and seaports throughout Africa, including Nigeria.

In my opinion, if a research is done to determine whether there has actually been a loss since the departure of companies like GSK and P&G, among others, I doubt that it will not show that the Asian companies that took their place have increased employment and increased the GDP of our nation.

I am issuing a challenge to everyone who disagrees with President Tinubu's current reforms, citing their reasons for the departure of companies like GSK and P&G as well as Diageo's sale of 58.2% of its shares to the Tolaram group, to carry out or commission a study to support their claims.

It should be the mission of PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Ernst and Yong, and other multinational research firms—including the native Nairamatrics—that take pleasure in being purveyors of business statistics to disprove or validate the assertion.

Based only on trend analysis, my educated guess is that after around 64 years of Nigeria's political independence from Britain, the continent is only now experiencing true economic independence.

Even though Nigeria gained its independence in 1960 and the British removed the Union Jack, neo-colonialism—the next stage of colonialism—persisted, with European and British corporations controlling the private sector and even holding a vice grip on governments.

The Ogoni land oil exploration catastrophe, which resulted in the execution of environmental rights campaigner Ken Saro-Wiwa and the iconic Ogoni 9 tragedy, was one such instance involving SHELL Nigeria. It is no secret that multinationals like as GSk and P&G run their activities out of their headquarters in New York and London.


Why couldn't the companies, which have been repatriating profits to their home countries over the years, be given some funds to get them through the rough patch caused by the ongoing reforms in Nigeria that have made it slightly more difficult to repatriate funds, if they were facing difficulties due to their high cost structure or restricted access to foreign exchange to procure raw materials?

In actuality, the companies that departed Nigeria have been dependent on Nigeria to finance their operations. But because of the country's current shaky financial services sector as a result of ongoing reforms, they have taken flight.

This is demonstrated by the elimination of the petrol subsidy, which has caused production costs to soar; the effort to harmonise the dual foreign exchange rates, which up until now had encouraged arbitrage; and, last but not least, the exorbitant increase in the electricity tariff for the so-called Band A consumers, which is, in a sense, the straw that broke the camel's back.

Due to all of the aforementioned circumstances, those businesses were forced to dissolve when they realised that things in Nigeria were no longer as they had been. Maybe when they modify their business models, they will be back shortly.

However, from the way those opposed to the ongoing reforms present the conglomerates' exit, it appears as though the companies were charity organisations founded by USAID or Oxfam to protect Nigerians from starvation, similar to how Sir Bob Geldorf founded Band-Aid in the 1980s to help raise money to aid starving people in the Horn of Africa.

Not to be overlooked, the goals of GSK and P&G are to generate revenue for their stockholders. Why should we lament their departure if their business models are no longer effective for them in Nigeria as they once were and they have made the decision to leave?
Bearing in mind the hostility of international oil companies denying access to crude oil for refining in Dangote refinery as recently alledged by Alh. Aliko Dangote, and the rough time that Mr Allen Onyema’s Airpeace had in flying Nigerians at reduced fare to London, a lucrative route hitherto monopolized by British airlines, European businesses in Nigeria appear to be lossing their competive edge and figting dirty.
It is important to remember that the main telecom companies from Europe and America showed no interest in Nigeria when the country was unbundling its telecom industry a little more than 20 years ago. However, the licences were obtained by Econet, a Zimbabwean network, and MTN, a South African network. Together with Globacom, a network that is exclusively owned by a Nigerian, these three networks have been controlling the market for more than 200 million users.

Following the successful privatisation, American and European businesses have been vying for a share of the pie.A similar situation occurred in the energy sector, when no significant European businesses expressed interest at the time it was unbundled . But because of the industry changes brought about by the 2023 Electricity Act, companies like Siemens of Germany, who previously shied away from making large investments in Nigeria's power sector, are now keeping a close eye on our nation.

GSK, P&G, and other companies should definitely make a comeback to Nigeria sooner rather than later, since the country's population of over 200 million makes it impossible to overlook. I can bet that if GSK and P&G had put up their firms for sale as Shell and Diageo did, local Nigerian entrepreneurs could have acquired them.
It is in the spirit of global south-south co-operation that investments are now flowing more easily between them. With President Tinubu’s recent stringent efforts at wooing investors from the Middle East when he toured Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates, UAE and Qatar, Arab investors may also sooner than later set their sights on Nigeria.
I've heard comments in the media claiming that Asian and Chinese companies that are taking the place of departing European and American companies don't adhere to good corporate governance norms.

When SHELL Nigeria perpetrated the crimes on Ogoni territory that the international court in The Hague eventually managed to force it to clean up and is still pursuing, was it not obligated by the highly regarded corporate governance rules in its home countries of England and the Netherlands?

The reality is that Singaporeans, Chinese, or Indians no longer lack strong standards for corporate governance. They are active in the American and European markets as a result of their engagements in those markets, so they are conversant with the standards and their economies are flourishing.

Since no Asian companies have been found guilty when it comes to environmental abuse, such as the Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria has been adjudged guilty of environmental degredation of the Niger delta , there is no proof of that claim that they are too slack in that respect.
Based on my experience, corporate governance regulations are typically raised during the administration of contracts and hiring processes in European and American backed multinationals .

In any case, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is doing a fairly good job of regulating publicly quoted firms, and Nigerian extractive industries regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector are expected to keep a close eye on industries in that sector to ensure that there is not a corporate governance void left by exiting firms with origin from Western countries.

To sum up, I think the current reforms are good and have the potential to create a new Nigeria.I am fully aware of the extreme problems we are all facing as a result of the shockingly high cost of living brought on by the policy to remove subsidies.

We are all on the same boat, navigating the waves of the high cost of living. To get the ship to the land, all hands must be on deck, thus we should all make efforts even it is tiny to support one another in order to survive without depending solely on government. Let's engage in recreational farming in the yards around our homes during our free time. We may produce basic crops like tomatoes and vegetables, which are currently expensive, before insecurity concerns that forced our farmers to abandon their operations and the cause of the food scarcity is resolved.

While one supports the government's call for Nigerian farmers to return to their fields, it is imperative that it first provide sufficient protection to stop the evil ambassadors from abducting more of our hardworking farmers.

Prioritising the use of advanced technology in the fight against insecurity is vital, as is increasing the involvement of sociologists and psychologists in a non-kinetic manner to counteract the criminality that seems to be taking over our nation.
There has been an enormous dependence on military actions to counter the threat up to an elephant size , while the soft approach has been treated with an ant size effort.

Barack Obama, a former US president, once cautioned, "Just because we have a big hammer doesn't mean we have to keep hitting all the nails."
In order to fully reap the rewards of President Tinubu's socioeconomic and political changes, let us take a different approach to combating religious insurgency and banditry so that our country can flourish as the reform policies being introduced by President Tinubu begin to mature.

Magnus Onyibe, an entrepreneur, public policy analyst, author, democracy advocate, development strategist, an alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA and a former commissioner in Delta state government, sent this piece from Lagos, Nigeria.
To continue with this conversation and more, please visit www.magnum

The Sokoto state government has asked Vice President Kashim Shettima to always cross check facts before commenting on sensitive national matters.

Responding to the warning publicly made by the Vice President at the Northwest Security summit in Katsina on Monday, the state government said the Vice President should have contacted Governor Ahmed Aliyu to verify the news which made rounds on the purported plan to depose Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar before going public.

In a statement signed by the spokesman of Governor Aliyu, Abubakar Bawa, the government urged the Vice President to always have full knowledge of issues of national concern before commenting on them.

“We sincerely expected the Vice President to have consulted the Governor before going public.

“As an elder statesman and a father to all he should have facts and figures before judging on issues raised by mischief makers and the mushroom social media handlers known for negative propaganda.

“The fact of the matter is that there was never any attempt to sack the Sultan nor have we sent him any threat regarding that.

“Sultan enjoys all the powers he is entitled to. We never denied him any of his freedom or rights .

“We therefore do not need to be told to guard, protect, and promote the Sultan. It is our sole responsibility.

“The government and People of Sokoto cherish and adore the sultanate council and would do everything possible to protect the dignity of the revered institution. The Government to this end reassures all Nigerians that, it will continue to protect the sultanate council and its dignity at all times,” the statement read.

[DailyTrust]

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed worry over what he described as a growing tendency of state governments to exert influence by distorting the modalities of enthroning traditional stools.

Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last general election, stressed that traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments.

In a statement issued on Tuesday via his X handle, the former Vice President said it will become difficult to maintain peace and orderliness in communities if the structure of ascension of traditional rulers was unstable.

He, therefore, called for constitutional reform that will not only recognize traditional institutions in the nation’s laws but also define the responsibilities of their offices.

Atiku’s read: “Recent developments in the country has seen a growing tendency of state governments exerting influence in distorting the modalities of enthroning traditional stools.

“It is a reality that stares us in the face from every corner of the country.

“While it is understandable that the institutions of traditional rulership is in the exclusive purview of the state government, although through the local government authorities, it must be established that traditional institutions constitute a component of our governance structure.

“And thus, traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments that threaten their stability.

“When the structure of ascension of traditional rulers is unstable, it will become equally difficult to maintain peace and orderliness in communities.

“Although our constitution, in its current format, does not ascribe any recognition to traditional institutions, yet our experiences show clearly that they perform enormous roles in the economic life of their domains, as well as maintenance of peace and security in communities.

“I wish to remind that the traditional institutions formed the governance structures before the advent of the colonialists. And they governed well. Consequently, they are institutions we must protect and preserve and not destroy.

“It is, therefore, on this basis that I lean towards the advocacy that calls for constitutional reform that will not just recognize traditional institutions in our body of laws but also define the responsibilities of their offices.

“This reform is even more important in view of the collective drive to stem the ugly tide of terrorism and sundry security challenges at the local levels.

“In conclusion, I must also appeal to state governors to accord the necessary respect to the offices of traditional institutions. The customs that our traditional rulers represent is the totality of our heritage as a people.”

Organised Labour has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to show his compassion for Nigerian workers by approving their demand for a minimum wage of N250,000, to reflect the nation’s current inflationary trend.

The president-general of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and a member of the organized labour negotiation team in the Tripartite Committee for the New National Minimum Wage, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, criticized state governors for obstructing efforts to secure a fair wage for government employees.

He said: “If you are an employer of labour and you do not have a love of your workers in your heart, how do you call yourself an employer of labour? We have problems with OPS and the state governors who believe they cannot afford to pay N30,000 let alone the figure the labour is demanding.

”We started having that issue at the negotiating table where they were dragging from N30,000 to N48,000 and N60,000. They were priced as if they were tomatoes and onions before they now finally came out and said N62,000.

”Even before they arrived at N62, 000 the Organised Labour was still coming down so that we could be on the same page. Yes, the country is not smiling.

“We all know what the harsh economic situation is and the workers have not been happy with the economic downturn. At the close of negotiations, we had two position papers; one from the government and OPS sides that recommended N62,000 and N250,000 from the Labour side which includes TUC and NLC.

“The ball now lies on the table of Mr President who I believe that this is an opportunity to show empathy to the whole workers. This minimum wage comes every five years. Between now and five years, what is going to be the impact of the figure of a new minimum wage on the lives of the workers in their various workplaces?

”That is why we are appealing to him as a friend of workers who persistently promised to give workers a living wage to approve the N250,000. Nothing stops him from approving it, but we heard that he said he would only approve what is what the economy can afford.

He added: “As organised labour, we all are citizens of this country and we know the economy can afford our demand. We plead that he should not listen to those greedy governors who want to pay slave wages to continue to maintain their outrageous and ostentatious lifestyle.

”The security vote they are getting is enough to pay that minimum wage. What are they doing with their security votes? Which security are they providing to the citizens? Some of the governors, the likes of Edo State, have been paying 70,000.”

[TheNation]

A fresh graduate of the Department of Quantity Surveying, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Ifunanya Miracle, aka Bliss, has lost her life during an attempt to escape a yet-to-be-identified prankster’s robbery on the premises of the school in the Awka area of Anambra State.

Ifunanya’s friend, identified simply as Peace, a student in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, who was also involved in the robbery, sustained varying degrees of injury and was said to have been rushed to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital for treatment.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Ifunanya, during her studies, engaged in the business of Point-of-Sale operations on the premises of the school.

The graduate was said to have closed her business for the day on Sunday, June 9, 2024, and boarded a tricycle along with Peace to a destination.

The duo were said to be on their way when a passenger, who sat beside them, allegedly attempted to rob them of their valuables.

A student of the school, who does not want to be mentioned in print for fear of victimisation, told our correspondent that in a desperate attempt to escape the robbery, the two students jumped out of the moving tricycle, adding that while Peace sustained injuries, Miracle was unlucky as she hit her head on the ground during the attempt to escape the operation.

The student said, “Miracle just graduated from the university and does a Point-of-Sale operation in the school. The incident happened around 7 pm on June 9, 2024. She does her PoS business at the front of my residence.

“She usually packed her business stuff under the staircase in our compound and the stuff is still there. She packed it and put it back there in the evening. But all of a sudden, we just heard that she was dead.

“We were like how; she still dropped her stuff under the staircase of our compound on Monday. From what we gathered, she was on a moving tricycle with her friend when a fellow passenger, ordered them to give him their phones.

“While trying to escape, Miracle jumped out of the tricycle and hit her head on the road and by the time she was rushed to the hospital, she had died. Her friend, who also jumped out of the tricycle sustained injuries and she is still in hospital.”

Another student said the man, who ordered the victims to surrender their property, later claimed that he was pranking them, adding that unconfirmed reports indicated that the man had reported himself to the police.

The student said, “We heard the guy has reported himself at the police station and claimed it was a prank. How can he be pranking someone on a moving tricycle? After the incident, we have not heard anything. This lady (Miracle) just died because of the carelessness of some people who claimed to be pranksters.

“It could be that he wanted to rob and when he saw the outcome of his action, he changed the argument to pranking because of what happened. The university has not said anything about the case. The fact that the school has not addressed it is a concern. The girl just did her convocation.

“The girl who died is Ifunanya Miracle, also known as Bliss, and she was a student in the Department of Quantity Surveying. Her friend’s name is Peace, in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry. She was hospitalised after the incident.”

The spokesperson for the school, Dr Emmanuel Ojukwu, when contacted on Monday, confirmed the case and noted that the prankster, a final-year student of the school, would face disciplinary measures after Miracle had been buried.

He said, “The university is fully aware of the incident. It was not a robbery but a very expensive prank. The students were told to bring their phones but they didn’t know it was a prank. So, they jumped, one died and one survived.

“The families of the victims and that of the final-year student who pranked the victims have held a meeting with us and it was established that it was a prank.

“The families have reached some agreement and we want the process of the burial to take place before the student that pranked them will face disciplinary measures.

“It was an unfortunate incident; the school regrets it, the student who pranked them regrets it and the family of the concerned student will take responsibility for the funeral of the dead victim and the hospital bill of the other student. We use this opportunity to warn students to avoid expensive pranks that lead to death, the person will face the music.”

[Punch]

Barcelona legend and Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has finally revealed the secret to his incredible talent.

The 37-year-old is an 8-time Ballon d’Or winner, Copa America champion, and World Cup winner with Argentina.

“It’s very clear to me that I was born like this because God chose me. It was a gift he gave me. I tried to take advantage of it, I did everything possible to squeeze the most out of it.

“The truth is, although I did many things, I did nothing to become the player that I already was when I was little.”

Messi is currently at the Copa America with Argentina, possibly his last major tournament.

Vanguard News

Jonathan Tepperman’s book, The Fix, is about how some nations fixed significant social challenges like inequality, corruption, and civil wars using innovative leadership and policies. No one has yet written a book about how nations fix profligacy. Therefore, it is justifiable that Nigerian leaders have not bothered to read a book that does not exist. When such a book is eventually written, Nigeria’s chronicle of shameless profligacy will qualify as a unique case study.

It is perceived as a culture our elite have come to embrace or tolerate as an acceptable national social habit. Profligacy, defined as reckless or wasteful extravagance, is a concern in various aspects of Nigerian society. It touches different levels, from personal lifestyle choices to government spending and business practices. This culture of profligacy, if left unchecked, will continue to drain our resources, hinder our development, and perpetuate a cycle of corruption and mismanagement.

Social habits are ingrained behavioural patterns that shape societies and influence how things are done. It might have a good or bad impact. Andrew Sykes, co-author of The 11th Habit, believes that the collective culture of a people shapes their habits, and habits cyclically reinforce culture. The habits of a nation reflect its values. This habit of profligacy among Nigeria’s ruling cadre is interconnected with the culture of corruption, lack of accountability in public life, short-term thinking, and lack of personal stake in the Nigerian project. 

Most importantly, it is proof of a total disconnect from reality. Since the Nigerian civil war, a deeply ingrained culture of wasteful expenditure and consumption-driven governance has plagued successive Nigerian governments. However, this is not a fate we are bound to. With the right cultural shifts and systemic reforms, we can break free from this cycle and build a more responsible and prosperous Nigeria.

There is substantial empirical evidence linking this culture of wastefulness to our oil economy, which provides the government with oil revenues at all levels without accountability. Oil receipts have increased spending, often on non-essential projects that do not benefit the citizens. With an abundance of oil money and less emphasis on accountability and transparency, an environment of profligacy became prevalent and is now a national social habit. This profligacy, in turn, fuels corruption and mismanagement, creating a vicious cycle that hampers our progress and development. It is crucial that we recognise and address this interconnectedness to pave the way for a more responsible and accountable Nigeria.

There is no responsible public affairs management culture, which feeds the decadent habit of wastefulness that our elite has adopted. Our weak institutions encourage mismanagement since they cannot enforce laws and regulations. A political patronage and nepotism culture has made us prone to wrong priorities, and we need the ability to plan strategically. Oversight by the legislature is highly over-compromised.

 The Nigerian government is often criticised for high spending on non-essential items, such as luxury cars for officials, unreasonable cost of renovation of offices and accommodation, large delegation to foreign trips and frequent travel expenses. This is particularly controversial given the country’s significant economic challenges and infrastructural gaps. Corruption is a considerable issue, with funds frequently misappropriated or embezzled.

Examples litter our landscape to prove that there is nothing untoward in the culture of profligacy. For brevity and conciseness, I will give four examples. First, NNPC, the national oil company, spent $25 billion (over N12 trillion) over 20 years on turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s four refineries, yet none can refine a drop of oil. The average cost of building a 350,000-bpd refinery is about $ 3.5-5 billion.

This may not convince you about a national habit that has calcified. Between 2010 and 2020, crude oil theft led to the disappearance of 619.7 million barrels of oil worth N16.25 trillion, according to NEITI, an extractive industry transparency watchdog. None of these two high-profile cases resulted in arrest, prosecution, or national protest. It is normal and an acceptable national habit for the elite and average citizen.  You will be tempted to think that this habit of national profligacy is restricted to the oil and gas industry. You are dead wrong!

Second, how can we quickly forget what qualified for a national embarrassment in 2023 when government registered 1,411 persons—a mixture of court jesters, government officials, professionals, a sprinkle of environmental activists, academia, and political jobbers for COP 28 in Dubai? Nigeria had the third highest delegation to COP 28, even though we contribute less than 0.0001% to climate change and its minimal impact on us.

Third, most recently, Nigeria’s delegation, according to a digital news platform, was the largest among 187 countries to the International Labour Organisation’s, ILO, 112th conference in Geneva, Switzerland. This is happening at a time when the economy of the country is in some form of life support.

The final example that raised curiosity was the news that government reportedly spent N90 billion to subsidise the cost of the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage for citizens. The arithmetic of a huge subsidy for what ought to be a private religious obligation in a period of economic distress required advanced economic numeracy to solve. The list of our profligate habits as a nation is unending.

Profligacy is not only akin to the political class and government. We see a preponderance of activities that scream profligacy at personal and social life levels. Nigerians are known for hosting grand and often extravagant celebrations, including weddings, birthdays, and funerals. These events can involve large guest lists, expensive venues, elaborate decorations, and abundant food and drink. 

 In the business sector, some Nigerian corporations, especially those in the oil and gas sector, tend to pursue luxurious corporate lifestyles, including high-end office spaces, private jets, and lavish entertainment expenses. There are over-invoicing and kickbacks, where inflated contracts and procurement costs are used to siphon funds for personal gain.

Our entertainment industry is the window for showcasing opulence and luxury. Our Nollywood and Afrobeat often feature extravagant displays of wealth. Music videos and films frequently showcase luxury cars, opulent houses, and designer outfits. Our celebrities, including musicians, actors, and influencers, often lead lavish lifestyles, displaying their wealth and success through expensive purchases and luxurious vacations. This creates a culture of aspirational spending among fans and the public.

Understanding and addressing profligacy in Nigeria requires a multifaceted approach that includes cultural shifts and systemic reforms. Leaders have to led by example. We need to implement stricter regulations and oversight on government spending, enhancing transparency and accountability, and reducing waste in public sector expenditures; promote cultural values that prioritise modesty and prudent financial management over ostentatious displays of wealth; increase financial literacy among the public to encourage responsible spending and saving practices; and enhance corporate governance standards to reduce wasteful spending and corruption in the business sector.

Early signs are that those in power today have not only adopted the worst practices of the past but have also positively embraced them. If we continue along the same path, we will be stuck in an endless economic crisis and stagnation. Nigeria and Nigerians deserve better leadership in combating profligacy! We must escape this vicious cycle that has brought us to the quagmire we are in now.