I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.     Rev 1:18

    The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gave us total victory! Yes, complete victory over sin, self and Satan. You must know and appropriate this in your life and circumstances, everyday. Yes, we have already won this battle even before it started.  Our LORD is perfectly, always in control! The right understanding of Jesus’ authority over the affairs of all creation will always enhance our relationship with him, and also inspire our confidence in his words. The God we are serving is the creator of all things; both living and non-living. Everything exists by him and through him. He made all things and is always in perfect control of the whole universe – the heavens, the earth, the waters, humans, spirits, plants, animals, events. Everything! Nothing can exist or function without him. He is God that came in flesh.  Hope you saw this in the first chapter of the gospel of John? Narrowing this down to ourselves, God brought us into existence. He has his master plans for our life and he is ever-willing and capable of bringing to pass all his purposes for our life. He is in control!

Alpha And Omega

Foundation member of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has dismissed the recent calls for merger to oust the All Progressives Congress (APC), which was hyped recently by Dr Pat Utomi and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who commented on the recent presidential election in Senegal as lacking in proper contextual foundation.

Recall that there has been strident calls for merger, by Dr Pat Utomi and host of others which was hyped by the former vice president, while congratulating Bassirou Faye, Senegalese President-elect, he noted that “last Saturday’s election in Senegal follows the trend of that in Nigeria in 2015 that the opposition can indeed be victorious in an election conducted by the ruling party.
“And for the opposition parties, the lessons are in agreement with my persistent call for our opposition parties to forge a coalition that is formidable enough to oust the ruling party if the salvaging of Nigeria is to stand any chance.”

But, Okechukwu, who was a member of the merger committee that midwifed APC into a formidable opposition, said there are many reasons to outrightly dismiss these calls and the erroneous premises on which they were anchored.

“First of all, on the possibility that the persistent call for opposition political parties to forge a formidable coalition to oust the APC like the PDP was defeated in 2015, Okechukwu said circumstances on the ground differ remarkably.
“Secondly, dethroning an incumbent President should not be a political pastime, but as a practical political consciousness to remove an underperforming administration. Tinubu sure, steady and more allocations to state governments.” Okechukwu stated.

He explained that the difference in socio-economic situation of Nigeria between 2015 and 2024 is clear, stressing that while in 2015, Nigeria lost focus, today, in spite of the socio-economic hardship, both the international and local communities agree that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has courage, vision and focus.

  Okechukwu stated: “Yes, my understanding is that Atiku was referring to the current socio-economic hardship, but the truth is that whether you like it or not President Tinubu has focus. In 2015, under President Goodluck Jonathan, there was little or no hope.
  “Luckily, Mr President has with his economic reforms, won the confidence of the international community. All he needs is to domesticate his economic programme to benefit the greatest number of Nigerians.”

On the possibility that the persistent calls for merger hyped by Atiku for opposition political parties to forge a formidable coalition to oust the APC like the PDP was defeated in 2015, Okechukwu said circumstances on the ground make that a hectic tall order.

He noted that although as a political scientist, he believes that formidable opposition coalition is healthy tonic for Nigeria’s democracy, however it is incumbent on Atiku, Utomi and co-travellers to convince Nigerians on which economic philosophy the coalition would be anchored upon.  
“Nigerians know that all the leading presidential candidates in 2023 were all neo-liberals. For instance, like Tinubu, Atiku and Obi agreed to remove fuel subsidy and to harmonise the foreign exchange rate.   “Since they all belong to the neo-liberal school of thought and are capitalists, they better support Mr President, because the success of Tinubu’s economic reforms is better for such students more than those of us who subscribe to the belief that government has business in our welfare.”  

Okechukwu however contended that in the face of the current excruciating economic hardship driving majority of Nigerians into abject poverty, even Mr President appreciates the suffering, but assured that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

He remarked: “There are two things going positively for President Tinubu. One is that the buy-in of the international community is high, which means that foreign direct investment which propels prosperity is guaranteed in the course of time.
  “Secondly, unlike President Muhammadu Buhari, whose rising tide of expectations was high at inception on issues like anti-graft war and economic empowerment, that of Tinubu is starkly low. This is to say that not much was expected from President Tinubu from the onset. The bottom-line is that he will garner local buy-in with time instead of declining expectations.”

   Okechukwu reminded merger canvassers to study the large-hearted political engineering that enabled opposition to take over in Senegal, recalling how in 2014, Ousmane Sonko invited his friend and fellow tax collector, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and other emergent political actors to form a political party, PASTEF (African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity).

Okechukwu noted that PASTEF or Patriots of Senegal, which was led by Sonko was dominated by young Senegalese with Faye serving as the Secretary General while Sonko was the leader.
   He stated: “I want to inform the former Vice President that in 2017, although PASTEF only secured only one seat out of 165 in the Legislative election, in 2019, Sonko contested as the Presidential candidate, while Faye was his campaign manager.
“Then, three years later, PASTEF garnered 56 out of the 165 seats contested at the National Assembly election. The 2022 election showed that Sonko has emerged as a strong contender for the 2024 Presidential poll.
“Sonko and Faye were jailed and released by President Macky Sall less than 12 days to the election, Sanko endorsed Faye as his presidential candidate and Senegalese people joined to elect him as President.”

Okechukwu said he decided to tell the long story so as to convince Atiku, Utomi and Co, who were with us during the APC’s merger in 2013 that the formation of broad-based political coalition is not a hundred metres dash neither can it be pulled off by leaders that insist on being on the ballot.
“Finally, unlike Sonko, who yielded space for Faye to take the Presidential ticket, Atiku’s breach of the rotation convention and blatant refusal to back either younger Peter Obi or Nyesom Wike; hence contested against the Southern Presidential aspirants in the 2023 poll showed that he cannot walk the talk of building strong coalition.

1: I send hearty Easter greetings to all Nigerians. I am sure that many Nigerians are already used to the fact that during the annual celebration of the two most important events in the Christian calendar – Christmas and Easter – I have the practice of writing a national Message in which I reflect on the meaning of the Christ-event for us as a People and Nation. While I am aware that many people look forward to reading my Messages every year, as I have done over the past many years, there are those, I believe, who must be wondering what Bishop Kukah is going to say again, or whether he is not tired of speaking with Buhari now gone. My messages will continue for some time and have nothing to do with whoever is in power.

Every religious leader has an obligation to deliver these Messages to his people. In doing this, I am only joining my voice with that of thousands of Priests and Bishops here and elsewhere.
I know there are many who think that when I speak, I am attacking government or that I am taking sides with some imaginary opposition. Unfortunately, people erroneously believe that God and Caesar do not mix. The truth is that, God is the Creator of All, including Caesar! Caesar’s obligation is to be inspired by the way and will of God and govern according to His will. When those who govern seek the will of God, public service becomes a call to use the resources of state for the good of all.

In keeping with my discipline as a priest of the Catholic Church, I do not carry the partisan flag of any political party or hold brief for or against one set of politicians or another. What I try to do is to highlight the issues facing us as a Nation, provide moral clarity, and offer some policy options from where I stand. From where I stand, I often see missed opportunities, wrong turns likely to lead to cul-de-sacs. I try to differentiate between mistakes of the head and those of the heart. Often, our destination may be the same, but the routes often differ and what I believe I should do in conscience is offer perspectives. I allow for the fact that of course, I could be wrong, but then, Democracy is about letting our voices be heard. While those in power and politicians talk to the people, as a priest, I talk with the people. But when our voices and views are taken together, we can compose a beautiful melody for a united nation. In this way, government’s vision and policy become our vision and policy, thus creating a common threshold of trust. In keeping with the exhortation of St. Paul, we must preach this Gospel, welcome or unwelcome. So, fellow citizens, a very happy Easter to you all.

The great Bishop Fulton Sheen, in his timeless book, Life of Christ, stated that: There are only two philosophies of life. One is the feast and then the hangover, the other, the fast and then the feast. Deferred joys purchased by sacrifices are always the sweetest and most enduring. Against this backdrop, it is easy to see why the Nigerian dream has turned into a nightmare over the years. Our leaders chose the feast rather than the fast. We are today reaping what we sowed yesterday. For over sixty years, our leaders have looked like men in a drunken stupor, staggering, stumbling and fumbling, slurring in speech, with blurred visions searching for the way home. The corruption of the years of a life of immoral and sordid debauchery have spread like a cancer destroying all our vital organs. The result is a state of a hangover that has left our nation comatose. Notwithstanding, Easter is a time to further reflect on the road not taken. It is a time to see if this Golgotha of pain can lead us to the new dawn of the Resurrection. Nigeria can and Nigeria will be great again. Let us ride this tide together in hope.

Many Nigerians are wondering and asking questions such as, what time of day is it? Where are we? How did we get here? Where is here? Where are we going? How long do we still have to travel and are there any map readers to tell us if we are on the right path? Neither I nor anyone can answer all these questions, but together, we can think through them. Let us not all pretend to be ignorant. It is not so much who knows what. It is rather a matter of accepting the challenges, having the honesty to ask the most difficult questions, and holding each other accountable. In this way, the road may be long, but it will be easier to travel together in faith and confidence.

Even though it is not daybreak yet, all of us must agree that the night is far gone. The only reason why I am confident that daybreak may not be too far away is because of my faith in God and the power of the risen Christ. There could not be a better metaphor for addressing the situation we are in now than to turn our attention to the meaning of Easter and the promises that are contained in the meaning of Christianity. St. Paul said: The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light (Rom.13:12). With the risen Christ, we can dispel encircling clouds of doom.

The belief in the resurrection is what sets Christianity apart from other world religions. It was inconceivable, unfathomable, indescribable, preposterous and incomprehensible. How could a dead man rise from the dead? Unfortunately for us, those soldiers who had been stationed at the tomb, men whose careers and life depended on carrying out the task of guarding the tomb confessed that they were like dead men because, at the resurrection, His appearance was like lightening and clothes were as white as snow (Mt. 28:3). The accusers of Jesus and his enemies, rather than seeking trial for them for their negligence became fraudulent conspirators. We hear that: The chief priests met with the elders and gave large sums of money to the soldiers and said, you are to say that the disciples came at night and stole the body while we were asleep (Mt. 28:12-13).

The resurrection confirmed that indeed, Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ promised by the prophets for hundreds of years. The event of the resurrection split human history, becoming the marker of time and events. Everything else in human history from took place either before Christ (BC) or after Christ (AD). Consider the following: His birth announced peace to ALL men and women of good will (Lk. 2:14). Salvation is to be found only through him alone. In all the world, there is no other name through which salvation is given (Acts 4:12). It is the reason why at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and all proclaim that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:10). If we Christians take the resurrection of Jesus to heart, then we will appreciate that suffering is a prelude to a better and more rewarding life. It might be argued that Nigerians have suffered enough. True, but the good life is a shifting aspiration with no
ercede to enable Nigeria rise again. Amen.
finishing post. The important thing is to make it feasible for every generation to pursue happiness with less stress. We Christians still face the challenge of following Jesus truly.

Millions of people say that they believe in Jesus. Merely calling Jesus Lord is not enough because Jesus said; Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 7:21). Millions of people believe in Jesus, but this is not enough because their perception of Jesus is often flawed. There are those who call him one of the prophets of God. Some call him a good man. Others think He was a teacher who worked miracles and of course, the Jews who considered him a blasphemer because of His claims to being God. However, what people believe about my father is not important. It is what I know about my father that is important. As such, too many Christians are often misled by the perceptions of others who say they believe in Jesus but are not Christians. It is the resurrection that confirmed Jesus as being the Christ, the son of God. Jesus is not the Son of God in a biological sense, but is so in the incarnation, that is, God taking the human form without sin. Had he not risen, he would have been Jesus, a good man who perhaps lived and preached in a particular period of time. The world would have since forgotten of him or remembered him like other good men.

The coming of Jesus was foretold by prophets over seven hundred years before He came. The world expected Him. The only challenge was no one knew when it would be. His place of birth (Bethlehem), circumstances of birth (by a virgin) were foretold. The lord himself will give you a sign, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, his name shall be Emmanuel (Is. 7:14). The Lord says, Bethlehem, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you will come a ruler of Israel (Mic. 5: 1-2). The whole of the book of Isaiah chapter 53 gives a detailed account of the sufferings that would be endured by the Messiah. He is like a lamb led to the slaughter, never uttering a word. He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die and no one cared about his fate…He was placed in a grave with the wicked…the Lord says, it was my will that he should suffer, his death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness (Is. 53: 7-10). These prophesies were his letter of credence, the proof of the claims that had been made.

Against this backdrop, the early Christians faced a dilemma. Jesus, their Master had died the painful and horrible death meant for criminals. Against the run of play, He had risen indeed as He and the prophets before Him had said He would. The event generates controversies. His bedraggled apostles were still reeling from it all when Jesus says they are to proclaim His message to the whole world (Mt. 28:15). They have neither a headquarters nor do they even have a start-up capital. Jesus tells them to simply depend on the good will of people, but merely eating whatever is set before them (Lk. 10: 8). Their only currency of exchange is faith and peace. Whatever house you enter, let your first words be, ‘Peace to this house’ (Lk. 10:5).

Preaching the resurrected Christ is not merely a statement of a historical fact that has become associated with the Easter celebrations. Easter is about coming to the terms with the complex reality that; God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts not our thoughts (Is. 55:8). Preaching and bearing witness to the resurrection came with a heavy price for the early Church. The apostles were imprisoned, tortured, flogged, humiliated and killed. As far as confronting the throne of power is concerned, as far as challenging the structures of injustice and abuse of power are concerned, nothing has changed. Today’s Pilate is still firmly on his throne of arrogance, hubris and egotism. The persecution of Christians is still rife all over the world. Much as we try to pretend, persecution is rife in our country through brutal and subtle means whether by outright denials of basic rights or threats and blackmail. In all this, we cling to the words of the great song, Onward Christian soldiers which says, Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane, but the Church of Jesus constant will remain. Those who preach a discounted Christianity, focusing on quick solutions, miracles, drama and theatre, claiming that we were not born to suffer, suggesting that we were destined for prosperity, must choose between their cross-less Christianity and a Christ-less cross of human suffering which tyrants often afflict their people. Both have no salvific value.

Today, things are hard. Really very hard in Nigeria. I see it on the faces of our people every day. We are in one of the most difficult phases of our national life. But we are not alone. However, I am optimistic that our country will heal from the scars of hunger and destitution, that the wounds of physical and psychological violence will heal. But first, we Christians must wake up to our duties and responsibilities of what it is to be Christian as an individual, a family, a community or in public life. There are tough times ahead. Politics alone will not change the fate of our country, neither will all the right economic policies or positive ratings by the world’s agencies. We need to do more. Nigeria has lost its soul and the evidence lies before us all. The mindless corruption and debauchery in high places is merely a symptom of a deeper rot. It is not the real disease. We must recover our lost soul. Christians cannot discount our high moral values simply because, this is Nigeria and, things are hard or everyone is doing this or that. With nothing but the moral force of faith in the risen Jesus, 11 semi-illiterate men, pursued by the roman authorities, finally converted the empire itself. If you doubt the force of true believers, think again. Not by power nor by might, but by my spirit, the Lord says.

The evil that we see around us is a consequence not a cause. We have relied on tools of social sciences to create all kinds of doomsday scenarios about the impending end of Nigeria. In the 90s, the pessimists told us that we were on the road to Rwanda. Time passed and we never got to Rwanda. Then the experts wrote so many opinion and editorial articles claiming that rather than Rwanda, we were heading for Somalia. We have arrived at none of these destinations not due to poor map reading but due to superficial and scaremongering reading of history and analysis of social dynamics of society. Faith renews a people and a nation. St Paul said it all: To have faith is to be sure of the things that we hope for, to be certain about the things we cannot see……No one can please God without faith (Heb. 11: 1, 6). I leave you with four points to ponder on.

First, the federal government must come up with a robust template for how it wishes to reverse and put us on a path of national healing. This must include a deliberate policy of inclusion that will drastically end the immoral culture of nepotism. The government must design a more comprehensive and wide-ranging method of recruitment that is transparent as a means of generating patriotism and reversing the ugly face of feudalism and prebendalism.
There is need for a clear communications strategy that will serve to inspire and create time-lines of expectations of results from policies. There is need for clarity over questions of the Who, What, When, and How national set goals are to be attained and who can be held accountable. This will take us away from the current Communications-by-announcement-of-appointments policies as if this is all that government is doing.

Second, the notion of rejigging the security architecture is a hackneyed cliché that is now at best, an oxymoron. It is difficult to fathom our current situation regarding the ubiquity of the military in our national life. It is impossible to explain how we can say we are in a civilian Democracy with the military literally looking like an army of occupation with an octopussean spread across all the 36 states and Abuja. This has very serious consequences both for its professionalism, its integrity and perceived role in protecting society. No other person than the immediate past Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor who recently referred to the military as facing the dilemma of what he called, see finish. It is now difficult to say whether the persistence of insecurity is a cause or a consequence of military ubiquity. Trillions of Naira continue to go into bottomless pits with little measurable benefits. Our military’s professionalism cannot be diluted by the recruitment of hunters, vigilante groups and other unprofessional and untrained groups. This is not sustainable because it leaves the military open to ridicule and perceptions of surrender. Fighting insecurity is now an enterprise. I believe our security men and women can defeat these criminals in a matter of months. All we hear and see are fingers pointing to the top. No, this must end. The alternative is too frightening to contemplate. The time was yesterday, but today is still possible.

Third, it is cheering to hear that the President has announced that kidnapping and banditry are now to be treated as acts of terrorism. If so, we need to see a relentless and implacable plan to end this menace with a definite date line for bringing these terrorists to their knees, no matter what it will take. Without a timeline for eliminating these evil, despicable, malevolent and execrable demons from among us, our future as a people will be imperiled. I commend the government over its promise to stop paying ransom to bandits and kidnappers. However, merely going to the forest and returning with victims leaves the government open to suspicion from citizens. The government needs to show results of a well co-ordinated plan and time lines to bring back all citizens in captivity and give us back our country.

Fourth, I encourage the President to continue on the path of probity, to take further steps to cut down the overbearing costs of governance and to put in place more comprehensive plans towards achieving both food and physical security across our nation. Merely distributing money through already corruption riddled structures is not enough and diminishes the dignity of our citizens. No one needs to line up to receive aid when we are not in a war. Give our people back their farms and develop a comprehensive agricultural plan to put our country back on the path of honour and human dignity. May our blessed Mother who stood by the cross of Her son, watched Him die and laid to rest and rejoiced to see Him rise, intercede for our dear country. Nigeria must embrace the blessings of the risen Christ so as to heal again

There is hardly a week that I will not encounter scammers on a couple of occasions, especially those inviting you to one WhatsApp Zoom meeting or the other.  Once they introduce themselves, usually with a first name, and start sounding nice, asking after your work, family and health, be on your guard! They will then ask whether you are aware that there is a Zoom meeting coming up so-so time on this or that platform that you both belong to, according to them. At first, I used to play along with a view to wasting their credit. Either I was driving and they should call back or I was urgently trying to complete a task. They would insist you take time off whatever to quickly check the text message they will soon send to you. Very well, I would say. They would then call back to ask whether you have now checked the text message. Once they realize you are just wasting their time, their reactions usually vary. Some will insult you and hang up. Others will simply quietly carry their nuisance elsewhere. After some time, I decided to begin to rain fire, hail and brimstone on them. Once I confirm that they are the ones, I will open fire: “You will die sudden and untimely death before the set zoom meeting! It shall not be well with you and the entire members of your family…” Many of them will quickly zoom off without saying a word. Others will exchange fire for fire! One of them surprised me recently: after he zoomed off and I had thought that was all, he called me on my mobile land and complained: “But you are a pastor; why should you wish me dead? A pastor is not supposed to do that!” Such effrontery!

I wonder if there are still mugus out there who fall for this Zoom meeting nonsense. There must be; otherwise, they would not have continued playing the trick on people. There was one particular one that, once he said a word, I knew immediately that he was the one on the line. His intonation always gave him out. At one point I had to advise him to go for voice training if he wanted to go far in his criminal venture; that he should learn to disguise his voice! All the same, he still tried me on a few more occasions. Once I reminded him that he had still not trained his voice, he would immediately switch off. For quite some time now, he has given me a break. These criminals learn new tricks every day. It is unfortunate that many unsuspecting members of the public fall for their tricks, with many having tales of woes to tell. Do you wonder why they are left to run riot, without the law enforcement agencies being on their trail? The law enforcing the compulsory registration of sim cards and the advancement in technology should help in this direction, but here in Nigeria, what works elsewhere fails spectacularly here. Rampant corruption negates great ideas here. Those charged with the responsibility of making systems work are either the saboteurs of the system or are the informants and insiders that assist the criminals to beat the system. Ex-bank workers and ex-military men have been found as direct or indirect criminals polluting the system all over the place. Some are so audacious that they sit inside and piss inside! 

We still have a long way to go in the fight against crime and criminals. Where corruption is endemic, crime cannot but fester. Where poverty stalks the landscape, those seeking all manner of means, fair and foul, to make a living will spurn sermons of good behaviour. A materialistic society such as ours, where what matters are riches, however acquired, and not good character, crimes cannot but be the order of the day. Punishments are rare here; or better still, only petty criminals stand the chance of getting caught and punished here while big-time criminals always smile their way to the bank. They soon deodorize and legitimise their loot by running for and winning elections into big political offices to become “Honourables” and “His Excellencies”, thereby acquiring immunity from censure and prosecution. They bag chieftaincy titles and are decorated with national honours. Their tribes have grown over leaps and bounds since the Fourth Republic began in 1999; such that, now, they have a vice-like grip on the leadership of the country: the three tiers as well as the three arms of government. Since we now operate a democracy, crimes and criminal activities have, however, been democratized in a sense, such that even the lumpen elements have joined the big guys, having some sectors of the crime enterprise ceded unto them, such as banditry, kidnapping, etc while the big guys are in charge of budget padding, crude oil theft, forex round-tripping, etc. Where do we go from here?

Last week, there was an uproar when a post began to trend widely and wildly, accusing some alleged officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency of criminal extortion of money from a Nigerian traveller at one of the country’s international airports. The story appeared outlandish to me but, this is Nigeria, where anything can, and does, happen! Here, because of our experience, whenever government officials are accused of any form of abuse of office, the first thing is to deem them guilty as charged until the contrary is proved. In saner climes, the contrary is the case as an accused person is deemed innocent until the contrary is proved by a court of competent jurisdiction after the person so accused must have had his day in court. In the NDLEA case, the emotive story ran thus:  “Around 4.30 to 5 pm at the Muritala Mohammed Airport today, officers of the NDLEA arrested and detained an innocent man for no good reason and demanded a bribe of N5 million. Hear the audio voice and see the picture of the man. His mother was robbed in Calabar yesterday at midnight by armed robbers. His 8-year-old daughter was shot by the armed robbers and the girl is in intensive care (at the hospital). When the victim spoke to the doctor on phone before coming to Nigeria, they told him to visit the pharmacy and buy a normal drug (and bring it) along. He bought it from a pharmacy in the US and took his flight. He works in the US and was granted emergency leave at his place of work to come to Nigeria. Can you believe that the NDLEA called it a contraband drug and that even if it is a single pill, he has no right to buy any drug; that only somebody that is licensed can buy any drug and bring it to Nigeria. Listen to this audio. Please share until it gets the attention of the aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, and the NDLEA chairman, Buba Marwa”.

Now, who will read this kind of story and not go for the NDLEA’s jugular? For another, Marwa and the NDLEA remain few of the remaining oasis of decency, decorum and quality service delivery in the aridity of putrid bad governance that has become the country’s hallmark. And, as they say, if gold rusts, what will iron do? So you can imagine the kind of bashing that Marwa and NDLEA got within hours on social media! But, pray, what is my own? My beef was that the media also did not leave me alone! Remember, I was Marwa’s Director of Media and Publicity when he jostled for the presidential flag of the then ruling party, the PDP, in 2006. So, ever since, some news on Marwa, the media would bounce it off me and I would contact Marwa where I have no ready answer. In this instance, I contacted him and he told me nothing of such happened that involved the NDLEA.

Femi Babafemi, who is the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, later effectively blew the lid off a scam that the anti-drug czar knew nothing about. His press statement, titled “NDLEA alerts public on new scam”, ran thus: “The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, wishes to alert members of the public, especially those who have loved ones abroad, to a new scheme by scammers who impersonate NDLEA officers and call unsuspecting citizens to inform them of the arrest of their relatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos or at any other international airports in Nigeria, with illicit drugs upon arrival in the country. After throwing the family members into panic, the scammers then make a demand of millions of Naira to facilitate the release of such persons from NDLEA custody. We have thwarted a number of such bids in the past when the family members called the Agency’s official contacts for help or clarification. At the moment, there is one of such scenarios the Agency has just investigated. In this case, the picture of a Nigerian man based in the US is being circulated with an audio of a purported NDLEA officer negotiating the payment of N5 million with a female relative for the release of the US-based Nigerian purportedly arrested at the Lagos airport on Friday, 22nd March upon his arrival with a ‘contraband’ Just like in previous instances, our investigation has also shown that the current incident is the work of scammers. No NDLEA officer is involved in the audio conversation and the person whose photo is attached to the audio recording being circulated is not in our custody at MMIA or at any of our commands either as at yesterday or any other day. The family members involved in this case are advised not to part with their hard-earned money to scammers. Nigerians with loved ones abroad are also urged to keep discussions on travel plans of their relatives to themselves to avoid the hijacking of such by criminal elements for devious schemes”.

Can you beat that? Studies have shown that criminals are usually one or two steps ahead of law enforcement. It is only in cases where the law is smart and efficient that it can quickly close the gap on criminals. Otherwise, criminals will have a field day and crime will fester. The yeoman’s job that Marwa and the NDLEA have done since my erstwhile principal mounted the saddle has been worthwhile and has, appropriately, received the commendation of all. The bashing they got over this scam, for no fault of theirs, is, therefore, unfortunate. Rather than discourage or deter them, it must, however, further energize them to forge ahead to rid the country of the scourge of hard drugs. I shudder to think what the country would have become by now if not for the wonderful job that Marwa and the NDLEA have done in the last few years. This is not the time for them to relent or rest on their oars!

A Senior Nigerian advocate, Itse Sagay, recently spoke on the policies implemented by President Bola Tinubu, which have seen Nigerians experience hardship.

According to Sagay, the decision of the President to remove the oil subsidy without planning for local replacement of petrol or local production of fuel was a wrong step.

Speaking in an interview with Sunday Sun, he noted that President Tinubu should have waited a little for the Dangote refinery and Port Harcourt refinery to be functioning before acting

Sagay, while listing the President’s mistakes, said, “I think this government has good reforms that can transform this country. We have the competence and the manpower that can make life easy for Nigerians and our economy will improve. But as I have always stated the mistake that President Tinubu made was removing oil subsidy without planning for local replacement of petrol or local production of fuel.

“That has always been my advocacy. What is the cause of the high cost of petrol? Transport abroad to and fro, port charges, various taxes at the port etc, those are the things. But if we produce locally, all those things are gone and so the price will remain the same or even go down. My argument has always been; once local production starts, the issue of subsidy removal will be tackled. For me, that is the mistake of this government.

“They could have waited a bit. The production from Port Harcourt refinery which I think should be at the end of this month and the Dangote refinery with its millions of crude already stored… if they had waited for this refineries to start production, we will not notice the removal of subsidy because as one goes, the other one automatically replaces it. So, local production is the answer because once we start local production, the price of petrol will come down and all our suffering will reduce and will also come down.”

[NaijaNews]

Have you noticed the wind of progressive fever blowing through Africa? Pause awhile and take note of the inexorable propulsion of fate. Whether we like it or not, the only sure thing in this world is change. If you walk on the streets of Rome today, you may actually be locking steps with great personages of the ancient Roman empire, but of what value are they — or their expired powerful empire— now? 

The Roman civilisation lasted about 1,000 years, from 753 BCE to 476 CE, with its impacts still apparent today. The Roman civilisation began as a monarchy influenced by the Hellenistic Empire.

My favourite quote in these matters belongs to Lord Tennyson: 

“The old order changeth, yielding place to new,/And God fulfils Himself in many ways,/Lest one good custom should corrupt the world…”

Expired Empires

The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous empire in history. At its height, it stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, and southward into parts of the Indian subcontinent. It conquered the Iranian Plateau; and expanded westward to the Levant and the Carpathian Mountains. Only the history books remind us today that there was once a Mongol Empire. 

The Ottoman Empire, a.k.a. The Turkish Empire was an imperial realm that spanned much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Central Europe between the early 16th and early 18th centuries.

The Ottomans ended the Byzantine Empire with the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Mehmed II, which marked the Ottomans’ emergence as a major regional power. Now, it is a faint memory.

The British Empire 1(601 — 1997).was a large group of regions dependent on the British and under the control of the crown of Great Britain. At one point, the British Empire ruled over almost a quarter of the earth and its population. The British Empire’s last region controlled was Hong Kong until 1997, which was then returned to the Chinese authority. Today, the empire does not exist, but the Commonwealth is a group of states, including the United Kingdom, that still recognises the British monarch as a symbolic head of the organisation. The sun has eventually set on the British empire.

The Spanish Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it was the first empire to usher in the European Age of Discovery and achieve a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa, various islands in Asia and Oceania, as well as territory in other parts of Europe. It was one of the most powerful empires of the early modern period, becoming known as “the empire on which the sun never sets”. At its greatest extent in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the Spanish Empire covered over 13 million square kilometres (5 million square miles), making it one of the largest empires in history. It has become history with time.

The Russian Empire, also known as Imperial Russia or simply Russia, was a vast realm that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its proclamation in November 1721 until its dissolution in March 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about 22,800,000 square kilometres (8,800,000 sq mi), roughly one-sixth of the world’s landmass, making it the third-largest empire in history, surpassed only by the British and Mongol empires; it also held colonies in North America between 1799 and 1867. The empire’s 1897 census, the only one it conducted, found a population of 125.6 million with considerable ethnic, linguistic, religious, and socioeconomic diversity. Like other empires before it, the Russian Empire is dead.

Nearer home in Africa, we had the Mali Empire, Ethiopian Empire, Oyo Empire, Ghana Empire etc, all of which have joined the list of expired superpowers.

Beyond Ideology

And the cycle is fated to continue. When the Second World War ended in 1945, the world was made to believe that life’s contestations were between a God-fearing, democratic and capitalist west and a godless, autocratic and communist east. Now we know better. Domination is the name of the game. With the passage of time, China has embraced some capitalist practices while the US has adopted some welfarist measures to stem social discontent. 

Could anyone have accurately predicted on September 2, 1945, when the Second World War officially ended, that China would, with the passage of time, produce successful billionaires? Confronted with cold reality, every nation is trying to introduce whatever measures that can achieve set goals, whether such measures are ideologically alluring or not.

Change is the name of the game. In South Africa, the political party in power, the African National Congress (ANC), while assured of the loyalty of the old guard, is unable to keep many of the younger elements within its fold. Julius Sello Malema who had served as the president of the ANC Youth League left the party to establish the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a party that is fast becoming a potent force in South African politics. Malema and his EFF members represent the younger generation. They are determined to remain loyal to the dream of a greater Africa. Indeed, Malema’s well publicised position on black-on-black violence in South Africa was so Nkrumahist that the world took notice that a new pan-African movement was born.

Malema may not have been born in the 70s when Nigerian students put their lives on the line for the liberation of southern Africa, but his sense of history and commitment to a new South Africa and a united Africa have made his influence incredibly pervasive throughout the continent. Young people see him as a role model and a partner for the tomorrow of their dreams.

The emerging movement for change in Africa is not based on narrow ideological definitions. It is rooted in a general subscription to the ideals espoused by Malema. The younger elements in Africa, whether they are in the military, the professions, or in the youth wings of political parties, are in a hurry to take their country back. That is why the world is confronted with the situation in Mali, Chad and Niger. The younger elements in the former French colonies would rather die than watch France continue looting their patrimony. The French bazaar is over.

The New Senegal

It is against that background that the recent election of 44-year-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye as President of Senegal must be understood. Inspired or possessed by Malemamania, the young people have resolved to fulfil their destiny as the landlords of tomorrow. Unlike their parents, they will not accept France’s brigandage. This is not the best of times for imperialists and their acolytes. France will do well to look for other sources of livelihood than open thievery. The Western powers who have always backed France’s continued enslavement of Africans are in for a surprise. 

This wave of Malemamania is pan-African in its scope. The spirits of Nkrumah, Olympio, Lumumba, Mandela, and other heroes of Africa are stirring in the young people. The evils planted by Europe in Africa are being uprooted before our very eyes, one country at a time. The French empire is unravelling. Assata Shakur’s admonition has whipped up the consciousness of the continent’s youth:

“The guards say that the grass is unauthorized do not let the grass grow/You can spy on the grass. You can lock up the grass./You can mow it down, temporarily./But you will never keep it from growing.”

I see the clouds of malemamania gathering all over Black Africa. And I say no one can stop the rain!

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday displayed the list of governorship candidates of the 17 political parties contesting the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

The Edo INEC office led by the its resident electoral commissioner (REC), Dr Anugbum Onuoha displayed the list on its notice board and in all INEC offices across the 18 local government areas.

In the displayed list, Mr Uwaifo Osaro is the governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Aner Abdullai Aliu, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Azena Azemhe Friday and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Osifo Isiah.

Others are All Peoples Movement (APM) Ugiagbe Odaro Syvelster, Areleogbe  Amos Osalumese All Peoples Party (APP), Akhime Kingson Afere Action Democratic Party (ADP), African Action Congress (AAC) Udoh Obersifo David and  Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is Ighodalo Asuerinme, Boot Party (BP) Osirame Edeipo and Accord party (AP) has Iyere Kennedy as its governorship candidate.

African Democratic Congress (ADC) has Obazele Paul Agbone, Labour Party (LP) Olumide Akpata Anthony, All Progressives Congress (APC) Okpebholo Monday, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Key Patience Ndidi and Young Progressives Party (YPP) Okungbowa Paul Ovbokhan.

Meanwhile, the INEC headquarters had said that the commission shall publish the personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their deputies by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.

The commission in a statement by the national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, charged Nigerians to scrutinise the documents.

‘”Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022,” the commission said.

[Leadership]

The Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, says his administration is unable to pay workers’ salaries because of the huge debts inherited from the government of his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Addressing a town hall meeting in Kaduna Saturday, Sani said his administration inherited a huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities from his predecessor.

The governor said N7 billion out of the N10 billion federal allocation for Kaduna in March was deducted to service the state’s debt.

He said the N3 billion, which the state was left with, was not enough to pay salaries as the state’s monthly salary bill stood at N5.2 billion.

According to him, owing to the rise in exchange rate, the state is now paying back almost triple of what was borrowed by the previous administration.

He, however, noted that despite the debt inherited, his administration had not borrowed a single kobo in the last 9 months.

“Despite the huge debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.

“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.

“It gladdens my heart to inform you that despite the huge inherited debt on the state, till date, we have not borrowed a single kobo,” he said.

Sani listed the key priority areas of his government to include safety and security, housing, education and health care, as well as support for micro, small and medium enterprises.

The governor said his government would also prioritise inclusive development by investing in human capital, stimulating the economy and providing affordable housing.

In his remarks, a former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (retd), urged efforts towards addressing the security challenges facing the state, noting that without peace and security, no meaningful development could be achieved.

He commended Governor Sani for cutting the cost of governance, asking residents of the state to support the government in overcoming the debt challenge.

The Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamali, expressed optimism that the state would overcome its challenges. He said the governor had the capability to turn the economy of the state around for effective development.

The emir pledged the support of all the traditional rulers in the state to the government.

You’re trying to cover your incompetence–Ex-gov’s son

In a veiled reference to the governor’s claims, a son of El-Rufai, Bashir, in a post on his X handle yesterday, said the governor was only trying to cover his administration’s incompetence.

He alleged that Governor Sani had “deflected” from his responsibilities and abandoned his duty as governor.

“These guys have realised that they are wholly incompetent and the only way to mask the nonsense is to deflect. From a Governor who is always sleeping in Abuja to a litany of incompetent aides who were only rewarded for foolish political reasons,” he said.

[DailyTrust]

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp has predicted the Premier League matches between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad.

He also predicted Liverpool against Brighton at Anfield.

The two Premier League matches will take place on Sunday afternoon and evening, respectively.

Providing his prediction, Redknapp told BetVictor: “I just don’t know if I’m ready to trust this Arsenal side. City and Pep Guardiola just know how to win these big games, they’ve been doing it for years.

“The crowd will be up for it, the big players will be up for it, and I think they’ll get the win. Who knows though, I can’t wait. Man City 2-1 Arsenal.”

On the Liverpool vs Brighton game, he said, “I can see Brighton scoring, but they have looked shaky at the back for months. Liverpool 3-1 Brighton 1.”

[DailyPost]