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Thursday’s decision of the two chambers of the National Assembly to extend the implementation of the capital components of the 2023 main and supplementary budgets to December 31, 2024 is raising questions.
The extension followed the request by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to both chambers of the National Assembly.
It would be recalled that the National Assembly, in December 2023, extended the implementation period of capital component of the budget for that fiscal year from December 31, 2023, to March 31, 2024. It similarly extended the lifespan of the N2.17 trillion 2023 Supplementary Budget, which was passed in November, 2023, following a request by President Tinubu.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives further extended the implementation period for the budgetary appropriations from March 31, 2024, to June 30, 2024, on the 19th and the 20th March, this year, respectively, following another similar request from the president.
The request for another extension of the implementation of the capital component of the budget is coming a few days to the June 30 implementation deadline earlier approved by the National Assembly.
Again, the president is about to submit another supplementary budget to the parliament by next week.
Daily Trust Saturday reports that with the extension of the three other appropriation acts, Nigeria will have four budgets running concurrently.
Dust at House of Reps over multiple budgets
Unlike the seeming smooth sail at the Senate, which considered the president’s request after an executive session, Tinubu’s proposal caused a heated debate at the House of Representatives, forcing Speaker Abbas Tajudeen to move the House into an executive session before the lawmakers approved the request.
Earlier, the president’s letter requesting the extension of the implementation of the capital components of the budget was read by Speaker Tajudeen, after which the executive bills were introduced.
However, when the Leader of the House, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere moved for the second reading of the bills, the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, raised concerns over the request for extension of the two budgets.
Chinda, while voicing opposition against the request, said it will be morally wrong for the country to be running three to four budgets concurrently.
“We are aware of the importance of the implementation of capital projects and we know what capital projects can do in the lives of our people.
“But the application for extension of the 2023 Appropriation Act is also coming with the request to extend the life of the 2023 supplementary budget. We are also expecting the 2024 supplementary budget.
“A situation where we may have four budgets running concurrently is a bit of a problem. I will suggest that the House leader (Ihonvbere) step this bill down. Meanwhile, the projects that were not completed in the 2023 budgets can be transferred to the 2024 supplementary budget,” he said.
Former leader of the House, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, in his contribution, also supported the position of the minority leader, saying, while it may be legally right, it will be morally wrong to have three budgets running at the same.
He said, “Whatever we are doing, we must be accountable to the people. Each and every member here is representing a community and when we are discussing matters of budget, we should call a spade a spade. I agree with the submission made by the minority leader.
“This has nothing to do with (being a member of) the (ruling) APC. It has never happened. When you have something coming unexpected like this, then we should expect that people will ask questions whether overtly or covertly.
“Even if it is legal, it is unexpected; we have two budgets and a supplementary budget. It is legal but that moral aspect, for us as a House, I will appeal we allow this to go for now but the message has to be sent that the government should do the needful”, Doguwa said emphatically.
Speaker Tajudeen, while intervening, appealed to members to support the extensions, saying most of the items on the supplementary budget were security related issues.
Despite his pleas, majority of the lawmakers appeared not comfortable with the request for extension of the budgets as they kept on shouting “No!”No!
Following that development, the Speaker asked that the House enter into an executive session for members to iron out issues before resuming consideration of the bills.
Arising from the executive session, the House dissolved into the Committee of Supply to debate the various clauses in the bills, all of which were carried.
Subsequently, the House reverted to plenary where the bills were read for the third time and passed.
Meanwhile, questions have continued to trail the running of multiple appropriation laws in the country.
It’s abnormal – BudgIT
Commenting on the development, a civil society organisation known as BudgIT, whose primary goal is promoting transparency in governance and fostering active citizens engagement with institutional reforms and equitable society, condemned the plan by the federal government to concurrently implement four national budgets in 2024, as an “anomaly with no precedence”.
The organisation’s Country Director, Gabriel Okeowo, said this on Friday in a statement, faulting the proposed elongation of the implementation period for the 2023 approved Budget and 2023 Supplementary Budget from the proposed termination date of December 31, 2023, to December 31, 2024.
He recalled that the 2023 Approved Budget of N21.83 trillion, signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2023, was designed to run for 12 calendar months from January to December, as is the practice globally.
The BudgIT boss said that in addition, while the 2024 Appropriation Bill was being drafted, the 2023 Supplementary Budget of N2.17 trillion was passed by the National Assembly, and assented to by President Tinubu, barely two months before the end of the 2023 fiscal year.
“For a brief period, Nigeria returned to the January-December budget calendar in 2019, but retrogressed from the 2020 fiscal year. From 2020 to date, the federal government has routinely extended the implementation period for the capital budgets beyond 12 calendar months, a practice that negates the principle of annuality of public budgets.
“The National Assembly had initially extended the implementation of the 2023 Approved Budget and 2023 Supplementary Budget to June 30, 2024, and now to December 31, 2024. If allowed to be implemented, the practice would convert Nigeria’s annual budget into a biennial one, a practice neither provided for by the 1999 Constitution, nor the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007”, Okeowo said.
He said more worrisome is that the federal government is currently drafting another 2024 supplementary budget, which it intends to implement alongside the 2023 Approved Budget, 2023 Supplementary Budget and 2024 Approved Budget, thereby resulting in the simultaneous implementation of four budgets, an “anomaly with no precedence.”
He said, “Standard practice should be that projects not catered to within a fiscal year are rolled over to the budget of a new fiscal year. The concurrent implementation of four budgets will lead to severe budget credibility issues, as revenues projected in 2024 alone would most likely be used in implementing four different budgets, negatively impacting service delivery in critical social sectors and the provision of essential public infrastructure”.
He said BudgIT had identified many frivolous items in the 2023 Approved Budget and 2023 Supplementary Budget that would compete with essential projects in the 2024 Budget for the meagre resources available to the federal government.
“We call on the federal government and the National Assembly to amend the complications of this convoluted budgeting system and return to a disciplined January to December Budget Calendar.
“We also urge the federal government to identify and implement only the projects and programmes that align with Nigeria’s overarching development goals, reduce inequality, and improve the lives of citizens, the bulk of whom are multidimensionally poor,” he said.
Speaking on the development, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), said that this is the first time Nigeria is going through this kind of “disturbing zero discipline, directionless and lack of public priorities and national interest budgeting, which rather creates opportunities for duplication, waste and corruption.”
Rafsanjani said that the 2024 appropriation law and a number of supplementary budgets submitted to the National Assembly with unjustified borrowings for consumption and reckless spending on some public officials without tangible efforts to improve the nation’s economy and revenue for national development was “terrifying”, as Nigerians are suffering and poverty is on the increased.
“But at the same time, we are witnessing collapse of critical infrastructures and human capital development, poverty, unemployment and overwhelming insecurity in Nigeria with no capacity through budgetary system to address all these challenges.
“The current National Assembly members seem to be satisfied with only their constituencies’ projects, which are often personalised, with no “needs assessment” carried out or even consultation with the constituents they represent.
“As a result, they have decided to leave their fundamental job of checking that the federal government has a budget for national development. They don’t scrutinise the budget to ensure pro poor and national interest budgets for development. And if an individual member raises concerns, they will gang up against him/her like what happened to Senator (Abdul) Ningi. This is sad,” Rafsanjani said.
Also, the Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said that the organisation had consistently emphasised that the Tinubu/APC-led administration lacked a clear agenda for governing the nation.
He said that it was perplexing, how a government could manage multiple budgets simultaneously and still expect accountability.
“Such confusion and lack of direction epitomise the current administration. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the government’s policies and programmes. And without a clear agenda and direction, it is challenging to assess the impact and success of this government.
“Overall, CHRICED’s criticism of the Tinubu/APC-led administration underscores the need for a more coherent and transparent approach to governance in Nigeria. We will continue to advocate for greater accountability and transparency in government actions, in order to ensure that the needs and interests of the Nigerian people are prioritised and addressed,” Zikirullahi said.
Tinubu responding to IMF dictates – Falana
When contacted, Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), said the amendment of the 2023 Appropriation Act was to accommodate the unpredictability of the market occasioned by the ruining of the economy through floating of the naira and removal of subsidies from petroleum products as well as electricity as dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“The Bola Tinubu administration is responding to the crisis of peripheral capitalism,” he said.
According to him: “The crisis has been compounded by oil theft and smuggling of mineral resources and the revenue expected is not forthcoming”.
Presidency speaks
Speaking on the development, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga said the budget cycle was extended to December to ensure that the capital projects contained in the appropriations were not abandoned.
“It is because it (the 2023 supplementary budget) is running simultaneously with the 2023 budget. There are some elements of that budget that were not implemented. That is why they are moving it forward to be implemented.
“They have already got the provisions meant for them. So, they are trying to make sure they implement them based on the provisions of that budget. It means the 2023 and 2024 budgets will run concurrently,” Onanuga said.
[DailyTrust]
Media personality and actress Moet Abebe has confirmed that she is in a long-term romantic relationship with rapper Ice Prince.
On the “Bahd And Boujee” podcast, she revealed that they have been together for 12 years, calling herself his “baby girl.”
When asked about having children with him, she playfully dodged the question, while she affirmed to have received financial support from him, referring to him as her “boo.”
She said, “Ice Prince is my man. We have been dating for 12 years. I’m his baby girl.”
Tolanibaj asked: “Do you plan to have children with him?”
Abebe replied :“Our babies will be fine but no. Let me not say no [laughs].”
Tolanibaj asked again: “Have you ever received a credit alert from him?”
Abebe replied: “Why not. That’s my boo.”
[TheNation]
Kayode Adesile did not anticipate the tragedy that occurred when he visited his newlywed wife, Oluwaseun Omolara Olusola, on June 25, 2024, at her residence in the Powerline area of Meiran, a suburb of Lagos.
Unknown to Adesile, an automobile technician, he had incurred the wrath of Esther, his wife’s 15-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, for reprimanding on an occasion she disrespected her mother, The Nation reports.
Esther, it was said, invited hoodlums to teach her stepfather a bitter lesson for meddling in her matter. The hoodlums, who were around when Adesile was visiting Esther’s expectant mother, pounced on him while he was about to enter the house, dealt him blows and recorded the scenario with their mobile phones.
“I verbally reprimanded her recently for being rude and disrespectful to her mother, who is my wife. I didn’t know that she was upset by my action which I took in good faith.
“They had carefully plotted the assault on me, knowing that I usually visit my wife’s home three times in a week.
“It was when I came around on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 that I was accosted by Esther who beckoned on the hoodlums to beat me up.
“I was badly beaten and humiliated as they took their time to make videos of the assault.”
It was said that after Adesile was assaulted, his attackers ran to the Meiran Police Station to lie that he attacked them. By the time Adesile reported the matter at the same police station he was detained.
The police, according to sources, would later find out that he was actually the victim of the assault, contrary to the complaint made by his attackers.
“The hoodlums invited by Esther were led by one Oluwakemi a.k.a. Honour, who supervised the brutality meted out to me and even filmed the scene with his boys.
“I was severely punched and battered by the hoodlums and left helpless as there was no one to save me from them.
“Even my wife who tried to save me was slapped silly by the boys and pushed to the ground.
“The hoodlums then left for the station and lied that I had attacked them.
“The police detained me when I went there to complain about the assault.
“It was later discovered that the hoodlums had lied and that they were the aggressors in this case.
“Hence, I was released on bail on Thursday June 27.”
He further said: “I started dating my wife six years ago before her mother died, and there was no problem between us.
“Her mother had asked her to bring me home for proper introduction after she told her that we were in a relationship.
“I later went to see her mother and we had a very cordial relationship before she died two years ago.
“When her mother was sick, my wife and I took very good care of her by taking her to a hospital in Abeokuta.
“She died shortly after we brought her back to Lagos.
“My wife is currently pregnant for me. I was the one that raised money to send her to school after she finished her JSS 3.
“I did not do anything to deserve the brutality meted out to me by the hoodlums she invited in connivance with a disgruntled family member of her mother to dehumanise me and even ran to the police to further detain me when in actual fact they were the aggressors.
“I was released on bail this morning (June 27) and the leader of the hoodlums is the leader a cult group in the community.”
Speaking with The Nation, Adesile’s wife, Oluwaseun, who is also Esther’s mother, said her daughter was being brainwashed and used by her unscrupulous family members and neighbours.
Oluwaseun said: “Esther Adekunle is a product of my former marriage. Her father humiliated me and was fond of brutalising me till we parted ways.”
She said she had struggled and weathered the storm to ensure that Esther and her two siblings got a good life and education after she parted with their father.
“There is no work that I have not done to give Esther and her siblings education. I am into cleaning services just so that I can have money to ensure that they feed well and go to school since their father abandoned them for me.”
The 36-year-old woman said that Esther had formed the habit of disrespecting and insulting her in public.
“Yet, despite all my struggle to make ends meet and raise them, Esther disrespects me in public and refused to heed my instructions.
“She would leave home without my consent and return when she wishes. She bedwets and exhibits dirty habits at home.
“It was recently when she insulted me openly that my new husband called her out and verbally reprimanded her for her misguided attitude.
“It was for that reason that she further became recalcitrant and planned with my mother’s family members and neighbours to invite the hoodlums to brutalise my husband.
“My new husband is not a gold digger. I have been dating him before my mother passed on two years ago.
“He was the one that provided the money we spent in processing admission for Esther to proceed for her Senior Secobdary education.
“Yet, he is the same person my daughter brought hoodlums to humiliate in public on June 25.
“While the boys were beating my husband, they also slapped me when i tried to stop them.
“”To my surprise, the boys came back the next day, June 26, and further assaulted me and there was no one to save me from them.
“They rushed to the police station and lied to the police that my husband attacked them. The police later detained my husband.
“The leader of the hoodlums, who is the husband of my daughter’s boss, was also detained when my husband indentified him as the leader of the gang that attacked him.
She added: “My husband was freed after the police discovered that the hoodlums were the culprits.”
In an audio recording obtained by our reporter, Esther, confronted by some persons on her complicity in the assault on her mother’s husband, accused Adesile of fondling her breasts about two months earlier.
“He (stepfather) fondled my breasts about two months ago,” Esther said.
Asked why it took her two months to avenge her purported molestation and why she did not tell her mother about it, she said: “I told my mother’s family members about it.”
Adesile and Esther’s mother however described the allegation as a tissue of lies.
“She is lying. I have never molested her. She is acting a script handed to her by the people that are guiding her to disrespect her mother and myself over my wife’s inheritance which they want to dispossess her of, ” Adesile said.
Esther’s mother also said her daughter was misguided and told to lie against her stepfather after it dawned on them that their action was criminal and could have consequences.
She said: “My daughter was told to lie that my husband recently molested her.
“The truth is that she is doing a hatchet job for some people who are planning to take over my late mother’s property at all cost.
“My husband has never molested Esther. She is being used without her knowing.”
Contacted for comments, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Lagos Command, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, did not answer his call and also had not responded to the inquiry sent to his WhatsApp at press time.
The passing of Nollywood’s beloved comic legend, Mr. Ibu, marked a somber and heart-wrenching moment for the entertainment industry and his grieving family.
The iconic actor, who brought joy and laughter to countless fans, passed away on March 2 at the age of 62, leaving a void that can never be filled.
Amidst the solemn funeral ceremonies that had his loved ones and colleagues in attendance, a deeply emotional and shocking revelation came to light from Mr. Ibu’s first daughter, Amarachi.
Emerging at her father’s burial, she delivered a soul-stirring speech that has since gone viral, shedding light on her heartbreaking relationship with the late actor.
In the now widely circulated video, Amarachi disclosed that her connection with her father was virtually nonexistent.
The painful reality she unveiled was that the only time she ever met Mr. Ibu was during his final moments in the hospital, as he lay on his deathbed.
Amarachi noted that the only memories she would carry with her of her father were the ones forged in the hospital during his final moments. Fighting back tears, she shared how the accounts of others painted a picture of Mr. Ibu as a great actor and a compassionate man, beloved by many.
Her sorrow was palpable as she revealed that she had always lived with her mother and expressed deep regret that their relationship never had the chance to develop.
The tragic reality that their first and only meeting occurred at the brink of his death weighed heavily on her.
Mr. Ibu laid to rest right inside his sitting room in the presence of grieving family members, colleagues
AFOLABI
The late, legendary actor John Okafor, affectionately known as Mr. Ibu, who succumbed to a prolonged battle with ill health on March 2, 2024, was finally laid to rest on a poignant Friday, June 28, 2024.
The solemn yet grand ceremony took place in his hometown of Amuri, located within the Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, drawing a significant crowd of mourners.
A trending clip captured Mr. Ibu’s wife, Stella Maris Okafor, and their children, all donned in pristine white attire, leading a striking parade of undertakers who carried the late actor’s body in a gleaming white coffin.
The procession moved to the rhythm of bustling, vibrant music, creating a powerful and emotionally charged atmosphere.
In an unexpected twist that left onlookers in awe, the parade came to a halt right in front of Mr. Ibu’s residence. The coffin was then ceremoniously carried inside, right into his sitting room, marking an unprecedented and deeply personal final resting place.
Among the witnesses were his colleagues—Charles Inojie, Charles Awurum, and Victor Osuagwu—who, alongside family members and grave diggers, solemnly covered the ground of the freshly dug grave within the sitting room, sharing a moment of collective grief and reverence.
The funeral ceremony continued with even more notable personalities paying their respects. Figures such as Shatta Bandle, Bob Manuel, and a host of other celebrities and dignitaries were present, further highlighting the significant impact Mr. Ibu had on the entertainment industry and beyond.
Media
A 41-year-old man, Baridapsi Needam has been sentenced to to 14 years imprisonment by the Bayelsa State High Court, sitting in Yenagoa.
The man was jailed for r*ping and impregnating his daughter.
It was learnt that the victim gave birth to a baby girl while the trial was pending.
Bayelsa State Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General Biriyai Dambo, in the suit numbered YHC/14C/2022, charged the accused with the offence of r*pe, contrary to Section 1(1) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law of Bayelsa State, 2021.
The State Prosecuting Counsel and Deputy Director in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Justice, Pere Amanda Egbuson, told the court that investigations revealed that the accused began defiling his daughter when she was seven years old by inserting his fingers into her vagina and started having sex with her in 2020 until she got pregnant in 2022.
The presiding judge, Justice D.E. Adokeme, stated while delivering the judgement that the prosecution presented credible evidence and made reference to the DNA result, which revealed a 99.99 per cent positive report that the convict is the father of the child.
The court ruled that the prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt that Needam committed the offence of r*pe and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment.
Speaking after the judgement, lead prosecuting counsel Pere Amanda Egbuson noted that the judgement will serve as a deterrent to others as a strong message has been sent that the court will not tolerate such heinous acts.
The convict, Baridapsi Needman, who hails from Ogani Wily Kaira Community in Ogoni in Rivers State, was reported to the police by members of the state gender advocacy group, Gender Response Initiative Team, GRIT, in 2022, when a concerned neighbour noticed that the victim was five months pregnant and that the father was responsible for the pregnancy.
Needman was reported to have replaced his deceased wife with his daughter on his matrimonial bed. While the 14-year-old girl, who was in Junior Secondary School 3, was sleeping on the bed with her father, her two younger brothers were made to sleep on the floor.
Talent manager Paulo Okoye has shared a throwback video with Davido on Instagram, revealing how he tirelessly fought for Davido’s career in the early days.
Despite being rejected six times by a company, Paulo persisted and eventually secured a job for Davido.
He attributed their success to hard work, stating that he wasn’t born with a “golden spoon.”
“Is all about hard work !!! Respect!!! Then Davido have on One song !!! Duro!! I fought for that job for him !! The company says no to me 6x I come back fighting before they say Yes. it is well !!! !!! I’m not born with a golden spoon, it’s just hard work,” he wrote on Instagram.
Davido and his brother, Adewale Adeleke, validated Paulo’s claims in the comment section, with Davido writing “Facts” and Adewale acknowledging Paulo’s significant role in Davido’s career, he wrote: “Yep our first endorsement, MTN was done by you sir. You forever played a major role in David’s story! God bless you”.
This testimony comes amidst Paulo’s online dispute with Very Dark Man, who disparaged Paulo’s girlfriend, Iyabo Ojo.
Media personality and actress Moet Abebe has confirmed that she is in a long-term romantic relationship with rapper Ice Prince.
On the “Bahd And Boujee” podcast, she revealed that they have been together for 12 years, calling herself his “baby girl.”
When asked about having children with him, she playfully dodged the question, while she affirmed to have received financial support from him, referring to him as her “boo.”
She said, “Ice Prince is my man. We have been dating for 12 years. I’m his baby girl.”
Tolanibaj asked: “Do you plan to have children with him?”
Abebe replied :“Our babies will be fine but no. Let me not say no [laughs].”
Tolanibaj asked again: “Have you ever received a credit alert from him?”
Abebe replied: “Why not. That’s my boo.”
Talent manager Soso Soberekon, has shared valuable advice for women on his Instagram page.
He emphasised that no amount of s3xual prowess can prevent a man from cheating if he is inclined to do so.
He encouraged women not to strain themselves trying to please a man, using the metaphor of “breaking their spinal cord.”
“No sex position makes a man faithful. Who’ll cheat will cheat. Don’t break your spinal cord my sister,” he wrote on Instagram.
Big Brother Naija reality star, Tolani Baj, has expressed readiness for a romantic relationship.
Co-hosting the latest episode of the Bahd And Boujee Podcast with actress Moet Abebe, Tolanibaj lamented her difficulty in finding love.
“I don’t understand how my man is out there like your missing rib is still missing. I’m your rib. How are you surviving without your missing rib? You’ve peace of mind, you can sleep without your missing rib? I’m tired, I’m ready to complete you,” she said.
Abebe asked, “Are you sure that you’re putting yourself out there strategically?”
Tolanibaj replied, “I don’t care about strategy. This is the thing about Lagos. That’s why I said Lagos is dirty. Why do I’ve to be strategic? Why can’t a man just see me and say this is her, this is my rib that I’ve been looking for?
“I’m beautiful, I don’t play games. I’m ready to be loved. I pray that in season 3 of this podcast my missing rib would have found me.”
More...
The Federal Government has received at least 103 Nigerians deported from Turkey over migration related issues.
Some of the issues were expired visas, irregular migration, among others.
Alhaji Tijani Ahmed, the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI stated this on Friday during the deportees’ profiling in Abuja.
Represented by Amb. Catherine Udida, the Director Migration Affairs in the commission, Ahmed said that the commission expected 110 deportees but received 103, all males.
“Some of them have been in the deportation camp for some months, and now that they are here, we are hoping to follow up on all the allegations gathered in their profiling.
“We will go through the profiling forms, because some of them have said that their passports were seized.
“We are going to follow up with the Turkish authority, because the passports are still the property of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he assured.
According to him, the NCFRMI is the mandate agency responsible for all returnees, irrespective of their status.
“We equally have a programme where we train them and thereafter reintegrate them into the society”, the Federal Commissioner stated.
By Valentine Obienyem
The speech at the Valedictory Session of graduates of Physiology at Nnamdi Azikiwe University at Okofia, Nnewi, where I represented Mr Peter Obi.
Three days ago, on the 26th, His Excellency Mr Peter Obi was a Guest Speaker at the 6th Annual Lecture of the Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria at UNIZIK. As he left, he mentioned he would phone me about a function on the 28th, which he was struggling to plan to attend.
However, he did not call back until early yesterday morning, around 3 am. He referred to the event he mentioned, the 2024 Valedictory Session for Physiology Graduates where he was invited as one of the keynote speakers and requested I should represent him as it had become clear he would not make it. He reminded me how the event was initially scheduled for a different date, and how he was en route to attend before receiving the news of its postponement.
Next, I needed to inquire about the message he wished to convey to the new graduates, reminding him of his role as the Guest Speaker. We spent the next hour on the phone, with me diligently noting down his message. As I relay it to you now, please understand that I am merely a mouthpiece, repeating the words of the master for the enlightenment of the new graduates, who, through this very act, are being sent into the world to contribute their knowledge towards making it a better place.
Judging by the looks on your faces, most of you are still in your early twenties. In popular parlance, one might say “nyabinghi anya” or “Akwobeyi beans akwo.” When we say this of you, it means that you are still in the march of your lives. And the person speaking through me, Mr. Peter Obi, is already in the June of his life. Therefore, he speaks to you from his rich experiential pedigree – he has seen it all. He is speaking from the pedestal of wisdom.
As I discussed with him regarding the message to be conveyed, I recall a beautiful piece I read in the eighties as a young Seminarian, written by the then Mr. Hyginus Aghaulor (now a Priest). It was entitled “Arrow in the Quiver.” Fr. questioned: “Have you ever seen floods and the consequent erosion demonstrate their anger? The only grammar meaningful to them is destruction. But construct gutters, and you would have tamed the irrationality of the floods; build dykes, and their destructive instinct would be turned inside out. It becomes an opportunity. The once insane floods would then be channelled to irrigate the thirsty vegetation on the plain. Life flourishes!”
We all resemble floods at various points in our upbringing. Some of us were raw savages entrusted to different educational institutions to be refined into human beings, especially now parenting has gone to the dogs. Good institutions do their utmost, but poor institutions exacerbate matters. Regarding Nigeria, despite criticisms of academic institutions, Nnamdi Azikiwe University remains one of the finest. Therefore, you are fortunate to have been educated there.
Upon your graduation, you are conferred or have been conferred with the degrees of this University, which, like degrees everywhere, attest to moral and academic achievements. You are now released into the world to contribute to its enrichment. Thus, you are sent forth as a finished product, an ambassador of this institution.
Schools are expected to exert civilising effects on students. This is what you are expected to demonstrate. From experience, it is evident that throughout your life, the umbilical cord between you and your alma mater will not be severed. I asked Mr. Peter Obi why he believed this. Let him speak directly to you: “Did you follow Hilda Bacci when she entered the Guinness Book of Records? She was widely celebrated. As you may recall, I was among those who visited her.
Shortly after, Madonna University claimed her as their own. They proudly recounted how she was an exemplary student and how the formative influence of Madonna University prepared her for the achievement she attained. This illustrates that you continue to be an ambassador of your alma mater for as long as you live.”
Not Done, Obi continued: “On 18 May 2016, Johns Hopkins University, where Chimamanda Adichie obtained her Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, conferred upon her an honorary doctorate in recognition of her outstanding contributions to literature. Through this award, the university sent a clear message: ‘Girl, you are harnessing the knowledge gained within our institution in a truly remarkable and positive manner.”
Thus, you will find personal fulfilment, your loved ones will be proud of you, your institution will commend you, and society will applaud you when you fulfil your existential purpose as one who has been adequately prepared to tackle the challenges in society.
A few weeks ago, I attended the valedictory lecture of Rev. Fr. Professor Boniface Obiefuna, where he bid farewell to the institution he had served for many years. The lecture was a nostalgic reflection on his life, covering his birth, education, priestly life, and teaching career. He also shared with us his eccentricities and humorous anecdotes. Today, you are expected to engage in a similar reflection, assessing your life’s journey so far. While Professor Obiefuna did this at the age of seventy, you are still in your early twenties, so I say, ‘Anyabehe Anya’. But, I ask, who is the driver of your life’s journey? We shall return to this question later.
While delivering the 6th Annual lecture on the 26th of this month, Mr Peter Obi emphasized the need to dismantle the criminality that has come to define Nigeria. Today, as a result of the cumulative effects of poor governance and criminality, Nigeria is in a state of crisis, a situation that is all too real. The country has failed everyone, including those who perpetuated the criminality, who are now living in fear.
What about the youth whose futures have been squandered by the country? Let me reconnect the dots by quoting Fr. Aghaulor once again: “Like yam – -tendrils, youth is delicate and ready to take the bent he is given. He is like clay at the hands of the potter. Whatever is seen or heard immediately leaves its impression on the youth’s personality. Youth’s emotion, if not well directed can burst at any time like a dormant volcano; the consequences can be destructive as an unguided flood.”
Father wrote as if addressing our country today: Tell me, what the country has done for you that would make the idea of patriotism meaningful? This is why people like us often appeal to you not to hold the country accountable for its sins, but instead to strengthen your resolve to use your education to contribute to changing the system. You cannot achieve this by being part of the rigging of elections in the future, but rather by upholding the highest moral standards for the country.
Having disappointed you, you are now your most trusted and competent driver. What schools have done in your life is to illuminate the path or show you the way to go. It is up to you to build the barriers and channels of your life to direct your energy towards productivity. Have you experienced dejection in your life?
The least effective way to recover is not by heeding others’ advice, but by listening to yourself. Hence, the best advice is that which we give to ourselves. Therefore, your success as you enter the world depends largely on your efforts to remain focused in life, to paddle your own canoe on the understanding that you are your own safest driver. This was the reason that when Tsze-Lu asked Confucius, “What constitute the Higher Man,” he replied, “the cultivation of himself with reverential care.”
As graduates of Physiology, you are expected to have studied the subject. Beyond the 18th century, when it became an independent science, its foundational work was laid by figures such as Hippocrates, Aristotle, and Galen. The contributions of individuals like Harvey, Bernard, and Pavlov drew heavily from theirs. Even Descartes’ mechanistic view of the body, which likened bodily functions to mechanical processes, contributed to the development of Physiology. This demonstrates the interconnectedness of knowledge.
As you strive to contribute to the advancement of learning, do not isolate yourself like an island. Reach out to others, and collaborate with different fields, as humanity strives to conquer the world and build a better society.
Although Nigeria has not treated you fairly, Peter Obi encourages you to continue loving her and not hesitate to take actions that will help the country rediscover itself. However, due to limited opportunities in the country, he does not advise against travelling to other parts of the world in search of better opportunities.
He has always recommended emulating the Indians. They are often seen worldwide, striving to improve themselves through further education and thereafter engage in productive ventures, notably, bringing back the knowledge they acquire to their homeland. As some of you travel abroad, keep the Indian example in mind.
Though Mr. Peter Obi frequently emphasises the importance of STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), as a philosopher, he values how philosophy has enriched his perspectives. During our conversation that evening, he instructed me to remind you that despite the emphasis on science, you should strive to become well-rounded scholars and not allow yourselves to become fragmented. Let him address you directly once more.
“Besides acquainting yourselves with great physiologists like Harvey, Bernard, and Pavlov, dedicate at least two hours per week to enriching yourselves with these exemplars of civilisation. Befriend eminent poets such as Sophocles, Euripides, Virgil, Dante, Petrarch, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Racine, Moliere, Goethe, and Soyinka. Engage with outstanding statesmen spanning from Hammurabi to Winston Churchill, and the Ziks of Nigeria and with profound thinkers like Confucius, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Epicurus, Archimedes, Lucretius, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Francis Bacon, Spinoza, Newton, Kant, Darwin and Ojukwu. Familiarise yourselves with exceptional prose writers such as Demosthenes, Cicero, Seneca, Rabelais, Montaigne, Milton, Voltaire, Achebe, and Chimamanda. Explore the works of eminent historians like Herodotus, Thucydides, Tacitus, and Gibbon. Lastly, seek inspiration from great saints such as Augustine, Francis of Assisi, and Tansi, as well as influential opinion writers like Okey Ikechukwu, Rueben Abati, Segun Adeniyi, Dan Onwukwe, Comfort Obi, and Robert Obiorah. I would not deem you educated unless you count many of these luminaries among your acquaintances. Nurture these relationships, and you will undoubtedly be shaped by the company you keep.”
Although Mr Peter Obi emphasises the importance of being your drivers, he also urged me to remind you of the value of having credible role models. While you may have had role models during your student days, you may need to seek out new ones with different perspectives as you enter the world. He asked me to share a fascinating story with you: When Themistocles was presented with two suitors for his daughter’s hand in marriage, he chose the man of good character over the wealthy one, saying, “I prefer a man without money to money without a man.”
This wisdom should guide us in selecting role models – individuals who inspire and guide us. Role models teach us valuable virtues like hard work, honesty, and integrity, and their noble lives enrich our own.
We should seek out individuals who embody these virtues, rather than those who merely flaunt their ill-gotten wealth, sometimes annoyingly in the conscious, but often the misplaced grandeur of their having arrived. “Finally, he requested I remind you to always remember your last day this school, and these teachers who laboured so patiently to turn you into what you are today and what you promise to become. Most importantly, he wants you to remain close to God.”
In conclusion, Mr. Peter Obi’s message is that of hope, inspiration, and guidance. He encourages you to be your drivers, to seek out credible role models, and to cultivate your minds with a well-rounded education. He reminds you that your alma mater will always be proud of your accomplishments and urges you to make a positive impact on society. As you go forth into the world, you must hold on to the values of hard work, honesty, and integrity, and strive to build bridges between science and society and contribute meaning to your communities and the world at large.
An Immigration officer, Dabiet Onyemi Gilbert, has been sentenced to one year in prison for defrauding a job seeker of N800,000.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted Gilbert on a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence. After receiving a petition from the victim and conducting an investigation, the EFCC brought the case to court, leading to Gilbert's conviction.
Justice H.H. Kereng of the Gombe State High Court who presided over the case, handed down the sentence after listening to testimonies.
A yet-to-be-identified suspected electricity vandal has been electrocuted while attempting to steal transformer cable which belong to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.
A statement on Friday by the Head, Corporate Communications of EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, said the incident happened in the early hours of Friday.
Ezeh, who described the incident as “tragic and very unfortunate,” lamented the increasing rate at which vandals attack electricity installations within the EEDC’s network daily.
Ezeh said, “In the early hours of today (Friday), the lifeless body of a yet-to-be-identified vandal suspect was found within the space of a distribution transformer belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc located around Missionary Avenue, Coal Camp, Enugu.
“From all indications, it is presumed that the power supply must have been restored while the deceased was cutting the armoured cables, which resulted in him being electrocuted.
“Vandalism has been a big challenge to the company, and there is no way this can be addressed without the support of critical stakeholders.”
Ezeh lamented the increasing rate at which criminals plunder electricity installations within EEDC’s network daily, noting that it has adversely impacted not just the quality of service to its customers but also its revenue.
Meanwhile, the organisation in a statement on Friday, said, “The attention of the EEDC has been drawn to a video circulating on the social media space, made by one Mazi Okechukwu Cyril Nwuche who claims to be a lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, and the Anambra State Chairman of South East Electricity Consumers Association, purporting that EEDC is calling on its customers to apply for a free prepaid metre.
“This information is not only incorrect but laced with mischief aimed at misleading unsuspecting customers and creating confusion within the space.
“Whilst EEDC encourages its customers in need of meters to apply and have their premises metered, it is important that they are armed with the right information, and that they also understand the procedure in place for metre acquisition.”