Southampton star Romeo Lavia is being chased by a number of clubs during the summer transfer window, with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all mooted as potential destinations.

Lavia enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 campaign, establishing himself as one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League - a hugely impressive feat considering he is still just

Barcelona twist

German transfer guru Florian Plettenberg has delivered an update on the Lavia situation, claiming that Barcelona are also interested in the 19-year-old, although the Catalan giants are unlikely to be able to afford him given Southampton's steep asking price.

Writing on Twitter, Plettenberg said: "Roméo #Lavia, there are still concrete talks with Chelsea, Arsenal, especially with Liverpool as Klopp is a big fan! #LFC Been told that his price tag is around £50m this summer!

"Confirmed: Barcelona was targeting the 19 y/o but his price is not affordable for Barca this summer."

Liverpool and Arsenal decision

Arsenal and Liverpool are both unwilling to match Southampton's £50million valuation set on midfield youngster Romeo Lavia this summer. That's according to Sky Sports, which reports that the Belgian wonderkid is valued at a high price by the Saints, but teams are standing off reaching such a figure at this stage.

Southampton stance

According to Sky Sports, Southampton are confident they will be able to receive close to £50million for Lavia this summer.

The report also claims that Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have all engaged the Belgian's representatives over a potential move. However, both the Gunners and the Reds are said to be unwilling to bid that high for the talented teenager.

Bid prepared

Arsenal are ready to make a move for Lavia once they have completed the signing of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, according to The Times.

It is claimed that Mikel Arteta's side want to bid for Lavia after a deal for Rice is finalised, although they will face stiff competition from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, with the Saints valuing the Belgian international at around £50million.

Liverpool and Chelsea lead race

It did seem that Liverpool led the race for the 19-year-old talent, along with Chelsea, with the Gunners falling behind in the race for Lavia's signature. A report from Football Transfers, via 90min, has stated that Arteta's side are behind their Premier League rivals as competition for the Belgian midfielder heats up.

Transfer boost

A whole host of clubs have been handed a potential boost for Romeo Lavia this summer as new Southampton boss Russell Martin has claimed that some players will leave the club this summer.

He told the press: "There will be people leaving, of course, it’s what happens when you have such a tough season last season and you move down from the Premier League. I’ve also been there and it’s not that easy, every player in the dressing room could think they’re going back to the Premier League but it’s not that easy.”

Liverpool open talks

Liverpool have made the decision to open talks with Southampton to sign Romeo Lavia this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Speaking on YouTube, he said: "Romeo Lavia is in Arsenal's list and they have had some positive conversations on the club and player side, but no official bid as they are waiting to understand the future of Thomas Partey.

"But from what I understand, Liverpool have opened talks to sign Lavia. Man United have asked about the situation as have Chelsea, so both clubs are informed but they are not yet active on this deal, but for Liverpool, Lavia is one of the players they are considering."

£40m bid pending

Arsenal are ready to submit their first offer for Lavia in the coming days. That's according to the Daily Mirror, who claim the Gunners will put forward a £40million bid for the Belgian midfielder.

The report claims the bid will all-but-end the north Londoners' pursuit of Moises Caicedo.

Advancing talks

Arsenal are advancing in talks to sign Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia this summer, though there is yet to be an official bid made. That's according to Fabrizio Romano, who claims that the Gunners are making progress, though the Saints are likely to ask for a fee above their record for a player under the age of 21 - which sits at £32million when Luke Shaw joined Manchester United in 2014.

Talks take place

Arsenal are not giving up on signing Romeo Lavia just because of their continued bid to bring in Declan Rice, according to Fabrizio Romano. "Arsenal have concrete and strong interest in Romeo Lavia," he tweeted.

"Relationship is excellent with his camp — talks already took place." The Gunners are desperate to add a new midfielder to their squad this summer.

"Timing will be crucial as Chelsea remain interested. Man United appreciate Lavia but still not advancing. City buy back clause only valid 2024," finished Romano.

Arsenal talks 'progressing'

The priority may well be on Declan Rice but reports claim the Gunners are progressing in talks to sign Lavia.

According to Miguel Delaney, the midfielder is on Arteta's radar after cooling their interest in Brighton's Moises Caicedo. They do, however, share interest with London rivals Chelsea.

Southampton price tag

Arsenal will have to cough up between £40million-£50million to sign Lavia this summer, according to the Daily Mail.

The high valuation of the Belgian is said to be down to three clauses inserted into his contract. The first is in regard to Man City, his former side, being able to match any bid that arrives with a buyback clause - around £40million. The final clause entitles City to 20% of any future sale.

Two midfielders to join?

As per transfer expert Ben Jacobs, Arsenal could look to sign two of Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice this summer as Sporting Director Edu looks to get his business done early.

"Arsenal could still come back in for Moises Caicedo, even if the priority is Declan Rice. And they could go for Romeo Lavia as well", Jacobs told GiveMeSport. "They won’t get all three, but it could indicate that they might be looking for two in the centre of the park when these targets are concrete.

"They’re looking at such a high volume of players because not all these deals are easy, particularly the ones involving Brighton. Roberto De Zerbi will not want a mass exodus, and Brighton will only sell on their terms."

Summer shortlist

The Daily Mail named Lavia as one of the three midfielders that Arsenal have on their summer shortlist, alongside the aforementioned Rice and Brighton starlet Moises Caicedo.

The report claims that the Gunners are desperate to close the gap on league-leaders Manchester City, with not just one but potentially two central midfielders targeted as sporting director Edu looks to bolster Arteta's squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Manchester City advantage

Southampton's £12million deal to sign Lavia last summer has a clause that gives Manchester City a chance to buy him back for £40million, although this clause doesn't become active until 2024.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, this will likely mean the youngster should cost more than that if he is to leave St Mary's Stadium this summer. Writing for CaughtOffside, he said: “Nothing has changed for Romeo Lavia, at the moment. It’s normal to see big clubs linked because he’s a top talent but there’s nothing concrete at this stage.

“It’s fair to remember that Man City have £40m buy back clause for Lavia, so value has to be higher for sure.”

Kevin De Bruyne verdict

Lavia's rise to prominence in recent months is unlikely to surprise former Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne, who has previously heaped praise on the 19-year-old when the pair were teammates. Speaking about his fellow Belgian international to Play Sports last year, De Bruyne said: "He is very good.

"He's been training with us since the end of last year. If he continues his development, I think he'll be a top player."

[Football.London]

Barcelona have stepped up their pursuit of a new right-back lately. With Jules Kounde unhappy with his role in the first team, coach Xavi Hernandez wants to sign a new option that can serve as the first-choice option next season.

One of the players Barça are targeting heading into the new season is Joao Cancelo. The Portuguese international has been a target for Barcelona for a while now and was in contention to join the club in the January transfer window.

Barcelona were not able to complete the deal due to financial constraints. But they have been in contention to sign Cancelo on a loan deal this summer. Manchester City want to offload the player on a permanent deal, but Barça are not in a position to do so.

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the signing of Cancelo has been ruled out for Barcelona. The financial requirements for the deal are completely unviable for the club.

This comes shortly after a report which pointed out how Barça were expecting Cancelo to lower his salary demands. But with Arsenal also in the mix, the right-back is unlikely to lower his demands and may end up moving to the Emirates this summer.

This will force Blaugrana to look out for other alternatives in the market. The club’s pursuit of Ivan Fresneda has been well-documented in recent weeks. The youngster is already waiting for Barcelona’s offer and looks keen on making the move.

Barcelona’s technical staff are also yet to reach a consensus about Fresneda. Although they rate the player highly, many doubt whether he will be a good investment for the club, especially in the current scenario.

Therefore, Barcelona may end up failing to sign any right-back this summer, although the situation may drastically change if the club manage to get rid of their unwanted stars this summer.

[barcauniversal]

Newcastle United are ready to launch their bid to sign Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes this week.

Eddie Howe’s side are expected to offer around £25million initially for the England international. 

They were initially put off after the 25-year-old was given a £60m price tag, but the Magpies are now confident of securing a considerably lower fee.

Barnes was a key player for the Foxes last season and managed a career-best tally of 13 Premier League goals.

He was unable to keep Leicester in the Premier League, though, and is unlikely to stay at the Championship side as they look to cash in on their most valuable assets.

Talismanic midfielder James Maddison has already left in a £45 million move to Tottenham, while Kelechi Iheanacho could also be on the move after interest from Nottingham Forest.

For Newcastle, Barnes could add vital depth to their squad as they prepare for their first Champions League campaign in 20 years.

They have already brought defensive midfielder Sandro Tonali in from AC Milan for £55 million, and Southampton full back Tino Livramento remains a target.

Reliable squad players will be vital for Eddie Howe as he looks to juggle the demands of European and domestic football. 

[Dailymail]

Being the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) Chairman in Nigeria and of course a Nigerian school with Nigerian parents and management can be a rewarding and challenging experience. It involves serving as a bridge between parents, teachers, and the school administration to ensure effective communication, collaboration, and the overall welfare of students.

For me, it was six years of exciting learning experience, and my apologies, I am not going to talk about the Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme and JAMB Saga, but I will share my journey, an adventure, we could all learn a few nuggets.

Some key aspects of the role and my experience:

Communication and Engagement: As PTA Chairman, one of the primary responsibilities is to facilitate communication between parents, teachers, and the school. This includes organizing meetings, workshops, and events where parents can voice their concerns, provide feedback, and actively participate in decision-making processes. Engaging parents in school activities and fostering a sense of community is crucial for a successful PTA. I won’t say that I scored a 100 or even a 90 but I learned a lot, from parents that barely attended the meetings, or parents that adopted a single parent method, (as in only one parent ever attended the meetings, in cases, siblings acted as parents, one day, I will hopefully talk about the trend where parents where parents have abdicated their responsibilities to everyone but themselves).

I did a sizable amount of advocacy and representation: Representing the collective interests of parents and advocating for their needs and concerns is an essential role of the PTA Chairman. This involves liaising with school management, attending board meetings, and actively participating in discussions and decision-making processes. Advocating for improved educational standards, infrastructure, and policies ensures that parents’ voices are heard and their children’s needs are prioritized. This never was an easy task as it exposed one to a lot of the behind the scene politics of our educational systems.

The decay, the fight to maintain standards and more, parents wanted friendly pocket tuition, schools needed to pay teachers and run allied costs, whether there was a meeting is debate for another day, on another day and on the other hand, there was the ‘crooked’ regulatory ministries and their various officials all fleecing the system, everyone developing one fraudulent fee or the other.

Despite the best of efforts, I saw that there was a lack of teacher training programs.

The quality and cost of good teachers brought with it peculiar challenges, a need to align goals, and create a conducive learning environment. Teaching itself has become a bus stop profession, how many were there for the passion, many wolves in sheep clothing being in charge of our kids don’t make for good reading when the parents themselves are nowhere to be found until there is a palaver.

We did not do much in terms of Parent Education and Involvement: Promoting parent education programs and workshops that enhance their understanding of education, child development, and parenting techniques is an important responsibility. Encouraging parents to actively participate in school activities, volunteering their time and expertise, and supporting their children’s learning at home fosters a strong partnership between parents and the school is important, but what is really in practice is a case where every parent worships his/her child, no child was ever wrong.

I saw first-hand, the “my child is good” and the “I know my child” syndrome at play, you begin to wonder so the bad kids where do they fall from, I noticed first hand as kids brought fall outs from home to school, I saw parents who were in behaviour no better than their kids. Parents who knew next to nothing other than simply birthing kids.

Conflict Resolution and Mediation: Resolving conflicts and addressing disputes that may arise within the PTA or between parents, teachers, and the school administration is a challenging yet critical aspect of the role. Acting as a mediator, facilitating constructive dialogue, and finding amicable solutions help maintain a harmonious and productive school environment. For me, this was where the real tasks hibernated.

These kids are smart, they know certainly more than we know or will ever know, there is only that tiny consolation in the adage of “what the old man sees while sitting, the child will never see even while on top of a tree”. And truth be told, these kids will always make nonsense of the above, the kinds of stories that touch “no be here”.

A teacher was so frustrated with a pupil, she complained that the boy did not pay much attention when she was teaching and he disturbed other pupils and fought them. The boy’s mother came to the school to pick him up, and the teacher met her and told her about the boy’s behaviour. It became a fight; the mother insulted the teacher that she did not know what she was saying that her child is a quiet and good boy at home. We later discovered that the woman’s children don’t play at home and were not permitted to go out and meet other children.

Therefore, school was the only way he got to express his real character. If children do not properly express themselves in the house, you will not know what they can do and cannot do. School rather than a place of learning became a playing field for the lad.

We had parents that wanted an only board facility, we had parents that would never leave their kids for more than those 7 hours of school time, we had those that wanted six teachers for one subject, and those that wanted their kids to be breast fed.

Some kids honestly had no business being in high school at a certain age, but you see every parent was a professor of parenting in their own right. We had kids that told lies, and to their parents, these kids were St. Innocent and could do no wrong. I can tell you, some parents I never knew and of course they never would have known me. Once at a meeting a parent boldly suggested we get a favourable centre to take kids to, I later found out it is called a “miracle centre”. I witnessed teachers come and go, for all sorts of reasons and no reasons. I also saw management renege on their promises, the same way parents broke their promises on paying up their ward’s school fees as we call it in these parts.

My experience as PTA Chairman has been both fulfilling and demanding. For me, I see the need for an education policy that communicates, that is diplomatic, and has the ability to balance diverse perspectives and interests.

The opportunity to contribute to the educational development of children, create a positive school culture, and witness the impact of collective efforts is truly rewarding. However, it also comes with challenges, such as managing conflicting opinions, addressing limited resources, and ensuring sustainable parent involvement. Overall, serving as PTA Chairman in Nigeria is a significant responsibility that plays a vital role in promoting a conducive learning environment and fostering strong parent-school partnerships.

I wish I could say the same of our leaders across various strata in the Nigerian Leadership—Citizenship Forum conversation especially around good governance, leadership ideals, and delivery, while that is not yet the case, I dare say—May Nigeria win!

When a leader encourages the culture of impunity, the society is lost and it makes the work harder for the rest of us (Wole Soyinka)

The powerful feed ideology to the masses like fast food while they dine on that most rarefied delicacy: impunity (Naomi Klein)
Nothing’s as dangerous as power with impunity (Isabel Allende)

But if the laws are to be so trampled upon with impunity, and a minority is to dictate to the majority, there is an end put at one stroke to republican government, and nothing but anarchy and confusion is to be expected thereafter (George Washington)

Terrorism doesn’t just blow up buildings; it blasts every other issue off the political map. The spectre of terrorism – real and exaggerated – has become a shield of impunity, protecting governments around the world from scrutiny for their human rights abuses (Naomi Klein)

The main challenge is what to do in the face of double standards. Those who should be rendered accountable under international criminal law, the Kissingers of this world, enjoy de facto impunity, while those who come from countries that have long been targets of hegemonic abuse are used as poster children of accountability (Richard A. Falk)

The ultimate enemy of Democracy is not the drug dealer or the crooked politician or the crazed skinhead. The ultimate enemy is the New King that has become so powerful that it can murder its own citizens with impunity (Gerry Spence)

There are two things. There was the moral responsibility, and that, first, is creating an atmosphere where the security forces can kill with impunity, where they can turn up at a place, shoot seven people – really at point-blank fashions – and then get away with it and be, in fact, promoted. And then there is the actual responsibility, the governmental responsibility. My aunt’s government forbade us, initially, from filing a police report – which is every Pakistani citizen’s right under the law (Fatima Bhutto)

What I fear most is power with impunity. I fear abuse of power, and the power to abuse. (Isabel Allende)

Once the law is broken with impunity, each man regains the right to any means he deems proper or necessary in order to defend himself against the new tyrant, the one who can break the law. (Allan Bloom)

In a well-governed state, there are few punishments, not because there are many pardons, but because criminals are rare; it is when a state is in decay that the multitude of crimes is a guarantee of impunity (Jean Jacques Rousseau).

The hope of impunity is the greatest inducement to do wrong (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

No nation is permitted to live in ignorance with impunity (Thomas Jefferson)

Impunity should be condemned in any corner of the world (Rigoberta Menchu)

In an Inside Stuff article on “impunity and apologies” published in The Guardian, Sunday, May 24, 2020, P.13, https://guardian.ng/opinion/buharis-5th-anniversary-apologies-and-impunity-culture/, I quoted the same words on marble above to simplify the purpose of the article then, which was to kill two birds with a stone: to mark the 5th anniversary of the Buhari administration (which came up on Friday, May 29, 2020) and to advise the official managers of Covid-19 under the aegis of Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the danger condoning lawlessness at that time too.

I had reminded Nigeria’s leader then Muhammadu Buhari who marked the fifth anniversary of his second coming into power in Nigeria that week that there was one critical factor that could prevent him from making history. And the factor I identified then was the administration’s celebration of impunity culture that was emerging then.

I had then dealt with the low hanging fruits in the culture of impunity that was becoming the signature of the Buhari administration at that time in 2020. The origin as it was written then: The head of the presidential bureaucracy, the Secretary to the Government (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha who headed the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, was constantly apologising then since April 20, 2020 for some serious lapses in handling the Covid-19 pandemic. First, he apologised for the shoddy and dangerous handling of the burial of then Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari who joined his ancestors on April 17, 2020. The burial arrangement was a classic case of celebration of impunity: The then Information Minister, (a member of the PTF on Covid -19) Alhaji Lai Mohammed had earlier told the nation that those who fell to Covid-19 power would not be buried anyhow and the remains would not be released to the family members. That rule was flagrantly flouted as Kyari’s body was flown from Lagos to his residence in Abuja where the other rule on physical (social) distancing was curiously violated up to the burial ground where undertakers and health workers were also observed to be very careless and endangered. So many senior public officers including many from the president’s office were at the burial site and they failed to observe physical distancing rule. It was quite remarkable then that the SGF indeed did the unthinkable: apologised. This was strange but noble. That calmed frayed nerves about that exhibition of impunity. But I had then asked the following rhetorical questions: “where were the queries to duty bearers whose irresponsible attitude caused the apology? Who was suspended for the mediocrity displayed on that Black Saturday?”

Again within that same week, the same SGF had to apologise on behalf of the Task Force for police authorities’ brutality on Covid-19 frontline workers including medical personnel, journalists who were detained for allegedly flouting Covid-19 curfew (order). The illegal detention of essential workers took place a day after the same SGF (on behalf of the president) paid tribute to the frontline workers and reiterated adequate protection for them.

Specifically, on Monday, May 18, the SGF and PTF Chairman said, “…specific directives had been issued to security agencies to strictly enforce the measures…I therefore admonish Nigerians to observe the restrictions in full. I however wish to assure our essential workers such as the frontline medical personnel, the media, the environmental health workers, farmers and agro-allied service providers, oil and gas services, aviation, the power sector and a host of others that they will be adequately protected. Your obligation is to always carry your valid means of identification…”

There was no ambiguity in this reiteration of an extant protocol. So, where did the police get their directive for “stricter enforcement of the curfew without exemption”, which the IGP had to reverse that same night after more than 50 essential workers were detained in Alausa, Lagos police station for allegedly violating the order? The SGF again apologised for this police strange overzealousness and gross violation of a presidential order. Yet no one was queried. No one was punished after a series of apologies. Are the police too big to be queried? Who authorised the unlawful order that SGF had to apologise for? Those acts appeared then as part of low hanging fruits at issue. Yes they are but they are fruits. The SGF’s remarkable apologies would have been more meaningful if there had been concomitant suspension of some top officials in the presidency and some senior police officers as I was saying. After all, once upon a time, President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007) one day showed that the law must rule even the Inspector General of Police when an IGP, Tafa Balogun was arrested by an officer of the law who was an Assistant Commissioner of Police and Chairman of the anti-graft commission, the EFCC then, Malam Nuhu Ribadu (now National Security Adviser), IGP Balogun was promptly prosecuted and jailed. This happened in this same Abuja.

As the question continued then: “Why has the controversial role of the police, specifically in this Covid-19 warfare not attracted the attention of authorities in Abuja? Haven’t they read reports across platforms that the police have been compromising all the rules of lockdown in the cities and along inter-state routes? Who allowed the Almajirai curious migration from the core North to even the remote parts of the Niger Delta? Who have been permitting night bus travels (daily) from even Lagos to different parts of the country during/since the so-called lockdown? Why have the police become so lawless and uncontrollable in this dispensation?”

And so I had then noted: “So, as Mr. President is warming up to cross over to his sixth year in office, he should note that a culture of impunity, which has given rise to mediocrity everywhere we go, should be deftly dealt with – beyond rhetoric. Our leader should not celebrate the fact that all the professional bodies and civil society organisations and the vibrant media that fought for this democracy that he and his people are enjoying have since dozed off. Curiously, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) could not even bark in early 2019 when Abuja powers through an Administrative Tribunal (Code of Conduct Tribunal), went on rampage, set aside constitutional provisions for removing the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Walter Onnoghen. They removed Nigeria’s CJN in a twinkling of an eye without allowing even one judicial pronouncement. To me, this was the greatest celebration of impunity culture since we returned to democracy in 1999. What was worse, even a section of the media published blatant lies against Justice Onnoghen. That section of the media published fake news items in support of ‘state terror’ that the then CJN allegedly kept $3 million dollars in a foreign account and registered 55 houses in Nigeria – all in a bid to remove him before the last election (2019). They did. Till the present, nobody has sued the media that published that damaging lead story even the Tribunal discovered was indeed fake. How can the powers that be and even the NBA and the complicit media organs seek or find peace after unleashing this jungle justice on Nigeria’s Chief Justice? Some day, when we have a nation, one hopes there will be genuine remorse and then an apology to Justice Onnoghen who is still not free to travel to even Ghana.”

Now that Ejikeme, Joy Mmesoma, the 19-year-old student of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi, Anambra State, has confirmed the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB’s) allegation and confessed that she actually manipulated her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME result, it is a time for another introspection on our growing culture of impunity. Will she and others who committed these grievous offences be punished? Impunity means freedom from punishment or from the unpleasant results of something that has been done… It denotes exemption from punishment or loss. It means exemption, freedom – immunity from an obligation or duty.

The new administration in Nigeria needs to deal with this emerging culture that has made us to forget the fact that even the Chairman of an anti-graft agency in our country is on suspension over allegation that the institution he presides over is corrupt and so he too may not be above board. What is worse, the predecessor of the suspended EFCC Chairman too was curiously retired from office after serous alllegations that he too was corrupt and a Judicial Commission of Enquiry’s report on the Acting Chairman was never made public.

***We will continue with more examples of this terrible culture next week

Apart from the activities of bloodthirsty bandits, terrorists and other assailants causing mayhem in the country, several citizens have also lost their lives following extrajudicial killings called jungle justice.

Jungle justice, an ugly trend common in most African countries, is a form of public extrajudicial killing where an alleged criminal is publicly humiliated, beaten and subsequently executed by an angry mob.

Many of these incidents are left unreported mostly due to the fact that it occurs often in remote areas.

DAILY POST reports that despite condemnation from relevant authorities, the blameworthy act has continued in many parts of the country over different allegations ranging from blasphemy to witchcraft and robbery.

Worried by the trend, some stakeholders have asked the incumbent administration led by President Bola Tinubu to put up measures that would ensure that Nigerians no longer take laws in their hands.

Blasphemy

Jungle justice over allegations of blasphemy, an act of making a profane talk or speaking sacrilegiously against God, prophets or sacred things has led several persons particularly in the Northern part of the country to their early graves.

Recently, one Usman Buda, a popular butcher at the Sokoto Fish and Vegetable market, otherwise known as Kasuwan Dankure was lynched by a mob comprising his colleagues for alleged blasphemy.

On June 25, Usman Buda, who was in the market for his usual business was surrounded by an angry mob, bombarded with stones, and fatally wounded before he was set ablaze for allegedly speaking against Prophet Mohammed.

The horror scene was captured in a viral video, with even children participating in the gruesome act.

This ugly trend has been recorded in many other parts of the country.

DAILY POST recalls that a similar incident had occurred in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on April 4, 2022, when a victim identified as Ahmad Usman was stoned to death over an alleged blasphemous comment.

Usman, a 30-year-old resident in the Lugbe area of Abuja, was stoned to death and burnt by a mob over an alleged blasphemous comment against Prophet Muhammed and Allah, in the Lugbe area of the country’s capital city.

Similarly, on May 12, 2022, Deborah Samuel, a female student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State was burnt alive by Islamic extremists over similar allegations.

The 200-level student was set ablaze after she reportedly advised her classmates against posting religious contents on their WhatsApp group which was reportedly created for academic purposes.

Although some persons were nabbed by the police in connection with the censurable act, they were said to have been acquitted by the court.

Witchcraft allegations

Over the years, several old men and women accused of practicing witchcraft have been killed. These abominable acts are usually carried out by community youths who ascribe their misfortunes to witchcraft.

Most of these geriatrics were often denied the privilege of defending themselves when the mob descended on them.

On April 24, 2023, youths in Ikyve community of Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State buried two aged persons alive for allegedly practising witchcraft.

The victims, according to witnesses, were buried alive following a thunder strike that killed one of the villagers identified as Henry Ihwakaa, his wife and his two-week-old child.

It was learnt that thunder struck in the village, killing Henry, his wife and their infant. The incident triggered suspicion that two elderly persons, Ihwakaa (Henry’s father) and his alleged collaborator, were wizards and responsible for the thunder.

A few days ago, one Madam Martina Okey Itagbor was burnt alive in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State over the same witchcraft allegation.

According to reports, on the 13th of June, 2023, some youths in the community gathered themselves in a chartered vehicle heading to the inauguration reception of the member representing Akamkpa 1 State Constituency, Hon. Okon Owuna.

Unfortunately, the youths who were suspected to be drunk had an accident and two of them lost their lives on the spot. Many others were injured.

A day after, some of the youths came and dragged Madam Martina out of her house to the main road, alleging she masterminded the accident and the death of the two youths using witchcraft.

The mob reportedly poured fuel on the woman and set her on fire. She was burnt alive despite her cry of innocence.

On Tuesday, the Cross River State Police Command said it has arrested 26 suspects in connection with the unfortunate murder.

Report of the arrest was contained in a statement by the command spokesperson, SP Irene Ugbo which he issued and made available to newsmen in Calabar.

Robbery

Just recently, on June 8, a mob burnt to death a man suspected to have stolen a motorcycle in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

An eyewitness Adah John, who is also a commercial motorcyclist in the area, told DAILY POST on Saturday that the suspect allegedly killed a commercial motorcyclist around Adoka Street in Otukpo after overpowering the victim, dispossessing him of a new bike.

“After some weeks, he was passing with the motorcycle to another state before luck ran out of him and he was burnt alive.

“Those who know Otukpo very well will know that we don’t support violence. The thing is, those who kill by the sword should also die by the same sword.

“Jungle justice is actually a terrible thing, I personally don’t support it but if you think very well, these bad boys are no longer scared of the police anymore. The only thing they fear now is jungle justice”, he said.

On Thursday, a suspect was apprehended by vigilant youth in Gyado Villa, Makurdi, Benue State capital and was subjected to jungle justice before the authorities intervened.

The incident unfolded when two individuals attempted to snatch a motorcycle from an unsuspecting rider at a busy intersection in Gyado Villa.

Their heinous act did not go unnoticed as the youth present at the scene quickly sprang into action, chasing down the culprit.

With the help of other passersby, the bike snatcher was caught just a few blocks away from the crime scene. Angered by the development and the rising cases of such criminal activities in the area, the enraged youth decided to take matters into their own hands.

Although the suspect was said to have sustained life-threatening injuries, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Catherine Sewuese told DAILY POST that “he is in our custody receiving treatment”.

According to the PPRO, the suspect was close to his grave when the command was informed of the development.

She said operatives of the command were sent to the area when the suspect was about to be set ablaze.

Asked what the command is doing to stop the ugly trend, the PPRO said: “on several occasions, I have been on radio stations and Television stations educating the people on the dangers of jungle justice.

“We have been sensitizing the people against taking the law into their hands and that has been going on for a very long time now. This is not the first time we are having such an incident.

“Most times, the culprits are arrested and even prosecuted to serve as a warning to others.”

She, however, lamented that sometimes, such incidents happen in very remote areas where mobility is relatively impossible.

According to Dr Christopher Ejeh, a psychologist working with the Benue State University, poverty and illiteracy are responsible for jungle justice in the country.

He explained that “the decision to tag old people as witch and wizard is largely because of poverty. When youths in a certain community are not doing well, they begin to inquire what is responsible for their problems.

“It is at this moment that they start suspecting old people. So old age, which should be seen as a blessing, becomes a problem. They will continue to nurse the suspicion until it escalates and they finally put the law into their hands and kill the suspected witch.

“But the question is, does killing solve their problems? No! They have only succeeded in channeling their grievances in the wrong direction.

“People who perpetrate this evil are mostly illiterate. They are obviously living in obscurity. They are not educated so they continue to find primitive ways of solving issues.

“This government should look into this matter seriously, it should give priority to the rural dwellers; they also need a good life. They need social amenities that can aid their business and whatever sources of income they have”.

Meanwhile, on his part, a security columnist, Elder Ben Okezie pointed out that until there is a law that specifies a heavy punishment on the offenders, jungle justice may continue in the country.

He called on the Federal Government and the 10th National Assembly to quickly enact a law that would put an end to the ugly trend.

He said, “This is an issue of legislation, there should be a law that will indicate heavy punishment like life imprisonment for offenders who are found guilty.

“By the time some persons are given life imprisonment, others will see such crime as a serious matter and run away from it.

“The police also have their own role in this matter. When anyone is caught, the person or group should be prosecuted with immediate effect. This is not a lawless country where everyone will be a judge. Nigeria should have gone beyond practicing jungle justice.

“It was even the police that used to be involved in these extrajudicial killings but thank God for EndSARS. It has obviously reduced. But we still need the law to stop it entirely.

“This still goes back to what we have been saying. The country right now cannot survive without state police. When the issue of police is decentralized and the governor and the state lawmakers have power over the police, a lot of things will change.

“Many countries including Britain that brought civilization to us, dwell on this state police to tackle security problems.

“The people perpetrating these crimes are members of one community or the other. When you have state police, the operatives will be natives of where they are serving. This means that they know your name, know your grandfather. You can’t run away from them.

“But in a situation where those in Abuja are determining what should happen in Ebonyi state, there will always be problems.”

[Dailypost]

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission issued power generation licences to 21 investors in 2022, data obtained on Friday from the Federal Government agency has shown.

Findings showed the commission issued 114 registration/permits for the development of mini-grids to boost power supply across the country during the period.

The Federal Government and stakeholders in the power sector have been making efforts to increase the country’s power generation and supplies after the successor electricity generation and distribution arms of the sector were unbundled and privatised in November 2013.

Since then, Nigeria’s power generation has been hovering between 3,500 megawatts and 5,000MW, a figure which operators and experts described as too low for a population of over 200 million people. 

Data sourced from the Federal Ministry of Power on Friday showed that power generation on the national grid as of 6am that day was 4,472MW, up from an off-peak of 3,989.5MW recorded on Thursday.

In its bid to boost the power supply in Nigeria, the NERC has been issuing licences to investors to generate electricity.

In its latest report on licensing and permits in the power sector, the commission stated that in the fourth quarter of 2022, it approved two power generation licences, with a combined capacity of 56.5MW, adding that 27 mini-grid registration/permits were issued in the same quarter.

“In 2022/Q4, the commission approved the issuance of two new generation licenses with a combined capacity of 56.50MW and authorised the amendment of two on-grid embedded generation licences.

“The commission also approved 13 mini-grid permits and 14 registration certificates for mini-grids with individual capacities below 1MW.

“It also granted approval for the amendment/renewal of seven captive power generation permits with an aggregate capacity of 65.36MW,” NERC further stated.

It added that applications from seven meter installers, three meter manufacturers and two meter importers were also approved by the commission in the last quarter of 2022.

In the third quarter, six power generation licences and 23 mini-grid registration/permits were issued.

The power sector regulator said, “In 2022/Q3, the commission approved the issuance of six new generation licences and one trading licence. The commission also approved 23 mini-grid registration/permits and granted captive power generation permits to two new companies with an aggregate capacity of 14.6MW.”

It noted that four Meter Asset Provider permits, and seven Meter Service Providers were also approved by the commission in 2022/Q3.

According to NERC, two power generation licences and 23 mini-grid permits/registration were issued in the second quarter of last year to investors.

It said, “In 2022/Q2, the commission approved the issuance of two new generation licences, one trading licence, renewal of one existing licence and amendment of one on-grid generation licence.

“The commission also approved 23 mini-grid registration/permits and granted captive power generation permits to eight new companies with an aggregate capacity of 174.08MW.”

The industry regulator said 14 Meter Service Providers consisting of nine meter installers, three meter manufacturers, one meter importer and one meter vendor, were also approved by the commission in 2022/Q2.

The highest number of power generation licences and mini-grid registration/permits were issued in the first quarter of 2022. The NERC issued 11 electricity generation licences and 41 mini-grid registration/permits in Q1 2022.

“In 2022/Q1, the commission approved the issuance of 11 new generation licences, renewal of two existing licences and transfer of one on-grid generation licence.

“The commission also approved 41 mini-grid registration/permits and granted an aggregate capacity of 186.06MW captive power generation permits to seven new companies,” the regulator averred.

It mentioned that 12 Metering Service Providers, consisting of eight meter installers, three meter manufacturers and one meter importer, were also approved by the commission in 2022/Q1.

Commenting on this, the National Secretary of Nigeria Electricity Consumer Advocacy Network, Uket Obonga, told our correspondent that the challenges in the power sector were enormous, stressing that the new administration must work hard to address them.

“I held a town hall meeting in Akure about three weeks ago, and after my lecture, I found out many things. One of them is that many people have paid for meters and still don’t have them. I am aware of the problem of power generation, but there are many others.

“These people in Akure are electricity consumers who have been disconnected for some years. They bought their transformer and have spent about N14m to put up that transformer and yet they have not been connected to electricity.

“Some of them have money to pay for meters but nobody is answering them. So, the challenge in the sector is myriad, from lack of meters to distribution issues and generation problems. The new government has a lot to handle in this sector and must work hard to deliver,” Obonga stated.

[Punch]

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto State, Bishop Matthew Kukah, will tomorrow, deliver a lecture titled, ‘The Future of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria: Imperative of a New Constitutional Order,” at the 60th Call to Bar anniversary of Chief Afe Babalola, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is billed to chair the event, while the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola and the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III are to be in attendance.

Also expected at the event are the immediate past Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun; the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, Prince Lateef Fagbemi and other respected personalities from within and outside the country.
Babalola, a legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado-Ekiti, was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales on July 9, 1963.

According to a statement by the Chairman, Organising Committee, Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju, the event being put together by Aare Babalola’s mentees, admirers and beneficiaries, will hold at the Alfa Belgore Hall, ABUAD, Ado-Ekiti.

Ogunwumiju stated that the event would also feature testimonials and goodwill messages from friends, admirers and associates of Babalola.

He added that it would also feature a book launch that will have Dr. Taiwo Afolabi as Chief Launcher and Wema Bank, Fidelity Bank, Union Bank, Zenith Bank, First Bank, Polaris Bank, among others as launchers.

[Guardian]

Congratulations to Umeh Kamsiyochukwu Nkechinyere, who came tops in the 2023 JAMB UTME examinations. I was doubly delighted to see her on national television fielding questions from an interview panel. Brilliant girl! 

It is also my pleasure to celebrate Achunike Okafor, another Nigerian teenager who scored the highest among 2,649 graduates in the Class of 2023 in Newark, United States. Both teenagers are among the best of our children. Their trajectory suggests that our future is assured. 

When the management of the Deeper Life High School, Mowe, Ogun State, rolled out the drums to celebrate the 16-year-old who had brought honour to the school, her achievement attracted national attention because a totally different person, Ejikeme Mmesoma, was attempting to steal the glory of being the highest scorer. JAMB had  declared Kamsiyochukwu the top scorer with an aggregate score of 360 and the government of Anambra State, her home state, had decided to honour her as is customary every year, but one Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, a 19-year-old student of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi, protested to the state government that she scored 362 and ought to have been honoured with the highest scorer’s award. 

The Anambra State government decided to seek confirmation of Mmesoma’s claim of scoring 362 from JAMB. The printout she was flaunting as proof of her scores was an old format last used in 2021. Out of the 1,5586,765 candidates who took the 2023 examination, only Mmesoma printed out the old format with a cloned QR code pinched from another person’s 2021 result. The fortuitous change in the design of the result notification in 2021 gave away the game immediately. How could only one person, out of 1.5 million candidates, be parading a different certification or proof of scores? 

It is natural that one tends to side with the underdog. That explains the outpouring of emotional support on social media for the ‘poor’ student. Anything that has to do with government evokes the basest of emotions in people who have been at the receiving end of many anti-people policies and incompetencies of government.

The errant girl’s case was further convoluted by do-gooders who did not bother to verify the facts they flaunted. Those among them who flayed JAMB for terrorising a ‘minor’ could easily have checked her real age if truth was their goal. A 19-year-old cannot be described as a minor! 

Some said JAMB had no right to parade the girl before the world as a fraudster. However, the girl was the one parading herself. I didn’t know what she looked like until she was misadvised to release a video which, ironically, confirmed her fraud rather than indict JAMB. Even the document she was parading stated her examination centre wrongly. Since 2021, the Centre’s name had been changed from Thomas Chidoka Center for Human Development to “Nkemefuna Foundation (Thomas Chidoka Center for Human Development)”. How come Mmesoma’s document reflects the centre’s former name?

Nobody would have heard of her if she had not presented herself to the Anambra State government as the highest scorer in JAMB of 2023. She had already collected a prize money of N3 million from Innoson Motors before her misadventure with the state government. It was in the process of verification by the Anambra State government that her lie was exposed. 

The truth, without any padding or frills, is that Mmesoma, having already fraudulently collected N3 million from the proprietor of  Innoson Motors heard that the Anambra State government was going to honour Kamsiyochukwu Umeh as the highest scorer in UTME 2023, and decided to waylay her by claiming to be the rightful winner. She did not reckon with the layers of verification embedded in the JAMB system.

Some critics accused JAMB of playing accuser, investigator and judge. That is untrue. JAMB merely exposed the fact that the result being paraded was fraudulent. Fraud is fraud. There is no softer name for fraud committed by a teenager. And the attempt to ethnicise the matter was so gut-wrenchingly odious. Mercifully, we now know that the authentic winner, Kamsiyochukwu, is also from the same Southeast geopolitical zone as Mmesoma. Many people did not even know that Mmesoma hails from Enugu State until the report of the investigative panel was released, showing that she is an Enugu State indigene resident in Anambra. The world loves a winner; a villain is quickly shown the road to her father’s compound!

It is instructive that Mmesoma did not confess to her fraudulent activities until she was literally confronted with the jailhouse. Had she persisted in her lies, the case would have gone to court and she would have bagged seven years imprisonment if convicted. “There is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face”, says Shakespeare. Mmesoma is a classic example. 

JAMB’s claim that its system is transparent and user-friendly can actually be verified by any interested party. One can check any result via phone by sending UTMERESULT  to 55019 or 66019 on the phone number the candidate used to register for the exam. The result will be transmitted immediately to the registered phone number.

Also, anyone interested in finding out the various tricks available to crooked candidates can google websites advertising ‘miracle centres’, ‘high JAMB scores’, ‘how to improve UTME scores’ , etc. There are all sorts of offers available and no one is more aware of their existence than innocent-looking students like Mmesoma. Something tells me that her accomplices are still at large. 

For the records, here are the champions in the 2023 UTME as announced by JAMB:

Umeh Kamsiyochukwu Nkechinyere, 360

Aguele Stephen Osezuha, 358

Ositade Oluwafemi Anthony, 358

Gbolahan Azeem Ayinde, 357

John Fulfilment Ibhanfiodon, 356,

Duruji Chimdubem Ugonna, 355

Adesanya Jermaine Oluwaiomiloiu, 355

Shittu Priscilla Adedunni, 355

Atenisumen Enoch Oluwagbemisoke 355

Adetunji Victor Adewale, 355

Ofonime Iniobon Idongesit, 355

Imoukhuede Andrew Onayeme, 355

Truth be told, we have a social problem that makes people want to pass examinations at all costs. Part of the problem is the emphasis that the society places on any kind of formal test and the certification that goes with it. Many people don’t care that there is a marked difference between an aptitude test like JAMB and an achievement test such as WAEC, even though both achievement and aptitude tests measure the strengths and abilities of the test-taker. Aptitude tests focus on the potential someone has to learn new things while achievement tests focus on what has already been learned. 

The fact that a student usually comes first in class does not necessarily mean that he/she will excel in an aptitude test like JAMB. The three-year ban handed down to Mmesoma as punishment is lenient considering that the penalty on conviction is seven years imprisonment.

Let’s light a candle rather than continue to curse the darkness. What is the secret behind the success of the 2023 UTME highest scorer, Kamsiyochukwu Umeh? 

She said the secret of her success is adequate preparation and discipline instilled by her school, the Deeper Life High School, Mowe. According to her, “We started preparation immediately after we entered SSS3. This was when we started receiving pep talks on the exam; the school organised special UTME classes for us. I also practised a lot of past questions to familiarise myself with the kind of questions JAMB could bring out. I also read my textbooks and then, I paid attention when the teachers took us through classes… I have applied to the University of Lagos, and I aspire to study Chemical Engineering.I feel very excited and grateful to all my supporters and encouragers….”

Mrs. Umeh, Kamsiyochukwu’s mother, is justifiably proud of her daughter. 

“When she is studying, I also make sure to involve her in household chores. I believe that a child’s success should be holistic, not just limited to academics.…”

Congratulations, Kamsiyochukwu! You are in good company with Achunike Okafor, another Nigerian teenager, who recently received an International Baccalaureate diploma with a record-shattering 4.625 grade-point average from the Science Park High School at Newark in New Jersey, USA. Achunike’s father, Godfrey Okafor, said his son’s achievements are also a source of family pride.

His GPA is the highest among Newark’s 2,649 graduates in the Class of 2023. It earned him more than 40 scholarship offers, many from the nation’s top universities: Spoilt for choices, the 18-year-old plans to attend Harvard University to pursue a neuroscience degree. 

To our two worthy role models, Kamsiyochukwu and Achunike, let me re-echo those old-fashioned words made popular by the inimitable football king, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, a.k.a Pele: “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”

We should congratulate the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) for proving the integrity of its result release process this week. In a country where the non-performance and self-sabotage of national institutions are an ever-present embarrassment, demonstrating the forgery of the result presented by a candidate in its last United Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is a feat!

I say that because many Nigerians, including yours truly, did not see it coming. Years of abuse of the people’s trust have turned us into sceptics who only expect the worst from our government and its agencies.

There are countless reasons to justify our cynicism. As recently as the 2023 general elections, scandalous images were sighted on the Independent Electoral Commission’s (INEC) portal. That is not to speak of non-existent names on the voters’ list or thousands of voters’ cards discovered in the forests by hunters in Anambra State.

Nigeria cannot conduct a credible census amidst so many other scandalous incapacities. I laughed when JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, painted the quick response (QR) code as the magic bullet to unravelling the truth in the Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme result controversy.

I recalled the experience of many Nigerians with the QR code on the COVID-19 vaccination card between 2020 and 2021. Many people got to the places where they needed to use these cards to discover that their names, dates of birth, and other vital statistics had been muddled up. Some Nigerians still have sour stories to tell about their national identification numbers (NIN). We are a country that makes a mess of producing travel documents for its people, guarding its people properly, securing the borders effectively and even correctly educating its children. It has been a lifetime of sub-optimal service delivery for a significant number of our population, they are used to it, and it is the only way they know!

JAMB is not exempt from the logistical disorder that has become our albatross. It is doubtful that any Nigerian family exists without some story about JAMB’s tackiness. For instance, the board has for some years insisted that candidates take exclusive computer-based tests. But even as recent as its last examination, there were complaints of logistics issues where candidates to far-flung centres other than their choice, even though they were meant to start examinations as early 6:30am.

There are also problems with students at public schools who do not have access to computers before the exams. We heard stories about the failure of biometrics, login details and outright postponement of examinations. In some cases, the facilities did not even have the capacity to take the number of candidates they had. That is not to speak about the exploitative levels of expenditure to which parents are exposed.

So, if you wondered where the attack poured out against JAMB this week came from, it is from the groundswell of disappointment that Nigerians have endured from national institutions over the years. Stemming from these inefficiencies, when a Nigerian conflicts with an institution of the state, the tendency is for many people to take sides with the citizen without even thinking about it!

Why is this so?

The country and its institutions work for only a few people who have captured the state. We have a criminally run society where the commonwealth is in the custody of a few, such that every other person is left in a rat race to survive. It is a country where almost nothing works, everyone is on his own, and only God is for us all. This is why JAMB’s success in justifying its position on the Mmesoma case warms the heart.

Yet the entire event raises a few questions about the operations of JAMB. One wonders why the board has yet to find a permanent solution to the unceasing attempts to manipulate its process over the years. This failure is one of the reasons stakeholders, including higher institutions of learning, don’t trust JAMB. Otherwise, why do the institutions organise post-UTME examinations? Shouldn’t the UMTE just be enough?

There are also speculations about collusions between JAMB staffers on the one hand, and candidates and their parents on the other, to compromise processes. These opportunities were usually for the highest bidders and out of the reach of many poor people who desired higher education for their children.

Not to be left out, many parents have also learnt to do whatever they can for their children to pass examinations and gain admission. So, we have heard of special centres where invigilators and schoolteachers are paid to “assist” candidates during examinations. Apparently, the fake app revealed a few days ago is another attempt on how to beat the system and cheat other Nigerians. It is a country where the end justifies the means, where success by any means possible is the deal.

And while it is convenient to blame candidates and their parents for the desperation that precipitates these compromises, we must consider society’s role in the frustration of families.

First off, Nigeria suggests to its people that life can only be meaningful with formal education leading to a degree. Even though most progressive societies show that this is a fallacy. People only need a measure of basic education, after which society should avail them of options which fit their natural endowments. But Nigeria has tuned its people to believe that educational certificates are their only tickets to livelihood. Now, that probably wouldn’t be such a terrible proposition, except that the country cannot even live up to the idea.

This is so because the country only has placements for some of those who sit for the UTME examination annually. For instance, JAMB says that 1.6 million candidates wrote the examination this year; but there is space for less than 50% of these numbers. So, you make everyone in your country aspire for higher education but do not provide enough opportunities.

To make things worse, merit and hard work count for little or nothing here. The result is that citizens throw their best effort into surviving since the country cares for no one. It is like a jungle where only the fittest survive. Unwitting you bring your children up in this environment, making them believe it is the right way to do things.

This is why it is a shame that people reduce these incidents to ethnic or religious levels. The country has been grossly unfair to majority of citizens and in essence, it has lost the loyalty of the average man and woman. The reality is that we all find ways to get the better of Nigeria. Regardless of tribe and tongue, we position ourselves and our families to exploit the country and other citizens. the average Nigerian only cares about himself and his family.

We do this in so many ways that we may not take cognisance of. The civil servants who will not move files without a greased palm; the director who would not approve payment for a contract unless ten per cent is added; the company director who marks up a project budget by 30 per cent; the clergy whose God is money; the doctor in a public facility who demands money for appointments and diverts resources to his private clinic; the immigration officer who manipulates procedures for procurement of passports; the customs officer who allows contrabands into the country; the teacher who awards marks after “obtaining” the student; the parent who purchases questions for his child; the student who cheats in examinations; the reporter who pushes his conscience out of the way and sells his newspaper space to the highest bidder in betrayal of public trust; the traditional ruler who scarifies the interest of his people for a bowl of pottage and so on, all contribute to the sorry state of our country. It is sheer hypocrisy for anyone to suggest that only a group of people are the trouble with the country. And we should stop such parochialism in the interest of our children.

The JAMB/Ejikeme debacle tells us that we are building a country without values. Rather than tear us apart and cause us to take sides one way or the other, citizens should demand leadership that works for and restores the people’s confidence in their country. Government, parents, schools, and religious establishments should be concerned about the values we instil in our children. It is the only way this country will not crash on us all, as it surely will if we go on this way.