President Kikwete rang the bell in honour of Global Health Commitments for Women’s Health and Women’s Cancers at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City’s Times Square.

Here’s an excerpt from NASDAQ’s official website ahead of the bell-ringing ceremony by the Tanzanian President:

• “Global Health Leaders will announce Global Health Commitments for Women’s Health and Women’s Cancers at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City’s Times Square.
• In honour of the occasion, President Kikwete of Tanzania, First Ladies and Health Ministers, and Global Health Leaders will officially ring The NASDAQ Stock Market Closing Bell.”

The Verdict

Based on available information, President Bola Tinubu is not the first African President to ring the closing bell at NASDAQ Stock Exchange.

[Nairametrics]

Special Forces troops under the Hakorin Damisa IV have burst a gun manufacturing syndicate which has been used in fuelling crisis in Kaduna and neighbouring Plateau States. The troops also recovered 26 assorted weapons, combat gears and caches of ammunition in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The Media and Information Officer, Operation Safe Haven, Captain Oya James on Friday said the discovery followed a week-long intelligence operation that finally led to the capture of a wanted gunrunner Napoleon John who has been on the wanted list of OPSH. He said the suspect confessed to the crime which led troops to a concealed factory where arms of different calibre were sold by another miscreant identified as Monday Dunia, who confessed to have been in the business for more than five years fuelling the crisis in Kaduna and neighbouring Plateau States.

“A thorough search of the factory led to the recovery of 22 different weapons, including seven pistols, two locally fabricated AK 47 rifles, two military grade AK 47 rifles and nine revolvers. Others include one submachine gun, rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, machine tools and a gas cylinder.”

He said between Thursday night and the early hours of Friday, troops raided another hideout in Adua 1 village in Kafanchan and captured additional two AK-47 rifles, two revolver rifles, live rounds of 9mm and 7.62 ammunitions, six daggers, one hacker axe, several empty cases of 7.62mm special rounds.

“Two mobile phones, one fragmental jacket, two police uniforms, one military camouflage trousers, one ammunition magazine carrier, one pistol holster, one military grade camel pouch and one police combat helmet, among others.” He said Commander OPSH also vowed to ensure that all fleeing syndicate members are arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law. He warned sponsors and perpetrators of criminality to immediately abandon their evil ways and embrace lawful means of livelihood.

Folarin Balogun missed two penalties on his first Monaco start before local rivals Nice grabbed a stoppage time winner to go top of Ligue 1 on Friday.

One week after stunning champions PSG at the Parc des Princes 3-2, Nice claimed the three points again when Jeremie Boga slalomed through the Monaco defence to score ans Francesco Farioli’s team continued an undefeated start to the season.

Nice leapfrogged previously unbeaten Monaco to take top spot by one point after a third win in six games.

It was a miserable first start for US international striker Balogun who left Arsenal for Monaco in the summer on a 30-million-euro transfer.

He had penalties saved by Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka in the 12th and 54th minutes.

His first effort, awarded when Jordan Lotomba brought down Aleksandr Golovin, was tame.

His second spot-kick, which came after Morgan Sanson was penalised for a foul on Takumi Minamino, was again saved by the Polish goalkeeper.

“We were very lucky. It’s very rare to win after having conceded two penalties that were then saved,” admitted Farioli.

Balogun, who had scored off the bench in last week’s 2-2 draw with Lorient, was eventually replaced by Wissam Ben Yedder, a penalty-taking specialist.

[OpinionNigeria]

Former Belgium head coach Marc Wilmots has likened Nigerian starlet Victor Boniface to Belgian superstar Romelu Lukaku.

Boniface 23, has been in scintillating form for Bayer Leverkusen this season – scoring six goals in six matches across all competitions for the German club.

While Lukaku is considered among the best centre forwards in world football and the bulky player is currently on loan at Italy’s AS Roma from English giants Chelsea FC.

Wilmots, who coached Lukaku during his time as Belgium’s coach, discussed Boniface’s strengths and potential.

“Victor Boniface is Victor Boniface. In terms of type, you can perhaps compare him somewhat with Romelu Lukaku,” Wilmots said on Kicker.

“But Lukaku has even more power. If he starts from midfield, you can’t hold him. And Romelu is more dangerous, a real goalscorer.

“Boniface still has to prove this class. But he is only 22 years old. He can still get a lot better.”

Boniface made his debut for Nigeria against Sao Tome and Principe earlier this month. He produced an instant assist as he set up Samuel Chukwueze

[ThisDay]

Despite efforts to calm frayed nerves at the Senate, the plot against leadership of the upper legislative chamber, there are indications that the war is not over.

During the week, the plots against the Senate leadership headed by Obong Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, thickened, with former governors among the lawmakers teaming up for one cause of effecting a change of leadership.

The former governors are upset and specifically accused the Senate President of undercutting and undermining them since his election in June 2023.

One of the former governors told Saturday Sun that the current disquiet in the Senate came about because of the leadership’s failute to unite the  legislative arm.

He said that when Akpabio moved against lawmakers who didn’t support him when he ran for office, he sowed the seed of discord.

The lawmaker said the Senate president ignored existing practices in selecting principal officers, chairmen of ranking committees and contributions during plenary.

According to him, “political parties usually determine who are to be appointed principal officers of the Senate. That’s the practice and the Senaye President knows this.

“Akpabio is a product of that arrangement when he because Mimority Leader. He was nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party them.”

“In 2019, the same thing happened. It was the APC and the PDP that nominated the eight principal officers of the Senate and Ahmad Lawan announced them.

“But as soon as Akpabio took over, he decided to come up with his style. Instead of meeting with the various caucuses of the senatorial districts and the leadership of political parties, he went to meet President Tinubu at the Villa. Those who parade themselves as APC principal officers in the Senate, were selected by the Villa and Akpabio’s kitchen cabinet.

“APC and the PDP protested and Akpabio ignored them. For instance, in the PDP, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who is the most ranking in the Senate, was ignored by Akpabio.

“Instead, a minister in the administration of President Tinubu decided who got any position in the opposition caucus of the Senate. The leadership of the PDP also protested, but Akpabio ignored them.

“In the South East, ranking senators were ignored and a first time lawmaker was named a principal officer. That was very strange. Lawmakers protested and Akpabio didn’t listen.”

Another former governor told our correspondent that Akpabio again flouted other existing norms in naming heads of committees.

The senator said a selection committee, predominantly made up of principal officers, ought to have been set up to draw up a list of committee chairmen.

He said lawmakers were shocked when Akpabio reeled out names of committee chairmen and named first time lawmakers as heads of Grade A committees.

The aggrieved lawmaker said neither of the former governors nor the immediate-past President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, was named chairman of a Grade A committee.

“Some of us have spent four terms in the Senate since we left office as governors. But Akpabio went ahead and named first timers as chairmen of very sensitive committees. Former governors who are his colleagues were given useless committees.

“We’ve tried to understand the reason behind his action. The only thing we could deduce was the fact that he only gave good committees to those who he felt supported him. That’s the only reason.

“Since he has told us we don’t matter, we will flex our muscles and do whatever it will take to keep the independence of the Senate. We’ve been made an annex to the Villa and this is very odd.

“This is not about Akpabio. This is about keeping the National Assembly strong. For now, we’re too weak to even challenge the Executive when needed. These are the issues.”

The Senate has, however, described as a ruse the rumour that some senators were planning to remove Akpabio.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, said: “Our attention has just been drawn to a syndicated satanic verse in a section of the media of purported and illusory plots of leadership change in the Senate.

“The Nigerian Senate is one united and fraternal family. This imaginative composition is in the realm of speculation, like the fake and fallacious story of N100 million per legislator. It’s apt to note that the10th Senate, under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio has carried out its legislative and constitutional duties diligently.

“Within a span of less than 60 legislative days, the Senate has passed life enhancing bills and motions. It has screened and confirmed Service Chiefs and Ministers, among others, apart from very essential oversight functions.

“We urge the fifth columnists, who operate undoubtedly outside the Senate, desperate to cause disharmony through media stunts and thus clipping the wings of Nigeria’s democracy, to take caution.

“The Senate should be allowed fresh air to settle down for its national assignments, so that the Nigerian project can move forward. The media too should be discerning not to be used as hand tool to these retailers of fake and bad news.”

There were reports in some mainstream newspapers recently that some northern senators were plotting to impeach Akpabio

[Sun]

Odion Ighalo was among the goal scorers as Al Wehda thrashed Abha 4-0 in their Saudi Arabia Professional Football League clash.

Ighalo was on target in the 88th minute of the encounter.

It was the 34-year-old’s fifth goal in five league appearances for Al Wehda.

The striker netted a hat-trick in his club’s previous game against Damak which they won 4-2.

Al Wehda moved to seventh position on the Saudi League table following the win.

Ighalo was the top scorer in the Saudi top flight in the 2021-22 season with 24 goals.

He scored 19 goals in 27 league appearances for his former club, Al Hilal last season.

[DailyPost]

Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee members have corroborated claims by Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike that he informed the party leadership prior to accepting a ministerial appointment from President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary Ibrahim Abdullahi and an anonymous source confirmed that Wike wrote to acting chairman Umar Damagum about the offer and his intention to serve in the interest of national unity. However, the party allegedly did not respond approvingly or disapprovingly.

Wike had refuted accusations of betraying PDP by accepting the ministerial role, stating he got greenlights from various party leaders beforehand. The FCT minister’s letter to Damagum reportedly conveyed his decision to “answer the clarion call” from Tinubu despite misgivings from some PDP members.

With the party neither confirming nor rejecting Wike’s move, the FCT minister went ahead to be sworn in. But some like Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor still demand Wike’s expulsion for alleged anti-party conduct.

A former PDP governor also expressed concern the Wike-Atiku rift is dividing the party hierarchy, warning urgent steps are needed to address the leadership vacuum and uncertainty. However, spokesman Tsauri advocated patience till Supreme Court rules on Atiku’s election challenge.

Wike’s appointment has exposed latent friction within the PDP ranks. But his notification to party leaders before accepting may limit accusations of outright betrayal. The party faces tough choices on asserting internal discipline while remaining a broad political tent.

The legal teams of President Bola Tinubu and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, will resume a legal battle over the President’s Chicago academic records in a United States court on Monday.

A US District Judge, Nancy Maldonado, had on Thursday agreed to stay an order directing Chicago State University to make Tinubu’s academic document available to Atiku’s legal team.

The hearing came up late Thursday night after the President’s lawyers filed an emergency motion seeking a delay in the implementation of the self-effectuating order directing the CSU to comply with Atiku’s subpoenas till Monday.

Atiku is currently challenging the victory of the former Lagos State governor at the 2023 presidential poll and his recent affirmation by an election petition court in Nigeria.

Earlier, a magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, had on Tuesday ordered Tinubu’s alma mater to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to the applicant, Atiku, within two days.

Documents sought by the PDP candidate, through his counsel, Angela Liu, include the record of admission and acceptance at the university, dates of attendance including degrees, awards, and honours attained by the former governor of Lagos State at the university, among others.

But as the deadline given by Gilbert drew nearer on Thursday, Tinubu’s lawyers approached Maldonado, arguing that the earlier decision by Gilbert needed to be reviewed by a district judge.

The request for a review and delay of the order till Monday was granted by the US district judge.

In the emergency hearing, Maldonado disclosed that mindful of legal deadlines in Nigeria, she would rule on the matter as quickly as possible.

“I will have a busy weekend. The issue is of process and rules. I’m a rule person. That’s why I’m a judge. This case is quite involved. I am aware of the stakes. It’s more important to me to get this right,” she said.

No hiding place

Ahead of the resumption of the case on Monday, however, Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, told Saturday PUNCH on Friday that the President should not be hiding anything and that the camp would wait for the court process while whatever is being hidden will be unfolded.

Ibe said “What is in that file if it is released that would bring harm that is irreparable to him (Tinubu)? It has become important for Bola Tinubu to let Nigerians know what he is hiding in his academic record at Chicago University.

“We cannot mortgage the destiny of over 200 million people for the interest of one individual. He is bringing embarrassment to Nigeria, it is shameful and it is a tragedy to have something as simple as releasing your records to be subject to public scrutiny.

“Nigerians should begin to take an interest in this matter. Nigerians should be asking questions about what is going on. Why should the President of Nigeria not be a product of due process, transparency and accountability? It has never reached this low and it is unfortunate. We will get him.

 “We will await the court process, they can only stall but finally whatever it is that is being hidden will be released.”

Tinubu’s camp ready

When Saturday PUNCH contacted the Coordinator of Tinubu Presidential Legal Team, Babatunde Ogala, on the team’s preparation ahead of Monday, he said the team members were ready for Atiku’s next move.

He said whatever may be the former vice president’s next plan, members of the President’s team were also not sleeping.

Ogala, who is currently in the US as part of the legal team said, “We submitted our application and the order has been suspended. We are starting all over again.

 “If they like, let them do a Plan C. We are not sleeping either. We will meet them there.

“Instead of recommending to the judge, the magistrate was ruling which he has no power to do. We told the judge and he agreed. So the whole process of what he has done was set aside.”

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, however, did not speak on whether the President is hiding something from Nigerians and the nature of the “non-privileged” details contained in the academic record in the custody of his alma mater when he was asked.

“There is nothing new to say beyond what you have. We will wait till next week,” he said.

Efforts made to reach the PDP legal team and spokesman for the opposition party, Debo Ologunagba, were unsuccessful as of press time.

NNPP intervenes

Meanwhile, the New Nigeria Peoples Party has called on the President to assent to the release of his academic credentials to douse the growing tension and suspicion of his critics.

The party’s new National Publicity Secretary, Yakubu Shemdam, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said if the situation was allowed to get out of hand, it might distract even the President. 

Shemdam said, “As a party, we have been following the drama. But, of course, we are not part of the people who filed an application to demand his records from Chicago University.

“But we think that if he has nothing to hide, definitely he should do the needful by allowing the people who requested those records to have access to them, especially now that the US judiciary is already involved in the matter.

“The earlier they do this, the better so that the President can continue to focus on the developmental plans he has for Nigerians. This is because what is happening now is causing a lot of distraction in the country. Many people are beginning to agitate and question the motion being filed to stop the release of the documents. There is a saying that a clear conscience fears no accusation.”

Obi’s team speaks

In a related development, the campaign team of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, said the President needed to present his academic records to prove his critics wrong.

In an interview with one of our correspondents, the Chief Spokesman of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, said Tinubu’s excuse for holding on to the result was unacceptable.

Tanko said “Can you imagine the President stating in the motion he filed that releasing the result could cause him irreparable harm? You begin to wonder what was that supposed to mean. It is very sad.

“If I am a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University who has my records intact and I know they are clean, why do I have to stop the university from releasing my result? It will assist me if ABU quickly issues it so that I can get out of this particular accusation. What this simply means is that the President has something to hide. The learned judge that they are attempting to blame acted according to his power.

“What the Chicago State University said was that it can only act on an order from the court to release the result. Why is the President not interested in having it published if truly he attended that particular school? This will further make the people more inquisitive to find out exactly what that result contains. If there is nothing to hide, they should publish it so that everybody can go and rest.”

Atiku and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, had challenged Tinubu’s electoral victory at the Supreme Court following the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which upheld the President’s mandate on September 6.

Atiku approached the US court for an order compelling the CSU to release Tinubu’s academic record, questioning alleged gaps in the President’s academic history.

Tinubu’s credentials indicated that he graduated from CSU in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting and Management, but there have been allegations of discrepancies with his academic record.

But justifying his decision to obtain the President’s record, Atiku said unless a clarification was made, it would be difficult for Nigerians to understand the academic journey of the former Lagos State governor.

In response to an order by the court that he should make a formal filing on why his records should not be released, Tinubu claimed a clerical error was responsible for the discrepancies on the certificate issued to him by the university.

According to filings by Tinubu’s lawyers, Oluwole Afolabi and Christopher Carmichael, an unidentified clerk of the university made the error about the date the school stated on his recently-issued certificate, thereby creating “the appearance of differences.”

Regardless of his opposition to Atiku’s application, Magistrate Gilbert ordered the CSU to release all relevant academic records of the President to his political opponent.

[Punch]

THE world gathered this week under the United Nations to talk peace, security and socio-economic justice, but hawks circled and beneficiaries of a skewed world sat silent in cold complicity.

It was the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, and even as the world on Thursday, September 21, complemented the UN objectives by marking the International Day of Peace, the voices for conflict were sounding more strident.

As world attention was turned to the UN stage, Azerbaijan and Armenia went to war in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory which has been the source of unending conflicts since 1988. This time, the war lasted 48 hours, September 19 – 20, 2023. However, before the gathered Heads of State could raise an eyebrow, Russia had moved in to secure a ceasefire. But the crisis remains as Nagorno-Karabakh is peopled by 120,000 Armenians in a territory inside Azerbaijan.

Simultaneously, Canada and India were engaged in a spat as the latter suspended visa issuance to Canadians, expelled a Canadian diplomat and advised its citizens to avoid travelling to that country. The current disagreements began on Monday when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that there were “credible allegations” of Indian official involvement in the June assassination of 45-year-old Canadian Sikh, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The disagreements are likely to further degenerate as Canada is being challenged to provide proof of its allegation. There are about two million people of Indian origin in Canada who might be affected if the disagreements fester.

However, two pieces of good news seeped through. The first is that Turkey and Greece, two neigbours whose conflicts began in May 1919, met on the sidelines of the UN conference on Wednesday at the Turkish House in New York. The bigger picture is that if both countries agree on full reconciliation, it might reflect on divided Cyprus. That country split in two in 1974 when Greece backed a military coup and Turkey retaliated by invading Cyprus in support of Turkish Cypriots.

The second good news was that the United States, US, and Iran who are virtually on war footing, made some goodwill gestures. The former released $6 billion in seized Iranian assets while the latter released in exchange, five American prisoners held in Iran.

Those released include businessman, Siamak Namazi imprisoned since 2015, Morad Tahbaz and Emad Shargi held since 2018. The identities of the other two were not disclosed. While it is not clear if the trial of the Americans were fair, it amounts to arrogance for the US to go about seizing or freezing the assets of sovereign members of the UN.

At the UNGA proper, Brazil which has the traditional right to speak first, tried to set the tone for a humane world. Its charismatic President Lula Silva, informed: “The ten richest billionaires have more wealth than the poorest 40 per cent of humanity.” Lula, a former Labour Leader lamented that: “The destiny of every child born on this planet seems to be decided while they’re still in their mother’s womb. The part of the world where their parents live, and the social class their family belongs to, will determine whether or not that child will have opportunities throughout life.”

Brazil speaks first at UNGA because in the early days, when no country would want to speak first as they preferred to listen to other countries and then try some response or clarification, Brazil volunteered to speak first. So the tradition was established. Now, as the host country, the US speaks next.

US President Joe Biden spoke about continuing the war in Ukraine with no talk about peace because: “Russia alone bears responsibility for this war.”

Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, cladded in military fatigue while playing the victim of a big country attacking a small country and threatening its sovereignty, was silent about his country’s military flying 3,876 kilometres from Kyiv to attack Khartoum. Zelensky was silent on the over a dozen attacks in an African country by forces identified as Ukranian special forces. Some have rationalised the attacks as justified on the basis that the mercenary Russian Wagner forces are involved in the Sudanese Civil War.

How does that justify Ukraine attacking the African continent? Zelensky has no right extending the theatre of Ukraine’s war with Russia to the African continent. But no country, whether European or African sought to call Ukraine to order. Rather, they sat listening to Zelensky raging about terrorism, “weaponising” food, and, rather than seeking peace, about the illusion of militarily defeating Russia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan whose country is playing a balancing act on world stage talked about humanitarian crises, economic problems, conflicts, and social tensions worldwide, concluding that: “Peace has no losers.”

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke for peace, women empowerment, equal access to healthcare, education, economic opportunities and the need for inclusive, democratic, and representative international institutions. He advised: “Leaving no one behind — that is the duty that we all have.”

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu lamented that: “Failures in good governance have hindered Africa. But broken promises, unfair treatment and outright exploitation from abroad have also exacted a heavy toll on our ability to progress.” He added: “We welcome partnerships with those who do not mind seeing Nigeria and Africa assume larger roles in the global community.”

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda whose country has witnessed genocide, bemoaned: “Today, there is no sign of on-going conflicts ending anytime soon. Innocent lives are left alone to carry the burden of this instability. That is a profound injustice.”

UN Secretary General António Guterres who also spoke to the world leaders at a high-level summit on climate change painted a picture of the universe thus: “Horrendous heat is having horrendous effects. Distraught farmers watching crops carried away by floods. Sweltering temperatures spawning disease.” He concluded that: “Humanity has opened the gates to hell.” But I do not think the gates to hell, have just been opened; they were opened over six decades ago when nuclear weapons were introduced and allowed to proliferate.

By 1986, there were over 70,300 nuclear weapons in the world. The good news is that by 2019 these had been reduced to 13,890. The bad news is that you don’t need more than 100 to set the world firmly on the path of self-immolation. So, while climate change is a deadly path, mass hunger and poverty is deadlier, but nuclear weapons are the deadliest and fastest. The challenge is, even after the gates to hell have been opened, how does humanity avoid it? The problem is that most of those who gather at the UNGA making speeches they don’t believe in, are irredeemable sinners whose actions would lead to the gates to hell being opened wider.

It is important that the Tinubu administration takes a position, one way or another, about the movement of cattle within urban areas, village farmlands and state capitals. We lived with this anomaly for the eight years of Buhari, wherein herders had free access to, and the right to use, people’s farmlands, school lawns and public parks as they pleased. They also had unlawful open access to banned AK47 military assault rifles. Anyone else found to have such an instrument of mass destruction was promptly arrested as a danger to the Nigerian state. As I write, a pastor is on trial for holding such an object in public – and this is not even the question or “owning” of not owning it.

Our people say that a young man whose negative reputation for mischief in the village square is traceable to the protection he enjoys from his powerful uncle must remember that uncles don’t last forever. At no time in our national history did herders conduct themselves with so much impunity and reckless disregard for the rights of others as they did under the Buhari government. As people plying their trade, they have a right to feed their cattle, survive and carry on like everyone else. But not at the expense of other stakeholders – perhaps sometimes even in defiance of the laws of the land.

Buhari is gone. Also gone from political visibility are many who were the most vociferous in their call for Cattle Grazing Routes in a modern state. A modern state, wherein developments, state creation and many other factors have reconfigured everything cannot speak of cattle routes in its original sense. But they weren’t listening at all.

Does anyone even consider the fate of young men, say in the next five to ten years, whose only skill is the ability to follow cattle from one place to another for the purpose of grazing. They are still about town, though. Here in Abuja and elsewhere. Their eclipse may be in sight, but there is no conversation about that by core Northern stakeholders who should be the most worried about this. Banditry, unemployment and unemployability of a substantial percentage of the youth population, are the combined demons ravaging the North today. The human raw material for the social and economic rebirth of the North now exists in the dislocation and mismanaged human capital resources of the zone.

We still see cattle all over town in Abuja and elsewhere. It is as if nothing has changed, or will change. And the question to ask here is this: When will it become part of popular elite consciousness that what is not sustainable cannot contribute positively to national development – particularly the development of skilled human capital that can be part of a 21^st Century world?

Six months ago, the former governor of Kano State, Ganduje, mounted a national discourse on livestock reforms. This move was consistent with his long-standing insistence that the truly lasting solution to herder/farmer conflicts in Nigeria is to be found in livestock reforms. His government put up a very well-conceived, and also well-executed, National Conference on Livestock Reforms. The conference came up with clearly defined solutions and very practical, implementable and realistic steps towards addressing the problems.

There was nothing new about that, coming from Ganduje. He was the first to open up in good faith on the matter. That was nearly six years ago, when he called on The North as a whole to rethink its approach to animal husbandry and its use of its scarce human capital in that regard. For him to take up this same matter as a major national event much later shows his concern and commitment to doing what is right for his people, using a combination of the best global practices and common sense.

Besides the Dollar controversies and other matters surrounding the man, it is a matter of record that Ganduje took some commendable steps in the execution of ranching and related projects while in office. But it did not seem like his fellow Northern Governors paid any attention at all to what he was doing. With their vast lands, not one went to see, and emulate, Ganduje’s bold initiatives. His template for the region’s much-needed economic progress with regards to cattle farming, and the resultant social harmony and sound community relations missing in their domains were not noticed.

The conference under reference here, which held six months ago, built on his earlier call for sanity in livestock management in Nigeria. Back then, he told Nigerians that his state had enough room and water resources to carter for the needs of all herders in Nigeria. He repeated the same call three years after his initial call. In the later call, he also detailed the availability of ideal natural resources for animal husbandry. He then went further to give good reasons why it is in the long-term economic and political interests of the North to take advantage of his offer.

We all saw video clips of Ganduje’s private and public pronouncement on this matter. The social media was awash with them for weeks. It was also well reported in the regular press. But it would seem that those who should have considered his suggestions, in order to make informed decisions, going forward, did not pay much attention. That is perhaps why the very concerns that governor Ganduje spent so much time, energy and resources screaming about are still here with us.

That conference of six months ago raised issues that were, and still are, germane to any honest conversation about sustainable national development and community relations. It has always been the case here that anecdotes, hearsay, unfounded claims and presumptive attitudes are the basis for even policy decisions. Silo conversations, historical stereotypes, and economic-conflict-induced stigmatizations do not allow for clear thinking when and where it matters.

That conference offered so many positive takeaways. Of special significance in that regard is that the steady, and frightening, inflow of herders from other West African countries into Nigeria is progressively displacing even our traditional herders. In fact, cattle movement should be put on the plate for ECOWAS, so that it can do something useful, in addition to prancing about awkwardly regarding the event in Niger republic. When we also consider that many of the presumed herders are actually gun smugglers, hardened kidnappers and bandits, it becomes imperative that new thinking is called for around here.

Furthermore, the southwards movement of cattle from the north can only delay the need to do something about creating the right type of environment up north for meaningful animal husbandry. The threat to national security needs no elaboration whatsoever here. That is why Northern governors should probably meet on this matter. Under Buhari, they protested the sacking of herders from a government forest reserves in a South Western state, which the latter occupied in defiance of the law. Chief Olu Falae, a respected elder statesman, lost his farm and also nearly his life to herders and sundry stragglers in the Buhari years.

A point that must also be made here is that Fulani herders are not criminals, per se. But we are unintentionally allowing the impression that herders, and especially Fulani herders, are by definition not law abiding. This is not true, not fair, and seriously open to question.  That is why those who choose to noisily defend some of the objectionable actions of some herders, ostensibly under the impressions that they are protecting Fulani interests, should also note that they are thereby involved in the unintended stigmatization of Fulani herders – especially Nigerian Fulani herders.

We “enjoy” widespread insecurity in the country today, irrespective of our economic or political status, religious affiliation, or ethnic origins. This is not the time for anyone to complain, with ill-informed fervor, in defence of either herders or farmers. It is mostly the north and northerners that are being wiped out by bandits, herders and insurgents. This singular fact is probably the most compelling reason for us to stop fooling ourselves, across all geopolitical divides. It does not make sense that herders should come from all over West Africa, cheerfully wreck whatever they meet in the north, as they match southwards, and still be defended as merely involved in the business of responsible economic activities.

Are Homes, communities, livelihoods not been systematically decimated all over the North today? Are the marauding bands asking any questions about ethnic origins and religious loyalty? Is the entire North, and especially the Village Heads who have had their livestock rustled, doing well today?

See why we need very honest conversation, unbiased media commentary/reportage and sound policies that would aid our collective survival? Taking sides on this matter won’t get us anywhere. That is because we, all of us, are in the line of fire. If we keep saying that herders must be well armed, so that they can defend themselves against armed attacks by cattle rustlers, what do we say about farmers who must protect themselves and their farms from rampaging cattle and armed rearers? See why it is a no-win situation if we all dig in where we are today?

We have national cohesion, genuine nationhood, sustainable leadership values and responsible/patriotic citizenship on the line as I write. So, let us think back to Governor Ganduje’s last National Conference on Livestock Reforms. It brought out much that could be used for concrete action and lasting solutions. Farmers and herders must co-exist, as they have co-existed for decades around here. It is time to pull together and work towards better and more sustainable use of our human capital and natural resources. We get better meat and milk yields from ranched cattle. So, going back to Gabduje’s National Conference on Livestock Reforms, there is much we ought to do that we are not doing.

Like I said at the beginning of this article: “Our people say that a young man whose negative reputation for mischief in the village square is traceable to the protection he enjoys from his powerful uncle must remember that uncles don’t last forever”.