It all began on Friday, a day that should have been ordinary, peaceful. George was supposed to be home. They had planned for Sunday—a simple church outing, a moment of sanctuary from the turmoil that had begun to engulf their lives. Florence held on to that hope, to the comforting familiarity of routine. But before Sunday even arrived, the nightmare began. George left on Friday with a hurriedness she had never seen before. His words were rushed, his manner strained.

“I will be back the same day,” he told her, his voice hollow, stripped of warmth and certainty. The man she once knew was speaking like a stranger, his tone mechanical, his words rehearsed. Florence felt it in her bones—something was terribly wrong. But the fear remained buried within her, cloaked by her hope that he would return as promised.

What troubled Florence most was not just his sudden departure but the way he spoke. There was something in his voice—a weariness, a reluctance, a mechanical hollowness that didn’t belong to the George she knew. He was leaving, but it was as if he had already been taken away from her, spirited off to some faraway place even before his physical absence. His hurried departure left Florence stranded in her own home, a place that now felt like a prison built from her own anxieties.

The Crushing Silence—Florence’s Growing Desperation

Hours passed. Then almost a full day. Then more. By Saturday morning, George was still gone. Florence’s calls went unanswered, her messages left with the cruel emptiness of silence. Her mind spun with fear and doubt. Had he been harmed? Was he hiding from her? The possibilities tangled into a knot of despair she could not untangle. She called friends, family, anyone who might know his whereabouts. But no one had answers.

Every unanswered call became a fresh wound. Florence’s mind constructed scenarios of danger, of betrayal, of death. It was like her sanity was being whittled away by an invisible hand, slicing away her hope piece by piece. Each moment of silence was an indictment against the man she loved—a man who had always been transparent with her but was now nothing more than a ghost. The horror of not knowing where he was or what was happening to him left her gasping for air, her chest tight with panic.

The Shock of Exposure—The Television Appearance

The first clue of George’s whereabouts came not from George himself, but from outsiders. Friends and strangers alike bombarded Florence with calls, their voices fraught with urgency and disbelief. “Florence, your husband is on TV. He’s accusing Governor Fubara of burning buildings, stealing money, sponsoring oil pipelines explosions, conspiring against Tinubu. He’s saying terrible things.”

The words cut through Florence like a knife. Why was George on television? Why was he speaking about such grave matters without telling her? Why had he left her in darkness, with nothing but her fear for company?

Her hands trembled as she turned on the television, her heart pounding in her chest. There he was, speaking like a man unhinged, his words rapid and jumbled, his expression distant and unnatural. His eyes were dull, as though he was reading from a script written by someone else. The man she saw on the screen was not the man she knew. Florence’s mind recoiled from the image, her heart breaking under the weight of her own helplessness.

A Nation’s Stage—George’s Confusing Broadcast

George appeared on television again on Saturday morning. But he was slipping. He stumbled over his words, his voice mechanical and detached. His speech was broken, his mind seemingly fractured. His confusion was so evident that it felt like a betrayal of his own consciousness.

“Good evening,” he began, even though it was clearly still morning. His confusion seeped through, a sign of the turmoil within him. Yet, he persisted, delivering his speech as if driven by forces beyond his control. Florence could see it, hear it, feel it. “That is not my husband,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with grief and anger.

The image of George struggling to maintain coherence was a brutal confirmation of Florence’s worst fears. Someone had taken him, manipulated him, twisted his words and mind until he was nothing but a puppet on a string. It was as if the George she loved had been swallowed by something sinister—something that had stolen his soul and replaced it with a script.

The Cruel Manipulation—Luxury as a Weapon

George claimed he was in Abuja because “that is where all the major security agencies are headquartered.” A convenient justification, but Florence saw through the deception. Everything George was speaking of—the alleged bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the financial exchanges, the supposed conspiracy—these were all matters tied to Rivers State. They had happened in Port Harcourt, not Abuja. So why was he so far from home, from her?

But what baffled Florence most was not just George’s whereabouts, but the manner of his stay. George was now reportedly staying at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, a place far removed from the man who had once pleaded for financial help. Luxury had become a weapon against him—an illusion of grandeur meant to mask the strings being pulled by those who sought to control him.

The Revelation—Fubara’s Cruel Strategy

Then came the revelation. Governor Siminalayi Fubara, now suspended, emerged with alleged screenshots of George’s messages to Chief of Staff Edison Ehie. Texts that exposed George’s desperation, his pleas for financial help, his struggle to survive. The messages were humiliating, reducing George to a man begging for assistance from those who sought to manipulate him.

George’s messages were not cries for conspiracy or political power. They were pleas for survival, for a lifeline in a world that had turned its back on him. And now, the very people who offered him aid were using his vulnerability against him. The calculated cruelty of their actions struck Florence like a physical blow.

The Weaponization of Desperation—Texts Turned Against Him

Florence could scarcely believe the extent of the betrayal. Her husband’s most vulnerable pleas for help had been paraded before the world as evidence of his weakness, his desperation, his lack of credibility. What was once a private struggle to survive had been twisted into a public spectacle of humiliation. It was a cruel tactic designed to strip George of his dignity and Florence of her sanity.

Those messages were not conspiracy plots. They were the desperate cries of a man battling against forces he could not understand, let alone control. Florence’s mind raced through the words shared by Fubara—messages of financial strain, of pleading for assistance, of desperation so raw it made her stomach twist with sorrow. And now, the same man who had once begged for mere survival was speaking from the comfort of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, delivering statements that seemed crafted to fit a narrative not his own.

“That is not my husband,” Florence repeated, her voice cracking with grief. It was a plea, a declaration, a warning. But to those who sought to control George, it was nothing but the inconvenient truth of a woman they had already decided to ignore.

The Luxury Prison—Transcorp Hilton’s Illusion of Control

The words George spoke from the comfort of Transcorp Hilton Hotel felt detached, hollow. Florence could hear the unnaturalness in his voice, the way his words lacked the authenticity that once defined him. The grand setting of the luxury hotel only served to deepen the suspicion.

He declared, “I am in Abuja. This is Transcorp Hotel where I am lodging.” The way he delivered those words was meant to convey assurance, credibility, stability. But Florence saw the truth. She saw a man living under false protection, surrounded by comfort designed to hide the chains they had placed around him.

Luxury was their tool of manipulation, a gilded prison meant to convince George and the world that he was safe, that he was speaking of his own free will. But Florence knew better. She had seen the cracks in his performance, the forced smile, the faltering words. That was not her husband.

The Rehearsed Lines—George’s Struggle Against His Script

George’s words continued to sound forced, rehearsed. The mechanical delivery of his statements was a betrayal of the man she once knew—a man whose voice had always carried warmth and sincerity, even in the harshest of times. The lines he spoke seemed unnatural, as if he was reading from a script handed to him by those who had taken control of his life.

They were feeding him lines, manipulating his words to suit their narrative. And George, lost within the labyrinth of deception, was unable to break free from their control.

A Wife’s Painful Certainty—Florence’s Unyielding Cry

“That is not my husband.”

Florence’s cry was more than just words. It was a plea for the world to see the truth, to recognize the deception playing out before their eyes. Her pain was laid bare for all to see, her tears a testament to the injustice that had been forced upon her family. But her cries fell upon deaf ears.

She watched as George continued to speak from the luxury of Transcorp Hilton, his voice mechanical, his words hollow. The man she loved was trapped, his voice stolen and replaced with a false narrative meant to destroy everything he had once stood for.

If George truly believed in the allegations he was making, why not report them to the Rivers State Police Command? The alleged crimes and conspiracies he described all originated in Rivers State. They were tied to Port Harcourt, not Abuja.

The supposed bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly? Allegedly orchestrated on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.

The financial exchanges George claimed to have witnessed? Conducted within Government House, Port Harcourt.

His resignation, which he insisted was voluntary? Announced and accepted in Rivers State.

Yet, George was now far removed from the scenes he described, making bold claims from the safety of a luxurious hotel in Abuja. Florence knew this was not her husband.

The Painful Revelation—Florence’s Desperate Plea to Fubara

Florence had called Fubara, her voice trembling with desperation. “They got him, that was not the George I know, help me governor.”

But even as she reached out for help, it felt as though the script had already been written, the players chosen, the lines rehearsed. Fubara’s response was calculated, revealing alleged screenshots of George begging for financial support from Chief of Staff Edison Ehie.

Those texts painted George as a man desperate for help, a man struggling to survive in a world that had turned its back on him. But instead of offering compassion, those texts were used as tools of humiliation, meant to discredit and destroy.

The Cruel Game—George’s Forced Declarations

George had been pressured to admit knowledge of billions allegedly manipulated by Governor Fubara. But the words he spoke were not his own. They were apparently forced, extracted from him through a process of coercion and manipulation.

They were feeding him lines. Telling him what to say, how to say it, when to say it. And all the while, Florence’s voice remained the only truth he could not escape.

“That is not my husband.”

The Man She Loved—Lost to Deception

Florence’s pain was now the pain of a nation. A nation betrayed by the same systems of power that twisted her husband’s truth. They had taken him away from her, placed him in a luxurious prison, and fed him words meant to destroy everything he had once stood for.

But Florence refused to give up. She continued to cry out, her voice cutting through the lies with the sharpness of her own grief. “That is not my husband,” she repeated, her words a testament to her unwavering love and relentless pursuit of the truth.

The Isolation of Truth—Florence’s Words Ignored

Florence’s words were not just a declaration of pain. They were a cry for justice. But as the hours stretched into days, her cries seemed to fall into the abyss of indifference. She pleaded for someone to listen, to understand that the man speaking from Transcorp Hilton was not the George she knew. He was a man imprisoned by manipulation, his voice twisted to serve the interests of those who sought to destroy him.

Her desperation was visible for the world to see—caught on camera as she sat with her phone clutched tightly in her hands, her voice cracking from the strain of calling, texting, pleading. Yet, the silence was deafening. No responses. No reassurance. Nothing but the unyielding pain of abandonment.

“That is not my husband.” Those words became her only defense, her only truth against a world determined to ignore her suffering.

The Scripted Denial—George’s Forced Rebuttal

“They told me what to say. They told me to rebuke you,” Florence imagined him whispering to her, a truth buried beneath layers of deception. But the world did not hear that truth. They only heard the lines he was forced to speak.

“That is not my husband.” Florence’s cry grew louder, her pain more visceral, her truth more undeniable.

The Breakdown of Logic—Contradictions in George’s Narrative

As George continued to speak, the contradictions became glaring. He insisted he was in Abuja to report his findings to the security agencies because “that is where all the major security agencies are headquartered.” But Florence saw through the pretense.

Again, all the alleged crimes George spoke of had occurred in Rivers State. The supposed bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly? It was said to have happened on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt. The financial exchanges he claimed to have witnessed? Conducted within Government House, Port Harcourt. His resignation, which he insisted was voluntary, had been announced in Rivers State.

So why was George now far removed from the scenes of his own accusations? Why was he speaking from Abuja, a city where truth seemed to dissolve into shadows and deceit? Why was he delivering his statements from the comfort of a luxury hotel, rather than facing the realities of the allegations he claimed to expose?

Florence’s frustration grew. Her tears turned to anger. And her voice, trembling but unbroken, continued to speak her truth.

The Media Circus—A Nation’s Indifference

The media latched onto George’s story, twisting it to suit their own narratives. Reports were printed, interviews conducted, headlines splashed across screens and newspapers. Yet none of them captured the reality of Florence’s pain. None of them acknowledged her cries.

Instead, they focused on George’s forced statements, his hollow declarations. They ignored the glaring inconsistencies, the evident manipulation, the glaring fact that the man speaking was not the man Florence had known.

“That is not my husband.” Her words were lost amidst the noise of sensationalism and political maneuvering.

The Mockery of Justice—A Process Corrupted. Soon we will hear Go to Court!

Now, they speak of a police investigation. Of George traveling to Abuja to officially report his claims to the security agencies. Of legal proceedings that will supposedly uncover the truth. But Florence knows better.

“This is not about truth,” she whispered to herself, her voice heavy with despair. “This is about control. This is about silencing George and breaking me.”

They had isolated him, placed him in a luxury hotel to give the illusion of credibility. But Florence knew that luxury was nothing but a cage—one built to keep him away from the truth, away from her.

A Heart Torn Apart—Florence’s Emotional Collapse

Florence’s agony continued to spill over, her cries growing louder, her desperation more profound. She apparently could not sleep. She apparently could not eat. Her mind was consumed by the thought of George, of the man who had been taken from her.

“That is not my husband.” The words had become a chant, a mantra meant to keep her own sanity intact. But the world continued to ignore her.

Was she mad? Was she the only one who could see the truth? Or was everyone else simply too afraid to acknowledge the lies playing out before their eyes?

The Hollow Words—A Nation’s Failure

The longer George remained under their control, the more Florence’s grief turned to rage. How could a nation claim to uphold justice when its own systems of power were built upon deceit? How could they claim to care for the truth when they were so willing to manipulate a man’s words, his life, his mind?

Florence’s words were a testament to her love, her loyalty, her relentless pursuit of the truth. But to those who sought to silence her, they were nothing but an inconvenience.

A Man Lost—And a Woman Forgotten

Days had passed since George’s last appearance. And still, Florence waited, her phone clutched in her hand, her eyes hollow with exhaustion. The silence stretched on, suffocating her with every passing moment.

Was George still in Abuja? Was he still under their control? Had they broken him completely, or was there still a chance to bring him back?

The questions circled her mind like vultures, tearing away at her sanity. And all she could do was wait.

The Unanswered Questions—And a Wife’s Final Plea

The media remained silent. The authorities offered no answers. And George remained out of reach. Florence’s world had been turned upside down, her life shattered by forces beyond her control.

“That is not my husband.” Her voice was now a whisper, broken and tired. But the truth remained. And she clung to it with everything she had left.

Who knows where George is now? The media remains silent, offering no updates, no explanations. And as Florence waits for answers, the world continues to move on, indifferent to her pain.

All anyone can do is hope that Florence is fine, that she is safe, that her voice will one day be heard.

A prisoner is told, “If you tell a lie, we will hang you, and if you tell the truth, we will shoot you”

What did the prisoner say to save himself?

The prisoner can create a paradoxical statement that prevents the guards from carrying out either punishment consistently. By saying: “You will hang me.”

This creates a logical contradiction:

• If the statement is true (they hang him), then he should have been shot for telling the truth.
• If the statement is false (they don’t hang him), then he should have been hanged for lying.

Neither punishment can be applied without violating the original rule, forcing the guards to spare him.

Nigeria’s social media space has forgotten Bobrisky?” The self-styled transgender icon and socialite vanished after his arrest in April 2024 for naira abuse, leaving gossip mills churning. Yet, while Bobrisky has stopped captivating tabloids, a far deeper narrative unfolds—one that transcends celebrity scandal and speaks to Nigeria’s democratic resilience, to understand this, we must look beyond the noise and interrogate history: How does Nigeria’s 25-year democratic journey since 1999 compare to the formative decades of even the world’s oldest democracies, like the United States? The answer reveals a story of paradoxical progress, where flaws coexist with strides forward, much like the prisoner’s clever escape from his captors’ logic.

The prisoner’s dilemma—“If you lie, we hang you; if you tell the truth, we shoot you”—is resolved through a statement that collapses the system’s logic. Nigeria’s democracy, too, operates within contradictions. Critics highlight its imperfections: electoral violence, corruption, and inequality. Yet, like the prisoner’s paradox, Nigeria’s progress defies simplistic judgments. When measured against the early years of the United States (1776–1806), a period romanticized as democracy’s “golden age,” Nigeria’s Fourth Republic emerges not as a failure but as a work in progress—messy, flawed, but undeniably alive.

Existential crises marked the United States’ first 30 years. The Articles of Confederation collapsed under economic chaos, Shays’ Rebellion exposed federal weakness, and the 1800 Jefferson-Burr electoral tie nearly triggered a civil war. Voting was restricted to white male landowners, and dissent was criminalized under the Alien and Sedition Acts. Progress was halting, violent, and exclusionary.

Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, by contrast, has maintained uninterrupted civilian rule since 1999—a feat in coup-prone West Africa. Despite flawed polls, four presidents have handed power to rivals, including the 2015 defeat of Goodluck Jonathan, a first in Nigeria’s history. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has digitized voter registration, with 93 million Nigerians registered in 2023—a figure unimaginable in 1800s America, where voter participation rarely topped 10%. Nigeria’s system is imperfect, but its continuity amid ethnic diversity (250+ groups) and extremist threats like Boko Haram underscores a resilience the early U.S. lacked.

Bobrisky

In 1806, the U.S. economy relied on enslaved labor and small-scale farming. Infrastructure was sparse; innovation lagged. Nigeria, however, has leveraged globalization to diversify beyond oil. Startups like Flutterwave and Paystack dominate African fintech, attracting $2 billion in investments since 2020. Lagos, once a congested megacity, now rivals Nairobi and Cape Town as a tech hub. Agricultural reforms have revived cocoa exports and slashed rice imports by 60% since 2015. Though 40% live in poverty, GDP has tripled since 1999, and the middle class has surged from 4% to 23% of the population.

This trajectory mirrors America’s 19th-century industrial rise but at a 21st-century pace. Where the U.S. needed 100 years to build railroads, Nigeria’s digital economy leapfrogs traditional stages—mobile money adoption outpaces banks, and remote villages access global markets via WhatsApp. The challenges—corruption, and inequality—are real, but so is the progress.

The U.S. Founding Fathers feared direct democracy, designing a republic buffered from “mob rule.” Nigeria’s civil society, however, thrives on chaos. Movements like #EndSARS (2020), which forced the dissolution of a brutal police unit, showcase a digitally empowered populace. Courts have overturned fraudulent elections and jailed once-untouchable figures—former governors, ministers, and even Bobrisky, whose prosecution, however performative, signals declining and sometimes topsy turvy tolerance for impunity.

Compare this to early America: the 1798 Sedition Act jailed critics of President Adams, while the Supreme Court’s 1857 Dred Scott decision entrenched slavery. Nigeria’s judiciary, though sluggish, has no equivalent stain, yet stains for those that don’t understand what it did in Imo State. Its media, ranked among West Africa’s freest, amplifies dissent in ways America’s partisan 18th-century press could not.

Nigeria’s struggles—corruption, terrorism, ethno-religious strife—are real but not unique. The early U.S. normalized slavery, genocided Native Americans and weathered a Civil War. Nigeria’s Boko Haram insurgency and farmer-herder clashes are devastating, yet the state persists. Corruption, though rampant, is being challenged: the EFCC recovers billions annually, and whistleblowers expose graft via social media.

Even Bobrisky’s trial reflects this duality. His arrest for naira abuse was criticized as selective, yet it sparked debates about currency respect—a discourse inconceivable in 1800s America, where elites burned banks without consequence.

Bobrisky’s absence symbolizes a shifting Nigeria. His fame relied on outrage—a society wrestling with gender norms, wealth display, and moral hypocrisy. But as Nigeria matures, a new generation seeks substance over spectacle. They care less about “Mummy of Lagos” dramas than holding leaders accountable. They build tech startups, vote with PVCs, and demand climate action.

Nigeria’s democracy, like America’s at 25, is raw and fragile. But history teaches us that democracies grow through crises. The U.S. needed centuries to expand rights; Nigeria, in 25 years, has navigated coups, insurgencies, and pandemics while expanding civic space.

The prisoner’s paradox teaches that systems can be confounded by their contradictions. Nigeria’s democracy, too, defies doom prophecies. Its progress is nonlinear—a dance of setbacks and breakthroughs. Bobrisky’s theatrics fade, but Nigeria’s youth, tech, and tenacity endure.

Where is Bobrisky? He is a footnote. The real story is Nigeria—a nation scripting its future, not in isolation, but as part of democracy’s arduous, global march. As America’s past shows, the path to stability is long. But Nigeria, against the odds, is walking it—May Nigeria win!

Prince Charles Dickson PhD

Team Lead

Bureau De Change (BDC) operators have revealed that despite the naira’s gains at the foreign exchange market during the week, the local currency is still suffering from a loss of confidence.

The licensed currency traders said that although it is usually a good development to see the naira gaining strength against other foreign currencies, it however, noted that the local currency is overburdened by devaluation at the official market and depreciation at the open market.

This was made known by the President of the Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Aminu Gwadebe, during an exclusive chat with Nairametrics over the weekend.

Gwadebe said the appreciation of the naira can be attributed to the intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS) window, which has significantly boosted supplies, as well as weaker demand in the market.

Naira experiencing attacks

ABCON had earlier revealed that the naira is fast becoming the most unpredictable currency in the world, noting that the local currency has been greatly affected by all kinds of wars ranging from trade, rate as well as speculative attack.

Gwadebe had earlier highlighted some of the challenges affecting the forex market, including global economic uncertainty, regulatory changes, technology advancements and market volatility.

The ABCON boss noted that economic slowdowns in major economies like the US, Europe and China have resulted in decreased trade volumes and increased market volatility.

He also stated that the recapitalization policy for the BDCs has given rise to compliance costs for forex brokers and impacted market liquidity.

In summary, he said that these challenges have resulted in increased market volatility, reduced liquidity, higher trading costs and greater regulatory scrutiny.

Sustaining positive performance of the naira

Gwadebe urged the CBN to always adopt a forward communication strategy on the good news and play down the bad news overloads as part of the ways to sustain the good performance of the naira in the foreign exchange market.

He said, ‘’The naira appreciated significantly at the open market from a low of N1580 per dollar to a higher level of N1545 per dollar during the week. The CBN intervention at the EFEMS window has significantly boosted supplies at the window, coupled with a weaker demand in the market.

‘’Yeah, it is always a good development to witness the local currency gaining strengths versus other foreign currencies but often overburdened by devaluation at the official market and depreciation in the open market.

‘’To achieve a continuing sustainability, the CBN should always adopt forward communication strategy on the good news and dampen the bad news overloads.

‘’Secondly, the CBN is the catalytic actor in the market and should ensure their deliberate intervention across markets extend not only to the wholesale window of banks but to the third leg window of the BDCs to boost supply at the critical retail end of the market.

‘’In all, the naira still suffers loss of confidence and players’ resistance to upload their position during naira hegemony.’’

What you should know

The BDC operators had attributed the crash of the naira in the foreign exchange market to the huge demand for forex due to the windfall from some contractual payments and releases by some Federal Government agencies.

• Gwadebe, who admitted that the forex market is witnessing some unprecedented attacks, noted that the unfortunate development had once again given credence to the need for regulators to be consistent in the implementation of reforms and policies in a volatile forex market.
• He had acknowledged that these occasional shocks in the foreign exchange market are fictitious, discretionary and a burble that will burst.
• Gwadede had also urged the apex bank to revisit its earlier prudential percentage, targeting a fraction of the International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) proceeds received by the banks and Fintechs to the BDC window.

The CBN had been announcing several measures to tackle the volatility in the foreign exchange market, which the speculators usually capitalize on to put pressure on the naira.

European clubs, including a prominent team from France, are intensifying their pursuit of Stanley Nwabali, the Super Eagles and Chippa United goalkeeper.

BSNSports.com.ng gathered from The South African news outlet, that the interest in the Nigerian international goalkeeper is growing as new suitors emerge.

Already on the radar of South African giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, Nwabali is now attracting serious attention from a French club.

Sources close to the player have revealed that this unnamed French club has made inquiries about Nwabali, who recently played a key role for the Super Eagles during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

“There is definitely interest from a club in France. Initially, the first interest came from Belgium, but this latest inquiry is from France. Every day, there are more clubs interested in Stanley. At some point, Chippa United will have to let him go. We will have to wait and see what happens at the end of the season. However, it’s believed the interest from this French club is significant,” a source stated.

Scouts from the French club have been closely monitoring Nwabali, particularly during Nigeria’s recent World Cup qualifiers, where the Super Eagles secured four points from two matches.

“They have been observing him during the recent games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Due to the inquiries about Nwabali, Chippa United is already considering signing another goalkeeper for next season. Whether he leaves or not, the club is preparing for a replacement when he ultimately departs,” the source declared.

[Leadership]

Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has recounted his encounter with his close relative who narrated how their wealthy uncle ran short of cash during the naira scarcity in 2023.

Recounting the experience at a special Iftar held in his honour at the Presidential Villa on Saturday night, Tinubu said the odds were against him during the 2023 campaigns, so much that he contemplated withdrawing from the race.

He said, “Those close to me know that the odds were against me. During the campaigns, one of them came to my living room around 3:30 a.m. and said he needed just N50,000 to buy foodstuff for our uncle.

“He told me, ‘The currency is gone because of you. People are jumping over bank counters because there is no cash. Our uncle, a wealthy man, doesn’t even have N10,000 in cash. What are you running for?

“I told him, ‘I am running for President, not for you and our uncle.’ I gave him the N50,000. As he walked out, he turned to me and said, ‘I don’t think you will make it.’ I replied, ‘I will make it,’” Tinubu declared.

He added, “I was amazed. At that moment, I almost dropped the idea of running for President. But thanks to Aminu Masari and all of you who encouraged me.

“When I came to Abuja, Masari told me, ‘I am the Chairman of the North West Group; don’t look back’,” he said.

Further speaking, the President explained reasons why he declared the removal of fuel subsidy during his inauguration.

“On the day of my inauguration, I had to decide on something not originally in my speech, and that was the fuel subsidy removal.

“The hallmark of a great leader is the ability to make the right decision at the right time.

“That was the day I declared that the subsidy was gone. The following day, I was hounded and thoroughly abused in the media. But I stood firm, knowing it was the right thing to do for our nation’s future.” he added.

[DailyTrust]

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky says most regions of the country were recently attacked by the Russian Army.

He said about 1,310 Russian guided aerial bombs, over 1,000 attack drones mostly “Shaheds”, and 9 missiles of various types, including ballistic ones, were launched into Ukraine in the past one week.

Zelensky, who confirmed this in a statement on his official X handle on Sunday, however, said a significant number of the weapons “were successfully shot down by our air defense warriors, mobile fire groups, and all units involved in protecting our skies”.

Confirming Saturday’s strike on Kharkiv, Zelensky said the attack “sadly took the lives of two people”.

Zelensky noted that Russia is dragging out the war, adding that Ukraine will continue to provide its “partners with full information on the strikes the Russian army is carrying out and the actions it is preparing for”.

“We expect a response from the United States, Europe and all our allies to this terror against our people,” he added.

The president thanked “all the leaders and states who understand this and continue their support”, stressing that the “stability and predictability of support for Ukraine are crucial”.

[DailyPost]

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has hailed the ban imposed on Sallah Durbar, noting that the action becomes pertinent for enduring peace and development of the state.

Sanusi noted that the annual traditional heritage of celebrating at the end of Ramadan was not a matter of life and death but a cultural symbol dated back to the 15th century.

The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor spoke when he hosted eminent Islamic scholars and prominent personalities to Iftar dinner at the palace.

Sanusi, the reinstated 16th first class emir of Kano, described peace as the only backbone of progress and development of any society, and accepted to withdraw all planned activities of the emirate intended for the Durbar.

The Commissioner of Police in Kano, Adamu Bakori, in collaboration with other security agencies, had announced the ban on the proposed Sallah Durbar, citing impending security threats revealed by detectives. Sanusi, the Khalifah of Tijaniyya, has commended the police over the decision.

“I not see the Eid El Fitr Durbar as “a matter of life and death”, Sanusi said, adding that the lives and safety of Kano citizens are more paramount to him.

He therefore appealed to residents and the general public to remain peaceful and law abiding while cooperating with the security agencies to ensure law and order are maintained during and after the Sallah festival.

Kano Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Faruq, applauded the emir for his spirit of love and kindness.

The Governor stated that he experienced the Emir’s kindheartedness when he was a lecturer at ABU in the early 1980s where he guided and supported them as his students.

The SSG expressed gratitude to the Emir for showing concern for the lives of Kano citizens, by his willingness to cancel the Eid El Fitr Durbar celebration.

The Murshid (Chief Imam) of the National Mosque, Professor Shehu Galadanci expressed deep appreciation to Emir Sanusi for exhibiting profound wisdom and knowledge as the leader of the Emirate.

Professor Galadanci, a former National Security Adviser, aligned with the submission of the emir and emphasized that the lives and properties of the people of Kano are more important than the Eid El Fitr Durbar celebration, applauding Sanusi for promoting peaceful coexistence in Kano State.

[TheNation]

Former National and West African light-heavyweight champion, Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju, has died after collapsing during a boxing match in Ghana on Saturday.

Olanrewaju lost consciousness while facing Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu at Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League at Bukom Boxing Arena.

PUNCH Online gathered that he was reportedly leading on points before the tragic incident occurred.

PUNCH Online also observed him collapse in a video being shared on social media.

The boxing community has been thrown into mourning following his sudden death.

Olanrewaju, a respected figure in Nigerian boxing, previously held both National and West African light-heavyweight titles.

His contributions to the sport in Nigeria and across West Africa have been widely acknowledged, with colleagues and fans paying tribute to his legacy.

[Punch]

From history, it is easy to observe that the attention of the average Nigeria is to the self – a trend which in my part of the country is popularly known as ‘cut for me, cut for me.’ To be able to garner much wealth in life, the average citizen who finds himself in a public office or privileged position struggles a lot to remain affluent which explains why some people want to be in one appointment or another even at age 90.

Those who are public servants that must retire at a specified date use affidavits to continue to alter their ages so as to extend their stay in office. Whatever is attained through such aggressive hustling is often used for the betterment of the proverbial ‘me, myself and I.’ Occasionally however, a few hustlers try to extend some favours to other people who are usually their family members or those with whom they share same ethno-religious affiliations.

Bearing in mind that in developing societies government is the greatest spender, all efforts are on politics because that is the sector where looting or extortion is least difficult to accomplish. Wealthy politicians spend heavily on politics rather than business or philanthropy. They keep their resources in safe firmaments to buy over opponents and other interest groups in order to be assured of electoral victory. For those in government whose primary purpose is supposedly the security and welfare of the citizenry, attention is really not on the people. Instead, capital projects such as the construction of bridges and roads are the priority of government simply because the capital-intensive nature of the sector accommodates massive kickbacks.

Of recent, we are able to find a few public-spirited citizens among them Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria’s current First Lady, who think differently. For the latter, the best security and welfare for fellow citizens is good health. It is not difficult at all to appreciate the logic in her thought process because one needs to be alive to be able to enjoy other benefits of democracy and good governance. In 2024, Remi Tinubu donated one billion naira from her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) towards the eradication of Tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria. She made the pledge during her investiture as the Global and National Stop TB Champion. This year, she has again donated another one billion naira during a community outreach in Sauka, Abuja as part of activities marking the 2025 World TB Day.

In a country where politicians are usually busy acquiring expensive items for personal comfort, not many are conscious that TB has remained a leading cause of death in Nigeria. Yet, our country records more infection and deaths than any other African country. Indeed, Nigeria is ranked the 6thmost affected country globally and with the ailment being an airborne disease caused by a bacterium that mostly affects the lungs, anyone can be a victim. It is indeed, the second deadliest infectious killer disease (after COVID-19) and among the top 10 causes of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2024, over 1.6million deaths consisting of mostly the vulnerable were recorded in our clime the year before.

A significant effect of Mrs Tinubu’s donation is the likelihood that her approach would draw greater attention to the most fundamental need of humanity- the right to life. While preparing to write this piece, I tried to gather information on how people felt about the development. Majority of those, I interviewed dismissed the First Lady’s effort arguing that her donation initially belonged to us anyway.  It took some persuasion before an insignificant few saw the perspective; I was projecting that even if the allegation that the donation was originally stolen from the public purse was correct, it is perhaps the only ‘stolen’ fund that was being ploughed back to save many people who have no relationship with the donor. How I wish every Nigerian politician could become that selfless and humane to make it a priority to save fellow citizens from pain, disease and deaths.

The major reason I decided to make this subject my topic for the week was the protracted caution by one of my respondents not to waste my energy commending Mrs Tinubu because he was sure no one would buy my point. He asked if I didn’t hear how some student-nurses embarrassed her last week in Delta state when she went there with the same health campaign?  With this I became convinced that perhaps the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative needed a greater support from those of us in the media because of its utility value to Nigerians. Our people need to be better sensitized on how to react to governance issues in our society. First, Mrs Tinubu was in Delta to attend the flag-off ceremony of the campaign for the elimination of HIV/AIDS, syphilis and hepatitis in Asaba – an advocacy initiative led by the African Union, the Organization of the African First Ladies for Development and Global Partners.

Second, the response of Delta authorities to a song on social media reportedly against Mrs Tinubu was an overreaction. Did the students behave differently from any known generation of students? Neither the First Lady nor other leaders involved in the type of humanitarian scheme launched in Asaba last week are the ones to be rejected. Instead, local and state leaders in our communities who divert development funds to themselves should be the first to be rejected. Of course, part of why our health care is in shambles is because our politicians across board are too corrupt. Last year for instance, Nigeria’s Independent Corrupt Practices Commission ICPC discovered the theft ofN13billion from our public treasury. The chairman of the commission, Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN) revealed that the money was stolen in just one month. How much could have been stolen in other months which would have been better used to reduce the sufferings of our people?

Every year, we hear different stories of how our federal legislators perfect the act of budget padding. The last of such alarms was raised by a ranking senator, Abdul Ningi who revealed a budget padding of no less that N3trillion. Although he was quickly cowed and even suspended for allegedly not having credible evidence, Senator Abdul Ningi, who was at the time, the Chairperson of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), had told BBC that the lawmakers sought the service of a private auditor who discovered irregularities in the budget. As usual, Nigerians did not believe the senate which has become known for its tendency of being a judge in its own cause. On its part,BudgIT – a foremost financial research group was able to find a total of 7,447 projects culminating in N2.24tn that were indiscriminately inserted in the 2024 budget by the National Assembly.

Based on this revelation, it stands to reason that the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative cannot stop at just its own donations. A different additional intervention is for the First Lady to mobilize wives of state governors to individually and collectively lobby their husbands to pay more attention to health care. Last year, Nigeria recorded 214 deaths from Lassa fever. Evidence that the epidemic had risen far more than previous years is seen from the latest report which says that within the first 3 months of this year alone, more than100 Nigerians have already died from the same fever. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) the states with the highest casualties are Ondo, Taraba, Edo, Benue, Bauchi, Gombe, Kogi, and Ebonyi.

One of the latest deaths from Lassa fever was that of a young medical doctor aged 31. He was said to have contacted the disease and died within 4 days at a private health facility in Ondo state. To have lost such an asset suggests that our leaders have not done well at all especially as the state where he died including the neighbouring state of Edo are well known to be most vulnerable. Yet, healthcare is not in the front burner of governance in such states. What seems to attract public spending in our states is politics where illiterate party chieftains have become the most valued citizens. One can only hope that the attention which Mrs Oluremi Tinubu is drawing to the nation’s devastating epidemics will yield some results soonest. For that to happen, there is no better time than now for all patriots to aggressively focus on Nigeria’s dilapidated health care system.