Gunmen have reportedly launched a deadly attack on mourners in Ruwi community, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State and killed ten persons.

The mourners were said to have gathered at a deceased family’s house in the community when the gunmen attacked them on Thursday night.

According to eyewitnesses, the victims were mostly women, with seven being brutally clubbed to death with machetes.

Witnesses added that three men were among those killed, while two other women were injured in the attack.

The Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LG, Mr. Kefas Mallai, confirmed the killings to The PUNCH in Jos on Friday, stating that the perpetrators took advantage of the mourners’ gathering to carry out the heinous act.

Mallai noted that security personnel were alerted to the attack, but unfortunately, they arrived after the perpetrators had fled the scene.

The chairman said, “Yes, it is true. It was around 10pm yesterday, March 27, 2025, at Ruwi community in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau state.

“The victims were mostly women. Seven women were clubbed to death with matchettes. Three men were killed, too, with two other women injured because many of them were women.

“They came to mourn their loved one that died a natural death. So, they were just there as is our tradition which demands that they would gather at the deceased family house and many of them would sleep over till the next day and even three days especially relatives just to keep the deceased family company.

“So that was the situation, and the enemy took advantage of that and came in the night and slaughtered the mourners around 10pm. I learnt the perpetrators were killer Fulani herders. When the attack was taking place, I learnt security men were called to the village, but before they could arrive at the place, the killers had finished their evil act and fled the scene.

“But as it is now, there is no any retaliation from the community and even the Bokkos town is calm but if you go the affected community, that is where you will see crowd that has gathered, bemoaning the calamity that has befallen the people ”

“So at the moment, the community is currently in a state of shock and mourning, with many gathering at the affected community to bemoan the calamity”

When contacted, the Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, could not be reached immediately as his phone indicated that it was switched off.

The attack came barely one week after the police Command had convened an enlarged stakeholders meeting where participants, including farmers and herders, pledged to keep the peace in the state.

[Punch]

At least 144 people have been killed, and more than 730 were injured in the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday, according to the head of the country’s military government.

A strong aftershock of 6.4 magnitude also hit Myanmar, with tremors felt across Thailand and in China.

According to military government officials, the quake triggered the collapse of buildings hundreds of miles away in Thailand.

At least three people have died in the nation’s capital, and authorities are racing to free 81 people believed to be trapped under the rubble of an under-construction high-rise in the city, officials said.

Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations, is reeling from a civil war sparked by a 2021 military coup. Weak infrastructure makes it ill-equipped to deal with major natural disasters.

Swathes of the country are run by a patchwork of militias, making it extremely difficult to gather reliable information. The military also regularly cuts communications in conflict zones.

CNN

The Kano State Police Command has banned all Sallah Durbar celebrations across the state ahead of the 2025 Eid-el-Fitr festivities.

Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Adamu Bakori announced the ban while addressing journalists at the Bompai Police Headquarters, citing security concerns and the need to prevent potential unrest.

According to CP Bakori, intelligence reports indicated plans by certain groups to disrupt the Durbar festivities and create instability. After consulting with the Kano State Government and other key stakeholders, the police command deemed it necessary to prohibit the event.

“In pursuit of a safe and secure celebration, and to maintain peace and public order, the command, in collaboration with other security agencies, has assessed the rising tensions and uncertainties surrounding the Durbar activities,” Bakori said.

“Following credible intelligence reports about plans to use the Durbar as a proxy for unrest, a ban has been placed on all Durbar activities throughout the state during the 2025 Eid-El-Fitr Sallah celebrations.”

The police commissioner urged worshippers to conduct their Eid prayers only at designated praying grounds and adhere to security guidelines, including: Avoid carrying unnecessary objects that may cause suspicion. No horse riding (Kilisa), car racing, or reckless driving. Parents and guardians should caution their children against involvement in any disruptive activities.

The public is advised to avoid actions that could lead to a breach of peace or breakdown of law and order.

CP Bakori assured residents that adequate security personnel would be deployed to ensure a peaceful Sallah celebration.

 “As we celebrate this joyous occasion, let us prioritize peace above all else, set aside our differences, and unite as law-abiding citizens for the progress of our state and nation,” Bakori urged.

He also encouraged residents to report suspicious activities to the police via emergency contact numbers: 08032419754, 08123821575, and 09029292926 or through the NPF Rescue Me application.

The police command reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining law and order, calling on all stakeholders to cooperate in ensuring a peaceful Sallah celebration.

 [Vanguard]

Humphrey Nwosu, former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), publicly said MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election. 

Nwosu chaired the NEC from 1989 to 1993. He oversaw the contest between Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).

The election has remained controversial following its annulment by the military government headed by Ibrahim Babangida.

Nwosu died in October 2024 and is set to be buried on Saturday in his home state of Anambra.

On Thursday, the senate rejected a motion to honour the former election umpire.

Adams Oshiomole, senator representing Edo north, claimed that Nwosu does not deserve national honour because he died without confessing that Abiola won the June 12 election.

However, in an interview with Sahara TV in 2014, Nwosu said all the results of the June 12 election were tendered in court as “public documents”.

He added that his commission fought injunctions against the conduct of the election and the announcement of the outcome.

Nwosu added that the military dissolved his commission two days before a court ruling that would have allowed him to announce the results of the election.

“When the results started coming in on June 13 and 14, it [the collation process] was to be completed around June 17 and 18. The other party, NRC, had even congratulated SDP for winning. Suddenly, there was a letter on me by the commissioner of police that we should cease releasing the results,” he said.

“On June 16, I summoned an emergency meeting of the commission. All the results had come in except from Taraba. The resident commissioner was on his way from Taraba with the results. We would have released the results at around June 17. So they said stop.”

‘ABACHA SCREAMED AT ME, IBB TOLD ME I WAS ON MY OWN’

Nwosu added that Sani Abacha, the chief of defence staff who seized power less than three months after IBB “stepped aside”, also barked at him over the announcement of the results.

“The military then said a committee headed by Abacha should find a solution to the problem. Abacha was in that committee, Murtala Nyako, Aliyu Gusau and David Mark were also in that committee. Then, another sub-committee was created,” he said.

“I told them that there was nothing to meet about that; the law is clear because an election has been conducted and results have been collated, and the only one remaining was that of Taraba, and we have come along with it.

“I told them to allow us to complete the exercise. Abacha screamed at me when he heard this. He told me who do I think I was. He said I was not a member of the national security council and that I went ahead and held an election even after the court had declared it illegal.

“In fact, I was called into a meeting by the national defence and security council and asked if I would release the result without informing the military body. I replied: ‘That is the law. There was no provision for the highest ruling military body to vet the result. The law says the results should be announced at ward, local, state and, finally, headquarters level’.

“I and my national commissioners were summoned to Aso Rock, and Babangida asked what the NEC’s position was on the election. We answered that the NEC should be allowed to conclude the election and announce the result and that we would challenge the letter served by the commissioner of police halting the release of election results. Then Babangida told us, ‘You people are on your own’.

“Then we went to court. The attorney general of the federation should have championed our position, but he did not. It was Bukhari Bello, director of NEC’s Lagos services, who went to the Kaduna court of appeal and filed the papers.”

Nwosu added that the military dissolved NEC on June 23 to prevent the court from certifying results of the poll.

“We submitted all the results, including that of Taraba, showing that Abiola won the election. Abiola was represented by K Ajayi, and Tofa was also represented. The court held its first sitting, and Justice Okey Achike was the chairman,” he said.

“He was ready to conclude, and he ordered the Abuja high court to submit all matters relating to the election. All the results were submitted to his court for accelerated hearing and decision [slated] for June 25, 1993.

“When you submit something to the court, it becomes a public document, is it not? All the results were submitted to the court headed by Okey Achike, showing that Abiola won. Abiola knew. When this was to be done on June 25, the military quickly dissolved my commission on June 23.

“I am saying for public record that Abiola won the June 12 election. In all the documents that we submitted, as far back as June 20, 1993.”

[TheCable]

I came across this seriously sad poem online. It was written by Chinedu Nnadi Nwangwu; and I love it and have decided to share it.

“Weep, Nigeria—

For the soil is heavy with blood,

And the sky hangs low with despair.

A land where godfathers pull strings in dark rooms,

Turning the law into a puppet on fraying threads.

In Rivers, a pipeline is breached,

And in the blink of an eye—State of Emergency!

Yet where is this urgency

For the lives buried in Benue’s fields?

For the soldiers fallen in Borno’s sands?

For Sokoto and Zamfara’s crimson dust,

Where bandits write their will in blood?

Weep for Rivers State,

Where politics wears the face of tyranny,

And the Constitution trembles at the sound of ambition.

A state of emergency declared in haste,

Not for lives lost,

But for pipelines broken.

Is oil thicker than blood?

Is property dearer than life?

Weep for Benue’s farmers,

Cut down where they stood—

Machetes singing death into the soil,

While the earth drinks deeply of their pain.

Weep for the soldiers of Borno,

Whose boots march into battle,

But never return home.

And for Sokoto and Zamfara,

Where the fields bloom with graves,

And the wail of widows is the only anthem.

Weep for Lagos,

Where the Assembly turns into a theater of shame—

Two speakers, two gavels,

And one house split by greed.

They mutiny and install each other,

Turning the halls of governance

Into a marketplace of ambition.

If leaders cannot lead,

Then who shall steer the ship?

Weep for the Senate,

Where the halls of power stink of shame.

Where hands meant to pass laws

Instead reach where they should not.

Sexual harassment plays out on the nation’s stage,

And the people watch in disgust—

A spectacle of impunity.

Weep for the East,

Where Mondays bring silence,

Not by choice but by fear.

Where the streets are empty,

And freedom is held hostage.

The sit-at-home echoes louder

Than the government’s voice,

Yet where is the state of emergency here?

Is the pain of the people so easily ignored?

Oh Nigeria,

How many wounds will you bear before you break?

How many tears must wet the ground

Before justice rises from the soil?

They kill our sons,

They bury our daughters,

And in the corridors of power,

They laugh.

Yet we weep not in defeat,

But in fury.

For the tears of the oppressed

Water the tree of resistance.

And though they declare emergencies

Only where it suits their greed,

The true emergency is the awakening of the people.

Weep, Nigeria—

But not for long.

For dawn is coming,

And the day of reckoning is near.”

CAN WE RECOVER FROM CONQUEST?

My Uncle, Jonas Odocha, 

regularly shares his numerous concerns about the state of the nation with various people, including me.

Sometimes recipients of his articles respond. Please find below a grim reaction we all recently received from Uncle J’s friend, Samuel Ohuabunwa.

When you have read it, contact me to tell me whether you think there is any hope for suffering Nigerians who are not members of the predatory elite. And ask yourself the following questions:

Can we ever recover from the conquest that has been inflicted on us across the board and especially in my home state, Rivers?

Terrifying Boko Haam terrorists and feral bandits have overrun villages and army bases in Zamfara and Borno. They have murdered thousands of citizens. But it is only in the relatively peaceful, oil-rich Niger Delta that a state of emergency has been declared!

Is Mr Ohuabunwa right to throw up his hands in despair? Are we finished and vanquished and helpless? Or do we have what it takes to robustly resist tyranny and insist on a brighter future?

“Nigeria is a conquered nation. The politicians have conquered the people, weaponized poverty and immobilized all form of opposition or resistance. Many have raised their voices and cried till they become hoarse. Read the daily newspapers and the columnists, listen to Arise and Channels!! The people have lost power completely.

Nobody cares and nothing happens except being arrested and charged with cyber crime or cyber stalking or terrorism. What happened to the young people killed in #Endsars or those imprisoned in #EndBadGovernance?

I wrote weekly columns in three newspapers from 2012 to 2019 and gave up the day Buhari sacked the Chief Justice of Nigeria! AND NOTHING HAPPENED!!That was part of my motivation to try getting into politics.

Not much will change if the politicians and their brand of politics do not change. In theory, demand determines supply, but not in Nigeria’s political supply chain. The suppliers determine demand.

If you disagree, then you will meet them in court. 

Continue to write Sir! Who knows!! God bless.” 

I walked into the Casa de Africa or Africa House in Havana. I wanted to find out what made it uniquely African. But I was in for a surprise. I had not realised that it also housed a unique class for children learning basic subjects like history, geography and African languages, including Yoruba.

I tried to tip toe so as not to disturb the class. The tour guide, Miguel Abreu and I spoke in low tones. But the children had been told a friend of Cuba was visiting. They rose and welcomed me with a song.

How was I to explain to these fifth graders that the primary cause of their country’s problems is that it has a neighbour 95 miles away which for 63 years has imposed severe sanctions on it?

So, I assured them that their country has friends across the universe, particularly in Africa. The interpretation in Spanish, was by one of the children. We took photographs and they continued their lessons.

At the House, I also ran into an African delegation which included the Zimbabwean and Namibian Ambassadors. We took photographs under a huge map of Africa.

Cuba had made a decisive military intervention in Africa, sending thousands of its youths to fight Apartheid forces and liberate the continent from colonialism. The Castro government in the 1980s had to explain to the Cuban people why their youths were shedding precious blood to extricate African countries like Angola, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe from the stranglehold of the Apartheid forces and, to decolonise Namibia and South Africa. The establishment of Casa de Africa was partly to explain to the people why Cubans were fighting and sacrificing their lives in Africa, some 11,000 kilometres away.

The Director of the House is Alberto Granado Duque. He is the son of Alberto Granado, the biochemist who with the legendary revolutionary, Ernesto  Che Guevera in 1951, set out on a motorcycle tour of Latin America. Amongst those who had visited the House was the Ooni of Ife Olubuse who was there in 1986. 

Part of the theme the House depicted was that Africa is the mother of humanity and that slavery was the greatest crime against humanity.

Many of the slaves brought to Cuba were from the ‘Congo and Calabari’ area of present day Nigeria. They were in constant revolt against the system and many lost their lives in the process. For them, it was either freedom or death. This might explain where Cubans got their resolve to resist oppression under any sky.

The slaves who worked an average 15 hours daily, in their spare time played rumba, deepened their ancestral culture most of which they eventually merged. Even when they conspired against the slave owners and the system, in many cases, they used gestures and symbols. The 78-year-old Abreu told me: “We speak with our eyes, our hands and our legs.”

Some of the almost 5,000 pieces on display included chains and shackles used during the slavery era. Cuba was one of the earliest sugar producers in the world and it was for it millions were enslaved. One of the main reasons for the US blockage since 1962, was the nationalisation of the sugar industry by the Castro government.

Also on display was the traditional religion of the Cuban people which is a blend of African traditions, mainly of the Yoruba people, and Catholicism. It is called Santeria.

On display at the House were gods of this religion, especially Obatala, Yemaya (Yemoja)  O Hun (Osun), Oya and Sango, the god of thunder and lightning.

There were also gifts from various parts of Africa on display. These include two stuffed lions given to Fidel by Emperor Haile Sellasie and, a lion skin by then Somalian President Siad Barre. There were also two big carvings by Nigeria’s Bisi Fakeye.

I was also at Africa Heroes Park in Havana. There busts of outstanding African leaders like those of Samora Machel and Eduardo Modlande from Mozambique, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo of South Africa, Sekou Toure of Guinea, and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana were on display. Also in the park were busts of Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta, Amilcar Cabral of Guinea Bissau, Laurent-Desire Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania. Three former Nigerian leaders, Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikiwe were painted on a pedestal, obviously waiting for their busts to be made or donated.

My primary purpose for being in Cuba from March 13-22, 2025 was to attend the Fourth International Colloquium, otherwise called the Patria. The conference held against the background of two anniversaries: the 133rd year since the establishment of the ‘Patria Newspapers’ founded by Cuban international revolutionary, Jose Marti, and the twentieth anniversary of the international television network, teleSUR inspired by Fidel Castro, then President of Cuba and, Hugo Chavez, then President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

The colloquium explored the dynamics of power in an interconnected world, challenges of hate speech, disinformation and the general manipulation of information. It also examined the global hegemonic powers in techno-politics and how collective efforts can be made by other groups to foster “networks of hope and popular mobilization.”

The Cuban President, Miguel Diaz-Canel, attended sessions of the conference. At the opening ceremony, he spent generous time taking photographs on the steps of the University of Havana. It was when he was leaving I realised that a car I was a few metres away from was actually his official car and that three men I stood around with were his bodyguards. I was used to bodyguards in dark suits, wearing dark glasses and dangling earphones. In contrast, the Cuban Presidential guards seemed to have blended with the populace and environment.

At the over one hour closing session, Diaz-Canel simply listened.

There were lots of documentaries. In one of them, a Palestinian woman tells an Israeli: “You are stealing my house” The Israeli replied: “If I don’t, someone else will steal it.”

Delegates generally agreed that the criteria for belonging to the emergent group is to be anti-imperialist, anti-fascist and anti-Zionist. A participant raised the problem of Zionism hiding under Judaism; how to separate the parasite from Judaism.

There were lots of discussions on media linkages and suggestions made about organising groups per country.

I also had the privilege of meeting a management team of the University of Havana led by the Vice Rector, Dionisio Zaldivar. At the university which was established on January 5, 1728, we discussed possible linkages with some Nigeria universities. I proposed these could be in the fields of history and international relations.

I found Cuba while existing in a world of shifting alliances, ever standing on principles.

Ahead of Eid-el-Fitr celebration, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, has asked Muslims across the country to look out for the new moon Shawwal 1446AH on Saturday, March 29, 2025.

The Sultan made the call in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday, March 28, 2025, by the Waziri of Sokoto, Prof. Sambo Wali Junaidu. 

The sighting of the new moon will determine the end of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr.

The statement read in part, “March 29 marks the 29th day of Ramadan 1446AH, making it the first possible day for moon sighting.

“The Sultan has urged anyone who sights the moon to report their observations through the designated phone numbers provided in the release.

To report the sighting of the moon, Muslims are asked to call the following numbers: 08037157100, 08066303077, 08035965322, 08035945903 and 07067146900.

If the new moon is confirmed, it will signal the end of Ramadan and mark the beginning of the tenth lunar month called Shawwal in Arabic language.

The statement said the Sultanate Council would announce the final decision on Eid-el-Fitr based on verified moon sightings.

Vanguard News

“America is back.” This was the opening statement of Donald Trump at his joint address to Congress a few days ago, which was greeted with loud applause by the Republicans. Many experts have cautioned that the Trump 2.0 would be the exact same pattern that defined his first. Following his historic return to the White House, I also shared this sentiment and speculated it in my piece titled, ‘Trump’s second coming: Is ‘Africa first’ agenda ever possible?’ which was published in TheCable on November 24, 2025. I had argued that to make any meaningful impression in the international system, the ‘Africa first’ agenda must be a top priority for our leaders. In the same vein, I emphasised that under Trump’s ‘America First’ policy, the world would witness, like with his first, promotion of ‘Americanism’ over ‘Globalism’. This is precisely what is playing out.

However, nothing prepared me and perhaps a flood of political and economic doyens for the harsh reality of the audacious and bullish fashion in which Trump carries on with his policy implementation not minding the effects on the world stage – he is far more aggressive in the pursuit of his agenda now than in his first term.

Trump’s reforms and executive orders which have painted him an outlier, particularly those targeting the USAID and his use of tariffs as an economic weapon, have engulfed the whole world like a violent storm. The Left, the mainstream media and a number of US allies have accused Trump of implementing these reforms in a horrific manner – protests seem to be gaining momentum and at the core is his slash of the USAID projects by a whopping 83 percent. While several ‘Trumpers’ and some independents believe they are a welcome development after years of bureaucratic bottleneck accompanied by waste and abuses which have spiked the US public debt profile to a massive 36 trillion dollars, many have kicked against him.

To the opposers, it’s a hideous and savage attack on the constitutionality of the republic and liberty of the people – a feeling of being thrown under the bus. Interestingly, in all of these, a handful believe Trump should be allowed to stew in his own juice while also accusing him of igniting a constitutional crisis with this economic agenda. Although, the manner in which he is going about it may be uncomplimentary to many – and I must say it is, the unknotting, streamlining and purging he has embarked upon should come as no surprise because he ran and campaigned vigorously on them.

The entire globe has been inundated with what appears to be the basic thrust of Trump’s economic policy – the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)! A deluge of transactions has been described by Trump’s DOGE to amount to frauds at a level never seen before. The Democrats and many in the media are still doubting the veracity of these claims which DOGE wants the world to know runs into several hundreds of billions of dollars. Understandably, many would be sceptical of these gigantic findings until those culprits claimed to have benefitted from them are brought to book and successfully persecuted.

To the opposition, Trump must be stopped, and very fast too, otherwise, all Americans would be DOGEd before anyone knows it and that can’t be allowed to happen. One thing is very clear however, if all these DOGE discoveries are proven to be true, it can be inferred that the US isn’t immune to deep-seated corruption as they may want others to believe and therefore would have no moral justification to condemn countries especially those the developed nations refer to as third-world about the frightening state corruption in these countries has assumed.

Talking about the startling dimension of the insanely corruptive activities in many developing countries, especially the continent of Africa, the media was agog with so many news and buzzing headlines raging all over the place where a number of African leaders were reported to be whining – needlessly though, the halt imposed on most of the largesse received from the US government by the Trump administration, notably via the platform of USAID. This obviously have been far too long enshrined into the ‘blood and skin’ of these African nations. It is an act of cruelty and a blatant egregious violation of the oaths sworn to the people, how African leaders have impoverished their people even though many are sitting on such vast natural resources.

Research has it that Africa holds a hefty proportion (estimated to be about 60 percent) of the world’s natural resources: Arable land, 65 percent; Mineral reserves, 30 percent; Oil reserves, 12 percent; Gold reserves, 40 percent; Chromium and Platinum, 90 percent; huge reserves of Cobalt, Diamonds, Uranium, etc. The African continent isn’t poor. It is extremely wealthy. Infact, richer than one or two other continents. It is awash with a preponderance of resources – natural, capital and human resources. Regrettably, it is the people – ordinary and struggling Africans living in the continent that are stupendously poor. The case of the vulnerable Africans can be aptly summed up in the Yoruba saying, “Omo eleran ton jegun eran” – meaning the child of a meat seller who eats bones instead of meat. A very sad tale which has continuously been the lot of so many people in this part of the world.

This was underscored by Michael John Parenti, the American Political Science scholar who cannot be truer when he remarked, “Third-world is not poor. You don’t go to poor countries to make money. There are very few poor countries in this world. Most countries are rich, the Philippines is rich, Brazil is rich, Mexico is rich, and Chile is rich. Only the people are poor. But there are billions to be made there, to be carved out and to be taken.

There have been billions for 400 years! The capitalist, European and North American powers have carved out and taken the timber, the flax, the hemp, the cocoa, the rum, the tin, the copper, the iron, the rubber, the bauxite, the slaves, and the cheap labour. They have taken out of these countries. These countries are not underdeveloped, they’re overexploited!” This is the ugly state of things in Africa due to leadership deficit and corruption which have bedevilled the continent for many years.

Governance is typically shrouded in some sort of secrecy. Transparency and accountability are extremely scarce. And as Africans, we ain’t asking our governments to be perfect – none can ever be, anyway, just be transparent with us. Don’t be afraid to make genuine mistakes. Admit when you do and learn therefrom. Nevertheless, as Africans from all walks of life, far from it that we will look down on ourselves and continue to view our situation through the prism of poverty, created and sustained by the same set of people who pledged their allegiance to the constitutions of the individual nation-states to protect the people and utilise the common patrimony and resources to better their lot.

Instead, they have allowed unfettered access to our commonwealth in what media reports have shown to be orchestrated by a high-level conspiratorial and syndicated alliance, coordinated by the locals in cahoots with foreign entities. It is easy to whine and disparage the actions of another country, whose leader as far as he’s concerned is simply just making his country great again, because you have refused to put your own house in order. Our leaders know full well that the ‘carting away’ of our natural wealth only means that our jobs are offshored to other continents instead of onshoring them to improve the living conditions of the people.

Speaking during the East Africa Region Global Health Security Summit 2025, the former Kenyan President, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, warned African leaders against what he described as the “excessive dependence on foreign aid” after Trump paused federal aid globally. He was quoted to have said, “Excessive reliance often hinders a country’s long-term economic progress”. Furthermore, he said, “I saw some people the other day crying that Trump has removed funding. It is not your government, nor your country, why are you crying? He has no reason to give you anything, you don’t pay taxes in America.

This is a wake-up call for you to know what you’ll do to support yourselves. Let’s work together to bring an end to that. We need to remember the resources wasted when we kill each other. When we remember the lives lost in Sudan, all the way to the Sahel region, we’ve spent more money buying bullets than protecting our health”. Kenyatta concluded, “As Africans, we should not wait for others to come to our rescue”. This is the kind of attitude many expect our leaders to have. The type of attitude that gingers sublime economic policies, democratisation and humanitarism. If this had been their disposition decades ago and had been pursued vigorously, we certainly won‎’t find ourselves in this dead economic woods and quagmire that we are in.

Unfortunately, there are two things constant with virtually all the African states – leadership deficit and corruption, a recurring decimal threatening the sovereignty of many. So many of our leaders have been breaking several socioeconomic and development rules indubitably. The bane in this continent is that our leaders have refused to uphold the dignity of the rules designed to guarantee economic sovereignty needed to terminate the widespread poverty and hunger that are ravaging many – quite unsettling! They are quick to adopt these non-stop, never-ending loop of political platitudes and sloganeering, which change nothing but instead push the continent into deeper dark economic holes. The reliance on aid, grants and loans from abroad by most African countries even for the simplest of things that can be fixed domestically, seems like a bond that’s unbroken.

This however hasn’t gone without dissent from many well-meaning Africans who have issued veiled criticisms of our leaders and struggle to process the reason for their pandering. It doesn’t just sound right that we have to depend on external forces to solve issues we could have effortlessly handled had a conducive socio-economic environment been created by these leaders. Many of our leaders pivot when asked why they pander after the West and East but are quick to mention how they plan to bolster their countries’ economic positions via means unclear to many. Clearly, such rhetoric is simply political gibberish – mere talk which is cheap as there’s nothing on the ground to suggest the narrative would change. Our leaders must therefore take the hard choices and lead with an economic message in order to chart a path forward to prosperity and economic boom. Way too many rules – governance, economic, development, social infrastructure, leadership, security, etc, are being broken time and again and this has loomed so large on the continent’s development.

The scourge of insecurity, which has huge implications for investments and economic growth, is ravaging many parts of the continent, domestic production is next to nothing with the bulk of our natural resources shipped abroad in their natural state, and numerous governments ramping up debts due to needless spending, waste, frauds and abuses which seem to be the order of the day because revenue drive is literally non-existent. All these have distasteful consequences and one of the reasons the citizens are impoverished. It is as if our leaders are toying with our lives – like a cat would normally do with a mouse.

Many of our leaders have flubbed real bad and the economic nightmare in Africa is real. It is so because our leaders have allowed it and they must face the truth that the conditions are damning and cease gaslighting the citizens. The type of leadership evident in the countries they pander to for grants and aid, which has enabled those countries to build robust and strong economies, the likes of which is enabling them to give us ‘free monies’, is obviously lacking here. You can just imagine, with the abundance of resources prevalent here, the kind of transformation that would happen in the entire continent should they replicate the kind of leadership seen in these developed countries.

There are numerous accounts to suggest that there’s palpable fear. Scores of concerned Africans are growing increasingly worried regarding the approach of Trump over the next four years and its implications on the continent. The messaging of Trump has been unambiguous and crystal clear – he is pro-business and as such, whether fairly or unfairly, treats every relationship – diplomatic, personal, etc, as a transaction. Many could hardly wait – a weary and anxious wait, for what to expect in his second term. The last few weeks have marked remarkable skirmishes in trade wars between the US and several other countries – many of which are facing the brunt of Trump’s economic ire.

For some experts, if Trump could slam tariffs on some of America’s long-term trade allies, and foes alike, was undeterred and didn’t bat an eyelid even when the global community and the media vehemently kicked against it, it raises intriguing questions as to the possibility of unleashing this same type of treatment should he have the slightest reason to do so and take on Africa, whose economy is currently seriously wobbling. The consequences would be unfathomable and a massive grinder to the national treasuries of countless countries, which could set the continent behind by a long stretch.

Like in the game of football, yellow cards are issued by a referee for unruly behaviours or fouls committed by players. You get one once you break a rule – serves as a warning and such a player must be on the edge for the remainder of his/her time on the pitch. What the yellow card does to such a player is, as we describe in local parlance, ‘Borrow am sense’ – meaning to inject some common sense into the player, otherwise a second yellow card attracts a red card which is game over for the player. I will therefore liken the economic agenda of the Trump second presidency to issuing a ‘yellow card’ to the continent of Africa and its erring leaders to stop relying on others to do their jobs for them. They’ve got to stop breaking the golden rules designed to stimulate and build very strong economies. It is a clarion call and a dire warning to all our political leaders, who have obligations to the people, to brace up via bipartisan alliances, take urgent steps to industrialise and juice up the SMEs and manufacturing sector, and fix the systemic rots which have practically reduced us into mere beggars when we have all it takes to be self-sufficient. Else a ‘red card’ is in the offing in no distant future which may lead to the eruption of an economic reckoning.

How long shall African nations continue to be runts amongst the pack when we have what it takes – a humongous amount of natural resources, to project economic power as a continent? Our continent, painfully, seemed to be the worst of the worst in terms of socioeconomic development and the profligacy of governments. We are at a crossroads and desperate straits in the history of this continent and this should not be the time for the key economic players to be competing and comparing ‘economic megaphones’. It is certainly not how big the economic megaphone is, rather, it is the results you derive from what’s said into it.

In conclusion, the classic case of Trump threatening some days ago, to slap 25 percent tariffs on any country that patronises Venezuelan Oil – the country’s mainstay, because of his accusation that Venezuela is unleashing terror on American soil by sponsoring the deadly gang, Tren de Aragua (TDA) – their atrocious acts, which by the way, I completely frown at and totally condemn, and which Trump recently designated a terrorist organisation, is sending shock waves across Africa. The worry by a section of people that the continent may fall deeper and deeper into economic catastrophe should Trump face it is fast settling into full-blown fear.

As a matter of fact, the biggest economy in Africa, South Africa, has started to have a taste with the expulsion of her envoy from the US amid Trump’s remarks about the treatment of white farmers by the South African government. Whilst we must not compromise on our deeply rich history and celebrate our unbreakable fraternity, our leaders must not just be fascinated with the spotlight and power. They must know that their policies, actions and inactions, which appear to be chips off the block, have made life very hard for so many people – many folks are working their fingers to the bone and feeling dejected just as a ‘storm slaps reeds about’, hoping they could get a break from these grim ways.

While Trump’s ardent supporters see him as a strongman with a strong character, much of the world sees him as unpredictable. With the seeming unpredictability of the leader of the free world – choosing America and Americans over other countries and nationalities respectively seems to be one area anybody can successfully predict Trump, everyday inching closer to the possibility of an economic meltdown. I sincerely hope our leaders will take the valuable lessons from the Trump 2.0 economic agenda, tighten up and be laser-focused, and provide extraordinary leadership needed to leverage what we have to build a vibrant and innovative economy, which is one of the ways to exert global influence and develop into a superpower continent. It all comes down to leadership!

Ande, a financial and political economy analyst, writes from Lagos and can be reached via eyitayoande@gmail.com

Not that the National Assembly has done anything in recent times to shock the generality of the people. Nigerians have watched with resignation and dwindling interest the quality of their representative governance deteriorate inexorably in the course of this Fourth Republic. They wish to have pleasant surprises emerge. But that desire wasn’t fulfilled last Thursday when President Bola Tinubu approached the federal legislature to ratify the state of emergency he slammed on Rivers State two days earlier.

The occasion, readily one of the most constitutionally consequential moments of the present administration, could have been used to demonstrate not just the independence of a most critical component of government but also give the people of the affected state a voice. For, in the absence of an active popular voice, democracy – often touted as the best thing that has happened in the world’s political space – would be as hollow and potentially harmful as any loathed type of government. If people aren’t heard and responsively so, the very idea of the government of the people, by the people, and for the people would have no meaning beyond its poetic rendition.

As already pointed out on many platforms since that show of shame at the Senate and House of Representatives, the preference for voice vote in such a momentous exercise and the deliberate disregard for the proof of quorum by the leaderships of the red and green chambers signalled new lows at a time the need for systemic hope is at its peak. How will the presiding officers in both wings of the law-making institution explain to their own grandchildren the skills they brought to bear on that day in order to endorse the controversial presidential order? Again, not that this question ranks high among the cocktail of misdemeanours beclouding the credibility of the “distinguished” and “honourable” members.

Last Monday, I attended the colloquium organised to mark the 60th birthday of a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and an ex-Governor of Imo State, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. “Is Democracy Failing in Africa?” was the subject that required honest answers from the eminent personalities there. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s response was in the affirmative. The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last general election, Mr Peter Obi, declared that democracy had collapsed in Nigeria. Guest speaker, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, went philosophical and attempted to convince the audience that perfection shouldn’t be expected in its operations. Senator Aminu Tambuwal took his cue from the priest and said that the nation’s democracy was a work in progress.

Wonderful responses all, representing the disillusionment of numerous citizens and also those whose optimism and patience might have started to wear thin. In the midst of those high-quality exchanges, my mind couldn’t move away from the second arm of government. For good measure, that venue had a large number of old and serving lawmakers.

Edmund Burke, notable 18th Century English author, thinker and statesman has several words on marble to his name, two of which are: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” and “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”  These dictums now beg for attention as we attempt to navigate the waters of democracy which are becoming increasingly murky. Also, in a direct reference to the branch of government that’s designed to ensure equitable representation of the populace, Burke declares: “In effect, to follow, not to force the public inclination; to give a direction, a form, a technical dress, and a specific sanction, to the general sense of the community, is the true end of legislature.”

A core, definitive summary of the functions of the parliament, apparently. Having been deeply influenced by such iconic philosophers like John Locke, prominent Enlightenment protagonist and “father of liberalism”; Montesquieu, French judge, political scholar and key promoter of the doctrine of separation of powers; and Aristotle, timeless Greek polymath and philosopher, the validity of that statement can hardly be faulted.

The gigantic structure in the place called “three arms zone” in the nation’s capital that hosts an imposing dome is supposed to be the prime symbol for the sum-total of the hopes, frustrations, aspirations and solutions of Nigerians everywhere. The individuals who have the opportunity to represent their constituents across the federation must be conscious of their onerous task of contributing to what Burke called a “general sense of the community”.

For the citizens of Nigeria, that essentially means having men and women of integrity in the famed hallowed chambers who would prioritise their never-ending lists of concerns – both circumstantial and existential. Nearly 26 years after returning to democracy, its dividends are yet to make much meaning to many of them. But rather than seizing election cycles to celebrate a new era of freedom and brighter prospects, they’ve become reminders of broken promises and difficult dark clouds.

One legitimate poser here is why it makes sense to single out the national lawmakers at this point when, in fact, they constitute only a segment of the architecture called government. The legislature indeed encapsulates the fundamental concept of “we, the people” more than the executive and judiciary. It can’t get more profound than that. Military adventurists in politics know this. The first body which comes under the hammer anytime coup occurs is the entity that aggregates the diversities within the country. It is the thermometer that reveals the vibrancy or otherwise of democratic practice. The centrality of the legislative pillar in any civilian administration is, therefore, not in contention.

Like every other aspect of the polity, the Assembly has its own shortcomings. For instance, the current occupants have the misfortune of inheriting an overwhelming perception of being too self-serving to be of any substantial use to their constituents, let alone the entire nation. They’re saddled with the image of transactional fellows who’re there to recoup whatever they invested in securing their juicy seats. No generalisations intended. If this comment is unfair, probing around the streets of Nigeria might just be it. An average legislator today is not genuinely loved by the masses he/she claims to work for. The focus is on the ones in Abuja as law-making and oversight in the state and local government capitals are in much more dire situations. In virtually all cases, the legislators are effectively in the pockets of heads of the executive, sadly.

Therein lies the urgency of this moment. Successive sets of federal lawmakers in the present democratic dispensation have recorded varying degrees of success. But the immediate past President of the Senate and Chairman of the Assembly, Senator Ahmed Lawan, introduced a rather worrying element to the equation. He announced at his inauguration in June 2019 that under his watch, his colleagues and himself would have no problems approving whatever came from the presidency since they were sure of the intentions of former President Muhammadu Buhari. By that, he unwittingly handed over the soul of the legislature to the executive wholesale!

And now, this. Lawan’s successor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, with some allegations chasing him, is in an even more precarious position at this point to lead the Assembly out of its valley of subservience and underachievement. President Tinubu already sits upon a behemoth of powers as all the federal ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals are under his control. Surrendering the Senate and House to him in whatever form would move him closer to becoming a full-blown imperial president, an outcome that Nigeria can’t afford. Every stakeholder must rise against such unwholesome tendencies. And only the senators and representatives can adequately lead that charge through constructive, not necessarily combative, and pragmatic engagement.

Ekpe, PhD, is a member of THISDAY editorial board.

The FIFA window for international football for the month of March is now over. Sadly, for the Super Eagles, no one is sure yet if it has not left us worse than it met us.

The Eagles did an amazing job in Kigali against Rwanda, gave Nigerians a credible, professional performance and a fantastic result and then undid all the good work a few days later in Uyo.

This is the story of what has become one of Nigeria’s worst World Cup qualifying campaigns in recent history.

In a group that has South Africa, Benin Republic, Rwanda, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Nigeria has only managed to win a game in six matches, failed to win any of the three games played at home and kept just one clean sheet. Such an abysmal form. This is not deserving of a World Cup ticket in any form or shape. It cannot sniff a playoff spot either.

However, despite these failings, the Eagles are not totally out of the picture. The race for the 2026 World Cup is still on for Nigeria. This is a miracle in itself. That the other teams in Group C have conspired to leave the race open just gives Nigeria a thin, tender thread to hang on. It must be stated here and now that in spite of the precarious situation they are in, I have not given up on them. The race to the 2026 World Cup has become very difficult to win but they are still in it so anything can still happen.

It is good to reflect on some issues here. Listen to some parts of Coach Eric Chelle’s post match statement after Tuesday’s game against Zimbabwe in Uyo: “We could have introduced a defender, but we introduced a striker because I told my boys to try to get another goal. We are talking about it because we did not win, but it would not be an issue if we won.” Of course, what does he expect?

We would speak and make a big issue out of it because the tactic backfired. One can appreciate Chelle’s honesty and desire to play on the front foot to get a big win, play attractive attacking football and score goals aplenty but things are not always that straightforward. One expects Chelle to be more pragmatic and cautious. His tactical naivety cost Nigeria two very precious points. 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0 give the same number of points. Get your three points secured in the bag before seeking to improve your goal difference. At the end of the day in Uyo, we lost both ways. Two points dropped and no improvement in the goal difference. You do not lose a good result while looking for a better one. Secure the good result before looking for a better one.

In Kigali, the game management by the Eagles was top notch and very professional. In Uyo, it was the opposite. I hope this serves as a very useful lesson for coach Chelle in his fledgling career.

There is also something here for the players, especially the senior and more established ones. As the main actors on the pitch, they should be able to adapt the instructions received from the coach to the realities and flow of the game. When the Zimbabweans were pouring forward in attack and carving out some decent goal scoring opportunities, the Eagles could have adjusted and adapted to the present and obvious dangers of the moment. Perhaps, that could have prevented the collapse of the team’s defensive network leading to the heart breaking equaliser.

Despite all these, however, I must admit that I have been impressed with the attitude and work ethics of the new Eagles handler. He is doing a lot of things right. He is soaking himself well in Nigeria’s domestic football, meeting the coaches in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), getting a first hand knowledge of the thrils, frills, culture, spirit and essence of the Nigerian game and people. He wants to live here so he can ‘feel’ the mood and understand the demands as well as the high level expectations and pressure that come with managing the nation’s number one football brand. Chelle is developing a good rapport with the players. It is in Nigeria’s best interest that he is supported to succeed with the team. It is shocking that some sections of the media are already pushing for his sack. Ridiculous!

Another interesting narrative spreading like wildfire is that the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo aka Nest of Champions is jinxed and the Eagles are incapable of winning crucial games there or even playing good football there. I have had to remind a few of those spreading the.narrative that one of Nigeria’s best World Cup qualifying campaigns was the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and all the home games of the Super Eagles were played and won with excellent football in Uyo. The venue, day of a game and jersey colour do not decide the outcome of football matches. Rather it is the attitude, commitment and hunger of players that do.

Right now, since we are still in the World Cup race, let us see how to turn the thin and tender thread holding our dreams together into a battling rope, the type used for tug of war contests. To make the ‘miracles’ happen, the sports authorities have to ensure that the only FIFA window available before hostilities begin again in September is optimally utilised. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that friendly matches against Ghana and Russia are lined up for June. Not only must this period be used for team bonding and confidence building, it must also be used to educate the players that qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is a national project and all hands must be on deck to make it happen.

It is noteworthy and commendable that the Presidential Support Group (PSG), National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are seamlessly working together. The synergy is good, strong and healthy as this is galvanising tremendous support and goodwill for the Eagles. Also, the different factions of supporters now sing and dance as a forceful unit. Their voices are clearly heard. This is encouraging. The icing on the cake will now be for the results on the pitch to ‘fall in line’ as we continue to hope against hope.