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‘Sensational’ Arsenal back in title race – Arteta
Mikel Arteta warned Liverpool that “sensational” Arsenal are back in the Premier League title race after beating Tottenham 2-1 in the north London derby on Wednesday.
Desperately needing a win to close the gap on leaders Liverpool, Arteta’s side staged a stirring fightback after Son Heung-min’s early opener for Tottenham.
Dominic Solanke’s own goal hauled Arsenal level before Leandro Trossard’s strike put them ahead late in the first half at the raucous Emirates Stadium.
Second-placed Arsenal’s first win in four games in all competitions moved them within four points of Liverpool.
Although Arne Slot’s team have a game in hand and remain title favourites, Arteta is convinced Arsenal have what it takes to track down the Anfield club.
Asked if Arsenal are title contenders, Arteta said: “Yeah we are. There is so much to play for. We can see how difficult it is for every team.”
It was a cathartic victory for Arsenal, who had been knocked out of the FA Cup third round by 10-man Manchester United on penalties on Sunday, just days after losing 2-0 at home to Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final first leg.
A draw at Brighton in the league prior to those disappointments had left injury-hit Arsenal looking like outsiders in their hunt for a first title since 2004.
But Arteta, whose side face another test against Aston Villa on Saturday, was relieved to see his players show the hunger they will need to overhaul Liverpool in the second half of the season.
“We were sensational. It was a big test after two games and not getting rewarded,” he said.
“We were incredibly good in the last game against United and we ended up losing somehow.
“It’s how you respond to a situation. These boys want more, They want to be tested and questioned, then they want to go on the pitch. We have big examples of that today, playing 72 hours after 120 minutes on Sunday.
“To play the biggest game of the season for our people, it was a test of attitude, what we are made of, the courage we have. From minute one, we fully deserved to win the game.”
– ‘Unlucky we didn’t score 10’ –
Pressed on whether the north London derby success had restored confidence in Arteta and his team, the Spaniard added: “We can’t control that. We lost in the most incredible way against Manchester United.
“My confidence comes from seeing the players and how they perform every day. If my confidence comes and goes with each result then we should not be doing this.”
Showing the confidence that Arteta prizes so highly, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice insisted they should have dispatched Tottenham by a far greater margin.
“You can tell that tonight meant more than anything. From the first minute, the first half was pure domination,” he said.
“We showed the intent, the pressure, the desire, you could tell it was a derby. I think we were probably unlucky that we didn’t score 10. That is the feeling.”
England midfielder Rice was in boisterous mood after playing through injury to anchor Arsenal’s midfield.
Hitting back at his critics, Rice said: “As I’ve got older I don’t get the recognition I deserve.
“I was bought for a big fee and I play for Arsenal. Not a lot of people like Arsenal. I keep my head down and I know my qualities.”
Like Arteta, the former West Ham star is confident Liverpool can be reeled in, as long as Arsenal take advantage of any further slips from their rivals.
“Every time Liverpool have drawn we have not capitalised on it and that’s been a kick in the teeth,” he said.
“To close the gap is important, a big night for us.”
[Vanguard]
Joint Statement: Tinubu Government Must Immediately End Harassment, Threat Against Amnesty International Nigeria, Other Cso's
We, the undersigned civil society organizations are seriously concerned about the ongoing intimidation, harassment and threat against Amnesty International in Nigeria by the Nigeria police force and call on the government of President Bola Tinubu to end the escalating crackdown on activists, human rights, journalists and other Nigerians simply for peacefully exercising their human rights.
We note that the Nigeria police force in a letter dated 6th January 2025 threatened Amnesty International with a purported legal action over the organization’s recent report titled: “Nigeria: Bloody August: Nigerian government’s violent crackdown on #EndBadGovernance protests.”
We also note that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported that 27 protesters were killed by the police while about 800 people were arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protests across the country in August 2024. Several protesters were reportedly detained without charges or trial. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN also reported that some 22 protesters were killed while over 2,000 protesters were arrested during the protests in several states.
We are seriously concerned that rather than promptly, thoroughly, impartially, independently and effectively investigating these grave allegations of human rights violations and abuses, bringing suspected perpetrators to justice and ensuring effective remedies and adequate compensation for victims and their families, the police is deliberately intimidating, threatening and targeting Amnesty International.
The intimidation, harassment and threat against Amnesty International coming after the recent reports of intimidation and harassment of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), and in the context of the ongoing repression of civic space and attacks against activists, human rights defenders, and journalists demonstrates an alarming crackdown on civic space and human rights in Nigeria. We are concerned that the intimidation, harassment and threat against Amnesty International have seriously undermined the space for activists, human rights defenders, journalists and other Nigerians to carry out their legitimate human rights activities and work, and to freely associate and express themselves.
We are concerned that Nigerian authorities continue to disregard their obligations under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the human rights treaties including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which the country is a state party.
We stand in solidarity with Amnesty International. The intimidation, harassment and threat against Amnesty International and escalating crackdown on the human rights movement in the country must end. We call on the government of President Bola Tinubu to direct the Nigeria police force to immediately end its ongoing intimidation, harassment and threat against Amnesty International and to allow the organization to freely carry out its human rights work in the country without any fear of reprisals.
We call on the Tinubu administration to thoroughly, impartially, independently and effectively investigate the grave allegations of human rights violations and abuses in the context of the #EndBadGovernance protests. The administration must ensure that those suspected to be responsible are brought to justice promptly and that victims and their families are provided with access to justice and effective remedies. We call on the Tinubu administration to immediately take measures to ensure a conducive environment where civil society organizations, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and other Nigerians will feel safe to carry out their work and exercise their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
We call on the Tinubu administration to immediately halt all acts of repression, judicial harassment and intimidation against activists, human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organisations. We call on the Tinubu administration to end its ongoing crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly and to respect the human rights of everyone and rule of law in Nigeria. Signatories
Signed:
- 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth Initiative
- Accountability Lab, Nigeria
- Abuja School of Social and Political Thought
- Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ)
- African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD)
- African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL)
- Amnesty International Nigeria
- Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP)
- BudgIT Foundation
- Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity
- Centre Democracy and Development (CDD)
- Centre for Community Empowerment in Conflict and Peacebuilding - Kaduna
- Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CRDDERT)
- Centre for Global Tolerance and Human Rights
- Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)
- Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)
- Centre for Social Centre for Justice Reform
- Centre for Transparency Watch
- Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
- CLEEN Foundation
- Community Life Project (CLP)
- Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR)
- Connected Development (CODE)
- Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
- Elixir Trust Foundation
- Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability
- Environmental Rights Action
- Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA)
- Falana and Falana’s Chambers
- Global Rights
- Good Governance Team
- Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF)
- Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre)
- Human Rights Social Development and Environmental Foundation
- INVICTUS AFRICA
- Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre
- Lawyers Alert
- Media Initiative for Transparency in Extractive Industries (MITEI)
- Media Rights Agenda
- Mothers and Marginalized Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre)
- Nigeria Network of NGOs
- Open Society on Justice Reform Project
- Order Paper
- Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN)
- Partners West Africa
- Policy Alert
- Praxis
- Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA)
- Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative
- Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED)
- RULAAC - Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre
- Say NO Campaign – Nigeria
- Say No Campaign
- Sesor Empowerment Foundation
- Social Action
[OPINION] Where Is Our Humanity? - Ifeanyichukwu Afuba
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[OPINION] January 15th 1966: A Morning Of Murder, Mayhem And Carnage - Femi Fani-Kayode
In the early hours of the morning of January 15th 1966, a coup d’etat took place in Nigeria which resulted in the murder of a number of leading political figures and senior army officers. This was the first coup in the history of our country and 98 per cent of the officers that planned and led it were from a particular ethnic nationality in the country.
According to Max Siollun, a notable and respected historian whose primary source of information was the formal police report compiled by the Police’s Special Branch Department immediately after the failure of the coup, during the course of the investigation and after the mutineers had been arrested and detained, names of the leaders of the mutiny were as follows: Major Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna, Major Chukwuemeka Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Chris Anuforo, Major Tim Onwutuegwu, Major Chudi-Sokei, Major Adewale Ademoyega, Major Don Okafor, Major John Obieno, Captain Ben Gbulie, Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi, Captain Chukwuka and Lt. Oguchi.
It is important to point out that I saw the Special Branch report myself and I can confirm Siollun’s findings. These were indeed the names of ALL the leaders of the January 15th 1966 mutiny and all other lists are FAKE.
The names of those that they murdered in cold-blood or abducted were as follows. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister of Nigeria (murdered), Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the Old Northern Region (murdered), Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the Shettima of Borno and the Governor of the Old Northern Region (abducted).
Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, the Aare Ana Kakanfo of Yorubaland and the Premier of the Old Western Region (murdered), Chief Remilekun Adetokunboh Fani-Kayode Q.C., the Balogun of Ife, the Deputy Premier of the Old Western Region and my beloved father (abducted), Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh, the Oguwa of the Itsekiris and the Minister of Finance of Nigeria (murdered), Brigadier Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun, Commander of the 1st Brigade, Nigerian Army (murdered), Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, Commander of the 2nd Brigade, Nigerian Army (murdered). Colonel James Pam (murdered), Colonel Ralph Sodeinde (murdered), Colonel Arthur Unegbe (murdered), Colonel Kur Mohammed (murdered), Lt. Colonel Abogo Largema (murdered), Alhaja Hafsatu Bello, the wife of the Sardauna of Sokoto (murdered), Alhaji Zarumi, traditional bodyguard of the Sardauna of Sokoto (murdered), Mrs. Lateefat Ademulegun, the wife of Brigadier Ademulegun who was eight months pregnant at the time (murdered). Ahmed B. Musa (murdered), Ahmed Pategi (murdered), Sgt. Daramola Oyegoke (murdered0, Police Constable Yohana Garkawa (murdered), Police Constable Musa Nimzo (murdered), Police Constable Akpan Anduka (murdered), Police Constable Hagai Lai (murdered) and Police Constable Philip Lewande (murdered).
In order to reflect the callousness of the mutineers permit me to share under what circumstances some of their victims were murdered and abducted.
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was abducted from his home, beaten, mocked, tortured, forced to drink alcohol, humiliated and murdered after which his body was dumped in a bush along the Lagos-Abeokuta road.
Sir Ahmadu Bello was killed in the sanctity of his own home with his wife Hafsatu and his loyal security assistant Zurumi. Zurumi drew his sword to defend his principal whilst Hafsatu threw her body over her dear husband in an attempt to protect him from the bullets.
Chief S. L. Akintola was gunned down as he stepped out of his house in the presence of his family and Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was beaten, brutalised, abducted from his home, maimed and murdered and his body was dumped in a bush.
Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari had held a cocktail party in his home the evening before which was attended by some of the young officers that went back to his house early the following morning and murdered him.
Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun was shot to death at home, in his bedroom and in his matrimonial bed along with his eight-month pregnant wife Lateefat.
Colonel Shodeinde was murdered in Ikoyi hotel whilst Col. Pam was abducted from his home and murdered in a bush.
Most of the individuals that were killed that morning were subjected to a degree of humiliation, shame and torture that was so horrendous that I am constrained to decline from sharing them in this contribution.
The mutineers came to our home as well which at that time was the official residence of the Deputy Premier of the Old Western Region and which remains there till today. After storming our house and almost killing my brother, sister and me, they beat, brutalised and abducted my father Chief Remi Fani-Kayode.
What I witnessed that morning was traumatic and devastating and, of course, what the entire nation witnessed was horrific. It was a morning of carnage, barbarity and terror.
Those events set in motion a cycle of carnage which changed our entire history and the consequences remain with us till this day. It was a sad and terrible morning and one of blood and slaughter. My recollection of the events in our home is as follows.
At around 2.00 a.m. my mother, Mrs. Adia Aduni Fani-Kayode, came into the bedroom which I shared with my older brother, Rotimi and my younger sister Toyin. I was six years old at the time.
The lights had been cut off by the mutineers so we were in complete darkness and all we could see and hear were the headlights from three or four large and heavy trucks with big loud engines.
The official residence of the Deputy Premier had a very long drive so it took the vehicles a while to reach us. We saw four sets of headlights and heard the engines of four lorries drive up the drive-way.
The occupants of the lorries, who were uniformed men who carried torches, positioned themselves and prepared to storm our home whilst calling my fathers name and ordering him to come out.
My father courageously went out to meet them after he had called us together, prayed for us and explained to us that since it was him they wanted he must go out there.
He explained that he would rather go out to meet them and, if necessary, meet his death than let them come into the house to shoot or harm us all. The minute he stepped out they brutalised him. I witnessed this. They beat him, tied him up and threw him into one of the lorries.
The first thing they said to him as he stepped out was “where are your thugs now Fani-Power”. My father’s response was typical of him, sharp and to the point. He said, “I don’t have thugs, only gentlemen.”
I think this annoyed them and made them brutalise him even more. They tied him up, threw him in the back of the lorry and then stormed the house.
When they got into the house they ransacked every nook and cranny, shooting into the ceiling and wardrobes. They were very brutal and frightful and we were terrified.
My mother was screaming and crying from the balcony because all she could do was focus on her husband who was in the back of the truck downstairs. There is little doubt that she loved him more than life itself.
“Don’t kill him, don’t kill him!!” she kept screaming at them. I can still visualise this and hear her voice pleading, screaming and crying. I didn’t know where my brother or sister were at this point because the house was in total chaos.
I was just six years old and I was standing there in the middle of the passage upstairs in the house by my parents bedroom, surrounded by uniformed men who were ransacking the whole place and terrorising my family.
Then out of the blue something extraordinary happened. All of a sudden one of the soldiers came up to me, put his hand on my head and said: “don’t worry, we won’t kill your father, stop crying.”
He said this to me three times. After he said it the third time I looked in his eyes and I stopped crying.
This was because he gave me hope and he spoke with kindness and compassion. At that point all the fear and trepidation left me.
With new-found confidence I went rushing to my mother who was still screaming on the balcony and told her to stop crying because the soldier had promised that they would not kill my father and that everything would be okay.
I held on to the words of that soldier and that morning, despite all that was going on around me, I never cried again.
Four years ago when he was still alive I made contact with and spoke to Captain Nwobosi, the mutineer who led the team to our house and that led the Ibadan operation that night about these events. He confirmed my recollection of what happened in our house saying that he remembered listening to my mother screaming and watching me cry.
He claimed that he was the officer that had comforted me and assured me that my father would not be killed. I have no way of confirming if it was really him but I have no reason to doubt his words
He later asked me to write the foreword of his book which sadly he never launched or released because he passed away a few months later.
The mutineers took my father away and as the lorry drove off my mother kept on wailing and crying and so was everyone else in the house except for me.
From there they went to the home of Chief S.L. Akintola a great statesman and nationalist and a very dear uncle of mine.
My mother had phoned Akintola to inform him of what had happened in our home. She was sceaming down the phone asking where her husband had been taken and by this time she was quite hysterical.
Chief Akintola tried to calm her down assuring her that all would be well. When they got to Akintola’s house he already knew that they were coming and he was prepared for them.
Instead of coming out to meet them, he had stationed some of his policemen inside the house and they started shooting. A gunbattle ensued and consequently the mutineers were delayed by at least one hour.
According to the Special Branch reports and the official statements of the mutineers that survived that night and that were involved in the operation their plan had been to pick up my father and Chief Akintola from their homes in Ibadan, take them to Lagos, gather them together with the other political leaders that had been abducted and then execute them all together.
The difficulty they had was that Akintola resisted them and he and his policemen ended up wounding two of the soldiers that came to his home
One of the soldiers, whose name was apparently James, had his fingers blown off and the other had his ear blown off. After some time Akintola’s ammunition ran out and the shooting stopped.
His policemen stood down and they surrendered. He came out waving a white handkerchief and the minute he stepped out they just slaughtered him.
My father witnessed Akintola’s cold-blooded murder in utter shock, disbelief and horror because he was tied up in the back of the lorry from where he could see everything that transpired.
The soldiers were apparently enraged by the fact that two of their men had been wounded and that Akintola resisted and delayed them.
After they killed him, they moved on to Lagos with my father. When they got there, they went to the Officer’s Mess at Dodan Barracks.
He was rescued, after a dramatic gun battle, by loyalist troops led by Captain Paul Tarfa (as he then was) and Capt. S.G. Tokida who were under the command of Lt. Col. Yakubu Jack Gowon.
At this point permit me to mention the fact that outside of my father, providence also smiled favourably upon and delivered Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the Shettima of Borno and the Governor of the Old Northern Region from death that morning. He was abducted from his home in Kaduna by the mutineers but was later rescued by loyalist troops.
When the mutineers took my father away everyone in our home thought he had been killed. The next morning a handful of policemen came and took us to the house of my mother’s first cousin, Justice Atanda Fatai Williams, who was a judge of the Western Region at the time. He later became the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
From there we were taken to the home of Justice Adenekan Ademola, another High Court judge at the time, who was a very close friend of my father and who later became a Judge of the Court of Appeal.
At this point the whole country had been thrown into confusion and no one knew what was going on. We heard lots of stories and did not know what to make of what anymore. There was chaos and confusion and the entire nation was gripped by fear.
Two days later my father finally called us on the telephone and he told us that he was okay. When we heard his voice, I kept telling my mother “I told you, I told you.”
Justice Ademola and his dear wife who was my mother’s best friend, a Ghanian lady by the name of Aunty Frances, were weeping with joy. My mother was also weeping as were my brother and sister and I just kept rejoicing because I knew that he would not be killed and I had told them all.
I believe that whoever that soldier was that promised me that my father would not be killed was used by God to convey a message to me that morning even in the midst of the mayhem and fear. I believe that God spoke through him that night. Whoever he was the man spoke with confidence and authority and this constrains me to believe that he was a commissioned officer or a man in authority.
These mutineers who carried out this mutiny and coup were not alone: they got some backing from elements in the political class who identified with them. Some have said that it was an Igbo coup whilst others have said that it was an UPGA (referring to the political alliance between the Action Group and the NCNC) coup but that is a story for another day.
Whatever anyone calls it or believes two things are clear: the consequences of the action that those young officers took that night were far-reaching and the way and manner in which they killed their victims was deplorable and barbaric.
Such savagery had never been witnessed in our shores. There has never been another night like that and the results of that night have been devastating and profound.
In my view not enough Nigerians appreciate this fact. Some in our country cannot forgive those who participated in the mutiny and though I do not share that sentiment or disposition this is understandable.
Others believe that those young men (they were all in their 20’s) did the right thing and claim that those killings were necessary and heroic. This is a sentiment which I not only despise but which I also find unacceptable and appalling.
There is nothing heroic about rebellion and the cold-blooded murder of innocent and defenceless men and women. The coup affected the country in an equally profound manner because the events of that night led to a counter-coup six months later. It was a devastating and disproportionate response.
Sadly after that came the horrendous pogroms and slaughter of the Igbo in the North which eventually led to the civil war in which millions of people died, including innocent children. This was also horrendous and deplorable.
Yet the bitter truth is that if the new Head of State, General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi who himself happened to be Igbo, had done the right thing and actually prosecuted the ringleaders of the coup namely Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Anufuro, Major Ademoyega, Major Timothy Onwuatuegwu, Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi, Captain Okafor, Captain Ben Gbulie and all the other young officers that planned and executed the mutiny of January 15th 1966 after it was crushed, there would have been no northern revenge coup six months later.
I have not added Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna (who was actually the leader of the coup) to the list because he could not have been locked up or prosecuted by General Aguiy-Ironsi simply because he ran away to Ghana immediately after the mutiny in Lagos failed and after he and his co-mutineers were routed by Lt. Col. Jack Yakubu Gowon and his gallant officers.
For some curious reason after the coup was successfully crushed, General Aguiyi-Ironsi just locked these young mutineers up and he refused to prosecute them. This bred suspicion from the ranks of the northern officers given the fact that Aguiyi-Ironsi himself was an Igbo.
The suspicion was that he had some level of sympathy for the mutineers and the fact that they did not kill him during the course of the mutiny only fuelled that suspicion. The northern officers also felt deeply aggrieved about the wholesale slaughter of their key political figures that night.
In my view that, together with Aguiyi-Ironsi’s insistence on promulgating the Unification Decree which abolished the federal system of government and sought to turn Nigeria into a unitary state, made the revenge coup of July 29th 1966 inevitable.
The revenge coup was planned and led by Major Murtala Ramat Muhammed (as he then was) and it was supported and executed by other young northern officers like Major T.Y. Danjuma (as he then was), Major Martins Adamu and many others.
This is the coup that was to put Lt. Col. Jack Gowon (as he then was) in power and when they struck it was a very bloody and brutal affair.
The response of the northern officers to the mutiny and terrible killings that took place on the night of January 15th 1966 and to General Aguiyi-Ironsi’s apparent procrastination and reluctance to ensure that justice was served to the mutineers was not only devastating but also frightful.
300 hundred army officers of Igbo extraction who were perceived to be sympathetic to the January 15th mutineers were killed that night including the Head of State General Aguiyi-Ironsi and the Military Governor of the old Western Region who was hosting him, the courageous Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi. This was very sad and unfortunate.
What happened on the night of January 15th 1966 was indefensible, unjustifiable, unacceptable, unnecessary, unprovoked and utterly and completely barbaric.
I beg to differ with those that believe that there was anything good about such a mutinous bloodbath and this is especially so given the fact that it was carried out by a small handful of ungrateful, cowardly and treacherous men. Blood calls for blood: when you shed blood, other people want to shed your own blood as well and sadly this is the way of the world.
The minute the shedding of blood in the quest of power becomes the norm we are all diminished and dehumanised: and this applies to both the perpetrators and the victims.
The January 15th coup set off a cycle of events which had cataclysmic consequences for our country and which we are still reeling from today.
I repeat with greater detail, this includedes the Northern ‘Revenge’ coup of July 29th 1966 in which 300 Igbo officers and an Igbo Head of State (Gen. Aguyi-Ironsi) were killed, the pogroms in the North in which over 30,000 Igbo civilians were killed and a civil war in which 3 million Igbos (including 1 million children) and hundreds of thousands of Nigerians were cut short.
What a tragedy. Coups may have happened in other countries in Africa but it did not mean that it had to happen here. In any case the amount of blood that was shed on the morning of January 15th 1966 and the number of innocent people that were killed was unacceptable.
It arrested our development as a people and our political evolution as a country. Had it not happened our history would have been very different. May we never see such a thing again.
Yet regardless of the pain of the past I believe that we should do all we can to put these matters behind us.
We must not allow ourselves to become prisoners of history. Rather than being propelled by pain and bitterness and becoming victims of history, we must learn from it, be guided by it and move on.
We must learn to forgive, even if we do not forget and, equally importantly, we must first establish the truth about those ugly events and understand what actually transpired.
What happened that night traumatised the nation. None of us has been the same since
I can identify with that because I was a part of it, I witnessed it and i was a victim of it.
Yet by God’s grace and divine providence my father’s life was spared: not because he was special but simply by the grace of God.
Every day I think about those that were killed that night and I remember their families.
We share a common bond and we are all partakers of an ugly and frightful history
I tell myself: “were it not for divine providence, my father would have also died and I would not have been what I am today, because he was the one who educated me and did everything for me.” If nothing else I know there was a purpose for that.
We must resolve among ourselves that never again will people be attacked in their homes, dragged out, abducted and shot like dogs in the middle of the night.
Never again will women, wives, children and the unborn be slaughtered in this way; Never again shall we witness such barbarity and wickedness in our quest for power; Never again must any Nigerian suffer such brutality and callousness.
May the souls of all those that were murdered on January 15th 1966 continue to rest in peace and may God make Nigeria great again.
•Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation
Uzodimma, Dabiri-Erewa, Diri affected as Wike revokes allocations of 568 landowners
Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), has ordered the revocation of plots of land belonging to 568 individuals in the Maitama II area of Abuja.
Among those affected are state governors and chieftains of political parties.
In a notice of withdrawal issued by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), the affected persons were said to have failed to pay their certificate of occupancy (C-of-O) bills following the expiration of the “grace period” given by the minister.
The FCTA said those who paid their C-of-O bills on or before January 15, 2025 are not affected by the notice.
“The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA wishes to inform the allottee(s)/title holder(s) of plot(s) of land in Maitama II, Cadastral Zone A10, Abuja who have failed to make payment for their Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) bills after the expiration of grace period granted by the Honourable Minister, Federal Capital Territory that their Right of Occupancy to the land/property have been withdrawn, pursuant to the provisions of Section 28 of the Land Use Act of 1978 for contravention of the terms of grant which obligated the title/interest holders to settle all bills,” the notice reads.
“The general public is, however, invited to note that allottees/title holders who have completed their payments on or before 15/01/2025 are not affected by this publication.”
Some of the individuals affected are Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo; Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa; Opeyemi Bamidele, senate leader; Samuel Anyanwu, national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Chimaroke Nnamani, former governor of Enugu; Abba Moro, senate minority leader; Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM); and Oluwole Oke, lawmaker representing Obokon/Oriade federal constituency in the house of representatives.
On October 5, 2024, the FCTA published a list of 3,273 title holders who were yet to pay their C-of-O bills.
After the publication, 2,511 title holders paid their bills, while 762 defaulted.
In December 2024, Wike issued another two-week ultimatum to owners of the 762 plots of land in Maitama to pay for their C-of-O or risk final revocation.
[TheCable]
[OPINION] New World Order: Lee Kuan Yew’s Hypotheses - Tim Akano
What Time Is It?
The world is at a historic inflection point, transitioning into a new world order. Today, I am on a mission to x-ray how the world’s ecdysis works, connect vital dots and form patterns, and to derive timeless, universal and useful principles that anyone can leverage while navigating the blizzards of change on the horizon. Just as snakes shed their old skin through the process of ecdysis to remove parasites and grow new skin, our world is currently undergoing a similar ‘molting moment’.
The world is radically and rapidly shifting in ways unprecedented in our lifetime, though not without parallels in history. History still rhymes with the signs of the times. Our exploration takes us back to the 17th century, a period when the concept of modern nation-states emerged following the Thirty Years’ War in Europe. Before this, it was the era of antagonistic states and kingdoms. Britain, for instance, transitioned from a kingdom to a country and eventually to an empire, and now, back to base. At its peak, she controlled nearly 75% of the world.
When Britain was the world’s “Kabiyesi” it monopolized the seven critical Levers of power: education, currency (with the pound sterling as the world’s reserve currency), trade, military might, high productivity, London as the world’s capital, and the “3Vs (voice, vote, and veto). Shortly before Britain’s dominance, the Dutch Empire thrived with the Dutch guilder. Though other great empires came, ruled and disappeared, none matched the British Empire in spread, size, or scope. The author, Lu Guanzhong was right: ‘’The empire long divided must unite, and long united must divide. Thus, it has ever been’’
Since the end of WW2 on September 2, 1945, the United States has been the world’s de facto General Overseer (GO). The USSR, much like today’s Russia, was a military power but lacked economic dominance. Consequently, the world has been considerably “Americanised” using western democracy, globalization, trade, media, financial aid, blackmail, and, at times, military force in hawking and selling the American values. For example, less than half of the 99 internationally recognised states in 1945 were democratic, but today about167 countries practice democracy, courtesy of America.
Money was once “hard” meaning it was backed by gold under the British Empire. This changed on Sunday night, August 15, 1971, when President Richard Nixon announced that the United States would no longer honor its commitment to allow paper dollars to be exchanged for gold. With this singular broadcast, money became “soft or fiat”, devoid of equivalent gold backing. That decision granted America an unprecedented and unfair geopolitical advantage that continues to shape the global economy.
Today, the BRICS countries are pushing for de-dollarization, which is a move capable of reducing America to a glorified third-world country with nuclear weapons. China’s miraculous emergence as a strategic competitor to America seems to be altering the global power and wealth dynamics.
History appears poised to repeat itself. The fate of the world’s 8 billion people today highly hinges on seven state power bases and three significant non-state actors. These include the United States, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, India, Israel, Europe, the World Economic Forum (WEF), social media, and Elon Musk.
Recall that it was the irreconcilable global power struggles among the seven dominant state actors, Italy, France, Japan, the Soviet Union, America, Germany, and Great Britain that triggered WW2 between 1939 & 1945 resulting in the deaths of 60 million people.
Today, the potential triggers for World War III are evident such as:
China invades Taiwan.
Russia nukes Ukraine, Poland, or the United Kingdom.
Iran invades Saudi Arabia to establish Shia and oil dominance.
Pakistan invades India over the unfinished business of 1947 Kashmir dispute.
BRICS junks the dollar and adopts a new world reserve currency.
China attacks India over LAC control
And the mass spread of misinformation on social media, causing the False Flag resulting in nuclear Armageddon.
The current international landscape is shaped by strongmen with grand geopolitical ambitions to make their respective countries GREATER using unorthodox means, much like Adolf Hitler’s attempt in 1939 when he invaded Poland with a view to creating a Greater Germany.
Vladimir Putin’s desire to recreate the old Soviet Union (Greater Russia) has led to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is pursuing a neo-Ottoman vision (Greater Turkey), evident in Turkey’s disruptive actions in the Middle East and Africa.
In Israel, Bibi (The Jews’ modern-day King David) envisions “Greater Israel” as seen in his military campaigns in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, said , paraphrased, he will take over the Panama Canal and Greenland over by money or by military might and convert Canada to America’s 51st state (Greater America agenda). Lastly, President Xi Jinping’s declaration that no power can stop the annexation of Taiwan underscores China’s pursuit of a “Greater China.”
The world stands at a crossroads, shifting from Globalism to Trumpism with history and ambition colliding in a state of confusing political conundrums.
The dynamics of today’s power triangulation differ slightly from those of the 1940s due to the emergence of non-state actors wielding considerable and often unaccountable power, such as the World Economic Forum (WEF), social media platforms, and Elon Musk, a private citizen who . metamorphosed to a Super Power overnight.The WEF’s influence on global politics and policies is concerning, profound and incomprehensible. WEF’s Young Global Leaders (YGL) has produced several Heads of Government. Elon Musk, on the other hand, represents a unique and unprecedented power base in modern geopolitics. The world has finally found the missing ‘’X’’ in Elon Musk!
As the world’s richest man, with a net worth exceeding $450 billion, Musk is on the trajectory to becoming the first trillionaire. By January 20, he is projected to become the second most powerful individual in America, and probably, in the world. Globally, if Twitter (now X) were considered a country, Musk, with 28 patents, would effectively be the president of the third most populous nation, with over 600 million monthly active users. In a paradox inexplicable, he has become the new MAINSTREAM MEDIA, his control over information is overwhelming.
Furthermore, Musk’s ventures extend beyond Earth. Through SpaceX, he holds the unique privilege of interacting with extraterrestrial possibilities (Aliens & Ghosts) and exploring uncharted territories in space. His influence on global politics is exemplified by his 2023 tweet suggesting that Ukraine cede Crimea to Russia, this is an idea that later became the official position of Trump’s envisioned 2025 administration. He has set Europe on fire from Germany to the UK, France, Canada, his love for the Far Right Movements is indescribable.
The Trump-Musk nexus has triggered something of a renaissance within the Far Right Movements globally which will impact immigration negatively, especially against Africans With Trump and Musk metaphorically positioned as the driver and conductor of the global limo tagged “TRUMUS limo” poses a significant gamble to geopolitics. The stakes are high, and the world watches with fingers crossed.
We are in a season of reimagining the global order amidst the welter of change and the interrelatedness of the forces of order and disorder. For instance, Caucasians are grappling with the irreversible decline of their aging, facing the reality of becoming a minority in their own countries by 2040. Simultaneously, concerns about de-globalization keep Beijing and Washington awake at night, while the threat of de-dollarization challenges America’s financial dominance. In Europe, the fear of Russia is the beginning of wisdom. For Africa, this is not the time for ‘’ostrich diplomacy’’. The continent must wake up and pursue her strategic agenda.
In the paragraphs that follow, we shall examine analogous historical moments to address pressing questions:
How solid are the blocks that hold BRICS together?
What is the probability of China replacing America as the new global superpower?
How will Trump 2.0 affect international relations?
Can Africa avoid a second wave of colonization?
Will humanity split along a new digital divide between rival tech empires?
What is the future of work, wealth and education?
Decoding geopolitics is akin to interpreting tea leaves, not always black and white. Which is why, to navigate this maze, I turn to the wisdom of Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), the ‘’Singaporean god’’ who transformed his country from a third-world nation to a first-world powerhouse in just 20 years. With the help of “Professor Google” I’ve set up a virtual conversation to seek his insights.
Tim: Compliments of the season, LKY. The world is aging, and it seems the Chinese dragon and the American bison are ready for a showdown. Meanwhile, Africa remains a passive spectator, and Nigeria remains enmeshed in multidimensional poverty. Can you share with me what you see in your geopolitical crystal ball in this transition hours?
LKY: Tim, it’s a pleasure having this virtual conversation with you. I can see your relentless effort (reading great books, digging into statistics and archives, interacting with Great Minds like Albert Einstein & Elon Musk) all with a view to making the world a better place. These are noble ideals, I must admit.
Your country, Nigeria, is one of the most blessed nations on earth. It appears God specially created America, China, and Nigeria on the same day as premium brands, late on a Friday night. Unfortunately, while the American and Chinese elites stayed awake, watching God intently during the creation process, Nigeria’s elites went clubbing. They returned by 4:05 a.m., inebriated, sleepy, and unconscious, whereas God had completed His work by 4a.m.
That, Tim, is why much of Nigeria’s wealth remains in the hands of foreigners who stayed vigilant on the Creation Day. You possess cobalt, nickel, lithium, Uranium, rare earth metals, oil, zircon, rhodium, liquefied natural gas (LNG) which are badly needed by the tech industry. Yet, many Nigerian elites remain clueless about the value of resources like the sands, stones and gravels which foreigners cart away daily from Nigeria.
Tim, you must do more than critical thinking, writing, mentoring, and advocacy in order to prevent the country from descending into a state of unmanageable mega mess.
Nigeria is terminally ill, with inflation at almost almost 40%, bank interest rates on loans at 40%, electricity at 300% increase, gasoline at 500% increase, currency devaluation at almost 200%, all happened with 15 months, do you need any economist to tell you that Nigeria is on a life support machine. What keeps Nigeria alive are essentially the remittance economy and the increasing opportunities for ICT remote jobs for the Youths.
Singapore, with less than 1% of Nigeria’s resources, has a GDP per capita for 2024 estimated to be between $89,369.71 and $104,127, compared to Nigeria’s meagre $1,000.
Your leaders travel the world, cap in hand, begging for what your nation already has in abundance. Nigeria has been awaiting “Arab money” since 2023 to stabilize its foreign exchange. Chinese engineers are relied upon to fix your roads and railways, Indian investors are expected to revamp your oil & gas industry, Russian experts are tasked with completing the Ajaokuta Steel Mill, while your elites receive medical treatment in France, drink Italian wine and drive Japanese cars! ‘’Na wa o, Tim’’
Where is Nigeria’s national self-esteem? No nation has ever been built solely through the transplantation of external “kidneys”. China was built with Chinese kidneys; Japan was built with Japanese kidneys. What, then, is the purpose of education in Nigeria if everything the country needs is imported, and all its challenges are outsourced?
For instance, against all odds, Ukraine in a dangerous war environment managed to grow in 2023. Its GDP increased by 5%, investments rose by 17%, tax revenue jumped by 25% year-over-year, and over 37,000 new businesses were registered
Yet, Nigeria that is at peace with her neigbours still looks up to Ukraine for food!!! ‘’una well done o” in Nigeria’’!
Tim: Tell me, LKY, great empires typically last an average of 250 years. America is now 251 years old as a nation and 80 years old as a superpower. China is eyeing the position of world’s class captain. What’s next?
LKY: Hmm, Tim. Let us search for the truth amidst the forest of facts and figures. As of 2024, the size of China’s economy stood at $18.28 trillion, while America’s was $29.167 trillion. China’s national debt stands at $14.9 trillion as against America’s $36.1 trillion. America spent $860 billion on research and development (R&D) compared to China’s $668 billion. China’s manufacturing sector contributed 28% of global output, whereas America accounted for 18%. According to WIPO, China filed about 1.64 million patent applications in 2023 as against America’s 418,262.
In terms of the Global Innovation Index (GII), America ranked as the third most innovative country, after Switzerland and Sweden, while China was eighth. Numerically, China boasts the world’s largest army and navy, though both remain largely untested. On the other hand, America maintains 800 military bases across 70 countries and operates 12 supercarriers compared to China’s two active carriers.
Regarding military budgets in 2024, America spent $916 billion, while China spent $296 billion. In R&D investment as a percentage of GDP, Israel leads the world, with America ranking third and China eleventh. China’s greatest strength lies in its control of the global supply chain, as 40% of China’s GDP comes from value-added industrial output.
China’s ambition to build “One China” by reclaiming all annexed territories, starting with Taiwan, may be historically desirable but it would trigger World War III, a conflict that China cannot win.
Peace is profitable, war is costly. The “lost China” extends beyond Taiwan to territories in Russia (Outer Manchuria, 910,000 km²), Japan (the Senkaku Islands, about 330 km²), and India (the Line of Actual Control, stretching 3,488 km from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh).
Former President Deng Xiaoping understood the complications of reclaiming “China’s stolen lands” and thus developed the strategy of a “Peaceful Rise” If China’s main motivation is to control the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s most consequential technology company with a market capitalization of $874 billion, the better route would be to emulate South Korea’s success in building a Samsung.
Contextually, history shows that whoever wins the technology war wins the economic and military wars, in the ultimately analysis. Similarly, whoever is the best -in-class in innovation plus R&D wins the global technology game of throne. The new world order is a case of a prisoner’s dilemma- America knows she can’t control the wind, therefore, she is adjusting the sail of re-industrialization, reclaiming energy supremacy (Greenland has about 15% undiscovered hydrocarbons -oil and gas underground), sustaining her slim lead in Technology, especially in semiconductor by building a chip factory in Arizona in partnership with TSMC costing $6.6 billion under the new Chip and Science Act. Semiconductor is the Golden Fleece of technology power!
Even then, it took America about 65 years (1880-1945) of consistent superior performance over Britain (the then superpower) before emerging as the world’s class captain. This indicates that for China to replace America, it must outperform America in all critical sectors for about half a century, ceteris paribus.
Tim: Can you tell me, LKY, where is BRICS headed? Nigeria is anxiously waiting to be admitted. The bloc represents 35% of the world’s GDP and 45% of the world’s population. BRICS seems determined to supplant the Dollar which currently accounts for about 56% of foreign trade invoices globally. Also, what’s the future of globalization?
LKY: BRICS is going nowhere Period! Who are the policymakers in Nigeria advising President Tinubu to take Panadol for China and Russia’s headaches by joining BRICS? *What Nigeria is engaging in is “me-too diplomacy”.
BRICS consists of traditional rivals with no shared ideology, values, or vision. The dollar’s main “offense” is its abuse by America, but who says BRICS will not eventually be hijacked, abused, and manipulated by China like RMB?
Why is BRICS not advocating for the replacement of the United Nations since she has failed to prevent the outbreak of wars in the world? The solution to Dollar’s abuse is to compel America and the rest of the world, through the United Nations and the World Bank to revert to the pre-Nixon era monetary system of 1971. Moving forward, America’s Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky, must hold gold bars equivalent to the dollars it prints. The same principle should apply to China’s RMB and Europe’s EURO and others. The World Bank should be empowered to go round and verify the quantum of gold bars in each of the 200 countries in the world, to avoid a repeat of what happened in the past when America inflated its gold reserves. Consequently, there will be a gold rush which benefits Africa more than aligning with China to kill the Dollar. Africa needs to put mechanisms in place to stop illegal gold mining in her forests.
Secondly, Africa should not waste the current currency crisis, it is an opportunity to create a single Africa currency to facilitate trade among the 52 Africa countries. About 23% of the global trade is done with Euro currency. With Africa owning over 30% of the remaining raw materials left globally, ‘’AFRO currency’’ is a game changer.
India just pulled out of BRICS war against the dollar.
If you give a gun each to China, Russia, India and America and lock them up in a room with an instruction that each of them should kill their worst two enemies: China will rather kill India and Russia first with a view to reclaiming her lost territories, while Russia will finish-off China and India first and India will annihilate China and Russia first. By the time you open the door, the last and the only country you will meet standing will be America.
The other three nations have beefs to settle with one another which are more existential than the hatred they jointly have for America out of envy.
Globalization has not achieved its goal of creating a world of shared prosperity, rather, the income inequality between the global North and the emerging Global East vis-a-vis the Global South is growing bigger. Nonetheless, President Trump’s proposed ISOLATIONISM, in the name of ‘America First’ will be counterproductive. Africa must maintain a delicate balance between globalism and Africanism.
Made-in-China 2025 (MIC2025) was designed for the 8 billion world’s population; therefore, death of globalization connotes sudden death for China and slow death for America and ultimate death for the world at large.
Concerning Trump 2.0 foreign policy, the world will be in commotion if President Trump goes ahead to annex the Panama Canal and Greenland with military force and overwhelm Canada to surrender her sovereignty. There will be no modicum of moral justification left to criticize Putin and President Xi Xiaoping if both, too, go ahead to annex Ukraine and Taiwan respectively Welcome to 1939?
Though, those three countries are ‘’BEST BUY’’ for America, provided there is unanimity of interests between the buyer and the owners.
Tim: Tell me, LKY, what kind of deal should President Trump put on the table on January 21, 2025, to end the war in Ukraine? The World Bank has estimated that it will cost $486 billion to get Ukraine back on its feet.
LKY: Russia currently occupies almost 20% of Ukraine, amounting to about 100,000 square kilometres since 2014, including regions like Donetsk and Crimea. Approximately 3.5 million Ukrainians are estimated to be living under Russian occupation. Moreover, 17.3% of Ukraine’s population is of Russian ethnic nationality. On the other hand, Ukraine has encroached into Russia’s Kursk region, capturing around 1,000 square kilometres (386 square miles). There are no easy solutions to this crisis, as both warriors are running out of body bags to bury the dead. However, President Trump should take the following steps:
Call for an immediate ceasefire on January 20, 2025.
Hold a tripartite meeting with Putin and Zelenskyy in Switzerland. The proposed deal should include the following.
Ukraine must withdraw from all Russian territory immediately
Russia must withdraw from all Ukrainian territories.
A referendum, supervised by the UN, should be conducted within six months. This will allow Russian-speaking Ukrainians to decide which country they wish to belong to. The referendum results, determined by a simple majority, must be enforced by the UN.
Russia and Ukraine should be admitted into NATO by April 4, 2026, coinciding with NATO’s 77th anniversary.
All sanctions on Russia should be lifted, and the country should be readmitted into the G8 and SWIFT payment Gateway. Furthermore, all criminal charges against Putin should be dropped.
America and Europe should establish a Ukraine Reconstruction Fund (URF) to raise $500 billion over ten years to rebuild Ukraine.
History shows that what Russia has done is not as grave as the atrocities committed by Germany and Japan during WW2, yet both nations were forgiven, rebuilt, and readmitted into the “Western Club” What prevents the West from adopting a similar approach today with Russia? It is worth noting that Putin has long expressed his desire for Russia to join NATO, albeit without “standing in line with countries that don’t matter”.
Tim: What about the Middle East? Lend us your wisdom, LKY, how can we end the cycle of crises there?
LKY: The Middle East is akin to one of the most complex mathematical problems; the Diophantine Equation, sometimes called the “summing of three cubes”. This equation challenges mathematicians to find values for x, y, and z such that x³ + y³ + z³ = K, for every value of K from 1 to 100.
“Summing up the three cubes” of the Middle East geopolitics is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.
The region’s issues are multilayered and complicated, much like solving the Diophantine equation. There is also a spiritual dimension to the crisis. Ending the cyclical crises requires a multi-faceted approach, involving local solutions rooted in trust, mutual respect, and external mediators who are genuinely unbiased. The path to peace in the Middle East is less about quick fixes and more about patience, sustained dialogue, and a commitment to equitable resolutions that underscore Israel’s security and Palestinian’s dignity. Tim, I read your 7th October 2023 article proposing a 4-state solution. It was radical yet doable. However, because common sense is currently uncommon in the Middle East, all proposed solutions, 4-state, 2-state, or 1-state, should be parked for now. Tim, as you rightly proposed in the said article, there are no religious, legal, political, or military solutions to the Middle East problem. There is only one solution, and this is “Humanity”. For now, Hamas must release all the remaining 92 Israeli hostages alive, and the IDF must stop the bombings.
Ultimately, for the sake of FATHER ABRAHAM (so that he can rest in perfect peace) these two antagonistic siblings must find a way to coexist as neighbors, even if not as friends.
Tim: I’d like to hear your thoughts, LKY, on technology convergence. Where is technology headed?
LKY: The future of technology lies in Quantum computing with Artificial Intelligence (QCAI).
The world will increasingly be controlled by efficient and super-intelligent robots that are capable of reasoning independently of their creators, much like how humans’ reason independently of God. These “spiritual machines” with conceptual understanding comparable to humans, bring us ever closer to Singularity.
In the short term, this presents immense possibilities as humans collaborate and compete with machines. However, in the long term, humanity faces existential dangers, chiefly the risk of losing control over its creation, or the technology fall into the hands of bad guys- Armageddon is not impossible!
I foresee QCAI massively disrupting job markets sooner than expected, with unemployment rates soaring. Simultaneously, income inequality will widen drastically between AI tycoons and consuming countries like Nigeria
Tim, if you have influence over your government, urge them to invest in empowering Nigerian youths with skills in Quantum computing with artificial intelligence among other 4.0 industrial revolution skills.
For example, Lagos State can become the California of Africa and potentially grow its GDP to $1 trillion within 36 months, this is five times larger than Nigeria’s current GDP, by leveraging customized solutions powered by QCAI and distributed ledger technologies. On the darker side, QCAI’s militarization is an existential threat. Imagine a nuclear bomb operating independently of the President in the White House in an apocalyptic scenario, a false flag could trigger an uncontrollable cascading catastrophe.
I also foresee humanity splitting into antagonistic, competing digital empires along a new silicon boundary. If President Trump continues to pursue an anti-globalism agenda. China would be left with no choice than to come up with a separate computer network and architecture, rendering international collaboration difficult.
Moreover, QCAI tycoons may introduce Universal Basic Salaries (UBS) for those labelled as the “useless population” as suggested by Yuval Harari of the World Economic Forum. Finally, if Africa doesn’t get its act together, a second wave of colonization is not impossible.
Tim: Let’s turn our focus back to Nigeria. As the “Singaporean god” how did you build an education system that outperformed the West and catapulted Singapore to the First World in record time? I put it to you; you were a magician!
LKY: Tim, it wasn’t magic. Africa has black magic, but I don’t believe it works for nation building, otherwiseAfrica should be the greatest continent on earth today.
We built Singapore’s education system on three pillars, they are meritocracy, pragmatism, and relentless pursuit of excellence. We designed our curriculum to focus on critical thinking, science, and technology while aligning it with Singapore’s economic needs. Furthermore, we didn’t romanticize degrees or paper qualifications.
Vocational and technical education were given equal prominence. We built strong partnerships with global tech giants and invited them to set up R&D hubs in Singapore, ensuring our students were trained in future-ready skills.
Amazing discoveries in science, technology, mathematics, and extraordinary innovations never occur when students are taught, tested, and graded on cookbook formulas, especially by demotivated instructors in poorly furnished classrooms lacking modern infrastructure.
Students’ creativity gets lost in the maze of memorized physics equations and biology definitions.
Children learn to ride a bicycle by riding it, not by reading about it in a book.
Nigeria’s education system is broken, obsolete, and rotten, it needs a complete reimagining. Eking out infinitesimal improvements from a gravely sick system and relying on wrong metrics as measure of success will not catapult Nigeria to the top of the class.
Nigeria needs an entrepreneurial-oriented curriculum aligned with its core strengths, needs, and aspirations.
The new roadmap should be powered by QCAI focusing on the seven C’s that equip students with life-decisive skills, such as “Critical Thinking, Communication, Character, Complex Problem-Solving, Creativity, Cognitive Social Skills, and Citizenship Responsibilities”.
The world no longer rewards “knowledge workers” unlike in the pre-Google, pre-ChatGPT era because information and knowledge are now as accessible as sachet water. What the world needs are problem-solvers.
Over the past ten years, Nigeria spent more than $40 billion on education and medical tourism, according to the CBN Governor, Mr Yemi Cardoso. Yet, instead of dedicating $2 billion yearly for the next five years to upgrading six universities and two teaching hospitals to world-class standards yearly, thereby solving these twin problems over a period of ten years, your priorities are ambiguously lousy. Example? Your Judges got 300% salary increase, plus free accommodations for keeps, your teachers are in financial famine, wallowing in penury.
With due respect, Tim, Nigeria’s elites have always ruled the country like a Monkey Republic, where the Baboons Bandits have hijacked all the ripe and unripe bananas. Now, the Jungle has Matured, there is uncontrollable commotion across the land, as the monkeys run amok.
Tim, history has not provided us with an example of a society where the Baboons Bandits has played this type of game successfully without dropping the ball!
Tim: What is your final word for Nigeria?
And what do you say to individuals who desire a better deal from life in 2025 and beyond, LKY?
LKY: First, Nigeria must decentralize to survive and thrive. No PLAN B! Ordinary Tax Reform Bill and CBN operations are politicized, and in 46 years, you can’t complete the Ajaokuta steel company and you have practically nothing to show for your oil wealth compared with Norway or UAE, it’s certain the superstructure you are operating is fundamentally flawed.
Where would Singapore be today if she had remained under the toxic partnership with Malaysia’s? The old Malaysia and Nigeria shared something in common, they are both House of commotion! Whereas, without peace and Elites consensus, Nigeria’s chances of modernization are ZERO.
Mandela, Rawlings, Ghaddafi, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Balewa, etc all advocated or fought for a decentralized system as the ONLY VERITABLE way to make a plural, heterogeneous society like Nigeria work.
Are your elites saying they are smarter than the above named leaders and their counterparts in the UK, Canada, Switzerland, USA etc who established decentralization as the ONLY WAY to govern an heterogenous society like Nigeria successfully
Even from here, we can hear the long whistling, a dangerous, high pitched siren noise of the Nigeria’s pressure cooker. To avoid a blow out: decentralize.
Don’t wait for Nature’s caesarean operation in Nigeria. Nature’s C-Section is worse than an abattoir.
Finally, In the QCAI age: academic qualification is overrated; the winner is… SKILL. The new world order is going to be a gold-driven world, where Platform Economy is a game changer. Land and water will command the same respect as gold.
When Elon Musk coughed out a whopping $44 billion to acquire Twitter (now X) the uninitiated called him names. But today, he is the first private citizen in recent history to become a ’SUPERPOWER’, courtesy of the humongous power of the X Platform.
Gerit? If you don’t gerit, forgrit aborit!
Tim: Please, LKY, can you pray for Nigeria’s breakthrough in 2025? We are tired of hugging the global headlines for the wrong reasons.
LKY: Frankly speaking, Tim, my team and I didn’t rely on prayers to build Singapore. President Deng once confirmed to me that he and his team didn’t use prayers to build China either. Similarly, Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko, the Japanese Prime Minister said himself and his team didn’t depend on prayers in rebuilding Japan after its destruction in1945. What else should God do for Nigeria? You are the apple of God’s eyes but you are, unarguably, laid-back. That said, I have nothing against prayers. After all, Thomas Jefferson, America’s third president, included daily prayers in his solution-mix to build America. It worked then, and it continues to work today.
I came away convinced that prayers without diligence, diligence without character, and character without godliness have been the bane of Nigeria for decades.This, Tim, is what I call spiritual 419, the greatest sin against God.
All told, since you are so passionate about Nigeria’s transformation and you believe strongly in the efficacy of prayers as part of the required solutions, I challenge you to draft an honest National Rebirth Prayer (NRP) that addresses the spiritual lacuna which makes your old and new National Anthem and Pledge ring hollow. Your country’s First Lady who adopted and launched a National Unity Fabric can equally champion and get the citizens to recite the prayers twice daily (7am & 7pm) and in all public gatherings, starting with the Federal Executive Council Meetings.
Tim: Well, LKY, here is my take concerning the National Rebirth Prayer:
“Almighty God, who has blessed Nigeria with this amazing and enviable land as our heritage, we kindly beseech Thee that we may prove ourselves a people conscious of Thy love and thankful to do Thy will. Teach us, O Lord, to love this land and its people. Open our leaders’ eyes to see that there are no pockets to keep dollars, euros, or pounds in burial shrouds, and no First Bank branch in heaven! Bless the citizens with common sense to be awake to their responsibilities. In our lifetime, we pray to witness Nigeria’s true rebirth as a land of righteousness, with elites who stand for the Common Good, liberty, truth, beauty, and justice turning Nigeria’s limo wheel, Amen”.
Tim: What time is it? 3:00 a.m.
Where is LKY?
Unzipping 2025… with a dream!
[OPINION] The GDP of Sex, Drugs, Rituals - Olusegun Adeniyi
Last weekend, The Nation newspapers published a gripping story of 47-year-old twin brothers who lured a young girl to their hideout in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, where they murdered and dismembered her body for ritual purposes. Now in the custody of the Ogun State Police Command, one of the twins is already singing. “We usually kill our victims and sell their body parts for money rituals, grill some and grind them into powder for consumption with alcohol or mix them with soap for a magic bath that would bring good fortunes,” he said. “We sell ordinary body parts for N20,000 and hands or limbs for N50,000. We sell a leg for N50,000 while the heart goes for N100,000.’’ Those interested in the gory story can look for the report, but my main concern is that ‘professionals’ in the business of rituals, among other crimes like drug trafficking, banditry, as well as prostitution may soon enjoy official validation.
Going by the new National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) parameters for assessing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Nigeria, contributions of these ‘entrepreneurs’ will not be ignored when rebasing the economy. “If you are into, for instance, drugs, there are some countries where the drug trade drives their economy. It is illegal here because there is no legal backing. Also, prostitution earns income. Some even live better than those in the formal sector,” said Baba Madu, the NBS Head of National Accounts during a sensitization workshop last Thursday in Abuja. “The challenge is the legal backing and how do we gather accurate data? These sectors contribute significantly, but they remain underreported due to their hidden nature.” But despite these challenges, Madu assured Nigerians that those activities deserve to be captured in the new rebased economy, and that’s what the NBS intends to do in the coming exercise.
Let me state upfront that there is nothing wrong with rebasing the economy and Nigeria is indeed long overdue for one. In April 2014, the GDP was rebased by the NBS to propel our economy into first position in Africa and 24th in the world (with Belgium and Poland), overtaking South Africa. Among other contentions at the time, I recall a few people arguing that placing Nollywood above India’s Bollywood was carrying fantasy too far. But notwithstanding some misgivings back then, there was consensus about the credibility of that exercise. More significantly, then NBS Director General, Yemi Kale, also placed a rather instructive caveat on the figures: “While GDP depicts how rich a nation is, this is not necessarily the same as showing how rich individuals in the nation are, due to problem of unequal distribution of wealth. Similarly, growth in GDP is not synonymous with job creation…this is the challenge of non-inclusive growth.”
Now, the current debate is on whether certain activities should be included in the GDP, and I offer background to my concern. According to the NBS 2024 Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, a staggering sum of N2.2 trillion was paid as ransom to kidnappers between May 2023 and April 2024. Against the background that the 2024 Budget of ‘Renewed Hope’ as proposed by President Bola Tinubu outlined a projected revenue of N18.32 trillion and just about half that amount was realized, according to most reports, the NBS figure meant that within a period of 12 months kidnappers alone took about 25 percent of the federal government revenue for last year. If we extrapolate with the same methodology to calculate the ‘take-home pay’ for prostitutes, ritual killers, Yahoo Plus experts, bandits etc. then we are looking at a super jumbo rebased economy that raises more questions than answers.
Beyond the issue of accuracy is the character of the national economy itself and the implications of adding dubious/criminal activities as components of our GDP. The NBS is citing a self-serving System National Account (SNA) 2008 to bamboozle the people without telling us that most serious countries(including the United States from where we photocopied our presidential system of government) do not compute crime proceeds as part of their GDP. In a December 2019 piece titled, ‘GDP Doesn’t Include Proceeds of Crime. Should It?’ published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Science Bureau Chief, Jo Craven McGinty wrote, “When the U.S. calculates its gross domestic product, it only includes things that are legal. But if the wares of drug dealers, pimps, bookies and other black-market denizens were included, the GDP would expand by more than 1%, according to one estimate.” Proceeds of drug trafficking alone, McGinty added, “would have added $111 billion to U.S. gross domestic product, according to estimate.”
Why does the US leave out illegal activities that fetch humongous amounts of money from its GDP? That question was partly answered by a former American diplomat and national security official, David M. Luna. “As some have underscored, the illegal economy obeys no laws except the law of the strong, the corrupt, and the criminal; impunity, coercion, lawlessness, unrest and violence reign,” argued Luna in 2012, as Director for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affair at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). “From an economic perspective, all these illicit activities divert money from the balance sheets of legitimate businesses and put cash in the hands of criminals, who build larger and larger illicit networks. These networks threaten the stability of governments and the prosperity of our economies.” In societies that have been corrupted by such criminal networks, according to Luna, “market- and state-building become more unattainable, economic growth is stunted, efforts towards development and poverty eradication are stifled, and foreign direct investment is deterred.”
Ordinarily, rebasing the economy of a country should be rooted in certain values. In a nation where the line between right and wrong is increasingly becoming blurred—with many young Nigerians believing there is no correlation between wealth and legitimate work—I fail to see the essence of adding these illicit activities to our GDP. Besides, I believe that the financials from these sources are already captured in some form, either through the formal sector (banks and other money deposit institutions) or the informal sector without making those who engage in them imagine they are legitimate activities. In any case, the NBS can only engage in speculation when it comes to putting figures to these illicit activities and it has admitted as much.
What I find hard to understand is what stands to be achieved by a GDP that only serves to massage the ego of politicians while the broad majority sink deeper into misery and avoidable penury. More importantly, a GDP re-basing exercise that legitimizes criminal and dark economic activities can only license the drift to an immoral nation. At a period when drug trafficking, cyber crimes, prostitution, trade in ritual body parts, ransom for kidnapping, terrorism etc. have compromised the integrity of our nation, legitimising them as components of our GDP would only embolden some of our young people who just want to ‘make it’ by hook or by crook.
Highlighting the benefits of GDP rebasing, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Chief Executive Officer, Tayo Aduloju, said Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP ratio, a critical indicator of fiscal health, dropped from 19% to 11% after the 2014 exercise. “This improved Nigeria’s creditworthiness, making us a more attractive destination for foreign direct investment. Investors are drawn to transparency and growth potential, and rebasing sends a clear message: we understand our economy, and we are open for business,” Aduloju said. “Second, rebasing sharpens policymaking. It provides a detailed map of our economic terrain, enabling governments to identify high-growth sectors for scaling and low-growth sectors that require targeted interventions to drive impactful and balanced development.”
If we adopt the NBS approach, we are not likely to achieve those lofty objectives and we may give ammunition to those who already criminalise our country. By openly admitting that our GDP includes the same illegal activities that are already emblems of shame for our country and have stigmatised otherwise innocent citizens, we may just be validating the social media slang that ‘Nigeria is a crime scene’. Therefore, while the NBS occasional reports on the ‘economic value’ of these criminal activities are okay, adding their ‘contributions’ to the national economy as part of a rebased GDP is not the way to go.
Yes, an elevated GDP is good. But even in George Orwell’s, ‘Animal Farm’, a time came when most animals realised that statistics were being used to make fools of them. In normal circumstances, a responsible government would set as its target the elimination of criminal economic activities as a mark of progress. Converting illegal activities into statistical advantages for the purpose of a phantom GDP showmanship is unconscionable. The NBS should just perish the thought!
Still on Pastor Adeboye and Soun
By Fifelomo Dawodu
Dear Segun,
I agree with your perspective on the leadership lessons in the Tik tok message of Pastor Adeboye in your piece on the Soun of Ogbomosho. Indeed, the dimensions of the clip are several and I have just written about it in a draft personal statement I am putting together for an application for some doctoral research work. Some of the contradictions of interest that I am looking to interrogate are implicated in the clip. I endorse the idea of Pastor Adeboye (rightfully) insisting on speaking to the Soun in Yoruba. But there are several questions to pose from that. Will the successor to the throne of Soun when Oba Ghandi, in ripe old age, goes to join his ancestors speak any Yoruba? Should a ‘born again’ Soun reckon with the powers and principalities of the land to ensure a long peaceful reign? How do we reconcile the phenomena of western educated, urbane/cosmopolitan persons as traditional rulers and custodians of our culture? How many people are left who can transmit messages through the talking drum? Eti melo lo ku to gbo ilu? (How many of us are left with an ear for the message of the talking drum?).
Westernisation has robbed us of our cultural vestiges and left us with generic symbolisms. We celebrate that our traditional rulers have College degrees even where they may be unable to speak the language needed to appease the spirit of the land. How odd that the new Alaafin-elect does not have tribal marks! These are marks of identification, beautification and distinction of lineage and royalty. Should we continue to keep faith in the belief that the oracle picks who would ascend the throne? Or resort to AI for less fallible choices? The answers, I guess, are in the womb of time!
- Mrs Dawodu, a solicitor and graduate student of comparative education, resides in Lagos.
THE BOAT PAINTERS!
(It’s one of those stories on WhatsApp that have been in circulation for years. But no matter how many times it is forwarded, you always find it inspirational. Also, like many things you find on social media, the author is unknown. But the message is profound and speaks to diligence, attention to detail and integrity. It was forwarded to me again on Tuesday by a respected senior citizen and I consider it worthy of sharing, at least for the benefit of those who may not have come across it before.)
A man was hired to paint a boat. With his paint, brushes, and a steady hand, he began coating the boat in a vibrant red, as the owner had requested. As he worked, he noticed a small hole in the hull, barely noticeable to the untrained eye. Without saying a word, he repaired it, considering it part of his job. Once he finished painting, the owner paid him, and the man left, content with his day’s work. The next morning, however, the owner returned, holding a check far more generous than what was owed for the painting. Surprised, the painter asked, “Sir, you’ve already paid me for the paint job. What is this for?” The owner smiled and said, “This isn’t for the painting. It’s for fixing the hole in the boat.” Puzzled, the painter replied, “But that was such a small thing—certainly not worth this amount.”
“My friend, you don’t understand,” the owner began. “When I asked you to paint the boat, I didn’t even remember about the hole myself. After you finished and the paint dried, my children took the boat out on a fishing trip without telling me. I was away, and when I got home, I was horrified to realize they had gone out in a boat with a hole in the hull.” The painter listened intently as the man continued, his voice now thick with emotion. “I was terrified, thinking they might never return. But when they came back safely, I rushed to check the boat and found that you had repaired the hole. You didn’t just fix a boat—you saved my children’s lives. That’s something I can never fully repay.” The painter stood silent, absorbing the weight of the man’s words. The owner added softly, “Sometimes, the smallest gestures can have the greatest impact. What seemed insignificant to you meant the world to me.”
In life, we may unknowingly fix many “holes” for others—offering help, mending hearts, or simply being there when needed. We often don’t realize how much those small actions can mean to someone else. You never know when your quiet kindness might save a life. Keep helping, keep caring, for the world needs more boat painters.
[PRESS RELEASE] We Don't Need Sanusi's Stamp Of Approval For Our Laudable Policies
The Federal Government notes the recent remarks by His Highness, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, regarding the economic reforms introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, at a public event in Lagos.We note the emir's acknowledgement of the noble initiatives which, he said, he could explain away but for his decision "not to help the government".
First, we acknowledge that Sanusi, and indeed any Nigerian, has the inalienable right to express opinion either in form of commendation or criticism on how the government is being ran. However, we find it amusing that a leader, more so one from an institution that ennobles forthrightness, fairness, and justice would publicly admit to shuffling off saying the truth because of personal interest hinged on imaginary antagonism.
It is pertinent to state that Nigeria is at a pivotal juncture where bold and decisive actions are necessary to tackle entrenched economic challenges. This administration has implemented transformative reforms not because they are easy, but because they are essential for securing Nigeria’s long-term stability and growth, as Emir Sanusi had consistently advocated.
The temporary pains currently experienced from these inevitable decisions, as Sanusi himself acknowledged, are "necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible economic management" more than anything else.
These reforms are already delivering measurable progress. The unification of exchange rates has bolstered investor confidence, which has contributed to increased foreign reserves and strengthened Nigeria’s ability to shield itself from external economic shocks. The removal of the fuel subsidy has freed up significant resources, allowing for greater investment in critical sectors such as infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Projections from respected institutions, including the World Bank, show an upward trajectory in Nigeria’s GDP, signaling that our economy is firmly on the path to recovery. Additionally, by addressing inefficiencies, the country has reduced its debt service-to-revenue ratio, creating a more sustainable fiscal framework for future generations.
It is deeply disappointing that reforms widely recognized as essential by global experts—including by Emir Sanusi II himself—are now being subtly condemned by him because of shift in loyalty. His Highness, given his background in economics, has a unique responsibility to contribute constructively rather than undermine reforms aimed at collective progress because he feel estranged from his "friends" in government.
We urge the Emir to rise above personal interests and partisan undertones and prioritize the greater good of Nigerians.
Rebuilding Nigeria requires unity, focus, and sacrifice from all stakeholders. As a government, we urge esteemed leaders to refrain from rhetorics that undermine public trust. Instead they owe it a duty to champion the collective goal of a prosperous Nigeria. This is a critical time for our country, what is needed is collaboration, not unnecessary distractions.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration remains resolute in its mission to lead Nigeria towards economic inclusivity, sustainability, and shared prosperity. The challenges we face demand courage and collective effort, not divisive narratives. This administration is open to constructive dialogue with all well-meaning stakeholders, while remaining steadfast in putting the interests of Nigerians above all else.
Let history record this moment as a turning point—when leaders and citizens alike choose to prioritize the nation’s destiny over personal gain. Together, we will deliver on the promise of renewed hope and a better Nigeria for all.
Mohammed Idris, fnipr
Honourable Minister
[OPINION] From Heaven, DIG Moses Ambakina Jitoboh Speaks: “I Knew I Was Right, Remember My Name and My Fight, Day and Night, President Bola Tinubu and IGP Kayode Egbetokun - John Egbeazien Oshodi
The heartbreaking story of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Moses Ambakina Jitoboh’s forced retirement and posthumous reinstatement by the National Industrial Court exposes deep and painful systemic flaws within Nigeria’s institutions. DIG Jitoboh, once the most senior officer in the Nigeria Police Force, was tragically and unjustly retired in 2023 at the age of 53, a decision that was not rooted in his performance or ability but in a politically motivated maneuver to install a more politically aligned figure in the role of Inspector General of Police. The retirement of Jitoboh was a blatant political decision, orchestrated not out of necessity but to make room for Kayode Egbetokun’s appointment. This was not about what Jitoboh could or could not contribute, but about political agendas that disregarded his years of service, his experience, and his merit.
Despite having not yet reached the mandatory retirement age of 60, nor having served for 35 years, Jitoboh’s removal from office was unjust and deeply demoralizing. He had given his all to the Nigeria Police Force, yet he was discarded like an expendable item. After seeking justice, he fought tirelessly in the courts to challenge the illegal termination of his career. Yet, the legal battle was delayed, dragging on until his death on December 28, 2024. At just 54 years old, Jitoboh passed away two weeks before the verdict in his case was delivered. The truth is, it’s impossible to ignore the toll this prolonged injustice took on his physical and emotional well-being. It is no stretch to say that his death was, in part, the result of the crushing emotional strain and frustration of fighting against a system that appeared to have no regard for his rights or dignity.
While it is official protocol for the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to express condolences in such situations, and the public messages of sympathy may reflect a sense of standard practice, the real, deeper background behind Jitoboh’s story cannot be ignored. He was forced out of his job at a time when he still had the right to serve, still had the dedication, and still had so much to contribute. The emotional pain of being so abruptly removed from the position he loved is immeasurable. What added to the weight of this injustice was the stark reality that a junior officer—someone who was promoted not based on merit but political manipulation—was installed in his place. This promotion, not a result of professional qualifications or service, but rather political games, would have undoubtedly been a source of immense personal and professional anguish for Jitoboh. How would it feel to watch, helpless, as someone who wasn’t necessarily qualified, who wasn’t there through the long, grueling years of service, climbed to the top? The weight of that emotional turmoil is beyond words.
In the face of such systemic injustice, Jitoboh’s life was consumed by stress—financial, legal, and emotional. It wasn’t just about the career he loved; it was about trying to reclaim what was unjustly taken from him. Fighting against a system that continued to delay justice, sitting in the uncertainty of legal battles, facing the profound loneliness of knowing the injustice done to him—it all took its toll. All of this, the frustration, the waiting, the emotional burden of seeing his career stolen away by political agendas, surely impacted his physical health. The chronic stress and the emotional toll of watching the job he dedicated his life to slip away—these are the invisible forces that can affect the body, mind, and soul.
The IGP, in his public statement expressing condolences for the death of Jitoboh, may indeed reflect an official sentiment of loss. The message may even sound sincere, acknowledging the contributions of both Jitoboh and Pastor Bola Longe. However, we all know the inner background to this tragic situation. It is one thing to express sympathy publicly; it is another to acknowledge the deeper, systemic issues that led to Jitoboh’s untimely and unjust removal. It is easy to send out official messages, but how often do we examine the emotional, physical, and psychological toll such systemic failures take on individuals? The true loss here is not just that of an officer—it is the personal, institutional, and moral loss of a nation that continues to let power and political manipulation rule over fairness, justice, and merit.
The reality is, Jitoboh’s death wasn’t just about his passing; it was the culmination of months of emotional suffering, financial uncertainty, legal battles, and the slow erosion of his dignity—all at the hands of a broken system. This isn’t a story of a man just losing a job. It’s a story of a person losing their identity, their sense of purpose, and ultimately, their life. It is not merely a loss for his family, but a tragic reflection of a justice system that has failed him in every sense of the word.
The situation surrounding Jitoboh’s forced retirement raises significant concerns about the very integrity of the Nigeria Police Force. His removal was not a result of any professional failings but of an underlying political and ethnic agenda. His forced retirement opened the door for the promotion of a junior officer, which may have been motivated by the desire to ensure that a more politically favorable candidate could step into the role. The message this sends is clear: in some institutions, loyalty to the political establishment takes precedence over professional merit, experience, and the ability to serve the country effectively.
Now, with the ruling vindicating Jitoboh’s fight for justice, the real question remains: How will those in power respond to the systemic issues highlighted by his case? Will the current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, step up and take responsibility for the injustices that led to Jitoboh’s premature retirement? Will he speak out against a system that allowed such egregious actions to take place, or will he choose to remain silent and allow the cycle of political manipulation to continue unchecked?
The silence of those in power in the face of such blatant injustice only serves to perpetuate the problem. The political games that have been played for far too long within the Nigeria Police Force must come to an end. This is a moment for true leadership to shine. The question is: will it? How many more careers, how many more lives, must be sacrificed before those in power recognize the damage they are causing to the integrity of the police force and the country as a whole?
As Professor Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), poignantly noted on January 13, 2025, “Ambakina Moses Jitoboh was the senior-most officer in @PoliceNG when he was prematurely retired in 2023. He sued. Judgment was due last month but wasn’t ready. Two weeks thereafter, Moses died prematurely at 54. Today, @NatIndCourtNig nullified his retirement & reinstated him. #RIP.” These words, shared by one of Nigeria’s leading human rights figures, echo the frustration that many Nigerians feel about a system that continuously fails its people, a system that continues to delay justice and perpetuate inequality. For Jitoboh, justice came too late, but his posthumous reinstatement remains a powerful symbol of the legal and moral victory he deserved.
The true cost of DIG Moses Ambakina Jitoboh’s forced retirement goes beyond his personal loss—it is a devastating loss to the entire nation. The promotion of junior officers, not based on merit but driven by political and ethnic considerations, sends a dangerous message about the state of leadership in Nigeria. It undermines the professionalism and integrity of the police force, creating divisions that harm its ability to protect and serve the people. This system of favoritism must end. Nigeria’s institutions must be restored to their rightful place as impartial, merit-based systems, where the best interests of the nation come before all else.
The Ijaw Diaspora mourns the loss of DIG Moses Ambakina Jitoboh, a man whose life embodied integrity, excellence, and a deep commitment to justice. His untimely death is a profound tragedy, not only for his family but for the Ijaw people across the world. From the United States to Europe, Ijaw communities have united in grief, lamenting the loss of a leader who could have redefined Nigeria’s police force. “Moses Jitoboh was one of our brightest, a man whose potential was denied by a system blinded by politics and tribalism,” they said. His repeated sidelining for the role of Inspector General, despite being the most qualified, has left the Ijaw people heartbroken. “His fight was our fight,” a leader in the UK said. “We lost a son who could have led us to a better future.”
His passing is a painful reminder of the systemic bias that continues to marginalize the Ijaw community. Yet, Moses Jitoboh was more than an officer—he was a symbol of hope, a voice for justice, and a beacon for change. His death does not erase the impact of his vision and his ideals. Even in death, his legacy continues to inspire, and his name will be remembered, day and night, by the Ijaw people. Rest in peace, Moses. Your fight was not in vain.
From the heights above, DIG Moses Ambakina Jitoboh now watches over us. Though taken from this world at the tender age of 54, his spirit remains unwavering. His life was tragically cut short, but it was filled with unwavering service and dedication to justice. From the heavens, he gazes down on President Bola Tinubu and IGP Kayode Egbetokun, speaking softly yet powerfully: “It took time, but I knew I was right. The injustice I faced, the battles I fought—my truth has always been clear. Well, I am gone now, but I hope you remember my name, day and night. My fight was not for myself, but for the integrity of the police force and the future of our nation. Remember my legacy, not just in passing, but in action. Let my name remind you that justice cannot be delayed, and integrity must always lead the way. Even from the heavens, I continue to stand for truth, reform, and a Nigeria where justice is not a game, but a reality.”
Jitoboh’s death must serve as a wake-up call to us all. The time for power games must end. We can no longer tolerate systems that sacrifice justice and fairness. Leadership in the Nigeria Police Force must be defined by integrity and dedication, not political or ethnic allegiances. This is the lasting legacy of DIG Moses Ambakina Jitoboh—justice, integrity, and reform. Let his story ignite a new era of transparency and fairness, one that honors the sacrifices of those who have given themselves to the service of the people.
[OPINION] Political Cross-Carpeting: A Threat To True Democracy And Good Governance In Nigeria - Isaac Asabor
In any democracy, political parties serve as the lifeblood of governance, ideology, and policy direction. They provide platforms for citizens to align with visions and philosophies that reflect their aspirations. In Nigeria, however, this foundational role has been subverted by the rampant culture of political cross-carpeting, where politicians shamelessly decamp from one party to another, often without ideological justification. This behavior undermines democracy and erodes good governance.
The term decamping has become synonymous with Nigerian politics. Hardly a month passes without news of a high-profile politician defecting to a new party. The reasons cited often range from internal party crises to vague claims of alignment with a new party’s ideology. However, a closer examination reveals a different story: selfish ambitions, personal vendettas, and a quest for political survival at the expense of the electorate.
Consider the 2018 wave of defections before the general elections. Several prominent politicians, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki, switched allegiances between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). These moves were neither driven by ideological considerations nor policy differences but by political calculations aimed at retaining or acquiring power. Similarly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has changed party affiliations multiple times, oscillating between the PDP, APC, and even forming new parties when his ambitions were thwarted.
Without a doubt, democracy thrives on ideological commitment, party discipline, and respect for the electorate. Unfortunately, political decamping in Nigeria blatantly violates these principles. It turns political parties into mere vehicles for accessing power rather than institutions built on shared beliefs and visions.
When politicians abandon their parties, they betray the trust of voters who elected them based on specific party platforms. A case in point is the 2020 defection of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State from the PDP to the APC. His move sparked outrage among his constituents, who argued that they had voted for him based on the PDP’s manifesto, not the APC’s. Such actions render elections meaningless, as voters cannot trust politicians to stay true to their commitments.
Furthermore, the culture of political cross-carpeting encourages a lack of accountability. Politicians who face criticism or challenges within their parties often see defection as a convenient escape route, avoiding the hard work of resolving internal conflicts. This lack of accountability weakens the internal structures of political parties and stifles democratic growth.
In fact, the consequences of political decamping extend beyond party politics; they directly affect governance. When politicians prioritize personal ambitions over party loyalty, it creates instability within governments and weakens policy continuity.
For instance, during the 2019 elections, the mass defections between the APC and PDP led to significant political instability. Legislators and governors who defected often realigned their priorities to suit their new parties, abandoning ongoing projects and policies. This lack of continuity disrupts development and leaves citizens at the mercy of a chaotic political landscape.
Moreover, political cross-carpeting fosters a culture of opportunism that undermines meritocracy. Politicians who frequently switch parties often do so to align themselves with those in power, securing positions and benefits without necessarily contributing to governance. This creates an environment where loyalty to individuals, rather than competence or service to the people, becomes the criterion for appointments.
In mature democracies, party loyalty and ideological consistency are cornerstones of political practice. In the United States, for example, party-switching is rare and often viewed with suspicion. When politicians like Senator Arlen Specter switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party in 2009, he faced significant scrutiny, with his motives questioned by both parties and the public.
Similarly, in the United Kingdom, party defections are uncommon and usually result from profound ideological disagreements. Even when defection occurs, the defecting politician often resigns from his or her position to seek a fresh mandate from the electorate. This practice underscores the principle that voters, not politicians, should determine political representation.
Nigeria’s political landscape, in contrast, has normalized defection to such an extent that it is seen as a strategic move rather than a breach of democratic principles. This normalization erodes public trust in the political system and diminishes Nigeria’s standing as a democracy.
One of the reasons political cross-carpeting persists in Nigeria is the lack of stringent legal and institutional frameworks to deter it. While the Nigerian Constitution provides some guidelines on party defections, these provisions are often ambiguous and inconsistently enforced. For example, Section 68(1) (g) of the Constitution states that a legislator should vacate their seat if they defect from the party on whose platform they were elected, except in cases of a division within the party. However, this clause has been subject to varying interpretations, allowing politicians to exploit legal loopholes.
Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to opine that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary must take a firmer stance on this issue. This is as clearer guidelines and stricter enforcement mechanisms are needed to hold defecting politicians accountable. Additionally, political parties must strengthen their internal governance structures to resolve conflicts and discourage defections.
Therefore, to address the menace of political cross-carpeting, Nigeria must adopt a multi-pronged approach that cut across strengthening electoral laws, promoting internal party democracy, educating the electorate, enhancing political ideology and exercising judicial oversight.
Explanatorily put, The National Assembly should amend the Constitution to include more stringent provisions against defections. For instance, defecting politicians should automatically lose their seats and be required to seek a fresh mandate from the electorate.
In a similar vein, political parties must prioritize internal democracy, ensuring that members have a voice in decision-making processes. This will reduce grievances that often lead to defections.
Also in a similar vein, citizens must understand the importance of holding politicians accountable for their actions. Voters should demand explanations from defecting politicians and resist the normalization of cross-carpeting.
Added to the above is that Political parties in Nigeria must move beyond being platforms for winning elections. They should develop clear ideologies and policy frameworks that guide their members’ actions and decisions.
Also, the judiciary must adopt a more proactive role in interpreting and enforcing laws on party defections. Swift and decisive rulings will deter opportunistic politicians from abusing the system.
Political cross-carpeting is a cancer that threatens the foundations of Nigeria’s democracy and good governance. By prioritizing personal ambitions over ideological commitment, politicians have turned elections into a farce and governance into a game of survival.
To preserve democracy and ensure effective governance, Nigeria must confront this issue head-on. Political parties, the judiciary, electoral bodies, and citizens all have a role to play in curbing this destructive trend. The time for action is now; the future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on it.