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![[OPINION] Galadima’s Primitive Jive - Wole Olaoye](/media/k2/items/cache/3319f9a9091c0255b5d75d5baae87b46_L.jpg)
Alhaji Buba Galadima, an outspoken politician and self-confessed insider of many conspiracies, recently raised an alarm alleging that the current downward trend of food prices was a conspiracy by the Tinubu administration to impoverish the Northern part of Nigeria. Food prices are going down. Many ordinary Nigerians are happy with the development. But people like Galadima see it as an opportunity to sell another of his many fibs about north/south dichotomy.
Many of our politicians would be nothing without the weaponisation of ethnicity and religion. No matter their level of education, the only way many of them can attract any kind of following is when they set brother against brother, tribe against tribe, Imam against pastor. They think it’s all part of the game of politics, whereas, it is the very lives of the people that are at stake. What makes Galadima’s allegation even more tragic is that he has all the education and career attainment to qualify as a beacon of the society but has chosen instead to spread darkness.
A Building Engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Galadima has held many choice public offices in Nigeria. He hails from Gashua, the town in Yobe State made famous when the human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, was incarcerated there. He worked with the Rivers State government in 1975 and has been a Director of Ajaokuta Steel Company and Director-General of NIMASA. He was the national youth leader of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) during the Second Republic and national financial secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC), during the Third Republic.
More recently, he was the national secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which was founded in 2009 and merged, four years later, with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the PDP called the N-PDP, and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is one of the nine signatories that signed the merger agreement.
By all local standards, Alhaji Galadima has paid his dues in the political arena, even if the public is entitled to ask, what dues, or in aid of what?
Following the presidential election of April 2011, Galadima protested that the vote was rigged and that the CPC would not accept the results until a comprehensive audit had been conducted. INEC had announced that Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP won 22,495,187 votes, while Muhammadu Buhari of the CPC had won just 12,214,853. There were outbreaks of violence across Northern Nigeria after the elections, with many deaths. Buhari and Galadima were accused of orchestrating the killings.
By 2017, Galadima had decamped to PDP and was appointed a spokesperson of the party. On February 24, 2019, twenty-four hours after the 2019 presidential election was conducted, Galadima recklessly announced on his social media handles that the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had won the elections, even as results were still being collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission. He was later arrested.
While Alhaji Galadima’s eloquence and doggedness are incontrovertible, his style is alarmist and reckless.
A survey of the Nigerian food market revealed that there has been a 40 percent drop in food prices between December 2024 and March 2025. That ought to be cheering news!
What kind of politics is this Galadima brand that expects me to start protesting against the government when food prices are going down? Imagine if the government had not taken timely measures to ensure adequate food supply for the Ramadan season! Is there something else, unknown to the rest of us that is propelling Galadima, the perpetual ‘insider’?
“The government has started massive food importation, and this will make the economy of the North, which depends on agriculture, to dwindle as many won’t be able to farm to gain any meaningful profit”, said Galadima, who is also a farmer. Perhaps what he expects is that since the wave of banditry sweeping through many parts of the country has negatively affected food production, the government should just fold its arms and we should all engage in dry fasting until Galadima harvests his crops next season.
He accused President Tinubu of deliberately causing a sharp fall in food prices to undermine the economy of Northern Nigeria. He alleged that the policy is part of a broader strategy to weaken the North’s economic stability. He was visibly upset that Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis recently eased for the first time since May 2023, offering an unexpected respite for households.
His claim elicited mixed reactions from Nigerians, many of who accused him of being part of the cabal profiting from the misery of the poor in Nigeria. One social media respondent, Amina Adamu, pointedly accused him of being a hoarder and a shylock merchant.
“Surely, there is a sign that he has hidden food, and by the grace of God, you will see, you will lose more than that”, said Amina. “If the poor will get better, Alhamdulilah! May God break those who play hide and seek.”
There are those who continue to make the academic argument that opening the borders to food imports will discourage local production. However, the answer to the current spate of banditry which has badly affected food production is complete routing of the criminals. Until that is done, Nigerians have to be fed.
In their bid to fully decode the complex persona of this intriguing politician, many Nigerians have zeroed in on his business activities. They draw attention to Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1136/2019 at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in which the court ordered AMCON to take over the assets of Bedko Nigeria Limited, one of Galadima’s companies. Bedko Nigeria Limited and Buba Galadima owed AMCON about N900 million. The order, which was granted to AMCON by Justice A.I. Chikere, also gave the government recovery agency the power to take over some properties belonging to the politician, including House No. 15, Addis Ababa Crescent, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, and House No. 4, Bangui Street, Wuse 2 also in Abuja.
Nigerians, who have watched helplessly over the years as big political camels passed effortlessly through the eye of the needle, swore that Galadima was too big to be forced to pay his debts and that the court’s judgement ceding his company and other assets to AMCON was government’s way of reminding him that he wasn’t as squeaky clean as he wanted the world to be and that his soft underbelly was not unreachable.
Buba Galadima is a journalist’s delight any day and I hope Providence preserves him on this side of the divide for many more years. The fact that, in spite of his wide political experience, he has wrongly predicted the winner of Nigeria’s presidential elections on at least three separate occasions should teach him to sip the waters of humility. He is one politician who can be said to possess a functional brain – which is more than can be said of many of his colleagues.
In a 2015 interview, he boasted: “No politician has ever suffered the kind of calamities I went through in the country. I was arrested, detained and harassed about 38 times.”
In whipping up primitive ethnic sentiments over the reduction of food prices, however, he should tarry awhile to benefit from the counsel of this student of the university of life: Courage is to the brave what recklessness is to the foolish.
![[OPINION] Political defections: A reflection on Nasir El-Rufai’s journey - Akin Ogunlade](/media/k2/items/cache/154549803cf6e8b67778199146a8635a_L.jpg)
The Nigerian political landscape has been plagued by constant defections among party members, with loyalty often shifting based on personal interests rather than ideological alignment.
The absence of a strong political ideology has led to a situation where politicians frequently move from one party to another in search of power, relevance, or personal gain. A notable example is the political journey of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State, whose recent defections from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) reflect the larger instability within Nigeria’s party system.
Nigeria’s political parties lack clear-cut ideological foundations, making them platforms for personal ambition rather than institutions that uphold specific principles. Unlike advanced democracies where parties are defined by conservative, liberal, or socialist ideologies, Nigerian parties operate more as vehicles for political survival. This has led to an endless cycle of defections whenever politicians feel sidelined or their ambitions threatened.
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s political history is a reflection of this trend. He started his political career under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), where he served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under President Olusegun Obasanjo. However, following internal party disputes and a period of self-exile, he defected to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a party led by Muhammadu Buhari. Later, he joined the merger that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he became the Governor of Kaduna State.
Despite his contributions to the APC, recent developments suggest tensions within the party, with speculation about his next political move. His recent defections to APC was not surprising, as such shifts have become a norm among Nigerian politicians.
There are factors for political defections in Nigeria:
1. Absence of Ideology: Since political parties do not operate based on principles or philosophies, politicians see them as mere platforms for contesting elections.
2. Personal Interests: Politicians defect when their ambitions are threatened, or they seek better opportunities elsewhere.
3. Godfatherism and Internal Party Struggles: Conflicts between powerful figures within parties often force members to leave in search of greener pastures.
4. Electoral Survival: When politicians sense that their party may lose an upcoming election, they jump ship to align with the expected winner.
5. Political Persecution: Some defections occur to evade investigations either from EFCC, ICPC,, or sanctions from ruling parties.
Consequences of Party Instability
The lack of political stability in Nigeria has several negative consequences:
Weak Democracy: The absence of ideological commitment weakens democracy, as parties fail to offer clear governance alternatives.
Lack of Policy Continuity: Frequent defections result in policy inconsistencies, as new administrations often abandon their predecessors’ projects.
Loss of Public Trust: The electorate becomes disillusioned when politicians prioritize personal gain over national development.
Political Confusion: Voters struggle to differentiate between parties, making informed electoral choices difficult.
The Way Forward
To address the problem of political defections, Nigeria must:
Enforce Party Discipline: Political parties must develop strong internal structures that discourage indiscriminate defections.
Promote Ideological Politics: Parties should be built on clear principles that guide policies and governance.
Strengthen Electoral Laws: Laws should be enacted to limit mid-term defections, ensuring political stability.
Encourage Political Awareness:
Citizens should demand accountability from politicians and vote based on ideology rather than personality.
Lastly, the constant wave of defections in Nigeria’s political space is a symptom of the lack of ideology among its political parties. El-Rufai’s journey through multiple parties highlights the fluidity of political loyalty in the country. Until parties define their core principles and politicians commit to them, the cycle of defections will continue, undermining Nigeria’s democracy and governance.
![[OPINION] When Will The FG Respond To Obasanjo With Facts, Not Insults? - Isaac Asabor](/media/k2/items/cache/0535683e817965534f0efd95d60b8571_M.jpg)
Nigeria’s political landscape is no stranger to robust debates, criticisms, and counterarguments. However, when constructive criticisms are met with Ad Hominem attacks rather than reasoned rebuttals, democracy suffers. This unfortunate trend has become glaringly evident in the Federal Government’s (FG) recurrent responses to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s critiques.
Obasanjo, a statesman with a storied history in Nigeria’s governance, has never shied away from speaking his mind. Whether one agrees with his views or not, his criticisms, often rooted in his experience and perspective, ought to be engaged with facts, logic, and counterpoints. Unfortunately, the Nigerian government’s responses to Obasanjo have frequently taken the form of personal attacks, character assassination, and diversionary rhetoric. This approach does not serve the public interest and only deepens the perception of a government unwilling to engage in intellectual discourse.
A critical look at past engagements between Obasanjo and the FG reveals a disturbing pattern of name-calling and deflection. Rather than addressing the substance of his criticisms, government spokespersons often resort to attacking Obasanjo’s person, his past leadership, or his perceived shortcomings.
For instance, in July 2019, Obasanjo wrote an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, warning of rising insecurity in Nigeria. He highlighted the increasing cases of terrorism, banditry, and ethnic violence, urging the government to take urgent steps to address the crisis before the nation spiraled into chaos.
Rather than acknowledging the valid concerns raised, the FG, through its spokespersons, dismissed the letter as the ramblings of an embittered former leader. The response included accusations that Obasanjo was merely seeking relevance and attempting to destabilize the government. Lai Mohammed, the then Minister of Information, derided the former president, implying that he was a hypocrite who failed to tackle insecurity during his own tenure.
The core issues raised in the letter, and how to decisively tackle the worsening security situation, were left unaddressed. Instead, the response deflected attention to Obasanjo’s past rather than presenting a coherent counterargument or outlining concrete steps to improve security.
In a similar vein, in January 2023, following the general elections, Obasanjo criticized the electoral process, raising concerns about the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and calling for remedial actions to uphold democracy. This was a crucial intervention in a period when Nigerians were expressing disillusionment with electoral transparency.
Again, rather than engaging with the substantive issues, the FG’s response was laced with vitriol. Presidential aides dismissed Obasanjo as a meddlesome “political busybody” and accused him of attempting to install his own preferred candidates. The government completely sidestepped discussions on the election’s credibility and the concerns raised by both local and international observers. It was another missed opportunity for constructive engagement.
Also in a similar vein, in 2020, Obasanjo criticized the economic direction of the Buhari administration, particularly the growing debt profile and the lack of economic diversification. He cautioned against Nigeria’s increasing reliance on foreign loans, warning that it could lead to economic enslavement.
Rather than addressing these warnings with economic data or a roadmap for managing the country’s finances, the FG’s response was dismissive and laced with personal jabs. The presidency accused Obasanjo of hypocrisy, referencing the debt Nigeria accumulated under his watch while ignoring the key point of rising debt without corresponding economic growth.
In fact, the Federal Government’s recent response to former President Obasanjo’s criticism of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project is fundamentally flawed. Attacking a respected elder statesman for expressing his views, rather than engaging with the substance of his concerns, demonstrates a disregard for constructive criticism and democratic discourse. Obasanjo’s experience and insights into governance are valuable, and flippantly dismissing his opinions with a flippant is unarguably disrespectful and counterproductive.
Furthermore, the government’s defensiveness, particularly the Minister’s personalizing of the criticism by claiming “if someone calls this project fraudulent, they are also calling me a fraud,” suggests an unwillingness to accept scrutiny. Transparency and accountability are essential for public trust, and a mature response would involve addressing Obasanjo’s specific concerns about wastefulness and corruption with detailed evidence and reasoned arguments, not resorting to personal attacks and dismissive pronouncements.
Without a doubt, the repeated pattern of Ad Hominem responses from the FG reveals an unfortunate reluctance to engage in serious discourse. This is dangerous for several reasons.
First, it discourages constructive criticism. When public figures who speak out are met with personal attacks rather than rational debate, it creates a chilling effect. Other stakeholders, including civil society and the media, may become wary of critiquing the government for fear of similar backlash.
In a similar vein, it undermines democracy. This is as a healthy democracy thrives on debates, disagreements, and discourse. Therefore, when government officials choose insults over engagement, they erode the democratic culture of accountability and transparency.
Also in a similar vein, it distracts from real issues. By attacking the messenger, the FG often ignores the message. This lack of engagement means critical national issues, whether insecurity, the economy, or governance, remain unaddressed while political mudslinging takes center stage.
Having opined as much as harangued in this context, it is germane to sound a note of warning that the way forward is for the FG to always respond with facts, not insults, when critiqued.
In fact, if the FG is confident in its policies and governance, it should have no difficulty responding to criticisms with facts. In the view of this writer, the government can change its approach by engaging criticism with data, acknowledge criticism and improve in the area or areas they were faulted of, and encourage intellectual discourse.
Explanatorily put, if Obasanjo criticizes the economic trajectory, the FG should provide verifiable data showing why his concerns are misplaced or exaggerated. Simply calling him a hypocrite does nothing to educate the Nigerian populace.
In a similar vein, not every critique is baseless. Instead of outright dismissals, the government can acknowledge valid points and outline measures being taken to address them.
Also in a similar vein, it is not a misnomer to opine that Nigeria needs a political culture that encourages robust and fact-based discussions. The presidency should set the tone by engaging critics constructively rather than reducing public discourse to name-calling.
In fact, the FG’s repeated use of Ad Hominem attacks against Obasanjo’s criticisms is not just counterproductive, it is a disservice to Nigerians. Whether one agrees with Obasanjo’s views or not, the issues he raises deserve serious engagement, not flippant insults. If the government truly serves the people, then it must prioritize responding with reason, facts, and solutions rather than indulging in personal attacks.
Against the backdrop of the foregoing view, it is not a misnomer to conclude that is time for the FG to elevate its discourse and prove that it is a government capable of engaging in rational debate. Anything less is a betrayal of democratic principles.
![[OPINION] A Dirty Linen in New York - Ike Willie-Nwobu](/media/k2/items/cache/7ec7b518f684064b02db5baaf76a2cff_M.jpg)
The grouse Nigerians hold against their government has never been limited to the executive arm of government despite the abundance of evidence that it is the most powerful arm of government which usually dictates the direction other arms of government will take.
While democracy predicts and prescribes separation of powers and checks and balances as necessary preservatives for democracy, these lines as salutary as they are or promise to be become easily blurred or pale into insignificance, especially when the executive is a bully, which bludgeons other arms of government into submission.
Thus, over the years, as much as Nigerians have learnt to make the executive consisting of the presidency and governors and all agencies of state at all levels the target of their ire, the judiciary, and legislature have not been spare and for good reason. For it should never be the case that democracy is weaned of the vigilance of citizens which makes it so effective.
Historically, Nigerians take a dim view of their legislators. This view only grew dimmer on the 6th day of March 2025 when the Nigerian senate suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central senatorial zone in the senate for six months. In imposing what is a draconian punishment by any measure, the senate ruled that Senator Natasha breached its standing rules, thereby subjecting the senate to opprobrium.
The suspension whichh came only after the senator accused Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, of sexual harassment and even submitted a petition to that effect has mobilized large sections of Nigerians against the senate, especially its leadership.
Nigeria’s senate which is made up of 109 members can call on only four women. With the suspension now whittling down that number to three, many have interpreted the move which came days before the annual celebration of International Women’s Day (March 8) as an attack on women, especially on the dwindling representation of women in politics.
On her part, Senator Natasha has refused to take her suspension lying down. On March 11, 2025, she took her case to the Women in Parliament session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting in New York where she broke down in tears while narrating her ordeal.
There is no doubt that this case is the most embarrassing case to involve the Nigerian senate in recent times. On the one hand, is a woman raising the weighty matter of sexual harassment. From all indications, not only has the senate which is dominated by men, given very short shrift to a serious allegation of sexual harassment, it is determined to send a message that any future and further smear will not be tolerated.
What should not be tolerated in Nigeria today is institutional impunity. What should have absolutely no place in Nigeria if the country wants to grow is systemic manipulation and oppression.
What is happening with Senator Natasha is a situation where an institution and its men are arrayed against a woman who is also clearly a victim. Experience shows that the victim in such situations hardly ever wins. But the victory is hardly ever in the outcome. Instead, it shines forth more in the fight.
The Nigerian. Senate may think that having heavily pummeled a first-time senator for daring to step out of line, others will watch their steps next time.
However, with Senator Natasha having aired the dirty linens of the senate in far away New York before a gaping world, there is surely no coming back from this catastrophic loss of face for the senate in the 10th National Assembly.
Even if Senator Natasha is peddling falsehood to damage the reputation of the senate president, and this is highly unlikely, it is not unthinkable that women should get away with some things. Men have been getting away with countless things for as long as the world has existed and the world has not ended because of that.
![[OPINION] The First Lawmakers: My Reflection on Home, Discipline, and Duty - Olatunji Disu](/media/k2/items/cache/21efc3eeecec6edd4c3f714f61ba8117_M.jpg)
![[OPINION] Nasir El-Rufai’s Scorched-Earth One-Man Opposition - Farooq A. Kperogi](/media/k2/items/cache/a125db111b9ab6dd4d5edf67e4280a42_M.jpg)
Like a stranded mariner gasping on the shores of irrelevance, former Kaduna State governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai writhes in the uneasy throes of power’s withdrawal. His disquiet, however, is less the quiet lament of a fallen statesman and more the tempestuous fury of a Shakespearean woman scorned.
He has become fiery, irascible, indignant, and unrelenting in his public expressions of rage towards his former friends in power who have isolated him. He is throwing the kitchen sink at the power structures in Kaduna and Abuja in an all-out effort to extract vengeance and to ward off potential ensnarement.
The former cushy, self-satisfied, and illiberal denizen of power who was the scourge of dissenters railing against tyranny, now finds himself wielding the very defiance he once crushed with arrogance and malevolent glee. He has become an accidental insurgent (a la “accidental public servant”) forged in the crucible of his own contradictions.
There is a part of me that loves this new insurrectionary, rebellious, activist, and intensely irate one-man band opposition that El-Rufai has opportunistically transmogrified into.
For one, he is providing the first real opposition to the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. Every democracy needs the well-aimed slings and well-informed counsel of a sharp-witted opposition to keep its leaders from sinking into the depths of self-satisfaction and insouciance.
Say what you will about El-Rufai, but his intellect, erudition, and rhetorical dexterity are top-notch and undeniable. Imagine if figures of his political stature, institutional access, and strategic acumen had chosen to be thorns in the current corridors of power. Perhaps, the Tinubu administration would have thought twice before treating Nigerians with the cavalier disregard that has become its trademark in the last two years.
For another, he has an opportunity to experience what his critics went through when he was a governor for eight years. He abducted critics, caused opponents to be tortured, bragged about reducing politicians he has displaced to mere “bloggers,” instrumentalized the courts to squelch dissent, etc.
Now, he posts social media updates about his former commissioners being “abducted,” about the judiciary being weaponized against his supporters and his past administration, about the “misuse of federal security agencies in the persecution of opposition leaders,” etc.
Not only has El-Rufai become a “blogger,” once his favorite pejorative for social-media-active politicians he has dislocated in Kaduna, he has now plunged deeper into a lowly “content creator.” With the launch of a TikTok account, he’s gone from being a mere “blogger” to a digital hustler, complete with the undignified ritual of soliciting Nigerians to subscribe to his channel.
Yet, I am delighted that El-Rufai has joined our ranks. Professional “wailing wailers” like me (to use former presidential spokesman Femi Adesina’s agonizingly asinine and illiterate insult for government critics) welcome him to the club.
Nonetheless, my joy that he is inadvertently rendering a democratic service by the constancy and stridency of his strictures against the government has not blunted the acuteness of my awareness that he is an unbearably devious, self-seeking, hateful scoundrel who is only on a mission to avenge what he perceives as a personal affront to him.
As most people have already observed, had El-Rufai secured the minister of power position he was promised, his current antagonism toward the government would be as unimaginable as a cat lobbying for the rights of rats.
Not only would he have been a staunch defender of every government action, but he would have also directed his trademark vitriol at ordinary Nigerians suffocating under economic hardship. He would dismiss their grievances with characteristic scorn and cruelty.
Indeed, the same northern establishment he now courts and seeks to mobilize as a political cudgel would have been his favorite punching bag—just as it was in 2023, when he enthusiastically championed Bola Tinubu’s candidacy.
It takes an unnatural degree of slow-wittedness not to see that El-Rufai’s newfound disillusionment with the governments in Kaduna and Abuja reeks less of principle and more of a bruised ego nursing its wounds.
In my July 27, 2019, column titled, “How Political Power Damages the Brain—and How to Reverse it,” I called attention to (temporarily) politically displaced whores of power like El-Rufai who pretend to identify with ordinary people in their moments of political trauma.
“Also look at previously arrogant, narcissistic, power-drunk prigs who have been kicked out of the orbit of power for any number of reasons. You’ll discover that they are suddenly normal again.
“They share our pains, make pious noises, condemn abuse of power, and identify with popular causes. The legendary amnesia of Nigerians causes the past misdeeds of these previous monsters of power to be explained away, lessened, forgiven, and ultimately forgotten. But when they get back to power again, they become the same insensitive beasts of power that they once were.”
Get El-Rufai back into power now or in 2017, he would be the same villainous backstabber he has always been. He would be the same annihilator of the homes of poor people. He would be the same horrid tormentor and abductor of critics.
He would be the same inciter and instigator of genocide in the name of defending his people. Recall his 2012 tweet, "We will write this for all to read. Anyone, soldier or not that kills the Fulani takes a loan payable one day no matter how long it takes" and his admission that he paid bandits to stop attacking southern Kaduna?
In a September 20, 2019, article, I described him as “straight-up Nigeria's most bigoted and most dangerous public official alive.”
I said he “detains and torments people who criticize him. Abu Hanifa Dadiyata, a critic of his, just disappeared in Kaduna without a trace. Several other critics are in detention. And he recently threatened: ‘If you want to tweet anything about Kaduna be very careful because I'm watching...’”
He has a deep, visceral hatred for the people of southern Kaduna, leading to write this August 18, 2020, social media status update: “Why does El-Rufai hate and despise the people of Southern Kaduna with such unnaturally infernal intensity? He strains hard, often too hard, to be seen as ‘cosmopolitan’ when he relates with southern Christians. Why can't he even pretend to be prepared to get along with the people of Southern Kaduna? I don't get it.”
He is also a rhetorically violent man. In October 2015, he told his critics to “climb Kufena Hill and fall.” At a Kaduna APC stakeholders’ meeting in September 2017, El-Rufai told political opponents that death is a possible outcome for fighting him. “I had fought with two presidents,” he said. “Umaru Yar’Adua ended in his grave, while President Goodluck Jonathan ended in Otueke.”
He repeated this a few days ago. In my September 23, 2017, column titled “El-Rufai’s Morbid Fixation with Death of His Political Opponents,” I pointed out that El-Rufai betrays a disturbingly shallow humanity and a murderous inner disposition. In addition to many examples of his embrace of the rhetoric of violence, he endorsed, defended, and even celebrated the brutal, cold-blooded, and unjustified mass slaughter of hundreds of Shiite Muslims in his state.
El-Rufai’s latest political metamorphosis is less a transformation than a temporary realignment born of personal grievance rather than ideological conviction. His brand-new zeal for opposition, while inadvertently serving the democratic process, is unmistakably fueled by wounded pride and thwarted ambition.
The same man who once ruled with an iron fist, silencing critics with impunity, now fashions himself as the voice of the oppressed, railing against the very structures of power he once upheld with ruthless enthusiasm. His current posture as an anti-establishment crusader is not the product of principle but of exclusion, making his activism less an act of courage than an elaborate act of self-preservation.
Yet, even as he momentarily aligns with the forces of resistance, history warns against mistaking his opportunistic dissent for genuine reform. Should fortune return him to the corridors of power, El-Rufai would waste no time reverting to the autocratic instincts that have long defined him. He would crush opposition, weaponize state institutions, and wield power with the same reckless abandon that now makes him a pariah.
Today’s dissenter is often tomorrow’s despot. To embrace him uncritically is to risk aiding yet another cycle of tyranny dressed in the fleeting garb of rebellion.
![[OPINION] Taraba State: A Rebirth in the Making - Okey Ikechukwu](/media/k2/items/cache/f0dbd7dcf6a26bd62112d8b415aaf458_S.jpg)
In these days of questionable public discourse on governance, any attempt to speak of tolerably good performance by a state governor will attract suspicion. It will either be that the governor has procured platforms to nurse a presidential ambition, or that he is working to hoodwink the public despite his obvious poor performance.
The other sad feature of some media commentary onpublic office holders is that it sometimes presents government interventions as favours by the governor; for which the people must thank him profusely. Service delivery, for which the governor was elected in the first place, then gets presented and projected to the public as acts of benevolence. At the end of the day, state resources are seen, and treated, as the personal resources of the governor to be dispensed at his discretion. Absurd!
But here we are, about to talk about a serving governor whose first series of actions culminated in a Masterclass for would-be state officials before he began to govern. Yes.
The first thing the current governor of Taraba State didafter he emerged victorious in the elections was to patiently scrutinize the human capital of his state, and then and make some key appointments. After the appointments, rather than say, “Alright, now report at your respective offices and start work”, he planned a capacity development immersion. The programme was held at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), with every key official of the future Taraba State in the governor’s mind assembled in one location. His reason for doing this was quite simple: Dr. Agbu Kefas told his people that there is always a right and wrong way of doing everything.
That being the case, he maintained that the only way to work as a government official in a 21st Century world was to give every worker the ideas and template for his specific schedule before he starts work. So, he gathered his people but not for motivational talk, boring lectures and an excuse for collecting Duty Tour allowance(DTA), no! it was for them to get Actionable Ideas for hands-on performance, in order to serve the best interests of the people of Taraba State who elected him into office.
He called it an induction course and retreat. It was organized for commissioners, special advisers, permanent secretaries, senior directors, legislators and judicial officers. The aim was to help everyone to fully understand respective roles and responsibilities in the State governance process. It was to also equip newly appointed cabinet members with the basic skills and knowledge they need to engender true service delivery for Taraba people. It was all designed to help create synergy and ensure that the executive, civil service, legislature, judiciary and other key stakeholders work together with the right team spirit.
That retreat emphasized the primacy of public policy as a tool for the developmental blue-print of Taraba State through a whole-of-government approach. It spelt out the import, impact and value of accountability, transparency, good governance and efficient budget process as drivers of sustainable economic growth.
This way of onboarding government officials and stakeholders, on the importance and necessity to pursue excellence and good governance in Taraba State, was the grand takeoff plan of the newly elected governor.
He told them, at the retreat, that he was poised to transform the poor economic and social indices of the State so as to promote all round growth and development and wealth creation. He also emphasized the fact that he would prioritize security, because peace and prosperity for the people could only be achieved in an environment with meaningful security for life and property.
A former Vice President of the World Bank was among the resource persons. When, back thenbar the retreat in 2003, I spoke to them on “Building a New Generation of Public Sector Leaders in Taraba Through LeadershipMentoring, Emotional Intelligence and Strategic Management of Human Relations”, my emphasis was on the importance of humanizing governance, while keeping to best global practices.
The governor identified the key drivers of the Taraba State he had in view included improvements in education, health, industry, agriculture, mining, tourism and much more. The newly elected governor also placed significant emphasis on attracting FDIs andpromoting MSMEs for broad-spectrum prosperity. He used the occasion to present his vision for the State, the pillars of his government and the philosophy of his administration, as he charged everyone to translate the vision into better life for the people.
Less than two years into his tenure, the question you sometimes here is: “So, what was Taraba State before this your new governor? It is very much like the case of Jigawa State during and after the tenure of Sule Lamido as Governor.
Every meaningful state infrastructure, far reaching development plans, new ideas about human capital development, internally generated revenue gains and much more in Taraba today have acquired new flagellaunder the incumbent governor.
Today, Taraba State has a human capital development resource centre, patterned to some extent after NARC in its aspiration, to drill down sustainable knowledge growth in an all-round manner. To that extent, the state is turning into a reference template for far-seeing steps in social development, economic growth, responsible environmental stewardship and new vistas of responsible leadership.
The indices are reassuring on all fronts, but the state government is fighting great retrogressive forces as it prioritizes the welfare of its citizens. It projects are broadly impactful, with policies on social stability and internal security on the upswing. The provision of operation vehicles for the military and security forces, especially also the provision of surveillance drone facility to support the army and other national security forces working in the area, are landmark gains.
While it is true that the state has made massive investments in road construction projects, this is not at the expense of healthcare facilities and healthcare personnel. Educational institutions are getting the desired attention, with a new focus on connectingcommunities with enhanced access to essential services.
Taraba that is often referred to as the “Nature’s Gift to the Nation” now seema to be everaging its fertile land to boost agricultural productivity and be true to this appellation. It has a new Green Taraba Project, which has empowered farmers, reduced food insecurity, and created thousands of jobs.
Add that to the state government’s upgrading ofhospitals, the provision of free medical services for vulnerable groups, and the implementation of robust healthcare policies. And the state is not resting on a bed of borrowed funds, having made significant strides in boosting its internally generated revenue. This has dramatically reduced reliance on federal allocations.
Much of this was achieved through tax reforms that streamlined tax collection processes and leveragedtechnology to minimize leakages; even as the state is harnessing its agricultural potentials to attract investors and generate revenue.
Taraba State is collaborating with private sector players and consultants to unlock new revenue streams, and these efforts have increased the state’s IGR and also created a more resilient and self-sufficient economy. The revenue collection records show a 54% increasebetween 2023 and 2024; and the Taraba State Internal Revenue Service (TIRS) team was only inaugurated in June 2024. The IGR jumped from about 10 billion Naira to over 17 billion within months, after inauguration.
On environmental sustainability, the state is adopting a global model for environmental conservation. A place that is known for its lush greenery, wildlife, and natural resources is now implementing groundbreaking initiatives to protect itself in very important ways. This includes reforestation programmes, involving large-scale tree planting campaigns, to combat deforestation and climate change.
The state’s Eco-Tourism Development programme issustainable tourism, as it seeks preserves the naturalbeauty of the environment while creating economic opportunities. And this has seamlessly keyed into a waste management systems that is using modern waste disposal techniques to keep cities clean and green.
As for the Resource Centre and deliverables, its purpose is to empower Citizens Through Knowledge. The knowledge impartation resource centers haverevolutionized access to capacity building opportunities, information availability and continuous education.
For the record, these centers serve as hubs for skill acquisition, to offer training programs in ICT, entrepreneurship, and vocational skills. There is also the matter of research and development, to provide resources for students, researchers, and innovators to drive local solutions to global challenges.
As part of community engagement for social cohesion, the hosting workshops and seminars has become a regular means of educating citizens on governance, health, and economic opportunities.
Because Taraba State is endowed with vast mineral resources, including limestone, kaolin, and gemstones, the government is taking strategic steps to harness this potential, through some Mining Sector Reforms. These reforms are creating the enabling environment for investors, while ensuring sustainable mining practices.Jobs are also being created in the process, as more hands are engaged in the overall value chain.
All things considered, the state in now deep into the serious business of economic diversification, by leveraging its mineral wealth to boost the economy and fund developmental projects. And security in important for all of this to happen.
There is Community Policing, which is engaging local communities in security efforts to foster trust and collaboration. The stare government is providing modern equipment and training for security agencies, in addition to Conflict Resolution Mechanisms; implementing programs to address communal clashes and promote unity.
Therw is also the Taxpayer Education Initiative, for willing compliance, through a proactive approach to taxpayer education. This is helping yhe citizenry to understand the importance of taxation in nation-building. The state is embarking on awareness campaigns, using radio, television, and social media, to educate taxpayers on their rights and civic responsibilities.
Simplified Tax Processes have also become a tool for making it easier for individuals and businesses to comply with tax regulations. Added to the foregoing are transparency and accountability parameters, which are seen in the governemnt’s open demonstration ofhow tax revenues are utilized. This further fosterertrust and willingness to pay.
In sum, Taraba State is doing well today, but it must avoid any premature celebrations. Good governance is always a work in progress. The state must remain forward looking, as it expands the frontiers of impact in every positive sphere. The retrogressive forces that have held the state down for so long are not resting. Therefore, the progressive forces of today should endeavour to stay awake 25 (not 24) hours every day. enought said.
![[OPINION] How Not to Kill Businesses Operating Outside Free Trade Zones - Obinna Chima](/media/k2/items/cache/7e4895a6bcb6f90abd537354d99632e0_S.jpg)
Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) contribute to improved living standards, bring about substantial local capital formation and achieve a high level of productivity. They have also been identified as a vehicle for employment generation, as they provide opportunities for entrepreneurial training and manpower development.
Also of importance in any nation are indigenous enterprises because they offer huge opportunity for both cultural preservation and economic progress. Resilience, creativity, and the incorporation of cultural values into corporate operations are frequently linked to their success. All over the world, governments take deliberate steps to make sure that SMEs are nurtured.
This is why a recent revelation by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, that companies operating in the nation’s Free Trade Zones (FTZs) violate the law regulating their operations is deeply troubling.
According to Adeniyi, who disclosed this at a recent House of Representatives public hearing on the tax reform bills in Abuja, some of the companies operating in the FTZs go into Customs areas where extant tax laws are operational to conduct their businesses.
He said, “The sticky issue over the years has been the compliance of free trade zone operators with the provisions of the law. The law allows them to import every manufacturing input they need, 100 per cent sometimes, including things that are prohibited into the customs territory.
“In fact, a lot of those incentives were given to them to manufacture. However, the initial incentives were for them to export everything that they (imported OR MANUFACTURED?) inside this free zone. But from time to time, I think they started to develop loan proofs for the local markets. There have been reported violations of these provisions.”
In Nigeria, FTZs, also known as Export Processing Zones (EPZs) are geographically designated areas that offer special privileges to businesses, including tax benefits and reduced customs regulations for activities like importing, manufacturing and exporting goods. FTZs in the country include the Calabar Free Trade Zone, Kano Free Trade Zone, Lekki Free Trade Zone, Ladol Logistic Free Zone, Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, and Snake Island Integrated Free Zone. These zones were created to support the development of industries focused on exports and also to encourage businesses to operate with as low government interference as possible.
The primary purpose is to assist companies in the manufacturing, processing, and export of goods from Nigeria as they are exempted from payment of import and export duties thereby lowering their operational cost. Presently, most of the companies operating in FTZs in Nigeria have a significant foreign interests.
Regrettably, findings have shown that some companies operating within these zones flout the rules guiding their operations. Some of those who operate in the free trade zone that ought to focus on exporting their finished goods, end up selling them in the local market, thereby denying the government the necessary revenue. Besides, this creates unfair competition and unfair trade in the market place.
For instance, manufacturers who operate outside the FTZs that import raw materials for their production are charged Customs duties which range (from)REMOVE between 10 percent and 25 percent, depending on the item they are bringing into the country. After this, they bear the cost of production associated with the country’s harsh business environment before processing these raw materials into finished goods and they are sold to the market. For those who are into export business, they are made to pay the relevant duties and levies. However, those that have their plants located within the FTZs, when they bring in their raw materials, they don’t pay duties on the assumption that whatever they produce would be exported 100 per cent.
Therefore, after production, if they then decide to move their goods to the Customs areas, they ought to pay duties on the finished items. But unfortunately, due to alleged lapses and corruption on the part pf some regulators, these manufacturers now bring in their raw materials, process them, and instead of exporting these finished items as expected, they end up selling their products in the country.
What this does is beyond the loss of revenue to the government and the denial of the country the expected forex inflows, it also creates unfair trade to those manufacturers that are not fortunate enough to site their plants within the FTZs. This act is enough to throw them out of business.
Indeed, this is unfair (for)TO businesses trying to create jobs, most who pledge substantial part of their property and resources as collateral just to get bank loans at cut-throat interest rates and THEN some disingenuous people work round the clock to make these loans go bad because they are allowed to sell their products at cheaper price due to their low production cost. This clearly stifles innovation and undermines business growth as these struggling businesses are systematically being discouraged.
The federal government needs to take action to guarantee the continuous survival of businesses outside the FTZs by ensuring that operators abide by the rules of the game to save jobs.
Beyond the lamentation by the Customs CG, Adeniyi, there is also a need for increased supervision and monitoring by the NCS and other government agencies saddled with the responsibility of ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements and compliance by those operating within the FTZs.
Besides, some of these challenges can be dealt with through the use of technology tracking devices. The Federal Ministry of Trade and its counterpart, the Federal Ministry of Finance should deploy technological devices to track the importation of raw materials and follow through till they are processed into finished goods and exported, to address inefficiency and laziness on the part of some of the regulatory agencies and eliminate corruption.
The choice is clear: It is either the government protects these businesses outside the FTZs or watch them vanish. We cannot afford to let these economic saboteurs thrive. Therefore, its time to defend our entrepreneurs in order to build a truly resilient Nigerian economy.
![[OPINION] Netanyahu, Purim and the enemies - Gabriel Agbo](/media/k2/items/cache/a2ee3160b1df3b9a14ad558b9cf496f8_S.jpg)
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his recent Purim message responded to the continued threats of annihilation of Israel by the enemies of the Jewish state by reminding them of the biblical story of Haman. Haman obtained an irreversible decree to kill all the Jews in Persian and confiscate their properties. But before the date of execution, God intervened and Haman, his sons and the enemies of the Jews were killed instead. You know the story very well. We will come back to it later. Yes, I so much admire the dedication, love and courage of Bibi (as he is fondly called) to the cause of Israel. He is always ready to do everything necessary to protect and advance the interests of the Jewish state, especially the policy of never to allow the people go through the threats and victimization of the past. I see Benjamin Netanyahu in the mould of Moses, Joshua, Gideon and Samson. And thanks to his family that gave Israel three indefatigable brothers – Yonatan, Benjamin and Iddo that served in the elite IDF Special Forces, sacrificing their comfort and life. They left the comfort as the children of an American professor and training in Ivy colleges, migrated and joined the Israeli forces in the 60s and have played exceptional roles in defending the Jewish nation and its people.
Though this piece is not about the Netanyahus, but we will forever remember the sacrifice of the indomitable Yonatan ‘Yoni’ Netanyahu; that young Israeli Special Forces commander that successful led the rescue of about hundred Jewish hostages in from Entebe Airport, Uganda in 1976. That operation remains a reference in the study of rescue missions and special operations. Just go back and read the accounts again and watch the films. And you will be amazed by the professionalism, patriotism and courage exhibited by the planners and executors of that mission and what those guys could do as far back as the 70s. Ironically, only Yoni lost his life in that most-daring operation, but that was after terminating the terrorists, rescuing the hostages, sending them home. He and his men were retreating to board the plane and leave the place when he was cowardly shot by a Ugandan soldier hiding on the airport towers. The Jewish commandoes went back and cleared the place immediately and also inflicted an irreparable damage to the Ugandan Air force by blowing up most of the fighter jets and equipment on ground. Because of my love for the boldness and sacrifice of Yonatan. I dedicated my book / audiobook Power of Sacrifice to him. And it is now in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Finish, Swedish, French, Dutch, Chinese, Italian, German, Afrikaans, Indonesian, etc. Yes, there is no better time to remind the enemies of the Jews of God’s covenant of protection with his people than the Festival of Purim.
As you already know the Festival of Purim is an annual event to commemorate that spectacular, miraculous deliverance of the Jews from annihilation during the reign of King Ahasuerus of the Persian Empire in 5 BC. Haman; a Jew-hater was appointed a prime minister of the empire. And when Mordecai, a Jew refused to bow to him, the proud Haman got the king to sign an irrevocable decree to kill all the Jews - young and old, infants and women and confiscate their properties in a day. But God miraculously intervened when Esther and Mordecai mobilized all the Jews throughout the empire to fast and seek divine intervention. Their enemy Haman was hanged, Mordecai (a Jew was appointed in his place), and another decree was promulgated that countered the first, empowering the Jews to defend and kill their enemies. God delivered his people from certain destruction. Since then the Jews have been celebrating this dramatic deliverance and display of divine power till date. Yes, Bibi was right to remind the enemies of Israel that the God of Purim is still alive to protect his people. And also that there is still today unwavering, commitment, determined, patriotic and fearless Jews like Esther and Mordecai to sacrifice everything, including their lives to see that nobody, no nation, no interest or gang up will ever be given that chance to humiliate or threaten the existence of Israel again. This has always been sufficiently demonstrated since the establishment of the modern Jewish State. And that policy remains unchanged. Touch Israel and you burn your fingers.
But Haman is not the only example to be given to the enemies of Israel. Pharaoh messed with Israel and he, his commanders and horsemen perished in the Red Sea after the angels of destruction and death devastated his land. At that night of Passover, men and beast mourned and wept throughout Egypt. Sennacherib boasted and tried it. He even queried the ability of the God of Israel to deliver; comparing him with the gods of other nations that he had destroyed. I love the way God responded to this, “Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel... Because you rage against me and your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.” You already know how he ended. Then, three nations came against Jehoshaphat and Judah. God took over the battle and that enemies in confusion slaughtered themselves. Not one person survived. What of the mighty and proud Goliath? After boasting, harassing and humiliating the Israelites for days, his head was cut off and his people defeated. And can go on and on. Now, every enemy harassing you or the people of God will be displaced and cut off today in the mighty name of Jesus! Till next week, Shalom!
[OPINION] Refuting the Wild Claims About the Birnin Kebbi Aviation Fuel Depot - Abdullahi Usman
Admin![[OPINION] Refuting the Wild Claims About the Birnin Kebbi Aviation Fuel Depot - Abdullahi Usman](/media/k2/items/cache/54a1fbe9f0421ee83b9b791900b3192e_S.jpg)
It is always good to hear that evident improvements are taking place in one's dear state, and the March 12, 2025 report by the Kebbi State Commissioner of Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed BK, on the commissioning of a dedicated 180,000 litres capacity Aviation Fuel Depot at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport (SABIA), Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, is one such example.
Having said that, however, his mode of presentation on the significance of the said fuel depot has been grossly exaggerated beyond what is practicable, and it sure didn’t need to be so. Granted, government press handlers have this general tendency to want to always make their principal look good at every opportunity, but even that needs to be done with some reasonable degree of decorum, which has sadly not been the case here.
To a very large extent, the Commissioner may have achieved his primary objective of portraying his principal to the teeming familiar crowd of the gullible ones out there in the intended larger-than-life fashion. But to that same extent, he has also exposed his manifest lack of understanding and appreciation of the Aviation sector, especially as it relates to aircraft refueling operations and the strict sets of rules and procedures guiding it.
That fact alone has now presented a veritable opportunity in the form of a teachable moment of sorts that I would like to take advantage of to correct some of the obvious errors in his entire communication around the said aviation fuel depot at SABIA. To do that, we need to dispense with his ludicrous claims about the reported transformation of SABIA "from an unrecognized terminal to a hub of global aviation where flights now land not just for pilgrims, but also for refueling from various International destinations".
An online dictionary source defines an "international hub" as a "... central location, often an airport or a port, that serves as a major point of connection for international travel, trade, or logistics, facilitating the movement of people or goods between different countries*".
The question then is, when exactly did SABIA, Birnin Kebbi become an international hub, or a hub for global aviation, to use his exact words? Apart from the annual Hajj airlift operations involving a few dedicated flights as approved by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), and perhaps the occasional chartered Umrah flights here and there, which other international airlines land in Birnin Kebbi? Which destinations do those flights connect from there?
Secondly, I do not regard myself as an expert on aviation fuel refueling operations by any stretch of the imagination. But having headed the nationwide refueling operations of a major oil marketer for a number of years, during which I also doubled as the Secretary of the Aviation Managers Forum of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), I should certainly know a thing or two about the subject.
The aviation industry is one of the most regulated industries in the world for obvious reasons, and aircraft refueling operations are no less so. There are strict standards, processes and procedures guiding the establishment and operation of Aviation Depots, which the industry regulators and the airlines themselves do not joke with.
That is precisely why there are mandatory stipulated daily early morning checks in place that must be carried out by the jet fuel suppliers at their respective depots, along with the usual parameter tests at the foot of the aircraft that must be witnessed by the airline representatives before each refueling operation. The international airlines, on their part, do also carry out scheduled annual or spot inspection audits at the depots to ascertain their continuing adherence to the stipulated standards for such operations.
Even before such routine visits by the airline customers happen, the IATA Fuel Quality Pool (IFQP) inspectors, comprising a group of airlines that actively share fuel inspection workload and reports globally, must have inspected and certified your depot handling and refueling operations and processes and published their findings on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) portal for all member airlines to see. The initial and routine annual IFQP inspections are done using the Joint Inspection Group (JIG) standards, which is an international organisation that monitors and ensures that the transportation and storage of jet fuel in a safe manner across the world's largest airports.
The IFQP inspection and eventual certification, without which no international airline will ever patronise your refueling operations, remains one of the most eagerly anticipated and challenging periods for any Aviation Manager. It will be great to hear from the Commissioner when that took place in the case of the new aviation fuel mini depot at SABIA.
Away from the quality side of things, there is also the small matter of the constant availability of the product that, in addition to regular and timely replenishment, can only be guaranteed by the relative size of a marketer's secondary storage facility at the airports. The relative proximity of the secondary storage to the primary storage facilities is also a huge factor. And the farther away one is from the other, the bigger the secondary storage necessarily needs to be to guarantee a reasonable stockholding of a minimum of 6 days’ supply to your contracted airline customers on average at any point in time.
To address the all-important airport storage issue in a more cost-effective and holistic manner, marketers have been known to come together to jointly build and operate shared common storages like the Joint Users Hydrant Installation (JUHI) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, and the Joint Aviation Facility (JAF) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, for example. Just recently, on October 17th, 2024, the Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, commissioned the long-awaited 15 million litres capacity JUHI 2 in Ikeja, which adds to the JUHI 1 and the respective marketers’ individual storages there.
Again, the standard practice is that all airlines, both local and international, do have in place executed fuel supply contracts with the respective marketers that are renewed annually, even though some small operators and one-time visitors do make ad hoc purchases occasionally. The airlines execute such contracts with more than one marketer to spread their risks, as opposed to putting all their eggs in a single basket by way of having only one dedicated supplier. That way, in the event that one supplier runs out of Jet Fuel or Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), as it is also called, the other(s) can easily supply them. The suppliers must always put them on notice well in advance in the event of any anticipated supply disruptions, in order not to disrupt their schedules. For international airlines specifically, they usually have programmed slots on specific days of the week for their suppliers, and any of them can cover for the other in the event of supply disruptions affecting either of them. In the (un)likely event of a general scarcity affecting all marketers, however, the airlines are usually notified to come with enough jet fuel in their tanks and only top up with just about enough volumes to fly to the next destination to take in more.
I, therefore, struggle to rationalise the outrageous claim by the Kebbi Commissioner of Information and Culture where he stressed for emphasis that “it is on record that aircraft on international routes land at the airport for the sole purpose of refueling and moving on”. Apart from the requirement of the IFQP certification and the prerequisite of a subsisting business relationship between the depot operator at SABIA and the individual airlines that are both required to make that possible, the miserly 180,000 litres capacity storage does not even support such a claim. More so when there are numerous other marketers-owned and operated storage facilities with combined capacities running into millions of litres at the nation’s major international airports in Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt, where these airlines usually land and operate at.
With such readily accessible larger storage facilities at these four strategically located major airports across the country, I wonder what level of tomfoolery will push any serious international airline pilot to make a detour to Birnin Kebbi just to refuel at its mini depot that is the equivalent of a few of fuel tankers in terms of capacity. Aviation refueling is not your typical petrol or diesel refueling by Damfo or Molue commercial drivers, who may be at liberty to break their journey at will to refuel at any available roadside filling station, enroute their respective destinations.
Plus, the average ATK volumes consumed by these international flights in a single refueling operation is such that SABIA’s 180,000-litre capacity storage will not even be attractive enough. Just by way of illustration, a DHL Cargo flight from Lagos to Johannesburg will take an average of 65,000 litres of jet fuel during refueling, for example; a British Airways flight to London Heathrow with require around 70,000 litres; just as a Delta Airlines non-stop flight from Lagos to Atlanta will consume between 120,000 to 130,000 litres. Pray, what will be left for the depot operators’ local airline customers after a single refueling operation?
The fact that one or two local airlines flying into Sokoto might have ran into a possible stockout situation at the Sir Abubakar III International Airport and detoured to Birnin Kebbi to take a few thousands of litres is not enough justification to make such wild claims about international airlines refueling there. If it holds true, the Commissioner should please release the names of those airlines and the respective dates they stopped over just to refuel.
In conclusion, I am saying all this just to let the author understand and recognise the untenable slant to his wide-off-the-mark claims, and to urge him to please desist from making such embarrassing submissions that are not backed by logic or facts in the future.
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There is fire on the mountain
And nobody seems to be on the run
Oh, there is fire on the mountain top
And no one is a-running
I wake up in the morning
Tell you what I see on my TV screen
I see the blood of an innocent child and everybody’s watching
Now I’m looking out my window
And what do I see?
I see an army of a soldier man marching across the street, hey
Hey, Mr. Soldier man
Tomorrow is the day you go to war
But you are fighting for another man’s cause and you don’t even know him
Oooh, what did he say to make you so blind to your conscience and reason?
Could it be love for your country? Or for the gun you use in killing?
So, there is fire on the mountain
And nobody seems to be on the run
Oh, there is fire on the mountain top and no one is a running…
(Asa on ‘Fire on the mountain’ (2007)
Everyone can see clearly now that there is fire on the mountain in Rivers state and nobody in authority in the state and national capitals seems to be on the run. Oooh, we can wake up in the morning and can see on television live stream how a governor can be locked out of the parliament in the state he governs. And the hit-man in the power struggle in the federal capital can be seen at the same time on the same television screens, vibrating that if the humiliated governor is impeached, heavens will not fall. Indeed we now have a country of anything is possible. That is why it is important to appeal to our leaders in Abuja and Port Harcourt to borrow from the brilliance and light of the ancient word that the bush is still burning with fire, but behold the bush isn’t consumed yet.
Yes, it isn’t a time to beat chests – to damn consequences of fire because we have the power and cruise control over violence. It is a time to build the peace in the interest of our country of complex diversity. It is a time to recall the warnings through the ancient words that our tongue is the most sensitive part of our body and so can trigger the wildest of fire that can reach the mountain top that Asa’s allegory teaches today. There is power in the words our leaders in Port Harcourt and Abuja use at this time. What is more, our leaders in Abuja should note too that this is a time to invoke the power of this phenomenon called attitude, yes attitude! That is the weapon needed at this time to quench the fire on the mountain in Rivers state, not to become ‘Rivers of Blood’. We don’t want Asa to see an army of a soldier man marching across the street, hey
Hey, Mr. Soldier man, Tomorrow is the day you go to war…’
We should heed the warning of our daughter, Asa and ask our careless leaders everywhere Oooh, what did he say to make you so blind to your conscience and reason? Could it be love for your country? Or for the gun you use in killing?
We have seen the fire on the mountain. Let’ us with a gladsome mind, denounce our leaders who say we should not be on the run. Let’s not wait for the fire to consume us, as it did in 1966, when the same fire in the form of ‘operation wetie”, consequentially diminished our independence, took away our federalism after consuming some of our founding fathers. There is already a great deal of crisis of coherence between Abuja and Port Harcourt where our great son, Chinua Achebe would have recast W. B Yeat’s poem: “The second coming” he used in ‘Things Fall Apart’ to our leaders: “Excuse me Sirs, behold, things are falling apart in the Garden City; the centre cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world…”
Even observers who are not part of the crisis would want the powers in Abuja to note that the reason they are in office and in power is to settle conflicts arising from our development strides. They should not be part of the problem in the interest of next elections. The optics isn’t quite good for our leaders at this time because we the people are seeing the way they place politics over governance. The President has appealed that the law should rule in Rivers State where there is a political crisis that involves a member of his cabinet and the governor of the state. But let’s review what happened on the day the Governor reportedly appeared to begin implementation of the president’s appeal. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, via a live media chat, scoffed at threats of consequences over purported plans to impeach Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, saying the sky isn’t going to fall if he is impeached.
The minister’s comments came after the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule denied Fubara access to the Assembly premises for a re-presentation of the 2025 appropriation bill, which was ordered by the Supreme Court. The governor said he was prevented from entering the compound, despite the fact that he had notified the Assembly of his intention to visit in view of their request that he re-presented the 2025 appropriation bill. In response to the Governor’s claim, the Rivers State Assembly officials said the Governor didn’t inform them as claimed. While this drama was taking place in Rivers state capital, former Governor of the State now FCT Minister who is now associated with the crisis in the state was on television blasting the same governor, Fubura and his cohorts in the state.
The relationship between the governor and the legislature, peopled mainly by Wike’s loyalists, soured early in his tenure following political disagreements with his predecessor, Wike. Things seemed worsening for the governor recently after the Supreme Court reinstated the Amaewhule-led legislators. But foremost group of elders from the oil-producing region, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), asked President Bola Tinubu not to consider any party to the crisis superior. PANDEF urged Tinubu to take decisive steps to resolve the escalating crisis, contending that a win-win outcome must be sought outside the courts. The group urged the president to prevail on Wike and Fubara to prioritise peace and seek a lasting solution.
Similarly, Ijaw National Congress (INC) reiterated its position that if Fubara was impeached for any reason, the consequences would be too heavy for the Nigerian state to bear economically. Urging the president to prevail on Wike and Fubara to seek an amicable resolution for the sake of peace and stability, INC said it was concerned by the prolonged political impasse in the state.
However, addressing some of the latest concerns on the Rivers crisis, Wike described PANDEF, whose members met Tinubu to try to proffer solution to the festering political crisis in the state, as an unreliable organisation made up of political merchants, only motivated by money.
Wike, who spoke on a live television interview, said if Fubara had, indeed, breached the tenets of the constitution and the House of Assembly deemed the infraction an impeachable offence, then the governor should be impeached. He stated, “If you have committed an offence to be impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offence? It’s provided in the constitution. And let me tell you, and I have heard people say, ‘oh, if they impeach him, there’ll be breakdown’ and all that. “Rubbish. Nonsense. Who is he? Nonsense! “Who is not a militant? Who cannot blow up the pipeline? Why do you arrogate this power to a certain group of people? The Ijaw people are the only people who can blow a pipeline? What nonsense is that…?
Now in the complex logistics of everyday life, perceptions have gone far into shaping decisions. Most people have noticed that only the powers in Nigeria could have allowed enigmatic Wike to be talking the way he talks about the crisis in the state he has governed. The president keeps putting everything at the doorstep of the governor when there are two parties to the dispute. Insiders and observers, still believe that the last agreement the president asked the two parties to sign when he first intervened last year was skewed in favour of the other party and the governor’s people can thus perceive that the agreement was not drafted by neutral men. This may not represent the truth but that is what perception does when conflict resolution mechanisms are mismanaged. Besides, after the PANDEF’s meeting with the President at the Villa, officials of the socio-cultural organisation have claimed that there were various issues tabled before the president who picked only the Rivers matter and ignored the rest socio-economic and infrastructure challenges in the south-south region. They have alleged that the President kept emphasising to the governor to obey the Supreme Court’s controversial judgment as the only panacea to peace there. But critics on the other side would be quick to remind the same president that his government too hasn’t implemented the judgment of the same Supreme Court regarding local government autonomy, delivered six months ago. Critics have also quickly added that the same government has also refused to obey the judgment and order of the court of appeal against the National chairmanship of NURTW, which was against his staunch supporter, MC Oluomo who is illegally occupying the seat, against the judgment won by one Baruwa.
So, the president’s position in condoning Wike, the minister of FCT, to be insulting Niger Delta elders and even governors in the middle of strategy to resolve a dangerous crisis is what a literature in English teacher would easily call a tragic error. There can be only one consequence: emergence of a tragic hero in the denouement. From the body language of the Nigeria’s leader, the opposition leaders in this regard are bound to perceive that the president sees the governor as the problem and Wike as the victim. Would you blame the governor’s men therefore if they shout that Wike is provoking them to play into the hands of hit-men in Abuja who are in a hurry to trigger causes for a state of emergency as things get out of hands?
It is hoped that all the stakeholders and crisis merchants, in this regard, understand the dynamics of Nigeria Delta politics, particularly Rivers state that is historically crisis-prone. We need to speak this inconvenient truth to the Nigeria’s leader to take responsibility and call the hardworking and passionate Wike to order immediately. Reference to him (Wike) as a coordinator and factional leader of the now victorious legislators and the strange media chat he was allowed to address on the day and the time the Governor of Rivers state attempted to address the State Assembly according to the president’s counsel, diminished our humanity and the public space.
Our leaders in Abuja may not believe this, whatever is happening to the Governor of Rivers state who Senator Shehu Sani believes may be impeached soon despite suspicious interventions in Abuja, further diminishes the majesty of democracy and the rule of law. Security and welfare of the people of River state, is part of the remit of the Chief Executive of the Federation who cares so much about the sanctity of that responsibility. He can’t delegate his power (as president) to a clear leader of a faction in the conflict in Rivers state. The fire on the mountain in Port Harcourt requires that the President should be on the run – this time to put out the fire- before it is too late.
![[OPINION] An Uncommon Letter to Senator Natasha - Ugoji Egbujo](/media/k2/items/cache/ebe35d8aa2d42788ac59069de8e52119_XS.jpg)
Their desperation is telling. A long queue of senators hanging around TV stations to defend a man against allegations levelled against him by a married female senator. They said they were not hired. But even hired mouths would have been more circumspect.
Natasha, if indeed the man sought to know you carnally, you must not relent. You are his friend’s wife. You must stand strong and resist every act of intimidation. Against a court order, they brought forward a senate hearing and suspended you. That haste is not pure. A senate flagrantly flouting a court injunction to effect without a fair hearing a sanction the courts have repeatedly deemed illegal. Good people smell a rat.
At every turn, they do something laughable. Some market women are arranged to run around the streets in Uyo to vouch that their political deity, in spite of Joy Nunieh, was incapable of wanton randiness. But often, their actions are cringeworthy. The madam of the house, who should be withdrawn, praying and fasting, files a suit in court to seek redress. She believes that the allegations are false because her husband was well brought up as a child.
And that good upbringing having been tested in Uyo while he was governor with many buxom women working with him without scandals, makes the recent allegations untenable. So madam feels directly and vicariously injured. Because the allegations may have impinged on her reputation as a dutiful wife infinitely willing and capable of keeping her man in all-around satiety. I must confess at some point in the drama, I had searched the dictionary in the hope of finding a word fittingly descriptive of a ridiculous situation where people attend to grave allegations of misconduct with light-hearted buffoonery.
Senator Ogunlewe, on his part, agreed that the sanction was unjustified and illegal. But hinted that your problems are borne of your ravishing beauty. It’s possible. After all, the other women in the current senate have confessed that they had never been sexually harassed. And because they had not been harassed, they were probably willing to conclude that you were not harassed. Theirs seemed an envious conclusion.
Madam Tinubu was a little evasive. In one breath she said the senate was a mature chamber. Perhaps it was a place where people didn’t come looking too pretty. Or perhaps a place where people swallowed sexual advances as good-hearted banter and looked away. During her time at the Senate, Dino Melaye had said he could impregnate her. The public rose to her defence against a bully. They almost exchanged blows. Yet while on your matter, she suggested that women in the senate should know how to ‘shut them down even before they start’. In other words, if the lecherous ones chose to start, it was your duty to stop them quietly, without making a fuss like an irreverent lass. That must be her conception of maturity. But she didn’t say if it was also your job to stop them from victimizing you for refusing to yield.
Senator Olujimi was also on TV. Her disposition was matronly. She said Akpabio was fond of jokes. So he must not be judged by what he says. Perhaps the jokes could include, ‘If you like my house, we can sneak back here one of these days to have a good time ‘. The kind of of lewd joke that would be all too benign amongst louts in a motor park. So perhaps you must have mistaken a joke for a sexual advance. She said while she was in the Senate, she saw first-hand the suffering of men. She looked pained as she spoke. So, I guess part of your brief as a woman in the senate is to give some succour to your male colleagues whose feeble hearts are saddled with the weight of the world and the turbulence of male hormones. One after the other, current and former senators queued up to trivialise the sexual misconduct allegations
A certain senator wrote the public. He used to be a student union activist. Now he leads a rubber stamp senate. His concern was that the public was mistaken in thinking that you were punished for alleging sexual harassment. He said you were pushed for breaking Senate rules. The senate rule you broke to earn six months summary suspension was speaking out of turn, right? And when you told them that your reaction was a result of the frustration you felt from sexual harassment, they didn’t bother to listen. Anyway, you said he had warned you that his fate was, in a sense, tied to Akpabio’s.
Some said you didn’t provide any evidence. They wanted the evidence but didn’t want to countenance an ethics committee investigation into the allegations. Even the sex-for-marks picture you painted for them didn’t make them sober. So I will paint another. If a female student deemed insolent towards her school principal raises an allegation of sexual harassment to explain her behaviour, how can she be punished before her allegations are investigated? To hurriedly suspend her before listening to her is to take sides with the principal.
Every day, clownish protesters lay siege to the Senate. It’s become a circus. In a grand obfuscatory operation, protesters protesting against Natasha’s protest arrive in time to muddle the protest waters. The real protesters are denied a voice by the fake protesters. Madam has gone to court. When you eventually get there, assuming you want to file a sexual harassment case, you will meet her waiting. The strategy is crude and comical but effective in a banana republic where the public has a short attention span and fleeting memory.
They are willing to repeat a hollow vote of confidence ritual every day to keep all senators reined in. They are also willing to perpetuate the absurdity of confirming your sanction every day in total disregard for law and morality. Soon, they might set up a condolence register and start receiving condolence visitors. The loyalty being exhibited is almost cultish. But we all know Nigerian politicians. They are susceptible. They can easily opt to become shoeshiners for any wily fellow in supervisory authority who uses power, privileges and cash deftly.
Yet there is something they haven’t tried. Perhaps they will get to it. After all, this is the age of the Cybercrime Act. A law that has been abused by the powerful to throw outspoken people into prisons for months for saying what they didn’t like. Now that you have made the allegations loud outside the Senate, where no immunity covers you, you have to get ready.
That brings me to the last point. I hope you have a joker. Not necessarily a video recording as demanded by those hired protesters and other jesters. But something that can make a bully step back. If you don’t you might eventually be crucified. However, if you are standing on the truth, then stand still. Fear nothing. The truth is all that ultimately matters. If he made sexual advances to you and has tried to press you into submission, never give up. It doesn’t matter if you have no proof. The truth will set you free even if you go to prison. The best freedom is internal freedom. The peace of the mind that truth gives.
![[OPINION] Abdulsalami, Wike and June 13 - Tunde Olusunle](/media/k2/items/cache/557a22c50bc93606ed1ef542cbaa550d_XS.jpg)
Since Nigeria’s last military ruler, Abdulsalami Abubakar handed over the reins of power to a democratically elected government on May 29, 1999, his visage has undergone very remarkable transmutation. Abubakar, a four-star General, handed over to a more senior colleague, Olusegun Obasanjo, who previously led Nigeria as military Head of State, between February 1976 and October 1979.
Abubakar, hitherto known for his clean-shaved chin characteristic of the martial vocation, has since worn a luxuriant grey beard. He had a long and successful career in the military which spanned 36 years. The first three years of his military stewardship were spent in the Nigerian Airforce. This was before he switched over to the Nigerian Army in 1966. Every morning in the course of his remarkable career, he stood before the mirror in his bathroom to give himself that smooth, clean face. Rare exemptions from this norm in the armed forces were small numbers, more specifically from the Nigerian Navy. Perhaps because they regularly have to be on the waters and seas, they had something of an exemption from the age old tradition of clean chins in the military trade.
Onetime military governor of the old Niger State who would subsequently become Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Murtala Nyako, was the first military officer I noticed spotting a beard. Subsequently, Emmanuel Olu Omotehinwa, a Rear Admiral, (of blessed memory); Jubril Ayinla, a Vice Admiral, and Amadi Ikwechegh, a Commodore, were other officers whose profiles were defined by their well-kept beards. It would seem Abdulsalami Abubakar was in a great hurry to transmute into a new brand, in retirement. He really coveted a change of looks. Barely had he quit the political stage therefore, than he emerged with his now characteristic brand new grey look. In nearly 26 years now, Abubakar has settled into farming, which seems to be the pastime of many former military leaders. Obasanjo blazed the trail with his famous Otta Farms, back in the early 1980s. Nyako earned the alias Baba Mai Mangoro, (father and farmer of mango on an industrial scale), on account of his humongous investment in agriculture back home in Adamawa State.
Africa is one continent where the allure of political power has culminated in the transmutation of many leaders into sit-tight despots. Abdulsalami Abubakar won global plaudits for pursuing and delivering transition to democracy within a relatively short period of 11 months. He had promised the world at the United Nations General Assembly, (UNGA) in September 1998, that he was a man of his words. He decidedly therefore, differed from the rhetoric of one of his predecessors who popularised the duplicitous refrain: This administration will not stay a day longer in office than necessary. Abubakar delivered to global adulation, with hopes that Nigeria with its enormous human and natural capital, could provide the desired leadership to unlock the potentials of Africa. Nigeria previously exhibited aspects of its capacity and capability when it almost singlehandedly funded and led a 10-nation multinational military force between 1990 and 1999, to restore peace and democracy in Liberia and Sierra Leone. It was the first ever such Africa-initiated and driven military coalition, which was largely successful.
Abdulsalami Abubakar thereafter, became the toast of the world. He has chaired the Commonwealth Observer Group for Zimbabwe’s parliamentary election; served as Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General to the Republic of Congo, and led the Carter Centre delegation for the monitoring of the Zambian national elections. Abubakar has functioned as President of the African Strategic and Peace Research Group; as Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS); Facilitator/Mediator for the Liberian Peace Talks, and Special Envoy of the Chairman of the African Union, (AU) to Chad and Sudan. He has been the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Gambia; Member of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan, (AUHIP), and is presently working for the AU on negotiations in Sudan.
In August 2023, Abubakar, now a renowned statesman, led the ECOWAS delegation put in place by Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, to intervene in the political crisis in neighbouring Niger Republic. Within weeks of his inauguration as Nigerian President, Tinubu was entrusted with the leadership of the regional body and the Nigerien crisis was the first test of his problem-solving capability. The Abdulsalami Abubakar team engaged with Nigerien putschists, who toppled the democratic government hitherto led by President Mohammed Bazoum, in Niger Republic, in consonance with its mandate at the time. Accompanied by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, himself a retired Brigadier-General, Abubakar’s group held bouts and bouts of meetings in Niamey, with the coup leader and former head of the presidential guards, Abdourahamane Tchiani, to no avail. Such has been the ever growing international stature of Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Back home, Abdulsalami Abubakar continues to avail Nigeria his time and aggregate experience in various ways. He chairs the National Peace Committee, (NPC), which is principally committed to the peaceful conduct of elections. The NPC routinely brings together political gladiators to a common table, admonishing them to commit to eschewing rancour and violence, during the electoral process. He is the Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PAMO University of Medical Sciences, located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He has continued to receive honours and accolades from various agencies and institutions. On October 15, 2016 for instance, the Abeokuta-based Crescent University, honoured him with a doctorate in Public Administration. Such is the manner of ascendancy Abdulsalami Abubakar’s stock has continued to elicit.
Back in October 2021, I had written about the tragic inferno which consumed the Ebeano Mall, a one-stop shop for residents of the districts abutting its location in Abuja. It was widely adopted as the indigenous variant of Shoprite, in districts contiguous with its location. The wholesale destruction was ascribed to the mischief of a little girl shopper who reportedly lit a match stick and threw it in a section of the huge store, where explosive products were kept. This culminated in a huge fire and bomb-like blasts. This subsequently brought Ebeano Supermarket down and has remained bothersome to me, given the magnitude of this private investment. I was listening to the radio in my car one of those days as I drove around trying to clear a mental block. I heard that that same edifice which was razed to rubble during that unfortunate incident, had indeed reinvented itself like the Sphinx! Out of curiosity, I decided to course through the Apo/Gudu/Gaduwa/Lokogoma conjoined districts in Abuja, so I could see with my own eyes the magical resurrection of the supermarket.
As I drove, my eyes caught this huge billboard on the road linking Gudu market with the Ebeano end of the road. It is a single lane which I was told was built by the proprietor of Ebeano Supermarket, in exercise of corporate social responsibility. Uncovered concrete drainages, run on both sides of the road. Sand silts in the drains were being evacuated as I moved and patchwork on failed sections of the road by direct labour was in progress. The billboard I saw announced that the shop was indeed back. The gridlock at the Lokogoma end of the road meant commuters could only snail along. I looked at the same signboard again and observed that the road we were plying, is named Abdulsalami Abubakar Road after all! I read the board a second time and was reminded that it is indeed the geographical memorabilia assigned to the name of the former Head of State.
As you drive around Nigeria’s capital Abuja, names of prominent Nigerians, Africans and global figures reverberate from signages across the city. They rejig your sense of history and geography as they beam from street and road markers. The Ahmadu Bellos, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsis, Yakubu Gowons, Obafemi Awolowos, Murtala Mohammeds, Olusegun Obasanjos, TY Danjumas, Shehu Shagaris, Alex Ekwuemes, Muhammadu Buharis, Ibrahim Babangidas, Ebitu Ukiwes, Sani Abachas, Atiku Abubakars, Umaru Yar’Aduas, Goodluck Jonathans, Bola Tinubus, Oladipo Diyas, Mike Akhigbes, breathe from major roads and monuments. The Nelson Mandelas, Sam Nujomas, Robert Mugabes, Jimmy Carters, Bill Clintons, Margaret Thatchers, Andrew Youngs, Jesse Jacksons and similar global figures are immortalised by the affixing of their names to reputable landmarks.
Abdulsalami Abubakar was one of the dignitaries who attended the public launch of Babangida’s memoir, A Journey in Service last February. Babangida used the opportunity to clarify his role in the contentious annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, under his regime. This has continued to generate robust conversations, especially against the backdrop that Babangida put the blame squarely at the doorstep of Sani Abacha, his Chief of Defence Staff and Minister of Defence who is not with us to state his side of the saga. Abacha torpedoed the Interim National Government, (ING), which Babangida hurriedly put together as he scurried off in retirement to his home state, Niger. General Abdulsalami Abubakar turns 83 on Friday June 13, 2025. For his uncommon integrity in fulfilling his promise to berth democracy timeously in Nigeria, for his continuing service and commitment to Nigeria and the world at large, a road named after him in Abuja, the capital city of his country deserves a planned face-lift.
With the approach of Abdulsalami Abubakar’s 83rd birthday on Friday June 13, 2025, Nyesom Wike the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), needs to “bake” a very befitting “cake” to commemorate the event. Abubakar midwifed the uninterrupted democracy we have savoured in nearly 26 years now, much as the citizenry have been successively shortchanged by various regimes. Wike will do well to visit, assess and energise the professional and proper development of the subsisting backwater road, which is presently festooned with the name of Abdulsalami Abubakar. Let’s give honour to whom honour is due. Let’s
acknowledge this unobtrusive patriot now that he is very much with us. This is the most appropriate time he he will appreciate such an honour. We need to act expeditiously. We needn’t dither until the grey- bearded, soft-spoken old soldier goes the way of our forebears.
Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja.
![[OPINION] Ibom Deep Sea Port and Nigeria’s maritime economy - Etim Etim](/media/k2/items/cache/f2234103c20277465d3221d8cab50a0e_XS.jpg)
With a 129km coastline – the longest in the country – and many inland waterways, Akwa Ibom state is designing new schemes to exploit the huge potentials in its maritime economy. And this costs a lot of money. The government is building a deep sea port designed for very large vessels that can load over 13,000 containers in one voyage. It is a joint venture with the Nigerian Port Authority with the Singapore-based Global Maritime & Port Services PTE Limited as the transaction driver.
The government is pleading with the Tinubu administration for the full support of the federal government to realise the construction of the deep sea port as the other ports in the country, especially the ones in Lagos, are congested. In the meantime, the state government is also developing a modern maritime infrastructure in the coastal town of Oron to facilitate trade and water transportation, boost tourism and reap the benefits of the maritime economy. The project includes a terminal building, new cargo jetty, ferry jetty and joint task force (JTF) jetty.
There will be a high-capacity storage facility for warehouse, dry storage and cold room, in addition to the provision of shoreline and embankment protection facility. To boost water transportation between the state and neighbouring Cross River state, the government has already ordered Nigerian Naval Shipyard Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian Navy, to build two luxury ferries, one of which is expected to be delivered later this year. Each ferry will carry 150 passengers.
To encourage leisure and tourism, there is a provision for a garden at the beachfront and a facelift for the museum in the town. Rear Admiral Etop Ebe, the Superintendent of the Naval Shipyard, said the ferries would be built to international standards with consideration for safety and comfort.
The provision of a ferry service will essentially restore interstate passenger water transportation, which was the only mode of transport between the two states till the now dilapidated Calabar-Itu-Uyo highway was constructed in 1978. Gov. Umo Eno said at the flag-off of construction work that the project is meant to ‘’ignite the renewal and renaissance of Oron as a thriving beachfront town’’. Currently, over 1,000 workers are employed at this construction stage, according to Fassal Harb, the chief executive of Bulletin Construction Company, which is handling the project.
Developing the maritime economy, also known as the blue economy, is an important component of the governor’s economic blueprint. The blue economy creates jobs, drives up revenue, boosts tourism and recreation, facilitates transportation, and adds to GDP growth, among many other benefits.
Together with the N5 billion cash and equipment support the government is currently doling out to thousands of NMSES (nano, micro and small-scale enterprises), the new investments in the maritime sector should go a long way in stimulating rural economic activities. “My main objective is to create a secondary, rural-based economy in the state that will not only provide food to the urban markets, but ensures that our communities are more developed and livable,” the governor said.
With the investment in maritime infrastructure, the government is hoping to enhance food production through fishing and aquaculture. From generation to generation, Oron has been a major source of seafood in the country, and the provision of a cold room by the government as part of the infrastructural overhaul will further improve its supply.
Marine insecurity was a challenge in the past as pirates regularly mugged fishermen and farers. To curb this, Eno has created the ministry of internal & waterways security and appointed a retired army general as commissioner to curb security challenges in our waterways. The efforts have paid off. A marine JTF jetty and outpost together with solar-powered lighting will further enhance the security of the Oron beach.
Ibom Deep Sea Port is an important national infrastructure that the federal government ought to support wholeheartedly for the development of the maritime sector in the Gulf of Guinea. Nigeria will benefit enormously from it. Let’s get it done!