OTHERS' VIEWS
SUNDAY 1-DEC
Hearn confirms Joshua’s 2025 return date
https://reubenabati.com.ng/sports/hearn-confirms-joshua-s-2025-return-date
Why Nigeria Needs Tax Reform – Oyedele
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/why-nigeria-needs-tax-reform-oyedele
Okpebholo, APC Jittery Over Exposure Of Systemic Rigging In Edo, Lies To Cover Fraud – Obaseki
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/okpebholo-apc-jittery-over-exposure-of-systemic-rigging-in-edo-lies-to-cover-fraud-obaseki
CBN tells Nigerians to report cash withdrawal issues from December 1, banks to face penalties
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/cbn-tells-nigerians-to-report-cash-withdrawal-issues-from-december-1-banks-to-face-penalties
Local Government Autonomy….Concerns Mount Over Non-execution Of Supreme Court Ruling
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/local-government-autonomy-concerns-mount-over-non-execution-of-supreme-court-ruling
Tinubu Tax: North’s anger grows as youths attack Deputy Senate President
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/tinubu-tax-north-s-anger-grows-as-youths-attack-deputy-senate-president
OAuGF report reveals huge financial infractions in NNPCL, NUPRC, NMDPRA
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/oaugf-report-reveals-huge-financial-infractions-in-nnpcl-nuprc-nmdpra
Rivers: N27bn IGR behind Fubara, Wike rift, INEC now APC member – Adeyanju
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/rivers-n27bn-igr-behind-fubara-wike-rift-inec-now-apc-member-adeyanju
‘I Am Against Tax Reform Bills, It Gives Some States More Advantage’ – Ningi
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/i-am-against-tax-reform-bills-it-gives-some-states-more-advantage-ningi
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Congratulates New NUJ President And Executive Team
https://reubenabati.com.ng/news/state-house-press-release-president-tinubu-congratulates-new-nuj-president-and-executive-team
[PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Approves Funds for UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Institute in Nigeria
https://reubenabati.com.ng/news/press-release-president-tinubu-approves-funds-for-unesco-media-and-information-literacy-institute-in-nigeria
Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries over currency plans
https://reubenabati.com.ng/news/trump-threatens-100-tariff-on-brics-countries-over-currency-plans
‘From Secular To Sacred’ - Filmmaker, Mike Bamiloye Reflects On Transformation To Gospel Drama
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/from-secular-to-sacred-filmmaker-mike-bamiloye-reflects-on-transformation-to-gospel-drama
Darey Art Alade and wife Desola mark 18th wedding anniversary
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/dare-art-alade-s-wife-deola-celebrate-18th-wedding-anniversary
Sokoto NLC Suspends Planned Strike Over ₦70,000 Minimum Wage
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/sokoto-nlc-suspends-planned-strike-over-70-000-minimum-wage
Nigeria needs collaborative leaders for national progress - Peter Obi
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/nigeria-needs-collaborative-leaders-for-national-progress-peter-obi
How Tinubu’s fiery critics became spokespersons, loyalists
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/how-tinubu-s-fiery-critics-became-spokespersons-loyalists
2027: Atiku, Obi deny joint presidential bid after reunion
https://reubenabati.com.ng/feature/2027-atiku-obi-deny-joint-presidential-bid-after-reunion
Tax Reform Bill: Atiku Calls For Transparency, Inclusivity In Debate
https://reubenabati.com.ng/news/tax-reform-bill-atiku-calls-for-transparency-inclusivity-in-debate
[OPINION] If Nigerian Politicians Truly Lived The Bible, Good Governance Would Have Prevailed Since 1999 - Isaac Asabor
AdminMost Nigerian politicians claim to be Christians, with many invoking the name of God to appeal to Christian voters during electoral campaigns. It is not uncommon for politicians to subtly campaign in churches, especially those with large congregations, with some of the big five churches in Nigeria becoming their primary targets. Yet, when these politicians occupy various political positions, whether through electoral victories or political appointments, they often fail to live up to the values espoused in the Bible. Their actions, or lack thereof, seem to contradict the very principles they profess, raising the question: “If Nigerian politicians truly lived according to biblical teachings, would the nation not have experienced the good governance that has long been promised?”
The Bible offers clear guidance on leadership, integrity, justice, and compassion, values that should shape the actions of anyone in a position of power. However, since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigeria has witnessed a leadership crisis marked by corruption, self-interest, and poor governance. Despite many politicians openly professing Christianity, the gap between the biblical principles they espouse and the realities of governance in the country remains stark. This dissonance highlights a fundamental problem: if those in power were to truly live by the Bible, the nation would have undoubtedly experienced a transformation long ago.
The reason for the foregoing expectation from Nigerian politicians in Christendom cannot be farfetched as The Holy Bible is universally acknowledged as a timeless guide to moral and ethical living. With its wealth of wisdom, spiritual teachings, and practical counsel, it has shaped individuals and societies for centuries. In Nigeria, where many politicians openly profess Christianity, the Bible’s principles should ideally translate into their leadership style. Yet, the gap between what the Bible preaches and the realities of governance in Nigeria raises critical questions.
If Nigerian politicians truly internalized and lived by the teachings of the Bible as most of them are wont to claim, particularly ahead of an upcoming election, the nation would have long since experienced a transformation marked by integrity, justice, and compassion, principles at the heart of biblical teachings. Unfortunately, since the return to democratic rule in 1999, corruption, self-interest, and poor governance have been the defining characteristics of the Nigerian political landscape.
The Bible is replete with instructions on leadership, service, and accountability. One of its core messages is that leaders are stewards of God’s people, entrusted with the responsibility to lead with integrity and selflessness. Proverbs 29:2 states, "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."*This verse underscores the direct relationship between the character of leaders and the well-being of their citizens.
Jesus Christ’s teachings, especially in the Gospels, emphasize servant leadership. In Mark 10:43-45, He said, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." Imagine if Nigerian politicians embraced this model of leadership. Would the nation still grapple with endemic corruption and mismanagement, particularly in the Southern part of the country where Christians are in dominance?
Many Nigerian politicians openly identify as Christians, attending church services and making public declarations of faith. Yet, their actions often betray the core principles of Christianity. The Bible repeatedly warns against greed, dishonesty, and oppression of the poor, vices that plague Nigerian governance.
In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul warns, *"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." This verse is particularly relevant in Nigeria, where many politicians prioritize personal wealth over public welfare. The country’s resources, meant for the collective good, are often siphoned off into private accounts. Meanwhile, citizens endure hardship, with poverty levels remaining alarmingly high despite the nation’s vast natural wealth.
The Bible places a strong emphasis on justice and equity. Micah 6:8 encapsulates this ideal: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
If Nigerian politicians adhered to this principle, the judicial system would not be riddled with corruption, and public policies would prioritize the welfare of the masses. Instead, the country has witnessed a widening gap between the rich and the poor, with those in power using their positions to perpetuate inequality.
The failure to uphold justice has led to a lack of trust in the government. Citizens, particularly the youth, feel disillusioned, as promises of change and development remain unfulfilled. A nation guided by biblical principles would be one where the rule of law prevails, ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their status, are treated fairly.
The Bible calls for compassion and care for the less privileged. In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus highlights the importance of helping the needy, equating such acts to serving Him. Nigerian politicians often pay lip service to poverty alleviation while implementing policies that exacerbate the suffering of the poor.
The persistent mismanagement of resources meant for public welfare, such as palliatives during crises, reflects a lack of genuine concern for the people. If politicians truly lived by biblical teachings, initiatives aimed at reducing poverty would be executed with transparency and sincerity, leading to tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
The Bible offers numerous examples of leaders who governed with integrity and faith. King Solomon, renowned for his wisdom, prayed for discernment to lead his people effectively (1 Kings 3:9). Nehemiah, a cupbearer turned governor, demonstrated exceptional dedication to rebuilding Jerusalem, prioritizing the welfare of his people over personal gain.
These leaders understood that their positions were not for self-enrichment but for serving others. Nigerian politicians who claim to follow the Bible would do well to emulate such examples, aligning their actions with the principles of accountability and service.
For Nigeria to experience the good governance envisioned in biblical teachings, there must be a fundamental shift in the mindset and actions of its leaders. Professing faith without corresponding deeds is, as James 2:17 states, *"faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
Churches and religious institutions also have a role to play. Instead of merely endorsing political figures, they must hold them accountable, reminding them of their spiritual obligations to serve the people with humility and integrity.
Citizens, too, must demand accountability from their leaders, using their votes and voices to support those who demonstrate a commitment to biblical values in governance.
If Nigerian politicians truly lived by the teachings of the Bible, the country would have experienced good governance since the advent of democracy in 1999. The Bible’s principles of justice, integrity, and compassion provide a clear roadmap for ethical leadership.
The disconnect between profession and practice among many of Nigeria’s leaders underscores the need for introspection and genuine transformation. Until leaders align their actions with their professed faith, the promise of good governance will remain elusive. However, with a renewed commitment to living out biblical values, Nigeria can begin to realize its potential as a nation characterized by fairness, prosperity, and hope.
[OPINION] Defending Constitutional Supremacy: A clarion call to Senate President Akpabio and Speaker Abbas - Clifford Ogbeide
AdminIn any democratic society, the Constitution reigns supreme, serving as the cornerstone for governance, accountability, and the protection of civil liberties. Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) is unambiguous in its directives: public officeholders must adhere strictly to its provisions to safeguard the integrity of our democratic institutions. Today, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, President of the Senate, and Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, stand at a pivotal juncture, where their fidelity to constitutional principles is under scrutiny.
Governor Monday Okpebholo and Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa of Edo State must vacate their legislative seats in the National Assembly as required by Section 68(1)(d) of the Constitution. Their continued occupancy of these positions constitutes not only a constitutional violation but a direct affront to Nigeria’s democratic ideals. This matter is a litmus test of the commitment of our legislative leaders to uphold the rule of law and justice.
Key Constitutional Issues
1. Violation of Section 68(1)(d):
Section 68(1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution mandates that any National Assembly member who assumes an executive office—whether as Governor, Deputy Governor, Minister, or Commissioner—must vacate their legislative seat. This provision is unequivocal. It exists to prevent the simultaneous holding of legislative and executive powers, thereby mitigating conflicts of interest. The continued presence of Okpebholo and Idahosa in the Senate and House of Representatives is a flagrant breach of this constitutional mandate.
2. Obligation of Leadership Under Section 68(2):
Section 68(2) imposes a clear duty on the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House to declare such seats vacant upon receiving satisfactory evidence of an executive appointment. This is not a matter of discretion; it is a constitutional imperative. Chief Akpabio and Speaker Abbas are constitutionally bound to act decisively. Their failure to do so erodes the credibility of the National Assembly as a guardian of constitutional governance.
Safeguarding Democratic Integrity
3. Erosion of Representation:
Democracy thrives on accountability and representation. By refusing to resign, Okpebholo and Idahosa deny their constituencies rightful representation, thereby undermining the democratic foundations of the National Assembly. This is not merely a legal infraction—it is an affront to Nigeria’s democratic ethos, weakening public trust in the institutions designed to serve them.
4. Immediate Call for Bye-Elections:
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must act promptly to conduct bye-elections for these now-vacant seats. Such elections are essential to restoring both the legitimacy and functionality of the legislative body. The ongoing retention of these positions by ineligible individuals establishes a dangerous precedent that must be addressed immediately to prevent further erosion of the rule of law.
Implications for Democratic Governance
This situation transcends the specific case of Edo State and speaks to the broader imperative of upholding the Constitution as the ultimate arbiter in governance. If this breach is allowed to persist, it risks entrenching a culture of impunity, where elected officials believe they can flout constitutional mandates without consequence. Nigeria’s democracy is resilient but not invulnerable. Its strength lies in the unwavering adherence to the rule of law by those entrusted with leadership.
6. Global Scrutiny and Accountability:
As Africa’s largest democracy, Nigeria is under international observation. The world is watching how this constitutional impasse is resolved. Chief Akpabio and Speaker Abbas, the choice before you are clear: honor your constitutional duty, declare these seats vacant, and permit INEC to organize bye-elections for the constituents of Esan Central and Ovia Federal Constituencies.
A Moment of Constitutional Reckoning:
History will judge the actions taken in this critical moment. Will you choose to uphold the Constitution and serve as stewards of justice, or will you allow the rule of law to be compromised under your leadership? The people of Nigeria, democracy itself, and the global community demand decisive action.
The time to act is now.
Fellow Compatriot,
Clifford Ogbeide
Public Policy Analyst
Lake District, Alberta, Canada
“…This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the LORD.” 2 Kings 20:5
The healing and deliverance power of God is on you now! Stop crying! I thought you would have been dancing by now. Read the above verse again. Hezekiah’s case was an exceptional divine intervention in the bible - as yours will soon become. Now, people have in the past bluntly refused to bow to death. Some have either postponed or totally cancelled the experience. True. Elijah was taken to haven alive. Enoch just disappeared and nobody saw him again till today. Jesus was buried, the grave vomited him and he ascended into haven like a rocket. Melchizedek just appeared and later disappeared. Nobody knows his origin and ending. Yes, it is appointed unto man to die once, but what we are saying here is that Christians should not die untimely, suddenly, shamefully and without fulfilling all that God has for them. That is it!
Even when God told King Hezekiah that he should prepare to die, the man ‘refused’. Wow! Truly, there is nothing your relationship with God cannot achieve. With God all things are possible! The king was very sick and Prophet Isaiah was sent to go and deliver the “death bomb” to him, but before the man of God would leave the palace, within minutes, God sent him back to go and cancel the first message, “tell him that he will not die again!” My God! As you read this message, I cancel whatever first negative message that you had received. I say that you will not die now! You will not be destroyed and shamed! There are people that God cannot ignore in this life. True. You are coming out of that situation in the mighty name of Jesus! Let’s just read the story. It is very interesting:
“About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the Prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: ‘this is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’ When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, ‘Remember, O LORD, how I have always tried to be faithful to you and do what is pleasing in your sight.’ Then he broke down and wept bitterly. But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, this message came to him from the LORD: GO BACK to Hezekiah…”
2Kings 20:1-10
Since he assumed office as Nigeria’s Minister of the Interior on August 21, 2023, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has been promoted as a whizkid and a strategic planner who would introduce innovations in the ministry. At just 42, he ranks among the youngest ministers and one of the hot-heads that would stand out within the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Fittingly, the ministry of the Interior in which he supervises five key parastatals – among them the Security and Civil Defence Corps; the Nigerian Correctional Services; the Immigration Service and the Federal Fire Services – is one of the most challenging.
He didn’t disappoint in making promises to introduce reforms that are necessary to drive his vision. Of all the five agencies, he focused especially on the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and promised to excel where previous administrations failed. The Passport Office in the NIS is easily among the most embarrassing public service agencies in the country, with infamous records in snail-speed issuance of international passports. The personnel not only lack courtesy in attending to Nigerians, home and abroad, many believe they corruptly undermine whatever system is put in place to make their work seamless.
So, shortly after assumption of office, he had promised to introduce automation in the Passport issuance process and to dismantle all bottlenecks that hinder speedy issuance of Nigerian passports. He received plaudits for that.
One year after the reforms, how has he fared?
Considering the promises he made and the huge expectation by the public, he has not impressed. Apart from clearing the backlog of over 200,000 pending passport applications within two weeks of assuming office and increasing the costs of the passport booklets on the claim of improved security features, not much has come by way of any innovation. The agency moved the cost from N35,000 to N50,000 for the 32-page booklet with 5 year validity and from N70,000 to N100,000 for the 64-page booklet with 10 year validity.
On the crucial aspect of speeding up the process of passport issuance, the so-called reform failed spectacularly. Rather than the 2 week limit for issuance of passports which he announced gleefully earlier in the year, applicants still spend between 5 to 7 weeks to get their documents issued or renewed. Same with the policy for contactless renewal of passports introduced since March 2024 but which has not been achieved as applicants for new passports as well as renewals still appear physically at the offices for their biometrics to be captured.
The failed promise to get the passports delivered to applicants’ homes has added a scandalous dimension to what has become Tunji-Ojo’s failed promises at the Nigerian Immigration Service. Not only are the thousands of passport applicants deceived into opting for ‘home delivery’ in the online passport application portals and are made to pay the charges, the service – in most cases – is not being rendered.
While an indigenous supply chain company, the Greater Washington Express (GWX), with head office in Ikeja Lagos, was engaged for the project and deployed to the Immigration offices in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu and the headquarters in Abuja, the company has not engaged in any large-scale passport delivery services in any of the locations. The cooperation of the NIS staff, crucial for the success of the policy, has not been forthcoming.
After waiting for weeks for their passports to be delivered, to no avail, applicants who paid the N5,000 charges would get to the passport offices only to discover that while they stayed at home waiting for the delivery bikes, their passports had been produced and stockpiled in the Passport Office for weeks. So, why is this so? Enquiries at the Abuja NIS Headquarters gives the picture of what has flawed the service across the country. It reveals a disturbing scenario in which the process was being sabotaged by Immigration staff who deride the GWX arrangement as a process introduced by the Minister without proper consultation. Somehow, they have refused to flow with it.
A visit to the GWX office at the NIS headquarter was revealing: last week, a staff repeatedly told applicants who had came to collect his passports personally, that “there is nothing we can do on our own if the Immigration staff refuse to give us the list of the applicants who subscribe to the service as well as their passports and addresses for delivery.” Such altercations have become commonplace between the frustrated applicants, Immigration officials and staff of GWX. It paints a sorry picture of whatever reforms are being implemented.
Amazingly, the home delivery policy, like the contactless renewal policy, and all such policies that are meant to reduce the crowd that troop to the Passport Office daily, usually meet stiff opposition from staff of the Immigration Service. The reason is obvious to most Nigerians who know that the passport racket in which most Immigration officers engage, thrives on the crowd of desperate applicants that throng the Office. Cutting off the applicants becomes for them a ‘bad market.’
Indeed, the sabotage and mutual contempt between officials of the NIS and the GWX is deep, and it has been frustrating to thousands of Nigerians who are seemingly scammed of their hard-earned money. In November, total deliveries by GWX in Abuja account for less than 10% of the passports that are listed for home delivery, a feat that was achieved only through high-level interventions.
The question is: are the minister and the Comptroller-General of Immigratiom, Kemi Nandap ignorant of all these? While the cold war rages, is the GWX, whose staff doze through the working hours in their section of the NIS offices, being paid for services they are not rendering?
It is either the policy is not designed to work, or the Minister has not done enough in getting the Immigration staff to buy into it. Or both. Whatever the case, it is scandalous that in spite of the failure of the service, the agency continues to retain the subscription for it in the passport application portal. Worse still, the NIS which receives the payments has not deemed it necessary to refund applicants for the services they paid for, but which is not being rendered.
Sheddy Ozoene, Editor-In-Chief of People&Politics, is the Vice President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
An epic poet describes the Fulani hunter as “shepherd of wild animals.” The hunter is also the one “who knows the calm and wild forest, with its many dangerous paths…..” When a man so described describes you as a target, you had better go sew a dress of steel. If you are from the South-West and you can read, read this: “Our next target now is this geo-political zone. The south-west geo-political zone. You know we are good at getting the target. We will do all that is possible to bring them into the fold.” That is from Abdullahi Ganduje, immediate past governor of Kano State and incumbent national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He made the solemn pledge in Akure, the Ondo State capital, after his party’s governorship election victory in that state two weeks ago.
Now, which fold was Ganduje talking about? And who are the “we” that are “good at getting the target”? Ganduje is smart. He chose his words deliberately and carefully. The strongman from Kano has significantly stepped back from his earlier obsession with capturing Oyo and Osun states. He now targets the entire zone. For whom? It can’t be for the APC – the party already has two-thirds of the zone. In Adebayo Faleti’s ‘Ogun Awitele’ (Foretold War), a band of thieves sent a handwritten letter to a village head: “We are coming to rob your people in seven days’ time.” The tone of the letter rattled the Baale and his chiefs. If you are sure of the efficacy of your amulets, you swear by them. The leader of the band of thieves signed his name as Ajiboogunsoro (he-who-wakes-up-to-converse-with-charms). A significant takeaway from that moment of fear and anxiety is the village head’s charge to his security chiefs to always know that no matter how powerful the boastful invaders are, “you should always remember that you are hunters, they are thieves (ode ni yín, olè ni wón)”. What Ganduje, the big man, said is evocative of a deja vu. There is something in Nigeria’s political history that suggests today’s mission as an echo of a daring, fateful yesterday.
But, whatever the man might be saying, I suggest he and his “we” take time to watch closely the Eyo masquerade of Lagos and listen attentively to their songs. The Eyo seductively mock their challengers with a folk song composed for colonialism on the futility of its land-grabbing propensity. They sing: “The white man took Oluwole; Lagos did not utter a word. With ease, the white man took Marina; again Lagos was silent. Now, they want to take Isale Eko. They think we are dumb.” The Eyo actually use the Hausa word, Kurumo (deaf and dumb). The Kano man, Ganduje, understands perfectly the imagery of the speechless who is at the same time dead in hearing. I am very sure that no one ever takes the South-West as a zone of the invalid, deaf and dumb.
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is a former governor of Kano State. He has been the boss (and friend) of Ganduje from the beginning of time. In a speech he delivered at the convocation ceremony of Skyline University, Kano, two weeks ago, Kwankwaso claimed that “Lagos” was working hard to enslave the whole North. He said: “Today, we can see very clearly that there is a lot of efforts from the Lagos axis to colonize this part of the country.” Kwankwaso is an old war horse and a rambunctious power-player. You ignore him at your peril, and to your sorrow
You remember a gentleman called Festus Odimegwu, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Breweries Plc who was made the chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC) by President Goodluck Jonathan? In October, 2013, because Odimegwu said “No census has been credible in Nigeria since 1816”, Kwankwaso stormed the Villa and asked President Jonathan to sack the man as NPC chairman. Kwankwaso told State House correspondents after meeting Jonathan: “I also raised the issue of the chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, headed by one Festus Odimegwu. We are not happy about that appointment, and (we) think that it was a mistake. He (Odimegwu) had only worked in the alcoholic industry all his life. And my guess is that he’s taking a lot of his products and that is why we feel that his appointment is a mistake because he cannot be the chairman of NPC and at the same time attack what his predecessors have done.” With “automatic alacrity”, Jonathan obeyed Kwakwanso and asked Odimegwu to go on October 17, 2013. That is how you feel the power of power.
Ganduje was direct in naming his target: the South-West. Kwankwanso went poetic; Lagos was (is) his metaphor for the West. The man who wants to be president of Nigeria also spoke on tax collection. He said: “Today, we are aware that the Lagos young men are working so hard to impose taxes and take away our taxes from Kano and this part of the country to Lagos.” Who are Kwakwanso’s “Lagos young men”? And what VAT is Kwakwanso fighting over? VAT from confiscated products of “the alcoholic industry”? Or from the leveled groundnut pyramids of Kano?
Kwakwanso spoke about colonialism; Ganduje spoke about “getting the target.” Those two deserve more than anyone’s passing attention. Between them, Kano has been a captive cripple since 1999. Ibrahim Shekarau who acted during an interlude was Kwankwaso’s permanent secretary. The incumbent governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, is Kwakwanso’s son-in-law. Check the figures: How many poor people did they meet in Kano in 1999, how many do they have now? In his ‘The Psychology of Science: A Reconnaissance,’ Abraham Maslow wrote in 1966: “If the only tool you have is a hammer, it is tempting to treat everything as if it were a nail.” Some describe what Maslow propounded as the ‘law of the instrument’. Others say it is the ‘law of the hammer’. Yet, some other analysts prefer to christen it ‘Maslow’s hammer’ or ‘the golden hammer.’ For persons whose idea of leadership is all about slave raiding, zone targeting and capturing, their choice of mission will always employ the rhetoric of slavery.
While Ganduje and Kwakwanso are doing their own their ways, the third Kano man, Shekarau, has been busy setting up a group he calls League of Northern Democrats (LND). At a meeting with the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna some days ago, a more nuanced Shekarau spoke on why he is doing what he is doing: “This marks the beginning of what we hope will be a transformative coalition for Northern Nigeria to confront its challenges…The challenges facing our region – poverty, insecurity, illiteracy, religious intolerance, disunity, and diminishing political influence – are indeed serious. The North is today in an ugly situation…” There is a fitting quote here attributed to Albert Einstein: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Those who disfigured the face of beautiful northern Nigeria cannot now beautify it. You know what happened when the monkey insisted she wanted to beautify her child’s ugly face? She pushed the eyeballs deeper into the sockets. Monkey’s fingers are not structured to beautify anything. Take a look at them.
So, when I heard Ganduje say that his target was the South-West, I wondered why it is not his “target” that Kano’s groundnut pyramids are restored. And, when Kwakwanso said ‘Lagos’ was determined to colonise his “part of the country”, you should wonder why his rhetoric was all about power and not how to make his part of the country as safe and prosperous as the part where Lagos belongs. And Shekarau spoke about the North’s “diminishing political influence.” If I would counsel him, I would suggest that what the North of 2024 needs to regain its mojo is for its leaders to make the region safe by educating their young, and empowering and feeding their poor without enslaving them.
I call Kwankwaso, Ganduje and Shekarau the three musketeers of Kano. A soldier armed with a musket is a musketeer. In French history, we read of the Musketeers of the Guard (Mousquetaires de la garde) or the King’s Musketeers (Mousquetaires du roi). They existed to fight the king’s battles. Their exploits of guile, of swordsmanship and chivalry later spilt over to the plains of popular culture. Because of them, we have books and films with ‘The Three Musketeers’ (Les Trois Mousquetaires) as titles. The story of Kano since 1999 has been an intricate story of war and romance among those three musketeers who shared the years equally among them. They are not done with that city state, and with their North. They are not even done with the whole country. That is what you get when an elite band targets, captures and enslaves an enclave. Get your popcorn. They appear gearing up for war – with “Lagos”. And a good fight is coming.
In the roaring 1970s, the nationalist fervent was at a feverish pitch in the country and, the Pan- Africanist and independence fires were tearing through Mozambique, Angola, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Zimbabwe and Western Sahara. Also, there was fire in Soweto.
Our politics was positively influenced by people like Samora Machel, Ruth First, Nelson and Winnie Mandela, Robert Mugabe, Amilcar Cabral and Mwalimu Nyerere. Writers such as Wole Soyinka, Ngugi Wa’Thiongo, Peter Abrahams, Nadine Gordimer and Okot P’Bitek held our literary skies.
The music of Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Max Romeo was telling the youths to rebel against the oppressive system and remake the world. It was in the furnace of those volcanic eruptions some of Nigeria’s finest youths were baked. For them, there were no compromises to be made; it was struggle until victory. They embraced danger like lovers and saw no future without qualitative change.
They were married to revolutionary change till-death-do-them- part. Those fearless youths welcomed my generation to the campuses, nurtured and cultured us. It was in Ife I ran into the troika from Kano-Zaria: Yahaya Hashim, Abdulrauf Mustapha and Jibrin Ibrahim, popularly called Jibo. They had graduated in the mid-1970s and were building alliances to change the country and transform Africa.
It was as a member of the youth corps in Kano I first met Abdulkadir Isah Uguda, an intense mind who lived every second for revolutionary change. That was in 1982 and already, he was a veteran carrying the scars of struggles. This included his 1964 prosecution when he was a ten-year old Primary Three pupil. He was charged with furthering the aims of the opposition Northern Elements Progressive Union, NEPU.
He had also been expelled from the Kaduna Polytechnic and had his scholarship cancelled. His expulsion along with 14 other students followed national protests by the National Association of Technological Students, NATS, against somersaults in polytechnic education policies. This included changing the two-tier system of Ordinary National Diploma, OND, followed by one year industrial attachment and two years of Higher National Diploma, to a single three-year programme followed by industrial attachment. The students argued this was a deliberate lowering of polytechnic education standards.
The detained students, rather than be charged in the normal courts, were taken before Alkali courts where they were certain to be thrown into prison as lawyers did not appear in those Islamic courts. In fact, some of the students had already been sent to prison before their arraignment! When the 1979 Constitution was promulgated, radical lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, represented by Mr Femi Lanlehin, went to court and got the students freed.
Abdulkadir’s scholarship was not restored because the Kano State Scholarship Board which interviewed him said he did not convince it that he would no longer participate in student union politics. He joined the Immigration Services and became a member of the Customs, Excise and Immigration Staff Union, CEIMSU. He also became the Assistant Secretary of the Borno State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. Abdulkadir was later elected the National Vice President of the CEIMSU. As a national labour leader, he opposed the privatisation programme and rejected collaboration with the military rulers.
There were clashes between the CEIMSU led by Secretary General Bernard Odulana, and Interior Affairs Minister, Colonel John Shagaya. This eventually led to the proscription of the union. This was where Abdulkadir, despite being an officer of the para-military corps, rose to campaign against the proscription, thereby endangering his career. He fought the NLC leadership of Paschal Bafyau for collaborating with the military to proscribe the union. He told me: “It was the NLC that carried out the folding up of CEIMSU without even contacting the leaders who were contesting the obnoxious action…the ILO’s move to intervene was subverted by the NLC.” Today, even after retiring from service and, 35 years after the CEIMSU’s proscription, Abdulkadir continues to nudge the NLC and ILO to fight for the union’s de-proscription.
Jibrin ‘Jibo’ Ibrahim has spent his life building societal organisations and mentoring people for a better world. As a student in the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, he helped to develop the radical students Movement for Progressive Nigeria, MPN, into a fighting force for change. Although the members were repeatedly expelled by the authoritarian university administrators and he himself, endangered, he never gave up. He also helped to build a similar organisation at the national level called the Patriotic Youth Movement of Nigeria, PYMN. The PYMN was instrumental to the establishment of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, in 1980 and running it into the mid-1990s.
Jibo also helped to establish the Youths Solidarity Against Apartheid, YUSSAN. A firm advocate of women rights and equality, he was one of the founders of the Women In Nigeria, WIN, in 1982. Intensely intellectual, Jibo, a professor and advocate of the downtrodden, puts his prodigious knowledge at the service of the people by simplifying and making it available through his weekly columns. He is known for his religious-like advocacy and defence of fundamental human rights and expansion of the democratic space. This has seen him build and develop civil society organisations. He was the Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, and chair of the West African Civil Society Forum, WACSOF.
He is the leader of the social movements in Abuja and, when necessary, leads them in protests as he did in January 2012. One of the major reasons why Jibo attracts the young and is widely respected even in government circles is that he has a listening ear, is highly tolerant of other views and focuses on solutions rather than mere criticism.
Jibo is an example of a person who not just paid back, but gave far more than he was given. He had come to the School of Basic Studies and ABU at 18, never having heard of different cultures of progress, radicalism or Marxism. Those experiences and the fact that his generation had a good and high quality education irrespective of their social background, moulded his life. Since then, it has been how this has changed him and his comrades; transformed them and, how it has shaped the struggles they have undertaken.
Some of us stand on the broad shoulders of these fearless, selfless and principled fighters for a better universe and a New World Order. Abdulkadir Isah Uguda turned 70 on Monday, November 11, 2024 and Jibrin ‘Jibo’ Ibrahim reached this milestone 19 days later, precisely on Saturday, November 30, 2024. Nations that have such people are blessed. May Africa never run short of such people of vision and conviction.
How many times have you heard that phrase “No African time” and maybe if you naively wondered, what is African time? “African time” is a colloquialism that refers to the cultural tendency in some African countries, including Nigeria, to have a more relaxed attitude towards time and punctuality.
While it’s difficult to quantify the exact amount of time wasted due to “African time,” here are some common scenarios that might give you an idea: Meetings and events starting 30 minutes to several hours late (Infact if it starts 30 minutes late, it is considered an early start). Social gatherings and parties beginning later than scheduled, delays in responding to messages or returning calls, and crass ineptitude characterized by some ridiculously flexible attitudes towards deadlines and time commitments
Keep in mind that “African time” is a stereotype, and not all Nigerians (or Africans) adhere to this cultural phenomenon. Let me state that many individuals and organizations prioritize punctuality and respect for other people’s time, but they are few in comparison.
Let’s dive deeper into the concept of “African time” and its cultural significance in Nigeria.
The term “African time” is believed to have originated from the colonial era, when Western colonizers imposed their own time-keeping systems on African societies. This disruption of traditional time-keeping practices led to a more flexible attitude towards time.
The manifestations of “African Time“ in Nigeria
1. Flexibility: Time is viewed as a flexible concept, rather than a rigid framework. For instance:
– A meeting scheduled for 10:00 AM might start at 11:30 AM, with attendees trickling in at their own pace.
– A friend might ask to meet up at 5:00 PM, but show up at 6:30 PM, expecting you to still be available.
2. Relaxed attitude: People may prioritize social interactions and relationships over punctuality. For example:
– A family gathering might be scheduled for 2:00 PM, but the host might not mind if guests arrive an hour or two late, as long as they come with a warm smile and a willingness to socialize.
– A colleague might show up late to a meeting, but make up for it by bringing a plate of freshly baked pastries or a bouquet of flowers.
3. Adaptability: Nigerians often adapt to changing circumstances, including unexpected delays or setbacks. For instance:
– A sudden rainstorm might cause a traffic jam, forcing you to arrive late to a meeting. Instead of apologizing profusely, you might simply shrug and say, “Ah, the rain caught me!”
– A power outage might disrupt a wedding reception, but the guests might simply laugh and continue celebrating by candlelight.
– A wedding reception might be scheduled for 12:00 PM, but the food might not be served until 3:00 PM.
– A birthday party might start at 5:00 PM, but the cake might not be cut until 7:30 PM.
Painfully, this attitude strays and influences not just various aspects of daily life in Nigeria but very important aspects, imagine where start times may be delayed, and punctuality is not always expected at a doctor’s appointment, scheduled for 9:00 AM, but the doctor might not see patients until 10:30 AM. A business meeting might start 30 minutes late, but the attendees might spend the first 15 minutes chatting and laughing together.
In Nigeria, “African time” has significant implications for politics and governance, and this was the point I had said I was coming to;
1. Flexible Schedules: Government meetings, events, and even court proceedings often start late, with attendees trickling in at their own pace.
2. Delayed Decision-Making: The flexible attitude towards time can lead to delayed decision-making, as officials may not feel pressured to meet deadlines.
3. Inefficient Bureaucracy: The concept of “African time” can contribute to an inefficient bureaucracy, where tasks are completed at a slower pace.
4. Lack of Accountability: The relaxed attitude towards time can make it challenging to hold officials accountable for their actions and decisions.
5. Cultural Expectations: In some cases, “African time” is seen as a cultural expectation, where punctuality is not always valued.
On the last point above, rather than assume, I would preferably ask, how many times have you seem a top government official, a governor or minister arrive early, or on time for a meeting, an even whether business or social, in fact it is seen as demeaning for the official or dignitary to be at the venue early or on time.
We have seen election delays like the 2019 presidential election, which was delayed by a week, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) citing logistical challenges. We have been served ‘breakfast’ of Budget Delays, as the Nigerian government has consistently failed to meet its budget deadlines. Let me not even delve into the perennial delays in infrastructure, where the construction of major infrastructure projects, such as roads and bridges, often experience significant delays, with some projects taking years or even decades to complete or never completed.
The concept of “African time” in Nigerian politics and governance poses several challenges, we care less about the economic consequences of delays and inefficiencies, including lost productivity and revenue. The relaxed attitude towards time that erodes trust in government institutions and officials, how it leads to inefficient service delivery, including delayed or inadequate healthcare, education, and other essential services.
As Nigeria continues to modernize and integrate into the global economy, there is a growing recognition of the importance of punctuality and time management, I have seen the widespread use of digital technologies increasing awareness of time and promoting more efficient time management.
Interactions with people from other cultures have encouraged Nigerians to adopt more rigid time-keeping practices, Nigerians will still have a way of arriving at the airport late, but will seldom go for a VISA interview late and it speaks volumes.
To address the challenges posed by “African time,” it is essential to promote a culture of punctuality and respect for other people’s time. This can be achieved by implementing efficient systems and processes, fostering accountability, and encouraging citizens to prioritize punctuality.
In conclusion, “African time” is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that reflects Nigeria’s cultural heritage and historical context. While it presents challenges, it also painfully promotes flexibility, adaptability, and strong social relationships. By understanding and addressing the challenges posed by “African time,” Nigeria can promote a more efficient and effective governance system, ultimately benefiting its citizens and promoting economic growth and development.
[OPINION] It Is Bad Enough That Kemi Badenoch, The Daughter of An Immigrant, Wants To Tighten Immigration Law - Isaac Asabor
AdminKemi Badenoch’s rise to prominence as the first Black woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom is undeniably historic. Her story symbolizes the triumph of multiculturalism and the opportunities migration offers. However, her recent pledges to implement stricter immigration policies expose a troubling contradiction: someone who owes her position to the benefits of migration now seeks to restrict those very opportunities for others.
This paradox encapsulates the heart of the debate on immigration in modern democracies. While the UK Conservative Party, under Badenoch’s leadership, claims to address the strain of mass migration on public services, the rhetoric and proposed measures risk alienating immigrants, creating divisions, and undermining the principles of inclusion and opportunity that have long defined Britain.
In her speech at Westminster, Badenoch warned that the current pace of migration threatens to overwhelm public services and erode social cohesion. She announced plans to introduce a hard annual cap on legal immigration, tighten visa regulations, and review existing treaties to close loopholes. She argued that immigration must slow down to preserve housing, healthcare, and wages.
Her concern about the strain on public services is valid to an extent. The UK’s healthcare system, housing sector, and other public services face mounting pressure. However, blaming immigration oversimplifies the root causes of these challenges. This is as issues, such as underfunding, mismanagement, and policy failures within successive governments have significantly been fingered to have contributed to these problems.
Moreover, Badenoch’s insistence that immigrants must adopt British values and foster a cohesive national identity raises concerns about the potential for xenophobia and exclusion. Such rhetoric risks painting immigrants as a monolithic group resistant to integration, ignoring the diversity and contributions of the immigrant community.
Badenoch’s own life story is a testament to the opportunities afforded by migration. Born to Nigerian parents, her family sought a better life in the United Kingdom, a life that allowed her to rise through the ranks of the Conservative Party to become a symbol of representation for minorities.
Her call for tighter immigration policies, therefore, feels like a betrayal to many who look up to her as a beacon of possibility. It is one thing to advocate for balanced reforms, but it is another to promote measures that could block the very pathways that enabled her success.
Critics have likened Badenoch’s stance to pulling up the ladder after reaching the top, a metaphor for policies that limit opportunities for others once an individual has achieved success. This perception risks alienating her from the communities that have celebrated her achievements.
Immigration has historically been an engine of economic growth for the UK. Migrants fill critical labor shortages in industries such as healthcare, agriculture, and technology. They also contribute to public finances, often paying more in taxes than they receive in benefits.
Studies have shown that countries with open and inclusive immigration policies tend to experience higher rates of innovation, entrepreneurship, and cultural exchange. The argument that migrants place an unsustainable burden on public services overlooks these benefits.
Badenoch’s proposed annual cap on immigration could exacerbate labor shortages, particularly in sectors already struggling to recruit workers. The National Health Service (NHS), for example, relies heavily on foreign-born professionals. Restricting immigration could lead to longer wait times for patients and increased strain on an already overburdened system.
Badenoch’s claim that “without a shared national identity, our country will suffer” is problematic. It simplifies a complex issue and risks fueling divisive narratives about immigrants failing to integrate. Integration is a two-way process that requires both migrants and host communities to engage meaningfully.
The emphasis on “British values” raises questions about whose values are being upheld and how they are defined. Such rhetoric often ignores the dynamic and evolving nature of national identity, which is enriched by diverse cultural influences.
As a leader with a unique personal history, Badenoch is well-placed to offer a nuanced perspective on immigration. She could have championed policies that address legitimate concerns about managing migration flows while celebrating the contributions of immigrants. Instead, her proposals reflect a reactionary approach that risks alienating immigrant communities and perpetuating stereotypes.
Badenoch’s insistence that reforms are necessary to prevent abuses of the system and protect public services is valid in principle. However, policies aimed at addressing such concerns must be carefully crafted to avoid unintended consequences, such as deterring skilled migrants or fostering hostility toward newcomers.
Badenoch’s stance highlights the broader challenges facing Western democracies in balancing immigration policies with social and economic realities. The push for stricter immigration laws often stems from a desire to address public anxieties about change, yet it risks creating more problems than it solves.
For Badenoch, the stakes are particularly high. As the leader of a Conservative Party still reeling from electoral defeat, her policies will shape the party’s identity and future prospects. Recall she was elected as the party’s new leader, replacing former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who stepped down after the party’s disastrous performance in July’s general election. In fact, a hardline approach to immigration may resonate with certain segments of the electorate, but it risks alienating moderates and minorities.
On the path forward, it is germane to opine that true leadership requires a vision that transcends short-term political gains. Badenoch has an opportunity to redefine the immigration debate by advocating for policies that are inclusive, humane, and economically sound. She could address legitimate concerns about integration and resource allocation without resorting to divisive rhetoric or draconian measures.
Her focus should be on strengthening systems to manage migration effectively, rather than imposing arbitrary caps that could harm the economy and tarnish the UK’s reputation as an open and welcoming society.
It is bad enough that Kemi Badenoch, the daughter of immigrants, seeks to tighten immigration laws in ways that may shut the door on others like her. But it would be worse if her policies undermine the very fabric of diversity and opportunity that has made Britain a global powerhouse.
Migration is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be managed wisely. Badenoch must recognize that her legacy will not be defined by how she restricts immigration but by how she fosters a society where everyone, regardless of origin, can contribute and thrive.
The world is watching, and history will judge.
It has been long since I saw anything like it. Since last week, when the Senate turned down objections from some members and [hurriedly] admitted Federal Inland Revenue Service [FIRS] Chairman Zach Adedeji and other experts [interested parties, is more like it] to brief it on the contents of the four tax reform bills lying before it, a clerical and social media storm enveloped Northern Nigeria this past weekend. Leading Muslim clerics all over the region converted their pulpits during last Friday’s congregational prayers to lambast Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who chaired that particular Senate session [with Senate President Godswill Akpabio strategically absent], for allowing in the government officials to brief the Senate when it was not on the order paper.
Sure, it was a curious thing to do. DSP later explained that most Nigerians, including many members of the National Assembly, had either not read nor comprehended the fine details of the bills in question and the input of experts would therefore help. That is true, except that the right time to call them in would have been when the relevant legislative committees hold public hearings on the bills. This is not far away, since the Senate passed the bills for second reading, after which they will be referred to committees and all stakeholders can then come forward to make their inputs.
So why should such a small procedural misstep ignite so much passion and allegations? Well, because, in the past few weeks, the impression has been created, in the North if not in the rest of the country, that the Tinubu Presidency is hell-bent on ramming these tax reforms bills through, for that matter in great haste. Back in October, a major meeting of Northern state governors, traditional rulers and other community leaders objected to the bills and feared that they could reduce the Northern states’ takings from Value Added Tax, VAT, which today is a major contributor to the Federation Account.
Quite likely, the Presidency viewed that stance as political blackmail and proceeded with the bills, though that was unwise. Governors and traditional rulers from 19 states out of 36 is a sizeable number. Nor are they known rabble-rousers. Thirteen of the 19 Northern governors belong to the President’s own party, APC, which suggests that there was no harmony even within the ruling party on these bills. In Nigeria, state governors are the most politically potent persons after the Presidency. APC has a total of twenty state governors in the whole country, and if 13 of them sign on to the dissatisfaction, there will be no harmony even in the party’s National Executive Committee meeting.
To boot, they were joined in the protest by the North’s most prominent traditional rulers, including Sultan of Sokoto, Shehu of Borno, Emir of Zazzau, Etsu Nupe and Ohinoyi of Igbirra. Now, one may suspect that traditional rulers only do the bidding of governors. I don’t think that is the case because in recent decades, these traditional rulers include retired Army Generals, retired Police, Customs and Security Service commanders, big businessmen and even a professor or two. They are strong enough to pull back if they felt that the governors were taking them for a political ride.
The cross-party nature of the gathering should have also given the Presidency a cause for pause. Five of the Northern governors are PDP members, including the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum. One of them belongs to NNPP. All these non-APC governors have hot political issues with APC chapters in their states, so their coming together with APC governors on this issue should be noteworthy. At the very least, the views expressed by this gathering deserved engagement, education, enlightenment and persuasion in order to dispel their fears regarding the bills. As far as we could see publicly, nothing of the sort happened, though there may have been some moves underground.
Perhaps the Presidency did not want to cave in to the Northern leaders’ demand on these bills so as not to be seen in the West, and in the South generally, as having caved in to the North. Even if that is the case, it was much less understandable that the Presidency ignored the advice of the National Economic Council [NEC], chaired by the Vice President, to withdraw the bills from the National Assembly and allow room for more consultation. NEC includes all the country’s 36 governors. Its resolution was read by the Governor of Oyo State, who is not known to be anyone’s lackey and who in fact crossed party lines to help APC candidate Tinubu to win his key state in last year’s elections. Besides, no state governor has as yet come out to say he did not agree with the resolution. All they asked for was time for more consultation.
While many members of the National Assembly have been described as bench warmers and the Deputy Senate President himself suspects that many members have either not read nor understood the contents of the bills, state governors are on the whole of higher quality than the MPs. One of them is one of the country’s leading economists. Governors have more staff help than MPs, and almost every one of them must have assigned his commissioners and advisers to brief him on the implications of the tax reform bills with respect to his state. Besides, the Federal Government’s key economic managers, including the Finance, Budget and Planning Ministers and Governor of the Central Bank all sit in the NEC. The Vice President, who chairs it, is no push over in these matters either, as a former banker, state finance commissioner, two-term governor and senator.
It was shocking indeed when the Presidency publicly declared that it will not heed the request of NEC, the country’s highest economic advisory body, and that the bills should instead continue through the legislative process! Now, in a clime where the legislature has demonstrated visible capacity and independence, that would have been okay, because the MPs themselves can be relied upon to scrutinize the bills and admit the feelings of their constituents. I was once part of a media team that visited a US Congresswoman in Washington D.C, who chaired a House sub-committee. She told us that she had forty aides, including many researchers and pollsters. The latter constantly conduct opinion polls in her constituency to find out what her constituents are thinking before she takes a position on any bill.
Here in Nigeria, MPs may not have professional pollsters as aides [the “opinion polls” published ahead of last year’s elections were a fiasco] but they sure have their traditional means of knowing the feelings of their constituents. Quite often, they ignore these locals’ feelings in order to ingratiate themselves with powers in the Presidency or the party leadership. Why because, these powers can more predictably ensure an MP’s return to his seat in the next election than the feelings of his constituents. State governors are however a different kettle of fish. In most cases they were the ones that nominated, supported, bankrolled and in some cases, rammed MPs through to their seats. They could also undo them in the next election. When the Presidency and an MP’s state governor are pulling in different directions on this matter, then he or she is caught between a rock and a hard place.
When you take all these pieces of the jigsaw puzzle into consideration, it was inevitable that the impression was created in many minds that the Tinubu Presidency is bent on ramming through these four tax bills through the National Assembly irrespective of anyone else’s feelings. Such a stance naturally breeds suspicions. Matters are not helped by the widespread feeling that the current National Assembly is a rubber stamp which always does the President’s bidding. However useful and beneficial to the country a leader believes a certain measure is, it is a sacred duty to educate and enlighten citizens. An American professor who visited Nigeria fifteen years ago said the fulfilment of democracy is the process, not the outcome. If all the correct procedures are followed without manipulation, then democratic expectations are fulfilled even if the final outcome turns out to be wrong. Adopting a know-it-all stance could prove to be ruinous in the long run.
The little public debate on the substance of these bills so far has already thrown up issues which, with wisdom and national peace in mind, could be artfully resolved. For example, the point has been made about the calculation of VAT for derivation purposes and the fact that big companies lump up all the tax and pay it at the location of their head offices. That is a point to ponder. The point has also been made that states that ban alcohol consumption in their states still benefit from VAT collected from it during the sharing process. As the former chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission [RMAFC] explained two years ago, alcohol is not an important VAT contributor as some people think. Still, VAT from alcohol could be removed from the whole collection and shared to only states where alcohol consumption is legal [never mind it is still consumed even in the states where alcohol is banned, especially in mammy markets adjoining military barracks].
This brings me to another aspect of the methods being used by both proponents and opponents in this tax reform bills imbroglio. Personally, I do not support the religious blackmail tactics often employed by clerics in the course of political debates. Of course they are citizens too and they are entitled to their views, but I don’t think the pulpit is the right place to campaign against a non-moral, non-religious piece of legislation. A friend and colleague of mine will remember that two years ago, I criticised a column article he wrote in which he described our senators as “agents of Satan” because they passed a Corporate Affairs Commission amendment law that Pentecostal churches’ leaders did not like. Why not simply go to the public hearings and make rational, instead of sentimental arguments?
Personally, I do not support the clerics’ all-out assault against DSP Barau Jibrin. But since my view is totally unlikely to influence them, my advice to the Presidency is to soften on this matter and not put pressure on DSP, House Speaker and other MPs, especially those from the North, to ram through these bills without further consultation and consensus building. Otherwise, it could win the battle and lose the war, because in the medium and long run, its friends in the region will be politically ruined.
In reflecting on Nigeria’s leadership journey, Bishop Matthew Kukah, a Catholic priest, activist, and philosopher, delivers a searing observation: “Almost every leader who came to power did so by accident.” With these words, he stirred an hornets’ nest, igniting a spirited discourse on the nation’s perennial struggle with leadership.
Kukah’s critique strikes a resonant chord with voices like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has long lamented the opportunistic nature of Nigeria’s leadership selection. It also echoes the trenchant wisdom of Chinua Achebe, who famously diagnosed the nation’s ailment in The Trouble with Nigeria: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” Achebe’s words, though decades old, still carry the weight of an unheeded warning, underscoring the cyclical nature of Nigeria’s governance woes.
This column seeks to interrogate Kukah’s provocative theory, dissect its implications for governance, and chart pathways to reform the nation’s leadership recruitment process. At the core of this analysis lies an urgent imperative: to confront the systemic failures that perpetuate unprepared leaders and to cultivate mechanisms that nurture visionary and capable stewards. For Nigeria to transcend the quagmire of accidental leadership, the nation must embrace deliberate, transformative change—one that prioritises competency, character, and a clear sense of purpose over happenstance.
A shared understanding of an accidental leader would be helpful in the interrogation of what the bishop said. An accidental leader, from base understanding, is one who came to the office without requisite training or necessary preparation. It refers to a scenario where individuals ascend to power without adequate preparation, experience, or strategic vision. This phenomenon is not unique to Nigeria but is particularly pervasive in its political landscape, where political actors often emerge through circumstantial opportunities rather than deliberate grooming or merit-based processes. These leaders frequently lack the fundamental skills necessary for effective governance, resulting in poor decision-making, reliance on narrow circles of influence, and an inability to address critical national challenges. For instance, between 1999 and 2023 under the present democratic era, Nigeria experienced significant challenges under leaders like Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who, despite his integrity, struggled with health issues that hindered governance, and Goodluck Jonathan, who admitted he was unprepared when he unexpectedly became President following Yar’Adua’s death. Same goes for President Buhari.
Accidental leaders differ significantly from prepared leaders in several ways. They often lack a clear vision, operate without a coherent strategy or strategic plan, and struggle with effective execution. Their knowledge is limited, they are indecisive, and they rarely take responsibility for their actions. These leaders typically have a narrow circle of influence, and dishonesty can further undermine their leadership. In the specific context of Nigeria, unprepared leaders tend to exhibit unpatriotic and nepotistic tendencies. Their shallow understanding of the nation’s challenges often leads to misguided solutions to critical developmental issues.
Governance under such circumstances often results in short-term thinking, nepotism, and an indifference to the broader national interest. These outcomes are reflected in Nigeria’s inability to meet key development indicators. For example, as of 2024, over 40% of the population lives below the poverty line, and unemployment hovers at 33.3%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. These figures are further compounded by insecurity, with over 10,000 people reported killed in banditry and insurgency-related violence annually in recent years. Such statistics reveal the broader implications of accidental leadership: leaders unprepared for the demands of office often fail to tackle systemic issues or establish the conditions necessary for sustained national growth. This not only hampers economic development but also undermines social cohesion and national unity, perpetuating a cycle of underdevelopment and instability.
By contrast, prepared leaders with prior exposure to governance, leadership roles, or structured mentorship are equipped with clear goals, strategic vision, and the capacity for effective policy execution. These leaders inspire confidence and focus on long-term national development, offering a beacon of hope for the country’s future. Examining global leadership recruitment systems highlights the importance of grooming leaders systematically. For example, the United Kingdom’s parliamentary system emphasizes years of experience in lower offices, enabling figures like Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair to rise with proven credentials and a record of policy achievements. Similarly, Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew transformed his country from a struggling island to a global hub through decades of planning and visionary leadership. In China, the Communist Party systematically grooms leaders over decades, requiring them to serve in various regional and national roles before ascending to top positions. Xi Jinping, for instance, served in provincial leadership for years, gaining experience in administration, policy formulation, and implementation before becoming president. These systems contrast starkly with Nigeria’s, where party loyalty and opportunism often outweigh competence.
In Nigeria, the historical trajectory of leadership since 1999 reveals a pattern of accidental leaders propelled to power by chance, opportunism, or external influence. The result has been inconsistent policies, failure to diversify the economy, and an inability to tackle pressing issues such as unemployment and insecurity. President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration (2015–2023) is a case in point: while his initial election was greeted with optimism, delays in forming a cabinet and a lack of clear economic direction in the early years of his presidency hindered his administration’s ability to tackle pressing issues. At the state level, governance mirrors this trend. Many governors have been criticised for prioritizing political survival over developmental goals, exacerbating local challenges. These failures manifest in poor policy formulation, resource mismanagement, misplaced priorities and a lack of continuity in governance.
Prepared leaders globally, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Lee Kuan Yew, and Nelson Mandela, exemplify how strategic preparation, mentorship, and clear vision can transform nations. Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance and vision for a unified India, Yew’s emphasis on meritocracy and strategic governance that turned Singapore into an economic powerhouse, and Mandela’s post-apartheid leadership that emphasized reconciliation and institution-building, creating a framework for South Africa’s fragile democracy, are all powerful examples. Joe Biden’s decades of experience in U.S. politics prepared him to handle complex governance challenges, including navigating the post-COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery. Conversely, accidental leaders often produce short-lived policies, foster corruption, and exacerbate socio-economic instability. Haiti, for instance, has suffered from a cycle of accidental leadership, perpetuating political instability and underdevelopment. These global examples underscore the need for Nigeria to systematically groom leaders who can navigate complex governance challenges and build long-term resilience.
The leadership crisis in Nigeria is rooted in systemic and structural issues. Party structures prioritize loyalty over competence, and electoral processes often reward popularity rather than merit. In the 2023 elections, many elected officials were chosen based on party endorsements rather than competence, independent credibility or a track record of public service. Weak institutions further fail to hold leaders accountable, and divisive ethnic and religious politics prioritize sectional interests over national unity. These factors are compounded by public apathy: a 2023 survey by Afrobarometer revealed that only 34% of Nigerians believe their votes influence governance outcomes, highlighting a lack of faith in the political system. This disconnection fosters a cycle where citizens disengage from political processes, reducing accountability and enabling the emergence of incompetent leaders.
It is established that there exists a strong correlation between leadership preparation and performance. Going by this measure, it is not in dispute that most of our elected and appointed leaders have not performed in office. How can we improve the quality and preparedness of those who attain public office? This should be our preoccupation for now. Does Nigeria have trained or prepared leaders? Where and when do leaders train for their role? Are they motivated? These questions merit serious consideration.
To address these challenges and create a system that produces prepared leaders, leadership training and development must become institutional priorities. Establishing leadership academies, such as the proposed National Institute for Leadership Development, could help build competence. Incorporating leadership education into school curricula and creating mentorship programs can also build a pipeline of skilled leaders. Institutional reforms are critical, including strengthening electoral integrity to prioritise merit-based selection and enhancing transparency mechanisms to evaluate leaders’ preparedness and performance. For instance, adopting a primary debate system like those in the U.S. could help assess candidates’ policy depth. Citizen engagement is equally vital; educating the public on the importance of leadership quality and encouraging active participation in political processes can drive demand for visionary leadership.
The debate on whether leadership is an innate or a skill that can be learned underscores the importance of structured training. While some argue that leadership is a natural trait, examples from global systems such as Singapore and China’s meritocratic model, and Britain’s parliamentary system suggest that systematic preparation enhances governance effectiveness. In Nigeria, most leaders lack innate qualities and formal training, perpetuating systemic failures. Developing platforms for systematic leadership grooming, such as state-level training programs for young politicians, is essential.
Bishop Kukah’s assertion about accidental leadership underscores a fundamental issue in Nigeria’s governance: the prevalence of leaders emerging from flawed recruitment processes that favour expediency over competence. This phenomenon has entrenched systemic challenges, as unprepared leadership often leads to poor governance. By contrast, global examples illustrate the transformative impact of well-prepared leaders. For Nigeria to progress, it must prioritise leadership development, reform political structures to value competence, and actively involve citizens in cultivating visionary leaders. Addressing this leadership vacuum is essential for the country to realise its full potential.
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I am not anti-semitic and I have many Jewish friends who I hold in high esteem.
I recognise the fact that there are millions of Jews all over the world, particularly in Europe, Russia, Iran, Ethiopia and even in the United States of America itself, who have publicly renounced the excesses and atrocities of the Zionists and who seek nothing but peace, fellowship, love, fraternity and mutual respect with their non-Jewish neighbours.
Having said this I must also put on record my utter disgust and disdain for the Zionists and for Zionism itself which is a political construct and philosophy that I consider to be akin to apartheid and therefore evil.
It is a philosophy that is espoused by those that can best be described as intellectual barbarians and cultural hegemons.
To add to this I feel nothing but repugnance, contempt and revulsion for the racism and fanaticism of the Ashkenazi Jews, the progenitors and primary promoters of Zionism, who the Allied powers of World War 11, at the behest and with the money of the stupendously wealthy Rothschild family, established Israel for and handed her over to in 1948.
The Ashkenazi were and still are essentially proxies and agents of the Rothschilds and the Western powers, the enforcers of their purpose and collective will in the Middle East and the protectors of their numerous interests in that region.
From inception they constituted themselves into the rich, elite and all-powerful ruling political class of the Jewish State despite the fact that they were nothing but a bunch of non-semitic white primarily Eastern European colonial settlers and immigrants, who were not even originally Jewish but only converted to Judaism in the 8th century and who saw and still see every other true Jew including the Sephardic Jews and the real Semites (including the Palestinians) as being inferior to them and unfit to lead their nation.
In a clumsy attempt to cover their non-semitic origins and obscure the fact that they have no genetic link with the people of the Middle East from the outset they banned all DNA testing in Israel and that remains the case till today.
This is because the Askenazi cannot legitimately trace their ancestry back to Israel for more than two generations! That is how crafty they are!
To get a clear picture of precisely what the world is up against this contribution will focus on not just the atrocities of the Zionists and the Zionist state of Israel but will also offer a small glimpse into the dark and frightful history of Jewry generally.
It is not designed or intended to offend or to be an attack on the Jews but rather a historical analysis of some of the unspeakable crimes and injustices they have committed and indulged in over the years that have shaken the foundations of humanity and brought pain and sorrow to millions all over the world.
Let us begin with the most significant event of all which took place 2000 years ago in Jerusalem when the Jews murdered the Son of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by insisting on his crucifiction.
He was hanged on a cross and crucified like a common criminal, inflicting more pain on Him than the human mind can possibly comprehend.
As He bled and suffered, offering no complaint or resistance and instead asking God the Father to "forgive them for their sins", they continued to scream in a rabid frenzy with hate and rage shouting, "let His blood be upon us and our children".
Till today, 2000 years later, they have not expressed any remorse or regret for this cruel and barbaric act against a selfless, sinless, kind, loving, compassionate and innocent soul who we Believers regard as none other than the Lamb of God, the Ancient of Days, the Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings, the long-awaited Messiah and He who came down as God incarnate in the flesh but instead they relish and celebrate it with fervour even going as far as to describe him in their "holy book" called the Talmud as "a fake, a charlatan and a fraud" who according to their twisted and irreverent minds is "now burning in hell where he is eating human faeces".
Over the last 1000 years they spread to virtually every nation taking over the world's banking system and controlling the worlds supply of money with which they promoted and funded revolutions, counter revolutions and wars, built up and destroyed economies, brought Governments and nations to their knees and determined the political future and fate of leaders in the most powerful countries in the world.
Such was the power of the Jews that from 1917, in the persons of two of their most famous sons, Vladimer Lenin and Leon Trotsky, they banned religion and presided over the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Christian clerics and millions of Christians in the Soviet Union after the Bolshevik revolution.
Yet it didn't stop there and their influence continued to permeate the entire world and kept growing.
This awesome power that they had and wielded with impunity incurred the wrath of many in the west including the German Chancellor Adolf Hitler who blamed them for the humiliation and defeat of his country in World War 1 and who, in a classic case of total and complete insanity, sought to wipe them off the face of the earth in what he described in his book 'Mein Kampf' as the "Final Solution" and what the world decribed as "the holocaust".
He proceeded to gas to death no less than 6 million of them together with millions of Slavs, homosexuals and gypsies in horrendous concentration camps: a barbaric, condemnable and heinous act and a graphic example of man's inhumanity to man.
Thankfully Hitler and Nazi Germany lost World War 11 and partly to compensate the Jews for the suffering and persecution that they had suffered in the West generally and the genocide that they endured at the hands of Hitler in Germany specifically they were offered a new homeland in a place known as Palestine which was at the very heart of the Middle East from which they had been exiled and scattered from 2000 years earlier but where millions of Palestinians had always lived and had never left.
This was a recipe for disaster given the fact that the Jews and their concept and philosophy of Zionism regarded themselves as being "the master race" and refused to share the land with anyone else describing themselves as "God's chosen people" who had a divine mandate to forcefully and violently retake what they called "the Promise Land", ethnically cleanse it of all other races and practitioners of other religious faiths and re-establish the old Jewish Kingdom of the Holy Bible stretching from the borders of Egypt right up to Iran!
To the Zionists everything that existed in that vast space of land and everyone in it belonged to them as treasure, chattel, vassals and slaves.
Consequently with the tacit support of the West and in an attempt to establish this vision and objective, over the last 76 years they have fought, oppressed, undermined, caged, enslaved, dehumanised and subdued the Palestinian people and their Arab neighbours, killed millions of Palestinians and subjected them to genocide and for the last one year alone murdered over 100,000 innocent and defenceless Christian and Muslim Palestinian civilians (mainly women and children) by bombing them with more ordinance and more precision bombs that were dropped in the entire duration of World War 11, slaughtering them with the most sophisticated and deadly weapons and burying them under the rubble of Gaza, subjecting them to what can best be described as a second holocaust.
Such is the mindset of the Zionists that an anti-Zionist secular Israeli activist who lives in Tel Aviv, Gaia Dan, said the following:
"There are only a few hundred anti-Zionist Israelis—about .01% of the adult population—and the vast majority of our society is genocidal.”
Worst still 80% of the population in Israel are opposed to a two state solution and instead believe in totally subjugating and enslaving whatever number of the Palestinian people that are not eliminated and exterminated and occupying their land.
Simply put they want all Palestinians who they regard as nothing but "human animals" to be nuked, to be scattered all over the world, to be driven into the sea or the Sinai desert and to simply "disappear" and a countless number of their senior Government officials and political leaders, including Minister of Finance Bezalel Smoritch, former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, Minister of Heritage Amihayi Eliyahu and many others have expressed these sentiments publicly.
Today their leader Benjamin Netanyahu has been rightly indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court at the Hague (ICC) and instead of showing any remorse or regret he, his nation, his Zionist supporters and his American backers have threatened the court with sanctions if he is arrested in any of the 124 countries that are signatories to the relevant Treaty and have branded as being "anti-semitic" anyone or group of persons that have expressed concern or outrage about his homicidal, lawless and lunatic behaviour.
Permit me to share an example of this idiocy.
In his response to the arrest warrant issued on Netanyahu during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity in November 2024, American Senator Lindsay Graham, an unhinged figure who constantly expresses his insatiable lust for war and carnage, said the following:
"You are going to have to pick either the rogue ICC or America. I am working with Senator Tom Cotton to have legislation passed as soon as we can to sanction any country that aids and abets the arrest of any politician in Israel. What they are doing in Israel is trying to prevent a second Holocaust. So, to any ally, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, if you try to help the ICC, we are going to sanction you".
When Hannity asked what the sanction and penalty would be Graham replied,
“We will crush your economy because we are next. If they can go after Netanyahu why can’t they go after Trump or any other American President under this theory?”
His words confirm the fact that this dangerous, deluded, divisive, toxic and psychotic individual who actually believes that he is still living in the old American "wild west" where lawless and gun-totting cowboys were shooting native Indians for sport and where a drunken all powerful sheriff whose word was law ruled every town with an iron fist and gunned down people at will, is afflicted with what the English common law describes as "a diseased mind".
More importantly the answer to his question can easily be answered with another, namely: why shouldn't the ICC go after Trump or any other American President if they commit war crimes and crimes against humanity?
Are Americans and Israelis above the law or have they, like Ian Flemings' famous fictitious character James Bond (007), been given a licence to kill? If this is the case, who on earth gave it to them?
In reference to the war in Ukraine Graham was also once quoted as saying "it is a good thing to kill Russians!" Is this not madness in its most graphic form?
Senator Lindsay Graham represents everything reprehensible about the American right-wing and I sincerely pray that he and those that think like him in the American Senate do not plunge the world into World War 3 or a nuclear Armageddon.
My question is this: how far do the Zionists have to go and how many more innocent people do they have to kill before we accept the fact that that they are the problem of the world and that their so-called Jewish state must be brought to heel and made accountable for its unspeakable actions?
To the Christian that says we must love them no matter what heinous crime they commit I say the following: the greatest of all commandments is to love our God with all our soul and all our might whilst the second greatest is to love our fellow men and treat them in the way we wish to be treated ourselves.
To applaud genocide and to support the ethnic cleansing of an entire race that are Gods creation, no matter what they may or may not have done, runs contrary to both of these sacred commandments and cannot be justified by some far fetched notion that the Jew is not subject to the laws of God and man.
We want a better world: a world where the Christian, the Jew, the Muslim, the Hindu and indeed all men and women of faith are regarded as one and bound together in peace and love by their common humanity and manifest destiny.
Yet it appears that the United States of America, once described by President Ronald Reagan as "a shining city on a hill" and the "hope of humanity", is determined to deny us such a world.
Mr. Chris Hedges, the highly celebrated and deeply courageous American journalist summed up his nations malevolent disposition when he said the following words on 18th June 2024. He said,
"We do not halt Israel's genocide because we, as Americans, ARE Israel. We are infected with the same white supremacy doctrine and we are intoxicated by our domination of the globe's wealth and the power to obliterate others with our advanced weaponry. The vaunted democratic values, morality and respect for human rights claimed by Israel and the United States have always been a lie. The real credo is this: We have everything and if you try and take it away from us we will kill you people of color, especially when they are poor and vulnerable. Do not count their hopes, dignity and aspirations for freedom. The lives of those outside the empire are worthless. Global domination will be sustained through racialized violence.The lie that the American empire is predicated on democracy and liberty is what the Palestinians, those in the global south, Native Americans and Black and Brown Americans, not to mention those who live in the Middle East, have known for decades. But it is a lie that still has currency in the United States and Israel: a lie used to justify the unjustifiable."
Professor Jeffrey Sachs, an American economist and public policy analyst and a Professor of Columbia University went further by recently saying,
“The most violent country in the world in the 19th century was also the most democratic or second most democratic country in the world and that was Great Britain. You can be democratic at home and ruthlessly imperial abroad. The most violent country in the world since 1950 has been the United States”.
I concur.
The celebrated British journalist Owen Jones added his voice to the outrage that has trailed the American-sponsored Israeli slaughter in Gaza by saying the following on the 26th of November,
"1,410 ENTIRE Palestinian families exterminated by Israel. From babies and teenagers to parents to great grandparents. If one extended family was wiped out in Britain it would be headline news for weeks. It has happened 1,410 times in Gaza with a much smaller population".
All this yet American leaders cheer the Zionists on and continue to provide them with massive funding and lethal weapons as if they were doing nothing but killing mosquitos or slaughtering turkeys at Christmas.
It follows that the home truth about America is, to say the least, ugly and disconcerting and few venture to dare voice it.
Joe Biden's America particularly has become a gangerous stinking sore and a formidable challenge to the peace and stability of the world and the only hope the so-called "land of the free" and "home of the brave" has left is if incoming President Donald Trump succeeds and if he truly intends to do so he must rid himself of the inexplicable obsession and fatal attraction that most American leaders have with and for the citadel of evil and enclave of genocide called Israel.
If he refuses to do so, and frankly the signs are not good given his cabinet choices of pro-Israeli hawks and warmongers, he too, like Joe Biden and the cackling, strange and empty-headed woman that he named his Vice President, Kamala Harris, will crash to an ignoble end.
This would be very sad because I am one of those that has always had a soft spot and the greatest admiration and respect for Donald Trump.
The reason why millions in Africa, the 'global south' and indeed all over the world look to China, Russia and the newly formed BRICS economic bloc of nations for leadership and inspiration today is because America has lost its decency and has jettisoned its noble values.
Nothing confirms this more than the unending and unlimited support and blind love that they have consistently displayed for their monster child called Israel.
America is today a nation of genocide-enablers with insensitive and morally bankrupt leaders who have lost all sense of humanity and who have turned their European allies like the United Kingdom, Germany, France and indeed all the other members of the NATO alliance into pitiful puppets and fawning vassals whilst they treat the rest of the world as nothing but worthless serfs and slaves.
Only the Chinese and Russians present hope for a greater and better future for humanity and that is why so many in the global south gravitate towards them.
Permit me share the words of one of the worlds most consistent and powerful voices against oppression and injustice, Clare Daly, the former Irish MP and MEP and a lady who is known for speaking truth to power.
A few days ago she said the following on the arrest warrant that has been issued by the ICC on Netanyahu and Gallant.
She said, "About time. It is only the start. The idea that there are only two people criminally responsible is definitely not the case at this point. It needs to go all the way to the top of the U.S. administration and to the European Union elites who have enabled and ensured that this genocide has continued. It couldn't have happened without them. It wouldn't have even started without them, to be honest. And unless it goes there, well, then, you know, the ICC has a huge credibility problem. Like, this is it—Israel is finished after this. They have nowhere else to go. And it may not seem like that because you know the EU and the US have their backs at the moment but I firmly believe that this is this generation's Vietnam. Things will never be the same after this. A whole layer of young people and people who are older who never paid attention to this issue are not gonna let it go until there is justice for Palestine and this issue is dealt with. It's absolutely tragic that it's happening at such a terrible cost and still continues but it is the harbinger of a big change as well".
Daly is absolutely right.
History is replete with the heinous crimes of the Zionist state even against America herself.
Most are denied and brushed under the carpet but they are nevertheless true. A few examples will suffice.
Who killed American President John F. Kennedy?
Few are aware that there was a raging and longstanding dispute between the then Prime Minister of Israel Ben Gurion and Kennedy about allowing Israel to acquire nuclear weapons, a proposition which was sorely opposed by the latter and which may have resulted in a direct threat to his life.
This has been the prevailing thinking in intelligence and security circles for decades but due to the classification of most of the relevant documents much about the circumstances and motives for his assasination has been hidden from public scrutiny.
Nevertheless whispers of truth are finally coming out.
In an article titled 'Did Zionists Kill U.S. President John F. Kennedy?' published in 'A News Gallery World' on 22nd Nov. 2023 the American author wrote the following,
"The enduring enigma of Kennedy's assassination continues to baffle. The former U.S. President lost his life 60 years ago in a fatal attack. Speculation has been raised about Israel's potential involvement as Kennedy was vocal in opposing their nuclear weapon pursuits. There were also claims made linking the two events as Kennedy vehemently opposed Israel's nuclear program. In fact he expressed his concerns in a confidential letter stating 'Your nuclear weapons will greatly damage our relationship'. These fears were further fuelled by a former Israeli General who worried that Kennedy would order an airstrike on their nuclear site.
The reason for suspecting Israel was Kennedy's strong opposition to Israel possessing nuclear weapons.
Despite the fact that it has been 60 years since the assassination many theories have been put forward about it including the claim that Israel was responsible for the killing. In the incident Israel, along with the Soviet Union and Cuba, were among the suspects. After Ben Gurion resigned in Israel, Kennedy wrote a detailed letter to his successor Levi Eshkol on the subject. In a letter whose confidentiality decision was lifted by the U.S. National Archives a few years ago, it was clearly stated that any wrong move by Israel would strain bilateral relations. Five months after writing this letter, Kennedy was assassinated. Documents revealed the confession of former Israeli Air Force Commander Dan Tolkowsky about that tense period. The unsolved mystery surrounding former U.S. President Kennedy's assassination, which occurred 60 years ago, continues to intrigue many".
A French author by the name of Germain Gorais went into even more detail as regards the motives and put the matter rather more concisely and succinctly in an article published in La Observateur Continental in November 2023 by saying, "In order to eliminate resistance to Israel’s nuclear armament and to reduce pressure on Israel for the “right of return” for 800,000 Palestinians, US president JF Kennedy was assassinated. Since the 1950s, Israel had undertaken the secret manufacture of atomic bombs. In 1986 reliable evidence emerged demonstrating that Israel had secretly obtained the atomic bomb as early as 1967. Since then, all successively elected US Presidents have been held hostage by Israel. Kennedy was also committed to the right of return for 800,000 Palestinians expelled from their homes and villages in 1948 for which the American delegation to the UN presented a proposal on November 20, 1963. He was assassinated 2 days later".
Another excellent piece on the alleged involvement of Israel in the murder of JFK is titled "From Dallas to Gaza: How JFK’s Assassination Was Good for Zionist Israel" by an American by the name of Rick Sterling and published on Dec 15, 2023.
I recommend this insightful contribution for reading for those that are interested.
If all this does not raise eyebrows or provide food for thought about the true nature of the State of Israel perhaps the following will.
Who brought down the Trade Towers in New York City on 9/11?
Few are aware of the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu wrote a book titled 'Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism' which he made reference to in an interview a few years later. In that interview he said,
"The West really doesn't understand militant Islam so I wrote a book in 1995 and I said that if the West doesn't wake up to the suicidal nature of militant Islam the next thing you'll see is that militant Islam is bringing down the World Trade Centre".
Six years after writing his book the two towers of the World Trade Center were actually brought down by supposedly militant Islamic terrorists and a few years later the same Benjamin Netanyahu said,
"We (meaning Israel) are benefiting from one thing and that is the attack on the Trade Towers, on the Pentagon and the American struggle in Iraq".
Does anyone need to look any further to know who was really behind 9/11 and who benefitted from it the most?
Again who attacked the USS Liberty, a United States Navy Signals Intelligence ship on June 8th 1967 in the middle of the Six Day war killing 34 people and injuring and wounding another 170 if not the Israeli Defence Force yet the whole matter was covered up out of fear of the rage that this would stir against Israel amongst the American people?
Again who bombed the King David Hotel in Palestine on 22 July 1946 if not 'Irgun' the Zionist terrorist organisation that was led by Menachim Begin who later became the Jewish states' Prime Minister and in which 91 British citizens and soldiers were killed?
Again who murdered Count Folke Bernadotte, the Swedish diplomat and United Nations mediator on September 17th 1948 when, whilst on his way to Jerusalem to negotiate a peace deal which would have ensured Palestinian rights, had his plane shot down from mid-air if not the same Zionist terrorist organisation Irgun?
Sadly with him crashed all attempts by the United Nations to help the Palestinians and Israelis arrive at a diplomatic solution.
Again who orchestrated the mass murder of 3,500 Arab Muslim women and children by Israeli-funded and Israeli-armed Lebanese Christian militias during the Lebanese civil war in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila from the 15th to the 18th of September in 1982 after all the men had been lured from withdrawing from the camps and volunteered to go on exile to Tunisia with a guaranty of safety and security from America and Israel for their women and children if not the Jewish state?
Again who created, backed and funded Al Qaeda, Al Nusra, Daesh, ISIS, Al Shabab and Boko Haram? Was it not the CIA in conjunction with MOSSAD that did this and is that not why Israel and Israeli assets have NEVER been targetted or attacked by any of these listed terrorist organisations?
Are these listed terror groups not all tools of destabilisation that are being used by MOSSAD and the CIA to destabilise and destroy the territory and Governments of their perceived enemies like Syria, Iraq and Libya and sometimes even that of their stubborn "friends" in North, West and East Africa?
Again who, if not the Jewish Rothschild family, commissioned an infamous crook and fraudster called Cyrus I. Schofield to doctor the words, meaning and intent of portions of the Holy Bible in 1909 to re-write God's word and make it appear that the planned re-establishment of the Jewish/Zionist state which was to eventually come in 1948 would be a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and the intention of God, knowing fully well that this was false and that the Holy Bible clearly states that the new Israel will not be re-established until after the second coming of the Messiah.
This shameless and devastating act of disinformation and misinformation, in my view, has done more damage to Christianity and the Christian pysche and thinking than any other since the crucifiction of our Lord simply because it constrains and compels Christians to erroneously believe that they have a divine obligation and holy duty to support and love the newly established State of Israel no matter what it does and no matter what horrendous atrocities it commits.
Consider the following.
In October 2015
Maidhc O. Cathail published his article titled 'The Scofield Bible—The Book That Made Zionists of America’s Evangelical Christians'.
He wrote, inter alia, "Since it was first published in 1909, the Scofield Reference Bible has made uncompromising Zionists out of tens of millions of Americans. When John Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), said that “50 million evangelical bible-believing Christians unite with five million American Jews standing together on behalf of Israel,” it was the Scofield Bible that he was talking about. Although the Scofield Reference Bible contains the text of the King James Authorized Version, it is not the traditional Protestant bible but Scofield’s annotated commentary that is problematic. More than any other factor it is Scofield’s notes that have induced generations of American evangelicals to believe that God demands their uncritical support for the modern State of Israel. Central to Christian Zionist belief is Scofield’s commentary on Genesis 12:3: 'I will bless them that bless thee.’ In fulfillment closely related to the next clause, ‘And curse him that curseth thee'. It has invariably fared ill with the people who have persecuted the Jew and well with those who have protected him.
Drawing on Scofield’s rather tendentious interpretation, Hagee claims, “The man or nation that lifts a voice or hand against Israel invites the wrath of God.” But as Stephen Sizer points out in his definitive critique, “The promise, when referring to Abraham’s descendants, speaks of God blessing them, not of entire nations ‘blessing’ the Hebrew nation, still less the contemporary and secular State of Israel.” Notwithstanding this more orthodox reading, The New Scofield Study Bible, published by Oxford University Press in 1984, intensified Scofield’s interpretation by adding, “For a nation to commit the sin of anti-Semitism brings inevitable judgement.” Sustained by dubious exegesis of selective biblical texts,” Sizer concludes, “Christian Zionism’s particular reading of history and contemporary events...sets Israel and the Jewish people apart from other peoples in the Middle East...it justifies the endemic racism intrinsic to Zionism, exacerbates tensions between Jews and Palestinians and undermines attempts to find a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, all because ‘the Bible tells them so'. In his 2008 book, The Rise of Israel: A History of a Revolutionary State, Jonathan R. Adelman describes the crucial support Israel receives from Christian fundamentalists as “totally fortuitous.” That assertion is belied, however, by the incredible career of the man who wrote “the Bible of Fundamentalism.” Two years after Scofield’s reported conversion to Christianity in 1879 the Atchison Patriot Newspaper was less than impressed. Describing the former Atchison resident as the “late lawyer, politician and shyster,” the article went on to recount a few of Scofield’s “many malicious acts.” These included a series of forgeries in St. Louis, for which he was sentenced to six months in jail.
Had the Scofield Bible never been published, American Presidents influenced by Christian Zionism such as Truman, Johnson, Reagan and George W. Bush might have been less sympathetic to Israeli demands and consequently more attentive to U.S. interests. Moreover, the American people could have been spared the pseudo-Christian rants of John Hagee, Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell, not to mention the lucrative End Times Rapture “prophecy” peddled by Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye..But it is the people of the Middle East who have been most affected by an expansionist Israel emboldened by the unswerving allegiance of Christian Zionists led to believe that Scofield’s words are God’s will. Not least among the many victims of the Scofield Bible are 5 million Palestinian refugees whose right to return is fervently opposed by America’s Zionized Christians. Thanks to their indoctrination by Scofield’s unholy book, they believe that Palestine belongs not to the Palestinians—many of whom are fellow Christians—but exclusively to 'God’s chosen people'."
Cathail has hit the nail on the head and I recommend a reading of the full text of his detailed and insightful essay.
Schofield and the Jews who commissioned him have done a great disservice and dealt a grievous blow to Christian Theology. I have little doubt that God will punish them for it.
Andrew Slater, in his book titled 'Christian Zionism' supported Cathail's position when he wrote the following,
"Theodore Herzl and the Rothschilds first approached the current Pope at the time Pope Pius X who immediately rejected facilitating the Zionist takeover of Palestine.
The Rothschilds who were after seizing the land of Palestine, knew that they had to get the Protestant churches on board with their agenda. So they recruited a non-Jew Christian 'theologian' called C. I. Scofield to convince the Protestant Churches that the Jews must retake the promised land to fulfill prophecy. The target was to infiltrate Protestant Christianity by creating their own 'Bible'".
Again I recommend this fascinating book for those who are interested in this topic. It is an eye-opener.
Kudos to men like Cathail and Slater who have exposed the great lie and damnable falsehood that Christians are compelled to support Israel no matter what and that if they do not they will face the judgement of God.
The intellectual dishonesty of the Zionists and the lengths they are prepared to go to pervert and distort anything in order to achieve their purpose never ceases to amaze me.
When one couples this with the 'Nakba' in 1948 in which 800,000 Palestinians were murdered, displaced and thrown out of their homes, the millions of Palestinians that have been killed, tortured, maimed and illegally detained, including women and children, over the last 76 years by Israeli security forces and fascist settlers and the ethnic cleansing and mass murder that is going on in Gaza today it beggars belief and makes the stomach turn.
Atrocity after atrocity, horror after horror, lie after lie, injustice after injustice, wickedness after wickedness, impunity after impunity, breach of the law after breach of the law yet Israel and the Zionists remain above the law, untouchable and unaccountable to God or man for their consistently horrendous actions and callous acts.
Permit me to close this contribution with the words of Aiden Hunter
@AidenHunterX an American commentator.
Two weeks ago he wrote the following on X. "Rev. Martin Luther (the father of the Protestant movement) once said that the things jews do in secret are far worse than the things we've caught them doing. If we had hidden cameras in jewish homes and synagogues, and if we played that footage to the world, I suspect that even the most battle hardened men would find it difficult to watch. In 2016, there were rumors that when the New York Police Department viewed the content of Anthony Weiner's laptop, it caused seasoned law enforcement officers to vomit and lose sleep. Jews are the only race that has been accused for centuries, independently by people on different continents, of grotesque ritual murder and other horrific deeds that I can't describe here. The fact that jews always accuse Gentiles of what they themselves do should, therefore, give us serious pause because jews may be signaling exactly they're doing in the privacy of their homes and synagogues. Only jews could easily and quickly imagine such things, for instance, as 40 babies beheaded, babies cooked in ovens, and pregnant women slashed with their infants ripped out, because jews themselves have been doing exactly those things to Palestinians. There is no doubt in my mind. The number of missing Palestinian children will probably never be known. Nor may we ever know what jews do to them when nobody is around to document it. I promise you this: Martin Luther was right. The things that jews are doing in secret and getting away with are indeed much, much worse than the things we've caught them doing.
From engineered famines to assassinations, I'm convinced we've only scratched the surface of the monstrous evil that jews have committed all around the world.
As I write this, I can imagine the screams of Gentile children pleading with us to save them. I pray that someday we have the spiritual strength to ditch our comforts and rouse ourselves to action".
He went further by writing, "There are Jews, and there are Jewists. By Jewist, I mean a genetically non-Jewish person whose mind has been colonized by destructive Jewish values and narratives. Most of us have been Jewists to varying degrees, since Jews run our media and entertainment. We grew up consuming the Jew's poisons and false morality. They told us that degeneracy and decay were good.
They wanted us to fear the label "anti-semite" more than anything else. They wanted us never to notice that they are a distinct race, much less evaluate their behavior. They wanted us to view them as the world's greatest and most innocent victims. They wanted us to always be fair-minded toward them. Meanwhile they polluted our souls. They exploited our sense of honor to gain unfair advantages over us.
They stripped away our very identity and replaced it with artificial identities that would never pose a threat to them. One could write book length treatments on all of the ways Jews have subverted us- linguistically, racially, psychologically, spiritually. The Jew is the premiere mind colonizer. He has created millions of Jewists in his own image. He put us in a trance with his glowing screens and inserted himself into our minds. Now he must be dislodged. In my youthful anarchist days we used to have a slogan: "kill the cop in your head." This was a way to remind ourselves to overcome our timidity, brainwashing and domestication. Of course, it was not "cops" controlling our media and reshaping our culture. We never looked at the root cause back then. Today I understand that for all of us Gentiles, no matter what our position is, it is the Jew that must be eliminated from our minds. This is half the battle. Reject the mind- colonizer. Unlearn his programming.
Regain your fighting spirit. Activate your ancestral instincts. Kill the .... in your head".
Need I say more?
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is the Sadauki Shinkafi, a lawyer, a former Minister of Aviation of Nigeria and a former Minister of Culture and Tourism of Nigeria).
“Out of the 251 million Almajiris worldwide, 163 million are from Africa with Nigeria accounting for over 30 million. It is estimated that about 81 percent of almajiris in Nigeria are domiciled in the northern states where they have become part of the landscape. Tonnes of newspaper pages and countless hours of TV and radio airtime have been burnt in pursuit of a solution to the menace.
So far, the almajiri problem has defied all solutions, no thanks to the hypocrisy of the ruling elite who send their own children to some of the best educational institutions at home and abroad while abandoning the children of the poor to hang on to religious superstitions and non-existent injunctions.
There was cause for cheer the other day when a state governor decided to look in the mirror, metaphorically speaking, and in so doing demonstrated the fact that the ruling elite are not irredeemable after all. Governor Abdullahi Sule put political and regional sentiments aside and addressed the Almajiri problem squarely, charting a possible way out of the disgraceful development.
Sule’s Charge
In Nigeria, it does help when the owner of a problem is allowed to limp to the person who can help, otherwise the latter could be accused of crying more than the bereaved. The fact that a governor of one of the northern states publicly x-rayed the problem and challenged his fellow educated elite to rise up to the challenge of ridding the streets of Northern Nigeria of the ugly sight of unkempt child beggars, is cause for cheer.
Nigeria cultural tours
Governor Sule was speaking in Lafia at the regional conference on population dynamics, security, climate change, out-of-school children/Almajiri, and vulnerable children in Nigeria, organised by the National Population Commission and hosted by the Nasarawa State Government.
“I think, just as I told my colleagues in Kaduna during our last meeting of the Northern governors, I said we should stop complaining. It is time for us to take the bull by the horns and see how we can resolve the problem by ourselves. We should no longer expect anybody to come and solve the problem of the Almajiri system. We must be the ones to solve this problem…
‘’Why should Northern Nigeria continue to hold the entire nation to ransom when we know that it is our own problem and we have to go out there and find a way to solve it?
Child Beggars
On this point of holding the nation to ransom, many online analysts have given thumbs up to the Nasarawa State Governor. They argue that the Almajiri problem festers because irresponsible parenting is tolerated in the society. Young men and women see nothing wrong in handing over their three-year-old children to Islamic scholars who themselves are perpetually impecunious on account of the scores of mouths they have to feed. The pupil children are then converted to child beggars in the service of the cleric.
Many commentators also recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan tried to assist in solving the problem by building Almajiri schools. The scheme was discontinued as soon as Jonathan left office. His successor, General Muhammadu Buhari, was not convinced about the whole idea. The scheme was killed but there was nothing to replace it. The almajiri were abandoned to their miserable existence, only for some government officials to start shedding crocodile tears when many ex-almajiris were linked to the burgeoning industry of kidnapping, banditry and ransom taking.
Listening to some traditional rulers and government operatives speak about the almajiri problem, one gets the impression that many of them believe that the almajiris are the problem of the federal government. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Can the infamous Area Boys of Lagos make any claim to stipends from the federal government? Did their parents take permission from the federal government before bringing them into the world? Is it reasonable for some indigent persons to continue bringing children to the world without any plans whatsoever to dutifully play the role of parents?
Not Islamic
“We have to find a way to teach people that it is a sin in Islam to continue to produce children you could not take care of”, declared Governor Sule. “Until we take care of that, we cannot solve the problem. Just like it is a sin to continue to marry wives you cannot take care of, it is also a sin to continue producing children that you cannot take care of.’’
He continued: “These are the challenges we have at hand. We must be able to take it seriously and teach our people directly to understand that this is the challenge that we have in Nigeria today. What kind of human being goes and drops his four or five-year-old kid somewhere without being interested in what he eats, sleeps, and wears? And they say it is in line with Islam! There is no way this is Islam. Suratul Bakhara is very clear on this,” said the governor.
Where else can one find this kind of debasing treatment of children under the pretext of religion? That is one question that continues to bother the governor: “Why is it that it is only here? I just got back from Saudi Arabia. I didn’t see too many Almajiri in Makkah, Madina, Jedda or anywhere. They are an Islamic nation. In Pakistan, they have out-of-school children but their situation is even completely different.’’
To illustrate how stubborn Almajiris can be, Governor Sule told the story of how, at great expense, he rounded up almajiris who were not indigenes of Nasarawa State and sent them back to their states of origin. He carried out the exercise four times because the same people kept coming back as soon as they were dropped off in their state of origin.
Now, he has resolved to set up three special schools in Lafia, Akwanga, and Keffi to rehabilitate the Almajiri but called on his fellow governors in the North to ensure that they stopped producing more Almajiris.
If every governor in the North mounted a serious enlightenment campaign in his state to educate the people about the rights of the child and the fact that the Almajiri system as practiced in Nigeria is bastardised, we may actually be taking the first crucial step towards liberating the street urchins from poverty, ignorance and disease.
Skills, Not Dowry
And when next some notable ‘Honourable’ wants to demonstrate his philanthropic spirit, let him commission a skills acquisition centre, not make a spectacle of “marrying off” indigent “widows and single women”. It may have been fashionable 50 years ago to help pay the bride price of a woman or sponsor the marital festivities of less privileged people. What these times call for is meaningful empowerment in the form of transforming Almajiris and single women and widows — and, of course, men — into economic players.
China has shown the world that population is strength if well managed. A productive population is an asset while a population of Almajiris is a liability. If being an Almajiri was a pathway to Heaven or Paradise, you can bet that the traditional and political leaders would have enrolled all their children as Almajiris. Isn’t it suspicious that they have left the poor to go through misery in their race towards Paradise and the Hereafter, while the children of the rich graduate from the best universities in Europe and America and hurry home to replace daddy in politics or in a “juicy” government parastatal?
May God forgive us all.
[OPINION] Leadership-Ethics Template for Reinventing the Akinyele Era of Civil Service in Nigeria - Tunji Olaopa
Admin
(Being Excerpt from the Guest Lecture Delivered at the 4th Theophilus & Elizabeth Akinyele Foundation Memorial Symposium held at the Theojoy Library, Theo Tower, New Bodija, Ibadan on Thursday, 21st of November, 2024)
Theophilus Adeleke Akinyele, officer of the order of Niger (OON) and Bobajiro of Ibadanland, was both an exemplary personality and a model public servant. This biographical statement is significant in administrative archiving of the trajectory of the Nigerian administrative history, and this is not just because biographies and autobiographies of eminent public servants and administrators fill some crucial gaps in political and administrative histories of any state. More than this, the biographical statement I began with constitutes a narrative entry point into not only the understanding of what administrative scholars are calling the golden age of Nigeria’s public service system, but also a leeway into understanding how the present rot and decline in the system could be arrested through a thoroughgoing institutional reform that is both backward and forward looking.
Pa Akinyele served humanity all his life. He was an administrator and a fine gentleman. After completing a most exemplary career as a public servant in the old western state and Oyo State, he then served as the registrar at the Obafemi Awolowo University before finally transiting through retirement into consultancy services and then the organized private sector. This distinguished career, and the lessons he learnt as a public servant were collected into his 2002 magnus opus, Beyond Pushing Files. The title alone speaks to the core of what is involved in the recuperation and revitalization of the institutional integrity of the public service in contemporary Nigeria. The nodal strength of the autobiography is that it embodies a contextual exemplification of the historical trajectory of evolutionary insights that led to our understanding of what an effective, efficient and competent public service is. And how we can begin to rethink reinventing it.
Public administration has come a long way. Indeed, it predates the idea of modern state because it consisted of a body of government officials who are in charge of ensuring the continuity of the administrative mechanism. With the ancient pharaonic society, it was this administrative necessity that facilitated the management of tax collection, the building of the pyramid and the navigation of the River Nile. But what was just a scribal necessity for those who work for the pharaohs, began to achieve the status of a tenured and salaried profession that mediated the famous Roman infrastructures, especially the aqueducts and highways. After the French Revolution of 1789, the loyalty of the civil servants shifted from emperors and monarchs to the state as an administrative unit. These historical developments fed into Max Weber’s theoretical formulation of the shapes and processes of administrative system, especially starting from the Prussian governance and military command structure. This was the basis of his development of the Weberian bureaucratic model.
Government all across the world are defined by three complementary functions: the policy, regulatory and service delivery functions. And these functions are backstopped by an efficient public administration and bureaucratic machinery. It is this efficient system that translate government policies into concrete and tangible development outcomes and dividends that positively affect the well-being of the citizens. However, the operationalization of the public service system in Nigeria comes with both a boon and a bane. On the one hand, the most significant challenge that faced the transplantation of the bureaucratic model to Nigeria, after independence, is that as a migrated structure that emerged within a specific sociocultural context, the civil service system—and the state system as an administrative unit in general—was implanted without the full complement of its underlying value framework that would have grounded its efficiency and effectiveness.
When the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates happened in 1914, the state system was established to facilitate the extractive objective of colonialism. And so, the system could not be grounded in the value foundation deriving from the cultural lifeworlds of the people and societies that make up precolonial Nigeria. The deconstruction of the value foundation of the administrative system becomes even more complicated because public administration experts and scholars all across Africa also failed to harness their expertise in ensuring the reconstruction of the value basis of the public institution in the values and traditions that would have instigated their resilience in assimilating the many sociocultural and political shocks they were bound to confront. And so, the bureaucratic model eventually turned out to be a mere instrument for political intervention and extractive exploitation rather than a tool for real development of the colonies.
On the other hand, however, the pioneer Nigerian public servants inherited fully the founding values and virtues which Weber made the core of the managerial model of public administration, and which the British administrative system further grounded in the Victorian ideals and moral codes founded on gentlemanliness and the imperatives of truthfulness, personal responsibility, and public accountability. These values and moral codes easily translate into an institutional morality in terms of an acute sense of duty and work ethic, noblesse oblige, deferred gratification, and integrity of service. There was also significantly a philosophical underpinning that connects the relationship between the self and service which led to the fascination with knowledge and honor as the key components of professionalism. Talents, competence and hard work combined with moral rectitude, godliness and personal discipline to determine success, well-being and career fulfilment. This moral code and imperatives were further undergirded by the understanding of the bureaucracy as a hierarchical organization functioning as a legal-rational system determined by rules, systems, processes and procedures. That organization is conceived as being neutral, efficient, precise, strict, reliable and very disciplined.
All this is supposed to articulate the understanding of the bureaucracy as a vocational calling that those who must be recruited into it must see as honorable, spiritual and value-based institution that demands their intense commitment and loyalty. For Weber, honor is the sole key that ties a public servant to the dynamics of integrity in the workplace. An honorable public official sees to the execution of a policy to the best of his ability even if she disagrees with the policy choice. This is an honorable act because it demonstrates that the bureaucrat’s sense of duty and of service overrides his personal preferences. Honor also instigates the need for spirituality which is encompassed by the search for meaning and significance that is demonstrated through the public servant’s commitment, trust and dedication to the tenets of professional service. This implies that public service transcends any mechanical sense of transactional business that brings people to the workplace without transforming their well-being. Spirituality characterizes the public servant as a selfless person with a deep sense of deferred gratification that defined the priesthood in the Levitical Order. In the Old Testament, the tribe of Levi, out of all the other tribes of Israel, had to forfeit its inheritance in the promised land in order to be able to adequately consecrate itself to the service of God. The totality of these moral imperatives is what turns the public service into a value-based institution that not only molds the actions and attitudes of the public servants, but also encompass the democratic codes that transform democratic governance.
A public servant, within this preceding value framework, is defined by three cogent virtues. The first is the virtue of public spiritedness. A public servant is first a servant called into a deep and committed service to others that constitute the public. This makes him or her more than a careerist professional who is solely motivated by personal preferences and the imperatives of making a livelihood. Being a public servant means that one swears fealty to the common good and the public interest. The second administrative virtue that distinguishes the public servant is professionalism grounded on expertise and competence that are earned on meritocratic basis. While public-spiritedness provides the public servant with a broad sense of occupational responsibility as the custodian of the commonwealth, it is professionalism—the occupational framework of professional conduct—that arms the public servant with specialized skills and expertise to perform whatever functions will enable the realization of the objectives of state policy.
The third and final administrative virtue is that of leadership. This encompasses public spiritedness and professionalism in ways that make the public servant more than a mere manager or administrator. This leadership virtue demands that the public servant becomes a transformational, rather than a transactional, change agent with a shared capacity that draws all relevant stakeholders into a framework of collective responsibility that makes the public service an effective and efficient mechanism for delivering public goods that activate democratic governance on behalf of the people and their well-being.
All the preceding enables us to grasp the significance of the emergence of the Nigerian pioneers of the British public service. The need to achieve law and order in the colonies demanded that the British Colonial Office train a cadre of highly skilled, loyal and dedicated public servants to implement the demands of colonial administration. This led to the emergence of the administrative generalist cadre that eventually threw up the early bureaucratic pioneers, from Simeon Adebo to Jerome Udoji to Sule Katagum to Allison Ayida, and from Abdul Aziz Attah to Prince Solomon Akenzua to Francesca Emanuel to Tejumade Alakija to Theophilus Akinyele. These pioneers were saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the nascent Nigerian state made good on its promise to the teeming Nigerians who believed that independence would bring betterment to them. From Adebo to Akinyele, the administrative pioneers had to sustain the core of the public service as value-based institutions through a commitment to the public service as an honorable vocation that demanded they give their all in making the Nigerian state work.
A critical component of their value training derived from a model of politician-administrator collaboration that facilitates a relationship between the two for developmental progress. There are three models that account for this relationship. The first, legal or traditional model, involves the rare or ideal situation in which the minister/commissioner takes responsibility for policy making while the permanent secretary simply implement. The second model is the adversarial one—dramatized in the popular BBC sitcom, “Yes, Minister,” in which the minister and the public servant are in constant conflict over policy formulation and implementation. The third is the community model that sees both operating under a contractual obligation and therefore being mutually dependent on each other’s responsibilities. This third model might seem the most appropriate, but in reality, the relationship is a mix of the three models, with all the attendant tensions, conflicts and understanding. This is the best way I think one could see the famous Awolowo-Adebo in the old western region, or the Gowon-super permanent secretary partnership during the Nigerian Civil War; a collaboration that benchmarked Nigeria’s glorious era of distinct public administration and governance achievements.
The commitment to institution building in the public service that stood the administrative pioneers out as exemplary public servants include the following: (a) they were exemplary leaders in terms of the integrity they brought to service; (b) the establishment of the Public Service Commission was not just a gatekeeping mechanism to ensure meritocracy, but also a measure of integrity needed in the system; (c) Establishment control, among other internal management mechanisms, mediates the expansion of the size, scope and growth of the service; (d) the town-and-gown/policy-research collaboration facilitated a networked relationship between practitioners and academics in ways that ensured the continuing flow of ideas and innovative reflection about the optimal functioning of the system; (e) the work-life balance complemented the staff development initiatives through housing, pension and other social security schemes to facilitate performance and productivity; and (f) a developmental industrial relations ensured constant consultation that resulted in decent welfare package to improve the condition of service of the workforce.
Unfortunately, all these distinct institutional mechanisms collapsed under the burden of series of historical and administrative circumstances that consolidated a bureaucratic culture in the public service. Three significant trajectories of events jumpstarted the debilitating process of bureau-pathology in the Nigerian public service system. The first was the attempt to mediate the multiethnic nature of the Nigerian state in recruitment into the public service, and how this framework of representativeness collapsed every effort at achieving meritocracy. The second was the missed opportunity with reforming the entire system through the Udoji Commission report and its recommendation of a performance management system patterned along the imperatives of managerialism. The third and last was the massive purge of the public service in 1975 and the grounding of the culture of instant gratification that displaced that of deferred gratification.
The reform efforts to undermine the virulent effect of bureau-pathology and its terrible consequences for performance and productivity have been varied. The cumulative effort was to transform the system away from the “I-am-directed” bureaucratic culture to a more performance-oriented managerial culture that will instill value and efficiency into the system. There was, for instance a reform to redefine the role of the state in ways that allow for institutional restructuring that makes public-private partnership and other alternative service delivery approaches possible. There were also significant modernization and digitization of core operations of the civil service to eliminate non-value adding processes and to eliminate silos operations, red tapes and other bureaucratic bottlenecks. There were reforms to reengineer the MDAs operating system to hold them to some form of performance accountability using new metrics different from the APER appraisal instruments. This is, so they would be able to deliver measurable outcomes. There were series of culture change reforms to deepen the value foundation of the service, as well as reforms to resolve capacity deficits through workforce reprofiling and audit, professionalization of cadres, job evaluation rooted regrading and pay reform, systematic injection of staff skills, and the building of new skills within framework of the restoration of merit system and competency-based HRM.
What more needed to be done? To get the public service system in line with the expectation of featuring in the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions, the workforce needs to be re-professionalized within framework to reform the many reforms. This is the first step in facilitating the emergence of a new breed of public managers competent enough to bring the system into the knowledge society. This is also connected with the need to beef up the IQ through deepening the core skills and competences in project management, data science, evidence-based decision-making, acquisition of legal and regulatory skills rooted in the knowledge of market dynamics, etc. The essence is to achieve the creation of a multidisciplinary elite cadre of senior executive service (SES) that leads the charge in the institutional transformation of the system.
The public service requires a culture change programme that enables the putting in place of the right values enabled by significant frameworks of mental remodeling to help public servants think outside of the box. This will require value audit and cognitive redefinition to increase and improve staff capacity that enable the system to stay centered on leading change sustainably. This must be complemented by significant adjustments in the incentive structure and the entire system of motivation that manages redundancy through a redesign of the job evaluation framework that will instigate performance better. Internal control mechanisms need strengthening to ensure that the systems retain a sustained maintenance, continuous learning and relearning, incremental improvement and organizational resilience in a vulnerable, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. The public service needs to strengthen its policy-research nexus in ways that professionalize the planning and policy analysis function, deepen action and policy research, as well as achieve adequate talent and knowledge management. Lastly, strengthening the system to handle commercially-centered partnerships like the PPPs must go hand in hand with a larger vision of launching and managing a national productivity movement to reprofile national programmes and project management practices, create a new national waste reduction strategy and maintenance culture.
The effort to transform the public service system into a world class requires a blueprint that, interestingly, had already been foreshadowed by the generation of Pa Theophilus Akinyele and their capacity to embody the values and virtues that distinguishes a public service system as a worthy mechanism around which democratic governance flourishes. And that, I believe, is the legacy of that generation for current public administration in Nigeria.
[OPINION] At Last, You Don’t Have to Resign: A Nation’s Battle, An EFCC Chairman’s Burden - John Egbeazien Oshodi
AdminAt Last, You Don’t Have to Resign: The Runaway Bello—Whether He Walked In, Drove In, or Was Brought in Lawyers to the EFCC Premises, It Matters Not. What Is Real Is That He Has Been Arrested and Is Now on Trial. To Do Justice to This Case by Any Means Possible, Drive Out EFCC’s Corrupt and Politicized Officers Who Work Underground with Wealthy Defendants.
Chairman Ola Olukoyede, your bold vow earlier this year—that you would resign if Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, evaded prosecution—was more than a statement of intent. It was a pledge of accountability in a nation where integrity often feels like an endangered virtue. By declaring, “If I do not personally oversee the completion of the investigation regarding Yahaya Bello, I will tender my resignation as the EFCC chair,” you signaled to Nigeria and the world that the fight against corruption was not just a professional mission but a deeply personal crusade.
This vow placed the weight of Nigeria’s hope squarely on your shoulders. It was a courageous move, but as the months have unfolded, the depth and complexity of this battle have become painfully clear. Yahaya Bello’s prosecution is no ordinary case—it is a litmus test for Nigeria’s capacity to hold the powerful accountable, a fight that pits you against not just one individual but the systemic rot that has choked the nation for decades.
The Reality of Corruption: A Nation Held Hostage
Corruption in Nigeria is not just an issue of governance—it is a national crisis. It has stolen the nation’s wealth, crushed its dreams, and left millions in poverty while a select few live in unimaginable luxury. It is the reason schools lie in ruins, hospitals lack basic supplies, and infrastructure remains a distant promise.
This systemic corruption is generational, passed down like an inheritance among the political elite. It thrives on impunity, manipulation, and the exploitation of institutional weaknesses. For decades, it has crippled Nigeria’s potential, turning hope into despair for countless citizens.
Chairman Olukoyede, your fight is not just about Yahaya Bello; it is about confronting this cancer head-on. Bello represents the worst of this system—an individual accused of stealing billions meant for the public good. But he is also a symbol of the broader problem: a culture that rewards impunity and punishes accountability.
The Runaway Bello: Power, Influence, and Manipulation
Since April, Yahaya Bello has mounted an aggressive campaign to evade justice, employing every legal and political mechanism available to him. Initially protected by Governor Ododo’s immunity, Bello managed to stall his prosecution by navigating the judicial system with calculated precision, appealing his cases all the way to the Supreme Court. Even after the Supreme Court dismissed his appeals, affirming his obligation to stand trial, Bello continued to exploit procedural loopholes and inefficiencies in Nigeria’s legal framework. Utilizing overly skilled legal teams adept at delay tactics, orchestrating media campaigns to frame himself as a victim, and leveraging public commentators to sway narratives, Bello worked tirelessly to manipulate both perception and process. These efforts underscore the challenges of holding the powerful accountable within a system prone to exploitation.
Your fight to bring Bello to justice is not simply against one man; it is against a deeply entrenched network of influence and systemic complicity. This network includes hesitant judges, insiders within the EFCC suspected of leaking evidence or obstructing progress, and political allies intent on undermining the agency’s mission. These forces, whether overtly aligned or indirectly compromised, reflect the broader challenges of combating corruption in Nigeria, where the rule of law is too often subverted by power and privilege.
Despite these daunting obstacles, your leadership has achieved a pivotal milestone. Today, Bello is no longer a runaway defendant evading accountability. He sits in an EFCC detention cell, awaiting his December 10 hearing before Justice Maryanne Anenih. This moment is a testament to your persistence and strategic determination, yet it is also a reminder of the dangers that remain. The system that enabled Bello’s prolonged evasion of justice is not dismantled, and the road to securing accountability will demand continued resilience and vigilance.
Your efforts in this case transcend the prosecution of a single individual. They symbolize the possibility of dismantling entrenched corruption and restoring faith in Nigeria’s justice system. As Bello’s trial proceeds, it is crucial to address not only his actions but also the systemic vulnerabilities that allowed him to wield such influence. Ensuring that this moment becomes a turning point requires safeguarding the integrity of the EFCC and holding all actors—both external and internal—to the highest standards of accountability.
This is a hard-won victory, but it is only the beginning. Justice for Bello’s alleged offenses must be pursued with unwavering commitment, ensuring that no further manipulation undermines the process. Chairman Olukoyede, your leadership in this fight is a beacon of hope for millions of Nigerians. Through your persistence, the nation moves closer to a future where the powerful cannot escape accountability, and where justice truly serves the people.
A Judiciary at War with Itself
The contrasting approaches of the judges handling Bello’s cases highlight the dysfunction within Nigeria’s judiciary.
Justice Maryanne Anenih has been a beacon of hope, demonstrating an aggressive, no-nonsense approach to Bello’s ₦110.4 billion case. Her insistence on keeping Bello in custody until his December 10 hearing shows that justice can be timely and firm.
In stark contrast, Justice Emeka Nwite’s handling of the ₦80.2 billion case has been sluggish, allowing proceedings to drag on until January 21, 2025. This delay poses significant risks, giving Bello and his allies time to regroup, potentially securing bail and resuming their manipulative tactics.
Chairman Olukoyede, your frustration with these delays is justified. Justice delayed in cases like this is justice denied. The judiciary must rise to the occasion and act with the urgency that this fight demands.
The EFCC’s Struggles: Fighting Corruption from Within
Your vow to prosecute Bello is complicated by the challenges within the EFCC itself. The agency is not immune to the corruption it was designed to combat. Over the years, compromised officers have infiltrated its ranks, colluding with defendants, leaking internal evidence, and sabotaging cases. These “bad eggs” pose a grave threat to the EFCC’s credibility and effectiveness.
In February 2024, you acknowledged this internal rot, stating, “After eradicating bad eggs from the institution, we can fully trust the EFCC to deal with corruption in Nigeria.” Your words captured the painful reality of leading an institution where some of your own officers work against you.
To cleanse the EFCC, a comprehensive and aggressive approach is required. This psychologist proposes the following measures:
- Psychological Testing for Integrity
Understanding the mindset of EFCC officers is the foundation of reform. Partnering with the Nigeria Psychological Association under leaders like Dr. Musa Abubakar Tafida from Nasarawa State University can provide the tools needed to conduct rigorous psychological evaluations. These tests should examine:
Integrity: Do officers consistently demonstrate traits of honesty, accountability, and fairness?
Risk Tolerance: Are they vulnerable to bribery, coercion, or undue influence under pressure?
Behavioral Patterns: Do they show tendencies toward secrecy, manipulation, dishonesty, or other traits that compromise their judgment and reliability?
Such evaluations can help identify officers who pose a risk to the EFCC’s mission and remove them before they cause further harm.
- Comprehensive Financial Audits
Corruption often leaves a trail, and forensic financial audits are critical for uncovering it. Employ forensic accountants to scrutinize the financial histories of all EFCC officers, focusing on:
Banking Activity: Look for signs of unexplained wealth, such as sudden increases in account balances, offshore accounts, or suspicious transactions.
Property Ownership: Investigate properties and assets that exceed an officer’s legitimate income.
Family Networks: Ensure that relatives or associates are not being used as proxies to hide ill-gotten gains.
Officers found with unexplained wealth or suspicious financial activity must be immediately removed and prosecuted where appropriate.
- Mandatory Drug and Polygraph Testing
Integrity requires both emotional and mental stability. Regularly conducting drug and polygraph tests will help maintain a workforce that is both reliable and ethical.
Drug Tests: Ensure officers are not compromised by substance abuse, which can impair judgment or make them vulnerable to manipulation.
Polygraph Tests: Use lie detectors to verify officers’ honesty in handling critical cases, especially those involving high-profile defendants.
These measures will serve as a safeguard against internal compromises that can derail investigations.
- New Declarations of Assets
Transparency begins with full disclosure. Require all EFCC officers to swear new affidavits declaring their:
Assets and Properties: Officers must provide a comprehensive list of all personal and family assets.
Financial Interests: Officers must disclose all financial holdings, including those managed by relatives or associates.
Family Connections: Officers must list any family members who could be used as proxies to conceal wealth.
Failure to comply or evidence of misrepresentation should result in immediate dismissal and prosecution.
- Enhanced Internal Oversight
Strengthening internal oversight mechanisms is essential to detecting and preventing corruption within the EFCC. Establish a dedicated integrity unit tasked with:
Monitoring Officer Activities: Use advanced surveillance tools to track communication, movements, and actions, ensuring compliance with protocols.
Investigating Whistleblower Reports: Empower ethical officers to report misconduct without fear of retaliation.
Conducting Surprise Audits and Inspections: Regular, unannounced checks can expose unethical behavior before it escalates.
This integrity unit should report directly to your office to ensure accountability at the highest level and to prevent interference from within.
- Recruit and Retain Ethical Talent
The EFCC needs officers who are not only competent but also morally upright. Rebuilding the workforce requires:
Raising Recruitment Standards: Focus on hiring individuals with strong ethical records, proven integrity, and a clear commitment to justice.
Incentivizing Honesty: Offer competitive salaries, benefits, and performance-based rewards to reduce the temptation of bribes.
Providing Ethical Training: Mandate workshops and seminars on ethics, accountability, and the consequences of corruption as part of ongoing officer development.
These steps will create a culture of integrity and professionalism within the EFCC.
- Public Accountability Mechanisms
Restoring public trust in the EFCC requires a commitment to transparency. Establish systems that:
Allow Public Tracking of Cases: Publish updates on high-profile cases to demonstrate progress and deter interference.
Engage Civil Society: Partner with independent watchdogs and NGOs to evaluate the EFCC’s performance and highlight areas for improvement.
Transparency will not only reinforce accountability but also counteract skepticism about the EFCC’s ability to deliver justice.
Why These Steps Are Critical
The EFCC’s mission is too important to allow internal corruption to derail it. Officers who leak evidence, collude with defendants, or exploit the system for personal gain do not just undermine the agency—they betray the nation. Without a workforce built on integrity, no strategy or leadership can succeed.
Chairman Olukoyede, your fight against corruption within and outside the EFCC is a defining moment for Nigeria. It is not merely about one institution; it is about restoring faith in governance and creating a system that serves the people rather than the powerful. These steps, though challenging, are necessary to rebuild the EFCC into an institution Nigerians can finally trust.
The Legacy of Integrity
Good people are the cornerstone of any great institution. By systematically identifying, removing, and replacing the bad eggs within the EFCC, you can leave a legacy that redefines justice and accountability in Nigeria.
The Supreme Court’s Support: A Rare Victory
Amid these struggles, the Supreme Court’s November 15, 2024, ruling was a significant victory. By dismissing a lawsuit filed by governors challenging the EFCC’s constitutionality, the court reaffirmed the agency’s mandate and independence. This ruling is a reminder that, even in a flawed system, moments of justice can prevail.
Do Not Resign, Do Not Falter
Chairman Olukoyede, your vow to resign if Bello evaded justice was a declaration of your integrity, but resignation is not the answer. To resign would be to hand victory to the corrupt. It would embolden those who thrive in the shadows, signaling that even the strongest resolve can be broken.
You must not fear—even the President. Your mandate transcends politics and individual leaders. It is a fight for Nigeria’s survival. Even the President knows that corruption has brought this nation to its knees.
A Deep, Painful, and Hopeful Conclusion: A Legacy of Justice
Chairman Ola Olukoyede, you are navigating one of the most consequential battles in Nigeria’s history—a fight against entrenched corruption that has robbed this nation of its potential. You stand at a defining crossroads where your actions will not only determine the fate of Yahaya Bello but also the credibility of the EFCC and the very soul of Nigeria’s justice system. The road ahead is riddled with formidable obstacles: powerful adversaries, corrupt systems, and relentless resistance. Yet, your courage, resilience, and determination have already lit a path forward, showing Nigerians that progress, however painstaking, is still possible.
A Critical Moment: A Testament to Leadership and a Call to Action
Today, Yahaya Bello, once shielded by privilege, wealth, and political influence, no longer hides behind the façade of legal loopholes or the immunity of office. He now sits in an EFCC detention cell, awaiting his December 10 hearing before Justice Maryanne Anenih—a hard-earned milestone made possible by your unwavering leadership. This moment is not only a personal victory for you but also a beacon of hope for a nation yearning for accountability in a system long plagued by corruption and impunity.
However, the work is far from done. Justice Emeka Nwite’s case involving ₦80.2 billion, delayed until January 21, 2025, must not be allowed to languish. Activate the case immediately to ensure that momentum is not lost and that Bello cannot exploit further delays. The urgency to address this case reflects the broader need to confront systemic inefficiencies and procedural stalling that have too often rendered justice in Nigeria a casualty of power and privilege.
This victory, though significant, is not an endpoint; it is merely a waypoint on a much larger and more painful journey. Justice in Nigeria has historically been delayed, undermined, or outright denied by those intent on maintaining the status quo of impunity. Each passing day will demand even more from you—more courage to face the forces of resistance, more vigilance to guard against sabotage, and more sacrifice as you navigate the perils of this monumental battle.
Chairman Olukoyede, this moment is a testament to what determined leadership can achieve, but it also serves as a reminder of the road that lies ahead. Press forward with resolve, ensuring that justice is not delayed, that cases are expedited, and that the fight against corruption continues unabated. Your leadership represents the hope of millions, and every action you take is a step closer to the justice Nigeria so desperately needs.
Your vow to oversee Bello’s prosecution is more than a professional duty; it is a moral covenant with the people of Nigeria. It is a pledge to dismantle the entrenched systems of corruption that have eroded public trust, siphoned national resources, and stifled progress for decades. It is a promise to restore the rule of law and create a future where justice is not a privilege for the powerful but a right for all. Millions of Nigerians look to you as a beacon of hope, believing that through your leadership, the EFCC can finally become an institution that embodies integrity, transparency, and justice.
This fight is not just about prosecuting one man or addressing isolated cases; it is about transforming the EFCC itself. The task before you is immense, for you are not merely waging a battle against external corruption—you are also contending with internal rot within the EFCC. The “bad eggs” who have colluded with defendants, leaked evidence, and sabotaged investigations must be identified and removed. Rebuilding the EFCC from within will be one of your greatest challenges, but it is also one of the most critical steps in ensuring lasting change. Through rigorous reforms, including psychological evaluations, financial audits, enhanced oversight, and transparency mechanisms, you have the opportunity to rebuild the EFCC into a force that inspires trust and serves the public good.
The journey will be arduous, but it is a journey worth undertaking. Your leadership is shaping a new narrative for Nigeria—a narrative where corruption is no longer the rule but the exception, where public institutions serve the people rather than exploit them, and where the powerful are no longer above the law. Your actions today are laying the groundwork for a Nigeria that future generations can be proud of, a nation defined not by its challenges but by the resilience of its leaders and the integrity of its systems.
History will not define you by the adversities you faced but by the steadfastness with which you faced them. It will not remember the obstacles but the resolve you displayed in overcoming them. It will not recount the power of those who sought to thwart justice but the courage you showed in standing firm against them.
Stand firm, Chairman Olukoyede. The weight of this fight is heavy, but the stakes are too high to falter. Press forward with the knowledge that the nation is watching, that millions of Nigerians are rooting for your success, and that history is being written with every step you take. Justice must prevail—not just for this case but for the soul of a nation. Every obstacle you overcome brings Nigeria closer to a future where governance is accountable, corruption is defeated, and the hopes of the many are no longer sacrificed for the greed of the few.
The road ahead will be painful, but the destination—a Nigeria free from the grip of corruption—is a prize worth every sacrifice. May you find the strength to endure, the wisdom to navigate, and the resilience to persevere. This psychologist feels your pain but also sees the hope your leadership inspires. You are not just shaping the outcome of one case; you are shaping the destiny of an entire nation.
Chairman Olukoyede, history will not merely record your name—it will celebrate your legacy. Justice must, and will, prevail.
This victory, while significant, is but a reminder of the deeper battle against entrenched forces that have long delayed and denied justice in Nigeria. The road ahead will be unforgiving, with those clinging to impunity continuing their relentless pushback. Each step forward will demand your unwavering courage, sharp vigilance, and a profound commitment to sacrifice for the greater good.
Your leadership is not just about prosecuting one individual; it is about dismantling a system of manipulation and exploitation. Every decision you make is a step toward a redefined justice that serves the people, not the powerful.
The nation watches as you shoulder this immense burden with courage and resolve. Your determination has brought us to this moment, but it is your enduring commitment that will shape the path forward. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done—decisively and without delay. Your burden is great, but your legacy will be greater. Press on, Chairman Olukoyede. Nigeria’s future depends on it.