Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has been installed as the new Soun of Ogbomoso.

Olaoye was installed by kingmakers led by Sobalaje Otolorin at the palace on Friday.

Other traditional rites for the throne have commenced.

The new Soun arrived at Ogbomoso on Friday morning with a private jet from the US.

On September 2, Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, approved the appointment of Olaoye as the new Soun.

Olaloye succeeds Jimoh Oyewunmi Ajagungbade III who died in December 2021, aged 95, after reigning for 48 years.

Olaoye is a descendant of the 9th Soun of Ogbomoso, the late Oba Laoye Orumogege from Baiyewuwon ruling house of Aremo House, Ode-Aremo, Ogbomoso.

He is the pastor of RCCG, Jesus House, Washington DC, USA.

On Thursday, a high court sitting in Ogbomoso restrained Makinde, attorney-general of the state, commissioner of local government and chieftaincy, and their agents from presenting any instrument of office in any form of ceremony, or issuance of certificate of installation to Olaoye, pending the final determination of a suit.

The court gave the order while ruling on a motion ex-parte in a suit filed by one of the contenders for the Soun of Ogbomoso stool, Muhammed Kabir Olaoye.

[TheCable]

It is unaccustomed of me to write in celebration of a man or woman who is under 80 years. Yes, 70 is a milestone worthy of celebration. It even enjoys Biblical endorsement. Science and technological wonders have made three scores and ten relatively easier to attain, many have tended to observe and argue. So the society is shifting to celebrate the attainment of 80 more. Dr. Adeseye Aluko is 70, he has 10 more years to clock 80 when we will roll out the drums—No, beg your pardon: when we will stage a concert with the sounds of violins, violas and cellos—and piano rending the air; at no other more befitting venue for a music maestro than a hall dedicated to the show-casing and promotion of Arts and music, the Muson Centre, Lagos, in celebration of his arduous journey which has turned out to be a lesson in single-mindedness, forbearance and triumph. Dr. Aluko’s story is an inspiration to the faint-hearted, the despised and the rejected in the journey of earthly life that is a school for us all; for all human beings. Today, I summon Adeseye Aluko to step forward and tell his own story which he captions From Hero to Zero. In his words:

“I wish to write an autobiographical article, (which means a writing about myself). I write about myself, not because I am proud or self-centered, nor because I want to draw attention to myself, I write about myself because it is the easiest way for me to make my points.

In my earlier writings, I wrote that I gained admission at “King’s College, Lagos,” which in the estimation of many persons at the time was the best school in Nigeria. It is from there I was able to gain knowledge of certain facts of life, facts that are clear and indisputable. I wish to acquaint my readers with some of these facts, and they illustrate some of our undesirable traits as human beings. From experiences we will find that our shortcomings are in urgent need of mending. We are ungodly and proud! Observe our offices, residences and estates, where we live and work. These habitations are barricaded with burglary proofing, gates, padlocks and towering fences. They are guarded for hours on end by armed security personnel, and police dogs. We are not in harmony with one another. We relate to one another like the most famished and virulent carnivores. Look at all our wars where we wipe out numerous people, and wreck their homes and their lives. See the devastation in Russia-Ukraine war, where by using lethal apparatus, entire cities are demolished. Not until he has passed on (death) will Putin, the Russian President find he has attracted immeasurable amount of guilt and Karma to himself. In one breath we men cry out “Hosanna,” and in the next “breath we yell out ‘Crucify! Him’” We prefer to “follow the crowd.” We do not heed the word of the great Jewish prophet who said ’’Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil.” (Isaiah 5: 20).

Writing the way I do in the social media is not because I am arrogant but because it is often desirable for any reader to know better about the author of a writing.

I wish to use my own experiences to sketch or illustrate the unreliability of men. For I have had the peculiar fortune of having been acclaimed, and later disclaimed. This praise was for my academic prowess. I was adjudged a good scholar. These experiences have made me to realize the darker side of human nature, and to understand the weighty statement of William Shakespeare when he states in Macbeth: “There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.”(Macbeth, 1. I.v.7).

From as early as my college days I was hailed as a good scholar, and with whom many wished to associate. But all this changed after I fell into rough times. The very persons who wished to associate with me when the going was good dissociated from me when I fell. This was my first bitter taste of the unreliability of we men.

In my schools, (Maryhill Convent School, Ibadan) and later King’s College Lagos), my academic results were excellent as I regularly ended up in the second or third position in my class. Because of this, my father (the renowned engineer/novelist), Dr. T.M.Aluko, found no reason to give me any stress. In King’s College I attained the magical aggregate score of 6 (6 distinctions) in the West African School Certificate examination in 1968. We were three in King’s College that year that had the aggregate score of 6. The others were Ayo Ighodaro and Dotun Lamikanra. However, this ironically brought me much heartache. I became a watched man that the public expected to achieve the same feat in future examinations such as the University of Cambridge Higher School Certificate, and the University of London General Certificate of Education more widely called GCE. The expectations were a challenge that I should not let down those who took much interest in my high performances with the concommittant stress that comes with such resolve.

If I may stress, I write about these achievements not to praise or draw attention to myself but to state the other side of life and its lessons. Indeed, with the three of us obtaining in one go such an aggregate score, and Tokie Cardoso and Segun Giwa (also from King’s College) obtaining aggregate 7 we all in Lagos circles became famous boys, stars, and role models. The school (King’s College) itself was highly praised and revered for nursing such brilliant students.
The academic results made me to number among twenty-two (22) carefully selected students from schools across the country who were awarded scholarships by the Shell British Petroleum, (Shell BP). The scholarship regarded at the time as the most prestigious was to study mechanical and civil engineering in universities scattered around Britain. I ended up at the renowned Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London, in 1970.

I was a student at Imperial College from 1970 to 1971. You may ask, why did I not complete my studies there despite the glittering results I was flaunting? Unfortunately for me, in 1972 I fell seriously ill. Despite the greatest efforts to resist it, I had to return to Lagos to “rest”. Yes, dear reader, I crashed out; I had a nervous break-down, and had to leave the prestigious halls of the revered Imperial College London. In Lagos I struggled to continue my studies in civil engineering, at the University of Lagos. And it was at this time I began to learn about us human beings. I soon observed that the majority of my “friends” had deserted me. They did not care about me. They did not ask for me! For years on end I was “out of all reckoning.”

The re-location from London to Lagos was a most grievous experience for me. It represented a huge loss to my opportunities in life. It shattered my resolve, and played havoc with my ambitions. And dear reader, this is my exact point. My life changed; I took my academic achievements for granted; I did not study when I was supposed to do so. I lost a lucrative scholarship in the process. Up till the present day it is a matter of regret for me from the effects and after-effects of my single act of great neglect.

Yes, when I was “up there” I had many “friends.” I used to hub nub with the great and mighty, I was searched out by women and girls because I was “famous,” and it seemed that I had a promising future stretched out before me. In the space of two short years of my sickness, I was no longer in serious reckoning. I had graduated in “status” from “HERO TO ZERO.”

In London I had experienced physical, physiological and mental distress, for which from time to time, I had to be “hospitalized.”
Dear readers, has any of you also had this experience – to be revered at one time, and to be scorned at another? This experience is bitter. That was what happened to me! No more praises, no more accolades, I was reduced to being a forgotten, discarded and an empty soul. The story of persons abandoning their friends in the time of their greatest need is not uncommon. Even in the case of such a high Being as Jesus Christ, (The Son of God) the story is the same. Mankind did not shrink from visiting Him with evil and inflicting harm on the Lord. His disciples abandoned Him in His hour of need. Jesus was wrongly arraigned, false witnesses who were not in short supply accused Him of one thing or the other, and then subjected to an excruciatingly painful execution. In this way they aimed at reducing Christ from “Hero to Zero!” How did Christ’s disciples act during His arrest and trial? They ran away! Let us reinforce this poser by gleaning the words in the Bible itself at the time of His arrest “Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.” (Matthew 26: 56)

Thus all the men who had wined and dined with the Lord Jesus, who had witnessed all His wonderful miracles etc., could not remain with Him in His hour of need. It is Jesus Christ that the singer, ex- Beatle John Lennon was referring to, when he complained about his being trailed and harassed, by hordes of photographers, (called Paparazzi). Lennon was referring to and blaming his many fans, sycophants, enthusiasts, hangers-on, and other groups of persons who gave him no rest, but belong to the group of men who trail, and harass celebrities, and crowd around the rich and the famous.
John Lennon sings:

“Christ you know it ‘aint easy
You know how hard it can be –
The way things are going,
They’re gonna crucify me.”
(John Lennon, “The Ballad of John and Yoko”).

We have been discussing how stars, celebrities, role models etc., are praised, eulogized etc. when the going with their fans is good, but who are harassed, scorned and sometimes even killed when they fall out of favour with these same fans.

And now to the crux of this my account! This is to bring to the awareness of the reader, a personality in the name of Abd-ru-shin. Abd-ru-shin is an Arabic word which when translated means “Son of the Light” or “Son of the Holy Spirit.” Abd- ru-shin is a man who has come to prominence by his publishing a monumental work, “a Book of Truths “titled “The Grail Message, In the Light of Truth.” Abd- ru-shin was a writer, and playwright, and his book explains the true concept of Almighty God, and the relationship that God desires to have with the entirety of the human spirits. Abd-ru-shln, in his un-assailable “Book of Truths,” (The Grail Message), corrects the twisted notions of human beings, and our false attitudes to life. Abd ru shin teaches that time is running out for the human spirit, and always stresses that each man will pay for his actions and inactions, his acts of indiscretions, his activities and inactivities, and his decisions and indecisions. Abd- ru-shin teaches that man, and the world in which he lives, has entered into the phase long predicted by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible, which phase is described as “ The End Times,” “ The Last Judgment,” “Armageddon” or “The Latter Days.” It is the time when the earth will be shaken to its very foundation, when the earth and every man in it will be judged!

Though it is unnecessary to write about the actual life of Abd-ru -shin on this earth, it can, however, be stated that because of his revolutionary statements, he was slandered and reviled. He and his followers quickly attracted the negative attention of the Austrian and German police. Despite his sacrifices, and all the efforts he made to uplift mankind, he constantly suffered criticisms and immense hostility from almost all cadres of men, even those “closest to him.” Many Judases emerged from out of Abd-ru-shin’s inner circles. He was often summoned to court on frivolous trumped-up charges. He gave the security personnel of Austria and Germany sleepless nights because of his great influence on men, through his writings, and in many circles his books were banned. He also caused great consternation in Christian circles, as well as to the earthly representatives of the numerous churches, all over the world. They were aghast at the prospect of losing their influence over their numerous (and sometimes) indolent followers. Abd-ru-shin was incarcerated in detentions, subjected to arrests, and house arrests. He was also betrayed and disappointed by his own friends. He was betrayed by his closest associates. He was arrested repeatedly by secret organizations, and the members of the infamous German Gestapo of the Nazi party. The whole scheme was to reduce Abd-ru-shin’s status from Hero to Zero.

Abd-ru-shin’s benevolent work on earth came to an abrupt close with his death in 1941.

Abd ru shin teaches that the great changes that are occurring today, with greater and greater frequency and regularity, would result in grievous catastrophes, “Natural Disasters” and “climate changes.” They will be such that they will be witnessed by the blind as well as the seeing, the deaf and those able to hear, and the dumb, and those able to speak. He teaches that for all human beings it is the time of the “World Judgment,” often referred to in the Holy Bible. He states that for all human beings it is the beginning of the end because God’s forbearance is now at an end! And he says that God speaks to man, through His restless earth, through the earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornados, mud – slides, volcanic eruptions, floods and more. Abd-ru-shin describes the phase of unrest now being witnessed on earth today as “The Great New Cosmic Turning-Point.” But who exactly is Abd-ru-shin? Is he a Redeemer, seer, prophet or priest? Where did he study? Where did he train? How did he draw down his very wise postulations? These are the questions that will confront mankind in the Judgment. Writing in a rich, lofty and elevated style, Abd-ru-shin says:
“With my words I lead to God and also to Jesus! However, in a more vital way than has been known in the past, and not as people have trimmed it through their propensity for spiritual comfort. Jesus shall not be given up as the Son of God through my Message. He must now be recognized as such all the more, but not as the servant and slave of a decayed humanity in order to carry their burden of guilt, or to redeem it so that they may have it easier!”
(From the Lecture “Believers Merely Out Of Habit,” The Grail Message of Abd-ru- shin, (Pages 917/918 excerpted).”

Life’s lesson, therefore, is that no one should lose hope of a better tomorrow; whoever boldly tackles the problems of life is bound to succeed.

With the encouragement, confidence and strength drawn from the outstreaming Rays shed In the Light of Truth, Adeseye Aluko, son of renowned Lagos City Council engineer of old and more known by his many works among them “One Man, One Wife” with iron resolve confronted the storms that sought to drown him.  Two other publications of the iconic novelist are One Man, One Matchet and Kinsman and Foreman. Adeseye Aluko has gradually climbed back into reckoning. Here was a boy who crashed out while at the Imperial College and for whom life looked bleak, he has through unyielding resolve pulled his bootstraps to wade through all vicissitudes of life. He eventually, not only had his first degree in engineering, but went on to have his Masters degree (MSc) and then PhD. He is a photographer, a painter and a music teacher who mounts music concerts from time to time. Even though he is not 80, I ask that we all rise and clink our glasses to celebrate the man of courage with the sing-song “Never say die!”

In 2017, a physician of Nigerian origin, Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, achieved a rare surgical feat when he successfully operated on an unborn baby in a Texas hospital. The paeditric surgeon led a medical team that successfully extracted the foetus out of the mother’s womb to remove a tumour. After the surgery, they restored the foetus back to the mother’s womb. The mother’s pregnancy continued and she delivered the baby after 36 weeks. The talented doctor has been celebrated globally for his unique achievement. Dr. Olutoye received his medical degree at Ife in 1988, but had since relocated to the United States where he had received further trainings and has been practicing with cutting-edge technology.

Across the world, Nigerians are using modern technology to do great things in their various fields in medicine; banking; engineering; aviation; law; business and many others. Although many of these high-achieving Nigerians obtained their first degrees in-country, their subsequent exposure to foreign education and sophisticated technology overseas account for the feats they have recorded in their careers. In addition to Dr. Olutoye, many other Nigerian physicians in the US like Elvis Peterside, professor of Neonatology at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Walter Udoeyop, a specialist in internal medicine, in Tennessee and Dr. Joshua Odumah, another internal medicine specialist in London, are making us proud.

In business; banking; law and even sports, Nigerian are playing in the big league at the international stage. I will mention a few. Adebayo Ogunlesi, a native of Shagamu, Ogun State, is an investment banker who owns five airports in the UK, three of which he bought within six years. he is currently the Chairman and Managing Partner at the private equity firm, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), New York – a company that manages portfolio of combined of combined annual revenue of over $46 billion and investments of $51 billion for its investors. Adebayo Adeleke is a seasoned US army veteran and creator of the Unfettered podcast, a platform that captures the various achievements of other Nigerians. Funmi Badejo is one of the attorneys selected to the White House Counsel’s Office by President Joe Biden. Esther Agbaje is a successful attorney who recently defeated a strong opponent to become a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Chinyelu Onwurah is a member of the UK’s Labour Party who had served as a shadow minister for Industrial Policy between 2016 and 2010.

There are thousands of other Nigerians excelling in various fields overseas, including the over 800 of them working at senior levels in the major tech companies – Meta; Google; Alphabet; Amazon and others – across the globe. The common denominator among them all is that they studied in foreign countries; and herein lies the major problem of Nigerian universities. The inability of our universities to produce global high flyers who can compete at the world stage is a major challenge militating against our advancement. In an earlier piece, I had analyzed the various problems plaguing our tertiary institutions and explained what the government and private sectors can do to help. I should add here that the absence of technological infrastructure; antiquated curriculum and absence of collaborations with renowned foreign universities and research centers for the training of faculty members and internships for students are some of the major reasons preventing our universities from producing global achievers. While foreign students are taught by the very good professors and are exposed to the best laboratories; engineering equipment; tools; modern medical science; libraries; books and journals, Nigerian students are still grappling with poorly equipped and staffed institutions. Undoubtedly, graduates of Nigerian institutions are therefore at a disadvantage to their contemporaries who study abroad, and in this knowledge-based global economy, that is a major handicap.

Let me acknowledge, however, acknowledge that there are a few Nigerian global icons who have emerged from our universities and they are excelling at the top of their chosen fields. I acknowledge their expertise, industry and excellence. I will focus on a few of them in a later date. But suffice it to state that a university system that graduates over 100,000 people every year, should produce more than a handful stars. We therefore have to invest more in cutting-edge technological infrastructures in our universities, revamp our curriculum and expose our lecturers and students through fellowships and internships to training overseas. We need a university system that has well developed linkage programmes with the ivy leagues overseas. Our graduates ought not be job seekers, but job creators. We need their expertise to manage our healthcare; education; agriculture; banking and other important sectors of the economy.

This piece is not in anyway meant to denigrate our universities, of which I am a proud product. I am grateful to my professors and the education they gave me. But the point in this piece is that a lot has happened since I left university. While Nigerians are breaking barriers in technology; academia; business and entertainment overseas because of foreign training and exposure they’ve received, we need to see graduates of our universities replicate similar performances back home. In this increasingly competitive and knowledge economy, the unskilled will most likely fall by the wayside.

Two recent events in Nigeria demonstrate state governors’ overlordship and self-absorbed nature. And with what we saw in Edo and Ogun States, it is also clear that the totalitarian tendencies of governors transcend party affiliations.

The governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, momentarily turned his deputy, Philip Shuaibu, into a destitute, even though they were elected on the same ticket. Obaseki won elections on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His Ogun state counterpart, Dapo Abiodun, who sat like an emperor while people’s fathers prostrated before him for their subsistence, is of the All Progressive Congress (APC). The men of authority in Nigeria are united in their misuse of power and state resources, even against the people’s interest.

In Edo State, the first two citizens fell out because the deputy governor reportedly aspired for the party’s gubernatorial ticket. Like most governors, Obaseki seemed to have other plans, so all hell broke loose.

Before the intervention of some respected citizens of the state this week, Shuaibu had filed a court action against the state house of assembly, which allegedly had the governor’s push to impeach him. That audacity infuriated Obaseki, so he went all out against his deputy without any care about the optics.

His security detail at a recent state function stopped the deputy governor from speaking with his boss! Obaseki’s aides later came up with the ridiculous excuse that their principal was oblivious to his deputy’s move, even though pictures from the event showed the proximity between the parties.

Not just that. Obaseki ordered the withdrawal of his deputy’s press crew and directed that the latter must, subsequently, write to request for coverage from the governor’s office. You can only imagine the humiliation awaiting Shuaibu in the event of such requests. That is not to speak of other actions targeted at diminishing his influence and rubbishing his office, but for external intervention that led to the withdrawal of the court case.

So, what are the issues here? The desperate scramble for power, the unbridled deployment of state resources against political opponents, and the total disregard for the welfare of the people while this is going on.

The situation in Ogun state is more explicit. Chairman of the Ijebu East local government of the state, Wale Adedayo, had accused the governor of withholding funds belonging to the local government for the second year running.

In addition to sending petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Adedayo also sought the intervention of a former governor of the state and party elder, Chief Segun Osoba. He indicated that local government chairmen got no allocations since their election in 2021 and attributed the lack of development in the rural areas to the governor’s actions.

On the surface, his petition, which has gone viral, appears altruistic and motivated by nothing else but the welfare and well-being of citizens. For instance, a part of it read: “Revenue sources, which the local governments should benefit from, have mostly been taken over by the state government. Motor parks and attendant dues, which should go to each local government, are centrally managed by the state government. Primary school administration and control have been taken over, too… In Ijebu East local government area, we are a complete rural section. Our people need roads, especially in the interior. They need water. The health centres are nothing to write home about. The primary schools are something else. It is a crying shame that, in 2023, some of our people still depend on water from the stream to drink!”

This part of the petition presents a grim picture that should worry everyone, especially a governor who swore to improve the people’s condition. Suppose Adedayo’s plea is untrue or presumptuous in any respect; the man accused should show due regard for the electorate, clarify, and then start to address the developmental issues raised in the petition. But that is not the way of the Nigerian governor.

First, considering himself a tin god and justifiably so, the average state governor would rather than address issues dissipating energy on crushing anyone who dares confront him. His irritation is more when the “offender” is a member of his party or someone he profiles as a beneficiary of his grace.

Now, this is what almost all elected representatives are to governors. From the wards to the national assembly, most governors decide who contests for what position, striking out and replacing names without regard to the people’s preference. From party officials to councillors, local government presiding officers, house of assembly members, members of the house of representatives, and senators (except when the senatorial candidate is an outgoing governor), state governors decide who gets what and enforce the same without mercy or consideration for any other factor.

Although they deploy state resources for the execution of this venture, their main aim is self-preservation. This is how state governors got members of state houses of assembly to reject their autonomy for so many years! The role that governors play in appointing judges in their states is also why many Nigerians cannot be sure of getting justice against the state government. The absolute tendency of governors is unending.

Adedayo’s colleagues’ decision to beg the governor stemmed from this realisation. Although he claims that all chairmen agreed to write the petition, his colleagues preferred throwing him under the bus, siding with the governor to protect their offices and livelihood. Politics and political offices are like business for many people, so they would sacrifice the general good for survival.

The fate awaiting them otherwise is evident in Adedayo’s travails in the last few days. First was the attempt to impeach him by members of his legislative council. Ultimately, he was suspended for six months based on accusations of maladministration and financial mismanagement. We do not know whether there is any substance in these accusations, but why did the legislators wait until the current crisis ensued before bringing up the charges?

It is also noteworthy that governors take all their arsenals to war when matters get to this head. As a state correspondent for The PUNCH years back,  a state governor went as far as instigating armed robbery and gun-running charges against a council chairman just to remove him from office. The extent to which these people go is confounding.

So, at junctures like this, it should not surprise you that policemen and “political thugs” will collaborate to achieve one purpose. Hence, reading about a similar scenario in the matter under discussion was not surprising.

However, it is worrisome that state institutions would lend themselves to the oppression of ordinary Nigerians in these circumstances.

Reports indicate that the Department of State Services (DSS) detained Adedayo for three days. His detention was reportedly based on allegations of defamation and planning a protest by the governor. One wonders why the chairman was not released immediately after his interrogation. Why deny him his freedom for three days? But it isn’t out of the character of many state agencies whose loyalty is with the government of the day instead of the country and its people!

Avoiding the consequences (which are still ongoing) that Adedayo faced is the reason local government chairmen across the country (most of whom have the same fate) are too frightened to complain about their governors. After all, most of them aspired for the office for what they could gain; why should they jeopardise that by confronting the conquering lion that their governor is? But will Nigeria ever attain sustainable development without paying attention to local governments?

There is a temptation to attribute the problems that local government administrators face to the creation of the state joint local government account by S.162 (6) of the 1999 Constitution, and there may be a point there. But wouldn’t things be better if governors had more fidelity to their oaths? Wouldn’t Nigeria be better if everyone elected to public office were more committed to the people’s welfare and a legacy of achievement?

The week was ushered in with a gross and temperamental preview by retired supreme court Justice Mary Odili wherein she took direct aim at a party (and its surrogates) to the dispute before the Presidential Elections Petitions Court, PEPC. Her speech at a ceremony in honour of a lawyer, Mr J.K Gadzama was a study in the chauvinistic triumphalist celebration of a judicial victory in view and was remarkably badly written and poorly delivered. At the fairly partisan gathering, she assumed the posture of an aggressive agenda setting partisan privy to the judgement that would be delivered in the course of the week. There appears to be the ulterior motive of preempting the judgement of the PEPC and harangue the potential loser to take it or shove it. 

The missive was deliberately provocative and commensurately elicited a severe backlash. She courted a renewed critical attention on her pedigree including, especially, the watershed judgement given in favour of her husband, Dr Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers state by the supreme court. Whenever her tenure at the supreme court is up for discussion, this controversial judgement is guaranteed the pride of place. The practical import of the unprecedented judgement was to render her spouse, Dr Odili legally untouchable and unquestionable on his stewardship as governor between 1999 and 2007. He was granted “a perpetual injunction barring the federal government and its agencies from probing, arresting or prosecuting him”. It is curious that no other Nigerian public official of comparable circumstances had similarly availed himself of this royal exculpation, prompting the poser, if the law is personally made for Odili and should never be cited as a judicial precedent. 

Here is Justice Odili “It is no doubt appropriate that the theme is: “The Nigeria of Our Dreams, A Call to The Patriots”. 

I say so in the light of the prevailing situation in Nigeria as a result of the 2023 General Elections which has generated a lot of storm, necessitating the conversation which we are about to indulge in, as there seems to be moves to throw the nation into chaos or conflagration. This may be brought about by some individuals and groups, who fanning the ambers of hatred, bigotry, and tribalism fails to see the possible outcomes of the utterances without caution that are being thrown around.

It is human to feel cheated, or having the short-end of the stick, but one who is not declared the winner at any of the electoral contests, such emotions however grim does not justify bringing the 

roof down, the roof of our nation”.

“The situation does not call for the blackmail of the judges, or the posting of speculatory hypothesis, giving them such a life of their own, which run riot and accepted by the hapless and innocent in the society as the truth.

Knowing the quality of participants at this colloquium, and I am happy professional, those who are well equipped in litigation matters or electoral disputes – Chief Olanipekun is a master, and our Attorney General recently sworn in. These are experts. I am confident that having such persons here, including our Chief Host, Chief J. K. Gadzama, there is confidence that at the end of the day, a resetting of the mind would be taking place and we would keep things in perspective 

in the full knowledge that elections are seasonal, and litigation relating to thereto of the same vein” 

If any intervention can be more offensive than the statement itself, it is another statement from the same source purporting to blame the reading public for a distorted misunderstanding of the missive. If the point Mrs Odili labours to make is that some people are purportedly intimidating the judiciary, she appears to be a rather poor messenger for the message. I can hardly recollect any time I came across such an outrageous message of intimidation from a Judge. And maybe the judiciary (as represented by Odili), should be wary of the hypocrisy of frantically calling attention to the speck in another man’s eyes while hosting a beam in her own.

In contemporary Nigeria, no one could match the capacity to wreak damage on the Judiciary more than the power couple, Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa and her spouse Justice Bulkachuwa. Yet, we never heard nor expected a word of condemnation from the chairperson of the body of benchers namely, JusticeOdili. Two days later, it was the turn of the tribunal judges at the subsequent occasion of the delivery of judgement by the PEPC. The Judges practically took a cue from the Odili playbook in the proclivity for partisan bombast and the censure of divergent opinions. The Judges liberally indulged in malicious language and adversarial partisan demeanour. They kept swearing to the infallibility of INEC and insinuating insinuating a common purpose with the electoral agency. 

If we agree that Obi and Atiku leaning partisans were provocatively breathing down the necks of the judges, the question is are there no extenuating circumstances for assuming the worst of the judiciary? Is this a justification for the display of raw partisan distemper in dispensing the law?. If Senator Bulkachuwa is to be believed, regarding the conduct of the administration of justice by the immediate past president of the court of appeal (PCA), who happens to be his wife, is such Judiciary deserving of the benefit of the doubt where there are talks of corruption?.

Yet they affect the posture of righteous indignation as if there is no basis to doubt their integrity. These are Judges over whom the spouse of Bulkachuwa presided, as the president of the court of appeal. For that matter, did the president himself, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not adopt the common belief that Judges are corrupt “You don’t expect your judges to live in squalor, to operate in squalor and dispense justice in squalor. If you don’t want your judges to be corrupt, you got to pay attention to their welfare” rationalised the president. 

What crimes have the international observers, especially the European Union, EU, committed to warrant their victimisation?. Do their reports not connote the international standard we aspire to attain?. These are expert monitors whose professional calling is informed, unjaundiced assessment of elections worldwide. In the course of this they had been in this country several months before the election.They contributed millions of dollars to support the successful conduct of the elections and have thereby earned their seat at the table. Above all is the lack of partisan interest in who wins the elections. If it is absurd to contemplate that the observers will know better about the law than the Judges, so it is illogical of any judge to presume to know more about the Nigerian elections than these observers. 

Systemic Crisis

My understanding of the contemporary Nigerian perversion is that it is a systemic crisis 

where you can establish the lapse of a part thereof from what ails the whole. If Nigeria is sick and corrupt, there is no reason to disbelieve that the executive, legislature or the judiciary are any less afflicted, especially in the absence of any evidence to the contrary. Inspired by the culture of judicial activism (‘that the courts can and should go beyond the applicable law to consider broader societal implications of its decisions’), I get repeatedly asked by anxious Nigerians whether they can expect the judiciary to do what is right by Nigeria. 

My default position is to patiently explain that Nigeria is in a systemic crisis in which none of the indwellers of the system is immune to catching the pathogen of the crisis. If the Nigerian judiciary is typically Nigerian, it is unrealistic to expect the institution to behave exceptionally. If a country regularly tops the chart of the most corrupt countries in the world, what is the probability of finding an exceptional oasis of integrity? It is impossible to isolate any institution of government from the implication of Nigeria as a failed state. A failed state is indicative of systemic crisis and collapse where no part can be individually salvaged for remedial attention. It is a case of we float and sink together. 

In almost all societies governed by law and have not lapsed into dysfunction, there is a positive correlation in the behaviour of the three organs of government, legislature, executive and the judiciary. And the obverse is equally true. Nigeria is a typical example. To its potential destruction, the Nigerian judiciary is now badly implicated in the enthronement of presidents. It remains true that power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. More than any other factor, the over centralisation of power, (personified by the president) is the most subversive agent provocateur of political crisis and instability in Nigeria. In its pursuit, nothing is spared, no prisoners are taken (not the legislature, neither the judiciary nor INEC etc) It is what drove Nigeria to seek escapism in the palliative of the rotation of power which has hardly fulfilled its aspiration as an instrument of tempering the trend towards the winner takes all politics. 

Federalism 

The policy prescription of the adoption of the systemic crisis perspective to the Nigerian crisis is the holistic constitutional review towards the restoration of federalism. It may be an unintended consequence but a return to federalism will relieve the judiciary of its attendant implication in the destructive tendency inherent in the over centralisation of powers. Wherever it occurs, the abnormal implication of the judiciary in the determination of political power has proven a present and direct threat to the integrity and stability of the polity. Not without its shortcomings, federalism, as such, ‘is a response to political conflict, not an optimal strategy that a nation with a unified political identity is likely to enthusiastically embrace.; it is a suboptimal compromise designed to resolve situations that threaten to descend into even less attractive possibilities’

It is admitted that ‘countries with ethnic, linguistic, or religious divisions that substantially coincide with territorial boundaries confront special problems in making democracy work. They are vulnerable to intense intergroup conflict, which all too often leads to violence or to attempts at secession.. In large states that must contend with geographically based ethnic, religious, or linguistic cleavages, some form of regional autonomy is inevitable. And one institutional device intended to mitigate such strains is federalism’. Unfortunately, rather than face up to solve our political problems, we have been adjusting and coming to terms with them as the new normal. 

At least, thirty people have been reportedly killed in a landslide caused by the activities of illegal miners in Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This is just as 19 persons were also kidnapped yesterday in the Bwari area council of the FCT.

The twin incidents were disclosed at a maiden meeting between FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, and the six area council chairmen.

The minister who was surprised at the development said he would summon the FCT director of State Services as well as the commissioner of Police to receive adequate briefings on the kidnap incident and facilitate rescue operations.

Wike asked the council bosses to set up a surveillance task force in their areas to monitor mining activities, just as he promised to meet with his counterpart in Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, to begin talks on the elimination of illegal mining in the FCT.

Also, the minister of state for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, and the permanent secretary in the FCTA, Olusade Adesola, expressed the willingness of the administration to continue to partner with the area councils to ensure even development of the territory.

Speaking on the challenges confronting the councils, Kwali area council chairman, Danladi Chiya, appealed to the minister and the minister of state to come to their aid.

“When we heard about your appointment, we were happy because you have been a council chairman and, therefore, understand our challenges. Our challenges are inadequate funding of the local government system.

“We have the major challenge of insecurity across the six area councils. Just today (Thursday), about 19 people were kidnapped in the Bwari area council. I just received about five in my council who were in captivity for about six days.

“The next is the development of satellite towns. The issue of sanitation is one of the major challenges confronting us. There is also no efficient transport facility. The Abuja Urban Mass Transit buses are no longer functional.

“Then there is the issue of land allocation. You sit in your council, and your backyard will be allocated to someone you do not even know. Your graveyards and worship centres would be allocated and we are saying that we should be carried along in terms of land allocation,” Chiya said.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on Thursday said he knew the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi will not win the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

Wike claimed that the youth settled for Obi because he was the youngest among the top politicians who contested.

He noted that even though the youths were tired of the situation in the country, they did not take into cognisance a lot of things.

The Minister stated this during an interview on Channels TV.

Wike said, “I know that he won’t win the election. Let me tell you the truth, I am a realist.

“For me, the way the election went, it was a tough election. I give it to INEC (the Independent National Electoral Commission).

“Obi couldn’t have won the election. “Yes, as a young man, people would have preferred that but look at how the votes went.

“There is this generational change, the young people were tired. So, for them, the only hope they had was to vote for Obi as a younger person compared to other candidates.

“But unknown to them, that is not the reality of Nigerian politics. They didn’t take into cognisance that ethnicity is a factor. They didn’t take into cognisance that religion is a factor, not only competence; that is the reality of Nigerian politics.”

Speaking on the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday, Wike said some believe the judiciary was right when Obi reclaimed his mandate as governor of Anambra State in 2007 but the judiciary was wrong when he lost at the presidential Tribunal.

He said, “Did Peter Obi not win at the Supreme Court when he was removed as governor? Did he pay a bribe? Let him tell the world now.

“When he was removed as a governor, did he not reclaim his mandate at the Supreme Court? Judiciary was right but now that the decision happened, the judiciary is wrong.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State has suffered a setback ahead of the governorship election in the state.

The crisis rocking the party has seen a former Deputy Governor of the State, Yomi Awoniyi, officially dumped the party.

Awoniyi, who served as Deputy to former Governor Idris Wada addressed his resignation letter to the Chairman of PDP in Mopamuro Local Government Area of Kogi State, dated 31st August 2023.

He, however, did not state the reason for dumping the opposition party in the state.

The letter titled, “Letter of Resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party”, was released to the media on Thursday.

He wrote, “I hereby write to tender my letter of resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party after 25 unbroken years of loyal and dedicated membership and service.

“With this resignation, I cease to be a member of the PDP. Kindly convey my sincere gratitude to the party faithful in Mopamuro LGA, Kogi West Senatorial District, and indeed the entire state, through your fellow LGA Party chairmen, for their support and camaraderie, over the years.

“I look forward to our continued friendship despite no longer being members of the same political party.”

The governorship candidate of the party in the forthcoming governorship election in the state is Dino Melaye, who at a time represented Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

People Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said the only legacy of Vice-President Kashim Shettima is transforming Borno State from ‘the Home of Peace’ to hell fire.

Atiku said this in a statement by special assistant on Public Communications, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, while reacting to Shettima’s joke about him shortly after the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).

Following the tribunal judgment in favour of President Bola Tinubu and Shettima, had said “Atiku Abubakar is an elder statesman that I hold in very high esteem, and anybody who knows the social-cultural interaction between the Fulanis and the Kanuris in the North will know that I have the liberty to haul all insults at him, and he will bear,” said Mr Shettima on Wednesday, fielding questions after tribunal’s ruling.

“We are not going to retire him to Dubai or Morocco. I will retire him to Fombina. I will buy him goats, broilers and layers so that he can spend his days rearing goats and broilers, but on a joking side,” the Vice President said.

Responding however, Atiku, a former vice president, said Shettima failed abysmally as governor and chief security officer of Borno State.

The statement said it was laughable that Shettima who has the most woeful governance record in Nigerian history and could not lift the people of Borno State from poverty was planning on investing in Atiku.

It added, “He (Shettima) loves to crack lackluster jokes at every given opportunity. Last year, he said Vice-President Osinbajo should have been an ice cream man instead of a politician. Later on, he said Nigeria needed a leader like Sani Abacha.

“As part of his circus act, he visited the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in an oversize suit, a pair of sneakers and a poorly knotted tie. Shettima needs to decide if he wants to be a statesman or Baba Sala of blessed memory .

His behaviour is certainly unbefitting for a man who currently holds the exalted office of Vice-President, even if temporarily.”

Shaibu said it had become Shettima’s stock in trade to deride others because he had nothing worthwhile to say about himself or his principal, Bola Tinubu, whose three months in office have only worsened poverty and inflation.

He recalled that Shettima was appointed as commissioner for finance and later became governor of Borno State, adding that those who brought him into government had high expectations for him having come from the banking sector.

“During his tenure as governor between 2011 and 2019, Borno State was taken over by terrorists completely. He ignored a security report about an impending attack on Chibok which ultimately led to the abduction of over 250 schoolgirls.

“Specifically, the head of WAEC’s National Office in Nigeria, Charles Eguridu, stated in 2014 that WAEC had informed Shettima about the danger of holding exams in Chibok and advised that the students be relocated to Maidguri which was relatively safer. Shettima refused to relocate the students and they were abducted, half of whom have not been seen again till today.

“Even though he left government four years ago, the millions of residents of Borno State have yet to recover from the mistake called Shettima. Rather than be penitent, he continues to move about like a clown, making unsolicited dry jokes about others.”

Shaibu advised the Vice-President to stick to praying to God for forgiveness for thwarting the destiny of the millions of people of Borno State.

“We advise Kashim Shettima to spend the remainder of his days praying to God everyday for forgiveness for destroying the lives of the millions of people of Borno State rather than making dry and insipid jokes at those who have actually bettered the lives of people.

“His lack of sophistication is eroding the elegance of the Office of the Vice-President. Men of honour have held that position in the past and Shettima should learn from the examples they led in public decency. In any case, he would do well by attending a finishing school on Atiku’s scholarship and learn how to behave like a polished statesman,” Shaibu said.