In the rich history of Ghanaian leadership, one name seems to crop up more than any other, “John.” Four different presidents, each named John, have held the highest office in the land. And now, John Dramani Mahama has once again returned as Ghana’s president after his main rival accepted defeat. 

With such a strong correlation between the name and Ghana’s presidency, one cannot help but ask, is it just a coincidence, or is there an unspoken rule that every Ghanaian president must bear the name John? Let us explore this fun and somewhat puzzling trend that has captivated the attention of Ghanaians and beyond.

The John Dynasty of Ghanaian Presidents is no doubt thought-provoking. Let us break it down, shall we? Starting with Jerry John Rawling, he was no doubt a man of military and civilian distinction, Rawlings’ first name, “John,” seemed to come to the forefront of Ghana’s political scene in the 1980s. He ruled as a military leader from 1981 to 1993 and then as a civilian president from 1993 to 2001. His leadership was transformative, but let us face it, no one really saw the “John” coming!

In a similar vein, John Agyekum Kufuors who presided over the affairs of Ghana from 2001 to 2009, left a notable mark on the country’s political and economic landscape. Could this be the first instance of a pattern, or was it just another coincidental name?

Also in a similar vein, John Evans Atta Mills, who was the first president in Ghana’s history to pass away while in office, furthered the John phenomenon. After his unfortunate passing in 2012, his vice president, who was none other than……….you guessed it, John Mahama, took over the presidency. The people of Ghana must have thought: “Is there something about this name?”

As if the trend were not established enough, Mahama, previously Atta Mills’ vice president, assumed the role of president after his boss’s death. But here is where it gets funny, not only did John Mahama take over once, but he was re-elected as president in 2012! Even more interesting is the fact that John Mahama has once again comeback in 2024, proving that this John obsession is not just a passing phase.

Now that we have taken a quick jaunt down memory lane, let us consider the pattern. Four presidents named John in Ghana. A coincidence? Maybe. But at this point, after John Mahama’s return to power in 2024, one might start to wonder. Could it be that “John” is a political prerequisite for the presidency? Is there a special clause tucked somewhere in Ghana’s constitution stating that only Ghanaians with the first name “John” can lead the country?

We do not have any hard evidence of this, but the idea alone is enough to give rise to a wave of humorous speculation. Imagine the next election cycle where Ghana’s political pundits are all focused on the one thing that really matters, “Is his name John?” 

At this juncture, it is expedient to curiously ask, “Why John?” It is unarguably a question that needs an answer. 

So, why “John”? Is it just a popular name, or is there something magical about the name that attracts the presidency? Let’s break it down. Johns Are Everywhere.  Ghana is not short on Johns. Whether in politics, business, or sports, there is a John in almost every sector. But the presidency? That is a different ball game.

Given the fact that there is power in a name, it will not be out of place to conjecture in this context that it is possible that the name “John” simply holds a certain appeal in Ghanaian politics. After all, names are powerful symbols. A “John” might exude a sense of trustworthiness, reliability, and even a dash of charisma. It is not just any “John”, these Johns are leaders with the ability to connect with the people. Perhaps “John” is simply a name that resonates with the Ghanaian electorate.

Against the foregoing backdrop, there is no denying the fact that there is unarguably a tradition of Johns in Ghana’s presidential system. This is as it is already an established fact that after Rawlings, Kufuor, and Mills, that when Mahama took the reins, the name had already become synonymous with the presidency. At this point, one could argue that Ghanaians were simply “used” to their presidents being named John. It had become a political tradition.

Analyzed from the backdrop of the return of John Mahama, and as we watch him in office throughout his tenure, we cannot help but ask: “Is he a symbol of continuity?” “Is it fate, or is it a sign that, when it comes to Ghana’s presidency, the name John is simply too powerful to ignore? Mahama’s comeback feels almost scripted, the long-lost John returns to finish what he started.

Let us take a humorous detour and explore some of the speculative scenarios that could be playing out behind the scenes in Ghana’s political landscape.

Imagine if future political campaigns were centered on this John phenomenon. “The future of Ghana is “John!” or perhaps, “Why settle for less when you can have a John?” Candidates could be scrambling to change their names to John to meet the qualification!

Could there be an official government search for all potential candidates named John? Perhaps, in the next election cycle, the political parties will hold auditions,  “Show us your ‘John’ credentials!” Maybe the next president will have to take a DNA test to confirm that they indeed have a “John” in their first name.

Maybe Ghana could form an exclusive political group, the “Johns Only” club. Political candidates could only be eligible if they carry the name John. After all, the track record seems to be speaking for itself! Future candidates will need to show proof of their “Johnness” before taking part in any political race.

At this point, some might be wondering: will Ghana ever break this cycle? Could the country see a president who doesn’t bear the name John? It seems unlikely in the near future. But who knows? Perhaps the 2028 election cycle will bring a fresh face, one who will forever break the John chain. Maybe it will be a president with an unusual name, one that doesn’t start with “J.” Only time will tell!

In all seriousness, while it is undeniably funny to think about the fact that all four of Ghana’s most recent presidents have been named John, the reality is that the name has become something of a political symbol. It represents a continuity of leadership, a tradition that the people have come to know and trust. Is it a coincidence? Perhaps. But it makes for a fun topic of discussion.

So, the next time you meet a Ghanaian politician, or anyone running for president, ask him: “Is your name John? If not, do you still have a chance?” Who knows? It could just be the start of a new era in Ghanaian politics. After all, isn’t there something about the name John?

“While I waste my time asking those questions, the battle between the forces of Chief Afe Babalola and those of Dele Farotimi rages on. And, it is not one between David and Goliath. No. Both are losing at the same time. They are both underdogs being tried in two parallel courts – one at the law court; the other at the court of public opinion. Unfortunately, both are not doing fine at all, but they are unyielding. I pity the two sides. They are pitched in a no-win duel while the rats who sparked the fight enjoy their suya, sip their coke, and pick their teeth. In the play, ‘Topdog/Underdog’ by American playwright, Suzan-Lori Parks, two brothers lose everything they fight over – woman, inheritance, everything. “Screaming in agony” is how a critic describes the cries of one while the other is too dead to hear his brother’s too-late regrets”.

Adeola was a destitute woman with neither a surname nor a known relative who died at 1.15pm on Friday, 29 June, 1888 at the Colonial Hospital in Lagos. She was buried at 4pm the following day at Ereko Cemetery, Lagos. The manner of her death on Friday and burial on Saturday was to soon put the entire colonial establishment from Lagos to London on ‘trial’. A police officer had, some days earlier, found the woman “huddled up in an Ereko market shed, utterly helpless and in a ‘bad state of health.'”

Her story: She was just Adeola – no other name. She had no living person she could remember as a relation. About 30 years earlier (1858), she had been bought as a slave at Ikorodu market by a man from Beshe (Ibese?) who later converted her to a ‘wife.’ She had a child for the man but life soon happened to her in more devastating details. One after the other, the ‘husband’ died, the child died too. She became lonely and alone, ill and terribly diseased. Her case became like the sentry of Apomu who lost his divination nuts to thieves, had his wife snatched, and, in horror, watched his last item of survival taken by a bad dog that escaped and slipped into a deep well. “It is time to leave this town!” the man cried.

Utterly broken Adeola left Beshe for Lagos in search of hope and cure for everything that ailed her. She arrived in Lagos on 4 June, 1888. It was because she knew nobody and had no one in Lagos that she found ‘home’ in that market shed where the police officer found her. With that police officer, favour appeared to have found her as she was moved to the Colonial Hospital and was admitted as a patient. If she thought her prayer answered at that point she was wrong. Her story changed on 20 June, 1888 when the senior of the two Oyinbo doctors at the hospital wrote on her treatment sheet: DNI (Discharged, Not Improved). The doctor said she was an “incurable” and “no good could be done for her by treatment” and got her removed from the hospital. And “like a log of wood”, she was taken out of the facility on a stretcher taken far away from the hospital, and “pitched out of the stretcher” like dirt and left to die in the bush.

A man and his carpenter saw everything from the top of a house they were reroofing. They reported what they saw to the authorities who intervened and ordered the woman returned to the hospital by 5pm the following day, 21 June. Adeola was reported dead on 29 June and buried by the evening of the following day. Then trouble started. The Lagos public got to know of everything that happened to the poor woman from the day she was first admitted to the hospital and the day she was reported dead and buried. It became a big human rights issue. Governor Moloney demanded explanations from the hospital and was not satisfied with what he was told. The matter went to a coroner who ordered the exhumation of the corpse. My historian wrote that “when the coffin was opened, the jury was struck by the observation that the body was found placed in a lateral decubitus. This was very unusual, and gave rise to the suspicion that the woman might have been encoffined before life petered out of her.” To be “encoffined before life petered out” of one is to be buried alive.

The jury tried the case and indicted all the key hospital personnel involved, including the doctor who wrote DNI on her diet sheet. Then the coroner, friend and messmate of one of the doctors, stepped in and annulled the verdict of the jury and cleared all the indicted persons. That was done because the woman was a nobody who had nobody. Lagos as a city became enraged and a huge rally of 374 persons was held inside the Town Hall of Lagos on 9 July, 1888. It was from that meeting that the people of Lagos addressed an appeal petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies in London who took over the case and ordered the governor of Lagos to implement the jury’s verdict and relieve the chief culprits of their duties. They were sacked. The pauper woman finally got justice. Her story is fully told in Adelola Adeloye’s ‘African Pioneers of Modern Medicine’ (1985); check page 60 through page 71. I got the story from that book; the various quotes I used are from its pages.

Scroll up again and read the Adeola case; the higher the appeal went, the better the reasoning, the surer the justice. Today, nothing in our courts is cast in law. The 1888 scandal happened well before Nigeria became a country. The Lagos public fought the injustice in Lagos for the nameless underdog. When Lagos compromised on truth and justice, the people took the case to London, fought and won in a very comprehensive way. The unfortunate woman in the story was the very definition of underdog. She had nothing; no full name; no address, no blood or bloodless relation. Everyone who fought for her did not know her from anywhere. She was a compete pauper with no material value to anyone. Yet, she got the people behind her and got justice. She was the underdog in the contest for space in the Colonial Hospital. She lost the battle of life but won the war of justice. She had her day, even after she died.

Americans have a day dedicated to almost everything. The third Friday in December of every year is their National Underdog Day. They’ve celebrated their underdog Fridays since 1976. The next one holds on 20 December, 2024. And, if you are a Nigerian, I am sure you’ve heard or come across ‘underdog’ more than once in the last one week. If you haven’t, it means you’ve not been following the war between Chief Afe Babalola, SAN and firebrand lawyer, Dele Farotimi. One, a senior advocate; the other, a subaltern in legal practice. Like in all contests, figures of speech have been flying like Saddam Hussein’s Scud missiles and George H. W. Bush’s Patriots. I heard the junior lawyer being called an underdog, the big man the top dog. I’ve also come across the expression: every underdog would have their day.

Nigerians are bitterly divided between Chief Afe Babalola and Dele Farotimi. Each side thinks it is right. I read some comments and commentaries and shuddered. The extreme positions being taken and the measures being canvassed remind one of the contents of Edward P. Cheyney’s 1913 article on ‘The Court of Star Chamber’ of 17th century England: “The law-officers of the crown were especially inclined to prosecute offenders against the dignity of judges or other persons connected with the courts. An angry litigant who in 1602 attempted to stab a lawyer who had spoken against him was brought before Star Chamber and sentenced to have his ears cut off and to be imprisoned for life. One man had his ears nailed to the pillory at Westminster for traducing Lord Chief Justice Popham; another was sent to the pillory for saying Lord Dyer was a corrupt judge, another for writing a letter to Coke charging him with chicanery in practice, still others for writing a letter to the Mayor of Wallingford charging him with injustice, and for speaking disrespectfully to the Lord Mayor of London in the wrestling place at Clerkenwell…” The pillory in that piece was a wooden device for displaying and shaming convicts. It was known in Anglo-Saxon times as “catch-neck”, the French called it the pillorie. If you were sentenced to the pillory, your punishment included being abused by ecstatic members of the public and being pelted with filth, including rotten eggs. We’ve seen much of that in the last one week.

I have not read Farotimi’s book but I listened to some of his online appearances on this matter. His words are extreme just as the reaction of Afe Babalola to them. And, while I was wondering if a journalist like me should be read saying anything on this matter because it is already in court, subjudice, I watched Chief Babalola’s lawyers waiving aside that rule and addressing a press conference in Ado Ekiti on Friday. They took the top lawyer’s case before the court of public opinion. I am not blaming them; we live in a constantly changing world in which the Internet is the super jury. The landscape has changed forever. Babalola’s lawyers said Farotimi was angered because he lost his client’s case to their chief’s client before the Supreme Court in 2013. That was eleven years ago! Lawyers must have very long memories – like elephants – for them to have sustained a war this long.

And, it is from Chief Babalola’s case, as presented by his lawyers at the press conference, that I picked my item of interest – how the Supreme Court did this work and created this war. From what I read, it would appear that the Supreme Court was the edá rat that sparked the blaze which our firefighters are dealing with. “You will recall that 254 hectares (of land) were sold to the Gbadamosi Eletu family. However, instead of the 254 hectares, Honourable Justice Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs, JSC, who wrote the lead judgment, recorded 10 hectares in error,” Chief Babalola’s lawyer told the media. Now, listen. Nigeria’s topmost court wrote “ten hectares” when it should have written “254 hectares” and delivered it as its judgment in that contentious land case on 13 July, 2013. I read that and got confused. Figures 10 and 254 neither sound alike nor do they compare in values. So, where did the ‘error’ come from? The Supreme Court is not a one-man tribunal. There were four other justices on that panel. Not one of them saw the mistake of their leading colleague; they all endorsed the ‘error’, lock, stock and barrel. The court later corrected this on 18 March, 2014 – that was eight months after the judgment. It blamed the discrepancy on what our law calls “clerical error.” Then this Farotimi-Babalola war started, assailing reputations and curtailing freedoms.

We are ruling our world in manners that are at variance with how we met it. The British who created this country worked better in the administration of justice. I wrote earlier that in the Adeola scandal case above, the higher the appeal went, the better the reasoning, the surer the justice. Even in places where sharia ruled, the British encouraged discipline, diligence and competence. In Ilorin, an Alkali was dismissed in 1912 “because he could neither read nor write Arabic.” In the same Ilorin, the colonial government removed Chief Alkali Mallam Salihu sometime in the 1930s and replaced him with Mallam Muhammad Dan Begori (Belgore) because inquiry showed that he had been “extremely negligent in his supervision of the clerical work of his subordinates.” H. O. Danmole’s ‘The Alkali Court in Ilorin Emirate during Colonial Rule’ published in the Transafrican Journal of History (1989) contains those details, including the quotes.

Now, you would want to ask: The justices who professed the 10-hectare-for-254-hectare ‘error’ at our Supreme Court in 2013, where are they today and what were the consequences of their ‘mistake’ which now proves costlier than they could ever have imagined? The man who wrote the ‘error’ retired in December 2019. How does he feel hearing all these about his work? The others who concurred with him, what do they feel? The Supreme Court itself, in the name of which those lords of the law acted, is it proud of what happened, and what is happening? The criminal cases that branched out of their “clerical error” and filed last week, if they eventually go up to the Supreme Court, how is the court going to sit on them? The Body of Benchers, if a student of the Nigeria Law School wrote ten hectares where he was supposed to write 254 hectares, would they reward such a student with a call to the Nigerian Bar?

While I waste my time asking those questions, the battle between the forces of Chief Afe Babalola and those of Dele Farotimi rages on. And, it is not one between David and Goliath. No. Both are losing at the same time. They are both underdogs being tried in two parallel courts – one at the law court; the other at the court of public opinion. Unfortunately, both are not doing fine at all, but they are unyielding. I pity the two sides. They are pitched in a no-win duel while the rats who sparked the fight enjoy their suya, sip their coke, and pick their teeth. In the play, ‘Topdog/Underdog’ by American playwright, Suzan-Lori Parks, two brothers lose everything they fight over – woman, inheritance, everything. “Screaming in agony” is how a critic describes the cries of one while the other is too dead to hear his brother’s too-late regrets.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu shares in the pain of loss with the Muslim Ummah over the passing at the age of 84, the highly revered Islamic Scholar Sheikh Muyideen Ajani Bello.

President Tinubu affirms that the cerebral scholar lived to serve the Almighty Allah and humanity with his unusual insight into the Holy Quran, depth of wisdom, and the gift of interpretation, which provided peace, comfort, and guidance for many.

The President believes Sheikh Bello’s discovery of divine purpose at an early age and commitment to long hours of prayers, studying, and meditation shaped his message and the destiny of many Muslims within and outside the country.

President Tinubu acknowledges the Islamic cleric’s unwavering position on charity, peace, and civil order, frequently counselling leaders on the importance of trust, honesty, and fairness as cornerstones for good governance.

The President prays that Almighty Allah will receive the soul of the departed cleric and comfort his family while urging an approximation of his legacies during his sojourn on earth.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded to the Senate for confirmation a modified list of members of the inaugural Governing Board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) as he nominated Hon. Emeka Atuma as chairman of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).

In a list of nominees sent to the Senate late in September 2024, President Tinubu nominated Ambassador Haruna Ginsau as chairman of the NWDC board while also naming Senator Tijani Yahaya Kaura and Hon. Abdulkadir S. Usman as members.

The new list replaced them with Ja'afar Abubakar Sadeeq and Yahaya Aminu Abdulhadi, while the new chairman is Alh Lawal Samai'la Abdullahi.

Professor Abdullahi Shehu Ma'aji retains his position as managing director and chief executive officer.

Other board members featured on the first list are Dr. Yahaya Umar Namahe, Yahaya Aminu Abdulhadi, and Engr. Muhammad Ali Wudil, Shamsu Sule, Nasidi Ali and Aminu Suleiman.

After receiving the President's first list of nominations, the Senate adjusted the NWDC's establishment act to accommodate members from other geo-political zones.

President Tinubu complied with the adjustment in the new list, with the following named to represent the six zones:

They are Chukwu Chijioke, Ahmed Mohammed, Engr. Ahmed Rufai Timasaniyu and Macdonalds Michael Uyi. Others are Yemi Ola and Hon. Babatunde Dada.

President Tinubu has equally appointed Hon. Emeka Atuma as Chairman and Hon. Mark C. Okoye as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), subject to their confirmation by the Senate.

Other members are Barr. Ugochukwu H. Agballah, Hon. Okey Ezenwa, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, Hon. Donatus Eyinnah Nwankpa, Barr. Ifeanyi Agwu Ph.D, Nasiru Usman and Hamma Adama Ali Kumo.

The additional nominees are Edward David Onoja, Orure Kufre Inima and Chief (Mrs.) Joke Adebayo-Chukwuma.
Prince Obinna Obiekweihe, Executive Director (Projects); Sen. Anthony O. Agbo, Executive Director, Finance and Administration; and Dr. Daniel Ikechukwu Ugwuja, Executive Director (Corporate Services), were also nominated.

President Tinubu reiterates his commitment to regional development and expects the new nominees, as pioneers, to utilise their wealth of experience and expertise to actualize the mandates of the two Commissions and develop their regions.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)

President Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of chief executive officers for the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD).

The President also approved the renewal of the appointment of Fatima Umaru Shinkafi as the Executive Secretary Of the Solid Minerals Development Fund/Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (SMDF/PAGMI).

She was first appointed into the job by President Muhammadu Buhari and is said to be one of the driving forces of the changes in the solid mineral sector.

President Tinubu appointed Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, a visiting professor at the NUC, as the organisation's Executive Secretary.

Prof. Ribadu is an expert in veterinary reproduction and has served as vice chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Yola, and the Sule Lamido University, Jigawa State.

President Tinubu appointed Prof. Salisu Shehu as Executive Secretary of the NERDC.

Prof Shehu is a renowned academic in educational and human Psychology. He was instrumental in establishing the School of Continuing Education at Bayero University, Kano, and was the Vice-Chancellor of Al-Istiqamah University, Kano.

The President also announced Jabiru Salisu Abdullahi Tsauri's appointment as the National Coordinator of NEPAD.

Jabilu Tsauri holds a Master's in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Ahmadu Bello University. He is a seasoned administrator with expertise in legislative affairs, global affairs, and democratic governance and vast experience in public service.

The earlier announcement about the appointment of Yazid Shehu Umar Danfulani as the Executive Secretary of the SMDF/PAGMI, has been cancelled as there is no vacancy in the agency.

The President believes the appointees' experience and track record will bring a new sense of commitment, progress, and positive outcomes to fulfil Nigerians' expectations of their respective organisations.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejigged his list of nominees for the South East Development Commission (SEDC) board, replacing the initial chairman, Hon. Emeka Atuma, with Dr Emeka Nworgu.

The President replaced all the three executive directors initially nominated and named two additional executive directors.

The President also removed one of the board members, Donatus Eyinnah Nwankpa.

However, Hon. Mark C. Okoye retains his position as the Commission's Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer on the 16-member board, one more member than the initial board.

The new executive director for finance is Stanley Ohajuruka, who replaced Anthony Ugbo in the first list.

Toby Okechukwu is the new executive director of projects. He replaces Obinna Obiekweihe. Chief Sylvester Okonkwo is now the executive director of corporate services, replacing Dr Daniel Ikechukwu Ugwuja.

The two nominated executive directors without a portfolio are Chidi Echeazu and Dr Clifford Ogbede.

The President retained Barr. Ugochukwu H. Agballah, Hon. Okey Ezenwa, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, Barr. Ifeanyi Agwu, Nasiru Usman and Hamma Adama Ali Kumo.

The other nominees retained are Edward David Onoja, Orure Kufre Inima and Chief (Mrs.) Joke Adebayo-Chukwuma

All the nominations are subject to Senate confirmation.

President Tinubu expects the new nominees, as pioneers, to use their wealth of experience and expertise to actualise the Commission's mandate and develop the South East region.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated President-elect John Dramani Mahama on his victory in the December 7 general election in Ghana, following his opponent's concession speech.

In a telephone call to Mahama, President Tinubu hoped that Mahama’s ascension to power for the second time would further bring stability to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which President Tinubu is the chairman.

President Tinubu commended the people of Ghana for their commitment to democracy, which was demonstrated through the peaceful and successful conduct of both the presidential and parliamentary elections.

He applauded Ghanaians for demonstrating again to the world that democracy is the preferred path to achieving political stability, economic development, social justice, and transparent governance in Africa.

He affirmed that Nigeria's and the region’s belief in the principles of the people's right to choose their leaders freely will remain a source of pride.

The Nigerian leader applauded the candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for conceding defeat before the official announcement by Ghana’s Electoral Commission.

President Tinubu said Bawumia’s stance reinforced Ghana’s democratic ethos.

President Tinubu noted that President-elect Mahama’s return to Jubilee House, having served as President from 2012 to 2017, reflects the Ghanaian people’s trust in his stewardship and vision to take the country to greater heights.

Mahama served as Vice President of Ghana from 2009 to 2012, Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009, and held deputy and ministerial roles between 1998 and 2001.

President Tinubu renews his steadfast support for deepening the fraternal bonds between Nigeria and Ghana, underpinned by shared history, cultural ties, mutual support and cooperation, Pan-African goals, democracy, the rule of law, and economic integration.

The Nigerian leader thanks President Nana Akufo-Addo for his exemplary leadership and numerous contributions to Ghana’s progress and regional peace and stability.

The President looks forward to working with President Mahama's incoming administration to strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors and build a brighter future in the West Africa region.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu extends his sincere commendations to Dr Bolu Ogunyemi, a distinguished Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, for his recent election as President of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA).

President Tinubu celebrates this remarkable achievement with Dr. Ogunyemi, a renowned dermatologist in St. John's, Newfoundland, and a visiting specialist in Labrador City since 2018.

This esteemed recognition is a testament to Dr. Ogunyemi's visionary leadership, dedication to excellence, and compassionate commitment to enhancing the welfare of others.

The President is confident that Dr. Ogunyemi's extensive background in medical science and his 15 years of leadership experience have eminently prepared him for this prestigious role.

President Tinubu expresses optimism that the forthcoming approval of Ogunyemi's election at the CMA's Annual General Meeting in May 2025 will empower him and enable him to elevate the association to even greater heights.

President Tinubu encourages the Clinical Associate Professor to remain steadfast and focused on fulfilling his new mandate with inclusivity and respect for diverse perspectives.

He also urges Dr Ogunyemi to embrace those who vied for the position as partners in progress.

The President assures Dr. Ogunyemi of the prayers and unwavering support of the Nigerian government and its people as he takes on the mantle of leadership.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)

“Liars ought to have good memories”. Algernon Sidney, 1622-1683 VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 127. Read online.

Right now, the nation, and indeed the entire world, is still confused regarding the situation with the two Port  Harcourt refineries. Suddenly, in the last ten days of November, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, announced that the refinery was ready to start loading 200 tankers a day with petrol – without specifying which of the two refineries in PH will supply and without revealing if the petrol was processed from crude. It was a clever ploy designed to earn the NNPCL commendation. 

  Predictably, the media mercenaries, as well as the wilfully gullible, were hailing NNPCL for what one of them called “a remarkable feat which should silence critics”. Instead of silencing critics, what followed was more controversy. As usual with statements and promises made by NNPCL in the past, facts at our disposal prove conclusively that this was another rumour by the Directors of NNPCL. Two reports in the papers informed Nigerians as follows: “Port Harcourt refinery: Controversy surrounds NNPCL claim on operation.” Report, November 29, 2024. “P’Harcourt refinery halts operations, loading bay empty.” Report, November 30, 2024.

  Additionally, there is dispute concerning the source of the petrol which the NNPCL advertised for supply at the rate of 200 trucks a day. One Mr.  Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa community stakeholders, made three allegations. One he contended that the 60,000 bpd capacity facility was not yet fully operational. Two, he alleged that only six trucks were loaded; and not 200. Three, Mr.  Mgbere asserted that what the NNPCL released was old stock of fuel materials “that had been there for three years.” All these were said on television.

It would be difficult to disbelieve Mr. Mgbere, because the day after his interview was published, the refinery halted operations. Since then, it had been one dodgy story after another. Incidentally, the NNPCL, which invited trucks to lift fuel deliberately failed to fix the price per litre. Is that the way to run a company?

THE WAY WE WERE UNDER BABANGIDA

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

George Santayanna, 1863-1952,    VBQ p 93.

  This article was not written just to disparage the NNPCL and its managers. The uncertainties we face regarding fuel supply condemn them enough. More honourable men would have departed a long time ago. The main reason for writing is to remind all of us that we had the four refineries operating at 70 to 110 per cent at one time – 1991, 1992 and 1993– under President Babangida.

  Before going into the details of how we were derailed by three Presidents – Obasanjo, Buhari and now Tinubu — let it be acknowledged that I know there are individuals, ordinarily logical and intelligent, who go into a frenzy each time Babangida is commended for a great achievement. For instance, most Nigerians are not aware that the Value Added Tax, VAT, now tearing the country apart, was created by IBB in 1993; and the nation was not at daggers drawn. Today, the nation is on war path with elected officials in charge. Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, former Minister of Finance, was our leader, when a small minority of us promoted VAT; while the majority (know-nothings) opposed. It is a fact that governments will collapse if VAT is removed from the revenue stream now. VAT alone demonstrates how far ahead of his time Babangida was.

  IBB’s real genius, lacking in all his successors, was the recognition of the vital need for Nigeria, a major oil producing country to have built refinery capacity as to make the nation self-sufficient in fuel production as well as availability of by-products of refining which would provide steady supply of raw materials for other sectors – pharmaceuticals, paints, cosmetics, plastics etc. So, he ensured that the four refineries worked.    Approximately this time last year, Engineer Alexander Ogedengbe, former Managing Director of the Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries, was on television to warn Nigerians about the official lies we were being told. Many of us would recollect that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the GMD, NNPCL were assuring Nigerians that the PH refinery would start supplying fuel by December 2023.    The year ended without fuel from PH. Seven other deadlines have been missed since then.

Ogedengbe has turned out to be right about the failure of NNPCL to meet deadline repeatedly. However, he said something about how the four refineries were operating at high efficiency under Babangida which made those years the golden age for those of us who were constant travellers. I was on the road virtually all the time covering at least 25 out of the 30 states Babangida’s government created annually. The products were readily available and the price was reasonable and steady for years – making annual planning and budgeting easier for most companies. Right now, most manufacturing and marketing companies cannot plan for three months; forget a year or the three-year plan.

HOW DID BABANGIDA SUCCEED WHERE OTHERS FAILED?

“Fail to plan; and you plan to fail”. That has been one of the basic principles of managers in every field of endeavour; whether public, private, for profit or non-profit. Babangida, more than any other Head of State in Nigeria’s history, was a planner. And this was apparent in the way his government managed the oil and gas sectors. If IBB’s successors had followed his template for managing the nation’s oil and gas resources, Nigeria should by now have been supplying most of West and Central Africa with fuel. Dangote’s giant refinery might not even be necessary because it is vulnerable for reasons I choose not to disclose.

  Four things Babangida did differently which resulted in superior performance by his government are the following: he did not keep the Ministry of Petroleum Resources; he appointed persons of absolute integrity as Ministers of Petroleum Resources; he gave them free hand to operate and he expanded refining capacity ahead of the need for supply. Let me explain.

Unlike Obasanjo, Buhari and Tinubu who hoarded the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, IBB appointed two Ministers – Professors Tam David West and Jubril Aminu during his eight years in office. Crude oil theft and prolonged scarcity were unheard of throughout. Although, some people objected to the removal of David West for receiving an undisclosed gift of wrist watch from an interested party, IBB made his point. Even the smallest taint of corruption in Nigeria’s most vital sector would not be tolerated. A stitch in time saves nine.

Expanding supply well ahead of demand was a master stroke of forward planning. Nigeria did not need the 150,000 bpd refinery established by IBB in Port Harcourt in 1989. But, given the trajectory of our population and economic growth, it was clear that Nigeria would sooner than later need every drop. So, the Federal Government ensured that Turn Around Maintenance, TAM was undertaken and completed as and when due.

$2 BILLION OIL BLOCK SOLD AT $5 MILLION

  That story in THE NATION, July 31, 2008, was about a questionable sale of oil block when Obasanjo was President and Minister of Petroleum. It has not been refuted till today. So much for President and Minister of Petroleum!!