A former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (PDP), Adewole Adebayo, has slammed President Bola Tinubu for his economic policy choices.

Adewole Adebayo accused President Tinubu of living large while he asked citizens to endure the economic hardship caused by his administration’s policies.

In an interview with Arise TV, on Thursday, Adebayo explained that Nigerians should not be made to choose to have the basic necessities of life because of the government’s economic policies.

He emphasized that the act of blaming former President Muhammadu Buhari‘s administration for the current hardship in the country was unfounded.

“Permit me, with due respect, to disagree with those who say that President Tinubu is not responsible for any problems inherited from Buhari’s administration. I would rather take the word of President Tinubu himself, who said that he will continue where President Buhari stopped.

“So whatever any other person, any other apologist, is saying is not as important as what the president himself said as a matter of presidential policy, that he is going to continue where President Buhari stopped. And he was influential in President Buhari’s government. He was influential in the policy. He now has inherited it. And they are carrying on the same baton. So let us rest that once and for all,” he said.

Speaking on Tinubu’s appeal to Nigerians for patience, he continued, “The issue of belt-tightening in an economy is not a problem at all. Belt tightening is required. But what the APC government has done, especially President Tinubu, is tightening the belt around the neck of the people. If you are tightening the belt around the waist, well, that could be a waist trainer, and it can tell you how to consume less. But you cannot tighten the belt around the neck of the people, in which case they will not be able to breathe.

“The things that are growing up for the poor are things which are not discretionary. In finance, and in public finance especially, there’s something we call discretionary spending. Discretionary spendings are spendings that you decide whether to spend or not.

“So for a family, in the microeconomics of a family, whether to have food is not discretionary. You have to have food. Whether to have energy, basic energy to live in the modern world; electricity, to power your light, to power your cooking, and all of that; there’s nothing discretionary there. Even though one of the ministers was of the view that maybe these things are discretionary. Maybe you should even off electricity when you go to work, but he’s still keeping his job.

“The other thing you need to know is that educating your children is not discretionary. When you catch a malaria fever or some other typhoid, or whatever, a headache, whatever is the tropical disease that people tend to have, it is not discretionary whether you should go to dispensary, or a pharmacy, or a hospital to take care of yourself.

“So these things that are not discretionary, like when you get a job, you need to travel to your job. You need electricity, you need power, you need energy, you need petrol, or diesel to locomote to work. If you are a trader, you need to carry your goods. None of these things is discretionary.

“That is where they are tightening the belts. That’s why it is almost unconstitutional the way they are running the government. Now when it comes to economic choices, the things that the government is spending money on are things which are discretionary.

“So if a person is being told to be discretionary regarding how much food he consumes, how he educates his children, whether he goes to the hospital, or just pray over his headache; if you are asking a person to do that, then you are purchasing aircraft, purchasing other things which might be necessary for you to use. There is more discretion in that one.

The former SDP presidential candidate stated that President Tinubu is not governing Nigerians. He accused him of committing economic injustice against Nigerians.

“There is more discretionary window in whether you purchase another presidential jet or not, than if somebody who has two children is going to buy a loaf of bread for them or not.

“So that is where the economic injustice is there. But my major disagreement with the government is that they are not governing. The government is not governing at all. They are occupying powerful positions, but they are not doing the job of those positions,” Adebayo added.

Nigeria bid farewell to one of its most beloved cultural icons, Onyeka Onwenu, fondly known as the “Elegant Stallion,” as she was laid to rest on Friday.

The legendary musician, actress, broadcaster, politician, and activist passed away on July 30, 2024, at the age of 72.

Onwenu died at Reddington Hospital, Ikeja, after collapsing at an event in honor of Dr. Stella Okoli, the Managing Director of Emzor Pharmaceuticals.

The news of her passing sent shockwaves through Nigeria and beyond, as tributes poured in from all corners of the globe.

The funeral service took place at the Fountain of Life Church in Ilupeju, Lagos, attended by a host of dignitaries, celebrities, and admirers.

Following the service, Onyeka Onwenu was laid to rest in a private burial at a vault in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Among those who attended the solemn ceremony were Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, who both paid their respects to the late icon.

She was not only a trailblazing musician with numerous hits to her name but also a broadcaster, actress, and a vocal advocate for women’s rights and social justice.

Her contributions to the arts and her fearless activism have left an indelible mark on the nation.

Onyeka Onwenu is survived by her two sons, who, along with countless fans and admirers, mourn the loss of a remarkable woman whose legacy will continue to inspire future generations.

See photos and video below:

Nigerian journalist and politician, Dele Momodu has given his opinion about the controversial age requirement to gain admission into tertiary institutions in the country.

On August 26, President Bola Tinubu’s administration mandated that only individuals aged 18 and above could take the National Examination Council Nigeria (NECO) and West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams.

This angered some people who questioned what students who typically graduate from secondary school at the age of 15/16 should do with their time while waiting to be old enough for the university entrance exams.

Dele Momodu has now weighed in.

The Ovation Magazine publisher highlighted the story of Dr Dorothy Jean Tillman, who, at only 17, became the youngest person to earn a doctoral degree in integrated behavioural health from Arizona State University's College of Health Solutions.

"And Federal Government via Ministry of Education is saying Nigeria children should wait till 18 years before they write WAEC, NECO and JAMB," Momodu pointed out on Instagram.

HAVANA, Cuba, Aug 23 (ACN) Wole Soyinka, Nigerian writer and Nobel Prize in Literature, received today at Casa de las Americas the Haydee Santamaria Medal, awarded by Miguel Diaz-Canel, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, on behalf of Cuba and at the proposal of the Minister of Culture.

As reported by the Presidency on X, Jorge Fornet, director of the Center for Literary Research of Casa de las Americas, in his remarks of praise, said that awarding Soyinka the medal that bears the name of that extraordinary woman is an act of justice that honors us.

After the ceremony, Diaz-Canel held a meeting with Soyinka, where he thanked her for his visit in such a complex moment for Cuba.

It is the visit of a brother who has always been fighting for the most just causes, the president noted.

The Haydee Santamaria Medal is conferred to national and foreign citizens and groups who, over the years, have shared the main objectives of the Casa: the enrichment, defense and integration of the genuine cultures of our region and the entire South.

This event also celebrates Wole Soyinka's 90th birthday and the 60th anniversary of his first visit to Cuba, where he has returned on several occasions.

The Nobel Laureate in Literature, who during the tribute had stated that “Cuba is also my home”, referred during the meeting to the strong ties that unite the island and Africa.

Amid calls by Nigerians for a lower cost of governance, the personnel costs of the 36 states in Nigeria for the 2024 financial year have hit N2.76tn, an analysis of the budgets by The PUNCH has revealed.

In 2023, the wage bill of the states according to their approved budget documents available on Open States powered by civic-tech innovation platform, BudgIT, stood at N2.26tn indicating that about N901.88bn had been added to the wage bill in two years and N501.16bn in one year.

The analysis of the data showed that most of the states have consistently increased their wage bill over the years. However, the increase made by Taraba State to its wage bill in 2023 was significant.

The sum of N37.62bn had been budgeted as personnel costs in 2023, however, the final budget showed a jump to N109.65bn. In terms of actual budget performance from January to September 2023, it was N28bn, which was far below the originally budgeted amount. The wage bill for 2024 stood at N54.47bn.

In 2024, the wage bill for Imo State surged by 134.12 per cent to N61.18bn from N26.13bn. The 2023 budget performance (January to September) stood at N20.35bn. About N30.19bn had been expended on wages in 2022 in Imo State.

Rivers State was another subnational whose wage bill nearly doubled in 2024. The approved budget for personnel cost in 2024 in the oil-rich state rose to N252.89bn higher than N128.78bn in the 2023 revised budget indicating about 96.36 per cent increase.

On the flip side, both Bayelsa and Ekiti States reduced their budget for personnel costs in the 2024 budget.  Bayelsa’s wage bill dropped to N69.12bn from N81.77bn in 2023; a 15.47 per cent drop. Ekiti’s wage bill was marginal at a 1.21 per cent decline to N31.02bn from N31.40bn.

States with a wage bill above N100bn include Oyo (N132bn), Ogun (N122bn), Delta (N164bn), Akwa Ibom  (N127bn), Lagos (N302bn) and Rivers (N252bn).

Meanwhile, about 12 state governors have appointed no fewer than 4,385 aides since assuming office in 2023, according to a recent report by Saturday PUNCH.

While some of the new governors hired fewer than 50 aides, others, especially the governors of Taraba, Ekiti, Niger, Enugu, Adamawa, Kano, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Borno, Yobe, and Kogi States, have so far appointed a combined 4,385 aides since coming into power last year.

While these governors go on their aide-hiring spree, their domestic and external debt profiles increased greatly within the first six months of their administrations.

According to the data published by the Debt Management Office recently, the domestic debt of Niger State increased from N121.95bn to N139.80bn in the six months between June and December 2023 under Governor Mohammed Bago.

Similarly, Plateau State’s domestic debt surged to N173.93bn from N157.62bn within the same period under Caleb Mutfwang.

The same is true for Cross River State, as its domestic debt moved from N204.05bn to N220.20bn in six months under Bassey Otu over the same period.

Also, about eight states incurred a total of $89,747,901 in external debts within the first six months of the new administrations, according to the DMO.

Cross River recorded the highest foreign debt increase during the period, as it moved from $153,168,738 in June to $211,125,104 in December last year. It was followed by Ekiti, whose external debt stock rose from $103,479,209 to $121,049,293.

Kano’s debt was the third highest, moving from $101,319,905 to $107,920,953, while that of Adamawa increased from $100,919,509 to $103,196,881.

Niger State’s debt rose from $66,791,105 to $68,056,534, and Taraba’s debt moved from $21,918,173 to $23,427,411.

The PUNCH reported in July that at least 24 states of the federation would not be able to pay workers’ salaries this year without having to wait for federal allocations from the central government.

Only 11 out of the 36 state governments of the federation can independently pay their workers’ salaries without depending on federal allocations, according to an analysis of the state governments’ approved budgets for the 2024 fiscal year.

The states with robust internal revenue are Lagos, Kano, Anambra, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara, Osun, Ogun, and Zamfara.

The 24 states that cannot fund salary payments from their Internally-Generated Revenue, may have to rely on Federal Government allocations or borrowing from banks and related institutions.

The development also means that the respective wage bills of the affected states surpassed their various IGRs, raising concerns about workers’ productivity and state governments’ efficiency in internal revenue generation.

This plays out amid plans for a higher minimum wage. Although details of the new minimum wage are yet to be finalised,  it is expected that it would bump the wage bill of states and even the Federal Government higher.

A recent report titled ‘The Nigerian New Minimum Wage: Implications For State Governments’ Budget Performance’ presented by the Managing Director/Chief Economist of Analysts Data Services & Resources, Dr Afolabi Olowookere, at a webinar organised by the Oyo State Chapter of the Nigerian Economic Society, ranked states according to their ability to pay a higher minimum wage based on their fiscal position.

The report indicated that states like Benue, Osun, Oyo, Yobe, and Kogi, which were in the bottom five, would struggle while states like Lagos, Imo, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Ebonyi would fare better.

In his presentation, Olowookere said the ability of states to pay a higher minimum wage was computed and ranked as a combination of the ratio of personnel expenditure to total expenditure, revenue, especially internally Generated Revenue, low debt profile, and the relatively high elasticity of personnel costs contribution to future revenue and expenditure.

The economist submitted that states need to improve their fiscal conditions to increase their ability to pay a higher minimum wage going forward.

Providing some of the ways that states can finance the new minimum wage, the report called for tax hikes but called for consideration of the “Current economic situation in which companies operate, many companies will also be struggling to increase wages, avoid over-taxing those already paying (raise tax base not rate), avoid multiple taxes to improve the business environment, invest in an efficient tax collection.

“Borrow funds, but ⁠consider the state’s current level of indebtedness. Note that interest rates are currently high. Borrowing to pay a salary is not a sustainable strategy. Seek aids and grants from FGN and development partners, but ⁠will need to use such assistance for development purposes to free resources for workers.”

Other proposals include the reduction of instances of  ‘ghost’ and redundant staff, commercialisation of relevant state projects and facilities and tackling of corruption. Corruption needs to be significantly minimised with wastes and leakages avoided for States to be able to find resources to finance higher minimum wage sustainably.”

Speaking with The PUNCH, the economist said that some states that are struggling fiscally may decide to pay for political reasons.

“Based on the facts on the table, the more green you are, the more your ability to pay. The states that are tending towards red can pay, paying is political but this is an economic analysis to say that if you are spending a lot of your money on salaries, if your IGR cannot pay your salaries, it would be difficult for some states to pay a higher minimum wage unless they want to rely on federal allocation which is not stable. Lagos for instance can pay a higher wage from its IGR alone, Enugu too if you check the 2022 actual data but the other states cannot even pay.

“If the states who can’t pay decide to go ahead, their fiscal conditions would worsen because it is not even very good to start with except they can finance it through those methods proposed.”

Commenting on the need to reduce the cost of governance across the country, the Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors in the Lagos chapter, Olujide Oke, recently said cutting needless spending and pruning the size of government appointees would help state governments have more funds to channel into crucial areas for development.

Also, Professor Seth Akutson of Kaduna State University, pointed out that with the new minimum wage, the wage bill will go higher, hence a need to rightsize the workforce and block leakages.

He said, “We don’t have social insurance for workers. The only way you can give people survival is to employ them. Some people are earning salaries but not going to work. They have to do away with those. You must understand that political consideration got those people the job, not qualification. Some of the governors have more than 1,000 aides, so you can imagine the impact on the wage bill. There are a lot of allowances, estacodes, and expenses that need to be cut off.

“Also, the workforce needs to align with the budget and ability to pay principle. Now that the wage has increased by more than 100 per cent, that N2.79tn you are talking about may get closer to about N5tn. They need to begin to rightsize the workforce. To look at the cost of governance, to negotiate a percentage decrease in the pay of some of the political appointees. Also, they need to close all the leakages found around governance.”

A professor of economics at Babcock University, Segun Ajibola, said, “The states must do all they can to raise internally generated revenue without putting undue pressure on their citizens. Secondly, they must reduce the cost of governance, block wastages, do proper streamlining of ministries, departments, and agencies, shun profligacy, and ensure accountability and transparency in government.

A former chief economist at Zenith Bank, Marcel Okeke, pointed out that the increase in the ministries and governance at the centre would trickle down to the subnationals and impact their wage bill.

“Most of the things these governors do are done out of political considerations and not economic ones, from the location of companies to the appointments of aides; special advisers, senior special advisers, and so on. There are notorious cases of governors appointing hundreds or thousands of assistants. What are those people doing and they are paid money? Can they not do with a fewer number of them?

“Do you know we have bloated staff? In some ministries that should only have about 100, they have 400 to 500, so a job that should be done by one person, you have about five persons hanging around. What some people do is to carry files and they have no job. When these states do staff audits, they report ghost workers. If they look into this area, they can reduce cost,” he said.

Also speaking on the development, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Ibrahim, faulted the governors’ appointments, noting that the governors had followed the step of the President who also expanded portfolios of aides.

“The governors are equally copying what the President is doing, but sadly, this is not a positive thing that should be copied or should be done at all.

“So this system has to be disrupted to bring sanity to how public officials are spending, wasting, diverting, and appropriating resources. No country can survive this kind of indiscriminate spending and borrowing that we are seeing now in Nigeria”, he said.

The Chairman of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, condemned the development, urging the National Assembly to draft a legislation to curb such frivolous spending.

“It is part of the life governors are living by creating appointments for the boys. So it is unfortunate and it is unwarranted. It is not the right thing to do during this period.

“What we advised before now is to reduce the number of political appointees and to ensure they have optimal productivity. And what we are suggesting is the National Assembly should do a law that will peg the number of political appointees that the governors and other heads of MDAs can engage,” he stated

The Accountability Lab Country Director Country, Friday Odeh, criticised the Nigerian government for hiring more aides despite the country’s severe economic issues, including over 35 percent inflation.

Odeh argued that this decision exacerbates financial strain on state governors and worsens the economic hardships faced by citizens.

He believed that using limited resources for additional aides is imprudent and politically motivated, rather than addressing real development needs.

“Hiring more aides in an economy where the government claims there is no money and inflation is over 35 percent is insensitive and problematic.

“Nigeria  government is facing financial difficulties, adding more aides is a strain on the lean allocations received by state governors (of which their revenue generation is not sufficient for the state) which is worsening the economic situation citizens are complaining about with bad governance and cutting down the cost of their luxurious lifestyle.

“Instead of using the limited resources on tangible projects and human development, expenses on aides is not a wise decision but for political reasons across all the states. the government is certainly not prioritizing the needs of the people they swore to serve but serving political interest,” Odeh noted.

The country director suggested that the government should focus on enhancing the efficiency of existing aides or investing in technology to streamline operations, rather than increasing bureaucracy and political patronage.

He added, “Adding more aides will not solve any development issues but rather increase bureaucracy.

“State government should explore other cost-effective measures, such as improving the efficiency of current aides or investing in technology to streamline operations that create unnecessary burdens for the states FAAC resources.”

Also, the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwagunma, lambasted Nigerian government officials for their lack of vision, sincerity, and patriotism.

Nwagunma pointed out that despite promises from the president to cut the cost of governance by reducing the number of appointees and ministries, the reality is the opposite—new ministries are being created, and a record number of appointees are being appointed.

He said, “The government at all levels in Nigeria is composed mainly of people who are visionless, insincere, unpatriotic, selfish, and insensitive to the suffering of the people they claim to serve.

“They do the opposite of everything they claim they will do. The president talked about reducing the cost of governance by pruning down the numbers of government appointees and ministries.  But the president is busy creating new ministries and appointing the highest ever number of appointees, both as ministers and aides.

“The same thing is happening at the state levels.  State governors appoint needless numbers of aides with almost every other aid having their aides.  While the state of the economy continues to worsen, with government policies unable to alleviate the suffering of the majority of Nigerians who continue to groan in deprivation, poverty, and hunger, the same government officials continue to live in obscene and provocative opulence and extravagant lifestyles. And they ask Nigerians to be patient and to continue to make sacrifices.”

The House of Representatives has committed to addressing the issues that prevent Nigerian tertiary institutions from accessing the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) allocations.

During a recent visit to Kaduna State, the House Committee on TETFund and Other Services revealed that over N500 billion in TETFund intervention funds are still unused at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by institutions across the country. Hon. Mariam Odinaka Onuoha, Chairman of the Committee, led the delegation to Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, and revealed that three state-owned institutions in Kaduna alone have over N1.3 billion in untapped TETFund resources.

“One of our primary responsibilities is to oversee tertiary interventions and ensure accountability for all funds allocated to bridge infrastructure gaps and enhance teaching and learning,” Onuoha said. “We also oversee the TETFund agency, a role we began in May. During this oversight, we found over N500 billion sitting unused at the CBN, allocated but not yet accessed by the beneficiary institutions.”

She added, “Despite various excuses for the accumulation of these funds, we are determined to facilitate their release to the institutions without further delay. We are investigating the problems faced by these institutions and seeking solutions to ensure that the funds serve their intended academic purposes.”

Onuoha also highlighted specific unutilised amounts: N547 million for Kaduna State University, N724 million for Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, and N30 million for the College of Education, Gidan Waya, totaling N1.302 billion.

Kaduna deputy governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe expressed gratitude for the Committee’s visit and encouraged institutional heads to openly communicate their challenges.

South Africa’s Udeme Okon won gold in the 400m final at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, with a remarkable comeback, clocking in at 45.69 seconds.

The victory, shared on social media, highlighted Okon’s dual ties to Nigeria and South Africa, sparking reactions from both nations.

While the recent controversy involving Miss Chidinma Adetshina underscored tensions between the two countries, Okon’s achievement seems to have been celebrated across borders

PUNCH Online reports that the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships, also known colloquially by its former official title, the World Junior Championships, is an international athletics competition for athletes qualifying as juniors.

The event is ongoing in Lima, Peru, from August 27 to 31, 2024.

Okon’s profile on his Instagram page, #udeme_sprints, shows both the Nigerian and South African flags, signifying his ties to both nations, PUNCH Online also reports.

World Athletics in early Friday video posts on X revealed this.

It read, “WHAT. A. COMEBACK. ‘s Udeme Okon wins the 400m final in great style with 45.69.

“It’s Okon’s moment Udeme Okon claims the 400m gold with an incredible comeback in the home straight  45.69 ”

Meanwhile, several reactions followed the post from South Africans and Nigerians alike.

Nigerians-South Africans tension

Recall the recent controversy surrounding Miss Chidinma Adetshina, a South African-born model of Nigerian and Mozambican descent, which sparked significant debate and tension between South Africans and Nigerians.

Adetshina’s eligibility to compete in the Miss South Africa pageant was questioned after revelations about her dual citizenship. Critics argued that her participation undermines the opportunities for South African-born candidates, fueling xenophobic sentiments.

As the scrutiny over her citizenship and background intensified, Adetshina withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition, citing concerns for her safety.

Following her withdrawal, she was invited to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, which has further complicated the situation given the uncertainty around her Nigerian citizenship status. 

However, it seems reactions from the South Africans do not have an issue with Okon and his gold medal.

World Athletics

PUNCH Online reports that World Athletics, the global athletic governing body, oversees disciplines like track and field, cross-country, road running, and race walking. Established in 1912 as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), it rebranded in 2019 to modernise its image and expand its global appeal.

Headquartered in Monaco, World Athletics sets the sport’s rules, organises major events like the World Athletics Championships, and maintains world records. The organisation is committed to promoting athletics worldwide, supporting athletes and national federations, and fostering the development of the sport at all levels.

A legal practitioner, Olusegun Agunloye, was on Thursday arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, over allegations of forgery.

The lawyer was accused of presenting a fake testamentary instrument also known as the Will of one late Benjamin Ejelonu to the court probate registry in Akure.

The 49-year-old defendant was arraigned before the court by the police on two counts of conspiracy and forgery.

The police prosecutor, Nelson Akintimehin, informed the court that the defendant committed the offence on September 7, 2023, at about 10:30 am, at the probate registry, High Court in Akure

Akintimehin alleged that the defendant conspired with a sister of the deceased, one Aminat Bakare, who is currently facing trial in charge number MAK/372C/2024 in the same court, to forge the Will of the deceased and lodged it at the Probate Registry of the state High Court in Akure with the intent to defraud one Oluwamodupe Ejelonu.

According to the prosecutor, the offence committed contravened Sections 516 and 467(2)(f) of the Criminal Code Law of Ondo State, 2006.

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to both charges.

The prosecutor asked the court to adjourn the case to enable him to assemble his witnesses and consolidate the two charges before the court.

However, the defence counsel, Kehinde Osadugbe, urged the court to grant his client bail on self-recognisance as a practising lawyer, claiming that the alleged offence was committed in the course of the defendant performing his legal duty as a lawyer.

But the prosecutor argued that the defendant was a flight risk if granted bail and that he had previously abused the administrative bail granted to him at the police station on self-recognisance.

Magistrate Kolawole Aro granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2m with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case until September 2024 for hearing and the consolidation of the cases. The defendant, who could not perfect his bail conditions, was subsequently remanded at the police station.

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, has condemned the “hate speech” from Amaka Patience Sunnberger, a Nigerian woman based in Canada.

In a viral TikTok clip, Sunnberger could be seemingly heard threatening to kill Nigerians from certain ethnic groups.

She also purportedly encouraged her audience to poison the food of persons from certain tribes.

The clip sparked outrage amid calls for her to face the consequences.

On Wednesday, the house of representatives committee on diaspora matters asked the Canadian government to prosecute Sunnberger for “hate speech”.

In a post on his X page, Obi, a former governor of Anambra, said Nigerians must “unite and focus on addressing our shared challenges, rather than allowing tribalism and hate to tear us apart”.

The former governor said tribal or religious bigotry cannot spur the country towards the path of positive development.

“I utterly condemn the reported hateful statement and actions attributed to a Nigerian woman living in Canada against other Nigerians of diverse origins. Such divisive comments or behaviour have no place in our society,” he said. 

“As Nigerians, we should unite and focus on addressing our shared challenges, rather than allowing tribalism and hate to tear us apart. I have consistently stood against the polarisation of our country along tribal, religious or political lines.

“We, as Nigerians, must live together in peace and love, and ensure that we enthrone leaders based on integrity, competence, consistency, capacity, character and compassion, so as to overcome our present challenges and move the country forward in the right direction.

“Let us focus on what truly matters: building a prosperous, united, and equitable Nigeria for all. We must reject tribalism and religious division, and embrace our shared humanity, working together towards a new Nigeria that is POssible!”