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Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts

Delusion Of Indoctrinated Ideologies Called Religions, by Richard Odusanya.

Delusion Of Indoctrinated Ideologies Called Religions, by Richard Odusanya.

By Richard Odusanya 

Religion is a social phenomenon. It is a religion that is confusing, not God. Man-made religions. God did not! God is merciful and not difficult to please. Therefore, the biblical phrase "Do for others as you would have them do for you." Be kind, be caring, and be loving. Treat everyone with respect and understanding. Do not harm and do as your father teaches you inside your heart. Does he tell you that you should say mean things? If so, that is not god. That is religion. The mere fact that there are so many religions in existence boggles my mind. How can followers attest that theirs is the absolute "truth" and that it should be followed? Religion is nothing more than a social construct, conceived by con men and administered by those who seek fortune and control over others.

As a pejorative term, indoctrination implies forcibly or coercively causing people to act and think based on a certain ideology. Some secular critics believe that all religions indoctrinate their adherents, as children, and the accusation is made in the case of religious extremism. Here it has been argued, contrary to the established view that delusional states of mind are epistemically problematic, that delusions can (at least under certain circumstances) exhibit a quality called ‘epistemic innocence’. That is, they may ‘[deliver] a significant epistemic benefit, that could not be obtained otherwise’.

According to Wikipedia:
Indoctrination is the process of inculcating a person with ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies, or professional methodologies (see doctrine). Humans are social animals inescapably shaped by cultural context, and thus some degree of indoctrination is implicit in the parent–child relationship and has an essential function in forming stable communities of shared values. Because we have mirror neurons in common and are social creatures, humans can instantly and subconsciously match one another’s emotions. We share feelings.

Certainly, for sure, a delusion is a fixed false belief based on an inaccurate interpretation of an external reality despite evidence to the contrary. Delusions are false beliefs or judgments about external reality. Not all beliefs and judgments can be characterized this way, because even if calibration is incorrect then relative associations can still be consistent and true. This is why so much of physics is tenable despite the limitations of our access. However, many of our beliefs are delusional - and we are unaware of this fact until some frameshift occurs in our experience.

Characteristically, since the mention of God's name became money making machine, every Tom, Dick and Harry wants a slice. Put differently, in our religious bigotry and manipulation, the African man just like our rulers (leaders), uses the devil as an excuse for his failures, rather than getting rid of the cankerworm called corruption that has eaten every part of governance system and the failure to keep the numerous promises made to citizens to get their votes, they are even asking us to pray. Some foolish ones would gather and starve themselves (fasting and praying), and what do they (leaders) do in return, they increase their looting, their lies, and their dishonesty. 

Moreover, in life the moment you refuse to admit a wrong choice you made which led to your immediate condition, you will find it difficult to move past that stage regardless of how many days you spend praying, fasting, rolling on the floor, and knocking your head against the wall. In addition, the popular belief that religion is the cause of the world’s bloodiest conflicts is central to our modern conviction that faith and politics should never mix for any reason. Therefore, it is important to separate the two of them 'faith and politics'.

Conclusively, It is very likely, that people get more religious if times are tough. As such, religious activities are in decline in the Western world where they originate from - not only in the Western world but in every developed country including Japan and South Korea. Religion is based on old scrolls, the modern world is based on science. It is not surprising that belief in old book scrolls is in decline. Whereas, it is a booming business in third-world countries where there is a trust deficit and deficiencies in governance and public policies.

Finally permit me to share with you the profound words of Matthew Hassan Kukah, the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto. Bishop Kukah characteristically posited: "We must be ready to embrace modernity and work out how to preserve our religions and cultures without turning religion into a tool for tyranny"

Richard Odusanya
By Richard Odusanya 

Religion is a social phenomenon. It is a religion that is confusing, not God. Man-made religions. God did not! God is merciful and not difficult to please. Therefore, the biblical phrase "Do for others as you would have them do for you." Be kind, be caring, and be loving. Treat everyone with respect and understanding. Do not harm and do as your father teaches you inside your heart. Does he tell you that you should say mean things? If so, that is not god. That is religion. The mere fact that there are so many religions in existence boggles my mind. How can followers attest that theirs is the absolute "truth" and that it should be followed? Religion is nothing more than a social construct, conceived by con men and administered by those who seek fortune and control over others.

As a pejorative term, indoctrination implies forcibly or coercively causing people to act and think based on a certain ideology. Some secular critics believe that all religions indoctrinate their adherents, as children, and the accusation is made in the case of religious extremism. Here it has been argued, contrary to the established view that delusional states of mind are epistemically problematic, that delusions can (at least under certain circumstances) exhibit a quality called ‘epistemic innocence’. That is, they may ‘[deliver] a significant epistemic benefit, that could not be obtained otherwise’.

According to Wikipedia:
Indoctrination is the process of inculcating a person with ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies, or professional methodologies (see doctrine). Humans are social animals inescapably shaped by cultural context, and thus some degree of indoctrination is implicit in the parent–child relationship and has an essential function in forming stable communities of shared values. Because we have mirror neurons in common and are social creatures, humans can instantly and subconsciously match one another’s emotions. We share feelings.

Certainly, for sure, a delusion is a fixed false belief based on an inaccurate interpretation of an external reality despite evidence to the contrary. Delusions are false beliefs or judgments about external reality. Not all beliefs and judgments can be characterized this way, because even if calibration is incorrect then relative associations can still be consistent and true. This is why so much of physics is tenable despite the limitations of our access. However, many of our beliefs are delusional - and we are unaware of this fact until some frameshift occurs in our experience.

Characteristically, since the mention of God's name became money making machine, every Tom, Dick and Harry wants a slice. Put differently, in our religious bigotry and manipulation, the African man just like our rulers (leaders), uses the devil as an excuse for his failures, rather than getting rid of the cankerworm called corruption that has eaten every part of governance system and the failure to keep the numerous promises made to citizens to get their votes, they are even asking us to pray. Some foolish ones would gather and starve themselves (fasting and praying), and what do they (leaders) do in return, they increase their looting, their lies, and their dishonesty. 

Moreover, in life the moment you refuse to admit a wrong choice you made which led to your immediate condition, you will find it difficult to move past that stage regardless of how many days you spend praying, fasting, rolling on the floor, and knocking your head against the wall. In addition, the popular belief that religion is the cause of the world’s bloodiest conflicts is central to our modern conviction that faith and politics should never mix for any reason. Therefore, it is important to separate the two of them 'faith and politics'.

Conclusively, It is very likely, that people get more religious if times are tough. As such, religious activities are in decline in the Western world where they originate from - not only in the Western world but in every developed country including Japan and South Korea. Religion is based on old scrolls, the modern world is based on science. It is not surprising that belief in old book scrolls is in decline. Whereas, it is a booming business in third-world countries where there is a trust deficit and deficiencies in governance and public policies.

Finally permit me to share with you the profound words of Matthew Hassan Kukah, the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto. Bishop Kukah characteristically posited: "We must be ready to embrace modernity and work out how to preserve our religions and cultures without turning religion into a tool for tyranny"

Richard Odusanya

Reparation the Solution to Africa’s Debt Burden, By Richard Odusanya and Dr Adebisi Abiola.

Reparation the Solution to Africa’s Debt Burden, By Richard Odusanya and Dr Adebisi Abiola.

By Richard Odusanya and Dr Adebisi Abiola.

Let's begin with a quotation from Walter Anthony Rodney, a Guyanese historian, political activist, and academic. His notable works include "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa," first published in 1972. Rodney was assassinated in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1980. Rodney, famously posited: "There is a perennial debt to be paid to black people for continuing enslavement and degradation. There are those who believe that the matter is over. They are completely wrong. Actually, there are those among us who believe that the demand and struggle for justice and restoration to full dignity would take a generation to win a crusade for reparations - in unison under concerted strategy."

It is instructive to note that, slavery is a crime against humanity and its damaging impact continues to be felt across the world today. For those who do not know, this contribution that focuses on "Reparation Amidst Africa's debt burden" will refresh our memories.  Find below a brief history of "Reparation for Africa" as championed by one of the finest African and a Pan-Africanist Par-Excellence Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola GCFR:

Regrettably, the movement for reparations originated in the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now succeeded by the African Union (AU). At a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria on 28 June 1992, the OAU swore in a 12-member Group of Eminent Persons. The Group’s mandate was to pursue the goal of reparations to Africa. The original Chair of the Group was the pillar of sport in Africa, a Pan-Africanist, Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, (GCFR), who was later elected President of Nigeria, although was denied the privilege of office as the President C-in-C of the federal republic of Nigeria.

Painfully, other members were the Nigerian historian J. F. Ade Ajayi; Professor Samir Amin of Egypt; US Congressman R. Dellums; Professor Josef Ki-Zerbo of Burkina Faso; Mme Gracha Machel, formerly First Lady of Mozambique, and a political activist in her own right (and later the wife of Nelson Mandela); Miriam Makeba, the South African singer; the Kenyan social scientist Ali Mazrui (based in the United States); Professor M. M’Bow, former Director-General of UNESCO; former President A. Pereira of Cape Verde; Ambassador Alex Quaison-Sackey, former foreign minister in the government of Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana; and the Jamaican lawyer and diplomat Dudley S. Thompson. 

It is not clear whether all 12 individuals were present at Abuja, or indeed if all were aware of their new role. As of December 2002, three members of the group were still actively pursuing reparations, mainly through their writings and lectures at academic conferences and institutions. They were J. F. Ajayi, Ali Mazrui, and Dudley Thompson. According to Thompson, they still filed annual reports to the OAU/AU, although yours truly the writer of this contribution has not been able to locate any such reports. According to Mazrui, there was very little contact among members of the Group, who acted in their individual capacities rather than as a collective.

The Group of Eminent Persons (GEP) was established at the suggestion of M. K. O. Abiola. MKO had apparently been influenced to take up this cause both by a chance discussion of the Holocaust with a Jewish businessman and by his contacts with the Congressional Black Caucus in the United States. In a speech delivered in London in 1992, Abiola said: “Our demand for reparations is based on the tripod of MORAL, HISTORIC, and LEGAL arguments… Who knows what path Africa’s social development would have taken if our great centers of civilization had not been razed in search of human cargo? Who knows how our economies would have developed…?” Bashorun Abiola in the year (1992), went on to argue that international law applied (retroactively) to slavery, the slave trade, and colonialism. “It is international law which compels Nigeria to pay her debts to western banks and financial institutions: it is international law which must now demand that the western nations pay us what they have owed us for six centuries.”

The then-President of Nigeria, General Ibrahim. B. Babangida (IBB), promoted the idea of reparations and officially dedicated US$500,000 to it (although the Group apparently received these funds from MKO's private purse, not from the Government of Nigeria). Babangida had discussed the idea of reparations as early as 1991 with the then presidents of Senegal and Togo, the three agreed that the African debt “should be written off as part of the reparations due for 500 years of slavery of Africans in Western Europe and America”

“Pan-African Conference on Reparations” was held in Abuja, Nigeria, sponsored by the GEP and the Commission for Reparations of the Organization of African Unity (Mazrui 2002: 135). An official Proclamation was issued at this Conference. This Proclamation referred to the “moral debt” and “the debt of compensation” owed to Africa by countries that engaged in slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism. It also called for the return of “stolen goods, artifacts, and other traditional treasures”. For instance, such as the campaign by the African Reparations Movement in Britain to have the Benin bronzes presently housed in the British Museum returned to Africa.  Compensation was envisaged in the form of “capital transfer and debt cancellation”, as well as in a re-ordering of international relations to give Africa more representation in the “highest decision-making bodies” and, in particular, a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

It is against this backdrop, that, developments and events of the past few days locally and internationally become very clear that "Reparation for Africa" is a just course as evidenced by the action and historically significant role of John Gladstone, one of the largest slave owners in the British West Indies. But fast forward to Friday 25 August 2023 at the University of Guyana,  the family of former British Prime Minister William Gladstone appologized for their family's slave owning past in Guyana as descendants of slaves have sought for reparations. Charles Gladstone, the great-great-great-grandson of John, who spoke at the event said "Slavery was a crime against  humanity and its damaging impact continues to be felt across the world today." 

Furthermore, "we believe that his (John) actions amounted to a crime against humanity and wish to apologize to the people of Guyana. We know that we can't change the past, but we believe that we can make a better future. Guyana for us isn't just about money though. It is about acknowledging that slavery still has a massive impact on many people's health and wider socio-economic status across the world." Therefore, the Gladstone family called on the UK government to begin "reparative justice" by apologizing for slavery within the British Empire Empire. And besides an apology, the Carribean Community  and Common Market (CARICOM) recommended reparation for descendants of "stolen people" and debt cancellation to clean up the "colonial mess."

And on a similar note, Richard Odusanya in a recent article titled "Niger Republique: From Constitution to Constipation," wrote in the concluding paragraph that  "it is important to honor the memory of Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO), the progenitor of REPARATION for Africa’ by making a demand for restitution from the big world. With profound respect and a very high sense of responsibility; I, therefore, wish to state that a definite time and amount of not less than five trillion dollars be placed as a demand for restitution. Additionally, the revitalization of NEPAD is expected to focus on REPARATION, so as to reduce the burden of our debt profile. Finally, this is an opportunity for President Bola Tinubu, the ECOWAS chairman to demonstrate the spirit of Pan-Africanism, take the lead, and be passionate and committed to Africa’s emancipation as exemplified by ‘MKO’ the pillar of sport in Africa."

Lastly, the import and significance of President Bola Tinubu's core message in his address to the NIGERIA BAR ASSOCIATION (NBA) at the ongoing conference in the capital city of Abuja underscore the real essence of "Reparation for Africa". President Bola Tinubu profoundly posited: “Can we continue to service external debts with 90% of our revenue? It is a path to destruction. It is not sustainable.” In view of this, we need to revisit and reactivate the noble reparation idea of MKO Abiola GCFR. This is the only way out of our choking debt. After all, the African continent deserves full compensation for the trauma and setback effect of slavery and the Western exploitative tendencies typically characterized by neo-colonialism. Hence, Africans on the continent and in the diaspora should continue to make spirited demands for reparations on the premise of human rights violation, degradation  and exploitation.

Richard Odusanya and co-contributor Dr Adebisi Abiola
By Richard Odusanya and Dr Adebisi Abiola.

Let's begin with a quotation from Walter Anthony Rodney, a Guyanese historian, political activist, and academic. His notable works include "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa," first published in 1972. Rodney was assassinated in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1980. Rodney, famously posited: "There is a perennial debt to be paid to black people for continuing enslavement and degradation. There are those who believe that the matter is over. They are completely wrong. Actually, there are those among us who believe that the demand and struggle for justice and restoration to full dignity would take a generation to win a crusade for reparations - in unison under concerted strategy."

It is instructive to note that, slavery is a crime against humanity and its damaging impact continues to be felt across the world today. For those who do not know, this contribution that focuses on "Reparation Amidst Africa's debt burden" will refresh our memories.  Find below a brief history of "Reparation for Africa" as championed by one of the finest African and a Pan-Africanist Par-Excellence Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola GCFR:

Regrettably, the movement for reparations originated in the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now succeeded by the African Union (AU). At a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria on 28 June 1992, the OAU swore in a 12-member Group of Eminent Persons. The Group’s mandate was to pursue the goal of reparations to Africa. The original Chair of the Group was the pillar of sport in Africa, a Pan-Africanist, Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, (GCFR), who was later elected President of Nigeria, although was denied the privilege of office as the President C-in-C of the federal republic of Nigeria.

Painfully, other members were the Nigerian historian J. F. Ade Ajayi; Professor Samir Amin of Egypt; US Congressman R. Dellums; Professor Josef Ki-Zerbo of Burkina Faso; Mme Gracha Machel, formerly First Lady of Mozambique, and a political activist in her own right (and later the wife of Nelson Mandela); Miriam Makeba, the South African singer; the Kenyan social scientist Ali Mazrui (based in the United States); Professor M. M’Bow, former Director-General of UNESCO; former President A. Pereira of Cape Verde; Ambassador Alex Quaison-Sackey, former foreign minister in the government of Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana; and the Jamaican lawyer and diplomat Dudley S. Thompson. 

It is not clear whether all 12 individuals were present at Abuja, or indeed if all were aware of their new role. As of December 2002, three members of the group were still actively pursuing reparations, mainly through their writings and lectures at academic conferences and institutions. They were J. F. Ajayi, Ali Mazrui, and Dudley Thompson. According to Thompson, they still filed annual reports to the OAU/AU, although yours truly the writer of this contribution has not been able to locate any such reports. According to Mazrui, there was very little contact among members of the Group, who acted in their individual capacities rather than as a collective.

The Group of Eminent Persons (GEP) was established at the suggestion of M. K. O. Abiola. MKO had apparently been influenced to take up this cause both by a chance discussion of the Holocaust with a Jewish businessman and by his contacts with the Congressional Black Caucus in the United States. In a speech delivered in London in 1992, Abiola said: “Our demand for reparations is based on the tripod of MORAL, HISTORIC, and LEGAL arguments… Who knows what path Africa’s social development would have taken if our great centers of civilization had not been razed in search of human cargo? Who knows how our economies would have developed…?” Bashorun Abiola in the year (1992), went on to argue that international law applied (retroactively) to slavery, the slave trade, and colonialism. “It is international law which compels Nigeria to pay her debts to western banks and financial institutions: it is international law which must now demand that the western nations pay us what they have owed us for six centuries.”

The then-President of Nigeria, General Ibrahim. B. Babangida (IBB), promoted the idea of reparations and officially dedicated US$500,000 to it (although the Group apparently received these funds from MKO's private purse, not from the Government of Nigeria). Babangida had discussed the idea of reparations as early as 1991 with the then presidents of Senegal and Togo, the three agreed that the African debt “should be written off as part of the reparations due for 500 years of slavery of Africans in Western Europe and America”

“Pan-African Conference on Reparations” was held in Abuja, Nigeria, sponsored by the GEP and the Commission for Reparations of the Organization of African Unity (Mazrui 2002: 135). An official Proclamation was issued at this Conference. This Proclamation referred to the “moral debt” and “the debt of compensation” owed to Africa by countries that engaged in slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism. It also called for the return of “stolen goods, artifacts, and other traditional treasures”. For instance, such as the campaign by the African Reparations Movement in Britain to have the Benin bronzes presently housed in the British Museum returned to Africa.  Compensation was envisaged in the form of “capital transfer and debt cancellation”, as well as in a re-ordering of international relations to give Africa more representation in the “highest decision-making bodies” and, in particular, a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

It is against this backdrop, that, developments and events of the past few days locally and internationally become very clear that "Reparation for Africa" is a just course as evidenced by the action and historically significant role of John Gladstone, one of the largest slave owners in the British West Indies. But fast forward to Friday 25 August 2023 at the University of Guyana,  the family of former British Prime Minister William Gladstone appologized for their family's slave owning past in Guyana as descendants of slaves have sought for reparations. Charles Gladstone, the great-great-great-grandson of John, who spoke at the event said "Slavery was a crime against  humanity and its damaging impact continues to be felt across the world today." 

Furthermore, "we believe that his (John) actions amounted to a crime against humanity and wish to apologize to the people of Guyana. We know that we can't change the past, but we believe that we can make a better future. Guyana for us isn't just about money though. It is about acknowledging that slavery still has a massive impact on many people's health and wider socio-economic status across the world." Therefore, the Gladstone family called on the UK government to begin "reparative justice" by apologizing for slavery within the British Empire Empire. And besides an apology, the Carribean Community  and Common Market (CARICOM) recommended reparation for descendants of "stolen people" and debt cancellation to clean up the "colonial mess."

And on a similar note, Richard Odusanya in a recent article titled "Niger Republique: From Constitution to Constipation," wrote in the concluding paragraph that  "it is important to honor the memory of Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO), the progenitor of REPARATION for Africa’ by making a demand for restitution from the big world. With profound respect and a very high sense of responsibility; I, therefore, wish to state that a definite time and amount of not less than five trillion dollars be placed as a demand for restitution. Additionally, the revitalization of NEPAD is expected to focus on REPARATION, so as to reduce the burden of our debt profile. Finally, this is an opportunity for President Bola Tinubu, the ECOWAS chairman to demonstrate the spirit of Pan-Africanism, take the lead, and be passionate and committed to Africa’s emancipation as exemplified by ‘MKO’ the pillar of sport in Africa."

Lastly, the import and significance of President Bola Tinubu's core message in his address to the NIGERIA BAR ASSOCIATION (NBA) at the ongoing conference in the capital city of Abuja underscore the real essence of "Reparation for Africa". President Bola Tinubu profoundly posited: “Can we continue to service external debts with 90% of our revenue? It is a path to destruction. It is not sustainable.” In view of this, we need to revisit and reactivate the noble reparation idea of MKO Abiola GCFR. This is the only way out of our choking debt. After all, the African continent deserves full compensation for the trauma and setback effect of slavery and the Western exploitative tendencies typically characterized by neo-colonialism. Hence, Africans on the continent and in the diaspora should continue to make spirited demands for reparations on the premise of human rights violation, degradation  and exploitation.

Richard Odusanya and co-contributor Dr Adebisi Abiola

Nigeria: Hope Or Nemesis Of Africa? by Richard Odusanya.

Nigeria: Hope Or Nemesis Of Africa? by Richard Odusanya.

By Richard Odusanya.

Let's begin by discussing the wise counsel and profound words of Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, (PLO), a Kenyan lawyer and activist. PLO, a former director of the Kenya School of Law also served as the director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission from July 2010 to August 2011. PLO, profoundly posited: “The day Nigeria wakes up, Africa will never be the same again”. Lumumba added, “We are still suffering from our inferiority complex. We must also ask ourselves are we the only countries that were colonized? India, Japan, Singapore, and others were colonized but they have liberated themselves.” Sadly, hope is in pessimism - when there is life, there is hope.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy but it also has more people living in extreme poverty than anywhere else in the world. Even in a world in which disparities are rapidly increasing, the contradictions and extremes packed into Africa's largest economy of over two hundred million people are on a different scale altogether. Nigeria has more pastors, priests, malaams, imāms, denominations, churches, and mosques per head than anywhere else in Africa but it is also rife with superstition and an unparalleled disposition for creativity. Yet, Nigeria is probably the most corrupt country in Africa but it also has some of the most honest people on the continent. Million-dollar deals are still made and honored by word of mouth and a handshake. Ironically, Nigerians are a bundle of contradictions as they display external religiosity without the fear of God.

In Nigeria, the dynamics of contradictions that have defined our atrophied existence are poignantly displayed in our current situation. For example, Nigeria is often described as the “Giant of Africa”. With a population of over two hundred million people, it is the most populated country on the continent. Nigeria is rich in natural resources, which include oil, gas, coal, iron ore, tin, limestone, and many others. Nigeria’s natural resources have been a blessing for the country, providing much-needed revenue and contributing to economic growth.

Unfortunately, a wealth of sorrow due to mismanagement through poor political governance. The oil and gas sector, in particular, has been a major source of income for the government, accounting for over 90% of Nigeria’s total exports and about 70% of government revenue. The negative side of Nigeria's abundance of resources: "resources cursed" or "paradox of plenty" fits the term refers to a nation unable to use its windfall wealth to improve its population's lot and bolster its economy. Sadly, the rich natural resources bring corruption and poverty to the nation, rather than positive economic prosperity and development, thereby, subjecting vibrancy to despondency and pain for the people.

What A Contradiction! I have always wondered and silently mused on the reason why the Nigerian political gentry —the political class —has floundered, year in and year out, to fix the blessed country. Now, after debating with myself, I think I can put my finger on an open reason; they are supremely inept. Fixing a country —with the right political will —isn’t ‘rocket science’, don’t believe the hype. It is thus, imperative, that rethinking and rewriting the pages of our beautifully imperfect life becomes necessary.

Regrettably, even as this posse of usurpers travel the world, staring wide-eyed at what their counterparts, in the other climes, have achieved, they come back to the country, pinned to continue to uphold the sad status quo; their signature maladministration, characterized by long nepotism and rampant rent-seeking. A political pay-for-play facilitating the ornate lifestyles of an intemperate horde of political hangers-on, who fight and scrimmage —even to death —for a few crumbs and political pickings. This is akin to emotional theatrics in the lives of a nation of over two hundred million people.

Let me be very clear, it’s a shame! But, who’s to blame? We, the people. Our political concessions and writ —whether implicit or explicit —give power to this brutish reign of ineptitude. Where we elect our leaders —every election cycle —on the premises of tribal and religious biases. Where meritocracy and competency take the full-back burner. Therefore, there is a need for a fundamental shift in the way that encourages patriotism and accountability.

Painfully, I remember the open opprobrium and public excoriations I endured in the heat of the last elections. I was hauled over hot coals because I called to reason, to fairness. Chagrined, because I stood un-wavered —setting religious sentiments aside —against an inflammatory ’Muslim-Muslim’ ticket in a country splinted —almost half in half —by Christians and Muslims. Further widening the chasm of tribal and religious mistrust. Further tugging on our fault lines as a heterogeneous nation, 250 tribes strong. Admittedly, we are blameworthy; for we abet their maladroitness.  If we stand, with one voice, to right this wrong, putting away tribal dissensions and misgivings, we can fix our country in one lifetime, in one generation. It’s doable. We can.

In conclusion, I like to encourage us with the profound words of Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara, a Burkinabè military officer, Marxist revolutionary, and Pan-Africanist who served as President of Burkina Faso from his military intervention in 1983 to his assassination in 1987. Sankara posited: "We must choose either champagne for a few or safe drinking water for all". Finally, while being cautiously optimistic, "A safe drinking water for all" will be a better option, as this would give succor to the less-privileged in our beloved country Nigeria. We, the people can do it with a profound sense of responsibility.

Richard Odusanya is a Mind Restructuring Enthusiast.

By Richard Odusanya.

Let's begin by discussing the wise counsel and profound words of Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, (PLO), a Kenyan lawyer and activist. PLO, a former director of the Kenya School of Law also served as the director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission from July 2010 to August 2011. PLO, profoundly posited: “The day Nigeria wakes up, Africa will never be the same again”. Lumumba added, “We are still suffering from our inferiority complex. We must also ask ourselves are we the only countries that were colonized? India, Japan, Singapore, and others were colonized but they have liberated themselves.” Sadly, hope is in pessimism - when there is life, there is hope.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy but it also has more people living in extreme poverty than anywhere else in the world. Even in a world in which disparities are rapidly increasing, the contradictions and extremes packed into Africa's largest economy of over two hundred million people are on a different scale altogether. Nigeria has more pastors, priests, malaams, imāms, denominations, churches, and mosques per head than anywhere else in Africa but it is also rife with superstition and an unparalleled disposition for creativity. Yet, Nigeria is probably the most corrupt country in Africa but it also has some of the most honest people on the continent. Million-dollar deals are still made and honored by word of mouth and a handshake. Ironically, Nigerians are a bundle of contradictions as they display external religiosity without the fear of God.

In Nigeria, the dynamics of contradictions that have defined our atrophied existence are poignantly displayed in our current situation. For example, Nigeria is often described as the “Giant of Africa”. With a population of over two hundred million people, it is the most populated country on the continent. Nigeria is rich in natural resources, which include oil, gas, coal, iron ore, tin, limestone, and many others. Nigeria’s natural resources have been a blessing for the country, providing much-needed revenue and contributing to economic growth.

Unfortunately, a wealth of sorrow due to mismanagement through poor political governance. The oil and gas sector, in particular, has been a major source of income for the government, accounting for over 90% of Nigeria’s total exports and about 70% of government revenue. The negative side of Nigeria's abundance of resources: "resources cursed" or "paradox of plenty" fits the term refers to a nation unable to use its windfall wealth to improve its population's lot and bolster its economy. Sadly, the rich natural resources bring corruption and poverty to the nation, rather than positive economic prosperity and development, thereby, subjecting vibrancy to despondency and pain for the people.

What A Contradiction! I have always wondered and silently mused on the reason why the Nigerian political gentry —the political class —has floundered, year in and year out, to fix the blessed country. Now, after debating with myself, I think I can put my finger on an open reason; they are supremely inept. Fixing a country —with the right political will —isn’t ‘rocket science’, don’t believe the hype. It is thus, imperative, that rethinking and rewriting the pages of our beautifully imperfect life becomes necessary.

Regrettably, even as this posse of usurpers travel the world, staring wide-eyed at what their counterparts, in the other climes, have achieved, they come back to the country, pinned to continue to uphold the sad status quo; their signature maladministration, characterized by long nepotism and rampant rent-seeking. A political pay-for-play facilitating the ornate lifestyles of an intemperate horde of political hangers-on, who fight and scrimmage —even to death —for a few crumbs and political pickings. This is akin to emotional theatrics in the lives of a nation of over two hundred million people.

Let me be very clear, it’s a shame! But, who’s to blame? We, the people. Our political concessions and writ —whether implicit or explicit —give power to this brutish reign of ineptitude. Where we elect our leaders —every election cycle —on the premises of tribal and religious biases. Where meritocracy and competency take the full-back burner. Therefore, there is a need for a fundamental shift in the way that encourages patriotism and accountability.

Painfully, I remember the open opprobrium and public excoriations I endured in the heat of the last elections. I was hauled over hot coals because I called to reason, to fairness. Chagrined, because I stood un-wavered —setting religious sentiments aside —against an inflammatory ’Muslim-Muslim’ ticket in a country splinted —almost half in half —by Christians and Muslims. Further widening the chasm of tribal and religious mistrust. Further tugging on our fault lines as a heterogeneous nation, 250 tribes strong. Admittedly, we are blameworthy; for we abet their maladroitness.  If we stand, with one voice, to right this wrong, putting away tribal dissensions and misgivings, we can fix our country in one lifetime, in one generation. It’s doable. We can.

In conclusion, I like to encourage us with the profound words of Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara, a Burkinabè military officer, Marxist revolutionary, and Pan-Africanist who served as President of Burkina Faso from his military intervention in 1983 to his assassination in 1987. Sankara posited: "We must choose either champagne for a few or safe drinking water for all". Finally, while being cautiously optimistic, "A safe drinking water for all" will be a better option, as this would give succor to the less-privileged in our beloved country Nigeria. We, the people can do it with a profound sense of responsibility.

Richard Odusanya is a Mind Restructuring Enthusiast.

Akerodolu: Yahoo plus governors and the rule of law, By Idoko Ainoko

Akerodolu: Yahoo plus governors and the rule of law, By Idoko Ainoko


By Idoko Ainoko

I was surprised sometime back when the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, made a strong case for the legalization of cannabis in the country, but not anymore. The recent events in the state and his public utterances indeed justified my new position. 

We all know some of the effects of acute consumption of cannabis, and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu might be exhibiting some of these symptoms. I say this after stumbling on a supposed press statement credited to him regarding that supposed change of guards in the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC). 

The press statement was not only comical; it further heightened the popular notion that some governors in the country are patrons of cannabis, hence why tangible development has continued to elude us. 

He sounded like a drunk who suddenly woke up from the gutter after a long drinking spell in the press statement. He was neither here nor there, and one could hardly place a finger on the message he was trying to pass across. The fact that he gave out the identity of those demigods within the APC that wanted Governor Mai Mala Buni out by all means necessary is not just despicable; it reinforces the belief that some deplorable individuals rode on the wings of the APC to position themselves as progressives, while in truth they are detractors. 

It is funny that he bears the title of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and yet he made some uncomplimentary remarks about the judiciary. It is also funny that he described some of his fellow governors as yahoo yahoo governors trying to secure a black market judgment. 

This is the beauty of the truth. Maybe as the lawyer, he claimed to be, his years of practice have been characterized by yahoo enterprise and not competence. It is, therefore, not surprising that such an individual that can be termed a yahoo patron could easily identify the yahoo tendencies. 

In his words: “Succinctly, aside from feeling delighted as a major stakeholder in the latest successful Rescue Mission, I express my confidence in the ability and capacity of Governor Sanni Bello(ABU LOLO) to take APC through. We, the Governors, are for the party except for the few "Yahoo, Yahoo" Governors (apologies to Salihu, former DG of the Progressive Governors' Forum) who were hand in glove with Buni to circumvent the will of the majority of our Party (APC) members. Progressive Governors in the true name, mostly all of us, are determined to see our Party through these patchy parts at all cost.”  

It is indeed the trajectory of foolery for Rotimi Akeredolu to assume that he is a progressive governor. I doubt if he understands the meaning of progressive. Maybe his definition of progressive is to plot coups to subvert the people's will. Funny again that he confessed that he is a part of the governors under the Rescue Mission. Maybe he meant a coup mission. Again I can understand that he is always under the influence of cannabis that has altered his sense of judgment in deciphering between good and evil. 

I can guess that his emphasis on the phrase "yahoo" is probably because that is his turf before he became governor and as governor. And as such, he tells all that cares to listen that what happened in the supposed change of leadership at the APC is a manifestation of "Yahoo Plus."  

If this is not the case, how could one possibly come to terms with how a group of governors in the blind pursuit for the soul of the party would throw caution in the wind and attempt to rubbish the laudable efforts of Governor Mai Mala Buni in repositioning the party after a tumultuous era that almost set the party on the path of extinction.   

If after several months of efforts at pacifying warring factions within that party by Governor Mai Mala Buni is not appreciated, at least the fact that he is a fellow governor who agreed to stand in the gap for the party in times of need should be respected. Yes, it is understandable that political scheming is the order of the day in the buildup to the general elections in 2023, but that should not becloud our sense of reasoning. 

Take it or leave it, what the likes of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his cohorts have succeeded in doing is a coup against democracy. As the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni indeed ruffled feathers, but for the party's interest. He stood his ground to ensure that the APC was well repositioned in preparation for the general elections in 2023. 

And what did he get in return? He got betrayal and character assassination from some governor in the mould of Rotimi Akeredolu. They are constantly under the influence of cannabis and cheap alcohol. For them, it should be business as usual. Therefore Governor Mai Mala Buni must be shown the way out by all means possible. 

What a shame that the President has been dragged into this despicable conduct by some APC governors with the blind and ignoble ambition to play politics, not minding whose ox is gored. It has been a regime of name dropping to the chagrin of all the APC as a party represents. 

I think Governor Rotimi Akeredolu must reduce his cannabis addiction and come to terms with reality to advise himself and his co-travellers that their actions are nothing but a coup intended to serve their puerile interest. It's funny that Governor Abubakar Bello is their preferred stooge to do their bidding, another coup expert that the good people of Niger state are contending with. 

We are now aware that this move is not for the good of the party but that of some goons and baboons after the soul of the party. But they should do well to know that the world is watching as events unfold. 

I wait earnestly to see what becomes of the APC after this coup. Governor Rotimi Akerdolu and his band of marauders should desist from this path of dishonour, for it is indeed a dance of shame. I make bold to say that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his cohorts are the “Pocket-filling Black Legs in Corridors of Power."

Ainoko wrote this piece from Kaduna.

By Idoko Ainoko

I was surprised sometime back when the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, made a strong case for the legalization of cannabis in the country, but not anymore. The recent events in the state and his public utterances indeed justified my new position. 

We all know some of the effects of acute consumption of cannabis, and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu might be exhibiting some of these symptoms. I say this after stumbling on a supposed press statement credited to him regarding that supposed change of guards in the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC). 

The press statement was not only comical; it further heightened the popular notion that some governors in the country are patrons of cannabis, hence why tangible development has continued to elude us. 

He sounded like a drunk who suddenly woke up from the gutter after a long drinking spell in the press statement. He was neither here nor there, and one could hardly place a finger on the message he was trying to pass across. The fact that he gave out the identity of those demigods within the APC that wanted Governor Mai Mala Buni out by all means necessary is not just despicable; it reinforces the belief that some deplorable individuals rode on the wings of the APC to position themselves as progressives, while in truth they are detractors. 

It is funny that he bears the title of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and yet he made some uncomplimentary remarks about the judiciary. It is also funny that he described some of his fellow governors as yahoo yahoo governors trying to secure a black market judgment. 

This is the beauty of the truth. Maybe as the lawyer, he claimed to be, his years of practice have been characterized by yahoo enterprise and not competence. It is, therefore, not surprising that such an individual that can be termed a yahoo patron could easily identify the yahoo tendencies. 

In his words: “Succinctly, aside from feeling delighted as a major stakeholder in the latest successful Rescue Mission, I express my confidence in the ability and capacity of Governor Sanni Bello(ABU LOLO) to take APC through. We, the Governors, are for the party except for the few "Yahoo, Yahoo" Governors (apologies to Salihu, former DG of the Progressive Governors' Forum) who were hand in glove with Buni to circumvent the will of the majority of our Party (APC) members. Progressive Governors in the true name, mostly all of us, are determined to see our Party through these patchy parts at all cost.”  

It is indeed the trajectory of foolery for Rotimi Akeredolu to assume that he is a progressive governor. I doubt if he understands the meaning of progressive. Maybe his definition of progressive is to plot coups to subvert the people's will. Funny again that he confessed that he is a part of the governors under the Rescue Mission. Maybe he meant a coup mission. Again I can understand that he is always under the influence of cannabis that has altered his sense of judgment in deciphering between good and evil. 

I can guess that his emphasis on the phrase "yahoo" is probably because that is his turf before he became governor and as governor. And as such, he tells all that cares to listen that what happened in the supposed change of leadership at the APC is a manifestation of "Yahoo Plus."  

If this is not the case, how could one possibly come to terms with how a group of governors in the blind pursuit for the soul of the party would throw caution in the wind and attempt to rubbish the laudable efforts of Governor Mai Mala Buni in repositioning the party after a tumultuous era that almost set the party on the path of extinction.   

If after several months of efforts at pacifying warring factions within that party by Governor Mai Mala Buni is not appreciated, at least the fact that he is a fellow governor who agreed to stand in the gap for the party in times of need should be respected. Yes, it is understandable that political scheming is the order of the day in the buildup to the general elections in 2023, but that should not becloud our sense of reasoning. 

Take it or leave it, what the likes of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his cohorts have succeeded in doing is a coup against democracy. As the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni indeed ruffled feathers, but for the party's interest. He stood his ground to ensure that the APC was well repositioned in preparation for the general elections in 2023. 

And what did he get in return? He got betrayal and character assassination from some governor in the mould of Rotimi Akeredolu. They are constantly under the influence of cannabis and cheap alcohol. For them, it should be business as usual. Therefore Governor Mai Mala Buni must be shown the way out by all means possible. 

What a shame that the President has been dragged into this despicable conduct by some APC governors with the blind and ignoble ambition to play politics, not minding whose ox is gored. It has been a regime of name dropping to the chagrin of all the APC as a party represents. 

I think Governor Rotimi Akeredolu must reduce his cannabis addiction and come to terms with reality to advise himself and his co-travellers that their actions are nothing but a coup intended to serve their puerile interest. It's funny that Governor Abubakar Bello is their preferred stooge to do their bidding, another coup expert that the good people of Niger state are contending with. 

We are now aware that this move is not for the good of the party but that of some goons and baboons after the soul of the party. But they should do well to know that the world is watching as events unfold. 

I wait earnestly to see what becomes of the APC after this coup. Governor Rotimi Akerdolu and his band of marauders should desist from this path of dishonour, for it is indeed a dance of shame. I make bold to say that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his cohorts are the “Pocket-filling Black Legs in Corridors of Power."

Ainoko wrote this piece from Kaduna.

Self-reliance: A Vital Key to Successful Life, by Prince JIde Adefisan

Self-reliance: A Vital Key to Successful Life, by Prince JIde Adefisan

By Prince JIde Adefisan 

Some are endowed with qualitiesand such ability that enable most people to stand alone, to be free and independent, many people choose to be learners and depend on others. We deliberately tie ourselves down with  so many self-imposed limitations that eventually we even let others do our thinking for us.

The greatest lesson that any teacher can teach is the lesson of self-reliance, teaching the student to depend on himself or herself. Well meaning parents often times thwart the opportunities for their children by making it easy to get a start in life forgetting that too many crutches contribute to weakness of spirit, mind and body.

Power in one form or another, is the object of most ambitions. Strength and power must be self-developed. We can not become strong merely by visiting a gym.  To develop the muscle we must work with it. No one can do this for us. Our mental faculties work the same way. We must put our own into and learn to depend upon self. Self-reliance is the key that open the door to strength and power. Our winners in the battle of life are the men and women who can stand alone, who believe in themselves and are not afraid to overcome obstacles that lie in their path, regardless of their magnitude. 

As we develop a keen sense of self-reliance and do the things ourselves which ought to be accomplished by ourselves, we develop the power necessary to reach higher and higher. To facilitate us in the developmet of  self-reliance it is well to constantly hold the mental thought of our being, that we were created for a little purpose which we alone can perform. Whether journey upon the sea of life be calm or stormy, we are the captains of our own ship and masters of our individual destinies or at any point in time.

Prince Adefisan Julius, a teacher, political analyst and social commentator wrote from Badagry, Lagos 
By Prince JIde Adefisan 

Some are endowed with qualitiesand such ability that enable most people to stand alone, to be free and independent, many people choose to be learners and depend on others. We deliberately tie ourselves down with  so many self-imposed limitations that eventually we even let others do our thinking for us.

The greatest lesson that any teacher can teach is the lesson of self-reliance, teaching the student to depend on himself or herself. Well meaning parents often times thwart the opportunities for their children by making it easy to get a start in life forgetting that too many crutches contribute to weakness of spirit, mind and body.

Power in one form or another, is the object of most ambitions. Strength and power must be self-developed. We can not become strong merely by visiting a gym.  To develop the muscle we must work with it. No one can do this for us. Our mental faculties work the same way. We must put our own into and learn to depend upon self. Self-reliance is the key that open the door to strength and power. Our winners in the battle of life are the men and women who can stand alone, who believe in themselves and are not afraid to overcome obstacles that lie in their path, regardless of their magnitude. 

As we develop a keen sense of self-reliance and do the things ourselves which ought to be accomplished by ourselves, we develop the power necessary to reach higher and higher. To facilitate us in the developmet of  self-reliance it is well to constantly hold the mental thought of our being, that we were created for a little purpose which we alone can perform. Whether journey upon the sea of life be calm or stormy, we are the captains of our own ship and masters of our individual destinies or at any point in time.

Prince Adefisan Julius, a teacher, political analyst and social commentator wrote from Badagry, Lagos 

Prof. Akinwumi Olayemi : The Proverbial Tailless Cow, By Micheal Ahundu PhD

Prof. Akinwumi Olayemi : The Proverbial Tailless Cow, By Micheal Ahundu PhD

By Micheal Ahundu PhD. 

A story was told of a grocery store owner whose only cow supplied the milk he sold to the small town where he lived. However, he left the cow to roam the village in the daytime in search of food. This meant that the cow occasionally wandered into people's farms and grazed on their crops. This led to several confrontations and complaints between the inhabitants of that town and the owner of the cow until he decided to sell it off. Suddenly there was no more fresh milk again at the grocery store. People began to complain and finally realized that the poor wondering cow was the source of their milk. 

The story above validates the saying that you do not know the value of what you have until it's taken away from you. Human nature is often given to criticisms rather than commendation. Our empathy and sympathy are short-lived and often directed at people we have an emotional attachment with only. The lack of national unity or the threat to national unity has polarized us and created a mindset that is bent on discrediting even the most professional persons saddled with the affairs of the state if they fail to play according to our dictates. National interest is often sacrificed at the altar of selfishness and greed regardless of the pain it will cause others. We are always quick to attack people especially when their strength and accomplishments intimidate us.


History is replete with people whose laudable efforts are never recognized and appreciated. People who have lived all their lives  offering essential services to everyone and doing their bits to make the society hospitable to others. The current vice Chancellor of federal university Lokoja, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi  is one of those rare sacrificial and yet unsung heroes.The Federal University of Lokoja community has never  experienced the level of academic excellence  that this gentleman has brought to bear on the nation's tertiary education system. This has been confirmed in the recent international ranking of universities. What more can we expect just under a few months in office! It is best to give him the necessary support to sincerely carry out his tenure with the vigor and enthusiasm with which he is already doing and not to discourage him with hate and petitions.


Like the proverbial cow that does not know the importance of its tail until when it's cut off, some Nigerians have began to run down  Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi's giant strides and reforms at the Federal university of Lokoja. Unfortunately, his critics are certainly not people who can do half of what he is doing. They don't even have any valid reasons to question his leadership and administrative credentials except that he has blocked all financial loopholes.  Calling for his sack under any guise at all is just a way of distracting the public from the main issue. Mr. President and Nigerians can't be fooled. Prof. Akinwumi must certainly finish his tenure and reposition the University to enviable heights before handing over to any other person.


Those whom for unpatriotic reasons are calling for prof Olayemi's  head less than one year into his appointment by Mr president  are making a big mistake and like the little town, they might realize too late that the man burning the midnight oil to improve the standard of excellence at Federal University Of Lokoja was the person they were castigating and demanding for his sack in place of personal gains. Just like the proverbial cow, they might probably only  realize the importance of the tail that safeguards them from 'flies' only when the tail is cut off. But fortunately, Nigerians have woken up to fight for their own, the one working for the interest of the education in general and the Federal University of Lokoja in particular. As can be seen in the public support enjoyed by the Vice Chancellor, it is a wake-up call to all well-meaning Nigerians that it is better to appreciate the brains behind Nigeria's positive growth in education. Inciting the masses  against their leaders and country is not just unpatriotic but also uncharitable. A man who won and open and keenly contested selection process must not be treated like a pauper who was brought through the back door. Prof. Akinwumi deserves better and most not be subjected to hate politics in an academic environment.


We must remember that no country will ever grow amid real and artificial crisis built on falsehood and hate.  Bringing politics into the University system is a dangerous development. Universities must be autonomous of outside interference especially by disgruntled elements who see every venture as an venue to siphon money from. The University community and relevant stakeholders must not give in to this blackmail but must allow the erudite scholar to continue with the good work he is already doing.

History will be fair to Prof Olayemi for his tireless efforts and his praises will be sung on the lips of many  Nigerians and scholars all over the world for the great work he is doing at FUL. That will be the best way to spur the relentless hero to greater achievements and wins. The numerous achievements so far within a short time in office  to his credit such as the movement to the permanent site,  revamping of the University Library, staff audit, improved ranking and many more even though not publicized, are a clear testimony that Nigerians will ever be grateful for this man who has  revolutionalised excellence in education through his innovations at FUL. He has increased the visibility of the University and boosted the morale of academics and researchers in the University. This things might seem inconsequential but they are instrumental to building a viable University system
By Micheal Ahundu PhD. 

A story was told of a grocery store owner whose only cow supplied the milk he sold to the small town where he lived. However, he left the cow to roam the village in the daytime in search of food. This meant that the cow occasionally wandered into people's farms and grazed on their crops. This led to several confrontations and complaints between the inhabitants of that town and the owner of the cow until he decided to sell it off. Suddenly there was no more fresh milk again at the grocery store. People began to complain and finally realized that the poor wondering cow was the source of their milk. 

The story above validates the saying that you do not know the value of what you have until it's taken away from you. Human nature is often given to criticisms rather than commendation. Our empathy and sympathy are short-lived and often directed at people we have an emotional attachment with only. The lack of national unity or the threat to national unity has polarized us and created a mindset that is bent on discrediting even the most professional persons saddled with the affairs of the state if they fail to play according to our dictates. National interest is often sacrificed at the altar of selfishness and greed regardless of the pain it will cause others. We are always quick to attack people especially when their strength and accomplishments intimidate us.


History is replete with people whose laudable efforts are never recognized and appreciated. People who have lived all their lives  offering essential services to everyone and doing their bits to make the society hospitable to others. The current vice Chancellor of federal university Lokoja, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi  is one of those rare sacrificial and yet unsung heroes.The Federal University of Lokoja community has never  experienced the level of academic excellence  that this gentleman has brought to bear on the nation's tertiary education system. This has been confirmed in the recent international ranking of universities. What more can we expect just under a few months in office! It is best to give him the necessary support to sincerely carry out his tenure with the vigor and enthusiasm with which he is already doing and not to discourage him with hate and petitions.


Like the proverbial cow that does not know the importance of its tail until when it's cut off, some Nigerians have began to run down  Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi's giant strides and reforms at the Federal university of Lokoja. Unfortunately, his critics are certainly not people who can do half of what he is doing. They don't even have any valid reasons to question his leadership and administrative credentials except that he has blocked all financial loopholes.  Calling for his sack under any guise at all is just a way of distracting the public from the main issue. Mr. President and Nigerians can't be fooled. Prof. Akinwumi must certainly finish his tenure and reposition the University to enviable heights before handing over to any other person.


Those whom for unpatriotic reasons are calling for prof Olayemi's  head less than one year into his appointment by Mr president  are making a big mistake and like the little town, they might realize too late that the man burning the midnight oil to improve the standard of excellence at Federal University Of Lokoja was the person they were castigating and demanding for his sack in place of personal gains. Just like the proverbial cow, they might probably only  realize the importance of the tail that safeguards them from 'flies' only when the tail is cut off. But fortunately, Nigerians have woken up to fight for their own, the one working for the interest of the education in general and the Federal University of Lokoja in particular. As can be seen in the public support enjoyed by the Vice Chancellor, it is a wake-up call to all well-meaning Nigerians that it is better to appreciate the brains behind Nigeria's positive growth in education. Inciting the masses  against their leaders and country is not just unpatriotic but also uncharitable. A man who won and open and keenly contested selection process must not be treated like a pauper who was brought through the back door. Prof. Akinwumi deserves better and most not be subjected to hate politics in an academic environment.


We must remember that no country will ever grow amid real and artificial crisis built on falsehood and hate.  Bringing politics into the University system is a dangerous development. Universities must be autonomous of outside interference especially by disgruntled elements who see every venture as an venue to siphon money from. The University community and relevant stakeholders must not give in to this blackmail but must allow the erudite scholar to continue with the good work he is already doing.

History will be fair to Prof Olayemi for his tireless efforts and his praises will be sung on the lips of many  Nigerians and scholars all over the world for the great work he is doing at FUL. That will be the best way to spur the relentless hero to greater achievements and wins. The numerous achievements so far within a short time in office  to his credit such as the movement to the permanent site,  revamping of the University Library, staff audit, improved ranking and many more even though not publicized, are a clear testimony that Nigerians will ever be grateful for this man who has  revolutionalised excellence in education through his innovations at FUL. He has increased the visibility of the University and boosted the morale of academics and researchers in the University. This things might seem inconsequential but they are instrumental to building a viable University system

Death Is Life, By Saheed Olamilekan Quadri

Death Is Life, By Saheed Olamilekan Quadri

By Saheed Olamilekan Quadri

In civilized years, death has been heavily blamed by humans for lack of consistency in the demographics of people it chooses to “call home” most of the time. Death is so unpredictable in its way that many have a praise-poetry for it. There are some cultural believes that death is a separation of the soul from the body, and for several studies, death is seen as a means of transitioning from world of men to the world of spirits. Even the gospel and tafsir summarize the passage to heaven as having to experience death and to live peacefully in hell, the body and soul must be drowned in the abyss of eternal trance.

Death is life because, without death, existentialism may not even be a philosophical view as first used by Soren Kierkagaard. Although, Satre may have argued that existence precedes essence, something I agree with because we must have been birthed to have had the conscious effort of creating a value in our own name. Death, as terrifying as it may occur, redefines the view and perception of a man’s true worth long after he’s gone - we all live to die but not everyone dies after living.

But death is a beautiful, kind mystery of life. It is not always extortionate of our emotions but rather a reflection that portrays a good effect on the lives of those taken; pain saving death - lives which may be in dire need of everlasting rest; shame saving death - lives with potentials but didn't live great; growth propeller death - the death that paved way for people around. “Had he not died, we may not have known we can do this” kind of death. Some days, death is what we pray for. Not saying it's the easiest route, but one that gives the mental tranquility needed to keep going. Sometimes a journey not cut short or ended by death poses a burden on the journey of others.

Azrael, the revered angel of death, have taken the greatest souls to grace this planet. Jesus Christ had to die to resurrect, Mohammed instructed that he should die slowly, even Mahatma Gandhi died despite acknowledging death is a pal. Death, he says, is no fiend, that it is the truest of friends which delivers us from agony. Sometimes, my ground on issues is beyond earthly realm, I believe life and living is a burden and death has taken it upon itself to free us from that burden. After all, no one leaves earth alive and there’s no proof that all we scramble for on earth will go with us when we are no more. I mean all of our knowledge, all of our righteousness and monstrosity. As far as I believe, we dump it all here, and the burden completely vanishes.

Men of God in different forms have preached that the essence of our creation is to worship God in a prescribed manner. Adhering or not adhering to this will hurl us towards a more superior essence called heaven or otherwise hellfire. Heaven, as described by Wikipedia, is the “highest place”, the holiest place, a Paradise, in contrast to hell or the Underworld or the "low places" and universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity, goodness, piety, faith, or other virtues or right beliefs or simply divine will. The final linkage between the two worlds - heaven/hell and earth, is death irrespective of how connected your soul is to the holy spirit. In this instance, death is a mandatory prerequisite passage that transports the soul to the place of unlimited tranquility or anguish.

Many times I wonder why death is the most fearsome element in our existence and each time, I submit that death is not our fear but the unknown scorecard of our activities as a human. While death has come to stay, life becomes more temporary. Whether we are hellbound or on heavenly voyage, we shall all die but the actual death is on the quality of life we lived.  Death does not know gone too soon, neither does it know a call to glory, it has a cruel way of carrying out its kind duty. 

Saheed Olamilekan Quadri is a Teacher, Tour Guide, Leisure Creator, Amateur Photographer, and an Event Coordinator.

By Saheed Olamilekan Quadri

In civilized years, death has been heavily blamed by humans for lack of consistency in the demographics of people it chooses to “call home” most of the time. Death is so unpredictable in its way that many have a praise-poetry for it. There are some cultural believes that death is a separation of the soul from the body, and for several studies, death is seen as a means of transitioning from world of men to the world of spirits. Even the gospel and tafsir summarize the passage to heaven as having to experience death and to live peacefully in hell, the body and soul must be drowned in the abyss of eternal trance.

Death is life because, without death, existentialism may not even be a philosophical view as first used by Soren Kierkagaard. Although, Satre may have argued that existence precedes essence, something I agree with because we must have been birthed to have had the conscious effort of creating a value in our own name. Death, as terrifying as it may occur, redefines the view and perception of a man’s true worth long after he’s gone - we all live to die but not everyone dies after living.

But death is a beautiful, kind mystery of life. It is not always extortionate of our emotions but rather a reflection that portrays a good effect on the lives of those taken; pain saving death - lives which may be in dire need of everlasting rest; shame saving death - lives with potentials but didn't live great; growth propeller death - the death that paved way for people around. “Had he not died, we may not have known we can do this” kind of death. Some days, death is what we pray for. Not saying it's the easiest route, but one that gives the mental tranquility needed to keep going. Sometimes a journey not cut short or ended by death poses a burden on the journey of others.

Azrael, the revered angel of death, have taken the greatest souls to grace this planet. Jesus Christ had to die to resurrect, Mohammed instructed that he should die slowly, even Mahatma Gandhi died despite acknowledging death is a pal. Death, he says, is no fiend, that it is the truest of friends which delivers us from agony. Sometimes, my ground on issues is beyond earthly realm, I believe life and living is a burden and death has taken it upon itself to free us from that burden. After all, no one leaves earth alive and there’s no proof that all we scramble for on earth will go with us when we are no more. I mean all of our knowledge, all of our righteousness and monstrosity. As far as I believe, we dump it all here, and the burden completely vanishes.

Men of God in different forms have preached that the essence of our creation is to worship God in a prescribed manner. Adhering or not adhering to this will hurl us towards a more superior essence called heaven or otherwise hellfire. Heaven, as described by Wikipedia, is the “highest place”, the holiest place, a Paradise, in contrast to hell or the Underworld or the "low places" and universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity, goodness, piety, faith, or other virtues or right beliefs or simply divine will. The final linkage between the two worlds - heaven/hell and earth, is death irrespective of how connected your soul is to the holy spirit. In this instance, death is a mandatory prerequisite passage that transports the soul to the place of unlimited tranquility or anguish.

Many times I wonder why death is the most fearsome element in our existence and each time, I submit that death is not our fear but the unknown scorecard of our activities as a human. While death has come to stay, life becomes more temporary. Whether we are hellbound or on heavenly voyage, we shall all die but the actual death is on the quality of life we lived.  Death does not know gone too soon, neither does it know a call to glory, it has a cruel way of carrying out its kind duty. 

Saheed Olamilekan Quadri is a Teacher, Tour Guide, Leisure Creator, Amateur Photographer, and an Event Coordinator.

The pain of a woman, by Motunrayo Williams-Johnson

The pain of a woman, by Motunrayo Williams-Johnson

By Motunrayo Williams-Johnson 

A woman is naturally a burden bearer, she can endure. A normal woman is not hard, she is a goal getter,  career driven , lovable. giver, visionary, soul lifter, change agent,  multiplier, a forgiver, very tender, etc.

I am talking about the attributes of the ideal woman not a killer, not a disdainful one, not a deceiver, not a dictator, not a bully;  however, it's certain an average woman has the animalistic tendencies, if chased like a dog might turn to bark but often time, her weaknesses lies in choices and decision making especially in a delicate situation with the tale of the untold story of her feelings.

She knows what she wants but might take time to arrive; she can persevere no matter your game with her.

A woman is endowed with talents that money cannot acquire but in her, lies an horrible sight. Possessing a good spirit, she could make impact beyond one's imagination.

She is pained when her mistakes cannot be pardoned, she is hurt when her feelings are toiled with and most painful when she cannot be trusted anymore.

Part of the pain of a woman is when her desires are not forthcoming yet she is seen as the cause of the problem.
She pretends to be happy just to make others happy even when her happiness is obviously dicy.

She is just but you countlessly injure her, bruises in her heart, time they say heal scars but in her case her emotional imbalance hinder her healing except with few who believe to move on with time.

But her strength lies in what she can gain for others to avoid pain.

A woman is a powerful tool for both negative and positive influence, so tread softly and be mindful of her position.

Often times she finds herself in a rumble scenes with problem of what she wants, what is available, what she loves but the society has stereotype her what she must do and she struggles between all of these to make herself happy; yet if care is not taken, the society will judge her by her actions even when they are not in her shoes.
I am talking about a pillar who will forever fight for the peace of her Nation....
Are you a woman of influence?
A life of no impact is a life of no value.

For more enquiries about match making and other domestic cases, contact Kami Empowerment Foundation on 08170752386
By Motunrayo Williams-Johnson 

A woman is naturally a burden bearer, she can endure. A normal woman is not hard, she is a goal getter,  career driven , lovable. giver, visionary, soul lifter, change agent,  multiplier, a forgiver, very tender, etc.

I am talking about the attributes of the ideal woman not a killer, not a disdainful one, not a deceiver, not a dictator, not a bully;  however, it's certain an average woman has the animalistic tendencies, if chased like a dog might turn to bark but often time, her weaknesses lies in choices and decision making especially in a delicate situation with the tale of the untold story of her feelings.

She knows what she wants but might take time to arrive; she can persevere no matter your game with her.

A woman is endowed with talents that money cannot acquire but in her, lies an horrible sight. Possessing a good spirit, she could make impact beyond one's imagination.

She is pained when her mistakes cannot be pardoned, she is hurt when her feelings are toiled with and most painful when she cannot be trusted anymore.

Part of the pain of a woman is when her desires are not forthcoming yet she is seen as the cause of the problem.
She pretends to be happy just to make others happy even when her happiness is obviously dicy.

She is just but you countlessly injure her, bruises in her heart, time they say heal scars but in her case her emotional imbalance hinder her healing except with few who believe to move on with time.

But her strength lies in what she can gain for others to avoid pain.

A woman is a powerful tool for both negative and positive influence, so tread softly and be mindful of her position.

Often times she finds herself in a rumble scenes with problem of what she wants, what is available, what she loves but the society has stereotype her what she must do and she struggles between all of these to make herself happy; yet if care is not taken, the society will judge her by her actions even when they are not in her shoes.
I am talking about a pillar who will forever fight for the peace of her Nation....
Are you a woman of influence?
A life of no impact is a life of no value.

For more enquiries about match making and other domestic cases, contact Kami Empowerment Foundation on 08170752386

The North Is Healing, By Philip Agbese

The North Is Healing, By Philip Agbese

By Philip Agbese 

Thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari, the North is actually healing. Once upon a time, the North was bleeding. But today, the narrative has significantly changed. Who says it isn't.

It is no longer news that the security crisis in Northern Nigeria indeed disrupted socio-economic activities. It is also a statement that since 2009 when the Boko Haram insurgent group began a violent campaign, there has undoubtedly been a regime of sorrow, tears and blood. But thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari, whose efforts at addressing the security challenges in the country, northern Nigeria inclusive has been outstanding. Who can disagree with this? 
In Nigeria, I have observed a penchant for turning the truth on its head. Some do this for financial reasons, while some do this for mischief purposes or to score cheap political points. I would go with both reasons because some of the issues been peddled in the media space with regards to the situation of things in the north remains the figment of the imagination of a select few that have in their wisdom become disillusioned because its no longer business as usual.  

I recently stumbled on a statement credited to a group- Coalition of Northern Groups demanding that President Muhammadu Buhari returns Nigeria to the Boko Haram days pre-2015. I was alarmed but not surprised that such a call could elicit media attention. It was a most puerile attempt by the group's promoters to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians, especially victims of the fangs of the Boko Haram group in North-East Nigeria. 
I was also amazed how any right-thinking individual or group would elect to be so forgetful to the situation of things then and would wish that Nigeria returns to such an era where the Boko Haram group almost succeeded in bringing Nigeria to its knees. I am forced to ask if those individuals were so forgetful not to remember that at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, nowhere in the country was safe. 

How did they forget so quickly how places of worship, public motor parks and other critical government infrastructures were severely hit by bombs detonated at will by the Boko Haram insurgents? Ordinally, it is curious that this request comes from a group whose supposed spectrum area is supposedly northern Nigeria. 
One thing readily comes to mind, which is that indeed some vested interest in the north are, after all, not happy with the healing process in the north. We all know that the Boko Haram insurgency was big business for most of these nomenclatures; however, it remains absurd that some would elect to play politics with human lives. During the day, they are advocates for good governance, but at night, they are vampires looking for human blood. 
From the preceding, it seems their thirst for blood is insatiable. It also seems their pockets have run dry since the Nigerian Army gained ascendency over the Boko Haram insurgents since 2016. And the list is endless. However, for emphasis’s sake, I would remind them of a few instances where the north really bled and why no right-thinking human would ever wish that Nigeria returns to such inglorious years. 
Have they forgotten in a hurry the story of the Chibok girls? Have they also forgotten the Buni Yadi massacre where fifty-nine school boys at the Federal Government College of Buni Yadi in Yobe State were slaughtered? Have they also forgotten the Baga massacre where hundreds of thousands innocent people were killed and the headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force overrun by the Boko Haram insurgents? What about the Nyanya Bomb blast that left over 200 persons dead? 
In Nigeria, was there a time when the Boko Haram group controlled over 16 local government areas in North-East Nigeria? Was there a time when the Boko Haram group attacked communities in North-East Nigeria at will, and the Nigerian Military seemed handicapped with little or no meaningful response to the constant attack on women and children. 
Is the Coalition of Northern Groups aware that in most villages recaptured by military forces, all social infrastructures had reportedly been destroyed? The education authorities reported that 338 schools had been damaged or destroyed between 2012 and 2014 in the States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. In some areas, Boko Haram destroyed bridges linking villages, such as in Kubroshosh, in Borno State ? On 6 April 2015, in Kwajafa village in Borno state, Boko Haram set fire to a local mosque, leading to an unknown number of casualties. In June 2015, it used improvised explosive devices and suicide bomb attacks against a church, in Postikum. On 7 July, two separate bomb attacks on a restaurant and a mosque in Jos, killed 44 civilians. And the list is endless. 

Is the Coalition of Northern Groups saying that all they wish for the Northern part of the country is a return to  those anomalies? Your guess is as good as mine, and I dare say we might be dealing with the actual sponsors of crime and criminalities in Northern Nigeria. Now let's assume it was a political statement since its politics time; it goes a long way to tell any discerning mind that something is fundamentally wrong, and Nigerians should look no farther than those that came under the umbrella of Coalition of Northern Groups. 

In my considered opinion, they are the real Boko Haram insurgents and recently bandits attempting to disrupt the healing process in Northern Nigeria since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed leadership of the country. At this point, I am afraid for this country and only God knows what these groups aim to achieve at the end of the day. 

But the good news is that President Muhammadu Buhari indeed matched his words with actions. Today, over 80% of those displaced have returned to their communities. Today, the Boko Haram group does not control any local government area. The factional leaders of the group (Abubakar Shekau and Al Barnawi) have met their waterloo. This is aside from other top commanders that have either been eliminated or surrendered to the superior power of the Nigerian Military. 
Nigerians can also testify when was the last time a bomb was detonated in any public place. Nigerians can also attest that those road barricades have disappeared from our streets and roads. Nigerians can also testify how the once dreaded Sambisa Forest was overrun by troops who dislodged the Boko Haram insurgents. 
More recently, Nigerians can also testify on the intensity of the military's efforts in addressing the threats posed by bandits in parts of Northern Nigeria. Nobody can doubt what our Air Force has been doing in the last few weeks. The stats are impressive and most commendable because the prosecution of the war against terrorism and banditry have conformed with internationally accepted standards.  

I also need to mention that the level of coordination amongst the security forces has been outstanding for emphasis. The troops are well equipped; Nigeria recently took delivery of some Super Tucano fighter jets and many more positives recorded under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. 

Let us also look at the agricultural sector in Borno state that was badly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. The Coalition of Northern Groups may wish to be reminded that Benue State recorded the highest rice yield in the country last year. Thanks to the improved security situation that allowed farmers to return to their farms once again. The herdsmen and farmers crisis has equally disappeared from the north gradually and almost completely . 

This is same for other states in the North Central that has had issues with farmers-herders conflict. And if this is not healing I wonder what else to call it. Maybe the Coalition of Northern Groups in their wisdom can help us out. 
Suppose the Coalition of Northern group does not recognize these feats. In that case, they should develop a counter-narrative with stats and stop wishing the country a return to Armageddon. If indeed they are a group, they should do us well to reveal their identities and not masquerade under a nomenclature with a northern tag. 
They should spare us their diatribe and allow the healing in the north to continue until final peace returns.

Agbese is a UK trained human rights activist and publisher  based in London.
By Philip Agbese 

Thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari, the North is actually healing. Once upon a time, the North was bleeding. But today, the narrative has significantly changed. Who says it isn't.

It is no longer news that the security crisis in Northern Nigeria indeed disrupted socio-economic activities. It is also a statement that since 2009 when the Boko Haram insurgent group began a violent campaign, there has undoubtedly been a regime of sorrow, tears and blood. But thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari, whose efforts at addressing the security challenges in the country, northern Nigeria inclusive has been outstanding. Who can disagree with this? 
In Nigeria, I have observed a penchant for turning the truth on its head. Some do this for financial reasons, while some do this for mischief purposes or to score cheap political points. I would go with both reasons because some of the issues been peddled in the media space with regards to the situation of things in the north remains the figment of the imagination of a select few that have in their wisdom become disillusioned because its no longer business as usual.  

I recently stumbled on a statement credited to a group- Coalition of Northern Groups demanding that President Muhammadu Buhari returns Nigeria to the Boko Haram days pre-2015. I was alarmed but not surprised that such a call could elicit media attention. It was a most puerile attempt by the group's promoters to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians, especially victims of the fangs of the Boko Haram group in North-East Nigeria. 
I was also amazed how any right-thinking individual or group would elect to be so forgetful to the situation of things then and would wish that Nigeria returns to such an era where the Boko Haram group almost succeeded in bringing Nigeria to its knees. I am forced to ask if those individuals were so forgetful not to remember that at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, nowhere in the country was safe. 

How did they forget so quickly how places of worship, public motor parks and other critical government infrastructures were severely hit by bombs detonated at will by the Boko Haram insurgents? Ordinally, it is curious that this request comes from a group whose supposed spectrum area is supposedly northern Nigeria. 
One thing readily comes to mind, which is that indeed some vested interest in the north are, after all, not happy with the healing process in the north. We all know that the Boko Haram insurgency was big business for most of these nomenclatures; however, it remains absurd that some would elect to play politics with human lives. During the day, they are advocates for good governance, but at night, they are vampires looking for human blood. 
From the preceding, it seems their thirst for blood is insatiable. It also seems their pockets have run dry since the Nigerian Army gained ascendency over the Boko Haram insurgents since 2016. And the list is endless. However, for emphasis’s sake, I would remind them of a few instances where the north really bled and why no right-thinking human would ever wish that Nigeria returns to such inglorious years. 
Have they forgotten in a hurry the story of the Chibok girls? Have they also forgotten the Buni Yadi massacre where fifty-nine school boys at the Federal Government College of Buni Yadi in Yobe State were slaughtered? Have they also forgotten the Baga massacre where hundreds of thousands innocent people were killed and the headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force overrun by the Boko Haram insurgents? What about the Nyanya Bomb blast that left over 200 persons dead? 
In Nigeria, was there a time when the Boko Haram group controlled over 16 local government areas in North-East Nigeria? Was there a time when the Boko Haram group attacked communities in North-East Nigeria at will, and the Nigerian Military seemed handicapped with little or no meaningful response to the constant attack on women and children. 
Is the Coalition of Northern Groups aware that in most villages recaptured by military forces, all social infrastructures had reportedly been destroyed? The education authorities reported that 338 schools had been damaged or destroyed between 2012 and 2014 in the States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. In some areas, Boko Haram destroyed bridges linking villages, such as in Kubroshosh, in Borno State ? On 6 April 2015, in Kwajafa village in Borno state, Boko Haram set fire to a local mosque, leading to an unknown number of casualties. In June 2015, it used improvised explosive devices and suicide bomb attacks against a church, in Postikum. On 7 July, two separate bomb attacks on a restaurant and a mosque in Jos, killed 44 civilians. And the list is endless. 

Is the Coalition of Northern Groups saying that all they wish for the Northern part of the country is a return to  those anomalies? Your guess is as good as mine, and I dare say we might be dealing with the actual sponsors of crime and criminalities in Northern Nigeria. Now let's assume it was a political statement since its politics time; it goes a long way to tell any discerning mind that something is fundamentally wrong, and Nigerians should look no farther than those that came under the umbrella of Coalition of Northern Groups. 

In my considered opinion, they are the real Boko Haram insurgents and recently bandits attempting to disrupt the healing process in Northern Nigeria since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed leadership of the country. At this point, I am afraid for this country and only God knows what these groups aim to achieve at the end of the day. 

But the good news is that President Muhammadu Buhari indeed matched his words with actions. Today, over 80% of those displaced have returned to their communities. Today, the Boko Haram group does not control any local government area. The factional leaders of the group (Abubakar Shekau and Al Barnawi) have met their waterloo. This is aside from other top commanders that have either been eliminated or surrendered to the superior power of the Nigerian Military. 
Nigerians can also testify when was the last time a bomb was detonated in any public place. Nigerians can also attest that those road barricades have disappeared from our streets and roads. Nigerians can also testify how the once dreaded Sambisa Forest was overrun by troops who dislodged the Boko Haram insurgents. 
More recently, Nigerians can also testify on the intensity of the military's efforts in addressing the threats posed by bandits in parts of Northern Nigeria. Nobody can doubt what our Air Force has been doing in the last few weeks. The stats are impressive and most commendable because the prosecution of the war against terrorism and banditry have conformed with internationally accepted standards.  

I also need to mention that the level of coordination amongst the security forces has been outstanding for emphasis. The troops are well equipped; Nigeria recently took delivery of some Super Tucano fighter jets and many more positives recorded under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. 

Let us also look at the agricultural sector in Borno state that was badly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. The Coalition of Northern Groups may wish to be reminded that Benue State recorded the highest rice yield in the country last year. Thanks to the improved security situation that allowed farmers to return to their farms once again. The herdsmen and farmers crisis has equally disappeared from the north gradually and almost completely . 

This is same for other states in the North Central that has had issues with farmers-herders conflict. And if this is not healing I wonder what else to call it. Maybe the Coalition of Northern Groups in their wisdom can help us out. 
Suppose the Coalition of Northern group does not recognize these feats. In that case, they should develop a counter-narrative with stats and stop wishing the country a return to Armageddon. If indeed they are a group, they should do us well to reveal their identities and not masquerade under a nomenclature with a northern tag. 
They should spare us their diatribe and allow the healing in the north to continue until final peace returns.

Agbese is a UK trained human rights activist and publisher  based in London.

Understanding the New Shadow of Buhari at NEMA

Understanding the New Shadow of Buhari at NEMA

By Philip Agbese 

Sometime in 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari effected a change in the leadership of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Not many understood the president's mind, as it were. Not many also knew that the president wanted more from the operations of NEMA, being that critical government agency saddled with the responsibility of mitigating national emergencies and disasters in the country. 

There was also a masterstroke! The establishment of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. And since then, there has been no turning back in the efforts of ensuring that NEMA fulfils its strategic mandate. 

I must add here that heading such a sensitive social intervention ministry is quite a herculean task because it is emotionally, psychologically, and physically demanding. All of these combined is the daily routine of the Hajia Sadiya Farouq, the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. 

Tow attributes have defined her since she assumed the headship of the ministry; fear of God and the selfless service to the country and humanity. I say these for two reasons. One is the manner she has devoted herself to her job, and two, how she has been able to stay focused despite several attempts at blackmailing her to succumbing to the whims and caprices of a select few. 

The Hon. Minister of humanitarian affairs has constantly evolved strategies to position that agency for optimum service delivery. Let's salute Saadiya for heading a critical agency. Despite the efforts by many to derail her, she has remained focused. 

It is on record that Hajia Sadiya Farouq has a penchant for getting results and would stop at nothing to ensure that tasks are accomplished and within record time. She is also known as one that brooks no excuses and, most importantly, abhors acts that undermine the process of the system. 

A good example could be seen in the case of NEMA, where she strategically effected a change in leadership that saw to the coming on board of Alhaji Ahmed Mustapha Habib, a seasoned administrator, to lead the critical interventionist agency. 

Those in the know of the pedigree of the Director General of NEMA are not surprised with the manner he has handled the affairs of the agency, with active supervision of the ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development. 



Ahmed Mustapha Habib is a man of ideas. According to feelers from the agency, it was stated that the norm had been jettisoned. It is a new era where every voice counts. And Staffers are tasked with effective service delivery, no matter how lowly placed the agency.

He has also placed a premium on a proactive response to issues, given that the agency is meant to be a rapid response agency in the attempt to mitigate issues relating to human lives and properties. This is indeed brilliant and thus resonates with the agency's objective in managing disasters across the country. 

In less than a year, the operations of NEMA have evolved dramatically and thanks to the leadership provision of Ahmed Mustapha Habib. In my opinion, the Ahmed Mustapha Habib example in NEMA is by every inch an indication that with exemplary leadership, Nigeria would experience sustainable growth and development. 

An example of the resourcefulness of the Director General is the recent inauguration of a Technical Working Group on Flood Preparedness, Mitigation and Response to strengthen partnership among stakeholders towards efficient flood management in-country. This might sound strange to the ears because we are not used to such planning, hence the fire brigade approach we employ most times. 

I recall that Habib stated that the inauguration of the Technical Working Group was in line with the recent National Consultative Workshop on 2021 Flood, organized by the agency, which drew participants from the State Emergency Management Agencies and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies. 

Another good example is at the practical level, where the Director General has restructured the distribution of relief materials so that there is accountability and transparency in the processes. The NEMA of today is quite different from the NEMA of previous years, where a lack of accountability and transparency has caused untold embarrassment to the government. I can bet that these and many more informed the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to bring onboard well trusted and principled personalities to take charge of the critical social intervention agency in the country. 

And the result has been outstanding in the sense that critical stakeholders have commended NEMA's disaster management in the country for the way and manner it has carried on with its operations most efficiently and proactively.  

These and many more are the hallmarks of the Ahmed Mustapha Habib leadership strides at NEMA. However, it must be noted that this was made possible by also the examples set by the Honorable Minister of the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry and also, by extension, the examples set by President Muhammadu Buhari. It can be thus said that the NEMA of today indeed reflects the new shadow of Buhari. 

It is thus a new era at NEMA, and this much the staffers of the agency have acknowledged. They have rated that new DG high in works ethics since the establishment of the agency; they have also applauded his emphasis on rewards for hard work and penalties for questionable acts that would bring the agency into disrepute. 

The new helmsman of NEMA has, by his actions, set standards in leadership in the country. He has proven that it is not how long but how committed one can be to discharge his duties and responsibilities. He has also displayed that in whatever we do once we lead with sincerity of heart and purpose, the tendency for success and the buy-in of critical stakeholders in policies and plans are always high. 

This is the pleasant situation at NEMA, and it is hoped that in the days, weeks, months and years ahead, the DG would continue to improve the operations of NEMA and not get distracted by the antics of a few whose stock in trade is to cause a distraction in the polity for their selfish interests. 

The NEMA DG must stand his ground and always have at the back of his mind that his action and inactions either put smiles on the faces of people who are faced with dire emergencies or compound their situations and lead them eventually to their early graves. 

I am convinced that the NEMA DG desires to bring as much as possible comfort to victims of disasters in the country. This much he has displayed and this much he should continue to do in service to the country and humanity.

Agbese is a public affairs analyst and publisher based in the United Kingdom.
By Philip Agbese 

Sometime in 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari effected a change in the leadership of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Not many understood the president's mind, as it were. Not many also knew that the president wanted more from the operations of NEMA, being that critical government agency saddled with the responsibility of mitigating national emergencies and disasters in the country. 

There was also a masterstroke! The establishment of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. And since then, there has been no turning back in the efforts of ensuring that NEMA fulfils its strategic mandate. 

I must add here that heading such a sensitive social intervention ministry is quite a herculean task because it is emotionally, psychologically, and physically demanding. All of these combined is the daily routine of the Hajia Sadiya Farouq, the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. 

Tow attributes have defined her since she assumed the headship of the ministry; fear of God and the selfless service to the country and humanity. I say these for two reasons. One is the manner she has devoted herself to her job, and two, how she has been able to stay focused despite several attempts at blackmailing her to succumbing to the whims and caprices of a select few. 

The Hon. Minister of humanitarian affairs has constantly evolved strategies to position that agency for optimum service delivery. Let's salute Saadiya for heading a critical agency. Despite the efforts by many to derail her, she has remained focused. 

It is on record that Hajia Sadiya Farouq has a penchant for getting results and would stop at nothing to ensure that tasks are accomplished and within record time. She is also known as one that brooks no excuses and, most importantly, abhors acts that undermine the process of the system. 

A good example could be seen in the case of NEMA, where she strategically effected a change in leadership that saw to the coming on board of Alhaji Ahmed Mustapha Habib, a seasoned administrator, to lead the critical interventionist agency. 

Those in the know of the pedigree of the Director General of NEMA are not surprised with the manner he has handled the affairs of the agency, with active supervision of the ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development. 



Ahmed Mustapha Habib is a man of ideas. According to feelers from the agency, it was stated that the norm had been jettisoned. It is a new era where every voice counts. And Staffers are tasked with effective service delivery, no matter how lowly placed the agency.

He has also placed a premium on a proactive response to issues, given that the agency is meant to be a rapid response agency in the attempt to mitigate issues relating to human lives and properties. This is indeed brilliant and thus resonates with the agency's objective in managing disasters across the country. 

In less than a year, the operations of NEMA have evolved dramatically and thanks to the leadership provision of Ahmed Mustapha Habib. In my opinion, the Ahmed Mustapha Habib example in NEMA is by every inch an indication that with exemplary leadership, Nigeria would experience sustainable growth and development. 

An example of the resourcefulness of the Director General is the recent inauguration of a Technical Working Group on Flood Preparedness, Mitigation and Response to strengthen partnership among stakeholders towards efficient flood management in-country. This might sound strange to the ears because we are not used to such planning, hence the fire brigade approach we employ most times. 

I recall that Habib stated that the inauguration of the Technical Working Group was in line with the recent National Consultative Workshop on 2021 Flood, organized by the agency, which drew participants from the State Emergency Management Agencies and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies. 

Another good example is at the practical level, where the Director General has restructured the distribution of relief materials so that there is accountability and transparency in the processes. The NEMA of today is quite different from the NEMA of previous years, where a lack of accountability and transparency has caused untold embarrassment to the government. I can bet that these and many more informed the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to bring onboard well trusted and principled personalities to take charge of the critical social intervention agency in the country. 

And the result has been outstanding in the sense that critical stakeholders have commended NEMA's disaster management in the country for the way and manner it has carried on with its operations most efficiently and proactively.  

These and many more are the hallmarks of the Ahmed Mustapha Habib leadership strides at NEMA. However, it must be noted that this was made possible by also the examples set by the Honorable Minister of the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry and also, by extension, the examples set by President Muhammadu Buhari. It can be thus said that the NEMA of today indeed reflects the new shadow of Buhari. 

It is thus a new era at NEMA, and this much the staffers of the agency have acknowledged. They have rated that new DG high in works ethics since the establishment of the agency; they have also applauded his emphasis on rewards for hard work and penalties for questionable acts that would bring the agency into disrepute. 

The new helmsman of NEMA has, by his actions, set standards in leadership in the country. He has proven that it is not how long but how committed one can be to discharge his duties and responsibilities. He has also displayed that in whatever we do once we lead with sincerity of heart and purpose, the tendency for success and the buy-in of critical stakeholders in policies and plans are always high. 

This is the pleasant situation at NEMA, and it is hoped that in the days, weeks, months and years ahead, the DG would continue to improve the operations of NEMA and not get distracted by the antics of a few whose stock in trade is to cause a distraction in the polity for their selfish interests. 

The NEMA DG must stand his ground and always have at the back of his mind that his action and inactions either put smiles on the faces of people who are faced with dire emergencies or compound their situations and lead them eventually to their early graves. 

I am convinced that the NEMA DG desires to bring as much as possible comfort to victims of disasters in the country. This much he has displayed and this much he should continue to do in service to the country and humanity.

Agbese is a public affairs analyst and publisher based in the United Kingdom.

Twitter, Nigerian Govt. and the Rest of Us, By Babatunde Ajose

Twitter, Nigerian Govt. and the Rest of Us, By Babatunde Ajose

By Babatunde Ajose, DCOB

In 2017, Farhad Manjoo, New York Times Tech Columnist warned that Tech companies are becoming more powerful than Government and might spell doom if nothing is done to curtail their activities.

The Nigerian Government just banned the operation of Twitter indefinitely and compatriots are complaining bitterly. Those complaining don't want their freedom of speech trampled upon, I share their position and acknowledged that the Nigerian Government took an extreme position on Twitter no doubt but these Nigerians should also remember that there can only be a citizenship rights if there's a country . Looking at the activities of these Tech Giants around the world, various governments will have no choice than to take unpopular position on their activities regardless of their benefits especially in Nigeria where Twitter was openly soliciting for funds for the Anti-Government movement called #EndSars , where the President's Obituary was published and nothing was done, where millions upon millions suffers abuses and bully on daily basis and Twitter only cares about their profit. I was in the Manchester Court room when a man was sentenced for insulting Rooney's Wife on Twitter and there was no mention of failed state in England but reverse is the case here, anything goes in our media space. We have forgotten that every right comes with an obligation.

I appreciate the fact that this Government failed on almost all the promises that brought them to power, the reasons for the failure is a topic for another day. But should we loose a country because a government failed ? Buhari will leave in 2023 but the damages we're doing to our country will hunt us in decades to come. Is it not possible to see this country beyond Buhari and rally round our God's given land or have gotten any other place we want to pass to our children unborn.

We all know that the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) is a proscribed organization in Nigeria and classified as a terrorist organization by Nigerian laws and even in some South-Eastern States of Nigeria as at the last time I checked. The fairness and legality of this proscription is left to the legal practitioners to argue in courts or the lawmakers from Biafra Region to lobby on the floor of the Parliament. What we have seen is that the Leader of a Proscribed IPOB has chosen Twitter as his mouthpiece which has brought about arson, carnage and killings on the streets of the supposedly Biafraland and Twitter doesn't see anything wrong in it. It's like an organization providing a platform for Al-Qaeda or ISIS to disseminate messages to their sympathisers in America....Who does that ? Yet, my people love and hail Twitter because a government failed us.
Few months ago, Twitter announced the opening of their office in Ghana citing Freedom of Speech for their reasons for shunning Nigeria and my people fell for it. All around the world, multinationals especially Tech Giants look for Tax Haven to do their businesses; my people forgot to investigate if freedom of speech is actually the reason Twitter went to Ghana as they told us ? The simple reason is the repatriation of profit and taxes which Nigerian Government is now taking serious. MTN the South African telecommunication giant had same issue, ShopRite, the South African stores is another multinational that tried to mess with our tax laws, thank God Egbon Tayo Amusan came to our rescue and I'm happy those cash they have collected from Nigerians over the years will remain in Nigeria. 

Apple Inc. the makers of world most expensive gadgets moved their Head Office to Ireland in an attempt to avoid the American tax or are we saying there's no freedom of speech in America ? Same Apple moved their factory to China because of cheap labour, should we then say American doesn't not have the right infrastructure like Nigeria. Have you forgotten the legal war between the FBI and Apple in respect of privacy right over American security ? How about the court drama between EU/Ireland & Apple Inc. over unpaid €14 Billion taxes.  
All notable and luxury clothing lines in the Western world moved their production outfits to Asian countries because of labour laws of the West or should we assumed they went there because of NEPA and Bad leadership in their home countries ? Nigerians should wake up please, we are the second largest English speakers in the world after United States of America; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc cannot afford to loose the Nigerian Market, they need us more than we need them but will develop a funny narrative to appease the their Nigerian followers as their reasons for misbehaving. That is the style of multinationals especially the Tech Giants

Egypt is the largest Twitter user in Africa, did Twitter establish in Egypt ? They will not because the Egyptian tax laws doesn't permit their "Wayo Activities" By the way how many Ghanains will Twitter employ in their new Ghana office(I'm very sure, it's less than 200) compare to the 5000 jobs Microsoft is creating with it's partnership with Nigerian Government but Nigerians prefer to mourn the loss of 200 jobs over 5000 created here. I have the privilege to have worked in the Nigerian Embassy in London where I met several business delegations wanting to come to Nigeria and I know how robust some of our investment laws are. I acknowledge the fact that there are several rooms for improvement in these laws but we're not doing badly as we're being made to believe. The chat below shows you that your preferred Ghana is not as popular as Nigeria in the Foreign Direct Investment Market so guys learn to support your country against this tax evaders.
The simple truth is that Twitter wants to evade tax by being in Ghana and enjoy the biggest Market in Africa, Nigeria through ECOWAS Treaties and AFCTA Agreement and let's be guided more multinationals will still do the same thing in future. Do you know much Twitter is making in Nigeria ? Are you aware Twitter is having similar problem in India ? Do you know Twitter and other social media company doesn't pay any tax in Nigeria ? Do you know they will prefer to go to Ghana because the Nigerian Government just came up with a tax reform that compelled them to pay our taxes they've been pocketing. Check the new Financial Act 2020 for details.

Finally, I want to submit that the Nigerian Government took this extreme decision at a wrong time and for wrong immediate reason but we should not forget the remote reasons and the underlying factors. Twitter is just out to make profit and not to protect anybody right as portrayed in Nigeria; Twitter should realize that having a dominant share of 200million people Market comes with a lot of caution and decorum. The Nigerian Government should also have a legal framework to register and regulate these Tech Giants and institute a deterrent punitive measures like fines and the likes instead of outright ban.
Thank you for reading.
Babatunde Ajose DCOB is a Sustainable Development Strategist from Badagry with specialisation in Tourism, Foreign Investment, Microfinance. He is a Fellow of several professional bodies in the UK.
By Babatunde Ajose, DCOB

In 2017, Farhad Manjoo, New York Times Tech Columnist warned that Tech companies are becoming more powerful than Government and might spell doom if nothing is done to curtail their activities.

The Nigerian Government just banned the operation of Twitter indefinitely and compatriots are complaining bitterly. Those complaining don't want their freedom of speech trampled upon, I share their position and acknowledged that the Nigerian Government took an extreme position on Twitter no doubt but these Nigerians should also remember that there can only be a citizenship rights if there's a country . Looking at the activities of these Tech Giants around the world, various governments will have no choice than to take unpopular position on their activities regardless of their benefits especially in Nigeria where Twitter was openly soliciting for funds for the Anti-Government movement called #EndSars , where the President's Obituary was published and nothing was done, where millions upon millions suffers abuses and bully on daily basis and Twitter only cares about their profit. I was in the Manchester Court room when a man was sentenced for insulting Rooney's Wife on Twitter and there was no mention of failed state in England but reverse is the case here, anything goes in our media space. We have forgotten that every right comes with an obligation.

I appreciate the fact that this Government failed on almost all the promises that brought them to power, the reasons for the failure is a topic for another day. But should we loose a country because a government failed ? Buhari will leave in 2023 but the damages we're doing to our country will hunt us in decades to come. Is it not possible to see this country beyond Buhari and rally round our God's given land or have gotten any other place we want to pass to our children unborn.

We all know that the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) is a proscribed organization in Nigeria and classified as a terrorist organization by Nigerian laws and even in some South-Eastern States of Nigeria as at the last time I checked. The fairness and legality of this proscription is left to the legal practitioners to argue in courts or the lawmakers from Biafra Region to lobby on the floor of the Parliament. What we have seen is that the Leader of a Proscribed IPOB has chosen Twitter as his mouthpiece which has brought about arson, carnage and killings on the streets of the supposedly Biafraland and Twitter doesn't see anything wrong in it. It's like an organization providing a platform for Al-Qaeda or ISIS to disseminate messages to their sympathisers in America....Who does that ? Yet, my people love and hail Twitter because a government failed us.
Few months ago, Twitter announced the opening of their office in Ghana citing Freedom of Speech for their reasons for shunning Nigeria and my people fell for it. All around the world, multinationals especially Tech Giants look for Tax Haven to do their businesses; my people forgot to investigate if freedom of speech is actually the reason Twitter went to Ghana as they told us ? The simple reason is the repatriation of profit and taxes which Nigerian Government is now taking serious. MTN the South African telecommunication giant had same issue, ShopRite, the South African stores is another multinational that tried to mess with our tax laws, thank God Egbon Tayo Amusan came to our rescue and I'm happy those cash they have collected from Nigerians over the years will remain in Nigeria. 

Apple Inc. the makers of world most expensive gadgets moved their Head Office to Ireland in an attempt to avoid the American tax or are we saying there's no freedom of speech in America ? Same Apple moved their factory to China because of cheap labour, should we then say American doesn't not have the right infrastructure like Nigeria. Have you forgotten the legal war between the FBI and Apple in respect of privacy right over American security ? How about the court drama between EU/Ireland & Apple Inc. over unpaid €14 Billion taxes.  
All notable and luxury clothing lines in the Western world moved their production outfits to Asian countries because of labour laws of the West or should we assumed they went there because of NEPA and Bad leadership in their home countries ? Nigerians should wake up please, we are the second largest English speakers in the world after United States of America; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc cannot afford to loose the Nigerian Market, they need us more than we need them but will develop a funny narrative to appease the their Nigerian followers as their reasons for misbehaving. That is the style of multinationals especially the Tech Giants

Egypt is the largest Twitter user in Africa, did Twitter establish in Egypt ? They will not because the Egyptian tax laws doesn't permit their "Wayo Activities" By the way how many Ghanains will Twitter employ in their new Ghana office(I'm very sure, it's less than 200) compare to the 5000 jobs Microsoft is creating with it's partnership with Nigerian Government but Nigerians prefer to mourn the loss of 200 jobs over 5000 created here. I have the privilege to have worked in the Nigerian Embassy in London where I met several business delegations wanting to come to Nigeria and I know how robust some of our investment laws are. I acknowledge the fact that there are several rooms for improvement in these laws but we're not doing badly as we're being made to believe. The chat below shows you that your preferred Ghana is not as popular as Nigeria in the Foreign Direct Investment Market so guys learn to support your country against this tax evaders.
The simple truth is that Twitter wants to evade tax by being in Ghana and enjoy the biggest Market in Africa, Nigeria through ECOWAS Treaties and AFCTA Agreement and let's be guided more multinationals will still do the same thing in future. Do you know much Twitter is making in Nigeria ? Are you aware Twitter is having similar problem in India ? Do you know Twitter and other social media company doesn't pay any tax in Nigeria ? Do you know they will prefer to go to Ghana because the Nigerian Government just came up with a tax reform that compelled them to pay our taxes they've been pocketing. Check the new Financial Act 2020 for details.

Finally, I want to submit that the Nigerian Government took this extreme decision at a wrong time and for wrong immediate reason but we should not forget the remote reasons and the underlying factors. Twitter is just out to make profit and not to protect anybody right as portrayed in Nigeria; Twitter should realize that having a dominant share of 200million people Market comes with a lot of caution and decorum. The Nigerian Government should also have a legal framework to register and regulate these Tech Giants and institute a deterrent punitive measures like fines and the likes instead of outright ban.
Thank you for reading.
Babatunde Ajose DCOB is a Sustainable Development Strategist from Badagry with specialisation in Tourism, Foreign Investment, Microfinance. He is a Fellow of several professional bodies in the UK.

OPINION | Maureen and Sowore - a Disgrace to Journalism, By Femi Oyewale

OPINION | Maureen and Sowore - a Disgrace to Journalism, By Femi Oyewale

By Femi Oyewale

I had always been a huge fan of your work but for some time now, a lot has changed. After seeing this statement credited to Omoyele Sowore of Sahara Reporters and published in a rag-tag online tabloid belonging to Maureen Badejo’s GIO Tv as reported on April 3, 2021, by one Isaac Obasi coupled with the fact that I haven’t gotten over your expulsion from the ACC, I suddenly realized that the young man has lost it.

I would ordinarily have ignored this as another silly rant by a washed-out gutter journalist seeking attention and relevance from every quarter but for certain dangerous misinformation touted by him in his quoted comments I decided to respond.

I am an investigative journalist who has followed up series of Sowore’s attacks on MFM and its General Overseer Dr. D. K. Olukoya, spanning back since 2002/2003 when we read that a group of reporters gate-crashed MFM Cross-over service and without prior accreditation, walked straight towards the pulpit and started filming when Dr. Olukoya had already mounted the pulpit for the sermon of the day.

From that report, we could remember that it was the trying period of the country when terrorists were going about bombing churches. Hence, uniformed and plain-clothed security agents were detailed to guard and protect such gatherings.

It was told that in that write up that the Security personnel on duty that day perceived the advancement of unknown men with gadgets walking towards the pulpit when preaching was ongoing and moved to stop their further advancement and redirected them to the area reserved for accredited journalists. But, as we read, a certain young man amongst them took offence and this happened to be Sowore Omoleye.

It was said that he took offence because his self-conceited larger-than-life image had been insulted. And after a few days, I can still remember reading about some high polluting fiction about being detained by the Church at an alleged detention center and all manner of defamatory statements published by his media organization.

Since then, all I read about his publications about MFM and Dr. Olukoya are  filth, to the extent that he claimed that Olukoya offered him money for his political campaign in one of his many YouTube videos, which is obviously a standard lie.

In 2018, I read about a fall-out between these two parties were MFM and Dr. Olukoya seemed to have been tired of tolerating Sowore’s verbal diarrhoea and commenced a libel suit against him in the High Court of Justice, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in Suit No.HU/250/2018. Upon being served with the processes, we gathered that he published further defamation and earned another Suit No. H/U312/2018 in the same judiciary.

Upon being served with processes in the second suit, he granted an interview in which, like Maureen, he lambasted the Judiciary of Akwa Ibom State and poured more filth on MFM and Dr. Olukoya thus a third Libel suit No. HU/15/2019 was filed against him.

Through our investigation, we realized that after employing the same tactics of denying service as Maureen Badejo attempted to employ in the suit under discussion, he retained the services of Barr. Inibehe Effiong, whose colleague in Uyo “happened” to be in court on the date MFM lawyers were to move a motion for judgment in default of appearance and defense.

It is said that Processes in the suits had been served on Sowore and received at the premises of the Media Hub at 13A, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA which also housed Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, an NGO of which he is the primary Trustee, yet Sowore, through his lawyers denied service and having any ties to that address.

We gathered, through our investigation that he removed his name and photograph as Founder & Chief Executive from the website of Media Hub and substituted it with one Lakeisha Landrum, erstwhile Vice President, Global Partnerships.

Information we got stated that, Ime Asanga Esq., Lawyer to MFM and Dr. Olukoya in those cases perceived that the issue of service was going to be used as a talisman to defeat the prompt hearing of the substantive cases on their merits, so he filed a Notice of Discontinuance in each of those cases and same were each struck out.

IN ESSENCE, MFM AND DR. OLUKOYA WITHDREW THE CASES FROM COURT NOT THAT THEY WERE DISMISSED.


It was further told to us that the withdrawal of the cases were a strategy to re-file the three cases as one mega suit AFTER DISCOVERING SOWORE’S UNDISPUTED ADDRESS IN NIGERIA.


THAT MEGA SUIT ENCOMPASSING THE CLAIMS IN THE THREE WITHDRAWN CASES WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN FILED ON 15TH NOVEMBER 2019 AS SUIT NO. HU/349/2019.


At that period, Sowore was being incarcerated at the Department of State Services, Abuja.

it was told that the lawyer for MFM and Dr. Olukoya filed and was granted the leave of court to serve him either at the Department of State Services, Aso Drive, Abuja, or at his undisputed address at No. 1 Mosafejo Street, Kiribo, Ondo State of Nigeria being the address he supplied to the Corporate Affairs Commission when he was registering Sahara Reporters Media Foundation.

A bailiff of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State was already in Abuja to serve the processes on Sowore at D.S.S office BUT DR. Olukoya INSTRUCTED THAT SERVICE SHOULD NOT BE EFFECTED SO AS NOT TO ADD TO HIS TRAVAILS AT THAT TIME. Perhaps the matter would have ended there but now that Sowore has by his utterances awoken it, IT IS SAID THAT HE WILL SOON BE SERVED ORIGINATING PROCESSES.

We further probed this matter and realized that the case in Nigeria has no connection with the case he is facing in the United States. The entities in the United States that he defamed could not have joined in the suit in Nigeria hence the Suit in the United States.

Sowore is also quoted in the report to have said “It is so sad how poor people’s tithes and offerings are used to protect the reputation of a man who tells you to pray when your stomach is assaulted with hunger!..” well this statement is rather vague.

If you do proper investigation before releasing statements you will always get your facts rights, the facts are there for anybody who cares to confirm. Dr. Olukoya is a scientist and a prolific and accomplished author and a minister of God, with books selling worldwide.

He earns and/or receives nothing from the coffers of the Church rather he spends from his publications’ royalties on the needs of the Church; the man has his integrity and reputation to protect. I can tell you this because I have followed up on this matter from the inception of Maureen’s unfounded allegations.

In that statement published on GIOTV blog, it also red and I quote “A case in which the defendant in the case was never even served the summons and here is Punch celebrating injustice against a blogger…shame!.” 
Oga Sowore you messed up big time on this one, there is video evidence of Maureen Badejo claiming she was duly served all letters and was aware of the hearings but ignored or rather treated them with levity. This you can find online and I wonder why almighty Sowore didn’t do his research.

Sowore has lavished invectives on the Judgment of the High Court of Ogun state against Maureen Badejo insinuating that Dr. Olukoya obtained it from an Ogun State Judge without due process.

Any intelligent person who lays claim to journalism ought to carry out an investigation at the registry of the Court so as to speak with knowledge and authority.

A cursory search at the High Court Registry at Abeokuta would have revealed to him that DHL posted proofs of Delivery which clearly show that Maureen Badejo personally signed for and received ALL the court processes and Hearing Notices, without exception.

The discerning public will do well to read the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division in the Suit No. CA/L/923/2013: Debola Nejo (Maureen’s mother) V. Access Bank Plc; Niracon Engineering Nigeria Ltd; Mrs. Maureen Omorinola Badejo; Engr. Niran Badejo (Maureen’s estranged husband) it is reported in Law Pavilion Electronic Law Report as (2019) LPELR-47960 particularly pages 27 and 28 of the electronic report and discover that Maureen’s attribute as an artful dodger of court proceedings has received judicial notice by the Courts.

All these are however fish wives tales. The judgment has already been registered in Queens Bench Division of the High Court in England and Maureen has been given 28 days to show cause why it should not be enforced against her. At least a window of opportunity has again been afforded her to prove that it is DHL not her who is lying on the issue of service.

Sowore also poured muck on us, journalists, when he said that Dr. Olukoya funds Nigerian newspapers to make people feel he won a case. As a man thinketh so is he. It takes only a twisted mind steeped in brown-envelope quack journalism to make such a sweeping statement because he uses his own poor standards to measure others. 

Sowore, wake up and smell the coffee. You have lost every modicum of credibility and respect you may have had at the inception of your career you were once our star but not anymore.

Everyone now knows you for what you are…an egocentric, rent-seeking rabble-rouser, hungry for relevance and recognition. Nobody takes you seriously anymore, maybe the Babalawo Association of Nigeria.

Only the likes of Maureen and her minions would still describe you as “Foremost rights activist, pro-democracy campaigner” but that as well is gone! Remember the humiliation and rejection you suffered when you showed up to join the #ENDSARS campaign? That is your reality.

Sowore and Maureen Badejo are birds of a feather. They like to beat the worn-out drum, that MFM and Dr. Olukoya are running from jurisdiction to jurisdiction to commence the same case. The end of those cases will always bear out who is fooling who. MAUREEN GOT HERS, LET'S WAIT AND SEE WHAT COMES WITH YOURS
By Femi Oyewale

I had always been a huge fan of your work but for some time now, a lot has changed. After seeing this statement credited to Omoyele Sowore of Sahara Reporters and published in a rag-tag online tabloid belonging to Maureen Badejo’s GIO Tv as reported on April 3, 2021, by one Isaac Obasi coupled with the fact that I haven’t gotten over your expulsion from the ACC, I suddenly realized that the young man has lost it.

I would ordinarily have ignored this as another silly rant by a washed-out gutter journalist seeking attention and relevance from every quarter but for certain dangerous misinformation touted by him in his quoted comments I decided to respond.

I am an investigative journalist who has followed up series of Sowore’s attacks on MFM and its General Overseer Dr. D. K. Olukoya, spanning back since 2002/2003 when we read that a group of reporters gate-crashed MFM Cross-over service and without prior accreditation, walked straight towards the pulpit and started filming when Dr. Olukoya had already mounted the pulpit for the sermon of the day.

From that report, we could remember that it was the trying period of the country when terrorists were going about bombing churches. Hence, uniformed and plain-clothed security agents were detailed to guard and protect such gatherings.

It was told that in that write up that the Security personnel on duty that day perceived the advancement of unknown men with gadgets walking towards the pulpit when preaching was ongoing and moved to stop their further advancement and redirected them to the area reserved for accredited journalists. But, as we read, a certain young man amongst them took offence and this happened to be Sowore Omoleye.

It was said that he took offence because his self-conceited larger-than-life image had been insulted. And after a few days, I can still remember reading about some high polluting fiction about being detained by the Church at an alleged detention center and all manner of defamatory statements published by his media organization.

Since then, all I read about his publications about MFM and Dr. Olukoya are  filth, to the extent that he claimed that Olukoya offered him money for his political campaign in one of his many YouTube videos, which is obviously a standard lie.

In 2018, I read about a fall-out between these two parties were MFM and Dr. Olukoya seemed to have been tired of tolerating Sowore’s verbal diarrhoea and commenced a libel suit against him in the High Court of Justice, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in Suit No.HU/250/2018. Upon being served with the processes, we gathered that he published further defamation and earned another Suit No. H/U312/2018 in the same judiciary.

Upon being served with processes in the second suit, he granted an interview in which, like Maureen, he lambasted the Judiciary of Akwa Ibom State and poured more filth on MFM and Dr. Olukoya thus a third Libel suit No. HU/15/2019 was filed against him.

Through our investigation, we realized that after employing the same tactics of denying service as Maureen Badejo attempted to employ in the suit under discussion, he retained the services of Barr. Inibehe Effiong, whose colleague in Uyo “happened” to be in court on the date MFM lawyers were to move a motion for judgment in default of appearance and defense.

It is said that Processes in the suits had been served on Sowore and received at the premises of the Media Hub at 13A, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA which also housed Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, an NGO of which he is the primary Trustee, yet Sowore, through his lawyers denied service and having any ties to that address.

We gathered, through our investigation that he removed his name and photograph as Founder & Chief Executive from the website of Media Hub and substituted it with one Lakeisha Landrum, erstwhile Vice President, Global Partnerships.

Information we got stated that, Ime Asanga Esq., Lawyer to MFM and Dr. Olukoya in those cases perceived that the issue of service was going to be used as a talisman to defeat the prompt hearing of the substantive cases on their merits, so he filed a Notice of Discontinuance in each of those cases and same were each struck out.

IN ESSENCE, MFM AND DR. OLUKOYA WITHDREW THE CASES FROM COURT NOT THAT THEY WERE DISMISSED.


It was further told to us that the withdrawal of the cases were a strategy to re-file the three cases as one mega suit AFTER DISCOVERING SOWORE’S UNDISPUTED ADDRESS IN NIGERIA.


THAT MEGA SUIT ENCOMPASSING THE CLAIMS IN THE THREE WITHDRAWN CASES WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN FILED ON 15TH NOVEMBER 2019 AS SUIT NO. HU/349/2019.


At that period, Sowore was being incarcerated at the Department of State Services, Abuja.

it was told that the lawyer for MFM and Dr. Olukoya filed and was granted the leave of court to serve him either at the Department of State Services, Aso Drive, Abuja, or at his undisputed address at No. 1 Mosafejo Street, Kiribo, Ondo State of Nigeria being the address he supplied to the Corporate Affairs Commission when he was registering Sahara Reporters Media Foundation.

A bailiff of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State was already in Abuja to serve the processes on Sowore at D.S.S office BUT DR. Olukoya INSTRUCTED THAT SERVICE SHOULD NOT BE EFFECTED SO AS NOT TO ADD TO HIS TRAVAILS AT THAT TIME. Perhaps the matter would have ended there but now that Sowore has by his utterances awoken it, IT IS SAID THAT HE WILL SOON BE SERVED ORIGINATING PROCESSES.

We further probed this matter and realized that the case in Nigeria has no connection with the case he is facing in the United States. The entities in the United States that he defamed could not have joined in the suit in Nigeria hence the Suit in the United States.

Sowore is also quoted in the report to have said “It is so sad how poor people’s tithes and offerings are used to protect the reputation of a man who tells you to pray when your stomach is assaulted with hunger!..” well this statement is rather vague.

If you do proper investigation before releasing statements you will always get your facts rights, the facts are there for anybody who cares to confirm. Dr. Olukoya is a scientist and a prolific and accomplished author and a minister of God, with books selling worldwide.

He earns and/or receives nothing from the coffers of the Church rather he spends from his publications’ royalties on the needs of the Church; the man has his integrity and reputation to protect. I can tell you this because I have followed up on this matter from the inception of Maureen’s unfounded allegations.

In that statement published on GIOTV blog, it also red and I quote “A case in which the defendant in the case was never even served the summons and here is Punch celebrating injustice against a blogger…shame!.” 
Oga Sowore you messed up big time on this one, there is video evidence of Maureen Badejo claiming she was duly served all letters and was aware of the hearings but ignored or rather treated them with levity. This you can find online and I wonder why almighty Sowore didn’t do his research.

Sowore has lavished invectives on the Judgment of the High Court of Ogun state against Maureen Badejo insinuating that Dr. Olukoya obtained it from an Ogun State Judge without due process.

Any intelligent person who lays claim to journalism ought to carry out an investigation at the registry of the Court so as to speak with knowledge and authority.

A cursory search at the High Court Registry at Abeokuta would have revealed to him that DHL posted proofs of Delivery which clearly show that Maureen Badejo personally signed for and received ALL the court processes and Hearing Notices, without exception.

The discerning public will do well to read the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division in the Suit No. CA/L/923/2013: Debola Nejo (Maureen’s mother) V. Access Bank Plc; Niracon Engineering Nigeria Ltd; Mrs. Maureen Omorinola Badejo; Engr. Niran Badejo (Maureen’s estranged husband) it is reported in Law Pavilion Electronic Law Report as (2019) LPELR-47960 particularly pages 27 and 28 of the electronic report and discover that Maureen’s attribute as an artful dodger of court proceedings has received judicial notice by the Courts.

All these are however fish wives tales. The judgment has already been registered in Queens Bench Division of the High Court in England and Maureen has been given 28 days to show cause why it should not be enforced against her. At least a window of opportunity has again been afforded her to prove that it is DHL not her who is lying on the issue of service.

Sowore also poured muck on us, journalists, when he said that Dr. Olukoya funds Nigerian newspapers to make people feel he won a case. As a man thinketh so is he. It takes only a twisted mind steeped in brown-envelope quack journalism to make such a sweeping statement because he uses his own poor standards to measure others. 

Sowore, wake up and smell the coffee. You have lost every modicum of credibility and respect you may have had at the inception of your career you were once our star but not anymore.

Everyone now knows you for what you are…an egocentric, rent-seeking rabble-rouser, hungry for relevance and recognition. Nobody takes you seriously anymore, maybe the Babalawo Association of Nigeria.

Only the likes of Maureen and her minions would still describe you as “Foremost rights activist, pro-democracy campaigner” but that as well is gone! Remember the humiliation and rejection you suffered when you showed up to join the #ENDSARS campaign? That is your reality.

Sowore and Maureen Badejo are birds of a feather. They like to beat the worn-out drum, that MFM and Dr. Olukoya are running from jurisdiction to jurisdiction to commence the same case. The end of those cases will always bear out who is fooling who. MAUREEN GOT HERS, LET'S WAIT AND SEE WHAT COMES WITH YOURS

Much Ado About Tunde Sabiu’s Employment In Nia, By Philip Agbese

Much Ado About Tunde Sabiu’s Employment In Nia, By Philip Agbese

By Philip Agbese 

These are indeed interesting times in Nigeria. I am beginning to believe that it is now an occupation for some individuals and groups to imagine things and pass their imagination to the general public without thinking of the implication of their actions. 

The latest in town that got me on the floor rolling is the news making the rounds that the personal assistant to the President, Tunde Sabiu has been appointed an assistant director in the elite National Intelligence Agency (NIA). 

This is indeed interesting and I dare say anyone that must have cooked up this story is indeed a legend for coming up with such that is capable of making Nigerians believe that we are still in the year 2020. 

I must confess that after reading the news, I asked myself some questions about the challenges of mental health in Nigeria. I am of the considered opinion that some people are undergoing mental health challenges even without their knowledge. I say this because for anyone to have thought it wise that the personal assistant to the president would be employed as an assistant director in one of the country's most strategic security outfit is a blow below the belt and possibly a sign of hallucination. 

Several questions ran through my mind so much so that I wondered how we got it wrong and why some persons would take delight in spreading mischief in the country recklessly. I am not convinced that such a thing would ever happen because, for starters, Tunde Sabiu is not conversant with the operations of the National Intelligence Agency. 

I am also aware that the NIA as an agency is tasked with overseeing foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations. I am also aware that Tunde Sabiu does not have the requisite qualification or expertise to be employed in such an organization and with the position of assistant director. 
Let us assume the news is true, what department would he fit in? Is he going to be redeployed from the Office of the President to the National Intelligence Agency? This is just one piece of awful news since the beginning of 2021. If not for anything I have my suspicion that the target is not Tunde Sabiu, but rather President Muhammadu Buhari in the attempt to paint him as despotic leader and promoting nepotism. 

This might not be far-fetched in the sense that in recent times there have been scathing attacks on the personality of President Muhammadu Buhari with some insinuating that he is the president for a select few and not the generality of Nigerians. What more can be unpleasant than this. 

And now, the polity is awash with news that Tunde Sabiu has gained employment with the National Intelligence Agency out of the blues, and even without merit. I am still in awe of how such a thing would happen in a country such as Nigeria. 
When such anomalies are allowed to thrive in Nigeria the consequences might be severe in the sense that lots of misleading information would thrive at the expense of the truth. This is what aroused my concern with the Tunde Sabiu employment news. And to think that a large segment of the population believed the mischief was worrisome. 

I think this remains unfair for the young man that is devoted to his job. I am not sure he has any reason to want to be involved in such mischief and I equally do not believe that President Muhammadu Buhari would encourage such under his watch. 

This much Tunde Sabiu knows and why he would not undertake to be involved in such an anomaly that would bring disrepute to the administration. At this point, it is expedient that issues are put in proper perspective to douse the tension already created by the obvious fake news. 
I will say this again, Tunde Sabiu cannot be employed in the National Intelligence Agency under whatever circumstance because he has no such experience in security issues. Moreover, the NIA is involved in serious business at the international scene and as such there the entrenchment of professionalism. 
I am also of the considered view that Tunde Sabiu is the latest victim of the slander campaign of key members of the present administration. President Muhammadu Buhari has had his fair share, and likewise others. But in all of them, that of Tunde Sabiu is the most hilarious because it roundly defeats common sense. 

Nigerians must do well to differentiate between truth and falsehood especially in this era of fake news where anything goes, especially in the social media space. This once again reinforces why there should be some form of regulation of contents in the social media space because we must be cognizant of the fact that people react to issues differently. 

Having said all, it would be wise for Tunde Sabiu to come out and clear the air at the risk of giving the impression that after all the news is true. I don’t think that would be too much for him to undertake given the fact that his reputation and by extension that of his boss are at stake. And for those spreading falsehood, they need to get some mental health evaluation before things get out of control because saying Tunde Sabiu has gained employment as an assistant director in the National Intelligence Agency is tantamount to saying that the capital of Nigeria is Accra. A word is indeed enough for the wise.

Agbese is a an author and public affairs commentator writing from Abuja.
By Philip Agbese 

These are indeed interesting times in Nigeria. I am beginning to believe that it is now an occupation for some individuals and groups to imagine things and pass their imagination to the general public without thinking of the implication of their actions. 

The latest in town that got me on the floor rolling is the news making the rounds that the personal assistant to the President, Tunde Sabiu has been appointed an assistant director in the elite National Intelligence Agency (NIA). 

This is indeed interesting and I dare say anyone that must have cooked up this story is indeed a legend for coming up with such that is capable of making Nigerians believe that we are still in the year 2020. 

I must confess that after reading the news, I asked myself some questions about the challenges of mental health in Nigeria. I am of the considered opinion that some people are undergoing mental health challenges even without their knowledge. I say this because for anyone to have thought it wise that the personal assistant to the president would be employed as an assistant director in one of the country's most strategic security outfit is a blow below the belt and possibly a sign of hallucination. 

Several questions ran through my mind so much so that I wondered how we got it wrong and why some persons would take delight in spreading mischief in the country recklessly. I am not convinced that such a thing would ever happen because, for starters, Tunde Sabiu is not conversant with the operations of the National Intelligence Agency. 

I am also aware that the NIA as an agency is tasked with overseeing foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations. I am also aware that Tunde Sabiu does not have the requisite qualification or expertise to be employed in such an organization and with the position of assistant director. 
Let us assume the news is true, what department would he fit in? Is he going to be redeployed from the Office of the President to the National Intelligence Agency? This is just one piece of awful news since the beginning of 2021. If not for anything I have my suspicion that the target is not Tunde Sabiu, but rather President Muhammadu Buhari in the attempt to paint him as despotic leader and promoting nepotism. 

This might not be far-fetched in the sense that in recent times there have been scathing attacks on the personality of President Muhammadu Buhari with some insinuating that he is the president for a select few and not the generality of Nigerians. What more can be unpleasant than this. 

And now, the polity is awash with news that Tunde Sabiu has gained employment with the National Intelligence Agency out of the blues, and even without merit. I am still in awe of how such a thing would happen in a country such as Nigeria. 
When such anomalies are allowed to thrive in Nigeria the consequences might be severe in the sense that lots of misleading information would thrive at the expense of the truth. This is what aroused my concern with the Tunde Sabiu employment news. And to think that a large segment of the population believed the mischief was worrisome. 

I think this remains unfair for the young man that is devoted to his job. I am not sure he has any reason to want to be involved in such mischief and I equally do not believe that President Muhammadu Buhari would encourage such under his watch. 

This much Tunde Sabiu knows and why he would not undertake to be involved in such an anomaly that would bring disrepute to the administration. At this point, it is expedient that issues are put in proper perspective to douse the tension already created by the obvious fake news. 
I will say this again, Tunde Sabiu cannot be employed in the National Intelligence Agency under whatever circumstance because he has no such experience in security issues. Moreover, the NIA is involved in serious business at the international scene and as such there the entrenchment of professionalism. 
I am also of the considered view that Tunde Sabiu is the latest victim of the slander campaign of key members of the present administration. President Muhammadu Buhari has had his fair share, and likewise others. But in all of them, that of Tunde Sabiu is the most hilarious because it roundly defeats common sense. 

Nigerians must do well to differentiate between truth and falsehood especially in this era of fake news where anything goes, especially in the social media space. This once again reinforces why there should be some form of regulation of contents in the social media space because we must be cognizant of the fact that people react to issues differently. 

Having said all, it would be wise for Tunde Sabiu to come out and clear the air at the risk of giving the impression that after all the news is true. I don’t think that would be too much for him to undertake given the fact that his reputation and by extension that of his boss are at stake. And for those spreading falsehood, they need to get some mental health evaluation before things get out of control because saying Tunde Sabiu has gained employment as an assistant director in the National Intelligence Agency is tantamount to saying that the capital of Nigeria is Accra. A word is indeed enough for the wise.

Agbese is a an author and public affairs commentator writing from Abuja.

... And a 'Muslim Bigot' Buhari appoints Obasanjo labeled "Total Idiot" CAN Chairman as commission Head

... And a 'Muslim Bigot' Buhari appoints Obasanjo labeled "Total Idiot" CAN Chairman as commission Head

By Femi Adesina 

THE PRIEST AND THE PRESIDENT

Let’s go back in time to May 2004, when the lands of Yelwa-Shendam, in Plateau State, had turned crimson. Primitive fury and hatred were unleashed, leading to internecine bloodbath. Hundreds and hundreds of people were killed along religious lines. It eventually led to Governor Joshua Dariye being removed, as a state of emergency was declared, and a retired Army General appointed sole administrator.

While the place was turned into killing fields, the then President Olusegun MATTHEW Obasanjo (emphasis on that middle name) visited, and met with the different stakeholders.

During the dialogue session, the then Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Plateau State asked a question the President found offensive. And the Owu man, a retired Army General, flew off the handle. He let out this fusillade:

“What role have you played to bring about peace as CAN Chairman in Plateau State? CAN, my foot! What kind of CAN Chairman are you? Did your own Christianity teach you about revenge? You are an idiot. A total idiot. And I have no apologies for that.”

Pin-drop silence. Strange things do happen in Nigeria. But it had never been seen like that. For a father of the country to publicly excoriate a religious leader? For a Matthew to call a preacher an idiot, “a total idiot?” It was sacrilege walking on two legs.

And again, for a President, who laid claim to being a born again Christian, to denigrate the association of his own faith? “CAN, my foot!” It was the height of it.

Of course, Obasanjo was President! Big shot. But many things were wrong with his conduct and the cavalier treatment he gave to a priest, a man of God.The Holy Bible makes certain things clear about our spiritual leaders:

‘Obey your leaders and submit to them. For they watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this will be unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:17.

Again, we are charged: “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord, and give you instruction.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 12. In fact, the next verse directly tells us to “esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

So, for a Matthew to call a priest an idiot, “a total idiot?” Not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination. It was a bad example for all believers.

Well, the saga ran for a while. The man in question, Rev Yakubu Pam, said security agencies summoned and asked him to apologize to the President for the public spat. Insult on injury! The two men continued with their public lives. Obasanjo finished in office, and went on to take a degree in Theology. I’m sure he now knows better about those the Holy Bible says “speak evil of dignities” (2 Peter 2:10), and the consequences. I believe he has privately repented.

Rev Pam finished his term as CAN Chairman in Plateau State. He went on to become Chairman of CAN in all North Central states from 2008 till 2015, and then, Chairman CAN in the 19 Northern states and Abuja, till July 4, last year, when he was named Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the regulatory body for Christian pilgrimage in the country.

A tale of the priest and two Presidents. Publicly flagellated by one, a Matthew, and now, honored by the other, a Muhammadu. What Rev Pam didn’t get from a Christian, he got from a Fulani man from Daura, a Muslim. Is there any lesson we can learn from this? Think about it.

A couple of weeks back, precisely on January 14, 2021, Rev Pam was at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, leading an NCPC team on a courtesy visit to the President. An idiot, “a total idiot” was at the seat of power, being treated with the dignity he deserved, by a man of a different faith. Holy Moses!

Rev Pam delivered a speech at the event, under the title, In Peace We Blossom. He recounted how he had been campaigning on the need for peace round the country in places like Southern Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states, among others. He has met with church leaders also in Southeast and South-south zones, as well as youth groups. He submitted: “I humbly appreciate Mr President’s vision on peace building and deeply grateful for the confidence reposed on me in this respect.”

Rev Pam is obviously a man of peace. That was why “when he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” (1 Peter 2:23). How many of us would be called an idiot, “a total idiot” publicly, and would not talk back? How many of our modern day preachers, who arrogate all sorts of powers and authorities to themselves, would not have cursed Obasanjo publicly, asking him to apologize or be killed by God within seven days? (You know, some of these modern preachers speak as if God was their personal property, who they can command and order around).

I tell you, this Rev Pam, from Gyel, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State is a reconciliator, a peace advocate, and that is why God has lifted him up today. And not through a Matthew, but a Muhammadu, one against whom all lies under the sun have been told: he’s a religious bigot. A herdsman. A nepotist. Jihadist. Everything. May God forgive those who condemn the person they don’t know, and have refused to know.

President Buhari personally congratulated Rev Pam on his appointment as NCPC boss. He encouraged him to continue with his peace building efforts across the country, stressing that no enduring development could be possible without peace.

It was a day one was very glad to witness. A pauper can become a king. An idiot, “a total idiot,” can become a man of honour. It is God that does it. Don’t you think?

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity
By Femi Adesina 

THE PRIEST AND THE PRESIDENT

Let’s go back in time to May 2004, when the lands of Yelwa-Shendam, in Plateau State, had turned crimson. Primitive fury and hatred were unleashed, leading to internecine bloodbath. Hundreds and hundreds of people were killed along religious lines. It eventually led to Governor Joshua Dariye being removed, as a state of emergency was declared, and a retired Army General appointed sole administrator.

While the place was turned into killing fields, the then President Olusegun MATTHEW Obasanjo (emphasis on that middle name) visited, and met with the different stakeholders.

During the dialogue session, the then Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Plateau State asked a question the President found offensive. And the Owu man, a retired Army General, flew off the handle. He let out this fusillade:

“What role have you played to bring about peace as CAN Chairman in Plateau State? CAN, my foot! What kind of CAN Chairman are you? Did your own Christianity teach you about revenge? You are an idiot. A total idiot. And I have no apologies for that.”

Pin-drop silence. Strange things do happen in Nigeria. But it had never been seen like that. For a father of the country to publicly excoriate a religious leader? For a Matthew to call a preacher an idiot, “a total idiot?” It was sacrilege walking on two legs.

And again, for a President, who laid claim to being a born again Christian, to denigrate the association of his own faith? “CAN, my foot!” It was the height of it.

Of course, Obasanjo was President! Big shot. But many things were wrong with his conduct and the cavalier treatment he gave to a priest, a man of God.The Holy Bible makes certain things clear about our spiritual leaders:

‘Obey your leaders and submit to them. For they watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this will be unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:17.

Again, we are charged: “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord, and give you instruction.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 12. In fact, the next verse directly tells us to “esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

So, for a Matthew to call a priest an idiot, “a total idiot?” Not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination. It was a bad example for all believers.

Well, the saga ran for a while. The man in question, Rev Yakubu Pam, said security agencies summoned and asked him to apologize to the President for the public spat. Insult on injury! The two men continued with their public lives. Obasanjo finished in office, and went on to take a degree in Theology. I’m sure he now knows better about those the Holy Bible says “speak evil of dignities” (2 Peter 2:10), and the consequences. I believe he has privately repented.

Rev Pam finished his term as CAN Chairman in Plateau State. He went on to become Chairman of CAN in all North Central states from 2008 till 2015, and then, Chairman CAN in the 19 Northern states and Abuja, till July 4, last year, when he was named Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the regulatory body for Christian pilgrimage in the country.

A tale of the priest and two Presidents. Publicly flagellated by one, a Matthew, and now, honored by the other, a Muhammadu. What Rev Pam didn’t get from a Christian, he got from a Fulani man from Daura, a Muslim. Is there any lesson we can learn from this? Think about it.

A couple of weeks back, precisely on January 14, 2021, Rev Pam was at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, leading an NCPC team on a courtesy visit to the President. An idiot, “a total idiot” was at the seat of power, being treated with the dignity he deserved, by a man of a different faith. Holy Moses!

Rev Pam delivered a speech at the event, under the title, In Peace We Blossom. He recounted how he had been campaigning on the need for peace round the country in places like Southern Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states, among others. He has met with church leaders also in Southeast and South-south zones, as well as youth groups. He submitted: “I humbly appreciate Mr President’s vision on peace building and deeply grateful for the confidence reposed on me in this respect.”

Rev Pam is obviously a man of peace. That was why “when he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” (1 Peter 2:23). How many of us would be called an idiot, “a total idiot” publicly, and would not talk back? How many of our modern day preachers, who arrogate all sorts of powers and authorities to themselves, would not have cursed Obasanjo publicly, asking him to apologize or be killed by God within seven days? (You know, some of these modern preachers speak as if God was their personal property, who they can command and order around).

I tell you, this Rev Pam, from Gyel, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State is a reconciliator, a peace advocate, and that is why God has lifted him up today. And not through a Matthew, but a Muhammadu, one against whom all lies under the sun have been told: he’s a religious bigot. A herdsman. A nepotist. Jihadist. Everything. May God forgive those who condemn the person they don’t know, and have refused to know.

President Buhari personally congratulated Rev Pam on his appointment as NCPC boss. He encouraged him to continue with his peace building efforts across the country, stressing that no enduring development could be possible without peace.

It was a day one was very glad to witness. A pauper can become a king. An idiot, “a total idiot,” can become a man of honour. It is God that does it. Don’t you think?

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

Gov. Wike; if wishes were horses….! By Kolawole Anthony

Gov. Wike; if wishes were horses….! By Kolawole Anthony

By Kolawole Anthony 

Nigeria has quite terrible and horrible leaders. One of them is Gov. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the Governor of Rivers state. Wike’s soul is gravely tormented and he unswervingly finds himself in a state of perpetual restlessness.

Gov. Wike is anguished or tortured by the spirits and blood of the innocent. The blood of those he spilled in his fiendish quest for political power has been his greatest misery in life. His soul is the permanent tent of the devil.  It is under him; Rivers state earned the ignoble epaulet of “Rivers of blood.”

Therefore, if Wike does not find imaginary enemies to attack, he directs his irritabilities at everyone in sight. Gov. Wike is a lawyer by training; but there are no records which shows he became famous as law practitioner by winning celebrated cases. Its doubtful whether Wike still remembers court procedures anymore as a lawyer.

Its ironic that Wike has negatively mutated into political and executive brigandage or thuggery. He is the patron of hooliganism in Nigeria’s recent political history. Sometimes, when Gov. Wike speaks, its difficult to differentiate between a garage tout or what the Youbas call an “agbero” and a leader of a state.     

He is infamous for it. Of course, what sanity does anybody expects from someone whose convictions about leadership is to murder every opponent on his path? Wanton killings, assassinations’, mysterious disappearance of opponents and barefaced executive brigandage defines the leadership of Rivers people by Wike.

If anyone is convinced that Gov. Wike is not possessed; he needs to approach a Pentecostal pastor for spiritual cleansing. Wike is a character who speaks without a full prehensile of his utterances. He acts without prior rumination; he flows with tide and dangles aimlessly like a street boy.

If anyone understands that lawyer Wike does not know, it is unlawful for an executive leader to resort to self-help, he deserves empathy. How else can anyone explain that in a democracy, Wike ordered the demolition of a hotel because the owner violated Covid-19 executive directives? But that’s what happens, when “madmen” dubiously amble themselves into positions of leadership and authority.

Gov. Wike is boosted by invisible and demonic spirits beyond his control. And they are too many. In his 2019 bid for reelection alone, Gov. Wike allegedly killed no fewer than 35 persons in his state. It has been his story sad tales in life.

He allegedly killed to secure the PDP governorship ticket in 2015 and also, murdered massively to get into Rivers state Government House the same year.   Therefore, those who know him intricately are rather empathetic to him each time he vibrates like a lunatic undergoing psychiatric rehabilitation. No one with such magnitude of innocent blood on his hands would find peace with his soul.

The Governor in his characteristic manner defiled the sanctity and solemnity of the 2021-Armed Forces Remembrance Day. In Port Harcourt at the wreath-laying ceremony, Gov. Wike revived and also, practiced his meaningless parroting talents. He asked the Service Chiefs to resign in order to pave the path for “fresh ideas and strategy” in tackling the country’s resurgent internal insecurity threats.

He dreamily assumed the toga of a military and security expert. Therefore, Wike felt empowered enough to advise the Federal Government of Nigeria to change its strategy in combating internal insecurities in the country.  Wike was particular that the current set of Service Chiefs have been unable to diminish the fires of Boko Haram insurgency and armed banditry among other security challenges, despite years of full military engagements.

But why would anybody devote his precious time on faulting Wike over his assertions? It’s doubtful whether Wike understands what is a military strategy. This is a lawyer who has never won any celebrated case in his life, but has the guts to advise military professionals and experts on how to combat terrorism and banditry.   

Gov. Wike symbolizes the hypocritic and devious clan of leaders in Nigeria today. Wike served as Minister under the Jonathan Presidency for the years of that administration. Boko Haram and armed bandits became notorious and untamable under the administration he served.

It was the time Boko Haram annexed 21 LGAs in the Northeast. It was an era nearly 25,000 Nigerians were hostages of insurgents in different secret camps in the Northeast. It was a time Wike operated in Abuja with a lot of phobia because like some Nigerians coined; “the fear of Boko Haram was the beginning of wisdom.”

Yet, Gov. Wike as a member of FEC never advised the President to change his strategy in fighting Boko Haram. But the same person mouths now, when there is a positively changed narrative in combating acts of insecurities in Nigeria. So, he became an accidental military expert.  But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride and Wike’s wish that the Service Chiefs should resign is not actionable by his command. Meaningless busybody!   

Nigerians do not need to consult a soothsayer to know their enemies or instigators of insecurities anymore. And some time last year, when Governors Yahaya Bello and Aminu Bello Masari asserted separately that some politicians are behind the resurgent insecurities in the country, most Nigerians failed to grasp their prophetic insights. But Wike’s utterances today are an indisputable indication of his complicity. He is privy to it.

Like many other detractors of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Rivers Governor is angered that in spite of the clandestine efforts to undermine the Buhari Presidency through organized and sponsored insecurities, the President has always broken the hurdles. The camp of opposers is baffled.

And Wike knows that the current Service Chiefs are the reason, the plots of the opposition elements to discredit the administration of Buhari is permanently met with a bulwark.  The latest trick now is to cleverly goad Mr. President to sack them in order to create a window for the opposition use insecurities in feasting on Nigeria. But Buhari is smarter than all of them.   

So, it was baffling that Wike desecrated the graves of the unknown soldier and those still in service. The occasion was not designed for such partisan campaigns, with the Service Chiefs as nectars. It was a ceremony and a day set aside to remember and celebrate our fallen heroes and heroines as well as those still in active service.  He mocked these gallant officers and soldiers on a day, all Nigerians were celebrating their exploits and sacrifices for the nation.

A senseless Wike did not know the occasion was not designed for such partisan campaigns. Surprisingly, he turned his weird leadership  activism on   the Service Chiefs and the arena into a platform for the  anti-Service Chiefs campaigners.

Anyway, those expecting Gov. Wike to see the Service Chiefs as friends and partners in nation-building have misfired. It’s impossible to contemplate it. Wike is a violent, bloody and loquacious election rigger. Certainly, he cannot be a friend of the Military and especially, a repositioned Nigerian Army which blocked most of his rigging tracks in the 2019 governorship elections. He succeeded, but not as easy as he envisaged.  

Gov. Wike attempted to bribe everyone or group involved in the conduct and monitoring of the elections; he attempted to bribe soldiers deployed to Rivers on election duty to compromise the ballot; he attempted to bribe consulate officials of the British High Commission in Nigeria to fabricate the report of election observers. Wike is a desperately devious political fly.

Indeed, If wishes were to be horses, it is Gov. Wike who would have been sacked ab initio by President Buhari. But Mr. President is a kind leader. He allowed Wike to twice escape with an obviously stolen mandate. That’s why today, Wike, a low-class lawyer feels, he is competent to offer professional military advice to Mr. President in combating acts of insecurities.

Wike regales in the mere appellation   and   protocol as “chief security officer” of his state.  But it does not translate into his expertise knowledge on security matters. When Mr. President is seeking for advisers on political thuggery, executive brigandage and ethnic militias, Wike would emerge as an unopposed candidate. He has no rival in today’s Nigeria.  

Gov. Wike  is under the misleading  delusion that Nigerians are not aware  of his sole sponsorship  of the campaign of calumny against the Nigerian military, particularly in the South. It is his tent the street activist Deji Adeyanju frequents on a monthly basis to renew his venoms (Dollars) in nourishment.

Wike is free to keep playing the fools game with himself. But the issue of Service Chiefs is clearly outside his purview. Wike should be patient enough to wait until his rigs his way to political leadership as President of Nigeria to thereafter, depend on street counsels for the appointment or sack of his Service Chiefs. President Buhari cannot be outsmarted with such infantile antics. #

Kolawole PhD is a University teacher and wrote this piece from Keffi, Nasarawa State.
By Kolawole Anthony 

Nigeria has quite terrible and horrible leaders. One of them is Gov. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the Governor of Rivers state. Wike’s soul is gravely tormented and he unswervingly finds himself in a state of perpetual restlessness.

Gov. Wike is anguished or tortured by the spirits and blood of the innocent. The blood of those he spilled in his fiendish quest for political power has been his greatest misery in life. His soul is the permanent tent of the devil.  It is under him; Rivers state earned the ignoble epaulet of “Rivers of blood.”

Therefore, if Wike does not find imaginary enemies to attack, he directs his irritabilities at everyone in sight. Gov. Wike is a lawyer by training; but there are no records which shows he became famous as law practitioner by winning celebrated cases. Its doubtful whether Wike still remembers court procedures anymore as a lawyer.

Its ironic that Wike has negatively mutated into political and executive brigandage or thuggery. He is the patron of hooliganism in Nigeria’s recent political history. Sometimes, when Gov. Wike speaks, its difficult to differentiate between a garage tout or what the Youbas call an “agbero” and a leader of a state.     

He is infamous for it. Of course, what sanity does anybody expects from someone whose convictions about leadership is to murder every opponent on his path? Wanton killings, assassinations’, mysterious disappearance of opponents and barefaced executive brigandage defines the leadership of Rivers people by Wike.

If anyone is convinced that Gov. Wike is not possessed; he needs to approach a Pentecostal pastor for spiritual cleansing. Wike is a character who speaks without a full prehensile of his utterances. He acts without prior rumination; he flows with tide and dangles aimlessly like a street boy.

If anyone understands that lawyer Wike does not know, it is unlawful for an executive leader to resort to self-help, he deserves empathy. How else can anyone explain that in a democracy, Wike ordered the demolition of a hotel because the owner violated Covid-19 executive directives? But that’s what happens, when “madmen” dubiously amble themselves into positions of leadership and authority.

Gov. Wike is boosted by invisible and demonic spirits beyond his control. And they are too many. In his 2019 bid for reelection alone, Gov. Wike allegedly killed no fewer than 35 persons in his state. It has been his story sad tales in life.

He allegedly killed to secure the PDP governorship ticket in 2015 and also, murdered massively to get into Rivers state Government House the same year.   Therefore, those who know him intricately are rather empathetic to him each time he vibrates like a lunatic undergoing psychiatric rehabilitation. No one with such magnitude of innocent blood on his hands would find peace with his soul.

The Governor in his characteristic manner defiled the sanctity and solemnity of the 2021-Armed Forces Remembrance Day. In Port Harcourt at the wreath-laying ceremony, Gov. Wike revived and also, practiced his meaningless parroting talents. He asked the Service Chiefs to resign in order to pave the path for “fresh ideas and strategy” in tackling the country’s resurgent internal insecurity threats.

He dreamily assumed the toga of a military and security expert. Therefore, Wike felt empowered enough to advise the Federal Government of Nigeria to change its strategy in combating internal insecurities in the country.  Wike was particular that the current set of Service Chiefs have been unable to diminish the fires of Boko Haram insurgency and armed banditry among other security challenges, despite years of full military engagements.

But why would anybody devote his precious time on faulting Wike over his assertions? It’s doubtful whether Wike understands what is a military strategy. This is a lawyer who has never won any celebrated case in his life, but has the guts to advise military professionals and experts on how to combat terrorism and banditry.   

Gov. Wike symbolizes the hypocritic and devious clan of leaders in Nigeria today. Wike served as Minister under the Jonathan Presidency for the years of that administration. Boko Haram and armed bandits became notorious and untamable under the administration he served.

It was the time Boko Haram annexed 21 LGAs in the Northeast. It was an era nearly 25,000 Nigerians were hostages of insurgents in different secret camps in the Northeast. It was a time Wike operated in Abuja with a lot of phobia because like some Nigerians coined; “the fear of Boko Haram was the beginning of wisdom.”

Yet, Gov. Wike as a member of FEC never advised the President to change his strategy in fighting Boko Haram. But the same person mouths now, when there is a positively changed narrative in combating acts of insecurities in Nigeria. So, he became an accidental military expert.  But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride and Wike’s wish that the Service Chiefs should resign is not actionable by his command. Meaningless busybody!   

Nigerians do not need to consult a soothsayer to know their enemies or instigators of insecurities anymore. And some time last year, when Governors Yahaya Bello and Aminu Bello Masari asserted separately that some politicians are behind the resurgent insecurities in the country, most Nigerians failed to grasp their prophetic insights. But Wike’s utterances today are an indisputable indication of his complicity. He is privy to it.

Like many other detractors of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Rivers Governor is angered that in spite of the clandestine efforts to undermine the Buhari Presidency through organized and sponsored insecurities, the President has always broken the hurdles. The camp of opposers is baffled.

And Wike knows that the current Service Chiefs are the reason, the plots of the opposition elements to discredit the administration of Buhari is permanently met with a bulwark.  The latest trick now is to cleverly goad Mr. President to sack them in order to create a window for the opposition use insecurities in feasting on Nigeria. But Buhari is smarter than all of them.   

So, it was baffling that Wike desecrated the graves of the unknown soldier and those still in service. The occasion was not designed for such partisan campaigns, with the Service Chiefs as nectars. It was a ceremony and a day set aside to remember and celebrate our fallen heroes and heroines as well as those still in active service.  He mocked these gallant officers and soldiers on a day, all Nigerians were celebrating their exploits and sacrifices for the nation.

A senseless Wike did not know the occasion was not designed for such partisan campaigns. Surprisingly, he turned his weird leadership  activism on   the Service Chiefs and the arena into a platform for the  anti-Service Chiefs campaigners.

Anyway, those expecting Gov. Wike to see the Service Chiefs as friends and partners in nation-building have misfired. It’s impossible to contemplate it. Wike is a violent, bloody and loquacious election rigger. Certainly, he cannot be a friend of the Military and especially, a repositioned Nigerian Army which blocked most of his rigging tracks in the 2019 governorship elections. He succeeded, but not as easy as he envisaged.  

Gov. Wike attempted to bribe everyone or group involved in the conduct and monitoring of the elections; he attempted to bribe soldiers deployed to Rivers on election duty to compromise the ballot; he attempted to bribe consulate officials of the British High Commission in Nigeria to fabricate the report of election observers. Wike is a desperately devious political fly.

Indeed, If wishes were to be horses, it is Gov. Wike who would have been sacked ab initio by President Buhari. But Mr. President is a kind leader. He allowed Wike to twice escape with an obviously stolen mandate. That’s why today, Wike, a low-class lawyer feels, he is competent to offer professional military advice to Mr. President in combating acts of insecurities.

Wike regales in the mere appellation   and   protocol as “chief security officer” of his state.  But it does not translate into his expertise knowledge on security matters. When Mr. President is seeking for advisers on political thuggery, executive brigandage and ethnic militias, Wike would emerge as an unopposed candidate. He has no rival in today’s Nigeria.  

Gov. Wike  is under the misleading  delusion that Nigerians are not aware  of his sole sponsorship  of the campaign of calumny against the Nigerian military, particularly in the South. It is his tent the street activist Deji Adeyanju frequents on a monthly basis to renew his venoms (Dollars) in nourishment.

Wike is free to keep playing the fools game with himself. But the issue of Service Chiefs is clearly outside his purview. Wike should be patient enough to wait until his rigs his way to political leadership as President of Nigeria to thereafter, depend on street counsels for the appointment or sack of his Service Chiefs. President Buhari cannot be outsmarted with such infantile antics. #

Kolawole PhD is a University teacher and wrote this piece from Keffi, Nasarawa State.

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