LAGOS STATE OF SANWO OLU, WHERE THE GM PLANNING SENDS HIS PS AND COMMISSIONER ON ERRANDS

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It is important to note the unorthodox power dynamics currently prevalent in the Lagos State civil service hierarchy. 

Traditionally, a ministry's Commissioner and Permanent Secretary hold higher positions than its agency's general Manager. However, in the current context, the General Manager of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) holds a higher position than the PS and Commissioner. 

This arrogated position by the GM over the Permanent Secretary and Commissioner is not necessarily in theory. Still, the General Manager of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) is TPL Kehinde Oshinaike. 

Since the appointment of the new commissioner, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, who is an engineer by profession and must seek the opinion of the GM, the highest-ranking town planner in the state, before making planning decisions, the GM has taken advantage of this situation to become the de facto commander in the ministry practically. 

It is crucial to reiterate that the General Manager is not authorized to make decisions for the ministry without consulting the PS and the Commissioner. 

However, he is currently making unilateral decisions on behalf of the ministry. The proper procedure dictates that files must pass through his office, the PS, and the Commissioner before decisions are made. Unfortunately, this process is no longer being followed. 

He makes decisions without even informing them. After all, he believes that the PS and the Commissioner are engineers who have no idea what planning is about. 

The proper procedure would have been to send the files up and then give his educated professional judgement to them, leaving it to their superiors to make the decision. 

Unfortunately, the PS and Commissioner defer to him, most likely because they do not want to make costly mistakes that could cost them their jobs. You only need to be in a forum where all three are present to see who is in charge. 

He believes that he has made much money since becoming GM and is significantly more prosperous than the commissioner recently appointed in November 2023, so he cannot bow before him. 

Of course, a GM who does not respect a commissioner cannot be expected to consider the Permanent Secretary.

The GM, promoted above several senior directors in the ministry, was supposed to behave more appropriately and not ride over everyone without caring. It is hoped that the Super GM of Lagos will remember that he will not be GM indefinitely.

By:

Majekobaje

Isale Eko

PBAT: Where is Yari?

By Bolaji O. Akinyemi.

It was the gathering of our political gladiators at the table of our Chief Chef, Baker and Divider of the Nigeria cake, 27 of them were seating Governors out of 36, along with leadership of the Nation's Assembly led by the Senate President, His Execllency, Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abass. 

Some former Governors weren't missing in action, it was a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos. 

This damage control started in December during the Christmas visit to the President while the Plateau was on fire in Bokkos, Mangu and Barkin Ladi, their Governor was wining and dining with his political class at the President's table. 

Things are never really as they appear. Any one who is worth his/her salt in strategic communication will easily detect the unease around the leadership of the country. 

The beast they invited to help them win election by hook or crook has refused to go back to the jungle from politics till the next season, it is walking the street and demonizing what was meant for mere political advantage, and making them our reality!

This leadership is threatened by division!  

The religion card that won the game has to be constantly kept on the table.

The North and South gap got widened by the philosophy of Emilokan which inevitably is viewed by the North as "awon lokan"; a Yoruba political agenda against the North. The South East is wallowing in reckless abandonment, not a single Governor from a region where all their Governors are Christians can serve the need of religious appeal!

Emphasis in communication is the indicator for what the problem is!

The President had barely sat when the imaginary shadow of Yari walked through the audience. A scream exuded from his mouth like what seemed to be a thinking aloud; where is Yari?

But who is Yari?

Yari is worth more than all the Guests at the President's table for the purpose of the gathering. Yari was elected a Governor on the platform of ANPP on the 26th of April 2011, he was Governor from May 2011 to May 2019. He became a member of APC by the political expediency of power that laid down strange fellows on the bed of affliction that APC has become to governance!

Yari got his branding for Senate Presidency right! His desire was to lead a firm, transparent National Assembly that would have served the interest of Nigerians, that's according to him.

Awolowo remains the best President Nigeria never had. So a politician you have never given a chance will forever be better that those you had. Buhari would have died a hero of the masses. But not anymore. The more reason we need to change leader as often as possible.

Politics is about dreams, ambitions and their aspirations. Northern politics is about feudal consensus!

The New Yoruba politics philosophy represented by Bola Ahmed Tinubu is about "Baba sope" ask a "what's up" Lagosian for its meaning.

It was Baba sope that got Akpabio ahead of Yari. But the dust hasn't settled!

In the history of Senate elections in Nigeria, no individual has come close to humiliating government backed candidate as Yari did Akpabio at the last Senate Presidency election!

Yari is like a fire whose smoke is already choking the house. It is better to help it happen, than let it happen by itself. It may prove to be costly and may not stop at Akpabio!

Please, don't forget what I stated earlier; "in strategic communication, emphasis points you to what the problems are!

 ”This gathering cuts across ethnic, religious, and political lines. Here, we have Pastor Eno of Akwa Ibom and Father Hyacinth Alia of Benue", remarked the Vice President. The faith taunted before the last election has become the currency of credibility to trade this leadership to Nigerians! 

"Pastor Eno and Father Alia"! Beautiful brides of an enstranged husband finding his way back to the heart of Christian faithfuls!

Who is at the table for the sumptuous meal of Mr President and who is not there is not the challenge of Nigerians. Both Muslim and Christians plus traditional religion worshipers are united in hunger supervised by the Tinubu led administration and, they now know better!

Both MURIC and CAN are lost to the reality of the need and demand of Nigerians for good governance. While MURIC is busy playing the religious card for a Muslim Leadership Governor come 2027.

Hint from the Christian Association of Nigeria through their recent appeal to the Government to do something about the over a 100 Chibok Girls who are yet to be released out of the 274 or 276 close to 10 years in captivity! What a teaser on what to expect on the 10th anniversary celebration of Chibok capture; the possibility of the reunion of the remaining Chibok Girls with their parents and community. But will that change the perception of the masses under which even food sellers are hungry?

After 10 years in captivity, beautiful Christian girls taken in their teens are expected as girls, from randy sex monster hiding behind religion to perpetrate the unthinkable? Those who were 13 then should be 23 now. The shame of a nation is about to get exposed; 100 girls kept within a sovereign state for 10 years, a year under Jonathan, 8, under Buhari and 1, under BAT may get released through the skills of negotiations that saw Kaduna 300 freed and dressed back to town in "Aso-ebi"!

The message from the feast in Lagos shows clearly what the issue are with the government of the day; "Let’s unite to make Nigeria greater, Tinubu tells Governors and national assembly leaders" read an headline.

President Bola Tinubu has called for unity of purpose and more collaborations between the federal government, state governors, and members of the National Assembly to achieve national development goals.

The President made the appeal while receiving state governors and the leadership of the National Assembly in Lagos on Friday the 12th of April 2024.

Led by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, the delegation included Senate President Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the President, Vice-President Shettima expressed optimism about Nigeria’s economic resurgence and called for collective efforts to propel the nation forward.

He urged unity and collaborations among all stakeholders to achieve shared prosperity and promised a brighter future for the nation under President Tinubu’s guidance.

“Let us unite, rally around our leader, and catapult this nation to a greater pedestal!

 By December, I hope we will have cause to celebrate. Let us coalesce to take the nation to a greater pedestal,” Vice-President Shettima said.

Emphasizing President Tinubu’s role as a unifying leader transcending ethnic and religious lines, the Vice-President noted that the gathering of 27 governors in Lagos, along with the leadership of the National Assembly and some former governors, bears the testimony of a detribalized leader who has embraced all.

”This gathering cuts across ethnic, religious, and political lines. Here, we have Pastor Eno of Akwa Ibom and Father Hyacinth Alia of Benue, and as the President was seated, he was asking, ‘Where is Wammako, where is Yari’? That is the hallmark of true leadership. What binds us together supercedes whatever it is that may divide us.

”The future of the black man rests on Nigeria to make or mar. Our economy has turned the corner. By the coming months, the economy will roar back to glory,” the Vice-President said.

Senate President Akpabio commended the state governors for emulating President Tinubu’s leadership style, characterized by listening to diverse voices and consulting widely with the people, irrespective of political affiliations.

“The governors are doing well. I can say so because I have been there before,” Senator Akpabio said.

Expressing confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership, Akpabio noted that the President enjoys the broad support of Nigerians across political divides.

“As you coast home to victory for a second term, may all the governors seated here also coast home to a second term victory in their states,” Senate President Akpabio prayed.

In his remarks, Governor AbdulRazaq expressed support for the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing it as a huge project that will have a significant impact on the nation when completed.

He commended the President’s efforts in stabilizing the economy and improving living conditions, highlighting the positive developments in the country, which include the stabilization of the exchange rate and decreasing food prices.

He attributed these improvements to the President’s initiatives and also lauded the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s funding for 8,800 primary healthcare centres.

“We commend your efforts because the ship is gradually turning. We have seen how the exchange rate of the naira against the dollar is coming down. The cost of food is coming down. The dry season harvest is commencing soon. Things are getting better, and there is light at the end of the tunnel,” the Governor said.

He urged President Tinubu to persevere in his efforts towards achieving economic stability.

The governor also expressed gratitude for the support provided by the Federal Government to states, particularly in distributing grains to alleviate food shortages.

”We are here to support you, and we also thank you for the support that you are giving to the sub-nationals.

 Trucks are wheeling up across the nation, distributing grains. I have received, and most of the states have too

.

”Because of what you are doing, those who are hoarding food items are releasing them, and that is why the prices of food are coming down,” he said.

Governor AbdulRazaq reiterated the governors’ commitment to supporting the President’s initiatives and pledged to continue complementing the efforts of the federal government in driving progress and prosperity across the nation".

The meeting was nothing more than a jamboree of political propagandists!

 Are these people not united? How was the padding of the budget achieved successfully by the National Assembly while the Executive looked the other way?

 How I wished His Excellency Alex Chioma Otti, beyond telling Nigerians to be patient with the Tinubu led administration after their meeting, would share with this administration the need to work and leave the public to appraise their performance. 

Sir, when I offered to echo your good works in Abia to the Nation and the world at large, you declined, let me quote your exact words; "I’m still thinking about this and I’m not convinced it is NECESSARY. ALL WE ARE DOING IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN". (Emphasised words in cap are mine).

But at the feast on Boudilon, the President was being thanked on our behalf for the 700km coastal road from Lagos to Calabar, an issue already over-flogged in the media. The Chairman of Governors Forum and Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, told us of the coming dry season harvest and the nose diving of prices of food and commodities at the market, but refused to tell us the location of his imaginary market!

Lagosians should know better, Tinubu is a good customer when it comes to propaganda. Lagos is probably the best state in the world through systemic engineering propaganda from 1999 till date!

 Ordinary resurfacing of 3rd mainland bridge got celebrated in the media more than its actual construction by Babangida!

 We have been driven through the fourth mainland bridge during the last three elections 2015, 2019 and 2023 to Igbogbo in Ikorodu, and the "rainbow rail", blue, red and green in Lagos was long completed in the media and our propaganda city, but manifesting in meters!

 Someone needs to tell these loud mouths to stop talking and get to work. We want to see their work speaking, not their mouths!

On my one 'Kobo advice' to Tinubu is that Jesus was betrayed at a feasting table. He needs to query the heart of men who spoke for him at the table. His trusted Matawalle should be up on the beat of Hakeem Baba Ahmed and the Northern Elders Forum. 

This is no time for any of his men to sit on the fence. He should ask himself, where was El-Rufai while they were dinning? Could he have been at Shettima's Borno State on the invitation of Gov. Babagana Zulum speaking to senior government officials in the state?

If he doesn't know what Hakeem Baba Ahmed is capable of, he should ask those who know, he is probably more dangerous than Mazi Nnamdi Kanu at heating up the polity!

If Matawalle won't get off the fence for Tinubu to engage the NEF, the President should take it from me, he is with Shettima and Hakeem Baba Ahmed working together on the Northern agenda!

 How well that will serve Tinubu’s interest, I leave to His Excellency to ruminate upon.

He should note this; there is an ongoing high stakes game between the North and South!

The President and his handlers are making numerous grave errors most noticeably is the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu!

It is obvious to any intelligent observer that the Igbos are not interested in fighting Tinubu and his government... even with all its deficiencies and baggages!

Eyi ni ifa ti mo da fun Tinubu Omo Abibatu! Get to work!! Propaganda has no impact on Northern politics. They don't listen to the media but their leaders. How many of their leaders are honestly with you?

This is what my IFA Discerner foretells Akanbi TINUBU, Omo Abibatu Mogaji.

May you not make your enemies your friends and your friends, your enemies! 

Ase oo!!!

Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He's also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table.

email:[email protected]

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Phone: +2348033041236

OPINION: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐅𝐂𝐂, 𝐁𝐨𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧

By Dr. Ugo Egbujo 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)  must choose its fights sensibly. An Ijele doesn’t go about dancing at babies’ birthday parties just to be noticed. The EFCC must leave some jobs for local Police DPOs. So, it can focus on serious financial crimes. This gbegboro attitude inhibits specialisation. More importantly, the EFCC must never forget that it wrestles against principalities and powers against whom it needs the confidence of the masses. Seeking to clean cobwebs while elephants freely defecate in the room is self-deceit. 

The EFCC has recently set up a task force to prevent the abuse of the Nigerian currency, the naira. The focus of this task force has been on preventing celebrities and, perhaps, the public from spraying the naira at social events, as the EFCC sees this as a form of irreparable damage to the currency. Although the law is in place to preserve currency notes and save reprinting costs, the EFCC has taken it to be a serious financial crime. If lawmakers had trained their focus on stopping the display of exhibitionism or money worship in order to prevent the spread of lasciviousness and reset societal values rather than mere naira abuse, the people would have been happy. However, enforcing laws against harmless cultural practices portrays law enforcement as bereft of a critical sense of priorities.

In the United States, celebrities spray money on strippers. So, spraying cash on people isn’t such a universal crime as the EFCC’s preoccupation with it suggests. In Igbo land, if a grandma dances, she has to be sprayed cash. Putting the money in her bag or pocket drains the ritual of the ceremony. If that damages the naira, then the quality of the notes needs improvement to meet significant cultural uses. Money is more than a sterile medium of exchange. We used to have pseudo-plastic notes in the past. But this new meddlesome law also forbids the throwing of coins. So, the primary motivation for the prohibition can’t even be mutilation because it’s so non-discriminating. Now, the EFCC wastes its time and scarce resources pursuing young men and women spraying their hard-earned naira on their friends and relatives while indicted criminal suspects occupy ministerial positions at the nation’s capital

An institution with limited resources ought to define its priorities soberly. While the EFCC was running around Borisky, Yahaya Bello, who likes to call his narcissistic self White Lion, was still at large. If the EFCC was thinking of the Broken Windows Theory, then it should have focused on the obscene display of wealth, not the spraying of naira, which almost all poor and decent people in Nigeria do anyway. Now, Bobrisky is in prison after pleading guilty as a first offender, but Yahaya Bello can’t be arrested.

He wasn’t arrested a couple of days ago because after the EFCC laid a siege on the house where he refuged, the policemen protecting the man at large shut out the EFCC violently. That wasn’t the peak of the absurdity. While the EFCC agents were languishing in helplessness under the angry sun, a governor stormed the cordoned area with thugs and gained easy entrance into the house. The humiliated EFCC men watched like schoolboys. Such life-sucking impotence. All these happened a stone’s throw from the seat of power. The godson shoved the EFCC aside and whisked away his godfather from the trembling hands of the timid law. Sheer movie stuff. Blockbuster gangsterism. 

After the EFCC chickened away in peace, it issued a press release. In that gutless release, it couldn’t dare to be specific let alone name names. In that statement that reeked of abject impotence, it found the verve to warn the public that in future, it would deal decisively with people who employed thugs to disrupt or obstruct its operations. A governor might have immunity, but does his immunity permit him to handcuff EFCC agents or commit criminal offences while law enforcement agents watch?

His immunity doesn’t confer anything on all the aides and security agents who may choose to assist him in committing the crime before newsmen.The next day was court sitting. Yahaya bello was still at large. The EFCC said they could be forced to invite the military to assist them. What more do they want to suffer? However, that statement was a naked indictment of the police and DSS. Granted, both can’t often handle bandits, but should a chicken-hearted white lion hiding in the Government House in Lokoja require military intervention too?

The helpless EFCC has declared the man wanted, begging the public to help track the man. The public is supposed to find the man the EFCC had in its claws and let a baby governor snatch away? The public should find a man being protected by the state. The world is watching. The Attorney General could have struck while it was hot in Abuja. But he dilly-dallied. A firm pronouncement from the Chief Law Officer to the police and DSS would have drained courage from the lawless governor.

When the Attorney General woke up from slumber the next day, he preached that citizens must always submit themselves to law enforcement agents when needed. He called no names. He issued no public orders. Tepidly, he said the world would have no respect for the country if governors started to act like wild animals. Such preposterous lukewarmness. Tomorrow, we will attend an African Union meeting and expect respect. He should remind the president that foreign investors are watching the spectacle of the travesty of the rule of law.

This atrocious precedent took place under the presidency’s nose. Many thought that naked disruption of EFCC operations by other law enforcement agents had ended with Buhari. If it had been some Bobrisky rather than the revered Bobkogi who mobilised thugs to evade that arrest, the security agencies would have remembered they had breached presidential security. Rightly, but belatedly, the policemen attached to Yahaya Bello have been withdrawn, but when will they be prosecuted? After all, we are only a generator republic and not yet a plantain republic. 

The EFCC must choose its fights wisely. Some bemused young people are now planning to switch to spraying dollars at social events. That could mean more naira chasing the dollar. Some laws only exist to be part of the general legal architecture. And there are others, that must attract attention and venom. The EFCC’s greatest existential problem is corrupt politicians.  However, it appears the agency has an exceptionally elastic capacity to absorb humiliation from powerful politicians.

Often, the public looks away with disinterest not just because the EFCC likes to make up by chasing small fries, but after the EFCC went through the roof to arrest Rochas and charge him, the then Federal Attorney General hijacked the case from the EFCC.  That gradual and steady emasculation of the EFCC by big politicians has been quickened by Ododo. He knows he will suffer no consequences. Last year, an ex-governor publicly ridiculed the EFCC chairman who had fingered him for corruption. That ex-governor is now a minister. The EFCC lingers on his filthy files.

How does the EFCC feel when it goes against relatively innocuous offenders while those who have embezzled the state into penury swagger about in the corridors of power and thump their noses at it? Bobrisky went to prison at the speed of light. Bobkogi is still at large. When he is eventually arraigned, he might appear in a lion-skinned attire. His lawyers will secure his bail despite his having shown that he is a flight risk. Then he will return to Kogi to a hero’s welcome, drums beating, and women dancing under the sun, all arranged by his godson, Ododo. Most of the policemen withdrawn from him will return with him to Kogi for the triumphant homecoming. They might even receive awards from the state. We live right in a circus. Aristotle said, “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice, he is the worst.”

The EFCC must reassess its priorities to prevent politicians from turn the eagle into a chicken, a scaveger for small things.

What do Men really benefit from marriage?

 Nothing good!!!

1. He is 72 years old.

2. He has retired from active service.

3. He worked all his life to raise his children.

4. He deprived himself of life's pleasures to pay for expensive school fees and living expenses for his children abroad.

5. They are now well-off in Europe, Australia, and America.

6. His wife, aged 62, has relocated to live with their children.

7. He remains alone back in Nigeria.

8. His children barely call him.

9. He has to start life all over again as a bachelor.

10. He struggles with high blood pressure and other ailments associated with old age.

11. How much longer will he survive alone?

12. This is the reality for most working-class monogamous men: their old age is often lonely and, in many cases, sad.

13. No matter how good the man is, women tend to love their children more than their husbands. The older he gets, the less use they seem to have for him.

14. So, what do men truly benefit from marriage?

15. They sacrifice so much but receive little recognition for their hard work, while the woman seems to reap all the benefits.

It’s a man’s world they said but for the women and children in reality. 

Dear men, this could be your situation in the next few decades. What are you doing about it? What is your retirement plan? Care for your self as much as you fend for your family. Love yourself. God bless you.

Source: Social media

WHY MEN SHOULD PREPARE THEMSELVES TO HANDLE WOMEN WHO ARE OVER 40

When some Women turn 40 or 50 years, something major shifts in their personality. 

They become bolder, more rebellious, more religious, more focused, more opinionated and more emphatic about what they want.

Don’t be surprised when a previously obedient and submissive Woman on turning 40/50 changes completely.

Most especially when she had given birth to Children. 

At this age, she may not go with the flow anymore, she may begin to ask some questions :   

      -  Is sex food?

      -  Query some of your instructions

      -  Even the way you behave. 

She will also become more outspoken and will not be afraid to speak her mind. 

If care is not taken, you may have to do for yourself :

     -  Dry cleaning 

     -  Preparing food to eat 

Because it might take her more time before she responds to your request.

There is something definitely special about turning 40/50 for Women.

If she has never challenged or questioned your instructions, get ready to be shocked by her boldness and confrontational attitude.

The only way to avoid total breakdown of Peace and Harmony in the home is for Men to become fair, objective and reasonable in their approaches to issues at home and/or at work.

Men should bear in mind that at this age, Women also harbour lots of regrets about the decisions they have made in life so far ... Their Husbands may be one of them!

A woman at this age is a better Judge of character and will evaluate a Man using very different & weird parameters.

Men must start on time to prepare for this phase in the lives of their Wives/Partners/Bosses/Subordinates. 

What you put in is what you get!

If you have treated her fairly, then you don’t have anything to worry about. 

She will begin to appreciate you better if for any reason she didn’t do so in the past. 

On the contrary if you haven’t been nice to her, fasten your seatbelt, the ride is about to get pretty bumpy.

A Woman doesn’t forget those who hurt her, and by her actions and utterances you will know that she is out to show you that she is no longer that little girl you married.. 

For young men, It might help to learn these early in life. 

Do Something-Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu: Significant real estate business leaders are crying in Lagos

A profile picture of a crying black woman
Credit:Adobe stock

Since January 2023, no Governor’s Consent has been signed by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Successive governors of Lagos State have adopted the Tinubu governorship style of delegating the signing of Governor’s Consent to two Commissioners who are members of the executive cabinet. 

This is to speed up the process of obtaining Governor’s Consent and to remove delays usually caused by the Governor’s tight schedule. This is the style adopted by the present governor but alas it is not working as it ought to. While Governor Tinubu designed a template that made it possible to obtain a Governor’s Consent in one month, the experience under this administration is a situation where it is difficult to get this very important document in even a year.

This situation has devastating effect on construction industry and property developers who requires Governor’s Consent to access loan facility for their projects and associated job opportunities for the entire construction value chain including engineers, surveyors, architects, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters, tilers and building material suppliers in general. It has also severely reduced revenues accruable to government through consent fees, capital gains tax, registration fee, income tax and so on. 

According to impeccable sources from the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Lagos State Branch, many transactions are kept hanging until the Governor's consent is signed.

Sanwo-Olu

Also, sources from Nigeria Bar Association alluded that this situation has caused a lot of frustration for lawyers who are often charged with processing this document at the Lands Registry of the State.

In the same situation, impeccable sources from the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry also confirmed that the chamber is contacting the Governor.

When you buy a property from a vendor with a Certificate of Occupancy, the legal title you can obtain to become a legal owner is the Governor's Consent. This consent is a crucial step in the property transaction process, and not signing it by the governor or his appointed commissioners has a significant negative impact on the real estate sector. 

They are also used as collateral to obtain money from banks and other financial institutions for business and other reasons. Furthermore, real estate developers require a registered title to make their projects viable, as it is a crucial factor influencing prospective buyers' purchase decision. The title converts interest in a property from equitable interest to registered interest, making it legally transferable. 

This is an urgent appeal for help from the large business community in Lagos State who are adversely affected by this situation to His Excellency Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu, who himself is a seasoned professional in the real estate industry to use his good office to intervene on this matter and to generally improve on the ease of doing business in Lagos State.

By a concerned Stakeholder

Nigeria needs strategy overhaul!

By

abiodun KOMOLAFE

As of today, the basic problem with Nigeria on the war against terrorism is that she is following a defective strategic front. This is what the situation is and it is very sad! All the empirical evidence in the last ten or so years have shown that Nigeria has been following a wrong policy in her counterterrorism warfare and all eyes can see it. The problem is that we are fighting unconventional warfare in which our security forces are not trained in terms of equipment, strategy and mindset. To get things right, the reboot must start from the military academy and the method of recruitment, for the people who are recruited to fight unconventional warfare might not be exactly the same as those who are recruited to fight conventional warfare. In other words, it is a multidimensional problem which must start from the military and its structure.

For Nigeria, her problem with terrorism dates back to the Maitatsine Riots of the early 1980s, during the Shehu Shagari era. A Judicial Enquiry was set up and its Report was prophetic. For example, it saw the plans being developed and suggested ways of ameliorating the social crisis which was bound to get deeper. Had the Judicial Report on the Maitatsine Risings been taken seriously and implemented, starting from the time of Shagari, Nigeria would most certainly not have gotten to where she is at the moment, if not nipped in the bud. It’s not possible! But the political will, even the interest, was not showing. That’s why we are now spending about 20% of our national budget on something that was preventable. Regrettable, there is no end in sight! It is now inevitable for Nigeria to go back to the Maitatsine Report if she must find a solution. It is important dear fatherland learns from other places about how to prevent a never-ending war by engendering an effective Defence Budget.

In 1959, General Dwight Eisenhower in his last major speech as President of the United States of America warned about the entrenchment of a military industrial complex. Of course, Eisenhower’s warnings foretold the future. Unfortunately, Nigeria is among the countries that are currently bearing the brunt of not taking his forebodings about the future seriously. The fact of the matter is that the military industrial complex, once entrenched, becomes self-perpetuating, leading to ever-increasing Defence Budgets and never-ending wars. President John. F. Kennedy, who succeeded Eisenhower, took the warning seriously by appointing Robert McNamara, the then Chief Executive Officer of one of the world’s largest corporations, Ford Motors, as his Defence Secretary. McNamara’s job was to devise and implement _Planning, Programming, Budgeting Systems_ (PPBS) in order to streamline the Defence Budgeting System, eliminate waste and duplication and make it more effective.

In 1983, President Shagari, in his 2nd Term, brought in the late Omowaye Kuye as Director of Budget to work out a PPBS across the board, not just for the military but also Housing, Health, Roads and other sectors. Sadly, that regime did not last 100 days! Basically, if Nigeria is to avoid the trap of a never-ending terror war, it’s time she devised her PPBS in order to have a more cost-effective Defence Budget which will at the same time robustly tackle terrorism. There is no alternative! The PPBS should also be applied to all the internal security mechanisms: Military, Police, Civil Defence, Intelligence Agency, even Customs Service.

That 287 innocent schoolchildren could be kidnapped from a school and Nigerians are moving on as if nothing has happened is not only surprising but also infuriating. So, where are the Emirs and why are they keeping silent in the face of a deep cavity in their region’s future? For God’s sake, is there something the suffering masses need to know which successive governments have been keeping away from us? By the way, who says Kuriga cannot happen to the Southwest and who says Ekiti cannot resurrect, especially in the region’s low-hanging states? In rebooting therefore, it’s better for other regions to learn fast and get fully prepared. Since it may not be politically expedient to hire mercenaries, Nigeria must develop and equip Special Forces with the fierce urgency of now even as technology such as sensors, drones, aerial surveillance systems, magnetics and artificial intelligence must not only be incorporated but also be at the heart of the reevaluation of the Defence package. Data scientists and forensic experts such as industrial chemists, biochemists and others in that mould must also be incorporated into the heart of the new strategic framework.

Nigeria has to start anew as she has already fallen into a trap. Those in authority are well-advised to move into the realm of critical thinking and take more than a cursory look at the magnificent works of the past such as the former Commander of the British Land Forces, Lt. General Frank Edward Kitson’s path-breaking ‘low intensity operations’. Originally published in 1979, about 17 contemptuous chapters of Kitson’s work are still not published and that’s on the orders of successive British governments, for it gives a valuable insight into the nature and strategies of the anti-insurgency warfare.

Throughout history, once policy is not separated from procurement, a never-ending war becomes an option because some people are bound to benefit from the spoils of a failed system. Tragically too, the more out-of-school children the country produces, the more it continues to feed the war machine because those untrained and uncatered-for children are ready recruits. Since counterinsurgency war in Nigeria has become as big a business as the Ministry of Works, the country must reevaluate its spending pattern if it must make headway. Feeding the procurement machine without working out the strategic imperative can only be likened to moving amiss. So, Nigeria must embrace a collective sense of responsibility and countermeasure devoid of ethnic and other primordial sentiments if she is to make any gains in the onslaught on the blood money merchants.

One advantage that Nigeria has today is that she has as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces a man who came into office from the managerial background. So, President Bola Tinubu must see the current war against terrorism and banditry as a crisis of project management and strategy. Thus, Nigerians expect Tinubu as a proven manager of men and resources to deploy his proven managerial skills which he demonstrated as governor of Lagos State into the war against terrorism and let the madness come to an end now.

Well, yours sincerely has never been an apostle of the declaration of a state of emergency because its usefulness has not been felt in Nigeria. The more reason the presidents has Tinubu also has to up his game for Nigerians will be disappointed if he goes the Muhammadu Buhari way. At a time like this, Nigerians need clarity on some burning issues and the national government needs to communicate to Nigerians but it seems as if the president’s men are not looking in that direction. The notorious truth is that we can’t keep talking about attacking insecurity in Nigeria without building trust and this is where sincerity of purpose on the part of the government is most useful. So, the president has to recalibrate his plans. He also needs to change his style, if need be. Tinubu will do well by suspending other not-so-important engagements for decisive decisions that will make his regime different from his predecessors. Nigeria is burning and the president needs to reassure Nigerians that he is up to the task. In sane climes, the police and army chiefs would have long relocated to the forests to rescue the victims.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

 _●[email protected]_ 

 _●08098614418 - SMS only_

Russia/Ukraine War: West will walk away from Ukraine after destroying it

Kolawole Odetola

The west will not relent in their proxy war with Russia until the whole of Ukraine is destroyed. The latest mendacious cry faithfully echoed across the media and commentariat is that Russia is advancing because the west is not supplying Kiev with enough ammunition. So as long as enough ammo can be magicked up the tide of battle could turn against Moscow. It is another lie.

 Remember this time last year the very same people were predicting the Ukranian army would sweep Russia into the sea of Azov as they were brimming with the most advanced western arms and tons of ammunition. The much hyped counter offensive was comprehensively defeated by the Russian army killing tens of thousands of Ukranian soldiers, which is the real problem. Ukraine is not just running out of ammunition, the west is running out of Ukranians to die for their crusade to break Russia.

 Almost a million ukranian soldiers have been killed or injured since 2022.

This was always going to be the case. While they have fought bravely Ukraine was never going to match the Russian army. Russia is far bigger, richer, more populous and more industrialised than Ukraine and in multiples.

The Russian army is also better trained, better equipped and better led than the Ukranian military. The Russians learn from their mistakes, the Ukrainians repeat theirs. When the Russians face challenging realities they retreat and regroup as they did in Kharkov and Kherson in the fall of 2022. When the Ukrainians face difficult military situations they dig in and get wiped out as they were in Marioupal in 2022, Bakhmut in 2023 and Adieevka in 2024. The Russians are fighting to win on the battlefield, the Ukranians are fighting to win on CNN.

A ceasefire now is the only realistic way out of this mess. The pipe dream of Ukraine besting Russia has been exposed as the ludicrous fantasy it always was. But the west still wants to escalate until the entire project collapses. Then they will walk away as they walked away from Iraq, walked away from Syria, walked away from Libya and walked away fron Afghanistan four nations they have totally wrecked in the last 20 years of a futile and failing crusade to reassert America's disintegrating global supremacy. 

They will walk away from Ukraine after destroying it and their mendacious media will simply stop talking about it as they stopped talking about Iraq, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan. It never happened. Then they will walk on to the next project.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu: "Emi lokan and Sons" Nigeria Limited

By Bolaji O. Akinyemi.

The overbearing influence of Seyi Tinubu over state affairs was first noticed prior to the Lekki Toll gate massacre of Nigerian youths who were out on a peaceful protest against police brutality. Seyi's company is alleged to hold the monopoly of right to the lighting and the camera system at the facility. Though, his role, or of the company was hidden from the prying eyes of the public but its effect set the stage for what will become the worse state onslaught against peaceful and unarmed civilians in human history. They set the stage for what was to follow by switching off the lights before the military opened fire on the citizens, sending countless to early grave. Till date, lack of public transparency still trails the tragedy.

The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces at that time was Muhammadu Buhari, who by implication is responsible for ordering the shoot at sight of the peaceful protesters.

The worst human puppet in the history of national leadership, once you can find a narrative to appeal to his ego you have pulled the string to get the puppet to dance to your sound. Buhari will later confess what the narrative that got the order out was; "the young people want to overthrow my Government"!

Who pulled the string on the President?

Though unseen, Seyi and Father's hands can't be exonerated from the deaths at the toll gate, while the yoke remains Buhari's burden to bear. Truth has never been buried successfully, if time doesn't reveal it, characters will! 

Our King had hardly been crowned when the first son of Pastor Remi Tinubu for the President, Oluwaseyifunmi Tinubu , the Crown Prince of Lagos State and the Olu-Omo of Nigeria showed us their families mission to power. He showed up in the chamber of the state house pacing up and down needlessly during the Federal Executive Council meeting. The rudeness of his conduct not even his father could keep his pretence of. He was forced as it looks now, against his will to openly rebuke his son. Seyi according to Mr. President has no business being in the chamber during the FEC meeting.

Please, what business then does he have to be on the entourage to Qatar?

Tinubu said he will cut the cost of governance by limiting his entourage on foreign trips to 20 persons after the national outcry that greeted the trip to the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates where over 1400 delegates were alleged to have made the trip, and about 590 of them were sponsored by the government at an alleged cost of #885 million to taxpayers.

"Emi lokan"; seems to be clearly defined, "Emi lokan and Sons" Nigeria Limited!

The entourage to Qatar included 3 members of the Tinubu immediate and extended family, 35 members of the main body who arrived in 2 separate jets and an advance team estimated at 40 persons who also flew in a separate jet. 

In all, 3 jets from the presidential fleet landed in Qatar, with about 70 persons, excluding flight crew of 15 persons for 3 aircraft.

The Presidency' s ear is lost. It is one which is not ready to be corrected . He has successfully surrounded himself with YES men; sycophants and hypocrites?

No man of conscience should spare Tinubu and sons on this! 

I read a friend of mine who is an APC chieftain on the WhatsApp Platform of my Media friends and I was sorry for the President and his family. He wrote; 

"This eyesore and hideous incident is another low for Tinubu as a leader. I was appalled and disgusted because this is coming when Nigerians are in pain, despair, hungry and angry about how they are being governed.

One can just imagine how the Qatari officials will be thinking when the President's sons who are not government officials or known investors could be there to talk less of being introduced before the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

I wish one could hear how Tinubu introduced his two sons. 

Would he say: 

"Meet Oluwaseyifunmi Tinubu my son, the first son of the Federal Republic of Nigeria". 

And again: 

"This is Oluwayinka Tinubu, the Second Son of The Federal Republic of Nigeria".

I'm just wondering what will be going through the mind of the Qataris.

This is impunity taken to the highest level. It is highly provocative and nauseating. It is disrespectful to all Nigerians. Tinubu is democratically elected as President and not as a King in a Monarchical country. It is high time people who are close to this president talked some senses into his head. He should cease from insulting and disrespecting us.

There is a thick cloud over this country. No one knows the straw that will break the carmel's back".

If my friend was angry with the President and his sons, I would not! My anger is with men who failed to lift up their heads when it matters, led by the Honourable? Can we in all honesty still retain any honour for men who couldn't stand up for their own honours? 

Qatar's order of protocol is the most dishonouring one I have seen in my 57 years of life. Next to Tinubu and sons in order of protocol were, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, the Foreign Affairs Minister . The Minister was joined on the line of shame by the elected Governors of Borno and Kaduna, their Excellencies Babagana Zulum and Uba Sani. The Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, made the line with Dele Alake, Minister for Solid Minerals, same for Nuhu Ribadu Defence Adviser, Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, and the parrot at the Villa Ajuri Ngalele completed the line of "Iwofas"(serfs) who filed behind Oluwaseyifunmi and Oluwayimika Tinubu. 

Church Ministries like public Ministries are held in trust for the people. Many don't understand it when we demand succession transparency and accountability for leaders of Churches. This conduct is not different from what the attitude of our church leaders are.

I assumed they managed the situation by not walking away from that line of protocol. I have waited to see a resignation by any of the appointees and a media chiding of what the elected Governors were subjected to by the sons of Tinubu but I seem to be waiting in vain to see if any iota of honour is still left with these men that should compell them to resign for breach of protocol and gross disrespect to their offices upon their return to Nigeria.

Dr Reuben Abati, who studied protocol for four years, who wrote and passed exams according to him, asked; “Are the sons of the President not gainfully employed?”. 

And I also want to remind Sade, Seyi and Yinka that they are adults and not dependants of the President. 

They should focus on their own careers".

What seems to be a rumour before 2023 that the President Bola Tinubu wanted Seyi Tinubu as the Governorship candidate for Lagos State seems to be adding up. I think we should be prepared for Seyi in Lagos as Governor in 2027. Mummy back to the Senate for senate Presidency and Oluwayimika can make do with the Chief of staff to his father. Please, don't dare say it is not possible! What have you done to the embarrassing impossibility that has become our reality in Qatar?

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamid, after his warm embrace of PBAT was led in hand by the President to the most senior official of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on his entourage without official Portfolio! Mr Oluwaseyifunmi Tinubu followed in order of seniority of protocol by Oluwayimika Tinubu!

Many Nigerians had risen in defence of this indefensible!

What have you seen in the media against this Institutional nepotism by Tinubu? Buhari was no where near this, when crumbs seeking South West Media descended on him. Where are they now? They are shut up by Awa lokan! If not for the Arise Team that raised this, it probably would have gone unnoticed!

Tinubu has exceeded Buhari in nepotism with the appointment of his son-in-law as DG FHA, his brother as a Minister, now his sons were presented to the world as the most senior officials from Nigeria after their father; even though they were banned from attending FEC meeting!

A pity, if Nigerians can't see this "Emi lokan and Sons" Nigeria Limited coming and rise against it!

Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He's also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table.

email:[email protected]

Facebook: Bolaji Akinyemi.

X: Bolaji O Akinyemi.

Instagram: bolajioakinyemi.

Phone: +2348033041236

OPINION: Tinubu and the creation of a new society

By

abiodun KOMOLAFE

Nigeria is at a critical juncture; and in such a context, it is _“cometh the moment, cometh the man”._ For President Bola Tinubu, this adversity should be turned into a historic advantage which should propel him to be the creator of a new society and his place in history will be assured, not for all time but forever. Men who took advantage of their opportunity include Park Chung Hee of South Korea, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil. Take it or leave it, Nigeria is in it already but this is a historic task for Tinubu to right the wrongs; and it must not be long.

In life, every day counts! Tinubu has already spent more than 20% of his four-year tenure. By May 28, 2024, he will have used 25% of his tenure as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. So, the clock is ticking and time waits for no one! Reinventing the wheel shouldn’t be an option!

It is a historic turning point for Nigeria and Tinubu has a historic opportunity to position himself as the creator of a new political economy and the builder of a new Nigeria. If he gets it right, especially by reconstructing an economy that was hitherto based on parasitic activities, the country will never look back. If he is able to midwife a production, export-led economy, the changes brought will be irreversible and Tinubu will become the equivalent of Hee, Yew, and da Silva. Then he should forget about the next election as his place in history as the creator of a new Nigeria will have been assured and cemented. It will have been signed, sealed and delivered!

According to Karl Marx, _“men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past …”_ In a word, Tinubu is asked to make history but not in ways that he would have chosen or wanted but he still has to make that history in a positive manner. In order to attract more support from the masses therefore, what is expected from our president is to understand that sermons will not quench thirst and hunger even as change is not expected to be in a day but a daily process. He must understand that dispensational factors are expected to play notable roles in the fulfillment of his agenda for the Nigeria of his vision and that the opposition and those benefiting from the afflictions confronting Nigerians are not relenting. Since they are condemned to the monstrous conventions of politics, they aren’t going to sleep either. But if the president asked not to be pitied, Nigerians are seriously asking for his pity.

Tinubu is expected to represent the progressive currents that have passed through the Nigerian space, going back to the foundation of _‘Egbe Omo Oduduwa’, Northern Elements Progressive Union_ (NEPU) and others. So, the president must return to the basic tenets of social democracy – the German-type social market and shared prosperity.

But why are his ministers not functioning and why are they not talking to Nigerians about what their respective ministries are bringing to the table to help Nigeria out of this socioeconomic morass? For reasons best known to most of them, there’s no functional, mobile and serious in-house media to help coordinate their media outlets other than the usual _‘kick-and-start’_ creation of bureaucracy. There is no meeting of minds and it’s as if our ministers are scared of taking bullets for the president, which, of course, is one of their central functions as presidential aides.

The two performing ministries in times of Balance of Payment crises ought to be Solid Minerals and Blue Economy. In the 1960s, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) alone provided not less than 42% of the Federal Government Budget, up to the end of the First Republic. Impliedly, the Marine and Blue Economy under Gboyega Oyetola should be prepared to give about 18% of Nigeria’s Budget with ease. Whether we like it or not, Nigeria has to export her way up out of the wahala in which she’s currently immersed. To respond to the Balance of Trade and currency crises, the economic strategy is to export in order to import with a view to balancing its payments.

One of the reasons the world continues to remember former Prime Minister Tony Blair and former President Bill Clinton is that, immediately after they assumed office, they set up what could be referred to as public sector targets with fixed timelines for every minister. Because they did that, the ministers were very effective, not just because they were brilliant. It’s because they had targets that were eventually met; and that’s why the two leaders ended well. In Nigeria, how do we appraise performance without targets and timelines? Therefore, Tinubu should give every minister public-sector targets with fixed timelines as it’s done in sane climes. This is very important because every hour counts! The performance evaluation team put in place by the president also has to give a dispassionate report on the ministers because Nigerians expect more from them.

If truth be told, those who have been assuring Nigerians that all would be well are not telling us something new. As we speak, the hypocrisy of the dollar remains unsurpassed even as the inflation rate is 29.9%. Yes, that terrible record is the highest in 28 years. The more reason Tinubu needs our prayers! Here’s a man who said that nobody should pity him because he asked for the job, that the current pains were products of his tough policies geared towards revamping the economy and that the situation would soon begin to smile. However, laudable as these promises may be, it is perhaps because most Nigerians see the president as being above their level that his messages seem not to be resonating with them. They don’t see him as speaking the same language with them, coming down to dance their dance or taking their brand of tea. Should the president continue this way, his reforms may become wounded and, his legacy, troubled.

As a Yoruba leader of the _Afenifere_ bent, Tinubu’s cardinal focus should be the creation of state police, restructuring and better life for all. God forbid, should he miss this rare opportunity, then there may be no hope again for the progressives and Yoruba race will be worse for it. Yes, he might have come at the wrong time but the satisfying truth is that he remains the right man for the job. He is a pro-democracy fighter and an advocate for human dignity. He has promoted self-rule with all his might and fought oligarchy and shallowness of thought in governance. He has led many situations perceived to be for the good of all and spearheaded measures aimed at restoring values and a new beginning.

So, what practical things does Tinubu want to do in practical ways that will bring practical succor to the people? If it is a four-lane road that he’s going to construct from Ijebu-Jesa, my Native Nazareth in Osun State, through Fenwa Community in Oyo State, to Daura in Katsina State, the president should let us know! If it is power, he should give instructions to Adebayo _‘Penkelemesi’_ Adelabu on how to move beyond cruising in the unmatched comfort of wattages of darkness to truly deliver on his mandate. Nigerians are no longer interested in excuses that do not edify prosperity. What Nigerians want going forward is result.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

 _●[email protected];_ 

 _●08098614418 - SMS only._

Economic crisis: Tinubu spotlights Osun APC's cluelessness

By Sarafa Ibrahim

Sarafa

President Bola Tinubu made a stunning submissions on the things that should be done to get Nigeria out of the current economic challenges. During a meeting with the 36 Governors, the FCT Minister and top security officials, President Tinubu outlined mechanisms that offers the most brightest chance for the country to turn the corner of the current economic woes and generates a refreshing experience. 

One of the positions of the president's interests me a lot. And that was where, according to Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu's special adviser on Information & Strategy, the president "pleaded with Governors to ensure all salary arrears to workers, gratuities to workers and pensioners are cleared as a way to put money into the hands of the people since states are now getting more monthly FAAC revenue." Speaking further, Mr. Onanuga quoted President Tinubu as urging Governors to "Spend the money, don't spend the people."

Wait a minutes. The above highlighted position of the president has been the mantra of Governor Ademola Adeleke in Osun since assuming office in November 2022. Yet, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal and Chief Kola Olabisi of the APC have continued to promote the bizarre argument that the Governor's approach is wrong and lacking any real effect. They suggest that a solution will be to spend money and not on what it is spent on.

If Lawal and Olabisi are actually projecting the reasoning of the Osun APC on navigating economic crisis, then the opposition party is worse than one can imagine. Of course, the Osun APC is bad with the economy and the people still bear the ripple effect of the many wrong financial choices that defined its 12 years rule in the state.

A renowned American financial host, Lawrence Kudlow, cautioned that "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results when, in fact, the results never change, is one definition of insanity. That goes for economies, too." The soaring inflation is just one of the trigger for the tough economic conditions that Nigerians, including Osun people are battling with at the moment.

The purchasing power of Nigerians is embarrassingly low when compared with, let us say Egypt, which is facing identical shortage of weak currency, soaring inflation and capital flight as Nigeria. With this striking reality, Governor Adeleke prioritize the welfare of the people to put money in the hands of the people. He departed from the lackadaisical attitude of the past that significantly wean the spending power of civil servants and pensioners, thereby, heightening their miseries. 

In February in 2023, Governor Adeleke commenced the payment of half salary owed by the previous government and has so far, paid five months out of the 30 months debt. Between November 2022 and now, the Adeleke administration has expended nearly N28 billion to clearing the load of pension liabilities inherited. This is more than what the immediate administration spent on the same purpose throughout its four years. 

And again, Governor Adeleke implemented the financial implication of the promotion given to workers by the Gboyega Oyetola administration, bringing an end the wait of civil servants to the financial benefits of their work statuses. Beginning from December, Governor Adeleke is paying wage awards to active workers and pensioners in the state.

As a party with a bad record on welfare in Osun state, the Osun APC could be forgiven for not knowing what drives the economy. However, it should be able to read between the lines from the position of President Tinubu that it is wrong. While it is not in doubt that spending money in a time of economic crisis is expected, but the question that is apparently lost on the Osun APC is, what are you spending on.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in an October 2014 study finds a link between investment in public infrastructures and economic growth. The study, which used a combination of empirical analysis and model simulations, submitted that "increased public infrastructure investment can have a powerful effects on the macroeconomy. It raises output in the short term by boosting demand and in the long term by raising the economy’s productive capacity."

In October last year, Governor Adeleke unveiled an ambitious multi-billion infrastructure plan for the state. The infrastructure is robust and captivating because at least, five overhead bridges in different locations across the state will be constructed in addition to no less than 45km of internal roads across the 30 local government areas while a noticeable investments will be made on upgrading the infrastructures of public schools and primary healthcare centres across the state. 

All of these investments goes beyond just the face value of the projects but have a direct bearing on the state's economy and its people. Besides the jobs and economic activities that the projects will generate, it will meet most of the basic needs of the people. A better road access will eases the pains of users and facilitate movements of goods and services while significantly saving motorists of cost on maintaining vehicles as against bad roads. The same thing goes for a wholly rehabilitated PHCs and public schools, enhancing access to qualitative healthcare and education for the people.

In January this year, Governor Adeleke recently released N1 billion to cooperative societies in Osun state to boost macroeconomic activities. And just days ago, he distributed over N580m to at least 19,000 vulnerable citizens in a bid to ease the economic impact on them and reflate the economy of the state. In short, Governor Adeleke is doing a lot to lessen the impact of the current harsh economic crisis in Nigeria but the Osun APC may seem clueless about it because it has no real understanding on handling an economy in a crisis. And good enough, President Tinubu helped spotlight this deficiency of the Osun APC and I hope they will listen.

• Sarafa Ibrahim is a Special Assistant to the Osun State Governor and writes from Osogbo.

Addressing Nigeria's Economic Crisis: The Imperative for Immediate Government Intervention

Awotayo Olagoke 

Awotayo

Nigeria is currently facing an alarming economic crisis, with various factors contributing to the deteriorating situation. Rising inflation rates, increased food prices, removal of subsidies, and a hike in foreign currency exchange rates have compounded the challenges faced by the Nigerian people. Urgent action is required from the government to address these issues before public frustration reaches a boiling point the red light is blinking and danger is overing, as extreme poverty, insecurity, and corporate corruption continue to plague the country. One of the primary concerns in Nigeria's economic landscape is rapid inflation and the subsequent increase in food prices. In recent years, inflation rates have risen steadily, eroding the purchasing power of the common citizen. This has had a crippling effect on the average Nigerian's ability to afford basic necessities. Government intervention is essential to implement policies that stabilize inflation and support the agricultural sector to enhance food production and distribution. This can help to alleviate the burden on the vulnerable populations who are disproportionately affected by these escalating prices.

The removal of subsidies has further exacerbated the economic situation in Nigeria. The withdrawal of subsidies on essential commodities such as fuel and electricity has directly impacted the cost of living of Nigerians. The sudden surge in fuel prices, for instance, has led to increased transportation costs and subsequently affected the prices of goods and services in the market. The Federal Government must reassess the impact of subsidy removal decisions on the people and carefully evaluate alternative measures that can mitigate the burden on the average Nigerian failure which potend danger for peace in the country. Foreign currency exchange rates play a crucial role in Nigeria's economic stability. However, the recent sharp increase in exchange rates has greatly affected trade, investments, and the overall economic health of the nation. The depreciating value of the Nigerian currency has proven detrimental to imports, making essential goods more expensive. Urgent action is required to stabilize the exchange rates through strategic policies, such as diversifying the economy and attracting foreign investments. 

The economic challenges faced by Nigeria are not only affecting individuals but also posing a threat to social and political stability. The extreme poverty situation, coupled with a lack of purchasing power, has created a climate of desperation among citizens. Insecurity continues to escalate, making it imperative for the government to alleviate the economic burden on the populace promptly. Swift and concrete measures are needed to combat widespread corruption, address income inequality, and provide essential services to the most vulnerable. 

Nigeria's economic situation requires urgent and decisive action from the government to prevent a potential social and political crisis that is knocking. By stabilizing inflation, tackling the issue of rising food prices, reconsidering subsidy removal, and actively addressing the hike in foreign currency exchange rates, the government can help restore confidence in the economy and provide relief to the struggling populace. It is crucial for all stakeholders to come together and find sustainable solutions that alleviate the suffering of the Nigerian people and pave the way for a brighter and more prosperous future.

Excruciating Hardship: Nigerians as the Proverbial Toad

By Chidiebere Nwobodo

There is this school of thought that suggests that the best way to kill a toad is to do it slowly, applying pain gradually until the animal becomes too weak to withstand it—and it dies. If you heat up, let say a bucket of water without a cover to boiling point, and throw a live toad into the hot water, the instinctive and survivalist reaction will be to immediately jump out of the bucket.

Do the experiment again with different approach. Now, don't bother to heat the water first. Throw the toad inside a bucket of cold water, while the toad is getting use to the new ecosystem, start applying heat under the bucket.

This time the toad won't jump out but will rather begin to adjust to the new temperature as it increases. The toad's survivalist strategy here is to keep absorbing the heat hoping that the temperature will suddenly subside. Unfortunately for the toad, the bucket will keep getting hotter to a boiling point where the toad can no longer take it again—it suffocates and dies, albeit quitely and agonisingly.

 The most astonishing aspect of this death process is that the toad will not protest or fight back because it erroneously assume that one way or the other, miracle will happen and it will outlast the hot temperature by absorbing it quitely. 

Unknowingly for the beleaguered toad, the heat keeps increasing because of the toad's inability to question the source of his pain and pressure—rather, it continues to rationalize the reason for the increasing temperature of the bucket hoping that this "new increase in temperature will favour it and its family". Did you get my drift now?

Yes! Majority of Nigerians are that proverbial toad. Events in the last few years have proved beyond doubt that majority of Nigerians share the idiosyncrasies of a toad. No apology. And our empathy bankrupt leaders understand this aspect of the masses and have been using it against us. 

In the last eight years, cost of living has skyrocketed astronomical to an alarming rate as a result of government cluelessness and inefficiency, without corresponding push back from the masses. It has degenerated from bad to worse in the past few months, yet the proverbial toad keeps taking in pressure at the breaking point of exhaustion. 

And this is what the ruling political class loves so much—an indolent, subservient and gullible masses. As a result, the masses, like the proverbial toad, have been reacting to every harsh government policy by simply adjusting to the new temperature of suffering and hardship. Government has resorted to solving every economic challenge by increasing the pain on the overburdened masses.

Subsidy on petrol was removed without corresponding palliatives to cushion the pain on the vulnerable poor. Naira depreciating at the speed of light. Prices of foodstuffs and basic commodities are going up on hourly bases, and Government is asking the hapless poor people to make sacrifices without leading by example.

The presidency still has about nine jets in the presidential fleet. Occupants of Aso Rock still travel abroad on medical tourism. Billions of naira are still being budgeted for foods and drinks consumed in the Villa. N500m approved for a committee to sit and discuss minimum wage. 

National Assembly members still collecting humongous salaries and allowances unbecoming of leaders of a nation whose economy is bleeding profusely. Nigerians, it is time to hit the street. It is either now or never.

It is either one dies by hunger or bullet—this is becoming the only two options left. It is either we collectively perish as heroes fighting for survival or die as conquered cowards as a result of unbearable hardship in the land. It is time to confront our oppressors.

2024: Let’s pray for Nigeria! ours looks like a country afflicted

By

abiodun KOMOLAFE

Since Nigeria is a star gold medal winner in prayers and celebrated spirituality, I think this intervention should be a special focus on the rational prayers for Nigeria. In trying to take up this special task however, my attention was drawn to a verse in the Christian Holy Book: ‘You ask and receive not, because you asked amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts’ (James 4:3). Thus, the first prayer is that Nigerians would not continue to pray amiss.

First and foremost, it appears as if Nigerians are no longer interested in whether or not there are saboteurs or how many there are in Bola Tinubu’s government. They do not pray for a repeat of the Muhammadu Buhari era in which, even as a military General, his government was ‘hijacked by a cabal.’ In their view, that ought to have ended on May 28, 2023. So, it behooves the president to not wait until faulty impressions are formed about his government before proving that he means well for the country. Tinubu shouldn’t be seen as lacking in empathy, or having lost empathy with the people. Already, that impression is gaining traction and he needs to wake up before it snowballs into something else.

With the current situation of things, ours looks like a country afflicted, with weak institutions as one of its settled political imperatives. There is bleeding in every sector, with the economy suffering a lot of leakages. The country is gradually becoming unlivable, with poverty becoming not only a new normal but also making life miserable for the people. The tragedy of our economic theories is that they work in contrast to economic realities. Or what type of economic policy is it that the only option left for the poor is suicide?

When the naira redesign policy gave birth to unlooked-for effects and widespread chaos some months back, with the scarcity of naira notes as one of its many consequences, Nigerians were quick to heap the blame – and, rightly, too – on Godwin Emefiele who at the time was the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Now, Emefiele is out of the loop but the problem seems to have resurfaced even in a more threatening form.

Not long after this government came on board, Vice President Kashim Shettima vowed that insecurity would soon become a thing of the past because “President Tinubu, in the next couple of weeks, will unveil the ‘Fulaku’ solution, which will address the grievances and the exclusion of our Fulani cousins in the North West.” That was on July 16, 2023. Today is January 6, 2024. ‘Fulaku Solution’ is yet to be unveiled. So, nothing has changed. As a matter of fact, Nigerians are of the view that the situation is gradually getting out of control. Only on Christmas Eve, Fulani militia attack on some communities in Plateau State left no fewer than 200 people dead, with the terrorists vowing to return. So, if Fulaku is taking too long to feature, why can’t the president come up with a temporary strategy that can, in the least, make Nigerians sleep with their eyes half-closed? Isn’t the situation, as it is, killing?

The 3rd American president, Thomas Jefferson, once said: “I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it” On a day like this, Dear God, we remember our leaders, help them to know that their purposes are to be leaders, and not bosses. Give them the sense of reasoning to know that they need not keep disturbing the Hosts of Heaven to come down to do those things You have already empowered them to do. In this New Year 2024, grant our lawful weapon handlers the wisdom to understand that the major function of their weapons is for legitimate defence, not to become exploiters and licensed terrorists.

Our Father in heaven, Nigerians are eagerly waiting for the time the price of the premium motor spirit, pms, will smile on them. Even when our border posts remain temptingly porous and the same set of Nigerians continue to man them, bless our beloved president with the wisdom to listen more to the mass of the people than those whose voices have already been heard and save our land from the conflict merchants who recklessly expand our national frontlines for political and economic benefits.

Mere clappers don’t engage in serious political activities. If at all they do, it is just for the peculiarities, the conspiracies and the complexities of filling their stomachs; and once that’s achieved, status quo ante bellum returns! From Lagos to Cross River, and from Ekiti to Adamawa, arise and grant our leaders the wisdom to know that poverty fuels rumours, and that rumours are harbingers of violence and unrest.

Mighty Creator, we also remember Your influence on the life of Joseph. On a single day, his name changed. His story changed. His status changed. Even his friends changed. We beseech Thee, O Lord, let there be no more fruitless efforts! Let there be no more labour loss! And let there be no more epileptic glory in our lives! In their stead, deepen our blessings beyond the capacity of our storehouses. Blot out emptiness from our lives and let the glory that’s on the wheelchair begin to speak out so that the world can glorify Your name through us!

Jehovah Nissi, You didn’t create us to be independent but to be dependent on You for our daily bread, protection and the fulfillment of Your purpose and vision. Even as we continue to fight over the distribution of two loaves and five fishes, unaware of the turn of events globally, help us to break the yoke of the life of struggle. Rescue every injured destiny and bring to limelight every hidden fortune! When trouble comes, give us strength to have Heaven on our side and command all the crooked places to be straightened. Show us our purpose and take us up out of every valley of deceit and defeat. You, who own all of the creation, are too consistent to leave us hanging or stranded. In all things, let Your angels of war engage every principality and power and bring down the kingdom of the rulers of darkness in our nation. We pray for the vision that has the capacity, resilience and determination that’ll make us not only trailblazers but also dream-achievers for Your world and Your people.

A man who has no reason to live will not fear how to die! Jehovah Elohim, teach us to know that You are not interested in giving us huge punishments for our behavior. Had You wanted it that way, You’d not have given Christ to the world to be killed; and there’d have been nobody to question Your authority because You’re God Almighty. So, give Your humble peasants the ability to exercise the powers of our fingers to vote out any agent of affliction from the top to the bottom, and not to be manipulated by two Derica of rice and one or two days’ pot of soup.

At a time like this, we want to use Leah Sharibu and the over-100 Chibok girls as points of contact for others who are still languishing in the terrorists’ den. Our Lord, the Helper of the helpless, rekindle their parents’ hope in You. Bring their children back alive and Nigerians will glorify Your name!

Finally, as days turn into weeks, and weeks into months, let the life and times of Obed-Edom the Gittite (1 Chronicles 13: 12-14) be a source of hope for determined minds.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant them peace in Nigeria!

 _*[email protected]_ 

 _*08098614418 - SMS only_

Aiyedatiwa!

By

abiodun KOMOLAFE 

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu is dead! May God repose his soul! Since nature abhors a vacuum, his Deputy, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has now been sworn-in as the substantive governor of the state. May God order his steps in the onerous tasks ahead!

By the way, if Aiyedatiwa could become the governor despite the intimidations from those whose hearts were made of rocks, nothing is impossible on earth. But then, this is just the beginning of what to expect in the foreseeable future, especially if the Obe-Nla, Ondo State-born politician is eyeing Alagbaka as its Chief Tenant, post-February 23, 2025. Interestingly, the governor’s many battles and subsequent triumph must have exposed him to the politics of Abuja. He can only build on this rare feat. Again, this is where playing politics through the party structures in the state comes in.

Isaac Kekemeke! Olusola Oke! Jimoh Ibrahim! Agboola Ajayi! Yele Omogunwa! ‘Bourdillon Boy’ Adewale Akinterinwa! Lucky Aiyedatiwa! But where did Ondo State miss it? For those who have refused to give hope to their people when it’s badly needed only to start scheming for the soul of the state invites an obvious question of development. Take, for instance, at least four Local Governments in the Ondo South Senatorial District of the state (Irele, Okitipupa, Ilaje and Ese-Odo) have been subjected to uninterrupted darkness since 2014. But, rather than rally to solve the problem, its leaders have always been candidates for _“to your tent, O Israel”,_ until elections beckon.

As an oil-bearing community, Ilajeland statutorily produces Commissioners for the _Niger Delta Development Corporation_ (NDDC). Otito Atikase, who currently serves as Ondo State Representative on the NDDC Governing Board, is from Ugbo Kingdom. On his part, IfeOluwa Oyedele, the current Executive Director (Engineering and Technical Services) at the _Niger Delta Power Holding Company_ (NDPHC), is from Igodan-Lisa in Okitipupa. Besides, Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Governments supply the Chairman, Secretary and two other members to the _Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission_ (OSOPADEC); and that’s a permanent feature. Discreet investigations also revealed a special derivation budgetary provision which accords the Senatorial District special attention.

But why can’t these leaders learn from the Akoko cultural sub-group of the state? When a similar challenge befell Akokoland some years back, the late Pastor T. B. Joshua was reportedly contacted and he promptly rose to the occasion. He committed a huge sum of his personal resources to it, and, within three months, Akoko North East, Akoko North West, Akoko South East and Akoko South West Local Governments were reconnected to the national grid. Other donors showed up only after _‘Emmanuel’_ had already saved the day. The dangerous truth is that Ondo South is blessed with sons and daughters, some of whom are even wealthier than T.B. Joshua but whose wealth has not impacted their people. Well, that’s a story for another day!

With his death, Akeredolu now belongs in the past and there’s nothing anybody can do about it. So, as the world is now Aiyedatiwa’s, let it be noted that the worst is yet to happen to the _‘Sunshine State’,_ especially as political activities are expected to heat up in the coming days. Typical of Nigerians, those who lost out in past battles won’t want to let go of fate. The defeated will be expected to return to the trenches to devise new ways and means. But only for a while, they’ll return with deadlier plots to undermine the governor’s position, with one primary aim: prevent him from securing the party’s ticket to contest the next Ondo governorship election, slated for November 16, 2024. So, it is a matter of who blinks first. For luck to keep smiling on Aiyedatiwa depends on how seriously he takes the mantle handed over to him by providence. It is what will define the shape, size and trend of things to come. Therefore, the governor needs to beware of banana peels on his path to success. If his ambition is to retain the seat of power, he needs to do more.

Aiyedatiwa needs to study the body language of Abuja before jumping into the governorship race. Otherwise, it may amount to daring the lion in its den and the resultant _‘roforofo’_ will be a burden too heavy to bear for a state that’s already lacking in good governance. Twice or thrice in Nigeria’s recent history, Bola Tinubu has sponsored candidates for the governorship position in Ondo State; twice or thrice, he has lost out. But that was then! The music has changed: power has smiled on the _‘Jagaban of Borgu’_ and Tinubu is now the President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, with all the principalities and powers of that exalted office answerable to him. If the president wants, this is the time to exact his pound of flesh and right-thinking Nigerians needn’t take its likely implications for granted.

Yes, time may be no more on Aiyedatiwa’s side. However, those who think that he will take it cool or play by the rules are likely to be living in fool’s paradise. Similarly, those with the notion that the now-wounded _‘Aketi Boys’_ and other interested parties in the political game will shy away from spoiling the show for the governor are yet to wake up from slumber. According to Femi Afolabi-Peters, a United Kingdom-based International Security and Intelligence Consultant, _“all the events of the past months were nothing but politics of succession, especially, by those who believed they had brighter chances than the governor.”_ 

In the words of the Specialist in Clandestine Security Operations, _“power is not served ‘a la carte’. You gotta have a solid plan of action and seamless execution trajectory. Aiyedatiwa’s becoming the governor would bestow on him more powers and that’s bad news for those who professed love for Akeredolu but, in reality, they’re after self-interests anchored on survival instincts. Deep down their hearts, they’re only capitalizing on the late governor’s health situation to covertly advance their personal political agenda”_ 

I also share Afolabi-Peter’s views. Now that Aiyedatiwa’s head has paved the way for him, the onus is on him to wield it responsibly, lest his traducers pee on him. Going forward, he needs to embark on surreptitious political loyalty operations, all with a view to separating the whiff from the chaff because saboteurs abound within every structure. Many more will align with the governor in the coming days, of course, with the sole purpose of killing him gradually from within. Who says Betty, Akeredolu’s wife, Babajide, his son, and other perfect storms of the Aketi political tendency won’t attempt to extend an olive branch to him? Who says the governor shouldn’t accept that open-heartedly, at least for some political advantages? Who says Aiyedatiwa shouldn’t be circumspect and be as wise as a fox? Besides, hasn’t the Wike-Fubara feud again shown that Nigeria’s political model is devoid of morals and that one can only triumph if he plays the game like _‘professional bastards’?_ Surely certainly, one who thinks otherwise had better enroll in the seminary and quit this _‘evil vocation’._ 

Lastly, a cross-section of Nigerians is reportedly of the opinion that Aiyedatiwa is scant in giving and that he has no political base. It also insists that, although the governor is a child of circumstance who only survived molestation from the _‘Aketi Boys’_ by some dint of luck, he is lacking in goodwill. As such, he is the least person that can be presented by his people. Of course, these are weighty remarks, especially in a democracy like ours. But then, it is not too late for Aiyedatiwa to overcome these rather messy calibrations. He only needs to learn at the feet of President Tinubu.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant them peace in Ondo State!

 _*KOMOLAFE wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria ([email protected]; 08098614418 - SMS only)_