Since its inauguration many decades ago, public administration has generated a permanent discursive framework that ensures that it has the theoretical and practical contents to sustain the professionalism and efficiency that the public service requires to complement the state everywhere. This becomes even more critical given that the democratic imperative keeps articulating and aggregating the significant political preferences of a citizenry that knows what it wants from a leadership and its administrative apparatuses. This therefore means that for public administration to fully and adequately complement the democratic imperative—for the public service to optimally aid democratic governance in any state—the public administrative discourse must always be in full swing to ensure it is not outstripped by the discourse on democracy. 

This, I suspect, is not the real challenge. This is because the public administration discourse has remained fundamentally fecund in terms of its inner dynamics of responding to the challenges that confront public administration and the public service over the decades. From Max Weber to Woodrow Wilson, and from the new public management (NPM) to the new governance theory, public administration has kept up with the changing dynamics of the times that enables it to overcome critical hindrances and challenges from the first to the fourth industrial revolutions to the transformation of the nature of the state, and from artificial intelligences to the new normal instigated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the polycrises that have engulfed the world. 

The real challenge, I think, derives from the capacity of public servants to keep up their intelligence quotient with the vast array of discourses that public administration throws up. The twenty-first century demands a public servant that is knowledgeable, intelligent, adaptable and a transformative leader with the preemptive capacity to articulate a vision, design a strategy and get things done. This challenge to the intelligent quotient of the public servant, like most issues, is again more crucial once we begin to speak about the postcolonial public servant caught within the dysfunctional grip of a postcolonial public service like Nigeria’s. This puts a double bind on such a public servant to do more in order to be able to live up to the national and global expectations of a twenty-first century public servant charged with the fundamental responsibility of crafting and implementing public policies with the tools of modern decision science. 

One significant way, and a most difficult one at that, by which a postcolonial public servant and public manager in a country like Nigeria can keep abreast of the public administration discourse and the challenges of remaining effective sufficiently to man the new public service is to have an up-to-date reading list of books that embody the trajectories of the challenges, triumphs and directions of the public administration apparatuses, especially within a specific context. What I want to do within the limited space of this piece is to outline a few critical books that speak to how far public administration and the public service have advanced. And the methodology is to combine books that provide both a global and national perspectives. This speaks to the necessity of inserting a public manager within a global-local context of operation that ensures that such a public manager can think globally and act locally with the discursive resources garnered from such critical intellectual and theoretical-practical resources. 

The first book on my list is Zeger van der Wal’s The 21st Century Public Manager (2017). The book is fundamental because it is sufficiently situated in a time that captures the fundamental challenges of public administration in times of crisis (except that it is three years shy of one of the most fundamental challenges to humanity and public administration, the COVID-19 pandemic). However, the book recognizes that we live in a VUCA—volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous—time; a VUCA environment that that was aggravated by the pandemic and polycrisis the world, and public administration, is currently confronting.  The author was motivated to write a book that demonstrates that “public administration matters.” It is a book that was “hands-on, actor-driven, and speaking to the daily life of public managers who often operate in tough circumstances.” And with the book, the author meant to “speak to (aspiring) public managers across the globe. A book that would take their issues, pains, and challenges but also their optimism, clever solutions, and coping mechanisms as a starting point…. A book, above all, that would take senior practitioners seriously by providing them with examples, perspectives, and strategies grounded in the latest research evidence and best practices while being accessible and actor-driven at the same time. A book, lastly, that would be relevant and timely to public managers in the developing as well as the developed world, in the West and the non-West.” 

In chapter four, van der Wal enumerates what he calls the “seven clusters of demands, dilemmas and opportunities” that public managers need to think through to operate optimally within the VUCA administrative environment. The first demand is that of “managing stakeholder multiplicity.” The new governance space now carries the burden of a multitude of stakeholders with diverse and often ambiguous demands, attitudes and styles. The dilemma is how to design and deliver a coherent administrative and managerial vision to such a diverse audience. The opportunity however derives from the benefits of leveraging the unlimited channels and supports that come from such diverse audiences to push through policy goals. The second demand is “Managing authority turbulence.” This implies that an average public manager is caught within an authority matrix that limits her capacity to utilize her formal power to enact critical decisions. The dilemma for the public manager is that of how to demonstrate collaborative capacity, even with those lacking the requisite skills while still holding on to critical authority. And yet, there is the opportunity of shared accountability that comes from the collective ownership of policies and programmes. The third demand for the twenty-first century public manager is “managing the new work(force)”. The public manager is confronted with the changing nature of work itself, and with an emergent workforce that incorporates new workforce, new worldviews and new generations, from Gen Z to Generation Alpha. This new workforce consists of a young, educated, knowledgeable, tech-savvy and assertive citizenry with a mind of its own. The dilemma is that of how to accommodate this new idea of work(force) while pushing it efficiently to achieve service delivery. The opportunity comes from the ability to remove bureaucratic constraints while achieving performance and productivity. 

The fourth demand is that of “managing innovation forces.” Innovation forces are the critical resources, especially innovative technologies, that a public manager requires to keep the public service system as optimal and efficient as possible. The challenge however is that of being as innovative and entrepreneurial as possible within the ambit of budgetary limitations and ambiguous expectations from the politicians and the public. The opportunity that faces the public manager is that of experimenting with newer and developing innovation to achieve effective policies. The fifth demand is “managing ethical complexities.” Public administration is now embroiled within a global ethical governance framework that is enhanced by digital technologies and the need for accountability and transparency. The public manager therefore faces pressure from politicians, citizens, global innovations, and so on. The challenge is that of how to manage the public service ethically while facing enormous scrutiny from multiple publics with competing value sets. The opportunity comes from leading ethically in ways that achieve bureaucratic legitimacy for the state. The sixth demand comes from “managing short versus long time horizons.” This situates the public manager within the need to respond to the need for short-term goals by politicians and long-term planning for overall institutional resilience. The opportunity is that of deploying scenario-building techniques and technologies to anticipate future challenges. The last demand is “managing cross-sectoral collaboration.” This is demanded by the new governance space that involves new and multiple stakeholders and non-state actors. The public manager needs to mediate this space to achieve extensive buy-in and ownership of ideas and policies, generate financial assistances and expertise, and tap into innovative ideas. The dilemma is how to balance this partnership while managing trust and power relations. 

In Reinventing Government: How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector (1992), David Osborne and Teed Gaebler make the critical case that government can follow the logic of performance that have transformed capitalist corporation into performing better and achieving more efficient productivity result. And to make government work more efficiently and productively, the authors argue that government needs to be reinvented through the sweeping away of all bureaucratic bottlenecks that had made government too cumbersome to achieve democratic governance. An entrepreneurial government, as they call it, envisions some broad social goals and objectives, put in place performance management systems that strategize about these objectives, and employ people to sign performance contract to achieve the goals. Osborne and Gaebler envision the responsibility of government as that of steering and not rowing; government’s responsibility is not to deliver services, but to articulate strategies that will enable the service delivery function to be outsourced to private contractors. Reinventing Government follows up on the managerial revolution brought about by the new public management and the objective of making government more flexible, lean and effective for the sake of performance. It demands that the public manager must be more than a thermostatic administrator who is merely gauging the institutional temperature of the public service. She must be more of a leader; a manager who anticipate challenges and coaxes the public service into more entrepreneurial and innovative performances. 

In the 2007 book, The End of Government…As We Know It: Making Public Policy Work, Elaine Kamarck takes on the thread of the need to rethink how government business should be pursued for better result. The end of government as we know it is the end of the idea of government circumscribed by a bureaucracy that encumbers government from performing. It is the end of the traditional Weberian framework of government and its deadweights of hierarchies and red tapes. In the post-bureaucratic state, argues Kamarck, government needs to get tools that will facilitate the right connection between policy design and implementation. These tools are categorized into three: reinvented government, government by network and government by market. All three are meant to get the public sector to work in ways that involve externalities and outsourcing modalities that enable government to achieve efficient performance. In its 2011 publication, The Future of Government, the World Economic Forum provides more recent contents that sum the institutional reform objective of bringing the idea of government up to the requirement of the twenty-first century. What the managerial revolution demands is that government must be FAST—flatter, agile, streamlined and tech-enabled. The traditional structure of the bureaucracy, being rigid, inward-looking and founded on outdated competencies, must be modernized in ways that make it more collaborative, transparent, flexible and participatory. In other words, government and its public service must reflect the demands articulated by van der Wal in The 21st Century Public Manager. 

The key issue that links all the preceding publication is that of public value that the new public service must create as a response to citizens’ informed demands. This is the focus of Mark H. Moore’s Creating Public Value (1995). In the book, Moore “sets out a philosophy of public management—an idea of what we citizens should expect of public managers, the ethical responsibilities they assume in taking offices, and what constitutes virtue in the execution of their offices.” Within the new managerial imagination, the public manager is more than an administrator who is supposed to look downward in terms of “the reliable control of organizational operations; she is rather meant to look outwards “towards the achievements of valuable results” or upwards “towards renegotiated policy mandates.” A public manager therefore becomes an explorer who is concerned with discovering, defining and producing public value. 

These preceding books and publications sum up the global dimension of the materials that ground the postcolonial public managers and the public servants, especially within the Nigerian public service system, within the demands of public administration as a universal endeavor concerned with what the government does and the paradigms, trajectories of discourses and methodologies by which government can become more efficient and more productive. However, this global managerial imagination must be reckoned within the context of the of the inherited public service system Britain bequeathed to Nigeria. In my inaugural lecture, Big Bad Bureaucracy: Reinventing the Bureaucracy as a New Public Service in Nigeria (2018), I took all these preceding books, as well as my many years as a critical insider in the dysfunctional pubic service system in Nigeria seriously. The publication therefore becomes a critical leeway into how the Nigerian civil service system, founded on the traditional Weberian institution, works in stimulating what I have called bureau-pathologies that have compromised the search for a workable developmental state in Nigeria, post-independence. And how an insider perspective could enable a proper understanding of what ails the system, what needed to be done and how to go about reinventing the government from an approach that is not just universal, like Osborne and Gaebler’s, or Kamarck’s or Moore’s; but one that is rooted in contextual administrative dynamics. This provides a situational context by which public managers in Nigeria could begin to relate to what these non-Nigerian administrative theorists are saying about the nature of government and the reinvented mandates of the public manager.

This therefore makes even more fundamental the administrative memoir as a cogent introduction to how Nigerian public managers and public servants navigated the dysfunctionality of the postcolonial system while striving for a more efficient and optimal public service that will instigate developmental planning and democratic governance. Two of such memoirs are crucial, in my reckoning: Chief Simeon Adebo’s Our Unforgettable Years (1984) and Tunji Olaopa’s The Unending Quest for Reform (2023). Simeon Adebo represents a critical administrative figure in the emergence and consolidation of the public service and public administration discourse in Nigeria. He was one of the founding pioneers that ushered in what has been called the golden age of public administration in Nigeria. Indeed, his administrative commitment in the old western region led to the formulation of the Awolowo-Adebo paradigm of the politics-administration dichotomy, one of the defining dichotomies around which public administration emerged. Adebo’s public service reform efforts constitute a key framework for rethinking the institutional rehabilitating and reinvention of the civil service system in Nigeria.  On the other hand, The Unending Quest for Reform articulates a challenging reaction to the bureau-pathologies that ate up the civil service system after the pioneering efforts of Adebo and his cohorts unfortunately went into critical debilitation. The Unending Quest for Reform serves the function of outlining what I consider a philosophy of institutional reform founded on many years of not only participating in the dysfunction of the civil service system, but also researching its root causes and administrative and political trajectories from pre-independence to date. 

I am recommending these books—of course there are more—as the first level of challenging the intellectual acumen of any public manager who is willing to place herself within the VUCA and postcolonial environments of the public service in Nigeria, and dare to be critical sufficiently to become a significant part of the reinvention of the new public service as a world class institution for making democratic governance productive for Nigerians. It is best to end this reflection about public administration discourse and the books public servants could start reading with Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet-diplomat and politician: “The books that help you most are those which make you think that most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty.”                 

Afrobeats has long been synonymous with intense competition, with top artists consistently vying for dominance on the global stage. However, in a space often riddled with rivalries, Davido’s swift and heartfelt congratulation to Tems on her Grammy win stands out as a testament to his free-spirited nature. His simple but powerful message, “Congrats Queen!” sent via Instagram, underscores the maturity, sportsmanship, and lack of envy that set him apart in an industry where some artists hesitate to celebrate their colleagues’ successes.

From the perspective of breaking the shackles of rivalry, it is not out of place to opine that the Nigerian music industry has seen its fair share of feuds. From Wizkid and Davido’s long-standing cold war to Burna Boy’s subtle jabs at contemporaries, it is no secret that camaraderie among Afrobeats superstars is often marred by ego and competition. The fear of being perceived as less successful or taking a backseat to another artist has led many musicians to withhold public praise when their peers achieve milestones.

However, Davido’s swift congratulation of Tems flies in the face of such entrenched attitudes. Despite being a nominee in the same Grammy category, his collaboration on Chris Brown’s Sensational featuring Lojay also competed, he showed no signs of bitterness. Instead, he was among the first to celebrate her win, proving that true success is not measured by awards alone but also by one’s ability to celebrate others genuinely.

Without a doubt, Davido has a history of goodwill as his openhearted nature is not new. Over the years, he has built a reputation for supporting both emerging and established artists. He has collaborated with and promoted younger talents, from Mayorkun to Peruzzi, and consistently shown appreciation for those paving the way for African music globally. His willingness to acknowledge the achievements of his peers without hesitation speaks volumes about his character and his commitment to pushing Afrobeats forward as a collective movement rather than an individual pursuit.

Even in moments when the industry expected rivalries, Davido has taken a different route. For example, during Wizkid’s Made in Lagos album success, he acknowledged its impact rather than fuel competition. When Burna Boy won his first Grammy for Twice as Tall, Davido did not shy away from congratulating him despite their rocky history.

At this juncture, it is expedient to ask, “What does Davido’s gesture says about him?” The answer to the foregoing cannot be farfetched as Davido’s congratulatory message to Tems is not just about good manners, it is a reflection of a deeper personal philosophy. He embodies a free-minded approach to life, where success is celebrated collectively rather than competitively. This mindset is rare in an industry where many measure their self-worth by comparisons.

His behavior aligns with his well-known mantra: “We rise by lifting others.” Davido understands that uplifting others does not diminish his own achievements but rather cements his place as a leader and unifier in Afrobeats. His approach signals emotional intelligence and security—traits that have made him one of the most beloved figures in the industry.

Without any iota of exaggeration, the Nigerian entertainment industry needs more Davidos.  In fact, the Nigerian and global music industries would benefit greatly from more artists with Davido’s disposition. This is as there is a growing need for a culture where success is not seen as a zero-sum game, where one artist’s win does not equate to another’s loss. When established artists openly celebrate the victories of their peers, they set a precedent for younger musicians to do the same, fostering an environment of unity and collaboration rather than division.

In fact, Tems’ Grammy win is a win for Afrobeats. It is a win for Nigeria. It is a win for Africa. Davido’s swift and unreserved congratulations acknowledge this fact. He understands that Tems’ success on the global stage further solidifies Afrobeats as a dominant genre and ensures that the doors she has opened remain accessible for future artists.

Davido’s ability to be genuinely happy for Tems, despite not clinching the award himself, is a reminder that success is not only about personal wins but also about being part of a larger movement. His free-mindedness liberates him from unnecessary rivalries and allows him to thrive in an industry where grudges and competition have often overshadowed camaraderie.

To a large extent, Davido’s early congratulations to Tems on her Grammy win is more than just an Instagram story post, it is a statement. It highlights his character as a free-minded individual who understands that another’s success does not take away from his own. His gesture reinforces the importance of unity in Afrobeats and beyond, showing that the genre’s continued growth depends not on individual competition but on collective celebration.

If more artists, and indeed more people, adopted Davido’s mindset, the world would be a much more supportive and thriving space. As Tems basks in her well-deserved victory, Davido’s simple yet powerful words—“Congrats Queen!” echo as a testament to true sportsmanship, maturity, and the kind of leadership that Afrobeats needs to sustain its global dominance.

Donald J. Trump is back as the president of the United States of America for the second time. With a convincing victory this time at the polls, he is more emboldened to execute his pitiless agenda than ever before. Expectedly, there is a palpable tension around the world. Though they voted for him, the Americans themselves have remained apprehensive. Countries in the East and the West are gripped in fervent phobia. But everyone should chill: America is not an island, after all.

Since sworn into office two weeks ago, Donald Trump has quickly swung into action by implementing his gratuitous promise of radical nationalism. He has been deporting helpless people, exerting imaginary imperial powers, slamming tariffs on American imports, and threatening world peace with increasing stridency.

Make no mistake about this: The United States has every right to formulate and implement policies as a sovereign nation. These very new policies may also mean well for America long run, as more goods could be made locally, leading to low unemployment and increased exports, but the way and manner Trump is going about it is a naked assault on human dignity, where the subject is non-American.

It is time the world unites to shame Mr. Trump. It behooves a paradigm shift. Instead of maintaining a long-standing subservient profile, where the United States is revered as the supreme authority, the nations across the globe should approach the American 47th president from a position of strength. Real strength! Consequential strength!!

Trump speaks during the coronavirus taskforce daily briefing at the White House on March 25 2020

Let us beam light on one of his grand follies—the attempt to impose tariffs on imports into the United States of America.

The man has already imposed 10% tariffs on Chinese products while sticking 25% each to his American neighbors, namely Canada and Mexico. Trump promises to extend such punitive measures to other nations.

But how dumb is Trump?

He needs to be told that the latest data from the United States Office of the Trade Representative show that the country is the second largest exporter of goods in the world with the 2022 figures totaling over 2 trillion dollars while also the largest importer at over 3 trillion dollars for the same year. The simple arithmetic here is that America imports more goods than it exports.

The implication of this trade imbalance is that the United States of America actually needs the world more than the world needs it. Trump needs to recognize that America is in a precarious situation: The country has massive trade deficit and owes over 36 trillion dollars to her trading partners.

The truism explains why countries: China, Mexico, and Canada have moved to retaliate with similar tariffs against American exports to their respective countries. These three countries deserve a sustained standing ovation. But there must be more.

Other nations with trade relationships with America should beat Trump in his own game by following to slam American products with tariffs. The truth is that United States no longer has monopoly on any product. The country’s large export profile is hinged on geo-political sentiments.

The aftermath of a unified response, as common-sense dictates, would a be serious economic crisis in America. On the one hand, consumers will be hit hard with high prices. On the other hand, businesses (that export goods) will lose businesses to outside competition.

If populism is the bad conscience of a liberal democracy Trump has already opened a Pandoras box writes Bishara

The Trump trade bogey has already seen prices of commodities shivering across America, especially in border states, where illegal immigrants were the engine of manufacturing for decades.

Trump regained power in 2025 mainly because of high inflation under President Joe Biden. This inflation, interestingly but unknown to most American voters, was a long-term effect of similar harsh policies during Trump’s first term. Even Trump himself has grudgingly admitted that there could be “some pain” with his latest policies. Yet, a stream of independent economists has predicted that the new tariffs together with his daftness on immigration are bound to drive inflation much higher.

The Americans are impatient, as they are politically naive. Regardless of the merit of any policy, they live for the moment and vote their wallets. They will revolt against what is widely expected to be higher inflation figures under their unapologetic president.

By then Mr. Trump might have learned his lessons and retrace his steps or face a humbling defeat of his Republican party in midterm elections and the dire consequences that are sure to follow. More alarming, the global trade war would most likely reshape geopolitics. Some Western allies could exact and broaden retribution and align with Russia to spike the United States.

The American people do not deserve to be victims of Trump’s assault on human civilization. But the world cannot afford to ignore a leader of the free world who is virally xenophobic, race-baiting, cavalier, incoherent, unapologetic and who draws huge crowds by spewing fantasies as facts. To ignore him is to risk a deeper global crisis where no one is safe.

SKC Ogbonnia, an Oil and Gas Executive, writes from Houston, Texas.

In a shocking revelation, a Nigerian man identified as Chika Wonder has confessed to having unprotected sex with over 400 women while knowingly living with HIV.

Speaking on a recent episode of ‘Doyin’s Corner’, Chika detailed his reckless sexual history, struggles with depression, and the stigma he faced after his diagnosis.

Chika disclosed that he was diagnosed with HIV seven years ago while working at a photography studio in Kano State. Before receiving the diagnosis, he had already been highly promiscuous, claiming to have slept with around 1,000 women in total.

“I got into photography with a renowned photographer in Nigeria and was posted to Kano. Because I was promiscuous, I started having sex with anybody I saw. It was cheap there,” he recalled.

According to him, he frequently paid women for unprotected sex, arguing that protected sex did not give him pleasure.

“I would offer to pay more just to have unprotected sex. I would even drink to get myself in the mood. I was sleeping with different women, paying as little as N700 for sex and N300 for a room,” he admitted.

However, his lifestyle soon took a toll on his health, as he began experiencing severe fever, diarrhea, and physical weakness. Upon falling seriously ill, he was advised by his colleagues to undergo medical tests, where he was eventually diagnosed with HIV.

Before his HIV diagnosis, Chika admitted to manipulating church members by pretending to suffer from different ailments, including asthma, arthritis, and even HIV, to solicit financial assistance.

“I would visit churches like House on the Rock and lie about my health. Because I was eloquent, I knew how to gain people’s trust, and they would offer me money,” he said.

After testing positive for HIV, Chika initially appeared unbothered. However, the stigma and discrimination he faced from people—including being sent away from his workplace—began to affect him deeply.

“I didn’t care at first, but the stigma started immediately. I was kicked out of the company. That’s when it hit me,” he explained.

Despite knowing his HIV status, Chika continued engaging in unprotected sex, citing depression and lack of pleasure with protection.

“I continued having sex with people unprotected. I did not care anymore. Depression kills your conscience. I had unprotected sex for seven years, and within that period, I slept with over 400 women,” he admitted.

At one point, Chika attempted suicide, an incident that was widely reported in the media.

“I tried to take my own life. All the blogs carried the news. From that moment, my life started to change,” he said.

Chika revealed that he only began taking his HIV medication on November 25, 2024, after years of reckless behavior.

Now, he says he is focused on raising awareness about HIV and mental health to prevent others from making the same mistakes he did.

“I am out here to create awareness. Depression kills your conscience. People need to understand that HIV is not a death sentence, but reckless behavior only worsens the situation,” he emphasized.

Chika’s revelations have sparked outrage and concern, with health experts and legal analysts warning about the criminal and ethical implications of knowingly spreading HIV.

Dr. Michael Onwubuya, a public health specialist, stated that intentionally transmitting HIV is a criminal offense in Nigeria and could result in legal consequences.

Similarly, mental health expert Dr. Grace Adeyemi stressed the importance of psychological support for people diagnosed with HIV, as untreated depression can lead to self-destructive behavior.

“Stigma can push individuals into depression, and when that happens, they may engage in risky behaviors. Counseling and proper mental health support are key,” she explained.

Chika’s story underscores the urgent need for greater awareness about HIV, mental health, and the dangers of reckless sexual behavior. Experts urge better access to counseling, education on safe sex practices, and stronger legal enforcement to prevent similar cases.

[NationalDaily]

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, never stops to give thanks to God. But he needs to arrange a special thanksgiving now. Praying every morning at the Government House Chapel is part of his daily routine. He doesn’t miss it. He doesn’t also miss Sunday service. He is an Elder in Winners Church. Nothing reduces his time with God. Overall, he stands very tall in that department.

He even tries to show it in his conduct by being more reserved than he is expressive. In other words and like an orphan, he tries in every way to do his own thing quietly and avoid unnecessary quarrel with people who are more privileged. He understands where he is coming from. In the build-up to 2023, his opponents said he was from the street and therefore, not good enough for the elevated formalities and tasks of the Government House in Asaba.

But he made it against the run of the fast-paced politics of 2023. We can as well say that his hard nut was cracked for him by a benevolent spirit. And he has not forgotten to be humble. That humility is helping him a lot. It has kept him focused and very far from exhibiting any form of street mannerisms that his critics had hoped for. Instead, he has been able to strike some impression in Pa Edwin Kiagbodo Clark. This is a big score. It is the reason I am suggesting to the governor to expand his spiritual bouquet to accommodate a special thanksgiving to celebrate this huge endorsement of his efforts so far by Papa Clark.

Maybe I should explain a little more. Papa Clark is not ordinary. He is a principality even in the national context. He is beyond bounds. He says whatever he wants to say, to whomever and at whatever time and nothing will happen. He has earned that privilege. Pa Clark is unaffected by the known sentiments. “I am not a praise singer” he reiterated. And so, when he talks, even at age 97, the low and the high in Nigeria listen somehow. He cannot be pacified to tone down. Like crab, you cannot put him securely under wraps. For instance, if as Governor, you take to him a giant cow at Christmas and then begin to dream big dreams of having him under wraps, he breaches the boundaries almost immediately to proclaim that he actually deserves more than you have done as an elder statesman. If the package is enhanced, to a say, a brand new Prado SUV and an accompanying cash of N50million, he will describe the largesse as statutory and he therefore does not need to go overboard to express gratitude to the generous giver. It is like asking a pensioner to specially thank the pension manager for releasing his pension money.

There is yet another aspect of Pa Clark that is also pretty difficult to comprehend by casual observers. The old man is very stingy with praises. It is very difficult to impress him. Here is an example. After what seemed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo like a good deal on the Delta Steel Complex (DSC), Ovwian-Aladja, Pa Clark had stormed the stage to cast spanner in the works. He lambasted Obasanjo for selling DSC to some con Indian investors for peanuts. In the tumultuous aftermath of the sale, Pa Clark had explained to stakeholders at one forum in Warri that a well-run thrift cooperative in Kiagbodo or Aladja, would have been able to raise, without hassles, the 30 million dollars, at a time dollar exchanged for one to N120, which Global Infrastructure Holdings Limited (GIHL) paid for the steel company. This was to underscore his disapproval of the concession deal described back then by industry watchers as a rape on the national heritage. Obasnjo’s successor, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had acted without looking back on the prevailing sentiments to revoke the concession and resell the complex to Premium Steel and Mines for a more robust N40 billion.

In national discourse, Pa Clark comes in different descriptions depending on the context. He is an elder statesman. Other times and when PANDEF (Pan Niger Delta Forum) is in focus, he drops to “foremost Niger Delta leader.’’ When the issues are further disaggregated, he settles finally for “foremost Ijaw leader.’’ So far and good, he has managed to project in these cross-cutting, and sometimes conflicting, roles, without losing stature. He has simply learnt to answer whatever name that he is called at any given time. What doesn’t change is the purity and strength of his message. Either as an elder statesman, Niger Delta or Ijaw Leader, Pa Clark has been fairly constant. Nothing pushes him into a correctness to manage political intrigues.

Almost a decade ago, the old man had announced his entry into the departure lounge and that he could board and fly away any moment. He has not boarded. He is still holding his boarding pass and pacing about the duty-free zone where he runs free commentaries on the composition of shops and prices of goods on display. If a Wike, for instance, is displaying expired goods in his shop and refuses to walk back from the wrong way, he assumes the corresponding role of a Niger Delta Leader to talk him back on a sensible path. If it is a Bola Tinubu that is inventing taxes without creating an economy in his financial services shop in the duty-free zone, Pa Clark will step in as an Elder Statesman to note that neither the economics of Adam Smith nor Karl Max supports creating humongous national wealth from a traumatised people.

It is much easier for the old man in Delta State, where his stool and stature are almost sacrosanct. His language is also understood by all. Principally, he speaks Ijaw, Urhobo and English. But whichever he chooses to speak, he is understood by all the ethnic nationalities, namely, Ijaw, Isoko, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ukuani, Ika/Anioma, in the state. Most times, he speaks to the people through their governor. And since 1999 when this democratic experiment started, he has been speaking to all the governors in the state. He previews and reviews. While his previews have been moderated by anticipation of performance, his reviews during and after performances have been very caustic. He has got nothing nice to say about all the past governors, namely, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan and Dr. Arthur Ifeanyichukwu Okowa.

Although Pa Clark spoke differently and at different times to the different governors, his message was same. He accused all three past governors of misrule. It was a blanket condemnation that didn’t recognise the modest contributions of each of these governors in certain areas. For instance, Ibori’s opening up of rural areas with roads and electricity did not tilt the scale in his favour. Neither did the efforts of Dr. Uduaghan in health care and Okowa in road infrastructure cut impression as relevant facts in the court of Pa Clark. Nothing about the performance of the trio was admitted in evidence to help their cases. The old man handed a verdict of guilt. He sounded triumphantly final like the Supreme Court. Chief Ibori, in the light of his post-office travails, got the worst bashing from Pa Clark. He was named the founder of the misrule dynasty. The alleged misdeeds of Uduaghan and Okowa were traceable to the foundation that Ibori had laid.

Therefore, for Pa Clark to wake up in his departure lounge and talk as if the incumbent Governor is a product of a different political dynasty, is really, really, a big deal. Just for the records, this is how it has been in Delta State. Ibori begot Uduaghan. Uduaghan begot Okowa. Or put differently, Ibori caused Uduaghan to beget Okowa. When it was time to beget Oborevwori, there was real confusion over who the heir-apparent should be. The hurdle was scaled somehow, and in the end, Okowa struggled to beget Oborevwori in spite of the position of the progenitor. In other words, Ibori did not cause Okowa to beget Oborevwori. That made Oborevwori to become a descendant without ancestors.

You can now understand why the incumbent has been steadfast in oiling his paths with God and the ordinary people in the streets in efforts to cultivate a protective base. The efforts have paid off following his adoption and proclamation as a worthy son by Papa Clark. The old man did not just talk and move on to other matters. He actually wrote a commendation letter with his own hand thanking the governor, for, among other things, “returning (Warri) to its old self.” Expectedly, the Governor’s spin men feasted on the endorsement. “The oracle has spoken’’ said one supporter in a manner that captures more than the given circumstances to project into the battle ahead, and almost saying that, with what Papa Clark has said, the re-election of Oborevwori in 2027 is also a settled issue.

Well, that is left to be proved. What we can however say for sure, even now, is that it isn’t going to be as tough as it was in 2023 when the Governor was seen as coming from nowhere. This time, he will be coming from somewhere and bringing to the bargain, his huge endorsement by Chief E.K Clark. But it is just mid-term. What has given Oborevwori the edge is governance and not politics. The Governor has been able to rest a great deal of the post-election anxiety with his M.O.R.E Agenda. It is an acronym that defeats its own ease and requires further factorisation for better understanding. The M and O stand for Meaningful Development Opportunities for all. The R is Realistic Reforms and the E is Enhanced Peace and Security.

As it is, the prayer of the ordinary people in the streets of Asaba, Warri and elsewhere in Delta State is for the strict implementation of the Agenda to continue. Oborevwori can choose to slip from implementation into sloganeering at his own risk. He is not the first Governor to do agenda in the state. Since late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua introduced the novelty of coded agenda in governance with his Seven-Point Agenda, creation of agenda has become a fundamental objective in policy drive in Delta State. Governor Uduaghan did one called THREE-POINT AGENDA of Human Capital Development, Infrastructural Development and Peace and Security. This ran for eight years more as a slogan than it ran as a programme. Towards the end of his tenure, another, called DELTA BEYOND OIL, was introduced to replace the old agenda that recorded no clear implementation.

After him, came Okowa with a SMART Agenda that was broken into 1.Strategic Wealth Creation 2. Meaningful Peace Building 3. Agriculture and Industrialisation 4. Relevant Health and Educational Policies and 5. Transformed Environment Through Urban Renewal. In the end, Delta refused to be transformed into a smart state. It is only Governor Ibori who did not have an agenda as such because it was not fashionable in his time to encode basic governance into an agenda to be pursued exclusively. He did Resource Control which was close to human rights crusading and which put him on a war path with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

All said, Governor Oborevwori should continue with his own agenda the way he has been doing it. He should look neither right nor left but straight. He should raise the substance higher than the shadows. The people know what to do when the times comes. Even me, one of the drivers of the opposition in 2023, I am getting convinced. The Pa Clarke endorsement should not get into his head. He should quietly go for the thanksgiving and return to work.

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), on Tuesday, declared that Nigeria is undergoing a rebirth and that corrupt leaders will soon be exposed.

The PFN also announced a 40-day fasting and prayer campaign ahead of its 18th Biennial Conference, themed “The Rebirth of a Great Nation: Nigeria is Great.”

The National Deputy President of PFN, Archbishop JohnPraise Daniel, disclosed this in Abuja, during a press briefing, said the conference, scheduled for February 11-14 at the Dunamis Glory Dome, Abuja, will focus on economic recovery, security, and national renewal.

Daniel stressed the need for Nigeria to transition from economic dependence to productivity, tackle corruption, and create an enabling environment for all citizens to prosper.

He asserted that the expectations of the righteous would not be cut short, expressing faith that the nation is on the verge of transformation.

Daniel said: “The expectations of the righteous will not be cut short. Our nation is on the verge of transformation.

“The Church, as the conscience of the nation, is committed to eradicating corruption. We must move towards zero tolerance for corrupt practices.”

He called for policies that encourage entrepreneurship, particularly among young graduates, warning that the government alone cannot provide jobs for everyone.

He added, “Our leaders must foster an economy where businesses can thrive. The current economic hardship and the increasing migration of Nigerians abroad underscore the urgency of reform.”

He stressed that improved security would also facilitate the movement of goods across the country, ultimately lowering food prices and reducing economic strain on citizens.

In his remarks, the Co-chairman of the Conference’s Central Working Committee, Dr. Victor Ogunkanmi, reiterated PFN’s commitment to exposing dishonest leaders.

He said: “Corrupt individuals will be exposed, and the people will demand honest and capable leaders. Nigeria must be governed by men and women of integrity, regardless of tribe or region.”

Ogunkanmi clarified that PFN does not endorse political candidates but remains dedicated to praying for righteous leadership at all levels of government.

Ogunkanmi also highlighted the conference’s theme, drawing from Isaiah 66:8 “Can a nation be born in a day?”, stating that Nigeria is at a turning point and in need of divine intervention for lasting transformation.

The PFN leadership confirmed that the 18th Biennial Conference will feature key strategic meetings, including sessions for the PFN National Executive and Advisory Councils, a General Assembly on February 12, and an evening rally

[Leadership]

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has congratulated his son, Seni Saraki, on winning his first Grammy Award at the 67th Academy Grammy Awards. 

Seni received the prestigious award for his contribution to the ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ soundtrack, which won in the ‘Best Reggae Album’ category.

Taking to social media platform X, Saraki expressed immense pride in his son’s achievement, highlighting the significance of his global recognition.

“Congratulations, Seni, on winning your first Grammy last night for your work on the Bob Marley: One Love soundtrack, which took home the award for Best Reggae Album!” he wrote. “Seeing you pour your heart into your passion and having it recognized on the global stage is an indescribable joy. Well done! We are super proud of you!”

Seni, in his reaction to the win, expressed deep gratitude to the artists, producers, and engineers who contributed to the project. He acknowledged Nigerian musicians Wizkid and Bloody Civilian, alongside other global artists, for their efforts in reinterpreting Bob Marley’s legacy.

“I appreciate all the amazing artistes, producers, and engineers who were brave enough to take on this project because it is about Bob Marley’s legacy,” Seni stated.

“I appreciate them for taking on the songs, reinterpreting them, and doing it their own way. Artists like Bloody Civilian, WizKid, Daniel Caesar, and Jessie Reyez.”

‘Bob Marley: One Love’ is a biographical film chronicling the life of the legendary reggae icon, focusing on his struggles, resilience, and the revolutionary impact of his music.

Seni Saraki, a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science, is the Chief Executive Officer of ‘The Native’, a Lagos-based music magazine that spotlights African music, style, and culture. He co-founded ‘The Native’ in 2016 alongside Teni ‘Teezee’ Zaccheaus.

This is not Seni’s first foray into high-profile music projects. In 2023, his collaborative work on the ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ soundtrack earned four Grammy nominations, where he served as the music consultant.

His Grammy win has further cemented his influence in the global music industry, particularly in amplifying African and Caribbean sounds on the world stage.

[Leadership]

English-born Nigerian footballer Jordan Chiedozie is currently in a coma after being hit by a car on the motorway.

The 30-year-old had played for non-league side Bashley FC against Tavistock at the weekend.

While on the way back from the away game, Chiedozie, alongside Bashley physio Reighan Taylor, suffered a flat tire on the motorway.

The player sustained “life-changing, and potentially life-threatening” injuries after being struck by another vehicle on the M27 when he stepped out to assess the flat tire situation.

Reacting to the incident, the club, in a statement, wrote: “Everyone connected with Bashley Football Club is devastated by the news of our player Jordan Chiedozie, currently in the hospital with life-changing, and potentially life-threatening injuries, after a serious car crash.

“Jordan was taken to Southampton Hospital with multiple broken bones and other physical injuries. At this time, he remains in a controlled coma.”

[DailyPost]

Model Denrele Edun has addressed social media users inquiry about his s3xuality. 

A video clip of Denrele attending the grand opening of “Above Lifestyle” in Lagos, accompanied by Nedu Wazobia, sparked questions due to his bold fashion choice.

When a user asked, “Sorry but is Denrele gay?” Denrele responded with his signature wit, redefining the acronym “GAY” to mean “Gorgeous. And. Young,” “Graceful. And. Youthful,” and “Good. As. You.”

Denrele further stated: “Who you go to bed AS is different from Who you go to bed WITH!” He then described himself as a “S3xual Outlaw” who is “BI your side,” leaving a hint about his s3xuality without providing a direct answer.

Another user wrote: “Denrele be hiding under fashion all his years. I hear there’s a lot of money in this Gaybriel thing tho…”

Denrele replied: “Hiding under kini?

Fashion is an expression of Individualism and my Style is a reflection/extension of my Personality!

“All his years? I’ve been in ShowBiz since 1994 and I’m just getting started!

“Now there’s a lotta Money in LEGIT Hustles;

Get something to do other than forming Evaluating Tape Rule for people’s “hiding” shenanigans and preferences. Get busy and thank me later!”.

[TheNation]