President Bola Tinubu has approved the reconstitution of governing councils and boards for federal tertiary institutions in the country.

A statement released by Nnamdi Mbaeri, the permanent secretary in the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) on Friday, said 255 individuals have been appointed to the governing bodies.

In the statement, Tinubu appointed Bisi Akande, former interim national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to chair the University of Ibadan’s governing council, and Wole Olanipekun, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as the chairman of the University of Lagos council.

Others are Isa Yuguda, a former governor of Bauchi, who will chair the National Open University’s governing council; Siyan Oyeweso as chairman of the Obafemi Awolowo University’s council; Adebayo Shittu for David Umahi University of Medicine in Ebonyi State; and Muiz Banire and Florence Ita Giwa, who have been appointed to lead the councils of the Federal University of Transportation in Katsina state and the Federal Polytechnic in Ugep, Cross River state, respectively. Click here to download full list.

[TheCable]

Circa 2005. Early evening in London. After initial commitments, some Western nations seemed to be reconsidering the debt deal with Nigeria. Italy was one such nation. After agreeing to an appointment to discuss the next steps, the country’s finance minister became unreachable. His assistants who had arranged the meeting claimed ignorance of his whereabouts. Progress seemed impossible. “Do you know where he’s staying?” Okonjo-Iweala asked Edith Jibunoh, my colleague who had been communicating with the Italians. The answer was yes. “Let’s go there,” Okonjo-Iweala said. Informed that there was no way of knowing if the minister was in the hotel or when he’d arrive, Okonjo-Iweala declared, “We’ll wait for him.” And so, the Finance Minister of Nigeria waited at the hotel’s reception for several hours for her Italian counterpart. The elusive gentleman finally walked into the lobby late in the evening. He couldn’t hide his shock when Okonjo-Iweala walked up to him with a smile. “Hello, your excellency. What a pleasure to run into you!” she said to the apologetic Italian. The meeting held, and progress was made.

 “What kind of person is Madam Ngozi? Who is she, really?”     

This is a question I am often asked about Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who turns 70 today. I’ve heard it from people of all walks of life, ages, and demographics, especially young people – professionals, undergraduates, secondary school students, and even children. Youths, in particular, are fascinated by Okonjo-Iweala. Soon after meeting her, she becomes their adopted aunty or mentor.

But young or old, many people want to know the person behind the visible aspects of her personal brand – the big eyes behind the glasses, the passionate and emphatic style, the rigorous yet simple communication that demystifies and humanizes difficult economic concepts… and of course, the unique fashion taste that has made local fabrics a staple in the wardrobes of society women.

The questions are not strange. In this era of heightened celebrity-dom, there’s a fascination with discovering the authentic persons behind the social media-crafted personas. So, who is Okonjo-Iweala, really, and what makes her tick? The story above gives an idea. Okonjo-Iweala is not only brilliant and high-achieving; she’s also passionate and focused on delivering results.

Let’s start with what the world already knows: Okonjo-Iweala is exceptional. It is not an exaggeration to say that she is one of the most visible and consequential public servants in the history of the country, widely admired and respected across the continent and the world. She was a 49-year-old Vice President at the World Bank when she was appointed Obasanjo’s second-term Finance Minister. In the intervening 21 years, Okonjo-Iweala has evolved to become the face of world-class, high-performing Nigerian technocracy in Africa and the world, a profile cemented by her current role as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization. And typically, she is doing unprecedented things at the WTO. Her leadership has energized the institution, boosted its profile and role as a key player in the global multilateral space. In words and deeds, she demonstrates a fact often forgotten: trade is a vital force for lifting nations and improving lives worldwide. Under Okonjo-Iweala, WTO member nations, after two decades of gridlock, agreed to reduce fisheries subsidies and expand vaccine production to combat COVID-19 and future pandemics.

The first woman to serve as finance minister and the only person to serve twice in that role, as well as the pioneer Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Okonjo-Iweala has blended high performance with a unique style and personality. Someone has described Okonjo-Iweala as the nation’s loving and lovable big sister who has your back but insists on the highest standards.

The evidence of her positive influence can be seen in the documented facts of her transformative contributions during the cumulative eight years she spent in government, as distinctive as her scarf. The positive impact of the policies and programs she helped conceptualize and implement, the projects she led, and the initiatives she inspired are still felt in national economic parameters, company income statements, on family tables, and in the pockets of individual Nigerians. The reforms and institutions she midwifed and supervised remain pillars of prosperity. Even now, in less prosperous times, they serve as bulwarks without which things would have been much worse. Many Nigerians still remember with nostalgia the four frenetic years she served as Finance Minister under Obasanjo when the superstructures of the modern Nigerian economy were conceptualized, fleshed out, and operationalized. As chair of the Economic Team, she led a strong team of technocrats in implementing wide-ranging reforms that restructured the economy as a viable and productive component of the global economy, harnessed hidden strengths, recharged the private sector, restructured the public sector for better performance, and raised household incomes.

The Obasanjo reforms, which came after two bleak economic decades under the military, changed the nation’s socio-economic landscape in unprecedented ways. Okonjo-Iweala played a starring role in this process. Nigeria is a nation with a short memory. We often forget how awful things were before Obasanjo. A friend once related on Twitter how her mother’s university lecturer colleagues were using ropes to hold up their trousers. Their pay was that bad. Under Obasanjo, their remuneration and working conditions improved significantly, and lecturers not only threw away the ropes but also bought second-hand cars and land. One cannot talk about Okonjo-Iweala’s first time as Finance Minister without mentioning the historic debt deal with the Paris Club of Creditors, which lifted the heavy decades-old debt burden, enabling the economy to stand, rise, and fly so well that it weathered the 2008 global financial crisis better than many developed countries.

Okonjo-Iweala’s return as Finance Minister under Jonathan with the additional portfolio of Coordinating Minister of the Economy was not universally hailed. As related in her book, Fighting Corruption is Dangerous, some powerful forces opposed her comeback because of the expertise and credibility she would contribute to a government they didn’t want to survive. And it took a dark turn that has become a part of our history. Despite the challenges, Okonjo-Iweala left a solid account that is being appreciated more and more. Economic management was robust and effective. In fact, as the Jonathan government was departing, global analysts were projecting that Nigeria, along with China and Qatar, would be among the top-performing economies in the world. Beyond the macroeconomic accomplishments, Okonjo-Iweala, with Jonathan’s approval and working with ministerial colleagues and the economic team, also conceptualized and executed one of the most productive economic expeditions in the country’s history to China. Based on a thorough audit of the nation’s infrastructural needs, she led the first delegation and then accompanied Jonathan’s delegations to Beijing on a trip that produced enduring results, reflected in some of the key current and future infrastructure we have in the country today: Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja light rail, four international airport terminals, and the Galaxy Backbone project, among others.

Another notable accomplishment was the number of key institutions that Okonjo-Iweala midwifed during her second stint in government. These include the National Sovereign Investment Authority, also known as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, and the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN). During this period, the iconic Youwin entrepreneurship program for youths and Project Act Nollywood, a support scheme for boosting technical skills in the movie industry, were also launched. At least 40 films produced by alumni of the program have been aired on Netflix.

The foregoing is in addition to countless other policies, programs, and initiatives to which Okonjo-Iweala has applied her unique blend of passion and professionalism, benefiting the country and its communities. This brings us back to the question, who is the woman behind the accomplishments?

The story at the beginning of this piece gives an idea, but there are many more. Okonjo-Iweala is not just a formidable technocrat and professional; she is also one of the realest and kindest people on the planet. Several years ago, as we were walking away from the plane after a Lagos-Abuja flight, we heard someone shouting, “Madam, madam!” It was the pilot. “I just wanted to thank you for boosting my confidence on my first flight ten years ago,” he said. He narrated how Okonjo-Iweala had come into the cockpit to congratulate him on a smooth flight. “Can I have another hug?” he asked. Of course, he got one from the nation’s favorite, brilliant aunty.

Nwabuikwu is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board

Many have celebrated, and others are preparing to celebrate, Fathers’ Day. Some men are busy grumbling that “their” day is not getting as much attention, and noisy approbation, as Mothers’ Day. Others are contending with a world that has become too busy with “father bashing” and “male gender bashing” to appreciate what needed to be appreciated. There are many men of genuine good faith, and fathers of exceptional inclinations who would put all father bashers and men bashers to shame and to flight. But let us leave all that and get on with today’s business. Please note that there is not an ounce of fiction in the following narrative.

This piece about a certain father was written at the behest of Rev Father George Ehusani. The reverend gentleman is a Catholic priest and a friend who has consistently invested in anything and everything that would improve the quality of any human being he encounters, advance the spirituality of the wider society and create future leaders who would be exemplary in every sense of the word.  So, I am here doing his bidding, since he wanted me to put in the public domain a true story of a man who was a father and a spiritual guide to his son.

“Prof”, Ehusani said over the phone after the initial pleasantries, “as fathers’ day is being celebrated in some places around this time, I would like you to write about … (identity withheld for now), whom you have often spoken about in some of our public engagements. Please, you need to share some of that moving reality you are privy to via your newspaper column. Yes, many people need to hear about fathers who were true fathers, as are many toiling, unsung and misunderstood fathers today. The general denigration of men and fathers, as well as the growing pretence that parenting now depends on how any adult feels about it, is doing incalculable damage to society”. So, here we are, to talk about a certain father.

The man was such a benign and edifying influence on his son, that the latter easily recalls, very vividly to this day, how this man often sat with him in front of the house one evening after another. It was during one of such evenings that the boy, a primary four pupil, brought his Michael West English dictionary in order to anchor the question he had for his father. This was not unusual, because whenever the boy came to join him in those solitary moments he sometimes inflicted on himself in the usually cool breeze that blessed School Road in Umuahia, it was like the unburdening of a soul to a trusted guide.

These moments were the boy’s favourite opportunities for asking his father the meaning of new words he had read about, and of asking him about anything whatsoever on which he needed clarification. A soberly quiet and clear-headed man of uncommon perspicuity and his son, all by themselves in the evenings, more often than anyone would expect of a father and son in the city. The man’s simple, patient and unassuming nature belied his deep knowledge of life and so many other things. The boy simply saw an older, and very dependable friend and nothing more – even though he called him father.

On that fateful evening referred to above, the boy had come to discuss the meaning of names. The word teacher spoke of clement weather and inclement weather during the boy’s lesson in Nature Study at school. He later checked his dictionary and it turned out that the word ‘clement’ meant “mild and merciful”. So, there he was with a simple question for his father: “Papa, did your parents know you were a very kind and gentle person before they gave you your name? His father’s name was “Clement”.

The man turned, looked at his son with some amusement and asked in return: “Why do you ask?” Then the boy explained what transpired in school earlier in the day.

Seeing the quizzical look on his father’s face the boy said, “Papa, that word is your name, and it describes you exactly. So, I have been wondering how your parents gave you a name that describes who you are”. The man smiled, rubbed the boy on the head and suggested that they went into the house. He did not answer the question. 

When the boy was ready to proceed to secondary school, he took the Entrance Examinations for several boys-only schools. But he was posted to a mixed sex school, instead. He was in tears, because several friends and members of his church always said that people who attended such schools stood a much higher chance of going to hell. Well, he was determined not to go to hell!

During the long vacation, after the boy had just finished his first year in secondary school, he came to tell his father that he no longer wished to change his school to an all-boys school. Believing that one must avoid mixed gender secondary schools in order not to get corrupted and go to hell, the boy was in tears when he was posted to a mixed school after the general common entrance Examinations. Now, he wants something else.

Patient as ever, his father asked why. The boy explained that it was better for him to face the challenges and temptations of daily living and come out successful, than to avoid the real world that he would come out to face after secondary education. The man, seeming totally unperturbed, tried to convince the little boy to stick to his original decision, to no avail. Midway into the holidays, the boy’s mother brought up the matter of change of school in the parlour one evening. His father told her that they would discuss it later and decide how to go about it. Till date, the boy never knew what his parents discussed. But no one ever brought up the change of school issue again, until he finished with secondary school education.

When it came to university education, the teenager said he wanted to study philosophy. Everyone: uncles, aunts, and possibly even passers by who heard what the discussion was about, were dead set against it. The boy wanted knowledge of the meaning and purpose of life, but everyone else was talking about employment and earning money. The young man’s father said nothing when the latter bought a JAMB form and applied to study philosophy at the university of Nigeria, Nsukka. He said nothing when the young man said that he would rather get involved in his father’s printing and publishing business, than go to the university to study anything other than philosophy.

Then, one day, during one of those evenings in front of the house, which the years never took away from them, the man asked his son: “Did you consider studying psychology?” The boy said the subject had too many wrong answers about human nature. The man said nothing to his quick retort. He knew his son’s familiarity with all manner of subjects. He saw his teenage son switch from the sciences to the arts a few weeks before his final year secondary school examinations. He watched him spend his money on comics, esoteric literature and science books. He saw the boy subscribe to many publications, including Spaceflight, which is published by the National aeronautical Space Agency (NASA) of the United States.

Unbeknown to the boy, his father was ever closely watchful and attentive to his stirrings. He was feigning aloofness while keeping a close tab and acting as a gardener whose only concern was to ensure that “This plant” actualized its true potentials, rather than follow the wishes of the gardener.

He was always more of a friend and protector to his son and his siblings, than a father. He never showed his boy whether he had any flogging skills, or huge and scary frowns often used by most parents and adults to drive home their authority. He would rather calmly explain  to you what is right and what is wrong. To make him admonish you was to disgrace yourself.

Going back again to the past, there was an occasion when the little boy stood before his father, helpless and confounded. He was facing judgment as a bad boy, for “smoking cigarette” at the age of four.  “I learnt that you spent the entire evening smoking cigarettes, so I want you to tell me who taught you such a thing”, the father said. The boy was silent. “The entire evening” kept ringing in his head. Meanwhile all he did was put the stub of a cigarette he picked up from the pavement in front of the house to his mouth once. He was disappointed when no smoke came out. The taste was revolting! He ‘smoked’ it by blowing at one end. But nothing came out of the cold and foul-smelling thing.

Then came the verdict: “Since you have already taken your preferred meal, namely dozens of cigarettes, you will skip dinner”! The boy was aghast. Surely his father had been misinformed! Dozens of cigarettes? Unbelievable! And cigarette is not food. Now, his dinner is gone! What a calamity!

His father mercifully brought the episode to an end before midnight when he, along with the boy’s ever-gentle mother, woke him up and inflicted a meal on him. Awake, the boy starred around him in consternation. “How could adults behave like this?” he wondered. His dinner was apparently hidden away somewhere all the while! And everyone made him believe that he was going to feed on cigarettes for the rest of his life. The same people who said you should not tell lies? Oh, the world must be coming to an end.

Bigman was 88 when he came to spend the Christmas with his son, as he promised. He only just stopped driving himself, at his children’s insistence, four years earlier. He was as happy as a baby on arrival. All his practical jokes came with him by the truckload. It was now him sitting with his son in front of the latter’s house. He was impatient for ‘a conversation’, from the moment he arrived. As they talked into the night, laughing and throwing jokes at the wind, Bigman began to say something specific, including messages, concerning all of his children.

Later, the same day, he was gone! When the bereaved called his childhood friend, Paul, who made the travel arrangements for Bigman’s last trip to Abuja, the latter exclaimed: “Oh dear! Okey, Papa’s last statement to me as he left for Abuja was ‘Paul, under no circumstances should there be any misunderstanding between you and your brother, Okey, or I would come from wherever I am and beat the hell out of you both”.

I am grateful to God Almighty for the parents he gave me. As for fathers’ Day, Bigman’s “Legacy” is ever-present for me. He was an insightful, firm, considerate, non-indulgent and very understanding father.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s harmless trip-and-fall mishap at the Eagle Square in Abuja during this year’s June 12 Democracy Day celebration simultaneously got camps of people who exulted in emotional triumph, who laughed in self-satisfaction, who lamented the state of the president’s health, and who sulked at people who exulted, laughed, or called attention to the president’s health.

Although the president is obviously ravaged by the infirmities of old age and possibly ill health, his fall obviously wasn’t triggered by any of these. It appears to be caused by a mere missed step or a trip over his flowing agbada. Fortunately, his fall was benign. I hope his minders learn from this and let him dress more appropriately next time.

But even if his fall was prompted by ill health, it is presumptuous to make any connection between the prospects of his longevity and the state of his health. Some of the most fragile people on earth can turn out to be longest-living people.

Take, for example, former Kaduna State governor Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, who was so infirm and so sickly during his governorship that most people thought he wouldn’t survive his first term.

 He not only survived his first term, but he also won a second term, and has outlived many of the people who said he was a walking corpse. His deputy, Stephen Shekari, who looked visibly healthy, unfortunately died in 2005 during their second term.

Our compassion or ill will do absolutely nothing to shorten or lengthen people’s lifespans. And there is neither reward nor punishment for our attitude toward people’s ill fortune or good fortune in spite of what superstitious people would want you to believe. 

Nature and its vagaries are inexorable. They are insensitive to and unswayed by human emotions. Coincidences, happenstances, serendipities, flukes, etc. aren’t laws of nature. They are freaks of nature.

But while it is valid to fulminate against the celebratory tone that some people took over the president’s physical misfortune, it is helpful to situate its context and understand its utility.

Vast swathes of Nigerians are being roasted alive, like never before, by the heartless, self-centered, and anti-people “economic reforms” of the president. In its June 11 report on Nigeria, even the New York Times characterized the economic crisis Nigeria is going through now as its “worst crisis in a generation.” That’s a significant admission from one of the institutional mouthpieces of the West.

Yet Tinubu and his minions insist that they won’t change course, that Nigerians must learn to live with superhuman pain for a supposed deferred gain that I am certain will never come. Plus, it’s a pain that the people inflicting it and explaining it away are totally exempt from. 

Predictably, there is so much bottled, combustible rage welled up in the minds of people who are struggling to stay alive, who are almost giving up on living. Two viral videos give expression to the untamable fury that most people feel toward Tinubu, the immediate source of the mass anguish in the land. 

One is a protest video of intensely enraged women in what appears to be Lagos some weeks back. Some of the women in the video said in Yoruba—and with stone-cold, deathly seriousness—that they wished they had a chance to physically meet Tinubu so that they would pummel him mercilessly for the unendurable hurt that his policies are visiting on them.

The second video, which trended a few days ago in Hausaphone social media circles, shows teenage boys in a northern Nigerian city (possibly Kano) stoning a poster of Tinubu affixed to a wall while “Labbayka Allahumma labbayk (translated in English as, “Here I am, O Allah, here I am”), a prayer invoked by pilgrims in Makkah while stoning the devil, plays in the background.

People whose staggering misery has led them to desire a physical confrontation with the president and who stone him in a symbolic eruption of rage as the representative of Satan in Nigeria would find tremendous emotional release in his fall and physical hurt. To deny them this harmless, no-cost joy is to hurt them doubly.

In psychology and literature, we talk of something called catharsis, which refers to the process of releasing and thereby providing relief from strong or repressed emotions. Catharsis serves as a crucial psychological alternative to violence by offering safe and constructive ways to process and release emotions. It is said to foster emotional well-being and reduce the risk of aggressive behavior.

In other words, for millions of Nigerians who have been pushed to the very precipice of existence as a direct consequence of Tinubu’s pigheaded implementation of IMF’s people-annihilating “economic reforms,” his fall on June 12 was cathartic, that is, emotionally satisfying. 

Don’t deny them the mentally purging sensation they derive from this by guilt-tripping them as being hardhearted, especially because Tinubu wasn’t hurt.

Senator Shehu Sani has told Nigerians that Tinubu is the patron-saint and chief financier of protests in Nigeria. Now that he is president and causing the exact conditions that inspired past protests that he funded, there is no one to protest. Cathartic satisfaction from his karmic physical fall is all that severely grieving people have now.

Additionally, humor is the oxygen of democracy. As my friend Professor Moses Ochonu also pointed out in his Facebook status update a few days ago on Tinubu’s fall, comedians in the United States feast on the literal and metaphoric missteps of leaders, especially presidents, and citizens lap it up. 

“In the US, where I live, late night hosts and comedians have jobs partly because the foibles, quirks, gaffes, and public physical failings and awkwardness of the president and other leaders are fair game for jokes and laughter,” he wrote.

Power confers an appearance of superhumanness, of invincibility, and of perfection on people who wield it. An occasional fall from this illusion of transcendence from familiar human weaknesses is often great grist for the humor mills. 

President Gerald Ford is perhaps the most famous U.S. president for his falls. He slipped and fell multiple times during his presidency, including a notable fall while disembarking from Air Force One in 1975.

In 2003, President George W. Bush fell off a Segway. He also experienced a minor fall while running in 2004, which caused a scratch on his face.

Most people know that President Joe Biden has had a few notable falls, including tripping multiple times while boarding Air Force One in 2021 and falling off his bike during a ride in 2022.

The UK has also had its fair share of prime ministers who fell. For example, “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher had a fall in 1988 while walking at her official residence, 10 Downing Street.

In 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown slipped and fell at the Cenotaph during a Remembrance Day ceremony. Another British Prime Minister, John Major, fell and injured his knee in 1995 while jogging.

And Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison famously fell during a football game in 2019.

In all these cases, citizens laughed at the expense of their leaders. People weren’t guilt-tripped for laughing. No leader is entitled to any citizen’s unearned sympathy.

Thankfully, Tinubu appears to recognize this. He joked that he didn’t fall but merely observed the Yoruba tradition of dobale, that is, the physical gesture of prostration or kneeling as a show of respect to elders and people in positions of authority. It was good-natured, self-deprecating humor. It reminds me of a popular humorous quote in America when people fall: “I did not trip and fall. I attacked the floor and I believe I am winning.”

Unfortunately, some people who have no capacity to appreciate the nuances of humor, irony, sarcasm, and satire missed it and thought Tinubu told a barefaced, face-saving lie in the aftermath of his embarrassing fall! That’s such clueless humorlessness. 

National anthems are more than mere songs; they encapsulate a nation's history, values, and aspirations. In Nigeria, a country rich in cultural diversity but often divided along ethnic and religious lines, the national anthem serves as a poignant reminder of unity and collective identity. The reintroduction of Nigeria's old national anthem goes beyond having symbolic value but has the potential to foster national cohesion and patriotism.

National anthems play a significant role in nation-building. They are a form of affirmation, akin to a national prayer, that can inspire citizens and remind them of their shared heritage and common goals. The old Nigerian anthem, with its powerful lyrics, speaks directly to the values of unity, justice, and peace, which are crucial for the nation's progress. It has the potential to strengthen national solidarity and inspire a renewed commitment to Nigeria's development and prosperity.

Each stanza of this anthem carries a message that resonates deeply with the ideals necessary for national unity. Stanza 1 emphasizes unity in diversity, reminding Nigerians that despite ethnic and linguistic differences, they stand together in brotherhood. Stanza 2 highlights the national flag as a symbol of truth and justice, values that should guide the nation and be passed on to future generations. Stanza 3 is a prayer for divine assistance in building a just and peaceful nation where no one is oppressed, ensuring prosperity and blessings for all.

While some critics argue that reintroducing the old anthem is a misplaced priority, it is essential to recognize the broader context of this move. Reinvigorating national symbols can be a step towards addressing deeper issues of national identity and unity. However, for this initiative to be effective, it must be accompanied by genuine governmental actions that demonstrate a commitment to equity and fairness.

The Nigerian government must address public grievances and ensure that policies are not just rhetoric but are implemented with transparency and accountability. Nepotism and favouritism should be actively discouraged to foster a sense of trust and inclusion among all Nigerians. By aligning the ideals expressed in the national anthem with tangible actions, the government can reinforce the message of unity and justice.

The re-introduction of Nigeria's old national anthem is a powerful tool for national unity and patriotism. It serves as a reminder of the country's rich history and the values that can guide it towards a brighter future. For this initiative to succeed, it must be part of a broader strategy that includes genuine governmental commitment to equity, fairness, and addressing the grievances of all Nigerians. Through this holistic approach, Nigeria can build a nation where unity in diversity is not just an ideal but a lived reality.

The Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA) has reiterated its commitment to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030, through collaboration with development partners, and other stakeholders. 

This assertion was made by the Chairman of the Agency, Dr. Gbola Adetunji, in a meeting recently held at the Agency's Conference Room with Partners, Line-Ministries and other Stakeholders across the State.

Dr. Adetunji said the government is focused on its targets aimed at ending HIV/AIDS by 2030.

The Chairman implored the Stakeholders to work together with the Agency in preventing the spread of HIV in the State.

"We have to continue to ensure that we promote prevention, also work on detecting new cases and immediately put them on treatment" he said.

Dr. Gbola Adetunji stated that the meeting is aimed at developing strategic ways to sustain the momentum of controlling HIV and also the treatment coverages of the infected individuals in the State.

He noted that "very soon Oyo State along with all the Local Partners will take complete control of HIV/AIDS programming in the State in which we are to deliberate on the way forward in this meeting".

Adetunji admonished the Stakeholders to support the Agency with advice and experience sharing in order to avert the spread of the Virus in Oyo State.

While urging all to work as a team to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS in the State and also to ensure that the year 2030 target of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic becomes a reality, Dr. Adetunji pledged that he will try his best to ensure the Agency lives up to expectation.

Earlier in his address, the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Waheed Lanre Abass hinted that the Agency is seriously working to assess HIV response in the State and set to align and harmonize support for the response.

Dr. Lanre Abass mentioned that at the end of the meeting, Technical Working groups (TWG) for HIV response in the State are to be set up among the participants and relevant stakeholders to guide and lead the State in ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030. 

"We are trying to align what we are really doing, now that we have different players, how we replicate what we do with or without external support and what we can improve upon in terms of coverage of this particular plan." Abass said.

"We are going to kick start a process of setting up technical working groups and move forward from that" he added.

The highlights of the Meeting were presentations of papers from the Line-Ministries and the Implementing Partners working in the State.

The meeting was attended by the Project Manager of OYSACA, Dr. Kayode Ogunkunle, representative of APIN Public Health Initiatives, Damien Foundation Belgium (DFB), NEPWHAN as well as ASHWAN and Community Based Organisations implementing HIV programs in the State.

Others are the Ministries of Health,  Justice, Women Affairs, Education, Primary Health Care Board, Youth Agency and some other Line-Ministries.

--

--

E-signed:

Prince Dotun Oyelade,

Commissioner for Information and Orientation,

Oyo State.

As Nigeria marks 25 years of democracy, the critical question is how this has positively impacted the lives of Nigerians. The saying, "na democracy we go chop?" highlights the need for tangible benefits from democratic governance. The country, once known for saying, "Money is not the problem, but how to spend it," is now struggling to survive. Many ask;’’ how did we get here?’. 

Implementing an improved national minimum wage is seen as a crucial step toward alleviating the suffering of Nigerians. Apart from providing salary workers with decent pay, it is expected to stimulate the economy by increasing people’s purchasing power, and workers’ productivity. Business owners would benefit through stimulated demand and the government would receive more taxes. Long-term benefits to the nation include a reduction in crime and insecurity.

If the proposed Executive Order on “Inflation Reduction and Price Stability (Fiscal Policy Measures) Order 2024” is signed by the President, it will bring relief to both citizens and businesses. The proposal includes suspending import duties and other tariffs for six months on staple food items, raw materials for manufacturing, agricultural inputs, pharmaceutical products, poultry feeds, flour, and grain. While the government will lose some revenue, there are questions about what will happen after the six months.

The government should intensify its efforts to improve infrastructure, particularly in areas of transportation and power. A significant challenge remains insecurity, which has gradually crippled the country. Agriculture and mining, crucial sectors for economic diversification, are most affected. Nigerians are looking for immediate impact in job creation. With high unemployment rates, particularly among the youth, the government’s economic reforms must prioritize creating job opportunities. Improving citizens’ access to quality healthcare and education is also essential for national development.

Corruption continues to be a major obstacle to Nigeria's development. The government needs to increase its efforts to combat corruption, ensuring that public funds are used efficiently and that individuals involved in corrupt activities are held responsible. Transparent and accountable governance will help to establish public confidence and garner support for the government's initiatives.

As Nigeria celebrates 25 years of democracy, speeches alone are not enough. Nigerians desire results and improvements in their lives. They want to see more concrete actions and outcomes from the promises made. While celebrating the journey, the government must deliver on its commitments and ensure that democratic governance translates into better living conditions for all citizens.

The journey of democracy is ongoing, and while celebrating milestones is important, the true measure of success lies in the improved living standards of the people. Nigerians are not just looking for assurances; but for results that will make a real difference in their daily lives. The government must rise to the challenge and deliver on its promises to build a better future for Nigeria.

Author: Kenechukwu Aguolu FCA, PMP, CBAP

Business Analyst | Project Manager | Chartered Accountant | Public Affairs Analyst

Abuja, Nigeria         This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The State Statistician-General, Mr. Michael Babatunde Ajayi has revealed that if the government should introduce price control measures, it will drastically help in reducing the steady rise of food items and other commodities.

Mr. Ajayi, who made this known shortly after a survey of markets around Ogun Central, Ogun West and Ogun East axis of the State by the State Bureau of Statistics, submitted that the hikes were noticed shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, but have been on the upward trajectory in the last 12 months.

Represented by the  Director,  Social and Economic  Statistics, Mr. Bolarinde Abimbola, the Statistician-General stated that situations are similar in all markets as the prices of staples such as rice, maize, garri, yam beans and oil have doubled or even tripled, saying it affected other commodities such as electronics, clothings and toiletries.

He revealed that these hikes in prices of food items and other commodities were due to various factors such as insecurity and low productivity in the agricultural sector,  noting that sellers of food items and other  commodities are part of the problems encountered during the survey, as they deliberately increase prices of items for their selfish gains.

"Early last year, 2023, a plastic of garri sold for five hundred naira  is now sold at the rate of one thousand five hundred naira which represents an increase of 200% between January 2023 to June 2024", he said

Speaking on behalf of traders in Arigbajo market, the Secretary of Egbejoda Market in Arigbajo, Ifo, Chief Akinbola Oludayo, commended the Dapo Abiodun-led administration for providing enabling environment for them to transact their businesses, appealing to the State Government to help curb the unlawful act of deliberately increasing prices of commodities by sellers in the various markets in the State.

In her submission, the Iyaloja of Olabisi Onabanjo International market, Chief Mrs. Oloruntele Ogunba expressed her worries over the drastic increase in the prices of commodities, saying the incessant increase in prices scares consumers away while appealing to the government to provide lasting solutions to the situation.

A consumer, Mr. Ibrahim Gbadamosi while fielding questions from journalists at Egbejoda market, Arigbajo, Ifo, firmly stated that most sellers are the major causes of price hike, pleading with the government to introduce price control to curb the unlawful act perpetrated by these sellers.

The markets visited were  Arigbajo Market in Ifo, Lanfenwa in Abeokuta, Olabisi Onabanjo International Market, Ijebu Ode  in Ita -Osu, Remo Market and Siun Market.