“When lions battle, jackals flee.” Isaac Newton wrote that to his bitter rival, Gottfried Leibniz. It was a barbed remark on their feud over who between them first invented calculus. The more you read of the mutual respect those two had for each other, the more you wonder why they ended their respective careers in very bitter, reckless animosity; the more you also ponder over the cost of that fight and whether it was worth the troubles.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos are two big men who are not equals. One is the boss, the other the boss’s boy. They are not equals, so, there cannot be a rivalry between them over feats and achievements. But they fight; and it is right here in the open. I’ve heard people demanding to know what they are fighting over. We do not know. Let no one talk about Lagos speakership. The sack of Mudasiru Obasa, which was as abortive as Dimka’s coup of 1976, was just what it was – a symptom; it was a reaction to something; there was an underline cause. What was it?
Sanwo-Olu and his boss are no Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz and so their fight couldn’t be over who takes the priority on a matter designed to help humanity. If there is a delectable Queen Cleopatria somewhere, I would have drawn a parallel between what is unfolding in Lagos and what unfolded between Rome’s Octavian (Augustus Caesar) and Mark Anthony. But there is no seductress in the mix, I will, therefore, not deliver to age what it is no longer capable of tweaking.

So, what did Sanwo-Olu do? Or what did he not do? Both sides are not talking. All we’ve seen was an ungracious rejection of a friendly gesture; the snub of a handshake by the more powerful potentate. We’ve also seen a convenient skip of the junior power where he ought to speak.

Some people are happy, clinking glasses over the power buffetings in Lagos. They drink to the health of the feud; they wish it greater vigour; they wish its fire is unquenchable. These are people who do not like Lagos and its politics at all and who have been their victims. They see the fight as the elixir that would cleanse the land of all its sins and cure it of its sicknesses. They talk of power and its excesses. They point at Akinwumi Ambode, the man who was brought low so that Sanwo-Olu could ride high. They remember Babatunde Fashola who escaped breathlessly simply because he was like Coca-Cola, more popular and successful than the parent company. They point at a Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos who serially used three deputy governors in a tenure of eight years. If I were the president, I would also look at this unedifying statistics and repack my big and small intestines.

A leader should be very careful on the way he treats his people, particularly, the companions who look up to him. There was an Orangun of Ila who bulldozed his way to power with charms, and then elevated the humiliation of his principal chiefs to an art. An Ila historian wrote that the king’s “humiliating treatment (of the chiefs) reached intolerable proportions when he frowned at seeing the Iwarefa (the kingmakers) in decent attires. When a chief made a new garment, he was obliged to excise the breast and patch it with a rag.” But every reign, no matter how glorious or inglorious, must come to an end. How did it end for that oba? He didn’t die on the throne. His character gave him a fate which made him farmer outside power. Ó fi’gbá ìtóòrò mu’mi nínú oko (he drank water with ìtóòrò melon calabash on the farm). I suggest you read ‘The Orangun Dynasty’, a very rich 1996 book on the history of the Igbomina stock of the Yoruba, authored by Ila Orangun’s very first university graduate, Prince Isaac Adebayo; check pages 40 and 41.

A leader is a masquerade; he must not tear his own veil. When a leader makes and unmakes subordinates, he rends his own cover. “Ènìyàn l’aso mi” is a Yoruba expression which, in English means “people are my clothes; they are my covering.” As a Yoruba proverb, it emphasizes the importance of people in people’s lives. Whatever clothes the masquerade wears is that ‘thing’ that makes the wearer an Egungun. He must protect it because it is his store of power. But my people say power is like medicine; it intoxicates. A researcher adds that “ultimately, the accumulation of power becomes dangerous even to its owners.” Is that why someone saw “a link between mask and menace”?

So, when we interrogate the use of power by the one we have come to call Lagos, we should always remind him that the costume is the sacred adornment which people see, respect and venerate in the masquerade. For a leader, his principal boys and girls are his costume, they are his cover. He needs them when harmattan comes with its fury. And harmattan will come whenever the masquerade repairs back to the grove when the festival is over, and it will be over.

Even lions, kings of the jungle, rely on strong bonds within their prides for survival and well-being. There is an old Irving King song on this: “The more we get together/The merrier we’ll be.” That song emphasizes human interconnectedness; the support embedded in community.

Jackals are opportunists, and they are many in this Lagos fight. Newton’s feuding-lion imagery is an evocation of the themes of strength, of hierarchy, and of consequence. It defines the strained relationship of one big expert with the other big man. The other part of his proverb ‘bombs’ the miserable jackals, minions who lurk around the battlefield, who thrive in chaos and on scraps from the feuding powers.

American novelist, Herman Melville, says a thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. We should not live our lives as if we exist only for ourselves. Public ‘spanking’ of a governor for unknown and unsaid sins is petty. A president should have snubbed rebuff as his option of engagement. If I were him, If a ‘boy’ offended me, I would just ‘face front’ and concentrate on delivering the Chinaware I carry unbroken. If your load is a pot of palm oil, avoid stone throwers.

But the president is not pacifist me. He enjoys fighting wars after wars. He is like Sango who desperately desired a fight but found no one to fight. Sango looked round and pounced on the wall and wrestled with it. There was also an Aare Ona Kakanfo who itched for a battle and could get none. He stoked a rebellion at home against himself and by himself violently put it down. Because of this and many more like it, the man was nicknamed Aburúmáku (the wicked one who refuses to die).

Are there no elders again where the feuding feudal lords come from? Borrowing lines from Ulli Beier, I would say that now that men appear to have failed to stop this war, women should be called upon to come and kill the fire. Our mothers are like Osun, “the wisdom of the forest; the wisdom of the river. Where the doctor failed, she cures with fresh water. Where medicine is impotent, she cures with cool water.”

The first lady should therefore step out, open her Bible (KJV) to Mark 4:39 and read to her husband: “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

If she does that, I will be encouraged to give the president two lines from William Shakespeare: “Come, wife, let’s in, and learn to govern better;/ For yet may England curse my wretched reign” (2 Henry VI, IV, ix, 4).

If our president’s reign won’t be cursed for wretchedness, he should prioritise the people’s welfare over serial petty fights with his boys. Nigerians are panting at home and reeling in pains at work; on the road, they groan. They are not entertained at all by presidential beer parlour brawls like Musician Ayinla Omowura’s last fight. You don’t become king and still keep trysts with crickets. No.

One of the first jokes I picked when I moved to Ibadan 30 years ago is that failure of patronage is the only reason a drummer would go to Oke Ado. The Ibadan surmised that the Ijebu who lived almost exclusively at Oke Ado part of Ibadan never ever got moved to spend a dime on bards.

Those who minted that joke should come back from the dead and see what we see now with the Ijebu. When the day breaks tomorrow, I will go to Oja’ba in Ibadan and ask folks there why their ancestors with relish said that the Ijebu did not appreciate good music and would not put their money on it. The Ijebu I see today do what the Ibadan said they would not do. In a magnificent way, they mass in their capital annually and stage a spectacular festival of culture and splendour. They call it Ojude Oba (the King’s Forecourt). It is an annual festival of sumptuous songs and dance, a parade of success and cultural opulence. They held another edition yesterday, and it is already contagious. Other Yoruba towns appear to be getting bitten by the Ijebu bug. We watch as they evolve.

The Ijebu are a very scrupulous people. It is in their oríkì that their fathers had six tubers of yam: they ate two, sold two and offered two to their gods. You can ponder that again: with moderate six survival items, they did justice to their present; justice to their future through trade and investment; justice to the divine who held the rope of life. Anyone who approaches life methodically like this is not likely to fail in any enterprise. In nuanced ways, the oríkì suggests that those who managed the six tubers did not eat with ten fingers. Their descendants still do not do it today: they party hard but they also work hard and trade intelligently; they worship God with utmost devotion.

I watched a short video clip of the Ojude Oba event at 8am Sunday (yesterday). I grinned seeing everywhere in immaculate lush green, meticulous. Sponsors of the event, Mike Adenuga’s Globacom, has done it for a record twenty years. And both company and owner say they won’t stop doing so forever. Patriotism is love of country. So, what is love of home? “In love of home”, says Charles Dickens, “the love of country has its rise.” That is what Adenuga and his Globacom commit themselves to with Ojude Oba till eternity. With Globacom’s heavy lifting, Ojude Oba has become the biggest cultural festival in Nigeria today. They say they are taking it even further than where it is. Something there to copy by every big, rich man and woman from other towns. The ones who feel too big to lift their homestead to glow will likely live ‘homeless.’ We all should know, as William J. Bennett did, that “home is a shelter from storms – all sorts of storms.”

I did not read history, but I am a lover of history and a believer in what it teaches. I keep seeing in the past the road that led to today, and a possible pathway to the future. T. O. Ogunkoya, author of ‘The Early History of Ijebu’ published in December 1956 offers some glimpses into the elements that make up the Ijebu gene:
“Nobody knows the date of the first migration to Ijebu or the course that it took. Tradition states that it was led by a man named Olu-Iwa accompanied by two warrior companions, Ajebu and Olode. Olu-Iwa settled at Iwade, for Ijebu-Ode itself did not, as yet, exist. Ajebu was instructed to mark out with fire the boundary of the new land. He went westward to the lagoon and marked out the boundaries to the North, South and East as well. To Olode was given the task of marking out and planning the future city, a task which took him more than three years. So well did Ajebu and Olode do their work that the new town was named after them as ‘Ajebu-Olode’, now corrupted and called Ijebu-Ode.”

The writer of that history said “there was ample evidence in favour of this tradition. He wrote that “In Ijebu-Ode today there stands in a prominent place in Olode Street a tomb dedicated to him and bearing the inscription ‘The resting place of Olode.’ In Imepe Street there can be seen a tomb dedicated to the memory of Ajebu. It may be taken for granted that these two men are historical figures whose names have been perpetuated in the name of the city.

Ogunkoya wrote that there is another theory of the origin of the name. He said “Portuguese maps of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries showed cuidade de Jabu or ‘the city of Ijebu.’ Now it is argued that the Ijebu, in common with people of similar ancestry, used the word Ode as a generic name for a town. So the Itschekri people had Ode Itschekri (Warri). The Ondo had Ode Ondo and the Ilaje Ode Ilaje. In Wadai (Sudan) there was an Ode Ijebu, suggesting the transference of the name of the ancient home to the new. In support of this view it is to be noted that until very recently all the village people in the province referred to the city simply as Ode. As they themselves are Ijebus they merely point to their capital town without associating their name with it.”

Note the meticulous mapping of the boundary and the planning of the city. Note that the exercise reportedly took whole three years! Note the communal appreciation of the pioneers who got the job done. Put all those side by side what other chapters of their history say of their survival as a people. They pay attention to details. They valourize themselves as masters of money. They say they’d been spending shillings before the white man arrived (Omo a n’áwó silè k’Óyìnbó tó dé/ Òyìnbó dé tán owó òún pò si). I plan to ask my Ijebu friends what that means. I will tell you whatever they tell me.

The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON has conveyed his profound felicitations to the Muslim brothers and sisters on the commemoration of this year's Eid-al-Adha celebrated all over the world. Speaking during a ceremony hosted by him to celebrate the festival with Ebonyi State branch of the Hausa/Yoruba Muslim community in Abakaliki on 8th June 2025, the Honourable Minister emphasized the need for all faiths to cultivate a sense of love, sacrifice, devotion, charity and humanity which are the values of the festival being celebrated.

The Honourable Minister described the growing interfaith relationship in Nigeria as a product of the inspiring leadership of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR which he said is truly inclusive and progressive. "Barka da Sallah to all Muslim faithful and to the entire Nigerians. You've said it all, that the interfaith relationship is much much better now. I would say that it is at an excellent level now under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. Surprising to Christians, Mr. President led a delegation to the Pope's inauguration. That was very unique and the first of its kind. I've always said that we are serving one God in different ways." He urged Nigerians to leverage on the shared values of Eid-al-Adha to deepen our commitment in fostering religious tolerance and social harmony, which are the hallmarks of nation-building

He commended the President of Nigeria for the manifest willpower of his Renewed Hope administration in unlocking the economic potential of each Geo-Political Zone through massive investment in infrastructure development. He called on all Nigerians to rally round Mr. President in his efforts to provide enduring development and secure a shared future of social justice for our nation, noting that the rewarding stewardship of Mr. President would speak for him in the 2027 general elections. "The performances of the President will definitely see him through in 2027. We will stand with him. South East will support him. When I was governor, we had herdsmen problems. Do you still encounter the herdsmen problem as it was? That is one thing the President has done for the people of the South East. Today, we are being gradually integrated into the mainstream of the nation's governance. What an Igbo man never had before, he is beginning to have it,courtesy of Mr. President."

Once again, Eid Mubarak to all the Muslim faithful 

Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji

Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Works

Many Nigerian Muslims, who joined their counterparts in the world to celebrate the 2025 Eid al-Adha, have lamented how the high cost of living in the country affected their preparation for the religious festivity.

Those who spoke with our correspondent revealed that they were forced to make certain adjustments owing to the economic situation.

DAILY POST gathered that many struggled to cope with the hike in food prices and transportation, nationwide.

Also, the prices of various sizes of ram, which is symbolically slaughtered to mark the occasion, went up, forcing many Muslim faithful to settle for alternatives.

However, there was a noticeable influx of passengers across some motor parks in the Federal Capital Territory and its environs.

A visit to the popular Mararaba market, an outskirt of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, domiciled in Nasarawa State, revealed that a bag of pepper, called tatashe, was N200,000 as against N130,000 the previous week.

A bag of chilli pepper now costs N200,000 as against N120,000, while a basket of tomatoes cost N220,000 as against N160,000.

Speaking to DAILY POST, a pepper seller, Mary Ikechukwu, lamented that the cost of pepper has negatively affected their sales.

“The changes in the prices started on Monday, when Hausa traders started travelling back to the North.

“This situation has also rubbed off on our people as customers no longer patronized us as it used to be. I am also not happy the way things are going this year.

“Last year, it was a little better than what we are experiencing this year. Imagine that a lot of people want to celebrate Sallah without having food.

“Some people prefer to buy dried pepper because it is cheaper than the fresh ones,” she said.

At Karu market, prices of food items jumped by almost 300 per cent in some cases within the space of one year.

A trader at the market said, “A basket of tomatoes which was sold between N145,000 and N160,000 in 2024 had risen to N200,000.

DAILY POST also gathered that onions are relatively cheap perhaps, it is in its season.

But, it is still costly compared to what it was in 2024.

An onion seller, who simply gave his name as Mohammed, revealed that a 100kg basket of onions is now selling for N100,000 against N70,000 in 2024.

“Today, a bag of 50kg rice ranges between N50,000 and N65,000 depending on the product and quality,” he added.

In the same way, prices of ram, goat and cow in the Federal Capital Territory have soared.

In Abuja, ram sellers attributed the high cost of ram to insecurity and low supply from the Northwest.

Checks by DAILY POST revealed that a medium-sized cow ranged from N700,000 to as high as N1.5 million; a ram ranged from N250,000 to N700,000 and a goat from N100,000 to N150,000 depending on bargaining strength.

A ram trader, Ibrahim Abubakar, who spoke to DAILY POST, said patronage has been decent, but with an interesting twist.

“The patronage this year is not bad, but I have noticed that people are buying more cows than rams.

“I believe the reason behind this shift is that cows are more economical and offer better value for money.

“When families or even groups of friends come together, they can share a cow and still fulfill the sacrifice. That way, instead of each person buying a ram for over N500,000, they split the cost.

“The cheapest cow you can get right now is around N800,000, while the cheapest ram starts at about N550,000. Prices also vary depending on the size and weight of the animal.

“I have contacted my sources for more cows, but the market price has gone up since last week. It’s a volatile market, and prices can change quickly,” Abubakar said.

Another seller, Shehu Adamu, said he observed that people are weighing their options for this year’s Sallah, stating that they have been buying more cows.

“I was surprised to see some buyers turning to cows, and this trend has been on for weeks.

“However, many still prefer ram for Sallah because it’s about tradition and religious significance.

“The ram is the symbolic animal for the sacrifice, and that’s not something easily replaced.

“Prices have gone up this year, an average size ram now costs between N550,000 and N700,000 depending on the size and breed. But despite that, the demand remains steady.

“Some people have been buying younger rams because they are less expensive but still acceptable.

“The younger rams are sold for between N130,000 and N250,000,” Shehu said.

A buyer, Alhaji Sani Ali, who confirmed the trend, said buying a cow seems like a better option.

“We are a family of eight, and instead of buying two small rams, we joined with my brother-in-law and bought a cow.

“It cost us N950,000, but we split it. Everyone still gets to perform their sacrifice and save money.

“Traditionally, rams are the preferred animal for Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah). However, economic realities have changed things, and we must find a way to adapt,” he said.

A civil servant, Gimba Audu explained that he used to buy at least two rams to celebrate the festival with his parents and children.

Audu said the amount spent in 2024 to buy two rams is what he spent buying one this year.

“I bought the two rams for N250,000 each but this year, I got one for N470,000. Instead of buying two, I called my siblings and we contributed to buy a cow to support the ram I bought,” he said.

Also, a welder, Musa Nurudeen said he had no plan to buy a ram this year considering the cost implications.

“I cannot afford to buy a ram this year. The price of a big ram ranges from N550,000 to N800,000.

“Where will I get such money? I decided to take two of the goats I am rearing to celebrate the festival. Allah will understand.

“I wish the government had the power to control prices,” he said.

DAILY POST also gathered that eggs and chickens have also jumped as a crate of eggs is sold between N6,000 and N7,000 as against 2024 when it was sold for N4,500.

Also, vegetable oil traders said they have observed increased patronage due to the Sallah celebration.

A cooking oil trader at the Nyanya market, Mrs Ngozi Nwachukwu, said the demand for cooking oil increased because of preparations ahead of Sallah.

“The celebration usually increases the demand for groundnut oil. Consumers have been stocking up oil since last week.

“Cooking oil prices have risen, but it is cheaper than last December; a 25-litre container cost N110,000, a price that persisted until April 2025.

“A recent price adjustment, three weeks ago, sets the current rates for groundnut oil at N78,000 for 25 litres, N35,000 for 10 litres, and N18,500 for five litres.

“This is unusual; groundnut oil prices normally surge in December and then decrease by January or February, but it stayed high for a long time,” she said.

For transport, DAILY POST gathered that fares have also surged, with intercity bus operators raising prices as more people travelled to their hometowns for the festival.

At some motor parks in Nyanya, Mararaba and Masaka, all outskirts of the FCT, travelers witnessed transport fares increase, accompanied by stress.

A trader, Ibrahim Saidu, who boarded a car going to Kano with N10,000, blamed commercial drivers waiting for the festive season to exploit commuters.

A couple at Mararaba motor pack traveling to Kaduna State attributed the hike in transport fares to rising fuel price, calling on the federal government to expedite actions to reduce fuel price.

According to the couple, a reasonable reduction of fuel price would drastically reduce the transport charges, even at the festive celebration.

“The price of petrol is still high. This also contributes to increased transportation costs,” the couple said.

[DailyPost]

Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to extend his stay with Saudi pro side Al Nassr and is even prepared to sign a new deal.

According to Fabrizio Romano’s post on X on Monday, the Portuguese have dismissed rumours of leaving Al Nassr.

The post read, “Cristiano Ronaldo confirms plan to stay at Al Nassr by signing a new deal.

“My future? Basically, nothing is gonna change. Staying at Al Nassr? Yea.”

Recall that the 40-year-old on Sunday helped his national team to secure the Nation’s League for the second time four years after the Nation’s League was unveiled.

Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr in December 2022 on a record-breaking deal, has played a transformative role both on and off the pitch.

His arrival marked a turning point for Saudi football, drawing global attention to the Saudi Pro League and triggering a wave of high-profile signings across the league.

During his time at Al Nassr so far, Ronaldo has delivered impressive performances, scoring consistently and helping the club remain competitive at the top level. His presence has not only boosted the club’s visibility but also played a key role in the league’s growing popularity worldwide.

The announcement of his continued stay is seen as a significant boost for Al Nassr and the Saudi Pro League as a whole. It also signals Ronaldo’s long-term commitment to the ambitious football project unfolding in the region.

[Punch]

Your weeping is turning into joy! You know the story of this woman married to a Levite from the Clan of Zuph called Elkanah. Although, he had two wives – Hannah and Peninnah, Elkanah loved Hannah so much, even when she was yet to have children for him. Peninnah, the co –wife already had children for their husband, and instead of being thankful, decided to taunt the other wife. Look at the way bible put it,  “But Peninnah made fun of Hannah because the Lord had closed her womb. Year after year it was the same – Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Hannah would finally be reduced to tears and would not even eat.”1 Samuel 1: 6-7 

  I want you to fully appreciate the condition of this woman – Hannah. This was a young, beautiful, promising woman who left her father’s house and got married, with the hope of having all the blessings that go with marriage – including children. But this was not to be. Though, she had a loving husband, the co-wife made her life miserable. Each time Hannah made some positive efforts to move on with life in spite of being barren, the co-wife Peninnah would quickly remind of her the position of a barren woman in a family, especially in a polygamous one. And as a result, Hannah would soak herself with tears. In very deep anguish she would cry bitterly and even refuse to eat. This was the situation of this woman for so many years. 

   You may not appreciate what this woman was going through unless you have been in a similar situation. One of the greatest trials any one could go through in this life is childlessness. This explains the reason why people go to any length to seek the fruit of the womb. Some even step into forbidden places. Others drink horrible concoctions, just to see that they have babies like others. Some weep uncontrollably in their closets and ask God why He should allow them to pass such situations. Yes! Children are that important.   Children are like crown on their parents. They are sweet companions for the present, security for your old age and also a guarantee for the continuation of your name and a link to your next generation. Even God recognizes the importance of them and promised that no barren woman shall be found in His house. Then, you may also listen to the Psalmist. I think his is a profound declaration on the importance of children,   “Children are a gift from the LORD, they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior’s hands. How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame, when he confronts his accusers at the City gates” Psalm 127: 3-5. 

  Did you read that? That is true. Hannah understood all this and each time the reality dawns on her, the bible says that she would be reduced to tears. Her life was bitter. She even refused to be consoled by her husband’s love and care. Yes, because what she wanted was a child and nothing less. You will agree with me that this woman was humiliated, and was actually sitting in ashes and shame. Yes, for a very long time! There may be a particular thing you’re expecting from God; that is paramount to your destiny. Or you could even be exactly in Hannah’s shoes – childless, unproductive. I want to tell you that all hope is not yet lost. We have a God that can turn ashes into beauty. I have seen Him giving children to hitherto childless couple. What He did in the bible He is repeating even in own time. He has not changed. He said that He made you to be fruitful. So you must not accept that you’re barren. He wants you to be fruitful in every area of your life.

Professor Jibril  Muhammed Aminu, formerly known as Aminu  Song, passed away on June 5, 2025. May his great soul find eternal rest. It was with deep sorrow the ruling elites rose in unison praising his undeniable academic brilliance. True, the demise of a member of any group reminds the rest that despite whatever acquisitions made, they are mere mortals.

The Presidency described the late cardiologist as one of the country’s most decorated medical professionals who “straddled his profession and politics exceptionally, bringing erudition and brilliance to statecraft”. Vice President Kashim Shettima claimed Aminu was “the last of the great titans, an iconic figure, who enormously contributed to the development of the nation… He is irreplaceable.”

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, wrote that his contributions in medicine, academia and “the growth of democracy in Nigeria remain legendary, and his demise a huge loss to humanity”. Ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki described him as “a rare kind of public servant, one who brought excellence and purpose to every role he held”. One-time National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George, posited that Aminu was: “A man of great intellect and integrity, whose service to humanity and Nigeria, inspired generations.” The tributaries of tributes continue to flow from various sources, but they are, essentially, a single narration, and a different interpretation of his role is possible.

For instance, he came to national attention in 1978 when as the Secretary of the Nigerian University Commission, NUC, he announced  astronomical per cent increases  in feeding and accommodation fees across all universities. This announcement led to the April 1978 Students Uprising in which students, school children and some other Nigerians were shot dead. The argument could be that he was ‘merely doing his job’. But even at that he showed no empathy. 

One argument could be that he was serving in a military dictatorship, and therefore had no choice but to follow orders. However, when five years later,  the country was under constitutional order and he was fully in charge of a tertiary institution as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, the Supreme Court found he was intolerant, dictatorial, dismissive of basic rules and procedures, excessive in reaction and arbitrary in handling grievances. This was to the extent of denying about five hundred students he accused of crimes, including arson, fair hearing.

The crises in the university began in January 1983 when a Professor of Medicine who was virtually in charge of the new School of Medicine, was late in resumption from the Christmas break due to the well-known epileptic flight schedules from Lagos. When the Professor, said to be a professional mentor of Aminu, arrived, he had a query waiting for him. Angered that there was a lack of empathy, he tore the query and took the next flight back to Lagos. His exit threatened the medicine programme and the pioneer students of the faculty were told they could not take their final examinations. They took their case to the Students Union with Paul Zadok, later the Hamman of Bachama, as President.

The union tried to persuade Aminu to reach some understanding with the Professor so the medical students would not lose the session, he refused. So the students in solidarity with their colleagues in Medicine decided to boycott classes. On February 2, 1983, the student union called a rally on the issue. The leaders lost control, and tidal waves of students swept through the houses of the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellors, Registrar, bookshop and staff club, damaging property. An enraged Aminu described the incident as a carefully planned but hurriedly executed insurrection.

He claimed some 500 students out of the 4,000-student population were guilty. This number was later scaled down to an alleged core of 100 students. Names were compiled, investigation panel headed by one of the victims established, and the Senate convened. All the 4,000 students were surcharged, and 29 of them, including the union leadership, were expelled. They were found guilty of willful destruction, arson, looting and assault. The students went to the High Court of Justice of Borno State where Justice Adagun set aside the disciplinary measures. The basis was that the students were not given fair hearing, including the right to cross examine any witness, or for their alibi to be checked out.

The university proceeded to the Appeal Court before Nasir, Akanbi, Agbaje, Ogundare and Abdullahi, JJ.C.A.  The Appeal Court, while agreeing with the High Court that the students were not given fair hearing, however, ruled that the lower court ought to have referred the matter back to the university to correct itself.  The students, with Chief Gani Fawehinmi handling their case pro bono, headed for the Supreme Court before Obaseki, Eso, Nnamani, Uwais, Coker, Kawu, Oputa JJ.S.C.

The Supreme Court found that the university grossly violated the fundamental rights of the students and ruled that: “Government functionaries, be they legislative, executive, or judicial, cannot act in contravention of such rights and if the rights are to be taken away, it is the Constitution itself which has to be amended.” Secondly, that the: “Disciplinary Board into which the Senate at its meeting was constituted did not investigate the matter or conduct any inquiry of its own… It never satisfied itself that the appellants were guilty of the offences charged before proceeding to impose the punishment.”

Thirdly, that: “Guilt in criminal matters is left for the ascertainment of courts of law or other tribunals before it is accepted and acted upon by Administrative Tribunals.” Also, that since the students were accused of destroying university property under the institution’s authorities: “The vice-chancellor and other officers are vital witnesses and cannot be a judge in their own cause. It is also the law that a visitor cannot be a judge in his own cause.” So, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the students and they returned to their studies.

There are also encomiums showered on Aminu for serving the country as Education and then,  Petroleum Minister for three years from 1989, and in the 1994 National Conference. However, there are those that can point out that these are in the service of  the brutal military regimes of Babangida and Abacha which ousted the jurisdiction of the courts, were anti-democracy and sought to perpetuate themselves  in power.

In the post-military era, he was appointed Ambassador to the United States by President Olusegun Obasanjo that he had served in the 1970s when the latter was a military dictator. He was also a two term Senator. People have the fundamental right to assess Aminu from their perspectives. All I pray is that God Almighty forgives him his short comings. Ameen.

“Mice are mice; that is why mouse traps work.”

President Bola Tinubu’s fresh request to the National Assembly to approve external loans totalling $24.14 billion is tiresome. 

Once again, it raises concerns that Nigeria is hurtling towards a fiscal precipice, with public debt increasing at an alarming rate even as government revenues show signs of recovery.”  Editorialof a national newspaper, June 1, 2025. The Editorial was right about the likely repercussions of the new loan request, but, wrong in the assertion that “government revenues show signs of recovery”. Quite the contrary; when government revenues are measured in dollars, rather than Naira, the picture of dismal performance will be revealed. It is because the government’s dollar revenues, have declined relative to budget, that the FG is once again going cap in hand again in search of loans. In fact, VANGUARD had anticipated the loan request in articles published earlier this year. 

BUDGETARY ILLUSION

“The most obstinate illusions are ultimately broken by facts.”

Trevor Roper, 1914-2003, in The Last Days of Hitler.

Nothing is more dangerous than a positive and convincing illusion. Most government leaders, in times of social and economic stress, dispense them liberally. Jonathan, Buhari and now, Tinubu have led us into a greater debt trap for the same reason. The major cause is budgetary illusion. The three Presidents fell into the same trap which is now creating a swelling tide of fiscal gloom threatening the nation’s future. The $24.14 billion loan request might not even be the last in 2025. The most unfortunate fact about the loan lies in the fact that no realistic revenue projections can reassure Nigerians that it can be repaid without more borrowing.

At the heart of our perpetual fiscal gloom is the refusal of every President to admit that Nigeria cannot now, if ever, produce 2 million barrels per day, 2mbpd, of fuel and export that quantity. May 2025 production figures will soon be available; and if it follows the pattern from January to April, the real output would be about 1.5mbpd. The shortfall of 500,000 barrels per day or 14 million barrels for the month will result in a negative revenue variance of $1.125 billion for the month alone or $5.625 billion cumulatively for five months.

 Additionally, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the budget for 2025 was more of a political document than an economic projection. My personal experience on the budget committee of a US multinational taught me that the success or failure of every budget, given foreseeable occurrences, depends on no more than five factors whose forecasts must be as accurate as possible. For Nigeria, the most important are: crude oil exports; average crude prices, exchange rates and internally generated revenue. The disparity, especially negative, between the actual and the projected figures should not be too wide; otherwise the budget is in trouble. Deficits will exceed what was budgeted and fresh loans will be needed. That has been the national experience since 2013. On the last Saturday of December 2024, I made a forecast in the WEEKEND VANGUARD; stating emphatically that “crude oil exports will probably not exceed 1.5mbpd in 2025”. The FG budgeted 2.06mbpd. As we start June, five months are already behind us. The results explain why Tinubu is asking for $24.14bn loans. Instead of 2mbpd, Nigeria has produced just about 1.5mbpd; 42 million barrels a month and 210 million barrels in five months and about $8.6bn negative variance has occurred. That is bad enough. Every single barrel produced had been sold for less than the $75 budget benchmark by at least $10; that has created another $2.1bn shortfall. The request for $24.14bn must have included anticipated negative variances in the last seven months.

“Global oil demand growth is projected to slow from 990kb/d in Q125 to 650kb/d for the remainder of the year as economic headwinds and record EV sales curb use.” Google Report.

Nigerian governments, even when Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, under President Jonathan, had been behaving as if the nation is an island existing by itself without regard to global economic events and our obligations to organisations worldwide which restrain our freedom to act – particularly with respect to crude oil production and export. This particular illusion has resulted each year in unintended consequences. Okonjo-Iweala started it in 2013 when she presented the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, which projected 2mbpd of crude to be produced by Nigeria for 2013 to 2015. This projection was made against the background of the quota approved for Nigeria by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC – which was 1.7mbpd. Everybody in government, then and now, knows that Nigeria could not unilaterally exceed its production quota without serious repercussions.

 Furthermore, Nigeria’s Minister for Petroleum Resources who attended the meeting at which the quotas were determined for each country, was aware of the major reason. High crude prices were threatening a global recession; demand was declining; and the only way to keep prices up was to reduce supply. Why the FG proposed 2mbpd in the 2014 Budget remains a mystery given Okonjo-Iweala’s grasp of economics. The target was missed in 2014; yet, the FG went ahead and projected the same figure in the 2015 Budget – with OPEC quota remaining the same. Again, Nigeria failed to produce 2mbpd of crude.”Most of the problems a President has to face have their roots in the past.”US President Harry Truman, 1884-1972.

Buhari inherited a budget designed to fail from Jonathan. He compounded the calamity by taking three steps which have paved the way for the hell in which Nigerians are living now. One, he delayed the appointment of Ministers; he appointed an Accountant as Finance Minister; and, above all, he accepted the 2mbpd fiction as the basis of the eight budgets he presented to the National Assembly, NASS. Tinubu received the 2023 Budget which was doomed to fail right from the start and followed Buhari down the familiar road of basing budgets on wishful thinking instead of the hard rock of reality. Predictably, Tinubu, has presented two straight budgets based on 2mbpd. The 2024 Budget failed woefully. The 2025 is now getting unravelled by the global factors which all our Presidents and their economic advisers choose to ignore.

THE RISE OF EV; THE DEATH OF PETROL FUELLED CARS

“Everything comes to an end.” That was wisdom drilled into my head by my parents; which had been reinforced by studies and personal experience. The rise and enduring reign of fossil fuels were made possible by vehicles driven by their products.

The Age of Oil is over. China, the USA, Europe and now India, account for almost 75 per cent of global consumption of fuel. All of them are moving away from fossil fuel. Even Saudi is building hydrogen fuel capacity. Very few new cars requiring petrol are now being produced. Who will consume 2mbpd of crude – assuming we can produce it?

Tinubu urgently needs people who can write realistic financial budgets.

Mike Ejeagha, popularly known as “Gentleman Mike Ejeagha,” was a celebrated Nigerian folklorist, songwriter, and musician born on April 4, 1930, in Imezi Owa, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Growing up in Coal Camp, Enugu, in a family headed by a civil servant father, he developed a passion for music early, playing the ogene and later learning guitar from local musicians Moses “Moscow” Aduba and Cyprian Uzochiawa.

Ejeagha began his music career in the mid-20th century, joining local groups like the Coal Camp Boys and later forming his own band, Mike Ejeagha and the Merrymakers, in 1950. That same year, he was invited by Atu Ona, Controller of the Nigerian Broadcasting Service, to audition and subsequently hosted a radio program titled Guitar Playtime, which marked the start of his broadcasting career. He also formed a larger band called Premier Dance Band and played with the Paradise Rhythm Orchestra, blending indigenous sounds with Ghanaian highlife influences.

His breakthrough came in 1960, the year of Nigeria’s independence, with the hit song “Ofu Nwa Anaaa,” which drew on folklore and helped shape Igbo language music. During the Nigerian Civil War, he disbanded his group but continued producing music on Radio Nigeria with a program called Igbo Play, even playing for soldiers as the war progressed. After the war, in 1974, he formed Gentleman Mike Ejeagha and His Trio, continuing to influence Igbo folk music.

Ejeagha was also a storyteller who combined research with his musical craft, producing over 350 songs throughout his career. He experienced personal losses, including the death of his first wife in 1963, whom he honored with an album, and he had ten children. He recorded under Premier Music Ltd and Polygram Label.

Mike Ejeagha passed away on June 6, 2025, leaving behind a rich legacy as a pioneer and custodian of Igbo folk music and culture over more than six decades.

In summary, Mike Ejeagha’s life and times reflect a deep commitment to preserving and evolving Igbo musical traditions, blending folklore with contemporary influences, and using radio and live performances to reach audiences even through challenging periods like the civil war.

[Vanguard]