•72 lawmakers, Zulum, Tambuwal reject bills, APC slams critics as northern group protests

The House of Representatives has suspended indefinitely the debate on the Tax Reforms Bills earlier fixed for Tuesday following mounting pressure from the 19 northern states governors, The PUNCH reports.

The planned debate was called off in a memo signed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Dr Yahaya Danzaria, as 73 northern lawmakers kicked against the bills.

Those who rejected the bills include 48 Reps members from the North-East, 24 federal lawmakers from Kano and a former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, who represents Sokoto South Senatorial District.

The memo suspending the debate dated November 30, 2024 is titled, ‘Rescheduling of Special Session on Tax Reform Bills.’

It read, “I am directed by the House leadership to inform all Honourable Members that the special session, initially scheduled for Tuesday, December 3, 2024, to discuss all the tax reform bills, has been postponed to a later date.

“This rescheduling is due to the need for further and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders. A new date and venue for the session will be communicated in due course. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.”

A leaked video of the closed-door session of the Green Chamber obtained by The PUNCH showed the North-East lawmakers in tense debates against the tax reform bills.

The footage shows the member representing Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok Federal Constituency, Borno State, saying, “On behalf of the 48 honourable members from the ravaged North-East sub-region, I want to first of all rely on the position of the three previous caucus leaders. In addition to this, the primary responsibility of every government is simply the welfare of its citizens.

“North-East, even before the insurgency, was the poorest region in Nigeria. Today, our people have been turned into beggars. Billionaires and millionaires of yesterday have to queue up in IDP camps in host communities to collect 10kg bags of rice.

“If other parts of the country were in our shoes, even this sitting would not be possible. We have concluded that we are going to make further consultations because there is nothing that is cast in stone.”

Giving an insight into the development during the closed-door session, a lawmaker from the North-West, stated, “As the representatives of the people, we have resolved to continue our consultation on the matter,” adding that “Things degenerated almost to a point of rebellion against the Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu who presided over the executive session.”

According to him, what transpired during Thursday’s executive session indicate that the bills may not have a smooth ride in the House.

“From what I can deduce, the Governors of the North are not yet convinced about the arguments in favour of the bills.  The bills are against the interest of the North and that is why we are saying, ‘if you think this is not the case, give us more time to consult with our people.’

“The speed with which they want these bills considered and passed is suspicious. This is why our governors are not convinced and we are not convinced either,” he noted.

The PUNCH reported that on September 3, 2024 President Bola Tinubu transmitted four tax reforms bills to the National Assembly for consideration following the recommendations of the Taiwo Oyedele-led Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms.

The bills include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which aims to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, which will provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.

Others are the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, expected to repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service as well as the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which will create a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.

On October 29, 2024, the Northern Governors Forum, the umbrella body comprising the 19 governors of the region, kicked against the bill, particularly the Value Added Tax-sharing template.

At a gathering in Kaduna, the governors directed federal lawmakers from their respective states to vote against the bills when they came up for debate in both chambers of the National Assembly.

Two days later, the National Economic Council presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima advised the Federal Government to withdraw the bills to create room for broader consultations among critical stakeholders, a counsel turned down by the President in a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.

Last week, the Tajudeen Abbas-led 10th House spent over two hours in executive session to forge a common front on the bills, only to emerge to announce the continuation of consultation ahead of the debate on the general principles of the bills.

One of our correspondents gathered that the bills would have been debated on Tuesday, but the intense pressure on lawmakers fuelled by Friday’s remark of Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, may have triggered the postponement of the debate yet again.

Zulum was quoted in an interview with BBC as saying, “Why the rush? The Petroleum Industry Bill took almost 20 years before it was finally passed. But this tax reform bill is being transmitted and receiving legislative attention within a week. It should be treated carefully and with caution so that even after our exit, our children will reap its benefits.

“We condemn these bills sent to the National Assembly. They will drag the North backwards and also affect the South East, South West, and some South-Western states like Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo.”

In what appeared a reminder of how Tinubu was elected the President, Zulum urged him not to gloss over the role the North played in his election.

He added, “This is not opposition. Based on our understanding, this bill will destroy the North entirely. We call on President Tinubu to review this decision. He secured 60 per cent of his votes from the North. He should not listen to those telling him the North is not supporting him. What we need is the withdrawal of these tax bills.”

Zulum, on Sunday, however, stated that he was not an enemy of President Tinubu’s administration, insisting that if the four tax bills were passed into law, only one of the 36 states – Lagos – would be the major beneficiary.

The governor made the clarification on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said, “I am a strong member of the APC. If you are to count two governors who have been in support of Tinubu from 2019 to 2023, you can mention Prof Zulum. I was the first governor to come out publicly to say that power must go to the South.

“Unfortunately, the President was told by many that the North is against him. About 60.2 per cent of his votes came from the North. On this tax issue, there are a lot of misconceptions. During the NEC, we advised the Federal Government to pause for a moment to have a deeper consultation with stakeholders. That was our own statement.

“But later on, people turned it upside down. I want you to believe that our consultation is central to democracy and in a democratic setting, we are begging for the right to be consulted. This is only what has happened.”

Zulum added, “I am not an economist. But based on the calculations we did, only Lagos will benefit from, this scheme. However, we have had a series of consultation with the FIRS team and had a meeting with the tax team of Lagos State. Lagos told me that they will lose a lot if this implemented. They said ‘We did our research and concluded we will lose.’

“Then why are we in a rush? Not only in Northern Nigeria, the Southeast, South-South and even the Southwest will be severely affected. Only Lagos will benefit from this scheme. But what we are telling them is to give us time. Why are we in a rush? Let us pause and do deeper consultation because we are in a democracy.

“We should look at the nitty-gritty of these bills before passing into law. This is our only bone of contention. And then people are saying Prof Zulum and the governors are against the president. This is a democratic setting. People want us to run a garrison democracy. Most of these monies will go to Lagos. We need more time.” 

Lawmakers reject bills

Corroborating the position of their state governor,Abba Kabir Yusuf, the 24 federal lawmakers from Kano State have also rejected the tax bills.

The decision was adopted during a state caucus meeting on Sunday chaired by the Kano State Deputy Governor, Aminu  Gwarzo, and attended by many state representatives.

The member representing Kumbotso Federal Constituency, Idris Dankawu, stated, “To clarify this issue, I want to inform the people of Kano State, especially the residents of Kumbotso Federal Constituency,  that based on the outcome of our meeting, we are against the proposed tax reform bills. We have agreed to work collectively to ensure that the bill is withdrawn in the overall interest of the good people of Kano State.

 “Let me reassure the good people of Kumbotso Federal Constituency that your views, opinions and yearnings will continue to receive my utmost attention and care.”

A former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, similarly thumbed down the bills.

Tambuwal made his position known during the distribution of relief materials to victims of flooding as well as handing over starter packs to over one thousand beneficiaries of skills acquisition in his senatorial district on Sunday.

He condemned the timing of the bill, which he said was wrong and not in tune with the demands of the citizens.

He said, “Let me use the opportunity of this platform to address the issue that is raging for now; the issue of Tax reform as presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“I believe this is a wrong time for any upward review of either VAT or any form of tax, the time is inauspicious, the time is very wrong.

“These are hard times for the people of Nigeria and what they are going through. What we require of the government is for it to focus on projects and programmes that will bring succour and relief to the people and not increase their hardship.

“Already, we are facing the hardship occasioned by the devaluation of the naira and removal of fuel subsidy that was done by this regime. I believe we should focus on managing the hardship and see how we can bring our people out of hardship.

“The recent statistics of National Bureau of Statistics shows that over 30 million Nigerians are already in abject poverty.”

APC lawmakers lobby

Meanwhile, two lawmakers elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Philip Agbese and Babajimi Benson, have been canvassing support for the bills in the Green Chamber.

Speaking with our correspondent, Agbese, who represents Ado/Ogbadigbo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency,  Benue State, said, “We are rallying support, trying to convince our colleagues because these tax bills intend to take the burden away from poor people and small companies.”

On his part, Benson, who represents Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Lagos State and who has been a consistent advocate for the bills explained, “We have all seen the merits in the bill but we are all lobbying ourselves to make the final document accepted.”

On why the debate on the bills was put on hold, Benson said, “We understand that the tax bills have generated so much interest. We understand that as a family, broader consultations need to be done, we all need one another. We need to separate the issues; we need to ensure that contentious issues are identified and negotiated.

“We believe that in the fullness of time, the tax reforms proposed by Mr President will be adjudged as a game-changing initiative.”

In line with the position of the northern leaders, the Coalition of Northern Groups, Gombe State chapter, expressed strong opposition to the proposed tax reform bills, citing concerns that it may exacerbate regional disparities and negatively impact the economic well-being of the northern region.

In a statement signed by the state coordinator, Muhammad Deba, on Saturday, the group stated, “The new VAT regime could further widen the economic gap between the North and South. This could lead to social unrest, migration, and other negative consequences.

“The government has not provided sufficient data and analysis to justify the proposed changes to the VAT sharing formula. Without transparent and evidence-based decision-making, the potential negative impacts of the reform cannot be accurately assessed.”

Oyo’s stand

The Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, on Sunday, disclosed that the state government fully backed the National Economic Council’s position on the controversial tax bills.

Olanrewaju, who spoke with The PUNCH in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said NEC’s position would enable the bill to meet the needs of the people.

“Well, I don’t have a response to whether it will affect the payment of salaries of civil servants or not, but I would like you to recall that the council at its meeting advised the President to withdraw the bills and allow for more discussions and consultations.

“And you will recall that all the governors were there, the past governors were there. My governor, Seyi Makinde, was the one that read the position of the council. My governor communicated the positions of the council. So, it remains the position of the Oyo State Government, that we need more consultations.

“The governor was not saying withdraw or stop the reform. To make it more effective, address the needs of the people, and correct the imbalances that have existed, it requires wider consultations and that is the position of the state. But whether it will affect the payment of salaries or not, I don’t have that information.”

Afenifere backs bill

However, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, however, threw its weight behind the controversial bills.

The group, which disagreed with some other socio-cultural groups in the country, argued that Tinubu meant well for the country with the bills, which have passed the second reading in the Senate.

The Organising Secretary of the group, Abagun Omololu, explained that the bills had potential economic benefits for all regions, including the northern region.

He said, “Afenifere is in support of the tax reform for its promise of economic revival. We have noted that the bills are a crucial step towards stimulating the Nigerian economy, hence with the tax system reform, we hope for improvement of revenue generation at both federal and state levels. This is essential for funding critical infrastructure and social services that will benefit all Nigerians, including those in the North.

“After due scrutiny and consideration, we agree that the proposed changes to VAT administration are designed to align revenue sharing more closely with consumption patterns, affording states to receive funding based on actual economic activity rather than historical allocations.”

On its part, the Middle Belt Forum said it would support any reform that engendered justice and fairness among the federating units and put the country on the path of development.

The MBF National President, Bitrus Pogu, said the bills should be subjected to scrutiny by experts to enable Nigerians have a better understanding of the issues at stake.

“When an aspect of something is being considered rather than the holistic view, you are likely to land into a problem and that is the issue with those opposed to the tax reforms bills.

“The problem they are having is the aspect of revenue sharing, which the bills seem to have tried to make commensurate with revenue generation. I think that is where the problem is. We in Nigeria like to enjoy benefits and reap where we didn’t show. All of us have been depending on oil for all these years. This oil is a depleting resource but it is coming from somewhere,” he stated.

APC faults critics

Lending its support to the bills, the APC called for the understanding of Nigerians, saying the bills were intended to stimulate the nation’s fiscal policy framework.

 The clarification was made by the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, in an interview with The PUNCH.

Ajibola also warned the critics of the tax reforms to desist from painting President Tinubu as a dictator.

He said, “We are not in a dictatorship where the President will by fiat make a resolution. There is separation of powers. The executive has initiated the bill. So, it is for the National Assembly, which comprises representatives from all over the country, to determine whether the bill will pass or not.

 “It is not the prerogative of only the President. People must not see him as a dictator. So, if the bill eventually passes, it will be because it has passed the test of acceptability by the majority of the Nigerian people as represented in the National Assembly.

“Secondly, a bill is only passed after it has been subjected to public hearing. What has happened now is that the bills have passed a second reading. It will now go to the committee stage from where there will be a public hearing.”

In his intervention, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called for transparency and fairness in the ongoing review of the bills.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election expressed concern over the uneven development across Nigeria’s federating units, stressing the importance of a fiscal system that ensured justice and equity.

[Punch]

The Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC, and Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, are at war over the overloading of products at the refinery.

While PHRC accused tanker drivers of being responsible for the low pace of loading of petroleum products at the facility, PTD, through its umbrella body, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, dismissed the allegation, saying the company was being economical with the truth..

Meanwhile, Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria, MEMAN, Petroleum Products Retail Outlets owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN and National President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, said they were ready to lift products and were working on it.

When Vanguard visited the Area 5 of the refinery, yesterday, about 3p.m., refining of petroleum products was ongoing.

A source in the facility said the refinery produces daily, adding that it has maintained its production status as disclosed earlier on Tuesday.

Also, at the loading bay of the refinery, three trucks were being loaded, while seven others were standing by within the bay to be loaded.

It was observed that of the 18 loading points in the facility, only three were in use.
It was further observed that only tankers with NNPC insignia were loading and seen within the premises of the refinery.

Although the facility was not bustling with life, activities were on going within the loading bay and the production area.

‘Loading hasn’t stopped since last Tuesday’

The Terminal Manager of Port Harcourt Refinery, Worlu Joel, disclosed that the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC, arm of the refinery was working and that loading of trucks has not stopped since Tuesday.

He noted that the facility has the capacity of loading 100 trucks in an hour, but that out of the 18 points, 11 were functional at the moment.

He said out of the 11, only three were being used because the facility was delivering optimally.

Joel said: “This is PPMC loading arm. We have 11 loading bays that are functional but because of the capacity, it has a huge capacity to deliver, so we are using three at the moment because it is efficient.

“Out of the three, each one has the capacity of loading three trucks in 15 minutes. A truck is 45,000 litres minimum. We have the ones of 60,000 litres. Already, we have loaded more than 10 trucks.

“So, before the close of work yesterday, just in the next one hour, we are going to evacuate minimum of 15 trucks.”

Joel said that there were enough products but that tankers drivers are not coming up to load, calling on tankers drivers to come on to load.

He said: “We have surplus products available. We have our loading arms operational and we have been begging them to come in since, yesterday but because today is weekend that is why they have not turned up.

“If you give us 100 trucks yesterday, we will evacuate it in less than five hours. So, it is not our problem if there are no loading trucks, it is the tanker drivers’ problem. We have been begging them since yesterday to come around and take the products but they didn’t turn up, it was just this morning (yesterday) after pleading with them that they came.”

NUPENG denies PHRC allegation

General Secretary of NUPENG, Mr. Afolabi Olawale, while reacting to the development, told Vanguard that the management of PHRC was lying.

“The management is economical with the truth. People should know how we operate. We (tanker drivers) cannot just drive into the refinery to load products. The marketers buy the products and contract the employers of tankers drivers, Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO.

“It is only when NARTO informs tanker drivers where there are products for loading that we can go in and load. We are ready at all times to load products when and where products are available,” he added.

All supply sources will be explored —MEMAN

Reacting on the readiness of Port Harcourt refinery to flood the market with petroleum products, yesterday, the Cheif Executive Officer, Mr. Clement Isong, said its members were ready to do business with the Port Harcourt refinery.

Isong, said: “All product supply sources will be explored.”

We’ve submitted application — PETROAN

On his part, the Chairman of Mr. Billy Gillis-Harry, said the association had submitted an application and was waiting for a response from the refinery.

He said: “PETROAN is ready to do business with all refineries. Already, we have submitted an application at the refinery portal. We are waiting for its response. We intend to do business with the refinery.”

We look forward to lifting from Port harcourt Refinery —IPMAN

National President, IPMAN, Alhaji Abubakar Shettima, expressed happiness at the reopening of the refinery, describing it as good news.

Alhaji Shettima said marketers could not say much about the reopening as they have not had any prior discussions with NNPC.

“We feel very happy and it is good news for everybody. We are happy with the new development. But we cannot say much. We will wait for NNPC to disclose the price it will sell its products and that will determine how marketers will react,” he stated.

Community happy as refinery resumes operation

Meanwhile, the Chief Security Officer of Alesa Eleme, Dibia Isaiah, expressed joy that the facility in their community has resumed full operation.

Isaiah said: “Everybody is seeing it live and direct that production is on. I suspect it was the enemy of this rehabilitation that is peddling the rumours.

“But you can witness what is going on here, I am one of the loaders from the host community; I have loaded four trucks this morning. Tomorrow, we will load more, there is no time we will not load.

“This is a very busy period us. I wonder why people are giving out fake information just to run down the management. It is not good. I want to urge Nigerians to disregard such rumours.”

[Vanguard]

Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun, says his administration prioritised the development of the western part of the state because it has been neglected for a long time.

Speaking at the Oronna Day Celebration in Yewa south LGA of the state, Abiodun said the Ogun west senatorial district has not been given the needed attention despite being the food basket of Ogun.

The governor said his administration has inaugurated at least one road project in the western part of the state.

“When I assumed office and for some reasons, most of my predecessors did not accord this zone the place and attention it deserved,” he said.

“Kabiyesi called me and said ‘before you, all that happened here is that they will do some groundbreaking but they never commissioned any project in this local government or in this zone’ and I told kabiyesi that the narrative will change.

“We will do ground breaking and we will also commission projects. I beat my chest and proudly say that we have done just that.

“The very important arteria road that connects the local government area to Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government Area and other five local government areas is the Ilaro -Owode road.

“We totally reconstructed it and the journey that took probably two and a half hours now takes a few minutes.”

On his part, Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president, commended the government’s efforts in developing the state.

The deputy senate president said Oronna Day could be used as a “developmental tool and a source of foreign exchange earnings”.

[TheCable]

I am not anti-semitic and I have many Jewish friends who I hold in high esteem.

I recognise the fact that there are millions of Jews all over the world, particularly in Europe, Russia, Iran, Ethiopia and even in the United States of America itself, who have publicly renounced the excesses and atrocities of the Zionists and who seek nothing but peace, fellowship, love, fraternity and mutual respect with their non-Jewish neighbours.

Having said this I must also put on record my utter disgust and disdain for the Zionists and for Zionism itself which is a political construct and philosophy that I consider to be akin to apartheid and therefore evil.

It is a philosophy that is espoused by those that can best be described as intellectual barbarians and cultural hegemons.

To add to this I feel nothing but repugnance, contempt and revulsion for the racism and fanaticism of the Ashkenazi Jews, the progenitors and primary promoters of Zionism, who the Allied powers of World War 11, at the behest and with the money of the stupendously wealthy Rothschild family, established Israel for and handed her over to in 1948.

The Ashkenazi were and still are essentially proxies and agents of the Rothschilds and the Western powers, the enforcers of their purpose and collective will in the Middle East and the protectors of their numerous interests in that region.

From inception they constituted themselves into the rich, elite and all-powerful ruling political class of the Jewish State despite the fact that they were nothing but a bunch of non-semitic white primarily Eastern European colonial settlers and immigrants, who were not even originally Jewish but only converted to Judaism in the 8th century and who saw and still see every other true Jew including the Sephardic Jews and the real Semites (including the Palestinians) as being inferior to them and unfit to lead their nation.

In a clumsy attempt to cover their non-semitic origins and obscure the fact that they have no genetic link with the people of the Middle East from the outset they banned all DNA testing in Israel and that remains the case till today.

This is because the Askenazi cannot legitimately trace their ancestry back to Israel for more than two generations! That is how crafty they are!

To get a clear picture of precisely what the world is up against this contribution will focus on not just the atrocities of the Zionists and the Zionist state of Israel but will also offer a small glimpse into the dark and frightful history of Jewry generally.

It is not designed or intended to offend or to be an attack on the Jews but rather a historical analysis of some of the unspeakable crimes and injustices they have committed and indulged in over the years that have shaken the foundations of humanity and brought pain and sorrow to millions all over the world.

Let us begin with the most significant event of all which took place 2000 years ago in Jerusalem when the Jews murdered the Son of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by insisting on his crucifiction.

He was hanged on a cross and crucified like a common criminal, inflicting more pain on Him than the human mind can possibly comprehend.

As He bled and suffered, offering no complaint or resistance and instead asking God the Father to "forgive them for their sins", they continued to scream in a rabid frenzy with hate and rage shouting, "let His blood be upon us and our children".

Till today, 2000 years later, they have not expressed any remorse or regret for this cruel and barbaric act against a selfless, sinless, kind, loving, compassionate and innocent soul who we Believers regard as none other than the Lamb of God, the Ancient of Days, the Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings, the long-awaited Messiah and He who came down as God incarnate in the flesh but instead they relish and celebrate it with fervour even going as far as to describe him in their "holy book" called the Talmud as "a fake, a charlatan and a fraud" who according to their twisted and irreverent minds is "now burning in hell where he is eating human faeces".

Over the last 1000 years they spread to virtually every nation taking over the world's banking system and controlling the worlds supply of money with which they promoted and funded revolutions, counter revolutions and wars, built up and destroyed economies, brought Governments and nations to their knees and determined the political future and fate of leaders in the most powerful countries in the world.

Such was the power of the Jews that from 1917, in the persons of two of their most famous sons, Vladimer Lenin and Leon Trotsky, they banned religion and presided over the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Christian clerics and millions of Christians in the Soviet Union after the Bolshevik revolution.

Yet it didn't stop there and their influence continued to permeate the entire world and kept growing.

This awesome power that they had and wielded with impunity incurred the wrath of many in the west including the German Chancellor Adolf Hitler who blamed them for the humiliation and defeat of his country in World War 1 and who, in a classic case of total and complete insanity, sought to wipe them off the face of the earth in what he described in his book 'Mein Kampf' as the "Final Solution" and what the world decribed as "the holocaust".

He proceeded to gas to death no less than 6 million of them together with millions of Slavs, homosexuals and gypsies in horrendous concentration camps: a barbaric, condemnable and heinous act and a graphic example of man's inhumanity to man.

Thankfully Hitler and Nazi Germany lost World War 11 and partly to compensate the Jews for the suffering and persecution that they had suffered in the West generally and the genocide that they endured at the hands of Hitler in Germany specifically they were offered a new homeland in a place known as Palestine which was at the very heart of the Middle East from which they had been exiled and scattered from 2000 years earlier but where millions of Palestinians had always lived and had never left.

This was a recipe for disaster given the fact that the Jews and their concept and philosophy of Zionism regarded themselves as being "the master race" and refused to share the land with anyone else describing themselves as "God's chosen people" who had a divine mandate to forcefully and violently retake what they called "the Promise Land", ethnically cleanse it of all other races and practitioners of other religious faiths and re-establish the old Jewish Kingdom of the Holy Bible stretching from the borders of Egypt right up to Iran!

To the Zionists everything that existed in that vast space of land and everyone in it belonged to them as treasure, chattel, vassals and slaves.

Consequently with the tacit support of the West and in an attempt to establish this vision and objective, over the last 76 years they have fought, oppressed, undermined, caged, enslaved, dehumanised and subdued the Palestinian people and their Arab neighbours, killed millions of Palestinians and subjected them to genocide and for the last one year alone murdered over 100,000 innocent and defenceless Christian and Muslim Palestinian civilians (mainly women and children) by bombing them with more ordinance and more precision bombs that were dropped in the entire duration of World War 11, slaughtering them with the most sophisticated and deadly weapons and burying them under the rubble of Gaza, subjecting them to what can best be described as a second holocaust.

Such is the mindset of the Zionists that an anti-Zionist secular Israeli activist who lives in Tel Aviv, Gaia Dan, said the following:

"There are only a few hundred anti-Zionist Israelis—about .01% of the adult population—and the vast majority of our society is genocidal.”

 Worst still 80% of the population in Israel are opposed to a two state solution and instead believe in totally subjugating and enslaving whatever number of the Palestinian people that are not eliminated and exterminated and occupying their land.

Simply put they want all Palestinians who they regard as nothing but "human animals" to be nuked, to be scattered all over the world, to be driven into the sea or the Sinai desert and to simply "disappear" and a countless number of their senior Government officials and political leaders, including Minister of Finance Bezalel Smoritch, former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, Minister of Heritage Amihayi Eliyahu and many others have expressed these sentiments publicly.

Today their leader Benjamin Netanyahu has been rightly indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court at the Hague (ICC) and instead of showing any remorse or regret he, his nation, his Zionist supporters and his American backers have threatened the court with sanctions if he is arrested in any of the 124 countries that are signatories to the relevant Treaty and have branded as being "anti-semitic" anyone or group of persons that have expressed concern or outrage about his homicidal, lawless and lunatic behaviour.

 Permit me to share an example of this idiocy.

In his response to the arrest warrant issued on Netanyahu during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity in November 2024, American Senator Lindsay Graham, an unhinged figure who constantly expresses his insatiable lust for war and carnage, said the following:

"You are going to have to pick either the rogue ICC or America. I am working with Senator Tom Cotton to have legislation passed as soon as we can to sanction any country that aids and abets the arrest of any politician in Israel. What they are doing in Israel is trying to prevent a second Holocaust. So, to any ally, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, if you try to help the ICC, we are going to sanction you".

 When Hannity asked what the sanction and penalty would be Graham replied,

“We will crush your economy because we are next. If they can go after Netanyahu why can’t they go after Trump or any other American President under this theory?”

His words confirm the fact that this dangerous, deluded, divisive, toxic and psychotic individual who actually believes that he is still living in the old American "wild west" where lawless and gun-totting cowboys were shooting native Indians for sport and where a drunken all powerful sheriff whose word was law ruled every town with an iron fist and gunned down people at will, is afflicted with what the English common law describes as "a diseased mind".

More importantly the answer to his question can easily be answered with another, namely: why shouldn't the ICC go after Trump or any other American President if they commit war crimes and crimes against humanity?

Are Americans and Israelis above the law or have they, like Ian Flemings' famous fictitious character James Bond (007), been given a licence to kill? If this is the case, who on earth gave it to them?

In reference to the war in Ukraine Graham was also once quoted as saying "it is a good thing to kill Russians!" Is this not madness in its most graphic form?

Senator Lindsay Graham represents everything reprehensible about the American right-wing and I sincerely pray that he and those that think like him in the American Senate do not plunge the world into World War 3 or a nuclear Armageddon.

My question is this: how far do the Zionists have to go and how many more innocent people do they have to kill before we accept the fact that that they are the problem of the world and that their so-called Jewish state must be brought to heel and made accountable for its unspeakable actions?

To the Christian that says we must love them no matter what heinous crime they commit I say the following: the greatest of all commandments is to love our God with all our soul and all our might whilst the second greatest is to love our fellow men and treat them in the way we wish to be treated ourselves.

To applaud genocide and to support the ethnic cleansing of an entire race that are Gods creation, no matter what they may or may not have done, runs contrary to both of these sacred commandments and cannot be justified by some far fetched notion that the Jew is not subject to the laws of God and man.

We want a better world: a world where the Christian, the Jew, the Muslim, the Hindu and indeed all men and women of faith are regarded as one and bound together in peace and love by their common humanity and manifest destiny.

Yet it appears that the United States of America, once described by President Ronald Reagan as "a shining city on a hill" and the "hope of humanity", is determined to deny us such a world.

Mr. Chris Hedges, the highly celebrated and deeply courageous American journalist summed up his nations malevolent disposition when he said the following words on 18th June 2024. He said,

"We do not halt Israel's genocide because we, as Americans, ARE Israel. We are infected with the same white supremacy doctrine and we are intoxicated by our domination of the globe's wealth and the power to obliterate others with our advanced weaponry. The vaunted democratic values, morality and respect for human rights claimed by Israel and the United States have always been a lie. The real credo is this: We have everything and if you try and take it away from us we will kill you people of color, especially when they are poor and vulnerable. Do not count their hopes, dignity and aspirations for freedom. The lives of those outside the empire are worthless. Global domination will be sustained through racialized violence.The lie that the American empire is predicated on democracy and liberty is what the Palestinians, those in the global south, Native Americans and Black and Brown Americans, not to mention those who live in the Middle East, have known for decades. But it is a lie that still has currency in the United States and Israel: a lie used to justify the unjustifiable."

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, an American economist and public policy analyst and a Professor of Columbia University went further by recently saying,

“The most violent country in the world in the 19th century was also the most democratic or second most democratic country in the world and that was Great Britain. You can be democratic at home and ruthlessly imperial abroad. The most violent country in the world since 1950 has been the United States”.

I concur.

The celebrated British journalist Owen Jones added his voice to the outrage that has trailed the American-sponsored Israeli slaughter in Gaza by saying the following on the 26th of November,

"1,410 ENTIRE Palestinian families exterminated by Israel. From babies and teenagers to parents to great grandparents. If one extended family was wiped out in Britain it would be headline news for weeks. It has happened 1,410 times in Gaza with a much smaller population".

All this yet American leaders cheer the Zionists on and continue to provide them with massive funding and lethal weapons as if they were doing nothing but killing mosquitos or slaughtering turkeys at Christmas.

It follows that the home truth about America is, to say the least, ugly and disconcerting and few venture to dare voice it.

Joe Biden's America particularly has become a gangerous stinking sore and a formidable challenge to the peace and stability of the world and the only hope the so-called "land of the free" and "home of the brave" has left is if incoming President Donald Trump succeeds and if he truly intends to do so he must rid himself of the inexplicable obsession and fatal attraction that most American leaders have with and for the citadel of evil and enclave of genocide called Israel.

If he refuses to do so, and frankly the signs are not good given his cabinet choices of pro-Israeli hawks and warmongers, he too, like Joe Biden and the cackling, strange and empty-headed woman that he named his Vice President, Kamala Harris, will crash to an ignoble end.

This would be very sad because I am one of those that has always had a soft spot and the greatest admiration and respect for Donald Trump.

The reason why millions in Africa, the 'global south' and indeed all over the world look to China, Russia and the newly formed BRICS economic bloc of nations for leadership and inspiration today is because America has lost its decency and has jettisoned its noble values.

Nothing confirms this more than the unending and unlimited support and blind love that they have consistently displayed for their monster child called Israel.

America is today a nation of genocide-enablers with insensitive and morally bankrupt leaders who have lost all sense of humanity and who have turned their European allies like the United Kingdom, Germany, France and indeed all the other members of the NATO alliance into pitiful puppets and fawning vassals whilst they treat the rest of the world as nothing but worthless serfs and slaves.

Only the Chinese and Russians present hope for a greater and better future for humanity and that is why so many in the global south gravitate towards them.

Permit me share the words of one of the worlds most consistent and powerful voices against oppression and injustice, Clare Daly, the former Irish MP and MEP and a lady who is known for speaking truth to power.

A few days ago she said the following on the arrest warrant that has been issued by the ICC on Netanyahu and Gallant.

She said, "About time. It is only the start. The idea that there are only two people criminally responsible is definitely not the case at this point. It needs to go all the way to the top of the U.S. administration and to the European Union elites who have enabled and ensured that this genocide has continued. It couldn't have happened without them. It wouldn't have even started without them, to be honest. And unless it goes there, well, then, you know, the ICC has a huge credibility problem. Like, this is it—Israel is finished after this. They have nowhere else to go. And it may not seem like that because you know the EU and the US have their backs at the moment but I firmly believe that this is this generation's Vietnam. Things will never be the same after this. A whole layer of young people and people who are older who never paid attention to this issue are not gonna let it go until there is justice for Palestine and this issue is dealt with. It's absolutely tragic that it's happening at such a terrible cost and still continues but it is the harbinger of a big change as well".

Daly is absolutely right.

History is replete with the heinous crimes of the Zionist state even against America herself.

Most are denied and brushed under the carpet but they are nevertheless true. A few examples will suffice.

Who killed American President John F. Kennedy?

Few are aware that there was a raging and longstanding dispute between the then Prime Minister of Israel Ben Gurion and Kennedy about allowing Israel to acquire nuclear weapons, a proposition which was sorely opposed by the latter and which may have resulted in a direct threat to his life.

This has been the prevailing thinking in intelligence and security circles for decades but due to the classification of most of the relevant documents much about the circumstances and motives for his assasination has been hidden from public scrutiny.

Nevertheless whispers of truth are finally coming out.

In an article titled 'Did Zionists Kill U.S. President John F. Kennedy?' published in 'A News Gallery World' on 22nd Nov. 2023 the American author wrote the following,

"The enduring enigma of Kennedy's assassination continues to baffle. The former U.S. President lost his life 60 years ago in a fatal attack. Speculation has been raised about Israel's potential involvement as Kennedy was vocal in opposing their nuclear weapon pursuits. There were also claims made linking the two events as Kennedy vehemently opposed Israel's nuclear program. In fact he expressed his concerns in a confidential letter stating 'Your nuclear weapons will greatly damage our relationship'. These fears were further fuelled by a former Israeli General who worried that Kennedy would order an airstrike on their nuclear site.
The reason for suspecting Israel was Kennedy's strong opposition to Israel possessing nuclear weapons.
Despite the fact that it has been 60 years since the assassination many theories have been put forward about it including the claim that Israel was responsible for the killing. In the incident Israel, along with the Soviet Union and Cuba, were among the suspects. After Ben Gurion resigned in Israel, Kennedy wrote a detailed letter to his successor Levi Eshkol on the subject. In a letter whose confidentiality decision was lifted by the U.S. National Archives a few years ago, it was clearly stated that any wrong move by Israel would strain bilateral relations. Five months after writing this letter, Kennedy was assassinated. Documents revealed the confession of former Israeli Air Force Commander Dan Tolkowsky about that tense period. The unsolved mystery surrounding former U.S. President Kennedy's assassination, which occurred 60 years ago, continues to intrigue many".

A French author by the name of Germain Gorais went into even more detail as regards the motives and put the matter rather more concisely and succinctly in an article published in La Observateur Continental in November 2023 by saying, "In order to eliminate resistance to Israel’s nuclear armament and to reduce pressure on Israel for the “right of return” for 800,000 Palestinians, US president JF Kennedy was assassinated. Since the 1950s, Israel had undertaken the secret manufacture of atomic bombs. In 1986 reliable evidence emerged demonstrating that Israel had secretly obtained the atomic bomb as early as 1967. Since then, all successively elected US Presidents have been held hostage by Israel. Kennedy was also committed to the right of return for 800,000 Palestinians expelled from their homes and villages in 1948 for which the American delegation to the UN presented a proposal on November 20, 1963. He was assassinated 2 days later".

Another excellent piece on the alleged involvement of Israel in the murder of JFK is titled "From Dallas to Gaza: How JFK’s Assassination Was Good for Zionist Israel" by an American by the name of Rick Sterling and published on Dec 15, 2023.

I recommend this insightful contribution for reading for those that are interested.

If all this does not raise eyebrows or provide food for thought about the true nature of the State of Israel perhaps the following will.

Who brought down the Trade Towers in New York City on 9/11?

Few are aware of the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu wrote a book titled 'Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism' which he made reference to in an interview a few years later. In that interview he said,

"The West really doesn't understand militant Islam so I wrote a book in 1995 and I said that if the West doesn't wake up to the suicidal nature of militant Islam the next thing you'll see is that militant Islam is bringing down the World Trade Centre".

Six years after writing his book the two towers of the World Trade Center were actually brought down by supposedly militant Islamic terrorists and a few years later the same Benjamin Netanyahu said,

"We (meaning Israel) are benefiting from one thing and that is the attack on the Trade Towers, on the Pentagon and the American struggle in Iraq".

Does anyone need to look any further to know who was really behind 9/11 and who benefitted from it the most?

Again who attacked the USS Liberty, a United States Navy Signals Intelligence ship on June 8th 1967 in the middle of the Six Day war killing 34 people and injuring and wounding another 170 if not the Israeli Defence Force yet the whole matter was covered up out of fear of the rage that this would stir against Israel amongst the American people?

Again who bombed the King David Hotel in Palestine on 22 July 1946 if not 'Irgun' the Zionist terrorist organisation that was led by Menachim Begin who later became the Jewish states' Prime Minister and in which 91 British citizens and soldiers were killed?

Again who murdered Count Folke Bernadotte, the Swedish diplomat and United Nations mediator on September 17th 1948 when, whilst on his way to Jerusalem to negotiate a peace deal which would have ensured Palestinian rights, had his plane shot down from mid-air if not the same Zionist terrorist organisation Irgun?

Sadly with him crashed all attempts by the United Nations to help the Palestinians and Israelis arrive at a diplomatic solution.

Again who orchestrated the mass murder of 3,500 Arab Muslim women and children by Israeli-funded and Israeli-armed Lebanese Christian militias during the Lebanese civil war in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila from the 15th to the 18th of September in 1982 after all the men had been lured from withdrawing from the camps and volunteered to go on exile to Tunisia with a guaranty of safety and security from America and Israel for their women and children if not the Jewish state?

Again who created, backed and funded Al Qaeda, Al Nusra, Daesh, ISIS, Al Shabab and Boko Haram? Was it not the CIA in conjunction with MOSSAD that did this and is that not why Israel and Israeli assets have NEVER been targetted or attacked by any of these listed terrorist organisations?

Are these listed terror groups not all tools of destabilisation that are being used by MOSSAD and the CIA to destabilise and destroy the territory and Governments of their perceived enemies like Syria, Iraq and Libya and sometimes even that of their stubborn "friends" in North, West and East Africa?

Again who, if not the Jewish Rothschild family, commissioned an infamous crook and fraudster called Cyrus I. Schofield to doctor the words, meaning and intent of portions of the Holy Bible in 1909 to re-write God's word and make it appear that the planned re-establishment of the Jewish/Zionist state which was to eventually come in 1948 would be a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and the intention of God, knowing fully well that this was false and that the Holy Bible clearly states that the new Israel will not be re-established until after the second coming of the Messiah.

This shameless and devastating act of disinformation and misinformation, in my view, has done more damage to Christianity and the Christian pysche and thinking than any other since the crucifiction of our Lord simply because it constrains and compels Christians to erroneously believe that they have a divine obligation and holy duty to support and love the newly established State of Israel no matter what it does and no matter what horrendous atrocities it commits.

Consider the following.

In October 2015
Maidhc O. Cathail published his article titled 'The Scofield Bible—The Book That Made Zionists of America’s Evangelical Christians'.

He wrote, inter alia, "Since it was first published in 1909, the Scofield Reference Bible has made uncompromising Zionists out of tens of millions of Americans. When John Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), said that “50 million evangelical bible-believing Christians unite with five million American Jews standing together on behalf of Israel,” it was the Scofield Bible that he was talking about. Although the Scofield Reference Bible contains the text of the King James Authorized Version, it is not the traditional Protestant bible but Scofield’s annotated commentary that is problematic. More than any other factor it is Scofield’s notes that have induced generations of American evangelicals to believe that God demands their uncritical support for the modern State of Israel. Central to Christian Zionist belief is Scofield’s commentary on Genesis 12:3: 'I will bless them that bless thee.’ In fulfillment closely related to the next clause, ‘And curse him that curseth thee'. It has invariably fared ill with the people who have persecuted the Jew and well with those who have protected him.
Drawing on Scofield’s rather tendentious interpretation, Hagee claims, “The man or nation that lifts a voice or hand against Israel invites the wrath of God.” But as Stephen Sizer points out in his definitive critique, “The promise, when referring to Abraham’s descendants, speaks of God blessing them, not of entire nations ‘blessing’ the Hebrew nation, still less the contemporary and secular State of Israel.” Notwithstanding this more orthodox reading, The New Scofield Study Bible, published by Oxford University Press in 1984, intensified Scofield’s interpretation by adding, “For a nation to commit the sin of anti-Semitism brings inevitable judgement.” Sustained by dubious exegesis of selective biblical texts,” Sizer concludes, “Christian Zionism’s particular reading of history and contemporary events...sets Israel and the Jewish people apart from other peoples in the Middle East...it justifies the endemic racism intrinsic to Zionism, exacerbates tensions between Jews and Palestinians and undermines attempts to find a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, all because ‘the Bible tells them so'. In his 2008 book, The Rise of Israel: A History of a Revolutionary State, Jonathan R. Adelman describes the crucial support Israel receives from Christian fundamentalists as “totally fortuitous.” That assertion is belied, however, by the incredible career of the man who wrote “the Bible of Fundamentalism.” Two years after Scofield’s reported conversion to Christianity in 1879 the Atchison Patriot Newspaper was less than impressed. Describing the former Atchison resident as the “late lawyer, politician and shyster,” the article went on to recount a few of Scofield’s “many malicious acts.” These included a series of forgeries in St. Louis, for which he was sentenced to six months in jail.
Had the Scofield Bible never been published, American Presidents influenced by Christian Zionism such as Truman, Johnson, Reagan and George W. Bush might have been less sympathetic to Israeli demands and consequently more attentive to U.S. interests. Moreover, the American people could have been spared the pseudo-Christian rants of John Hagee, Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell, not to mention the lucrative End Times Rapture “prophecy” peddled by Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye..But it is the people of the Middle East who have been most affected by an expansionist Israel emboldened by the unswerving allegiance of Christian Zionists led to believe that Scofield’s words are God’s will. Not least among the many victims of the Scofield Bible are 5 million Palestinian refugees whose right to return is fervently opposed by America’s Zionized Christians. Thanks to their indoctrination by Scofield’s unholy book, they believe that Palestine belongs not to the Palestinians—many of whom are fellow Christians—but exclusively to 'God’s chosen people'."

Cathail has hit the nail on the head and I recommend a reading of the full text of his detailed and insightful essay.

Schofield and the Jews who commissioned him have done a great disservice and dealt a grievous blow to Christian Theology. I have little doubt that God will punish them for it.

Andrew Slater, in his book titled 'Christian Zionism' supported Cathail's position when he wrote the following,

"Theodore Herzl and the Rothschilds first approached the current Pope at the time Pope Pius X who immediately rejected facilitating the Zionist takeover of Palestine.
The Rothschilds who were after seizing the land of Palestine, knew that they had to get the Protestant churches on board with their agenda. So they recruited a non-Jew Christian 'theologian' called C. I. Scofield to convince the Protestant Churches that the Jews must retake the promised land to fulfill prophecy. The target was to infiltrate Protestant Christianity by creating their own 'Bible'".

Again I recommend this fascinating book for those who are interested in this topic. It is an eye-opener.

Kudos to men like Cathail and Slater who have exposed the great lie and damnable falsehood that Christians are compelled to support Israel no matter what and that if they do not they will face the judgement of God.

 The intellectual dishonesty of the Zionists and the lengths they are prepared to go to pervert and distort anything in order to achieve their purpose never ceases to amaze me.

When one couples this with the 'Nakba' in 1948 in which 800,000 Palestinians were murdered, displaced and thrown out of their homes, the millions of Palestinians that have been killed, tortured, maimed and illegally detained, including women and children, over the last 76 years by Israeli security forces and fascist settlers and the ethnic cleansing and mass murder that is going on in Gaza today it beggars belief and makes the stomach turn.

Atrocity after atrocity, horror after horror, lie after lie, injustice after injustice, wickedness after wickedness, impunity after impunity, breach of the law after breach of the law yet Israel and the Zionists remain above the law, untouchable and unaccountable to God or man for their consistently horrendous actions and callous acts.

Permit me to close this contribution with the words of Aiden Hunter
@AidenHunterX an American commentator.

Two weeks ago he wrote the following on X. "Rev. Martin Luther (the father of the Protestant movement) once said that the things jews do in secret are far worse than the things we've caught them doing. If we had hidden cameras in jewish homes and synagogues, and if we played that footage to the world, I suspect that even the most battle hardened men would find it difficult to watch. In 2016, there were rumors that when the New York Police Department viewed the content of Anthony Weiner's laptop, it caused seasoned law enforcement officers to vomit and lose sleep. Jews are the only race that has been accused for centuries, independently by people on different continents, of grotesque ritual murder and other horrific deeds that I can't describe here. The fact that jews always accuse Gentiles of what they themselves do should, therefore, give us serious pause because jews may be signaling exactly they're doing in the privacy of their homes and synagogues. Only jews could easily and quickly imagine such things, for instance, as 40 babies beheaded, babies cooked in ovens, and pregnant women slashed with their infants ripped out, because jews themselves have been doing exactly those things to Palestinians. There is no doubt in my mind. The number of missing Palestinian children will probably never be known. Nor may we ever know what jews do to them when nobody is around to document it. I promise you this: Martin Luther was right. The things that jews are doing in secret and getting away with are indeed much, much worse than the things we've caught them doing.
From engineered famines to assassinations, I'm convinced we've only scratched the surface of the monstrous evil that jews have committed all around the world.
As I write this, I can imagine the screams of Gentile children pleading with us to save them. I pray that someday we have the spiritual strength to ditch our comforts and rouse ourselves to action".

He went further by writing, "There are Jews, and there are Jewists. By Jewist, I mean a genetically non-Jewish person whose mind has been colonized by destructive Jewish values and narratives. Most of us have been Jewists to varying degrees, since Jews run our media and entertainment. We grew up consuming the Jew's poisons and false morality. They told us that degeneracy and decay were good.
They wanted us to fear the label "anti-semite" more than anything else. They wanted us never to notice that they are a distinct race, much less evaluate their behavior. They wanted us to view them as the world's greatest and most innocent victims. They wanted us to always be fair-minded toward them. Meanwhile they polluted our souls. They exploited our sense of honor to gain unfair advantages over us.
They stripped away our very identity and replaced it with artificial identities that would never pose a threat to them. One could write book length treatments on all of the ways Jews have subverted us- linguistically, racially, psychologically, spiritually. The Jew is the premiere mind colonizer. He has created millions of Jewists in his own image. He put us in a trance with his glowing screens and inserted himself into our minds. Now he must be dislodged. In my youthful anarchist days we used to have a slogan: "kill the cop in your head." This was a way to remind ourselves to overcome our timidity, brainwashing and domestication. Of course, it was not "cops" controlling our media and reshaping our culture. We never looked at the root cause back then. Today I understand that for all of us Gentiles, no matter what our position is, it is the Jew that must be eliminated from our minds. This is half the battle. Reject the mind- colonizer. Unlearn his programming.
Regain your fighting spirit. Activate your ancestral instincts. Kill the .... in your head".

Need I say more?

(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is the Sadauki Shinkafi, a lawyer, a former Minister of Aviation of Nigeria and a former Minister of Culture and Tourism of Nigeria).

“Out of the 251 million Almajiris worldwide, 163 million are from Africa with Nigeria accounting for over 30 million. It is estimated that about 81 percent of almajiris in Nigeria are domiciled in the northern states where they have become part of the landscape. Tonnes of newspaper pages and countless hours of TV and radio airtime have been burnt in pursuit of a solution to the menace.

So far, the almajiri problem has defied all solutions, no thanks to the hypocrisy of the ruling elite who send their own children to some of the best educational institutions at home and abroad while abandoning the children of the poor to hang on to religious superstitions and non-existent injunctions.

There was cause for cheer the other day when a state governor decided to look in the mirror, metaphorically speaking, and in so doing demonstrated the fact that the ruling elite are not irredeemable after all. Governor Abdullahi Sule put political and regional sentiments aside and addressed the Almajiri problem squarely, charting a possible way out of the disgraceful development.

Sule’s Charge

In Nigeria, it does help when the owner of a problem is allowed to limp to the person who can help, otherwise the latter could be accused of crying more than the bereaved. The fact that a governor of one of the northern states publicly x-rayed the problem and challenged his fellow educated elite to rise up to the challenge of ridding the streets of Northern Nigeria of the ugly sight of unkempt child beggars, is cause for cheer.

Nigeria cultural tours

Governor Sule was speaking in Lafia at the regional conference on population dynamics, security, climate change, out-of-school children/Almajiri, and vulnerable children in Nigeria, organised by the National Population Commission and hosted by the Nasarawa State Government.

“I think, just as I told my colleagues in Kaduna during our last meeting of the Northern governors, I said we should stop complaining. It is time for us to take the bull by the horns and see how we can resolve the problem by ourselves. We should no longer expect anybody to come and solve the problem of the Almajiri system. We must be the ones to solve this problem…

‘’Why should Northern Nigeria continue to hold the entire nation to ransom when we know that it is our own problem and we have to go out there and find a way to solve it?

Child Beggars

On this point of holding the nation to ransom, many online analysts have given thumbs up to the Nasarawa State Governor. They argue that the Almajiri problem festers because irresponsible parenting is tolerated in the society. Young men and women see nothing wrong in handing over their three-year-old children to Islamic scholars who themselves are perpetually impecunious on account of the scores of mouths they have to feed. The pupil children are then converted to child beggars in the service of the cleric.

Many commentators also recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan tried to assist in solving the problem by building Almajiri schools. The scheme was discontinued as soon as Jonathan left office. His successor, General Muhammadu Buhari, was not convinced about the whole idea. The scheme was killed but there was nothing to replace it. The almajiri were abandoned to their miserable existence, only for some government officials to start shedding crocodile tears when many ex-almajiris were linked to the burgeoning industry of kidnapping, banditry and ransom taking.

Listening to some traditional rulers and government operatives speak about the almajiri problem, one gets the impression that many of them believe that the almajiris are the problem of the federal government. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Can the infamous Area Boys of Lagos make any claim to stipends from the federal government? Did their parents take permission from the federal government before bringing them into the world? Is it reasonable for some indigent persons to continue bringing children to the world without any plans whatsoever to dutifully play the role of parents?

Not Islamic

“We have to find a way to teach people that it is a sin in Islam to continue to produce children you could not take care of”, declared Governor Sule. “Until we take care of that, we cannot solve the problem. Just like it is a sin to continue to marry wives you cannot take care of, it is also a sin to continue producing children that you cannot take care of.’’

He continued: “These are the challenges we have at hand. We must be able to take it seriously and teach our people directly to understand that this is the challenge that we have in Nigeria today. What kind of human being goes and drops his four or five-year-old kid somewhere without being interested in what he eats, sleeps, and wears? And they say it is in line with Islam! There is no way this is Islam. Suratul Bakhara is very clear on this,” said the governor.

Where else can one find this kind of debasing treatment of children under the pretext of religion? That is one question that continues to bother the governor: “Why is it that it is only here? I just got back from Saudi Arabia. I didn’t see too many Almajiri in Makkah, Madina, Jedda or anywhere. They are an Islamic nation. In Pakistan, they have out-of-school children but their situation is even completely different.’’

To illustrate how stubborn Almajiris can be, Governor Sule told the story of how, at great expense, he rounded up almajiris who were not indigenes of Nasarawa State and sent them back to their states of origin. He carried out the exercise four times because the same people kept coming back as soon as they were dropped off in their state of origin.

Now, he has resolved to set up three special schools in Lafia, Akwanga, and Keffi to rehabilitate the Almajiri but called on his fellow governors in the North to ensure that they stopped producing more Almajiris.

If every governor in the North mounted a serious enlightenment campaign in his state to educate the people about the rights of the child and the fact that the Almajiri system as practiced in Nigeria is bastardised, we may actually be taking the first crucial step towards liberating the street urchins from poverty, ignorance and disease.

Skills, Not Dowry

And when next some notable ‘Honourable’ wants to demonstrate his philanthropic spirit, let him commission a skills acquisition centre, not make a spectacle of “marrying off” indigent “widows and single women”. It may have been fashionable 50 years ago to help pay the bride price of a woman or sponsor the marital festivities of less privileged people. What these times call for is meaningful empowerment in the form of transforming Almajiris and single women and widows — and, of course, men — into economic players.

China has shown the world that population is strength if well managed. A productive population is an asset while a population of Almajiris is a liability. If being an Almajiri was a pathway to Heaven or Paradise, you can bet that the traditional and political leaders would have enrolled all their children as Almajiris. Isn’t it suspicious that they have left the poor to go through misery in their race towards Paradise and the Hereafter, while the children of the rich graduate from the best universities in Europe and America and hurry home to replace daddy in politics or in a “juicy” government parastatal?

May God forgive us all.

(Being Excerpt from the Guest Lecture Delivered at the 4th Theophilus & Elizabeth Akinyele Foundation Memorial Symposium held at the Theojoy Library, Theo Tower, New Bodija, Ibadan on Thursday, 21st of November, 2024)

Theophilus Adeleke Akinyele, officer of the order of Niger (OON) and Bobajiro of Ibadanland, was both an exemplary personality and a model public servant. This biographical statement is significant in administrative archiving of the trajectory of the Nigerian administrative history, and this is not just because biographies and autobiographies of eminent public servants and administrators fill some crucial gaps in political and administrative histories of any state. More than this, the biographical statement I began with constitutes a narrative entry point into not only the understanding of what administrative scholars are calling the golden age of Nigeria’s public service system, but also a leeway into understanding how the present rot and decline in the system could be arrested through a thoroughgoing institutional reform that is both backward and forward looking. 

Pa Akinyele served humanity all his life. He was an administrator and a fine gentleman. After completing a most exemplary career as a public servant in the old western state and Oyo State, he then served as the registrar at the Obafemi Awolowo University before finally transiting through retirement into consultancy services and then the organized private sector. This distinguished career, and the lessons he learnt as a public servant were collected into his 2002 magnus opus, Beyond Pushing Files. The title alone speaks to the core of what is involved in the recuperation and revitalization of the institutional integrity of the public service in contemporary Nigeria. The nodal strength of the autobiography is that it embodies a contextual exemplification of the historical trajectory of evolutionary insights that led to our understanding of what an effective, efficient and competent public service is. And how we can begin to rethink reinventing it. 

Public administration has come a long way. Indeed, it predates the idea of modern state because it consisted of a body of government officials who are in charge of ensuring the continuity of the administrative mechanism. With the ancient pharaonic society, it was this administrative necessity that facilitated the management of tax collection, the building of the pyramid and the navigation of the River Nile. But what was just a scribal necessity for those who work for the pharaohs, began to achieve the status of a tenured and salaried profession that mediated the famous Roman infrastructures, especially the aqueducts and highways. After the French Revolution of 1789, the loyalty of the civil servants shifted from emperors and monarchs to the state as an administrative unit. These historical developments fed into Max Weber’s theoretical formulation of the shapes and processes of administrative system, especially starting from the Prussian governance and military command structure. This was the basis of his development of the Weberian bureaucratic model.

Government all across the world are defined by three complementary functions: the policy, regulatory and service delivery functions. And these functions are backstopped by an efficient public administration and bureaucratic machinery. It is this efficient system that translate government policies into concrete and tangible development outcomes and dividends that positively affect the well-being of the citizens. However, the operationalization of the public service system in Nigeria comes with both a boon and a bane. On the one hand, the most significant challenge that faced the transplantation of the bureaucratic model to Nigeria, after independence, is that as a migrated structure that emerged within a specific sociocultural context, the civil service system—and the state system as an administrative unit in general—was implanted without the full complement of its underlying value framework that would have grounded its efficiency and effectiveness. 

When the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates happened in 1914, the state system was established to facilitate the extractive objective of colonialism. And so, the system could not be grounded in the value foundation deriving from the cultural lifeworlds of the people and societies that make up precolonial Nigeria. The deconstruction of the value foundation of the administrative system becomes even more complicated because public administration experts and scholars all across Africa also failed to harness their expertise in ensuring the reconstruction of the value basis of the public institution in the values and traditions that would have instigated their resilience in assimilating the many sociocultural and political shocks they were bound to confront. And so, the bureaucratic model eventually turned out to be a mere instrument for political intervention and extractive exploitation rather than a tool for real development of the colonies. 

On the other hand, however, the pioneer Nigerian public servants inherited fully the founding values and virtues which Weber made the core of the managerial model of public administration, and which the British administrative system further grounded in the Victorian ideals and moral codes founded on gentlemanliness and the imperatives of truthfulness, personal responsibility, and public accountability. These values and moral codes easily translate into an institutional morality in terms of an acute sense of duty and work ethic, noblesse oblige, deferred gratification, and integrity of service. There was also significantly a philosophical underpinning that connects the relationship between the self and service which led to the fascination with knowledge and honor as the key components of professionalism. Talents, competence and hard work combined with moral rectitude, godliness and personal discipline to determine success, well-being and career fulfilment. This moral code and imperatives were further undergirded by the understanding of the bureaucracy as a hierarchical organization functioning as a legal-rational system determined by rules, systems, processes and procedures. That organization is conceived as being neutral, efficient, precise, strict, reliable and very disciplined.  

All this is supposed to articulate the understanding of the bureaucracy as a vocational calling that those who must be recruited into it must see as honorable, spiritual and value-based institution that demands their intense commitment and loyalty. For Weber, honor is the sole key that ties a public servant to the dynamics of integrity in the workplace. An honorable public official sees to the execution of a policy to the best of his ability even if she disagrees with the policy choice. This is an honorable act because it demonstrates that the bureaucrat’s sense of duty and of service overrides his personal preferences. Honor also instigates the need for spirituality which is encompassed by the search for meaning and significance that is demonstrated through the public servant’s commitment, trust and dedication to the tenets of professional service. This implies that public service transcends any mechanical sense of transactional business that brings people to the workplace without transforming their well-being. Spirituality characterizes the public servant as a selfless person with a deep sense of deferred gratification that defined the priesthood in the Levitical Order. In the Old Testament, the tribe of Levi, out of all the other tribes of Israel, had to forfeit its inheritance in the promised land in order to be able to adequately consecrate itself to the service of God. The totality of these moral imperatives is what turns the public service into a value-based institution that not only molds the actions and attitudes of the public servants, but also encompass the democratic codes that transform democratic governance. 

A public servant, within this preceding value framework, is defined by three cogent virtues. The first is the virtue of public spiritedness. A public servant is first a servant called into a deep and committed service to others that constitute the public. This makes him or her more than a careerist professional who is solely motivated by personal preferences and the imperatives of making a livelihood. Being a public servant means that one swears fealty to the common good and the public interest. The second administrative virtue that distinguishes the public servant is professionalism grounded on expertise and competence that are earned on meritocratic basis. While public-spiritedness provides the public servant with a broad sense of occupational responsibility as the custodian of the commonwealth, it is professionalism—the occupational framework of professional conduct—that arms the public servant with specialized skills and expertise to perform whatever functions will enable the realization of the objectives of state policy. 

The third and final administrative virtue is that of leadership. This encompasses public spiritedness and professionalism in ways that make the public servant more than a mere manager or administrator. This leadership virtue demands that the public servant becomes a transformational, rather than a transactional, change agent with a shared capacity that draws all relevant stakeholders into a framework of collective responsibility that makes the public service an effective and efficient mechanism for delivering public goods that activate democratic governance on behalf of the people and their well-being. 

All the preceding enables us to grasp the significance of the emergence of the Nigerian pioneers of the British public service. The need to achieve law and order in the colonies demanded that the British Colonial Office train a cadre of highly skilled, loyal and dedicated public servants to implement the demands of colonial administration. This led to the emergence of the administrative generalist cadre that eventually threw up the early bureaucratic pioneers, from Simeon Adebo to Jerome Udoji to Sule Katagum to Allison Ayida, and from Abdul Aziz Attah to Prince Solomon Akenzua to Francesca Emanuel to Tejumade Alakija to Theophilus Akinyele. These pioneers were saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the nascent Nigerian state made good on its promise to the teeming Nigerians who believed that independence would bring betterment to them. From Adebo to Akinyele, the administrative pioneers had to sustain the core of the public service as value-based institutions through a commitment to the public service as an honorable vocation that demanded they give their all in making the Nigerian state work. 

A critical component of their value training derived from a model of politician-administrator collaboration that facilitates a relationship between the two for developmental progress. There are three models that account for this relationship. The first, legal or traditional model, involves the rare or ideal situation in which the minister/commissioner takes responsibility for policy making while the permanent secretary simply implement. The second model is the adversarial one—dramatized in the popular BBC sitcom, “Yes, Minister,” in which the minister and the public servant are in constant conflict over policy formulation and implementation. The third is the community model that sees both operating under a contractual obligation and therefore being mutually dependent on each other’s responsibilities. This third model might seem the most appropriate, but in reality, the relationship is a mix of the three models, with all the attendant tensions, conflicts and understanding. This is the best way I think one could see the famous Awolowo-Adebo in the old western region, or the Gowon-super permanent secretary partnership during the Nigerian Civil War; a collaboration that benchmarked Nigeria’s glorious era of distinct public administration and governance achievements. 

The commitment to institution building in the public service that stood the administrative pioneers out as exemplary public servants include the following: (a) they were exemplary leaders in terms of the integrity they brought to service; (b) the establishment of the Public Service Commission was not just a gatekeeping mechanism to ensure meritocracy, but also a measure of integrity needed in the system; (c) Establishment control, among other internal management mechanisms, mediates the expansion of the size, scope and growth of the service; (d) the town-and-gown/policy-research collaboration facilitated a networked relationship between practitioners and academics in ways that ensured the continuing flow of ideas and innovative reflection about the optimal functioning of the system; (e) the work-life balance complemented the staff development initiatives through housing, pension and other social security schemes to facilitate performance and productivity; and (f) a developmental industrial relations ensured constant consultation that resulted in decent welfare package to improve the condition of service of the workforce.

Unfortunately, all these distinct institutional mechanisms collapsed under the burden of series of historical and administrative circumstances that consolidated a bureaucratic culture in the public service. Three significant trajectories of events jumpstarted the debilitating process of bureau-pathology in the Nigerian public service system. The first was the attempt to mediate the multiethnic nature of the Nigerian state in recruitment into the public service, and how this framework of representativeness collapsed every effort at achieving meritocracy. The second was the missed opportunity with reforming the entire system through the Udoji Commission report and its recommendation of a performance management system patterned along the imperatives of managerialism. The third and last was the massive purge of the public service in 1975 and the grounding of the culture of instant gratification that displaced that of deferred gratification. 

The reform efforts to undermine the virulent effect of bureau-pathology and its terrible consequences for performance and productivity have been varied. The cumulative effort was to transform the system away from the “I-am-directed” bureaucratic culture to a more performance-oriented managerial culture that will instill value and efficiency into the system. There was, for instance a reform to redefine the role of the state in ways that allow for institutional restructuring that makes public-private partnership and other alternative service delivery approaches possible. There were also significant modernization and digitization of core operations of the civil service to eliminate non-value adding processes and to eliminate silos operations, red tapes and other bureaucratic bottlenecks. There were reforms to reengineer the MDAs operating system to hold them to some form of performance accountability using new metrics different from the APER appraisal instruments. This is, so they would be able to deliver measurable outcomes. There were series of culture change reforms to deepen the value foundation of the service, as well as reforms to resolve capacity deficits through workforce reprofiling and audit, professionalization of cadres, job evaluation rooted regrading and pay reform, systematic injection of staff skills, and the building of new skills within framework of the restoration of merit system and competency-based HRM.

What more needed to be done? To get the public service system in line with the expectation of featuring in the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions, the workforce needs to be re-professionalized within framework to reform the many reforms. This is the first step in facilitating the emergence of a new breed of public managers competent enough to bring the system into the knowledge society. This is also connected with the need to beef up the IQ through deepening the core skills and competences in project management, data science, evidence-based decision-making, acquisition of legal and regulatory skills rooted in the knowledge of market dynamics, etc. The essence is to achieve the creation of a multidisciplinary elite cadre of senior executive service (SES) that leads the charge in the institutional transformation of the system. 

The public service requires a culture change programme that enables the putting in place of the right values enabled by significant frameworks of mental remodeling to help public servants think outside of the box. This will require value audit and cognitive redefinition to increase and improve staff capacity that enable the system to stay centered on leading change sustainably. This must be complemented by significant adjustments in the incentive structure and the entire system of motivation that manages redundancy through a redesign of the job evaluation framework that will instigate performance better. Internal control mechanisms need strengthening to ensure that the systems retain a sustained maintenance, continuous learning and relearning, incremental improvement and organizational resilience in a vulnerable, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. The public service needs to strengthen its policy-research nexus in ways that professionalize the planning and policy analysis function, deepen action and policy research, as well as achieve adequate talent and knowledge management. Lastly, strengthening the system to handle commercially-centered partnerships like the PPPs must go hand in hand with a larger vision of launching and managing a national productivity movement to reprofile national programmes and project management practices, create a new national waste reduction strategy and maintenance culture.

The effort to transform the public service system into a world class requires a blueprint that, interestingly, had already been foreshadowed by the generation of Pa Theophilus Akinyele and their capacity to embody the values and virtues that distinguishes a public service system as a worthy mechanism around which democratic governance flourishes. And that, I believe, is the legacy of that generation for current public administration in Nigeria.         

At Last, You Don’t Have to Resign: The Runaway Bello—Whether He Walked In, Drove In, or Was Brought in Lawyers to the EFCC Premises, It Matters Not. What Is Real Is That He Has Been Arrested and Is Now on Trial. To Do Justice to This Case by Any Means Possible, Drive Out EFCC’s Corrupt and Politicized Officers Who Work Underground with Wealthy Defendants.

Chairman Ola Olukoyede, your bold vow earlier this year—that you would resign if Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, evaded prosecution—was more than a statement of intent. It was a pledge of accountability in a nation where integrity often feels like an endangered virtue. By declaring, “If I do not personally oversee the completion of the investigation regarding Yahaya Bello, I will tender my resignation as the EFCC chair,” you signaled to Nigeria and the world that the fight against corruption was not just a professional mission but a deeply personal crusade.

This vow placed the weight of Nigeria’s hope squarely on your shoulders. It was a courageous move, but as the months have unfolded, the depth and complexity of this battle have become painfully clear. Yahaya Bello’s prosecution is no ordinary case—it is a litmus test for Nigeria’s capacity to hold the powerful accountable, a fight that pits you against not just one individual but the systemic rot that has choked the nation for decades.

The Reality of Corruption: A Nation Held Hostage

Corruption in Nigeria is not just an issue of governance—it is a national crisis. It has stolen the nation’s wealth, crushed its dreams, and left millions in poverty while a select few live in unimaginable luxury. It is the reason schools lie in ruins, hospitals lack basic supplies, and infrastructure remains a distant promise.

This systemic corruption is generational, passed down like an inheritance among the political elite. It thrives on impunity, manipulation, and the exploitation of institutional weaknesses. For decades, it has crippled Nigeria’s potential, turning hope into despair for countless citizens.

Chairman Olukoyede, your fight is not just about Yahaya Bello; it is about confronting this cancer head-on. Bello represents the worst of this system—an individual accused of stealing billions meant for the public good. But he is also a symbol of the broader problem: a culture that rewards impunity and punishes accountability.

The Runaway Bello: Power, Influence, and Manipulation

Since April, Yahaya Bello has mounted an aggressive campaign to evade justice, employing every legal and political mechanism available to him. Initially protected by Governor Ododo’s immunity, Bello managed to stall his prosecution by navigating the judicial system with calculated precision, appealing his cases all the way to the Supreme Court. Even after the Supreme Court dismissed his appeals, affirming his obligation to stand trial, Bello continued to exploit procedural loopholes and inefficiencies in Nigeria’s legal framework. Utilizing overly skilled legal teams adept at delay tactics, orchestrating media campaigns to frame himself as a victim, and leveraging public commentators to sway narratives, Bello worked tirelessly to manipulate both perception and process. These efforts underscore the challenges of holding the powerful accountable within a system prone to exploitation.

Your fight to bring Bello to justice is not simply against one man; it is against a deeply entrenched network of influence and systemic complicity. This network includes hesitant judges, insiders within the EFCC suspected of leaking evidence or obstructing progress, and political allies intent on undermining the agency’s mission. These forces, whether overtly aligned or indirectly compromised, reflect the broader challenges of combating corruption in Nigeria, where the rule of law is too often subverted by power and privilege.

Despite these daunting obstacles, your leadership has achieved a pivotal milestone. Today, Bello is no longer a runaway defendant evading accountability. He sits in an EFCC detention cell, awaiting his December 10 hearing before Justice Maryanne Anenih. This moment is a testament to your persistence and strategic determination, yet it is also a reminder of the dangers that remain. The system that enabled Bello’s prolonged evasion of justice is not dismantled, and the road to securing accountability will demand continued resilience and vigilance.

Your efforts in this case transcend the prosecution of a single individual. They symbolize the possibility of dismantling entrenched corruption and restoring faith in Nigeria’s justice system. As Bello’s trial proceeds, it is crucial to address not only his actions but also the systemic vulnerabilities that allowed him to wield such influence. Ensuring that this moment becomes a turning point requires safeguarding the integrity of the EFCC and holding all actors—both external and internal—to the highest standards of accountability.

This is a hard-won victory, but it is only the beginning. Justice for Bello’s alleged offenses must be pursued with unwavering commitment, ensuring that no further manipulation undermines the process. Chairman Olukoyede, your leadership in this fight is a beacon of hope for millions of Nigerians. Through your persistence, the nation moves closer to a future where the powerful cannot escape accountability, and where justice truly serves the people.

A Judiciary at War with Itself

The contrasting approaches of the judges handling Bello’s cases highlight the dysfunction within Nigeria’s judiciary.

Justice Maryanne Anenih has been a beacon of hope, demonstrating an aggressive, no-nonsense approach to Bello’s ₦110.4 billion case. Her insistence on keeping Bello in custody until his December 10 hearing shows that justice can be timely and firm.

In stark contrast, Justice Emeka Nwite’s handling of the ₦80.2 billion case has been sluggish, allowing proceedings to drag on until January 21, 2025. This delay poses significant risks, giving Bello and his allies time to regroup, potentially securing bail and resuming their manipulative tactics.

Chairman Olukoyede, your frustration with these delays is justified. Justice delayed in cases like this is justice denied. The judiciary must rise to the occasion and act with the urgency that this fight demands.

The EFCC’s Struggles: Fighting Corruption from Within

Your vow to prosecute Bello is complicated by the challenges within the EFCC itself. The agency is not immune to the corruption it was designed to combat. Over the years, compromised officers have infiltrated its ranks, colluding with defendants, leaking internal evidence, and sabotaging cases. These “bad eggs” pose a grave threat to the EFCC’s credibility and effectiveness.

In February 2024, you acknowledged this internal rot, stating, “After eradicating bad eggs from the institution, we can fully trust the EFCC to deal with corruption in Nigeria.” Your words captured the painful reality of leading an institution where some of your own officers work against you.

To cleanse the EFCC, a comprehensive and aggressive approach is required. This psychologist proposes the following measures:

1. Psychological Testing for Integrity

Understanding the mindset of EFCC officers is the foundation of reform. Partnering with the Nigeria Psychological Association under leaders like Dr. Musa Abubakar Tafida from Nasarawa State University can provide the tools needed to conduct rigorous psychological evaluations. These tests should examine:

Integrity: Do officers consistently demonstrate traits of honesty, accountability, and fairness?

Risk Tolerance: Are they vulnerable to bribery, coercion, or undue influence under pressure?

Behavioral Patterns: Do they show tendencies toward secrecy, manipulation, dishonesty, or other traits that compromise their judgment and reliability?

Such evaluations can help identify officers who pose a risk to the EFCC’s mission and remove them before they cause further harm.

2. Comprehensive Financial Audits

Corruption often leaves a trail, and forensic financial audits are critical for uncovering it. Employ forensic accountants to scrutinize the financial histories of all EFCC officers, focusing on:

Banking Activity: Look for signs of unexplained wealth, such as sudden increases in account balances, offshore accounts, or suspicious transactions.

Property Ownership: Investigate properties and assets that exceed an officer’s legitimate income.

Family Networks: Ensure that relatives or associates are not being used as proxies to hide ill-gotten gains.

Officers found with unexplained wealth or suspicious financial activity must be immediately removed and prosecuted where appropriate.

3. Mandatory Drug and Polygraph Testing

Integrity requires both emotional and mental stability. Regularly conducting drug and polygraph tests will help maintain a workforce that is both reliable and ethical.

Drug Tests: Ensure officers are not compromised by substance abuse, which can impair judgment or make them vulnerable to manipulation.

Polygraph Tests: Use lie detectors to verify officers’ honesty in handling critical cases, especially those involving high-profile defendants.

These measures will serve as a safeguard against internal compromises that can derail investigations.

4. New Declarations of Assets

Transparency begins with full disclosure. Require all EFCC officers to swear new affidavits declaring their:

Assets and Properties: Officers must provide a comprehensive list of all personal and family assets.

Financial Interests: Officers must disclose all financial holdings, including those managed by relatives or associates.

Family Connections: Officers must list any family members who could be used as proxies to conceal wealth.

Failure to comply or evidence of misrepresentation should result in immediate dismissal and prosecution.

5. Enhanced Internal Oversight

Strengthening internal oversight mechanisms is essential to detecting and preventing corruption within the EFCC. Establish a dedicated integrity unit tasked with:

Monitoring Officer Activities: Use advanced surveillance tools to track communication, movements, and actions, ensuring compliance with protocols.

Investigating Whistleblower Reports: Empower ethical officers to report misconduct without fear of retaliation.

Conducting Surprise Audits and Inspections: Regular, unannounced checks can expose unethical behavior before it escalates.

This integrity unit should report directly to your office to ensure accountability at the highest level and to prevent interference from within.

6. Recruit and Retain Ethical Talent

The EFCC needs officers who are not only competent but also morally upright. Rebuilding the workforce requires:

Raising Recruitment Standards: Focus on hiring individuals with strong ethical records, proven integrity, and a clear commitment to justice.

Incentivizing Honesty: Offer competitive salaries, benefits, and performance-based rewards to reduce the temptation of bribes.

Providing Ethical Training: Mandate workshops and seminars on ethics, accountability, and the consequences of corruption as part of ongoing officer development.

These steps will create a culture of integrity and professionalism within the EFCC.

7. Public Accountability Mechanisms

Restoring public trust in the EFCC requires a commitment to transparency. Establish systems that:

Allow Public Tracking of Cases: Publish updates on high-profile cases to demonstrate progress and deter interference.

Engage Civil Society: Partner with independent watchdogs and NGOs to evaluate the EFCC’s performance and highlight areas for improvement.

Transparency will not only reinforce accountability but also counteract skepticism about the EFCC’s ability to deliver justice.

Why These Steps Are Critical

The EFCC’s mission is too important to allow internal corruption to derail it. Officers who leak evidence, collude with defendants, or exploit the system for personal gain do not just undermine the agency—they betray the nation. Without a workforce built on integrity, no strategy or leadership can succeed.

Chairman Olukoyede, your fight against corruption within and outside the EFCC is a defining moment for Nigeria. It is not merely about one institution; it is about restoring faith in governance and creating a system that serves the people rather than the powerful. These steps, though challenging, are necessary to rebuild the EFCC into an institution Nigerians can finally trust.

The Legacy of Integrity

Good people are the cornerstone of any great institution. By systematically identifying, removing, and replacing the bad eggs within the EFCC, you can leave a legacy that redefines justice and accountability in Nigeria.

The Supreme Court’s Support: A Rare Victory

Amid these struggles, the Supreme Court’s November 15, 2024, ruling was a significant victory. By dismissing a lawsuit filed by governors challenging the EFCC’s constitutionality, the court reaffirmed the agency’s mandate and independence. This ruling is a reminder that, even in a flawed system, moments of justice can prevail.

Do Not Resign, Do Not Falter

Chairman Olukoyede, your vow to resign if Bello evaded justice was a declaration of your integrity, but resignation is not the answer. To resign would be to hand victory to the corrupt. It would embolden those who thrive in the shadows, signaling that even the strongest resolve can be broken.

You must not fear—even the President. Your mandate transcends politics and individual leaders. It is a fight for Nigeria’s survival. Even the President knows that corruption has brought this nation to its knees.

A Deep, Painful, and Hopeful Conclusion: A Legacy of Justice

Chairman Ola Olukoyede, you are navigating one of the most consequential battles in Nigeria’s history—a fight against entrenched corruption that has robbed this nation of its potential. You stand at a defining crossroads where your actions will not only determine the fate of Yahaya Bello but also the credibility of the EFCC and the very soul of Nigeria’s justice system. The road ahead is riddled with formidable obstacles: powerful adversaries, corrupt systems, and relentless resistance. Yet, your courage, resilience, and determination have already lit a path forward, showing Nigerians that progress, however painstaking, is still possible.

A Critical Moment: A Testament to Leadership and a Call to Action

Today, Yahaya Bello, once shielded by privilege, wealth, and political influence, no longer hides behind the façade of legal loopholes or the immunity of office. He now sits in an EFCC detention cell, awaiting his December 10 hearing before Justice Maryanne Anenih—a hard-earned milestone made possible by your unwavering leadership. This moment is not only a personal victory for you but also a beacon of hope for a nation yearning for accountability in a system long plagued by corruption and impunity.

However, the work is far from done. Justice Emeka Nwite’s case involving ₦80.2 billion, delayed until January 21, 2025, must not be allowed to languish. Activate the case immediately to ensure that momentum is not lost and that Bello cannot exploit further delays. The urgency to address this case reflects the broader need to confront systemic inefficiencies and procedural stalling that have too often rendered justice in Nigeria a casualty of power and privilege.

This victory, though significant, is not an endpoint; it is merely a waypoint on a much larger and more painful journey. Justice in Nigeria has historically been delayed, undermined, or outright denied by those intent on maintaining the status quo of impunity. Each passing day will demand even more from you—more courage to face the forces of resistance, more vigilance to guard against sabotage, and more sacrifice as you navigate the perils of this monumental battle.

Chairman Olukoyede, this moment is a testament to what determined leadership can achieve, but it also serves as a reminder of the road that lies ahead. Press forward with resolve, ensuring that justice is not delayed, that cases are expedited, and that the fight against corruption continues unabated. Your leadership represents the hope of millions, and every action you take is a step closer to the justice Nigeria so desperately needs.

Your vow to oversee Bello’s prosecution is more than a professional duty; it is a moral covenant with the people of Nigeria. It is a pledge to dismantle the entrenched systems of corruption that have eroded public trust, siphoned national resources, and stifled progress for decades. It is a promise to restore the rule of law and create a future where justice is not a privilege for the powerful but a right for all. Millions of Nigerians look to you as a beacon of hope, believing that through your leadership, the EFCC can finally become an institution that embodies integrity, transparency, and justice.

This fight is not just about prosecuting one man or addressing isolated cases; it is about transforming the EFCC itself. The task before you is immense, for you are not merely waging a battle against external corruption—you are also contending with internal rot within the EFCC. The “bad eggs” who have colluded with defendants, leaked evidence, and sabotaged investigations must be identified and removed. Rebuilding the EFCC from within will be one of your greatest challenges, but it is also one of the most critical steps in ensuring lasting change. Through rigorous reforms, including psychological evaluations, financial audits, enhanced oversight, and transparency mechanisms, you have the opportunity to rebuild the EFCC into a force that inspires trust and serves the public good.

The journey will be arduous, but it is a journey worth undertaking. Your leadership is shaping a new narrative for Nigeria—a narrative where corruption is no longer the rule but the exception, where public institutions serve the people rather than exploit them, and where the powerful are no longer above the law. Your actions today are laying the groundwork for a Nigeria that future generations can be proud of, a nation defined not by its challenges but by the resilience of its leaders and the integrity of its systems.

History will not define you by the adversities you faced but by the steadfastness with which you faced them. It will not remember the obstacles but the resolve you displayed in overcoming them. It will not recount the power of those who sought to thwart justice but the courage you showed in standing firm against them.

Stand firm, Chairman Olukoyede. The weight of this fight is heavy, but the stakes are too high to falter. Press forward with the knowledge that the nation is watching, that millions of Nigerians are rooting for your success, and that history is being written with every step you take. Justice must prevail—not just for this case but for the soul of a nation. Every obstacle you overcome brings Nigeria closer to a future where governance is accountable, corruption is defeated, and the hopes of the many are no longer sacrificed for the greed of the few.

The road ahead will be painful, but the destination—a Nigeria free from the grip of corruption—is a prize worth every sacrifice. May you find the strength to endure, the wisdom to navigate, and the resilience to persevere. This psychologist feels your pain but also sees the hope your leadership inspires. You are not just shaping the outcome of one case; you are shaping the destiny of an entire nation.

Chairman Olukoyede, history will not merely record your name—it will celebrate your legacy. Justice must, and will, prevail.

This victory, while significant, is but a reminder of the deeper battle against entrenched forces that have long delayed and denied justice in Nigeria. The road ahead will be unforgiving, with those clinging to impunity continuing their relentless pushback. Each step forward will demand your unwavering courage, sharp vigilance, and a profound commitment to sacrifice for the greater good.

Your leadership is not just about prosecuting one individual; it is about dismantling a system of manipulation and exploitation. Every decision you make is a step toward a redefined justice that serves the people, not the powerful.

The nation watches as you shoulder this immense burden with courage and resolve. Your determination has brought us to this moment, but it is your enduring commitment that will shape the path forward. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done—decisively and without delay. Your burden is great, but your legacy will be greater. Press on, Chairman Olukoyede. Nigeria’s future depends on it.

Ningi, speaking exclusively to Sunday Vanguard, accused the Federal Government of pushing an agenda that undermines national inclusiveness.

He warned President Bola Tinubu against exploiting people’s silence or fear to impose policies against their will.

According to Ningi, the tax reform bills are skewed in favour of Lagos State and two other states, to the detriment of others.

The senator argued that the lack of inclusiveness in the bills makes them fundamentally flawed and urged lawmakers to reject them outright.

Ningi likened the current situation to the Third Term agenda under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when federal lawmakers rejected a constitution review despite its numerous benefits because of the overarching agenda to extend Obasanjo’s tenure.

Ningi said, “First of all, I’m against the tax bills for two fundamental reasons. One, it is discriminatory in nature because it gives some states more advantage over others.

“And there is no logic, no explanation as to why some states will benefit more than others and that is the crux of the bills.

“Secondly, I thought the National Economic Council, chaired by the Vice President of the country, is constitutional, strategic enough to be able to guide the President or the executive in running the country from economic perspective.

“You will recall that the National Economic Council unanimously rejected the tax reform bills and I find it really strange that the only person who is elected and he insists in flexing muscle with the bills is the President because the National Economic Council is headed by the Vice President and elected governors and as such these people represent Nigerians and I cannot see how Mr President will love this country more than the amalgam of those elected at the executive level.

“I find it really strange that after his failure to convince the National Economic Council to accede to his demand, he is now trying to flex muscles and put it in the parliament.

“I find it strikingly disturbing that he is bringing this thing to the National Assembly thinking he can have his way because he had his way all through from the beginning to this time.”

Ningi, who noted that there are aspects of the bills that are good for the country, said, “Yes I admit that there are some aspects of the bills that look positive in my opinion, but remember the Third Term constitutional amendment; just because of the Third Term, there were numerous clauses that were fantastic at that time, but because of the controversy surrounding the bill, the National Assembly threw it away.”

Calling on lawmakers to stand in unison in the interest of the country, the ranking lawmaker said, “I call on the members of the National Assembly to stand united, this is not about North and South.

“There is no difference in the pains of Bauchi and the pains of Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo or Cross River or Benue or Katsina, the pain just runs across.

“These bills are substantively made to benefit Lagos in particular and then two other states. It goes to show the kind of…

“So I think it is important that the President should recognise the pains, it is important that the President recognises that we are a very complex country and he should not try to take advantage of people’s view or people’s silence or people’s fear to impose something against the will of the people.

“We represent our people and we are going to stand with then, we are going to stand united, we are going to make sure that these bills do not see the light of day.

[NaijaNews]

Activist lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has disclosed that Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of Rivers State is responsible for the fight between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike and Governor Sim Fubara.

Adeyanju said while Wike declared N11 billion when he was governor of Rivers State, Fubara is currently declaring N27 billion, hence the fight.

He disclosed this while featuring on a podcast by Glitch Africa Studio, The Honest Bunch.

The activist lawyer also described the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as a political party and a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to Adeyanju: “If you give INEC water, they will turn it into wine, there is nothing INEC can’t do; what INEC can’t do does not exist.

“INEC is a political party and the current INEC is APC.

“Wike is fighting Fubara because about a year ago, he was declaring N11 billion as IGR. The same Fubara is declaring N27 billion and you say they should not fight?”

[DailyPost]

The just released audit report on Federal Government’s Consolidated Financial Statement for the year ended 31st December 2021 has indicted the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigeria Downstream, Midstream Regulatory Authority for huge financial infractions and non-remittance of revenue to the federation account during the year under review.

The report, prepared by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation and submitted to the Clerk to the National Assembly ,cited cases of unauthorised deduction from the federation revenue, irregular deduction from domestic crude sale, warehousing of the federation’s miscellaneous income, unsubstantiated payment of shortfall from the sale of MT Cargo of PMS, outstanding royalties due from NNPC-COMD/MCA/PSC, and unjustified deductions from Joint venture royalty by NNPC before remitting to DPR.

Also mentioned as financial irregularities in the report are outstanding royalties on oil concession rentals and gas flaring payable by operators to the federation’s account, outstanding bridging allowance from NNPC Retail, outstanding bridging claims from other major oil marketers, irregular balance in  marketers’ indebtedness and non-payment of indebtedness by some DAPPMAN marketers.

The Auditor General for the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor China, who signed the report said the actions of the three state owned agencies were in violation of paragraph 213(ii) of the Financial Regulations (FR) and paragraph 217 of the FR 2009.

While Paragraph 213 (ii) precludes withdrawal from the revenue account other than for the purpose of transfer to the consolidated account, Paragraph 217 stipulates that it is the duty of the Accounting Officer responsible for the collection of revenue or other monies due to government are correctly and promptly brought to account, whether such collections are payable direct to him or to a Sub-Accounting Officer or through any other channel.

In the case of NNPCL, the report said the company’s payment records for the period 2020 and 2021 revealed that N82,951,595,510.47 was deducted by it  from the sale of Crude Oil and Gas (Federation Revenue)  for “purported Refineries Rehabilitation”

It said there was no evidence of authorization and approvals before the deductions were made. The Auditor General attributed this kind of action to weaknesses in the internal control system at NNPC which could leave room for possible misappropriation of funds, diversion of revenue meant for the Federation or loss of Revenue.

It also reported that the management of the agency did not respond to audit query, adding that “since the Management failed to respond to the issue raised, the findings remain valid until the Management implements the recommendations.”

It recommended that the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL be requested to provide reasons to the National Assembly for the deductions being proceeds from the sale of Crude Oil and Gas.

Besides, it said that henceforth, the management of the NNPCL should avoid making any deduction from monies due to go into the federation account and violation should attract punishment as specified in paragraphs 3106 and 3129 of the Financial Regulations 2009.

It also cited the deduction of N343,642,598,726.51 from the gross domestic crude sales in the name of NNPC Value shortfall, Strategic Stock Holding Cost, Crude Oil and Products Pipeline Losses, as well as the pipelines maintenance and management costs.

The report said since details of each of the cost components deducted were not provided for audit review, the Auditor General could not understand the justification for the deduction.

The OAuGF also said that N83,659,813,739.99 being miscellaneous income from the NNPC joint venture operations from year 2016 to 2020 went into the CBN/NNPC sinking fund account instead of the Federation Account, adding that warehousing of the miscellaneous income of 2016 to 2020 meant for the Federation Account in the CBN/NNPC Sinking Fund Account led the government  to resort to borrowing to fund public  activities

It said the shortfall should be recovered and remitted to government treasury and evidence forwarded to the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly.

In another instance, a sum of N3,748,581,281.27 was said to have been paid to a company as shortfall on the sale  of MT cargo of PMS, adding that details of the transaction between the NNPC, PPMC and the company were not provided for audit.

It said whereas the sum of US$1,655,352,328.14 was supposed to have been paid  by NNPC  to the CBN account of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in respect of Production Sharing Contracts (PSC), Repayment Agreement (RA) and Modified Carry Arrangement (MCA) liftings as at 31st December, 2021, the DPR received only  US$1,401,399,635.07, leaving a shortfall of US$253,952,693.07.

It said further that records obtained from NNPC JV schedules and other documents showed that the NNPC deducted N204,853,744,047.39 from the Oil Royalty assessed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for 2021 for alleged priority project, strategic holding cost, crude oil and product losses without any justifiable reasons.

It quoted the NUPRC as saying “the NNPC makes deductions for Government priority projects at source before remittance of royalty to NUPRC with the latter having no control over this. Thus, NNPC is in better position to provide necessary approvals to justify these deductions.

“The office of the Accountant General of the Federation has been duly written on the payment of 4% Cost of Revenue Collection to NUPRC for money deducted at source by NNPC for Government priority projects.”

The Auditor General said the Management failed to address the issue raised and therefore should provide reasons why the sum of N204,853,744,047.39 was deducted by NNPC from Federation Account revenue proceeds, while recovering the said amount and remit same into the Federation Account.

It said that a review of revenue ledgers for 2021 revealed that oil royalty amounting to US$1,742,280,008.32 remained unpaid by some oil companies as at the end of December, 2021, while an additional US$13,805,135.46 for revenue relating to Royalty on Gas Sales (Foreign) remained unsettled as at 31% December, 2021 in addition to N48,218,163, 192.67 for Gas Royalty (Local) for the same period.

[TheNation]