In a dramatic turn of events, the Nigerian security forces have once again proven their mettle by successfully rescuing 20 medical students who were kidnapped in Benue State, a feat that has sent waves of relief and joy throughout the nation. The daring rescue operation, carried out with precision and courage, stands as a testament to the dedication and bravery of our security personnel who tirelessly put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of this great country.

The kidnapping of these young medical students, the future healers of our nation, had cast a dark shadow over the country, sparking widespread fear and anxiety among families, friends, and the larger society. However, the swift response and the tactical acumen displayed by the security team in this operation have not only restored hope but also reaffirmed the belief that Nigeria’s security apparatus is capable of overcoming the most daunting challenges.

The rescue operation, which took place under the cover of darkness, involved a coordinated effort between various branches of the security forces. Intelligence units, working round the clock, tracked down the kidnappers to their hideout, while elite units planned and executed the rescue with surgical precision. The operation was a display of remarkable coordination, where the lives of the students were placed above all else, ensuring a successful outcome without a single casualty among the hostages.

As gathered from Channels Television, the operation was coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser, adding that the security agencies comprise the police, DSS and military personnel and equipment were involved in the operation, with the support of the Benue State government.

“Though the students have regained their freedom according to security sources, details of the rescue operation are still sketchy at the moment.

“News of the abduction of the students hit the media space last Friday, attracting reactions from Nigerians who condemned the rising rate of kidnapping in the country.

“The victims were said to be on their way to Enugu State, passing through the Otukpo Local Government area in Benue before they encountered bandits.

“They were en route to Enugu for a programme when they ran into the kidnappers around Otukpo.

“The students were said to be travelling in a convoy of two buses and were coming from the northern part of the country when they ran into the ambush on Thursday evening at about 5:30 pm”.

It will be recalled that a few days after their abduction, their captors had established contact with the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of ₦50 million to secure the release of their hostages.

Responding to calls for the rescue of the students, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, immediately ordered the rescue of the victims.

In similar vein, in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi, the IGP condemned the kidnapping of students. Egbetokun described their abduction as “truly appalling, callous, and unacceptable”.

He said, “In a display of unwavering commitment to the rescue, safety, and well-being of the young Nigerians, the IGP has ordered the prompt deployment of a substantial number of human and technical resources to augment the manpower of the Benue State Command and ensure the swift rescue of our beloved students. This initiative encompasses the mobilization of additional tactical units from the FID-STS and FID-IRT, the deployment of advanced helicopters and drones, as well as the use of specialized tactical vehicles to facilitate the search and secure the safe return of the victims.

“The Nigeria Police Force stands with the victims and their loved ones during this challenging time, and we are committed to ensuring the safe return of the students.

“The Inspector-General of Police reiterates the zeal of the force to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of the perpetrators and others alike, as the Nigeria Police Force is determined to sustain the fight against crimes and criminality, most especially kidnapping of Nigerians.

“The IGP equally appeals to the general public to provide useful information and actionable intelligence that may aid the ongoing investigation and the rescue operation. Individuals with relevant details are encouraged to contact the nearest police station the state’s command control number or the FHQ via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and other helplines.”

Against the foregoing backdrop, this heroic act by our security forces is not just about the rescue of 20 students; it is a symbolic victory against the forces of terror that seek to destabilise our society and instill fear in the hearts of ordinary citizens. It sends a clear message to criminals that Nigeria will not bow to their nefarious activities, and our security forces will pursue them relentlessly until every Nigerian can live without fear.

The nation owes a debt of gratitude to these brave men and women who, in the face of danger, chose to protect and serve. Their actions remind us of the countless sacrifices made daily by our security personnel, often away from the limelight. These are individuals who face immense risks, often with limited resources, yet remain undeterred in their mission to safeguard the country.

As we celebrate the safe return of these young students, we must also reflect on the need to continue supporting our security forces. They need more than just our praise; they need adequate resources, training, and the backing of all Nigerians to continue performing their duties effectively. Strengthening the security apparatus of the nation should be a collective effort, involving government support, community cooperation, and unwavering trust in our forces.

At this juncture, it is expedient to opine that the successful rescue of the kidnapped medical students is a bright spot in what has been a challenging period for Nigeria. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there are heroes among us, brave men and women in uniform, who are willing to stand in harm’s way to protect others. The Nigerian security forces have once again proven that they are up to the task, and for that, they deserve the highest commendation.

“The National Judicial Council at its 106th Meeting held on 14 & 15 August 2024, recommended Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun, CFR, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for appointment as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.”  The new CJ starts her tenure today, howbeit in an acting capacity until confirmation, which is a foregone conclusion. Congratulations are in order. Very cheering news. 

The new Chief Justice, Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun CFR, popularly known as Kudirat Kekere-Ekun is a tested Jurist and an illustrious daughter of an illustrious father. They don’t come with better pedigree as she does, stoic, stern, firm and principled. Her father late HAB Fasinro was the first Town Clerk of the Lagos City Council, a Senator, legal luminary, historian, author and foremost religious leader of his time. Her mother, Mrs. Winifred Layiwola Ogundimu (née Savage), is a qualified Public Health Nurse who built her career in the civil service of Lagos State from where she retired. She is currently the head of the prominent Savage Family of Lagos.

Following in her father’s footstep, the new CJN as she would henceforth be known has made her mark in the temple of justice since she was appointed a Senior Magistrate, High Court Judge, Federal Court of Appeal Judge and subsequently, a judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In the parlance of we unlearned folks, we would say, she had risen through the ranks.

She is entering a turbulent sea as far as the judiciary in Nigeria’s political firmament is concerned. Everywhere is talk of separation or araba, ethnic irredentism, restructuring and devolution, power reconfiguration and reconstitution of the polity, all requiring judicial interpretation when push comes to shove. 

Nigeria is practically in a state of ebullition. From local governments, state administrations to the central authority, there are calls for revisiting the legislative lists and a refashioning of the revenue formulae of the political system. Who runs the primary education system? What of the primary health administration? Which tier of governments oversees collection of rates, waste disposal and local taxes in motor parks? Cases thrown up by disputes over these issues will eventually find their way to the apex court under her. Very serious matter to contemplate.

There are many other constitutional issues that will arrest her attention in the next four years of her tenure. May Allah give her the wisdom of Solomon to wade through the minefields of a neo-colonial state mired in identity crisis. 

It is therefore appropriate to emphasize the need to address the issue of justice, equity, and fairness which Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun CFR, must address during her tenure. There is no doubt the present structure of the post-colonial state called Nigeria is a bedrock of colossal political injustice, inequity and generational unfairness. These are issues that need to be tackled through judicial intervention and interpretation. 

Allah, through the Holy Quran speaks to us about the concepts of justice, equity and fairness. These are three interrelated concepts that combine to make a spiritual whole. Justice is the sum-total, in a sense, of all recognized rights and duties, as it often consists of nothing more than a balanced implementation of rights and duties, and of due regard for equality and fairness. The Qur’an is emphatic on the objectivity of justice, so much so that it defies any level of relativity and compromise in its basic conception. A perusal of the Qur’anic evidence on justice leaves one in no doubt that justice is integral to the basic outlook and philosophy of life.

Allah (SWT) said in the Holy Quran, Surah Al-Hadid: *We sent aforetime Our apostles with Clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and wrong), that men may stand forth in justice; . . . . (Quran 57: 25)

There is no gainsaying the fact that the major themes of the Qur’an include God-consciousness, fairness, equity, justice, equality and balance in all our dealings. These concepts are drummed into the believers every Juma’at service in the form of admonitions where we are enjoined to heed the words of Allah in Surah Al-Nahl: Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you that ye may receive admonition. (Quran 16:90)

It stresses the doing of what is right because it is the truth. We are urged to establish justice and deal with all in a manner that assures equity, fairness and balance and safeguards the rights, property, honour and dignity of all people. God assures us that even though He is All-Powerful, and none can challenge His Authority, He deals with all with truth, kindness, justice, and the rights of none will be transgressed on the Day of Judgment.  

Allah says in Surah Al Anbia’ Ayah 47: We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. (Quran 21:47)

When Prophet Muhammad, (SAW), said “help the oppressor and the oppressed”, he was stressing this same concept. The Companions responded that they understood what “helping the oppressed” meant, but what did he mean by “helping the oppressor”? He replied, “By preventing the oppressor from oppressing others”.

In Surah Al Ma’idah, Ayah 9, it is said that we should stand firmly for Allah as witness to fairness: O ye who believe! . . .Be just: That is next to Piety: And fear Allah. For Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do. (Quran 5:9)

A person’s faith does not become perfect until he observes fairness with respect to himself and others. In exchange, God shall increase his honour and glory. Man, by nature, prefers his own self and loves everything that is associated with him. 

In one way or the other we are all guilty of infractions of some of these injunctions, particularly our leaders. From the flinching tramp, the woman who digs for gold, the rich with their insatiable thirst for more, to the legislator, who is the sole beneficiary of his legislations and the executive who corners the people’s commonwealth to feather their own nests, we are all guilty. *When justice, equity and fairness depart from a society, that society is finished. A great task therefore rests on the shoulder of our new Chief Justice.

After 11 years at the Supreme Court, 66-year-old Justice Kekere-Ekun, who was born on May 7, 1958, will steer the judiciary for four years till 2028, when she will clock the mandatory retirement age of 70. In Sha Allah. No doubt she will be in the ring side of the usual litigations that will accompany the 2027 elections. May Allah teach her how to navigate the political tide.

A life bencher, Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun started her career in private practice from 1985 to 1989, after which she was appointed as a Senior Magistrate Grade II, Lagos State Judiciary, in December 1989.

She was appointed a judge of the High Court of Lagos State on July 19, 1996, same day as Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, the present chief judge of Lagos State.

She served as Chairman of the of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos, from November 1996 to May 1999.

She was elevated to the Court of Appeal on September 22, 2004, where she served in various divisions of the court and as presiding justice of two divisions of the court in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Kekere-Ekun was elevated to the Supreme Court bench as the fifth female justice of the court on Monday, July 8, 2013, filling the vacancy created by Hon. Justice Olufunlola Adekeye, who retired in February 2013 as the first female Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. 

She obtained her LL.B. in 1980 from the University of Lagos and her LL.M. from the London School of Economics and Political Science in November 1983. She was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981.

Our prayer has always been that she will one day become the CJ, hence I have always called her my Chief Justice. Alhamdulillah, it has come to pass, in my lifetime. We give all praise to Almighty Allah. It is to Him all the glory belongs. 

Congratulations to our sister, wife, mother and grandmother, our very own Hon. Chief Justice. We must also congratulate our brother Bearer Abdelfattah Akintola Kekere-Ekun for being a companion par excellence. A husband of inestimable value, compassionate, very supportive and understanding. I remember him going to all the various places our wife had always been posted to, ensuring her comfort even at his own discomfort, being made a home-alone husband. Very few men would have weathered through without getting lost in, ‘you know what’. 

We must also congratulate the children for bearing the vicissitude of living without their mother, especially since her elevation to the higher bench. 

And finally, I must pray for the repose of the soul of her father, late Pa HAB Fasinro, who would have been the happiest man today. But He must be having a ball in heaven with his friends, Pa Jose, Razak Balogun and Rabiu Balogun and other brethren. Inna Lillah wa ina ilehi rajiun. May Allah grant them all Jannatul Firdous. Aameen.

As for us at the Crescent Bearers, we might sooner than later confer on Bearer Kekere-Ekun the award of *Bearer Supreme Court First Gentleman (BSCFG)* and also Bearer DJ Supreme (BDJS) for his indefatigable rendition of good smooth jazz on the CB platform. 

In summary, the Kekere-Ekuns are a quintessential humble and contented couple and are not given to ‘karini’ or ostentatious living: Qualities which are sine qua non of people in exalted position. The new CJ is a woman of character, highly principled like her late father and of high moral standard like her mother. She is not loud but assertive when the matter of legal dispensation is called for (you should ask the robbers she sentenced when she headed the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos, from November 1996 to May 1999). Like we used to say, ‘her gentility should not be taken for stupidity’. You will do so at your peril. May her tenure be beneficial to the judiciary and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Let me end with what the Psalmist said: This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. . . . we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:23 & 24 KJV

Ihdinas siraatal Mustaqeem. (Quran 1:6) _Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom you have bestowed Your grace, that is, the people of guidance, sincerity and obedience to Allah and His Messengers.

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend.

In the vibrant tapestry of Nigeria’s political landscape, there exists a common belief that fluency in a native dialect equates to good leadership. However, this is a misconception that could lead to the wrong choice of leaders if allowed to persist. While the ability to speak a native dialect is an admirable trait, it should not be the defining criterion for electing a leader, especially in a country as diverse as Nigeria.

Take the case of Asue Ighodalo, a prominent figure who has recently gained attention in Edo State’s gubernatorial race. Ighodalo, despite his impressive credentials and vision for the state, has faced criticisms from certain quarters solely based on his perceived lack of fluency in the native dialect. These critiques overshadow his proven track record of competence, integrity, and leadership in both the private and public sectors.

Similarly, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party candidate in the last gubernatorial election in Lagos, was victimized for not being fluent in Yoruba, the predominant language of the state. Despite his strong credentials, innovative ideas, and genuine commitment to public service, many focused on his linguistic skills, or perceived lack thereof, rather than the substance of his campaign. This misplaced priority distracted from the real issues at hand and reduced the electoral process to a superficial examination of language rather than leadership qualities.

The argument that a leader must be fluent in the local language to connect with the people is rooted in cultural pride, but it is important to recognize that leadership extends far beyond language. Effective communication is certainly vital, but it is the substance of what is communicated, the ideas, policies, and vision, that should matter most.

Asue Ighodalo and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour are prime examples of how a leader’s capability should not be judged solely by their linguistic skills. Both have demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to public service. Their focus on economic development, infrastructure, and social welfare are precisely the qualities that should be at the forefront of voters’ minds, not their ability to converse in the native tongue.

After all, colonial masters who ruled Nigeria and left decades ago remain a significant part of the country’s history, and their influence is still visible today in the form of enduring infrastructure. These infrastructures, ranging from railway lines, bridges, schools, and administrative buildings to hospitals, continue to serve Nigeria’s populace, standing as testaments to the colonial era’s contributions to the country’s development. Despite the many criticisms of colonial rule, these structures provide a complex legacy that cannot be ignored.

Interestingly, the colonial leaders who presided over these developments did so without fluency in any of Nigeria’s native dialects. They ruled and administered the country, navigated its complex ethnic and cultural landscape, and instituted policies that led to significant infrastructure development, all while communicating in English, a language foreign to the majority of Nigerians at the time.

This historical context challenges the notion that fluency in a local dialect is a prerequisite for effective leadership. If colonial leaders, without understanding or speaking local languages, could still leave a lasting imprint on Nigeria’s infrastructure and governance systems, it suggests that the ability to communicate in a particular dialect should not be the sole measure of a leader’s capability, particularly in Edo State.

In contemporary Nigeria, the debate around leadership often includes discussions about a leader’s fluency in local dialects as a measure of their connection to the people. While it is true that speaking a local language can enhance relatability and trust, it is not a definitive indicator of leadership quality or effectiveness. A leader’s vision, integrity, competence, and ability to deliver results should be the primary criteria for their suitability, rather than their linguistic abilities.

In fact, it is not a misnomer to in this context opine that leadership should transcend language barriers, focusing instead on the capacity to address the nation’s challenges, improve the lives of citizens, and foster unity among its diverse populations.

Reason for the foregoing view cannot be pooh-poohed with mere wave of the hand as denying a capable leader the opportunity to lead based on his or her fluency in a local dialect ignores the lessons of history and risks overlooking individuals who might bring about significant positive change. Instead of prioritizing linguistic proficiency, we should focus on the broader qualities that make for effective leadership. Just as the colonial masters left behind infrastructure that still serves us today, we should seek leaders who will leave a legacy of progress, irrespective of the language they speak.

Without a doubt, the emphasis on language fluency can inadvertently sideline candidates who possess the right skills and intentions to lead. It narrows the pool of potential leaders and risks promoting those who may lack the necessary qualities to drive progress simply because they are fluent in the local dialect.

In as much as it is challenging but not impractical to expect a leader that was raised in the Diaspora to be fluent in his or her local languages, it is germane to opine that what truly matters is the ability to understand the diverse needs of the people and to communicate effectively in ways that resonate with all, regardless of language.

This issue resonates even more deeply for those in the Diaspora. The fact cannot be ruled out that many Nigerians are married to spouses from other ethnic groups across the country. As a result, it is often difficult for their children to learn and speak our native dialects fluently. Should these children, who may one day return to contribute to their various states of origin, be disqualified from leadership opportunities simply because they do not speak the language of their ancestors? The answer, clearly, is no.

Therefore, electing a leader based on their ability to speak a native dialect rather than their capacity to govern effectively is a disservice to the electorate. It is essential to evaluate candidates on their policies, vision, integrity, and ability to deliver on their promises.

As Nigeria continues to evolve, it is crucial that the electorate moves beyond parochial considerations and embraces a more holistic approach to leadership selection. The future of governance in Nigeria depends on choosing leaders who can bring about meaningful change, not just those who can speak the local language.

In fact, while cultural identity and language are important, they should not overshadow the qualities that truly define good leadership. As the cases of Asue Ighodalo and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour illustrate, leadership is about vision, competence, and the ability to serve the people, not merely the ability to speak their language. For those of us in the Diaspora, where linguistic diversity within our own families is a reality, this understanding is even more pertinent. Let us vote for leaders who can lead us to a better future, regardless of the language they speak.

Given the unacceptable reality that Former President Donald Trump was on course to defeat President Joe Biden in the American November Presidential election, I had shut off myself from news regarding American politics. When the former won the election in 2016 against Hillary Clinton, I started avoiding the CNN and any cable TV news channel that are substantially obliged to carry the news of the American President. Excited at the subsequent growing American alienation from his self-destructive presidency, I returned and enjoyed watching him unravel.

In the belief that he was a fluke, and certain that Americans would collectively sigh never again, I joined in saying good riddance to bad rubbish. Tragically, it was premature optimism. He was about to be gifted the American Presidency again by Joe Biden, and then Kamala Harris emerged. Harris is all that Trump is not. I can put the contrast no better than Nate White “he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief”.

“Now, polling conducted in the immediate run up to this week’s Democratic convention in Chicago shows the vice president entering not just with momentum, but with a slight advantage over Trump nationally and in most key battleground states — a dramatic reversal from the big hole President Joe Biden was in before he abandoned his candidacy just four weeks ago”.

After reading an article written by my close friend Reuben Abati titled “RITUALS, BLOOD AND DEATH, THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF ASO VILLA”. my sisters called me to verify the experience Abati had narrated- in the light of my related experience as political adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo. The gist of the article was that the presidential palace politics under President Goodluck Jonathan was demonology personified.The inquiry coincided with my revelry at the dramatic entrance of Kamala Harris into the race for the American presidential election and how it had turned things around for the Democrats.

The change of baton bore semblance to a peculiar occurrence in the 2003 governorship contest in one of the Yoruba states (as alleged). The spiritual consultant to the governor (seeking reelection) had requested the names of all the candidates who would be contesting against him. The governor dutifully provided the names of all those who had indicated their participation in the governorship contest. The spiritual handler then assured the governor that he had binded all the fellow contestants and rendered them of no consequence. At the last minute, one of the political party platforms was compelled to change the candidate contesting on its platform. Now, the new candidate was not among those who have been thwarted by the spiritualist. The net effect was that the new candidate went ahead to win the election.

Abati recalled “I was given an apartment to live in inside the Villa. It was furnished and equipped. But when my son, Michael arrived, one of my brothers came with a pastor who was supposed to stay in the apartment. But the man refused claiming that the Villa was full of evil spirits and that there would soon be a fire accident in the apartment. He complained about too much human sacrifice around the Villa and advised that my family must never sleep overnight inside the Villa”

“I thought the man was talking nonsense and he wanted the luxury of hotel accommodation. But he turned out to be right. The day I hosted family friends in that apartment and they slept overnight, there was indeed a fire accident. The guests escaped and they were so thankful. Not long after, the President’s physician living two compounds away had a fire accident in his home. He and his children could have died. He escaped with bruises. Around the Villa, while I was there, someone always died, or their relations died. I can confirm that every principal officer suffered one tragedy or the other; it was as if you needed to sacrifice something to remain on duty inside that environment”.

I had a tangentially comparable personal experience. I was in Lagos when I received a call from one of the political bigwigs in the inner circle of President Obasanjo. In the belief that I was in Abuja, he requested I should come and see him right away. When I told him I was in Lagos, he was flustered. Why should this man become so agitated on account of my non availability, I wondered. So I called an Aunt who usually prays for me and told her of what had just transpired. After praying on it, she called back to tell me that something bad was about to befall the man’s son and wanted to transfer the danger to me. Two weeks later, the man, indeed, lost a son.

I had worked closely with a President who would occasionally wondered aloud how he could have signed off on some memo he objected to especially those with monetary implications or a significant political appointment. You might have heard of members of political cabals who uniformly lost their first born. In my town, all the seven kingmakers who colluded to install a king who was not the choice of the oracle died one after another within a year. There is equally a fable that a decline in the population of hyena in the Kaduna-Abuja forest portends a bad omen. Apparently, hyena is a core element in the preparation of charms targetting somebody’s life at the top echelons of government.

President Obasanjo narrated a spectacle he witnessed. He had gone for a weekend retreat at Otta. He received a guest who was decked in suit and tie. He was playing a popular Yoruba recreational game (Ayo) with an elderly relative. For whatever reason, the man in suit started deriding the Yoruba cosmology as quackery. When he would not relent, the elderly man playing ayo asked him if he really believed what he was saying. So after a few seconds the Yoruba veteran then directed him to remove his jacket, he complied. He again ordered him to remove his shirt and trousers. He did. Obasanjo had to intervene when the man was going to remove his underwear as instructed.

In 1983 at Okemesi, it was time to conduct the primary election to choose the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN candidate for the state house of assembly election. One was a young charismatic candidate who was overwhelmingly favoured to win the primaries. The other was a mild mannered university academic and Okemesi Prince. The latter narrated his experience at the election to me.

He had a midnight visit on the eve of the primaries comprising a delegation of leading traditional chiefs who could not countenance the idea of a prince losing the election. So they requested from him ingredients for a ritual sacrifice comprising a rat, withered fish, salt, palm oil and the like. They then assured him he would prevail in the contest.

At the primaries the following day, supporters of each candidate were instructed to queue behind their candidate. The voters behind the charismatic candidate were, at a glance, three times more than those behind the prince. When they voted, the result showed the exact opposite of the distribution of the voters. It indicated the prince defeated the other candidate by a wide margin and all of this was in the open. Because the result was unbelievable, the voting process had to be repeated thrice with the same outcome.

It will require a special kind of credulity to believe that those engaged in the desperately transactional pursuit and sustainous of political power will not prioritise a recourse to the marabou, Adahunse and false pastors and prophets in the order of Temitope Joshua as of the essence. The bigger the stakes, the longer the extent to which politicians will go to court divine intervention in their affairs. An ambassador to Riyadh once came to report that a vice president had sequestered the consulate in Jeddah to house marabou engaged to cause the death of his principal.

You will recall the drama surrounding the choice of Samuel Akinsanya, as the odemo of Isara as narrated in the autobiography of Professor Wole Soyinka, Ake. If you want to see and hear the oracle speak, all you need to do is to visit and pay homage on the Ooni of Ife. At the level of rhetoric, Nigerian politics is a reflection of the behaviour of the larger society where Newell S. Booth observed that whilst 95% of the Yoruba professed Islam or Christianity, the answer to the question of what percentage practice the traditional religion was equally 95%!.

I had elsewhere argued that among the Yoruba, there is indeed something of a paradox in the contradiction between the subconscious individual belief in the relevance of Ifa to the resolution of any resurgence of crisis in human experience and a conscious social and collective disavowal of its reality. It is a paradox that is borne out in the ambiguity of individual and private accommodation of Ifa by those who simultaneously profess Christianity and Islam.

This subject matter, however, provides the opportunity to caution against the common generalisation of the practitioners of Yoruba traditional religion as amoral. Irked at the persistent and prevailing defamation and demonisation of Ifa, Professor Wande Abimbọla retorted “There are people we call Onisegun, they are not Babalawo. Babalawo does not do evil and if they stray from the straight and narrow path they become liable to the severest punishment.

Professor Bolaji Idowu corroborated that it is laid down that a babalawo must not abuse his office in any way.. Therefore no babalawo should use his position to enrich himself in any way; he must not refuse anybody his service on account of money-if any person is too poor to pay the customary pittance for divination, the babalawo must divine for him free of charge; or if the person cannot afford the prescribed sacrifice, the babalawo must take whatever he can afford….it seems, in fact, that the babalawo is under a vow of poverty, to spend himself in service of the community…now that materialism is the order of the day, this sacred injunction is largely disregarded, and there are many who appear not to know it at all. Charlatans abound ”

THE United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Monday August 19, made another public claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a peace proposal to end the war in the Palestine. The US christened its latest claim a “bridging proposal”.

However, going by previous US announcements, this is maybe another false claim by the Biden administration.

As in past, the US puts the burden on Hamas to accept the so-called proposal. Again as it claimed in previous offers, this is the best offer. However this time, the US proclaims that this could potentially be the last peace offer. In other words, as far as the super power is concerned, if its latest gambit fails, there may no longer be peace proposals to end the war.

The US has appointed itself the Peacemaker-in-Chief of the Israeli-Palestinian War. Every second, it shouts from the roof tops that it is working assiduously for a ceasefire. It also parcels what it claims are peace deals. But, so far, they have turned out to be dubious packages of propaganda designed to give the impression that it is a peace maker; Israel is a peace lover and that Hamas is a bunch of unrelenting terrorists wedded to violence. Meanwhile, the war continues with the US creating an Iron Dome to shield Israel from missiles of international condemnation and adherence to international law.

The cyclic pattern of US actions in the past ten months, follow a template. First, it increases military aid to Israel but claims strenuous efforts to make peace. Then it announces a peace deal, proclaims Israel’s alleged authorship or acceptance of the deal and, claims Hamas is obstinate. Next, it asks peace lovers to pressure Hamas acceptance; Hamas accepts, Israel denies the deal and the US repeats the cycle.

Earlier this year, a peace deal allegedly accepted by Israel was announced. It included the release of wounded, sick and elderly hostages held in Gaza and an extendable six-week ceasefire that could allow for more aid to be delivered to besieged Gaza. Hamas was alleged to be delaying the peace deal. But all Hamas asked was for a permanent ceasefire and release of all hostages. An angry Israel rejected the peace deal and, as possible punishment for the Hamas insolence, increased its bombardment of Rafah City in southern Gaza.

This cycle has been most apparent within the last three months. On Friday, May 31, 2024, US President Joe Biden surprised the world with an announcement that Israel had proposed a peace plan! He claimed it was one that would ensure a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages. To him, the only obstacle was Hamas accepting it. He told the Palestinian group that the alleged Israeli plan was the best way to end the conflict. Turning to the world, he said: “It’s time for this war to end and for the day after to begin.”

Many were doubtful that Israel would package a peace plan. But it didn’t matter who gives birth to a peace plan so long as it works.

Same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Israel had authorised its negotiators to present the peace plan to the Palestinians.

This plan technically included the core Hamas demand for a permanent ceasefire. It had three phases. First, is a six-week ceasefire during which the Israeli military would withdraw from population centres in Gaza and, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners would be exchanged for hostages. Also, the Palestinian civil populace would be allowed to return to Gaza and 600 aid trucks would be permitted to enter Gaza daily.

In the second phase, both sides were to negotiate terms for a permanent end to hostilities. Biden had added that: “The ceasefire will still continue as long as negotiations continue.” The third phase included a major reconstruction plan for destroyed Gaza.

This peace package was in contrast with the rhetoric coming out of Israel. But if Biden, a major backer of Israel said this peace deal was not only acceptable to the latter, but that Israel had actually packaged it, why doubt him?

Biden also made a show of addressing Israelis who may not support their country’s peace proposals: “As someone who’s had a lifelong commitment to Israel, as the only American President who has ever gone to Israel at a time of war, as someone who just sent the U.S. forces to directly defend Israel when it was attacked by Iran, I ask you to take a step back, think what will happen if this moment is lost.”

But many doubted the US. They thought it was another American ploy to be seen as a peace broker; make Israel, widely accused of genocide, to smell fresh like roses and portray Hamas as a warmonger.

For instance, when this peace package was presented to the United Nations Security Council for passage, the Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said it was nebulous. He added: “The Council should not agree to any agreement that has vague parameters…what specifically has Israel agreed to?” Despite its scepticism, Russia did not use its veto. So, the resolution passed by 14:0 votes.

Immediately this resolution was passed on Monday, March 25, 2024, the US moved to the next stage of the drama: present Hamas as an unreasonable and belligerent group opposed to peace. US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, claimed that with the passage, if Hamas were to agree to the resolution, fighting could stop immediately. She warned Hamas to beware that the world is “united behind a deal that will save lives and help Palestinian civilians in Gaza start to rebuild and heal. United behind a deal that will reunite hostages with their families after eight months in captivity.”

Hamas immediately accepted the resolution and it seemed peace had come at last. But alas, it was all a US-Israeli ruse. Israel’s rejection of this peace deal which President Biden had claimed was crafted by it, was instantaneous and venomous.

Apparently, this so-called peace deal was supposed to be a propaganda stunt. So, Israel was very angry the US had allowed it pass at the UN Security Council by merely abstaining rather than vetoing it.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant who was in Washington when the resolution was passed, said it was scandalous. He added: “We have no moral right to stop the war in Gaza until we return all the hostages to their homes.”

Five months after the US claimed that once the UN passed the peace resolution and Hamas accepts, hostilities would come to an end, no such thing has happened. Rather, the US this week announced another of its dubious peace plans which like previous ones, is unlikely to lead to peace.

Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, civil society organisations, CSOs, and Arewa youths, yesterday called for the immediate release of protesters during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest held between August 1 and 10, 2024.

This came on a day rights lawyer and chairman of Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond, ASCAB, Femi Falana, SAN, said his group will not hesitate to sue the Federal Government should it fail to either arraign those arrested before August 25 or release them.

He also disclosed that of the 2,111 suspects arrested during the protests, 1,403 had been remanded in prisons across the country.

27 of the protesters, according to one of their lawyers, Deji Adeyanju, are to be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja today, after two failed attempts to arraign them by the police.

Speaking on the issue in Abuja yesterday, Cardinal Onaiyekan, while making a case for the immediate release of the suspects, said the unarmed protesters are not the cause of Nigeria’s problems.

He said: “It is not unarmed protesters who are the cause of our problems. Our president told us he is ready to dialogue with all those who are unhappy, but he needs to take the initiative now.

“Is this how to ask for dialogue? There is need to completely change our attitude. The people (protesters) were just ordinary young people who are hungry.

‘’The only way to show that you feel our pain is to do things that will relieve the suffering and pain of the people. That is what the government is there for.

“When we talk about youth nowadays, we are not talking about small boys or girls, we are talking about people who are 35 and below. Most of them have graduated, and most of them have skills.”

On his part, Mr Falana in a statement, titled ‘’Halt The Clampdown On Protesters,’’ said: “Instead of subjecting the #EndBadGovernance protesters to unwarranted clampdown, the Federal Government should either release or arraign the scores of detained suspects before appropriate courts without any further delay.

‘’Whenever the suspects are going to be arraigned, they must be given adequate notice to be able to contact the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and their family members to make arrangements for their defence.

‘’However, if all the suspects are not charged before August 25, 2024, the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond, ASCAB, will approach the Federal High Court to demand their immediate release.

‘’ASCAB has also resolved to defend the cases filed against the protests by two state governments (Lagos and Ogun) and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT
‘’More fundamentally, it’s important to remind the Nigerian state again that beyond legalism, the solution to the political problem of which protests are mere symptoms lie in the honest application of socio-economic justice.

“Elements of this socio-economic justice include policy instruments fashioned to fight hunger, ignorance, disease and the scandalous inequality which define the Nigerian society today.’’

The statement read further: ‘’Out of the 2,111 arrested suspects, 1,403 have been arraigned in various courts. Painfully, the suspects were ordered to be reminded in prison custody due to lack of legal representation.

‘’The suspects were denied legal representation, even though the Nigerian Bar Association had publicly announced its intention to provide lawyers to defend them.

‘’We have also confirmed that individual lawyers who had applied for bail of the detained suspects in police stations were not informed that they were going to be arraigned in the courts.

‘’We submit that the decision of the authorities to deny the suspects legal representation constitutes a violent breach of their fundamental right to fair hearing, guaranteed by Section 36 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.

“This is highly discriminatory and illegal on the ground that politically exposed persons who are arrested for looting the treasury to the tune of several billions of naira are usually informed in advance of the dates and of their arraignment in courts.

“Such highly-placed suspected looters are always granted bail in liberal terms and even authorised by trial judges to travel abroad for medical treatment.

“It does appear that the security forces have decided to take advantage of the anti- government protests to clamp down on radical citizens and thereby expose the country to unprecedented ridicule.

“For instance, Comrade Michael Adaramoye (a.k.a. Lenin) has been detained for over three weeks in the anti-robbery department of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja because he answers the sobriquet, “Lenin”.

‘’Messrs Elejo Opaluwa and Mosiu Abolaji are also detained in the same police station for belonging to a socialist organisation which supported the protest.

‘’Seven Polish students who were taking part in an exchange programme in Bayero University, Kano, were arrested for taking photographs during the protest. They may be charged with espionage to give the impression that the protests were instigated by foreign interest groups.

“The offence allegedly committed by the 783 suspects arrested in Kano is that they displayed the Russian flag during the protest. A tailor who was sewing the flag was also arrested by the police.

‘’It may be difficult to press charges against the suspects in a country where the flags of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and other European countries are hoisted by majority of hotels in Nigeria, while churches hoist the flag of Israel based on the erroneous belief that it is a Christian country.

‘’During the recent invasion of the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Abuja, some Marxist books and other radical works were carted away because they were allegedly used to incite and organise the #EndBadGovernance protests in the country.

‘’As if that was not enough, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Joe Ajaero, has been summoned by the Nigeria Police Force for ‘interview’ on criminal charges relating to ‘criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime’.

‘’Yesterday (Wednesday), a team of the Nigeria police force invaded the house of the Principal of Stars of Nations Schools in Nasarawa State, Mrs Helen Batubo, in connection with the protests.
“Mrs Batubo is the stepdaughter of Mr. Drew who owns the school and runs the bookshop on 2nd floor of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC‘s Labour House in Abuja.

‘’Since there is no scintilla of evidence to justify the allegations of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime, the police should cancel the planned interrogation of the President of the NLC and return the books seized from the bookshops as they have not been banned in the country.

‘’We are compelled to call on the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, to cause an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing of 22 citizens that occurred during the protest.
“At the end of the investigation, the culprits should be charged with murder in the state high courts where the heinous offences were committed.

“Finally, it is pertinent to remind the Federal Government that some of the leaders of the 2020 #EndSARS protests were charged with frivolous offences, while others had their passports seized and accounts frozen.

“Over 160 people were killed in Lagos and other cities, yet the massive clampdown on #EndSARS leaders has not stopped aggrieved youths from protesting against official policies that are considered inimical to the interests of the Nigerian people.’’

Listing the 2,111 arrested suspects with their states of arrest, the statement read: ‘’Kano—873; Jigawa –403; Katsina—120; Gombe—111; Sokoto—110; Borno—99; Yobe—90; Bauchi-60; Plateau—51; Kaduna—50; FCT—50; Nasarawa –40; Niger—25; Zamfara –19; and Cross Rivers State—10.’’

CSOs react

Reacting yesterday, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), expressed concern over government’s continuous detention of the protesters without arraignment, noting that some people not involved in the protests were arrested as patients in hospitals were also targeted.

Rafsanjani called on government to either prosecute or release the detained protesters wihout further delay.

While emphasizing that detaining them could be a means of siphoning public funds, he said further: “It is very sad that the government, which makes laws for citizens to comply with, is the one breaking the law. The government has not complied with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“Additionally, we have noted that some people who were not even part of the #EndBadGovernance protests were arrested.

“To worsen matters, some people who were in the hospital were arrested in the name of pursuing protesters. In Katsina, security agencies allegedly went to the hospital, threw tear-gas canisters and killed some patients.

“We don’t know what the government aims to achieve by dehumanizing and incriminating its citizens at all costs. Meanwhile, the military and police are being terrorized by terrorists.

“Instead of harnessing their efforts and resources to tackle insecurity in the country, they are busy chasing people who are complaining of suffering in the hands of wicked public officials and non-state actors.

“The government should either prosecute or release the detained protesters. Detaining them could even be another way of siphoning public funds in the name of feeding the detainees.”

You can’t silence everybody, undermine the rights of Nigerians – CISLAC

Also reacting yesterday, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, said: “We appeal to the government and security agencies to de-escalate the tension that is growing as result of continued detention of protesters.

“This action is sending a very bad signal and it is capable of mobilizing tension in the country because there were so many people who were not involved in destructive protests who are now in custody.

“So government should do everything possible to take them to court if they must take them to court, otherwise they must release those who were not involved in violent protest, and this is the only way Nigerians can see that the government is just and fair.

“You cannot silence everybody and undermine the rights of Nigerians, and those security people who are doing this are actually helping to destroy Tinubu and his legacy, and not promoting him.

“Therefore, we are calling on the President to see those who are perpetrating this brutality and attacks on Nigerians, especially those who were not involved in any violence. The protesters are not his enemies but those destroying his reputation.’’

FG’s commitment to human rights questionable –Yiaga Africa

In his reaction, the Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said: “I think it raises questions on the commitment of government to upholding human rights and the tenets of democracy.

“This unlawful detention of protesters whose crime is just coming out to protest against policies of the government that are anti-people is really unfortunate and unacceptable.

“The President needs to make good his promise and his commitment to respect human rights and the rights of protesters, and calling security agencies, especially the police that have held this people in detention to release them forthwith.

“This is because the continuous detention of these people is not only hurting their rights but also actually putting to question the commitment of the government to democracy.

“To prevent detainees from accessing legal counsel or representation is the most unfortunate, draconian, unacceptable thing to do within our constitutional democracy.”

JAF reacts

Similarly, the Joint Action Front, JAF, also yesterday demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the protesters, including Micheal Lenin, Mosiu Adigun, Eleojo Opaluwa, Kunle Wizeman, among others.

Dr. Oladipo Fashina, Chairperson of JAF, described police justification for the attack as a ‘smokescreen’ and called for the resignation of the Inspector-General of Police and prosecution of police officers involved in the killing of protesters.

Fashina stated: “We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Micheal Lenin, Mosiu Adigun, Eleojo Opaluwa, Kunle Wizeman, and hundreds of others who have been unjustly arrested across the country over the nationwide protests.

“Sadly, according to media reports, at least 40 protesters have been murdered by security agencies across the country. While we hold the Tinubu regime responsible for the killings, we demand the resignation of the Inspector General of Police and prosecution of police officers involved.”

Release suspects to avert further protests

The Arewa Youth Assembly also yesterday called for the release of the protesters, saying the fact that government had not been able to arraign them was an indication it had no charges against the protesters.

Coordinator of the group, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, noted that indefinite detention of the protesters is brewing a bigger protest.

He said: “We are advocating release of all the protesters languishing in various prisons. They were simply disenchanted with government policies and took to the streets to protest peacefully, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Even if they became culpable in unlawful acts, it should not take more than 48 hours before they are arraigned in court. Doing otherwise is a gross violation of their fundamental human rights and is in itself an unlawful act by the government.

“Two perceived wrongs can’t make a right. The government is totally wrong on this. It should know that indefinite detention of these protesters is already brewing a bigger protest.

“What government should do to avert a looming protest is to assuage anger by releasing these youths. The Federal Government has said it has programmes for the youth. Which programmes? For which youths?

“Is it the more than 1,000 young Nigerians languishing in detention? Or is it the ones who were extra-judicially murdered by security agents? The problem we have in Northern Nigeria is that most of our elites are sycophants.

“They are afraid to speak truth to power because they feel if they do, President Ahmed Tinubu will be angry and they will not have money, or perhaps they won’t get that contract or appointment they are expecting from his administration.”

Detention unconstitutional – Rights lawyer

Reacting, rights lawyer, Temi Salami, said continued the detention of the protesters is a violation of Section 36 of the Constitution, which requires suspects to be taken to court within 24 or 48 hours if the court is not within jurisdiction.

Salami described the detention as a clear violation of the protesters’ rights, likening it to the Abacha era and a sign of Nigeria becoming a police state under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He stated: “It is against our laws to detain any suspect beyond 48 hours without an arraignment. Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) specifically states that anyone arrested must be taken to court within 24 or 48 hours at the maximum, if the court is not within jurisdiction.

“Detaining the #EndBadGovernance protesters for nearly three weeks is a gross violation of their fundamental rights, and it seems the Tinubu administration is taking us back to the Abacha era. Nigeria is gradually becoming a police state under President Bola Tinubu.”

Over 30 lawyers to storm court over arraignment of protesters - Adeyanju

Meanwhile, ahead of the much anticipated arraignment of the protesters by the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, today, one of their lawyers, Mr Deji Adeyanju, yesterday, disclosed that over 30 lawyers would be at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Adeyanju told Vanguard in an interview yesterday that they were preparing for the arraignment that had been delayed since last Thursday.

He said: “We are looking forward to the arraignment and and we are hoping that they will arraign the protesters tomorrow (today). We are also preparing in anticipation of their arraignment.
“We are expecting over 30 lawyers at the Federal High Court in Abuja in defence of the protesters.

27 protesters to be arraigned

“We are looking at 27 #EndBadGovernance protesters from the numbers we have to be arraigned in court.

“The police have also arrested some other people we are not aware of that we have now been made aware of today (yesterday). They were arrested two weeks ago in Abuja.”

Police remand warrant of 14 days long expired

“The remand warrant the police obtained for 14 days has long expired, we are optimistic that they will be charged.

“We went to the police station to see the protesters but we were still not allowed to see them but we can confirm that one of them was seen by her family two days ago.

Protesters badly treated

“They are being made to sleep on the bare floor in an extremely difficult situation, and they are largely very unkempt.”

We’ll soon file suit against FG

“We are in the process of filing a suit against the Federal Government on the unconstitutional act on the fundamental rights of the protesters by the President.

“The act of government is unconstitutional and unlawful, protesters cannot be kept for over two weeks for mere allegation of protesting, while bandits have abducted and killed an emir in the north and nothing is being done.

“The energy being used to attack and silence protesters should be used to solve the insecurity problem in the country.”

UNESCO calls for protection of journalists covering protests worldwide

In a related development, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, has raised the alarm that in recent months, multiple journalists covering protests in different parts of the world have been subjected to various forms of attacks, including killings, injuries, arbitrary detentions, and confiscation of their equipment, while exercising their rightful duties as journalists.

UNESCO noted that all authorities concerned have the duty and responsibility to ensure the safety of journalists covering protests around the world, in accordance with international norms and human rights obligations.

It said: “In times of crisis, as in times of peace, journalists are crucial lifelines to verified information for citizens. They facilitate public debate and dialogue that are pathways to democratic solutions. Authorities must guarantee the safety of journalists covering protests, in line with international freedom of expression standards.

“Within the UNESCO Series World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development, UNESCO has previously highlighted the growing risks to the safety of journalists covering protests.

“A UNESCO report on the safety of journalists covering environmental issues, published for World Press Freedom Day in May 2024, revealed that 194 journalists, groups of journalists and media houses have been attacked in the context of environmental protests in the past 15 years.

“UNESCO is monitoring attacks and threats against journalists that undermine their legitimate role of informing populations with accurate and verified information. “

[Vanguard]

In recent years, a disturbing trend has emerged among Nigerian youths as many have begun to dismiss education as a "scam." This sentiment is often fueled by frustration over the challenges of securing employment or financial stability after years of academic pursuit. But while these frustrations are valid, the narrative that education is a scam could not be further from the truth. Education remains the most reliable key to a successful life, and it is crucial that this message is reiterated.

Firstly, it is essential to understand what education truly offers. Beyond the certificates and degrees, education equips individuals with critical thinking skills, the ability to solve complex problems, and the knowledge to navigate an increasingly complicated world. It opens doors to opportunities that would otherwise remain closed and provides a foundation upon which individuals can build careers, businesses, and innovations that shape society.

Consider the success stories of many Nigerians who have excelled in various fields. From the tech industry to the arts, finance, and even politics, education has been a common denominator among those who have risen to prominence. Take, for instance, the tech industry, where Nigerian youths like Iyinoluwa Aboyeji and Prosper Otemuyiwa have made significant strides. Their success stories are not just tales of talent and hard work; they are testaments to the value of education in providing the knowledge and skills needed to compete on a global scale.

Furthermore, education is not just about formal schooling. It encompasses the acquisition of skills, whether through vocational training, apprenticeships, or self-taught endeavors. The critical point is that learning, formal or informal, enhances one’s ability to adapt to the evolving demands of the job market and to create opportunities in a rapidly changing world.

The narrative that education is a scam often arises from the misconception that a degree is a direct ticket to wealth. While education can indeed pave the way for financial success, it should be viewed as a tool, not a guarantee. The global economy is complex, and success often requires a combination of education, perseverance, networking, and sometimes, a bit of luck. However, dismissing education entirely because it does not immediately lead to wealth is akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Moreover, the belief that education is a scam can have detrimental effects on society. When youths abandon the pursuit of knowledge, they limit their potential and inadvertently contribute to the cycle of poverty and unemployment that they seek to escape. A society that undervalues education is one that is likely to lag behind in innovation, economic growth, and social development.

It is also important to address the systemic issues that contribute to the frustrations of educated youths, such as unemployment and underemployment. While these issues are real and pressing, they are not reasons to dismiss the value of education. Instead, they should motivate efforts to reform educational systems, align curricula with market needs, and create an environment where educated individuals can thrive.

Without a doubt, education is far from being a scam. It remains the most potent tool for personal and societal transformation. Nigerian youths must be encouraged to view education as an investment in their future, rather than a waste of time and resources. The journey may be challenging, but the rewards of education, knowledge, empowerment, and the potential for success, are undeniable. Let us continue to champion the value of education, for it is the key that unlocks countless doors to a better, more prosperous future.

In fact, this perception is fueled by the harsh realities many graduates face in the labor market, where securing a well-paying job often seems more like a stroke of luck than a reward for years of academic effort. With stories of unemployed graduates, underpaid professionals, and the seeming prosperity of those who bypassed higher education flooding social media, it is easy to see why this notion has gained traction. However, despite these challenges, it is crucial to affirm that education is not a scam. Rather, it remains the key to personal and societal progress.

Let's not sugarcoat the situation; Nigeria's job market is tough. The economy is strained, and the demand for jobs far outweighs the supply. Many graduates find themselves in a seemingly endless loop of applying for jobs, attending interviews, and facing rejection. For some, the situation is so dire that they resort to taking jobs far below their qualifications just to make ends meet. This grim reality is often pointed to as evidence that education is overrated, but this perspective misses the bigger picture.

Education is much more than a direct path to employment. It is a foundation upon which individuals build their knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities. While it is true that a degree no longer guarantees immediate employment, the skills acquired through education, such as communication, problem-solving, and analytical thinking, are invaluable in navigating today's complex world. These skills are transferable and can be applied in various sectors, including entrepreneurship, which is increasingly becoming a viable path for many graduates.

In fact, success is no longer defined solely by securing a white-collar job or becoming wealthy overnight. The world is evolving, and so are the ways in which people achieve success. Education equips individuals with the tools to adapt to these changes, to innovate, and to create new opportunities for themselves and others. The rise of technology, for instance, has opened up new fields that were non-existent a decade ago. Many successful individuals today are those who have leveraged their education to excel in these emerging areas.

While it may not always yield immediate financial rewards, the long-term value of education cannot be overstated. Educated individuals are more likely to enjoy better health, have a broader understanding of the world, and participate meaningfully in society. Education also opens doors to further learning and development, allowing individuals to continually improve themselves and their prospects. In the long run, the benefits of education, both tangible and intangible, far outweigh the temporary setbacks of unemployment or financial struggles.

In fact, beyond individual benefits, education plays a critical role in nation-building. A well-educated population is essential for the development of a robust economy, the strengthening of democratic institutions, and the fostering of social cohesion. Countries that prioritize education tend to have lower poverty rates, higher levels of innovation, and more stable political environments. In Nigeria, the challenges facing the education system are numerous, but abandoning the pursuit of knowledge is not the solution. Instead, there should be a collective effort to address these challenges and improve the quality and accessibility of education for all.

The idea that education is a scam is a short-sighted response to the real and pressing challenges facing Nigerian graduates today. While it is true that the journey from graduation to financial stability can be fraught with obstacles, it does not diminish the value of education. Rather than viewing education as a mere ticket to immediate wealth, it should be seen as a lifelong investment in personal growth and societal progress. Education remains the key to unlocking opportunities, driving innovation, and ultimately, building a better future for individuals and the nation as a whole.

Dear Engr. Jennifer Adighije,

I hope this letter finds you in excellent spirits.

It is with great pleasure that I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on your recent appointment as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC). Your elevation to this prestigious position is a testament to your exceptional leadership qualities and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Having closely observed your career trajectory, from the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Entrepreneurship development in communications innovation and digital economy, I am confident that your tenure at NDPHC will be marked by transformative initiatives and positive change. Your Midas touch—reminiscent of King Midas’s legendary ability to turn everything he touched into gold—will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on the organization. Your visionary approach, coupled with your dedication to innovation, will steer NDPHC toward new horizons.

I place my utmost trust in your reformative abilities. Your leadership will not only enhance operational efficiency but also redefine the narrative within the company. I have no doubt that under your guidance, NDPHC will flourish, empowering communities and contributing significantly to Nigeria’s energy landscape.

Once again, congratulations, Engr. Adighije! May your tenure be filled with remarkable achievements, collaborative endeavors, and positive impact. The entire NDPHC family eagerly awaits the positive changes you will usher in.

Wishing you every success in your new role!

Warm regards,

Emperor Udochukwu Chijioke Ofomata

Media head and spokesperson to Enɠr. Jennifer Adighije

The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has blamed the problems of the nation's civil service on the incursion of the military into governance, and the poor remuneration of public workers.

Olaopa , a professor of public administration and a former federal permanent secretary, spoke on Wednesday at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State during the maiden Distinguished Annual Public Lecture series of the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries of Oyo and Osun State (ARHESPSOOS).

The seasoned bureaucrat who spoke on 

"Reengineering the Engine Room: The Civil Service as the Fulcrum of Sustainable Development" commended ARHESPSOOS for taking the initiative to "create this annual seminal platform to offer its multidisciplinary experts and professional capital to contribute to rethinking the intellectual bases of the working and practice of public service as engine room of governance in Nigeria.

"Indeed, it will be a real shame and gross disservice to the civil service in Nigeria, to have such a rich assemblage and mine of bureaucratic wisdom as resident in this association and not tap into it."

Blaming the military for the decline of the civil service, Olaopa said 

" that the civil service indeed evolves within a growth trajectory that was distorted significantly by military rule, and a series of other disruptions, hiccups, misconceptions, administrative misses, and fortuitous breakthroughs.

"Some of its evolving systems and structures were decimated after 1966 by the 'with immediate effect' military tradition. The transition from parliamentary to presidential system since 1979 created its own issues that were not systematically resolved.

"The public service system that Nigeria inherited from the British was not just Weberian, it was overly legalistic and top-down control (‘I am directed’) fixated, making the administrative system unresponsive to public demands and therefore weak in terms of democratic accountability

"The classification of personnel emphasised job in the person, not person on the job, with work done largely in terms of functions/duties as scheduled, rather than as tasks, day to day.

"There is also the phenomenon of 'trained incapacity' deriving from the fact that skills development and training investments were seen as isolated processes, without coherent linkages to HR planning, employee appraisal, and pay and reward system.In other words, staff performance appraisal system which relied on APER, in the absence of institutionalised performance management system (PMS), remains as ever vague about what is being assessed and rewarded."

Noting that the remuneration system was also responsible for the decline of the civil service, Olaopa said: " Since the 1974 Udoji bonanza, the pay and remuneration system has been disconnected from the productivity trajectory in the national economy, with adversarial industrial relations looming large in its wake.

"Indeed, the public service pay system was reasonable as at independence until the early 1980s. As the economy slowed, revenue faltered, and staffing numbers continued to rise, driven by the expanding role of the welfare state and the federal character policy.

Pay level became stagnant, with low wages eventually becoming irredeemably the norm. By the mid-80s, retiring officers were coping with a pension that was formidably less than purchasing power, while serving officers earned subsistence wage

The collapse of the pay system inexorably destroyed the employment contract between government and public employees. Informality then set in, and performance plummeted .

"Officers started to invent a series of coping mechanisms, ranging from moonlighting, manipulation of travel allowances and per diems, connivance with contractors and outright theft of public assets and alteration of date of birth to guarantee prolonged tenure.

Professionals with scarce skills left the shore to work in other sectors or relocated overseas. Training budget evaporated, and systemic corruption, the culture of ‘something for nothing’ which replaced the value of deferred gratification and honour cum excellence in service, became new normal, with public interest and merit emasculated.

"Overall, the bureaucratic system started to function outside of its assumed tradition and values. In its place, an unsavoury culture wherein officers followed rules and regulations for its own sake was enthroned

Compliance with rules and regulations then ceases to embed flexibilities required to innovate to build and install results-based management framework in the era of managerialism which set in since the mid-70s.

Staff progression and promotion system acquired negative logic, as one that rewarded officers order than those making real contributions. It in turn discouraged risk taking and creativity, within a structural regression into silos operations, with officers protecting boundaries of authority while foreclosing team work, networking, results-orientation and whole of government approaches.

"The civil service gradually closed itself to ideas and intellectual discourses in manner that became a culture of anti-intellectualism and insularity due in part to closure of entry to other talents from other sectors, occasioning over time deep-rooted inbreeding, structural inertia and obsolescence ."

Earlier, Olaopa highlighted the various reforms that have taken place in the civil service .

He said that 1974 was a fundamental administrative year in the history of the Nigerian civil service. He said it was the year that Nigeria got its first opportunity to fundamentally rethink its public administration system .

But he decried a situation where the Udoji Commission got caught up in the deeper managerial challenges raised in the UK in 1968 when the Lord Fulton Report was set up to reassess the efficiency problem of the British civil service. 

"The Fulton Report itself took bearing from a theoretical wave set in motion at the time by the new public management (NPM) revolution at the time.

The concern of administrative reform at the time was to reflect on the possibilities of how the Weberian administrative system could take advantage of expanding innovations in the market system and private sector good practices.

"The Udoji Commission tackled its terms of reference head on. It saw a fundamental problem of the civil service in Nigeria as that of administrative inflexibility that finds it hard to respond to positive changes.

It therefore advocated the need for a total reassessment of the public service and its capacity to internalise and adapt global best practices."

According to him, the commission was also bold enough to tackle the generalist-professional issue (the 'cult of the generalists') when it recommended a new style public service infused with 'new blood' working under a result-oriented management system operated by professionals and specialists in particular field.

"Like the Fulton Report in the UK before it, these cogent recommendations never saw the light of day.

From the Dotun Philip Report of 1984 to the Ayida reform of 1994, the Nigerian state took forward the managerial recommendations that would give birth to a new public service. The recommendation was the basis of the Decree 43 of 1988.

"The Ayida Review, against the backdrop of some conception-reality gaps in the Philips reform, reconstituted the civil service system along the Weberian traditional principles," he said.

According to him, since 1999 and the inception of Nigeria’s democratic experiment, some critical defining reforms have yielded lots of significant (though not sufficient) reform achievements. These reforms include the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), SERVICOM, pension and pay reforms, the professionalisation of the FOS/NBS, FIRS/NEITI, the price intelligence and procurement reform, and fiscal responsibility.

But he lamented that the bureaucratic model served the civil service well up to the mid-70s before the decline he identified as bureau-pathology set in .

1. As part of the economic stimulus plans of the Renewed Hope administration of the President of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Federal Ministry of Works has designed the fourth Renewed Hope road infrastructure legacy project that passes through States of the North East known as the Akwanga – Jos – Bauchi – Gombe road. The Hon Minister of Works His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE, GGCEHF made this disclosure during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Bauchi State at the State Government House, Bauchi on 15th August 2024. He said, “I want to thank you very highly, and to let you know that the shortfall in terms of road distribution was not done by President Tinubu, it wasn't done by me, but Mr. President is addressing it, and that's why we have injected the fourth legacy project of the President that runs from Akwanga to Jos to Bauchi State, and we are happy to see that you have intervened progressively and critically on a good percentage of the road in your State”

2. The Honourable Minister emphasized the importance of the four Renewed Hope legacy projects which he said was not only strategic in terms of seamless connectivity to the 6 Geo-Political Zones, but also a strategic architectural masterplan that would stimulate the economy of the Nation through enhanced agriculture, job creation, regional integration, tourism, transportation ecosystem and industralisation. He spoke of the President’s determination to ensure that funding was made available for the legacy projects through different intervention mechanisms. “The President is taking us to China, because there was an agreement before, when this project was listed for funding on EPC + F, and the Chinese people were supposed to inject foreign financing on the roads, but they didn't immediately do that. So the President is reviving it, and we will be in China soon. We are very sure that we'll be able to get that funding, and this road will not only be constructed, but it will also be dualized.”

3. The Honourable Minister visited the flood damaged locations of Kano – Maiduguri road, the dualization of Kano - Maiduguri Road Section 3 (washout location at Buskuri town), the dualization of Kano - Marduguri Road Section 2 (at Sabon Gari village), the flooded area of Yana - Shiva - Azare road, the bridge along Bauchi - Gombe road, Ningi - Babaldu washout, and he also performed the flag - off of the Bauchi-Gombe road being handled by Triacta Nig Ltd. While acknowledging the pains and difficulties faced by road users whose livelihood has been affected by the effect of the flood, he assured them that intervention would be timely provided to bring immediate reliefs to the people of the State and other road users.

4. Speaking during the event, the Governor of Bauchi State His Excellency, Sen. Bala Mohammed commended the President of Nigeria for promptly sending the Hon Minister of Works to visit and assess the damaged sections of the road in the State with a view to providing intervention. He said that the State government and the entire Emirate Council were gratified by the rare proactiveness and sense of responsiveness demonstrated by Federal Government at this difficult moment of the State.

Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji

Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Works