There are two very significant, and quite commendable, actions Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has taken so far with regards to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu University (COOU), Igbariam. The appointment of Prof Kate Omenugha as acting Vice Chancellor of the school is one. The appointment of Prof Chidi Odinkalu as the Pro-Chancellor of the University is another. He has thus put together two individuals who have the ‘unfortunate habit’ of handling any assignment they give to them in such a way that nothing is allowed to stand in their way, on the road to fulfilment and success.

I also see Soludo giving them all the needed support, going forward. The governor’s regular attendance, or official representation, at all of the university’s events, and especially the visible encouragement he gives to all the new environment-focused initiatives of the school, point to a subsisting goodwill. That goodwill should be maintained.

In sum, and for the record: Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Your Transformation cometh”! Yes, I see Omenugha working synergistically for the positive, phenomenal, transformation of that institution.

I was in the school last week for the 2024 annual conference of the Faculty of Social Sciences. As the Keynote Speaker, I had to give substance to the theme of the conference: “Leadership, Security and Social Stability in contemporary Nigerian Economy”. It was a gathering put together to x-ray the cocktail of security and other challenges that have come to characterize our chequered existence in the country today.

The conference was well attended. But if there was anyone who came to the conference expecting the usual lamentational excesses that has come to characterize retreats and conferences all over the country these days, that person must have left the event very disappointed. It was a solutions-finding gathering, with the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof Anthony Agu, paying meticulous attention to everything that mattered; in the endeavour to make the event more than a passing success story.

Curiously, the office of the Vice Chancellor was also fully involved. Everyone was ‘online’, as if the entire university community was just one large undifferentiated family.  An unsuspecting observer would most probably think that everything was being organized by the VC’s office, with every other faculty as members of the organizing committee. Yet, there was no overbearing presence of anyone, or the dominance of any office at all.

As I later found out from other sources, this was just me getting a whiff of the sense of community that has come to characterise everything going on in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, since Omenugha came on the scene. Someone even quipped to me, as I asked question after question: “Prof, you can see what a woman can do within such a short time”?

Harrison from the VC’s office was as involved as the Dean of the Social Sciences. The latter readily intervened whenever and wherever there were issues to be ironed out in any matter relating to the conference. And Prof Sonny Odogwu of the school’s Faculty of Law, who came into the picture because of the IPOB-imposed seat-at-home order, was as much involved. Because the order still subsists in many parts of Enugu and Anambra States, there are no flights to or from the two states on Mondays. But there are flights to and from Asaba, which is less than an hour’s drive to Onitsha, in Anambra State.

The conference was scheduled for a Tuesday, so I had to fly into Asaba on Monday, spend the night there and then leave for Igbariam in Anambra State the next day. That’s how it fell on Prof Sonny Odogwu of Igbariam’s Faculty of Law to play temporary host and chaperon to me in Asaba. And he did a very good job of it. It was with him that I ran into my old friend from the University of Lagos, Big Ben, who is now the Vice Chancellor of the University in Asaba.

It was, “Ah, is that not Okey sitting down here in our own Polo Club”; and from me came, “Wait, Big Ben? O’ boy, where have you been? It was a more than welcome reunion, but back to our concern here for today.

With Odogwu I rode into Anambra the next morning, and into the gates of a university sitting on a massive land layout. Driving out of the school later with Dr Emegha Ndubisi later in the day, the story of the university began to unfold before me, as I one question after another.

It turned out that the now-resplendent university was a colossal eyesore for quite some time, before the then governor Peter Obi began to give it very serious, and well thought out, attention. The school owes its current layout, the impressive physical infrastructure, as well as its overall academic outlook owed on which so much that will last can now be built today, to Peter Obi. 

The former governor began with the production of a master plan for the University. At that time, he had to remind some people who were not too keen on designing a master plan for the institution that even a weaver bird must have an idea of the type or nest, and size of nest, it wants to make, as well as its preferred purpose before it starts weaving. How much more a university, he queried.

Obi said to anyone who cared to listen at the time that there are masterplans all the big institutions, as well as big building, all over the world today. He said that the story was the same even for those who lived in ancient times; since master plans for both the physical infrastructure and the broad framework of ideas a people wish to birth and nurture in an institution must first be conceptualized and designed beforehand.

His approach to the rescue mission he carried out at Igbaraim was holistic, because Obi did not just focus on merely producing masterplan and carrying it about as a trophy to show off with.  He was engaged in  the serious business of constructing and tarring the access roads to the campus, from the Onitsha Enugu Expressway a the same time.

The condition of this access road had been a problem to the school from its inception. But that nightmare ended with Obi’s tenure as governor. And it was also Peter Obi who Fenced the entire university campus.

When some of those who were opposed to the school, whose perimeter runs into several kilometres when measured, raised issues Obi was reported to have said to them: “Even some of you here have mosquito nets to cover your lovely dogs from mosquito bites at night. No one would allow Tsetse flies near his goats.  Yet it seems right to you that we should leave the citadel from which we hope to produce a new generation that will compete in a 21st Century world with open. Biko, I will find the money and make sure that this our university is fenced. He did just that.

Obi also tarred the internal roads within the university and urged the school authorities to maintain an environment that would develop and enhance every student’s innate sense of beauty. This was in addition to building an impressive Law Faculty building for the university. The building is described as impressive in the sense that it houses lecture rooms, a library, staff offices, and moot courts. For the record, the complex is one of the best in the South-East Geopolitical Zone of the country.

It is also to the credit of peter Obi that the school boasts of a Mass Communication Complex, consisting of lecture rooms, radio and TV studios, and staff offices, today. We say nothing about the construction of the Faculty of Arts/Social Science Complex, which houses staff offices and lecture rooms.

It you add the construction of two hostel complexes, the attraction of two more such complexes from the Central Bank through Dr. Kingsley Muoghalu, the construction of the Faculty of Agriculture building, the construction of the Faculty of Management Sciences building and the construction of an Administrative building, the question that may start forming in your head as your tabulate all the foregoing would be this: “What would you have in this place today if you remove everything done for by Peter Obi, as governor of Anambra State”?

To be fair, it is a matter of record that, besides the medical office built by Chief Willie Obiano, it was Obi who started the construction of all abandoned projects within the complex. It is also a matter of record that Obi made available the sum of five billion Naira to the school for its continued improvement, under well spelt out prudential guidelines.

And all of the foregoing does not include what he spent in providing the school with buses and security vehicles for greater institutional efficiency and improved internal security. We have also not said anything here about the academic facilities, other structures and lasting developmental imprints he left at the Uli campus of the University. And we shall not do that here.

Going back to our initial observations about the University’ Pro-chancellor and the acting Vice Chancellor, the university now has the right mix of primary drivers who have the capacity for lasting engagement according to the best global standards. The new VC has made some impressive strides, especially against the background of the rot she met on ground. What the lady has accomplished within a few short months presents a somewhat baffling reality to many observers.

Her lifelong exposure, and also in particular her tenure as a very effective hands-on for commissioner, would seem to have prepared her to do what she is doing at Igbariam today. But a little more of that some other time

From all accounts, Odinkalu’s first visit to the school, after his appointment as Pro-chancellor was an event all by itself. He was reported to have arrived in very simple clothing. The academic community thus unprepared for  a man had come to trek to every nook and cranny of the school, in order to find out for himself what everything looked like and what was to be done about it.

Chidi had to personally see everything for himself, including the ‘as is’ condition of every inch of land and every building within the premises. With that, he could easily relate to the physical space and human capital that would warehouse and service any new broad conceptual frameworks he would like to develop and inflict on the place with his new-found co-workers. I can assure you that all hands must be on deck, for as long as this new COOU duo are on this beat.

The joint labour unions have vowed to enforce the new N70,000 minimum wage in all states, warning that any state that fails to comply will be shut down.

The warning was issued by the Osun Chapter Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Christopher Arapasopo, in an interview in Osogbo.
Arapasopo revealed that the joint labour unions had agreed to accept the N70,000 minimum wage as a sacrifice to prevent a hike in fuel prices.

He explained that during the NEC meeting, all members unanimously agreed to enforce the minimum wage in all states and that any state that failed to pay would face severe consequences.

“The governors were present when this agreement was reached, and they were the ones who initially suggested N70,000 as the minimum wage. We, as labour, had suggested N250,000, but they brought it down to N62,000 before finally settling on N70,000, which we accepted,” Arapasopo said.

According to him, labour unions would not negotiate on this matter.

He said, “For any government or governor that fails to pay, we will shut that state down. It is a must for them to pay. It is a no-go area.”

Arapasopo noted that if the union had insisted on the N250,000 minimum wage, it would have led to an increment in fuel pump prices and inflation.

The Osun NLC chair assured that the N70,000 minimum wage was still a fair deal, as it would be the least salary paid to workers in the lowest cadre. He added that consequential adjustments and benefits attached to the levels would even increase the wage when implemented.

Arapasopo confirmed that the Osun chapter of the union would meet with the state government to discuss some allowances for workers, but reiterated that the minimum wage stands non-negotiable.

[PoliticsNigeria]

Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag has named a 26-man squad to face Rangers in today’s pre-season friendly tie.

Ten Hag included the likes of Casemiro, Jadon Sancho and Andre Onana in his squad to face Rangers at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium.

This clash is Man United’s second of the pre-season campaign following Monday’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Rosenborg in Norway.

Man United’s squad against Rangers:

GOALKEEPERS:

Dermot Mee
Andre Onana
Radek Vitek

DEFENDERS:

Sonny Aljofree
Harry Amass
Rhys Bennett
Jonny Evans
Will Fish
Louis Jackson
Sam Murray
Habeeb Ogunneye
Maximillian Oyedele
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Leny Yoro

MIDFIELDERS:

Casemiro
Toby Collyer
Jack Fletcher
Hannibal
Samuel Mather
Mason Mount
James Scanlon

FORWARDS:

Amad
Ethan Ennis
Joe Hugill
Jadon Sancho
Ethan Wheatley

The Niger Delta Indigenous Contractors Association (NDICA) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to hasten project execution in the region.

The contractors also threatened to drag International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the region to court for failing to remit their three per cent dues to the commission for more than five years.

They decried the situation saying the attitude of the IOCs had retarded implementation of projects to facilitate the Niger Delta development. 

The contractors in a statement in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at the weekend said there was an urgent need for President Tinubu to exempt NDDC from the TSA.

Darlington applauded Tinubu for appointing technocrats and people of good character to serve on the board of the commission.

The contractors said: “It is through their leadership that Niger Delta has seen positive developments and progress within the region.

“While we reflect on the outcomes of the summit, it is evident that there is still much work to be done to address the challenges facing the Niger Delta region.

“In this regard, we call on Mr. President to consider exempting the NDDC from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system. Such an exemption would enable the NDDC to operate more efficiently and effectively, thereby enhancing its performance and impact on the region”.

Darlington urged the NDDC to prioritise payment of contractors, award of signature projects of high importance to the region, mobilisation of contractors for timely execution of vital projects.

He insisted that such priorities were essential for the sustainable development and prosperity of the Niger Delta region.

He expressed gratitude to the critical stakeholders, who graced the just-concluded NDDC Summit with their presence, especially former President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate President, Godswll Akpabio and governors of the Niger Delta states among other key dignitaries.

Also a prominent member of NDICA, Kelvin Gigi,  urged the IOCs and the Ecological Funds to remit their contributions and monies due to the NDDC promptly. 

He said the funds were essential for the NDDC to carry out its mandate and implement crucial projects that would  benefit the people of the Niger Delta region.

He said: “As a concerned association, we will not hesitate to institute a legal action against the IOCs if at the end of August this year they refuse to remit their dues to the Commission. 

“It is very clear that contractors are being owed by the commission because of the inability of the oil majors to pay their dues to the commission”.

President Bola Tinubu congratulates Justice Stella Anukam on her re-election as Judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for another term of six years.

Justice Anukam was re-elected at the African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting Executive Council in Accra, Ghana, on Friday.

The Nigerian obtained her law degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (formerly known as University of Ife), Osun State, Nigeria, in 1984, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in August 1985.

She is also a chartered secretary, chartered arbitrator, and seasoned administrator.

Justice Anukam has served as former Director of Special Programmes at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in Abuja, Nigeria, and as former Director of the International and Comparative Law Department of the Federal Ministry of Justice.

President Tinubu commends Justice Anukam for her contributions to the development of human rights jurisprudence on the continent and enjoins her to continue to bring her invaluable knowledge and insights to the African Court.

The President states that his administration will continue to support the candidature of competent and qualified Nigerians for international positions, noting the country’s strategic importance in the global community.

The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights is a continental court established by African states to ensure the protection of human and peoples' rights in Africa.

It complements the functions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.

The court is composed of eleven judges nominated by member states of the AU and elected by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

Nigeria is a state party to the Protocol establishing the Court, having ratified it in 2004.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

Not having sex before marriage ought to be good. Restraining yourself from all that tantalizing stuff is tough alright, but that is what the Bible says and we all (believers) know that God is always right. Uncle, no touching; aunty, no sneaking. Keep the marriage bed undefiled. All solid contents must be kept in the bra, in the boxers. You can look, even imagine (though that is a sin too) what is in there but you can’t weed or cultivate the land. You can salivate but you must not sip or suck before you say ‘I do’ and have been handed the license. Then and thereafter, can you start drilling and depositing, planting, harvesting, as the licensed owner of the rig and land.
The waiting time can be mean on both the body and the spirit. Christian courtship is hard but the wedding night and the sweetness thereafter is usually very rewarding. I remember a young bride who ran to the pastor two weeks after the wedding, distraught, confused.
“I can’t cope, pastor.”
“Cope with what, sister”
‘My husband wants sex every day. Is it food? I’m tired. I’m sore. I’m walking funny. I’m even afraid to go home after work. He is a Christian, why does he want sex every day? It is carnal, isn’t it?’
The pastor laughed and called in a female counsellor (you can guess who) who explained to the frightened bride the coping skills. One, her brand new groom is a dude, a raging bull who has been kept in check until he got his license to do as he pleases. He’s making up for lost time. Two, sex is food for all healthy male, Christian or not. A dude is a dude. He wants his woman all day, if possible. There are strategies to avoid wear, tear and bruises. Whenever the couple waited, God happily endorses all activities and everybody is happy.
Unfortunately, it is not always so. It has been discovered, so, so sadly, that there are now terrible, embarrassing ungodly complications to this ‘no-sex-before-marriage’ part of Christian courtship. What is ordinarily supposed to be a beautiful worthwhile wait has been found to bring the kind of torture and nightmare that is confounding and debilitating. Too many Christians are evil, too many courting couples a disgrace to both God and the body of Christ. In fact, I’m restraining myself from calling them murderers because what they bring into a Christian union after saying ‘I do’ before God and man is nothing short of marital terrorism.
A man who professes to be born-again, tongue-speaking, demon-binding Christian abstains from sex during courtship only for the bride to discover on their wedding night that the groom’s weapon is only for peeing! Yeah, he has only two legs. His third leg is virtually non-existent and divorce is not supported by the Bible except on grounds of infidelity and even then you are not allowed to remarry until your spouse dies. Someone help me out here. What if the person you divorced lives to be 100?

Or this other scenario: the turban-wearing, no-earrings but beautiful sister insisted on keeping her body holy, the marriage bed undefiled. Three years after wedding and plenty of lies on why she was waiting on the Lord for the fruit of the womb, the real reasons for her childlessness came to light. Sister’s uterus was removed years ago after a tragic abortion in the university. She didn’t tell the man she professed to love. She didn’t confide in the pastor.
According to her, ‘I believe God will give me a new womb, a brand new beginning.’
Ah, faith is great. But what is wrong with letting the man you are going to marry into this great secret so he can decide whether he’s down with the arrangement or not? What is wrong in letting the guy know what he is getting himself into, what the total package is so he can join his faith to hers and they can have faith raised to power two (like faith2)?

The shocked husband recounted the horror of the heart-rending discovery this way: ‘She kept her on insisting on prayers instead of going to have ourselves checked in the hospital. She was moving from one prayer mountain to the other, doing vigil and fasting round the month. Yet we couldn’t conceive. On my own, I decided to go and run tests on my system. I got the all clear and that was when I became suspicious. I threatened to call the pastors, report her to the church marriage counselling unit, summon a family meeting, and finally I moved out. I told her I’d move back in only if she agreed to the tests. That was when she broke down and confessed. I was devastated.’

Now, how does a pastor deal with that, dissolve the marriage or remind the deceived husband that their marriage vows were ‘till death do them part’? Imagine you are a parent reading this, if the husband was your son, what would you do? How would you feel? This son of yours is 36, his wife is 32 and she has no womb! You are all members of a denomination where even breathing the word ‘divorce’ is almost a sin, will you happily accept your lot and wait for a new womb from your lying daughter-in-law or are you going to damn all consequences and tell your son to ‘throw the trash out and get a proper woman who will bear you children?’

Is the definition of unfaithfulness, infidelity, just about having sex with someone you are not married to? Is going into marriage knowing you are deceiving your partner in the worst possible way godly? How will the church stop their members from trying polygamy and extramarital affairs when the skeletons start dancing ‘shaku shaku’ outside the closet? How can the church stem the rate of failed marriages in the body of Christ when young men and women go into marriage for the wrong reason, wearing only barefaced lies as wedding garments?
Should the church just accept that this new trend of hiding very important details during courtship, as part of end-time turbulence or should pastors just remember that they are end-time shepherds who must do their jobs with wisdom?
Dear godly reader, imagine that it’s your daughter who ended up with the man whose third leg is incompetent, malformed or misshapen? That on the wedding night, your daughter who had kept her virginity till age 25 was the one who discovered that her husband’s manhood is the same size as her pinky, her smallest finger! The thing can pee but it can’t be put to work. It’s just there, like a toddler’s pecker. You spent millions of naira on the wedding ceremony, had high hopes for this marriage and here you are with a son-in-law who could not consummate the marriage. It’s not his fault that he was created with a weapon that can’t plunge or fire but it is what it is. Your daughter may have to resort to self-help at some point. Pastor, this is one member of our congregation that is most likely to look for sex outside marriage.

But Ariyike’s story is the most pathetic. She is the respected daughter of a respected pastor. She was even a youth pastor herself. So, of course, keeping her body as the temple of God was a given. Her husband is a petroleum engineer based in one of the South South states. The couple re- located there right after the wedding. Six months later, Ariyike called her parents that she was com- ing to visit in Lagos. Everyone had missed her, her parents were eager to hear the expected news that she was pregnant. She wasn’t but she looked different, subdued, withdrawn. One week became two weeks and Ariyike still refused to go back to her husband. After a long sermon, she told her parents she was not returning to her matrimonial home, ever. Was he beating her? That was the only question on everybody’s lips. It seemed the only reason a young bride would run back home, right? It wasn’t Ariyike’s reason. Her husband is so oversized, his manhood off-kilter, heavy duty, scary weapon that scared the poor girl shitless the first time he confronted her with it.
“I tried to cope but he’s just too big. He leaves me bleeding sore and crying the few times we tried. It’s scary, I can’t go back. It will kill me. You don’t understand what I’m talking about because you have not seen it. Please don’t make me go back otherwise, I’ll run away.”
What does a pastor do when confronted with a case like this? What do parents do when their daughters-in-law or sons-in-law are discovered to have covered up facts that are this important? True, it can’t be easy to fully disclose to anybody including your mother that you have deformities down there. Imagine all the beautiful girls with crazy cleavages out there with private pains deep inside them, the men with abnormalities they can’t talk about below their belts. I read that one out of 165 male births may reproduce a baby with micro-penis. There is penile torsion and scrotal transposition too. I read that many men “suffer” from penile torsion in various degrees – corkscrew – like third legs that are sometimes competing with a horse’s weapon built to scare. The scrotal transposition is where the scrotal sac is situated above the shaft making the equipment look like elephant ears. The women’s troubles are broadly termed Mullein duct abnormalities and they reach all the way in with all kinds of implications. I’m not a doctor, just a Christian and a mother worried about protecting these young ones from unfaithful spouses-to-be, hiding important details, from the ‘absent’ uterus to python or pinky-sized penises. Should we test all ‘spirits’ and see which is true or just fly blind in that direction? I’m just asking.

The residents of the Alag­bole-Ajuwon and Akute axis in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State are pained and angry. So also are their counterparts along the Agbara-Lu­sada-Atan corridor in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area. They are all aggrieved over the reckless aban­donment of their roads. The imme­diate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Abiodun did. He did it with impunity and a lack of empathy for the suffering of the common people.

It is not unusual for a government to leave behind an uncompleted proj­ect in the face of dwindling resources. Just like life itself, the unexpected can happen. But there is a reasonable level such projects will reach without caus­ing more hardship than envisaged for the community concerned. Willy-nil­ly, former governor Amosun awarded the contract for the construction of these roads and ordered the demo­lition of houses along the corridor only for the contractor to disappear into thin air midway into the project. Since then, life has remained miser­able for the hapless residents as ev­ery onset of the rainy season always comes with a nightmare.

Recently, borne out of frustration, some social media freaks took on the matter with a pinch of salt, directing their rightful indignation at the in­cumbent Governor, Dapo Abiodun. However, he took the scathing criti­cism of his administration in good faith and immediately swung into ac­tion. This week, he took time out of his busy schedule to visit the sites for the an on-the-spot assessment of the projects. There and then, he promised that relief would soon come their way and the untold hardship would be a thing of the past. It’s a horrific site to behold, indeed. Only the individuals with stone hearts can leave the scene with dry cheeks. It’s better imagined than experienced.

There is nothing impunity cannot do. And it’s the bane of governance in this country. In most cases, leaders capitalise on people’s lack of indigna­tion capacity to do things haphazard­ly and get away with them.

As Governor Abiodun is one per­son who does not believe in the blame game, he has promised to take on the challenge of the infrastructure deficit he inherited from his predecessors for the ultimate realisation of his trans­formation agenda for the good of all and sundry.

On Monday, precisely July 8, 2024, he gave a matching order to the con­tractor handling the construction of the Denro-Ishashi-Akute road to ensure the completion of the project within two weeks.

The Governor also disclosed that work would soon begin on the Alag­bole-Ajuwon and Akute-Ajuwon roads in the Ifo Local Government Area of the state. He noted that the construction of the Denro-Ishashi- Akute Road started almost three years ago, directing the contractor to mobilise to the site immediately and ensure the completion of the project in two weeks.

He further reiterated his promise to ensure equitable provision of in­frastructures across the state, adding that this is being followed religiously. He said his administration had kept faith with his promise to ensure that road construction is evenly spread across the 20 local governments in the state.

Hear him: “My pledge is that I have come here today to see things for myself. There are two roads that are considerably important to our people.

“First of all, the Denro-Ishashi- Akute road, I have given the contrac­tor a matching order that the road must be completed in the next two weeks, asphalt and the bridge.

“I want to assure you all that it is your time now. It is your right. You voted for us. I am a promise-keeping governor. I will not make empty prom­ises.

“Now, within the next two weeks, a maximum of three weeks, active con­struction will start on Alagbole-Aju­won and Akute-Ajuwon roads.

“Today, here, we’ve reconstructed Olusegun Osoba-Toyin Street, Denro- Ishashi-Akute is under construction. We have so many other roads we’ve constructed here. But because there is so many deficits in the infrastructural development in this area, at times, it appears as if we are not reconstruct­ing them as fast as they want us to.

Assuring the community of his administration’s commitment to en­sure equitable infrastructure devel­opment, Abiodun explained that the deficit he met on the assumption of office had made him wonder what the previous administrations were doing.

He said although the past admin­istration had good intentions for the people of the state, he decried the reckless manner in which the project had been abandoned after structures had been demolished and single carriageways turned into dual carriageways.

“When I assumed office on the 29th of May, 2019, the deficit that we met on assumption of office was such that we began to wonder what the previous administration was doing.

“In some instances, they appear to have good intentions, they go to the roads, they demolished houses, roads that should not be more than a single carriageway, they turned them to dual carriageway By so doing, they removed all the asphalt that was there serving the people and abandoned these roads.

“We inherited quite a lot of these roads. Some of those roads are federal roads, and you know our people can­not differentiate between federal and state. They will geo-locate their pains where and when they are feeling it,” Governor Abiodun lamented.

In keeping with his promise to give every section of the State a true sense of belonging, he listed other roads that had been penciled down for construction including Hercu­les-Giwa (Oke Aro Rd), some section of Akute- Ijoko road, and the road leading to Yakoyo. He stated that his administration had to draw up the priority list taking into consideration vehicular traffic and the economic impact of some of the roads it had embarked upon to date, adding that his administration would continue to put the people first.

He went on: “Let me give you an example of the road that goes from Agbara-Atan-Lusada road. When I assumed office, trailers carrying containers were falling off on that road. That is the road that leads to the biggest industrial estate not just in Nigeria but one of the biggest in Africa.

“It is a road that counts for hun­dreds of thousands of employees and employers. So, it is important for us in Ogun State. I had to prioritize it, and it is a federal road.

“So, we have to draw up a priority list and the priority list amongst oth­ers factored in the vehicular traffic, the economic impact.

“Ijebu-Ode-Epe road is a road that evacuates people from the Lekki cor­ridor to the Eastern flank of Nigeria. That road was non-existent. I had to prioritize that road. Sagamu-Abeoku­ta Road, the road leading to the state capital, was not good. People were dying. I had to prioritize that road, another federal road, and so many other roads.

“Today we can brag and say not only have we constructed 600 kilo­meters of highways or roads, both in­ter-state, intra-state, inner-city roads, but, I beat my chest that there is no local government in Ogun State today that does not have at least one or two roads that we have reconstructed in the last five years and that is in line with been equitable and fair,” he said.

The Governor’s inspection tour did not leave out the 20-kilometre Agbara-Lusada-Atan in Ado Odo/ Ota Local Government Area which has been in a deplorable condition. On Wednesday, precisely July 10, 2024 while speaking to newsmen on his ac­tion plan for the project, he promised that the ongoing construction work on the road would be completed in September. He also stressed the im­portance not only to the economic well-being of the State but the nation as a whole.

Recalling the meeting he had with industrialists in the area before his assumption of office, he promised to put the road in a better shape soon. According to him, the road was in a terrible condition, leading to trailers and other articulated vehicles falling on their sides. However, concerned with the plight of the residents, he said his administration decided not to wait for the Federal Government be­fore commencing its reconstruction.

Governor Abiodun expressed op­timism that the road would revive businesses and the socio-economic de­velopment of the area on completion. He said he was on the road to see the level of work done so far and assured that it would be dualised from the La­gos-Badagry road end to the Agbara Industrial Estate gate, while a single lane would be constructed to Atan to aid movement.

Unveiling the glad tiding, he said: “I am here today to have an on-the-spot assessment of how the contractor is doing. I have given them certain time­lines, and I want to ensure that they are working in tandem to ensure they meet those timelines.

“I have said to them that they must ensure that from the Lagos-Badagry end, the dual carriageway is complet­ed to the entrance of the industrial es­tate, the OPIC entrance so that trucks and trailers that coming from the port can enjoy the dual carriageway easily going in and out effortlessly so we can increase productivity and enhance their operations.

“We will now focus on one lane be­yond the OPIC entrance all the way to Atan first. Let’s finish that so our peo­ple can enjoy the driving pleasure all the way from Lagos-Badagry to Atan on one side.

“One side is 4.75 wide. It will take at least four vehicles. Let’s finish that because this road has cost us so much.

“You can imagine a few months ago, you award a contract. Before the ink dries up on that contract, the cost of asphalt has increased three times in one day. So I said, let’s finish this because we are committed to it. We are a promise-keeping administra­tion. We only make promises that we can keep.”

Similarly, the hardship being en­countered by motorists plying the Lagos-Abeokuta Express Way will soon be a thing of the past, as Gov­ernor Abiodun and his Lagos State counterpart, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu have received the approval of the Federal Government to commence reconstruction of the ever-busy road. Recounting the bureaucratic bottled neck experienced in their failed at­tempts under the previous adminis­tration of ex-president Muhamma­du Buhari to take over the road, he disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had graciously approved the transfer of the road to the state. De­spite the transfer, he explains, the state still faces stiff opposition from some federal officials, forcing his government to formally award the contract in May, with or without the necessary transfer papers.

He narrated his awful experience arising from undue obstinacy of the federal officials: “The Lagos-Sango- Abeokuta road is a federal govern­ment road and has been in a very bad shape for long. Because of the suffer­ing our people pass through on the road, I and my counterpart in Lagos jointly wrote a letter, using a single letterhead to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), seeking for the trans­fer of that road for us to reconstruct.

“After waiting for a month with­out a reply, we wrote a reminder. That road was not handed over to us until the present federal government came on board. The contract for the road has since been awarded since May this year.”

Governor Abiodun, therefore, described the sponsored attacks on his administration on social media by some faceless individuals as un­warranted, saying he would not be distracted by propaganda but remain focused on serving the people who en­trusted their mandates to him.

“My attention was drawn to vari­ous sponsored media attacks on my person and my administration. These media attacks are focusing on roads by attempting to disparage me and ac­cuse me of either neglect or not being responsive or being uncaring.

“The only reason I am here as Gov­ernor is to serve the good people of Ogun State and that I am irrevocably committed to it,” he stated.

While seeking the cooperation and understanding of residents, the governor threatened legal action against those critics misrepresent­ing his administration. He promised not to be deterred by the antics of his detractors.

…Ogbonnikan writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State capital

Our Senate is a luxury. Akpabio, the Senate President, can’t choose his words carefully.

Recently, he reminded a female senator that the Senate is not a nightclub. He was rebuking her for not obtaining his permission before speaking. In his flippancy and uncouthness, idleness could be gleaned.

Senator Akpabio received a letter from Ganduje, APC chairmen, and read it in plenary. Then, robotically, he revved the engines of the Senate and dumped Ndume. That sequence would have been fitting in a one-party communist state like China. Ndume’s sin was that he criticized the president. He said the president had good intentions but was inexplicably inaccessible and aloof, and his government was filled with crooked gatekeepers and kleptocrats. That was deemed apostasy. So the president must have fumed and ordered the National Assembly, through the party, to punish the rascally Ndume.

But the heretical letter didn’t stop there. It asked Akpabio to tell Ndume to resign from the party. Since the Senate has become the president’s distinguished handkerchief, Akpabio didn’t flinch while reading aloud the portion that asked Ndume to leave the party. The hallowed senate chambers might not be a nightclub, but isn’t it degenerating into a motor park where crude jokes mingle with acts of savagery, and the outrageous don’t often provoke any outrage?

Some have argued that the quality of the legislature is a reflection of societal decay. They had said the same thing about the clergy in churches and mosques, that they reveal the average morality of the collective. But these warped justifications of mediocrity only quicken the rot. A country that borrows to pay salaries must avoid frivolity as much as possible. Our leaders like to say we must not protest against bad governance so that foreign investors do not run away. But do they ever care about how our creditors feel when they see our leaders frittering away our resources wantonly? The Senate has to be scrapped because we have no financial strength to carry a huge white elephant on our lean back.

The country must trim down. We can’t run two legislative houses with members who live like nags and lack the sobriety to draft laws for development. The present Senate looks like an exorbitant superfluity. A surplus we can slough off to breathe better. This federation, just like the states, can thrive on a reformed unicameralism. However, this reformed legislature, as must happen in the states, should be filled with only part- time lawmakers. With a fundamental change in orientation, the lawmakers can understand their roles.

Making laws from Tuesdays to Thursdays, eight hours daily. That will be sufficient for the country. What the
country needs the most is ethical re-orientation. Not more laws. The masses need role models and transformative leadership that can birth enduring institutions. Living examples of moral probity laying down visions. Since laws are not made every day, the part-time lawmakers will have enough time for committee work, hearings, oversight visits, etc.

The part-time engagement will allow them to pursue other careers alongside legislative and associated responsibilities. The current bloated legislature isn’t just draining the country of resources with humongous perks and privileges the current lawmakers get; it sets the tone for profligacy across the arms. The legislature exists to check other arms of governments and re-orient them through legislation. But if the legislature becomes the epitome of slothfulness and wastefulness, then how can they be effective ethical standard bearers?

The country has an abundance of upright and noble citizens who can represent the people and make laws without fleecing the state. Only sitting allowances ought to be paid. Only those willing to contribute to the development of the country should contest. Lawmaking is a civic responsibility.

The only role our Senate plays that can’t be taken up by the existing House of Reps is the expression of equality of states. All states, regardless of population, contribute an equal number of senators. But since, in our case, all states must produce a federal minister by law, that expression will be preserved. A unicameral legislature is sufficient. We have never really embraced true federalism. So what exactly do we need a Senate for? All its present functions can be handed by the House of Reps where most members are also idle and passive.

But if we populate the single chamber with politicians, then the mischiefs that ail us might still persist. That single chamber will need a framework of statesmanship to lead and sustain a national rebirth. A situation where a Ganduje will transmit a letter for the removal of the whip if he criticizes the government’s Olympic preparation must be checked. The new legislature must have the gravitas to withstand the most overbearing president.

We could craft a unicameral legislature that fuses the House of Lords with the House of Commons. So, under this arrangement, only half of the seats will be filled by elections. The other half will be filled by statesmen and noble citizens nominated through a rigorous process from traditional and religious institutions; the military, police and other security agencies; civil society and professional bodies; etc. The participation of these stakeholders and institutions will offer backbone stability to our fragile democracy. Whatever inherent ideological democratic deficits this idea produces can be ameliorated by allowing only elected persons be elected by members to the leadership positions.

With a unicameral house of stakeholders and elected politicians, the legislature will help to protect and leash the country against political waywardness. A house of part-time lawmakers would be cheaper and more efficient. To complement this legislative rightsizing and refocusing, the country must reconsider a return to the parliamentary system of government. Our presidential system feels like borrowed oversized shoes. They don’t fit. We have neither the finance nor the electorate sophistication to run it.

We can start with a constitutional amendment to fix the federal legislature. From it, the states will have a practical model. If we can’t find a transformational president, then we must seek alternatives. Once we have a responsible and thinking federal legislature, the reforms needed in the other arms and across the agencies can begin.

Let’s scrap the Senate. And redesign the House of Representatives. Let’s start from there.

It is remarkable that two of the most prominent political actors who topped the news this week

on account of their blistering attacks on the performance indices of the Bola Tinubu administration were about the most energetic enablers of Asiwaju’s presidential aspiration.

Senator Ali Ndume was until this week, the Senate Chief Whip, and Comrade Salihu Lukman was also until recently, the national vice- chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Senator Ali Ndume apparently buoyed by Senator Kashim Shettima’s influence in Borno, supported Tinubu’s presidential aspiration and dynamically pushed for his victory in his Borno South senatorial district.

Indeed, Senator Ndume followed up his support for Tinubu’s successful presidential bid by also assuming the role of director- general of the campaign for Senator Godswill Akpabio’s Senate Presidency project.It is worthy of note that it is almost the tradition that whosever leads the successful campaign that brings in a new Senate President either gets the position of Senate Leader or chairmanship of a juicy committee, and notably, the Committee for Appropriations.

In Ndume’s case, he got neither. He was bested by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele as Senate Leader and then, by Senator Olamilekan Adeola for the position of Appropriations chairman.

He was settled with the position of Senate Chief Whip, the number four position in the ruling party and then with the vice-chairmanship position in the Committee of Appropriations.

Was it at this point of losing those two positions that he became bitter? Or was it at the point of losing access to the president? Or even more pointing, was it at as he claimed in his own words when he discovered that the aides of the president were the least competent persons in the land?

Those are deep questions that demand much introspection.

Remarkably, Ndume’s campaign for Tinubu was against the desire of another prominent son of Borno South, Mr Daniel Bwala who had prior to the 2023 election forsworn Tinubu’s presidential aspiration. Bwala’s rejection of Tinubu was based on the Muslim-Muslim tilt that he saw as inconsiderate of a religious balance. Indeed, Bwala followed up by etching one of the most quoted lyrics regularly sung by the opposition that “human brains don’t work when you join APC.”

A year after, Ndume who canvassed Tinubu has now been shuttled to Siberia with an open declaration that he
could well leave his chilly political confinement for any other opposition party.

Meanwhile, Bwala after his tour of duty with the Atiku Abubakar campaign in the PDP has returned to the APC reaping where he did not sow.

Unlike Ndume who cannot get access, Bwala apparently gets access to Tinubu either in Nigeria or abroad.

Senator Ndume in at least two blistering interviews reduced the Tinubu presidency to the unenviable bottom of being beyond comparison with the Muhammadu Buhari administration. According to him, that uninviting assessment arose from the emergence of a kakistocracy in the administration.

For emphasis, a Kakistocracy refers to a government presided over by the worst and most incompetent persons in a country.

This correspondent believes that the term may be too far-reaching and may only be parroted by the most extreme of Tinubu’s critics. It, however, suffices that Ndume ordinarily as chief whip should not be a critic.

Rather, as the chief whip of the Senate, he was to marshal senators towards the attainment of the party’s positions on issues.

Unfortunately, he was not able to do so, citing what he claims was the lack of access to the president.

Whether he was too blunt in his assessment of the situation can only be judged by examining the efforts he made towards obtaining the required access.

But it must be said that in a virile democracy that truly lives to its name the Chief Whip is a very sensitive position who commands the loyalty of lawmakers with his ability to apply the whip.

The letter dismissing Ndume as Chief Whip was authored by the national chairman of the APC, Dr Umar Ganduje and the national secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru.

Some have described the letter as indecorous on the claim that unelected political actors appear to have shoved away the two elected senators from their positions. It is quite shocking and a reflection of the low esteem that the Senate may have tumbled to in the present dispensation.

It was in respect of that depiction that Comrade Salihu Lukman described the Senate under Senator Akpabio as a parastatal of the executive branch of government.

Lukman, of course, has his own axe to grind with the APC. He resigned his position as National Vice Chairman of the party and subsequently dumped his membership of the party after venturing on the same issues as expressed by Ndume.

Shockingly, the APC senate caucus has become a supple conclave shorn of institutional memory or its powers of articulation.

It is unarguably on account of these letdowns that the former APC national vice-chairman, Lukan now refers to the 10th Senate as a parastatal of the administration.

It is a term worse than the rubber stamp that was derisively etched on the Ahmad Lawan Senate.

Cocaine, opioids and alcohol addiction is in the same league as tobacco addiction, says the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada’s largest research and mental health teaching hospital. Members of the opioid family include heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl, according to the Johns Hopkins University medical website. 

Unbelievable! Cocaine, heroin, codeine, and morphine sharing the same podium with cigarettes? 

Surprise dropped my jaws, disbelief wrinkled my forehead. I had thought cocaine and opioids were the GOAT of narcotics. Little did I know the nicotine in tobacco qualifies the cigarette for the big league, to

How on earth did cocaine and its siblings become comrades-in-harms with cigarettes? It’s because inhaled cigarette smoke delivers nicotine to the brain within 20 seconds!

Home to breakthroughs in psychiatric research and the revolutionary discovery of dopamine receptors, CAMH says: “Nicotine releases a chemical called dopamine in the same regions of the brain as other addictive drugs. It (nicotine) causes mood-altering changes that make the person temporarily feel good. Inhaled smoke delivers nicotine to the brain within 20 seconds, which makes it very addictive—comparable to opioids, alcohol and cocaine.”

According to the foremost Canadian hospital, a simple way of identifying addiction is the cohabitation of 4 Cs in an addict. The 4 Cs are: (1) CRAVING (2) Loss of CONTROL of amount or frequency of use, (3) COMPULSION to use, and (4) Use despite CONSEQUENCES.

Relatedly,  addiction explains a chronic condition experienced when a substance or behaviour is withdrawn from the user, e.g. someone addicted to coffee might feel restless if he doesn’t get coffee when the craving arises.

Globally, millions of people battle various forms of addiction such as gambling, masturbation, hard drugs, overeating, kleptomania, shopping and alcoholism.

In general, there are four levels of addiction: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. A study published in the American Psychological Association says religious faith and spirituality may help people recover from substance abuse. The research, “Religious Denomination Affiliation and Psychological Health: Results From a Substance Abuse Population,” was authored by Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D, et al.

Let’s go back to me. How did I eat my frog? Firstly, I took myself to the mountain of transfiguration through the valley of awareness. That was when I brought myself to the realisation that cigarette was evil for my body. I criminalised cigarette and viewed it as the most despicable consumable product. When I laid it upon my mind to stop, I began to see smokers like me as victims pinned down under the weight of Zuma Rock. I knew it would take more than a mere wish to rescue me from under the yoke. 

So, I personally took the matter to God. This is the second stage of the fight. I went on my knees in prayer. I didn’t run to no pastor or imam or babalawo because I knew that God, my Maker, would hear my supplication quicker and clearer than He would hear it from any third party cassocked, turbaned or ‘lawani-ed’ as a saintly servant of God brandishing scented scriptures. Did He not say, “Ask and it shall be given. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened?” No mortal intercessor can convey the needs of the child better to the Father in filial terms than the child, except the child be illegitimate. I’m a legitimate child of God. Christ finished the work of intercession on the Cross and flung open the door to the Father for all.

At the second stage, I stumbled many times. Before leaving home in the morning, I would pray to God to guide me against smoking but would find myself still heading to Muhammed’s kiosk up the street. That’s when I would remember there was something I needed to discuss with Sola Tomoloju aka Sholay or Lai Ibidunni aka Layo Osha or Ayo Akinola aka Lado or Fela aka Orunmila or egbon Kole Ebisemiju aka Katuzi or the late Kayode Tomoju aka Sir Kay. All these great men lived opposite the mallam’s kiosk. Did they smoke? They belched smoke like a locomotive train.

I knew I shouldn’t go there. I knew I couldn’t escape smoking once I got there. I would say to myself, “Tunde, pádà. Turn back. There’s no way you won’t smoke there.” But I would warn myself strictly, “Listen, you mustn’t stay more than two minutes there o. Just brace up yourself. Do everything pá pà pá and leave,” – I would find myself helplessly propelled by an unseen force towards Muhammed’s kiosk. Little did I realise that the conversation within me was a raging battle inside my conscience between good and evil. It wasn’t the devil. It was a battle of choice, of free will.

As the war within me raged and I approached Muhammed’s kiosk, I would meet one of my fellow smokers, especially Sir Kay, who was fun to be with. “Professor, you look good,” he would say, adding, “Collect two Consulate and Tom Tom from Muhammed, I’ll pay.” While contemplating telling him to pay and that I would come and smoke later, Sir Kay would  bring up a political topic, “Dis our political class ehn, dem don finish us.” My resolve would evaporate. I would light the cigarette, take a puff, and tears would well in my eyes. I would flick the ash of the cigarette as it burned without smoking it, holding the conversation and blinking away my tears.

Seidu was another mallam in my area whose kiosk hangared a hodgepodge of stuff comprising mosquito coil, chewing stick, paracetamol, aboliki, kuli kuli, sugar, Maggi, tin tomato, milk, pencil, kola, soap, blade and, of course, cigarettes. Every kiosk-owning mallam in Lagos sold cigarettes.

Muhammed and Seidu were Fulani from the Niger Republic. Their credit facilities were better than any known Nigerian bank. Even though you owe, you would be given fresh commodities if you pay for the new ones you’re buying. At the end of the day, they would whisper to you gently, “Me, I dey go market next week,” informing you of your debt and the need to pay. I wonder if those folks ever made a profit. I never really owed, though. Whenever I said, “I’II stop smoking,” I’m sure they would say in their minds, “You, major shareholder, stop smoking? Abi I dey craze? You no go ever stop in Insha Allah!”

Separately, both would openly say, “E good make you stop. Me, I wan stop too. Siga no good at all,” and other fellow smokers would join in the conversation, expressing their views on the goodness and badness of smoking. This was when nobody cared where anybody came from. It was when the Fulani were the yardstick for trust and frugality. This was long before Muhammadu ibn Buhari came and put a knife into what held us together… things fall apart as madmen and specialists took the reins.

Later, I changed my tactic by changing my route; I refused to pass by Muhammed or Seidu’s kiosks. But, at times, I would have succeeded in evading all cigarette-selling mallams all day only for me to want to chill out with a bottle or two in the evening and I would inexplicably find a cigarette between my fingers. “Ha, Tunde!” I would sigh, feeling myself a letdown.

For many, smoking and drinking are Siamese twins. Separating the two is akin to using a sword without its handle. Smoking is the scabbard, alcohol is the sword, both work hand in glove, like the two hands of the grandfather clock; when you see one, know the other is coming behind, counting – tick-tock – telling smoke-weakened lungs, kidneys and liver, “Your cock has a few more corn to eat before its final crow. The body is willing but the organs are weak. RIP, soon.”

I succeeded in separating alcohol from smoking. Though I still drink rarely, I no longer rum like a pirate. I stopped ‘beering’, I now seldomly wine red wine, whisk whiskey, swish vodka if brandy isn’t available and down some scotch to scorch the cold in me – all in line with the advice of Apostle Paul in Timothy 5:23, which says, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities (KJV).

Something happened when I visited Israel on a pilgrimage many years ago. We visited many religious sites. Some of them bore the inscription, “Silence” or “No noise, please.” Our guides would tell us the solemnity attached to the place of visit but as soon as Nigerian pilgrims got in, they would begin to shout, casting and binding to Hades all manner of imaginary spirits, speaking in a million tongues.

These were the same people who would stuff their pockets with boiled eggs, fruits, etc after mealtimes even when they knew there would still be an overabundance of food when they returned for their next meal.

I had stopped smoking then. But I always bypassed them on my way to the bar whenever they gathered in the hotel lobbies, praying for long periods,  disturbing other hoteliers. Some of them would eye me from afar as I nursed my $6 beer, and I would mind my beer, saying in my mind, “I don’t serve a Pharisee God.”

. Concluded.