The Federal Government’s N300 billion Series VII Sovereign Sukuk that was offered earlier this month has recorded an overwhelming subscription of N2.205 trillion, representing an excess of 735 percent, according to a statement issued by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on Wednesday.

DMO said the massive interest shown in the Sukuk issuance is clear evidence of the growing investor appetite for the non-interest, ethical investment instrument, which was first introduced in 2017.

The borrowing instrument was introduced as an innovative financing tool to broaden the nation’s investor base and encourage wider public participation in the capital market.

“This is clear evidence of the huge investor-appetite for the ethical instrument introduced by the DMO in 2017 as an innovative strategy to expand the nation’s investor-base and provide opportunities for all Nigerians to participate in the activities of the capital market,” the DMO said in a statement.

According to the debt office, an analysis of the subscriptions revealed strong interest from a broad spectrum of investors, including retail buyers, non-interest banks, conventional banks, pension fund administrators, fund and asset managers, and other financial institutions.

As with previous issuances, proceeds from the Sukuk will be deployed by the Federal Government to finance infrastructure projects across the country.

Specifically, the funds will go into the construction of new roads, rehabilitation of existing ones, and the building of bridges across all six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“Like the previous series, funds realised from the issuance will be used by the FGN to construct new roads and rehabilitate existing ones, as well as build bridges in the six (6) geo-political zones of the country and the Federal Capital Territory,” the debt office stated.

The DMO said the successful outing aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, under which infrastructure development is a key priority for driving economic growth and national development.

Reiterating its commitment to offering safe and liquid investment options to Nigerians, the DMO pledged continued support for the Federal Government’s development objectives through sustainable and inclusive financing mechanisms like Sukuk.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has contradicted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on the cause of the explosion that occurred in front of the Mogadishu military barracks in Abuja, on Monday.

The agency had said the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber.

But responding to questions from journalists during the inspection of some road projects lined up for commissioning to mark President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second year in office, Wike said the briefings he got on the issue shows that NEMA position is incorrect.

The minister said, ”The security never said it was a suicide bomber. So don’t go and create an impression and put fear in people. NEMA is not the head of security. Security agencies are there.

”What happened was that there was somebody that went to where we have these quarries, where they blast all these rocks. The person took the explosive and put it in his pocket. Of course, some of them may not even understand the implication of that and so, it exploded on him.

”So that does not mean that it is a suicide bomber. We should be careful in the story we are planting; let’s not send the wrong message to the residents.”

Daily Trust had reported an explosion near a checkpoint opposite the Mogadishu barracks in Abuja.

A man was reportedly killed during the incident.

While NEMA revealed the outcome of its findings, but both the military and the police are yet to disclose the cause of the incident, saying investigation is ongoing.

[DailyTrust]

The Nigerian Senate, Wednesday passed the Rivers State 2025 budget for second reading.

The budget which stood at N1,480,662592,442 trillion was passed for second reading after it was read by the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Bamidele Opeyemi.

Opeyemi said the Senate has since assumed the powers of legislating for Rivers State having been under the State of Emergency.

In his contribution, Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan said, there was a need for the budget to be legislated immediately so that the people of Rivers could feel the presence of government.

He said, “Mr President, I don’t know under what topic this document is christened but I could see it is about a budget of the state of emergency.

I hereby support that the budget be passed for second reading so that the people of Rivers can feel the presence of government.

In absence of opposition to the bill, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio passed the budget through voice vote and referred it to the Ad-hoc Committee on overseeing Rivers State of Emergency.

[DailyPost]

The Senate on Wednesday adopted the harmonised conference committee report on the four tax reform bills.

The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration and approval of the recommendations of the conference committee of both chambers set up to harmonize the Bills.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and leader of the Senate delegation in the conference committee, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, presented the report.

The four tax reforms Bills which were transmitted to the National Assembly in November last year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu include: The Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 583); Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 584); Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2025 (SB. 585); and Nigeria Tax Bill, 2025 (SB. 586).

Details shortly…

[TheNation]

As Nigerians continue to battle inflation and rising cost of living, the political arena is heating up for the 2027 election.

President Bola Tinubu, who came into power in 2023, now faces growing opposition from influential political figures seeking to block his bid for a second term.

Amid widespread public dissatisfaction and perceived policy failures, a broad coalition of political stakeholders is already taking shape, united by a common goal: to unseat Tinubu.

Critics of the president accuse him of implementing policies they describe as anti-people, failing to alleviate economic hardship, and allegedly attempting to steer Nigeria toward a one-party state.

PUNCH Online has gathered a list of some of the prominent figures and groups positioning themselves against Tinubu’s re-election bid below:

Peter Obi

The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has declared his intention to run again in 2027. Obi remains vocal about his commitment to changing Nigeria’s political landscape and has hinted at various coalition arrangements.

In March, Obi joined forces with other top politicians, including Atiku Abubakar and Nasir El-Rufai, to form a coalition aimed at mounting a formidable challenge against Tinubu in the upcoming election cycle.

Reports have also surfaced suggesting the possibility of Obi accepting a vice-presidential slot under Atiku in a one-term, power-sharing deal—although neither camp has confirmed this officially.

Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who contested under the PDP in 2023, has shown no signs of stepping back from the political stage. Like Obi, he has thrown his weight behind the emerging coalition intended to displace Tinubu in 2027.

Atiku has reportedly proposed a one-term presidency with Obi as his running mate, fueling speculation about a strategic alliance to consolidate the opposition vote.

Their March announcement of the coalition, however, sparked debates about the effectiveness of such political unity.

Seyi Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has not ruled out his own presidential ambition.

In April, he confidently stated that he possessed the competence to lead Nigeria, though he emphasised that any decision on contesting would align with the wishes of Nigerians and his party.

Makinde remarked, “I don’t have any doubt that I have the capacity to occupy the highest office in this land… but what I want to do right now, is it what Nigerians are asking for?”

His rising profile within the PDP has prompted a group, the Brave New Vision Support Group, to begin lobbying for his candidacy. Campaign posters bearing his image and the slogan “To Move Nigeria Forward 2027” have appeared in key locations across Kano State.

Nasir El-Rufai

A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has been one of the most outspoken critics of Tinubu’s administration.

El-Rufai recently confirmed that discussions are ongoing to form a powerful opposition alliance to oust the President in 2027.

Speaking in May, El-Rufai boldly declared, “Anybody that thinks it is possible for President Bola Tinubu to get re-elected is living in another country, not Nigeria… I don’t see a pathway for him, no matter how disorganised the opposition is.”

According to El-Rufai, the economic and political situation has eroded Tinubu’s support base to the point of no return.

Babachir Lawal

Another prominent voice in the anti-Tinubu bloc is Babachir Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Lawal has been actively involved in coalition talks and is reportedly playing a key role in strategising for 2027.

Rotimi Amaechi and Liyel Imoke

Two former governors, Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Liyel Imoke (Cross River), are also significant players in the anti-Tinubu movement.

They have been tasked with defining the platform for the coalition, whether it involves forming a new party or fusing with an existing one.

[Punch]

“Two men in a burning house must not stop to argue”- African proverb

The choice between a rock and a hard place describes a situation of being between two equally difficult, even impossible options. It is what comes to mind as a number of developments in the country are contemplated by people in a widely differing situations in the country as we speak.

 Let us start with a viral text allegedly posted by communities who have lived with, or, more appropriately, under bandits like Ado Aleiro, Bello Turji, Kachalla Habibu Sububu, Shingi, Black, Nashama, Gwaska and dozens of their satellites and rivals in much of the North West and North Central regions. The text appears to be a reaction to the reported arrest of the wife and mother of a leading bandit in Saudi Arabia while preparing to perform the Hajj. The post begs those who fight these bandits to stop these types of arrests, because it is their routine victims who pay the price whenever the state attempts to clamp on their activities and free communities from their strangleholds.

 Now, to be fair, another post denied that the leading bandit’s family was arrested. What complicates this development is the quality of the text from villagers pleading that the fight should be taken to the bandits/ terrorists where they are located, and not, as was reported, in the manner that exposes villagers to reprisals which compound their pathetic helplessness. It is even tempting to assume the bandits/terrorists themselves penned the plea, a subtle blackmail to stop the State from hitting bandits where it hurts: arresting their families.

 In any case, the point here is to highlight the desperate circumstances in which millions of fellow Nigerians live. Bandits and terrorists and other sundry threats have tightened their grips on lives of rural communities in most parts of the North. Those who survive and live in unsafe towns and villages are condemned to lives of wretched destitution in distant communities without means of dignified survival. Unlike the North East and North Central, the North West has no Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps. Its hundreds of thousands of women and children and old people displaced by entrenched organized violence are begging in streets in northern towns and cities, including Abuja, as northern elites zoom past in tinted glasses. Young northern  men are being stopped, profiled and humiliated as suspects as they ride every moving contraption going South to find menial jobs.

 Hundreds of villages are emptied of strong farming hands. Those who choose to stay have to negotiate access to farms with bandits and terrorists, and this may include working on their farms as well. Even this does not guarantee that farmers can feed from, and sell some produce. Another group of bandits or terrorists, or even the same overlord, could invade to empty the villages’ barns; or burn down its  harvests as punishment for attempting to protect itself; or because its land is needed by expanding populations of bandits or new arrival terrorists, or for pure pleasure.

 The most severe punishment against the population is reserved for attempting to resist or reduce the impact of the bandit/ terrorist, and suspicion of collaboration with agents of the state. Communities watch with apprehension as young men step up to answer the call to protect dignity and possessions, encouraged by state governments who support vigilante groups. The bandit hates the vigilante with a passion, often reducing the job of the volunteer in resisting him to ethnic war, with him as victim. Hostage communities are the bandit/kidnapper’s oxygen. Without them, the State will blast him to pieces. Hostage communities know this, so they enter into a very difficult agreement to live at the mercy of the bandit/terrorist, who has the total freedom to alter the terms of the understanding.

 Governments and security agencies demand information and intelligence. The villagers know better. Same way villagers in many parts of the North East knew a long time ago. Security, as provided by the state, is distant and erratic. The bandit/terrorist  knows this. The State knows the bandit/ terrorist is in control of farmlands, markets, roads, schools and everything else that moves. The bandit/terrorist knows the limitations and constraints of state agents very well. His mere existence is evidence of weakness of the state. The failure of the state to defeat him is enough evidence that he is winning. The citizen is a victim of a weak state, and captive of brutal powers in a war with no rules. He could pay a huge price for resisting, even with his feet. That is his rock. He could also live on the margins of existence, without any influence over how or when his life will change.

 The conditions under which citizens live in most parts of the North can be replicated all over the country, with very few differences in details. The bandit is armed, rich and stuck in criminality without ambition or options, except to be a better bandit. He is the most vulnerable of the sundry threats that hold our communities hostage. He can and must be engaged with new resolve and creative mindset. The terrorist/insurgent seeks to capture and keep populations under his control and impose his worldview over them. He is resurfacing with greater sophistication and audacity. We cannot defeat him using the same methods that have failed in the last 15 years. Many communities are locked in a bloddy tit-for-tat in a country that should teach others the dangers of ignoring ethnic conflicts. They will escalate with spreading awareness that the State cannot, or will not protect citizens and institutionalize justice in inter-community relations. Our economy bleeds from sophisticated and widespread plunder of oil assets. You cannot fix the economy unless you plug this damaging and lucrative crime. Does the State have the will and the muscle to take on the most sophisticated and profitable crimes in the land? Is the leadership willing to take on sundry criminals that have gripped the entire South-East behind the facade of politics? We are all between a rock and a hard place: the State is unable to protect us, and the criminal offers nothing but greater pain. Something has to give.

FORMER President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State, and transport minister for the two terms of his administration on the attainment of the milestone of 60 years.

The former president described Governor Amaechi as a “golden fish,” an asset to his administration.

Buhari in a statement by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, was quoted as saying: “Amaechi shared with me the aspiration of

strengthening infrastructure, bridging the nation’s long-delayed gaps through the railway, a vital component, leading to its revival from a comatose state, completion of abandoned projects, turning them into major transit hubs, and initiating major ones across the country, some of which were driven to completion before he left office.

“The railway system which used to be the heartbeat of several towns and cities, killed and buried for decades opened a new chapter under his leadership, faithfully serving millions of Nigerians by increasing network capacity for passenger and freight services, helping to address demand, introducing new services and rolling stock, and improving safety.

“Under him, the nation witnessed a new era of railway infrastructure. I wish him and his family many happy years ahead.”

[Vanguard]

It has since become a cliche that Nyessom Wike, the energetic Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, is one of the most mentioned names in the media, political cycles and various discussions platforms in Nigeria today. Even when he is not in the news naturally, Wike purposefully gathers the press around him to chat with them in his raspy voice and push his views forward. And by the time the parley is over, his friends and enemies would have gotten enough sound bites to cut and throw around across the pervasive social media space in Nigeria.

Minister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike again received a lot of mention in the news and online discussion platforms in the past few days for daring to send his men to seal up Access Bank, FIRS office, PDP Secretariat and a host of other office buildings for failing to pay their ground rents to the FCTA.

Watching the unfolding events from the comfort of his villa and sensing that Nigerians will soon begin to see the sealing of PDP Secretariat hours before the party’s NEC meeting would be seen by many critical Nigerians as a case of the Voice of Jacob and the Hands of Esau, President Bola Tinubu quickly jumped in to intervene. He gave embattled PDP 14 days of grace to settle their ground rent and escape Wike’s sledge harmer. The President’s action doused the tension a bit and reduced the numbers of wagging tongues. Had he not taken that appropriate action, the President would have carelessly given free bullets to those who are angrily interpreting the defections into APC as his deliberate effort to turn Nigeria into a one party state, and they would have used those bullets attack him.

The closure of the PDP Secretariat has a lot of revelations and lessons for Nigerians who truly desire a nation that is committed to development. That closure brings to light one of the biggest evidence why PDP as a political party privileged to rule Nigeria for 16 years failed woefully in setting the nation on the path of true and irreversible greatness.

PDP has two Secretariat buildings as a matter of fact. The first one is it’s current Secretariat and the second one is its abandoned headquarters that’s been under construction for nearly two decades.

It’s quite easy to look at the issue of Wike’s closure of the PDP Secretariat from the angle of politics alone. By our nature as a people, the fact that the head office of the FIRS and 12 other high networth buildings were also closed will not mean anything to us. We will conclude easily, that the PDP secretariat was the actual target. We will reason that the other buildings were also closed to make it look as if PDP was not the real target. We miss the most important point in the saga by taking these emotional positions.

The main point in the saga of the closure of PDP’ s Secretariat is a question demanding answer. Should a party that has been in power for 16 years and is still aspiring to lead again owe ground rent for a decade in the first place? Should it owe any form of rent at all? If the PDP were to have a liaison office building in USA, UK or Canada, will it owe ground rent for a year and not lose the building? If that is the case, why then must a party that wants us to commit Nigeria into its care disregard the law so much that it saw no need to pay statutory bills for years. Instead of focusing more on Wike, we should focus more on these questions and demand answers.

Nigeria without doubt is a country of many brilliant people. Brilliant people ought to be able to do things exceptionally well. This always makes people wonder why Nigerians aren’t getting it right as a people. One of the reasons our country has never gotten it right is that we always miss the biggest point in most critical issues. In overlooking how and why PDP put itself in the precarious situation of getting it’s Secretariat building sealed for infraction and focusing on Wike as the aggressor, we intentionally or surreptitiously miss the point again. When we willy nilly choose to always miss the foundational point, we portray ourselves as a people who love to major in minor and minor in major. It’s hard to see how we can choose that path and expect everything to go well naturally with Nigeria.

Assuming that the FCT Minister closed the PDP Secretariat out of malice, would he or the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory Administration have had the opportunity to do so if PDP has been paying its ground rent promptly? If PDP fails to pay its ground rent for a year in UK, can it afford to make noise about the sealing of their Secretariat as political persecution? Shame will not alloy any serious political party make noise about an issue like this in any serious country. This is because they know what it will cost them politically in the next election. But in Nigeria, does it really matter? Yet, we want to live in a country that works. How will a country work when people pick and choose which law to obey and which law to disrespect or when to obey and when not to obey? How will a country work when people in power / government don’t respect the rules?

A Yoruba adage says “the person that will sow a dress for you, it’s the cloth he is wearing that you must first look at.” If we look at the cloth PDP has been wearing on its Secretariat buildings since 1999, no sane Nigerian will regard PDP as a serious political party to hand Nigeria over to for leadership.

PDP ruled Nigeria for 8 years of Obasanjo. 3 years of Umar Musa Yar’ Adua and 5 years of Goodluck Jonathan and for these 16 years PDP was a tenant in WADATA House. It was like a king ruling from the house of one of his subjects as a tenant for nearly two decades and boasting that he is the richest king in earth.

PDP used 16 years to plan and prepare to build their own befitting Party Head Quarters and it was already over 60% completed before Jonathan left office in 2015. Most Nigerians know that the chunk of the donations for that highrise building of about 7 floors was direct and indirect government money donated and allocated by party stalwarts and contractors.

Since 2015 till date, the PDP building has been abandoned by all of PDP big men and women. There has never been a time since 2015 till date that PDP has less than 30 percent of Governors, Senators and Honourables elected in the elections, yet, all these people demonstrated lack of wisdom and passion to complete their party secretariat building. Infact, the most annoying thing is that no development work has happened in that abandoned building since 2015 – 10 years ago.

PDP supplied the gum that Wike used to seal their party secretariat in a way. How did they do that? About six months ago, the FCDA in her revenue drive made it known that the ground rents of many buildings in Abuja haven’t been paid. WADATA House was one of the buildings listed then. It was during that revelation that many Nigerians discovered that WADATA House didn’t belong to PDP. Even with such news in the open, PDP management didn’t think it necessary to do anything about the rent until the building was closed. The question is “would the reaction to the closure of the Secretariat be the same if there was no big party meeting going on around the period?”.

How can a political party which can not run it’s affairs well, run the affairs of a country excellently? Only in Nigeria can such a political party feel cool and seek to return to national prominence without any soul searching exercise or heartfelt apology for it’s years of missed opportunities for greatness.

To be fair to PDP, it needs to be said that most of Nigeria’s political parties are poorly run and badly managed. Even though LP did well by coming third in the last election, how was the party before the Peter Obi surge? How has it been fairing since? How well run is APC the ruling party? If APC is being run well as a political party the charade of endorsing the president in their last NEC meeting would have been an exercise to assess how it’s government has performed in the last two years to see what’s working and what’s not working. SDP is the oldest party in Nigeria by name and it has a beautiful Secretariat in Abuja. But can it be said that SDP is a strong party that is being astutely run to give Nigeria the best leadership possible? Our poorly run political parties give us a glimpse into why our governments are poorly run across board. Our poorly run parties and government reflect the poverty of leadership qualities in our society. The society that selectively choose things to condemn and things to permit will be far from excellence and meritocracy for ever unless a miracle or revolution occurs.

Despite Buhari’s terrible performance, APC’s Tinubu won the election of 2023 to succeed Buhari. Only in Nigeria can a badly performing political party win election. Beyond the noise of rigging, we must look at our sense of assessing issues and correct what must be corrected.

Nigeria is a big community of politicians with no defined political philosophy, ideologies and little or no honour. As it was in 2014, disgruntled, desperate and power hungry politicians are now gathering together to present themselves to Nigerians as the best alternative in 2027. Nigerians will be carried away by their lies and smooth talk again because we always miss the point. And if we do, our self inflicted suffering will continue.
May God open our eyes in Nigeria to our truths and give us the courage to address them appropriately.

Osho is a leadership, political and good governance apostle.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) wishes to draw the public’s attention to misleading messages circulating via a spoofed version of its 66019 shortcode. These messages instruct candidates—some of whom have already sat for the resit examination and received their results—to reprint their examination slips for a resit examination.

We categorically state that these messages are not from JAMB. There are currently no scheduled examinations, and candidates who have successfully completed the resit examination and received their results need not be concerned. Such messages are fraudulent and intended to sow confusion.

The only examination that JAMB is planning to conduct, which has yet to be scheduled, is the foreign examination held in nine countries across Europe, the Middle East, and certain African nations. Additionally, there will be a mop-up examination for candidates who missed the main and resit examinations and have been granted waivers only for 2025 to participate in the usual mop-up for those who experienced biometric failures.

We urge the public to disregard these deceptive messages. Those qualified for the mop-up examination, as specified, will be duly notified once preparations are finalised.

Fabian Benjamin, Ph.D.,
Public Communication Advisor 
JAMB

How time flies! May we not be indebted! Because if you promise to pay back in four years’ time and then go to bed, thinking you still have time, four years will stealthily creep on you like the biblical thief in the night and become tomorrow before you knew it! Hence the saying of the wise that a thousand years will soon become like tomorrow!

In soccer parlance, the language that many of our soccer-loving compatriots will better understand, this is half-time for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his first four-year term as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Two years down; two more to go. Never mind that the politicians are already looking beyond 2027, not reckoning with another saying of the elders that mocks anyone promising heaven and earth tomorrow when he has no guarantee he would witness the end of today. No one knows tomorrow!

A standard football match is divided into two equal parts of 45 minutes each. At half-time the teams enjoy a period of rest when strategies are reviewed and changes made, where necessary. These days, novel ideas keep finding their way into the popular sport, such as the VAR and the introduction of half-time within each half-time for the players to cool off.

President Tinubu may have borrowed a leaf from FIFA. During the half-time of the first-half of his first term (that is, when he was one year in office), he reviewed the performance of his ministers; some got the boot while fresh (?) blood was injected into the bloodstream of his administration. Many, however, expressed displeasure over some ministers who retained their slot despite the widely-perceived impression that they have not done well.

Now at the half-time of his first four-year term, the President is again taking a hard look at his cabinet and may be minded to tinker with it again. That is a prerogative no one can deny him as he possesses the power to hire and fire. We, as a people, however, have a duty to guide him as to who should go and who should stay. To do this, let us look at the critical sectors that impact the life of citizens most. This is so because the whole duty of the government centres around making life more meaningful - and better liveable - for the citizenry.

The Utilitarian School long ago settled the debate that the purpose of Governments is to ensure - and provide - for the greatest happiness of the greatest number of its citizens. In other words, the government cannot make everyone happy or satisfied at one and the same time. There are many reasons for this, which need not detain us here, but suffice it to say that because resources are scarce and demands often outstrip supply is one of such reasons. Another is that a number of differences - personal, ethnic, religious, political, cultural, social, and economic - always create an atmosphere of conflict and disagreement that make100 percent unanimity on any issue hard to build.

That said, there are basic fundamentals upon which a consensus can be built by the vast majority of the people. Mercifully, the fulcrum of the democratic system that we operate posits that while the majority may have their way, the minority must be allowed to have its say. Grandma taught me that if you get persistent with that part of your body that itches, you will scratch yourself to the bones. Therefore, instead of half-empty, I will say half-full here today. I am sure you understand what I mean!

So, what are those areas where life can be made more meaningful for Nigerians? The first is in the area of security of life and property. The most basic and fundamental human right is the right to life. Without life, nothing! The Tinubu administration inherited a very, very bad security situation, made worse by the generally-perceived duplicity and complicity of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in the insecurity that whacked the country, especially the Fulani herdsmen and bandits’ atrocities all over the country. But two years down the line, how has the Tinubu administration fared?

To the government, a lot has been achieved and insurgency will soon be defeated. Kudos to our fighting forces: they have made, and continue to make, immense sacrifices to rid the country of terrorists of all hues. But to the people - and as some of those in power have also attested to - there is yet no cause for cheers. The war against insurgency is, at best, a ding-dong affair, a back-and-forth kind of exchange between our gallant military and those despicable elements.

The war against insurgency has been made doubly difficult to wage because of many factors: Fifth columnists within the fighting forces themselves, exacerbated by the (deliberately mischievous and sinister?) integration of so-called Boko Haram repentants into the armed forces; religious, tribal, traditional, and political elite’s complicity with the terrorists; corruption within the military and the government itself, external plots and interference, to mention but a few.

The President may, this time around, with the advantage of another cabinet reshuffle, take a hard look at his security architecture. That sector is not performing well at all. The daily cases of massacres across the country and the incursions and advances the terrorists are making into new areas of the country must be checked.

Insecurity impacts so many other facets of our national life. The country is bleeding. Funds that could have been channeled into other productive activities are wasted on this never-ending war, which has become the pot of soup and bottle feeding many influential persons who may not want an end to it. The blood-letting is gushing.

The dislocation of economic activities, especially farming, has compounded inflationary trends, especially as they affect the cultivation of food crops. Recourse to importation adds more strains on the Naira. High exchange rates frustrate businesses. Business closures and trim-down worsen the unemployment situation. Lack of jobs means more exodus of able-bodied and highly-qualified Nigerians in what has come to be known as the JAPA syndrome. Those who cannot JAPA remain an army of disgruntled, hungry, and angry elements waiting for the catalyst that will propel them into violent action.

Ticking time bomb! Crime is on the rise. If the Tinubu administration can overcome the insecurity noose tightening around the country’s neck, he would have reduced the country’s problems by half.

The other half is the economy. A weak currency is at the heart of the country’s economic hardship. How can we make the Naira stronger? Ramp up local production and reduce dependence on the importation of foreign goods and services. Reduce corruption and wasteful expenditure. Explore new sources of income by creating new wealth, rather than taxing an already-impoverished citizenry to death and removing subsidies on every conceivable item.

Every country subsidises one item or the other for its citizens, especially to drive its economy. What is the Nigerian government subsidizing for Nigerians to drive the economy? Subsidies on fuel and Naira exchange rate have been removed and the deleterious effects are still with us two years after, offering no respite despite the coming on stream of local refineries. Nigeria, an import-dependent economy floated its currency and turned it overnight into paper-weight, sending it crashing into the abyss as one of the worst-performing currencies in the world. What local exports have the devaluation promoted?

Subsidies on power have massively been removed. Even the Presidency is running away from paying the so-called market cost of power! Still, the power-mongers in the power sector of the economy are baying for more blood from a hapless citizenry. So, if the Presidency cannot pay, who, then, can? Telecom charges have hit the roof and Nigerians’ access to one another and to the outside world is being constrained. In the sense in which we are closing down every sector of the economy, pricing it beyond the reach of the vast majority of the people, how do we then develop the country? Can the few of them in power do it all by themselves?

This time around, the various ministers and aides saddled with economic and other matters that directly impact the life of Nigerians must have their tenure reviewed by the President.

End insurgency and make the country safe again. Revamp the economy and end the hardship in the land. These are the two tasks before the President. So far, has the Tinubu administration failed or has it succeeded in these two important areas? I will say mildly that it is still work-in-progress. Yes, Buhari’s administration ruined the country beyond imaginations, but after two years in office, the blame for the parlous state of affairs can no longer be Buhari’s alone. The question must now be asked: In the past two years, what have been Tinubu’s own contributions to the salvaging - not savaging - and rescuing mission?

LAST WORD: Did you see our President in an English suit shaking hands with the new pope? For God’s sake, who advised Tinubu to wear an English suit to the occasion? It didn’t fit at all, to say the very least! Maybe, when was the last time he wore one? He looked strange in it. Our native attires fit him better and would have been more appropriate for the occasion - to showcase our culture. Next time, please! Next time!